Over Consumption in America Essay

Over the past 50 years, the standard of living for American families has doubled. Most of these families live in a two-income household in order to acquire the money needed to live up to these standards (Pierce). This change has enabled Americans to own more material possessions and has also caused them to want even more. It is this concept of â€Å"wanting† that is leading to the growing problem of over consumption in America. People are contributing to the problem by eating more and buying more and more â€Å"non-essentials† such as TVs, computers, and cars. People find themselves wanting more and more material things in order to become happy, when in actuality it may be having the reverse effect because it is not possible to ever obtain everything that he/she wants (Easterbrook 124). By living more simply we can become happier by spending more time with our families and communities and also by helping others. In the past, TV was thought to be a way to bring the family together. However, today, more than three quarters of American families own two or more televisions. Having multiple sets causes family members to watch different programs, in separate rooms, pulling the family apart as opposed to bringing them together. Even some children have TV sets in their rooms. Instead of playing outside, kids are spending hour in front of the television (Winn 465-66) Children are also being affected by other new electronics. High-tech children’s toys are becoming more and more common. Instead of playing outside with other kids, children in our society play video games or play on a computer. Even educational toys are being made electronic. Special laptops are being made for children as young as preschool or kindergarten. This is becoming all that children know. Their generation is growing up reliant on computers. In the future they might not have a choice to relax and live more simply because the high tech world is all they know (Kalson). Another issue contributing to the problem of over consumption is cars. For some people, owning a car can be necessary. For others, public transportation is an option. Owning one or more cars can also affect the  community by using unnecessary amounts of fuel and by polluting. The car also allows us to live a high-speed life. Americans are constantly traveling or working and are not taking the time to relax as we did in the past. America’s fast paced lifestyle is part of the reason we don’t spend as much time with our families and friends as in other cultures (Wilson). Americans also contribute to over consumption by the amount of food we eat. Obesity is a growing issue in American society today. Twenty percent of children are overweight. If this problem persists, the next generation could be the first in 200 years to have a shorter life expectancy than the last. The greatest issue of this problem is fast food and the portions of it. Instead of eating healthy, home cooked meals, Americans are replacing them with fat and calorie loaded fast foods and precooked meals. This problem is leading towards more health problems. 30 percent of boys and 40 percent of girls born in the year 2000 are expected to have diabetes at some point in their life. Americans can fight this problem by trying to live more like people in other countries by eating healthier foods, smaller portions, and teaching children how to eat right (Mieszkowski). Part of the reason that Americans have such a large role in this problem might possibly be because of advertising. Because our media is so widely spread and easily accessed, Americans can be more easily persuaded. This issue can also relate back to the problem of watching too much TV. Because the United States has no regulations on advertising, anyone can be affected by any amount of advertising. Children, who are more susceptible, can be manipulated into thinking that they need something that they really don’t. This problem could possibly solved by restricting the amount of advertising or where advertising is aloud. We can also resist this problem being more aware of it. By judging each ad to see if it is coercive, deceptive, or manipulative, we can remove the emotional appeal of the commercial and make a more rational decision (Hirschberg 61-68). However some people think that over consumption is not the problem: †¦(S)quandering money on big screen TVs, McMansions, restaurant meals,  oversized cars and luxury vacations†¦ (are not to blame) for insolvency and all those maxed-out credit cards. Instead†¦ (it is)†¦ the high cost of housing and education†¦ (F)ixed expenses that can quickly create a sea of red ink when families face layoffs, illness, or divorce. Skyrocketing health-care costs add to the problem (Gardner). If Americans started to live more simply, we could not only gain happiness by relaxing and spending more time with our families, but we could also give some of our extra money or belongings to charity. Helping those in need can give us a sense of self worth that could not be obtained by living as we do now. Linda Pierce argues that â€Å"simplicity values† are important to enrich a persons life. She states that Limiting material possessions, Meaningful work weather paid or volunteer, relationships with friends and family, pleasurable leisure activities, and a connection to community are good values to strive for in order to live simply (Pierce). Over consumption is affection all Americans’ lives, especially the lives of children, the next generation: TV and video games have vanquished running around outside. Kids in the city have too few places to play. And (sic) ids in the suburbs have no sidewalks to walk on, much less places to walk to. Fewer kids walk or ride their bikes to school, either because there’s no safe route, or it’s simply too far. At school, phys ed and recess have been shortened or eliminated, through the double whammy of budget cuts and he renewed emphasis on academic testing. And (sic) many schools sells junk food to kids in the cafeteria in attempt to subsidize shrinking budgets through soft drink and candy bar revenue (Mieszkowski). The longer this problem goes unsolved, the harder it will be to overcome it. It is important to overcome this problem to gain happiness by gaining leisure time and spending more time with their families and communities and also by helping others in need. If we can accomplish this, Americans can stop associating a â€Å"good life† with material possessions but with personal happiness instead. Gardner, Marilyn. Do two incomes mean deeper debt?. 5 Dec. 2005 http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/CollegeandFamily/P61852.asp. Easterbrook, Gregg. The Progress Paradox. New York: Random House, 2003. Hirschberg, Stuart. The Rhetoric of Advertising . Kalson, Sally. â€Å"Study finds toddlers immersed in electronic media.† Pittsburgh Post Gazette. 29 Oct. 2003: D1. Mieszkowski, Katharine. â€Å"Growing Up Too Fat.† Salon 4 pp. 5 Dec. 2005 http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2005/04/16/kids_obesity/index3.html. Pierce, Linda Breen. The Simplicity Resource Guide. 5 Dec. 2005 http://www.gallagherpress.com/pierce/overview.htmhttp://www.gallagherpress.com/pierce/overview.htm. Wilson, James Q. Cars and Theirs Enemies. Winn, Marie. Television: The Plug-In Drug.

The Efficacy of Malunggay

Chapter I Introduction A. Background of the Study Malunggay is a popular plant that is dubbed â€Å"miracle tree† or â€Å"natures medicine cabinet† by scientists and health care workers worldwide because of its proven nutritional benefits as well as, reported medical properties. In the Philippines Malunggay is widely cultivated and can be found in the backyard of many Filipino homes. It is a low-maintenance plant. It can grow in almost any kind of soil and is drought resistant. The Malunggays main values are as source of nutrients.Its medicinal properties are limited and mostly unproven. It also helps to control blood pressure, relieves headaches and migraines. Blood clotting, or coagulation, is an important process that prevents excessive bleeding when a blood vessel is injured. Platelets (a type of blood cell) and proteins in your plasma (the liquid part of blood) work together to stop the bleeding by forming a clot over the injury. Typically, your body will naturall y dissolve the blood clot after the injury has healed.Sometimes, however, clots form on the inside of vessels without an obvious injury or do not dissolve naturally. These situations can be dangerous and require accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Clots can occur in veins or arteries, which are vessels that are part of the body’s circulatory system. While both types of vessels help transport blood throughout the body, they each function differently. Veins are low-pressure vessels that carry deoxygenated blood away from the body’s organs and back to the heart.An abnormal clot that forms in a vein may restrict the return of blood to the heart and can result in pain and swelling as the blood gathers behind the clot. B. Objectives: The study aimed to determine the efficacy of Malunggay leaves (Moringa Oleifera) leaves extract in increasing the platelet count of albino mice. Specifically, it aimed to compare the platelet counts of these mice given doses of the pla nt extract before and after the treatments. C. Hypothesis: The study is guided by the following hypotheses:Null: That Malunggay leaves (Moringa Oleifera) decoction is as significant as the control in increasing the platelet count of albino mice. Alternative: There is a significant difference of the Malunggay leaves (Moringa Oleifera) and the control in increasing the platelet count of the albino mice. D. Significance of the study: (talk on how Malunggay can increase the platelet count) E. Scope and limitation: The scope of the study is limited to the extraction of Malunggay leaves and administration of the extract in mice in different doses. The platelet is the main blood cell under investigation.

Attendance at a local seminar (report) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Attendance at a local seminar (report) - Essay Example â€Å"Project management is a carefully planned and organized effort to accomplish a successful project,† (Lonergan, K) Walters explained, stressing on the dire need of project managers in the industry. Walters further informed the students about different factors which influence the success of a project. They were Project team, sponsor, customer, programme manager, operations and the sellers. He mentioned that there were three crucial points related to project management also known as â€Å"triple constraint.† They are known as time, cost and scope. Walter mentioned the Work-Braeakdown-Structure where he described the project management tools, including, common sense, eyes, ears and all the other senses. He clearly noted that â€Å"trust but verify.† Dear Client, I have written what all I could understand from the pdf’s. If you think I am missing on some points do let me know. Apart from that, if you think I can pick up matter from the internet, I would do that. Let me

Event Planning in Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Event Planning in Tourism - Essay Example Event planning for any organization requires individuals who are competent and knowledgeable in the field of event planning. This is so much so in the field of tourism where the organization aims to package itself as a tourist destination of sorts. They seek to attract tourists to their tourist destinations. The tourism sector is linked to virtually all the other sectors of a country’s economy. This makes the tourism sector the most important sector of a government’s planning. With this knowledge in mind, the individuals brought in to plan for a tourism-related event should possess skills that are relevant to the field (Kelly, 1990). Â  This paper sets out to investigate the field of event planning while looking at the tourism sector. It seeks to identify the process involved in planning for tourism as an event and set out the steps which should be included when planning for the same. Â  An event is defined as a temporary occurrence that possesses a fixed length of time. An event can be of different types, i.e. planned and unplanned, and the ones that are planned are usually publicized to ensure they get maximum exposure towards the targeted audience. Every event is unique in itself as it involves the blending of different setting, duration, management, and people who facilitate it (Getz, 2007). In the field of tourism, the organizer has to plan for every event because of the nature of the events that are being thought of. Â  Successful planning of any event is important because it ensures that the organization remains competitive in the related market.

