A Pestel Analysis Of China Market Economics Essay

A Pestel Analysis Of China Market Economics Essay Since 1979, China adopted an export-manufacturing strategy successfully following with Japan, Korea and Hong Kong. The Golden Bridge Co., Ltd is one of the beneficiaries. It was founded in 2007 with flooring as its main products. The product is of high quality by utilizing advanced technology and equipments imported from Germany and Italy. The glue and lacquer materials for production are also imported. In current stage, Golden Bridge has a total capital of 800 million RMB and exported to 35 foreign markets including the U.S., Canada, Japan and Germany. In order to help it to expand the business, our consultancy company attempt to analyze the China business environment and seek a foreign market to relocate the manufacturing of this company with proper entering and competing strategies. This essay first illustrates the business environment of flooring industry in China and German with PESTEL analysis. Then it evaluates the threats in Germany market by following Porters five-force mode l. Later a recommendation would be given on how to properly enter into the targeted country. PESTEL analysis of china market: The PESTEL analysis is used to assess the macro environment and identify the challenges Golden Bridge faced with in china market in order to make an appropriate suggestion. Political: The Chinese political system characterized as one-party communist dictatorship makes a great contribution to national stability, enabling the economy keep dynamic and sustainable. Nevertheless, when the economic system was deregulated from the command economy to market economy since 1978, the power of economic management was increasingly decentralized, raising the issue of uncoordinated development of regional economy. Currently, though the central government has made effort to alleviate the gap among different areas in terms of developing standards, provinces tend to give a priority to local profits rather than considering the integrated advancement of the whole country. Local protectionism exerts detrimental influences upon market expansion of Golden Bridge Company in nationwide and deters the establishment of a comprehensive distribution channel. Economical: China is valued as one of the most vibrant countries in terms of economic development among the world. The reform opening up in 1978 accelerated Chinas GDP growth from 362.4 billion RMB to 30 trillion RMB within a 30-year period. Moreover, in 2010, China has been the second largest economy instead of Japan whilst the value of export accounted for 10% of world. Based on these statistics, judgment can be made that manufactures in China including flooring industry may keep an optimistic attitude to their future prospects in some extent. Nonetheless, Chinese economy may suffer unpredictable circumstance in the future. Labor resource is one double-edge sword. Once being an advantage of China, abundant labor resource and economical labor price make a great contribution to progress of those labor-intensive manufacturing industries. This is also the primary reason that China flooring industry is quite profitable though China is a net importer of timber. However, as cited by AME info (2005) there is a growth in the minimum wage standard, labor may not be regard as a perpetual advantage of China if this trend continues. In Addition, appreciation of CNY since 2005 against USD may imperil the export of Golden Bridge Company (Goldstein, M. and Lardy, N., 2006). Social: It is claimed by Su and Littlefied (2001) that China is an extremely high-context country where people prefer to receive implied messages. For establishing a business in China, strong private-relationships with different stakeholders is the key to success. However, this is extremely time-consuming while the maintenance is also expensive. Potential conflicts in interest may easily erode it. Besides the relationship, corruption is another issue in China. According to the Corruption Perceptions Index, China was positioned 72nd among all 179 countries in 2008. However, damages caused by corruption may be far more hazardous than anticipated, particularly to the economic development. Corruption has been treated as a vital barrier for operating in Chinese market due to enormous back-stage expenditures as well as resulted injustice. For Golden Bridge to gain more import quotas and pay less tariff, costs may be made up of not only normal ingredients such as transporting, but also implied expense for smoothing the network. Technological: China wood flooring industry is experiencing a relatively laggard technological standard in its initial stage of development. According to Cheng and Song (2006), the level of timber utilization was 61% in 2004 with a considerable disparity with developed countries (nearly 90%). Additionally, imbalanced technological support aggravates the long-term conflicts between wood supply and demand in Chinese domestic market. In 2004, though the total domestic timber supply is 273.6 million cubic meters and exceeded the total consumption of 241.5 million cubic meters, scarcity of raw material still existed in some parts of timber manufacturing industry. Environment Legal: Chinese government proposed the Natural Forest Protection Program (NFPP) nationwide in 1998 to limit exploitation of natural forest resources. The legislation made the supply of domestic natural timber restricted. Between 1997 and 2003, natural timbers supply decreased from 32.05 million cubic meters to 12.145 million cubic meters (Cheng and Song, 2005), which was extremely insufficient to satisfy demands of the highly prosperous timber industry in China. Timer manufacturing companies in China have to depend on importing. Statistics shows that in 1997 the quantity of imported timber only occupied 23.56% of total wood consumption, while the number soared to 53.78% in 2004. The expenditure of imported timber was $33.96 higher per cubic meter compared with the price in 2007, which increased the material coast of Golden Bridge Company. PESTEL analysis of German market: Since this essay has analyzed the macro environment of the china flooring market, further looking at the political, economic, social and technological factors of the German can help advance and strength the logic of the whole assessment. Political factors: Germany is a home of secure, legal and rewarding investment. The World Economic Forum has rewarded its legal system as the most efficient and this fact has also gained international recognition. Flooring coverings are categorized according to German and EU laws and building products should be subject to the EU construction products directive and the German construction products law. The directive and law are mainly focused on environmental, health-related, material and usability sectors and most people agree that by considering the environmental restrictions, the EU can be the strictest market. Moreover, with the transnational economic