Company Analysis L Brands Essay - 1580 Words

L Brands is a specialty retailer focusing on women’s apparel, personal care, and beauty products. Their major brands include Victoria’s Secret and Bath and Body works. L Brands, like all companies, has developed a strategy that they believe will help them be successful. A firm’s strategy encompasses its specific goals, the actions or policies to achieve these goals, and the allocation of its resources to these actions and policies. Firms try to develop a strategy that they believe will help them gain a competitive advantage over other firms in the industry. A competitive advantage is the ability of a firm to consistently earn profits above the industry average. A DuPont Analysis of a firm and its competitors helps to determine whether a firm is experiencing a competitive advantage. A DuPont Analysis shows the Return on Equity (ROE) of a firm. This is a good measure of its profitability. DuPont Analyses also provide a breakdown of ROE to examine the sourc e of any profitability. L Brands employs a benefit strategy. This means that they attempt to provide the best benefits to their customers without necessarily focusing on keeping price down. They say that they are not selling products, they are selling experiences. They do this largely by focusing on providing high quality in-store experiences and utilizing persuasive advertising. They make use of in-store marketing images, music, and helpful sales associates to reinforce what their brand represents. This hasShow MoreRelatedCompetitor Analysis : Marketing Planning Process1406 Words   |  6 Pagesto analyse their competitor s strategies. Competitor analysis is a vital part of the marketing planning process. A strong competitor can hinder business success, even lead to business failure. Competitor analysis helps firms to anticipate their competitor s actions and exploit competitor s weaknesses. It also helps firms to identify their firm s unique selling points, so that these ca n be promoted in marketing campaigns. Competitor analysis is an ongoing task, as successful competitors will continuouslyRead MoreL ¡Ã‚ ¦Oreal Nederland B.V.1602 Words   |  7 PagesL ¡Ã‚ ¦Oreal Nederland B.V. Pertinent Facts L ¡Ã‚ ¦Oreal is the largest cosmetics company in the world. In 1992 the L ¡Ã‚ ¦Oreal Group was the largest cosmetics manufacturer in the world. They are Headquartered in Paris, it have subsidiaries in over 100 countries. In 1992, its sales were $6.8 billion (a 12% over 1991) and net profits were $417 million (a 14% increase). France contributed 24% of total worldwide sales. Europe (both western and eastern countries, excluding France) provided 42%, and the U.SRead MoreStarbucks Case Analysis Essay1176 Words   |  5 PagesSubject: Starbucks Case Analysis Having been through the great expansion and the economic depression, Starbucks has become one of the most valuable brands in the world by its ability to immediately distinguish consumers’ needs and fulfill those needs with extraordinary services. In other words, Howard Schultz has made Starbucks the solution to consumers’ unsatisfied need, which gives the brand a strong positioning that not only benefits the company, but also creates customer value. However,Read MoreForner Company890 Words   |  4 PagesManAcc Forner Carpet Company The case of Forner Carpet Company was about determining break-even points. This case requires to determine the appropriate price for a product in the market where the company is not a price leader. Forner Carpet Company, the market leader in high-grade carpet materials, plans to expand/diversify its production, and replace its equipment, hence, a need for fresh capital. In order to support this endeavour, Forner imposed a price increase on its L-42 product to boost incomeRead MoreL S Swot Analysis1091 Words   |  5 Pages 2. PRICE COMPARISON OF LT PRODUCTS WITH ROMA, LEGRAND AND GM: Aim: To understand the pricing of same category products of LT with other brands like ROMA, LEGRANDS AND GM. Observation: PRODUCT CATEGORY ROMA Per unit price (in RS) LEGRANDS Per unit price (in RS) GM Per unit price (in RS) LT Per unit price (in RS) 1-way switches 109 140 54 101 2/3pin socket (6A) 153 260 127 162 120w fan regulator 541 798 410 615 GI metal box-8M(H) 165 216 154 188 Cover plate with grid frame(H) 163 298 196 215Read MoreMarketing Analysis : Executive Officer1594 Words   |  7 PagesInternal Analysis Management Team Indra Nooyi serves as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PepsiCo. Nooyi was named President and CEO in 2006 and became a member of the Board in 2007. Nooyi has been with PepsiCo since 1994. Before becoming President in 2006, Nooyi served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of PepsiCo Other members of management include: John Banner (Executive Vice President, Communications), Oswald Barckhahn (President, North American Nutrition)Read MorePorter Five Forces Model950 Words   |  4 Pagesbusiness establishment. It was formed by Michael E. Porter of the Harvard Business School between 1979 and the mid 1980’s. Porter developed the Five Forces model in opposition to the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, environmental opportunities, threats) analysis that was an industry standard for