The American Of American National History Essay - 2102 Words

Introduction. George Washington stands at the origins of American national history. Many Americans call him â€Å"the father of our country†. Washington commanded the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War. He led the American colonists to freedom from British rule. He headed the convention that created the U.S. Constitution, as president of the republic Washington has created a basis for a federal government in which the Americans were able to find their national agreement. Despite his accomplishments as a general, political leader, businessman, and emancipator, Washington can also be defined as a family man. After marriage with Martha Dandridge Custis, he raised her two children as his very own. George Washington loved the country and its people. The country, also, loved him and respected. James Russell Lowell, an American romantic poet, wrote about Washington next: â€Å"Soldier and statesman, rarest unison; High-poised example of great duties done Simply as breathing, a world s honors worn As life s indifferent gifts to all men born† (Harrington 49). George Washington was a man of an extraordinary abilities and visionary leader, he left the trace in the history of the USA as a great man, as genius leader of army and as the first president. G. Washington as a Person. George Washington was a son of an ambitious colonial entrepreneur, Augustine Washington and Mary Ball. He was born at Bridges Creek, in Westmoreland County, Virginia on February 22, 1732. George’s childhood wasShow MoreRelatedGeorge Washington : The American Of American National History Essay1288 Words   |  6 PagesGeorge Washington stands at the origins of American national history. Many Americans call him â€Å"the father of our country†. Washington commanded the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War. 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Developing Positive Assertiveness Free Essays

string(49) " becomes natural and integrated into daily life\." Summary Developing assertiveness is more than just learning to speak differently. Being assertive requires thinking assertively, behaving positively and feeling self-confident. We must all make a conscious effort to be consistently assertive. We will write a custom essay sample on Developing Positive Assertiveness or any similar topic only for you Order Now As we learn to become more assertive we reduce our stress, failures, dissatisfactions and conflicts. Developing assertiveness requires effort but the rewards are worth it. Successful behavior change requires thinking and doing. Behavior change is possible once you understand that it is an evolving, ongoing process that can be accomplished by moving through various stages. This essay discusses and describes the different behavioral types along with recipes to lead to successful behavioral change. It examines the effects of positive mental imagery and the self-fulfilling prophecy towards programming yourself towards success. It explores the four steps for powerful assertiveness along with how to deal and prepare for confrontation. Assertiveness is the antidote to fear, shyness, passivity, and even anger, so there is an astonishingly wide range of situations in which this training is appropriate. The case study demonstrates how after assertiveness training employees feel empowered with tools and skills to handle any communication situation. All of us should insist on being treated fairly — to stand up for our rights without violating the rights of others. This means tactfully, justly and effectively expressing our preferences, needs, opinions and feelings. We do this through the development of positive assertiveness. Introduction When we hear the word assertive most people think of someone standing their ground refusing to give an inch and pushing to have their own way. Others think of someone who is stubborn on certain issues but overall a nice individual. Others do not know what assertive behavior really is. Assertive behavior is a natural style while being honest, direct and respectful while interacting with others. Why is there a need for assertiveness training books and courses? They are essential as most people do not understand the importance of using assertive behavior. As more and more people develop assertiveness and start to influence others, the awareness and acceptance of this behavior type will increase. Everyone should aspire to be assertive – it is a desirable behavior, it is vital for honest, healthy relationships. It is the behavior necessary for positive outcomes in negotiation, normal business dealings, conflict resolution and also in family life. †The assertive individual is a tower of strength with high self-esteem with clear self-knowledge and able to accept their own shortcomings as well as their strengths. † Figure 1: The Assertiveness