Office Etiquette Essay Example

Office Etiquette Essay Office Etiquette People are always required to know proper etiquette whether they are at home, in school, in public places, or in the office. Working with other people in an organization or company requires necessary conduct or behavior so that people can work in a friendly environment and be able to do their job well. Office etiquette is very essential so that a workplace will be organized, disciplined, and comfortable for the employees. Respecting others and being well-mannered in the office make a solid relationship between people in the workplace. It is important to build trust and respect among people in the office since most workers spend most of their time at work or in the office. † (Menon, 2008) This paper will provide guidelines and what to do and what not to do in a workplace in order to maintain a pleasant environment office. Cell Phone Etiquette Cellular phones are regarded as a necessity nowadays. It is very handy but can also create disturbance in people especial ly at work when everybody’s quiet and busy working. It is important to be discreet when inside the workplace; there are people who do not have any consideration at all when it comes to using their mobile phones. One should be aware on the proper use of cellular phones at workplace. It is important to turn the ringer off or turn it to silent or vibrate mode so that when somebody calls, the other people in the workplace will not be disturbed with the loud ring. Moreover, sounds or ringing tone from the phone can be annoying for some people. Another point to remember is to use the cell phone only during emergencies or important calls, such as when there is a family emergency and any other situation that is really serious and urgent. In many cases, it is also a rule not to bring cellular phones to meetings as it can disturb not only the people in the meeting but also the owner of the phone itself. When someone calls or sends messages to his or her cell phone, this could shift the owner’s attention from the meeting to the call or text message. Email Etiquette In emailing clients, business partners, and co-workers, one should take into account the proper and ethical way of sending messages and letters through email. Emails should be written in a form of letter. They should not appear s a simple note or text message that people send to their friends or family. It is important to be courteous and formal in writing an email. â€Å"The sender should also check the grammar and spelling of the letter as it can give a very bad impression on the sender if he or she does not know such simple things. † (Montandon, 2008) Emailing non-work related emails is not ethical and can make a bad impression on a person. à ¢â‚¬Å"Sending these kinds of emails can also make other people in the office feel that this person is not working hard enough because he or she has the time to send and forward emails that are not relevant to work†. Reid, 2008) Clothes and Appearance A lot of offices require their workers to wear business attire clothes or casual wear when coming to work. Dress codes are usually different and depend on the company’s rules. Nevertheless, no matter what the dress code is, one should be aware of the proper clothes to wear when going to work. It is important to always make an effort to appear clean and tidy at work. One should be neat in whatever style of dress or clothes he or she wears. â€Å"Clothes do reflect on an individual’s personality as well, so it is essential for people to always look neat. (Office Etiquette, 2008). For women, it is necessary to wear decent clothes and to avoid clothing that may cause distractions or problems in the workplace. On the oth er hand, â€Å"men should wear something that is presentable and neat such as polo shirts, slacks, and neck tie. They should make sure that their clothes are neatly pressed† (Reid, 2008). Grooming Good grooming and hygiene are also very important. It makes a person look professional when he or she looks neat and smells fresh when coming to work. Thus, taking a bath everyday before coming to work is imperative for everybody. We will write a custom essay sample on Office Etiquette specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Office Etiquette specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Office Etiquette specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Employees should also practice personal hygiene such as ensuring that their nails and hair are clean and well groomed. They should also wash hands frequently, take care of body odor and bad breath, and cover their mouths before yawning, coughing, and sneezing. â€Å"One should be very careful also in using perfumes and colognes since it can cause allergic reactions to some people. † (Menon, 2008). Physical and Verbal behavior Individuals should take into consideration every act that they do and words that they say. The way somebody talks and behaves represents their personality and character, so it is important for employees to be very careful with their actions and the things that they say inside the office. They should always try to be courteous not only with the bosses but as well as with the co-workers. They should also use language that is appropriate and not too causal when talking to somebody. They should avoid making jokes and comments that may not be likable and even offensive. It is very important to think first before saying and doing something (Office Etiquette, 2008). Gossiping Gossiping is common among people especially people in the workplace during lunch or break times. If a co-worker starts to gossip around, it is advised to refuse courteously into the person who wants to gossip. It is very important to just â€Å"mind your own business. † People should know that the personal life of individuals in the workplace should be respected (Reid, 2008). Relationships It is possible to have workplace romance in the office. Therefore, people who are in a romantic relationship should be professional enough to know what to do. There should be no favoritism, personal chats, or fights inside the office. They should be courteous enough to know their limitations and be able to work professionally. (Reid, 2008). Greeting/Common Courtesy â€Å"It is essential for the workers to greet people in the workplace such as saying hi, hello, or good morning whenever they see their co-workers in the hallway, restroom, or wherever†. (Montandon, 2008) It is expected that some people will have a hard time to get along with others, and there are some people who may be annoying. Nevertheless, it is still important for them to greet each other. They should always make an effort to smile and be cheerful, thoughtful, and cooperative with everybody at work (Scheneider, 2006) Work Space An office worker should have his own corner, table, or desk to work with. It is very important for employees to maintain cleanliness and orderliness in the said area. Like physical appearance, the environment also reflects the personality of a person. Having a clean environment or surroundings makes the place conducive to work at. One should always try to keep his or her space or working stations orderly and organized. It is advisable to have all the files and papers be placed in a box or folders so that they will not be scattered all over the table. Simple cleaning is necessary and important for employees to do in their own work stations. After all, they are not required to clean the whole office area since there is somebody assigned to do that job, which is the job of a janitor (Office Etiquette, 2008). Security There will be important papers, files, and documents in a workplace, and it is important to always keep them private and confidential. It is important not to leave these documents and papers out in the open. These files should be kept in some safe place where nobody can see and take a look at them. People at work should also respect their co-workers belongings. â€Å"They should not to touch or get something from their co-employee’s belongings without asking permission. This is a sign of respect for other people’s things; if somebody wants his or her possessions to be respected, he or she should also do the same thing to other people†. (Menon, 2008) Habits People have their own habits that sometimes are very hard to stop. Some habits could be annoying for people such as tapping a pencil on the table, singing loudly, and tapping one’s foot on the floor, burping, chatting, interrupting somebody when talking and others which create disturbing sounds that can annoy and bother people in the workplace. Hence, employees should be mindful of their habits, and they should be sensitive enough to know whether they are affecting other people with their personal habits. Manners/ Behavior Proper behavior is needed in any place, most importantly in the office. People should learn how to respect each other in the workplace and should always be polite. They should say please when asking a favor, and they should always say â€Å"thank you† and â€Å"you are welcome† when necessary. One act of respect in the workplace is respecting the time. One should always be punctual when coming to work or to a meeting. When running late, they should always give an advance notice. Still, it will be much better not to be late at all. Another factor under manner and behavior is learning how to apologize and admit mistakes. One should say â€Å"sorry† if he or she knows something was not done correctly. An individual should be humble enough to do this; it shows that a person has great sense of respect for other people in the workplace. Blaming is never an option; people should not blame other people when something goes wrong at work (Schneider, 2006). Phone Manner There is said to be a correct manner of answering the phone at workplace. In answering a phone one should say hello and say the name, title, and department where they are working. Always be polite and be careful with the tone of the voice while talking to somebody on the phone, since this will make an impression. Another important aspect of using the office phone is to use it only for business or work purposes and not for personal calls like calling friends or family members for own personal reasons. In addition, the use of speakerphones is only advisable to use if people are in a conference call. It is not sensible to use speakerphones when talking to one person on the phone since it may distract others inside the office when they hear the loud conversation over the telephone. It is also considered to be rude (Reid, 2008). Sickness/Illnesses It is part of the human nature to get sick and become ill. In cases such as fever, flu, colds, and other illnesses, one should be considerate of others as some illnesses are highly contagious. It is unadvisable to come to work; instead, the sick employees should take a leave of absence for a few days and wait until they feel better and have fully recovered from sickness. It is important for employees to inform co-workers and superiors about their condition so that people in the office will know what happened in the case that an employee does not show up at work (McKay, 1997). Eating/Dining There are a lot of etiquette issues when it comes to eating and dining. If people in the office are in a lunch meeting or in a work-related occasion, it is very important to observe proper manners during meals. When ordering food, one should make sure that the food is not very expensive, unless everybody orders the same menu like lobsters and other pricey foods. Employees should be sure that the food ordered is just enough, and they can finish it all without leftovers. In buffets, there are some people who take too much then leave it unfinished later. This creates a very bad impression on them and can be considered rude as well. The proper way of eating is also important; chewing the food silently and not talking while eating are table manners that should also be observed while eating with co-workers (Schneider, 2006). Understanding and following all the ethical standards in the office will make the workplace comfortable and a good place for people to stay and work. If all of the said office etiquettes will be followed by all workers, then companies and businesses will have fewer problems. They will be able to work productively and efficiently and make the working environment happy, peaceful, and favorable for everybody who is working in the office. Business or office etiquette builds a good relationship with people in the workplace. It just takes discipline and hard work to achieve this goal. References About. com. (2008). Office Etiquette. Retrieved March 7, 2011 from http://careerplanning. about. com/od/officeetiquette/Office_Etiquette. htm McKay, D. R. (1997).Calling in sick to work. About. com Retrieved March 7, 2011 from http://careerplanning. about. com/od/workplacesurvival/a/out_sick. tm Menon, N. (2008). Office etiquette. Shine. Retrieved March 8, 2011 from http://info. shine. com/Career-Advice-Articles/Mentor-Talk/Office-Etiquette/974/cid32. aspx Montandon, M. (2008).

