Management and Organisations in a Global Environment Essay

Management and Organisations in a Global Environment - Essay Example at carrying out relevant research and applying the interpretation of the data emanating from the same in order to transform the company and render exponential growth to its operational effectiveness. Systems and technology consultancy: this includes working with private as well as public companies and corporations to source and provide information regarding financial services, energy, government and public services, manufacturing and telecommunications, among many others, so as to promote the scope for strategic partnerships between the public and private corporations. Kuwait is a country with a rich culture and strong ties with tradition. This has led the entrepreneurs in Kuwait to regard tradition and culture in all their activities. There strong presence of culture in business negotiations has become a standard in today’s world of commerce. (Stokes, 2001) The preparation for negotiations in a certain country involves a strong focus on learning more about the traditions as well as culture of the country. This helps the negotiator get comfortable with the business climate that is followed in the country so as to have a better grasp over what is happening around him or her. (Furusten, 1999) This has been seen in KCS as well. (Kuwait Computer Services – Official Website) In the Middle East, there are a plethora of customs as well as traditions that are a part and parcel of their activities in every walk of life. For example, a major part of this involves food habits. The Kuwaitis, as a people, focus on the food at every occasion. They have a wide variety of dishes that are prepared and savoured according to the occasion. The scope for stability as well as innovation and risk in this case is in the fact that the Middle Eastern culture needs to be studied in order to come up with a fool proof structure on which the knowledge management criteria may be arrived at and finally evolved. (Hofer et al, 2002) The function of culture helps employees in gaining wider

Stereotyping, Discrimination and Prejudice Essay Example for Free

Stereotyping, Discrimination and Prejudice Essay We believe that there should be mutual respect between individuals, which is a vital pre-requisite for social harmony. Our society needs to be more accommodating and less prejudiced. It is incumbent upon us to properly address the issue of stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination in earnest so that we may move forward to a healthier and more caring society. 2. 1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Stereotype is an image or idea of a particular type of person or thing that has become fixed through being widely held. Discrimination is to make an unjust distinction in the treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, sex or age. Prejudice is a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. (Source: Concise Oxford Dictionary) Stereotype is to decide, usually unfairly, that certain people have particular qualities or abilities because they belong to a particular race, sex or social class. Discrimination is the practice of treating one particular group in the society in an unfair way. Prejudice is to influence someone so that they have an unfair or unreasonable opinion about someone or something. (Source: Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English) Globally, stereotypes, discrimination and prejudice are understood as related but different concepts. Stereotypes are regarded as the most cognitive component, discrimination as the behavioral component of prejudicial reactions and prejudice as the affective. In this tripartite view of intergroup attitudes, stereotypes reflect expectations and beliefs about the characteristics of members of groups perceived as different from ones own, discrimination refers to actions, prejudice represents the emotional response. Stereotypes are not only harmful in their own right; they do damage by fostering prejudice and discrimination. Although related, the three concepts can exist independently of each other. According to Daniel Katz and Kenneth Braly, stereotyping leads to racial prejudice when people emotionally react to the name of a group, ascribe characteristics to members of that group, and then evaluate those characteristics. Moral philosophers have defined discrimination as disadvantageous treatment or consideration. This is a comparative definition. An individual need not be actually harmed in order to be discriminated against. He or she just needs to be treated worse than others for some arbitrary reason. The United Nations stance on discrimination includes the statement: Discriminatory behaviors take many forms, but they all involve some form of exclusion or rejection. (Source: Wikipedia) Stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination reflect the human tendencies to conceptualize and value certain configurations of phenotypic features differently, and act on these thoughts and feelings in our interactions with members of racial categories. Racial categorization reflects the process of placing people into distinct groups based on variation in phenotypic physical features of the face and body such as skin color, hair color and texture, eye shape, nose width, and lip fullness. Racial stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination reflect the human tendencies to conceptualize and value certain configurations of phenotypic features differently, and act on these thoughts and feelings in our interactions with members of racial categories. In both overt and subtle forms, stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination exhibited among individuals belonging to different racial categories has long been a significant source of social strife in American society and abroad. In general, individuals with physical features associated with Whites (lighter skin color, lighter and straighter hair, rounder eyes, narrower nose, thinner lips) are advantaged compared to individuals with features associated with other racial categories. (Maddox, 2012) In Ghana, stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice is alive and kicking in Ghana like it is in any other society. Specifically, the statement brings to the fore some of the unhelpful ethnic slurs or ethno-phaulisms that cut across Ghana’s multiethnic society. There are ethnic stereotypes like Ashanti men are braggers throw their money around and have a superiority complex but they are very ambitious and hard working. Ga men are big talkers but are not big spenders, they are too stingy. Ewe men use juju too much, but are good scholars. Fanti men are romantic and sophisticated but are too honest, so they lack tactfulness and diplomacy. Dagomba men are tall, dark and handsome, but expect one or two rivals wives if you marry one. Akuapem men are very polite and gentlemanly. Kwahu men are very business-minded but stash their money in their house rather than in the bank. 2. 2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM We are concerned with how stereotypes, discrimination and prejudice affect our judgment with others and therefore the relationship we have with people. 2. 3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS * Why do people stereotype, discriminate and prejudice against others? * What are the sources of stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice? * What are the roles of stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice in tribal conflicts? * What are the strategies for dealing with stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice? 2. 4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY GENERAL OBJECTIVE: To synthesize the people of KNUST, most especially the students as to effects of stereotype, discrimination and prejudice on KNUST campus. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: * Identify why people stereotype, discriminate and prejudice. * Examine the sources of stereotype, discriminate and prejudice. * Recognize the role of stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice in tribal conflicts. * Discover strategies for dealing with stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice related situations. 2. 5 ASSUMPTIONS/ HYPOTHESIS * People stereotype, discriminate and prejudice against others in the society because of the desire to dominate and control members of other groups. * People stereotype, discriminate and prejudice because they are unable to obtain all the information to make a fair judgment. * Negative stereotyping, discrimination and prejudices cause conflicts among individuals. * Understanding and appreciating other people’s values and culture will help decrease stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice in the society. 2. 