Triangle. The Three Main Behavioral Types No one is consistently assertive, we all follow these three basic behavioral types depending on the situation: Passive – this behavior is passive and indirect. It conveys a message of inferiority. By being nonassertive, we allow the needs, wants and rights of others to be more important than our own. It creates a behavior of â€Å"win-lose† situations. A nonassertive person loses or is disregarded while allowing others to win. This leads to being a victim not a winner. Aggressive – this behavior is complex, it can be either passive or active. Aggression can be direct or non-direct, honest or dishonest. It communicates an impression of disrespect and superiority. Assertive – this is when a person stands up for their legitimate rights in such a way that the rights of others are not violated. It communicates respect for others behavior. It is an honest, direct and appropriate expression of one’s beliefs, feelings and opinions. Figure 2: Assertiveness, graph mode. Figure 3: The different behavioral types. Figure 4: Examples of the different types of behavior. Successful Change of Behavior Successful behavior change requires thinking and doing. Behavior change is possible once you understand that it is an evolving, ongoing process that can be accomplished by moving through various stages. Real change comes only after persistent action. The more frequently people perform a behavior, the more habitual and automatic it becomes, requiring little effort or conscious attention. Figure 5: Motivation and ability graph. Figure 6: Target behavior graph showing effects of core motivators. Positive Mental Imagery When developing positive assertiveness you will begin to start practicing new ways of expressing yourself and handling yourself. It is a good idea to also practice the technique of positive mental imagery. This is using your imagination to visualize yourself saying and doing things successfully and assertively. Envision situations in which you see yourself being assertive, feel confident, powerful and effective. Only imagine positive outcomes. Think of positive mental imagery as being proactive in the journey of developing positive assertiveness. Four P’s of Successful Change Any type of change whether big or small can be challenging. For many, large scale change only occurs when after a traumatic experience. However, one does not need a traumatic upset to prompt change. To make a successful change, you do need to be prepared. There are 4 rules which help to retain these changes. 1. Protection – Change is often very scary. One of the reasons we do not change is because of fear. Our fear can be vague but enough to sabotage successful change. Having protection can help to stick with a commitment to change. It may be best to start your successful assertiveness in an environment which feels very safe. Change one thing at a time – slow and steady wins the race. 2. Potency – Change is an active process not a passive process. It is necessary to put in some mental effort, emotional involvement and physical activity. To tap into your potency: define your goal in simple, active, positive words. Write down your change goal and display it where you can see it every day. Imagine practicing your goal of positive assertiveness and visualize yourself doing this with ease. . Permission – Each of us requires permission of change ourselves. Be sure to give yourself permission to change. 4. Practice – To become skillful with any behavior requires practice. A large amount of practice may be needed before your new behavior becomes natural and integrated into daily life. You read "Developing Positive Assertiveness" in category "Papers" Develop a practice schedule, be specific ab out how often, when and where. Record your efforts and successes. Self-Fulfilling Prophecy The self-fulfilling prophecy is a statement that alters actions and therefore comes true. For example, a person stating â€Å"I’m probably going to have a lousy day,† might alter his actions so that such a prediction is fulfilled by his actions. This may be an unconscious gesture. A person who embraces the self-fulfilling prophecy in a positive way â€Å"I’m going to have a great day† might act in ways that will actually make this prediction true. Programming Yourself for Success If you want to program yourself for success you will need to understand that if you only put rubbish into your head, you will only ever get trashy results in your life! The human minds works just like a computer- when it comes to basic programming the same basic rules apply: if only negative stuff goes in then only negativity will come out. If you want to program yourself for success then you need to lock your mind against every single thought that is not coloured with success and covered with positivity. Many people struggle with reprogramming themselves for success because although they