Which Promotions Work and Which Dont

Which Promotions Work and Which Dont Im of the mind, these days, that ninety percent of promotional efforts are wasted. The world is choked with books, writers, people fighting to make a living with their words. Anyone can write a book, and anyone can post one for sale. After years of promoting novels, even from a platform such as FundsforWriters, Ive learned a hard lesson: Most promotional efforts do not work. We read blogs and ask for advice, trying to figure out which marketing tools work best. Well, guess KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA what? Any tool being touted as the best, any trick being shouted as effective, or any method being taught as the way to sell the most books . . . does not work. Why? Because everybody wants to do what works, and if everybody is doing it, then it becomes white noise and it quits working. Those people telling you the best way to sell are making more money telling you how to sell than selling their own books, unless they are selling how-to-sell books. Who wants to be a party to feeding that monster? Twitter is clogged with people shouting to buy their book. Sit back and watch your Twitter feed. Its been proven that saying buy my book never works, yet thousands continue to spew it. Facebook has groups that do nothing but post books for sale, and a zillion people keep posting their books on those groups like they are going to sell those books to all those other authors trying to sell their books. Goodreads is noisy with readers and authors trying to figure out what to do with Goodreads. Nobody has been able to say theyve made tons of sales via Goodreads. Do the Google search if you dont believe me. The bottom line is there is no one way to promote yourself, but you better be sure of the following no matter how you go about marketing: 1) Whatever you do has to be original, or originally implemented. 2) You better write a lot of books, because for someone to like you, they have to know they can binge on you if they find you interesting (a la Netflix Syndrome). Having one book only pisses them off. 3) You best be genuine in whatever you do. Its just so sad to see writers travel from event to event, sitting at lines of tables, in a room of several dozen authors, thinking they will stand out. They might as well be hiding. Quit asking others what they did, because its already been done. Quit following the crowds. Write your books. Promote in a manner that makes you feel good about yourself. And finally, be yourself. Readers are hungry for fresh and real. Thats hard to find because everyone is struggling so hard to be like everyone else. Get real.

Assignment Essay Essay Example for Free

Assignment Essay Essay Sustainable tourism is being able to the deliver positive environmental, social, and economical results with thought to the needs of the visitors, host community and surroundings. Sustainability as defined in the Brundtland commission report it states as â€Å"meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future generations to meet their needs†. For example, the small business are starting to practices sustainability principles by changing to renewable energy sources, reducing use of paper and recycling more. As a result, the concept of sustainability addresses the aspects of â€Å"triple bottom line† meaning the balance of societies, economy and the environment are described by (Bonevac, 2010). According to the World Tourism Organization, â€Å"sustainable tourism means meeting the needs of the present tourist and host regions while protecting and enhancing the opportunity for the future†. Instead of just being a product, sustainable tourism is a philosophy that underpins all tourism actions (Owens, Is there a Meaningful Definition of Sustainability? , 2003). To all tourism development and management, it is a fundamental concept instead of being an add-on factor. The foremost aim of sustainable tourism is to maintain the economic and social return of tourism development while reducing or justifying the unattractive impacts on the natural, historic, cultural or social environment (Governemnt, 2009). The stated objectives attained by matching the needs of tourists with those of the destination. Sustainable tourism is an industry, which challenges to make a little impact on the environment and the local culture, though helping to produce income, employment and the preservation of local ecology. Hence, responsible tourism is both cost-effectively and culturally responsive, meaning have minimum impact on the environment and culture of the host community (Group, 2007). Scotland Tourism Organization has defined sustainable tourism as â€Å"tourism committed to generating a low impact on the surrounding environment and community by acting responsibly while generating income and employment for the local economy and aiding social cohesion† (Organisation v. s. , 2013). Scotland Sustainable tourism aspires to guarantee that economic development in terms of encouraging experience for each one involved local community, Tourism Companies and visitors. In practice, sustainable tourism means greener transport, given that transport is innermost to tourism; however it also put pressure on our natural resources and contributes to our worldwide environment impacts. Procedures like cheering visitors to utilize communal transport, and advance in cleaner forms of transport will assist in this area (Organisation v. . , 2013). Regular and environmental strains a more even stretch of visitors lessens pressures on the natural and built environment and on communities, and capitalizes on the financial payback. Scotland Tourism Organization modifies its advertising drive to persuade a stretch of visitors throughout the year and around state (Organisation v. s. , 2013). For example, â€Å"surprise yourself†. There is necessary to work with the public, private and independent sectors to determine the environmental and social impacts of tourism. These guarantees that tourism expansion carries a encouraging experience for home people, tourism companies and the tourist themselves (Organisation v. s. , 2013). Green accommodation is one in that all room offers lessens their misuse, energy and water use. The green Tourism Business Scheme persuades businesses to trim down their environmental impacts. The scheme is one of the largest of its land in Europe with over 800 Scottish members (Organisation v. s. , 2013). However, any tourism industry can take advantage from flattering more sustainable through safeguarding the very features on which tourism depends; taking a sustainable move to tourism expansion is the only way to guarantee long-term tourism expansion in the South Pacific (Organisation v. s. , 2013). The success of tourism in any country depends on taking care of the environmental or social impacts of tourism development. The visitors benefit from sustainable move to tourism throughout from enhanced relates with local communities, a tall value tourism experiences and a natural and fabricated environment. Thus, by fetching a sustainable tourism destination will provide