Toyota Company Strategic Planning

Toyota Company Strategic Planning TOYOTA COMPANY 1.0 Companys Description Toyota Motor Corporation is engaged in manufacture of passenger cars and their assembly, minivans, recreational and sport vehicles worldwide. Toyota has a network of more than 45 manufacturing companies and 12 plants affiliated in Japan. Toyota is working on its strategic global vision program of 2010. This program describes the long term Toyotas policies like recycling of goods and pro-environmental stance. Toyota has its global vision to respect the different people and communities and providing the new marketing opportunities in Asian markets and aims to get more than 35% of vehicle by the tapping the emerging markets. In automobile industry the need of the local customization and global strategy required the regional production. After 1990 Toyota has become first organized car manufacturer. The main targeted markets of Toyota industry are the Europe, North America and Asia with capability to customize the regional markets. Toyota has reacted very quickly and bypassed the regional and trade barriers; based upon the local suppliers to impact the cost efficiencies. 2.0 Strengths of Toyota Toyota possesses much strength due to its quality products and reputation. Prices of the Toyotas products are not affordable as the automakers in America, however Toyota has continued to succeed because customer rely and depend on its products. Toyota has been number one in sale of cars in 2007 and also 2008 better. Toyota has two different significant opportunities. Toyota has a step ahead of its competitors due to its hybrid products; as eco-friendly consumers demand the new brands. Toyota has scope to develop and design the technology for the advance models. Other opportunity lies in untapped market of youth; Scion has brought an inspiring revolution. The Marketing, product design and credit assistance are other hallmarks of Toyota which will prove to be great opportunities in future. Globally Toyota has several regions for its business and purchasing power of large Chinas population has been recognized. This has created a place for the Toyota to set up its headquarters in China. The purchase of Toyotas full size truck is increased in South America due to strengthen of its economy. In Middle East the demand of full size Toyotas SUVs is increased. This has resulted in the acknowledgement of opportunities of Toyota. Toyota has acted according to the streamlines of its export system. 2.1 Global Strategy Toyota is ranked among five best companies of automobile industry with total 500 companies. Toyota has made success in global strategies. It has a clear agenda to distribute the channels, production, marketing and supply chain aspects. Toyotas best production system and continuous improvements are the essential pieces of its global strategy. Concept of Kaizen (continuous improvement) has empowered the company to think about the new strategies and methods no matter in any area of the company. TPS (Toyota Production System) makes a link between the global automaker to manage the supply chain system, inventory management, production capabilities and planning methods. This TPS has empowered the Toyota to dominate the global automobile industry. Actually the Toyota is based in Japan but it has established itself throughout the world. No doubt the Toyota is most well known automobile brand of the world. Toyotas market is based upon the mission: Stable long-term growth, while striving for h armony with people, society and the environment (Toyota Motor Corporation Home Page). Toyota is providing thousands of jobs in America. Cultural, economic and social issues have allowed the Toyota to move beyond the brand equity and shaped an international marketing place for Toyota and achieved the success as a global corporation. 3.0 Rivalry of Toyota When Nissan and Toyota entered in American market the cost advantage for Toyota increased over the American companies. The market share of Toyota in Japan was higher which forced the Nissan to cut the costs of their best cars. Both Nissan and Toyota made rapid increase in shares in Japan. Toyota also impacted the car companies of America. Detroit made efforts to manufacture the small cars but could stay before the products of Toyota Company. Other rival companies included the Ford, General Motors and Volkswagen. It is best know that cars of Americas companies are cheaper in price but not reliable as compared to products of Toyota. Before Toyota the Volkswagen was main dominant company in USA market. Volkswagen being the best foreign car supplier company had shared 60% in USA market. For example Volkswagen Beetle was the best car in America before the Toyota introduced its Toyota Corolla in 1975. Volkswagens cars have the vibration problems but Toyota possessed the powerful cars witho ut vibration problems. The yen currency also played an important role to sell the Toyota more cars than Volkswagen. Japans yen was weaker as compared to German mark which made the Japans currency and goods cheaper for the purchasers in America. 3.1 Bargaining Power: Toyota has facilitated the Buyers and supplier of Toyotas cars as rental car companies liked to buy large number of cars which did not affect the overall prices of cars. When raw material for cars (steel, fiberglass and plastic) is lowered due in price there are many supplier and bargaining power of supplier is neglible. The sale of Prius exceeded when overseas units were added to it. The launch situation of Pirus in America and Europe market occurred in a same as in Japan. Local municipalities and people who love to use the new technologies always purchase the Toyota cars. 3.2 Competitor Analysis Toyota operates in car bodies and motor vehicle center. This analysis is done by comparing the Toyota Motors with other three main companies as shown below 3.2.1 Honda Motors: The sale of the Honda Motors during the year 2010 was noted to be 101.92 $ with 76% Automobile business. 3.2.2 Nissan Motors: The sale of the Nissan Motors cars was $ 89.31 billion during the year 2010 with automobiles 93%. 3.2.3 Motors Liquidation Company: This Company is based in USA and its sale during the year 2008 was noted as $148.98 billion with 99% automotive products. 3.2.4 Toyota Motors: The sale of the Toyota motors was $225.14 billion which decreased to 7.7% versus 2009, when companys sale exceeded to 2010 years sale. Consumers of Toyota cars prefer to purchase the Toyotas cars because these are reliable motor cars. During the 2008 survey Toyota and Lexus model won the 11 segment awards out of total 19 (Toyotas Home Page). This show the commitment of Toyota to its quality products; which also shows that quality of the Toyota Products is the same wherever they are manufactured. It can be said that these products are manufactured by the Toyota. 