Saturday, August 31, 2019
Opposition to The New Deal Essay
The New Deal, itââ¬â¢s many Administrations and their policies were making major changes to American Industry and society. As a result of this, some people were quite unhappy and attempted to stall The New Deal. As time went on, FDRââ¬â¢s gained more and more power over the reformation of the American economy and businesses. People feared the amount of power FDR had and started questioning his intent. What really caused people to question Franklin D. Roosevelt was his attempt to ââ¬Å"fixâ⬠the Supreme Court. As the nine judges making up the court were mainly old and conservative, FDR believed they were too opinionated and too eager use their authority without considering the consequences. Therefore he decided it wise to request he appoint up to six new, open-minded judges. Some people saw this as FRD attempting to tamper with the constitution in order to give himself more power, and it scared them. It was mainly because of this reason that FDRââ¬â¢s request was turned down, but the judges certainly seemed to have got the point and from then on were a lot more careful. Republicans certainly disliked The New Deal and found it dangerous. Leading Republican, Frank Knox, summed up Republican views on The New Deal by saying ââ¬Å"The New Deal candidate has been leading us toward Moscowâ⬠. By this he meant that with Rooseveltââ¬â¢s increasing powers and his guidance and control over industry it seemed that he was slowly but surely verging towards communism. They also disliked Rooseveltââ¬â¢s industrial laws because they took power of the owners and benefited the workers with policies such as trade unions and social security. Some extreme opposition came from a self-educated man with a degree in law after only 8 months ââ¬â he was a ââ¬Å"shameless politician with no moralsâ⬠and he fought dirty. In order to get where he was he had fixed ballots by placing his own men at available posts in the state government, he had used blackmail and bribery to get votes. Sometimes opponents were as much as kidnapped on Longââ¬â¢s orders. Huey Long became US senate in 1930 and claimed that if he were to become president he would adopt the policy of confiscating any personal fortunes of over 3 million U.S dollars and giving $5000 to each and every less wealthy family. Long did not at any point explain how he would do this, but the idea of much needed money being given to them for nothing was jumped at by the poorer families, and Long gained a lot of support. Fortunately for FDR, Longââ¬â¢s career ended due to assassination before he was able to challenge him. So with certain aspects of luck, and a well-conducted New Deal, FRD managed to rescue America from its depression without any great hitches. There were careless flaws such as the move Roosevelt made trying to fix the SC without considering the consequences, but in the end all went to plan and opposition was only opposition, and not a threat to the New Deal.
Friday, August 30, 2019
Darden case study Essay
1. Using the full spectrum of segmentation variables, describe how Darden segments and targets the sit-down dining market. The types of segmentation include geographic, demographic, psychographic, and behavioral segmentation. For geographic segmentation, Darden has all of its Longhorn Steakhouse restaurants in the eastern half of the United States but they are trying to expand to the west coast. This is a great idea because out west is an untapped market with great potential for lots of earnings. Darden has a chance to redefine the image of steakhouses as is currently being done like the classiness that is being added to the brand. The customer traffic is increasing and Longhorn Steakhouse could potentially even overtake Outback Steakhouse as the premier steakhouse type of restaurant. For demographic segmentation, Red Lobster represents the opportunity Darden has to fill the gap between the young fast food concept and the upscale white-tablecloth restaurants. Red lobster is even making many changes to accommodate for the changing times around America which is causing sales to fall. With innovative concepts such as wood fired grilling resulting in a ââ¬Å"taste of wood-grilled seafoodâ⬠and investments in equipment and training, Darden is putting itself back in the spotlight to becoming recognized and respected. You can also never go wrong with fried shrimp so Red Lobster will always have that marketing card to play. The Psychographic segmentation is shown by how people want to feel positive emotions when they go out to restaurants such as the concept of a happy family and namely the mythical Italian family. Customers want to feel emotionally satisfied as much as they want to be physically satisfied by the food. Creating an authentic menu hits close to home because people get that warm and happy feeling when they see the authenticity. Even Olive Gardenââ¬â¢s commercial ââ¬Å"When youââ¬â¢re here, youââ¬â¢re familyâ⬠and slogan show the feelings of connection that Americans want to feel and would be willing to come in for. Behavioral segmentation is shown in how less frequently Americans want to sit down at restaurants to eat their meals. With all of our financial constraints we are choosing different and more cost effective ways to eat out and have a good time with the family. Darden needs to use more cost effective ways to lower the meal prices so that familyââ¬â¢s will once again be willing to eat out at a sit down restaurant on a regular basis.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Linguistics and Sociolinguistics Essay
