Thursday, October 31, 2019

AIS-1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

AIS-1 - Essay Example eeping in view the requirements of the business operations the treasure evaluates need for procurement of funds and investment of surplus in profitable ventures. He/she drafts policies and procedures for account collections and offering credit to customer and signs notes of indebtedness as approved by higher management. Finally he/she prepares financial reports for management and advises them on investments and loans (Kerr & King, 1984). The controller’s functions include accounting, reporting and control. The accounting function involves preparation and maintenance of accounting records related to each business transaction. Controller directs and coordinates financial planning and budget management functions based on each forecasts submitted by each department’s manager. He/she identifies any variations in operating results against budget by carrying out analytical review of company’s procedures and outcomes and manages the preparation of annual and interim reports of the company. The controller is primarily involved in planning and policy making committees and work as legislative liaison to handle company’s financial issues. The company’s tax issues, payroll and internal audit activities are also governed. Other activities may include preparation of budgets and financial statements. Finally he/she overseas financial management of the company’s foreign operations and assist them to improve (Bragg, 2002). Transaction processing cycle begins with a transaction. A transaction is an agreement between buyer and seller to exchanges goods or services for payment. Transaction processing cycle therefore relates to repetitive flow of the activities of an ongoing enterprise. There are three major transaction cycles which include (1) Revenue Cycle which relates to sales, shipping, receivables, and collections arising from company’s activities (2) Buying Cycle which relates to purchases, payables, and payments of company’s activities and (3) Production

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

The Evolution Of Macroeconomics in the UK Essay

The Evolution Of Macroeconomics in the UK - Essay Example According to Keynes the demand for the goods in the long run could be altered by the governments. The monetarists however argued otherwise. They criticized the long run and the short run objectives of the Keynesian model because they argued that problems like the inflationary expectations could result. According to the monetarists the Keynesian model was based on a lot of assumptions. They also argues over the rules and the discretion stating that the governments and the banks could make rules but in order to achieve the long run objectives the implementation was compulsory. This discretion was not that likely practically. They argued that discretion was necessary instead of the rules. Say’s law states that ‘the creation of one product immediately opens a vent for other products’. By this, Say wants to imply that the supply makes the demand for itself. This means that he argues that excess supply would result the demand to increase too so that the demand is ‘created’ for the supply. Keynes on the other hand believed that demand did not change all of a sudden. Rather it had to be managed by some practices. He criticized the law stating that the UK economy had been demand deficient during the war. Keynes also stated that if Say’s Law was to be true, then during the war the demand should have been created for the excess supply. On the contrary, what really had happened was that the demand had been deficient during the war. In the circular flow model, if the business sector does not produce anything, then the households do not earn any income. This is where Say’s law is reflected in the model. Keynes critique to this notion was that although the revenue earned by the production in the firms does end up as income for the households, this may not happen instantaneously. Households are likely to spend as much income as they have. In the 1940s the main change that had occurred in Britain was the switch to a market economy. The economy

