5 Steps to Determine Your LinkedIn Profile Focus by guest blogger Jill Schaefer

5 Steps to Determine Your LinkedIn Profile Focus by guest blogger Jill Schaefer You are a multi-faceted human being and yet you only get one LinkedIn profile (or two if one of them is in a second language). Perhaps you are unsure where to focus as a professional and thus how to present yourself in your profile. The question â€Å"Who am I?† is an important one for job seekers and professionals, and it’s not always easy to answer. You: The multi-talented All of us are good at MANY things; but the fact is you can’t be everything to everyone- especially as a job seeker. As Martin Yates, CPC, author of the famed Knock ‘em Dead series, elaborates in Knock ‘em Dead 2012: The Ultimate Job Search Guide, â€Å"People get hired based on their credentials not their potential†¦ Decide on the job that will be the easiest sell for you and the easiest buy for an employer.† In the almost two years that I have been writing LinkedIn summaries for The Essay Expert, I have encountered clients who attempt to be all things to all people. They want to highlight their experience in A, B, and C industries and their accomplishments at X, Y, and Z jobs, AND promote their small business- all within the space of 2,000 characters. Sound familiar? You may think this broad-ranging type of summary says, â€Å"I’m dynamic and versatile.† In reality, most readers interpret it as, â€Å"This person is confused, random, and indecisive.† 5 Step Plan Here’s how to convey focus and strength in your LinkedIn summary: Step 1: Pick one thing The first step to finding your LinkedIn focus is to zero in on the PRIMARY job that you’re after or the PRIMARY professional pursuit you want to come across loud and clear in your profile. How do you do that? Back to Martin Yates’ words of wisdom. â€Å"Based on the skills you possess today, what is your primary job target?† Step 2: Find job descriptions for your target job or profession. Identify keywords. Look up 3-5 job descriptions for your target job category. For example, if I am looking for a marketing or communication manager position, I would go to indeed.com, monster.com, or careerbuilder.com to find posted positions, such as Marketing Communications Officer or Marketing Services Manager, that employers are actively recruiting for. You don’t have to limit yourself to a certain geographic area for this exercise. The point is to learn what job title is most commonly used and what language employers use to describe the job’s requirements. What is the problem a person in that role must solve? What skills would an ideal candidate have? (Note: If your target job requires you to do things that you hate, go back to Step 1.) Copy and paste the contents of the job descriptions into an electronic file or print them out. Highlight mandatory skills from the job descriptions. What keywords- the words that LinkedIn recruiters and hiring managers would search on- keep popping up? Hint: â€Å"team player† is not a keyword phrase, â€Å"alliance management† is. Learn more about keywords in Brenda Bernstein’s Baffled by choosing keywords for your LinkedIn Profile HEADLINE post. Make a list of the most common keywords from the job descriptions. You might want to use Wordle.net to help out with this part. Step 3: Identify your accomplishments With your target job position in mind,   create a list of your top five relevant accomplishments. Organize each accomplishment into a Situation/Action/Results format: Briefly DESCRIBE THE SITUATION or problem. List the ACTIONS YOU TOOK to amend the situation. Describe the RESULTS YOU ACHIEVED. Use quantifiable statistics and metrics, if possible. Step 4: Evaluate how you match up Compare and contrast the similarities between the job descriptions and your accomplishments. How do you match up? If you do, great! If not, it’s time to re-evaluate whether you have matching experiences or successes in the areas that are important to an employer. Step 5: Be THAT person Make sure everything you say about yourself on your LinkedIn profile supports your ONE target position or singular professional objective. Don’t muddy the waters by including keywords from everything that you’ve ever done in your working life. Keep it focused. Remember if you decide today that you’re most qualified to be a genie and tomorrow you decide you’d rather be a zookeeper, you can change your LinkedIn profile accordingly. It’s a living document that reflects who you are as a professional right now. Once you’ve updated your LinkedIn profile, start monitoring the â€Å"Who’s viewed your profile?† section on the right side of your LinkedIn home page. How many times has your profile appeared in searches over the past few days? If your hits are in the single digits, change a few keywords, reassess, and repeat until your numbers go up. Feeling lost? The Essay Expert is here to help you find your professional self. We have helped many a client with multiple professional personalities benefit from a focused, successful LinkedIn summary. About Jill Schaefer: Jill is a professional copywriter and freelance writer who lives in Madison, Wisconsin. She specializes in environmental communications, connecting with clients, giving LinkedIn profiles a makeover, and producing compelling copy. View winning LinkedIn summaries Jill co-wrote for The Essay Experts clients: Shashi Dosaj | Marissa Keller Outten | Michelle Henry