environment, it is predicted by experts that the approval criteria for flooring is likely to decrease and there seems to be a limited permission of eco-labels for flooring products. Further, comprehensive incentives  are provided to both home and oversea investors by German government, individual federal states and the EU. Economic factors Germany is the largest economy in Europe and in general German is export-oriented. Since 2003, German has been the largest exporter machinery, vehicles, chemicals and household equipment, with an annual export increase of 8%. However, factors that may prevent Golden Bridge from entering into and developing itself in Germany also exist. They can be excessive dependence on euro currency, tight credit markets and an increasing rate of unemployment. Stimulus and stabilization efforts initiated in 2008 and 2009 and tax cuts introduced in Chancellor Angela MERKELs second term will increase Germanys record budget deficit, which is expected to exceed 5% of GDP in 2010. The EU required Germany to get its consolidated budget deficit below 3% of GDP until 2013. A new constitutional amendment likewise limits the federal government to structural deficits of no more than 0.35% of GDP per annum as of 2016. Technology factors: Germany is claimed to be the leading nation in high-tech development and receives high turnover accordingly. In 2007, the high-tech products exported by Germany accounted to a value of RUR 114 billion, ranked first in Europe and third worldwide. More than 27% turnover of German manufacturing factory is generated from high-tech products, compared to a European average of 19%. Social factors: Social factors also need consideration. Hofstedes analysis of Germany shows the emphasis on individualism, masculinity and uncertainty avoidance. Power distance and long-term orientation are both ranked considerably lower than the others. Germany believes in equality and equal opportunity, as well as its ability to change and adapt rapidly. Another arising issue is the social awareness of pollution, which leads Germany to use more environmental-friendly materials. Abstract for the use of five-force model: After analyzing the macro-environment of both countries, it is reasonable and necessary to apply Michel Porters five-force model in order to provide a thoroughly understanding of the German flooring market before the Golden Bridge company entering into it. According to this model, the competitiveness of an industry is influenced by such five forces and their collective strength and thus determines the ultimate profit potential of this targeting industry. These five forces covered in the analysis are competitive rivalry, supplier power, buyer power, the threat of substitution and the threat of potential new entry. However, the five-forces framework is not a set of principals per se, instead is a tool for systematically use these principals to assess the current status and likely evolution of an industry. Competitive Rivalry: The internal competitive rivalry in German flooring market seems high. There are three main reasons. First, the switching cost is low because flooring products are homogenous with little product differentiation. Another reason is that the German flooring market is saturated with a relatively low growth rate. The flooring production in 2008 suffered a 15.1% decline while the total consumption slumped for about 12.19% (FEP, 2008). Also the number of competitive companies in German flooring market and the intensity of rivalry also determine the high threats of rivalry. There are a large number of companies competing in the German flooring market and these companies are divided into three categories, they are Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs), Domestic Leading Manufacturers (DLMs) and Niche Market Brands (NMBs). First of all, SMEs has the largest number in the German flooring market (Roadmap, 2010). These SMEs are often manufacturers provide low-grade flooring with low price. Their marketing strategy is just reverse to Golden Bridges. Thus Golden Bridge is suggested to treat them in an abstemious way. However, there are also a few numbers of large flooring manufacturers who operating on European and/or global base. It is suggested by German Timber (2007) that few DLMs account for the majority of the total market share. These companies usually possess strong competencies, highly recognized reputation and well-established brand image. One main rivalry is the Krono Group, who is one of the world leading producers of high-quality flooring. Founded in 1897, it has accumulated years of experience and extensive knowledge know-how. It delivers products to 80 countries worldwide while has its own production-base in 18 countries. In 2004, its production capability of flooring reached 310 million à £Ã … ½Ã‚ ¡, took up about 1/3 of the world market share with total sales revenue of 24 billion RMB. It also has an annual RD investment of 15billion RMB with over 200 scientists doing research in Krono International Laboratory. In addition, there are Niche Market Brands (NMBs) with several well-known brands like Espirt and Kaindl, holding part of the flooring market (FEP, 2007). These companies merely provide certain kinds of flooring to meet the special needs of a group of customers. Furthermore, in order to gaining competitive strength, the NMBs together with some foreign brands such as Balterio from Belgian and Vito from Austria have formed a conglomerate named Beamy International, a commercial platform allowing them to compete on both domestic and global markets (FEP, 2008). As the competition is fierce in German flooring market, Golden Bridge is suggested to adopt a niche strategy and doing effective promotion after entering the market. To explain, the original German wood flooring manufacturers already gains economy of scales and undeniably enjoy a cost advantage. Advanced distribution channel comparing with those new entrants also allows them first mover advantages. Cost disadvantage and lacking reliable cooperators are main barriers for Golden Bridge to survive in German market. Insufficient in capital determines that an aggressive expansion strategy is also irrational. However, one advantage Golden Bridge occupies is that it has been doing export business within German importers for couple of years and its products did have certain reputation in this highly competitive market. By offering additional value, Golden Bridge can efficiently differentiate itself among the rivals with a brand image of reliability, valuable, and symbol of statuses. This may help obtain sustainable brand loyalty among German customers. Threat of Substitutes: The threat of substitution refers to the extent to which different products used in place of a companys products or offered by other industrials. Flooring is not restricted on only wood but other materials such as textile and stone/ceramics are also widely used. For instance, in German market in 2008, textile took the largest raw material