How to Revive Old Blog Content and Give It New Life

Most bloggers focus entirely on forging ahead, pouring several hours into new content each week. They do a major marketing blast for each article when it comes out, then promptly forget it exists. They certainly dont think about how to revive old blog content with new marketing campaigns.Does this sound familiar? If so, its time to stop. Get away from the rat race of constant content creation and start paying attention to one of your most valuable assets: your article backlog.Today, Im going to walk you through exactly how you can turn those old articles into new marketing opportunities: Google rewards content freshness.Another major factor is quality. If youve been blogging for multiple years, your writing has grown a lot. Youve developed a writing voice, learned how to write for the web, and gained a better understanding of SEO. The blog posts youre writing now are probably miles ahead of your earliest articles. Revising those articles ensures that your visitors will only find qual ity content. It will also prevent Googles constantly updating quality algorithms  from killing your rankings.And those arent the only reasons either. Revising, expanding or repurposing old content is always easier than creating a new article from scratch. It also offers built in opportunities for internal links, encouraging readers to spend more time on your site.Long story short, your blog archive is a golden marketing opportunity just waiting for you to notice it.How to revive old blog contentDiving into your blog archives can be scary, so its important to approach them with a strategy in mind. Were going to walk you through this in three steps: choosing content to revitalize, adding new information and links to old articles, and marketing your revived content.1. Choose the best articles to revive for maximum resultsRevising every little article you ever wrote is rarely an efficient use of your time. You need to revive old blog content with the power to draw in large amounts of new traffic.How do you find those articles? Simple: figure out what articles are already bringing in a lots of traffic. Since you already have at least one year of data (you DID set up Google Analytics, right?) this should be easy to figure out.Head on over to your analytics dashboard and take a look at the ten most popular posts. Make sure youre looking at the most popular content of all time, rather than the last week or month.Go through each article and ask yourself the following questions:Are there any broken links in this article?Is any of the information outdated?Is the writing quality up to your current standard?Can you write a follow up post that links to this article?What benefit will readers get from the new and improved version?Create a second list as you go. This one should only include topics from your top ten that can easily be rewritten or expanded. If you already have an idea of how to revive a specific article, note that as you go.2. Revise / update those articlesTe chnically these are two different ways to revive old blog content, but most articles need both, so well discuss them together.Revisions focus on writing quality and SEO, bringing your old articles up to your current standards. These might be small revisions, or you might decide to rewrite the entire post. Either way, there are a few common things to watch out for:Excessively long sentencesConcise expressionSpelling issuesPoor grammarPoor SEOUpdates focus on adding new information rather than revising whats already there. This might be in the form of new research, additional links, or even a personal update on a related project. For example, the most popular article on my personal blog is the ultimate list of 42 worldbuilding resources, so I recently went through it to fix all the broken links.Pro Tip: If youre making a massive revision or update, consider creating an entirely new post and linking it to the old one. Even a simple post that says check out my newly updated guide can he lp direct organic traffic from your home page to your archives.3. Expand on old ideas with follow-up postsAnother highly effective way to revive old blog content is to write follow up posts. Follow up articles are often the best way to revive your old articles, because they can be advertised as new content. They can also help you build a network of internal links that will keep readers on your site longer. Some ideas can even be expanded on with a series of articles.Take a look at the list of topics youve chosen to expand on or rewrite and circle the articles that are better for expansion than rewrites. Often the best articles for these are list posts, as each point can be turned into an article of its own.Carefully read each of your top ten articles and note any ideas that can be used for follow up articles. You may want to actually move the article into a new file so you can mark these ideas for later reference.Move the ideas you want to work with into yet another file and expand on each one with 2-3 bullet points. These can then be turned into outlines for a series of articles. Once youve created the ideas, you can decide if you want to post them together as a series, or stagger them over a large period of time to maximize traffic between posts.Ive done this with the success articles mentioned above, creating a series that I plan to release once a month:You may also want to revise the original article at the same time, especially if your writing style has grown a lot since the original article went live.How to market your revived blog postsMost of your marketing for revived blog posts will be exactly the same as your marketing for new blog posts, but there are some marketing strategies specifically for old content. They can even work for content that hasnt been updated, as long as its quality.The first thing you should do is create a round-up post. This works best if youve already done one or more direct follow-up posts, so all the content is also linked to gether. You can choose anywhere from five to 50 of your best articles on a specific topic. Make a special note for any articles that have been recently updated.Once youve done that, you need to make sure the content continues being promoted after launch. You can do this manually using a scheduling app like Buffer or CoSchedule, or automate it using the Revive Old Post plugin.Final adviceReviving your old blog content is one of the easiest — and most effective — ways to improve your website and draw in new people. Start with your top ten posts, then consider expanding to your top 20 or 30. Revise and update articles where needed, create follow up articles when possible, and build new marketing campaigns around the revised content.How do you go about reviving your old blog content and bringing it back to life? Are you doing enough?

Lord of the Flies Symbolism Essays

Lord of the Flies Symbolism Essays Lord of the Flies Symbolism Essay Lord of the Flies Symbolism Essay Essay Topic: Lord Of the Flies In literature symbolism is an important device that has many layers of hidden meaning by using an object or action that means more than its literal meaning. William Golding has said that his novel â€Å"Lord of the Files† is symbolic from the beginning until the end when the boys are rescued. During the course of the novel these symbols are constantly changing, giving us a new interpretation of the island society. In novel there are three important symbols that evolve in what they mean during the story. The first symbol is fire, which changes its representation from hope to destruction. The seconded symbol is Piggy’s glasses, which are a symbol that represent innovation, advancement but soon become a symbol that regresses into savagery. The last symbol is the conch shell which, at first, is a symbol of the organization of island society and then it becomes a symbol of the breakdown of society that the boys have tried to create. In the novel, the use of fire changes when the boys become more and more savage. In the beginning the boys use the fire as a signal for the ships that might pass by. It represents their hope of getting rescued. Ralph suggests the idea of a signal fire and what it cam do for them, â€Å"If a ship comes near the island the may not notice us. So we must make smoke on top of the mountain. We must make a fire† (Golding,38). Later on when the boys start to forget the purpose of the fire, Ralph reminds them again, â€Å"The fire is the most important thing on the island. How can we ever be rescued except by luck, if we don’t keep the fire going?† (Golding,80). These actions demonstrate that the fire is the only hope for the boys to get rescued if not by luck. Keeping the fire going is one of the most important elements to their hope for rescue. As the story progresses, many of the boys become more wild and savage. They then begin to use the fire in a destructive way. In chapter twelve of the book Jack and his tribe m

