MCDonalds Essay

Strategy and Repositioning the Brand McDonald’s in India Sameer, Sharanbir Kaur Abstract- Despite global slowdown, Indian economy is resurgent and offers fresh opportunities as well as challenges to global players. McDonald‘s still treats the Indian market as one of their young markets although what they have achieved in 15 years here, it would usually take them 25 to 30 years in another market. McDonald‘s philosophy of Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value (QSC&V) is the guiding force behind its stellar service to the customers. However there is still a huge potential in the Indian food market that remains untapped in terms of family restaurants, quick service restaurants and breakfast eateries. Coming in the wake of these, their rebranding effort requires much more than a mere change of the logo or signage. There is a need to critically evaluate the right marketing mix. The article is focused upon assessing the marketing efforts in India in terms of positioning of McDonald‘s. Index Terms- Rebranding, Repositioning, Demography, Marketing Mix I. FAST FOOD INDUSTRY IN INDIA T he Indian fast food industry has evolved over time and always has been in line with the needs of people of all ages and segments. There are enterprises which scale from one room outlet to a chain having hundreds of outlets like McDonalds in India. As per new research report ? Indian Fast Food Market Analysis? , India is blessed with one of the fastest growing fast food markets in the world. The Indian fast food market is growing at an annual growth rate of 30-35%. Almost all big fast food brands of the world have succeeded in making their presence felt in the country and most of them posting an appreciable growth. Although the market has witnessed robust growth in the past couple of years, it remains largely under penetrated and concentrated in the metropolitan cities. However, there is large room for growth in tier-II cities, tier-III cities which are mostly untapped. Therefore, the future of Indian fast food industry lies in masses that live in tier-II and tier-III cities. In 2013, the global fast food market is forecasted to have a value of $200 billion, an increase of 29. 3% and a volume of 94. 7 billion transactions, an increase of 10. 4% since 2008. The consumer spending on processed food has increased at an average rate of 7. 6 per cent annually from 2008 to 2010 and this is expected to rise at an average of around 8. 6 per cent until 2012, according to a report by Assocham. Almost all big fast food brands of the world have succeeded in making their presence felt in the country and most of them are posting appreciable growth. It is estimated through the Euromonitor International and Credit Suisse Emerging Consumer Survey, that the average Indian spends just $ 11 as compared to his Chinese counterpart who would ideally spend $ 20 on fast food. Yet , if we see the Indian spending on food in totality , they spend 23 % of their earnings on the same while the Chinese spending is 20 %. So, the inference that can be drawn is that owing to the eating pattern of Indians they prefer to eat at home and would spend on cooking ingredients over fast food. However, this does not spell good news for the industry. It is set to witness the entry of new fast food players that plan to hit the Indian market with a vengeance with international giants like Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks being amongst them. II. THE COMPETITION People prefer fast food because it’s cheap, easy to prepare, and heavily promoted. India is a developing country with 2 percent of organized and 98 percent of unorganized sector. So most of the fast foods that came into Indian market as India has a high growth in every sector. Major players in fast food in India are: McDonald’s KFC Pizza Hut Dominos Cafe Coffee Day Barista More than 75% of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent locals. McDonald‘s product line in India is almost similar to other burger chains with a dominant Indian flavour. Perhaps, it would be correct to say that their only similarity with their foreign outlets is that they have French Fries and still use buns. Examining the immense Indianzation they have attempted in their menu here it wouldn‘t be surprising to see Indian Chapatis in place of buns. Their current offerings reflect the same. www. ijsrp. org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 2, Issue 9, September 2012 ISSN 2250-3153 2 Table I : Present Menu for McDonald’s India Menu Ranges Burgers and other Bites Spicy Delights McSpicyPaneer ExtraValue Meals Chicken McNuggets Meal McAloo Tikki Happy Price Menu Breakfast Menu Favourites Sausage McMuffin with egg French Fries McAloo Tikki Happy Meal Meals Source: McDonaldsIndia. com Desserts Big Spicy Paneer Wrap Filet O Fish Meal Maharaja Mac Meal McVeggie /McChicken Meal Chicken McGrill Beverages McSwirl Iced tea/ Cold Coffee Minute Maid Pulpy Orange/ Cappucino/ Tea Soft Serve (Strawberry /Chocolate) Veg Supreme Veg Pizza McPuff Veg McMuffin Sausage McMuffin Pancakes Filet O Fish Chicken Maharaja Mac Chicken McGrill Meal McChicken/ McVeggie McVeggie Meal McFlurry McChicken meal III. BUSINESS MODEL The Business Model of McDonald‘s is a franchise-based model coupled with strong corporate branding. The focus is on the branding of McDonald‘s as a globally accepted service provider with strong customer perception about: www. ijsrp. org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 2, Issue 9, September 2012 ISSN 2250-3153 3 Happy Employees means Happy Customers – McDonald’s Efforts of repositioning its Brand-Recently, McDonald’s management has decided to change itsstrategies. They now want to provide not only a place to sit and eat but also an experience that can be enjoyed by their customers. Figure 1: The Service Marketing Triangle Zeithaml and Bitner (1996 ) McDonald‘s realized very early in their business that in order to achieve happiness amongst customers;the possible route is through happy, motivated and committed employees. In accordance with this they played on the customer first strategy. Even in India, their efforts clearly indicated that they were keen to understand the Indian consumer. Hence they adapted themselves to tickle the taste buds of their Indian customers to become a brand that enjoys a very high brandrecall. Therefore they focused on internal as well as external marketing. The level of importance has changed to be in the following order (the most important people arenow at the top). Corporate Branding – The marketers are shifting the branding efforts from their product brands to a more holistic corporate branding . The reason for the shift can be traced to the belief that, it is the corporate image that carries a great impact on the buyers who are more aware and more exposed to media coverage on various issues be it environmental responsibility, being corporate social responsibility or be it responsibility towards health of future generation. McDonald‘s describe a corporate branding framework that is based on three elements: Figure 2: McDonald’s Service Pyramid Figure 3: Corporate Branding Source: Hatch and Schultz (2003)), â€Å"Bringing the Corporation into Corporate Branding†, European Journal of Marketing, The recent McDonald‘s rebranding strategy is a part of this thought and vision. McDonald‘s road to success has not always been rosy. They have been at the receiving end of the media‘s onslaught. There was a huge uproar in US after media exposure against McDonald‘s unhealthy menu that was affecting the nation and leading it to a generation suffering from obesity and heart diseases among many more ailments. There were employment issues internally which showed that they did not treat their workers well. Hence they assessed their strategies again and came up with new objectives that strengthened their previous aims and gave a new direction to them as well. www. ijsrp. org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 2, Issue 9, September 2012 ISSN 2250-3153 4 McDonald’s Marketing Efforts Over the Years – Proactive Rebranding – A Proactive strategy includes a new line of business or market that does not conform to the existing brand identity. When McDonald‘s once referred to itself as Mickey D‘s to target kids in a commercial, it had just coined a new way of catering to an audience separate from its traditional family audience. Objectives of McDonald’s Repositioning StrategyMcDonald’s, the promise of American fast food anywhere in the world, has had to rethink and reposition its brand offerings in different countries. While some basic elements like Ronald were left in place the menu underwent an overhaul. For example, in India, the menu has no beef dishes since it is not considered religiously correct to eat cow‘s meat: there is the very popular McAlooTikki, a potato-based patty in burger buns; the Big Mac is replaced by the Maharaja Mac, the Big Mac in chicken; there is also the paneer (cottage cheese) McVeggie burger. The Italian McDonald’s has a special coffee spot. To celebrate its 20th anniversary in China, McDonald’s rebranded under the â€Å"Make Room for Happiness† campaign. They had all you want coffee refills; Wi-Fi and a more modern restaurant design were unveiled. This was done exclusively for China, where McDonald’s positioned itself as a place to relax away from the high demands of the average Chinese‘s life. Its â€Å"I’m Lovin’ It† slogan made way for â€Å"Make Room for Happiness,† and McDonald’s became the place where the stressed young Chinese can spend quality time rejuvenating after working for long hours. The result was an 18% increase in sales, and an increasing legion of fans that is fueling McDonald’s’ growth in China. McDonald’s Changing Markets Changing Strategies Decades after its launch, the Big Mac is changing colours, literally. The world’s largest fast-food chain is letting go of its familiar red-and-yellow colours for more muted tones as it goes for its biggest and costliest revamp in the country, in line with its global strategy of attracting more adults. For the next generation of consumers McDonald‘s plans to cultivate a very different image from its existing one. After revamping 280 stores in various markets last year, McDonald’s is now opting for the Tampa model and will spread that design to upwards of 800 locations this year — roughly triple what it did last year. The company is donning a new look when India is on its way of becoming a global hotspot for food retailers, with chains like Starbucks, Burger King planning to enter the country. Some McRemodel highlights include : †¢Redoing roofs – The bright red roofs that have topped McDonald’s for several decades are getting the heave, replaced with flatter, more conventional roofs. †¢Muting paint – The neon yellows and reds common to the interiors and exteriors are becoming history, replaced with much more subtle oranges, reds, yellows and even greens. †¢Updating chairs – Those industrial steel chairs are giving way to wooden chairs, colorful stools and, in some cases, vinylcovered chairs that resemble leather. Some stores will have larger lounge chairs similar to the kind you might expect to find in a coffee shop. †¢Doubling drive-through – To ease lines inside and outside stores, many locations are adding second drive-through windows to speed up service. †¢Splashing colour – McDonald’s hasn’t junked it’s familiar red and yellow colors altogether, but it is making them far less obvious. Instead of filling the restaurants with them, it’s splashing bright yellow and red here and there for effect. †¢Dividing dining areas – The sea of tables and chairs is history in the remodelled stores. The new dining rooms are divided into separate eating zones for larger groups, eat-and-run customers and folks who want to stay and lounge. †¢Adding flat-screens TVs – Large, flat-screen TVs — some playing contemporary music — are showing up in many locations, though fewer than half of the remodelled stores will display them. The new design makes the customer feel more comfortable and at leisure to enjoy their surroundings. This offers to McDonald‘s two key opportunities- firstly, to shift to another www. ijsrp. org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 2, Issue 9, September 2012 ISSN 2250-3153 customer base with high spending power and then to broaden their menu with offerings at a higher price point. Risks Involved – When a global organization like McDonalds is going in for rebranding, a lot of financing is involved and the global impact is huge. Though the step taken by the managers of McDonalds is well calculated but speculations are on till the time it doesn‘t fair well in the market and most importantly to the customers. This kind of rebranding in the Indian Food Industry can help change the image of McDonald‘s completely like in the case of Pizza Hut, which has become a part of fine dining segment, which it was not earlier. The Indian consumer is considered to be loyal but still the risks involved are high. 1. A trade-off between what is expected from a company and what a company has to gain from the consumers One can see that one facet raises the scale while the other weighs it down making it a tough task. In order to sustain the balance, it requires big investments which will surely add to the costs incurred in the rebranding. If the rebranding falls flat, it will result in a major profit decline. 2. Store positioning McDonald‘s needs to have the most current information to determine if present outlets are cannibalizing each other‘s business. To achieve this McDonald‘s team willneed comprehensive, demographic data of India along with both theirs and competitors‘ outlets. IV. CONCLUSION The task is mammoth as McDonald‘s tries to keep up in the race for a piece of the great Indian pie . As per Forbes , McDonald‘s India operations contribute 30 % to their sales which is a considerable share. It might become imperative to create a Point of Difference to fight it out in the Indian market as all fast food brands have modelled themselves on local flavours now , the latest being KFC with its ? Streetwise‘ menu. While McDonald‘s does have the edge with its excellent supply chain and distribution network the customer ultimately does become the king with low brand loyalty in this category being the generalisation . The rebranding effort on their part seeks to bring 5 in a new flavour to their brand offering but what remains to be seen is whether they are still able to strike a chord with the customer. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the people who assisted us in this endeavour of ours. First and foremost , we would like to thank Mr. Praveen Gupta, HOD , Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management for his valuable time and support. Also, a special mention to the staff of McDonald‘s Jor Bagh, Delhi who was very patient and helpful during our visits to the outlet for the study. REFERENCES [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] Lovelock,Wirtz and Chatterjee ,? Services Marketing ? , in Plastics ,Sixth Edition ,India , Pearson , 2010 , pp. 66-98 , pp. 340-372 Aaker, D. A. (2004b), ? Leveraging the Corporate Brand? , California Management Review, 46 (3), pp. 6-18 Bijoor, H. , ? A Time to Rebuild? , Business India, February 20,2011 pp. 48. Hatch, M. J. and Schultz, ? Bringing the Corporation into Corporate Branding ? , European Journal of Marketing, 2003, 37 (7/8), pp. 1041-1064. Jacquelline, B. and Kline,S ,? From McLibel to McLettuce: Childhood, Spin and Re-branding? ,2007 , Society and Business Review, 2(1)

