International trade theory and policy Term Paper

International trade theory and policy - Term Paper Example Before the end of World War II, countries had their own protectionist measures in place in terms of tariffs to safeguard their domestic manufacturers and businesses since a long time. The high tariffs were becoming a great hindrance to global trade. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in first six rounds from 1948 through 1967 provided the basic framework for tariff reductions. All first six rounds were mainly devoted on reducing tariffs and other barriers to trade and eliminate or lessen discriminatory treatment to promote global growth in trade (World Trade Organization). While there were only 23 participating countries in the first round of discussion, this numbers increased to 62 during the sixth Kennedy Round of negotiation. The 23 founding members of the GATT were also part of a group who were negotiating the ITO Charter as a specialized body of the United Nations. The ITO Charter was quite ambitious as it covered rules on employment, international investment, res trictive business practices, and commodity agreements. Early provisions of GATT did mention about accepting some of the trade rules of the ITO draft; however, the ITO Charter could not be ratified due to serious opposition within the US Congress. This resulted into the early death of the ITO charter and GATT remained only instrument that governed international trade (World Trade Organization). Through intensive talk and deliberations right from the first to the sixth round of negotiations, the participating countries could arrive at the consensus to reduce effective tariff rates from 38% in 1947 to just 9 percent by year 1972. Apart tariff reduction, the major turnaround came in the sixth round of negotiation when anti-dumping agreement came into effect. It should be noted that first five rounds were focused on item-by-item negotiation for the reduction of tariffs while the sixth round took some bold approach reducing tariff across the board; however, it is important to keep in mind that these rounds had little success in achieving non-tariff trade relations among the nation. The sixth round also called the Kennedy Round lasted over 3 years and provided tariff concessions to the tune of $40 billion. In view of the strong global protectionism prevailed at that time, achievements in the Kennedy Round were noteworthy. The Kennedy Round was the first of its kind that went beyond tariff reduction discussions and advanced the idea of non-tariff barriers besides highlighting the concerns of the developing world; however, trade in services, intellectual property rights were never discussed in the first six rounds of negotiation (World Trade Organization). Q: Discuss the global economic conditions in the mid-70s, and the anti-trade policies that became common despite the GATT. Motivate by worry about these policies, the 7th (Tokyo) Round was called to start in 1973. How can this Round be simultaneously considered a â€Å"success† (by the GATT Secretariat) and a â€Å"failure† by most international economists. Answer Those were the tumultuous years in mid-‘70s when Bretton Woods system based on fixed exchange rate collapsed. The system failed because the US dollar came under tremendous pressure to devalue. In the process of financing the Vietnam War and implementing public welfare programs during those years, the US government had increased its spending substantially that eventually resulted into increased money

Impact of Social Networking Sites Essay Example for Free

Impact of Social Networking Sites Essay Decreased productivity: * Employees would get distracted when they have access to social networking sites. This will decrease their work efficiency, hence decreasing the productivity of the company. * Even if they are using the social networking sites for promotion or advertisements (job-related work), it is impossible to justify or make sure that every second they are on the social networking site, they are doing job-related work. If we cannot justify that, we cannot justify the salaries of the employees because they are paid to work, not to facebook. * It does not do the company any good in terms of their productivity if they allow their employees to access social networking sites in workplaces, as they would not be able to track what they employees are doing (whether they are doing job-related work or not). Hence, this is not cost-efficient and it is a waste of human resource as the salaries paid to the employees are not justified. * Company Security. The social media is on the World Wide Web and it is very easy for anyone and anybody from anywhere to simply hack in or simply cause a little trouble. Say, some private projects get accidentally exposed. Information can be easily gotten from the internet, and so unwanted information leaked can also be spread like wild fire. Employees will undoubtedly end up chatting with friends on the social media sites, and may accidentally leak out info when complaining to a friend, whom they did not know was from a possible competitor of the company, for example. Schools: Insignificant educational information on the social networking site: * Although some may argue that students can learn something new through the social networking sites, but the truth is the information we get on social networking sites are not significant in terms of educational purposes. What we normally see on these sites are probably latest updates that our friends post. Hence, there is no educational information on social networking sites. If we allow them in schools, we