Marketing Manager of Oreos Essay

In this written assignment, I will be accepting the role of a marketing manager that will select a product (good or service) that’s sold in the United States and has sales opportunities in a foreign market. The product I have chosen is Oreo’s, are the world’s favorite cookie. Throughout this assignment, I will apply my critical thinking skills and the knowledge I have attained throughout this course to the product that I have chosen. The first steps in marketing are putting the right product out at the right price and the right time. All of us have grown up with Oreo cookies, we all have our disputes as to the way to eat them dunking them in milk or twisting off one side then eating the middle first. Since the introduction in 1912, the Oreo cookies has become the bestselling cookie in the U.S. (Rosenbery). Since the Oreo has been around there has been 362 billion cookies sold which then makes it the â€Å"best-selling† cookie. The first Oreo to be sold was in Hoboken, NJ. At this time the packaging of the cookie was a â€Å"bulk tin and was sold by the weight†(Oreo). The Oreos time and place utility can be found in more than 100 countries and in all super markets. The Ease of Possession utility adds value by reducing reasons not to buy or adding incentives to purchase (White). Oreos can be found in every store that sells food or any country so when you are feeling like an Oreo all you have to do is find a super market. Oreo’s target market is anyone over the age of 12, Kraft promised to stop advertising its most high in calories products to kids under the age of 12, this is first major food company to do so (Callahan). The 100-year-old sandwich cookie, a $2 billion brand, is going global in a big way. Emerging markets will account for about half of Oreo sales this year, and over the past five years emerging markets including Asia and Latin America have been the major drivers of the brand’s growth. Thanks to the overseas push, overall Oreo sales grew nearly 25 percent in 2011(Einhorn). The number one foreign market for Oreo’s China is now the world’s largest Oreo market outside the United States, with 41.9% growth in measured consumption over the last year, according to ACNielsen (Wai-yin Kwok). In  order for me to apply the STP approach in the American and foreign market is first I will have to determine which types of customers exist, select which ones we would be able to serve best, and then implement our segmentation by improving our cookies for that segment and show that we made the choice to stand out and remain rare. The primary segment is one for who the product is designed for, maximum revenue will come from the primary target market. These customers that share common characteristics and behaviors account for the highest capacity of sales and are most likely to buy now. The positioning of Oreo cookie is tempting to kids and teenagers they are the highest consumers of cookies. The secondary market is future primary buyers, persons buying at a high rate in a small segment and people who influence primary buyers. However their characteristics and buying behaviors usually are different from those of the primary market. For example this would be the persons that live a fast passed life style like adults, and working parents, and grandparents. In order s to implement our target, we must begin positioning by choosing what image the company would like to portray to our consumers. One way is for the company to maintain a strong competitive advantage. Consumers are more willing to pay premiums for products that are not harmful to the environment. I would develop, execute, and measure a campaign for this product considering the four p’s (product, price, promotion, and place) by choosing what Oreo is known for. The product should also be of high quality, since consumers will not pay a premium price for none premium product. With pricing I would have a reasonable price for the quality of product but also would guarantee freshness. Major trend in the foreign markets that will hurt business sales is some couture’s don’t like high in fat foods. In order to get into a foreign market and stay we will have to research and find out what they are looking for in a cookie. According to Global Journal of Finance and Management the reach they found was that the Chinese lacked the emotional attachment with the cookie pertaining to a strange shape, high value and even a taste that wasn’t the best of what they liked. Kraft’s Chinese division used this information to formulate a modified the recipe, making a cookie prototype of a formula that tasted right (republication). Research will have to be done  when going in any foreign markets when it comes to marketing in a new area you want to have success the first time rather than later having to figure out what went wrong. Global business ethics has a number of open difficulties, Always keep in mind every culture and nation has its own values and traditions. Since there is no international code of conduct it is important for all companies to develop their own ethical values. I will have to develop standards that the Oreo company will at hear to at all times. As the marketing manager, I have studied the sales opportunities Oreos has in a foreign market. I applied my critical thinking skills and the knowledge I have learned throughout this course to the product that I have chosen. When companies are going into a foreign market it is imperative to really understand the markets before you lunch your products, also you need to connect with every market in order for your business to be successful. References Rosenbery, Jen (2010) http://history1900s.about.com/od/1910s/a/oreohistory.htm http://oreofunandfacts.weebly.com/history-of-oreos.html White, S. (2012). Principles of Marketing (1st Ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Einhorn, Bruce(2012) http://www.businessweek.com/authors/449-bruce-einhorn Wai-yin Kwok, Vivian(2008) http://www.forbes.com/2009/12/08/china-oreo-tang-cmo-network-kraft.html Amit Verma ISSN 0975-6477 Volume 6, Number 7 (2014), pp. 615-618 http://www.ripublication.com

Appearance vs. Reality Essay

Reality and appearances, or if you prefer, being and acting, are important themes for both Machiavelli and Shakespeare. Why? How do their perspectives on this subject agree or differ? One of the most fundamental questions in philosophy is the appearance vs. reality. We find ourselves asking the question of what is genuinely â€Å"real,† and what is viewed merely as just an â€Å"appearance,† and not real? It becomes difficult when we assume there is a difference in the two to determine which is which. Generally, what we label as â€Å"real† is regarded as external and eternal. What we refer to as just an appearance is regarded as temporary and internal. Many early as well as modern day authors use the theme of appearance vs. reality to portray a character in a certain way. One of the most appreciated one of these authors is William Shakespeare. The theme of Appearance vs. Reality is extremely noted in Williams Shakespeare’s â€Å"Hamlet†. Also, the Italian political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli is the other one who examines the issues of reality and appearance. Similarly, William Shakespeare and Machiavelli tell us about ‘princes’. Shakespeare’s play â€Å"Hamlet† can be summarized as a young prince’s journey in life to discover the truth of his father’s death. Machiavelli’s â€Å"The Prince† is a kind of ‘training guide’ for leaders, or in other words it is a kind of description of what a leader should do in order to effectively lead his country. The common subject of these works is reality vs. appearance therefore in this paper the theme of appearance vs. reality will be explored by closely analyzing both of these texts of Machiavelli and Shakespeare. Additionally their perspectives will be compared and contrasted in order to understand that whether they have the same point of view or not. Throughout the Shakespeare’s play â€Å"Hamlet†, the deceitfulness of some main characters is portrayed. The most significant one of these is Claudius, who is Hamlet’s uncle as well as the king’s brother; he deceitfully marries the recently widowed queen, and takes the throne. Many of the characters in the story are viewed as being honest and innocent characters, but in reality  they are evil in their actions as well as in their speeches. There are really four dishonest characters that could be the perfect examples for the theme of appearance vs. reality, and they are Polonius, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and the newly crowned king Claudius. When these characters are first introduced in this story, they tend to come across as being truthful and honorable, but in reality they have many evil sides that show when they play their deceitful roles against Hamlet as well as against the people of Denmark. Their innocent appearances become difficult obstacles for Hamlet as he struggles and trying to find the truth behind his father’s death, for he is unsure of whom he can trust. This is a question that Hamlet has on his mind throughout the play. The events and characters within the play appear to be true and honest but in reality they are infested with evil. Many of the characters within the play hide behind a mask of falseness. From behind this mask they give the impression of a person, who is sincere and genuine, in reality they are plagued with lies and malice. There appearance will make it very difficult for Hamlet to uncover the truth because the characters conceal their real intentions with a mask. Polonius, the king’s royal assistant has a preoccupation with appearance; he always wants to keep up the appearance of a loving and a caring person. Polonius appears like a man who loves and cares about his son, Laertes. He really does an excellent job trying to make others believe that he is a loving father who is only interested in helping his son to grow up in the right way and become prosperous in life. His speeches can be described as sounding the way the speeches of a politician would. They are blunt, well written, and directly to the point, but are never meant to be sincere. He gives his son Laertes his blessing to go away, but he sends a spy to follow him and keep an eye on him. Although he appears to be a confident father he does not trust his son to go away on his own. Furthermore, Polonius adds to the theme of appearance versus reality by ordering Ophelia to stop seeing Hamlet. He lies to her by telling her that Hamlet does not love her, he only lusts for her. Two of Hamlet’s closest friends from his childhood Rosencrantz and Guildenstern can as well be viewed as liars who become very  deceitful to Hamlet. After being asked by the king to find out what is bothering Hamlet, the two go to Hamlet pretending to see him as a friend, but are in reality just obeying the king’s orders. When they ask what is troubling Hamlet, they become insincere, and almost sound as though they had rehearsed what it was they were going to say. Hamlet noticed that the boys were told to do this and states, â€Å"A dream itself is but a shadow† (Hamlet 73). Hamlet then realized that his own friend were not in reality any friends at all. The king again sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to apologize for their behavior but Hamlet noticed their intentions yet again and simply insulted them. Hamlet’s supposed friends greatly add to the theme of appearance vs . reality. The last character is Claudius, the brother of the deceased king, who was crowned the new king of Denmark is viewed as an honest and honorable man. As seen in a speech given by Claudius in the presence of the council in Act One Scene Two, he demonstrates his excellent public speaking skills: â€Å"Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death The memory be green, and that it us befitted To bear our hearts in grief and our whole kingdom To be contracted in one brow of woe† (Hamlet 33). Although Claudius seems sincere in his words, he cares so little about his brother’s death and only cares about himself. He is just living the life that once belonged to his brother as the king of Denmark and is extremely happy to be at the head of the thrown; something he had previously longed for. His speeches are given with respect for himself, his country and others. In Act One, you see that Hamlet directly insults Claudius, but the king continues to behave as if he is a loving and a caring uncle and step-father towards his nephew. In Machiavellian sense, all of these characters are using their appearances to their benefits, strategically they are using them to gain power or for their own benefits. In Niccolo Machiavelli’s â€Å"The Prince† he suggests, â€Å"Everyone sees what you appear to be, few dare not oppose themselves to the opinion of the many, who have the majesty of the state to defend them.† (Machiavelli, 58) In short, he says that the strongest leaders are the ones who are able to carefully balance appearance to his benefits. According to Machiavelli’s statement, Claudius starts off as an ideal Machiavellian  prince. At the beginning of the play, Claudius appears to have complete control over Elsinore, as evidenced by his imposing speech to the court; â€Å"Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen, The imperial jointress to this warlike state, Have we (as it were a defeated joy, With an auspicious and a dropping eye, With mirth in funeral and dirge in marriage, in equal scale weighing delight and dole) Taken to wife†¦(1.2: 8-14) In this scene, Claudius, who has only recently taken the throne after the death of his brother, addresses some pressing issues. Seeking to create a strong early impression, Claudius uses his words very carefully. Furthermore with the words â€Å"imperial jointress to this warlike state† he justifies the potentially controversial union by making it appear like a benefit to the entire kingdom. The phrases which are chosen by Claudius, â€Å"mirth in funeral† and â€Å"dirge in marriage† recall Machiavelli’s words, for Claudius demonstrating his ability to express whatever emotions make him look wise and just, showing that he is in command of Denmark, despite his limited experience as a king. Consequently, as the play develops, Claudius loses his immovable command and composure, largely due to his concern over the potential threat posed by his stepson, Hamlet. According to Machiavelli there are ways of becoming a prince. Claudius becomes a king by killing his own brother, in Machiavellian sense; he is â€Å"a man who becomes a prince by some criminal and nefarious method†. (Machiavelli, 28) Claudius’ method is presented in Machiavelli’s book and from his perspective it is not a wrong method. However, one can acquire â€Å"prince power by this way but not glory†. (Machiavelli, 29) Therefore, Claudius has taken the throne but he was not glorious and has not glory. Actually, he is not virtuous. At the end of the play we see the gradual fall of Claudius, although he has a confident appearance and succeeds in becoming a strong leader, it is unable to heal the deep wounds in his soul. It is impossible not to feel sorry for him as he struggles with the task of balancing his outward appearance with his interior thought. Therefore, Shakespeare shows his inner conflict and dilemmas. Machiavelli seems to be unaware of these facts, feeling of regret and repentance. Claudius above every other character in the play shows how the theme of reality versus appearance is relevant to the great play written by Williams  Shakespeare, known as â€Å"Hamlet†.

