High School Life Essay Example for Free

High School Life Essay It was in the year 2009, I was a graduating elementary student back then, when our adviser talked to me, together with my fellow honor students, regarding our plans after graduation. The conversation included where we wanted to study in high school. Most of us said that a simple school will do, what’s important for us back then was to have a school. That simple. After a few words, our adviser said that there is prestigious school inviting us to study there. Our initial reaction was, of course, we have no money to pay for the tuition fee. But then, she said that we need not worry, because the school offers us 100% scholarship, with a weekly allowance. We were delighted by the news. Imagine being a scholar of Notre Dame of Greater Manila. That is something to be proud of. So we were scheduled for an exam. We were so nervous. After several days of waiting, the results came out. And I was the one chosen to be the scholar! When my mom told me the news, I was really overjoyed. It would be my first time to study in a private school, prestigious one even. I went to the school to arrange my requirements there. That was when I knew that I am a De Mazenod Lingap Talino (DMLT) scholar, who would enjoy 100% scholarship and weekly allowance. What a privilege! I also met there Mr. Diego Reyes, or Sir Jigs, as what the whole institution calls him, and Ma’am Sofie. They were the ones who helped me during my stay there as a scholar. My first year was tough. A lot of adjustments were done. Of course, I’m not used to having classmates who are techy and rich. They talked about this gadget and that gadget, which, in my previous school, is not an issue. I’m not used to seeing signature clothes and bags. So I didn’t know how I would approach them. I’m not rich as them. I am just a simple girl. Another reason why I’m afraid is because I thought I would not be accepted there. I am different, physically. Before the first day of school, I imagined the Damers teasing me and bullying me. And I imagined myself ignoring them, as if they don’t exist, and when I’m alone, I’d cry a lot just to let the feelings out. I thought I would be an outcast, a loner, weirdo in their eyes. But I was completely wrong. I gained a lot of friends, much many than I thought I’d have. My first impression of them was wrong. They are not like what I see in the movies, rich people who are arrogant and rude. They understand my situation. They are open-minded. They are real. They may tease me but that was only natural, I do not get offended. They are real, true friends. Of course, the teachers are a plus. I thought they would not like me, especially the Math teachers, because I’m really weak in that particular subject. I really like Math, but I guess the feeling ain’t mutual. Until now, I still use finger Math. I am extremely slow in solving problems. I thought Math teachers would lose their patience on me, ignore my presence in the cream class because they would think I don’t belong there, because I am a weakling. But then again, I was W-R-O-N-G. Math teachers in Notre are exactly the opposite of what I thought they would be. They are very kind, especially Mrs. Narciso, Ms.Padlan, Mr.R and Mr. Zuniga. They were the ones whom I spend my Math classes with during my entire stay in high school. They were the ones who taught me Math and helped me to improve my skills in that field. They showed me that I am not a weakling, I still have hope. Whoo. But of course, there were my second parents. Mrs. Mercado and Mrs. Asis who served as my mothers, and Mr. Saplagio as my dad. They were the ones whom I turn to and cry on whenever I have problems. And all of the teachers in Notre, who may seem terror and scary inside the classrooms, but outside, they are one of your bestest best friends. Being a scholar isn’t as easy as anyone thinks. It’s really tough maintaining your grades. It is stressing to think about your grades when they are going down. They say grades are just numbers, but I depend on those numbers. My scholarship depends on those numbers. I usually envy those who can just have fun while I am at my room studying even if there’s no exam. And of course, as a scholar, I should be a role model to others. I should take care of my reputation. But of course doing that is a bit hard. As the saying goes, â€Å"Character is what you are; reputation is what people think you are.† What if my character is different from my reputation? Yes, that happens all the time. But I just maintain my character and ignore those who pull me down by saying things about me behind my back. That made me stronger. Notre gave me a lot of experiences that I would not forget. Notre gave me people that I am thankful for. But of course, I would receive none of these if it wasn’t for the DMLT, for giving me this very wonderful opportunity to study in the institution. I am just a simple girl from a family who cannot afford the services of Notre. But because of Notre’s awareness of the students out there who are not financially able, yet deserving to have quality education, and it’s willingness to reach out to them, I was able to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity. Now, I am going to study in my dream school, the University in the Philippines, one of the most prestigious universities in the whole country. With the help of Notre, I was able to get this dream of mine. It equipped me with enough knowledge and skills to face the challenges ahead. My life in Notre had been stressful, yet everything was all worth it. For this, I would like to express my deep gratitude. Thank you, Notre Dame.