the South Pacific Tourism Businesses a cutthroat frame by producing community assistance for tourism; attaining value savings and designing innovative marketing prospect. As the tourism industry develop in as many regions and countries, it generates noteworthy impact on the consumption pattern, natural resources, pollution and social systems (Organisation v. s. , 2013). For the industry to survive as a whole it is vital to understand and interpret the need sustainable and responsible planning and management. To begin with, education and collaborative partnership are approaches that can assist destinations attain more sustainable tourism. The whole idea of sustainability based on the association through environmental, ecologically and socially responsible tourism. Partnerships with local communities through rural community gathering before and during development are needed in order to let alone the frequent divergence between conservation initiatives and traditional resources users (Billington, Carter, & Kayamba, 2008). The departments from the government can collaborate with the resource owners to develops and negotiate over the investment on proposal (English National Park Authorities Association, 2009). For example, the Chumbe Island Coral Park is a good example of collaborate partnership, which was developed to sustain the natural beauty and attractions of the island (English National Park Authorities Association, 2009). Chumbe Island is located in the Indian Ocean channel of the coast of the semi autonomous region of Zanzibar (English National Park Authorities Association, 2009). The person responsible for the project on the natural park at Chumbe Island was (David, 2011). During her work life, (David, 2011) experience the need for the conservation and sustaining of the natural flora and fauna. (David, 2011) developed an innovative approach to protect marine conservation combined with tourism development through the sustainable and multilevel partnership approach to promote successful marine park management, awareness of marine conservation and sustainable tourism management. David, 2011) Develop a small marine park that would help consume a unspoiled coral reef, offer environmental education for both the locals and the foreign visitors and generate management fund through authentic ecotourism. Thus, the need for the park at Chumbe Island arose due to improper aid and the government in the country noted conservation programs. Hence, the collaborative partnership arose to sustain the nature conservation of Tanzania for the future (English National Park Authori ties Association, 2009). Secondly, the partnership approach deals with the local communities because they are the essential people who are the resource owners (Governemnt, 2009). Engaging the local community in the environmental education on sustainability through workshops and seminars will increase their concerns for the global issues such as climate change (Clark, 2013). In addition, collaboration with NGO has to hold workshops with the angler’s, to engage them in sustainable fishing practices and conservation of the resources (David, 2011). Thus, the young and the old generation in the area is to be informed about sustainable fishing practices, laws and regulation regarding fishing practices and marine conservation area and the benefits of marine protected areas (Ki-Hoon & Ball, 2003). All this environmental awareness, education and training initiative with the community are to provide skill development on sustainable tourism (Group, 2007). The scale of growth of the tourism industry In the South Pacific is rapidly and that the environmental and social, economic impacts of it cannot be overlooked (Azam & Sarker, 2011). This has caused the Pacific Region to find ways in which the industries could be made more sustainable. The industry is more sustainable through minimizing resource use and waste production (Othman, 2004). For the sustainability of tourism, water is the major issue for concern. For example, a tourist in a hotels uses on standard one third of more water per day than a local inhabitant uses and put severe restriction on local supply (Othman, 2004). Activities such as golf course, artificial snow ski’ resorts are in demand of water. For small and medium sized business, sustainability thought of an expensive and difficult idea (Billington, Carter, & Kayamba, 2008). Most of the dominating tourism industries in the South Pacific have not actively engaged in government activities that encourages that adoption of sustainability practices (David, 2011). There are a number of barriers identified by the researchers that hinds implementing sustainability practices in South Pacific tourism businesses including the financial crisis for implementation, the labor insecurity of being certified, lack of government and industry support the technical nature of information forums. Hence are a number of actions businesses could undertake to improve environmental performance (Azam & Sarker, 2011). Activities’ relating to efficient resources use and waste management includes minimizing energy consumption, for example using open ventilation instead of air-conditioning and heaters encouraging the use of renewable sources and improved technology also Getting involved in accreditation programs (Owens, Is there a Meaningful Definition of Sustainability? 2003). There is a need to promote and facilitate the reduction, reuse and recycling of materials and water quality including the efficient treatment of sewerage, avoiding discharge into marine and rivers (Organisation, 2005). For example, in Australia the Australian formula 1 ING grand Prix Corporation, which works with environmental packaging and waste recycling partner to minimize the impact of the race on the environment? Billington, Carter, & Kayamba, 2008) Thus, by minimizing waste use, energy use and waste production, businesses can reduce their impact on the environment and achieve cost savings (Ki-Hoon & Ball, 2003). Furthermore, the conserving and giving value to natural and cultural heritage is of critical importance’s, in order to enhance the quality of life of local communities through tourism, and connect the people in is scheduling and management (Organisation, 2005). The growing awareness’s and generating direct and indirect support for conservation is the key role played by the tourism industry (Group, 2007). The generation of economic propensity for the tourism industry is to provide with quality natural and cultural heritage (Azam & Sarker, 2011). This would ensure the long-term competitiveness, viability and the prosperity of tourism enterprises and destinations and the quality of life of local communities and to the visitor experience by providing a safe, satisfying and fulfilling experience to the visitors available to all without discrimination by gender, race, religion, disability or in other ways (Organisation, 2005). Areas that are of importance to tourism natural and cultural includes the natural landscapes quality and variety, man-made cultural landscapes, heritage and historic sites, the flora and