Filipino Culinary and Tourism Hospitality Essay

According to Pizam’s article (1982), the tourism and hospitality industry has been applauded by industrialized and developing countries for the number of jobs created. A large amount of position vacancy is generated within the tourism industry and the supported industries. As a labor-intensive industry, its contribution to employment is not only restricted to the area or country but it also provides those jobs to women, youngsters, unskilled, minorities and the socially disadvantaged who find it very hard to get any jobs (Pizam, 1982). However, the unskilled and semi-skilled workers who are directly employed in the industry are usually considered to be the uneducated, unmotivated, untrained, unskilled, and unproductive employees (British Tourist Authority, 1974).In addition to provide good quality of food and services for tourists, effort should be made to promote any dishes that are unique to the area for tourists to enjoy at least trying the local cuisine. Wider consumption of local cuisine helps to grow national economic since it’s optimally utilizing local produces. The culinary journey will gave visitors an insight into the lifestyle, culture and tradition of people. Pizam has identified the impacts related between the characteristics of modern society and the characteristics of the tourism industry on the work environment, since 1982 (Exhibit 1), but how relevant are they in today’s tourism and hospitality industry? And are there any causes that can affect employees’ performance? If yes, how?Even though the article was written in 1982, it is a fact that the characteristics of modern society and the characteristics of the industry on the tourism and hospitality work environment are still affecting employees’ performance and their productivity today. The characteristics of the industry can be identified as internal factors and the characteristics of modern society can be classified as external factor.

New Ending to the Adventures Essay

My Ending Huck has to decide if he wants to be part of society or completely against it Huck has to choose if he wants to travel in Indian terrority or have a family and live with aunt sally. Jim is free and aunt sally offers him and his family a job to work around the farm Huck decided to stay with aunt sally Why I did what I did  Huckleberry Finn was a good book because twain was trying to make a huck an independent character who went against society’s unwritten rules (examples: did not want to be civilized helped a slave lied a lot etc) however I felt that huck s character development lacked in the end of the book. Huck never really had much of a family. Throughtout the novel he stayed at the hypocrctal ms Watson s place or his drunk father’s place I wanted huck to finally have a really good family to grow up in and be surrounded by people who love and care for him. He made a connection to jim and aunt sally and he didn’t want to let go of that. Chapter 43: a paid free slave, adventures or a home, yours truly, Huck Finn When I got Tom by myself, I asked him what purpose was had of the plan he made and why he never went ahead and warned me Jim was free in the first place. Tom replied by saying I hadn’t had no idea how to have a good time and I would have spoiled the whole thing by calling the plan unreasonable. I reckoned he was probably right but I didn’t admit it out loud. Aunt Sally was being awfully nice to Jim after she found out all the trouble he went though and how nice he treated Tom. He got all he wanted to eat and uncle Silas was so nice he offered Jim a job at the farm. Well I never did see a slave so joyful. He started babbling to me about how his hair ball was right and it predicted he be making some money. Tom he was heading back home and told me we ought to have another one these adventures soon. As for me I was planning on heading out to the Indian Territory for my next adventure. Yet Aunt Sally reckoned I’d stay with her. She wanted to adopt me and I weren’t so sure that I was against the idea. I wasn’t too fond of being civilized but Aunt Sally ain’t so bad and I shouldn’t be saying this but I’d miss that feller Jim. I think they care about me and I guess I care about them too. I figure I’ll try this thing out but I don’t guarantee I’ll be staying. I might be gone by t’morry. One thing for sure I won’t be writing no more. Writing this book was enough trouble I ain’t planning on doing it again. Yours truly Huck Finn.

Top 20 Indian Site

Top 20 Indian Sites S. No Site DOB Type 1. Rediff. com 2/8/97 Portal 2. Indiatimes. com 22/12/96 Portal 3. Sify. com 6/10/98 Directory 4. Shaadi. com 30/7/96 Matrimony 5. Monsterindia. com 16/5/00 Jobs 6. IciciBank. com 16/7/96 Bank 7. Indiafm. com 15/6/98 Music 8. Sulekha. com 25/2/98 Society 9. Hindustantimes. com 14/8/96 News 10. MapsofIndia. com 14/9/98 Maps 11. Timesjobs. com 13/12/02 Jobs 12. Makemytrip. com 8/5/00 Travel 13. Expressindia. com 13/11/96 News 14. 123india. com 22/10/96 Search 15. Timesofindia. com 8/4/96 News 16. Wipro. com 8/12/92 Computer 17. Infosys. om 17/7/92 Computer 18. Tcs. com 25/11/97 Computers 19. Tata. com 15/10/96 business 20. Airindia. com List Of Top Companies Of India: Reliance Industries Limited This is the largest private sector conglomerate in India founded by Dhirubhai Amabani with an annual turnover of about US$ 35. 9. This Fortune Global 500 company have its businesses in materials and energy value chain. It enjoys the position of the global leadership and is also the largest producer of yarn and fibre in the world. It ranks among the top ten producers across the globe in major petrochemical products. The primary subsidiaries of the company are Reliance Retail Limited and Reliance Petroleum Limited along with Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Limited. Oil & Natural Gas Corporation This company is awarded as the Best Oil and Gas company in Asia. It is the lone contributor of about 84% India's oil and gas. This company is not only among the leading Indian companies but also a leading company of oil and gas. The highest profit making corporate of India is ONGC. It has 77% share in the crude oil production of India. The company's main activity is to explore,refine,produce,market and transport crude oil,natural gas etc. State Bank of India It is the largest Indian bank and one of the leading companies in India. It offers banking services through its wide network in India and overseas. With more than 16,000 branches it accounts for the largest bank branch network in India. It offers services like the Mobile Banking,Internet Banking, Demat Services,ATM Services,Corporate Banking,Merchant Banking,Agricultural Banking,online services like online educational loan,online SME loan and many others. Indian Oil Corporation It is a public sector Indian Petroleum company and also the largest commercial enterprise in India. This company ranks 116 on the list of the Fortune Global 500 list in the year 2008. It operates the widest and the largest network of fuel stations in India which is about 17,606. Auto LPG Dispensing Stations are started by the company and it helps reach Indane Cooking Gas to 47. 5 million households. The company's products are diesel, petrol , Servo Lubricants etc. ICICI Bank The largest private sector bank in the sector of market capitalization in India is ICICI Bank and the second largest bank in assets. The wide network of the bank has 1,399 branches,49 regional processing centres,22 regional offices and more than 4,485 ATMs. It provides the banking services like Personal banking,Corporate Net Banking,NRI,Internet Banking,24-hr Customer Care and many other banking facilities. NTPC National Thermal Power Corporation Limited is the largest power company in India and has a capacity of 29894 MW with 7 gas based,15 coal based power stations and about four joint ventures. The company is the top among the Best Workplaces for Large Organizations. Two major units of the company is in Orissa. The core business of the company are construction,engineering and operation of power generating plants. Steel Authority of India Limited In India,one among the largest steel makers is Steel Authority of India Limited. The company has a turnover of about Rs. 45555 crore. The company also ranks higher among the top five largest profit earning Indian corporate. It is also the 16th largest producer of steel in the world. The website of the company gives all the required information about the Sales, Durgapur Steel Plant and other Plants and Units of the company. Tata Steel The company was initially known as TISCO and Tata Iron and Steel Company. It is the sixth largest Indian Steel company in the world. The crude capacity of the company is 28 million tones. It is also ranks second among the largest private sector steel companies in India. It had a profit of Rs 12,350 crore in the year 2008. The main plant is in Jharkhand, Jameshedpur. It has become multinational for its operations across the world. The registered office is in Mumbai. Bharti Airtel Bharti Enterprises' flagship company is Bharti Airtel. It is the topmost company in the sector of telecom. The company is ranked as the one with best performance across the globe in 2007 by the Business Week Magazine. It is also the first provider of telephine service in the private sector and has carved the telecom sector path in India. The three business units of the company are Enterprise Services,Mobile services and Broadband and Telephone Services Reliance Communications The company offers services like the information and communication,infrastructure and services for individuals and enterprises,consulting and applications. The company consumers are in Reliance Landline, BroadNet, Rworld, Reliance Global call, Reliance IPTV,Wireless Phone,Mobile-CDMA,GSM etc. The company is a renowned name in the implementation and managing of entire telephony solution.

