Case Study of Personal Constructs Theory (PCT)

Case Study of Personal Constructs Theory (PCT) Title/Abstract In this study we aim to provide an analysis of a subjects problems using the Personal Constructs Theory (PCT) suggested by Kelly. The subject is a 35 year old female full time employee working in the same company as the researcher and has shown no barriers to construing. The subjects problems with her relationships have been determined using the Repertory grid interview and we discuss results and provide an analysis of the findings following the interview and data collection. The interview was done to identify elements within the clients relationships and all interview limitations have been considered for the study. We provide an analysis of Personal Constructs Theory in general giving a brief overview of its main premises and principles and then move on to its applications including the Grid interview technique on our client. We discuss the results and analyse the findings accordingly. Introduction George Kellys Personal Construct Theory (PCT) emphasises that the world is perceived by a person according to the meaning the person applies to it and the person has the freedom to choose a meaning according to what he or she wants (Kelly, 1955). Thus a person has the freedom to choose a meaning in terms of which he perceives the world and can apply alternative constructions or meanings to his past, present and future events. Thus a person is not a victim of his events but can liberate himself from unpleasant events by reinterpreting and redefining them. According to Kelly (1955) PCT attempts to explain why a man does what he does and is a theory about how the human process flows, how it strives in new directions as well as in old, and how it may dare for the first time to reach into the depths of newly perceived dimensions Kelly states that a persons processes are psychologically channelized by the ways in which he anticipate the events'(1955). Here, the subject is the process and the individual is a behaving organism who may need an external force to initiate an event. The processes include those of self-definition and relationships with others, and how we interpret events around us as well as the events we perceive and tasks at hand (Kelly 1955). Kelly based his theory of PCT on man as the scientist model and the basic points were as follows: the individual creates his or her own ways of seeing the world and interprets events according to how he perceive them the individual builds percepts and constructs; these constructs are organized into systems, or group of constructs which embody relationships; two or more systems may contain the same events, yet the events are separate from any of the systems; any individuals systems have a definite foci The term construct is a concept that represents the view a person has constructed about the world as he experiences it. Constructs also represent the way a person is likely to construe the world and the construct system as a whole represents the history and predisposition to perceive the world in a particular way. Kelly also distinguished between social reality, individual reality and communality. Individuality denotes that every individual differ from each other in how they construct or perceive the world, communality refers to the underlying similarities or common elements in perception and how the construction of experience in one person is similar to that of another (Kelly, 1955). Social reality is perception of how one person construes the construction processes of another person and how they are involved in a social role. Personal construct theory has been used in several sociological and scientific disciplines and it has been emphasised that social reality and communality should be considered along with the individual or personal reality and both have to be considered together in developing an understanding of the psychological processes (Dalton, 1992). The theory of Personal Constructs, points out that it is our personal psychological constructs that make the world predictable. We use construct systems to help in perception of the world and respond to all situations according to these perceptions. Our construct systems help us to make sense of the world, to make it predictable, to draw conclusions about causes and effects and we learn from experiences and adjust our behaviour accordingly (Fransella, 1995). Kelly wrote that the construct systems influence our expectations and perceptions and reflect our past experiences according to which we shape our future expectations. For example since we known from our past experiences that winters are cold, we would take adequate measures of protection during winter because we expect winters to be cold. However according to Kelly, our construct systems grow and change and are not static and are either confirmed or challenged when we are conscious. We adapt and immunise our constructs according to the situation and alter our feelings according to our experiences. We also tend to think and react according to our construct systems and some constructs represent values and key relationships which are difficult to change and fixed whereas some other constructs are less complex and more flexible and adaptive. The truth about the world as understood and experienced determines the nature of the construct system. Construct systems are not generally judged according to any objective truth and depend on an individuals personal feelings, perceptions and choices (Dalton, 1992). One individuals construct system may be different from anothers and when there is a general disagreement in constructs, it is generally denoted by prejudice or preconception. Although conflicts and differences of opinions are unpleasant, these events help us to understand differences in people and help us to learn how other people perceive things (Stevens, 1996). However construct systems change and may not be altogether internally consistent. People may react or perceive things differently even in similar circumstances and this is normal as there is a certain degree of internal inconsistency in perception of events. Distortions of judgement due to internal inconsistency of personal constructs can be harmful for a person as he may suffer from personal distress. The extent to which one person can appreciate and react to another persons constructs is a measure of empathy or how one perceives another (Banister, 1985). One persons construct system may be markedly different from another p ersons constructs yet one should be able to infer the other persons construct in order to empathise and develop a sense of social oneness and responsibility. Kellys theory is one of the most effective theories in social research and helps to provide a psychological explanation of social similarities and differences. The applications of Kellys theory of Personal constructs are wide and varied as it helps to provide mathematical representations of constructs systems. Construct systems are multidimensional mathematical models and a persons language is used to classify his or her experiences. Kelly developed a number of mathematical models and representations of construct systems and tested hypotheses that followed from basic personal construct theory (Fransella and Bannister, 1977). To understand peoples personal construct systems the repertory Grid Interview technique was developed, also known as the Role Construct Repertory Test. The repertoire of constructs that a person develops represents some form of perception, judgement or evaluation and is always comparative. Thus judgement of anything good is in comparison with the concept of bad. Thus in using a Grid interview three elements are considered and then two are paired in contrast with a third. The theory of personal constructs can be applied to personal experiences and relationships and so parents, relations, friends, colleagues and the individual are largely responsible for the formation of constructs (Smith et al, 1995; Kalekin-Fishman et al, 1996). Kelly elicited a patients constructs, rated the different elements on the constructs and used the resultant grid to point out to the client what his primary problems or concerns were. This helped to decide which therapy would be important and helped to determine the progress and effectiveness of therapy. For example one could find the two elements in a personal relationship of a patient and his mother and use this technique to find out differences between a patients perception of himself and what his mother would like him to be. The patient would then be encouraged to provide a self description and work through means of making his relationship with his mother more pleasant and productive. If there are paranoid elements recognised in a patients perception of himself or his relationships, appropriate therapeutic interventions are suggested. The Repertory Grid interviewing technique was developed by Kelly to overcome some of the methodological limitations of the interview method. The main steps of the Grid technique include 1. Selecting a set of elements – this could be anything from relationships to issues and the elements could be people involved in these relationships with the client. 2. The elements are taken in groups of three and the client is asked to pair two of them separating the third according to a special characteristic (Adams-Webber, 1983). Thus here the differentiation is done according to constructs determined by the client and is done on a bipolar scale with the interviewer setting up the question but the client determining the content (Anderson, 1987). The constructs are examined in some detail and after the interview the constructs are made into scales of 1-5 and the interviewee is expected to rate every element for every construct on this scale. The result is a matrix and this is then analysed statistically to show the client his problems and how they can be tackled. The statistical analysis helps to give measurements of individual people characteristics and compares peoples perceptions before and after the interview. The Grid is thus a statistical, and content free process and although the interviewer initiates its functions, it is the patient who drives it allowing him to come out with his own perceptions thus giving the process a freedom from any interviewer bias and allows complete transparency(Anderson, 1987). Since it is also a standardised interviewing technique any interviewer can read the interview and understand its implications. Russell and Cox (2003) and Morrison (1991) have stressed on the importance of repertory grid in the analysis of individual perceptions. Considering Kellys constructivist alternativism, we can assume that all our present perceptions of the world could be subject to changes and revisions and accordingly our perceptions of people and subsequently our interpersonal relationships could also be changed according to this principle. Method A 35 year old female colleague, Marie Oliver was selected for the interview process. The client was having some relationship problems, especially with her work colleagues and has been showing maladjustment along with problems of anxiety, depression and lack of productivity at work. The participant was apprised of the purpose of the interviewing and was asked to participate suggesting that participation in the interview would help her in overcoming her personal problems. A Repertory Grid Interview was done and the first step was identifying elements or grid components. For this all the possible elements including people in relationships were identified. Thus elements are work colleagues known to the participant and to the researcher, and the participant used triad method with the elements to create constructs around any one chosen topic. Elements were then compared by asking participant to take 3 elements and ascertain where 2 are similar and 1 is different, and the participant was en couraged to continue until all possible combinations were exhausted of 3 elements from the set of 10. The instruction given in this case was , choose any three of these known people and group two of them together separating a possible third to show why two of them are similar and how they differ from the third person. This process was used to identify similarities and differences of individuals until the participant ran out of constructs. Several mini-grids were developed in advance to ensure that the participant was comfortable with the process of grid construction. Then the Participant followed the process, generated the first grid, to ascertain whether each element is more like the similarity pole or difference pole by marking with x or o respectively. The participant then generated a second grid to rate each element on each of the 10 constructs using 1-5 point scale, but presented the grid to experimenter without ratings, experimenter then created the final grid as the participant. The main aim and purpose of the interview was agreed with the participant and views about other work colleagues were thus taken. The participant was fully informed from outset regarding the possibility that the revelations from the Grid Interview could be unsettling for her. However for these purposes, participants consent form was also signed in advance and the constructs were then set up on the grid allowing to be revealed. In the process of the interview, the researcher made notes on participant behaviour and perceptions as verbally revealed. In this case, the participant Marie was asked to identify the elements in her workplace that could be considered in her relationships with colleagues. Marie identified 10 colleagues at her workplace and separated two of them as distinct from a third. The common points and the differences were noted. Each of the 10 constructs chosen were rated on a 1-5 scale and the grids were created with similarity and difference poles marked by x or an o. This was done in case of determining constructs and relationships with work colleagues. After the formation of a grid, an analysis was drawn up. Findings/Analysis The two assumptions of the Grid Interview by Kelly were as follows: 1. If we can identify an individuals construct map there is a strong possibility we can predict that individuals behaviour. 