Role of Consumer Expectations in Economic Policy

Role of Consumer Expectations in Economic Policy BU/12C/BS/0403 Introduction A theme that dominates modern discussions of macro policy is the importance of expectations, and economists have devoted a great deal of thought to expectations and the economy. Change in expectations can shift the aggregate demand (AD) curve; expectations of inflation can cause inflation. For this reason expectations are central to all policy discussions, and what people believe policy will be significantly influences the effectiveness of the policy. Expectations complicate models and policymaking enormously; they change the focus of discussions from a response that can be captured by simple models to much more complicated discussions. The adaptive expectations theory assumes people form their expectations on future inflation on the basis of previous and present inflation rates and only gradually change their expectations as experience unfolds. In this theory, there is a short-run tradeoff between inflation and unemployment which does not exist in the long-run. Any attempt to reduce the unemployment rate blow the natural rate sets in motion forces which destabilize the Phillips Curve and shift it rightward. Under adaptive expectations, forecasts of the future rate of inflation may be right on the money, but they may also exhibit systematic error. When inflation is accelerating, forecasts will tend to be too low. And when inflation is decelerating (that is, disinflation is taking place), then forecasts will tend to be too high. The Rational expectations model was developed by Robert Lucas, rational economic agents are assumed to make the best of all possible use of all publicly available information. Before reaching a conclusion, people are assumed to consider all available information before them, then make informed, rational judgments on what the future holds. This does not mean that every individual’s expectations or predictions about the future will be correct. Those errors that do occur will be randomly distributed, such that the expectations of large numbers of people will average out to be correct. To illustrate, assume the economy has been in an equilibrium state for several years with low inflation and low unemployment. In such a stable environment, the average person would expect the inflation rate to stay where it is indefinitely. But now assume the Central Bank announces it is going to significantly increase the rate of growth of the money supply. Basic economic theory tells us an increase in the money supply will translate into higher prices, such that increasing the annual rate of growth of the money supply should bring about higher inflation rates. Knowing this, consumers will revise their inflationary expectations upward. As this simple example shows, people do not rely only on past experiences to formulate their expectations of the future, as adaptive expectations theory suggests. Rather people use all information available to them in judging what the future will hold. This information can include past data, but it will also include current policy announcements and all other information that give them reason to believe that the future might hold certain changes. If the adaptive expectations are backward looking the rational expectations are forward looking , in that they assume people will use all of the information available to them. Expectations of inflation Some workers may feel cheated by inflation. They might believe that without it, they would experience real-wage increases because their nominal wages are rising 5% a year. Unfortunately, they are wrong. They suffer what some economists call money illusion, a confusion of real and nominal weight. The source of the illusion is as thus; considering real wages are constant, the rise of their nominal wages by 5% is only as a result of the general 5% inflation. Assuming no inflation took place, there will be no increase in their nominal wages. After a time, everyone in the economy will begin to expect that the 5% annual inflation that ensued in the past would continue in the future. Economists refer to this as expectations of inflation. People’s expectations of inflation influences all facets of economic life. For example, in the steady-state economy described previously, textile producers will look forward to increasing the price of their products by 5% for the coming years. They will also expect their costs of steel and labor, for example, to increase the same way. Workers will begin to believe that the increase in their wages will be matched by the same increase in the prices of goods they buy. Also, wages are influenced by expectations. Suppose, for example, that both employers and employees expect 4% inflation in the year coming. Workers will start negotiations from a base of a 4% increase in money wages, which would hold their real wages constant. Firms also may be inclined to begin bargaining by yielding to increase at least 4% in money wages relative to productivity, because they expect that the prices at which they sell their products will rise by 4%. Starting from that base, workers will attempt to obtain some desired increase in their real wages. At this point, such factors as profits and bargaining power become important. The general expectation of some specific inflation rate creates pressure for wages to rise by that rate relative to productivity and, thus, the rise of unit cost at that rate. Inflation expectations and Interest rates When the public expects inflation, real and nominal rates of interest will differ because inflation needs to be accounted for in calculating the real return from lending and borrowing. Have in mind that the nominal interest rate is equal to the real interest rate plus expected inflation rate. If real rate of interest is 2% and inflation is 5% a year, the nominal rate is 7%. Although lenders receive 7% a year on their loans, their real return after inflation rate is just 2%. We know that in the long run the real interest rate does not bank on monetary policy because money is neutral; i.e. the price level is affected by the money supply. However, the nominal rates of interest do bank on monetary policy because the policy influences the rate of inflation, which in the long run is bent on the growth of the money supply. It has been pointed out that countries with greater money growth naturally have higher nominal interest rates than countries with lower money growth rates because they have higher inflation. What this means is that country A and B have the same real rate of interest, but country A has a higher inflation rate, it will also have a higher nominal interest rate. Inflation expectations and money demand The amount of money people want to hold will also be affected by expectations about inflation. If the public expects a 5% inflation a year, then its demand for money will also increase by 5% a year. This is because people know everything will cost 5% more, so they’ll need more money in their possession to pay for the same goods and services. This is an example of the real-nominal principle: As long as the government allows the increase in the supply of money by 5% , the same amount as inflation, the demand for money and supply are both growing at the same rate, real and nominal interest rates will not change. Effects of expectations on changes