P&G Japan: The SK-II Globalization Project Essay

SK-II’s success is not only prestige skin care product or advanced technology but also its marketing approach to build the new brand. P&G succeeded to connect between the core technology or product concept and local market. Through Japanese market among the world’s toughest competitors, P&G developed potential source of innovations. In addition, SK-II’s marketing strategy built a new approach, Market research, Concept, Packaging, Positioning, Communications strategy. It was a big challenge that P&G shifted from Mass marketing, such as Olay brand, to Class marketing. SK-II’s marketing strategy. The primary issue concerning the case is the transformation of â€Å"SK-II† from a local brand to a global brand. This case allows us to evaluate how companies can â€Å"internationalize† their brands, and the obstacles and issues that they face while addressing this issue. Until now, SK-II can be characterized as local product in Japan with a sizable r egional customer base in Taiwan and Hong Kong. SK-II brand is positioned at the high- end of skin care and provides high margins for the P&G. To adopt Japanese independent sales style for skin-care, they were sold through special stores by well- trained beauty counselors. At first, to examine the underlying reasons behind the difference between Japanese and other corporate management, I sum up the significant reasons why P&G’s Japanese operation was a failure until 1984 as follows: 1. P&G did not take the time to determine the local needs based on the culture and common practices among Japanese customer. The product development was based on Western markets and it was assumed that it would streamline itself to other areas of the world. 2. Stagnation in innovation is a failure for almost any business. With technology always moving forward at a fast rate, it is imperative for all retail products to constantly put forth effort in  research and development. R&D is one of P&G’s strong points, yet the mismanagement of the division led to complacency in the development work. Due to the lack of improvements and the time lost, it allowed other competitors to release superior products quickly and efficiently. This ultimately led to a significant decrease in market share for P&G. 3. The Japanese distribution system is complex and difficult to assimilate to. P&G did not research and strategize to form new efforts in distributing the products efficiently and take advantage of the benefits of the distribution system commonly used. Instead of fixing the problem, P&G turned towards reduced pricing which drove the distributors away and caused sales to drop. Corporate management methods and the actual managers at headquarters in US and EU have certainly won many achievements in the US and Europe and elsewhere. In many cases, however, Western managers and Western management teams are ill prepared to succeed in Japan. In many cases, like P&G, drastic changes in thinking and management methods and personal changes at headquarters would be necessary to succeed in Japan. However, there are not many Western companies, which act on this knowledge. In this case, there were two major changes that P&G implemented to improve its operations to increase its profitability. Firstly, P&G increased R&D budget and secondly, they restructured with a plan called Organization 2005. Organization 2005 dealt with corporate cultural changes in becoming less risk averse and more productive with use of time. They encouraged innovation and creative high risk decisions with new products at a rate of more than once a month. Process changes included compensation reform with greater incentives based on performance, stock options to all employees, streamlined administrative aspects of marketing, payroll, and budgets on a more global/regional level. Structural changes included changing from 4 regional units to 7 global business units (GBUs) that were responsible for executing the global strategies of the company. Each GBU were tasked with creating a uniform production process for all their regional products so that they can be more cost effective and more open in new product rollouts. They also reduced the number of brands and only kept the ones with high sales and global potential. More power was given to lower level managers and the levels of bureaucracy were reduced by eliminating the amount of steps to the top. Among the human resources organization corporate cultures that have  changed Japan, foreign companies such as P&G has been the most influential. In fact, deregulation of labor aimed at strengthening international competitiveness and increasing the fluidity of employment has steadily eroded the traditional system of lifetime employment, seniority-based wages, and enterprise welfare at Japanese businesses. Many Japanese companies are now moving more toward a performance- based system when it comes to rewarding and promoting employee to be global company. In order to figure out whether SK-II is a product that can be global brand, we need to identify reasons for SK-II’s success in the Japanese market. First, by based on research of Japanese market, P&G made clear targeting and positioning, and developed new products which fulfilled customers’ needs, built the effective distribution. As a result, P&G could establish differentiation advantages for the following. †¢ Product: â€Å"Foaming massage cloth†, Elegant dispensing box â€Å"Foaming massage cloth† increase skin circulation through a massage while boosting skin clarity due to the microfibers’ ability to clean pores and trap dirt. †¢ Price: Premium price †¢ Place: Luxury and counter at department store †¢ Promotion: Counseling by beauty counselor, TV advertising, Beauty magazines P&G utilized and rebuilt its distribution channels of using trained personnel at beauty counters throughout Japan. SK-II’s success had been achieved in a culture where the customers, distribution channels, and competitors were different from in other countries. For example, Japanese customers more educated, average Japanese women spent 4.5 minutes on her face cleansing, and most sophisticated users of beauty products in the world. On the other hand, in China customers due to Olay’s education recently moved from a one-step skin care process to a three-step cleansing and moisturizing process. However, unlike China, Europe had a large and sophisticated group of beauty-conscious customers who is already practiced a multistep regimen. As we see it is model is transferable but they have to modify some of models characteristic depending on customers behavior, competitors and market factor. P&G Japan’s competitive advantage is firm-specific but SK-II’s advantage is country-specific. I would suggest that de Cesare would be to expand SK-II brand within Japan. The company should continue to build on SK-II’s success in Japan. By building on brand’s  success in the proven domestic market, Procter & Gamble would be able to fully utilize the company’s competitive advantages. In this case, the company has achieved only 3% of the market share of the $10 billion beauty product market, and in addition the Japanese skin care market is forecasted to grow at 28% two-year growth rate. Given these opportunities, de Cesare is well advised to strongly expand SK-II brand within Japan. There are other attributes that make Japanese market attractive; these include brand name recognition and development of new products such as anti-aging and skin whitening that could expand the SK-II product line. Since the Japanese market is highly competitive and requires constant innovation, the Japanese division need to constantly introducing new products that could possibly be introduced to other markets as well. Increased market share and profitability of SK-II brand would also increase the brand’s standing among various Procter & Gamble brands; this increased awareness of SK-II brand could potentially pave the way for brand’s internationalization later on. The Japanese market is also one of the biggest markets for prestige skin care products, not only that, the country is also expected to see the skin care market (both main and prestige) grow by 28% over the next 2 years. However, there are some risks if the de Cesare chooses to only expand into the Japanese mark et. This could potentially make P&G Japan isolated from the rest of the world markets. P&G Japan could be oblivious to changes in the world market, and miss opportunities that could have allowed collaboration in R&D with other divisions that could have led to introduction of new and innovative products. To remain a major market player, P&G needs to keep expanding its products at a global level. I do not believe that the choices between expansion into China or Europe or increasing sales in Japan are all mutually exclusive with each other. All three of the markets can be critical to the successful globalization of P&G and its brands. The European market will probably prove to be the most difficult to penetrate, yet by concentrating on specific cities and markets, there is still potential for P&G’s superior product to prevail. This option would be the lowest priority of the three. P&G will need to keep up with technology and continue with new developments if they want to remain a leader in the prestige market in Japan. In terms of short term profitability, the Japanese market is unmatched. Cesare has forecasted an  earnings growth potential of 200% in 6 or 7 years based off a $150 million sales level. However, the focus should be on the Chinese market based on the long term potential for growth and profitability. All the other major market players are already present in the market so P&G don’t want to fall too behind with their competitors. Although China has a relatively small subset of their population that can afford the expensive SK-II product, it also has the highest growth rate of skin care use at an astounding 28%. With China’s economy and GDP growing at a fast rate, the potential for more able consumers of the 1.2 billion residents is seemingly limitless. In my conclusion, the first priority is they would be to expand SK-II brand within Japan to keep expanding its products at a global level. The next, they should be focus on the Chinese market based on the long term potential for growth. As the lowest priority, the European market will probably prove by concentrating on specific cities and markets.

Jollibee acquire mang inasal

Jollibee acquires Mang ‘nasal The countrys biggest food retailer is acquiring majority control of a fast-growing barbeque fastfood chain in a continuing bid to beef up its business portfolio. Jollibee Foods Corporation OFC) disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange that it is acquiring 70% of the shares of Mang ‘nasal for Php3 billion. This came as a surprise to many people, which stockbrokers, analysts, investors, and ordinary consumers. Mang ‘nasal found success as a fastfood chain offering barbecue chicken. Started in 2003, the company now has 303 stores in the Philippines, all but 24 of which are ranchised outlets.It has revenues of P2. 6 billion and system-wide sales of P3. 8 billion a year. Jollibee said it would pay P200 million in downpayment to the owner of Mang ‘nasal Philippines, lnJap Investments, led by Edgar Sia Ill. Around 90% of the balance will be paid upon closing of the agreement, with the remaining 10% to be paid three years onward after t he deal is reached. The parent company will continue to hold 30% of Mang ‘nasal. The news comes in the heels of a recent announcement from Jollibee that it will terminate its Delifrance franchise unitin 2011 and news that Mang ‘nasal will go ublic (Initial Public Offering) also next year.Jollibee Foods Corporation, as of July 31, 2010, has a total number of 1,582 store branches in the Philippines: Jollibee (702); Chowking (406); Greenwich (221); Red Ribbon (215); Delifrance (23); and Manong Pepe'S (15). Reasons why Jollibee acquires / Bought Manq Inasal : Jollibee considered Mang ‘nasal more of a threat than Mcdonald's. This is mainly because Mang ‘nasal was one of the few restaurant chains that would put up a branch anywhere there was a Jollibee. If you think about it there's definitely an overlap between the customers of Jollibee and Mang ‘nasal.These are the people ho want value for their money and nothing beats Mang ‘nasal's Unlimited Rice (es pecially for Filipinos). In order to strengthen their market in the fast food industry, Jollibee started to veer their focus. Instead of focusing on how to satisfy their customers more and improving their products, they increased their profits abundantly by purchasing other food companies. Merging and acquisitions seemed to have been an effective strategy for Jollibee not only because of its dominance but also because of numerous other reasons . Merging and acquisitions increases revenue through decreased manufacturing and human labor cost.

