Matthew Mazzotta Essay

In John Milton Cooper Jr’s â€Å"Why Wisconsin? The Badger State in the Progressive Era† he talks about why Wisconsin was the leading state in the progressive movement and if it was just by a freak accident or not. Wisconsin became known as the laboratory of democracy around this time period by leading the reform movements that became known as progressivism. Many people like to accredit this to its people’s naturally bright, creative, forward looking attitudes. Yet there was no good reason why Wisconsin should have been the state to take the lead with this movement. Urban reforms are what first made an impact in the change in Wisconsin’s laws. There were many municipal reforms in many of the larger cities and towns but none of them ever grew into full-fledged movements that made it to other cities and states. Wisconsin took the lead in this movement in 1900 when Robert M. La Follette won the governorship at the head of an insurgent republican party that wanted to reform railroad taxation, railroad regulation, and the direct primary. From that moment on Wisconsin would remain at the head of the movement. The timing of this was one of the big factors that contributed to Wisconsin’s success. There were state wide reform movements appearing all over the mid-west, Ohio or Michigan may have beaten Wisconsin to the punch if it wasn’t for La Follette’s election at that time. Historians like to say that a person does not a movement make. But without La Follette Wisconsin probably would never had advanced as far as it did. Another fact that helped Wisconsin enter the reform as early as it did was its relative weakness of the conservative business allied elements that held power in the Republican Party, there was no political machine that ran the state. So clearly Wisconsin’s leading role in the progressive movement was not all due to one man, but that doesn’t make La Follette’s impact in the state any less real. Wisconsin became the lead in this movement by being the first to enact laws on a state level, which would never have happened so fast if it wasn’t for La Follette.   Between his elections he made sure to keep his name out there in the people’s minds by tirelessly speaking about reform issues, he also contacted likeminded leaders in counties and towns across the state and kept their names in an elaborate filing system, talking with them through frequent letters and meetings. La Follette’s followers called themselves â€Å"progressives† one of the first times the word that would become the signature for this era was used. Thanks to Muck-raking journalists who were pointing to La Follette and his state as shining examples on how to make things better, Wisconsin become renowned as the flagship state for reform. The progressives in the state would have times where the â€Å"Stalwarts† took control of the state but after a few of those times the progressives help on to control for over 20 years. So in conclusion, there were many reasons why Wisconsin was the leading state in the reform policies of the progressive era. Some of the reasons are directly related to people and their actions, and some are thanks to good luck and amazing timing. La Follette was the main reason that Wisconsin was able to do so well for itself, his amazing charisma unrelenting drive for changed is what pushed Wisconsin to pass all the reform laws that’s it did so early in the era. Yet if La Follette didn’t get elected when he did Wisconsin may have been lost in the confusion because other states would have beat them to the punch. Another reason why they did so well was because of their lack of a strong political machine that ran the state making it easy to pass laws and change things that have been the same in the state for so very long. So all in all La Follette was the main reason that Wisconsin was the flagship of the progressive movement, but he had plenty of help from luck, good ti ming, and amazing circumstances.

