The Sensorimotor Stage of Cognitive Development

The Sensorimotor Stage of Cognitive Development Theories Developmental Psychology Print The Sensorimotor Stage of Cognitive Development By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial policy Kendra Cherry Reviewed by Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW on October 29, 2019 facebook twitter instagram Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist, author of the bestselling book 13 Things Mentally Strong People Dont Do, and a highly sought-after speaker. Learn about our Wellness Board Amy Morin, LCSW on October 29, 2019 Stages of Cognitive Development Piaget's Theory Sensorimotor Stage Preoperational Stage Concrete Operational Stage Formal Operational Stage Support and Criticism In This Article Table of Contents Expand Overview Substages Object Permanence View All Piagets theory suggests that children progress through a series of four different stages of cognitive development. These stages encompass numerous aspects of mental development including that of reasoning, language, morals, and memory. Piaget believed that kids take an active role in this cognitive development, building knowledge as they interact with the world. The sensorimotor stage is the earliest in Piagets theory of cognitive development. He described this period as a time of tremendous growth and change. Overview During this initial phase of development, children utilize skills and abilities they were born with (such as looking, sucking, grasping, and listening) to learn more about the environment. In other words, they experience the world and gain knowledge through their senses and motor movements. Through trial-and-error, children discover more about the world around them. Piaget chose to call this stage the sensorimotor stage because it is through the senses and motor abilities that infants gain a basic understanding of the world around them. The abilities that an infant is born withâ€"sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touchâ€"combined with physical capabilities that continue to developâ€"including touching, grasping, and tastingâ€"allow infants to interact and build awareness of themselves and what is around them.   As children interact with their environments, they go through an astonishing amount of cognitive growth in a relatively short period of timeâ€"the sensorimotor stage lasts from birth to approximately age 2. Illustration by Hugo Lin. © Verywell, 2018. Substages As any parent or caregiver can attest, a great deal of learning and development happens during the first two years of a childs life. The sensorimotor stage can be divided into six separate sub-stages that are characterized by the development of a new skill:?? Reflexes (0-1 month) During this substage, the child understands the environment purely through inborn reflexes such as sucking and looking. Primary Circular Reactions (1-4 months) This substage involves coordinating sensation and new schemas. For example, a child may suck his or her thumb by accident and then later intentionally repeat the action. These actions are repeated because the infant finds them pleasurable. Secondary Circular Reactions (4-8 months) During this substage, the child becomes more focused on the world and begins to intentionally repeat an action in order to trigger a response in the environment. For example, a child will purposefully pick up a toy in order to put it in his or her mouth. Coordination of Reactions (8-12 months) During this substage, the child starts to show clearly intentional actions. The child may also combine schemas in order to achieve a desired effect. Children begin exploring the environment around them and will often imitate the observed behavior of others. The understanding of objects also begins during this time and children begin to recognize certain objects as having specific qualities. For example, a child might realize that a rattle will make a sound when shaken. Tertiary Circular Reactions (12-18 months) Children begin a period of trial-and-error experimentation during the fifth substage. For example, a child may try out different sounds or actions as a way of getting attention from a caregiver. Early Representational Thought (18-24 months) ?Children begin to develop symbols to represent events or objects in the world in the final sensorimotor substage. During this time, children begin to move towards understanding the world through mental operations rather than purely through actions. Object Permanence According to Piaget, developing  object permanence  is one of the most important accomplishments at the sensorimotor stage of development. Object permanence is a childs understanding that objects continue to exist even though they cannot be seen or heard.?? Imagine a game of peek-a-boo, for example. A very young infant will believe that the other person or object has actually vanished and will act shocked or startled when the object reappears. Older infants who understand object permanence will realize that the person or object continues to exist even when unseen. This is a classic example of how, during this stage, an infants knowledge of the world is limited to his or her sensory perceptions and motor activities and how behaviors are limited to simple motor responses caused by sensory stimuli. A Word From Verywell The sensorimotor stage serves as an important base in development and gives children the abilities they need as they progress into the next stage of development. As children enter the next stage starting at around age two, they begin developing symbolic thought allowing them to improve language, imagination, and memory skills. What Happens In the Preoperational Stage?

Analysis Of Henrik Ibsen s A Doll House - 1154 Words

What might sacrifice mean? Is it important? Sacrifice can be defined as an act of immolating someone or something. Will one might think it depends on the person to decide on the importance of the sacrifice? In light of this play, â€Å"A Doll House† written realistically by Henrik Ibsen, he has portrayed many symbols throughout the play. One of the many symbols that stood out was sacrifice. Clothing also symbolized some importance in the play and the Tarantella dance as well. However, what exactly is a symbol? A symbol can be â€Å"a concrete object or a person/image that represents an abstract concept such as life, death, salvation, or hope.† For example, the dollhouse stated in the preface of the play symbolized â€Å"the dependent and dehumanized role of the wife within traditional middle-class marriages† (Ibsen, pg.1486). Including another example, stated by Nwabueze, â€Å"believed that Ibsen used the term ‘a doll’s house’ to re present Nora’s home† (Nwabueze, pg. 22). Additionally, anyone can â€Å"argue that Ibsen used Nora as a symbol for human rights† uniquely throughout the play too (Metzger, 1879). So again, symbolism can be seen vastly throughout the play. Regarding sacrifice as a symbol in the play, Nora sacrifices her identity as a mature woman to play-pretend as a perfect doll for her husband. She even hid eating macaroons from her husband like she was a child. However, the most important sacrifice she made was giving up her rights to save her husband’s life. At theShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Henrik Ibsen s A Doll House 1823 Words   |  8 PagesA Doll House is a play that was written by Henrik Ibsen in 1879. Nora Helmer is a wife and mother who secretly loaned money to save her husband’s, Torvald, life. Torvald views and treats Nora has a doll and she goes along with it. As conflict comes and goes Nora decides that her current life is not what she wants for herself. She no longer wants to be anyone’s â€Å"doll† and decides to leave her family in search of independence. This play was controversial during the time it was written becauseRead MoreAnalysis Of Henrik Ibsen s A Doll House 1152 Words   |  5 PagesHenrik Ibsen’s play â€Å"A Doll House† addresses the importance of the roles women play throughout this time period. Women are thought to be like â€Å"dolls† to their husbands, by obeying their commands and keeping a good image. We see the main character, Nora Helmer struggle to keep her perfect image of a great wife as troubles start to arise. Throughout the play we begin to see Nora push through her troubles and find her true identity, Nora shifts from being the loving, perfect wife, to being a strongRead MoreAnalysis Of Henrik Ibsen s A Doll House884 Words   |  4 Pagestransform minor lies such as white lies into something more dangerous. When one works to conceal a lie, a cloud o f deception hangs over those involved and can lead to the destruction of friendships, relationships, and even marriages. In Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House, he uses the motif of lies and deception to illustrate the fragileness of the Helmer’s marriage, which ultimately leads to its demise. Nora Helmer, a naà ¯ve woman who has never been given the chance to mature into an independent womanRead MoreAnalysis Of Henrik Ibsen s A Doll House995 Words   |  4 Pagesimagining and guiding the integration of all these elements belongs to the director. One of the toughest tasks of a director is to reinvigorate a socially important and renowned production while maintaining its original message and composition. Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House is a socially important realistic play that portrays the gender dynamics that plagued the nineteenth century and questions the expectations held for women in a household and society. The play is still incredibly influential because the issuesRead MoreAnalysis Of Henrik Ibsen s A Doll House 851 Words   |  4 PagesHenrik Ibsens’s, A Doll House, details the lives of the Helmers, a seemingly perfect couple. As the story progresses from act to act, it becomes quite obvious that their relationship is everything but perfect. Complic ations arise quickly when a forged loan by Nora Helmer is brought to her husband Torvald’s attention. The prejudices women experience, particularly, Nora is a definite tone in this play. Henrick Ibsen does a great job at showing both sides of the oppression of women, particularly withinRead MoreAnalysis Of Henrik Ibsen s A Doll House 1472 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"A Doll House† Playing many different characters is what Henrik Ibsen’s meant to do in A Doll House. The main characters fool people into believing they are someone other than their true selves. Nora plays her role flawlessly as she pretends to be living two different lives. Nora is Torvalds devoted and self-indulgent wife, but naively enough, she doesn’t realize she is a courageous, self-sufficient women. As the character’s progress so does Nora’s personality, she goesRead MoreAnalysis Of Henrik Ibsen s A Doll House 924 Words   |  4 PagesHenrik Ibsen once wrote a play called â€Å"A Doll House.† Back in 1879 when the play was written there was lots of controversy on whether are not they play should have been showed. It created lots of arguments because of the time that they play was done (Hemmer). In the time frame that Ibsen wrote his play it was a time where women really had no say. Women would listen to their husbands and do as they say. At the end of the original play Nora, the main character, left her husband and her kids. IbsenRead MoreAn Analysis Of Henrik Ibsen s A Doll House1460 Words   |  6 Pagesopposition to the idea of a female president. Traditionalist opposition has women body shamed into the fixed standard of beauty being the skinny Caucasian blonde. People still look down on women in troubled relationships as being their fault. Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House puts into criticism the problems brought by traditionalism though the story between Torvald and Nora. Where Nora has to keep a secret how she saved her husband’s life to save her marriage, because she fears a woman helping a man would shameRead MoreAnalysis Of Henrik Ibsen s A Doll House Essay1971 Words   |  8 PagesIn Hendrik Ibsen play â€Å"A Doll House† Nora is a women who had typical women gender role in the 19th century to take care of the children and the home so that she can please her husband while her husband handles all the outs ide business and money as the primary care taker. Nora has always lived with a man that took care of her and told her what to do. Nora completely accepted her expectations and â€Å"conditions of the world in which she live† as Torvald put it, because she never had the opportunity toRead MoreAnalysis Of Henrik Ibsen s A Doll House Essay981 Words   |  4 Pagestraditional stereotypes, men are strong and dominant, while women are weak and submissive. There are moments in the person’s life when men do not appreciate their wives and go across their limits. This view sounds a lot like what Henrik Ibsen wrote about in his play, A Doll House. Ibsen presented gender roles through social roles, identity and marriage. This factors affect how the characters in the play are viewed by society. Althouth gender roles have changed over time and males and females have become more

Child Abuse and Social Work - 1024 Words

Lauren Szymanski Socialwork 200 November 28, 2010 Child Abuse Child abuse is horrible and it affects everyone in one way or another. Before 1963, there were no laws to protect the kids from abuse but thanks to social workers and other judicial people, there were laws passed (Pfohl). This paper is going to explain why it is so important for social workers to protect kids by talking about this history of abuse and why social workers need to be around. It will also discuss what social workers do today to prevent kids from being hurt. Social workers are useful in just about every aspect of life but in my opinion this is one of the more important jobs of a social worker because your protecting those of the future. Abuse isn’t just†¦show more content†¦The last thing social workers do is to provide parents looking to adopt with kids. Social workers work with future adoptive parents and after they are adopted to see if they would fit in the home or if they are transitioning correctly and to make sure these parents are fit to raise kids . These are just a few things social workers are doing to help kids. I think that we are doing a great job at protecting kids to the best of our abilities. The only thing I would change is making it more aware to everyone the effects of abuse and why they should report abuse the minute they suspect it. There are some who suspect abuse and don’t say anything and that can be very detrimental to a child. We need to as a society step up and do as much as humanly possible to tackle child abuse. We need to stop the cycle of abuse so hopefully it will cycle its way out of our society. Which if it cycles its way out then we will hopefully see a future with minimal to no abuse. I mean I cant honestly say that we can get rid of abuse all together but we can try to get it down to such a small percentage that people will talk about it like it never happens anymore. At the same time we need to make sure that the parents of these abused children are not allowed to abuse them anymore. This is child abuse in nut shell. The abuse is horrible and it is so detrimentalShow MoreRelatedChild Abuse And It s Connection With Social Work2060 Words   |  9 Pages Child Abuse and It’s Connection with Social Work Amanda Miller SWK 3301-01 Child Abuse and It’s Connection with Social Work â€Å"Childhood should be carefree, playing in the sun; not living a nightmare in the darkness of the soul† (Pelzer, 1995, p. 166). Various discussions, studies, and ethical problems are formed around the topic of child abuse. Child abuse, defined by the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), is â€Å"any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parentRead MoreChild Abuse Prevention Community Project Essay1590 Words   |  7 PagesChild Abuse Prevention Community Project Child abuse continues to be a significant problem in the United States including Mississippi and Lee County. Child abuse is defined as â€Å"Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker that results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation; or an act or failure to act, which presents an imminent risk of serious harm† (Henderson, 2013, p.297). In the following paragraphs we will discuss current child abuseRead MoreThe Problem Of Child Abuse1134 Words   |  5 Pagesfollowing paper is about Child Abuse. This paper will look into the description of the problem, the policies that has helped solved the problem, involvement in resolving the problem, and person recommendations on changing the approach of the problem. Description of the Problem/History Child abuse is a form of any sexual activity that a child doesn’t give consent to. Whether it may be sexually or physically if the child is not mentally ready it is still a form of abuse. Child abuse also can lead to differentRead MoreA Study On Child Abuse935 Words   |  4 Pagesprospective titled â€Å"Study finds more child abuse in homes of returning vets†. The article examined a study conducted by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia that looked at 112,000 soldiers and their families between the years of 2001 and 2007. Since life-threatening child abuse occurs most often in infants, the children in the study were two years old or younger. The study found that elevated stress of a soldier returning home increased the risk of child abuse in the home, especially for the soldiersRead MoreEssay on Ban Religion from Social Work 979 Words   |  4 PagesOver the past decades, social workers have encountered and helped children who have experienced unimaginab le types of abuse. In most cases the abuse is done by someone who the child is already familiar with. Usually, the child will become close to the person and put their faith in them only to receive harm and betrayal of trust. And in what kinds of abusive situations does a child tend to end up more mentally distraught? The answer is during religious abuse. Social workers know about the childrenRead MoreThe Child Abuse Prevention And Treatment Act1136 Words   |  5 Pagesdefine child neglect and abuse is both criminal and civil. The civil definitions that determine the grounds for intervention by State child protective agencies, at the Federal level, by the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) January 31, 1974.By the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America and Congress assembled this act may be cited as, â€Å"the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. Section 3 of the Law said† For purposes of this Act the term child abuse andRead M oreThe Effects Of Sexual Abuse On Children Essay1626 Words   |  7 Pagesthere are individuals who act on horrible inexplicable instincts such as molesting a child or even to the point of sexually abusing a child. We as a society are constantly bombarded with reports of extreme sexual abuse cases of children and even infants. When we read or see a report of sexual abuse in the news the first thing that comes to mind is, what sick individual would think to do that to such an innocent child. More often than not the culprit ends up being an individual that fits the profileRead MoreThe Connection between Child Abuse and Crime Essay1055 Words   |  5 PagesEvery year, child abuse and neglect affect more than one million children nation-wide (Currie and Tekin 1). Along with this, child abuse is the source of severe injury to more than 500,000 children and the death of over 1,500 children (Currie and Tekin 1). These outrageously large numbers reveal the extent to which child abuse and neglect impact society; however, they do not acknowledge the effect abuse can have on a child’s life and the repercussions that may occur in both the individual’s childhoodRead MoreChild Abuse And Its Effects On Children Essay1354 Words   |  6 PagesTo begin with, child abuse in general is horrible. No child should ever be treated this way. Today I would like to talk about how extreme child abuse forever marked Susan Wiley, best known as â€Å"Genie.