McNeal Book Review Final Essay

Abstract This paper will constitute a review of Practicing Greatness: 7 Disciplines of Extraordinary Spiritual Leaders,1 with attention given to the disciplines themselves, as well as the rationale and method that McNeal believes will lead to leadership success. The work begins with a quotation from Elton Trueblood that sets the tone for the book’s contents. Trueblood states that â€Å"Deliberate mediocrity is a sin,†2 and to be mediocre is to be without discipline. McNeal penned this work to highlight the disciplines that lead to greatness, both spiritual and in leadership. Interestingly, the listed  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Disciplines† require a course of action on the part of the reader; and this implies not being idle or in the words of Trueblood, mediocre. The â€Å"Disciplines† comprise seven chapters and are noted as follows: The discipline of self—awareness is crucial as it safeguards the leader against unhealthy views of self and needs as well as from task oriented rather than people oriented. The discipline of self—management supports the claim that great leaders are great managers, not merely of others but, primarily and chiefly, of themselves. The discipline of self—development is indicative of all great leaders. They will never stop learning and developing. The discipline of mission honors the propensity of great leaders to sacrifice themselves to great causes. The discipline of decision making sets great leaders apart from good or average leaders. The discipline of belonging characterizes great leaders’ ability to retain and nurture significant relationships that in turn nurture their lives. The discipline of aloneness celebrates great leaders’ ability and grace not only to endure the loneliness of leadership but to actually build solitude into their lives. The over-arching theme of the book, is the spiritual leader that is truly â€Å"great,† achieves that distinction not â€Å"for what they do for themselves or even as a way to become recognized as great leaders. Their end game is about expanding the kingdom of God.†3 Great leaders are cognizant of their inner selves and the signals they send to others via actions. In Boundaries, Cloud and Townsend list four boundary personalities that can derail a leaders’ ability to maintain trust and influence in those they lead. These boundaries are noted as â€Å"Complaints, Avoidants, Controllers and Non-responsives.†4 To augment the above, McNeal cites Gary McIntosh and Samuel Rima’s identification of the leaders’ â€Å"dark-side† comprised of the following characteristics: 1. Compulsive Leaders 2. Narcissistic Leaders 3. Paranoid Leaders 4. Co-dependent Leaders5 McNeal notes that â€Å"Great leaders are great managers—not just managers of projects or other people but mostly of themselves.†6 Yet they are also distributors of â€Å"blessing and encouragement†7 with their work done in humility and in a servant mentality, guaranteeing â€Å"extraordinary character  and exceptional competence developed over time.†8 The author writes with people in view first, and then delves into the varied aspects of leadership based on the disciplines listed in the contents of the book. McNeal draws from years of ministry and teaching experience to demonstrate from Scripture that biblical leadership is possible if one is committed to looking at themselves in light of what Scripture states regarding our condition. Current patterns and preconceptions must be dealt with before change can be implemented; and McNeal provides support from biblical characters who, while not perfect, heeded sound wisdom and learned from experiences so that they would be able to become prepared for what God had planned for them to do. In this regard, McNeal states that all spiritual leaders must flesh out superlatives to distinguish the essence of their call from God to ministry. Questions to be asked in this regard below, will aid the future/current leader in providing answers to questions he/she might have regarding their present ministry or avocation: a. What people or cause do you feel drawn to? b. What do you want to help people do or achieve or experience? c. How do you want to help people? d. What message do you want to deliver? e. How do you intend to serve or have an impact on the world? f. Why did you say yes to God to begin with?9 Mc Neal expounds on leadership and those who will seek to carry it out. the work is not overtly religious, yet it is balanced in the biblical references included. The illustrations of real people in real situations and with real leadership styles are instrumental in bringing clarity and focus to an exhaustive subject. The author has clearly demonstrated his objectives set out in the introduction, and has provided examples for leadership that are able to be implemented in all business applications and not merely the church only. This work is to be commended for anyone interested in not only what makes leaders great; but as well, how they arrived at the summit and are able to remain there. Two things are clear from a complete reading of this book: 1. Great spiritual leaders are committed consciously and intentionally to the spiritual disciplines 2. Great leaders feel blessed, have an attitude of gratitude and have chosen excellence before God and men. Response One major life experience that this book triggered involves the section of â€Å"Managing Expectations in The Discipline of Self-Management.10 I had recently been promoted to assistant manager at my place of employment where I was to be responsible for the implementation of new sales protocols. In reading McNeal, and in retrospect, I realize that because an understanding of self-awareness was lacking, I set expectations so high my natural and learned abilities could not stay even with them. I failed in goals I set and therefore lost confidence in my ability to manage others who worked under me. I knew that there were things which were wrong in how I was doing things; yet I could not figure it out. I arrived at the point where I felt that I would become ill anytime I had to make decisions on the job. I sat down and cried because things seemed to have no solution where it seemed, I was able to find solutions and fix things. I remember hearing a preacher once who was teaching on the wisdom of God and the finiteness of the mind of men. I took my Bible out and went to the concordance where I searched for words and phrases relating to wisdom, mind and knowledge, and I was led to Proverbs 3:5-6 which states to 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (KJV). After studying these verses, I realized that not only was I lacking understanding of self-awareness, I was lacking in acknowledging God faithfully considering his infinite wisdom and sovereignty. This was the point where I had to confess my sins of ingratitude and ignorance of God and his power and wisdom. I knew in my heart that I would have to pray and listen to God through his Word more than I ever had; and I knew that I would have to be disciplined so that I would not find it easy to revert to where I had been before in my working life without him. Reflection One question that immediately came to my mind the further I went in this book was why McNeal did not incorporate more Scripture references than he did, or at the least alluded to? The â€Å"disciplines† of extraordinary spiritual leaders, one might think, would be found in Scripture with an excursus into what these disciplines entail. Were the decision left to me, I would have  drawn especially from the teachings of Christ; and from various leaders found within the pages of the sacred text.11 In retrospect, McNeal gave considerable attention to various disciplines within the teaching (illustrating) and ministry (practical) of Christ; yet the reader would likely desire more from the author in these regards than what he did present. There were areas of this work that read more as a psychological development course than the dynamics of spiritual development as the sanctified life of the leader will become apparent within his or her duties regardless the arena they work in. In r eading and discussing this book with my husband, I feel that a sense of balance would have been achieved were McNeal delved a bit more into biblical application of the topics he presented throughout. In terms of fleshing out the ordinary from the extraordinary, McNeal provides generous circumstances and situations from his own ministry life to demonstrate that every aspect of self-awareness and development hinge upon how the person views him/her-self in light of the truth. These â€Å"truths† are the non-negotiable prima fasciae of obedience to God and his will. In terms of readability, this work does not pose difficulty in determining where the author is headed in his teaching. The main issue is that more references to biblical characters might help to balance the illustrations of modern day people within various ministry or organizational structures. Action One of the first things I aim to accomplish in my life is to focus more on God and his wisdom rather than my own. It is so easy and tempting to second guess what one should do to achieve desired results; and more often than not, I have been guilty of over-guessing what I should do to the point that I am correcting every aspect of something to the point of micro-management and monarchial temperament. In the second place, I must set aside daily and consistent times to be alone with God in prayer and meditation on him rather than myself and my needs. I realize that most issues may be solved with remembering that â€Å"he must increase while I decrease† (Jn. 3:30). The power of God is not going to be neither availed nor prevalent if one does not fully relinquish the reins of their life to him, thus following rather than leading him. The above can have no time-table for measurement, so it seems best to state that it is a daily discipline that only grows and develops  properly over a course of time never ending. My ministry now and in the future will very likely utilize vast sections of this work with a focus on the three â€Å"Self’s:† Self-Awareness, Self-Management and Self-Development. I must commit to long-term developed and sustained growth interspersed with bench-marks as a measurement to demonstrate that I am growing and ministering properly. The people I will eventually teach and lead have a right to know what will be expected of them; they also have a right to point out the missteps leaders can make. Here is where I need to be receptive to criticism and rebuke; not wearing my emotions on my sleeve, rather, considering what is being said and then praying to God for the mind to take the necessary steps to corrective action and further development. I know where I am at now, even if I have not fully figured out everything about myself. I do anticipate a long road ahead toward restructuring and complete discipline; yet I believe that â€Å"the race does not belong to the swift, but to those who will never quit† (Eccl. 9:11). Bibliography McNeal, Reggie. Practicing Greatness: 7 Disciplines of Extraordinary Spiritual Leaders. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2006.

Paul’s Teachings Essay

1. Essay on the Epistle to the Galatians The New Testament Book Epistle to the Galatians is ascribed by the Catholic Church to St. Paul but now believed to be written by early Christian missionary Paul of Tarsus to the early Christian communities in Galatia, then a Roman province. It was an intensely personal letter wherein Paul primarily tackled the circumcision issue during those early days of Christianity. The issue of circumcising Gentile converts, considered to be culturally offensive to Romans, was then being hotly debated. In the Epistle, Paul cautions against the introduction of Jewish practices, such as circumcision, into the community of Christians. The circumcision debate written in Galatians was important for St. Paul because he wanted to point out to the Gentiles that the prescriptions that regulated the day-to-day lives of the Jews under the Law of Moses are meant to lead men to salvation through Christ. Some Galatian converts or Judaizers at that time insisted that observance of the Law, including circumcision, abstinence and certain ritual purifications, was prerequisite to being good or perfect Christians. During the Old Testament, circumcision served as a man’s public pledge to the complete observance of Mosaic Law. In Paul’s argument against circumcision, he mentions Old Testament figures such as Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Sarah and Hagar in order to explain and illustrate â€Å"what it means to follow God’s advice† ( 4:21, Galatians). Using the story of the birth of Isaac and Ishmael, Paul stresses that Christians should genuinely believe and follow all of God’s advise, not only religious traditions but more so, following the examples of Christ. In addressing the circumcision issue in the Epistle, Paul thereby explains that by itself, the Mosaic Law had no power to save because salvation needs individual faith and the grace of Jesus. 2. Essay on the Books of Timothy I, Timothy II and Titus The New Testament Books First Epistle to Timothy, Second Epistle to Timothy and Epistle to Titus are three Pastoral Epistles attributed to St. Paul but now believed to be from Paul of Tarsus. They are collectively termed as the Pastoral Epistles chiefly because the letters are addressed to pastors or heads of the early Church regarding proper handling of the ministry. Together, the Epistles instruct the Bishop Timothy and the Christian worker Titus on the general principles regarding community order and faith. Specifically, the greater part of the Timothy I is devoted to instructions on the proper ordering of Christian community life for it to function smoothly. It also admonishes Timothy on the duties of the bishops and deacons in terms of preaching, praying in public and care for the Church members. Timothy II, on the other stresses the faithful dispensing of the responsibilities by church leaders and provides encouragement to the Bishop. The Pastoral Epistles talk of the proper conduct of both men and women; proper behavior when inside the Church; respect for old and young people; treatment of elderly and rules for the enrollment of widows and other prescriptions for good and Christian behavior. They also talk of how to remain steadfast in faith by rejecting false teachings and safeguarding the truths in the Church. Such is a suggestion of the pressures against and the corresponding struggles to strengthen the faith within the community. The administrative activities, especially as found in Timothy I tell us that the early Church then was already, or at least beginning to be, structured and orderly and made up of united members. This is seen, for one, in the discussion on the selection of church leaders. These three Epistles definitely communicate to us the difficulties of the early Church. The part in Timothy II wherein Paul exhorted the Bishop to be patient in the face of persecution is best illustrates the serious problems they encountered. The recommendations in the Timothy I and Titus regarding the kind of character needed for the leaders of the Church suggest the earnest efforts to build and fortify what we know now to be a heavily challenged Church back then. In gist, Timothy I and II and Titus portray the picture of the Christian community during the incipient period of the Church. The Books show that times were hard but that the early Christians, herein guided by Paul, mustered their faith and effort for the ministry.