businesses to determine how they compared to other businesses in a certain market or if there was opportunity to expand into different markets. Porter’s Five Forces Model: an overview Porter’s Five Forces ModelRead MoreThe Branding Strategy of Gatorade: An Analysis1449 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Part I: Research Background The ability of any marketer to align their brands with emotions and images that symbolize exceptional athletic performance, high energy, and prowess in sports and in life will succeed. This is especially the case when the branding strategy is strongly supported by an exceptionally effective research and development (RD) strategy, in addition to having exceptional control over quality, distribution and the entire customer experiences. Gatorade today holds over 75%Read MoreEssay about Managing Organization and Leading People800 Words   |  4 Pagesincrease other capacity of learn and motivate other for a better part of the team. 2) Strengths – When a leader meet a person, the leader can analyze that the person is beneficial for the company or not and decide its hiring into the company 3) Managing – The leader can Manage any change in the company structure, provide problem solving skills, provide decision making skills and taking risk in innovating new ideas Discuss how the current leadership has affected organizational culture ? Read MoreAnalysis of the Marketing Mix for Gatorade1270 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Analysis of the Marketing Mix for Gatorade Introduction Gatorade is a flagship brand of PepsiCo and has a commanding 75% market share of the sports nutrition beverage marketplace globally, being sold into 80 different countries according to the latest PepsiCo annual report published in late 2011. Gatorades success in branding and product marketing has actually expanded the global market for sports nutrition beverages during the late 1990s and into the 21rst century. Recently however the company

The Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass - 1720 Words

Throughout our country’s history, there have been several instances in which minorities, and native groups have been victims of our country’s people and government, as well as policies that our government has enacted. Some of these policies and treatments have made them very vulnerable and victims to barbaric and inhumane treatment at the hands of the â€Å"true† American people. Slavery in America is a prime example of these type of government policies and inhumane treatment of other groups who deserve the same rights as us â€Å"Americans do†. While most focus on how Slavery dehumanized the slaves themselves, it also dehumanized the people who owned, worked, and dealt with the slaves: The American People. In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, Douglass illustrates, quite graphically, though appropriately, through his own personal experiences the brutality and violence of life as a slave, but also how it dehumanized both th e slaves and the whites using masterful imagery. As Douglass says about one of his slave owners, â€Å"Slavery soon proved its ability to divest her of these heavenly qualities. Under its influence, the tender heart became stone, and the lamblike disposition gave way to one of tiger-like fierceness.† (Pg. 52) This was true for many more people than just his mistress. Dehumanizing slaves begins from the moment they are born or bought as slave holders and the general white population deny slaves and bonds with their family, education, andShow MoreRelatedNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass987 Words   |  4 PagesLife of Frederick In the â€Å"narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass an American slave written by himself† Frederick reveled to audience the time he was living as a slave and the moments of brutal treats for example psychological, emotional and physical abuses. He was suffering terrible moments during his 20 years as a slave in the twentieth century. In addition, he describes in his own words the strategies he used to escape from the slave holders and to be free. This story the â€Å"Narrative of theRead MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Essay1102 Words   |  5 PagesDate Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Writing in the favor of black people has always remained controversial from the very beginning. Critics regard such writing as â€Å"a highly conventionalized genre† indicating that â€Å"its status as literature was long disputed but the literary merits of its most famous example such as Frederick Douglass s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass†¦are widely recognized today.