market share (i.e. about 37.4%) for making flooring. This is followed by stone/ceramics of 28.6%. Comparably, the laminate only had a market share of 13.9%, ranked in the third place. In terms of switching cost, the result can be distinct regarding to different objects of study. To individual consumers, there is almost no switching cost exists because choose one kind of material instead of another is just a matter of personal taste. However, this can be criticized in depth for the reasons that wood-made flooring has its own characteristics and functions that other materials may not have. To some extent and to specific customer groups, for instance, those who have fixed-decoration style, the switching cost can be relatively high. However, to large wholesalers (e.g. Beamy International) who previously dedicated in wood-made flooring, the switching cost would be extremely high, as they may lose the stable distribution channels with their current wholesalers or retailers, and also the price advantage provided by the long-term cooperative producers. This means the substitution threat is less considerable because their past investment in developing stable distribution channels with retailers and producers offers them an advantage in current market and this may make them unwilling to undertake risks of operating and competing in a new and highly competitive market. Summing up the above, it is the end-user customers that Golden Bridge should pay close attention to. First of all, it is advised that a regular customer survey to be conducted to make a comprehension of customers preferences and what they really appreciate. The company should also emphasize the exclusiveness and unique utilities of their products, making it cost more for the customers to switching to other substitutes. In the meantime, though as mentioned the future trend seems favor wood flooring industry, Golden Bridge should cause enough value that the technology development is always indeterminate. Thus in order to avoid sudden shock of new technologies that brings in comparable substitutes, Golden Bridge should invest continuously in Research and Development to keep pace with the times. Threat of New Entrants: Threat of new entrants is moderate. As put by European Commission (2001), the main barriers to enter German market include certification approval and the quality standards and label, while the incentive to enter German market depends mainly on its impeccable infrastructure system. The extensive unified intensification, which has been mentioned before in PEST Analysis of German, increase the starting investment of new entry, accordingly has negative effect on new entrants to the market. There are totally fourteen member countries of European Federation of the Parquet Industry (FEP). Under the Single European Market policy, twelve of them have reached an agreement on moving goods, service and capital freely internally, giving companies in these markets strong mobility. To put it simpler, a flooring company located in Germany for example, can either choose to develop domestically or entre into either of the other 11 member countries of EFP, in support of the unified system. Once entering into the consolidated FEP, the new members deserve this privilege with little hindrance, however, the legal entry requirement, especially for flooring companies compliance with environmental protection, is said to be quite strict in European Market, which is especially true in Ge rmany. Thus it can be expected that in order to harmonize to European standards, a large quality of funds will be needed to invest in order to fulfilling the standards ranging from environmental protection to individual healthcare. What is more, the sophisticated infrastructures that Germany possesses nationwide make the market considerably attractive to those adventurous entrepreneurs. As known to all, Germany lays in the center of the Western Europe, with large-scale transportation centers such as International airport in Frankfurt and seaport in Hamburg (ELA, 2010). Centering in a fast and efficient logistic network covering almost all the main markets in Europe, flooring companies in Germany can procure raw materials namely timber on a global scale, and reach the external markets with relatively lower transportation costs. Therefore the threats of new entrants would be moderate in German flooring market. For Golden Bridge, the corporate should create a marketing and brand image and keep customers loyalty, tie up to both suppliers and distributors. More important, it should sign a patent to protect the intellectual property of their high-tech products. Buyer Power: Buyer power, which is determined by the individual customers ability in negotiating purchase prices with suppliers, is at an intermediate level in German market basing on four crucial reasons. Firstly, according to the previous analysis, competition in the wood flooring manufacturing is largely intensified by a large amount of incumbents. Hence, purchasers are more unrestricted in choosing their suppliers with considering competitive advantages of products, and price may be a decisive factor for some customers. However, it is important to note that Wholesalers have more bargaining power than individuals. Being the large-volume buyers, they are not only main customers where companies earn profits from, but also controllers of dominant distribution channels. By stark contrast, individual customers with smaller purchase volume may be positioned less vitally in suppliers minds. Secondly, the buyer power is attenuated by the availability of substitutes of wood flooring in German market. E xcept for this category of flooring, more choices are supplied on the market. Despite competition reinforces customers bargaining power, the phenomena of demand surplus in German wood flooring alleviates this circumstance. According to the research of European Federation of the Parquet Industry (FEP), the consumption of German wood flooring is about 17.88 million square meters, while the production of German wood flooring is only about 11.04 million square meters (Slides Stats 2008). In additionally, German culture also plays a significant role in lessening customers bargaining power. The spirit of the nation, such prudence and fixation lead to a fairly strict standardization in both work and life. Germans are used to calculating a precise price based on all dimensions. Hence, they dislike dealing with situations out of their planning, enabling bargaining become very difficult. Ten percentage cut in price is the biggest range they will agree in they dealing with foreign buyers. (LeMont Schmidt, 2001). Supplier Power: Supplier Power refers the power of suppliers to drive up the prices of raw materials, supplies, equipment or inputs. Your company purchases the glue, paint and equipment, and employs labors from Germany and imports the wood from Russia. There are some crucial factors performing low supplier power of your company. Firstly, German is not used to