6 JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY To seek new insights; to ask questions and assess phenomena in a different perspective in relation to what others have done on the topic. It will educate us about value diversity and equal opportunity. We will understand how to challenge assertively expressions of stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice. Develop a responsible attitude towards person relationships. 2. 7 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY * The study will help us to develop knowledge on our field of research. * The study on stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice will enable us explain to others what it entails and it consequences on human life. * The study will enable us develop our skill in research. * Educate others on the topic. 2. 8 CONCEPTUALIZATION Gender: Women over the years have fought shoulder to shoulder with men to gain recognition and freedom from all source of discrimination and recognition from their hard work and worth. Ethnicity and tribalism: Tribalism infers the possession of a strong cultural or ethnic identity that separate one member of a group from the members of another group. Religion: It involves treating someone differently because that person is associated with an individual of a particular religion or because of his or her connection with a religious organization. Age: It involves treating someone unfairly or less favorably because of his age. Age discrimination can take a form of harassment for example offensive remarks about a person’s age such as teasing offhand comments etc. Program of study: with the program of study, some people look down on other people’s program of study because they feel theirs is better than the others. 2. 9 METHODOLOGY 2. 10. 1 RESEARCH DESIGN AND TYPE OF STUDY Social survey design is a popular and commonly used strategy in social science research and is frequently used to answer who, what, where, how much and how many questions. They allow the collection of large amount of data from a sizable population in a highly economical way. Social Survey Design allows researchers to carry out studies in natural real life settings using probability samples thus increasing external validity of the studies. Using a social survey design will give you more control over the research process and when sampling is used, it is possible to generate findings that are a representative of the whole population at lower cost than collecting the data for the whole population. 1. 9. 2 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE Purposive sampling technique will be used for our sampling technique. With this technique, the researcher selects sampling units subjectively in an attempt to obtain a sample that appears to be a representative of the population. This method is been used also because of its relative advantage of time and cost 1. 9. 3 SAMPLE SIZE Selected students from various halls and hostels. 1. 9. 4 METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION Questionnaire includes all techniques of data collection in which each person is asked to respond to the same set of questions in a predetermined order. 1. 9. 5 SOURCES OF DATA Sources of data include the primary source, secondary source and the tertiary source. We will use all the three sources of data. Primary sources include journals, memoirs, dairies, newspapers, reports, interviews, raw data and many more. Secondary sources include books, television and radio documentaries, conference proceedings etc. Tertiary sources Google, Wikipedia, dictionaries, encyclopaedias, Ghana web, Modern Ghana etc. 1. 9. 6 UNITS OF ANALYSIS The unit of analysis is Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology which has a student population of about 45,000. Established in 1952, KNUST has a rich history in its evolution into a first class University over the years. Kwame Nkrumah, the African Personality of the Century and pioneer of African independence is the founder of KNUST. KNUST believes in achievement through diligence and commitment. 1. 9. 7 LIMITATION OF DATA COLLECTION Possible low response rate Members in a group may influence one’s decision Limited input from participants Certain data may be unavailable It may be time consuming The research may intimidate and suppress individual differences 1. 9 ORRGANISATION OF THE STUDY EVENTS| TIME FRAME| Introduction| 1 week| Collecting information for literature review| 8 weeks|. Administering questionnaires and collection| 2 weeks| Analysis of data collected| 2 weeks| Conclusion and summary| 2 weeks| Total time to be used| 17 weeks| CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW The terms stereotype, discrimination and prejudice are often used interchangeably in everyday conversation. But when discussing these terms from a sociological perspective, it is important to define them: stereotypes are oversimplified ideas about groups of people; discrimination refers to actions toward them and prejudice refers to thoughts and feelings about those groups. (Colledge, 2013) Stereotype is an image or idea of a particular type of person or thing that has become fixed through being widely held (Source: Concise Oxford Dictionary). Stereotype is to decide, usually unfairly, that certain people have particular qualities or abilities because they belong to a particular race, sex or social class(Source: Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English) Discrimination is to make an unjust distinction in the treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, sex or age. Source: Concise Oxford Dictionary. Discrimination is the practice of treating one particular group in the society in an unfair way. (Source: Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English) Prejudice is a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. (Source: Concise Oxford Dictionary). Prejudice is to influence someone so that they have an unfair or unreasonable opinion about someone or something. (Source: Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English) THEORIES RELATING STEREOTYPING, DISCRIMINATION AND PREJUDICE What are the reasons for stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice people? Let’s look at the theories that social scientists have suggested: To be able to measure the existence and extent of stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice of a particular kind in a particular social or economic domain, it is necessary to have a theory of how such issue might occur and what its effects might be. Scapegoat Theory: This prejudice springs from frustration among people who are themselves disadvantaged (Dollard, 1939). A scapegoat is a person or category of people typically with little power, whom people unfairly blame for their own troubles. Authoritarian Personality Theory: According to T. W. Adorno et al. (1950), extreme prejudice is a personality trait in certain individuals. This conclusion is supported by research showing that people who display strong prejudice toward one minority usually are intolerant of all minorities. These people look upon society as naturally competitive and hierarchical, with â€Å"better† people (like them) inevitably dominating those who are weaker. Culture Theory: This theory says that stereotyping, discriminating and prejudice may be characteristic of certain people, but some of this is found in everyone because it is embedded in culture. Think of a child growing up and their parents telling them they should marry from the same ethnic group. Conflict Theory: Part of this theory is when powerful people use prejudice to justify oppression others. An example is when minorities claim that they are victims and therefore are entitled to special consideration based on their race. (DJL, 2008) WHY PEOPLE STEREOTYPE, DISCRIMINATE AND PREJUDICE AGAINST OTHERS IN THE SOCIETY The ability to form general categories is an essential feature of human thought. Without it, we could not make sense of the world. Being able to classify our experiences, the people around us, and the material objects of our culture under general headings enables us to behave in new circumstances. We can then respond in appropriate ways to things and people we have never seen before. It allows us to carry over what we have learned in one situation to another similar situation. However, unlike other forms of categorization, stereotyping provides categories that are little, if at all modified by experience and knowledge. People will often ignore or re-interpret experiences in which an individual does not conform to the stereotype of the group, rather than change the stereotype. (Lorne Tepperman, 1991, p. 187) People discriminate out of ignorance and Selfishness and that they dont think about how it would make other people feel also to make them feels better. (Why do people discriminate, 2012) When people encounter