Business ethics dilemma that you have faced, either as an employee or Essay

Business ethics dilemma that you have faced, either as an employee or a manager - Essay Example In late August two years ago, I saw a problem with the way Kevin handled the other employees in our department. I noticed that he was being cruel to them like giving them too much work despite the busyness of their schedules and worse, without any extra compensation. The number of employees complaining about Kevin’s harsh policies was increasing to the point that they were all voicing out to me what they believe I should do. Everyone of them was telling me that I should report Kevin to the higher superiors of the company, and they believed that it would lead to my promotion as the next manager. Word has reached the CEO that something was going wrong in the department although Kevin denied all of these allegations. However, since the CEO did not completely buy what Kevin had said. He called for a closed-door meeting between the other employees who were somehow implying aggrieved status as well as me, being second in line for the position of manager. When the CEO and his assistant entered, they reminded us of two things – our allegiance to them, thus implying that they expect the truthfulness of our testimonies, and the urgency of the situation, since several employees have been voicing out their grievances over social media. Moreover, they underlined the fact that the purpose of the meeting was to determine the truth and to determine the proper measures to mitigate or eliminate the problem. However, what happened was that the CEO noticed that everything seemed hesitant to say anything during the closed-door meeting. Thus, the employee issued a report to be written by me within 24 hours. I was therefore left with three choices. The first was to tell the truth about the matter while at the same time risking my friendship with Kevin and risking my own reputation too since he would therefore reveal to the CEO my past misdemeanors. The second choice was to deny the allegations of the other employees, thus risking my popularity among them and

Classical and Positive Theory Essay Example for Free

Classical and Positive Theory Essay Classical Philosophy emphasizes on human rationality and freedom. Some classical writings are written by Plato, Aristotle, Boethius and St. Thomas of Aquinas. These writers of the ancient and medieval school are still relevant to the philosophical thoughts of today. Nation begins to turn from feudalism and the modern world based its governance on rational decision making. Classical thinking also compels justice system to give varying degrees of swift punishment to offenders. Classical school of rational thoughts believes that suffering is an integral part of human existence and since man is ordained the highest among the created things he is lord over them which means that what controls man is his free own will. His freedom is based on the fear of pain and death or punishment which makes him control his behavior. Since man is free it means free to choose what is good as dictated by the moral norms and the authority governing its people. In this way, the State ought to enforce law in an organized and equitable way. Being free does not intend to do what one wishes to do but choosing what is right. It’s relevance in today’s happening is the way how truth is safeguarded in this present society in which sometimes sins becomes a virtue. The classical minded protagonist’s defended and defined what is rational and irrational; it distinguishes the upright conscience from the deformed and seemingly lax consciences. Man is therefore relegated to its higher end and in the belief that life is worthwhile. 2) Positivist Theory What factors contributed to the intellectual heritage of positivism? How does the positivist theory apply in the modern world today, if at all? Positive theory is a search of multiple factors that causes human behavior (CLASSICAL AND POSITIVIST SCHOOLS OF CRIMINOLOGY, 2005). Positivism is a way of seeing things around us based on the actual happenings in the material world. That human endeavor has a pattern in which a person can discover in the natural way. Once the patterns are discovered we can deduce the information into small portions where we can analyze and learn the facts about the whole thing. The method of learning is perceived objectively, open minded view to the world. Positive law can be used to change an organization based on the observable scientific data. The application of natural sciences is applied to the study of human behavior. Positive theory as applied in the modern world could be environmental and biological and sometimes evolutionary which means that traits can be passed on through heredity. A positivist’s judge rejects the idea that criminal behavior is a result of free will but sought the understanding of the bad action through scientific method. However some psychologists believed that we could diminish the criminal populace by partial elimination which advocates death for those with permanent psychological abnormalities. The first indicates that man is not responsible of his action and the later concept is contrary to the moral norms and is not acceptable to a humane and free society. References CLASSICAL AND POSITIVIST SCHOOLS OF CRIMINOLOGY [Electronic. (2005). Version]. Retrieved 05 November 2007, from http://faculty. ncwc. edu/toconnor/301/301lect02. htm

Nikes Entry into China