It is dif? cult to see adequately the functions of language, because it is so deeply rooted in the whole of human behaviour that it may be suspected that there is little in the functional side of our conscious behaviour in which language does not play its part. Sapir (1933) Language is a complicated business. In everyday talk, we use the word ââ¬Ëlanguageââ¬â¢ in many different ways. It isnââ¬â¢t clear how ââ¬Ëlanguageââ¬â¢ should be de? ned or what the person on the street thinks it actually is! We talk about how miraculously a childââ¬â¢s ââ¬Ëlanguageââ¬â¢ is developing but how they make charming ââ¬Ëgrammar mistakesââ¬â¢, like me maden that instead of ââ¬ËI made thatââ¬â¢. Here, language is an ability that is blossoming in the child. But the word is used in a myriad of different ways. For example, people have strong views about how beautiful or how hideous the ââ¬Ëlanguageââ¬â¢ is of some region or country or age group; how it sounds to the ear. People say ââ¬ËI just adore Italian or an Irish accent. ââ¬â¢ They grimace or smile at teenager talk on television. Here ââ¬Ëlanguageââ¬â¢ is being judged aesthetically. By contrast, we remark that you canââ¬â¢t really appreciate a culture without knowing the ââ¬Ëlanguageââ¬â¢, as when we learn French or Japanese for that reason. Then pupils struggle with rules for tenses like the passe compose and imparfait or have to memorize genders and irregular verb conjugations, matters of grammar which seem a million miles from cuisine, ? lm, high tech or Zen Buddhism. ââ¬ËLanguageââ¬â¢ here equates with grammar. 1 Language and society Then, people relate the word ââ¬Ëlanguageââ¬â¢ to the expression of thoughts. They often say that they ââ¬Ëcanââ¬â¢t ? nd the wordsââ¬â¢ for their thoughts or express feelings. Or they are ââ¬Ëhunting for the right wordsââ¬â¢. Alternatively, we say that language is a means of communication. Politicians often use as an excuse the fact that their message ââ¬Ëjust isnââ¬â¢t getting acrossââ¬â¢ because the media distorts what they say. In negotiations or relationships, when communication fails, we say, ââ¬Ëthey just donââ¬â¢t speak the same languageââ¬â¢. In another sense, ââ¬Ëlanguageââ¬â¢ refers to a school subject. It makes sense to say that ââ¬Ëlittle Mary is behind in her Englishââ¬â¢, although youââ¬â¢d never know it when you hear her chatting with her friends. ââ¬ËLanguageââ¬â¢ is being viewed as a set of skills acquired in school. We are taught to write Standard English and spell correctly. At the same time, we use the term ââ¬Ëlanguageââ¬â¢ analogically, as a metaphor. We talk of such things as ââ¬Ëbody languageââ¬â¢, or the ââ¬Ëlanguagesââ¬â¢ of music, painting or dance. It is fairly clear that these various ordinary uses of the word refer to different aspects of language, and take different perspectives on the sort of thing language is. Or, alternatively, we have simply grouped together under the heading of ââ¬Ëlanguageââ¬â¢ a range of diverse phenomena which are only partially related to each other. In order to clarify our thoughts about language, letââ¬â¢s look at some of the ways language is viewed by linguists. We can then give a precise statement of the speci? cally sociolinguistic view of language, and contrast it to other views of language assumed in linguistics proper. The primary aim of all linguistic scholarship is to determine the properties of natural language, the features it has which distinguish it from any possible arti? cial language. This means that linguistics will be universalistic in its basic aims. It will examine individual natural languages in the course of constructing a theory of universal grammar that explains why the whole set of natural languages are the way they are. Natural languages, English, French and so on, are in fact the data for this theory of natural language. Arti? cial languages are of interest too since they can exhibit certain properties any language has, but they also have features that can sharply distinguish them from any naturally evolved language. Linguistics and sociolinguistics 3 We will look at some arti? cial languages to illustrate this. The linguist Noam Chomsky, in his in? uential book Syntactic Structures (1957), employed the following languages in the course of his arguments: (i) (ii) (iii) ab, aabb, aaabbb, . . . and all sentences of the same type. aa, bb, abba, baab, aaaa, bbbb, aabbaa, abbbba, . . . and all sentences of the same type. aa, bb, abab, baba, aaaa, bbbb, aabaab, abbabb, . . . and all sentences of the same type. Why would we want to call (i), (ii) or (iii) languages? The answer is that they have certain properties of any language. They have a vocabulary of symbols, in this case two letters of the alphabet ââ¬Ëaââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëbââ¬â¢. Also, they have a syntax. That is, each of the languages has speci? c rules for joining together their symbols to produce the sentences or strings of that language. If the rule of syntax is not followed, then the string or sentence produced is not a sentence of that language. Consider the syntactic rules of the three languages. In language (i) the rule seems to be that for each sentence, whatever the number of occurrences of the ? rst symbol, a, it is immediately followed by exactly the same number of occurrences of the second symbol, b. In language (ii), the rule is that, for each sentence, whatever the arrangement of a and b in the ? rst half of that sentence, then that arrangement is repeated in reverse in the second half of the same sentence. Iââ¬â¢ll leave the reader to work out the equally simple syntax of language (iii). Note that the output of the application of their respective syntactic rules to the symbols of these languages is an in? nite set of strings which are members of the language sharply distinguishable from another in? nite set of strings which are not members of the language. In brief, then, these arti? cial languages