What You Need to Know About MBA Application Deadlines

An MBA application deadline signifies the last day that a business school is accepting applications for an upcoming MBA program. Most schools will not even look at an application that is submitted after this date, so it is really important to get your application materials in before the deadline. In this article, were going to take a closer look at MBA applications deadlines to determine what they mean for you as an individual. Youll learn about the types of admissions and discover how your timing can impact your chances of getting accepted business school. When Is the Deadline for Submitting an MBA Application? There is no such thing as a uniform MBA application deadline. In other words, every school has a different deadline. MBA deadlines can also vary by program. For example, a business school that has a full-time MBA program, an executive MBA program, and an evening and weekend MBA program may have three different application deadlines - one for every program that they have. There are lots of different websites that publish MBA application deadlines, but the best way to learn about the deadline for the program you are applying to is to visit the schools website. That way, you can ensure the date is completely accurate. You dont want to miss a deadline because someone made a typo on their website! Types of Admissions When youre applying to a business program, there are three basic types of admissions that you might encounter: Open AdmissionsRolling AdmissionsRound Admissions Lets explore each of these admissions types in more detail below. Open Admissions Although policies can vary by school, some schools with open admissions (also known as open enrollment) admit everyone that meets the admission requirements and has the money to pay the tuition. For example, if the admissions requirements dictate that you have a bachelors degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution (or the equivalent) and the capacity to study at the graduate level, and you meet these requirements, you will most likely be admitted into the program as long as space is available. If space is not available, you may be waitlisted. Schools with open admissions rarely have application deadlines. In other words, you can apply and get accepted at any time. Open admissions are the most relaxed form of admissions and the one most rarely seen at graduate business schools. Most of the schools that have open admissions are online schools or undergraduate colleges and universities. Rolling Admissions Schools that have a rolling admissions policy usually have a large application window - sometimes as long as six or seven months. Rolling admissions are commonly used for freshmen at undergraduate universities and colleges, but this form of admissions is also heavily used by law schools. Certain graduate-level business schools, such as Columbia Business School, also have rolling admissions. Some business schools that use rolling admissions have what is known as an early decision deadline. This means that you have to submit your application by a certain date to get an early acceptance. For example, if you are applying to a school with rolling admissions, there may be two application deadlines: an early decision deadline and a final deadline. So, if you are hoping to get accepted early on, you have to apply by the early decision deadline. Although policies vary, you may be required to withdraw your application from other business schools if you accept an early decision offer of admission that is extended to you. Round Admissions Most business schools, especially selective business schools like Harvard Business School, Yale School of Management, and Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, have three application deadlines for full-time MBA programs. Some schools have as many as four. Multiple deadlines are known as rounds. You could apply to the program in round one, round two, or round three.   Round admissions deadlines vary by school. The earliest deadlines for round one are typically in September and October. But you shouldnt expect to hear back right away if you do apply in the earliest round. Admissions decisions often take two to three months, so you could submit your application in September or October but not hear back until November or December. Round two deadlines often range from December to January, and round three deadlines are frequently in January, February, and March, though all of these deadlines can vary by school. The Best Time to Apply to Business School Whether youre applying to a school with rolling admissions or round admissions, a good rule of thumb is to apply early in the process. Assembling all of the materials for an MBA application can take time. You dont want to underestimate how long it will take you to prepare your application and miss a deadline. Even worse, you dont want to slop something together quickly to make a deadline and then get rejected because your application was not competitive enough.   Applying early has other advantages as well. For example, some business schools choose the majority of the incoming MBA class from applications received in round one or round two, so if you wait until round three to apply, the competition will be even stiffer, thus decreasing your chances of getting accepted. Furthermore, if you apply in round one or round two and get rejected, you still have an opportunity to improve your application and apply to other schools before their round three deadlines have ended. A few other considerations that may be important depending on your individual situation: International applicants: As an international student, you often need a student visa (either an F-1 or J-1 visa) to study in the United States. Youll want to apply in round one or round two if possible to give yourself enough time to get this visa before the actual program starts.Dual degree program applicants: If you are applying to an MBA/JD program or another dual or joint degree program, youll want to pay particularly close attention to the deadlines. Some business schools, even those with three rounds, require applicants to apply for dual degree programs in round one or round two.Submatriculation applicants: If you are an undergraduate who is attending a business school that allows qualified juniors to apply for early entry (Submatriculation) to the schools MBA program, you may want to utilize a different application strategy than the average MBA applicant. Rather than applying early (like most applicants would), you may want to consider waiting until round three so that you hav e a more complete academic record when you submit your transcripts and other application materials. Reapplying to Business School Business school admissions are competitive, and not everyone gets accepted the first year that they apply to an MBA program. Since most schools will not accept a second application in a single year, you typically have to wait until the next academic year to re-apply. This is not as uncommon as many people think it is. The Wharton School at the Universality of Pennsylvania reports on their website that up to 10 percent of their applicant pool consists of reapplications in most years. If you are re-applying to business school, you should make an effort to improve your application and demonstrate growth. You should also apply early in the process in round one or round two (or at the start of a rolling admissions process) to increase your chances of getting accepted.