Nikes Entry into China China is one of the major fastest growing markets in the world and the most popular markets for foreign entrants. One of todays major business challenges requiring logistics insight is the dramatic growth in international sourcing, mainly to low cost countries such as China and Malaysia (David J.Closs, 2005). IBM Global Business Services reported that low cost country helps raise revenue. Most of the companys CEOs are looking for revenue growth by reduce costs to maintain or expand profit margins. Obviously, cost is one of the factors that all companies that desire to reduce. After a company study of future sourcing, Nike had chosen China as one of the long-term most low-cost suppliers. By quoting Nike Inc. Cain.com said that labour costs accounted for a huge share of the prices of the companys shoes and had to be kept below 24 per cent of prices to stay competitive. Since, Nike is the leading sports brand in China. In 1981, Nike started production in China. However, for a company like Nike that has a reputation of making the best products for their customers, they have to take in other factors such as quality. Its one reason why they did not choose countries such as Africa to be their supplier. In addition, one factor that China has to offer is labor capability to make quality goods for Nike. Furthermore, China was also chosen because the domestic market size. Mark Parker, who is the President and CEO of Nike stated that Nike is a growth company and China is being one of their most important sourcing markets and also swiftly becoming their second biggest consumer market in the world. About one of every three pairs of Nike shoes they sell in the world is made in China. Similarity, Nike was taken these advantages to tap into the large market it offers. In others word, China was also taking the opportunities to capturing the market in China which will help stiffen the companys foundation in its industry. The fact of lowering cost is to achieve profit maximization. Production in a first world country would increase cost and lead to reduce profit. China as a second world country for the foreseeable future is also the reason why Nike chose to enter into China. 2.0 Analysis 2.1 Advantage gained by Nike for entering China When Nike first entered the international market through China, they gained many benefits. This is because China is a low-cost country, so NIKE has no involvement in the manufacturing of its products and all of its production has been outsourced mainly to manufacturers. For example, Goodbaby Group, Chinas top manufacturer and retailer of baby care products, has announced an online retail partnership with the Nike Inc as part of its efforts so that they able to win more brand recognition (China Daily, 2012). Nike has been working with manufacturers in China for about 20 years. The employees and factories produce a lot of Nikes most highest-performance athletic products. One of the most fundamental impacts Nike have is to create positive, systemic change in their global supply chain, and for the industry as a whole. The deep brand and supply chain footprints in China create distinctive opportunities for Nike while it continues to help influence and gain from Chinas success. The achievement in China is built regarding the deep connections with Chinas Nike-branded footwear and athletes. According to Barney Jopson (2012), the apparel and equipment product are produced by nearly 700 contract manufacturers worldwide, and employing almost 800,000 employees. China represents the largest sourcing country for Nike, with roughly 180 contract manufacturers employing more than 210,000 workers (Barney Jopson, 2012). China is the major sourcing market for Nike, which producing around 35 percent of footwear and also an important sourcing market for Nike apparel and equipment. Besides this, the company engages in public discourse and policy formation in China by sharing their experiences. First is the legal protection of employees that went into effect in January 2008, for the aim of strengthening legal protection for Chinas employees. Nike supports the regulatory environment that strengthens legal protections for employees and promotes well-mannered working conditions throughout the supply chain and this helps to prevent discrimination. Second is the international trade. Since Chinas World Trade Organization (WTO) entry in year 2001, Nike has worked to ensure that trade disputes between China and its trading partners are settled and negotiated i n a manner consistent with international norms. For example, trade disputes over apparel and footwear and equipment with Chinas main trading partners in United States. According to a survey by the American Chamber of Commerce, three United States companies say their China operations are profitable while most say their margins are higher in China than other places in the world. Nike not only supported the development of Chinese football, it also concerned about the development of youngsters by launching a series of activity called I have a dream in August 2002, a large scale of youth sports. Since Nike established in China in the early of 1980, it gained several early entry timing of foreign direct investment, which includes new markets, distribution channels, segmentations, and lack of strong competition. Nike first launched their products in China and this gave the company to monopoly in market through different distribution channels. At that period, not much company are providing the same areas of business, therefore Nike did not faced much competitors. Other than this, the company also gained advantage related in products, such as new product, material supply, new product positioning, and brand loyalty. China continues toÂÂ  beÂÂ  aÂÂ  veryÂÂ  viableÂÂ  resource when dealing with overall trade and labour markets around the world. Nike now has more than 7,000 retail stores in China and the company plans to expand their distribution to second andÂÂ  third-tierÂÂ  cities. 