The Body Shop Saga by Anita Roddick Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Body Shop Saga by Anita Roddick - Essay Example The first Body Shop, painted an appropriate green, opened in 1976. Roddick's timing was excellent. The first Earth Day had been celebrated in 1970, with the participation even of corporations such as the chemical and petroleum industry giants Monsanto and Texaco. There was growing international consciousness on issues related to the environment and sustainable development. People's desire and determination to "do something" about these problems produced the social movements of the 80s and beyond. Green business proved to be good business It made people feel good that they had not only bought good products but supported causes such as the famous saving the whales movement. The "business with principles" marketing strategy obviously worked. By 1992, the business was valued at 700 million pounds. By 1992 Body Shop shares were being sold at 3.72 pounds at the London stock exchange. At that time they were known as "the shares that defy gravity." (Entine 2002) Who could know that by 2006 t he shop built on corporate social responsibility (CSR) would be sold to L'Oreal, a player in the high-end beauty industry, that is 26% owned by Nestle. Roddick and The Body Shop from the very beginning expressed its stand against animal testing. The most salient points of the 1999 and 2002 report â€Å"revealed a huge ethical gap between BSI's marketing image and its actual practices†¦This deception†¦is pervasive: Roddick stole the Body Shop name and marketing concept, fabricated key demands of the company myth, misrepresented its charitable contributions and fair trade programs and has been beset by employee morale and franchise problems. Moreover, its "natural" products are filled with petrochemical colorings, fragrances, preservatives and base ingredients such as mineral oil and petrolatum.†Ã‚  

The Current HR Practices of Hilton Worldwide Research Paper

The Current HR Practices of Hilton Worldwide - Research Paper Example This report examines the current HR practices of Hilton Worldwide and critically evaluates how the company has been influenced by its environments on the human resource policies of the company. Hilton Worldwide: Company Profile Hilton Hotel, now known as Hilton Worldwide, has been founded by Conard Hilton in 1919 in Texas has now emerged to be the fastest growing hotel chain to attract travellers, partners, team members and others for their preferred place for entertainment and leisure. According to Statista (2012), with Hilton’s major focuses on property expansion and other management strategies including strategic HRM, the company remains to be the fourth largest to hold the market share just behind intercontinental, Marriot and Accor hotels. It has now more than 3800 hotels and resorts in more than 90 countries with more than 630,000 rooms. It proposes to beat its competitors as it is now fastest growing in terms of revenues, room-occupancy and customer loyalties (Hiltonint ernational.com, 2012). Hilton’s success has been mainly driven by on-going property expansion by which it has continually been expanding its rooms, floor-space and as a result customer base too. Despite the economic recession in recent years, it was furthering its property expansion. In 2009 alone, it added more than 300 new hotels with more than 45,000 rooms across the world. In 2008, Hilton opened 327 new properties (eturbonews.com, 2010). Hilton’s current approach to HRM Organisations that invest heavily on innovative training and development is found to be very successful in achieving high performance and also in achieving the organizational goals (Noe, 2002, p. 7). Training and development programs, that may vary from firm to firm, are highly effective means for enhancing, motivating and developing people’s skills, knowledge and talent.

Drag Performance during the 1980's in NYC Research Paper - 1

Drag Performance during the 1980's in NYC - Research Paper Example Drag performance must be given deeper understanding to be able to see the superficial meaning and from this, we would understand the hidden structures of society. History of Drag Drag is originally used for clothing, significant and symbolic usually associated with the role of a certain gender when worn by the opposite gender. The term was originated Athens, Greece somewhere in the fourth century BCE, as a form of punishment across the streets. Drag is a symbolic word which does not simply means clothes. Men portrayal as women are manifested even way back thirteenth centuries when the church forbade females appearance on the stage and theaters. For hundreds of years, men are manifested to be dressing as women as a disguised to the opposite sex in theatrical presentations and stage shows. This has also been first traced back to the dawn of the theater as a sort of survival and since then, found to be manifested in all the corners of the world especially in Japan and in China. When the drag practices became popular in some parts of the world and accepted as a form of art among the men as drag artist, categories were defined according to professionalism in rendering drag artistry into the public. Kinds of drag artists like those who starred in movies vary professionalism. There are also called drag queens and mostly vary from their culture of their respective places. However, drag queens are always tagged as gay men or transgender but it is also relevant to say that there are also drag artist who do this for a reason considering the fact that they are a straight people or transvestites. Transvestites belong to different categories compared to drag queens who belong to the gay world, they are cross-dressers who generally straight men and were just dressing women’s dress for erotic reason. The appearance of the drag queen in print was first seen in 1941. Late 20th century defined the drag as an abbreviation of â€Å"dressed as girl† and as a counter pa rt, â€Å"drab† is the â€Å"dressed as boy† but this was never published and unrecorded. Drag is being practiced by people of all sexual orientations as well as gender identities. Charles Busch and Theater in Limbo Laying down some important information about Charles Busch, he is born in August 23, 1954 in New York, NY. Busch is an American, an actor and a playwright. Since he have started in the industry, he already achieved 25 stage appearances, 5 in films, 6 TV appearances and 26 stage plays. For around a longer period of time of Busch in the industry, in 1984 he was able to break the wall of competition and stand out among the rest in theater-in-Limbo. This was presented at the Limbo lounge at East Village’s. This was followed in the Avenue C and when the show hits a record as high, this was transferred to the Provincetown Playhouse in the West Village where it ran for around five years consecutively. The continuous exposure of Busch brought him to enormous success that made him held as the queen of drag among the theaters in the city. Moreover, he was also nominated in 2001 at the Tony award for the Best Play â€Å"the Tale of the Allergist’s Wife that ran for 22 months in Broadway. Over the years, Busch shows craftsmanship in doing and sharing his talents not only in the American