Research Tabacco Control and Road Safety in Australia

INTRODUCTION By the beginning of 21st century, public health activities over different settings led to growth in healthcare. Improvement in large number of diseases, injuries, infectious diseases, nutrition, sanitation, cancers, dental health have led to significant growth in Australia’s health population since last 30 years. Improvements grew from advances and technology in medicine and surgery, delivery of quality health care services, and also range of public health programs promotion via an organized approach (NHMRC, Dec 1996, p.7). When we talk about developing and implementing population based interventions strategies,†¦show more content†¦Significant funds have been provided by National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for medical research in tobacco diseases. Also, the State, Federal and Territory funding to road safety continues for more than 20 years. Road safety expenses have been more in developed road safety infrastructure. In 1989, the law was passed in which the Federal Legislation banned all forms of tobacco advertisements like signs, billboards etc. Also, in 1987 the Victorian Tobacco Act added a wholesale tax on tobacco products in Victoria to promote good health, prevent diseases, and disabilities. It was later followed by South Australia in 1988, Australian Capital Territory in 1989 and Western Australia in 1991. The most notable traffic law was one in which seat belts became compulsory to be worn in 1970. In Australia, the illegal blood alcohol concentration limit has been set up to 0.05ml/100ml throughout Australia. Laws were introduced in 1976, to enforce proper restraint of children’s/babies in vehicles. In Australia, the ratio of injured persons with blood alcohol concentration (BAC) reduced from 44% in 1981 to 30% in 1995 (FORS, 1995, P.17) In the late 1970s, Australia was one of the first nations to run mass reach anti-smoking campaigns (Egger et al, 1983, p.1125-28). Media started playing a significant role in spreading awareness to public with evidence about the dangers of tobacco smoking to health. Now the community knows about the harmful

Intellectual Property Assignment Free Essays

string(241) " requirements for breach of confidence, it is clear that this information was imparted in a relationship where Lisa could reasonably expect a degree of privacy and could suffer actual loss as a result of the publication of this information\." Introduction There are a number of intellectual property concerns with regards to the given set of facts and these relate to four specific elements of the given facts namely, the publication of the information in GOSSIP magazine, the proposed book written by Jayson, the registration of trademarks by Lisa and the opening of the competing salon by Emma. These potential legal issues stem from a number of common law and legislative provisions and will be dealt with separately in terms of the relevant law that they relate to. Broadly, these legal issues arise in relation to the breach of confidentiality with regards to personal information and trade secrets, and the creation and infringement of trademarks. We will write a custom essay sample on Intellectual Property Assignment or any similar topic only for you Order Now Breach of Confidence: The Book Breach of confidence or misuse of information in this context refers to the intended publication of the business plan which was discussed by Lisa and Jayson on their holiday, as well as the publication of the details of their intimate relationship. There are a number of preliminary observations with regards to the current case. The first is that there is no common law right of privacy as confirmed by the court in Kaye v Robertson [1991]. Despite this however, Article 8 of the ECHR as imported into domestic law by the Human Rights Act 1998 does provide a legal basis for the protection of the right to privacy with regards to confidential information. This was confirmed by the court in Campbell v. MGN Limited [2004]. The second observation is that the current facts are distinguishable from a number of cases on the subject in the matter as they involve the publication of information gained from a private relationship and therefore based on inferred confidence that exists in private relationships rather than the breach of confidence resulting from a breach of contract or that which exists in an employment relationship or other business relationship. In McKennitt v Ash [2005], the court confirmed that the essential element for a brea ch of confidence in this case rested on the pre-existing relationship between the parties. This is a relevant consideration for the current facts as there is no formal contractual relationship existing between Lisa and Jayson in this case. In Coco v AN Clark (Engineers) Ltd [1969], Megarry J. stated that there are three essential elements required for a successful action for breach of confidence: The information must be of a confidential character. The imparting of the information must be in circumstances where the confidant ought reasonably to have known that the information was confidential. The information must have been used or disclosed in an unauthorised manner causing a detriment to the claimant. With regards to the first requirement that the information be of a confidential nature, the courts have taken the approach of a negative definition of this quality stating that the information must not already be that which is in the public domain (Coco v AN Clark (Engineers) Ltd). In the current circumstances, the information that will form the subject matter of the book is not in the public domain and based on the personal nature thereof, can be argued as confidential as it contains information about the private life of Lisa. With regards to the second requirement, this is an objective test which asks what a reasonable person considers to be confidential. In the case of personal relationships this may be personal information and that it may be known to a third party does not preclude the information from being confidential (Argyll (Duchess of) v Argyll (Duke of) [1965]). On analysis therefore of this requirement in terms of the current facts of Jayson and Lisa, it stands to reason that the information passed between Lisa and Jayson was done so on an implied understanding of confidence in their personal relationship and does not exist in the public domain currently. Arguably therefore the information does possess the requisite quality of confidence. With regards to the third requirement, there are a number of relevant considerations. This detriment to Lisa arguably may exist in a number of ways. The first is a breach of her right to privacy under Article 8 of the ECHR. In Campbell v. MGN Limited [2004], the court established a three step test in determining if the right to privacy was being engaged. The first step is to show that there is a reasonable expectation of privacy, arguably mirroring the first requirement of breach of confidence. The court noted that this is problematic in the case of celebrities as their private life is something which is generally in the public domain already. The second step is in establishing a balance between the Article 10 right to freedom of expression and the claimant’s right to privacy which