Concepts of Sales Management

Introduction Sales management involves the ability of sales managers and the sales force to attain set goals for the sales team. The goals are achieved through an effective sales plan, employee recruitment, and training and controlled resource utilization.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Concepts of Sales Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Sales management differs from marketing since it is a section within the marketing mix falling directly under personal selling. The goals of sales managers include improving the revenue realized by the firm from sales, the profits of the firm and market dominance. To achieve these objectives, sales managers must be involved in the formulation of sales strategies, their implementation and monitoring. This paper examines sales management goals and process applied by different firms in different industries. Sales Management According to Calvin, sales management is th e attainment of sales force goals in an effective and efficient manner through planning, staffing, training, leading and controlling organizational resources (61). The responsibility of selling company products falls directly under the sales manager of an organization. Many people perform personal selling. Personal selling is the process in which individuals are employed to sell company products directly to the clients. Personal selling is critical to quantity selling of an organization’s products and services. It is commonly applied in the sale of major industrial products and durables. Through personal selling, the sales representative communicates directly to the customers of the company convincing them to purchase the company products and services. In addition, he/she enters into contracts with the customers on behalf of the organization. Selling is one of the elements of the marketing mix. It can be related to the other elements of the marketing mix as indicated in the d iagram below. According to Calvin, programs for marketing are usually designed behind the 4Ps of the marketing mix that include the company product, promotions, price and the channels that are used to distribute the product to the different market segments (76).Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Sales people communicate directly to the clients while advertising and sales promotions from non-personal communication between the firm and its customers. Personal selling helps an organization increase its customers since sales representative get orders signed. However, other forms of marketing promotions such as public relations only make customers perceive the message to be coming from the media rather than from the organization. A sale representative of an organization is in a good position to meet individual needs of customers. It is the responsibility of the sales person to uncover the specific customer needs. The sales representative should remove any doubts on the part of the customers. Through effective establishment of a rapport with the customer, the sales person would determine the needs of the customer (Calvin 93). The field manager usually conducts the management of the market segment of an organization. The line manager is responsible for daily management of sales representatives of an organization. Calvin argues that sales management has its focus on administration of personal selling in a given marketing mix of an organization (155). Sales management is responsible for various functions in an organization such as the planning of sales programs, their management and control. In addition, the sales management section of the marketing mix is responsible for the recruitment of sales personnel, their training, compensation, motivation and evaluation. The main goals of all managers in the sales management section are to surpass the company goals and the development of sales people that report to them directly. Due to various forces in the business environment, the marketing environment keeps changing. This has led to a need to the variation of the sales management strategies and objectives.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Concepts of Sales Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Goals of Sales Managers Sales management is a major element in the marketing mix that helps an organization to achieve its set objectives. Most common objectives of an organization include maximization of the sales revenue while minimizing costs. In order to achieve the maximum profit, an organization needs to set specific goals for its sales managers. The managers are responsible for monitoring and supervising sales activities of an organization. They are involved in setting various sales goals as described: Sales: the sales representatives of an organization usually sell the products of an organization. The sales representatives report directly to the sales managers. It is the responsibility of the sales manager to allocate the sales persons different strategic market segments in order to maximize the sales made by the firm. In addition to sales management, the managers give the representatives targets that should be met for revenue maximization. Revenues: this money flows into the organization from the sale of the products and services of an organization. According to Honeycutt Ford and Simintiras, the revenue realized from sales varies due to various factors (87). Some of the factors include the size of an organization in an industry, environmental factors, products quality among other factors. In spite of these factors, it is the responsibility of the sales manager to ensure that the revenue realized by the firm is large compared to the competitors. The sales personnel report directly to the sales manager. Through communication with the cust omers, the manager will be in a position to determine the specific customer needs hence influencing production of products that fit into the needs hence increased revenue. Profits: an increase in the revenue realized from the sale of the products and services of an organization is related to the profit of the firm. The gross profit is obtained through the deduction of the cost of sales from the sales revenue.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A high level of revenue compared to the costs incurred in the sale could result in high gross profit. Similarly, a high level of revenue could also led to high level of net profit although there are other determinant expenses. It is the duty of the sales manager to ensure that the sales revenue is high enough to offset the cost of sales and other expenses in order to increase the profit of the firm. Failure to this duty, the organization is likely to report a loss. Market share: according to Calvin, a sales representative is in direct contact with the customers of an organization (121). Through them, the organization is able to know specific customer needs that need to be fulfilled. Effective fulfillment of customer needs can lead to customer loyalty. It is therefore the duty of the sales manager to ensure that the company products meet the consumer needs. This can be established through feedback from the customers obtained through sales personnel. Internal cost control: sales manag ement is part of the marketing mix that receives funding from the firm for its operations. The activities of the sale personnel in the field are financed by the organization. The sales manager manages these activities and therefore can directly control them. Through effective control of the activities of the sales representative, the sales manager can reduce operating costs of the firm. Thus, it is the goal of the sales manager to control the costs incurred in the selling process. Activities of Sales Management Sales management involves the monitoring of the selling process. In order to execute the above objectives of the section, sales management is involved in various activities such as: Strategy formulation: the sales managers are responsible for developing the strategy that can be utilized by the firm to increase the sales revenue while reducing operating costs. The set strategy also aims at ensuring that eh firm maximizes the profit. The execution of the set strategies is achie ved through the establishment