JPMorgan Chase Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

JPMorgan Chase - Assignment Example Any erroneous trades that are discovered are consistently and promptly resolved using a transparent process that applies objective standards. The fourth point is regulating stub quotes and market making obligations. They require all market makers to maintain stub quotes that are bona fide and consider maintaining two-sided stub quotes that do not have to be executed in severe market conditions. They are particularly considering banning all stub notes use. A valid contract is an agreement, legally enforceable, between two or more parties. The parties do not necessarily have to be people must be independent entities. Contracts between consumers and banks must be valid because large amounts of money are usually involved and all care must be taken to ensure that there are no misunderstandings in the contract terms. The parties must be aware of what the contract promises and what it does not promise. There are four elements to a valid contract; competent parties; legal purpose; offer and acceptance; and consideration. Intentional tort actions are activities carried out with the intentional of violating civil rights. The intentional tort can occasionally be transferred when the targeted party is not the party eventually wronged. Any party that injuries party A while intent on injuring party B is liable to party A whom they injured. The tort is negated if the parties involved synonymously consented to the action occurrence, though this is limited to normal consequences such that any consequences outside the normal spectrum could still invite liability.

Consumer Behaviour- Redbull Case Study questions

Consumer Behaviour- Redbull questions - Case Study Example Through the marketing strategy of employing thrill into the advertisements, the company targets the young generation to consume the drink as a supplement to the adrenaline inducing sports. Such market segmentation has allowed the company to merge its natural consumer base with its targeted market. In the future, Red Bull’s most beneficial marketing strategy would be to segment the market based on consumers and innovation specifically rather than brute sponsorship based advertisement. Targeting a behavioural segment that is divided in to the groups of those who regularly, for example, go to gym or those that work in tough environments in the same age limits; it would be wiser, as per Walker’s (2006) research, to spend more marketing funds on those who are behaving in a more favourable way to consume the product. For example a 20 year old who goes to gym is more open to Red Bull’s advertisements than a 20 year old who works in a print shop. By specifically targetin g behaviour based market segments, Red Bull’s future marketing can further be optimized in line with the company’s current policy without interfering with other policies like those of thrill based advertisement. ... Starting from distributing free cases of the energy drink at gyms, schools and different buildings where they could find their consumer base, the Red Bull started with a viral advertising policy. The success of the viral advertisement resulted in rapid growth in sales. The motivations of consumers were based on their own needs, or their own needs as shown by the company. The need to re energize at work, gym, construction sites and other advertised areas has shown to be a consumer need by the Red Bull and often the Red Bull consumers are compared with non consumers in advertisements. The comparison often either implies the lack of energy in the individual and the inability to perform properly without re energizing or shows extra abilities in the individual consuming the product. The moto â€Å"No Red Bull, No Wings† clearly backs up this concept. Furthermore, by sponsoring highly thrilling race competitions, both on air and ground, the motivation to use the product is further a roused in the consumer base, both psychologically and as a way to try the product for the new consumers by creating a ‘buzz’. Describe the Brand Personality of Red Bull. Why do you think the concept of brand personality is so important to Red Bull? Being an energy drink aimed at the youth, Red Bull has developed a bold brand personality of a strong bull as depicted by its logo. The brand personality of the energy drink implies the traits of the type of boost it claims to give the consumers; strength, energy, physical resistance, quicker reaction time and improved mood. Giving an emotional character and association to the brand’s image, the company has devised a strategy

Employment Relations in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Employment Relations in Australia - Essay Example The term discrimination refers to the choices and judgments we make every day. Similarly, employers discriminate in a way when recruiting staff. There will be many applicants, so employers need to make a choice. They choose the best person for the job by discriminating according to the applicants' skills, experience, etc.These types of discrimination makes sense. But some types of discrimination are unfair and against the law. For example, a sensible employer does not make decisions about who to give a job based on irrelevant personal characteristics, like someone's race or gender. Discrimination can be based on disability, race, age, pregnancy and martial status. Discrimination can be done even based on religion, political opinion, medical record, irrelevant criminal record, social origin, trade union activity. The Human Rights Commission Act 2005 commenced on 1 November 2006 enabled people to make their voices heard and put a stop to discrimination on the grounds of Physical Disabilities, religion, caste, gender and so on . Western Australia has come up with some changes in its Anti-Discrimination Laws for the betterment of its employee (Glen Bartlett Sep 2007). The commission has submitted its report to the Attorney General on 14 May 2007 (A1) .These changes in the anti-discrimination law will force the commission to widen the grounds covering areas so far neglected which include physically challenged people, people suffering from fatal disease and discrimination on religious ground and providing equal work opportunities to all. The recommended changes include Considering breastfeeding as a ground of discrimination in its own right. In many states of Victoria, Northern Territory, Tasmania,

The Sales Promotion Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Sales Promotion - Article Example They include employment agencies, classified advertisements, web search and other employment placement service sites. The selection is based on key attributes like being self- motivated, having a disciplined work style, ability to close the sale and lastly capability to build a solid customer relationship. Next is the training of the sales team which is done through various programs such as seminars and meetings on Products, Company and Service. Thirdly, there is sales force compensation which is achieved through salaries, commissions, vacations, pensions and even repays for well job-related expenses. Fourthly, there is sales force supervision and subsequent evaluation of their performance for further improvements. Selling is a complex process that involves several steps. First, there is prospecting and qualifying which briefly involves identifying potential customers, then a pre-approach stage which involves knowing more about the needs of customers. Thirdly, there is the meeting of customers for the first time. Then a salesperson has to handle various objections to customer buying, asking the customer for order and finally making a follow-up. Relationship marketing, on the other hand, involves campaigns by aimed at customer satisfaction and retention. The sales promotion program is developed through a number of steps. There is the size of incentive determination and subsequent setting of conditions for participants. Then, a decision is made on promotion and distribution to the sales team.

Introduction to Databases Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Introduction to Databases - Assignment Example This means the DROP operation will be performed not only on the primary key but also on all referencing foreign keys. Secondly, to avoid having null values as primary keys, always specify the primary key to auto increment whenever the database is populated. One foreign key from a table can only refer to a single primary key on another table. Moreover, it is unacceptable for the same foreign key to refer to multiple primary keys. For instance, department_id on the employee table refers to the primary key department_id on the department table and not the department_id on the job_history table. The data type and values of foreign key that are used in the database schema must match with the data types and values of primary key or unique columns for that matter. The data values of country_id on countries table, say 11, should be the same as that of country_id on the locations table. Similarly, the data type should also be same. If region_id in the regions table is an integer, then region_id on the countries table must also be an integer and not a double or

John Lewis Christmas Marketing Campaign Essay Example for Free

John Lewis Christmas Marketing Campaign Essay This year’s advert, entitled â€Å"The Journey†, hopes to do as well if not better than its predecessor. The ? 6 million campaign created by Adam+EveDDB tells the story of a snowman who travels across rivers, mountains, roads and cities to get the perfect gift for the snowwoman who stands with him in the garden. * The advert could’ve been seen on channel 4 just before Christmas and then it was easily accessible on internet(facebook, youtube, etc). John Lewis also was running a snowman hunt, with six snowmen figures hidden around stores. If customers find them all they could win a price, including a  £10,000 holiday, Sony laptop, spa days and gift hampers. John Lewis has also run social media activity including competitions to win a holiday to New Zealand, where the ad was filmed, and for a family to get their garden ‘snowed up’ for Christmas day. John Lewis hopes to make a â€Å"confident statement† in its Christmas marketing this year through its TV, press, outdoor and in-store activity as well as the Annual, a glossy print title that brings together its Editions magazine and Christmas catalogue into one publication for the first time. The Twitter campaign uses the hashtag #snowmanjourney to track its experiential campaign that is photographing the snowman in different towns around the country. John Lewis has also press released many articles regarding their Christmas advert, in store sales, and competitions. John Lewis PR department has also write a book that tells the story of the snowman and his journey which is also part of the high profile Christmas campaign, short afterwards the book became one of the most selling books for children. John Lewis has attributed a lift in its crafts offering to its Christmas ad campaign. Items on sale include a Knit Your Own Snowman. * The campaign was created to persuade more and more customers to come in the store and buy gifts for their loved ones during Christmas time. John Lewis’s advert also delivered strong Christmas, and warm feeling to the viewers so they are also creating the brand. They want to tell and insert John Lewis’s brand in many people’s life. Craig Inglis the Marketing Director at John Lewis said â€Å"the campaigns are not just an investment in making people feel Christmassy, they have commercial effectiveness at eart. † Adverts starring the character proved a big hit – with more than three million views on YouTube. * The target market were people who had families, people who lad loved ones, relatives, and people who had someone one special in their lives, because Christmas it is all about spending time with the loved ones, giving them gifts and have a great time. Also they targeted at other organization’ s customers for example MarksSpencer, Boots, etc. Also people who wanted to their bedrooms as they had big sales in their home department. Sales figures Sales for the retailer are up 7. 6% year on year for the week ending 17 November with a strong performance in electrical and home technology driving the growth with a 22. 2% jump in sales. In the five weeks over Christmas John Lewis recorded a 44. 3 per cent rise in its ‘Click and Collect’ service, which allows shoppers to buy products online and then collect them from one of the group’s Waitrose supermarkets, compared with figures from 2011. Total web sales reached ? 684. 8 million in the five weeks to 29 December. Electrical and home technology sales were up by 30. 9 per cent on 2011 with tablets being the retailer’s star festive performer. Fashion and beauty sales rose 10. 4 per cent with home products increasing by 6. 2 per cent. In the last full week before Christmas John Lewis posted sales of ? 157. 8 million, a rise of 26. 5 per cent from last year. A record ? 31. 7 million was then taken on 27 December, the start of the retailer’s clearance sale. Conclusion Overall I think the Christmas campaign has been extremely successful. The reason why I am saying this is because comparing the sales figure from last year and this year they achieved a record this year by stepping over the ? 150 million revenue. Also looking at the promotional mix they have done pretty well again, as we have new products which are the snowman book and the snowman toys, sales offers in their stores at certain products. Their PR department did very well as they came with articles just before launching the advert letting people know when and where will they be able to see the advert. The personal selling was great as well as when going to the check out they would ask the customers if they found everything they need and also if they would be interested in buying the snowman book, etc. Direct marketing was great as well as there was a twitter account where you could fallow the snowman’s adventure, and competitions on Facebook and in store. An improvement I would say it would be that maybe the customers where interested in more sales promotions and more direct marketing would convince customers to buy more products and come to John Lewis more often. Although the Advert did cost a huge amount of money that is nothing compared to the ? 157. 8 million revenue they made last year. Another reason why I think that the campaign was successful was that the advert they made has been voted as the year’s most favourite TV advert. And finally the last reason why I am sure that the campaign was extremely successful was that none of the directors of John Lewis expected a record breaker sales figure.