2.2 Shortcomings of entering China It is very difficult for Nike to control all the quality products around the world. Nike has involved in a serious of quality scandals in China. Many products had been recall due to low quality and some products have been caused injury to consumers in China. According to Ni and Hu (2012) say that Shanghai quality authorities have been found out three sample pairs of Nike shoes do not meet the standards and in 2011, women sports shoes had thinner soles than required. According to Ni and Hu (2012), Bureau prohibited Nike continues produces the shoes and later asks for recall all the shoes which do not meet the quality standard, but the shoe still available at Zhabei outlet of RT-Mart on October 10. However, the shoes were then pulled off the shelves. In 2011 September, Beijing had fine Nike Zoom Hyperdunk due to deceptive advertising and low quality, (Ni and Hu, 2012). Nike has been fined US $779,416 for selling sneakers had only one air cushion in each shoe at a higher price and low standard in China compared those selling in other countries which has two air cushions and has much lower prices, (Zheng, 2012). The Nike Zoom Hyperdunk does not meet the quality set by the government and thus they need recall all the sneakers and offered refund. Besides that, Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) warning consumers stop using Nike football helmet and returned to Nike. The Helmet Chin Straps plastic cups can breaks and caused exposing the player to facial or head injuries (Villanueva, 2007). It is a big concern that Nike shares is declined 1.1% in China and in future the company expect the orders will down to 6%, (Chang, 2009). Furthermore, revenue earn by Nike in China is dropping due to excess inventory, high discounting and slowing in demand. Manager in China does not keep sufficient inventory record because they unable to relay the information to order materials from other country. They do not know what materials need to be imported and when in advanced and cause the production cannot run in schedule. As a result, there have excess inventory in Long March Factory in Guangzhou. The employees who are responsible for checking materials does not know what are the materials needed to be order in following month production schedule and they did not frequently coordinate the records with the planners, (Nike in China, n.d). The planners order the materials does not base on the consumer demand but instead base on guessing method, and they seldom check what the materials left are in storage. As a result, Nike needs to discount the prices in order to reduce the excess inventory, (Marcial, 2013). Sale of excess inventory at discounted prices could significantly impair the Nike brand image. Fail to examine accuracy demand of products could affect the revenues and net income earn by Nike. There is intense competition faced by Nike, either local brands such as Li Ning, Anta Sports, China Dongxiang and Peak Sports or international brand such as Adidas from U.S., Reebok, Asics, and New Balance. Even now, Nike is well positioned at the top in China; however there have multi brands still compete fiercely with Nike. Based on the report, Nike is known in the first place, with a 2009 market share of 10.2%; Li Ning at the following slot which is second place for the first time, with 10.0%; thus Adidas, in third place, with a 9.6% share (as cited in Smith, 2010). The sales lead that Nike and Adidas held over domestic competitors has vanished. From this report is showing that the results of these top three sportswear brand are close proximity with each other, therefore this showing that Nike still in dangerous condition although it is remain in the first position. Furthermore, in the end of 2011, Li Ning had 8,255 stores while Nike had 7,500 outlets in China (as cited in Ranasin ghe, 2012). As a result, Nike not only needs to face this strong local competitor, Li Ning, but also need to do the preparation for facing other competitors in China. 3.0 Recommendation Nike is popular for its high-quality sport shoes and other apparels. It has gained the acceptance in consumers mind that Nike-made products are of high-quality. In order to maintain and gain its competitive advantage over its main competitors such as Adidas, Reebok and others, Nike has adopted the expansion strategy by outsourcing the production line to low-cost countries. China, Indonesia and Vietnam have become the primary manufacturing destination for Nike. The purpose for outsourcing the production line to China is to reduce the waste in terms of cost of hiring the labor, cost of shipment and many more. Cheaper labor and facility cost in China compared to the United States enabled Nike Corporation to enjoy the economies of scale. It eventually lowers the total production cost and Nike will be able to make more profit. It is recommended that Nike should continue to fully adopt the expansion strategy to other low-cost countries like China by outsourcing the manufacturing line. It c ould strengthen the leadership position of Nike Corporation in financial performance as Nike make more revenue and profit with low production cost. First, it is recommended for Nike Corporation to adopt innovation strategy to strengthen