Conflict is rarely resolved

conflict is rarely resolved. ‘ War. It is ruthless, unforgiving and most of all, futile. Has war really ever truly resolved the issues at cause? Has there ever been a rightful winner in war? There has not and there most likely never will be. My name is Genevieve Stack; I'm Megan Stacks grandmother. I have had my fair share of confronting experiences; being at the fragile age of eighty-one, I know the truth behind war as in my earlier years, it is what surrounded the world. I have lived through some of the most devastating wars, the results never positive.I am here today to talk to you about my worry and concern for not only my granddaughter, but for all those who feel the strong urge and pull to be involved in such tragic and life-threatening events. Thousands of people are being killed daily. I remember the automatic pain in my stomach when I found out that Megan was going to be foreign correspondent in one of the most war torn countries in the world, Afghanistan. Though I tri ed to warn her consistently of the dangers, she insisted and off she went on her wild adventure, which would make any relatives stomach churn.As the anxiety wore off, I began to realize how so much heartache and fear is brought to countries, yet not a single matter is resolved by the end. War consistently fuels more and more conflict each and everyday, innocent civilians having their life taken away from them for no reason at all. When we look back at previous hardships through war that not only America but also many around the world experienced when I was Just a young girl, we begin to see a pattern; no worthy resolution evident. If we take a look at World War two for example; what good was done?Still today, we re faced with constant memories of fear and images the horrid extremities war had to offer to those involved. The problem is, we are all involved, and there are no bystanders. War, Just like a circle, goes round and round, always ending up at the same destination. The confli ct right at the stem of war is never ultimately demolished; the severity of it only increases. With this notion, watching my granddaughter make her way to Afghanistan was one of the most difficult, heart- wrenching memories I hold still today.Whilst I knew she was capable enough to look after herself, I saw her as one of my own which only deepened the emotions once she had left the devastated America following the attack on the trade center in New York. America was left truly broken and so was my heart when I watched her walk into the terrible circumstances undergoing in Afghanistan, ones, which she was not fully aware of, her naivety quite prominent and the time. She was not carrying the same mentality, as I would have hoped, her strong sense of ambition and love for work and an adventure taking the wheel, steering her into what I considered to be a â€Å"death sis†.Nobody in our family had ever done such a thing or gone on such a venture. Whilst Megan thoroughly agreed with my views on war terrors, she had not lived them as I had, this working to her disadvantage when it came to Judging her upcoming experiences and the graphic images she would face. I was at the tender age of six when World War 2 erupted, every human being around the world being filled with emotions of fear and an immense amount of distress.I remember listening to the news on the radio at night, clinging to my parents, as the choice vibrating through the speaker would say things such as â€Å"bombings in London†, leaving civilians frightened for their lives, as they could be next. No young girl at aged six should have to hear such a thing. I guess my point is that I have lived through a war; many in fact and wish to educate not only my granddaughter but further enlighten others, my main point of view expressing that conflict is rarely resolved. Megan, having been away from home for a few months now, regularly writes to her mother and l.With broad descriptions of the visuals rig ht in front of her eyes, it is official to not worry as much as I do as she speaks of running off adrenaline, the fear of having your life violently taken away from you in an instant present in her thoughts and her daily life; something a twenty five year old should not be enduring. Too many people have the tendency to intervene in times of conflict, thinking it will bring about change or bring about a resolution at a quicker pace, but this is nowhere near the true reality of war.I acknowledge that there is what society considers being the â€Å"winners† and â€Å"losers† of war, all of which is commonly decided once one party demolishes the majority of its enemy's men, causing their opponent to surrender. This, however, is not like a sport where the other team accepts their loss and moves on. This only allows the â€Å"loser† to hold a severe grudge against their opponent and their need for revenge to increase. Let's look at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as an example; a battle that arose simply because of Zionist movement which started with a group of secular European Jews to establish a homeland for the Jews in Palestine.This conflict has been existent for ever ninety years and a resolution is something, which the world does not foresee. This is the reason why I fear for my granddaughter's life. The severity of the conflict between the Jewish and Palestinians has been significantly increasing, which additionally means the actions from one party towards the other becomes more severe. Megan being in amongst the unsafe environment only worsens my anxiety, as the circumstances are life-threatening, wars whose end is not near. The worst part is that she does not seem worried at all or concerned for how careful she will have to e.I felt as if she was not prepared to delve into a world where the images are far more graphic than any movie she may of seen or anything on a prime time news program. War is unforgiving. War is futile. There is no happy ending in war nor is there a resolution. The conflict between two parties will always be prominent and existent, even once a war has ended and the â€Å"winner† has been declared, the fueling and never ending hatred for one another is still present. As Mean's grandmother, I hope she gains the knowledge required to remain safe as she pursues this venture.