practice positive thinking, they visualize and say their affirmations, negativity is still the predominant factor in their lives. It is not the affirmations and the visualizations that are getting in the way, but rather the thoughts and the feelings that are active the rest of the time! The only way you are going to program yourself for success is to go on the offensive, and to make a conscious effort to not only have a constant intake of positive, success-filled thoughts and feelings, but to also avoid any thoughts and feelings that cancel out your success-driven mentality. The Four Steps for Powerful Assertiveness There are four basic steps that can help you to become more assertive in everyday dealings with others. Step 1: Repeat the Question or Statement To add power to your assertiveness the first thing to do is to repeat the question. Ensure that you have good eye contact and speak with confident, assertive voice tones. It may be necessary to emphasize certain words the second time to increase the chances of getting your point across. Step 2: Command, don’t ask If the person continues to refuse to co-operate, switch from asking to commanding. Being directive tends to sound more powerful than a request to most. Learn to use the request for the majority of people, the average person will hear your request as polite and appropriate, there is less risk of sounding pushy. If the request does not produce results then change the request to a command. Step 3: Add Some Emotion If your efforts are still unsuccessful you can add emotion as another way to add power to your assertiveness. People are unaccustomed to open emotions and honesty and by using these you can add significant power to your communication. Step 4: Introduce Consequences By introducing consequences it is a final way to add power to your assertiveness. They are not threats, they are simply statements of what your intentions are if you do not get co-operation. Consequences need to be stated in advance to give the other person a chance to change their behavior. Consequences need to be strong and believable, the action needs to be something undesirable. You must be willing to follow through on the consequence if necessary. If you are tested by the other person and you do not take the action you said you would, you will lose all credibility and power not just with that person but perhaps also with others. Case Study Assertiveness training helps administrative assistants forge positive relationships with internal and external customers. Situation: A college recognised that its administrative assistants work with a range of internal and external customers and assertiveness training with this these employees could have a positive impact throughout the organisation. This group also tends to be passive. Challenge: The administrative assistants report to multiple faculty members, and they felt powerless to effectively juggle the assignments of multiple bosses. As the university’s face to the customer (students), polished communication skills would enable them to more effectively communicate with these customers. Solution: The college hired Mary to present a communication workshop for this group. Mary customised training focused on assertive communication skills and how to work with difficult people. Also, the group participated in a personality assessment to gain insight into their individual communication style and, with role playing, learned how to communicate with people who have different communication styles. Results: The college invites Mary to conduct a communication workshop for this group every year, focusing on various communication aspects. Participants rave that the workshops are interactive and relevant to their job. They feel empowered with tools and skills to handle any communication situation. Dealing with Confrontations Many people cannot handle confrontation and start to shake, they lose control of their voice pitch and cannot control their thoughts. It is frustrating when someone is putting you down and you cannot argue back as you have a touch of confrontation jitters. It is the ‘Flight or Fight’ syndrome kicking in as it pumps adrenaline through your body in readiness of getting your body prepared to either ‘Flight’ or ‘Fight’. Some tips to deal with confrontation: * Take a deep breath, this lowers your heartbeat and blood pressure. * If you can, take five minutes to rehearse what you will say. Make key points for your argument. * Realise what triggers your anger and prepare a response to that trigger. By doing this you are aware of what buttons others can push to provoke a certain response. When you know your own triggers it is less likely that someone can push these buttons as you are prepared. * Make the other person aware of how confrontational they are being such as ‘why are you being so confrontational? ’ this turns the energy back on them and lets