Essential Roommate Rules to Discuss when Moving in Together

Essential Roommate Rules to Discuss when Moving in Together Even if you’re used to sharing a room with your siblings or other relatives, living with a roommate is a new experience, and their habits and routines might seem weird or annoying to you. Can you find a compromise with your cohabitant? Can you be a good roommate even if you’re not friends? We are sure that this is possible if you follow some basic rules. Thats why we have made a list of ground rules for roommates that will help you avoid conflicts, which are not uncommon for people who live in close quarters. 1. Washing Dishes When talking about roommates, its impossible not to mention the most vital question – whose dirty plate is this and who should wash it? The issue of dirty dishes often starts a roommate war and makes you think â€Å"I hate my roommate. There are two simple ways to avoid this problem: Make a schedule Set the basic rule of doing dishes immediately after the meal or cooking What if a roommate breaks the rules, leaving dirty plates around? Such behavior might be a passive aggressive move or just an act of irresponsibility. Make sure you have separate dishes (maybe even marked or colored) and do only the ones which you use. Eventually, your roommate will have to start washing dishes instead of waiting for someone else to do it. 2. Inviting Guests Considerably Having your roommate’s friends, relatives, or significant other repeatedly staying at your place is annoying. Especially when you get up in the morning and discover an occupied bathroom or no hot water left. You need to establish must-have rules when living with a roommate to regulate such issues. Make sure to talk about how many people you and your roommate can invite and how long guests stay. Also, mention the necessity of warning each other beforehand. 3. Cleaning Living in a dirty apartment or dorm room is not the most pleasant thing. Especially if you’re not the one who makes the mess but the one who has to clean it eventually. When two or more people move in together, they might be surprised by the fact that the term â€Å"clean† might mean different things for different people. For example, some individuals are totally okay with the fact that there are dirty dishes in the sink. Others cant sleep knowing that there might be some trash in the bin. So, what you can do is: create a cleaning schedule discuss if you are going to use cleaning services and if so, split the bill discuss the organization and storage of things set up a list of weekly cleaning tasks discuss the rules of using and cleaning the kitchen, bathroom, and other shared spaces. The cleaning schedule solves the majority of problems that might occur. For example, you wont have to think of how to ask your roommate to clean the bathroom. You can just point out the schedule. 4. Respecting Each Others Space Having your space and some privacy is necessary no matter how many roomies you have. Thats why its important to respect personal space and the right to study, have some rest, or hang with your significant other alone. Always make sure to ask your roommate to knock before coming in and keep the noise reasonable no matter what time it is. By the way, if you would like to know how you can meet your significant other in college and develop a relationship, we have a few pieces of advice for you. How do you deal with roommate breaking rules? Start with closing the door to your room and putting a big sign on it. Having a key to lock your door is also a good idea if possible. If you live with your roommate in one dorm room, its much harder to establish the borders of private space for both of you. However, you can discuss: what to do if one of you has a date in your room your daily schedules – when each of you goes to bed and gets up the items, furniture, gadgets that are shared and any private stuff (what your roommate can use when he or she needs it, what needs to be asked before borrowed, and what should be never touched) what to do if you want to change something in the room, move furniture, etc. Being roommates doesnt imply being friends. However, being respectful of each others preferences is what helps to build a friendly relationship. If you want your rules to be followed, make sure that you are attentive to the needs of your roommate too, so that you are equal in your rights and obligations. 5. Being Responsible Living with a roommate is all about compromises. It’s also about being responsible and caring. This means that both of you should take care of the pets if you have them, observe fire safety, be careful when using roommates things, make sure you close the door when leaving, etc. No one wants to have an indifferent roommate whose absent-mindedness can lead to tragic results. Being responsible also means that sometimes you need to solve problems that are caused by your roommate. For example, if your roommate leaves clothes in the washing machine or forgets to turn off the iron. You aren’t the one who messed up, but you are the one who has to fix it once youve noticed it. What to Do if Your Roommate Keeps Breaking Rules? However, discussing and establishing these rules with your roomies doesn’t mean that they will be followed. Sometimes you might find that you’re the only one who cares about such rules. So, what can you do? Consider signing a roommate agreement Having rules written down and signed by both parties has a bit more weight when it comes to agreements with other people. This way you will not hear things like â€Å"I don’t recall talking about this with you† or â€Å"you have never asked me to.† A roommate agreement is a brief document that lists all the rules that you and your roommate agree to follow. Such agreements can be framed and put on the wall so you can always point them out. Communicate How many times have you heard that you need to speak about the things that bother you? If something is wrong, it doesn’t mean that your roommate wants to spoil your relationship. Sometimes they might just forget about your agreements (this is one more reason to put your rules on the paper). That’s why communicating is key to overcoming obstacles before they grow into problems. Talk to your roommate if you feel they don’t respect the rules that you have created together and why it makes living together difficult. Make your position clear and try to sound as calm as possible. Talk to a landlord Not all problems with your roommate can be solved by trying to reach a compromise. If your roommate breaks the rules intentionally in order to make you feel uncomfortable, this means that it’s better for you to consider other actions that you might take. For example, if you rent an apartment, you can talk to a landlord about the inconveniences which your roommate makes you go through. Provide a few examples or proof if you have any (for example, that your roommate throws noisy parties at night) and let your landlord know that you can find another roommate who will be more friendly and law-abiding. Chances are high that your landlord will take your roommate’s name off the lease. However, this should be a last resort. If you live in a dorm, you can also approach your supervisor and ask to move you to another room. There aren’t always vacant rooms, but you can at least try. Never be ashamed to move out if you are harassed or insulted by your roommate. Eventually, you can always teach your roommate a lesson by pulling a prank on him or her. Wrapping Up Lastly, one more tip for everyone moving in with another person for the first time and wondering how to set the rules in your house: roommates cant read thoughts. Communicate, discuss what bothers you, and what you can do about that. This is the only way to be able to live under the same roof. There might be plenty of things that you are used to doing differently, so be prepared to find a compromise to make this coexistence work. If it’s your freshman year, our article on some tips for your first year in college will come in handy too.