The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin - Essay Example The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin focuses upon the overarching theme of self-motivation as he talks in detail about his experiences and intentions to serve as role model for the other people. In the autobiography he describes his life journey begun as a poor and unknown son of candle maker that turned to a successful businessman and started getting respectfully acknowledged in the American society. He tells the reader the key factors behind his success and talks about the virtues that he strived to acquire in order to foster the process of self-improvement. The autobiography reflects his thoughts and intentions towards self-improvement for which he developed a personal plan comprising of thirteen virtues. The thirteen virtues he identified as part of his personal plan of conduct include â€Å"temperament, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquillity, chastity and humility† (Franklin, p77-78). He explains the pr ecepts of these virtues and talks about the process through which he attempted to acquire these virtues in his life. Rather attempting to acquire all the virtues at a time he decided to focus upon them one after one. He tells "My intention being to acquire the habitude of all these virtues, I judg'd it would be well not to distract my attention by attempting the whole at once, but to fix it on one of them at a time; and, when I should be master of that, then to proceed to another, and so on, till I should have gone thro' the thirteen" (Franklin, p78) Franklin explains his personal plan that he followed to acquire the thirteen virtues. In the beginning he realized that his personality needs much more improvements as he expected. He did thorough self-examination and realistically identified his personality fault to overcome them. He feel satisfied that following his plan resulted in diminishing the faults and flaws of his personality. He took one week to acquire one virtue and after t hirteen week he started the process again and repeated four time a year, then once in a year and then only once in several years. However, he followed and remained stick to these virtues throughout his life till his death. Franklin tells the story of his self-improvement mainly through the description of his personal plan and detailed explanation of the thirteen virtues and his quest to acquire those. The autobiography tells that his efforts of self-improvement were directed by self-motivation. He thinks realistically about his personality flaws and always remained eager to learn the ways for self-improvement. He read several books and texts to know about the virtues that could help in self-improvement and his reading and observations resulted in the formation of compact set of thirteen virtues. He was self-motivated to acquire the virtues to improve his personality. As he said " I wish'd to live without committing any fault at any time; I would conquer all that either natural incli nation, custom, or company might lead me into" (Franklin, p77) The reading unveils that self-improvement plays key role in the life of Benjamin Franklin and his autobiography is great source of inspiration for the readers as it talks about the path of achieving self-improvement. The description of self-improvement plan led by Franklin affirms that he is not self-promoter but genuinely a benevolent man

Operations Management and Supply Chains Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Operations Management and Supply Chains - Essay Example This helps to minimize the unnecessary movements of the inventory within the work place which in turn lowers the cost of material handling. This will also eliminate the necessity of having a large space for storing inventory within the firm (CSCMP and Nada, 2014). To successfully lower the inventory as well as the lot size, the firm must always know what it has to produce, when it should produce and the quantity of the product it should produce. This in turn will depend on the demand of the product and a clear knowledge of the amount of raw materials and labor force required. Effective methods of forecasting the demand will help predict the quantity that consumers will need in the long term period. The availability of the required labor will eliminate the necessity of adjusting the operation hours all the time and avoids the possibility of stoppage of work due to inadequate labor. Upon achieving all these important factors then the firm can comfortably order the amount of inventory required for that given period only. For I know the plans I have for you,† says the lord. â€Å"They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). Another means of lowering inventory and lot size is through proper process and product designs. Through proper designs in the process and the product means that there is less uncertainity in the production process that builds confidence in the workers and ensures that the consumers will accept the products. As a result, it will not be necessary for the firm to maintain additional inventory or lot size to cater for the uncertainties. In addition, good process design will ensure flexibility in the operations hence easy to adjust the system to respond to changes in customer demands and preferences (CSCMP and Nada, 2014). Lean production system aims at maximizing the value that is added by each

How does ideology shape the way we think Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How does ideology shape the way we think - Essay Example Adorno was a formidable and shrewd dialectician. A considerable amount of his hypothetical work centered on and emphasized the manifest tensions that exist intrinsically within dealings between opposites (Horkheimer and Adorno 2007). In Adornos comprehensive idea of a premise of the social, these dialectical associations function on different levels, and also with each other. Adorno’s Views on Capitalism. Adorno stated that capitalism provided people with the goods from a culture industry, which he viewed as being the opposite of proper art, to keep them passively contented and politically lethargic. Adorno observed that capitalism had not become more unstable or come close to collapsing, as Marx had forecasted. Rather, it had apparently grown to be more well-established. Where Marx had concentrated on economics Adorno stressed on the function of culture in preserving the status quo. Adorno stated that culture industries are constantly providing an artificial collection of sentimental and unsophisticated products that then substitute the more intricate and significant art forms which have the capacity to compel people to actually challenge the existing social life (Horkheimer and Adorno 2007). The desire for false, artificial, or unimportant needs is nurtured in people by most culture industries. These are wants and requirements that can be realized by the capitalist structure, and which substitute peoples real desires such as authentic creative happiness, freedom, and the uninhibited expression of human creativity and potential. Commodity fetishism, Adorno stressed, is encouraged by media and advertising enterprises. They are the existing proof that cultural experiences as well as social relations have been objectified for the sake of realizing profits. Consumers today measure the value of a product or service by their cost. Music products as well as popular media are also typified by pseudo-individualisation and

Why has gift exchange been an important topic for anthropology Essay

Why has gift exchange been an important topic for anthropology - Essay Example Researchers have established that giving is a composite subject in relation to describing human interactions and the ways that people become social within a society. In some quarters, many argue that gift exchange is an act of reciprocation and it can be a way of integrating people and culture in a society. Others also view gift giving as a way of influencing social communication especially for people that do not speak the same language or share the same cultural practices (Evens 2013, p. 123). The implication of this that gifts can be a representation of expression making them to convey cultural meanings that the other party may understand as the expressions of intended plans. Essentially, the act of giving or exchanging gifts becomes a tool for influencing social responsibilities and ways of providing political contrive. With this, this essay will explain the reasons as to why gift exchange is a relevant topic in anthropology by presenting the arguments, counter-arguments and the e vidence to support both of these claims. 2. Arguments One of the key contributors to the argument that gifts formed part of the anthropology researches was Mauss Marcel who was a French sociologist in the nineteenth century. For one, Mauss argued that the issuance of gifts was never free, but rather they opened up avenues for reciprocal exchanges for those that received the gifts in the first place. In essence, the process of anthropology requires that a researcher dwells among the people that are the subject of the study in order for them to acquire first hand information concerning their way of living. Ideally, this was the most appropriate way of gathering data within the anthropology study as the information gathered was accurate and factual as compared making researches based on secondary data. However, the process of engaging the natives involved in the study was a tricky affair because of the difference in culture and language attributes (Ensminger 2002, p. 106). Therefore, a nthropologists had to be creative hence making them to devise ways of how the natives would come to trust them in order for their study being a success. Mauss shared a contrary view in his argument that the gifts given to the natives were not free and that the recipient had to find a way of reciprocating for it. Subsequently, Mauss could not understand the content of the gifts that made them to have the reciprocating nature, but concluded that the gesture of receiving or giving somehow had spiritual attributes. Mauss concluded that the act of giving fostered social bonds between people from different cultures hence making the receiver to develop the obligation to reciprocate for the kind gesture shown by the giver (Ben-Amos 2008, p. 5). On the other hand, the giver also had to part with something that was somehow of value to him, which meant that the giver had shared a part of him influencing the bond to be a social one. As part of his theoretical views on the subject of giving and receiving gifts, Mauss three basic principles of his ideology that were giving, receiving, and reciprocating as part of developing social relationships. When a person gave, they portrayed their interest in developing and maintaining healthy relationships while the receiver could not refuse the gift. Failure to accept the gift was illustrating that the person was not interested in forming any formidable ties with the giver, but if they accepted the gift they had the moral obligation of reciprocating as part of showing liberation (Peoples & Bailey 2012, p. 147). However, the postmodern aspects of examining anthropology illustrate the