Netflix 's Business Model and Strategy in Renting Movies and TV Case Study

Netflix 's Business Model and Strategy in Renting Movies and TV Episodes - Case Study Example Despite having constant revenues and profits, the company hit a major turnaround in 2010 that resulted in a constant decline of the company. This paper will therefore analyse Netflix case by focusing on the problems that resulted in the decline of Netflix business. The essay will also analyse alternative solutions and their application Netflix’s case. Problems That Led to the Company’s Decline The main problem that caused the decline of Netflix resulted from mismanagement of the steady growth process that the company was undergoing. By the last quarter of the 2010 trading period, Netflix’s annual revenues had reached $156 million (Arthur, 2010). This made the company’s shares to reach $170.83 that was the highest price in the company’s history. Between 2001 and 2010, the company recorded high profits but did not demonstrate any solid investment. It is possible that the company ploughed back its profits for short-term investment projects such as buil ding its customer base. The company failed to make long-term investments that would ensure its sustainability. Lack of appropriate strategies also made the company to lack perception on future changes in technology that would greatly affect the industry. The company failed to adopt new technology particularly the use of technology and the internet. Traditional renting of DVDs was replaced by online purchase of movies and TV episodes. During the trading period of 2009, the company experienced a sharp decline in revenues from renting of blockbusters and DVDs. Netflix suffered heavy losses from its purchase of association right from Hollywood Entertainment Company. In 2005, the company spend over $800 million to purchase Hollywood rights leading to its bankruptcy. Of the $800 million, Netflix recovered only $ 600 million, which did not even cover for its initial investments. The availability of alternatives methods where people can access movies or video game also affected Netflix annu al revenues making the company to incur heavy losses. Analysis Lack of a supportive business environment is the main factor that led to the decline of Netflix. Movies and video games were the only products that the company offered. Using the 4Ps analysis, Netflix’s main products were the movies and video games that were mainly targeted for the entertainment industry. The company was only involved with the marketing of the product with little or no modification on the original product. Netflix marketed its products in the form of DVDs. The company offered its products through rental service whereby customers would rent a DVD for a period ranging from one month. The price of the product depended on the duration and the package required by the customer. Netflix mailed most of movie DVDs to its customers on rental basis. Promotion is a significant aspect in marketing. However, the company seems to have failed in its advertisement strategies since it did not exploit the potentials of internet-based advertisements. The porter’s five forces are alternative marketing tools that can be used to analyse the company’s problem (Bade, & Michael, 2001). Blockbuster, Red box, and Netflix were the only competitors in the industry. This indicates that the industry had a finite number of competitors and hence minimum threat of new entrants. The competitors dealt with similar products that had

Leadership Trends Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leadership Trends Project - Essay Example With due regard to power and significance of reframe, the authors have provided a set of effective learning factors that are primary aspects leading to compel organizations to reframe their managing, controlling and leading functions. In the context of structural frame, the authors have explored the key situations and causes that drive an organization to emphasize reframing decisions. Additionally, the strategy that helps organizations to reframe the increased ability of both leaders and the organizations, have also clearly illustrated in this book. Correspondingly, the authors have also provided a major emphasis regarding the pervasive role of human resource frame while an organization intends towards reframing of its strategic and operational segments. In this context, the discussion encompasses a broad area of research by considering key human resources practices in monitoring and redesigning relationship among the individuals in the organization. Additionally, empowerment is also a major consideration of the book, which have substantially portrayed about the changing roles and responsibilities of the HR personnel in organizations with an increasing focus on reframing. From a political structure perspective, the empirical and evidence based claims of Bolman and Deal (2008) have enabled to understand the impact of power, conflict, competition as well as organizational politics while intending reframing of the processes. And from a symbolic structure perspective, both the authors have illustrated the role of various organizational and environmental metaphors that have major significance on reframing leadership roles as well as strategic performance of the organization while reframing. In this regard, fostering inspiration and creating faith on the defined goals and objectives have also found to a major symbolic aspects that often garner the

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Summary - Essay Example The speech is especially memorable for its remark on firearm suicide, which when taken alongside his later suicide, leads to an increased emotional attachment to the text. In the words present in the speech, Foster makes a concise argument regarding the need for students of a capitalist society to be more aware of their surroundings and the generative possibilities that may be in existence behind antagonisms and frustrations encountered everyday. Wallace opens his speech with a parable-like story of two young fish. He says, â€Å"Two young fish are swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, "Morning boys. How's the water?" The two young fish swim on for a bit. Eventually, one of them looks over at the other and goes, what the hell is water (Wallace & Kenyon College 4). Wallace opens his speech in this way with an intended salute to the standard requirement for most speeches in America, which tend to use a parable to lead i nto the main idea. This becomes the theme of the entire speech. The most important and obvious realities are usually the most difficult to discuss. Wallace discards any mention on the importance of a University degree in moving the student forward, preferring to discuss knowledge that can be applied in the world. He goes on to make the point that a University degree does not reflect so much on one’s capacity to think, but instead it reflects the preference of what one will think. While this seems obvious, Wallace is candid in stressing the value of that which is obvious. Foster moves on to contend that all we know concerning the world is visible and under our noses in the media. He contends that, deep down, even when it does not show on us, we see ourselves as the universes’ center. The emotions and thoughts of other individuals must be communicated for us to know them, but it is only possible to focus on what is ours since it is the foremost urge and we consider it re al (Wallace & Kenyon College 4). Foster contends that hope exists if only we realize the hardwired setting that defaults to self-centeredness and make moves in resetting it. He moves that there is a need to shift views and see the world through new lenses while shattering the lens, which sees only the self. Wallace shifts gears while sticking to the original theme, and almost comers across as sympathizing with the graduating students in that they have little idea of the rat race that is ahead of them. He discusses a scenario that rarely makes it onto commencement speeches by giving a daily example that includes, in clear detail, waking up early, traffic jams and long hour days, shopping for dinner groceries, poor lighting in the stores, traffic jams back home, bed, and all this again (Wallace & Kenyon College 5). While graduates have witnessed this lifestyle with their parents, they have not gone through it personally. The reason that people are stuck into the cycle is due to the un iverse-center default setting, as well as one’s own emotions and needs dictating the priorities from the surroundings. However, again, individuals have the choice to place emphasis on the obvious. Wallace is especially emphatic on the need to shift to the obvious. He points out the day-to-day scenario using a different lens. For instance, why get mad in the traffic jam while everyone else is also unhappy? He also

Mass Strikes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mass Strikes - Essay Example In this paper, the writer addresses several issues relating to Workmates 2011. It discusses how and why the 1990s London tube workers organized themselves against threatened privatization, and increasing precarity. It further discusses why the workers’ preferred using outside contractors at the expense unions. As part of this paper, the reasons for the growing ineffectiveness of the workers’ unions, the reasons of organizing outside them, and the new strategies the organizations have developed to address decrease in union power are also discussed in the paper. Introduction The decreasing power of track maintenance workers’ union of London in 1990s, threatened it being outsourced to a private contractor under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme (Ellman, 2010 p7). This new strategy was introduced to cut production cost, by introducing competitive tendering by private contractors to perform the work, which was earlier done by the firms themselves. In addition, i t was focused to replace relative job security with insecure and temporary employment that was widespread under â€Å"flexible labor market†, and undercut terms and conditions of London Underground staff (Gall, 2003 p79). The 1990s London Underground workers were organized under Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT). Casual staff and third-party contractors were, however, typically not unionized. Private contractors such as RMT, anarchist, and Andy began to use anarcho-syndicalist tactics like on-the-job direct and mass meeting actions to counteract divisions between non-union and union workers, and build resistance to the increasing outsourcing and privatization on the London Underground (McIlroy, 1995 p97). This tactic was mainly focused to divide and rule workforce. Divide and rule of the workforce led to the formation of Workmates collective in late 1998 and early 1999. The first Workplace group was established in London maintenance depot. Policies of the Workplace gro up allowed all workers to join this group no matter of their union membership. It also set to organize meetings on shop floors, with the workers themselves as the members (Solidarity Federation, 2011 p4). The workmate collective took effect with a delegate council structure, which was set to function for 18 months. Within a period of 18 months, which ran up to mid-2000, members of the workmate collective organized several mass strikes, of which several ones were successful, and this created staff turnover. However, shop meetings were continued, and any worker was allowed to join this group despite of her or his union organization (Solidarity Federation, 2011 p4). Threatened Privatization London Underground drafted and introduced its â€Å"Company Plan† in the early 1990s. This plan was intended to bring a number of changes such as changing industrial relations structures, getting rid of some established perks, and reviewing worker’s terms and conditions (Eur, 2002 p608 ). Additionally, the plan brought recruitment of new workers into stop, since new staff requirements were brought in as outsourced contractors. The new policies were focused on incorporating private sector norms into the firm, so that they would become more attractive to private capital (Eur, 2002 p610). Workers union such as RMT strongly opposed the new Company plan, but they