Media studies coursework for John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” Essay

We are doing a study of the opening sequence on the novel â€Å"Of Mice and Men†, and the subsequent two films (1995 version, and the 1989 version) on the Novel. The author of the novel is John Ernst Steinbeck, who shares the exact same name as his father. His father was an observer of nature and the natural world, and taught the young Steinbeck to respect and to be a part of nature. This love of nature from his father is incorporated in Steinbeck’s opening sequence of the book, where he describes in great detail the opening beside the Salinas River, this causes a calm and tranquil feeling for the reader and draw him straight into the book. Steinbeck was born and raised in Salinas in California and bases his book around both that area and in the time he was writing it, which was during the American depression in the 1930’s. The opening sequence of the book is set a few miles south of Soldad, in the Salinas river. The Salinas river is a peace full and tranquil place with lots of vegetation and wildlife and gives a very slow and calm start to the book. Steinbeck indicates that it is a spring evening of a hot day, and judging by the two men’s clothes it is sometime in the early 1900’s but he does not indicate exactly what period in the early 1900’s they are in. We can tell they are in this period from the second paragraph when he mentions that there are â€Å"boys coming down from the ranches†. From this and the clothes they are wearing we can also tell that the two men (George and Lennie) are working class and are most likely looking for a job on the ranch near by. We can tell they are working class because before the 1940’s only poor people amd workers would wear that type of clothes, â€Å"denim trousers and denim coat†. This is because they are easy to work in, are not very hot clothes to wear, and also are very durable so they are ideal for workers. The upper class would never wear this type of clothing exactly because the workers wear it and it is not descent clothing for a respectable gentleman to be wearing. The mood set in the book is very tranquil and quiet with great detail paid on the countryside and the animals in it. This is to try and give the reader an exact picture of the scene. Some examples of this are; â€Å"the water is lined with trees-willows fresh and green with every spring, carrying in their lower leaf junctures the debris of the winter flooding; and sycamores with mottled, white, recumbent limbs and branches that arch over the pool†. Another example of this is â€Å"Evening of a hot day started the little wind to moving among the leaves. The shade climbed up the hills toward the top. On the sand-banks the rabbits sat as quietly as little grey, sculpture stones.† In the first paragraph Steinbeck describes the noises and the imprints that have been left in the opening from the animals over many years, â€Å"On the sandy bank under the trees the leaves lie deep and so crisp that a lizard makes a great skittering noise as he runs through them†. And with â€Å"the damp flats are covered with the night tracks of ‘coons, and with the spread pads of dogs from the ranches, and with the split-wedged tracks of deer that come to drink in the dark â€Å". The second paragraph describes how the pool is a popular place for many people and the path has been worn down by human use: â€Å"path beaten hard by boys coming down from the ranch to swim in the deep pool†. The path is also popular with Tramps who want to â€Å"jungle-up near water†. The Characters involved in the opening sequence are called Lennie and George. Lennie seems to be rather dumb and not very observant by the fact that wen his partner (George) stopped right in front of him Lennie carried on walking and â€Å"nearly ran him over†. Lennie does not think of his own safety and needs George to guide him so he can say out of trouble and in good health. He proves this by drinking out of the filthy water from the pool witch is described as being green, witch shows it is not running water. He drank â€Å"with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse†. Lennie listens to George obediently like a little child, and follows his every command and movement. He again shows his child like behaviour and naivety when he moves his fingers in the water and makes little rings, he immediately shares his excitement with George as he wants him to look, because he is proud of what he has done; â€Å"look George look what I done† he calls to him. We also have the picture of Lennie not being very bright from his physical appearance and the way that he walks. Lennie is described to have a â€Å"shapeless face† witch show lack of emotions and thought witch in turn is linked his lack of intelligence. The way it he walks also show either tiredness or again lack of intelligence â€Å"dragging his feet a little† and the way his arms move like pendulums. Steinbeck relates how he walks he walks to a bear meaning, this because he is saying he is big and strong, or because he has very little intelligence and does not think at all or he might be relating the bear to both his strength and his intelligence. George on the other hand is more intelligent than Lennie and seems to be the leader out of the two them. We get the idea that George is the leader by the fact that they are walking in single file and George is leading, this also gives us at first glance the impression that they might not be friends because usually friends walk next to each other not behind one another. We see a bit later on that this is not true and that George was probably just looking out for Lennie from the fact that he tries to stop Lennie drinking from the dirty pool â€Å"‘Lennie!’ he said sharply. ‘Lennie for God’s sakes don’t drink so much† this shows that he cares for him and doesn’t want Lennie to get sick. George’s appearance is more defined than Lennie’s with â€Å"small, strong hands, slender arms, a thin bony nose.† He is also described as being quick, this could probably means that he is more intelligent but it could also mean that his movement is quick. The genre of the novel is a real life drama. I have come to this conclusion because all the facts in opening sequence are all possible in real life, all the scenery is realistic the animals and the people are all realistic. There are only a few clues to what the story will be like. The clues that we have are that the clearing that George and Lennie are in is near to a ranch because it says in the book that boys come down from it to swim in the pool. We also think that George and Lennie are workers from the cloths they are wearing, so it is perfectly feasible that they are two travelling men looking for work on a nearby ranch. If this is true it would also account for the theme of the book. The 1995 film of â€Å"Of Mice and Men† opens with white credits on a black background and slow starting music. The music repeats itself over and over in a pattern while increasing in volume, this gives the effect that something dramatic or scary is going to happen and this makes the reader feel anticipation of what is going to happen next. After a while the music dies down and gives way to the sound effects of a train moving. The background also changes from totally black to black with white strips of light shining through, this gives the effect of a carriage door on a train. We are now sure that this scene is set on a moving train, but we still have no indication of where it is going or where it has come from. So far there is only a slight indication of the period of time we are in at this point of the film. This is the train because it is a steam train witch indicate to us that this is most likely before the 1970’s and after the 1880’s because this is around a bout the time that steam trains were used. The first glimpse we get of any of the character is when the camera slowly fades into a close-up shot of George lit only from the tiny beams of light coming from the slits in the carriage door. George is not moving at all and his face seems contorted and morose, showing us that he is in deep thought about something bad that has happened in the past, we can also assume now that he is on the train because he is running away from whatever has happened. The next scene strikes you very strongly because it is set in the middle of the day in a lush field witch looks like America. Running towards the camera there is a woman in a bright red dress with tears running down her eyes and obvious signs of distress on her face, her dress has also been ripped as though she has been attacked. This scene has been shot at a slower frame rate to indicate that it is actually George reliving previous events that have happened. The girl running towards the camera showing that she is running away from something, and towards safety. As the Woman runs closer to the camera the shot pans out across the field showing some men working in a field near by. As the women runs towards the men she starts waving and pointing to the direction she has just come from, The men drop their tools and run towards her. All this indicates that something very serious has happened to the Girl. The Men workings in the field have no machinery witch is also an indication of the pe riod we are in. There are three main atmospheres established in the opening sequence of this film these (in order of happening) are; anxiety, fear, and peacefulness. The anxiety is felt at the beginning when you hear the music getting louder and louder and the white on black background, and when you see George for the first time. The first time you feel fear is when you see the girl running through the field towards the workers with the tears running down her face and the rips in her dress. Then there is a small moment of heightened suspense when we see the two friends George and Lennie running away. We feel this way because the music has suddenly stopped and there is only the slight sound of their feet hitting the ground as they run. We go back to the emotion of utter fear and anxiety as we fear for the two men’s lives as they are running away from huge packs of dogs and a posy of men on horse back with guns. Suddenly everything goes quiet as George and Lennie hide in an irrigation ditch while they wait for the chasing posy to pass by. This jump for the loud roaring of feet, horse shoes, and loud barking from the dogs to the quiet gives a feeling of fear and anxiety but it also gives a sense of peace, as you can hear the wind rustling in the wind, the grasshoppers croaking in the distance, and the shallow breathing of the men in the water. The sub characters in the video are workers on a ranch we can tell this from the clothes they are wearing and the fact that they are working on the field when we see them. We can also assume that the main characters George and Lennie are also workers because they were wearing the same clothes as the workers. George seems to be the leader out of the two as he keeps giving instructions to Lennie as they are running away from the workers such as â€Å"keep moving† and â€Å"get down†. He also says it in a reasonably friendly tone showing that he is looking after both himself and Lennie. He doesn’t not sound like he is just trying to save himself and he is stuck with Lennie. Lennie on the other hand doesn’t seem to be that worried because he doesn’t realise in what danger they are in. This is shown when Lennie stops running at one point and comments on the dogs that are chasing him. Lennie does not seem that clever either mainly because he doesn’ t realise what danger he is in, he also seems to be dragging his feet and his speech seems impaired. The clues we have to the story line of the film are the men working on the field, the clothes the men are wearing and their accents, and also the chase seen when George and Lennie are being chased. The story could be about two working men trying to find work while being chased by the law because of some crime they committed and that is why they were running away. This will also be the theme of the film if it is true. The genre of the film so far looks like a western real life drama because of the accents of the men, the time in which this is set in and the fact that everything that has happened could happen in real life in that era. The 1989 video at first glance just looks like another low budget spin of a great book and actually seems like it holds no information at first glance. But if you look at it again you see it does actually hold a lot of information just like the other film did even though the budget was obviously not as big and it was shot 6 years earlier. There is though a large area of the end of the sequence of this video, which is actually totally made up, this includes adding Aunt Clara to the story which in actual fact has died many years ago in the book and in the other film. I feel adding this character holds no relevance to the book and there is no meaning to add her. The 1995 video on the other hand even though the director had rearranged the order in which the scenes appear he did not add any other characters to the story line. By the clothes George and Lennie, what appears to be the sheriff, and Aunt Clara are wearing, and also the style of housing you can tell they are in America in the early 1900’s. There is also Gospel music playing in the background when George and Lennie enter Aunt Clara’s house and there is also a gramophone in the room near the doorway. The clues given as to what the story will be like is George and Lennie running away from the law, George helping Lennie get away and keeping him quiet when they are in the field by coping his hand over Lennie’s mouth. Other clues to what the story will be like is Aunt Clara’s house and herself, George and Lennie could be running away from the law for some reason and going to live with Aunt Clara to lay low for a bit. Another main clue to the story is the music witch is very much like the music in western films with cowboys and Indians this and the contrasting clothes that the pursuers are wearing makes us think this is going to be a western film. From all this we cam also say that the theme of this video will be that of a western with two men on the run from the law. There is very little tension in this film and everything is taken very lightly and almost like a game. This is because the music is very happy with a jumpy rhythm and also a more cowboy style tune, the pursuers have no guns drawn and they seem to be in hurry to catch them and seem to give up very easily. George and Lennie also don’t seem to be in a great hurry to get away and there is no sense of fear in their face when we see the close-up shots, because of this it seems almost like they are playing a game in the fields with a couple of friends, like little kids do. The Genre of this video seems to be a real life western drama. I have come to this conclusion because of everything that has happened could happen in real life and because the pursuers seem to be wearing western type clothes and because of the very strong western music. This time both Lennie and George do no seem that bright both from their appearance and from the way they acted and behaved. Both of them look very scruffy instead of just Lennie and they both have this very deep western accent that is associated with intellectually challenged people. George even though his appearance and his voice is the definite leader out of the two, we are shown this when he tells Lennie what to do and when he cups his hand over Lennie’s mouth to keep him quiet. Another sign that George is the leader is that when they are in Aunt Clara’s house Lennie repeats every word they say. In resent years we have seen the decline of book reading because there has been a vast increase in the standard of T.V quality. The person being entertained does not have to think any more, to picture the scene in his head and so doesn’t have to concentrate so hard. This is why many people just watch T.V these days instead of reading a book. They find it more relaxing, they are almost sleeping there mind and body are asleep this is also why you get addicted to the T.V because your body finds another way to replenish it energy without sleeping. T.V lowers your imagination though, and your concentration span because your brain doesn’t think while watching T.V but while it is reading a book it is constantly thinking and imagining possibilities of what the scene will look like and the characters. I honestly prefer after a had days work to sit in front of the television and just relax a bit. But if I am just bored and I want some entertainment I will open my book and read for couple of hours. My preferred sequence is that of the books because it gives you an exact idea of the scenery and the people while also giving you room to imagine for yourself what they look like. I also enjoyed a lot the 1995 version because it brings a lot of tension and anxiety into the film witch is the opposite to what you feel in the book. This tension and anxiety raises your adrenaline and gives you a enjoyable and on the edge of you seat experience.

