Diversity Essay Essay

As an educator in any school you have experienced a diverse range of students; from boys and girls, young adults, to immigrants starting a new life. In each classroom you will encounter and continue to encounter a different mix of student demographics. In order to be an effective educator you learn to adapt the curriculum and teaching methods to each unique situation. In most teaching experiences the students are the usually the ones adapting to the surroundings, however in my current teaching position it has been myself that has had to adapt to the surroundings. Teaching in a different country brings whole new experiences and places you outside of your comfort zone. It is not just adapting to a new curriculum and surrounding, but adapting to a new culture, and in my case a religion that is highly present in my classroom. Although my students do not differ from the other students in the classroom, does not make my classroom any less diverse. There is still a broad range of experiences and perspectives brought to the classroom that offers a powerful resource for everyone to learn more—in different ways, in new environments, and with different people. Every single person in this enormously diverse and ever changing system has the power to serve as an invaluable resource for all others, students, teachers and the community as a whole (Cummins, Brown & Sayer, 2007). As educators we all have strengths and weaknesses in our practices. It is  true that every day as a teacher you learn something new. It is those experiences that strengthen our strengths and help our weaknesses. According to Walden’s Diversity Proficiency Self-Assessment my strengths relate to understanding how cultures, family, and communities influence how my students understand, as well as knowing the needs of English language learners to support their learning. My weaknesses stem from meeting individual needs in various ways. Teaching in a different country has allowed me to place myself in a situation where I can fully immerse myself in a different culture other than my own. Being culturally sensitive to their ideas has made my relationships with the students and parents stronger than I ever thought I would be. Something as simple as dressing in their traditional clothing can be a gesture of respect, especially to the parents. Some of my students have never been around western people before so dressing in an Abaya (traditional dress worn by women) can make the students feel more comfortable. Aside from the way I present myself, my classroom setting has to be structured in a way that is acceptable as well. In the Muslim world they do not eat pork, or have anything to do with pigs; so finding an alphabet, and reading or singing songs about a farm has to be planned and alter to fit the culture inside the classroom. My classroom usually has between twenty three to twenty five students ever year. In the past several years we have had to share Arabic teachers because we do not have enough. In this case being able to meet all twenty five students’ individual needs has been a struggle for me. Also having special needs in my classroom and no special needs program to help me, a lot of my extra energy was spent with them. I try to balance by having groups set up by academic level, but even within those groups I struggled to find ways to address all individual strengths and weaknesses. Although I struggle with finding ways to ensure all my students are getting the appropriate instruction for each individual need does not mean my students to do feel a part of everyday life in my classroom. I still find  ways to show my students that they can succeed. My goal is to help facilitate my students’ pursuit for knowledge and help them acquire the communication skills, problem solving skills, and critical thinking skills which will enable them to be life-long learners. A major part that has helped me promote these skills in my classroom is through professional development. Collaborating with my colleagues keeps me focused and engaged on tasks inside the school and classroom. Observing different styles of teaching has motivated me to try new ideas in my classroom and when my students show excitement about trying new things I know that they are succeeding in their own way. Not only does professional development help me become a better teacher but also the courses from Walden University. I have learned and adapted numerous ideas from other teachers and professors. The strategies and teaching English language learner’s courses have been the most influential. As teachers, student success is also a priority. It is important to remember as a teacher that success is measured in different ways. Success can be getting a good grade and for another student it could an increase in involvement. Whatever the success teachers must be able to help each student reach their full potential. In order for my students to succeed I must have goals set for myself. My first action is to continually grow in my profession. I want to be involved in new ideas and research that can enhance my day-to-day teaching. Keeping up with the latest information through courses, workshops, and professional journals can lead to more student interest and greater student success. My second action is to vary my instructional techniques. Instead of getting to the routine of doing routines I want to vary my teaching methods and provide my students with a greater opportunity to learn. Instead of differentiating one or two ways I want to have a variety of ways that will allow for different learning styles. I also want my students to understand how to succeed. I want to provide my students with a success criterion so  they understand how I will be grading their work. The broad range of experience and perspectives brought to school by culturally, linguistically, and ethnically diverse students offer a powerful resource for everyone to learn more in different ways, in new environments, and with different types of people (Epstein & Sheldon, 2007). The growing diversity in classrooms encourages the development and use of diverse teaching strategies designed to respond to each student as an individual. References: Cummins, J., Brown, K., & Sayers, D. (2007). Literacy, technology, and diversity: Teaching for success in changing times. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon. Epstein, J. L., & Sheldon, S. B. (2006). Moving forward: Ideas for research on school, family, and community partnerships. In C. F. Conrad & R. Serlin (Eds.), SAGE handbook for research in education: Engaging ideas and enriching inquiry (pp. 117–138). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