Perlman, Selig. A History of Trade Unionism in the United States

Perlman, Selig. A History of Trade Unionism in the United States â€Å"A history of trade unionism in the united states† is a book written by Perlman Selig, one of the leading labor historians in the early twentieth century. The book is divided into three sections. The first part contains seven chapters that examine labor in the United States by commons and associates.Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on Perlman, Selig. A History of Trade Unionism in the United States specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The chapters in this part of the book are divided into time sections of the period between 1827 and 1896. In these chapters, Perlman seeks to examine the introduction of colonial and federal rule, citizenship, trade unionism, humanitarianism, nationalization and upheaval and reorganization. The second part of the book has the chapters 8 to 11, which look at the larger career of unionism. This part contains four chapters, which look at challenges, reformations and developments that have taken place from 1897 to the present time. The third part of the book contains the remaining chapters, 12 to 15, which consolidate several ideas proposed by the history of labor unions. This part forms a conclusion of ideas expressed in the book. It also portrays the economic interpretation, explains the idealistic factor, elaborates on the absence of an American labor party, and explains the rise of a political and economic dictatorship by the proletariat and trade unionism. This book was released after â€Å"history of labor†, a book that Perlman co-authored in 1918. The second part of the book â€Å"a history of trade unionism† was written as a continuation of the book mentioned above, to cover the period after 1897. The similarity between the two books is evident since Perlman used material that was of a similar kind to that used in the preparation of the book â€Å"history of labor†. These similar materials include original sources, for example, proceedings of trade union conventions, labor and employer papers and government reports, among others. The book is a good read as it contains a lot of special history about the recent period in the labor movement. One particular area of concern is the history of unionism in individual trades or industries, to which Perlman intends to direct the reader to additional accounts of the various phases of the subject, which he himself was out of necessity obliged to treat, though temporarily.Advertising Looking for book review on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One concern about this book, which is similar to other books written by Perlman, is the conclusion. Like other writings, Perlman portrays American workers as being non radical. The author considers intellectuals in the US labor movement as outsiders, who aim at leading workers astray with the intention of acquiring communist visions. The motivation to write the book can be attributed to the author’s dislike of the duty assumed by intellectuals in the US labor movement. The author did not foresee the failure of business unionism, and its replacement with social movement unionism. As a result, most of the arguments by Perlman targeted at the outsider movement leaders were not true. The home grown intellectuals played a significant role in advancing the growth and development of labor unions. The views portrayed in the book are those of the author, and they may be influenced by his biases. Perlman is seen to be a racist, especially towards the Asians. As a result, his comprehension of the evolution of the labor movement may have been inhibited; therefore, shifting his focus to economics, as opposed to sociological factors such as ethnicity, race and status. Although Perlman is a significant person in the development of labor history, his theoretical blinders may have led him to centre his book on striking assumptions about the gro wth of labor unions instead of assessing and writing about the wider social, cultural and economic tendencies in play.

How Strategists Lead a Company

How Strategists Lead a Company According to Cynthia Montgomery, the key responsibility of a strategist as a leader is to act as an operator and a voice of reason. In addition, a strategist should provide a sense of meaning to a company.Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on How Strategists Lead a Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A strategist, as a meaning maker, should give a definition of the future outlook of an organization, and the benefits future changes would bring to customers. A strategist, as a meaning maker, is also expected to make critical choices that will shape the identity of a company. The choices made by a strategic leader, should define the purpose of the company, future prospects, and the strategies put in place to attract, and retain customers. A strategist should also recognize the fact that after all is done; the leader of a company normally takes responsibility for all the decisions made. As voices of reason, strategi sts should have the vision, boldness, and confidence required to bring innovation, and set their companies towards achieving new goals. Confidence, in particular, plays a central role when it comes to leadership and strategy. However, strategists should take caution so that their confidence does not turn into overconfidence. Strategists, as voices of reason, should understand the competitive forces within their industry, and how these forces affect their operations in areas where there is competition. They should also understand the chances of their plans succeeding under such circumstances. Montgomery gives an example of the furniture manufacturing industry as one that has been fragmented by competition, which has resulted in low returns. Competitors in this industry kill innovation, and discourage customers by manufacturing products that greatly vary in terms of design. One of the ways of dealing with such extreme competition is to employ strategy in creating new economic model an d niche in the industry. Leaders become voices of reason, when courageous strategies to redesign forces within an industry, do not become a bother to them.Advertising Looking for coursework on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Strategists, as operators, should act as a link between the central plans in a business, market economics, and action. They should not be dreamers or propagators of arrogant ideas. An effective strategy should be based on clarity and pragmatic ideas, and steered by a leader with operational sensibility. Strategists, as operators, should also infuse their strategies with execution. Montgomery cites the Gucci Group as an example of a company that integrated its strategies and execution, in order to deal with poor sales and increased losses. The new chief executive of the Gucci Group used a pragmatic approach in tackling this problem by examining sales data. The sales data provi ded Gucci executives with consumption trends that enabled Gucci to align its products with the taste and preferences of its consumers. In addition, Gucci developed an integrated manufacturing, distribution, marketing, and pricing strategies that boosted its sales. A well conceived strategy, according to Montgomery, will smoothly transit into execution, and strategy can never be separated from execution. In order for a company to meet its goals, strategists should view themselves as operators. Lastly, strategist should know that attaining and keeping strategic momentum in a company is a challenging, and a never ending task. Most leaders in the corporate world will at some point in their career be faced with the pressure of changing the strategies used by their companies. Leaders, who are strategists, will find the process of overhauling a company’s strategies to be rewarding. The process can be a struggle to leaders who lack strategic visions.