have vocabularies and syntactic rules for joining their symbols together. And, by following the rules of their syntax, an in? nite set of strings can be produced. Natural languages can also be considered in this way. Thus, English can be viewed as a set of strings. And this in? nite set is produced by the vocabulary and syntactic rules of English. If linguists can 4 Language and society construct a device, a grammar, which can specify the grammatical strings of English and separate them from the combinations of symbols which are not English, they have gone a considerable distance towards making explicit the syntactic properties of the language. And if the types of rule in that grammar are also necessary for the grammar of any natural language, then they might have discovered some of those universal properties of language which it is the aim of linguistics to discover. Chomsky, in fact, used languages (i), (ii) and (iii) to rule out a certain class of grammars as candidates for grammars of natural language. Of course, these arti? cial languages are also extremely unlike natural languages. One very noticeable difference is that the symbols and strings donââ¬â¢t bear any relation to the world. They have no senses or meanings, but are purely syntactic. The study of meaning and how it relates symbols to the world is called semantics. There are other arti? cial languages which have strings of symbols which are meaningful. An example is arithmetic. Consider ââ¬Ë2 + 2 = 4ââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ë3 ? 3 = 9ââ¬â¢. These formulae have a syntax and a semantics. And they are true, while ââ¬Ë2 + 2 = 5ââ¬â¢ is false. These are language-like properties. But there is also something very unlike natural language, the language spontaneously acquired by children, about these formulae. Nothing in the world (we feel) could ever make ââ¬Ë2 + 2 = 4ââ¬â¢ false, as long as the symbols themselves donââ¬â¢t change their meanings. The formulae appear to be analytic or ââ¬Ëalways true by de? nitionââ¬â¢. Contrast this with some sentences from natural language: 1. 2. 3. 4. Arthur is taller than Brenda. Brenda is taller than Tom. Doreen is taller than Brenda. Tom is shorter than X? We can use these sentences to make statements which are true or false, express our beliefs that each sentence designates a state of affairs in the actual world. These sentences are synthetic, true or false according to the facts. (Strictly speaking, it isnââ¬â¢t the sentences which are true or false, but the propositions which they express. A ââ¬Ësentenceââ¬â¢ may express many different ââ¬Ëpropositionsââ¬â¢. However, I will ignore the distinction in this book. ) We can capture a Linguistics and sociolinguistics 5 sentenceââ¬â¢s relation with the world by giving its truth conditions. These are precisely the possible worlds ââ¬â possible states of affairs ââ¬â in which it is true. For example, 1 is true in worlds where the individual designated by ââ¬ËArthurââ¬â¢ is a member of the class of individuals who are ââ¬Ëtaller than the individual designated by ââ¬Å"Brendaâ⬠ââ¬â¢; otherwise it is false. Similarly, if ââ¬ËDoreenââ¬â¢ is also a member of that class, then 3 would be true, otherwise false. Only if we know these truth conditions, can we use the sentences to state what we ourselves believe. Or understand what somebody else using the sentence is claiming to be the case. Intuitively, to know truth conditions is part of the ââ¬Ëmeaningââ¬â¢ of the sentences. But sentences also relate to each other. For example, if 1 is true, then Arthur is ââ¬Ëbiggerââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ëgreaterââ¬â¢ than Brenda with respect to her ââ¬Ëheightââ¬â¢ or her ââ¬Ëtallnessââ¬â¢. Synonymy is one example of sense or semantic relations. Such semantic properties constitute inferential relationships between the sentences. Another example. We know that, if both Doreen and Arthur ââ¬Ëare taller thanââ¬â¢ Brenda, and Brenda ââ¬Ëis taller thanââ¬â¢ Tom, then Doreen and Arthur ââ¬Ëare taller thanââ¬â¢ Tom. We donââ¬â¢t have to look at the world to know this fact. It is a result of a semantic property of the language; the ââ¬Ëtransitivityââ¬â¢ of the predicate ââ¬Ëtaller thanââ¬â¢. Similarly, ââ¬Ëis shorter thanââ¬â¢ in 4 bears a systematic semantic relation to its converse ââ¬Ëis taller thanââ¬â¢. Example 1 entails ââ¬ËBrenda is shorter than Arthurââ¬â¢. Entailments are inferences that depend on semantic relations. If one thinks about it, this web or network of sense relations seems to describe features of the very same possible worlds in which the sentences are true. Of course it would, wouldnââ¬â¢t it? This is because inferential relations between sentences are just those relations where the two sentences are both true! Hence, to specify sense relations is a way to partially describe the ââ¬Ëworldsââ¬â¢ of the truth conditions ââ¬â the ones in which the sentences are true. Hence it is a way of giving the ââ¬Ëmeaningââ¬â¢ of the sentences. So far, no social factors have been mentioned. How do social factors ? gure in the explanation of language? They donââ¬â¢t seem directly related to either syntax or semantics. We can begin a treatment of this question by mentioning a few social aspects of semantics. A fundamental factor in making both the arithmetic and natural language examples work is convention. In the ? rst case, of the 6 Language and society arithmetic symbols ââ¬Ë2ââ¬â¢, ââ¬Ë4ââ¬â¢ etc. , we have con? dence that when we use them, our addressee will understand that we intend to refer to sets of two and four, 2 and 4, etc. , respectively. This is an example of co-operative social co-ordination. It connects the sound [tu:] or the mark ââ¬Ë2ââ¬â¢ with any set of two things. It allows an English