Case: Facebook Marketing Management Essay

1.Why do people use Facebook and what do they do when they are there ? Since the launch of Facebook , constant updates and needs or wants, triggered this social network, broadening its scope permanentely. To answer the question why people use facebook, I believe the question what is the profile of the users is also necessary to understand. According to a paper published in 2012 (Evans et al., â€Å"Facebook Segmentation,† 38), a Facebook ´s pipsycograhic segmentation was performed through a partnership between a consultancy company (Psychster Inc) and students in the University of Washington Master of Communication program in Digital Media (MCDM), six types of facebook ´s users were identified and distrbuted accordingly to the pie below. Fans join interest groups based on politics, art, and music, and they often link their Facebook account to other websites. Branders prefer public to private networking, and they often use Facebook as a tool for business, building a personal brand, or accumulating social capital. Social-Searchers employ Facebook to learn about news, media, and entertainment, but they show little interest in apps and games. Influencers share videos, links, and good deals with others, and they rarely use the private forms of messaging or sharing available on Facebook. Gamers are motivated by games, apps, and coupons; they interact with strangers as often as acquaintances, and though fewer in number they log the most time on Facebook. Neutrals are unmotivated by most of Facebook’s features including status updates, and they report being members only to keep connected to the events of family and friends. (Evans et al., â€Å"Facebook Segmentation,† 37) Although I believe this is generally a good segmentation, since it links both the reasons why people use facebook and what they do the question is more complex and deep. Facebook which initially started as na alternative to Harvard ´s printed student directory, stated several diferences to other existing social networks sites, like the acess restriction to users with na â€Å".edu† e-mail adress, thereby focusing on real-world relationships, with reasonable levels of privacy and creating points of difference to its competitors. In the facebook earlies, Mark Zuckerberg, about this said†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ people have information they don ´t wnat to share with everyone. If you give people very tight control ver that information they are sharing or who are they sharing with, they will actually share more.† In addition he gave the reason to believe: â€Å"One example[of this] is that one-third of our users share thetir cell phone numbers† In my opinion of view this is d efinitely, the trigger of Facebook ´s use . We can name sereval reasons why people use facebook, but ultimately users, regardless their profile want Visibility, â€Å"Brand yourself† as a resource, Create and Strengthen bonds and feel part a comunity, without disregarding a certain privacy level. Depending on the users profile , many this can be done while on the facebook Highlight a product, Find new projects and clientes, Hang with other influencers, Tell your company’s story, Find partners, Get answers faster, Create a resource depositary, Develop your company culture, Better hires, Marketing research, Play games, Post photograhps, Chat with friends, set up meetings for all friends with details attached in a a few second and so forth. The fact that nowadays companies can actually pull information from current and possible customers is a powerful and nwe tool.Without the emotional detached its success wouldn ´t be the same. My Space is na example of this phenomenon. Myspace has been formed with entertainment and music in mind and set in more for professiona uses. Facebook, on the other hand, With Facebook, the interface is based around information. The pages are clean and clear with information and technology. 2.Evaluate the success of advertising on facebook To evaluate the sucess of advertising on faceebook, I would like put into perspective the three elements that I consider that deliver value to the major stackholders involved, and ultimately profit, either financial or value perceived, depending on the side. To measure success on adverstising on facebook one of the measures is Reach, that measures the percentage of the target audience ( those to whom a particular canmpaign is directed). According to the Facebook page analytics provider EdgeRank Checker, the head of social measurement at WPP’s Team Detroit and a study conducted by us here at We Are Social in conjunction with Socialbakers. DATA SHOWS AN AVERAGE 40% DROP IN REACH Average post organic reach 10th Aug – 2nd Nov, based on 41,051 posts made by 274 sample pages in the period. In line with the study, â€Å" the average post’s organic reach has clearly dropped by over 40% since the end of August, and is showing no signs of levelling off. Of course, how any one individual page has been affected will vary, and it’s long been known that the more fans a page has, the less reach and engagement it will get as a proportion of its audience, but the drop in reach seems to have affected pages of all sizes fairly equally† ENGAGEMENT STAYS CONSTANT Average post engagement rate 10th Aug – 2nd Nov, based on 41,051 posts made by 274 sample pages in the period. For the average post reach to drop while the average engagement rate stays steady, this must mean that the posts that are getting seen by fans are now getting more engagement. The same study concludes It’s clear that â€Å" Facebook have changed their EdgeRank algorithm to reduce the amount of brands’ Facebook page posts seen in fans’ newsfeeds, but what does this mean? Well, while some may say this is a deliberate move by Facebook to force page owners to pay for reach using promoted posts, others could reasonably say this is a sensible adjustment to compensate for the growing number of pages that its users are fans of, and the increased number of posts coming from those pages.† Facebook ´s position to this question is : â€Å"We’re constantly improving the way stories are shown in newsfeed. With the growing number of pages on Facebook it is important that people see content that is most relevant to them. These findings show that engagement with newsfeed posts has actually increased. At the same time, the number of posts being dismissed as uninteresting or spam has fallen. That’s a great result for page owners and an improved experience for all of us who use Facebook† According to the case study that is the base of this analyis, all the innvovations done in facebook in the last years, provided by Faceebook Ads ( e.g promoted posts in which brand page owners could push their contente to a broader audience), targent audience of the companies adverstising was broader. After, log out screen banner ´s available, mobile adverstising with sponsored stories ( taking advantage of the fact that half of the users access facebook by mobile). In 2007 the facebook platform was launched and since then thousands of apps were released. On of the most famous is farrmville ( Zynga Company), a gama involving farm management such as plowing land, planting, growing and harvesting crops, harvesting trees and bushes, and raising livestock, that enables people to play na online game with other facebook friends. The value is well reflected by one testemony of oneof its users: â€Å" Those five minutes that I used to spend on something of little value, I ´m now spending interacting with friends, which has real value to me†. There are more examples than can illustrate de power of this tool. One that was clearly seen, was the huge increase user ´s engagement in 2008, when companies started integrating websites funcionalities. These companies, a 30%- 200% increase in registration on their sites and 15%-100% increase in user engagement. To Facebook corporation, profits have been remarkable and after they introduce the cost per click metric for instance, the profits even increase more. In conclusion, the success of advertising on facebook is outstanding. From the consumers point of view, nowadays they trust their peers more than marketeers. Companies, used to spend lost of Money on traditional media, and now may have a large scale effect , refelcted on sales, brand awareness and profits. With this scenario, Facebook in prone to continue its path. It ´s also true that the huge impact that it enables, can play for or against the company/brand, but this volatility worths the effort as long as companies can balance and manage this process propperly.

