Relationships with community, family and between male and female are a Essay

Relationships with community, family and between male and female are a constant source of inspiration for Irish writers. Discuss with reference to examples from three genres - Essay Example We would also note that it was indeed Declan Kiberd, the famous professor, author and literary theorist, who criticized the concept of ‘Inventing Ireland’, stating that the literary structure of Ireland was much more than a mere dumping ground of various colonial views. Considered Ireland’s foremost intellectual, Professor Kiebred, who also happened to be an expert in the old Celtic culture and a renowned speaker of the Irish language, argued that the colonial view was superimposed by the English literary class and that there was no truth in their implications. Inventing Ireland was often considered an antidote to the political oppression of a dominant imperial culture and was in reality a fractured theory of a post colonial era which had lesser facts and more farce. The text of ‘Inventing Ireland’ is a comprehensive study of almost all Irish writers and has a large section which is reserved exclusively to highlight the importance of Irish women write rs. (Kiberd, 1997) James Joyce, the author of Dubliners, took cue from the rising Irish Nationalism and depicted his characters as those in search of a national identity. The book discloses the dilemma of the characters that are left standing at a crossroad which has ideas and influences converging through various streams. Out here, confusion reigns supreme and the character is forced to have a better self understanding. The narration, which has children as protagonists, progresses to elderly couples as the stories advance. It highlights the lives and the relationships between males and females and has a direct impact on the author’s intellect to help him provide a true picture of the lives of the Irish Middle Class in the 20 century. The books are incidentally centered on Dublin and provide an insight into the lives and the relationships of a family with the outer world. Considered one of the most

Valley of Saints Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Valley of Saints - Movie Review Example Movie reviewers have on various occasions assisted in guiding the audience to watch a movie or made the audience less interested especially when the reviewers discredits the plot and message of the film. Film Critic Roger Ebert ranks among the primary critics and the paper examines the review of Valley of Saints by Elbert and comparing it with that of the researcher. A focus on the critics by the researcher and Ebert is done on Valley of Saints movie. With Guzlar, Afzal and Asifa as the three main characters, Syeed purposively and successfully exposes the political situation and repercussions of India in Kashmir a poor Interior location. His background and experience plays a significant role in ensuring he delivers one of the best prose reflecting on bad politics and the consequences. As a result of poverty and war arising from political instability within the state of Kashmir, Guzlar with his friend Afzal who is more like a friend decides to free the city of Kashmir (Trigon-Film 2014). Although the two has love for their village as a result of friendly neighborhoods and the aspect of beauty possessed by the locals, the political tensions, and continuous wars force them to run away from home. Working as a boatman, Guzlar earns through crossing tourists across his lake Village Dal Lake.

Monoclonal Antibodies as a Therapeutic Approach for Cancer

Monoclonal Antibodies as a Therapeutic Approach for Cancer INTRODUCTION Monoclonal anti-body cancer therapy is one of the most suitable therapeutic approach for hematologic malignancies and solid tumours for the past several years. This therapy of monoclonal anti-body join target cell, increase immune system, kills affected cells and slows tumour growth in patient. It is a laboratory produce mixture of homogenous anti-body molecules with empathy towards a particular antigen being generated by using a hybridoma by combining a B-cell with a single lineage of cells containing a specific antibody gene. A host of similar cells are produced that secrete the same anti-body. Owing to its specificity and high reproducibility, MAbs are more advantageous over polyclonal antibodies. MAbs are more often used in variety of applications like, research and diagnosis, therapeutic tools in cancer and immunological disorder, pharmacy, etc, as such are in huge demand in industry. Due to its high specificity, MAbs are increasingly used for basic immunological and molecular r esearch and have proven desirability. They are used in human therapy, cancer therapy, diagnosis of disease, commercial protein purification, suppressing immune response, hormone test, diagnosis of allergy, structure of cell membrane, purification of complex mixtures, identification of specialized cells, preparation of vaccines, increasing the effectiveness of medical substances (Edward, 1981). MAbs are used in applications against cancer cell-specific antigens which include an immunological response against targeted cancer cells. Availability of MAbs which recognizes immune cells antigen has resulted in improved diagnosis for lymphoma and leukemia. They are also being used in diagnosis of solid tumour especially for carcinoma of lungs, colon, and rectum. They are also useful in examining blood, sputum, biopsy samples of cancer cells or for materials discharged by cancer cells. At present MAbs are available for variety of cancers like ovarian, colorectal, lungs, etc (Beckman et al, 2007). MAbs interceded immunotherapy employs cells having cytotoxicity like monocytes and macrophages through antibody dependent cell cytotoxicity. MAbs binds complement proteins in cancer therapy which leads to direct cell toxicity that is complement dependent cytotoxicity (Carter, 2001). MAbs stops growth of tumour cells by blocking growth factors thus arresting the spread of tumour cells. MAbs not only detect cancer cells but also destroys them and clinical trials have revealed that MAbs stimulate partial reduction. Conjugate MAbs are combined with drugs and toxins and radioactive atoms are applied as delivery vehicles to take these substances through the body. MAbs flows in the body until it finds cancer cells with a matching antigen and delivers toxic substance to the place of the body. In chemotherapy, MAbs conjugate with chemotherapeutic drugs known as chemo labelled antibodies. The delivered drug causes damage to tumour and normal tissues. Clinical applicability of MAbs is because of its specificity and homogeneity. Another special feature of hybridoma production is that mixture of antigens can be used to produce specific antibodies. The treatment of cancer by MAbs has got highly advanced and its scope as therapeutic agent for untraced cancer has broadened. 