fauna diversity, local uniqueness such as art, crafts, cuisine, language events and festivals (Organisation, 2005). Thus, to address these issues listed above relevant action like being more prepared to use the tourism argument as to fund the prevention of nature and culture and to prevent damaging change (Clark, 2013). Also strengthening the relationship between protected area and local tourism interest, within the context of a sustainable tourism strategy and action plan would lead the South Pacific to be more sustainable (Organisation v. s. , 2013). Sustainable development is holistic in nature; therefore, it requires management of policies and coordination of action between sectors (Othman, 2004). To control the impact of tourism initiated by environmental or developmental strategies and policies legislation and regulations are necessary (Governemnt, 2009). Appropriate strategies or sets of policies for specific aspects of tourism were developed. For example, in Bulgaria the separate strategy for ecotourism, which reflects the sustainability principles? (Bonevac, 2010) This initiative can also be taken by the local Ministry of Environment of Tourism to integrate the strategy in terms of regulations (David, 2011). In coordinating and ensuring success of this specific sub-sector, such regulations and legislations can be very helpful. This can be very helpful in demonstrating processes and formulating policies that could be modified more widely in tourism (Ki-Hoon & Ball, 2003). Strategy and policies must be developed and implemented at both local and national level in order to achieve effective result. Most countries in the South Pacific are in the process of decentralizing their political and administrative structures so local decision-making is the vital aspect toward sustainability development (English National Park Authorities Association, 2009). An integrated approach to the development and management of tourism is within local destinations, is recognized as the most successful direction to sustainable tourism (Governemnt, 2009). Thus, it is vital for the national and local strategies to be corresponding but these two variable in tourism strategies vary in terms of national tourism strategies relates to the national tourism vision of the overall position and direction (Organisation v. s. , 2013). While local tourism strategies relates to the holistic of the local destinations in areas such as local objectives and priorities, local resource opportunity and constraints and many more (David, 2011). Hence, the identifying of policies and instruments to create the enabling environment for sustainable tourism is more of national strategy while the determining of what happens on ground is more of local strategies (Governemnt, 2009). Both the national and local tourism strategies are required for sustainable tourism to embrace the principles of sustainable development and both strategies are reliable and commonly reinforcing (Othman, 2004). Finally, the command control instrument allows government to exert strict control over certain aspects of development and operation, backed by legislation (Organisation, 2005). Legislation, regulation and licensing are the interdependent tools that can be used to strengthen sustainability by setting out requirements that are compulsory and enforceable and which lead to sanctions and penalties if they not met (Billington, Carter, & Kayamba, 2008). The process of checking and signaling compliance with regulations or otherwise identified obligatory standards; assigning permission to operate is called licensing (Organisation, 2005). To control aspects of business development and operations and to influence people’s behavior government are in a position to apply laws, regulations and penalties. These legislation and regulations must be applied when the governments believes that it is necessary to do so (Governemnt, 2009). Thus, for regulations to be successful, it has to be relevant, clear, practicable in terms of compliance and capable of being enforced. In order the tourism industry to be more sustainable the laws and legislations should enable and support the sustainability of tourism and give authority to act (Billington, Carter, & Kayamba, 2008). It should also seek to raise sustainability performance above such standards through other means, which would also stimulate personal commitment towards continual improvement. For example, in the government of Fiji builds up a (EIA) environmental Impact Assessment regulation, which stated that for any company or hotel with an EIA reports in Fiji, has to provide the Fiji Government with an EIA report of the development to progress (Turnbull, 2003). There are a number of areas in which laws and regulations can be implemented to attain more sustainable tourism industry and that includes operation, management and development which are controlled by this legislation to protect the environment, communities, culture and heritage, visitor experience and the business as a whole (Turnbull, 2003). The purpose of government intervention in the sector as law provides a vehicle for underpinning sustainability. These legislations can also provide the basis for enabling the control and licensing of activities specific to the tourism sector and for the undertaking to certain action to support tourism development (Organisation v. s. , 2013). To conclude, sustainable tourism is all about forecasting of long-term, working together examining on results and adaptive to change and the most effective thing is communication to put across the message of sustainable tourism. It is the duty of the private, public and independent sector to acquire leadership role in tackle the challenge of this sector. The degree at which the tourism industry is increasing in the South Pacific forecasts that the environmental and social impacts of tourism cannot be disregarded. Traditionally, a number of sustainable tourism activities has been carried out and is supported by the national Tourism Organization of the South Pacific countries. However, there are a number of challenges that still stay alive and need attention in order to be more sustainable tourism industry, like climate change. In order to tackle these challenges and grip future sustainable opportunities in a harmonized manner, research and development done in these South Pacific countries to handle these issues through sustainable tourism strategy plan. The tourism strategies plans would assist the tourism industry to change unenthusiastic community discernment of the industry and achieve economic benefits through sustainable practices. It believed that it would egg on business to hold sustainable tourism practices in order to meet consumers demand and to improve business performance. Sustainable tourism should be broadcasted and celebrated amongst tourists, host communities and the participants in the industry move the industry toward sustainability. Nevertheless, the commitment to change and improve must be authentic and supported on well-established procedures and actions that is to be achieved. Assignment Essay. (2016, Sep 09).

