Friday, November 29, 2019

Impact of Immigration on the Geography of Canada

Introduction Canada lies in Northern America and consists of ten provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, and Labrador) and three territories (Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Impact of Immigration on the Geography of Canada specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The difference between the province and the territories is that, provinces are jurisdictions that are governed according to Constitution Act, 1867 while territories are governed according to the federal government. In terms of size, Canada follows Russia in land surface area, while it occupies over a third of the total North American land area. Canada lies between Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Artic Ocean, and the United States to the east, west, North, and south respectively. It border Greenland to the north East and Saint-Pierre and Miquelon at the south coast of Newfoundland. Generally, it lies between 60oW and 141oW longitude and has an area of 9 984 670 km2. Canada has a diversified physical geography entailing Boreal Forests throughout the country, ice in the artic regions, Rocky Mountains with ice, the Canadian Prairies, which facilitate agriculture in the southwest and the Great lakes in the southeast. A regional study of Canada divides Canada in to six different regions namely Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, Western Canada, British Columbia, and Territorial North. This is because these different regions have distinct geographical characteristics, which determine their population and development. Canada has been the most generous country in welcoming immigrants from all over the world especially in the 20th century. In the beginning, it had put so many barriers on immigration specifically to non-Europeans but since it started experiencing demographic issues, it did away with the restrictions. The g eography of Canada has a great impact on immigration and inurn, immigration has resulted in to a great impact on the geography of Canada. This essay will discuss extensively on issues of immigration and the geography of Canada. Reasons for immigration in Canada The major reason as to why Canada removed migration barriers to the non-European migrants was to curb its demographic challenges though there were other minor factors. The main demographic challenges that Canada was going through included aging population, falling birth rate, and labour shortage. These challenges were a major threat to the industrialisation of Canada due to shortage of labour thus the need to improve on its manpower.Advertising Looking for essay on geography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Canada is projected to have a very high rate of its population aging in the near future. Currently, around 13% of the population consists of aged people and this is projected to double by 2030. The high rate of an aging population affects the government in areas like social welfare, healthcare and labour. On the hand, statistics from year 2000 show that the birth rates have fallen with over 20% and are continuing to fall. Actually, the government is using incentives like maternity and parental leave benefits to improve on birth rate. The aging population and low birth rates have really affected the population growth which projected to be insignificant by 2016. The overall result of the aging population, low birth rate and low population growth is a shortage in labour supply which has already been noted in some occupations. For instance, the labour shortage is already significant in the medical field which may worsen with time since as the population ages, they require more medical attention and therefore more medical practitioners will be required. The challenges in the labour market have lead to an acute need to seek labour from outside and th us the issue of migration comes in. Another reason for migration was the building of the British Nootka Sound Fort in 1788. Many Chinese viewed this as a gold rush and they migrated to Canada in multitude to build the fort. In 1907, there was another major gold rush in North America that leads to a rise of Chinese immigrants in Canada. It was known as Fraser River Gold rush and many Chinese came to find revenue through mining (McGillivray 81). Immigration policy in Canada Immigration policies are meant to control the transit of persons in a country. Canada has the leading per capita immigration rates in the world. The initial Canada immigration policies were biased and were meant to restrict some races from entering Canada. As the demographic challenges started affecting the country, they were forced to adjust and remove the barriers since they needed to improve on their population. It had a small population and vast idle land and its need for expansion prompted it to encourage immi gration. Most of the immigrants settled in the rural areas since the rural population was low and there were enough space to accommodate them. Before 1970s, immigration to Canada was strictly for European nationals but currently, Canada hosts immigrants from all over the world (Smick Para 1). The Canadian immigration policy is based on three basic categories. 1) Economic- Canadian government gives the first priority to the immigrants who can benefit their economy. This consists of the largest group each year since their manufacturing sector is on decline and their energies are geared towards creating a more information based economy.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Impact of Immigration on the Geography of Canada specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this field, they consider highly educated people, job experience and ability to communicate in their language and other foreign languages. 2) Family reunification- Th e second priority is given to the people who want to join their family members already living in Canada, specifically, children and spouses. 3) Refugees- Canada considers people who are running from their home countries due to humanitarian reasons or persecution. Canada has a variety of programs to welcome immigrants and help them adopt with ease. They offer training in language, ease in acquiring health care and social welfare programs (Smick Para 4). Economic importance immigration on the geography of Canada There has been a very significant impact of immigration on the Canadian geography since the world war two. Immigration in Canada has increased drastically since 1960 after non-European immigrants were allowed to migrate freely to Canada whereby several millions of immigrants have migrated to Canada and settled on just a few metropolitan states. This has resulted in a drastic transformation of Canadian cities especially in the areas of housing, labour market and the neighborhoo d life (Hiebert Para 1). In its policies, Canada largest group of immigrants consists of the skilled and the learned who can contribute to the growth of the economy. It has been noted that some immigrants academic and professional qualification hardly match with the job opportunities in Canada, others lack the basic language to communicate their knowledge thus underutilizing their skills while still others have qualification which are not recognized in the economic system of Canada. Since the government has to absorb all in the job market, they end up spending more than they are gaining (Smick Para 9). Immigration has lead to a very significant and positive impact in the housing and the outlook of the environment of Canada especially in British Columbia. There has been new planning in the housing in Canada to overcome the population pressure in the urban centers as well as to accommodate immigrants in the rural areas. Canada has been ranked among the countries with the best housing and rental rates in the world and this has been an effect of immigration. Apart from housing, Canada’s demographic challenges have lead to the abolishment of its unfair immigration policies thus encouraging diversity and multiculturalism in the country.Advertising Looking for essay on geography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Territorial North The territorial north has unique environment and unique environmental challenges originating from Southern Parts of Canada. Compared to the rest of Canada and its land area, it has a relatively low population. The presence of mineral resources like diamond, metal, oil and gas attracted the first post-Aboriginal migration in the region. The territorial north attracted so many immigrants from outside Canada especially the Aborigines as well as from other parts of Canada. The immigrants mainly came from the south to explore the resources. With time, people started migrating from overseas and the population in the territorial north started to grow. This lead to the growth of the administrative government of the region and many people started working for the government especially in education and health sectors. The discovery of placer gold in Bonanza known as the Klondike gold rush was a major attraction to immigrants (Vineberg, 2009). Atlantic Canada The major immigra tion related challenge in Atlantic Canada is the issue of demography. In 1970’s, the demographic issues were unheard of since the population growth rate was fair, net in-migration and a normal immigration. Between 1990 and 2000, Atlantic Canada recorded the highest number of immigrants in history not only from outside Canada but also from the other provinces of Canada. In the past five years, there has been a drastic out migration from Atlantic Canada leading to a notable decline in the population. In Atlantic Canada, most of the population is old, mostly white people and the population growth is negative. This kind of a population poses a great challenge on the economy of the region since it is providing insufficient workforce in the job market (Immigration Canada Para 2). In the past, Atlantic Canada had the lowest numbers of immigrants due to its low profile and the small cities. This has been changing gradually as the population ages, with low birth rates and labour short ages. Most of the immigrants have now settled and are growing but still, the regional governments are in demand of a larger and stronger population. Atlantic regional government have come up with immigration policy to enable them curb demographic challenges and acquire sufficient workforce (Canada Immigration Lawyers Para 1). Among the strategies to attract and retain immigrant, Atlantic Canada in collaboration with other provinces are offering Atlantic Immigration brand and are offering education to the employers on better management strategies to retain workforce. The number of immigrants has increased in the near past and there is a noticeable rate of retention (Canada Immigration Lawyers Para 1). Quebec Quebec has recorded a population growth of 5.5% between 1996 and 2006 though compared to other provinces in Canada; the weight of Canadian natives has been declining. Despite a slight rise in birth rates and female fertility, population growth in Quebec can only be impacted by im migration. Most of the Quebec immigrants come from China, Morocco, France, Algeria, Romania and Colombia. Quebec loses 21 500 people annually through in-migration mostly to Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and New Brunswick. Quebec also experiences internal migration from remote areas whereby people tend to prefer regions like Montreal due to quality education and job opportunities. Most people migrate from Quebec to other provinces due to its geographical characteristics whereby some of its regions are remote and underdeveloped (Courville 292). The biggest demographic challenge in Quebec is the aging population whereby 13% of the population is beyond 65 years of age. The aging group is projected to increase to 24% by 2030, whereby the pressure of aging is becoming stiffer due to early retirement and low birth rates (Courville 292). Ontario Ontario has always recorded a higher population of immigrants that the natives of Canada. The high numbers of immigrants in Ontario are becaus e of globalization and employment opportunities in the region. The large cities of Ontario have efficient means of communication leading to concentration of immigrants in them. There is generally low fertility in Ontario from the