4.0 Current Attractiveness of Toyota 4.1 Relations with suppliers Toyota has established good relations with its suppliers to build a harmonious and mutual society. As the business of Toyota has been expanded on a global scale the Toyota is stressing more on close relationships to achieve the customers satisfaction. Toyota does respect of its suppliers throughout the world to promote the development and mutual growth. Toyota believes in CSR activities and issued a guideline for the suppliers in 2009. Toyota is focusing to make joint manufacturing activities with suppliers to improve the working practices. To promote the sale of cars in next five years on the basic principle of Customer first, dealer second, third manufacture Toyota is acting on the policy to benefit their dealers. Toyota has more than 170 distributers and 8000 dealers located in overseas countries. In this way Toyota engages its partners in many ways. 4.2 Acceptable car building by Toyota When Prius the first hybrid car was produced with new technology, it was expected to sale this car in various countries. Prius was welcomed at different locations which proved its popularity but usage conditions like culture, regulations and traffic situations were required to do more for the acceptance of Prius a global brand of Toyota. The potential problems and deep understanding of advantages was needed to be focused upon in two next years. 4.3 Innovative Cars A hybrid system enabled the Toyota to produce the large medium and minivans for their customers. All designers of Toyota dreamed to build an innovative car which offered more enjoyment during driving and riding with low fuel consumption. Estima Hybrid is a example of such cars. Manufacturing of such cars was started before the Prius with great technical issues but Toyota was successful to introduce this kind of cars. As mentioned above Toyota wanted to expand its Hybrid system to evolve the automobile industry in next 5 years of 21st century. Company wants to produce more than 300,000 units per year in next few years. Toyota Company wants improvement in its Environmental Action Plan 2011 in six key areas: Change in Climate and Energy, Air Quality, substances, recycling and resource utilization, Environmental management and Societal Cooperation. Company wants to reduce the Carbon dioxide emission to ensure that environment is kept clean by adopting and observing all economy fuels values. 5.0 Companys Strategies There are main four marketing mix components which are shaped in a way to fight the firms in market and provide the easy access to companys products and services. 5.1 Product Strategy The company is focusing on strategies to compete the other firms by adopting a mass production program to sell its product in global market. A hybrid product can enhance its production to meet the demands of changing market. 5.2 Location Strategy Toyota is a global producer of automobiles and their components, Toyota has positioned itself at the most central locations where it has clear and very optimistic control over the companys products and their delivery to customers. In next three years Toyota Company aims to achieve the 35% of market share. 5.3 Promotion Strategy Toyota Company is determinant towards pricing mechanism which can give it an edge over its competitors. Company can get highest level in automobile industry by using the best pricing method to get the hold of market. 5.4 Pricing Strategy Toyota Company is producing new vehicles of best quality which can be purchased at a reasonable price. The new pricing strategy is aimed to attract more customers throughout the world. 5.5 Target Market Strategies Each unit of Toyota is designed in a way to attract the targeted markets. The design of the vehicle cars is based on their speed, external appearance like color and shape. There are two seat model cars with high speed, small in size designed for the adventurous young people. Young people like to make drives on smooth tarmac roads, rough and rugged terrains (Thomas, 2001). People in America have made complaints about the Toyotas products in design and flair as compared to GM and Ford. Launch of V8 pick up resulted in response to this ambitious and a big volume of sale is in progress. Overall Toyota is giving hard time to its competitors as it experienced a recall and holding the leadership position in market. 5.6 Corporate Strategy Stability, growth and efficiency are the main components of the companys financial strategy. Company is optimistic towards the automotive market in producing the fuel-efficient, electro and segment vehicles in next coming years. Company is focusing to invest in the technologies for the sustainability and growth of advanced units to meet the customers needs. Adequate liquidity is the next step of Toyota Company to invite more investments to improve its technology for the next generation technology (Annual report of Toyota 2009). Automakers in USA are in struggle to improve their strategies and operations to match the Toyotas strategies and operations. US automakers have said that three dimensions of Toyotas business plan they seek to emulate. These three dimensions include the Toyotas Production System with manageable legacy costs, high quality vehicles and dealers network. Although the Toyota Production System (TPS) has encountered serious quality issues yet Toyota is dominating the American markets. Toyota is also replacing the GM products by giving the timely attentions to correct the issues with a best teamwork. Toyota has learn very painful lessons and concentrated on its TPS system with continuous improvement while other automakers have felt difficulty to implement these systems. Toyota has leant more about the US market and GM motors are also following to make the small cars like Toyota. GM could not continue to work at a joint venture with Toyota. 6.0 Potential Challenges for the Rivals of Toyota The new firms need a strategy development to face the challenges of rivalry from Toyota. This strategy consists of creation of new brands and exploiting the new resources with new aspiration and distinct from Toyota. Mercedes is in effort to tackle these issues to make A-class small vehicles. Porter (1980) has defined the strategic group where firms or groups follow the same dimensions with similar strategy. The concept of strategic group was well developed in the following years (McGee and Thomas 1986). The use of the Porters five forces is very useful to examine the forces which act on the automobile industry. New entrants in automobile industry face the issues of capital requirements, brands equity, legislation and ability to distribute their products. Another force which offers barriers for the new entrants are the bargaining powers of buyers and customers. Toyota is well established automobile with best brands it will be hard for the new firms to get the share of automobile mark et in a short time. Customers always buy the car of well known company and avoid purchasing the car of new entered company. Conclusions In this paper we have discussed the history of the Toyota Company with new development in car industry. Competitors of the Toyota are also given with data of their sales and compared it with Toyota Company. The sale of the Toyota recorded in the financial year 2009 was higher than the year 2010. Toyota Company is focusing upon the global strategy to attract the worlds most famous markets throughout the world and achieving more than 35% shares of car markets. Automakers in USA are try to match the Toyotas products by offering the best quality cars with reasonable prices. It is discussed that how the Toyota is providing best cars and services to its customers and suppliers by a strategic planning. Porters five forces are also included in this paper to analyze the impacts of these forces on automobile industry. We have learnt that Toyota is a leading the automobile industry due to its best strategic planning throughout the world.