Speluncean Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Speluncean Paper - Essay Example Chief justice Truepenny made a ruling that found the accused guilty of murder, which she supposed that it was in accordance with the Commonwealth law. However, I do not agree with the opinion of proposing the course of action to the Executive. The rationale for such a statement is that her presumptions had a considerable influence on the case and the ruling. Such a statement also implies that the chief justice hindered the independence of the executive through the imposition of his mind. As such, there is a conclusion that the ruling must have been biased because there is no element of the collaboration of the jury (Hockett 2013). Justice Foster ruled that the plaintiff was innocent after an interpretation of the loopholes of the Commonwealth law. For instance, in his ruling, the judge claimed that the case was under the guidance of the law of nature, which meant that the accused did not commit murder. He assumed the weakness of the law and interpreted it to the rest, which made his judgment a possible source of other related crimes. He made a mistake in quoting a number of cases that explored the weaknesses of the law to make rules of the nature that he made concerning the case. The third ruling involved Justice Handy, who considered opinions polls from the public to make sympathy judgments. The judge applied only a little component of the law in making his decision almost unlawful. The approach he took to consider the opinions of the public was not wrong, but choosing to incline his ruling to sympathy diluted justice according to the law. The accused found themselves innocent because the pubic thought so and influenced the opinion of the judge. Justice keen’s ruling should have had the fairest legal touch should he have considered the nature of their decision. For this case, the judge ruled in accordance with what the law of the land

Guest Speaker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Guest Speaker - Essay Example Martin. One of the primary weaknesses of the speech was the speakers delivery of his address. It was not enthusiastic enough and it infected his audience to feel the same lukewarm reception and involvement throughout the exercise. It appears like Martin - in his outline of his life, his causes, personal crusades, problems and triumphs feels disconnected from his lifes narrative. He was like reciting a life story of another person. He delivered each bit of information in a monotonous way, as if reading from a book and not from personal memory. It became hard to catch an emotion like sadness or righteous indignation when he found that his community lacked infrastructures like decent sidewalks or safe parks for the children, for instance; or, joy for crucial moments such as the several turning points of his career and for admiration of the people he looked up to and have shaped his growth as a person. It was an unfeeling way to deliver a narrative that actually talks about the speakers own lif e. It is easy to conclude that Martin is merely going through the motions of being a speaker. He merely played his role by saying his piece and that was it. There should have been some effort at engaging his audience as well. He should have taken time doing some research about those people sitting and listening to his message, and integrated the information in the way he shared his life experiences. It could have given him enough empathy in order to say what are relevant, what are useful and what are interesting to the audience. Of course, he was invited as a guest speaker in order for him to talk about what he has done with his life. So it is the audience duty to pay attention and learn whatever piece of information and wisdom being imparted. However, I believe that a speaker has this rare opportunity given to him to inspire people. Martin was given a platform in order to deliver a message and people are willing to listen. He should have asked himself prior to his

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies Research Paper - 1

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies - Research Paper Example Transcontinental Oil Company was the owner of the Marathon brand. Ohio Oil Company transformed into Marathon Oil Company in 1960s, making it grow through purchasing or merging with other companies. Besides, the company has enjoyed good fortunes through drilling oil in regions outside the USA. Such regions include Mexico, Canada, Alaska and Ireland (United States Congress, 1981) United States Steel bought Marathon Oil in 1982 and moved its headquarters from Ohio to Texas. In 1998, Marathon Oil merged with Ashland Inc. and formed Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC. This enabled Marathon Oil to expand its base in the USA. In 2001, USX sold the steel firm in Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC and concentrated on oil business. The company was then named Marathon Oil Corporation (Donnell, 2007). The company has opened up drilling facilities in Louisiana, Illinois, Canton, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Texas City, Catlettsburg, Texas, Minnesota, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea because of merging. The com pany also experiences good returns on its investment. For example, the latest financial statement for the company stated returns on investors appreciated by 9.8%, earning yields of 8%, revenue increase of 16 billion and profit margins of 9 billion. The company made a profit of 4 billion more compared to the previous year. Though the company had an increase of daily expenses from 166 million daily to 174 million, it experienced a daily income of 384 million. The main reason why the company has sustained good profits is its ability to conquer new markets and merge with other companies (Donnell, 2007). Question 2 CarMax, Inc was established in 1996. The company deals in second-hand cars through its subsidiaries. Last year the company sold over half a million cars. The company also sales some of its cars through auction; last year, the company sold thirty thousand cars at its on-site auction centers. At times, the company is allowed to sell new cars at four locations together with manuf acturing companies. Last year, two percent of its cars sold were new cars. Apart from this, the company offers other products and services. They include purchasing of cars directly from consumers, guaranteed asset protection, accessories, and vehicle repair. The company acquires cars from consumers through car-buying centers and in-store appraisal process and sales them to other buyers or leases them out to hires or individuals who want to use them in racing or wedding parties (CarMax, 2013). It would be profitable if CarMax merged with Suzuki Motor Corporation. This is because Suzuki Motor Corporation operates worldwide. This would make CarMax expand its services to the international community and widen its market. Lastly, by going international, CarMax would improve its image as an international company. The company would also deal in a wide range of cars such as pickups and Nissan motorcycles. This would enable the company to outshine major rival companies such as General Motors (American Suzuki Motor Corporation, 2013). Question 3 Marathon Oil Corporation has a cost leadership system that improves level of efficiency and reduces costs of operation. Such system is able to convince countries to allow Marathon Oil Corporation to operate in their regions in a cost-effective mode. This has enabled the company to deliver goods and services to its clients at a relatively lower price compared to its rivals. The company has also differentiated its