† In addition to that I would like to talk about the different types of child abuse and how children are affected by this. Last but not least, I would also like to talk about how we can prevent and stop child abuse. I believe that children are the most innocent people in this world, and that they areRead More Investigating the Long-Term Effects of Physical Child Abuse Essay1057 Words   |  5 Pagesestimated 905,000 children were victims of child abuse or neglect in 2006(Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2008). In 1996, more than three million victims of suspected abuse were reported to child protective services agencies in the United States (Baker, 2002). The numbers have changed and still many cases of abuse go unreported. The number of incidences of child abuse rises when the family is under stress, such as being in our economy. The effects of physical abuse can last a lifetime and are measured

Leadership Styles Followed By The Director â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Leadership Styles Being Followed By The Director? Answer: Introduction In the present business scenario, leadership roles hold an important part in the contemporary business organizations. Contemporary business organizations have to maintain various diversified aspects to drive their competitiveness in the present business state of affairs. One of these key aspects is effective leadership (Northouse 2015). In the contemporary business organizations, leadership roles help in motivating the employees in increase their productivity and competitiveness. Moreover, it is the responsibility of the leaders to equip the employees in facing the business challenges and made them aware about the organizational vision and objectives (Chen and Yang 2012). Apart from this role of human resource management, the responsibilities of the leaders also involve organizing the various aspects of the organizations and driving the organizations in to profitable venture and to stay ahead in the competition (Armstrong and Taylor 2014). Leadership roles constitute of various types of styles which are being applicable based on the situation and the organizational cultures. Vision Autowork Pte Ltd is being situated in Singapore. It is one of the leading and renowned car servicing centers in Singapore. It is being operating for last 2 years in Singapore. This organization is known for their effective customer service being provided and their positive organizational culture. They mainly service and repair the accident vehicle (Jahanshani et al. 2014). The director of this organization is known for his effective leadership styles which are proved to be beneficial in maintaining the effective working environment in the organization. The workshop is small consisting of 15 employees. However, the leadership of their director is driving the organization to being a renowned one in Singapore. This report will discuss about the leadership styles being followed by the director of Vision Autowork Pte Ltd. In addition, various theories related to the leadership will be used for critical discussion of the leadership styles. The critical analysis will involve the traits and behaviors of the leader along with his style of managing the employees. A short interview will be taken to identify various aspects of the director of Vision Autowork Pte Ltd. Accordingly; a reflective opinion will be presented regarding the ideal leadership style. Effectiveness of leadership style in Vision Autowork Pte Ltd The leadership style being followed in Vision Autowork Pte Ltd is more of transformational style of leadership. It is due to the reason that, it is been observed that the role of the director or leader in this organization is the key motivating factor for the employees (Lazaroiu 2015). The observation is being continued for two months. In these two months, various organizational practices related to the leadership roles are being noted. The director has a unique visionary characteristic which is being effectively communicated to the employees. In addition, the employees also feel more engaged in their workplace due to the implementation of effective working environment in the organization. The director maintains the involvement of the all the employees in every aspects of the business. One of the key features for transformational leadership is maintaining the level of motivation for the employees in order to enhance the productivity of the organization (Lazaroiu 2015). In the case of Vision Autowork Pte Ltd, various employee welfare schemes are being initiated by the director in order to motivate the employees in their workplace. It is also been seen that a special effort being given in determining the work life balance of the employees (Wiese 2015). This further helps the employees in having favorable motivation and satisfaction with their respective job roles. In the process of decision making in the organization, it is been observed that all the employees are being involved in the process by the director (Mone and London 2014). Moreover, the opinions from the employees are being gathered by him in order to implement an effective decision. Thus, majority of the employees are being satisfied with the decisions being taken by the director. It is also been seen that the director has the ability to maintain the stability in the organization in case of any challenges or issues. He has the ability to drive his employees through the organizational challenges by leading from the front. Moreover, the director is much optimistic and positive which also influence the employees in maintaining the effective working envi ronment in the organization (Korzynski 2013). In this case, it is been observed that, the leadership style being followed by the director is also have the characteristic similar with the laissez-faire style of leadership. According to this style of leadership, the leaders delegate the decision making process to the employees (Chaudhry and Javed 2012). It enables the employees in having the freedom in taking decisions. Thus, the engagement with the employees is more in this style of leadership. In the case of Vision Autowork Pte Ltd, the director delegates roles such as providing customer feedback and management to the employees. It enabled the employees in taking decision accounting to the situation. The job responsibilities of the employees are being well organized and specifically defined. As he do not follow the authoritarian style of leadership, the use of power or dictation is not required in the organization (Schuh, Zhang and Tian 2013). The vision of the leader is being well communicated among the employees and the job de signs are being initiated accordingly. Thus, employees are well aware about the job to be accomplished. Situational leadership theory is also applicable for this organization. It is due to the reason that the director in this organization is always adjusting the organizational culture and practices accordingly to the market requirement (McCleskey 2014). According to the situational theory being given by Kenneth Blanchard and Paul Hersey, it is the style of leadership which tends to change with the change in the situation. It helps to enhance the flexibility of the organizations. In the case of Vision Autowork Pte Ltd, the director follows the situational style of leadership. It enables him in driving his organization according to the external environment of business. Hence, the organization remains updated to stay ahead in the competition. Analysis of the interview The questionnaire is being created according to the observation being made in two months in the organization. The leadership roles in the organization are being closely observed which gave rise to various questions which are being stated in the interview process with the CEO of the organization. The director of the Vision Autowork Pte Ltd is being interviewed about his leadership styles and its effectiveness on the organizational practices. He is asked about his opinion about the effective style of leadership. According to him, there