The Four Main Purposes Of Communication English Language Essay

The Four Main Purposes Of Communication English Language Essay Communication has been defined as the transfer of information and understanding from one person to another through the use of common symbols. Communication can flow upward, downward, and laterally, that is, from subordinates to superiors, from superiors to subordinates and from peer to peer. Most people want to be understood; they want to understand others; and they want to gain acceptance of their ideas. Rarely would a person deliberately not want to be understood; but even so, misunderstandings, incorrect communications, and failure to communicate can create confusion on a regular basis. Good communication is crucial to the success of both the individual and the organization. It doesnt matter how good a worker you are or how much you understand about the business if you cannot communicate properly. Objective 1. List the four main purposes of communication. We want to be understood; we want to understand others; we want to gain acceptance for ourselves and our ideas; and finally, we want to produce action. What does the phrase: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦as soon as you can get to it mean? Does it mean right now or as soon as you finish what you are doing right now or what? If your meaning and the other persons meaning are not the same, you may have the makings of a communications breakdown. Everything we say has at least three messages: What we meant, what we said, what the other person understood. Unfortunately, these three are not always congruent. An accountant made a mistake and he apologized thusly: I read 4, wrote 5, meant 6, and it should have been 7. Objective 2. Describe the six-step communication model and elaborate on each of its points. There are many different models of communication and each has its particular value. The model you have on page 66 of DuBrins book (10th edition) is a good one, but I would like to use another model because it has several things that are really valuable as we look at communication. We will refer back to DuBrins model a little later on. The model I want to present to you has six steps: ideation, encoding, transmission, receiving, decoding, and action. Notice in the comic strip that communications must start with a concept, that is, an idea, thus the term ideation. This first step takes perhaps a fraction of a second; and we can almost ideate and speak at the same time. Ideation requires imagination and experience because the more of each you have, the easier it is to ideate a message. The second step is encoding. This step requires putting the idea into some type of intelligible form so it can be transmitted. Writing a letter, framing a statement in your mind, determining (or even not determining) to communicate non-verbally-all these represent encoding. Consider the importance of education to encoding. Transmission is the third step; and it is the most visible and recognizable aspect of communication. Speaking, writing, and even non-verbal communication are examples of this step. The fourth step is receiving; and it is done by reading the letter, hearing the words, or sensing the non-verbal communication. Decoding, the fifth step, is the counterpart of encoding except that it is done by the receiver. Decoding requires taking intelligence from the message as it is received. This step is responsible for the majority of communications problems. The sixth step is action; if a message is received, then action of one sort or another must follow. Bear in mind that taking no action is one way of acting. M2.1 will help you understand this concept. Objective 3. Identify the different ways of communicating and list their advantages and disadvantages. Lets take the following means of communicating and discuss their advantages, disadvantages, and perhaps some suggestions for improving the communication in each medium. If you have additional contributions, we can discuss those as well. Telephone Written (memo, letter, instructions) Telephone (including voice mail) E-mail Face-to-face Objective 4. Explain the importance of non-verbal communication. Just as regular communication can take a variety of forms, so can non-verbal communication. We can identify several different kinds of non-verbal communication and each one may have some sub-categories. Here are some of the more common types of non-verbal communication: A local radio personality in Tyler, Texas, was hawking a used car lot and his statement was: I bought my last car from them. The obvious interpretation is that the last car he bought was from that dealer. What if he had put increasing emphasis on the last three words? Then it would sound like he would never buy another car from them. There are two main types of non-verbal communication: paralanguage and kinesics. Paralanguage is like language, that is, it communicates something, but not in words. It includes emphasis, vocalization, and pauses (or silence). You already know how adding emphasis to a statement (or parts of a statement) can add urgency to the message or even change the meaning. For example, if someone says, What do you think about it? he is speaking emphatically to you. Vocalization is an audible (or sometimes inaudible) component of a statement that carries meaning. For example, a laugh, a groan, or even clearing the throat can qualify as a vocalization if it carries meaning. A well placed pause can add a great deal to the message, such as when someone says, Im not saying he is dishonest, he is just (pause) creative in his dealings. Can you see the meaning the pause adds? Sometimes a question or a comment can be met with steely silence indicating displeasure with the message: Dad, can I go over to Joes house and smoke some marijuana? Kinesics includes deliberate gestures and other movements which might not be deliberate, such as stroking the chin, slumping, facial expressions, eye movement or body language. Please note that laughing, sighing, pausing, stroking the chin, or eye movement may be nothing other than what it seems. In order to be classified as non-verbal communication, the action must be a communication whether deliberate or non-deliberate. Some gestures might be perfectly acceptable in one culture and highly offensive in another. A television mini-series in 1986 entitled, On Wings of Eagles showed the daring rescue of some EDS executives held hostages in Iran. The man responsible for getting them out of Teheran told them, We need to get a ride, but do not stick out your thumb because that is an insulting gesture. The V sign can mean victory (as from Winston Churchill; it can mean peace, as with the 1960s peaceniks; or it can also be an insulting gesture in some European countries. Shifty-eyed is a label we would put on some gangster or someone not to be trusted. You can probably identify a number of other kinesics examples that add meaning or contradict meaning. Proxemics is communicating by space. Middle Eastern people prefer to get very close while communicating, but most westerners prefer a certain distance between themselves and the fellow communicator. Can you imagine what would happen if two people from these two cultures were trying to communicate and neither was aware of the proxemics preference of the other? Objective 5. Describe several ways you can improve your communications through using or not using non-verbal means. How Non-verbal Communication Helps