Application of the Right Motivational Practices at Nordstrom Case Study

Application of the Right Motivational Practices at Nordstrom - Case Study Example To motivate employees to such an extent, Nordstrom’s managers hire the right salespeople; employ various motivational programs and contests, and employees are highly paid compared to other competitors. In spite, Nordstrom did face employee rebels because of workload, leadership and other issues, which affected Nordstrom business to some extent. A few proposals and their implications have been suggested in the present context. Employee motivation has certainly been one of the crucial reasons for the success of most of the contemporary businesses that flourished during the last century (Walker, Churchill & Ford, 1977). However, businesses have trembled because of changing circumstances and increasing competition. A similar issue gripped the upscale business giant, Nordstrom Inc for some time despite its huge success and immense growth beyond one’s imagination. Business at Nordstrom, which was started as a shoe retailer, grew at an unimaginable pace and started making profits and revenues of multiple times. All growth and expansion are attributed to the ‘Nordstrom Way’ that sets apart their unmatchable customer service, productivity, and teamwork, the three performance drivers. Apart from these, Nordstrom boasts of its practices such as thank you cards for its customer's post-sales, employee motivation and customer entertainment programs, sales contests, and other customer-oriented activi ties that contributed towards its growth and sales (Freedman & Vohr, 1996). Overall, top management at Nordstrom set goals and objectives for employee performance and provide resources for employee motivation. Although the company does not follow too many formal policies and procedures, Nordstrom levies complete responsibility of achieving these goals on individual outlets and empowers its store managers to make decisions that can help in achieving their goals. In turn, their frontline employees are empowered to achieve their individual and team goals.

PDR and Gnatt chart for the data access project Research Paper

PDR and Gnatt chart for the data access project - Research Paper Example For this project a student and faculty web-portal design will be created to give both students and faculty members separate access towards their past performance records, quizzes, assignments and other data track record and access. Executive summary To resolve the problem we recommend implementing a web portal for students so that they can access their records off the normal process of using the university website. We reviewed other alternatives but the proposed solution is selected because it will save the institution extra cost and also will save the university the trouble of maintaining two different websites, for students and for visitors. The technology for the solution meets our long term goals of faster internet access and reliability in accessing records for students. The solution dovetails with our current operating environment where we have implemented strategic systems that help students in their studies. The project is expected to cost $306640 and require 2 months to comp lete. Specific benefits this project provides are faster access to student records, assured security of the data and reliability in accessing details for students. ... This problem can also be solved by making proper networking in the college networking department. This networking will help to differentiate the portal of faculty and students so that their treatment and privacy can be individually managed without intervening in each other’s portal or access point. Alternatives We reviewed other alternatives like if we could create a different website that would be used by students and teachers alone. We thought this alternative would not make sense because the website would be congested after some time and implementing security and authentication in a normal website would also be tedious. By implementing a web portal, we would still use the same domain name that we already have. Stakeholders The stakeholders of the project include students and members of staff. They will benefit from the project directly. With regard to the above-mentioned networking and portal services solutions, the students and faculty will be directly affected. They will gain a number of benefits out of these services in different forms including fast service, rapid access to their accounts, and an increase in student and faculty productivity as well. This Project will also help new and potential students who visit the college website to retrieve information (i.e. admission and course schedules) in an efficient manner. Scope/SOW The project will entail developing a web portal that will address the data access issues for faculty members and students. This does not however mean that the project will come up with a separate website to be used by these groups. It is developing a different system that will be integrated with the website which will help students and faculty members to access various records. The web portal that is being developed in