† (Ryan:537) Despite of such severe resistance, writers like Douglass have pennedRead MoreThe Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass1566 Words   |  7 PagesThe â€Å"Narratives of the Life of Frederick Douglass† is the story of Frederick Douglass’ life from the time he was born into slavery, to the time he escaped to freedom in the north. When Douglass wrote this book, slavery was still legal in a large portion of the United States. After Douglass’ escape to freedom and his continuation of his education, he became an abolitionist through his works of literatu re and speeches. In â€Å"The Blessings of Slavery†, by George Fitzhugh he states that southern slavesRead MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass1257 Words   |  6 PagesBook Review By Mary Elizabeth Ralls Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass: An autobiography written by Frederick Douglass Millennium publication, 1945edition 75 pages Frederick Douglass whose real name was Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey approximately birthdate is in1818, the month or day is not known, he died in 1895. He is one of the most famous advocates and the greatest leaders of anti-slavery in the past 200 or so years.Read MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass1730 Words   |  7 PagesOne of the most well-known slavery narratives was lived and written by Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Frederick Douglass was a civil rights activist who was born into slavery on a plantation in eastern Maryland in February 1818. His exact birth date is unknown, he states in his narrative, â€Å"I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it.†2 His birth name was Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, which was given by hisRead MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Essay1498 Words   |  6 Pagessoutherners believed that one of the most essential me ans of life was slavery. In the novel, Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass challenges and debunks the idea of slavery being a necessary part of the white lifestyle; many pro-slavery arguments consisted of religion justifying slavery, slaves being â€Å"easily manipulated†/ignorant, and slavery keeping the southern economy from disappearing (The Proslavery Argument). Frederick uses personal experiences and other tactics to expose theRead MoreThe Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass1363 Words   |  6 Pages In The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass portrays the importance of education because of its influence in leveling the playing field between the races in the 1800s. Education and knowledge are themes that are heavily dwelled upon throughout the novel, inspiring the reader to see the full power of such important ideals and to take the full advantage of both at all times. Douglass gives the reader a new appreciat ion for education as he delivers his message regardingRead MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass1255 Words   |  6 PagesFrederick Douglass, throughout Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, uses religion to get many of his points across. In one way, religion plays a huge role in Douglass’ ability to become literate throughout the text. With the Bible and other Christian texts, Douglass is able to further his ability and the ability of others to read. This becomes important because as Douglass points out the slaveholders believe a literate slave is not a good slave. This union of literacy and religion show theRead MoreThe Narrative Life Of Frederick Douglass1583 Words   |  7 Pages‘The Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass’ is an autobiography of Frederick Douglass, the slave who escaped and became one of renowned social reformers of his time. The book is a collection of actual experiences of the author during his time in slavery and experienc es of fellow slaves. He describes brilliantly the oppressive conditions into which he was born, lived, as well as his struggles and triumphs. The author meant to make the reader comprehend life of the African Americans in slavery beforeRead MoreThe Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass939 Words   |  4 PagesRevolutionary Freedom In 1845, an African-American man named Frederick Douglass released a thought-provoking autobiography that would become a turning point in revolutionary change. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass was the first autobiography Douglass had written focusing on the real life struggles he has faced during his time spent in bondage. During his time, it was not common for an African-American to have the skills to read and write, and it was especially uncommon to publish

Human Resource Management Hewitt Associates

Question: Task 1: Written Report For this task, consider the following situations in order to complete the question below: Situation 1 Due to the volume of new staff required, the decision has been made to retain the services of an HR Consultancy Firm who will be seeking to assist in providing Inductions, WHS training, and HR advice and service training in line with BEST Pearls preferred methodology. This HR Consultancy Firm is known as Hewitt Associates and they are one of the world's leading HR consulting and outsourcing companies. Hewitt Associates (https://www.hewittassociates.com/), have appointed Mr Richard Mayall as the Client Manager looking after BEST Pearls, and he will be handling ongoing negotiations between BEST Pearls and Hewitt Associates. BEST Pearls will shortly be engaging in correspondence with Hewitt Associates to arrange any necessary Service Level Agreement(s). However, before this occurs, you will need to look over the current direction and strategy of BEST Pearls and identify any other weaknesses/threats that may be faced or need to be addressed. Situation 2 BEST Pearls is now in a position to go ahead and retain the services of Hewitt Associates. You have contacted Mr Mayall and he has indicated that Hewitt Associate will be well placed to assist BEST Pearls as soon as there is an agreement in place which is satisfactory to both parties. You have been appointed the task of arranging a Service Level Agreement (SLA) between the two parties for the provision of Employment Contract Advice, Inductions and initial OHS training for new starters. (A) Establish a service level agreement* (SLA) between BEST Pearls and their HR solutions provider, Hewitt Associates. Your SLA will need to include the service specifications, performance standards and timeframes required from the agreement.