Call Centre Structures and Strategy - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1380 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Marketing Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Introduction Call centre, also known as Customer Interaction Centre is a place which is mainly engaged in receiving and transmitting a large number of information, supports and inquiries from customers via telephone. Call centre is developing by dramatic and rapid speed, is gradually becoming an important and indispensable component stage in modern enterprises or companies. It has been widely used in municipal, public security, traffic control, postal services, telecommunications, banking, insurance, securities, electricity, IT and TV shopping industry, as well as all products and merchandises which need to use telephone marketing, service and support and also dramatically upgraded the quality of service trades and operational efficiency. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Call Centre: Structures and Strategy" essay for you Create order (Workman Bommer, 2004:318) This article is going to describe how the management operates in call centre, analysis of the problems that agents are facing and propose some solutions for employers and employees to overcome in terms of managerial dilemma , or improve employees job satisfaction as well. Problems in Call Centre Highly structured and monitored work environment is the main reason leading to strong pressure for workers in contemporary call centre. More specifically, strict schedule of work, task target, rest, lunch time, or even the using toilet are planned and limited. Time off the phone is monitored. John Rolland explained, the Executive Director in Telstra Customer Sales Service. The employee will be facing some troubles when they went to bathroom more than twice. It indicates that 30 per cent of total remuneration is at risk if targets are not met, and that as a result of participating in the incentive plan, base salary and superannuation will be reduced. (Q. McDermott 2007, pers. comm. 18 June). The remaining time is in the non-stop working and repeating the same work that answer the phone during the whole day period, it can be imagined to the actual situation. As a staff who worked in a call centre said, This is a difficult place to work. You have to be able to solve problems qu ickly and be nice to customers even when they are rude.(Ashforth Humphrey, 1993:36) The work day is just like a machine doing the same tasks everyday. Furthermore, they have to adapt the diversity condition for answering customers questions, which would be recorded for the checking their performances. John Rolland described that As happens in many call centres, managers check how much time consultants spend on the phone with any one customer; measure the time they spend off the phone; and monitor the language used by consultants when they try to make a sale.(Tough Calls: 2007) Managerial Dilemma Modern organizations are facing the greatest challenge is how to maintain a good employer-employee relationships, employee psychological contract affect the labor relations is the most important factor, whether agencies or private enterprises, to improve the dispatch of personnel to meet the degree of psychological contract, trust the staff and willing to join organizations, to enhance job performance and corporate competitiveness. In addition, The management styles in workplace, include coaching and encouragement to the staff while lacking motivation would influence employees impression of working satisfaction. With the administration and supervision authorities of call center to a great extent, especially their directness in charge of the attitude towards employees, if administration and supervision authorities hold prejudice, not good at communicating with the staff, the chance of personnels loss is certain to strengthen. Many centres are suffering the high level labor fo rce change, the employer attribute this phenomenon to a great extent the intrinsic pressure works and reduces the planar structure of promotion opportunity. The year turnover rate surpasses 30% is far away formal rate. (Taylor Bain, 1999:110) manpower in Call center is the most crucial factor,so the loss of personnel is the issue of prevalence in call centre. Part of the service industry or call center services, is staff-intensive, capital-intensive industries. The manufacturing sector is also staff-intensive industries, but is different from the factory assembly line workers, call center personnel, the former face of the object of a product or machine, that is, objects, and call center employees are the face of human. Fiona M.Wilson claimed that if employees are considered as their biggest asset or their only source of competitive advantage by chief executives it suggests that they value their human resource. (Wilson 2004:145) Solutions There are many reasons for the loss of personnel, and can be divided into two main types: the external environment, for example, highly monitored, strict structure, tough target reaching, emotional control and