instances that disconfirm their stereotypes of a particular group, they tend to assume that those instances are atypical subtypes of the group. Example: Ben stereotypes gay men as being not athletic. When he meets Al, an athletic gay man, he assumes that Al is not a typical representative of gay people. People’s perceptions are influenced by their expectations. Example: Liz has a stereotype of elderly people as mentally unstable. When she sees an elderly woman sitting on a park bench alone, talking out loud, she thinks that the woman is talking to herself because she is unstable. Liz fails to notice that the woman is actually talking on a cell phone. People selectively recall instances that confirm their stereotypes and forget about disconfirming instances. Researchers find it difficult to measure prejudice. One reason for this is that people differ in the type and extent of prejudice they harbor. For example, a person who makes demeaning comments about a particular ethnic group may be bigoted or just ignorant. Also, people often do not admit to being prejudiced. (Source: (Lewin, 2012), 14th November, 2012, 10am) Why do we form opinions about other people based on their appearance, posture, language, and so on? We do this because different factors contribute to why people stereotype each other. We stereotype, discriminate and prejudice other people when we are unable or unwilling to obtain all of the information we need to make a fair judgment about people or situations. In the absence of the so called total picture, to stereotype people in many cases allow us to fill in the missing pieces of information. Our society often innocently creates and perpetuates stereotypes, but these stereotypes often lead to unfair discrimination and persecution when the person been stereotype is unfavorable. For example, if we are walking through a park late at night and encounter three senior citizens wearing fur coats and walking with canes, we may not feel as threatened as if we were met by three high school-aged boys wearing hoodies. These generalizations root from our experiences we have had ourselves, read in books, and magazines, seen in movies or television, or have had related to us by friends and family. In many cases, these stereotypical generalizations are reasonably accurate. Yet in virtually, every case we are resorting to is prejudice by ascribing characteristics about a person based on appearance, without knowledge of the total facts. By stereotyping, we assume that a person or a group of certain characteristics. Quite often, we have stereotyped a person who might be a member of a group with which we have not had firsthand contact with before. (Why do we stereotype? , 2012). According to psychologist Gordon Allport, prejudice and stereotypes emerge in part as a result of normal human thinking. In order to make sense of the world around us, it is important to sort information into mental categories. The human mind must think with the aid of categories, Allport explained. Once formed, categories are the basis for normal prejudgment. We cannot possibly avoid this process. Orderly living depends upon it. † This process of categorization applies to the social world as well, as we sort people into mental groups based on factors such as age, sex and race. (Cherry, 2013) SOURCES OF STEREOTYPING, DISCRIMINATION AND PREJUDICE IN THE SOCIETY AUTHORITHAIANISM The authoritarian personality is rigid and inflexible and has a very low tolerance for uncertainty. People with this type of personality have great respect for authority figures and quickly submit to their will. They place a high value on conventional behavior. By labeling unconventional people ‘inferior’, ‘immature’ or ‘degenerate’, the authoritarians avoid s any need to question their beliefs and attitudes. SCAPE-GOATING Unpopular minority groups are often used as scapegoats for other people’s problems. They are blamed for wide varied things that they could not possibly have caused. The term originates from a Hebrew tradition. On Yom Kippur, a goat was set loose in the wilderness after the high priest had symbolically laid all the sins of the person on its head (Leviticus 16:20-22). One explanation of scape-goating is the frustration-aggression theory. Its three basic principles are that; (1) Frustration produces aggression. (2) This aggression cannot safely be directed against powerful people and (3) The aggression is therefore transferred to weaker individual who cannot fight such as members of an unpopular minority group. LEARNING Although prejudice and discrimination are sometimes associated with certain personality traits or with frustration, both are learned. South Africans do not need authoritarian personalities to have strong racial prejudice, because they learn such attitudes from their culture. Most prejudice is acquired early in the socialization process. Children adopt their parents’ prejudice as naturally as they adopt their parents’ language, and discrimination follow prejudice as regularly as night follows day. Some of the most common prejudices are taken from ethnic stereotype- ideas that portray all the members of a group as having similar fixed, usually unfavorable characteristics. ECONOMICS Conflicts between ethnic groups foster prejudice and discrimination. Some social scientists particularly Marxists, are convinced that all conflict stems from economic causes. Whether one accepts this idea or not, there is ample evidence that, the realities of economic completion lies beneath much prejudice and discrimination. In times of high unemployment, members of the dominant group can protect their jobs by making sure that members of subordinate groups are dismissed first. It has long been noted that anti black prejudice is high among white-working class men who compete with blacks for low paying, unskilled jobs. POLITICS The quest for power promotes prejudice and discrimination just as the quest for money does. Dominant groups use discrimination as a technique for maintaining their power, appealing to popular prejudice to justify their discrimination. In some societies, political discrimination is obvious and accepted fact of life. For example, South African does not allow native Africans to vote and until quite recently, many American communities denied the same right to their black citizens. (Coleman, 2002, pp.193-196) ROLE OF STEREOTYPING, DISCRIMINATING AND PREJUDICE IN TRIBAL CONFLICTS Stereotypes distort history through oversimplification but they are also extremely dangerous breeding grounds for bigotry, fear, resentment, irrationality, animosity, hatred and ethnic conflict and cleansing. Stereotypes generate self-serving attitudes such as we deserve more because we sacrificed more than others, they are suffering because it is their own fault, and it is their problem since they are killing their own people and it is their government and we have nothing to do with it. In extremes cases, stereotypes have culminated in mass violence, the mass displacement of millions of fellow citizens, ethnic cleansing, pogroms and genocide. (A. B. K. Kasozi, 1999; G. Prunier, 1995; P. Gourevitch, 1998 and M. Mamdam, 2002). The concept of tribe was derogatorily developed in the 19th century by racist western scholars and journalists to designate alien ‘non-white’ people as inferior or less civilized and as having not yet evolved from a primary state. From Kukubor, the following stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice can lead to tribal conflicts. From (Kukubor, 2006), ADVOCATING SEGREGATION. This advocacy represents a belief that different ethnic groups should live apart, have absolute control over certain natural resources, can be exposed to special benefits. This advocacy began in the Ashanti Confederacy at pre-independence unsuccessfully agitated for a Federal state so as to appropriate the perceived wealth of the Ashanti. Extreme pride in one’s ethnic group and Obsequious patriotism is good but extreme pride in one’s ethnic group has proven to be the fascist of all regimes. CONSTANT REFERENCE TO A PERSON’S ETHNICITY A mere mention of someone’s ethnic group on a first encounter could be benign. But constant reference to the person’s ethnic group after a long period f knowing that person, no matter how innocent the references may appear, establishes unmistakably tribal patterns. BELITTLING OTHER GROUPS AND INDIFFERENCE TO THE FEELINGS OF OTHER ETHNIC GROUPS. Constant criticism and ridicule of the opinions of other ethnic groups, which is often done sarcastically without explicitly making mention of the ethnicity of persons. It is also typical to make fun of members of the ‘inferior’ ethnic group. EXCESSIVE HATE FOR A PARTICULAR ETHNIC GROUP. This is where one adopts an exaggerated reaction to any perceived misconduct from a person of the other ethnic group. In this situation, the punishment is