Applied linguistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Applied linguistics - Essay Example The input that a learner receives has been identified as a major contributor that affects the acquisition of a second language. The importance of the input given to a learner was emphasized by Stephen Krashen who advocated for comprehensible input as the solution to acquisition of a second language (Hunston & Oakey, 2010). Input is invariably determined by the amount of time granted to the learner and thus the longer the time allocated the better a learner becomes in speaking a second language. Input can be enhanced by personal reading habits of the learner (Ortega, 2009, p. 60). Learners who are committed to reading books written in the second language of choice are at a better place than their non-reading counterparts are in speaking the language fluently. Voluntary reading of books can be termed as one of the best-input tools, and the results justify the significance of input in the learning process (Hunston & Oakey, 2010). The importance of the type of input in the acquisition of a second language cannot be overemphasized as grammatically sequenced processes have been found to be ineffective. The use of sequencing should be limited and the process should be limited to individual learner’s abilities. However, input is not the only solution in the learning process and more alternatives have to be accommodated. ... might undergo significant lessons in language their communication might not be as sharp as that of those learning the language in France or a French-speaking nation. The interaction hypothesis emphasizes on the conditions that are present during the learning process. The interaction of a learner in the second language is crucial in developing fluency and deeper understanding of the actual meaning of certain words. Interaction entails using the language in day-to-day activities. The interaction phase is conducive when there is some sort of breakdown in the communication and a learner is forced to negotiate for the meaning (Ortega, 2009, p.63). This insinuates that for communication to be successful a learner should be in a surrounding where they can use the second language in their activities. The interaction phase is important in helping learners in simplifying input and pushing them to modify parts of their speech. The output hypothesis plays an important role in a person’s a ttempt of learning a second language. The output process essentially assists learners of a language by providing them with the necessary feedback (Hunston & Oakey, 2010). The output of the process should be comprehensible to the learner for maximized automation of their knowledge of the new language. Finally, the importance of the output hypothesis in the process of acquiring a second language is assisting individuals in concentrating on the form and nature of their communication. The input process can also pose a challenge in SLA for example if too much emphasis is placed on classroom teachings (Ortega, 2009, p. 60). The teaching of a second language primarily in the classroom can be part of the hindrance to the acquisition process as emphasis is placed on vocabularies instead of literally

Memo and letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Memo and letter - Essay Example Since you did not listen to our expert advice, there is nothing that we can do for you on this matter. If it is your wish to still plant trees in this particular wet area, it would be better if you planted balsam firs there. Admittedly balsam needles are significantly darker than the Douglas Firs’, but the shape of both trees would still fit in with your tree line. If you have any more concerns or queries at all, then please get in touch with our customer service department and we will be more than willing to help you. Once again, we understand what you are going through but we just can’t be of assistance at this particular time. I am writing this memo to you to analyze Raymond Manning’s application for a crushing and grinding manager’s position at Durango Chemical Corporation. It my opinion, the application letter is convincing and provides many reasons why he should get the job, although it could be structured better to improve his chances of getting the job. Raymond has set up the heading of the letter in the right format because the letter is addressed to the corporation and includes location details. This is fairly standard procedure. However, Raymond also uses a regular and much used greeting, â€Å"To Whom It May Concern.† While this is an appropriate many to address a letter to someone in a formal business setting, the letter could be much more personable if it was actually addressed to the person who is going to read the letter. It would not be too difficult to find out who is in charge of appointing someone for the role. In fact, the person’s name and position is probably stated in the job advertisement that Raymond read in the newspaper. If it was not, then he could have done some research and found the appropriate name. Employers generally prefer to be addressed directly rather than just having a generic greeting. The first line of the letter is good because it gets straight to the point. Employers often do not have much time to read

Three information technology topics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Three information technology topics - Essay Example Three information technology topics When we remind ourselves that it is we who decide how to keep technology busy, we shall be better (Turkle, 2011, p.296).† The Turkle comments criticize the current situation where people cannot survive without technology. Children prefer staying indoors. While inside, the children prefer playing computer games, surfing the internet and online relationships. The children have discarded the prior setup where children prefer face to face games with their neighbors, classmates, and relatives. Turkle insists that people should use computers and other technology devices as tools for increasing face to face communication, relationships, and other physical activities like basketball, volleyball, baseball, chess, and the like. Its difference from her findings in the past. Comparing her findings in the past, Turkle preferred that man cannot survive without technology, especially robots. Sherry Turkle emphasized that her 1984 position was for authenticity. Thus, a person is a better analy st, calculator, decision maker, and creator, when compared to a computer. The computer only follows what its software instructs it to do. On the other hand, the human being can insert other alternative procedures to one question, predicament, or activity. Authenticity is, â€Å"what sex was to the Victorians – threat and obsession, taboo and fascination. I have lived with this idea for many years (Wilks, 2010; p.9†¦)†. Turkle was initially obsessed to come up with new technology that will reduce the individual’s physical exertion. ... During the good old days, people would go the nearest store to buy a pen, paper, and envelope. The person would scribble messages on the paper. Next, the person would seal the letter inside the mailing envelope. Consequently, the person would ride the bus or train to the nearest post office. Upon arriving, the person will line up a long queue of people mailing their envelopes. After the post office clerk receives the person’s envelope, the person returns home. The entire process may take two to four hours, depending upon the traffic situation and the distance between the person’s home and the post office. In addition, Turkle prefers that all persons email their messages. Emails reach their intended receiver with a split second. The entire encoding and emailing process may take less than ten minutes. During the entire email process, the person is hiding behind the closed doors. Similarly, the person can order goods and services online. The person can click the McDonaldâ €™s website, and the McDonald’s crew ill deliver the hamburgers to the person’s home. Consequently, the person reduces face to face encounters. This is the essence of Turkle’s prior stand. 2. WHO DID IT? (Isaacson) Steve Jobs, more than anyone else, is responsible for today's digitech culture. Steve jobs created Apple computers. Before his untimely death, Steve Jobs orchestrated the user friendly computer environment. Steve Jobs was the visionary of product perfection, paving the bright and widening path of computer world conquering. Steve jobs would burn the midnight oil crafting new computer technologies. With infighting brewing up, Steve Jobs left the company that he had founded, Apple. After several years, Apple was on the brink of financial destruction. Consequently, Steve

