Political Ideologies

D. Sokolova 28/09/2011 On the topic of â€Å"Political Ideology† (Heywood 2003, p. 5) states: † ‘Ideology’ is consider a particular type of political thought, distinct from, say, political science or political philosophy. † Ideology is a set of views and ideas that provides the theoretical basis to organize and rule community life, establish values, habits and perspectives. It demands the certain methods to be used for solving different social problems. As (MacKenzie, et al. 1994, p. 1) have noted, ideology † provides both an account of existing social and political relations and blueprint of how these relation ought to be organized. Beyond this general definition, however, the concept of ideology is notoriously difficult to get to grips with. It is loaded with a wide range of possible meanings, many of which are contradictory. † † The word ideology was coined during the French Revolution by Antoine Destutt de Tracy (1754-1836) , and was first used in public in 1796. For de Tracy, ideologue referred to a new ‘science of ideas', literally an idea-ology. † (Heywood 2003, p. 6) De Tracy tried to find moral, ethic and political phenomena of basic consciousness and offer a logical explanation under one concept. For Marx and Engels ‘ideology' (MacKenzie, et al. 994, p. 5) † is the role of changing historical conditions that is fundamental to the formation of ideas. † Rather, French philosopher Louis Pierre Althusser (MacKenzie, et al. 1994, p. 16) † insists upon the strict separation of ideology and science. Arguing against the traditional relationship between ideology an d truth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He affirms that † ideology is the ‘cement' that binds human societies together. † An Australian political theorist Minogue have noticed, that ideologies (MacKenzie,et al. 1994, p. 4) † create the false expectation in people's minds that a perfect world is ultimately attainable. From this point of view,† ideologies are seen as abstract system of thought, sets on ideas that are destined to simplify and distort social reality because they claim to explain what is, frankly, incomprehensible. † The foremost modern exponent of this view was the British political philosopher Michael Oakeshott (1901-90)† , who has issued guideline, that † Ideology is thus equated with dogmatism : fixed on doctrinaire beliefs, that are divorced from the complexities of the real world. † (Heywood 2003, p. 10) † The birth of political ideologies can be traced back to the processes thought which the modern world came into existenc e. The process of modernization had social, political and cultural dimension. Socially, it was linked to the emergence of increasingly market-orientated and capitalist economies, dominated by new social classes, the middle class and the working class. Politically, it involved the replacement of monarchical absolutism by the advance of constitutional and, in due course, democratic government. Culturally, it took the form of spread of Enlightenment ideas and views, which challenged traditional beliefs in religion, politics and learning in general, based upon a commitment to the principles of reason and progress. The ‘core' political ideologies, the ones out of which later ideologies emerged or developed in opposition to – liberalism, conservatism and socialism – reflected contrasting responses to the process of modernization. † (Heywood 2003,p. 21- 22) Main features distinguished them from each other are the following: Liberals, particularly during the Cold War period, have viewed ideology as an officially sanctioned belief system that claims a monopoly of truth, often through a spurious claim to be scientific. Ideology is therefore inherently repressive, even totalitarian. Conservatives have traditionally regarded ideology as manifestation of the arrogance of rationalism. Ideologies are elaborate system of thought that are dangerous or unreliable because, being abstracted from reality, they establish principles and goals that lead to repression or are simply unachievable. Socialists, following Marx, have seen ideology as a body of ideas that conceal the contradictions of class society, thereby promoting false consciousness and political passivity amongst subordinate classes†¦ Later Marxist adopted neutral concept of ideology, regarding it as the distinctive ideas of any social class, including the working class. Fascist are often dismissive of ideology as an over-systematic, dry and intellectualized form of political understanding that is based on mere reason rather than passion and the will. The Nazis preferred to portray their own ideas as a Weltanschaung or ‘world view', not as systematic philosophy. Ecologists have tended to regard al conventional political doctrines as part of super-ideology of industrialism. Ideology is thus tainted by its association with arrogant humanism and growth-orientated economics-liberalism and socialism being its most obvious examples. Religious fundamentalists have treated key religious texts as ideology, on the grounds that, by expressing the revealed world of God, they provide a programme for comprehensive social reconstruction. (Heywood 2003, p. 15) It is recognizable, that the theory of ideology still has many different features. This view has been supported in the (Eccleshall 1984, p. 23) saying that â€Å"Ideology is the realm in which people clarify and justify their actions as they pursue divergent interests. † However, â€Å".. there is no settle or agreed definition of the term, only a collection of rival definitions. As David McLellan (1995) put it, ‘Ideology is the most elusive concept in the whole of social science'. † (Heywood 2003, p. 5) Bibliography 1. Heywood Andrew. Political ideologies: An introduction. 3rd edition. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003. 2. Eccleshall Robert, Geoghegan Vincent, Jay Richard, Kenny Michael, MacKenzie Iain and Wilford Rick. Political Ideologies: An introduction. 2nd edition. London: Routledge, 1994. 3. Eccleshall Robert, Geoghegan Vincent, Jay Richard and Rick Wilford. Political Ideologies: An Introduction Great Britain: Essex, 1984.