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2.1 Production of Monoclonal Antibody The production of MAbs by hybridoma technol ­ogy was first discovered by German scientist, Georges Kohler and Cesar Milstein of Argentina. In 1976 they developed a technique involving fusion of a cancerous (immortal) mouse B-Cell myeloma with an immunized mouse plasma cell by creating a hybrid cell/hybridoma (Blaine, 2012). The hybrid cells are clones of anti ­body producing cells against desired antigen and spread rapidly to generate large amounts of antibody. Hybridoma is capable of rapid circulation and high antibody exuding rates as in myeloma cells, and can maintain antibody genes of mouse spleen cells (figure 1.1).            Figure 1.1: Production of monoclonal antibodies 2.1.1 Outline of production of MAbs The basic approach for production of MAbs includes, viz., purification and characterization of the desired antigen in sufficient quantity, immunization of mice with purified antigen, culture of myeloma cells which are unable to synthesize hypoxanthine-gua ­nine-phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT) enzyme necessary for the salvage pathway of nucleic acids, exclusion of spleen cells from mice and its fusion with the myeloma cells, and following fusion growth of hybridomas in hypoxanthine aminop ­terin thymidine (HAT) medium where only the fused cells have the ability to grow. Because of lack of HGPRT, unfused myeloma cell has no ability to grow in this HAT medium, and as such cannot produce DNA. Because of short life spans unfused spleen cells can ­not grow, only fused hybrid cells/hybridomas can grow in HAT medium. Since spleen cell partners produce HGPRT, Hybrid cells have the ability to grow in the HAT medium. Hybrid cells clones are produced from single host cells and the antib odies exuded by the differ ­ent clones are then tested for their capability to combine to the antigen using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). And finally then the clone is selected for further use (Zola, 2010). 2.2 Types of Monoclonal Antibodies The various types of anti-cancer monoclonal antibodies are: 2.2.1 Naked monoclonal antibodies Naked MAbs are antibodies that work for themselves and there is no drug or radioactive material connected to them. For cancer treatment, these are the most common type of MAbs. A large number of naked MAbs are attached to antigens on cancer cells but a few of them performs either by joining antigens to the non-cancerous cells or to the free-floating proteins. Naked MAbs works in a diverse manner as elaborated below: Some of them increase patient’s immune response against cancer cells by joining to them and thereafter acting as an indicator for the body’s immune system to destroy them. For instance, Alemtuzumab used against leukemia (Lin T.S, 2008). Some of them targets immune system at checkpoints. While some work by joining and blocking the antigens which are important signals for cancer cells and other cells that help cancer cells grow or spread). E.g. Trastuzumab: used against breast and stomach cancer (Hudis, 2007). Conjugated monoclonal antibodies Conjugated MAbs are antibodies where MAbs are combined to other substance like chemotherapy drug, different type of toxin, or a radioactive particle. Here MAbs are used for taking these substances directly to the cancer cells and mingles in the body until it finds the targeted antigen and delivers the toxic substance at the required place thereby reducing or somewhat eliminating the chance of causing damage to normal cells in other parts of the body. These are also called as tagged, labelled, or loaded antibodies. They are divided into a variety of groups, as given below: Radiolabeled Antibodies These have minute radioactive particles joined to them. E.g. Ibritumomab tiuxetan, acts against CD20antigen (Knox S .Jet al, 1996). Chemolabeled antibodies These have strong chemotherapy (or other) drugs joined to them and are also known as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). E.g Brentuximab vedotin (acts against CD30 antigen) attaches to the chemo drug called MMAE. 2.3 Mechanism of Action MAbs apply their antitumor effects by various types of means of action: It directs the immune system to destroy cancer cells where the immune system destroys the foreign invaders in our body but it doesnt identify the cancer cells. MAbs are directed to join to particular parts of a cancer cell and marks cancer cells thereby making it simple for immune system to find like Rituximab (Rituxan) attached to a CD 20 protein on B cells. When Rituximab attaches to the protein on the B cells it makes the cancer cells more detectable to the immune system and make it convenient for it to attack. MAbs targeting Ccncer requires to attach to appropriate tumour cell surface antigens with adequate quantities and lead to destruction of targeted cells (Ignacio Met al, 2007). Mode of action include tumour cell toxicity via antibody-conjugate, modulation of host immune system (such as ADCC/CDC), and blockade of ligand combining and signalling perturbation. By combining with the cytokines or other proteins which are critical for cancer cells for maintaining their uncontrolled growth Cancer cells depend upon blood vessels to give them oxygen and nutrients required for their growth and to attract blood vessels cancer cells send growth signals. MAbs blocks these growth signals and prevent a tumour from maintaining a blood supply to stop growth. In other words, if a tumour has already instituted a network of blood vessels then it blocks the growth signals making the blood vessels to die and resulting in tumour to shrink. E.g. bevacizumab (Avastin) (Margeret VM et al, 2003). It targets a growth signal ,vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which cancer cells sends to attract new blood vessels. It stops a tumours these signals and stops them from connecting with their targets. Delivery of radiation to cancer cells. MAbs are joined with radioactive particles to give radiations directly to the cancer cells. But the drawback is that by this method most of the healthy cells are damaged .E.g. Ibritumomab (Zevalin) It joins itself to the receptors on cancerous blood cells and subsequently delivers the radiation. Delivery of chemotherapy to cancer cells. MAbs are joined J with chemotherapy drugs to give radiations directly to the cancer cells.E.g. Ado-trastuzumab (Kadcyla). It joins to HER2 receptors present on the breast cancer cells and cancer cells consume these antibodies which in turn releases a few molecules of chemotherapy. chemotherapy damages only to the cancerous cells. 2.4 Side effects and limitation of monoclonal antibodies 2.4.1 Side-effects MAbs generally have small side effects unlike chemotherapy. Only a mild aller ­gic reaction or rashes may occur with first admin ­istration of the drug. Other common side-effects are fever, headache, weakness, chills, nausea with vom ­iting, and low blood pressure (Chames p et al, 2009). Whereas grave side-effects are infusion reaction, low blood cells count, heart problem, skin problem and bleeding. Else other side effects of MAbs are with the targeted antigens. Bevacizumab used against tumour blood vessel growth can result in kidney damage, high blood pressure, bleeding with poor wound heal ­ing, and blood clots (Scolnik, 2009). Cetuximab which is used against lungs cancer and head and neck cancer can result in severe infusion reaction and can cause serious rashes. Rituximab which is used against leukemia andlymphoma can cause renal toxicity and serum sickness. 