2. We may be able to modify an individuals map, and therefore behaviour, by some form of training. The two aspects of the Repertory Grid are 1. Elements which are the objects of an individuals thinking and to which they relate their concepts or values. These elements may be people with qualities like effective, unprofessional, etc or they may be objects or abstract, concrete concepts like the interview or a test 2. Constructs are the qualities used to describe the elements in our personal, individual relationships thus a person is effective because he has a pleasant relationship with his staff which reflects personal construct as applied to the element of an effective individual The main elements in an analysis when a grid is applied to an individual are: 1. The results relate to that individual alone 2. Only one grid has to be analysed for an individuals report. 3. A grid scoring form is used to perform the analysis The Findings and Analysis help us to probe the following questions: To what extent was the study helpful in understanding the participants view of the topic of examination? Identification and justification of apparent areas of understanding and lack of understanding Is a pattern of understanding evident? How does the analysis link with the notes made prior to completing grids on expected areas of degree of understanding? What is the meaning revealed by the participants choice of elements and constructs? Do the elements and constructs reveal a similar or different view of the topic of analysis chosen? What does the degree of the match imply? Was the study any more helpful when conversation elaboration was also used as an extended method? Is some analysis of new understandings reached during feedback conversation helpful for the process? What do the notes and quotes as revealed by the client suggest? The findings are given as follows: Degree of similarity Elements (Mostly worked together with these individuals) Close agreement on 4, 5, 6 – elements Less agreement on 9 – element (Mostly worked separately with these individuals) Little agreement on 1,2,3,7,8,10- elements with different negative personal experiences working with E7 and E8 on particular projects. Degree of similarity – Constructs Close agreement on 6 – constructs (professional conduct). Upon discussion, views were similar regarding the meaning of professional conduct and who could be trusted. Less agreement on 1,3,4,5,7,9 – constructs. Upon discussion, researcher and client shared similar/same definitions of each construct. Differences in definitions regarding Constructs Little agreement on 2,8,10 constructs. Upon discussion, our definitions were different, hence our measurement of each element came from a different understanding of constructs. The elements identified by Marie were individuals at the workplace and Marie revealed that she worked closely with elements 4, 5 and 6 although had less agreement with element or colleague 9. Marie revealed that she has worked separately and had negative personal experiences with colleagues identified as elements 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 and 10 although she said she was working on the same project with two of these negatively perceived colleagues 7 and 8. Mari suggested a close agreement with 6 on professional conduct and said that her views with 6 were similar regarding professional conduct, friendships and trust issues as to who in the office should or should not be trusted. Marie suggested that her constructs were either in contrast to or were not compatible with those of 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 9 elements or colleagues identified. Marie and the researcher had some discussions on the nature and definition of particular perceptions and constructs and the general definition of these identified by th e researcher were similar to that of the subject. The subjects perceptions, feedback and opinions on the constructs were noted separately. Marie identified that two of the colleagues were friendly and amicable and compared with the other person who in contrast has been described as unfriendly and not easy to get along with. The Repertory Grid Scoring sheet is drawn as follows: Pairs similarities 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 empathy Work culture attitude friendliness knowledgeable Team orientedness Good style appearance leadership helpfulness The process of producing the Repertory Grid can be broken down into the following steps: Step One The participant Marie identifies ten colleagues whom she knows well. Among these ten colleagues Marie should go along well with at least two of them ideally. Step Two – Marie is given six pieces of card or paper on which she is asked to write the names of the people she has identified. These are the elements described. A number can also be added to the card/paper to signify description and added at the head of column on the scoring sheet. Alternatively, the name itself of the element identified can be entered on the scoring sheet as well. Step Three – Three cards are selected, for example 1, 2 and 3, and Marie is asked to identify some aspect related to these colleagues behaviour which makes two of the three people selected different from the third. The construct word or phrase is written in the top left side of the vertical columns. In the top right side of the vertical columns is written the description of the person one who is different from the other two. This process of obtaining constructs from the three people is continued until no further constructs or perceived characteristics could be elicited from the participant. Step Four – Once the constructs have been completely elicited and entered on the scoresheet, the cards are returned. Each element person is then given a score on a scale of 1 to 5. A score of 1 or 2 is allocated to those who are suited to the description in the left-hand column, the column with the description of the pair. Scores of 5 or 4 are allocated to those who match with the description in the right-hand column, the description of the odd person out Step Five – A different set of three cards is then selected, cards 4, 5 and 6 and the process in steps 3 and 4 is repeated, ensuring that the description of pairs is recorded in the left-hand column and a score of 1 or 2 relates to the pairs similarity and score points of 4 and 5 relate to the description of the single person. A score of 3 is average score. A score of at least one 1 and one 5 is helpful when allocated usually from the set of three people for whom the constructs are being elicited. Step Six – Step five is repeated and the various combinations of the elements are aimed to be covered until the participants run out of perceived characteristics or constructs that could be entered on the card. After the grid consideration, the grid scoring sheet is used to record the views of the participant for each element against each construct which has been offered. The data collected is then subject to analysis. A manual analysis can generate and extract considerable information from the grid and all the constructs are related to the personal characteristics of each work colleague considered in the study by Marie. Step Seven – In this case study we consider the behavioural aspects of work colleagues of Marie which is related to their overall friendliness, therefore at the end of the grid Marie is asked to rate the elements in a single, given construct over a scale of friendly to unfriendly. The scoring for friendliness is then compared with other individual aspects to highlight differences and to provide indicators for friendliness. Step Eight – The scores for each construct are obtained by marking the difference for each element against the general friendliness figure. Step Nine – In this phase, we analyse the various constructs on the basis that if the score is low the aspect measured is significant in the ranking for friendliness It is the duty of interviewer to remain without any bias and to refrain from giving any suggestion to the participant on what constructs should be drawn. Forming the constructs is entirely dependent on the participant and the researcher has no role in its formation. They must be according to the thoughts and perceptions of the individual who is being interviewed in this case, Marie although the constructs must be clear, meaningful. Here the analyst has helped her in one or two cases when she couldnt describe the construct and sought help of the analyst to come out with the right word. After the constructs are listed against the elements, the grid results are scored and are ready to be used for analysis. From the example used in this study -the aspects which go towards the behavioural skills of colleague at work, are identified as follows: Has empathy with other colleagues Has a proper work culture and attitude Has an ethical sense Is friendly and amicable Is knowledgeable and professional Always has a good style and appearance Is a team oriented person Is a leader in the group Comes out with fresh new ideas Is helpful and cooperative Discussion In this study we selected Marie Oliver, a 35 year old colleague who was suffering from some initial maladjustment in the workplace. Marie was asked to participate in the Repertory Grid Interview process to identify the reasons of her problems, categorise them and come out with possible suggestions. The approach taken was qualitative analysis by using the Personal Constructs theory developed by Kelly and a final analysis using scoring sheet and identifying elements through the Repertory Grid Interview technique. Marie was asked to select characteristics and constructs of persons in her workplace. She identified the most desirable and friendly characteristics in her colleagues against the least desirable ones. The notes taken during conversation with Marie reveal that Marie felt she got along only with a few colleagues only three as mentioned. There were basic differences in professional ethic and conduct with at least two colleagues she was working in collaboration with. The behavioural skills Marie identified as important in defining her good relationship with the colleagues are empathic characteristics in others; any concept of an ideal colleague is also associated with being able to follow a proper work culture and having a proper attitude. Having an ethical sense, a sense of justice and being knowledgeable, professional with a good sense of humour are also identified as important characteristics in a proper friendly colleague. Marie indicated that being friendly, amicable and with good style and appearance has been noted in at least two of her colleagues and this is stark contrast to a third colleague she identified and with whom she doesnt seem to get along. If we consider Kellys perspective of constructive alternativism, it is possible to have alternative perceptions as our perceptions of the world depend completely on our personal constructs. Marie also identified leadership skills, helpfulness and cooperativeness, being able to come out with fresh ideas and following a proper work culture as important aspects of professional behaviour and gave high scores on these aspects to at least two of her colleagues. Overall, a Repertory Grid Interview on Marie showed that she has good and easygoing relations with two of her colleagues but doesnt seem to go well with many of them. The negative implications of the findings which suggest why Marie did not get along with most of her colleagues and seem to show anxiety and depression symptoms as well as dissatisfaction with her workplace were revealed in her perception of constructs on most of her colleagues. Marie suggested that some of her colleagues were low on cooperativeness and helpfulness, friendliness and proper professional attitude making the atmosphere competitive and hostile. The dynamics of Maries actual relations with her colleagues were thus revealed using this Grid interviewing procedure and Maries own perception of her work situation, perception of her situation and role in the office, and perception of her relations with her colleagues and her job were also revealed through this study. As Morrison (1991) used the repertory grid technique to understand nurses perception of care and their evaluation of caring attitudes in nursing, Maries perception of her work culture could easily reveal her ideal understanding of a workplace and what she sought in her colleagues. Her inner constructs, precepts and how she saw the world as an individual were revealed and so were her expectations in the future. Considering Maries perceptions, some psychological counselling to improve her working and professional relationships was recommended. Limitations: The methodological limitations and concerns of interview as a means of knowing peoples construct system were many, as noted by Kelly. These are: 1. Interview Bias – sometimes the interviewer and the school he belongs to whether behaviourist or psychoanalytic could determine the way the session goes and this undermines the objectivity and validity of the study 2. Dependence on the interviewer – the role of the therapist should be minimal and the therapist should just be a tool to facilitate self perception according to Kelly. Most individuals have the capacity to understand his or her problems and any overdependence on the researcher should be avoided. 