Brand Loyalty A Two Dimensional Approach Marketing Essay

Brand Loyalty A Two Dimensional Approach Marketing Essay The ultimate goal of the research is to understand if brand loyalty may arise from participating in online brand communities. This section more specifically intends to provide an answer to the following sub-question: â€Å"Does commitment to online brand communities lead to members’ loyalty toward the brand?† Brand Loyalty: a Two-Dimensional Approach Nowadays, brand loyalty is considered as one of the most valuable asset of any company. Due to the higher cost of attracting new customers, companies have realized the interest of retaining existing ones by carefully developing and managing relationships with them. As explained Rosenberg and Czepiel (1983) (cited in Mellens, Dekimpe, indeed, if properly managed brand loyalty has the ability to provide companies with a sustainable competitive advantage. Companies selling brands with strong customer loyalty can enjoy valuable benefits including: â€Å"ability to maintain premium pricing, greater bargaining power with chann els of distribution, reduced selling costs, a strong barrier to potential new entries into the product or service category, and synergistic advantages of brand extensions† (Reichheld, 1996; cited in Gommans, Krismnan Mellens et al., 1996). Two main approaches in explaining the concept of brand loyalty have emerged in the landscape of the marketing literature, namely: the behavioral and attitudinal approaches. The former defines brand loyalty in terms of repeat purchases of a specific brand over time (Keller et al., 2008; Lichtlà © Sheth, 1968; Tuominen, 1999). The latter – often referred to brand commitment (Jacoby and Chestnut, 1978) – suggests brand loyalty is formed when customers demonstrate favorable attitudes, positive feelings toward a brand (Lichtlà © Fullerton, 1993; Jacoby Keller et al., 2008; Tuominen, 1999). Those partisans of the third approach argue that behavioral loyalty is a necessary condition but not sufficient to develop brand loyalty. I ndeed, customer may repeatedly buy a branded product/service out of convenience, or because she/he cannot afford to purchase another with her/his budget, or due to other reasons such as stock limitations. Such behaviors are referred to as purchase inertia (Bloemer & Kasper, 1995) or spurious loyalty (Dick & Basu, 1994) (Cited in Lichtlà © & Plichon, 2008). This implies that if, for example, the price increases or if an alternative product is available, the customer may turn to another brand. It is the reason why those authors speak of brand loyalty only when repeat purchase behavior over time is the result of positive feelings and attitudes to the brand (Lichtlà © & Plichon, 2008). Aaker (1991) and Keller et al. (2008) go a step further by explaining customers should not simply have positive feelings about the brand but they should feel a deep attitudinal attachment to the brand, leading to repurchase behaviors in the future. By viewing brand loyalty as a two-dimensional construct , limitations faced by the behavioral approach in explaining customer’s loyalty to a brand can be overcome.

Managing Human Resources (Reflecting on the issue raised by the Sales Essay

Managing Human Resources (Reflecting on the issue raised by the Sales Manager) - Essay Example These are important in order to build a successful manufacturer - sales agent relationship". Sales representatives also give importance to product package, quality product lines that are competitive in terms of effectiveness and affordability. They are particular in the quality and delivery of the products and most importantly, sales people seek to represent organization that has proven integrity and are supportive of agents (Spiegel 2006). While looking at the factors mentioned, sales management can conduct teambuilding for the sales representatives. Sales people are so vital to the organization that it is important to invest in them. Management should make the sales people feel they are important. Bonding and trust in each other are created during team building and sales people always look forward to this kind of activity. Feeling a sense of belonging make them stay long in the organization. Sales planning should also be conducted in a venue outside the company. In this particular activity, people give their sales commitment with the corresponding action plan that they would take to insure the achievement of the sales target. Improvement in the sales performance is observed after a sales planning. A medium-size streamer is displayed conspicuously at the lobby on the way to the conference room where orientation for new employees takes place. The text on the streamer says, "At NL&C, you're in good hands. We insure your future through the 401 (k) Retirement Plans". At this stage when new employees have just begun an episode of their lives with NL&C, they will know that obviously the streamer is exclusively for their curious eyes and questioning mind. The streamer was placed along their path for them to see and feel the caring hands of NL&C from the start and through their stay with their newfound company. Apparently, as in-charge of employees' benefits, I think I was able to effectively put the message across. My purpose of putting 401 (k) retirement plans in the text is to stir the curiosity of the new employees. Many of them, especially the first timer or those who come from another company which does not offer the same privilege, would ask what 401 (k) is. I understand that although 401(k) will benefit them, there will be a lot of questions and some opposition. I have to give them advance information of what will be discussed during the orientation. I want them to be excited so that the appetite to listen attentively will prevail as soon as they enter the conference room. After some explanation of the company rules and regulations, its time for the new employees to hear why it is worth partnering with NL&C. 401(k) along with other benefits will be explained this way: First of all, there are protections and benefits that go with the new workers everyday while they work with the company. On top of them there is the 401(k) retirement plans which afford them of a long term benefit. A portion of their salary will be put aside for their