Forming and Using the Perfect Infinitive in Spanish

Forming and Using the Perfect Infinitive in Spanish The perfect infinitive is called perfect not because its better than other infinitives, but because it uses the infinitive of the verb haber, which is used to form the perfect tenses. In Spanish, the perfect infinitive (infinitivo compuesto) is simply the word haber followed by the past participle of a verb. It is the equivalent of the English infinitive to have followed by a past participle and is used in basically the same way. Examples of the Perfect Infinitive in Spanish You can see the similarities of the two languages perfect infinitives in these examples: Haber llegado tan lejos fue memorable para nosotras. To have arrived so far away was memorable for us. Fue un error haber hecho todo. It was a mistake to have done everything. Espero haber sido de ayuda. I hope to have been of help. Querà ­a haber tenido ms tiempo. I wanted to have had more time. Mas vale haber amado y perdido que no haber amado nunca. Tis better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. El 34% de los nià ±os aseguran haber visto a Pap Noel. Thirty-four percent of children claim to have seen Santa Claus. The Perfect Infinitive and English -ing Verbs When you use the English to have followed by a past participle you can almost always translate it to Spanish using the perfect infinitive, but the reverse often isnt true. One reason is that in Spanish only the infinitive form of the verb functions as a noun, but in English the -ing verb form can also function as a noun. So often the Spanish perfect infinitive is the equivalent of the English having followed by a past participle: à ­Quà © afortunada soy por haber conocido el verdadero amor! How fortunate am I for having known true love! Su pecado es haber nacido en Cuba. His sin is having been born in Cuba. Tengo la sensacià ³n de haber hecho todo lo posible. I have the feeling of having done everything possible. Fujimori niega haber conocido existencia del grupo Colina. Fujimori denies having known the existence of the group Colina. Imaginaba haber encontrado el dinero. He imagined having found the money. The Perfect Infinitive with Prepositions Since perfect infinitives usually function as nouns, they can serve as sentence subjects or objects. They frequently follow the prepositions de or por, although they can follow other prepositions as well. They are especially commonly used after por when expressing gratitude: Gracias por haber confiado en nosotros. Thank you for trusting in us. Gracias por haber llegado a mi vida. Thank you for coming into my life. The Perfect Infinitive with Pronouns When the perfect infinitive has an object, it is typically attached to haber:  ¡Cà ³mo desearà ­a no haberte conocido! How I wish I had never met you! Recuerdo haberle comprado dos cajas de cereal. I remember buying two boxes of cereal for him.

Celebrating Columbus Day

Celebrating Columbus Day The second Monday in October is designated in the United States as Columbus Day. This day commemorates Christopher Columbus first sighting of the Americas on October 12, 1492. Columbus Day as a federal holiday, though, was not officially recognized until 1937. Early Commemorations of Columbus The first recorded ceremony commemorating the Italian  explorer, navigator, and colonizer  in America was in 1792. It was  300 years after his famous first voyage in 1492, the first of four voyages he made across the Atlantic with the backing of Spains Catholic monarchs. To honor Columbus, a ceremony was held in New York  City and a monument was dedicated to him in Baltimore. In 1892, a statue of Columbus was raised on New York Citys Columbus Avenue. The same year, replicas of Columbus three ships were displayed at the  Columbian Exposition  held in Chicago. Creating Columbus Day Italian-Americans were key in the creation of Columbus Day. Beginning on October 12, 1866, New York Citys Italian population organized a celebration of the Italian explorers  discovery of America. This annual celebration spread to other cities, and by 1869 there was also  a Columbus Day in San Francisco. In 1905, Colorado became the first state to observe an official Columbus Day. Over time other states followed, until 1937 when President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed every October 12 as Columbus Day. In 1971, the US Congress officially designated the date of the annual federal holiday as the second Monday in October. Current Celebrations Since Columbus Day is a designated federal holiday, the post office, government offices, and many banks are closed. Many cities across America stage parades that day. For example, Baltimore claims to have the Oldest Continuous Marching Parade in America celebrating Columbus Day. Denver held its 101st Columbus Day parade in 2008. New York holds a Columbus Celebration that includes a parade down Fifth Avenue and a mass at St. Patricks Cathedral. In addition, Columbus Day is also celebrated in other parts of the world including some cities in Italy and Spain, along with parts of Canada and Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico has its own public holiday on November 19 celebrating Columbus discovery of the island.   Critics of Columbus Day In 1992, leading up to the 500th anniversary of Columbus sighting of the Americas, many groups voiced their opposition to celebrations honoring Columbus, who  completed four voyages with Spanish crews on Spanish ships across the Atlantic Ocean. On his first voyage to the New World, Columbus arrived in the Caribbean islands. But he mistakenly believed that he had reached East India and that the Taino, the indigenous people he found there, were East Indians. In a later voyage, Columbus captured more than 1,200 Taino and sent them to Europe as slaves. The Taino also suffered at the hands of the Spanish, former crew members on his ships who remained on the islands and used the Taino people as forced laborers, punishing them with torture and death if they resisted. The Europeans also unwittingly passed on their diseases to the Taino, who had no resistance to them. The terrible combination of forced labor and devastating new diseases would wipe out the entire population of Hispaniola in 43 years. Many people cite this tragedy as the reason why Americans should not be celebrating Columbus accomplishments. Individuals and groups continue to speak out against and protest Columbus Day celebrations.

Evaluate the claim that we should seek to abolish imprisonment Essay

Evaluate the claim that we should seek to abolish imprisonment - Essay Example orms of punishment are introduced, according to jurisprudential rational, to control such rate of crime and protect the basic rights of common people within a socio-cultural context. According to the varying degrees regarding seriousness of crime commission, various types of punishments are offered to offenders, namely, â€Å"condemnation, fines, probation, imprisonment, or death† and legislative system of a particular society provides actual directives that what type of punishment can be offered for a specific form of crime. Imprisonment is widely regarded, perhaps, as the â€Å"strongest form of punishment† after death penalty and mostly offered to people accused of culpable offences (Coughlin, 1991, p. 54). Tony Lawson and Joan Garrod have attempted to define imprisonment in the book Dictionary for Sociology, as, â€Å"†¦the incarnation of those convicted of certain types of crime. Also in prison are those held â€Å"on remand,†- i.e. accused of a serious crime and awaiting a trial. Different societies hold different views regarding the purpose of imprisonment, with the result that the proportion of the population in prison at any one time varies widely among different societies† (Lawson, and Garrod, 2001, p. 117-118). This definition becomes important in the context of discussion as it encompasses within its scope both legal and social perspectives. In the first part, the authors have defined what imprisonment is from legal perspective. Second part of the definition focuses on social aspects that purpose and reason for imprisonment differs in different societies; thus, society has an important role to play when it comes to nature of imprisonment or establishing the criteria regarding magnitude of crime so that a person is sentenced for imprisonment. According to magnitude of crime, punishment can be categorized in several forms, namely, capital punishment, imprisonment, probation, fines, restitution and community service, and restorative justice (Gaines, and

Dwight Eisenhower Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dwight Eisenhower - Term Paper Example ncomparable with other military leaders after him and it is only a few generals that were before that could possibly match his tremendous leadership skills. When he became the thirty-fourth President of the United States, his exemplary leadership skills played out as he efficiently carried out his obligation as the democratic leader of the US. As a result of the warnings of an impending war, Eisenhower was given the mantle to lead the Allied Forces in Europe as he became the Supreme Commander of the army alliance during the Second World War and the first supreme commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces (U.S. Army Center of Military History). It should be noted that it was his adept leadership skills that availed him this opportunity. The great General Dwight David Eisenhower is one of the greatest military leaders that history has ever known as this man was right there when the world needed his great leadership qualities as he helped save the world from the tyrannical Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler and this was achieved in collaboration with other great minds like himself. Eisenhower was a great military leader that had an unparalleled leadership quality and these attributes made him go through the ranks of the United States Military at a volatile period in world history. The period before the Second World War was a critical period in the history of the world and the United States of America and indeed a man in the mould of Eisenhower was needed to save the world from the shackles of tyranny and oppression as would have been the case if Hitler had succeeded in his bid to rule the world. Eisenhower made stern decisions that had an extensive effect on the United States and the world at large. He rose from obscurity to the platform of leadership and his ability to act as a mediator between two warring parties in the political and military spheres was top notch. As a Chief of Army Staff of the United States of America in 1945, the