necessitates an inquiry into public interest. The third step is to establish that the publication should not be allowed in terms of section 12(3) of the HRA. A further detrimental effect that may ex ist mirrors a claim for defamation that the information may be detrimental to the reputation and image of Lisa in the circumstances. Based on the judgment of Campbell, it seems unlikely that an application for breach of confidence will succeed, because Lisa is a celebrity. Lord Hoffman stated in obiter that romantic or sexual relationships of public figures or celebrities are not necessarily subject to the same privacy considerations as ordinary persons due to the commonplace of this information in everyday life. Despite the private connotation of such relationships, a celebrity may reasonably expect their intimate relationships to be known as well as the parts of their private life which they willingly share with the press. This however is not to say that Lisa would not be able to get an injunction against the release of information relating to her business plan which she discussed with Jayson. Coco v Clark established that there can be such a breach of confidence despite the lack of contractual obligation between parties. On the basis of the requirements for breach of confidence, it is clear that this informatio n was imparted in a relationship where Lisa could reasonably expect a degree of privacy and could suffer actual loss as a result of the publication of this information. You read "Intellectual Property Assignment" in category "Essay examples" It is possible therefore that Lisa may be able to get an injunction against the publication of her business plan, although not for the details of her private life with regards to the proposed book. Defamation and Privacy: Gossip Magazine Defamation is defined in Sims v Stretch [1936] as: A defamatory statement is one which injures the reputation of another by exposing them to hatred, contempt or ridicule, or tends to lower him in the esteem of the right-thinking members of society. Defamation however, only exists for false statements, as truth is a defense thereto. There is no indication on the facts that the information published in the magazine was false and therefore Lisa does not have a claim for defamation, despite the potential damage to her reputation. With regards to the photographs published, there is no claim for proprietal infringement (Prince Albert v Strange [1849]) as Jayson recorded the video and captured the pictures and therefore is the owner therefore. Arguably, Lisa may have a claim for an infringement of her right to privacy on the criteria set out in Campbell, however consistent with the difficulty noted above as to her status as a celebrity or public figure, this application may have significant difficulty in succeeding in court. Trademarks Nail Varnish and Salon Name Lisa wishes to register as many trademarks as she can over the salon and the nail varnish. Potential trademarks therefore may exist over the name of the salon â€Å"A. OCEAN†, â€Å"RETURN TO THE OCEAN†, the dolphin shaped container, the distinct colour scheme, and the smell diffused on opening the bottle. According to the s1(1) Trade Marks Act 1994: A â€Å"trade mark† means any sign capable of being represented graphically which is capable of distinguishing goods or services of one undertaking from those of other undertakings. A trade mark may, in particular, consist of words (including personal names), designs, letters, numerals or the shape of goods or their packaging. In addition to falling within the definition of a trade market under s1(1) of the Act, the mark must also not fall within the prohibited categories under section 3(1) of the act. If however it is found that the trademark does not satisfy the requirements of s3(1)(b) – (d), it may still be registered on the basis that it has become distinctive through use. According to this definition, ‘any sign’ means anything which can convey information; ‘capable of being represented graphically’ means it must be possible for a trade mark to be represented in two-dimensional or three dimensional forms and ‘capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one undertaking from that of another’ means that distinctiveness of strong marks may be those with unique names and those which are merely descriptive may be weaker. In the leading case of Sieckmann v Deutshces Patent-und Markenamt [2004] the European Court of Justice held: â€Å"A sign which is not in itself capable of being perceived visually, provided that it can be represented graphically, particularly by means of images, lines or characters, and that its representation is clear, precise, self-contained, easily accessible, intelligible, durable and objective† The development of these criteria has led to a case being made for scents as trademarks, however Sieckmann held that this is problematic as it may not satisfy the criteria of a trademark in the case, although in Firma Senta Application [1999], a scent application was allowed because of the distinctiveness of the smell and the fact that everyone knows the smell through experience. With regards to the registration of the smell diffused by Lisa’s nail varnish upon opening of the bottle, this may be capable of registration as the smell of the sea is a distinct scent which may be known to a significant portion of the general public and therefore, following the ratio of the Firma Senta Application [1999], may be capable of registration. With regards to the registration of the colour scheme, following the case of Libertel Groep BV v Benelux-Merkenbureau [2003], Cadbury Ltd’s Application set the precedent for allowing the registration of colour schemes with regards to specific goods and services. Therefore it is possible for Lisa to register the distinct colour scheme of her nail varnish, but this may apply only to nail varnish. The dolphin shaped bottle of Lisa’s nail varnish is considered as packaging falls under the shapes or three-dimensional trademarks category, which are capable of being registered under the Act. Under S1(1), in order to be registered the first requirement is that the shape must be capable of being ‘represented graphically’ and for a shape mark, this is not problematic as generally they are able to reduced to a drawing. Whilst there is no specific criteria for measuring distinctiveness in terms of s1(1), there are a number of factors with regards to distinctiveness that may present a number of difficulties for the registration of the salon name â€Å"A. OCEAN† and the name of the nail varnish â€Å"RETURN TO THE OCEAN†. This is so, because these words are not unique and may be found to be descriptive. Additionally, the presence of the competing nail varnish product â€Å"GO BACK TO THE OCEAN† may prove as a reason for the rejection of the trademark application. Under s5(2) of the Act, the registrar will not allow registration of a mark that is the same or similar to an earlier mark as a relative ground of refusal as there may be likelihood of deception of confusion. This is not to say however that this will stand as an absolute ground for the refusal of registration, as these two names may still be capable of registration as having acquired distinctiveness through use. To satisf y this requirement for distinctiveness, the marks must satisfy the requirements of the test for distinctiveness in Windsurfing Chiemsee [1999]. The ECJ provided guidance as to the conditions which would create the requisite distinctiveness to satisfy s3(1)(d) of the Act, as having acquired distinctiveness through use. The court found that: â€Å"If the competent authority finds that a significant proportion of the relevant class of persons identify goods as originating from a particular undertaking because of the trade mark, it must hold the requirement for registering the mark to be satisfied.