speaker to use the term with con? dence that their intention will be understood. The ââ¬Ësignââ¬â¢ and its ââ¬Ëobjectââ¬â¢ have a coded relationship. Similarly with the predicates ââ¬Ëis taller thanââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëis shorter thanââ¬â¢. They have a coded relation with the states of affairs they represent. It is important to note that any intrinsic properties that the signs ââ¬Ë2ââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ë4ââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ëtallââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ëshortââ¬â¢ might have do not explain the link with their objects. Any noise or mark could just as easily be chosen. This is the property of the arbitrariness of the linguistic sign. Signs and objects are arbitrarily linked, by convention. And this is a social phenomenon. From a different perspective, the connection of world and words isnââ¬â¢t arbitrary, though it is equally social. Consider the web of inferential relations sketched above. The semantic structure of language describes the possible worlds in which sentences are true. Now to even establish this structure it is necessary for us to use the signs to express belief, what we take as actually true, to coordinate ââ¬Ëtaller thanââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëshorter thanââ¬â¢ with the world as we take it to be. In essence, semantics de? nes possible states of the world based on our beliefs. Truth has to do with ââ¬Ësenses i. e. the inferential netââ¬â¢, the relation of ââ¬Ëwords and worldââ¬â¢, and ââ¬Ëour beliefsââ¬â¢. Without the ââ¬Ëpossibly trueââ¬â¢ world set given through meanings, we couldnââ¬â¢t inquire, because we couldnââ¬â¢t think hypothetically. Without the inferential relations, we couldnââ¬â¢t reliably think out the consequences of our hypotheses to test them and thus be right or wrong in our beliefs, assent or dissent in the light of experience. Thus, crucially, the semantic structure of a language is the very resource necessary for humanity to form any empirical theory of the world and use language to inquire ââ¬â to ? x belief and hence deal with everyday experience, be able to live. That the set of sentences can form a coherent theory can be seen by the fact that, if you believe that 1ââ¬â3 are true, then you can give a true answer to 4, without further looking at the world. Tom must be the ââ¬Ëshortest one of allââ¬â¢ in this particular universe of discourse. There is no doubt Linguistics and sociolinguistics 7à that the process of inquiry is social. We have to co-ordinate our beliefs and inferences for language to work. Are there other properties of natural language which require social explanation? The answer is, ââ¬ËYes, there are many such properties. ââ¬â¢ Next we will look at one of the most de? nitive social properties of language. This property is called variability. Consider the English word ââ¬Ëbutterââ¬â¢. On the levels of syntax, vocabulary and semantics, it is a single English item; a mass noun which means something like an edible, yellow, dairy product used in cooking and as a spread. Yet although it is one item, if I asked you to describe its pronunciation in English, you would not be able to give a single answer: there are various phonetic realizations of ââ¬Ëbutterââ¬â¢. In British English Received Pronunciation the t is made by putting the tongue tip on the ridge behind the teeth, and releasing the air in a small explosion without vibration of the vocal chords. The r, however, is not pronounced, although it is present in the written form. Instead, a vowel sound, schwa (phonetically transcribed as e) follows the t. The schwa is the same sound that is normally ? nal in the word sofa. Thus, the RP speaker and many other British English speakers say [bvte]. In Canadian and American accents there is a rule that when explosive sounds like t are made between two vowels, the vibration of the vocal chords, called voice, continues through the whole sequence. This has the effect of turning the [t], which is voiceless, into [d], which is its voiced counterpart. Thus, a Canadian saying ââ¬Ëbutterââ¬â¢ in fact pronounces it as if it were ââ¬Ëbudderââ¬â¢. However, Canadians and many of their American neighbours also have r-full accents (as do the Scots and Irish). This means that, unlike the RP British English speaker, they pronounce the written r in butter, giving us the ? nal form [bvter ]. In many British English accents there is yet another variation in the pronunciation of t in this environment. The vocal chords themselves are closed tightly and then released abruptly, giving the impression that t is missing. In fact, the gap is ? lled by a socalled glottal stop, symbolized by ?. So ââ¬Ëbutterââ¬â¢ is pronounced [bv? e]. Such a pronunciation would typify London working-class speech, familiar to North Americans as a Cockney accent from ? lms like My Fair Lady. 8 Language and society This ? lm, from George Bernard Shawââ¬â¢s Pygmalion, introduces another feature of the variability we have been describing. For Professor Higgins (modelled by Shaw on the famous phonetician, Henry Sweet) to take such pains to train Eliza Doolittle to pronounce words like ââ¬Ëbutterââ¬â¢ as [bvte], as opposed to [bv? e], indicates that the variation must mean something. There is no conceptual difference in the word-meaning itself. The meaning difference of the variation is socially signi? cant and relates to those groups in a social structure who typically use one form rather than another. Such social meanings of variants can be further illustrated by looking at two other versions of ââ¬Ëbutterââ¬â¢. In the West Country of England there are some local accents which, like Canadian and some American accents, are r-full. Speakers