Sweden and German gender inequalities in employment Essay

Sweden and German gender inequalities in employment - Essay Example The EU notes that, â€Å"across Europe women earn on average 17.8% less than men†, meaning that Sweden is slightly above the median and Germany is almost 4.5% below it. The inclusion of a EU-wide average facilitates comparability. In large measure the gender pay gap directly expresses that women do not receive equal pay for work of equal value. However, it still does not adequately explain the nuances of the gender pay gap and inequality in employment. (EC, 2010) The existence of a 'glass ceiling' barriers and limits to promotions is also a factor. If women are denied access to the highest paying (and most influential) management positions this will manifest itself in an aggregate gender pay gap. Similarly, if a country's pregnancy and parental leave programs are inadequate and family causes women to interrupt their career path this will be reflected in the gender pay gap. Simply put, inequality in employment influences more than only equal pay for work of equal value. This pa per will examine key laws and policies aimed at promoting gender equality in employment in Sweden and Germany. It will identify and account for similarities and differences in the development and implementation of gender equality policies in these two countries. History and type of welfare regime in Sweden and Germany Throughout the 1990s in Sweden the gender pay gap remained relatively static at approximately 17.5%. According to the European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO) â€Å"Comparative study on gender pay equity: The case of Sweden†, â€Å"the trend is that lately, over the last ten years, with some smaller fluctuations, the wage differences between men and women are about the same. There is a decrease of the gap shown in some years, next year there is a small increase.† Throughout this period, â€Å"females earned an average of 83% of male wages.† (EIRO, â€Å"Sweden†, 2002) The statistics for Germany were much more dynamic in this period. However, they are also incomplete and difficult to work with as the period included the reunification of the two Germanies. However, they parallel Sweden with little change and a slightly higher level of the gender pay gap. (EIRO, â€Å"Germany†, 2002) Philosophically there are more profound and apparent differences between the social welfare systems in the two countries. Mandel and Shale have developed a typology for social welfare regimes that is useful in this situation. They characterise European social welfare systems as conservative, liberal or social democratic. The differences between the three are predicated on the three roles the social welfare system can play. According to Mandel and Shalev (2009), â€Å"Scandinavian social democracy is associated with patterns of intervention that exemplify all three roles: the state substitutes for Source: Mandel and Shalev, 2009. functions otherwise performed by markets or families and it does so with a distinct emphasis on ser vice provision (as opposed to income maintenance), which turns it into a massive employer.† It decommodifies and defamilializes social welfare. This is the model that Sweden exemplifies. The second country under consideration, Germany, is characterised as 'conservative' by Mandel and Shalev. â€Å"Germany, France and Spain form a second cluster which is made up of conservative countries that are less

Job Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Job Analysis - Research Paper Example Quirin (1991) defines job analysis as a systematic approach for the collection of information regarding a job including roles, responsibilities and the skills required to perform those tasks. It is an important part of planning in human resource enabling the manager to determine job necessities, needed tools and skills, supervision of the employees and their interaction with the management. This paper focuses on all the elements of job analysis, based on the statement that job analysis is the backbone of an organization’s efforts to meet its vision, mission and objectives. Based on the contingency theory of organizational behavior, a job analysis of my immediate former position will be made in a bid to ensure that it is filled and operated satisfactorily. Organizational Behavior Theory Guiding this Job Analysis: Contingency Theory This is a radical shift from both the classical and neoclassical theories of organizational behavior in terms of its view on conflict at the workpla ce. While the two are focused on avoiding conflict since it interferes with equilibrium in the organization, contingency theory recognizes the fact that conflict is virtually inescapable, but manageable at the same time. Thus, organizations naturally evolve and adapt to meet their strategic needs through actions that are rational and sequential. Effectiveness is a key component in dealing with changes in the environment (Walonick, 1993; Chandler, 1962; Lawrence & Lorsch, 1969). This is the most applicable theory in job analysis since it provides for adaptability and variation in all aspects of a job, especially considering the fact that a job description should be able to accommodate uniqueness. Creating a job description that meets the specific objectives of the organization is preferable than copying what is already being used in other firms. Aspects to be analyzed for the Job Job analysis is aimed at collection of information about the job. To begin with information will be gathe red concerning the specific duties and tasks required by the job. A review of any possible physical requirements according to the environment of the job will then be done since the working conditions may not be accommodative to all people. The tools and equipment used will then be explored in detail, followed by establishing the inter-relationships of the position with superior, equal and junior staff. Finally, the requirements of the job from a prospective recruit will then be analyzed in terms of knowledge, skills and abilities (Branick and Edward, 2002). Job Description Several methods can be used to collect information for a job description including interviewing the incumbents and supervisors, observation, structured or open questionnaires and exploration of work logs among others (McNamara, 2010). A lot of these methods will not be applicable in this case since I am the incumbent. I will utilize the knowledge I have from my previous position to create a job description. Import antly, I will utilize Gibb’s Reflective Cycle that will enable me to reflect on my entire service for that position, coming up with an evaluation of the things I did well, where I went wrong and finally the best course of action I would undertake if I was to find myself in similar position (Jasper, 2003). The other method is to interview my former

E-mails to Different Type of Readers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

E-mails to Different Type of Readers - Essay Example And here is where I will need your huge help, as always. The fifteen university libraries have agreed to place their orders a month prior to the delivery date. This is for them to fully ascertain the number and specification of bookshelves required for their new acquisitions. Thus, I will only be able to put the additional orders a month before they are delivered to the libraries. I will be forwarding them to you as soon as the customer places their orders to give you time to source your inputs and manufacture. For purposes of quality control however, I would like the bookshelves to be delivered in our warehouse 25 days after they are ordered. I hope that you can bear with this change. I sincerely appreciate the mutually beneficial partnership your company has with Custom Furniture. The first year of our partnership has gone well without any problems. Thus, I was surprised to receive a complaint from our warehouse manager regarding Order Number 15647 which was delivered two days ago. The desks delivered did not comply with the specifications spelled out in the order form sent to you last month. Due to this, Custom Furniture wishes to return these desks to you and we require a replacement as soon as possible. We have already informed the customer about the delay and they are only willing to wait in within a week for the desks to be delivered. Thus, we want to receive the order after six days at the latest. Our company also wants the 20% discount in the order price as stipulated in our memorandum of agreement in cases of non-compliance with the specification. I hope that this matter can be sorted out as soon as possible. I will be waiting for a response from you. Thanks. Sincerely, Your Name Your name@exe.custom-furniture.com To: marshaellington@hues.com Cc: Bcc: Subject: Important: Rush Orders Dear Marsha, Our company will need 50 pieces of BlueRidge fabrics for conference room chairs within the week. I understand that it will put much pressure on you to source this rush order but Custom Furniture will be willing to offer 5% above the price in order to compensate for the inconvenience. Thank you so much and I will be waiting for your prompt and favorable response. All the best, Your Name Your n

Ar.iclo p824 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ar.iclo p824 - Article Example Despite the fact that and washing is an important component of oral health education, a vast majority of people forget to wash their hands, probably because they take the repercussions of their negligence for granted. Owing to the sensitive nature of the female gender, credible research shows that females are highly likely to wash their hands as compared to their male counterparts. Although dental workers have the professional and personal responsibility of washing their hands, they ought to encourage every other person to wash their hands, at least by invoking the thought of contracting an illness (Kelsch, 2013). Oral healthcare section is a critical department within any healthcare center. In this regard, maximum hygiene is crucial in this section, especially considering the fact that clinics have some instruments that are predisposed to germs. Under ordinary circumstances, people touch such medical instruments either intentionally or unknowingly. Nonetheless, the biggest risk lies in people’s forgetfulness and wrongful assumptions. Most people assume either that the objects that they touch are sterile or they simply forget that hand washing is a key component of dental hygiene. Owing to the high rate at which oral infections spread, it is critical for people to be more aware of the existence of germs and hence wash their hands frequently and appropriately (Kelsch, 2013). Due to the anaerobic nature of some bacteria, it is not advisable to take disinfection as the last resort and not consider it as an effective way of eradicating bacteria. In most cases, these bacteria will stay on surfaces even after disinfecting the object. Objects such as bib clips are a good example of perfect hideouts for oral bacteria, and anaerobic bacteria that reside in oral cavity (Kelsch, 2013). Besides, Kelsch (2013) adds that some anaerobic bacteria that are isolated from the skin and those residing in the

