Determinism: Free Will and Question Essay

The question of free will vs. determinism has been debated for a long time. Some people believe humans have the capability to use free will. For many theists, free will is a gift from God. They believe that if people did not have free will then they are not morally responsible for their actions. However others argue that human’s actions are due to determinism, so if humans follow the course of natural law, it is hard to believe that actions are freely chosen. Except then the question occurs, why anything should be debated if everything is based on determinism. Free will is the ability to make free choices that are unconstrained from outer situations or by fate or divine will. The notion of free will has religious, ethical and scientific interferences. For example in the religious sense, free will entails that it does one does not assert its power over individual will and choices. In ethics, it has problems about whether one can be held morally responsible for their actions. Free will has been an ongoing argument as philosophers disagree with the term free will. An example would be, if a family lives in Dusseldorf they choose whether to support Fortuna football team or not. However this afflicts with the fact that if everyone supports Fortuna then it is common for them to also support the team based on peer pressure. Determinism has a variety of meanings; casual determinism is the theory that future events are somewhat based on the events from our past. Local determinism which is the theory that all plans are either wrong or right. Theological determinism, this is the theory that god determines what we will do. And finally biological determinism is the idea that all of humans behaviors, beliefs and desires are set by our genetics. For example homosexuality vs. heterosexuality or racism vs. patriotism; this is generally based on past recollections of what family is telling you or what you pick up throughout life. It is not something that suddenly happens; it progresses through time based on past experiences. There is also another type of determinism which is slightly more realistic this is called Soft determinism is looks at it slightly differently, it argues that people’s behavior is inhibited by the environment, but only to a certain extent. It also means that there is a small part of free will in all behavior shown by humans; however it can also be controlled by outside forces. HUMAN NATURE AND HUMAN FREEDOM One way of approaching that very large question, â€Å"What is human nature? † is by confronting the somewhat smaller question of human choice and human freedom. Do we have free will? Do my decisions originate with me or is everything determined? The issue has been central in both western and eastern philosophy, and had its origins in western religions over concerns about God’s creative powers and omniscience. Eastern religions lean in the direction of a more impersonal Divine process which proceeds in an ineligible and necessary way. But, the modern scientific view of both the natural world and the human world raises many of the same questions and challenges to the notion of human freedom. The Darwinian view of the origin of the human species, DNA and genetic research and contemporary break-throughs in neurophysiology lend strong evidence to the view that what we are and what we do are a function of our biological make up. Psychological and sociological theories, by and large, lead in the same direction. Sigmund Freud and B. F. Skinner differ radically in their approach to understanding human beings, but both of them share a strongly deterministic view. Fundamental to Freud is the notion that there are no human accidents. Slips of the tongue, gestures, dreams, hand washing are all caused by deep seated factors of which we are mostly unaware. The Unconscious dominates and â€Å"controls† our conscious lives, and most often the REAL reasons for our actions are beyond our knowledge and control. B. F. Skinner and behaviorism are not as popular as they once were, but many of his central theses have become part of common sense. Our behavior (or actions) are the result of the way our environment (parents, schools, society) reinforced or failed to reinforce past behavior. Essentially, we just are a big bundle of reinforced behavior patterns. Human behavior is more complex but no different in KIND than the rat who learns to run mazes by being reinforced or the pigeon who is taught how to play ping-pong. A classic debate has been whether nature (genetics) or nurture (environment) is the more fundamental for human nature, but the deterministic point of view wins on either account. Human beings are a product of nature AND nurture. Many of you are interested in psychology so that you can understand human behavior, but our most fundamental way of understanding phenomena of any kind is to delve into causes. Psychology is often characterized as a science which attempts to explain and predict human behavior. The view that human choices and actions are caused is part of a larger philosophical theory called DETERMINISM. DETERMINISM , very simply stated, is the theory that all events are caused; we live in an ordered universe and all change occurs with law-like regularity. This is a metaphysical view about the nature of things and the world. It is sometimes argued that determinism implies that everything in the future can be, in principle, predicted, and that events in the past are, in principle, explainable. There are natural laws of science which have the form: All X’s are (or, are followed by) Y’s which is equivalent to: If X occurs then Y occurs. Thus, if we know the initial condition (X occurs) and the law (If X then Y) we can explain/predict the occurrence of Y. Determinism is the contention that all physical (and mental) events in the universe can be incorporated under such laws. This is NOT the view that we can actually predict everything. Our ignorance of facts is enormous and we certainly do not know all the laws and statistical regularities which describe events Rocks of sufficient size and thrown with sufficient speed cause glass to break. Lowering the temperature of water below 32 degrees causes water to freeze. Knives through hearts cause death. There are causes for why my car starts, and if it doesn’t, there are causes for that too. When we say that some event â€Å"x† causes some event â€Å"y† we seem to be asserting that given that x occurred, then y HAD to occur, or that it MUST occur. III. HARD DETERMINISM is the theory that because DETERMINISM is true, no one is free; no one has free will (or choice) and no one truly acts freely. Since philosophers like to give arguments for theories in a standard form of argument. 1. Determinism is true: all events are caused. 2. Therefore, all human desires and choices are caused. 3. For an action to be free it would have to be the result of a choice, desire or act of will which had no cause. That is, free WILL means that the Will or choosing â€Å"mechanism† initiates the action. ________________________________________________ 4. Therefore there can be no free choices or free will. The HARD Determinist does specify what WOULD have to be the case for there to be freedom: A free act or choice would be one which is uncaused, or happened independent of causes, or completely disconnected from preceding events. The â€Å"Will† or person doing the choosing and acting would have to be a primum mobile (first mover), a new beginning, or an original creative source of activity. But, this cannot be, it is argued, since surely actions are caused by wants and desires, wants and desires flow from our character, and our character is formed by environment and heredity. Trace the causes of any event or action back and it will have sources which are outside ourselves and our control. Evidence for determinism comes from common sense and science. You simply would not believe a medical report which announced that it had been discovered that cancer had no cause, or that there was no cause for your car not starting. In human affairs too, we firmly believe that the better we get to know someone the less surprised we will be about what they do in particular circumstances. In other words the better we get to know the initial conditions (his/her character) the more reliable predictions we can make. When you make a mistake you often say, â€Å"I didn’t know ol’ Billybob as well as I thought. † You attribute your mistake to ignorance of all the initial conditions; you do not believe that the action was without cause. The progress of science, the great advances in explaining and predicting events in both the natural and the social sciences which heretofore seemed deeply mysterious is offered as evidence that all events could be explained if we searched long enough. Psychology as a science of human behavior is based on the notion that one can come up with causes of behavior and formulate laws of behavior. Depending on the particular approach to psychology, these laws could link up behavior with mental antecedents, mental events with other mental events, or it may be found that all so-called mental activity has a physical cause or basis in brain activity. That is, it may turn out that explanations of all human activity will be reducible to biological or neurological explanations. Behaviorism is one psychological theory which claims that behavior can be understood and explained in terms of patterns of reinforcement without appealing to mental events. But determinism does not rise or fall with any particular psychological theory. Nineteenth century psychology which emphasized introspection of consciousness, still tried to find laws governing thought processes and indeed the expression â€Å"laws of thought† is common in 19th century psychology textbooks. The last kind of evidence comes from introspective analysis of our behavior. Often when we really think about why we did something we find causes of which we were not first aware. Sometimes we find unconscious motivations which originate from happenings in early childhood. Other times we can be deeply puzzled about the causes of our own behavior, but we invariably think that with enough analysis or introspection the causes could be found. Some puzzles about determinism: What is the logical status of the thesis: all events are caused; that is, what if anything would count against the thesis? If one tries to bring up a counterexample, the determinist standard answer seems to be â€Å"We don’t know what the cause is, but there must be one. † But, this is just begging the question. Secondly, do we know what we mean when we say, â€Å"x causes y? † Does this mean that y must occur or that y necessarily occurs, given that x occurs? Since, we only know what causes what by observation, it seems that all we can assert is â€Å"y always has followed x. † That is, there is an invariable and regular set of experiences we have had, but this is a far cry from saying that y MUST occur, given that x occurred. Thirdly, Is their analysis of the meaning of â€Å"free† correct? Do we mean that something is uncaused we say that it is free? Finally, haven’t deterministic models of the physics of the universe been challenged by indeterministic ones. Isn’t there suppose to be a basic indeterminacy at the quantum level? And, wouldn’t this indicate that there are some chance elements in nature? free will vs. determinism |[pic] | Definition: The question of free will is one which has been hotly debated for millennia. Some people believe that humans have the capacity for free will – the ability to choose their actions without being forced to follow a certain course by either by the influence of others or by natural laws. For many theists, free will is regarded as a special gift from God. The notion of human free will is also an important premise for a lot of what happens in human society – in particular, when it comes to our legal system. Free will is necessary for the notion of personal responsibility. If people do not have free will, then it is difficult to argue that they are personally and morally responsible for their actions – and if that is the case, how can they be punished for their misdeeds? In fact, how can they be praised for the good things they do, if those actions were not also freely chosen? Others, however, argue that if the universe itself is deterministic in nature, then human actions must also be deterministic – thus, modern determinism tends to be an outgrowth of modern science. If human actions simply follow the course of natural law, then it is difficult to hold that those actions can be â€Å"freely† chosen. Those who advocate determinism run into something of a contradiction, however, when they try to argue their point with those who argue for free will. If it is true that nothing is freely chosen, then those who believe in the existence of free will do not do so by choice – so what is the point of trying to convince them otherwise? Indeed, what is the point of trying to convince anyone of anything if all events are determined? One thing to note about the debate between free will and determinism is that both terms tend to be defined in such a way as to explicitly exclude the other. But why must that be the case? The philosophical position of compatibilism argues that these concepts do not need to be defined in such a mutually exclusive manner and that, in fact, both free will and determinism can be compatible. The problem of free will or determinism is slightly different for the theist. Instead of wondering if natural laws mean that human actions are all determined, the theist must also ask whether or not their god has pre-determined all events in the universe, including their own. If so, that will mean that their ultimate fate will be determined. This position was adopted most completely and explicitly by the Reform theologian John Calvin, who argued that some people are predestined to be saved and some are predestined to be damned, and there is nothing anyone can possibly do about it. P. F. STRAWSON: FREEDOM AND RESENTMENT — The Determinism and Freedom Philosophy Website — The doyen of living English philosophers, by these reflections, took hold of and changed the outlook of a good many other philosophers, if not quite enough. He did so, essentially, by assuming that talk of freedom and responsibility is talk not of facts or truths, in a certain sense, but of our attitudes. His more explicit concern was to look again at the question of whether determinism and freedom are consistent with one another — by shifting attention to certain personal rather than moral attitudes, first of all gratitude and resentment. In the end, he arrived at a kind of Compatibilist or, as he says, Optimist conclusion. That is no doubt a recommendation but not the largest recommendation of this splendidly rich piece of philosophy. ————————————————————— Some philosophers say they do not know what the thesis of determinism is. Others say, or imply, that they do know what it is. Of these, some—the pessimists perhaps—hold that if the thesis is true, then the concepts of moral obligation and responsibility really have no application, and the practices of punishing and blaming, of expressing moral condemnation and approval, are really unjustified. Others—the optimists perhaps—hold that these concepts and practices in no way lose their raison d’etre if the thesis of determinism is true. Some hold even that the justification of these concepts and practices requires the truth of the thesis. There is another opinion which is less frequently voiced: the opinion, it might be said, of the genuine moral sceptic. This is that the notions of moral guilt, of blame, of moral responsibility are inherently confused and that we can see this to be so if we consider the consequences either of the truth of determinism or of its falsity. The holders of this opinion agree with the pessimists that these notions lack application if determinism is true, and add simply that they also lack it if determinism is false. If I am asked which of these parties I belong to, I must say it is the first of all, the party of those who do not know what the thesis of determinism is. But this does not stop me from having some sympathy with the others, and a wish to reconcile them. Should not ignorance, rationally, inhibit such sympathies? Well, of course, though darkling, one has some inkling—some notion of what sort of thing is being talked about. This lecture is intended as a move towards reconciliation; so. is likely to seem wrongheaded to everyone. But can there be any possibility of reconciliation between such clearly opposed positions as those of pessimists and optimists about determinism? Well, there might be a formal withdrawal on one side in return for a substantial concession on the other. Thus, suppose the optimist’s position were put like this: (1) the facts as we know them do not show determinism to be false; (2) the facts as we know them supply an adequate basis for the concepts and practices which the pessimist feels to be imperilled by the possibility of determinism’s truth. Now it might be that the optimist is right in this, but is apt to give an inadequate account of the facts as we know them, and of how they constitute an adequate basis for the problematic concepts and practices; that the reasons he gives for the adequacy of the basis are themselves inadequate and leave out something vital. It might be that the pessimist is rightly anxious to get this vital thing back and, in the grip of his anxiety, feels he has to go beyond the facts as we know them; feels that the vital thing can be secure only if, beyond the facts as we know them, there is the further fact that determinism is false. Might he not be brought to make a formal withdrawal in return for a vital concession? 