in future income Todays consumption decisions may depend not only on current income, but also  on the income that one expects to earn in the future. For example, an individual  who is currently not employed but who has a contract to begin a high-paying job  in three months will probably consume more today than another unemployed  individual with no job prospects. To illustrate the effect of changes in expected future income, suppose that  instead of receiving the $6000 bonus during the current year, a consumer learns that  she will receive a $6000 bonus (after taxes) next year. The promise of the bonus is  legally binding, and said consumer has no doubt that extra income will be received  next year. How will this information affect the consumer’s consumption and saving in  the current year? Because current income is unaffected, the consumer could leave her current  consumption and saving unchanged, waiting until the bonus is actually received  to increase her consumption. If her decisions are guided by a consumption-smoothing motive, however, she will prefer to use the bonus to increase her current consumption  as well as her future consumption. She can increase her current consumption, despite the fact that her current income remains unchanged, by reducing her current saving (she could even dissave, or have negative cu rrent saving, with current consumption exceeding current income, by using her accumulated assets or by borrowing). Suppose, for example, that consumer decides to consume $1000 more this year. Because current income is unchanged, the $1000 increase in current consumption is equivalent to a $1000 reduction in current saving. The $ 1000 reduction in current saving will reduce the available resources in the next year, relative to the situation in which her saving is unchanged, by $ 1000 X (1 + r) . For example, if the real interest rate is 0.05, cutting current saving by $1000 reduces the available resources next year by $1000 X 1 .05 == $1050. Overall, her available resources next year will increase by $6000 because of the bonus but will decrease by $1050 because of reduced current saving, giving a net increase in resources of $6000 $1050 == $4950, which can be used to increase consumption next year or in the following years. Effectively, the consumer can use the increase in her expec ted future income to increase consumption both in the present and in the future. To summarize, an increase in an individuals expected future income is likely to lead that person to increase current consumption and decrease current saving. The same result applies at the macroeconomic level: If people expect that aggregate output and income, Y, will be higher in the future, current desired consumption, cd, should increase and current desired national saving, sd, should decrease. Economists cant measure expected future income directly, so how do they  take this variable into account when predicting consumption and saving behavior? One approach is to survey consumers and ask them about their expectations. Their  answers can be useful for assessing developments in the macroeconomy.   In conclusion, The central role of expectations means that there is a great deal of uncertainty in the economy. Put simply: What people believe plays a central role in how they react to policy. Expectations can change the effect of a policy. Most discussion of policy today assumes that people are forward looking, that they think strategically, and that they base their actions on expected policy actions. Thus in some way their expectations are rational. But modern policy discussion is also built on the belief that the economy is complicated and that many possible expectations are rational. This includes adaptive expectations and combinations of expectations strategies. What the above assumptions mean in terms of policy is that depending on the beliefs that individuals hold, monetary and fiscal policy will work in different ways. People aren’t stupid and they aren’t super intelligent; they are people. If the government uses an activist monetary and fiscal policy in a predictable way, people will eventually come to build that expectation into their behavior. If the government bases its prediction of the effect of policy on past experience, that prediction will likely be wrong. But government never knows when expectations will change. Let’s consider an example. Say that everyone expects government to run expansionary fiscal policy if the economy is in recession. In the absence of any expected policy response from the government, people will lower their prices when they see a recession coming. Expecting government expansionary policy, however they won’t lower their price. Thus, the expectation of policy can create its own problems. References: Advanced Macro Economics, Romer, 2011; Slavin S., Macro Economics, 2009; A Century of Economic Theory. Mankiw, Mcroeconomics, Aggregate Supply and the Short-Run Tradeoff Between Inflation and Unemployment: Business Cycle Theory: The Economy in the Short Run   Rittenberg Tregarthen Micheal Rousakis, uni of warwick, economics and fluctuations: the role of monetary policy, 2012 Froyen, Macroeconomics Weil, Economic Growth

Ryanairs Corporate Culture

Ryanairs Corporate Culture 1. Summary This report attempts to analyse the corporate communication strategies currently employed by Irish budget airline Ryanair with respect to the various communication frameworks in place, whilst focusing on both external and internal stakeholders. Finally an analysis of Ryanairs corporate culture and HRM strategy with respect to their influence upon employees within the organisation. 2. Introduction Corporate communication distinguishes itself from other forms of communication such as management by the means in which it bases itself upon the organisations corporate perspective, the stakeholders it addresses and the management activities within its scope (Cornelissen, 2005) According to Argenti Foreman (2002) corporate communication can take the role of two forms; as a ‘function which may be dispersed across an organisation, or as a ‘process to reach all of its constituencies. An appropriate definition from Argenti (2002) avers Corporate Communication as â€Å"the corporations voice and the images it projects of itself on a world stage populated by its various audiences; corporate reputation, corporate advertising and advocacy, employee communications, investor relations, government relations, media management and crisis communications†. A consequence of these characteristics is that they are complex in nature especially when referring to multi-national organi sations (Cornelissen, 2005) such as Ryanair therefore effective communication strategies demand an integrated approach to communications management. Successful communication strategies clearly identify the organisations differentiating factor, or the profile which it wants to portray to its stakeholder groups. In the case of Ryanair its differentiating factor is its ability to consistently offer â€Å"lowest cost scheduled airline tickets† (Hagele, 2006). Micheal OLeary (CEO) says of his corporate strategy â€Å" Its the oldest, simplest formula; Pile‘ em high and sellem cheapWe want to be the Wal-Mart of the airline business. Nobody will beat us on price. EVER†. A powerful but contraversial message communicated by OLeary, which as the paper will discuss later synonmous with Ryanairs communications strategies. The objective of this paper is to identify what global communication framework/ s Ryanair are currently using; analysis of both internal and external corporate communication strategies and their subsequent impact with reference to engaging both internal and external stakeholders. Finally identification of Ryanairs corporate culture and its influence upon people within Ryanair. The aim of this paper therefore after discussing the objectives is to decide whether the frameworks and communication strategies Ryanair use are effective in maintaining their position as the European low-cost budget airline for both internal and external stakeholders. 