† With regards to the name of the salon and the nail varnish, these may be capable of registration if it is distinctive in this way. In Philips v Remington, the court also considered the fact that the more descriptive and non-distinct a mark, the more work the proprietor will need to undertake in order to have the mark recognizable to the average consumer. It stands to reason therefore that the extensive advertising campaign that was undertaken by Lisa may in fact have served the purpose of establishing the name of the salon and nail varnish as distinctive trademarks in a significant proportion of the relevant class of persons. This is an objective determination made in light of all relevant circumstances (Windsurfing Chiemsee [1999]). In conclusion therefore, â€Å"A.OCEAN†, â€Å"RETURN TO THE OCEAN†, the dolphin shaped container, the distinct colour scheme, and the smell diffused on opening the bottle are all marks that are capable of registration under the Trademarks Act. For the name of the salon and the nail varnish, there is a significant reliance on the success of the advertising campaign undertaken by Lisa as these marks are not unique per se and may be held to be too descriptive. In the case of RETURN TO THE OCEAN, this will be refused as it is too similar to the competitors name with regards to distinctiveness. P. OCEAN – Trademark Infringement In the case of Emma leaving her employment at A. OCEAN and starting her own salon, the issue of trademark infringement arises. Trademark infringement can essentially occur for both registered and unregistered trademarks, and while it is not clear on the facts whether the trademark of A.OCEAN had been registered, it is necessary to consider both scenarios. According to section 10 of the Act, infringement of a registered trademark may occur in four ways: Identical marks in relation to identical goods or services (s10(1)) Identical marks in relation to similar goods and services andthe public are likely to confuse or associate the later trade mark with the earlier mark (s10(2)(a)) Similar marks in relation to similar goods and services andthe public are likely to confuse or associate the later trade mark with the earlier mark (s10(2)(b)) Identical or similar marks in relation to goods or services that are not similar and the use of the later trade mark without due cause would take unfair advantage of, or be detrimental to, the distinctive character of the earlier mark (s10(3)). It is clear in the case of A. OCEAN and P. OCEAN that if the mark was registered, the infringement would be according to 10(2)(b). It is clear on analysis that there would be an infringement of registered trademark here as the names of the salon are very similar, and the goods and services offered by the salons would lead to a likelihood of confusion. Although, arguably there are a number of factors that may direct away from such a conclusion. The first is that the services offered by the salons are fairly standard in terms of what the general market of salon offers to their clientele and in fact, it could be argued that Emma’s salon offered more of a customized service than Lisa. In addition to this factor, the fact that Lisa’s salon trades in London whilst Emma’s is in Scotland may indicate that there is no likelihood of confusion because of the fact that they trade in vastly different geographical areas. This may in part depend on the nature of the advertising campaign that Lisa undertook, as it may be established that it was a national campaign and therefore extends the reach of the A.OCEAN salon to Scotland where Lisa operates. There is no indication in the legislation that the infringement of a registered trademark is limited by geographical location and therefore it stands to reason that the operation of the act affects the whole of the U.K regardless of the scope of the business operations of that trademark. It is likely that under the Act, Emma would be found liable for infringement of a registered trademark, if the mark of A.OCEAN was registered at the time. If the mark is not registered, Lisa still may have a common law remedy known as passing off. This applies to unregistered trademarks and protects the goodwill associated with certain goods and services. According to the House of Lords decision in Reckitt Coleman v Borden Inc [1990], Lisa must establish the following three elements in order to establish infringement of the unregistered mark: OCEAN is an established trade mark that has acquired a reputation and/or goodwill in the mind of the relevant section of the public. The offending trade mark has been, or is likely to be, confused with your established trade mark. There is a likelihood of damage following the use of the infringing mark. According to IRC v Muller and Co’s Margarine [1901], goodwill is defined as the benefit and advantage of the name and reputation of a business. With the extensive advertising campaign that was undertaken by Lisa, it stands to reason that the requisite goodwill and reputation was established. This goodwill may be restricted in terms of geographical areas and therefore an action of passing off may not be found in this case considering the vastly different geographical locations in which Lisa and Emma operate. This speaks to the likelihood of confusion that may be associated with the mark as considering that the section of the public likely to be confused is not a shared market. This is furthered by the notion of likelihood of damages, as there may be no actual damage to the business or business reputation, as the operations areas are so far apart that it is unlikely that any customers will be lost to Emma’s salon. As noted above however, this may depend entirely on the advertising campaign that was undertaken by Lisa, as the reach of the campaign may have been national and therefore extends the goodwill associated with her mark. Trade Secrets Breach of Confidentiality: Personalized Training Programme With regards to trade secrets and the breach of confidentiality, the relevant law has been outlined above and therefore will be discussed only in terms of its application to the current set of facts. The law of confidentiality arguably applies in this situation because of the use of information gathered at A.OCEAN salon which was then used by Emma in P.OCEAN. This is specifically with regards to workplace confidentiality that may exist in the use of client records for the development of the training programme. Arguably, this information represents a classic situation of workplace confidentiality as it relates specifically to information gathered in the course of employment in A.OCEAN salon. In the absence of a contractual agreement of employment which protects the confidentiality of this information, Lisa may rely on the