Training in Aviva Life Insurance Management Sample

Training in Aviva Life Insurance Management Sample In the era of globalisation and industrialisation, the role of competent and efficient workforce is crucial for the success of any organisation, business, industry or society. In line with the recognised value of human resources, organisations worldwide demonstrated commitment to transforming their employees into high-performing professionals. In this vein, scholarship in organisational management emphasises the importance of setting up a learning-oriented culture and a climate of mutual support, respect and trust (Reed and Signorelli, 2011). As such, human resources managers are expected to embed the values of workplace learning and knowledge sharing among employees to facilitate their acquisition of new skills and abilities while accumulating expertise. Another important aspect of the present-day human resources management concerns sufficient staff preparation, education and training through various initiatives and programmes designated to facilitate and streamline employee profess ional development (Harrison, 2005). Aviva PLC is the leading insurance provider in the UK and one of the largest insurance companies in the world. Aviva group provides services in life insurance, financial savings, fund management, home, fire and auto insurance securities, properties, loan and mortgages. Aviva PLC operates in alignment with investment sales and gross premium incomes generated through successful activities across the globe (Plunkett, 2008). This one of the world’s largest insurance providers employs extensive staff to perform services and operations for the group of Aviva companies in the UK and abroad. The company’s UK workforce accounts for 21,000 members responsible for the productive and successful operation of insurance businesses. In this respect, Aviva life insurance recognises the need for developing and utilising an efficient human resources strategy to cover all people-related aspects. Precisely, Aviva human resources management encompasses staff inspiration and leadership, professional de velopment, recruitment, reward and incentives and talent retention (Aviva, 2017). Competent and sufficient workforce is in the core value of Aviva life insurance, which is reflected in various training solutions and reward systems practiced in order to increase employee motivation and operational productivity. Given credit to the existing empirical evidence of benefits associated with employee training and strategic management, Aviva invests in creating diversified educational and learning opportunities for its workforce as well as building effective human resources management capable to motivate, organise, govern and develop Aviva staff. Recently, Aviva has declared an appointment of a new director of UK human resources assigned to maintain and increase employee motivation and performance through various learning solutions and incentives (Aviva, 2017). Through this act, Aviva indicated its recognition of the need for strategic development and management of human resources as the primary means of facilitating business profitability and growth. Aviva’s commitment to innovation and technology is a well-known fact, which signifies the dependence of its organisational performance on individual employee’s skills and knowledge that require a regular update and upgrade. In this respect, Aviva life insurance assigns a considerable budget for human resource management to enable creation of various learning and development opportunities for the staff. Rewards play a vital role in Aviva’s strategic management of human resources to ensure high level of employee motivation to acquire new knowledge and skills for both personal benefit and organisational goals (Dewan, 2014). Complex systems of rewards and incentives serve to invoke a sense of self-value and confidence in one’s contribution to business development along with professional growth. References Aviva, 2017. UK: Aviva appoints UK human resources director. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 5 May 2017]. Dewan, A., 2014. Case study: Aviva. Human Resources, 28 July, [online] Available at: [Accessed 5 May 2017]. Harrison, R., 2005. Learning and development. London: CIPD Publishing. Plunkett, J. W., 2008. Plunkett’s investment and securities industry almanac 2008: The only comprehensive guide to the investment and securities industry. Houston, TX: Plunkett Research. Reed, L. and Signorelli, P., 2011. Workplace learning and leadership: A handbook for library and non-profit trainers. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

Of Discourse by Francis Bacon

In her book Francis Bacon: Discovery and the Art of Discourse (1974), Lisa Jardine argues that Bacons Essays fall squarely under the heading of presentation or method of discourse. They are didactic, in Agricolas sense of presenting knowledge to someone in a form in which it may be believed and assimilated. . . . Basically these essays communicate precepts for the guidance of personal conduct in public affairs, based on Bacons own political experience. In the essay titled Of Discourse, Bacon explains how a person can lead the dance without appearing to dominate a conversation. You may find it worthwhile to compare Bacons aphoristic observations with the lengthier reflections offered by Jonathan Swift in Hints Toward an Essay on Conversation and by Samuel Johnson in Conversation. Of Discourse Some in their discourse desire rather commendation of wit, in being able to hold all arguments, than of judgment, in discerning what is true; as if it were a praise to know what might be said, and not what should be thought. Some have certain common-places and themes, wherein they are good, and want variety; which kind of poverty is for the most part tedious, and, when it is once perceived, ridiculous. The honourablest part of talk is to give the occasion; and again to moderate and pass to somewhat else, for then a man leads the dance. It is good in discourse, and speech of conversation, to vary and intermingle speech of the present occasion with arguments, tales with reasons, asking of questions with telling of opinions, and jest with earnest: for it is a dull thing to tire, and as we say now, to jade any thing too far. As for jest, there be certain things which ought to be privileged from it; namely, religion, matters of state, great persons, any mans present business of importance , any case that deserveth pity; yet there be some that think their wits have been asleep, except they dart out somewhat that is piquant, and to the quick; that is a vein which would be bridled; Parce, puer, stimulis, et fortius utere loris.