25 Words Coined by Nineteenth-Century Authors

25 Words Coined by Nineteenth-Century Authors 25 Words Coined by Nineteenth-Century Authors 25 Words Coined by Nineteenth-Century Authors By Mark Nichol This post lists a number of words that were introduced to the lexicon by novelists and other writers during the nineteenth century. 1. actualize: Poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge came up with this verb form of actual to refer to realizing a goal; self-actualization came much later. 2. airy-fairy: Poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson, coined this term as a reduplication of fairy to mean â€Å"delicate,† â€Å"lacking in substance,† or â€Å"impractical.† 3. bicentennial: Humorist Mark Twain was the first writer to attach the prefix bi-, meaning â€Å"two,† to centennial, a recently coined word referring to a 100-year anniversary. 4. bisexual: Coleridge came up with the term bisexual, but in the context of androgyny, not attraction to both men and women. 5. boredom: Novelist Charles Dickens coined this word for the state of being bored. 6. butterfingers: Dickens was also responsible for this evocative reference to clumsiness, though he hyphenated it. 7. chintzy: Writer George Eliot crafted the adjective meaning â€Å"cheap,† â€Å"stingy,† or â€Å"unfashionable† from chintz, the word for a Calico print originating in India. 8. chortle: Lewis Carroll came up with this mashup of chuckle and snort. 9. coed: Novelist Louisa May Alcott’s truncation of coeducational originally referred, like the word on which it was based, to an educational system accommodating both boys and girls, but by extension it also came to refer to young female students. 10. doormat: Dickens was the first person to use the word doormat (hyphenated) to allude to someone figuratively being walked all over. 11. feminist: Novelist Alexandre Dumas (fils) used fà ©ministe, the French form of this term, to refer to someone who asserts that women are due all the rights accorded to men. 12. flummox: Dickens coined this nonsense word alluding to being bewildered or perplexed. 13. freelance: Author Sir Walter Scott employed this term (hyphenated) to describe a mercenary soldier, one whose lance (a long spear) was not wielded in the service of a single master, but (with its bearer) was hired out. 14. hard-boiled: Twain, in a speech, used this word to mean â€Å"hardened† to refer to hidebound grammatical usage; later, it pertained primarily to a tough attitude. 15. impact: Coleridge was the first to give this term for the act of collision a figurative sense of â€Å"the effect of one thing on another.† 16. intensify: Coleridge coined this term with the justification that â€Å"render intense† did not fit the meter of a poem he was writing. 17. linguistics: Multitalented William Whewell, a mathematician, philosopher, and poet, came up with this word for the study of language. 18. narcissist: Coleridge, inspired by the Greek myth of the self-absorbed youth Narcissus, came up with this term to describe a person similarly afflicted with self-admiration, though the psychological condition of narcissism refers also to a lack of empathy and, paradoxical to the primary quality of a narcissist, low self-esteem. 19. pedestrian: William Wordsworth came up with the word meaning â€Å"one who travels on foot.† 20. physicist: Whewell, finding physician already taken, coined this term to refer to someone who studies the laws of physics. 21. psychosomatic: Coleridge came up with this term to refer to imagined maladies. 22. relativity: Coleridge created this word to describe the concept of one thing having a relation to another. 23. scientist: Whewell, responding to Coleridge’s dissatisfaction with philosopher to refer to those who pursue the study of science, suggested scientist. 24. selfless: Coleridge coined this word meaning â€Å"unselfish.† 25. soulmate: Coleridge came up with this term (hyphenated) to refer to someone with whom one has a profound emotional connection. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Opening Lines to Inspire the Start of Your StoryLatin Words and Expressions: All You Need to Know25 Favorite Portmanteau Words

Harry Potter And Fandom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Harry Potter And Fandom - Essay Example In addition, this section will also showcase how the complexity of Harry Potter’s themes plays a key role in the reception and interpretation of the films. In the second section, the essay introduces the critics of the Harry Potter works and showcase how such criticism shapes the reception and interoperation of such movies.   In addition, the second section will be key in demonstrating how film critics may distort the messages that the initial author intended to convey and therefore the need for the authors to remain steadfast in explaining to their fans the themes in order to counteract the critics.   The section will also show how film critics are beneficial to the particular authors of the stories as the critics when positively taken help adjust and tailor such works to meet the readers and audience needs. The section uses the film's critics to uncover how the reception and interpretation are embedded on them.   The essay gives a small history of Harry Potter seven wo rks in order to give the insights into how they have been interpreted and subsequently understood by the audience and readers.  In the third section, the paper focuses on the interpretation of Harry Potter and Fandom.   Here, the interpretations of themes, styles are analyzed based on the outcomes from the proposed research.  The recommendation is made based on these results to either invalidate or validate the hypothesis earlier outlined in the proposal section.

