Organisational Behaviour of IKEA

Organisational Behaviour of IKEA What is organisation behaviour? It is combination of two different words organisation and behaviour. At first look it seems that it is somehow the way by which organisation behave but it is totally different from this. Organisation means different peoples,persons,individuals join together for a specific goal or purpose of a specific community. And behaviour means study of those aspects which effects these needs thinking motion psychology action within the organisation is called behaviour. George, M and R Jones, G Understanding and managing organisational behaviour ( 5TH. ED). My case study is about IKEA a Swedish company established in 1943. Ikeas founder is INGVAR KAMPRAD the fourth richest man in the world. Its owner is unknown but it is believed that he belong to Kampar family. Ikeas main products are household goods like furnature, kitchen goods, wardrobes and clothes. There are 17 branches of Ikeas in Sweden and more than 310 stores in more than 38 countries. [http://ezinearticles.com/?billionaire-attiributes..modesty:-ingvar-kampard-ikeas-founder-and-owneraid=274361,Thursday2nddec,2010.] 2: MAIN BODY IKEA is a rapidly growing company. It is increasing the number of its franchise and store in all over the world. Its mission statement is: Ikeas mission is to offer a wide range of home furnishing items of good design and function, excellent quality and durability, at prices so low that the majority of people can afford to buy them. [http://www.samples-help.org.uk/mission-statement/ikea-mission-statement.htm] Concept of IKEA is: The IKEA concept is founded on a low price offer in home furnishing. [http://franchisor.ikea.com/showcontent.asp?swid=concept1,Thursday 3rd Dec,2010] Now we are going to discuss that what is the role of our subject organisational behaviour in the success of any organisation and factors that works behind the success of any organisation. Organisational behaviour exist in business and management course is due to the need of those charges with managing people and system at work to inform their thinking as they address the underlying social and behavioural issues that confront them. Critical success factors are the keys and elements which an organisation must look in order to gain success. Or The steps for any organisation to follow for its successful future. Within organisation there are different areas where these critical factors works some of them are as below: Factors related to management. Organisations goals,objectives,mission,strategic successful factors. Individual critical success factors. Cultural critical success factors. Not only these are the factors responsible for the success of organisation but there are a lot of other factor work behind the success of any organisation. [http://rapidbi.com/created/criticalsuccessfactor.html, 5thDec, 2010, 11:00pm] 2.1: There are a lot of factors,ways,key issues, steps that works for the success of any organisation. Just like human body as human body is made up of different cells same as organisation is made up of different type of individuals. More develop is the individual, more effective is the organisation. Team work also a necessary part for the success of organisation. Not only the team but involving everyone in everything is also important. Communication between the team members and between individual and leader is also very important. And if we look toward any organisation by doing SWOT analysis it will also enable us to understand the factor of success. Be aware of the strength and weakness of organisation if any organisation wants to gain success. These two are the internal sources and within the control of organisation. On the other hand also be aware of the opportunities and threats you are facing.Opportunties will enables us to know the ways of making our organisation more successf ul and thereat such as, threat of downsizing,bankcrupting,loss enable us to adopt safety measure before time. But this experience can only b gains by doing swot analysis. C:UsersHomeDesktopswot-analysis-image.png http://www.businessballs.com/swotanalysisfreetemplete.htm(electronically assessed on 10th.dec,2010.) PESTAL analysis is another factor for the measurement of any organisation success or a factor for the success of any organisation. To deal with the political issues is really very difficult rather these issues may be inside the organisation or outside the organisation in your country. If the social environment of any country is not suitable for a successful company then how the company would be able to gain success in that particular country. Environment also include much in the success of any organisation if you are unable to meet the unfriendly environment its mean you are unable to gain success in business. You should be technologically as advance as the other organisations are in the markets so the you can meet competition in market. And being economically strong is another advantage for successful organisation. There is a legal restrictions in any country according to their government so you have to obey all these legal obligations for success for example in united kingdom you h ave to pay tax is a legal obligation .many more according to the law of any country.PESTAL analysis is also a best tool to gain success for any organisation. http://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin(electrionaclly assessed on 11th.dec, 2010.) After SWOT and PESTEL analysis there are many other important factors which count a lot toward the success of an organisation. Firstly the goals mission vision of any organisation should be clearly defined so that everybody may know the purpose of that organisation like Ikeas have a clear mission statement and concept .Then these mission should be related to the structure of organisation neither the organisation is about car and mission statement is about clothes. It must b clearly related to the strategy and structure of organisation. The structure of organisation should be flexible so the to meet the changes easily and to fit in any circumstances easily.Recuritment is also a very delicate part of organisation that right person is doing the right job. Next step is to identify the root of problem. Where the problem is? The problem is in the organisation or within workers. Then gather the information about the problem and possible solution of that problem. After identifying the problem making a plan for the solution of that particular problem what we called implementation of plan. 2.2: There are a lot of problems in the way of success of any organisation which are created by different means like Competition among management is a major problem. If there is a conflict between management then how would they be able to solve the conflict in the organisation? Conflict among the groups in an organisation. One group tries to take advantages of the weakness of the other group. And to show their priority over the others. Then there is a conflict between the management and the group or the leader of group. Due to the different issues like position,salaery. Conflict between the group leaders. In order to show their efficiency over the other group counts a lot problem in the way of success of any organisation. Absenteeism in another big hurdle in the way of a success full organisation. When the works are not happy with their work this fault occur at that time or when they are not satisfied from their position within the organisation. Competition among employees in another hurdle in the way of success of any organisation. Their competition cast a bad impact on the overall progress of an organisation. Unclear and ineffective strategy not related to the overall organisation is also a big problem in the way of success of organisation. Due to this you are unaware of the real purpose of your work weather the work you are doing is beneficial for organisation or not. If the management is unable to control the whole organisation then it is also very bad for the health of organisation. Development can face a huge problem if the management is not able to control whole organisation. Or if the management is ineffective. If the management is sufficient to meet the need of whole organisation then the other important factor is to identify where the problem is to discover the real area where the problem lies is also a very difficult. After identifying the basic source of problem next step is to make possible steps in order to solve the problem. Look precisely which step to be taken in order to solve that problem. Lack of proper leadership or proper leader ship is another major source of creating problem within the organisation. If the leader is not able to control his group then how he will be able to prove batter for the whole organisation. And if the leader misguide his group from right toward wrong way and not utilize his own and his group ability in positive way then how the organisation will be able to gain progress. Lack of communication between management and leaders and employee is another major reason for creating problem in the way of success of any organisation. Autocratic management where nobody is allow to communicate with the manager directly. And there is a big gap between the management and employee. This type of management is really very harmful for the organisation Hippocratic management. If the organisation is not happy with its manager then there no chance for the growth of any organisation. When somebody works within any organisation it is just like their home their family because they spend more time with that organisation then their family they develop a deep affection with that organisation. And if they got angry how the organisation can be happy. They will feel very unfit in that environment their concentration will divert from their work and it will cast a really negative impact on the organisation. Maslow full name is ANRAHAM HARLOD MASLOW. He is famous psychologist of America. He is famous for human motivation.C:UsersHomeDesktopmaslow.jpg Now by looking at Maslows hierarchy of need concept of unsuccessful management can be more clear to us.Infact the management is not fulfilling these need of employee which are the basic need of all human beings that why the management is not effective. http://www.businessballs.com/maslow.html(electronically assessed on 11th.dec, 2010.) Another huge problem in the way of success of any organisation is environmental impact which is a big hurdle in the way of any organisation. This is not only the inner environment of organisation but the outer environment also creates a bad effect on the development of organisation. Within the organisation this is so because the employee is unable to fit themselves with the environment of that organisation. Different reasons are included in that environmental dissatisifaction.One main reason is the politics which doesnt allows the new employee to fit in the environment of that organisation because they are not willing to accept new entry are due to some other reason maybe they feel that they are having much more ability as compare to that new person so they create problem for that new person which ultimately create problem for the entire organisation. Another concept about the conflict within the organisation is of two types one is functional other dysfunctional. functional conflicts is positive type and though there is a conflict but due to this type of conflict there is no disturbance in the organisation n if this functional type of conflict or you can say this group of conflict face any problem they try to solve it in a positive way obeying the rules and regulation of that organisation and finally solve their conflict without creating any type of disturbance. Then there is another type of conflict which is opposite to this conflict known as dysfunctional conflict. In this type of conflict they use their power in negative way or you can say in order to solve any problem. Not only harmful for them but for the whole organisation and can cause huge destruction for progrees,profit,politics. Buchannan and Huczynki, A. organisational behaviour a introduction/text (5th.ed) 2.3: the next step is how to handle these problems which creates hurdle in the way of success of an organisation there are different methods to handle these problems which are as under: Stephen Robbins outlines the values underpinning most organisation development effort as follows The individual should be treated with respect and dignity or with trust and confident. The organisation climate should be characterized by trust openness and support or we can say open communication and honesty. Hierarchical authority and control and deemphasized or be careful about the feeling of others. Problems and conflicts should be confronted, and not disguised or avoided try to solve the conflicts do not avoid them. (2001, P.553) Everyone within the organisation whatever he or she may be means that whatever may be his or her position in the organisation should feel free to communicate with the senior management. And feel free to express their views and to explain their complains which they are having with that organisation. Due to this communication organisation maybe able to know that where the problem is and how to solve it as soon as possible before then this p become a full problem. Employee must have this assured that their opinion is very important for the organisation and management will pay attention toward what they said and what type of difficulties they face. By doing this we can also reduce the tension in organisation. Friendly and positive attitude toward employees if another source of reducing conflict .by doing this we are caring about employee self respect and developing their confidence which will motivate then in the future and then they will be very useful for the organisation. Electronically resources such as mobile internet can be use for fast conversation its not only join the whole organisation but also enable the management to know the conflict as soon as possible. Then there should be proper strategy to solve the problem. Never try to solve the problem without strategy because it can create more problem and conflicts then to solve the problems without proper strategy http://www.merinews.com/articles/key-to-success-of-an-organisation (electronically assessed on 2nd dec, 2010) Stress is a kind of burden due to which human mind work under pressure. It is mental processes which affect our life to a huge extent. Our mind work under pressure and wrong things occur because of this stress. Because we are unaware of our action because of our mental absence and this divert our attention. Our mind is somewhere else and our body is somewhere else. Our mind due to this stress is not work with our body. This is an individual activity but effect whole organisation. Because if someone mind is work under stress then the person can made mistakes and if individual made mistakes it will disturb whole group and if the group disturb the whole organisation will disturb automatically. Luthons ,F. organisational behaviour . (10th.ed).P376,P408 Working without stress in another factor to solve the conflict if your mind is free from tension at least when you are on work then you will b able to utilize your forces more effectively for the success of organisation. Which you are not able to do when you work under stress. Not everyone within the organisation is able to handle the worse situation. This is an ability not comes through knowledge but from experience. More you go through this type of situation like conflicts disturbances decline of organisation loss to handle these situation it is necessary to have knowledge but how to experience this knowledge is more important than just to have knowledge. You can say how you would be able to implement your knowledge. Or put your knowledge into action. Satisfaction of your customers from your service is also a very important thing which you must keep in your mind in order to remove problem from your way of success. If your customers are satisfied from your products than it is really very favourable to your organisation. At least you are carefree from that thing that you are not going to face any type of difficult from them or we can say you are successful from this point of view. If you will provide good service to the customers good response you will get from them. There should be a give and take relationship among employee and management if they are good with their employee the employee will be more motivated and will work more effectively for the organisation. On the other hand if you provide good customers you will get good response and hence improve the market value of your organisation. If someone is already expert in handling the situation then it is easy for him or her to take a right action in any situation. And if someone is not then he or she act be do the same thing but there is a need of motivation though he/she have knowledge but not experience so it is difficult for them to control the worse situation but they act in a positive way if the seniors motivate them. This is called expertises vs. motivation. According to the contingency theory there is no specific formula that tells us how to behave in a right way in any situation but within the limitation of organisation how to handle the situation and find best solution of that problem. According to the system theory all department of organisation should be interrelated to each other so that we can find where the problem is find the better solution of these problem. These are the key thing which an organisation should keep in mind to solve the problems faced by that organisation. [http://www.cliveshaw.com/improve. html(electronically assessed on1st.dec,2010.) 