would be diverging our attention away from the main purpose of a school: which is to educate our next generation. * Furthermore, supposing social networking sites could be used for educational purposes and it would be as effective as our current education system, there will be no need for schools or even teachers. The students can have self-directed learning using the social networking sites at home. It will be a distraction to the students: * No matter how hard we can try to deny the fact, but the fact remains that social networking sites will just become a distraction to the students in schools where they are supposed to be educated. The students would probably be distracted and start updating their status on facebook or twitter etc. This decreases the student’s ability to listen to the teacher and eventually affect one’s learning which is not justifiable as more of the schools receive funds which comes from the government and eventually the taxpayers’ money. Hence, with needed justification from the government to the taxpayers, we cannot allow social networking sites in schools to prevent more distraction. Decreased face-to-face communication: * The students would lose valuable opportunities for direct face-to-face communication if social networking sites are allowed in schools. They would be able to communicate even behind the computers; however this is not beneficial to the student’s development as they might not be able to communicate efficiently to others when they go out to work in the society. Social networking sites are not effective for teaching and learning of the syllabus: * Social networking sites cannot meet the need of the some subjects, for example Mathematics where graphs need to be drawn and social networking sites would not be able to meet this need. * Also, exams cannot be done in social networking sites as the answers of every candidate needs to be protected, hence it does not make any sense to allow social networking sites in schools because it is not suitable for the syllabus. What they say:| What we say:| WORK: Social networking sites can be used for promotion of the company’s products. It is very efficient as the audience base is very large.| Yes we agree that it will be effective advertisement for the company if social networking sites can be used, however we cannot justify that every second that the employee spend on social networking sites, it would be for promotion purposes. This is precisely why we cannot allow them in the workplaces because it decreases work efficiency and productivity which is more significant to the company compared to advertisements. Another point is, it is easier, once uploaded to media websites, for people, to vandalise and find faults with , e.g. the video used for advertisements. Editions can be made and reposted (with simple hacking) and doom the company. To go through the trouble to specially ensure high security defeats the purpose of a wide spread and open internet online.| WORK: Save cost to advertise on social networking sites, because it is free and effective for small companies.| First, no company will not have a budget for advertisements. Second, even if they don’t have budget, they cannot justify that every second that the employee spend on the social networking sites will be for promotion. Hence, they might lose productivity while trying to save money on advertisements. Third, this kind of advertisement is not as effective as media advertising as people might just ignore the posts posted by the companies. (Compared to media advertising where impact on the consumers will be greater.)| WORK: Helps in efficiency and effectiveness, as speed is increased, internet gives ample information, easier to complete tasks online, and even if the person is not there in person, the same work could still be done, if not more effectively.| Half the time, as seen from results, we end up getting distracted by other news and information along the way while doing the job. At the end of the day, job is incomplete or a sloppy job as employee was distracted. Sure, employers could try to enforce certain restrictions on certain functions, or have a time limit, but it will then negate the advantages of using social media. | SCHOOL: Social networking sites could be used as convenient sources for students to discuss, brainstorm and do groupwork. Also, teachers could use them platforms for storing extra notes, and useful information, updates, and even extra notes about what to prepare for future lessons. This reduces time wastage on preparing and talking about things which can easily be read. If they need clarification but forgot to ask during class, you have SOCIAL MEDIA to the rescue! | Such benefits are common place and often discussed. But we managed before without such social media, without much difficulty, and it is not worth using social media with all the disadvantages that come with its use. Distractions, inattentiveness, the tendency for students to bicker nonsensically, e.t.c lead to excessive time wastage.In class, they have lesser tendency to waste time, as there is the presence of the teacher or even without the teacher, in person to person, they are more likely to think and try to brainstorm whatever ideas they get immediately, and can bounce off each other.if really such a need to share notes e.t.c., still social media is not the correct choice. File-sharing websites or simply creating an email update group would be far more efficient. |

Strategic analysis of Marks and Spencer