isolated communication, and internal causes such as personal character . However, in my view, external environment occupied the most proportion of this issue which may be solved or improved through following strategy implementations. First of all, companies must understand their own organizations, in order to select suitable candidates to fill the particular call centre job. In my view, in the drafting of the selection conditions, not just focus on the understanding of the work to establish a mechanism for personnel hiring, it should take into account the job should be emphasized more on individual ability such as adaptability, anti-pressure ability and communication skills not how excellence of the candidates. In other words, suitable is more importance than professio nal knowledge in this kind of workplace. If emphasis too much on the attitude of amiable, the result could be devastating. Harm is that you on the phone on the attitude of the staff extremely polite and humble, but they gave information is not always satisfactory. Whether staffs can withstand the big working pressure, also tallies in the professional interest aspect with the telephone traffic profession and so on, these need to be considered carefully in the recruiters process. Second, setting up the Company Promotion System and incentive plan are reasonable means for personnel management. Providing more promotion opportunities will have a direct impact on employee loyalty, stimulates their work enthusiasm, and realizes progresses continually. Finally, alleviating working pressure on employees through many kinds of channels are necessary. First of all, The consummate the control system, give the staff promptly corresponding training, the instruction of call centre career and the feedback; support personnel skill training, helps and promotes the personnel to the role cognition, to master the essential work skill, for example, time management, effective communication. At the same time, it could enhance all staff the anti-stress ability through training. Third, provides the suitable place to ease pressure for the staff, like recreation area, tea room and so on could boost the sense of belonging, job satisfaction as well. On the other hand, employees themselves should control their emotion, improving communication skills to deal with different situations by several following means. First, while treating the work, they should be meticulous, conscientious and responsible attitude. The nature of the work they have determined that they can not be sloppy, can not be ambiguous. Irresponsible for the work of is irresponsible to their own and the best way to protect them is hard work, including ensuring discipline and attendance. Second, treatment of the client, the se rvice protocol a warm, orderly and good service for dealing with the issue of etiquette accumulation is willing to let customers to trust you then to help them solve the problem. Finally, treatment of the managers, you can object to your boss, but can only be made in private to reflect your dissatisfaction and demands, rather than in public places. Conclusion: This article has collected several aspects in Call Center. Working in there demands many personal skills rather than high education experience. And also, scientific management in the call centre seems to have disappeared. In fact, it does exist. The new call center and operation mode of the company itself is a typical representative of scientific management. The use of telecommunications sales, access to information that is speedy, efficient, and reliable. The problems and reasons what existing in call centers have been summarized and analyzed. As a whole, pressure from working is the key issue that employees are facing and tough to be solved. At last, some reasonable and practical suggestions are proposed Generally speaking, the call centre business model brought the profit and the advantages surpassed its negative impacts and shortcoming. Although staff may face various problems while they are working, the problems still can be improved by reasonable scientific management imp lement.

The Sociological Perceptions Of Health And Illness

The aim of this essay is to describe the term health and to outline the sociological perceptions of health and illness. This essay also discusses about the various patterns of health inequality within society, and to evaluate the different perspective and views of health within our society. It will also provide a brief analysis of two different starts to the study of health and illness. This essay will then move on to examine different health pattern which are gender, ethnicity and class. Health has always been the dominant factor of the society. Sociological investigation into health has been one of the recurring themes of the discipline. The state of health is very important to all and people spend a lot of money trying to stay healthy.