A Case Study On Devlin Philosophy Essay

A Case Study On Devlin Philosophy Essay Devlin had a very keen inquiry regarding law and morality and he was in favour of interference of law in the case of private morality, whereas Hart was in favour of individual rights. Dworkin was famous for his critique of Hart’s legal positivism. . Instead he was in favour of a middle ground between positivism and natural law. Morality differs from place to place, country to country. For example, adultery is a crime in most Asian countries but not in United Kingdom. This essay consist of Wolfenden committee’s report, the inquiry of Devlin about the report, analysis of HART’s individual rights, HART- Devlin debate and Dworkin’s full analysis of all the reports. The Wolfenden Report: In 1957 the committee on homosexual offenses and prostitution under the chairmanship of Sir John Wolfenden published its report, bringing the issue of legal regulation of morality to the forefront of public attention.   [ 1 ]    The committee gave their most significant pr oposal that homosexual conduct between consenting adults in confidential should no longer be criminal offense, which we believe to be crucial, specially the importance which society and the law must give to freedom of a person of choice and action in private morality matters.   [ 2 ]    Devlin’s Inquiry about the Wolfenden Report: Devlin took an interest about the report as he has to pass the sentence as a Judge. According to Devlin if a female is punished for abortion then there is no difference between crime and sin. So there should not be any separation between crime and moral law. After publication of Wolfenden report he argued that â€Å"The suppression of vice is as much the law’s business as the suppression of subversive activities.   [ 3 ]   Devlin pointed out three questions: Firstly, is society entitled to pass judgement on all matters or can pass on some matters or reserved it into the private sphere?   [ 4 ]    Secondly, if society is entitled to pass judgement, is it also entitled to use law as a means of enforcement?   [ 5 ]    Thirdly, if the second question receives an affirmative answer, is society entitled to use the law in all matters or only in some?   [ 6 ]    Now the question is what is meant by society? According to Devlin, society means a community of ideas, without shared ideas on politics, moral and ethics no society can exist.   [ 7 ]   Each one of us has ideas about good and evil, they cannot be kept private from the society in which we live. If man and woman try to create a society in which there is no fundamental agreement about good and evil they will fail, if having based it on common agreement, the agreement goes, the society will disintegrate.   [ 8 ]    For society is not something that is kept together physically, it is held by the invisible bonds of common thought, if the bonds are too far relaxed, the members would drift apart, a common morality is part of the bondage, the bondage is part of the price of society, mankind which needs society must pay its price.   [ 9 ]    According to Devlin the answer of his first question would depends upon the second question’s answer. If society has no right to make judgement on morals, the law must find some special justifications for entering into the field of morality, if homosexuality and prostitutions are not in themselves wrong, the onus very clearly on the law giver who wants to frame a law against certain aspects of them to justify the exceptional treatment.   [ 10 ]   But if a society has a right to make a judgement and has it on the basis that a recognised morality is as necessary to society, say a recognised government, then society may use the law to preserve morality in the same way as its uses it to safeguard anything else that is essential to its existence.   [ 11 ]

Twitter, the Micro blogging Website Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Twitter, the Micro blogging Website - Essay Example This essay provides reader detailed instruction on how to sign up and what to expect from Twitter. Many Twitter terms also mentioned and explained by author, such as account, follower, tweet, retweet and like. Social component also described very well, celebrities are likely to attract more followers than people who are less famous. It is thus, a useful tool for celebrities to connect with their fans and understand their tastes. Celebrities like Justin Bieber and Prianka Chopra are also mentioned, they constantly update their accounts and are able to stay in touch with fans by posting messages and pictures. Twitter has become so popular amongst people that it is one of the major media that is used by the high and the mighty in the world of media, news and entertainment. Even in third world countries where the density of internet users may not be as much as the ones in Europe and North America, Twitter is a very important phenomenon.This in itself points to the popularity of twitter all over the world. Twitter thus has a role to play in channelizing revolution and strikes in different parts of the world as well. Twitter and other such social networking sites have been criticized for the sense of virtual reality that they create and the inability that many people have to come out of it into what we term reality, author states. However, it can be used as a platform where diverse people can come together and share their opinions and aspects of their lives that they may not have been able to as a result of the compulsions of time and space.

Argument essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

Argument - Essay Example nting of nuclear bombs, religious discrimination, and gender discrimination is unscrupulous, its consequences and what is to be done to correct the same? The discrimination against African Americans in America is a burning issue. One cannot neglect the seriousness of discrimination based on racism against blacks in a multiracial, multilingual and multicultural society. The Civil War was an innovative movement which aimed to eradicate racism or discrimination in America. But still discrimination against blacks based on racial feeling prevails. The Colfax massacre in 1873 and Coushatta massacre in 1874, in which thousands of African Americans were brutally murdered prove that the American society still show discrimination against blacks. Assimilating a race into the society and showing discrimination is not fair for a developed society like America. When America is discriminating the blacks, their contribution/service provided at the time of World War I and World War II is ignored. The discrimination against backs is unethical and immoral. Discrimination based on caste, color or creed is a serious violation of human rights because it is against human dignity. But it can be corrected by reconsidering the age old prejudice against blacks. Besides, it will badly affect the reputation of the American society as a multiracial society which is capable to assimilate different types of races into the mainstream. The nuclear weapon policy of the United States attracts much criticism from other nations because it seems to hinder global peace and security. From one side, the United States is trying to sustain its nuclear bombs/weapons. On the other side, it is trying to blame other nations for keeping nuclear weapons. A nation, protecting a number of nuclear weapons and blaming other nations on keeping the same makes the whole world to reconsider their nuclear policies. Schwartz (1998), in the work -‘Atomic audit: the costs and consequences of U.S. nuclear weapons since

Naplion invasion of egypt and its impact on mehmed Ali Essay

Naplion invasion of egypt and its impact on mehmed Ali - Essay Example To this end, the Napoleon took control of Alexandria, massacred the Mamluk army at Imbabah and Subra Khit. They consequently captured Cairo on 25th July 1798. It is critical to note that Napoleon ordered his troops to respect the religion, women and culture of Egypt upon their invasion. Evidently, Napoleon employed this tactic so that he would appear as liberator to the general Egyptian populace. Moreover, upon conquering part of Egypt, Napoleon set out to restructure the military tactics of the Egyptian by training them in French warfare and recruiting them to his Grande Armee. Furthermore, Napoleon was accompanied by scientists and scholars who investigated all facets of life in Egyptian history and contemporary periods. However, it must be noted that the French domination of Egypt was short lived since the Ottoman and British forces joined drive them out. On 1st August 1798, French ships were destroyed at Abu Qir by Lord Nelson’s British fleet. This led to the isolation of French forces in Egypt. To this end, war was declared against France by Sultan Selim 3. Upon the expulsion of the Napoleon’s army from Egypt, a power struggle among the Mameluks saw the rise of Mehmet Ali Pasha as the ultimate governor of Egypt. Evidently, Mehment was inspired to introduce modern changes to the Ottoman army based on an European model. His aspiration was in light of the exemplary model of Napoleon’s army that had previously defeated him at Abukir in 1799. To this end, he introduced several industrial and agricultural reforms that acted as a foundation for modeling a professional military. The end result was new armed forces organization known as al-Nizam al-Jedid. Furthermore, Mohamed converted agricultural land into state land from which he derived profits. He equally improved the irrigation system of Egypt and introduced cotton as a cash

Utopianism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Utopianism - Essay Example German intellectuals living in (and hating) the loosely organized Bund provided much of the vocabulary for nationalism, stating that each nation had a particular Volksgeist, or national spirit. They strongly advocated a fierce wave of patriotism. Soon, almost every European language group wanted to have their own nation. Quickly outlawed by reactionary forces, nationalist groups formed secret societies such as the Italian Carbonari and German Buschenschaft. These societies distributed propaganda leaflets and plotted rebellions which later formed a very important part of literature. Often, nationalism combined with other ideological issues, from liberalism to socialism. A natural outcome of Nationalism was Radicalism. Radicalism appeared almost simultaneously in the 1820s in England as the "Philosophical Radicals". They were a principled and unconventional group and consisted partially of workers and partially of industrialists. Their greatest leader was Jeremy Bentham. The Radicals w ere against the church and anti-monarchy. They were generally opposed to traditional ways. They were a force by themselves until 1832, after which they merged with the British Liberals. The European counterpart to Radicalism was usually referred to as Republicanism, which grew out of the French Revolutionary tradition. Republicanism sought complete political equality in the form of universal suffrage. Republicanism also opposed monarchy and the Catholic Church.