Chevron Corporation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Chevron Corporation - Case Study Example The company owns or has stakes in 9,700 gas stations in the US which operate under the Chevron and Texaco brands. Outside the US it owns or has stakes in 15,400 gas stations, which also use the Caltex brand. The study examines in detail, the three different sectors or industries that Chevron has a stake in: oil and gas exploration and production, petroleum refining, and chemical industry. Earnings for the upstream segment are closely aligned with industry price levels for crude oil and natural gas. Crude oil and natural gas prices are subject to external factors over which the company has no control. Earnings for the downstream segment are closely tied to margins on the refining and marketing of products that include gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, lubricants and fuel oil. The company recorded sales growth of 5.1 percent to $221 billion and net income of $18 billion. Revenue of the company rose to $61.4 billion from $47.7 billion. Worldwide oil-equivalent production fell by 42,000 barrels to 2.61 million barrels per day. A detailed SWOT Analysis has also been conducted in the study, analyzing the various internal sources to examine the strengths and weaknesses, and external factors to examine the opportunities and threats in the environment. Finally, the conclusion and recommendations analyze the different strengths of the company to offset the weaknesses and environmental threats faced by Chevron. Chevron - Company overview Chevron Corporation (Chevron) is one of the largest oil refiners in the United States. The company was incorporated in 1926 and currently has operations in the United States and approximately 180 additional countries. Chevron Corporation, then called Standard Oil Company of California, in 1938 made a huge oil discovery in Saudia Arabia, which eventually led to the discovery of 52 oil fields. After World War II, the company began a major effort to market Arabian crude oil, which was probably the single most important factor in establishing Chevron as a major multinational company. The company acquired thousands of service stations and terminals on the East Coast and part ownership of many more throughout Europe, East Africa, and Asia. The Chevron discovery changed the course of history throughout the world (Jiffynotes, 1998). Today, the company is engaged in every aspect of the oil and natural gas industry, including exploration and production, refining, marketing and transportation, chemicals manufacturing and sales, geothermal and power generation. It is headquartered in San Ramon, California and employs approximately 65,000 people. The company recorded revenues of $204,892 million, during the fiscal year ended December 2006, an increase of 5.8% over 2005. The operating profit of the company was $32,497

The Franco-American Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Franco-American Trade - Essay Example French exports stood at 1,427 billion francs ($285.4 billion) in 1995, 22% of GDP while the imports amounted to 1,322 billion francs ($264.4 billion). The figured showed a substantial increase in the surplus in durable goods (over 58 billion francs, $11.6 billion), a 20 billion-franc surplus ($4 billion) in farm products, a surplus of 31 billion francs ($6.2 billion) in agri-foodstuffs, a declining energy bill and a rise of 19% in electricity exports.(Stern 47) Being a member of the European Union results in a lot of internal trading between the EU countries, hence France's European Union partners absorb 64% of its trade. According to the survey carried out in the 1990s, the country had a trade surplus of 27 billion francs ($5.4 billion) with the EU in 1995. The main trading partners of France are Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Spain, along with the United States. As pointed out above France and United Kingdom are major trading partners. France is UK's third largest market and has been importing from Britain for the last twenty odd years. France has the distinction of being UK's third largest supplier providing 7.2% of UK imports only behind Germany (14.6%) and the USA (9.5%), while ahead of the Netherlands (7.1%) and China (6.8%). The United Kingdom is Frances's fourth export market making 8.3% total exports, after Germany (14.7%), Spain (9.9%) and Italy (9.5%). The United Kingdom is France's seventh supplier, as it pr... As Chinese products have flooded the global markets, the scenario has been similar for France who has been importing from China on an increasing rate. (Stern 51) On the other hand, United Kingdom has lost the France market and this is mostly explained by the downward trend in the oil exports by the UK to France. Other main category products whose export level has also suffered have been cars, electronic and electrical equipment, chemicals, clothing and meat. However, this has been slightly off set by increasing UK exports in sectors such as machinery (gas turbines), pharmaceuticals, aerospace, iron and other heavy metals, precious stones and beverages. The main categories or rather sectors which have been of prime trading importance between UK and France apart from the energy sector are: machinery, electrical equipment, transport, chemicals, food and consumer goods. According to the latest figures, the imports by France from UK include mostly machinery while France mostly exports transport equipment to the UK. (Gilbert 2004) Machinery constitutes the largest share in the bilateral trade by having nearly 80% representation while it is followed by the energy sector in UK exports at 11.7% and oil in UK imports at 5.9%. Energy's share in UK exports was 11.7% (10.6% being oil) and 5.9% in UK imports. Another important trading partner of France is the United States of America (USA). The foreign trade allows them to deepen the understanding of good faith that that the two countries have established. The foundation of their global trade is based on a solid arrangement. According to the latest figures published in the State publications, the average trading between the two nations is of 1 billion dollars -commercial activities and

Great Depression Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Great Depression - Thesis Example It led to lower production of staple and cash crop food like wheat, which led to low income2. Misuse of land by farmers caused soil erosion by wind storms; plagues of grasshoppers invaded their wheat and caused massive losses. It caused migration of civilians in other parts of the country, which had not been hit hard (Atlantic and southern parts). Production industries and companies: they had to reduce production, especially farm inputs, this led to dropping off of employees hence rising unemployment, few people considered luxury items therefore affecting industries producing such appliances for example cars3. Other parts of Ontario and Quebec went through unemployment since mining and forest tourists had dropped. For British Columbia province, which majors in horticulture encountered an economic downfall due to low demand hence workers were laid off. The Newfoundland province had to ask for government help for the crisis (Wiegand, 254). Very few wealthy citizens benefited from the depression since they acquired property due to the low value and cheap prices and later sold it at higher rates. In addition, few big industries capitalized on the chance of depression since they didn’t have to pay wages as many workers were dismissed. Political instability: A lot of pressure from the economy and citizens, the whole country faced to politics to try to save the situation, they overthrew the past political parties and brought in liberals lawyer Richard Bennett hoping to bring a