Challenges Employees Face with Electronic Health Records Research Paper

Challenges Employees Face with Electronic Health Records - Research Paper Example I expect all three modules to be consistent with each other and reflect what you actually did. Every sentence you write should be understandable and relevant to the module, you have submitted a lot of words, with no real content.. This is not graduate level work, you have a lot of work to do, to get a passing grade. Ruchi Patel Prof. Peters HCA 500 7/27/13 Abstract – there is no abstract for the results section, you should submit an abstract for module 6 The ratification of Obama Care as a healthcare reform program that was passed in 2011has significantly brought with it, emphasis on the use of electronic health records. The use of electronic health records also remains an indispensiblevalue since it is an integral part of medical services provision. As a matter of fact, healthcare provision begins with the retrieval, updating and storage of the patient’s profile (the patient’s health status, the degree to which the patient has met his financial obligations, fami ly or ethnic background, allergic reactions,age, and financial status) and ends with the same. Likewise, successful medical intervention rises and falls on the management ofelectronic health records, since information gathered from research findings, which is, key to the dispensation of evidence-based practice heavily relies on electronic health recordsfor safekeeping. Legal suits that ensue from patient-healthcare giver also depend upon electronic health records to be launched and prosecuted. Because of this, it is apparent that electronic health records is sacrosanct to healthcare practice and must therefore be studied, in order for ameliorations to be made in the field of medical practice. Introduction –there is no introduction for this module, you present your results in this module, you are free to add any information here, to your introduction in module 6 That there are many challenges that employees face with electronic health records is not in doubt. These challenges are multiple in natures since they have underpinnings in human nature, technological advancements, and laws that govern the provision of healthcare services and the use of technology. In turn, appreciating these challenges that accost employees as they attempt to use electronic health records is very important since it is the key to the realization of patient-based and evidence-based care. Ultimately, making healthcare provision patient-based and evidence-based is the key to the dispensation ofsuccessfulmedical services. The gravity behind this realization is that analyzing and acknowledgingthe difficulties that employees face with electronic health recordsis the first step towards successful medical services provision. Methodology The method that has been used for data collection is questionnaires. This approach was the mostappropriate method of data collection, due to its affordable nature A lot of efforts were also concerted to address ethical issues that accosted the researc h program, in respectto humansubjects in the research. This was requested as part of module 3, which you did not satisfactorily complete but I am interested to know what you actually did, as this forms part of the methodology section for module 6.  Secondly, informed consent was obtained from the respondents, at least a month before the actually questionnaire was enacted. Ok, but you did not provide me with

Comparing between two country Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparing between two country - Essay Example that was established by the founding fathers of these nations after independence, challenges of border conflicts between neighboring countries is still real. Kenya and Tanzania have suffered similarly from terrorist attacks on the record of a twin bomb in the capitals of these two nations that simultaneously occurred on 7th August 2008 at the embassies of the United States. Politically, Kenya and Tanzania have shared several similarities. It will historically be remembered that these two countries were both British Colonies and got independence in the 1960s. At the time of independence, Kenya and Tanzania had similar structures and organization of a unitary government and (Klugman, Neyapti and Stewart 46). Both countries share a commonality of the political history for remaining single party democracies until 1992 when multiparty democracy was adopted in both Kenya and Tanzania. Their struggles for sovereignty are known to have resulted in massive loss of lives. Today, Kenya and Tanzania are multiparty democracies with several political parties registered in both countries. Both nations are headed by a Head of State with Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of the founding father in Kenya heading the country while his counterpart Jakaya Kikwete leading Tanzania. The political relations between the two nations have been stable since independence. Several changes in both countries have aimed at transforming governance although making varied achievements. However, Tanzania and Kenya have clearly manifest political differences. Firstly, through the many constitutional changes and amendments since independence, the political structures are substantially transformed. Kenya adopted and embraced a devolved system of governance while Tanzania embraces a unitary system of government (Martin 23). Under the decentralized governance in Kenya, the President is the Head of State while the Governors head the forty-seven counties. The famous constitutional change in Kenya in 2010 ushered in

An analysis of attempts deal with the problem of smuggling of human beings Essay Example for Free

An analysis of attempts deal with the problem of smuggling of human beings Essay 1. Introduction There are many factors that entice some people to use illegal means to reach the United States, the member states of the European Union and other countries. One of the illegal means is through human smuggling. Two of the main reasons are pegged on social as well as economic ties. Other reasons could be   the political instability, armed conflict, rapid population growth, environmental degradation, widening economic disparities between countries, and a worsening unemployment crisis in the Asia Pacific region are only a few of the reasons that have sparked several waves of human smuggling activities. Human smuggling always entails people leaving their home country where their loved ones are waiting for them to send back home money to pay for their family’s daily expenses. For, humans exhort to violating the immigration laws of their decision countries by entering through the smuggling channels because in order to acquire that elusive bag of gold offered in the destination country. In Congo, humans are smuggled to Europe by passing them off as musicians and dancers (Bafalikike 2003, 65).   This bag of gold includes protection from dangers to their life back home, employment, higher wages and a better life. Thus, these people are forced to leave their country of origin either voluntarily or   even involuntarily to improve their life to secure their lives, to secure their families and friends and their properties back home (Hampson, and Hay 2004). 2. Smuggling Operation-The Organisation Human Smuggling   from China to the United States has a long history. This started with the United States interpretation of the term refugee in 1996. Consequently, the last ten years saw the human smuggling of Chinese citizens   has increased   from a small –scale regional movement to a major global enterprise (Kung 2000, 1271). The Chinese smuggling network is run by big snakeheads that have institutionalized networks of small snakeheads, debt collectors and enforcers. With the good relationship with local Chinese government officials, many snakeheads   present themselves as philanthropists for they donate large sums of corruption money to improve their chosen home villages (Smith 2002). The smuggled humans do not ever meet these snakeheads but are only in communication with the snakeheads’ representatives or employees. Some of the smaller snakeheads are local Chinese residents who entice customers and collect down payments. In addition, droves of middlemen   tour the human smuggles from one transit point to the next until they reach their destination – United States. Upon arrival on the United States shores, these human smuggles are then imprisoned by the tour guides until they pay their fees. The big snakeheads normally hire gang members to collect the human smuggles’ debts. However, there is no flagrant evidence that organized crime holds the strings in the Chinese human smuggling business (Ruddock 2001). Evidently, the Chinese human smuggling business is controlled by so -called enterpreneurs who are involved in several criminal activities(Jandl, 2004). The tour guides and entrepreneurs juicily talk to their hapless victims that they have to pay only a small monetary price in exchange for a richer life in the United States. Thus, the willing Chinese victims endure the dangerous travel by sea, air and land in inhuman conditions that are worsened by the violent abuses of the enforcers (Chu 2000, 111). The entrepreneurs or Chinese smugglers   charges very exorbitant fees ranging from $30,000 to $60,000 for each person for their human smuggling services. To ensure success, the human smuggles pay   the smugglers lots of money in exchange for   passage through the high seas. The Chinese smuggles then are not forced to as indentured servants in American food services establishments or sweatshops to pay their smugglers. In fact, human smuggling has increased in alarming rate more (ORourke 2002, p1). For, the smugglers immediately collect the human smuggles’ debts from the friends and relatives of the newly arrived Chinese human smuggles in full upon arrival in the United States. Consequently, the smugglers will torture the human smuggles and inform the relatives that further harm will continue thus forcing their relatives and friends to pay the human smuggles’ debts if payment has not been made generally in one week’s time (Jandl, 2004). Usually, the Chinese human smuggles come from the Chinese province of Fujian. The smuggling networks starting the 1980s have already smuggled more than ten thousand Fujians into the United States. Fujian lies along the coastal Mainland side of China which is the main Chinese shipping route for export and import of goods.   