Strategies for Finding New Equity Capital

Strategies for Finding New Equity Capital Financial Management ABC plc has grown from a company with  £10,000 turnover to one with a  £17m turnover and  £1.8m profit in the last five years. The existing owners have put all their financial resources into the firm to enable it to grow. The directors wish to take advantage of a very exciting market opportunity but would need to find  £20m of new equity capital as the balance sheet is already over-geared (i.e. has high debt). The options being discussed, in a rather uniformed way, are flotation on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, a flotation on the Alternative Investment Market and private equity. Write a report to enlighten the board on the merits and disadvantages of each of these three possibilities. Answer: Option 1 Floatation on the main market of LSE. Floating money from LSE will lead to listing of shares of the company. Demerits of listing shares on stock exchange will lead to increase in legal compliances, which will also increase the cost of the company. As the company has grown drastically during the past 5 years, it will be easy for raising money from market which will form part of merits of floating money from LSE. Risks will be shared and a new debt will not appear in balance sheet of the Company. On the other hand raising funds through stock market would lead to loss of ownership and control over the company. Option 2 Private Equity Private equity is raising money from handful of investors. Merits of raising funds through private equity are large amount of funds can be raised , the investors also be a part of management due to which the business is monitored closely by a third party, huge returns can be obtained from private equity investments. Some of the demerits of private equity are loss of management control and dilution of ownership in the Company. Option 3 Alternative Investment Market is getting investment form alternate sources. (Andrew Killick Head of Corporate Finance (South Region) Baker Tilly) Merits The regulations for raising money from Alternative Investment Market are lighter hence it saves the corporate expense. The paying of merger and acquisition is easier. Demerits There is loss of control as the institutions (investors) own large share in the company. Floatation puts the company in the spotlight and under scrutiny, and this continues throughout a public companys life which reduces the privacy. The company has to report results to a tighter timetable and to International Financial Reporting Standards. Management Accounting Management accounting team also come up with some questions and request you to explain/answer them for upcoming board meeting: What is the point of distinguishing between absorption and marginal costing? Why they report different profit, explain with an example? Answer: Example : Variable cost of a product x 10 p.u, fixed cost for the period 100000, Number of units produced 10000, closing stock 1000 units, material cost 15 p.u Value of closing stock under both methods- Marginal costing Closing stock = (Material cost+Variable cost) * Number of Units   = (15+10)*1000 = 25000 Absorption Costing Closing stock = Total cost throughout the year/ total units produced * closing stock = 100000 (fixed cost)+ 100000 (variable cost) + 150000 (material cost)/ 10000*1000 =350000/10000*1000 =35000 The management of XYZ company is concerned about the its inability to obtain enough fully trained labour to enable it to meet its present budget projection: Service A B C Total Variable costs Materials 8 6 7 21 Labour 11 8 14 33 Expenses 5 4 4 13 Allocated fixed cost 6 15 12 33 Total cost 30 33 37 82 Profit 17 4 4 25 Sales revenue 47 37 41 107 The amount of labour likely to be available amounts to  £23,000. All of the variable labour is paid at the same hourly rate. You are asked to prepare a statement of plans, ensuring that at least 50 per cent of the budgeted sales revenues are achieved for each service and the balance of labour is used to produce the greater profit. What steps could the business take in an attempt to improve profitability, in the light of the labour shortage?ANSWER To improve the profit in the light of labour, company should B is the most profited company as it has the maximum profit per unit labour. The second preference should be given to company A as it provides better profit per unit labour then company C. And company C is the last option with least profit per unit labour. MM plc makes Product E, the standard costs of which are: Sales Revenue  £40 Direct labour (1 hour) (13) Direct materials (1 kg) (12) Fixed overheads (5) Standard profit 10 The budgeted output for March was 1,000 units of Product E; the actual output was 1,100 units, which was sold for  £44,400. There were no inventories at the start or end of March. The actual production costs were: Direct labour (1,075 hours) £14,513 Direct Materials (1,170 kg)13,455 Fixed overheads 5,700 How flexible budget will help this company to identify the budget variance? ANSWER Flexible Budget Flexible budget calculates expenditure levels for variable costs. Depending upon the actual revenue different variable cost are considered. Flexible budget results in varying budget depending upon the activities performed. In this case the actual revenue of the company has exceeded the budgeted revenue. The factors affecting the actual revenue and budgeted revenue are Sales, Material, Fixed Overhead, Profit, Labour. So the difference between the actual and budgeted revenue can be easily calculated using Flexible budgeting. REFERENCES Andrew Killick Head of Corporate Finance (South Region) Baker Tilly)

Comparing the Concepts of Seeming and Being in Relation to Political Po

Comparing the Concepts of Seeming and Being in Relation to Political Power and Leadership in The Prince and The Republic 9. Machiavelli says the prince only has to seem good, not be good. Socrates insists that seeming is bad, being is good. Is it better to remain in the cave with Machiavelli, or see the light with Socrates? Write three pages for Machiavelli and against Socrates, write another three pages against Machiavelli and for Socrates. Both Niccolà ² Machiavelli and Plato, in their works The Prince and The Republic (respectively), address the concepts of seeming and being in relation to political power and leadership, however they do so in two distinct manners. In the Republic, Socrates insists that seeming is bad, and being is good. Using a parable of people in a cave, he states that the only way to know the difference between what seems and what actually is reality is to experience it in its purest form, instead of through images. Machiavelli, on the other hand outlines the different ways that a prince could rise to power, and justifies any and all means that a prince could take. He states that a prince only has to seem good when it fits his purposes, not actually be good. He encourages an aspiring prince to be deceitful and conniving in order to gain and maintain power. Before concluding which political theorist is correct, it is interesting to examine whether it would be better to remain in the cave wit h Machiavelli or see the light with Socrates. The citizens of Socrates’ Republic are divided into three classes. Those who are deemed fit to rule, the philosopher/rulers, are those who have been chosen to pass through several stages of training and preparation. They are the most fit to rule, because the... ...ity really is, and if they don’t have the wisdom to do this on their own, there are people who will guide them. It can only be concluded that seeming good, as Machiavelli advocates, is bad because it is essentially deceives the citizens. Additionally, when one seems, they are acting in the interest of only themselves. Being good, as Socrates promotes, is the better of the two, because when one is actually good, they will act in the interest of society as a whole, instead of merely their own selfish interests. It is a far better thing to emerge from the cave with Socrates, to see the light, to gain the knowledge, and the ability to share it with others. Works Cited Plato. The Republic. Trans. Richard W. Sterling and William C. Scott. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1996. Machiavelli, Niccolo The Prince New York: Oxford University Press, 1952

Video Game Violence Starter :: essays research papers

Video Game Violence Admiring the smooth barrel and full clip of bullets in his Sig model 552 Commando, Landros sat near the limestone corner listening to the footsteps and gunfire down the next hallway. Making sure not to be caught off guard by a lone commando, he set down a few claymore mines in the corridor behind him. Listening to the screams of both Terrorist and Counter-Terrorist clicked something in his mind... Time to clean up! Sprinting around the corner, two Terrorist bodies lay with their death weapons sprawled about. Three Counter-Terrorists were left alive but two terrorists down the hall were making a stand off with pistols. "This could be a movie." He thought to himself. Hauling past the lead filled crates and two dead bodies, he stop and braced himself for the explosive recoil of his deadly tool. Shell casings littered the hallway like marbles in a kids movie, making it extremely hard to walk. The first Counter-Terrorist, or CT, took three pierces from the 5.56 millimeter bullets then dropped to the floor. The middle CT did not notice his comrade drop because he was too far ahead, the one reloading his Colt M4A1 behind a crate however did and began to fumble the clip, he was quickly exterminated of. The remaining Counter-Terrorist emptied his clip and took cover from the returning 50 calibers. Sensing his comrades had either left him or died, the latter being the most likely, loaded his Steyr AUG like a lightning bolt. Being fixated on the gun, he completely forgot about Landros standing upon the crate waiting to see the whites of his eyes. Like a badly timed black and white taking bullets from a LA gang fight, the map changes and the chance to take exact revenge is lost. But not for long. Your probably wondering how a Map change happens in a gun fight between Counter-Terrorist and Terrorist and how the Terrorist was able to acquire a Sig Model 522 "Commando" and Army issue Claymore mines. Well in the world of First Person Shooters (or Half-Life MOD Counter-Strike specifically) these are items that are readily available to the user with the required amount of credits. Welcome to the World of Gaming. April 20th, 1999. Several small explosions rocked the entrance and surrounding area of Littleton, Colorado's Columbine Highschool. Soon after gunshots and a stampede of screaming bodies flooded the hallways of the school.