†¦show more content†¦The sociological view, points out that our operating society plays a role in sickness and assumes that an acting society depends upon healthy people and on controlling illness (Grol et al., 2013). The biomedical model i s the most dominant theory in modern western medicine of health, it has been held by many official health practitioners such as doctor, surgeons and consultants. The biomedical model presumes that the illness is always due to abnormalities in the body. The theory of this is if a part of the body goes wrong it should be fixed or replaced, in the same way the machine is repaired. It takes the simplest possible cause of the illness and supplies to the simplest cure. The biomedical model is to lessen the number of morbidity and early morality deaths. In this model, it focuses on the part of the body, which work together to make sure that they have a good healthy body (Bowling, 2014). It focuses on the actual person, rather than focusing on the social and emotional process of the individual. It focuses on the risk rather than the avoiding. In contrast with the biomedical model, which pictures illness as mechanical malfunctions, Parsons described the fixed role as a temporary medically sa nction form of abnormal behavior. Parsons used his idea from Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, the idea that a sick person has aShow MoreRelatedBiomedical Model And Social Model Of Health1669 Words   |  7 Pagesbiomedical model and social model of health, and see how the two relate to Lay perspective on health and illness. AccordingHealth can be viewed as the state of being fit and well, as well as a state of mental sanity (WHO 2005). According to Blaxter (2004), if a person can perform daily functions such as going to work, taking care of the household, etc he/she is considered healthy. Many studies have found that lay people define health as the absence of illness, However being healthy means differentRead MoreMedical Sociology Is Usually Referred To As The Sub Branch1539 Words   |  7 Pages Medical sociology is usually referred to as the sub branch of sociology that explores and analyses the social causes and subsequent outcomes pertaining to health and illness (Cockerham, 2014). In this context mention may be made of the health status of individuals and populations that are not uniform and consistent thereby leads to inequity. The factors governing these disparities do not necessarily emanate from the genetic predispositions of the concerned person but is largely dependent upon factorsRead MoreT he Stigma Of Mental Illness Essay1243 Words   |  5 PagesMental illness has dated back as far as anyone can remember it was first documented as an illness by 5th century B.C., Hippocrates when, â€Å"He was pioneering and treating mentally ill people with techniques not rooted in religion or superstition; instead, he focused on changing a mentally ill patient’s environment or occupation, or administering certain substances as medications (Unite for Sight, 2016). This was unheard of since then and now most cultures believe that mental illness is a demonic punishmentRead MoreDisability Term Paper1491 Words   |  6 PagesRosario Student # 700316 Central Texas College For Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for SOCI 1301 Introduction to Sociology Submitted to Dr. Duffy December 7, 2010 INTRO TO SOCIOLOGY 2 INTRODUCTION This paper demonstrates that hitherto sociological analyses of disability have been theoretically and methodologically inadequate. It is written that sociology, in common with the other major contemporary disciplines, has accepted almost without question the legitimacy of the individualistic biomedicalRead MorePsychological And Social Influences On Smoking Behaviour1202 Words   |  5 Pages PSY101 Psychosocial Aspects of Health and Wellbeing Year 1, Semester 2. Coursework 1: Psychological and social influences on smoking behaviour Yinka Oladokun B00669560 B.Sc. Hons Psychology Introduction Smoking is a particularly common and intractable addictive disorder and is the leading preventable cause of many preventable chronic illnesses and death, responsible for approximately six million annual mortalities Yet, despite the well documented consequences of smoking, despiteRead MoreEssay on Indigenous Health Care1568 Words   |  7 Pagesindigenous communities. It will define health, comparing the difference between indigenous and non- indigenous health. It will point out the benefits and criticism of the Biomedical and sociological models of health, and state why it is important in healthcare to be culturally competent with Transcultural theory. The case study of Rodney will be analyzed to distinguish which models of health were applied to Rodney’s care, and if transcultural theory was present when health care workers were dealing withRead MoreNursing Theorists1685 Words   |  7 PagesCure 16. Joyce Travelbee - Human-To-Human Relationship Model 17. Margaret Newman - Health As Expanding Consciousness 18. Katharine Kolcaba - Comfort Theory 19. Rosemarie Rizzo Parse - Human Becoming Theory 20. Ernestine Wiedenbach - The Helping Art of Clinical Nursing   1. Florence Nightingale- Environmental Theory * First nursing theorist * Unsanitary conditions posed health hazard (Notes on Nursing, 1859) * 5 components of environment * ventilation,Read MoreExplain How Sociological and Lay Ideas About Illness Differ from Those of Biomedicine.1927 Words   |  8 PagesExplain how sociological and lay ideas about illness differ from those of biomedicine. Health is a giant wheel subject with several aspects and it is nearly impossible to explain wellness and health without considering the aspects of illness. And just as health is multi-faceted, illness, too, is studied in different perspectives. And that includes sociological, lay and biomedical concepts. Sociological Perspectives of Illness: In sociological terms, a functioning society is based on the well-beingRead MoreThe Psychology Of Mental Illness1410 Words   |  6 Pagesgoes hand in hand with mental illness, as people who are considered mentally ill will then be considered as deviant, since it is contemplated not a norm. Sociologists have paid close attention to different concepts of mental illness and how it fits in with sociology. The focus on women and the idea of mental illness is a fairly new phenomenon and a lot of research and models have taken place by sociologists throughout time to find out why women experience mental illness more than men. Social causesRead MoreNursing Is A Calling, A Lifestyle, And A Passion. Becoming1713 Words   |  7 Pagesthe patient’s physical well-being but their emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being. Nursing requires us to recall that we are human and to recognize so is everyone else. Without exception, every person is affected by their environment, their health, and their relationships with others including their nurse. Empathy is paramount in a nursing philosophy; the ability to place yourself in another’s shoes and determine the best course of action for optimal outcomes in their specific situation is

Statistical and Business Research Method

Question: Discuss about the Statistical and Business Research Method. Answer: Introduction A research topic related to business is chosen here for carrying out a research to achieve the research objectives. Some concepts, assumptions and literature related to the research topic have been critically analysed for having clearer idea on the research topic. Further, some questions are developed those are to be met at the end of the research. Apart from that, suitable research techniques, methods, data collection and analysis methods are selected for carrying out the research efficiently. At the end, expected outcome of the research is also mentioned. Business research topic The topic chosen for conducting a research is The Impact of loyalty program on customer retention- a case study of Coles. Theory, assumptions, background literature Loyalty program Loyalty program is considered as one of the most effective marketing strategies developed for encouraging customers to continue their shopping with the business organisation associated to the loyalty program (Dorotic, Verhoef, Fok and Bijmolt 2014). Garnefeld, Eggert, Helm and Tax (2013) commented that, there are different types of loyalty programs that have various reward schemes and features. In marketing, loyalty card, point card, reward card hold the identity of individuals as members of a loyalty program. Customer retention As stated by Oliver (2014), customer retention include certain activities carried out by business organisations for reducing customer defection. Therefore, companies conduct various customer retention programs for increasing their loyalty toward the organisation. Khan (2012) pointed out that, instead of spending on attracting new customers, it is easier to focus on the existing customers in terms of fulfilling their demands and expectation, which increases the profit margin of the organisation drastically. Impact of loyalty program on customer retention Loyalty programs are apparently instigated by marketers in a stab to attain some types of financial pay-off. Here, Evanschitzky et al. (2012) commented that loyalty programs those are carried out in an effective manner can strengthen the long-term competitive position of an organisation within the marketplace by retaining their loyal customers and preventing them to go to their competitive companies. However, Arbore and Estes (2013) stated that, marketers initiate different types of loyalty programs for raising differentiation loyalty and increasing barriers for the new entrants. Thus, they focus on decreasing market competition and enhancing their competitiveness by increasing customer loyalty and retaining them. 2. Research questions for the identified problems Tarasi, Bolton, Gustafsson and Walker (2013) researched that only 122% to 15% of customers remain loyal to a particular retailer, due to having lots of choices of their desired products and services. However, this small percentage of customers helps to generate 55% to 70% sales of a company. Arbore and Estes (2013) commented that due to the increasing rate of market competition among Australia retailers, it is becoming difficult for marketers to hold their customers for a long time. Therefore, companies are inclined toward devising and implementing effective strategies