Emotional Intelligence Self Assesment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Emotional Intelligence Self Assesment - Essay Example In all these, my performance was largely dependent on the impact of my personality on the people around me. In sum, I have been able to summarise my strengths and weaknesses into four main categories. In terms of strengths, I have I posses the characters of trustworthiness, and teamwork and cooperation. With regard to my weaknesses I possess the characters of poor communication and lack of self-confidence. The positive attributes of my characters have always provided the necessary synergies for growth and excellence. On the other hand, the negative qualities have often posed challenges in my performance within various discourses. Trustworthiness is an attribute that promotes the element of harmony at the work place. It is a positive trait that attracts people to others towards the pursuit of common goals. Trustworthiness provides the glue that holds people together towards a common purpose (Goleman 81). It encourages processes of leadership, delegation and team work. My quality of trustworthiness has been most evident in situations that required cooperation and group work. I rate myself at 9. I have always believed in the abilities and honesty of others. At social and professional associations, friends often remark that I bestow a lot of trust in my groups and colleagues to such levels that enable me to win favours and the confidence of the organization. Sometimes I have often felt that I risk running down processes by bestowing unchecked trust to people of varying levels of competencies. However, I retain the belief that positive working relationships can only be achieved through the cultivation of trust and confidence to the environment and the people around. This, I believe, fits well into the discourse of professionalism and work ethics. Teamwork and collaboration are key determinants of success. An organization will always have people of varying levels and kinds of competencies. Embracing teamwork and collaboration helps people to adjust

FDI Strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

FDI Strategy - Assignment Example Additionally, firms should take into account the economic and political instability of foreign country that they want to invest. This is based on the fact that any instability either political or economic might have adverse effects on the performance and profitability of the entity. This paper analyses the strategies that AT&T, an American based firm would emulate in its endeavor to enter Morocco market. AT&T Company AT&T is a telecommunication company based in US. With Its headquarters in Whitacre Tower, Texas, United States, the company is the largest provider of fixed telephony as well as mobile services. Additionally, the company provides IP-based communication services to US companies making it to enjoy high revenue. To ensure that businesses across the US emulate effective communication among themselves and with their customers, AT&T under the leadership of Randall Stephenson the CEO, provides a 4G network that covers more than 280 million people across major cities. One of the major factors that have made the company to attain a competitive advantage over its competitors in the US telecommunication industry is the extensive use of the technology. For example, the company has initiated AT&T U-verse a high technology TV that has wide range of features and capabilities making it a dream product for US residents and other foreign customers. With an operating income of more than US$ 16.309Â  billion and total assets worth US$ 270.344Â  billion, AT&T Company has the ability to enter Morocco market. Although it is new company in the market, it foreign domestic investment strategies will play a significant role in facing off challenges that might occur in the new market. Challenges and advantages of AT&T entry of Morocco market One of the major challenges that the company will face in the new market is lack of adequate customers. It is worth to note that most of the Morocco citizens are already loyal towards Maroc Telecom, the major telecommunication company i n Morocco. This implies that AT&T will need to undertake extensive marketing to attract the attention of customers. Being a new company from a foreign country, majority of the telephone users may hesitate to switch to new operator since they are not aware of its benefits or intention. Another challenge that the company will face is stiff competition. Even though AT&T is well established in US, Maroc Telecom is equally recognized as a valuable company in Morocco. In this way, Maroc has acquired a wide market that has made it to acquire a competitive edge in the country (Timmons, 1994). An additional challenge is the political factors. Even though its entry in the new market has a long term impact on the Morocco economy in terms of creating employment and reducing poverty, the government may hesitate to support its operation in its effort to protect domestic companies. Despite the various challenges that AT&T will face in the new market, the company is financially strong. This implies that it has adequate resources at its disposal to enter the new market. For example, the company can employ skilled employees from its competitors by giving them high salaries and more benefits. In the same way, AT&T can lower its prices to a level that customers will start moving away from the domestic companies to adopt AT&T services. Based on its product diversification and large sales in the US market, lowering of the initial prices will not have a significant impact

