Debate over English Only Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Debate over English Only - Essay Example ThecaseofJoseph Vento, owner of Geno's Steaks in Philadelphia,willbediscussedinthisregard. InDecember,2007,thecaseofPhiladelphiaCheesesteakShopOwner,JosephVento,whohaddisplayedthesign'ThisisAMERICA:WHENORDERINGPLEASE'SPEAKENGLISH'hadbecomehighlycontroversial(foxnews.com).Tothis,Ventoreiteratedthathewasnotindulgentinmakingdiscriminatoryremarksoractivities.HesaidthathewasofItalianoriginandevenhisparentsandhe,hadtolearntheEnglishlanguage.Thiswasbecause,EnglishwastheunifyinglanguageinacountryliketheUS,wherethepopulationisdiverse.Onecannotpossiblyconverseinalllanguagesthatthepopulationwouldcomefrom. Hence,hefelt,thattheEnglishlanguagebeingtheinternationallanguage,wouldbeidealforunifiedcommunicationandavoidinganybreachincomprehension.Healsosaidthatsincethecountryhadimmigrantsfromdifferentcountriescomingin,theywouldspeakintheirownlanguage.Thiscouldnotbeunderstoodbyoneandall.Hence,hehadtoputuptheboard,tobeabletopassonthemessagethatcustomersatisfactionforabusinessisindeedimportant,forwhichservingtherightitemswasimperative.Onlyaunifyinglanguagecouldhelpincommunicatingwhatthecustomerneeds,inabetterway.Fullyconvincedbyhisreply,Vento'sattorneyShannon.L.Goessingsaid,"Thecaseshould,withoutquestion,bedismissed.Thereisalegitimatebusinesspurposeforthissign." Inspiteofthedecision,anumberofpartiesareforandagainsttheissueofputt... he'Whitesonly"postingsoftheJimCrowera.'Thesignsgiveafeelingofbeingunwelcomeandbeingexcluded, Charlessaid."(Philadelphia Cheesesteak Shop Owner Defends 'Order in English' Policy Saturday,December 15, 2007,Associated Press http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,316939,00.html) ENGLISH AS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE US Many people in the US debate that English should be made the official language of the country. This would bring about a common ground for unhindered communication and minimize comprehension errors, misunderstandings and misinterpretations. By making the English language the official language, even immigrants can converse without really having a problem. However, the challenge here lies in getting the immigrant force to understand and comprehend English. This largely depends on their backgrounds and it translates into meaning that if they do not know English, it would be very difficult for them, to live at ease in the US and converse. On the other hand, this would help all and sundry in gaining a common understanding and linguistic identity. This would work towards promoting unity in diversity. It would go a long way in unifying the masses under one common umbrella of linguistic unity, irrespective of subjective linguistic orientations and origins. ENGLISH AS THE ONLY LANGUAGE If English is made the only language in US that is officially recognized, it would spell doom to the huge number of citizenry that come from other linguistic backgrounds. Ever since globalization has impacted the world, US has gained immensely from the steady influx of immigrants

Leadership Blog Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leadership Blog - Assignment Example Therefore, the managers need to identify the leadership approaches which can help in integration of activities of the employees and achievement of goals and objectives of the organization. The traditional theorists regarded leadership as an integrated approach which focused on team work. Later, it was regarded as a powerful relationship which had the ability to influence its followers (Evans, 2003). The modern leadership theories proposed that the master servant relationship should be replaced by superior subordinate relationship. The leadership theory occurred in groups which involved the employees working together in unification towards a share goal. As per Author Adair (1984 cited in Mullins and Linehan, 2005) leadership can be expressed as a relationship with other individuals. Leadership can occur in various groups or social context and they should have followers. Leadership theories are concerned with how to convince the employees to attain the goals and objectives in a systema tic method. Leadership can provide direction, guidance and activity for a collective group (Mullins and Linehan, 2005). ... The approaches of the managers need to align with the business goals and objectives. One of the main objectives of the organization is to increase the presence of the organization internationally and create a niche for itself in the market. The Cross - Vergence theory focuses on the economic ideology that believes in integration of cultural values with western influence (Theimann, April and Blass, 2002).The theory identifies the significance of the cultural values and its impact on an organization. Therefore, the theory recognizes the importance of national, sub culture, and the economic ideology influences. For example HSBC is pervasive in more than 88 countries worldwide and follows the Cross Vergence theory for guidance purposes. It is not possible to develop a universal theory of leadership which can be applicable to all organizations and in all situations hence a manager needs to identify the various approaches required at different levels and act accordingly. The difference in the cultural values of the countries may lead to the adoption of different approaches by the managers. It is not possible for every manager to adopt a leadership approach which aligns with the cultural values of the countries. The followership theory proposed by Brown & Thornborn (1998 cited in Evans, 2003) categorized the employees in four types; sheep people, yes people, alienated survivors and exemplary followers. Sheep people are extremely uncritical and passive but yes people are completely dependent on the leaders for opinions. Survivors keep adapting to changes and exemplary followers are able to think creatively and independently. Managers can devote certain portion of their time for in development of their emotional intelligence which can help in understanding the

Financial Analysis of Capital One

Financial Analysis of Capital One Organization: Capital One- Financial Company Capital One is a financial and banking corporation, which is among one of the Americas top 20s digital bank. It is well-known for credit cards, debit cards, home loans, banking and saving products. (Identities, 2017) It is around 21-year-old firm, which has had an epidemic success for the past 6 years. It is an innovative technology used organization. The best thing about Capital one is the work and life balance. To choose this organization, the main purpose is the organizations belief and service. They believe in fundamental logic, which is much interesting. -They particularly focus on the everyones opinions and assume positive intent. The culture and environment of the company are really different than most of the other places and banks. -One more interesting fact that I know through some source is Capital one is same as Yahoo; in the terms of technology and belief. -Capital One understand the value of clients, not transactions. As per their research they found that 71% of customers consider their banking relationship to be merely transactional. -They aimed when Capital one diversified to reduce the risk from a monoline business. -Capital one has three major subsidiaries, on which they work: 1) Credit cards 2) Saving banks 3) Auto financing -All these three subsidiaries are diversified the Capital Ones main product credit cards to banks original business. Relationship:   My cousin brother is working for the Capital One IT department from 2010. In future, I want to become a customer of Capital one 360 bank, because they provide great services for customers. After researching some resources and as per my cousins knowledge about technologies and business strategy that Capital one used, which makes me more interesting to choose this organization as an operating model. Operating Model: An Operating model is necessary for delivering goods and services to customers by business level integration and standardization. -Capital one uses a Coordination model by low standardization and high integration. A reason behind to choose this model is, uncontrolled business heads execute their processes an efficient manner, yet   providing the best services to the customers. -Capital one has unique operations, often demanding capabilities. -Capital one is a largest financial services companies, is composed of major three business units: Credit cards group Saving bank group Auto financing group -After researching some stuff; I understand that in the past around the 1990s to early 2000s, they used diversification model, but now entering in auto finance they use coordination model. A Credit card is the oldest major subsidiary and original business of bank (Capital One). From the history of Capital one still, now credit card is the top-notch earning subsidiaries. (Perez, 2015) -Saving bank is the second major subsidiary of Capital one. The leading products that they offer retail and commercial banking such deposits and loans. To achieve the successful business model, Capital one faces sterling competition with United states top 20 banks like PNC bank, Wells Fargo bank etcetera. (Perez, 2015) -Auto financing is third and major subsidiary that focuses on delivering exhaustive, innovative solutions to meet the financial needs of the target customers. It mainly focuses on types of loan that determine the area of the bank. (Perez, 2015) -By integrating, but not standardizing, it is enhancing customer service. It attracts new customers and sells more products to customers, hence it leads towards the profitable growth of Capital one. Stages of enterprise architecture maturity: A capability maturity model defines total four stages of architecture maturity. Business silos Standardized technology Optimized core Business Modularity Capital one is presently used standardized technology. The reason behind to work at this stage is the management of technology standards. Standardization reduce risk, costs of the shared services improve reliability, security and development time. (Ross, 2006) Capital one usually increases access to shared data by data warehouse, hence transaction data is still embedded in individual application. That is the significant achievement for cost savings and reliability through standardized technology. Nowadays most of the companies move into the standardized technology stage by virtue of CIO that provides shared infrastructure services. (Ross, 2006) Capital one design and update their standards according to financial management and funding shared services, which is the key management capability of standardized technology. The business and IT leaders of Capital one are defines the application of standardized technology, that focus on quick wins. References Identities, W. (2017, 2 6). In wikipedia. Retrieved 02 07, 2017, from wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_One Perez, S. (2015, March 5). Retrieved from marketrealist: http://marketrealist.com/2015/03/capital-ones-three-main-subsidiaries/ Ross, J. W. (2006). Enterprise Architecture. Harvard Business. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_One http://marketrealist.com https://www.capitalone.com    Ross Weill Chapter 2.pdf   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ross Weill Chapter 4.pdf

beethoven :: essays research papers

As someone who suffers from extreme hearing loss, I am amazed at the great Talent of Ludwig vans Beethoven, who as one of the greatest composers of all time wrote most of his music while he was deaf! It seems impossible, but what a genius he was. Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany on December 16, 1770. His mother died while he was a teenager and his father was very abusive and a crazy alcoholic. Beethoven came from a very musical family. His grandfather became a conductor and his father played and taught piano and violin. From a very young age, Beethoven was a perfectionist and became emotional and moody when things didn’t go well with his music. Beethoven saw his world as â€Å"all or nothing,† If something he was working on wasn’t absolutely perfect, he would feel he was a total failure. In Beethoven’s life, there wasn’t room for any compromise. He began to realize that he was losing his hearing when he was 28 and he couldn’t hear the church bells ringing. Some people have said that his terrible temper was really his frustration with his music as he became more and more deaf. Beethoven became so sad about his deafness that he considered suicide. He even wrote a suicide letter to his brother to tell him that he planned to kill himself. When he was 50, he was completely deaf. As time went on, Beethoven learned how to cope with his disability. One way Beethoven coped was in order to hear the sounds; he would cut off the legs of the piano and put it on the floor , so that he could feel the sounds in the floor as he played. Once he learned how to handle this, Beethoven began to write his greatest works. Beethoven was such a perfectionist that he would rework his musical compositions for years until they were perfect. It is incredible that during his life, Beethoven wrote nine symphonies and thirty-two piano sonatas. Because of these problems, Beethoven never had many close friends or happy relationships. The music he created showed this and was almost sad and heavy, it wasn’t full of life and fun. Beethoven loved to take walks in the country and enjoy the beauty of nature. It was nature that gave him the inspiration to write â€Å"Symphony No. 6.† One of Beethoven’s earliest and most successful works was a religious composition, named â€Å"Opus 85†, in 1803, known as the â€Å"Hallelujah† choir that we all sing on Easter Sunday.