2. Let me enlarge very briefly on this, by way of preliminary only. Some optimists about determinism point to the efficacy of the practices of punishment, and of moral condemnation and approval, in regulating behaviour in socially desirable ways. (1) In the fact of their efficacy, they suggest, is an adequate basis for these practices; and this fact certainly does not show determinism to be false. To this the pessimists reply, all in a rush, that just punishment and moral condemnation imply moral guilt and guilt implies moral responsibility and moral responsibility implies freedom and freedom implies the falsity of determinism. And to this the optimists are wont to reply in turn that it is true that these practices require freedom in a sense, and the existence of freedom in this sense is one of the facts as we know them. But what ‘freedom’ means here is nothing but the absence of certain conditions the presence of which would make moral condemnation or punishment inappropriate. They have in mind conditions like compulsion by another, or innate incapacity, or insanity, or other less extreme forms of psychological disorder, or the existence of circumstances in which the making of any other choice would be morally inadmissible or would be too much to expect of any man. To this list they are constrained to add other factors which, without exactly being limitations of freedom, may also make moral condemnation or punishment inappropriate or mitigate their force: as some forms of ignorance, mistake, or accident. And the general reason why moral condemnation or punishment are inappropriate when these factors or conditions are present is held to be that the practices in question will be generally efficacious means of regulating behaviour in desirable ways only in cases where these factors are not present. Now the pessimist admits that the facts as we know them include the existence of freedom, the occurrence of cases of free action, in the negative sense which the optimist concedes; and admits, or rather insists, that the existence of freedom in this sense is compatible with the truth of determinism. Then what does the pessimist find missing? When he tries to answer this question, his language is apt to alternate between the very familiar and the very unfamiliar. (2) Thus he may say, familiarly enough, that the man who is the subject of justified punishment, blame or moral condemnation must really deserve it; and then add, perhaps, that, in the case at least where he is blamed for a positive act rather than an omission, the condition of his really deserving blame is something that goes beyond the negative freedoms that the optimist concedes. It is, say, a genuinely free identification of the will with the act. And this is the condition that is incompatible with the truth of determinism. The conventional, but conciliatory, optimist need not give up yet. He may say: Well, people often decide to do things, really intend to do what they do, know just what they’re doing in doing it; the reasons they think they have for doing what they do, often really are their reasons and not their rationalizations. These facts, too, are included in the facts as we know them. If this is what you mean by freedom—by the identification of the will with the act—then freedom may again be conceded. But again the concession is compatible with the truth of the determinist thesis. For it would not follow from that thesis that nobody decides to do anything; that nobody ever does anything intentionally; that it is false that people sometimes know perfectly well what they are doing. I tried to define freedom negatively. You want to give it a more positive look. But it comes to the same thing. Nobody denies freedom in this sense, or these senses, and nobody claims that the existence of freedom in these senses shows determinism to be false. But it is here that the lacuna in the optimistic story can be made to show. For the pessimist may be supposed to ask: But why does freedom in this sense justify blame, etc.? You turn towards me first the negative, and then the positive, faces of a freedom which nobody challenges. But the only reason you have given for the practices of moral condemnation and punishment in cases where this freedom is present is the efficacy of these practices in regulating behaviour in socially desirable ways. But this is not a sufficient basis, it is not even the right sort of basis, for these practices as we understand them. Now my optimist, being the sort of man he is, is not likely to invoke an intuition of fittingness at this point. So he really has no more to say. And my pessimist, being the sort of man he is, has only one more thing to say; and that is that the admissibility of these practices, as we understand them, demands another kind of freedom, the kind that in turn demands the falsity of the thesis of determinism. But might we not induce the pessimist to give up saying this by giving the optimist something more to say? 3. I have mentioned punishing and moral condemnation and approval; and it is in connection with these practices or attitudes that the issue between optimists and pessimists—or, if one is a pessimist, the issue between determinists and libertarians—is felt to be particularly important. But it is not of these practices and attitudes that I propose, at first, to speak. These practices or attitudes permit, where they do not imply, a certain detachment from the actions or agents which are their objects. I want to speak, at least at first, of something else: of the non-detached attitudes and reactions of people directly involved in transactions with each other; of the attitudes and reactions of offended parties and beneficiaries; of such things as sratitude, resentment, forgiveness, love, and hurt feelings. Perhaps something like the issue between optimists and pessimists arises in this neighbouring field too; and since this field is less crowded with disputants, the issue might here be easier to settle; and if it is settled here, then it might become easier to settle it in the disputant-crowded field. What I have to say consists largely of commonplaces. So my language, like that of commonplaces generally, will be quite unscientific and imprecise. The central commonplace that I want to insist on is the very great importance that we attach to the attitudes and intentions towards us of other human beings, and the great extent to which our personal feelings and reactions depend upon, or involve, our beliefs about these attitudes and intentions. I can give no simple description of the field of phenomena at the centre of which stands this commonplace truth; for the field is too complex. Much imaginative literature is devoted to exploring its complexities; and we have a large vocabulary for the purpose. There are simplifying styles of handling it in a general way. Thus we may, like La Rochefoucauld, put self-love or self-esteem or vanity at the centre of the picture and point out how it may be caressed by the esteem, or wounded by the indifference or contempt, of others. We might speak, in another jargon, of the need for love, and the loss of security which results from its withdrawal; or, in another, of human self-respect and its connection with the recognition of the individual’s dignity. These simplifications are of use to me only if they help to emphasize how much we actually mind, how much it matters to us, whether the actions of other people—and particularly of some other people—reflect attitudes towards us of goodwill, affection, or esteem on the one hand or contempt, indifference, or malevolence on the other. If someone treads on my hand accidentally, while trying to help me, the pain may be no less acute than if he treads on it in contemptuous disregard of my existence or with a malevolent wish to injure me. But I shall generally feel in the second case a kind and degree of resentment that I shall not feel in the first. If someone’s actions help me to some benefit I desire, then I am benefited in any case; but if he intended them so to benefit me because of his general goodwill towards me, I shall reasonably feel a gratitude which I should not feel at all if the benefit was an incidental consequence, unintended or even regretted by him, of some plan of action with a different aim. These examples are of actions which confer benefits or inflict injuries over and above any conferred or inflicted by the mere manifestation of attitude and intention themselves. We should consjder also in how much of our behaviour the benefit or injury resides mainly or entirely in the manifestation of attitude itself. So it is with good manners, and much of what we call kindness, on the one hand; with deliberate rudeness, studied indifference, or insult on the other. Besides resentment and gratitude, I mentioned just now forgiveness. This is a rather unfashionable subject in moral philosophy at present; but to be forgiven is something we sometimes ask, and forgiving is something we sometimes say we do. To ask to be forgiven is in part to acknowledge that the attitude displayed in our actions was such as might properly be resented and in part to repudiate that attitude for the future (or at least for the immediate future); and to forgive is to accept the repudiation and to forswear the resentment. We should think of the many different kinds of relationship which we can have with other people—as sharers of a common interest; as members of the same family; as colleagues; as friends; as lovers; as chance parties to an enormous range of transactions and encounters. Then we should think, in each of these connections in turn, and in others, of the kind of importance we attach to the attitudes and intentions towards us of those who stand in these relationships to us, and of the kinds of reactive attitudes and feelings to which we ourselves are prone. In general, we demand some degree of goodwill or regard on the part of those who stand in these relationships to us, though the forms we require it to take vary widely in different connections. The range and intensity of our reactive attitudes towards goodwill, its absence or its opposite vary no less widely. I have mentioned, specifically, resentment and gratitude; and they are a usefully opposed pair. But, of course, there is a whole continuum of reactive attitude and feeling stretching on both sides of these and—the most comfortable area—in between them. The object of these commonplaces is to try to keep before our minds something it is easy to forget when we are engaged in philosophy, especially in our cool, contemporary style, viz. what it is actually like to be involved in ordinary interpersonal relationships, ranging from the most intimate to the most casual. 4. It is one thing to ask about the general causes of these reactive attitudes I have alluded to; it is another to ask about the variations to which they are subject, the particular conditions in which they do or do not seem natural or reasonable or appropriate; and it is a third thing to ask what it would be like, what it is like, not to suffer them. I am not much concerned with the first question; but I am with the second; and perhaps even more with the third. Let us consider, then, occasions for resentment: situations in which one person is offended or injured by the action of another and in which—in the absence of special considerations—the offended person might naturally or normally be expected to feel resentment. Then let us consider what sorts of special considerations might be expected to modify or mollify this feeling or remove it altogether. It needs no saying now how multifarious these considerations are. But, for my purpose, I think they can be roughly divided into two kinds. To the first group belong all those which might give occasion for the employment of such expressions as ‘He didn’t mean to’, ‘He hadn’t realized’, ‘He didn’t know’; and also all those which might give occasion for the use of the phrase ‘He couldn’t help it’, when this is supported by such phrases as ‘He was pushed’, ‘He had to do it’, ‘It was the only way’, ‘They left him no alternative’, etc. Obviously these various pleas, and the kinds of situations in which they would be appropriate, differ from each other in striking and important ways. But for my present purpose they have something still more important in common. None of them invites us to suspend towards the agent, either at the time of his action or in general, our ordinary reactive attitudes. They do not invite us to view the agent as one in respect of whom these attitudes are in any way inappropriate. They invite us to view the injury as one in respect of which a particular one of these attitudes is inappropriate. They do not invite us to see the agent as other than a fully responsible agent. They invite us to see the injury as one for which he was not fully, or at all, responsible. They do not suggest that the agent is in any way an inappropriate object of that kind of demand for goodwill or regard which is reflected in our ordinary reactive attitudes. They suggest instead that the fact of in jury was not in this case incompatible with that demand’s being fulfilled, that the fact of injury was quite consistent with the agent’s attitude and intentions being just what we demand they should be. (3) The agent was just ignorant of the injury he was causing, or had lost his balance through being pushed or had reluctantly to cause the injury for reasons which acceptably override his reluctance. The offering of such pleas by the agent and their acceptance by the sufferer is something in no way opposed to, or outside the context of, ordinary inter-personal relationships and the manifestation of ordinary reactive attitudes. Since things go wrong and situations are complicated, it is an essential and integral element in the transactions which are the life of these relationships. The second group of considerations is very different. I shall take them in two subgroups of which the first is far less important than the second. In connection with the first subgroup we may think of such statements as ‘He wasn’t himself’, ‘He has been under very great strain recently’, ‘He was acting under post-hypnotic suggestion’; in connection with the second, we may think of ‘He’s only a child’, ‘He’s a hopeless schizophrenic’, ‘His mind has been systematically perverted’, ‘That’s purely compulsive behaviour on his part’.