Planning for an Arabic Restaurant

Planning for an Arabic Restaurant Abstract This paper describes the planning for an Arabic Restaurant. We want to open an Arabic Restaurant called Summit Arabic Food. The Unique aspects of the restaurant will be: separate service for men by men and for women by women. It will be convenient for business and professional people. I will also be suited to Parties and celebrations. It will be an Arabic Restaurant with a seating capacity of 90 for each gender (180 totals). The service will be for three meals with additional service for coffee, tea, and snacks. Wed like to make enough money to support the family. We want to expand our interest in Arabic Food. We wish to serve the community and express our Arabic culture. The restaurant would be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on a famous street such as Altahlyah St. It would serve people from the malls and businesses in the area. The Restaurant would be specialized for same gender service to be very convenient for eating in a relaxed setting. It would be open on Holidays and pay extra to the holiday help. We analyzed the risks and costs and expected profits and found all of them to be manageable. The Total Opening cost will be $187,201 or 702,003.75 SR. Total Operating cost will be $75,260 or 276,375 SR per month. A conservative estimate of the monthly revenue indicates a monthly profit of $168,550 or 632,062.47 SR, based on the operating costs above. This supports the intended family income from the restaurant. We actually expect better performance than this. Background This section discusses different material pertains to background information for the project. The purpose of the project We want to open an Arabic Restaurant called Summit Arabic Food. The Unique aspects of the restaurant will be: separate service for men by men and for women by women. It will be convenient for business and professional people. I will also be suited to Parties and celebrations. It will be an Arabic Restaurant with a seating capacity of 90 for each gender (180 totals). The service will be for three meals with additional service for coffee, tea, and snacks. Reasons for this project Wed like to make enough money to support the family. We want to expand our interest in Arabic Food. We wish to serve the community and express our Arabic culture. Restaurant owners It is hoped that when all of the conditions are met that my husband and I (Salem and Aishah Almutiri) will own this new restaurant Location of the Restaurant We want to open the restaurant in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on a famous street such as Altahlyah Street. We could serve people from the malls and businesses in the area. Target Opening Date Wed like to open for business by the end of 2012. Provided Attributes for Customers: The Restaurant would be specialized for same gender service to be very convenient for eating in a relaxed setting. It would be open on Holidays and pay extra to the holiday help. Requirements for Employees: Service personnel will be well trained in preparing and serving traditional Arabic meals with frequent refresher training provided. The manager will visit our competitors frequently to stay current. Problems Issues This section describes problems and issues divided under the following categories. Identify and secure a location The restaurant must be suited to the desired restaurant format. It must have separate eating areas for men and women. It must be convenient for the desired clientele that is business men and professionals. We must negotiate a lease with a clear termination clause. Write and price a menu The menu must have a clear composition for start up. It can be changed later as needed. The menu must standard enough so that ordering is convenient but different enough to make the restaurant appealing. It should be colourful and interesting. Pricing is critical. The pricing must draw customers and also make a profit. We want to be in the middle of the prices of our competitors. Investigate Regulations We must identify all building codes and regulations. We will need to know all personnel and clientele safety regulations, especially regarding food preparation and storage conditions. Identify Costs We will need to know all the costs before we begin. This starts with the cost of opening. The building will need to be prepared to suit our needs, particularly the separate eating areas. Well need to price the equipment and furnishing. Well need to price advertising for both the staff and the opening. Well also need to price the necessary licenses and Permits. We also will need to know the continued Cost of operating the restaurant. This will include Lease, insurance, utilities, Staff (including the Chef), Food and Beverages. Identify funding Well need to prepare a business plan to support funding requests and assure payback. We may need to obtain a loan for the opening. This will probably come from a silent partner or limited partnership. Risk Analysis This section describes the risks we anticipate for the project and the precautions we will take to manage them. Risks Bad Location We could get less traffic or less predictable traffic than expected. We might have a higher crime rate than expected. We might get a less affluent clientele than expected. Staff Problems The Chef or other key staff might leave. Overestimated sales to investment ratio We may spend too much on furniture decorations. The operating expenses may go up, including Lease or rent, and food. Trouble with hired aliens documentation Un-documented workers may cause problems with the authorities. Disturbances at site There may be disagreements between the staff and the customers which could hurt future business. Catastrophic damage Emergencies such as fire, bad weather could cause damage and closures with loss of business. Vandalism and theft could also cause damage. Health problems We could have sickened customers due to contaminated food. Failure to manage bookkeeping We could experience employee