Labor Negotiations Essay

Many times, the process of collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations is referred to as being â€Å"an art†. Although it is guided by various labor laws and there are multitudes of theories that claim to have established best practices in the field, every negotiation simply has too many unique variables to consider to ever be approached as anything more than an art. Even in the short span in which new negotiations are required to reach an updated contract, too many changing factors on both sides of the table are apt to make the extrapolation of one bargaining scenario to the next inefficient and ineffective. There is no â€Å"one-size-fits all† approach. What worked best in one instance could potentially fail with dire consequences in another. To attempt to define, or even identify a structured component to the process would be futile. People, personalities, economics, demographics, policy and law are not static, nor are needs, wants, concepts, trends or priorities. Deception and intimidation during negotiations is commonplace, and unfortunately sometimes holds more relevancy than fact. For these reasons,  it is important for labor negotiators to be able to anticipate the worst, but hope to ultimately achieve a best case scenario. The final, ratified contract is applied to both parties, and hopefully in the end, it represents what is best for all involved. There are many potential stakeholders depending on the industry, but in the case of the community of Pleasant Ridge, it is the students and that ultimately have the most to lose. This can easily be forgotten when bargaining teams’ self-interests take hold. Deciding on the appropriate bargaining techniques and strategies requires a very well-thought out, careful approach. Whatever approach is used has to take into account the past, current and future needs of both parties, and has to be based on an accurate analysis of external and internal data, as well as political considerations. Successful negotiators must be adaptable and flexible in their thought processes and behaviors, and must be willing to compromise as situational needs dictate. As several different personality types compete and interact, even within the confines of one bargaining team, negotiations can be a very daunting process. All of this is important to keep in mind as we examine and analyze the case of the community of Pleasant Ridge. Bargaining Strategy A bargaining strategy should only be determined once all of the relevant, factual information has been reviewed. That is not to say a strategy cannot be changed depending on circumstances once negotiations begin, but it is useful to set the tone for negotiations and help insure a mutually understood strategic concept among bargaining team members. Recent labor relations practice has moved away from traditional adversarial bargaining, or â€Å"zero-sum† bargaining, and has focused more on interest-based bargaining, or â€Å"win-win† bargaining. According to Cutcher-Gershenfield, â€Å"A close look at the interest-based experiments in labor relations reveals that adversarial institutional patterns have often been rejected in favor of more collaborative, problem-solving techniques without a full appreciation of the underlying reasons for the establishment of the original institutional patterns.† (1996, 323). In theory, winning with interest-based bargaining is presu med to be agreement of the parties to a ratified contract that both can live with (Kearney, 209, 134); not â€Å"winning† in the sense that one party  ultimately prevails over the other on any particular issue. In the case of Pleasant Ridge, there is no single reason to preclude interest-based bargaining as an effective strategy. As the Pleasant Ridge Board of Education (Board) and the Pleasant Ridge Classroom Teachers Association (PRCTA) commence negotiations over a new CBA, it is important to note that both parties are in a relatively good position. From a fiscal standpoint, the school is doing well. Student enrollment is increasing, local property revenues are increasing and State Revenues are expected to increase for the upcoming school year. While none of these items are guaranteed, barring any unexpected national, state or local political catastrophes, short-term projections should remain fairly accurate and consistent. This may place the Board at a slight disadvantage during negotiations when considering ability to pay, especially considering the PRCTA memberships’ apparent adversarial position. It serves to underscore the importance of the Board to sincerely attempt to negotiate a finalized contract during the first steps of the process. In comparing wages, hours and working conditions, the PRC TA is not far off when it is reviewed against comparable teachers’ unions. Even when considering labor markets that are competitive in the long run, however, the over-all analysis should include information about employer attributes because labor markets do not adjust instantaneously (Eberts and Stone, 1985, 274). The consequences of ignoring district-specific information are potentially serious, according to Eberts and Stone (1985, 274). To push an employer into