Independent Behaviour

iINDEPENDENT BEHAVIOUR (12 MARK ESSAY) Some reasons people show signs of independent behaviour (i. e. do not conform or obey) is influence by many factors, Gender being one of them. Neto carried out the same study as Asch, but this time all the participants were female (as in Asch’s study they were all male). In Asch’s study he found that 37% of the participants conformed, whereas Neto found that 59% conformed. However Asch’s study was criticized for lacking ecological validity and Neto’s study is a replication of Asch.As the participants were not in a natural situation Linz and Semykina took data from a survey of over 2,600 Russian employees between 2000 and 2003. They found that men are more likely to have internal Locus of Control and a need for challenge and women more likely to exhibit external locus of control and need for affiliation (belonging to a group). High Internal females earned more than external women. The fact there is a large sample size of 2600 means the findings are reliable, good sample size.However it can be argued that there is a potential cultural bias as the data was only taken from Russian employees. When Asch debriefed his participants, he found a common factor of confidence in the people who hadn’t conformed if someone felt confident in their judgments; they were more able to resist group pressure. This idea is supported by Perin and Spencer’s study. They replicated Asch’s study with engineering students. Conformity levels were much lower. Perin and Spencer attributed this to the fact that engineers had confidence in their skills in making accurate observations.

How is buying a house better then renting a apartment Essay

How is buying a house better then renting a apartment - Essay Example The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the alternatives of buying or renting a home. Homeownership is part of the American dream. A home is a place where people spend the majority of their time. Being a homeowner is a status symbol of success in life. Home ownership has many virtues. When a person decides to buy a home they can select a home that has all the attributes they are looking for. A person can buy a home or apartment that is already constructed or they can purchase a piece of land and built their own home. Due to the rising construction costs most people prefer to purchase a home that is already build. In the renting marketplace a person is limited to the houses or apartments that are available for rent in their region. Typically a person that owns a home has more space available than a person that rents. Homeowners do not have to comply with strict rules due to that fact they do not have to report to anyone. Sometimes renters have problems with landlords who attempt to impose rules that affect the renter’s freedom. When a person owns a home they can invite people to their house and have parties without worrying about what the landlord thinks. Buying a home has several economic advantages. The interest rates of the mortgage are tax deductible on the primary home of residence. If a person purchases a second home as an investment, then the homeowner does not have the privilege of deducting interest. Due to the fact that banks utilized compound interest formulas for mortgages during the first years the amount of interest paid are very high which implies that the deduction tax privileges are also high. An advantage of becoming a homeowner in 2011 is that the housing market is currently a buyer’s market. In the state of Florida the median price of homes is just $123,000 (Cnn). A lot of homes are selling for less than their actual value. Under such circumstances the buyer of a home can increase their wealth in terms of equity fro m day one. A great advantage about home ownership is that it creates wealth for the owner. As time passes by the homeowner will increase his wealth in terms of equity. The equity a person accumulates on a home can be put to good use in the future. If a person ever needs a large sum of money to pay for large expenses such as the college education of their children they can use the equity of the home to get a second mortgage. Another way that homeownership can benefit a person is by using the extra space on the home to rent out to a person. Many people rent the basement, attic, or an extra room of their homes to make some extra money. Renting out space can help a homeowner cover a percentage of the mortgage payment. A person that owns a home can invest additional money to improve the home. Renters do not have that privilege because they cannot construct on something that is not theirs. Being a homeowner provides a person with an extra sense of security because there is not contract in place with a landlord. Landlords once the contract expires can kick a person out of their home for whatever reason they like. Also homeowners pay a fix mortgage payment. The renters are often faced with price hikes once the contract expires. Typically renting contracts only last a year. The one year contract norm benefits the landlord because the person can raise the price of the rent on a yearly basis. Despite all the advantages associated with home ownerships there are also disadvantages. The