theft or unexpected taxes. Expand facility beyond customer demand We may expand capacity and not get the expected increased business. Risk Management Examine proposed Location Well need to determine the expected flow of traffic and verify the traffic in the area for different days and months. Well need to minimize the threat of crime. We can do this by Verifying a low crime rate and by interviewing the police and the neighbours. We can also restrict operating hours to avoid late night traffic. Establish client quality Well need to observe dress of people and vehicles in the proposed area before committing to the location. Avoid Staff problems We want to offer the staff competitive salaries and incentives for staying. We should also give key personnel, such as the chef, some form of profit sharing. Assure healthy sales to investment ratio We must limit opening expenses, such as the costs of furniture and decorations. Assure operating expenses are as stable as possible: We must negotiate a good lease with a predicable rent. We should determine reliable food suppliers nearby to the site. Avoid trouble with hired aliens documentation Well need to determine and follow all government regulations concerning foreign workers. We should not hire any undocumented workers. Minimize Disturbances at site We will establish good relations with all staff, and promote a culture of respect. Well Train the staff to handle difficult customers with role-playing. The management should set the example in all interactions with the staff. Mitigate risk of catastrophic damage: We should carry sufficient catastrophe insurance to cover reasonable anticipated damage. Avoid Health problems: We should get proper health certification from the appropriate agencies. Well need to learn and observe all of the relevant health regulations. We will assure that the staff is properly trained regarding these regulations. Manage bookkeeping: We will hire a good accountant to check the books. Well inform the staff that cheating will result in dismissal. Avoid risky Expansion of facility We will assure that any expansion plan is well justified by a carefully revised business plan. Costs In this section we will describe opening and continuing costs. Opening costs Well need to pay fees for various licenses. Well need to prepare the building. We will need to negotiate a good lease and pay the first months rent and deposit. The estimated monthly cost for a typical property (1500 sq. ft at $14) would be $21,000 per month. Well need to buy equipment and furnishings. Table 1 Opening Cost Item $US SR Rate $1 3.75 Building preparation(separate eating areas) $30,060 112,725.00 licenses and Permits (at .2% of cost) $60 225.00 Contractors for modifications installations $30,000 112,500.00 First month and deposit $42,000 157,500.00 Equipment $40,500 ÂÂ  151,875.00 Kitchen $16,800 63,000.00 Stove $6,600 24,750.00 Sinks $1,500 5,625.00 Refrigeration $2,000 7,500.00 Dishwasher $2,000 7,500.00 Preparation tables $700 2,625.00 Cookware $5,000 18,750.00 Dry storage area $1,000 3,750.00 Dining room $20,800 78,000.00 Chairs Tables (290=180 seats) $18,000 67,500.00 Decoration (budget) $500 1,875.00 Wait stations $800 3,000.00 Beverage Dispensers $1,500 5,625.00 Reception $1,900 7,125.00 Front desk $400 1,500.00 Waiting area furniture $1,000 3,750.00 2 Cash Registers $500 1,875.00 Advertising $1,000 3,750.00 For staff $500 1,875.00 For opening. $500 1,875.00 First month operating cost $74,641 279,903.75 All Opening costs $187,201 702,003.75 Red=Group total; Blue = Sub-Total Total Opening cost will be $187,201or 702,003.75 SR Operating costs This will include Lease, insurance (based on 10% annually for investment), utilities, Staff (including the Chef), Food and Beverages. Table 2 Operating Cost Item $US SR Lease $21,000 78,750.00 Interest $1560.01 5850.00 Insurance $1,800.00 6,750.00 Utilities $900.00 3,375.00 Electricity $500.00 1,875.00 Gas $200.00 750.00 Water $200.00 750.00 Staff Salaries $10,000.00 37,500.00 1 Chef $1,500.00 5,625.00 3 Kitchen helpers $300.00 1,125.00 4 Servers $400.00 1,500.00 2 buss people $300.00 1,125.00 2 Receptionists $500.00 1,875.00 Staff Food Lodging* $7,000.00 26,250.00 Food Beverages $24,000.00 90,000.00 Non Food Consumables $16,000.00 60,000.00 Total cost $75,260.00 $276,375.00 Red=Group total *Compensation will include food and lodging Total Operating cost will be $75,260 or 276,375 SR per month. Project Profit A conservative estimate of the monthly revenue indicates a monthly profit of $168,550 or 632,062.47 SR, based on the operating costs above. We actually expect better performance than this. Table 3 Meal Revenue Item $US SR Meal $30 112.50 People $90 337.50 Meals $3 11.25 Days $7 26.25 Weeks rev $56,700 212,625.00 Months rev $243,810 914,287.50 Months profit $168,550 632,062.47 Summary We have investigated opening an Arabic Restaurant called Summit Arabic Food. The Unique aspects of the restaurant: separate service for men by men and for women by women slightly affected the opening cost. It is to be an Arabic Restaurant with a seating capacity of 90 for each gender (180 totals). The intent was to make enough money to support the family and this seems justified. We intended to serve the community and express our Arabic culture. The restaurant would be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on a famous street such as Altahlyah St. It would serve people from the malls and businesses in the area. The Restaurant would be specialized for same gender service to be very convenient for eating in a relaxed setting. It would be open on Holidays and pay extra to the holiday help. We analyzed the risks and costs and expected profits and found all of them to be manageable. The Total Opening cost will be $187,201 or 702,003.75 SR. Total Operating cost will be $75,260 or 276,375 SR per month. A conservative estimate of the monthly revenue indicates a monthly profit of $168,550 or 632,062.47 SR, based on the operating costs above. We actually expect better performance than this.