citizens leading to low birth rates thus compressing the population growth. To solve this problem, Ontario encourages immigration especially to improve on the population growth and to balance regional distribution. The good geographical characteristics of Ontario and the favorable climate contribute a great deal in attracting immigrants to this region (Beaujot 8). Most of the people migrating to Ontario have high academic qualification but their job rewards never reflect this. In Ontario, the salaries differ depending on the place of origin where Canadian born citizens receive the highest pay whereas immigrants receive the least. Ontario government has created the Canada Ontario Immigration Agreement (COIA), to be looking at the interests of the immigrants and to make Ontario a better place for them. Ontario has been facing an acute shortage on workforce but they have not been able to utilize the potential immigrants who have great skills since they consider their national first thus discriminating on the immigrants (Association of Municipalities of Ontario 8). Ontario has a relatively favored physical environment compared to the rest of Canada thus giving immigrants preference to it. The southward protruding region of Ontario known as the peninsula does very well in terms of agriculture thus most immigrants prefer to settle there. Due to extensive agriculture in Ontario, its capital city Toronto has been a centre of commercial activity like banking leading to a significant growth of its economy (Hudson 74). Western Canada The low population in Western Canada had reached to a point where by Canada took the initiative of advertising their need of immigrants in this region. Immigrants have contributed significantly to the development of Western Canada. Western Canada is well known for good geographical environment for agriculture, which attracted many immigrants in the Prairies province. Most of the immigrants in Western Canada are Asians whose settlement is more common on Vancouver than in other regions of Western Canada. Just like the other regions in Canada, Western Canada has been going through demographic challenges of aging population, low birth rates and shortages in labour market. Asians have brought population increase in this region thus lessening demographic challenges and bringing diversity in linguistics and ethnicity. In the beginning of their immigration, Asians used to work in casual and primary areas but with time, they have been incorporated in industries, service occupations and professional positions. They have also invested money in the region thus contributing in the growth of the economy. The overall outlook of Western Canada in areas of housing and environment has also been impacted by the input of the immigrants (Felske and Rasporich 265). British Columbia Like Ontario, British Columbia has recorded a greater number of immigrants that the Canadian population since 1956. The geographical location of British Columbia with a busy coastline explains the reason for high numbers of immigrants in this region. Most of the immigrants in British Columbia and Canada in general prefer settling in Vancouver and this has lead to a drastic change of housing and the environment of the city. Immigration has been the determining factor in house rental and ownership in BC since it accounts an average of 70% population growth in Canada. Net international migration is projected to click 63000 by 2013 in BC and the rate has had a very positive impact in the economic growth in Canada (Cooper Para 1). Conclusion The regional geography of Canada and immigration are two dependent subjects, which have been affecting each other since time immemorial. Canada is the second largest country in the world and has been going through demographic challenges in the 20th century arising the need for immigration. Regardless of the extensive span of underutilized land, most of the immigrants tend to contrite in the urban centers of Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. This unequal distribution of immigrants in the region has lead to overpopulation in these urban centers and serious infrastructure and environmental challenges are now prevalent. Such challenges include traffic congestion, garbage disposal, insecurity, and rising cost in Social, health and academic welfare. This has lead to the need to change the setting of the cities in order to accommodate the rising population. The great numbers of Asians in Canada is another geographical change that has resulted from immigration. There are large numbers of immigrants from Asia who have dominantly been settling in Toronto and Vancouver. It is projected that if immigration proceeds at the current rate, these two cities might end up being predominantly Asian. The Canadian government should check on this since it fails in its objectives of immigration of promoting diversity and multiculturalism (Grubel 6). Generally, immigration has been of great impact on the demography and geography of Canada. It has reduced the percentage of the aging population since most of the immigrants are young and has helped to overcome the challenges that are brought about by an aging population. Furthermore, the young immigrants have a higher fertility level thus the rate of births has raised slightly. The biggest impact on immigration has been on labour market since it has curbed the prevailing shortages of labour. Canada first priority in its immigration department has always been to improve on its economy this most of the immigrants possess useful academic and professional skills, which have helped in the labour market. Works Cited Association of Municipalities of Ontario. Putting out the Welcome Mat: Why Immigration Matters to Ontarioà ¢â‚¬â„¢s Municipalities. Toronto. 2008. 10 November 2010 http://www.amo.on.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=HomeTEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfmCONTENTID=152268. Beaujot, Roderic. Impact of Immigration on the Canadian Population. London: University of Western Ontario. 2003. 10 November 2010. http://sociology.uwo.ca/popstudies/dp/dp03-03.pdf. Canada Immigration Lawyers. Atlantic Canada: An increasingly important immigration destination. 2010. 09 November 2010 http://www.canadavisa.com/atlantic-canada-important-immigration-destination.html. Cooper, John. The Positive Impact of Immigration in British Columbia. Bastion: RE/MAX of Nanaimo. 2010. 10 November 201. http://islandlifestyle.ca/the-positive-economic-impact-of-immigration-in-bc/. Courville, Serge. Quebec: A Historical Geography. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press. 2008. 09 November 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=NDDs1HJWfOQCpg=PA292lpg=PA292dq=impact+of+immigration+on+the+geography+of+quebecsource=blots=9LOQIVrDVn sig=5vba2P_Hhrft025r3UCAo7sV8Lkhl=enei=XmvZTNElyMCEB_fIhdECsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=6ved=0CC0Q6AEwBQ#v=onepageq=impact%20of%20immigration%20on%20the%20geography%20of%20quebecf=true. Felske, Lorry and Rasporich, Beverley. Challenging Frontiers. Alberta: University of Calgary Press. 2004. 10 November 2010 https://books.google.com/books?id=tcAikMMDA8sCpg=PA251dq=immigration+in+Western+Canadahl=enei=Cj_aTIKYOsfzsgaYx9TPCwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA#v=onepageq=immigration%20in%20Western%20Canadaf=true. Grubel, Herbert. The Effects of Mass Immigration on Canadian Living Standards and Society. Vancouver: Fraser Institute. 2009. 10 November 2010 https://books.google.com/books?id=48LOyfxYihoCprintsec=copyright#v=onepageqf=false. Hiebert, Daniel. Immigration and the Changing Canadian City. 2008. 09 November 2010. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1541-0064.2000.tb00691.x/abstract. Hudson, John. Across this land: a regional geography of the United Sta tes and Canada. Maryland: Johns Hopkins University press. 2002. 10 November 2010 https://books.google.com/books?id=FQUbfAWhh-oCprintsec=copyright#v=onepageqf=false. Immigration Canada. Atlantic Canada’s incredible shrinking population. 2010. 09 November 2010 http://nexuscanada.blogspot.com/2010/10/atlantic-canadas-incredible-shrinking.html. McGillivray, Brett. Geography of British Columbia. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press. 2000. 09 November 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=MWL_6b7dUrkCpg=PA86dq=impact+of+immigration+on+the+geography+of+Canadahl=enei=xfjYTKreFsKUOs3HwfsIsa=Xoi=book_resultct=book-preview-linkresnum=6ved=0CFEQuwUwBQ#v=onepageq=impact%20of%20immigration%20on%20the%20geography%20of%20Canadaf=true. Smick, Elisabeth. Canada Immigration Policy. Canada, Council on Foreign Relations. 2006, 09 November 2010 http://www.cfr.org/publication/11047/canadas_immigration_policy.html. Vineberg, Robert. Immigration and Integration of Immigrants in Canadaâ⠂¬â„¢s Territories. 2009. 10 November 2010 http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:hFWHAvMo7_0J:canada.metropolis.net/mediacentre/Rob_Vineberg_feb17_09_e.ppt+immigration+in+territorial+north-Canadacd=3hl=enct=clnk. This essay on Impact of Immigration on the Geography of Canada was written and submitted by user Elsa Wade to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

How To Plan A Blog Schedule That Will Crush Your Goals

How To Plan A Blog Schedule That Will Crush Your Goals So you know how to write awesome blog posts. And you know how to increase your blog traffic. The next step, then, is to  define a blog schedule that will help you publish  those awesome blog posts super consistently to increase your: Social media shares Social media subscribers Traffic Newsletter subscribers Customer conversions And all that, done in a way that helps you reach your goals. No sweat, right? How To Plan A Blog Schedule That Will Crush Your GoalsHere's exactly how you can do all of that with a blog schedule that really works: Begin By Defining  Your Blogging Goals Chances are, you're looking to create a blog schedule because you've heard publishing consistent content can help you grow your blog. It's true! Actually, folks who publish consistent content get as much as 30% more traffic for every post they publish, all while saving about an hour per post. And not only that, it makes your life a whole lot easier to look at a calendar full of blog post ideas instead of a blank slate and wondering, "What am I going to write today?" But- defining your blog schedule or even planning to publish more content isn't  your goal. Start first with a few measurements that'll help you focus your efforts on the right kinds of growth for your blog: Social media shares, social media subscribers, traffic, newsletter subscribers, and customer conversions are great goals to start with. Before  you even think about your optimal blog schedule, where would you like these numbers to be? I've seen first hand how social media shares influence all of these metrics in this order to grow customer conversions. 63% of 's blog traffic comes from social media, so you can see how all of these metrics are super important to us. These are good goals to have for your blog: ...Essentially, think of 10x growth. This mindset is what drives every decision we make at on how we use our time, and it's a good model for you, too! When you add something to your plate, ask yourself, "Will this help us drive 10x growth, or is this just a nice-to-have?" Takeaways: At this point, define goals for each of these metrics using the formula: social media shares, social media subscribers, traffic, newsletter subscribers, and customer conversions. If other measurements are more important to you, apply the formula to those to define your goals. It's possible that you're not looking for 10x growth for a certain goal (and maybe that is unachievable for certain measurements). Determine a figure for every goal that you will measure- just make sure there is really a number to which you will compare your results to understand how you're making an impact. Train Your Blogging Goals to Be... Well... SMART. Great goals are specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and  time sensitive. You just figured out exactly what you'll measure, so at this point, just define your goals a bit further with a format like this: And you can do your own with a structure like this: Know How You Will Really Meet  Your Blog Schedule Chances are, you're one of the 70% of B2B marketers who plan to create more content this year. So, before you just jump in, let's get your resources figured out to make executing your blog schedule that much easier once you get going. 