Htc Business Model Essay

Executive summary Using Google’s Andriod platform has given HTC a boost, but now the Taiwanese handset maker are vulnerable to underwhelming sales in America and Europe. Their hope? China. HTC only entered China in early 2010, much later than its established peers. It is playing catching up with international premium brands, such as Apple, Samsung and LG, where HTC is currently aiming to get a slice of the pie. However, the company is also facing stiff competition from local brands who operate at the lower price market. In this Global Marketing proposal, we propose several initiatives for HTC to grow its current 1% marketshare in the China mobile phone market, including new products for HTC to tap into the lower price market as well as localized promotion campaigns to sell phones in rural areas. It is time for HTC to sway away from satisfied with being ‘quietly brilliant’. Context analysis Company Background HTC Corporate, founded in 1997, was a relatively obscure Taiwanese original design manufacturer (ODM). Incorporated as High Technology Computer, HTC focused on manufacturing of computer notebooks. The company created the world’s first pocket size PC in collaboration with Microsoft in 1998[1]; it later developed the iPAQ, one of the earliest PDA for Compaq in 2000. HTC’s close tie with Microsoft led them to develop XDA[2] in 2002, first ever smartphone operated on Windows. The company remained true to ODM principles when it produced smartphones by efficiently catering for carriers’ specifications and requests. HTC’s ODM smartphones continued to generate profit margin as high as 20% compared to industry average of 5%[3]. According to Harvard Business Review, HTC shipped more than 70% of the world’s Windows smartphones in 2006 at its peak. HTC won a reputation for excellent smartphones. But it wanted more, and began to invest more in innovation before eventually creating its own brand in 2007. HTC set up a unit called Magic Labs[4], where engineers from various disciplines come up with lots of ideas, even if most were quickly discarded. From this unit bred several ground breaking ideas, including HTC touch, a touch screen device that appeared few weeks before Apple’s first iPhone; and first ever Android phone in collaboration with Google. Reaping from the Android’s high penetration rate, the company experienced unprecedented growth from 2008 onwards and became the top seller of smartphones in America in 3Q of 2011, according to Canalys Research. HTC has recently eclipsed Nokia in market capacity and has climbed up to the no.3 spot for smartphones sold worldwide, behind Apple and Samsung. In terms of brand equity, the company has invested heavily in developing its own brand and broke into Interbrand’s top 100 Brands 2011[5] (no. 98) . China: Macro-environmental Factors Politics China remained a single party directed country since the founding of People’s Republic of China in October 1949. Putting political ideologies differences aside, efficient decision-making is widely seen as a characteristic of China’s political system. The profound changes that have taken place in various fields of this nation: from Deng Xiaping’s Special Economic Zone in the 80s to the economic leaps in the turn of the century. Inefficiencies in the political system such as corruption still exist today, but China’s communist party has taken bold steps for reform. The party has embraced market socialist economy to lead China out of poverty and soar to one of the most powerful nations in the world. Economic Despite China has mounted new heights in her economy, outshining Japan as the second largest economy in the world, the slowdown in economic growth has not abated. The housing boom in the past decade is now over, implying that growth now weigh on heavy industry and local consumption. In the past, China has offered massive infrastructure stimulus, as it did to prop up growth following SARS and the global financial crisis. However, local governments have learned not to overheat the economy, as evidenced by the late 2011 credit crunch in Wenzhou[6]. Central government is expecting a moderate GDP growth of 6%, but China is due for correction in its property and possibly stock market. Social China’s Communist Party maintained its strong foothold in the nation, as the country enjoyed a period of unprecedented prosperity in the past decade. As China’s economy take flight, the number of local billionaires and millionaires grew by leaps and bounds. The wealth gap, at the same time, widened drastically. As a consequence, there have been several localized pro-democracy campaigns since 2011. Termed ‘Jasmine revolution’, citizens used social network site such as microblogs to organize public protests demanding fairness, housing and food – social issues that are often overlooked during economic boom. Such unrests were quickly put to rest as Beijing aims to mitigate any form of dissidents since learning the hard lessons from Tiananmen protests in 1989. Other than localized protests and occasional controversy in human rights, China’s social order have been maintained. Technology China has sparked its technological boom since it gained accession to the world trade organization in 2001. Internally, China has developed a matured internet market which now boost one of the largest internet users in the world. In mobile phones, the market evidenced a dynamic growth due to the rapid development of mobile subscriptions and growing third-generation (3G) networks. China: Smartphone Market Industry analysis After China’s telecommunications operators acquired 3G licenses, they formed several strategic alliances with mobile phone brands. For example, China Unicom has established alliances with Apple’s iPhone and Lenovo’s LePhone, whilst Motorola and HTC and strategic partners with China Telecom. Customer analysis According to government statistics in 2012, China has become to first country to top 1 billionThe cell phone users, a soar from 2010’s 787 million users. The number of users is equivalent to 74% of China’s population. That being said, only 14% of users are 3G users. Mobile phones are seen as a necessity, as customers regularly use phones for texting and micro-blogging. Competitor analysis Mobile phones are relatively consolidated in China, with the top five brands deriving nearly 72% of total retail volume stales in 2010[7]. Top five brands are Nokia (34.2%) , Samsung (18.1%), LG (6.8%), ZTE (6.3%) and Huawei (6.3%). Apple (1.4%) and HTC (0.7%) are late boomers in the market, with both companies having entered China in 2009 and 2010 respectively. According to market research by Canalys[8], international brands such as Samsung, Apple and HTC should continue to dominate in the space above RMB2,500 (US$400). Leading local tier-one brands, such as Huawei and ZTE, are diversifying beyond the entry level by launching a number of high-profile, flagship smart phones. As of late, Lenovo has made efforts to penetrate the low cost, rural market by introducing models starting from RMB700 (US$158). Company Analysis HTC in China HTC only entered China in 2009 and occupied a market share below 1% as of figures in 2010. Its strategy is to challenge Samsung and Apple as the biggest smartphone players in Mainland, but it also faces stiff competition from local brands such as Tianyu and ZTE Despite its geographic proximity in Taiwan, HTC started off late in China than in richer parts of the world largely because the country’s 3G structure was not as matured in 2009 as today. Targeting & Positioning HTC’s mission statement is â€Å"to become the leading innovative supplier of mobile information and communication devices by providing value-added design, world class manufacturing and logistic and service capabilities.† Whilst this may have been a successful formula over the past 10 years in geographic location, HTC is in danger of falling behind competitors in China. HTC currently has 10% of the market for smartphones costing more than RMB2,000 (US$320). Its strategy is to target those high-end customers who utilizes 3G network and appreciates international brand. As if HTC’s Magic Lab works tirelessly to come up with numerous innovative products, HTC currently adopts a similar volume approach in its phones. HTC regularly pushes forward phones in the market. In 2011, when Apple had launched one new iPhone, HTC introduced fifteen new models. HTC’s Challenge After a meteoric rise which placed it briefly atop the U.S. smartphone sales charts, HTC revenue as a whole in the first two months of 2012 was a staggering 45% down on last year. HTC has run afoul of punitive legal juggernaut Apple, which delayed the availability of HTC’s handsets. Determined to avoid the fate looming over troubled rivals like Research in Motion, HTC saw a big revitalization push in China, championed by several flagship phones such as HTC One X and Evo 4G Lite. Sales in Europe have been dropping but HTC saw better than expected revenue in China. The rise of HTC in China despite its late entry could be partially attributed to their advanced operating systems with Android and excellent hardware, such as dual core processing units and friendly features where the phone rings louder when in a bag. But with competitors catching up hardware specifications overnight these days, can HTC sustain its China growth? The challenge of HTC faces is not neither simply in hardware nor software. HTC needs to formulate a marketing and branding strategy for China, as to fend off the fierce challenge by international brands (Apple, Samsung) and local players. Proposed Marketing Campaign For the proposed marketing campaign, we propose a bi-polar approach to target existing high-end customers of HTC’s and also tap into the basic customers specturum, an area HTC has not entered so far. High-end customers HTC is currently focusing on high-end customers who are tech savvy, able and willing to pay for premium mobile phones. These high-end customers are currently up and coming professionals, live a fast moving lifestyle and mostly reside or work in first or second tier cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Xi Chuan. All of these customers have subscribed or are going to subscribe 3G network, in order to make the most of out HTC’s smartphones. In addition to product quality and operating system, high-end customers nowadays also care about brand reputation and image. The proposed marketing campaign for HTC’s high-end customers is therefore to enrich the brand experience and differentiate HTC’s personality. Basic customers As mentioned earlier, 3G users accounts to less than 20% of China’s mobile phones market. According to market analysis, local players, best represented by ZTE and Huawei, are more popular amongst price sensitive mass and lower-end customers. These basic customers reside in third tier cities or rural areas, demand basic functions for their phones and also aspires to own a smartphone one day. Product Designers collaborations are nothing new. Indeed, they are now a well-established marketing tool – as well as source of income. Standard Hotel Group in America has joined forces with the likes of surfwear brand Quiksilver to provide exclusive trunks and bikinis that guests can purchase in the group’s resorts. H&M, the Swedish fashion behemoth, took rise after asking Karl Lagerfeld, designer for Chanel and owner of Fendi, to come up with a special collection back in 2004. For mobile phones,it is no different story. RIM collaborated with Porsche design and launched a high-end luxurious blackberry in 2011. LG and Prada started working together in 2006[9] and continued to attract fashionistas for their crossover phones. For high-end customers, HTC should leverage connection with a renowned brand within the Chinese community and produce collaborate products. Nike would deem to be an appropriate choice, given the brand is held in high regards among Chinese and its innovative brand image aligns with that of HTC’s. Nevertheless, Nike has strong connection with Apple as Nike currently produces Nike+ – a tracking device that connects an athletes’ performance data with iPhones, iPods etc. If there is a brand for up-and-coming professionals which matches HTC’s pricing and targeting strategy, Adidas would be a great fit. Rather than choosing a luxury brand such as LVMH or Gucci, a partnership with Adidas could not only appeal to the sports lovers, but also be perceived as socially acceptable. Partnering with luxurious goods might risk further alienation as the wealth gap widens in China. Adidas is actively investing on its mi adidas platform that rivals Nike+. The sports company enjoys a good reputation in China after sponsoring Team China in Beijing Olympics, and its innovative roots in products and designs could enrich the HTC brand experience. For basic customers, HTC could build 2G or even very basic 3G phones to attract the mass. With much reduced functionality and a lower price point, HTC could attract the 80% users who have not yet subscribe to 3G network. While the simpler handsets should have less fancy functions, embodying the HTC names mean that that the phones should still be innovative. HTC could be more localize with these phones by having local functions such as Chinese keyboard and improved durability that adapts to environment in rural areas. Perhaps basic phones could have a brighter screen for users to view the screen easily in open rural areas, or made in anti-sand materials as desertification is common in northwest China. Aside from hardware reengineering, HTC needs to redesign its software capabilities. HTC is relatively weak in content when compared to rivals such as Apple. It has no plans to launch its own app store, preferring instead to reply on Android marketplace and its apps. HTC acquired French content provider Abaxia in June 2010[10] to develop innovative apps for its devices. Recently, it has installed digital map apps in HTC Sense interface. Currently, there is a market gap in smartphone manufacturer originated apps in China. Almost all of the apps available on Android/iPhone system are developed by individual software company. HTC could potentially develop operating system with apps linked to popular Chinese social media sites, such as QQ and Sina’s Microblog. Price HTC should continue to target upper tier price points for its high end customers. Its currently price point closely resembles Apple’s and Samsung’s, averaging around RMB2,500 (US$400). The high price setting strategy further illustrates HTC’s ambition to compete with the international brands but the company could consider undercutting its price by a fraction, say less than 10%, than the leaders so as to gain stronger market share. Price reduction should not be advertised aggressively, as it might signal a loss in quality. For products in the lower end market, HTC should try to be a price leader in the arena. Lenovo markets its cheaper line of phones around RMB700, and HTC should try to undercut Lenovo. It is important to capture the basic customers first, with the hope that HTC could persuade basic users to switch to more expensive phones over time. Place According to Economists, HTC now as 2,300 authorized retailers in China. Apple has 3,500 – not withstanding its flagship Apple store and website – while Nokia and Samsung have 9,000 each. HTC could open more shops by granting authorized retailers license, but it is easier said than done as brands jostle retailers for shelf spaces. Rather than investing heavily in opening its own shop, HTC could form a strategic partnership with popular online shop Taobao or Alibaba to reach customers in the second or third tier cities to compliment its e-shop. Further place promotion could been referred in ‘HTC ambassador’ campaign in People section. In first tier cities, HTC could theoretically leverage on Adidas’s store presence and distribution network. Nonetheless, HTC should adopt a selective approach by opening flagship store that can illustrates its customer experience. Promotion In HTC’s incumbent global marketing campaign, the company slogan is ‘quietly brilliant’. HTC commercials do not focus on the precise functionality of their handsets but the way people use them. The concept itself is intuitive, but the campaign is not as much advertised in China as other places – the slogan does not even has a Chinese translation. As a result, HTC’s promotion in China is product focused. HTC One X advertisements were filmed where a photographer takes pictures with HTC phone while skydiving – stressing the superior camera quality of the handset. To revamp the promotion campaign, HTC should first come up with a better slogan for China or even for its global campaign. Stressing on the way people interact with HTC cell phones is a good idea, but conceptually the slogan could be more straight forward – Nokia’s ‘connecting people’ or LG’s ‘life is good’ are good examples. For China specifically, HTC needs to build on build on enriching users experience. Yan Siqing, chief operating officer of China Telecom said HTC grew rapidly despite its late start because it provided a â€Å"good user experience†. Nationwide promotion campaign should focuses on how HTC helps people to capture their moments in life. Whether is at work, in sporting moments or vacation, a user-friendly HTC handset is always there to make things happen. People Simliar to Unilever’s â€Å"Shakti Revolution† to help women in rural India to become entrepreneurs[11], HTC could foster partnership with non governmental organisations, banks and local counties, to promote handsets at rural areas through employing ‘HTC ambassadors’. Ambassadors are underpriviledged residents in country sides and they are invited to become direct-to-consumer sales distributors for HTC’s basic handsets for second or third tier cities. Contrary to normal mom-and-pop shops, HTC should provide training in selling, commercial knowledge and bookkeeping to help ambassadors become micro-entrepreneurs. This proposal could not only expand HTC’s reach in the lower tier markets, but also been seen as a socially responsible act of goodwill. ———————– [1]Kim R. & Yoffie D., HTC Corp. in 1999, 8th Dec 2009, Harvard Business Review [2]Sourced online: http://xda.o2.co.uk/ [3]Kim R. & Yoffie D., HTC Corp. in 1999, 8th Dec 2009, Harvard Business Review [4]HTC: The brand from no where; The Economist, 7th Apr 2012, sourced online from [5]http://www.interbrand.com/en/best-global-brands/best-global-brands-2008/best-global-brands-2011.aspx [6]Wolfe A, Gurushina N & Gassambe I, China Outlook: The Tao of Hard Landing, 28 May 2012, Roubini Global Economics Report [7]Mobile Phones in China, Category Briefing, 19 Sep 2011; Passport GMID [8]http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20120619PR203.html [9]http://www.gizmag.com/lg-prada-collaborative-phone/20862/ [10]http://www.ubergizmo.com/2010/06/htc-acquires-abaxia-to-strengthen-its-software-capabilities/ [11]http://www.unilever.com.au/sustainability/casestudies/economic-development/creating-rural-entrepreneurs.aspx