them reflect on themselves. This may calm them down as most people get lost in the moment and do not realise they are being aggressive. * Don’t get sucked into other people’s arguments where the purpose is to manipulate you into loosing and thereby showing the other person that they are superior. If you don’t get sucked in there is no argument to win and you will come out looking the better person. Figure 7: Conflict Management Model. Conclusion This essay has examined the positive effects that assertiveness can have on your social and business interactions. It is an ongoing development process where you need to be actively involved in modifying your behavior patterns. Assertiveness includes the right to choose not to assert yourself. There is no rule saying that you have to assert yourself all the time and in some situations you may feel it is better not to say anything. Generally, though, you are likely to find that being more assertive has a significant positive impact on your life. Because some people want to be â€Å"nice† and â€Å"not cause trouble,† they â€Å"suffer in silence,† and assume nothing can be done to change their situation. We appreciate pleasant, accommodating people but whenever a nice person allows a greedy, dominant person to take advantage of them, the passive person is not only cheating themselves but also reinforcing unfair, self-centered behavior in the aggressive person. True assertiveness means without aggression, guilt or fear. It is far more effective in the long run and infinitely more satisfying. Winning others to your way of thinking, the legitimate way, is much more fun. By choosing to be assertive and by following the steps outlined in this essay, you will know that you have the power over any situation, over your own feelings and stress levels. Recommendations Being assertive is being able to express yourself with confidence, without resorting to passiveness, aggressiveness or manipulative. By developing assertiveness and being aware of your strengths and weaknesses you can learn how to modify your behavior in both social and work interactions, therefore enhancing your career prospects and improving your social life. Practice your skills on someone you are unlikely to meet again. If you fail, realise where you have gone wrong and try again. Attending workshops and seminars can be extremely valuable especially when given the opportunity to use role-play to uncover your response in various interpersonal situations. Assertiveness is closely linked to self-esteem and body language so it is important to build on these ideas too. The Irish Training and Educational Centre (ITEC) run an ‘Assertiveness at Work’ distance learning course online for a fee of â‚ ¬330 covering 6 modules. This course can be signed up for online (https://www. irishtraining. ie/business/assertiveness_work. html) or by phoning ITEC on 01-2897579 Appendices Figure 1: The Assertiveness Triangle Figure 2: Assertiveness, graph mode. Figure 3: The different behavioral types. Figure 4: Examples of the different types of behavior. Figure 5: Motivation and ability graph. Figure 6: Target behavior graph showing effects of core motivators. Figure 7: Conflict Management Model. Bibliography Johnson J, â€Å"Developing Assertiveness†, First Edition, James Madison University, MA USA, 2004 Lloyd S, â€Å"Positive Assertiveness†, Third Edition, Thomson Learning, Boston MA USA, 2002 Mullen P, â€Å"Management/Supervisory Skills†, Logicert, Cork 2003 References https://www. irishtraining. ie/business/assertiveness_work. html https://www. ciltuk. corg. com/theknowledgecentre http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-a-self-fulfilling-prophecy. htm Aitchison, S. , â€Å"7 Tips For Dealing With Confrontation† http://www. stevenaitchison. o. uk/blog/7-tips-for-dealing-with-confrontation, June 6, 2011 http://www. sandiego. edu/slic/images/3%20types%20interpersonal. pdf http://www. donnaschilder. com/Inspirational-Articles/Relationships/7-Steps-to-Positive-Assertiveness. shtml http://psychcentral. com/blog/archives/2010/02/25/building-assertiveness-in-4-s teps/ http://s-wagner. tamu. edu/classes/KINE%20214/teachi ngstrategies. pdf http://my. safaribooksonline. com/book/personal-development/1560526009/ensuring-successful-change/14#X2ludGVybmFsX0ZsYXNoUmVhZGVyP3htbGlkPTEtNTYwNTItNjAwLTkvMTQ= http://www. odayisthatday. com/how-to-program-yourself-for-success-by-locking-down-your-mental-hard-drive/ http://www. deseretnews. com/article/705323554/Successful-behavior-change-requires-thinking-and-doing. html http://www. improvementtower. com/Assertiveness_in_Work_Place. html HTTP://CALLTHESHRINK. BLOGSPOT. COM/2009/04/ASSERTIVENESS-TRAINING. HTML http://www. strategicinsight. biz/index. php? option=com_content;view=article;id=56;Itemid=60 ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Mullen, Pat â€Å"Module 4, Management/Supervisory Skills† (2003) Pg. 60 How to cite Developing Positive Assertiveness, Papers