Learning theories Essay Example for Free

Learning theories Essay Primary research consists of the collection of original primary data. It is often undertaken after the researcher has gained some insight into the issue by reviewing secondary research or by analyzing previously collected primary data. It can be accomplished through various methods, including questionnaires and telephone interviews in market research, or experiments and direct observations in the physical sciences, amongst others. Secondary Research: Secondary research (also known as desk research) involves the summary, collation and/or synthesis of existing research rather than primary research, where data is collected from, for example, research subjects or experiments. The term is widely used in medical research and in market research. The principal methodology in medical secondary research is the systematic review, commonly using meta-analytic statistical techniques, although other methods of synthesis, like realist reviews and meta-narrative[2] reviews, have been developed in recent years. Such secondary research uses the primary research of others typically in the form of research publications and reports. In a market research context, secondary research is taken to include the re-use by a second party of any data collected by a first party or parties. In archaeology and landscape history, desk research is contrasted with fieldwork. Primary Research Vs Secondary Research One of the major differences between the two is that primary research is conducted with the help of primary sources available where as secondary research is conducted on the basis of some data collected from someone who had got it from the sources. Primary research is expensive to conduct since it involves primary sources. But secondary research is not much expensive as primary. Another major difference between the two is that primary research is much more time consuming as compared to secondary research. As a matter of fact the results found by the primary research are usually to have better quality than those from the conduct of the secondary research. Primary research is also usually detailed and elaborated since it is supposed to be both qualitative as well as quantitative. On the other hand data pertaining to secondary research is usually not much detailed and elaborated since it involves indirect uses. Primary research is done with a lot of hard work and dedication. On the hand secondary research is usually presented with a number of data and records. These are usually taken from books, periodicals published by governmental organizations, statistical data, annual reports and case study ORGANIZATION BEHAVIOUR. Organizational behavior is a field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups and structures have on behavior within an organization for the purpose of applying such knowledge towards improving an organizations effectiveness. It is an interdisciplinary field that includes sociology, psychology, communication, and management; and it complements the academic studies of organizational theory (which is focused on organizational and intra-organizational topics) and human resource studies (which is more applied and business-oriented). It may also be referred to as organizational studies or organizational science. The field has its roots in industrial and organizational psychology. 1 Organizational studies encompass the study of organizations from multiple viewpoints, methods, and levels of analysis. For instance, one textbook divides these multiple viewpoints into three perspectives: modern, symbolic, and postmodern. Another traditional distinction, present especially in  American academia, is between the study of micro organizational behaviour — which refers to individual and group dynamics in an organizational setting — and macro strategic management and organizational theory which studies whole organizations and industries, how they adapt, and the strategies, structures and contingencies that guide them. To this distinction, some scholars have added an interest in meso scale structures power, culture, and the networks of individuals and i. e. ronit units in organizations — and field level analysis which study how whole populations of organizations interact. Whenever people interact in organizations, many factors come into play. Modern organizational studies attempt to understand and model these factors. Like all modernist social sciences, organizational studies seek to control, predict, and explain. There is some controversy over the ethics of controlling workers behavior, as well as the manner in which workers are treated (see Taylors scientific management approach compared to the human relations movement of the 1940s). As such, organizational behaviour or OB (and its cousin, Industrial psychology) have at times been accused of being the scientific tool of the powerful. Those accusations notwithstanding, OB can play a major role in organizational development, enhancing organizational performance, as well as individual and group performance/satisfaction/commitment. One of the main goals of organizational theorists is, according to Simms (1994), to revitalize organizational theory and develop a better conceptualization of organizational life. † An organizational theorist should carefully consider levels assumptions being made in theory, and is concerned to help managers and administrators. 1. INTRODUCTION TO LEARNING. The process of learning has great value for enriching human life in all spheres of life. All activities and behaviors that make personal, social and economic life peaceful and pleasurable are learned. Learning definitely affects human behaviour in organizations. There is little organizational behaviour that is not either directly or indirectly affected by learning. For example, a workers skill, a managers attitude, a supervisors motivation and a secretarys mode of dress are all learned. Our ability to learn is also important to organizations preoccupied with controlled  performance. Employees have to know what they are to do, how they are to do it, how well they are expected to do it, and the consequences of achieving good or poor levels of performance. Thus, learning theories have influenced a range of organizational practices concerning: 1. The induction of new recruits 2. The design and delivery of job training 3. The design of payment systems- 4. How supervisors evaluate and provide feedback on employee performance 5. The design of forms of learning organization The concept of the learning organization became popular during the 1990s. The learning organization is a configuration of structures and policies which encourage individual learning, with individual and organizational benefits. The organization itself can also be regarded as an entity which is capable of learning independently of its members. Knowledge has thus become a more important asset for many organizations than materials and products. 1. 1 WHAT IS LEARNING Learning covers virtually all behaviors and is concerned with the acquisition of knowledge, attitudes and values, emotional responses (such as happiness and fear), and motor skills (such as operating a computer keyboard or riding a bicycle). We can learn incorrect facts or pick up bad habits in the same way that we learn correct facts and acquire good habits. It refers to a spectrum of changes that occur as a result of ones experience. Learning may be defined as any relatively permanent change in behaviour or behavioral potential produced by experience. It may be noted here that some behavioral changes take place due to the use of drugs, alcohol, or fatigue. Such changes are temporary. They are not considered learning. Therefore, changes are due to practice and experience, and relatively permanent, alone are illustrative of learning. In the definition given above, it is clear that the process of learning has certain distinctive characteristics. These are: First, learning always involves some kind of experience. These experiences may be derived from inside the body or they may be sensory, arising outside. The task of inferring whether or not learning has taken place may be an obvious one, but observable behaviour may not always reveal learning. It is important to distinguish between two types of learning. Procedural learning or knowing how, concerns your ability to carry out particular skilled actions such as riding a horse. Declarative learning or `knowing that, concerns your store of factual knowledge such as an understanding of the history of our use of the horse. Second, the behavioral changes that take place due to learning are relatively permanent. Behaviour can be changed temporarily by many other factors and in ways which we would not like to call learning. These other factors include growing up or maturation (in children), aging (in adults), drugs, alcohol and fatigue. For example, you must have noticed that whenever one takes a sedative or drug or alcohol, ones behaviour changes. Each one of these drugs affect physiological functions leading to certain changes in behaviour. Such changes are temporary in nature and disappear as the effect of drugs wears out. Third, learning cannot be observed directly. We can only observe a persons behaviour and draw the inference from it that learning has taken place. A distinction has to be made between learning and performance. Performance is evaluated by some quantitative and some qualitative measures of output. For example, the number of calls a sales representative makes to customers or the quality of a managers chairing of a committee meeting. But, learning acts as a constraint on the outcome. Normally, we cannot perform any better than we have learned, though there are occasions when the right motivational disposition and a supportive environment help to raise the level of performance. Researchers have found that increased motivation may improve our performance up to a point but, beyond this, increased motivation may cause a lowering of the level of performance. 2. PRECONDITIONS FOR LEARNING Two preconditions for learning will increase the success of those who are to participate in such programs: employee readiness and motivation. The condition known as employee readiness refers to both maturational and experiential factors in the employee’s background. Prospective employees should be screened to determine that they have the background knowledge or the skills necessary for learning what will be presented to them. Recognition of individual differences in readiness is as important in an organization as it is in any other learning situation. It is often desirable to group individuals according to their capacity to learn, as determined by scores from tests, or to provide a different or extended type of instruction for those who need it. The other precondition for learning is that the employee be properly motivated. That is, for optimum learning the employee must recognize the need for acquiring new information or for having new skills; and a desire to learn as learning progresses must be maintained. While people at work are motivated by certain common needs, they differ from one another in the relative importance of these needs at any given time. For example, new recruits often have an intense desire for advancement, and have established specific goals for career progression. Objectives that are clearly defined will produce increased motivation in the learning process when instructional objectives are related to individual needs. 3. SOME PREREQUISITES FOR LEARNING After employees have been placed in the learning situation, their readiness and motivation should be assessed further. In addition, facilitators should understand the basic learning issues discussed below. 3. 1 MEANINGFUL MATERIALS In accordance with adult learning theories, the material to be learned should be organized in as meaningful a manner as possible. It should be arranged so that each successive experience builds upon preceding ones so that the employee is able to integrate the experiences into a useable pattern of knowledge and skills. The material should have face validity. 3. 2 REINFORCEMENT Anything which strengthens the employee’s response is called reinforcement. It may be in the form of approval from the instructor or facilitator or the feeling of accomplishment that follows the performance; or it may simply be confirmation by a software program that the employee’s response was correct. It is generally most effective if it occurs immediately after a task has been performed. Behaviour modification, or a technique that operates on the principle that behaviour that is rewarded positively (reinforced) will be exhibited more frequently in the future, whereas behaviour that is penalized or unrewarded will decrease in frequency, is often used for such purposes 3. 3 TRANSFER OF KNOWLEDGE Unless what is learned in the development activity is applicable to what is required on the job, the effort will have been of little value. The ultimate effectiveness of learning, therefore, is to be found in the answer to the question: ‘To what extent does what is learned transfer to the job? ’ Helpful approaches include ensuring that conditions in the development program conform as closely as possible to those on the job, and coaching employees on the principles for applying to the job the behaviors which they have learned. Furthermore, once formal instruction has been completed, the supervisor must ensure that the work environment supports, reinforces and rewards the employee for applying the new skills or knowledge. 3. 4 KNOWLEDGE OF PROGRESS As an employee’s development progresses, motivation may be maintained and even increased by providing knowledge of progress. Progress, as determined by tests and other records, may be plotted on a chart, commonly referred to as a learning curve. Exhibit 8. 9 is an example of a learning curve that is common in the acquisition of many job skills. 4. PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING A. Distributed Learning: Another factor that determines the effectiveness of learning is the amount of time given to practice in one session. Should training or development be undertaken in five two-hour periods or in 10 one-hour periods? It has been found in most cases that spacing out the activities will result in more rapid learning and more permanent retention. This is the principle of distributed learning. Since the most efficient distribution will vary according to the type and complexity of the task to be learned, it is desirable to make reference to the rapidly growing body of research in this area when an answer is required for a specific learning situation. B. Whole v. Part Learning: Most jobs and tasks can be broken down into parts that lend themselves to further analysis. The analysis of the most effective manner for completing each part then provides a basis for giving specific instruction. Airline flight attendant jobs, for example, involve a combination of mechanistic (specific tasks that follow a prescribed routine), and organic (tasks that involve decision-making and individualized responses) duties, which are best learnt separately, and then combined to form the whole job responsibility. Thus, the prescribed takeoff and landing announcements, and formal safety procedures, are supplemented with separate learning activities about how to deal with difficult passengers or how to cope with food supply problems. In evaluating whole versus part learning, it is necessary to consider the nature of the task to be learned. If the task can be broken down successfully for part learning, it should probably be taught as a unit. C. Practice and Repetition: It is those things we do daily that become a part of our repertoire of skills. Employees need frequent opportunities to practice their job tasks in the manner in which they will ultimately be expected to perform them. The individual who is being taught to operate a machine should have an opportunity to practice on it. Similarly, the supervisor who is being taught how to train should have supervised practice in training D. Multiple Sense Learning: It has long been acknowledged that the use of multiple senses increases learning. Smith and Delahaye state that about 80 per cent of what a person perceives is obtained visually, 11 per cent by hearing and 9 per cent by the other senses combined. It follows that in order to maximize learning, multiple senses of the employees, particularly sight and hearing, should be engaged. Visual aids are therefore emphasized as being important to the learning and development activities. 