Types of Criticism and Literary Movements in Short Stories :: Free Essay Writer

Types of Criticism and Literary Movements in Short Stories The short story dates back as early as the 14th Century. It offers what a novel or the equivalent would offer but it has a swiftness and completeness about it. According to Ruby Redinger, the short story is most powerful through graphic narration (752). The short story has captured a diverse group of things from the supernatural to an everyday occurrence. Nearly any situation can be worked into a short story if the right writer is managing the idea. The first masters of the short story in the eyes of Redinger were Boccaccio, Decameron, and Chaucer, Canterbury Tales (752). These stories were both written during the 14th Century. During the Renaissance period the short story lost its edge and writers’ attempts to do what Boccaccio and Chaucer had done failed. In the 19th Century America was the first to declare the short story as a literary form. During this time the authors Edgar Allan Poe, Washington Irving, and Nathaniel Hawthorn contributed to the survival of the short story . During this timeframe realism, romanticism, and impressionism were the more common literary movements. The short story can also use many other forms and types of criticism to describe it. A few different forms are surrealism, Dadaism, Imagism, Romanticism, and many others. The satire is both a type of literature and a literary manner. It has an early history in poetry as a genre. C. Hugh Holman states that it originated in the 2nd Century B.C. by Roman satirist Lucilius and later practiced by Horace, Persius, Juvenal, and Quintilian (294). A satire is more frequently a literary manner in which the imperfections of a person, entire mankind, or an institution are ridiculed with the intention of correcting them. Satire is also applied to magic songs and ritualistic incentives in Greek, Old Irish, and Arabic literatures, where the ritual curse was believed to have powerful effects. The satire is often confused with the satyr play of Greek drama and coarse comic manner. This has influenced and confused the ideas about a satire in English literature. Although the satire is often comic, its primary object is not to provoke general laughter but to provoke laughter for corrective purposes. The satire always has a target, which is held up to mock upon the satiri st’s unveiling. The satirist’s viewpoint is nearly that of the cold-eyed realist, that penetrates shame and pretense for a didactic reason.

Constitutional Reform of 1997 in United Kingdom

The UK constitution has a modaretely successful history, it is highly tradition and has stood the test of time and, based on the fact that Britain has never suffered a violent revolution unlike France, we can therefore assume that the UK constitution has many beneficial and enduring strengths. Our constitution ensures that Parliament, and therefore Government, can act quickly and decisively as they are unrestricted by excessive constitutional constraints. It is flexible and adaptable which clearly shows thorugh after the 2010 general elections. However, the lack of restraints on the powers of Government and Parliament may be dangerous especially to minority and invidual rights. There have also been many doubts about this traditional constitution and many questions have been raised to do with the Monarchy and outdated institutions such as the FPTP system. The lack of separation of powers between Government and Parliament means that Government tends to dominate which in many eyes is seen as undemocratic. The first constitutional reform was to do with devolution; Scotland Act of 1998, Wales Act of 199 and the Belfast Agreement of 1998. The original nature of this reform was so that considerable powers were transferred to the devolved representative bodies and executives. Labour wanted to bring about this change due to the fact that they were hugely popular in Wales and Scotland and so the Acts were a means of thanking them for their support. This reform has been believed to be long overdue and has been very beneficial and have given each body the right to have more control over their region however it has caused a bigger rift of the UK and therefore has separated Britain even more. The second reform was the Human Rights Act of 1998. This reform has been extremely beneficial for minority and invididual rights, which has been reflected most recently in the Abu Qatada case where a man who had made terrorist plans has been saved from deportation to Jordan, where he would have most likely been prosecuted for his actions. The European Convention on Human Rights made this Act binding on all public bodies but the UK Parliament due to Parliament being sovereign. Although this act has been beneficial, it would have had more impact should it have been binding on Parliament. Another reform was the House of Lords ; the House Of Lords Act of 1999. Most of the hereditary peers lost their voting rights and there was a major cut down in the number of hereditary peers as it was lowered down to just 92. There was also a decision to separate the Judges from the Lords ( Constitutional Reform Act of 2005) and move them into a seperate building across the road. It is believed to be a moderate decision which has limited the powers of the Lords as many believed there should not be any hereditary peers. In fact a proposal has been put forward for a whole new house to be created. There were 3 other major changes introduced : Greater London Authority Act 1999, Local Government Act 1999 and Freedom Of Information Act 2000. The first established an elected mayor in London with an elected assembly to which s/he is accountable for, the second allowed for local communities to elect a mayor if approved by a local referendum and the third gave the citizens the right to view documents and records of public bodies. Each of these has helped to reinforce democracy within the UK and helped to protect the rights of each citizen by ensuring they are more politically involved and have the right to appoint and elect candidates for powerful positions.

Incremental profit Essay

Distinguish between the following: a) Industry demand and Firm (Company) demand, b) Short-run demand and Long run demand, and c) Durable goods’ demand and Non-durable goods demand. 2 . What are the problems faced in determining the demand for a durable good? Illustrate with example of demand for households refrigerator or television set. 3 . Analyze the method by which a firm can allocate the given advertising budget between different media of advertisement. 4 . What kind of relationship would you postulate between short-run and long-run average cost curves when these are not U-shaped as suggested by the modern theories? 5 . How do demand forecasting methods for new products vary from those for established products? 6 . What are the different methods of measuring national income? Which methods have been followed in India? 7 . What do you understand by the investment multiplier? In what way does it defend the policy of public works on the part of the state during business depression? 8 . Discuss the various phases of business cycle: a. Are cyclical fluctuations necessary for economic growth? b. Suggest appropriate fiscal and monetary policies for depression Assignment B: all Case Study Electron Control, Inc., sells voltage regulators to other manufacturers, who then customize and distribute the products to quality assurance labs for their sensitive test equipment. The yearly volume of output is 15,000 units. The selling price and cost per unit are shown below:Â  Selling price $200 Costs: Direct material $35 Direct labor 50 Variable overhead 25 Variable selling expenses 25 Fixed selling expenses 15 150 Unit profit before tax $ 50 Management is evaluating the alternative of performing the necessary customizing to allow Electron Control to sell its output directly to Q/A labs for $275 per unit. Although no added investment is required in productive facilities, additional processing costs are estimated as: Direct labor $25 per unit Variable overhead $15 per unit Variable selling expenses $10 per unit Fixed selling expenses $100,000 per year Calculate the incremental profit Electron Control would earn by customizing its instruments and marketing directly to end users.

Global Poverty Essay

Poverty is a serious issue that has been going on for centuries. Every day there are people who die due to hunger but there are solutions to reducing, and even stopping, poverty. Global poverty comes in an abundance of shapes and sizes. One of the main sources of poverty is the lack of investment in the future at all levels. The manufacturer outsources to China because he does not want to invest in long-term employees. The government does not want to invest in quality employees through education, infrastructure, health care, etc. The potential employee does not want to invest in his future through education or training, but would rather have immediate gratification of leisure. A second main source is the lack of certain basic government functions. The government needs to be able to provide stability, through laws and establishing property rights. Without these basic things, there is little incentive for the people to develop new products, or work hard, because it will just be taken a way by someone more powerful. I don’t think government is the solution to everything, but it is necessary for a few basic functions. Another main source of poverty (and economic inequality) is because we are very selfish and self-destructive. We are a species that cannot exist without soiling our own nest and devouring our own weak until we ourselves are devoured. We all want to have more stuff for the amount of wealth we have to give up. That means we all are demanding that someone generate more wealth for less than it is worth. Unfortunately, we are willing to take this to extremes. We are more than happy to see all of our neighbours lose their jobs in the mill next door because the super center gets the same item made by slave labour in China. The people at the top are merely making a profit on what we demand they do for us. Poverty hits children the most because they are our future generation and they need to grow up healthy and prosper but most children don’t have this advantage. They should have food and education so they can grow up and become something, push the world forward, but unfortunately those living in poverty don’t have the luxury of this. More than 80% of the population dies of hunger every single year and 22,000 of them are children. There are solutions to ending poverty but if we don’t stop it now it will only get worse. The percentage will double and there won’t be children to bring the world forward because they would have died due to poverty. The infant mortality rate will increase and so will the amount of homeless people.In the political sense there could be an increased risk of war as well as genocide and terrorism. There’s also the possibility of the population migrating to places that are doing economically better than their community. The reason inequality exists is because of the devaluing middle-class workers. No matter how hard they work and how many hours they work; almost all of the profit goes to the executives and shareholders. Until middle-class workers are at the same level as corporations, the income gap will keep widening. There’s also the fact that women get paid less than men in most work places. This just makes matters worse. Unemployment also plays a role because those who are unemployed aren’t making any money at all and the rate for unemployment just keeps rising. It’s these people who are being discriminated against when it comes to the working class and that’s why economic inequality exists and why it’s on the rise. A major effect economic inequality could have is the increase in unemployment. And if unemployment increases then the demand and supply will decrease, thus causing the economy to go down. If people lose their jobs they have no money to pay for certain goods and services and some might not even be able to afford putting food on the table. This will also increase poverty. A possible solution for poverty is getting rid of capitalism. We need to get rid of all forms of physical force being the win/lose system of government, taxation, income redistribut ion and regulation and central banking and have a society based on the division of labour, individual rights and private property. Also, it’s not education or income redistribution that will do it either. The level of invested capital per worker, both foreign and domestic, thus raising the productivity of labour in an unhampered free market government free capitalist system, Prior to the industrial revolution, 95 percent of children died before the age of 5, and since then the world’s population has exploded more than 10 fold. The Chinese economy since 1978 has grown 90 times since the introduction of † a freer more capitalistic market society,† Literally lifting 100’s of millions out of abject poverty and misery. Poverty can probably never be completely eliminated but this could be one possible solution. Another solution could be allowing free trade with these developing countries, and maybe even give them some trade protections for a short time while they develop their comparative advantage. You could probably argue who benefits from poverty from many different angles. I would  tend to say that no one benefits from poverty. Sure, if you can pay some people much less than the natural market rate to produce a good, some people will benefit by receiving some products at a lower price, but this actually isn’t all that beneficial. By paying these people less, they have less money to contribute back to society, so from an economic standpoint, I would say no one really benefits from poverty in the long run. If instead, all countries had free markets, the world would be better off. One more possible solution for ending poverty is helping each other out, especially those living in third world countries. Countries that are developed, like the US, spend all their money on war when they could be focusing on helping other countries out, even helping their poor communities. Children living in poor areas need a quality education. They need to go to school to gain knowledge and life skills and how to reach their full potential which will help them out in the long run. There needs to be new schools built and the barriers that are preventing children from going to school (especially girls) needs to be broken. Without the proper education, these countries won’t be able to improve their situation. Countries living in poverty also need health care and safe drinking water. If we can help provide these things for these countries they could eventually come out of the poverty because it’s hard to start a business or provide for a family when they’re busy looking for their next meal and some water. We can also help these countries by letting them come out of it themselves. We can lend them financial aid but having people from over here go over there to build the schools and hospitals only hurts the country. They need to be provided with jobs and they need to learn how to help because that is the only way they will get economically stronger. There needs to be access to food, water, health facilities, transportation, roads, education, daycare and many more infrastructures in each community to allow people in those communities to work effectively and productively. We have tried this in countries such as Africa and nothing came of it but that’s because we weren’t doing it right. We believed that we were helping them when, in fact, we’ve only made their situation worse. We need to be more conscious of what’s going on and how to help properly instead of trying to throw money around. We need to participate and push for change if we really want to make a difference and reduce poverty as well as economic inequality. It won’t be easy but it will definitely be worth it.