How Do Privacy Rights Extend To Sexual Orientation Essay

How Do Privacy Rights Extend To Sexual Orientation - Essay Example The different laws that have been enacted in the United States of America and the roles that have been played by the Supreme Court and the political parties have to be taken into account when one is analyzing the reasons for the marginalization of the homosexual community and the reluctance that society has had in opening up to this community. In certain cases, the Supreme Court has refused to accord the same status to homosexual couples as heterosexual couples (Government by the People). This automatically assigns to these couples lower status that would induce them to conceal their sexual orientation a secret. In a lot of cases, people fail to recognize their own orientations because of the social stigma that is caused by judgments that place them on a lower level than their ‘straight’ counterparts. In these cases, there is a covert intrusion into the lives of these people that the state effects. While invading the privacy of these groups by marking locations where the ir sexuality can be expressed in terms of the very geographical boundaries within which people of a certain sexual orientation are allowed to make their sexual choices (the rights that homosexual couples have varies from one state to the other), the state also drags their problems into the public domain, thus making them face the stigma of a homophobic society. There are also cases when individuals of a homosexual orientation are not allowed to participate in certain associations which consist of only members of their own sex (Government by the People). This limits the choices that people of this community have and makes them make decisions that affect their privacy greatly.

Enid Lee, Incorporating Antiracism Essay Example for Free

Enid Lee, Incorporating Antiracism Essay In â€Å"Taking Multicultural, Antiracist Education Seriously,† Barbara Miner interviews Enid Lee, a â€Å"leader in antiracist education† as noted on her website, Enidlee. com. She pushes for the use of the term ‘antiracist’ because the tem currently in use, ‘multicultural’, is too nice, focusing more on food and fun rather than hard issues of racism. Although her interview is inspiring and very necessary, some facets of her presentation seem to swing to far to the militant side to garner widespread acceptance. First, Lee explains that in many schools, European posters, readings, games and activities dominate the landscape. While I believe this is true in some cases, I do not believe it to be true in all cases. Many, many classrooms in which I have learned, observed and taught have been filled with pictures of prominent white, black, Hispanic and Asian authors, researchers, and political leaders. Lee’s multistage approach to antiracist education is clear and organized and sequentially stepped so as not to seem overly forceful. However, her insistent on the use of ‘antiracist’ is a bit harsh in that it assumes that anything not adopted or previous to this new ideology is racist. That is a huge overgeneralization. It also separates people into groups – the antiracists and everyone else, who, by association, must be racist. I do not think that many public school systems, and certainly no private systems, will purchase curricular materials and send teachers and administrators to antiracist workshops because it implies the worst of these people and materials. Lee can simply not make that kind of generalization. She urges the changes to extend beyond the school. Racism is alive and well in the community, but her approach sends the wrong message: â€Å"We have an antiracist plan to change this racist community. That is the message that people will hear. A less forceful message is much preferable to Lee’s approach. Lee is convincing in her devotion to creating antiracist schools. She urges to push for administrative changes and curricular changes, which she admits are financially blockaded by under-funded school districts. She gives an unsubstantiated claim that multicultural, antiracist programs are the most under-funded, when the removal of arts programs in elementary schools has made the national media several times in the last few years. Finally, after admitting the sad lack of money for programs, she launches on her website, a national push for her own conference called â€Å"Putting Equity on the Table† that costs $1450 for two school officials to attend. This is a three day conference and the rate (which is the early bird rate) does not include the hotel fee at the Hampton Inn in downtown Boston. In addition, the recommended reading resource is entitled Education Children of African Ancestry in the United States of America, Canada, and the United Kingdom. If we are truly talking about an antiracist education, why does our primary conference resource only focus on one race? Nobody will fault Enid Lee and others like her for taking on the cause of equity in education. Clearly the past has shown that steps are necessary. However, Lee’s focus on only African-descended children, on an inflammatory name for her type of education (which, oddly, does not appear on her conference registration information), and on her need to charge exorbitant fees for her conference detract from her credibility and are likely to be off-putting for widespread educators.