that can help them to gain customer loyalty in order to retain them, as it costs less than attracting new customers. As, most of the companies try to retain their existing customers through loyalty programs therefore, designing loyalty schemes in an innovative way has become crucial. Failing to do this, decreases the overall market share and profit margin significantly. Therefore, the researches objectives are to be met through the research are as follows: To understand the concept of loyalty program To analyse the concept of customer retention To analyse the impact of loyalty program on customer retention of Coles To identify the issues faced by Coles in retaining customers To provide some recommendations for overcoming the issues faced by the company Hence, the research questions are: What is loyalty program? What is customer retention? What is the impact of loyalty program on customer retention of Coles? What are the issued faced by Coles in retaining their valuable customers? 3. Research methodologies and techniques There are mainly three different types of research designs including explanatory, exploratory and descriptive (Smith, 2015). For this research, descriptive research design would be helpful in collecting accurate data on the concerned research topic. Mackey and Gass (2015) opined that descriptive research design depicts participants of the research in an appropriate manner. Thus, it would be helpful in describing individuals, who would take part in the survey. Two main types of sampling techniques include probability and non-probability (Taylor, Bogdan and DeVault 2015). In this research, the research would use the probability sampling technique for selecting a sample size of 50 customers of Coles. Further, using the non-probability sampling technique, 5 managers of Coles would be chosen. Quantitative data would be collected through the survey that would be carried out with the 50 customers of Coles and qualitative data would be collected through the interview that would be carried out with the 5 managers of the same company. 4. Research process Among different types of research processes, survey and interview process would be used in this research. For the survey, a questionnaire with 10 multiple choice type questions would be designed and distributed among 50 customers of Coles through online. Besides, a questionnaire with 4 close ended questions would be developed for interviewing the 5 managers of Coles. 5. Data collection and analysis techniques There are two main types of data include primary and secondary (Smith, 2015). The primary data would be collected through survey and interview and the secondary data would be collected from previously published books, journals, magazines and websites. The collected primary data would be analysed by calculating percentage and presenting them through graphs and tables using MS Excel. For carrying an accurate analysis; mean, median, mode and standard deviation would be calculated and evaluated. The qualitative data would be analysed through focus group. 6. Expected research outcomes After analysing the findings of the previous researches on the impact of loyalty programs on customer retention, it can be expected that using different types of loyalty programs, Coles would be able to retain 65% to 95% customers. Further, the customers would increase their purchasing for the loyalty cards in order to save their money. Reference list Arbore, A. and Estes, Z., 2013. Loyalty program structure and consumers' perceptions of status: Feeling special in a grocery store?.Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services,20(5), pp.439-444. Dorotic, M., Verhoef, P.C., Fok, D. and Bijmolt, T.H., 2014. Reward redemption effects in a loyalty program when customers choose how much and when to redeem.International Journal of Research in Marketing,31(4), pp.339-355. Evanschitzky, H., Ramaseshan, B., Woisetschlger, D.M., Richelsen, V., Blut, M. and Backhaus, C., 2012. Consequences of customer loyalty to the loyalty program and to the company.Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science,40(5), pp.625-638. Garnefeld, I., Eggert, A., Helm, S.V. and Tax, S.S., 2013. Growing existing customers' revenue streams through customer referral programs.Journal of Marketing,77(4), pp.17-32. Khan, I., 2012. Impact of customer satisfaction and retention on customer loyalty.International Journal of Technology Enhancements and Emerging Engineering Research,1(2), pp.106-110. Mackey, A. and Gass, S.M., 2015.Second language research: Methodology and design. Routledge. Oliver, R.L., 2014.Satisfaction: A behavioral perspective on the consumer. Routledge. Smith, J.A. ed., 2015.Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods. Sage. Tarasi, C.O., Bolton, R.N., Gustafsson, A. and Walker, B.A., 2013. Relationship characteristics and cash flow variability implications for satisfaction, loyalty, and customer portfolio management.Journal of Service Research,16(2), pp.121-137. Taylor, S.J., Bogdan, R. and DeVault, M., 2015.Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook and resource. John Wiley Sons.