Learning Experience Paper Essay

From the moment we enter into this world from the womb, humans are bombarded with stimuli and other conditioning. This stimulus plays a significant role in developing who we are, how we perceive elements before us and as important, how we react to those stimuli or events. The course that we take on this journey varies greatly from person to person. The various theories and methods discussed in the proceeding paper will evaluate the potential results from these various stimuli and conditioning, where they derive from and how they impact our learning experience. Throughout the world, there are few learning experiences that rival the association of sharks and the ocean and the subsequent fear that is elicited by people as a result. Some fear has reached an irrational level and is known as galeophobia, which means â€Å"Excessive and persistent fear of sharks† (Definition of fear of sharks, 2012, para. 1). These fears can occur on their own. However Hollywood of past, the maker of â€Å"JAWS† and ever increasing current events covered by expanding media have assuredly brought many new shark phobias into the fold. Fears commonly develop from the unknown or based on what cannot be seen, and those of the deep continue to underlie a mysterious phenomenon. On top of that, recent proof of bull sharks making their way into the brackish waters of rivers and tributaries have only validated some of these fears. As an experienced outdoorsman, surfer and diver, I have learned to have respect for all of my surroundings. While mankind typically has a good command of their surroundings, we are at risk on a daily basis, from muggings to shootings, to vehicle accidents and more. Climb a mountain, walk a ledge, run out in lightening or swim in the ocean and possibilities of injury or more are there. We simply must live our lives regardless and accept the risks that we face. People, throughout times, have been drawn to the coasts and oceans, first as a means of access ways for trade and some time after as a place of relaxation. We have always known there were mysterious creatures in the sea, some dangerous and sharks are definitely among the top of the  predators. Classical conditioning can play a role in developing situations such as this fear. In this instance, the shark is the unconditioned stimulus, as most people would inherently fear it. As such, fear would constitute the unconditional response. The neutral stimulus, in this case, would be the beach or entry into the waters of the beach. â€Å"After some such pairings the CS will elicit, by itself, a conditioned response (CR) very much like UR.† (Reber, Allen, Reber, 2009) Shark attacks have occurred for as long as we have been associated with the water. Over the past several decades, is that shark attacks, movies concerning them, and an increasing media presence to cover the actual occurrences, have misrepresented the actual level of danger associated with swimming at beaches. This misrepresentation has caused people to now associate beaches to sharks. Beaches have become for many, the conditioned stimulus, and those associating that conditioned stimulus to sharks is exhibiting a conditioned response. In the case of Operant Conditioning, behaviors are based on consequences. These consequences could be in the form of repeatable behaviors or reinforcement or punishments. â€Å"Any well-trained â€Å"operant† is in effect a habit.† (Staddon, 2003) An example of its use would be that the South African Coast is notorious for sharks, especially Great Whites. A surfer entering the water with no incidents will likely continue to enter, reinforced by the fact that no attack occurred. On the other hand, if that surfer were attacked, that would be a strong consequence, in the form of punishment, to discourage further entry. Cognitive social learning involves less of outside stimulus and relies more on the inherent capabilities of the individual to assess the stimulus and make determinations. In the same South African Coast example, the surfer, knowing that a particular area had many sharks, would have developed sufficient reasoning. To determine that he or she should find another safer, less populated area to surf in. In all of the learning theories discussed, there are elements of each that work best in particular situations. Overall, it is my opinion that cognitive-social learning is the most reliable theory, with regards to the learning process, for it relies on the inherent nature of the beings. Classical conditioning utilizes association that does not necessarily pertain to that behavior. Consequently, operant conditioning modifies behavior only after several occurrences and or consequences. Reference MedicineNet.com. (June 14, 2012). Definition of Fear of sharks. Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=12519 Staddon, J. E. R., & Cerutti, D. T. (2003). Operant conditioning. Annual Review of Psychology, 54, 115-44. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/205795898?accountid=458 Classical conditioning. (2009). In A. Reber, R. Allen, & E. Reber, The Penguin dictionary of psychology. London, United Kingdom: Penguin. Retrieved from http://search.credoreference.com.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/content/entry/penguinpsyc/classical_conditioning/0