1. Roles You'll Need to Write Your Blog Posts: For blogging, there are only a handful roles  you need to fill: Writing Designing Publishing Promoting Recommended Reading: How to Set SMART Marketing Goals 2. People You'll Need to Fill Your Roles: That said, you  could probably get started with as few as  3 people: Author who writes the post. Designer who designs inline graphics. Editor who publishes and promotes the post. You only need three people to publish awesome content. #blogging3. Tools Your Team Will Need to Complete Their Roles: The second part of knowing your resources involves understanding what tools you'll use to create and manage your posts. For the minimum viable post that only includes text, graphics, and promotion, you may look at tools like: WordPress for the author to write the post. Photoshop  for the designer to design the post (or even a few free tools to design it yourself for you solo content creators out there). If you're low on budget but need a full-powered solution, GIMP is a free alternative  comparable to Photoshop. for the editor to manage the entire content creation process with  your author and designer, while publishing and promoting the post. Recommended Reading: How to Structure Your Content Marketing Team to Create Your Best Content 4. Time Commitment to Create Your Blog Posts: And the last part is understanding how much time each of these things takes to do. That will help you plan backward based on the amount of effort needed for your blog posts. Here are a few things to look into for that: Understand how long your average posts will be. That will  give you some indication for a time commitment from your author (maybe multiple). For example,  writing a 1,500-word post for the blog takes me about 4–5 hours with research, ideation, and actual writing. Estimate  how many graphics you'll include with every post. This may vary, but your designer  can probably estimate how much time she needs for every post, which will help her understand her commitment to the process. Know  exactly how you will promote your content so your editor can estimate his time commitment for social sharing, repurposing, syndication, and any other content distribution you're planning. Find your  people, tools, and time to know exactly how you'll execute your blog schedule.This knowledge will help you plan ahead far enough with your blog schedule to help your entire team have the time they need to create awesome content. It'll help you avoid rushing folks who actually may need a bit more time, while also helping everyone on the team understand when they should start executing their responsibilities. Takeaways: Figure out the names of everyone who will help you out. Meet with  those folks and their managers to agree on their time commitments and responsibilities. Know exactly what tools you need to be successful. Then get those tools in working order. Define a  task-based workflow  that will help your team complete their responsibilities on time once you get started with your blog schedule. Plan Your Blog Schedule Um, finally?! You could skip here, but if you don't know the goals you're trying to reach, and you have no one and no tools to help you get here, it's a little tricky to plan  your blog schedule! 1. Understand Your Optimal Publishing Frequency (What You'd Like  To Do) It's always helpful to understand your dream before you get started: How many posts would you like to publish every week? How about every month? That visualization is a great place to start just so you know how you'll ramp up your efforts. It's easy for the team to see  how much content you'd like to publish down the road. But for now- start with a minimal posting frequency to build your momentum. 2. Start Slow I've heard of folks starting their blog and publishing tons of content right off the bat: @njellering actually I did it the opposite way, started blogging more 3/4 per week and now working more on seo and distribution #cochat Cristina Hontanilla (@CHontanilla) May 7, 2015 What I fear for newbies starting that way, especially when working with a team new to blogging, is that there is tons of room for burnout by publishing too much content too quickly.  Instead, in the first months especially, focus on publishing enough content to work through the awkward newness of blogging, without overwhelming your team. Give your team time after every post in your first two months to walk through what went well, what you should do differently next time, and what you should stop doing entirely. After that, you could shift those meetings to once a month. Here's what a beginner's first six months' blog schedule could look like: At this point, you've worked though a ton of content with your team, and it's a good chance to measure your results to improve your content. 3. Measure the Success of Your First Posts You Published You know your goals. Quickly review how an average post contributes to your goals. Now that you've worked up a consistent blog schedule, that's as easy as looking at a week's (or possibly a month's) worth of measurements for your content and averaging the numbers. Plan time to measure the success of your posts. Use that knowledge to make quick improvements.Fill in the entire team on how you're doing. That way, everyone can figure out ways to improve their areas of responsibilities that will improve all of the content you publish (which  will also help you reach your goals). Recommended Reading: How to Make 2017 Super Organized With an Easy Content Calendar Template 4.  Calculate a Publishing Frequency to Reach Your Goals From the previous step, you've figured out how an average post contributes to your goals to increase: Social media shares Social media subscribers Traffic Newsletter subscribers Customer conversions From here, use those figures to determine the amount of posts you'd need to publish in your blog schedule to reach your goals: 5. Is that Publishing Frequency Achievable? When you use this algorithm, some goals may require a lot more content than others. That's fine. It's just a tool to help you gauge how much content to publish to reach your goals. And keep in mind, this is only accurate if your posts don't get more traction, which they all certainly will as you increase your publishing frequency and  maintain consistency. A consistent blog schedule will help you grow your audience and get better  results from every post.Now it's time to take a hard look at your goals, the resources you have available to you to create content (specifically, the time involved from everyone on the team dedicated to creating your awesome content), and determine a super achievable publishing frequency. Here's what to look for: How much time does it take to write, design, publish, and promote a single  post? Is it possible for your team to scale to a happy medium amount of content publishing that either hits your goals or is really close? What could you quit doing to dedicate more time to creating awesome content? What improvements could you make in your content creation process to spend less time developing your  content? Finding efficiencies to publish content quicker will  help you scale- but be wary of the boogeyman saying, "Don't sacrifice quality for quantity." Don't sacrifice quality for quantity.6. Plan Content Improvements to Increase Success of Every Post Chances are, you're able to publish a decent amount of content that helps you nearly hit your goals. From here, some of the best ways to reach your goals are to improve every piece of content you publish. That way, every post delivers more results to your goals, which means you can get more results by publishing less content. Considering our major goals, here are a few quick wins to increase your efficiency with each: Social media shares. Write social media friendly content to help people want to share your content. Use social media buttons in your content in the best places to help people share your content. Plan a social media editorial calendar to boost your shares of your content to quadruple your traffic. Social media subscribers. Curate content to share with your subscribers to bring them the best of the best from your niche. Encourage readers to subscribe to your social accounts to get the latest and greatest from your blog. Include a way for readers to follow you when they sign up for emails (an easy automatic opt-in in their settings works well). Traffic. Publish really useful, helpful, educational, or entertaining content worthy of sharing. Optimize your posts for search engines to get long-term traffic. Share your content on social media more than once. Newsletter subscribers. Build an email list and community around your content. Be clear and honest with your opt-ins by telling your subscribers exactly what they'll get. Trade free content for email addresses. Customer conversions. Map out your customers' journey from a newbie to a veteran, and write content for all stages of the marketing funnel. Test different email  templates, subject lines, and more while including calls to action to convert. Ask readers to purchase what you're selling. You're providing helpful content with the goal to convert readers into buyers, so include calls to action in appropriate places throughout your content (without being overwhelmingly salesy). Recommended Reading: This is the Ultimate Blog Writing Process to Create Killer Posts 7. Publish Your Optimal Blog Schedule For example, if you decide to boost your blog schedule to publish two posts a week, here is a game plan to increase your blog schedule publishing for your next 6 months: Note that the first two months involve finding the best times to publish your blog posts. That's something you'll do no matter if you're looking to publish two posts a week or more. Use  a content marketing editorial calendar template to map out your publishing frequency like this example. 8. Iterate and Try New Things This is the fun part: Execute your plan. You just planned  out an entire year blog schedule for your content! Measure your goals, improve your content, and repeat, repeat, repeat. Congrats on setting up your annual blog schedule! How To Plan A Blog Schedule That Will Crush Your Goals So you know how to write awesome blog posts. And you know how to increase your blog traffic. The next step, then, is to  define a blog schedule that will help you publish  those awesome blog posts super consistently to increase your: Social media shares Social media subscribers Traffic Newsletter subscribers Customer conversions And all that, done in a way that helps you reach your goals. No sweat, right? How To Plan A Blog Schedule That Will Crush Your GoalsHere's exactly how you can do all of that with a blog schedule that really works: Begin By Defining  Your Blogging Goals Chances are, you're looking to create a blog schedule because you've heard publishing consistent content can help you grow your blog. It's true! Actually, folks who publish consistent content get as much as 30% more traffic for every post they publish, all while saving about an hour per post. And not only that, it makes your life a whole lot easier to look at a calendar full of blog post ideas instead of a blank slate and wondering, "What am I going to write today?" But- defining your blog schedule or even planning to publish more content isn't  your goal. Start first with a few measurements that'll help you focus your efforts on the right kinds of growth for your blog: Social media shares, social media subscribers, traffic, newsletter subscribers, and customer conversions are great goals to start with. Before  you even think about your optimal blog schedule, where would you like these numbers to be? I've seen first hand how social media shares influence all of these metrics in this order to grow customer conversions. 