(B) (Linking from Assessment One) Develop the human resources strategies and services for BEST Pearls employees and its HR provider, Hewitt Associates.(C) Identify and design training support for BEST Pearls employees, considering the organisations goals and strategies.(D) Develop tools to monitor the quality of training provided by Hewitt Associates, including actions to rectify under-performance.(E) Outline the confidentiality requirements associated with this HR-related SLA.(F) Briefly outline and identify the advantages in using Hewitt Associates services. Task 2: Create a Feedback Survey (A) Acting as the HR Manager, you have been asked to design a client feedback survey that Hewitt Associates could use to determine the level of satisfaction that BEST Pearls feel towards the SLA.You will need to consider the purpose of this survey by Hewitt Associates (to analyse feedback and adopt possible changes recommended by BEST Pearls), including:1. Approvals to variations in service delivery between Hewitt Associates and BEST Pearls;2. Change of processes across the organisation;(B) Design an employees feedback form to determine the level of satisfaction of the training provided by the HR provider, considering any benefits for their improvement. Answers: Task 1 Written Report (A) Service Level Agreement Statement of Intent The aim of this agreement is to provide a basis of close cooperation between Best Pearls and Hewitt Associates for HR consultancy services to be provided by Hewitt Associates to Best Pearls to ensure services are delivered in a timely and efficient manner. This agreement is contingent on each party knowing and fulfilling their responsibilities and working in a manner that creates an environment conducive to the achievement and maintenance of targeted service levels. Service Specifications Hewitt Associated will provide the following services: Service Type Description of Service Response Time Performance Standards Employment Contact Advice Ensuring that the contract of employment and associated paperwork in relation to employees is completed accurate and in a timely manner (Snell Bohlander, 2012). Within 48 hours Services provided within specified timeframe and to expected quality. Employee Feedback about the quality of response provided Advice amendments as and when required. With 24 hours Handle employee queries related to employment contract Within 24 Hours Inductions Book induction events. Within 48 hours of the joining date of new employees Induction for new hires started on the third day of joining. Events were well informed to employees and trainers. All training materials were available. Feedback provided by employees after the induction session was completed Confirm Trainers availability Before 24 hours the induction is scheduled Ensure that schedule is effectively communicated to employees Before 24 hours the induction is scheduled Ensure all training materials and other necessities are available Before 24 hours the induction is scheduled Ensure adequate number of feedback forms are available Before the end of induction session Ensure that employee feedbacks is collected Within 48 hours of competition of induction Initial OHS Training Book Training events Within 5 days of completion of induction All activities are performed within defined time frame. Feedback received from the employees undergoing the training. Confirm trainers availability Before 24 hours the training is scheduled Effectively communicate Schedule to new hires Before 48 hours the training is scheduled Ensure all material related to policies and procedures for effective management of Health and Safety are referred in-details Before 24 hours the induction is scheduled Drills related to Health and Safety are properly organised and communicated Within 2 days the OHS training is completed Within 2 days the OHS drills are completed Feedback related to OHS training is collected Client Responsibility: The client undertakes to provide Hewitt Associates with necessary information and support as an when required and make them aware of related issues that come up as soon as reasonably practicable (Pattanayak, 2005). They must promptly respond to requests for training and development. (B) Human Resource Strategies and Services Human resource is considered the most precious asset for an organisation (Armstrong, 2011). An effective HR strategy is important to ensure high performance and overall productivity (Bhatia, 2007). BEST Pearls is looking