Property law assignment about Implied trusts and family homes Essay

Property law assignment about Implied trusts and family homes - Essay Example The owner of the property  most commonly is referred to as the  settlor. Trustees are the individuals or individual with which the settlor initiates the agreement. The agreement typically stipulates that the trustees will manage the  property  in a manner that will be most beneficial to the settlor.†1 Thus the main role of trusts is to hold property in trust for somebody else and to return the properties or chattels once the settlor, or owner, demands it or the property in trust is shared in some equitable or just manner or in a manner decided by the Court or suitable land tribunal authority. The main aspect to be remembered is that the trustee is just holding the property of the settler in trust and not on ownership and thus he is accountable to the true owner of the property for all that transpires during the absence of the latter. Trusts could be both public and private. Public trusts inure for the public whereas private trusts are to control and oversee private trus ts which are owned by private agencies. â€Å"Property  trusts  can become the legal owners of property. There are many different types of  trusts  that individuals can use to protect assets after death. After forming property  trusts, individuals can transfer the ownership of their property into these  trusts for later distribution. ... By transferring the assets into an  irrevocable trust  before death, the assets are removed from an individual's estate. This lowers the value of the estate and eliminates the potential for estate taxes.2 Understanding of the trust instrument in terms of what it is and how it is a creation of equity. A trust instrument is a contract or agreement of trust, between the settler/ owner and the trustee with sets forth the terms and conditional ties of the trust transaction. Persons may monitor the appropriation of their properties during their lifetime through the medium of trusts. There are many genres of trusts and objectives for their creations. This may inure for the future benefit or financial need of the trust creator, a surviving spouse or children, or even for charitable purposes. Although the law recognizes a variety of trusts, the law comes down heavily on trusts whose primary objective are to avoid taxes, creditors or legal responsibilities and could declare such trusts voi d and unenforceable. Again, in spite of the fact that trust laws are onerous and complicated, the basic needs for trust are just in terms of whether a trust has indeed been created, its scope and depth, its legality or otherwise, public or private trusts and whether the trustee has indeed managed the trust well and in line with the objectives of trust covenant. An oral or written trust binds the contracting parties, in as much as the property matters are concerned. All of covenant signatories would have to honour their part of the commitments in as much as the trust is concerned. If one party or group of parties infringe the terms of the trust, it is well within the jurisdiction of the remaining parties to bring

Haier in the Global Business Environment Assignment

Haier in the Global Business Environment - Assignment Example This study outlines that the company i.e. Haier is one of the most renowned names in the global industry of electronics. The company has developed an appreciative image for itself within the industry owing to its innovative approach and product diversification along with the deliverance of quality products and services both in the Chinese and global market. It has been learnt that in the initial stages of its operations, the operations of the business was largely concentrated on the Chinese market due to the aspect that it has experienced immense growth in the same during its course of operations. The company started operations in the year 1984 with taking over of a defunct refrigerator factory by the CEO of the company. In the initial phase, the company was only involved in manufacturing of refrigerator and had to face stiff competition from the present players. However, somehow the company was able to sustain due to the quality and efficiency of its products, which were quite high as compared to the products and services of the competitors. The company was able to meet the demands and preferences of the customers to a considerable extent. This has consequently resulted positively for the overall business as Haier was able to reach a profit of 1 million RMB in the second year of its operations in China, which is quite commendable to say the least. This has paved the way for the company to expand the business in unexplored markets of China and in the global electronic market sector. Though the company was reluctant for business expansion in the initial phases owing to the aspect that it wanted to focus on quality of the products, but in the later stages, the company extended its operations in the global market segments. As a result of this particular approach, the company was able to reach a revenue figure of more than 400 million RMB in the next ten year of its operations in China.  

Program and Policy Analysis Essay Example for Free

Program and Policy Analysis Essay A gang is a group formed by a number of people, who share a same identity either through formation, or organization. According to Charles (2003), the word gang is often associated with a negative connotation. Gang activities are wide and vary from typical organized groups that involve themselves in crimes, to a general class of certain behavior that carry out a collective action intended to attain social solidarity or cohesion, especially in cults, gangs, political parties or unions. Studies have shown that, various approaches have been applied by the government, the society, law enforcers, and even the experts in an attempt to fight with the social problems caused by various gang groups. The effort is also intended to prevent formation of gangs, to rehabilitate the gangs and punish those who engage themselves in criminal activities within the gang groups. It has been stated that, gang groups differ due to different experiences in culture which include drugs, territory and nightlife. Various Approaches to Gangs The gang culture approach. According to Shaw, McKay (2004), this approach looks at the cultural experiences of the young people as the key factor which leads to the formation of gang groups. Young people and especially the blacks have felt discriminated by the media and other social groups; hence they have a tendency to form gangs by feeling hated and stereotyped. Other factors such as the way in which policies of the local governments are set up, deprivation and racism have contributed to the rise of gangs. The supporters of this approach try to prevent such factors that contribute to formation of gangs, so as to reduce the number of young people joining various gang groups. The aggressive approach is applied by the harsh and conservative governments, who believe that force must be used in order to deal with criminals in the society. Miller (2000) posited that, such governments believe in the application of harsh laws which include the use of guns to fight criminals in the society. These governments employ a Zero-tolerance principle on criminal actions. The main aim and objective of this group is to bring criminal acts in the society to the end by doing away with any gangs that may be causing such evil in the society. The belief of the aggressive governments is that, harsh measures will instill fear to the youth and discourage them from joining gangs. The liberal approach on the other hand opposes the application and the passing of harsh laws in dealing with gangs. The liberal approach is of the view that, softer laws should be applied with the aim of rehabilitating the gang members and making them better people to live in the society. This approach advocates for the formation of rehabilitation institutions, where various criminals are kept for purposes of rehabilitation other than just applying the punishment measures. The sociological approach of deviance starts by describing and explaining gangs. This approach believes that, it is important to first understand the causes which lead to the formation of a certain gang, before measures can be put in place either for intervention or prevention of such a group. This approach therefore involves researchers to carry out an interactive interview with various groups from different cultures to find out the factors that contribute to the rise of gangs. It is after the findings that strategies and policies are put in place to deal with the problem. Conditions Under which a specific Policy may be Effective and the Requirements The liberal approach can work effectively where the government offers good support to the policy makers and the prison departments in dealing with gang members in the society. For this approach to work, there is need to put in place policies which would allow a good interaction between various gang members and the law enforcers such that, people like the police can first understand the problems which lead to the formation of such gangs so that they can know how to handle the criminals (Shaw, McKay, 2004). A proper rehabilitation center should be established where the reformed criminals can be used to assist those who are engaging in crimes to change by advising them and acting as a symbol, showing that reformation is possible. There is need for the government intervention by provision of funds and trained personnel to handle criminals. There is also need to put in place preliminary data, program performance and developed working strategies to ensure that the policy works out effectively. Assessment of a Local Policy Program One of the best programs applied locally in the U. S is the comprehensive community-wide approach to the intervention of gangs, gang prevention as well as gang suppression. Where all the required equipments and policies are availed, the conditions are suitable to deal with the problem of gangs in the society. Cohen (2005) observed that, this program has been put in place and is designed to test and implement a comprehensive and accurate model for limiting the number of young people who involve them in violence. The U. S government has contributed funds and established institutions which are used to enable this approach work among the youths in the society. The sites set for this work include the OJJDPs which is equipped with strong prospects to ensure the approach is successful, preliminary data, program performance and developed working strategies have been put in place. Other sites include the San Antonio Site, the Tuscon, Bloomington and the Mesa. The program involves the whole community in various programs where gang assessment is done, strategies are made, and consensus building is done and is a team oriented method which is used to solve social problems. Shaw, McKay (2004) stated that, the program mobilizes the community including the community groups, individual groups, citizens and various agencies, who are provided with social opportunities, economic and academic support. The intervention approach is applied here where the institutions use social intervention street workers, to interact and engage the youth gangs who often stay on the streets in various helpful activities. Gang suppression is done where informal and formal control measures of criminal justice system and juvenile procedures are carried out appropriately. In comparing this local approach with the earlier approaches analyzed out in this study, the comprehensive community-wide program has been effective, as it captures the elements discussed by other approaches, by ensuring that gang members are first of all well understood by considering the factors that contribute to the formation of such gangs and then moving ahead to tackle the problem (Cohen, 2005). The program has been effective in involving the community in various programs where gang assessment is done, strategies are made, consensus building is done, and a team oriented method is used to solve social problems. This is a successful way of ensuring that gang members and those who may intend to join various gang groups feel as part of the society and avoid engaging in any criminal acts.

Gender Differences in Reading Ability

Gender Differences in Reading Ability Reading is one of main ways to get information. What is the relationship between gender and reading comprehension? Reading success depends on factors such as the levels of readers proficiency, types of text, text difficulty, and task demands (Brudice, 2009). One important factor that affects the process of reading and consequently the process of comprehension is the reader text variable. Considering the text variable, different studies have been conducted to investigate the way readers affect the processes of reading and comprehension. The strategies used by readers, their background knowledge, motivation, attitude, age, personality and sex all have been investigated (Keshavarz. Ashtarian, 2008). This paper aims to investigate how gender differences influence reading comprehension. Statement of Problem In this paper the presented problem was to identify whether or not gender differences had an effect on reading comprehension ability. As a question, the problem is, What is the relationship between gender and reading comprehension ability for secondary students? (Brudice, 2009) Definition of Terms Gender Differences: Gender: the state of being male or female (with reference to social or cultural differences) Reading Comprehension can be defined as techniques for improving students success in obtaining useful knowledge from text. Reading comprehension is understanding some texts that are read, or the process of constructing meaning from read texts. Comprehension is a construction process because it includes all of the elements of the reading process working together as a text is read to create a representation of the text in the readers mind (Brudice, 2009). Discussion Reading comprehension is a complex cognitive skill in which the reader should construct meaning by using all the available resources from both the text and background knowledge (Brudice, 2009). Several studies, which have investigated some independent variables that are linked to students abilities to comprehend science textbooks, have conflicting findings. While some found important differences in boys and girls verbal abilities in favor of girls, some others did not find gender differences in their subjects abilities to comprehend two biology texts (Soybio; McKenzie-Briscoe, 1998). The findings of a 2008 study indicate that there is a difference between malesà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ and femalesà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ comprehension of the reading passages. Females are better in case of comprehending passages. Females are outstandingly superior in reading skills, and the proportion of men going to reading classes as a remedy, is higher than males. Females outperformed males in their comprehension of given passages in a written recall task (Keshavarz. Ashtarian, 2008). Why do girls have a higher reading ability? Boys have more often their own room in comparison to girls. This may take time from reading and contribute to lower scores. Girls have a little bit more often their own study desk that may contribute to their higher reading test results. Although boys have a little bit more books at home, they are not so good in reading. According to the evaluation of girls, there is more classic literature and poetry in their homes. Children influence the home culture and so this literature is bought more often for girls. More girls are from homes without a computer. Working on computers may reduce the boys time for reading books and magazines. More girls are confident that they are doing well in language. The self-evaluation supports learning language and is a result of good learning. There are more boys among students who have fewer than 2 hours for self-study of language. Once more girls devote more time to language studies and boys have other interests (Lynn Mikk, 2009). And for second language in general, it seems that no gender differences existed on TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) in any of the subtests (Jie Wu, 2003). In light of new issues about second language reading perhaps more inquiries about second language reading comprehension should be concerned with the amounts and types of variables that are superior, or more influential, in producing higher levels of reading comprehension because as a whole it is very different from first language (Brantmeier, 2004). Conclusion A meta-analysis provides strong evidence that the significance of the gender difference in verbal ability is currently so small that it can effectively be considered to be zero. More detailed analysis of various types of verbal ability (e.g., vocabulary, reading comprehension, analogies) similarly provided no evidence of a substantial gender difference (Hayde Linn, 1988). But as the results of this study indicate, females are somehow superior in reading comprehension compared to male subjects (Keshavarz. Ashtarian, 2008) and females are more global and prefer to guess meaning from context while males are more analytic and attend more to words (Brudice, 2009). This suggests that teachers should take into consideration the fact that more practice needs to be done when working with male students. Another consequence of the study can be drawn from the finding that both male and female students had greater gains on essay regardless of their gender. This may imply that teachers can focus on teaching different types of texts in their classes regardless of their students gender. This may help learners to pave the way toward autonomy in that they can build on what they already know or what they have explicitly learned in their classrooms (Keshavarz. Ashtarian, 2008). So teachers should be aware of these differences; they can help learners of both genders in different ways. By concentrating on learners limitations, teachers can provide successful learning situations. Only in this way can teachers handle the class efficiently and achieve the teaching goals. Strategy training can be done through working with students in small groups or individually by using various reading texts and questions to check students processing problems through questioning and answering. Teaching learners comprehension monitoring and reading comprehension test taking strategies can help them to take a more reflective and self-directed approach to text reading. Additionally, it can help learners in reducing anxiety in reading tests (Brudice, 2009).