3. Communication strategy Integrated Corporate Communication framework within Ryanair Corporate Communication as an integrated framework for managing communication (Cornelissen, 2005) Ryanair holistically combines both marketing, advertising, technology and public relations practitioners together in an integrated communications framework model (Cornelissen, 2005) drawing upon management strategy, consumer behaviour and organizational theory (see appendix) to manage the companys reputation and maintain brand equity. Integrated communication is created at the corporate brand level for Ryanair with the goal of enhancing its positioning within the market as Europes ‘lowest price airfares whilst maintaining its competitive strategy. Unlike other organisations that have placed corporate communications managers into executive teams (Cornelissen, 2005) OLeary does not follow this example, preferring instead to ‘council its head of corporate communications Stephen MacNamara and head of marketing Dara Brady, and rather instead maintaining control over Ryanairs communication strategy in its entirety. OLeary orchestrates Ryanairs communication strategy from the ma nagement team down with a hierarchical approach, enabling communication from a corporate strategic level which is reflected within its corporate culture. What makes Ryanair such a success is its inherent ability to consistently communicate the same ‘offering and its core strategy to stakeholders of ‘low price regardless of the ‘landscape it finds itself within. O Leary is able to leverage negative publicity associated with an event or incident at Ryanair and exploit this free opportunity to promote greater exposure of the brand and re-iterate how successful they really are. For example by utilising existing media channels such as an internet bloggers page who has posted a negative blog regards Ryanair, the companys integrated communication framework enables a quick response from MacNamara who instead re-enforces how successful their business model is in providing the cheapest fares around. What makes Ryanair unique within the airline industry is their ability not to waiver from their strategy of low cost, even if this means the ‘customer is not always right (O, Leary, 2007). This approach to communication strat egy is strengthened by the ‘Input-Output model of stakeholder management discussed later in the paper and shown in the appendix. 3.1. Internal Communications The organisation defines itself as a low-cost airline; the consequence of this is that unlike other airlines that can pass on additional cost increases to the customer such as increasing fuel prices Ryanair are unable to do so. Therefore their communication frameworks revolve around low-cost channels such as face-to-face, traditional print media and a heavy emphasis on technology and web-based communications system such as the Ryanair intranet, enabling employees such as flight crew, maintenance and ground staff, amongst others to access critical information and maintain quality management. Ryanair attempts to communicate with its employees (Annual Report, 2009) through a variety of communication channels; an internal staff newsletter called â€Å"The Limited Release† provides employees with up-to-date plans, issues and challenges within the aviation industry, where further daily news bulletins are broadcast on Ryanairs internal TV network. Additionally the organisations Employee Representative Committee (ERC) (one per department) liaises with Ryanairs European Works Council to provide guidance on current aviation issues pertinent to employees. Therefore using an integrated framework encompassing word-of- mouth, electronic channels, and periodical print media has enabled the organisation to minimise tangible costs. Only recently OLeary was quoted in the media for criticising employees for ‘stealing Ryanairs electricity by charging their mobile phones! (ref). 3.2. External communications As an entrepreneurial organisation Ryanair believes it possesses the right to play outside the box and follow its own path, challenging the status quo of corporate communication and pushing the aviation industry boundaries. As a result OLeary, MacNamara and Grady follow an external communications strategy which more often or not is designed to provoke the audience rather than to attract (see appendix). What is consistent is Ryanairs approach which is synonymous with ‘old school Public Relation strategy; in that it focuses on communicating the same message repeatedly; ‘low fares through online, print and . channels in an attempt to reinforce the notion of ‘good value with consumers. However, whilst it can be argued that this strategy may seem archaic it actually proffers the advantage that Ryanairs positioning strategy is absolutely clear to its stakeholders; in that its offering is ‘low priced airfares and absolutely nothing else. OLeary has a reputation as a hard-nosed businessman choosing his words carefully but with the intent to cause as much controversy as possible which ultimately creates a paradox of both artistic creativity and destruction. ‘Screw the share price, this is a fare war† â€Å"We bow down to nobody. Well stuff every one of them in Europe, we wont be second or third and saying: didnt we do well? In business, honesty is a dirty word. People say the customer is always right, but you know what theyre not, sometimes they are wrong and they need to be told so† (Michael O Leary, 2007) Using a provocative vocabulary ensures that during crisis management strategies in the event of negative publicity OLeary is able to leverage as much exposure as possible for Ryanair which ultimately leaves the company at the forefront of consumers minds. The most recent examples of these have been the (perhaps?) ‘faux-pas of Ryanair employee responses back to online bloggers regards disag reements in online content complaints about customer service (see appendix) 3.2.1 Values To complete 3.2.2. Key stakeholders According to (Johnson Scholes, 2008), organisational stakeholders are those individuals or groups who depend on the organisation to fulfil their own goals and on whom, in turn , the organisation depends. Furthermore (Wall Rees, 2004) and (Johnson Scholes, 2008) suggested that stakeholders are other societal groups who are affected by the activities of the firm and whom in turn, the organisation depends. This section identifies the major stakeholders of Ryan Air and how they are important to the firm however Ryanairs stakeholders encompass a wide range of groups which can be classified as both 1) societal 2) economic (organisational) with each group unique in their expectation as stakeholders of