economic oblivion as the result of unrealistic contract demands could have disastrous consequences for all involved. While the memberships’ concerns are very important, they must keep in mind their best interests in finalizing a contract with few to no concessions quickly. It is up to the PRCTA to educate their members on the long term affects their present actions may have. Additionally, in a world of economic uncertainty and increasing demand for education reform, the PRCTA is better suited to act quickly so that public sentiment and political forces have less likelihood of effecting policy change before they have a ratified contract. A ratified contract provides strong protections for union members against ever-changing political forces. Bargaining Position of the Board Labor negotiations can be a strategic nightmare fraught with competing priorities and concerns from every affected player. For the community of Pleasant Ridge, the primary considerations of the Board and the PRCTA during negotiations will predominantly revolve around advancing self-interests, whether they impact external stakeholders or not. That is an almost inherent aspect of the process. Public and political sentiment may or may not be secondarily considered, and will certainly be impacted, but those concerns typically do not guide the negotiations process. Kerchner and Koppich argue in their article, Negotiating What Matters Most: Collective Bargaining and Student Achievement, â€Å"that it is in the public interest for teacher unions and school districts to negotiate student achievement goals even though neither may want to do so.† (2007). While morally laudable, realistically this will most likely never happen outside of the legal environment, and is way beyond the scope of this analysis. Contract length could be the most important protection the Board could achieve. A two year contract would be very beneficial for the Board, because it removes the dangers of making accurate financial projections too far in the future. It would also allow the Board more flexibility in bargaining positions that are tied to economics because they would not be invested in a lengthy contract should political or economic factors significantly change. Aside from a two year contract, the Board should support a 3% raise the first year of the contract, and a 3% raise the second year, conditioned on the promise of the PRCTA memberships’ public support for the upcoming millage. This would get the PRCTA membership very close, if not above, a competitive market salary within their own comparable communities at a relatively quick rate, while bolstering the financial position of the Board to be able to implement future contractual raises should the millage be approved. Additionally, the Board will not incur all of the increased costs of implementing the salary increases all in one year, making it more palatable for the school district in general, while not simultaneously rendering the budget unsustainable. The Board should also support agreement to grant tenure in the 3rd year on the condition of the elimination of the one year wage payout provision. Not only does this achieve comparability within the comparable community context, it serves as a huge future economic win for the Board. In the event layoffs become necessary, the burden of paying out a years’ salary to  any tenured teachers would be an undeniable savings should the school district experience tough economic times. Since decreasing the class size to 25 would increase the number of teachers required, it would be more fiscally responsible for the board to leave this item status quo. The Board could add an amendment allowing for the hiring of teacher’s aides should the classroom population exceed 25, but it shouldn’t be an initial position. If push comes to shove and this single item becomes a deal-breaker, the Board and the PRCTA could revisit the issue at 27 students, as long as an agreement could be achieved with a provision requiring no additional teachers or classroom space.   There is no guarantee that the student population will continue to increase, so agreeing to this item could have unintended financial consequences later. It is never outside the realm of reality that one teacher’s salary could mean the difference between balancing and not balancing the budget. Reasonable Settlement for the Union In determining the reasonableness of a settlement for the PRCTA, several factors should be considered. Typically, wages are at the forefront of union demands, and the fact that the Board is willing to raise salaries to levels above the comparable communities the PRCTA selected should speak volumes. That alone may be enough to achieve ratification. In addition, the PRCTA needs to consider the effects of having an arbitrator decide their fate. If the Board is being reasonable in their proposal, there is no reason to chance the final decisions in the hands of an individual who may or may not agree with position of the PRCTA. The Board has not requested concessions, comparable wages have been offered, and other positions lean toward the comparable communities of the union. In a fact-finding or arbitration scenario, the Board