Sunday, October 27, 2019

IKEA SWOT, Porters 5 and PESTEL Analysis

IKEA SWOT, Porters 5 and PESTEL Analysis Jump to: SWOT, Porters 5  Forces, PESTEL INTRODUCTION IKEA has created its own brand name in the world of furnishing at an affordable price. IKEA strives to make a better life for many by offering wide variety of well-designed, practical home furnishing items at affordable prices. History IKEA was found in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad in small village Agunnaryd , Sweden. Originally company sold the basic household goods at discount prices later kamprad start to sell the home furnishing and 10 year later IKEA opened its first showroom, clearly demonstrates the function and quality of its low-price products. In 1955 IKEA introduce its own Designing furniture and in 1956 flat packs and self-assembly were launch (which reduced production and transport costs) and in later year IKEA has opened 301 stores all over Europe and Asia which shows the success of company. Present In 2002, IKEA Group was worlds top furniture retailers. The total number of stores 301 operated by IKEA in 37 countries/territories. The IKEA Group itself owns 267 stores in 25 countries with 123,000 co-workers and generating annual sales of more than 21.5 billion euro (these facts are taken from IKEA website). There are wide range of products in IKEA stores from plants and living room furnishings to toys and whole kitchens. At IKEA their vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people what make IKEA as worlds top furniture retailers, matchless approaches of IKEA attract the customer whether its affordable price, portable furniture or the unique design in store, Swedish cafà © in the stores, child care facility in the stores SWOT Analysis of IKEA Strengths One of the strongest strengths of IKEA is their strong brand name: IKEA is widely known brand in Europe and some Asian countries. In 2002 IKEA was the worlds most famous furniture retailer. [  [1]  ] Unique selling point of IKEA is low prices and flat pack furniture which is economical for customer and easy to transport Exclusive furniture design catch the attention of the customer Cheap Prices of IKEA furniture offers value to Customer Exclusive furniture design catch the attention of the customer As published in Business Times Ikea catalogue is the third most printed book in the world after Bible and Harry Potter [2] Furniture are easy to assemble and easy to ship IKEA has Strong potential of Global sourcing Powerful advertising campaign IKEA has built its own brand name and consistently strives to maintain it   In mid- 1990s IKEA had launched a high profile advertising campaign in USA intending to raise awareness of the IKEA brand UK wide advertising campaign in September 2007 titled Home is the Most Important Place in the World using estate agent signs with the term Not for Sale written on them as part of the wider campaign Wallets for Oyster cards and tube map are sponsored by IKEA IKEA consciously runs advertising campaign to create brand awareness. IKEA maintain Long-term Relationship with suppliers IKEA has preserved long-term relationship with its suppliers. IKEA purchases products in high volume from suppliers which allows IKEA to keep their product prices low It has about 45 trading service offices in 31 countries. This enables them to develop close relationships with more than 1,350 suppliers in 50 countries Product improvement IKEA is actively taking initiatives in environment changes, they strongly cares about forest and support the suppliers to minimize the total impact on the climates by contributing in forest projects. Weakness Supplier dependencies One of the main weakness of the IKEA is that it is dependent on the supplier for its manufacturing their products By totally dependencies on suppliers IKEA convert its strength to IKEA does not manufacture anything itself and is heavily dependent on the supplier. By limiting the manufacturing facilities means more dependencies on the suppliers. Ikea furnitures need to assemble yourself may be its is unattractive to certain groups of consumers Store design can be confusing for those customer who need particular item Swedish design may not so appealing to other regions of world Major Reliability on European Markets 90% of IKEA stores are based in European regions and rest in America, Middle East and Asia , Ikea is limiting themselves to enter into the Competition can take benefit of IKEAs non existences in the other fast growing retails markets like America, Middle East and Asia by expanding their businesses. Quality and standards Its difficult to maintain high Quality and standards globally due to the size and scale of products People generally associate the low prices with bad quality of products and non durability Ikea furnitures not manufacture for lifetime Opportunities Expansion in untouched retails market IKEA should extent their business or stores from international to global market , by developing in other regions like Asia and Eastern Europe By expanding in fast growing retails markets IKEA can capture additional share in Asia and Eastern Europe Only 10% percentages of stores were in underdeveloped markets. Its an excellent opportunity for IKEA to expand and grow their businesses in the untouched markets Development in Ecommerce IKEA should enlarge their internet present in markets Fast growing virtual markets in the Internet revolution era gives an excellent opportunity to IKEA to enlarge their place in the online business all over the world like ebay , Amazon.com, Inc IKEA can expand their business by collaboration of local companies and suppliers. By developing E-commerce site and local company alliances gives an opportunity to achieve growth in existing business and can gain new acquisition In additional it will help to increase customer service satisfaction and customer feedback Also it can reduce the work pressure from store to certain level Design various type of