of a sales plan (Honeycutt Ford and Simintiras 132). Implementation: it is the duty of the sales managers to implement the formulated sales strategies. The implementation process begins early with the sales manager recruiting qualified sales representatives. The recruited sales personnel are then trained on the specific selling skills in order to be able to sell company products, services and policies. The sale management team is also responsible for motivating the sales team through well-established compensation system. They set targets for the sales team in the field while supporting the teams to meet the set targets. Lastly, the sales management team is responsible for developing and implementing sales performance. As the team operates, the sales management monitors and evaluates the progress. The evaluation ensures that the targets are met and any deviations are explained with efforts being made to overcome the challenges. Sales Management Process S ales management process involves various steps such as: Planning: it is the initial step in every action undertaken by the sales management team. The planning process involves the determination of the goals of the sales team, the objectives and the strategies. For instance, the goal of an organization could be to maximize sales through increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. The goals set by the firm should be SMART (specific, measurable, attainable and relevant). For instance, the targets set by the sales managers to the sales representatives should be attainable within a given period (Honeycutt Ford and Simintiras 143). Staffing: employees are a vital resource to any organization since they help the firm attain its given objectives. Similarly, sales representatives are an important resource to sales management. Staffing process involves the attraction, recruitment and development of sales personnel in the organization. The recruitment process should be through with individual s with academic qualifications and skills in sales being selected. Training: this step aims at maintaining the sales personnel of an organization through increased knowledge and skills. Employee training enables employees develop job related culture, skills and attitudes that can lead to increased sales performance for the firm (Schwartz 56). Leading: this is an important step in sales management since the management team provides the necessary leadership skills for the entire sales team. Leadership in sales management aims at attaining the set goals. Sales managers are expected to lead by example hence acting as role models to their field teams that would eventually develop professionalism. Controlling: this step involves monitoring the activities sales personnel are involved in. the sales managers are directly in charge of selling activities and should therefore determine whether the firm is in the right direction towards the achievement of its set goals. In cases where the sales management team, realizes mistakes, corrective measures should be taken in time. Sales Department Relationships Relationship is an important aspect in sales management and in the entire organization. The relationship established in the sales management department is based on teamwork. Sales personnel in the department should be grouped into different groups that are assigned different tasks. Individuals in the groups should work in harmony through cooperation. Schwartz notes that teamwork enhances learning through increased sharing of information and experiences. In addition, working as a team could enable sales personnel develops various skills that could help them improve their productivity (65). For instance, conflict management skills could be developed hence helping the employees to cooperate further in their sales activities in the field. In spite of the importance of teamwork, communication is a necessary tool for the development of binding, productive and lasting relationshi ps in the department. Thus, sales management should establish relationships with various other departments in t eh organization such as the financial department, the human resource department and the marketing department. The finance department relationship is vital since the sales managers need funds to operate their daily activities and motivate sales personnel. The HR relationship is important for improved communication, recruitment, and training of sales force. Sales Manager Skills Various sales management competencies are vital for sales managers. Different people in different everyday life situations utilize the competencies as indicated in the figure below. Strategic action skills: it is important that sales manager understand the required strategies and goals of an organization in order to ensure that the actions of the manager and subordinate sales staff are consistent with the set goals. A sales manager endowed with strategic action competency understands the industry and the organization and therefore undertakes necessary strategies that can help the firm fit and excel in the industry. Coaching Skills: according to Tanner, Honeycutt and Erffmeyer, a sales manager of any organization has an important role to play in the competitive industry the firm operates (91). Coaching involves a sequence of activities and communication ongoing between the sales person and the sales manager. Other activities involved include encouragement of the sales person and helping him/her attain set goals. Through coaching, a sales manager provides verbal feedback, acts as a role model and builds trust within the sales team he/she heads. Team Building: this skill is necessary for the accomplishment of tasks through small groups of people that perform given duties collectively and interdependently. The sales manager could be of greater help to the firm if he/she is able to design teams properly, creates a supporting environment to the sales team and is able to manage the dy namics of the team appropriately (Tanner, Honeycutt and Erffmeyer 102). Self-management skills: this skill requires that the sales manager is able to take responsibility of his/her own actions. Whenever issues arise, the manager should not blame others. This skill requires that the sales manager has integrity and ethical conduct, is able to manage personal drive and has self-awareness and development. Technological skills: technology has advanced and has contributed greatly to globalization. A sales manager should understand the potential in technology that can be used to improve the efficiency of the sales force in the firm. The manager should know the implementation and integration of technology into the sales force hence competency. Other leadership skills for a sales manager include continuous learning, listening and communication (Tanner, Honeycutt and Erffmeyer 112). Conclusion A sales plan is an important step in the sales management process. Through planning, the sales manag ers set SMART goals for the section that must coincide with organizational goals. Set goals can be achieved through the implementation of various strategies. Sales personnel are the resources that are used to implement the strategies. It is the responsibility of the sales managers to motivate the sales force through better compensation, education and training. For this to be realized, the sales management team must establish good relationships with other departments in the organization such as the department of finance and human resource. The success of sales management is based on many factors some of which include teamwork, leadership planning among others. Works Cited Calvin, Robert. Sales Management. 2 Ed. New Jersey, NJ: McGraw-Hill Professional. 2004. Honeycutt, Earl, Ford John and Simintiras Antonis. Sales Management: A Global Perspective. London: Routledge. 2003. Schwartz, Mathew. Fundamentals of sales management for the newly appointed sales manager. New York, NY: AMACOM Di v American Mgmt Assn. 2006. Tanner, John, Honeycutt, Earl and Erffmeyer Robert. Sales Management: Shaping Future Sales Leaders. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. 2008. This term paper on Concepts of Sales Management was written and submitted by user Tenley Armstrong 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.