Antecedents and Consequences of Organizational Intelligence

Antecedents and Consequences of Organizational Intelligence Chapter 1: Introduction Life is not primarily a quest for pleasure, as Freud believed, or a quest for power, as Alfred Adler taught, but a quest for meaning in work (doing something significant), in love (caring for another person) and in courage (during difficult times) (Frankl, 2006). This chapter provides an overall understanding of this dissertation. Section 1.1 describes the research background. Section 1.2 discusses the research objectives and questions. The following section 1.3 explains research scope. In section 1.4, significance of the research is discussed. Finally, this dissertation describes the organization of this dissertation in Section 1.5. Research Background In today’s world, organizations confront fast and astonishing changes. Their survival will depend on adaptation capability they will perform so that, they can comply with those changes. As a result of this situation, the management concept with its process acquires a different character, which is because of technological progression and globalization. In this age, to consistently sustain the importance, knowledge concept of the organization is changing fast. In organizations, shared individual knowledge transform into organizational information. Effective application of organizational knowledge forms intelligent organizations progressively. However, in order to achieve these, an intuition of making use of knowledge in creative way is required. Therefore, to survive in the demanding and competitive environment, organizations are needed to be intelligent in today’s world. Organization is alive and, for being strived needs continuous information. While organization in the past have been viewed as compilations of tasks, products, employees, profit and processes, today they are increasingly seen as intelligent systems designed to manage knowledge. Therefore, measuring ability of learning, finding and logical thinking is necessary for evaluation and performance improvement. Seeing such scenario in high turbulent world, those men are successful and efficient who possess a high IQ. Undoubtedly, men can overcome their life problems by utilizing their given intelligence. Certainly, it is true in organizational world particularly in modern age in which organizations have become more complicated and their survival has become more difficult due to improvements in sciences and industries as well as the emergence of new needs and challenges overtime. Now, this question arises how we can prepare ourselves to face such uncertainties where change is only thing that is stable. Obviously, those organizations are successful which can utilize their employees thinking power effectively. As a fascinating concept and intriguing research area, â€Å"intelligence† finds strong appeal in many disciplines outside of individual and cognitive psychology (Sternberg and Kaufman, 1998). One of the disciplines that provoked increased interest in the importance of intelligence is the management and organization development literature (Glynn, 1996; March, 1999; Stalinski, 2004). In this globalized world, when the environment is so turbulent what the organizations are needed to do is, they need to be more intelligent in order to have competitive advantage over their competitors. Though the concept â€Å"organizational intelligence (OI)† was introduced in 1967 but not much has been done in this area till now. Even if we disregard the entire literature in which organizational intelligence was supposedly aggregated (Kurzman and Owens, 2002), the term is still ambiguous in the context of organizational development scholarship. This is true because there is a lack of a un ified theory of intelligence in organizational settings as noted by the numerous and fragmented perspectives and ideas of researchers in the field (Glynn, 1996). Research Questions and Objectives The primary objective of this dissertation is to delineate an integrative view of organizational intelligence and provide some guidelines. For this purpose, this dissertation attempts to find out the antecedents and consequences of organizational intelligence and to test the proposed conceptual model of organizational intelligence. Related with this purpose, previous research shows some research challenges. The first challenge is to explore the factor structure of organizational intelligence. An integrative perspective of organizational intelligence is a necessity. It is also noted that there is a dearth of studies which attempted to explore the factor structure of organizational intelligence. Consequently, the other challenge is to test the proposed conceptual model of organizational intelligence. Previous studies did not show any such empirical finding on this issue. Therefore, the main research aim is to find out the antecedents and consequences of OI and develop and test a model. This research has identified five important constructs in identifying the antecedents and consequences of OI: Leadership Organizational culture Organizational intelligence Organizational innovational capability Organizational performance This research discusses the following research questions: RQ1. What is the factor structure of the OI construct? RQ2. To what extent does leadership impact organizational intelligence? RQ3. To what extent does organizational culture impact organizational intelligence? RQ4. To what extent does organizational intelligence impact organizational performance via organizational innovational capability? On the basis of the above research questions following research objectives were formed: Research Objective 1 (RO1)- To explore the factor structure of organizational intelligence Research Objective 2 (RO2)- To investigate the influence of leadership on organizational intelligence Research objective 3 (RO3)- To investigate the influence of organizational culture on organizational intelligence Research Objective 4 (RO4)- To further understand the relationship between organizational intelligence and organizational performance via organizational innovational capability Research Objective 5 (RO5)- To assess existing models of OI Research Objective 6 (RO6)- To develop a conclusive model of antecedents and consequences of OI based on the research findings; and, Research Objective 7 (RO7)- To validate the model and test the hypotheses The sixth and seventh research objectives are the final output of this research, which attempts to develop an appropriate structural measurement model of antecedents and consequences of OI. Research scope This relation is aimed at investigating the antecedents and consequences of organizational intelligence. In doing so, this thesis presents a model of antecedents and consequences of organizational intelligence (OI), based on the Kalkhan (2007), Falletta (2008) and Albrecht’s (2003) model and empirically test hypotheses. This model of OI was validated by a survey in an R D organization. An organization is regarded as a system of inter subjectively shared meanings sustained through social interaction (Walsh and Ungson, 1991). Organizational intelligence emerges from those interactions that constitute the organization. It is embedded in the structured patterns of thought and action in which organizational members interact and engage (Glynn, 1996). Technologically advanced systems affect organizational intelligence as well. They enable the development of organizational intelligence (Huber, 1990; Leidner and Elam, 1995). Thus, organizational intelligence is