McDonald's Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

McDonald's - Assignment Example This led to the development of the current marketing strategy that addresses the 5 core areas. They changed the McDonald’s restaurants to accomplish updated, branded and more natural dining environment. They added more natural foods such as salads, carrot sticks, fruits and healthier drinks with real ingredients. In as much as the Company has taken up this marketing strategy, there is a more serious challenge. First, the baby boomer trend that propelled the company to success is nonexistent. This is because they now watch their calories more than they are concerned about convenience and speed. The brand of the company is also not associated with a healthy diet. The company can change the images used in advertisements from sodas and hamburgers to salads and other healthy items. In addition to that, they can acquire a company that is already branded with the new trends. Change in consumer preferences has seen McDonald’s face stiff competition from other corporations such as Panera Bread and Chipotle Mexican Grill that offer foods with fewer calories (Love, 2012). Customers are even willing to pay more in these places. However, McDonald’s still has a lot to offer especially in emerging new

Database Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Database Security - Essay Example These security controls may be technical, administrative, logical or physical. The vulnerability to the database security include unauthorized access by hackers or outside attacks or misuse by authorized personnel which are database users, administrators or system managers. A malware infection may cause unauthorized access to the database and may compromise its integrity and confidentiality via leakage of details deletion or permanent damage. This may also include denial of access to authorized users or a denial of service attack. Overloads or inefficient performance constraint may compromise database integrity and the data might be susceptible to damage physically (earthquakes, fire, flood) and should be provided with adequate physical protection or have proper backup. Design flaws and invalid data entry can also compromise the integrity and reliability of the database servers. Database Reliability Reliability of a database means that the database provides services for a significant ly long period of time without any fail. It is because database may include data from different sources and a reliable access should be prudent for the database users. Key business data and process information is usually stored in databases and it is very important of DBMS users to have the data protected so that the data accessed is reliable. For this several security measures can be made in order to prevent databases from losing important data through damage or loss (Basta & Zgola. 2011). Database Integrity Database integrity refers to the consistency and the accuracy of data within the database and data warehouse systems. Data integrity is often times dubbed as data quality and data with integrity and a whole structure. There are various types of data integrity that is associated with databases. Physical integrity of a database refers to the immunity of a database system to physical damages such as power failures, earthquakes, floods etc. and that the database can easily be recon structed in case of such catastrophe. Logical integrity of a database is equally vital as its physical counterpart and it entails that a database structure must be preserved and it is evident by the logical integrity of the structure when changes to one field do not put a cascading effect on other fields of the database. For example, the data in each element must be accurate, the data is auditable, there is access control for unauthorized personnel, users are correctly identified and the database must be available for the authorized personnel. Auditability of a databases addresses with the monitoring of who or what accesses the data base or has modified the database itself. Other data base integrity constraints include referential integrity and domain integrity. To ensure data integrity, data values are first standardized using specific data models or types. For this it is important that the data is complete in its business relations, functions, rules and dates and it is protected. Data integrity can also be implemented through other ways than database security where different error checking and validations must be checked in order to provide accuracy of data. For example, a numerical value in the in a date of hiring cannot be one that is ahead of the system date. In its realization, data

Report on end-of-life care provision

Report on end-of-life care provision Task: Think of a service/programme, which you believe could improve the quality of end-of-life care provision and write a report to management, in an attempt to persuade them to implement this service/programme. This report should include a description of the service, the rationale for its implementation and the perceived challenges. It would also be beneficial to show an awareness of any possible limitations of this service/programme and measures to minimize these. To the management, A way to improve the end-of-life care within our health care system would be by implementing the Gold Standards Framework. This framework was developed in 2000 by Dr Keri Thomas; a general practioner with a special interest in Palliative Care. I am writing in order to ask for the implementation of the Gold Standard Framework within our hospitals. The main purpose of this Gold Standard Framework is to provide training to us healthcare professionals and staff in order to enable â€Å"a gold standard of care for all people in the last years of life†. This is a systematic, evidence based way in optimizing patient care nearing end of life provided by healthcare professionals and healthcare workers. One must also state that according to the Department of Healths End of life Care Strategy (2008) they state that all organisations providing end of life care are expected to adopt a coordinated process such as the Gold Standards Framework. This framework also improves the coordination of care between nurses and members of the multi-disciplinary team. This framework focuses on seven key tasks mainly; communication, co-ordination, control of symptoms, continuity, continued learning, carer support and care of the dying. In order for this framework to be implemented successfully one must also evaluate current practice and identify the changes required. One must also identify the eligible patients undergoing palliative care and are at an end of life stage. Health care team meetings must also be organized within the multidisciplinary team. The Gold Standard Framework also aims at identifying and assessing symptoms at an earlier stage. This could be a possible limitation as it might not always be possible to anticipate which patients are during their last year of life. This could be easily tackled by using the prognostic screening tool