forward to hire Hewitt Associates as an external HR consultant who will be responsible for provision of Employment Contract Advice, Initial OHS training and induction for new starters. BEST Pearls looks forward to develop an environment where all employees are encouraged to learn and develop. They want to ensure that right people are attracted, maintained and retained in order to achieve desired organisational goals. Hewitt Associate as an external HR consultancy will ensure that BEST pearls have updated information related to Employment Contracts and adequate changes are made as and when needed. They will be responsible for ensuring that all activities related to induction and initial OHS trainings of newly hired employees is conducted in a timely and effective manner. (C) Training Support for BEST Pearls employees A training support comprises of a schedule of activities ensuring that training goals are met, learning objectives, methods, subject areas, trainees, trainers, locations and methods of assessment (Deb, 2006). Training support for induction of BEST Perals employees is shown below: 1. Getting information on the numbers of new hires to be trained.2. Booking rooms and needed training materials.3. Booking timeslots from trainers (in case of induction trainers include companies top executives who will brief the new hires about company and its processes) (Lawler Boudreau, 2009).4. Ensuring needed training materials are ready ( hard and soft copies)5. Informing the schedules to new hires.6. Ensuring assessment materials and Feedback survey materials are ready.7. Ensuring that training are conducted effectively as scheduled. (D) Tools to monitor quality of training There are a number of tools that can help monitor quality of training delivered by Hewitt Associates (Wilson, 2005). Checklist for supervisory visits can be effectively used in the given case. Checklist will contain following questions: 1. Ratio of learners to facilitators; total number of new hirers attending the sessions (Holbeche, 2012)2. Time allocated for workshops 3. Frequency of questions asked and answers delivered as per expectations4. Frequency of assessments and timely delivery of results (E) Confidentiality requirements Hewitt Associates will ensure confidentiality of the employee information and important materials/documents furnished by BEST Pearls is preserved and protected (Cooper Burke, 2011). (F) Benefits of using Hewitt Associates services Hewitt Associates is one of the worlds leading HR consulting and outsourcing company. They provide their services globally in more than 120 countries (Aon Plc, 2015). They have years of experience in HR field and have around 66,000 talented employees serving customers of different types and sizes. Their customer-oriented approach makes them the best choice for BEST Pearls. Task 2 Create a Feedback Survey (A) Client Feedback Survey The below mentioned questions must be rated in scale range of 1-3; 1- Strongly disagree2- Neither Agree nor Disagree3- Strongly Agree Overall, the service level Agreement meets the expectation of BEST Pearls.1- 2- 3- Service level targets are effectively reflected and meet expectations. 1- 2- 3- The services offered in the agreement compare to your ideal service.1- 2- 3- Are there any recommendations that can help improve the response time, quality and processes mentioned in the agreement? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Based on your recommendations will changes of processes across the organisation be accepted as and when required? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (B) Employees Feedback Survey The below mentioned questions must be rated in scale range of 1-5; 1: All of the time 2- Most of the time3- Some of the time4- Hardly ever5- Never Services 1 2 3 4 5 Trainings schedules are well informed Trainers are knowledgeable, interactive and encouraging Materials and documents used are up to the mark Purpose behind the session is clear Trainers encourage you to ask questions Answers provided are satisfactory Training is conducted as scheduled Any changes are well-informed References Aon Plc. (2015). Aon. Retrieved 2015, from Aon: https://www.aon.com/about-aon/company-overview.jsp Armstrong, M. (2011). Armstrong's Handbook of Strategic Human Resource Management. London: Kogan Page Publishers. Bhatia, S. (2007). Strategic Human Resource Management : Winning Through People. New Delhi: Deep and Deep Publications. Cooper, C. L., Burke, R. J. (2011). Human Resource Management in Small Business: Achieving Peak Performance. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. Deb, T. (2006). Strategic Approach to Human Resource Management. New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers Dist. Holbeche, L. (2012). Aligning Human Resources and Business Strategy. New Jersey: Routledge. Lawler, E., Boudreau, J. W. (2009). Achieving Excellence in Human Resources Management (Stanford University Press ed.). Stanford. Pattanayak, B. (2005). Human Resource Management. New Delhi: PHI Learning Pvt. Snell, S., Bohlander, G. (2012). Managing Human Resources. New York: Cengage Learning. Wilson, J. P. (2005). Human Resource Development: Learning Training for Individuals Organizations. London: Kogan Page Publishers.