Leadership Character in a Famous Leader Essay

Leadership is establishing direction and influencing a group of people towards the achievement of goal.World without leader would ceast to exist.A leader shows a ray of light in darkness and makes future brighter.He brings hope and happiness in life. Mahatma known as great soul.Gandhi was the leader of the Indian nationalist movement against British rule.He is known as the ‘Father of Independence’ of his country.His non-violent protest to achieve political and social progress has been hugely influential.Mahatma Gandhi had a vision for India, where there would no government, no army or police force.He wished that India would be as it was in the past with self-developing villages,only depending on agrarian economy(Mahatma Gandhi’s Vision for the future India,by Joseph S.Friedman)The essential qualities of leadership can be found in Gandhi are crebility,selfless and inspirational leader. Gandhi had a credibility established through his work and movements in South Africa. South Africa changed Gandhi dramatically,as he faced the discrimination. One day in court at Durban, the magistrate asked him to remove his turban. Other than that, Gandhi was thrown off a train, when he refused to move from the first class to a third class coach. These are the incidents have been known as a turning point in his life(Biography of Mahatma Gandhi, by Jennifer Rosenberg).People already had a great honor and hopes from him due to what he could achieve in South Africa, his non-violent were very well respected. In India, Gandhi established the credibility through example.He showed himself as a slave of the people of India. Gandhi is a selfless leader in the history.His approach had nothing to do with his personal interest and in fact, he sacrificed his comfort and his family’s to bring about the change.On several occasions, he was humiliated, battered and kicked by the whites.He tolerated the insults and let go those who were unjust to him.He was never thought of revenge.All he wanted was discriminatory practices against the non-white to be stopped (Gandhi An Exemplary Leader, by Ashim Gupta,2008). Moreover, the lesser-known attributes of the great soul were humanity and service. He offered shelter to a leper and cared for him.He took two hours from his office work daily to monitor the leper in a hospital in Natal.Also,Gandhi is remembered by the poor more for his service than as an independence fighter. Gandhi without a doubt could inspire many leaders, he could show the common man that even he can make difference and bring the English Empire down.It was possible since his leadership based on self-reliance and non-cooperation. Martin Luther King was greatly inspired by Mahatma.Gandhi’s non-violence was informal by not merely his Hindu background but by extensive study of other religious and moral traditions, including Christianity. Gandhi’s greatest contribution to history and the reason his was such a crucial influence on King was Gandhi’s contention was always that standing up for oneself, struggling against independence, living with dignity and integrity. Do not require any use of violence(Mahatma Gandhi Leadership-Inspirational Foundations, by Y.P Anand,2007).Besides,South African former president Nelson Mandela’s first inspiration was Mahatma Gandhi.Mandela is not the only student of Non-violence leader Mahatma Gandhi.There are some other famous lead ers in world who follow him for that. In conclusion, Mahatma Gandhi,who is known as the ‘Father of The Nation’ was the key leader in the independence struggle for India.Although,to this day, India is the largest democracy in the world with an globalized economy that has absolutely nothing to do with Gandhi’s vision for his beloved country.However,his gentle approach to life is a proof to the fact that strength does not equal to physical capacity(Inspiring quotes by Mahatma, by Zoe B).Gandhi’s outstanding qualities which has proven that it is possible to remain gentle in spirit, yet simultaneously achieve a huge amount of strength and respect.