Personal reflection Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Personal reflection - Term Paper Example Also, the manager is expected to provide expert support to high profile or difficult customers through analyzing the root-cause of specific problems and offering viable corrective planning direction in the service delivery process. As an effective Service delivery manager, I will build strong relationships with customers and maintaining service improvement plans, as noted in literature (Collier 1998). Short term and long-term goals In order to attain my learning goals and succeed in my preferred future career, there are certain short-term and long-term goals that I will attain. These goals will not only make me a better employee, but will guide me towards advancement throughout my career. My short-term goals have a time frame of one year and include the ability to cultivate effective study skills. According to popular research, in my position, I will need to understand different teaching methods used by lecturers and learn skills such as academic research and revision (Guskey 2003). In the same light, I will need to improve my time management skills within one year in order to finish assignments within the stipulated deadlines. I must improve my grammatical and proofreading skills in order to deliver excellent, error-free essays during my course work. Similarly, I need to gain enough knowledge of service delivery in order to excel at the use of information systems in service management, project management, personal development, research method skills and academic communication knowledge (Guskey 2003). My long-term goal is planned to be accomplished over a period of five years. My long-term goal is to attain my dream career of service delivery manager. In order to attain the goal, I have to dedicate a copious amount of time to learning, revision and research. Through this work, I will complete all course modules and seek internship and training opportunities that will enable me to gain practical knowledge in service and project management. In addition, during my advancement closer to my goal, I will take time to evaluate my progression and productive ways to overcome obstacles that encumber my path. Belbin test analysis Knowledge of my capacity to succeed in my career is imperative to understand and select the most viable role I would occupy on a team. As a result, I have conducted a Belbin test in order to assess my skills inventory. The Belbin test enables individuals to form good working relationships and gain self-awareness on individual effectiveness in the workplace. According to the results of the Belbin test that I took, my highest score, was 14 as a company worker (CW). My Score Worker Type 14 Company Worker 13 Chairman 10 Sharper 10 Resource Investigator 9 Team Worker 5 Monitor-Evaluator 3 Completer-Finisher Figure1. Types of Team Roles – Belbin Test Results As a Sharper (SH), I believe I can use my personality attributes to challenge team members to make improvements to their work (and turn obstacles in to opportunities). As a Completer-finisher (CF), I am concerned about tight deadlines and I will ensure that projects are completed within the stipulated deadlines. However, currently, I have a weakness in managing time and meeting deadlines. As a Team worker (TW), I believe that I will enhance group cohesion and facilitate negotiation with team members in

Week7 assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week7 - Assignment Example In the process, those who should encourage an alcoholic to get help become part of the hindrance to seeking help. Enabling is the other practice that delays recovery from alcoholism. It refers to a protective behavior in which persons close to alcoholics protect them from experiencing the full consequences of their actions; instead, allowing them to continue drinking in the knowledge that someone is looking out for them. Overcoming enabling is the first step to treating alcoholism. An alcoholic should be prepared to meet the problem personally. Consider a situation where an alcoholic spends money intended for food and paying bills on alcohol. Instead of taking money meant for other purposes to do buy food, the spouse may decide to take the children to a relative’s place for a week and let the alcoholic come to a home without food, lights and water for that period. Only then can such an alcoholic understand and appreciate the depth of the problem. From the delays caused by enabling and denial, it is clear that social factors affect the tendency of a person to abuse substances. Use of high potency marijuana has social impact on society amongst which is the link between marijuana use and violent crime. Studies indicate that crime and drug use occur simultaneously. Friends that encourage others to use marijuana are among the main social factors of high-potency marijuana usage (Stevenson, 2013). Hence, peer pressure and the urge to fit in are rather critical social issues in high potency marijuana use. Second, use of high potency marijuana has adverse social effects on the users; including negative effects on their mind, low esteem, possible addiction and progression to other drugs and obesity (Stevenson, 2013). All these effects negatively affect the social functioning of an individual such as making and maintaining

Explain database security issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Explain database security issues - Essay Example Locking refers to the means of synchronization of potentially simultaneous database or even other ordinary resource’s utilization. In operating systems, locking helps in enforcing and ascertaining the occurrence of events in the appropriate series (Pratt & Adamski, 2011). As the most effective means of enhancing security of data, encryption refers to the translation of data into ciphertext form, which cannot be understood easily by illicit individuals. Therefore, encryption involves the conversion of essential data into secret codes. Encrypted data is sent in codes instead of plain, simple words making it necessary for the receiver’s computer to decrypt such data for one’s display. The reader of such data requires a secret password or key to enhance decryption of the data (Pratt & Adamski, 2011). Views refer to the saved select statements, which permit an individual to work upon the outcomes returned from them. Views are essential in provision of column- or row-level data access, wrapping up sophisticated joints, executing sophisticated collective queries, and tailoring data display (Singh & Kanjilal, 2009). Views are fundamental security tools, habitually utilized in thwarting users from having unrestricted access to tables whereas permitting them to operate with the presented data. All consents can be eradicated from the principal tables, and provided the table’s owner is the view’s owner, the user will have the ability of interacting with the given data, but based on authorizations approved to the view (Pratt & Adamski, 2011). Duplication (replication) refers to a set of catalog objects and data copying and distribution technologies from a given folder into another. This is followed by the sychronization between the two databases in order to uphold uniformity. In the process, a database is copied from one server into another, followed by protection of the dissimilar copies in concurrence. Data replication, on the other hand,

IranianSyrian Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

IranianSyrian Relations - Essay Example Border clashes between Israel and Syria, occurring throughout 1960s, culminated into Arab-Israel war of 1967. After six days of war, Israel who fought against the Arab States of Egypt, Jordan and Syria, annexed much of Arab territory, including Golan heights southwest of Syria. Fighting around the Golan Heights continued between Israel and Syria because of mounting tension from the Palestine refugees entering Syria en masse. This resulted into Syria and Egypt going to war against Israel in 1973. Claiming a legal authority by Israel in the Golan Heights, quite antagonist to Syria's demand for Israel to relinquish its claim, further aggravated the hostilities in 1981. Tension between Syria and Israel aggravated when the former demanded the return of the Golan Heights and the creation of the sate of Palestine. As Syria plays a major role in the Middle East, she sent peacekeeping troops in Lebanon to stop a civil war there. But this force remained in Lebanon as late as 2005. In the meantime, however, Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990. An alliance of many countries including the United States and Syria was formed to oppose Iraq's illegal annexation of Kuwait. Over 20,000 Syrian troops fought against Iraqi forces to finally oust them from Kuwait in February 1991. After the death of Syrian president Hafiz-al- Assad in June 2000, his son Bashaar al-Assad succeeded him the same year. Many countries insisted Syria to withdraw its forces f... An alliance of many countries including the United States and Syria was formed to oppose Iraq's illegal annexation of Kuwait. Over 20,000 Syrian troops fought against Iraqi forces to finally oust them from Kuwait in February 1991. After the death of Syrian president Hafiz-al- Assad in June 2000, his son Bashaar al-Assad succeeded him the same year. Many countries insisted Syria to withdraw its forces from Lebanon. Rafik Hariri, a former premier of Lebanon was killed by a car bomb in Beirut, Lebanon. Accusations from all over held Syria to be responsible for Hariri's death. The assassination of Hariri triggered massive demonstrations and protests against Syrian for its withdrawal from Lebanon. Syria eventually withdrew from Lebanon in 2005. (Abu-Khalil As'ad, n.d.) Iran - A Brief Introduction Iran is one of the ancient countries in the Middle East and is situated to the southwest of Asia. It has snow-capped mountains, and its land abounds with green valleys, and barren deserts. Tehran, which is the largest city of Iran, is the country's capital. According to the ancient history of civilizations, Iran ranks as the world's oldest countries. The origin of human settlements in Iran is traced back in history to almost 5,000 years ago. The Persian Empire, which covered a vast territory of southwestern Asia and parts of Europe and Africa, had its seat of civilization based in what is now Iran. (Ansari Ali M, n.d.) Map of Iran Fact File - Iran Official Name: Islamic Republic of Iran Capital: Tehran Area: 636,372 sq miles Highest point: Mount Damavand (18,386 ft above sea-level) Official language: Persian (also called 'Farsi') Currency: Iranian Rial Population: 72,048,000 (two-third of Iranian people are of Aryan origin; 60 percent are

Management Accounting & Finance of Nokia and Carphone Warehouse Essay

Management Accounting & Finance of Nokia and Carphone Warehouse - Essay Example In the case of Nokia the expenses incurred in operating the machinery, depreciation of equipment and other assets such as building associated with the production of the company’s products and other overhead costs such as light water and telephone are classified as factory overheads and are therefore included in production costs as part of the companies manufacturing costs. Nokia can determine how much it actually costs to produce a certain level of activity, the types of expenditure involved and their cost in relation to the volume of production. In the case of Carphone Warehouse, the company provides a service which includes selling cell phones and other electronic items and repairing cell phones. The company does not manufacture anything and so the cost of the phones that it sells is the only cost of sales in the company’s income statement. The cost of repairing phones along with the costs of the service it provides are all included as operational expenses. Regular re view of and updating of budgets is essential to the success of these companies. The company should focus on budgets and the competition and seek to add value to its products. Nokia is in an industry where technology is changing rapidly and so it needs to be always focused on external information so that it can make internal changes in the way it does things. This, however, requires the implementation of strategies such as the Balanced Scorecard, which will allow the organization to create value for its many stakeholders including customers.