How important is facial expression and eye contact in communication? You probably have heard the phrase, He can lie to you while he is looking you in the eye. It implies that the person is a skilled liar and that normally if a person is lying, he wont look you in the eye. Alternately, when someone says, I looked him in the eye and told him what I thought, that means he had the boldness to say what he really thought. Looking people in the eye is important because it conveys honesty and openness. Did you know that only 7% of your message is conveyed by words, while 38% is conveyed by your tone, and a whopping 55% is conveyed by body language. Did you know you cant turn your transmitter off? Even if you try not to communicate non-verbally, you are still communicating non-verbally. Read the document entitled, How to Understand Woman Talk. This is a set of hilarious definitions about how women communicate with men with paralanguage. You dont need to respond to this assignment; I just thought you would enjoy a good example of non-verbal communication. Recall our discussion of emotional intelligence in Module 1. The same general principle applies to improving communication by being aware of our non-verbal communication. If you are aware of what messages you might be sending, you can correct, delete, strengthen, or alter the message to suit your needs. I have been challenged in a meeting by a colleague who said, I can see by his facial expression that Tommy does not agree with this, but if he will hear me out, he may understand how my ideas will work. By the same thinking, if you can read non-verbal communication, you might know when to push or when to back off. Skilled negotiators know this very well, and you can gain an advantage in knowing what the other person is saying in addition to his words. Objective 6. Describe various ways to improve communications with superiors, subordinates, and peers. There is a concept called 3-D communication which describes how you communicate up, down, and sideways, that is, to superiors, subordinates, and peers. Consider the difference: Many people speak with a different style and a different tone depending on whether the receiver is a superior, subordinate, or peer. It seems reasonable to speak with respect to your superiors, but consider what would happen if you used the same degree of respect when you are communicating with subordinates Some wise person has said that one of your jobs is to keep your bosss boss off your bosss back. That is true enough and it is good advice. Here is a valuable tip that can enhance your relationship to your boss when you take a problem to your boss: State the problem. Provide some options. Make a recommendation about which option you recommend. Ask for his suggestions. Look what this process does: It shows respect for the boss by keeping him informed about the situation. It brags on you because it shows you have done your homework and you are not just being a whiny baby complaining to the boss. It shows your insight regarding a possible solution and your assertiveness in recommending it. At the same time, it shows respect for the boss by acknowledging the possibility that he might have a better idea or preference. Avoid Sarcasm Don Rickles has made a fortune by being sarcastic, but aside from him, no one benefits from sarcasm. Sarcasm is designed to hurt the other person. It serves no useful purpose, but it does inhibit communication by straining relationships unnecessarily. I cannot overemphasize the importance of respect and courtesy in communicating with others Objective 7. Describe the importance of feedback and how to cultivate it. DuBrin (10th edition, page 66) defines feedback as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the message sent back from the receiver to the sender. That is a good, workable definition, but it is also limited. Certainly the idea of feedback implies sending something back, but you can get feedback on the quality of your work or someones idea of a new procedure. Even though different definitions exist about feedback, its importance cannot be denied. How do you give and receive feedback? Ask for it. This assumes that you have a relationship with the people from whom you are requesting feedback that they feel. Provide for it and be sensitive to it. Sometimes feedback is subtle; an employee might not be as friendly and as open as normal and you may suspect that some feedback is lurking in there somewhere so you may have to go back to #1. React honestly but diplomatically. Thats the dumbest thing I ever heard, will probably not get you the Supervisor of the Year Award. Listen to the feedback. It may be dumb, but you should not allow the employee to know you think that. Express appreciation and act on it. This does not mean that you must satisfy the employees desire, but it does mean you must do something and let the employee know. If you cant do anything, then also let the employee know that as well. Objective 8. Explain the term grapevine and distinguish it from rumor. The grapevine is an informal communications network. As a manager, you should not try to kill the it because you cant; and besides, it provides a good release of tension. Good or bad, grapevine is most active when formal communications are not forthcoming. You have probably experienced the grapevine via your e-mail. A large number of interesting things are spread indiscriminately that may have some truth, but to a large extent are not nearly as wonderful or as catastrophic as they first appear. I saw one recently about a giant oil and gas reserve in western North Dakota that was supposed to solve our energy need for the next 40 years, but the environmentalists have blocked its development. It turns out there is a oil reserve there, but it is not nearly as expansive as the grapevine had it. It wasnt a trillion barrels; it is more like 3-4 billion barrels and that amount would curtail imports for about one year./p> Rumor is different from the grapevine. Rumor is unsubstantiated hearsay and it does get put on the grapevine. Rumor has several characteristics: It is usually interesting Its source not identifiable and it is unverifiable It is somewhat ambiguous It usually has an element of truth What to do about rumor? Dont pass it along. Check it out. Provide honest and open communication. http://www.analytictech.com/mb119/grapevine-article.htm Susan Heathfield is a management consultant with strong credentials in corporate communications. She offers the following recommendations about rumor and gossip: Expect a certain amount of gossip; people want to know what is going on in their workplace, and they like to discuss work issues. The key is to know when the gossip is out-of-hand. You need to act if the gossip is: disrupting the work place and the business of work, hurting employees feelings, damaging interpersonal relationships, or injuring employee motivation and morale. If rumors and gossip seem to be rampant, you might want to look at them to see if there are recurring themes. It may be that you are not sharing enough information with them, or perhaps they dont trust you and are afraid to ask about important topics. Objective 9. Explain why listening is such a significant problem. Hearing is a physiological process involving sound transmission, nerves, the ears, and the smallest bones in the body: the ossicles, comprised of the malleus (the hammer), the incus (the anvil), and the stapes (the stirrup). Listening is