would undoubtedly be able to find comparable communities supporting their position. According to Crawford, final offer arbitration’s distinguishing feature is that it threatens bargainers with a settlement determined by the relative desirability to the arbitrator of their final offers. This creates incentives for bargainers to move their final offers closer to what they think the arbitrator wants, even if they are uncertain of his wishes (1981, 207). In the Pleasant Ridge scenario, the position of the Board is more than reasonable, and should ultimately be accepted as such by the PRCTA, rather than advancing to fact-finding or final offer  arbitration. Fact-Finding â€Å"The consequences of impasse are evident in the amount of private and public resources spent on civil litigation, the costs of labor unrest, the psychic and pecuniary wounds of domestic strife, and in clashes among religious, ethnic and regional groups.† (Babcock, Lowesenstein, 1997, 326) Should the parties reach impasse and the matter be referred to fact-finding, the Fact-Finder should make a recommendation based on the school district’s current and projected future financial position (ability to pay), the current political environment as far as public education policy is concerned, and to a lesser extent, should consider the proposals in comparison to those of comparable communities. In making a settlement recommendation, the Fact-Finder should find the initial position of the Board to be quite consistent with that of the PRCTA, as well as quite generous and reasonable. It is almost certain that a Fact-Finder would agree with the Board’s position on wages and tenure. It is reasonable to think that he or she would agree on tenure, but possibly decrease rather than eliminate the year of salary payout, unless they considered a layoff situation a financial hardship. If the Board could successfully present that as a business case, a Fact-Finder may agree. With regard to class size, a three to five student decrease should not present a significant enough business case to cause the school district to absorb an increase in additional teaching salaries and roll-up costs. A Fact-Finder should support that item as remaining status-quo. Final Offer Arbitration The board would undoubtedly have to go to arbitration to remove the politics of implementing a contract from their hands should the parties not be able to reach a settlement. With two of the board members being labor union members, and three endorsed by the Pleasant Ridge Central Labor Union (PRCLU), not going to arbitration would be political suicide. As demonstrated in previous board elections, two members lost to candidates who were endorsed by the PRCLU, showing the strength that the PRCLU exhibits. Having a neutral party force a contract on both sides would be the only political out the Board members would have. In a final offer settlement package, it is of the utmost importance that both parties consider the most  desirable benefits that could be achieved, and tailor the final offer package around those. Prioritization of issues is significant, as well as is reasonableness. In the final offer package, it would be incumbent on the Board to submit lower contractual wage increases, potentially to 2% each year of a two-year contract, with class size and tenure remaining status quo, with the elimination of the one-year wage payout provision. For the PRCTA, it would be beneficial to package a deal containing a 5 year contract with 2% wage increases for each year of the contract. Considering they really have nothing to lose since concessions aren’t being considered, they should also incorporate the decreased class size of 25 students, and tenure to reflect the 3 year comparable. Even if the arbitrator sides with the Board, the PRCTA hasn’t lost anything besides the one-year payout provision. Likely, that is something that will affect very few of the current members. REFERENCES Babcock, L., & Loewenstein, G. (1997). Explaining bargaining impasse: The role of self-serving biases. Advances in behavioral economics, 326. Crawford, V.P. (1981), Arbitration and Conflict Resolution in Labor-Management Bargaining. The American Economic Review. 71(2). Papers and Proceedings of the Ninety-Third Annual Meeting of the American Economic Association. 205-210. Cutcher-Gershenfeld, J. (1996). Bargaining Over How to Bargain in Labor-Management Negotiations. Negotiation Journal, 10(4), 323-335. Retrieved on March 22, 2014 from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1571-9979.1994.tb00032.x/abstract. Eberts, R.W. and Stone, J.A. (1985), Wages, Fringe Benefits, and Working Conditions: An Analysis of Compensating Differentials. Southern Economic Journal. 52(1). 274-280. Kearney, R.C., Labor Relations in the Public Sector, Fourth Edition. CRC Press. 381. Kerchner, C.T. and Koppich, J.E. (2007). Negotiating What Matters Most: Collective Bargaining and Student Achievement. A merican Journal of Education. 113(3). 349-365. Retrieved on March 22, 2014 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/512736. Walton, R. E. (1994). Strategic negotiations: A theory of change in labor-management relations. Harvard Business Press.