Ryanair. The former range from pressure groups, competitors, suppliers and customers, where for example customers are legally entitled to fair trading practices; differs from the latter (organizational) comprising of shareholders and employees, who are entitled to extra rights under the rul e of corporate governance. The model which aligns most closely within Ryanair for both internal and external stakeholders, if OLearys approach to corporate communications is followed is the ‘Input-Output model of strategic management (Cornelissen, 2005) (see appendix). This emphasises that power lies within the organisation, upon which other stakeholder groups are dependent in respect to their relationship with Ryanair; this is illustrated by OLearys clear disregard for stakeholder perception across all groups. Internal Stakeholders Employees within Ryanair are according to OLeary ‘a cost (2006) until they are able to contribute fully to the business, demonstrated by the corporate culture of reducing overheads by externally sourcing cabin crew and making new employees pay for their training with the organisation until fully qualified and an ‘asset to the company. Further to this a compensations structure following the premise of ‘pay on the basis of transactions undertaken; meaning sectors flown (Mayer, 2008) ensures that cabin crew absorb a lot of the cost impact to delayed flights creating an incentive through commission to market other Ryanair products. Further to this the absence of any trade union or regulatory body at the request of O Leary ensures that whilst these stakeholders are ruled under ‘fair corporate governance they are seen to be disposable commodities. External Stakeholders -to complete Unlike more conventional stakeholder models OLeary does not apportion importance to external governmental or regulatory influences rather choosing instead to challenge them .i.e. the European Union over competition policy in 2006 (ref) and British airport accusations over ‘unfair charging practices over recent years. This strengthens the notion that the ‘Input-Output model of stakeholder management is correct; in reference to the power lying ‘within Ryanair rather than with its stakeholders. However effective communication is a key success factor of this organisation is respect to its approach of its relationship with new airports. MacNamara uses a tactic which involves generating awareness of potential new routes by announcing instead the new jobs it will create and the anticipated increase in volume of passengers Suppliers bargaining power for fuel is high, medium for aircraft and medium low for airports; sourcing, purchasing and procurement is done face-to-face negotiation like most b2b business. 3.2.3 Corporate Culture, brand, image and identity Corporate Culture Melewar (2006), corporate culture is impacted by history of the company, the founder of the organization and country of origin of the organization. There is link between corporate culture and corporate history because the interaction among the group can develop culture. Melewar (2006) stated that the founder of the company can affect the corporate culture The corporate culture of Ryanair is very much influenced by OLeary, strengthening the notion that the CEO can dictate the corporate culture of the airline. Schein (1992) posits culture to be â€Å"accumulated shared learning of a given group, covering behavioural, emotional and cognitive elements of a group members total psychological functioning† addressing a shared understanding of culture; contrasting with Johnson and Scholes (2002) who aver that â€Å"the basic assumption and beliefs that are shared by members of an organisation, that operate unconsciously and define in a basic taken for-granted fashion an organisations view of itself and its environment† addressing instead repeated behavioural patterns. When attempting to analyse Ryanairs corporate culture the former analogy becomes more prominent. Ryanair corporate culture is more focus as an airline company based in Ireland, representing the Irish culture: Organise, reliable, and kindly (Ryanair.com, 2009). Corporate brand Balmer (1995), corporate brand refer to corporate reputation, corporate image and concern on perception. It focus on all internal and external stakeholders, and boarder mix than traditional marketing mix, and it require commitment from all staff, senior management as well as financial support. From Balmer (2001), the favorable corporate brand came from organizational identity. Ryanair brand core is the ‘low cost flights for all. This brand core is applied to focus on the cost of Ryanair brand which is available at different levels for differents types of customers (Ryanair.com, 2009). It also emphasizes on the promise that the brand communicate to the stakeholders. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the communication depends on the gab between the performance and promise although in Ryanair we see more students, leisure people than business people. Nevertheless people from any background can afford to use the service. Corporate image Abratt (1989), Grunig (1993), and Van Riel (1995), there are three approached of corporate image which include psychology, graphic design and public relation. From Balmer (2001), the corporate image came from managing business identity. Moreover, corporate image related to immediate mental perception to the organization held by individual group. Corporate identity Abratt (1989), Balmer (1998) Olin (1990) and Van Riel (1997), corporate identity focus on culture, strategy, structure, history, business activity and business scope. Corporate identity is the mix of elements which give the organization their distinctiveness. And the key questions are who are we, what are structure, strategy, business, reputation, performance, business and history. Ryanair corporate identity is based on ‘bleueness (The corporate colour): meaning they are ‘up for it, ‘passionate, ‘sharp ‘mad about safety and ‘mad about cost. Bleue is what make Ryanair different. 3.2.4 HRM Strategy -to complete 4. Conclusions To complete 5. Bibliography Abratt, R. (1989), â€Å"A new approach to the corporate image management process†, Journal of Marketing Management, 5(1), 63-76. Annual Report, Ryanair.com. (2009), ‘Annual report 2009, [Online] at: URL: http://www. Ryanair.com/ [Last accessed 22nd March 2010] Argenti, P. (2003) ‘Corporate Communication, 3rd edition; Mcgraw Hill Argenti,P. (2009) ‘Corporate Communication, 5th edition, McGraw- Hill Education. Balmer, J.M.T. (1995), â€Å"Corporate branding and connoisseurship†, Journal of General Management, 21(1), 24-46. Balmer, J.M.T. (1997), Corporate identity past, present and future, works paper, University of Strathclyde International Centre for Corporate Identity Studies, Glasgow. Balmer, J.M.T. (2001), â€Å"Corporate identity, corporate branding and corporate marketing: seeing through the frog, European Journal of Marketing, 35(3-4), 248-291. Cornelissen, J. (2005) ‘Corporate Communication, Theory practice; Sage Publications Davies, A. (2002) ‘Public relations Democracy Part 2; Guirham, M. (1999) ‘Communicating Across Cultures; McMillan Harris et al, (2003) ‘International HRM; CIPD Johnson, G; Scholes, K. (2002) ‘Exploring Corporate Strategy, Prentice Hall Mitchell, Aigle Wood. Johnson, G; Scholes, K; Whtittington, R. (2008) ‘Exploring Corporate Strategy, Prentice Hall Mitchell, Aigle Wood. Oliver S. (2001) ‘Corporate Communication; Kogan, Page Mayer, S. (2008) ‘RyanAir and its Low Cost Flights in Europe: Marketing Plan Akamdemische Schriftenriehe; GRIN Verlag Melewar, T.C. (2006) ‘Seven dimension of corporate identity: a categorization from practitioners perspective, European Journal of Marketing, 40(7/8), 846-69. Tourish D Hargie O. (2004) ‘Key issues in organisational Communication; Routledge Van Reil Cees.B.M. (1992) ‘Principles of corporate Communication; FT Prentice. Van Riel, C.B.M. and Balmer, J.M.T. (1997). â€Å"Corporate identity: the concept, its measurement and management†, European Journal of Marketing, 31(5-6), 340-350. Wall, S and Rees, B (2004) ‘International Business, 2nd Edition , Pearson Education Limited. 