Information, Knowledge and Learning Organisation Essay

Information, Knowledge and Learning Organisation - Essay Example According to Beckman, (1999) the best way to organize knowledge is through some debate. The most powerful and supportive classifications of KM is based on a blend of knowledge accessibility (knowledge stored or located where and in what form?) and knowledge transformation (the flow of knowledge from one place to another and from one form to another). Innovation or knowledge happens as a result of the flow and alteration of knowledge. Based on the â€Å"knowledge matrix† of Nonaka & Takeuchi knowledge is classified as either explicit or tacit, and either individual or collective. They state that knowledge is transformed from one form to another i.e., socialisation (from unspoken to unspoken, where an individual acquires tacit knowledge straight from others through shared experience, observation, imitation and so on); externalisation (from tacit to explicit, through expression of tacit knowledge into explicit concepts); combination (from explicit to explicit, by a systematisation of concepts drawing on different bodies of explicit knowledge); and internalisation (from explicit to tacit, through a process of "learning by doing" and through a verbalisation and documentation of experiences). Boisot's I-Space Model Boisot (1998) proposes a model of knowledge asset development which has an extra dimension to the model developed by Nonaka and Takeuchi. His model introduces abstraction, meaning that knowledge may become inferred to different situations. In Boisot's strategy, knowledge assets can be situated in a 3 dimensional space distinct by axes from "uncodified" to "codified", from "concrete" to "abstract" and from "undiffused" to "diffused". He then suggests a "Social Learning Cycle" (SLC) which makes use of the I-Space to mold the energetic flow of knowledge through a sequence of 6 stages: 1. Scanning. 2. Problem-Solving 3. Abstraction 4. Diffusion 5. Absorption 6. Impacting It is clear from both Boisot's and Nonaka & Takeuchi model that the course of growing and increasing knowledge assets inside organisations is constantly changing. APQC International Benchmarking Clearinghouse Study based on business process Karl Wiig (1997) and the APQC (American Productivity and Quality Center) acknowledged 6 budding KM strategies. The strategies mirror the diverse natures and intensities of the organisations concerned (Wiig, 1997; Manasco,

MANAGMENT OF HEALTH AND SAFETY Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

MANAGMENT OF HEALTH AND SAFETY - Assignment Example (2002) stated that contrary to the standard business of product and services, customer satisfaction is intangible and challenging to measure but it is a fundamental aspect of the hospitality business. The industry involves offering an environment that mimics the customer’s comfort zone in terms of accommodation and catering as well as communication. Health and safety must be guaranteed for customers and employees to ensure accomplishment of customer expectations in the hospitality industry are perceived with greater intensity than for many other products and services (David, 2009). Garden, (2008) observed that modern technology has enhanced customer feedback mechanisms, such as the application of mobile technology for customers to place a request and to give instantaneous feedback with regards to the services offered. According to Marshall & Johnston (2009), customers are rational in their evaluation and may give positive remarks where least expected or fail to give credit whe re it is highly anticipated. Hammond et al. (2006) proposes a point of involvement and feedback check whereby employees and customers are offered a chance to indicate if they are satisfied with the health and safety measures that have been put in place within the organization at all levels of the supply chain. Electronic devices can be installed in the various facilities available for customers and employees for them to key in anonymously their views regarding their perceptions with regard to their health and safety. These include food, water and environmental safety in relation to facilities such as kitchen, toilet, bathroom, and bed or water dispenser among others. Whenever an issue is detected, it is electronically transmitted directly into the management’s notification system. Zheng (2004) observed that constant monitoring of the implementation of health and safety standards is necessary for effective improvements whenever changes are needed. Popper (2004) noted that heal th and safety surveys enhance an organizations capacity to retain and also attract potential customers as well as to retain employees. This is accomplished through well designed and implemented study questions that allow real trend exploration. Such surveys provide useful information regarding the necessary amendments to improve health and safety standards. CODEX ELEMENTARIOS was developed by the UN to control risks in 1962. It developed the hazard assessment system called HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control; Point). Health and safety study helps in risk analysis to determine if there is high risk (Critical Control Point), medium risk or low risk (control points). It is important to help in the analysis of the intensity or severity of risk and frequency of occurrence (Kotler et al. 2002). 3.0 Research Question Are employees and customers exposed to risks that may affect their well-being? 3.1 Research Philosophy, Approach and Strategy This research will be based on the genera l understanding that workers and customers are rational and will offer a true reflection of their feelings regarding their health and safety in the organization. It is assumed that they clearly understand what they need and are also capable of evaluating whether their expectations have been met. It is also expected that employees and customers will be ready to sacrifice 5 minutes of their time to