The Importance of Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Abstract The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship of the consumer perceptions about the branding of organizations that invest in social responsibility and the consumer behaviour regarding loyalty and willingness in paying a premium price. Reviewing the literature about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Corporate Social Performance and Corporate Financial Performance, some questions arise: do consumers understand the efforts made by businesses regarding their social and ethical campaigns? And if so, are consumers willing to pay a higher price for the products and services resulting from these social and ethical campaigns? Are consumers loyal to these businesses? In order to analyse the links between CSR and consumer behaviour, the authors use a structural equations model and a Focus Group. The â€Å"Nespresso† Case is analysed and included in the survey questions, since it is a very well known brand amongst Portuguese consumers. The main conclusions of the paper are that although some of the indicators do not present excellent results, the hypotheses tested, in the structural equation model, were verified. As such, we can conclude that social responsibility policies are important in building a strong brand image and in turn lead to consumer loyalty and consequent availability to pay a higher price for the products or services provided. Within the focus group some interesting findings arise regarding the links between CSR, brand image, loyalty and willingness in paying a premium price. There are indicators that although, CSR is considered important for building loyalty, the links regarding the willingness in paying a premium price are thin. Another finding is that communication policies don’t address the consumer concerns regarding CSR. Keywords:Corporate Social Responsibility, Brand Image, Brand Loyalty, Premium Price Introduction For some decades now research on the role and responsibilities of business in society has been searching for the business case for corporate social responsibility (CSR). The proliferation of studies on the relationship  between corporate social performance and economic bottom line is the result of different shifts in the academic debate. On the one side, in terms of the level of analysis, research has gradually moved from a focus on the macro-social effects of CSR to organizational-level analysis of CSR effects on firm behaviour and performance. On the other, in terms of theoretical orientation, researchers have moved from explicitly normative and ethics-oriented studies to implicitly normative and performance-oriented analysis. (Castaldo et al, 2009) Looking backward at the empirical research undertaken in the last few years, the business case for social responsibility and the related link between Corporate Social Performance (CSP) and Corporate Financial Performance (CFP) remain the most controversial areas in the business-in-society field (Barnett, 2007). Though different in their approaches to CSP definition and measurement, existing studies tend to share an often unstated assumption: the stronger the firm’s involvement in CSR programs and activities, the higher the economic and financial value firms will be able to obtain. However, a substantial inconsistency in the results obtained emerges, in terms of both existence and direction of the correlation between the constructs (Margolis Walsh, 2003; Orlitzky et al, 2003; Salzmann, Ionescu-Somers, Steger, 2005). Brand Image, Brand Loyalty and Premium Price Businesses use the brand to create and communicate their identity and building their image in the consumers’ perspective. The brand image of a successful brand is a valuable business asset because consumers identify more easily, products and services through the respective brands, than otherwise. Another important aspect of branding is that, they provide the basis to positioning and differentiation strategies. There are different points of view and different definitions of brand image. These differences reside at the abstract level in which the image is created in the consumer mind. Furthermore, there are also different theories for the construction of the brand image. Some of these theories include associations with the product (Keller, 1998), while others take in consideration associations related to the business (Biel, 1993), or the country of origin, or the user image (Aaker, 1996). Initially it was Levy (1959) who conceptualised the  concept of brand image. He suggests that products have social and psychological attributes and, as such, consumers develop emotional connections with the brands. For Plummer (1985), the image process formation initiates through the gathering of intrinsic and extrinsic attributes, benefits and consequences that are associated with the brand. According to Faircloth et al (2001), the brand image is a holistic perspective built by all the associations made with the brand. Following this perspective, Ballantyne et al (2006), define brand image as the consumers’ perception about the brand. As such, it will guide a future development of a possible bound between consumers and organisations that have its highest expression through consumer loyalty, and the willingness of the consumer in paying a premium price. The most complete definition of consumer loyalty is given by Jacoby e Chestnut (1978) that sustain that brand loyalty represents the non random repetition of the buying behaviour of the same brand or group of brands, from an individual with buying decision. Price premium has been studied by several authors, namely, Holbrook (1992), Kamakura and Russell (1993), Park and Srinivasan (1994), Netemeyer et al (2004). One may consider that the availability of a consumer to pay a price premium is defined by the amount that he is willing to pay for his favourite brand when compared with a brandless similar product. For Aaker (1996), premium price is a strong indicator of brand loyalty. For Louro (2000), price premium is a basic criterion of brand loyalty and indicates how much the buyer is willing to pay for the brand, when compared with other similar brands. The Nespresso Case Study â€Å"We believe that the true test of a business is whether it creates value for society over the long term† (Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Chairman and CEO, Nestlà ©) Nespresso is a very well known brand in Portugal. Nespresso’s products are positioned on the high-end of the coffee market, with a patented coffee-capsule technology, associated machinery and coffee capsules. Ecolaborationâ„ ¢, launched in June 2009, is the Nespresso platform for sustainable innovation, and represents their effort for creating value throughout the value chain. Through Ecolaborationâ„ ¢, Nespresso has consolidated all its sustainability efforts in coffee sourcing, capsule recycling and energy-efficient machines into one concerted programme, and  committed itself to meet three targets by 2013: * To source 80% of its coffee from its AAA Sustainable Qualityâ„ ¢ Program and Rainforest Alliance Certifiedâ„ ¢ farms; * To put systems in place to triple its capacity to recycle used capsules to 75%; * To reduce the carbon footprint required to produce a cup of Nespresso by 20%. With an average annual growth rate of 30% since 2000 Nespresso is the fastest-growing â€Å"billionaire brand† of the Nestlà © Group. It also has an established track record of sustainability, establishing the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Qualityâ„ ¢ Program in 2003 with Rainforest Alliance, through which only the highest-quality beans are sourced and where farmers are paid a premium. In 2009, almost 50% of the total green coffee beans Nespresso purchased came from its AAA Sustainable Qualityâ„ ¢ Program, and Nespresso has committed to increase this to 80% by 2013. Model Hypotheses The structural equations model proposed establishes the relationship between Social Responsibility practices with the constructs of brand image, loyalty and consumer willingness to pay a higher price for a product or service from a social responsible organisation. The organisation selected for this study was Nespresso. Therefore, the authors raise three research hypotheses: H1: The social responsibility policies have a positive direct impact on the brand image of Nespresso (ÃŽ ³11 0). H2: A good brand image from Nespresso helps to increase consumer loyalty (ÃŽ ²11 0). H3: A good brand image from Nespresso will increase the consumer willingness to pay a price premium (ÃŽ ²21 0) Data collection for the model estimation was done through a consumer survey using the scales of social responsibility of Roberts (1996), scales of loyalty from Yoo and Donthu (2001), scales of price premium from Chauduri and Halbrook (2001) and scales of brand image from Netemeyer, et al (2004). Sample Characterization 242 valid surveys were collected. The sample comprised 46% women and 54% men, ages varied between 19 and 72 years old, the majority of people that answered the survey were single (88%), with a net income between 1001 and 2000 Euros monthly per family (47%). The number of people per family was in the majority (86%) between 2 to 5 people. Model Estimation The model was estimated using the covariance matrix. The statistical software program used was the STATISTICA 6.1. which allowed to calculate the variance and covariance (data) matrices and the estimation of the structural model. The estimation is undertaken by the method of maximum likelihood, since the objective is to develop and test the theory of brand image of social responsible organisations and behaviours of loyalty and willingness to pay a higher price. The analysis of scales reliability allowed to obtain good indicators for the Cronbach Alpha coefficient. Thus, for Social Responsibility (8 items) we obtained an alpha equal to 0,919, for brand image (5 items) we obtained an alpha of 0,864, for brand loyalty (3 itens) we obtained an alpha of 0,637 and finally for premium price (3 items) we obtained an alpha of 0,812. The chosen indicators to analyse the goodness of the adjustment are the ones suggested by Hair et al (2006) as the absolute indicators, Chi-square standardized, RMSEA (Root Mean Square Error of Approximation) e GFI (Goodness-of-Fit). The Chi-square standardized presents acceptable values when these are comprised between 1 and 3 (Hair, et al, 2006). We use RMSEA (Root Mean Square Error of Approximation) instead of RMSSR (Root Mean Square Residual) because the estimated models are based on the covariance data matrix. This indicator must be comprised between values from 0,05 (good fitness) and 0,08 (acceptable fitness). The GFI (Goodness-of-Fit) is an index of goodness of the adjustment that represents the total fitness levels, without correction in relation to degrees of freedom. High values of this indicator show good fitness, although there are not established minimum acceptable levels. Although some of the indicators do not present excellent results, the hypotheses tested were verified. As such, we can conclude that social responsibility policies are important in building a strong brand image and in turn lead to consumer loyalty and consequent availability to pay a higher price for the products or services provided. Focus Group Methodology Focus Groups are a research technique that allows for data collection through the interaction of a group of people. This technique consists in an interview conducted to a small group of people conducted by a moderator in a non structured way. The moderator role is to motivate the group discussion regarding the research hypotheses that are subject of the study under analysis (Carson et al 2001, Malhotra, 2004, Vaughn et al 1996). Group discussion is a methodology particularly suitable when the prior knowledge of the situations is small, the issues are sensitive and complex and if you want to take full advantage of the opportunity to explore and induce hypotheses, find out the views and attitudes of individuals and details of the issues that are being explored (Krueger, 1994, Harker, 2004). For Morgan (1988) this is an excellent method to establish the why behind the what from the perspectives of the participants. For the purpose of this research the authors conducted a Focus Group of 8 people selected randomly. The objective was that the group selected was a reflection of the participants of the survey used for the structural equations model. When the surveys were distributed a question as placed in order to find out the availability of the respondents to participate in the focus group. From the answers obtained the selection was made in order to be representative of the universe. The selection is presented in the following table. In the focus group the moderator organized the discussion according to the 3 research hypotheses, namely: H1: The social responsibility policies have a positive direct impact on the brand image of Nespresso| Most of the participants on the focus group considered that social responsibility policies have a positive impact on the brand image of any organization. Nevertheless, it was considered a finding of the group that not always consumers understand that an organization does CSR.There was also a discussion on what is CSR, and if organisations actually do it. Or if is only the result of marketing efforts.The main conclusion is that if consumers perceive an organization as a social responsible one, then, that fact will have a positive direct impact on its brand image.Regarding Nespresso, there was not a consensus regarding this aspect. | H2: A good brand image from Nespresso helps to increase consumer loyalty.| Regarding brand image there was a consensus of the group that helps to increase consumer loyalty, and that this is clearly the case of Nespresso. Again, most of the participants did not agree if Nespresso has an image of having social responsible practices.| H3: A good brand image from Nespresso will increase the consumer willingness to pay a price premium.| This was the issue that raised the most discussion. Does a good reputation translated in the brand image regarding social responsibility practices is sufficient for increasing the consumer willingness in paying a premium price?Some of the participants argued that depending on the economic situation that could be true, but when enduring difficult economic periods most of the consumers refrain their shopping attitudes and are more price sensitive.It was also mentioned again that it is crucial that the message comes across to consumers, and that they understand very well what are the policies followed by the organizations. | Conclusions The main conclusions of the paper are that although some of the indicators do not present excellent results, the hypotheses tested, in the structural equation model, were verified. These results were then validated using a focus group methodology. Within the focus group some interesting findings arose regarding the links between CSR, brand image, loyalty and willingness in paying a premium price. There are indicators that although, CSR is considered important for building loyalty, the links regarding the willingness in paying a premium price are thin. Another finding is that communication policies don’t address the consumer concerns regarding CSR, since within the group there was no consensus regarding the organisation under analysis. As such, we can conclude that social responsibility policies are important in building a strong brand image and in turn lead to consumer loyalty and consequent availability to pay a higher price for the products or services provided, but it is crucial for organizations to have communication strategies that address these CSR policies in a way that promotes consumers’ identification. The authors found that further research should be conducted addressing the effectiveness of communication strategies of organizations that promote CSR. References Aaker, David A. (1996), Building Strong Brands, Free Press, New York. Ballantyne, Ronnie, Anne Warren e Karinna Nobbs (2006), â€Å"The Evolution of Brand Choice†. The Journal of Brand Management, Vol. 13, N º 4, pp. 339-352. Barnett, M. L. (2007), â€Å"Stakeholder Influence Capacity and the Variability of Financial Returns to Corporate Social Responsibility†, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 32, N º 3, pp. 794-816. Biel, A. L. (1993), â€Å"Converting Image into Equity†, in D. A. Aaker e A. Biel (Eds.), Brand equity and advertising: advertising’s role in building strong brands, Lawrence Erlbaum, Associates, Inc., Hilsdale, New Jersey, pp. 67-82. Carson, D., Gilmore, A., Perry, C. and Gronhaug, K., (2001), Qualitative Marketing Research, Sage Publications, London Castaldo, S. and F. Perrini (2004), â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility, Trust Management and Value Creation†, presented at EGOS 2004 â€Å"Trust in Hybrids†, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Castaldo, Sandro, Francesco Perrini, Nicola Misani and Antonio Tencati (2009), â€Å"The Missing Link Between Corporate Social Responsibility and Consumer Trust: The Case of Fair Trade Products†, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 84, pp. 1-15. Chaudhuri, A. e M. B. Holbrook (2001), â€Å"The Chain of Effects from Brand trust and Brand Affect to Brand Performance: The Role of Brand Loyalty†, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 65, pp. 81-93. Faircloth, James B., Louis M. Capella e Bruce L. Alford (2001), â€Å"The Effect of Brand Attitude and Brand Image on Brand Equity†, Journal of Marketing, Theory and Practice, Vol. 9, N º 3, pp. 61- 75. Hair, J. F., R. E. Anderson, R. L. Tatham e W. C. Black (2006), Multivariate Data Analysis, 6th Ed., Pearson, Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, N. J.. Harker, Michael John (2004) Lenses and mirrors: the customer perspective on part –time marketers. Marketing Intelligence and Planning. Vol. 22, No. 6, 663-672. Holbrook, Morris B. (1992), â€Å"Product Quality, Attributes and Brand Names a s Determinants of Price: the case of consumer electronics†, Marketing Letters, Vol. 3, N º 1. pp. 71-83. Jacoby, J. e R. W. Chestnut (1978), Brand Loyalty: Measurement and Management, New York: John Wiley. Kamakura, W. A. e G. J. Russell (1993), â€Å"Measuring Brand Value with Scanner Data†, International Journal Research Marketing, Vol. 10, March, pp. 9-21. Keller, Kevin Lane (1998), Strategic Brand Management: Building, Measuring and Managing Brand Equity, Upper Saddler River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Krueger, R. A. (1994). Focus groups: A practical guide for applied research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Levy, Sidney J. (1959), â€Å"Symbols for Sales†, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 37, N º 4, pp. 117-124. Louro, Maria Joà £o Sousa (2000), â€Å"Modelos de Avaliaà §Ãƒ £o da Marca†, Revista de Administraà §Ãƒ £o de Empresas, Vol. 40, N º 2, pp. 26-37. Malhotra, N. K. (2004). Marketing Research. New Jersey. Prentice Hall. Margolis, J. D. and J. P. Walsh. (2003), Misery loves companies: Rethinking social initiatives by business, Administrative Science Quarterly, 48: 268-305. Morgan, D. L. (1988). Focus groups as qualitative research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Netemeyer, et. al., (2004), â€Å"Developing and Validating Measures of facets of customer-based brand equity†, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 57, N º 2, pp. 209-224. Orlitzky, M., Schmidt, F. L., Rynes, S. L. (2003), Corporate Social and Financial Performance: A Meta-analysis, Organization Studies, Vol. 24, N º 3,pp. 403–441. Park, Chan Su e V. Srinivasan (1994), â€Å"A Survey-Based Method for Measuring and Understanding Brand Equity and Its Extendibility†, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 31, N º 2, pp. 271-288. Plummer, Joseph T. (1985), â€Å"Brand Personality: A Strategic Concept for Multinational Advertising†, in Marketing Educators’ Conference, New York: Young and Rubicam, pp. 1-31. Roberts, J. A. (1996), â€Å"Will the Real Socially Responsible Consumer Please Step Forward?†, Business Horizon, Vol. 39, pp. 79-83. Salzmann, O., Ionescu-Somers, A., Steger, U. (2005) Quantifying Effects of Corporate Sustainability Management. Working paper. Lausanne: CSM/IMD. Vaughn, S., Schumm, J. S., Sinagub, J. (1996). Focus group interviews in education and psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Yoo, B. and N. Donthu (2001), â€Å"Developing and Validating a Multidimensional Consumer-Based Brand Equity Scale†, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 52, pp. 1-14.