The ultimate financial plan balancing your money and life Essay

Financial plans are written, structured approaches for sustaining financial fitness and attaining financial objectives. An individual might employ a financial planner or not, but it is a personal responsibility to consider and come up with a personal financial plan based on their unique preferences, circumstances and objectives. A personal financial plan is very crucial since it will help me to accomplish both short-term and long-run goals. My short-term goals are the goals I wish to accomplish in less than five years time while my long-term goals are the goals I wish to accomplish in thirty or fifty years. The rationale of this paper is to explain the approaches I will employ to attain my personal goals. Setting my personal goals is the first step of writing a personal financial plan. In my financial plan I will talk about and explore how I will work toward those goals and come up with a comprehensive timeframe to achieve those objectives. I will also include a process on how I will constantly amend my objectives throughout my lifetime. I will also set up significant transformations in your life that might impact your goals. Financial plan take turns around objectives; therefore I have composed my short-term and long term goals. I will also develop a sketch of my objectives that is widespread appropriately to envelop every aspect of my life. Short-term goals will help me to achieve my future goals because it will help me to envisage bigger, life changing adjustments that might not be easily recognizable (Wichner, 1985). The following are my short-term objectives that I look forward to achieve in a span of five years: Firstly, I plan on building an emergency fund. This is a cash saving account that will help me to resolve emergency situations in a swift manner. These include the expenses that are rapid, but must be resolved immediately. An appropriate emergency fund savings usually ranges from three months to years worth of an individual living expenses. I have to decide the extent I wish to build my emergency fund, how much money I wish to deposit in my emergency fund every month; I will operate the emergency fund differently from my savings and checking accounts. Lastly, I will start building my emergency fund. I want to accomplish this in less than five years time, thus I will make it a priority. I prefer to use automatic transfer or direct deposit to make it simpler. This will help me resolve real emergencies (Swedroe et al, 2010). Secondly, I will save some money to study Masters. This is one of my intellectual goals since I want to study Masters Degree after 4 years. I will use the savings in my 529 plans wisely so that I will be able to pay for my masters degree. I will leave the money untouched until I finish my college education so that it can accumulate in the four years time. The money will be earning some interest which adds to the college savings plan account. I will be reviewing the 529 plans annually due to uncertainties. I opt to use the subsidized students’ loan since there are no interest charges. In the meantime, my investment account continues to accumulate in dollar value. Thirdly, I will save for a vacation. This is on my lifestyle goals. I plan to be going on vacation to Tahiti Island in France for two weeks, and I hope to do that after finishing my Bachelors degree, which is in Two years from now. This is one of the things I plan to do for fun and entertainment to achieve necessary for the quality of life I anticipate for. I have learnt a lot from my parent on how to save and invest wisely. These excellent management skills will help me accomplish my lifetime goals. I also plan to build up my personal development goals. Improving my personal development goals are the most lasting and longest objectives and I will continue to develop them. This include cutting negativity, improving my communication skills, identifying my principles and sticking to them, restructuring my priorities, avoiding stressful situation, avoiding conflicts among others. This will help me to relate well with others. They will also enhance the quality of life I anticipate to live. Lastly, Fitness goals are another goal I wish to accomplish. I will set out a work out routine that I will follow and keep it updated to maintain discipline. I will buy gym membership and a workout outfit that will facilitate my health fitness goals I wish to accomplish (â€Å"Importance of Personal Finance†, 2014). On the other hand the following are the long-term objectives I wish to achieve in a timeline