Fake profits Essay

Fake profits Essay Fake profits Essay PROFITS ARE WHAT businesses are supposed to be about. Shareholders start, build and continue to own businesses, in order to make profits. But all companies are not equal. Profit margins differ among industries and to a lesser extent among companies in the same industry. If margins are too low, the company is reliant on debt to expand. If margins are too high, it attracts competition. Importantly, if the profits are real, the company can pay cash dividends. While some shareholders may prefer that a company reinvest its earnings to create future wealth for shareholders, the sad reality, as noted by Benjamin Graham in The Intelligent Investor, is that few companies are able to reinvest such profits to earn the same rate of return as the existing business. Besides assuring shareholders of a minimum return on their investment, a cash dividend also serves as useful, albeit partial, proof that the company’s reported earnings are real. If the profits are real, the margins will also be similar to that of competitors – after all, with the same capital inputs, the same workforce, the same customers, and the same selling price, the profits must also be the same. Few companies are so unique that they have no competitors and can set any price they wish. So what happens if the profits are fake? Generally, if the profits are fake, it is because the reported profit margin is too high. This can be detected in a peer comparison with the company’s direct competitors, or similar businesses operating elsewhere in the world. Given today’s globalized economy, very few companies will leave a region alone if it is seen that a peer is making good profits there. Thus, excess profits are unlikely to persist, and over time profit margins go back to normal i.e. there is reversion to the mean. Because profits and losses from the income statement are reflected in the balance sheet, fake profits will also show up on the balance sheet, often in the form of imaginary cash balances. The problem here is that cash is a transparent and easily auditable item, which makes it a prime focus of auditors. Blatant fraudsters may of course collude with bank officials to produce fake statements to fool the auditors. However, even if the auditors are fooled, as cash apparently builds up on the balance sheet, it becomes increasingly more difficult to fend off minority shareholder demands for cash dividends, or at least a repayment of outstanding debt. One way to avoid having to show the cash to the auditors is to not collect it in the first place. This then causes the trade receivables account to swell. This topic was discussed 3 years ago in the June 2009 newsletter, so it will not be discussed further here. If one does pretend to collect the cash, then the logical progression is to use up the fake cash on items which are harder to evaluate than cash. Popular choices include inventory, machinery, supplier prepayments, intangible assets and even other companies. Inventory, specifically finished goods, can be a useful place to dump fake earnings, as finished goods comprise a mix of different costs such as raw materials, capital and labour. This creates more work for auditors, who are not interested in dissecting the business to figure out the true cost of finished goods. In a retail business, the stock is also scattered across hundreds if not thousands of stores. So a retail company can dump fake earnings here and be fairly confident that the auditors are not going to do a thorough stock-take. For example, Ports Design, a luxury apparel brand, has reported very high profit margins for the past 10 years. One would expect that Ports would then be sitting on a huge cash hoard. Instead, Ports has opted to plow much of its earnings back into inventory, to the extent that since the end of 2009, its inventory holdings have represented more than 18 months of sales. But apparel, by its nature, goes in and out of fashion. Therefore, stock

Introduction and implementation of educational programs Essay

Introduction and implementation of educational programs - Essay Example Secondly, the above-mentioned educational programs may raise the society’s understanding of the interrelation of natural and human processes and systems and how actually people influence the state of the environment both directly and indirectly. In other words, people will have the opportunity to learn about the causes and effects of their activities. For sure, the general public realizes that climate change is taking place these days because of burning fossil fuels, cutting down forests and range of other destructive activities. However, not all the people perceive the fact that because of human activity, the planet is changing too fast and that it can have devastating consequences, which altogether will lead to the so-called Sixth Extinction scientist all over the world are talking today. In her article titled The Sixth Extinction?, Elizabeth Kolbert says, â€Å"People are changing the world so fast that many other species can’t cope†. Among them is the researc h conducted by Julia Lehman, Amanda Korstjens, and Robin Dunbar, in which they show that in case there are extreme changes in climate, such mammals as apes may not survive in their traditional habitat. Being aware of such specific facts means being able to get the understanding of the relation between human beings’ activities and nature and develop attitudes of appreciation and concern for the current state of environment.Finally, the introduction of educational programs may result in the development of the capacity for both personal and collective action.