5. THEORIES OF LEARNING OR APPROCHES TO LEARNING 1. BEHAVIORLIST APPROACH Behaviorism, as a learning theory, can be traced back to Aristotle, whose essay â€Å"Memory† focused on association being made between events such as lightning and thunder. Other philosophers that followed Aristotle’s thoughts are Hobbs (1650), Hume (1740), Brown (1820), Bain (1855) and Ebbinghause (1885) (Black, 1995). Pavlov, Watson, Thorndike and Skinner later developed the theory in more detail. Watson is the theorist credited with coining the term behaviorism. The school of adult learning theory that adopted these principles has become known as the school of behaviorism, which saw learning as a straightforward process of response to stimuli. The provision of a reward or reinforcement is believed to strengthen the response and therefore result in changes in behavior – the test, according to this school of thought, is as to whether learning had occurred. Spillane (2002) states, â€Å"the behaviorist perspective, associated with B. F. Skinner, holds that the mind at work cannot be observed, tested, or understood; thus, behaviorists are concerned with actions (behavior) as the sites of knowing, teaching, and learning†. The hypothesis behind behaviorlist learning theories is that all learning occurs when behavior is influenced and changed by external factors. Behavioralism disregards any notion that there may be an internal component to man’s learning. Grippin and Peters (1984) emphasize in regard to an individual’s subjugation to external stimulus as a determinant of response (i. e. , behavior). Contiguity is understood as the timing of events that is necessary to bring about behavioral change, while reinforcement refers to the probability that repeated positive or negative events will produce an anticipated change in behavior. 1. (A) Classical Conditioning (Pavlov) Classical conditioning is a reflexive or automatic type of learning in which a stimulus acquires the capacity to evoke a response that was originally evoked by another stimulus. Originators and Key Contributors: First described by Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936), Russian physiologist, in 1903, and studied in infants by John B. Watson (1878-1958). Several types of learning exist. The most basic form is associative learning, i. e. , making a new association between events in the environment. There are two forms of associative learning: classical conditioning (made famous by Ivan Pavlov’s experiments with dogs) and operant conditioning. Pavlov’s Dogs In the early twentieth century, Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov did Nobel prize-winning work on digestion. While studying the role of saliva in dogs’ digestive processes, he stumbled upon a phenomenon he labeled â€Å"psychic reflexes. † While an accidental discovery, he had the foresight to see the importance of it. Pavlov’s dogs, restrained in an experimental chamber, were presented with meat powder and they had their saliva collected via a surgically implanted tube in their saliva glands. Over time, he noticed that his dogs who begin salivation before the meat powder was even presented, whether it was by the presence of the handler or merely by a clicking noise produced by the device that distributed the meat powder. Fascinated by this finding, Pavlov paired the meat powder with various stimuli such as the ringing of a bell. After the meat powder and bell (auditory stimulus) were presented together several times, the bell was used alone. Pavlov’s dogs, as predicted, responded by salivating to the sound of the bell (without the food). The bell began as a neutral stimulus (i. e. the bell itself did not produce the dogs’ salivation). However, by pairing the bell with the stimulus that did produce the salivation response, the bell was able to acquire the ability to trigger the salivation response. Pavlov therefore demonstrated how stimulus-response bonds (which some consider as the basic building blocks of learning) are formed. He dedicated much of the rest of his career further exploring this finding. In technical terms, the meat powder is considered an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) and the dog’s salivation is the unconditioned response (UCR). The bell is a neutral stimulus until the dog learns to associate the bell with food. Then the bell becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS) which produces the conditioned response (CR) of salivation after repeated pairings between the bell and food. John B. Watson: Early Classical Conditioning with Humans John B. Watson further extended Pavlov’s work and applied it to human beings. In 1921, Watson studied Albert, an 11 month old infant child. The goal of the study was to condition Albert to become afraid of a white rat by pairing the white rat with a very loud, jarring noise (UCS). At first, Albert showed no sign of fear when he was presented with rats, but once the rat was repeatedly paired with the loud noise (UCS), Albert developed a fear of rats. It could be said that the loud noise (UCS) induced fear (UCR). The implications of Watson’s experiment suggested that classical conditioning could cause some phobias in humans. 1. (B) GOMS Model (Card, Moran, Newell) The GOMS Model is a human information processing model that predicts what skilled users will do in seemingly unpredictable situations. Originators and proponents: Card, Moran and Newell in 1983; Bonnie John et al. This model is the general term for a family of human information processing techniques that attempt to model and predict user behavior. Typically used by software designers, a person’s behavior is analyzed in terms of four components: Goals – something that the person wants to accomplish. Can be high level to low level. Operators – basic perceptual, cognitive, or motor actions used to accomplish goals, or actions that the software allows user to make. Methods – procedures (sequences) of sub-goals and operators that can accomplish a goal Selection rules – personal rules users follow in deciding what method to use in a circumstance 1. (C) Operant Conditioning (Skinner) A behaviorist theory based on the fundamental idea that behaviors that are reinforced will tend to continue, while behaviors that are punished will eventually end. Originators and Key Contributors: B. F. Skinner, built upon Ivan Pavlov’s theories of classical conditioning. Operant conditioning can be described as a process that attempts to modify behavior through the use of positive and negative reinforcement. Through operant conditioning, an individual makes an association between a particular behavior and a consequence. Example 1: Parents rewarding a child’s excellent grades with candy or some other prize. Example 2: A schoolteacher awards points to those students who are the most calm and well-behaved. Students eventually realize that when they voluntarily become quieter and better behaved, that they earn more points. Example 3: A form of reinforcement (such as food) is given to an animal every time the animal (for example, a hungry lion) presses a lever. The term â€Å"operant conditioning† originated by the behaviorist B. F. Skinner, who believed that one should focus on the external, observable causes of behavior (rather than try to unpack the internal thoughts and motivations) Reinforcement comes in two forms: positive and negative. Positive and negative reinforces Positive reinforces are favorable events or outcomes that are given to the individual after the desired behavior. This may come in the form of praise, rewards, etc. Negative reinforces typically are characterized by the removal of an undesired or unpleasant outcome after the desired behavior. A response is strengthened as something considered negative is removed. The goal in both of these cases of reinforcement is for the behavior to increase. Positive and negative punishment Punishment, in contrast, is when the increase of something undesirable attempts to cause a decrease in the behavior that follows. Positive punishment is when unfavorable events or outcomes are given in order to weaken the response that follows. Negative punishment is characterized by when a favorable event or outcome is removed after a undesired behavior occurs. The goal in both of these cases of punishment is for a behavior to decrease. What is the difference between operant conditioning and classical conditioning? In operant conditioning, a voluntary response is then followed by a reinforcing stimulus. In this way, the voluntary response (e. g. studying for an exam) is more likely to be done by the individual. In contrast, classical conditioning is when a stimulus automatically triggers an involuntary response. 1. (D) Socialist Learning Theory (Bandura). Bandura’s Social Learning Theory posits that people learn from one another, via observation, imitation, and modeling. The theory has often been called a bridge between behaviorist and cognitive learning theories because it encompasses attention, memory, and motivation. Originator: Albert Bandura People learn through observing others’ behavior, attitudes, and outcomes of those behaviors. â€Å"Most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling: from observing others, one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action. † (Bandura). Social learning theory explains human behavior in terms of continuous reciprocal interaction between cognitive, behavioral, and environmental influences. Necessary conditions for effective modeling: 1. Attention — various factors increase or decrease the amount of attention paid. Includes distinctiveness, affective valence, prevalence, complexity, functional value. One’s characteristics (e. g. sensory capacities, arousal level, perceptual set, past reinforcement) affect attention. 2. Retention — remembering what you paid attention to. Includes symbolic coding, mental images, cognitive organization, symbolic rehearsal, motor rehearsal 3. Reproduction — reproducing the image. Including physical capabilities, and self-observation of reproduction. 4. Motivation — having a good reason to imitate. Includes motives such asA past (i. e. traditional behaviorism), promised (imagined incentives) and vicarious (seeing and recalling the reinforced model) Bandura believed in â€Å"reciprocal determinism†, that is, the world and a person’s behavior cause each other, while behaviorism essentially states that one’s environment causes one’s behavior, Bandura,who was studying adolescent aggression, found this too simplistic, and so in addition he suggested that behavior causes environment as well. Later, Bandura soon considered personality as an interaction between three components: the environment, behavior, and one’s psychological processes (one’s ability to entertain images in minds and language). 2. CONSTURCTIVIST Constructivism is a synthesis of multiple theories diffused into one form. It is the assimilation of both behaviorialist and cognitive ideals. The â€Å"constructivist stance maintains that learning is a process of constructing meaning; it is how people make sense of their experience†. This is a combination effect of using a person’s cognitive abilities and insight to understand their environment. This coincides especially well with current adult learning theory. This concept is easily translated into a self-directed learning style, where the individual has the ability to take in all the information and the environment of a problem and learn. Constructivism as a paradigm or worldview posits that learning is an active, constructive process. The learner is an information constructor. People actively construct or create their own subjective representations of objective reality. New information is linked to prior knowledge, thus mental representations are subjective. Originators and important contributors: Vygotsky, Piaget, Dewey, Vico, Rorty, Bruner Constructivism A reaction to didactic approaches such as behaviorism and programmed instruction, constructivism states that learning is an active, contextualized process of constructing knowledge rather than acquiring it. Knowledge is constructed based on personal experiences and hypotheses of the environment. Learners continuously test these hypotheses through social negotiation. Each person has a different interpretation and construction of knowledge process. The learner is not a blank slate (tabula rasa) but brings past experiences and cultural factors to a situation. Vygotsky’s theory is one of the foundations of constructivism. It asserts three major themes: Major themes: 1. Social interaction plays a fundamental role in the process of cognitive development. In contrast to Jean Piaget’s understanding of child development (in which development necessarily precedes learning), Vygotsky felt social learning precedes development. He states: â€Å"Every function in the child’s cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later, on the individual level; first, between people (inter-psychological) and then inside the child (intra-psychological). † 2. The More Knowledgeable Other (MKO). The MKO refers to anyone who has a better understanding or a higher ability level than the learner, with respect to a particular task, process, or concept. The MKO is normally thought of as being a teacher, coach, or older adult, but the MKO could also be peers, a younger person, or even computers. 3. The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). The ZPD is the distance between a student’s ability to perform a task under adult guidance and/or with peer collaboration and the student’s ability solving the problem independently. According to Vygotsky, learning occurred in this zone. Vygotsky focused on the connections between people and the sociocultural context in which they act and interact in shared experiences (Crawford, 1996). According to Vygotsky, humans use tools that develop from a culture, such as speech and writing, to mediate their social environments. Initially children develop these tools to serve solely as social functions, ways to communicate needs. Vygotsky believed that the internalization of these tools led to higher thinking skills. 3. COGNITIVISM The cognitivist paradigm essentially argues that the â€Å"black box† of the mind should be opened and understood. The learner is viewed as an information processor (like a computer). Originators and important contributors: Merrill -Component Display Theory (CDT), Reigeluth (Elaboration Theory), Gagne, Briggs, Wager, Bruner (moving toward cognitive constructivism), Schank (scripts), Scandura (structural learning) The cognitivist revolution replaced behaviorism in 1960s as the dominant paradigm. Cognitivism focuses on the inner mental activities – opening the â€Å"black box† of the human mind is valuable and necessary for understanding how people learn. Mental processes such as thinking, memory, knowing, and problem-solving need to be explored. Knowledge can be seen as schema or symbolic mental constructions. Learning is defined as change in a learner’s schemata. A response to behaviorism, people are not â€Å"programmed animals† that merely respond to environmental stimuli; people are rational beings that require active participation in order to learn, and whose actions are a consequence of thinking. Changes in behavior are observed, but only as an indication of what is occurring in the learner’s head. Cognitivism uses the metaphor of the mind as computer: information comes in, is being processed, and leads to certain outcomes. 3. 1 GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY Gestalt psychology or gestaltism (German: Gestalt – essence or shape of an entitys complete form) is a theory of mind and brain of the Berlin School; the operational principle of gestalt psychology is that the brain is holistic, parallel, and analog, with self-organizing tendencies.