Key Perspectives of Psychology free essay sample

Psychology seeks to understand and explain thought, emotion and behaviour through scientific investigation. It studies both humans and animals. It relates to who we are as human beings, our capacity to think, reason and understand how life really works, it even throws light on the stresses we face. As infants we are unable to survive without others, we learn to adapt socially from the moment we are born. As a result of this social interaction we develop a sense of self. We learn to communicate, verbally and non verbally, and develop shared beliefs to create a sense of society and e rely on mutual understanding to co exist. There are 3 key perspectives, Behaviourism, Psychodynamics and Humanism. Each has its own assumptions and explanations and each investigates/researches using different techniques eg Surveys, Questionnaires, Lab Experiments and Counselling. Behaviourism Behaviourists focus on understanding how and why behaviour happens. Either a theory seeks confirmation through experimentation or a general law is derived by a variety of data. It uses scientific experiments that are observable and measurable, no speculation about mental processes is made. Main concepts: Classical conditioning Learning comes from association and experience. Reflexes and instincts can be conditioned to respond to neutral stimuli eg sound, sight, smell. Operant conditioning From reactions (consequences) to experiences, humans and animals learn to avoid or embrace those experiences. The responses are voluntary not reflex. Operants can be Reinforcers, positive and negative and Punishers. Social learning theory Learning is developed by observing peoples behaviours and attitudes and how they are received by others. It attempts to understand the exchange and interaction between behavioural and environmental effects and tries to explain moral evelopment. Pavlovs dogs (Mcleod, S. A. 2007) (Source http://science. howstuffworks. com/environmental/life/zoology/mammals/dog- trainingl . ntm) Pavlov used classical conditioning to create a conditioned retlex response (salivation in expectation of food) from a neutral stimulus (bell). The bell was associated with the food by introducing them together. He found that a higher order of conditioning was possible, and a second neutral stimulus could be associated with the first conditioned stimulus Eg A buzzer which buzzs at the same time as the bell. Stimulus discrimination occurred with sounds similar to the bell. Extinction may happen and dogs may lose the association with the bell after a time without food being introduced, and spontaneous recovery can develop later. Humans can be classically conditioned to a higher degree and therefore it can be used to desensitise and treat phobias conditioning them by associating them with posititve stimuli. Advertisers use conditioning to sell products. Unethically, Nestle, whose baby milk ads associated better health and well being of babies with bottle milk, conditioned 3rd world mothers to use their costly products instead of healthier and free breast-milk. Skinners (Mcleod, S. A. 2007) (Source http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/operant_conditioning_chamber) Skinner discovered operant conditioning using rats in a box. He used a positive stimulus (food) to encourage the rats to push a lever to get more food by positive reinforcement which strengthened their behaviour. The rat had learned that its behaviour had consequences. Negative reinforcement meant that they learned to push the lever to stop an electric current, this reward also strengthened its behaviour. Punishment, either giving an electric shock or removing food, weakened behaviour and rats stopped pushing the lever. Operant conditioning is often used to modify the behaviour of children at home or in schools using rewards eg if the child behaves well they receive sweets; or punishment eg if the child misbehaves they are told to go to their room. Students also learn new skills at college using suitable positive and negative reinforcement eg distinction grades (positive) or less homework (negative) for work well done. Businesses need sales to maintain growth, however a stimulus of high commissions on sales may positively reinforce the behaviour of selling unsuitable or overpriced products. Both case studies used good scientific methods, with observable behaviour and objective measurements giving reliable results. Additionally, the experiments can be repeated for experimental validity. The theory is easily applied to use in therapy in humans. However, animals used human complexities (like freewill, memory, of genes and hormones)were not taken into account. The lab conditions were unnatural compared with a real life environment and lacked ecological validity. Indeed, Pavlov needed to operate on the