Experimental rig Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Experimental rig - Article Example The water flow duct is rectangular in shape and has the size 3500mm long by 1000mm wide and a depth of 1500 mm with a tank that has a capacity of 70 liters. The closed loop system is designed to hold water and the rectangular supply tank is connected to a centrifugal pump. Water is pumped by the centrifugal pump, from the supply tank, into the PVC pipes with 2 inches size, then through the transparent channel and into the supply tank again. The centrifugal pump is a two stage self-priming type and it has the capability to drive the water from the tank. The rectangular channel of the experimental rig has been designed and fabricated in such a manner that there are four transparent polycarbonate plates with dimensions ( which have been used to fabricate the channel. Acrylic was selected for fabrication of all sections of the channel, due to strength and transparency in addition to acrylic welding are soften the plate surfaces so they merge, and the molecules between the two pieces become one which gave much more strength to the channel and prevent leakages. Four pressure tabs are placed at the bottom surface of the channel used for the measurement of pressure drop. These tabs made the test sections where placed after two sections of in order to get full turbulence flow. The pressure drop of the rig has been taken for section. The experimental rig has a flow duct made from 2’’ PVC piping across the system. It has a plate cover that is 120 mm wide by 120mm height by 2000 mm long. This cover plate is made from polycarbonate material. The flow duct also has six 2’’ ball valves that are strategically located at the points of entry and exit of the water and are primarily to regulate the flow of water. The rig system is supplied with 240 volts of alternating current and in this regard, the experimental rig has 2’’ female sockets.

Business Strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Strategy - Assignment Example I have two months in experience in a busy work experience. Between March and May 2014, I was an intern working at Brazeila Med Spa in Boca Raton; FL. Brazil Med Spa is one of the Florida’s leading medical SPAs suppliers since 2007. I worked in three departments while I was in the company: the finance department, insurance department and in the reception. In the finance department, I participated in balancing books of accounts, preparing tax returns, making cash collections and deposits, budgeting, and bank reconciliations. I received and recorded claims in the insurance department and provided customer care services at the reception. During the two-month period, I portrayed excellent qualities of honesty, loyalty, and determination. I would like to join the business strategy class. Business strategy encompasses strategic management of the organizational functions with the aim of enhancing the quality of the product. I will acquire skills necessary for formulation, implementati on, and evaluation of cross-functional decisions that will enable an organization to achieve its long-term goals. Additionally, I will acquire competencies that can help me to specify the organization’s mission, vision, and objectives, develop policies and plans and proper allocation of resources for business prosperity. I am adaptable and easily accept change with new initiatives and processes. I understand the dynamism and complex nature of the modern business world, hence, flexibility is my best strategy for business sustainability.