2:4Globlisation is another aspect which must take into the consideration for a successful organisation. Whole the world has changed into a global village due to which the whole ideas of business is changing and not only the business but also attitudes of different organisation toward each other is changing and fast media is used for business as well. Fast media like internet is widely used due to this gobalisation.Every country has its website. Which not only provide us information about that particular company but also offer online shopping this is so because of globalisation and every organisation wants to beat its competition as fast as possible. IKEA also offer online shopping in order to meet its competitor. 2:5. Managment usually concerned with goal setting resources deployment employee motivation teamwork leadership control and coordination and performance measurement.managment deals with all the criteria mention above. Managment has first to measure the productivity of organisation and then how to pay the workers according to their job within the organisation. By doing this most attention is paid toward more active employee or workers and less attention toward less effective employees and this behaviour reduce their motivation toward organisation because they are already slow and need motivation and here rather then this more attention is being paid toward those who are already working effectively within the organisation so the management should be more concerned toward slow workers then toward fast work. Role of management is to control and arrange the people are such a way that they work more precisely toward the achievement of goals and objectives of the organisation. Setting goal and objective for an organisation is really very difficult .but more difficult than this is to arrange the whole organisation according to these goals and objectives which is the responsibility of manager. Within the span of control of management is scientific to some extent you can say because they have to experience all those experiments which we called in the language of business goals and objectives of organisation and they have to perform these jobs successfully and result of their experiment should be positive. For a successful management there are a lot of keys or factors or ways some of them are as under Clear vision manager should have clear vision of what happened in the past what is happening now and what will be happen in future by doing they will not only have a clear view of past present and future Open communication is also necessary between management and staff. G a Cole, (1995). Organisational behaviour. Management is a practical work you cannot learn it by reading books but practical work will help you to learn more about how to manage thing same is the organisation books can only guide you but books cannot train you. But it is not enough that someone is holding the post of manager within any organisation it is not easy to get this post but what is more difficult is to meet all those objectives which are related to the management which is really a difficult task thats why management is a difficult task. Manager has to play different role at once. he have to meet organisations goals and objectives he has to satisfied all the employees he has to look at the progress of any organization in which he is working. He has to look too many thing or we can say to take care of whole organisation that everything is working on right place in a right way thats why management is called a cornerstone of an organisation that fills every facet of organisation. 2.6: On the other hand not in every part of life there is the need of management or we can say in every field of life there is not any manager post such as in house there is no manager but they still manage house all the household work whatever the type of work it be. Or in school teacher is no manager but they still manage the school there are many example which tells us that the word manager is not necessary for every field of life but management is necessary. The management process is also a very difficult function there is not an office or a chair on which manager have to sit and vary on all his activities but manager have to move thorough out the organisation and look around all the activity within the organization but not only within the organisation but also outside the organisation in the form of competition.Manager has to look all these side very keenly so that the organisation can work more effectively. 2.7: The first and most important challenge of management is how they deal the conflict in organisation and how they beat the competitors in the market. Though managers have to do a lot of other activities but their efficiency is tested by overcoming these conflicts their ability to solve these problems along with the other problems within the organisation and in market. Another important challenge face by the management is to meet the changes. These changes may be due to environment due to culture due to competition due to grouping or any other reason. These challenges are the real test of any management how the management by using its available resources can overcome these difficulties.managment powers and control is tested by facing these challenges and solving within the limitation. 2.8: The basic value of management is to control. This control is of different types. To control all the areas within the organisation in such a way that organisation move toward success then failure. To control conflicts among the employee to control the politics within the organisation. If there is no management within the organisation then there is the disturbance in every part of organisation not only within the organisation but also in downsizes the total impact of organisation in the market. Everyone within the organisation will work according no one is here to control them to have a look on their work which is really necessary for the success of any organisation.Althoug the stress free environment is necessary for the success of organisation but sometime use of power of organisation is also necessary for the betterment of organisation this is the value of management in the organisation. Recruitment and selection of effective educated and experienced employee is also a very necessary part of management. To recruit the right person at right place is a very important decision. Not only experience but knowledge of management is also a necessary part of organisation. Lauri j Mullins management and organisational behaviour ( 6th.ed.) 3: conclusion From above discussion it can be concluded that the necessary part of any organisation are people and without people it is impossible to make any organisation. For the success of any organisation management is necessary and in order to meet difficulties faced by the organisation. And due to globalisation whole the world has changed into a global village and what we need is the individual and time.Management no doubt is a cornerstone for the success of any organisation. In order to move successfully in this competitive environment not only management necessary but to identify the problem in the way of success of any organisation and the possible solution of that problem as soon as possible so that the competitions may not go ahead from your organisation and be able to took your position in the market. Management organisation behaviour problems people are interrelated to each other in this course work. We cannot discuss only one and leave the rest all these aspects are necessary for the success of organisation. And we must have to study all these criteria for a study of organisational behaviour of this coursework. And all these are also related to our case study of IKEA.IKEA must have passed through all these aspects to gain success as it is a growing company in these days.

Market Study of Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited

Market Study of Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited 1.1 Problem Background Bangladesh paint market is experiencing a good growth of 8-10% per annum consistently in the late 90s and early years of this century mainly because of a boom in real estate development[1]. Besides, this trend in growth of demand is likely to persist or may even witness an upswing in the future as the country moves from rural base to urban base project (Real estate). There is a huge possibility that paint industry will further thrive because only 39% of the target market are currently using paint and others are progressing to get into the trend of using paint instead of the traditional way of whitening their dear houses. According to the cement manufacturers of Bangladesh, the cement market is also growing at around 4% p.a., which correlates quite well with our paint market growth data. The limited growth up to now in industrialization and per capita income in Bangladesh has restricted the size of the paint market, which is currently at around Tk.755-800 crores (1.5-1.6 crores gallon s)[2]. However a good number of local paint manufacturing companies (40 organized and at least 50 more in the informal sector) have been operating in this small market. Quite a few of these companies are producing paints of internationally acceptable quality and very importantly, the installed single shift production capacity of the local paint companies is double the present local market demand. Berger, the market leader in the Bangladesh paint market, is one of the oldest names in the global paint industry. It has its origin in the year of 1706 and from then on the company is operating with strong adherence to quality and social responsibility. Initially, Lewis Berger, a German national, founded dye pigment making business in England. Lewis Berger Sons Limited grew rapidly  with a strong reputation for innovation and entrepreneurship culminating in perfecting the process of making Prussian Blue, a deep blue dye, a color widely used for many European armies uniform. Production of dyes pigments evolved into production of paints coatings, which till today, remains the core business of Berger. Today, Berger offers all kinds of painting solutions in decorative, industrial or marine segment for both decorative and protective purpose. Based on the secondary literature survey, experts opinions and consumers requirements, the broad and the specific Objectives of the research have been set-â€Å"Market Study of Paint Industry in Bangladesh†. This objective can be met by following the study methodology described in the forthcoming chapter. 1. 2 Origin of the Study As a partial requirement for the completion of the MBA program, internship program is a vital part which opens the door to gather the practical knowledge in relation with the theoretical knowledge. MBA program at University of Dhaka requires a 3 months long internship program. As an intern, I was placed in Unitrend Limited- Affiliated with McCann Worldwide. I worked for 3 months in the Unitrend Limited (Brand Division), under the supervision of Jahidul Islam, Senior Brand Executive of Unitrend Limited. As an intern of the department I was asked to assist the Brand section (Berger pints Bangladesh Limited). After consultation with my supervisor, my faculty advisor at University of Dhaka, Dr. Serajul Hoque (Professor, Department of Marketing), I decided to explore â€Å"Market Study of Berger Paints Bangladesh limited (BPBL)†. 1. 3 Objectives Based on the secondary literature survey, experts opinions and consumers requirements, the broad and the specific Objectives of the research have been set. 1.3.1 Broad Objective Market Study of Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited (BPBL). 1.3.2 Specific Objectives i. To analyze market trends market shares of BPBL ii. To Analyze competitor behavior and performance iii. To determine current satisfaction level of BPBL iv. To find out whether current products of Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited meet consumer expectations or not. v. To identify the reference group (Painters, Architectures,) influence of the customers in choosing specific brand. vi. To find out the market potential for existing products (e.g. market size, growth, changing sales trends) vii. To Assess the potential for new products that are not provided by the current paint manufacturers ( in term of New product Development) viii. To forecast new user for existing products 1.4 Approaches to the Problem 1.4.1 Theoretical Framework A pull demand is created when demand is created in the market and is the most beneficial. To implement such a strategy we have to first assess the needs of the market, judging the perception of customers and contractors and finding out new locations and convert them into new dealers so that there is more availability of the product in the market.Assessing competitor market and developing a strategy to kill or overcome competition is the second part of the report. Opening new dealers in the market will take care of this. Expanding the dealer network helps in market penetration.All the effort will be a waste if there is no demand from the end consumer of goods. Painters, contractors, advertisements, friends and family influence the end customer. So the end customer generates the main demand and Berger Paints must analyze customer satisfaction over time. A Job Satisfaction Data Form How did you know regarding the services being rendered by Home Decor? TV†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Press†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..Friends †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Word of Mouth †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Others†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ We would like to have your comments on the following job details 1. Shade: Very Satisfied †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Satisfied †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Not Satisfied†¦..