Dominating the Dominant Behavioral Style Essay

The personality profile that I scored the highest on was the dominant behavioral style. Conscientiousness was a close second. Both of these results reflected my personality very well. There are positive and negative attributes to my determined style. Now that I am aware of what profile fits me, it is necessary to make adjustments. A balance is crucial for my development. In order to find a positive balance, it is essential to recognize my strengths and weaknesses. For me to make progress as an individual, I need to understand what identifies me as dominant and of a developer’s pattern. I also need to take a look at how I view myself and in turn how others view me. By making this assessment, I can begin to eliminate the negative traits and highlight my positive behavior. This will allow me to become a better person in both the workplace and my personal life. Taking a look at the dominance behavioral style, I took note at the many similarities to my personality. I am, indeed, a person that accepts challenges, makes quick decisions, causes action and likes to get immediate results. In my environment, I desire opportunities for advancement and individual accomplishment. I also seek freedom from controls and supervision. I demand direct answers. The action plan that I should follow holds the key to decreasing the negative aspects of this style. Learning to pace myself and relax is difficult for me. My need for people is something I have trouble realizing. Hopefully, coming to terms with what I need to do will allow me to make strides in the right direction. After my coworkers’ assessment of me, I came to the conclusion that I may be showing inconsistencies in my behavior. I received three different evaluations of my personality. I was seen as dominant, influential and steady. In my own defense, I chose three very different coworkers with varying degrees of acquaintance. One of them knows me very well, another knows me only at work and th e other met me only months ago. The person that knows me well chose the dominant behavioral style. The one that knows me only from work chose the influential behavioral style. The one that I met months ago chose steadiness as my behavioral style. In retrospect, I believe that the reason for the differences is based not only on how well each one knows me, but also on my working self-context. The need for me to become more consistent is evident by the way people perceive me. I want to be more dependable and steadfast. Another aspect that needs some work, on my part, is expectations. I have to stop putting expectations on myself and others. Sometimes setting unrealistic standards creates unnecessary conflict. Expecting others to behave in a particular way often becomes a great source of stress and disappointment. Less judgment and more understanding are goals that I have in place for myself since the assessment. Another downfall is my inability to give up control. Often in my career, it has come to my attention that I am over-assertive to the point of being abrasive. In my attempts to encourage, my efforts have been misinterpreted as criticism and judgment. It is my desire to relinquish my desire for control and give it to God. I also hope to be less judgmental and understanding of my co-workers. I want to be viewed as part of the team and to inspire and encourage others. God’s plan for me becomes more evident every day. Jesus shows us the best way to treat one another. I need to take from His example and apply His teachings to my life every day. It is my opinion that our Lord, Jesus Christ, had all of the positive attributes from each behavioral style. He showed us inspiration by spreading His enthusiasm for our God by preaching the Sermon on the Mount. That is a perfect example of His influential style. His steadiness style showed patience, loyalty and calm. He displayed this in His dealings with His disciples. He taught us how to create harmony and stability in our lives by following the laws of God. Jesus’ conscientiousness showed us that He was the ultimate diplomat. He dominates our hearts as Christians. He moves us to manage our trouble and solve our problems with His love. He causes us to take action and to accept challenges in His name, the way He did when He died on the cross for us. It is my belief that we should take the example of Jesus’ life as a template for our own lives. We should strive to build on the positive aspects of our particular behavioral style. Making it a priority to develop ourselves and enhance the way we grow is what will allow us to become more like Him. In the glory of His name, we should try to eliminate the negative and enhance the positive of our own unique and individual personality style. In doing so, we will find rewards in all aspects of our lives.