Family & Parenting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Family & Parenting - Essay Example Applied to humans, emotions and the attachment relationships are sought more than biological needs. Meredith Small reports that mothers are biologically predisposed to care for their infants. Nine long months in the womb, the fetus affects the mother and its dependence on her likewise affects her. For example, a stressed mother can hinder the normal brain processes of brain masculinization of her unborn child. T. Berry Brazelton, a prominent child psychologist claims, in a good interaction mother and baby synchronize with each other from the beginning, and that the pathways may be set up in intrauterine life ready to be entrained, especially by the mothers, immediately after birth" I agree with Harriet Smith when she claims that whatever the biological forces, parenting style is more influenced by other factors. Inexperienced mothers may not necessarily know how to care for their newborn infants automatically, but can learn it from observation of other mothers caring for their young. This gives hope to parents who doubt their parenting skills as inadequate. Cases of adoptive mothers or caregivers other than the birth mother developing an attachment to the infant are widespread. It just proves that an infant may be responsive to, and form attachments to persons who provide him with all his needs. Biological connections between mother and child if present at birth may or may not be sustained. If mothers and infants are physically distanced, then this connection is disrupted. A child’s well-being is dependent on secure attachments combined with basic competencies in parenting like reading a baby’s signals for food, comfort, need to be held or worse, need for medical intervention. Biological studies indicate that when human babies are born, their brains are underdeveloped, hence are â€Å"born highly dependent and inconstant need of care.† Unlike other mammals like horses

Research Paper for College Course -- Introduction to Microeconomics

For College Course -- Introduction to Microeconomics - Research Paper Example Smith is credited with being the first to examine the importance of the division of labor and worker productivity and for advancing the idea that free markets thrive on the basis of mutual self-interest. Although Smith warned against monopolies and mercantilism, his notion that markets are driven toward the public good by an "invisible hand" has made him a venerated figure among free market doctrinaires. (Answers.com). The purpose of this paper is to describe the pros and cons of free trade. Trade allowed nations to obtain the goods and services the population needed in order to survive. In the 20th century the ability to trade with other nations became a critical success factor for many nations including the United States of America. Today free trade is practiced by many nations in the world. More than ever before in history we see that free trade agreements are being sought by the world’s most powerful countries, as well as the developing nations. In short, free trade agreements are now high on the political agendas of many nations and the World Trade Organization. The globalization movement has been instrumental in forcing nations to enter into free trade agreement. In North America the free trade agreement that is enforceable is the NAFTA agreement. The NAFTA opened up free trade between the United States, Mexico, and Canada. â€Å"NAFTA was designed to promote economic growth by spurring competition in domestic markets and promoting investment from both domestic and foreign sources† (Teslik). The reason that NAFTA was initiated was because President Bill Clinton in 1994 saw the European Union as a threat to the Americas. A free trade agreement between the United States and its two neighbors was crafted to be a plausible solution that would offset the growing global economic trading power of the European Union. The implementation of free trade agreements eliminates the imposition of tariffs in the trade of goods. As a consequence of the

The past in a streetcar named desire Essay Example for Free

The past in a streetcar named desire Essay The Role of the Past in a Streetcar Named Desire French writer Andri Maurois once said: A man cannot free himself from the past more easily than he can from his own body. This quote exemplifies one of the central themes in Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire. The past is something that characters are locked within chaining them to secret misdeeds and shameful actions ultimately leading them to the question of reality versus illusion, revealing their weaknessess and leading some of them towards their downfall. Williams presents to the audience the first issues of dealing with the past by one of the protagonists, Blanche. Born and raised in the Southern aristocracy, she cannot free herself from her rich past. She first arrives at the Kowalskys aparment daintily dressed in white in a white suit with a fluffy bodice, necklaces and ear-rings of pearl, white gloves and hat (pg 117) conveying the idea of a summer classic, completely contrasting with the jungle-like atmosphere of decay prevalent in the French Quarter. The author focuses on Blanches introduction as a dramatic technique in order to emphasize the idea of someone who is drawn to the past, by simply describing her wardrobe. Her white clothing portray her similar to a moth, drawn by the light, instead of repelled by it as the audience will soon notice. Her pearls symbolize the sadness she suffers from loss of love and failure. Despite all this, she maintains her rich-girl posture to remain linked to her past in Belle Reve. The plantation in which she and Stella grew up in was lost as their fathers, uncles, and brothers spent all their money drinking, gambling and womanizing. She is haunted by the deaths of her ancestors, which she attributes to their epic fornications. The sins of the fathers are visited upon their children is a good example of Blanches hysterical outburst in page 126, where she says, in an emotionally loaded phrase, I fought and bled. Tennessee Williams makes it clear that one cannot escape genetic inheritance because at the end, it all comes back. Another aspect of Blanche is also introduced to the audience in Scene 1, adding to her characterization: alcoholism. Blanche suffers from delirium tremens as she is drinking from Stanleys whisky bottle in page 120. She effortless tries to convince herself that ones her limit but instead just goes on drinking. Alcohol offers her a temporary amnesia, and a feeling of reassurance but instead, her actions become quite convulsive as she is talking to Stella and shaking all over and panting for breath as she tries to laugh. A state of drunken stupor enables her to take a flight of imagination, such as concocting a getaway with Shep Huntleigh. Her actions, however, do not go unnoticed by Stellas husband, Stanley, as he remarks liquor goes fast in this hot weather (pg 129). Equally, bathing has the same effect on Blanche, as the action is a motif for cleansing, as in baptism, where one is introduced to a new path, a new light. In light of her efforts to forget and shed her illicit past in the new community of New Orleans, these baths represent her efforts to cleanse herself of her odious history. Stanley also turns to water to undo a misdeed when he showers after beating Stella. The shower serves to soothe his violent temper; afterward, he leaves the bathroom feeling remorseful and calls out longingly for his wife (pg 153). Blanches long baths can be seen in almost all Scenes followed by her comments of being freshly bathed and scented, and feeling like a brand-new human being! (Pg 135). However, as Blanche finds herself in constant struggle against her past, Stella has no trouble forgetting it and marrying Stanley. Although she does feel sympathy for the loss of Belle Reve and weeps as Blanche accuses her of indifference (pg 127), she has thoroughly moved on and found confort in Stanleys arms and has chosen to be a part of his life, even adapting to his likes, such as that of reading a book of coloured comics. She no longer has a desire to live the aristocratic life as the plantation is an illusion of the past. By contrast, this scenery has been destroyed, giving space to a urbanized, modernized New Orleans setting. Stella can be seen as a catalyst to Stanley and Blanche as she is driven towards comercialism and has ignored to role of a fallen woman. She has married to Stanley Kowalsky, who has an intense, brutish masculinity, and takes pride in his sexual appetite. Stanley, in a way, denies his roots by responding to Blanche as she calls him a Polack, But what I am is a one hundred per cent American, born and raised in the greatest country on earth and proud as hell of it, so dont ever call me a Polack. (Pg 197) Following Stanley, Mitch is introduced. He acts as a foil to Stanley, as he is clumsy, slow thinking, shy, and insecure. The jokes present at the beginning of scene 33 (pg 144) are a parallel to Mitch, implying that he has spent so much time taking care of his ill mother that he has completely lost his sexual appetite. He has lived with his mother for his entire life, and cannot get away from the comfort zone. The only way to get away is by getting married to Blanche, which at first seems like a good idea for she does everything to look as feminine as possible, trying to conceal her past. For herself, Blanche sees marriage to Mitch as her means of escaping destitution. Mens exploitation of Blanches sexuality has left her with a poor reputation. This reputation makes Blanche an unattractive marriage prospect, but, because she is destitute, marriage is her only possibility for survival. Her will to impress Mitch is addressed by Williams through the interaction between them, where he speaks ungrammatically short and contemptuous lines, while Blanche evidently speaks with an enormous and overused vocabulary, which is artificially calculated and constructed by her in order for her achieve her aims. This is especially true in this scene, since Blanche resorts once more to the educated speech of a schoolteacher in order to take control of an aggressive situation (pg 150-51). The question of which characters represents light and dark is debatable, but it seems that both have an aspect of softness and harshness, whichever the audience decides to sympathize with. Even though Mitch and Blanches characters are complete opposites, there is one correlation between them. Blanches love letters from her husband as well as Mitchs cigarette case with love inscriptions with Blanches favorite sonnet by Mrs Browning (pg 149) show both of them holding onto their past. The silver metal case symbolizes Mitchs closed nature, inflexibility, as well as how he is not open for new ideas. Blanches love letters, on the other hand, symbolizes her young husband, who committed suicide as a result from her disapproval of his homosexuality. The love letters are taken as sacred objects, having a more than a sentimental value. In Scene 2, when Stanley is looking for Belle Reves papers, Blanche cannot contain herself from making a scandal after he touches the love letters instead, Your [Stanley] hands insult them, Ill burn them now! (Pg 139) The antagonistic relationship between Blanche and Stanley is a struggle between appearances and reality propelling the plays plot and creating an overarching tension. The author also conveys the idea of hiding from the past with the motif of light. Blanche tries to maintain the illusion of youth because she is afraid that she will become less attractive as she ages. She hides from all light, and when Mitch finally realises this (I dont think I ever seen you in the light pg 203), he shines a light on her, representing the death of her illusions, the possibility of getting married again. In general, light also symbolizes the reality of Blanches past. In Scene 6, she says the young boy turned a blinding light on something that had always been half in shadow. Bright light, therefore, represents Blanches youthful sexual innocence, while poor light represents her sexual maturity and disillusionment. She is haunted by the ghosts of what she has lost-her first love, her purpose in life, her dignity, and the genteel society of her ancestors. Blanche covers the exposed lightbulb in the Kowalski apartment with a Chinese paper lantern, and she refuses to go on dates with Mitch during the daytime or to well-lit locations. He points out her avoidance of light in Scene Nine, when he confronts her with the stories Stanley has told him of her past. Mitch then forces Blanche to stand under the direct light as she responds by saying that she doesnt want realism. I want Magic! Yes, yes, magic! I dont tell the truth. I tell what ought to be truth! This passage in page 204, clearly describes her inability to accept her present status both socially and relationship wise. Blanches inability to tolerate light means that her grasp on reality is also nearing its end. Other dramatic devices used to portray the interference of the past in the characters lives are the sound effects. The Varsouviana, a song originally from Polands Warsaw, is used to dramatise the influence of the past on the present. It plays whenever Blanche remembers her past in Belle Reve and especially her husband Alan, who she always refers to as a boy, emphasising her feeling that they were too young to be married. When the music first appears, in scene one, it is because Stanley asks Blanche if she was married. This immediately shows the audience that the Varsouviana is related to Blanches past and will be a recurring motif throught the text. The polka and the moment it evokes represent Blanches loss of innocence. The suicide of the young husband Blanche loved dearly was the event that triggered her mental decline. Since then, Blanche hears the Varsouviana followed by a revolver shot whenever she panics and loses her grip on reality. The music plays in Blanches brain continuously as a recording that only the audience is likely to hear. In conclusion, the past is therefore recurring as all the characters have something hid, incapacibilitating them from performing some actions. It is unveilled as the play progresses proving once more, than one cannot free itself from it, but instead have to confront it, eventually leading some of them (Blanche) to their human desingtegration. Tennesse Williams A Streetcar Named Desire conveys the idea of the importance of ancestry and adds to the question of does your background affect what kind of actions you will persue in the future? Show preview only