Strategic analysis of Marks and Spencer Marks Spencer is one the UKs leading retailers, having 600 stores in home country and more than 200 stores across the globe. Michael Marks started the penny bazaar stall at Leeds in 1884. After Michael Marks Simon Marks became a chairman of MS in 1926 to 1964. MS is well known for its quality and styles (Hawkesby, 2008). MS Analysis Value for money:- In 1884 when Michael Mark started a business, he did not have a good command on English language so he had a sign on his stall: Dont ask the price- Its just a penny. In 2009 MS chairman Sir Stuart Rose launched three days return of penny bazaar. During these three days 20 selected items were sold at 1p at 300 MS branches (Sibbles Carter, 2009). The main point is can that slogan work in todays competitive market? It cannot work in todays market. MS is one of the UKs largest retailers. It sells various items in its stores. The cost of production of these goods is not same so they cannot sell their goods on same price like Michael Marks was selling in 1884. Even if they diversify the profit earn from the other good to the other goods, which will not help them to achieve break even sales. For example profit on milk cannot set up the loss on selling of bread. Now a day all rivals of MS are trying to achieve lowest production cost. All are trying to put more value for money for their prod uct by obtaining maximum benefit with the less use of resources. Value for money does not mean reduce spending but it can be achieved in diverse ways with: Reduce cost Reduce inputs Get more improvement in product quality Increase output with less input of raw material Marks Spencer is to position itself as a value for money brand, and admits it has too expensive. Prices will come down as it encourages suppliers to source more products abroad. In todays tough competition MS is trying to put more and more value of money in their products. To reduce cost of goods, they suggest their supplier to import goods form the other countries. They have improved their inventories and logistics. Resources and core competences: Physical resources: Each organisation has same resources as its competitors have but the way it manages use their resources differentiate from others. For example MS is having the same store sites in UK as Tesco, Sainsburys and ASDA have. MS is having following physical resources: Value for money product: By the use of appropriate resources MS has got the good value for its products. Today they have their own brands which are very popular in todays competitive market. They are continuous trying to develop their products that will help them to survive in the retail industry. However most of their suppliers are UK based so they are still facing product cost problems. Own brands products: MS is using their own brand name for each and every product. They have achieved good quality standards. They are the first retail chain which sells their own brands. They do not world famous brands in their stores like Coca-Cola, Nestle, and Cadbury etc. Despite of selling own brands they have maintain their quality standards. However it is quite difficult for some loyal customers of MS to buy other popular brands in MS stores. They have to go to other retailers for purchase other than MS brands. This is quite unrealistic in todays cut throat competition; it results many of MS loyal customers switch over to its rivals such as Tesco and Sainsburys. Store sites and store displays: As we know Marks Spencer has established long time ago, they have found that many of their stores are too small. They have planned to expand their store area by converting their stock rooms into floor area. That brings new logistic problem. They have found new solution as a satellite stores. They have started to distribute stocks to small braches from the main branch. However they have long range of food products it is very difficult to manage these perishable food items without stockrooms. Core competences: Core competences mean some factors which differentiate a product or a brand from others. As we know Marks Spencer has long range of products produced under its brand name. The quality of product is better than the other brands. They always try to provide more value of money to its customer. Strategic vision and organisation culture:- Increases the markets share in UK with own product and with own unbeatable quality standards is the main vision of Marks Spencer. It had much more autocratic organisation structure. However it has been changed with the time change. Now the organisation structure has been transfer to flatter organisation structure. The member of staff can take quick decisions when its required and it provides more accountability (The times). SWOT of Marks Spencer:- Strengths: MS is using its own brand name with the wide product range. St Michel brand is very popular, used for cloths and food product. It has competitive prices advantages, it has increase overseas important. It has expanded its business not only in UK but all over the world. With their own brand name they booked pre tax profit of  £1bn in 1988 (Hawkesby, 2008). It has very favourable location on high street which attracts more and more customers. It has some particular group of loyal customers. MS has strong work force and skilled staff. New changes by new chief executive Roger Holmes brings new opportunities in retail business. Tighter staffing level increase operational funds. Weakness:- In todays cut throat competition, MS is struggling with the high cost of production. Its focusing on particular class of society which narrows the scope of number of customers. Weak logistic reduce the availability of goods and products. Reduce the number of staff results poor customer