bargaining, which is mentioned in Buyer power. Hence, it is meaningless for German suppliers to drive up the price of material and equipment. Negotiating power is weak in Russia as well. Although the nation is one of the largest wood producers, there are a large number of wood suppliers ¼Ã…’which provide a strongly competitive circumstance in Russia. Admittedly wood is a kind of nature product so that customers are sensitive to the price of wood. Because of high standard of transparency, the switching cost is low in Russia. On the other hand, many substitutes with lower expenditures are becoming increasingly prevalent such as marble, carpet, plastic flooring. High standard of substitutes threat can restrict the suppliers to drive up the price and reduce the power of suppliers. However, high labor cost strengthens the supplier power. The German labor cost is one of the highest in world. According to Common Protocol of Salary, Labor wage need be determined by the negotiation between wood flooring industry and backwards industry (Fact about Germany, 1996). Therefore, the security of labor force is quite completed. Unions are powerful to argue with unfair wage or welfare. For example, Michael Sommer, the head of the trade union federation(DGB) , claimed that is necessary to increase labors wage with the upturn of economy in 2010( Guardian ¼Ã…’2010). Supplier power and buyer power, which exert a moderate threat on Golden Bridges development in German, can be alleviated through several ways. From one aspect, to limit bargaining power of large-volume wholesalers, the company should give priority to building up a distribution network itself by developing new franchisers rather than depending on the primary channels of wholesalers. In terms of individual customers as well as challenges from substitutes, enhancing the products benefits would be the most efficient way to reduce their bargaining desire as most of affluent people value quality more important than price. From the other aspects, labor relationship, the most considerable barrier in lessening German supplier power, should be harmonized through affording sufficient welfare to employees, as well as building a relative democratic organizational culture by the company. Moreover, it is supposed that importing a few skilled workers from China would benefit the company not only by more economical labor cost, but also reducing the significant dependence on the German labor market. Limitation of the 5-forces: Porters five-force model is not perfect but based on the assumption that from the view of any one firm, all the other firms no matter whether they are supplier, competitor or buyer are threats to the profitability. However, according to Brandenberger and Nalebuffs value net theory, interactions among firms can sometimes enhance profits. Thus critics raised and attentions on cooperation are much more paid. The cooperation between the Golden Bridge Company and other foreign flooring companies will be analyzed and evaluated in the later recommendation part. Recommendation By illustrating the German macroeconomic environment and its circumstance of flooring industry, it is thought that the most recommended strategy for Golden Bridge is to build a joint venture with one or several German covering floor manufacturing enterprises, whilst maintaining the manufacturing section and primary market system in China. Joint venture can be explained as a collaborative formation among companies that each party invests parts capabilities to constitute a new enterprise, thereafter determining the distribution of ownership according to corresponding contributions. Nevertheless, two preconditions should be taken into consideration before making an alliance with German incumbents. Firstly, as a dominant barrier in Chinese market, capital insufficiency would also limit the investment ability of Golden Bridge in German to a large extent. Consequently, small-to-medium incumbents are more desirable as cooperators rather than large-scale companies in terms of ensuring a rela tively high proportion of ownership of Golden Bridge in the new joint venture. Moreover, it is imperative to illustrate compatibility of potential partners based on a number of philosophic criteria, including similar experience, common principles and agreed future target as well (Kanter, 1994). Where extremely intensive competition takes place, German market would tend to pose more threats than opportunities on the Golden Bridge if the company attempts to entirely entry the market alone. In comparison, cooperating and aligning with local companies would be a much safer and efficient measure from two aspects. First, by giving joint ventures preferential treatment, the Golden Bridge gains a good opportunity to penetrate the German market in a relatively short period with minimum risks as the company is unnecessary to expose abundant long-term investments to gain market shares in German wood flooring industry. Instead, it can utilize those important strategic assets of local cooperators such as complete distribution channels, customer relationships and brand loyalty. Moreover, Golden Bridge is still deficient at technology and management comparing with the local German companies. Through setting up a joint venture, advanced technology and managerial know-how can be more easily accessible by Golden Bridge, which is beneficial to its development in China market as well. Nevertheless, possible issues relating to joint venture cannot be neglected by the Golden Bridge. First, operational dissimilarities caused by political and economic divergence between China and German may be a vital problem for Golden Bridge. For instance, blind spots in law or financial systems will damage the corporate profits at initial stage. Additionally, cultural and managerial difference may be difficult to consolidate as different authority, reporting and decision-making patterns (Kanter, 1994), therefore leading to possible mistrust and misunderstanding between Golden Bridge and its partners. It has been widely recognized that German managers are prudent and rigid in dealing with regulations and rarely consider the influences of the network relationship, which is fairly distinct from Chinese managers conceptions. Conclusion: In conclusion, according to the PESTEL analysis, there are a number of challenges in China. These challenges can be the unbalanced market condition in china because of local protectionism and insufficient infrastructures, under-developed technology and managerial skill led to the low efficiency of timber industry in China, Natural Forest Protection Program limits the domestic nature timbers supply as well as the increasing labor cost in flooring industry due to Chinas economy prosperous. The complexity of interrelationship of different parties involved in the business environment also cannot be neglected. The PESTEL analysis of German market was further conducted to make the assessment more comprehensive. Later the consultants use five-force