out of proportion to the original wrong, whether real or perceived, and completely ignores the provocation that have led to the misconduct resulting in conflicts. NON- RECOGNITION OF THE ABILITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF OTHER ETHNIC GROUPS. This attitude is so endemic in our political history. Some ethnic groups in this country have consistently denied the intelligence, cultural level, social status or other qualities of other ethnic groups in the face of overwhelming evidence. CONDESCENDING ATTITUDE OR BEHAVIOR. People show condescending attitude towards other members of different ethnic groups. They exhibit this by attacking other members which cause them most offense. They even employ members of other groups they perceive as enemies and use them to attack members of that ethnic group. These ‘employees’ may openly condemn the culture of their ethnic group as backward and shower praises on the members of ‘superior’ ethnic group. Furthermore, these people have no insight into their own prejudice. They believe that their prejudice is based on objective grounds that cannot be compromised. By this strong fixation, an individual is capable of violence and other forms of crime towards members of what he views as the ‘inferior’ ethnic group. For Hima/tutsi elite being called superior and alien had a feel good effect. They were proud to be told that they had racial affinities, however distant, with the new colonial masters Overtime they developed a superiority complex, which they used to claim privileges and entitlements, including being appointed colonial chiefs. They then reinvented the pre-colonial past to live the impression that their superiority had existed since time immemorial. Like the new colonial masters, they grounded their rights and privileges on the right of conquering and subjugating the natives some four to five centuries before the advent of European conquest and occupation. On their part, the natives felt dejected and resentful. They carried the burden of taxation and forced labor. Under colonialism, they served two sets of masters – the white and Hima/Tutsi elite masters. In due course, they sought to turn their supposed native status to their political advantage. In Rwanda and to some extent Ankole, the so-called natives began to make political demands on the ground that they were the natural majority. The extremists even went to the extent of demanding the return of the Tutsi/Hima aliens to their original homelands, where they came from, and wherever that might be (Doornbos, 1978:31). This led to the tensions of the 1940s and 1950s and the expulsion of the so-called Bayarwanda in the early 1980s. ( www. grandslacs. net/doc/3782, 1:15pm, 15th November 15, 2012) STATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH STEREOTYPING, DISCRIMINATION, PREJUDICE RELATED SITUATIONS The key to reversing stereotypes is to contradict them, in direct interactions between people, in the media, and through education. Between the individuals: once people get to know a person from the other side, they are often will determine that the other is not nearly as bad as they originally had assumed. Even when people learn that they share fear or sadness, they can begin to understand each other more. When they come to understand that the other is afraid of being hurt, or losing a loved one in war, just as they are, that brings people together. Depending on the context and other interactions, the image of the group as a whole may become more positive as well. In the media: the media also plays an important role in both perpetuating and in breaking down stereotypes. If they characterize particular groups of people in certain ways, their viewers (or readers) are likely to do the same. So if a movie or the motion picture industry in general, characterizes a group of people negatively, they are likely to be perpetuating negative stereotypes and making conflicts worse. If they emphasize the positive aspects of groups that contradict prevalent stereotypes, they can have a significant role in building mutual understanding. In Education: Educational institutions and teaching materials also have the opportunity to affect stereotypes, and hence influence inter-group relations. Efforts to teach about different cultures and the history of different racial and ethnic groups can help build inter-group understanding if it is done in an effective and sympathetic way. Changing stereotypes is largely the job of individuals. Each of us should examine the assumptions that we make about others and ask ourselves where those assumptions come from. (Source: (Why do we stereotype? , 2012) Training people to become more empathetic to members of other groups is one method that can reduce stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice. By imaging themselves in the same situation, people are able to think about how they would react and gain a greater understanding of other peoples actions. Other techniques that are used to reduce prejudice include: * Passing laws and regulations that require fair and equal treatment for all groups of people. * Gaining public support and awareness for stereotype, discrimination and prejudice social norms. * Making people aware of the inconsistencies in their own beliefs. * Increased contact with members of other social groups. (Cherry, 2013) Pettigrew (1981) and others proposed that stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice can be reduced by increasing contact between groups (the contact hypothesis), social learning, social re-categorization and weakening stereotypes. INCREASING CONTACTS BETWEEN GROUPS Contact is effective under these limiting conditions: * Groups are roughly equal in status (social, economic, or task relevant) * Contact involves cooperation and interdependence * Contact is informal so groups get to know one another as individual * Persons must regard one another as typical of their respective groups SOCIAL LEARNING * To the extent that prejudices and stereotypes are learned, we can work to avoid teaching them to children * Parents and teachers, made aware of their own prejudices, may work to modify their behavior to encourage lower levels of stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice in children. SOCIAL RE-CATEGORIZATION The common in-group identity model (Gaertner, Dovidio et al. , 1993) * When members of different social groups come to see themselves as members of a single social entity, their attitudes toward the former out-group members become more positive * Crucial factor is existence of situation in which groups work together cooperatively toward shared goals * Strong support for common in-group identity model from lab and field studies, but hard to implement in real life settings WEAKENING STEREOTYPES. Stereotypes can be reduced if persons can be made to engage in attribute-driven processing thinking about the unique characteristics of individuals. Factors that encourage attribute-driven processing: * Give person incentive to think accurately about others (Neuberg, 1989) * Inform persons that their own outcomes depend on anothers performance, or that it is important that they form an accurate impression of other. * Successful outcomes for members of other groups (e.g. , career success) can counter stereotypes because we often attribute positive characteristics to those who have good outcomes. (Reducing Stereotyping, Discrimination and Prejudice, 2012) CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK The conceptual framework consists of age, program of study, gender, religion, ethnicity and tribalism which we use as a guide through the study. CHAPTER 3 DATA ANALYSIS The chapter three entails the data collection and analyses based on the objectives. Questionnaires were given out to a sample of 100 students to find the extent of their knowledge on stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice in KNUST and this was their response. The data analyses system used is the SPSS. The bar chart is used to break the frequencies to make it more understandable and easy to interpret. 1. From the 100 respondents, 84% know about stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice in KNUST, 8% do not know about it and 8% also do not really know about it. stereotyping discrimination prejudice in KNUST|. | | Frequency| Percent| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| Valid| Yes| 84| 84. 0| 84. 0| 84. 0| | No| 8| 8. 0| 8. 0| 92. 0| | not really| 8| 8. 0| 8. 0| 100. 0| | Total| 100| 100. 0| 100. 0| | 2. Talking about people who speak up when someone is humiliating, insulting and ridiculing another person, 47% said they usually speak up, 15% said they always, 9% said they never and 29% said they ignore humiliating insulting ridiculing another person| | | Frequency| Percent| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| Valid| Usua.