Types of Analysis for Strategic Planning

Types of Analysis for Strategic Planning Task 1 Internal Assessment Sometimes, it is something inside the organization that demands a major change. It can be technological change forcing new methods of carrying out its work, Cost efficiency/Performance, Assets condition/Productivity, Organizational culture and image, Organizational structure, Key staff, Operational efficiency, Operational capacity, Brand awareness, Market share and financial resources. External Assessment Sometimes the outside world forces such decisions on the organization. Such forces may include major shifts in the market, big changes in government policy, market competition, distribution methods, and the geography in which you will compete to get result Assumptions We can assume certain alternative that can be true in forming strategy and from which conclusion can be drawn, as the strategy is based on assumptions Priority issues We must address our priority issues. It can be cost of production, service level and delivery, organization and material effectiveness, customer service and friendliness, new product/service innovation and quality RESULT REQUIRED The second step to identify where do we want to be? We must set our mission and objective to reach our goals. Mission/ Vision It can be defined as what the company is to become over set period of time. To be effective the vision must be simple. It must be something that the people within the business can identify easily and it must have tangible impact on the business. Objectives Objectives are concrete goals that the organization seeks to reach, for example, an earnings growth target. The objectives should be challenging but achievable. They also should be measurable so that the company can monitor its progress and make corrections as needed. HOW The third step to find out how will we get there? We should make some strategy and proper programs to reach our goals. Strategic development process is dynamic and continuous. A change in one component can necessitate a change in the entire strategy. As such, the process must be repeated frequently in order to adapt the strategy to environmental changes. Throughout the process the firm may need to cycle back to a previous stage and make adjustments. IMPLEMENTATION The fourth step to define who must do what. Once a strategy is developed it is most important how to implement it and for effective implementation, it needs to be translated into more detailed policies that can be understood at the functional level of the organization. As strategy forms at corporate level, it should be translated into specific policies for functional areas such as marketing, R D, production, Human resources, Information Systems. REVIEWS The final step is to review once implemented, the results of the strategy need to be measured and evaluated, with changes made as required to keep the plan on track. Control systems should be developed and implemented to facilitate this monitoring. Standards of performance are set, the actual performance measured, and appropriate action taken to ensure success. Example: In my previous organization in Dubai, having two divisions, dealing in waterproofing and insulation materials and both were doing well. The management realized scope of further expansion into interior business. The Chairman has three sons. Two of them looking after two divisions and the third just returned from abroad after completing his studies. The company had enough resources, financial, premise etc. to start the new business. The chairman utilized all of the available resources efficiently and started a new interior business. Now I realized that they had followed above strategic planning process to be success and still they are doing well. Task 2 How does one involve stakeholders in the strategic planning process and give examples of what tools you might use to review strategic options. As an organization grows, it becomes more important that all those involved are clear about what the organization is looking to achieve and how it is planning to do it. Each organization should identify those with a legitimate interest in its work (stakeholders) and ensure that there is regular and effective communication with them about the organization. It is therefore worthwhile reviewing who the stakeholders are in the organization because they help to get job done more effectively. Stakeholders may vary according to the nature of the organization but most common can be explained in following diagram. Suppliers Government Customers Organization Bank / Financial Institution Employees Competitors How to engage stakeholders while developing strategy Personal Interviews It can provide quite detailed and rich data on individual behavior and attitudes. Data gathered with this process can help to develop strategy more effectively. Focus Groups Under this method people are selected and invited to meet together to discuss some aspect of a particular product or services which is helpful in making strategic decision. Advertising: It is a form of communication that helps to persuade potential customer to purchase or to consume more of a particular brand of product or service. If the strategy is to develop for a new product then view of prospective customer can be obtained by this means. Newspaper inserts: It enables advertiser to target their advertisement to specific geographic market. Mostly it covers local area and strategy planner can get the feedback from relevant stakeholders. Web/Online Surveys One of the most sophisticated and modern method to involve stakeholders in strategy planning process. It’s quick and more accurate and solves the distribution and result collection problems. Conferences: Company can arrange conferences where views can be exchange which will help the planner to form the strategy accordingly. Stakeholders are invited to discuss on a particular topic. Workshop / problem solving meetings: It is like a meeting emphasizing interactions and exchange of information among a usually small number of participants. Newsletters: A newsletter is a regularly distributed publication, generally about one main topic that is of interest to its subscribers. For example Company send newsletter to their employees to update their market position and any future development. Annual report: It is a complete report of an organization’s activities throughout the preceding year. It is normally sent to Shareholders and other interested stakeholders informing about the company’s activities and