Group Behavior in the Workplace

Group Behavior in the Workplace Antoinette T Harris Organizational Behavior, MGT 412 Instructor: Nikki Follis December 7, 2010 Group Behavior in the Workplace Introduction Group Behavior is well defined as, situations that allows people to interact in large or small groups. These individuals working together may begin to coordinate their behavior by acting in a certain way to achieve a goal that differs from what each person would do if acting alone. Group dynamics, combined with great leadership or management, can achieve goals that are set for organizational success.The organizations social systems are made up of many complex sets of human behavior and relationships that interact in many ways within the workplace and also in the businesses world they face every day. These working groups can be comprised of like-minded individuals, a diverse group of individuals, or a group of specialized skilled individuals who are developed by management to achieve one common goal in the organizat ion or project at hand. Balancing the rights of each individual in the workplace is sometimes difficult for the employer since most organizational goals are set to be achieved through group effort.People become dependent on established cultural systems that gives each individual stability, understanding, security, and the ability to respond to any given situation. Working Groups impose certain expectations and rules on each individual member of the team which can expose the weaker member’s lack of shared responsibilities. This can affect the working teams set goals that must be met by everyone involved in the group’s effort to get every detail finished and accomplished. Employer’s views on Group BehaviorQuality Management Systems within the workplace will become the key element that will measure the success or failure of an organization. Individual attitudes within the workplace can reflect a person’s likes/dislikes toward other co-workers and management within his or her working environment. Supervisors and managers must understand how workplace group behavior can be inspired to increase productivity, motivation and product quality by establishing a secure and stable group environment that can be managed effectively and minimally.The Manager – Worker relationship is usually influenced by management’s egoistic needs that are mainly governed by two types: the needs that relate to the leader’s reputation, such as recognition, status, respect of associates, and appreciation; and those that relate to self-confidence, achievement, decision making, self-esteem and knowledge. Management is not usually designed to help employees satisfy their human needs in a manner that will create healthy working environments.If management and high level leadership in the corporate world will develop more like minded, working group environments; employee’s will experience fewer frustrations and will devote more time and commitm ent to their production processes. These motivating factors I have listed would be aimed to benefit the organization as a whole and not slow down productivity through dis-satisfied and non-productive employees. 1. Altruism – is concerned with being of help to other people. Help of a practical nature can be a psychological or emotional kind. . Productivity – Efficiency managed by a productive management team will help minimize the working relationship gap that will usually exist between average employees and productive employees. 3. Self-Development – This motive can show concern by helping to develop individual skills and abilities that can be used as a plus in the working group. 4. Team Building Events – Managers who schedule team building events will see more productivity and motivation in their groups efforts to achieve its goals. 5.Staff morale – This motivator will help management build their teams and groups effectively, if they practice boos ting morale within the working group environments. High morale is one of the major components in the workforce. Traditional Management is no longer practiced within today’s workforce. This style of management focuses on using the majority of the time working with and through people. The working individual now has to become a skillful psychologist, since most of what people do on a daily basis, is shaping the behavior of others.Whether you are a manger or subordinate, you are only successful as a group effort if each individual has skills at motivation, interpersonal influence, working together with peers, good communication with individuals and superiors. Managers are reflections on each working individual and their style of leadership will determine the quality of groups they orchestrate to build organizational power, growth and success. New management styles tend to base their success on feedback from individuals bottom line performance.Management believes that everyoneâ₠¬â„¢s performance is important and should be aligned with the organization’s values, vision, and strategic priorities. The Employees View Today’s corporate world calls for effective and efficient working professionals that will go beyond their comfort zones to build good working interpersonal relationships at work that help all workers understand their role and target goals that contributes to the strategic vision of the organization.Healthy interpersonal relationships in team members will enhance favorable working environments and keep morale strong as teamwork progress toward one common goal. The culture of an organization is a very important and powerful element when that shapes working relationships, work enjoyment, and teamwork progress. Not every working individual has the psychological make-up that enhances the workplace and makes way for an enjoyable teamwork environment. Some employee’s feel that working in a team group causes blurred vision between the self and others which causes a mixture of anxiety and false self.Working in close-knit work relationships can be positive or negative depending on the culture of the organization and how management governs the project or goal at hand. Each individual adopts a role on behalf of the working group which functions as a team looking to achieve one common goal. If a certain team member is not using his or hers interpersonal relationship skills, then the goal of the team can be hindered and unprogressive, leaving a negative impact on the team’s functionality and creativity.Several issues emerged as a result of the employee’s lack of fulfillment in the teamwork environment. Employees who are not prone to building interpersonal relationships can assume a particularly negative team role, or scapegoat role, where the team member can take on the entire responsibility or guilt of the working group if they chose not to produce as required by the working group and management. Interp ersonal relationships are very important when it comes to teamwork and effective production levels within the organization.Management should be aware of certain individuals that do not possess the interpersonal or relational skills it takes to be a good and effective team member. Team building events can be very effective when it comes to helping individuals achieve certain career goals and team building skills. Each individual brings diversity and creativity to the total work group, and should therefore be treated fairly and carefully, to bring a positive outcome to all working groups that are looking to achieve a common product or goal. Developing Group NormsEach employer has an obligation to ensure all of his or her employees are working toward achieving a common goal. This is to include any and all of the relationally challenged individuals in workplace. Some of these employees may not already be recognized as interpersonally challenged workers, and may need a personal assessmen t performed to calculate the degree of his or hers developmental needs. As the culture of the organization is important for productivity, the development of group norms should also be at the top of management’s organizational goals.Successful communication between managers and employees can be critical components of group interaction and functioning. Some steps that an organization can take to adopt group norms can be very effective in managing group efforts that will produce one common goal. First, a session or team building event should be scheduled for all group members to attend. This should be fun, exciting, motivating and positive in order for each individual to learn their particular roles and effectiveness they will bring to the common production goal at hand.Once this team building session is scheduled and established, the facilitator builds on each team member’s creativity and abilities to begin a common working environment for all to build reliance, trust an d self-confidence. A brainstorming session is vital to this team building process. This allows each individual to bring their personal thought processes and skills to the table of production. The more ideals generated the better. Recording these ideas on a large white flip chart or white board where everyone can see, will build upon the common goal management has tasked the working group with.Ensuring positive and effective communication and keeping commitments are very essential to teamwork efforts. Each member of the group is committed to living the guidelines that is set in motion. The team should commit to confiding in each other if they think a group member is in violation of the agreed upon â€Å"group norm†. A list of all group norms should be distributed to each team member and posted in a common area like the team’s meeting room. These group norms that were established should be periodically reevaluated and implemented to ensure the effectiveness of the groups common goals and achievements.Keeping management updated and informed of the groups progress can be a big plus to each individual as evaluation time rolls around to show the team members how effective and productive they were in achieving the common goal that was tasked as a group effort. Conclusion Today, the major task within the working groups is communication and team building sessions that will bring everyone together to build interpersonal relationship skills with other coworkers, to show each individual the importance and effectiveness of working together as a team. One of the ost important things to remember when it comes to team development and team building is to consider that effective teams are developing organisms. Each team goes through stages of development the same way plants and animals do. The Wheelen’s Integrated Model of group development describes the evolution the group evolves through. The model shows the groups progression from immaturity to maturity in four stages. The first stage is modeled after a toddler or young child. These newly created members of the working team are insecure and unsure of themselves, the group and its structure.This new group will need instruction, guidance and direction to establish a routine that will help each member gain security and stability in their individual roles that will enable them to move toward their next stage. The groups’ second stage is similar to middle school. These easy to recognize issues are prone to rear its ugly head. Lots of disagreements; subgroups and cliques emerge where some of the members will show discontent and resentment toward the leader. This makes the leader frustrated with the group of workers since no matter what he or she tries to do, will always add up to â€Å"wrong†.Stage two can be compared to teen years. For leadership or management, this stage is critical in the team building adventure. This is the time to give each member the opportunity to ta ke on a larger role, and not the time to relinquish authority or rewrite the script on power. As the group matures into stage three, it will soon learn what it takes to accomplish the group’s task at hand. At stage three, each working individual will have to give equal weight to what and how they will work within the group’s efforts. This stage allows for individuals to fine-tune their roles and form positive partnerships and coalitions.Each member masters this part of the stage and the group can now move effortlessly into stage four. It is great to see working groups progress into stage four. They are focused on the process it takes to carry out the work. This stage characterizes the independence of the leader and trickles down to each individual that is working toward the goal of completion. The team learns delegation skills from the leader and this relationship now resembles that of the adult-child or older parent relationship. The leader is dedicated and consulted as needed, for clarification and feedback that results in the final decision of the group.As working groups learn what it takes to work together effectively, this integrated model of group development will help organizations to achieve effective teams that are armed with knowledge, interpersonal skills, individual creativity that allows everyone to work together. Working as a team will help build effective products and services that will show a quality that cannot be produced by one person, but built upon by an effective group of individuals who learned how to come together to achieve one common organizational goal.Works Cited†Group Behavior and Psychoanalysis. Changing Minds and Persuasion — How We Change What Others Think, Believe, Feel and Do. Syque 2002-2010. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. http://changingminds.org/disciplines/psychoanalysis/articles/group_psychoanalysis. htm.