My Marriage Proposal

As many American girls, I have grown up dreaming of my wedding day. I pictured myself in a stunning, white gown, standing next to someone who resembled the black Ken doll, the male Barbie. I would vision a crowd of friends and family that were there to see me enter into a never ending fairytale. For some reason, I always left the most important part out. Which is, having the man that God created just for me ask me to marry him. I experienced a life defining moment on January 15, 2004. That was the day that Demetrius, also known as the most perfect man in the world, asked me to marry him. The weather that day was so nice, the sun was shining, and the air was fresh and crisp. We decided to take a walk in the park to admire the scenery. I did notice that Demetrius’s smile was a little wider than normal, and I assumed he was up to something. I had no idea of what he was about to do. When he asked if we could sit on the bench so he could give me a foot massage, I was positive that something was about to happen. I went along with him, anxious to see what he had in store. About twenty minutes passed before he casually asked â€Å"where do you see us in five years? † As I thought of the answer to that question, he stared right into my eyes. I answered, â€Å"Happy no matter where just happy. That’s when he gave me a soft kiss on the lips and dropped to one knee. I closed my eyes and thought wow, is this really happing. I was in shock. When I opened my eyes to look at Demetrius, he had pulled the ring out of his pocket and pushed it towards me. Alisha, will you marry me? † he asked. He anxiously waited for an answer while I sat there speechless. He finally interrupted the chaos that was going through my mind by saying, â€Å"Well? † I stumbled across the words, â€Å"Of course. † That was such a great day. I knew, without a doubt, that this was the man that I am supposed to marry. This is the man that I will grow with, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. I praise God for sending such a wonderful person into my life.