companys competitive advantage over the competitors. New design and innovation are very significant for Nike Corporation. One of the visions for Nike is designing for the future by unleashing the innovation. President and CEO of Nike, Mark Parker, said that Nike has set the target at improving the products through design. In the past, Nike has spent multi-million dollars on Research Development to design the athletic shoes which differentiate itself from other shoemaker companies. Nike has gained the recognition from the consumers for its uniqueness and sophisticated design. Nike China has contributed much to the innovation strategy as many advanced shoes design are made in China from the talented Chinese designers. Out of every three pairs of shoes, there is one of them is made in China. One of the innovative products came out from Nike was the Nike-Ipod sport kit with the collaboration with Ap ple Inc. It enhanced the runners experience by combining the sport and the music. It was viewed as a breakthrough for both sport and music industries. Second, Nike has excess inventory, high discounting and slowing in demand. To overcome this, China has several competitive advantages. There are few strategies which can enable exploiting competitive advantage through different goal-means combinations (Bartlett et al., 2008): Multinational strategy achieves most strategic goals by emphasizing national differences. The firms which have adopted this strategy tend to operate business based on local environment. They are flexible and responsive to local environment, but there is a lack of capability to learn globally within these firms owing to the fact that almost all national units operate independently. By using multinational strategy, Nike can achieve most strategic goals by emphasizing national differences. This is because Nike can adopt their strategy to operate business based on local environment. They can morph their strategy according to the local market, which is China. International companies like Nike apply all the approaches to create and exploit innovations. This can be their competitive advantages for the China as Asians culture tends to be more shy and conservative in innovative. The strategies discussed above respectively possess unique assumptions about how to build up global competitive advantage. Nike used the Price Leadership Strategy and Value based pricing. This is when a company sets its price based on the value the consumer places on the product. This is why customer willing to pay high prices regardless of the products actual value. Nike already had the strong brand recognition among the people in China. For example Liu Xiang, Liu is an Olympic Gold medalist and World Champion. His 2004 Olympic gold medal was the first in a mens track and field event for China. His athletic gear is sponsored by Nike. No doubt all China people will get to know about Nike. As the excess inventory of Nike in China, I would suggest that they can cooperate with other parties such as their suppliers, distributor and competitors. This can enhance the global competitive advantages in the increasingly complex global environment (Bartlett et al. 2008) This is called strategic alliances. This also can solves high discounting rate for Nike as their inventory level is stable, do not need to discount to reduce inventory. Based on appendix 1 (Regional Product Distribution of Suppliers), China has most worker which is 175,960. This can be their competitive advantage because the production rate of China is very high compare to other country. Third, facing immense competition and failing to rise above others is always going to be one of the greatest shortcomings that a company would face. Which in this case, Nike has to start standing out from its biggest competitors Li Ning and Adidas. At the current state, Nike only has a marginal lead over the two companies. We recommend Nike to be a standout in its industry. They are already making great products, but their competitors are also making great products. In order to rise up and above them, Nike should change the way they serve their customers, create a unique sales style, such as giving expert advice for customers in helping them to make their purchase decisions. They could also create an environment where they feel welcomed and at ease when they are in a Nike shop. A totally new feel towards selling sports ware and clothing. This can help differentiate Nike from its competitors and increase brand awareness. 4.0 Conclusion Nowadays, Nike has more than 7,000 retail stores in China and they plans to develop their distribution to second andÂÂ  third-tierÂÂ  cities.When Nike first entered the low cost country such as China, they gained many benefits. As we know that, China represents the largest sourcing country for Nike and also the most important sourcing market for Nike apparel and equipment. But, Nike has facing the problem of quality controls in China. For example, many low quality products had been recall and some products have been caused injury to consumers in China. Furthermore, revenue earn by Nike in China is dropping due to excess inventory, high discounting and slowing in demand. Thus, we recommend to this industry to adopt the multinational strategy which emphasizing national differences and being able to operate the business based on local environment. Besides that, Nike also faced with intense competition like Reebok and international brand such as Adidas. We recommend Nike to adopt the innovation strategy to strengthen companys competitive advantage over the competitors. New