financial performance. It has been observed that individual stakeholders usually may have their own interests which they will ensure are protected and valued. It means that stakeholders can influence negatively or positively the performance of an organization. It is therefore important for an organization to determine which stakeholders can have a positive or negative impact on their organization so that the positive effects are promoted and the negative effects are managed so as to minimize damage. For example employees of an organization will be concerned about their job security and salaries and other benefits and while planning the strategy if they are not involved in planning process they may resist due to some risk, which they don’t want to take but if they are better educated they will help to achieve strategic goal. There are three important tools that can be used to review strategic options. †¢ Suitability †¢ Feasibility †¢ Acceptability Suitability: This is one of the important tools while developing a strategic plan. The planner must ensure that the strategy he is planning, will it be adjusted with the current environment and are we competent enough to face the challenges. Suitability is a decisive factor for assessing the extent to which a proposed strategy fits the situation identified in the strategic analysis, and how it would sustain or improve the competitive position of the organization. Some authors have referred to this as ‘consistency’. Suitability is therefore a useful tool for screening strategies. For example, if a strategy is likely to improve the organization’s competitive standing then we should find out, can we able to resolve the company’s liquidity problems, or decrease dependence on a particular supplier? Feasibility: Whether it can be implemented successfully. The organization must evaluate their resources and at the evaluation stage there are a number of fundamental questions which need to be asked when assessing feasibility. For example: Can the strategy be funded? Are we capable of performing to the required level (e.g., quality level, service level)? Can the necessary market position be achieved, and will the necessary marketing skills be available? Will the required skills at both managerial and operative level are available? Will the technology (both product and process) be available to compete effectively? Can the necessary materials and services be obtained? It is also important to consider all of these questions with respect to the timing of the required changes. Acceptability: Alongside suitability and feasibility, it is the third factor to review strategic options. This can be a difficult area, since acceptability is strongly related to peoples expectations, and therefore the issue of acceptable to whom? Following essential questions need to be asked when assessing Acceptability. Return What will be the effect on capital structure? Profitability analyses (return on capital employed, payback period, discounted cash flow, market valuation, etc.) Risk Will the function of any department, group or individual change significantly? Financial ratio projections; Sensitivity analysis; Decision matrices Stakeholder Expectations Will the organization’s relationship with outside stakeholders (e.g., suppliers, government, unions, and customers) need to change? Needs, power, interest, and predictability of stakeholders. Task 3 Prepare an example SWOT analysis of an organization you know or have studied listing the 4 key (SWOT) elements in a table. Explain how strategic planner will use the analysis in developing the strategy using some of the example elements you have listed. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strengths and weaknesses are internal factors, which relates with resources. Opportunities and threats are external factors which relates with environment. SWOT analysis is a tool for auditing an organization and its environment and is often used to highlight where a business or organization is and where it could be in the future. It is the first stage of planning and helps marketers to focus on key issues. The following SWOT analysis looks at PRIMARK which is an Irish clothing retailer. The SWOT analysis will give a clear picture of the business environment PRIMARK is operating in at the present time. Strengths: The strengths of a business or organization are positive elements, something they do well and are under their control. The following section will outline main strengths of PRIMARK. A strong brand is an essential strength of PRIMARK as it is recognized and respected. Competitive pricing is a vital element of their overall success, as this keeps them in line with their rivals, if not above them. The lucrative location. mostly on high street adds up PRIMARK strengths due to its accessibility Keeping costs lower than their competitors and keeping the cost advantages helps PRIMARK pass on some of the benefits to consumers. There distribution chain is one of their strengths and links to success. Supplier relationships are strong at PRIMARK, which strengthens their overall performance. Weaknesses: Weaknesses of an organization is things that need to be improved or perform better, which are under their control. Weaknesses are also things that place you behind competitors. This section will present main weaknesses of PRIMARK. They don’t have good advertising technique to tell customers about their business. There limited product line is a major weakness. PRIMARK does not functions wider international market, which has an effect on success, as they do not reach consumers in more `overseas markets. Due to lower price more customer visit in their store but they don’t have enough checkout counters to avoid long queue. Opportunities: Opportunities are external changes, trends or needs that could enhance the business or organization’s strategic position, or which could be of a benefit to them. This section will outline opportunities that PRIMARK is currently facing. Decrease in taxation is an opportunity for them to reduce prices or increase profits. New market opportunities are a way to push them forward. PRIMARK has the opportunity to enter a niche market, gain leading position and therefore boost financial performance. Expanding the product lines by PRIMARK could help them raise sales and increase their product portfolio. They can enjoy benefits from reduction in interest rates so that business costs would come down. Expanding into other markets could be a possibility for them. Threats: Threats are factors which