* And, generally, men ought to find the difference between saltness and bitterness. Certainly, he that hath a satirical vein, as he maketh others afraid of his wit, so he had need be afraid of others memory. He that questioneth much, shall learn much, and content much; but especially if he apply his questions to the skill of the persons whom he asketh; for he shall give them occasion to please themselves in speaking, and himself shall continually gather knowledge; but let his questions not be troublesome, for that is fit for a poser; and let him be sure to leave other men their turns to speak: nay, if there be any that would reign and take up all the time, let him find means to take them oft, and to bring others on, as musicians use to do with those that dance too long galliards. If you dissemble sometimes your knowledge of that you are thought to know, you shall be thought, another time, to know that you know not. Speech of a mans self ought to be seldom, and well chosen. I knew one w as want to say in scorn, He must needs be a wise man, he speaks so much of himself: and there is but one case wherein a man may commend himself with good grace, and that is in commending virtue in another, especially if it be such a virtue whereunto himself pretendeth. Speech of touch towards others should be sparingly used; for discourse ought to be as a field, without coming home to any man. I knew two noblemen, of the west part of England, whereof the one was given to scoff, but kept ever royal cheer in his house; the other would ask of those that had been at the others table, Tell truly, was there never a flout or dry blow given? To which the guest would answer, Such and such a thing passed. The lord would say, I thought he would mar a good dinner. Discretion of speech is more than eloquence; and to speak agreeable to him with whom we deal, is more than to speak in good words, or in good order. A good continued speech, without a good speech of interlocution, shows slowness; and a good reply, or second speech, without a good settled speech, showeth shallowness and weakness. As we see in beasts, that those that are weakest in the course, are yet nimblest in the turn: as it is betwixt the greyhound and the hare. To use too many circumstances, ere one come to the matter, is wearisome; to use none at all, is blunt. Â   (1625) * Spare the whip, boy, and hold tighter the reins (Ovid, Metamorphoses).

Ranking Colleges, Can It Be Unbiased - 1335 Words

The article on â€Å"Rank Colleges, But Rank Them Right has several strong points, one of which is the need for rankings motivated by the increasing demand by students and their parents for credible ranking data. The author, David Leonhardt, effectively appeals to the reader via three avenues: ethos, logos, and pathos. As a columnist, as well as managing editor for the New York Times, Leonhardt is plain spoken and analytical in his data laced commentary on ranking colleges. Included in his summary, lending credibility to the value of and need for rankings are in the following statements: Today the United States ranks ninth among industrialized nations in higher education attainment...; America used to be considered to be â€Å"the most†¦show more content†¦The author points this out in a statement made by Richard R. Beeman, a historian and former dean at the University of Pennsylvania, â€Å"The very idea that universities with very different institutional cultures and program priorities can be compared, and that the resulting ranking can be useful to students, is highly problematic.† One of Leonhard’s weak ethos claims regarding the credibility of rankings emerges in his stating, Measuring how well students learn is incredibly difficult, but there are some worthy efforts being made.† However, the citing he makes of researchers at Indiana Universities further clouds the objectivity needed for unbiased ranking, because students are asked â€Å"how they spend their time and how engaged they are in their education, while another group is measuring whether students become better writes and problem solvers during their college years.† Here Leonhardt artistically uses persuasion and logical reasoning to point out that the measuring tools are subjective, hardly noteworthy of credible rankings for colleges. The author convincingly argues the need for more accurate rankings for universities in this statement â€Å"that can’t rest on a brand name (i.e., his alma mater, Yale). The ones that did well would be rewarded with applications from just the sort of students universities supposedly want --- ones who are willing to keep an open mind and be persuaded by evidence.† U.S. News and World Report have reported rankings since theShow MoreRelatedAmerica Is Not The Greatest Country1547 Words   |  7 Pagestelling him, â€Å"It isn’t.† This persuades him to give his true opinion, and the anchor continues with a speech about why he feels this way. Will McAvoy uses bipartisan journalism to give the audience the impression that his approach on the subject is unbiased to distract them from his anti-American argument. The film begins with a rant between the characters on stage with little relation to the topic of the film. It does provide a better understanding to the viewer that these characters are going toRead MoreOut-Of-State Hypothesis937 Words   |  4 PagesResearch Hypothesis: It can be hypothesized that out of students placed into a school away from home are more likely to experience mental, physical, and social issues when compared to those of in-state students. This is likely attributed to a wide array of factors including regional/cultural differences, social pressures put on incoming students, and the impact of being a first year student with new responsibilities. The research conducted should show that students who are out-of-state experienceRead MoreBlood Transfusion Should Not Be Banned From A Lighter Sentence952 Words   |  4 PagesOn one hand, it can be said that Jadine Russell effectively killed herself by