Romeo and Juliet: The Movie Essay examples -- Movie Film comparison co

  Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is fully summarized in Shakespeare's prologue:   "Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona where we lay our scene.   From ancient grudge break to new mutiny where civil blood make civil hands unclean.   From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, a pair of star crossed lovers who take their life" (Universal, 1996).   This movie is a masterful culmination of the director's phenomenal ability to create a powerful introduction, to select a realistic, but surreal setting, to choose realistic actors, and to enact specialized dramatic effects.   Sitting in the theater, watching this movie for the first time, I heard static break in to interrupt the beginning credits.   A newscaster, sounding serious, came on the screen in a special report.   I sat up to pay attention.   She was reporting a tragedy that had recently happened in some place called Verona.   I was pulled in thinking it to be a true special report.   Ah-hah!!   It was a trick.   A trick to get people to do just what I did.   Trained are we to listen to newscasts, our life-line in present day society, where we receive a lot of our information.   A trick, and I fell for it--so did everyone else--how clever.   Then the sound of crying, chorusing angels screaming angry chants echoed around the theater (great surround sound effect).   Images (clips from the movie) flashed sporadically on the screen.   A dark, sinister voice retold Shakespeare's prologue given in the telecast moments before.   The angels were still screaming, and then, sil ence.   A big truck flashed on the screen and gave a hearty engine growl.   The truck sped loudly down the road.   Stringy electric guitars and booming drums thump a loud vengeful beat.   The Montague bo... ...that I know would make Shakespeare himself blush to see how his story has touched so many, so positively in the near twenty-first century. Works Cited Streisand, Betsy.   "Looking for Mr. Good Bard this fall."   U.S. News and World Report.   11 Nov. 1996.   <http:Hcallisto.gsu.edu:4000/CGI:html> (5 May 1997). Lyons, Donald.   "Lights, Camera, Shakespeare."   Commentary.   Feb. 1997.   <http://callisto.gsu.edu:4000/CGI:html> (5 May 1997). Rozen, Leah.   "William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet."   People Weekly.   11 Nov. 1996.   <http://callisto.gsu.edu:4000/CGI:html> (5 May 1997). Johnson, Brian D.   "Souping up the Bard."   Maclean's.   11 Nov. 1996.   <http:Hcallisto.gsu.edu:4000/CGI:html> (5 May 1997). Luhrmann, Baz, dir.   William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.   With Leonardo DiCaprio and Clare Danes.   Universal Pictures Production, 1960.

History of Pablo Picasso and his Art Essay -- Pablo Picasso Artists Pa

History of Pablo Picasso and his Art Pablo Picasso was a Spanish painter and sculptor, generally considered the greatest artist of the 20th century. He was unique as an inventor of forms, as an innovator of styles and techniques, as a master of various media, and as one of the most prolific artists in history. He created more than 20,000 works. Picasso's genius manifested itself early: at the age of 10 he made his first paintings, and at 15 he performed brilliantly on the entrance examinations to Barcelona's School of Fine Arts. Family life. Born in Mà ¡laga on October 25, 1881, Picasso was the son of Josà © Ruiz Blasco, an art teacher, and Marà ­a Picasso y Lopez. Until 1898 he always used his father's name, Ruiz, and his mother's maiden name, Picasso, to sign his pictures. After about 1901 he dropped "Ruiz" and used his mother's maiden name to sign his pictures. His large academic canvas Science and Charity, depicting a doctor, a nun, and a child at a sick woman's bedside, won a gold medal. Blue Period Between 1900 and 1902, Picasso made three trips to Paris, finally settling there in 1904. He found the city's bohemian street life fascinating, and his pictures of people in dance halls and cafà ©s show how he assimilated the postimpressionism of Paul Gauguin and the symbolist painters called the Nabis. The themes of Edgar Degas and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, as well as the style of the latter, exerted the strongest influence. Picasso's Blue Room reflects the work of both these painters and, at the same time, shows his evolution toward the Blue Period, so called because various shades of blue dominated his work for the next few years. Expressing human misery, the paintings portray blind figures, beggars, alcoholics, and prostitutes, their somewhat elongated bodies reminiscent of works by the Spanish artist El Greco. Rose Period in Paris, Picasso met Fernande Shortly after settling Olivier, the first of many companions to influence the theme, style, and mood of his work. With this happy relationship, Picasso changed his palette to pinks and reds; the years 1904 and 1905 are thus called the Rose Period. Many of his subjects were drawn from the circus, which he visited several times a week; one such painting is Family of Saltimbanques. In the figure of the harlequin, Picasso represented his alter ego, a practice he repeated in later works as well. Dating... ...new liaison during the 1940s with the painter Franà §oise Gilot who bore him two children, Claude and Paloma; they appear in many works that recapitulate his earlier styles. The last of Picasso's companions to be portrayed was Jacqueline Roque, whom he met in 1953 and married in 1961. He then spent much of his time in southern France. Late Works: Recapitulation Many of Picasso's later pictures were based on works by great masters of the past?Diego Velazquez, Gustave Courbet, Eugene Delacroix, and Edouard Manet. In addition to painting, Picasso worked in various media, making hundreds of lithographs in the renowned Paris graphics workshop, Atelier Mourlot. Ceramics also engaged his interest, and in 1947, in Vallauris, he produced nearly 2000 pieces. summary Throughout Picasso's lifetime, his work was exhibited on countless occasions. Most unusual, however, was the 1971 exhibition at the Louvre, in Paris, honoring him on his 90th birthday; until then, living artists had not been shown there. In 1980 a major retrospective showing of his work was held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Picasso died in his villa Notre-Dame-de-Vie near Mougins on April 8, 1973.

Discuss the themes of Virtu and Fortuna in The Prince. Essay -- Englis

Discuss the themes of Virtu and Fortuna in The Prince. Niccolo Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy on the 3rd May 1469. In 1498, Florence became a republic and Machiavelli gained a position within the Florentine government. After this he was soon confirmed by the great council as the second chancellor of the republic, making him the head of internal affairs. Less than a month later he was elected as secretary to the ten of war, which focussed on foreign and defensive affairs. In November 1498 Machiavelli was sent on his first diplomatic mission and over the years he continued with many more. On his first mission to France to see King Louis XII, which lasted six months, Machiavelli was able to observe the effects of having a single prince ruling a united country. When Machiavelli returned to Florence and he found it to be slowly disintegrating because Cesare Borgia endeavoured to create a principality for himself in Italy and during this time Machiavelli made many visits to him on behalf of the Florentine government to try and negotiate. When Borgia finally retaliated by killing his captains in Sinigaglia, Machiavelli was witness to this and later wrote an account of it. Machiavelli had a lot of admiration for Borgia’s conduct and believed his qualities would be found in the perfect prince who would eventually unite all the Italian states. Over the next few years Machiavelli maintained his position within the Florentine government and was sent on various missions and given many different roles with increasing amounts of authority over Florence. In 1513 Machiavelli is accused of being involved in an anti-Medici conspiracy with the Medici family being rulers of Florence at the time. Machiavel... ...t rule a principality. And also the book has visions of wanting to unite Italy, which is an idea 350 years ahead of its time. When Machiavelli wrote this book it was write for the time as there were frequent wars and some advice on the art of war was needed. Even though, in many cases, Machiavelli’s the Prince is still relevant today particularly in government, as if you want to succeed and gain power in it, you need to be ruthless and corrupted. Bibliography Machiavelli, N. (2003) The Prince. London: Penguin Group Solomon, R, C., Higgins, K, M., (1996). A short history of Philosophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Skinner, Q. (2000) Machiavelli – A very short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. www.constitution.org/mac/prince00/html - another translation of The Prince. â€Å"Machiavelli, Niccolo†. Microsoft Encarta 99 Encyclopedia.