provided with the Gold Standard Framework and with the help of monthly multi-disciplinary t eam meetings. Callaghan, Laking, Frey, Robinson Gott (2014) identified in their cross sectional study that the prognostic tools assist in identifying patients at an early stage whom would benefit from the Gold Standard Framework . This is a result of monthly discussions that would take place within the multidisciplinary team. Early identification allows enough time for healthcare professionals to determine patients wishes and prepare the patient and the relatives. The healthcare workers would also have enough time to adequately refer these patients accordingly such as palliative care services when needed. In their study conducted results showed the screening guides used would be the first step in implementing and identifying means by which we address patients’ needs. The authors also add that by these prognostic tools one will be able to also identify future anticipated patients whom would benefit from these services. Patients at an end-of-life stage have acknowledged five main goals for improved quality of care; to avoid prolonging dying, reduce the pressure on their families, to maintain relationships with relatives and loved ones and adequate pain and symptom management. Death and dying is a natural process of life but nowadays it is being seen as something to fear. Due to medical and technological advancements these have aided in prolonging life, which has urged many families to delay death and dying of their loved ones. This is a result of families wanting to spend time with their loved ones, this may also result in a far more traumatic event as false hope may be portrayed that life can be maintained. Technological advancements have made it more difficult for the persons implicated. However patients wishes and the caregivers wishes may not always be the same, therefore the implementation of the Gold Standard Framework will aide in supporting family members. Through early identification of the se patients, their wishes and goals would be planned into action and communicated with caregivers. Furthermore this framework will allow patients within the community to die where they would wish. This would make the experience less traumatic for family members as they would have been prepared and reduce the risk of creating false hope. The Gold Standard Framework provides quality improvement training and programmes to healthcare professionals in order to be able to provide gold standard care. This framework also provides tools and measures for support to healthcare professionals; the framework aims to provide on-going assessment to patients, good communication, the ability to improve quality of life and dying with dignity. It is known that a number of admissions to the acute hospital are due to dying patients, with the gold standard model this number is reduced with the help of earlier identification of these patients which would result in reduced hospital admissions. Patients would be identified at an earlier stage and the appropriate care and support would be provided to the patients and family, furthermore these patients would be followed up by community care services as part of the Gold Standard Framework. This framework will also aim to improve the coordination of care by providing better communication and cross-boundary care. As a result of successful completion and implementation of the gold standard model one would also perceive improved skills provided by healthcare professionals and improved confidence in providing care. This would also generate a better improved patient satisfaction throughout. Furthermore the Gold Standard Framework will reduce hospitalization and therefore reduce the cost associated. The Gold Standards Framework would also enable patients to feel secure and supported by planning care ahead. Family and patients would also feel empowered through the increase in communication and through working together with the patient. Support would be provided through the process, healthcare workers would be able to refer patients accordingly to community care services such as respite care, provisions of equipment and practical assistance. Relatives would also be followed thr ough bereavement support, one would have to plan ahead and form a protocol in dealing with relatives and helping them through the bereavement process. This is also stated by Payne (1999) where it is outlined that meeting carers’ needs would be an essential part, providing information, practical help and emotional support would result in a better patient outcome. I believe that with the implementation of this framework one would perceive some challenges and limitations but these can be identified at an early stage. One might find resistance from healthcare professionals to attend the training and meetings required in order to attain the Gold Standard Framework but these can be eliminated as there are various pathways in which one can receive the training. This could be easily negotiated between staff members in order to find the adequate time and place for training and multi-disciplinary meetings. Challenges that might also be associated with this framework may be the increased workload associated with this framework, as a result adequate support services are to be provided. It would also be vital to divide administrative work between co-workers; as a result this would also encourage their participation in professional development activities and within the framework itself. Furthermore the framework should be adjusted to our local services an d requirements; as a result improvements should be done accordingly. The patients informal carers must also be included within this framework, it is vital that they as well are taught and informed. Patients informal carers should also be empowered and assisted at home by Hospice services and community care nurses. These carers must also be trained and educated in what they should expect when their loved ones are dying and what they can do in order to allow the patients to die with dignity. The Gold Standard Framework also allows Advanced Care Planning which also allows the patients to inform care givers what is important to them, their spiritual needs or something they might need to do in order to allow and enable them to die with dignity. Implementing this framework will ensure the best possible care in the final days by anticipating the patients needs and providing the support and coping mechanisms required by the family. As a healthcare professional, the care of a dying patient is never easy and always proves as a challenging experience to all parties involved. However, implementation of the Gold Standard Framework aims at providing the best possible care to all individuals involved within the death of a dying patient. This framework will improve the quality of end-of-life care provided within our community and aiding other services presently provided by Hospice and MMDNA. Furthermore the successful implementation of this framework will also improve outcomes for our patients.