Sula in Version an Example of the Topic History Essays by

Sula in Version by Expert TheOdyssey | 28 Dec 2016 The Inversion of Societal Expectations of Relationships Within African-American Communities in Toni Morrisons Sula Toni Morrisons Sula is a novel that challenges typical ideas of race, gender, and community in general. From the beginning of the novel, Morrison challenges ideas of right and wrong when she places her characters in the Bottom indeed, the black community lives in the Bottom, even though this community is actually on top of a hill. This inversion of the black communitys placement within a larger societal framework in many ways mirrors the other inversions throughout the narrative. Indeed, Sulas relationship with her mother alters typical ideas of mother-daughter relationships, which is similar to the relationship that Nel has with her mother Helene and the overt and stark difficulties that they face, and both of these relationships set up the friendship between Nel and Sula that constantly shifts and changes throughout the narrative. Need essay sample on "Sula in Version" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Because of the focus that Sula has on community, these relationships between black female characters carry a particular significance in the larger themes of the story: these are not only isolated friendships and familial relationships, but rather are bigger statements about the nature of black womanhood. Even though all of these female pairings are close and clearly significant to the characters, there is also some measure of hostility in all three. In fact, Sula and Nel, the central figures of the novel, are overtly competitive superficially. Morrison, however, makes it clear that this is a part of the relationships between black women: while there is harshness in all three relationships, this harshness in many ways mirrors the difficulties of being black, and these relationships demonstrate the difficulties of being a black woman. Sula immediately disrupts traditional conceptions of African-American communities through its placement of the story and the characters. Indeed, the place the characters live is in the hills above the valley town of Medallion and spread all the way to the river. It is called the suburbs now, but when black people lived there it was called the Bottom (3). Not only is this region not actually called the Bottom anymore, but we immediately see that its name is a misnomer the Bottom is actually on the top, and it is actually called the suburbs. This demonstrates that the information given to the people of the Bottom is imposed by society instead of a truthful representation. Indeed, Morrison is subverting traditional ideas of blacks being lower than whites through this region: if African-Americans actually live in the Bottom, they would not be in the hills overlooking the whites. This immediately inverses traditional oppressive ideas held towards black communities. Not only does the name of the town challenge traditional ideas of race in this novel, but the use of Greek mythology in the novel also provides a classical spin on a contemporary, race-related novel. According to Raleen Closser, the character of Shadracks National Suicide Day in many ways mirrors that of Dionysus, further propelling the community she describes out of a stereotypically oppressed role and instead displaying it alongside a classically well-received and highly-acknowledged myth in Greek mythology. Through stating and then challenging traditional conceptions of black communities, Morrison immediately sets her novel in the context of complexity and difficulty in terms of relationships. Sula and her mother Hannah continue to disrupt traditional ideas of relationships. Obviously, this is not a normal relationship between a mother and daughter: after all, Sula watches her mother burn to death and does nothing to stop the act from happening. Indeed, Eva describes Sula watching Hannah burn: Sula was probably struck dumb, as anybody would be who saw her own mamma burn up. Eva said yes, but inside she disagreed and remained convinced that Sula had watched Hannah burn not because she was paralyzed, but because she was interested (78). This demonstrates how far Sula is outside of traditional society, and also how harsh and distant her relationship with her mother is. Indeed, Sula is a distinct woman: as Yung-Hsing Wu describes in Doing Things With Ethics: Beloved, Sula and the Reading of Judgment, With Sula, then, the novel leaves one wondering what standard would define her actions as good (791). Sula does not conform to traditional ideas of womanhood, morality or what it means to be good, thereby placing her far outside of her society. Hannah is similarly ostracized: the narrator describes her as exasperate[ing] the women in the townthe good womenthe whoresthe middling women (44). Obviously, there are no women left for Hannah to be a part of. Because both Sula and her mother are placed outside of women, and particularly black women, their relationship is even more volatile. Indeed, while both women are not normal representations of women, their relationship as mother and daughter is even farther outside of the norm, demonstrating violence and a fundamental lack of overt caring between the two women, thereby lacking traditional characteristics usually present in mother-daughter and other familial connections. One of the other mother-daughter relationships, between Hannah and her mother Eva, is similarly complicated, though in a different way. The two are blatantly uncomfortable with their relationship: indeed, Hannah asks her mother, Mamma, did you ever love us? to which Eva replies No. I dont reckon I did. Not the way you thinkin (67). This immediately subverts mother-daughter