Gamma Rays essays

Gamma Rays essays Starting with nuclear fission is important because, nuclear energy is being looked at as one of the next main power sources of the future, and this energy is made through the process of nuclear fission. Nuclear Fission is the main way of producing nuclear energy, it occurs when a free neutron with a heavy element is split into two smaller nuclei. Fission reactions release neutrons, gamma rays, beta rays, and a extremely large amount of heat. Any combination of lighter nuclei may be produced as long as the total number of protons and neutrons equal those in the original fissioning neuclous. (http://hyperion.advanced-org/3471/noNetscape/fission.html) with the energy that we get from nuclear fission, we also get large amounts of nuclear waste. The main three types of nuclear waste that we get are alpha radiation, beta radiation, and gamma radiation. In this paper I will discuss gamma radiation, also known as gamma decay and how I believe that this form of waste should be used because of all the possible ways it could benefit us. It also would help in the removal of some of our nuclear waste because it would be putting a waste, that once did nothing, to practical use. Gamma decay occurs because the nucleus is at energy state that is too high. The nucleus falls down to a lower energy state and, in the process, emits a high energy photon known as a gamma particle (www.bionet.schule.de/radiodata/threetypes.html ). A photon is a small unit of light and is also referred to as gamma rays. Gamma rays are like X rays, only much more energetic and harmful to humans. These rays were previously only made in outer space and absorbed by the ozone, but because of pollution, we have -N burned a hole into the ozone which is letting them through. We are also producing them ourselves by the process of nuclear radiation. Photons/gamma rays can have very bad effects on the human body. Although a dose of just 25 rems(ro...

Important Events essays

Important Events essays There are many important things that happened in history. One of them would be World War II. This was a very important time in America. Many men and women during the holocaust were losing their lives because of one mans beliefs of ethnic cleansing. This was one of the lowest points in the history of the world. The U.S was forced to do something. When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor it lead to many years of blood, sweat and tears, which would eventually become worth it in the end. Our involvement in the war was crucial and led to the end of Hitlers reign and freedom to all Jews who were persecuted just because of their ethnic background. This was just one thing that was important in U.S History. Another important thing that happened in U.S History would be the civil rights movement. In WWII we were fighting for the freedom of the Jews but persecuting the African Americans in our own country. The black population in America were separate but equal. The blacks were by no means equal. They were required to go to separate schools. They werent even allowed to drink out of the same water fountain. And rightly so this upset the African American population. The African Americans decided to protest led by great men such as Martin Luther King Jr. They practiced non violent forms of protesting which led eventually to the end of the separate but equal way of life. A third important thing in U.S History would have to be Woodstock. Woodstock was held on a farm in New York and drew thousands of people to this great rock and roll concert. The theme of Woodstock was make love not war. Woodstock occurred during the war and Vietnam in which thousands of U.S soldiers were killed. The young people in America were opposed to the war. This is why Woodstock was such a big event. It was a place were young people could protest the war peacefully. Also Woodstock was the birth of many Rock and Roll&a...

Nike Marketing Strategy A Guide to Selling Benefits and Not Products

Nike Marketing Strategy A Guide to Selling Benefits and Not Products We all think we know the classic Nike marketing strategy. Just do it comes to mind pretty quickly, as do Air Jordan sneakers, famous athlete endorsements, and the swoosh logo. But is that really all there is to what Nike is doing? Or, is there something deeper behind their strategy and tactics? The Nike marketing strategy that most of us recognize isnt the one that made them famous, at least not in the early days. Discovering the Nike marketing strategy that put them on the map is where the gold is. Furthermore, just like any true content marketing strategy, it  isnt really much of a strategy at all. Like many similar success stories, it was as simple as providing real customer value.How To Follow Nike's Marketing Strategy Secrets For Success via @garrett_moonThe First Nike Marketing Strategy Bill Bowerman was a track and field coach, as well as one of the co-founders of Nike. In the mid-1970's, he began experimenting with his wife's waffle maker to design a better tread for running shoes. As the story goes, he ruined the waffle maker but invented a brand new type of shoe. Get Organized And Save Time With This Free Course! Work efficiently, stay organized, publish compelling content, and schedule everything for maximum