Limitations and Criticisms of the Adlerian Theory Essay

ADLERIAN Limitations and Criticisms of the Adlerian Theory Adler chose to teach and practice over getting organized and presenting a well- defined systematic theory, making his written presentations difficult to follow. More research needed to support the effectiveness of the theory. Limited use for clients seeking immediate solutions to their problems and unwilling to explore childhood experiences, early memories, and dreams. One of its strengths is that it is a therapy for everyone in the society and its practitioners do mind about what kind of generation is coming that will inherit in a comprehensive ecological sense and one of its weaknesses has been fairly an amazing amount of family gathering and lifestyle information that is typically collected. Advantages of Adlerian Theory It can be used for numerous issues and disorders. Uses encouragement. It is phenomenological. it does not consider people to be predisposed to anything. Applicable to diverse populations and presenting issues Disadvantages of Adlerian Theory Difficult to learn (e.g., making dream interpretations) Works best with highly verbal and intelligent clients. This might leave out many people who do not fit that category. Might be too lengthy for managed care. Adlerians do not like to make diagnoses PSYCHOANALYSIS Two Strengths One of the strengths of the Psychodynamic Approach is that it provided a valuable insight into how early experiences or relationships can affect our adult personality. One of the examples of this is that fixations can be caused at the Oral Stage of psychosexual development such as being separated from the primary caregiver too early or having feeding difficulties. These fixations can then lead to psychological problems centred round eating or drinking. Supporting evidence for this strength was carried out by Jacobs at  al (1966) using Rorschach inkblots to compare the orality of smokers and non-smokers. It was found that smokers emerged as being significantly more oral. Another strength of the Psychodynamic Approach is that it is the first approach to try and attempt to explain mental illness in psychological terms and has had an enormous influence on the understand and treatment of mental disorders. An example of this is Psychoanalysis and Dream Therapy which aims to make the unconscious material conscious so it is easier to deal with as Freud believed that dreams showed our hidden thoughts and wishes. Evidence to support this was carried out by Sandell (1999) who studied the symptoms of 756 patients before and after three years or state-funded psychoanalysis and found that patients had significantly fewer symptoms after the therapy. Two weaknesses One of the weaknesses of the Psychodynamic Approach is that most of Freud’s is based on findings of case studies, single individual where cases are often unique and there are problems with generalization. Another weakness of the Psychodynamic Approach is that Freud did not take into account cultural variations. Most of his research was done on white, middle class people. Every class and culture of people have differ ways and values, so his findings cannot be generalized to all cultures. 11 Strengths of Psychoanalysis 1)Offers an in-depth perspective (i.e., transference, countertransference) that emphasizes exploring the origins of psychopathology 2)The focus on developmental considerations 3)Most of the models address sexuality (except self psychology, which sees sexuality as a drive derivative—secondary to narcissistic concerns). 4)Freud brought gender issues to the fore with notion of â€Å"penis envy†. 5) The notion of â€Å"repetition compulsion† transcends theory, often drawn by several models as a central concept. 6)Gabbard—Many people do not respond to medications or brief therapy—Some people want to derive deeper meaning about themselves beyond symptom reduction. 7) The notion of â€Å"unconscious† begins to explain behavior that we are unaware of. 8) There is biological research that supports some of Freud’s claims (â€Å"divided brain† studies). 9)The focus on relationship (particularly by object relations) 10)Self psychology understands psychopathology in terms of â€Å"dysregulation states†, which has been confirmed through neurobiological literature. 11)The universality of defense mechanisms and their use across theories. 6 Weaknesses of psychoanalysis: 1)Psychoanalytic jargon serves to confuse rather than clarify concepts. 2)Some of the ideas (penis envy, Oedipus) are outdated in terms of our contemporary world, and it is questioned by some theorists/practitioners whether these concepts are clinically useful. 3) The approach lacks a theory of intervention—not enough focus on technique. 4)The exclusive focus on the past can lead to â€Å"analysis paralysis† 5)The theory only provides a piece of the pie—often neglecting biological, cultural, and social considerations 6)Too many patients (perhaps psychotic, borderline) are not considered appropriate for psychoanalysis. Person centeret (itouch) Existentialism The therapist Function and role The existential therapist is primarily concerned with understanding the subjective world of the client and how to help them come to a new understanding and option. The therapy focuses on the client’s current life situations. Existential therapist uses various methods for different clients and different methods at different phases of the therapeutic One of the strengths of the existential therapy is their ability to enable clients to examine the degree to which their behavior is influenced by family, cultural, social conditioning. If personal needs cannot be satisfied or personal goal cannot be realized in interpersonal relations, one may experience frustration, anxiety, or depression (Chen, 2009). Limitations for multicultural counseling One of the limitations of the existential therapy in the area of multicultural populations is that they are excessively individualistic and  ignores the social factors that cause humans problems. Even though clients change internally, the social factors and environmental circumstances such as racism, discrimination and oppression severely restrict their ability to influence the direction of their lives. An example is an African American client who comes from the ghetto and the existential therapist consistently tells the client that he or she has a choice in making his or her life better, when in reality he or she does not. . Reality therapy (iotuch other) According to most experts, the main advantages of reality therapy relate to the way it focuses clients directly on solutions to their problems. Reality therapists tend to avoid too much focus on internal issues and things in a person’s past, preferring instead to deal with things that are happening in the present. According to some, the strength of reality therapy can also be its weakness. Some people feel that reality therapists don’t have enough focus on how internal issues and things in a person’s memory can affect present-day behavior, potentially leaving clients with lingering issues. Additionally, some experts feel that the focus on the consequences of life decisions may make patients feel like they are being blamed for their problems, which could be counter-productive. Reality therapy is generally all about identifying problems, making plans to solve them, and then doing what is necessary to keep clients focused on implementing the plans. In this sense, it is a therapeutic method much more focused on solutions than causes. There may be some attention paid to the reason why a person has a problem, but only as much as is necessary to figure out a workable solution. This focus on plans and solving of problems is sometimes seen as a weakness because experts worry that the focus on psychological issues as a consequence of behavior may make patients feel like failures, potentially hurting their self-esteem. REBT Another criticism is that this technique would be easy to practice poorly and since the approach is loose, it would be easy to get off track. Some people would even say that all the talking and â€Å"disputing† could be better spent â€Å"doing† something about the problems. For people who don’t like to talk, this would probably not be the best approach. if the client does not want to  be an active participant in changing the way he/she thinks, this method would not be a good fit. Or even if a client is already very skilled in self-reflection, this might be a less useful approach. As for advantages or strengths, REBT is a drug-free approach for people looking for solutions in changing the way they think, not using drug therapy. The results are seen relatively quickly because of the emphasis on the present. The therapist does not need to delve into every bad thing that ever happened. He/she needs to look at a few activating situations and do exercises about how to change your thinking about these events. another advantage is that once a person becomes well-versed in the technique, he/she can use it anytime if the negative or irrational beliefs appear. When a person is skilled at the technique, there may not be a need to go to a therapist every time. but hard work is the only way to feel better and continue to feel better about yourself. So, we must do the work on a daily basis to help us understand our behavior. Behavioral Therapy Strength It has a wide variety of empirically supported techniques used by behavioral therapists. Another upside to behavior therapy is it’s availability to a broad spectrum of individuals. the efficiency of behavior therapy has allowed for the patient’s complaints to be addressed more quickly than other forms of psychotherapy. Behavior therapy focuses on techniques to address current problems, instead of trying to get to the internal root of the problem through years of intense therapy or looking through the patient’s long history. LIMITATIONS behavior therapy has, over the years, sculpted many of their techniques and methods from clinician experience, which is far from the empirical support they claim to have. One of the more serious criticisms that behavior therapy has received it that it is dehumanizing. Behavior therapy is also said to lack the promotion of internal growth in its clients.

The Effectiveness of Government Subsidies for Goods Essay

The Effectiveness of Government Subsidies for Goods - Essay Example Subsidies involve payment of a certain portion of the cost of production to the firm with an objective of lowering the price of the good and thereby encouraging more consumption of the same (Lines, 2005). Subsidizing farm produce has the effect of ensuring there is enough food stuff and agriculture related products in the economy. However, critics of this economic policy argue that it breeds inefficiency and misallocation of scarce resources. Objective This research will be guided by the following objective: To establish the effectiveness of government subsidies on commodities in the product market. Literature Review Conradie (2009) notes that the poor condition of most of the marine capture fisheries in the world has raised increasing public concern of late. There is an imminent economic impact of diminished resources of fish on the regions’ economies in both developed and developing world economies, as well as near commercial extinction of stocks of fish that have placed gre at impact on ecosystems. The declaration which emanated in the World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting that was held in Doha emphasized on fisheries as a sector which needs maximum considerations in the next meeting of international negotiations on world trade. While there is a concern on overfishing, the main operational concern remains the role played by subsidies in stimulation of overfishing. If it comes out that the existence of subsidies stimulate overfishing, and then there is need to come up with a control mechanism or completely eliminate the policy. Subsidies often play two key extra roles; they do stimulate fishing and may possibly raise the national income of the country (Grosh, 2008). If the fishing level is below that level that can be safely sustained in the economy, then subsidies that enhance fishing could be useful. Lines (2005) cite that subsidies could interfere with the World Trade Organization control regulations if they lie within the realms of the Internationa l Agreements on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures by the WTO. The concept of subsidies is delicate in the sense that the government introduces them for valid purposes, like economic development strategies. However, with the passage of time, subsidies that were intended for useful purposes may become entrenched and start serving primarily the desires of industry participants who receive the subsidies. Elimination of these subsidies therefore becomes a political thing in the locality, with external implications. Haddad and Shepherd (2011) argue that the policy of subsidies is a complex one due to the fact that there exist no agreement as to what a subsidy actually is. There also exists no scientific way of measuring a subsidy and evaluating its impact to the intended economic sector. At the policy level, we do not have an agreement on when subsidies can be considered harmful or useful. Part of the reason behind the existence of an agreement is the fact that it is complicated to ev aluate the impacts of subsidies in the environment, economy, internal and international trade. Part of the reason for non- agreement on what the definition of a subsidy entails is because subsidies are nowadays being eliminated by governments, it could not be politically wise for a country admitting that a policy actually implies a subsidy. Clements (1998) explains a situation where South African government, through the Department of Agriculture,

Sustainable Practices in the Redevelopment of Canary Wharf Research Paper

Sustainable Practices in the Redevelopment of Canary Wharf - Research Paper Example This paper will highlight the success of the Canary Wharf regeneration or redevelopment based on reviews and analysis through use of sustainable design. As an aspiring architect, carrying out further research on the sustainability of Canary Wharf as a major development project will guide me as well as fellow learners about the importance of sustainability and innovating in design to achieve it. Summary Canary Wharf, a marshland located in the Isle of Dogs in Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London used to be one of the busiest ports in the world since it opened as West India Docks 1802. Its peak was seen from the 1930s when the Port of London carried about 35 million tons of cargo carried by some 55 thousand ships until its peak in 1961 when it handled about 60 million tons of cargo. The decline of the port industry in the 1950s led to its closing in 1970s. It has undertaken several seemingly insurmountable steps and processes since then to replace its glory days. Today, it is a majo r business district of about 1.3 million square metres of offices and retail space (Canary Wharf Group, 2012). Introduction Redevelopment projects are usually major challenges for built environment industries including the designers and architects in a given team. The many factors that redevelopments consider are double against new developments: temporary relocation and displacement of residents and workers in the given area, the disruption of economic, social, and other activities, addressing decay, re-design in consideration of history and the tradition of the people in the given area, funding and other requirements, regulation and governance, and external factors that may be adversely affected by the project. The major obstacles to the redevelopment of the Canary Wharf have been many and its success owed much to the various architectural feats implemented. The design and architectural approaches that need to address the challenges motivated me to research using secondary data (me thodology) and provide a report on the Canary Wharf redevelopment. Discussion Canary Wharf Canary Wharf was became a high concern after the closure of the docks due to its economic impact. Secretary of State for the Environment Peter Walker assigned consultants Travers Morgan to undertake as study of the Thames-side area between London Docks and Barking Creek and the consultants proposed in January 1973 a wide range of options which did not prosper. By 1976, the Docklands Joint Committee or DJC created the London Docklands Strategic Plan or LDSP. Redevelopment, however, can be traced from the creation of the London Docklands Development Corporation by the local Government Planning and Land Act 1980. By 1982, the Isle of the Dogs became an Enterprise Zone that offered tax breaks for developers and investors within a ten-year life cycle. In 1988 when then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher launched the Canary Wharf construction project, it was considered one of the world’s larges t developments. As a major project, Canary Wharf met a lot of challenges including perception that â€Å"Large projects are liable to focus benefits on relatively few individuals, and impose costs over a wide group whose members each have relatively little to lose,† Hall (1981, 15). Redevelopment was led by Canadian developer Paul Reichmann (LDDC, 2009) through the Canadian the Olympia & York- an international property development firm. Tax breaks provided by government to regenerate the rundown areas was provided them and they bought the