of thirty to fifty years: Buying a luxury car is my long-term goal. This can only be attained by proper application of principles of finance to my personal financial decisions. This require me to plan where I will obtain the funds, budget, save and spend money throughout, while considering various financial uncertainties and future life occurrences. Luxury cars are expensive that it required good planning. Saving enough money for a luxury car is not an easy thing, but it requires some patience and hard work. I will visit my bank and plan the financing before visiting the dealership. This will help me to focus on discussing an appropriate price for the luxury car instead of worrying about acquiring a car payment that I can manage to pay for. I will then inform the salesperson that I have the finance arranged, but I will consider giving the car dealer to earn my loan business by listening to their deal. Dealers are likely to offer more attractive policies on a car loan. Buying a luxury car will enable me to enj oy reliability and quality associated with most luxury vehicles (Stovall & Maurer, 2011). Secondly, I plan to buy a home. This is one of the biggest financial steps I wish to undertake. The process of buying a new home is both enlivening and worrisome. I have to be involved, plan a lot for it, but before making any decision I have to be comfortable with the understanding of my finances. I will consider home buying programs that offer limited down payment or down payment assistance options. They will help me to lay a down payment as a first time home owner. My financial position will also determine the home I will am planning to purchase. I will assess my personal finances regularly to determine whether my financial stance will sustain me throughout home buying process. I will request for the credit report that will help me to acknowledge possible blunders, credit rates and flaws. The other long run goal is to pay for my children’s college education. This is another financial goal that requires a lot of planning and preparedness. As a parent, I will consider matching grant options or state tax benefits. A state matching funding for 529 allocations are likely to make depositing to 529 plans concurrent with withdrawing finances in the same year, beneficial. I also plan to keep amending my children 529 plans so that they can have enough money to cater for their college and masters education. I will plan to save enough money for a secure retirement. This can only be achieved by saving 10 to 20 percent of my income. However, I will establish my saving target based on my income since I have various goals I anticipate to accomplish in life. This will guide me on how to save wisely to meet my retirement objectives. An online calculator will help me to determine my saving target. I will also work out to update the calculation year so that I can ensure that I am on the track. The factors that determine my retirement budget include the amount of money I require to live my later years, the time I have to save the amount and the type of investment tools and account I have to employ to achieve retirement goal. I will use pension funds since it is the tax-efficient savings tool. They are also the most famous method to save for retirement (Stovall & Maurer, 2011). In conclusion, personal financial plan is very vital since it help people to achieve their short-run and long-term goals. Short-term are very crucial since they will help me to accomplish my long-term goals. My financial plan is based on my circumstances, preferences and objectives. An appropriate financial plan will guide me to use money wisely. The first step of developing a good financial is to set up personal goals and timeline of achieving those goals. The financial plan also includes the amendments I will employ to ensure that I will meet my goals within the time frame. References Importance of Personal Finance | Personal Finance Basics. (n.d.). Wealth-Steps.com. Retrieved September 16, 2014, from http://www.wealth-steps.com/importance-of-personal-finance.html#.VBfYSWfbFqc Stovall, J., & Maurer, T. (2011). The ultimate financial plan balancing your money and life. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley. Swedroe, L. E., Grogan, K., & Lim, T. (2010). The only guide you’ll ever need for the right financial plan: managing your wealth, risk, and investments. Hoboken, N.J.: Bloomberg Press. Wichner, R. (1985). Personal financial planning: Develop a good financial plan for yourself at an early age and assure a secure future. IEEE Potentials, 4(4), 20-22. Source document