BP SWOT Essay

Strength Strong improvement in safety BP focuses on new research and product innovation, leading in new researcher and also improving in safety and procession in the work places. According to â€Å"Safer drilling† (n.d.), BP use Blowout preventer (BOP) technology to support safety in offshore rigs in Brazil. Using high technology likes digital radiography can evaluate and determine underground structure in the North Sea. BP also improves the new tools called Permasense corrosion probes to supervise wall’s thickness in refining process (â€Å"Robust research†, 2013). This equipment is an effective method to control and protect the probability in wall crake. Weakness Ecological impacts of oil spillage damage reputation BP experienced a reputation risk in terms of both public reaction and biological response. About 5 million BP raw oil spilled in 2010, causing a disaster on ecosystem. Dragovic (2013) stated that oil spill would constraint species of wildlife because residues of harmful substances could not be cleanup completely. It also disrupts the chain of wildlife. BP was deluged with blame and disappointment from the pubic. It would take BP quite some time to rebuild its brand-image. (Walt, 2010) Opportunity Growing demand on renewable energy The world has increasingly growing demand for renewable energy. The global renewable consumption will increase to 6.3% (2030) of energy demand from 1.8% (2010). BP is prepared to place emphasis on development of renewable energy (Morales, 2012). Consumers have a tendency to choose to use renewable energy. According to â€Å"consumer demand is growing† (2011), there are 48% of subjects who are willing to use renewable energy and 49% are prepared to pay additional cost for that. Threat Lack of oil and gas reservoirs Oil and gas businesses are high competition because companies gain high benefits. From long period in operation, the crude oil and natural gas around the world is declining that mean the fossil fuel in the future will run out. According to â€Å"OPEC share of world crude oil reserves 2012† claim that now OPEC has only 1,200 billion barrels in reserves global fossil energy In 2010 individual and organization used approximately 87 million barrels per day. The biggest fuel consumer is Asia and Oceanic region. They used around 27 million barrels per day and gradually every year from 2006-2010. Recently, people utilize oil and gas rather than producing. (â€Å"International Energy Statistics, n.d.) References Consumer demand for renewable energy is growing. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.windmade.org/for-companies/global-wind-study/consumer-demand-for-renewable-energy-is-growing.aspx Dragovic, D. (2013, March 19). Environmental impact of the BP oil spill. Retrieved from http://livinggreenmag.com/2013/03/19/energy-ecology/environmental-impact-of-the-bp-oil-spill/ International Energy Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.eia.gov/cfapps/ipdbproject/iedindex3.cfm?tid=5&pid=54&aid=2 OPEC share of world crude oil reserves 2012. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/data_graphs/330.htm Marketline. (2013, August 23). Company profile: BP Plc. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database. Morales, A. (2012, January 18). Renewable-energy growth to outpace oil, gas through 2030, BP Says. Retrieved from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-18/renewables-to-grow-more-than-8-a-year-through-2030-bp-says.html Safer drilling (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.bp.com/en/glob al/corporate/sustainability/safety/preventing-and-responding-to-accidents-and-oil-spills/safer-drilling.html The Gulf of Mexico oil spill: consequences for the oil and gas industry. (2011, February 15). Retrieved from http://uk.practicallaw.com/3-504-7901?service=crossborder#a684683 Wearden, G. (2010, April 27). BP profits jump after oil price rise. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/business/2010/apr/27/bp-profits-jump-oil-prices-ris Walt, V. (2010, July 19). Can BP ever rebuild its reputation? Retrieved

Contemporary Moral Issue (Philosophy) Assignment

Contemporary Moral Issue (Philosophy) - Assignment Example This is a number which cannot be determined with accuracy. The number is in the thousands, however, the exact number cannot be determined. One can only determine the answer to this question by saying the number of lives lost on September 11, 2001, exceeded one thousand. Based upon the number’s one can declare that the lives lost would be a moral determinant in declaring war. Whether, or not the governments of Afghanistan, and Iraq have been harboring terrorists is a question open to debate. One cannot determine with accuracy whether, or not the governments of Afghanistan, and Iraq have been harboring terrorists. Therefore, to base the morality of the War on Terrorism on this question alone would be difficult. How could one determine this with accuracy? If the governments of Afghanistan, and Iraq were harboring terrorists then it would make the war morally correct. To determine the morality of the War on Terrorism based on how many new powers law enforcement has been given through the United States Patriot Act is almost up for debate it. How could be one mind the new powers given to law enforcement through the USA Patriot Act? Whether, or not terrorists are being tortured in Iraq, and Afghanistan is open for debate. There is no factual evidence whether, or not the terrorists are being tortured. If terrorists are being tortured this would be an immoral act in itself. However, this would not make the War on Terrorism an immoral act. How many soldiers, and civilians were killed in Iraq is up for debate. One might say it is part of being in the middle of a war zone. This is part of the soldier’s job. The soldiers knew there might be a chance of death when the soldiers joined the military. Whether, or not the death of the soldiers, and civilians makes the War on Terrorism, an immoral act should not be debated. The civilian deaths are a tragedy, but only a mere side