may restrict, damage or put areas of the business or organization at risk. They are the factors which are outside of the companys control. Being aware of the threats and being able to prepare for them makes this section valuable when considering contingency plans and strategies. This section will outline main threats PRIMARK is currently facing. Consumer lifestyle changes could lead to less of a demand for its products. Changes in the way consumers shop and spend and other changing consumer patterns could be a threat to their performance. Being undercut by low-cost imports is a major threat for them. Slow growth and decline of the retail market is a threat to them. Increased competition from overseas is another threat to them as it could lead to lack of interest in their product. The actions of a competitor could be a major threat against PRIMARK, for instance, if they bring in new technology or increase their workforce to meet demand. Price wars between competitors, price cuts and so on could damage profits for them. A slow economy or financial slowdown could have a major impact on their business and profits. PRIMARK could be threatened by the growing power customers have to set the price of their products. Conclusion Given this analysis we come to realize that each organization has its own external and internal problems to handle. The process in which we enable to identify and analyze such problems is by using proper management method of analysis like SWOT. The SWOT analysis is useful in a difficult strategic situation. The strengths are analyzed to reach opportunities and to avoid threats. The search of weaknesses is of importance as it allows the manager to minimize them. It also explains what unique resources you have and what you can offer that makes you stand from the rest. Task 4 Explain the differences between balanced scorecard, scenario planning, cost benefit analysis and sensitivity analysis giving at least one example of where each technique would be most appropriately applied Balance Scorecard The balance scorecard is a performance management tool to measuring whether the smaller-scale operational activities of a company are aligned with its larger- scale objectives in terms of vision and strategy. By focusing not only on financial outcomes but also on the operational, marketing and developments inputs to these, the balance scorecard helps provide a more comprehensive view of a business, which in turn helps organization act in their best long-term interests. It was proposed by Robert Kaplan and David Norton in 1996 In the balance scorecard we refer to the several different kinds of balance. For example -The balance between short and the long term. -The balance between four perspectives. The Balance scorecard approach generally has four perspectives: Finance: Return on Investment, Cash flow, Return on capital employed Financial results (quarterly/Yearly) Internal business processes: Process alignment (is the right process in the right department?) Learning and growth Is there the correct level of expertise for the job? Employee turnover Source Businessball.com Job satisfaction Training learning opportunity Customer: Delivery performance to customer Quality performance for customer Customer satisfaction rate Customer percentage of market Customer retention rate Scenario Planning Scenario planning is a method for learning about the future by understanding the nature and impact of the most uncertain and important driving forces affecting our world. It is a group process which encourages knowledge exchange and development of mutual deeper understanding of central issues important to the future of the business. It is a process of visualizing What future conditions or events are probable? What their consequences or effects would be like and how to respond to, or benefit from them. Four aspect should taken into consideration in scenario planning Future scientific capabilities Technological developments The role of business and government Social attitudes The transport for London is having scenario planning about future development like air conditioning in Tube. Cost benefits Analysis The process involves, weighting the total expected costs against the total expected benefits in order to choose the best or most profitable option. It is typically used by governments to evaluate the desirability of a given intervention. It is an analysis of the cost effectiveness of different alternatives in order to see whether the benefits are greater than costs. The costs and benefits of the impacts of an intervention are evaluated in terms of the public’s willingness to pay for them (benefits) or willingness to pay to avoid them (cost) inputs are typically measured in terms of opportunity costs the value in their best alternative use. The guiding principle is to list all parties affected by an intervention and place a monetary value of the effect it has on their welfare as it would be valued by them. Sensitivity Analysis It is a technique for determining the outcome of a decision if a key prediction turns out to be wrong. ‘The Study of how the uncertainty in the output of a model (numerical or otherwise) can be apportioned to different sources of uncertainty in the model input’ Suppose that the manager of an organization just completed a linear programming solution which will have a major impact on the company, such as determining how much to increase the overall production capacity and are about the present the results to the board of directors. How confident are you in the results? How much will the results change if your basic data (e.g. profit per item produced, or availability of a component) is slightly wrong? Will that have a minor impact on your results? Will it give a completely different outcome, or change the outcome only slightly? Bibliography: Primark.co.uk Thompson John L . Strategic Management . 4th Ed Team-based strategic planning By C. Davis Fogg 1994 http://www.netmba.com/strategy/process/ JOHNSON, G., and SCHOLES, K. (1997). Exploring Corporate Strategy, Fourth Edition, Prentice Hall, New York. [Chapter 8] Business dictionary.com Cases in public policy analysis by George M. Guess, Paul G. Farnham Wikipedia.org Practical Optimization: a gentle Introduction – John W. Chinneck, 2000 A Practical guide to using the Balanced scorecard By Nils-Gà ¶ran Olve, Anna Sjà ¶strand, Carl-Johan Petri Businessball.com http://www.well.com/~mb/scenario_planning/ dft.gov.uk Sensitivity analysis in practice by Andrea Saltelli, Stefano Tarantola, Francesca Campolongo