2.4.2 Limitations A serious limitation is that MAbs drugs are most costly as there are only a few FDA regulated drugs which are available in the market. A good number of new MAb drugs are still under development process. Since generic competitors are not there, the sale of cost-effective MAbs is quite good. MAbs are most commercialized and marketed products. Due to huge cost, MAbs therapies are a financial burden on patients. With only proper health planning and step-wise periodic therapies the problem can be sorted. MAbs is a proven therapeutic agent and as acted as mulching cow for the pharma ­ceutical industry. The typical doses of MAb drugs needed for treatment are significantly higher than those required for other drugs. Thus, large-scale production that is cost-effective in man ­ufacturing processes is required. However, the huge demand to increase production of these drugs and the drive to lower the cost of these expensive medicines is a continuous challenge to the present industry. This will further improve the efficiency of manufacturing processes. These challenges are overcome by streamlining downstream processes to increase product quantities, to implement proper quality with high-concentration product formulations with sufficient stability, dose-effective products, to reduce the cost, to develop methodologies for time ­line MAb production, and to develop alternative delivery systems (Rohrer T et al, 2009). 2.5 Monoclonal Antibody Drugs used in Cancer The treatment of monoclonal antibody depends upon the type of cancer and drug you are receiving. Some of the drugs are used in combination with others treatment like chemotherapy and hormone therapy. MAb drugs are used to treat advanced cancer that does not respond to chemotherapy or cancer that had returned. Some of the mAb drugs are: Bevacizumab: Humanized; used against colorectal cancer, breast carcinoma, on-small cell lung cancer and renal carcinoma Rituximab: Chimeric; used against leukemia and lymphoma Cetuximab: Chimeric; used against EGFR-positive metastatic colorectal cancer and carcinoma of head and lungs Trastuzumab: Humanized; used against ERBB2-positive breast carcinoma 2.6 Diagnostic potential of monoclonal antibodies The development of monoclonal antibodies to has provided considerable research of interest. There are monoclonal antibodies which are directed against B cells, natural killer cells, granulocytes, monocytes and platelets. Abs which reacts with different antigens is available which have definite mechanism of action (Khemshead et al, 1983). Several antibodies hare available which react with progenitor cells and these have been used as an aid in the diagnosis of different leukaemias. Neuroblastoma and lymphoma cells may have the appearance of small round cell tumours and be indistinguishable morphologically. MAb react predominantly with these tumour types and used for such diagnostic distinction. Antibodies reacting against tumours when it is coupled with radio label may be used for radioisotope scanning and small metastasis may be visualised using this. MAbs are being used in clinical evaluations and promise to provide a new generation of targeting agent.

Nutrition and Food Intake Essay -- Health Nutrition Pyramid Diet

Nutrition and Food Intake   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since we have been learning about nutrition in class, our task was to record a food log. Nutrition requires a well-balanced diet containing nutrient and vitamins like amino acids and fatty acids. Over the past seven days I have been recording and have been looking very carefully at my intake of nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and fats. In our task, the objective was to record the basic foods we ate during the period of seven, but it did not require recording every single detail or our intake of food. Doing this food log was a pain and it was disturbing because I never wrote about what I ate like breakfast, lunch, dinner, or additional meals. I found this food log useful because it helped me learn what I can change in my intake of foods to make my diet healthy and to see what about my diet is affecting me from being healthy because I could affect me in the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The purpose of recording this food log was to see what in my diet healthy or unhealthy. The purpose of this food log was also to view our eating habits because the basic average man eats many saturated fats, sugars, and red meat and this usually explains why some of them are usually obese and have diabetes. Diabetes is a problem when you eat too many foods with sugar or you eat too many sweets. In our task we were supposed to compare our eating habits to the new food pyramid. The new food pyramid describes what is healthy and the average amount of servings that should be taken daily.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The food pyramids are basically an outline of what you should eat during the day that is healthy. Knowing what you eat is important because nutrition requires a well-balanced diet containing nutrients and vitamins and if you don?t eat healthy then you can acquire diseases and dietary disorders. The new food pyramid tells you that you should include whole grains and plant oils in most meals because if you include plant oils and whole grains in most meals it reduces the rate of heart diseases & whole grains contain Vitamin B and Vitamin B is essential for growth, the functioning of the stomach and intestines, and they are also essential for the nervous system. Vegetables should be eaten abundantly because vegetables contain the mineral magnesium which relaxes your nerves and muscles, builds and strengthens bones, and keeps you blood circulating at a constant pace. You s... ... school lunch & the lunch comes with milk. Milk is good because it consist of calcium which helps for the functioning of the heart, muscles, and nerves. I have noticed that I don?t eat vegetables a lot but I know I need to. I can improve my intake of foods by beginning to eat vegetables because if I don?t the body will take the magnesium that vegetables contain out of my bones for the bloodstream which gives me weakened bones. If I don?t get enough magnesium then my tissues will be affected in my heart and kidneys. Some symptoms are that you get tremors or spasms, when your heart rate increases, when you muscle softens and weakens, or when you have headaches. You usually get these if you drink too much alcohol, have diabetes, have kidney disease, or use drugs. In the end I was able to realize the mistakes I am making in my eating habits and diet because it could be affecting my health and this is not good for a well-balanced diet. In the end, I was able to see what how I can impr ove in my health because increasing my intake of specific foods. Basically, since I exercised a lot I was not sure of how many calories I was consuming or how many calories I was burning due to exercise.