would typically pronounce the r in ââ¬Ëbutterââ¬â¢. And this can be combined with the use of the glottal stop to give the form [bv? er ]. On British television an advertisement promoting butter used this regional form, presumably because it had a social meaning to British audiences suggestive of honest West Country farmers genuinely in touch with real, non-synthetic cows. In New York City a working-class accent will, in casual speech, be largely r-less like the British RP. But this would be combined with the voicing of the written ââ¬Ëtââ¬â¢ between vowels giving the form [bvde]. Followers of the 1970s Kojak detective series on television will recognize this form. Imagine, however, the different social meaning that would be conveyed if Lieutenant Kojak pronounced the word [bvder ] as might an upper-middle-class New Yorker, or [bvte] as might an upper-middle-class Englishman. It would not be the impression of the ââ¬Ëtough New York copââ¬â¢. The diagram opposite gives a summary of the various ways ââ¬Ëbutterââ¬â¢ can be pronounced which we have looked at. The actual situation is far more complex and interesting than I have indicated, but we will be studying this in more detail later in the book. The purpose here is to merely illustrate the property of variability which natural languages possess. It is clear that this property requires social explanation. This is in contrast with the arbitrary property of language mentioned earlier. In characterizing the variant forms of ââ¬Ëbutterââ¬â¢, I needed to make reference to the geographical location in which the form
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Primark faces inquiry over use of illegal labour 'Research proposal' Essay
Primark faces inquiry over use of illegal labour 'Research proposal' - Essay Example This increased awareness of the consumer in terms of ethics and its impact on buyer behaviour is a relatively new phenomenon and is gaining momentum with each passing year. This research proposal discusses the impact of ethical conduct by a business on its consumerââ¬â¢s buying behaviour and if there is any impact on the brand acceptance of a product caused by negative publicity related to ethics. Primark has been chosen as the organization for which this research will be conducted. This organization is perfect for this research as there have been controversial issues related to their business practices in the past. The literature review provides a complete background of the issue, followed by the research design of the proposed research. Ethical and practical considerations are named after, followed by the timetable of activities and a brief of data collection instruments that will be used for this research. Literature Review: The organization chosen for this research proposal, o wing to the recent controversy that they are in, is Primark. Primark is a 200 plus store clothing retailer working in the European region; this includes Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Ireland (where it is branded by the name of Penneys). There are mammoth stores present across Europe providing consumers with cheap clothing retail products. Their tag line ââ¬Å"Look Good, Pay Lessâ⬠is reflective of their strategy and their target market. They are segmented to target the young population passionate about looking their best, for the prices that they can afford. They are known to be selective in providing only the most popular sizes of their target market, buying and selling in bulk in order to save for themselves and for their consumers (Company Website, 2011). Throughout the past decade, Primark has been the subject of intense investigative actions by freelancers as well as government authorities for their suppliers and if their products meet ethical standards set by the Ethical Trading Initiative. In fact, Primark joined the ETI after they had been calculated at 3.5 out of 20 in an ethical index by Ethical Consumer (Press Release, 2006). ETI is an initiative that works on labour rights issues in supply chain; members have to make sure that they only employ suppliers that follow the code of conduct based on International Labour Standards and ITEââ¬â¢s core conventions. However, reports in 2008 and 2009 further exposed that their suppliers were not following the code of conduct and the company faced tremendous criticism from major stakeholders in their business environment. Empirical research has continuously shown that organizations that are ethical in their conduct and business processes are rated as favourites among the masses. The general population is highly appreciative of organizations that boast about their ethical standards and provide quality service to such an extent that they are willing to pay extra v alue for the product. In todayââ¬â¢s generation, working unethically can be disastrous for an organization. Still, organizations are involving themselves in cost cutting, low standard methods that make sure they are able to provide product at a lower price. Price still dominates as the primary factor for many people; for the same