service. Depends on local supplier results high cost of production. Tough competition in food market such as Tesco, Sainsburys and Asda enter in fast and frozen food market. In 2008 its over all sales were 6.2% down and even though inflation in grocery products its food sales were down by 4.5% (Finch, 2008). Opportunity:- MS can diversify their business like other retailers have done e.g. Tesco mobile, Tesco finance, Sainsbury finance etc. With diversification Marks Spencer can expand their area of business and they can transfer the profit earn by different sectors. MS can increase the number of products with its famous brand name St. Michel. MS can go for the franchisee to increase their number of customers and it will help them to increase the share of in market. Threats:- MS has started to sell other brands in their stores which may reduce the popularity of their own brands. If MS will try to diversify their business it may creates shortage of funds. MS has closed down many of their stores due to raise the funds which may cause the negative effect on their share prices. Due to closing down some stores, it will lose market share. PESTEL of Marks Spencer :- Political:- Marks Spencer has been operated in more than 40 countries. It is highly influenced by the political changes in these countries, e.g. if the government of UK changes immigration law than it may be affect MS migrant staff. Now a day the governments inspires retailers to offer mix job of flexible, lower paid and locally based jobs to highly skilled, higher paid and centrally located jobs (Balchin, 1994). Economical:- UK economy is developed economy, per capita income is more than the other developing countries. It is favourable factor for MS. however the cost of production is also high in UK that is unfavourable factor. It reduces the margin of profit of the company. Social:- The population of UK is growing slow and the number of working women is increasing it boost sales of MS food products. UK is the fashion hub that means there is a great opportunity of branded and stylist clothes. Technological:- Online shopping is taking place of store chopping which can reduce the investment cost in new stores. Self-checkout tills are available to reduce queue time. Environmental:- Now a day more and more retail stores are using recycled bags and packing materials which cost is very less and they are getting cost benefit from. The environmental laws are also very strict in UK. Legal: UKs labour law is very strict rather than other countries. It strictly follows human right laws in which employees can be protected from the employer. Question 2- MS before 1990 Success of MS strategy:- Simon Marks put MS on the new level of growth. During his leadership many strategic changes has been made such as diversification. They have product rages not only in food products but also in clothing, groceries etc. He introduced todays popular St. Michael brand name. It differed the MS from its competitors. The expansion program had been taken placed which expand store area. However with this expansion several problems occurred like logistic problem. They were expanding their business at international level. Porter 5 forces:- Threat of new entrants:- The UK food market is dominated by very less competitors like Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and Marks Spencer. Out of these companies Tesco is having monopoly in UK retail industry. The entry barriers in food industry are very tough in UK because of health and safety law. However in clothing industry, there are so many competitors in UK like NEXT, River Island etc. MS are the only one who does food and branded clothing together. Bargaining power of suppliers:- It should be noted that MS is relying on very few UK based suppliers which increases suppliers bargaining power which results high cost of products for MS. therefore MS is planning to source products from abroad at cheaper rate. Asda is having huge bargaining power with its supplier because it imports goods form overseas. Bargaining power of customers:- In UK food and clothing industry the customers are having nice bargaining power. In UK customers believes in bulk shopping. If they find some products very cheaper in one store they will but other products from same store. MS is having monopoly in its food quality and its clothes are very fashionable and trendy clothes which are customers favourite. Other super markets are expanding their business in banking, pharmacies etc. e.g. Tesco finance and Tesco mobile. That will increase customers bargaining power. Threat of substitutes:- Today competition is very tough in both food and cloth markets. MS is having its own St. Michael brand for cloths, in fashion industry fashion cannot sustain it changes when time changes. MS is having threat from its competitors in cloth industry. MS have to change their designs according to current fashion demand. Rivalry:- Rivalry increases if the number of firms increases. In UK there are very few super market chains existing. They all compete for the market share, the rapid food industry growth increases rivalry. On the other side food is a perishable good which increases the rivalry. MS, Tesco, Asda and Sainsburys all are trying their best to sell food products. On the other side in cloth marker MS have to face both super market competition and individual brands competition. Question 3- MS After 1990 Weak Strategy:- Despite of serving good quality of product, MS is losing its market share in retail industry. They have taken its eye off from the customers, it means they believe that if your image and reputation is good that