Word Choice Fewer vs. Less - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog

Word Choice Fewer vs. Less - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog Word Choice: Fewer vs. Less Confusions between â€Å"fewer† and â€Å"less† can provoke fury among pedants: In the UK, one store even changed its signs after a campaign to enforce correct grammar! The difference between â€Å"fewer† and â€Å"less† is subtle, though, so it’s easy to mix them up in your written work (or on your shop signs) if youre not careful. Fewer (Countable Quantities) The word â€Å"fewer† means â€Å"a smaller number of people or things.† More specifically, â€Å"fewer† applies to things you can count or number, like stones or apples: There were seven apples in this bowl, now there are four; that’s three fewer than yesterday. We say â€Å"fewer† here because â€Å"apple† is a countable noun (i.e., apples can be counted out as individual apples). Less (Uncountable Quantities) The word â€Å"less† simply means â€Å"not so much† or â€Å"smaller in amount.† It differs from â€Å"fewer† by applying principally to uncountable nouns, usually substances or concepts that cannot be counted individually, such as water or pain: My shoulder still aches, but I’m in less pain than I was. The use of â€Å"less† indicates the pain has reduced. However, it doesn’t imply a severe pain is an accumulation of smaller pains in the same way that a bowl of apples contains several apples. Fewer or Less? A good tip for knowing when to use â€Å"fewer† or â€Å"less† is to consider whether the word modified is singular or plural, since singular terms take â€Å"less† and plural terms take â€Å"fewer.† This can be judged by whether the word would usually be followed by â€Å"is† or â€Å"are.† For instance, we say â€Å"water is wet† rather than â€Å"waters are wet† because water is a singular noun. Likewise, we say â€Å"apples are delicious† rather than â€Å"apples is delicious† because â€Å"apples† is plural. By working out whether were describing a singular or plural noun, we determine which of â€Å"fewer† or â€Å"less† to use: Singular/Countable Nouns = Fewer Plural/Uncountable Nouns = Less Time, Money and Distance One more thing to keep in mind is that quantities of time, money and distance usually take â€Å"less† rather than â€Å"fewer.† This is because we treat measurements as singular rather than plural. For example, although $100 could be counted out as one hundred individual dollars, we usually think of it as a single quantity of one hundred dollars. Hence we say â€Å"$100 is too much to pay,† not â€Å"$100 are too much to pay.† Likewise, when it comes to â€Å"fewer† and â€Å"less,† we usually say â€Å"I have less than $100,† not â€Å"I have fewer than $100.†

In what ways is the process of essays

In what ways is the process of essays The process of globalisation itself is challenging and changing our understanding of government and democracy in the 21st century. These ways have been influenced by various principles associated with the state sovereignty and liberal democracy. In this Briefing Paper, however, I will only illuminate two of these principles, which I regard as the most important ones. I am going to argue that the globalisation of the economy, as well as in the environment, cause huge challenges for governments and democracies. These challenges include diminishing control over a defined territory through factors such as international (non)- governmental organizations and transboundary pollution. One of the most important principles achieved in The Peace Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 was the establishment of the state sovereignty, which had an ulterior motive that states hold absolute power over their own territory and population. However, in the last few decades, the state sovereignty has being eroded by factors such as interdependence, and particularly through globalisation. In addition, the core principles of liberal democracy include self- governance, the demos, consent, representation, and popular sovereignty. These principles are coming under certain pressures in many different respects. Of these principles, the globalisation of the economy, as well as in the environment, show to be major influences to liberal democracies and domestic governments. In 1998, Held argued that liberal democracy assumes a direct and symmetrical correspondence between government and the governed (Held, 1998). However, under the conditions of globalisation this correspondence is disrupted since, in an increasingly interconnected world system, sites of power can be large distances away. This shows to be the first big challenge for liberal democracies. What I mean by sites of power? Global economic processes, such as trad...

Energy Flow in Ecosystems

Energy Flow in Ecosystems If there is only one thing you learn about ecosystems, it should be that all of the living residents of an ecosystem are dependent upon one another for their survival. But what does that dependence look like?   Each organism living in an ecosystem plays an important role in the flow of energy within the food web. The role of a bird is very different from that of a flower. But both are equally necessary to the overall survival of the ecosystem, and all of the other living creatures within it. Ecologists have defined three ways that living creatures use energy and interact with one another. Organisms are defined as producers, consumers, or decomposers. Here is a look at each of these roles and their place within an ecosystem. Producers The main role of producers is to capture the energy from the sun and convert it into food. Plants, algae, and some bacteria are producers. Using a process called photosynthesis, producers use the suns energy to turn water and carbon dioxide into food energy. They earn their name, because- unlike the other organisms in an ecosystem- they can actually produce their own food. Produces are the original source of all food within an ecosystem. In most ecosystems, the sun is the source of energy that producers use to create energy. But in a few rare cases- such as ecosystems found in rocks deep beneath the ground- bacterial producers can use the energy found in a gas called hydrogen sulfide, that is found within the environment, to create food even in the absence of sunlight! Consumers Most organisms in an ecosystem cannot make their own food. They depend upon other organisms to meet their food needs. They are called consumers- because that is what they do- consume. Consumers can be broken down into three classifications: herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. Herbivores are consumers that only eat plants. Deer and caterpillars are herbivores found commonly in a number of environments.Carnivores are consumers that only eat other animals. Lions and spiders are examples of carnivores. There is a special category of carnivore called scavengers. Scavengers are animals that eat only dead animals. Catfish and vultures are examples of scavengers.Omnivores are consumers that eat both plants and animals depending upon the season and availability of food. Bears, most birds, and humans are omnivores. Decomposers Consumers and producers can live together nicely, but after some time, even the vultures and catfish would not be able to keep up with all of the dead bodies that would pile up of the years. Thats where decomposers come in. Decomposers are organisms that break down and feed off of the waste and dead organisms within an ecosystem. Decomposers are natures built-in recycling system. By breaking down materials- from dead trees to the waste from other animals, decomposers return nutrients to the soil and create another food source for herbivores and omnivores within the ecosystem. Mushrooms and bacteria are common decomposers. Every living creature in an ecosystem has a role to play. Without producers, consumers and decomposers would not survive because they would have no food to eat. Without consumers, the populations of producers and decomposers would grow out of control. And without decomposers, producers and consumers would soon become buried in their own waste. Classifying organisms by their role within an ecosystem helps ecologists understand how food and energy ebb and flows in the environment. This movement of energy is usually diagrammed using food chains or food webs. While a food chain shows one path along which energy can move through an ecosystem, food webs show all of the overlapping ways that organisms live with and depend upon one another. Energy Pyramids Energy pyramids are another tool that ecologists use to understand the role of organisms within an ecosystem and how much energy is available at each stage of a food web. Most of the energy in an ecosystem is available at the producer level. As you move up on the pyramid, the amount of available energy decreases significantly. In general, only about 10 percent of the available energy from one level of the energy pyramid transfers to the next level. the remaining 90 percent of energy is either utilized by the organisms within that level or lost to the environment as heat.   The energy pyramid shows how ecosystems naturally limit the number of each type of organism it can sustain. Organisms that occupy the top level of the pyramid- tertiary consumers- have the least amount of available energy. Therefore their numbers are limited by the number of producers within an ecosystem.