Lenin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Lenin - Essay Example Revolution came about as a result of various political actors as well as funding from foreign powers such as Germany which were interested in making sure that it withdrew from the First World War. Vladimir Lenin was one of the most important leaders of the Russian Revolution and this was mainly because he was a charismatic leader who sought to ensure that the monarchy in Russia was brought to an end. An individual dedicated to the rights of the working class that formed the bulk of the Russian state, Lenin was an individual who not only completely opposed to the monarchy, but also took an active part in ensuring its end (Rice 135). His political activities forced him into exile in Switzerland where he was in constant touch with likeminded people who believed that a communist revolution in Russia was necessary. While this was the case, Lenin and his associates did not have the necessary funding to ensure a successful uprising but this was remedied by the German government which is believed to have funded Lenin as well as organizing the means for him to return to Russia to agitate for a revolution. Germany played a pivotal role in helping the Bolsheviks come to power because it was in its interests to make sure Russia withdrew from the First World War and the only way to do this was to overthrow the monarchy (Pipes 141). It should be noted that during this period, Germany was fighting a two front war with the Allies and Russia’s withdrawal meant that it could concentrate its efforts in the western front. The German government therefore provided Lenin with the means of achieving his revolutionary objective in Russia and it was through German funding and support that he was able to mobilize the support he needed to overthrow the Tsarist government. Alexander Lvovics Parvus was a significant factor in the Russian Revolution and he did this through his association with influential individuals in the German establishment such as Baron von Wangenheim (Karaà ¶merlÄ ±oÄŸlu

Creativity And Its Importance Commerce Essay

Creativity And Its Importance Commerce Essay According to the oxford dictionary of the English language creativity is the use of imagination or original ideas to create something and innovation is the action or process of making changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products. However creativity and innovation are so much more; they are the cornerstones of our economy, the foundations of our modern society and high quality of living, what gives meaning and purpose to our existence. Creativity is a unique characteristic of the human race. Of all the creatures roaming this planet, only humans have the ability of abstract thinking and creativity. Our history is the history of human creativity and innovations. From the first steps that Homo sapiens took on Europe, the weapons they created to hunt for food and fend off dangers, to the pendants that they crafted to indicate statues and the amazing petroglyphs found in France (Vallà ©e des Merveilles), Greece (Irakleia Cyclades), Italy (Bagnolo stele) and Spain (Galicia). Creativity and innovation are what created the pyramids in Egypt, Stonehenge in the UK and the megalithic monuments in Marta. Innovation is what armed the Greeks in Thermopylae and gave them a tactical advantage against an army ten times their own, and again in Salamis and Plataea. Creativity is what build the Parthenon and guided the arm of Phidias to sculpt some of the most important everlasting sculptures this world has ever seen. Then the Maced onians and other Greeks of Alexander the Great started spreading on most of the known world, and after them the romans and the mighty legions established the first superpower and Rome as the first mega city and all these started from few creative people that envisioned and created new ideas, new technologies and methods, new innovations (Association, 2008). Innovations, that paved the way, after hundreds of years of darkness, the dark ages, for the Renaissance and the age of Creativity; Michelangelo, Rafael, the great Leonardo Da Vinci as well as Copernicus, Galileo Galilei and Gutenberg. The human races intellectual revolution, all based on creativity and innovations. Our modern age starts with the industrial revolution that took place in the UK in 1750. Few very creative very innovative people started shaping the world to what it is now. Brunel, Watt and Maudslay; their dreams and creations can still be seen in the city we live in. The British Empire and the establishment of the first form of international trade and together with it the first multinational corporations like the Dutch East India Company that helped create the first global economic ideas and theories, as theses were described by Adam Smith in his book An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776). And then to the 19th century of the two world wars, but also of Dali, Picasso, Matisse and Einstein, Plank, Bohr and Heisenberg. Our history, the human existence on this planet, is a hymn to creativity, innovation and survival (Association, 2008). Creativity plays a very important role in the improvement of our society and of our living standard. New innovations make our lives easier, allow us to do things that we could not do before, as well as create workplaces and bust the economy (Bennett, 2006). Everywhere we look creativity and innovations is there; from an art gallery displaying Van Goghs masterpieces, to our mobile phones that provide us with information and functionality that previous generations could only dream of, to the way we shop using the internet and the new digital economy we live it. I, and the majority of people in the western world, can, from the comfort of my home, stream my favour movie and watch it on my smart TV any time I want, order a pizza online by using my mobile and at the same time keep an eye on the FTSE 250, live from New York. Actually digital and mobile applications and devices can do more, a lot more. They help people with diabetic monitor their disease, they guide millions of motorists, wi th the use of GPS, to their destinations, they connect the entire world, as well as help me, and thousands of students, find the information I want in order to write this assignment. Innovations and creativity in the medical field help people live longer, healthier lives, cure diseases that once thought to be incurable, and provide comfort and hope to all. Even things we now have come to consider small, trivial, every-day, like running water, public transportation or the post we receive every morning, were the inspirations and work for people, and are very important in rising our quality of life. Can