Paradise of the Blind and Like Water for Chocolate Essay -- Compare and

A strong maternal bond is crucial in one’s life; however in both Paradise of the Blind by Duong Thu Huong and Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, the authors portray the distant relationship between the mother and the daughter as a tool to critique the ‘inhuman’ traditions imposed upon the family members in their respective societies. Though Houng’s and Esquivel’s novels are set in Vietnam and Mexico respectively, they assert that family traditions are unjust and forbid family members to pursue their own dreams, ambitions, and desires as portrayed by the two teenage protagonists and their mothers, who are obligated to sacrifice their own lives for others. In order to gain their freedom, the protagonists have to detach themselves from their oppressive, domineering mothers to break away from the undesirable family traditions in their culture. Early in Like Water for Chocolate, the reader is introduced to the abnormal mother-daughter relationship right away as Nacha, the family cook, â€Å"offers to take charge of feeding Tita† (Esquivel 6) after Mama Elena’s â€Å"milk dried up from the shock† (Esquivel 6) of her husband’s death. Moreover, Mama Elena arranges a marriage for Rosaura, Tita’s sister, to marry Tita’s true love Pedro, which develops Tita’s abhorrence towards her mother significantly. Tita’s hatred towards her mother is mostly due to the fact that she is prohibited from marrying under the tradition that the youngest daughter has to take care of her mother until she passes away; therefore, resulting in a widening gap between the two. Portraying Tita’s domain and realm as the kitchen underscores Esquivel’s complete condemnation of family traditions as she is ordered to cook in the kitchen at all times, preparing meals for he... ... family traditions because they are innocent and fragile compared to men, therefore dramatizing the effects of the ‘inhuman’ traditions. A maternal bond is a very crucial component of one’s life; therefore by disrupting the usual aspect of one’s life, the authors are sending their message in a strong manner. Furthermore, the ending of both novels imply a necessity for social improvement in their societies as the protagonists have to detach themselves from their repressive mothers, who represent the authorities of the old generation with their overbearing attitudes, in order to pursue their own dreams, whether it is for education, career, or love. After the protagonists break away from their mothers, Tita chases her love for Pedro and Hang leaves the country, abandoning all the traditional traditions, to continue with her college education and occupation in Russia.

Is “Lord of the Flies” a Searching Examination

Wave got to have rules and obey them. After all, were not savages we're English. And the English are best at everything. † These are lines taken trot chapter 2 tot the novel ‘Lord tot the Flies'. To show the change in the character and the situation through the novel here is another quote from the last chapter of the novel, â€Å"l should have thought,† said the officer as he visualized the search before him, â€Å"l should have thought that a pack of British boys- you're all British aren't you? Could have been able to put up a better show than that— mean—â€Å". The novel shows Itself to be a lot of things, a comment on war, an adventure novel or d statement of character. Through the book Gilding attempts to not only warn us about the consequences of another war, but also enables LIST to view an array of different personalities and people profiler Yes, ‘Lord of the Flies' is a searching examination tot human nature, where trot the reader not only gets an authorial opinion on various types of people but also get to, for themselves, form an image of the individualistic of each and every character.The arguable protagonist of the novel is Ralph, a rational and democratic leader who is Mathew obsessed with the fire. In the start of the novel he too is Indifferent towards the easy target Piggy, but slowly learns to respect him. It Is Ralph who Initially keeps the boys focused on their goal of being rescued. But ads his mind gets clouded so does his objective. Gilding shows Ralph to be the closed man, an evolved creature who conforms to society but still has his flaws.Ralph shows his flaws when he continues to disregard Piggy's asthma by saying â€Å"Sucks to your as- marl† whenever the topic is broached. He also shows poor Judgment when he gives into his primitive instincts and participates in the killing of Simon. Ralph to the reader symbolisms the leader who is civilized and dedicated but can often slip-up and make m istakes. His relatable reactions and simple solutions represent a man of will, vivo Is defeated by circumstance. He wants to let the fire continue but has too little manpower to do so, but still persists on finding a solution the next day.We also see him to be delusional at times, like when the curtain flickers In his brain and he Is unable to think HIS biggest moment of what can be called stupidly Is when he says, â€Å"Supposing we go, looking like we used to, washed and hair brushed?- tater all we rent savages really and being rescued isn't a game—â€Å". He believes that despite the savagery that has spread through Jack and this tribe they will listen to him if he takes a shower, it is possibly his biggest moment of failure. Through the same instance we see another trait of human nature in him which Is desperation.Ralph is trying to cling on to any little form of order and hope that he can muster. He hopes to win the other boys over with his endeavourer to appeal to the little remnants of collocation, Another striking event that stands out with respect to Ralph Is when he slaughters the beast†, he Is the one trying to establish decorum and It Is he who destroys the reason tort chaos. To contrasts Ralph as the civilized human being Gilding creates Jack, the adversary. Ironically a choir boy, Jack slowly turns out to be tyrannical dictator and comes to represent the evil or the ruthless side tot human nature.A first, Jack goes along with Ralph and allows himself to be appeased as the head of the hunters. He is content with his position and desperately tries to gather meat. His first attempt at killing the animal is disastrous not due to lack of skill, but because he still as some conscience left in him and is actually scared of committing the murder. He also says that while he hunts he feels like he is â€Å"being hunted†. This shows the last fragments of humanity left in him. He turns into an almost repulsive animal at the end of the n ovel.Gilding shows man's primitive instincts in Jack, his need for food, power and blood. We often wonder from where the deep seethed blackness appears in Jack. I can only speculate that the intensive education provided to him in the church results in a catastrophic rebellion where Jack loses all sense of sanity and informs to the baser human. Towards the end of the novel Jack is adhered to as the chief and everyone on the island fears him. He hates Piggy from the very beginning and is fearful of his intelligence.He knows that Piggy's rationality could be responsible for his downfall and could harm his dictatorship. He is envious of his superiority. â€Å"His tone conveyed a warning, given out of the pride of ownership, and the boys ate faster while there was still time. † Jack establishes his authority through brutality and force. He symbolisms the savage and primitive part of human nature. His interactions with others more or less result in a display of rage and anger and h e pitilessly forces the others to adhere to him. He orders the murder of Simon, the theft of Piggy's glasses and even asks for Rally's life.Gilding, through him examines, in depth the evil within man and the ugly part of the human mind. Another character that Gilding uses to further examine the human race is that of Piggy. Through this â€Å"fat boy' the author shows rationality, reason, science and intelligence. Piggy along with his specs is the symbol of wisdom and provides an outlook into scientific man. Despite his intelligence, Piggy has his short comings; he has asthma and is a social outcast due to his superior intellect. He is fear full of Jack and even says, â€Å"We should fear each other†.His character gives the reader yet another example of a different type of human being, one who is above the rest intellectually but suffers from isolation and anxiety. Through him, Gilding dives deeper into the psyche of a visionary. While Piggy, as a character does lend himself to the examination of human nature, his death too is a fine example of Gildings thesis. When Piggy is killed by the tone which is rolled down we see no humanity left within these boys. We see only Ralph grieving the loss of a great friend, but everybody else especially Jack is oblivious.This shows us the common feeling of new within man. All the boys were louses of Piggy, his glasses and his intelligence. The Conch too shatters with Piggy which further accentuates the dilapidation of civilization on the island, it also highlights man's complete disregard for rules and his natural instinct to rebel. If lack is part of darkest hues in the character palate, and Ralph can be painted in shades of grey, Simon resembles the purity of white. In Simon Gilding explores the spiritual and innately good part of the human heart.Simon thinks only for the good of all, he practices meditation and sacrifices himself in an endeavourer to save everybody. He is close to nature and is the only one who ha s a conversation with the sow. It is Simon, who understands the universal truth that it is not each other that we should fear nor I it some third person, but it is the evil within us that will eventually USA . It is rather entourage at t TN this extraordinary, Christ-like texture is continually marginal's and is at the end murdered unfeelingly. In him Gilding pictures the saint, the pure visionary who knows the truth.His character highlights the differently abele or the higher human nature, one which connects with God and Nature. With respect to Simon it is not only he who is a specimen to investigate human nature for Gilding, but his interactions with the sow's head and his death too focus on some other human traits. For example when he talks to the sow he displays a curtain of bravery which could be taken as the bravery of a martyr or the fade of a coward. His death however, according to me displays the most range of human motions.The act itself shows primitive violence and carnal needs at its very roots. The reaction of the boys to the death is indifferent and they go on like nothing has happened, it shows that the different and often better people are always thrown away. It also shows the human habit of denial, where all the boys including Ralph completely deny any part in the killing. In the book, Simon is shown to be a true unsung martyr. The littlest in the book resemble the common man in society and his reflex reaction to conform, whereas the other biggies resemble the followers and ails of the leaders.A bugging who distinctly stands out is Roger, he acts as second in command to Jack and it is he who is responsible for Piggy's death. All the boys fight for power, they all want to control something. The sow shows the need for security, the Conch the superficial need for rules and the glasses the human need for technology. Through the novel, ‘Lord of the Flies' Gilding not only dives into the human mind, heart and soul by meaner of implication, but provides the reader with concrete examples and instances where the various facets of human nature are displayed.It is ironic that when â€Å"the beast† is killed by Jack the fire begins to destroy, and it is the fire, not one of hope but one of destruction that leads to the rescue of the boys. Through all these examples from the text I can without a doubt say that the novel is truly a fine example of an in-depth analysis of human nature. It makes a powerful impact on the reader and gives them food for thought. It makes us think of not only the various possibilities but also the extent to which the human mind and its essential evil nature can raise a storm and leave a pile of destruction behind.