Religious Health Care Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Religious Health Care - Research Paper Example In order to scale up their productivity, the facility has to eliminate mistakes in its operation. There are fundamental questions that this write-up will address in relation to the strategic performance of Religious Health Care as discussed below ( Milano, 1998). It is important to mention that Religion Health Care is in the forefront and in order to uphold its reputation. It must continue to offer quality services to its patients as the most important stakeholders in the organization. As a facility, they intend to expand in technology with an intention to improve on patient satisfaction. Religion Health Care and consultant team work together to ensure success in every faculty (Svensson, 2003). Q1). A number of critical issues must be solved by the organization as an expert falls on the governing board. The roles of the board are essential to the organizations success. The following suggestions provide steps that are imperative towards ensuring the board of management makes significant improvements. Ø The board should select the chief executive to govern all the operations within the organization. The officer may oversee all activities and direct the most appropriate techniques that should be employed to arrest risky situations. Ø Develop a framework of workmanship by maintaining a healthy relationship to enhance performance. The framework may help to ensure that there is no overlapping of task. Workers will know the activities that they should execute to ensure organization actualize its goals. To begin with patient and family satisfaction, significant decline can be observed from the hospital over the past one and half year. The institution uses a certain firm to tabulate the responses from already discharged patients. Before the start-up of the process, satisfaction reached 91% and from that point forward, it dropped 85 %. This can be

Assignment The Impact of Contaminated Land on the Valuation of Essay

Assignment The Impact of Contaminated Land on the Valuation of Property - Essay Example The solid as well as the liquid waste were disposed off in the land through which the soil was being damaged. Even though the waste are well regulated in order to prevent such contamination but still there are certain unintentional spills and leaks which might damage the land at the sites. Contaminants may range from oil, petrol, heavy metals and solvents to radioactive substances. The various sources of contaminant are not just industries, there are certain other sources like agriculture activities, dry cleaning, petrol distribution, deposition from the atmosphere, inadequate waste disposal, etc. These contaminants cause severe harm to human health and adversely affect the normal living condition of a human being. There are various contaminant elements that occur as a range of compounds among which some are highly soluble, accessible for biological uptake and toxic, whereas others are not much hazardous. For instance, arsenic is a common chemical addition to soils for older industri al sites and exists in various inorganic and organic forms. Toxicity depends on actual compound oxidation state, yet chemical analyses of suspect soils seldom reveals any such details and it usually indicates the metal concentration present (SEPA, n.d.). Interaction takes place between the various contaminants in the soil environment. These increases the potential toxicities of different contaminants involved where as in many cases competition between individual contaminant reduces the overall toxic potentials (SEPA, n.d.). The effects of contamination don’t last long once the contaminant reaches the soil. It breaks down or becomes neutralized, might be washed away by the rain, or remain in the soil building up to a high concentrations. When contaminants are made up, they may not be enduring. However soil can sometimes remain polluted for an indefinite period (SEPA, n.d.). It doesn’t mean that there is a problem if the ground is contaminated. It

Sociology of Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Sociology of Health - Essay Example If both health and illness are viewed from a sociological perspective then it can be said that a body which breaks down should necessarily be repaired. Medical systems are required to systematize work around birth, disease, decay and death. Thus a person who is ill requires immediate programs to restore his health. Medical methods are necessary to organize one individual even when he is comes in this world. Illness and health are directly related to the social norms in this society. Illness is still excessively found in the lower classes of this society. This is because these classes are not provided with adequate health facilities on the right time. This shows the difference between the model of health and illness as the model of health clearly illustrates that one should be given adequate medical treatment faced by the problem of illness. However this is not possible because of the sociological factors which are involved in this concept. These factors include how one individual liv es and what age group does he belong to. It can be concluded that in order to practically apply the model of health it is necessary that all the problems encountered should be solved first. Ans. 3. Examine the key findings of the Black Report Ans. The Black Report was a research taken out in Britain in the 1980s to find out the issues about health and society. It gave an overview about the health social inequalities based on use of occupation as an indicator of social class. It analyzed the records of health of different people who belonged to different classes. All these results were analyzed according to the categories designed by the Registrar. The report concluded the over all issues of health in the UK. It stated that the health of the nation had improved over all but there was a difference of mortality among the classes. The individuals who belonged to the lower class were more vulnerable to diseases than the individuals who belonged to the upper class. It showed that the health standards descended as the class of people was lowered. The report clearly illustrated that all these health problems were related to the social factors such as low income, unemployment and poor living standards. The awareness factor was als o pointed out in the report as many people were not aware of different diseases which were being a cause of their death. The Black Report pointed out the basic factors which affected the overall health standards in the UK and desired a change in the overall system of the UK.4. Explain how the doctor / patient relationship influences the health of the patient Ans. There are contrary views on the doctor patient relationship in this world. Some doctors are of the view that if they get close to their patients then they are not able to properly treat their patients. However on the other hand it can be said that a good doctor patient relationship can lead to the recovery of the patient in an early time. This relationship is of a great influence to the patient's health behavior. Research has been done in order to find about the relationship between a doctor and a patient. A research conducted in Texas adopted the way of