†¦ 2. Design: Very Satisfied †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Satisfied †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Not Satisfied †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3. Workmanship of Painters: Excellent †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Good†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Average†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Poor†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4. Service by Color Consultants: Excellent †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Good†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Average†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Poor†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5.Overall Service by Home Decor: Excellent†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Good†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Average†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Poor†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6. Will you refer Home Decor to anybody in near future? Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. No †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 7. Completion done according to the time schedule: Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. No †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1.4.2 Analytical Model: 1.4.3 Research Questions Hypotheses: A structured questionnaire has been used to collect data. Multiple choice questions and dichotomous questions have been used to develop structured questionnaire. H0: There is no association between customer satisfaction (DV) and factors influencing customer satisfaction (IV). H1: There is an association between customer satisfaction (DV) and factors influencing customer satisfaction (IV). 1.5 Problem Definition Management Decision Problem 1. Is the Current satisfaction level of Berger Pints Bangladesh Limited satisfactory? Marketing Research Problem 1. To determine the factors those affect the customer satisfaction level of Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited. 1.6 Problem Variables 1. Dependent Variable To determine customer satisfaction level of Berger Paints Bangladesh limited. 2. Independent Variables Price Availability Variation in paint Variation in Shade Attractive Packet Packet Size Longibility Discoloration Swelling Powdering Thinner Requirement 1.7 Research Timeline: Activities Time (Week) 1-2 3-4 5 6 7-8 9 10 11-12 Preliminary Preparation Selection Training of Fieldwork Data Collection Data Analysis Draft Report Preparation Rerport Presentation Final Report Preparation 1.8 Limitations The study aims to explore analyze market study of Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited and find out if there is any scope for its improvement. In doing so, I have encountered the following problems: The Large sample size could detect the problems more accurately. I was unable to dedicate sufficient time to make an in-depth on such an important issue. It is quite difficult to write about an organization within 3(three) months. Heavy workload at office was one of the main barriers of this study and additional time for doing the survey could hardly be extracted. Another limitation of this report is Enterprises policy of not disclosing some data and information for obvious reason. 2.0: Literature Review The annual report of some of the leading paint companies of Bangladesh including Berger Bangladesh Ltd., Asian Paints Ltd., Elite Paints, Sagor Chemicals Company Bangladesh Ltd., etc. were studied along with whatever reports that were available. However, a good number of them were back dated and were of little use in view of the fast changing market position. Apart from the literature so far consulted, the initial phase of the methodology began with the review of relevant literature on the issues indicated under the â€Å"Top-down† and â€Å"Bottom-up† approaches as well as aspects under â€Å"Projection†, assimilation of relevant data available in the secondary sources, and then conducting a desk research. 2.1 Literature in the official website of Berger Paints Bangladesh Ltd With a view to bolstering consumer satisfaction, Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited has introduced â€Å"Berger Home Dà ©cor† on June 15, 2002 through which one can get an array of services pertaining to painting. Berger Home Decor offers two-stage services: 1. Free Service 2. Paid Service Berger Home Dà ©cor is currently offering wide range of services to its prospects and existing consumers embracing: Technical advice on surface preparation and application guideline.  · Paint selection.  · Dealer selection.  · Painter/ Contractor selection and  · Color scheme. 2.1.1 Literature on the Fundamentals of Berger India Illusions which formed a basis for BPBL Illusions †¦.†¦Report on BPIL Attachment on Illusions Syed Tanzim Rezwan, Assistant Product Manager, BPBL  · What is Illusions? An illusion is basically mentioned as ‘Designers solution/finish. It is more related to the application procedure than product. Regular products are applied with some specialized tools and in some cases with some specialized chemicals to get the desired design. As it is more related to the application procedure, Illusions is offered as a full painting solution rather than a product and that is why it is more like offering a service than a product.  · Objectives of launching Illusions The objectives are: Enhancing the brand image of Berger Value addition to the existing painting service  · Area of usage Illusions is basically a design finish. So it is more appropriate for the interior walls. Plastered walls or wooden surfaces are the preferred surfaces for Illusions use. One has to remember however, that Illusions is more like a designer finish than a protective one. So areas with exposure to high heat or water are not prescribed for Illusions use.  · Distribution Strategy The way Illusions is offered: Berger India is using their Home Dà ©cor facilities to offer Illusions in different cities. Their basic idea is to offer the painting solution through the existing panel of painters they have for different cities. 2.1.2 Literature on the Illusions Procedure as a service flow, developed in Berger India and which formed a basis for the service flow of Illusions in BPBL with some modifications; literature on client generation for Illusions through promotions by Berger India Modus Operandi Satellite Operations: BPHD/Illusions Berger India Illusions procedure as according to Berger India:  § On receipt of enquiry the Customer Support Manager will visit the site and complete finalization of the design/area of application/shades and fill into the job estimate page of the customer fact file  § The final estimate from the customer fact file is to be filled in and given to the customer.  § On customer agreeing to the job, 100% collection by means of a single current dated cheque is to be taken from the customer and a painting schedule has to be developed for the job. The cheque details and the painting schedule have to be filled into the customer fact file in relevant pages.  § On realization of the cheque, the materials for the job may be purchased from the dealer as deposited by the depot manager. Material will be issued by the dealer only against the order. Dealer on delivery of the material to the site has then to raise a bill on Berger Paints Home Dà ©cor for the material supplied and submit it along with a copy of the Material Requisitions form.  § Tools required for the job are to be signed out to the painter who has been allocated the job.  § A ‘Before photograph is to be taken of the site and on completion of the job. An ‘After photograph is also to be taken for each of the areas where Illusions designs has been applied.  § On completion of the job, the completion certificate has to be signed by the customer and following this, the warranty certificate has to be handed over to the customer along with a ‘Friendship ka faida reference booklet. Lead Generation: All of the below mentioned modes of promoting Illusions will be followed in varying mixes depenmding on the efficiency of the individual methods.  § Referrals: 10% of the job value will be paid to the referring party as referral commission Dealer Contractor Architect Interior Decorator 2.2 Literature on Asian Paints entering Bangladesh paint market -Asian Paints starts operations in Bangladesh 04 September 2002 Asian Paints, Indias largest paint company, has begun its operations in Bangladesh. The entry into Bangladesh marks Asian Paints 11th joint venture in international markets and its largest green-field venture in overseas markets. The inauguration of the operations of Asian Paints (Bangladesh) Ltd was done by Bangladesh Minister of Industries M K Anwar and Asian Paints (India) Ltd vice-chairman and managing director Ashwin Dani. M Rahman, executive chairman, Board of Investment, Bangladesh, and M L Tripathi, High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh, were the other distinguished dignitaries at the inauguration. Said Dani: The opportunities that the Bangladesh market provides for Asian Paints are immense. The experience that we have gained from operating in three out of six countries in the SAARC [South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation] region has armed us with excellent expertise to operate in this region. We would like to provide value for money and the complete range of products for the Bangladeshi consumer. He further said that low per-capita consumption of paints, vast potential to upgrade the market, limited product range, increased urbanisation and consistent GDP growth of around 5-6 per cent have been some of the reasons for Asian Paints entering into this market. Moreover, this venture will help the company consolidate its position in the SAARC region. Asian Paints (Bangladesh) Ltd is a joint venture between Asian Paints (India) Ltd, Indias largest paint company, and Confidence Cement Ltd, one of the largest cement producers in Bangladesh. Asian Paints will hold 51 per cent stake in the company, while 49 per cent will be held by Confidence Cement. A fully-integrated paint manufacturing unit has been set up and is situated in the Ghazipur district, north of Dhaka, which will service the entire Bangladesh paint market. Asian Paints will introduce the Apcolite range of products, which is its premium quality range in international markets, and the Decora range, which is its international brand for economy products. Under the Apcolite and Decora brands, many product segments will be covered in the initial phase. Asian Paints will enter into segments like interior wall finishes, the exterior segment, enamels and the wood finish segment through the above-mentioned brand names. The company will immediately introduce the concept of multiple shade choice to the Bangladeshi consumer in most of its emulsion paints. The launch of multiple shades in its Apcolite range of emulsions will provide to the Bangladesh consumer, for the first time, a wide choice of colors that was not previously offered by any paint company. The total Bangladesh paint market is estimated to be over 30,000 MT, valued at around INR 2200 million (US $45 million). The market is growing by around 5-7 per cent. The GDP growth for the country has been consistently around 5 per cent and the per-capita paint consumption is around 250 gms. The market, thus, provides high potential for growth as well as an opportunity for paint manufacturers to upgrade and expand the market. 2.3 Literature on Aqua Paints Architects Awards -Four to receive Ice Today Aqua Paints Award Shawkat Marcel Khan Four interior designers will be awarded the Ice Today-Aqua Paints Award 2007 for their works on interior design. The names of the winners will be announced during the award-giving ceremony which will be held at the Radisson Water Garden Hotel in the city on July 14. The award will be given for innovation, creativity and outstanding achievements in interior design in Bangladesh, said the organizers at a briefing, held at a city hotel on Thursday. ‘The grand prize will not be given as the jury comprising Mustafa Ameen, Nahas Ahmed Khalil and Kazi Golam Nasir did not find any design suitable for the award, said the executive editor of the monthly magazine Ice Today, Ziaul Karim.‘Each winner will receive the Commendation Award valued at Tk 25,000, a crest and a Nokia set, he added. A total of 27 designs were submitted in ‘Residential and Non Residential categories. The jury short-listed the entries to eleven designs in the first phase. Then, they visited each sites and narrowed down to four designs taking three from Non Residential category. 2.4 Literature on Home Dà ©cor Coverage and Painters In total there are Home Dà ©cor outlets in Bangladesh in total. However, apart from the specific regions where these outlets are situated, consultants and painters also travel to nearby areas and thus affectively cover a wider area as shown in Fig 2.2. The following tables and s are information gathered and organized by BPBL: Table 2.1: Painters and Contractors of Home Dà ©cor in Bangladesh Depot Contractor Painter Dhaka 15 38 Chittagong 5 14 Sylhet 3 7 Comilla 2 5 Khulna 3 8 Bogra 1 2 Rajshahi 1 2 National Total 30 76 The following tables and s are information gathered and organized by BPBL: 3.0: Methodology The methodology upon which the team undertook the assignment comprises of top-down and bottom-up approaches effected by literature review, secondary data analysis and desk research, and by conducting surveys, which after consultation with the experts yielded a pragmatic Market Analysis preceded by an overall industry situation, competitor analysis and customer analysis. 3.1 Nature of Research and Sources of Information The conclusive research design adopted is descriptive in nature. The sources of data were both primary and secondary. It involved collection of data about the characteristics of the paint market, competitors and different supply chain members. Secondary information was gathered from websites, newspaper articles, journals and annual reports of different paint companies. The design of collecting primary data from customers (end users) follows the following section. 3.2 Sample Design The sample design consists of defining the target population, determination of sample size and sampling method. 3.2.1 Target Population To collect data from customers (users) the target population is defined to be the households of Bangladesh. The country was considered to be composed of three economic zones (High, Medium and Low) on the basis of economic activities as follows: Zone 1: (High) : Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet Divisions Zone 2: (Medium) : Barisal and Khulna Divisions Zone 3: (Low) : Rajshahi Division. [Source: Statistical year book of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, 2007] As the use of paint is very much related with rate of urbanization, the divisional cities of Zone 1 were selected. However, another divisional city was selected randomly from the Zone 2 to make the sample more representative to the entire population and it turned to be Khulna city. The sole division of Zone 3 could be taken into consideration too, but after consultation with the experts, it was omitted from the sampling plan for better utilization of the resources available to the Research Team. 3.2.2 Sample Size For determination of sample size, the Research Team tried to adopt various sampling techniques. But as the ratio of house owners (who are the end users of paint) is too small to the entire population of Bangladesh, the sample size becomes very small. So, after discussion with experts and the appointing authority, the sample size per city is determined to be 100. So the total sample size of this study is 400 (100X4). The distribution of the samples are furnished in table 3.1. Table 3.1: Sample distribution Dhaka Chittagong Khulna Sylhet Total End users 80 80 85 85 320 Dealers/Retailers 10 10 5 5 30 Painters 5 5 5 5 20 Architect/Developer 5 5 5 5 30 Total 100 100 100 100 400 3.2.3 Sampling Method Systematic sampling method was adopted for selecting samples. Households were considered sampling units and owner of the household was considered sampling elements. The holding list of City Corporation was used as the sampling frame. The frame was divided by the number of samples required to determine the sampling intervals. Then the first sample was selected from the first sampling interval following simple random sampling and then the rest of the samples were selected from subsequent sampling intervals as usual. If a household was found ineligible then the next adjacent household was considered the sampling unit. For conducting the surveys on the channel members, samples were selected based on judgment. The fieldwork was carried out during the period of May 28 to June 10, 2009. 