not accepting blood transfusion as it is against her religion to do so. On the other, she would not have had to make such a decision if it was not for the Keith Cook, who got in an accident with her while under the influence of alcohol. However, just as Russell may have lived if she was not faced with the choice of refusing the transfusion , Cook could have hit someone else who would not have died because they acceptedRead MoreTuition Free Public Colleges And Universities1619 Words   |  7 PagesTuition-Free Public Colleges and Universities: The Way to Go At the dawn of the twentieth-century, the movement that made a high school diploma widely available for every child in the United States, regardless of the income of their family, solidified America’s place as the home of the most educated workforce in the world, and helped to drive decades of economic prosperity. Now, nearly one-hundred years have passed, and other countries around the globe are catching up. In some cases, foreign nationsRead MoreGender Gap between Men and Women724 Words   |  3 Pagesthat leadership roles will make them look bossy. (Lean In.) This means that girls start to hold back from taking the lead at an early age, and the trend continues into adulthood. Women only hold 18.5 % of congress seats, (CAWP.) and 63% of female college students say that they never considered holding a political office. (Lawless, Jennifer L., and Richard L. Fox.) The US needs more female leaders, and until people start taking them as seriously as male leaders, we will not get that. If women cannotRead MoreWomen s Sexual Discrimination At Academic Institutes1503 Words   |  7 Pagespercent (Feminist Majority Foundation, 2014). Because sports are very popular, this is one of the best ways for women to showcase their power and ability to be as skilled as men are. This lessened the amount of sexism at the time. When people are more unbiased about the abilities that females have, it gives women confidence, so they are convinced of their talent, and strive for greater opportunity. According to Bolger, Title IX protects any person of any gender from sex-based discrimination. So, any personRead MoreEquality Between Men And Women1463 Words   |  6 Pagespercent (Feminist Majority Foundation, 2014). Because sports are very popular, this is one of the best ways for women to showcase their power and ability to be as skilled as men are. This lessened the amount of sexism at the time. When people are more unbiased about the abilities that females have, it gives w omen confidence, so they are convinced of their talent, and strive for greater opportunity. According to Bolger, Title IX protects any person of any gender from sex-based discrimination. So, any personRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Standardized Testing1100 Words   |  5 Pagesperson’s life. Students getting taught four main subjects each day: math, science, history, and science. Then, every year, students typically take one big standardized test, or even more. These tests are claimed to give educators an objective that’s unbiased. Standardized testing supposedly helps identify the natural tendency of individual students, identifying skill development and progress. However, are these things what standardized testing really do for students? Standardized testing only measuresRead MoreEssay on Human Sexuality and Gender Differences1081 Words   |  5 Pagesmay refute this. The issue that this study is concerned with is whether males assign greater weight to physical attributes in selecting romantic partners, while females assign greater weight to personality features. An article in the Journal of College Student Development reported that research found that African American men favored physical characteristics, while African American women favored Social stratification variables. Research published in the journal, Personality and Individual DifferencesRead MoreConflict Between Education And Education1727 Words   |  7 Pagesfundamentally different from and inferior to men...† (Tozer, Senese, Violas, 2013, p. 130 ). In the 19th century girls were permitted to attend school but yet with controlled participation and only in the late 20th century women started attending college in a higher ratio. Education has several concepts but among the leading concepts are the functional and conflict theories. Although both functional and conflict theories consider the same functions of education, functional theory identify education

Observing The Setup Of The Classroom - 920 Words

On December 4, 2015 we observed the class for which we developed this response plan. Our main objective was to observe the setup of the classroom as well as the different instructional tools the teacher used to enhance her teaching. In addition, we wanted to see what strategies the teacher implemented to help the ELL and autistic students and see if they were similar to what had in our plan. Upon arriving, we observed that the teacher, Ms. Schmitt, had a large classroom with enough space for groups of students to work together. At the front of the classroom, was the teacher’s desk with a smart board behind it. Several other white boards filled the rest of the wall space. The board on the left was used mostly for instructional purposes while the two on the right were filled with vocabulary and important announcements such as upcoming tests dates. The extra space allowed the teacher to interact with all the students individually. Also, we noted that the teacher had placed the E LL students near the front of the room where she could easily help them or ask them to help each other. The students on the Autism spectrum where located near the back of the classroom where they had more room to work with their aids. However, none of these students were completely isolated from the teacher or rest of the class. Rather all of the students were able to easily interact with one another. At the beginning of class the teacher had the students review material from the previous day’s lessonShow MoreRelatedThe Theory Of Teacher Collaboration1326 Words   |  6 Pagesgoal and shared understanding are important aspects of teacher collaboration. The notion refers to the teacher to teacher interaction regarding instructional and curriculum matters, student evaluation, planning and performing lesson together, and observing peer