63% of 's blog traffic comes from social media, so you can see how all of these metrics are super important to us. These are good goals to have for your blog: ...Essentially, think of 10x growth. This mindset is what drives every decision we make at on how we use our time, and it's a good model for you, too! When you add something to your plate, ask yourself, "Will this help us drive 10x growth, or is this just a nice-to-have?" Takeaways: At this point, define goals for each of these metrics using the formula: social media shares, social media subscribers, traffic, newsletter subscribers, and customer conversions. If other measurements are more important to you, apply the formula to those to define your goals. It's possible that you're not looking for 10x growth for a certain goal (and maybe that is unachievable for certain measurements). Determine a figure for every goal that you will measure- just make sure there is really a number to which you will compare your results to understand how you're making an impact. Train Your Blogging Goals to Be... Well... SMART. Great goals are specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and  time sensitive. You just figured out exactly what you'll measure, so at this point, just define your goals a bit further with a format like this: And you can do your own with a structure like this: Know How You Will Really Meet  Your Blog Schedule Chances are, you're one of the 70% of B2B marketers who plan to create more content this year. So, before you just jump in, let's get your resources figured out to make executing your blog schedule that much easier once you get going. 1. Roles You'll Need to Write Your Blog Posts: For blogging, there are only a handful roles  you need to fill: Writing Designing Publishing Promoting Recommended Reading: How to Set SMART Marketing Goals 2. People You'll Need to Fill Your Roles: That said, you  could probably get started with as few as  3 people: Author who writes the post. Designer who designs inline graphics. Editor who publishes and promotes the post. You only need three people to publish awesome content. #blogging3. Tools Your Team Will Need to Complete Their Roles: The second part of knowing your resources involves understanding what tools you'll use to create and manage your posts. For the minimum viable post that only includes text, graphics, and promotion, you may look at tools like: WordPress for the author to write the post. Photoshop  for the designer to design the post (or even a few free tools to design it yourself for you solo content creators out there). If you're low on budget but need a full-powered solution, GIMP is a free alternative  comparable to Photoshop. for the editor to manage the entire content creation process with  your author and designer, while publishing and promoting the post. Recommended Reading: How to Structure Your Content Marketing Team to Create Your Best Content 4. Time Commitment to Create Your Blog Posts: And the last part is understanding how much time each of these things takes to do. That will help you plan backward based on the amount of effort needed for your blog posts. Here are a few things to look into for that: Understand how long your average posts will be. That will  give you some indication for a time commitment from your author (maybe multiple). For example,  writing a 1,500-word post for the blog takes me about 4–5 hours with research, ideation, and actual writing. Estimate  how many graphics you'll include with every post. This may vary, but your designer  can probably estimate how much time she needs for every post, which will help her understand her commitment to the process. Know  exactly how you will promote your content so your editor can estimate his time commitment for social sharing, repurposing, syndication, and any other content distribution you're planning. Find your  people, tools, and time to know exactly how you'll execute your blog schedule.This knowledge will help you plan ahead far enough with your blog schedule to help your entire team have the time they need to create awesome content. It'll help you avoid rushing folks who actually may need a bit more time, while also helping everyone on the team understand when they should start executing their responsibilities. Takeaways: Figure out the names of everyone who will help you out. Meet with  those folks and their managers to agree on their time commitments and responsibilities. Know exactly what tools you need to be successful. Then get those tools in working order. Define a  task-based workflow  that will help your team complete their responsibilities on time once you get started with your blog schedule. Plan Your Blog Schedule Um, finally?! You could skip here, but if you don't know the goals you're trying to reach, and you have no one and no tools to help you get here, it's a little tricky to plan  your blog schedule! 1. Understand Your Optimal Publishing Frequency (What You'd Like  To Do) It's always helpful to understand your dream before you get started: How many posts would you like to publish every week? How about every month? That visualization is a great place to start just so you know how you'll ramp up your efforts. It's easy for the team to see  how much content you'd like to publish down the road. But for now- start with a minimal posting frequency to build your momentum. 2. Start Slow I've heard of folks starting their blog and publishing tons of content right off the bat: @njellering actually I did it the opposite way, started blogging more 3/4 per week and now working more on seo and distribution #cochat Cristina Hontanilla (@CHontanilla) May 7, 2015 What I fear for newbies starting that way, especially when working with a team new to blogging, is that there is tons of room for burnout by publishing too much content too quickly.  Instead, in the first months especially, focus on publishing enough content to work through the awkward newness of blogging, without overwhelming your team. Give your team time after every post in your first two months to walk through what went well, what you should do differently next time, and what you should stop doing entirely. After that, you could shift those meetings to once a month. Here's what a beginner's first six months' blog schedule could look like: At this point, you've worked though a ton of content with your team, and it's a good chance to measure your results to improve your content. 3. Measure the Success of Your First Posts You Published You know your goals. Quickly review how an average post contributes to your goals. Now that you've worked up a consistent blog schedule, that's as easy as looking at a week's (or possibly a month's) worth of measurements for your content and averaging the numbers. Plan time to measure the success of your posts. Use that knowledge to make quick improvements.Fill in the entire team on how you're doing. That way, everyone can figure out ways to improve their areas of responsibilities that will improve all of the content you publish (which  will also help you reach your goals). Recommended Reading: How to Make 2017 Super Organized With an Easy Content Calendar Template 4.  Calculate a Publishing Frequency to Reach Your Goals From the previous step, you've figured out how an average post contributes to your goals to increase: Social media shares Social media subscribers Traffic Newsletter subscribers Customer conversions From here, use those figures to determine the amount of posts you'd need to publish in your blog schedule to reach your goals: 5. Is that Publishing Frequency Achievable? When you use this algorithm, some goals may require a lot more content than others. That's fine. It's just a tool to help you gauge how much content to publish to reach your goals. And keep in mind, this is only accurate if your posts don't get more traction, which they all certainly will as you increase your publishing frequency and  maintain consistency. A consistent blog schedule will help you grow your audience and get better  results from every post.Now it's time to take a hard look at your goals, the resources you have available to you to create content (specifically, the time involved from everyone on the team dedicated to creating your awesome content), and determine a super achievable publishing frequency. Here's what to look for: How much time does it take to write, design, publish, and promote a single  post? Is it possible for your team to scale to a happy medium amount of content publishing that either hits your goals or is really close? What could you quit doing to dedicate more time to creating awesome content? What improvements could you make in your content creation process to spend less time developing your  content? Finding efficiencies to publish content quicker will  help you scale- but be wary of the boogeyman saying, "Don't sacrifice quality for quantity." Don't sacrifice quality for quantity.6. Plan Content Improvements to Increase Success of Every Post Chances are, you're able to publish a decent amount of content that helps you nearly hit your goals. From here, some of the best ways to reach your goals are to improve every piece of content you publish. That way, every post delivers more results to your goals, which means you can get more results by publishing less content. Considering our major goals, here are a few quick wins to increase your efficiency with each: Social media shares. Write social media friendly content to help people want to share your content. Use social media buttons in your content in the best places to help people share your content. Plan a social media editorial calendar to boost your shares of your content to quadruple your traffic. Social media subscribers. Curate content to share with your subscribers to bring them the best of the best from your niche. Encourage readers to subscribe to your social accounts to get the latest and greatest from your blog. Include a way for readers to follow you when they sign up for emails (an easy automatic opt-in in their settings works well). Traffic. Publish really useful, helpful, educational, or entertaining content worthy of sharing. Optimize your posts for search engines to get long-term traffic. Share your content on social media more than once. Newsletter subscribers. Build an email list and community around your content. Be clear and honest with your opt-ins by telling your subscribers exactly what they'll get. Trade free content for email addresses. Customer conversions. Map out your customers' journey from a newbie to a veteran, and write content for all stages of the marketing funnel. Test different email  templates, subject lines, and more while including calls to action to convert. Ask readers to purchase what you're selling. You're providing helpful content with the goal to convert readers into buyers, so include calls to action in appropriate places throughout your content (without being overwhelmingly salesy). Recommended Reading: This is the Ultimate Blog Writing Process to Create Killer Posts 7. Publish Your Optimal Blog Schedule For example, if you decide to boost your blog schedule to publish two posts a week, here is a game plan to increase your blog schedule publishing for your next 6 months: Note that the first two months involve finding the best times to publish your blog posts. That's something you'll do no matter if you're looking to publish two posts a week or more. Use  a content marketing editorial calendar template to map out your publishing frequency like this example. 8. Iterate and Try New Things This is the fun part: Execute your plan. You just planned  out an entire year blog schedule for your content! Measure your goals, improve your content, and repeat, repeat, repeat. Congrats on setting up your annual blog schedule! How To Plan A Blog Schedule That Will Crush Your Goals So you know how to write awesome blog posts. And you know how to increase your blog traffic. The next step, then, is to  define a blog schedule that will help you publish  those awesome blog posts super consistently to increase your: Social media shares Social media subscribers Traffic Newsletter subscribers Customer conversions And all that, done in a way that helps you reach your goals. No sweat, right? How To Plan A Blog Schedule That Will Crush Your GoalsHere's exactly how you can do all of that with a blog schedule that really works: Begin By Defining  Your Blogging Goals Chances are, you're looking to create a blog schedule because you've heard publishing consistent content can help you grow your blog. It's true! Actually, folks who publish consistent content get as much as 30% more traffic for every post they publish, all while saving about an hour per post. And not only that, it makes your life a whole lot easier to look at a calendar full of blog post ideas instead of a blank slate and wondering, "What am I going to write today?" But- defining your blog schedule or even planning to publish more content isn't  your goal. Start first with a few measurements that'll help you focus your efforts on the right kinds of growth for your blog: Social media shares, social media subscribers, traffic, newsletter subscribers, and customer conversions are great goals to start with. Before  you even think about your optimal blog schedule, where would you like these numbers to be? I've seen first hand how social media shares influence all of these metrics in this order to grow customer conversions. 