In fact, Fujian is the birthplace of the founder of the Chinese Triad, San Lian Hui, which is the center of Chinese Smuggling. Human smuggling here was ignited when the war brought about by the Qing dynasty in the 19th century where thousands of Fujians fled the island to escape the war   and financial hardships then. The main source of the Fujian human smuggles are people living around Fuzhou City in the northern part of Fujian province. Here, several villages are housed many Chinese whose relatives are in the United States. The residents here are dependent on the money sent from their relatives in the United States. Unquestionably, money is the push factor that has forced many Chinese to illegally enter the United States. Along this line, many Chinese officials are being corrupted to allow a smooth transfer of the Chinese smuggles outside of China which weakens most levels of the Chinese society (Jandl, 2004). Further, one expert clarified that corruption of Chinese government officials plus the decentralization of the Chinese economy erupted into a massive unrest in the Chinese Society. Thus, this unrest increased the number of Chinese smuggled outside of China. The Chinese government could not stop the human smuggling because the Chinese officials in the smuggling areas were corrupt and cared more about the money they will receive through bribes than implementing the Chinese government’s efforts to curtail human smuggling in China. The ordinary Chinese citizen finds it an uphill climb in terms of procuring travel documents to enter the United States. On the other hand, the rich, educated and professional Chinese residents can easily travel abroad including the United States and members of the European Union States. For, the Chinese government are very strict in giving out passports to Chinese people applying for permission to go abroad. Normally, the legal way to go the United States includes applying for a passport from their local village officials. Then, the visa and passport applicant will apply at the United States Embassy in Beijing or the Consulate in Guangzhou.   After, the Chinese applicant must   apply with the Public Security Bureau for the final document needed to leave China. The final paper is the exit permit. However, there are many bureaucratic obstacles hounding the application in every step of the application process (Lubbers 2002). The human smugglers ply their trade by giving their clients fake documents   and passage to the United States.   Also, the lax immigration checkpoints in China and the transit countries until the United States have made human smuggling a very profitable and happy encounter. For, the smugglers make lots of money in return for a happy arrival into the United States. In addition, other authorities offer high prices to give their passports to clients. In addition, Chinese government officials themselves pay the human smugglers to smuggle their families and friends into the United States at an obviously discounted price.   The human smuggling travel passes through several transit points. There are dangers along bend of the way. The trip takes from a few weeks to even a year. The ride passes through Southeast Asian countries, Europe and South or Central America The human smuggles are at the mercy of the snakeheads and the enforcers. Not all human smuggling was successful. On June, 1993, the freighter Golden Venture ran aground in New York. It was discovered that more than three hundred Chinese smuggles were packed in 800 square feet of cargo space and had been at sea for more than three months with little food and water, no lifer preservers and only one ladder as escape route in case of danger. Upon discovery, an estimated two hundred Chinese smuggles jumped ship and swim across the literally ice –cold New York waters ashore where more than ten people died from froze bite   swimming in the freezing water. Ten of the migrants died while trying to reach the shore(Schneider, Steiner, and Romaine 2003). In addition, the early nineties saw thirty two ships carrying a total of more than five thousand Chinese migrants traveling towards the United States that were caught   many stop –over points in Asia, South America and Europe. After the Golden Venture Crackdown, still continued to brave the odds that were heavily stocked in miniscule fashion in the Chinese smuggles’ favour in fishing boats. In fact, one United States INS   officer   stated that at any given point in time, thirty thousand Chinese are   literary packed in sardine like safe houses around the world waiting for that rare and opportune time to enter the United States through the discreet smuggle entry points. Importantly, any clear and fast distinction between human smuggling and human trafficking seems spurious (Skeldon 2003 p.1). In 1998, the United States INS service uncovered a criminal syndicate that focused on smuggling up to one hundred fifty Chinese people per month into the United States through the Canadian border (Smart, 994, p 98). The criminal syndicate’s network encompassed five continents because they earn lots of money in this illegal activity. The method was to smuggle the Chinese through Canada by giving them fake passports. The Chinese smuggles then   were sent to New York City passing through the Saint Regis Mohawk Territory at Akwesasne. This was an American Indian Reserve the lies between the boundary of the United States and Canada.   This smuggling was busted and thirty seven members of the smuggling ring were jailed.   After the Canada bust, the smugglers focused their entry point through Mexico City (Cholewinski 1997, 4). Smuggling humans through Mexico had declined during the Great Depression of 1929 (Hansen 2006; Spener and Staudt 1998, null5). Recently, the Chinese smuggling ring is using Guam as its stop –over point (Jandl, 2004). Furthermore, many human smugglers use commercial airplanes to deliver their human smuggles so that the coast guard and the border patrol could not find them. Flying the human smuggles through the air lanes was more successful and comfortable as compared to the overly tight border patrols. The Chinese smuggles would wait an average of two months for their fake travel documents to arrives so they could fly to the United States passing through Asia, Europe and other transit points. It is difficult to estimate the magnitude of the human smuggles because of their discreet operations (Guiraudon and Joppke 2001, 107). When caught by the INS people, the Snake heads instruct their Chinese smuggles to say that they are applying for political asylum because they are escaping China’s one child policy (Newman and Van Selm 2003, 9). Then, the snake heads hire lawyers to get the smuggles on parole and out of jail. After leaving jail, the Chinese Smuggles then disappear in the Chinese communities hide from detection. In reality though, the United States benefits from the cheap labor that these Chinese smuggles offer (Jandl, 2004). 3. Protocols The United States INS detention centers could not keep the overbulging Chinese human smuggles who come in droves and in regularly smuggled fashion.   The current US jails could not keep the surge of Chinese human smuggles arriving.   And, a Chinese woman was jailed by the United States INS in October 24, 1999 who gave birth in a United States Jail. The jail guards rushed the pregnant mother to the nearest hospital. Naturally, many human rights groups including the American Civil Liberties Union have complained that jailing the human smuggles are a violation of their human rights. For, the jail was a harsh environment taking into consideration the hardships these Chinese had to face for three or more months inside inhuman ocean going containers. Despite the eighteen arrests of Chinese Stowaways in another ship in Seattle and the detention of more then two hundred Chinese human smuggles found in container vans bound for the United States and Canada, there are still more that have not be caught. The series of successful detection of the Chinese smuggles that were smuggled as part of cargo in ships is used by the United States INS as proof that they are successful in their endeavor to decrease or even stop the rampant human smuggling into the United States passing through the European Union countries, Asia, Canada, Mexico and the like. The difficulty in detecting the Chinese smuggles is because there are too many cargoes loaded in a Cargo ship. In addition, many of the shipping companies and their crew do not know if their ship is carrying human smuggles. In response, the United States INS are holding responsible the shipping lines if human smuggles are discovered hiding in their ships. To stave off the proliferation of human smuggling, the United States makes it a criminal offense for anyone to bring or to aid in bringing human smuggles into the United States.   Likewise, it is considered a violation of the United States law if a person aids in the smuggling of persons into the United States. In addition, any person who entices another to enter the United States illegally will be punished with the full strength of the United States law. The penalty for human smuggling could reach up to five years. In addition, the enticing human smuggler will pay dearly if his human smuggle dies on board. However, if the human smuggling is done on a large scale or business –like basis, the penalty would be fifty dollars. However, these sentences will not stop the Chinese smuggles from entering the United States through sheer luck.   The United States Congress in 1996 placed human smuggling and immigration related visa fraud as RICO predicate offense. The RICO approach focuses on the leaders of the smuggling rings and not on the smuggling middle men. The violation of the RICO protocol will give out a fine that may include imprisonment of up to twenty years (Jandl, 2004). The United States had partnered with the United States address human smuggling. However, the focus on the United Nations is on the human trafficking of women and children and also white slavery. Combating human smuggling is a combined world –wide effort. However, corruption of local governments officials in China and other countries had made the curtailment of human smuggling next to nothing.     Ã‚  In reality, the detection of Chinese human smuggles are generally successful if someone secretly tips the border patrols on possible hideouts of the jail escapees   (Kyle, 2003). Developed countries are trying to find ways to curtail human smuggling. However, they   are against any policy that would reduce the demand for illegal workers. Evidently, the more there are strict immigration policies, the more will be the smuggler’s will to smuggle people because of the money involved (Kyle, 2003).