model to assess threat of entering the German flooring market. For instance, the competitive rivalry and threat of entry in German flooring market is extremely high. In terms of threat of substitution, it is much more complex. The supplier power and buyer power are both at an intermediate level. However, Porters model is criticized for lacking of corporation with other market players. Thus, a recommendation is made by our consultancy company for Golden Bridge to organize a joint venture and thus with other reliable and competitive companies for instance, the Beamy International. Facts about Germany. (1996). Frankfurt am Main: Società ¤ts Verlag. LeMont Schmidt, P. (2001). Die amerikanische und die deutsche Wirtschaftskultur im Vergleich: Ein Praxisbuch fà ¼r Manager. Gà ¶ttingen: Hainholz Verlag. Guardian (2010) German steel workers demand 6% wage increase http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/14/germany-angela-merkel http://www.roadmap2010.eu/wisd/pdfs/68-81.pdf http://ecotec-energiesparhaus.de/Daten/Holztechnik-Forest-and-wood-industries-in%20Germany%20at-a-glance.pdf http://www.tarkett.com/group/en/company/Tarkett-at-a-glance http://www.homeinstitute.com/types-of-flooring.htm http://news.frbiz.com/parquet_floor_once_again_leading-440481.html http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32004D0275:EN:NOT

Play Critique Essay

The main idea of this play, ‘The Voice of Turtles’ was finding truth and comfort in love despite the difficulties. That sounds similar to the main idea of my 1st critique’s play, ‘Romeo & Juliet’ but compare to that, this play was lighter and softer. This play took its setting in the main character Sally Middleton’s (Kate Woodruff) apartment in New York City, in 1943, and it was displayed well through their comforts and passionate times in the apartment. There were three characters in the play: Sally Middleton, Olive Lashbrooke, Bill Page. Sally Middleton was played by an actress named Kate Woodruff, and she was the only character who was in the beginning and the end. First, she started as a girl who had a little knowledge about things in this world, but as she met Bill and spent more and more time with him, she began to realize certain things and eventually acknowledges her true love, Bill. Kate Woodruff’s acting style expressing obtuseness and vulnerability perfectly fitted with Sally. However, Bill Page, who was performed by Jim Felton, was not developed well enough to capture the audience. I understood that Bill was the character who was optimistic and learned a lot through his experiences during the WWII, but he was not sharp enough to express that â€Å"well-experienced soldier† type of a guy. I could feel that he became more lovable and passionate towards the end, but it seemed like he didn’t fully understand his character. But Olive Lashbrooke, who was played by Lisa Perez, was another well developed character. She was the only character who had a major switch in her attitude in the middle of the play because she had a suspicion about the relationship between her friend Sally and â€Å"ex-lover† Bill. However, Lisa Perez does it really well with the consistent in the character by clearly displaying arrogant and flirtatious behaviors, and that consistent also gave reliability to the audience. The plot of play expanded with the timeline of late afternoon Friday to Sunday night, and although it was a short period of time, the story was comprehensibly displayed. It started with a basic idea that Bill and Olive were seeing each other, but Olive broke up with him at Sally’s house when he comes over, so Olive left her house. Bill had no one to spend time with and Sally was available so two of them spent time together. Olive became  suspicious about the relationship between Sally and Bill, so she visits Sally tries to win Bill back but Bill denies. Bill fell in love with Sally, who was unsure about the relationship. But Bill convinced her to work together in their relationship and Sally agrees at the end. Considering that happy end, there were few situations where it displayed opposite signs that their relationship might not work. There was a scene where Olive tried to interrupt the relationship between Sally and Bill, which caused Sally to think their relationship might be bad for her friendship with Olive. Also Sally was tired of promiscuous life and did not want to involve deeply with Bill. These situations made the play more appealing, which all worked out well at the end. The setting of the play, which was Sally’s apartment, helped her character to be more understandable. As I mentioned above, in the beginning part of the play, Sally started as a girl who had a little knowledge about this world, and this apartment setting made it looked like she spends most of her time in her apartment. Also it was her apartment that created an environment to be comforter and more honest for Sally. There was an emotional change of Olive when she became suspicious about the relationship between Sally and Bill, and in the scene where she came back to win Bill back, Olive wore an awful fur clothes. In many plays and films, fur clothes are usually wore by greedy and deceptive women and that costume added more to Olive’s characteristic. It was an interesting thing to see because they were explaining her characteristic through costume rather than words. Just like Olive’s costume, all other features of the play worked together very well to support the play. For example, the light, which shined on Bill’s face when he looked out the window, was supposed to be the moonlight, and it was amazing. He could just act like he was looking out the window, but when that light shined on his face, it just made me to think that I was in the apartment. Also the warm light on the set tied the apartment together and created a cozy feeling. I felt performances of Sally and Olive were great but not Bill’s performance. Most of the time, Sally—performed by Kate Woodruff—looked comfortable and I  think she intended to do that because the setting was her apartment. Her actions, such as the way she sit on her couch, cooking in the kitchen, and even her walks all seemed like what a woman in 20’s would be at home. Also when she was listening to Sally and Bill saying what happened outside of the apartment,—which is this world—she expressed her curiosity and interests with her facial expressions such as her eyes getting bigger and blinking her eyes quickly. Those performances told us that she had a lot to experience and learn from this world. On the other hand, Olive—performed by Lisa Perez—experienced a lot outside of the apartment, and used the high-pitched voice that helped her cocky and funny character. However the performance of Bill—played by Jim Felton—was not enough to express the character and generate interests. He was trying hard but I just could not sympathize with his lines. But overall, it was a good play. The audiences’ seats were so close to the stage and I really enjoyed being close to the characters.