a psychological process which requires focus as well as understanding, processing, and evaluation. Listening is work and many times we hear things, but we dont listen to them. You have heard the phrase, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦in one ear and out the other? That is an example of hearing but not listening. Most people think they are good listeners, but a study has shown that a 10% listening effectiveness rate is not rare at all; 25% is common; and anyone who thinks he listens at a 60% effectiveness rate is fooling himself. Listening is the first thing children learn but it is the last thing taught, if at all. We emphasize reading and speaking in our schools, but listening skills traditionally have not been taught at all. That is changing somewhat because people are beginning to realize the importance of good listening skills. Have you ever met someone and five minutes later you couldnt remember his name? Sounds like a memory problem, doesnt it? It is not a memory problem, it is a listening problem. You were so intent on presenting a pleasing personality and putting the best foot forward that you didnt have any room left for listening. Actually, you do have the room, but you have to give it some concentration and focus on listening to the persons name. Discuss situations in which listening was not done properly and situations in which good listening skills paid off and report the best examples. Poor listening skills is one of the biggest problems in business and industry today. Poor listening causes low productivity, low morale, broken relationships with peers, subordinates, and bosses. Most of us listen at about a 25% level of effectiveness. Thats not very good. Even when we really try, the best we can do is about 60%. Listening is one of the most important things that any of us-workers, parents, bosses, whatever-can do to improve relationships and to get the job done. Do you like people? Other than a few soreheads, most of us would say yes. If you like people, then you need to like to listen. Even though you may be rushed, even though you think you may not have time to listen, listening is absolutely vital to getting the job done and maintaining relationships with your co-workers. Listening problems include the following: Listening is work and most of us are somewhat lazy. If you dont work at listening, you will not listen well. Having said that, you cannot work too hard or you will be concentrating so hard on listening that you will not listen well. Listening implies passivity and compliance to many people and they want to be in control. Sometimes our listening consists of grudgingly remaining silent until we get our turn to speak. Emotions get in the way of listening. When someone says something that pushes our hot button, we can become so charged up that we dont listen. Objective 10. Explain the process of active listening. You may have heard the term active listening which is the same thing as reflective listening. This concept is a listening tool and a human relations tool. Reflective listening is based on the idea that if people keep talking, sooner or later they will see the solution to their own problems. In addition to that, it helps both speaker and listener to be sure that what was spoken was the same as what was heard. The process works by the listener (the supervisor, perhaps?) listening carefully, then paraphrasing back to the speaker what he heard, or in some cases just asking for more information or clarification. Heres how it works: a team leader complains to the supervisor about his teams failure to follow through on their assignments. That bunch of dipsticks; they never do anything right. Sounds like youre pretty upset with them. You bet I am. I cant get them to follow instructions. What Im hearing is that they wont do what you tell them, is that right? Sometimes using reflective listening makes the speaker compare the reflection with what he said. That may require the speaker to revise his statement to more accurately reflect what he meant. Here are some typical reflective listening phrases: What Im hearing you say isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ It sounds like you thinkà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ So youre just wondering ifà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ You sound really disappointed. Reflective listening should not be used to diagnose the problem or to offer solutions. Additionally the listener should not make interpretations as to what he thinks the speaker is saying. The only thing the listener should do is offer a paraphrase of what the speaker is saying. Objective 11. Describe the keys to effective listening. Find areas of interest. You should make a decision when you are listening to someone. Either that person has something to say that you need to know or perhaps you should leave if you can do it diplomatically. Judge content not delivery. Sometimes people are not as articulate or as organized in their communications as they should be. It might be important to overlook the delivery shortcomings and focus on the message being sent. Hold your fire. People can really set you off by pushing your hot buttons. As a disciplined listener, you can deliberately choose not to get angry and just continue to listen. That does not make you a doormat because you can deal with the issues in an assertive, yet tactful way when it comes your turn to speak. Listen for ideas, not just information. Could the words be hiding something important? Later we will discuss the hidden agenda; and how you can deal with it. Work at listening. As we discussed earlier, listening is work and we need to know how much work to put into the job of listening. Remember that listening is faster than speech. Most people speak at about 150 words per minute (WPM). You can easily listen to speech at 450 WPM or even more with no loss in comprehension. That leaves a time differential that allows you to daydream and perhaps lose the train of thought or you can use the extra time to compare what the other person is saying to what you know, identify advantages and disadvantages, and identify the big picture and the supporting facts. Share your experiences on listening in M2.2. Objective 12. Describe why the concept of the hidden agenda is so important in communication. A hidden agenda is a matter which a person cannot or will not bring up, but which is causes him to do certain things or not do certain things. Examples of hidden agenda President Bush has been accused of having a hidden agenda with respect to the Iraq war. His critics say the real agenda was his desire to invade Iraq and get rid of Saddam Hussein; or for some, the real agenda was to seize Iraqs oil assets for the United States. The agenda he presented to the world was the imminent threat of Saddams weapons of mass destruction. Con artists are masters of hidden agenda; they gain your confidence and try to convince you that they are your friend, that they want to help you, but the real agenda is to steal your money. During the Viet Nam War, a leader in the anti-war movement said, If the Viet Nam War did not exist, we would have had to invent it. The hidden agenda here is, We must have something to protest or we dont exist. How should you handle a hidden agenda? First, you have to suspect it is there. If there is evidence that what the person is telling you is not what they really want to tell you, you can reflect back what they are saying.