practice and providing feedback. Research studies often hymn teacher collaboration as a means of improving teachers practice and professionalism, students’ gain and school improvement. Qualitative, quantitative and mixed method approaches areRead More Early Childhood Education Observation1946 Words   |  8 Pagesthe school bell to ring. Walking to the classroom that I will be observing you see students with their parent’s line up waiting to get signed in. The students are to be signed in by a parent or guardian for safety precautions, and shows that the child was signed into school. As a visitor, I am to sign myself in, this shows I was in the classroom, at what time was I there, and reason for visiting the classroom. Introducing myself to Mrs. Smith the classroom teacher, and Mrs. Brown the teaching assistant;Read MoreA Brief Note On Vygotsky And Vygotsky s Theory1497 Words   |  6 Pagesis well known for his social learning, the ZPD and collaborative learning. As an early childhood educator, this is huge and valuable information that I use in my classroom. Not only for the benefit of the children I am responsible for but I also use it to train new teachers that are part of my team. On a daily routine, I setup my classroom to have the children come in and explore the materials that are available. However, I think of ways that I can expand and challenge the children in a more cognitiveRead MoreCherokee Charter Academy : Charter School918 Words   |  4 Pagesthe school does not demonstrate success it will lose its charter. At Cherokee Charter Academy I observed the kindergarten classroom of Ms. Dunlap. Ms. Dunlap has been a kindergarten teacher for ten years. In this classroom, I observed the students, the instruction, standards, and the teacher. As I observed this classroom I noticed the students, teacher, management, and the setup. First, there are twenty-one students in this class and most of them are boys. 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By observing the books they have on the shelves, posters they hang in front and inside their office, to even the way organize their work. It’s practically a summary of their academic achievement, likes and dislikes, and motivations. By understanding differentRead MoreThe Theory Of Operant Conditioning And The Skinner Box1707 Words   |  7 Pagesnegative is added to a situation to decrease bad behavior. B.F. Skinner had a significant influence on education. He believed that behavior can only be changed through learning. His discoveries through operant conditioning can be used in education in classrooms today. When a child’s behavior starts to change, that is a signal to the teacher that the child has learned from previous experiences. For example wh en a child raises his or her hand to be called on in class, they wait patiently because the studentRead MoreTeaching Forward : Ed 105 My Middle School Field Experience Essay1618 Words   |  7 Pagesthe eighth grade class who were reading at a first grade level. The â€Å"Reading Club† was instructed by myself in a small library classroom down the hall from their regular class. We went over the same materials, but did it in a fashion that made the boys more compelled to learn by giving them more one-on-one instruction time without completely excluding them from the classroom. The â€Å"Reading Club† became something positive that the boys enjoyed each week. We worked on projects, read chapters in The HungerRead MoreLearning Theories That Can Be Understood And Enforced By Administrators1676 Words   |  7 Pagesothers find it beneficial to stick to one main learning theory (Faiella, 2013). There are behavioral, social, and cognitive theories of learning. Teachers develop these learning theories from personal experiences, experimentation, research, and observing other individual techniques (Wang, 2012). However one comes about developing their learning theories, they use them to better their direction when teaching. Without direction and focus, instruction can be a disarray of information that does notRead MoreEducational Approaches The Froebel And Montessori Methods1577 Words   |  7 Pagesto be a guide to a child’s education and through the journey of learning. Teachers should not be viewed as keepers of knowledge but as someone on the educational journey with the child. The third thing stressed was that the learning environment/classroom should only give the illusion that it is designed for free play for the child. In reality to the teacher it should actually be a very prepared environment. Present always should be the tools to best serve the child’s educational needs and developing

Leadership and Management Development Skills and Attributes

Question: Discuss about theLeadership and Management Developmentfor Skills and Attributes. Answer: Table Analysis Summary analysis of the knowledge, skills and attributes required of the candidates for the position of Director of Strategy, Marketing, and Public Relations at the Blue Riband Snacks Ltd. Name James McKay Greta Green Emily Schneider Ranking 1st 2nd 3rd Education knowledge BSC (Hons) First Class in Marketing from University of Strathclyde and an MSc in International Business (H1) from Griffith College. 8/10 BA (Hons) First Class in Modern Languages and Business from Trinity College Dublin and MBA from Harvard Business School 6/10 BSc (Hons) Upper Second in Accounting from Queens University Belfast (QUB) and MBA from Griffith College. 5/10 Soft knowledge Friendly, highly sociable, people centered 3/5 Builds consensus, very loyal to the company, honest 3/5 Motivational, people oriented, mentor 5/5 Family given Skills Married with two children - entrenches patience, sense of responsibility. 3/3 Married with one child - entrenches patience, sense of responsibility. 3/3 Unmarried, has a partner 2/3 Formal and Informal on-the-job learning Participated in the development of new brands which meant-research. Informal learning through his juniors and superiors at Blue Riband Snacks. Member of Marketing Institute of Ireland, and represents Ireland on the Board of the European Federation of Marketing. 