more than the aggregate intelligence of organizational members; it is the intelligence of the organization itself as a larger system. An unintelligent organization can be composed of apparently intelligent people and an intelligent organization can be composed of relatively unintelligent components (Albrecht, 2003; Kerfoot, 2003). Organizations, as well as people, display differing degrees of intelligence. Difference s among organizations’ intelligences are not related to the differences among the intelligences of organizations’ members only. Many factors such as organizational symbols, patterns of interaction, organizational culture, socialization processes and advanced technological systems influence the differences among organizations’ intelligences. This area has not been much explored and especially in India not much significant work has come into the light. Therefore, a strong need was felt to study this area as it seems to be very important in today’s world. It has been found out that most of the works on OI are not empirically supported. Halal (1997) in his work stated that organizational intelligence leads to organizational performance. After the review of literature it was found that organizational intelligence is the factor which promotes knowledge management, creativity, innovativeness, performance and it helps organization in achieving its goal. Therefore, after understanding its impact on other related OB constructs, it was concluded that it deserves concerted attention. 1.4 Significance of the Research As already stated that there is a dire need of empirical investigations in the field of organizational intelligence because this is the factor which influences performance of the organization (Halal, 2000). This study tries to answer the question that if the lack of resources and the overload of information are the problems, is intelligence the solution to improve organizations? In the Knowledge Economy, the organization needs to develop and maintain supportive partnerships to deal with complex issues in uncertain environments, turning challenges into opportunities, anticipating and understanding emerging threats and recovering from unexpected shocks and cries. In other words, in times of crisis and high economic and social turbulence, organizations must show high levels of intelligence to meet the needs of the organizations. The ability to solve problems and make decisions, defined as ‘intelligence’, is the solution to improve organizations. This assumption is based on the conviction that the right answer to users’ need depends on managers’ ability to absorb what is happening in the environment and to correctly act on the generated knowledge. Rothberg and Erickson (2004) hold that intelligence, in all forms, comes from the strategic management of knowledge, understanding the environment within which knowledge is collected and used, and making the knowledge actionable, especially by strategic decision makers. Understanding of OI and its antecedents and consequences may immensely help the organizations and assist them in improving and achieving their objectives. Concept of OI has evolved and advanced a variety of practices and processes aimed at the creation and application of knowledge. However, scholars have been concerned by, and practitioners have struggled with, the lack of clear, comprehensive concepts that define the field of organizational intelligence (Staskeviciute, 2009). Ercetin (2009) holds that definitions of intelligence are in continuous revision. In particular, she finds that there is no unifying understanding of the concept of intelligence in management (Staskeviciute, 2009). Staskeviciute and Ciutiene (2008) conclude that in scientific literature it is possible to find different concepts of organizational intelligence, but they are all bounded by the same feature: the organization’s capability to adapt to environment and knowledge management, because organizational intelligence involves knowledge based on the organization’s capacity. Organizational intelligence refers to the process of turning data into knowledge and knowledge into action for organizational gain (Cronquist, 2011). On a practical level, the CETISME cooperative (Cooperate to Promote Economic and Technological Intelligence in SMEs) has stated that consistently getting the right information at the right moment can only be the result of a permanent intelligence process leading to policy established at the highest level of the organization (2002). Cruz and Dominguez (2007) point out that the processes of perception, knowledge creation and decision making are favored by the proper management of information resources. The goal of OI is to interpret and act on relevant facts and environmental signals from the learning arising from acquired competences (skills +knowledge + attitudes). In general, the perception, interpretation, analysis, integration and use of knowledge is related to OI. The central argument of this thesis is to identify the factors which lead to organizational intelligence and what are the resultant factors when organization is acting intelligently. In the moments of uncertainty, organizations must have high levels of intelligence to interpret, integrate, combine and filter the relevant knowledge. Intelligent systems depend on a structured network of â€Å"expert analyzers† who offer their technical skill, knowledge, and personal experiences. They engage with the systems by validating information, discovering relationships between pieces of information and conducting analyses. In short, OI systems provide the pathways for knowledge to become intelligent, that is, actionable (answer â€Å"so what† questions and stay future-focused). They can also direct actions to acquire additional knowledge necessary to â€Å"fill in the blanks†. Full knowledge, with appropriate analysis, provided to the key manager at the right time defines how intelligence can extend and protect the capabilities of organizational systems (Rothberg Erickson, 2004). Also, its significance increases when it is seen in the context of RD organization, as the people working there are intelligent and knowledge workers, therefore, the relevance of this concept is automatically enhanced in such scenario, which this study tries to look into. Organization of the Dissertation To describe organizational intelligence and identify its antecedents and consequences, this dissertation will follow the research procedure and structure as shown in Figure 1-1. It consists of six major parts: (i) introduction, (ii) literature review, (iii) development of theoretical framework and hypotheses, (iv) research methodology, (v) data analysis and research findings, (vi) discussion, and conclusion. The remainder of the dissertation is organized as follows. The following chapter surveys summarizes the related studies. It includes the relevant literature of organizational intelligence, empirical studies on organizational intelligence and its antecedents and consequences. In chapter 3, this dissertation proposes a conceptual research model, and explores the key variables and their relationships. In chapter 4, research methodologies are explained such as theoretical research approaches, design and administration of the survey. It also explains the sample and measures. Chapter 5 illustrates the analysis and summarizes analysis results. Chapter 6 extends with the explanation of the findings and tested model, it also discusses the contributions and limitations of the study and offer suggestions for future study. Table 1.1 Simplified Structure of the Thesis