means you satisfied your customers. On the other side its rivals Tesco and Asda increase the relationship with the customers. MS was much more relying in its suppliers to maintain good quality standards which results high cost of goods sold. MS is suffering from high cost of goods so it is very difficult to sustain its market share and it also increases the competition. MS was suffering from old fashioned clothes. It was popular for trendy cloths but now the time has been changed and customers needs highly fashionable clothes. Two new strategic approaches:- Stuart Rose the new chief executive of Marks Spencer has implied many changes after he joined MS. The former CEO Holmes has put 400 other brand products in MS to increase both sells and customers interest. However Stuart Rose is planning to cut the number of outside product to 100 which is not a wise decision (BBC, 2010). He is planning to refocus on MS brands but it should be noted that today there so many different brands are used by different customers. If he plans to imply this idea, MS may be lost his more market share in retail industry. His changes for cloth products are appreciable and it will raise the sales of cloths of MS. He should also think about unrelated diversification e.g. he can start MS mobile or in related diversification he can increase the number of food products. Conclusion:- As part of huge retail industry MS has to make some thorough changes in its strategy. It should have to sell other brand. This will help it to gain sustainability in this competitive market. It is very popular for its clothes and its food quality standards. These will help it to increase number of loyal customers. More and more products sourced from overseas will help it to compete in the price. Word Count: 2251

Home Depot vs. Lowes Essay -- Compare Contrast Home Improvement Essays

Home Depot vs. Lowes The Home Depot Company Introduction Home Depot company offer a wide range of merchandise and services, and serve three primary customer groups: do-it-yourself customers, do-it-for-me customers and professional customers. A classic Home Depot store stocks approximately 40,000 to 50,000 product items, including variations in color and size. Major product groups include building materials, lumber plumbing, electrical and kitchen; hardware and seasonal, and paint, flooring and wall coverings. To balance the national brand name products it offers, the Company has formed strategic associations with vendor partners to market products under brand names that are only offered through The Home Depot. â€Å"As of fiscal year-end 2001, the Company offered products under more than 30 proprietary and other exclusive brands, including Thomasville kitchen and bathroom cabinets; RIDGID power tools; Behr Premium Plus paint; Mill's Pride cabinets; GE SmartWater water heaters, and Vigoro fertilizer.† ("The Home Depot", 2004) â€Å"Founded in 1978, in Atlanta, Georgia, The Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement retailer currently operating 1,800 stores, including 1,649 Home Depot stores, 50 EXPO Design Centers, one Floor Store and three HD Landscape Supply stores in the United States, 84 Home Depot stores in seven Canadian provinces, seven Home Depot stores in Puerto Rico and ten in Mexico.† The company reported employees approximately 280,000 people. Business Description / Strategic Analysis The Home Depot is recognized as being the leader in the home improvement retail industry by combining the economies of scale inherent in a warehouse format with a level of customer service unparalleled among warehouse-style retailers. ("Home Depot to", 1999) Each Home Depot store stocks approximately 40,000 to 50,000 different kinds of building materials, home improvement supplies and lawn and garden products. New Home Depot stores in the U.S. and Canada range from 114,000 square feet with an additional 20,000 square foot garden center. The stores have a design center staffed by specialized designers who offer free in-store consultation for home enhancement projects ranging from lighting to computer-assisted design for kitchens and bathrooms. Home Depot offers installation services of select products ranging from single-items such as carpet to mor... ...oro, North Carolina: Custom Publication. Norman, A. (2004, Jan). A Citizen's View of Home Depot. Retrieved Feb 12, 2005, from http://www.sprawl-busters.com/hometown.htm Our Heritage. (2005, Jan). In Lowe's - A Company Understood. Retrieved Feb 12, 2005, from http://www.lowes.com/lkn?action=frameSet&url=vocuspr.vocus.com/VocusPR30/DotNet/Newsroom/Query.aspx%253FSiteName=Lowes%2526Entity=PRAsset%2526PublishType=Company+Background%2526Title=Company+Overview%2526XSL=CompanyBackground%2526Cache=True Reimers, Jane L. (2003). Financial Accounting A Business Process Application. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, Prentice Hall. Securities and Exchange Commission. (2000). Retrieved Feb 19, 2005, from http://sec.gov The Home Depot Company (2004). The Home Depot Company 2004 Annual Review. Atlanta, Georgia: Custom Publication. Home Depot to Implement Cornerstone's Java Technology-based Point-of-Sale Software. (1999, Jan). Retrieved Feb 19, 2005, from http://www.360commerce.com/article.php?article=342§ion=1&tid=77 The Home Depot Report Record First Quarter 2004 Earnings. (2004, Mar 18). Retrieved Feb 19, 2005, from http://ir.homedepot.com/ReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=135414&ShSect=E

Literature Review on Assertiveness Essay