relationships in American social consciousness, all mothers love their daughters, but here we see that Eva does not love Hannah in the way that society feels she is supposed to. Thats not to say that Eva does not have her own way of loving her daughter. After thinking more about the question, she states, You settin here with your healthy-ass self and ax me did I love you? Them big old eyes in your head would a been two holes full of maggots if I hadnt (68). Indeed, Eva rejects traditional ideas of matronly love and discusses the difficulty of raising a family to be healthy even though society views motherly love as needing mothers to play rang-around-the-rosie (69). Chuck Jackson explores the role of Eva in motherhood in his article A Headless Display: Sula, Soldiers and Lynching, arguing that Evas murder of her son Plum, who was in the army, is both a metaphorical act of lynching and a motherly gesture regarding Plums heroin use. This is yet another example of the different style of parenting that Eva employs she kills her own son, something certainly not acceptable by conventional standards, and she tells her daughter that she doesnt love her as shes supposed to. This is yet another example of complicated relationships with women: not only does she have a volatile and openly hostile relationship with her daughter, but her view of motherhood does not adhere to traditional conceptions of what a mother is supposed to do. Just as these two mother-daughter relationships challenge preconceptions of how African-American mothers should treat their daughters, Sulas friendship with Nel similarly calls traditional ideas regarding friendship into question. According to Lorie Fulton, Morrison did not set out to explore the possibilities of womens friendships and even told Tate, I was half-way through with the book before I realized that friendship in literary terms is a rather contemporary idea (71). This only furthers the close ties between different types of female relationships: indeed, female friendships are not always deeply explored in literature, and in doing so in Sula, Morrison is further discussing what it means to be a black woman. Sula and Nels relationship is in fact very complicated: Sula sleeps with Nels husband, both are present at the accidental death of Chicken Little, and the two essentially grow up together. While this demonstrates how close their relationship with each other is, it is also important to explore the more negative emotions that develop between the two women. When Sula is on her deathbed, Nel searches for some resolve to their conflicts and asks, I was good to you, Sula, why dont that matter? to which Sula responds It matters, Nel, but only to you. Not to anybody else. Being good to somebody is just like being mean to somebody. Risky. You dont get nothing for it (144-5). Morrison continues to invert how the reader considers relationships between people just as Hannahs mother challenges what it means to love and care for her daughter, here Sula challenges what it means to be a friend to another woman. Indeed, she doesnt get anything from being nice or mean to them. Sula herself is the definition of an inpidual: she never intentionally helps or hurts anyone, but instead is interested in what happens to each other, just as she watches her mother burn and passively sleeps with Nels husband. She did not consider others in either of these situations, and acted in pure self-interest because that is the life philosophy that she carries. As Karen Stein claims in Toni Morrisons Sula: A Black Womans Epic, Sulas final speech asserts her own goodness, and questions Nels assumptions of righteousness (148). This is yet another inversion: goodness and righteousness in relationships is questions, just as in other relationships in the novel, and the ways in which black women navigate prescribed social roles demonstrates that these social rules are not necessarily right for every community. Toni Morrisons Sula immediately challenges the way that society places rules and regulations on communities: even though the black community lives in the Bottom, its physically placed at the top, and even though the black female relationships in the novel should be loving and exist in the ways that society has always viewed them, they are much more complicated than that. Eva pushes the idea that a mother must love her daughter in a way that is always bright and sunny, and instead places emphasis on the more logistical aspects of motherhood as demonstrating love. Sula and Hannah are both women placed outside of traditional feminine roles, and this comes through in how they treat one another, as well as how Sulas friendship with Nel develops. The two women are close but not in a normal way: indeed, they have each hurt one another, and their ideas of what is good and rights do not always coincide. Because all of these traditional values are challenged by Morrison, the reader sees that relationships are more complicated than popular conceptions of them are. Further, this change in perspective on relationships is directed at the African-American community and that communitys placement within larger society. Works Cited Closser, Raleen. Morrisons Sula. Explicator 63.2 (2005): 111. Fulton, Lorie Watkins. A direction of one's own: Alienation in Mrs. Dalloway and Sula. African American Review 40.1 (2006): 67-77. Jackson, Chuck. A Headless Display: Sula, Soldiers and Lynching. Modern Fiction Studies 52.2 (2006): 374-394. Morrison, Toni. Sula. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1973. Stein, Karen. Toni Morrisons Sula: A Black Womans Epic. Black American Literature Forum 18.4 (1984): 146-150. Yung-Hsing Wu."Doing Things With Ethics: Beloved, Sula and the Reading of Judgment."Modern Fiction Studies 49.4(2003):780-805.