Questions on UML and Project Management Research Paper

Questions on UML and Project Management - Research Paper Example The UML is used to construct, visualize, document, specify and modify the elements of an object oriented system under enhancement.. J. Object Management Group (OMG) is an association of several computer design and system developers. The formation of the OMG targeted the setting of conventional standards for disturbed object oriented systems. Currently, the organization concerns with different aspects of modeling such as business processes, systems and programs. OMG attempts to avert vague standards that cannot be implementable or have never been implemented. Object Management Group also provides other standards basing on modeling principles. Apart from the UML, OMG also involves in other modeling operations. Meta Object Facility (MOF) is another specification employed in OMG. MOF is applicable in the Model-Driven Architecture and combines each development and integration steps of business, architectural and application modeling to enable development, management and transformation. Bu siness Motivation Model (BMM) is also an OMG specification standard. The BMM avails vocabulary for organization’s governance and strategic planning. ... of the UML state machine operation incorporates the organization of a way a device such as a computer program works  in a way that a section or each of its elements is accurately one of the number of probable state at which there are explicitly definitions of conditional conversions between the states. UML state machine initiates the concepts of hierarchy nested states and perpendicular regions, while extending the notion of actions. The state machines depict protocol and behavioral state machines. The behavioral state machines can be utilized in modeling the actions of individual elements while the protocol statecharts are employed to express utilization protocols and identify the legal usage situations of order interfaces and ports. Umbrello UML Modeller Umbrello UML Modeller is a software diagram tool which is present for many platforms such as Unix-like and Microsoft windows. The modeller is versatile and performs well with other computers and programming conditions. Umbrello U ML Modeller tool manages all types of paradigm UML diagrams. The tool can reverse all written codes from different languages such as python, C++, Java, IDL and Ada. Umbello can also reverse the XMI files produced from PHP codes and export to other diverse programming languages. Umbello permits sharing of model components through exportation of Docbook in addition to other XHTML layouts. The distribution assists in amalgamation enhancement attempts in case the team members cannot access the umbello directly. The tool is also critical in situations where the data is to be published in the web. Therefore, Umbrello UML Modeller would be the best for a project team to use in developing an object-oriented information system using UML. Umbrello UML Modeller is more significant because it supports

Strategic planing Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic planing - Coursework Example A business can combine other strategies like Cost Leadership or Differentiation strategy for the focus group along with the Market Niche Strategy to maximize its sales. It can identify a market segment for its product and then try to further its edge in the limited competition within that group by either differentiating its product based on the exclusivity etc. or by creating an edge through Cost Leadership strategies for that market segment. â€Å"This strategy provides the company the possibility to charge a premium price for superior quality (differentiation focus) or by offering a low price product to a small and specialised group of buyers (cost focus).† ( Essay on Porter’s Generic Strategies) Ferrari is a very good example of a business which is employing the Niche Strategy in automobile industry along with Differentiation strategy. It has created a car which is a status symbol thus differentiating itself from other automobiles but it is only catering to a small number of customers all over the world. It is also providing a unique customer service to its client for life by picking and dropping off the cars on customer’s doorstep for maintenance and repairs. This exclusive service helps it differentiate itself even within the market niche of luxury sports cars. Vertical Integration. Is your company vertically integrated? If so, is it fully, or partially, integrated? If not, would such a move yield potentially high competitive rewards? Explain your rationale. You can also use a past firm or one with which you are familiar.( use a firm that you are familiar with) Andrew Carnegie’s steel operation in nineteenth century is a classic example of vertical Integration. As the concept of Vertical Integration means that a company controls several or all the steps in the production of a product or service to gain maximum control of that market. This concept was fully employed by Andrew Carnegie who became the steel

The cyberpunk novel Feed Essay Example for Free

The cyberpunk novel Feed Essay Analyse how a writer used language to develop the theme(s) of the written text. The cyberpunk novel, Feed, is a book which explores the dangers of overpowering consumerism. Author MT Anderson uses language to develop the theme of a failing futuristic society as an outcome of constant consumerist influence. Anderson uses character dialogue, descriptions of environmental degradation and internally received ‘banners’ or advertising inside the characters’ heads to explore the problems encountered when a society fails to protect their most valuable resource – nature. The characters in Feed are all implanted with a chip at birth which allows them to access the internet without the need of any external device. Computers are no longer outside the body, but are referred to as â€Å"wetware†. This allows the characters to m-chat or text inside their heads. The feed also provides them with a near constant flow of advertising banners or pop-ups depending on current trends or a shop they may walk past. This corporate control of communication leads the characters to live a superficial existence, where their main concerns are for the latest hairstyles and show no interest towards political events, which are hinted at throughout the book. The story is narrated by Titus, a teenager who meets Violet while celebrating Spring break on the Moon. During the exposition the reader learns that in this society the characters have minimal vocabularies and use a lot of futuristic teenage slang. The group refer to each other as â€Å"unit† and describe a good looking girls as being â€Å"meg youch†.There is also a lot of swearing which illustrates how limited their vocabularies have become. The characters use the phrase â€Å"da da da† whenever they can’t think of what to say. This has happened because school no is longer run as a centre for education, rather, it has become â€Å"SchoolTM† and teaches students how to use their feeds, consequently how to consume m ore and more. The poor vocabulary, coupled with a preoccupation with peer pressure to keep up with current trends helps to create a mood of apathy and hopelessness in the characters thoughts and actions.