Nationalization of oil industry in Argentina Essay

Nationalization of oil industry in Argentina - Essay Example On the other hand, Argentina believes that they have enough authorities and freedom to formulate policies which are necessary to safeguard the interests of the country. This paper critically analyses the decision to nationalize oil companies in Argentina. Table of Contents Oil & Gas Report Argentina.Q1 2013. (2012). Business Monitor International. November 2012. p.1-93. 11 Romero, S. and Minder, R. (2012). Argentina to seize control of Oil Company. The New York Times. April 16, 2012. 11 Sprinkle, T. (2013). For Argentina’s Nationalized Oil ‘Industry’: A Year of Nothing Retrieved from http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/argentina-nationalized-oil-industry-nothing-232525794.html 11 Introduction â€Å"Exactly a year ago, Argentina President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner announced to the world the expropriation of 51% of Argentine oil company YPF from Spain's Repsol† (Sprinkle, 2013). The declaration of President Cristina was totally unexpected and too k by surprise by many countries. In fact, Spain was shocked by this announcement because of the problems this decision might cause to Spanish economy. It should be noted that Spanish company Repsol is the 15th largest petroleum refining company in the world according to the recent statistics. Moreover, the growth of Repsol is contributing heavily to Spanish economy. Therefore Cristina’s decision has the potential to affect Spanish economic growth in one way or another. Spanish ministers have already warned Argentina about the possibility of a diplomatic and industrial war with Argentina. Before the arrival of Argentina’s decision, the common belief in Latin America was such that countries in this region can develop properly only with the help of privatization and liberalization like policies. That is why Cristina’ decision caused plenty of surprises, not only in Argentina, but also in other countries in Latin America. Cristina is one of the most popular administ ers in Latin America. Moreover, she has taken this decision after a cabinet meeting. In other words, Argentina has taken this decision after a comprehensive debate. They know very much about the benefits and problems this decision might bring to Argentina. In a heavily globalized world, countries are contesting heavily to attract foreign direct investment as much as possible because of the awareness that internal resources alone may not help a country to develop properly. Even communist China does not have any problem in welcoming foreign companies. Moreover, majority of Argentina’s neighboring countries are engaged in activities to welcome foreign direct investments. Under these circumstances, Argentina’s decision surprised many countries, especially Spain. Nationalization of Oil Industry in Argentina It is necessary to know the size and characteristics of Argentinian oil industry before, discussing the merits and demerits of Cristina’s decision. The following table provides a rough idea about Argentina’s petroleum data from 2010-2016. (Oil & Gas Report Argentina.Q1 2013, 2012, p.8) From the above table, it is evident that Argentina’s proven oil reserves may remain unchanged, at least for another three years. At the same time, the total net petroleum exports started to decline from 2010 onwards.

Should governments use positive discrimination policies to increase Essay

Should governments use positive discrimination policies to increase the representation of women and ethnic minorities - Essay Example There have been arguments that a similar thing, defined as positive discrimination or affirmative action, should also happen for ethnic minorities and should be expanded for women (Anderson, 2014: p22). The prejudice against women and ethnic minorities in representation is undisputed and positive discrimination represents the best way to redress the disparity in the short term. Today, there exists a vicious circle in which ethnic minorities and women prefer not to stand for elections, due to prejudicial attitudes against them (Pincus, 2013: p27). Positive discrimination is the best way to offer them encouragement to run for office and, if one or two generations are given the opportunity to run through positive discrimination, this would push forward the agenda and need not be a permanent measure. There are those who argue that the coming generations need role models, rather than individuals running for election to make up the numbers, especially claiming that ethnic minorities and women are capable of election without help from male colleagues (Cohen et al, 2007: p38). However, given the prevalent institutional racism and sexism in the UK, for example, it would be very difficult for women these groups to make it past the selection committee. Implementing positive discrimination for elective posts would also enable ethnic minorities and women to speak on issues that only they can, such as workplace inequalities and the family (Mosley & Capaldi, 2011: p40). These topics are still seen as being of less importance to the more preferred foreign and economic policies. By using positive discrimination, more ethnic minorities and women will be elected, encouraging social policy debate. Opponents of this strategy contend that even where female politicians are elected to public office, such as Angela Merkel and Margaret Thatcher, they still deal with topics that are traditionally male (Daye, 2011: p42). The same can be said of