growth. Sign up now for this comprehensive marketing course. At the end of the course, you'll have a well-thought-out marketing strategy of your own. Time's limited! Get Started Now For Free He later used that design to create the first Nike shoe commonly referred to as the "Nike Moon shoe." It was the first step of many that put Nike on the map, but there is more to the story than just a great tread- wear design and a waffle maker. There's also the story of Nike's incredible, if not accidental and seemingly counterintuitive, approach to promoting their product. Bowerman, you see, is also credited as the man who brought about the jogging craze that swept America in the late 1960's and 70's. While you would think that jogging wasn’t something that needed to be invented, it wasn’t all that popular as an exercise or activity at that time. Bill’s work and research truly brought jogging out of obscurity and to the forefront of the minds of the public. After observing a jogging club in New Zealand, Bill began to understand the value of jogging as a traditional fitness routine. Bill immediately began writing articles and books about jogging and how it could be used as part of a fitness program. His first three-page pamphlet was called the Jogger’s Manual and was later expanded into a 90-page book (see below) that he wrote along with an experienced cardiologist. Jogging, the accidental content marketing showpiece by Nike founder Bill Bowerman. Along with Bill's other involvements with professional athletes, his work helped inspire the 1970's running boom that Nike clearly benefitted from. Was this the result  of a strong  marketing strategy? Or was it just a coincidence? The answer is probably a mix of   both. It would be really great to point to Bowerman's story as a case-in-point example of content marketing at its finest, but it is difficult to do. The book was technically released before the first pair of shoes, and even before he invented the waffle tread. So, if it wasn't true content marketing, what was it and  how did it even work? 1. Put Customer Interests First Customers like great products  and they like serious benefits. For them, things that benefit them personally are easy to justify. The Nike Moon shoes did this, but only because the customer was beginning to understand jogging and its benefits for their health. Bill's secret goal wasn't to sell shoes, he was simply promoting something that he believed in. This may not sound like marketing strategy, but it certainly should. 2. Base Your Strategy On A Felt Need Initially for Nike's audience, the felt need wasn't for better running shoes, but for a better way to get in shape. Certainly, running was already popular among kids and athletes in the 1970's, but it wasn't the widespread social activity that we see it as today. The growing white-collar workforce helped pave the way for social activities that included the promotion of cardiovascular health. Once the trend was ingrained, the need shifted and the "jogging shoes" themselves became the felt need. Want to increase product demand? Identify your audience's felt needs first. #marketing3. Believe In the Product You Are Selling It's unlikely that Bowerman's original goal was to become a millionaire as he penned the pages of his first jogging pamphlet. That wasn't why he did what he did. His only goal was to promote a sport and an idea that he believed in. As marketers, shouldn't we believe in the product and the ideas we are selling? For Bowerman, it sure made marketing a lot easier. He was "marketing" without even realizing what he was up to. 4. Sell Easily Identifiable Benefits Instead Of The Product While jogging is pretty easy to understand, the waffle tread isn't (at least not until you understand why Bowerman made it in the first place). His goal was to make the world's most light–weight running shoe. He believed that this factor alone could dramatically improve the speed of a distance runner. His product worked  and quickly gained the industry respect that it deserved. How Nike’s Marketing Strategy Evolved As the marketing landscape has changed since the 70s, so has the Nike marketing strategy. In fact, it’s remarkable how well the brand has adapted its approach to new trends and technologies without losing the core of their identity or brand voice. It’s key to understand that while their general aesthetic and tactics have changed with the times, their customer–centric messaging has remained consistent. 1. Embrace New Technologies While Nike's early marketing strategy centered on print publications, they later went on to dominate other mediums, like television in the 80s and 90s, through modern social media platforms today. 