Counselling Skills Essay

The counselling process is based on the exchange of emotions between the client and the counsellor which aims to form an alliance (Hough, 1998). It involves the counsellor using skills in which they possess in order to communicate effectively with clients (Hough, 1998). This reflective essay clearly articulates my application of counselling skills used in this practice session and suggestions for improvement. It will provide a summary of the session, identification of a range of skills used and a brief explanation of the reasons for using the skill. It will also provide an evaluation of my application of the skills chosen, including verbatim examples, suggestions for improvement, also including verbatim examples to demonstrate what could have been said or done and an overall reflection of my effectiveness as a counsellor and the implications for future reference. My client met with me for 20 minutes to discuss an issue she had based on her sense of balance in relation to her study and other commitments. She felt it wasn’t going very well and she came to counselling to talk about strategies that would make her life easier. During the session I tried to demonstrate skills learnt in counselling skills 1 and 2. The skills that I reflect on include non verbal communication, development of rapport, active listening, paraphrasing and open ended questions. My use of non verbal communication was effective as I greeted my client with a positive hand shake and a smile to ensure security when entering the room. I feel I succeeded in my active listening skills as I demonstrated my listening through non verbal eye contact and nodding. I paraphrased my client’s statements effectively to demonstrate my understanding of her issue. However, I feel I needed to decrease the amount of times I stroked my hair and used negative expressions to ensure my security and confidence towards my client. I also needed to be aware of how I asked my open ended questions by excluding questions beginning with the word ‘why’. Finally I needed to be clear and concise when terminating and reflecting on the session. At the beginning of the counselling session, I tried to adopt an open and positive attitude towards my client. I demonstrated this by employing the use of non verbal communication to assist in the creation of the joining relationship. Non verbal communication refers to communication without words (DeVito, 2010). Joining with a client refers to a meaningful and constructive relationship that has developed with a counsellor and a client (Armstrong, 2006). The most crucial part of the joining process occurs within the first 60 seconds of meeting the client (Armstrong, 2006). Within seconds of meeting my client, I greeted her with a positive hand shake and a smile. As a counsellor moves towards the client to greet them, this will in some way affect their feelings towards the counsellor and their confidence inside them (Geldard & Geldard, 2001). I decided to use non verbal messages towards my client to ensure comfort when entering a new environment. I also thought by demonstrating these messages I would establish a sense of rapport. Rapport refers to the harmonious communication between a client and their counsellor (Hough, 1998). By using the usual person-to-person encounter, expressing equality, I thought my client would feel secure when ready to communicate. It was effective as she responded with the usual positive hand shake and smile. Further along in the session, I felt I was using a skill known as active listening. Active listening refers to the observation of the client’s non verbal behaviour as well as the understanding of their verbal content and meaning (Hough, 1998). I demonstrated this through verbal and non verbal communication. I tried to monitor her feedback and secured my attention with the use of my focused eye communication. Eye contact is considered to be an expression of genuineness and honesty and when glancing directly at one’s face; this demonstrates a high interest in the interaction (DeVito, 2010). I was nodding when my client was explaining her issue and I made use of minimal expressions. A good way to let a client know you are listening is by the use of minimal responses including expressions and non verbal responses that occur in our everyday conversations (Geldard & Geldard, 2001). For example at the beginning of the session my client said â€Å"†¦ , Sometimes I feel I choose my job or something else in my life over my uni†¦ † I replied by nodding and made use of the expression â€Å"Mm-hmm†. I demonstrated this skill to allow the client to speak without interruptions and to verbally express my interest in her issue. Another skill I used within this session is a technique also known as paraphrasing. Paraphrasing refers to stating in one’s own words what they think the client means helping to ensure their understanding and interest in the client (DeVito, 2010). I felt that I demonstrated this when the client said â€Å"As the term progresses I get lazier, but at the beginning of the semester I am productive, and it feels rewarding when I do, do well nd I feel better about myself and everyone is proud of me as well when I get the results and stuff, but there’s this thing that comes into my mind that said I can’t do this and maybe I start rethinking about staying in uni and I start considering dropping it, so I can have more free time. † I reply by saying â€Å"Ok so you are saying that it is kind of a relief when the work is done, however you are finding it hard to kind of keep up, and maybe you don’t have the will power or the drive to continue this planning all the way through the semester. † The client replied saying â€Å"Ye that’s right†¦ I demonstrated this skill to ensure the meaning of my client’s statement was true, resulting in a positive response. During the session I noticed I demonstrated a hair stroking gesture. According to Eunson (2008) the hair stroking gesture is a shorthand way of showing insecurity. I felt that I was feeling a bit nervous at the beginning of the session only due to the recording taking place. I need to be self aware about how I come across to the speaker and how the speaker interprets my non verbal behaviour (Brems, 2001). For future reference, to allow the speaker to discern