Organisational Development Essay

Training and development is an important part of knowledge management in any given organization. For the training of staff to be effective the right instructional design model must be used. Instructional system design is a model of training, which utilizes a systematic approach to training with an aim of achieving competence through utilisation of resources available. It must be noted that in any given organization money is always a constraint and when it comes to employee training the best training model must be adapted. Instructional system design is favored over many other models in that it links training to organizational goals and as a result, it is cost effective. The workplace is increasingly becoming a place where business organizations can nurture, improve and encourage the potential and capabilities of employees. One of the most common ways in which organizations nurture these talents is by introduction of training programs which aim at preparing employees to better meet the challenges of today’s workplace. However, unless training programs are carefully constructed, such programs are unlikely to meet the demands of the market as well as individual needs of the employees and the needs of the organization. This paper discusses the important considerations worthy considering while designing training programs. Background information BBC as a company has it core values as; to inform, to educate, as well as to entertain. The vision of BBC, which entails being the most creative as well as trusted organization in the world. It is in line with the vision that a training and development strategy has been put in place. To be creative, it takes well trained staff, men and women who can forecast and remain focused in their duties. However, as (Tjepkema, 2002. 100- 130) notes, for management to perform their duties satisfactorily, they should posses the capability and means. Tjepkema, (2002. 90-94) notes that it is not the talent of employees that is important, it is how employees are helped to bring out as well as discover their talents that matters. Training and development should be geared towards making employees realize their full potential. The much experience BBC has on journalism is a positive for BBC and should be used to put the organization on a class of its own. The fact that training and development as it exists in BBC aims at offering practical education in the journalism industry is worthy mentioning. All training at BBC focuses on knowledge and skills imparting. BBC training and development has been using generally for the purpose of training operational staff. Training is also tailored to meet the ever changing needs at BBC. BBC has embraced the need for computer based programs something which is always at the centre of all training needs. There been efforts geared to meeting the fast changing needs in terms of infrastructure which can cope with today’s broadcasting practices and technology. Research and facts collection is a good step in catering for training needs and that’s evident even from the way BBC chooses its sound training facilities from electronic devices to desks. BBC ensures that all its courses lay emphasis on learning styles and flexibility. While designing the training program, it is important to bear in mind the fact that, the programs lead to the acquisition of new knowledge, change in knowledge especially in cases whereby the nature of the training is based on new skills necessary for the production functions which may require the use of new machines or different technology which the employees do not possess (Nilson, 2003. 34-35). Justification Training and learning is very relevant to today’s organizations. It helps organizations deal with talent development in the organization. As Tjepkema, et al (2002. 100- 120) notes the employees are an organization’s best asset and should be fully developed so that every single employee gives out his or her best. This is made possible by thoroughly training and employee development programs. Journalism is a fast changing business in terms of the high needs for customer satisfaction, competition as well as keeping in line with the ever-changing needs for entertainment, education as well as information. The above is challenging and any organization worthy its salt must prepare its employees for the challenge. In preparing and designing training and development practices BBC is taking the right direction. Learning in the work place has its special challenges and any good programs must factor in factors such as change in the organization and requires a combination of values, cultures and a considerable budget (Tjepkema, et al,2002. 105- 110). According to CIPD survey (2006) different organizations attach variety of importance to talent development but a big percentage (67%) believe that it leads to development of individuals who posses high potential. The report further notes that training is crucial for preparation of individuals who would take management roles in future. This is very much in line with BBC training goals which aim at developing staff into individuals who can carry out duties and responsibilities leading to customer satisfaction. In house training has been noted as the most effective method of training and development in the CIPD report of 2006. In most cases, the training targets specific groups in an organization, depending on the specific needs of every category of workers such as top company executives, middle level managers, professionals and the bottom level employees. All the above categories have very varied training needs and therefore the training programs must take into consideration such factors as; what each category of employees need. For instance, in an engineering firm, the top management may consist of administrators who are not necessarily engineering professionals, the chief executive officer who again may not be a professional as well as some managers such as the production and quality assurance managers, all of whom have different training needs. Therefore, the design of the training program must take care of each category’s special needs. The program should be designed in such a way as to match the roles and responsibilities of each employee and ensure that the training material, activities and content meet the needs, which exist for the given positions. The training should also be designed in a way in which it will take care for the employee’s past knowledge and skills. BBC has adopted in- house training strategy which is supported by yet another training and development expert (Tjepkema, et al, 2002. 100- 130) as an effective training method. However the adoption of external secondment as is evident in the BBC strategy has been criticized for being an ineffective method of training and development and it is an area where BBC should look into and perhaps change more effective practices such as coaching. The fact that BBC has identified as important, talent management is a step worthy praising. Talent management as practiced by BBC is responsible for the success of the organization as well as its position of a market leader in world’s journalism, a status which the organization enjoys as a result of being keen at staff training and development. The methods of learning are very important in the design of the training program and they should take into consideration that, employees are adults and there are some effective instructional methods, which are of preference to them. The learning process should include reinforcement of positive behaviour so as to make the learning process an effective one. In an engineering firm, most staff would need accretion, and fine-tuning of already learnt procedures (Nilson, 2003. 102). A good training program must be detailed enough to meet the goals and objectives of the organization with clear specifications of the purpose, goals and objectives of the training program. For instance, training at the bottom level of the organization is aimed at transferring new skills. This is because new technologies keep on coming especially in this age of information technology. Therefore employees need to update themselves in using the technology and especially in regard to applying the technology to speed-up production. Any effective training program must have specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound objectives in which a clear definition of the goals is given (Nilson, 2003). The employees’ needs are determined in the context of the nature of work. It is also very important for the management to define the goals of the training program in order to make sure that; the training program is aligned to the organizational values. The content of the training program as well as the learner activity, which is central to the communication of the course content, is very necessary and should be determined prior to the onset of the course. The success of a training program is not entirely dependent on organization and the content of training, but rather, on the execution and subsequent follow up after the training. This is where evaluation of the success of the training program comes in. It is imperative that management gets a feedback for the training from the participants who are usually the employees. In line with the best training and development practice BBC has invested in coaching activities and that is something to be encouraged. According to Stewart and Tansley, (2001. 