Performance Appraisal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Performance Appraisal - Essay Example Therefore, the value of performance appraisals should not be underestimated by any organization. Performance appraisal is a system that evaluates job performances over a given period. It is simply an annual report on the performance of employees. Performance appraisal processes differ depending on organization, but they all serve the same purpose, which is to evaluate employees. Well-structured appraisals have numerous benefits to the organization. The main benefit of performance appraisal is to offer motivation to employees. Motivation adds energy to employees, making them remain focused to organizational goals and objectives. Achieving employee motivation through appraisals occurs through several ways (Arthur, 2008). Appraisals serve as strong indicators of the need to improve on job performance. Without the knowledge on how one is performing on the job, an employee lacks the motivation to make improvements. Recognizing employee performance improves their psychological wellbeing. The important issue about performance appraisals is that they make employees feel valued by the organization. The message passed over to employees by their managers motivates the employees regardless of being a positive or negative message. Through performance appraisals, employees realize the need for personal development, growth and learning. Employees focused on taking their careers to higher levels use appraisals to advance their careers (Arthur, 2008). In cases where appraisals reveal that employees are sleeping on their jobs, a wake up signal is passed over to employees, and they realize the need to refocus and reenergize. Appraisals further increase job satisfaction in situations where employees get positive recommendations from their managers. Organizations have strategic plans, which need to be met within a stipulated period. Effective appraisals are fundamental tools, which enable an organization to meet its strategic goals. With such

Profiles in Courage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Profiles in Courage - Essay Example Of the eight senators referred to in this book, the history of George W Norris and Robert A Taft is especially amazing. George W Norris George W Norris was a senator from the state of Nebraska. He served five terms in the United States Senate, spanning across the period 1913-1943 (Kennedy 171). Though being from a family of not much educated farmers of Scottish ancestry, he turned out to be a bright student who secured a degree in law from Valparaiso University (Kennedy 173). Senator George W Norris was especially known to be a man of vision and a fearless and honest speaker, emphatically dedicated to the cause of the common people (Kennedy 172). Though Senator Norris was not always successful in his endeavors, yet he seldom hesitated from responding to the call of his conscience, sans personal interests and party affiliations. Senator Norris was also known for committing himself to political causes that though just and in national interest, sometimes contradicted with the stakes of his constituency. Senator Norris held a filibuster against Woodrow Wilson’s intentions to use the American merchant ships for military purposes, an act that enervated his supporters in Nebraska (Kennedy 182). In the year 1928, Senator George W Norris happened to be the only prominent politician from Nebraska, who supported the presidential campaign of a highly unpopular Democrat Al Smith, solely out a sense of unwavering personal conviction (Kennedy 178).

Design in its Golden Age Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Design in its Golden Age - Essay Example These rises were paralleled by a growth in export figures over the same period and by 1957 the world trade in manufactured goods exceeded that in primary produce for the first time ever " (Sparke, 1987). Such economical prosperity was mainly due to the rapid development of technology during and after the Second World War. Among the most significant achievements were creation of radar and work in aircraft production. For Sparke (1987) it was creation of the transistor, "which made possible the miniaturization of electronic equipment, including computers, which in turn were to play such a central role in the postwar period, both in the automation of production and in information retrieval". Manufacturing and trade expanded rapidly and soon achieved the international level. The outcomes allowed the consumers to buy more and more and the producers made their best to satisfy purchasers. Press and Cooper (2003) in the chapter "Design and consumer culture" argue that in the first part of the twentieth century the economy was organized on a national basis. Today people, commodities, and money circulate around the world. "The things we take for granted today - driving a Toyota made in England, foreign holidays, the overseas students with whom we study, our Levis made in the Philippines, bunches of flowers sold on New York streets that are grown in Africa, e-mail exchanges with friends in other countries - reflect a level of globalization that was unheard of a generation ago" (Press and Cooper, 2003). The number of choices grew and here the designers envisaged their major challenge: design became the means by which goods were distinguished. With the help of designers producers tried to make their product more desirable for the consumer. One of the most enduring images of design for consumer luxury was the image of American car in 50's, which combined the huge sweeping forms of streamlined luxury with chrome detail and space age tail fins. General motors' Designer, Harley Earl, was aimed to channel consumer spending towards a new car every year. "By 1953, everyone in the United States who really needed a car had already bought one, so the automobile companies realized that if they were to keep up their sales figures they would have to change their styling more often. The great idea was to use design features that were so extreme that they would date quickly" (Powell, and Peel, 1988, p.66). Press and Cooper (2003) provide their understanding of design. To them it "is a process by which a product is encoded with symbolic meaning both through product design and advertising design. This encoding aims to point towards a preferred reading of the product". As an example they give the Italian scooter, which encoded a preferred reading of it as a feminized form of transport. Press and Cooper (2003, p.15) quote sociologists Scott Lash and John Uny who explain, "we analyze, not so much knowledge - or information-intensivity in production, but design-intensivity and, with the decline of importance of the labour process, the growing importance of the design process". The combination of words "total design" appeared, the expression "form follows function" was turned into "design follows sales". Designers designed anything and everything in a new postwar world

Strategic Brand Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic Brand Communication - Essay Example Building brand equity requires communication effectiveness. If the brand equity is high, consumers may be willing to process these communications more favourably (Keller, 2009). However, today companies have evolved from these stages of brand management and as per Goodyear’s model many organizations have evolved and reached the stage where brand is viewed as a policy (McEnally and De Chernatony, 1999). Brand communication has evolved from helping consumers organize their knowledge about products and services based on the mental structures enabling them to clarify their decision making. Brand communication must also be directed at employees as they are an important part of ‘performing the brand’. The Body Shop is one such company where its employees live the brand. Branding is the means to distinguish goods of one producer from another. Referring to a brand means the product or service has created certain amount of awareness, prominence and reputation in the market place (Keller, Parameswaran and Jacob, 2008, p1). Developing employees to participate in the brand and live the brand is known as internal branding. Consumers can form brand associations in a variety of ways – other than marketing activities. ... In other words, employees communicate the brand through their activities. Communication directed at employees has several dimensions. First, employees must know what they are expected to project. This implies that employees must receive messages that are consistent, frequent and in alignment with the organizational mission, vision and core values. Employees’ understanding and knowledge of the desired brand is necessary to facilitate brand communication. Employees must have the capacity to internalize the desired brand image and then reflect it to others. This suggests that the organization or the leader must first demonstrate the values. Anita Roddick’s concern for the environment manifests itself in the plan of The Body Shop (Argenti and Druckenmiller, 2004). The leader’s own personality can help shape the personality of their company’s brand. This is evident from the way that the leader created the brand image without engaging in conventional advertising . The Body Shop created a brand image without going in for conventional advertising (Keller, Parameswaran and Jacob, 2008, p57). It strongly associated with personal care and environmental concerns as it used only natural ingredients and never tested on animals. They communicated this message through advertising which helped build the brand image of an ethical company. Their environmental concerns are also communicated through packaging which is simple, refillable and recyclable. Staff at The Body Shop is always encouraged to be enthusiastic and informative about environmental issues. Their sourcing policy also communicated their brand image – they use local small producers from around the world. They engage in social action program which

Analysis of a Job Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Analysis of a Job - Research Paper Example The Marketing Manager is responsible to develop and maintain marketing strategies in order to achieve the agreed company objectives. The responsibility includes evaluation of customer research, market condition, competitor data and take decision of altering the marketing plans as required. The Marketing Manager role involves overseeing all marketing, advertising and promotional staffs and activities. Should have the ability to build trust, communicate effectively, drive execution, foster the culture of innovation, focus on timely delivery of products to customers, collaborative in nature, creatively solving problems and demonstrate high integrity. It necessary for the on boarded Marketing Manager to undergo certain company specific on boarding activities and training in order to know more about the company. There would be a 4 week on boarding program for the Marketing Manager where the candidate would be undergoing training from the supervisor, peers and if possible from the subordinates in the job function. First one week of the on boarding training would include the company culture and nature of the business of the company. The second week would comprise of the getting to know about the team and the team members with whom the Marketing Manager would work. The third week will be focused on learning the business strategies and the methods by which the company generally operates the business along with the current customers and clientele. Finally fourth week would be the on the job training where the Marketing Manager is expected to as per the learning of past three weeks. This is a compulsory training that the new Marketing m anager needs to undergo in order to start the work in the company. The Annual compensation package for the position is $85,528 with $5578 as the annual performance bonus. The Marketing Manager position is entitled to receive many other benefits, which include Social Security, 401K/403B value benefits, disability

Globalization; International Manufacturing, Outsourcing and Logistics Essay

Globalization; International Manufacturing, Outsourcing and Logistics - Essay Example Domestic manufacturing companies are facing numerous confrontations; they are finding it hard to survive in the existing market and are seeking manufacturing strategies for competing in the global market. (International Manufacturing strategy) International Marketing Strategy Survey (IMSS) set up in 1992 is a cooperative network of more than 600 manufacturing companies and 20 business schools that provides a database for the study of management strategies, direct information on trends on manufacturing market and practices on a global scale. IMSS aims at identifying the manufacturing management strategies and collectively achieve the strategic objective. (WheelWright & Hayes,1975) This also helps the companies to make a comparative analysis using the international benchmarks. IMSS encourages communication and interaction between different companies and management schools which helps in sharing best practices. (What is the IMSS?) Every country and state has different manufacturing regulations, economic factors, historical position, market size, product manufactured and strategies are tailored accordingly. (Per & Christopher, 1998) Before creating a strategy, understanding the practice and performance of the manufacturing company is essential. Managers need to make decisions on the investments, organization form, system to be used, technological factors, location and product factors. In order to understand and study the various issues in the manufacturing industry and help companies in making good decisions a research study was conducted by London Business School which aimed at investigating the industry’s practices, manufacturing strategies around the world which would help in making the best decisions.(Per & Christopher,1998) Manufacturing strategy refers to exploiting some properties and using them as a competitive weapon. There are different factors that are critical for deciding the strategy of a manufacturing company. A