63% of 's blog traffic comes from social media, so you can see how all of these metrics are super important to us. These are good goals to have for your blog: ...Essentially, think of 10x growth. This mindset is what drives every decision we make at on how we use our time, and it's a good model for you, too! When you add something to your plate, ask yourself, "Will this help us drive 10x growth, or is this just a nice-to-have?" Takeaways: At this point, define goals for each of these metrics using the formula: social media shares, social media subscribers, traffic, newsletter subscribers, and customer conversions. If other measurements are more important to you, apply the formula to those to define your goals. It's possible that you're not looking for 10x growth for a certain goal (and maybe that is unachievable for certain measurements). Determine a figure for every goal that you will measure- just make sure there is really a number to which you will compare your results to understand how you're making an impact. Train Your Blogging Goals to Be... Well... SMART. Great goals are specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and  time sensitive. You just figured out exactly what you'll measure, so at this point, just define your goals a bit further with a format like this: And you can do your own with a structure like this: Know How You Will Really Meet  Your Blog Schedule Chances are, you're one of the 70% of B2B marketers who plan to create more content this year. So, before you just jump in, let's get your resources figured out to make executing your blog schedule that much easier once you get going. 1. Roles You'll Need to Write Your Blog Posts: For blogging, there are only a handful roles  you need to fill: Writing Designing Publishing Promoting Recommended Reading: How to Set SMART Marketing Goals 2. People You'll Need to Fill Your Roles: That said, you  could probably get started with as few as  3 people: Author who writes the post. Designer who designs inline graphics. Editor who publishes and promotes the post. You only need three people to publish awesome content. #blogging3. Tools Your Team Will Need to Complete Their Roles: The second part of knowing your resources involves understanding what tools you'll use to create and manage your posts. For the minimum viable post that only includes text, graphics, and promotion, you may look at tools like: WordPress for the author to write the post. Photoshop  for the designer to design the post (or even a few free tools to design it yourself for you solo content creators out there). If you're low on budget but need a full-powered solution, GIMP is a free alternative  comparable to Photoshop. for the editor to manage the entire content creation process with  your author and designer, while publishing and promoting the post. Recommended Reading: How to Structure Your Content Marketing Team to Create Your Best Content 4. Time Commitment to Create Your Blog Posts: And the last part is understanding how much time each of these things takes to do. That will help you plan backward based on the amount of effort needed for your blog posts. Here are a few things to look into for that: Understand how long your average posts will be. That will  give you some indication for a time commitment from your author (maybe multiple). For example,  writing a 1,500-word post for the blog takes me about 4–5 hours with research, ideation, and actual writing. Estimate  how many graphics you'll include with every post. This may vary, but your designer  can probably estimate how much time she needs for every post, which will help her understand her commitment to the process. Know  exactly how you will promote your content so your editor can estimate his time commitment for social sharing, repurposing, syndication, and any other content distribution you're planning. Find your  people, tools, and time to know exactly how you'll execute your blog schedule.This knowledge will help you plan ahead far enough with your blog schedule to help your entire team have the time they need to create awesome content. It'll help you avoid rushing folks who actually may need a bit more time, while also helping everyone on the team understand when they should start executing their responsibilities. Takeaways: Figure out the names of everyone who will help you out. Meet with  those folks and their managers to agree on their time commitments and responsibilities. Know exactly what tools you need to be successful. Then get those tools in working order. Define a  task-based workflow  that will help your team complete their responsibilities on time once you get started with your blog schedule. Plan Your Blog Schedule Um, finally?! You could skip here, but if you don't know the goals you're trying to reach, and you have no one and no tools to help you get here, it's a little tricky to plan  your blog schedule! 1. Understand Your Optimal Publishing Frequency (What You'd Like  To Do) It's always helpful to understand your dream before you get started: How many posts would you like to publish every week? How about every month? That visualization is a great place to start just so you know how you'll ramp up your efforts. It's easy for the team to see  how much content you'd like to publish down the road. But for now- start with a minimal posting frequency to build your momentum. 2. Start Slow I've heard of folks starting their blog and publishing tons of content right off the bat: @njellering actually I did it the opposite way, started blogging more 3/4 per week and now working more on seo and distribution #cochat Cristina Hontanilla (@CHontanilla) May 7, 2015 What I fear for newbies starting that way, especially when working with a team new to blogging, is that there is tons of room for burnout by publishing too much content too quickly.  Instead, in the first months especially, focus on publishing enough content to work through the awkward newness of blogging, without overwhelming your team. Give your team time after every post in your first two months to walk through what went well, what you should do differently next time, and what you should stop doing entirely. After that, you could shift those meetings to once a month. Here's what a beginner's first six months' blog schedule could look like: At this point, you've worked though a ton of content with your team, and it's a good chance to measure your results to improve your content. 3. Measure the Success of Your First Posts You Published You know your goals. Quickly review how an average post contributes to your goals. Now that you've worked up a consistent blog schedule, that's as easy as looking at a week's (or possibly a month's) worth of measurements for your content and averaging the numbers. Plan time to measure the success of your posts. Use that knowledge to make quick improvements.Fill in the entire team on how you're doing. That way, everyone can figure out ways to improve their areas of responsibilities that will improve all of the content you publish (which  will also help you reach your goals). Recommended Reading: How to Make 2017 Super Organized With an Easy Content Calendar Template 4.  Calculate a Publishing Frequency to Reach Your Goals From the previous step, you've figured out how an average post contributes to your goals to increase: Social media shares Social media subscribers Traffic Newsletter subscribers Customer conversions From here, use those figures to determine the amount of posts you'd need to publish in your blog schedule to reach your goals: 5. Is that Publishing Frequency Achievable? When you use this algorithm, some goals may require a lot more content than others. That's fine. It's just a tool to help you gauge how much content to publish to reach your goals. And keep in mind, this is only accurate if your posts don't get more traction, which they all certainly will as you increase your publishing frequency and  maintain consistency. A consistent blog schedule will help you grow your audience and get better  results from every post.Now it's time to take a hard look at your goals, the resources you have available to you to create content (specifically, the time involved from everyone on the team dedicated to creating your awesome content), and determine a super achievable publishing frequency. Here's what to look for: How much time does it take to write, design, publish, and promote a single  post? Is it possible for your team to scale to a happy medium amount of content publishing that either hits your goals or is really close? What could you quit doing to dedicate more time to creating awesome content? What improvements could you make in your content creation process to spend less time developing your  content? Finding efficiencies to publish content quicker will  help you scale- but be wary of the boogeyman saying, "Don't sacrifice quality for quantity." Don't sacrifice quality for quantity.6. Plan Content Improvements to Increase Success of Every Post Chances are, you're able to publish a decent amount of content that helps you nearly hit your goals. From here, some of the best ways to reach your goals are to improve every piece of content you publish. That way, every post delivers more results to your goals, which means you can get more results by publishing less content. Considering our major goals, here are a few quick wins to increase your efficiency with each: Social media shares. Write social media friendly content to help people want to share your content. Use social media buttons in your content in the best places to help people share your content. Plan a social media editorial calendar to boost your shares of your content to quadruple your traffic. Social media subscribers. Curate content to share with your subscribers to bring them the best of the best from your niche. Encourage readers to subscribe to your social accounts to get the latest and greatest from your blog. Include a way for readers to follow you when they sign up for emails (an easy automatic opt-in in their settings works well). Traffic. Publish really useful, helpful, educational, or entertaining content worthy of sharing. Optimize your posts for search engines to get long-term traffic. Share your content on social media more than once. Newsletter subscribers. Build an email list and community around your content. Be clear and honest with your opt-ins by telling your subscribers exactly what they'll get. Trade free content for email addresses. Customer conversions. Map out your customers' journey from a newbie to a veteran, and write content for all stages of the marketing funnel. Test different email  templates, subject lines, and more while including calls to action to convert. Ask readers to purchase what you're selling. You're providing helpful content with the goal to convert readers into buyers, so include calls to action in appropriate places throughout your content (without being overwhelmingly salesy). Recommended Reading: This is the Ultimate Blog Writing Process to Create Killer Posts 7. Publish Your Optimal Blog Schedule For example, if you decide to boost your blog schedule to publish two posts a week, here is a game plan to increase your blog schedule publishing for your next 6 months: Note that the first two months involve finding the best times to publish your blog posts. That's something you'll do no matter if you're looking to publish two posts a week or more. Use  a content marketing editorial calendar template to map out your publishing frequency like this example. 8. Iterate and Try New Things This is the fun part: Execute your plan. You just planned  out an entire year blog schedule for your content! Measure your goals, improve your content, and repeat, repeat, repeat. Congrats on setting up your annual blog schedule!