Energy Sources of the Future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Energy Sources of the Future - Essay Example Three of these include solar power, wind power and biomass. Solar Power Solar power, or solar energy, is a viable alternative to fossil fuels. Solar power comes from the sun through the use of solar panels that contain solar or photovoltaic cells. In fact, one square meter of solar panel can generate as much as 100 watts of electricity (ââ¬Å"Solar Powerâ⬠). Once used only to power satellites, the solar panel is now used to generate power for houses and companies. Aside from the use of solar panels, solar power can also be used to heat water using glass panels on the roof. This powers up the homeââ¬â¢s central heating system (ââ¬Å"Solar Powerâ⬠). Moreover, a third type of machine that utilizes solar power is a solar furnace. The huge array of mirrors in a solar furnace is used to concentrate all the sunlight into a small space in order to produce an extremely high temperature of heat. Solar furnaces may be used for scientific experiments. There are also solar-powered electric boats and solar towers. (ââ¬Å"Solar Powerâ⬠) On the subject of availability and renewability, solar power may be advantageous as it basically ââ¬Å"needs no fuelâ⬠and is renewable as long as the sun shines (ââ¬Å"Solar Powerâ⬠). ... Even if only 2.5% of this radiation is converted into electricity, it would be enough for the total energy consumption of the whole nation in a year (Zweibel et al., University of Colorado). Another related development in the utilization of solar energy is the very recent invention of the nanocone-based solar cell. This particular type of solar cell, which boosts the light conversion efficiency of traditional solar cells by a whopping 80%, is in fact a result of the ââ¬Å"minimization of defects and voids in semiconductorsâ⬠(ââ¬Å"New Solar Cell,â⬠ScienceDaily). This property alone enhances electric and optical properties of the solar cell in order to convert sunlight to electric power more efficiently, thus increasing its availability while maximizing its utilization. Perhaps the only disadvantage of solar power is that, unless stored, it does not work at night and may be very expensive to build. (ââ¬Å"Solar Powerâ⬠) When it comes to environmental impact, solar power does not produce any pollution or waste (ââ¬Å"Solar Powerâ⬠). According to the Union of Concerned Scientists in the United States, primary environmental issues associated with solar power concerns only ââ¬Å"how [solar power systems] are manufactured, installed, and ultimately disposed ofâ⬠(ââ¬Å"Environmental Impacts,â⬠UCSUSA.org). Arsenic, silicon and cadmium are the major elements used in the manufacture of photovoltaic cells and are therefore hazardous to workers and anyone else who comes in contact with the solar panels. Safety regulations should therefore be strictly kept. Moreover, solar-thermal plants require cooling water, which may be costly or scarce in the southwest United States where the area is more
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Compare and Contrast how these short novels deal with maturation theme Essay
Compare and Contrast how these short novels deal with maturation theme so common in fairy tales - Essay Example Darling recalls her childhood, the situation is reflected thus: ââ¬Å"but after thinking back into her childhood she just remembered a Peter Pan who was said to live with fairiesâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦.but now that she was married and full of sense she quite doubted whether there was any such personâ⬠(Chapter 1). ââ¬Å"Peter Panâ⬠is the short novel which gathers many themes. The three children, Wendy, John and Michael play the central role with ââ¬Å"Peter Panâ⬠who comes from the ââ¬Å"Neverlandâ⬠. They want to fly in the air ââ¬Å"Let's wake John and Michael," Wendy said. "You can teach us all to fly and then we will leave for Neverland!â⬠(Chapter 1) Peter Pan is the personified shape of their dream. ââ¬Å"Wendyâ⬠wants to be mature as is revealed in the Chapter 1: ââ¬Å"but henceforth Wendy knew that she must grow upâ⬠. A childââ¬â¢s dream is but to live in the wonderlands of fairies. They always reside inside the shells of dreams. They want to fly up in the air which tells of their hidden ambitions to attain glory and fame. Similarly Pinocchio is the dream which comes true of its carpenter when he dreams of him in the words: ââ¬Å"With it I intend to go around the world, to earn my crust of bread and cup of wineâ⬠(p4). The carpenter is the personification of an elderââ¬â¢s desire for his child. ... You hurt!" cried the same far-away little voiceâ⬠(p7). The continuous ill treatment makes the child ill tempered as the carpenter weeps over his troubles: ââ¬Å"I deserve it! he said to himself. I should have thought of this before I made him. Now it's too late!â⬠(p8) Consequently, the child in the shape of Pinocchio flew away and the father is left with all sorrows: ââ¬Å"Poor Geppetto ran after him but was unable to catch him, for Pinocchio ran in leaps and boundsâ⬠(p9). The novels seem here similar in tone. Pinocchio and the three children have the same feelings here. All are ambitious in heart. All want to attain heights but with different styles of expressions i.e. children in ââ¬Å"Peter Panâ⬠fly in the air while Pinocchio dances in celebration of his birth. The story of ââ¬Å"Peter Panâ⬠reflects the softer feelings of a child for a mother. Similarly the girlââ¬â¢s fantasy for motherhood is revealed when Wendy accepts the demand of the â⬠Å"lost boysâ⬠to become their mother. Though she informs them that she is just a little girl, she becomes persuaded and tells them the tales of Cinderella the whole night. She proved so affectionate that Tootles saw a mother in her being: ââ¬Å"They talked of Cinderella and Tootles was confident that his mother must have been very like herâ⬠(Ch, 5). Pinocchioââ¬â¢s short story has a theme of the destructive faction of the society. It tells the children that though a child may be able and disciplined enough in school, there are always chances of his leading astray. Pinocchio remains a competent student during his studies but he boasts of his wisdom when he is tipped off by a fellow: ââ¬Å"there is no such danger, answered the Marionette, shrugging his shoulders and pointing to his forehead as if to say, ââ¬ËI am too wiseââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬ (p109).