Labor Day Purpose and History

Labor Day Purpose and History Labor Day is a public holiday in the United States. Always observed on the first Monday in September, Labor Day celebrates and honors the contribution of the American system of organized labor and workers to the prosperity and economic strength of the nation. The Monday of Labor Day along with the Saturday and Sunday preceding it is known as the Labor Day Weekend and is traditionally considered the end of summer. As a federal holiday, all but essential national, state, and local government offices are typically closed on Labor Day. Labor Day Key Takeaways Labor Day is a national holiday in the United States always observed on the first Monday in each September.Labor Day is observed to celebrate the contributions of organized labor and workers to the prosperity of the U.S. economy.The first Labor Day celebration was held on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, while Oregon was the first state to actually adopt a Labor Day law on February 2l, l887.The United States Congress declared Labor Day a federal holiday on June 28, 1894. Along with the day’s historical significance, Americans tend to consider Labor Day as marking the â€Å"unofficial end of summer.† Many people wrap their vacations around Labor Day in anticipation of fall activities, like the start of school and cool-weather sports. Labor Day is the day to â€Å"throw down your tools,† and eat too many hot dogs while thanking American workers for their collective contribution to the strength, prosperity, quality of life, cold beer, and great sales enjoyed across the nation. In every sense, the underlying meaning of Labor Day is different from that of any other yearly holiday. â€Å"All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of mans prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another,† said Samuel Gompers, founder of the American Federation of Labor. â€Å"Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation.† Not a Day Off for Everybody, by Far Of course, it should be noted that millions of hard-working Americans, like those in the retail and service industries, along with those in law enforcement, public safety, and health care observe Labor Day by working as usual. Perhaps they deserve the special appreciation of those of us who do get to spend the day eating the hot dogs and drinking the beers. Who Invented Labor Day? The Carpenters or the Machinists? More than 130 years after the first Labor Day was observed in 1882, there is still disagreement as to who first suggested the â€Å"national day off.† America’s carpenters and construction workers, along with some historians will tell you that it was Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, who first suggested a day to honor those â€Å"who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.† However, others believe that Matthew Maguire – no relation to Peter J. McGuire – a machinist who would later be elected secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, New Jersey proposed Labor Day in 1882 while serving as secretary of New York’s Central Labor Union. Either way, history is clear that the first Labor Day observance was held in accordance with a plan developed by Matthew Maguire’s Central Labor Union. The First Labor Day The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883. As proposed by the Central Labor Union, the first Labor Day celebration was highlighted by a parade to show the public â€Å"the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations.† In 1884, the Labor Day observance was changed to the first Monday in September as originally proposed by the Central Labor Union. The union then urged other unions and trade organizations to begin holding a similar â€Å"workingmen’s holiday† on the same date. The idea caught on, and by 1885, Labor Day observances were being held in industrial centers nationwide. Not to Be Confused With International Workers’ Day In 1866, International Workers’ Day or â€Å"May First† was established an alternative holiday for the celebration of organized labor. Observed annually on May 1, the day was created by a resolution during the 1884 convention of the American Federation of Labor in Chicago. The date was chosen due to its proximity to the date of the bloody Chicago Haymarket Affair labor demonstration and bombing of May 4, 1886. Some labor unions of the day felt that International Workers’ Day was a more appropriate tribute to the struggles of their cause than Labor Day, which they considered a frivolous picnic-and-parade day. However, conservative Democratic President Grover Cleveland feared that a holiday to honor labor on May 1 would become a negative commemoration of the Haymarket Affair, rather than a positive celebration of how the nation benefited from labor. Today, the first day of May is still observed in many countries as â€Å"International Workers Day,† or more often as â€Å"Labour Day.† Labor Day Gains Government Recognition As with most things involving a potential day off, Labor Day became very popular very fast, and by 1885, several city governments have adopted ordinances calling for local observances. While New York was the first state legislature to propose official, statewide observance of Labor Day, Oregon was the first state to actually adopt a Labor Day law on February 2l, l887. The same year, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York also enacted Labor Day observance laws, and by 1894, 23 other states followed suit. Always looking for already popular ideas to get behind, the senators and representatives of the U.S. Congress took note of the growing Labor Day movement and June 28, 1894, passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories. How Labor Day Has Changed As massive displays and gatherings have become larger problems for public safety agencies, especially in large industrial centers, the character of Labor Day celebrations have changed. However, those changes, as noted by the U.S. Department of Labor, have been more of â€Å"a shift in emphasis and medium of expression.† Thanks mainly to television, the internet, and social media, Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are delivered directly into the homes, swimming pools, and BBQ pits of Americans nationwide. â€Å"The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy,† notes the Labor Department. â€Å"It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pays tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nations strength, freedom, and leadership- the American worker.†