What Should You Do If Someone Have Been Abused Essay Example for Free

What Should You Do If Someone Have Been Abused Essay If a person does not tell you but you suspect that they are being abused, you need to tell your manager You may want to talk to the person before you contact the relevent authorities. If you do this, bring the subject up sensitively by letting the person know that you are concerned about them and want to support them. Listen to them without being impatient or critical of them or their actions. Letting them talk and share their concerns is very important as it helps them to break the silence and know that they are not on their own. Getting involved does not mean that you have to solve the situation. It can be very difficult supporting someone who is being abused as they may not make the decisions that you think they should. It is important that they make the decisions, not you or anyone else, unless the person does not have the mental capacity to do so, in which case you must act in their best interests. Your support will be important to them as they may have very little confidence and poor self esteem as a result of the abuse. Do not put yourself at risk. Always contact the appropriate person if you are concerned for the person’s immediate safety or if they in immediate danger but you are concerned about them. What should you do if an individual tells you they have been abused? When abuse has taken place you should stay calm and remain none judgmental. Put your own feelings aside and try and not communicate shock, disgust embarrassment or disbelief. You should also be supportive and stay close to the alleged victim immediately after the disclosure to provide some sense of physical security. Assure the individual that they did the rite thing by telling you about what happened. Never tell the alleged victim that you do believe them and ensure the individuals safety. Ensure that the alleged abuser does not have access to the victim and assure the victim will stand by them in the process of getting help. Further more you should seek privacy if possible so the individual is protected from disclosing in public and listen closely if the victim wants to talk but do not ask questions beyond  what is necessary to protect the victim and preserve evidence. You should report this to a senior or manager as soon as you have finished talking and made sure the victim is safe so that the nesscery action can be taken. National policies How to ensure abuse evidence is kept safe. Evidence of abuse must be stored carefully to maintain the quality and integrity of the samples either in a locked room were only certain people have access to if on the computer it must be password locked if hand written it needs to be in a lockable cabinet any Clothing must be stored in an airtight manner. Photographs, as evidence should be printed on archival quality paper and locked away in a safe place. Always remember to sign and date your notes and any other records you have made. Medical professionals such as GP, AE staff, nurses, doctors: they can examine, diagnose treat, they can record this can include photographic evidence. Social Services dept would carry out an assessment of needs, this would include any unpaid carer of individual. Safeguarding Team Police to investigate/prosecute, to work with other agencies, to provide support to victims, to raise awareness of crimes, crime prevention. Care Quality Commission to regulate inspect care providers. CRB, to check an individuals past to see if they have any criminal convictions.

Reflective Nursing Essay | Leadership in AE

Reflective Nursing Essay | Leadership in AE For the purpose of this assignment I will explore my personal and professional development in my third year and throughout the entire course. In this assignment I will reflect on an episode of practice that happened in the accident and emergency department during my placement there. I will discuss my leadership role, supervision and delegation to others whilst I managed the minors area on a morning shift. I have chosen to reflect on this episode of practice as this is one of the first times I was truly allowed to manage an area during this time I was able to delegate to others, question my leadership style and make clinical decisions. I will use reflective practice to critically analyse my delegation and supervision of others and analyse my own professional development. Throughout this reflection I will also look into the theory that underpins the following areas, Clinical Decision Making; Leadership, Management and Teamwork; Delegation and Supervision of others and Continuing Professional Development. The main focus of this assignment will be my delegation and supervision of others as this is a very important part of being a nurse as the NMC (2008) says You must establish that anyone you delegate to is able to carry out your instructions and that You must make sure that everyone you are responsible for is supervised and supported. To critically analyse this I will use a recognised model of reflection, I have researched a number of different models of reflection to find one that is suitable for this and that Im comfortable using. Some of the models I have looked at include Johns model of reflection as cited in Siviter (2008) But I found that this to be to rigid and does not help me discuss my own development as well , and also requires the reflector to work under constant supervision and keep a diary. Another model I considered was Rolfe et al (2001) framework for reflective practice, but I found this not to be structured enough to adequately explore my development and create future action plans. The final model I looked at is the Gibbs (1988) model of reflection as cited in (Siviter, 2008). The Gibbs model is well structured and easily guides the reflector through the process allowing them to explore the reflection in depth and allow action plans to be created. I have chosen this model as I have used this mode l in the past and feel comfortable using it and I feel it is well suited to this episode of practice. During this assignment I will use a pseudonym for any patients I discuss to maintain confidentially in line with the NMC (2008) on confidentiality. Desciption I was working on a morning shift in the Minors area of the Accident and Emergency department with my mentor and her other third year student. The nurse in charge asked us if we wanted to take it in turns the run the minors depart for half the shift each. I was given the task of running the area for the morning half the shift. In addition to my mentor and the other student there was a HCA also assigned to the area. The minors area was not particularly busy this morning there was 3 patients in the area with another 2 or 3 waiting to be seen. One of the Doctors working with is in the area asked if I could do an ECG on one of the patients then refer them up to the cardiology ward as they needed to be admitted. I decided that I would hand the patient over to the ward as I had the patients full history and I would delegate the task of the ECG to the other student as I knew she needed to do this for her skills, my mentor went with her as she needed to be supervised to complete this skill. O n my way to make the phone call, a paramedic crew brought a child in the paediatric area of the minors bay. When a patient is brought into the area there paperwork has to be completed including observations. I decided to delegate this to the HCA as the other patient urgently needed to go to the ward. I asked the HCA to do a complete set of observation on the child who responded when I get round to it I explained to her that the observations were more important at that time than stocking a cupboard. After making the phone call I returned to the child and the HCA to ensure the observations where completed correctly and noted the Childs observations were not normal and may indicate acute appendicitis as I had seen this on a previous shift, at this point I took the results to the doctor and explained what I felt the doctor agreed and moved the child up in the waiting list to be seen next. Thoughts and Feelings When I was asked to run the minors area initially I felt very excited about this as I have not had many management opportunities during my course and I was getting to manage an area I have always been interested in and hope to eventually work in. When I started to get into the management role I started to find myself getting more and more anxious as I have never really worked in this environment before and that previous experience had been limited to wards which had more set routines. I felt comfortable being able to delegate to the third year student as I knew she would be competent to do the task I asked her I also felt confident in asking the HCA to complete observations as I knew they had training to work in this area. I feel that I could have asked the HCA in a different way to complete the observations as I felt the way I handled it was wrong and it led her to resent me for the rest of the shift because I was short with her. Overall I enjoyed the experience and felt a great dea l of satisfaction when I was able to identify a potentially critically ill patient and make the appropriate referral using my clinical judgement. Evaluation What I feel that was positive about this situation is I was able to practice my leadership and delegation skills which previously I have not had the opportunity to do. It has also given me a good insight into the importance of time management and prioritising tasks. This episode has given me a small insight into the importance of quality assurance because I had to check the observations and also allowed me to recognise my own limitation as I knew there was nothing I could have done for the child without referring to a doctor. What was negative about the situation I feel was my team working and management style could have been better as I could have explained to the HCA in more positive way. I feel I may not have needed to delegate the task of observations as I could have made the call and managed to complete the observations in a timely and safe manner. Analysis Delegation and supervision of others is an integral part of being a registered nurse. Delegation is defined as the process of transferring a task to a competent individual and giving them to authority to complete a selected nursing task in a selected situation Hanston Jackson(2004).