Life And Work Of Edward Lee Thorndike Philosophy Essay

Life And Work Of Edward Lee Thorndike Philosophy Essay Edward Lee Thorndike was an iconic America psychologist that strived during the latter years of the 1800s into the mid 1900s. Edward Thorndike was not just a psychologist but an influential educator, lexicographer and striving educational researcher (State University, 2010). He is often referred to as the founder of educational psychology. Edward Thorndike was born on August 31, 1874 in a small town in Williamsburg, Massachusetts (Joncich, 1968). He was the son of a clergy man Edward Roberts Thorndike and Abigail Brewster Ladd. Thorndike was a successor of a family line that resided in New England since the 1630s (Joncich, 1968). Edward Thorndike was part of a bloodline from a very notable family. A family that consisted of accomplished pioneers that strived for excellence and superiority. As would be anticipated from growing up in a household of a minister, Thorndike was expected to strive for excellence. With having an estimated IQ of nearly 200, Thorndike had no problems succeeding academically (State University, 2010). He was nothing short of a perfect model for the congregation. Scholarships were awarded to Thorndike due to his outstanding grades and academic achievements. Scholarships are what made college possible for him during this uneasy time. In 1891, Thorndike graduated from The Roxbury Latin School which was located in West Roxbury, Massachusetts. Following his graduation from The Roxbury Latin School, he attended Wesleyan University where he would begin his college career. He graduated from Wesleyan University in the fall of 1895 with a Bachelor of Science. Soon following his completion of his undergraduate work, he attended Harvard University. During his time at Harvard he worked to achieve yet another undergraduate degree as well as his Masters in Psychology. He graduated with his Masters in Psychology in 1897. It wasnt much time after that he attended Columbia University where he would complete his Doctoral work in Psychology. He completed his doctoral work in Psychology in 1898, merely a year after his completion of his Master Degree from Harvard. (Joncich, 1968) During his time at Columbia University he met a very influential and respectable person know as James Mckeen Cattell. As the next several years progressed, Cattell served as a very influential mentor for Thorndike. With the support of Cattell, Thorndike wrote his 1898 doctoral thesis Animal Intelligence: An Experimental Study of the Associative Processes in Animals (Thorndike, 1898). This groundbreaking thesis is thought to be the foundation of animal behavior but would not be the last of the other many works yet to come by Edward Thorndike. After his graduation from Columbia University in 1898, Thorndike taught at the College for Women of Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio (Joncich, 1968). This teaching job did not suit him because he was soon back at Colombia University teaching psychology. This would be the university where Thorndike would remain for the rest of his career and essentially conduct his other famous works in Psychology. Before passing away on August 9, 1949 at the age of 74, Thorndikes achieved many notable accomplishments. During his 55-year career, he published about 500 books and articles on diverse as learning in fish, methods of statistical analysis and the elements of aesthetic quality in urban life. As his continuous research was unfolding he was the President of the American Psychological Association, 2nd President of Psychometric Society and President of American Association for the Advancement of Science. In brief, his notable work includes the study of animal intelligence (cats in the puzzle box regarding Trial and Error), applied animal to human educational experience followed by a constructed scale to measure childrens handwriting and a table of word-frequency in English. (Indiana University, 2007) It is important to note that in order for Edward Thorndike to pursue the field of psychology as well as be successful in this field, he had to go against that of the teachings of the church. It is ironic because as the son of a minister, it would be expected that he would have conformed to that of the congregation. However, he chose to lead his own life and strive for excellence in a field of work that stuck him as interesting. In order for Thorndike to succeed in the field of psychology, he had to break the realm of religion and turn his focus to the laboratory and science. For that time, it was something that was frowned upon especially from the standpoint of a minister. Regardless, Thorndike said that science was, the only sure foundation for social progress (State University, 2010). With that being said and looking back on history, it could easily be perceived how and why his thinking was correct. Through the remainder of this paper, it is essential that we go into greater detail on specific accomplishments that Edward Thorndike achieved. Specifically we will look at connectionism, adult learning and Thorndikes view on education. Although these are only three of the many accomplishments Thorndike had achieved in his time, they are the more influential and greatest impacting on psychology. Essentially, its part of the true legacy of contributions that Edward Thorndike left upon the field of psychology and will continue to leave for many years to come. As mentioned previously Thorndike was a very influential person to the field of psychology which leads me into my first area of concentration which is connectionism. According to a definition provided by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, connectionism is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a movement in cognitive science which hopes to explain human intellectual abilities using artificial neural networks (also known as neural networks or neural nets). Neural networks are simplified models of the brain composed of large numbers of units (the analogs of neurons) together with weights that measure the strength of connections between the units. These weights model the effects of the synapses that link one neuron to another. Experiments on models of this kind have demonstrated an ability to learn such skills as face recognition, reading, and the detection of simple grammatical structure. According to information compiled through research, Thorndike viewed connectionism as through experience neural bond s or connections were formed between perceived stimuli and emitted responses; therefore, intellect facilitated the formation of the neural bonds (Indiana