Store It will be good opportunities for IKEA to try new outlay of store to easily find the particular products which will increase the growth sales and customer satisfaction Minimizing waste (IKEA and the new EU legislation on chemicals) IKEA avoids use of chemicals and materials that can be of any harm to people and the environment. All IKEA products for all markets, everywhere in the world will adhere to the chemical restrictions in the REACH legislation. Efficient use of materials IKEA strives to use fewest resources to make the best possible products, without having any negative effect on the functionality or the design or the look of the products. The main material used in the manufacturing of the products is wood, cotton, metal, plastic, glass and rattan and we work towards using as many renewable and recyclable materials as possible. Threats Impact of European economy As IKEA is predominantly present in European region, any adverse effects in this region will impact the business of IKEA. Major sales and purchasing are done is European markets. In order to avoid such situation, it needs to secure place in other retail market and increase awareness of the IKEA brand and products worldwide Competition Indirect threat of competition One of the fastest growing competitive retail market in Europe and other businesses regions of IKEA Difficult to preserve good quality and design at cheap prices when competition is increasing rapidly growing e.g. In USA Wal-Mart , room to go , kmart ,In Japan Nitori Co and MUJI Even average retailers are producing low cost values flat packed furniture, which can put tremendous impact on the IKEA. Advantages of competition Competition is aggressively offer similar product Most of retailers promising to serve on high quality of and service Educating customer on quality of woods, construction techniques and so on Competitions are offering free delivery of assembled furniture whereas IKEA is not giving any options to customer on the transportation Summary of IKEA SWOT ANALYSIS SWOT analysis describes IKEAs strengths and weakness, as well as encountering the threats with opportunities which will secure IKEAs place in the retail market Strength of IKEA group in the world of retail markets is their Vision IKEA strives to make a better life for many by offering wide variety of well-designed, practical home furnishing items at affordable prices which display their clear business idea.[3] IKEA buy massive from the suppliers and gain advantage of low cost product which is one of strongest strength of IKEA , as they can sale the finished goods in cheaper than competitors IKEA is good long term business relationship with the suppliers and weakness is the total dependencies on the supplier which can be the threat in their future business. Business Strategy of IKEA gives the Excellent opportunities to expand their services to the world widely and but by limiting their expansion only to the European and selected Asian countries can be biggest threats and can be advantage to the competitors due to the non-existences of IKEA Porters 5 forces analysis of IKEA Competition from Substitutes: HIGH The furniture retails market is on developing stage. Competition from Substitute it is high in the modern time people consider better products if it is costly. The switching costs are high and Substitute will be other brands supplier at high prices. Other options might be cheap furniture from local supplier. But IKEA can competitive advantage from low prices, unique design and flat pack furniture Bargaining power of buyers: LOW IKEA focuses on large segments and target individual customers young people aged around 20 to 40 years as in the modern world people prefers compact and foldable furniture so it is easy use and transport. IKEA products are affordable for everyone because of the low prices. There is high customer loyalty therefore low bargaining power of customers. One more reason of low bargaining power can the brand name of IKEA, consumer can buy the same furnitures from capitation but because of the IKEA trademark they prefer to buy. Furnitures Industry is growing tremendously, there is very high switching cost for the buyers and with the product differentiation is prime factors. Therefore Because of the brand and large collection of product the customer loyal and preference is IKEA Threat of New Entrants : LOW The Home Furnishings House wares Retail industry is developed markets and IKEA has its own reputation and experiences players in retail markets. It is very difficult to compete against with big players in the industry as to build to own status brand lots of resources such as unique design, technology, low cost products, infrastructure and human resources. IKEA having a very long experience in its field and it has established itself differently from competitors. IKEA stores and distinguished itself as a functional home products .In Retail industry, low cost and use new technology is very essential and IKEA spent years to establish this reputation .However for a new entrant it is difficult to get. Bargaining power of supplier: LOW IKEA deals with suppliers for Wood cotton, metal, plastic, glass and rattan. IKEA have more 1,300 direct suppliers and about 10,000 sub-suppliers in 60 countries and 28 distribution centres and 11 customer distribution centres in 16 countries. IKEA had set up its own code and conducts for the suppliers. Being a Multinational brand there is a competition among supplier for selling to IKEA. They purchase in huge volume of material from the suppliers at low cost IKEA buy massively from these suppliers to deliver in the European market The Bargaining power of suppliers is low as they can lose their one of biggest clients Rivalry among existing firms: HIGH IKEA competitors are mainly in the Home Furnishings House wares Retail industry and competition from Substitutes too high in the industry. Some competitors for IKEA such as Wal-Marts, TGT, kmart in Japan Nitori Co. Many manufacturers provide furniture with same functions and design. As published in Business Times we can take Example of TGT has recruited top designer Thomas OBrien to develop a range of low-priced furnishings and In Japan Nitori Co. has a lock on low-cost furniture.