18- 40) coaching activity has become one of the most favored training methods by employees due to its practicability as well as the fact that organisations can expect to see results in a short time. In addition, instructional system design is easy to apply and does not require a lot of expertise something, which means that organizations can rely on their in-house trainers to carry on training programmes within the organization. Therefore, instructional system design creates an enabling environment for continuous training which implies that organizations which settle on the instructional system design are assured of continuous business improvement without worrying about incurring costs commonly associated with other training models. Training Methods can be categorized as being either `on the job’, `off the job’ or `technology-based’. ‘On the job’ training is also referred to as ‘on the site’ training. This is the training method whereby instead of trainees moving from their workplaces to a different destination for training, the trainer comes to the workplace to train from there. Once in the workplace, the trainer together with the management can choose to train under short sessions such as during staff meetings or choose to dedicate full day to training or even choose to dedicate multiple days for the training. The exact method of delivery during the ‘on the job’ training depends on the wishes of the organization. ‘On the job’ training is associated with higher chances of success because attendance is usually higher than the other two training methods for a number of reasons. First of all, trainees do not have to incur extra costs in terms of travelling to training sites this means that ‘on the job’ training is cost-effective. Another key advantage of ‘on the job’ training is the fact that the simulation process becomes easier as trainees can easily link theoretical issues to practical issues. Suggestions BBC has not done enough to ensure talent management is handled with the standards it deserves. Although, Prince, and Stewart, (2002. 55- 72) cited in-house training as the most reliable and popular training, it should be integrated with other methods such as succession planning in order to achieve maximum effects. There is a need for planners to be aware of the effect of in house training if overused and especially in the case of BBC where in house programs have been in use for several years. Over reliance on one approach of training is likely to have reduced impact as employees are more likely to start viewing it as a boring method, something which is very likely to affect effectiveness of the training programs. Instead of over depending on one type of method, this report is of the opinion that training programs such as mentoring and buddying (Dearden, (2002. 11- 32), cross-functional approach, project assignments as well as graduate development courses would yield better results for BBC organizational training needs. However, it should be borne in mind that the more programs BBC adopts, the higher the cost of investments are likely to go up. This situation calls again for constant and regular evaluation so as to make sure the organization does not invest in ineffective programs which may end up costing the organization for nothing. According to Clatterbuck, and Meggnison, (2005. 81- 106) hybrid or integrated approaches are more effective in achieving training goals than single approaches. BBC should experiment with the now popular 360- degree feedback method in order to ensure that its training and development programs remain effective. As noted by, Clatterbuck, and Meggnison, (2005. 81- 106), it is always better if an organization could involve outside help in training. This serves two purposes; one to break the monotony of having same coaches training same trainees who become used to them used to, secondly, an organisation should aim at encouraging diversity. It is evident in (CIPD,2005. 2-39), that external secondments play critical roles in ensuring that employees interests is maintained in all training programs as well as giving employees an opportunity to learn from outside the organization. However this report would like to note the observation by (CIPD, 2005. 28- 100) that not all programs will always achieve the objectives they are designed for. Therefore there are always chances that training efforts may fail to achieve their goals. This report also commends BBC for making talent management a priority as evidenced in the budget allocation awarded to the training and development programmes. However there is a need for BBC to move from the level of policy statements to action since no matter how well intended training programmes are, all that matters in the end is how far they go in assisting the organisation achieve its training goals. This report will be incomplete without highlighting some of the barriers associated with not having an effective training and development programme. The first barrier identified in BBC is that employees have a negative attitude about training and development efforts being made by the organisation. There is considerable evidence that some employees of BBC feel that they are not being involved in designing of training programmes. Dissatisfaction is also arising concerning the criterion followed by the management when deciding which employees enroll for what courses. Dissatisfaction is also seen as emanating from the perception by some employees that they do not benefit even after training in that they never get promotions or salary increments. Therefore the report challenges the management of BBC to act very fast to stamp out this emerging dissatisfaction. Positive attitude is necessary amongst the employees of the organisation. No matter how well intended, how well funded or organized the training programmes are, if the attitude amongst the beneficiaries is negative, the training is likely to be ineffective and even counter productive. It is suggested here that BBC should move fast to include all staff members in the designing and planning of the training and development. This will in turn result into a positive attitude from the employees pertaining to training and development initiatives in BBC. Conclusion To keep a business organization on the top of the market needs well-trained employees. However the training programs cost companies a lot of money and therefore should be aligned and designed so as to make them effective and efficient. A good training program is only made possible by conducting a careful organizational analysis, determination of training needs as well as the execution of the training process and the follow up to the training. The follow up is necessary as a measure aimed at sustaining the gains made by the training programs.

Impement and Monitor Marketing Activities Essay