Everest Simulation Reflection Essay

The Harvard Business Everest Leadership and Team Simulation allow participants to understand and appreciate underlying management concepts which form the basis of any well functioning organisation. Specifically, the simulation required students to work in cohesive teams, display important leadership qualities and to communicate effectively in order to make successful decisions. The Everest task involves the cooperation and cohesion of random individuals through their placement in a team. These teams consisted of five members, where each individual was assigned specific role and goals. These roles included the team leader, physician, environmentalist, photographer, and marathoner. Individuals goals were often contradictory and team members received unique, however important information concerning the task. This simulation aims to discover the way in which teams react in complex and often conflicting situations. Through a series of trials and tribulations, our Everest group were able to increase our score from 22% to 85% in the second simulation. This is a result of the exploration of various behavioural leadership styles including laissez faire and democratic leadership approaches as well as the use of various mediums of communication. In addition, the results of the simulation were highly dependent on cohesive team work through the allocation of individual roles and goals, as well as the organisation of group processes including the decision making process and conflict management. Leadership The role of the leader in the Everest simulation was to motivate, instruct, resolve conflict and achieve group goals. I, as the team leader, made the point of differentiating myself from a manager, to someone who was extraverted, energetic and driven, within and outside of the simulation. This involved organising location times and communication between members, drawing up the team contract and building relationships between team members beyond the classroom. During the simulation however I chose to adopt a less prominent role to minimise conflict and maximise satisfaction. During the initial simulation I implemented a laissez- faire approach to leadership. I adopted this form of behaviour as I was no more skilled or experienced in the Everest simulation than any other team member. Logically, I believed that as all team members had equal ability, all team members should therefore have equal input. Unfortunately, due to the overwhelming presence of freedom, conflict of interests and an abundance of communication barriers due to the poor choice in leadership styles, an environment of chaos and anarchy was created. In effect, the group failed the task. On a positive note, this form of leadership saw the group bond together and the level of satisfaction was high. Furthermore, the level of pressure for team members to perform under this form of management was minimal; hence the lack of success achieved was minute. During the second attempt, I chose to adopt a democratic style of leadership. Once again, I was no more informed than any other member of the group concerning the correct performance of the task; hence I chose not to make autocratic decisions. I did however note the need for structure in any given task. Therefore, the decision making process was composed of a long winded discussion between group members, followed by a vote through a raise of hands. If a consensus was not reached between group members, I would then speak personally to the group member who was in disagreement and explain the decision. This sort of conflict often arose when individual goals, set by the Everest task, conflicted with each other. For example, the photographer’s goal was to rest at Base 1 and 2; however my goal was for the team to rest together at camp 4. Often I voted for other members individual goals to be met rather than my own, when they were of equal worth, in order to avoid conflict. As a result, my individual success was 75%, lower than the team’s success average of 85%. Furthermore, research suggests that conflict in the decision making process promotes creativity amongst group members (Nemeth 1986), higher levels of commitment and satisfaction from group members (Peterson 1999), and group members become more knowledgeable about the interests of their co workers (Peterson 2007). In comparison to the first simulation, this result was evident in the second attempt. On the other hand, the decision making process was time consuming. Luckily, there were no time constraints, however, towards the end of the task, group members including myself, became tiresome and overworked. Eventually, I began to lose control of my group and those with the most useful information provided to them during the simulation began to consult with each other. At this stage, there was no structure in group discussions and people spoke over each other, similar to the first simulation. Naturally, the majority of the group became disinterested until two group members worked together to determine a successful outcome. Hence, a laissez- faire approach to leadership was successful in small groups. Overall, the democratic approach, like the laissez- faire approach, was enjoyable and good for conflict resolution, however using this approach we also achieved a solid team score. In hindsight, I believe a more autocratic approach to leadership should have been employed in order to improve the team score and to minimise time wastage. An article by Judge, Piccolo and Ilies (2004) suggested an initiating structure of leadership is highly correlated to objective outcomes including â€Å"leader job performance and group – organisation performance† (Judge, Piccolo and Ilies 2004 pp36). If I, as leader, were more informed concerning the task at hand, this form of leadership would have been more efficient, in order to avoid the interminable decision making process. Groups and Teams In order to successfully complete the simulation, it was imperative that the group functioned as a coherent and cohesive team. This involved the fusion of task work and team work to create team effectiveness, as â€Å"task work represents what it is that teams are doing, whereas teamwork describes how they are doing it with each other† (Marks, Mathieu, & Zaccaro, 2001, p. 357). As team leader I aimed to create a balance between task work and team work in order to successfully complete the Everest simulation. The Everest task provided the group with specific formal member roles and goals, which were designed to create a cross functional team. However, as no member was particularly skilled or specialised in the literal sense concerning the Everest simulation, the team was slightly dysfunctional. For example, in the first simulation, the physician was unaware of which medicine cures which disease, and when to administer the medicine, and the environmentalist was unable to read a wind chart. Due to the lack of knowledge evident, the task was time consuming, chaotic and unsuccessful. In terms of informal roles, our team actively made the decision to allocate task accomplishment as our main goal, as mentioned in the team contract. This involved clarifying, diagnosing, initiating, evaluating, opinion seeking, gathering information and summarising the task at hand. I however, as the team leader, focused on ensuring that the group interacted in a friendly and cooperative manner in order to guarantee high levels of satisfaction amongst members through handling disputes, and by limiting the presence of self oriented goals which hindered the overall task performance. This was achieved through my encouragement, gate keeping, following and compromising as team leader. Furthermore, the team dealt with issues concerning conformity and groupthink. This occurred on a number of occasions as individuals were often confused and uninformed concerning particular decisions, and wanted to avoid conflict when co members became passionate. This often occurred when the decision came to allow sick individuals to rest or be administered medicine. I, as team leader, aimed to prevent groupthink by encouraging discussion and critical thinking and through asking questions. I also located an individual from outside of the group who had previously attempted Everest to evaluate the situation and to provide a reasoned opinion during our decision making process. This was highly successful as team members, including myself, changed their decision based on an outside opinion. Whilst the team was fairly small, the group processes were complex. The decision making process was led by, for the most part, a democratic leader. As stated previously, a decision was made after a detailed discussion between members, followed by a group vote. If a consensus was not apparent, I, as team leader, would speak to the individual concerning the issue. This process was very effective. The discussion provided more complete information and knowledge, through the diversity of the perspectives of group members. In turn, the group generated more diverse alternatives concerning issues including choosing to rest at different levels, or to administer medicine at different times. Furthermore, a group decision increased the legitimacy of that decision through the democratic process. On the other hand, this process was time- consuming and promoted minority domination and conformity. This may have harmed the quality of the final decision. Fortunately, this decision making process limited conflict. However, as the human relations view of conflict states, conflict is â€Å"a natural and inevitable outcome in any group†. Our Everest team predominately faced task- based conflict, or â€Å"a disagreement over ideas or opinions that are related directly to the content of the task or decision at hand† (Jehn, 1995). For example, the individual goals of certain team members clashed. This meant that if one goal was to be satisfied, the other would be sacrificed. This particular issue was handled through leadership strategies, similar to those proposed by Peterson and Harvey. I, as leader, chose to structure the group in a position whereby I exerted a subtle authority through controlling group discussions in order to â€Å"maximise the useful aspects of task-related conflict† (Peterson and Harvey 2009 pp 286). Additionally, through the democratic leadership style employed, I directed an inclusive group process through a group voting system via a raise of hands and an in depth group discussion whereby every member was asked to participate. Communication Communication refers to the transfer and understanding of meaning. Our Everest group explored this concept informally, through a variety of different mediums, mostly on a trial and error basis. During the organisational stages of the task, our group communicated through various modern technological mediums including a common thread via the social networking site Facebook, group emails, and a forwarded text message informing fellow group members of the final time, location and date. This proved to be a fast and time effective form of communication which increased organisational efficiency and effectiveness. Furthermore, no team member was constrained by time or geography. As stated in an article by the New York Times â€Å"wireless devices are instruments of liberation. They lend an unprecedented degree of flexibility to the workday† (Hafner 2000 pp D1+). There was however no transfer of body language and non verbal communication between group members, which may have contributed to the lack of social interaction and friendship formed during and outside of the task. Due to the success of the organisational efforts via to the use of technology, I as team leader made the decision to conduct the first Everest simulation with team members at separate locations. Therefore, all communication was processed via the instant messaging service provided by the simulation. Unfortunately it was extremely difficult to process information via the instant messaging service alone as each group member was provided with differing, useful and sometimes visual information. Furthermore the instant messaging service provided by the Everest simulation included approximately three seconds of dialogue at any one time. This made it very difficult for me as team leader to instruct an organised group discussion whilst people were ‘typing’ over each other. The presence of noise also made it difficult to focus. The internet is an endless avenue of entertainment, social networking and gaming. Unknowingly, however predictably, team members were not focused on the task due to the lack of self control and discipline evident whilst being on the internet. As a result of the abundance of communication barriers, the team failed the Everest simulation. Due to the failure of the first Everest attempt, our group made the active decision to conduct the second simulation in the same room. This forged the ability for the team to communicate non verbally, through body language and verbal intonation. This was particularly effective during the decision making process where I as the leader could gage the reactions and beliefs of fellow team members concerning particular issues. Research by Alge, Wiethoff and Klein came to the conclusion that ‘face to face teams exhibit higher levels of openness/trust and information sharing than computer mediated teams’ (Alge, Wiethoff and Klein, 2003 pp 26). In comparison, our results in the Everest simulation whilst employing various mediums of communication prove this conclusion. However, whilst the level of noise in comparison to the first simulation decreased, it was still apparent. The second simulation was undertaken in a large public room, and as a result our computers were not side by side. We were disrupted by outside noise and were unable to discuss openly and loudly. This made it difficult to communicate and as a result, group members became disinterested in the task. In both simulations, effective interpersonal communication was interrupted by an information overload. As key information was being delivered by each group member, each member’s informational capacity was becoming strained. As a result, people including myself became disinterested in the task and chose to not participate as coherently as before. In order to overcome such barriers, it was imperative that each member constrained their emotions, watched non verbal cues and listened actively. This involved not over talking, avoiding interrupting the speaker, making eye contact and asking questions, particularly during the decision making process. Conclusion Ultimately, the success of the Everest simulation was highly dependent on efficient communication mediums, effective leadership approaches and cohesive team work. As a team leader, I determined success to be task accomplishment, team member satisfaction, superior conflict resolution and legitimate decision making. Through the democratic approach employed, I deem myself successful as I was able to incorporate individual team members opinions into an effective decision making process whilst dealing with conflict. In summary, the Everest task highlighted the importance of teamwork and the significance of the individual role in any given task.