Friday, November 22, 2019

How Language Transpires over Time Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How Language Transpires over Time - Essay Example She uses as an example an episode from her childhood in which a boy referred to her as "nigger". Naylor writes: "I didn't know what a nigger was, but I knew that whatever it meant, it was something he shouldn't have called me" (Naylor, 252). She notes that her extended family had used this same word in describing themselves, each other, or members of their community, and how they might give the word positive or negative connotations depending on the context. However she had never before heard it in terms that were intended to humiliate, and it was hearing the word used as an insult that caused her to question what it meant to those outside her extended family. The most striking examples of such words tend to be those which can be used in the pejorative sense - words such as nigger, fag, or kike. Because of the way in which these words are used, and because of their historical associations, these words and others like them are encompassed by the term "hate speech". These words were not always used in this fashion, but have evolved into such terms as our language has evolved. For example, the word "nigger" can be traced to the Latin word niger, meaning black. In English, this word became "negro", while in Early Modern French niger became negre and later negress. Eventually, the white Southern mispronunciation of the word Negro brought "nigger" into common usage. The pejorative sense of the word "nigger" was established by the early 1800s and in the context of American history and Black slavery the word has arguably become the most instantly recognizable and controversial racial slur in the Western world. Further to this, a multitude of phrases have been built around the derogatory sense of the word "nigger" (Pilgrim and Middleton, 2001). A similar trend can be seen in the case of the word "faggot". Originally referring to a tied bundle of sticks or metal rods, the word came to be used in English public schools to refer to the younger boys who became "servants" of the senior classmen. As a result, being someone's "faggot" came to imply submissiveness. During the 20th century "faggot" became a slang term for effeminate or flamboyant men and began to be used in a derogatory fashion towards the middle of the century (GLSEN, 2005). Despite the similarities that can be traced in their shifts in meanings, there is a very striking difference between these two words. As Naylor points out, it is the connotations that we ourselves give words that render them powerful. The word "nigger" is much more emotive than the word "faggot" due to the history surrounding its usage. The word "nigger" makes us cringe in a way that "faggot" does not, because of the associations that we as a culture have given it. In recent years there has been substantial effort made in reclaiming words such as these, and attempting to dispel or dilute the negativity surrounding them. In The Meanings of Words, Naylor writes of how her extended family used the word "nigger" amongst themselves: In the singular, the word was always applied to a man who had distinguished himself in some situation that brought their approval for his strength, intelligence, or drive... [w]hen used with a possessive adjective by a woman - "my nigger" - it became a

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Jesus in Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jesus in Islam - Essay Example This essay compares the Jesus known by the Muslims and what the Christians think of him (Ali, 124) Both Christians and Muslims agree that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, who was pure a clean at heart (Mk 3.16; 7.4 ;). However, Muslims dispute that Jesus was not the son of God but one of His prophets. In the holy Quran, God communicates to the people that Jesus was an ordinary man just like Adam both moulded from the soil through Gods power. Muslims thus hold on that Jesus was not the son of god since he was made just like Adam who has never been referred to as the son of God (Al-Imran, 59-60). Christians on the other side have a strong believe that Jesus was the son of god who was born through the power of the Holy Spirit without the sexual act between Mary and Joseph, who had betrayed her. Attributing Jesus to the son of God in Islam is thus disputed since it is a concept that means that Allah slept with Mary so as to give birth to Jesus which is not true (Quran, 3:45-47). Christians asserts that Jesus was both human and divine being born in form of a man where the virgin Mary conceived over the power of the holy spirit.As such, (Mt 9.34) Christians worship Jesus as the son of God. The bible describes Jesus as a divinity in the trio; god the son god the father and Gog the Holy Spirit (Mk 3.16; 7.4; Lk 24.32, 5). In the bible, God mentions that all the three divinities to be equally both in power strength and holiness (Nelson, 532). Unlike Christians, Muslims, disagree on the divinity of Jesus. They reverse him instead and refer him to one of the Gods messenger who had been sent by Allah to communicate with the mankind. Muslims believes that since Jesus was created just like Adam and other prophets known to him people should not worship him but rather believe in his teachings that he was sent by Allah to communicate this people as a messenger (Quran, 3:59). In Muslim religion, Jesus performed miracles but this does not make

Monday, November 18, 2019

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

Viva Zapata Paper - Essay Example The film explains the quest of the revolutionary and the challenges that had been subjected upon him, when he had desired to establish a more comfortable environment as compared to the dictatorial regime. This is an indication of how society presents pillars to prevent the oppression subjected by individual in power, to counter their actions with a more stable union that would favor development. Plot and Implications There is the need to offer equality and stability within the societal setting, and through the film there is little room for a dictator leadership style because there are activists who seek to fight for the best interest of the majority. Zapata is told to be the child from a poor background, but this does not stop his will to be capable of challenging the strongest man in Mexico, when he feels that there should be change in the manner he had been ruling his territory. The war that is the centrality of the film advocates for change, and deliver the oppressed from the hand s of the dictator. These developments in the film change the plot setting to depict Zapata as an outlaw. In such political setting within the society, there is an attempt as portraying the activists as the individuals who do not embrace change and engage in the process for selfish purposes. There is never stability in a society where individuals are not given equal opportunity to express themselves. The fight that the movie set in the 1900s indicates, and the trend exists in some countries in the developed world. Power is the entity used in the film to explain how individual who obtain the entity lead to the decline in equal individual development. Zapata is of mixed races, and we are told that he is Mexican Indian who sought their trade from farming. The film explains how Zapata forces to be the hero of his society when he decides to undertake the mission of creating a revolutionary change. The president full with selfish motives discriminates against the village Morelos when he se parates the arable land leaving them with the unfertile piece. Zapata handles the incident through rebelling against the decision and confronts the president in a manner known to him. His actions further led him to rescue one of the captives from the militia, and this turns him into the most wanted civilian in the land. There is an attempt to create a resolve by the producer as Zapata becomes popular among his people in the south as he had a positive implication on the exiled Don Francisco (Young 89). Diaz is defeated, and the new president Francisco is enacted as the new leader. However, all is not well because the new leader acts as an individual that lacks policies and is made to make decisions based on an outward influence. These actions do not work for Francisco because influential individuals like Zapata had aided him to power, and he had craved to return the favor. Viva Zapata highlights the consequences of greed and power explaining how those with the ability run the world f ull of evil. There is a limited solution as one evil action leads to the other. After Diaz is forced out of power, the new president Don Francisca is assassinated by the order of Huerta on his quest to deliver justice. This takes Zapata and his helper Villa to continue their quest of enacting a new leader. Zapata finds duty assuming the role of the leader with limited resolutions to settle the dispute that had led him to rebellion. This idealism leads

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Management and leadership styles

Management and leadership styles Introduction Nike has been finding it difficult to find a replacement for Philip Knight, the founder and long time CEO of the organization. The purpose of this report is to explore possible management and leadership styles in relation to William Perezs role as the new CEO of Nike. This report identifies the processes related to change management and guides Perez through organizational transformation processes in order for him to be able to fulfil his role as CEO of Nike. This report stresses the importance of organizational development and transformation. Issues addressed in this report include the culture of the organization, different leadership styles, the structure of the organization, the processes of organizational development and future recommendations. Organizational Transformations primary goal is to help an organisation become more healthy and effective, especially during change. The key custodians of organisation health are not the internal or external HR or OD specialist; they are the organisations leaders and managers. Holbeche, L (08-09). Organizational Development Organizational development is a planned approach to organizational change designed to enable an organization to respond and adapt to changing market conditions and to set a new agenda. Organizational development is frequently linked to organization structure, which can act either as an enabling or restrictive mechanism for change. For organizational development to succeed, any policies or strategies introduced must fit with the corporate culture. In practice, Organizational Development can take on many forms, and typical OD activities can include some of the following: Team-building Organizational assessments Career development Training e-Learning Coaching Innovation Leadership development Talent management Change management Organizational Culture Culture is comprised of the assumptions, values, norms of organization members and their behaviours. Members of an organization soon come to sense the particular culture of an organization. Edgar H. Schein stresses that, When one brings culture to the level of the organization and even down to groups within the organization, one can see clearly how culture is created, embedded, evolved, and ultimately manipulated, at the same time, how culture constrains, stabilizes, and provides structure and meaning to the group members. These dynamic processes of culture creation and management are the essence of leadership and make one realize that leadership and culture are two sides of the same coin. Organizational change has a low success rate and it is critically important to get it right, this is support by Cameron who states that, The failure rate of most planned organizational change initiatives is dramatic. It is well known, for example, that as many as three-quarters of reengineering, total quality management, strategic planning and downsizing efforts have failed entirely or have created problems serious enough that the survival of the organization was threatened. According to Edgard Schein, Organizational learning, development and planned change cannot be understood without considering culture as the primary source of resistance to change. Culture can be broken down in to three levels, artifacts, espoused values and basic assumptions and values. Artifacts are the surface, the