5/5 Comes from enterprising background most likely that Entrepreneurship skills have been part of her growth to adult. Fifteen year experience at Blue Riband Snacks informal learning from her superiors and juniors. Engages in research being head of the research unit 5/5 Vast experience gained through informal learning having been Co-owner and CEO of Choconoux. A company whose products are considered to be in same consumer group with snacks. Gained informal training by learning through her colleagues at work and her superiors. 5/5 Managerial positions held or Equivalent. Worked as assistant Brand Manager for Diageo for five years. Assistant Brand for Snaxy brand of crisps for one year. Current Brand manager Snaxy. Note Snaxy is the premier brand of Blue Riband Snacks accounting for 38% of total annual revenue being realized by the Blue Riband Snacks Ltd. The brand comes in Potato, Corn and Vegetable varieties. 9/10 Assistant accounts manager for Blue Riband Snacks in various countries including Germany and United Kingdom. Financial controller for continental European Division of the business. Manager research and Development Division Brand Manager for Blue Riband Biscuit Brand responsible for 12% of the companys revenues. 6/10 Chief Executive officer Choconoux. During this time she and her co-owner managed to grew sales of the brand achieving average growth rate of 30% in the year 2010 through 2015. 6/10 Member/Professional bodies/ qualifications Associate member of European Federation of Marketing Associations. Member Marketing Institute of Ireland. 3/5 Chartered Accountant. Member Continental European Division of business. 2/4 - 0/4 Physical Traits Language proficiency Tall, healthy, fit, regular tennis player and hiker. 2/2 English (C2), Irish (C1), Swedish (B1). 2/4 Attractive, healthy, fit, regularly attends gym. 2/2 English (C2), Irish (B2), French (C1), German (C2), Spanish (C1). 4/4 Tall, healthy, athletic, runner and sailor. 2/2 English (C2), French (C1), German (C2), Swedish (B1). 3/4 Style of working and personality Has a reputation for always achieving his goal People-oriented who achieves objectives through others Has an ability to create a positive culture. Empowers others. 4/6 Someone who thinks about the long term Builds consensus Achieves things through authority and authentic leadership 4/6 Good at planning and sticking to the rules A social architect, generally motivational Always achieves the bottom line. People oriented, Good in crisis solving 4/6 Finale grading/ Score 41/50 82% 35/50 70% 30/50 60% James McKay is the most suitable candidate for the position of Director of Strategy, Marketing and Public Relations based on the outcome of the above knowledge, skills and attributes ratings. The role entails considerable high level of workload on marketing and strategic planning. The business deals with consumables which are associated with quite volatile market stability in terms of public perception. The incumbent should therefore be highly knowledgeable in marketing and has consumer taste, a fact very well demonstrated by James Mckay being the brand manger of the companies premier brand. (Mooradian, Matzler and Ring, 2012) Mr. James also boasts of impressive academic records as well as an MBA in International business a trait that marries well with the companies of objective of expanding her market to other foreign countries like Germany, Nordic countries Austria, Spain and Portugal within three years. According to Maslows the theory of Human Motivation, human beings tend get motivated when in friendly environment. This is an important factor that Mr. James brings into the team. The workforce, behind any successful company is motivated and hardworking employees. (Kerin and Peterson, 2001) The incumbent will also most likely be the next Blue Riband Snacks CEO once the current CEO exists. It therefore important that the holder of this role be someone who his /her colleague thinks the future of the company is secured. This especially important to mitigate the prevailing low moral among the company workforce as demonstrated by the research which concluded that a paltry 38% of the workforce thinks the company has a future. This trait is well demonstrated by Mr. James going by the reports that people thinks that Mr. James is likely to become a CEO in future or own his own company. (Wilson and Gilligan, 2005) Vision, Mission and Values A draft Vision, Mission Statement and Statement of Values for Blue Riband Snacks Draft Vision To Position ourselves as the top brand in Snacks market with cutting edge customer satisfaction and well known snack brands within Ireland, Europe and in the world. Draft Mission Statement To continue with our expertise in snacks, a tradition of best quality and taste and consumer driven approach motivated by our strong desire to leave a fulfilling experience with our customers every time they use our products. Draft Statement of Values Quality Products We honor our promise to always produce quality products in the most hygienic way within our service level agreement. Innovative We always expand our brands and come up with new ones in response to customer needs and taste preference from time to time. Efficient We constantly improve our efficiency to have sustainable value addition for highest return on investment possible to our stakeholders. Teamwork The company recognizes our collective efforts of all employees by providing support to each other for optimization. Recommendation Recommended personal and professional development plan for the highest ranked candidate, Mr. James Macky The director will also need to further learn and develop skills on marketing intelligence. This is because the competition always improves on their quality of products and customer. This is a continuous exercise by observing consumer behaviors and conducting training to his sales team right from agents, to brand managers to keep them abreast with the current and latest changes in the market. The company also plans to open retail outlets and caf market intelligent skills will help the director to advice the company where best to set up these outlets. (Gilligan and Wilson, 2003) James should progressively work on his emotions when the team doesnt meet the sales targets assigned. This is phenomenon that is very much likely to happen anytime and if the Director of Strategy, Marketing and Public Relation will be loosing his cool every time targets are not meet, then that is likely to demoralize the employees further considering recent research which reported low morale among the employees of the