Comparing The Deserter by Winifred M Letts and The Hero by Siegfried Sassoon Essay Example

Comparing The Deserter by Winifred M Letts and The Hero by Siegfried Sassoon Paper Both poems are during the period of war. Each of these two poems is talking about a certain person during the war time, whether he was seen as great man or an ignorant abandoner, both poems relate to a significant person. From the beginning of the story, we can already separate which one is seen as a hero and who is seen as unforgiving. The two poems begin with a completely different tones; one is delightful, but The Deserter starts already in the first verse with an unnamed man and the reader already sees him as worthless and unimportant. In The Deserter there is a clear sign of repetition in the verses 4 to 5, so as to emphasis the faults that this nameless man committed and show his mistakes in a deeper aspect. During the entire poem, the man is described as a frightened child and is seen as a hare, which is the animal at the bottom of a food chain, nonetheless worthless and unimportant. The colours described in this poem are dark, signs of death and abandon, of fear and darkness, where grey is the most dominant. Yet again, in verses 24 to 25, a repetition of an English bullet in his heart shows that the author is feeling a sense of betrayal by this lost man and how he must have left his troops and men behind, dependent on him all along. Betrayal during war times war unacceptable, yet quite frequent. This poem enables us to see that even though this happened rather often, deserting the field was seen as offensive act. In Verse 16, the author mentions the fear of death that many soldiers had at the time; it seems that it is something which is dishonourable even though it is only natural for a man to fear death and what is beyond. We will write a custom essay sample on Comparing The Deserter by Winifred M Letts and The Hero by Siegfried Sassoon specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Comparing The Deserter by Winifred M Letts and The Hero by Siegfried Sassoon specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Comparing The Deserter by Winifred M Letts and The Hero by Siegfried Sassoon specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In this poem, it seems that whatever the deserter does, even if it is a simple action; the author will view it as wrong and judge him furthermore for his previous actions. When the author describes the mothers reactions to his death, it is seen as ironic and a rather dark humour against the young fellow yet again. It seems that even his own mother would be distraught if she knew the about his sons death. It feels unfair for the reader to see this but the poem ends on a rather unsatisfying note. The author places the deserter into a deserters grave, a place where only the worthless people settle and is not worth any visiting. The Hero is a poem that is different to The Deserter in many ways. Even if in the two poems, the authors are describing soldiers from the war, their faiths are completely different and the authors attitude towards them also is. From the beginning the author sees the death of this young man a tragedy rather than deliverance and he does not criticise his actions rather than his personality. The poem immediately starts with the mothers reaction to the young mans death, whereas The Deserter ended on that point. When the mother says that she is so proud of how her son dies, it shows how moved she is by his death and how even though she is full of sadness, she cannot help but to be proud. But as the poem continues the tone slowly becomes more pessimistic and ironic than at the start. The writer describes how the officer lied about the entire ordeal and mimics the mothers sadness. The writer has had a drastic change of view from the beginning and now the dead soldier is no longer seen as glorious but rather pathetic, and the mother is seen as rather modest. This poem also ends on a slightly awkward note, explaining that no one cared about the way this young man perished except that lonely woman with white hair, showing somehow that she is the only woman that ever cared for her son. In both poems, the mothers are the ones that play the role of the appearing parent, this is most probably because mothers are seen as more sensitive and they are more patient towards the wait for their sons news. Both stories end, with the mother proud, even though neither of the parents truly knows what happened to their sons. The two poems are quite ironic in a way and set an uncomfortable ending, something which keeps the readers on edge. Both poems successfully show us the difficulties of the war, and for many soldiers, it was terribly hard to deal with and many suffered and simply wished to travel back home or disappear from the battle field.