How Employees Affect Consumer Behavior :: essays research papers

How Employees Affect Consumer Behavior Summary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I am going to discuss how employees affect consumer behavior and what I believe are the best ways to improve their effectiveness. I will be drawing upon my experiences as a consumer and working in a retail environment. Comments   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  No one fulfills your corporate philosophy or promotes your products and services more than your employees. They are like ambassadors representing the United States when the president can not be there in person. You need them to act on your behalf when dealing with customers. If the customers aren't treated well once in your store or business, what good does it do to use marketing to get them into your store or business. You also have the problem of each customer who was treated poorly, telling other people about their bad experience with your company. This might not seem like a big deal, but it is and it's even worse when people are telling others how great your competitor treated them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I've had a few experiences where I have felt that I haven't been treated properly or fairly by store employees. Most of the time I've been able to find another person to help solve my problem and I was able to walk away a satisfied customer. There are some instances when I have consciously went to a competing business, because of the way I was treated. I know I am not the only person who does this, so I feel it is very important to have a work force that helps market your products, by being friendly and knowledgeable. This will prevent customers from turning away from your products and services. Ask your workers if they would recommend your product or service to their family and friends. If your people lack confidence in your company, you need to find out why and fix it. You want them to be proud to use your product or service so they can convey this feeling to the customers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some of the things that turn off consumers are long lines and employees who don't pay attention or just go through the motions. Rudeness, impatience, and judgmental remarks are very damaging to your company image. Workers who are poorly trained or don't know about your product or service serve no purpose and let down customers. Lies, dishonesty, and promises that are broken cost companies a lot of business when you look at the long run. Ask your workers if they would recommend your product or service to their family and friends. If your people lack confidence in your company, you need to find out why and fix it.

Macbeth is Solely to Blame for his Demise :: William Shakespeare

The play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, is a tragedy of the rise and fall of a power-hungry solider named Macbeth. Macbeth's gluttony, pride, and ambitions led him to turn into an unstable, callous man who would stop at nothing just to gain power. His greed to achieve more power resulted in the merciless killings of his king, best friend, and other innocent citizens. Eventually, the guilt of the deeds he was committing manifested itself in the form of hallucinations which contributed to the downfall of his supremacy. With him being weak enough to succumb to his wife's thirst of power, and being the one to physically kill Duncan, which makes him solely responsible for the chain of disarray that unfolded throughout the play. At first, Macbeth is introduced as a courageous, valiant soldier, who does so well fighting in war that he is honored with the title of the Thane of Glamis by King Duncan. On his way home, Macbeth encounters three witches who tell him that he will become king. It is at this point that he first considers murdering Duncan so that the prophecy can be fulfilled ?My thoughts, whose murder yet is but fantastical? (I,2,151). This thought was the beginning of a chain of events that would soon lead to his demise. Although he does reconsider murder and decides to leave his future to chance, until, of course, his wife convinces him otherwise. When Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth about how will become king he just adds to her overly ambitious attitude so much to the point that she convinces him to go murder. If he had not told her and just put himself in the hands of fate, it?s possible that Macbeth still would have become king without causing the death of the people who cared for him. It is arguable that Lady Macbeth could be the one to blame for the outcome of the play because she persuades Macbeth to murder Duncan, but it was not her who gave Macbeth the daggers, she didn?t lay a hand on Duncan. Moreover, it was Macbeth who killed the guards that he and Lady Macbeth planned to accuse of the murder. The fact of the matter is Macbeth had the free will to choose to avoid everything he got himself into. After the killing of Duncan, Macbeth is becomes king, but his mind wrought with guilt which causes uneasiness and hallucinations.

H Entering Australia

Executive Summary Table of Contents Introduction – Hennes and Mauritz (H&M) was first established in 1947 and have since expanded internationally and currently operate in 34 countries (H&M, 2009). As H&M continues to expand every year, the following report has chosen Australia as the new market, where analysis has been conducted to provide H&M with recommendations of which market entry method they should adopt and the threats and issues they must overcome to be able to succeed. 1. 0 – Country Analysis – Australia For the purpose of this report H&M (Hennes & Mauritz) has chosen Australia as the foreign country in which they wish to enter and introduce their products. Australia is the largest island, however, is also the smallest continent in the world which is situated below South East Asia (Department of Immigration and Citizenship, 2009). Being the sixth largest nation on earth it also consists of six states and two territories with the lowest population density per square metre (REFERENCE). As it is practically impossible for H&M to enter the whole Australian market simultaneously, H&M has, therefore, chosen Melbourne as the first Australian state they wish to enter. There are many reasons for choosing Australia and Melbourne in particular including: †¢Melbourne is the second largest capital city in Australia with a population of 3,634,200 (REFERENCE). †¢Melbourne is renowned as the fashion capital of Australia, where the Melbourne Spring Fashion Week (MSFW) is one of the largest and most popular consumer fashion events in Australia (City of Melbourne, 2009). This may then make it easier for H&M to launch their products and also obtain brand awareness, as Melbournians are relatively ‘fashion conscious’. †¢New business opportunity, since 2006 there has been a 15% growth in the segment where young female consumers are demanding for low priced yet high quality and fashionable apparel (Euromonitor, 2009). †¢Australia has a similar country profile as previous countries H&M has successfully entered and launched its product. Hence, H&M appears to have prior knowledge and experience in expanding internationally into a Western country. 1. 