Shifting Identity of an International Student

Shifting Identity of an International Student Over the last two decades the immigration for study by long-term migrants grew from 40,000 in 1990s to 192,000 in 2015 (Population Briefing International student migration What do the statistics tell us? January 2016). This paper aims to examine the reasons behind the students decision to immigrate for higher education, the challenges and issues they might encounter, as well as how having to live far away from home, in a different country, facing a whole new culture and new mentalities ultimately shapes their own personality. Immigration provides the immigrant with a new start in life and more growth opportunities than were previously available. The reasons behind this decision are complex, and differ from student to student, but what all of them have in common is the idea of a brighter future, of more opportunities and the chance to a better life than they would have in their country of origin. As it emerges from my interview, the participants decision to move to England was taken based mostly on the fact that the level of education in universities in England is higher than the one in her country of origin, Egypt, offering a broader diversity of courses and more career options and opportunities. Also, other factors that counted for this decision were the political affairs in Egypt, the revolution, and the fact that her country was not very stable at that moment in time. But apart from its benefits, there are many complex challenges associated with immigration, most of them regarding the assimilation into life in the host country. Migrants, almost by definition, move with the future in mind, but their journeys inevitably involve taking their past with them. Immigration is not only about changing countries, but also about shifting identities, known as the phenomenon of hybrid identity formation. They develop their personal identity as they face conflicting ethnic, personal and national identity options. They deal with both host and origin social constructs, contradicting expectations, traditions and norms during the process of individual identity formation. This phenomenon can be observed in the respondents answers as well. She identifies with some ideals of the British culture, but she feels that she does not belong here. She finds British people too free and uncensored in their thoughts and actions and sometimes even offensive. There is also a great discrepancy between the way in which women are treated. While in England girls are allowed to dress as they want, smoke, attend parties, or walk alone at night feeling safe, and without being judge, in Egypt people have clear, strict standards when it comes to girls clothing and behaviour, and if these are not respected people would stare and judge. Moreover, she faced a significant contrast regarding peoples religious beliefs and practices, as well as the level of religiosity. This affected her life on many levels. Things considered very bad, or even sin in her culture, are seen as normal in England and more, people would consider her weird and treat her differently if she would not take part in those activities or behave as they do. This is why she feels a constant pressure from the contradicting expectations people from the two countries she now belongs to have from her. Thus, migrant students can usually experience alienation of the culture of origin and the loss of meaning con cerning traditional values and norms, or they might feel an exclusion from the host majority society. The shift in migrant students personalities and formation of a dual identity can be observed as well very clearly in the evolution of their home friendships in contrast with the new relationships built in the host country. While they adapt to the new environment, their attitude and views inevitably change and so, their home friends will start facing difficulties in understanding their new ideas and acts. Meanwhile, their new friends from the host country will never be able to fully comprehend their distinctive character, as they do not understand the international students past, including the mentality and culture in which they were born and raised. This is further supported by the persistent finding in the research on international education that for many international students, a major disappointment is their failure to establish meaningful local friendships. Therefore, the migrants start developing feelings of alienation and isolation because neither friends can relate to them com pletely. As my interviewee admitted, she cannot be entirely honest with either of her friends because there are things only the ones from here would understand, and other things only the ones from Egypt would. However, the crucial characteristic, defining people with hybrid identities is the fact, that home is neither represented by their country of origin, nor by their host country. The migrant rather feels affiliated to both places, with both cultures, phenomenon called by sociologists bilocalism. The international students develop familial affiliations, relationships, cultural and material roots in two countries; they identify themselves with two place at the same time. The German-Turkish poet Zehra ÇÄÂ ±rak depicts this fact by using the metaphor of a bridge: the two ends of it symbolize two different cultures. People presenting hybrid identities walk on this bridge freely, from one culture to another. At some points of life one culture might be dominant, later on the other one. Nevertheless, essential for hybrid identities is the permanent presence of both cultures, no matter to which extent. This idea is further supported by Glick Schiller and her colleagues, who argue that nowadays migrants lives cut across national boundaries and bring two societies into a single social field. As my respondent admitted, she often faces contradictory feelings regarding her migration in England. On the one side, she misses home and everything that is related to it, feeling that she does not really belong in UK, but on the other side, there are things in her host country that she got attached to, that make her happy and without which she would not imagine her life now. Many international students might face difficulties in accommodating to the new environment and more importantly in trying to be academically successful in this new environment. However, studies have shown that they are conspicuously better motivated, focused and more aware of the benefits of higher education because they know the sacrifices they had to make in order to get where they are and the struggles they faced in adapting in the host country, so they appreciate more what they have and try to give their best in order to make these efforts worth it. These findings are consistent with my interview research. The respondent declared that she often feels unaccomplished and pressured to work hard and be persistent until she achieves what she wants because she had to leave everything behind in order to come here, and does not want these sacrifices to be in vain. But sometimes she is not as motivated to study and work as she usually is, or as she thinks she should be because she feels isolated, alone, away from home and family, further developing a guilty conscience during these moments. Moreover, migrants can usually experience alienation of the culture of origin and the loss of meaning concerning traditional values and norms, or they might feel an exclusion from the host majority society. From my interviewees experience, she considers that in general British people are colder and more interested in sticking together, than getting to know the international students. Moreover, she does not really like the life here as she considers that moving to UK does not help her accomplish what she really wants. She feels pressured by her identity to learn more about her culture and not being able to do so here bothers her. She could not say if she would change her decision to come to England if she could go back in time. What makes her happy here is what she studies and the friendships she has built so far and she is aware of the fact that she would not be able to continue her studies somewhere else, or leave her friends behind.