Formal Diary Entry Essay Example

Formal Diary Entry Essay Example Formal Diary Entry Paper Formal Diary Entry Paper Dear diary, I was reading one of the latest teenage magazines today. I find them rather interesting and informative because they are full of very compelling articles about role models in sport and culture. In this generation. There was a very amusing article on a singer called Mile Cyrus. She is an interesting character. It is amazing to watch what happens to young celebrities, as they get older. Often, after many years in the spotlight, some celebrities appear to develop a very undesirable image. Mile was always a very good role model towards young people but now she shaves her head ND has a few too many tattoos. : There was also a very enlightening article on Ian Thorpe. Ian Thorpe is a fantastic swimmer and I admire him greatly. I was amazed to read that he is 192 centimeters tall with an incredible arm span. No wonder he was such a good swimmer! He used to have depression when he was younger man. Its quite astonishing to see that he broke 22 world records during his very successful career while battling depression. Ian has been treated for depression since he was a teenager. He was quite embarrassed about his condition so he kept it a secret, even from his parents. He also had a very minor alcohol problem. Before his first race at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, he was very unhappy and drank a lot of alcohol to make himself feel better. He has also suffered from suicidal thoughts and didnt believe that he could ever recover. It wasnt until several years after his retirement that his mental health improved. Over the years, Ian Thorpe has been a very successful swimmer. He won multiple Olympic medals and won many awards such as the 2002 World Swimmer of the Year. When he was only fourteen years old, he was selected to represent Australia in he 400-meter freestyle. This made him the youngest male to ever represent Australia! He is traveled around the world during his career and has been to many places such as London, Tokyo, Paris and New York! A high profile coach quoted that he was the greatest swimmer the world has ever seen. He is also sponsored by Aids, Santa, Tellers and Seven Network. It was would be quite breathtaking to see your face on billboards and front covers of magazines all over the world. In 2007, he qualified for the World Championships selection trials, but unfortunately e had to withdraw from the competition because he had bronchitis. He then had glandular fever and afterwards he broke his wrist, which was unfortunate because he was hoping to return to the Commonwealth Games after his retirement. No wonder he was finding life so difficult. During all this, he then had to put up with the media asking questions about his sexuality and whether he was homosexual or not. I find it incredible that people can be so intrusive when it comes to celebritys private lives. That someday I will be as good as him. Until tomorrow diary, Maggie

Chinese Gift-Giving Etiquette

Chinese Gift-Giving Etiquette Not only is the choice of gift important in Chinese culture, but how much you spend on it, how you wrap it, and how you present it are equally important. When Should I Give a Gift? In Chinese societies, gifts are given for holidays, such as birthdays, during official business meetings, and at special events like dinner at a friend’s home. While red envelopes are the more popular choice for Chinese New Year and weddings, gifts are also acceptable. How Much Should I Spend on a Gift? The value of the gift depends on the occasion and your relationship to the recipient. In business settings where more than one person will receive a gift, the most senior person should receive the most expensive gift. Never give the same gift to people of different ranks in the company. While there are times when an expensive gift is necessary, over the top and lavish gifts may not be well received for several reasons. First, the person may be embarrassed because he or she can not reciprocate with a gift of similar value or, during business deals, especially with politicians, it may appear to be a bribe. When giving a red envelope, the amount of money inside will depend on the situation. There is great debate over how much to give: The amount of money in red envelopes given to children for Chinese New Year depends on age and the giver’s relationship to the child. For younger children, the equivalent of about $7 dollars is fine. More money is given to older children and teenagers. The amount is usually enough for the child to buy himself a gift, such as a T-shirt or DVD. Parents may give the child a more substantial amount since material gifts are