Literature   Review on Assertiveness Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Assertiveness is the ability to express one’s point of view, feelings, thoughts and needs while keeping the rights of others peoples in mind. An assertive individual learns which response to select, whether it can be acting non-assertively, aggressive or assertive on a case by case basis. Nevertheless, acting assertively is not usually the best selection in accomplishing the best possible results. An assertive individual has the capacity to stop and think what is in his or her best interest as well as the interest of others (Peneva, 2013).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The study of assertiveness began in the middle of the 20thcentury whereby it was associated with clinical practice. The clinical psychologists accepted non-assertiveness as a reason for some of the mental illnesses and thus to treat them, they implemented several programs with the main aim of developing assertiveness. In the 70s, when the civil rights movement in America was growing, some psychologists concentrated on assertiveness as a way of protecting the rights of individuals. They claimed that the capability to protect individual human rights in a humane and democratic manner, without prejudice to the fundamentals of others was among the significant features of assertive conduct. Therefore, the political and social associations during the 80s and 90s of the 20th century promoted the interest in assertiveness as a way of strengthening the human potential and attaining maximum individual fulfillment (Peneva, 2013). Various periodicals w ere published targeting professionals and incorporating theoretical description of training programs and studies as well as theoretical positions. The first study on assertiveness was performed by an American psychologist Andrew Salter in 1949 with the main aim of discovering the causes of uncertainty and find a mean to treat or reduce its neurotic influence (Peneva, 2013). According to him, uncertainty occurred due to the prevalence of retention processes over stimulation process in the nervous system. He also claimed that most people in the contemporary society suffered from a disorder of the balance nerve. This formed the theory of assertion, which is based in the premise that every person have certain basic human rights such as the right to make errors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   People who are assertive has characteristics such; emotionality of speech, expressiveness of speech, potential to oppose and counter others suggestions, accepting praises, and impulsive in own actions and refusal. On the other hand, individuals who are non-assertive lack the ability to maintain adequate boundaries between his or her rights and those of others. Non-assertiveness happen when one permits his or her boundaries to be restricted. A non-assertive person tends to internalize tensions and feelings and to experience such emotions as anxiety, fear, fatigue, nervousness and depression (Ames, 2008).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The review on assertiveness brought about other associated concepts such as professional light, assertive communication, self-confidence and conflict management. Assertiveness has been claimed as the background for understanding these concepts and their independence in assertiveness.Lizarraga.M et al, examined the impacts of teaching self-regulation, assertiveness, and empathy to forty middle school students in a compulsory education setting (Lizarraga et al, 2003). The study involved a quasi-experimental design, which utilized pre and post-test measurement. According to them, assertiveness refer’s to an individual capability to express and advocate interests, ideas and feelings easily without anxiety, but maintaining respect for other people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Assertiveness is also connectedto self-esteem and self confidence because peoples who feel self-assured and competence interact more naturally and sincerely in establishing relationships. Anna Deltsidou in â€Å"Undergraduate nursing students’ level of assertiveness in Greece,† examined the assertive behavior in students’ interaction with each other as well as their studies in the first and second semester. According to Anna, the concept of assertiveness acquired meaning when defined in terms of chosen indicators such as autonomy, relationship and authenticity (Deltsidou, 2008). The study involved an assertiveness scale that measured assertiveness in relationships, which proved to be valid and reliable to a significant extent.It was concluded that nurses interact with colleagues, patients and other health care professionals whereby the interaction is improved when nurses have a good assertive communication skills.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Having the same idea with Anna, Amir Abbassi and Raghu claimed that assertiveness acquire meaning through autonomy, courage, and authenticity (Abbassi& Raghu, 2006). Furthermore, they claimed that assertiveness is a significant notion in counseling, sociology and psychology for dealing with matters in individual characteristics required for functioning various roles in the society. They concluded by claiming that autonomy, courage, and authenticity are interconnected to each other, which are the primary indicators of assertiveness and latter give meaning to assertiveness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is a comprehensive body of literature on assertiveness and assertiveness training. All the same, assertiveness is defined as the practice of traits that enables individuals to act in their best interest, express themselves and stand for themselves without