University Foundation :: University Foundation Education Essays

University Foundation The presentation I choose to summarize is Greg Gissendanner’s presentation on the university foundation. Like most of the other presentations in class, Greg used the standard outline of presenting the unit’s history, mission, organizational structure, funding and financial concerns, and current issues. History. Greg showed that while many foundations look fairly similar today, the history of foundation development took on many different forms at different institutions. Greg’s primary examples of Harvard and Rutgers compared stories of how each foundation got its start with early donations (in a foreign currency!) as well as donations of other types – those that we might call in-kind today. These donations of materials and labor were instrumental in getting these two institutions the boost they needed for their continuing growth. Mission. Greg went on to define a â€Å"shared† mission statement of university foundations in general. This shared mission, securing gifts and grants, maximizing donor interest and commitment, and distribution of gifts to the university community, came from five specific mission statements which Greg then shared with the class. These individual mission statements while variable, all seemed to contain this shared definition within them even though they came from a variety of large public institutions. It would have been interesting to compare these with the mission of some smaller publics and also private institutions. Organizational Structure. Greg used a nice technique to discuss the organization structures of university foundations. Instead of just showing several examples, he asked the class to take a look at two universities which he had outlined some basic characteristics such as enrollment, location, cost of tuition, age of institution and endowment. He then asked us how we thought each of their foundations would be organized. It was a good tactic to make us think about what factors might affect the organization of a foundation and why. He went on to give details and his own explanation of why the foundations were organized the way they were. Funding and Financial Concerns. Next Greg discussed how the university foundation is typically funded. He explained that the foundation typically has five funding streams, endowment management fees, unrestricted gifts, gift fee, investment income fee, and a university services fee.

Shopping mall

Unfortunately, life has a way of dictating its own terms to the CEO and they are seldom ones that he expects or desires. Around 10 am, Lukas was dragged away from reviewing sales trends by a phone call. The receptionist had a prospective client interested in the company's products and asked whether she should the call through. The conversation lasted about 40 minutes. He put the phone down annoyed with himself for still not having worked out a procedure for handling prospective clients. Each new caller is put through to him instead of a sales person who could service the client professionally.No sooner had the call ended than the daily grind began. Problems in Getter's retail outlets started springing up like mushrooms. And, as usual, Impressions was the only person deemed capable of resolving them. As if all this was not enough, he had to make decisions connected with export sales (new client, new transaction procedures) and the technology department urgently required his assistance . Last but not least, Lukas had to find time to manage Getter's export department. And so it went on into the evening.The events of the passing day made it clear to Lukas that he had to delegate his mommies sales operations duties, including the retail store network management, to someone else. Lukas cannot bring himself to appoint a Country Sales Director to take over the Coo's duties in that area, even though the company has had a Sales Department for several years. For the time being, Lukas is not only the CEO of Getter but also the Head of the Sales Department. It is patently obvious that this is far too much work for which one person can cope.Delegating part of the sales work to a Sales Director would mean that Lukas could finally perform his duties as Getter CEO much more effectively. He could finally stop worrying about missing out on market opportunities because of his daily routine tasks. Given more time, he might even go a step further and, instead of trawling the market f or opportunities, he could go out and create them for Getter himself. All this, though, requires a clear head. Unfortunately, the decision to appoint a new Sales Director is not an easy one.Getter is a family business established by Lukas Imprecision's parent's and handing over one of its key areas of operation to a total stranger is emotionally difficult. It is an enormous challenge to trust someone with no family ties to be as omitted to the development of the organization as had been his parent's and Lukas himself. Another important decision regarding the recruitment of the new should the position be advertised on the open Job market? From Mushroom Grower to Meat Processing Plant The story of the Mineworkers is that of a typical Polish family business.Their family meat processing plant Getter is currently run by the founders' son Lukas who had gradually taken over the everyday management of the company from his parent's. Getter is classified as a medium-sized company with 144 emp loyees and the organizational structure was becoming more and more elaborate. The family business now consists of two business entities – Getter, a sole proprietorship set up by Mr. and Ms Impressions (Ukase's parent's) and its daughter company Mercy-Meat, a limited liability company established by Lukas himself. Lukas is the CEO of both companies.Getter is engaged in pig, cattle and horse slaughtering, and the fabrication of primal cuts of pork, beef and poultry. The company offers meat cuts (pork and beef quarters) to satisfy the domestic market and individual customer orders. Cured meats processing is another of its key business operations. The past business achievements of Mr. and Mrs. Impressions, and their son Lukas as well, are the direct result of staying true to their chosen path, being consistent in action and remaining open to risk. The Mineworkers started their business soon after they got married.Their first business venture was a mushroom farm which, they built up from scratch. Without any financial resources of their own, they applied for a bank loan, which made it possible to get started. This business was their first opportunity to main experience in company management, including export sales. Over time, however, the business gradually became less