Companies in south africa that produce fertilizers Essay Example

Companies in south africa that produce fertilizers Essay Example Companies in south africa that produce fertilizers Essay Companies in south africa that produce fertilizers Essay FOSKOR Foskor Richards Bay is one of the biggest manufacturers of fertilisers in South Africa. It was founded in 1951 as a individual phosphate excavation operation in order to forestall us organize depending on imports of phosphate stones, which are one of the most indispensable natural stuffs needed in the production of fertilizers. It has now expanded to holding three chief excavation and production sites in Richards Bay and Phalaborwa. The installations in Richards Bay are more focussed on bring forthing phosphorous acid and phosphate-based fertilizers and besides locally administer some sulfuric acid. Foskor Phalaborwa is a part celebrated for the sum of Cu and phosphates available at that place and hence concentrate more on the excavation and mineral extraction of these substances. Foskor is nowadays one of the premier international bargainers of phosphorous acid with a 12 % portion in the market, importing to states such as India, Japan and Brazil. It does non merely bring forth phosphorous acid, but besides magnetite, fused zirconium oxide, sulfuric acid and fertilizer granules. YARA/KYNOCH Fertilizers Kynoch fertilizer was founded in 1919 at Umbogintwini. It started out an explosives manufacturer but shortly began bring forthing chemical fertilizers as a consequence of the byproduct of explosives, sulfuric acid. In 1924 it combined with Capex to organize AE A ; CI ( African Explosives and Chemical Industries ) , and was more late taken over by Yara Norsk Hydro. The purpose of Yara is to turn and prolong the fertilizer industry by working their prima place in the markets of ammonium hydroxide, nitrates fertilizers. Yara purposes to germinate from being a taking participant into the maker of the nitrogen-based chemical industry , quoted from the Yara web site ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.yara.com/about/vision/index.aspx ) OMNIA FERTILISERS Omnia is considered one of the most environmentally witting fertilizer bring forthing companies in South Africa ; it has won the 2008 Mail A ; Guardian/Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Greening the hereafter award for Envinox works. Its slogan Turning nutrient security, Turning profitableness clearly illustrates the company s purpose, which is to promote husbandmans to utilize fertilizers as to give more harvests while continuing the Earth s natural or enriched province as non to harm it. Omnia produces farinaceous, liquid and forte fertilizers which are manufactured at different workss throughout the state. Its biggest research lab, Chemtech Agri, is situated at Sasolburg, which supplies the merchandise straight to husbandmans and jobbers. Other than providing locally, it besides exports from its Johannesburg division to Omnia concern in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Angola, and to jobbers in east and southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand. They are besides exporting more and more forte merchandises to Europe, South America and Asia. SASOL NITRO Sasol started fabricating fertilizers and providing to other companies in the early 1950 s. They finally decided to supply straight to husbandmans in 1984 by making Sasol Fertilisers, now known as Sasol Nitro, which is one of the leaders in the South African fertilizer industry. It chiefly manufactures LAN ( Limestone Ammonium Sulphate ) and ammonium sulfate, and azotic in Secunda where some of its installations are located. It besides produces farinaceous fertilizer blends in Durbanville and Bellville, and liquid fertilizers in Potchefstroom, Kimberley and Endicott. These fertilizers are either sold for retail and on a sweeping footing, and are besides exported to a few selected parts. Sasol besides offers a particular agronomical back-up system through its agronomists and agents throughout the state, with the purpose to assist and fulfill its clients. THE FERTILISER INDUSTRY IN SOUTH AFRICA AND ITS IMPACT ON THE ECONOMY Africa is utilizing the least sum of fertilizer in the universe harmonizing to John Pender, a senior research worker at the International Food Policy Research Institute In South Africa the fertilizer industry is indispensable as much of population relies on farming in order to prolong themselves. If the harvests have small output, the husbandmans will non be able to bring forth much nutrient to eat and sell, which will in bend average small income and finally less money to pass on seeds and fertilizer which would heighten the growing of their harvests. Therefore, conveying down the cost of fertilizers is the key to increasing its entree to rural communities ; and with South Africa being conspicuously hapless, approximately 40 % of the population, this cost decrease is indispensable, whether it is the monetary value of the merchandises used to fabricate the fertilizer or the existent retail monetary value. Africa s rich dirt has been one of its biggest beginnings of wealth throughout the old ages as it contains diamonds, U and crude oil every bit good as coal sedimentations, oil and natural gas which are all beginnings of energy used to bring forth Ns based fertilizers. Therefore, there is ample chance for international investings to be made to the South African fertilizer industry which would finally heighten our economic system. However, it is of import to hold a balance between the private and public investings to guarantee that the chase of net income does non overshadow the continent s demand to feed itself as said by Jomo Kwame Sundaram, the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development. The estimated gross value of South Africa s agricultural end product in 2003/04 is of R72 000 million. The demand of fertilizers comes from the demand for nutrient, which is rather important in South Africa. This demand is expected to lift in the foreseeable hereafter, which implies that there will be a more intensive nutrient production which will increase the demand for fertilizers. The monetary value of fertilizers is largely affected by the international monetary values, the currency exchange rate and cargo costs. In 2004 the monetary values were as follow: Urea R2 464/tonne MAP R2 075/tonne MOP R2 110/tonne CAN R1 691/tonne The fertiliser industry of today is to the full exposed to the universe market forces and operates in a wholly deregulated environment with no import duties or authorities sponsored support steps harmonizing to fertusouthafrica.pdf ( see mention page ) . South Africa, holding no local K salt sedimentations has to trust on imports. This affects the remainder of the fertiliser industry as K is an indispensable component in the fabrication of chemical fertilisers, and the cost of imports are higher than if it had been found locally. We do import quite a batch of phosphorous acid from Foskor ( about 725 000 metric tons every twelvemonth ) every bit good as approximately 400 000 metric tons of farinaceous NPK to the Sub-Saharan Africa.