Executive Summary The marketing plan reviewed in this report is for BBQ fun 2009. BBQ fun aims to be e leading outdoor†lifestyle retailer, catering to the growing need for furnishing new and renovated dwellings in the greater Brisbane area. The assortment offer of BBQs, outdoor furniture and BBQ accessories will position BBQ fun as best in class for outdoor†lifestyle retailing. BBQ fun will reinvent the way people shop for outdoor†lifestyle products. BBQ fun will build its reputation on offering the fullest assortment of products possible in their chosen fields, incorporating both local and imported goods with products sold on easy to manage long†term payment plans. Our after sales service and three†year guarantees will find traction with a market dominated by low†quality items. Strategies and Tactics BBQ fun will be operating with an advertising budget of $250,000 for the year. The advertising program will target: †¢Local letter†box drops †¢Radio advertisement and †¢Magazines with coupon inserts in the BrisNews magazine Stakeholders Briefing regarding their implementation roles Board of directors: the board of directors are required to approve the hence they will be briefed on details of the plan through a presentation conducted for them and also informing them their roles in the implementation process. Human resource staff: in order for the human resource staff to conduct the recruitment and training they will be informed through a report including need for recruitment, training based on the marketing plan which would be used to brief the stakeholders as well. Finance staff: these staff will need to set a separate cost centre for the budget associated with the marketing plan. A written request for a budget allocation, or similar, would be used  to brief this stakeholder group. Managers: managers will be informed of any possible impact of the marketing activities on their departments through a meeting with the marketing department, which would include new products and services. Marketing and non–marketing personnel briefing Objectives: †¢Increase sales from $15 million per year to $20 million per year in the next three years †¢Increase our loyalty customers list from 10,000 to 16,000. †¢Establish brand recognition in Brisbane so that at least two in three people recognise our brand in a random survey taken in 18 months’ time. Marketing department will have direct roles in relation to the implementation and hence they will require significant details about the overall plan as well as each of the strategies and the related tactics. Sales staff will need overview of the plan and the strategies or tactics to be used and will need detailed information of the activities that will affect them, such as new special offers/pricing or changes to sales processes. Staff directly responsible or accountable for activities listed in the action plan section of the marketing plan, an individual action summary will be used to record relevant information for later use in measuring their performance or contribution to the marketing plan. Performance Measures BBQ fun will adopt balanced scorecard approach to measure the performance will enable BBQ fun to monitor and manage overall business strategy by looking at the drivers of current and future success for the organisation. It will focus on the link between the marketing plan and the four critical areas of the business operations namely customer, financial, internal business processes and learning and growth. Sales personal will have a performance measure relating to the overall goal of BBQ fun which will be increase sales from $15 million per year to $20 million per year in the next three years. Marketing personnel will have performance measures that relate to overall marketing activities which is deliver all marketing campaigns on time and within budget. Prioritised list of marketing strategies  activity descriptiondeliverablesresources needed Local letter†box dropsLeaflets designed, printed and distributedCannon’s consultants Finances- $150000 Personal for distribution Radio advertisementRadio advertisement developed, slots booked and aired on radio.Cannon’s consultants Finances-$280000 Magazines with coupon inserts in the BrisNews magazineDesign and print coupon inserts, tie up with magazine and distribute in the local area.Cannon’s consultants Finances- $150000 Communication and team building strategies Before the commencement of the project a team meeting was be held with each team member present where they were provided with a summary of the overall project action plan with the goals and objectives detailed in a schedule timetable detailing implementation and points of measures. They were also provided with detail each team member’s area and tasks of responsibility. An interactive discussion was also initiated to discuss any issues of concerns. A half an hour will be scheduled on Monday morning of each week to monitor the overall campaign progress, discuss individual tracking and highlight any unexpected issues that need attention. During the initial meeting each and every employee will be made clear of where they fit in the organisation structure, their responsibilities and accountabilities. It was decided to organise a staff party at the completion of each milestone. Strategies for monitoring marketing activities and analysing performance The whole project will be monitored on a Gannt Chart which will illustrate the start and completion dates of each self-contained stage in the project. The chart will reveal the process sequence and highlight the dependencies of some processes on other processes. Week 1 Date:Week2 Date:Week 3 Date:Week 4 Date:Week5 Date: distribution Leaflet printing Inserting graphic enhancements Develop leaflet for letter box drops A separate Performances analysis will be conducted for each activity in following manner Task 2 Monitoring and implementing promotional activities A regular review of all the marketing activities is being conducted based on the Gannt chart to keep track, so that evaluation of any issue of concern can be carried out as soon as possible. †¢The regular review revealed that 70% of the people in the target market recognise the BBQ brand and what it represents, †¢sales growth target of Increase sales from $15 million per year to $20 million per year in the next three years has been achieved †¢gross profit margins are still 48% Monitor Product pricing and distribution decisions Product attributes: BBQ, outdoor furniture and BBQ consumables. Product benefits: easy manage payment plan. Product usage: All the products can be used in day to day household Product users: people residing in new dwellings, people renovating and people replacing their old BBQ. Product competitors: The Yard, BBQ’s R Us, Outdoorz. Product distinction from competitors: †¢BBQfun’s credit offer is backed by a top tier bank. †¢Imported products make up 33% of the assortment. †¢The three†year guarantee is unique in the market place. †¢Broadest possible range in chosen fields. Product classes: quality, fashionable and unique outdoor-lifestyle. Monitoring results against targets in the marketing plan Monitoring marketing performance is being done by looking at what has happened and why considering the results and how do they compare with our goals? To find the reasons for why it happened its being looked into by checking: Were the marketing efforts put in right direction? Was there any specific activity that contributed the most to boost the results? What part of the marketing plan did what? Monitoring process will be as follows Establishing standardsAchieving total sales of $11,000,000, Gross profit of 5,500,000 with a marketing expense of 180,000 by the end of 2009 Measuring performanceSales target of $11,000,000 has been achieved but the gross profit is $5,280,000 which is less by $220,000 Proposing measures to correct deviations from the standardSource a new manufacturer from overseas to provide products at cheaper prices hence increasing the gross profit margin. Monitoring marketing revenue and costs against budget Monitoring of marketing revenue and costs against allocated budgets is being carried out by analysing and recording variations. Detailed revenue versus expenses for all marketing decisions, will include, timelines involved in accomplishing the required goals and objectives. Budgets will clearly layout the spending requirements for †¢each decision †¢breakdowns by month †¢Breakdowns by year. It will be determined how sales vary between regions and where the resources are going. Marketing managers will analyse the information containing: †¢how marketing costs are spread †¢where the money is being spent: ï‚ §Is it on product development, promotion or customer research? †¢standards of how much should be spent on marketing †¢how much money needs to be spent on marketing in order for the organisation to be competitive †¢what results should be expected to result from marketing spending: †¢Is the revenue generated from marketing meeting budget expectations? †¢Are costs within budget? †¢Does analysis identify variations? Recording variations in revenue and cost against budget The budget figures for the revenue and cost would be compared with the actual figures and the variances will be recorded in revenue and cost variance template outlined below ItemBudgeted $Actual $Variance % Total sales11,000,00011,000,0000 Gross profit5,500,000$5,280,0004 Expenses Direct mail40,00040,0000 Magazine advertisement110,000110,0000 Radio Promotions30,00030,0000 Total180,000180,0000 Task 3 Section A Implementing marketing strategies and tactics Overview of the marketing activity to be implemented I am involved in implementing the following marketing activities for BBQ fun; †¢Direct mail †¢Magazine advertisement †¢Radio Promotions Strategies and Tactics BBQ fun will