3. There may be problems with measuring and predicting individual or group characteristics. Although psychology seeks to understand laws of human behaviour, large scale studies showing correlations of different behaviour may not be helpful for study of personal constructs which is based on the understanding of individuals or a small group of people. These methodological limitations have been kept in mind while conducting the interview and interviewer bias and any dependence on the interviewer has been kept to a minimum. Interviewer intervention has also been minimal. Conclusion: In this discussion, we set out with an overview of the Personal Constructs Theory proposed by Kelly (1955). We discussed the different tenets of the constructs theory, the inconsistency of personal constructs and how constructs tend to vary in different people or in same people in different situations. Thus situational factors seem important in constructs and perceptions on other people. Individual constructs form the construct systems and Kelly established the grid method to determine the different elements in a social situation that can be considered as responsible for an individuals disturbed social relationships. In our study of Marie Oliver, a 35 year old employee, her social relationships and possible disturbances were studied using the Repertory Grid Interview technique and her analysis of good and bad characteristics of ten of her colleagues were indicated on the card given to her. The scores were drawn up and according to the analysis the desirable characteristics that Marie perceived in some of her workmates and not in others, were found out. Maries behavioural problems and her unique relationships with her colleagues are then analysed suggesting whether Marie needed any further psychological help for her anxiety, depression and other work related maladjustments. Bibliography Kelly, George Alexander The psychology of personal constructs / George A. Kelly. London : Routledge in association with Centre for Personal Construct Psychology,London, 1991, c1955. Dalton, Peggy. A psychology for living : personal construct theory for professionals and clients / Peggy Dalton and Gavin Dunnett. Chichester : J. Wiley Sons, 1992. University of London. An application of personal construct theory (Kelly) to schizoid thinking. University of London, 1959. Fransella, Fay. George Kelly / Fay Fransella. London : Sage, 1995. Anderson, N. Personality assessment in the graduate milkround interview : A personal construct psychology perspective and study using repertory grid technique. Birmingham : University of Aston Management Centre, 1987. Fransella. F, Bannister. D. 1977. A Manual for Repertory grid technique. Academic Press. London. Bannister, P et al. (1994) Qualitative Methods in Psychology Buckingham: Open University Press. Bannister, D. (1985) (Ed) Issues and approaches in personal construct theory London: Academic Press, 1985 Stevens, R (1996) Understanding the Self London: Open University Sage. Kalekin-Fishman, Devorah. and Walker, Beverley. (1996) The Construction of Group Realities: culture, society and personal construct theory. Malabar: Krieger. Bannister, D. Mair, J. (1968) The Evaluation of Personal Constructs London: Academic Press Smith JA, Harre R, Van Langenhove (1995) Rethinking Methods in Psychology London: Sage. Jack Adams-Webber (Editor) (1983) Applications of Personal Construct Theory Academic Press. The emergence of new intentions in subjective experience: A social/personal constructionist and relational understanding Journal of Vocational Behavior, Volume 64, Issue 3, June 2004, Pages 485-498 Mary Sue Richardson Per Case Study of Personal Constructs Theory (PCT) Case Study of Personal Constructs Theory (PCT) Title/Abstract In this study we aim to provide an analysis of a subjects problems using the Personal Constructs Theory (PCT) suggested by Kelly. The subject is a 35 year old female full time employee working in the same company as the researcher and has shown no barriers to construing. The subjects problems with her relationships have been determined using the Repertory grid interview and we discuss results and provide an analysis of the findings following the interview and data collection. The interview was done to identify elements within the clients relationships and all interview limitations have been considered for the study. We provide an analysis of Personal Constructs Theory in general giving a brief overview of its main premises and principles and then move on to its applications including the Grid interview technique on our client. We discuss the results and analyse the findings accordingly. Introduction George Kellys Personal Construct Theory (PCT) emphasises that the world is perceived by a person according to the meaning the person applies to it and the person has the freedom to choose a meaning according to what he or she wants (Kelly, 1955). Thus a person has the freedom to choose a meaning in terms of which he perceives the world and can apply alternative constructions or meanings to his past, present and future events. Thus a person is not a victim of his events but can liberate himself from unpleasant events by reinterpreting and redefining them. According to Kelly (1955) PCT attempts to explain why a man does what he does and is a theory about how the human process flows, how it strives in new directions as well as in old, and how it may dare for the first time to reach into the depths of newly perceived dimensions Kelly states that a persons processes are psychologically channelized by the ways in which he anticipate the events'(1955). Here, the subject is the process and the individual is a behaving organism who may need an external force to initiate an event. The processes include those of self-definition and relationships with others, and how we interpret events around us as well as the events we perceive and tasks at hand (Kelly 1955). Kelly based his theory of PCT on man as the scientist model and the basic points were as follows: the individual creates his or her own ways of seeing the world and interprets events according to how he perceive them the individual builds percepts and constructs; these constructs are organized into systems, or group of constructs which embody relationships; two or more systems may contain the same events, yet the events are separate from any of the systems; any individuals systems have a definite foci The term construct is a concept that represents the view a person has constructed about the world as he experiences it. Constructs also represent the way a person is likely to construe the world and the construct system as a whole represents the history and predisposition to perceive the world in a particular way. Kelly also distinguished between social reality, individual reality and communality. Individuality denotes that every individual differ from each other in how they construct or perceive the world, communality refers to the underlying similarities or common elements in perception and how the construction of experience in one person is similar to that of another (Kelly, 1955). Social reality is perception of how one person construes the construction processes of another person and how they are involved in a social role. Personal construct theory has been used in several sociological and scientific disciplines and it has been emphasised that social reality and communality should be considered along with the individual or personal reality and both have to be considered together in developing an understanding of the psychological processes (Dalton, 1992). The theory of Personal Constructs, points out that it is our personal psychological constructs that make the world predictable. We use construct systems to help in perception of the world and respond to all situations according to these perceptions. Our construct systems help us to make sense of the world, to make it predictable, to draw conclusions about causes and effects and we learn from experiences and adjust our behaviour accordingly (Fransella, 1995). Kelly wrote that the construct systems influence our expectations and perceptions and reflect our past experiences according to which we shape our future expectations. For example since we known from our past experiences that winters are cold, we would take adequate measures of protection during winter because we expect winters to be cold. However according to Kelly, our construct systems grow and change and are not static and are either confirmed or challenged when we are conscious. We adapt and immunise our constructs according to the situation and alter our feelings according to our experiences. We also tend to think and react according to our construct systems and some constructs represent values and key relationships which are difficult to change and fixed whereas some other constructs are less complex and more flexible and adaptive. The truth about the world as understood and experienced determines the nature of the construct system. Construct systems are not generally judged according to any objective truth and depend on an individuals personal feelings, perceptions and choices (Dalton, 1992). One individuals construct system may be different from anothers and when there is a general disagreement in constructs, it is generally denoted by prejudice or preconception. Although conflicts and differences of opinions are unpleasant, these events help us to understand differences in people and help us to learn how other people perceive things (Stevens, 1996). However construct systems change and may not be altogether internally consistent. People may react or perceive things differently even in similar circumstances and this is normal as there is a certain degree of internal inconsistency in perception of events. Distortions of judgement due to internal inconsistency of personal constructs can be harmful for a person as he may suffer from personal distress. The extent to which one person can appreciate and react to another persons constructs is a measure of empathy or how one perceives another (Banister, 1985). One persons construct system may be markedly different from another p ersons constructs yet one should be able to infer the other persons construct in order to empathise and develop a sense of social oneness and responsibility. Kellys theory is one of the most effective theories in social research and helps to provide a psychological explanation of social similarities and differences. The applications of Kellys theory of Personal constructs are wide and varied as it helps to provide mathematical representations of constructs systems. Construct systems are multidimensional mathematical models and a persons language is used to classify his or her experiences. Kelly developed a number of mathematical models and representations of construct systems and tested hypotheses that followed from basic personal construct theory (Fransella and Bannister, 1977). To understand peoples personal construct systems the repertory Grid Interview technique was developed, also known as the Role Construct Repertory Test. The repertoire of constructs that a person develops represents some form of perception, judgement or evaluation and is always comparative. Thus judgement of anything good is in comparison with the concept of bad. Thus in using a Grid interview three elements are considered and then two are paired in contrast with a third. The theory of personal constructs can be applied to personal experiences and relationships and so parents, relations, friends, colleagues and the individual are largely responsible for the formation of constructs (Smith et al, 1995; Kalekin-Fishman et al, 1996). Kelly elicited a patients constructs, rated the different elements on the constructs and used the resultant grid to point out to the client what his primary problems or concerns were. This helped to decide which therapy would be important and helped to determine the progress and effectiveness of therapy. For example one could find the two elements in a personal relationship of a patient and his mother and use this technique to find out differences between a patients perception of himself and what his mother would like him to be. The patient would then be encouraged to provide a self description and work through means of making his relationship with his mother more pleasant and productive. If there are paranoid elements recognised in a patients perception of himself or his relationships, appropriate therapeutic interventions are suggested. The Repertory Grid interviewing technique was developed by Kelly to overcome some of the methodological limitations of the interview method. The main steps of the Grid technique include 1. Selecting a set of elements – this could be anything from relationships to issues and the elements could be people involved in these relationships with the client. 2. The elements are taken in groups of three and the client is asked to pair two of them separating the third according to a special characteristic (Adams-Webber, 1983). Thus here the differentiation is done according to constructs determined by the client and is done on a bipolar scale with the interviewer setting up the question but the client determining the content (Anderson, 1987). The constructs are examined in some detail and after the interview the constructs are made into scales of 1-5 and the interviewee is expected to rate every element for every construct on this scale. The result is a matrix and this is then analysed statistically to show the client his problems and how they can be tackled. The statistical analysis helps to give measurements of individual people characteristics and compares peoples perceptions before and after the interview. The Grid is thus a statistical, and content free process and although the interviewer initiates its functions, it is the patient who drives it allowing him to come out with his own perceptions thus giving the process a freedom from any interviewer bias and allows complete transparency(Anderson, 1987). Since it is also a standardised interviewing technique any interviewer can read the interview and understand its implications. Russell and Cox (2003) and Morrison (1991) have stressed on the importance of repertory grid in the analysis of individual perceptions. Considering Kellys constructivist alternativism, we can assume that all our present perceptions of the world could be subject to changes and revisions and accordingly our perceptions of people and subsequently our interpersonal relationships could also be changed according to this principle. Method A 35 year old female colleague, Marie Oliver was selected for the interview process. The client was having some relationship problems, especially with her work colleagues and has been showing maladjustment along with problems of anxiety, depression and lack of productivity at work. The participant was apprised of the purpose of the interviewing and was asked to participate suggesting that participation in the interview would help her in overcoming her personal problems. A Repertory Grid Interview was done and the first step was identifying elements or grid components. For this all the possible elements including people in relationships were identified. Thus elements are work colleagues known to the participant and to the researcher, and the participant used triad method with the elements to create constructs around any one chosen topic. Elements were then compared by asking participant to take 3 elements and ascertain where 2 are similar and 1 is different, and the participant was en couraged to continue until all possible combinations were exhausted of 3 elements from the set of 10. The instruction given in this case was , choose any three of these known people and group two of them together separating a possible third to show why two of them are similar and how they differ from the third person. This process was used to identify similarities and differences of individuals until the participant ran out of constructs. Several mini-grids were developed in advance to ensure that the participant was comfortable with the process of grid construction. Then the Participant followed the process, generated the first grid, to ascertain whether each element is more like the similarity pole or difference pole by marking with x or o respectively. The participant then generated a second grid to rate each element on each of the 10 constructs using 1-5 point scale, but presented the grid to experimenter without ratings, experimenter then created the final grid as the participant. The main aim and purpose of the interview was agreed with the participant and views about other work colleagues were thus taken. The participant was fully informed from outset regarding the possibility that the revelations from the Grid Interview could be unsettling for her. However for these purposes, participants consent form was also signed in advance and the constructs were then set up on the grid allowing to be revealed. In the process of the interview, the researcher made notes on participant behaviour and perceptions as verbally revealed. In this case, the participant Marie was asked to identify the elements in her workplace that could be considered in her relationships with colleagues. Marie identified 10 colleagues at her workplace and separated two of them as distinct from a third. The common points and the differences were noted. Each of the 10 constructs chosen were rated on a 1-5 scale and the grids were created with similarity and difference poles marked by x or an o. This was done in case of determining constructs and relationships with work colleagues. After the formation of a grid, an analysis was drawn up. Findings/Analysis The two assumptions of the Grid Interview by Kelly were as follows: 1. If we can identify an individuals construct map there is a strong possibility we can predict that individuals behaviour. 