profitable as market conditions changed. Eventually, the Mineworkers were forced to make a difficult decision as to what to do next. Their next step was to establish Getter meat plant in 1992, while phasing out the mushroom business.The founders remained unchanged but the activity was completely new. Getter – Change after Change The Mineworkers' choice of business activity was largely influenced by the region in which they were living (a rural area approximately 100 km from Warsaw), as well as a heritage of meat products in Poland in the early sass. They decided to meet the market's needs and taking advantage of their location they founded a meat manufacturing plant which initially deal t primarily in pig slaughtering. Apart from the many obvious opportunities opening up for the company, there were also significant threats that could not be ignored.By entering a new market sector, the Mineworkers were back at square one, both with regard to business contacts and building a market presence. However, they still had the business experience that they had gained while farming mushrooms. Getter dealt primarily in pork production during its first four years of operation and the company distributed its product to meat processing plants. Having researched the prevailing market trends, the Mineworkers came to the conclusion that they would have to do more if they wanted to move their business forward.They soon purchased meat processing technology together with several core product recipes which, according to Lukas Impressions, â€Å"turned out to be â€Å"bluebells†. The production technologies were imported from the West but the product recipes were meats. Employing an expert with extensive experience in a large meat processing Lana was a major decision and one that was to have a huge impact on the success of the business. Drawing on his previous experience, this professional successfully implemented the newly purchased technology, procedures and recipes at Getter.Meat processing commenced in 1996, the year Getter cold cuts meats first appeared on the market. The Mineworkers stayed focused on ensuring that the needs of customers were met while the meat plant was in its early stages of development. Indeed, they were so overwhelmed with keeping their new business alive that they did not recognize future expansion opportunities. Arguably, the volatile and bearish business environment, the radical economic changes taking place and the protracted birth of a market economy in Poland all militated against making long-term plans.Until 2001 , the Mineworkers had remained convinced that their operations would be limited to the local domestic market. Unf ortunately, as they say, change is the only certainty in life. The Mineworkers, despite having worked out a course of action, were once again faced with a crucial decision regarding their company's continued existence. This time the agent generating the change was the forthcoming accession o the European Union, and in particular, its directives regulating the operations of the meat sector adopted in 2001-2002.The legislation set out requirements that meat producers had to meet in order for their products to be sold on the EX. market (the directives stipulated requirements concerning the adjustment of local procedures to EX. veterinary standards and production technology, the implementation of the HACK system and other quality certificates). Any meat producer that failed to adjust its operations to comply with EX. legislation was not permitted to operate after the ruinations period expiring in 2005. This was a major shock to the Polish meat and cured meat producers, including the Min eworkers.By the time new directives were in force, the Mineworkers meat plant had been renovated but it was able to meet EX. requirements only partially, with technological process lines still below required standards. The Impressions family was confronted with the problem of what to do next. They could do nothing and be confined to the domestic market after 2005, and additionally have their output restricted by regulations, or they could modify their operations so hat Getter could sell its products anywhere in the ELI.The Mineworkers held a brainstorming session in which a representative of the next generation – their son Lukas – took an active part. The meeting concluded with a decision to respond to the Ex.'s challenge and not give up. The Mineworkers and their son set about adapting the company's operations to comply with EX. standards. The result was that a new large plant was soon designed. The company decided to finance the investment with EX. funds and a bank l oan. Lukas Impressions prepared an application for EX. funds to subsidies the construction. And so, once again, the Mineworkers, in the words of their son Lukas, â€Å"went for broke†.Construction of the new plant was completed in 2004. The plant was equipped with state-of-the-art technology the family had seen in similar factories in Denmark and Switzerland, and the machinery was likewise purchased from those countries. The new plant had two independent process lines for pork and beef and poultry (these do not come into contact with each other as per plant succeeded in obtaining all certificates required under the applicable EX. Directives including HACK certification. Production was progressively moved to the ewe plant between late 2004 and early 2005.The old premises were then converted into a warehouse and other facilities. It should be noted also that the activities undertaken by the Impressions family went beyond restructuring the company in terms of technology and EX. quality requirements. One important aspect of the change was the recruitment of new staff with appropriate qualifications and experience. In 2004, some 50 new people who had previously worked in plants with similar production systems were employed. One of the most important development steps Getter ever took was to consolidate TTS position on the domestic market by launching its own retail chain.However, development of the retail network was put on hold while the new plant was being built and equipped in line with EX. standards. After 2005, the Mineworkers once again became involved in opening retail outlets and started building their network of wholesale and retail clients. It is interesting to note that Getter does not work with large commercial chains on the domestic market. The reason for this is that the company fears Jeopardizing the goodwill associated with a brand associated with top quality products.The high price the consumer would have to pay for such quality products was another factor that hampered such cooperation. Human Resources Management at Getter The accumulated experiences of Getter with