3.3 Instrument and Scale for Data Collection Structured Questionnaire was used as the instrument of data collection. Five sets of questionnaire were used for customers, dealers, retailers, painters and developers respectively (Provided in the Appendix Section). Questions set in the questionnaire were worded with simplest form possible. Rank order scale and 5 point Likert scale were used in these questionnaires. In each questionnaire, at least one question was set as an open ended question to reveal the thoughts of the respondents regarding paint industry of Bangladesh. After preparation of the questionnaires, they were pretested using a small size of sample taken from Dhaka city. The reliability of the questionnaires was judged from the result of pretest. Coefficient alpha was used as a measure of internal consistency check for the questionnaires. 3.4 Field Survey Field Survey procedure was used to collect data from the primary source. The bases covered include customers (end users), dealers, retailers, painters and architect/developers. Furthermore, a panel of experts was consulted including experts in Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Architecture, Marketing, Economics and Supply Chain Management. A brief list of the expert pool is provided in the appendix A. The purpose, information coverage and other requirements of the study were further reviewed and finalized after consultation by the Research Team with the Unitrend management. Obviously the study was national in nature and the sample size was large enough to be representative of different segments. The steps involved in conducting survey were including sampling design process, questionnaire preparation, fieldwork, and data preparation and analysis. 3.5 Fieldwork and Supervision The fieldworkers were trained thoroughly for carrying out the surveys effectively. The training included as to how to select respondents, introduce themselves to the respondents, ask questions, provide reinforcements to the respondents, record the responses etc. Fieldworkers were students of Department of Marketing from the Faculty of Business Studies of University of Dhaka. A member of the Research Team supervised the fieldwork. He monitored the activities of the investigators very closely, provided them support and motivation, and in some cases, took part in the field investigation. 4.1 Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited: An Overview Berger, the market leader in the Bangladesh paint market, is one of the oldest names in the global paint industry. It has its origin in the year of 1706 and from then on the company is operating with strong adherence to quality and social responsibility. Initially, Lewis Berger, a German national, founded dye pigment making business in England. Lewis Berger Sons Limited grew rapidly with a strong reputation for innovation and entrepreneurship culminating in perfecting the process of making Prussian Blue, a deep blue dye, a color widely used for many European armies uniform. Production of dyes pigments evolved into production of paints coatings, which till today, remains the core business of Berger. Berger Paints started its sailing into the sea of Bangladesh from pre-liberation era, to be precise in 1950. In Bangladesh the major milestones of Berger Paints are given below: 1950 Started operation in Bangladesh by importing Paint from Berger UK 1970 Establishment of Chittagong Factory 1980 Named as Berger Paints (BD) Ltd. from Jenson Nicholson (JN) 1991 BMRE in Chittagong Factory 1995 Establishment of Double Tight Can Manufacturing Plant 1999 Establishment of Most Modern Sate-of-the-Art Paint Production Plant 2002 Construction of own building for the Corporate Office in Dhaka 2004 Establishment of Powder Coating Plant * Owns Corporate Office located in Dhaka * 2 Factories at Dhaka and Chittagong * 7 strategically located Sales Offices throughout the whole country. * A wide distribution channel reaches the whole country with a network of more than 1500 dealers 4.2 Vision and Mission of BPBL Berger emphasize highly on the ethical commitment to produce benchmark quality product. 4.2.1 Vision â€Å"We shall remain as the benchmark in the Paint industry by being an innovative and technology driven Company consistently delivering world-class products ensuring best consumer satisfaction through continuous value added services provided by highly professional and committed team.† 4.2.2 Mission â€Å"We shall increase our turnover by 100% in the next five years. We shall remain socially committed ethical Company.† 4.3 Area of Operation Berger Paints operates in three broad segments of the paint industry. 4.3.1 Decorative Paint * The objective is to beautify the surfaces with protection from corrosion and erosion * This business category mainly targets household segment offered to the consumers through a dealer network constituting major revenue earning business area of BPBL. * Products fulfill the aesthetic value of the consumers. 4.3.2 Industrial * Tailor made products to cater to the specific needs of customers. * Products give protection to the surfaces in extreme situations like severe hazardous environment, high temperature, movement of heavy materials and machinery etc. * Direct marketing approach is being used to promote the Industrial Coatings * Main customer groups: Garments Factories, Chemical Plants, Fertilizer Manufacturing Plants, Consumer Durable Manufacturing Plants etc. 4.3.3 Marine * Products are being offered mainly through direct marketing approach. * Dock Yards, Bangladesh Navy, Passenger Ships are the main user groups. * Market is mostly concentrated in Dhaka and Chittagong. 4.4 Manpower Structure It is consisted of more than 300 employees of whom about 160 are general workers and the rest are White Collar employees. These employees are working in different factories and depots of the company. The positional hierarchy of the company is as follows: 1. Managing Director 2. Director 3. General Manager (Executive -1) 4. Executive -2 5. Senior Manager 6. Manager 7. Assistant Manager 8. Officer (i, ii, iii, iv) / Management Trainee 4.5 SWOT Analysis The SWOT Analysis of Berger Paints is presented below: Strengths * Corporate image as pioneer in paint industry and one of the leading paint companies of the world * Wide distribution network * Rich experience on Bangladesh Paint Market * Presence in all major segments of the market * Strong financial base Weaknesses * Insignificant presence in the international satellite channels * Perceived as premium priced company at semi-urban and rural market * Higher dependence on large dealers * Consumers knowledge gap about paints painting system Opportunities * Growing market * Utilization of positive corporate * image for corporate diversification * To popularize economy products at remote market Threats * Fierce competition in the Bangladesh market * Credit-driven market * Strong command of few dealers in the market through sub-dealer * Unethical and corrupt practices by the local companies * Low priced imported products are entering due to trade liberalization 5.1 Existing Situation The paint market of Bangladesh comprises primarily with urban consumers as the rate of construction and decoration in urban areas is very high compared to that of the semi urban and rural areas. The mix of consumers in paint market encompasses with 80% urban consumers along with 12% semi urban as well as 8% rural consumers ( 5.1). The demand in the market can be categorized into 4 broader segments based on use Decorative, Industrial, Marine and Automotive paints. Decorative products are the used in households for beautification of buildings and interiors. This is the biggest among all segments. Industrial products have mainly two types of uses industrial raw materials and protective or maintenance. But in spite of the dual use, the segment is only 8% of the total demand. Demand for marine products are only 5% and for automotive paints, it is even lesser, only 3%. A detail of the product demand is endowed in 5.2. Decorative produ

Nestle :: essays research papers

Nestle (Brief Overview) 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unconventional methodology of extension to other countries in it’s early years. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nestle made a name for itself with an experiment involving a child who was intolerant to his mother’s milk or any other substitutes. Nestle not only saved the baby’s life but achieved the feat with a formula developed with a formula that included lactose as one of it’s key ingredients. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Several acquisitions along Nestle’s timeline would further accent its touch in its major revolution in the food industry. CASE1 : IMPORTANT FACTS OF THE CASE. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nestle’s commencement in 1866 by the Swedish pharmacists and further expansion into Europe and subsequently the rest of the world 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nestle’s landmark acquisituions. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nestle’s first mover strategy. The writer makes a comparison to enterprises during the industrial revolution. These companies had to invest in infrasture that are almost negligible in todays commerce activities, to start off production. Nestle had to engage in activities with a potential high risk such as their milk collection process in china. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It’s broad based globalization that attracted 99% of it’s revenue from outside of it’s home country in a little over a century 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The employment of tactics and strategy in a saturated market like Europe in the late nineties. ( I.E. potential to find an emerging market way before it gets prosperous. Responses to income levels) 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nestle focused more on customization instead of the then resounding and domineering globalization. They believed in customizing a product to suit a local niche one market at a time. That way new product failure rate remained minimal and New product Development grew significantly. This process is referred to as local adaptation by the writer. CASE2 : With regards to emerging markets 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nestle has always pioneered in being the first mover into a new market. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aligned with the vision of its proprietor they configure new products to their best fit assumption and then introduce it to a unsuspecting market. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After having a substantial leverage on the market, subsequent growth in the market would also mean growth for the subsidiary market share of nestle. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Examples of such products experimented with include tofu, noodles and of Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s favorite, condensed milk. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nestle noticeably pierces the market with staple or basic fodd items before upgrading to more upscale products. CASE 3: What is required for the strategy to work 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A centralized organizational goal and focus on new product development accented with the regional taste. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An unbiased commitment to optimum product standards. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Subsequent monitoring and alterations as required 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Progress report and full disclosure to stakeholders involved to determine if it is worth continuing.

Sarah Grimke and Frederick Douglass :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When I mention the names Sarah Grimke and Frederick Douglass what comes to mind? Abolitionists? Equal rights activists? Of course, these two individuals are making great strives to fight for what they believe in. The sad thing about it is that we don’t have enough people with the likes of these two. England abolished slavery in 1834 so how long will we go on with this inhumane cruelty toward people. Our country is in a state of denial and if we don’t wake up soon, we will all pay the price. I’m going to discuss a little bit about these two abolitionist speakers, than compare and contrast their roles of rhetoric, morality, ideas, and backgrounds. They are Sarah Grimke and Frederick Douglass. Sarah was born in 1792 and Frederick was born in 1818. These two individuals are very devoted to abolishing slavery and finding true equal rights but ironically, other than their gender and race difference, they both come from unique backgrounds. Sarah was white and born into a large wealthy family. Her father owned a plantation with slaves and Sarah grew to hate the abuse that the slaves had to endure. She was deeply religious and felt that slavery was against her moral beliefs. She speaks a lot from the bible and believes that men and women were created equal. After the death of her father she moved out of South Carolina and moved up North to pursue a role as an abolitionist and women’s rights activist. Now on the other had Frederick was born into slavery. He was living in Maryland, born to a white man unknown to him and his mother was also a slave. Frederick pursued how to read and write while being a slave but found that it was an uphill battle, because no slaves were permitted to be educated. Frederick persevered and learned to read and write but prior to his escape up North his moral was very low because being educated as a slave he states, â€Å"It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy. It opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but to no ladder upon which to get out†(Narrative of the Life of F.D. Pg 1073 col.2). Can you imagine this; a slave that can now read and write all of a sudden wishes the opposite? It’s tough to stomach the grief that he must have felt during that time.

Job Analysis Essay -- essays research papers fc

What is job analysis and why is it done? Organizations are growing in size each and every day, which in turn creates a high demand for employees. This outcome, however, needs a systematic approach to determine the right employee for the right position. The process has become so large that organizations need specialized help from Human Resource Management (HRM) departments to ensure that the requirements of the position are met. Therefore, the HRM department provides the function of job analysis in order to select the right individual for the position. â€Å"Job analysis is a complex and vital part of every HRM program, as well as an important systematic process used within an organization to determine future members of the workforce.† Job analysis contributes to many important Human Resource Management functions as it identifies and analyzes the relation between the job and what is required. According to the â€Å"Job Analysis: Overview,† Job analysis is a process used to identify and determine in detail the particular job duties, requirements, and the relative importance of these duties for a given position or a particular job. A job analysis defines the work, activities, tasks, objectives, products, services, or processes required to perform a particular job. It collects details about work activities, human behaviors, machine, tools, equipment and work aids, performance standards, job context, and human requirements. These in turn help to identify the knowledges, skills and abili...