Organisation analysis

Organisation analysis INTRODUCTION I personally feel that I already possessed some basic knowledge required in analysing and gathering information about an organisation. In the past while I was preparing myself for the campus recruitment programmes during my bachelors, I did a similar kind of research in order to get an idea beforehand about the companies and their market values that I was applying for. What I liked the most about this module is that in the initial three weeks we were just taught about the various principles and frameworks that underlie in analysing an organisation and its only in the last couple of weeks that we were provided with hands on experience in implementing the learnt techniques. LESSONS LEARNED I really felt it new and great to interact with the employees while conducting the surveys among them. In the later part when we were not granted the permission to conduct the surveys, I founded it pretty difficult but learnt quite a lot about the issues that are faced while conducting them under the shades. Though the questionnaires were straight forward and the employees did not have much difficulty in filling them, the major setback was with the interviews that I had with some of them. I had to reframe almost all of our questions in such a way that it does not eats up much of the employees time and also to make it easy for them to come out with specific answers. STAGES OF ANALYSIS Our group was assigned with the Warwick Food and Drink Department for our analysis. The Food and Drink department was found to be offering many services like the cafes, restaurants, bars and food deliveries across the university. Hence we figured out that we need to put in a lot of effort and time in order to furnish our findings. As instructed by our course coordinator we choose a member of our team as the group representative, who was responsible for interacting with the manager. The very first day we begin our analysis, we decided and made our group representative to mail and book an appointment with the manager of that department. Luckily to our surprise, we got an early appointment for the meeting from the manager. Since time was lacking for us to analyse about each and every service offered by the department, we all brainstormed and decided on some of the major and bigger services to analyse. Initially many of my team members decided to conduct their analyses on services that catered to only to a small amount of people owing to the lack of time, but later I somehow struggled and convinced them to opt in for some of the bigger service areas. I was of the notion that by understanding the work structure in these bigger service areas, we could get a clear view of the organisation as a whole. We then framed the questions that we were to ask the manager during the interview. Many of us came up with different kind of questions and after much aberration we zeroed on some of the basic questions. Again in this phase I faced quite some difficulties in convincing my team members. Though there are many instances one of t hem being the question about the Safety Measures that are being undertaken in the department. Since our analysis was about the Food and Drinks, I felt the need to consider about the safety measures being taken in order to guarantee the quality of food that are served to the customers, whereas my team members felt that it is awkward to shoot this question to the manager of that department. Though many were not happy I somehow convinced my group representative to incorporate it to the list of other questions. But later to everyones surprise, it was for this question that the manager gave utmost importance and also spent quite a lot of time on answering it. Though when compared to the other groups we got an early appointment from the manager and also had an interview with her, we could not extort as much of the needed information from it. But we figured out that motivation was ought to be an important factor that was missing in that department, which in turn led us to understand deeper into the facts that the grading system and feedback from the managers about the performance of their employees were also lacking. Owing to our lack of time, we took motivation as the preceding factor and decided to dig out as much information we could from it. We framed some more questions based on motivation and tried to schedule another interview with the manager, but our appointment was refused. Later we prepared a questionnaire (owing to the fact that their workplaces were busy always) containing questions about the employees motivation, their job satisfaction, etc. and we decided to hand it over to just a minimal number of employees in each of the services on which we were concentrating our analysis. Again when we tried to get permission from the manager to give out these questionnaires, she readily disagreed to it. Hence we almost felt like we were totally lost in the middle of nowhere. Later we decided to conduct the interviews and give out the questionnaires to some of the employees, whom we personally knew. Though what we did was out of the rules since the manager did not wanted and did not knew about this, we had no other options left. Since we were mainly concentrating on the factors like the motivation, grading system, feedback and the performance evaluation, our interviews and the questionnaires were narrowed down onto these fields and I almost succeeded in extracting the required information from the 8 surveys that I conducted. After completing the surveys our entire group sat together and brainstormed about the answers that we obtained. After much aberration we zeroed down on some of the common issues that needed to be taken care of in the department, which we made sure came up in line with those factors that we planned to consider after our initial interview with the manager. Though I planned to address the issues like leadership and teamwork persisting in the department, it could not be done owing to the lack of co-operation from the upper management. THEORIES INVOLVED I made use of the Maslows Hierarchy of Needs in order to depict the various and basic needs of the employees. To my surprise its only the full time employees who were satisfying their whole range of needs whereas the part time employees were concerned only about their basic needs. From my analysis I figured out that it was mainly owing to the current recession that the employees were tending to ignore their higher level needs. We also made use of the Adams Equity Theory and McClellands Acquired Needs Theory in order to understand and relate the issues about the employees workplaces and the relationship among their co-workers, from the data we acquired from them. After disseminating as much of the acquired information among our team members, we headed our way to prepare for the presentation and the final report. Since the report was just a one page document, it is the presentation which made us to put in some extra efforts. We decided to showcase in the presentation, the exact information or to be more specific the exact wordings which we obtained from the employees during our interview with them. AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT If I were to undergo the whole life cycle and come out with a much more efficient analysis strategy, then I would take care of the following issues. Firstly, I would try getting as much information as possible from my initial interview with the manager. Since in the beginning we were of the notion that we would have at least 2-3 meetings with the manager, we shelved some of the questions for our later interviews which owing to our bad luck did not happen. So it is always better to get all the required data at that instant rather than waiting for chances. Secondly, we were almost waiting about a week for a reply from the manager pertaining to our second meeting. Hence the next time instead of just waiting during that period I would straight away start conducting my surveys whenever possible. Since time is an important factor which we need to consider, I would take precise care of it. CONCLUSION The organisation analysis module gave me a wider view of what analysis is all about. I learnt that analysis is just about reporting our findings and not arriving at judgements for the same. It also gave me an edge on how to practically implement the models and frameworks in the real world scenarios. I personally feel that if a person is able to analyse something immense and external to him, would surely be able to analyse and learn about him to a great extent by incorporating the same techniques. Hence this module has not only aided me to grow professionally but also personally. REFERENCES 1. Carrell, M.R., Dittrich, J.E. (1978). Equity Theory: The Recent Literature, Methodological Considerations, and New Directions. 2. Maslow A.H. (1943). A Theory of Human Motivation, Psychological Review 3. McClelland, D. C. (1975). Power: The inner experience, New York: Irvington.