be operating with an advertising budget of $250,000 for the year. The advertising program will target: †¢Local letter†box drops †¢Radio advertisement and †¢Magazines with coupon inserts in the BrisNews magazine Stakeholders Briefing Board of directors: approval of the board of directors is required hence they were briefed on details of the plan through a presentation conducted for them and also informing them their roles in the implementation process. Human resource staff: in order for the human resource staff to conduct the recruitment and training they were informed through a report including need for recruitment, training based on the marketing plan which would be used to brief the stakeholders as well. Finance staff: This staffs was required to set a separate cost centre for the budget associated with the marketing plan. A written request for a budget allocation was used to brief this stakeholder group. Managers: managers were informed of all possible impact of the marketing activities on their departments through a meeting with the marketing department, which included new products and services. Roles critical to the success of the marketing plan activities RoleResponsibilities Board of directorsProvide approval for the plan and its implementation, make available all resources required for implementation and monitoring of the plan. Human resource departmentProvide with all human resources required to complete the tasks to meet the requirements of the plan Finance staffMake available pre-approved finances as and when required by the plan Line managersTo accommodate any impacts by marketing plan and working around it Marketing managerPrimarily responsible for marketing activities and has the authority and responsibility over all company activities that affect customer’s satisfaction. This is in addition to his other responsibilities. Radio companyTo develop in conjunction with marketing manager the advertisement and air Printing houseTo design and print promotional material in conjunction with marketing manager distributorsTo distribute the promotional material Briefing of marketing and non-marketing personnel To brief all marketing and non-marketing personnel individual meetings with these groups were organised and their roles and responsibilities and performance measures were discussed and a written statement of same was provided to them. The documents used to brief the stakeholders were used again for briefing purposes. Prioritised list of the marketing strategies and the resources required for their implementation The following is the prioritised list of the marketing strategies and the resources required for their implementation: strategiesresources retain existing customers by providing excellent after sales service and three years guarantee on the productsTrained customer service representatives, good quality service centres to confirm with guarantee Develop customer base by providing wide range, quality and unique productsWell-equipped research and development department to develop wide ranging, quality and unique products Generate business through new customers by conducting advertisement and promotion activitiesContracts with Printing house, radio stations and magazines Evaluation of Communication and team building strategies Before the commencement of the project a team meeting was be held with each team member present where they were provided with a summary of the overall project action plan with the goals and objectives detailed in a schedule timetable detailing implementation and points of measures. They were also provided with detail each team member’s area and tasks of responsibility. An interactive discussion was also initiated to discuss any issues of concerns. A half an hour will be scheduled on Monday morning of each week to monitor the overall campaign progress, discuss individual tracking and highlight any unexpected issues that need attention. During the initial meeting each and every employee will be made clear of where they fit in the organisation structure, their responsibilities and accountabilities. It was decided to organise a staff party at the completion of each milestone. Pricing: While BBQfun will price at comparable prices for comparable quality, it will not be cheap. We pus h value over cheap and back this up with a three year guarantee. Distribution: BBQfun products will be distributed through a chain of retail stores which customers can access easily via the large car parking arrangements. Advertising and promotion: The most successful advertising will be ads and inserts in the Brizzy as well as a PR campaign of informational articles and reviews also within the Brizzy. Promotions will take the form of in store entertainment and competitions with prizes to exotic overseas destinations. Customer Service: BBQfun’s philosophy is that whatever needs to be done to make the customer happy must occur this investment will pay off with a  fiercely loyal customer base that is extremely vocal to their friends with referrals. Strategies for monitoring marketing activities and analysing performance The performance was analysed by comparing the current collected data with the set goals and determining whether the following goals are being achieved. Timelines: were all the actions completed within stipulated time frame Resources: were all the resources used efficiently and effectively. Costs: did the cost of implementing activities stayed with in the developed budget Sales: did the campaign achieve the desired sales figures. A brief feedback form was circulated to all appropriate personnel weekly for all employees to note customer satisfaction, events or problems that need to be addressed, as they happen each day. Employees were required to record action taken when customers aren’t satisfied with products or services. A summary of these internal feedback containing relevant comments on improving customer satisfaction (or solving customer problems) were circulated each week to all employees to inform, educate, and improve total organisation problem–solving for customers. This assisted in improving communication. Surveys were sent to customers to gather their input on how well BBQ fun is satisfying their needs. A monthly or quarterly review with specific customers to determine: †¢summary of sales information compared to previous years †¢Current customer service problems, detailing what they were and steps that were implemented to resolve the issues. †¢customer service improvements summary The entire campaign was monitored on a Gannt Chart which illustrated the start and completion dates of each self-contained stage in the project. The chart revealed the process sequence and highlighted the dependencies of some processes on other processes. Section B Current progress of the marketing activities against the marketing plan and overall objectives Monitoring and implementation of promotional activities against communication objectives in the marketing plan communication objectivesImplementation  to position BBQ fun as the premier outdoor†lifestyle store in the greater Brisbane area, commanding a majority of the market share within five years In addition to radio promotion and magazine advertisement, direct mail campaign was one way to communicate directly with the consumer. BBQ fun also used ads and inserts in Brizzy magazine. communicate that BBQ fun offers the widest,  most exotic, easy access outdoor†lifestyle products in Brisbane Direct mail campaign was one way to communicate directly with the consumer. BBQ fun also used ads and inserts in Brizzy magazine. create customer awareness regarding  their services offered Grassroots PR campaign. This campaign invited people from Brizzy for lunch to get articles writte n about BBQ fun into the news  develop that customer base BBQfun’s did everything to make customer satisfied, this investment payed off with a fiercely loyal customer base that is extremely vocal to their friends with referrals. work toward building  customer loyalty and referrals BBQ fun’s did everything to make customer satisfied, this investment payed off with a fiercely loyal customer base that is extremely vocal to their friends with referrals. Monitoring of product, pricing and distribution decisions against organisational policy and the objectives of the marketing plan Marketing objectivesDecisions †¢Increase sales from $15 million per year to $20 million per year in the next three years †¢Increase our loyalty customers list from 10,000 to 16,000. †¢Establish brand recognition in Brisbane so that at least two in three people recognise our brand in a random survey taken in 18 months’ time.Product: The product will be wide ranging, quality and unique. It offers