Bob and the Troubles of China

Name ________________________ The Odyssey Study Questions- ANSWERS Book One (p. 77-92): 1. What do you see as the attitude of the Gods' towards men? They think men are foolish. They bring most pain and suffering upon themselves. 2. What do you see as the attitude of the Greeks towards hospitality? They take the role of hosts seriously. The Greeks had to open their home, be gracious, and share their food, and drink with their guests. 3. How would you characterize Telemachus at this point? What are his strengths? Telemachus is trying to be a good host and holds himself to a higher set of standards.He is disgusted by the behaviors of the suitors around his home. He cares about the values and morals of the Greeks. 4. What are his weaknesses? He has allowed the suitors to overtake his father’s home. 5. How does Athena plan to affect Telemachus? Athena poses as a man, Mentes (Odysseus’ friend) and enters Telemachus’ home. She tells Telemachus that Odysseus is still ali ve and that he must rid the home of the suitors. 6. What tragic homecoming story do we hear of? How does it relate to the situation in Ithaca? The Achaeans’ Journey Home from Troy.It is the story of Odysseus and his men. 7. Who is Phemius? The bard- he tells stories and entertains. 8. How does Telemachus show strength with Penelope? He confronts her when she is weeping over Odysseus. â€Å"I hold the reins of power in this house† (p. 89) 9. How does this relate to the visit of Athena? Athena helps Telemachus to confront his mother and the suitors- something he would not have done on his own. Athena now sends him on a journey to find his father (Book Two). Book Two (p. 93-106): 1. What is the suitor's attitude towards Penelope's reluctance to choose one of them?The suitors think Penelope is toying with them. They want Telemachus to stand up to his mother and either make her choose a suitor or kick her out. 2. Why do they think it is their right to â€Å"demand† t hat she choose? They think they can demand Penelope choose because she has been leading them on for over three years. Penelope has been weaving a shroud for Laertes. She told the suitors she would choose from among them when she finished the shroud, but the men found out she has been unweaving it at night. 3. What are the two different interpretations of the omen?The omen: two eagles (Zeus’ animal) fly across the sky (p. 98). Interpretation 1: Halitherses says Zeus is saying Odysseus will return home shortly (p. 98). Interpretation 2: Eurymachus says they are just birds, but then offers his own prophecy: Telemachus will be hurt and Halitherses will be fined (p. 99). 4. How does Telemachus respond to the position put forward by Antinous? Antinous wants Telemachus to force his mother to choose and says that Telemachus should forget that he and his mother have been wronged and just feast with the suitors.Telemachus refuses on all accounts. Antinous says Telemachus will die on hi s journey. (p. 102-103) *He lets his nurse (nursemaid) know he is leaving to go to Sparta, but doesn’t want to tell his mother till â€Å"ten or a dozen days have passed / or she misses me herself and learns I’m gone† because â€Å"she mustn’t mar her lovely face with tears† (p. 105). BOOK THREE SUMMARY At Pylos, Telemachus and Mentor (Athena in disguise) witness an impressive religious ceremony in which dozens of bulls are sacrificed to Poseidon, the god of the sea.Although Telemachus has little experience with public speaking, Mentor gives him the encouragement that he needs to approach Nestor, the city’s king, and ask him about Odysseus. Nestor, however, has no information about the Greek hero. He recounts that after the fall of Troy a falling-out occurred between Agamemnon and Menelaus, the two Greek brothers who had led the expedition. Menelaus set sail for Greece immediately, while Agamemnon decided to wait a day and continue sacrifici ng on the shores of Troy. Nestor went with Menelaus, while Odysseus stayed with Agamemnon, and he has heard no news of Odysseus.He says that he can only pray that Athena will show Telemachus the kindness that she showed Odysseus. He adds that he has heard that suitors have taken over the prince’s house in Ithaca and that he hopes that Telemachus will achieve the renown in defense of his father that Orestes, son of Agamemnon, won in defense of his father. Telemachus then asks Nestor about Agamemnon’s fate. Nestor explains that Agamemnon returned from Troy to find that Aegisthus, a base coward who remained behind while the Greeks fought in Troy, had seduced and married his wife, Clytemnestra.With her approval, Aegisthus murdered Agamemnon. He would have then taken over Agamemnon’s kingdom had not Orestes, who was in exile in Athens, returned and killed Aegisthus and Clytemnestra. THIS IS THE STORY ZEUS WAS REFERRING TO IN BOOK 1. Nestor holds the courage of Oreste s up as an example for Telemachus. He sends his own son Pisistratus along to accompany Telemachus to Sparta, and the two set out by land the next day. Athena, who reveals her divinity by shedding the form of Mentor and changing into an eagle before the entire court of Pylos, stays behind to protect Telemachus’s ship and its crew.BOOK FOUR SUMMARY In Sparta, the king and queen, Menelaus and Helen (â€Å"THE FACE THAT LAUNCHED 1000 SHIPS†- THE ONE THE TROJAN WAR WAS OVER), are celebrating the separate marriages of their son and daughter. They happily greet Pisistratus and Telemachus, the latter of whom they soon recognize as the son of Odysseus because of the clear family resemblance. As they all feast, the king and queen recount with melancholy the many examples of Odysseus’s cunning at Troy. Helen recalls how Odysseus dressed as a beggar to infiltrate the city’s walls.Menelaus tells the famous story of the Trojan horse, Odysseus’s masterful gambit that allowed the Greeks to sneak into Troy and slaughter the Trojans. The following day, Menelaus recounts his own return from Troy. He says that, stranded in Egypt, he was forced to capture Proteus, the divine Old Man of the Sea. Proteus told him the way back to Sparta and then informed him of the fates of Agamemnon and Ajax, another Greek hero, who survived Troy only to perish back in Greece. Proteus also told him news of Odysseus—that he was still alive but was imprisoned by Calypso on her island.Buoyed by this report, Telemachus and Pisistratus return to Pylos to set sail for Ithaca. Meanwhile, the suitors at Odysseus’s house learn of Telemachus’s voyage and prepare to ambush him upon his return. The herald Medon overhears their plans and reports them to Penelope. She becomes distraught when she reflects that she may soon lose her son in addition to her husband, but Athena sends a phantom in the form of Penelope’s sister, Iphthime, to reassure her. Ip hthime tells her not to worry, for the goddess will protect Telemachus. Book Five (p. 152-167): 1.How long does Odysseus stay on Calypso's island? He was with Calypso for seven years (she got him on his way home from Troy). 2. What is the source of Calypso's power over Odysseus? She is an attractive goddess who is â€Å"lustrous† (p. 155, 157, 158). It is a sexual seductive power. 3. What do we learn of Calypso's feelings for Odysseus? She loves Odysseus and saved him. She wants to keep him (p. 156). He does not want her â€Å"unwilling lover alongside lover all too willing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 157). 4. What will Calypso give Odysseus if he stays with her? Hermes comes from Zeus and demands Calypso release him.She offers Odysseus immortality if he stays with her (p. 158-159). 5. Calypso asks Odysseus to compare her with Penelope; does Odysseus respond satisfactorily? â€Å"[Penelope] falls short of you [Calypso], / your beauty, stature. She is mortal after all / and you, you n ever age or die†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 159). REMEMBER, GODDESSES ARE ULTRA SENSITIVE. 6. How would you characterize the making of the raft, and the departure of Odysseus? Cut 20 trees and made his raft (more of a ship) with Calypso bringing him tools and showing him where things were. It took 4 days. On the 5th day, Calypso launched him from her island.On the 18th day, Poseidon noticed him â€Å"Outrageous! † (p. 161) and created chaos on the ocean. 7. For how many days does Odysseus swim? Three days (p. 164). 8. Why does Zeus, despite his liking of Odysseus, allow Poseidon to make this journey such an ordeal? Poseidon is a god and angry. Zeus will not allow him to kill Odysseus, but take out his frustration. 9. Ino-Leucothea, in the guise of a seabird, gives him her veil. Why veil? She felt bad for him, â€Å"Ah poor man, / why is the god of earthquakes so dead set against you? †¦ Here, take this scarf [veil], / tie it around your waist— it is immortal† (p. 63) . To save him. He could tie it around himself without weighing himself down. 10. Why does Odysseus return Ino's veil to the sea? He returned it to her as she was in the sea (he feared it at first thinking it might be a trick of another goddess) (p. 166). 11. After two days of swimming, note several phases of decision-making. Does Odysseus accomplish his rescue on his own? â€Å"If I clamber out, some big comber will hoist me, / dash me against that cliff†¦ If I keep on swimming down the coast, trying to find a seabeach †¦ another gale will snatch me up and hail me back†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 165).He needed help from Athena and Ino. BOOK SIX SUMMARY That night, Athena appears in a dream to the Phaeacian princess Nausicaa, disguised as her friend. She encourages the young princess to go to the river the next day to wash her clothes so that she will appear more fetching to the many men courting her. The next morning, Nausicaa goes to the river, and while she and her handmaidens a re naked, playing ball as their clothes dry on the ground, Odysseus wakes in the forest and encounters them. Naked himself, he humbly yet winningly pleads for their assistance, never revealing his identity.Nausicaa leaves him alone to wash the dirt and brine from his body, and Athena makes him look especially handsome, so that when Nausicaa sees him again she begins to fall in love with him. Afraid of causing a scene if she walks into the city with a strange man at her side, Nausicaa gives Odysseus directions to the palace and advice on how to approach Arete, queen of the Phaeacians, when he meets her. With a prayer to Athena for hospitality from the Phaeacians, Odysseus sets out for the palace. BOOK SEVEN SUMMARY On his way to the palace of Alcinous, the king of the Phaeacians, Odysseus is stopped by a young girl who is Athena in disguise.She offers to guide him to the king’s house and shrouds him in a protective mist that keeps the Phaeacians, a kind but somewhat xenophobic people, from harassing him. She also advises him to direct his plea for help to Arete, the wise and strong queen who will know how to get him home. Once Athena has delivered Odysseus to the palace, she departs from Scheria to her beloved city of Athens. Odysseus finds the palace residents holding a festival in honor of Poseidon. He is struck by the splendor of the palace and the king’s opulence.As soon as he sees the queen, he throws himself at her feet, and the mist about him dissipates. At first, the king wonders if this wayward traveler might be a god, but without revealing his identity, Odysseus puts the king’s suspicions to rest by declaring that he is indeed a mortal. He then explains his predicament, and the king and queen gladly promise to see him off the next day in a Phaeacian ship. Later that evening, when the king and queen are alone with Odysseus, the wise Arete recognizes the clothes that he is wearing as ones that she herself had made for her daughter N ausicaa.Suspicious, she interrogates Odysseus further. While still withholding his name, Odysseus responds by recounting the story of his journey from Calypso’s island and his encounter with Nausicaa that morning, which involved her giving him a set of clothes to wear. To absolve the princess for not accompanying him to the palace, Odysseus claims that it was his idea to come alone. Alcinous is so impressed with his visitor that he offers Odysseus his daughter’s hand in marriage. BOOK EIGHT SUMMARY The next day, Alcinous calls an assembly of his Phaeacian counselors.Athena, back from Athens, ensures attendance by spreading word that the topic of discussion will be the godlike visitor who recently appeared on the island. At the assembly, Alcinous proposes providing a ship for his visitor so that the man can return to his homeland. The measure is approved, and Alcinous invites the counselors to his palace for a feast and celebration of games in honor of his guest. There, a blind bard named Demodocus sings of the quarrel between Odysseus and Achilles at Troy. Everyone listens with pleasure except Odysseus, who weeps at the painful memories that the story recalls.The king notices Odysseus’s grief and ends the feast so that the games can begin. The games include the standard lineup of boxing, wrestling, racing, and throwing of the discus. At one point, Odysseus is asked to participate. Still overcome by his many hardships, he declines. One of the young athletes, Broadsea, then insults him, which goads his pride to action. Odysseus easily wins the discus toss and then challenges the Phaeacian athletes to any other form of competition they choose. The discussion becomes heated, but Alcinous diffuses the situation by insisting that Odysseus join them in another east, at which the Phaeacian youth entertain him and prove their preeminence in song and dance. Demodocus performs again, this time a light song about a tryst between Ares and Aphrodite. Af terward, Alcinous and each of the young Phaeacian men, including Broadsea, give Odysseus gifts to take with him on his journey home. At dinner that night, Odysseus asks Demodocus to sing of the Trojan horse and the sack of Troy, but as he listens to the accomplished minstrel he again breaks down. King Alcinous again notices and stops the music. He asks Odysseus at last to tell him who he is, where he is from, and where he is going.Book Nine (p. 211-229): 1. Where do Odysseus and his men go first after they leave Troy? Ismarus- they raided the city, killed the men, and took the women. 