[4] Competition is putting a lot of resources to manufacture the same type of products Strategic Position of IKEA IKEA PESTLE analysis Political Factors Governments have put various taxes, duties and vat on IKEA products their constitutions in different countries. Changes in the government and trading policies can threat to IKEA For example Russian government has kept on hold all new investment and delaying unpredictability of the administrative processes for Mega-Samara mall sports in Russia because of the delay IKEA have to postponed the 30 new stores in the country[5] Awareness of political situation of every country where company is operating Important Many countries offers incentive to attract the foreign investment like Malaysia , china and Thailand IKEA has grown from a small company to largest home furniture retailer in the world, Political factors has direct impact and is interrelated on other aspect. Political factors can control the process of business and greatly impact on the operating industry. As IKEAs major business is on the European regions, it has to adopt the guidelines and policy formed by the EU. Economical Factors Interest rates and exchange rates have a direct impact on company. Some time foreign currency exchange fluctuation may be beneficial or un beneficial for IKEA Due to recession demand for home furniture declined as people dont have money to buy expenses products and customers go for cheap alternatives. Fluctuation in cost of raw material can be threat for the IKEA , as they dont produces on its own , but buy from whole seller Recession has impacted on all kind of industry more or less it has effected on IKEA In todays time global warming is important concern to every business should consider to reducing elements effect the environment Social Factors IKEA takes initiatives and founded a committed to invest in the social programmes on a global level which can give IKEA a recognized globally IKEA is proactively trying to fight against Child labour and give better life to children Everyone is trying to save and reduce the causes of global warming does IKEA is The IKEA contributed much in the society as they provide recyclable products and try to minimize the waste Technological Factors IKEA products are eco-friendly IKEA should consider natural resources like using solar power renewal energy usage and energy efficiencies One of Important aspect which should be take into account as a need of new trends in changing business styles and enhance the competitive advantage which development of E-commerce and entre the world of Online business (virtual markets) Legal Factors Governments may put a negative as well as positive impact on IKEA as it is operating all over the globe hence it may vary according to different countries. In 2004 Irish Government had implement law of restricting the maximum size of a retail outlet to 6,000 (units?) to save the small business but retails giant of home furnishing wants IKEAs plan to build stores in Dublin and usual size of IKEA stores is four time bigger caused the law be put up for debate. In Jan 2005 The Government has agreed to change the planning laws clearing the way for furniture stores such as Ikea to open in Ireland IKEA and the new EU legislation on chemicals IKEA avoids use of chemicals and materials that can be of any harm to people and the environment. All IKEA products for all markets, everywhere in the world will adhere to the chemical restrictions in the REACH legislation. Environmental Factors Product Development IKEA is proactively taking initiatives in climate change projects. As 50% of the raw material is from the forest, it strongly cares about forest. The effort is to leave minimum impact on environment. It contributes to many forestry projects and honour certification by the Forest Stewardship Council Erase the Waste IKEA believes in using Waste by-products generated due to manufacturing where possible. In 2006, IKEA implemented the EU directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and IKEA stores now accept and recycle IKEA electrical produce and electronic devices. Customers can also return certain types of waste such as discarded packaging, spent batteries and low-energy bulbs for proper recycling and disposal. In 2006, IKEA stores and distribution centres handled 281,734 tons of waste, of which 81% was sorted for recycling reuse or energy recover. In the pursuit of recycling, as of October 1, 2008, IKEA USA no longer sells throwaway bags. IKEA products are recyclable and make minimum usage of polythene. Product Development IKEA is proactively taking initiatives in climate change projects. As 50% of the raw material is from the forest, it strongly cares about forest. The effort is to leave minimum impact on environment. It contributes to many forestry projects and honours certification by the Forest Stewardship Council Climate changing IKEA ensures that the products and resources are customized to reduce any negative impact on the environment. IKEA Group and WWF co-operate in projects at intended to reducing carbon dioxide emissions generated by IKEA operations.[6] Conclusion IKEA is well recognized brand for flat pack furniture and Swedish design in the world of furnishings, also they are leading retailers in globally. IKEA should explore their new opportunities into asian market as there is no major competition in flat pack furnishing and also due to over population in some asian countries flat pack can be eye catching for new customer as IKEA captured 90% of European . IKEA should seek to introduce new technologies to reduce use of wood.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Stephen Sondheim :: essays research papers