Employment Relations Essay Example for Free

Employment Relations Essay The dynamic nature of the business environment and the increasing global competition has prompted business owners as well as other stakeholders to pay more attention to the area of employment relations. This can be attributed to the increased level of awareness regarding the relationship between employment relations and productivity . Management teams in most organizations have taken a keen interest in employment relations now more than ever before. Today, human resource practitioners and departments in organizations have rapidly transformed into most vibrant people and departments due to their increasingly important roles. This paper analyses the role played by the management in regard to the formation and structure of employment relations in the context of the retail industry in Australia. Employment relations (ER) refer to the different systems and techniques utilized in managing people. Employment relations are a broad and all encompassing term that also covers human resource management and industrial relations (Guite, T. 1999). Human resource management revolves the directing and controlling of the work force in a particular organization to forge unity so that there can be harmonious relationship between the management and workers for maximum productivity (Nilson, C. 2003. ). Industrial relation has to do with the resolution with work related disputes between the employees and their organizations and the management (Guite, T. 1999). There have been significant reforms in Australia in the last decade in regard to industrial disputation. This has seen the reduction of inconsistencies in the area of dispute and conflict management. ER as a professional field includes the laid down rules and regulations, attitudes, cultures, policies and behavior surrounding the employment relationship (Cranny, C et al, 1992). It involves the participation of key players such as employees with their formal and informal organizations, employers with their associations and the government and its relevant institutions in regard to their employment concerns. Employment relationship refers to the contract between two parties one being the employee and the other the employer. The employee is the person in servitude to the other under contractual terms, which may be written or oral (Walter, J. 2006). In this relationship the employer has an upper hand in the decision-making and conceptually is the one who gives the direction, which is to be followed. Concept This leadership role is key to any organization and may be held by an individual (in cases of small and micro businesses) or a management team in cases of medium or large organizations. The management has the role of controlling and directing people towards achieving corporate objective. Team work is involved where one person is not able to produce what is actually needed in the company. Potential human resources, financial resources and natural resources are all deployed and manipulated through the management (Mullins, L. 2005. ). Management as a function in the organization involves the act of getting things done through people in the most efficient way on a regular basis. The management is also charged with the responsibility of initializing plans and action that ought to be taken by the organization in order to reach the corporate objective. The management therefore is involved in the planning, organizing, motivating, controlling, coordinating the resources in an organization in order to achieve the maximum possible productivity levels. There are different arms under which the management falls including human resource management, operations management, production management, strategic management, financial management and information technology management (Walter, J. 2006). In this section, we are interested in the human resource management where it is noted that the role of this arm of management has been changing and becoming increasingly important in organizations today. The human resource department in any organization has the role of understanding and developing the human capital as well as engaged in dissemination of good organizational culture among the workforce (Cranny, C et al, 1992). The key role of management in employment relations is defined as communication. Various aspects of employees’ relationship with the management are handled according to the laid down rules, policies, and practices of the organization. In the modern workplace the employees are encouraged to air their views and grievances through this important arm of the management. This has the impact of reducing organizational conflicts and thus saving organizations both money and time that would otherwise have been used in the follow-ups of litigation cases. Other specific areas of interest between management and employees include payments of wages, bonuses and salaries, workplace conflict resolution, work timetable, health and safety, productivity targets and general grievances that employees may have . It cannot therefore be said that the management plays a passive role in employment relations rather in this day and age; the management plays an all important role that has the effect of unifying all the resources of the organization especially the human resource in order to maximize productivity. The management ensures that all the employees are working together in harmony towards the cooperate goal. In addition to this, the management has to engage in dialogue with the relevant government institutions in order to ensure that all regulations pertaining to employment relations are adhered to. It can therefore be said that the management has a most central role in holding together the different stake holders in employment relations. That task requires different skills and knowledge of management and leadership methods. Retail industry in Australia The retail industry in Australia is by far the biggest employer employing about 12% of the working population. The retail markets consist of sellers of goods directly to consumers and other final users. This industry is also characterized by the highest number of untrained workers. The working conditions are most varied and working hours are not regulated but are determined by the individual retailers. Important changes to the retail work relations systems have been introduced in the work relations act of 1996 (Pocock, Barbara Masterman-Smith, Helen. 2005). One of the responsibilities for determining all matters touching on the employer/employee relationship is on the hands of these two key stakeholders at the work place. According to the new rules, and agreements employers and employees are encouraged to resolve their matters without relying on external mediators. However, the key areas such as minimum wages and working conditions standards have been established by the Australian fair pay commission as well as the parliamentary decree(Catanzariti, J. Baragwanath, M. 1997 ). There has been a major reform in employee relations in the retail industry in Australia. There have been conscious measures to regulate the work place environment in this industry with different variations sort in recognition to the changes made to the shop trading hours act of 1997. Some of these variations include the expansion and scope of working hours, the minimum wage upgrades (Creighton, B. Stewart, A. 994). There has also been a need for direction on the number of hours that employees should be given for leave. Additionally, when working at odd hours different pay terms have been negotiated. This includes working on Sundays and working at night. In order to ensure that employees are not overworked, it has been suggested that there be introduced a system of working shifts. The federal government in Australia is mandated by the constitution to make laws that regulate matters concerning conciliation and dispute resolution in order to prevent industrial dispute that would extent beyond anyone state (Teicher, J. Lambert, R. O’Rourke, A. 2006. ). Workers in the retail industry in Australia have enjoyed higher standards of living due to significant legislative reforms regarding the work place relation. These reforms have also served to increase productivity due to the lower rates of industrial disputation. However, more reforms are needed to increase the flexibility and options for both employees and employers. These interventions measures by the government are aimed at spurring economic growth as well improve global competitiveness. The retail industry is a good place to begin owing that it is the major employer in Australia. Today, there has been less dependence on awards by industrial tribunals that were used to negotiate and determine the environment as well as compensation and benefits for employees within the traditional work place relations systems. The management, has been empowered further by these new reforms since all matters and disputes that regard work place relations are first to be dealt with between the employees and employers before any further form of remedial action can be taken. The work place relations act of 1996 has ensured that the alias award system by industrial tribunals has a minimum role of determining minimum wages instead of its initial role of determination and prescription of employees’ wages, and conditions allowed by their employers. Decentralized agreement mean that negotiations are done between employers and employees or between employers and employees organizations (unions) and thirdly, between the management and government institutions. Employees have the option of requesting for a bargaining agent. The retail workers are also vulnerable to different forms of injustices. The comprehensive reforms in work place relations follow the introduction of work choices legislation in 2005 (Catanzariti, J. Baragwanath, M. 1997). Some of the changes touch on work place health and safety application, new dismissal provision, and new transmission of laid down regulations, buying and selling of businesses, union restriction and the scrapping of no disadvantage test among other changes (Creighton, B. Stewart, A. 1994). All these reforms have the effect of giving more responsibility to the management in this matter of employment relations than ever before. Employer obligations are made known to all in the varied business situations. The reforms have also resulted in employees enjoying more freedom and job securities because employers are required to take great care when effecting a dismissal since employees can now claim compensation against unlawful dismissal or discrimination. These laws are applied widely to even small businesses with less than hundred employees. These small businesses are mostly consisting of retail businesses. The importance of management in employment relation cannot be over emphasized. This is highlighted by the fact that the management as a key stake holder is charged with the responsibility of coordinating all the relations between labor unions and labor laws. This is done with the sole aim of improving the quality of produce as well as achievement of organizational goals. It has to be noted here that the management is responsible to the business owners and stakeholders if there is a slackening in productivity or if profitability decreases. Therefore, the management is under pressure to ensure that there is a conducive working environment as well as quality working life for its employees in order to make it possible for success to be achieved. In the retail industry, the management of these businesses is subjected to the obligation of comprehending the laid down guidelines regarding employment relations. Conclusion. It is evident from these discussions that the management is at the centre of all matters relating to employment relations. The management roles as key stakeholder in organizational structure ensures that the management has not only understand the broader concepts of employers obligations to the employees but also forge a working relationship with the labor unions while ensuring that all the legal regulations are adhered to. Since the last decade several reforms in the area of employment relations have been undertaken and they have served to empower the management and to increase its responsibilities towards its employees and towards ensuring that laws are followed to the letter. These increased responsibilities have helped to streamline the work place environment especially in the retail industry which had been earlier characterized by inconsistencies and to great extent injustices towards employees. The management is now required to be extra vigilant to ensure that employment relations systems in a particular organization are such that they serve to improve productivity and to ensure that the company utilizes all their human resources for the achievement of corporate objective.