Brady Bill And Its Passage Essay Research

Brady Bill And Its Passage Essay, Research Paper Brady measure and its passageIntroductionThe legislative procedure in the United States Congress shows us an interesting play inwhich a measure becomes a jurisprudence through via medias made by diverse and sometimes conflictinginterests in this state. There have been many controversial measures passed by Congress, butamong all, I have taken a peculiar involvement in the transition of the Brady measure. When the Bradydebate was in full swing in Congress about three old ages ago, I was still back in my state, Japan, where the ownership of guns is purely restricted by Torahs. While watching televisionnews studies on the Brady argument, I wondered what was doing it so hard for this gun controlbill to go through in this gun force ridden state. In this paper, I will follow the measure # 8217 ; s seven yearhistory in Congress, which I hope will uncover how partizan political relations played a important function in theBrady measure # 8217 ; s transition in this policy doing subdivision. The Brady measure took its name from Jim Brady, the former imperativeness secretary of PresidentReagan, who was shot in the caput and partly paralyzed in the blackwash effort on thepresident in 1981. This measure was about a waiting period on pistol purchases leting constabulary tocheck the backgrounds of the prospective purchasers to do certain that guns are non sold toconvicted criminals or to those who are mentally unstable. Even the advocates of the measure agreedthat the consequence of the measure on controling the gun force might be minimum sing the fact that themajority of guns used for condemnable intents were purchased through illegal traders. However, the Brady Bill represented the first major gun control statute law passed by Congress for morethan 20 old ages, and it meant a important triumph for gun control advocates in their manner towardeven stricter gun control statute law in the hereafter. Gun Rights V. Gun ControlThe Brady measure, the Brady Handgun Violence Preventi on Act, was foremost introduced byEdward F. Feighan ( D-OH ) in the House of the100th Congress as HR975 on February 4,1987. The measure was referred to the Judiciary Committee, and the argument began. Throughout thedebate on the Brady measure, there was ever a clear partizan split ; most of the Democrats, exceptfor those from the Southern provinces, supported the measure while most of the Republicans were in theopposition. For illustration, when the foremost introduced Brady measure lost to an amendment by BillMcCollum ( R-FL ) for a survey of an instant cheque system ( 228-182 ) , most Republicans votedfor the McCollum amendment ( 127 for and 45 against ) while the bulk of the Democratsvoted against it ( 127 for and 137 against ) . The exclusion was the Southern Democrats most ofwhom joined the Republicans to vote for the amendment. This party division was non sosurprising, nevertheless, sing the immense run parts made by the main gun anteroom, the National Rifle Association ( NRA ) , directed largely to the Republicans, and the exclusion ofthe Southern Democrats could be explained by the gun right supportive nature of theirconstituents. In the 1992 election for illustration, this organisation made $ 1.7 million contributionto its sympathetic congressional campaigners and spent another $ 870,000 in independentexpenditures for congressional races.1 The influence the NRA exercised on the statute law wasenormous since the concluding measure passed in 1993 was a via media version reflecting some of theNRA-sought commissariats. I could state that it was because of this relentless anteroom that the Bradybill took every bit long as 7 old ages to go a law.On the other side, the advocators of the measure enjoyed a broad support from the populace aswell as from the Handgun Control Inc. , the main gun control anteroom led by Sarah Brady, the wifeof James Brady. The consistent public support for the measure from the debut through thepassage of the measure was manifested by many polls. One of the polls conducted by NBC Newsand Wall Street Journal on the passage of the measure said that 74 per centum of the 1,002respondents agreed that # 8220 ; the jurisprudence is good but more is needed. # 8221 ; 2 It is without inquiry that thispublic support played a important function in the eventual transition of the bill.The Brady measure passed the House in the 102nd CongressAfter about four old ages from its first debut to the Congress, the Brady measure wasreintroduced to the House in the 102nd Congress as HR 7 on January 3, 1991, sponsored by76 representatives including Feighan, William J Hughes ( D-NJ ) , and Charles Schumer ( D-NY ) .The measure was referred to the Judiciary Committee, and the hearings began in the JudiciarySubcommittee on Crime on March 21, 1991. As written, this measure required a weeklong waitingperiod on the pistol purchases. Schumer, the president every bit good as the head patron of the measure, explained before the Subcommittee that the Brady measure # 8220 ; has a really simple intent: to maintain lethalhandguns out of the custodies of people who shouldn # 8217 ; Ts have them.3 # 8243 ; Aside from the house supportfrom the populace, the measure besides gained the backup from the former president Reagan who, in atribute to James Brady, said that it is # 8220 ; merely kick common sense that there be a waiting period toallow local jurisprudence enforcement functionaries to carry on background cheques on those who wish to purchase ahandgun. # 8221 ; 4 This Reagan # 8217 ; s comment was important since he had long been a member of theNRA. On April 10, the Subcommittee approved to direct the measure to the Judiciary Committee bythe ballot of 9-4. The ballots were clearly divided along the party line with the exclusive exclusion ofF. James Sensenbrenner Jr. ( R-WI ) , one of the few GOP protagonists of the measure, who joined theDemocrats to vote for it. In the interim, the lobbying by both sides had inten sified. The NRAclaimed that the measure went against the rule of the Constitution, indicating out the SecondAmendment which says: # 8220 ; A good regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to maintain and bear Weaponries, shall non be infringed. # 8221 ; They argued that it wasnot the guns but the people who committed offenses, stating that tougher sentences for thecriminals would work better than the waiting period in cut downing offenses. On the other manus, James Brady was buttonholing intensely in his wheelchair supported by his-wife-led HandgunControl Inc. , which had an emotional entreaty to other members of Congress.In the Judiciary Committee, Harley O. Staggers Jr. ( D-WV ) , pushed by the NRA, proposed a replacement measure ( HR 1412 ) which would necessitate provinces to put up an instant checksystem so that gun traders could happen out instantly on a telephone call whether the purchaserhad a condemnable record without any delay. The Staggers # 8217 ; alternate, nevertheless, reminded many ofthe McCollum amendment that wrecked the Brady measure in 1988. With the recognition ofthe Attorney General, Dick Thornburgh, that the practical usage of such instant cheque systemwould be old ages away,5 the Staggers # 8217 ; replacement was rejected by the Committee by the ballot of11-23. The commission so proceeded to vote on the Brady measure ( HR 7 ) , O.K.ing it by the 23-11 ballot. On May 8, the Staggers # 8217 ; amendment was rejected once more ( 193-234 ) on the floor. TheHouse went on to O.K. the weeklong waiting period Brady measure by the ballot of 239-186, puting it on the Senate calendar on June 3. Argument in the SenateIn the Senate, the advocates of the Brady measure, including the Majority Leader George J. Mitchell ( D-ME ) , were working hard to maintain the Brady linguistic communication portion of the omnibus crimelegislation ( S-1241 ) which had already been passed by the House-Senate confe rencecommittee. Ted Stevens ( R-AK ) proposed an amendment to replace the waiting period with aninstant-check system. This amendment was really much similar to the Staggers # 8217 ; proposal made inthe House, guaranting that the possible purchasers who were eligible for the purchase would non haveto delay to purchase a gun. Stevens and other GOP oppositions argued that the waiting period wouldnot cut down the offense rate since it would non impact the bulk of felons who could purchaseguns illicitly while impacting the observant citizens # 8217 ; Second Amendment right to buy a gunfor athleticss and runing intents. In response to this statement, Mitchell and his other pro-BradyDemocrats maintained that developing a package for a national blink of an eye background checksystem would take old ages, and even if it was available, instant cheques would non work every bit adeterrent to hot-blooded offenses by those without condemnable records. Mitchell called the Stevens # 8217 ; progra m # 8220 ; a transparent attempt to extinguish the waiting period, # 8221 ; 6 stating that it was merely a pretense tothe populace to back gun command while really barricading it. On June 28, the Senate rejected the Stevens # 8217 ; amendment by the ballot of 44-54 with allbut nine Democrats, all from Southern or rural provinces, voting against it. The 54 ballots, nevertheless, were non plenty for the Brady advocators since they would necessitate 6 more ballots to halt a possibleGOP filibuster. On the other manus, filibustering was non the best solution for the GOPopponents neither, since in making so, they would hold to give the offense measure they wanted. Resulting from this state of affairs was a via media by Mitchell, Metzenbaum, and the GOPleader Bob Dole ( R-KS ) . In this via media, the length of the waiting period was changedfrom seven yearss to five concern yearss, and a new proviso was added which would stop thewaiting period in two and a half old ages upon the Attorne y General # 8217 ; s verification that the instantcheck system met certain criterions. However, it was the six ballots that determined the fateof the Brady measure in the 102nd Congress. The Senate failed to take concluding action before the terminal ofthe 1991 congressional session, and even with the transition in the House, the Brady measure still hadto wait two more old ages for its concluding transition. In the 103rd Congress ( House ) In 1993, the twelvemonth in which the Brady measure got enacted, there was a turning national tidefavoring stricter gun control. The Brady advocates were cheerful with an outlook that thelong-debated measure would eventually go through that twelvemonth. The rush in the public support was assuring ; aCNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll conducted during March 12 through 14 showed that 88 percentof their 1,007 respondents favored the bill.7 The gun control advocates besides had two significantvictories in two States ; in Virginia, a statute law was passed cur tailing pistol purchases to onegun purchase per month, and in New Jersey, the NRA and other gun rights advocates lost intheir attempt to revoke the province # 8217 ; s prohibition on selling assault rifles. Furthermore, the 103rd Congresshad a pro-Brady president. In contrast to Bush, a longtime NRA member, President Clintonopenly expressed his support for the measure ; in his address to Congress on February 17, he said: # 8220 ; Ifyou pass the Brady measure, I # 8217 ; ll certain mark it. # 8221 ; Confronting this countrywide pro-Brady tide, Even the NRAshowed a little alteration in its linguistic communication ; James Jay Baker, the top NRA lobbyist, said that hisorganization might be able to O.K. certain version of the bill.8 In this favourable ambiance, the Brady measure was introduced in the103rd Congress in theHouse as HR 1025 on February 22, 1993 by Schumer and 98 other cosponsors, referred to theJudiciary Committee. The president of the Committee, Jack Brooks ( D-TX ) ag reed to maintain thebill separate from his other overall offense statute law ( HR 3131 ) , promoting the Bradysupporters with a hope to go through the measure before the scheduled Thanksgiving dissolution. By thedirection of the Rules Committee, the House voted on the House Resolution 302, a ruleproviding for the floor consideration of the Brady measure, O.K.ing it by the ballot of 238-182. Aswritten, the measure provided for a five-day waiting period upon pistol purchases every bit good as theestablishment of a national instant felon background cheque system. The measure besides had aprovision necessitating that the waiting period stage out upon the Attorney General # 8217 ; s blessing of theviability of the countrywide instant cheque. The measure by so already represented a compromisebetween the Brady waiting period and the NRA blink of an eye check.On the floor, the GOP oppositions proposed a series of amendments. George W. Gekas ( R-PA ) offered an amendment stoping the waiting period after five old ages from its enforcementregardless of the viability of the replacement instant cheque system. Schumer argued that the Gekas # 8217 ; alleged sundown proviso was an unrealistic deadline, indicating out the changing condemnable recordkeeping of each States. However, Gekas and other advocates of the amendment insisted thatthe sundown proviso was necessary in order to coerce the Justice Department to set up the computing machine cheque system quickly. The Gekas # 8217 ; amendment prevailed on a 236-98 ballot. McCollum proposed an amendment which would revoke the bing State waitingperiods on the installment of the national blink of an eye cheque system. Some States had alreadyadopted waiting periods, and the Brady bill would not affect those states having a waiting periodof more than five days. McCollum claimed that his proposal would make the bill much fairerand more balanced, and assured that it would not affect other State gun laws such as Virginia’sone gun purchase per month legislation. However, meeting with strong opposition fromSchumer and others, this amendment preempting State laws was rejected 175-257. There wasanother amendment proposed by Jim Ramstad (R-MN) requiring the police to provide within 20days a reason for any denial of a handgun purchase. This amendment was accepted bySchumer, and was adopted easily by the vote of 431-2. The House proceeded to voted on the Brady bill on Nov. 10. Just before the vote, thechief sponsor Schumer encouraged other Representatives on the floor to vote for the bill, saying:†today’s votes gives the House of Representatives a real chance to stem the violence on our streets and calm the fear of our citizens.