2. Adapt  To The Needs Of Your Audience Nike hasn’t historically adopted new communication platforms for their marketing just because they’re chasing new, flashy objects. Far from it. Rather, they’ve been quick to conquer new mediums because they’re where their customers are. For example, take a look at their Instagram profile. They know their core demographic includes heavy Instagram users and so it makes sense for their brand to maintain a presence there. However, they also make sure that everything they post provides value. Rather than interrupting the flow of their follower’s feeds with flagrant sales pitches, they share motivational messaging. View this post on Instagram 04:40:08. â  â‚¬Ã¢  â‚¬Ã¢  â‚¬ â  â‚¬ 280 minutes. Thats the amount of time it took @nani183 to not only prove that she was a runner, but to prove that she was a marathon runner. â  â‚¬Ã¢  â‚¬Ã¢  â‚¬ â  â‚¬ Hours after the winner had crossed the finish line, the first timer found victory in defeat. It didnt matter how daunting the distance was. She didnt care if she finished 4th or 4,000th forward. She just wanted to finish. â  â‚¬Ã¢  â‚¬Ã¢  â‚¬ â  â‚¬ Hanin told us, To be successful, you mustnt give up. Only giving up is failure. #NRC A post shared by nike (@nike) on Oct 6, 2015 at 11:01am PDT Other posts, like this one, subtly tie into the brand’s history while directing users to interest–specific Nike sub-accounts on Instagram. In this case, they could have simply said something to the effect of, â€Å"Check out our women’s footwear and apparel profile, and our general  running product profile." Instead, they went the extra mile and created something memorable and entertaining while staying relevant to what their audience wants to see. View this post on Instagram How to run your Fastest Mile: Step 1: Wake up hungry. Step 2: @nikewomen Step 3: @nikerunning Stay up to speed at nike.com/findyourfast. A post shared by nike (@nike) on Aug 30, 2015 at 2:07am PDT 3. Stay True To Your Sense Of Purpose They say the more things change, the more they stay the same. For Nike, that has certainly remained true. Throughout their current content marketing initiatives, Nike makes sure their brand message hasn’t gotten lost over time or across channels. They focus their emphasis on creating content that promotes the benefits of their products, rather than the features. Helping their customers be better at what they love to do is still the focus of their branding and message. By moving their content marketing to the platforms where their customers are it shows that they are keeping their audience’s needs in mind while staying true to themselves. Nike's marketing strategy has succeeded in sustaining a global brand while many of their competitors have come and gone from the spotlight. Go where your audience is. Help solve their problems. Stay true to your brand. #contentmarketingHow To Apply The Nike Marketing Strategy To Your Own Brand The history of Nike’s marketing strategy is interesting in itself. What you probably want to know at this point is how to apply these lessons to your own work. 1. Figure Out The Needs Of Your Audience Your audience is on the Internet because they’re looking for answers to questions. One way to position your brand or blog as an authority on your topic or market is to create compelling content that addresses those concerns. Doing this well means understanding exactly what your audience’s goals are and what they want to know, and then being there to answer and give solutions when they need them. Do this well enough, and you might even turn readers into passionate brand advocates. In Nike’s case, people were looking for new ways to stay in shape. As jogging became more popular, people needed jogging shoes. Nike then smartly positioned themselves not just as a company that made shoes, but a company that helped their customers achieve their fitness goals (and just happened to make shoes that supported that goal). If you’re unsure what your audience is really looking for, try putting yourself in their shoes for a moment (no pun intended) and think beyond the scope of your product or service. Instead of thinking about your product’s features or competitive advantages, think about what goal your customer is trying to achieve. Then, be there with the information, products, and services they need to make it happen. What goal is your customer trying to achieve? Now make content, gather information, and create products that will help your customers achieve their goals. This means you need to do your research first: Recommended Reading: How To Do Content Marketing Research For A Blog Post 6 Simple Tips For Using Online Research In Your Content Marketing 2. Figure Out The Best Way To Reach Your Audience In terms of your blog and overall digital marketing efforts, this means that you need to figure out where your audience hangs out on the Web and how you can best reach them there. Which social networks are they most active on? Should you pay to promote your content on those networks? Does an email newsletter make sense for your customers? Could print collateral be something they’re interested in? These are big questions to answer, but the key point to remember is that its important to go where your audience is. Before considering any content distribution tactic, think about your customer’s habits, what types of content they prefer, and where they prefer to find it. Make sure you're thorough in your approach  when it comes to doing everything you can to spread your content. After all, if you're  going to try to market like Nike, then you can't afford to settle for the status quo. Recommended Reading: The 6 Types Of Social Media Content That Will Give You The Greatest Value What 10 Studies Say About The Best Times To Post On Social Media How To Make Writing For Social Media Work For Your Business 3. Create Compelling Content That Addresses Audience Needs Whether it’s