Discuss how you think we should approach globalization Essay

Discuss how you think we should approach globalization - Essay Example Additionally, this essay presents the role of that the government and international institutions should play in a globalized world. Finally this essay presents a conclusion of the findings from the discussion supported by critical readings of available sources and material from the textbook and lecture. International businesses have significant responsibilities in a global economy, such as, provision of fair business systems across the borders. In the present day, as companies struggle to reach the international market, they are faced with a number of challenges that rise above their ordinary goals. It is clear that international companies have a significant role to play in the social and environmental spheres, labour settings and human rights (Palmer 4). Primarily, these international companies set principles that help them conduct businesses across borders as responsible businesses of the society. Most of all, international companies ensure that they respect the legal obligations set by the countries they carry out their business activities (Palmer 4). According to Varia (2007), the responsibility of international businesses, not only lies within the original countries, but even across borders. It is clear that many international businesses have put emphasis on the utilization of available resources and workforce while leaving out the need to avert risks involved by going across the borders. In addition, a number of international companies abandon their local resources in search of international resources (Varia 5). It is, therefore, important for these international companies to focus on developing local capacities or business ties with local firms and industries. According to Palmer (2002), it is the role of international businesses to participate in societal building activities and initiatives when called upon. Many people are forced to work under unfair work circumstances in foreign

Usability study of software lifecycle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Usability study of software lifecycle - Essay Example The main emphasis of the book is on practical methods rather than a theoretical one. The author highlights relevant information; skills and techniques needed in the process of designing of an attractive and efficient interface. Several factors affecting the design, efficiency and usability of User interfaces including common errors made are highlighted throughout the book. By dividing the book into five (5) chapters, the author is able to clearly examine Graphic User Interface’s (GUIs). All the chapters of the book are coherent and not isolated or independent in topic content. He proposes incorporating fundamental principles for industrial and domestic designs and their concept to the Graphic user interface design. These principles are broadened through levels increasing from the most theoretical to practical using examples of various graphic user interface implementation on a windowing platform such as in Windows; the Apple Mackintosh (Mac), Motif and other X-Windows based systems. A GUI designer team should possess relevant skills such as Graphics design, System Analysis, Cognitive and Task Engineering skills. I. Fundamental principles of design: the first principle states ‘simple tasks deserve simple interfaces’ while the second principles similarly states that ‘complex tasks demand guidance and elucidation’. The ability to differentiate between complex and simple task is easily acquired by learning from feedbacks or experiences of users. Using the Microsoft Word version 6.0 which has undergone considerable revision as a case study, the author concludes that the certain factors such as Visibility, Feedback, and Mapping & Affordances as not totally disjoint components of design but highlights them as the elements of design. He states that the absence of these factors leads to many errors in design. A good User Interface supports cognitive processes such as memory and learning while avoiding overloading shift memory. A combination of