dogs to insert tubes into the salivary glands. Both case studies raise issues with ethics: cages/boxes hich restrict movement, causing pain with electric currents. Animal experimentation is considered unethical now. Psychodynamic perspective Psychodynamics encompasses the work of Freud and his followers eg Carl Jung, Erikson. It studies the relationship between conscious and unconscious motivations and the dynamics ot personality. It assumes that we are unaware ot most ot what controls our behaviour (unconscious mind) but that all behaviour has a cause/reason (deterministic). Freud (1865-1939) posed that different parts of the unconscious mind are in constant struggle, that our defence mechanisms (eg repression, regression, enial, projection) allow us to distort/deny reality, and that we all have sexual energy (libido). Freuds work revolved around the importance of cognitive behaviour in the first few years of life and its influence on normal or abnormal development of personality. He conceived mind as composed of 3 major systems, the d, the ego and the superego: which develop as we grew over 5 psychosexual stages. The ld innate and fully unconscious. Driven by the pleasure principal, striving for instant gratification or avoidance of pain, it takes no account others desires or societys customs. The Ego develops in the conscious, preconscious and unconscious. Awareness of ourselves and improper desires develop. Ego reasons with the id to ensure impulses are controlled. The Superego functions mainly in the unconscious. Consisting of the ego-ideal, telling us the rules of good behaviour, what we should be or do, and the conscience, telling us what is bad according to society, and what not to do or be. The 5 psychosexual stages: Oral, Anal , Phallic ,Latency, Genital. development-theory#) (Source: http://knol. google. com/k/human- Adult sexuality does not develop in everyone. Freud believed that to develop a healthy personality, the id, the ego, and the superego must be balanced, and all emotional issues must be resolved at each stage. Psychopathology results if an individual does not pass through the stages and becomes fixated. For example, a person fixated at the oral stage could, among other things, exhibit symptoms of obsessive eating or smoking in adult life, anal fixation, which may be caused by too much punishment during toilet training, has two possible outcomes: the anal retentive or anal expulsive personality. Little Hans (Mcleod, S. A. 2008) Freud suggested that the cause of his phobia was that his early experiences with his father developed into emotional conflicts, and these conflicts were unresolved (stuck in the phallic stage) and showing signs of displacement redirecting emotions to a substitute target (the horse was a symbol for his father). Freud concluded that the boy focused his libido (sexual energy) on his mother and was afraid that his father would castrate him for desiring her Oedipus complex. This case study was particularly useful in revealing and treating the origins of abnormal behaviour. It provided a very in-depth picture producing lots of qualitative ata. In fact Freud argued that it was the special relationship between Hans and his father that allowed the discussions with the boy to be so detailed and so intimate. This aided in the understanding and the helping and treatment of Little Hans. Rat-Man dames Strachey Freud diagnosed Ernst as having an obsessional neurosis and he traced it back to childhood and discovered he had unresolved issues from the Genital stage. When Ernst was young he had taken part in sexual foreplay with his nanny, according to Freud this resulted in associating of sexual pleasure with fear of punishment. It was a face to face analysis and Freud was able to observe any anxieties, there was dialogue where he could immediately probe more deeply at the appropriate times. However, it can be intimidating and difficult discussing embarrassing or frightening issues, and may lead to fabrications or omissions. Generally, Psychodynamic approach is unscientific. Psychodynamic concepts are highly subjective and cannot be verified. It is impossible to see inside the mind so the theories cannot be proved wrong. These case studies are based on studying one person in detail and even when analysis is done on more than one, his patients have very narrow age and society range, it is difficult to make generalisations about a wider population. It is also too deterministic and doesnt give enough credence to free will. Humanism This approach studies the whole person, not only through the eyes of the observer but also through the person doing the behaviour. It believes that behaviour is connected to inner feeling and self. It is the third force of psychology developed by Maslow (19430 and Rogers (1946 ) (Mcleod, S. A. (2007). Humanism focuses more on the