Stephen Sondheim - Biography Stephen Sondheim was born on 22 March 1930, the son of a wealthy New York dress manufacturer. But, when his parents divorced, his mother moved to Bucks County, Pennsylvania and young Stephen found himself in the right place at the right time. A neighbour of his mother's, Oscar Hammerstein II, was working on a new musical called Oklahoma! and it didn't take long for the adolescent boy to realise that he, too, was intrigued by musical theatre. Although he subsequently studied composition with Milton Babbitt, he chose to apply what he learned he all-or-nothing commercial hothouse of Broadway. Like Hammerstein, he has written the occasional pop song (with Jule Styne for Tony Bennett) and dabbled in films (Stavisky, Reds, Dick Tracy), but, like Hammerstein, he has always come back to the theatre. His initial success came as a somewhat reluctant lyricist to Leonard Bernstein on West Side Story (1957) and Jule Styne on Gypsy (1959). Exciting and adventurous as those shows were in their day, and for all their enduring popularity, Sondheim's philosophy since is encapsulated in one of his song titles: "I Never Do Anything Twice". His first score as composer-lyricist was A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (1962) - a show so funny few people spotted how experimental it was: it's still the only successful musical farce. In the following three decades, critics detected a Sondheim style - a fondness for the harmonic language of Ravel and Debussy; a reliance on vamps and skewed harmonies to destabilise th e melody; a tendency to densely literate lyrics. But, all that said, it's the versatility that still impresses: you couldn't swap a song from the exuberantly explosive pit-band score of Anyone Can Whistle (1964) with one of the Orientally influenced musical scenes in Pacific Overtures (1976); you couldn't mistake the neurotic pop score of Company (1970) for the elegantly ever-waltzing A Little Night Music (1973). Sondheim hit his stride in the Seventies, forming a unique partnership of hyphenates with Hal Prince: a composer-lyricist and a producer-director working together to re-invent the musical. Some were plotless (Company), some characterless (Pacific Overtures), one went backwards (Merrily We Roll Along). But, as his onetime choreographer Michael Bennett put it, before you can break the rules, you have to know what they are - and Sondheim knows America's cultural heritage better then anybody. Follies (1971) is an