The Symbols in the Tell-Tale Heart

01121133 A Professor: Introduction to English Literature and American Literature, Tue 78 Paper1: The Tell-Tale Heart Oct, 23, 2012 The Symbol in â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† According to the Norton Introduction to Literature, the definition of symbol is that† A symbol in a work of literature compares or puts together two things that are in some ways dissimilar. A symbol in literature usually carries richer and various meanings, as does a flag or religious image. And because of its significance, a symbol usually appears or is hinted at numerous times throughout the work† (Booth 209).Thus, symbols are used in literature to represent something more than the literal aspect itself. They can come in the form of phrases, colors, objects or events. Through this, the writer can effectively suggest unsaid ideas and meanings to the audience. The use of symbolism serves as clues by the author, to infer something more or a deeper meaning. Therefore, this essay is going to anal yze this story by interpret symbols appeared in the story â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart. † In the story, the narrator claims that he is not mad, but his behavior, thought and words tell a different story.The narrator is determined to kill the old man in the story, not because jealously or animosity but because â€Å"one of his eyes resembled that of a vulture- a pale blue eye, with a film over it† (Poe, The Tell Tale Heart). The narrator put the subjective feeling on the eye; the narrator said the old man’s eye is an â€Å"Evil Eye† (Poe, The Tell Tale Heart). An eye is covered by a veil or film; it symbolically means that the narrator has issue with the â€Å"inner vision†-what is commonly known as one’s outlook on the world. So our reading of the story is through the eye which is defined by the narrator.Then, when we read the story, we will be leaded by the narrator’ subjective feeling through what the narrator call an† Evil Eyeâ €  (Poe, The Tell Tale Heart). So, one of the old man’s eyes symbolizes the narrator’s world of the heart. According to The Tell Tale Heart, â€Å"I undid the lantern cautiously-oh, so cautiously — cautiously (for the hinges creaked) –I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye. † We could know that the lantern in the story can be adjusted to as much or as little as you want, and the narrator keeps most of light hidden; only allowing one ray to escape.The narrator said,† I found the eye always closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye† (Poe, The Tell Tale Heart). The narrator wants to kill the old man because of that eye, so the narrator could only kill the old man when the old man’s eye wide-opened; however, we could know if the old man opens his eye, he will know that the narrator is going to kill him. And, in the story, the narrato r keeps emphasizing that what the behaviors are done is so cautious and that the old man won’t find it. So, the ray from the lantern symbolizes the contradiction in the narrator’s heart.The bedroom is the place where we usually feel safe; most of the time, when we are on the bed, we are usually vulnerable because of a lack of sense of crisis. However, Poe write the bedroom as a dangerous place where might even be killed. It is defined as a burial. The biggest symbol in the story is all the contradictions which symbolize the narrator who is insane. We can see lots of contradiction in this story. First, â€Å"It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I could see him as he lay upon his bed† (Poe, The Tell Tale Heart).It is really strange to spend an hour placing one’s head within the door. Second, â€Å"I undid the lantern cautiously-oh, so cautiously — cautiously (for the hinges creaked) –I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye. And this I did for seven long nights –every night just at midnight –but I found the eye always closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye† (Poe, The Tell Tale Heart). There are two contradict points in above sentence.One is that everyone should have a consciousness if there is â€Å"a single thin ray† fell upon our eyes; much less, the old man have been done like this lasting for eight days. The other one is that the narrator says that killing the old man only happens when that the old man’s vulture-blue eye is open. But if the old man opens his eye, he will know the narrator is going to kill him, also, when someone knows that you are going to be killed, you may scream or make some big noises or even some body reactions. In this way, this event may be found by others.According to the story, this kind of condition is not a result that th e narrator wants. So we can know these things are contradict. Third,† And the old man sprang up in bed, crying out –â€Å"Who's there? † I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour I did not move a muscle, and in the meantime I did not hear him lie down. He was still sitting up in the bed listening† (Poe, The Tell Tale Heart). Generally speaking, after we say â€Å"who’s there? † we usually go check out what happens or keep sleeping if no one answer us. We won’t sit up in the bed listening for a whole hour.Fourth, â€Å"I knew that he had been lying awake ever since the first slight noise† (Poe, The Tell Tale Heart), and â€Å"although he neither saw nor heard† (Poe, The Tell Tale Heart). One says the old man heard something, the other one says he didn’t hear or see anything. These two sentences conflict to each other. Fifth,† the sound would be heard by a neighbor† (Poe, The Tell Tale Heart), and â€Å"it would not be heard through the wall† (Poe, The Tell Tale Heart). If the sound would be heard by a neighbor, it would be heard by a neighbor.If the sound would not be heard through the war, it would not be heard by a neighbor. So, we could know these two sentences conflict to each other. Sixth, â€Å"There was nothing to wash out –no stain of any kind –no blood-spot whatever† (Poe, The Tell Tale Heart). The narrator cut off the old man’s head, legs and arms. It is impossible that no blood is on the floor. To sum up, according those contradictions, we could suspect reasonably that the narrator is insane and the narrator doesn’t kill the old man, this whole story is imagined by the narrator.In conclusion, after reading The Tell-Tale Heart, we can know that this story is not only a horrible story, it also teach us every story might have some significant meanings behind them. Reading is not only to understand the meanings on the surf ace but also to think deeply and train our ability of analyzing mentally. We should not be afraid of those symbols, and we shouldn’t be frustrated by those symbols; we should try our best to think about what the writers try to tell us truly. Works Cited Booth, Alison and Kelly J. Mays, eds. The Norton Introduction to Literature. 10th ed. New York: Norton, 2010. Edgar Allan Poe, â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart†

Video review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Video review - Essay Example Organization culture is also aligned in respect to the set goals. Organization structure is aligned in respect to the goals with each department working to achieve the set goal in order to achieve the overall organizational goals (CEB 1). As stated by the speaker, the four critical trends which should be responded to are complex new work environment, the changing work force demographic, the management of talent in respect to the business management and the talents strained by the new realities (CEB 1). The four generation of people explained by the speaker include the individual who work through others, individuals who need close supervision in order to work, talented people but placed in wrong working department and those in need of training in order to perform. All those generation must be managed properly for business progress. The HR should not dismiss individuals who do not deliver but they should be trained and monitor them to identify their talent and fix them in the right department (CEB 1). One significant reality strained by employees in workplace is changing to new work environment. In many cases employees change demographic or places of work in which they experience new rules. Employees moved from one organization to another and strain in adopting the new terms and goal (CEB 1). The five big steps explained by the speaker which companies need to take to drive better talents for good business outcomes are looking back for performance, organizing human resources through performance, moving to new view, redefining means of measuring success and driving any new move through application and not theories (CEB 1). The implications of the human resource function in an organization are network performance, high performance talent, achieving breakthrough performance after application of network performance, team work and process design. The human resource leadership must carry out different

Premise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Premise - Essay Example Currently, researchers cannot establish the exact numbers. Nonetheless, it is evident that the number of lives lost due to infections is significant (Draelos, 2011). In the existing literature, a connection has been established between hand-hygiene and the number of hospital acquired infections. Essentially, compliance to hand-hygiene reduces the number of hospital related infections. Nonetheless, the available literature fails to clarify how a hand hygiene program seeking to enhance compliance to relevant practises such as washing and gelling after each patient would affect the rate hospital related infection. This retrospective study will provide vital insight as to the extent that such a program can reduce the rate of hospital related infections. The inferences of the statistical result would enable medical practitioners to alter their program appositely so that they are effective in curbing hospital related infections (Fraise, Maillard & Sattar, 2009). Based on what is emphasized in the program medical practitioners will determine with considerable certainty the factors which cause infections in hospitals. The lack of scholarly work on the connection between hygiene programs and infections in hospitals makes the study important. It will contribute positively to the medical discourse since it will provide a theoretical background for doctors to undertake certain measures to deal with hospital infections (Salama et al. 2013). Overall, the study will investigate an area, which the medical discipline has overlooked, yet hospital related infections lead to a significant amount of deaths. The study will establish the connection between hand-hygiene programs and hospital acquired infections. This retrospective study will focus on the practitioners’ adherence to the recommended practises with regard to hand-hygiene (Bhattacharyya, 2009). Therefore, the research is hinged upon the hypothesis that observing basic hand-hygiene