on your blog, social media channels, video platforms, or print collateral, every piece of content you create should address customer needs. Not only that, but you need to be creating the best content on your topic anywhere on the Web. If you’re not answering questions, solving problems, being entertaining, or otherwise helping your audience be better at doing what they love, then it’s time to rethink your approach. If you’re unsure of what your customer’s real needs are, consider everything from simple keyword research to surveys to get a better idea of what kind of content you can create that they’ll find valuable. You'll also want to consider what content creation budget and resources you have available. Key Takeaways About Nike’s Marketing Strategy To Grow Your Brand If this all seems like a lot of information to take in, that's because it is.  If there's just one thing you remember from this post, however, it's the idea of creating content that spreads, instead of content that just sells. The Benefits Of Not Selling Here's the cool thing: Bill didn't sell shoes; he didn't need to. Instead, he sold jogging and all of the benefits that came with it. This should make us pause as marketers. Instead of selling our products we should be selling the benefits that products like ours promote. Running shoes matter to people who jog, so selling them on jogging is always a good first step. The same goes for us here at . We are a content marketing and planning tool. The more people that use content to market their business, the more copies of our software we sell. We also gain the added benefit of understanding why our customers buy what we are selling in the first place. Even in the world of content marketing, there is a lot of selling. This is fine, but it misses the real point that Bowerman so aptly understood–spread ideas, not products. Spread ideas, not products. #contentmarketing #bloggingGood Content Marketing Doesn't Sell, It Spreads Content marketing is growing, and that usually brings fuzzy definitions that blur the lines between what something actually is and what it is becoming. It's often pegged as a process rather than a technique, but content marketing doesn't depend on a specific set of tools or a common workflow. It is about providing value and building trust with customers. Bowerman's book built trust and provided immense value–a trait that naturally carried over to his products. He didn't intend for the book to be used as content marketing, but because, with content, the lines between value and marketing are so blurry, marketing is exactly what he did. Strategy is great. Using keywords is smart. Blogging is the future. But providing customers value, no matter the medium, will never go out of style.

Expanding Walmart into Turkey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Expanding Walmart into Turkey - Essay Example For instance, the company operates as Walmex in Mexico, Asda in United Kingdom, Seiyu in Japan and Best Price in India. It is worth mentioning that till date the business is located in around 15 countries under 55 different names (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 2013). The Republic of Turkey generally known as Turkey is a transcontinental nation located in the western part of Asia. The country is considered to be a democratic, secular, unitary constitutional republic with diverse cultural heritage. Turkey is measured to be the official language that almost 85% of the people use and English is the secondary language. In terms of the present day statistics, the nation is listed in the 15th position in accordance with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) and is placed in the 17th position concerning nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Istanbul is considered to be the most populated state in the nation. In terms of education, turkey is determined to be one of the most literate countries having a literacy rate of almost 94.1% as of 2011, additionally the current health care suspect of the country is considered to be quite sound in comparison with the past. It is worth mentioning that two of the universities of turkey are glo bally recognized as the best universities in the world (CIA, 2013; ZÃ ¼rcher, 2004). The main objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive analysis of Turkey that would facilitate in understanding the various factors that are essential for a business to evaluate before establishing in any nation. The study would also provide a recommendation section that would help in understanding whether Walmart’s plan to expand in Turkey would be profitable for the company in the long run or not. Cultural facet is considered to be one of the major constituents that any business needs to consider before expanding in a new country. The vital reason behind this is that it plays a major role in the dynamics of the way in