The Secret River - Kate Grenville Essay Example for Free

The Secret River Kate Grenville Essay Kate Grenville describes the characters in The Secret River as not heroes and not devils, but Just human beings, stumbling from one small decision to the next and in so doing, without really planning it, creating the shape of their lives. The character of Will Thornhill in the novel makes several decisions some of which come from a place of circumstance and others that do not. Kate Grenvilles statement about the characters describes them to an extent as there is nothing extraordinary about them, they do not stand up for what is right as heroes do, they do not commit evil deeds as evils do. Will makes several decisions that spring from his familys history and circumstance and some that are out of his own desire for something more for his life and family. Will comes from a lower class family who feel the need to steal to survive all the Thornhills stole turnips from time to time, pg 9 They where all thieves, any time they got the chance. The dainty person could shrill all he liked about sin, but there could be no sin in thieving if it meant a full belly. Pg16 Wills dad was the primary caregiver nd was the most skilled at stealing to provide for the family. By comparison Sal comes from a middle class family; her father has money to buy her things that Wills family could not afford. In Wills eyes Sal was never short on food, especially indulgences such as oranges, sweetbread and soft white bread. Pg 17 Will comes from a long line of William Thornhills Your name is common as dirt pg 1 Iwas a curse that his sister Mary had professed over him at a young age, his response to this was William Thornhills will fill up the world pg 11 From this appening at a early age he made the decision to make himself stand out from the crowd, Its through this that every other decision in his life is affected. Will has various Jobs while he is growing up in London, after his parents passed away he feels it is his responsibility to take care of those remaining in the household. In every Job he makes the decision to steal not based on circumstances but out of a desire for excess. No-one would miss a little as there is so many pg21 this is the first instance that Will is caught stealing, He tries to lie his way out of the situation and is hipped by Crocker on the docks as a public display. Will learns not to get caught pg21 instead of not stealing at all, this is a trait that will follow him, to make decisions not from circumstance but by his own free will. There is an added element of peer pressure in this as well as his work colleagues forced the barrel to break open and encouraged him. He didnt steal the sugar out of necessity or survival but out of surplus and desire for something more in his life. Most watermen where thieves, although some went about it in a more businesslike ay page 23 this quote is fairly accurate when applied to Wills decision to steal at the river. Collarbone came into Wills life as a replacement father fgure after his died and showed him the many ways to steal from this Job. Collarbone stole some brandy saw the consequences of stealing but was blinded by the surplus amount of goods at the docks where he worked. Marrying Sal was the easiest decision Will could make, he had to work for seven years on the river to earn it and become a free man of the river the day this was granted, was the day they wed. This decision was one of desire, it was a natural progression from his initial attraction from when they were younger and was the easiest decision for Will to make. Mr. Middleton gave Will and Sal his second best wherry as a wedding gift and it was at this point that Will realized that all his decisions up until now had lead him here and he believed that this was the reward for a mans labour. page 28 The death of Sals parents had a profound effect on Wills Judgement, before this he had Just established a feeling of security and an easier future for himself and his family. This was brought about by Mr. Middleton not having any sons to leave the family business to, Wills plan was to become a strong son-in-law and through this inherit the business. The day this happened Will felt all the closed opportunities of his life open up and he gained a sense of direction. Mr. Middleton had savings and assets but during the frozen month, all of his savings and investments where dried up, Will ; Sal had seemed to have lost everything they had worked years to get What point could there be to hoping, when everything could be broken so easily? 49 It is uring this period that Will feels like he has been reduced to an animal p49 His character is described as feeling extremely empty and having a massive space where hope had been. This shifted Will back into his circumstantial decision making, the need to steal for survival mentality resurfaced and the family derived cycle began again. The biggest decision that Will makes in the story is to steal the Brazil wood from Mr. Lucas on the River. Will had been stealing all his life to survive, he knew the risks of stealing through his friend Collarbone and at this point he doesnt need to. He makes this decision based on a desire to have more in his life and refers back to when Mr. Middleton was alive and he had hope for their future. An added element was pressure for provision as Sal had Just informed him that she was expecting another mouth to feedp 55 this influenced his decision to steal as he had to increase his responsibilities as a provider and wanted to get back to getting ahead in life. It is through this decision that his life changes and it is due to a small amount of peer pressure and a desire to succeed, not based on circumstance. Factoring in all of these elements Will Thornhill makes several decisions through the novel some based on circumstances when he is a young child and his family steal for survival, and some out of a desire for more in his life fuelled by the words of his sister. This can be interpreted as greed to some extent, and to provide the kind of life Sal is used to having. Toa large extent Will is not a victim of circumstance but falls true to Kate Grenvilles comments about the characters Just human beings, planning it, creating the shape of their lives. The Secret River, Kate Grenville 2005, The Publishing Company