2. We may be able to modify an individuals map, and therefore behaviour, by some form of training. The two aspects of the Repertory Grid are 1. Elements which are the objects of an individuals thinking and to which they relate their concepts or values. These elements may be people with qualities like effective, unprofessional, etc or they may be objects or abstract, concrete concepts like the interview or a test 2. Constructs are the qualities used to describe the elements in our personal, individual relationships thus a person is effective because he has a pleasant relationship with his staff which reflects personal construct as applied to the element of an effective individual The main elements in an analysis when a grid is applied to an individual are: 1. The results relate to that individual alone 2. Only one grid has to be analysed for an individuals report. 3. A grid scoring form is used to perform the analysis The Findings and Analysis help us to probe the following questions: To what extent was the study helpful in understanding the participants view of the topic of examination? Identification and justification of apparent areas of understanding and lack of understanding Is a pattern of understanding evident? How does the analysis link with the notes made prior to completing grids on expected areas of degree of understanding? What is the meaning revealed by the participants choice of elements and constructs? Do the elements and constructs reveal a similar or different view of the topic of analysis chosen? What does the degree of the match imply? Was the study any more helpful when conversation elaboration was also used as an extended method? Is some analysis of new understandings reached during feedback conversation helpful for the process? What do the notes and quotes as revealed by the client suggest? The findings are given as follows: Degree of similarity Elements (Mostly worked together with these individuals) Close agreement on 4, 5, 6 – elements Less agreement on 9 – element (Mostly worked separately with these individuals) Little agreement on 1,2,3,7,8,10- elements with different negative personal experiences working with E7 and E8 on particular projects. Degree of similarity – Constructs Close agreement on 6 – constructs (professional conduct). Upon discussion, views were similar regarding the meaning of professional conduct and who could be trusted. Less agreement on 1,3,4,5,7,9 – constructs. Upon discussion, researcher and client shared similar/same definitions of each construct. Differences in definitions regarding Constructs Little agreement on 2,8,10 constructs. Upon discussion, our definitions were different, hence our measurement of each element came from a different understanding of constructs. The elements identified by Marie were individuals at the workplace and Marie revealed that she worked closely with elements 4, 5 and 6 although had less agreement with element or colleague 9. Marie revealed that she has worked separately and had negative personal experiences with colleagues identified as elements 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 and 10 although she said she was working on the same project with two of these negatively perceived colleagues 7 and 8. Mari suggested a close agreement with 6 on professional conduct and said that her views with 6 were similar regarding professional conduct, friendships and trust issues as to who in the office should or should not be trusted. Marie suggested that her constructs were either in contrast to or were not compatible with those of 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 9 elements or colleagues identified. Marie and the researcher had some discussions on the nature and definition of particular perceptions and constructs and the general definition of these identified by th e researcher were similar to that of the subject. The subjects perceptions, feedback and opinions on the constructs were noted separately. Marie identified that two of the colleagues were friendly and amicable and compared with the other person who in contrast has been described as unfriendly and not easy to get along with. The Repertory Grid Scoring sheet is drawn as follows: Pairs similarities 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 empathy Work culture attitude friendliness knowledgeable Team orientedness Good style appearance leadership helpfulness The process of producing the Repertory Grid can be broken down into the following steps: Step One The participant Marie identifies ten colleagues whom she knows well. Among these ten colleagues Marie should go along well with at least two of them ideally. Step Two – Marie is given six pieces of card or paper on which she is asked to write the names of the people she has identified. These are the elements described. A number can also be added to the card/paper to signify description and added at the head of column on the scoring sheet. Alternatively, the name itself of the element identified can be entered on the scoring sheet as well. Step Three – Three cards are selected, for example 1, 2 and 3, and Marie is asked to identify some aspect related to these colleagues behaviour which makes two of the three people selected different from the third. The construct word or phrase is written in the top left side of the vertical columns. In the top right side of the vertical columns is written the description of the person one who is different from the other two. This process of obtaining constructs from the three people is continued until no further constructs or perceived characteristics could be elicited from the participant. Step Four – Once the constructs have been completely elicited and entered on the scoresheet, the cards are returned. Each element person is then given a score on a scale of 1 to 5. A score of 1 or 2 is allocated to those who are suited to the description in the left-hand column, the column with the description of the pair. Scores of 5 or 4 are allocated to those who match with the description in the right-hand column, the description of the odd person out Step Five – A different set of three cards is then selected, cards 4, 5 and 6 and the process in steps 3 and 4 is repeated, ensuring that the description of pairs is recorded in the left-hand column and a score of 1 or 2 relates to the pairs similarity and score points of 4 and 5 relate to the description of the single person. A score of 3 is average score. A score of at least one 1 and one 5 is helpful when allocated usually from the set of three people for whom the constructs are being elicited. Step Six – Step five is repeated and the various combinations of the elements are aimed to be covered until the participants run out of perceived characteristics or constructs that could be entered on the card. After the grid consideration, the grid scoring sheet is used to record the views of the participant for each element against each construct which has been offered. The data collected is then subject to analysis. A manual analysis can generate and extract considerable information from the grid and all the constructs are related to the personal characteristics of each work colleague considered in the study by Marie. Step Seven – In this case study we consider the behavioural aspects of work colleagues of Marie which is related to their overall friendliness, therefore at the end of the grid Marie is asked to rate the elements in a single, given construct over a scale of friendly to unfriendly. The scoring for friendliness is then compared with other individual aspects to highlight differences and to provide indicators for friendliness. Step Eight – The scores for each construct are obtained by marking the difference for each element against the general friendliness figure. Step Nine – In this phase, we analyse the various constructs on the basis that if the score is low the aspect measured is significant in the ranking for friendliness It is the duty of interviewer to remain without any bias and to refrain from giving any suggestion to the participant on what constructs should be drawn. Forming the constructs is entirely dependent on the participant and the researcher has no role in its formation. They must be according to the thoughts and perceptions of the individual who is being interviewed in this case, Marie although the constructs must be clear, meaningful. Here the analyst has helped her in one or two cases when she couldnt describe the construct and sought help of the analyst to come out with the right word. After the constructs are listed against the elements, the grid results are scored and are ready to be used for analysis. From the example used in this study -the aspects which go towards the behavioural skills of colleague at work, are identified as follows: Has empathy with other colleagues Has a proper work culture and attitude Has an ethical sense Is friendly and amicable Is knowledgeable and professional Always has a good style and appearance Is a team oriented person Is a leader in the group Comes out with fresh new ideas Is helpful and cooperative Discussion In this study we selected Marie Oliver, a 35 year old colleague who was suffering from some initial maladjustment in the workplace. Marie was asked to participate in the Repertory Grid Interview process to identify the reasons of her problems, categorise them and come out with possible suggestions. The approach taken was qualitative analysis by using the Personal Constructs theory developed by Kelly and a final analysis using scoring sheet and identifying elements through the Repertory Grid Interview technique. Marie was asked to select characteristics and constructs of persons in her workplace. She identified the most desirable and friendly characteristics in her colleagues against the least desirable ones. The notes taken during conversation with Marie reveal that Marie felt she got along only with a few colleagues only three as mentioned. There were basic differences in professional ethic and conduct with at least two colleagues she was working in collaboration with. The behavioural skills Marie identified as important in defining her good relationship with the colleagues are empathic characteristics in others; any concept of an ideal colleague is also associated with being able to follow a proper work culture and having a proper attitude. Having an ethical sense, a sense of justice and being knowledgeable, professional with a good sense of humour are also identified as important characteristics in a proper friendly colleague. Marie indicated that being friendly, amicable and with good style and appearance has been noted in at least two of her colleagues and this is stark contrast to a third colleague she identified and with whom she doesnt seem to get along. If we consider Kellys perspective of constructive alternativism, it is possible to have alternative perceptions as our perceptions of the world depend completely on our personal constructs. Marie also identified leadership skills, helpfulness and cooperativeness, being able to come out with fresh ideas and following a proper work culture as important aspects of professional behaviour and gave high scores on these aspects to at least two of her colleagues. Overall, a Repertory Grid Interview on Marie showed that she has good and easygoing relations with two of her colleagues but doesnt seem to go well with many of them. The negative implications of the findings which suggest why Marie did not get along with most of her colleagues and seem to show anxiety and depression symptoms as well as dissatisfaction with her workplace were revealed in her perception of constructs on most of her colleagues. Marie suggested that some of her colleagues were low on cooperativeness and helpfulness, friendliness and proper professional attitude making the atmosphere competitive and hostile. The dynamics of Maries actual relations with her colleagues were thus revealed using this Grid interviewing procedure and Maries own perception of her work situation, perception of her situation and role in the office, and perception of her relations with her colleagues and her job were also revealed through this study. As Morrison (1991) used the repertory grid technique to understand nurses perception of care and their evaluation of caring attitudes in nursing, Maries perception of her work culture could easily reveal her ideal understanding of a workplace and what she sought in her colleagues. Her inner constructs, precepts and how she saw the world as an individual were revealed and so were her expectations in the future. Considering Maries perceptions, some psychological counselling to improve her working and professional relationships was recommended. Limitations: The methodological limitations and concerns of interview as a means of knowing peoples construct system were many, as noted by Kelly. These are: 1. Interview Bias – sometimes the interviewer and the school he belongs to whether behaviourist or psychoanalytic could determine the way the session goes and this undermines the objectivity and validity of the study 2. Dependence on the interviewer – the role of the therapist should be minimal and the therapist should just be a tool to facilitate self perception according to Kelly. Most individuals have the capacity to understand his or her problems and any overdependence on the researcher should be avoided. 