Portrait and Best-self Stories

We wish to acknowledge our collaborators, Brianna Barker Caza, Ph. D. , and Emily Heaphy, Ph. D. , for their contributions to our ongoing research on the Reflected Best Self Exerciseâ„ ¢ (RBSEâ„ ¢). This research served as the inspiration and conceptual anchor for this exercise. We thank Jennifer Suesse for her collaboration on the Bringing My Reflected Best Self to Life action steps, which inspired Phase 2 in this edition of the exercise. We thank the Stephen M. Ross School of Business for its continued support of the Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship.We appreciate the questions and comments we have received from those who have completed and/or facilitated the RBSEâ„ ¢. Thank you for sharing how you have brought your best self to life! COPYRIGHT INFORMATION This copy is intended for single use only. Please do not copy or distribute. The Reflected Best Self Exerciseâ„ ¢ is available for sale as a PDF download at the website of the Center for Positive Organiza tional Scholarship, www. centerforpos. org. REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGANEXECUTIVE BRIEF Born from empirical research from University of Michigan’s Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship, the Reflected Best Self Exerciseâ„ ¢ (RBSEâ„ ¢) uses stories collected from people in all contexts of your life to help you understand and articulate who you are and how you contribute when you are at your best. With this new insight, you will feel immediately strengthened and connected to others, experience clarity about who you are at your best, and refine personal development goals to be your best self more often.The RBSEâ„ ¢ guides you step-by-step through the process of identifying potential respondents, making the request for feedback, creating your a priori best-self portrait, analyzing your reflected best-self stories, creating a new, reflected best-self portrait, and translating that portrait into proactive steps for living at your best.  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢ OVERVIEW All of us can recall our own extraordinary moments, those moments when we felt that our best self was brought to light, affirmed by others, and put into practice in the world.These memories are seared into our minds as moments or situations in which we have felt alive, true to our deepest selves, and pursuing our full potential as human beings. Over time, we collect these experiences into a â€Å"portrait† of who we are and what we do when we are at our personal best. This â€Å"best-self portrait† is a resource we call on to build confidence, to help us make decisions, to be courageous, to prepare and see possibilities for the future, to face challenges, and so much more.We can strengthen our own best-self portraits with insights reflected back to us from significant others in our lives. Our friends, colleagues, and family members have dif ferent perspectives, and can offer unique and valuable insights into the ways we add value and make positive contributions. Research shows that the difference between a weakness-based self portrait and a strong best-self portrait is closely correlated to the difference between normal and extraordinary leadership.A popular assumption of personal development exercises and programs is that a person’s area of weakness is that person’s greatest area of opportunity (Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). Proponents of a strengths-based orientation argue that the deficit model may diminish people’s chances of making their greatest contributions, which is performing at their best, or achieving an integrated sense of who one is at one’s best.A strengths-based approach to personal development assumes that progress towards excellence is not a function of improving on weaknesses, but is a function of building on strengths. As you’ll see in the last step of this exercise, the RBSEâ„ ¢ takes a nuanced approach to developing understanding of both your strengths and weaknesses. CHANGES TO THIS EDITION The 2011 version of the Reflected Best Self Exerciseâ„ ¢ has been updated to reflect advancements in research and years of feedback from users and facilitators of the exercise. Some of the important updates were to: Highlight unique attributes of the RBSEâ„ ¢, such as the use of stories, an emphasis on strengths exclusively, and solicitation of respondents from all contexts of the participant’s life †¢ Instruct participants to write personal best-self stories to consider with the reflected best-self stories †¢ Provide more instruction on the analysis of best-self stories individually and in aggregate †¢ Incorporate action-planning activities into the RBSEâ„ ¢ to help participants identify developmental goals that relate to the best self †¢ Combine the best of the original Reflected Best Self Exercise: Assig nment and Instructions to Participants and the Bringing My Reflected Best Self to Life booklet previously published separately †¢ Honor wisdom gained by facilitators and users over the years since first publication REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN TABLE OF CONTENTSParticipant Instructions †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 1 Phase 1: Creating the Reflected Best-Self Portrait Step 1: Identify Potential Respondents†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1, 2 Step 2: Request Reflected Best-Self Stories †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2, 3 Step 3: Write Your Own Best-Self Stories †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3, 4 Step 4: Analyze All Best-Self Stories†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 4, 5, 6 Step 5: Compose the Reflected Best-Self Portrait†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 6 Phase 2: Bringing the Reflected Best Self to LifeStep 1: Analyze Context, List Enablers and Blockers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7, 8, 9 Step 2: Create an Action Plan †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 9, 10 Author Information†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 11 History and Basis in Research†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12 About the Center for POS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢ PARTICIPANT INSTRUCTIONS Two phases comprise the Reflected Best Self Exerciseâ„ ¢ (RBSEâ„ ¢).In Phase 1, you will create your reflected best-self portrait. In Phase 2, you will create a personal development action plan inspired by new insight into you at your best. (Conte nt previously found in the Bringing My Reflected Best Self to Life workbook. ) After each step in either phase you will see how our sample participant, Shawn, approached the step and a â€Å"Your Turn† icon ( ) with suggestions for how you can approach the step yourself. For some steps we also discuss other options to augment the exercise. Phase 1 | Creating the Reflected Best-Self Portrait Step 1: Identify Potential Respondents Thoughtfully select 15-20 people whom you will ask to write stories about you at your best. Why 15 – 20?Over time, researchers of the RBSEâ„ ¢ have found that identifying 15-20 potential respondents from whom you wish to solicit best-self stories should help surface a sufficient number of stories. Realize that due to time and other constraints, not everyone will be able to respond. Ideally, you will receive at least 30 stories, or three stories from 10 respondents, of you at your best. This number has provided past RBSEâ„ ¢ participants w ith sufficient data in which patterns across those stories can be found. How should I create this list of potential respondents? Choose people who have seen you at your best and people who will give you their honest opinion.Research shows that the RBSEâ„ ¢ is most effective when your respondents come from a mix of colleagues (former or current), superiors or subordinates, friends (old or recent), family members, customers, and anyone who has had extended contact with you. Know that past participants have found that their respondents have been quite willing, even eager, to assist with this exercise. (And past participants have been happy to reciprocate the favor! ) TABLE 1: SAMPLE LIST OF POTENTIAL RESPONDENTS PAGE 1 /// REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN YOUR TURN: Review the lists of contacts in your email account, address book, or social networking sites to refresh your memory.When you create a list of potential respondents , double-check to make sure a cross-section of people from your spheres of influence is represented. Shawn used a spreadsheet to organize the list. Step 2: Request Reflected Best-Self Stories Compose a story request (see example request below) and email it to the 15-20 potential respondents you identified in Step 1. NOTE: There are many ways to solicit and gather these stories. The below example is written for an individual user who is soliciting and compiling best-self stories as a class assignment. If your professor or program administrator is soliciting and compiling stories on your behalf, please use the customized instructions that they provide for contacting potential respondents.Shawn’s Sample Email Request for Stories Dear [name], I hope this message finds you well! I am writing to request your help with a class assignment. I am taking a course on leadership development as part of my MBA program. I would be grateful for your help with one of the required exercises for the course, the Reflected Best Self Exerciseâ„ ¢ (RBSEâ„ ¢). The Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship at University of Michigan created the RBSEâ„ ¢ to help individuals expand their understanding of who they are and what they do when they are at their best. The RBSEâ„ ¢ is a unique story-, strength-, and contribution-based approach to feedback-seeking and analysis.A former RBSE participant said of the process, â€Å"Besides feeling closer to my friends and peers for their positive views of me, it was very interesting to note the different impact that I seem to have made on each of them. The specifics mentioned by them allowed me to see some of the mechanisms by which I influence and have had an impact on people. † I am asking people who know me well to provide me with three stories of when I was at my best in their eyes. What was my positive contribution in each story? Additional instructions and examples can be found below. Please e-mail your responses to me by [insert date]. Thank you very much for your cooperation. I will keep all responses anonymous and will be sure to tell you what I learn after the exercise.Kind Regards, Shawn ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS This will require you to think about your interactions with me and to identify those times when I was at my best in your eyes. In writing, please be sure to provide details so I can understand the context, what happened, and what my positive contribution was. Best-self stories often capture things that people say or do in critical times or everyday routines that make a difference. These stories are  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢ /// PAGE 2 often unacknowledged publicly. Best-self stories may describe someone’s approach to people, challenges, tasks, or even a work environment. I have included some examples of what these stories could look like. Please use this only as a guide. STORY EXAMPLES 1.From work colleague: You have the ability to get people to work together and give all they have to a task. For example, I think of the time that we were working on the Alpha project. We were getting behind and the stress was building. We started to close down and get very focused on just meeting our deadline. You noticed that we were not doing our best work and stopped the group to rethink our approach. You asked whether we wanted to just satisfy the requirements or whether we wanted to really do good and important work. You reminded us of what we were capable of doing and how each of us could contribute to a better outcome. No one else in that room would have thought to do that.As a result, we did meet the deadline and created a result we all feel proud of. 2. From a friend: You have capacity to persist in the face of adversity. For example, I think of the time that we were helping Lila empty her flooded basement. Her family lives far away and she was impossibly short-handed. Instead of getting overwhe lmed with her, you became more focused than I have ever seen anyone get. I think you went 24 hours without sleep to help her remove the water. I was amazed that you could maintain a positive attitude and consistently helpful orientation to Lila under those conditions. 3. From a boss: You are great at building relationships critical to project success.For example, I think of the time that: We were working for a clothing company committed to using organically grown cotton, and to having fair labor practices. You were the liaison with the various agencies and individuals critical to sourcing the organic cotton, and to creating the worker-owned sewing cooperatives here and in Central America. Despite resistance, you crafted and co-created a vision for how the business could work to meet these radically different goals. You easily navigated cultural differences and built strong relationships that thrive to this day. If you want to learn more about the Reflected Best Self Exerciseâ„ ¢, please visit http://www. centerforpos. org YOUR TURN: Feel free to copy and edit Shawn’s letter to suit your situation and personal style.Consider the options for disseminating this request—hard copy letter, email, online form or survey—while keeping in mind instructions from your facilitator, speed of delivery and response, ease of compilation, and so on. Step 3: Write Your Own Best-Self Stories While you are awaiting your stories from respondents, we ask you to engage in deeper personal reflection about times when you believe you were at your best. You will analyze your own best-self stories, and the analysis will be part of your final reflected best-self portrait. Write your own best-self stories Think about three times in your life when you were at your best. Allow yourself to think of stories from all PAGE 3 /// REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN contexts and time periods. For three of these memories, write the story of what happened.In the story you could describe the context, the role you played, the actions you took, the characteristics you displayed, the results, and the reasons behind your actions. The examples and explanation in the sample letter in Step 2 can be helpful also. Sample Best-Self Story I feel I was at my best helping my organization create and pursue a new vision. We had been in existence for ten years and had tried and learned so many things along the way. I believed in the organization’s mission but wanted to move us in a new direction to expand our impact. I reflected on what was possible and crafted a vision of our team at our best. I presented the vision to my team and was delighted to incorporate their ideas into mine, thus creating something entirely new in a way that united the team.YOUR TURN: Pretend you received the story request you sent in Step 2. Reflect about times when you were, and normally are, at your best and capture the stories that exemplify that time in the same space, document, or file that will eventually house the stories you receive from respondents. Step 4: Analyze All Best-Self Stories Collect and aggregate your stories and the stories from respondents. Read and reflect on each story Read each of your stories carefully. In a table like the one below, note key insights into who you are and what you do when you are at your best. You’ll have an opportunity to analyze the context of the story. Please focus on your actions, contributions, attitudes, etc.WARNING: Reading these stories can stir up a great deal of (positive) emotions for you. It is normal to find yourself surprised by how people saw you positively. We recommend you find a quiet time and space where you can be free from interruptions and you can reflect on what you are learning. NOTE: We have analyzed the stories provided in the line sample email in Step 2 as an example below. TABLE 2: SAMPLE INDIVIDUAL STORY REFLECTION  © 2003, 2011 RE GENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢ /// PAGE 4 YOUR TURN: Collect the stories you receive in a spreadsheet or other document, using the column headings shown in the example for the analysis.OPTIONAL STEP: Have a trusted group member or friend read your personal and reflected best-self stories to see if they come up with different themes or interpretations for each of the stories. Analyze the stories in aggregate After you have thought deeply about each of the stories, look for patterns and themes that emerge from considering the stories and analysis together. These patterns or themes will help you write declarative statements about you at your best. These declarative statements will be represent anchoring â€Å"truths† about you at your best and can later be woven into your reflected best-self portrait. PATTERNS: Recurring behaviors, contributions, etc. , across all of the stories and analysis.If you are unsure about how to find patterns, t ry looking for verbs, adjectives, and nouns that you see repeated in the stories or in your analysis of each story. For example, repeated verbs could lend insight into some of your best skills and strengths, and repeated adjectives may lend insight into some of your values and aptitudes, your approaches to problem solving, and the nature of your relationships. THEMES: Underlying truths about your values and beliefs and the essence of you at your best, inferred from the