denying the rights of others. ArvindSinghal and MotokoNagoya presented the definition of assertiveness in the similar manner through their study on â€Å"Assertive as Communication Competence,† which claimed that there is significant variation between individuals’ attitudes toward performing assertive behaviors (Singhal& Nagao, 1993). Nevertheless, it is clear that some people are more assertive than others. They also argued that assertive communication competence is situational and contextual whereby it vary from situation to situation depending on the gender, and concluded by claiming that there is a need for further investigation on assertiveness as a tool for measu ring communication competence in intercultural settings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Daniel R. Ames explored the varying levels of assertiveness in negotiations and interpersonal conflicts in his article, â€Å"Assertive Expectancies†. According to him, assertiveness is a healthy and desirable behavior for all individuals who interact in a group situation insofar as it militates against personal powerlessness and can lead to personal empowerment, and ultimately benefit the workplace as a whole (Ames, 2008). According to Ames, individuals make idiosyncratic prediction of the social and instrumental implications of a given acquiescent behavior, which is in line with theories of personality that claims that outcomes expectancies shape behavior (Ames, 2008). Thus, it is possible that assertiveness is predominantly the product of expectancies and values, meaning that individuals who expect high assertiveness to be harmful could simply be more concerned with preserving relationships. He concluded by arguing that assertive ness there are many definitions of assertiveness that differ in accordance to the particular perspective or the purpose of the definer as well as the context. However, the meaning of assertiveness must concerns confidence, and behavioral pattern, which are the fundamental components of assertiveness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In describing the behavior of consumer, ClaesFornel and Robertperformed an exploratory study of assertiveness, aggressiveness, and consumer complaining behavior. They defined assertiveness as a complex of behaviors that are produced by an individual in an interpersonal context, which shows an individual feelings, opinions, attitude, wishes, firmly and honestly while preserving the attitude, wishes, rights and opinions of others (Fornell& Robert, 1979). Moreover, they suggested that assertiveness does not concern an undue or excessive amount of fear and anxiety, but represents the standing up of an individual rights without violating the rights of others. This is in line with arguments of mental health scholars who argue that assertiveness is learned and depend on the situation to situation. Likewise, the impacts of assertive training involve increased positive response from others, increased self-esteem and decline in social situations for individuals having gone through a training program.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the above literature review reveals, it is clear that the definition and source of assertiveness depend on an individual perception and the situation to situation. The key indicators of assertiveness are courage, autonomy and authenticity. References Abbassi.A, & Singh N, Raghu (2006) Aseertiveness in Marital Relationship Among Asians Indians in the United States. The Family Jounal.14.392-398 Retrived from http://www.sagepub.comAmes, R, D (2008) Assertiveness Expectancies: How Hard People Push Depends on the Consequences They Predict. The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.6. 1541-1557 Retrieved from http://www.columbia.eduDeltsidou, A (2008). Undergraduate nursing students’ level of assertiveness in Greece: a Queaionnaire survey. Journal of Nurs Education in Practice 9. 322-330Retrived from http://www.researchgate.netFornell, C & Robert.(1979) An Exploratory Study of Assertiveness, Agressiveness, and Consumer Complaining Behavior.Th Journal for Association for Consumer.6: 105-110 Lizarraga. M, Ugarte. M, Cardelle-Elawar, Iriarte.M &Baquedano.M (2003).Enhancement of Self-regulation, assertiveness, and empathy.Jounral of Learning and Instruction 13. 423-439. Retrived from http// www.elsevier.com/Peneva, I &Mavrodiev (2013).A Historical Approach to Assertiveness.The Journal of Psychology Thought. 6(1) 3-26 Singhal.A, & Nagao, M (1993). Assertiveness as Communication Competence: A Comparison of the Communication Styles of American and Japanese Students. Asian Journal of Communication. 3. 1-17 Retrieved from http://utminers.utep.edu Source document

Disney Princess

Maegan Cherry Dr. Walker Composition I 15 November 2012 The Princess and the Frog Princess Diana once said, â€Å"Being a princess is not all it is cracked up to be. † This is a true statement in some insistences such as Disney’s 2009 film The Princess and the Frog. The film is based in the 1920’s in New Orleans, Louisiana. The 1920’s was a time period of segregation, and it was not uncommon to see a black person working in a white family’s home. Southern states were more segregated than others, so the film being in Louisiana plays a very important role.Most black people were not as wealthy as white people; therefore they did not have the luxuries of the families they worked for. They tended to live in small houses, and they had to take the train or walk for transportation. Tiana’s family was no different than any other 1920’s African American family. Tiana’s mother, Eudora, worked as a seamstress and a