is nothing like most effective style of leadership (Sethuraman and Suresh 2014). Leadership styles can be only be termed as effective if they can fulfill the aspirations of the all the stakeholders in the organizations (Fassin 2012). He also stated that the leadership roles should be flexible enough in order to cope up with changing business environment. Thus, from his opinion it can be stated that situational leadership theory is most applicable with hi s approach. According to this concept, the leadership roles are being changed according to the change in the business environment. It helps the organizations to be updated and stay ahead in the competition. The director is also being asked to state about the reason behind the favorable performance of the employees in his organization. According to him, the employees are being provided safe and secured working environment which helps the employees in enhancing their productivity. In addition, the employee involvement is being given much consideration in the organization (Andries and Czarnitzki 2014). According to him, the more involvement of the employees in the organizational activities and in the decision making process helps them to get adhere with the activities being allocated to them. Thus, it helps them to have the clear idea about the job responsibilities to be accomplished by them. He is asked about the key characteristics of an effective leader. In addition, he is being asked how an ideal leader should act. According to him, an effective leader should have the visionary capabilities about his organization. He should foresee the future trend in the market and accordingly should act (Taylor, Cornelius and Colvin 2014). An ideal leader should have the capabilities to motivate all the stakeholders associated with the organization. Moreover, according to him, an effective leader is not only supervising his subordinates but also create examples to follow. Engaging the employees in the workplace should also be seen by the leaders. Thus, from his reply, it can be concluded that transformational style leadership are being considered by him as an effective style of leadership (Garcia-Morales, Jimenez-Barrionuevo and Gutierrez-Gutierrez 2012). This is due to the reason that, the criteria that he has stated for being an effective leader is mostly matches with the transfor mational style of leadership. Being analyzed his response, it can be concluded that he is the staunch follower of transformational leadership style. His response is more of employee oriented than the task oriented. Thus, employee oriented style of leadership can be also be applied with his response. According to this type of leadership, leaders are more concentrated with the welfare of the employees than the accomplishment of the task. It helps in maintaining the satisfaction level of the employees which further helps in enhancing their productivity (Abraham 2012). Another question being asked to him is about the measures that have been implemented in his organization in order to motivate his employees. According to him, employees are being effectively engaged in the organizational practices in order to increase their level of involvement in the organization. Moreover, employees are being involved in the decision making process, which further helps to enhance the level of importance of the employees in the organization (Pettigrew 2014). According to him, the more involved will be the employees in their workplace, the more comfortable they will be in accomplishing their job responsibilities. Thus, the motivation level of the employees will be increased. In addition, various welfare policies regarding the retirement and injuries of the employees are being implemented in the organization in order to safeguard their interest in their workplace (Waller and Moten 2012). It helps the organization in creating a positive image of the management in the m ind of the employees. They feel more involved in the organization. He also stated that, other options such as incentives, rewards and appraisals are being promoted in the organization in order to maintain and enhance the motivational level of the employees. The appraisals are being given to the employees once in a year (Daoanis 2012). Rewards are being awarded to the best performers. This enables the employees to have the motivation to work more effectively in their workplace. Thus, eventually it helps the employees to increase their productivity. He also stated that, the increase in the level of the motivation is further helping his organization to maintain the positive retention rate (Terera and Ngirande 2014). It proves as competitive advantage to them and also reducing the cost involved in recruitment and selecting new employees. Training is also being given accordingly in order to equip and motivate the employees. The next question being asked to the director is about the measures being used by him in order to empower the employees in facing the organizational challenges. He told that, new employees are being given proper training and skill development schemes in order to increase their level of expertise in the organization. Existing employees are also being given training periodically in order to empower them in coping up with the changing market scenario (Jehanzeb and Bashir 2013). For instance, he told that few months ago, employees are being given the training regarding a new machine being purchased in the organization for automatic cleaning process of the cars. Thus, due to the training process, employees are now equipped to use the machine effectively. The next question being asked to the director is about his opinion regarding the situational style of leadership. According to him, situational style of leadership is not a specific style to be followed. He stated that, every leadership styles can be changed based on the situation (McCleskey 2014). According to him, leadership styles should be changed or modified according to the change in the industry and market. Without changing, no style of leadership will be able to survive. Giving his own examples, he stated that he change his style of leadership based on the situation. In few cases, he applied the style of authoritarian leadership to dictate the employees in the time of any hardships (Schuh, Zhang and Tian 2013). It helped him to convey his requirement more clearly to the employees. Moreover, in many cases, transformational leadership is being followed by him to motivate the employees and maintain the effective working environment. Another question being asked to him is regarding his approach towards the employees and the customers. According to him, employee should be more preferred than the customers. He told that if the employees can be effectively taken care of, then automatically the customer service will be effective provided by the employees. He also told that he believe in delegation of the task among the employees. Thus, the employee oriented approach of him is being noted. According to him, delegation of the task helps in engaging the employees in their workplace along with generating more ideas from them. According to him, leadership roles can act as the competitive advantage for the organization if properly implemented. He stated that, if the motivational ne engagement level of the employees can be maintained by the leadership and the working environment can be maintained, then it will prove as competitive advantage by having motivated employees along with generating off new and innovative ideas fro m them. Regarding customer satisfaction, he told that it is the most important factor for the survival of an organization. The more will be the customer satisfaction, the more will be the revenue being generated from the market. Thus, he tries to keep the motivational level of the employees high to enable them to provide effective customer service. Thus, from the interview process of the director, it can be concluded that he is not applying the transformational style of leadership in his organization, rather than he is implementing the situational leadership based on the situation. However, it is being noted that, task oriented style of leadership is being neglected to a large extent (Donate and de Pablo 2015). According to this style of leadership, accomplishment of the task is given most importance than other. In few cases, it is important to have this style of leadership due to the reason that it will help in effective accomplishment of the job. Employee oriented leadership is as important for the organization, however over implementation of this theory will further reduce the productivity of the employees (Choudhary, Akhtar and Zaheer 2013). This is due to the reason that the employees will not feel the pressure or zeal to perform in their workplace. Hence, it is an important gap being identified in the leadership style of this organization. Moreover, the leadership style being followed by him is a mixed of various leadership theories. It is previously being observed that, only the transformational style of leadership is being followed in the organization, however, the response from the director conveyed that a mixed style is being followed. Another difference identified between the responses of the director and the observation is regarding the involvement of the employees in the decision making process (Chaudhry and Javed 2012). It is being observed