collection of stories and analysis. Identify themes and patterns and list several examples from your stories that exemplify that theme.NOTE: You may also find stories that exemplify seemingly opposite characteristics. If this is the case, it may indicate adaptability or flexibility as a strength in particular contexts. For example, you might find stories where you find creative solutions, but also consistently comply with standards. TABLE 3: SAMPLE AGGREGATED STORY REFLECTION PAGE 5 /// REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ⠀ž ¢  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN YOUR TURN: Use a spreadsheet or other document to create a table like the one in Table 3. OPTIONAL STEP: Have a trusted group member or friend read your personal and reflected best-self stories to see if they come up with different themes or interpretations.Step 5: Compose the Reflected Best-Self Portrait Create a portrait of your best-self that captures the wisdom in your personal and reflected best-self analysis. The portrait is meant to be an aggregated articulation of your personal and reflected best self which you can refer to and revise well into the future. It should synthesize the themes and declarations you identified in the tables above. However, be sure that the themes are authentic to you—not necessarily just things you do well, but that reflect your identity as a human being. Reflected best-self portraits are often represented in the form of written narratives (see below for an example).We have also seen participants employ a variety of media to create their reflected best-self portraits. For example, you might represent your portrait in a pictorial collage or montage, a video, a song, or a poem. You may even choose to use multiple formats. Shawn’s Sample Reflected Best-Self Portrait When I am at my best, I tend to be creative. I am enthusiastic about ideas and I craft bold visions. I am an innovative builder who perseveres in the pursuit of the new. I do not waste energy thinking about missed opportunities or past failures nor do I take on the negative energy of the insecure or worry about critics. I stay centered and focused on what is possible and important. I use frameworks to help me make sense of complex issues.I can see disparate ideas and integrate them through â€Å"yes and† thinking. So I make points others do not readily see. In doing so, I frame experiences in compelling and engaging ways. I paint visions and provide new ways for people to see. I use metaph ors and stories to do this. I find the stories in everyday experiences, and people find it easy to understand them. The new images that follow help people to take action. In helping others, I try to empathize with them and understand their needs. I give them my attention and energy but I allow them to be in charge. In exercising influence, I try to enroll people, not force them, in new directions. I invite people to work with me.I use dialog to help people surface their ideas, and then I weave them together with others until we create knowledge in real time. I ignore symptoms and focus on the deep causes. I help people and groups surface the darkest realities and the most painful conflicts. From these emergent tensions comes the energy for transformation. I liberate people from their fears and help them embrace new paths. In all of this I try to model the message of integrity, growth and transformation. YOUR TURN: Be sure to check with the instructor or facilitator of the RBSEâ„ ¢ to see if there is a preferred portrait format. Otherwise choose a medium that inspires you!As mentioned above, it could be a pictorial collage or montage, a video, a song, or a poem, or a combination of multiple formats. OPTIONAL STEP: Share your draft and final portraits with a trusted group member or friend and request feedback. He or she may be able to help you see your portrait differently.  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢ /// PAGE 6 Phase 2 | Bringing the Reflected Best Self to Life As you complete your reflected best-self portrait and begin to talk about your best self with others, more questions may emerge. You may be wondering: †¢ How can I use this knowledge to enhance the quality of my work and my life? †¢ How might I incorporate my best self into my current job, relationships, and future career plans? Which situations will stimulate me to contribute maximally from a position of strength? Can those situa tions also help me to grow and develop? †¢ How can I manage my limitations? The steps below can help answer these questions. Step 1: Analyze Context, List Enablers and Blockers As you review your portrait, stories, themes, and patterns, look to identify contextual elements that either helped or hindered your ability to be your best. These enablers and blockers can be personal, relational, or situational. Personal enablers or blockers include the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that affect your ability to leverage your best self in a given context. How do your personal beliefs support or undermine your best self?EXAMPLE: An individual’s belief in his or her ability to contribute in class is correlated with how often he or she chooses to do so. Relational enablers and blockers are those relationships that either support or undermine your best self. EXAMPLE: Shawn has one sister who is a great sounding board for new ideas, but another sister who only points out what could go wrong. Situational enablers and blockers include any contextual features (e. g. , organizational standards, systems, and practices) that promote or inhibit leveraging your best self. Which situations bring out the best in you? Which situations inhibit your best self? EXAMPLE: Some people are at their best in group situations, rather than when working alone.Shawn is best working with others and rarely does well when isolated or working in an impersonal environment. On Weakness: A word of caution as you begin this analysis: remember that your weaknesses should be considered as blockers. While this exercise focuses on your strengths, neglecting any known Achilles’ heels could interfere with your ability to capitalize on your strengths. Robert Kaplan1 has identified two common distortions in behavior that are useful to consider here: overdoing strengths and underdoing strengths2. The table on the next page illustrates some other common â€Å"fatal flaws†: 1 2 Kaplan, S . (2002). Know your strengths. Harvard Business Review. 80(3), 20. From High Flyers by Morgan W. McCall, Jr. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1998) page 29, figure 2-1. PAGE 7 /// REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN TABLE 4: AVOID OVER-RELIANCE ON YOUR STRENGTHS 2 Sources of initial success†¦ Track Record Makes an impressive impact in functional or technical area > > †¦ can become fatal flaws. Seen as too narrow in a particular area Brilliance Seen as uncommonly bright > Intimidating; dismissive of other people’s ideas Commitment Sacrifice Extremely loyal to the organization > Defines life in terms of work; expects others to do the same Charm Capable of considerable charisma and warmth > Uses selectively to manipulate other people AmbitionDoes whatever is required to achieve success > Does what is necessary to achieve personal success, even at the expense of others in the organization In m any situations you are required to operate in your areas of weakness. If you do not perform your job’s tasks at a reasonable level of competence, failure will follow. Try managing around weaknesses instead: this may mean finding someone else to do the tasks you do poorly, putting in enough effort to develop your areas of weakness to an acceptable level of performance, and so on. Now is the time to analyze your data to see if they reveal any patterns or insights regarding either personal, relational, or situational factors.TABLE 5: SAMPLE IDENTIFICATION OF ENABLERS AND BLOCKERS  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢ /// PAGE 8 YOUR TURN: Shawn listed some enablers and blockers in a spreadsheet with two columns. In the end, his list was actually much longer than this with many more enablers than blockers. It might be good to have two totally different documents for listing these to allow yourself room for more creativity. Step 2: Create an Action Plan As you navigate choices about what type of assignments to seek and what kind of skills to develop among a million other choices you face, it helps to work toward an action plan rooted in the insights about you at your best.Having a better understanding of your best self and the skills, characteristics, and opportunities that you need to make a positive impact increases the odds that you will make choices differently after this exercise. Your challenge, therefore, is to identify how to grow from where you are today. This is precisely the purpose of visioning and articulating an action plan. Visioning: Reflect on the choices you will have to make in the coming days, weeks, months, and years. Reflect on your best-self stories, your reflected best-self portrait, and your list of enablers and blockers as you prepare to write your action plan. What can you do to amplify the conditions or relationships that enable you to be your best at these decision points? How c an you work around or lessen the â€Å"blockers†?How can you make your best self even better? TABLE 6: SAMPLE REFLECTION PAGE 9 /// REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN YOUR TURN: Consider your key choices and the (short-term and long-term) actions that will help you be at your best. Write your thoughts down! Shawn chose a spreadsheet dividing the choices by immediacy. Shawn could do a chart like this for personal and community life, too. Action Planning: In this section, take look at your reflections and think about what you would need to do to bring them to life. The following questions might be helpful: †¢ How will you know if you are making progress with your best self goals? What evidence will you seek to document your progress? †¢ What resources will you need to continue to develop into your best self? †¢ What is your plan for accessing or building these resources? Sample Action Plan When I give perform ance evaluations I will know I am my best self when employees leave feeling energized about what is possible for their future with my team. I will help him/her see his/her best self and possibilities for managing weakness. We’ll come up with an action plan together. I will watch the employee’s behavior during our meeting but also in the weeks following the evaluation. I will meet with the employee regularly to listen to his/her story of progress.I will need to make time in my schedule to do this but it is time well-spent if we can keep the team energized. I will talk to my boss this week to enroll him in this plan, which will help me get the resources I need to execute it. YOUR TURN: Shawn chose to reflect the action plan in narrative form, create in a picture of goals the steps necessary to attain them. Choose the medium to do the same that works best for you—calendar reminders, apprise accountability partners, etc. OPTIONAL STEP: Have a trusted group member or friend read your reflections for this section. Encourage this person to help you see even more resources and hold you accountable to your action plan. Thank you for completing the Reflected Best Self Exerciseâ„ ¢!We wish you the best!  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢ /// PAGE 10 AUTHOR INFORMATION Robert E. Quinn Margaret Elliott Tracy Collegiate Professor in Business Administration; Professor of Management and Organizations, University of Michigan Robert E. Quinn is interested in the process of positive change. He seeks to understand processes that lead to increased individual and collective capacity. His recent books include Lift: Becoming a Positive Force in any Situation (Berrett-Koehler 2009) and Diagnosing and Changing Organizational Culture (Jossey-Bass 2006). He combines both a research and an applied orientation.He has 25 years of experience in working with executives on issues of organizational change. He teaches in both the MBA and Executive Education programs at the University of Michigan and is known for innovative instructional efforts. Jane E. Dutton Robert L. Kahn Distinguished University Professor of Business Administration and Psychology, University of Michigan Jane Dutton’s research on positive organizational scholarship began with an interest in compassion and the difference it makes for individuals and organizations. Her research has expanded to focus on the power of positive relationships at work, positive identities and meaning, job crafting, and resilience.Her recent books include Exploring Positive Identities and Organizations (Routledge 2009), Exploring Positive Relationships and Organizations (Lawrence Erlbaum 2007), and Positive Organizational Scholarship (BerrettKoehler 2003). Jane’s background in strategic management keeps her focused on how positive dynamics create sustainable capabilities in organizations. Gretchen Spreitzer Professor of Management and Or ganizations, University of Michigan Gretchen Spreitzer’s research focuses on employee empowerment and leadership development, particularly within a context of organizational change and decline. Her most recent work is looking at positive deviance and how organizations enable employees to thrive and become their best selves.Most recently she is involved in a large-scale project to validate a measure of thriving at work and better understand strategies employees can use to regulate their subjective and physiological energy. Her books include A Company of Leaders (Jossey-Bass 2001) and the Oxford Handbook of Positive Organizational Scholarship (Oxford, 2011), co-edited with Kim Cameron. Laura Morgan Roberts Professor of Psychology, Culture, and Organization Studies, Antioch University Laura Morgan Roberts’s research focuses on how to construct, sustain, and restore positive identities at work. She became interested in positive organizational scholarship through her doctor al dissertation research on social identity-based impression management among medical professionals.Her interests in the social construction of positive identities now include: the reflected best self, diversity, authenticity, strengths, leadership, and talent management. She is a faculty affiliate of the Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship. PAGE 11 /// REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN HISTORY AND BASIS IN RESEARCH The Reflected Best Self Exerciseâ„ ¢ (RBSEâ„ ¢) is the product of work by scholars at the Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. It had its genesis in Bob Quinn’s belief in the benefit of colleagues sharing their thoughts on each other’s strengths. After seeing the power it had in executive education rograms, he joined Jane Dutton, Emily Heaphy, Laura Morgan Roberts, and Gretchen Spreitzer to form the Refl ected Best Self lab in 2002. The team conducted research on the concept, and began using it in classes, with great success. In 2003, Bob Quinn, Jane Dutton, and Gretchen Spreitzer wrote the Reflected Best Self Exercise: Assignment and Instructions to Participants, and they, along with Laura Morgan Roberts, created an accompanying teaching note. Since then, use of the RBSEâ„ ¢ has spread throughout the U. S. , and it is increasingly being used around the world. Universities, which have included it in their curricula include Darden School of Business, Harvard Business School, MIT, Stephen M.Ross School of Business, University of British Columbia, University of Southern California, and Washington University. It was also the subject of articles in the Harvard Business Review and the Academy of Management Review in 2005 and in the Journal of Positive Psychology in 2009. Key references include: Roberts, L. , Dutton, J. , Spreitzer, G. , Heaphy, E. , & Quinn, R. (2005). Composing the re flected best self portrait: Building pathways for becoming extraordinary in work organizations. Academy of Management Review, 30(4), 712-736. Roberts, L. , Spreitzer, G. , Dutton, J. , Quinn, R. , Heaphy, E. , & Barker, B. (2005). How to play to your strengths. Harvard Business Review, 83(1), 75-80. Spreitzer, G. , Stephens, J. P. , & Sweetman, D. (2009).The Reflected Best Self field experiment with adolescent leaders: exploring the psychological resources associated with feedback source and valence. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 4(5), 331-348. ABOUT THE CENTER FOR POS At the Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS), we are devoted to energizing and transforming organizations through research on the theory and practice of positive organizing and leadership. We are passionately dedicated to the development and dissemination of POS research. Our activities include conducting research, writing on POS topics for academic and general books and periodicals, writing teach ing cases, and creating tools to help individuals improve their work life.We share POS principles in BBA, MBA, and Executive Education programs at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, and in presentations at various academic institutions. Positive Links, our monthly speaker series, brings together scholars and practitioners to learn and discuss new POS research and POS links to practice. We are also passionate about building the community of researchers who study POS, and our biennial conference attracts scholars from around the world. We are all on a quest to reveal what is possible in organizations and for employees.  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢ /// PAGE 12 DESIGNED BY STEPHANIE HARDEN