James Cook :: essays research papers

James Cook   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Do you know who the worlds greatest explorers are? One of them is the topic of this essay. This essay is about James Cook. The objective of this report will be to answer the following question: Why do we remember James Cook?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  James Cook was born on October 27, 1728 in Marton, England. At the age of 18 James Cook became an apprentice with a shipping company. His first voyages he worked on ships that carried coal to English ports. In 1755, during the French - Indian war, Cook joined the British navy. In 1759 he was given a dangerous wartime mission. He was to enter French territory and survey the St. Lawrence river for the British navy. The charts that he made during this voyage contributed to the capture of the French city of Quebec later in that year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  James Cook made three voyages to the Pacific. His first voyage, in 1768, the navy appointed Cook to lead an expedition to Tahiti. On the Endeavour they left in August and reached Tahiti in April of 1769. On the island scientists watched the planet Venus pass between the Earth and the Sun. This was the main goal of this voyage but cook had been given secret orders to find an unknown continent in the south pacific. He was told to find it because geographers believed that it kept the world in balance, however Cook was unable to find it. In October of 1769 Cook became the first European man to visit New Zealand. In April of 1770 the Endeavor sailed to Botany Bay on the east coast of Australia. Cook claimed the entire east coast of Australia for Great Britain. He returned to England in July of 1771. During this voyage, from 1678 - 1771, Cook became the first ship captain to prevent an outbreak of scurvy. Cook had heard that scurvy was caused by a lack of fresh vegetables and fruits. To prevent an outbreak he served his sailor's fruit and sauerkraut. In July of 1772 Cook set off on his second voyage to the pacific. Cook had left England with the Resolution and the Adventure. This expedition was Cook’s second attempt to find the unknown southern continent. During this voyage Cook sailed farther south than any European had ever gone. Cook faced many dangers in the cold Antarctic waters. Jagged mountains and ice as high as 18 meters often blocked the way of the ships. High winds that pushed the icebergs towards the ships increased the danger. Cook circled Antarctica but the ice kept him from sighting land.

Zara Marketing Plan

New collection Launch | Marketing Plan 22. 10. 2009 1 SITUATION ANALYSIS Zara Brand Wheel Fashionable clothes Varied assortment Trendy colors Feminine cuts Fashionable product lines for moderate costs Customer- ­? centered business Runway trends adapted for the streets Brand Essence Fashion- ­? oriented woman Trendy in every situaFon Feeling good about looking good Fashion - ­? friendly Feminine Hot and trendy High-Street Fashion The Zara Brand Industry Analysis Product Development Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research 5 Keys of the Zara Business Model Store Teams Customer Logis4csDesign/ Produc4on The Zara Brand Industry Analysis Product Development Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research 5 Keys of the Zara Business Model Customer â€Å"Main driving force behind the Zara brand. † Star%ng point for all Zara ac%vi%es Customer Lead role in: †¢? Store design †¢? Produc%on †¢? Logis%cs †¢? Team The Zara Brand In dustry Analysis Product Development Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research s The Zara Brand Industry Analysis Product Development Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research 5 Keys of the Zara Business Model Store Store â€Å"Mee4ng oint between the customer and the Zara fashion o? er. † 1,520 stores collect informa%on regarding customer demands. New products introduced twice a week. Top loca%ons – 17 visits / year / customer Me%culously designed shop windows Maximum aJen%on to interior & exterior architechtual design Appropriate coordina%on of garments Excellent customer care The Zara Brand Industry Analysis Product Development Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research 5 Keys of the Zara Business Model Design & ProducFon â€Å"Inspira4on comes from the street, music, art †¦ but above all, the store. † Proximity of roduc%on facili%es Immediate reac%on to trends. Con%nuous work for all teams. Managers – teams – customer demand – forms, designs, fabrics, compliments Design/ Produc4on 1,186 suppliers, 200 desginers The Zara Brand Industry Analysis Product Development Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research 5 Keys of the Zara Business Model LogisFcs â€Å"Highly frequent and constant distribu4on permiKng the o? er to be constantly renewed. † 697 million garments distributed 5,000 employees at logis%cs centers Logis4cs Designed with maximum ?exibility. Customer oriented. 24h – receiving order to store elivery (Europe) Designed to absorb growth for next years. 18% annual discount rates. The Zara Brand Industry Analysis Product Development Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research The Zara Brand Industry Analysis Product Development Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research 5 Keys of the Zara Business Model Teams â€Å"Teams with vast sales knowledge geared to towards the customer. † 8 9,112 professionals Customer oriented. Make the stores a pleasant environment. Apply corporate, social & environmental responsibility in day- ­? to- ­? day work. Teams The Zara Brand IndustryAnalysis Product Development Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research Zara’s Performance 159 store openings in 2008 Brand Value: $ 8,609 M 1,530 stores 4 new countries in 2008 Sales â‚ ¬ 6,824 Million ZARA 73 countries The Zara Brand Industry Analysis Product Development Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research 14 The Industry High street fashion brand Industry trends Democra%za%on of luxury Inclusiveness Street trends Designer houses Key success factors Di? eren%a%on & individualism New fashion consumer The Zara Brand Industry Analysis Product Development ConsumerAnalysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research Customer Focused Product Development Saturated industry Need to increase brand value Responding to current industry trends Iden%f ying the need for the product in the market A full- ­? shaped body is a beau4ful body The Zara Brand Industry Analysis Product Development Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research Customer Focused Product Development Market entry barriers Design challenges Saturated industry Need to increase brand value Responding to current industry trends Iden%fying the need for the product in the market Exis%ng customer eac%ons â€Å"Fat is not fashionable† Challenges Opportuni>es The Zara Brand Industry Analysis Product Development Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research Consumer Analysis Today’s fashion consumer: More choice, more educated, more savvy & demanding â€Å"New breed of shoppers† Loyalty, variety, freshness The Zara Brand Industry Analysis Product Development Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research Fashion Consumer Behavior Analysis Interest Gives pleasure & enjoyment Means of self- ­? expression Involvement Emo%ons Behavior The Zara Brand Industry Analysis ProductDevelopment Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research Fashion Consumer Behavior Analysis Interest Hedonics Involvement Purchasing experience Fun, fantasy, social or emo%onal gra%? ca%on Emo%ons Behavior Impulse buying The Zara Brand Industry Analysis Product Development Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research Fashion Consumer Behavior Analysis Interest Hedonics Involvement Importance: †¢? Consumers aJach meaning to their clothes †¢? Role of fashion in society Drivers: †¢? Individual mo%ves †¢? Projec%ng a desired self- ­? image Linked to personal values & needs: †¢?Express and communicate value †¢? Values guide consumer behavior †¢? Types of values: personal, economic, aesthe%c Emo%ons Behavior The Zara Brand Industry Analysis Product Development Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research Fashion Consumer Behavior Analysi s Interest Hedonics Involvement Posi%ve vs. nega%ve †¢? Shorter decision %mes †¢? More impulse buying †¢? A feeling of being unconstrained †¢? Desire to reward oneself How to generate posi%ve emo%ons? †¢? Use the retail environment to posi%vely in? uence moods: †¢? suitable layouts, †¢? colors, †¢? e? ec%ve sales personnel, †¢? emo%onally pliking atmosphere Impulse buying Emo%ons Behavior The Zara Brand Industry Analysis Product Development Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research Fashion Consumer Behavior Analysis Interest Hedonics Involvement Impulse buying †¢? Fashion oriented: strongly oriented to fashion involvement: providing sensory or experien%al cues of fashion products. †¢? Created by the symbolic interac4ons of the product & the consumer emo4onal experiences Emo%ons †¢? Need to understand impulse buying behavior for fashion products from an experien4al perspec4ve = guidance in developing strat egies BehaviorThe Zara Brand Industry Analysis Product Development Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research Plus Size Consumer Analysis 1 in 3 women are unhappy with the way clothes ?t them 14 happy 12 8 16 10 18 6 22 20 24 unhappy The Zara Brand Industry Analysis Product Development Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research Plus Size Consumer Behavior AJribute Plus size product Psychosocial consequence Feel more a acFve Func%onal consequence Cut ?[ng the body shape Values Self- ­? esteem Self esteem: important moFvaFon driver for consumpFon Consumers tend to assign their own eanings to clothes. Clothing: over consumer behavior The Zara Brand Industry Analysis Product Development Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research Market Analysis 120 Market Share 15% PeFte 60% 25% Plus Size Normal 100 80 60 40 20 0 76 100 Size 2006 2012 Segment growth: 40% increase by 2014. Only 5% of retail space is dedicated to the +size products T he Zara Brand Industry Analysis Product Development Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research Types of CompeFtors 1 2 3 4 Dedicated Ranges Extension of Size Ranges Designer Bou%ques E- ­? commerce The Zara Brand IndustryAnalysis Product Development Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research New Line PosiFoning High Fashion Zara Torrid H&M BouFques Low Price High Price M&S Charming Shoppers 1 2 Dedicated Ranges Extension of Size Ranges Designer Bou%ques E- ­? commerce Market & Consumer Research Junonia 3 4 Low Fashion The Zara Brand Industry Analysis Product Development Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Di? erenFaFon Brand awareness Brand loyalty New in this segments More experienced compe%tors Lack of e- ­? commerce Size & growth High fashion for modest prices Strengths Weaknesses The Zara Brand IndustryAnalysis Product Development Consumer Analysis Market Analysis Market & Consumer Research Zara vs. CompeFtors Zara 1,000 new styles / month 200 designers Higher cost of product development is more than adequately compensated by higher realized margins Strategy: reacFve, not predicFve CompeFtors 3- ­? 5 months: develop the ideas into physical samples Sales budgets & stock plans developed one year ahead of the targeted styles Few weeks / months to procure fabrics, have them approved by the retailer – produce a number of samples – put samples in producFon The Zara Brand Product development Industry Analysis