common law remedy established in Coco v Clark to protect the information that relates to her clients. Arguably however the law of confidentiality does not protect th e use of the training schedule which was independently developed by Emma in her spare time despite this being based on the clientele information of A.OCEAN. Therefore, unless it can be proved that Emma is making use of confidential information in the implementation of her programme in P.OCEAN, the law of confidentiality does not necessarily apply. Conclusion Based on the law therefore there are a number of potential legal issues that Lisa faces. With regards to the publication of her personal information by GOSSIP, unless the information that Jayson sold the magazine is false, there is no claim for defamation. It may be possible for Lisa to get an injunction prohibiting the publication of the book proposed by Jayson, if she can prove a substantial infringement to her privacy would occur. It is unlikely that the publication of the book would be prevented as her status as a celebrity significantly affects her privacy rights. It is however likely that she would be able to prevent the publication of the details of her business plan in this book, as these are detrimental to her business interests, over and above any personal reputational damage that may occur. With regards to her business interests, it is likely that Lisa will be able to register at least five trademarks over her business if it can be proven that they possess the requisite quality of distinctiveness. It is possible that the extensive advertising campaign has had the effect of creating distinctiveness through use and therefore despite lacking a quality of distinctness in terms of the definition of a trademark, registration is still possible. It is further likely that in the event of her registering the trademark over her salon, that there may be an action for trademark infringement against Emma, although this is limited if the trademark is not registered as actions for passing off have been previously limited to geographical area. Considering that A.OCEAN and P.OCEAN operate on opposite ends of the country, there may be no basis for a claim that there was misrepresentation and a likelihood of confusion leading to damages. Further, with regards to the use of the personalized training programme developed based on the client information of A.OCEAN, there may be no action for breach of confidentiality or misuse of trade secrets as there is no actual use of confidential information and the personalized programmes that were used by Emma were developed in her private time and therefore may not breach any workplace confidentiality. This is however in the absence of any confidentiality agreements that she was party to upon entering employment with A.OCEAN. Bibliography Legislation European Convention of Human Rights Human Rights Act 1998 Trade Marks Act 1994 Case Law Argyll (Duchess of) v Argyll (Duke of) [1965] 1 All ER 611 Cadbury Ltd’s Application [2001] Case O-358-11 Campbell v. MGN Limited [2004] UKHL 22 Coco v Clarke Engineers [1968] FSR 415, CA Firma Senta Aromatic Marketing’s Application [1999] ETMR 429 IRC v Muller Co Margarine Limited [1901] AC 217 Kaye v Robertson [1991] FSR 62 Libertel Groep BV v Benelux-Merkenbureau [2003] ECR I-3793 McKennitt v Ash[2006] EWCA Civ 1714 Phillips Electronics v Remington [1999] RPC 809, CA Prince Albert v Strange (1849) 1 Mac G.25 Reckitt Coleman v Borden Inc [1990] 1 All ER 873, HL Sieckmann v Deutches Patent [2003] RPC 685 Sim V Stretch [1936] All ER 1237 (HL) Windsurfing Chiemsee v Boots Case C-109/97 [2000] 2 WLR 205 Secondary Sources Aplin and Davis, Intellectual Property Law (1st ed. OUP 2009). Bainbridge, Intellectual Property (9th ed. Pearson, 2012) MacQueen, Waelde Laurie, Contemporary Intellectual Property (2nd ed. OUP 2010) How to cite Intellectual Property Assignment, Essay examples

Maxine Hong Kingston Essay Example For Students

Maxine Hong Kingston Essay For many of the writers discussed in class, family stories are a guide to live by. The family stories told, give an outline of morals as well as a way to stay close to their true family. Both Cofer and Stone show how family stories give them a very strong form of acceptance. Acceptance is key for each of the writers because they both face the challenge of living as multicultural people in a world that tends to shame diversity. These stories are extremely important to Cofer and Stone; questioning them would violate all they believe in. However, there is another side to this subject. Maxine Hong Kingston reveals to the reader a different side to family stories. A side that is not of love and acceptance, but more of hate, betrayal, and rejection. In some cultures family circles cannot always be of love and protection. In her case she reveals to the reader a family circle that would murder in order to keep the circle clean of sin, no matter what the cost. Kingston may not successfully gains the recognition from the family, but at least she is sure of herself now. I am worthy of eating the food. She reassures herself that she too is useful and respectful. Though she may not be the dutiful swordswoman in her mothers eyes, and her mother is certain that she will grow up as wives or slaves. Kingston chooses to be a warrior who will stand up and fight against all these traditional discrimination. She has successfully found another way to achieve what the woman warrior has achieved by using a pen. She is confident of herself despite lacking recognition from the villagers and her family. The story of Fa Mu Lan also helps Kingston understand herself better with Kingston own reinterpretation of the story. Reinterpreting the story is a process of self-revelation. Through the reinterpretation of the story, she actually learns that the only way that she will gain approval of the villagers or her family is to take her fathers place in fighting and behead the baron and evil emperor. The impossibility of doing this makes Kingston acknowledge the difference between her American life and the fantasy. She may not be like the swordswoman having all kinds of hard physical training, to copy tigers anger or stalking kill, etc. However, she does learn to stand up in her life to challenge the racist. When her boss called her Nigger Yellow, she pointed out that I dont like that word, unlike the no-name aunt who endured all humiliation silently, she expresses her dissatisfaction. She also challenged the boss when the boss was being unreasonable. I refuse to type these invitations. Though this is again not her mothers intention in telling her the folklore, Kingston displays courage in fighting against injustice by using a pen. She does not recede under the spite teasing of others. Kingston is not a timid woman who let this kind of inequality continue without people paying attention to them. She is a female avenger and she sees herself as a liberator from all these old attitudes of China. In conclusion, the intention of the mother telling Kingstons stories is somehow twisted. Kingston breaks from the restrain of tradition and work out a set of her own values. She librates from the patriarchal society. She is not submissive anymore,. She writes her desire and dissatisfaction and in turns opens the way for understanding herself better.