3. There may be problems with measuring and predicting individual or group characteristics. Although psychology seeks to understand laws of human behaviour, large scale studies showing correlations of different behaviour may not be helpful for study of personal constructs which is based on the understanding of individuals or a small group of people. These methodological limitations have been kept in mind while conducting the interview and interviewer bias and any dependence on the interviewer has been kept to a minimum. Interviewer intervention has also been minimal. Conclusion: In this discussion, we set out with an overview of the Personal Constructs Theory proposed by Kelly (1955). We discussed the different tenets of the constructs theory, the inconsistency of personal constructs and how constructs tend to vary in different people or in same people in different situations. Thus situational factors seem important in constructs and perceptions on other people. Individual constructs form the construct systems and Kelly established the grid method to determine the different elements in a social situation that can be considered as responsible for an individuals disturbed social relationships. In our study of Marie Oliver, a 35 year old employee, her social relationships and possible disturbances were studied using the Repertory Grid Interview technique and her analysis of good and bad characteristics of ten of her colleagues were indicated on the card given to her. The scores were drawn up and according to the analysis the desirable characteristics that Marie perceived in some of her workmates and not in others, were found out. Maries behavioural problems and her unique relationships with her colleagues are then analysed suggesting whether Marie needed any further psychological help for her anxiety, depression and other work related maladjustments. Bibliography Kelly, George Alexander The psychology of personal constructs / George A. Kelly. London : Routledge in association with Centre for Personal Construct Psychology,London, 1991, c1955. Dalton, Peggy. A psychology for living : personal construct theory for professionals and clients / Peggy Dalton and Gavin Dunnett. Chichester : J. Wiley Sons, 1992. University of London. An application of personal construct theory (Kelly) to schizoid thinking. University of London, 1959. Fransella, Fay. George Kelly / Fay Fransella. London : Sage, 1995. Anderson, N. Personality assessment in the graduate milkround interview : A personal construct psychology perspective and study using repertory grid technique. Birmingham : University of Aston Management Centre, 1987. Fransella. F, Bannister. D. 1977. A Manual for Repertory grid technique. Academic Press. London. Bannister, P et al. (1994) Qualitative Methods in Psychology Buckingham: Open University Press. Bannister, D. (1985) (Ed) Issues and approaches in personal construct theory London: Academic Press, 1985 Stevens, R (1996) Understanding the Self London: Open University Sage. Kalekin-Fishman, Devorah. and Walker, Beverley. (1996) The Construction of Group Realities: culture, society and personal construct theory. Malabar: Krieger. Bannister, D. Mair, J. (1968) The Evaluation of Personal Constructs London: Academic Press Smith JA, Harre R, Van Langenhove (1995) Rethinking Methods in Psychology London: Sage. Jack Adams-Webber (Editor) (1983) Applications of Personal Construct Theory Academic Press. The emergence of new intentions in subjective experience: A social/personal constructionist and relational understanding Journal of Vocational Behavior, Volume 64, Issue 3, June 2004, Pages 485-498 Mary Sue Richardson Per

Buddhism without Beliefs

It is a well-known fact that Buddhism religion is distinguished from all Asian religions due to its three innovative and original sifts: equal position of women; emergence of Buddhism as social transformation; replacement of monastery and building lay community â€Å"as the principal arena of Buddhist practice†. The book â€Å"Buddhism without Beliefs† by Stephen Batchelor describes the significance of three elements and their application to future development of the world. (Batchelor 1997)It is possible to suggest that the book is an intelligent effort to provide better understanding to the Buddhism religion and to make clear the attribute of â€Å"dharma practice†. Apparently, the book contains author’s personal reflections and suggestions how to apply Buddhism studies to contemporary era o skepticism. It is necessary to outline that the book contains three main parts called â€Å"Ground†, â€Å"Path†, â€Å"Fruition† and the last se ction devoted to culture and imagination. The author is rather persuasive, because he uses logical arguments, conclusions, facts and viewpoints to defend his position.Batchelor has managed to affect readers and to make them think about the issue. Therefore the book leads through abundant data presented to persuade readers that Buddhism is worth attention. Therefore, the apparent strength of the book is abundant data and evidence used to support the main idea. (Batchelor 1997) The first part of the book â€Å"Ground† involves theoretical framework of Buddhism religion and explains its core issues. The author begins with explaining differences between two entities – â€Å"dharma practice† and â€Å"religious Buddhism† – intertwined into the history of Buddhism theory.According to Batchelor those entities are closely related and thus are inseparable. Furthermore, they have to be preserved for discovering their contemporary significance. The first and the most significant entity for Batchelor is â€Å"dharma practice†, because it teaches and trains how to awaken and to feel freedom from â€Å"anguish†. The second entity â€Å"religious Buddhism† is a system of belief aims at ensuring social stability as well as providing religious consolation. (p. 16)Nevertheless, the author admits that world view and religious expression has little to do with core Buddha’s teachings, because they â€Å"pertain solely to the Asian cultural soil within which Buddhism took root†. Batchelor agrees that those entities have had significant purpose in ancient time, though they are hardly applicable to contemporary society. The author argues that if the dharma practice offers alternative approach to interpretation of core values and virtues, it has to be deprived of â€Å"its religious apparel and recast in a purely secular mode†.It would result in agnostic style of dharma practicing. (Batchelor 1997) Moreover, Batchelor believes that dharma practice would aim at social and personal freedom and liberation meaning that people have to escape from â€Å"suffering created by egocentric clinging†. According to Batchelor the positive moment of Buddhism is that the religion provides answers to great questions concerning place of humans in the â€Å"grand scheme of things†. The author seems to provide agnostic vision of the thinks stating that â€Å"the dharma is not something to believe in but something to do†.(p. 17) However, Buddha didn’t have answers to metaphysical questions of his day. The only known fact is that Buddha was teaching followers about sufferings and cessation. Thus the author makes a conclusion that Buddha’s teachings are therapeutic, existential and may be referred to liberating agnosticism. For example, Batchelor makes an attempt to escape from metaphysical questions of his day by arguing that Buddha â€Å"was merely adopting the symbols, m etaphors, and imagery of his world†. (p. 17)Nevertheless, Later Batchelor suggests that Buddha â€Å"accepted the ideas of rebirth and kamma†, though he considers them â€Å"odd that a practice concerned with anguish and the ending of anguish should be obliged to adopt ancient Indian metaphysical theories and thus accept as an article of faith that consciousness cannot be explained in terms of brain function†. (p. 37) However, Batchelor seems not to approve Buddha’s metaphysical theories, although he doesn’t completely reject the idea of reincarnation or rebirth.Instead the author thinks that honest approach has to be taken in understanding life after death, because existing knowledge isn’t enough to state anything. Buddha accepts the ideas of reincarnation and kamms indicating a â€Å"failure to summon forth the courage to risk a non-dogmatic and non-evasive stance on such crucial existential matters†. (p. 38) It is apparent that the author tends to use a variety of logical arguments to approve his interpretation of Dhamma. Batchelor’s arguments succeed in gaining cogency due to oversimplification, selective relevant citations and rationalization.For example the author discuses â€Å"four ennobling truths† and finds put that these truths aren’t â€Å"propositions to believe [but] challenges to act†. (p. 7) Nevertheless, such statement is hardly truthful, because the author fails to admit that â€Å"tasks imposed by the truths acquire their meaning from a specific context, namely, the quest for liberation from the vicious round of rebirths†. The dichotomy between â€Å"religious Buddhism† and â€Å"dharma practice† is hardly endorsable. The author calls to â€Å"recognize a spectrum of Buddhist practices, ranging from simple devotional and ethical observances to more advanced contemplative and philosophical ones†.Those observances are involved into faith and understanding, though they disappear when dharma practice is regarded on the basis of different suggestions. The author considers premises underling the traditional Buddhist practice as reincarnation and kamm, though he thinks they are only consolatory elements crept into the religion. (p. 18-19) The second part of the book is titled â€Å"Path† and aims at providing relevant sketches to agnostic conceptions based on the dharma practice. Furthermore, author provides clear and lively explanations of the issues displaying his creativity and literary gift.The part is divided into subsections devoted to awareness, overview of emptiness and development of sympathy and compassion. Apparent strength of the part is simple examples introduced in every subsection. Most original examples involve practicing awareness and mindfulness, showing essence of emptiness, challenging the findings and reflecting on common sufferings of friends, enemies and acquaintances. The second part includes also twelve links of dependent origination interpreted rather originally and illustrated by mistaken perception.(Batchelor 1997) Nevertheless, the conception of the path is absent in Batchelor’s interpretation, though it is considered the traditional foundation of Buddhist religion: â€Å"the Going for Refuge to the Three Jewels†. The author thinks that mentioning the path doesn’t have any sense in the frame pf agnostic conception, though omission of path seems rather significant. Furthermore, the author doesn’t mention either code of moral rules or the Five Precepts. However, Batchelor slightly talks about ethical framework and proposes integrity.Despite the fact he speaks about impressive insights of integrity, the issues is still questionable as it has neither sufficient basis for ethic nor exact guidelines. (p. 48-50) The third part of the book â€Å"Fruition† is an exploration of consequences of dharma practice and explanation why dharma pract ice is called â€Å"passionate agnosticism†, Batchelor starts with accounting meditative path. The author explains the process of meditation stating that it consists of â€Å"radical, relentless questioning of every aspect of experience†.Nevertheless, such beginning makes readers profoundly perplexed, though for author â€Å"this perplexed questioning is the central path itself†. (p. 98) It means that the path aims at finding no goals and answers. Such conception of dharma practice seems bizarre and strange. Further, the author returns to meditation stating that its goal to justify belief system and to approve using the raft of the dharma practice. According to author, Buddha stresses the insight meditation, because it is able to lead to thorough knowledge of true nature. Thus Batchelor shows once more â€Å"the bearing of one's starting point on one's destination†.It is apparent that the author firstly starts from agnostic concept and then turns to exces sive mystery and doubt. However, Batchelor believes that if a person trust dharma practice, he/she has to follow the right View and consequently to find Right Knowledge and Right Liberation. (p. 108) The last section is devoted to the concepts of culture and imagination. The author deals with correlations between contemporary world and Buddhist teachings and religion. In other words, Batchelor tries to find implications of Buddhism in modern world.The author asserts that throughout the Buddhism history, â€Å"Dhamma has rejuvenated itself by continually altering its forms to respond to changing social and cultural conditions†. However, such statement may be considered the act of author’s imagination, his gift of talented thinker and his creative vision of things. (p. 107) Batchelor has given new and fresh approach to Buddhist teachings. Some critics find Batchelor’s vision of Buddhism too simplistic, though it is difficult to agree with them. Batchelor seems to present his original point of view, his understanding and his perception of Buddhism.He succeeded in making viewers interested exactly by simple explanation of core Buddhist issues. Nevertheless, the author has failed to explain sufficiently the role played by orthodoxy in stimulating dharma practice. What is more important to mention is that Batchelor believes that Buddhism applied to contemporary world may rise the need to create meaning that dharma practice is able to stimulate creativity in followers. According to author, dharma practice is a â€Å"new culture of awakening that addresses the specific anguish of the contemporary world†.(p. 109) It is necessary to conclude that Batchelor has created a new vision of Buddhism culture of awakening by stressing the integrity of Buddhist tradition and their responsibility to the present and the future. Despite the critique the book is rally worth reading, because it provides better understanding, advantages and disadvantages of not only of Buddhism religion, but also of agnostic concept. References Batchelor, Stephen. (1997). Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening. New York: Revierhead Books.