Issues of Survival :: Essays Papers

Issues of Survival â€Å"We will only change if we survive, but we will only survive unless we change.† I believe that the Dalai Lama, in his book Ethics for a New Millennium, discusses many issues pertaining to the current state of our society that are of dyer importance if we hope to survive into the next few generations. Primarily, I am referring to his discussion of happiness as it relates to inner peace, the acknowledgement of universal responsibility, and the need to educate our children responsibly, inside and outside of the classroom. The Dalai Lama makes the assertion that, as humans, we are all ultimately searching for happiness. The way we can become truly happy is by acknowledging that, â€Å"the principal characteristic of genuine happiness is peace: inner peace.† (55) We can achieve this inner peace by putting others needs on the same plane as our own needs and by recognizing that our own well-being is intimately attached to that of others. I believe this is crucial to our survival. By raising others needs to a level of our own, we are acknowledging that they are an asset to our lives and equally contribute to the human family. This, in my mind, guarantees them the universal rights of food, water, shelter, education, health services, and safety. We are improving our own lives when we lift up the lives of others. Whether one believes in karma or not, it is true that we feel a positive emotion after thinking of or helping others. â€Å"The impact of our actions—both positive and negative—register deep within us.† (88) That is why we need to continue to think of others well-being; it lifts our spirits and helps us achieve inner peace. True inner peace and happiness cannot be achieved, in my opinion, without the acceptance of the Dalai Lama’s ideas of universal responsibility. My thoughts regarding this are based off the idea that we can never be truly happy while there is human (or environmental) suffering. If it is true happiness for which we are searching, we have a responsibility to everyone’s happiness.

The Legitimacy of Electronic Scholarly Publishing Essay -- Argumentati

The Legitimacy of Electronic Scholarly Publishing At most institutions of higher learning in the United States and worldwide the emphasis is placed on the depth and breadth of the institution's research, at least as far as the institution's reputation and renown are concerned. An institution that does not produce much scholarly research in the form of conference activity or publication activity will not carry the same high regard as an institution which is much more involved in conference participation and publication. Sometimes individual state institutions are regarded as having powerful personas if they have established and maintained their university presses, but other universities do not have the funding nor the personnel to attempt such an endeavor and must seek other venues for touting their scholarly accomplishments. While most scholarly publishing is in the traditional print medium, a growing number of scholarly publications are finding new offices in the new technology, either in the form of e-books or online scholarly journals. With the advent of the Internet and the World Wide Web, traditional print publications are having to decide if they want to ride the "information superhighway" or simply lag behind in a horse-drawn carriage. Some traditional media—television, radio, newspapers, and magazines—have tested the waters by providing online access to some of their features. Similarly, some scholarly journals, convinced that a foray into electronic publication does not mean lower revenues nor higher costs, have also decided to continue their traditional publication while including access to selectively chosen features. The American Journal of Physiology—Heart and Circulatory Physiol... ...text Journal.† Serials Review. 22.1(Spring 1998): 1-19. MasterFILE Premier. Ebscohost. Galileo. http://www.galileo.usg.edu Sweeney, Aldrin E. "E-Scholarship and Electronic Publishing in the Twenty-First Century: Implications for the Academic Community." Education Media International. 38.1 (March 2001): 25-38. Academic Search Premier. Ebscohost. Galileo. http://galileo.usg.edu Tomlins, Christopher L. â€Å"The Wave of the Present: The Printed Scholarly Journal on the Edge of the Internet.† Journal of Scholarly Publishing. 29.3(April 1998): 133-150. Academic Search Premier. Ebscohost. Galileo. http://galileo.usg.edu Wills, Mathew, and Wills, Gordon. "The Ins and the Outs of Electronic Publishing." Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing. 11.1 (1996): 90-104. MasterFILE Premier. Ebscohost. Galileo. <http://galileo.usg.edu>