DRIVING THE ORGANISATION - ORGANISATIONAL DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT Assignment - 1

DRIVING THE ORGANISATION - ORGANISATIONAL DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT - Assignment Example The point of debate is that whether the organizational strategy is purposely changed to adapt to the external environment or the strategy is automatically determined due to external forces, as noted by Hannan and Freeman (1977). Wieck, (1979) agrees with this stance and argues that developing mutually exclusive theories; relying one single causation, focusing on the origins and elimination of elements such as â€Å"choice† are problematic. This theory can be put to test in Sony’s case - we see that Sony’s strategic direction was determined by external and internal factors, and as a result, the external and internal environment was influenced by its direction. Some strategic choices were made due to adaptation, while the others were determined by external forces- both these forces conglomerated to create Sony’s’ strategic direction. This can be better portrayed using a Venn Diagram Given Sony’s position in the market, it can be said that it had a number of strategic choices; although most of these choices were somewhat influenced by the external environment and company decisions, but due to its size and complexity, it was able to achieve its desired outcome with the availability of multiple choices. According to the work of Porter (1980), such Companies are able to follow â€Å"differentiation and focus strategies, choose market niches or segments within the constraints laid down by the environment or alternatively pursue different strategies despite external forces†, as stated by Berle and Means (1932). Upon using Porter’s (1983) analysis of the external environment on Sony, we can understand how the external environment shaped the Sony’s strategic direction and how Sony’s decision in turn shaped the external environment. The five elements of Porter’s design include: Threat of New Entrants: For Sony, this was a major external force that based their strategic direction, and this is evident

Diffusion and Osmosis Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Diffusion and Osmosis - Lab Report Example The cell and its extracellular environments are fluid in that concentrations of substances dissolved in it vary. Depending on varying concentration of the substances dissolved in water, be it extracellular or intracellular, dissolved substances or water move from one compartment to another directed by physical principles of gradients. To accomplish this, the cell utilizes the processes of osmosis and diffusion as appropriate. These phenomena can be visualized outside the cell by simulating these in vitro. Since cell membrane is a semipermeable membrane and exchanges occur through this, these experiments must utilize a construct of the semipermeable membrane that can be made with a commercially available dialysis tubing and bag. These membranes have microscopic pores through which small molecules like water can pass, but larger molecules, such as sugar cannot pass through them. Thus through this molecular net, solutions of different solute concentrations can be observed to pass in a m easurable fashion. This experiment has been designed to prove the hypothesis of the mechanisms of osmosis and diffusion through such a semipermeable membrane. Diffusion is defined as the movement of molecules from a site of higher concentration to that of a lower concentration. Technically speaking, this difference in concentration creates a concentration gradient, and the steepness of the gradient determines the rate of diffusion. In an attempt to find out the reason as to why it occurs, it can be attributed to a great deal of space between the molecules of all substances that are candidates for diffusion. Liquids have moderate intermolecular space. Moreover, all molecules are in a state of constant random movement so that they collide and intermingle. It is expected that in solids diffusion would occur slowly for tight packing of the molecules. Liquids and gases would diffuse freely because their molecules are spaced widely. Thus, it can be stated that any solute will tend to uniformly occupy the entire space available to it. This movement, known as diffusion, is due to the spontaneous Brownian random movement that all molecules experie nce. The net result of diffusion is the movement of substances according to their difference in concentrations, from regions of high concentration to regions of low concentration. Diffusion is an effective way for substances to move short distances. Diffusion across a membrane has no preferential direction; it can occur from the outside of the cell toward the inside or from the inside of the cell toward the outside. It is however determined the extend of permeability through a membrane, which in the case of a living cell is the protein-lipid-protein plasma membrane, and therefore, diffusion across the membrane usually implies that the diffusing solute enters the lipid bilayer to cross it, the solute's solubility in a lipid solvent compared with its solubility in water is important in determining its permeability through it. Hydrophilic substances, such as ions and sugars, do not interact well with the lipid component of the membrane, hence would diffuse across the membrane more slow ly. This is, however, not applicable in physical membrane such as a dialysis membrane (Campbell NA, Reece JB, Mitchell LG., 1999). If equal volumes of pure water and a strong sugar solution are taken, the pure water will have more water molecules and would have higher water concentration that a sugar

The films Juno and American Beauty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The films Juno and American Beauty - Essay Example The girl Juno here is a 16 year old female, who gets pregnant by her classmate Paulie and both plans to abort the baby. Juno is a girl with carefree attitude and does not care about what other people think about her. Juno in her tender age is ignorant about pregnancy and issue related to it and this quote confirms it. Juno MacGuff: I don't know, I drank like, ten gallons of Sunny D... I'm telling you I'm pregnant and you're acting shockingly caviler. Leah: Is this for real? Later by the influence of her friend she changes her mind and plans with Paulie to give the baby for adoption for this she gets the support from her parents. Juno with her friend Leah finds a couple to adopt the baby and the film later shows the Juno’s experience with the pregnancy and the emotional struggle associated with it. Long before the birth of the baby, Juno also confesses her love for Paulie. Also Paulie accepts the love for Juno and soon after she delivers a baby boy. In the meanwhile, the couple who about to adopt the baby faces a marriage breakdown. In the end of the movie, Vanessa (Single mother) who is supposed to adopt the baby accepts the baby and Juno and Paulie are shown to be passionately in love. The Movie American Beauty This movie American beauty explains the life of Lester who is writer in a magazine who dislikes his job. His wife Carolyn is a rude character, and their daughter Jane despises her parents. â€Å"Carolyn Burnham: Are you trying to look unattractive? Jane Burnham: Yes. Carolyn Burnham: Well, congratulations. You've succeeded admirably†. These dialoged shows the hostile relationship held by the mother and the daughter. Lester has a neighbor who is a colonel accompanied by his less social wife and a drug addicted son Ricky. The Lester’s daughter Jane is in love with Ricky and wants to extend her relation with him. Lester on the other hand is deep down inside depressed and wants a person to share his feelings. Meanwhile he gets in touch with Jane’s friend Angela and gets infatuated with her. Lester begins to experience sexual fantasies about Angela wherein red roses are surrounded by Him. On the other side, Carolyn his having an affair with her business counterpart Buddy. Later Lester finds out about his wife’s extra -marital affair but reacts indifferently. Jane in the later part of the movie gets involved with Ricky and Lester too gets friendly with Angela. In between all this Lester gets marijuana from Ricky and uses it and tries to sexually encounter Angela and finds that she is virgin and backs out. The father of Ricky accidently sees Lester nudely exercising and his son watching it, and concludes they r gay mates. Colonel rushes to Lester home and shoot him to death. Comparison between Juno and American Beauty The movie Juno and American beauty is both centered on teenagers and their romantic life and sexual activities. The movie is basically about the culture of teenagers in American and how th ey lead an unorganized and indisciplined life as this quoted depicts it. â€Å"Angela Hayes: Jane, he's a freak! Jane Burnham: Then so am I! And we'll always be freaks and we'll never be like other people and you'll never be a freak because you're just too... perfect! â€Å"Both these movies show to the viewers that the sexual life of American teenagers is active at an early stage. The movies also display the marriage failure happening in American society and how fragile relationship is. According to (Sarris) â€Å"In American Beauty ,Kevin Spacey plays Lester Burnham, a man in his mid-40s going through an intense midlife crisis; he's grown cynical and is convinced that he has no reason to go on†Both the movies also show the emotional struggle undergone by teenage and adults of America. The movie Juno has an anti –

Failed states should be placed in the care of the Trusteeship Council Essay

Failed states should be placed in the care of the Trusteeship Council. Discuss - Essay Example Factors like government stability and social peace are taken into consideration for deciding the status of a state, whether it is failed or not. Current paper presents the context of failed state focusing on the following issue: should failed states be placed in the care of the Trusteeship Council. The role of the above Council is reviewed and evaluated, especially in regard to the interaction of the Council with the failed states worldwide. It is made clear that the Trusteeship Council could play such role but under certain terms: that the national identity and the control over the national territory will not be threatened. 2. Failed states and the Trusteeship Council 2.1 Failed states - characteristics In order to understand the potential need of failed states to be set under the care of the Trusteeship Council it would be necessary to explain primarily the characteristics of these states. In the literature the failure of states has been extensively explored. According to Harpviken , Enjolras and Sivesind (2010) a state can be characterized as failed only if certain terms are met. Reference is made, for example, to the view of Zartman (1995) who noted that a state is considered as failed ‘when the basic functions of the state are no longer performed’ (Zartman 1995 in Harpviken, Enjolras and Sivesind 2010, p.29). A state can be also characterized as failed if ‘it has not been able to establish the features associated with statehood’ (Harpviken, Enjolras and Sivesind 2010, p.29). In other words, a state can be failed either since its beginning, if it has not managed to implement the functions required for building its identity as a state, or at a later point of time, when its functions, which have been successful implemented, become inactive. This means that for all states no guarantee can exist in regard to their success or failure. Of course, as long as a state is carefully structure and its functions are closely monitored it is quite difficult for the particular state to become a failed state. From another point of view, Rotberg (2010) noted that failed states are characterized by ‘the collapse of government’ (Rotberg 2010, p.43), as this collapse can have many consequences, such as social disorder, threats against human rights, lack of necessary food and so on (Rotberg 2010, p.43). In other words, states can be characterized as failed not only because of the status of their functions but also of the status of their politics. Naude, Santos-Paulino and McGillivray (2011) claim that failed states tend to face specific problems, such as ‘weak governance and unequal distribution of goods and wealth’ (Naude, Santos-Paulino and McGillivray (2001, p.44). On the other hand, there are states that have no government due to the lack of necessary majority of voters, as for example in the case of Belgium; also, these states continue to operate with no problem being in a pre-election period for quit e a long period of time. This means that the view of Rotberg, as presented above, that the collapse of government results necessarily to the failure of a state, is not verified. Akpinarli (2009) argues that problematic states can be categorized as follows: failed and failing, a distinction also accepted by Herdegen (Akpinarli 2009, p.97). It is explained that the criteria used by each research for describing the status of a state that faces a series of