Why Everybody Is Mistaken About Tkam 8th Grade Essay Samples

Why Everybody Is Mistaken About Tkam 8th Grade Essay Samples The Hidden Truth About Tkam 8th Grade Essay Samples This set-up puts the focus on the middle of the room where the teacher is going to be teaching. To get ready for the demands of middle school and higher school writing, fifth graders ought to be mastering skills needed for strong nonfiction writing. I made a decision to observe the 8th grade history class for a whole chapter. State standards do change somewhat, but you can be certain that writing will be prominent. The most frequently encountered paper writing service that the vast majority of our clients require is essay writing. Film how to stay awake doing homework long grown into one of the most well-known forms of entertainment. Seventh-graders utilize every phase of the writing procedure and continue to construct their understanding of writing conventions. The Nuiances of Tkam 8th Grade Essay Samples The government was also attempting to work to its best i n order to fight unemployment. The country lost lots of laborers and this resulted in the deterioration of the nation's economy. As an issue of fact, it was hard to have jobs locally because every portion of the country was affected. The Great Depression had a substantial effect since it caused human suffering. You've invited your two best friends to devote the afternoon at your house. Cal believes anyone who's a guest in your house ought to be treated with courtesy. Now Tom's Wife will be lonely, along with his kids too, simply because of Mayella and Bob Ewell. Compare and contrast your family's house and the house of your dreams. What You Must Know About Tkam 8th Grade Essay Samples In the last few years, using multimedia plays an increasingly more important part in teaching and learning because of many advantages it has brought about. Tell our experts what sort of homework help on the internet you will need to get. To make certain you will discover a complete answer to every question, we've got a support team that's always online. Hence, the majority of the moment, feedback can be regarded as a reinforcement, and plays a vital role in reinforcing the superior learning habits of students. Write about something which you find challenging. It is vital to pay exclusive attention to the opening sentence. Writing is among the most effective modes of self-expression, and it is likewise a really effective method to help your students sort out all their ideas and feelings. Usually, it simply suggests they cannot understand it and, thus, think it to be bad the normal way people treat new and yet unknown things. The cost of an essay rides on the quantity of effort the writer has to exert. As soon as you inform us about all of the paper information, we'll begin trying to find a proper writer for your paper. As soon as it is great in the event the topic gestates out of your own head, it's always alright to have a peek at a number of the sample tho ughts and topics. From its name, you can guess you should have a very clear picture of a specific thing to be able to offer your reader with a crystal clear and concise explanation. Somebody works part-time and doesn't have sufficient time to do all of the assignments. Give reasons why you believe your plan would get the job done. Explain why you think that your plan will get the job done. And don't forget, too cheap doesn't always mean good! Tkam 8th Grade Essay Samples Can Be Fun for Everyone Since there aren't any chemicals or gases involved with energy production on solar plants, this kind of energy can be thought of as one of the cleanest. Solar power has the capacity of becoming the most vital supply of energy in the nearest future. Overall, it's apparent that fossil fuel deposits are becoming lower and lower each day. To Global warming results from the green house gases. You could also get in touch with your writer to supply some excess recommendations or request information regarding the order's progress. After you have chosen the subject, make certain you have sufficient original ideas about the subject. The revisions are unquestionably free! There are several types of feedback, among which three forms of feedback have been applied inside this instruction program. Within this lecture, I'll concentrate on creative introductions and thesis statements. Ideally, you ought to have already learned the most well-known kinds of essays. Particularly, we're speaking about 8th grade essays now. Ideally, there shouldn't be any limits concerning the topics you might wish to cover in your eight grade essays, due to the freedom of speech in this nation. Citations and extracts from several sources have to be formatted properly. We will help you with any kind of essay you've got and compose a fantastic paper which will bring you a high grade. Nowadays it is quite difficult to locate a trustworthy essay writing service. Tkam 8th Grade Essay Samples Secrets That No One Else Knows About There are just a few things that define whether an essay you're working on is going to be a good one. So, very soon you'll be proudly known as an eighth grader. You've got zero idea where you're. Likewise, it has to be logically complete and express a particular idea.

Types of Organic Compounds in Chemistry and Biology

Negative Effects Of Isolation In Society - 1280 Words

The way an individual acts or behaves produces an outcome. This is a universal aspect that can cause positive or negative effects. In the stories of Hamlet by William Shakespeare, The Stranger by Albert Camus, and Lord of The Flies by William Golding, there is an immense presence of disorder existing in the societies of the following stories. This is exemplified by specific main characters and their isolation from the society, which creates harmful results. Additionally, the fatal flaw of the major characters plays a key role because it leads to their impactful downfall. Lastly, the poor treatment of women displays an unjust society. Ultimately, mayhem is caused by specific behaviours and characteristics that result in the damaging of†¦show more content†¦Meursault’s isolation is truly depicted when the people of his community claim that his murder is a result of his detachment from society. During his interrogation, the detective starts â€Å"out by saying that peop le were describing him as a taciturn and withdrawn person†(2.1.8) in relation with when he asks the people if Meursault would be the type of person to commit murder. This displays how isolation has taken control over his life to the extent where society bases his horrendous crime off of his serious detachment from society. According to psychologist DeWall, â€Å"exclusion causes emotional insensitivity†(DeWall 2006). This relates to Meursault because his longing independence from society could be the cause for his apathetic actions towards other people which heavily affects society. In the book Lord of The Flies, a crowd of young boys are left on an island due to their plane crashing. This separates them from society and challenges them to make decisions and fight for survival. This creates mayhem because they are still really young to make judgements in terms with other people’s lives. Isolation affects the boys mentally which causes them to act irrationally. Th is is seen when they chant â€Å"Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!†(Golding 104). This is important because it shows how isolationShow MoreRelatedThe Negative Effects Of Isolation In The Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka896 Words   |  4 Pageseveryone needs time to themselves to just relax. However, being alone for too long is not always the best thing. Isolation is one of the worst things a person can experience. In The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, the theme that isolation has negative effects on people can be shown through symbols, setting, and character development. One way Kafka shows the negative effects of isolation is by using multiple symbols throughout The Metamorphosis. 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Managerial Analysis on Cute Cosmetics Ltd Free Essays

string(156) " may for the time being be provided by the Articles of the company and consolidate, sub-divide the shares and issue shares of higher or lower denomination\." 1. Acknowledgement Apart from the efforts of us, the success of any project depends largely on the encouragement and guidelines of many others. We take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the people who have been helpful to give us valuable information regarding this project so that it can be successful. We will write a custom essay sample on Managerial Analysis on Cute Cosmetics Ltd or any similar topic only for you Order Now We would like to show our greatest appreciation to honorable faculty Noor-E-Hasnin (NEH) Lecturer, North south University. We felt motivated and encouraged every time we attend her classes and effective class lectures. Without her encouragement and guidance this project would not have materialized. The guidance and support received from all our group members who contributed were vital for the success of the project. We are grateful to each other for the constant support and help 2. Introduction: We selected Cute Cosmetics for our project which is a private limited company and is a local company. Cute Cosmetics is a brand of Mousumi Industries that manufactures cosmetics and toiletries and was incorporated in 1971. Since then Cute has been manufacturing cosmetics and providing service to the people of Bangladesh. It has become a very well reputed and now has captured a huge market not only in Bangladesh but also outside the country. But cute is not manufacturing consumer products alone in the industry. It has many competitors in the market who are fighting to become the market leader and to grasp the majority of the market share. The key competitors are Kohinoor, Marico and Lever Brothers. Even though the company was established long ago but it is facing tremendous competition and some of the competitors have already beat them in some of the consumer products. The company has many product lines that manufacture different types of products and are providing service not only nationwide but also to the foreign countries as it has been exporting some of the products outside the country. Cute has its own brand image in the market and is one of the pioneers in the industry. Cute Cosmetics has its own strength and weakness as well as external opportunity and threats because of the market influence. We also have discussed the requirements for having a private limited company and the advantages and the disadvantages of the formation of the company which are compared with those iscussed in the book. The report shows an overall view of the company’s position in the market as well as the loopholes that it has in itself. 3. Literature Review: a) Company Information: Mousumi Industries Ltd. was founded in 1971. From 1974, still then a proprietorship industry, the operation of the business was intensified and in 1984 Mousumi’s factory build ing was constructed at Cutepalli, Kanchpur, Sonargong, Narayangonj with sophisticated modern machinery. The cosmetics ; toiletries of the company are manufactured under two brands, namely â€Å"Cute† ; â€Å"Laboni†. Soon after Cute ; Laboni cosmetics were marketed, the brand became very popular in the whole country; it was the market leader. Mousumi Industries Ltd. was formed into a private limited company in 1982. Since then Mousumi has come a long way and its famous cosmetic brand, Cute, has earned the highest consumer satisfaction. In 1990, the company ventured into exporting. The first export was to Oman. This was a great milestone for Mousumi Industries Ltd. as well as for Bangladesh. This meant that even Bangladesh was producing quality cosmetics to attract foreign market. This has been possible because Mousumi has installed very modern machinery and ensured highest quality products with technical co-operation of the qualified chemists of the company and experts of the renowned foreign cosmetics products developers. Mousumi now exports to India, Oman, UAE and many other foreign Countries. b) Mission and vision statement: Mission- We will always try to explore beyond the boundaries of possibilities. Consumer needs alone will be our guiding philosophy in manufacturing and marketing of products that beautify people and satisfy their souls. Vision- We have a vision to attain our mission of assuming the above duty and responsibility. We envisage a more beautiful tomorrow for the country, for the region and for the whole world. c) Organizational Hierarchy: HR/Admin * Recruitment * Policy Implementation * Attendance * Upkeepment * Logistics * Legal * Commercial Operation Purchase/Procurement * Quotation approval * Price/Term Analysis * Co-Ordination Inventory ; Production * Purchase Chairman ; Managing Director Director Director Organizational Hierarchy (Functional) Sales * Placement * Revenue Marketing * Packaging * Branding * Promotion * Networking * Market Survey Inventory Control * Dispatch * Logistic Arrangement * MIS * Delivery Cost analysis Production * Co-ordination with Inventory Purchase * Quality control * Order execution * New Product Development (R;D) Accounts * General Accounts * Costing(Purchase; Production) * Profitability Variance * Preparation of MIS 4. How the business was formed: a) Agreement- FORMATION I. The name of the Company is Cute Cosmetics Limited. II. People incorporated the company are- Chairman, Kazi Mahtab Uddin Ahmed and Founder Managing Director Late Kazi Ashraf Uddin Ahmed, Directors