design and innovation are very significant for Nike Corporation to enhance their leadership position. For example, change the way they serve their customers, such as giving the potential customers expert advice and suggestion, so that customers will feel respect and make better purchase decision. In conclusion, we learned that the company should implement expansion strategy by outsourcing the production line to low-cost countries such as China, Indonesia and Vietnam which are the primary manufacturing targeted destination for others company. For Nike, the purpose for outsourcing the production line to China is to reduce the cost such as cost of hiring the labour, cost of shipment and so on. It helped strengthen the leadership position of Nike in term of financial performance as Nike can make more revenue and profit with low production cost and also built up a strong reputation. References Barney Jopson (2012), Nike profit up despite falling China order, retrieved February 27, 2013 from http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/b48a6dae-4aee-11e2-9650-00144feab49a,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2Fb48a6dae-4aee-11e2-9650-00144feab49a.html_i_referer=#axzz2MCUQZfC3 China Daily (2011), Nike to invest in China very aggressively, retrieved February 27, 2013 from http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-10/11/content_13872475.htm Want China Times (2013), Mounting labor costs forces Nike to relocate in China, retrieved February 27, 2013 from http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?MainCatID=0cid=1102id=20130227000098 Ni,Y., Hu,M. (2012).ShanghaiDaily.com. Retrieved February 16, 2013, from http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/print.asp?id=514991 Zheng,X. (2012).Tougher penalties urged for double standard companies. Retrieved February 16, 2013, from http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2012-10/27/content_15851155.htm Villanueva,L. (2007). Nike football helmet chin strap recall issued following reports of head and facial injuries. Retrieved February 16, 2013, from http://www.newsinferno.com/?p=2029 Chang, G.G. (2012). The coming collapse of consumption in China. Retrieved February 16, 2013, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonchang/2012/09/30/the-coming-collapse-of-consumption-in-china/ Nike in China. Retrieved February 17, 2013, from http://www.yingyudaxue.com/book/nike-in-china Marcial, G. (2012). Inside Wall Street :Nike slows but is still in race. Retrieved February 17, 2013, from http://money.msn.com/top-stocks/post.aspx?post=13a96856-28f2-4dc2-bc78-26b601bdf647 Smith, G. (2010). Sportswear in China how local brands challenged the might of Nike and Adidas. Retrieved February 17, 2013, http://www.warc.com/Samples/93120.pdf Ranasinghe, D. (2012). No Medals for Chinas Sportswear Firms. Retrieved February 17, 2013, http://www.cnbc.com/id/48454835/No_Medals_for_Chinarsquos_Sportswear_Firms Bartlett, C.A., Ghoshal, S. and Beamish, P.W., (2008).ÂÂ  Transnational management: text, cases, and readings in cross-border management. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies. Retrieved February 26, 2013 Competitive Challenge Nike, Retrieved February 26, 2013, From http://www.ukdissertations.com/dissertations/business/competitive-challenge-nike.php Paresh Ashara, (2012). Nike:Marketing Strategies. Retrieved February 26, 2013, From http://www.slideshare.net/PareshAshara/nike-12906460 Porter, M.E., (1998).ÂÂ  The competitive advantage of nations. The Free Press, New York: NY. Retrieved February 26, 2013

Stages of Team Development Essay -- Informative, Team Creativity

Introduction Nowadays, team is widely used in organizations, because team is effective. â€Å"A team is not just a group of people who work together or like each other or share opinions. A team is group of people with a common objective.† (Barnes, 2001) More and more organization tends to work in team (Milliken and Martins, 1996). Teamwork is used extensively, because, coaching team is able to effectively get an extraordinary goal (Mitsch, 2010). This essay will write about the reasons of team effective, Firstly, it will write about the percentages of people want to work in a team and the reasons of choice teamwork. Secondly, essay will write about the team has effective tools to solve the problems. Thirdly, essay will write about the effective thinking of team. Fourthly, essay will write about the team creativity. Next, essay will write about the adverse factors are able to influence the efficiency of team, and it also write about the stage of team development which can reduce the disadva ntages of factors. Percentage of teamwork In contemporary organizations, more and more companies tent to plan their employees working in a team (Kocher er al, 2006). In 1995, Osterman found that 54.5%of US American firms work in team (Kocher er al, 2006). The reason of using team working was that they simply have proven to be advantageous for companies (Kocher er al, 2006). In general, team working made better decisions than individuals, and teams often made accepted decisions to larger areas. Therefore, teams have become important tools for identifying high-quality solutions to finding out organizational problems (Kocher er al, 2006). Kocher et al (2006) designed a decision-maker experiment, the beauty-contest game. They found out about 60 ... ...advantage of team creativeness is not complete proof, effectiveness of team creativeness has widely recognized and accepted. Lastly, essay wrote the effectiveness of team can be effect. However, the five