Choose two or three research studies in an area of interest to you Essay

Choose two or three research studies in an area of interest to you describe the research methods used and critically discuss the - Essay Example The paper critically evaluates three research papers on inclusion of special needs students in classrooms and reflects research methods used in these studies. In addition, the paper evaluates document review and observation as data collection methods used in the studies. Introduction Research adopts two key approaches that include qualitative and quantitative methods that have different data collection ways according to each technique. Qualitative research is often considered exploratory and is useful in getting a deeper understanding of issues of interest as well as exploring nuances associated with the current problem. On the other hand, quantitative research is definite in its point because it tries to compute problems and comprehend the way to prevent them by looking for the scheme of results in a large population. Quantitative research involves collection and conversion of data into numerical form in order to make statistical calculation and draw conclusions. Qualitative researc h is associated with social constructivism paradigm that emphasises socially constructed reality since it involves inductive and deductive means that develop theory for a pattern of meaning based on collected data. Qualitative data collection and analysis allows great flexibility compared to quantitative research since data is collected in textual form based on observation and interaction with participants. Moreover, data collection in qualitative research can be carried in several stages as opposed to one stage collection of data in quantitative research. Qualitative research uses methods that give participants a degree of freedom instead of forcing the participants to select pre-determined responses because this technique allows them the atmosphere to express themselves. This indicates that qualitative research technique adopts a less formal and less rigid approach compared to the approach used in quantitative research. Although, qualitative research involves a small number of par ticipants and high degree of flexibility, the approach is not â€Å"less scientific â€Å"compared to quantitative research that involves more subjects and is often carried in a rigid manner. Pragmatic or mixed methods approach to science involves the use of methods that appear suited for research problem since they have the freedom to use any techniques associated with qualitative or quantitative research. Any single approach regardless of whether it is qualitative or quantitative, has its limitations hence the different approaches complement one another. Mixing different approaches has advantages since it allows use of various sources of data from different researchers and different perspectives for enabling interpretation of results, as well as multiple techniques for studying research problem because qualitative and quantitative methods are utilised simultaneously (Alzheimer Europe, 2012). This paper evaluates three research articles that demonstrate their findings through res earch strategies, even though they use different data collection methods. One of the study articles uses observation, while another one uses document reviews and the last one uses a rating scale. Background of the articles’ critique begins by evaluating the various data collection m

Alone as We Grieve Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Alone as We Grieve - Essay Example In any case, one thing is sure; body, mind, and spirit are the essential constituents of a living person. We know that our body gets destroyed after the death. However, we do not know what happens to the soul after death. There are plenty of people who believe that soul cannot be died even after the death of a person, as it is a form of energy, which drives our body. They substantiate their arguments with the help of scientific principles. Science accepts the existence of an energy, which drives our body. But, scientific principles say that energy can neither be created, nor be destroyed. If that is true science should explain what happens to the soul (energy) after death. In short, nobody can deny the existence of life after death. Didion’s experiences and feelings after the death of her husband can be analyzed under the above context. Didion wants to be alone—especially on the night of her husband’s death—but at other times she seems surrounded by people . In the following essay, I will examine the relationship between grief as we imagine it, and grief as it really is, in Joan Didion’s After Life†. â€Å"I remember a sense of shock. I wanted to say not yet but my mouth had gone dry. I could deal with â€Å"autopsy† but the notion of â€Å"obituary† had not occurred to me† (p11). These words clearly suggest the deep attachment Didion had with her husband. It should be noted that the autopsy is normally conducted on dead bodies, which are unknown to the doctor. At the same time, the word obituary we normally use when some of beloved ones passes away. In both the cases, one may feel grief, but the grief felt in the second case is deeper than the grief felt in the first case. â€Å"Grief is different. Grief has no distance. Grief comes in waves, paroxysms, sudden apprehensions that weaken the knees, blind the eyes, and obliterate the dailiness† (p10). It is difficult to define grief in simple ter ms. Pain, helplessness and physical humiliation are some of the characteristics of grief. While pain affects both body and mind, grief affects only the mind or soul. Grief comes as waves and sudden apprehensions whereas pain affects a person continuously. All humans in this world should have experienced some kind of pain during their lifetime. Therefore, anybody can define pain in their own ways. However, it is difficult for a person who never experiences actual grief to define grief exactly. In other words, what we think about grief is actually different from what we feel because of grief. For example, it is easy for a person to give soothing words to the person who experiences grief. He may even criticize the griever for not controlling his/her grief. This is because of the differences about the perceptions of grief and the feeling of grief. Grief, when it comes, is nothing we expect it to be. It is not what I felt when my parents died. what I felt in each instance was sadness, lo neliness, regret, for time gone by, for things unsaid, for my inability to share or even in any real way to acknowledge, at the end, the pain and helplessness and physical humiliation they each endured (p.10). Death of beloved ones always generates grief in the minds of a person. However, it is not necessary that the grief generated by the death of parents is same as the grief generated by the death of husband or children. Even though a person may have only one mother and father, that mother and father may have more than one child. So, grief generated

Choose two or three research studies in an area of interest to you Essay

Choose two or three research studies in an area of interest to you describe the research methods used and critically discuss the - Essay Example The paper critically evaluates three research papers on inclusion of special needs students in classrooms and reflects research methods used in these studies. In addition, the paper evaluates document review and observation as data collection methods used in the studies. Introduction Research adopts two key approaches that include qualitative and quantitative methods that have different data collection ways according to each technique. Qualitative research is often considered exploratory and is useful in getting a deeper understanding of issues of interest as well as exploring nuances associated with the current problem. On the other hand, quantitative research is definite in its point because it tries to compute problems and comprehend the way to prevent them by looking for the scheme of results in a large population. Quantitative research involves collection and conversion of data into numerical form in order to make statistical calculation and draw conclusions. Qualitative researc h is associated with social constructivism paradigm that emphasises socially constructed reality since it involves inductive and deductive means that develop theory for a pattern of meaning based on collected data. Qualitative data collection and analysis allows great flexibility compared to quantitative research since data is collected in textual form based on observation and interaction with participants. Moreover, data collection in qualitative research can be carried in several stages as opposed to one stage collection of data in quantitative research. Qualitative research uses methods that give participants a degree of freedom instead of forcing the participants to select pre-determined responses because this technique allows them the atmosphere to express themselves. This indicates that qualitative research technique adopts a less formal and less rigid approach compared to the approach used in quantitative research. Although, qualitative research involves a small number of par ticipants and high degree of flexibility, the approach is not â€Å"less scientific â€Å"compared to quantitative research that involves more subjects and is often carried in a rigid manner. Pragmatic or mixed methods approach to science involves the use of methods that appear suited for research problem since they have the freedom to use any techniques associated with qualitative or quantitative research. Any single approach regardless of whether it is qualitative or quantitative, has its limitations hence the different approaches complement one another. Mixing different approaches has advantages since it allows use of various sources of data from different researchers and different perspectives for enabling interpretation of results, as well as multiple techniques for studying research problem because qualitative and quantitative methods are utilised simultaneously (Alzheimer Europe, 2012). This paper evaluates three research articles that demonstrate their findings through res earch strategies, even though they use different data collection methods. One of the study articles uses observation, while another one uses document reviews and the last one uses a rating scale. Background of the articles’ critique begins by evaluating the various data collection m