What Was the Umayyad Caliphate

What Was the Umayyad Caliphate The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of four Islamic caliphates and was founded in Arabia after the Prophet Muhammads death. The Umayyads ruled the Islamic world from 661 to 750 C.E. Their capital was in the city of Damascus; the founder of the caliphate, Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan, had long been the governor of Syria. Originally from Mecca, Muawiya named his dynasty the Sons of Umayya after a common ancestor he shared with the Prophet Muhammad. The Umayyad family had been one of the major combatant clans in the Battle of Badr (624 CE), the decisive battle between Muhammad and his followers on the one hand, and the powerful clans of Mecca on the other. Muawiya triumphed over Ali, the fourth caliph, and Muhammads son-in-law, in 661, and officially founded the new caliphate. The Umayyad Caliphate became one of the major political, cultural, and scientific centers of the early medieval world.    The Umayyads also began the process of spreading Islam throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe. They moved into Persia and Central Asia, converting the rulers of key Silk Road oasis cities such as Merv and Sistan.   They also invaded what is now Pakistan, beginning the process of conversion in that area that would continue for centuries. Umayyad troops also crossed Egypt and brought Islam to the Mediterranean coast of Africa, from whence it would disperse south across the Sahara along caravan routes until much of West Africa became Muslim. Finally, the Umayyads waged a series of wars against the Byzantine Empire based in what is now Istanbul. They sought to overthrow this Christian empire in Anatolia and convert the region to Islam; Anatolia would eventually convert, but not for several centuries after the collapse of the Umayyad Dynasty in Asia. Between 685 and 705 CE, the Umayyad Caliphate reached its apex of power and prestige. Its armies conquered areas from Spain the west to Sindh in what is now India. One after another, additional Central Asian cities fell to the Muslim armies - Bukhara, Samarkand, Khwarezm, Tashkent, and Fergana. This rapidly expanding empire had a postal system, a form of banking based on credit, and some of the most beautiful architecture ever seen. Just when it seemed that the Umayyads truly were poised to rule the world, however, disaster struck. In 717 CE, the Byzantine emperor Leo III led his army to a crushing victory over the Umayyad forces, which had been besieging Constantinople. After 12 months trying to break through the citys defenses, the hungry and exhausted Umayyads had to retreat empty-handed back to Syria. A new caliph, Umar II, tried to reform the financial system of the caliphate by increasing the taxes on Arab Muslims to the same level as taxes on all other non-Arab Muslims. This caused a huge outcry among the Arab faithful, of course, and caused a financial crisis when they refused to pay any taxes at all. Finally, renewed feuding broke out among the various Arab tribes around this time, leaving the Umayyad system tottering. It managed to press on for a few more decades. Umayyad armies got as far into western Europe as France by 732, where they were turned back at the Battle of Tours. In 740, the Byzantines dealt the Umayyads another shattering blow, driving all Arabs from Anatolia. Five years later, the simmering feuds between the Qays and Kalb tribes of Arabs erupted into full-scale war in Syria and Iraq. In 749, religious leaders proclaimed a new caliph, Abu al-Abbas al-Saffah, who became the founder of the  Abbasid Caliphate. Under the new caliph, members of the old ruling family were hunted down and executed. One survivor, Abd-ar-Rahman, escaped to Al-Andalus (Spain), where he founded the Emirate (and later Caliphate) of Cordoba. The Umayyad caliphate in Spain survived until 1031.