From Marketing Mix to Relationship Marketing Essay

This report discusses how the marketing mix management paradigm has dominated the marketing thought, research and practice since it was introduced almost 40 years ago, but today new marketing approaches are being introduced and used. The globalization of business and the evolving recognition of the importance of customer retention and market economies and of customer relationship economics, among other trends, reinforce the change in mainstream marketing. Marketing Mix The term â€Å"marketing mix† is probably one of the most famous marketing terms used by millions of people. Its elements are known as the Four P’s, which are price, place, product, and promotion. These four variables are the variables that marketing managers can control in order to best satisfy customers in the target market. Figure 1: Marketing Mix Model – 4Ps Marketing the way most textbooks treat it today was introduced around 1960. The concept of the marketing mix and the Four Ps of marketing – product, price, place and promotion – entered the marketing textbooks at that time. Quickly they also became treated as the unchallenged basic model of marketing, so totally overpowering previous models and approaches, such as, for example, the organic functionalist approach advocated by Wroe Alderson as well as other systems-oriented approaches and parameter theory developed by the Copenhagen School in Europe that these are hardly remembered, even with a footnote in most textbooks of today. (Gronroos, Toward a Relationship Marketing Paradigm, 1994) The marketing mix refers to variables that a marketing manager can control to influence a brand’s sales or market share. Traditionally, these variables are summarized as the Four Ps of marketing: product, price, promotion, and place (i. e. , distribution). Product refers to aspects such as the firm’s portfolio of products, the newness of those products, their differentiation from competitors, or their superiority to rivals’ products in terms of quality. Promotion refers to advertising, detailing, or informative sales promotions such as features and displays. Price refers to the product’s list price or any incentive sales promotion such as quantity discounts, temporary price cuts, or deals. Place refers to delivery of the product measured by variables such as distribution, availability, and shelf space. The 4Ps model is just one of many marketing mix lists that have been developed over the years. And, whilst the questions we have listed above are keys, they are just a subset of the detailed probing that may be required to optimize your marketing mix. Amongst the other marketing mix models have been developed over the years is the 7Ps, sometimes called the extended marketing mix, which include the first 4 Ps, plus people, processes and physical layout decisions. Another marketing mix approach is Lauterborn’s 4Cs, which presents the elements of the marketing mix from the buyer’s, rather than the seller’s, perspective. It is made up of Customer needs and wants (the equivalent of product), Cost (price), Convenience (place) and Communication (promotion). Cultural policies to promote diversity of cultural expressions today must deal with numerous factors and needs, some of which concern the right of all groups to their forms of expression, and others strictly with business feasibility and the possibility of marketing on a global scale. These different factors may be difficult to reconcile but they are complementary as none can survive and be managed without referring to or involving the other. From the perspective of production development, it is frequently stated that cultural expressions need to find their market in order to survive, but it is also the case that the sacrificing of cultural content with little market value lowers the value of cultural production overall. From the perspective of rights to and processes of identity construction, culture generates services that cannot be governed exclusively by the market, especially in view of the marginality of subaltern groups. Nevertheless, it is almost impossible to think of cultural practices and consumption today without involving the market in some way. For marketers in the cultural industry it is important to identify the factors influencing consumers’ purchasing. Cultural factors are essentially important in selection of the two elements of â€Å"place† and â€Å"product†. For example, someone brought p in an environment that values art would be more likely to buy artistic products. Even it may be important considering customers in terms of their sub-culture. One may be surrounded by people who not only value art but place a higher priority on paintings as opposed to the music. As a result, they will be more likely to buy paintings rather than musical instrument. â€Å"Pr icing† the artistic products and activities should also follow a logic trend. This practice may be done through some standards set among artists of the same class or by the very artist creator of his work. In general, as it can be seen, due to the difference. (Shahhosseini & Ardahaey, 2011) The Four Ps of the marketing mix became an indisputable paradigm in academic research, the validity of which was taken for granted. For most marketing researchers in large parts of the academic world it seems to remain the marketing truth even today. The Four Ps of the marketing mix had been even referred to as â€Å"the holy quadruple†¦of the marketing faith written in tablets of stone. (Gronroos, Toward a Relationship Marketing Paradigm, 1994) The marketer plans various means of competition and blends them into a â€Å"marketing mix† so that a profit function is optimized, or rather satisfied. The â€Å"marketing mix†, concept was introduced by Neil Borden in the 1950s, and the mix of different means of competitions was soon labeled the Four Ps. (Gronroos, Toward a Relationship Marketing Paradigm, 1994) Any marketing paradigm should be well set to fulfill the marketing concept, i. e. the notion that the firm is best off by designing and directing its activities according to the needs and desires of customers in chosen target markets. Gronroos, Toward a Relationship Marketing Paradigm, 1994) American Marketing Association, in its most recent definition states that â€Å"marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchange and satisfy individual and organizational objectives† (emphasis added) (Gronroos, From Marketing Mix to Relationship Marketing: Towards a Paradigm Shift in Marketing, 1994) The problem with the Marketing Mix One can easily argue that the four Ps of the marketing mix are not well able to fulfill the requirements of the marketing concept. As Dixon and Blois put it, â€Å"†¦indeed it would not be unfair to suggest that far from being concerned with a customer’s interests (i. e. somebody for whom something is done) the views implicit in the Four P approach is that the customer is somebody to whom something is done! † (emphasis added) . To use a marketing metaphor, the marketing mix and its four Ps constitute a production-oriented definition of marketing, and not a market-oriented or customer oriented one. Moreover, although the interactive nature of the Ps is recognized, the model itself does not explicitly include any interactive elements. Furthermore, it does not indicate the nature and scope of such interactions. (Gronroos, Toward a Relationship Marketing Paradigm, 1994) Van Waterschoot and Van den Bulte recognize three flaws in the Four P model: * â€Å"The properties or characteristics that are the basis for classification have not been identified. * The categories are not mutually exclusive. * There is a catch-all subcategory that is continually growing† . Many marketing-related phenomena are not included. Moreover, as Johan Arndt has concluded, marketing research remains narrow in scope and even myopic, and methodological issues become more important than substance matters. Gronroos, From Marketing Mix to Relationship Marketing: Towards a Paradigm Shift in Marketing, 1994) The Nature of the Marketing Mix The usefulness of the Four Ps as a general marketing theory for practical purposes is, to say the least, highly questionable. Originally, although they were largely based on empirical induction and earlier lists of marketing functions of the functional school of marketing, they were probably developed under the influence of microeconomic theory and specially the theory of monopolistic competition of the 1930s, in order to add more realism to that theory. However, very soon the connection to microeconomic theory was cut off and subsequently totally forgotten. Theoretically, the marketing mix became just a list of Ps without roots. (Gronroos, Toward a Relationship Marketing Paradigm, 1994) Managing the marketing mix makes marketing seem too easy to handle and organize. Marketing is separated from other activities of the firm and delegated to specialists who take care of the analysis, planning and implementation of various marketing tasks, such as market analysis, marketing planning, advertising, sales promotion, sales, pricing, distribution and product packaging. Marketing departments are created to take responsibility for the marketing function of the firm, The marketing department approach to organizing the marketing function has isolated marketing from design, production, deliveries, technical service, complaints handling, invoicing and other activities of the firm. As a consequence, the rest of the organization has been alienated from marketing. Therefore, it has made it difficult, often even impossible, to turn marketing into the â€Å"integrative function† that would provide other departments with the market-related input needed in order to make the organization truly market oriented and reach a stage of â€Å"co-ordinated marketing† the marketing specialists organized in a marketing department may get alienated from the customers. Managing the marketing mix means relying on mass marketing. Customers become numbers for the marketing specialists, whose actions, therefore, typically are based on surface information obtained from market research reports and market share statistics. Frequently such marketers act without ever having encountered a real customer. The marketing department concept is obsolete and has to be replaced by some other way of organizing the marketing function, so that the organization will have a chance to become market-oriented. A traditional marketing department will always, in the final analysis, stand in the way of spreading market orientation. The use of the marketing mix management paradigm and the Four Ps has made it very difficult for the marketing function to earn credibility. Some firms have solved this problem not only by downscaling or altogether terminating their marketing departments but also by banning the use of the term marketing for the marketing function. (Gronroos, Toward a Relationship Marketing Paradigm, 1994) What is the History of the Marketing Mix? A paradigm like this has to be well founded by theoretical deduction and empirical research; otherwise much of marketing research is based on a loose foundation and the results of it questionable. Let us look at the history of the marketing mix paradigm and the four P’s. The marketing mix developed from a notion of the marketer as a â€Å"mixer of ingredients†, which was an expression originally used by James Culliton (1948) in a study of marketing costs in 1947 and 1948. The marketer plans various means of competitions and blends them into a â€Å"marketing mix†, so that a profit function is optimized, or rather satisfied. The marketing mix is actually a list of categories of marketing variables, and to begin with, this way of defining or describing a phenomenon can never be considered a very valid one. A list never includes all relevant elements, it does not fit every situation, and it becomes obsolete. And indeed, marketing academics every now and then offer additional P’s to the list, once they have found the standard â€Å"tablet of faith† too limited. (Gronroos, Toward a Relationship Marketing Paradigm, 1994) Kotler has, in the context of megamarketing, added public relations and politics, thus expanding the list to six P’s. In service marketing. Booms and Bitner (1982) have suggested three additional P’s, people, physical evidence and process. Judd (1987) among others, has argued for just one new P, people. Advocators of the marketing mix paradigm sometimes have suggested that service should be added to the list of P’s (e. g. Lambert and Harrington 1989 and Collier 1991). J It is, by the way, interesting to notice that after the four P’s were definitely canonized sometime in the early 1970s new items to the list are almost exclusively put in the form of P’s It is also noteworthy that Borden’s original marketing mix included 12 elements, and that this list was not intended to be a definition at all. Borden considered it guidelines only, which the marketer probably would have to reconsider in any given situation. In line with the â€Å"mixer of ingredients† metaphor he also implied that the marketer would blend the various ingredients or variables of the mix into an integrated marketing program. This is a fact that advocators of the four P’s (or five, six, seven or more P’s) and of today’s marketing mix approach seem to have totally forgotten. In fact, the four P’s represent a significant oversimplification of Borden’s original concept. McCarthy either misunderstood the meaning of Borden’s marketing mix when he reformulated the original list in the shape of the rigid mnemonic of the four P’s where no blending of the P’s is explicitly included; or his followers misinterpreted McCarthy’s intentions. In many marketing textbooks organized around the marketing mix, such as Philip Kotler’s well-known Marketing Management (e. g. 991), the blending aspect and the need for integration of the four P’s are discussed, even in depth, but such discussions are always limited due to the fact that the model does not explicitly include an integrative dimension. (Gronroos, Toward a Relationship Marketing Paradigm, 1994) Contemporary Theories of Marketing In most marketing textbooks the marketing mix management paradigm and its Four Ps are still considered the theory of marketing. Indeed , this is the case in much of the academic research into marketing; however, since the 1960s alternative theories of marketing have been developed. As Moller observes in a recent overview of research traditions in marketing, â€Å"from the functional view of marketing ‘mix’ management our focus has extended to the strategic role of marketing, aspects of service marketing, political dimensions of channel management, interactions in industrial networks; to mention just a few evolving trends. The interaction/network approach to industrial marketing was originated in Sweden at Uppsala University during the 1960s and has since spread to a large number of countries. Between the parties in a network various interactions take place, where exchanges and adaptations to each other occur. A flow of goods and information as well as financial and social exchanges takes place in the network. In such a network the role and forms of marketing are not very clear. All exchanges, all sorts of interactions have an impact on the position of the parties in the network. The interactions are not necessarily initiated by the seller – the marketer according to the marketing mix management paradigm – and they may continue over a long period of time, for example, for several years. The seller, who at the same time may be the buyer in a reciprocal setting, may of course employ marketing specialists, such as sales representatives, market communication people and market analysts but in addition to them a large number of persons in functions which according to the marketing mix management paradigm are non-marketing, such as research and development, design, deliveries, customer training, invoicing and credit management, has a decisive impact on the marketing success of the â€Å"seller† in the network. In the early 1970s the marketing of services started to emerge as a separate area of marketing with concepts and models of its own geared to typical characteristics of services. In Scandinavia and Finland the Nordic School of Services more than research into this field elsewhere looked at the marketing of services as something that cannot be separated from overall management. (Gronroos, Toward a Relationship Marketing Paradigm, 1994) The New Approaches and the Marketing Mix The interaction and network approach of industrial marketing and modern service marketing approaches, especially the one by the Nordic School, clearly views marketing as an interactive process in a social context where relationship building and management is a vital cornerstone. They are in some respects clearly related to the systems-based approaches to marketing of the 1950s (compare, for example, Alderson 1957). The marketing mix paradigm and its four P’s, on the other hand, is a much more clinical approach, which makes the seller the active part and the buyer and consumer passive. No personalized relationship with the producer and marketer of a product is supposed to exist, other than with professional sales representatives in some case. The development of innovative theories, models and concepts of industrial marketing (interaction/network approach) and service marketing has clearly demonstrated that the marketing mix paradigm and its four P’s finally have reached the end of the road as the universal marketing theory. From a management point of view the four P’s, undoubtedly, may have been helpful. The use of various means of competition became more organized. However, the four P’s were never applicable to all markets and to all types of marketing situations. The development of alternative marketing theories discussed above demonstrate that even from a management perspective, the marketing mix and its four P’s became a problem. Their pedagogic elegance and deceiving sense of simplicity made practical marketing management look all too clinical and straightforward even for actors in the consumer packaged goods field where they were originally intended to be used. Consumer goods amounts to a considerable business, and there the four P’s could still fulfill a function. However, many of the customer relationships of manufacturers of consumer goods are industrial-type relationships with wholesalers and retailers, and the retailers of consumer goods more and more consider themselves service providers. In such situations the four P’s have less to offer even in the consumer goods field. Moreover, as far as the marketing of consumer goods from the manufacturer to the ultimate consumers is concerned, there is a growing debate whether one can continue to apply marketing in the traditional mass marketing way. Gronroos, Toward a Relationship Marketing Paradigm, 1994) The Future: The Relationship Marketing Concept In the relationship marketing concept to be presented here the core variables are relationships, networks and interaction. The choice is not arbitrary; these variables recurrently emerge in the new marketing theories that have challenged the reigning marketing management paradigm during the past twenty-five years. These variables are not new; they were there thousands of years ago and they present themselves ‘‘here and now. ’ They will be here in the future, no matter if they are represented by relationship marketing or something else. They are part of society. In fact, society is nothing less than a network of relationships within which we interact, and marketing is a dimension of society. Research and education in business have only recently begun to acknowledge the existence of relationships, but have not as yet understood their omnipresence and deep impact on marketing. Although it is encouraging that relationships have been made visible and that the interest in them is soaring, major problems follow. One is that those who start to explore and implement relationship marketing techniques are often not sufficiently familiar with the foundations of relationship marketing, its paradigm. Furthermore, relationship marketing is put under siege by the traditional marketing management paradigm, and the techniques used in relationship marketing implementation are often more grounded in marketing management values than in relationship marketing values. (Gummesson, 2002) An integral element of the relationship marketing approach is the promise concept, which has been strongly emphasized by Henrik Calonius According to him the responsibilities of marketing do not only, or predominantly, including giving promises and thus persuading customers as passive counterparts on the marketplace to act in a given way. Fulfilling promises that have been given is equally important as means of achieving customer satisfaction, retention of the customer base and long-term profitability (compare also Reichheld and Sasser). He also stresses the fact that promises are mutually given and fulfilled. (Gronroos, Toward a Relationship Marketing Paradigm, 1994) Relationship Marketing There are many definitions of relationship marketing, most of them stressing the development and maintenance of long term relationships with customers and sometimes with other stakeholders. Total relationship marketing is marketing based on relationships, networks and interaction, recognizing that marketing is embedded in the total management of the networks of the selling organization, the market and society. It is directed to long term win-win relationships with individual customers, and value is jointly created between the parties involved. It transcends the boundaries between specialist functions and disciplines. Total relationship marketing embraces not just the supplier-customer dyad as does one-to-one marketing and CRM (customer relationship management) but also relationships to a supplier’s own suppliers, to competitors and to middlemen; these are all market relationships. (Gummesson, 2002) Is There a Paradigm Shift in Marketing? Relationships do not function by themselves. As McInnes said already three decades ago, â€Å"the existence of a market relation is the foundation of exchange not a substitute for it†. Only in extreme situations, for example when the computer systems of a buyer and a materials provider are connected to each other in order to initiate and execute purchase decisions automatically, the relationship, at least for some time, may function by itself. In such situations one comes close to what Johan rndt called â€Å"domesticated markets†, where â€Å"transactions†¦are usually handled by administrative processes on the basis of negotiated rules of exchange†. Normally, advertising, distribution and product branding, for example, will still be needed, but along with a host of other activities and resources. (Gummesson, 2002) However, what marketing deserves is new perspectives, which are more market-oriented and less manipulative, and where the customer indeed is the focal point as suggested by the marketing concept. Conclusion Marketing mix as a general perspective evolved because at one time it was an effective way of describing and managing many marketing situations. Before the marketing mix there were other approaches. Now time has made this approach less helpful other than in specific situations. New paradigms have to come. After all, we live in the 1990s, and we cannot for ever continue to live with a paradigm from the 1950s and 1960s. However, bearing in mind the long-term damages of the marketing mix as the universal truth, we are going to need several approaches or paradigms Relationship marketing will be one of them.