Organizational Culture Assessment

Introduction Every organization has its own competitive strategies. However, these strategies cannot work without a strong organizational culture. Organizational culture has the advantage of increasing employee commitment to the firm. In addition, it enables the organization to define its strategies effectively.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Culture Assessment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is essential as it ensures successful execution of activities necessary for achievement of organizational goals. Organizational culture is also important in maximizing production through employee motivation. This is particularly significant to human capital whose value is maximized by the right organizational culture. In essence, organizational culture forms an integral part of management competency. While these attributes can be achieved through implementation of the right organizational culture, deter mining an effective culture is quite difficult. This paper will explore corporate culture, its roles in organizations and the factors that influence its implementation (Senge, 2006, p. 55). Organizational culture encompasses concepts such as assumptions, values, beliefs, artifacts and behaviors, among others. It, therefore, works to reduce variability in the workforce. This allows for easier control and shaping of staff behavior. In essence, it defines the distinct character of an organization since it varies from one organization to another. Culture, therefore, plays a crucial role in organizational setup. Organizational culture connects employees together and ensures efficiency in execution of activities. Moreover, communication is essential for implementing the right culture. In addition, when the right culture is implemented, employees are usually motivated to maximize production.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your fi rst paper with 15% OFF Learn More In this regard, it is necessary that the right communication framework is put in place to achieve desired objectives. Furthermore, motivation is a central factor in determining an organization’s competitiveness (Andreas, 2006, p. 159-172.) Motivation Motivation can be defined as the urge to do something. For instance, organizations with motivated staff enjoy their work. This improves both efficiency and quality of production. Moreover, it saves time and creates opportunity for innovations. Motivation is essential to every organization. In fact, when employees are motivated, they are able to create as well as implement inventive ideas. Strong identification is important in enabling employees to be part of the organization. This gives them a sense of belonging, which is significant in entrenching spirit of unity in the team. Besides, their sense of innovation can only be achieved if the organization embraces innovative norms. Interesti ngly, these norms can only be achieved through implementation of strong organizational culture. Motivation is usually derived from effective organizational culture. Organizational culture is essential in creating commitment among employees. This strengthens their motivation to achieve organizational goals. Motivation is a very significant factor in organizations because it affects returns. When employees are not motivated then organizational objectives cannot be achieved. Moreover, it is important that employees enjoy their working conditions. This helps in influencing on the team spirit as well as motivation. Corporate culture reinforces shared and individual beliefs. This is then allowed to develop as employees share the same values. Organizational culture is thus significant in driving employee motivation. However, it is necessary to note that some organization cultures are uninspiring.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Culture Assessment speci fically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Such organizations face such issues as lowered standards of performance. Motivation is thus a vital factor in corporate culture (Bisel, Messersmith Keyton, 2011, p. 564-585). High preforming companies have defined goals and ways to reach them. In fact, they thrive in motivating their employees for the same course. In order to maintain such high standards, the company must envisage a long lasting motivation. Some companies have done this through incentives that may be in form of cash or not. However, it has been found that non-cash incentives work best for companies. Employees who feel valued tend to work with a common purpose. In this regard, it is important that companies involve their employees in creating organizational culture which is essential in providing motivation for work. Moreover, value-creating companies such as Proctor and Gamble, among others have managed this through implementation of effec tive organizational culture. This has proved to influence attainment of goals within desired periods. Motivation influences employees’ behavior through self-control. This enables them to explore their needs within the firm and achieve them by helping the company. In fact, motivated employees take full responsibility for their actions which is important for accountability. Motivation catalyzes employees’ desire to perform. When this is cultivated within the company, then new entrants come into the culture of that company. This is very important in keeping focus on goals and competency (Keyton, 2004, p. 215). Leadership is crucial in any organization. Moreover, a leader must understand that company’s organizational culture. This is important in reflecting its objectives and encouraging employee motivation. Leaders should enshrine company policies and mission to influence motivation in employees.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Moreover, the leader should ensure that corporate culture gives employees a sense of belonging as well as pride. This will motivate them to work hard in order to maintain such status. Leaders should look to integrate culture levels from departmental subcultures to corporate assumptions into motivation. This is essential in integrating shared vision for all employees in the company. Moreover, observable culture should be in line with objectives of the company as this determines levels of motivation for employees. In essence, effective leaders must understand cultural influences on organizations in order to come up with one that would influence motivation. In addition, the leader should involve all stakeholders in determining best corporate culture for the company (Nayak, Padhi, Barik, Mohanty Pradhan, 2011, p. 323-334.) Communication Communication is essential in any organization. It can be defined as the transfer of information between departments. Communication as a factor in orga nizational culture is quite essential since it determines the manner