My Journey to Being an Advocate of Reality and Existential Therapies Essay Example for Free

My Journey to Being an Advocate of Reality and Existential Therapies Essay Introduction For someone who has always seen himself as lesser superior than others; for someone whose confidence is always behind the scene; for someone who has never really seen himself any bigger than a green pea; for someone who has acquired numbers of rejection which, apparently, outnumbered number of acceptance from people around him; for someone who used to just exist – just exist – who would have thought it would come to this point? Review I cannot consider my life as an extraordinary this world had ever had. Each person has a story to tell and I must say mine is not really something different. While some people spend their lives with lots of colors around them, some just do not – and as much as I hate to admit, I spent many years of my life belonging to the second group. I go with flow and that has always been the case. It goes this way: I knew I need to attend school and so I did. I have to do well in school or else I will suffer from all the criticisms – the usual criticisms. It is never easy to live in other people’s expectations to the point that it is what they want that drives you. It is your body under their minds. I can now imagine how pathetic that was. All the while, though, I do not think I was as inspired as the rest of the class was. I did not make lots of friends from school. No big deal! But there were times when I also deal with thinking of the reasons for the ‘empty’ life. Those days would usually end with me getting no answer than ‘It must be me†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Although I acknowledge the fact that each of us has our own set of preferences and all the while, I lived in the thought that I just prefer to live my life like this – lonely, detached, alone. It was tiring when you care for no one and more when no one cares for you. This probably exhibits the self-centered approach known to men. My being careless about others exhibits my being self-centered while others being self-centered is signified by how I saw them treating me. I started my career as an advocate of science and technology. Yes, my first degree was within the realm of hard science. I used to get fascinated with breakthroughs science gets to offer – all those inventions and advances in technology. Awesome! Hale great! Breath-taking! Fantastic! All those praises†¦ Nothing can beat the feeling of having invented something out of nothing. Or the feeling of being the one to drastically improve the current state of something for the benefit of people around the globe it is always satisfying! Or so I was told. But who could tell it was not really a career of choice? I was one of those high school graduates who do not really know what they want to happen in their lives. And so, without any particular basis, it was Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering that I ended up with. Not a bad call anyway. I am aware of the good future this field has to offer. I have known of lots of people who have succeeded in this career and, yes, that is, somehow, something to look forward to. I, at least, had this driving force to continue with my study. Fair enough to push me to strive harder and harder. I just told myself I need it or else I will end up with nothing. Although I appeared to be so passive all the while, in my heart I know I long for something. That something, however, is unknown. I do not know if I am just one those people who experience wanting something they do not exactly know what or looking for something they do not know, for sure, if existent. Can you just imagine how if feels to be in the dark? Be somewhere without any clear direction? They say that every little thing just takes a little of getting used to. Oh, well, probably, as I seemed to have been used to the feeling of being lost. It was sad but true. At this point in my life, I can never consider this as self-centeredness as I cannot even put myself at the center of everything. Myself was put on dark – not in the center but in the darkness. Despite the lack of light in my life, I never questioned the existence of the Great Someone Up There. I perfectly know he is there. I do not recall how often I scream for His help. Maybe not that often but, of course, I do. I do and in my heart, I know I am not essentially alone all the while. However, there are moments when I tend to question the number and quantity of challenges facing me. There seems to be imbalance in load allocation. How come I am so lost while others follow certain direction? How come I do not know what I want in life while others are so certain of what they want in theirs? How come I do not seem to possess enough reason to be happy and complete. I often envy happy and satisfied people, I must admit – but I do not harm to them. I just envy them, that is it. And more often than not, I wish I were in their shoes. I even envy my own family members who seemed to find satisfaction in this life. Self-centered, I was, that time. In all the insecurities I have inside, there were times when I ask myself if this is something I caused. What is that something I failed to do? What is that something that I can probably change to make a difference? What could be missing? I have heard of success stories about people who started with nothing and ended up having the life they have always dreamed of. Can I not be one of them? My concern is never monetary. I did not wish for the whole world. I just want a piece of it – a piece of it where I can enjoy life to the fullest. I did not ask for extravagant things. What would a loner do with those? I doubt if anybody could really enjoy everything alone. I did not wish for fame. I have lived my life not having the attention of the whole world. I just want some compassion and feeling of belongingness. I did not wish for power as I have never ever seen myself mandating others or controlling the world. It could be that I long for power but that power is the power to appreciate and enjoy life, the power to make people see me as a sensible being worth the company, the power to contribute to the ‘real’ things in this world. In short, I was never a materialistic type. There are things I lack from within and that is something I longed for to fill in. Looking at these things now, it was all, I – I – I. I was so I-centered. Self-centeredness, however, can be seen positively or negatively. Realization should start from oneself. Otherwise, there is no way one can share himself to others. There is no way sharing yourself if you are now whole. In this way, self-centeredness can be seen as a first way in building or trying to build relationships with others. I used to have a, so to speak, very narrow view of things in life. I exist. I have to live. I have to survive. I used to find the question, â€Å"What am I here for?† or â€Å"Why do I exist?† as clichà © that should have been buried decades back. Come on! You are here because you are here and there is just nothing you can do about it! It is not a problem needing solution. It is just a situation that you have to live with. You are left with just two options – either you continue to exist or you end your own existence. Is that something needing some sort of profound thinking?! Life is as plain as that. You just have to go with the flow. I was never a person of confidence. I could not care less of what others might be thinking of me. Why would I? Could they care for me any better than that? I doubt†¦ I am just me. With or without me, the world would still revolve around the sun. With or without me, people from any part of the globe would still have 24 hours in a day. With or without me, things still go precisely the same way as they do when I am here. I am a nobody to ever have the notion I mean something – that I am myself and this person counts. This was when I began my resolve of finding more meaning and finding reality in a passionate and phenomenological way (Deurzen, Kenward, 2005). This turning point of shifting specializations was particularly critical in my advocacy of Reality Therapy. I have realized that while there are social norms and expectations that we all have to comply with in our roles, there should be no reason that should prevent me from pursuing my dreams. This is when I began to acknowledge and espouse Reality Therapy. I have realized that it would be such a waste to continue pursuing decisions that are against my choice; and whicha are driven merely by the desire to please others. I have also begun to look into how I can create a trusting environment for clients to be more receptive of techniques that espouse positive change in their lives (The Institute for Reality Therapy, 2007). From this turning point, I have become more strongly aware of the motives behind my actions. I was not after pleasing others with every action I took; rather, I started to evaluate things from the   perspective of logic and sense and improving my choices in the future (Miller, 1992). As I started to look back, where did it all start? Where and when did I ever acquire this feeling of inferiority and lack of self-worth? When did I start to â€Å"kill† myself? After some self-scrutiny, these questions led me to this answer the number of rejections I got from people around me. I was ignored for more than once, not just twice, far more than thrice, and to say it is four times is an understatement. It is never easy to be ignored. It is a feeling I would not want myself to dwell with – not anymore. As some people say, any attention is better than none. And indeed, any attention is better than the countless rejections my past gave me. Life has never been that kind to me. All those moments when I wanted to say something and no one seemed to be interested to even turn a head to look at who is talking; all those moments when my eyes could not speak more of what I feel inside and yet no one seemed to notice; all those moments when the only resort I can think of is to walk and walk and walk until my life ends; all those moments when all I wanted is to disappear from everybody’s sight; all those moments contributed to the me that I used to be. In which case, the concept of containment applied in me. It was during this time when I tend to control and keep all emotions to myself, given the assumption that no one will listen and no one will care. My life went on and on and on. I learned to care for myself and for myself alone as I do not want to meddle with any other people’s lives. Why would I? Is it not that for so long I am with myself and myself alone? Is it not that for so long, I could not seem to find anyone beside me? Who ever said, â€Å"No man is an island?† I used to be an island and that is something I can attest. Until this very day came – I happened to come across (accidentally or probably it is fate’s planned way) with this certain book entitled, â€Å"Teach Only Love†. I am not a bookworm, definitely. No, unless it is an Engineering, Mathematics, or Physics book. I cannot exactly recall what is in that book that made me read it through. It was not me that is for sure. Nonetheless, the next thing I know is I finished reading that book. This is not normal. This must be something. And, indeed, it was. Why? Because reading that book had been the key to discover the other self I have. Yes, and it surprised me much more than any reader of this essay could ever imagine. What about this â€Å"magical† book? Nothing special at first glance†¦ It is a simple, plain, ordinary book that discusses the importance of our every word and every deed. It emphasizes that what we are today is basically an aftermath of what we said and did yesterday. I then started to look back at my past once more – the past that does not possess any allure to be revisited if not for the purpose of wanting to see myself mourning for the nth time. After reading this book once, I must admit something in me felt a slight change in perspective. But I was in denial. It is just a book – a fantasy created by someone, a perspective shared to others hoping there will be people to buy the ideas. â€Å"Count me out†, I told myself. But this book seemed to have a magical and magnetic property that made me want to read it over again. And so I did. This time, I cannot seem to put myself in denial as I did the first time. And yes, it opened my eyes in more than just one way. How could this certain piece of something, non-living, non-speaking, can speak of the things I have never heard from anyone in my life? How could this piece of bound paper wake me up from the long sleep I have been? How could it be? These are the questions reining my head for days and days. I got tired of seeking for answers. And then came the answer – if that non-living thing happened to show the life out of me, I can do far better than that. If this thing that does not have a mouth spoke to me of million things, how better could someone with mouth do that? If this thing that does not have a hand touched me in a unique, special way that no one has ever done before, what more could my able hands do? If this thing without eyes saw me the way I have always wanted to be seen, how better could these bright eyes of mine see those who are in need of my attention? If this thing without ears heard me like I was never listened to before, what more could these ears of mine do to those people who need people to listen as they confess? If this thing without shoulder happened to offer me a cradle of comfort, what more could this broad shoulder of mine offer those who need some rest? And if this thing without a heart happened to feel me, how can my heart not feel what other people have to express? It is this moment when I finally decided to stop asking why but to start thanking God that for millions of wandering souls we have in this world, I was given the chance to come across this book that opened millions of wonderful and worthwhile possibilities. This book was also instrumental in developing my advocacy for Existential Therapy. I was then able to appreciate more my ‘humanness’, and I have begun to appreciate seeing things from a phenomenological point of view. This was a drastic shift from my previous career which dealt with things from a strongly empirical viewpoint (Existential Therapy.com, 2007). I am also more of a believer of Rogers, particularly of his teaching that people are innately good and evil is an external force that comes from culture and socialization (Rogers, 1982). And so the confession above justifies the need for me to shift my profession from the hard sciences to Counseling Psychology, specifically advocating Reality and Existential Therapies. These are far apart degrees and, yes, I did not see myself engaging in counseling. No, not even in my wildest dream. But this is not a dream. Yes, I am living in reality and the reality is that this is the vocation of choice. This is where I find myself, my heart. This is where I belong. It is true what the â€Å"magical† book says – that it is from your past where you draw your present. If not for the thousands of rejection, if not for the feeling of inferiority, if not for the lack of self confidence, I do not really think this book would have as much effect on me as it had. What is in counseling that truly entices me? It is not the feeling of recognition. It is not the money behind every consultation. It is not to make a living. It is to live and to let others appreciate how wonderful it is to live. Experience, indeed, is the best teacher. I know the feeling of being neglected. I experienced lots of it. And this leads me to wanting to help people feel important, feel needed, feel worthy. I know the feeling of losing self worth and so I love to boost people’s confidence in themselves. I love to see people seeing their value as a person and claiming it as theirs. I love to see people loving themselves. But going through all these things, all these aspirations for others required lots of self realization. I had to learn to love myself first. It is true that you cannot share something you do not possess in the first place. How can I share love and confidence when I do not have it myself? I started with loving myself unconditionally, being proud of myself like I have never achieved anything before, and looking myself at the mirror with the courage to say, â€Å"This is me and without me, the world will never be exactly the same again.† When I finally learned to appreciate my own self, that was the time I started to see others in the way they should be seen – no prejudgment, no bias, no unjust feeling. This is where I started to realize the positive side of seeing things from a phenomenological point of view. I took time to stabilize myself and when the time came, accidentally or planned, that I can tell myself I am whole, was the time I can start reaching out to others. Therapeutic relationship with others is where the essence of counseling relies. You have to build that kind of relationship to be able to counsel who are in need of help. When is it therapeutic? When you can ease others’ pain and when you can hear others’ grief without literally saying it. It is when your relationship with people tends to make those people feel relieved of their burden. It is the talent that no book can actually teach. The theories behind help, but the counselor’s approach to practice it can never be assured by the theories. Existential therapy entails understanding things from the point of the view of the client, expressing strong empathy, and having a profound realization of the goodness of human beings (Wilkes Milton, 2006). The person being counseled would want it done that way. Well, to start with, he seeks counseling to be paid with attention that he wants to get, to get the understanding that no one seems to give him. The counselor should be able to give that. The central purpose is to make the person being counseled feel healed of the burden. As I walk down the road, I wish my simple talk can speak of the things the lesser fortunate being would want to hear; my simple touch, I wish, could give them the comfort and shield they need; my simple smile, I pray, could bring them joy and hope that tomorrow is another day. There are, indeed, things no textbook can teach. There are things you can only learn as you get through it. I now know the answer to my questions and the answer is that I had to experience all those to experience what I am experiencing now. That may be the only acceptable answer and I do not really intend to search for more. Life is so simple if we only know how to really live it. Life happens but once. I might have spent many years of it in a not-so-wonderful way but it life does not lead back. It only moves forward. And so I should. No one should really wallow about the misfortunes in life, as there is no such thing. There are instances – some are happy while some are not. But those that are not are not really misfortunes if we are to scrutinize. Those are just God’s means to prepare us. He does not teach us how to see things. He can only provide us with tests that can help us see things the way He wants us to. Our God is never a spoon-feeding, pampering God. He is a just God who gives comprehensive examinations where we can learn great lessons if we only listen. The world is a very huge venue to learn. This life is a very comprehensive exam to pass. The beauty is when we learn to appreciate the class – when we go to it not because it is mandatory to go to it but because we love to. Conclusion If anybody would ask me now if I regret giving up my first degree to pursue counseling, I will answer, â€Å"The sad past led me to a wonderful today. Every bit of failure and pain did not really lead me to regretting anything because in each of those, I learned. And in each of those, I grew – not just as a person for myself but as a person for other people.† And now, I no longer find the question, â€Å"What do I live for?† mushy. I can tell, with chin up, I live for others to appreciate their lives. I do not just exist. I live. I continue to learn through others with high hopes and belief that they also learn from me. References Deurzen, E. van, Kenward, R. (2005). Dictionary of existential Psychotherapy and Counselling. London: Sage Publications. Existential Therapy.com. (2007). Humanistic psychology. Retrieved on April 5, 2007 from http://www.existential-therapy.com/HumanisticPsychotherapy.htm Miller, R. B. (Ed.). (1992). The restoration of dialogue: Readings in the philosophy of clinical psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Rogers, C. (1982). Reply to Rollo Mays Letter to Carl Rogers. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 22, 85-89. The Institute for Reality Therapy. (2007). Reality therapy. Retrieved on April 5, 2007 from http://www.realitytherapy.org.uk/ Wilkes, R. Milton, M. (2006). Being an existential therapist: An IPA study of existential therapists’ experiences. Existential Analysis, 3(5), 24-30.