6. Appendix Proposed Stakeholder model with Ryanair Input Output Model of Strategic Management (Cornelissen, 2005) Ryanairs response to an Irish blogger Jason Roe who highlighted flaws over the website layout; rather than thanking Mr.Roe instead staff commented: (source: ‘ Ryanair calls blogger lunatic; The Telegraph, 25th February 2009)

Essay --

The Armenian people are known to have begun around sixth century B.C. The Armenians are ancient people who speak an Indo-European language and have traditionally inhabited the border regions to Armenia, Iran, and Turkey. Armenians lived in Anatolia and West Armenia for about 3,000 years until the 11th century when they were defeated by Central Asian tribal armies. Since then, the Armenians have lived as subjects to several Turkish dynasties (Centuries of Genocide). Armenia was the very first nation to accept Christianity as its state religion. Armenia was an independent kingdom before it was taken over by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century. The Ottomans created a huge empire going from Eastern Europe to Western Asia and North Africa. Armenians were Christians and Ottoman rulers were Muslim. The Armenian’s were a minority group under the Ottoman Empire and they were often treated unfairly. The Ottoman Empire deprived Armenians of their rights. Armenians had to pay higher taxes than Muslims, they had fewer legal rights and they were not allowed to vote. Even though they faced these challenges, the Armenian’s did very well under Ottoman rule. They were wealthier than the citizens of Turkey and they received a better education. It wasn’t long before Turks began to resent the Armenians. They did not trust them or their loyalty to other Christian governments. The Ottoman Empire began to fall apart in the 1800’s. As the empire disintegrated, Greeks, Serbs and Romanians achieved independence. Only the Armenians and the Arabs of the Middle East remained in the Ottoman Empire which was ruled by Sultan Abdul Hamid (unitedhumanrights.org). They Armenians demanded fairness from Sultan Hamid and wanted security from Kurd... ...problem is that Turkey is an ally to America and recognizing the Armenian genocide would harm relations between US and Turkey (Common Dreams). The United States needs Turkey for the war on terrorism because they have an airbase that the US forces use to get supplies to troops in Iraq. Several Resolutions have been presented to the US Congress over the years to recognize the Armenian Genocide. On May 20, 2013 HR Resolution 227 was introduced by the House of Representatives calling on the President â€Å"to work toward equitable, constructive, stable, and durable Armenian-Turkish relations based upon the Republic of Turkey’s full acknowledgment of the facts and ongoing consequences of the Armenian Genocide, and a fair, just, and comprehensive international resolution of this crime against humanity.† (H. Res. 227). The Bill is currently pending approval by US government.

Comparing the Tragedies of Hamlet, Oedipus the King, and Death of a Sal

Comparing the Tragedies of Hamlet, Oedipus the King, and Death of a Salesman The tragedies Hamlet, Oedipus the King, and Death of a Salesman have strikingly different plots and characters; however, each play shares common elements in its resolution. The events in the plays’ closings derive from a tragic flaw possessed by the protagonist in each play. The downfall of each protagonist is caused by his inability to effectively cope with his tragic flaw. The various similarities in the closing of each play include elements of the plot, the reflection of other characters on the misfortune of the tragic hero, and expression of important themes through the dialogue of the characters. The protagonists of Hamlet, Oedipus the King, and Death of a Salesman each possess a tragic flaw that ultimately induces their demise. Hamlet is characterized as a hesitant hero. He thoroughly contemplates his options instead of taking action; however, when he does not have the time to consider his alternatives, he acts rashly and impulsively. For example, he did not kill Claudius when he was presented with the opportunity in Act III scene iii. Oedipus’ tragic flaw was his excessive pride, or hubris. He believed that he was flawless and thus maintained the false notion that he was also infallible. Willy Loman was plagued by his enchantment with the ephemeral promises of the American Dream. There are various similarities and differences among the events that occur in the resolutions of the three tragedies, including physical destruction of the protagonist, assumption of the protagonist’s former position by a rival, and suffering caused by disillusionment. The three tragic heroes Hamlet, Oedipus, and Willy Loman are subjected to various forms of physical destruction. Hamlet is slain in a fencing match by a poisoned foil, Oedipus mutilates himself and is exiled from Thebes, and Willy Loman commits suicide by intentionally crashing his car. Another common thread in the resolutions of all three tragedies is that a rival of the tragic hero assumes the responsibilities of the protagonist following his demise. Creon – the man secretly covetous of royal power – becomes the leader of Thebes after Oedipus falls from his position of authority. Fortinbras assumes a position of leadership in Denmark after the death of Claudius and his successors. In Death of a Salesman... ...ine. And when they start not smiling back – that’s an earthquake. And then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat and you’re finished† (138). With these words, Charley attributes Willy’s despair to the hardships of his profession. Biff’s comment that his father â€Å"never knew who he was† (138) insinuates that people should strive to discover their true place in life. Willy’s dissatisfaction with his life was a result of his vain attempt to be someone that he was not. The three tragedies Hamlet, Oedipus the King, and Death of a Salesman have similar resolutions despite their diverse storylines. In each play, the tragic hero suffers from great misfortune that ultimately leads to his downfall. Various plot elements in the closing related to the destruction of the protagonist are shared among the three tragedies. The closing of each play reveals thoughts and feelings of characters regarding the demise of the tragic hero. Also, major themes are expressed through the discussion and action of the characters. Most importantly, the conclusion of each tragedy not only evokes feelings of sympathy but also teaches the audience an important lesson about the human condition.