Comparative Analysis of Management Theories

Comparative Analysis of Management Theories Fayols management functions, Mintzbergs roles and Katzs skills are still important for the modern day manager. Discuss. The pivotal nature of management theory has seen various trajectories throughout the ages which has caused for discrepancies between administrative theorists who claim to possess the utmost beneficial theorem behind the functions of business activity. As Abedi justifiably proffers; the conventional definition of management is getting work done through people, but real management is developing people through work. The paradigm of proficient management is developing the employees and people of the organization through work, as it is this unification of the people; to impel rather than compel; which will ultimately cause for the augmentation of the business entity as a whole. Management is the development of a bureaucracy that demands strategic planning, co-ordination, directing and controlling of complex decision-making processes (Olum). Interestingly, the foundations and heritage of contemporary management can be traced back to as far as 5000 BC; seen in ancient Sumerian records, the construction of the Egyptian pyramids and rise of the Roman Empire. Additionally, social change during the time of the industrial revolution and the work of Frederick W. Taylor, the father of scientific management (Frederick Winslow Taylor)worked to inscribe the foundations of management theory. This antiquated legacy of management provided Henri Fayol (1916), Henry Mintzberg (1973) and Robert Katz (1955) the knowledge to construct their individual approaches to management. Indeed, Fayols management functions, Mintzbergs roles and Katzs skills are still important for the modern day manager; however, it would be naÃÆ'Â ¯ve for a manager to espouse a particular management theorem due to the changing nature of society and the global economy, but rather to acquire the knowledge of a multitude of theorems and work to manipulate them to suit their individual requirements and business circumstances. Thus, contemporary managerial theory is central to modern managers engineering complex or ganizations, as it cultivates in the rapid contingency of todays changing economy. Henri Fayol (1841-1925), first established the functional approach to management in the early 20th century (Drucker). Fayol outlined the five key functions of management in his treatise, General and Industrial Management, which typified a superior approach to management thinking. Fayols five functions were collectively to forecast prevoyance, organize, command, coordinate and to control the business entity these functions are still relevant to the roles and actions of the modern day manager. During the 1920s, Henri Fayol earned the title of being the father of management (Mote), as scientific management principles were displaced by the classical management school of thought. Classical management emphasized the identification of universal principles of management which, if adhered to, would lead to organizational success (Mote). These universal principles systematically created two broad categories being the identification of business functions and the structuring of organizations a nd management of employees. In addition to Fayols acknowledged five functions of management, he also established 14 principles of management. The legacy of these principles continues to influence modern management theory. Interestingly, Wren (1994:193) stated; Fayols elements of management provided the modern conceptualization of a management process; his principles were lighthouses to managerial action. Fayols model for the functional approach to management was design was the coal-mining business he owned and managed. At that time, the coal mining company was a large business in the early 20th century; however, in todays age would have been considered fairly small (Drucker). This idea of functional organization is still, arguably the best way to structure in particular a small manufacturing business. In the same fashion, and arguably the precedent of functionalism, is its clarity and stability. Therefore, his approach to management through functionalism performs exceedingly well for the simplistic kind of business it was designed for. However, the functional model does not possess the performance capabilities needed to deal with anything more dynamic or complex a crucial factor in demand from the modern day manager. Additionally, Fayols functional principle leaves little scope for innovation and is thus, inadequate when working to develop, test and prepare employees. Peter Drucker, author of the book Management: Tasks, Responsibilities and Management, importantly outlined that; In businesses that exceed Fayols model, in size, in complexity, in innovative scope, functional design should be used only as one principle and never as the principle (Drucker). Finally, functionalism is immensely uneconomical, which is the result of its rigid design nowadays, the development of a business even to a mere moderate size, will cause for friction to build and end up being costly and resource inefficient. Thus, Henri Fayols principles of functionalism is an excellent approach for a small business, and especially small manufacturing business like Fayols own, however the idea of functionalism on its own, is not a practical approach for a business exceeding Fayols model and it was not until Mintzbergs roles that sought a new trajectory in the field of management theory. The pivotal nature of management theory sought a new direction in the early 1970s as experts began to question the rigidity of Fayols fundamental principles. Henry Mintzberg argued that Fayols principles of management did not embody the turbulent nature of managerial work. In contrast to Fayols systematic perspective on management theory, Mintzberg conducted empirical research, which involved observing and analyzing the activities of CEOs from five private and semi-public organizations (Ten Managerial Roles). Mintzberg composed his studies on real word business managers as opposed to Fayol, who consolidated his managerial principles through the study of organizational structure. Additionally, Mintzberg identified ten separate managerial activities that fall into three categories: interpersonal, information processing and decision making (Chapter 9: Marketing Information Systems). Mintzbergs empirical research on the nature of managerial work (Ten Managerial Roles), typified several f laws from Fayols management functions. Mintzberg wrote; the pressures of the job drive the manager to take on too much work, encourage interruption, respond quickly to every stimulus, seek the tangible and avoid the abstract, make decisions in small increments, and do everything abruptly. (Mintzberg) Mintzberg realized the changing world that confronted the modern day managers which worked to consolidate his strategic approach towards management. Interestingly, Mintzberg expressed that effective managers must be proficient at responding to numerous and varying problems without responding too abruptly, and working the tangible information into a comprehensive picture (Mintzberg). Mintzberg furthered this approach through stressing the importance of a broad picture; the manager is challenged to deal consciously with the pressures of superficiality by giving serious attention to the issues that require it, by stepping back in order to see a broad picture, and by making use of analytical inputs. (Mintzberg) Finally, Mintzberg found that although individual capabilities influence the implementation of a role, it is the organization that determines the need for a particular role, addressing the common belief that it predominantly a managers skill set that determines success. Effective managers develop protocols for action given their job description and personal preference, and match these with the situation at hand. In 1974, Robert L. Katz proffered the importance of skill amongst all administration. Katz stressed the importance of skill under varying conditions; a skill implies an ability which can be developed, not necessarily inborn, and which is manifested in performance, not merely in potential. So the principal criterion of skillfulness must be effective action under varying conditions (L.Katz, 1974). Additionally, Katz advanced this broad notion of skill and concluded that effective administration depends on three basic skills, categorized as technical skill, human skill and conceptual skill. First of all, Katz studied the notion of technical skill, in which the manager must possess an adequate magnitude of technical skill in order to master the mechanics of the particular job for which he will be culpable. Secondly, is the idea of human skill; in which it is essential for the manager to work cogently as a group member whilst being collegial within the organization he is leading. Finally, Katz stressed the idea of Conceptual skill, being the ability to visualize the enterprise as a whole (L.Katz, 1974). Sound conceptual skill enables managers to decipher the consequences of change in any section of the entity on other areas of the organization and how the differing functions of administration must unify and work in synchronization of one another. In fact, Katz extended the idea of conceptual skill to include a sound relationship of the individual business to external relations affecting the business entity and hence, should enable the business to achieve inclusive affluence. Interestingly, Katz wrote on the paradigm of skill, defining it as an ability to translate knowledge into action (L.Katz, 1974), and hence, facilitate in the differentiation of these complex skills. Additionally, the importance of the skills varies with accordance to the level of managerial responsibility. Human and conceptual skills, although important in all levels of management seem to be of greatest use in the higher levels of administration, whilst technical and human skills are most important in the lower levels. However, it is the notion of conceptual skill that becomes most important for the top managers when working to achieve prosperity. Katz emphasized that; This three-skill approach emphasizes that good administrators are not necessarily born; they may be developed (L.Katz, 1974). The idea that good administrators may be developed rather than born is important for the modern manager as it gives managers the incentive to advance their skills in order to advance their business output. Additionally, the categorization of Katz skills, and the identification of the skills needed at the differing levels of management, provides an instrumental starting point for the training, and advance of executives (ArticlesBase). Thus, Katz skills will enable the modern day manager to achieve the optimum level of output labor and business efficiency. Good management is the art of making problems so interesting and their solutions so constructive that everyone wants to get to work and deal with them. Paul Hawken Paul Hawkens idea on good management is without a doubt significant to the progression of a modern manager. It is important to note, and, as mentioned earlier, management is the development of a bureaucracy that demands strategic planning, co-ordination, directing and controlling of complex decision-making processes (Olum). In essence, management is the process of designing and maintaining an environment in which individuals, working together in groups, efficiently accomplish selected aims (Koontz and Weihrich 1990, p. 4). With this in mind; and, to varying degrees, it is believed that Fayols management functions, Mintzbergs roles and Katzs skills are still of importance to the modern day management. In fact, according to Pearsons textbook on Management, an exceptional manager is separated from an average manager through the recognition, acceptance and mastery of managing paradoxes the ability to cope with forces that pull managers in different directions. Great managers do not avoi d these tensions but embrace them, harness them and use them (Hitt, 2007). Management theory has seen a significant change from the classical approach, through the behavioral school and then into more recent developments in management theory with the systems approach, contingency theory, chaos theory and team building approach to management. Agreeably, each management approach contains its advantages and limitations, and the manager must interpret the variables before practicing the differing approaches on the business. In this manner, the dexterity of Fayols management functions, the influence of Mintzbergs administrative roles and the usefulness of Katzs skills are all of fundamental importance for modern managers and interestingly simplistic businesses still advocate Fayols classical approach to management. However, it is the manager who strives to convert the theory behind Fayol, Mintzberg or Katz, whilst systematically integrating the appropriate management approaches, will unq uestionably increase the level of productivity within their business rather than the manager who adopts an experimental or trial and error approach to management. This will enable managers to achieve a common objective; being to create a business surplus through increased productivity. Written by Hamish Farquhar