Marriage :: Literary Analysis, Gregory Corso

Gregory Corso’s poem â€Å"Marriage† is a beautiful, comic poem. The author is the main character and he is thinking about his future and the possibility of him getting married. He is trying to deeply think about all the possible scenarios he might face, he tries to think about the right decision to take in regard of him getting married or not getting married. So he takes a scientific approach to the dilemma, he first lays out all the possible options he has, and then he simulates every decision in his mind and tries to realize its consequences. Corso opens his poem by a question to himself â€Å"Should I get married? Should I be good?† this line suggests two possible interpretations. The first interpretation is relating being good as a result of getting married. The second interpretation is giving two options cannot go together, either being good or getting married. By only the first line Corso was able to set two perspectives on marriage. Corso talks about the girl next door and how he would astound her and go out on a date with her. Corso will not follow all the traditions while dating this girl, for example, he will take her to cemeteries instead of taking her to the movies, then he will kiss her and try to make love to her, but she refuses. He gets angry, but he does not show it, and he tries to convince her to sleep with him â€Å"You must feel! It’s beautiful to feel!† (Line 7) Corso says, but she still refuses. Then Corso starts his backup plan to ponder about the bright constellation in the sky . What a genius! When Corso meets her parents he feels so uncomfortable. He tries to look very educated gentle man, so he does not ask where the bathroom is even though he wanted to use it. He realized traditions have set these stupid rules for him to follow if he wanted her parents’ approval. Even when he gains the approval â€Å"Say All right get married, we’re losing a daughter, but we’re gaining a son† (Lines 21-22), he was not sure whether to ask for the bathroom â€Å"And should I then ask where’s the bathroom?† (Line 23). He shows his disgust from people’s actions around him when he gets married. He describes the priest’s look at him as I he was doing something bad â€Å"he is looking at me as if I masturbated†.

Catholicism in Eighteenth-Century England Essays -- European Europe Hi

Catholicism in Eighteenth-Century England February hath XXVIII Days Rouze, Protestants, the Year of Wonder’s gone, Great George is now establish’d on the Throne; A Mighty Prince, by God for us prepar’d, Us to preserve from Dangers greatly fear’d; From Popery the Devil’s great Master Fear, Where Men are Slaves, and Priests their Gods do eat . . . (Mullan and Reid 2000, 173) This poem, published in John Partridge’s almanac Merlinus Liberatus for 1717, shows the common feeling amongst the English Protestants towards Catholics. The term â€Å"Popery† was actually a hostile term for anything relating to Catholicism (Popery). Although many other countries in Europe were moving toward more modern, secular governments, the English were not prepared to let go of old prejudices so easily. One of the problems between Protestants and Catholics in England was that the â€Å"self-image of the protestant elite comprised not only religious doctrine and providential history, but constitutional theory and a concern for cultural and economic improvement; the Catholic case represented a challenge in each of these areas† (McBride 2003). During the eighteenth century, Protestants in England felt that they had endured persecution from the Catholics and so justified their resentment and intolerance. This sentiment can be seen in anti-Catholic literature published during this period. The Kalendar, of the Cruelties of the Papists to Protestants also from 1717, reports: July. Altho the Weather in this month was hot, yet the Persecution of poor Protestants by the Papists was much hotter, as you may see by following List of Martyrs who underwent fiery Trials, because they would not turn Papists and ... ... 1882. MacCaffrey, Rev. James. From the Renaissance to the French Revolution. History of the Catholic Church, 2000. [cited November 19, 2003]. Available from World Wide Web: (http://catholicity.elcore.net/MacCaffery/HCCRFR2_Chapter%2005.html) McBride, Ian. The Language of Liberty 1660-1822; Anti-Catholicism in 18th-Century England; and Catholicism in a Protestant Kingdom. History Today, 2003. [cited November 18, 2003] Available from World Wide Web: (http://www.historytoday.com/index.cfm?articleid=16961) Mullen, John and Christopher Reid, Ed. Eighteenth-Century Popular Culture. Oxford: University Press, 2000. Popery. Oxford English Dictionary [online], 2000. [cited on November 17, 2003]. Oxford: University Press, 1989. Woloch, Isser. Eighteenth-Century Europe: Tradition and Progress, 1715-1789. Norton and Company Press: New York, 1982.