regards to human resources management indicate that filling any knowledge gaps that had been identified within the company has been a core criterion in selecting new employees. This was certainly the case when Getter made the move to expand into cured meats in 1996. A specialist who had the necessary expertise and experience of having previously worked in another meat processing plant was hired.The company owners soon liaised that hiring an experienced professional was the right decision. The same decision was taken when the new HACK certified production plants opened in 2004-2005. Workers previously employed in similar businesses where HACK had been in operation and who possessed the necessary qualifications were hired (approximately 50 people in 2004). Hiring a professional Export Sales Director from another company with extensive past export experience w as another major decision the company made when it launched its export business in 2006.It is worth noting that Getter has not always factored in prior meat industry experience when hiring ewe staff. For instance, none of the staff hired in the Domestic Sales Department had ever worked in the meat business before. These people had to learn the basics of the meat industry from the bottom up. Getter uses a variety of sources and meaner to recruit new staff, depending on need. The current practice for less responsible positions such as lower level production workers is to post Job advertisements and then have the Production Manager conduct a recruitment and selection process.Potential employees are often recommended by existing staff members when Job advertisements are published (but only as required). Many of the candidates now applying for these positions are people returning from abroad and who have gained industry experience in other EX. countries. Meanwhile, personal professional and/or positions. The Export Sales Director (who was not only attracted by the financial incentives but by the challenges and the opportunities for professional development) is a case in point.Lukas realizes that the â€Å"business acquaintance factor† will cease to be sufficient in future and that the company will have to turn to professional head- hunting companies to find senior personnel as confidentiality considerations may ole out Job advertisements as a selection tool. Graph One: Getter's Organizational Structure Lukas is aware that, despite having been successful in building up a good team – evidenced by the relatively low turnover of senior staff and the moderate turnover of junior staff – finding the right people for the right positions, especially senior management positions, is not an easy task.In the case of senior staff, the question of making the right choice is further complicated by the fact that the founders of Getter have been managing the com pany with their son for a long time. Ceding the rower and authority that they have exercised so far has not been easy. Nor will it be easy to entrust the running of any further large elements their business to a stranger. The transfer of obligations to a person from outside the family always Production plants Domestic Sales Department Getting CEO Lukas Impressions Cured meats plant Administration A network of 25 retail outlets Export Department (Mercy-Meat SP. 0. 0. ) Slaughter plant induces stress and uncertainty as to their management style, but the company's rapid expansion leaves the Imprecision's with little choice. Lukas remembers only o well that he and his parent's were responsible for everything when the new plant was launched in 2004- 2005 and that it took a tremendous personal toll on them. In view of the complexity of the venture, they wanted to retain as much power as they could; they wanted to have maximum control over everything that went on within the organization so that they could immediately detect any issues that required improvement.This was a particularly difficult period in their lives. In time outsiders – professionals who began to incrementally take over part of their duties – Joined the many. In 2009, Lukas Impressions was faced with another HER management challenge. His parent's, who were becoming old and infirm, gradually started to withdraw from the business while leaving the company management in the hands of their son Lukas. He was not exactly alone as one of Illus.'s brothers was now in charge of Getter's technical operations, although he was not a member of the top management team.His sister and his other brother are still at school and it is hard to say whether they the time being, Lukas is the only Impressions family member entrusted with full authority over the business and responsible for the future of the family company. Getter's staff management involves a certain amount of trust in its employees and this ha s contributed to the character of the business. This is exemplified by a casual working style and a lack of strict supervision. This approach is rooted to a great extent in the fact that the owners made it a rule to encourage their employees to feel responsible for their work from the outset.Everyone hired by Getter was apprised of his or her responsibilities immediately. This approach also resulted in the staff identifying strongly with the company. Constantly developing and raising the qualifications of its workforce is an important dimension of the Getter approach to HER. To a large extent, this is achieved through the application of internal resources. Junior workers undergo basic training conducted by more senior workers who hold the necessary licenses. Depending on individual needs, higher level personnel may attend external training courses. This, however, is not common.The scope of internal training at Getter is limited and outsourced training is a rarity (e. G. One training course was devoted to acquiring laity certificates). The Getter CEO deems the existing knowledge base satisfactory but staff development and the need to expand organizational knowledge resources are still major issues. After all, the company is continually expanding. That is why one of the most important tasks on the checklist of things to do in the nearest future is to deal with the issue of employee training in a more efficient and well thought-out manner.As far as the motivation of employees is concerned, money bonuses are the prime motivator at present. No motivation system meeting all staff requirements has yet been devised. Nobody is responsible for HER management at the company at present. Any activities that come under this heading are deemed to be staff-related administrative matters and are handled by two people. The Sales Department Lukas Impressions set up a Sales Department to handle domestic sales at the end of 2004 when he