0Product Analysis – Hennes and Mauritz (H&M) was founded by Erling Persson in Vasteras, Sweden, in 1947. It was initially known as Hennes, which is the Swedish word for â€Å"hers†, as the company only sold women clothing. Persson purchased Mauritz Widforss a small sporting apparel company and since then formed Hennes and Mauritz (REFERENCE). The company now operates in 34 countries including Germany, France, Hong Kong, USA and the UK. H&M continues to expand internationally where they expanded into the Japanese market in 2008 and will further expand into Russia and Lebanon by the end of 2009 and Israel and South Korea in 2010 (H&M, 2009). The core concept of H&M is to provide fashionable products at the lowest price possible, to compete with expensive department stores. H&M has 6 main product lines which include: †¢Women – diverse range of apparel spanning from basic sportswear to corporate and party garments. †¢Men – includes tailored garments such as jackets to fashionable apparel that reflect the latest trends. †¢Children – is divided into three categories – babies, children and H&M Young which is aimed at children up to the age of 14. Divided – targeted at teenagers and young adult, which offers fashion with a young look with creative designs that reflect those of the latest trends. †¢&denim Jeans – provides both traditional five-pocket jeans to the trendiest cuts. †¢Accessories – H&M also produces its own footwear, handbags, jewellery and even cosmetics. It should also be noted that H&M does not own manufacture any products, instead they re ly on over 700 independent suppliers primarily in Asia and Europe which enables them to select the best supplier (H&M, 2008). 3. 0 – Market Segments With the diverse range of product lines, it appears that H&M has the ability to target different market segments simultaneously, this is reasonably difficult to achieve. Therefore, for the purpose of this report, two specific market segments have been selected and profiled to provide an overview of which segments H&M should specially target when launching in Melbourne. 3. 1 – Profile One – Women's outwear segment The foremost market segment that H should target would be the women's outerwear segment which includes all garments from tops to blouses to jackets (REFERENCE). Main reason being, this market segment is reasonably profitable with a Retail Value of over $3000 million (Refer to figure XX), where women have traditionally been the dominate consumer in the clothing and footwear industry (REFERENCE). However, there appears to be a new social trend where men are becoming more fashion-minded and are also looking for cheaper options (REFERENCE). In recent times, there has been a change in preference for young women, where they do not only demand for high quality yet fashionable products, it must also be low priced (REFERENCE). H&M should then be able to target this segment, as the company's core concept coincides with this new trend. Where H's women's clothing are designed for women of all ages who are fashion minded, where its product line includes â€Å"everything from modern basics to tailored classics, sportswear, maternity clothes and cutting-edge fashion. † (H, 2008, pg. 17). However, for the purpose of this report and to make it easier to target, the primary segment will be young women aged 18 to 24, while the secondary segment will be women aged 25 to 40. . 2 – Profile Two – Childrenswear The second market that H should consider targeting once the women’s outerwear market has been successfully targeted would be Childrenswear in Australia, as figure XX illustrates the steady increase in the market share of childrenswear in Australia (REFERENCE). There are many reasons to the growth of the childrenwears market share; this may be because Australians are choosing to have few er children (REFERENCE). In addition, household isposable incomes have increased providing, the key buyer generally mothers, will be more willing to purchase good quality childrenwears at a low price. Therefore, H intensive range of children clothing which caters from infants to children aged up to 14, should be able to target the childrenwears market in Australia. Where the concepts for the children’s clothing are made to be fashionable, practical and hard-wearing (H, 2009). 4. 0 – Culture – Home Country, Foreign Country and Company Culture Each and every country, city and company will have its own distinct culture. There are many definitions of culture where Fletcher and Brown, 2009 has defined culture as â€Å"†¦prescriptive of behaviour that are acceptable to people in a specific community†¦learned†¦people are born into a culture†¦dynamic because†¦our behaviour influences the culture and culture is subjective† (Fletcher and Brown, 2009, pg. 76). It is crucial for H to have understandings of the culture of the home country, foreign country and also the company’s culture. Main reason being, cultural differences play an important role in launching and establishing H as competent competitor in the Australian market. . 1 – Swedish Culture The Swedish culture is typically perceived as egalitarian, simple and open to international influences (REFERENCE). This may be caused due to the predominance of the Social Democratic Party where it promotes the culture of equality, pluralism and individual freedom (REFERENCE). As the Swedish culture is relatively sim ilar to the Scandinavian, it can be assumed as a low context cultural country in contrast to Australia. Low context culture can be classified as â€Å"†¦ messages are mostly explicit and the words covey most of the meaning in the communication†¦ (Fletcher and Brown, 2009, pg. 88). Meaning in Sweden people mainly communicates through words and do not place emphasis on non-verbal cues. Therefore, this culture may affect business negotiations between Sweden and Australians, due to the differences in cultural context, where Australians rely more on body language and facial expressions (REFERENCE). In regards to the fashion culture, Sweden is greatly influenced by European fashion, where there is a strong ‘dressed up’ working man’s culture (REFERENCE). 4. 2 – Australian Culture It is relatively difficult to identify and analyse Australian culture, in comparisons to other countries, as Australia is newly formed country and is a predominantly multicultural society where it consists of different races and ethnic groups (Live in Victoria, 2009). However, there are gradual changes to social trends which may become part of the Australian culture (REFERENCE). Similar to Sweden, Australia also has a low cultural context, yet in contrast, Australians appear to place more emphasis on non-verbal cues. Relating this to the Australian clothing culture, Australians generally dress in business attire during business hours. Though outside of working hours, Australians tend to choose clothing that is comfortable such as track suit pants and a loose fitted t-shirt, in comparison to a pair of jeans and jacket (Department of Immigration and Citizenship). This is an important factor; H must take into consideration, as this will directly affect the products and marketing strategies used to target the market segments. For instance, as Australia appears to have a ‘laidback’ culture, it would probably suit the market more if H was able to launch products that suited the Australian culture and preferences. . 3 – H Culture Company culture can be defined as â€Å"a system of values and beliefs shared by people in an organisation – the company’s collective identity and meaning† (Fletcher and Brown, 2009, pg. 334). As stated on the official H website, the company believes its employees, teamwork, working at a face past and constantly improving (H, 2009). This suggests that H a ppears to have a relatively open, carefree and energetic company culture, where it strongly promotes open communication between managers and their employees (H, 2009). In addition, H is a firm believer of non-discrimination where all qualified applicants are given equal opportunities regardless of any characteristics including, race, religion, sexual orientation, sex, age marital status or disability. The company culture of H should not cause any implications when entering the Australian market. However, it may cause implications when international marketing strategies does not coincide with the company’s culture, as strategies are designed to accommodate the company’s culture and not vice versa (REFERENCE). 5. – Economic Factor The Australian economy has recently experienced a market downturn where economic factors such as consumer confidence and disposable income will have a direct and indirect impact on the market entry and success of H in the Australian market. ?Gross Domestic Production (GDP) The GDP for Australia has been relatively flat in 2009, where there is no significant growth, however, there is an anticipated growt h of 0. 