The Skills Of Professional Networking

The Skills Of Professional Networking Professional Networking is a widely used skill that many people lack. There are four main steps that a person must focus on while trying to build an effective professional network. The first step in building an effective professional network is to contact businesses in the best possible way. Next, it is extremely important to build an individual relationship with each business. Giving an effective presentation is the third step. The last and ongoing step is to maintain the current relationship while expanding the network to new contacts. There are many benefits to professional networking. Having an outstanding professional network can lead to ultimate success. Better jobs and stronger support can come from this. There are many different ways that a person can build an effective profession network. This leads to the essential question. Essential Question How does a person build an effective professional network? Supporting Questions What is the best way to contact businesses? What is the best way to build an individual relationship with each business? What is the most effective way to give a presentation? What is the best way to maintain the current relationships while expanding the network to new contacts? What is the best way to contact businesses? It is impossible to build a relationship without first having contact with any businesses. Beverly Newton, Nebraska FBLA State Adviser, Career Field Specialist, Communication and Information Systems, claimed, The best way to contact a business is through a personal contact from someone you know who has recommended a specific name in the business to contact. It is also appropriate to write a letter to the name recommended to you and then indicate that you will follow-up the letter with a phone call (personal e-mail, December 20, 2010). In retrospect, the first and most important step for someone who wants to contact businesses is to work towards building connections through networking. However, if a person was not knowledgeable enough to start early, there is still hope for them. For someone who is just starting, they need to focus on friends and family. In making personal contacts, the person must start small with the businesses closest to him or her. This is extremely important because as Lao-tzu (2004) said, A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step (para. 1) Taking these small steps will lead to future success. Randall Hansen (2010) from Quintessential Careers states, There is probably not an easier way to expand your network than to simply ask your current friends, family, and associations for the contact information of others whom they think would be beneficial for you to know. The friend-of-a-friend connection is quite strong and usually very successful (para. 4). Once these smaller contacts have been established, it is time to use them to enlarge the network. Every business will be related to many other businesses in some way. Be sure to use these previous connections to expand and make new connections. Peoples previous contacts can be e xtremely important for future development. There are numerous ways to contact businesses. The most prolific way is to begin at an early age and build contacts throughout an entire lifetime. Since everyone knows someone else, the friend-of-a-friend connection is the best possible method to attain contacts. But, just because there are these contacts, does not necessarily mean that they will be willing to negotiate. It is extremely important to write a professional business letter to each business. This format consists of a heading, the date, the opening, the body, and then a conclusion. After the conclusion, a farewell and a signature with the name and title printed below should be included. In these letters, the writer needs to sound sincere and professional. The contactor should be sure to ask for support from the business, not a monetary donation. Following these steps will result in many business contacts. What is the best way to build an individual relationship with each business? Contacting is easy, but the truly skilled will develop a relationship with each business they contact. A contact is just establishing of communication with someone or receiving of a significant signal from a person or object (Guralnik, 1970, p. 306). However, a relationship is a significant connection or similarity between two or more things (Guralnik, 1970, p. 1198). Matthew Moran (2010) thinks, One of the most pressing challenges with networking effectively is that many professionals never take the time to go where such relationships can happen (para. 21). This is important because in order to make a sustainable professional network, there must be a relationship to keep the network alive. Newton stated, It is important for the business to understand what purpose you have for them. The business usually wants to do something other than donate money (personal e-mail, December 20, 2010). When attempting to build an individual relationship, it is essential to know the business purpose. A business representative will not be swayed to donate their support if the contactor does not even know how the business can be used. Having an organized and detailed plan is extremely important, as well as sounding professional, sincere, personable, and confident. Doing these things will create a strong one-on-one bond with each business. What is the most effective way to give a presentation? Once the door is opened with a relationship, it is time to slam the door shut and strike up a deal with a presentation. Giving an effective presentation can be extremely difficult. Darrell Zahorsky has eight secrets to a knockout business presentation. These eight steps are: dig deep, avoid info overload, practice delivery, forget comedy, pick powerful props, minimize you, speak the language, and use simple slides (Zahorsky, 2010). Mastering these secrets can be extremely difficult and may