in which information is received and decoded. Communication is utilized to diffuse tensions that could arise due to complex organizational structures. Moreover, it is a source of constraint and creativity. This makes it vital for organizational culture. Multinational companies employ workers from different parts of the world. Moreover, they have branches in various parts of the globe. It is therefore central that effective communication is employed to achieve desired results. This can only be achieved if communication is integrated to conform to organizational culture. Employees in a company should speak in one language, that is, the company language, which is in accordance with its corporate culture. This ensures that the right information is sent and received. Barriers such as beliefs and norms that differ from one community to another would be of negligible effect when the company entrenches organizational cultu re. Moreover, employees would speak in one language that is unique to the company. In essence, communication is so vital to organizational culture that it cannot be ignored at any cost. In fact, due to the ever-changing trends, it is important that such changes are observed and worked on to establish the best mode of communication (Guide to Communication and Corporate Culture, 2008, p. 1). Effective communication is essential in every high performing company because it ensures the right chain of command is followed at the correct time. Effective communication also ensures that the right message is delivered and is acted upon as required. In this regard, companies with good organizational cultures save time in communication. Moreover, very little misunderstandings are encountered. This is good for development of the company. Time is important to companies as it improves efficiency and return, therefore, both horizontal and vertical communication lines are supposed to be integrated wi th organizational culture. This can be quite difficult at the beginning. However, with much effort and cooperation from all stakeholders, it can also be achieved (O’Reilly, 1989, p. 9). People from different cultures have different behaviors because of their environment. However, when they integrate into the company as well as learn its communication framework, this can change and bring about unity through organizational culture. This is essential for proper coordination and transfer of information from management to employees as well as between employees. Companies should, therefore, shun cultural groupings between employees as this draws them away from organizational culture. At the same time, they should embrace diversity in order to keep employees motivated and appreciated. Balancing these factors can be difficult. However, with the same organizational culture, this is practicable (Boleman Deal, 2008, p. 11). Leadership is essential in fronting for effective communicatio n since culture comes from top-level management to employees. In this regard, the kind of communication entrenched by management is vital in influencing organizational culture. Therefore, leaders have the responsibility of enshrining communication models that would integrate with the chosen organizational culture. In addition, they are supposed to have good interpersonal skills that would enable them to communicate effectively to other stakeholders. In essence, effective organizational culture should be a benchmark to management officials. This will enable them to integrate easily with other employees and work in accordance with their objectives. Leaders have the power to influence cultural traits of their employees. In fact, encouraging participative communication is instrumental in establishing a good communication culture in an organization. Autocratic leaders are therefore less likely to achieve effective communication and this has the propensity to harm the company’s org anizational culture (Schein, 2010, p. 42). Summary and Conclusion Organizational culture is instrumental to every company because it works to save time, motivate employees and add to the company’s competitiveness. Given that individuals possess varying character traits, organizations also have their own norms and values. Such values can only be strengthened if there is effective communication and motivation. In essence, motivation and effective communication work to fortify organizational culture. This is essential in maintaining healthy operations in the company. However, if motivation and communication are not ensured then the company stands to lose. It is therefore important for effective leaders to enshrine good communication mechanisms and organizational culture for the progress of the company. In addition, they should ensure that employees are motivated in order to achieve high standards of results. Leaders should also work to integrate all stakeholders in decision maki ng to tap into creative ideas and innovations (Judge Robbins, 2011, p. 112). Reference List Andreas, H. (2006). The role of organizational culture in motivating innovative behaviour in construction firms. Construction Innovation: Information, Process, Management, 6(3), 159-172. Web. Bisel, R., Messersmith, A., Keyton, J. (2011). Understanding Organizational Culture and Communication through a Gyroscope Metaphor. Journal of management Education, 35, 564-585. Web. Boleman L. G., Deal T. E. (2008). Reframing Organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Guide to Communication and Corporate Culture. (2008). Web. Judge, T., Robbins, S. (2011). Essentials of Organizational Behavior (11th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Keyton, J. (2004).Communication and Organizational Culture: A Key to Understanding Work Experiences. Upon Tyne, Newcastle: Sage Nayak, B., Padhi, M., Barik, A., Mohanty, A., Pradhan, S. (2011). Organizational Culture as related to motivation: A Study on Steel Manufacturi ng industries in India. European journal of Social Sciences, 26(3), 323-334. Web. O’Reilly, C. (1989). Corporations, Culture, and Commitment: Motivation and Social Control in Organizations. California management review, 31(4), 9. Web. Schein, E. (2010). Organizational Culture and Leadership. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley, John Sons. Senge, P. (2006). The Fifth Discipline. New York, NY: Doubleday Publishing. This essay on Organizational Culture Assessment was written and submitted by user Tristen F. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Small Tent Essay