How sedentary lifestyle affect identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How sedentary lifestyle affect identity - Essay Example By this time, everybody should know the health effects of inactivity, almost as damaging to the mammal body as cigarette smoking and pets are just as susceptible. The earth is definitely getting heavier because obesity is an epidemic in the developed countries. New cases of adult onset Diabetes (also known as Type II Diabetes) are growing at an astronomical rate in the West, where 350 million people now have the disease and more than three million people succumb annually. Shockingly enough, more children are getting this version of Diabetes, which at one time was extremely rare in those under eighteen. In addition, coronary disease (heart attacks) and hypertension evolving into debilitating or fatal strokes are more common in the immobile person. Many works have blamed the sedentary lifestyle on the technology age and it is true that many more people hold an office-type job in 2012 then the populace did in the 1960’s. However, the average Western adult only works forty hours a week, less than 25% of the 168-hour week. The other seventy-two hours (after subtracting fifty-six hours for sleep) lead to sedentary trouble. The kid playing video games for hours on end, the family watching the latest DVD, adults and kids alike glued to the home computer shopping and catching up on Facebook, Twitter, etc. are all inactivity red flags that identity change is eminent. . To multiply the problem, a myriad of unhealthy food choices are available, potato chips, burritos, cookies among others, with more items invented all the time. Diet and exercise are the two solutions to inactivity. Healthy, home-cooked meals with less eating out, especially at fast food restaurants, can make a vast difference in a person’s weight and health, and feelings of identity. Instead of dad and son watching football all Sunday afternoon, they could go out in the backyard and have a game of catch. The whole family could go for a brisk walk in the park and rather than driving around the mall trying to grab a parking space near the entrance, it would be much better to park in the nether regions and walk to the door. Gardening, housework, walking the dog (it needs the workout also) and even sex are wonderful everyday devices in which one would get exercise. Is it raining? The inactive person could try walking up and down the stairs a few times. New York Times correspondent Michael Pollan has written several tongue-in-cheek books on the subject of food, most notably The Omnivore's Dilemma: a Natural History of Four Meals. Pollan stresses that he essentially agrees with the Government in their assessment that junk food and other processed foods are not good for the human body. He also acknowledges that so-called â€Å"organic† food is not that anymore, what started out as a good idea quickly turned no better than non-organic foodstuffs. In addition, modern transportation and storage methods, bringing regional foods such as Cajun nationwide, are not necessarily for the betterment of humankind. While recommending more plant matter, he stresses that humans should become a society of hunter-gatherers, as they were less than 150 years ago. Pollan in the chapter â€Å"The consumer a republic of fat† speaks explicitly on the sedentary lifestyle and oddly enough blames it partly on the glut of corn produced in North America. Americans don’t each that much corn so the excess resulted in the massive alcohol manufacturing in the 1800’s, which is still being used today (Pollan). Also high

The Prince of the Marshes by Rory Stewart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Prince of the Marshes by Rory Stewart - Essay Example These cases are just a cause for great concern as they have claimed the greater number of casualties in the ongoing war in Iraqi. The most worrying part of the suicide bombings is that they can occur anywhere, even in protected areas. Just two days ago, a suicide bomber killed five people at the main reception area of the hotel where we are based. Fortunately, we had just retired to our respective rooms after a press conference and cocktail party with delegates from different regions representing various groups as a way of trying to find a workable solution to the war in Iraqi which has so far claimed close to a million people since it started a few years ago. Bombing of hotels, embassies as well as other official buildings is a regular occurrence here. These are targeted as they are in most cases suspected of accommodating enemies who are sponsoring war in that country. This has so far resulted in most foreign embassies being closed down as hundreds of people have been killed in these suicide bomb attacks. It is said that some areas outside Baghdad have been rendered impassable as a result of the high degree of destruction of infrastructure that was caused by the war. Most roads were destroyed and many areas are said to be full of landmines. In fact some areas are branded no go areas. Anyway, I am attending a one month workshop which seeks to establish feasibility studies of resuscitating the telecommunications infrastructure which was also not spared by the war. The main aim of the workshop is to try and see if the new information and communication technology can be improved as away of attracting investors in the war-torn country which is expected to be peaceful once again in the near future. I hope to gain a lot of experience from this workshop as we aim to design measures that would take a long way in attempting to put investment on the agenda in this troubled country. More importantly, I will also present my paper during the