company. There is no specific time line on this personal development but Mr. James is always expected to be more stable emotionally especially when targets have not been met. He can engage a professional on emotion like a counselor who can then advice him on how best to handle a crisis. The candidate needs to learn and develop professional knowledge and skills in accounting by enrolling in professional courses in accounting within two years. The rational for this that he is likely successor of the current company CEO. Apart from marketing and posting impressive performance in sales the CEO must have deep understanding of the financial position of the company. The CEO advices the board on matters expansion and other major projects that the company is likely to initiate. It is therefore important that the advice is financially sound to avoid leading the company in incurring bad investments that affects cash flow and smooth running of the business. The cost for this development can be met by the candidate or the board may decide to sponsor him. (Jensen and Ronit, 2013) The candidate needs to learn and understand the market dynamics of the healthier sugar free snacks within one year. The rational for this is that when the Blue Riband Snacks Company has a vision to develop this product and wrest fro its market share. He needs to learn what the consumption trend of this product is. The most preferred brand currently in the market and what makes consumers prefer the said brand. The company will need to commission a research on this front using available resources like the brand managers. The brand managers can interview consumers observe the product in the market and note any important aspect noticed. The candidate also needs develop skills and knowledge in oversees markets in Germany, the Nordic countries, Austria, Spain and Portugal. These are the target markets for the company within the next three years. He should learn these skills within the next one year for Germany, the Nordic countries and Austria markets and within two years for Spain and Portugal. These markets provide new challenges because the company doesnt have experience in them as of now but will need it all within the next three years when it plans to have entered these markets. The company can utilize markets consultants in the respective areas to provide the insights. References Acuff, D. and Reiher, R. (2014). What kids buy. [Place of publication not identified]: Free Press. Gilligan, C. and Wilson, R. (2003). Strategic marketing planning. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann. Grunes, B. and Yoakam, L. (2004). Diabetes snacks, treats, easy eats. Chicago: Surrey Books. Jensen, J. and Ronit, K. (2013). Food Industry Firms' Economic Incentives to Provide Nutritional Information to the Market: European Breakfast Cereals, Snacks, and Soft Drinks Industries. Journal of International Food Agribusiness Marketing, 25(3), pp.209-224. Jovanovic, A. (2012). PR in culture - culture in PR. Kultura, (136), pp.325-339. Kerin, R. and Peterson, R. (2001). Strategic marketing problems. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall. Lane, N. (2009). Special issue: strategic sales and strategic marketing. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 17(3-4), pp.189-190. Mooradian, T., Matzler, K. and Ring, L. (2012). Strategic marketing. Boston, MA: Pearson Prentice Hall. Proctor, T. (2000). Strategic marketing. London: Routledge. Wilson, R. and Gilligan, C. (2005). Strategic marketing management. Amsterdam: Elsevier/Butterworth-Heinemann.

Videocracy A Double

Look Deeper into the Abyss – and Watch It Look into You Throughout the history of the world, there has always been the kind of power which could not be suppressed or overthrown. The people of the greatest influence, these beholders of the world’s power were merely the TV officials. Despite the fact that many people consider the TV as merely a means of entertainment, its role is of much more importance for the mankind. Seemingly only a means of entertainment, it shapes people’s ideas of the world and the politics even in a more impressive way tan any political campaign ever undertaken.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Videocracy: A Double-Sided Sword for the Fame-Hungry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Way the Movie Flows In accordance with its name, Videocracy is completely devoted to the role of the mass media in people’s lives. A snapshot of the life path of the great, the miserab le plebs and the cunning in-between specific social layer, journalists, the movie director has managed to show the amazing fusion of tragedy and mockery of the Italian TV. However, was it only the Italian television that the film director depicted? Applied to any other country, this situation would look quite the same. Disclosing the vices of the modern people, their striving not for prosperity, but for money overdose, Eric Gandini created an unforgettable masterpiece which mirrored the lowest of the low which is hidden within people’s souls. It was extremely wise of the film director to choose the shape of a documentary to create the vision of one’s life grasped in the camera focus. It is obvious that there was only one genre which could embrace all the issues which the topic of the movie touches upon. Episodes Merging into a Story In spite of the fact that in the end, shown as a premiere, the movie looks like a complete, whole piece which cannot be separated and take n apart, it must be kept in mind that at the moment of creation the film was a sequence of short scenes and breakdowns. Thus, the original course of the operator’s thoughts can be traced even as the movie is shown to the public, eventually trimmed and with all the unnecessary elements cut. Thus, following the stream of ideas which the movie director sends the audience through, it can be observed that Videocracy has much more than the twists of the plot to expose to the loyal audience. As W. W. Norton noticed, A storyboard is a shot-by-shot (sometimes scene-by-scene) breakdown that combines sketches or photographs of how each shot is to look with written descriptions of the other elements that are to accompany each shot, including dialogue, sound, and music. (Norton 116) Thus, it must be admitted that in Videocracy, the sequence of the breakdowns was linked into a fascinating cadence of the accidents and actions of the lead characters. Making a sequence of episodes, this chain of events was developed into an intrigue spinning around the issue which has always been and will always be on the agenda of the day – people’s concern for the life of celebrities.