anyone in the western world even consider every-day life without running water or even without the weather forecast? I think not. Our modern society, has recognised the importance of creativity and continuous innovation, and improvement, and has adapted both its educational and business systems to encourage it, incubate it and reword it (Burleson, 2005). Schools promote creativity and some even go as far as trying to teach pupils how to be creative. However, creativity is not something you can force on someone. Creativity is the result of a number of conditions that have to be met, with the primary being freedom. Freedom to speak, freedom to write, freedom to think and express yourself as you like, and freedom to choose what to do, what to create. Also, creativity is not the characteristic of an individual, no matter how intelligent, creative and innovative this individual is; it is a social characteristic; small ideas, in a free environment with no communication barriers, linking up, combining, to create a big great idea. It is not a coincidence that there are periods in human history that great minds come tog ether and lay the foundations, or start, industrial-scientific-intellectual-spiritual revolutions. The great Athenian philosophers of the 5th century BC, the great British engineers of the 1700s century, the great theoretical physicists of the beginning of the 19th century, and now the great digital minds of our era, are some of the examples that one can think. Creativity can be taught, however, as with all other aspects of the human mind and nature, creativity is a talent too. Some people have it and some do not. As a society however, we are a creative innovative society, a society that looks into the future, creates ideas, dreams and designs about how it wants this future to be and then starts working on making it happen (Casson, 2007). Business, innovation and creativity are interlinked terms. Business, any business, cannot exist without creativity. The common characteristic between a broker in New York, a fair trade luxury furniture shop owner in Islington, London, an independent cocoa farmer in Equator and a the owner of a silk textiles family business in China is creativity. The very notion of starting up your own business, take calculated risks and give your best to succeed, is the definition for entrepreneurial creativity. Innovation is what makes the difference, what gives a company a competitive edge, what turns a small garage business to a multinational with offices around the world and with billions of pounds in its corporate accounts. Creativity, realised through innovation is what drives our economy, is what capitalism is built on, is what creates companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Dyson and Goldman-Sacks (Davis, 2009). The important role of creativity and innovation in the entrepreneurial process Every sector of business and every sector of life is subject to creativity and innovation. If is strange that when the word creativity is mentioned most people think of painters or sculptors or even photographers, the likes of Modigliani and Petrocelli, and when the word innovation is used they think of technological advances, like 3D TVs, and companies like Apple and Siemens. If for example the banking industry is used as an example of innovation in a lecture, the majority of people from the audience will most like wonder about the appropriacy of the use of the word, when it comes to financial institutions such as Goldman-Sacks, J. P. Morgan and even the Royal Bank of Scotland. However, the financial institutions that compose our economic system are the epitome of innovation. Their continuous innovation in creating new financial products and finding ways to generate wealth is what led to the technological, commercial, entrepreneurial and consumption boom that started after the end o f the 2nd world war and is still going strong now, even after many financial crisis that this same system produced, with the most serious being that of 2008 with many countries and millions of people still experiencing its effects. Nowadays creativity and innovation is the driving force of the economy, usually in the form of digital and mobile applications and devices. Economists have even given this new type of economy a, very appropriate, name; digital economy. Iphones, ipads, tablet PCs, smartphones and millions of applications that help the user cook a nice meal, pay his bills online or even monitor his diabetes are the life-line of the post 2008 crises economy. And rightly so, as they provide incredible flexibility and utility to the users, improving their way of life and quality of life, and at the same time generating new jobs and money. They also provide a platform on which small businesses, utilising the benefits of the new technologies and the new digital marketplace, can compete even with multinational corporations in a global marketplace. However the link between creativity, which gives birth to innovations, with the business process is deeper than just new products and services, no matter how revolutionary these might be. The whole idea of starting up a new business, a new company, comes from ones creativity. (Eysenck, 2008) The starting up of a business is creation. The new entrepreneur wants to be independent, to do what he enjoys and believes he is best in doing, to leave his mark, to create. It is creativity that enables an entrepreneur to act on the opportunities that present to him, in order to create competitive advantage for his company. His company does not need to be about revolutionary technology, new designs or new products. He does not need to be an inspirational writer, a painter or an architect. He is creative because he made that first very important step of becoming an entrepreneur. So, not all entrepreneurs are innovative, however those who are, shape the world we live in with their creations. Innov ation is the next step of creativity; it is its materialisation and the means to generate wealth. It is, or it can be, the financial link between ones thoughts and fantasies with the economy. Creativity is the heart of entrepreneurship and innovation is the oxygen that is keeping it alive. Creativity needs a spark and innovation needs fuel. These are provided in the form of physical rewards and generation of wealth; money. Money has been blamed for many things, and most of the times rightly so, however, together with an inherited ability and need for humans to be creative, it is the most common motive for business creativity and innovation. Not the only, but one of the most significant reasons why people want to become entrepreneurs and push themselves to create something new, something exciting, something