Haemoglobin plays a role in the transport of oxygen and carbon Essay

Haemoglobin plays a role in the transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Describe how this is accomplished at the molecular level. What happens to the relations - Essay Example rder to understand the transportation of oxygen and carbon dioxide at a molecular level, it is important to understand the structure of Hemoglobin (Figure). A heme group consists of an iron (Fe) ion (charged atom) held in a heterocyclic ring, known as a porphyrin. As seen from the figure the iron ion is the site of oxygen binding, bonds with the four nitrogens in the centre of the ring. The iron is also bound strongly to the globular protein. A sixth position can reversibly bind oxygen, completing the octahedral group of six ligands. Oxygen binds in an "end-on bent" geometry where one oxygen atom binds Fe and the other protrudes at an angle. When oxygen is not bound, a very weakly bonded water molecule fills the site, forming a distorted octahedron. Oxyhemoglobin is formed during respiration when oxygen binds to the heme component of the protein hemoglobin in red blood cells and occurs in the pulmonary capillaries near the alveoli of the lungs. The oxygen then travels through the blood stream to all the tissues and cells where it is utilized in aerobic glycolysis and in the production of ATP by the process of oxidative phosphorylation. Deoxyhemoglobin is the form of hemoglobin without the bound oxygen (Wikipedia, 2007). Bicarbonate ions react with the Hydrogen ions that are released from reduced hemoglobin and are in turn converted to water and carbon dioxide. For this reaction to occur an enzyme called Carbonic Anhydrase is required as a catalyst. The end product of the reaction is water and carbon dioxide which are then exhaled.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   HCO3-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   +  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   H+  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ----->   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   H2CO3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ----->  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   CO2  (exhaled)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  +  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   H2O (exhaled) To put it in simple terms hemoglobin can bind oxygen and carbon dioxide. The amount of oxygen bound to

Venezuela Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Venezuela - Term Paper Example The history of Venezuela can be traced back to the fifteenth century when Christopher Columbus discovered the land in 1498 during his journey to the New World. Before Columbus however, other people also lived on the soil of Venezuela who were mostly involved in farming and hunting. The name Venezuela is derived from the word ‘Little Venice’ which came into existence after the arrival of Columbus in the region. Alonso de Ojeda visited the soil and named the land as Venezuela. In the 16th century Spain provided a charter to the Germans so that they could open a banking firm over the land. The charter however was later revoked and the Spaniards took over the region. Venezuela was a part of New Granada until the nineteenth century when it finally took independence from Spain in 1821 under Simon Bolivar (Boehm 1987; Unesco 1999). The government run in the republic of Venezuela is a federal form of government. Its constitution was formed in December 1999. In 1830 Venezuela separated from Colombia, Panama and Ecuador to become a sovereign state. The political rule in Venezuela has been very unstable since its independence. Dictatorial rule and revolutions have been witnessed in Venezuela in the 20th century. From 1908 to 1935 and from 1950-1958 there have been rules of dictators. However after 1958 the politics of the state has been run by civilians as after 1958 the military backed off from interfering in national politics. It was after the World War One that the Venezuelan government has focused more on its petroleum based economy which has helped in stabilizing the country’s economy.... It was after the corruption charges on President Perez that the situation of Venezuela started to become better. In December 1998 Hugo Chavez won the votes in the assembly to become the president of Venezuela. The nation has since then developed into a powerful ally of many countries and the political turmoil has come to a standstill in the country (U.S Department of State 2011). Current Situation Hugo Chavez is the President of Venezuela these days after he won his elections in 2006 by defeating Zulia Governor Manuel Rosales. He has since then implemented new laws such as Socialism in Venezuela. He has passed other laws related to airports, industries and roads ever since. The government of Venezuela has to face several problems in the recent years under Chavez’s government. The problem of energy can be cited as one of the problems that Venezuela is facing. Energy blackouts are one of the problems that Venezuela has been facing in the recent years and this has dampened their hopes of expanding their economy. Energy shortages can lead to the increase in the economic problems that the country is currently facing. Chavez has also provided the state with a declaration about the energy crisis and has implemented laws to fight off the energy problems (Starboek News 2010; U.S Department of State 2011). The government type currently followed in Venezuela is a federal type of government. The states of Venezuela maintain some sort of power in their authority and the voters are given the democracy to vote for their governmental representatives. The economy of Venezuela is run through the businesses revolving around the petroleum products. The major industry of Venezuela is oil which is being exported