Philosophy of Man Essay Example for Free

Philosophy of Man Essay

Employee Empowerment Case Study: TGI Fridays

Employee Empowerment Case Study: TGI Fridays Major shifts in business activities in the recent years due to globalizations have taken Large (LEs) and Small Medium Scale Organizations (SMEs) either National or Multinational towards an intense competitive environment. To respond to these global challenges organizations are now working differently as compared to past and last but not the least the competitive advantage that a company obtains is through its customer service activities. As The cost of attracting a new customer is five times bigger compared to the cost of retaining a current customer (Hart et al, 1990). When an organization is not able to provide the desired satisfaction to customers, the customer becomes aggressive and besides leaving the organization service becomes a tool to disengage customers in his domain. When a company fails to provide a service, the dissatisfied customer may provide negative word-of-mouth. (Chakrapani, 1998) claims that 100 dissatisfied customers cost a company 1600 to 2500 potential customers. To retain the customers it is of paramount importance that the employees of an organization are in line with the organizations objective with regards to the successful operation and in this regard todays managers make sure to convince employees that their personal interests are in agreement with the goals of the organization. (Hellriegel et al, 2005) explained that in todays battle for excellent employees, management has to offer more than high pay to win employees trust and motivate employees. As very aptly discussed by (Latham and Gary, 2004) that the most difficult aspect of being a work team leader is motivation of team members. Work teams may be more successful in achieving organizational goals if their members are empowerment to do their jobs. 2. SIGNIFICANCE: For achieving organizational success employee empowerment and performance are at the core with regards to these concepts. Job satisfaction amongst employees talked about in relation to employee empowerment and contextual performance. Ugboro and Obeng, found that in an organization empowered employees demonstrate job satisfaction at higher levels in contrast in organizations where employees are not empowered. (Ugboro and Obeng, 2000) When the team leader demonstrates the appropriate disciplines Employee motivation can be an easy task the simple disciplines encourage employee motivation to happen naturally. Motivation, whether it is self motivation or employee motivation, is the trigger to act. The competitive business market nowadays stresses on swift solutions as there a shortage of time in making decisions. To succeed, todays complex organizations require the collaboration of multiple followers (Yukl, 2008) managers at all levels who may assume a leadership role contingent on situational demands. As a result, empowerment has become a big slogan in numerous organizations world over. By setting the shared vision and common goal creates an environment in which other employees can control themselves i.e. empowered whether they acting for the objectives of the organization or not. As Kotter said that the vision makes the work more important to employees that envisioned by the common vision, which at the same time stresses their own values (Kotter, 1990). In order to get people move in the same direction that leader chooses, he/she needs to align them rather than organize them (Kotter, 1990). Empowered employees are more willing to serve the customers; his in turn quickens customer needÂÂ ´s responses which in turn result in customer satisfaction (Bowen et al, 1992). Empowered employees self-efficacy levels increase as they are in a position to evaluate the best approach to perform tasks. (Gist et al, 1992) In a Service organization the employees are of primary significance in view of the fact that they are the ones who are the face of the organization and the way they react and interact with the consumers is an indicator to the customers about the organization. The better the service and quality interaction the customer will have the more positive image will be portrayed also since service organizations are empowered as they have to make on the spot decisions this may prompt a negative image also as its a 2 way process. 3. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: 3.1 AIMS: The idea of the study is to streamline the corporate objective through better quality management by having empowered employees. Whether it is fashion, hospitality, airline or the food industry, consumers first and foremost demand is quality. And this is not area specific. At the end of the day, companies are attracting consumers. However, the underlying challenges facing companies are the maintenance of quality to enhance consumer base. 3.2 RESEARCH QUESTION: For this study the company chosen is TGI Fridays restaurant. The purpose of this research is to ascertain the extent to which TGI Fridays restaurant practices employee empowerment in their organization, and how it impacts on service quality and customer satisfaction. The nature of the food service industry touches directly on the satisfaction and experience of the consumers. This uniqueness may account for the closer scrutiny and monitoring to ensure that certain standards with regard to employee empowerment that would otherwise have been voluntary in other sectors are observed. In this paper, we will delve into the details of employee empowerment in the restaurant business. The core study will revolve around TGI FRIDAYS Quality Management through employee involvement that will ultimately help the brand reach greater heights. According to (Strauss et al, 1998), the research question is a statement that identifies the phenomenon to be studied. It tells the readers what the researcher exclusively wants to know about this subject. How does TGI Fridays empowering of employees impacts on the quality of service and customer satisfaction in their restaurant? 4. Literature Review: 4.1 Total Quality Management: With the advancement in communication technology, transportation and other technologies the world has shrunk into a global village. Products and services developed in a country are now widely accepted in other regions of the globe as well. Many companies like TGI Friday have been developing marketing strategies to fulfill the need, in an increasingly globalized market, for several years. TGI Friday is one of the companies that are being recognized by and whose brand names are familiar to most of the people in every region of the world (Austins Radisson Hotel, 2006) Quality has different connotation to different people. Employees tend to think like their peers and think differently like those at other levels. This suggests that to infuse quality in the organization will be much easier if it is embedded across the board. Many Japanese companies have demonstrated a high perfection of product quality, reliability and customer service through TQM (Garvin, 1988). Such goals require continuous improvement procedures to be established within the company. The relationship between market share, profitability and quality has always been studied. According to Buzzell and Gale (1987) one factor above all others-superior quality drives market share and profit is virtually guaranteed. Companies that are committed to Total Quality Management, apply it in all areas of the organization, because customers are both external and internal functions to the business. Quality can not only reduce cost, it also helps in getting the differential advantage. As we can see in the following illustration, there are two types of quality: quality driven at customer and conformance to organizational quality standards. The Quality Circle is as follows: Price Advantage Customer-Driven Quality Market Share Profitability and Growth Customer Value Customer Attributes and Design Specs Specification Quality Productivity Lower Cost Lower Cost of Quality Investment in Improved Quality Figure 3.1 Quality Circle, Source: Joel E. Ross, (1996). Total Quality Management; Text, Cases and Readings. Second Edition. Total Quality circle implies that the customer is the top priority for all business decisions. It takes into consideration the satisfaction of customer as a key determinant of success in the long run. Sometimes business decisions lead to the demise of an entire enterprise when quality is shown the door, while compromising on customer requirements. According to TQM theory the best way to improve organizational output is to continually improve performance (Dale, 1996). The phenomenon of Total Quality Management is no more another statement for organizations. It has become a reality. In the cut-throat corporate world, companies find themselves in hot water if they compromise on quality, consideration the fact the consumers now have more alternatives at their disposal. 4.1.2 Buzz Word Quality: Every organization has a set of standards and beliefs that they adhere to. Quality is the buzz word in the modern day marketplace. Every organization claim to infuse the best quality in its products and services. In our daily lives, we distinguish different products and services as excellent, average or mediocre. The precise definition of a quality product or service is that it provides customer more than what they were actually looking for at a prescribed price. According to Crosby, quality is the outcome of a carefully constructed culture. This has to be the fabric of the organization. (Crosby, 1988) Organizations operating in modern markets call for an exceptional quality in their products and services. In the case of restaurants, the initiative is that products and services must be readily available to customers. Essentially, organizations focus on the concerns of customer needs, through a well developed mechanism (Kotler, 1991). A good management at a restaurant will instill value that will lead to the creation of admirable products and commendable service, which in turn fulfills customer expectations and satisfies them. Quality is really an attitude built on a perception. Its not the product or company itself. The product is sold by the company. (Aaker, 1991), asserts that the brand of that product is bought by the consumer, predicated upon the consumers perception that the brand he or she buys of a product differs sufficiently from another brand of the same product to warrant choosing one particular brand over another. And, by the way, warrants paying the price for it. Customers look beyond the functional benefits of a restaurant to the overall experience it offers. Johnson stated that people stay in relationships for two major reasons: because they want to and because they have to. (Johnson, 1982) This recommends that service loyalty is influenced by satisfaction and interpersonal bonds. The interplay of these two sets of influences impacts on operational, marketing and human resource management strategies, including the nature and form of empowerment best matched to the service offer. (Cowell, 1984) claims that different organization provide different service features, which in the long-term impacts the operational management, marketing offer to customers and the way that front line employees are managed. 4.1.3 Consumers Charge Quality: Consumers tend to associate quality with price. But a new Cornell study found out that higher price tag may create a more positive view of products, but consumers may not necessarily purchase them. (Lowery, 2009) Some studies support the idea that higher price leads to a more superior quality some case examples are studies by, (Dodds, et al 1991; Gabor, 1988 etc). On the other hand, other studies have found that a high price may not always be related to the perceived superior quality. (Peterson 1970; Peterson and Jolibert, 1976). Such inconsistent findings have prompted the conclusion that a general price perceived quality relationship does not exist (Zeithaml et al, 1988). It is very much clear that quality cannot alone be associated with the price tag. It all depends on the users preference, the availability of different alternatives and the situation that compels the consumer to use the product/service. Many customers seek their prescribed branded services when it comes to restaurants. The branded organization meets customers security needs by making the service offer precise and by delivering a standardized service constant with customer expectations. At the same time many customers are looking for some confirmation of their individuality. (Holpp, 1990) asserts that the problem with the delivery of services is that it is delivered at the customers interface. If a problem exists, it is already too late. The subtle aspects to service and the heterogeneity of services pose difficulty for both customers and organizations supplying services to them. TGI Fridays provides a service which creates a sense of social connection to others. The brand also offers its customers a prospect to deal with the ambiguity felt by many service consumers. Thus, the customer can personalize the experience and knows what to expect. The following extract from an article reinforces the aforementioned argument. Lori Voth asserted that the biggest problem with most of restaurants is that the food looks awesome in the menu, or on TV, billboard, but once it gets delivered to your table, your impression fades away. However TGI Fridays manages to do it perfectly every time. Not only do the photos and descriptions make your mouth water but the actual meal always lives up to its promise. This is one restaurant where you can judge something by its cover, or picture. 4.1.4 Quality Infuse Loyalty: It has been observed that some restaurants have a more loyal following? Why is that people are more attracted to it? Because, the experience is worth remembering. From the very first interaction with the staff, an impression is made. This feeling creates an impression in the mind of the customer. Many restaurants and TGI Fridays in particular identify the value of customer service. Loyalty is an essential part of doing any business. No business can survive without establishing a dedicated client base. Studies have shown that companies that are rated high by their customer can charge close to ten percent more, than those rated poorly (Sonnenberg, 1989). For managers, motivating a group of employees is not a straightforward task. Each employee is a different and unique individual with dissimilar personalities and attitudes. Surprisingly enough, in spite of its evident importance to all businesses, relatively little is known about it. Experts have struggled to define exactly what being a loyal customer means, and too little has been made in determining what factors lead to customer loyalty. So, although customer loyalty is considered the back-bone of business, it still remains a mystery. To be truly effective and be able to repeat business, a brand must fabricate an emotional connection with its customers. And this is what the managers strive to achieve. Emotional branding is connected with the wisdom of brands and leads to an excursion filled with precious hints, ideas, and lessons from the customers. How to infuse brand loyalty in customers and address the trenchant constituents of branding as a product of perceptive thinking is another challenge for the managers. Haddadj (2003) believes that to create an effective workplace in order to motivate employees to perform well is very much in the interest of organization. Managers pivotal role in initiating transformation in a restaurant is to succeed in improving organizational performance. 