that the employees are being involved in determining the decision making process. However, the response from the director is portraying that the opinions of the employees are being gathered and accordingly the decision are being taken. Thus, the approach in both the cases is different. Self reflection about the leadership styles Having critically analyzed the leadership role in Vision Autowork Pte Ltd, I believe that there are still many areas are present for improvement. One of the key areas for improvement is the implementation of the task oriented leadership style. I as a leader will implement the task oriented leadership style in order to improve the rate of accomplishment of task in the organization. Moreover, it is being found that transformational leadership is asking for welfare of all the stakeholders in the organization. Thus, all stakeholders include customers also. However, in this organization, it is been seen that customers are being less preferred compared to the employees in implementing the decision making process. I will prefer more of the customer aspect in my leadership style due to the reason that if the customer are being effectively served, then only the organization will grow in the market. Moreover the path goal theory can be applied in this organization in order to further enhance the motivational level of the employees. Following of path goal theory will help to design the job responsibilities of the employees according to the situation being faced by the organization. I being a leader will train my employees to provide effective customer service. In addition, the employee benefit and welfare will also be considered. According to me, an effective leader should consider the interest of all the stakeholders along with achieving the organizational goals and objectives. It is also being identified from the above sections that, there is no particular style of leadership being followed in this organization. Rather than it is mixing up the several strategies or styles in designing their leadership roles. However, according to me, a particular style of leadership should be followed in the organization. I believe that it will help to drive the organizational culture and pract ices in a single direction. Thus, employees will be more comfortable and have clear idea about the organizational role of leadership. I being a leader will first select a particular style of leadership based on the situation in the organization. Afterwards, I will modify it according to the requirement in the market. According to me, it will be more beneficial to the organization. According to me, this organization can be termed as a small organization with having only 15 employees. Thu, it does not having any strict and diversified hierarchy level. Thus, it will not take a long time in reaching out to the director position. Effective implementation of the leadership styles according to the situation in the organization will only take maximum 1 year to reach to the desired position. In this 1 year, it should be shown that the leadership style being followed by me is more effective than the existing leadership roles. Recommendations A fixed style of leadership should be followed rather than mixing up the various strategies. Customers should be considered as a key stakeholder. The interest of customers should be considered during the decision making process. Other than the human resource management, leadership role should also covers other business aspects such as marketing effectively in order to increase the organizational profits. Leadership in this organization should have the knowledge about the effectiveness of various leadership styles being followed in other organizations. It will help them in modifying their strategies in more effective manner. Majority of the transformational leadership style are being accepted by this organization. However, it should be noted that this style of leadership is also having few drawbacks. Thus, it should be considered before implementing the leadership styles. Having implemented any styles of leadership, communication process should be well initiated in the organization. It will help in gathering the feedback from the employees and customers. On the other hand, the vision of the director will be well communicated to the employees. Conclusion Having analyzed the various aspects of leadership in the organizations, it can be concluded that every styles of leadership are having their own merits and demerits. Thus, it is important for the organizations to effectively determine the utility of the leadership styles comparing with their business situation before initiating for the change. Vision Autowork Pte Ltd is being considered here in this report in order to evaluate the effectiveness of their leadership roles. It is been seen that, they are following mostly the features of transformational and situational styles of leadership. However, the styles of leadership of them are being variable and it changes with the change in the external environment. Employees in this organization are being considered as the most important stakeholders and accordingly, majority of the leadership roles in the organization is concentrated towards their welfare. Due to this reason, the working environment in this organization is much effective tha n others. Moreover, the employees are well motivated and engaged in their workplace. However, it is also be stated in this report that, considering only the employee benefits and welfare in the leadership roles will cause negative implications in the organization. Accordingly, a reflective writing is being produced in this report to present the areas of improvement in this organization. In addition, several recommendations are being given here in this report. Following these recommendations will further enhance the productivity of the organization. Reference Abraham, S., 2012. Job Satisfaction as an Antecedent to Employee Engagement. SIES Journal of Management, 8(2). Andries, P. and Czarnitzki, D., 2014. Small firm innovation performance and employee involvement. Small Business Economics, 43(1), pp.21-38. Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S., 2014. Armstrong's handbook of human resource management practice. Kogan Page Publishers. Chaudhry, A.Q. and Javed, H., 2012. Impact of transactional and laissez faire leadership style on motivation. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3(7). Chen, C.Y. and Yang, C.F., 2012. The impact of spiritual leadership on organizational citizenship behavior: A multi-sample analysis. Journal of Business Ethics, 105(1), pp.107-114. Choudhary, A.I., Akhtar, S.A. and Zaheer, A., 2013. Impact of transformational and servant leadership on organizational performance: A comparative analysis. Journal of Business Ethics, 116(2), pp.433-440. Daoanis, L.E., 2012. Performance Appraisal System: Its Implication to Employee Performance. International Journal of Economics and Management Sciences, 2(3), pp.55-62. Donate, M.J. and de Pablo, J.D.S., 2015. The role of knowledge-oriented leadership in knowledge management practices and innovation. Journal of Business Research, 68(2), pp.360-370. Fassin, Y., 2012. Stakeholder management, reciprocity and stakeholder responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 109(1), pp.83-96. Garca-Morales, V.J., Jimnez-Barrionuevo, M.M. and Gutirrez-Gutirrez, L., 2012. Transformational leadership influence on organizational performance through organizational learning and innovation. Journal of business research, 65(7), pp.1040-1050. Jahanshani, A.A., Hajizadeh, G.M.A., Mirdhamadi, S.A., Nawaser, K. and Khaksar, S.M.S., 2014. Study the effects of customer service and product quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty. Jehanzeb, K. and Bashir, N.A., 2013. Training and development program and its benefits to employee and organization: A conceptual study. European Journal of business and management, 5(2). Korzynski, P., 2013. EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION IN NEW WORKING ENVIRONMENT. International journal of academic research, 5(5). Lazaroiu, G., 2015. Employee Motivation and Job Performance. Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations, 14, p.97. Taylor, C., J. Cornelius, C. and Colvin, K., 2014. Visionary leadership and its relationship to organizational effectiveness. Leadership Organization Development Journal, 35(6), pp.566-583. McCleskey, J.A., 2014. Situational, transformational, and transactional leadership and leadership development. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 5(4), p.117. Mone, E.M. and London, M., 2014. Employee engagement through effective performance management: A practical guide for managers. Routledge. Northouse, P.G., 2015. Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications. Pettigrew, A.M., 2014. The politics of organizational decision-making. Routledge. Schuh, S.C., Zhang, X.A. and Tian, P., 2013. For the good or the bad? Interactive effects of transformational leadership with moral and authoritarian leadership behaviors. Journal of Business Ethics, 116(3), pp.629-640. Sethuraman, K. and Suresh, J., 2014. Effective leadership styles. International Business Research, 7(9), p.165. Terera, S.R. and Ngirande, H., 2014. The impact of rewards on job satisfaction and employee retention. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 5(1), p.481.