easily, I need to decrease hand gestures. Moreover, I found when I was communicating verbally I would use an insecure expression such as â€Å"umm†¦ † a number of times during the session. I was a little nervous at the beginning; however as the session progressed my use of that expression did decrease demonstrating I was feeling more confident in what I was saying and through the positive responses from my client. In time and through experience, this feeling will pass as I grow and develop, however I will need to hide my feelings so I can build a stronger relationship with my client. In addition, I found I made use of open ended questions throughout the session. Open ended questions explore the clients issue in greater depth (Hough, 1998). I demonstrated this when I asked â€Å"What is it that makes you feel that you can’t do it? † My client was then able to explore her reasons for the word â€Å"cant† by responding â€Å"I don’t know, I just feel when the term progresses I get lazier†¦ † I feel this allowed her to explore her main area in relation to her issue. However, later on in the session I asked â€Å"Why do you think you can’t continue this behaviour for the rest of the semester? According to Geldard & Geldard (2001) in response to such questions clients tend to look for an intellectually thought out response, rather than centring on what is occurring internally. To allow the client to elaborate for future reference I could ask â€Å"What is it that is stopping you from continuing this behaviour all the way through the semester? † During the session I tried to help my client develop a strategy for enabling a better future. Strategies are actions that help clients to accomplish their goals (Egan, 2010). When my client said â€Å"†¦ I feel it may also be that I am worried about coming home and doing my work on the computer and getting headaches and migraines†¦ † I asked my client â€Å"Have you ever considered checking your eyes at the optometrist? † She replied by saying â€Å"Yea I have†¦ and they said everything is alright†¦ † I then replied â€Å"Let’s try to explore some other options here, how about instead of using the computer all the time, maybe you can try and print out all of your readings for the semester, rather than using the computer as your resource, use writing pads and paper†¦ She responded by saying â€Å"That’s a good idea actually, it’s funny that you said that because at the beginning of the semester†¦ I spent time at the library printing off all my readings and all my learning guides and I sort of bound them professionally so then I can be organised†¦ but I didn’t think of it in the context of not being on the computer to help with my migraines†¦ † When exploring options with my client I found it was effective as she agreed with the new strategy and said she had put it in place for other reasons, however it made her realise it was a useful tool for this issue. Moreover, I attempted to conclude the session by specifying a time and reflecting on what was discussed, however I feel I didn’t end the session well and my closing statement wasn’t clear. I ended the session by saying â€Å"We have a couple of minutes left; I hope we can continue this in the next coming session, but I hope we have kind of resolved something today. We have had our options open with the prioritising thing, at least we know now that it is about prioritising, so we need to try and structure that and say this is my first priority†¦ nd once that is stuck in your head then hopefully we can progress and next time after you try these strategies at home and it still isn’t working then we can fall back on ways in which you can open up your time†¦ † It is sometimes important for the counsellor to provide a summary of the information discussed by the client to serve as a natural ending (Geldard & Geldard, 2001). Prior to concluding the session I felt another topic was introduced too late when the client said â€Å"That’s been really helpful, maybe we just find a way to prioritise my stuff† I replied by saying â€Å"†¦ With prioritising, in your life what is highest on your list? † It is important to avoid introducing new subjects at this stage, and if the client introduces a different topic or to extend the topic, schedule this for discussion in the next session (Hough, 1998). I could have ended the session without appearing intrusive or insensitive if I said â€Å"We have ten minutes left. Maybe we could look at what you have said so far, and highlight any points which you would like to talk about in your next session. † I feel this would have given a more clear termination to the session and would have provided a clear and concise summary. Upon reflection of the session, I believe my strengths lie in my ability to develop and maintain rapport. This was evident when I greeted the client using verbal and non verbal communication skills. I demonstrated a non verbal hand shake and smile to ensure my client’s comfort and security when entering a new environment. I believe my strengths also lie in the use of active listening. I demonstrated this through the use of non verbal eye contact and nodding when the client was speaking and through the use of paraphrasing. My learning edge is to be able to sit comfortably without too many hair stroking gestures and insecure verbal expressions to allow the client to feel that she isn’t being disturbed. Finally I need to ensure I conclude my session demonstrating a clear termination and concise summary. In conclusion, during the session I used a range of skills learnt in counselling skills 1 and 2. I demonstrated the use of a non verbal handshake and smile when greeting my client ensuring security and the establishment of rapport. I was able to demonstrate active listening when nodding and maintaining eye contact. I condensed my client statements showing my true understanding when paraphrasing. However, I needed to ensure I decreased insecure verbal and non verbal expressions to ensure the comfort of my client. I also felt I needed to choose the correct way in asking an open ended question, without using the word ‘why’ demonstrating my initial focus on her issue alone. Lastly I needed to correctly conclude my session by clearly and concisely summarising my client’s issue.

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol...