† The bill was passed by the House. It was the secondtime for the House to pass the Brady bill, and this time, the vote was 238-189. Passage in the SenateIn the Senate, the Brady bill was introduced as S 414 by Metzenbaum on February 24,1993, referred to the Judiciary Committee and placed on the calendar on March 3. The bill wasalmost identical to the Dole-Metzenbaum-Mitchell compromise approved by the Senate in June1991, requiring a five-day waiting period on handgun purchases which was to be removed oncean instant check system became operational. After a long negotiation, the Senate agreed to takeup the bill separately from the overall crime bill,9 which paved the way for the floor considerationof the bill on November 19. However, the threat of the unsatisfied GOP opponents to block the bill led to anagreement between the Majority Leader Mitchell and the Minority Leader Dole. Under thisagreement, the two leaders was to offer a substi tute, and the Senate would then vote on theHouse-passed version of the Brady bill (HR 1025) with the text of the substitute inserted in lieuthereof. The Mitchell-Dole substitute included two new provisions: the sunset provision and thepreemption provision, both of which had been sought by the NRA. The sunset provision wasidentical to the Gekas amendment passed by the House which would end the waiting period fiveyears, and the preemption provision was the same as the McCollum amendment rejected by theHouse. At the beginning of the debate on November 19, Mitchell made it clear that he hadagreed to cosponsor this bipartisan compromise as a procedural means to move the long-debated Brady bill through the Senate. The Majority Leader then declared that he would nowmove on to eliminate those two provisions with which he totally disagreed. The Mitchell-Doleagreement provided, however, that if either or both of those provisions were to be stricken, theRepublican opponents would then block th e bill, which meant that the Brady proponents wouldneed at least 60 votes to stop the GOP filibuster to pass the bill and send it to the House.Mitchell and his other Democratic proponents succeeded to pass an amendment striking thepreemption language of the Mitchell-Dole substitute on a vote of 54-45. The other amendmentproposed by Metzenbaum to strike the sunset provision, however, was defeated 43 -56. TheSenate then moved on to the consideration of the Mitchell-Dole substitute with one provisionthus amended. Throughout the debate, the proponents spoke fervently in support of the bill. EdwardM. Kennedy (D-MA) argued that it was time to take action against the epidemic of gun violencein the country, showing shocking statistics which demonstrated the increasing number of gun-related crimes and deaths. He claimed that the waiting period would not only curb the spread ofguns by keeping the lethal weapons out of the hands of convicted felons, but it would alsoreduce the crimes committed in the heat of the moment by providing a cooling off period. Senators whose States had already adopted waiting periods demonstrated with data that thewaiting period had already been proven to work in stopping a significant number of handgunpurchases by convicted felons. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) showed that her State’s 15-daywaiting period stopped 8,060 convicted felons, 1859 drug users, 827 people with mentalillnesses as well as 720 minors from purchasing a gun during January 1991 and September1993. The freshman Senator from California maintained that even though her State’s crime ratewas â€Å"unacceptably† high, it could have been much worse without the legislation. Dole and other GOP opponents, however, insisted that they would continue their effortsto thwart the passage of the bill unless the preemption language was included. Mitchell promptlyrejected the GOP demand, criticizing the double principles of those who, having once insistedthat they could not supp ort the Brady bill because it was the Federal Government telling theStates what to do, turned around and said that they now liked the preemption. Metzenbaumjoined in the argument against the GOP opponents, saying they were blocking the bill â€Å"becausethey were scared to death of the National Rifle Association,† and calling their demand for thepreemption provision â€Å"an effort to kill the bill.† Both sides did not yield, and with two cloturemotions having failed to quash the Republican-led filibuster, one in the afternoon (57-42) and theother at 11 o’clock at night (57-41), the Brady bill was thought by many dead again in theSenate. It was the dissatisfaction of a handful of Republicans with the outcome and their dread ofbeing blamed for killing this popular legislation that saved the life of the Brady bill. The followingday, the discontent of those Republicans who decided to cast a straight vote sent Dole to thenegotiating table again, where he was forced to settle down with a new compromise whichcarried no preemption language. It was actually identical to the one that he and other GOPopponents had filibustered the day before except for the change in the sunsetting period; thecompromise bill would end the waiting period four years after its enforcement, instead of fiveyears, with a possible extension for another year upon the Attorney General’s request. Consequently, by unanimous consent, the Senate agreed to vote on the House-passedversion of the Brady bill (HR 1025) with the text of the compromise inserted in lieu thereof, andalso to request a conference with the House to reconcile the differing versions of the Brady bill.The Brady bill (HR 1025) as amended was passed easily on a vote of 64 to 36, and sent backto the House with a request for a conference. Toward the passageOn November 22, the House agreed to the request of the Senate for a conference uponthe adoption of House Resolution 322 by the vote of 238-187. The confer ees were appointedby the Chairs of each chambers: Brooks, Hughes, Schumer, Sensenbrenner, and Gekas fromthe House and Joseph R. Biden. Jr. (D-DE), Kennedy, Metzenbaum, Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT),and Larry E. Craig (R-ID) from the Senate. Later, Senate Republicans replaced Hatch andCraig with Stevens and Dirk Kempthorne (R-ID). The outcome was a conference report whichpreserved the House 5-year sunset of the waiting period with no provisions for the AttorneyGeneral to replace it with the instant check system before then. Several Senate-passedprovisions had also been dropped: the provision expanding the definition of antique firearmsexempt from gun restrictions to include thousands of functioning World War era rifles, and theone allowing gun sales between dealers from different states. A new provision was added in thereport which would require that the police be notified of multiple purchases.Soon after the conference, the chief Senate negotiator Biden explained how they got tothe conferen ce report. According to his statement, at the beginning of the conference, Stevens,a member of the NRA board of directors, announced that the only acceptable outcome for theSenate Republican conferees, Kempthone and himself, would be the Senate-passed version ofthe Brady bill unchanged. The Senate bill had a provision ending the waiting period as early astwo years after the enforcement if the instant background check met certain standards. All ofthe House conferees including the House Republican conferees rejected that demand, which ledto the adoption of the conference report accepted by all the House conferees, Republicans andDemocrats alike, and the Senate Democratic conferees. Thus, the conference report was madewith Stevens and Kempthorne casting dissenting votes.The House approved the conference report (H. Rept. 103-412) easily on a vote of238-187. In the Senate, however, after the explanation on the conference report, Dole andother Republican opponents fired at Biden with accu sations that he and other DemocraticSenate conferees completely ignored the wishes of the Senate in the conference. Dole said, â€Å"Idon’t think that under these conditions, cloture will be invoked this year or next year.†10 Throughout the day November 23, the hostile atmosphere occupied the Senate floor asthe debate continued. Majority Leader Mitchell declared that he was determined to force theissue to another vote during the year even though it would mean the post-Thanksgiving sessionwhich nobody wanted. Later in the day, he presented two cloture motions for November 30and December 1.The breakdown of the impasse came the following day, November 24, when Doleagreed to accept the terms of the conference report under a compromise that he would submit aseparate bill with the Senate-passed provisions, which was to be considered and votedimmediately in January as soon as the Senate returned to business. Obviously, this solution wasprompted by the loathing of most senator s to come back from their respective States toWashington after Thanksgiving break as well as by the pro-Brady public pressure.Consequently, the Senate approved the conference report by unanimous consent. After seven years of debate, the Brady bill was finally passed by the 103rd Congress.President Clinton, as he had promised, signed the bill into law on November 30, and the Bradybill became Public Law 103-159. Beyond the passageThree years have passed since the passage of the Brady bill, but the fight of Jim andSarah Brady and other gun control advocates still continues for stricter gun control legislation. Inearly 1994, they succeeded in passing the assault weapons ban with the Brady momentum, butsince then the NRA has intensified its lobbying, declaring to repeal the gun control legislation. In1994 elections, for example, the NRA spent $3.2 million to get its supporters elected.11 The last1996 election was also a victory for the NRA in that many of its supporters got re-elected ev enthough their member Dole was defeated by Clinton in the Presidential race. Their most powerfulsupporter in the Congress is probably the House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA), who oncewrote in his letter to the NRA chief lobbyist Tanya Metaksa: â€Å"As long as I am Speaker of thisHouse, no gun control legislation is going to move in committee or on the floor of this House.†12Even with the GOP majority in Congress, however, it is sure that NRA supporters will face amajor obstacle in the newly-reelected President Clinton, who has declared: â€Å"For all the thingsthat will be debated, you can mark my words, the Brady law and the assault weapons bill arehere to stay. They will not be repealed.13? Currently, the Supreme Court is hearing a lawsuit filed by NRA-backed gun controlopponents. They claim that the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act violates the 10thAmendment of the Constitution which protects state and local government from certain federalinterference. The NRA says i t wants to repeal the waiting period as well as the backgroundchecks,14 which reveals the organization’s true intention when it supported the backgroundchecks in its fight against the passage of the Brady bill. The battle between the NRA and theHandgun Control Inc. will continue with the NRA supporters leading the Congress andPresident Clinton challenging them with the veto power. Nevertheless, the Brady bill, with itsunwavering public support, will be the hardest bill to repeal. The passage of the Brady bill of 1993 is one of the best case studies of the legislativeprocess in the U.S. Congress. The seven year history of the bill demonstrated how partisanpolitics played a crucial role in the outcome of the bill, and how difficult it was to make bipartisancompromises to move the bill through Congress. In concluding this research report, I would like to express my deepest respect for thosewho worked hard for the passage of the Brady bill, including Jim and Sarah Brady.