My First day at sixth-form

I was sixteen and I had to make that same difficult question that everyone had to ask themselves at my age, ‘what am I going to do after I got my results from my GCSEs?' The day before I got my results I decided to go to Westwood ST Thomas sixth-form in stead of college. I have been at Westwood School for three years so I thought it would be easier to go somewhere that I knew and where they knew me. GCSE results day arrived; I took that short five minute walk for the last time of being a school girl. I got the magic envelope and opened it. I needed five C's or above to do the a-levels courses as planned. I took one look at the paper and my excitement turned into disappointment. I only got four C's. After talking to a careers adviser I decided what I should do. I had chosen to under-go a one year business course that would give me enough GCSEs that I needed. I went away that day feeling very low and disheartened that all my efforts didn't payoff. I felt like a year of my life was being taken away from me. 7AM, Monday morning, my alarm was beeping in my ear, Beep, Beep, beep. I rolled over and turned it off. I unwillingly thought ‘the first day of Sixth-form of what will be of a long year'. I was dragging my feet up the steep hill. A walk which was five minutes seemed like an hour. As I approached the school hill my heart was thumping in my chest. I told myself not to be so stupid. I had been at the school for three years but this time I was a student. As I walked through the gates nothing had changed! The old falling apart bike sheds which faced the gates were still there. I could see the three main blocks, where the specialist classes were held. Yep! The same old gloomy school. I got to where my tutor room was and sat down at an empty seat. I slowly one by one studied the people who are already settled in their seats. I didn't recognise anybody. They must be from different schools. I then studied the room, a big white board in the centre of the longest wall and around the other walls are notice boards with nothing on then. Surrounding the tables in the middle of the room are very old computers lined up against the wall. The decoration was an old off-white colour with paint starting to chip off the walls. The appearance and feeling was an old and depressing. I heard a familiar voice outside the room. It was my friend Amy. She walked in to the room and took her seat next to mine. I felt much relived that someone was in the group that I already knew. My new tutor and key teacher for the year, Mr Kendal, walked in to the room and sat down behind his big desk. He introduced himself then made each of us in turn introduce ourselves to the group. I am not the person for speaking in front of a group and felt my self go very red with embarrassment when it got to my turn. He gave us our student planner and the timetable; he went over some things that we were to do that year in the course. The time drove by so quickly. I looked at the clock and it was break time already. I had the chance to meet up with old friends and talk about what we did over the summer. When break time ended we all went back to our tutor rooms. This time I didn't know whether the sun was shinning through a different window, but I was starting to feel a bit more comfortable about the situation the room felt brighter, and a little more inviting. We had the tour of the school which lasted thirty minutes, and then we were allowed to go home. The walk home seemed like the old five minutes walk down the hill. I was feeling emotionally happy and pleased with the first day. (And it wasn't the fact it only lasted half a day). When I got home I told mum all about the day. I couldn't wait till bed time as I was exited about going back again the next day. (Even though it was an whole school assembly to meet the new Head Teacher). As I went to sleep that night I was still very happy, I thought, this year was not going to be as bad after all.