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A deep and insightful movie offers much more than merely entertainment. Taking a look at the way in which the pieces of the film have been organized, it becomes obvious that there is much more than meets the eye in the movie plot. Although the film cannot be considered what could be called a mocumentary, the author of the film approached the border between the tragic and the comic in Videocracy with help of the expressive and effective mise-en-scenes. Structuring the movie, Gandini enclosed the most significant scenes as the parts which must hook the audience’s attention and increase the excitement. As Norton explained, The visual elements of mise-e n-scene are all so crucial to shaping out sympathy for, and understanding of, the characters shaped by them. (156) It is peculiar that the scenes of the movie create a specific rhythm which is nard to conceive from the very beginning nut which one can feel as the film goes on. It can be traced that some of the scenes float into each other smoothly and softly like a river, yet some of them are roughly interrupted to show the unceasing motion of live going on both in the big world of the great celebrities and the feeble lives of those who follow the track of the celebrities’ lives. One of the most dramatic film episodes, the one in which the lead character watches the life of the celebrities on TV, is the key to the entire movie. It is quite peculiar that with a single scene the film director has managed to open the audience’s eyes on the idea of the movie and on what is concealed behind the film plot. Fixing the audience’s eyes on the ordinary people’s pas sion for the snatches of the celebrities’ lives, Gandini crates a perfect illusion of an ersatz life with all its sad consequences. Looking at a Different Angle The complicacy of movie-making presupposes that the shits should be arranged into a composition which could draw people’s attention to what is happening on the screen in a blink of an eye. Putting people and events in their places is truly a great gift which is rather hard to acquire and completely impossible to master. With his wisdom and the feeling for the film rhythm, the movie director arranged the pieces of the story in a unique, the one and only correct way which made people gasp in awe. As Kawin said, Film composition is dramatically affected by camera placement, not just in terms of camera-to-subject distance, but also in terms of angle. A horizontal line, seen from a certain angle, can become a diagonal or even a vertical. (171)Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Videocracy: A Doub le-Sided Sword for the Fame-Hungry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Indeed, it is absolutely clear that with help of the camera placement the movie obtained the necessary depth and the specific accent on certain elements. Changing the angle of the camera shot, making the objects pop out into the focus of the camera, or, vice versa, hide in the dark of the perspective, the cameraman did an amazing job on the movie. A perfect example of the way the shift of the camera focus made the audience pay specific attention on certain details were the episodes with the lead character watching the celebrities. Exposed to the audience’s gazes, the face of the lead showed the whole palette of the fan’s emotions, while the celebrities in the rear created an impression of pathetic nothingness. Another piece to analyze is the sounding of the movie. Such is the nature of sound that it can either turn the movie into a complete masterpiece, or ruin it completely. In the case of Vidoecracy, the sounding was quite different from the ones in the range of other Italian movies. One of the typical sore spots of the Italian movies, the lack of sound effects, was turned in a movie peculiarity of Videocracy. As LoBrutto marked, â€Å"Italian movies are very sparse. They have dialogue, then music, and then very few sound effects.† (258) It is obvious that Videocracy is no exception; however, taking into consideration the specifics of the movie, one can understand that the abundance of sounds would have spoiled the film. For the movie to look like a snatch of the real life, the true vision of a fan’s existence, his/her thoughts and course of actions, it was absolutely necessary to employ the most precise system of sounding. What must be especially marked about the movie sound system is the background for the dialogues of the lead characters. Considered as the accidental noises, the creak of a door, the water rustlin g in the bathroom or the sound of someone’s breath was designed to emphasize the atmosphere of the movie, so tense and thought-provoking, making the audience think what is going to happen in the next couple of minutes. The Way People See It Although Videocracy was the only work of Eric Gandini which gained the worldwide recognition, the film director had a number of other works. However, taking a retrospective on Gandini’s works, it can be supposed that the previous films were the steps which slowly but surely led the film director to Videocracy. The peak of his creativity, Videocracy could be traced in every work of Gandini.