Oedipus Rex Essay

‘Oedipus the King,’ also known as ‘Oedipus Rex’ is one of the three Greek plays about Thebes written by Sophocles. In fact the plays form a trilogy (Oedipus Rex, Oedipus Colonus and Antigone) with the same characters. The plays are sometimes referred to as the ‘Oedipus Plays’ since Oedipus is the main character. Sophocles’ genius lies in the crafting of these plays, and their characters, almost bringing them to life. Throughout the course of ‘Oedipus Rex’ he expresses the power of fate and predestination that leads the characters astray. In fact, it was the stubborn belief in superstitions and prophecies that Sophocles highlights. Both the heroes, Oedipus and Creon are popular tragic heroes of Greek mythology. Oedipus is bright and has profound intellect, but at the same time is quick to make rash decisions without much thought. Creon though is depicted as a man of reason, much more subtle, unlike the brash Oedipus. The play begins with Oedipus ruling Thebes with a firm hand. The people believe him to be their savior because Oedipus is the one who saves them from the curse of the Sphinx, a half female half lion monster, by solving her riddle. King Lauis who ruled before Oedipus had left Thebes for a while under the kingship of Creon. But King Lauis is killed. Meanwhile Creon offers his sister’s hand in marriage to anyone who could rid the city of the Sphinx by solving her riddle. It is Oedipus who is able to solve it, marries Jocosta (Creon’s sister), and gains rule of part of Thebes. From the beginning Oedipus is aware of that there is some curse on him. He learns from an oracle that he is destined to kill his father and mate with his own mother. But it is his over-bearing belief in this curse that eventually results in his fall. At the beginning of the play Oedipus is shown to have great strength of character and will, and is a man of understanding. People have a high regard for him and fear him the same. But the one weakness that lied in Oedipus was his impulsiveness. Throughout the play are numerous instances where Oedipus makes rash decisions, and is quick to jump to conclusions without much thought. His vanity leads him to kill Lauis over a mere brawl. Later when the blind prophet Tiresias warns him not to investigate the murder of Lauis, Oedipus is incensed and argues that Tiresias himself is the murderer. When the prophet reveals the truth, Oedipus is enraged, accusing the old man of corruption. He is bent on believing that Creon wants to seize power until he realizes that Creon himself chooses not to rule even thought he has the right to a third of Thebes. When Jocasta kills herself, Oedipus gouges his eyes with her broaches blinding himself in despair. And when he does learn the truth, he demands his own exile out of shame and disgust. Sophocles portrays Oedipus as a man of honor and dignity, a matter of prime importance to ancient Greeks. He was also a man of great intellect – another feature admired by them. The riddle of the Sphinx was baffling to say the least, but it was only Oedipus who could solve it. What is the creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three in the evening? † To this Oedipus replies, â€Å"Man† (who crawls on all fours as a baby, walks upright later, and needs a walking stick in old age)[1]. Oedipus, in fact was a typical hero in every sense of the word. He was short-tempered, proud, and stubborn, with unflinching dedication and loyalty. He had a strong conscience, an intelligent mind and passion to do good for his people and his city. But worst of all was his inability to see clearly. Sophocles describes this by using a theme of ‘sight and blindness’ in the play often. Oedipus can see, but remains blind to reality. In contrast, the old prophet can see clearly even though he is blind. Such themes were often a part of Greek mythology. But the theme of blindness has special importance in Oedipus Rex – at times literal, at times metaphorical. Later when Oedipus learns that Jocasta has killed herself, and when he does learn that he fulfilled the prophecy, he blinds himself out of guilt, and anger at not being able to see or think clearly. Oedipus is over-bearing in many ways, and it is his over-bearing sense of self that misleads him so easily. After blinding himself he leaves to spend the rest of his life in exile, with the aid of his daughter Antigone. Creon, Jocosta’s brother, and Oedipus’ relative and friend stands in sharp contrast to Oedipus. In Oedipus Rex Creon plays the role of a calm and controlled man with a mind that reasons. Creon is a close friend of Oedipus, but that too does not keep the headstrong Oedipus from suspecting that Creon wanted to rule Thebes. Creon though claims that he is not interested in ruling Thebes, and that Oedipus is only a king in name, since he has the right to as much of Thebes as Oedious himself. He represents a semblance of diplomacy and stability. In fact, these were the very things lacking in Oedipus. Creon also shows traits of being much more reasonable. An example is when Creon brings news from the oracle and wishes to tell it to Oedipus is person. Oedipus though is insistent that it be told in public, not keeping anything from anyone. One can see various instances where the two heroes are opposing in their approaches, and manner of dealing with situations. While Oedipus can be called childish and haughty, Creon was much more clear-headed and foresighted. But there were some things that the two heroes shared in common. Both had won the hearts of the people, were respected, and loved the city of Thebes. They were also very keen followers of the Greek gods. Since most Greek mythology was built around gods and goddesses, they played a crucial role ion determining the course of the story. In fact the theme of gods and of predestination plays a key role in Oedipus Rex. Oedipus is always wary of his curse told to him by an oracle. He seeks help from Apollo to determine the cause of the plague. Creon too follows the will of the gods. When Oedipus demands to be exiled, Creon waits for approval from the gods before taking any action. It is worth mentioning here that if Oedious Rex and Antigone are compared, one can see that both the kings accuse the old prophet Tiresias of corruption when he tells them that the gods are against them. But there is also a clear difference that follows. While Creon tries to change, and amend his wrongdoings, Oedipus remains ‘blind’ and refuses to acknowledge his mistakes. Eventually, Oedipus is left wandering blind and lonely, while he leaves his daughters in Creon’s care.