that other people, many other people, will buy. So creativity and innovation are fundamental factors of wealth generation which is the cornerstone of our capitalistic economic system, which is the only applicable economic system in the world, as we speak. One can even go as far as saying that creativity and innovation is business. Is the creative process a way to trigger self-actualisation and motivation? The question about what motivates us humans to do what we do, to wake up in the morning to go to work, to wait three hours in the rain in order to buy tickets for our favourite pop group or to create new art, technology and literature has fascinated many people before, among them many famous philosophers, like Hume and Kant. When someone first asks about what motivates us to do what we do, the first answer he will usually receive is money. However, this in not, in the majority of times, true, or at least, not the entire truth. Self-actualisation is the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming (Goble, 1970). Maslow in his theory of basic needs, states that the goals for self-actualisation are as fundamental as those of education, continues learning and self-improvement and creativity. These goals or some may say needs or fundamentals of human existence promote and focus on learning in relationship to imagination, creativity, experience and challenge. However, all these notions are interconnected between them. Learning, experience and creativity are essential to self-actualisation, as self-actualisation is a fundamental requirement for learning and creativity. The idea of self-actualisation comes from Maslow. He describes two human need systems; the deficiency needs system, also called D values, and the Being system, also called B values. D values denote the defensive nature of humans that leads us to be as safe as possible in all situations, but sometimes stops us from experiencing, improving and growing, and B values are the opposite, is what drives us to learn, experience, get in love, try new things and enhance our abilities, taking risks. According to Maslow, the most self-actualised people are mature adults with a history of a productive involvement in their work (Maslow, 1943). Creativity is one of the fundamental ways to trigger self-actualisation and motivation. When one is creative, he feels good about himself, he feels and is productive, his blood rushes through his veins and his mind is on fire. He is creating something new, he is full of energy and confidence. Also, usually creativity means being social, coming in contact with many people, who themselves are creative and exchanging ideas and opinions, networking, interacting and synthesising hunches and observations to theories and great ideas. Just the process of doing so is what motivates many people and the result and excitement to see your idea materialised what motivates the rest (Becherer, 2008). High self-confidence and belief to you, to your abilities and what you can do, which comes from being creative, being alive and contributing to the society, are the basic ingredients of self-actualisation, which lead you to accomplish your targets, and set new, which again kick-start the creative process that triggers your motivation and enhances your self-actualisation. The creative process, self-actualisation and motivation are all parts of human nature. How creativity can help us in problem solving process? The first step of problem solving is to define the problem. Although this may sound trivial, in many cases it is not. Many people and organisations rush in to tackle a problem by finding a solution, without previously knowing that the problem really is. So, to achieve a solution, one first has to fully understand the problem. Once the problems have been clearly defined, the most important factor in solving it is creativity. Creativity is required in order to create a ask the right questions about the problem and find the correct and appropriate answers to them, creativity is necessary in order to provide out of the box ideas and suggestions and creativity is what defines the process of finding a new way in doing things. Brainstorming is a very popular way to solve a problem and it is a characteristically creative method. It involves the rapid exchange of ideas, any ideas, about the solution to a specific problem. What it does actually is to help people to come up with out of the box unconventional ideas and solutions, which in the majority of times are the combination of various ideas that are thrown during the start of the brainstorming session (McNamara, 2010). Also, creativity is what helps us to overcome the, very natural and common negative initial reaction to a problem; the anger and despair that a problem can cause, and actually make something good out of a bad situation but putting our minds and talents to work in order to find a solution that may just not be the solution to one problem but many (McNamara, 2010). A good example of a very creative solution to a common problem that later became a lifesaving method in medicine is the use of ultrasounds. When the first metallic ships and buildings started to appear, a problem manifested in the form of cracks in the metals that had the potential to result in catastrophic failure. The solution that was improvised in order to detect such material failures was the use of ultrasounds. Soon enough ultrasounds were used in humans to image their anatomy and monitor their health. Ultrasounds are nowadays used in every hospital, having a variety of applications such as in obstetrics, oncology and dermatology. Problem solving requires the generation, the production of something new; a new idea, a new device, a new product or new services. This is what creativity is. Examples of organisations that foster Creativity process Dyson One of the most creative and innovating companies in the UK is of course Dyson. Dyson is a modern British icon of design, functionality, creativity and innovations. The company was started in 1933 by James Dyson, an inventor and designer, after he graduated from the Royal College of Art. What started as a tiny company with a single product, a vacuum cleaner, developed in a tiny workshop in the backward of Sir Dysons family house, is now a multinational company, that sells its products in over 50 countries and which employs more than 3,000 people. The companys headquarters are located in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, UK (Dyson, 2012). Technological innovations such as the cyclone technology and the air multiplier technology have changed the industry of commercial home appliances, giving tremendous status to Dyson. The company makes extensive use of computer aided design software