require practice. Great presenters give their presentations numerous times to a plethora of audiences for practice before they give their polished show. However, a good presentation in itself will not be effective without further details. The presenter needs to be dressed in proper attire to give a professional look. This consists of a business suit for both men and women. Presenters must be there early in order to ensure that their equipment is running properly and to introduce themselves to the companys business leaders. What is the best way to maintain the current relationships while expanding the network to new contacts? After closing the deal with an amazing presentation, be sure to keep the door locked by maintaining the relationship and open new doorways by expanding to new contacts. Follow-up with the business is important by connecting with the business at least twice during the year. (B. Newton, personal e-mail, December 20, 2010). After making a connection, establishing a relationship, and giving an effective presentation, it is extremely important to maintain each and every relationship. Jennifer Vo (2010) declared, Never burn a bridge because no matter how big the industry is, companies within an industry often keep in close contact with one another (para. 5). The next step is to expand the network to new contacts. This whole process acts as a cycle. Since a lot of work has already been done, it is advised to reuse the letters that were previously written. Sometimes things need to be tweaked a little bit for improvement. Be sure to update all of the documents so they are viable. The final step of maintaining the current relationships, while expanding the network to new contacts, is extremely important. Since relationships take so much time and effort, no relationship can afford to be lost. Also, expansion is a necessity. A network without growth is the same as a dying network. How does a person build an effective professional network? There are many steps that must occur in order to build a professional network. These steps play out as a never-ending cycle. The first step is to contact the businesses. The friend-of-a-friend connection is the best possible method to attain contacts. Next, build an individual relationship with each business. Remember to have a purpose for each business. Also, there needs to be extra steps taken to reach this higher level. Giving an effective presentation is the third step. Be confident, dress appropriately, and practice, practice, practice. Lastly, it is a necessity to maintain the current relationships while expanding the network to new contacts. Every network needs to continue to grow by attaining new contacts; previous relationships also need to be maintained. All-in-all, communication is essential. Each of the four steps heavily incorporates communication as the most important piece. This communication is done through many forms, including verbal, written, and nonverbal. The contactor must be polished in every area in order to ensure his or her success. It is imperative to proofread each letter, practice each presentation, and send a professional message through physical appearance. When building an effective professional network remember to follow these four main steps: contact the businesses, build an individual relationship, give an effective presentation, and maintain the current relationships while expanding the network to new contacts. Following these steps will create a strong professional network for the practicing individual. The network established will be a helpful tool that can be employed throughout an entire lifetime. A single individual can build an effective professional network by utilizing basic communication skills and establishing business relationships. Annotated Bibliography Hansen, R. S. Ph. D. (2010, November 4). How to build and expand your career network: 10 proven techniques. Retrieved from http://www.quintcareers.com/expanding_career_network.html. This source was useful because it stated that using friends, family, and associations create strong connections. It also introduced the friend-of-a-friend connection that I referred back to several times throughout my paper. This source was very reliable and was extremely helpful. Guralnik, D. B. (Ed.). (1970). Websters new world dictionary of the American language. (p. 306 1198, 2nd ed.). New York, NY: The World Publishing Company. I used this to state the definitions of contact and relationship. This was important to my paper because I use both of these words numerous times. There is also a need to clarify the difference between the two. Moran, M. (2006, July 21). Professional networking made easy: priming the pump. Retrieved from http://www.ciscopress.com/articles/printerfriendly.asp?p=486105. This source explains the importance of building a relationship to keep a professional network alive. Without the information provided by this source my statements would not have any support. Tzu, L. (2004, September 1). The quotations page: classic quotes. Retrieved from http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/24004.html. I used this quote to back up my statement about making personal contacts with people who are close to them. I also said how everyone has to start off small, so this quote works hand-in-hand with what I said. Vo, J. (2010, February 15). How to start networking: the best ways to expand a professional network. Retrieved from http://www.suite101.com/content/how-to-start-networking-a198785. I used this resource to back myself up when I was talking about the importance of maintaining each and every relationship. Zahorsky, D. (2010). 8 secrets to a knockout business presentation. Retrieved from http://sbinformation.about.com/od/sales/a/presentationtip.htm?p=1. This resource defined the eight steps of giving an effective business presentation. This was extremely important because one of my supporting questions was completely about how to give an effective business presentation.