usually not given during the holidays. For employees at work, the year-end bonus is typically the equivalent of one month’s wage though the amount can vary from enough money to buy a small gift to more than one month’s wage. If you go to a wedding, the money in the red envelope should be equivalent to a nice gift that would be given at a Western wedding. It should be enough money to cover the guest’s expense at the wedding. For example, if the wedding dinner costs the newlyweds US$35 per person, then the money in the envelope should be at least US$35. In Taiwan, typical amounts on money are: NT$1,200, NT$1,600, NT$2,200, NT$2,600, NT$3,200 and NT$3,600. As with Chinese New Year, the amount of money is relative to your relationship to the recipient the closer your relationship to the bride and groom, the more money that is expected. Immediate family like parents and siblings give more money than casual friends. It is not uncommon for business partners to be invited to weddings. Business partners often put more money in the envelope to strengthen the business relationship. Less money is given for birthdays than is given for Chinese New Year and weddings because it is viewed as the least important of the three occasions. Nowadays, people often just bring gifts for birthdays. For all occasions, certain amounts of money are to be avoided. Anything with a four is best avoided because å›› (sà ¬, four) sounds similar to æ ­ » (sÇ , death). Even numbers, except four, are better than odd. Eight is a particularly auspicious number. The money inside a red envelope should always be new and crisp. Folding the money or giving dirty or wrinkled bills is in bad taste. Coins and checks are avoided, the former because change is not worth much and the latter because checks are not widely used in Asia. How Should I Wrap the Gift? Chinese gifts can be wrapped with wrapping paper and bows, just like gifts in the West. However, some colors should be avoided. Red is lucky. Pink and yellow symbolize happiness. Gold is for fortune and wealth. So wrapping paper, ribbon, and bows in these colors are best. Avoid white, which is used in funerals and connotes death. Black and blue also symbolize death and should not be used. If you include a greeting card or gift tag, do not write in red ink as this signifies death. Never write a Chinese person’s name in red ink as this is considered bad luck. If you are giving a red envelope, there are a few points to remember. Unlike a Western greeting card, red envelopes given at Chinese New Year are typically left unsigned. For birthdays or weddings, a short message, typically a four character expression, and signature is optional. Some four-character expressions appropriate for a wedding red envelope are Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¤ ½Å"ä ¹â€¹Ã¥ Ë† (tiÄ nzuà ² zhÄ «hà ©, marriage made in heaven) or ç™ ¾Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã¥ Ë† (bÇŽinin hÇŽo hà ©, happy union for one hundred years). The money inside a red envelope should always be new and crisp. Folding the money or giving dirty or wrinkled bills is in bad taste. Coins and checks are avoided, the former because change is not worth much and the latter because checks are not widely used in Asia. How Should I Present the Gift? It is best to exchange gifts in private or to an entire group. At business meetings, it is bad taste to offer only one  person a gift in front of everyone else. If you have only prepared one gift, you should give it to the most senior person. If you are concerned about whether giving a gift is appropriate, it is okay to say the gift is from your company rather than you. Always give gifts to the most senior person first. Don’t be surprised if your gift is immediately reciprocated with a gift of equal value as this is the way Chinese people say thank you. If you are given a gift, you should also repay the gift with something of equal value. When giving the gift, the recipient may not immediately open it because it might embarrass them, or they may appear greedy. If you receive a gift, you should not immediately open it. may appear greedy. If you receive a gift, you should not immediately open it. Most recipients will first politely decline the gift. If he or she profusely refuses the gift more than once, take the hint and don’t push the issue. When giving a gift, hand the gift to the person with both hands. The gift is considered an extension of the person and handing it over with both hands is a sign of respect. When receiving a gift, also accept it with both hands and say thank you. Post-gift giving, it is customary to send an e-mail or better, a thank you card, to show your gratitude for the gift. A phone call is also acceptable.