Point of sale system documentation free essay sample

A Point of Sale (POS) system is commonly found today at most retail store registers. Store merchandise, identified by a price code (UPC), is checked out by a cashier who then accepts payment for the item(s). A UPC is either read by a bar code scanner or manually entered by the cashier. At the completion of a sale, a receipt is created for the customer and sales information is collected for the generation of reports at a later time. The system also provides for processing the return of purchased items and reimbursement to the customer. While many POS systems support multiple terminals that are networked together and interface with external systems (such as inventory control) the primary goal of this system is to develop a self-contained sales terminal application that supports the purchase and return of store merchandise. System Functions Sales Terminal Management – Sales Terminals are administered by the store manager. We will write a custom essay sample on Point of sale system documentation or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The administrator has the ability to add and remove cashiers from the sales terminal. Cashiers sign in to a sales terminal using an authentication mechanism. Only one cashier may be signed in to a terminal at a time. The store manager has access to administrator functions at any time which are accessible with proper authentication. Process Sale – Items brought to the checkout are identified by a UPC that is used to obtain the price of the item. The cashier enters the UPC either by scanning the item or manually entering the UPC. Optionally, the cashier may enter a quantity for the number of items being checked out with the same UPC. After the last item has been processed a sales total is calculated and payment is made by the customer. Cash Payment – At the conclusion of a sale the cashier accepts cash payment from the customer and enters the amount collected as cash tendered. The system computes the change, which is returned to the customer. Both amounts are included in the final sales receipt. Returned Items – Valid items returned to a cashier are accepted by UPC identification. If the item(s) were purchased within the last thirty (30) days a refund is made to the customer. Items purchased past 30 days receive a slip for store credit. Items purchased beyond 90 days cannot be returned. Terminal Reports – A store manager may request sales terminal reports that show the activity of terminal over a period of time or based on cashier.

A Rose For Emily Essays (383 words) - To Kill A Mockingbird

A Rose For Emily Essays (383 words) - To Kill A Mockingbird A Rose For Emily Reading To Kill A Mockingbird and A Rose For Emily I noticed several differences and likenesses. I would like to convey my thoughts to you. Females in "A Rose For Emily" are depicted as reclusive, crazy, and nosy. Females in "To Kill A Mockingbird" are depicted as smart, outgoing, and full of pride. For example, Emily and Aunt Alexandra are both full of pride. Emily is so full of pride that when she finds out that Homer Barron is not going to marry her and that he is gay that she kills him. She lets the town think that they are married. When in fact she kills him. Emily is afraid of what the town will say about her. Aunt Alexandra is full of a different kind of pride. She is full of family pride. She always tell Jem and Scout about their family tree and history. She also cares about what the town says about them. Aunt Alexandra doesn't want the town to think badly about the Finch family. Emily is a sad figure. She doesn't let anybody befriend her. She barely even talks to her servant. Even when people come to talk to her she either meets them at the door to tell them to go away or she gets her servant to tell them to go away. She is also a recluse. She hardly if ever goes out. Her servant is occasionally seen at the market buying food, but other than that nobody ever goes out from the household. Calpurnia from "To Kill A Mockingbird" is also a sad figure. She has to compromise with the white society that discriminates against blacks. She has to compromise with Aunt Alexandra. She has to do what Aunt Alexandra says even though she does not agree with her. Calpurnia is though, admirable because she has made the best of her opportunities. She is like a member of the Finch family. She has been with them since Mrs. Finch died. In conclusion, Emily has not done the best with her opportunities. She has given up on the world and so she withdrew into her own little world. Emilyis a sad and lonely lady and will die sad and alone. She could have so much more if she only tries, though.

Instagram Influencer Marketing How to Get it Right in 6 Steps

Instagram Influencer Marketing How to Get it Right in 6 Steps Why tell the world how wonderful you are when you can get someone else to do it and make 1000 times the impact? Big name department stores have fashion bloggers on their payroll because their target market is influenced by the say-so of the people they engage with daily. They’ve recognized that people’s purchasing behaviour has changed. A  Nielsen survey  found that only 33 percent of people trust advertisements while 90 percent trust peer recommendations. And Instagram is where peer recommendations are happening more than ever. Instagram influencer marketing  may just be the golden ticket that provides your business with access to a huge pool of potential customers. If you follow the right strategy†¦ Instagram Influencer Marketing: How to Get it Right in 6 Steps by @acquireconvert via @ Table of Contents: Whats In This Post? What Exactly is an Instagram Influencer? How Powerful is Instagram Influencer Marketing? STEP 1: Define What Success Looks Like to You STEP 2: Identify the Right Influencers to Partner With STEP 3: Refine Your Pitch to Influencers and Increase the Chances of a Response STEP 4: Design and Optimize Your Influencer Campaigns STEP 5: Follow Best Practices and Maintain Transparency STEP 6: Track the Success of Your Strategy How Much Does It Cost? Who Should Be Using Influencer Marketing? A Problem With Instagram Influencers (And a Solution) What You’re About to Discover†¦ When the retailer Lord Taylor  enlisted the help of 50 influential names in fashion on Instagram, its strategy involved all influencers wearing the same dress which promptly sold out by the end of the weekend. How can you start getting a piece of the action? Instagram influencer marketing is more challenging than most marketing strategies on the platform especially if you’re just starting out. Everyone  wants a ‘piece’ of the influencers that’s why they’re influencers! Your efforts will fall flat on their face without a strong guiding strategy. But the potential rewards are huge. You’re probably not ready just yet to ask Prince Harry and Meghan to endorse your brand.  But that’s OK. Any size business can use influencer marketing. The main question is: how do you get the right influencers sitting up and taking notice? That’s what I’ll take you through here. As well as clearing up a myth or two about influencers, you’ll learn why Instagram influencer marketing is so powerful, what it costs, and what types of businesses it’s for. Most importantly, I’ll take you through a series of six practical steps covering: How to create an influencer marketing strategy that can be measured Who you should be trying to partner with How to approach influencers and actually get a response The types of influencer campaign you can run: Best practices transparency and disclosure Tracking how your campaigns are going Before we get into the practicalities of your strategy, let’s understand a little more about Instagram influencer marketing and why it’s so powerful†¦ Make @instagram influencer marketing easier with these free templates What Exactly is an Instagram Influencer? When you think ‘influencer’, do you think ‘celebrity’? If so, you’re only partly  right; celebrities ARE often influencers but not all influencers are A-listers. In fact, most aren’t like this chap: So let’s not restrict ourselves to Ronaldo, Beyoncà ©, Taylor Swift, and Jay-Z. As well as celebrity A-listers or ‘top tier’ Instagram influencers, you have: ‘Macro’ influencers  - those who have built up a very large Instagram following in their specialist area (generally 10,000 plus) ‘Micro’ influencers  - those who have built up a smaller but highly engaged Instagram following (generally 1000 - 10,000 or more) For our purposes, we’ll focus less on the celebrities and more on the two other types of influencers - because we want results, not pipe dreams. Only 3 percent of buyers are influenced by celebrity endorsements in their purchase decisions, according to a 2016 