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Innovation and Entrepreneurship - Essay Example However, there are individuals who come up with original ideas for the future to gain huge profits. As a rule, these types of business look very interesting. How do you react when you are told that another millionaire made his millions on the sale of conventional jackets autographed by celebrities? But in fact this is the way Tanneberg Walter raised his capital in German city of Kiel. Selling jackets with autographs impressed rich people and they paid huge sums of money for these jackets. However, the business plan should be developed with regards to the investor's needs. The following steps should be taken: Summary. Every business plan summarizes data it contains. After reading the summary of the investor can "wake up" and invest money. Product. This section includes information about the product (product, service, project, and company): description, data – and a "unique selling proposition" (USP). It is very important to show confidence in the success of the project (Mintzbe rg, Ahlstrand and Lampel,1998). Market analysis. This part of a business plan includes information on the amount of the target market, its main trends. Such issues as market share and the actions taken are considered and a part of expenses is devoted to advertising and promotion. Manufacturing process. A description of all production phases of the project, a list of resources and tools (equipment, premises etc). Staff. The list of professionals involved in the design / development / promotion project (their skills, experience, qualifications etc). Project management. The list of project managers and the distribution of responsibilities between them. Cost management personnel, including the costs of the office (salaries, bonuses, rent, equipment, furniture, supplies etc). Sales plan. Projected revenues in the first months after launch, and after a year, three or five are considered. Examples of different scenarios for the project should be included in this section. Investment. The am ount of funds required to implement the project. You need to specify how much will cost borrowings, in which periods of activity and to what extent they are needed. Of course, there are many other issues, which should be taken into account, but, to my mind, the central innovative and a unique idea is a guarantee of further business plan success. My unique idea looks like this: I want to help my city in cleaning the roads from the used chewing gums. I plan to develop a series of posters with portraits of various celebrities - from politics to pop business starts. These posters can be placed on the subway while moving escalator, at the exit of the subway and bus stops and lamp posts and every 100 meters. The idea came to my mind after I noticed that people stick gum used for posters with images of people. Therefore, I plan to develop posters with the faces of famous people and write questions on them, such as "How do you feel about the legalization of marijuana in England?", "How do y ou feel about legalizing euthanasia?", "How do you feel about the banning of abortion?" And so on. Of course, people would like to vote in such an interesting way. Then personnel of my team will collect gums from two sectors of each poster: "for" and "against." Therefore, our community will get clean roads without any expenses on cleaning techniques, find out nation's attitude to critical social issues and enable me and my company to promote famous people and produce posters with their names. We can

Communication discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Communication discussion - Assignment Example From that point you can be able to customize the way you address him/her. With time get the knowledge and experience on how different people like to be handled so as to create an environment where they feel welcome and hence they can be able to open up. According to Hood, (2013), the biggest barrier to communication is lack of humility. While addressing people of different ages, have empathy and show them that you know exactly how it is to be in their position. The people who are advanced in age are the most tough to deal with as they require a high sense of respect (Sullivan, 2013). Give it to them. Dealing with people of different gender can also be confusing. For instance, a certain patient may not be ready to open up to a nurse of the opposite gender and this may require introducing him/her to another nurse if they are totally uncooperative. Having the knowledge on how to address people is important as seen in the essay. This can determine the difference between a competent nurse and the rest (Bednarz, Stephanie, & Doorenbos, 2010). It is therefore important to observe the points