PEST(EL) Analysis of Finland and Chine

PEST(EL) Analysis of Finland and Chine Finland is a parliamentary republic government with a multiparty political system based country lead by the head of state which is the president. Finland president hold a period of 6 years term with maximum two consecutive term elected by the Finnish. Both the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister dominated by the president after the parliamentary elections. They are the head of government and having the executive power to the government including the EU issues. Women in Finland are treated fairly great. They represented 38% of the seats in the 200 members of parliament in the year of 2003. Besides, part of them holding important positions like foreign minister, speaker of parliament and so on. The most significant position of Finnish ladies ever hold is president in the year 2000 by Tarja Halonen and primes minister by Anneli Jaatteenmaki in March 2003. Economic Factors Finland is a highly industrialized country with GDP of $181.4billion in year 2009, over 40% from the GDP are from the contribution of exporting goods and services. The primary economy sector in Finland is service sector which contribute about 65.7% and followed by manufacturing sector in producing metals, chemicals, and so on. Taxation system in Finland is very difference with the other countries. Finnish hold their own tax card to prevent the card holder from getting highly taxed by their government. Those people without tax card are taxed 60% from all the income they obtained. The most significant industry in Finland is Nokia, which is one of the world largest and notable mobile phone producers. Due to the highly success of the development of Nokia in Finland, this enable Finnish have the opportunity to own mobile phone and also connect to the internet much earlier before this becomes common in the United Stated and other countries in the world. Social Factors Finland hold the population over 5.32 million inhabitants, a part from the whole populations, there is 2.7million of them are workforce and 2.5 million from them are employed. Public sector is the most popular sector the Finnish to contribute in. Major ethnics group in Finland include Finns, Swedes, Lapps, Sami, Roma, and Tatars, and majority of them roughly about 91% speak in Finnish. Besides, large numbers of them are believed in Lutheran. In the education system of Finland, children who reach the age of 9 years old are compulsory for them to start school. The attendance and literacy rate in Finland are almost hundred percent. This is among the higher in the ranking of education index in the word. Free meals will be provided for students who study in primary and secondary schools. Besides, the government absorbs the tuition fees, which mean there are 0 tuition fees for their full time students. Technological Factors Staying ahead Finland has long been recognized for the success of the work it has done to promote innovation and the results speak for themselves in many areas. Finland cannot afford to rest on its laurels. This identified a number of shortcomings, most particularly in the area of business support and making it easier for small businesses and start-ups to access the support and incentives that already exist. Finland has international links that need to be strengthened in research, the university world, and business. Being able to tap into the dynamism of the globalization process going on around us more effectively is a challenge facing many other countries as well as Finland. Staying ahead of the competition is a must. Greater sustainability One of the fundamental trends under way and one highlighted by Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation is the growing emphasis on the need for greater sustainability and reducing unnecessary wastage of the worlds dwindling natural resources. Addressing this challenge will call for a range of new innovations based on a much lower level of resource usage than we accept today, innovations that have a smaller footprint across the entire life cycle of products and services. The need for these types of innovations is perhaps most obvious in areas such as renewable energy, but ultimately it is also likely to be felt across all the products and services that people interact with in one way or another. Clean technology Finland has already made great strides in developing energy-efficient systems and technologies, and is committed to doing more in this area. The country is expected to be one of the fastest-growing renewable energy markets in Europe over the next five years, and wants to be one of the EUs leading users of renewable energy per capita by 2020. A number of initiatives are under way to promote the development of environmental technologies and services in Finland, including the Cleantech programme and the new Strategic Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation that has been created to focus on advanced RD in the energy and environment sector, alongside the other five centres already in place. Known as CLEEN, its research agenda will address issues such as carbon-neutral energy generation, distributed energy systems, sustainable fuels, smart grids, efficient energy use, resource-efficient production technologies and services, recycling, and waste management. Legal Factors Welfare State and Rule of Law form the Basis Finland is a welfare state. The state and the municipality of residence have to guarantee everyone a worthwhile existence and offer equal opportunities for a balanced and active life. People also have to have sufficient knowledge of their rights and responsibilities. A system of legal safeguards guarantees that these rights are upheld. Societal stability, the quality of the judicial system, good governance and effective legal safeguards are important competitive factors in ever more global and integrated markets. Strategic Action towards 2012 within Legal Policy Increase the flexibility of legal proceedings. Improve the equality of the citizens in legal safety cases. Improve the efficiency of crime prevention and broad-based criminal policy. Better support and compensation systems for crime victims. Rapid enforcement of criminal responsibility. Increase the prevention of disruptions of payment. Improve the fairness and efficiency of the collection of claims. Assess the up-to-datedness of family and inheritance legislation. Strategic Action towards 2012 on Governmental Level Strengthen structures supporting good law drafting. More effective evaluation of the alternatives to and effects of legislation. Support cooperation in order to create functional democracy. Create opportunities and forms for civil participation. Promote the enforcement of rights within the EU. Stress the development of practical forms of cooperation for the prevention of international crime. Emphasise clarity, transparency, good governance and the protection of fundamental rights in the activities of the EU. Why do you think Finland tops the chart for overall ranking of the Best Countries in The World? Finland education is ranked number 1 in the world. Finland has set education as a national priority and believes that future generations do not have prospects for a healthy lifestyle if the population is not well educated. Finland quality of life is ranked number 4 in the world. The standard of living in Finland is better. The Finland citizen has lots of holidays so families can actually spend time together. Finland economy dynamism is ranked number 8 in the world. Finland or the Republic of Finland has a mixed economy which is highly industrialized. The country located in the northern Europe has rich natural resources like gold, silver copper, timber and limestone. The country also has deposits of iron, lead, zinc, chromium and copper across the country. Service, which is the largest economic sector of the country, forms more than 67 percent of the total and the next sector, manufacturing accounts, for more than 30 percent of the economy of Finland. PESTEL Analysis for China Political Factors The primary system in China is socialist system. The Constitution is the fundamental law of the state and entitled with the highest legislative power. All other laws and regulations shall be consistent with it. It has been amended four times since its adoption and will be continuously optimized to better suit the changing environment. The National Peoples Congress (NPC) is the Chinas fundamental political system. It is composed of representatives from provinces, autonomous regions, direct municipalities and the military. Chinese Communist Party (CPC) is the ruling party with other eight political parties. The eight parties are parties participating in the discussion and management of state affairs in cooperation with the CPC instead of parties in opposition. This leads to relative stable politic in China. A unique form of political risk occurs in China, and this is the constant battle between the countrys central government and the provincial and local governments over applicable law, and observance or non-observance of it. This makes companies operating in China hard to know exactly what the rules are. Economic Factors Since 1949, the Chinese government has adopted planned economy system for 30 years. Though this system contributed to the stable, planned developments of the Chinas economy, it also limited the economy development and sapped its vitality. The Chinas economic reforms began first in the rural areas in 1978 and shifted to the cities in 1984. The implementation of reform transforms Chinas economy into a socialist market economy. China is the fastest growing major economy in the world, with an average growth rate of 10% for the past 30 years. Chinas embrace of the World Trade Organization and foreign direct investment is unprecedented and contributes significantly to its growth success. China overtook Germany as the worlds biggest exporter of goods in 2009. Its booming investment and consumption are helping to rebalance the world economy although Beijing has refused to let the yuan rise against the dollar since the global financial crisis began in mid-2008. However, there is numerous weaknesses challenge the economic growth of China. One of the most serious weaknesses is the conflict of interests between central government and local government. Local officials primary priority has been to promote themselves and their careers by pushing for high investment rates and output levels whereas central officials are more concerned with excessive investment, unsold inventories, and local policies risking nationwide price inflation. Besides, corruption is mainly a government phenomenon in China. Corruption especially affects government handling of a wide range of local problems such as economic reforms and the need to compensate losers in the process of modernization. Social Factors There are around 1.3 billion inhabitants in China. The Chinese government tries to control its population growth by strict family planning policy, with the goal of one child per family. However, the policy is conducted with exceptions in rural areas and for ethnic minorities. For religion, Buddhism is most widely practiced, with an estimated 100 million adherents. Traditional Taoism also is practiced. China is still an industrializing agrarian society and has a long way to go to attain an industrial society, so most of the people do not have access to the best of Chinas recent improvements. Most modern Chinese young adults do not go to college, to which entrance is obtained by passing the Gaokao, a standardized test at the end of the year. In the year 2000, less than 50 percent of the population finished junior high, and less than 15 percent finished senior high or vocational school. In 2000, only 3.6 percent of the population went to college. Amongst high school and vocational schoo l graduates, less than one tenth had the chance to go to college. There is one private car per 120 people. In China, people with associates degrees and above comprise less than 5% of the population. Technological Factors Cement industry of China has many technological advances compare to other countries. China cement industry focuses on energy-saving, consumption reduction, environmental protection, quality and productivity improvement, and clean and intensive production for sustainable development. China has developed 60 types of special cements with independent intellectual property rights such as high strength cement, silicate cement, and oil well cement. New suspension preheater (NSP) sintering system is the main processing equipment of a NSP cement production line. China has been developed advanced NSP technologies of 1000-5000 t/d sintering systems. The design of 10000t/d NSP sintering system has also been completed and three production lines are under construction. Electricity consumption of cement production largely depends on grinding process in normal circumstances. In China, the combined power consumption of NSP plants has decreased from 125kwh/t in the 1980s to 95kwh/t today in some moder n plants, mainly due to the adoption of advanced technologies and equipments, such as advanced roller mill and high efficiency separator. Environmental Factors There are some current environmental issues in China. Poor land management and excessive industrialization on fragile grasslands is driving to desertification in China. Besides, the climate change is exacerbating the problems. Unrestrained development and industrialization throughout the country makes China particularly vulnerable to growing changes in the climate due to rapidly increasing levels of greenhouse gas emissions in the worlds atmosphere. Desertification is engulfing ecosystems with sand and reducing already scarce arable land and creates eco-refugees. Chinas economy based mainly on heavy industry and coal for cheap energy emits high levels of greenhouse gases, ultimately accelerating global warming and climate change. To alleviate the short-term effects of climate change, China has started to use artificial precipitation and other experimental means. The Chinese government also has begun to adopt stricter energy conservation legislation and increase and international coop eration to combat threats that climate change may bring to China. Legal Factors The judiciary in China means law-enforcement activities conducted by the countrys judicial organs and organizations in handling prosecuted or non-prosecuted cases. Sources of law are as follow: 1982 Constitution of the Peoples Republic of China The Constitution of the PRC guarantees the basic rights and interests of citizens. Chinas Constitution has been amended for four times since its adoption in 1982, most recently this year on March 14, 2004 when the National Peoples Congress voted to include formal guarantees of human rights. NPC Statutory Law and Other Legislative Enactments China has intensified legislative action on enacting and revising laws and regulations in accordance with its having become in late 2001 a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Up to the end of 2003, around 440 laws and law-related decisions enacted by the NPC and its Standing Committee, more than 1,000 administrative regulations enacted by the State Council and 10,000 local ordinances had been formulated. International Treaties Though the 1982 Constitution does not specify the treatment of international law in relation to the laws of the PRC, in practice the legislative approach has been to automatically incorporate international law as part of PRC law. If, however, the PRC has made a reservation to a provision of a treaty, this aspect or provision of the treaty is not implemented in the law. Case Law In theory, each case stands as its own decision and will not bind another court. However, in practice lower peoples courts judges often attempt to follow the interpretations of the laws decided by the Supreme Peoples Courts.