2. Who are the Cicones? The people of Ismarus. They bring an army against Odysseus and kill six men from each of his twelve ships. 3. Who are the lotus eaters? They offer Odysseus’ men lotus flowers which make them uncaring about anything but eating more lotus flowers. 4. How does Polyphemus prevent Odysseus and his men from leaving his cave? He puts giant boulder in front of the mouth of the cav e. 5. What does Polyphemus' diet consist of?People, goats, cheese, milk. 6. Are the Cyclops in any way civilized? (Opinion) 7. What mistake does Odysseus makes as he sails away? He tells Polyphemus his real name and taunts him. Book Ten (p. 230-248): 1. After the attack from the Laestrygonians, how many ships are left out of the original twelve? One- only Odysseus’ ship. 2. What sort of character is Circe? What craft does she practice that Penelope also practices? She is immortal and a sensual woman. She is gifted in weaving like Penelope (remember her death shroud deal). 3. Why (aside from her magic) is she able to turn Odysseus' men into swine?How do they offend her? She drugged the men when they drank. She didn’t like their behavior. 4. Into what does Circe transform Odysseus' crew? Pigs. 5. What does Hermes give to Odysseus? Moly (a poisonous plant) to stop him from being changed by Circe’s wine potion; it is no longer poisonous because a god gave it to him. 6. What makes Odysseus give in to Circe's enticements? Is this typical of him? She is a beautiful immortal woman who promised to return his crew to their form. We know he stayed with Calypso, so it seems within character. 7. How long does Odysseus stay in Circe's palace? year. 8. Why does he want to leave? He wants to go back to Ithaca and his wife. 9. Where must Odysseus go to learn his way home? He must go to the Underworld and talk to Tiresias (the blind prophet- same one from Oedipus). Book Eleven (p. 249-270): 1. What favor does Elpenor ask of Odysseus? He wants Odysseus to give his body a proper burial- the one who fell off of the roof at Circe’s and died (p. 251). 2. What ritual does Odysseus perform in order to meet those in the Underworld? He gives libations (milk, honey, wine, water) and performs sacrifices (sheep). 3.What does Tiresias do in order to speak to Odysseus? He had to drink the blood of the sacrifices. 4. What does Odysseus learn about his journey from Tiresias in Hades? He will get home, but if he touches the cattle of Helios, he will lose all his men and have a more treacherous trip home (p. 253). He will have to make amends to Poseidon at the end of his journey. 5. What does Odysseus learn from Anticleia? What does he try to do after she speaks to him? Why does he fail? Anticleia is his mother. She died of grief while he was gone. Penelope is still waiting for him. His father is still alive but is ad because Odysseus is still gone. He kept trying to hold/hug her, but she kept dissolving because she is only a soul. 6. What does Agamemnon tell Odysseus about how men should feel about women? Is it significant that earlier in the book we hear about celebrated women? He thinks women are shameful. They are manipulative and wily (p. 262- 263). 7. What is the reason for Ajax's anger at Odysseus? Ajax refuses to talk to Odysseus. Ajax still holds a grudge over the fact that Odysseus won the armor of Achilles (during the Trojan War). 8. What is the Greek Underworld (Hades) like?The souls come up out of Erebus. As Persephone brings him through the Underworld, he sees Minos judged the dead. Orion is in a field, Tityus is being tortured with two eagles eating his liver. He sees torment and suffering everywhere. 9. What do you make of Tantalus and Sisyphus? They are being punished for eternity. Tantalus can’t eat or drink but is forever thirsty and hungry. Sisyphus is constantly pushing a boulder to the uphill and it rolls back down just as he is about to push it over the top. They are to suffer futility. Book Twelve (p. 271-285): 1. Why has Odysseus returned to Aeaea?He needs to bury the body of Elpenor as he promised. 2. How does Circe help him? She warns Odysseus of all the dangers that await them- the Sirens, Scylla, Charybdis, the cattle of the sun god and how to lose the fewest men. 3. What does the episode of the Sirens tell us about Odysseus' character? Homer's understanding of the power of music? He alo ne is to hear the Siren’s song. He is unique and stronger than the other men with whom he travels. Homer understands that music has power to seduce, tame, and incite. 4. What advice does Odysseus take that Circe gives him about Scylla and Charybdis?What does this tell us about leadership? He braves Scylla rather than Charybdis. If he took on the whirlpool, he would have lost his entire crew. He is willing, as a leader, to make hard choices. 5. Why are the cattle of Helios' island so tempting? The men have not eaten fresh meat in a long time. 6. What warning does Odysseus give his men? Do not eat the cattle of the sun god. 7. This is not the first time Odysseus' warnings are ignored. Whose fault is this? Opinion. 8. This is also not the first time Odysseus's orders are defied. Does this absolve him of responsibility? Opinion. BOOK THIRTEEN SUMMARYThe account of his wanderings now finished, Odysseus looks forward to leaving Scheria. The next day, Alcinous loads his gifts on boa rd the ship that will carry Odysseus to Ithaca. Odysseus sets sail as soon as the sun goes down. He sleeps the whole night, while the Phaeacian crew commands the ship. He remains asleep even when the ship lands the next morning. The crew gently carries him and his gifts to shore and then sails for home. When Poseidon spots Odysseus in Ithaca, he becomes enraged at the Phaeacians for assisting his nemesis. He complains to Zeus, who allows him to punish the Phaeacians.Just as their ship is pulling into harbor at Scheria, the prophecy mentioned at the end of Book 8 is fulfilled: the ship suddenly turns to stone and sinks to the bottom of the sea. The onlookers ashore immediately recognize the consummation of the prophecy and resolve to abandon their custom of helping wayward travelers. Back in Ithaca, Odysseus wakes to find a country that he doesn’t recognize, for Athena has shrouded it in mist to conceal its true form while she plans his next move. At first, he curses the Phaea cians, whom he thinks have duped him and left him in some unknown land.But Athena, disguised as a shepherd, meets him and tells him that he is indeed in Ithaca. With characteristic cunning, Odysseus acts to conceal his identity from her until she reveals hers. Delighted by Odysseus’s tricks, Athena announces that it is time for Odysseus to use his wits to punish the suitors. She tells him to hide out in the hut of his swineherd, Eumaeus. She informs him that Telemachus has gone in search of news of him and gives him the appearance of an old vagabond so that no one will recognize him. BOOK FOURTEEN SUMMARY Odysseus finds Eumaeus outside his hut. Although Eumaeus doesn’t recognize he withered traveler as his master, he invites him inside. There Odysseus has a hearty meal of pork and listens as Eumaeus heaps praise upon the memory of his former master, whom he fears is lost for good, and scorn upon the behavior of his new masters, the vile suitors. Odysseus predicts that Eumaeus will see his master again quite soon, but Eumaeus will hear none of it—he has encountered too many vagabonds looking for a handout from Penelope in return for fabricated news of Odysseus. Still, Eumaeus takes a liking to his guest. He puts him up for the night and even lets him borrow a cloak to keep out the cold.When Eumaeus asks Odysseus about his origins, Odysseus lies that he is from Crete. He fought with Odysseus at Troy and made it home safely, he claims, but a trip that he made later to Egypt went awry, and he was reduced to poverty. It was during this trip, he says, that he heard that Odysseus was still alive. BOOK FIFTEEN SUMMARY Athena travels to Sparta, where she finds Telemachus and Pisistratus, Nestor’s son. She tells Telemachus he must hurry home to Ithaca before the suitors succeed in winning his mother’s hand. She also warns him of the ambush that they have set and explains how to avoid it.Finally, she instructs him to head first for the home of the swineherd Eumaeus, who will convey the news of his safe return to Penelope. The next day, Telemachus announces his departure and accepts gifts from Menelaus and Helen. As Telemachus pulls away from the palace in his chariot, an eagle carrying a goose stolen from a pen swoops down beside him. Helen interprets the incident as an omen that Odysseus is about to swoop down on his home and exact revenge on the suitors. Once at Pylos, Telemachus has Pisistratus drop him off at his ship, insisting that he has no time to spare to visit Nestor again.The ship is about to set off when Theoclymenus, a famous prophet’s descendant who is fleeing prosecution for a crime of manslaughter that he committed in Argos, approaches Telemachus and asks to come aboard. Telemachus welcomes him and offers him hospitality when they get to Ithaca. In the hut of Eumaeus, Odysseus tests the limit of his hospitality by offering to leave in the morning, a false gesture that he hopes will prompt Eu maeus to offer to let him stay longer. He urges the old man not to go out of his way and says that he will earn his keep working for the suitors, butEumaeus will have none of it. To get mixed up with those suitors, he warns, would be suicide. Odysseus and the swineherd then swap stories. Eumaeus explains how he first came to Ithaca: the son of a king, he was stolen from his house by Phoenician pirates with the help of a maid that his father employed. The pirates took him all over the seas until Laertes, Odysseus’s father, bought him in Ithaca. There, Laertes’ wife brought him up alongside her own daughter, the youngest born. The next morning, Telemachus reaches the shores of Ithaca. He disembarks while the crew heads to the city by ship.He entrusts Theoclymenus to a loyal crewman, Piraeus. As they part, they see a hawk fly by carrying a dove in its talons, which Theoclymenus interprets as a favorable sign of the strength of Odysseus’s house and line. Book Sixtee n (p. 338-353): 1. How does Eumaeus greet Telemachus? He wept and sobbed. He greeted him as he would his own son. (p. 339) 2. What errand is Eumaeus sent on? He is to tell Penelope that Telemachus has returned and to have her housekeeper tell Odysseus’ father (Laertes) that he is home (p. 343). 3. Why does Odysseus reveal his identity to Telemachus?Athena urged him on so the two could plot the demise of the suitors (p. 343-344). 4. How does Odysseus' look when he reveals himself to his son? p. 344- He is tall, handsome, black hair, etc. He is heroic looking (godlike). 5. How does Telemachus react when Odysseus identifies himself? At first he does not believe it is him. â€Å"No, you’re not Odysseus! Not my father! † (p. 344). 6. What are the three major points of strategy in the plan which Odysseus tells to Telemachus? a. Odysseus will pretend to be a beggar as he enters the hall with the suitors.Telemachus will hide all the weapons except for 2 swords, 2 spears , and 2 oxhide bucklers for Odysseus and Telemachus. b. Athena ; Zeus will daze the suitors. c. Odysseus and Telemachus will kill all the suitors (and possibly Penelope if she has not been faithful). 7. What does Antinous try to get the suitors to do? He wants them to plot to kill Telemachus (p. 350). 8. Who offers a different perspective? Amphinomus says that it’s not right to kill the descendants of kings, but if Zeus wants it, then he will do it, but not before. 9. How does Penelope learn of what the suitors are thinking?The herald Medon told her what transpired (p. 351). 10. How does Penelope react to this information? She confronts Antinous (p. 351). 