Jahangir

Sedimentary rocks in Pakistan range in age from Precambrian to Miocene i. e from oldest to youngest on the geological time scale form 542 million years to latest. Luckily for geoscientists all of them are exposed in different parts of the country. Lithologically they constitute sandstone, limestone, shale and mixed lithologies of them all. These rocks are exposed all along the mountain ranges from Islamabad in north to Karachi in the south. Igneous rocks are exposed north of Peshawar or only at Nagarparker in the southeastern corner of the country.You better study ‘Stratigraphy and historical geology of Pakistan' by Kazmi and Abbasi (2008), which will provide you a full knowledge about the rocks in Pakistan. ‘Geology and tectonics of Pakistan' by Kazmi and Jan (1997) also gives details of distribution of ores and minerals in different parts of the country. Names [de] Mergel [en] marl Description Marl is a sedimentary rock made of clay and limestone, which belongs to the f amily of pelitic rocks (clays

Literature Review- Parenting Styles and Child Development Essay

Abstract A parenting style is a method or type of parenting which directly and indirectly influences the development of the child. Developmental psychologists study the physical, cognitive, social, intellectual, perceptual, emotional and personality growth and development that occurs throughout a lifetime. The purpose of this research was to identify how specific parenting styles positively and negatively correlate with behaviors in children, how they affect children, and what methods of parenting could be used to benefit the development of children. Parenting Styles and Child Development Developmental psychologists have long been interested in how parents impact their child’s development. However, finding the actual links between the specific actions of parents and the influenced behavior on children is very difficult. Some children that are raised in entirely different environments can later grow up to have remarkably similar personalities. And some children who share a home and are raised in the same environment can grow up to have completely different personalities than one another. Links between parenting styles and behavior are based upon correlational research, which can identify the relationships between variables but cannot establish a definitive cause. However, despite these challenges, researchers have uncovered convincing links between parenting styles and the effects these styles have on children. In my literature review I will be going over some of those links and the studies that are associated with them. In a study conducted by Alizadeh Shahla, Abu Talib Mansor, Abdullah Rohani and Mansor Mariani, the relationship between parenting style and children’s behavior problems were addressed. The sample in this study consisted of 681 mothers of students in elementary school (levels 3, 4, 5), who were chosen from eight schools In Tehran. Mothers were identified through their children who comprised 347 girls from four schools and 334 boys from four schools chosen by cluster random sampling. The Mothers were given a Children’s Behavioral Checklist (CBCL) Questionnaire and a Parent Authority Questionnaire (PAQ). The Parent Authority Questionnaire was designed to measure Baumrind‘s  threedimensions: Authoritative, Authoritarian, and Permissive. The Children’s Behavioral Checklist included forms to evaluate competency, and affective-behavioral problems. The results of the study indicated that there is a significant correlation between the parenting style of mothers and children’s behavioral problems. The Authoritative level of mothers had a negatively significant correlation with internalizing symptoms in children. The Permissive level of mothers has positive significant correlation with internalizing symptoms in children. Lastly, the Authoritarian level of mothers had a roughly equal significant correlation with internalizing and externalizing. While the sample size of this study may be large enough to be considered representative of the population, the study itself limited parenting style to factors based only on children’s misbehavior. Many other relevant factors were not taken into consideration, such as age, genetics, economics, peer pressure, parent’s income, society, school, etc. The study also excluded men, only taking data based on the parenting styles presented by women. Moreover, the parents could have responded to the questionnaires in the way the wanted their families to be represented, resulting in false or distorted information. In a study conducted by Ãâ€"nder Fulya and Cenkseven Yilmaz Yasin, the role of life satisfaction and parenting styles in predicting delinquent behaviors among high school students was addressed. The sample of the study was determined in two phases. At first, the study was conducted with 881students from 9-12 grades attending twelve public high schools in Adana central province, their ages ranged from 14 to 19 years. In the second phase, a total of 502 students were determined to show low level of delinquent behaviors and high level of delinquent behaviors. 243 of students were from 9th grade, 87 from 10th grade, 91 from 11th grade, and 81 from 12th grade. When the parents were examined, 82 of the mothers and 7 of the father were Illiterate, 240 of the mothers and 233 of the fathers were primary school graduates, 73of the mothers and 98 of the fathers were middle school graduates, 72 of the mothers and 107 of the fathers were high school graduates, and 24 of the mothers and 48 of the fathers were university graduates. Researchers had parents of each sample group answer a set of questionnaires, the Delinquency Scale (DS), The Parenting Style Inventory (PSI), and the Multidimen sional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS). The Delinquency Scale (DS), is used to determine behaviors which would be  regarded as crime if they reflected and bring adolescent face to face with laws. The Parenting Style Inventory (PSI) is a 26 item scale that has three factors: acceptance/ involvement, strictness/supervision, and psychological autonomy. The Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS) is a 40 item self report instrument that assesses satisfaction across five specific life domains: family, school, friends, self and living environment. The researchers concluded that when all test results were considered, satisfaction variables perceived from â€Å"strictness/supervision†, â€Å"school†, â€Å"family† and â€Å"self† have a positive correlation and meaningful contributions in explaining the highness of delinquency. While the researchers state that â€Å"strictness/supervision†, â€Å"school†, â€Å"family† and â€Å"self† have a positi ve correlation they are only referring to the 76.3% of the sample groups that tested positive and neglecting the 23.7% that did not. The sample sizes are large but the specifications of the parents in the â€Å"delinquent† sample group are too varied and therefore may represent misleading data. There were many different styles of questionnaires in this study which may be causing the data to become more complex than it needs to be in order to understandable results. In a study conducted by Jabeen Farah, Anis-ul-Haque and Riaz Muhammad Naveed, parenting styles as predictors of emotion regulation among adolescents are addressed. The sample of this study was 194 adolescents ages 12-15, 7th-9th grade from private secondary schools. The students were asked to respond to the Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ) and the Early Adolescents Temperament Questionnaire (EATQ). The Parental Authority Questionnaire was designed to measure Baumrind‘s threedimensions: Authoritative, Authoritarian, and Permissive. The Early Adolescents Temperament Questionnaire is comprised of the subsets, including attention shifting and focusing, inhibitory control, and activation control. Results of the study indicated that maternal permissive parenting style has significant negative correlation with emotional regulation and that paternal permissive parenting style has significant negative correlation with emotional regulation. The sample size is somewhat small due to the fact that data is being taken from a private school, and the fact that the data is coming from a private school in itself does not accurately represent the population as a whole because of the fact that private schools are exclusive. Furthermore, the parents which correspond with the children of  this study are all middle class and have moderate incomes rather than low or high incomes, and children who have single parents were excluded from the study. Also, there still remains the chance that some children may have not answered their questionnaire honestly. In a Longitudinal study conducted by Tong Lian, Shinohara Ryoji, Sugisawa Yuka, Tanaka Emiko, Maruyama Akiko, Sawada Yuko, Ishi Yukiko and Anme Tokie, the relationship of working mothers’ parenting style and consistency to early childhood development was addressed. The sample consisted of 504 participants recruited through 41 care facilities in Japan. Both children and their mothers participated. The mothers were surveyed regarding parenting behaviors and home environment, and service providers evaluated the development of each child in the facilities. Child development was assessed using six primary measures: gross motor skills, fine motor skills, so cial competence, communication skills, vocabulary and intelligence. Environmental stimulation was evaluated through: human stimulation, avoidance of restriction, social stimulation and support. Each child was evaluated by childcare professionals in 2004 and again in 2006 using developmental scales. Results of the study showed that children’s gross motor development was statistically significantly related to mother’s parenting practices at the beginning of the study. The ages of the children that were included in this study varied, and children with mental disabilities were excluded from the study entirely. The study addresses a â€Å"working mother’s† relationship but feels that it is perhaps unnecessary to consider the implications of a working father’s parenting style, or for that matter, the father’s influence on the child at all. Also the study could be conducted longer than 2 years for more insightful results. In a study conducted by Parsasirat Zahra, Montazeri Mona, Yusooff Fatimah, Subhi Nasrudin and N en Salina, the most effective kinds of parents on children’s academic achievement are addressed. The sample included Iranian high school students who were between the ages 15 to 17. The total numbers of participants were 546 who included 249 males and 297 females. They were given two questioners, Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ), and a self-demographic report which included their current Grade Point Average. Results showed that neither mother authoritative parenting, nor father authoritative parenting was significantly correlated with academic achievement and that neither mother authoritarian parenting, nor father  authoritarian parenting was significantly correlated with academic achievement. However, it did illustrate that both mother permissive parenting, as well as father authoritative parenting were significantly correlated with academic achievement. The age groups tested by the study were between fifteen to seventeen, so an assumption that similar correlations would be applicable to all other age groups of children will not have any definite proof. The data relies on the honesty of the participants and so data is not for certain conclusive evidence. There are many different factors to parental styles that influence children’s behavior. And while the definitive links between parenting styles and behavior may be unknown, correlational research has been able to make the parental styles which establish those links to become clearer to us. Through my research I have gathered that there are specific parental styles that positively and negatively correlate with behaviors in children. That strictness can manage delinquency, that permissive parenting can correct behavioral problems, or that perhaps authoritative parenting can help children in academics when paired with permissive. I have also noticed that the Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ) is generally a good questionnaire as it is frequently used. References Alizadeh, Abu, Abdullah, and Mansor (2011). Relationship between parenting style and children’s behavior problems. doi:10.5539/ass.v7n12p195 Jabeen, Anis, and Riaz (2013). Parenting styles as predictors of emotion regulation among adolescents. Ãâ€"nder and Cenkseven (2012). The role of life satisfaction and parenting styles in predicting delinquent behaviors among high school students. Parsasirat, Montazeri, Yusooff, Subhi, and Nen (2013). The most effective kinds of parents on children’s academic achievement. Tong, Shinohara, Sugisawa, Tanaka, Maruyama, Sawada, Ishi, and Anme (2009). Relationship of working mothers’ parenting style and consistency to early childhood development. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2009.05058.x