4.2 What is Employee Empowerment? A pleasant and professional environment helps in the development of the capabilities of employees. On the other hand meager staff quality can be very expensive for any business. Empowerment is defined as the capability of employees to exercise judgment and discretion in their work and to contribute more fully in decisions affecting their work (Potterfield, 1999). Change, regardless of its magnitude is a challenging exercise. In case of employee empowerment, the challenge becomes even bigger as a high level of unpredictability is involved. In any organization, employees are the assets. Human Resource is vital to a corporations growth and prosperity is gaining and retaining competitive advantage. Therefore a motivated and contented workforce is more likely to achieve on many fronts. Loyalty and commitment from the staff cannot be controlled. In Harvester Restaurants, employees work in autonomous work groups without the direction of an immediate supervisor (Ashness et al, 1995). Organizations tie staff loyalty and commitment to its policies and actions. Therefore the management should deal with this issue prudently. (Fedor et al, 1989) concede that the employees who find the work more creative will react less to criticism. Total quality management and the strive for zero defects places issues of quality at the center of every managements reflection. Employees who are empowered are in greater control (Conger et al, 1988). Employee empowerment has its fair share of criticism too. (Purser et al, 1998) in particular are wary of practices, calling it pseudo-empowerment (p. 132). They assert that it is simply putting a new face on an old scheme. Many authors believe it is more self-directed. (Hitchcock et al, 1995) note that the practiced empowerment is a status rather than a process of actively participation. However, those who promote this concept are of the view that it works and is related to the organizations performance. (Piore et al, 1983) believe the organizations will gain superior competitive advantage by focusing on employees as assets and by removing unnecessary levels of management. There are four different, but overlapping managerial motives for introducing empowerment (Lashley, 1995). These are empowerment through participation, through involvement, through commitment, and empowerment through delivering. Each of the aforementioned forms is applied differently with the nature of empowered given to the employee. Organizational theories also attest to the fact that the fit involving business strategies and organizational characteristics is a key determinant of organizational performance (Lorsch et al, 1973). Many authors like (Barry, 1993) say that empowerment is a universally defined term. The idea of empowerment is to engage the employee in different aspects of the service operation. The empowerment model of (Lashley, 1997) is as follows: Source: (Lashley, 1997) 4.2.1 Empowerment Self-Actualization: Abraham Maslow has hinted out at the five levels of human needs. The need of self actualization is on top of the pyramid. The Maslows Hierarchy Model is as follows: http://dinamehta.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/800px-maslows_hierarchy_of_needssvg.png Source:NetMBA.com Empowerment is in fact fulfilling ones need of self actualization. It is difficult to develop an environment that allows team players to find opportunities for self-actualization, and to be respected and feel empowered. But in the hospitality industry it is deemed important to allow employees to take responsibility of their actions. (Barbie et al, 1991) believed that a feeling of personal efficacy and self determination in nurtured among employees. They are supposed to feel that they have power and can make a difference. They have choices and can exercise it. (Johnson, 1993) 4.2.2 Employee empowerment in the hospitality industry: Employee empowerment is particularly relevant in the hospitality industry because employees have the maximum amount of direct customer contact. Levels of customer satisfaction can be improved by empowering employees to handle guest requests or problems immediately, rather than having to report to their managers .Managers fundamental task in a restaurant is to improve performance (Haddadj, 2003). Organizations operating in different industries have different set of management rules. The risk is high where the service act is directed at the minds of the people. Caring attitudes by managers succeed in bringing forth employee dedication and approval. (Black et al, 1996) 4.2.3 TGI Fridays Restaurant: The organization structure at TGI restaurants is somewhat traditional and typical for the hospitality business. At Fridays a standardized layout and decor is balanced by an extensive menu which allows the customer to decide on what they should consume within the range. In many ways the offer is comparable to mass customization in manufactured products. The customer knows what to expect, and can personalize the experience through the extensive menu. 4.2.4 TGI Fridays Operations: The Restaurant Manager is responsible for the handling of affairs of the unit. The Front of house operations is managed by the senior service manager. The quality manager is in charge of the operations in kitchen and stores. People are trained for specific jobs that include jobs at bar, in the restaurant and the kitchen. Some employees play a supervisory role as shift leader. Trained hosts receive guests and the expediter is responsible for ensuring the speedy production of meals from the kitchen. To ensure quality and consistency in the service offering is a lot harder to accomplish than in other sectors. This category of service firms is unique since the organization is not isolated from the customer the latter must physically be present throughout the service act, unlike other sectors such as manufacturing (Fitzsimmons and Fitzsimmons, 2004). These are recognized as the critical success factors. (Boynton et al, 1984) define critical success factors as those things that must go well to ensure success for a manager. They imply that these administrative areas must be given individual attention to bring about higher performance. The thorough interaction between the service organization and the customer in person has profound quality implications for the organization. In the case of TGI Fridays where employees are delivering a mass customized service, they need to exercise consultancy skills in their interpretation of customer service needs. This helps in increased motivation in the workforce. This in turn will able the employee to reach future performance standards (Nemoroff et al, 1979). 4.2.5 Employee Empowerment at TGI Fridays: TGI Fridays foster an environment of employee empowerment. They have created an environment where employees are nurtured to take responsibility for their actions. So, performance at TGI Fridays requires more than merely taking order and delivering to the customer (Ritzer, 1993). This is very important to managerial aspirations for their approach. Employees need to be able to interpret, and then deliver, the customer service required. At Fridays employees are managed through a cluster of approaches to enhance perfection in work. When it comes to special events, it really shows that everyone in the staff is an important player. For instance during the week People arrive for their shift, do their shift, and go home. But at special occasions like Christmas, Dub-Dubs, door hosts, bartenders and managers alike stay behind after working. Everyone make sure that customers when they check in feel comfortable about the place. The slogan is to be trusted and respected. This is the managers duty to be an effective communicator and devote time to everyone equally. The natural skills and talents of employees will be realized and utilized to the organizations effectiveness (Ripley and Ripley, 1993). TGI FRIDAYS support the staff to be hands on with customers, but at the same time assesses the character and mood of the guests in order to achieve appropriate level of interaction. They have designed a book they call as the WOW Book. 4.2.6 The WOW Book: TGI FRIDAYS has a book known as WOW (WALK ON WATER). This book for staff lists the extra stuff the employees can offer to the customer. One such example that comes into our mind is lighting a cigarette for the customer. Before the start of each shift, employees are involved in a board game through roley. This role play is based on service encounters. The is based on the culture and philosophy of the organization. The objective of this is to inculcate each employee with the values of the organization. Unlike bureaucracies, empowering organizational structures are collaborative team based organizations (Beyerlein et al, 2003). 4.2.7 TGI Fridays Passport: The management at TGI Fridays have created a flexible employee rotation program once the training is completed. This program is known as the TGI Passport. This system enables employees to work in other branches, states or countries when there is a vacancy. This is an excellent example of empowering employees through flexibility, thus ensuring loyalty. This scheme not only retains staff but also reduces training costs. 4.2.8 The Five Star Values at TGI Fridays: TGI Fridays has identified five star values to symbolize its philosophy and culture. Each value is presented as a triangle and each side of the triangle must be balanced in order to deliver the service the Fridays way. In addition to these stars values, the three rings of the perceived guests are also taught to the staff. These rings represent the core offerings of the brand along with the consistent standards of service. They also entail an environment in which individual employee is encouraged to work to their maximum potential. An engaged employee has a natural drive for innovation, efficiency and a talent for building encouraging relationships (Ganguly, 2003). The five star values empower employees; they own their job and want to achieve better because they feel rewarding for doing so. 4.2.9 The Service Encounter: TGI Fridays calls its service encounter as an unusual experience. Employees are encouraged to think that TGI Fridays gives its customers a value for their money. For TGI Fridays incorporate elements of standard procedure manuals laid down production and presentation specifications. Test on product knowledge is used to ensure that front line employees had the requisite knowledge to be able to advise customers. Dub-Dubs are allowed to offer advice to customers as to how to structure their meal. Furthermore, they also have to identify the customers service requirements and deliver what is needed. (Lashley, 2000) notes that normative control in TGI Fridays is one of the tools to retain employees and encourage them to take ownership of the service encounter. Service target times at TGI Fridays call for the starters to be served within seven minutes of receipt of the order. Main course items must be served within twelve minutes. A computer programme helps managers to check the timing of these service times. Dub-Dubs are trained to work in routines. They check with the customer regularly after three minutes of delivering the meal. The front-line staff is encouraged to develop a sense of ownership of the service encounter. (Spinalli et al, 2000) establish that empowerment leads to both employee and customer satisfaction. Managers are keen to make sure that the employee is able to meet up customer service requirements, answer queries, offer advice, and present the appropriate performance, and maintain company sales targets. The nature of the work requires a particular type of individual, someone who relates well with customers. 4.2.10 Empowerment and Employees Performance: Employee performance requires, more than the traditional acts of greeting, seating and serving (Hochschild, 1983). Customer satisfaction, attitude towards the customer and meeting the order in a specified time tops the list at Fridays. The bar staff at TGI Fridays provides both the showmanship needed to command a premium price. Work teams and information sharing are the building blocks of employee empowerment. Empowered employees own their jobs; can assess their personal and corporate success. The purpose of empowerment is often to cultivate confidence between employers and employees with the end goal of continuous improvement (Khan, 1997; Lawson, 2000). Workplace know-how is a combination of the foundation skills and the workplace competencies. The competencies cannot be achieved without a strong base; but the two can-and should-be learned simultaneously. Employees are expected to control themselves internally by being nice, cheerful, smiling and courteous to customers even when the customer is rude and offensive (Royle, 2000). The performance of the unit is measured by a system known as a WinCard. 4.2.11 The WIN Card: TGI Fridays used wincard which stands for Whitbread in Numbers scorecard. This is a communication tool that helps in bolster the performance. It uses the scorecard approach. Wincard measures a common set of scores across each unit, brand and at a group level. This enables employees to know better what they are doing and ensure that all employees are working towards the same company goal. It provides a reliable, tangible way of both motivating them individually and as a unit and identifying key areas for improvement. This tracks performance on a monthly basis against the agreed target and an in-store wall chart which display to employees the year- to- date results and monthly results via a color coding system. A traffic light system measures these scores. Green measures a result if the performance is better than the anticipated performance. Amber measures a performance that is better than last year but worse than the anticipated financial plan. Red signifies a performance that is just getting worse. 4.2.12 Guest Feedback: Guest Feedback is an important component of TQM. Hospitality businesses do conduct these surveys to get hands on information about the customers experience. The questions asked are about the customer sense of well-being and the experience as an individual. These questions measure the emotional attachment of the guest with the brand. Companies like TGI Fridays gain the feedback and ideas of their associate through these surveys. They empower their employees and they in turn try to score highly in guest and employee satisfaction surveys. It is a win-win situation. The recognition identifies the optimistic approach of the company. At Fridays, recognition comes in different varieties ranging from the award of eye-catching pin badges to trips abroad for high performing management teams. 4.3 Customer Relation Management: In todays increasingly competitive market, it has become increasingly difficult for businesses to remain competitive. With an increase in competition, organizations are focusing more and more on increasing customer satisfaction, as it is the key to remain competitive in the market. In restaurant operations, such as TGI Fridays, it is projected that new customers cost 11 times more to generate than repeat customers (Sellers, 1990). These economic points of views for empowerment further reinforce claims that employee turnover and bureaucratic control systems will decrease operating costs. Quality is a strategic issue and many aspects of quality management entail strategic thinking within the organization about their customers and their requirements. The value of long term relationships in services marketing has only recently been known. External environments can alter rapidly and companies may not be able to change accordingly (Zacharakis et al, 1999). Employees at TG