5% in 2010 and with the recession ceasing there should be gradual growth of 3. 25% in 2011 (ANZ, 2009). ?Interest Rates In recent times, the interest rate has continued to drop, where in 2009, the nominal interest rate had dropped by 3% (Refer to Figure 2. 0 in Appendix). As interest rates are low Australians are discouraged from depositing money in the banks as it does not generate interest. ?Household Income From figure XX and XX the equivalised disposable household income for Australians appears to have gradually increased. For instance in 1995-96 there were 11% of total income categorised as being low income, however, in 2007-08, this had decreased to 10. 1%. While there has been a significant increase of high income earners, from 37. % in 1994-95 and 40. 5% in 2007-08 (ABS, 2009). Overall, the Australian economy appears to be reasonably attractive as both GDP and equivalent disposable household income have increased, which suggests that consumers have more money and are more likely to spend and purchase consumer goods which include clothing and footwear. Therefore, H should take advantage of this consumer confidence and enter the Australian market rapidly as consumer currently have the ability to purchase more consumer goods that are not considered to be a necessity. 6. 0 – Competitors Analysis Even though the clothing and footwear industry in Australia is viewed to be an attractive market to enter, there does appear to have intense competition (REFERENCE – competitive). Referring to figure XX, there is no dominant market leader in the Australian market; however, there are a number of brands who have gained substantial brand share, such as Just Jeans (1. 9%) and Jays Jays (2%) respectively (REFERENCE). All brands operating in the clothing and footwear industry could be considered as H competitor, however, Just Jeans and Jay Jays are the two most similar brands compared to H. Where they have also identified the demand for fashionable yet low priced products, therefore, all three companies have similar product offerings and also customer profiles. Hence, to successfully enter and establish H in the Australian market, it would be essential to have sound knowledge of competitors and develop core competencies such as designs that are exclusion and is able to differentiate H from other similar brands (REFERENCE). 7. 0 – Social Trends – Sizes Overall, both Australian men and women’s body weight has gradually increased in recent times. However, as the primary segment for H are young women aged between 18 to 24, only the body weight of women will be discussed. From previous surveys conducted there appears to be a steady increase of the average weight of women from 62. 6kg in 1989-90 to 67. 7kg in 2004-05 (ABS, 2009). From figure XX there also appears to be considerable increase in the Body Mass Index (BMI), where there are less women classified as being normal weight, while there are more women who are overweight and obese. As a result of this increase in body weight, the dress size as also increased from size 12 to size 14. Hence, to accommodate to this increase in weight, most clothing brands have now introduced larger sizes for instance, Portmans now has size 16 as part of their standard dress size (REFERENCE). Therefore, to ensure that H is able to compete with other competitors it would be essential for them to manufacture products that are the suitable size for Australian women. 8. 0 – Conclusion In conclusion, this report has thoroughly analysed a variety of factors to identify the attributes and threats of the Australian market in relation to the launch of H. Taken as a whole Australia appears to be an attractive market which consists of a stable economy and high consumer confidence. Where H is able to use these attributes to help them better penetrate and expand in the Australian market. In contrast, many threats were also identified including cultural differences, changes in social trends and also intense competition. It is absolutely essential for H to gain thorough understanding of the threats and furthermore the business and social environment of the Australian market. Main reason being, H will then be able to develop specific marketing strategies to address and overcome these issues to successfully enter and become a market leader of the women’s outerwear segment in the Australian clothing and footwear industry. 9. 0 – Recommendations. From previous analysis Australia and the city of Melbourne in particular appears to be a possible market for H to enter and expand into. Therefore, the following recommendations are written in correspondent to the threats and issues identified in the conclusion and throughout the report. †¢Market Entry Option – Direct Exporting It is suggested that H adopts a direct exporting method to enter the Australian market. Direct exporting can be identified as â€Å"†¦ the firm itself contacts the buyers overseas and either sells direct to the end-user† (Fletcher and Brown, 2009, pg. 290). Mainly because this is the market entry option H are experienced in using and is also one of the most commonly used method. As it is relatively simple to operate and provides the company with more control over the operation of the business. †¢Adapting to Australian fashion culture – Style and Size For H to succeed and be able to obtain market share, the company must adapt to the Australian fashion culture and the physical body size of Australians. Therefore, H is recommended to use product development strategies where they manufactured products that suit the Australian market. †¢Suitable store location – Chadstone Shopping Centre Finding a suitable store location also plays an important role to the launch of H in Melbourne. Therefore, Chadstone Shopping Centre is suggested as a suitable store location for the first H store to be established. Main reason being, the shopping centre is well-known and has a solid customer base, which makes obtaining brand awareness easier.

The military tactics used by both the USA and Vietcong forces in the 1960s.

The military tactics used by both the USA and Vietcong forces in the 1960s. The tactics used by the Vietcong and US military forces were very different and changed during the course of the war. At the beginning of the war the Vietcong (NLF) army was aggressive whilst the US army was defensive. The Gulf of Tonkin incident became America's excuse to become aggressive towards the Vietcong.In 1965 General W. Westmoreland developed the strategy of "search and destroy". Its objective was to find and kill any members of the NLF. US soldiers found this difficult however as the Vietcong always dressed in civilian clothing, and killing peasants by mistake was not uncommon; "if he's dead and Vietnamese, he's a V.C." was the view of the troops carrying out the search and destroy missions.It was clear from the outset of war that the US had far more technologically advanced weapons than the Vietcong, which they used throughout the conflict. B-52 bombers altogether dropped 8,000,000 tons of bombs between 1965 and 1973which equated to 300 tons of bombs per person living in Vietnam.The alleged 1966 martyrdom of Vietcong soldier Ngu...This was over three times the amount dropped during the whole of World War Two. Aside from bombs the US also dropped a considerable amount of napalm, a mixture of petrol, phosphorous and a chemical thickener which attaches itself to the skin causing horrific "fifth-degree" burns to the victim, which could quite often be an unlucky US soldier. Agent Orange, a complex biological weapon was dropped over a lot of the thick vegetation of Vietnam, causing all plant life to die, potentially to expose any hiding Vietcong.The US pioneered the development of anti-personnel bombs, smaller than those dropped from the B-52s, such as the "pineapple", which shot shards and needles of metal in all directions. With the many different developments of anti-personnel bombs it was the US's...