the house proud customer a different option from the cheap mass produced offer prevalent in the market. New products will be developed on a regular basis in line with changes in customer taste which is targeted at every 12 months. The plan for product testing is to engage market research firms. Pricing: All products/services were competitively priced relative to comparable high†end outdoor†lifestyle lines. While BBQfun priced at comparable prices for comparable quality, it will not be cheap. We push value over cheap and back this up with a three year guarantee. Distribution: BBQfun products were distributed through a chain of retail stores which customers can access easily via the large car parking arrangements. Easy to access stores with extensive choices in our chosen fields, that are sold on an easy to manage payment plan with a three†year guarantee are the keys to our customer’s needs and wants. Monitoring results against targets in the marketing plan Monitoring marketing performance was done by looking at what has happened and why considering the results and how do they compare with our goals? To find the reasons for why it happened its being looked into by checking: Were the marketing efforts put in right direction? Was there any specific activity that contributed the most to boost the results? What part of the marketing plan did what? Monitoring process will be as follows Establishing standardsAchieving total sales of $11,000,000, Gross profit of 5,500,000 with a marketing expense of 180,000 by the end of 2009 Measuring performanceSales target of $11,000,000 has been achieved but the gross profit is $5,280,000 which is less by $220,000 Proposing measures to correct deviations from the standardSource a new manufacturer from overseas to provide products at cheaper prices hence increasing the gross profit margin. Monitoring marketing revenue and costs against budget Monitoring of marketing revenue and costs against allocated budgets is being carried out by analysing and recording variations. Detailed revenue versus expenses for all marketing decisions, will include, timelines involved in accomplishing the required goals and objectives. Budgets will clearly layout the spending requirements for †¢each decision †¢breakdowns by month †¢Breakdowns by year. Recording variations in revenue and cost against budget The budget figures for the revenue and cost were compared with the actual figures and the following variances were recorded in revenue and cost variance template outlined below ItemBudgeted $Actual $Variance % Total sales11,000,00011,000,0000 Gross profit5,500,000$5,280,0004 Expenses Direct mail40,00040,0000 Magazine advertisement110,000110,0000 Radio Promotions30,00030,0000 Total180,000180,0000 Section C Evaluating and improving marketing performance Processes used to regularly assess marketing performance against objectives Evaluation of marketing performance was done by gathering information measuring customer reactions. This enabled us to analyse and gather invaluable information. This information was used to improve the targeting of our marketing activity. Further valuable information was gained by periodically assessing customers’ feelings and opinions of the organisation and how well their needs are being satisfied, which is collected by customer feedback survey. The information was gained by analysing: †¢customers’ feedback †¢Key focus of appeal? †¢Success in appealing to our targets †¢improvement suggestions available †¢product features promoted †¢benefits of the product promoted Interview questions 1.Overall, are you very satisfied with the way BBQ fun performed on this occasion? 2.BBq fun’s service representatives (CSRs) are well trained. 3.Did service representatives (CSRs) adhere to professional standards of conduct? 4.How often do you typically use the product? 5.How did your Product performed? 6.Overall, how satisfied were you with your new Product? 7.Have you ever contacted customer service? 8.If you contacted BBq fun’s customer service, have all problems been resolved to your complete satisfaction? 9.Considering only your most recent purchase experience, how likely would you be to recommend the purchase of this product to a friend or colleague? Changes in business practices required to meet changing customer requirements 1.In addition to closely located retail stores an online store should be set up for the convenience of the customers. 2. To create provision for providing possible franchise as there has been lot of request for the same. Improvement plan ActionResponsibilityTimeframe Engage information and technology company to discuss, develop and host the retail storeIT Manager31/07/2010 Work out a complete business plan to make available opportunities for offering franchiseBoard of directors and Chief financial officer31/07/2010 Memo To: board of directors, finance department, human resource department, IT department and Marketing executives. From: John Smith, Marketing Manager Date: July 1, 2010 Subject: Changes to the Marketing Objectives Dear All It is to inform all that based on the analysis of the customer feedback process the following recommendations are suggested: ActioncostAdditional revenue Start online retail store$15000.00$45000.00 annually Engage in franchising opportunities$3000.00$5000.00 fixed monthly and 10% of the net profit A detailed modified marketing plan to reflect the actions recommended is attached here with for your kind perusal. You will be informed when a meeting to discuss the details will be organised shortly. Section D Self-reflection Strategies and tactics Direct mail: direct mails contribution was also substantially big. Magazine advertisement: returns from this form were not that high Radio Promotions: worked really well and got the expected revenue even though the cost was substantially higher Team leadership skills Respectful As a quality team leader I was respectful to all team members. A respectful leader I empowered them by encouraging them to offer ideas about decisions that affect them. This informed team members that the i respect their input and opinions. Fair I treated all my team members fairly. I was consistent with rewards and recognition, as well as disciplinary action. I ensured all team members receive the same treatment. Delegation I shared leadership through delegation. Delegating certain tasks to team members allowed me to focus on improving workplace functions and production. Confidence I was confident in my abilities, as well as confident in the abilities of my team members. I was secure in the decisions I made that affected my team. I also reassured team members of my authority within the organization. Integrity I was honest and open with his team members. I gained the trust of team members because I did what I said. I did and treated others, the same way I want myself to treat. Appendix 2: Workplace evidence Individual action summary Team memberJohn Smith Objective:To develop, get it printed and distribute Leaflets in local letter-box drops Description of activities: †¢Design and Develop leaflet †¢Collect quotes for printing †¢Place order for printing †¢Arrange man power for distribution of leaflets †¢Receive printed materials †¢Execute distribution Deliverables:†¢Final design of the leaflet †¢Collecting quote and placing order for printing †¢Receiving printed leaflets †¢Actual distribution of the leaflets Timeframe:01/07/2009 to 31/07/2009 Resources required:Designers, printers, $40,000 Review date:15/07/2009 Reviewed by:Mark BoerDesignation:Vice President Marketing Signature: Dated: 30th June 2010 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN I have immense pleasure in stating that it should go without saying that John Smith is a remarkable marketing talent, with an eye for not only growing his traditional business, but also seeking out opportunities in to expand the business. John has always taken his role seriously and is passionate about his results. Beyond his passion on driving performance, Leif is a natural leader, and fights hard for his beliefs. He’s at his best in a group environment, and is consciously proactive at getting full involvement of all other team members to derive the best results possible. He has a very effective personal style, and will be looked to for continued executive leadership with our Marketing efforts. I have the deepest personal and professional respect for John, and sincerely belief he will bring his unique energy, optimism, passion, and tireless creativity to your class and classroom. He has my highest endorsement. If you have any questions about this recommendation or my endorsement of Leif, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will gladly try to help.