stages of team development are able to reduce the problems effect. Each stage has different solution areas, they are include team communicate and team members behavior. In this essay, the effectiveness of team wrote about problem solution, creativity and getting more profit. However, those are not the all good points of team. Team still has another functions or methods to prove the effectiveness of team. Although team still has instability areas, with the development of management, these destabilizing factors will gradually weaken until it disappears. In the future, team will more and more effective, and team will increase the profit in all type of companies. Stages of Team Development Essay -- Informative, Team Creativity Introduction Nowadays, team is widely used in organizations, because team is effective. â€Å"A team is not just a group of people who work together or like each other or share opinions. A team is group of people with a common objective.† (Barnes, 2001) More and more organization tends to work in team (Milliken and Martins, 1996). Teamwork is used extensively, because, coaching team is able to effectively get an extraordinary goal (Mitsch, 2010). This essay will write about the reasons of team effective, Firstly, it will write about the percentages of people want to work in a team and the reasons of choice teamwork. Secondly, essay will write about the team has effective tools to solve the problems. Thirdly, essay will write about the effective thinking of team. Fourthly, essay will write about the team creativity. Next, essay will write about the adverse factors are able to influence the efficiency of team, and it also write about the stage of team development which can reduce the disadva ntages of factors. Percentage of teamwork In contemporary organizations, more and more companies tent to plan their employees working in a team (Kocher er al, 2006). In 1995, Osterman found that 54.5%of US American firms work in team (Kocher er al, 2006). The reason of using team working was that they simply have proven to be advantageous for companies (Kocher er al, 2006). In general, team working made better decisions than individuals, and teams often made accepted decisions to larger areas. Therefore, teams have become important tools for identifying high-quality solutions to finding out organizational problems (Kocher er al, 2006). Kocher et al (2006) designed a decision-maker experiment, the beauty-contest game. They found out about 60 ... ...advantage of team creativeness is not complete proof, effectiveness of team creativeness has widely recognized and accepted. Lastly, essay wrote the effectiveness of team can be effect. However, the five stages of team development are able to reduce the problems effect. Each stage has different solution areas, they are include team communicate and team members behavior. In this essay, the effectiveness of team wrote about problem solution, creativity and getting more profit. However, those are not the all good points of team. Team still has another functions or methods to prove the effectiveness of team. Although team still has instability areas, with the development of management, these destabilizing factors will gradually weaken until it disappears. In the future, team will more and more effective, and team will increase the profit in all type of companies.

Heaney’s Poetry Essay

I have recently studied some of your poetry for my leaving certificate english course and I feel greatly changed by what I read. To say the least, it made a strong impression on me. It was a memorable experience. I looked into five of your poems with great depth and they were; â€Å"A Constable Calls†, â€Å"The Forge†, â€Å"The Underground†, â€Å"The Tollund Man†, and of course â€Å"The Skunk†. These poems inspired a range of emotions in me that I would never have expected to feel while reading poetry. In the poem â€Å"A Constable Calls† I feel that the predominant mood is one of tension and hostility. In my opinion it is an explanation of the relationship dynamic between two traditions juxtaposed in the north of Ireland. It is clearly not a friendly, personal relationship. I felt that the way in which you portrayed a young Heaney -an objective observer- was particularly effective to say the least. Even more impressive the young Heaney appears to offer up no opinion yet within the first couple of lines we have a clear sense of the constable. The image we are presented with of the constable is one of authority and control. It appears even â€Å"The pedal treads† are delighted to be â€Å"hanging relieved† from â€Å"the boot of the law†. It seems to me here that not only does this boot refer to the actual boot worn by the constable but also the impersonal, forceful, powerful presence that is the law. I think you captured equally successfully the significance of the exchange between your father and the constable and its meaning to you with the phrase â€Å"Arithmetic and fear†. The air of unease and fear on the part of your father is almost tangeable here. The lack of friendliness is accentuated by the brief exchange of words between your father and the constable. The stern, authoritarian tone of voice he takes with your father when he says â€Å"Any other root crops? Mangolds? Marrowstems? Anything like that? † and the single, unaccompanied response of your father â€Å"No† sent a shiver down my spine as I read. To me, this poem portrayed, extremely effectively, the relationship between your family and the law. â€Å"The Forge† in all its sensuous beauty is by far my favourite poem of yours. The manner in which