Method of Teaching

EFFECTIVE TEACHING METHODS AT HIGHER EDUCATION LEVEL Dr. Shahida Sajjad Assistant Professor Department of Special Education University of Karachi. Pakistan ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of various teaching methods used for teaching students at graduate level. Two hundred and twenty undergraduate students studying in 11 departments of Faculty of Arts, University of Karachi, were interviewed about their perceptions of best and effective teaching methods and the reason for that. Most of the students rated lecture method as the best teaching method.Reasons included; teacher provides all knowledge related to topic, time saving, students attentively listen lecture and take notes etc. The group discussion was rated as the second best method of teaching because of; more participation of students, the learning is more effective, the students don’t have to rely on rote learning, and this method develops creativity among students etc. Students†™ perception and ratings about the interesting and effective teaching methods is a way to suggest improvements in teaching/ learning process.Introduction: Teaching and learning are the two sides of a coin. The most accepted criterion for measuring good teaching is the amount of student learning that occurs. There are consistently high correlations between students’ ratings of the â€Å"amount learned† in the course and their overall ratings of the teacher and the course. Those who learned more gave their teachers higher ratings (Cohen, 1981; Theall and Franklin, 2001). This same criterion was also put forth by Thomas Angelo, when he said; â€Å"teaching in the absence of learning is just talking. Doyle. T. (n. d. ). A teacher’s effectiveness is again about student learning. The literature on teaching is crammed full of well researched ways that teachers can present content and skills that will enhance the opportunities for students to learn. It is equally fil led with suggestions of what not to do in the classroom. However, there is no rule book on which teaching methods match up best to which skills and/or content that is 1 2 being taught. Students often have little expertise in knowing if the ethod selected by an individual instructor was the best teaching method or just â€Å"a method† or simply the method with which the teacher was most comfortable. Doyle. T. (n. d). â€Å"Research indicates that students are the most qualified sources to report on the extent to which the learning experience was productive, informative, satisfying, or worthwhile. While opinions on these matters are not direct measures of instructor or course effectiveness, they are legitimate indicators of student satisfaction, and there is substantial research linking student satisfaction to effective teaching (Theall and Franklin, 2001). A meta-analysis of 41 research studies provides the strongest evidence for the validity of student ratings since these st udies investigated the relationship between student ratings and student learning. Doyle. T. (n. d. ) quoted Ory â€Å"The use of students’ ratings for evaluating teacher effectiveness is the single most researched issue in all of higher education. Over 2000 articles and books have been written on this topic over the past 70 years†.Research on student evaluation of teaching generally concludes that student ratings tend to be reliable, valid, relatively unbiased and useful (Murray, 1994). Most universities embrace a process by which students provide anonymous feedback at the end of each course they complete. These ratings of instructor effectiveness, these ratings have been a hot topic since they were first employed in mid 1920’s (Chang, 2001) and they create an enormous challenge for nearly every institution that uses them (Hoyt & Pallett, 1999).Over the years student evaluation of instructors has changed significantly especially in the areas of the purpose and m ethodology. They have transformed from being primarily used to assist students in the selection of courses, to helping faculty members further develop and improve their teaching skills, to assisting administrators with respect to personnel decisions (Ory, 2000). Today, student ratings of instruction are widely used for the purpose of making personnel decisions and faculty development recommendations (Scriven, 1995).For administrators, the information derived from ratings aids them in making both summative and formative judgments dealing with faculty retention, tenure, and promotion, hiring, selecting faculty for teaching awards and honors, and in assigning teachers to courses (Franklin, 2001; Kulik, 2001). Braskamp (2000) suggests that instructors use the data formatively to develop and improve their teaching effectiveness. Student-ratings are in 2 3 fact used in over 90 percent of all colleges and universities in the United States and represent the most frequently used strategy for evaluating instructors and courses (Cuseo, n. . ). There is much debate within the higher education community on how teaching or teaching effectiveness may be defined (Braskamp, and Ory; 1994). For instance, Centra (1993), defines effective teaching as â€Å"that which produces beneficial and purposeful student learning through the use of appropriate procedures† (p. 42), Braskamp and Ory, (1994, p. 40) include both teaching and learning in their definition, defining effective teaching as the â€Å"creation of situations in which appropriate learning occurs; shaping those situations is what successful teachers have learned to do effectively†.Many researchers have focused on whether or not students are legitimate judges of teaching effectiveness. Though caveats abound, the general sense is that students are both rational and reliable sources of evidence (Arreola, 1995; Braskamp & Ory, 1994; Pratt, 1997), While in class, students are exposed to all sorts of instructional experiences (lectures, instructional materials and aids, readings, exams). They are in effect experimental consumers—able to discern quality, relevance, usefulness, and instructor interaction with students (Montgomery, n. . ). As consumers, Cuseo (n. d. ) claims that students can judge what is taught and how it is taught, yet Braskamp & Ory (1994) claim that students can only provide information with respect to teaching. However, Ory (2001, p. 12) sums it up best stating: â€Å"unless they haven’t been to class, as consumers they have a legitimate voice†. Theall, M. (n. d. ) mentioned that the students can answer questions about the quality of lectures, the value of readings and assignments, the clarity of the instructor's explanations.Students are certainly qualified to express their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the experience. They have a right to express their opinions in any case, and no one else can report the extent to which the experience was use ful, productive, informative, satisfying, or worthwhile. Methodology Eleven departments were selected through purposive sampling from the Faculty of Arts, University of Karachi, including epartment of ; Special Education, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, Mass Communication, Education, International Relations, English, Urdu, Persian, and Islamic learning. Twenty students studying at graduate level 3 4 from each department were selected through convenient sampling to seek their opinion about the most effective teaching methods (as perceived by them) used by their teachers, and the reasons for highly rating a particular teaching method.Total two hundred and twenty students were interviewed. They were asked to rate different methods of teaching used by their teachers on a scale of 1- 5, one being the least important and 5 being the most important teaching method. The results of the study were compiled and analyzed by percentage method. Objectives of the Study: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ To find out the various teaching methods used by university teachers to teach graduate students in different departments of Faculty of Arts.To explore the opinion of students about the teaching method they perceived as the most interesting and best teaching method. To find out the reasons for perceiving any teaching method as the interesting and best method. To provide suggestions for improving quality of teaching in the light of students perception and use of ratings Findings: Most of the students rated lecture method as the best teaching method. Reasons included; teacher provides all knowledge related to topic, it is time saving method; students listen lecture attentively and take notes etc.The group discussion was rated as the second best method of teaching because of; more participation of students, the learning is more effective, the students don’t have to rely on rote learning, and this method develops creativity among students etc. Students’ perception and ratings about the interesting and effective teaching methods is a way to suggest improvements in teaching/ learning process I. Rating of Various Teaching Methods: Rating was done on a scale of 1-5, 1 – being the least interesting and 5 being the most interesting teaching method as indicated in table 1. Teaching methodsRating No of 4 students 5 Table 1 1 N Lecture Group discussion Individual presentation Assignments Seminars Workshop Conferences Brainstorming Role play Case study 53 18 52 25 26 27 25 34 24% 08% 22% 11% 12% 12% 11% 16% 44 53 54 54 53 34 54 20% 24% 25% 25% 24% 16% 25% 26 12% 89 40% 34 16% 53 24% 53 24% 54 25% 27 12% 53 24% 53 24% 34 16% 54 25% 53 24% 35 16% 80 36% 80 36% 52 23% 44 20% 26 12% 26 12% 35 16% 53 24% 25 11% 34 16% 54 25% 220 220 220 220 220 220 220 220 34 34 % 16% 16% N 18 18 2 % 08% 08% N 00 3 % 00% N 4 % N 80 36 % 34 16% 5 % 220 220 88 40% 80 36% Total 54 24% 27 12% II.Reasons for rating various teaching methods as interesting and best teaching methods: 1. Lecture Method †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ It creates new ideas. It is good for large class. Teacher is experienced and has mastery on subject, explain all points and can answer all questions raised by students. Students can ask if they need any clarification. Learn through listening Teacher explains all points. Students give their input Teacher discuss whole topic in the class in easy language so students can easily understand the topic. It is good for large class. Teacher provides all knowledge related to topic.Time saving as teacher is supposed to finish lecture in time. Students give their views at the end of lecture. 5 6 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Students can ask question if they have any problem to understand lecture. Students attentively listen lecture and take notes as the teacher ask questions at the end of lecture. Students know and understand basic concepts. It creates new ideas. Teacher knows all the students so he/she can use suitable strategies for the class to make them understand. Teacher is experienced and has mastery on subject and can answer all questions by students.Teacher share information with students so it creates interest in students. Students are more involved and participate when teacher ask question. Teacher provides notes. Students easily understand every point. Students share knowledge with teacher. Teacher is role model for students. More participation of students. Students listen to other’s opinion ; express their opinion. Discuss with teachers the points that were missed during discussion. Students learn on their own ; find out key points. Students exchange their ideas. Students get point of view of all and not only those who always speak.After discussion when students give their presentation, teacher corrects their mistakes. Students can make their own notes. The learning is more effective. 2. Group discussion: 6 7 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ They don’t have to rely on rote learning. Develops creativity among students. It evokes thinking among students. Students have time for preparation of topic. Students should have material and knowledge before discussion. Suggestion Only those students participate who have confidence rest do not participate. Concepts become clear after discussion. Every student gives his/ her opinion. 