Joyce Carol Oates’ â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† is a modern interpretation of the classic narrative of evil tempting innocence. Oates’ version of the devil allegory combines this Christian model of temptation with contemporary secular society. Connie is a pretty fifteen year-old girl, beginning the process of maturation into adulthood. She begins to become aware of her ability to act of her own volition, but her naivete renders her ignorant to Arnold Friend’s layers of deception. Connie’s blindness is the pretext of her loss of innocence and subsequent fall from grace. Connie plays with the idea of adulthood, but at fifteen, she is still too young for her actions to be deemed acceptable by her parents so†¦show more content†¦Connie uses the faceless boys to live out her childish delusions of romance and allows herself to be swept away by this singular sentimental idea. The naivete of her lived fantasies expose her youthful innocence, much like that of Adam and Eve before their temptation by the serpent. Connie’s encounter with Arnold Friend is the representation of innocence being tempted by evil and sin. Arnold Friend first attempts to coax Connie out of her house for a joyride by trying to charm her, much like the serpent appeals to Eve. Arnold Friend’s presentation of himself is layered with falsities, and Connie is initially blinded by his deceptiveness. He wears metallic sunglasses that hide his age, but in her vanity Connie is more concerned that she cannot see what he is looking at; she is unable to interpret his opinion of her. Connie only cares about how Arnold Friend sees her and does not realize that she cannot see him or his motives. Arnold Friend’s attempts to hide his age are evident by his hiccups in trendiness. On his car a phrase that has already gone out of style is written, and in an effort to remember a contemporary expression, he runs through all that he can remember. He is also deceitful in the basic aspect of his physicality -- he stuffs his boots to appear taller and stands, â€Å"so stifflyShow MoreRelated Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?1539 Words   |  7 PagesJoyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joyce Carol Oates was born in 1938 in Lockport, New York. She started writing very young and that the age of fifteen she submitted her first novel, but it was rejected for being too dark;. This style of writing is common on many of her works including Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?; Oates graduated from Syracuse University and then went on to get her masters degree from the University of Wisconsin. Oates turnedRead MoreJoyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?651 Words   |  3 PagesJoyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Every person comes face to face at some point in life with vital decisions. Some of the decisions are minor ones, while others can bring turning points in life. In Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? she displays a particular instant in the main characters life. This character, Connie was caught in the difficult transition from her youth and innocence to a doubtful future. Throughout the story Connie alternatesRead MoreWhere are you Going? Where Have you Been? by Joyce Carol Oates1100 Words   |  5 PagesWhere Are You Going, Where have you been? is a short story written by Joyce Carol Oates. The 75 year old American author and professor at Princeton University, introduce the story of 15 year old Connie who is rebelling against her mother’s whishes. A very arrogant and selfish girl that in her world the only thing that matters is how many heads she can turn when walking into a room. Through the story life gives her a test, to confront Arnold Friend, th e antagonist of the story; who possesses a nefariousRead MoreWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been By Joyce Carol Oates990 Words   |  4 PagesSocial Reality: An Analysis of â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been† by Joyce Carol Oates Joyce Carol Oates has kept her true inspiration behind â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been† in order to create a willing suspension of disbelief between realism and fantasy. The short story by Oates was released soon after the newspaper published the murders committed by Charles Schmid Jr. in 1966. The story displays numerous resembling details that match the real-life murder case involving â€Å"TheRead MoreWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been By Joyce Carol Oates1032 Words   |  5 PagesOne may never realize the people surrounding one’s everyday life, crammed with bodies of contrasting characters, pasts’, and styles; however, who are these people genuinely? Arnold Friend, in the short story, â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been† by Joyce Carol Oates, managed to deceive with his false characteristics. Arnold Friend was brought to life from Oates’s imagination of the mischievous serial killer Charles Schmid. Arnold Friend and Charles Schmid similarly attempted to delude withRead More Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates1563 Words   |  7 PagesWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates In Joyce Carol Oates story, a teenage girl named Connie was stripped of her innocence. Gonna get you baby( 497).This chilling line is what the devil said to Connie the first time Connie came in contact with him which foreshadows of things to come. This one comment clearly points to a situation where Connie would be taken from a safe haven of innocence. She would be TAKEN, not simply invited. Connie was a Read MoreWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates1107 Words   |  4 PagesIn Joyce Carol Oates â€Å"Where are you going, where have you been?† introduces us to Connie a self-absorbed, rebellious, and very naà ¯ve fifteen year old who is tossed into this world of sexuality, and adulthood she believes she knows all about. As Oates explains about Connie to us we get introduced to what influences her to act out and not care what others think and go about dealing with problems herself. Her mom is brought in as an over protective mother who wants to see her daughter succeed but doesn’tRead MoreJoyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going Where Have You Been1502 Words   |  7 PagesThe Devil in Disguise Joyce Carol Oates’s â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† describes the story of a fifteen-year old girl named Connie who does not seem to have a care in the world. The story takes place in the seventies. Connie is a girl who just wants to have fun and is all about her appearance and boys. In the beginning of the story, you understand the relationship between the mother and Connie. The mother appears to be malicious of her young and beautiful Connie saying such harshRead MoreWhere Are You Going Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oates991 Words   |  4 PagesThe decisions that you make throughout life can make or break you; you just have to make the right ones. In Joyce Carol Oates story â€Å"Where Are Your Going Where Have You Been?†, the main character is Connie. Connie had an older sister but she was nothing like her. Her older sister always pleased her mom, and Connie did not care. Connie and her friend hang out and go to the shopping cente r or the movies. One day they decided that instead of going to the mall they would go to the diner across theRead MoreWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates1008 Words   |  5 Pages There are always two sides to every story. The short story â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been†, by Joyce Carol Oates is a prefect example of just that. In this short story, the main character is a fifteen year old girl, named Connie. The young adolescent has two sides to herself; one when she is at home and one when she is out with her friends. When Connie is at home, she acts childlike. However, when she goes out she tries to act like an adult by changing her clothes and the way she talks