Easyjet S Response To Social Responsibility Needs

Easyjet S Response To Social Responsibility Needs The intended purpose of Our research papers is that they are used as models to assist in the preparation of Your own research papers. We neither endorse nor tolerate any form of plagiarism, whole or partial, and will not engage in any activity that facilitates cheating. Papers For You or its affiliates will NEVER sell a model paper to ANY student giving us ANY reason to believe that (s)he will submit our work, either in whole or part, for academic credit at any institution under their own name!!! PLAGIARISM IS A CRIME!!!! By purchasing research papers from Us you undertake not to pass off or submit (for any purpose whatsoever) all or any constituent part of the Paper commissioned by You, from Papers For You, as your own work or that of a third-party. 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Please have a look at the Suggested use of our papers If you quote from our paper you must reference the paper in the References or Bibliography section of your assignment, coursework or dissertation (according to the Harvard System of Referencing): Papers For You (year of the paper) Number of the paper and title of the paper, Available from http://www.papers4you.com [Accessed date] Papers 4 You.Com Introduction Since corporations have to draw on the community in which they operate for resources, they also have obligations to their multiple stakeholders, namely, those who get affected by corporate policies and practices who may affect the corporation in turn. This means that businesses dont just have financial accountability but also social and environmental responsibility (Aga, 2004; pg 13). Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a doctrine which means that a business, apart from making profits, has a responsibility towards the society and its people. Holme (2006) defines social responsibility as the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large. It is about achieving commercial success in ways that honor ethical values and respect people, communities and the natural environment (Aga, 2004; pg 13). The fundamental ide a of CSR is that business corporations have an obligation to work towards meeting the needs of a wider array of stakeholders (Clarkson, 1995; Waddock et al., 2002). More generally, CSR is a set of management practices that ensures the company maximizes the positive impacts of its operations on society or operating in a manner that meets and even exceeds the legal, ethical, commercial and public expectations that society has of business (BSR, 2001, cited in Jamali Mirshak, 2006 ; pg 251). Traditionally, it has been the governments which have assumed the responsibility of improving peoples living conditions but societal needs, now, have exceeded the capabilities of the governments to fulfill them. (Jamali Mirshak, 2006; pg 243) This has turned the spotlight to businesses to play a more responsible and societal role. CSR has really taken off in the last few years, so much so, that businesses seek to differentiate themselves through their CSR engagement. Good examples of that would be Tescos green marketing campaign, Nestle and Krafts fair trade coffee campaign, Experians (Credit Reference Agency) announcement of switching over to renewable energy and making its UK sites run on electricity from green sources. With the climate change issue taking front stage at global conferences, CSR has become a key strategic issue for the aviation industry. Low cost airliners in particular have faced the flak for polluting the environment; they are continuously being blamed by environmentalists for violating the emission norms and are held responsible for bringing about a climate change. Tony Pilcher (2007; pg 25), head of global business travel management at HSBC, pointed out that those who believe climate change is just a passing fad must change their attitude quickly. As a result of all this, economy carriers like easyJet are being driven to change their business process to contribute to tackling the issue of climate change. The study analyzes the proactive and reactive measures easyJet is taking or has taken to make air travel more efficient and environment friendly. Discussion and Analysis Views on socially responsible practices within the aviation sector range from one extreme to the other. Skeptics and other aviation experts believe that Social Responsibility tends to dilute business focus on growth and profitability. Proponents of CSR however believe that CSR gives the aviation businesses an opportunity to look beyond economic returns and take the wider social concerns into consideration. (Jackson and Nelson, 2004; Rudolph, 2005). At the core of the Social Responsibility debate is the idea that aviation industry should undergo a transition from a state of mere compliance to a mode of engagement, from harm minimization to value creation (Luetkenhorst, 2004; Novak, 1996). Major changes have taken place in the European airline industry during the last decade. Although the top players are still full-service carriers (FSC), LCCs like easyJet have achieved strong market positions in the last few years. easyJet, with 29mn passengers in 2005, is in the same league as FSCs like Lufthansa, Air France etc. easyJet was founded by entrepreneur Stelio Haji-Ioannou in 1995 and now operates in 218 routes in Europe, across 65 airports and 62 cities. (easy Jet Company Reports, 2006). Because of the shift in environmental spotlight to the low cost carriers and the aviation sector in general, airliners are being driven to take steps to manage and control the adverse affects on climate change. There has been a renewed focus on social responsibility (especially towards the environment). easyJet is in the process of tackling the issue in its own way. While some changes have been explicitly embarked upon by easyJet, other are embedded in its business model. easyJets business model make sure that some of the environmental benefits are inherently embedded in it. Some of the social and environmental benefits of its business model are discussed below Traditional carriers normally work on a hub and spoke system where passengers have to take two or more flights to get to their destination. EasyJet provides direct short-haul point-to-point services without any connecting services between two locations. This helps cutting down on emissions automatically. Since 2000, easyJets CO2 emissions per passenger per kilometre has reduced by 18%. (easyJet Corporate and Social Responsibility Report, 2007) Another aspect of easyJets business model is to use smaller and less congested airports to avoid high congestion charges and landing fees. Larger airports tend to require aircraft to fly longer holding patterns and longer taxi times to and from the runway leading to higher fuel emissions (easyJet Plc, Annual Report and Accounts, 2006). EasyJet, therefore, has comparably lower emissions as compared to full scale carriers. Waste minimization Easy Jets distribution is purely internet based. The virtue of being a ticket less airline helps minimize waste in the form of paper documents. On board waste is reduced by not offering free food service. Emission per passenger EasyJet claims to have more spacious and bigger aircrafts than other low cost carriers. Eg. The typical seating configuration of an Airbus A319 is 124 seats (source: Airbus). easyJets no-frills service allows them to reduce the space and weight inside the plane devoted to galleys, lavatories and storage. Their Airbus A319s fly with 156 seats which mean they typically carry more passengers per flight thereby reducing emissions per passenger. Each of easyJets A319s carries 26% more seats than the norm and carries up to 57% more passengers per flight than the European norm meaning that the typical European airline operating an Airbus A319 would burn 27% more fuel per passenger. (easyJet Plc, Annual Report and Accounts, 2006). Efficient on the ground easyJets business model is centered on high aircraft utilization which tends to minimize the turnaround time. It makes minimal use of ground equipment, has shorter dwelling time on the ramp and keeps surface journey to a minimum. All this seems to minimize waste and have minimal adverse affect on the environment. Apart from the social benefits, easyJet draws from its business model; it is also taking major steps in becoming a more socially responsible organization. As an employer, it is committed to play a leading role in the future environmental performance of the aviation industry. The steps that it has taken so far include: Changing its business model in wake of rising environmental concerns. Up till now, its business model centered on cost reduction. easyJet is now planning to embark on an advertising strategy focusing on social responsibility. With its latest campaign, it will try to differentiate itself against other carriers through its environment friendly activities. It is repositioning itself to give it a new image and has planned a major shift in its advertising strategy away from price-driven offers to promoting its green credentials through its new campaign highlighting its efficiency in reducing carbon emissions. Reforming of the air traffic system to reduce congestion. Technological up gradation of aircrafts. easyJet is working to reduce emission per aircraft through new generation aircrafts. It is actively engaging with airframe and engine manufacturers on the application of new technologies for the next generation of short-haul aircraft. Its Chief Executive Andy Harrison points out that in 2006, easyJet removed 22 older aircraft at a cost of over  £275 million as part of their drive for efficiency and in the coming four years they plan to buy 100 brand-new Airbus A319s to lead the Green growth in the aviation sector. (easyJet Corporate and Social Responsibility Report 2007) Giving customers the most comprehensive range of environmental information available for travel to a particular destination, and helping them to offset the carbon emissions of their flight. (easyJet corporate and social responsibility Report, 2007) Paying renewed attention to cleanliness of aircrafts for waste minimization and adding more efficiency to its recycling and waste disposal system Leading the way in shaping a greener future for aviation with its campaign for inclusion of aviation in the European Unions Emissions Trading Scheme and EUs Single European Skies programme. It is forecasted that if the EUs Single European Skies programme gets implemented, it could lead to a 12% reduction in flying distances by reducing the patchwork of European traffic control centres. (easyJet Corporate and Social Responsibility Report 2007) Trying to make its fleet compliant to latest international noise and emission standards to tackle the issue of pollution and reduce CO2 emissions. For achieving this environmental efficiency, easyJet has established an environmental code to monitor progress towards its targets. It has a strategy of being environmental friendly both in the air and on the ground. It strives to do this with the help of technological up gradation as new technology aircrafts are more fuel efficient. Its policy is to grow its fleet using the latest technological aircraft, whilst retiring older aircraft usually within seven to ten years of delivery (easyJet Plc, Annual Report and Accounts, 2006). easyJets socially responsible activities also extend to its employees. It is committed to equality and diversity and is an equal opportunities employer. It also complies with age discrimination laws. Attitude and Motives There has been a debate over easyJets response to social responsibility. Friedman (1983) pointed out, Business of business is business, by which he meant that the only motive of a business is wealth creation. With easyJets social responsibility activities, it looks as if; it has taken up CSR activities because of wealth creation rather than social, ethical and environmental concerns. Theorists like Fisher and Lovell (2003) have debated whether organizations CSR activities reflect their genuine concern for the society or whether they embark on CSR activities for business growth and profitability. CSR is slowly becoming a niche segment in itself, which provides organizations with new business opportunities and new segment of customers to cater to. Researchers identify two types of CSR behavior. One, which adopt CSR practices purely because of business reasons and where ethics and the concern for stakeholders other than the promoters do not matter. The other kind is more responsible whe re profit maximization is subject to ethical restraints, appropriate discharge of the companys social responsibility, and a balanced concern for the needs of all the stakeholders, not just the promoters. It is very difficult to classify easyJets social responsibility activities. Conclusions While CSR movements have definitely picked up over the last few years, the motives behind easyJets CSR activities remains open to debate, as most companies like easyjet seem to embark on CSR activities more for business and profitability reasons rather than ethical and social reasons. As highlighted in the text, easyJet is using mainstream marketing to propagate their CSR practices to help redefine their brand image from a low cost carrier to a low-cost ethical carrier. This definitely has an impact on the consumers because the greatly increased profile of CSR activities in general suggests that the concept has a potential to attract environment friendly consumers who can also become a potential advocate for the brand. Organizations like easyJet might be highlighting their CSR operations to market their products but as Fisher Lovell (2003) point out, most organizations social responsibility efforts are little more than Public Relations campaigns designed to promote corporate brands by creating the appearance of being good corporate citizens. But, under the present environmental concerns, Easy Jet, as an organization, is doing what it is supposed to do; making money for the owners by obeying relevant environmental and social rules. While easyJet efforts in responding to environmental change efforts cannot be belittled, the motive behind the efforts still remains unclear. Whether easyJet sees social responsibility as a narrow conception entailing economic and legal responsibilities or a broader concept entailing a wider range of economic, legal, ethical, moral, and philanthropic responsibilities is unclear. References Aga, A (2004) Management Paradigms Beyond Profit Maximization, vol 29, no 3, p 13 Choueke,M (2006),EasyJet abandons price-led campaigns for green focus, Marketing Week (01419285), Vol. 29 Issue 45, p3-3, Clarkson, M (1995), A Stakeholder Framework For Analyzing and Evaluating Corporate Social Responsibility , The Academy of Management Review 20(1), 92- 118. easyJet: Annual Report and Accounts (2006) Corporate and Social responsibility Report http://www.easyjet.com/common/img/easyJet_CRS.pdf, Date accessed 01/06/2007 easyJet Corporate and Social Responsibility Report (2007) easyJet promises action on environmental-efficiency http://www.easier.com/view/Travel/Flights/easyJet/article-99999.html Date accessed 02/06/2007 Fisher, C. and Lovell, A. (2003) Business Ethics and Values,London, FT/Prentice Hall; Holme (2006) CSR- Introduction http://www.tutor2u.net/business/strategy/corporate-social-responsibility-introduction.html Date accessed 09/05/2007 Jackson, I. and J. Nelson (2004), Values-Driven Performance: Seven Strategies For Delivering Profits With Principles, Ivey Business Journal 69(2), 1-8. Jamali, D Mirshak, R (2005) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Theory and Practice in a Developing Country Context Journal of Business Ethics (2007) 72:243-262 Luetkenhorst, W, (2004), Corporate Social Responsibility and the Development Agenda_, Inter economics 39(3), 157-168. Pitcher, T (2007) ITM Conference, Climate Concerns us all, Travel Trade Gazette UK Ireland, Issue 2760, p25-25 Rudolph, P. Letters To The Editor (2005), An Adam Smith Look At Green Regulations, The Wall Street Journal June 6.