Small Tent Essay Small Tent Essay Yellow Tent I remember when I was young, probably around 12 years old; my parents would help my two younger brothers and I set up a small tent in our backyard. I remember the excitement of anticipating going outside as a family, preparing for the evening events and working together so we could have fun. As dad and I would start setting up the tent, he become frustrated trying to figure out which poles should be paired together. Once we finally matched up the poles, we would stand up the tent. It was a wonderful tent, bright yellow with two screened windows on each side. One of the windows had a small tear in the netting so mosquitoes became our unwelcomed guests. I tried using gray duct tape to repair the rip, but somehow the mosquitoes still managed to get in. Following the tent set up, my brothers and I would drag our sleeping bags and pillows outside and assemble our beds in the tent. We always argued about who would sleep in the middle. However, since I was the oldest, I usually won the prime spot. It seemed to take forever for darkness to fall. We would impatiently watch the yellow and orange colors of the sun blend together. As they dropped slowly down into the horizon, It seemed to sit on the tips of the trees for hours, before dropping from sight. When the sun was just skimming the ground and it was beginning to look like dusk outside, my brothers and I were ready to start our night. Our parents would assemble a campfire and let us roast marshmallows and make s’ mores. The family would circle the campfire for story time. My dad would always tell the scary stories and my mom would entertain with the funny ones. My brothers told stories that I considered to be senseless. I thought they either made everything up, or were repeating something they had seen on TV. My stories were always connected to cheerleading. To be an awesome cheerleader was a lifelong dream of mine. I would tell my parents how I imagined that I was in high school, being tossed in to the air while and the crowd yelled for me. I wanted to have lots of girlfriends and hang out with them as a team. I dreamed of having fun at all the games, cheering on the football players. As the night progressed, my brothers and I would make our way into the yellow tent and snuggle into our sleeping bags. Our parents would give us a flashlight so we could see in the dark. After my parents would leave us to inside to bed, go inside to go to bed we would take turns reading books to each other. When it would be my brothers’ turn to read a short story, they would always pick the easiest ones like â€Å"Red fish, blue fish, one fish, two fish†, and I would still have to help them. I would pick a scary story to read to them, because I found it funny how they would react. While reading the story one of them would whisper, â€Å"Did you hear that?† as if they heard a bear in our backyard coming to eat them. This was the only time that my brothers and I would get al ong and not fight or argue. I can remember it being so quiet and peaceful, just the noise of crickets coming from the outside world and the shining of the porch light into one of the net windows from our little yellow tent. Once we would be done reading to each other and we were getting tired, Of course one of them would say they had to use the bathroom. And me being the oldest sister I would volunteer to walk them into the house, so nothing would jump out and scare them. While in the house waiting for them to finish using the bathroom, I would wait for them in my room, sitting on my bed. Eventually, I would get tired and end up falling asleep. So needless to say we never did make it through a whole night in that yellow tent. Now that I have grown up and have children of my own, I have passed down this same tradition to them. The only difference is, they don’t have a yellow tent. They share their time in a playhouse, but they go through the same things that my brothers and I went through. They argue about who is

CORPORATE FINANCE - REAL OPTIONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CORPORATE FINANCE - REAL OPTIONS - Essay Example The ral-options technique has been used in industries like extractors of natural resources, enrgy firms, and pharmaceuticals corporations, which have a gratr scale of uncrtainty in business investments i.e., as far as the oil-drilling industry is concrned, uncrtainties comprise issues such as what the cost of the lased/purchased land will be. How large the oil resrves would be What is the appropriate price for the lase on the resrve Questions similar to these have led to the use of the ral-options methodology as a systematic analytical tool to estimate these investments in business technology. Ral options tendr an additional valuable comparison with financial investing: "that holding a varied portfolio of stocks is lessr risky than owning only one stock". Applying this view of offsetting risk to asset/project evaluation allows for the incorporation of capital budgeting issues with physical assets on the one hand, and the integration of decision-tree analysis on the othr. Ral assets can be evaluated using available techniques developed for financial options, such as the Black and Scholes model. GENENTECH: Drug development at Genentech and othr similar companies is inhrently a "stage gate" process in which ach successive phase depends on the success of the previous phase. ach stage is similar to purchasing a call option and the entire process can be viewed as a sries of call options. At Genentech, ral options have been used in this mannr in the analysis of all drug development projects since 1995. One of the most important fatures of the ral options approach is its recognition that investment values vary ovr time and that management has the ability to trminate investments whose future value has fallen below zro. Traditional discounted cash flow methods genrally do not account for this contingent decision-making or active management and, as a result, will undrvalue flexible investments. The drug development process can be improved simply by incorporating this undrstanding into project valuation. Applied in this mannr, a ral option provides a consistent language and method to evaluate and compare all projects more effectively across the company. More recently, Genentech has begun to expand its use of ral options through development of a new entrprise-wide investment planning system. In this system, Monte Carlo simulation is used to develop the appropriate distributions for relevant costs and revenues, and the risk-neutral approach is being adopted to take advantage of financial data that alrady exist within the company. This more sophisticated approach will extend the gains that Genentech has alrady made in this ara. TEXACO: Texaco is one of a handful of major global enrgy companies. A grat part of the success of Texaco and similar firms is their ability to identify the right major capital investments, both intrnal and extrnal, and manage them appropriately. In the mid-1990s, Texaco began to recognize the critical importance of top-notch investment valuation and management. Texaco had strong analytical skills, using a variety of techniques such as DCF, Monte Carlo simu