Gratitude and Congratulations

Gratitude and Congratulations Gratitude and Congratulations Gratitude and Congratulations By Mark Nichol Gratitude and congratulations, along with some other words with the element grat and associated with giving thanks, are related. Such words, and a couple of disguised cognates, are listed and defined in this post. Gratitude, and the other words discussed here, derive from the Latin adjective gratus, meaning â€Å"pleasing† or â€Å"thankful.† Gratitude is the state of being thankful, and a synonym for thankful is grateful. The antonym of that word is ungrateful, but someone who withholds gratitude is an ingrate. Gratify, though stemming from the same origin, has a different sense; it means â€Å"give pleasure or satisfaction,† and, depending on context, it can have a positive or negative connotation. For example, the noun form in â€Å"instant gratification† refers critically to an undesirable personal or cultural trait associated with seeking short-term satisfaction to the detriment of more productive habits or pursuits. Similarly, though gratuitous originally meant simply â€Å"free,† that sense has largely been overtaken by the meanings â€Å"unearned† and â€Å"unwarranted,† as in a reference to gratuitous sex or violence in a film; the element or scene is not integral to the plot and is therefore considered exploitative. A gratuity, however, is always welcome: It is something given voluntarily. (Often, the word is simply employed as a formal alternative to tip in the context of rendering services.) Centuries ago, when one expressed pleasure in the achievements of another, one offered gratulation. However, that form was superseded by congratulation, and now it is customary to pluralize that word. (Congrats is a slang truncation.) Unfortunately, thanks to the punning exclamation â€Å"Congradulations!† in the context of graduation from school or college, seen on greeting cards and the like, congratulations is sometimes inadvertently misspelled. Grate, meaning â€Å"grill† or â€Å"scraper,† is unrelated, but grace, meaning â€Å"mercy,† â€Å"elegance,† and â€Å"virtue,† and the identical verb form, meaning â€Å"show favor,† are descended from gratus. Something exemplifying grace in the sense of â€Å"elegance† is graceful, while something lacking that quality is graceless. Disgrace is the loss of favor or honor, and something that brings (or should bring) shame to someone is disgraceful. Meanwhile, scapegrace, on the model of scapegoat, means â€Å"someone who falls out of favor with God.† Another disguised descendant of gratus, by way of French, is agree, meaning â€Å"give assent or consent† or â€Å"coincide.† Something agreed on is an agreement. Something is said to be agreeable when it is acceptable, in harmony with what is desired, or pleasing, and a person with a pleasing or positive disposition is agreeable. In all cases, the antonym is represented by attaching the prefix dis-. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:70 "Home" Idioms and Expressions75 Idioms and Expressions That Include â€Å"Break†When Is a Question Not a Question?

Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 18

Research Paper Example Further, Walmart has the advantage of a wide scale of operations, with its stores extending beyond the boundaries of the US and in global markets. But Walmart’s weaknesses include little differentiation, high labor turnover, and legal lawsuits. Costco is a discount retailer dealing in electronics, furniture, hardware, home dà ©cor, office supplies, grocery, and so on. Its target market belongs to low to medium income groups as it is positioned a wholesale discount retailer. Costco generated revenues of $112,640 million in 2014 (Costco Wholesale Corp, 42). Costco’s strength is its large employee pool and brand equity. The retailer has loyal customers and a large membership club chain. In addition, Costco is also a large retailer of wine. However, it offers absolutely no protection to its employees. Due to competition, its market share has remained stagnant which is why the retailer must expand its customer base. Target is a retailer and merchandiser which sells a variety of items – apparel, accessories, shoes, electronics, grocery, and other household items – at a discounted price. In 2013, Target made total revenues of $72,596 million (Target, n.pag.). Target has its presence in the US, Canada, and India reflecting that its market is segmented based on countries. Its market offerings are targeted towards a wide range of people including children, men, women, families, and so on. As such, its consumer segment is quite diverse and spans all age groups. Target has a positive image among the stakeholders for having a diverse culture, being clean and design-centered, and providing high quality products. However, Target lags behind in terms of its reach unlike Walmart which has international presence worldwide. Although Target brands itself as a value retailer, its products are highly prices relative to Walmart. Walmart focuses on growth strategy as it is evident in the retailer’s

The entry strategy mode for NEXT to Expand into China Essay

The entry strategy mode for NEXT to Expand into China - Essay Example Their sufficient answers equipped me with in-depth knowledge and better understanding of NEXT Plc, the fashion industry, and the Chinese clothing market. Their shared knowledge enabled me to critically analyse the issue in consideration. NEXT Plc is the UK third-largest clothing retailer operating through 400 retail stores across the UK and Ireland, more than 50 stores in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next_plc). It is a prominent retailer, whose strategy is aimed at capturing new markets through global expansion. This research project investigates the current literature on the internationalisation process and reviews alternative modes of market entry strategy. Various primary and secondary sources provide the necessary data to sufficiently asses the internal health and the external market of NEXT PLC. These data are then carefully analysed in order to gauge the company's capability to expand internationally. Alternative expansion options are evaluated and recommended for the company's successful expansion into the Chinese market. The research concludes that the Chinese market is a fertile ground for the expansion of a foreign apparel retailer. However, the existence of various environmental, industry specific-forces, and the current resources limitations of the Inditex group, requires the establishment and employment of an optimal expansion strategy. It should be noted that due to certain limitations imposed by environmental and internal factors, the findings of this research cannot be utilized in terms of all market expansions, although they can be amply used as an example for further theory building in the area related to the Chinese market entry and expansion strategies. Table of Contents 1.1 Background to Study The rapid growth of the textile industry in China which is facilitated by the continuous economic reforms, improving living standards, and increasing demand conditions has been widely recognized (USINFO, 2004). Furthermore, the emergence of the Chinese middle class gives way to the development of a very attractive and large market (Wang et al., 2004). However, the earlier attempts to enter the Chinese market reveal that various multinational corporations (MNCs) have not fully gained adequate knowledge of the population. Their generalisations have underestimated Chinese consumers by treating them as a homogeneous group (Jagersma & Van Gorp, 2003). In reality, China's unique political andsocial environment creates a very fragmented market with the existence of various segments (Wang et al., 2004). 1.2 Research Aim and Objectives Based on the findings of the study, the researcher will attempt to draw recommendations for NEXT PLC on its entry and expansion to the Chinese market. Several objectives are set to support the research process: Define and investigate present and future key environmental factors present in the Chinese market which are likely to affect the performance and success of NEXT Plc should it decide to operate in the geographic region; Assess the financial and strategic capability of NEXT Plc to expand in the new market; Evaluate alternatives for the successful market expansion and identify main issues involved; and Recommend the best option