as well as 3D printing and 3D visualisation technologies. It also actively promotes creativity and innovation by encouraging its employees to come forward with new ideas, and by having weekly brainstorming sessions where all employees, no maters their speciality and rank, can seat together and exchange ideas in order to provide solutions in existing problems or suggest new products, technologies and methods. The company also promotes training and education, as it is a firm supporter of the notion that the more your get involved and study something in depth, the more creative ideas arise (Dyson, 2012). In 2002 Sir Dyson founded the James Dyson foundation to support design and engineering education, and the creative process. Google Google is one of the most powerful and rich companies in the world. The company was founded in 1998 and it became a public limited company in 2004. Google currently employs more than 53,000 people worldwide. The companys headquarters, Googleplex, are located in Mountain View, California, United States (Google, 2012). Google is not just an innovator in terms of technology, networking, mobile applications and the internet, but also in terms of company structure and employee motivation and creativity encouragement techniques. One of its most popular and innovative company policies is what Google calls personal projects time (Google, 2012). In essence Google allows and encourages every one of its employees to spend a whole day, every week, working on their personal projects and ideas. Also the company has created an internal blackboard that all personal finished projects are published for testing and for generation of discussion, cooperation and the creation of even more, more advanced projects. Finally, these projects are published on the internet, on Google Labs, for everyone to test and feedback. Google actively promotes and supports innovation and creativity and has faith on the abilities of its employees to deliver outstanding new ideas and products. It is a company founded on a great idea and still working towards the next great idea. It provides a work environment that is designed to keep its employees happy and satisfied and cater to all their needs, in order for them to be able to give back their great ideas. It promotes communication, freedom of expression and clearly sets the priority targets which are none other than the generation of new great ideas and the improvement of old. It is an environment that creativity is not forced, it just happens. Google search, Android, Google Maps and Google Goggles are but a few of the results of the abundance of creativity that this company has (Google, 2012). Apple Apple Inc. is nowadays considered the most innovative company in the world. Its products are rapidly reaching legendary status, with their names being used, in many occasions, to define an entire market sector and not just a product. The IPad is a good example of Apples innovation. Apple actually created the marketplace for tablet PC with its introduction of IPad. Many people will refer to any tablet PC as an IPad. The same goes for the IPhone which was the first, real, smartphone, the smartphone that started the revolution we live today (Apple, 2012). Steven Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple Inc. back in 1977. Jobs and Wozniak worked in Jobs parents garage in order to create the first Apple PC. Nowadays, Apple employs more than 73,000 people around the world, has its headquarters in a 130,000 square metres in Cupertino, California, USA and generates an annual turnover in excess of 156 billion US dollars (Apple, 2012). Apple Inc. is not just a huge, very successful, very profitable company; it is one of the very few companies in the world that successfully combines, promotes and excels in creativity, innovation and design. Products like the Ipad, the Iphone and the Ipod, combine the creativity and vision of a company, and of a very charismatic man, Steven Jobs, who sought to develop (create) new revolutionary products, with innovation of continuously updating and upgrading, introducing new and improved versions with design, aesthetically pleasing, trendy, fashionable devices that are more than a mobile phone or a portable PC, they are status enchanting, life-style items (Business, 2009). Many companies have attempted to do this, very few have achieved it and only a handful have mastered it. Apple is a level above them. Of course this is not just down to the vision and charisma of Steven Jobs. Apple employs some of the most creative mind in the world and provides the conditions for them to create and innovate. The image of Steven Jobs walking around the office barefooted, chatting with his employees about ideas he or they has is characteristic about the company culture (Deutschman, 2010). In building nurseries, a small clinic, dentist, even a virtual reality game suits and more than twelve restaurants are but some of the benefits that Apple employees enjoy. Apple employees are encouraged to think outside the box, to speak up and always share their thoughts, opinions, as well as projects and ideas with their colleagues. It is an inspiring environment that actively promotes thinking. However, Apple has also contributed in the business creativity and innovation field its influence, or the influence its huge success has, to hundreds of other companies, most of them its competitors. Apple has forced its competitors to rethink their products and sales techniques, to focus on design, to innovate. Apple has made other companies creative, by changing the market and the consumers. Apple is a company that its actions reverberate in the entire business and consuming world, as well as in the technological developments of our era. Universities As the topic of this assignment requests for examples of institutes that promote creative thinking and creativity, Universities would not be mentioned here. Although, technically Universities are not companies, so they do not promote business creativity per say, they are the places, the incubators, where the next generation of CEOs, entrepreneurs, managers and directors are bummed. They are the places from where most great ideas start, and although some do not make it to the real world, some do and they change it, they live their mark and the mark of their creator on it. Examples like Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook, David Dell and Dell computers and Erik Wallenberg and Tetra Pak (Leander, 1996), are but few of thousands of great ideas that started in University. Universities are for some the most creative places in the world. They take kids and turn them into scientists and business man and leaders. Although corporate entrepreneurship does not apply