Clinical Supervision in Counseling Essay

Professional competence is shown in many counselors throughout the world. One way that competence is displayed by counselors is their ability to utilize clinical supervision and consultation. Even long standing professionals in the field of counseling continually seek supervision. When confronted with difficult ethical decision making and unique situations in its best to gain an outside objective viewpoints. In reference to the case study, there are plenty of ethical dilemmas and unethical decisions made by Joe and his supervisor. It is clear their personal values differ from those who choose to follow ethical codes in counseling. The APA and ACA’s ethical standards and codes have certain relations in comparison to the violations which Joe and his supervisor have perpetrated. To avoid breaches of ethical codes, there are ACA ethics committee members to inform appropriate relationship standards with all individuals involved in the counseling process. Clinical supervision is important to utilize for each counselor’s self-awareness. The case study implies that Joe ended counseling sessions with Jill because they had mutual feelings of attraction towards each other. He made an ethical decision in doing so by recognizing the counseling relationship would be ineffective. Joe and Jill began a sexual relationship which ended abruptly after a month, with no physical or verbal contact afterwards. Joe had a guilty conscious of their unethical relationship. The imperative action he failed to do was follow through with the proper referral process by choosing to obtain clinical supervision from his supervisor for Jill’s well-being. However, Joe and his supervisor recently started a sexually relationship. He did not seek referral assistance for Jill to avoid hurt feelings from his supervisor. Inquiring the behaviors of both counselor and supervisor, there were evident breaches of ethics. The counselor and supervisor should have the knowledge that any non-professional relationship between the two is unethical and a breach of ethics. In other words, they should have known better. Teaching and modeling ethical and professional behavior is an important responsibility of a supervisor (Argosy, 2013). All psychologist, counselors and members of the ACES (The Association for Counselor Education and Supervision) must abide by the ACA and APA Code of Ethics. The ACES has developed ethical codes for counseling supervisors and is in accordance with the purpose of the ACA as well as a founding division of the ACA. According to ACES, the best practice guidelines are intended to support supervisors in their work. The ACES’s guidelines are offered to augment the judgment of supervisors as they make it their requirement to offer ethical and legal protection of rights of supervisors, supervisees and clients, and meet professional needs of supervisees while protecting client welfare (ACES, Best Practices in Supervision, 2010). With regards to ACES practice guidelines there are other exceptional tools or standards available to ensure supervisors know crucial standards for their practice. The American Counseling Association created a â€Å"Journal of Counseling Development†: Standards of Counseling Supervisors (ACA/ACES, 1990, JCD v69 n 1, Pg. 30, Vol. 69). † The standards implemented is this journal are important to counseling supervisors toS develop core areas of knowledge, competencies, and personal traits that characterize effective counselors. What happened between the counselor and the supervisor was extremely unacceptable. My values clash with their values. I am sure when I am counseling clients for mental health I will be attracted to a few men here and there. I may even be attracted to my supervisor or a colleague of mine. Physical or emotional attraction is a normal function as a human being, and is not a dangerous or awful thing. Making verbal or physical actions to distinctive attractions will not be the case for me. I would not want to jeopardize my career involving an unethical mistake concerning my attraction to one of my clients. I value the direction in which I am being educated, and I will value even more when I am certified and access a seemingly well respective job. Ethical standards and codes are needed to be taken very seriously. The APA and ACA have very similar codes of ethics and ethical standards. As I have stated before, Joe and his supervisor breached certain codes of ethics specifically pertaining to having a sexual relationship. According to the APA ethical standards it states, â€Å"Psychologists do not engage in sexual relationships with students or supervisees who are in their department, agency, or training center or over whom psychologists have or are likely to have evaluative authority (APA, 2010). One of the ACA Codes of Ethics involving relationships has boundaries regarding supervisory relationships. Logically, between current supervisees and their supervisor sexual and romantic interactions or relationships are prohibited (ACA, 2005). Within the APA and ACA ethical standards, they seem to have overall similar conclusion regarding sexual relationships between counselors and supervisors. One difference I recognized is that the APA states ethical ways of going about multiple relationships with clients, although it is best to refrain in case of impairment to the psychologist’s competency (APA, 2010). Also, The ACA has ethical standards involving potential ethical beneficial relationships with supervisees in a non–professional setting, such as attending a funeral for the supervisee. This has to be discussed between the supervisor and supervisee and documentation of the rationale for the relationship is a necessity (ACA, 2005). Members of the ACA and APA ethics committee have a huge responsibility to manage enforcement of the ethical codes concerning the APA or ACA and to enhance professional development through professions. Committee members have important obligations such as processing cases of alleged violations. However, a committee member cannot warrant the job review of any member affiliated or that is under the Code of Ethics. If I was an ACA Ethics Committee member, I would inform appropriate behavioral codes for counselors, especially new counselors to the field. I would certainly inform them of the no tolerance policies of sexual or intimate relations with co-workers or clients, as well as all ethical codes. I would make them aware of the role and function of what I do as a part of the committee. For example, we as a committee process complaints of ethical violations or alleged violations. Most importantly I would want to educate health professionals of the membership according to the ACA codes, and what the roles and functions of ethical committees. I would like to continue to adopt many values of ethical codes, ethical decision making, standards and principals for supervision that I highly appreciate.