11. Which of the suitors attempts to reassure her? Eurymachus tells her no one will try to hurt her son. BOOK SEVENTEEN SUMMARY Telemachus leaves Odysseus at Eumaeus’s hut and heads to his palace, where he receives a tearful welcome from Penelope and the nurse Eurycleia. In the palace hall he meets Theoclymenus and Pi raeus. He tells Piraeus not to bring his gifts from Menelaus to the palace; he fears that the suitors will steal them if they kill him.When he sits down to eat with Penelope, Telemachus tells her what little news he received of Odysseus in Pylos and Sparta, but he doesn’t reveal that he has seen Odysseus with his own eyes in Eumaeus’s hut. Theoclymenus then speaks up and swears that Odysseus is in Ithaca at this very moment. Meanwhile, Eumaeus and Odysseus set out toward town in Telemachus’s footsteps. On the way they meet Melanthius, a base subordinate of the suitors, who heaps scorn on Eumaeus and kicks his beggar companion. Odysseus receives a similar welcome at the palace.The suitors give him food with great reluctance, and Antinous goes out of his way to insult him. When Odysseus answers insult with insult, Antinous gives him a blow with a stool that disgusts even the other suitors. Report of this cruelty reaches Penelope, who asks to have the beggar brough t to her so that she can question him about Odysseus. Odysseus, however, doesn’t want the suitors to see him heading toward the queen’s room. Eumaeus announces that he must return to his hut and hogs, leaving Odysseus alone with Telemachus and the suitors. BOOK EIGHTEEN SUMMARYAnother beggar, Arnaeus (nicknamed Irus), saunters into the palace. For a beggar, he is rather brash: he insults Odysseus and challenges him to a boxing match. He thinks that he will make quick work of the old man, but Athena gives Odysseus extra strength and stature. Irus soon regrets challenging the old man and tries to escape, but by now the suitors have taken notice and are egging on the fight for the sake of their own entertainment. It ends quickly as Odysseus floors Irus and stops just short of killing him. The suitors congratulate Odysseus.One in particular, the moderate Amphinomus, toasts him and gives him food. Odysseus, fully aware of the bloodshed to come and overcome by pity for Amphi nomus, pulls the man aside. He predicts to Amphinomus that Odysseus will soon be home and gives him a thinly veiled warning to abandon the palace and return to his own land. But Amphinomus doesn’t depart, despite being â€Å"fraught with grave forebodings,† for Athena has bound him to death at the hands of Telemachus (18. 176). Athena now puts it into Penelope’s head to make an appearance before her suitors.The goddess gives her extra stature and beauty to inflame their hearts. When Penelope speaks to the suitors, she leads them on by telling them that Odysseus had instructed her to take a new husband if he should fail to return before Telemachus began growing facial hair. She then tricks them, to the silent delight of Odysseus, into bringing her gifts by claiming that any suitor worth his salt would try to win her hand by giving things to her instead of taking what’s rightfully hers. The suitors shower her with presents, and, as they celebrate, Odysseus instructs the maidservants to go to Penelope.The maidservant Melantho, Melanthius’s sister, insults him as an inferior being and a drunk; Odysseus then scares them off with threats. Hoping to make Odysseus even more angry at the suitors, Athena now inspires Eurymachus to insult him. When Odysseus responds with insults of his own, Eurymachus throws a stool at him but misses, hitting a servant instead. Just as a riot is about to break out, Telemachus steps in and diffuses the situation, to the consternation of the suitors. Book Nineteen (p. 390-409): 1. What ruse does Odysseus tell Telemachus to carry out at the beginning of the book?Telemachus is to tell the suitors he is putting the weapons away for safe keeping and so that they will not hurt each other when they are drunk. 2. What does the stranger ask Penelope not to ask him? Why? Does she ask him anyway? He says, â€Å"don’t, please, search out my birth, my land, / or you’ll fill my heart to overflowing even more / as I bring back the past† (p. 394). The stranger is Odysseus and he doesn’t want to reveal himself yet. She wants to test his honesty. 3. Where does Odysseus tell Penelope he is from? Does this story have anything in common with the story he tells Eumaeus?He says he is from Crete. It parallels (many of the same strokes) the stories he has told in the past (he has to keep his lies in order). 4. How does Penelope react to what she hears of Odysseus? How does Odysseus react to her reaction? She is moved and upset. She weeps and says she believes he knew Odysseus. He reassures her. He is happy that she misses him and has been loyal to him. 5. What prediction does Odysseus give to Penelope? Odysseus will return within the month. â€Å"True, this very month- just as the old moon dies / and the new moon rises into life- Odysseus will return! (p. 400). 6. How did Odysseus obtain the scar that Eurycleia recognizes? (On his foot) He got it while hunting boar with his gra ndfather Autolycus. 7. What does Odysseus say to Eurycleia? He says he will kill all of the maids in the house, but Eurycleia says she will tell him who is guilty and who is innocent. 8. What is the dream which Penelope describes to Odysseus? How does he interpret it? An eagle kills all of her 20 geese. It then speaks â€Å"Courage, daughter of Famous King Icarus! / This is no dream but a happy waking vision, / real as day, that will come true for you. These geese were your suitors†¦ † (p. 407-409). Odysseus says it is a prophecy of the future- that Odysseus has basically told her through her dream what will happen. 9. How does the stranger affect Penelope? Why is she favorably disposed toward the stranger? She trusts him (because she can connect with him). 10. How does Penelope plan to test the suitors to see which one she will marry? She will marry the one who can string Odysseus’ bow and shoot an arrow through 12 axes set in a line (think the aspects of a hero- they have a special weapon only they can wield).BOOK TWENTY SUMMARY Penelope and Odysseus both have trouble sleeping that night. Odysseus worries that he and Telemachus will never be able to conquer so many suitors, but Athena reassures him that through the gods all things are possible. Tormented by the loss of her husband and her commitment to remarry, Penelope wakes and prays for Artemis to kill her. Her distress wakes Odysseus, who asks Zeus for a good omen. Zeus responds with a clap of thunder, and, at once, a maid in an adjacent room is heard cursing the suitors.As the palace springs to life the next day, Odysseus and Telemachus meet, in succession, the swineherd Eumaeus, the foul Melanthius, and Philoetius, a kindly and loyal herdsman who says that he has not yet given up hope of Odysseus’s return. The suitors enter, once again plotting Telemachus’s murder. Amphinomus convinces them to call it off, however, when a portent of doom appears in the form of an eagle carrying a dove in its talons. But Athena keeps the suitors antagonistic all through dinner to prevent Odysseus’s anger from losing its edge.Ctesippus, a wealthy and arrogant suitor, throws a cow’s hoof at Odysseus, in response to which Telemachus threatens to run him through with his sword. The suitors laugh and laugh, failing to notice that they and the walls of the room are covered in blood and that their faces have assumed a foreign, ghostly look—all of which Theoclymenus interprets as portents of inescapable doom. Book Twenty-One (p. 424-438): 1. What must the stringer of the bow do with his shot? Shoot the arrow through 12 axes in a line (almost impossible) with one arrow. 2.In what way do Telemachus' words after â€Å"giving up† show him to be a worthy son? He could have strung the bow, and is doing this on purpose to entice the suitors to the challenge, but in the process makes himself look weak- something he is willing to do for his father. 3. Wh at is Antinous' and Eurymachus' reaction to the challenge? Antinous yells at the servants for crying. He then admits it will be a difficult challenge to overcome (which he hopes to do). Eurymachus considers it a disgrace if they cannot string the bow. 4. Melanthius is ordered to do what in order to make the bow easier to bend?Get a fire going and grease. They will â€Å"Heat and limber the bow and rub it with grease† to make it easier to bend (p. 430). 5. How does Odysseus prove his identity to the cowherd and the swineherd? He showed them the scar on his foot. 6. What is the purpose of the â€Å"biography† of the bow? It shows us that his bow is special (only he can wield it). â€Å"His well-sprung bow was there, / and quivers, too, with lots of painful arrows, / gifts he had received from Iphitus, his friend, / son of Eurytus, a man like the immortals, / when they'd met in Lacedaemon, in Messene, / at the home of wise Ortilochus.Odysseus / had gone there to collect a debt the people owed— / Messenian men had run off with three hundred sheep / and seized the shepherds, too, leaving Ithaca  / in their ships with many oars. Because of this, / Odysseus, who was just a boy, had been sent  / a long way by his father and other senior men, / part of an embassy. Iphitus was searching / for twelve mares he'd lost and sturdy mules, as well, / still on the teat. Later on these animals / led him to a fatal destiny, the day he met / the mortal Hercules, Zeus' great-hearted son, / who knew all there was to know about great exploits. Hercules slaughtered him, although he was a guest  / in his own home—a cruel man who didn't care / about the anger of the gods or the dining table / he'd set before him. After their meal, he killed him / and kept the strong-hoofed mares with him at home  / for his own use. While Iphitus was enquiring / about these horses, he got to meet Odysseus / and gave him the bow. In earlier days, this weapon had been u sed by mighty Eurytus, and when he died, / he'd left it for his son in his high-roofed home. / Odysseus had given him a keen-edged sword  / and a powerful spear, as well. This was the start / of their close friendship.But they never bonded / as mutual dinner guests—before that happened / Zeus' son had murdered Iphitus, son of Eurytus, / a man like the immortals, who gave Odysseus / that bow of his. Lord Odysseus never took it / whenever he went off to war in his black ships. / It lay there in his home as a memorial  / to a dear friend. He carried it in his own land. † 7. Penelope's taking the bow from its hiding place is one of the most moving moments in this part of the poem – why? This is the first time we really see Penelope weep openly for Odysseus. She sobs and believes that he is never coming home. She then sat down, placed the bow case on her knees,/ and wept aloud, as she took out her husband's bow. † Book Twenty-Two (p. 439-454): 1. What is Ant inous doing when Odysseus shoots him? Why is he the first victim? He shoots him just as he’s about to drink. 2. How do the other suitors appeal to Odysseus? At first they turn on him (the stranger) and tell him he will be punished for killing a man of Ithaca. Once Odysseus reveals himself, they say he has gotten his revenge- Antinous was the one who spurred them on. They offer to repay him for all they have taken, eaten, and destroyed. (p. 440-441) 3. How does Eurymachus react to Mentor? 4. How much does Athena help Odysseus, and how much is the victory his? She gives him guidance and makes the suitors (most of) miss when they are throwing spears at Odysseus and Telemachus. Arguments can be made that he would not have won without her guidance and interference. 5. Who tests the strength and courage of Odysseus and Telemachus? Athena. â€Å"Athena spoke. But she did not give him the strength  / to win that fight decisively. She was still testing / the power and resolution of Odysseus / and his splendid son. So she flew up to the roof / inside the smoky hall, and sat there, taking on  / the appearance of a swallow. 6. The dead suitors are compared to what kind of creatures? Bodies= dead fish Bodies= ox lion (Odysseus) has â€Å"devoured† 7. Which appendages does Melanthius lose? Where do they end up? (Remember Antinous' threats to send Irus to Echetus in the beginning of Book 18; and a similar threat to Odysseus in Book 21) They â€Å"lopped (cut off) his nose and ears with a ruthless knife, / tore his genitals out for the dogs to eat raw / and in manic fury hacked off hands and feet† (p. 454). BOOK TWENTY-THREE SUMMARY Eurycleia goes upstairs to call Penelope, who has slept through the entire fight.Penelope doesn’t believe anything that Eurycleia says, and she remains in disbelief even when she comes downstairs and sees her husband with her own eyes. Telemachus rebukes her for not greeting Odysseus more lovingly after his long ab sence, but Odysseus has other problems to worry about. He has just killed all of the noble young men of Ithaca—their parents will surely be greatly distressed. He decides that he and his family will need to lay low at their farm for a while. In the meantime, a minstrel strikes up a happy song so that no passers-by will suspect what has taken place in the palace.Penelope remains wary, afraid that a god is playing a trick on her. She orders Eurycleia to move her bridal bed, and Odysseus suddenly flares up at her that their bed is immovable, explaining how it is built from the trunk of an olive tree around which the house had been constructed. Hearing him recount these details, she knows that this man must be her husband. They get reacquainted and, afterward, Odysseus gives his wife a brief account of his wanderings. He also tells her about the trip that he must make to fulfill the prophecy of Tiresias in Book 11.The next day, he leaves with Telemachus for Laertes’ orchar d. He gives Penelope instructions not to leave her room or receive any visitors. Athena cloaks Odysseus and Telemachus in darkness so that no one will see them as they walk through the town. BOOK TWENTY-FOUR SUMMARY The scene changes abruptly. Hermes leads the souls of the suitors, crying like bats, into Hades. Agamemnon and Achilles argue over who had the better death. Agamemnon describes Achilles’ funeral in detail. They see the suitors coming in and ask how so many noble young men met their end.The suitor Amphimedon, whom Agamemnon knew in life, gives a brief account of their ruin, pinning most of the blame on Penelope and her indecision. Agamemnon contrasts the constancy of Penelope with the treachery of Clytemnestra. Back in Ithaca, Odysseus travels to Laertes’ farm. He sends his servants into the house so that he can be alone with his father in the gardens. Odysseus finds that Laertes has aged prematurely out of grief for his son and wife. He doesn’t recog nize Odysseus, and Odysseus doesn’t immediately reveal himself, pretending instead that he is someone who once knew and befriended Odysseus.But when Laertes begins to cry at the memory of Odysseus, Odysseus throws his arms around Laertes and kisses him. He proves his identity with the scar and with his memories of the fruit trees that Laertes gave him when he was a little boy. He tells Laertes how he has avenged himself upon the suitors. Laertes and Odysseus have lunch together. Dolius, the father of Melanthius and Melantho, joins them. While they eat, the goddess Rumor flies through the city spreading the news of the massacre at the palace. The parents of the suitors hold an assembly at which they assess how to respond.Halitherses, the elder prophet, argues that the suitors merely got what they deserved for their wickedness, but Eupithes, Antinous’s father, encourages the parents to seek revenge on Odysseus. Their small army tracks Odysseus to Laertes’ house, b ut Athena, disguised again as Mentor, decides to put a stop to the violence. Antinous’s father is the only one killed, felled by one of Laertes’ spears. Athena makes the Ithacans forget the massacre of their children and recognize Odysseus as king. Peace is thus restored. *All summaries from SparkNotes. com