3.Individual presentation †¢ Hamm (2008) quoted Rafe; â€Å"A presentation involves motivating listeners to accept a new idea, alter an existing opinion, or act on a given premise. † †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Students first thoroughly understand the topic before giving presentation i. e. mastery on topic. It increases confidence among students. Good way to learn for only one student who is presenting. Students search lot of books to collect material Teacher’s supervision is important It enhances the ability of research on any topic as the students search topic from different books, websites etc.Active learning Give Chance to meet other people of same profession. Motivate and make student active in learning. Interested method. Give Chance to meet other people of same profession. 5. Seminars 4. Assignment 6. Workshops 7 8 7. Conferences †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Give Chance to meet other people of same profession. Networking with other institutions and professionals. More interesting More informative Gain knowledge Learning is effective More participation of students Students give their opinion Active learning Creative thinking is encouraged. Students think beyond their knowledge.Every one gets the chance to express their thoughts. Simple topics can be learnt through different angles. Interesting method Creative thinking is encouraged. Students think beyond their knowledge. Students enjoy the situation Active learning Easy to learn Active learning Creative thinking is encouraged. Students think beyond their knowledge. 8. Brain storming 9. Role play 10. Case study Discussion: Making teaching methods more interesting 8 9 Higher education faculty strives to become more effective teachers so that students can learn better, and many explore methods to improve their teaching practice.Depending on the nature of subject, number of students, and the facilities available, there are different methods teachers are using in the classroom. Below are given various methods and certain tips and techniques for improving these methods. (Sajjad, S. 1997) Lecture Method: A lecture is a talk or verbal presentation given by a lecturer, trainer or speaker to an audience. With all the advancement of training systems and computer technology, lecture method is still a backbone widely used in teaching and training at higher level of education.This method is economical, can be used for a large number of students, material can be covered in a structured manner and the teacher has a great control of time and material. A study conducted by Benson, L. , Schroeder, P. , Lantz, C. , and Bird, M (n. d. ). provides evidence that students may place greater emphasis on lecture material than on textbooks. Lecturing is not simply a matter of standing in front of a class and reciting what you know. The classroom lecture is a special form of communication in which voice, gesture, movement, facial expression, and eye contact can either complement or detract from the content. Davis. 1993). McCarthy, P. (1992) in article â€Å"Common Teaching Methods† stated strengths of lecture method that it presents factual material in direct, logical manner, contains experienc e which inspires, stimulates thinking to open discussion, and useful for large groups. Our findings also revealed that most of the students considered lecture as best method because according to opinion of students ; it creates new ideas, it is good for large class, develops creativity among students, teacher is experienced and has mastery on subject, explain all points and can answer all questions by students.Sullivan ; McIntosh (1996) said that with planning and effective presentation techniques, the lecture can be a highly effective and interactive method for transferring knowledge to students. Lecture gives the pupils training in listening and taking rapid notes. (Kochhar. 2000, p. 345) Tips and techniques for improving lecture method †¢ Lecture material should be stimulating and thought provoking. 9 10 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Information should be delivered dramatically by using example to make it memorable. The teacher needs to use questions throughout the lecture to involve students in the learning process and to check their comprehension.Reinforce learning by using visual supports like transparencies, flip charts, whiteboard/ black board etc. Teacher should take feedback of students to improve lecture method. Discussion: It is a free verbal exchange of ideas between group members or teacher and students. For effective discussion the students should have prior knowledge and information about the topic to be discussed. McCarthy, P. (1992) stated strengths of class discussion as; pools ideas and experiences from group, and allows everyone to participate in an active process. Kochhar (2000, p. 47) stated that; a problem, an issue, a situation in which there is a difference of opinion, is suitable for discussion method of teaching. Our study also revealed that the students rated group discussion (class discussion) as the second best method by giving reasons that; it has more participation of students, the learning is more effective, the student s don’t have to rely on rote learning, every student give his/ her opinion, and this method develops creativity among students. Tips and techniques for improving discussion method †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The teacher should spend sufficient time in preparing the process and steps of discussion.Different aspects of the topic and the parameters should be selected for the focused discussion. Sufficient time should be allotted to discuss all the issues. At the same time students should know the time limit to reach a conclusion. The teacher in the beginning should introduce the topic, the purpose of discussion, and the students participating in discussion. Before the start of discussion, background information about the topic should be provided. There is a need to include questions to provide direction. Relaxed environment should be created to foster the process of discussion. 10 1 †¢ †¢ †¢ Teacher after opening the discussion should p lay the role of a facilitator involving every one and at the end should summarize the discussion. Encourage students listen other’s point of view and then evaluate their own. Teacher should give value to all students’ opinions and try not to allow his/her own difference of opinion, prevent communication and debate. Role Play: Role play occurs when participants take on differentiated roles in a simulation. These may be highly prescribed, including biographical details, and even personality, attitudes and beliefs; or loosely indicated by an outline of the function or task.These techniques have already demonstrated their applicability to a wide range of learners, subjects and levels. (Singh, and Sudarshan, 2005, p 238, 239). It is a memorable and enjoyable learning method. To gain maximum benefits from this method, the incidents selected for enactment should be as realistic as the situation allows. Tips and techniques Before the role play, the teacher should brief partici pants about the roles they will play, give them time for preparation, confirm confidentiality of role play, and ask participants to behave naturally. †¢ †¢ Teacher should select ; brief observers about their roles.During the role play, the teacher must keep quiet, listen ; take notes, avoid cutting role play short, but give time warning if previously agreed. The teacher should be prepared for some action if participants dry up and can intervene as a last resort. †¢ After the role play, the teacher thanks participants, ask for feed back from lead participants, take comments from observers, ask other participants to comment, †¢ The teacher should use role names not those of participants, summarize, drawing out learning points, leaving the participants with positive comments and feelings.Case Study: Primarily developed in business and law contexts, case method teaching can be productively used in liberal arts, engineering, and education. This method is basically use d to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as to 11 12 present students with real-life situations. The students are presented with a record set of circumstances based on actual event or an imaginary situation and they are asked: 1. to diagnose particular problem(s) only. 2. to diagnose problem(s) ; provide solution(s). 3. o give reasons ; implications of action after providing both problem ; solution. It is a time consuming method and sometimes the case does not actually provide real experience. It could be in-conclusive, and insufficient information can lead to inappropriate results. At the end, the students want to know the right answer by the teacher. The role of the teacher in conducting the case study should be to: †¢ †¢ †¢ read the case and determine the key problems faced by the decision maker, determine the data required to analyze the problems and or a synthesis into solutions, develop, analyze, and compare alternative solutions, and r ecommend a course of action. Tips and techniques †¢ †¢ Cases should be brief, well-written, reflect real issues, and open to a number of conflicting responses. Students should work in group to prepare a written report and/or a formal presentation of the case. Brainstorming: It is a loosely structured form of discussion for generating ideas without participants embroiled in unproductive analysis. It is a very useful technique for problem solving, decision making, creative thinking and team building.It develops listening skills. Tips and techniques Ground rules for running brainstorming session include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ There should be no criticism and the wild ideas should be encouraged and recorded without evaluation. Emphasis should be placed on quantity of ideas and not the quality. There is a need of equal participation of members. It can be unfocused so teacher should know how to control discussion and facilitate issues. 12 13 †¢ It works well in sm all group Assignment method: Written assignments help in organization of knowledge, assimilation of facts and better preparation of examinations.It emphasizes on individual pupil work and the method that helps both teaching and learning processes (Kochhar, 2000, p. 358). Tips and techniques †¢ †¢ Teacher should describe the parameters of the topic of assignment. Fully explain assignments so that students know how to best prepare. When the inevitable question, â€Å"Will we be tested on this? † arises, make sure your answer includes not only a â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no,† but a â€Å"because . . . â€Å". Shea, A. (2009). †¢ Davis (1993) suggests that â€Å"Give assignments and exams that recognize students' diverse backgrounds and special interests.For example, a faculty member teaching a course on medical and health training offered students a variety of topics for their term papers, including one on alternative healing belief systems. A faculty m ember in the social sciences gave students an assignment asking them to compare female-only, male-only, and male-female work groups. † Recommendations: †¢ To evaluate teaching effectiveness different methods can be used including: peer review, self-evaluation, teaching portfolios, student achievement and students’ ratings of teaching methods used by their teachers. †¢ †¢ †¢ Students must be assured that the information they are giving is welcomed by the faculty and will be used to improve the teaching and learning in the course; otherwise they are unlikely to take the rating process seriously (Doyle. T. n. d. ). Teachers need to educate students in effective ways of giving precise feedback that addresses specific aspects of their learning experience. Teachers need to continually assure students throughout the semester that the ratings will be used for productive changes in teaching/ learning process and that there will be no chance of retribution to the students.