Collective Bias survey. And, according to Google, The Top 25 YouTube stars attract 12 times more comments than traditional celebrities. We’ll get into who exactly who you should be targeting in STEP TWO  below. For now, it’s enough to recognize that Instagram influencers have significant networks of followers and enough ‘pull’ to be able to sway opinion amongst followers. By engaging these influencers in marketing initiatives, we tap into their ability to build favorable sentiment towards us and our products. Curious to know what #Instagram influencer marketing is all about? Check out this guide from... How Powerful is Instagram Influencer Marketing? Ever since brands started hiring celebrities to wear their trainers, carry their designer bags, or endorse their sports gear, the power of influencer marketing has been no secret. It’s why you see David Beckham collections in HM stores. That it has come to Instagram should be no surprise. Everyone from YouTubers to Tweeters, Facebookers and Snapchatters have been dabbling in it in recent years. In 2016 for instance, Twitter reported  that: Nearly 40% of users claim to have made a purchase as a direct result of a tweet from an influencer Elsewhere, the Collective Bias survey mentioned earlier reported that: 70% of millennial consumers are influenced by recommendations from their peers in buying decisions Instagram as a marketing vehicle has been on a sharp upward trajectory over the past few years. As a result, Hashoff reports  that 91.9 percent of 150,000 influencers chose Instagram as their number one platform. With 800 million active users, the potential is obvious. But standing out from the crowd has become ever-more challenging when all the smartest kids on the block are marketing the hell out of Instagram. Instagram influencer marketing can set you apart. Let’s go†¦ Recommended Reading: The Best Guide on How to Use Instagram For Business STEP 1: Define What Success Looks Like to You All the best marketing strategies are measurable. Set out with some expectations, goals, and KPIs in mind. This will help you decide not only which influencers you partner with (STEP 2) but what type of campaigns you run (STEP 4) and what you will end up tracking (STEP 6). Here are a few of the most important questions to consider when working out your goals: Do you want to increase brand awareness in general? Do you want to simply gain more followers and more engagement? Do you hope to expand your reach? By how much? Are you hoping to increase click-throughs (store traffic)? Is the main aim to increase sales of a particular product (like the Lord Taylor dresses)? Do you hope to raise revenue in general? If so, by how much? Are you looking to increase conversion rates? Do you want to raise awareness about a particular event? Do you need help making a splash with a startup launch? Is the main aim to find brand reps to work with on an ongoing basis? If there's a way to add a fun illustration to represent each goal, that'd be cool if time allows. Identify precisely what you want to achieve and then how you’re going to measure success. This will help decide the types of engagement levels, reach, and traffic you need from your partner influencers, as well as how much you’re willing to spend. Here's how to decide the engagement levels, reach, and traffic you need from your Instagram... . STEP 2: Identify the Right Influencers to Partner With If there’s one golden rule for Instagram influencer marketing it would be this: make sure you find the right influencers. It’s easier said than done: two-thirds of marketers consider finding relevant influencers their biggest challenge, according to a joint study  by Tapinfluence and Altimeter. It’s made easier by a wide range of tools  specifically designed to identify influencers that suit you. Find out more about these tools here  but let’s assume that you’re trying to work it out without their help. Where do you start? What should you be looking for in an influencer? Firstly, let’s return to the three basic types of Influencers: Celebrity influencers ‘Macro’ influencers ‘Micro’ influencersHere are three different types of Instagram influencers to knowWhy Focus on Micro-Influencers? The vast majority of small businesses should focus on micro influencers and perhaps a few macro influencers. Most can forget about celebrities. If you’re a food brand, you might think ‘Jamie Oliver’ at first but you need to get more realistic. Besides, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that aiming smaller is more effective. The Collective Bias survey referred to above found that 30 percent of consumers were more likely to buy a product recommended by a non-celebrity blogger  whereas only 3 percent were influenced by celebrity endorsements. (Note: this applies to influencer marketing in general rather than just Instagram.) People often find it hard to relate to celebrities. While they may dream to be like Beyoncà © or LeBron James, it’s a fantasy world. And always at the back of the mind is the question: â€Å"Are they just saying that because they’re getting paid for it?† The opinions of people a little closer to home are more trusted  and believable. The best Instagram influencers may be experts in their field; they are influencers because they’ve earned it and risen through their niche; but they’re mainly people like you and me rather than big-name actresses, singers, or sports personalities (i.e. from another niche or even another planet!) There are exceptions but the general rule is to find influencers who are prominent in the specific niche that you play in. Their audience is the same as yours so it helps you get really targeted and in front of the right people. For instance, if you sell women’s shoes, it makes sense to target micro-influencers in ‘women’s shoes’ rather than ‘women’s accessories’ or ‘women’s fashion’. Some micro-influencers may not even consider themselves as an ‘influencer’ until you approach them - even better! They’re more likely to be authentic and won’t have an Instagram feed full of product endorsements; so their support of you will seem more selective. Ten posts from well-selected micro influencers will normally be less of a risk and may be more effective than one from a celebrity. Ten posts from well-selected micro influencers will normally be less of a risk and may be more...Their recommendations appear like authentic recommendations from friends. This encourages more engagement between the influencer and the audience - which is better for you. With limited budgets, multiple posts from micro-influencers are also good for increasing the amount of content out there about you and your brand - especially if content is simultaneously published by several influencers. Suddenly this has the effect of making your brand look ‘bigger’ and more ‘buzzy’. Recommended Reading: Everything You Need to Know About Instagram Analytics to Smash Your Goal The all-important metrics to look out for OK, so you’ve decided on targeting micro influencers. What metrics should you be looking at? The wrong influencers can be expensive mistakes, remember. So invest time into the prep work. Here are the most common metrics to pay attention to: Industry niche - usually there must be an intersection between their niche and yours. If you specialize in yellow hats, make sure they have a strong connection to yellow hats too. Engagement levels of posts - are followers deeply engaged with posts - liking, commenting and sharing? (At least 2-4% and ideally higher). Use tools like Iconosquare,  Tapinfluence  or  Sprout Social  to help calculate engagement levels. Follower numbers - this has become less important than engagement as Instagram’s algorithm has changed. Follower quality -  does the influencer’s audience reflect the quality of potential customer you’re looking for? A good example of follower makeup/quality trumping everything was when HP Australia  partnered with 20 Instagram fashion influencers  to promote the HP Spectre laptop. While they play in very different niches, HP wanted to reach a young audience that was well-aligned to the fashion influencers. The results? 62,943 direct engagements with campaign content and almost a million consumers reached. Traffic - how much web traffic does the influencer generate? Post costs - how much do they charge for posts? Does it realistically fit within your budget? You probably can’t afford what Kim Kardashian West charged for this one†¦ Location - is the influencer’s location important to you and your followers or for marketing your products/services? Are you going global or hoping for more of a local uptake? In general, go for balance. Raw follower numbers are a poor yardstick to use on their own because the temptation to go for huge follower numbers may ignore a lack of engagement. Celebrities may have hundreds of thousands or even millions of followers but low engagement levels.  