Trends and Changes in the Legal Industry

Trends and Changes in the Legal Industry A Report issued for Samantha at PLS to discuss the trends and potential changes in the legal industry alongside financial analysis of the firm and another competitor. Future investment opportunities are also discussed as well as overall advantages and disadvantages. The Legal Sector and Brexit Britain opting to leave the European Union shook the country last year. The uncertainty surrounding Brexit has left legal professionals around the world nervously awaiting its impact on the commercial world. During the two year negotiation period law firms will be awaiting news of a hard or soft Brexit and further establishing how each potential outcome could implicate their clients. 1.1 A hard or soft Brexit? A hard Brexit wold involve Britain giving up full access to the single market and losing all rights to free movement within the EU. However, trading would be regulated by the World Trade Organisation suggesting that there would be no confusion politically about the withdrawal from the EU.[1] On the other hand, a soft Brexit would entail staying closely involved with the EU and keeping access to the single market. This would follow Scandinavian models whereby there is no membership of the EU but still access to the single market via the European Economic Area. 1.2 How Financial Services could be affected Within the commercial world, financial services would be one of the sectors most affected by a hard Brexit because businesses would lose their passport rights to operate in the EU. London is currently ranked as leading in financial services, meaning that Britain has a large trading surplus in the EU[2]. 7.7% of the UKs GDP is from outputting financial services with over 1.1 million employed in the industry and two thirds of them working outside London[3]. Therefore, losing access to the single market would affect many businesses and consequently clients of large commercial firms. The UK financial service sector has been considering loopholes if a hard Brexit is initiated. As banks are mostly affected by losing EU passport rights, alternative options are being considered if the UK did leave the single market with no deal negotiated (essentially a worst-case scenario situation).[4] Insurance and Asset management are less affected because they tend to be part of a global industry, for example, Lloyds of London[5]. However, many banks including HSBC, JP Morgan Chase, UBS and Morgan Stanley are standing by to move thousands of employees to countries within Europe ahead of negotiations taking place.[6] A report issued by Shearman and Stirling suggested that there are various ways of trading with the EU without needing a passport[7]. Some of the main loopholes being discussed are: Reverse solicitation Delegation of fund management/outsourcing of services Conduit entities Back to back trading[8] Back to back trading is the most prevalent of the four listed. Banks would sell its services from a local entity to EU clientele but would then transfer to the UK immediately after[9]. A drawback is that this is a short term solution, but can give law firms more time to find a long term alternative. EU regulators are also likely to frown upon loopholes when they will be relied upon by firms to carry on trading under a hard Brexit. [10]Essentially it is difficult for large commercial law firms to plan exactly how they are going to deal with the loss of passport rights. However, it would be beneficial if the UK attempts to convince the EU-27 that keeping financial markets open across the Channel is a matter of mutual interest because fragmenting Londons Ecosystem would lead to higher costs for everyone involved.[11] 1.3 The Technology sector Brexit will likely cause little affect to the technology and innovation sector on the premise that the UK stays in the European Economic Area. However, if negotiations mean that the UK fully detaches from the EU, then changes to this sector, as with many others, will be more wide-ranging[12]. Nevertheless, it must be remembered that there are successful countries operating outside of the EU. Norway is a prime example and has a strong presence in the technology and innovation sector without benefitting from EEA tax incentives, research, development, investment and funding.[13] More specifically intellectual property rights are mostly unaffected because they are not regulated by the EU. However, data protection is a hot topic of discussion. It remains to be seen if businesses within the UK will still be allowed to collect sale activity data via subsidiaries in the EU and whether the UK adopts the General Data Protection Regulation. [14]Technology has the same potential threats as financial services and the two year negotiation period will conclude the next chapter for the legal industry. However, it must be remembered that regardless of the outcome, advice and expertise of commercial lawyers will still be needed. Financial Analysis of PLS and FFS PLS 2016 PLS 2015 FFS 2016 FFS 2015 Profitability Return on capital employed 50.35 % 1:0.50 48.77% 1:0.48 91.08% 1:0.91 81.07% 1:0.81 Return on sales 27.99% 1:0.27 27.10% 1:0.27 31.05% 1:0.31 32.26% 1:0.32 Asset utilisation ratio 1:1.80 1:1.80 1:2.93 1:2.51 Liquidity and solvency Current ratio 1:2.63 1:2.90 1:2.14 1:2.40 Liquid ratio 1:2.63 1:2.90 1:2.14 1:2.40 Efficiency Creditor days 191.82 days 160.28 days 174.12 days 164.38 days Debtor days 233.08 days 209.64 days 198.05 days 188.01 days Stock days 0 0 0 0 Investment Gearing 52.80% 1:0.52 44.37% 1:0.44 79.90% 1:0.79 66.28% 1:0.66 Return on equity 48.66% 1:0.48 47.24% 1:0.47 87.20% 1:0.87 78.26% 1:0.78 Interest cover 0 0 0 0 Profitability Law firms are increasingly using profit to measure their firms success rather than revenue. This is because profit is a more accurate version of how the firm, large or small, is doing financially. Law firms are ranked by revenue so it is understandable to focus on this, but often profit points/important data can be overlooked. A law firm is a business and must always aim to improve profitability. [15] 2.1.1 Return on capital employed (ROCE) ROCE is a ratio that measures how successfully a company is turning its capital invested into profit. A higher percentage indicates a more effective use of capital and therefore an increase in shareholder value. When comparing revenue, FFS has a much higher yearly figure than PLS but its revenue has dropped significantly in just one year (70m). In 2016, FFS turned 91.08% of its capital into profit, which is a large improvement from the previous year which measured at 81.07%. The large percentage of profit stemming from capital investment may be due to a higher amount of reserves being re-entered back into the business. FFS seem to be using their share capital in a more financially beneficial way than PLS by retaining their reserves rather than distributing them all to members. This may be because recent investments in new offices needed funding. Eventually, FFS will be striving for a larger shareholder value. PLS has not seen a significant increase in ROCE (less than 2%). This suggests that substantial investment is not occurring. Instead they are using local firms in China, and not reinvesting profit for the financial year available for division amongst members. It may lessen their revenue for a while but investing in new offices like FFS could eventually improve their profitability and shareholder value. 2.1.2Return on sales (ROS) The ROS is a measure of how much profit is being formed per pound of sales. FFS suffered a decrease in their ROS by 1.21% which may be because of their loss in operating profit. Comparatively, PLS improved their percentage by 0.9% from 2015-2016. Where FFS have seen a significant increase in staff costs, PLS have only seen a minor one. Where FFS have suffered a large decrease in turnover, PLS have seen a minor one. PLS may have also focused more attention on the 6 profit points and lessened expenses to improve their overall profitability. PLS is unlikely to be underperforming as it is converting a similar amount of company revenue into profit as FFS, even though FFS has a much higher turnover. 2.1.3Asset utilisation ratio (AUR) The AUR for PLS has not increased from 2015-2016. This would be because they have not invested in the firm to gain more asset appreciation. Generally, the higher the AUR, the better the company is performing because it would be generating more revenue per pound of assets. FFS have invested in new offices meaning the general equity has decreased significantly since 2015. The equity at PLS has barely changed suggesting a higher inefficiency to deploy assets in order to generate a higher revenue. 2.2 Liquidity and Solvency 2.2.1 Current ratio The current ratio portrays the health of the business. A ratio above 1 but no higher than 3 suggests efficiency in utilising assets. Both firms are within this bracket but in 2015 PLS came close to 3 suggesting that they are not investing assets back into the firm as efficiently as they could. This however reduced significantly the next year. 2.3 Efficiency 2.3.1 Debtors days Debtors days is the measurement in days that a firm will take to collect cash from debts. Both firms have rising debtors days but it would take PLS longer to receive debts owed as the days have grown by 25 compared to FFS with only 10. It is well known that billing clients can be a long process and usually the cause for lengthy debtors day results from firms. However, clients could also be asking for longer or different credit terms causing the rise for both firms. PLS could take into account purchasing new software to speed up the billing process, generally improving timekeeping and tracking firm financials more acutely to improve their figures. 2.4 Investment Return on equity (ROE) The ROE depicts a firms profitability regarding how much profit is made from money shareholders have invested. ROCE and ROE come hand in hand because ROE analyses how much profit is being made from shareholder investment where ROCE assesses how much shareholder investment has gone into the company. FFS have a much higher ROE, which has increased by 10% in the year 2015-2016. PLS have barely seen an increase in growth suggesting that they are not investing their equity efficiently enough. Although FFS have suffered a massive reduction in revenue and remuneration to members, their investment from equity seems to be paying off. In 2016 87.20% of shareholder money transferred to profits whereas PLS only saw 48.66 %. Potentially investing globally with equity money could benefit the overall profitability of PLS. 3. Strategy and the legal industry All Industries change how they conduct business when assessing potential and current trends in their environment. This is often done by using analytical tools which further evidence changes to strategic positioning. 3.1 PESTEL PESTEL is a tool used to identify different trends of the legal macro environment. Politically speaking, Brexit is the most current threat to the legal environment. As a result of a hard Brexit the economy may suffer because large corporations are likely to move outside of the UK. [16]This means that the economy will not only suffer from loss of business but lack of investment. Brexit has already caused many firms to hold off further investment, which may be why PLS are considering opening a new office outside of the EU. The tightening of the government purse will also have an effect on firms, particularly in the energy sector where less contracts have become available.[17] Social aspects include the changes in loyalty of clients because it is much easier to shop around and choose different firms. It is in the interest of fee earners to keep their clients satisfied so they dont lose them to other firms. There has been a significant boom in software and technology recently. Clients of law firms who previously would have sought legal advice now have access to the internet and free online legal tools. However, on a more positive note firms have typically improved timing and efficiency because of billing and database software made specifically for law firms. [18]Most firms have also reduced the amount of paper being used because this is more attractive to environmentally conscious clients. The Legal Services Act [19]has meant that accountancy firms such as Deloitte and PWC have extended their own in house legal departments. Consequently, large commercial firms have lost clients and further gained competitors. Brexit may also cause loss of employment rights, lessen mergers and acquisitions and could cause various laws to be changed. 3.2 Porters Five Forces Porters five forces is a tool to assess how competitive forces shape strategy and ultimately profitability. This methodology was initially applied to the legal industry, but seemed to defy the competitive pressures outlined in Porters article, whereby it still experienced a rapid rise in profitability.[20] However, recent changes in the legal industry has led to re-evaluation regarding the use of the five forces tool, to gain an insight into the competitive market of law. The bargaining power of suppliers usually refers to the firms employees, as they do not have suppliers in the typical sense. There has been a growing amount of legal talent throughout the past three years [21]which means that firms have been able to reduce fee agreements. For example, instead of hiring more solicitors a firm may choose to hire experienced paralegals which would cost significantly less. Although this is positive, it does mean that recruiting fees are higher and may cause retention rates of staff to be lower. The power of buyers is the most commanding part of the five forces in terms of competitive strategy. Firms have seen less customer loyalty and less dependency from buying local for legal services.[22] Legal research charges have also been removed from overall billing which is costing firms millions in added cost.[23] The threat of new entrants relates mostly to smaller firms using technology to give legal services on the same level as larger firms.[24] This is because technology now allows this, and smaller firms charge significantly less. As PLS is an international firm it may at some point wish to enter a foreign market but some are saturated and are therefore hard to enter and be successful. The threat of substitute products and services has changed because of the Legal Services Act [25] This means that many companies who would have otherwise used law firms, are now investing in their own in house legal departments. Deloitte, an accountancy firm have done this and have subsequently saved in legal fees[26]. This all adds to the most important aspect of the five forces rivalry amongst existing competitors. However, with trends in the market changing rapidly, further threats in relation to other competitive measures are equally as important and making the market more complex. As in house becomes more popular (6 billion dollars in the US market in 2 years) [27]and client loyalty lessens, firms need to acknowledge that new service models create separation from rivals and provide the uncontested market space necessary to limit the impact of Porters Five Forces on their operational strategy[28] Organic growth vs Mergers Potential Merger with a local firm It is seen that mergers and acquisitions (MAs) are one of the principal ways in which organisations can achieve rapid growth.[29] They benefit from economies of scale and therefore lower overheads which means cutting costs significantly. Commercial benefits include instant access to client databases and loss in competition with the firm chosen to merge. As PLS are also looking to set up in culture completely different to that of the UK, it would be potentially very beneficial to have access to experienced legal professionals already based in Shanghai who understand the market and clients. The burst of activity in the last quarter helped make 2016 the second-best year for dealmakers since the financial crisis.[30] Therefore, more firms are seen to be merging in order to eliminate vulnerability and to make themselves truly global rather than just international. Norton Rose recently merged with Texas Fulbright and Ashurst with Australias Blake Dawson. Meanwhile, SJ Berwin became the first ever UK firm to join arms with an Asia-Pacific firm, King Wood Mallesons, in 2013.[31] As PLS are friendly with local firms who they pay for their services, there may be an option for a potential merger with them. It would also mean that PLS do not have to pay to set up their new office in Shanghai which would save a significant amount of money. There are risks involved with potential mergers. When two companies decide upon this option they may lose aspects of their brand which could cause an array of disadvantages including loss of clientele. It will also likely mean that they have less control over the business and its future. Given the importance of interaction with their foreign customers, PLS should opt for a high degree of control over their foreign market entry mode [32]and a merger does not necessarily give this. 4.2 Setting up a new office in Shanghai Organic growth is known to be expanding the business from the inside rather than the outside (MA). The economic benefit for PLS of investing in a subsidiary office would be that they do not have to pay local firms for their service. They can build their own client database, promote their own brand and have full control of the office. Businesses that grow organically can control their rate of growth and normally face less cultural and integration challenges than those that choose an inorganic strategy.[33] However, they may face cultural challenges with clients. The risks of organic growth lie in expansion that outpaces the ability to effectively manage, stretches resources too thin, strains capital, or diverts focus from the business core mission[34]. It would cost PLS a substantial sum of money to invest in the office and is the most expensive of the foreign market entry options. Year 0 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Cash flows ( £000) (1000) 1,500 1750 2,200 2,650 2,900 Present Value (1000) 1,071.42 892.86 801.75 689.82 539.21 Net Present value:  £2,995,000.06 The investment will add  £2,995,000.06 of value to PLS and therefore the office in Shanghai is worth potentially investing in. However, there are some risks involved with the NPV calculation. It does not consider unforeseen expenditure and is often based on estimates. It therefore does not fully account for potential risk in investments costs, discount rate and projected returns. Essentially, each investment holds significant risk because both a potential merger and buying a subsidiary office are very drastic forms of expansion. Other options such as purchasing a stake in an associate office or forming a best friend alliance may fit the needs of PLS more substantially. [35]Further, they may then decide upon organic growth or a merger once they have definitive evidence that the high risk will benefit the overall firm. Bibliography Legislation General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 Legal Services Act 2007 Secondary Sources Articles Downey, J, (2008) Mergers and acquisitions, Topic Gateway Series No. 54 Blomstermo, A, Sharma, D, (2006) Choice of foreign market entry mode in service firms, International Marketing Review, Vol. 23 Issue 2 Internet Articles Kuntz B, EYVoice: Organic vs. Inorganic: Which way to grow? Forbes (14 January 2014) accessed 20 February 2017 Fontella-Khan J and Massoudi A, MA boom set to continue in 2017 Financial times (29 December 2016) accessed 20 February 2017 Cooke A, Trends affecting the legal profession (Chambers student, 20 July 2016) accessed 19 February 2017 Sims A, What is the difference between hard and soft Brexit? Everything you need to know (The Independent UK Politics, 3rd October 2016) accessed 10 February 2017 M Arnold, Banks study loopholes to enable UK branches to sell to EU clients, (Financial times, 02 February 2017) accessed 14 February 2017 Katz T and others, Brexit: What impact might leaving the EU have on the UKs financial services industry? | insights | DLA piper global law firm (DLA Piper insights, 27 June 2016) accessed 14 February 2017 Reynolds B and others, Brexit and Equivalence: Review of the Financial Services Framework Across All Sectors (Shearman and Sterling LLP, 10 August 2016) accessed 16 February 2017 Rao K, PwC report reviews state of global financial market liquidity (PWC News releases, 12 August 2015) accessed 14 February 2017 Patrick F, Porters Five forces applied to the legal industry (Thompson Reuters Elite, 9 January 2014) accessed 10 February 2017 Smith L, Porters Five forces are actually relevant to law firms (Bloomer Law Big Law Business, 19 March 2015) accessed 10 February 2017 Rebeiro M, Impact of Brexit on technology and innovation (Norton Rose Fulbright, 21 December 2016) accessed 10 February 2017 Saunders P, Black J, and McNicholls K, http://www.legalfutures.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/developing-legal-talent-2016.pdf (Deloitte, February 2016) accessed 14 February 2017 Strong F, Porters Five forces for the legal industry (LexisNexis Business of Law Blog, 7 May 2014) accessed 16 February 2017 Samuelson, S.S. and Fahey, L. (1991). Strategic planning for law firms: the application of management theory. 52 U. Pitt. L. Rev 435 Booth S, How to ensure UK and European financial services continue to thrive after Brexit (Open Europe, 17 October 2016) accessed 16 February 2017 Millard R, Beyond the box: How to realign your firms business model (Solicitors Journal, 27 June 2012) accessed 16 February 2017 The 6 Profit Points of Every Law Firm: Taking control of data to help increase your firms profitability, (LexisNexis Law Firm Practice Management WHITE PAPER SERIES, January 2013) accessed 16 February 2017 Declaration I declare that: à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · The work in this assessment was carried out in accordance with the Regulations of The University of Law. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · The work is original except where indicated by acknowledgement or special reference in the text, and no part of this assessment has been presented by me or anyone else to any University or body for examination either in the United Kingdom or overseas. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · I have not conducted research involving human participants for the purposes of this work Date: 23rd February 2017 Word Count:2996 [1] Sims A, What is the difference between hard and soft Brexit? Everything you need to know (The Independent UK Politics, 3rd October 2016) [4] M Arnold, Banks study loopholes to enable UK branches to sell to EU clients, (Financial times, 02 February 2017) accessed 14 February 2017 [5] Booth S, How to ensure UK and European financial services continue to thrive after Brexit (Open Europe, 17 October 2016)