caretaker for â€Å"Big Daddy’s† daughter, Lottie. â€Å"Big Daddy† is a wealthy white man who spoils his daughter, and gives her everything she wants. Eudora took Tiana with her to work where she became friends with Lottie.Lottie grew up with fairy tales, and wanted her life to be nothing short of one. Tiana, on the other hand, did not believe in fairy tales. She believed hard work would get you where you need to be. Tiana had a dream of owning her own restaurant, but she faces many challenges that keep her from achieving her dream. Many people believe that Disney has focused too much on race and the time period, rather than making Tiana a princess. Moon Charania and Wendy Simonds wrote an article titled â€Å"The Princess and the Frog† explaining the different stereotypes presented in the film.Ajay Gehlawat also wrote an article titled â€Å"The Strange Case of The Princess and the Frog: Passing and the Elision of Race† explaining the stereotyping of the races in the fil m. I think Disney did a great job of relating the time period to the characters. The film may have been stereotypical, but it was relevant to the setting. To make the film less controversial I think Disney could have made Tiana a princess in a different time period, so there would not be any stereotyping of the characters. The biggest stereotyping was between the white family and the black family.Being Caucasian in the 1920’s meant you lived a very fortunate life, and you did not experience the hardships that other races may have faced. In The Princess and the Frog, â€Å"Big Daddy† was a typical wealthy Southern man, who gave his daughter, Lottie, anything she wanted. Lottie was portrayed in the film as a spoiled girl. She wanted to marry her prince charming, and live happily ever after. Just like in the fairy tales she grew up with. Charania and Simonds stated, â€Å"Lottie, on the other hand, is a caricature of conventional Disney princesses† (page 70).I agre e that Lottie is portrayed as a typical princess, and I can see how people would think Disney is stereotyping. Since Lottie fits the normal Disney princess characteristics it seems like Disney is making her more of the princess than they are making Tiana. Gehlawat shows more of how Lottie is stereotyped in the white family. Gehlawat stated, â€Å"When Lottie, Tiana’s childhood friend, asks her to prepare a couple hundred of her famous beignes†¦. and drops a wad of bills in her hand† (422). This statement shows that Lottie’s family had lots of money, like a stereotypical white family did in that time period.I agree that Disney does portray the white family in a stereotypically way, but I also think that it was appropriate to fit the time period. Just like the white race the black race also had characteristics that can be put into a stereotypical way. Tiana’s family was very poor and her mother, Eudora, worked as a seamstress for â€Å"Big Daddy†. Tiana and her father had a dream of owning their own restaurant. After, her father died Tiana worked as a waitress to make the dream a reality. By Eudora working for a rich white family it brings back the idea of slaves, which is another way of stereotyping the African American race.Tiana had to work very hard for everything she wanted in life; it was never handed to her on a silver platter, like it was for Lottie. Tiana lived in a much smaller house than Lottie, and they were very close to their neighbors. By Disney making Tiana a frog for most of the movie, some people have argued that it is degrading to the black race. Gehlawat stated, â€Å"What becomes lauded in the process is the representation of a black girl as an animal, or the conflation of blackness with bestiality† (418). I disagree with Gehlawat’s statement. I think that Tiana being a frog was taken out of context. Her being a frog as just a fun aspect to the movie, and was not intended to be a racial a ttack on the African Americans. Another way the film stereotyped the black race, was by the real estate brokers telling her that since she is black she should not have such big dreams. Charania and Simonds stated, â€Å"When, Tiana, as a young adult dreaming of opening her own restaurant, is told by the real estate brokers of her dream property that â€Å"a women of her background† should not strive so high† (70). I think that this is a stereotyping comment that is made in the movie, but I do not think this comment was made in direct to blacks in today’s society.I feel that any stereotyping made was fitting to the time period the film was set in. In today’s society being stereotyped in some way is a common thing that people need to learn to live with. The 1920’s was a sad part of history, but it did happen. It is not a bad thing to remind people about what things were like in history. Disney made an effort to show how far America has come since the 1920’s, by making an African American princess. They could have just made Tiana a princess, like the past Disney princesses, and that might have made the film a little less of a controversial issue.Everything and everyone will be stereotyped at some point in life. It is how the people respond to it that will make the difference on the future generations. Works Cited Charania, Moon and Wendy Simonds. â€Å"The Princess and the Frog. † American Sociological Assosiation. 2010. Vol. 9. No 3. 69-71. Print. Gehlawat, Ajay. â€Å"The Strange Case of The Princess and the Frog: Passing and the Elision of Race. † Journal of African American Studies 14. 4 (2010): 417-431. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. The Princess and the Frog. Dirs. Ron Clements and John Musker. 2009. Walt Disney Video. 2010. DVD.