Parental Advisory :: Music Lyrics Essays

Parental Advisory On sale now in a music store near you! The following are excerpts of songs from well known American artists that can be purchased. While each of these albums all have a parental advisory label, they in fact can be purchased by any consumer of any age. Let’s hear what they have to say†¦ One of you tries to grab a knife /And during the struggle he accidentally gets his Adam's apple sliced /(No!) /And while this is goin' on /His son just woke up and he just walks in /She panics and he gets his throat cut /(Oh my God!) /So now they both dead and you slash your own throat /So now it's double homicide and suicide with no note†¦ Now shut the fuck up and get what's comin to you/NOW BLEED! BITCH BLEED†¦ (Eminem) You're such an inspiration for the ways/That I'll never ever choose to be/Oh so many ways for me to show you/How the savior has abandoned you/Fuck your God/Your Lord and your Christ†¦( A Perfect Circle) Hart 2 The idea of putting a rating system on a form of entertainment has been around for years. Rating systems were mainly developed to help parents make informed choices about the movies, TV programs, video games, and music their children are being exposed to. Usually based on the amount of violence, sex, nudity, strong language or drug use a viewer will see or hear. The Motion Picture Association of America has set up a clear rating system for movie goers, â€Å"G- for general audience, all ages are admitted; PG- parental guidance is suggested and some material may not be suitable for children; PG-13-parents are strongly cautioned and some material may be inappropriate for children under 13; R-Restricted, under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian; and NC-17- no one 17 and under admitted† (Movie Ratings). Movies are no longer the only form of entertainment that has volunteered a structured rating system. In recent years the TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board, has created a rating system to help with the increasing number of TV channels and programs coming into homes each day.† TV-Y, is appropriate for all children; TV-Y7, is designed for children 7 and above who can distinguish between make-believe and reality; TV-Y7-FV, is Hart 3 for older children and contains more fantasy violence that may be more intense; TV-G, is for a general audience

Book Review Of Star Wars: X-wing Rogue Squardron :: essays research papers

Book Review of Star Wars: X-Wing Rogue Squardron Dan Boughen 9A The title of the novel is Star Wars : X-Wing Rogue Squadron. The author's name is Michael A. Stackpole. The type of book is fantasy / adventure. Main Characters A) Corran Horn : Corran is a pilot in training for the Alliance or the Rebellion. He is the best rookie pilot on the Rogue Squadron. He is a silent person who does not like the social life but does like the spotlight once in a while. He was a CorSec security officer on the planet Correlia in his late teens'. B) Kirtan Loor : Kirtan is a cold, isolated man that lives on the planet of Churba. He is a high ranked officer for the Imperial Army. He later gets promoted to a commanding officer and sits on the right side of the head leader of intelligence for the Emperor. Setting : The setting first takes place in the Rebel's secret base. The setting then moves to a swamp planet by the name of Imdaar. The setting then moves to Imperial headquarters on the planet of Coruscant. Plot Summary : Corran and his new partners are given a limited amount of training time and are sent out on a mission in just weeks of forming the new Rogue Squadron X-wing fighter group. This book switches the first-person perspective between Corran and Kirtan Loor. While Corran and the Rogue Squadron are off fighting TIE fighters and Star Destroyers, Kirtan is hunting down information on the squadron and it's pilots. Personal Reaction : I found this book a little hard to read because of the long complicated sentences and the complex words Michael Stackpole chose for his book. I would say the reading level would probably be around grade 11 or 12 because of the intricate words and long sentences. I liked this book because it not only was exciting and kept me on the edge of my seat, but because of the easy to

Marketing scenario

Positioned as an premium offering focused to lowest overall cost to end users through superior overall performance. Leader in quality , performance and technological innovation Product lines Carton sealing and industrial tapes Specialized adhesives Other packaging products SKI tape – Manufactured using patented technology and a brand name for pressure sensitive carton sealing tapeEvery high tensile strength and sheer resistance Positioning High Price K Products Low Quality High Quality ‘pack Tensile New Product Low Price Problem Statement ; K tape competed against inferior economy grade products in carton sealing type ; ‘PACK offered 25-35% lesser price ; Revenue of K- $68. 6 million ‘PACK – $28. 5 million 2012 ; Tensile -a new competitor had $2. 7 million dollar sale with one sales representative Should SST stay with high quality product or enter the economy grade segment ?Option 1: Enter the economy grade segment under the same brand PROS Access to t he economy segment Defend market share against competition Diversification of product portfolio CONS Dilution of the brand image as a maker of technological superior product Conceptualization of its own product offering Accoutered product line Option 2: Enter the economy grade segment under different brand Implications for: Customer ; Ability to fulfill need of price sensitive customers ; Possibility of change in perception of being a quality leaderDistributor ; Possibility to offer a low end SST product ; Even wider product range; Limited sales force Sales Force ; Ability to offer more variety in terms of price levels ; More effort to explain product differences Brand ; No positive impact ; Negative impact on brand image Option 2: Stay with high-quality products ; Maintaining image of quality Leader ; Loss of Market share; Not targeting price sensitive consumers ; No need for adjustment in distribution policy.