personality and human potential and depicts an optimistic view of life; only positives (eg happiness, love) hould be considered. It assumes that all humans are born with healthy functional minds (opposite to Freuds dysfunctional beliefs) and questions what people think is important, or what motivates them. It emphasises that we have freewill to choose our destiny and that we are all individuals. The world is perceived in a unique phenomenological way. Our growth, achievement of potential, and resilience to survive drives us forward. Humanists view the objective, scientific method and study of animals as inappropriate since it regards humans as too complex to be studied this way, no two perceive the world the same way. It believes psychology should study the individual case rather than the average of a group. Maslow He created what is known as the hierarchy of needs pyramid (Source nttp://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Maslows_nierarcny_ot_needs) Each stage snows the needs and wants a person should have. Maslow argued you must go through each one in turn to reach the top and therefore self-actualise, and have a healthy personality. He categorised them into 2 areas: 1. Basic needs physiological safety love/belonging 2. Higher needs esteem self-actualisation. The basic needs contain what Maslow called deficiency needs. When these deficiency needs are not met, the body will exhibit a physical indication eg anxiousness or hunger. Maslows theory suggests the basic needs must be satisfied before an individual can begin to reach their higher needs. Higher needs (Metamotivation) describes the motivation that people have after they have gratified their basic needs so we strive to reach our full potential. He believed if we met all of these needs we would be perfectly content and happy. Carl Rogers Rogers agreed with most of what Maslow believed, but added that in order to grow and achieve our potential, our environment will influence us. To self-actualise, we eek for our environment to provide the right experiences, and the acceptance and understanding of others. He developed the client-centered theory which places more emphasis on how individuals move toward positive growth when the proper conditions (experiences) are in place. Clients who are provided with the right conditions e acceptance and understanding from others, realise their actualising tendencies and explore what difficulties they may have, giving them a clearer picture of themselves and their potential, thus moving them toward self-actualization. The clients were able to act in ways appropriate to their true self (congruence). This in turn leads to self-confidence, ability to make better choices and even more understanding of self. One of the methods is Q-Sort assessment: (Source http:// allpsych. com/personalitysynopsis/humanistic_research. html) Using Q-Sort, a therapist can tell how a person is progressing throughout the treatment, it compares where a person is relative to where he wants to be. A healthy person is one whos ideal of self and true self are similar There are applications of Q-Sort methods : Insurance companies, supermarkets often ask you to fill out a questionaire to rank a eries of statements, how much would you would like to buy X, what was your experience of Y eg your treatment by the customer service department. A holiday company who want to find out the places you like to go and why. An incentive can be offered to get you to spend the time filling out the questionnaire. Humanist methods (qualitative research) can be used by political parties to find out what policies a voter wants. It is also used for motivational courses in companies. However, these methods only reflect an individualistic, selfish outlook and do not take in to account the views of others or social motivations. Moreover, humanistic optimistic approach can not explain the horrors people intlict on each other. Its rejection ot scientific methodology brings significant criticism. It was developed specifically within western cultures and therefore the findings cannot be extrapolated to other cultures. Do basic needs have to be satisfied before higher needs? No, there many examples of people putting their higher needs first eg in concentration camps people still helped others despite their own need for food not being satisfied, homeless may prefer to spend benefits on alcohol or gambling. We operate on different levels at the same ime and not all that motivates us is conscious. Therefore, in conclusion, no one perspective explains all the complexities of the human psyche. They contradict, over lap, and even corroborate one another. They criticise each others approaches eg Behaviourists on Humanists lack of scientific methods. In present day Psychology, a combination of all three is needed to achieve the most conclusive results.