Thursday, October 24, 2019

American Revolution: Loyalist Believed Patriots, James Chalmers Plain Truth

In the years prior to the American Revolution there were many different perspectives on whether the colonies should fight for their independence, or remain loyal to England and attempt to repair their relationship. The loyalists, who were mostly royal governors and officials in the colonies, believed that the talk of separation from Britain was a waste of time as it seemed impossible at the time. They also believed that the colonies still owed Britain a great debt due to their support in helping win the French and Indian War.Most loyalists believed that the colonies could not survive on their own as they depended just as much, if not more, on Great Britain as they did the colonies. The opposing perspective came from the group of people know as the patriots, who supported colonial independence from England. Many believed strongly in this fight for liberty and went to great measures to express their beliefs and have their voices heard.These people disagreed with the taxes being instill ed on the colonies without proper representation, and believed that Parliament and the King were unfit to rule the colonies as such a great distance separated each country and their governments. Both sides had their arguments as to why fighting for independence or remaining loyal to Britain was the right choice, and using these arguments, attracted many people to join each of their sides.Plain Truth was an article written by James Chalmers in 1776 which was essentially an angry response to Thomas Paine’s Common Sense that was published shortly before. In seventy pages, Chalmers wrote anything he could think of to tear down Common Sense. His main fault was in his writing, as it was directed at the more educated men and women, who at the time were mostly loyalists already, unlike Common Sense which was written very simply in order to be read and understood by even the uneducated.His main opposition to Paine were his views on democracy. Paine had a strong desire for democracy, u nlike many of the other Patriots that Chalmers disagreed with wholeheartedly. He refers to the short-lived democracies of Greece and Rome, comparing them to what he believes will be the outcome of a future American democracy, resulting in war and ruins. He briefly reminds the colonists of their debt to England due to their support in the French and Indian War, but as this is clear to most colonists, a strong argument is unnecessary.Chalmers’ biggest loyalist argument is that the colonists just simply could not win a war against Britain alone, which was very true. He saw it illogical for Spain or France to assist the colonists in their fight for independence in fear of directing ideas of revolution to their own royal colonies. Although many of the ideas expressed in Plain Truth are true, his lack of simple writing and invalid arguments could not have attracted nearly as many supporters as Thomas Paine’s Common Sense.  (New, Christopher)â€Å"Of the Natural Rights of Colonists† describes the views of African Americans on the American Revolution and the patriots’ desire for independence. In this piece of writing, the African Americans compare the relationship between Great Britain and the colonies to the relationship between a slave and his or her master. They emphasize that every person, no matter who they are, what they look like, or where they came from, is born with liberty and their own God-given rights.Just as a slave has those rights ripped away from them by their master, they believe that the colonists are being stripped of their rights by England as well. Obviously being against slavery or anything similar, the African Americans who contributed to this piece of writing are supporters of the fight for independence and patriots. Comparing the colonies to slavery really emphasizes that they believe they are being treated unfairly and deserve the rights they were born with.This piece of writing would have attracted many patriot supporters, as its arguments were truthful and relevant. (â€Å"Of the Natural Rights of the Colonists†) Patrick Henry, in his piece Liberty or Death, describes all of the things the colonies have done to try and peacefully repair their relationship with Great Britain, and how each one was ignored. He explains how war is not something they want, but after nothing else has worked, it seems to be the only possible solution.After countless protests, petitions and even pleading before the King, all had been ignored. Henry enthusiastically describes the need for war, as they will no sooner give up their liberty willingly than they will die. It is clear that Patrick Henry is a strong supporter of the fight for independence from Greta Britain and a strong patriot leader as well. This piece, describing England’s refusal to compromise with the colonists pleading requests surely brought upon many patriot supporters who agreed that war was the only option left.  (Henry, Patrick )Each of these views, both loyalists and patriots has a different argument as to why the colonies should either attempt to repair their relationship with England, or fight for independence. The patriots felt that England, by controlling them, was taking away the rights that they were born with, just as masters strip slaves of their rights. They also believed that they had no other option at this point, as England was not being the least bit cooperative and had ignored all protests and pleading prior.Loyalists believed that the fight for independence would essentially end in unnecessary deaths on both parts, as they believed it was impossible for the colonists to win against the English. They were skeptical of the government that American independence would produce, as past democracies in history had all ended in ruins. Each side has many arguments that divided the colonists based on their beliefs. It is clear that each side has attracted many supporters, but in the end, the Patriots turned out superior.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Lsi – Gm591 Leadership and Organization Behavior