Monday, August 26, 2019
Church and world religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1
Church and world religion - Essay Example Familiarity with Muslim communities enhanced acceptance by the interviewee and openness during the interview. Effective communication is important for a successful interview to take place. Most Islamic teachings are in Arabic and have not been interpreted explicitly in English. The interview therefore was characterized with communication snags as the interviewee tried to express certain meanings as understood from the Quran. It was interesting to find out how a Muslim is well-versed with the teachings of the Quran, quoting from different verses to support answers to the interview questions. There was also a notable affection of Islam as the respondent participated in the interview. The readiness to explain more than requested indicated an inner driving force for the Muslim to help others understand his own faith, which demonstrated the need for dialogue. Religion emerged as a core aspect of a Muslimââ¬â¢s life and that there is a day of judgment when every individual will be required to account for all his/her actions. Islam is a peaceful religion that teaches on the existence of one supreme God who is unique and without equal. It instructs believers to maintain peace with others and to follow the desires of God as manifest in His angels as well as the revelations that were conveyed to human beings through prophets. Every human being is supposed to obey God who holds the ultimate authority over mankind. For this reason, perpetrators of the crimes against humanity committed all over the world by Muslims and non-Muslims are against Godââ¬â¢s will and every individual will pay the price of sin on judgment day. There are a number of prophets that are held in high regard by Muslims with whom they associate with Godââ¬â¢s intention to bring peace to the world. This is an indicator that God intended to bring happiness to man despi te the sins that distance people from Him. It was also an important realization that some of the prophets are
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words
Entrepreneurship - Essay Example and urge to start a new business is not as difficult and important as sustaining the business through the full lifespan of the business lifecycle (Nowak, 1996). This essay therefore uses Zaarly as a case study of a startup business to understand from the perspective of Scott and Bruce (1987) and other scholars, what makes or unmake businesses in the first five years after they have been set up. Set up in February 2011, Zaarly is a private company founded by Eric Koester, Bo Fishback and Ian Hunter. The company is in the online retail industry with some unique dynamism that focuses on the creation of platform for users or anyone to hire a minion or sell whatever they have to sell to neighbours. Proximity is a central business idea for the founders, making Zaarly a proximity-based, real-time, and buyer-powered market platform (Steiner, 2011). Through the use of online platform, anyone can find people around them who offer services they are looking for, or products they are seeking to buy. In effect, Zaarly is a local marketplace that operates from an electronic basis. As serial entrepreneurs, each of the founders of Zaarly already has several start-ups that they personally manage. Zaarly has however been confirmed to be something different as it was set up with the objective of becoming the turning point in the online retail marketplace business (Swartz, 2011). Because of this objective, the three founders seem to have given Zaarly a lot more attention and focus, given the existing competition in the industry. Into the next five years, the company has been tagged to be a common household name for all who want to find the closest place around them where they can have their services and products provided. Shontell (2011) reports a seed capital of $1 million was raised for the official opening of Zaarly. This start-up capital however received a major investment boost when the company received Series A financing that amounted to $14.1 million. The main financiers of
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Hierarchy and politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Hierarchy and politics - Essay Example He is frustrated by his two daughters as a result of handing over power to them he says, ââ¬Å"I would learn that; for by the marks of sovereignty, knowledge and reason, I should be false persuaded I had daughtersâ⬠(I. 4, 755-756). In politics, hierarchy does not always provide the best alternative to leadership. The treatise written by James I, Basilikon Doran outline the true qualities of a leader. First, the king should keep track of his duties and responsibilities towards God, his roles and responsibilities while in office and lastly, he should have proper behavior regarding his day to day life (James I, 13). King Lear violates one of his roles as a king by dividing his kingdom to his three daughters other than giving it to the oldest son. ââ¬Å"Tell me, my daughters, since now we will divest us both of rule, Interest of territory, cares of stateâ⬠, (I. 1, 49-51). James I, also advised his son to be calm and watch his temper, ââ¬Å"but I meane of that wise moderatio n, that first commaunding your selfe, shall as a Queene commaund all the affections and passions of your mind; and, as a Physician, wisely mixe all your actions according theretoâ⬠(James I, 28). The king should