The War on Terrorism Has Not Compromised Civil Liberties Essay

The War on Terrorism Has Not Compromised Civil Liberties In the wake of 9/11, the United States of America began to fight a war on terrorism.   Many in this country would say we actually started a war against ourselves.   One argument is the war on terrorism has begun to erode our civil liberties.   Have our civil liberties really been abused or have they been slightly altered by the Patriot Act to protect all Americans best interests?   To fully protect Americans from future terrorist attacks monitoring, the Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force, and the Patriot Act have been essential components. Many complain the war on terrorism has invaded their right to privacy.   People are worried their phone conversations and internet use are being monitored.   The truth is only those suspected of terrorists acts are being closely monitored by the government.   The fact is we need military tribunals, detention programs, monitoring of internet and phone activity and attorney-client conversations to protect all Americans from future terrorists attack (Ashcroft).   Any person being monitored by the government is told before hand.   For example; an inmate who's attorney-client conversation is being closely monitored know they are being overheard and can only be prosecuted for information pertaining to terrorism or future terrorist attacks.   According to John Ashcroft monitoring conversations is one of the many steps needed to fight terrorism. Immigrants fear deportation from the United States and feel their rights have been violated since 9/11.   Our government has instilled this fear by passing the Patriot Act.   "The Patriot Act flowed from a draft bill circulated by the Department of Justice in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks" (Byr... ...e Senate Judiciary Committee.   He said to scare the American people into losing their liberties only aids the terrorists, "for they erode our national unity and diminish our resolve† (Davies). Works Cited * Ashcroft, John. "The War on Terrorism Has Not Eroded Civil Liberties."  Ã‚   Civil Liberties: Opposing Viewpoints.   Ed. Auriana Ojeda.   New York: Greenhaven Press, 2004. * Byrd, Robert C.   Losing America.   pgs: 45-49   New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2004.   * Davies, Frank.   "Civil Liberties: Ashcroft Defends U.S. antiterror tactics."   Detroit Free Press.   7 December 2001.   6 November 2004.   <http://www.freep.com/news/nw/ash7_20011207.htm>. * Hannity, Sean.   Let Freedom Ring.   pg: 133   New York: Regan Books, 2002.   * Hendrickson, David C., and Robert W. Tucker.   "The Sources of American Legitimacy."   Foreign Affairs.   New York: 2004.  

Comparing Of Mice and Men and John Steinbecks Life Essay -- compariso

   John Steinbeck's agricultural upbringing in the California area vibrantly shines through in the settings and story lines of the majority of his works. Steinbeck's novel, Of Mice and Men, takes place in the Salinas Valley of California. The drama is centered around two itinerant farm workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, with a dream of someday owning a place of their own. Lennie Small is a simple-minded, slow moving, shapeless hulk with pale eyes whose enormous physical strength often causes him to get into trouble. George Milton on the other hand is small in stature, clever, dark of face and eyes, and acts as Lennie's guardian and calming force. Early in the story the prospect of their ever realizing their dream seems remote, but as the plot unfolds (they meet a crippled bunkhouse worker who wants to go in with them on the scheme, and who offers offer to chip in his life savings), the probability of fulfillment rises. If the three pool their salaries at the end of the current month, they can quit and move into their farm. Lennie manages to avoid disaster for exactly three days. He gets involved with the flirtatious wife of Curley, the boss' violent son. Through a series of unfortunate events, he becomes frightened and inadvertently kills the girl. Curley organizes a group to apprehend Lennie. George gets to Lennie first and out of sympathy for his companion, shoots him in the head to spare him the pain of Curley's shotgun or the misery of incarceration. Lennie's killing of mice and later his killing of the puppy sets up a pattern that the reader expects to be followed. George's story about Lennie and the little girl with the red dress, which he tells twice, adds to this expectancy, as do the shooting of Candy's d... ...ypical Steinbeck novel in terms of simplicity, story line, and setting. Steinbeck transplants the knowledge he gained and the images he conceived of California in his writings. Works Cited and Consulted: Bloom, Harold. John Steinbeck. Pennsylvania: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999. Davis, Robert Murray. Steinbeck: A Collection of Critical Essays. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1972. Fontenrose, Joseph. John Steinbeck: An Introduction and Interpretation. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1964. French, Warren. John Steinbeck's Fiction Revisited. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1994. Lisca, Peter. The Wide World of John Steinbeck. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1958. Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Books USA Incorporated, 1978. Tedlock, E.W. Steinbeck and His Critics. Albuquerque: The University of New Mexico Press, 1957.    Comparing Of Mice and Men and John Steinbeck's Life Essay -- compariso    John Steinbeck's agricultural upbringing in the California area vibrantly shines through in the settings and story lines of the majority of his works. Steinbeck's novel, Of Mice and Men, takes place in the Salinas Valley of California. The drama is centered around two itinerant farm workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, with a dream of someday owning a place of their own. Lennie Small is a simple-minded, slow moving, shapeless hulk with pale eyes whose enormous physical strength often causes him to get into trouble. George Milton on the other hand is small in stature, clever, dark of face and eyes, and acts as Lennie's guardian and calming force. Early in the story the prospect of their ever realizing their dream seems remote, but as the plot unfolds (they meet a crippled bunkhouse worker who wants to go in with them on the scheme, and who offers offer to chip in his life savings), the probability of fulfillment rises. If the three pool their salaries at the end of the current month, they can quit and move into their farm. Lennie manages to avoid disaster for exactly three days. He gets involved with the flirtatious wife of Curley, the boss' violent son. Through a series of unfortunate events, he becomes frightened and inadvertently kills the girl. Curley organizes a group to apprehend Lennie. George gets to Lennie first and out of sympathy for his companion, shoots him in the head to spare him the pain of Curley's shotgun or the misery of incarceration. Lennie's killing of mice and later his killing of the puppy sets up a pattern that the reader expects to be followed. George's story about Lennie and the little girl with the red dress, which he tells twice, adds to this expectancy, as do the shooting of Candy's d... ...ypical Steinbeck novel in terms of simplicity, story line, and setting. Steinbeck transplants the knowledge he gained and the images he conceived of California in his writings. Works Cited and Consulted: Bloom, Harold. John Steinbeck. Pennsylvania: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999. Davis, Robert Murray. Steinbeck: A Collection of Critical Essays. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1972. Fontenrose, Joseph. John Steinbeck: An Introduction and Interpretation. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1964. French, Warren. John Steinbeck's Fiction Revisited. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1994. Lisca, Peter. The Wide World of John Steinbeck. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1958. Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Books USA Incorporated, 1978. Tedlock, E.W. Steinbeck and His Critics. Albuquerque: The University of New Mexico Press, 1957.