aspects which can be easily identified but hard to understand. Artifacts include the manners of address, the type of language used, the dress code. It is vital not to judge solely by the Artifacts, one may see Google staff as laid back, enjoying their time at work, having fun and jump to the conclusion that they are inefficient, this being far from the truth. Artifacts also include buildings, furnishings, settings, PR, rituals, Mission, stated values and technology. Beneath artifacts are the Espoused Values, these are the conscious strategies, goals and philosophies and ideology of the organization. The essence of culture is represented by the basic underlying assumptions and values which are difficult to discern because they are largely at an unconscious level. This is also known as the hidden beliefs and assumptions or shared tacit assumptions. Nike has had an evolutionary culture as opposed to a revolutionary culture. It has developed over many years without great intervention or change. Most of the key employees have been with Nike for many years and outsides sense they have their way of doing things. Nike is based on authenticity. Perez must ensure Nike is prepared for organizational change and that this is correctly implemented. As Drucker argues, a good organization structure might not always bring about a good performance, but a bad organization structure makes a good performance impossible no matter how good the workforce is. Perez must understand Nikes core values and maintain them, things like the association of Nike with key sportsmen from around the world and targeting the athletics segment of the clothing industry. Leadership Styles Leadership plays an important role in any organizations development. The personality of the leader and his style of leadership can determine the extent to which the organization will develop. Perez needs to be visionary and have the ability to influence others in order to bring about the required change to Nike. The leader can either reduce resistance to change, or increase the pressures for change, or be a pressure for change. Knight would have helped shape the organizational culture; he has his own effect on Nikes culture based on experiences and personality. In order for employees to be more efficient Perez must provide staff with a spirit of involvement, motivate them through co-operation and be willing to learn from the organization. Analysing different styles of leadership will help improve understanding and recommend which style Perez must adopt. Different leadership styles include: Authoritarian, Participative, Laissez fair also known as Delegative or Genuine. Authoritarian This style is where leaders tell their employees what to do and how to do it without consulting or negotiating with employees. This is often found within the army on the battlefield or by a chef in a kitchen. It is not to be confused with bossing people around, the leaders that adopt this style often need to and it can be the best style in particular situations. If the leader has time and wants to increase moral, motivate the employees and gain more commitment then they should use the participative style. Participative The participative leadership style, also known as democratic, involves the leader including one or more employees in the decision making process. Despite the fact that the leader consults with employees or managers to determine what to do and how to do it the leader maintains the final decision making authority. Leaders that adopt this style gain the respect of their employees. Laissez-fair Laissez fair or the management style of delegation style is often seen as giving a free reign to employees. The leader allows the employees to make decisions. However, the leader is still responsible for the decisions made. Employees are able to analyse the situation they are confronted with and decide what needs to be done and how to accomplish it. The leader cannot do everything therefore delegates tasks and prioritization responsibilities. This style is frequently used where the leader knows and trusts his managers. A good leader uses all three styles, dependent upon the situations requirements. For example Perez could adopt the authoritarian style of leadership with new employees, in order to form them to fit their job role and develop/settle in more rapidly. He may use the participative style with a team of workers, though he knows the problem he may not have all the information, the employees have faced this situation before and can be left to handle it. Perez can adopt the delegative approach when confronted with a situation where the employees know more than him. For example with a team of workers that have a highly specialized tasks, such as those in the RD department. They know their job and are best left to do it, provided they have proved their efficiency together and have previously made correct decisions, acting responsibly. The leadership style adopted by Philip Knight was mostly the genuine/laissez-fair style of leadership. Many of the employees had matured by his side through the years, he had given his managers the freedom to make their own decisions and this had been proved efficient for Nike. The structure of the Organization The organizational structure is the formal system of task and reporting relationships that controls, coordinates and motivates employees so that they can cooperate to achieve the organizations goals. Structure enables the organization to apply the process of management and creates a hierarchy of command which makes it clear for employees to identify their roles and tasks they are responsible for within each department. In small organizations there is less complexity than in larger ones, therefore the need for a structure increases with the size of the organization. Drucker argues that good organizational structures do not always lead to good performance but a bad organizational structure makes good performance an impossibility, regardless of how good the employees are. The managers obligation is to create an organizational structure and culture that motivates employees to work hard and develop themselves and allows groups to cooperate effectively. Large organizations are increasingly marginalizing the role of their founders. The founders of both Yahoo Dell have been replaced by professional managers at the shareholders demand. An organization can be split into several divisions such as production, marketing, finance, RD etc. According to Wall (2004) there are five organizational structures, these include: international division structure, international geographic/regional structure, international product structure, international functional structure, matrix or mixed structure. Philip Knight used the Matrix structure. This brings together the functional, geographical and product structures and combines them in an attempt to meet the needs of a specific activity or project. Once that activity or project is completed, the team is often disbanded and return to their original position within the divisional or other structures of the organization. Employees report to different bosses in different departments to accomplish the different tasks. Change Management Management of change theories have been conceptualized to answer how successful change can happen within an organization. It refers to changes in the work environment that necessitates the workforce to make certain adaptations to way they are used to working. The ability of an organization to adapt to change is crucial for successful organizations such as Nike, if not properly implemented the company could face huge difficulties. In order to implement change effectively, barriers such as resistance to change must be successfully removed. The need for organizations to adapt has become vital to their survival, however individuals or groups in different departments have different opinions of how tasks should be carried out therefore a common vision must be shared by all in order for the change to be successful, this can be very time consuming. Organisational Change Management issues are often under-estimated or ignored entirely. In fact, people issues collectively account for the majority of project failures. This survey by KPMG looked at disastrous projects. One of the questions asked for the prime cause of the failure of change implementation. Although the result did not state people as the cause, it is interesting to note that many of the causes were to do with the behaviour and skills of the participants. Arguably all but the technical issues were related to the capabilities, attitudes and behaviour of people. Lewins Three Step Model Lewin (1951) introduced the three step model for successful change management. The first step in the process is called unfreezing the situation. Unfreezing Unfreezing is necessary to overcome individual resistance and group conformity. This can be achieved in three ways. Firstly by increasing the driving forces that direct behaviour away from the situation. Secondly, by decreasing the restraining forces that negatively affect the change. Lastly by finding a combination of the first two methods. These steps can include activities such as motivating the employees by preparing them for the change, encouraging and reassuring them of the need for change and make the employees contribute to the change process by helping identify problems and brainstorming solutions. Movement The second step of Lewins model for change is movement. This transformational process is made up of convincing the employees to agree that the current situation is not beneficial to them and encourage them to look at the problem from another perspective. The employees should know what the change is actually for, most resist because they are not aware why the change is taking place or needed. Refreezing The third step is refreezing, this must take place after the change has been implemented in order for it to be sustainable, otherwise employees can revert back to their old behaviours. This step stabilizes both the driving and the restraining forces. This can be accomplished through the introduction of procedures for the employees. This would also help new employees will find it easier to fit in with the organization. Lippitts Phases of Change Theory Lippitt, Watson and Westley (1958) extended Lewins three step model to include seven steps. This focused more on the role and responsibility of the change agent than on the evolution of the change itself. Lippitts seven steps Diagnosis of the problem Assessing the motivation and capacity for change Assessing the resources and motivation of the change agent. This includes the change agents commitment to change, power and stamina. Choosing progressive change objects. Action plans and developed and strategies established. The roles of the change agents should be chosen and clearly understood by all employees so that the outcomes and expectations are clear. Maintaining the change. Communication, feedback and group coordination are necessary elements. Gradually terminate from the helping relationship. The change agent should gradually withdraw from their role over time. This will happen when the change becomes part of the organizational culture (Lippitt, Watson and Westley 1958-1959). Lewins model is rational and goal oriented. It is however limited because it does not take into account personal factors such as human feelings that can affect the change process. Lippitts Phases of Change is an extension of Lewins Three-Step Theory. The focus is on the change agent rather than the change itself. Lewin analyses the forces that impacts change. Activities Contributing to Effective Change Management. Cummings and Worley (2008) have identified the following activities contributing to effective change management. Motivating change is the phase in the successful implementation of change. Motivation is vital because changing from the norm is regarded as a daunting experience. Employees feel their future in the organization is uncertain. They must feel that the change is necessary, this way they will understand they are part of the change process and help this occur. Creating a vision is the second phase. This is done by the leader and provides a common goal for all employees, allowing them to understand what the change is for and how it will benefit the entire organization. Develop political support. Organizations are made up of powerful individuals and groups that can either block or promote change. Individuals