University, 2007). When looking at connectionism in regards to Thorndikes research, it is relatively still a broad topic. To get a better idea of what connectionism and Thorndikes notable contributions are to the field of Psychology, it is essential to focus on his cat puzzle box studies. The puzzle box studies with cats dealt primarily with the ideology behind how cats learned to escape. The cats ability of learning to escape the puzzle box that Thorndike would structure and create a psychological concept known as the law of effect. From the law of effect would later come law of recency and law of exercise which will both be discussed later in greater detail. First it is important to understand the law of effect which is essentially the foundation for the formulation of his other two laws. The law of effect states that responses to a situation that are followed by satisfaction are strengthened; and responses that are followed by discomfort are weakened (Indiana University, 2007). What this definition is saying is that when a situation is presented and is followed by an outcome that is satisfying then that event will be positively associated with that response. This would also lead to believe that this event will later occur again. The effect also works in the opposite sense where if a situation is followed by a non satisfying outcome then the link between the event and the outcome is weakened. This would consequently lead Thorndike to believe that the association was weakened and will most likely not occur in the same degree as an event with a satisfying outcome. In correlation to Thorndikes law of effect arose his law of recency. The law of recency states that a response that happens most recent will act as a model for future events of similar nature. For example if I go to buy a soda at a soda machine located in the building of Old Main and the soda machine fails to vend my drink, I will most likely not return to that soda machine due to my recent experience I had with it. The effect also works the same way in the opposite manner as if I would have received the soda. In essence, I focus my future experiences on my most recent experiences. The final law that Thorndike specified was known as the law of exercise. According to the University of Indiana, the law of exercise states that stimulus-response connections that are repeated are strengthened, and stimulus-response connections that are not used are weakened. In other words, the more you continually use the stimulus-response relations the more likely the connection between the two will be strengthened. A simple example of this would be studying for a test. I study for the test for a half hour every night and when I took the initial test I got an A. Every time after I followed the same routine and received an A therefore I will continue to study in that same manner. The stimulus, knowing I have a test that I need to study for and actually studying in that specified manner that got me the A before, and the response getting the A once again, strengthens. To focus back once again on connectionism and Thorndikes cat studies, it is important to note the results he obtained. He hypothesized that if a cat was showing insight he would see an abrupt drop in the learning curve and if the cat was using trial and error it would show gradual curves. Thorndike found that cats did use trial and error learning because his results concluded gradual curves. He supported this by saying that the reasoning is due to the fact that cats made connections between the puzzle box and the ways of escaping. This supported his idea of stimulus-response relationships, more so, all of the ideology behind his three laws. The law of effect would state that the cat escaped in a certain way thus creating a satisfying reward. The cat would then use this same method of escape, the law of recency. By doing this time and time again the cat strengthened the stimulus-response connection therefore showing the law of exercise. Interestingly B.F. Skinner would reformulate Tho rndikes methodology and ideology in order to create what he called operant conditioning. Essentially, Thorndike created a concept that was not only reflected his theories but proved to be fundamentally important to gain insight into other areas of psychology. The next area of significant contribution by Edward Thorndike in the field of psychology was adult learning. Thorndike was interested in constructing a system in which he could measure intelligence among adults. Shorty after his research began in this area, in the year of 1903, Thorndike, accompanied by his student, were able to successfully measure intelligence. From this they were able to expand into more detailed oriented techniques that would set the stage for the modern intelligence tests which we use today. During World War I, Thorndike worked hand in hand with the United States Army in order to develop of system that would establish qualifications of new recruits. These tests would be known as Alpha and Beta, the true precursor to the modern day ASVAB tests. During World War I, Alpha tests were administered to those who the Army believed knew how to read while Beta tests were administered to those who lack literacy. These test used primarily pictures accompanied with graphs, both of which could be easily assessed. (Indiana University, 2007) Based off Thorndikes original tests, he created for the United States Army, came his greater detailed and directed intelligence tests of the 1920s. Thorndike was quoted as saying Instruction should pursue specified, socially useful goals. (Joncich, 1968). In addition to that being said he also believed that learning didnt start to diminish until the age of 35 and from that only at a rate at 1 percent per year, which by looking at is well into adulthood. Therefore this would explain his reasoning behind why he would choose to study adult learning. Referring back to Thorndikes intelligence tests of the 1920s, came directive tests, similar to what those he was referring to in above referenced quote. This test is known as CAVD which stands for completion, arithmetic, vocabulary, and directions test. Additional, latter research had shown the speed and accuracy of which a individual is capable of learning declines not the actual ability to learn, as Thorndike thought. (Thorndike, 1928) In furthering the discussion on intelligence tests, Thorndike went another step further to state that there are three types of intelligence functioning. This would include abstract intelligence, mechanical intelligence and social intelligence. Abstract intelligence is encompassed with 4 sub-areas which are altitude, width, area and speed. According to the University of Indiana, altitude is the complexity or difficulty of tasks one can perform, width is referred to as the variety of tasks of a given difficulty, area as a function of width and altitude and speed as the number of task one can complete in a given time. All of which, when looked at as a whole, make up one of the 4 sub-areas of intelligence. On the other hand mechanical intelligence is knowing the relationship an object has to its environment and how it operate in that