Employee Discipline Essay

In keeping with the Mission of the Sisters of Providence, which requires respect, honesty, and justice in dealings with employees, PSJMC directs its disciplinary and corrective action efforts towards developing and coaching employees to achieve and maintain satisfactory conduct and performance. Although PSJMC may terminate the employment relationship at will without following any formal system of discipline or warnings, PSJMC exercises its discretion to use a progressive discipline to ensure a fair method of disciplining employees. The progressive discipline process is intended to give employees advance notice, when appropriate, in order to provide them an opportunity to correct any deficiencies in job performance or conduct. PSJMC is committed to providing a workplace that is free of harassment and discrimination (PROV-HR-4036 Policy). PSJMC does not tolerate any kind of unlawful discrimination or harassment, including sexual harassment, or harassment based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, pregnancy, citizenship, ancestry, gender, marital status, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. Unlawful harassment, in any form including verbal, physical, or visual harassment will not be tolerated. The policy defines the procedure for reporting any occurrence of sexual or other unlawful harassment and applies to all employees and agents of the company as well as to nonemployees , including physicians, vendors, contractors, and others doing business with the company. Any employee or agent of the company who is found to have violated this policy will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including the possibility of immediate termination. This is an HR policy and is enforced by HR. PSJMC is committed to maintain a safe and productive work environment and expects employees to be reliable and punctual in reporting for scheduled work (PROV –HR 4687 Policy). Absenteeism and tardiness place a burden on the hospital and on other employees. In the rare circumstances when employees cannot avoid being late to work or are unable to work as scheduled, they should notify thei r supervisor as soon as possible in advance of the anticipated tardiness or absence as required by policy. Excessive absenteeism and tardiness is disruptive and may lead to corrective action, up to and including termination of employment. The policy does not apply to employees on an authorized FMLA leave, including intermittent FMLA leave, or other leaves protected by state or federal law including verified occupational injury or illness. This is an HR policy and is enforced by HR. PSJMC ensures and maintains a work environment that promotes the interests of employee safety, efficiency, health, and productivity. It also recognizes that employee involvement with drugs and alcohol can be extremely disruptive and harmful to employees, patients, and the public. It adversely affects the quality of work and the performance of employees, poses serious safety and health risks to the user and others, and has a negative impact on work efficiency and productivity. All job applicants receiving offers of employment shall be required to submit a drug-screening test as a condition of employment. Further, any employee observed with perceived impairment will be subject to a drug screening test when reasonable suspicion has been determined. The purpose of the policy is to provide a safe, healthy, productive and efficient working environment for employees, patients and the public. This is an Occupational Health and Safety policy and is enforced by HR (PROV-HR-4065 Policy). PSJMC complies with its ethical and legal obligations surrounding the appropriate use of social media. The policy aims to clarify what constitutes official Providence use of social media, to establish guidelines for the official use of electronic social networking, and to clarify the personal responsibilities and legal implications of personal use of electronic social networking while at work or while posting information about Providence (PROV-CE-1098 Policy). Social media may be used by Providence for business-related purposes and its employees for business and other purposes subject to the restrictions set forth in the policy. The policy is established to assure compliance with legal and regulatory restrictions and privacy and confidentiality agreements. This policy was created by the Office of the CEO and enforced by HR. Based off my research, PSJMC does an excellent job of ensuring that it has the appropriate policies in place to avoid legal litigation. That said, it is important that PSJMC look for more effective measures to educate employees about new or revised policies. The medical center relies on their intranet policy library as the policy depository and expects all employees to self educate. Most leaders and all of the employees I spoke to were not aware of several policies and did not know where to find them—resulting in a huge liability for the hospital as a result of poor implementation. When policies are violated or a manager needs to modify undesirable conduct after attempts of coaching, progressive discipline may need to be applied. The type of disciplinary action depends upon the nature and history of the employee’s misconduct. These disciplinary actions often include verbal warnings, written warnings, suspensions without pay, and demotions. Progressive discipline does no t mean that PSJMC does not fire an employee for a first offense; some misconduct is of such a serious nature that no second chance is warranted. Most undesirable behavior, however, does not result in immediate discharge, but rather in imposition of some lesser sanction. If the behavior is repeated, progressively more severe disciplinary action is taken, ultimately leading to termination. Managerial coaching is a growing alternative to formal discipline that attempts to get the employee actively involved in addressing performance slippage. Using company disciplinary procedures to address employee issues puts the ownership of the issue on the manager and human resources department. The employee will be asked to react to whatever course of action the manager and human resources group decides to take. A coaching approach puts ownership of the problem with the manager and employee. Any process of resolution is created between the manager and employee and it becomes the employee’s responsibility to find ways to solve the issue under the guidance of the manager. The manager-employee relationship is important in creating a productive workplace. Coaches try to work with their employees to improve employee performance and find the deep-seated reasons as to why conflict exists. This kind of interactive process can work to improve the manager-employee relationship. If a manager turns to official disciplinary action without attempting to interact with the employee, then that can damage the manager-employee dynamic and create a division that results in a decline in morale, loss of productivity and an increase in employee turnover. Union representation protects union employees from unfair discipline, wrongful discharge and preserves workplace rights. Unless circumstances warrant severe actions, PSJMC utilizes progressive discipline to address union employee disciplinary issues also. The progressive steps are specified in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and include, verbal counseling, written counseling, disciplinary suspensions without pay , and termination of employment. Union employees may request to have a union representative or steward present at any meeting if the employee believes that the meeting may result in disciplinary action. Copies of all written counseling(s) and all documentation are kept in the employee’s personnel file along with rebuttals. Corrective action or any reference to disciplinary action cannot be used against the employee for any purpose after twelve months—so, in essence progressive discipline has a twelve month window. If, the disciplinary action is grieved or arbitrated and the charges of the offense are determined to be without merit, all records are placed in a confidential envelope in the personnel file and cannot be used for progressive disciplinary action purposes. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is a processes used for the purpose of resolving conflict or disputes informally and confidentially. The ADR Office at PSJMC offers all employees a resource that is informal, non-escalating and impartial . The goal is to identify possible strategies to resolve concerns before utilizing the traditional processes such as grievances and arbitrations. Although ADR does not displace those traditional processes it does reduce the number of grievances and formal complaints received by human resource and legal departments. Some of the ADR activities include serving as a sounding board, providing and explaining policies and rules, how to address or report unacceptable or illegal behavior from a coworker or supervisor, offering referrals to other resources, helping people help themselves around communication styles, help collect and analyze information, helping to draft a letter about their issues, coaching and role-playing. The activities handled by the ADR Office are vast and diverse. Overall, employees see this service as a benefit and the hospital executives view the ADR as a proactive measure to protect and mitigate risk. In addition to the ADR, PSJMC offers Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to assist employees with personal challenges that may affect their on the job performance. These challenges may fall into many categories including: drug and alcohol abuse, legal, marital, relocation, grief, abusive households, financial, childcare, eldercare, and outplacement services. Since all employees face serious problems at one time or another in their lives, and it is important to provide help during those times. EAP is structured to provide access to quality service providers. Participation in this plan is voluntary, and does not use information that impacts the employee’s chances of future employment or promotion. All contact, participation, and treatment remain confidential. All EAP services provided are available to employees free of charge. The cost of long-term treatment or rehabilitation services is provided as defined under the health care plans. To reduce liability requires that employers have solid policies in place, utilize coaching and progressive discipline consistently and know how to properly document disciplinary actions. The importance of effective documentation of disciplinary actions cannot be overstressed. Apply disciplinary actions is at times uncomfortable but is absolutely necessary in order to help defeat frivolous claims of discrimination and promote a healthy workplace. References Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center. (2012). Mission. Retrieved from https://california.providence.org/Saint-Joseph/pages/About-Mission.aspx Providence Health & Services. (2009). Attendance and Punctuality, PROV –HR 4687 Policy| Providence Health & Services. (2012). Counseling and Corrective Action, PROV-HR-4053 Policy Providence Health & Services. (2012). Sexual and Unlawful Harassment, PROV-HR-4036 Policy Providence Health & Services. (2012). Drug Free Workplace, PROV-HR-4065 Policy Providence Health & Services. (2012). Social Media, PROV-CE-1098 Policy