Bacchus:God of Wine :: essays research papers

Bacchus: God of Wine and Intoxication   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Much to many parents’ dismay, teenage drinking is a very common and infamous trend of the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  times. Many teenagers illegally consume alcoholic beverages weekly. However, instead of linking this problem to the media or peer pressure, one may want to take a look back to the days of ancient Rome; more specifically the god Bacchus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bacchus, the God of Wine and intoxication, is known in Greek mythology as Dionysus, and is also known by other names such as Bakchos and Liber. His name means â€Å"twice born† or â€Å"child of the double door.† Bacchus was born to Zeus and Semele. Hera, wife of Zeus was jealous and tricked Semele into killing herself. Hermes, the messenger God, saved the unborn baby and sewed him up in Zeus’ thigh. After he was born, he sat at the right hand of Zeus. Apparently, his appearance was quite striking, though no specific descriptions were found of his actual looks. Bacchus is to whom we owe the thanks of inventing wine. He appears in numerous myths, almost always accompanied by Centaurs, Satyrs, and Maenads, or women who always seemed mad with joy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bacchus has his own festival aptly named Bacchanalia. This festival is celebrated on March 16 and 17. During Bacchanalia, orgies in honor of Bacchus were introduced in Rome around 20 0 BC. These infamous celebrations, notorious for their sexual and criminal character, got so out of hand that they were forbidden by the Roman Senate in 186 BC. His attributes in iconography include a drinking vessel, an ivy wreath, grape vines, and the thyrsos (a long fennel stalk topped with ivy leaves). Bacchus was also associated with resurrection because he is identified with Zagreus, son of Zeus and Persephone who was killed, dismembered, and eaten by the Titans. His heart was saved and he was reborn through Semele. One of the most famous myths involving Bacchus was when pirates captured him while he was standing on shore, for they thought he must be a prince by his stunning appearance. However, no chains that the pirates used to try to hold him worked, and only then did they realize that he was not a prince, but a God. Vines began to grow, wine began to flow, and Bacchus turned into a lion. The pirates jumped overboard and were turned into dolphins. As this, and many other stories suggest, Bacchus was often depicted as traveling throughout Greece, and often arriving at his destination from the east.

Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee

Kelsey Johnson Dr. Michele levy ENGL 336 April 14, 2013 Weekly Informal Response 1a. â€Å"Kureishi’s articulation of his identity crisis is both an index of the pain of feeling devoid of secure roots, and also something we might use as a pivotal moment when thinking about the creative necessities of migrancy and diaspora†¦living ‘in-between’ different nations, ‘of, and not of’ each place, feeling neither here nor there, unable to indulge in sentiments of belonging to either location, defined by others in often unflattering ways. † (Beginning Postcolinalism, p. 47) 1b. The above quote from our theory text describes the feeling of not belonging somewhere due to an identity crisis. This crisis was described as coming from the fact that one was not from a certain region, or may not â€Å"belong† to the group of that particular region. For example, I may be seen as odd or not belonging in a region full of white Irishmen and they would m ake it known I don’t belong in these said â€Å"unflattering† ways. 1c. In the novel Jasmine, she is continuously moving and suffering because of this identity crisis tied to her constant migration.For example, when Jyoti’s first husband is killed she does not do the traditional burning of her own body with her husband; but she moves to Florida. During her travels and attempts to obtain citizenship in America, Jyoti endures the horrible conditions that come with illegal immigration; For example, secrecy, hunger, rape, and even murder. All of this because she ‘isn’t’ of’ this nation†¦? The text says, â€Å"I wanted to become the person they thought they saw: humorous, intelligent, refined, affectionate. Not illegal, not murderer, not widowed, raped, destitute, fearful.In Flushing, I had lived defensively in the midst of documented rectitude. I did not want to live legally if it also meant living like a refugee. † (Jasmine, p . 171) 2a. â€Å"In this section, we shall consider the extent to which Western feminist discourses are able to address the double colonization of women living in once-colonised societies and in Western locations†¦John Thieme has explained that ‘Western feminist writers and theorists have frequently seen parallels between their struggles and those of post-colonial women and have particularly identified with women who suffer â€Å"double colonization† (BP, p. 06) 2b. The above quote describes the relationship between â€Å"first world† and â€Å"third world† women. Of course, third world countries are those that exist below the poverty line and struggle to survive. Theime says that feminist writers often see similarities between the lives of their subjects as well as their own. 2c. I believe the entire novel â€Å"Jasmine† is a prime example of the relationship described above; how feminist writers connect with their subjects and audiences due to â€Å"double colonization†.In our novel, Mukherjee writes about the life story of Jyoti and notices similarities in their lives, not because they have the same exact life story, but because of their struggles as women in society. For instance, Jyoti took control of her own life and created her own destiny (despite starting over several times); also because she is a woman and isn’t expected to have much control over her own life. This is also shown in other novels we’ve read. 3a. These â€Å"in-between† spaces provide the terrain of elaborating strategies of selfhood – singular or communal – that initiate new signs of ‘identity’†¦ Bhabha also opposes the idea of a sovereign or essentialised subject. For Bhabha and Spivak identity is a discursive product. Second, because subjectivity is discursively produced, it is possible for it to be remade and remodeled in new and innovative ways – hence his attention to the pro cesses of ‘articulation’ and ‘elaboration’ in the quotation. The border is a place of possibility and agency for new concepts, new narratives, new ideas.Third, the new ‘signs’ of identity which are possible impact upon both individuals and groups. † (BP, p. 252) 3b&c. The above quote speaks about the crossing of physical borders and how they coincide with the crossing of imaginary borders within oneself. For instance, when a person moves from one geographical location to another, they seem to move from one persona to another. This was DEFINITELY seen throughout the novel Jasmine. As the narrator moved, she changed identities and personalities.