How successful has the Australian Government and the Reserve Bank of Essay

How successful has the Australian Government and the Reserve Bank of Australia been in running the Australian economy over the l - Essay Example Trade policy in Australia supports open trade as well introduction of Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations which promoted economic growth for 17 consecutive years just before the global financial crisis. This writing analyses the degree of success that the Australian Government and the Reserve Bank of Australia been in running the Australian economy over the last two years. Australia’s economy is believed to have performed successfully in the recent years due to policies and strategies that the government and the Reserve Bank of Australia have made. Although there have been challenges and some sort of inconsistency in the economic growth for the last two years, the government has done tremendous things to boost the economy. According to Greber (2013, n.p), the Australian government has attempted to curb debt but the budgetary position has not fared on very well in the last few years leading to higher deficits and high level of unemployment. Additionally, there has bee n a reduction of revenue accompanied with increase in expenditure, which has greatly strained Australia’s budget for the last two years. However, the budget deficit was lower than the Europe’s making Australia to be in a somehow better situation compared to the region. Australia’s credit rating is currently AAA but the credit rating agencies have received strong criticism since the 2008 financial crisis. The agencies could not detect the jumble financial products that led to eventual fall of various financial institutions thus raising lots of questions regarding reliability of credit ratings. It is therefore apparent that dynamics of microeconomic indicators be used in determining the strength of Australian economy. On the other hand, Australia is one of the largest capitalist economies in the world and in 2011; it was position 13 in terms of national economy. The economy is dominated by service sector which makes up a bigger percentage of the GDP although econo mic growth mostly depends on the mining sector. According to Australian Government (2013), the government has somehow enhanced economic freedom thus making her economy the most free in 2013 index. The free economy has been consistent for the last two years especially freedom from corruption and business freedom. The government’s commitment to economic freedom as well as openness to investment and global trade has made Australia to rebound so quick from the global recession. This is actually plausible because most countries have not been able to recover from the crisis. Unfortunately, the government has not done much in terms of labor and poor management of expenditure. According to Thirlwell (2013, n.p), government and the Reserve Bank of Australia have ensured stabilized fiscal and monetary policies thus allowing banks to withstand the global financial crisis. In addition, public finances have somehow been managed well thus reducing the national debt compared to other econom ies. The government has created a stable and transparent climate for doing business making it one of the most steadfast and appealing place for entrepreneurs. There is also an independent judicial system, which has ensured protection of property rights and further allows easier and reliable enforcement of contracts. There is a tradition of clean and fair government that has smoothly worked for the last two years thus reducing bribery of public officials. Moreover, Australian government has boosted and attracted investors

Project Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Project Management - Case Study Example This is because any additional work may likely lead to increased costs of operation. If all factors are held constant, there should be no consideration for the increase in the productivity since the increase will likely lead to a decrease in the profits. Consequently, since the indirect costs are accrued daily on the project but, are fixed, the possibilities would be that of increasing the costs of certain specific projects while at the same time decreasing the project time. The decrease in project duration of a specific activity results in an overall decrease in the duration for the whole project hence, a decrease in the total overheads (Meredith & Samuel 204). Another related issue with the tradeoffs is the determination of activities to be crashed for the enabling of maximum overall job profits. Therefore, the cost-time tradeoffs will enhance the costs of specific activities in the project while reducing the overall cost for the project (Nagarajan 105). Question 2: Options for acc elerating project completion There are several options that can be available to the project manager for the enhancement of the completion of the intended project. These include addition of extra resources into the project, outsourcing for the project work, scheduling of overtime for the project and the establishment of a core project team to look over the project’s completion. Other options for the acceleration are conduction the project twice (repeated project), faster and correctly than the first case (Gray & Erik 324). However, these options may only apply when the resources for the project are not constrained. If the resources are constrained, then the options available would be fast-tracking of the project to hasten its completion, development and adoption of a critical chain for the completion of the project, reduction of the scope of the project and the compromising of the quality of the project though a faster conduct for as long as it is completed (Gido & James 130). In the first scenario, a project manger may enhance completion of a project through the addition of resources. While this will probably lead to augmented costs to the project, it will increase the rate at which the project is delivered thus, a reduction in the time of the project. Activities that can be done in regard to this include employment or hiring of additional staff and purchasing of additional equipment to carry out the tasks. In the second scenario, a project manger may schedule the work involved in the project to entail workers doing overtime. In this regard, the extension in work time will hasten the completion of the project but at an increased cost of maintenance of workers in overtime shifts (Haynes 44). The project manage can also enhance the completion of the project through outsourcing of the project either in terms of outsourcing other materials and laborers from other companies or giving a fraction or the entire project to a different company to carry out. This, just like the former process will reduce the project duration and enhance faster completion of the project but, at a higher cost to the project (Morris 98). Finally, the project manager may enhance the completion of the project through the establishment of a core project team which will be tasked to oversee the stages of the project to its finishing point. In this, the team has to put more efforts to be