Kazi Moin Uddin Ahmed and Kazi Rajib Uddin Ahmed. III. The Registered Office of the Company will be in Dhaka, Mousumi Industries Limited 151, Bangshal Road, Dhaka-1100, Bangladesh Phone: 7319608, 7311238, 7318996 Fax: 880-2-7318458 IV. The objectives for which the company is established are all or any of the following provided that permission/approval/license from the Government or its appropriate agency and the concerned local government authority shall be obtained wherever it is so required by law, rules or regulations: V. The liability of the members is limited. VI. Life time is perpetual. V. The authorized share capital of the company is Tk. 0,00,00,000 (Taka Ten Crores) divided into Ordinary and preferential shares. There shall be a total of 10,000 (Ten thousand ) shares each of Taka 10,000 (Taka Ten thousand only) with the power to increase or reduce the capital, to divide the shares in capital for the time being into several classes and to attach hereto respectively such preferential, deferred, qualified or special rights, privileges or conditions as may be determined by or in accordance ith the regulations of the company and to vary, modify or abrogate any such rights, privileges or conditions in such manne r as may for the time being be provided by the Articles of the company and consolidate, sub-divide the shares and issue shares of higher or lower denomination. You read "Managerial Analysis on Cute Cosmetics Ltd" in category "Papers" ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION OF CUTE COSMETICS LIMITED The Company is a Private Limited Company within the meaning of section 2(1) under clause (Q) of the companies Act,1994 and accordingly the following shall apply:- a. No invitation shall be issued to the public to subscribe for any share, debenture of the company; b. The number of members of the Company (exclusive of the persons in the employment of the company) shall be limited to fifty; and c. The right to transfer shares of the company is restricted in the manner and to the extent hereinafter provided. SHARE CAPITAL The Authorized Share Capital of the Company is Tk. 10,00,00,000 /- (Ten Crore) divided into 10,00,000 (Ten Lac) Ordinary Shares of Tk. 100/- each with power to increase or reduce the same value of its shares. Subject to the provisions of the Articles, the share shall be under the control of the directors who may allot or otherwise dispose of the same. COMMENCEMENT OF BUSINESS The business of the Company shall be commenced from the date of incorporation of the company. TRANSFER AND TRANSMISSION OF SHARES No transfer of any share shall be made or registered without the approval of the Board of Directors. No share shall be transferred to any outsiders as long as any existing member is willing to purchase the same at a fair value to be determined by the Directors in a Board Meeting. In the case of death of a member, the survivor where the deceased was a joint holder, and the legal personal representative of the deceased where he was a sole holder, shall be the only persons recognized by the company as having any title to his interest in the shares. GENERAL MEETING The general meeting of the company shall be held within eighteen months from the date of incorporation of the company and thereafter once in every calendar year (not being more than fifteen months after holding of the last preceding general meeting) at such time and place as may be decided by the Directors of the company. APPOINTMENT AND REMOVAL OF A DIRECTOR The company may appoint or remove a Director from the company in its Annual General Meeting. VOTE OF MEMBERS No member shall be entitled to vote unless all installments or calls or other sum or sums presently payable by him, in respect of his holding of shares in the company has been paid. DIRECTORS Until otherwise determined in the general meeting the number of Directors of the company shall not be less than TWO and not more than TEN. POWER OF DIRECTORS Without prejudice to the general powers conferred by the last preceding Article and the other powers conferred by these presents, it is hereby expressly declared that the Directors shall have the following powers- 1. To pay the costs, charges and expenses preliminary and incidental to the promotion, formation, establishment and registration of the Company. 2. To purchase or otherwise acquire for the Company any property, rights or privileges that the Company is authorized to acquire at such price and generally on such terms and conditions, as they think fit. 3. To pay for any property, rights, and privileges acquired by the company in cash or in shares of the Company and any such shares may be issued either as fully paid up or with such amount credited as paid up thereon as may be agreed upon. 4. To secure the fulfillment of any contract or engagements entered into by the Company by mortgage or charge on all or any of the property of the Company and its unpaid capital for the time being or in such other manner as they may think fit. 5. To accept from any member, on such terms and conditions as shall be agreed but subject to the provisions of the act, as surrender of his share or any part thereof. . To deal with any of the moneys of the Company not immediately required for the company’s purpose in or upon such investments or securities (not being shares in this company) and in such manner as they may think fit, and from time to time to vary or realize such investments. They can also provide the employees with rewards and benefits as w ell as they can contribute establishment of schools, recreation centers and hospitals which will, the opinion of the Directors, tend to increase the reputation of the company among its employees and the public. WINDING UP If the company shall be wound up, the surplus assets shall (subject to any rights attached to special class of shares forming part of the share capital for the time being of the company) be applied first in the payment of the capital paid up on the ordinary shares and the excess (if any) shall be distributed among the members holding ordinary share in proportion of the member of ordinary shares held by them respectively at the commencement of the winding up. Almost all the required information of the company, according to the book that we have studied, are provided in the Article of Association of Cute Cosmetics but it fails to address certain issues that are required in the Article of Association of the company. The information that are not provided in the Articles of Association of Cute Cosmetics are- – The address of the persons responsible for the corporation’s legal service – The addresses of the first directors of the company – No other public information is provided in the article of association. It lacks the details of the duties and responsibilities of the officers and the length of their service. – There is no information regarding the issuance of the company’s stocks. – It lacks the matters regarding employment contracts. b) Advantages and disadvantages of the business: Advantages- * Seasonal Demand- Cute has more sales during winter due to high demand of moisturizers caused by the dry weather. * Environment – environment needed to produce cosmetic products is very favorable in Bangladesh as we hardly ever face extreme weather conditions. Demand – Though the upper class society stick to foreign cosmetic products still the demand for our products is constant as Cutes’ product is popular among rest of the societies and also the rural areas, giving the company a wide market. * Labor – Cheap labor is abundant in supply in our country giving Cute the advantage to lower its cost of production thus keeping the price of its product low compared to other company’s products. * Limited liability- Owners of the business are responsible for the losses only up to the amount they have invested in it. Perpetual life- Death of one or more owners does not terminate the corporation The advantages of a corporation, according to the book that we have studied, are described above but it does not address some of the advantages mentioned in the book. The advantages those are not included in Cute Cosmetics are- Ability to raise more money for investment- Cute Cosmetics is not enlisted in the Stock Exchange as it is a private limited company that is why it cannot raise more capital. Size- Size of the company does not play any role as they can’t raise more capital and they also lack resources that could rovide them competitive advantage over their competitors. Ease of ownership change- They lack the flexibility of transfer of shares as it is a complex process. Ease of attracting talented employees- they do not offer any stock options to their employees and this is why they cannot attract many talented employees. Separation of ownership from management- As the company is a private limited company their management is not separated from the ownership so both the management and owners get to interfere in the decision making process. Disadvantages- Raw Materials- As quality raw materials are not available in our country Cut e is highly dependent on import * Double Taxation-Along with the corporation taxes, which are already very high, Cute also has to pay the taxes on imports. * Foreign Company Dumping- The dumping of foreign companies heavily affects the sales of Cutes’ products and is a threat in the long run. * Dissatisfied Labor-All throughout the production process, the labors are given the least priority resulting in dissatisfaction among them. * Utility Crisis- There is always an acute crisis of utility. For electricity, to meet the demands, now the company is dependent on private electricity suppliers for which Cute has to pay four folds than regular price. * Political Issues- Due to the continuous political unrest, production processes slow down which affect the company very dearly. * Initial cost- To start up a new corporation it costs a lot as an initial investment. The disadvantages of a corporation, according to the book that we have studied, are described above but it does not address some of the disadvantages mentioned in the book. The disadvantages those are not included in Cute Cosmetics are- Size- In this case size does not count as a disadvantage as they can adapt to any changes occurred in the market. Difficulty of termination- There is difficulty of termination but aspects regarding these difficulties are not addressed properly. Possible conflict with stockholders and board of directors- The ownership of the company is limited amongst the directors and management so it is least likely that any conflict shall arise. 5. Products of Cute Cosmetics: Shaving Gear: Baby Care Products: Cute After Shave Skin Conditioner Cute Baby Lotion Cute After Shaving Lotion Cute Baby Oil Cute Shaving Brush Cute Baby Shampoo Cute Shaving Cream Cute Baby Powder Cute Solzar Cute Baby Moisturizing Pure Cream Soap Winter Products: Hair Care Products: Cute Cold Cream Cute Amla Hair Oil Cute 27 Cream Cute Coconut Hair Oil Cute Krack Cream Cute Shampoo Cute Glycerin Cute Anti Dandruff Shampoo Cute Pure Petroleum Jelly Herbal Hair Tonic International Vanishing Cream Cute International Cold Cream Cute Petroleum Jelly Cute Lip gel Cute Pomade Skin Care: Oral Care Products: Cute Cleansing Milk Cute Smokers Tooth Paste Cute Sun Shade Cute Gel Tooth Paste Cute Beauty Milk Cute Fluoride Tooth Paste Fragrances: Body Talc: Cute First Lady Cute French Perfumed Talc Cute Brutal (for men) Cute International Talc Cute Classic Cute 27 Cute Romance Cute Baby Powder Cute Fantasy Cute Romance Talcum Powder Cute Chandan Attar Cute Flower Talc Cute Basra-e-Golap Attar Laboni Powder Cute Attar Cute France prickly hit Powder 6. Industry Analysis: a) Major Competitors: The key competitors of Cute Cosmetics are Marico, Kohinoor and Lever Brothers Bangladesh. A brief discussion on them is given below- Kohinoor: Kohinoor Chemical Company Limited Bangladesh (KCCL) was established in 1956. It is a public limited company listed with both the bourses of Bangladesh, Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE). Most of the products of KCCL are known by legendary brand name Tibet. The other brands that KCCL has are Sandalina, Genstar, Bactrol, Ice-Cool, Fair Care, Xpert, Heel Guard, and Clean Master which are equally famous in Bangladesh. To strengthen the marketing of KCCL, their management has rearranged the distribution system and revamped the Research and Development department of KCCL that will deliver quality product in Bangladesh also regional and overseas countries. KCCL has not only emerged into a potent industrial entity but also represents the brand of mass people. Marico- Marico Bangladesh Limited (MBL) was incorporated in September 6, in 1999. The company is listed in both the stock exchange of Bangladesh, Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE). Their factory is situated in Mouchak, Kaliakoir, Gazipur. Their key products are Parachute, Saffola, Hair Code Hair Dye, Kaya Skin Clinic, New Aromatic Gold, Camelia Beauty Soap. MBL’s Products in Pure Coconut oil, Edible Oil, Hair care and Skin Care reach out to more than 500,000 outlets in Bangladesh. MBL touches the lives of 1 out of every 3 Bangladeshi through its portfolio of brands such as Parachute, Saffola, Hair Code, Aromatic, Camelia and Beliphool to name a few, most of which enjoy leadership positions (No. 1 in coconut oil segment), with significant market shares in respective categories. They believe in transforming the lives of our stakeholders be it our consumers, members, associates or shareholders, by helping them maximize their true potential. This truly articulates the Mariconian spirit to ‘be more. every day’. Lever Brothers Bangladesh- Unilever started its onshore operations in Bangladesh in 1964 when its soap factory was set up at Chittagong. Unilever Bangladesh is market leader in 7 of the 8 categories it operates in, with 16 brands spanning across Home and Personal Care and Foods. Their operation provides employment to over 10,000 people directly and indirectly through its dedicated suppliers, distributors and service providers. 