Building a Strong Brand within the Fashion Industry Essay - 1

Building a Strong Brand within the Fashion Industry - Essay Example Brand management practices refers to the various actions, decisions and even omissions which are done by the fashion companies in order to create value and identity of the brand . A brand has values, identity and emotion attached with it just like a human being. Just as human actions make or mar the human personality, the actions which are taken by the company decide what kind of image the brand receives. Companies use both strategic as well as emotional techniques in order to manage their brand. For effective Brand management the brand of the company should have a unique personality which differentiates it from others. Zara gives a message of democratizing fashion which means that it has to provide customers with latest design and trends at the minimum price. Thus all the activities of Zara are geared in order to ensure that this brand personality of ‘latest fashion at affordable prices’ is maintained. In order to ensure low prices, the company has to pay immense attent ion to its supply chain which needs to be quick and effective. On the other hand Armani as a brand has a personality which is an extension of its founder. The personality of the founder has been shown as youthful by the company, so the strategy of Armani is to target youths make sense. Brand management is also about effective story telling through proper channels of communication. This story

History of Interpretation paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History of Interpretation paper - Essay Example This is a pointer to the progressive mission which Jesus had. He was not on earth for an instance but to carry out a continuous mission. Knowing that the questioner may have tuned to out to be hypothetical as was seen in Luke 10: 29 where one asked about whom his neighbor was, Jesus gave his answer to the question by posing a personal challenge. He calls on the individuals in the crowd to act in a way which will show that they are saved. In verse 24, Luke gives the condition for getting to eternal life by stating that people will â€Å"struggle to enter† the kingdom. The term agonizomai implies that â€Å"the few† will have to cope with â€Å"the many† for entry through a limited space. The struggle will be compounded by the short duration of time that those seeking to enter will have. Luke goes ahead to talk about the â€Å"narrow door†. In this verse, it may appear as though Luke has lost contrast as he does not talk of the wide gate which is seen in Matthew 7:1. However, this may have been intentionally done to provide a quick answer to the audience about the process of getting into the kingdom. Burns furthers this line of thought by noting that interpretation of the verse requires considering of two issues (588). First, is the aspect of entering the place being talked of. From the text, it is plain that Luke is talking about entering the Kingdom of God. After stating that the audience should â€Å"strive to enter through the narrow door†, he goes ahead to allude to a master of a particular house who stands and shuts the door to bar others from entering. The alternative to entering the narrow gate which Luke is referring to is found in the book of Mathew where it is stated â€Å"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction† (Matt. 7:13). Luke goes ahead to state that as the audience strive to enter the narrow gate, there are obstacles that they have to overcome so as

Research Metohd proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Research Metohd proposal - Essay Example As more countries around the world become globalized, offering tourism packages to multitudes of diverse foreign visitors, competition continues to become intense requiring a new focus in order to sustain competitive edge and build growth strategically. However, outside of these generic business principles is a new type of focus as a method of building a more solid brand: corporate social responsibility (CSR). CSR involves the activities of senior managers and the entire organisational staff to improve relationships with the domestic community and even international customers and citizens by promoting concepts of trustworthiness, ethical programming and diversity (as several examples). Corporate social responsibility includes multiple dimensions of moral principles that must be promoted so that diverse customers recognise that the hospitality business is accountable for their actions and makes sensible business decisions. The impact of CSR includes higher stakeholder and shareholder support if they are coordinated and implemented according to social needs. CSR has become more of a strategic function in order to bring the hospitality business better publicity and improve the quality of life of customers and general society. Literature review â€Å"A firm’s corporate image and reputation is an important strategic asset and marketing tool that can lead to a competitive advantage† (Gray & Balmer, 1998, p.695). This is one of the main elements that drive new focus on CSR, so that the business maintains a quality brand identity among customer groups, shareholder groups, and the general public population. Even though the end result of most CSR efforts lead to sustainable improvements in society, the impact on business can be maintaining an edge over competition that does not necessarily focus on corporate social responsibility as a strategic foundation. â€Å"Business operations are undeniably linked with trust-building in the local community population where the operation is based† (wcdr.gfdr.org, 2007, p.4). This is highly important in hotel organisations as they cater to the local community with their service offerings as well as international clients hailing from diverse cultural backgrounds. Therefore, the literature proposes that there must be a localized effort in CSR in order to build this needed trust for brand reputation purposes and to sustain a competitive edge. There are many avenues of building this trust such as through marketing, sustainability programmes, or even volunteerism in a variety of community-based programmes. According to Kline & Dai (2005) businesses that include CSR initiatives in their strategic objectives have been known to witness improved share prices, build better national image and increase employee productivity. Why is this? â€Å"Human beings are essential to service production. They are sensitive and reflect upon their experiences, responding to inner feelings and individual interpretat ions† (Sandoff, 2005, p.530). In the hotel environment, employees are the initial and ongoing point of contact for diverse customers, sometimes hailing from around the world, and therefore become a resource for information and support throughout the service experience. The hotel relies on their professionalism, loyalty and strong focus toward meeting customer needs in order to sustain a better

Corporate Strategy of Emerson Electric ACP Company Case Study

Corporate Strategy of Emerson Electric ACP Company - Case Study Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that profit pools are the highly relevant business strategy which analyzes organizational activities and managerial processes to provide the firms with the competitive advantage by creating a value chain for the product and services. According to Porter, the value chain comprises of five primary and four secondary activities. Primary activities are inbound and outbound logistics, operations, marketing and sales, and services. Secondary activities include procurement, human resource management, technology development, and infrastructure. The firm’s analysis of these factors helps it to develop the appropriate strategy to maintain its market position and gain the competitive advantage in the industry. Few of the various activities that the firm analyzes and then implements the changes to improve and improvise its performance outcome can be briefly described as under. The process facilitates the creation of effective logistics for the sup ply chain of raw materials and the network of wholesalers and distributors so that the quality goods and services can reach the consumers timely and efficiently. The core business strategy of any business heavily relies on the market and sales strategy that facilitates its products and services to meet the needs and requirements of the people at large. Competitive pricing and a strong market position are major business compulsions that are need driven. They use various types of marketing metrics in order to gauge the preferences of the people and help evaluate the strength and weaknesses in its strategies to improve its business performance.

Singapore's cybersex laws Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Singapore's cybersex laws - Research Paper Example In Singapore, internet sex is highly regulated and the law does not allow pornography and so is cybersex. However, internet has posed a challenge as the government and authorities are overwhelmed by it especially in the age of globalization. In other countries like the United States, they have adopted a soft approach where they advice the hosting websites to self regulate. Due to the growing industry of internet sex and lack of objective laws on protecting the society, most countries outside the United States have continued to suffer hopelessly. However, it is unfair to apply pornographic laws on cybersex because the two internet sex experiences have differing societal implications. In Singapore cybersex has negative implications on the family institution because it has been branded an online form of infidelity and cheating. Under the existing pornographic laws in Singapore, cybersex implications are difficult to determine if the society has to be fair. This is because while the cybe rsex industry continues to yield colossal sums of money from the business, cybersex has led to addiction, family break ups, and lack of self esteem, which are also associated with pornography. However, cybersex can be credited for reducing prostitution and hence women trafficking, which is highly associated with pornographic industry. ... All this is because Singaporean pornographic laws do not adequately define cybersex and the government needs to have legislation on cybersex, different from the existing pornographic laws. This is because unlike pornography, cybersex has positive and negative implications in the society’s sexuality, given the proliferation of technology and overall globalisation

Fast food industry Essay Example for Free

Fast food industry Essay Fast food industry has been in existence for the past years. The growing popularity of the industry gave way for many businessmen to put up many branches or chains in different parts of the country. This leads to the birth of fast food chains, by which Jollibee, McDonalds, KFC, Mang Inasal, Chowking, WOK Express and Greenwich are few examples. People prefer to go into fast food chains not just because of their food preference but because they serve their customer in a quick manner. Since their products are in demand to the customers, they need to maintain a specific level of inventory in order to respond to the needs of their customers. Because of the unpredictable demand of customers, management of fast food chains is struck in a dilemma of ordering the right level of their raw materials for production. That is why it is important that fast food chains know the policies in determining their inventory level or size. The size of inventory stocked by fast food chains depends on forecasted requirements and product popularity as demanded. Inventory shortage or erratic delivery of ingredients for production can prevent the manufacturer from completion of its finished products. The importance of the study includes knowing if low or high level of inventory will have great effects on production of fast food industry. Studying the inventory levels of fast food chains and their effects on production will allow the researchers to venture more into the depth of the inventory process of each business.