SWOT Analysis for Employability Skills

SWOT Analysis for Employability Skills Introduction With the rapid development of society, the competitions between companies are also increasing, what the employers want for the graduates are not only focus on the degree but pay more attention to their employability skills. In order to win their competitors in the fierce competition, employers want graduates who have a wide range of skills to bring to the work environment and need the employees with multi-skilled to fulfil many different roles. à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‹â€ Foster, 1998, p.4à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °. So graduates who coming into the workforce must have the skills needed by employers. With the purpose of making ourselves become more competitive in the future job market first we should find out what the employability skills the employer want for graduates, then according to the employability skills do the personal SWOT analysis and make an action plan to improve ourselves. Discussion of employability skills What skills do employers want Employability skills are defined as skills required not only to gain employment, but also to progress within an enterprise so as to achieve ones potential and contribute successfully to enterprise strategic directions. (DEST 2002a) Today, despite the degree, companies are paying more attention to the employability skills of the graduates, but there is no uniform standard of employability skills. What employability skills the graduates should have are depend on companys actual operating conditions and different companies have different standards. Through a wide range of literature research, the result of what the employability skills needed by companies are almost the same, and can be roughly divided into the following eight basic skills: Communication skills, Teamwork skills, Problem solving skills , Self management skills, Planning and organizing skills, Technology skills, Life-long learning skills and Initiative and enterprise skills. (MONASH, nd) Why do companies want these skills? Communication skills The CIPDs views are based on the latest CIPD/KPMG quarterly Labor Market Outlook, a survey of over 1,400 UK employers, the key attributes employers look for in school leaver recruits are communication skills (40% of employers rank this in their top three required attributes), work ethic (39%) and personality (32%). (CIPD,2006) .Communication happens all the time in the workplace, having effective communication skills can make us have a good relationship with colleagues and superiors ,thus can create a good working environment and help us complete the work more efficiently. Whats more , have good communication skills not only can make the existing customers become more satisfy with the products and services provided by our company but also can attract more clients cooperate with us . Teamwork skills In Todays society, only have the individual working ability is not enough, more and more works need a group of people to complete together .Work in groups can speed up the progress of work and also through brainstorming to create a better idea of the company Problem solving skills In this competitive world, companies will faced various problems at any time, solving the problem successfully enable the company ride out the storm or it will fail. Self-management skills Companies also need graduates have self-management skills to complete the work alone or almost alone, without the need for someone to stand over the employees constantly and tell them want to do.à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‹â€ Foster, 1998, p.14à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °. Planning and organizing skills Employers need graduates to make plans and organize the limited sources to achieve both short and long-term goals of company. Technology skills In the technological age, technology skills become increasingly important, company need employees use computers and telecommunications systems proficiency, understanding current trends and gathering information to predict the companys operating condition through technology. Life-long learning skills In order to make the company development sustainably, only require employee continuous learning can let the company keep pace with this rapid-developing society, and employees who have the life-long learning skills can also bring benefits to the company. Initiative and enterprise skills Employees recruited by the company are all with multi-skilled, the company may frequent transfer their employees to different departments and to take different roles within a company. (Heather and Peter, 2006, p.2) .So this require the employee have the initiative and enterprise skills to adjust themselves easily to new situations and can take the job quickly. Personal SWOT Analysis After identify the employability skills that needed by companies, I make a personal SWOT analysis based on actual experience and self assessment test through the internet. Strengths : I have good team work and organizing skills. According to the results of my self assessment test, I have a great mark in humanistic-encouraging and affiliative. (See Appendix 1) In the group work I can build on ideas with other members and as team leader I usually will make plans to allocate tasks to the group members to make sure everyone enjoys the tasks they are assigned to. I am good at Self management. I can management my time well and get thing done without being pushed. Usually I will write down the things what I need to do and sort them out according to the importance and the time sequence. After that I will write them to the calendar so that I can know clearly what and when should I do next I do well in learning. I willing to put in time and effort to learn new skills. As a student, beside the major I also join the free English class and the Assessment Centres mini module to improve myself. I have technology skills. I am not only having the basic computer skills but also can use specialised software packages. Since I have learned the business decision modelling in my first year and now I also learning the applied management and decision modelling, all of them need to use the specialised software packages so I learned how to use them in the course. Weaknesses I have no employment experience, even the part-time job experience. I am weak in problem solving; when I face problems usually I can not see all sides of them and can not provide good solution of them. My Communication skills are weak. I am an introvert (Result in appendix ) and I am not good at communicate with others .I feel shy when I talking to strangers. Opportunities I can find a part-time job through the future of our school to learn new skills to enhance my CV. I am more employable than others if I get work experience in UK. 65% of international employers indicate that they are more willing to employ graduates with overseas work experience. (Archer and Davison, 2008.). I have an opportunity to get a good job if I return to China after I graduate. China is widely expected to become the worlds largest human capital market in the future, requiring an explosive number of talented professionals. Companies seeking to hire Mainland Chinese returnees: born and raised in China, studied/worked in the U.S. or Europe and then returned to China. They offer international experience, plus language and cultural skills but are in short supply (Davy, Lau). I can enjoy a variety of preferential policies for overseas student which provided by the Chinese government if I back to China. Threats In recent years, explosive growth trends of Chinese overseas students choose to return home which will increase the competition of getting jobs in China. Employment pressure both in China and UK. Not only Chinese graduates for job-hunting with anxiety, graduates of British also face the same problem. The jobs shortage was blamed on a substantial backlog in the number of jobless graduates from previous years creating additional pressure on the employment market in 2010. (Articlesbase, 2010). Personal Action Plan After I finished the personal SWOT analysis, according to my own situation I make an action plan base on SMART Skill to be improved Specific Actions Measure Target date Communication skills: Participating in the activities that organized by school community orinvolvingin the school communitydirectly. Make a lot of friends. Take the initiative in making acquaintances. Do not feel nervous when talking to strangers Next month Take the mini module about communication that provided by the future in our school Presenting and participating in class discussions Semester 2 Through the IELTStestto improve my English speaking, writing, reading and listening skills. Take the IELTS test Christmas holidays Problem solving skills Apply for the volunteer opportunities provide by the futureHelping people solve problem while improving my problem solving skills. Become a volunteer Semester 2 Analysis the requirements of school assignments Meet the assignment requirements of teachers Deadline of assignments Initiative and enterprise skills Find part-time jobs in our school or become a volunteer Get part-time jobs, become a volunteer Semester 2 Become a trainee of a company for 1-2week Work in a company as a trainee Christmas holidays Teamwork skills Working on group assignments Do the Group work assignments Deadline of group assignments Planning and organisation skills Arranging study and daily lives at university Make plans everyday and do thing according to plans Everyday Self-management skills Summing upthe gaps in skills and knowledge Doself-reflection whenteachers give assignment feedback At the end of semester 1 Learning skills Learning new skills that needed by employers Attend courses and finish courses Semester 2 Technology skills Learn something about Photoshop or database. Participatethe relevant courses During semester 2 Conclusion There is no doubt that employees who having a good degree will gain an excellent starting point, since a good degree helps employees open the door of finding a job, however, a degree alone is not enough, employers want much more from their graduate employees, they want employees can bring benefits to the company and let the company in an invincible position during the fierce competition. Through extensive research I summed up eight kinds of employability skills that most needed by companies. And I made a personal SWOT analysis based on employability skills and self assessment test through the internet and actual experience which made me become more aware of myself. After that I made an action plan for myself. Ill stick to the plan and I hope that it would help me improve my employability skills after I finish it .And get a good job in the competitive job market after I graduate.