Strategic Management Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Strategic Management Accounting - Essay Example Success can be measured by ensuring that the output is as per the desired estimation from the pre-decided input and effort (Rathore, 2009; Siddiqui, 2006). In such situation, responsibility accounting signifies classifying the financial information that is related to the areas associated with the organisational activity. After considering these financial aspects the responsibilities are allocated for controlling different areas of operations. These areas are also known as responsibility centres. There are various types of responsibility centres, such as cost centre, profit centre, revenue centre, and investment centre (Rao, 2007). The financial performance in the organisation are measured and monitored by the managers by considering the relative measures of profitability. ROI is also a relative measure of financial performance that can be utilised for comparison with the other investments. It also assists in providing a summary of the post return on the capital employed. The concept of ROI is based on the yield or benefit that investors reap on investments (Megginson and Smart, 2008). ROI = (Revenue – Investment) / Investment * 100 (Jupri, n. ... The focus of ROI is towards profit, and the data required for such calculating is easily available. Apart from this, the size of the divisions does not affect the calculation, and the managers can easily choose the projects with higher ROI. However, ROI ignores various risks, and considers historic measures. In this case the projects which have slow payoff are generally rejected. This also encourages managers to shift their focus towards short-run than long-run (Kimmel, Weygandt and Kieso, 2008). Apart from ROI, EVA is another tool for measuring financial performance that has become popular among the managers. In this case the performance is calculated on the basis of the residual wealth of the organisation that is deducted by the cost of capital from the operating profit. This is also referred as the economic profit. The formula for calculating EAV is stated below EVA = NOPAT (Net Operating Profit after Taxes) – (Capital * Cost of Capital) The organisation having a positive E VA is said to have yielded profit or wealth, while organisation with negative EVA is said to have consumed the capital. The strength of EVA is that it acts as a major indicator of wealth creation and accordingly assists the managers in streamlining the goals of the division or plant with the corporate goals (Ingram, Albright and Ingram, 2006). However, there are certain limitations in this method, especially when it comes to the size of the division or organisation, or financial orientations. Both the methods discussed here suffer from the drawback of tempting managers with short-term profits. EVA is particularly used for aspects like incentive compensation, investor relations, and resource allocation. The premise in this case is

Communication and Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Communication and Conflict - Essay Example There was a time when I had placed my homework on my classroom desk, but when I turned around it was gone. My seatmate said the class bully pilfered it when I was not looking, but I was too scared to confront him. I suffered a â€Å"no homework† mark on that day, but I would rather have had that grade than confront the bully. I avoided conflict as much as possible, but most especially with him. There was not much criteria that went into that decision; it was purely fear and a desire for self preservation. I felt that confronting him would only make me a more appealing target for him, so I maintained a low profile, thinking that we won’t be classmates forever anyway. I was glad when the classes were reshuffled and we had different classmates the following year. â€Å"HE SAID, SHE SAID† A Case Study 1. Overview of the case The case deals with a family whose members are currently experiencing conflicts of relationships. The causes of conflict are typical for most fa milies: a teen-ager who tests his parent’s limits, a mother who tends to be lenient towards her son, and a father-figure who has difficulty asserting his authority partly because of his informal role in the family (i.e., as the mother’s fiance). 2. Presentation of the key facts Marie, an adult college student and mother of fifteen-year-old son Lenny, gives him a scolding when he comes home too late without calling. She attempts to impose a 10 p.m. curfew on her son for the next four weekends. Marie resents her fiance Mike’s intervention when he breaks off the scolding and puts off the discussion for the next day. She points out that he has no authority in the discipline of her son. The following day, Marie ignores Mike’s approach at reconciliation, but quickly forgives and forgets her son’s transgression of the previous night. Mike and Lenny leave, both of them forgetting to greet Marie on her birthday. 3. Source of conflict Marie: There are two ru nning conflicts involving Marie, one with Lenny and the other with Mike. The conflict with Lenny has to do with his seeming disregard for her as a person of authority. Lenny coming home late without calling, and getting away with irresponsible acts. At first, Marie was aggressive-assertive in nagging Lenny. Marie used threat of punishment in an attempt, or maybe a guise, to discipline, but even the relatively light penalty of coming home before 10 on Saturdays seemed a tentative punishment, which Marie did not appear to seriously have the resolve to carry out. The following day, she employed avoidance by denying there was a conflict. Marie rationalized her son’s actions by telling herself that he was a good boy and did not do anything really wrong. The second conflict involving Marie is her perception of Mike’s interference in and disapproval of the way she disciplines her son. When Lenny arrived home late, she initially addressed this conflict by competition with Mike . The following day, she used avoidance by being noncommittal when Mike approached to kiss her. Mike: Mike’s source of conflict is Marie’s failure to discipline her son. Uses avoidance, at least when the conflict is still heated and confrontation is high. While he is non confrontational, however, Mike seeks to engage the issues when he perceives that temperatures have gone down. Mike may try to assert himself, but in this situation, being only a boyfriend to Lenny’s mother. Strictly speaking, it is not his place to discipline his girlfriend’