Drama assignment Essay Example for Free

Drama assignment Essay Hale is one of the most important characters in The Crucible. All of the characters contribute to the problems in Salem to some extent. But Hale is the catalyst to the hysteria beginning and it is how is awareness of this increases through the play that causes the major changes we see in his character.  Hale himself, as we are told by miller, nearing forty, a tight skinned eager eyed intellectual. He feels great pride at being asked to come and identify the signs of witchcraft and sees it as a compliment to his experience in his chosen field. Unlike the other characters his experience gives him no reason to jump to the immediate conclusion of the involvement of the devil. Because of this he is perhaps the most common sense of the officials in Salem. Hales entrance in act 1 creates a big change in the direction of the scene, but it is important to remember he is unaware of this. How miller uses Hales entrances effectively is that he calms down the situation between Giles and Putnam when they cease their argument at his arrival but eventually he will excite the scene even more with his powerful redemption of Tituba and Abigail.  After his initial entrance in act 1 Hales attitude is reasonably light hearted as he greets the other characters, he refers to the devil in an of hand way as the old boy. Yet he still treats the situation in all seriousness as he listens to the Putnams talking about their daughters ailment, picking up clues from what people say. When Hale is investigating the supernatural, leafing through his books, asking questions and listening to the other characters etc, it should be shown that he does not treat this as a chore or just his job, but that he is genuinely interested and eager, his investigations are what drives him.  His attitudes to the other characters in the early part of act 1 are interest in meeting people he has heard of, and his respect for the more distinguished company. who are there. His use of the phrase shows a wish to make a good impression with those who are higher in the village, but his interest in meeting Rebecca Nurse and talking to Giles shows that he is in no way biased to position. As we enter the increasingly hysterical ending to this act, Hales role in causing this is obvious. His quickening questioning of her is perhaps caused by his anger at her apparent lack of concern for Bettys condition and her attempts to evade answering his questions. (grasping Abigail): abigail it may be your cousin is dying. Did you call the devil last night? you cannot evade me, Abigail.  Hale is excited at the end of act 1 because he believes he has got to the root of the problem when Tituba and Abigail redeem themselves and pass the blame to Good and Osburn. Because of this both hale and Parris see the problem as ending not beginning. Hale has obviously seen the situation last a lot longer than he expected when he enters in act 2. he is different now- drawn a little, and there is a quality of deference, even of guilt, about his manner now. This shows us the beginning of his realisation of the consequences of the accusations that he has caused to be made.  This is the second time Hales entrance changes the course of events in both this act and for the rest of the play without him knowing it, his entrance has stopped John Proctor from leaving just when he had built himself up to confront Abigail to stop the accusations, so he makes things worse again, but still unintentionally. His attitudes to the Proctors in this act are mixed. He sees them as good and honest people, but knows that there is evidence that would say otherwise even if none of its serious enough to entirely incriminate them. His nervousness is also caused by him being unsure how to tell them Elizabeth has been accused, without making it sound like he is accusing them himself.  We last see Hale in the final scene of Act Four we see the total change in his opinions to the authority of the court, the guilt of those charged and in his faith. His motivation is now to try and save proctor from his fate. He is confused and wrought because of how his faith has caused so many problems. To conclude, Hale changes most of all the characters, yet like the others he changes in that his main characteristics are strengthened. His honesty and sense of public duty are there throughout the play, how they change is to which end theyre directed. He is initially convinced of the presence and existence of witchcraft, and works vigorously to combat it in the only he knows how. Yet he is the only of the prosecutors who is convinced of the innocence of the accused, he still believes his first duty is the protection of others, but loses his principles to do so at the end. He is more open minded and humane than the others, but the message of the play tells us to reject the position to which he finally comes. He doesnt reject just the religious fanaticism of the times but rejects religion itself. His attempts to save John Proctor ultimately fail, because in turning his back on the church, he has turned his back on what Elizabeth believes is right, and so his argument is worthless to her.  Perhaps Millers idea in Hale is that where the simple farmer sees the mistake in preferring life over personal integrity the learned Hale does not.