environment. Finally, social intelligence is more straight forward by stating that the individual has the capability of performing well in its surroundings on a interpersonal level. As a whole, Thorndikes in-depth approach that included his many classes of intelligence was what actually created an opposition to his work. An opposing view to his intelligence theory was illustrated another well-known psychologist, Charles Spearmen. Spearmen sparked a debate that intelligence is not made up of many factors but rather on one. He referred to this one-dimensional factor as g. In addition to adult learning, it is also important to look at Thorndikes other attributions to learning. An influential approach that Thorndike took to learning was his theory of rewards and punishments. Thorndikes laws of learning, that were mentioned and explained earlier, are very closely correlated with how Thorndike describes rewards and punishments. Thorndikes early views look at stimulus and responses in the manner that one strengthens connections while the other diminishes connections. However, Thorndikes later understandings showed that this was actually incorrect. He then reasoned that punishments do not get weaker as reward connections get stronger. Even stranger, Thorndike mentioned that punishing response will actually increase the chance that an undesired response will reoccur at another point in time. This is completely contradictory of his previous thoughts on stimulus and response and a perfect example of how the field of psychology rapidly changes. In addition to being focused on theories of learning, Thorndike was also very concerned with the ways statistics were measured and recorded. It was the inspiration for his book called An Introduction to the Theory of Mental and Social Measurements. In addition to this book, Thorndike started the first course at a higher education school to offer educational measurement. To Thorndike, everything could be measured, very similar to how a mathematician would look at math problems. From his course and his book, Thorndike pioneered the use of description and numbers in psychology which later means of measurement would follow and expand upon. Fundamentally this work is yet another one of Thorndikes major evolutionary contributions to the field of psychology. In addition to Thorndikes movement on learning came his approach to human differences. He concluded that although humans may seem alike, they are different in basically every aspect. He was quoted saying It is useless to recount the traits in which men have been found to differ, for there is not trait in which they do not differ (Thorndike, 1911). Psychology essentially needs to go in the direction of individualism, specifically looking at each persons mind not the mind as a whole. Thorndike even went further with this school of thought to explain it in a rationale on how it relates to universal learning. The practical consequences of the fact of individual differences is that every general law of teaching has to be applied with consideration of the particular personthe responses of children to any stimulus will not be invariable like the responses of atoms of hydrogen or the filings of iron, but will vary with their individual capacities, interests, and previous experience (Thorndik e, 1906). Basically it all boils down to genetics and the inequalities that humans face. Along with Edward Thorndikes key theoretical beliefs come his everlasting impressions through the vast number of books he wrote, especially the books that referenced his view of learning. Thorndike is noted with writing three different books which would aid educational facilitators in their classroom. These books go on to illustrate the uses of words and the reasons words are used in the English language. He felt that his list of words need to be stored and are essential while other only need to be understood temporarily, then forgotten. In addition to his three educational books for teachers there are also several other books that appeared earlier and are still an influential part of psychology today. Even though each of these works were mentioned earlier in this paper, it is still vital to mention them from a reference standpoint. Thorndikes other books include Educational Psychology (1903), Introduction to the Theory of Mental and Social Measurements (1904), The Elements of Psychology (1905), and Animal Intelligence (1911). Although this is not a full comprehensive list of all of Thorndikes works, it is a list that references his more influential works on the field of psychology. As touched upon throughout this paper, Edward Thorndike has a legacy that will continue to live on in the field of psychology many years to come. Looking at his influence in learning alone is enough to see how influential he was and still is. A great example is how his stimulus response relationship, in regards to the law of effect, would be used as a language for other influential psychologists of their time such as Clark Hull and B.F. Skinner. They evolved his theory of the law of effect and essentially fused it into what they refer to as a reinforcement theory of learning. Even when looking at the broader scope of connectionism, his major contribution to psychology, which merely remained unchanged throughout his career. Edward Thorndike is an individual that is sometimes hard to fit historically into one distinct area of psychology. His initial animal research studys practiced characteristics which essentially lead to Watsonian behaviorism. He is an individual that influenced a wide range of other prominent psychologist that later followed in time. In addition it could be clearly seen that through Thorndikes animal studies and his findings on associations and connectionism, how later Psychologist such as Watson would pioneer behaviorism. However, Thorndike will remain to be considered as a comparative psychologist because of his contributions when looked at in a wider scope, (intelligence tests, learning, education and animal studies). As with any influential person comes criticism and Edward Thorndike is no different. As mentioned by the New World Encyclopedia, Thorndike faced two major criticisms. The first is the fact that Thorndikes approach restricted psychology by limiting behavior solely to the peripheral events of stimulus and response elements. In dismissing mental events, Thorndike also ignored the central mediation of stimulus and response bonds (New World Encyclopedia Online, 2010). What this is saying is that Thorndike focused primarily on behavior in regards to events in the environment that are of little importance. He based his stimulus and response relationships off these minute events. In addition, he also failed to recognize how important those bonds can be. The second critism according to New World Encyclopedia is in regards to his behaviorist theories, specifically the concern of reductionism. Reductionism is when the nature of complex things is reduced to the nature of sums of simpler or more fundamental things (New World Encyclopedia Online, 2010). In correlation to Thorndikes theories of behaviorism, the mind, behavior, and stimuli in the environment are