History of Canadian Labour Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

History of Canadian Labour - Article Example Thousands of workers earlier excluded from the labor movement found a home in the Knights. Women now came to the union movement for the first time in our history. In another further thinking step, the Knights allowed separate local assemblies for French and English workers in Montreal. However, this grace did not expand to Chinese and other Asian workers, in particular in British Columbia. The Knights in Canada were part of a bigger movement that had appeared in the United States in the 1860s. This was not unexpected since workers all through North America faced the same problems. Fraternal ties between workers in the two states gave the impression of making good sense. The Knights' assemblies in Canada, however, emerged first and principally out of local conditions. In small communities like Galt and St. Catharines, Ontario as well as in Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg, and other larger centers, workers established assemblies to address local grievances in their workplaces, as well as the general health of their communities. Concerned with the effects of an increasingly competitive labor market and poor living environment in their towns, the Knights attempted to moderate this situation that appeared to go hand-in-hand with industrialism.

INFORMING AND INVOLVING EMPLOYEES HRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

INFORMING AND INVOLVING EMPLOYEES HRM - Essay Example Employee participation and involvement are two different terms with two different outcomes. Cox, Marchington and Suter (2009) consider employee involvement and participation (EIP) a loose term as it can give rise to different perceptions of the terms. Different definitions and interpretations have been given of the term EIP which ranges from encouraging commitment to achieve organizational success or exercising influence over their work or personal involvement of organization al workers. According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) employee involvement (EI) is defined as ‘a process of employee involvement designed to provide employees with the opportunity to influence and where appropriate, take part in decision making on matters which affect them’ (LTSN, n.d.). Employee participation (EP), on the other hand, is ‘a process of employee involvement designed to provide employees with the opportunity to influence and where appropriate, take part in decision making on matters which affect them’. Thus employee participation has a direct impact on decision-making whereas employee involvement amounts to support, understanding, commitment and contribution (AC219, n.d.). EI has been identified as a means to secure commitment and high performance which has resulted in an increase in the interest in employee involvement and participation. EI has been a major area of growth in the UK since early 1980s. It includes team-working (including self-managed teams), team briefing, downward communications, two-way communications, suggestion schemes, problem-solving groups, and financial participation (including profit-sharing schemes). Performance is a function of ability, motivation and Oppurtunity. This suggests that the selection process should be rigorous and the training systems should be improved to increase the ability levels.

Impact of the war on terror on Rules of Evidence Essay

Impact of the war on terror on Rules of Evidence - Essay Example However the alteration of the U.S. security system after 9/11 and various fresh national security agendas have produced extensive anxiety over the safeguard of international human rights, democratic standards, and several rights preserved in the U.S. Constitution that outline the civil liberties of the American citizens. Since the United States has not experienced any more attack on U.S. soil, which shows the efficiency of different U.S. counterterrorism efforts. But the 9/11 terrorist attack led the U.S. administration to review several existing laws and strategies and to make fresh ones, mistakes and exceeding the limit associated with these labors added grave erosion of faith in U.S. guiding principles and direction. In foreign countries, exposures of extrajudicial apprehensions and detainee mistreatment have damaged U.S. status and sincerity. Further it hindered counterterrorism collaboration with allies, and endowed with provocative misinformation that helps terrorist radicalization. Internally, policy deviations over security and civil liberties have been recurrent, extensively revealed, and sensitively charged, creating a situation of animosity and doubt that has confronted the people’s faith in the administration, caused division among supporters, and destabilized collaboration among the political branches of government. (Prieto, 2009). Criminal laws of US normally focus on dealing with criminal actions that have already happened, and are less effective in attaining the counterterrorism aim of preventing future attack. Criminal laws face a lot of disputes in tackling the terrorist threat. Even after a person is detained, a number of challenges face a successful criminal trial. Before 9/11, criminal trials relied on involving the defendant to a specific violent act or a plot to perform such an attack. The admissibility of evidence causes an additional challenge. Information that may be suitable in an intelligence framework may fail to suit the