the â€Å"door into the dark† presents the reader with an interior, strange and atramentous, that as a young boy you are unsure about whether the threshold should be crossed or not. On a literal level, the image you give us as readers and to me as a seventeen year old boy is one of staccato rhythym, life and an abundance of energy, which, while I read it, bestowed onto me a sense of the importance the forge holds in the protection of Irish heritage and tradition as the old is pushed to give way to the new. The incredible way that you blend together the â€Å"clatter/ Of hoofs† from the memory of the blacksmith and what now replaces it, â€Å"Traffic (is) flashing in rows† is enviable at least. This said, I believe too that there is a far deeper meaning, buried deep in under the skin of this poem, much more than just a celebration of local craftsmanship and of cultural roots. In my opinion you also mean to explore, rather ironically, the creative process and the writing of poetry through poetry. The forge in this case being an extended metaphor for the mind and the creative process. Possibly representative of the centre of creativity, you speak of the anvil which â€Å"must be somewhere in the centre† but is not visible to you, the eager observer. If someday I am married and it turns out the way your marriage appears to have in â€Å"The Underground† I will be a lucky man. It is my firm believe that there is a strong divide right in the middle of this poem. It changes from pure ecstasy and excitement to a more sombre, worried, unsure mood towards the end but this is not negative. This is merely pointing out that not everything is all hugs and kisses. It is saying that there are things that need thought to go with everything but that this is part of life. This, I believe, must be understood by the end of the poem to make it worth having read. At the start of any new journey there is aways a sense of excitement and exhiliration, but when things don’t go your way, you can be left â€Å"bared and tensed†. The poem encourages you to delve deep into yourself and seek out the part of your soul distant from even yourself and analyse why you have left this part of you isolate itself. I have an enormous admiration for the way you do this in this poem. As well as this, I feel the unconventional way through which you portray love while also proclaiming your undying love for your wife is fascinating. The mellifluous writing and easy reading of this poem is something admired and envied. â€Å"The Tollund Man† in my honest opinion the most morose, grave, hard hitting poem of yours. It inspires a lot of thought about the human nature. It was written in response to the troubles in Northern Ireland and I feel that using the medium of poetry you search for an answer to modern problems in the past as it is well known that history is constantly repeating itself. It is clear that you are drawing parallels between the ritual killings of the past and the murder of innocent victims nowadays in the north of the country. I feel that you search the memory of the Tollund to get answers but you do not want to â€Å"risk blasphemy† and â€Å"consecrate the cauldron bog/ Our holy ground and pray/ Him to make germinate†. It is my interpretation that in your mind the Tollund man is the key to enlightenment. Is it that you find it hard to confront the reality that is the mindless violence in Northern Ireland? As this is how it appears. You also create a witty but macabre oxymoron at the end when you say â€Å"Unhappy and at home† as you would assume that the one place where a person should be happy is at home but that’s not the case here and I felt that here also you refer to the people who live in Northern Ireland that must deal with the worry of â€Å"The Troubles† everyday. I feel that a nice poem to finish discussing is â€Å"The Skunk† as even thinking of this poem brings a small smile to my face. The lighthearted humourous approach to missing and longing in this poem is astonishing. I believe that this is a poem about your wife. It captures with an breathtaking level of finesse the beautiful nature of an everyday relationship. The ordinary mysteries at the heart of the normal relationship. The comparison of the skunk is probably to emphasise the animalistic naturalness of the relationship along with the primative, erotic nature of the attraction. As you â€Å"begin to tense as a voyeur† as you feel almost as if you are spying on the skunk as she passes, you are reminded of your wife and start to remember the way things were at the start, so romantic, so beautiful. â€Å"After eleven years I was composing/ Love letters again† is a lovely image showing that the excitement and spark that holds a relationship together will not be evident every minute of everyday but that in the end of the day, if you love someone you will always be ready to show them if you need to show them. The long lines, and the enjambement of the poem add to the excitement, playfulness and ease of the poem. It is both sensuous and sensual as you begin to smell â€Å"Small oranges† and see the â€Å"desk light softened†. The tension and expectation you feel is clearly akin to the way you felt about your wife at the time. This sensual imagery all portrays the richness of love. That is all I wanted to say. I believe that it was one of the most memorable experiences of my whole life reading your poetry and I mean that in a good way. It is something I will never look back upon doing in a negative light as I have gained some very important insights into life, love, tradition and conflict resolution from this.