within the organization have different interests, opinions and concerns about how the change may affect their positions and levels of authority within their groups. Leaders and change agents need to gain their support to implement changes. The fourth phase is managing the transition, this is moving from the current state to the future state. This is not an instant process, it needs the organization to discover how to proceed with the implementation of change in to reach the goal. This is done through the planning of special management structures for operating the organization during the transition. Sustaining the momentum is the final stage. When the changes are implemented there must be a continued focus in maintaining them. This phase is the equivalent of Lewins refreezing. The employees might return to their previous behaviours if the changes are not sustained. Resistance to Change Resistance to change is what individuals or groups do when they perceive that a change that might occur is a threat. The risk of change is seen as greater than the risk of standing still. Employees resist change because they have to learn something new. In many case there is not a disagreement with the benefits of the new process, but rather a fear of the unknown future and about their ability to adapt to it. People are reluctant to leave the familiar behind. We are all suspicious about the unfamiliar, we are naturally concerned about how we will get from the old to the new, especially if it involves learning something new and risking failure. Resistance to change is defined as the fear that one will not be able to develop new skills and behaviours that are required in the new working environment. According to Kotter Schlesinger (1979), if an employee has a low tolerance for change, the increased uncertainty that arises as a result of having to perform their job differently would likely cause a resistance to the new way of doing things. An employee may understand that a change is needed, but may be emotionally unable to make the transition and resist for reasons they may not consciously understand. Resistance can be positive in certain situations. Managers see resistance as negative and the employees who resist are regarded as disobedient and obstacles the organization must overcome in order to implement the changes. However, employee resistance can play a positive role in organizational change. Constructive criticism and debate can produce better understanding as well as additional options and solutions. de Jager (2001) claims, the idea that anyone who questions the need for change has an attitude problem is simply wrong, not only because it discounts past achievements, but also because it makes us vulnerable to indiscriminate and ill-advised change. Overcoming Resistance to Change Kotter and Schlesinger (1979) set out six approaches to deal with resistance to change. Education and Communication are essential. One of the best ways to overcome resistance to change is to educate people about the change effort beforehand. Up-front, honest communication and education helps employees see the logic in the change effort, this reduces unfounded and incorrect assumptions and rumours concerning the effects of change in the organization. Participation and Involvement of employees. Where the initiators do not have all the information they need to design the change and where others have considerable power to resist. When employees are involved in the change effort they are more likely to approve change than resist it. Facilitation and Support is important as employees may have adjustment problems, by the managers being supportive at difficult times they can avoid potential resistance. Managerial support helps employees deal with fear and anxiety during a transition period. Special training or counselling can help ensure the staff do not perceive the change as detrimental. Negotiation and Agreements help managers combat resistance through incentives to employees not to resist change. This can be done by allowing change resistors to veto elements of change that are threatening, or change resistors can be offered incentives to leave the company through early buyouts or retirements in order to avoid having to experience the change effort. This approach is appropriate if all else fails and those resisting change are in a position of power. Manipulation and Co-option can be used when other strategies do not work or are too expensive. Kotter and Schlesinger $date$page number- suggest that: an effective manipulation technique is to co-opt with resisters. Co-option involves the patronizing gesture in bringing a person into a change management planning group for appearances rather than their actual contribution. This often involves selecting leaders of the resisters to participate in the change effort. These leaders can be given a symbolic role in decision making without threatening the change effort. Still, if these leaders feel they are being tricked they are likely to push resistance even further than if they were never included in the change effort leadership. Lastly Jotter and Schlesinger argue Explicit and Implicit Coercion can be used. Where circumstances arise that speed is absolutely essential and to be used only as last resort. Managers can explicitly or implicitly force employees into accepting change by making clear that resisting change can lead to losing jobs, firing, transferring or not promoting employees. Conclusion In todays fast paced world the ability to change and innovate is key to survival, the strategic recommendations have been made after thoroughly analysing Nike together with different approaches and strategies from several reputable academics. Change is unavoidable and it is human to resist unknown, however this research shows that with the right preparation and strategic systems in place it is possible to overcome and successfully implement changes which will lead to the organization developing in line with its vision and mission. The recommendations below will support the conclusions drawn from the above analysis and research. Recommendations: On the basis of the above analysis I recommend Perez proceeds with the transformational strategy, while monitoring and revising it periodically. The change must start at the top. Philip Knight had his methods of running the business which have proved successful as received the backing of the employees. Though Perez is experienced he has a very different way of functioning, he cannot expect the employees to follow his lead from day one, he must also adapt to fit into the organization and gain the acceptance of the employees. Perez should familiarize himself with the organization; he must understand the current culture in order to devise a plan to change this. If he tries to bring about change too quickly this will most probably fail as Nike is an organization with a well founded pop culture which developed over decades under Knight. An operations team should be formed and meetings organized in which the requirements should be set-out to enable the employees to be involved, this increasing motivation and provide all stake holders with a sense of ownership of the transformational process. A feedback system needs to be created to help the employees feel more comfortable and know their views are taken into consideration. The transformation process must be transparent with the employees understanding and being involved in the transformation strategy. Adapting the culture successfully will be difficult as many of the employees have spent most of their careers working within Nike, it has become part of who they are, but getting all the employees on board will lessen the resistance to change. The feedback must be monitored, staff confidence levels should be monitored. When they show the first signs of losing faith their problems must rapidly be addressed. Training employees is essential; to encourage motivation, increase self awareness and productivity surrounding their new roles and responsibilities. This will also help sustain the transformation. Perez must agree with Knight exactly what his role in the organization is. This will avoid any problems in the future running of the organization. The responsibilities of both, and the levels of authority must be clear and not overlapping. Founders are often difficult to replace, they see the organization as something they can intervene in whenever they want. This however has proven to be bad for business and has caused some catastrophic events. This has been done to many founders of huge organizations such as Michael Dell within the Dell organization. The founders of Yahoo, Jerry Yang and David Filo are no longer directly involved in the management of the organization. Jerry Yany the ex-CEO has now been given the title of Chief Yahoo and sits on the board. They were replaced by professional managers that the investors saw as more appropriate for the evolution of their organization. Removing Knight from the organization completely may be a difficult task however a clear agreement und erstood by both parties must be reached in order for Perez to be able to successfully take lead of Nike. References Linda Holbeche, CIPD, Director of research and policy http://www.cipd.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/35F49ABC-0436-40D3-B02B-5B6838CCEEF2/0/Impact_28_org_develop_qanda.pdf [Accessed 08/09]. Wall, S. 2004. International Business. p283. Lipptitt, R, Watson, J and Westley. 1958. The Dynamics of Planned Change. Kotter, J. P., Schlesinger, L.A. 1979. Choosing strategies for change. Harvard Business Review de Jager, P. 2001. Resistance to change: a new view of an old problem. The Futurist, Bloisi, W., 2003. Management and organisational Behaviour. McGraw-Hill. Cummings. G, Worley.G,. 1996. Organisation development change. 6th edition, south western college publishing, Cincinnati. Mcshane Von Glinov., 2003. Organisational behaviour. McGraw-Hill Morgan, G., 1997. Images of organisation. Sage. Mullins, L.J., 2007. Management and organisational behaviour. 8th ed. Prentice hall/ Financial times. Rollinson, D. Broadfield, A., 2002. Organisational behaviour and analysis. 2nd ed. Financial times/Prentice hall. Wilson Rosenfield., (1999. Managing organisations. McGraw-Hill. Mullins, L. J., (2007. Management and Organisational Behaviour. 8th ed. Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall. Martin, J., 2005. Organisational Behaviour and Management. 3rd ed. London: Thomson. Cummings, T. G. Worley, C.G., 2005. Organization Development and Change. 8th ed. London: Thomson. Schein, E.H., 2004. Organizational culture and Leadership. 3rd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Use of Imagery in D.H. Lawrences The Horse Dealers Daughter :: Horse Dealers Daughter Essays

Use of Imagery in D.H. Lawrence's The Horse Dealer's Daughter Circumstances force three brothers and their sister from home in D.H. Lawrence's "The Horse Dealer's Daughter." The brothers, and their friend Jack Fergusson, worry because the sister, Mabel, will not tell them what she intends to do with herself. The author uses Imagery to symbolize a rebirth in Jack and in Mabel. Lawrence uses dog and horse imagery to describe the family members. Joe stands in "horsey fashion," Fred Henry is an "animal which controls," and Malcolm has a "jauntymuseau." In fact, the entire family has an "animal pride." Lawrence describes the brothers in terms of horses apparently to emphasize the importance of the horses in their lives; once the horses are gone, life as they know it will be over. Joe, the eldest, is reluctant to leave before his siblings resolve their plans, but eventually he retreats with his "tail between his legs." The author uses water imagery to symbolize death. On an afternoon "moist" with "heavy coldness," Mabel walks straight into a pond until the water is over her head. The pond's dimensions suggest a grave. Jack, who can not swim, risks his own life when he steps into the "dead cold" water to save her. He stumbles while in the water and feels as though he is "suffocating" for "eternity." When he recovers, he knows he is back in "the world" Jack and Mabel, by going into and under the "rotten" water, seem to experience a sort of death. Fire then would symbolize the rebirth Jack and Mabel experience and the passion that fuels it. The house is "empty" when Jack carries Mabel there, but fire is "burning in the grate." Likewise, "Mabel was unconscious of her surroundings," but "she was conscious of herself.