Concepts of Operations Management to the Fast Food Industry

Concepts of Operations Management to the Fast Food Industry INTRODUCTION: The ability of every organisation to make profit and sustain in this competitive world revolves around its competency to perform its operations accurately. Hence although the term Operations Management seems to be recently evolved. It has oriented with the industrial revolution itsef. In a lay mans language, operations management is the effective and efficient running of the various resources within an organization. The work below looks at the various theoretical concepts of operations management and how these are applied in the practical from in the various industries. It looks the interrelation between operations management and strategic objectives of an organisation. It can be rightly said that if these two concepts have to merge appropriately for a company to survive and make profit. OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT:   Operations management can be explained as providing the finest service at the lowest possible prices. This objective can only be achieved if each and every operation within the organisation is managed optimally. The various operations within an organisation that needs to be managed are  financial operations, capital management and human resource management. The legitimate and accurate management of these valuable resources results in successful operations management according to Stevenson 1993, Operations Management can be described as follows management of systems and processes that create good sand/or provide services(  Ã‚  as cited in J.Bicheno and B.Elliot,1977,p9). A more detailed definition of operations management is given by J.Bicheno and B.Elliot 1997, a field study that focuses on the effective planning, scheduling, use and control of a manufacturing or service organisation through the study of concepts from design engineering, industrial engineering, management infor mation systems, quality management, production management, accounting and other functions as they affect the operations. (J.Bicheno and B.Elliot,1977,p9).According to Mahadevan, Operations Management is a systematic approach to address all the issues pertaining to the transformation process that converts some inputs  Ã‚  into output that are useful and could fetch revenue for the organisation.(B.Mahadevan,2007,p5).Thus a detailed study of both the definitions states that Operations management is concerned with the accurate management of the various operation within any kind of organisation so as to maximise results by minimum use of resources. Thus for any organisation to perform successfully, it is mandatory to strictly monitor the smooth functioning of the various operations within the organisation. Thus in brief the role of operations management is to  transform the input into output in an  efficiently  manner.   Following are some of the benefits of effective operations management: Improves the productivity of the organization.    Minimizes the cost of the organizations.   Ã‚  Helps in forecasting the various trends within the market.   Ã‚  Avoids duplication of work.   Ã‚  Helps in intelligent use of resources.   Ã‚  Guides the company to provide excellent services and products.   Ã‚  Helps in developing solutions for the various problems faced by the organization. (B.Mahadevan,2007,p6,7) (C.Vidler, 2001, p7). INTRODUCTION TO MCDONALDS Every organisation that exists in the market has a goal set that has to be achieved by it within a given frame of time. These are goals can also be called as strategic objectives. Each organisation before entering the competitive market sets its strategic objectives and also develops a strategy to achieve the same. The organisation that is being studied is a famous chain of Fast Food Restaurants, McDonalds Corporation US. Its an organisation that started in 1940s by two brothers Dick and Mac McDonald. They stared a small restaurant in California in 1940s.Another personality that completely changed the fate of this organisation is Ray Krocs. A combined effort of all these three entrepreneurs resulted in an organisation which is one of the leading fast food  restaurants. (web-1) .Some of the objectives of McDonalds Restaurant is To cater good quality food to the customers in an environment that is benevolent and  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  enjoyable. To keep their shareholders happy by providing good returns to them consistently. Their aim is to serve food at a faster pace which has value for money and impeccable taste and quality. They are also aim in perform their corporate social responsibilities in an effective manner. They are also doing their duties by being an eco friendly organization. A look at the  various strategic objectives it can be concluded that McDonalds has set up a defined set of objectives. They also have developed various strategies to achieve these objectives. The three features that the organisation concentrates on are quality, speed and satisfying customers. The  restaurant  has carried out many training programmes for the crew members so as to achieve the best customer service. They also focus on the  ambience  of the  restaurant  and put a lot of effort to maintain it. They also have special kids section in some restaurants so that the children and parents can have a quality time at one place. Cleanliness is not only maintained within the restaurant areas around the restaurant also cleaned up on a regular basis. They also perform corporate social duties judiciously. They support a  charity which helps the old people. McDonalds has also stopped using plastic bags and promotes the use of paper bags. They also propagate the idea of re cycling. There are many operations within the organisations. The main operations within McDonalds are  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Procurement of raw materials and machinery  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Production and Quality Maintenance  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pricing  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Advertising and Marketing  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Customer Service  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Corporate Social Responsibilities Procurement of raw materials and machinery: The main strategies used by McDonald have to maintain the inventory is JIT, Just in Time. According to Modem, JIT can be defined as a production system to produce a kind of unit needed, at the time needed and in the quantities needed (W.Jedlicka, 2009). The idea behind this is to reduce the cost of inventory management. This also helps in providing fresh food to the customers. This stragey is successful since the mangers in the restaurants do a daily stock count at the end of the day to keep a track of the avaiable things and things that have to be ordered. This also helps to double check the sales that are performed by the restaurant. Another strategy that is used by the restaurant is the First in First out (FIFO). According to this startegy the make it a point to sell product that have arrived earlier first and then the latter ones. The whole stock management process is designed in such a manner that this principle of Just in Time and First in First Out is strictly followed. Production and Quality Maintenance: In this phase the raw materials used are converted into finished products that are presented to the customers. This is a very important step. The kitchen crew is trained to produce the products by following a standard protocol. Every product that is created in the McDonalds kitchen has to follow the protocol so as to maintain the standard and quality of the products. Handling the production bin is a very important task. Every item that is produced has a certain shelf life after which it is declared to be unfit for consumption. Hence the food items are produced sloley on the basis of demands. During the busy hours there is always a manger on the production bin who manages the bin. It is only during this period that food is created a little in excess based on the expected crowd of customers. This is a strategy used by the restaurant to avoid long ques and to provide fresh food at a faster pace. Another measure that is taken by the company is the use of labels. Every ingredient with the kitchen has a label on it. This label states the time by which this product should be used and when the product should be discarded. Such a system helps in maintain the quality of the food served. The company also has the program of Mystery Shopper. In this program a member from the companys head office visits the individual restaurants as a regular customer to check the various aspects. This visit not only checks the quality of the food, it also checks the service provided to the customers, cleanliness within the  restaurant  and the overall experience in the restaurant. Thus we can see that effort is done by the individual restaurant and the company as well to maintain high standards in terms of quality of food. Pricing: The fact that McDonalds was making a good profit even during the time of recession is a clear reflection of the fact that they have a well developed pricing  strategy. They are one of the few restaurants that have a very well established 1 £ menu as well. This pound menu not only includes only one item it has a mix of all products that can be bought. Thus it is not only cheap but also provides variety for the customers to choose from. Even the  regular meals are priced rightly. Hence the customers do not hesitate. Thus in short one can surely say that dining at McDonalds is not a good experience that is not too heavy on the pockets.   Advertising and Marketing: McDonalds uses many channels of advertising like print media, bill boards, television advertisements and also sponsorship. Any new product that enters the menu is well advertised and marketed by the company. They create a great amount of awareness of the product that is being launched. Thus  attracting  the customers to their outlets.  Ã‚  Vouchers are also provided to the customers. It has been noticed that this startegy of providing vouchers is one of the major attraction for the customers. They also have promotional activities. Some of the promotional activities that are done by the restaurant are providing Coca-Coal glasses with every purchase of a large meal. They also play the game of monopoly in this every product that is sold to the customer has a sticker which may either be a part of the monopoly game or will be a coupon for a free product from their menu. Another marketing strategy that is used by the company is the use of loyalty cards. This helps in compelling their customers to come back to the same place. They also use the strategy of innovation. In this there will  able a particular range of new products that will be  available  for stipulated period of time. Once this time period is over they will have a new  product that  takes it place. Hence there is something new every time a customer walks- in. This helps in retaining the customers. Customer Service: This operation forms the base of the organisation. The aim of the company is to make the experience at the restaurant a unique one. This is only possible by providing excellent customer service. The company trains the newly recruited employees for providing excellent customer service. The crew members are asked to be sensitive to the needs of the customers. Although they have a protocol to treat the customers the employees are given the liberty to act according to the need of the  situation. Especially in the case of senior employees and mothers.  Ã‚  The company strongly believes that only if a customer is comfortable at the restaurant will they come back. Hence all measure is taken by the store employees to make sure that the customers are  completely  satisfied when they leave. They also have crew training programmes on a regular basis to upgrade the service and to develop new skills. Regular meetings are conducted to deal with any issues that are faced by the employees. T he company also promotes the crew members to take part in the various programmes that are conducted by the company. Thus motivating the employees. The company does annual appraisal in terms of salary as well as position based on the employees performance.   Corporate Social Responsibilities: According to P.Kotler and N.Lee, Corporate social responsibility is a commitment to improve community well-being through discretionary business practices and contributions of corporate resources (P.Kotler and N.Lee, 2005). Thus it can be seen that CSR has to be a way of functioning of every business that  exists. This function has to be implemented in every activity within the business. McDonalds officially absorbed this function into their operation in 2007; it was at this time that they developed a Sustainable Supply Steering Committee (SSSC).this committee was responsible to keep a check on the supply chain activities within the organisation. The company adopted the  Three Es into their supply chain. These are Ethical Responsibility, Environmental Responsibility and Economic Responsibility. The idea behind adopting these were to make sure that all the operation carried out within the organisation follow a ethical pattern  Ã‚  (Web 2). The company has also developed a Global Advisory Council (GAC) in 2004 that provide advice as to how  create a menu that provides healthy nutrition and a balanced-diet to the customers. (Web-3) Thus we see that every operation within the organisation from the procurement of raw materials to the disposition of corporate social responsibilities is performed diligently by the organisation. A smooth co -ordination between this function is the secret to the success of the organisation. This individual operation has to be controlled in an effective manner for the overall stable performance of the organisation. QUALITY, RESOURCE AND TOOLS MANGEMENT: The word quality has different meanings based on individual perceptions. For some quality of product or service means. The nutrition value or standard of the product or service for some others quality is that the product or service should meet their requirements  satisfactorily. In some other cases quality means value for the money that has been spent. Hence there is no definite way in which quality can be described. However an official  definition  of Quality has been given by International Organization for Standardization ISO 2000, the extent to which a group of intrinsic features (physical, sensorial, behavioural, temporal, ergonomic, functional, etc) satisfies the requirements, where requirement means need or expectation which may be explicit, generally implicit or binding.  Ã‚  (A.Illy and R.Viani, 2005).Another pragmatic definition of quality is given by Harrington 1990, Meeting or exceeding customer expectations at a cost that represents value to them. (A.Illy and R.Vi ani, 2005). In any company quality of the product and service is based on resources, tools and systems used by the company. McDonalds serves beef patties, these patties are made from cows that are corn -feed  in the U.S and some of these are also imported from Australia and New -Zealand. These patties are instantly frozen to maintain the freshness and quality. This process of freezing is known as Individual Quick Freezing developed by Herb Lotman. Herb Lotman is the founder of the Keystones Company, which is one of the major suppliers of McDonalds. The French fries are cooked in Canola Oil which provide 0 gram of Trans Fats. Salads that are served at the restaurant are freshly prepared in the restaurant as per the request of the customer. No preservatives are used in the salads that are served in the  restaurant. Most of the fountain drinks that are served at the restaurant are regularly monitored to maintain optimum quality. All milk based drinks are well pasteurised and mainta in high standards and quality. McDonalds coffee which is very famous is obtained from Brazil, Gutaemala and Costa Rica. The equipment that is used in the McDonalds Kitchen is Grills, Microwave, Shake Machines and many more. The grills are standardised to cook a particular meat, so they automatically set the time for cooking the meat. These grills are cleaned on a regular basis at the end of the day with strong solvents to ensure its cleanliness. The shake machines and the fountain drinks machines are regularly cleaned to ensure quality of the drinks. The fries are cooked in the frying vat at high temperatures. The quality of the oil is checked regularly to maintain the quality of the food. TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT AN ANSWER TO ALL QUALITY ISSUES: The perfect way to imbibe quality as a part of the organisational culture is by adopting the principles of Total Quality Management. According to A.Rawlins, Total Quality Management is a way of managing to improve effectiveness, flexibility and competitiveness of an organisation as a whole. (R.A.Rawlins, 2008 p19). This concept of TQM proposes that quality is not a term that should be confined to the end product or service. Quality has to become a part and parcel of every operation within the organisation, thus making it an obligatory to maintain the same at every step. According to G.K.Kanji and M.Asher TQM can become a part of the organisation if its principles and concepts are applied accurately. They have given four principles of TQM and eight core concepts  for TQM.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Principles  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‚  Core Concepts   Ã‚  I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Delight the customer:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Customer Satisfaction, Internal Customers are real   II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Management by Fact:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All work is process, Measurement   III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People-based Management: Team work, People make quality   IV.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Continuous Improvement: Continuous improvement cycle, Prevention. If all the areas mentioned in the above diagram are well managed this will result excellent functioning of the organisation. In which quality is maintained at every step hence there will not be any quality related issue. (G.K.Kanji and  M.Asher, 1996, p1). Advantages of Total Quality Management: 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Helps the organization to concentrate of the market trends. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Inculcate a culture of quality in every aspect of the organization from top to bottom. 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Regularly assess all the process within the organization to eliminate outdated processes. 4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To  continuously  develop new strategies for the company to achieve the changing strategic objectives of the organization. 5)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To work as a team and have problem solving attitude. 6)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To keep the goal and achievements of the organization well communicate d at every level. 7)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To always involve in a continues development programmed.   (R.A.Rawlins ,2008,p20,21). SCOPE OF IMPROVEMENT: No organisation a be sated as perfect because there is room for improvement. An organisation that always updates or modified itself according to the need of the market is always successful. Carrying out a SWOT analysis is the best possible way to identify the weak links within an organisation. There is a lot of speculation on the companys role in providing nutritional food. As obesity is one of the major health issues in the current scenario. The company will have to reinforce as to how they are contributing to the society by providing food of the top most quality. It has been noticed that McDonalds faces the problem of high rates of attrition. This is a serious threat for the company as it is based on customer service. The reason this becomes a major issue is because it become an additional cost. As well the can also affect the companys sales and overall image. An unpleasant experience in the restaurant can be a major disaster. This can result in bad or negative marketing for the or ganisation. Another issue that is faced by the company is the health issue. The effect of this high turnover ratio on the organisation is as follows: 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  High  financial  cost in terms of training the employee every time. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lack of trained employees can result in downfall of the organization. 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reduced productivity and interruptions in the workflow 4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Loss of expert professionals. 5)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Loss of business opportunities as the company is overwhelmed by the internal issues. 6)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Administrative issues within the organization. 7)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Loss of job satisfaction of the other employees and insecurities among the employees. (P.P.Phillips, 2002) RECOMMENDATIONS: The major issue in McDonalds as mentioned earlier is the high rate of attrition. Below are some of the points that would help in retaining the employees. Another problem that is faced by the organisation is a health issue. Ø  Ã‚  Peers Reviews is one of the strongest methods that can be used for employee retention. Ø  Ã‚  Fostering trust and respect and reducing management employee conflicts by regular meetings.(J.A.Carsen, 2002). Ø  Ã‚  Doing timely performance appraisals. Ø  Ã‚  Continuous motivation to be done- by rewarding at achievements. Ø  Ã‚  Recognition given to good work. Ø  Ã‚  Regular meetings to solve any grievances. Ø  Ã‚  Training the employees accurately. Ø  Ã‚  Job rotation should be practiced avidly so as to increase employee knowledge and enrich his experience. Many a times there have been cases were the organisation has been blamed for being responsible for health issues like obesity. Although the organisation makes use of healthy food ingredients there are such speculations. The best way to deal with this is to market the right and more explicit information on their products. This not only allows the customers to have a clear picture but make healthy choices while ordering. They can also get their food certified by authorities in the health and food section. Such an attempt will only help to clarify these false allegations. Last but not the least a customer survey should be done to identify their opinion and bring about changes within the organisation in a manner which is helpful to the company and the customers. Such an effort on the part of the organisation will strengthen their relation with their customers. CONCLUSION: Quality can be defined as anything that has value for the money and energy spent on it. It is not a onetime attempt to set up a good system in action and then never bother about it. Every organisation should maintain its quality standards not for good sale and profit, but must develop quality as a culture within the organisation. This culture of quality has to be passed down into every process within the organisation. 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