Maintain energy during a long shift

Maintain energy during a long shift Is your typical workday more like a marathon than a short sprint? If you have a job with long work shifts- longer than the usual 9 to 5 workday- you’re not alone. A wide range of jobs, from nursing to truck driving and firefighting and many more, require workers to put in longer than average workdays. That’s a long time to have to be alert and at the top of your game. But fear not- there are ways to maintain your energy during a long shift. Make the most of the following strategies for staying sharp and keeping your edge in the face of a long day of work.Plan out your diet, exercise, and sleep.You need to prepare for a long shift well before the shift even starts. This includes getting a minimum of eight hours of restful sleep (keep those phones and other devices far out of grabbing range while in bed). Go to bed too late, or worse- lay in bed for hours on your phone, tablet, or laptop before closing your eyes- and you’ll surely be struggling to get through a lon g work shift the following day. The National Safety Council recently put out a study on fatigue in the workplace  that found that 43% of people don’t get enough sleep. Are you one of them?Maintaining a regular balanced diet is also a powerful way to keep your energy levels high and consistent- this includes what you eat when you’re off duty as well as on the job. Make sure that your diet includes plenty of high-quality protein and vegetables, and try to keep processed foods, refined carbs, and sugar to a minimum. Why is this so important? A diet high in protein helps your body maintain a consistent and reliable level of energy throughout the day. A diet high in sugar and refined carbs (think white bread, pastries, candy, and sugary sodas) will cause your blood sugar and energy levels to peak and plummet as the day drags on- like a rollercoaster. Ask yourself: Would you do your best work on a flat, even surface or on a rollercoaster?There are times when it’s ea sier than others to make healthy eating choices. Hunting for a work snack to give yourself some fuel during a long shift can be especially tricky. You may have a vending machine full of candy close by or a work kitchen full of sugary treats, but resist- and prepare! Be sure to pack some healthy snacks (fruits, nuts, and veggies are a better choice) and you’ll be setting yourself up for a solid energy boost that’ll get you through the workday.Many people have the wrong idea about exercise- they think it’s an energy drainer, and that working out will only make you tired when you’re through. However, the opposite is true! A fit and active lifestyle that includes plenty of exercise on a regular basis will help kick your metabolism into overdrive and boost your energy levels- perfect for getting through those long work shifts. Start small- try taking regular long walks and building upon your exercise routine a little at a time.Prep your workspace.A comfortable yet functional workspace designed to keep your energy levels consistently high will help you get through long work shifts. If you work at a desk, try to avoid a too-cushy office chair that makes you want to take a nap every time you sit down, and keep the energy-draining work distractions on your desk to a minimum. If you’re on your feet most of the time, be sure to wear comfortable shoes and make time to take regular seat breaks when feasible.The key here is balance- you want to create a balanced mix of comfort and functionality where you’re not sitting idly the entire time or on your feet for 12 hours straight. Also, flexibility is important- keep what works and change what doesn’t. Trial and error is an excellent tool to learn and plan, and a well-thought-out work area will help you stay energized during a long shift.Keep your brain alert and think positively.A healthy and alert brain will help keep you upbeat and energized throughout a long work shift. Keep your brain actively engaged in whatever work tasks you’re responsible for. Maintaining a checklist of action items that you need to take care of during your work shift can really help you stay focused, and as you check completed items off your list you’ll get a boost of positive vibes knowing that you’re taking care of business!When you feel yourself slipping, take a break. Strategic work breaks, even if it’s just for a few minutes to take a deep breath, stretch, and clear your head, can make a world of difference when you’re facing a long work shift. Don’t just push forward- this will have a negative effect on your overall energy level and mood.Never forget the power of positivity when you’re on a long work shift. Positive thoughts lead to positive actions- and positive work results! Actively thinking good thoughts, creating a positive mantra that you can repeat to yourself, and keeping items that elicit positive feelings or memorie s in your workspace (like photos or souvenirs of trips you’ve taken) are excellent ways to keep yourself upbeat and lively while you work.It can be a real struggle to get through a long work shift and stay alert and at the top of your game- add in all the other things going on in your life that eat away at your time and energy and you may be facing an uphill battle. However, if you employ the strategies mentioned here you’ll start to see positive changes before long, and soon that uphill climb of a long work shift will seem like little more than an easy-to-manage step!