returned to the business after completing hi s university education.The core activity of the Sales Department is to manage a network of retail outlets in Ammonias Videodisc. Lukas was the brains behind the project. He came up with the idea of establishing such stores in 2001 when he was studying management. Four stores had already been set up by 2004 but creating the Sales Department accelerated the growth of the network. Twenty five outlets had opened by the beginning of 2010 and there are plans afoot to open even more in the very near future. In 2005, Lukas hired Anna to work in the newly created Sales Department and support the development of the retail network.Anna soon turned out to be a valuable employee. She had relatively little experience in sales and little knowledge of the meat sector, but this was more than compensated for by her openness to new challenges and her willingness to get up to speed on the industry. She acted as Illus.'s assistant and, through working together with him, got to know the rules governing t he meat market and his management style. For his part, Lukas gave her a free hand over a wide range of activities in view of her rapidly expanding competence and knowledge about both the market and the company.He placed and her creative input in the development of the network was what he valued most. Together they recruited competent store managers and sales assistants for their retail outlets. Anna had a good intuition about people and Lukas consulted her when hiring staff. The selected candidates were always the best choice, thanks to Anna's excellent knowledge of the company and her insight. Today, her Job description encompasses managing the retail outlets she is in charge of so that they operate efficiently and effectively.Anna is also involved in setting up new outlets. In late 2009 and early 2010, for instance, she was responsible for the opening of 3 new stores, the selection and recruitment of staff (store manager and 4 to 6 sales assistants in each store), the interior dec oration and the procedures for having them approved by the relevant authorities (e. G. Sanitary authorities). Lukas delegated most of the contacts with the stores' various service providers (from contacts with media suppliers to store equipment producers) to her.Apart from all that, all of the store managers report to Anna and she also manages the remainder of the sales team, which currently consists of two other people (one was hired in 2007 and the other in 2010). There are already enough headaches for her now with 25 outlets and roughly 140 employees. Each is employed as a Sales Representative, receives a monthly salary, and is responsible for approximately 8 outlets. They are monitoring the market trends. This particular market has its own idiosyncrasies and is highly volatile, especially when it comes to prices.The sales representatives have to be alert at all times and cannot afford to take their eyes off the competition. The speed with which Getter can react to market changes depends to a great extent on their vigilance. Anna is clearly the De facto head of the Sales Department and is responsible for the company's retail outlets. Yet it is Lukas who makes all the decisions. He is the one everybody goes to whenever a problem arises and he is the one who comes up with all of the solutions. Anna only takes over once Lukas masticates his solutions to her.But this can take a lot of time and the daily operation of the retail stores is already time consuming enough. Retail Outlets – Key Company Resource Getter owns a network of meat retail outlets which it is intent on developing by opening new outlets and by ensuring that each shop offers high-end customer service, as well as top quality products. Getter shops offer a complete range of pork, beef, poultry and cured meats. The company has supplemented its product range with bread (frequently baked on the premises) and spices to fulfill all the needs of its customers.Getter has been selling a line of CEO meats (a line of 7 â€Å"Premium† high end top quality products with salt as the only preservative) for over a year. Getter guarantees that the meats offered in its retail shops are of the utmost quality. Quality assurance has always been the Impressions families top priority. Getter's top quality products require the best available employees and the requirements laid down for store staff are strict. That they are selling top quality products and that quality comes at a premium is drilled into them from day one.This applies to sales staff as much as it does to store managers. In practice, this meaner that each and every customer should leave the shop knowing that he or she has Just bought a top-quality product. The staff of each shop consists of a manager and between 4 and 6 sales assistants. Remuneration of shop workers is based on commission. Lukas will visit the shops himself occasionally. This is partly to check whether everything is running smoothly and in line with his expectations, but mostly to meet his staff and customers in person.This is what Lukas says of these visits: â€Å"l like to do a little tour of the shops when there is time. It's nice to talk to the staff in arson sometimes and to see how our products are showcased, to listen to what our customers have to say about our meat and to talk to them. I often get a chance to meet the staff hired by Anna in person during these visits. † According to Lukas, the potential of the domestic market is still not being fully exploited given the quality of Getter products. He is considering expanding the Ammonias Videodisc retail chain and increasing domestic sales.The company is planning more retail outlets over the next few years. This will mean more sales representatives. The company would like to have one representative per 10 stores. For practical purposes, this will also mean more problems in the daily operation of the Sales Department and the individual stores. The current sales repre sentatives relate well to the company and problems are rare. Not having full control over their work is one nagging concern he has. The more sales representatives, the more supervision they need.And dealing with this problem will chew up a lot of the Sales Director's time. There are already enough headaches now with 25 outlets and roughly 120 employees. Lukas knows this better than anyone. Some days, every one of the 25 stores will ring him with problems. Everyone knows that Anna is responsible for stores but they still call him. There seems to be a problem in communicating the information that Anna is the person to call for day-to-day problems. This invisible communication barrier will have to go before there can be any more stores.Ukase has also set himself