5 Breakthrough Techniques For Running A High-Traffic Blog

5 Breakthrough Techniques For Running A High-Traffic Blog When you jump out of an airplane,  you  better have a plan ready. Step one is a parachute, and step two is learning how to hit the  ground. Paratroopers have a  technique for this that allows them to  land safely. They call it a PLF (parachute landing fall). It goes like this: US Department of the Army manual, Public domain Balls of the feet Heels of the feet Side of the thigh Side of the hip, or buttocks Back of the shoulder blades Make sense right? Theres nothing like easing into it. Now, what about your blog? A blog launch is a lot like the initial jump out of an airplane. It is exhilarating, fast paced, and comes with an amazing view, but what happens after the free fall? Eventually, as a blogger or content marketing pro, you need a good plan in order to breakthrough the initial launch and begin running  high-traffic blog. Are you  really getting the traffic and attention you hoped for? Does your content have an ROI? Are you  going to be able stick the  landing without breaking your legs? Just like parajumpers, bloggers need a 5-point plan for sticking the free fall. Maybe you just launched a new blog, or maybe you are looking to revitalize a long-held content marketing plan. Either way, you need to have a process ready and that is what I have tried to compile in this post. I am calling it,  The 5 Point Plan For Running A Breakthrough Blog, and its actually pretty doable. This guide is  designed to take your blog from launch to high-end breakthrough traffic. The following five steps are what it takes. 1. Develop A Super-Human Understanding Of Your Audience We have been spending the entire month of August blogging  about  finding, growing, creating, and (most importantly) understanding your blog audience, and weve been doing it for good reason – it is the cornerstone of any breakthrough blog. Your blog exists for the pleasure of your audience. If you dont understand them, then how will you ever reach them? Too often, we take the Field of Dreams approach to content creation. We believe that if we write it, they will come.  Wrong. We need to have purpose in what we publish. One of the things that we talk about often is learning to expand your content core.  The purpose of this exercise  is to understand the difference between what you do, and what you need to talk about. This is where you start to understand your audience. The key is finding the content that your audience really cares about, and using those topics to reach them directly. It is a crucial component for any breakthrough blog. Further Reading: How To Find Your Target Audience In Content Marketing Are You Making These 5 Assumptions About Your Audience? How To Write For Two Audiences At Once 3 Hidden Google Analytics Reports To Help You Understand Your Audience 2. Find A Truly Unique Voice Lets face it. Youre arent the first person in the world to launch a blog in your niche, industry, or even on your city block. When it comes to blogs and content marketing there are few new ideas. Been there, done that. Dont let this dismal take on blogging stop you from trying though. The reality is that you dont have to be doing something new to be doing something great. Truthfully, most blogs are simply doing the same thing as everyone else. Theyre not that great. The key is to figure out how youre different. At , we call this a  Blue Ocean Strategy,  and it works because it is strategy without real competition. So, what is your Blue Ocean Strategy? The main quality of a Blue Ocean Strategy is that it is completely unique. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. You will need to come up with something on your own, but done correctly, it should provide you will a clear path to creating a blog that your audience loves to read. Further Reading:   Want To Make Your Blog Stand Out? Use The Blue Ocean Strategy How Pixar’s Creative Process Will Help You Produce More Innovative Content 3 Memory Techniques That Get People To Remember Your Content Is Familiarity Killing Your Project Before You Even Launch? 3.  Create An Achievable Publishing Schedule You have to set a schedule detailing how often you will  blog. If you dont, you  will fail. Its as simple as that. For early bloggers, I like to suggest that they start posting content as much as five times per week. This is a great way to start learning the ropes and get used to pressing that daunting publish button. As good as that may sound, though, it wont always be achievable, and thats really the most important part about setting a blogging schedule: You need to find something that you can set, and achieve. Once you know how often you will post, you need to develop an editorial calendar and process for planning our your content before you start to write. Here at , we provide a free set of editorial calendar templates that make this process easy. These free templates are designed to break your content down into three tools: An annual overview to rough-out your content plan for the entire year. An idea zone to plan out individual posts and content ideas. A one-month calendar to plan out specific posts for each day of the month. Download Free Content Marketing Editorial Calendar Templates You can download these free templates and an easy step-by-step guide on how to implement them into your daily workflow from our website. Just follow the link above. The best part about using a  paper editorial calendar is that it can help you start the habit of using one to plan your content marketing. Eventually you will need bigger and better tools like itself, but this is a great way to ease-in without a major financial investment. Further Reading: Get Our Free Editorial Calendar Templates The Ultimate Guide To Writing A Consistent Blog With A Content Marketing Editorial Calendar Try This Breakthrough Content Marketing Workflow For Your Team   4. Write Amazing  Content That Is Undeniably Sticky This is a biggy: To break through with your blog, you need to create better, and more original, content than everyone else. This can come in many unique forms. It could be longer (long-form content). It could be more visual. It could be better at telling a story. It could excel at SEO. Really, it could be anything. Even in a time with  Google, bots, and SEO, quality content is still the line that we need to measure  ourselves by, and it isnt always that easy. Sometimes content flows from our fingertips like lightning, and other times it drips like a painful leak in an old faucet. This is may require an adjustment to your process, but you must  find a better way. One of  first places to start writing sticky  content is with a great  headline. Before you even start to create your content, headline generation is a good way to think through your post before words meet the page. We like recommend writing at least 25 different headlines  during your early brainstorming process. This will get things flowing, and help you frame your content properly before going too far. You can also measure the emotional value of your headlines to ensure proper reach. Further Reading: Proof That Emotional Headlines Get Shared More On Social Media 25 Scientifically Proven Ways To Write Better Headlines For Your Blog 4-Step System For Writing A Great Blog Post, Even If You Have Writers Block The Perfect Blog Post: Simpler Is Better 5. Learn  How To Promote Your Content Like A P.R. Wizard One of the saddest stories in the world is the blog post that is published and never heard from again. After pouring all of your effort into an outstanding and insightful post, it will be up to you to make sure that it is heard around the world. In order to run a breakthrough blog, you are going to need to have a promotion plan in place. There are two big things that you need to be doing.