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Although none of the previous works of Gandini touches upon the issue of political life, there is certain breeze of rebellion in the other works of his. For instance, in Sacrfiicio: Who Betrayed Che Guevara Eric Gandini also considers the issue of fame and notoriety, emphasizing that there is actually very little difference between the two. Another Gandini’s work where the premises of Videocracy could be traced is Surplus: Terrorized into Being Consumers, is interconnected with Videocracy even more closely. Considering fanaticism and loyalty to certain famous personalities in Videocracy, Gandini actually develops the idea which he expressed in Surplus. Taking into consideration these movies, one must admit that the idea of Videocracy as the continuation of these topics and their further development into another set of ideas is quite plausible. In spite of the fact that the depth of the movie allows several interpretations, it seems that there is the one which fits the movie b est. Making people see the life of the famous personalities as it is, without the specks of glamour caught in the focus of the camera, Gandini makes it clear that the impact of the TV on people’s course of thoughts has become increasingly shocking and even frightening. Helping the audience understand the absurdity of believing in what is pouring out of the TV-set right into people’s minds, Gandini suggests a â€Å"pill† which will heal the TV-addicts from their weird mania. Conclusion With help of the specific means of sounding and arranging the scenes of the movie into a sequence which made a double sense and made the plot more complicated, Eric Gandini created a movie which explored the popular topic in an unorthodox method. Although the topic which Gandini chose as the key idea of his movie was rather beaten track for the modern cinema, the way in which he mirrored the life of celebrities’ and their fans was more than merely creating another vision of the popular problem – it was in fact the revelation for the audience. Employing special techniques of sounding system which added a specific air to the movie, Gandini made the movie stand out of the range of Italian movies. In spite of the fact that the means which the movie director used were rather conventional and time-tested, he broke a new ground in the movie-making with help of the original way in which he conveyed his ideas to the public. Considering the idea of TV-addiction and the plausibility of the information which TV suggests, Gandini raised quite a topical issue. Works Cited Barsam, Richard. Looking at the Movies. W. W. Norton EBook Reader. N.D. Kawin, Bruce F. How Movies Work. Thousand Oaks, CA: University of California Press, 1992. Print. LOBrutto, Vincent. Sound-on-Film: Interviews with Creators of Film Sound. Westport, CN: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1994. Print. This essay on Videocracy: A Double-Sided Sword for the Fame-Hungry was written and submitted by user Gisselle R. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The History of the Cabbage Patch Kids Dolls

The History of the Cabbage Patch Kids Dolls During the 1983 Christmas season, parents in the United States frantically searched everywhere for the coveted Cabbage Patch Kids dolls. While many stores had extremely long waiting lists, others had a first-come first-serve policy, which led to shocking, vicious fights between potential buyers. By the end of the year, approximately three million Cabbage Patch Kids dolls had been adopted. The Cabbage Patch Kids frenzy of 1983 was to be the first of many such holiday-season, toy frenzies in the years to come. What Is a Cabbage Patch Kids Doll? In 1983, a Cabbage Patch Kids doll was a 16-inch doll, usually with a plastic head, a fabric body, and yarn hair (unless it was bald). What made them so desirable, besides the fact that they were huggable, was both their supposed uniqueness and their adoptability. It was claimed that each Cabbage Patch Kids doll was unique. Different head molds, eye shapes and colors, hair styles and colors, and clothing options did make each one look different than the other. This, plus the fact that inside each Cabbage Patch Kids box came a birth certificate with that particular kids first and middle name on it, made the dolls as individual as the kids who wanted to adopt them. The official Cabbage Patch Kids story tells of a young boy named Xavier Roberts, who was led by a Bunnybee through a waterfall, down a long tunnel, and out into a magical land where a cabbage patch grew little children. When he was asked to help, Roberts agreed to find loving homes for these Cabbage Patch Kids. The real Xavier Roberts, who invented the Cabbage Patch Kids dolls, had no trouble adopting out his dolls in 1983, for real kids around the country vied to be one of the few whose parents were able to buy them one. The Real Story Behind the Cabbage Patch Dolls The real history of Cabbage Patch Kids dolls had little to do with Bunnybees; instead, the real story began with 21-year-old Xavier Roberts, who, when he was an art student, came up with the beginning doll idea in 1976. By 1978, Roberts joined up with five of his school friends and started a company called the Original Appalachian Artworks, Inc., which sold the entirely plush, hand-made Little People dolls (the name was to change later). Roberts would travel to arts and craft shows to sell his dolls, which already had the signature adoption aspect to them. The dolls were a hit even with the first buyers and soon orders started to pour in. By 1981, Roberts and his dolls were being written about in many magazines, even appearing on the cover of Atlantic Weekly. In 1982, Roberts and his friends were unable to keep up with the orders and thus signed a contract with Coleco, a toy manufacturer, who could mass produce the dolls, which were now to have plastic heads and be called Cabbage Patch Kids. By the following year, Coleco couldnt keep up either. Kids were demanding the doll, causing a buying frenzy at the end of 1983. A Few Things You Dont Know About Cabbage Patch Kids Dolls Later, when Hasbro took over manufacturing (1989 to 1994), the dolls shrunk down to 14 inches tall. Mattel, which manufactured Cabbage Patch Kids from 1994 to today also kept the smaller, 14-inch size. On the left-side of every dolls tush, you can find the signature of Cabbage Patch Kids inventor, Xavier Roberts. However, what you might not know is that just about every year the dolls were made, the color of the signature changed. For instance, in 1983, the signature was black but in 1993 it was forest green. If you are an avid fan of Cabbage Patch Kids, you can go visit the Babyland General Hospital and see the birth of a doll. Located in Cleveland, Georgia, the large, Southern-style house holds thousands of Cabbage Patch Kids dolls. Be forewarned, it is highly unlikely that you could bring kids here and escape without buying them a doll. Do you have a Cabbage Patch Kids doll in your garage that youre hoping will eventually bring you lots of money? Check out the Doll Collecting site at About.com to find out if what you have is worth anything.