A survey by Markerley  of over 800,000 Instagram accounts with over 1000 followers found that: Influencers with 10-100,000 followers were most effective at providing a balance of engagement and reach; Influencers with fewer than 1000 followers get their audiences to like their posts 8% of the time and comment 0.5% of the time Instagram influencers with 10 million+ followers get their audiences to like their posts 1.6% of the time and comment 0.04% of the time. In most cases, target micro influencers who already have a strong affinity with your niche and who, preferably, are experts in the field. And while lower follower numbers may limit your potential audience initially, it may help your case for building a strong influencer partnership. You should also tailor this advice towards your target market. According to Twitter, youngsters 13-25 lean heavily towards social media influencers while people over 45 tend to prefer established, household names. Beware!   It’s not unknown for some unscrupulous influencers to buy followers to boost their appeal to businesses. Some may even artificially boost engagement rates with automated comments. Do your homework on influencers and avoid those with questionable followings or repetitive or bland comments. If something seems fishy, it probably is! Final tip:   Don’t limit yourself to human influencers! Get creative: pet care companies often partner with ‘influencer animals’: cute dogs, cats (or raccoons) with large followings (1.5 million) for instance: STEP 3: Refine Your Pitch to Influencers and Increase the Chances of a Response So you’ve boiled it down to a shortlist of influencers you want to target. What next? Before we look at how you contact them, let’s get into the mind of an influencer a little. Why are they doing what they do and how can you demonstrate the right approach to working with them? Are there any approaches that will increase the likelihood of successful outcomes? Influencers won’t necessarily agree to work with you just because you pay them. In fact, you want your influencer to be choosy because it means they’re authentic and interested in alignment and quality, above all. So here are some basic ground-rules to follow: Ensure that you make it easy for your influencer to understand how your brand aligns with their own values: Crowdtap found  that influencers value work that is aligned to their own; create an easy-to-read one-page overview of what your brand represents. Here’s how Fast Company does it on their website: Show respect to influencers you approach - as you would any potential publisher of your content: this was considered vital to influencers interviewed by Crowdtap in their survey. Guarantee the freedom for influencers to express themselves creatively - don’t try to dictate terms to them; it’s their audience and they know their followers better than you. If you’ve selected the right influencer and are well-aligned, trust them to talk to their target audience in a way that will get your own message across and produce win-wins. Keep it authentic - trying to fake it with influencers won’t work. They’ll see through you - and they won’t jeopardize their relationship with their followers for you! â€Å"...when working with influencers, brands have to let go and allow influencers control of the narrative to preserve the authenticity of what is being communicated.† Priyanka Dayal, content marketing manager at Centaur Media PLC. Work directly with the influencer rather than going through a marketing agency- they just prefer it  that way. Tracking Down Your Influencers Now- how do you actually find and get in contact with your influencers?   Fortunately, the Instagram search engine makes it relatively easy to search for influencers. Here’s what you do: Search for hashtags that relate to your industry. For a men’s shoe store you might look for #mensleathershoes: Identify more hashtags by clicking on posts in the search results and exploring what other hashtags they use. Try each of these hashtags - they needn’t all contain the word â€Å"shoes†. They can be closely related to shoes. The posts with the most engagement are listed at the top - these are usually from influential Instagrammers: Examine the accounts of leading posts with these hashtags. Check for content, frequency of posting, engagement levels, follower quality, etc. Really do your homework before identifying them as candidates. Have you found a potential influencer? Beyond this, there are several tools that you can use to make life easier with finding and contacting influencers. These are covered in some detail here. Recommended Reading: Instagram Marketing Strategy: How to Build One the Best Way Outreach to Your Influencers Understand that you’ll be most effective if you look to build a relationship  with your influencer. One direct message is not going to cut it. Use your communication and relationship-building skills rather than treating it as a single ‘transaction’. Assuming you don’t use one of the influencer search engines included in the tools mentioned above, expect to contact your influencers multiple times by direct messaging (DM) or email. For DM-ing: tap  Ã‚  in the top right of FEED. From there, you can  send messages and manage received messages. For email, you can ask for an email address, if it is not listed on their bio. Note that DM is not available on the browser versions of Instagram. You’ll need to download the desktop app to use on a PC; it is however included in the mobile versions of the app. You’re ready to start your outreach to your influencers: 1. A very brief initial introduction message  to test the water and to pop your head up on their radar. Make sure you’re knowledgeable about your influencer and sincere. You don’t want it to sound like spam! Something like this: â€Å"Hi Melanie! This is Jon from XYZ here. Your Instagram content is pretty inspiring and aligns closely with what we’re trying to do. I see quite a few similarities with your values and ours - particularly your XXXX and your XXXX. We’d love to work with you. If you’re interested in making that possible, let me know and I’ll call at your convenience.† 2. Follow up according to their response: if NO - thank them and point out that the door is always open. If YES - email or call to discuss details (what you’re trying to achieve, what your budget is, etc.) 3. Even after you have run the campaign, stay in in contact with your influencer  and share their content if it’s of use to your followers. Who knows when you can hook up again? STEP 4: Design and Optimize Your Influencer Campaigns There are many creative ways to set up campaigns once influencers agree to work with you. Start to collaborate to create more brand awareness, promote certain products or services, or achieve other goals defined in STEP ONE. Before you get going, you might like to create and share a mood board  with your influencer, as a guideline for the content of posts. This can help the creative direction of posts - though typically, remember, influencers like their own freedom of expression. So play this one by ear. Some of the most common types of influencer campaigns are: Sponsored Posts This is when influencers provide exposure for particular products or services by creating a post that you pay them for. Contests Give your Instagram contest a boost by getting an influencer to either run it on their account or to promote it to their followers: Branded Content Work with your influencer to weave your brand name or products into their content in informative or entertaining ways that engage their followers- and get your message across: Reviews A thorough review of your product or service can educate and inform your target audience, building trust through a peer recommendation from an influencer. Brand Rep Programs Brand reps are influencers that you send free products to; enthusiasts in your field who may appreciate the quality of your products and communicate it to their followers†¦ Influencer Takeovers Some influencers will agree to take over your Instagram account for a day. This will be appreciated by your existing followers and should attract the influencer’s followers to your account, expanding your potential following: Campaign Optimization Tips Create branded hashtags:  For each campaign, decide on a hashtag that suits your products or brand. Then all influencers can use this hashtag, helping to build identity and consistency for your brand. Get promoting yourself:  Just because you have an influencer in charge of posting content for a while doesn’t mean you can sit back and watch the sales roll in. Do your own promotional stuff too.