Etiology of Substance Abuse

Etiology of Substance Abuse â€Å"Drugs are a bet with your mind.† (Jim Morrison). People start taking drugs by their own choice. In early stages they feel stress-free and euphoric but as life goes on they start getting dependent on it and face difficulty to depart it from their lives. A true feelings and perceptions which abuser has for them are â€Å"I am sick and tired of being known as an addict.† (Arun et al.2004). To live with these perceptions are challenging but to abandon drugs is even more challenging for them. According to (DSM-IV), â€Å"Substance use disorders are now defined as maladaptive patterns of substance use leading to inability to control, use despite significant consequences†. According to National Institute of Drug Abuse (2014), Substance abuse has a lot of effects on society and cause deaths. Use of substance abuse in adolescent, adults and elderly people is creating problem to fulfill their responsibilities and its consequence are very much destructive. According to Annual prevalence of drug use in Pakistan (2012) as cited in UNODC (2013), an expected 5.8 percent of the people in Pakistan utilized illicit substances in the previous 12 months. 11 % of substance utilization was present in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 6.5 % of substances used in Sindh and 8.5 % of illicit substances used in Punjab. Substance abuse is referred as terrible deed as it violets societal standards and values by accelerating savage acts. This topic has a huge impact on individual lives, socioeconomic status, health care system and their psychology. Moreover in my clinical rotation, I encounter 25 years old lady being hospitalized for attempt to suicide. During our discussion, she confesse s that her husband is a substance abuser since 2 years and despite the fact she was pregnant, her husband beats him so badly that her baby abort. As this incident touches my heart which endorse me to write about this topic. This paper would profit the readers in a manner especially to those individuals who are indulge in substance abuse so they will know what elements cause substance abuse and how its perilous impacts effects on their lives. It will also talk about, what therapies individuals can approach to depart illicit substances from their lives. Some individuals are at higher risk of substance enslavement. No single variable can anticipate dependence on substance abuse. According to the recent Drug Use in Pakistan Technical Summary Report (2013), â€Å"an estimated 6 ·45 million (5 ·8%) people aged15–64 years in Pakistan used plant-based or synthetic drugs, or prescription drugs for non-medical purposes in the past 12 months†. (pp.2153). Alternately, there are a few causes that make an individual more inclined to it. The etiology of substance abuse in youth is divided into three classes i.e. Familial, Social, and Individual. Familial factors include childhood mal-treatment in which children could have physical, sexual, emotional abuse and neglect by parents so they grope dismissed and end into substance abusive behavior. According to Whitesell et al. (2013), â€Å"29% of children who experienced maltreatment participating in some level of substance†. (p.3). Additionally if any family member is abusin g drugs in front of child so they imitate same behavior as they perceive parents their role model. Research shown that parental substance abuse increases genetic predisposition for substance use disorder (Dunn et al. 2002). In my opinion parental training plays an essential part in guiding child about substance abuse matters and lack of education can incline a child for substance abuse. Other factors are marital status of parents, child perception that parents approve of their substance use. (Whitesell et al, 2013). Social elements that may include deviant peer relationship in which adolescence joins those gatherings who uses illicit substances. Teenagers who experience childhood in unsteady community conditions are really less vulnerable to deviant peer relationship. (Whitesell et al, 2013). In my opinion individuals affiliate themselves with distinctive gatherings and they imagine that utilizing substances make them popular. Research also supports that youths who classify themselves as famous have indicated to have expanded predominance of substance utilization when contrasted with those who dont recognize themselves† (Whitesell et al, 2013). According to Taylor et al. (2009), bulling is related to substance abuse behavior. 12 % individuals who suffered from bulling experienced life time use of alcohol. (Taylor et al, 2009). There are many individual factors that end up in substance abuse. One of them is depression; it encompasses feelings of sadness, pain, despair, or anger. In my opini on people use to abuse substances to cope from depression but it is also as vice versa because after usage of drugs depression cans occur. According to shafiq et al. (2006), In Pakistan 65% can lead depression I have seen many people in my community who are using illicit drugs because they feel that drugs can alleviate their stressful feelings. Transition of individual from adolescence to young, middle and older adult hood has increases burden in everyday life. Life stressors like financial burden, loss of job and poverty may trigger the use of illicit substances. According to Drug Abuse Master Plan (2010-2014), â€Å"In Pakistan 32 % of the opioid users were unemployed in the past six months† (p.7). People with mental problems also suffered from substance abuse problems. Research suggests that about 50 % of the individuals with psychiatric issues likewise experience the substance abuse problem. (chrome et al., 2009). Substance abuse has a lot of devasting impacts on abusers lives. They can be divided in to three domains i.e. physically, socially and psychologically. Physical impacts are, as abusers use syringes for administration of drugs and due to lack of syringes they apply contaminated syringes on each other which make them vulnerable to blood borne diseases like HIV and hepatitis C. As study also supported that, In Pakistan73% people uses same syringes as there more syringes are not available. (UNODC, 2013). High risk sexual behaviors are observed among drug abusers i.e. un- protected sex which leads to further sexually transmitted disease i.e. In Pakistan â€Å"36% reported having sex with those clients who are HIV positive†. (UNODC, 2013). As drugs impact our central nervous system so it causes different psychological impacts like anxiety in which people have feeling of uneasiness and disturbance in sleep is also common. Substance abuser can suffer from different mood disorders like bipolar disorder. According to moal et al. (2007), Study has revealed that more or less 35% of addicts met lifetime criteria for a mood issue and 45% for an anxiety issue. Substance abuser also suffers from aggression. (Moal et al. 2007). There are many social impacts of substance abuse. In my opinion Isolation can be one of them and on the other hand, absence of acknowledgement from society additionally makes them evade social collaborations. As I have observe in my community that couples fighting is very common and it can further cause separation. Usually people indulge themselves in so much addicted behaviors so they lose their jobs and financial burden increases. According to Angres et al. (2008), Substance abuse negatively impacts public safety, reduces workers, productivity, and contributes to higher healthcare costs, premature deaths, and disability. (pp.696).Abusers have risky behaviors which also detoriate their health. Prendergast (2009) affirms that substance abusers are involved in different criminal acts. Generally individuals crave for drugs and to satisfy their need they involved in criminal acts like robbery so they can purchase their drugs. Leisure et al, (2007) affirms that drug abusers are usually involve in gambling which increases financial burden. In substance abuse relapse is commonest among individuals. According to yaqub (2013), â€Å"Studies have revealed that the relapse rate in Pakistan is around 90%†. In theory brain reward mechanism in which addictive substances trigger brain reward circuit which in turn initiate certain behaviors. The effects of these abusive drugs on mesolimbic dopaminergic system are very serious and associated with creating rewarding effects. If this system does not work properly so it may create certain addictive properties. Dopamine expands extracellular; focus overriding the control of motivated and objective regulated behavior, which motivates them to take drugs. Certain medications are known to alter dopamine discharge and reuptake which modify reward system and increases uptake and relapse. (Eps et al. 2012). The congnitive behavior model of relapse tells about the high risk situations in which person is prone to have relapsed. He describe eight categories like how person interact with different people (â€Å"affect, coping, self-efficacy, outcome expectancies†) and certain environmental factors like (â€Å"asses to drugs, cue exposure and society influence†). It depend on individual that how he cope with these situations and it depend on him whether he uses substances or not. If individual decided and involve in substance abuse so they may suffer from AVE (Abstinence violation effect). AVE includes two things one affective response, in which person feels embarrassed and disgrace because he thinks he is responsible for this and second is cognitive domain which is based on attributional therapy, in which person perceived that this lapse is due to my personal factor and I cannot control them so he may have greater chances of relapse and if he thinks that it happens because of external factor and I can control it so relapse chances are deceased. (Marlatt and Witkiewitz, 2007). On my clinical I have encounter patient 15 years old with relapse of substance abuse. He verbalized me that he had left substance abuse for 3 months but because it was easily available and my friends influenced him so he took drugs and end up in relapse. If we related it to cognitive therapy of relapse environmental factors influence him to end up in relapse which created feeling of guilt and embarrassment It is recommended that government should arrange certain awareness programs on substance abuse. Not only have that media played vital role in substances promotion so government should band those advertisement. Government should create certain institutions and build certain rehabilitation centers in community which are in reasonable cost. More over certain therapies can help patient to quit substance abuse .These therapies are : In Motivational enhancement therapy, counseling approach is used and attempts to modify the behavior of substance abusers. MET is derived from Trans theoretical Model of Change. In this model counselor tend to change person behavior by five levels. In first level of Precontemplation individual does not consider his/her behavior problematic and don’t try to change it. In level two Contemplation people consider his challenging and think to modify it. In third level Preparation, person in this stage plans for a particular change. They assess and select measures for behavioral change. Another level is Action; in which individual is modify his behavior. The last level is maintenance in which individual try to maintain his new behavior and try to adjust new behavior in his surroundings. (Prochaska et al, 1992). Contingency Management Therapies is based on operant conditioning which was proposed by skinners in which desire behavior is achieved by reward and punishment. The positive behavior which have given reward will be more likely to repeat for example when client has positive behavior so we can provide different gifts and voucher and if undesirable behavior exist so punishment should be there. (Carroll onken, 2005). Moreover with therapies we can likewise provide certain interventions. Substance abuse is a problem which cant drive away instantly and it requires significant time for individual to recuperate from it. At community level we can take some measures to prevent substance abuse. According to National Institute of Drug Abuse, you have to develop a community plan in which the first step is â€Å"Assessment†. In assessment we will identify the population who are abusers and who are at risk for becoming abusers like people with low- economic status. In second step is â€Å"Build† we will try to identify resources for example we need for different awareness programs in community. Than third we will build â€Å"Short term goals† than after achieving short term goals we will run projects and simultaneously observe efficacy of preventive plan. According to National Institute of Drug Abuse affirms that Family-based preventive projects ought to strong family attachment and con nections examining and uses different family approaches to alleviate on substance abuse. In conclusion substance abuse is tremendously common issue among individuals. There are numerous reasons which are responsible for substance abuses in youth are familial, social and individual factors. As Age progresses, the risk of consumption of substances in adults also increases. The reasons behind substance abuse in adults are unemployment, poverty, traumatic events and any psychiatric problem. Substance abuse has a considerable amount of negative impacts physically, socially and psychologically. Even after treatment, some individuals again end up with state of relapse. Cognitive behavior therapy of relapse tells us about the risk factors that lead relapse. Some more therapies like motivational enhancement therapy and contingency Management Therapies help us to modify behavior of substance abusers. In my opinion we can develop insight in abusers and can modify their behavior. I would like to end up with quotation â€Å"Addiction should never be treated as a crime. It has to be treated as a health problem†. (Ralph Nader).