Trader Joes Essay Example for Free

Trader Joes Essay After observing that consumers are more likely to try new things when they are on vacation, he turned his store into an â€Å"oases† with a marine theme and cheerful employees wearing Hawaiian shirts. Trader Joe’s is differentiated with their innovative, one-of-a-kind foods priced well below their competitors. Trader Joe’s has an obligation to their employees, customers, and the community. To start off, Trader Joe’s has an obligation to their employees, and employees have certain expectations about their job concerning the job itself, pay, benefits, promotion, co-workers, and supervision. Employees expect, or at least hope for, a pleasant work environment, reasonable compensation, benefits such as insurance, opportunities for advancement, friendly co-workers, and guidance when they need it and respect from their supervisors. Trader Joe’s seems to meet their employee expectations. They are surrounded by an exciting, friendly, fun, and happy environment every day. They earn significantly more than employees at other grocery chains with managers making at least around $120,000 per year. Their starting benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance, company-paid retirement, paid vacation, and a 10% employee discount. There are opportunities for advancement as they hire managers only from within the company. They even have their own university, Trader Joe’s University, where their future leaders enroll in training programs to ensure they will be able to meet company and customer expectations. The university also teaches them to instill the Trader Joe’s attitude. Management spends their days on the floor with their crew and customers instead of in an office with the door closed. Trader Joe’s fulfills their obligations to their employees. Trader Jos’s also has an obligation to their customers, and customers also have certain expectations, such as, reasonable prices, availability of stock, correct information about products, a pleasant shopping environment and experience, and friendly and helpful employees. Customers definitely receive an enjoyable shopping experience from the theme to the employees. They have even come to expect a customer-focused attitude specifically from Trader Joe’s. Trader Joe’s highlights â€Å"soft skills† as much as the actual retail experience. The employees are friendly, are customer involved, and have high product knowledge. The employees taste and learn about the products, share their experiences, and take the time to locate and recommend products. Trader Joe’s also has a philosophy of â€Å"every penny we save is a penny you save. † They focus on natural ingredient, buy directly from suppliers whenever possible, buy in volume, contract early, do not give their suppliers a fee for putting items on the shelf, and drop items that don’t pull weight to keep costs down. Their CEO does not even have a secretary to cut every possible cost so they can offer lower prices. They limit their stock while selling twice as much as other supermarkets by selling high quality products at lower prices. Trader Joe’s says, â€Å"Giving people too much choice can result in paralysis†¦the more options you offer, the less likely people are to choose any. † Trader Joe’s then has an obligation to the community, and the community has certain expectations of Trader Joe’s. They have an obligation to the community to be responsible, abide by rules and regulations, proved accurate information, provide safe products, and respect environmental concerns. They seem to be fulfilling their obligations to the community, but in 2010, Trader Joe’s was found selling 15 out of 22 red-list seafoods, those that are overfished and need to be conserved for their survival. This raised high concerns. They were quick to respond with a promise to remove the red-listed seafood, to improve product labeling with more accurate information about seafood products, and to only offer sustainable seafood in all formats by the end of 2012. They started using the Seafood Watch list to focus their product development and other third-party, science-based information to help with their goals. They are responding to customer concerns and feedback to fit customer needs of food safety and taste and environmental concerns. Trader Joe’s did break obligations to the community, but they are confronting the situation and responding to concerns to fix the problem. If they keep their promise they can return to fulfilling all their obligations. Any obligation to the community is also an obligation to their customers. Aside from the seafood situation, Trader Joe’s fulfills their obligations to their customers. If they fix the seafood situation and keep their end of 2012 promise, their customers will probably forgive and trust them. However, they need to make sure they do not pass any of the cost of their obligation to see through on their promise because this could then damage their reputation.