all interrelated. Thorndike had also proposed many influential techniques and methods that would influence schools and universities till this day. Thorndikes continued efforts on the improvements of institutions, allowed them to fundamentally maximize the learning process. In addition to his recognition in academic institutions, he was also recognized with many prestigious honors and awards in the areas of American and international science and education. However, one of his more prestigious awards is the Butler Medal. This was an award issued by the university where he practiced and formulated his theories of great influence. This award was given in recognition of his exceptionally significant contributions to the general problem of the measurement of human faculty and to the applications of such measurements to education (Joncich, 1968). Simply that goes to show and summarizes perfectly what a historical and contributional individual Edward Thorndike was to the field of Psychology. Throughout this paper we focused on a wide range of ideas and theories that Edward Thorndike contributed to Psychology as a whole. Since this paper went into specific detail and elaborated on a wide range of topics, it is essential to go back and summarize the basic overview of Edward Thorndikes learning theories and contributions. In an effort to bring together what was talked about and to bridge the gaps of uncertainty and or confusion the reader may have. As the paper progressed we looked at Thorndikes trial and error learning. How learning needs to occur in steps rather than all at once. This then lead us directly into several of Thorndikes laws which included the law of exercise, law of effect, and the law of readiness. The more you do something the more likely you will continue to do that behavior thus the law of effect and exercise. In order to enact on the previous two law the individual has to be ready to do so, thus, known as the law of readiness. We also went on to talk about a person as an individual and how people need to be looked at in an individualistic manner. This further correlated directly with how Thorndike proposed educational institutions should function. Finally, understanding the impact Thorndike has on some of the pioneering forms of intelligence testing both in the United States Army and in the classroom. Nevertheless, not forgetting the work Thorndike established in regards to the first ways to measure mental and social theories. A fundamental stepping stone that latter systems of measure would follow and build upon. Hopefully now it could be clearly seen why Edward L. Thorndike was such a contributional and influential individual to the field of psychology. Throughout his 55 year career researching and studying psychology, Thorndike wrote over 500 books and articles. More so, he wrote in a diverse way which encompassed ideas such as learning in fish, systems for measurement of mental and social data, and even right down to the aesthetic quality of urban life. This was all in addition to his work with cats in a puzzle box regarding trail and error learning, his research pertaining to the development of his book called Educational Psychology, and educational experience as a whole. To say the least, Edward Thorndike was far from a one dimensional person. He was taught by the great William James and J.M. Cattell. He taught scholars like Walter Bingham, R.L. Thorndike and L.S. Hollingsworth. Most importantly made a lasting impression on individuals such as David Wechsler and R.B. Cattell as well as you and I. Now looking at some of those names and the life that Thorndike made for himself, it could be understood why he is known as one of the greatest psychologist of his time. More importantly, paving the way for a better understanding on how and why his work has influenced and is still a part of the modern field of psychology. On August 9, 1949 Edward L. Thorndike passed away from old age. He left behind his widowed wife, Elizabeth Moulton who he wed in 1900 and his four children. This was not only a sad day for his family but for the field of psychology as well. They both knew that they lost a husband, a father and very significant scholar to the field of psychology. His legacy will never be forgotten and his contributions will continue to live on. Hopefully this paper has captured your understanding of his everlasting legacy.

Delegation :: Business, Empowering Delegation

Managers can empower workers by delegating to them. â€Å"Delegation involves the assignment of work to other people, and it is an activity inherently associated with all managerial positions† (Whitten & Cameron, 2007, p. 467). Effective management can be attained through delegation. Therefore, a manager must decide when to delegate. Advantages and the Potential Outcome of Delegation Learning to delegate effectively is fundamental to managers’ success in the workplace. A competent delegator can empower others maximizing the organization effectiveness and efficiency. Whitten and Cameron (2007) identifies the following advantages of delegation: time, development, trust, commitment, information, efficiency, and coordination (p.467). Time Delegation can improve managers’ ability to get things done. Delegation increases the discretionary time of the manager† by freeing up some time (Whitten & Cameron, 2007, p. 467). A manager schedule can be extremely hectic and the pressure can be overwhelming due to demands. Managers can increase their time to focusing on other task that is highly prioritized and require the manager complete attention through delegation. Not being prepared and never meeting deadline are qualities that can injure ones reputation, for the manager can be viewed as less efficient and effective in management. Through delegation, the manager can squeeze more out of the day. Development Delegation can increase workers effectiveness. It allows delegates to â€Å"develop knowledge and capabilities† (Whitten & Cameron, 2007, p. 467). Through delegation, workers can be challenged and this can encourage them to develop their capabilities. They can naturally develop knew knowledge and the necessary skills to cope when they are challenged with tasks that are outside of their basic job duties. By encouraging such development, it can prepare employees for future assignments and promotions. Not only does delegation benefits the employee receiving the new task, but it also benefits the manager and the organization too by enhancing effectiveness. Trust Delegation can help managers build a positive relationship with staff. It is a way of showing employees they are respected, for delegation â€Å"demonstrate trust and confidence in delegates† (Whitten & Cameron, 2007, p. 467). Delegation can empower employees, for when the managers seek assistance with a task it shows that the manager believes in them; the manager is confident that that the employee can complete the task successful. Through trust, the manager can empower an employee to bring drive and initiative in the work. According to Whitten and Cameron (2007), individuals who felt trusted by t heir managers were significantly more effective than those who did not feel that way (p.