99. 8% of Unilever Bangladesh employees are locals and they also have a large number of Company employees working abroad in other Unilever companies as expatriates. The renowned products of Lever Brothers Bangladesh are- Pepsodent, Knorr, Wheel, Power White, Vaseline, Lux, Pureit, Fair Lovely, Close up , Dove, Surf Excel, Sunsilk, Pond’s, Vim, Rexona, Lifebuoy, Taaza, Clear etc. Lever Brothers is also very well reputed brand name in our country and they have a mass coverage among the people with their products. b) SWOT analysis: Strength and weakness are internal factors caused by the company itself whereas the opportunity and threats are external factors caused by the market and competitors. Strength- * They have very modern machinery and ensured highest quality products with technical co-operation of the qualified chemists of the company and experts of the renowned foreign cosmetics products developers. * It has become a well known brand for the people of our country. * It mainly focuses on the lower income level people who can afford to buy the products and majority of the people of Bangladesh are lower income level people. It can afford cheap labor and can manufacture products at a very low cost. Weakness- * For raw materials they are dependent on the USA and European countries * As they have to import raw materials they have pay huge amount of tax on th e imported goods therein increasing the overall tax liability of the company. * Impact of labor unions and strikes called by labors. Opportunity- * As it is a well known brand and has a market demand it can introduce new product lines and the people will embrace them. * They also export their products and are renowned internationally so they can introduce new products in foreign countries and the people will also embrace their products. If they can get more advanced machineries, they will be able to manufacture variety of products and gain a competitive advantage. Threats- * They have many competitors who have also become well reputed and have captured a great market share. * The similar products that are being produced by the competitors make consumers compare among available alternatives and they tend to choose the one with lower price. * If any new entrants come into the market with more advanced technology then they will get a competitive advantage over Cute Cosmetics. * The pol itical unrest all over the country is a great threat for the company. * A great threat for Cute Cosmetics is dumping of the goods by the foreign companies to grasp the local market. 7. Conclusion: Cute Cosmetics has been established for a very long time, in fact the idea of manufacturing cosmetic locally was introduced by them. By providing a wide array of products to the mass people they have become one of the pioneers of their line of service. The competitors now have gained a great market share by their different types of product and services and Cute is facing a huge competition against them. Even though Cute has many advantages such as being one of the oldest companies being formed still they have to face uncertainties in case of being the market leader. Even though the disadvantages are negligible still they have certain impacts on the overall performance of the company. The information that we have collected about Cute Cosmetics has lacking regarding the promotional campaign and activities which hinder their growth. Also the threats that we have detected can have a negative impact over the company. We suggest that Cute should now focus more on the promotional activities so that they can grasp majority of the market. They should ensure more resources as well as more technologically sound machineries that will help them build competitive advantage. Despite the drawbacks they have maintained their reputation and standards and survived for a very long time in the ever changing market which is quite impressive. However to become the market leader they need to bring in some changes which will ensure their leadership in the market for long run. How to cite Managerial Analysis on Cute Cosmetics Ltd, Papers

Robert Alexander Schumann Was Born In The Small Riverside Town Of Zwic Essay Example For Students

Robert Alexander Schumann Was Born In The Small Riverside Town Of Zwic Essay kau, Saxony, in 1810.The youngest of five children, Robert Schumann was brought up in comfortable, middle-class respectability. As a child, he apparently exhibited no remarkable abilities. At the age of six, Robert was sent to the local preparatory school, run by Archdeacon Dohner. He had in fact already begun his education, with the young tutor who gave lessons in exchange for board and lodging at the Schumann home. At the age of seven Robert received his first piano lessons, from Johann Gottfried Kuntzsch, organist at St. Marys Church, and schoolmaster at the Zwickau Lyceum. Kuntzsch was a kindly, conservative musician of limited abilities; his knowledge stemmed from leisure-time study. Nevertheless, Robert was soon improvising, and even composing a set of dances for the piano. Roberts musical talent was recognized by his father. He bought an expensive Streicher grand piano for his son, and soon four-handed arrangements of the classics were heard in the Schumann home. With a friend named Friedrich Piltzing, another pupil of Kuntzchs, Robert started to explore Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. As a child, Schumann took part in several concerts at the Zwickau Lyceum. He once played Moscheles Alexander March variations, which demanded considerable dexterity. At the public Lyceum Robert was active as both pianist and public speaker. When he was fourteen, Kuntzsch decided that his pupil had progressed beyond the point where he could give further help, and declined to teach him anymore. Shortly before leaving the Lyceum, Schumann collaborated with his brother Karl in preparing a new edition of Forcellinis Latin dictionary, Lexicon Totius Latinatinis. Although now very busy as a composer, Robert yearned for affection. He soon fell for seventeen-year-old Ernestine von Fricken, who came to Leipzig in April 1834 to live in at the Wiecks, and to study with Claras father. She had grown up in the little town of Asch with her father, Baron von Fricken, and was the illegitimate daughter of Countess Zedtwitz. At the beginning of September 1835 Robert and Ernestine were secretly engaged. Within days, Baron von Fricken heard that something was afoot, arrived in Leipzig, and took Ernestine back to Asch. After secret discussions, the engagement was broken off by mutual agreement. Possibly Robert had been kept in the dark about Ernestines origins. In any event, the affair had a catalytic effect on Roberts music. He had the idea of writing a series of piano pieces based on the letters ASCH; these he later turned into Carnival. He also composed some piano variations on a theme provided by Baron von Fricken. But Roberts friend Schunke had fallen seriously ill. Unable to bear the sight, Robert went back to Zwickau again, only returning to Leipzig in December to negotiate a change of publisher for the Zeitschrift. From the beginning of 1835 the journal was published by the Leipzig firm of JA Barth. Late in 1835 Mendelsson arrived in Leipzig to take over as music director of the Gewandhaus. Still only twenty-six, Mendelsson was the director of the age, and Schumann felt an immediate attraction when they met at Wiecks house. Following the newcomers debut in Leipzig, Schumann wrote praising him in the Letters of an Enthusiast column of his Zeitzcrift. Schumann did however venture to criticise Mendelssohns use of the baton; he believed that an orchestra should function as a republic and that ridgity should be avoided. At about this time, too, Robert met both Chopin and Ignaz Moscheles at the Wiecks. Throughout the autumn of 1835 Schumann was a regular visitor at the Wiecks home, seeing much of Clara, who was now sixteen. He had been following her career as a virtuoso closely since she was nine.when he was depressed, she cheered him up. Their talent affection was now becoming increasingly evident. Robert had now finished his first piano sonata, dedicated The evening Clara set out on an important concert tour, Robert came to wish her well, and kissed her good-bye. They saw each other again in Zwickau, and kissed again. In the new year Robert traveled to Dresden, where he knew Clara was spending a holiday without her father, and made his declaration of love. .u82652440fdbc949ca826bb3f966b4778 , .u82652440fdbc949ca826bb3f966b4778 .postImageUrl , .u82652440fdbc949ca826bb3f966b4778 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u82652440fdbc949ca826bb3f966b4778 , .u82652440fdbc949ca826bb3f966b4778:hover , .u82652440fdbc949ca826bb3f966b4778:visited , .u82652440fdbc949ca826bb3f966b4778:active { border:0!important; } .u82652440fdbc949ca826bb3f966b4778 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u82652440fdbc949ca826bb3f966b4778 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u82652440fdbc949ca826bb3f966b4778:active , .u82652440fdbc949ca826bb3f966b4778:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u82652440fdbc949ca826bb3f966b4778 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u82652440fdbc949ca826bb3f966b4778 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u82652440fdbc949ca826bb3f966b4778 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u82652440fdbc949ca826bb3f966b4778 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u82652440fdbc949ca826bb3f966b4778:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u82652440fdbc949ca826bb3f966b4778 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u82652440fdbc949ca826bb3f966b4778 .u82652440fdbc949ca826bb3f966b4778-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u82652440fdbc949ca826bb3f966b4778:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Essay On The Awakening By Kate ChopinSchumann seems to have thought Claras father would welcome him as his son-in-law. He was wrong. Hearing that Robert and Clara had been meeting behind his back, Wieck was enraged, and wrote to Robert insisting that all relations be severed. At the same time he distracted Claras attention by flaunting her a new singing teacher, Karl Banck. Clara, only just sixteen, was regarded by her father as a mere child. Wieck had nurtured her talents, and now saw her on the threshold of an outstanding career. He was not going to stand by and watch her marry Schumann, who he knew, to his own irritation, had neglected his training and squandered his resources. Naturally Robert was desperate. Extravagant spending sprees led to pleas to his brothers for money. He started drinking heavily, and his generally impolite habits led to a noisy argument with his landlady. Finally he wrote to her. To understand Wiecks attitude, we need to examine his feelings about Clara. She represented his special creation, his lifes work. He had labored with her for long years at the keyboard. She had finally emerged as his best pupil, the star exemplar of his techniques. At the same time she now represented a valuable commercial asset. She simultaneously fed Wiecks wallet and his ego. In May 1837, after another long tour, Clara arrived back in Leipzig. Not long afterwards banck, like Schumann before him, was rejected by Wieck as a suitor for Clara. At this time Schumanns disappointment seems to have turned to malice. He declared himself ready to avenge himself on Clara. But this was only a temporary mood; in a letter to her in August, with words cold and serious, yet so beautiful, Robert protested she remained the dearest in the world. His feelings were echoed by his beloved. On August 14 they became sacredly engaged. On Claras eighteenth birth day, Robert Wrote to Wieck asking for his consent to their marriage. He argued that his prospects were greatly improved, and his stability enchanced; You owe it to my position, my talent and my character. The wedding finally took place on 12 September, the day before Claras twenty-first birthday. After that she would in any case free of her fathers will. Possibly Robert chose the day as a final signal of defiance to his new father-in-law. Much later in their marriage Robert started to have a mental illness. He heard a solitary note beating in Roberts ears, giving him no peace. On 26 February 1854 Robert begged Clara to have him committed to an asylum, but was finally persuaded by the doctor to go to bed. Later Clara discovered that Robert had thrown himself into the River Rhine, and fisherman had rescued him. On March 4 Robert was taken to Dr. Richarzs private asylum at Endenich, near Bonn. At intervals his mind cleared a little. On June 8 1856, Roberts birthday, Brahams found him thin, oblivious of every thing outside, picking names out of an atlas and putting them into alphabetical order. On Thursday 29 July Robert was finally released from his suffering. At four in the afternoon he fell asleep. He passed away without anyone noticing. Clara did not see him until half an hour later. Schumann was buried at seven oclock on the morning of 31 July 1856 in Bonn. Brahms and Joachin walked in front of the coffin which was carried by some of the Dusseldorf choir. Clara asked that a few friends be there. That was the life and death of Robert Schumann.