Scientific Definition of a Laser

Scientific Definition of a Laser A laser is a device which is built on the principles of quantum mechanics to create a beam of light where all of the photons are in a coherent state - usually with the same frequency and phase. (Most light sources emit incoherent light, where the phase varies randomly.) Among the other effects, this means that the light from a laser is often tightly focused and does not diverge much, resulting in the traditional laser beam. How a Laser Works In simplest terms, a laser uses light to stimulate the electrons in a gain medium into an excited state (called optical pumping). When the electrons collapse into the lower-energy unexcited state, they emit photons. These photons pass between two mirrors, so there are more and more photons exciting the gain medium, amplifying the intensity of the beam. A narrow hole in one of the mirrors allows a small amount of the light to escape (i.e. the laser beam itself). Who Developed the Laser This process is based on work by Albert Einstein in 1917 and many others. Physicists Charles H. Townes, Nicolay Basov, and Aleksandr Prokhorov received the 1964 Nobel Prize in Physics for their development of the earliest laser prototypes. Alfred Kastler received the 1966 Nobel Prize in Physics for his 1950 description of optical pumping. On May 16, 1960, Theodore Maiman demonstrated the first working laser. Other Types of Laser The light of a laser does not need to be in the visible spectrum but can be any sort of electromagnetic radiation. A maser, for example, is a type of laser that emits microwave radiation instead of visible light. (The maser was actually developed before the more general laser. For a while, the visible laser was actually called an optical maser, but that usage has fallen well out of common usage.) Similar methods have been used to create devices, such as an atomic laser, which emit other types of particles in coherent states. To Lase? There is also a verb form of laser, to lase, which means to produce laser light or to apply laser light to. Also Known As: Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, maser, optical maser

Among hospitalized patients does end of shift bedside reporting Essay

Among hospitalized patients does end of shift bedside reporting improve clinical communication and maintain patient's safety whan compared to traditional shift hand off - Essay Example munication between units and members of health care teams at various junctures of care like admission from primary care, handover from one nurse to another during nursing shift change and shift from one area of care to another area of care, physician treating to physician covering, etc. For nursing profession, change of shift report is an unique feature and involves transfer of information between nurses for the promotion of patient safety and best pratices (Caruso, 2007). According to Riegel (1985; cited in Caruso, 2007), shift report among nurses "is a system of nurse-to-nurse communication between shift changes intended to transfer essential information for safe, holistic care of patients." Deficiencies in hand-over information can lead to severe consequences like breakdowns in continuity of care, inadequate treatment and harm to the patient (DeJohn, 2009). Thus, hand-over communication is very essential for holistic, timely and effective management of any patient in any health ca re setting. There are several methods of providing hand-off information. Of these, traditional shift hand off is the most commonly employed strategy for transfer of information (DeJohn, 2009). However, some researchers argue that bedside reporting, wherein the hand-off information is provided besides the bed of the patient is a better communication strategy in terms of patient safety and continuum of care (Laws and Amato, 2010). According to Bourne (2000, cited in Caruso, 2007), nurse-to-nurse bedside reporting caused "(a) patient empowerment, (b) patient involvement, and (c) patient becoming an additional resource in diagnosis and treatment." Cahill (1998) reported that in his study, patients expressed that they be included in bedside reporting as their clinical condition improved and that they believed that bedside reporting ensured professional and safe transition of care of patient from one nurse to another. Which of the two types of hand-off communication is better can be

Relationship Marketing, Electronic Marketing and Integrated Marketing Assignment - 1

Relationship Marketing, Electronic Marketing and Integrated Marketing Communications - Assignment Example This essay stresses that electronic marketing comprises of all those realms where product promotion and customer relations come in direct contact with the various electronic media forms. These can entail the television, the radio, the Internet and other related disciplines. Since the electronic marketing discussion is centered on a wider spectrum than relationship marketing, its positives as well as negatives are immensely drawn so as to gain a fair enough understanding. The relational sentiment is thus made apparent through the efforts of the people who bring forward the relationship marketing, electronic marketing and the integrated marketing communications domains to the fore. This paper makes a conclusion that the marketing discipline is indeed comprised of a number of entities, all of which play one role or the other. These dictate the essential basis of understanding where the problems lie and how these can be done away with as and when required. Also a proactive measure sets the basis of undertaking quite a few steps which are geared to achieve results for the betterment of both the business and the end consumers. All said and done, the overlapping of the three forms of marketing is always a good omen for the marketers, the end consumers and the marketing process. It is because of these measures that the brands and campaigns are able to reach out to newer markets, reclaim the old ones and thus reinforce sales whilst building a positive word of mouth all along.