LSI GM591 Leadership and Organization Behavior September 9, 2011 According to my LSI, my Primary personal thinking style is avoidance at 80% and my back-up personal thinking style is affiliative at 75%. I agree with my primary personal thinking style, avoidance and my back-up personal thinking style, affiliative. With the avoidance style, I can live life more positively and I can confront the people that cause my distress. With the affiliative style, I can acquire stronger interpersonal skills that will help form healthy relationships. Some of the statements about avoidance are true about me, while others aren’t. Example of true statements are: having few strong interests, having difficulty making decisions, uncomfortable discussing feelings and self-doubting and self-blaming. Some of the false statements are: lacking initiative, having difficulty establishing relationships, preoccupied with my own concerns, recently experienced something traumatic and feeling overwhelmed by circumstances. If you tally the true and false statements up, then you would see that I have more false statements than true ones, which tells me that I am less avoidance-oriented now. However, if you look at the definition of avoidance, as avoiding situations that may cause distress, then I would be a more avoidance-oriented person. When I get upset with a friend or family member, then I tend to shut down completely and avoid them for a few days till I am able to discuss what is wrong with me. I also agree with the affiliative style being my back-up personal thinking style because I don’t have a hard time meeting people, I don’t lack effectiveness at work, I don’t avoid group activities, I am able to relax around people and I don’t feel unimportant or disliked. I might feel lonely sometimes, but everyone does at one point or another. Being in the affiliative style benefits me with being liked and feeling a sense of belonging. I would identify achievement as limiting personal thinking style because it was my lowest scoring percentile at 21%. Being achievement-oriented involves recognizing where your efforts make a difference, deciding on a desired outcome, and setting specific goals to help you accomplish it. I would say that my achievement style is lowered because I feel like my efforts makes little differences, I on’t set goals, and I lack interest. However, I don’t lack initiative at work, I take responsibility for my actions and I don’t blame other people for my problems. In school I don’t do homework to achieve or excel, I just do it to get it done and hopefully pass. My dependent, approval, and conventional personal thinking styles all being at 69% percentile could be preventing me from being an achiever. Fo r me to become more achievement-oriented I need to start pleasing myself and stop focusing on what I think I should be doing and instead do what is important to me. I am not a manager yet, but I am pursuing that degree and field now. After reviewing my LSI and learning what it all means, I am going to have a hard time achieving a manager type persona. I think that a manager needs to be encouraging and have a high percentile in the humanistic-encouraging style and mine is only at 25%. I am not uncomfortable with interacting with others, nor do I lack close relationships, nor do I have a problem working in groups. However, I do have a difficult time communicating in terms of speaking in public and telling people what do to or how to do something. Improving my humanistic-encouraging style will improve my ability to lead, manage and teach. Looking back now, it’s weird to see some connections with my growing up strategies with certain personal thinking styles. I remember my mom never making me do any homework or bribing me with rewards if I got all A’s or anything like that, so I have a feeling that had an affect on why I don’t feel a big need to be more achievement-oriented. When my mom got upset with my brother, and me she would just run to her room and I guess, â€Å"avoid† us. So, now when I am upset with a friend, I â€Å"run† away and let it just pass by. My mom was always encouraging me to do things and always said that I can do whatever I put my mind to, so I don’t know why my encouraging style is in the lower percentile. I have learned a lot about myself while taking and reviewing my LSI results. This exercise made me aware of knew things about myself, while letting me admit to myself some other things. For example, I had a feeling I had avoidance problems, but taking this survey and it finding out that information made me think that it is actually real and hurting me more than I thought. I would love to improve my avoidance personal thinking style.