Okonkwo in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart Essay -- Things Fall

Okonkwo in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart  Ã‚  Ã‚   Okonkwo, as presented by Chinua Achebe in the novel Things Fall Apart, wished to be revered by all as a man of great wealth, power and control--the antithesis of his father. Okonkwo was driven by the need to exhibit utmost control over himself and others; he was an obsessive and insecure man. Okonkwo's father, Unoka, was "a failure," "a loafer," and "People laughed at him" (1426). This would bring great shame to any man as it did for Okonkwo. In Umuofia "a man is judged according to his worth and not according to the worth of his father" (1427). In Umuofia "achievement was revered." Okonkwo became obsessed with the need to prove to everyone that he, unlike his father, was a man worthy of respect. Okonkwo worked hard and in time his "prosperity showed in his household" (1429). Okonkwo had "a large compound," "three wives" (1429), "two barns full of yams" and "two titles" (1427). Okonkwo had become a wealthy and respectable man. Still he feared that all would fall apart if he were to allow any slight deviation, any sign of weakness. Weakness could be a slight disobedience of a wife, as happened during the "Week of Peace." Ojiugo was not home in time to prepare Okonkwo's meal and though it was "unheard of to beat someone during the sacred week" (1435), Okonkwo beat Ojiugo unmercifully. Likely, Okonkwo feared that others would view Ojiugo's indifference to her responsibilities as a sign of Okonkwo's inability to control his wife. Okonkwo was just as demanding upon his children and he wanted his "son to be a great farmer and a great man" (1437). Okonkwo would become overly angry if Nwoye made small mistakes while learning. When Nwoye and Ikemefuna were splitting yam... ...ch so that he chose "evil" and took his own life. Achebe, for the most part, does seem to follow the Western formula for tragedy and the tragic hero. Okonkwo, while not born into wealth or privilege, does become a wealthy and powerful man in Umuofia. Okonkwo is neither "good" nor "thoroughly evil" yet does possess a "tragic flaw" that leads to a series of tragic events. Okonkwo begins in poverty and rises to the height of wealth and prestige among his people. He is so obsessed with control, control at all costs, that he begins to make tragic mistakes: beating his wife during Peace Week, killing Ikemefuna, having to flee Umuofia, killing the messenger and then himself. This fits the criteria of "disregard of divine law and trying to escape his fate," as outlined in the study guide. Works Cited: Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Ballantine, 1969.

Mega Farms :: essays research papers

Mega Farms Effects On Water Water pollution has been an increasing problem over the last few years. Pollution itself is when a substance or energy is introduced into the soil, air, or water in a concentrate. Pollution comes in many forms; agricultural, urban runoff, industrial, sedimentary, animal wastes, and leeching from landfills/septic systems just to name a few. These pollutants are very detrimental to the environment. Whether they are alone or combined with another form of pollution they are very harmful. Over the last hundred years the problems with pollution have been increasing with time. This is due to both the increase in human population, and the increases in technology we have made as a society. If we plan on having our resources here for many years to come we are going to have to make some drastic changes in the way we treat the earth, and these changes will have to start with our pollutants. (Jones,1993,pp.4-15)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Agricultural pollution is a very big contributor to water pollution. Problems we see with agriculture are applications of fertilizers, insecticides, and pesticides. We have made vast improvements in the types of chemicals we are using, as to how environmentally friendly they are. In 1985 the amount of fertilizer added to America’s fields was 11.5 million tons. Not only do these chemicals leech in to the soil, but they are also swept off the soils by rain and wind. When these fertilizers reach the water there is a sudden boom in plant growth. When the plants die, bacteria that need oxygen to live eat their bodies. This starts to deplete the amount of oxygen in the water for other fish and animals to live and breath, and they end up dying. Besides the chemical contamination on the farm there are major problems with animal wastes. (Jones,1993,pp.39-60)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Over the last 30 or so years there has been an increased demand for food. Foods like pork, chicken, turkey, and beef. With the demand for meats, there is also an increased demand for grains to feed these animals. So more land is needed to grow the feed, less space is available for the feedlots. More and more of these feedlots have been popping up over the landscape. And the amounts of animals crammed into the small spaces are also increasing. There can be as few as 50 to as many as 7 million in a single confinement.