here in the sense that applies with Google and Apple, individual imagination, radical viewing of the world and an environment that is designed particularly to direct the mind to create, to dream and image, more than makes up for it. The young human mind, still unshaped, still uncorrupted by the do-nots and should-nots of our world, has an unimaginable capacity for creativity, innovation and ideas generation. It only needs direction and encouragement. Universities are the creativity centres of this world. Corporations have to work closely with them in order to use this creativity in the production processes, as well as in business, for the production of new products and services and for the generation of wealth, and for the betterment of the humankind. Conclusion Creativity and innovation is the foundation of business development and the driving force behind the improvement in the quality of living the western societies have experienced the last centuries. Business is about profit and the generation of wealth. However, what motivates individuals is not just money. The human need to create and to contribute to the society, being social and belonging to a group or a big family, is a fundamental factor of creativity and innovation. Self-actualisation and status is also closely related with creativity. I think, there for I am (Britannica, 2012), to the words of Descartes, a 17th century French philosopher. Hoverer, creativity and innovation is not just food for the mind and the needs of us humans. Creativity and innovation is what has shared the world we leave in today. From the first human being that created the wheel, to creation of Democracy in ancient Greece, and from the industrial revolution to the digital revolution of our era, creativity, materialised to innovation, is everywhere, is our everyday life, our education, entertainment and work, our existence. Creativity can help us solve problems in our personal lives as well as in our business lives and can help a company overcome hard times and go from near bankruptcy to being one of the biggest and richest companies in the world (Apple). More importantly, creativity is that makes us better, what makes opens our minds and makes us see things differently and act differently. It has to be promoted, protected, and encouraged, by businesses, universities and governments alike. One can say that as the only intelligent species on this world, actually the only intelligent species known to exist in the Cosmos, is our destiny to create.

How I See Television :: Personal Narrative Media Entertainment Essays

How I See Television I love television with all my heart, I also hate it with a passion. I have many reasons for my emotional dyslexic connection to television. I love the feeling I get when Thursday rolls around and the Apprentice is on NBC. Who will be eliminated tonight? What will their task be? I love Home and Garden Television. They do home renovations in two days time, show us how to plan and carry out a fabulous dinner party in an evening, and demonstrate how to create fabulous decorations for any holiday season. DIY or Do It Yourself television is equally inspiring, though neither are actually inspiring enough for me to have attempted any of the projects I learned about, but that is beside the point. When I would talk about different shows, my friend would get a confused look on his face and say, â€Å"I’m not familiar with that show, if it’s not on PBS then I wouldn’t have seen it.† That is the defining statement of a PBS snob, he admits it. Different people could fill in the ‘PBS’ designation with the ‘History Channel’ or the ‘Discovery Channel’. At that point I knew it was futile to even attempt to convey how funny the show was that I watched, it would have been lost on him. There is a sense of superiority when people say, â€Å"Oh, I don’t watch television.† Like we immediately picture them reading War and Peace instead of watching the finale of The Bachelor. I think of them as alcoholics that don’t allow themselves to watch any television because they would soon find themselves sitting among stacks of pizza boxes and bags of trash, watching Stella plan her big day on â€Å"Whose We dding is it Anyway?† It’s on HGTV if you are interested. Last year we signed up with Dish Network and now get about four hundred channels. Part of the package includes a PVR, or personal video recorder. We can record up to 60 hours of programming and watch a recorded show while another is recording. My goal is to avoid commercials as they waste valuable time. Several months ago, actually it was four days before the presidential election, our television started acting funny with squiggly lines every so often.

Movie Review: Water Essay

Deepa Mehta’s movie entitled â€Å"Water† is a depiction of women and religion strugle within the culture of India. The characters in this story provided an attempt to justify the significance of women and religion to their society. The water in this movie played an important role into the characterization of the personas. It shows the main character’s personality and the being as the story progresses. However, it was not a just a simple of womanhood but a sturcture of a childhood persona. The main character is a young woman with a dead husband at the age of 8 years old. The writer and director of this film, generalized the concept of oppression towards women identity and struggle. Mehta wanted to justify the clashes between the concept of being a woman and the way on how women perceived religion. It was seen that the main character chose her family rather than the religion that she has. The whole story focused its attention on the culture and tradition of India when it comes to women and religion. Even if the director used different images and symbols that tackles the issues of the society, she still stands towards the issue of women especially on how religion perceived their character as part of the society. It is a dramatization of fear, anger, and dilemma of the main character towards her environnment. She is full of struggle throughout the movie that gave her the capability tp stand towards her beliefs. However, despite of her conviction when it comes to her social issues, personal problems occured within her especially financial circumstances. In conclusion to this, the whole story is simple but made a dramatic construction of the issues that are needed to obtain. At the end of the story, there is no concrete solution within the main persona and all her existing conflicts in life. Nevertheless, the writer and director discussed all the relevant issues that are connected to the main conflict as a way of justifying the thoughts and angst of the moral society. Reference Mehta, D. â€Å"Water†