Marketing Sample Essay

Table of Contents Executive Summary †¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 Introduction †¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2 Market plan and Auditing †¦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‚¬ ¦ 4 SWOT Analysis †¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5 Strengths †¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 Weaknesses †¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 Opportunities †¦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‚¬ ¦. 6 Threats †¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 Market Conditions †¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 7 The 4Ps of Marketing †¦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‚¬ ¦.. 8 Price †¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8 Products †¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦10Place †¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 10 Promotion †¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 10 Recommendations †¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10 Conclusion †¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12 Works Cited †¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 13 Audi Executive S ummary Audi is a brand of vehicle that is manufactured by a German automobile company, ranging from super-mini to cross over SUVs, accompanied by various body styles as well as different ranges of market price. Audi is leveled on the same brand as the Volkswagen Group (Oneighturbo). Audi is named after its founder- August Horch.Horch means to listen in German and on translation it means Audi in Latin. Though the Audi headquarter is in Ingolstadt, Germany, the brand is marketed and known worldwide. This paper will give main focus on marketing the brand Audi, in regard to the product, market segmentation, the size and the growth Audi market, market analysis regarding strengths and weaknesses as well as fronting recommendations. The marketing strategy of Audi is to emphasize the ability of the car to beat other automobile manufacturers in the global market. Audi is a global brand and is widely embraced far and away from the company headquarters inGermany. The management of the Audi Com pany has been at the forefront of improving and evolving into new models since its inception. The car status has to be improved by all standards in order to avoid being overtaken by other new car ventures in the competitive market. Introduction August Horch (1868-1951) established an automobile company in 1899 first as A. Horch & Cie. in Cologne Germany. However, due to the dispute between him and the advisory board, he quit the company. Later on, in 1909, Horch established another automobile company known as Horch Automobil-Werke GmbH (Baldwin and Laban).In 1910, the initial Audi automobile Type A 10/22 (16 KW) Sport-Phaeton in Zwickau (audiusa). Horsh continued to face tribulations and was evicted out of the company he had played an important role at creating (Audi Website). He proceeded to start a new company in Zwickau. The Audi car first went to the market with an inclined-four engine, a 2612 cc model, thereafter a 3564 cc, and then 4680 as well as 5720 cc models came into the market (Baldwin and Laban). Volkswagen is the largest shareholder of Audi. It owns over 99 percent of the overall share capital.Furthermore, Volkswagen, in its own financial statements, owns the consolidated accounts of Audi. Audi however was at the helm of the heading the Audi Brand Group which is a subdivision of the Volkswagen group, consisting of SEAT and Lamborgini, that mostly focused on sports car (Volkswagen Group). The Audi has four rings as its badge, which is considered to be one of the oldest emblems of automobile manufacturing company in Germany. The four badges symbolyze the merger of four automobile manufacturing companies namely; the Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer. These companies form the connerstone of the current AUDI AG (Volkswagen Group).The figure below shows how the badge looks like; The old logo used by Audi until 2009, courtesy of the Audi Website. The Audi Company today is currently having a reputation of high quality, durable production of cars. Their sloga n, â€Å"Vorsprung durch Technik†, significantly implies â€Å"Progress through technology† (Volkswagen Group). Automobile users have been yearning for high-quality, durable and efficient cars, and apparently, this is what the company has been giving its clients. It is worth noting that the automobile market is very competitive and the company annot downplay this notion, if it wants to retain the current status or increased sales in the global market. Market plan and Auditing It is significantly imperative for any business to have a plan for the future in an effective manner so that it may be successful. It is equally important for any business to have a well established and outlined marketing plan in order to well sell its products. These are precautions that are carried out by every firm. In this regard, Audi, a global firm, is not left behind; starting from the moment it was established up to today. Audi has been effectively doing this through marketing its model.Th rough marketing the Audi model, the company sets down easy to accomplish objectives. The firm does the current position auditing as well as having policies of developing and implementing the current achievable objectives. Audi can achieve these through the following; * Setting corporate objectives such as profit and growth * Gathering information through market research * Assessing the current situation, referred to as the market analysis * Production of SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) * Setting objectives of the market, such as market share, revenue among others * Implementing market plan Using reviews through market research SWOT Analysis for Audi The SWOT analysis gives a breakdown of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that an organization is faced with (USDA, 2009). The strengths and weaknesses base their analysis on the internal factors that affect the organization while the opportunities and threats focus on the external factors. Strengths One of the main strength the company relies on is the good reputation that it boasts of in the worldwide arena. The Audi Company has the capacity of producing a car of high quality as well as using premium pricing.The spending power is large since they have built the brand over a long period of time, and as a global company, have been profitable in the market during the past period. The company is able to produce quality cars and has a vast marketing budget, through promotion of its brands, through addition of luxurious features, thus having advantage in the otherwise competitive market. In addition, the company relies on the success and the good reputation of the previous models, which included the A6, as well as the quality of the cars, which attract higher prices, in turn ending up building the overall company reputation.Weaknesses The company has a challenge of having to charge exorbitant prices for its cars, including A6 to cover the costs, with the eventual aspirati ons that potential customers will cater for these costs. The company, in order to effectively fight other competitors, has to ensure that they manufacture new models through technology and innovation, which during many occasions prove to be quite expensive. This will eventually lead to high pricing in order to cover the costs of production, transportation and costs of promotion. OpportunitiesAudi has in the most recent times released market price for its cars that none of its major competitors in the market have had an opportunity of meeting, thus gaining an ample part of the market. The Audi, which has been in the market for many years, has tremendously been growing, though other competitors have had to pull out of the market. The good economic environment is an opportunity for Audi to venture into the global market. Threats Audi is faced by the threat of its other main competitors releasing new models of cars immediately after it releases its own, thus attracting new potential cli ents away.Other highly regarded competitors in the automobile industry such as the Mercedes and the BMW have been having a good reputation, and Audi have to ensure that this threat is contained. One of the models, A6 has been having an elastic product and the price fluctuation may result in revenue loss. Consequently, the SWOT analysis enables the Audi Company to embrace one of the following methods; * Matching; Audi Company may have to build on its strengths and take the advantages imposed by the opportunities, or; * Conversion; the company may resort to reating new and innovative strategies that will overturn the weaknesses into strengths and eventually into opportunities. Market Conditions Besides using the SWOT analysis, Audi Company will employ the examination of the current market conditions prior to producing a good marketing strategy. Market examination can be done through carrying out research in relation to the opinions of the potential customers. The following are the maj or issues to be cross-examined; a) Market size; this implies that Audi will have to look at the overall size of the market, through measuring the market in terms of volume or value (price x volume).In this regard, it is equally important to ascertain that Audi owns a large market. b) Market share; this is the total sales percentage that a particular brand/product has as compared to the total market. In 2003, Audi boasted of 2. 7% of the total market share in the United Kingdom. From the initial perspective, this can percentage of market share can be deemed to be small, but when several factors are put into consideration, say, the number of automobile companies in the market, as well as the market share that Audi has in Germany, which is depicted to be three times the market share it had in the United Kingdom (Niedermeyer). ) Market growth; this refers to the actual rate of increase in the size of the market. Audi has been experiencing tremendous growth in market size. For instance, in the 2002, 2003 period, Audi had significantly increased the sales of its brand in the United Kingdom by 6. 9%. however, this only portrayed the rise in market share by 0. 6%. this therefore means that the Audi market is experiencing recommendable growth at a faster rate (Niedermeyer). d) Market segmentation; this is the appeal made by a brand to different parts of the market, mostly in different ways by transfrming the market mix.For instance, Audi Company has been on the forefront of changing the features of the Audi car so that it appeals to different individuals, such as women, youth, sporty individuals among others, through re-inventing different body size and engine size. The 4p’s of Marketing The 4p’s of marketing is a marketing tool that looks at how the business is positioned to reap the benefits of marketing. The 4p’s are the price, product, place and promotion (Ehmke, Fulton, & Lusk, 2009). The graph below is a representation of the benefits of usin g the 4p’s of marketing (Ehmke, Fulton, & Lusk, 2009).Price The pricing of a product is a big determinant of how the market responds to the product. Factors that affect the pricing of Audi car include; costs; the company will be obliged to cover the costs in order to make profits. For instance, making and testing Audi car is quite expensive, hence it’s high pricing (Huber). Pricing of Audi is also affected by the price elasticity of demand; this implies the sensitivity of the product to change the price. Therefore, if the price is sensitive, lowering of a product’s price will lead to turnover increase.Audi does not experience price elasticity, hence the high pricing. High pricing is directly linked to heavy branding, limited competitors (lack of new automobiles in the A6 class), having a selling point that is unique, high unit cost since constructing prototypes,testing the product as well as the overall production of the product is quite expensive quality design , and having limited distribution ( Audi is mainly sold in the showrooms and via the internet) may, among others also increase the pricing.There are quite a number of pricing methodologies that Audi may embrace, including; Price skimming-this is the process of setting the initial price high so as to achieve maximum profit that is short-lived,-penetration pricing;- in this case, Audi may set lower prices in order to gain the market share. When the market share is gained, the prices will eventually be hiked, competitor based pricing;-Audi may resort to setting the same prices as its competitors, demand based pricing;- when the demand is high, the prices are hiked. The company approximates the expenditure of consumers on its products.In this regard, the company will use the history of the previous sale of A6, cost plus pricing;- a firm may decide to increase a certain amount to the unit cost, a simple and a popular method. Audi may resort to use thi method so that it ensures that cars are not sold at a loss, predatory pricing;- this is the process of setting prices at a lower level with the main aim of driving away other competitors, eventually increasing the price when the competitors are out of the market, price discrimination;- this method ensures that different prices are charged for different segments of the market, for instance diplomatic personnel, overnment personnel, civil servants, and finally, psychological pricing;- this is whereby the consumers’ perception of the the pricing is given attention. Consumers would feel that they are not getting value for their money when the price is set high, and on the other hand, when the price is too low, they would thik that the product is of poor quality. Product The product is what the customer buys, and therefore it needs to be branded well, have an attractive cover and satisfy the expectations of the customer (Volker). The product must be of high quality.Audi has a good performance, has ideal features suc h as air conditioning, CD player, cruise control as well as good reliability. Place The place refers to the location of the business, and how reachable it is to the customers (Londre), or the channel of distribution. Audi is a company that is well established in the global market, thus needs no big expansion into new markets. Promotion Promotion refers to the communication regarding a product so that customers are informed about it. It is the creation of awareness (Londre).Audi is mostly promoted through advertisements through the T. V, automobile magazines and billboards. This will eventually increase the sales since the customers will have been informed about its features and price. Recommendations Audi is a brand that is recognized world wide and as such should endeavor to retain its current status, as well as bringing innovative technological cars in the market. This therefore means that the company should adopt new marketing strategies that many a times are used by various othe r companies in marketing their goods and services.For instance, different marketing strategies should be adopted for different Audi models such A6’s marketing strategy ought to be different from the rather cheaper, though well established A3 model. Even though, as mentioned in the preceding parts of this paper, Audi has a wide global market and therefore should not endeavor in expanding its market place, the product should strive to penetrate the existing market. It is imperative to increase the market share for Audi through venturing and penetrating the existing market, through changing marketing mix.This can easily be achieved through new product development and diversification of the existing market. Audi should also resort to developing a new car/product for the already existing markets. However, Audi has been endearing to achieve this goal through manufacturing of the new A6 model, though exposed to the already competitive car market. The process of new Product developme nt starts with both internal and external generation of ideas. Internal process involves research and development, while, on the other hand, external processes involve investors, consumers and competition.Audi Company should then put these ideas into analysis in order to ascertain their feasibility, therefore developing them through methods of prototypes, before testing for quality and safety of the products. Since Audi is competing in the massive world wide market, it is imperative for the company to maximize on the promotion of its products. In this regard, the A6 will be accorded several advantages over its main competitors, since the buyers will be fully aware of the offers that Audi has. The extensive promotion should be done by maintaining the already reputable brand name, hence improving sales.Furthermore, if the Audi brand name is maintained through A6, then the model will have a bright future. It is recommended that Audi strives in investing in maintaining the current marke t for its A6 product. This will eventually lead to increasing the market share as well as achieving long term profit margins and the gaining the set internal and external targets. In order to achieve this, investment in the long term must be carried out so that short term profit is reduced. Competitive pricing must well be established in the already competitive market, so that the potential buyers are not scared away by the exorbitant prices.The company should ensure that they minimize the costs, so that the innocent consumer is not made to pay for it. Conclusion Audi is a company that manufactures durable and high quality cars for a long period of time, and this reputation should be withheld by the management. When the mentioned recommendations are followed to the letter, then the already reputable Audi Company will increase its market share, eventually increasing its sales. The management should ensure that the current market share is increased through new innovations, thus not gi ving enough space to its competitors. Works Cited Audi website http://www. udiusa. com/us/brand/en/about/main/history. html Baldwin, Nick and Brian Laban. â€Å"The World Guide to Automobile Manufacturers. † Facts on File (1987): 43-44. Brand family tree. audiusa com. Retrieved 21 September 2011. Ehmke, C. , Fulton, J. , & Lusk, J. Marketing’s Four P’s: First Steps for New Entrepreneurs (Revised ed. ). Warren, Michigan, USA: SAGE Publishers, 2009. Huber, Peter. Manufacturing the Audi Scare. Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, 1990. Londre, L. S. Marketing, IMC, Advertising, Promotion, Media and More (Revised ed. ). Perth, Australia: Wiley & Sons, 2009. Niedermeyer, Paul. The Audi 5000 Intended Unintended Acceleration Debacle. † The Truth About Cars ,2010. Oneighturbo. â€Å"Oneighturbo. † 10 December 2009. Oneighturbo. com. 21 September 2011 . Suicide Prevention Resource Center. Instructions for Conducting a SWOT Analysis (Revised ed. ). Newton , MA, USA: Education Development Center, 2009. USDA.. SWOT Analysis: A tool for making better business decisions (Revised ed. ). Perth, Australia: Routledge, 2009. Volker, M. 4 P's f MARKETING. Ed. Illustrated. Southfields, Michigan: SAGE, 2010. Volkswagen Group – Business lines and markets. Volkswagenag. com. Retrieved 21 September 2011.