the goal of expanding beyond the existing retail network and establishing a nationwide presence. Virtually all products are sold through company stores. On one hand, because of the high quality of its products, Getter is not in terested in working with large retail chains that value price over quality. On the other hand, reaching wholesale stores and wholesale networks who might be interested in selling Getter's top quality products requires dedicated promotional activities addressed to these stores. Unfortunately, at the moment, there is nobody in the company responsible for market promotion.Apart from a few rudimentary sessions, the company does not engage in this type of promotional activity. There is nobody in the company responsible for producing any kind of catalogue containing a full and up to date product portfolio or for updating the website. Ukase does not eave time to deal with this aspect of the business and all attempts to outsource these services have so far proven disastrous (because, in the Coo's opinion â€Å"website designers cannot meet the company expectations as the company does not know what it wants†).Another key problem is to nominate a sales team member responsible for handl ing prospects and answering their questions. Lukas is adamant that the right person for the Job is not him. A Challenge for the CEO of Getter The business development plans for Getter and the requirements they generate have made it clear to the CEO that the decision to appoint a Sales Director and revealing state of affairs where Anna is unofficially responsible for the department and the retail chain is highly inefficient. Lukas has often found himself, and not Anna, as the primary contact person when problems have arisen.It goes without saying that the decision to have the Sales Department managed professionally has to be taken soon but the question of how to find the right candidate for the position remains unanswered. At first viewing, Anna seems to be the obvious candidate. She has the longest period of service in the Sales Department, she is familiar with the Coo's management style, she knows the company inside out and her intuition has been vindicated on the numerous occasion s that she has selected the best candidates for Getter. She was also actively and effectively involved in setting up the retail chain.Unfortunately, Lukas believes that there is a huge question mark hanging over her. Lukas is uncertain about Anna's future and her commitment to the Sales Department as she is considering having another baby. He knows from prior experience that when her child needs attention, Anna has to leave work to deal with the matter, so having another child would possibly add to this difficulty. Lukas knows that he could be accused of being sexist for thinking this but he suspects every owner of an SEEM goes through this dilemma.He also knows that he should judge Anna's ability to do the Job based on her professional abilities and not on her personal life. He believes that he is an understanding person with a positive attitude towards other people but he wonders if he can let his family business be affected by any competing claims on Anna's time that parenthood b rings. Employing someone from outside of the company might be problematic because of Getter's location. Both the company and the production plant are situated near mall cities like Pullouts or Castro? ¬aka, both approximately 100 km from Warsaw.Another issue with employing an outsider is that the successful candidate would have to pick up the specifics of the company and start thinking â€Å"the Getter way' very quickly. This is crucial as Getter's products are of very high quality, which translates into higher prices, which in turn makes the acquisition of new clients harder than it would be in the case of regular quality meat (large chain stores are more interested in low prices than quality). The potential Sales Director should have experience in the eat industry and a sound knowledge of the market.He or she also needs to have ‘know-how, which is what Getter needs most at this moment. Another question is how would Anna react when she finds out that a new Sales Director i s being recruited from outside? Will this denominate her or, in the worst case scenario, prompt her to leave the company? Lukas has to decide how to conduct the recruitment process and what resources should he use – head hunters, press advertisements or some other option? The CEO is also faced with the challenge of devising and implementing effective control mechanisms for the new Sales Director ND the Department.On one hand, these measures should give the director a large degree of autonomy, but on the other they need to give Lukas a sense of security that the department is working effectively and that the results meet the expectations of the company's owners. This is especially important given that the development of the retail outlets is one of Getter's key objects. Lukas feels that it is important for the new monitoring mechanism not to Jeopardize its identity of a family company and great deal of freedom but, at the same time, he has made sure that everyone knows the pre cise scope of their responsibility.Impressions is aware that the company's further growth may render this approach inadequate and make effective control mechanisms necessary. Ukase has attempted to make internal company communication more formal. In view of the specificity of the market and the considerable price fluctuations of meat products, management needs to be apprised of such matters as soon as new information becomes available if the company is to function effectively. The solutions adopted tussah have proved ineffective. The current regimen of sales staff meetings held every Monday or every other Monday is not producing the expected results.Either the meetings are cancelled because something urgent crops up or the volume of data collected by the sales representatives is so great that it is difficult to extract the most important facts and figures. The next area that needs to be worked out is the design and implementation of support procedures for the retail outlets. Some pr oblems are not limited to a single store, as can be seen from the company's track record. Therefore, the development of a single manual or code of conduct containing ways of dealing with the most frequently encountered problems would streamline the work of both store managers ND Sales Department staff.It would also give them more time to spend on other tasks. The Sales Director would also benefit as he or she could finally focus on expanding the retail chain and looking for new locations. Officially delegating the management of the Sales Department onto a newly appointed manager wo