be slow to anger and wise in his judgment. King Lear does not apply this lesson before he dismisses his daughter Cordelia for her honesty. His daughter is open and she bluntly confesses that she loves him just as a daughter should love the father. ââ¬Å"Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave My heart into my mouth. I love your Majesty According to my bond; no more nor lessâ⬠(I. 1, 93-95). The king lets his anger control him and he disowns his honest daughter. He later makes a painful discovery that his two daughters whom he gave the kingdom were dishonest. The king violated the lesson regarding his day to day activities as a leader of the nation. Kings are expected to be in their modest behavior and are regarded as role models. They are the eye of the society; any act ivity done should be reasonable. ââ¬Å"Remember therefore in all your actions, of the great account that yee are one daie to make: in all the daies of your life euer learning to die, and liuing euery day as it were your lastâ⬠(James I, 37). The manner in which they eat, relate with their family and they sport they take. ââ¬Å"Let me not stay a jot for dinner; go get it readyâ⬠(IV. 543). The king does not behave with authority and sanity when he decides to flee from his daughterââ¬â¢s house and run into the storm with his fool. It is inappropriate for the king to run away from leadership yet he is still regarded as the head of the family. He does not handle his daughters appropriately. According to James I, a king should be modest and behave in his best composure. He should rid himself off any circumstances that will destabilize his thinking in order to make clear judgment. He says,â⬠be precise in effect, but social in shew: kythe [make known] more by your deed es then by your words the loue of vertue and hatred of vice: and delight more to bee godlie and vertuous in deede then to be thought and called soâ⬠(James I, 40). King Lear does not do this; he allows his madness to take the better part of him which makes him behave insanely. Cordelia finds out about his madness and seeks to help him. She says, ââ¬Å"Alack, 'tis he! Why, he was met even now As mad asthe vex'd sea,
Friday, August 23, 2019
Cost Benefit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Cost Benefit - Essay Example In the case stated, reducing expenditures compared to raising taxes have various repercussions even if both course of action are unpopular. Reducing expenditures meant foregoing the opportunity to serve the people and to provide services that could potentially prevent future problems. For example, health care programs could make the population healthier with an implication of lesser health cost in the future. In the case of education, reducing its expenditures may not be immediately felt but it will undermine the countryââ¬â¢s competitiveness in the future because it would mean having less educated workforce. Raising taxes however is unpopular. But it will enable the government to fund its social services such as health and education. Excessive taxation however invites social unrest that could defeat its intent to provide services to the people. The repercussion of high taxation is political as policy makers may lose public support and will no longer win in elections. Ultimately, governments have to balance between increasing taxes and reducing social services. Ideally, taxes should be low and social services should be high but that would not be possible since social services is expenditure and it needs income through taxes to fund it. This explains why social services and taxation should be
Thursday, August 22, 2019
The Physics of Roller Coasters Essay Example for Free
The Physics of Roller Coasters Essay People sometimes engage in activities and are unaware that such activity involves physics. Physics is all around. For instance, you may go to Six Flags and do not analyze how physics helps the machines you ride in operate. Have you ever asked yourself how a roller coaster works? Would roller coasters safely run without the knowledge that physics offers us? The answer is no. Roller coasters are driven by physics; it mobilizes and gives its riders amusement through forces such as inertia, gravitation, and centripetal forces and utilizes different types of energies such as potential and kinetic energy. Physics is what makes roller coasters safe and effective. It is not only the high speed of the trains ofa roller coaster that makes the ride so thrilling but the acceleration of the train and the occasional feeling of weightlessness. At various times, roller coasters, or more specifically the trains of these, undergo acceleration, which is defined as the rate of change in velocity. The change may be in speed (magnitude) or direction, or in both. Roller coasters accelerate when they speed up and make the ride faster, slow down, or change direction. It decelerates as, for example, it ascends as if going up a hill. In this case, acceleration is dependent on its mass and the other forces acting on it. It is the acceleration of roller coasters what makes the ride more thrilling and exciting. When riding in a roller coaster a person may at some point feel weightlessness because they do not feel the chair they are sitting in as the roller coaster and yourself move vertically at 9. 8 m/sA2. Therefore, you encounter with Galileo and Newtons principle of free fall, an object moving under the influence of gravity only. Newtons laws of motion state that the sum of the forces acting on free-falling objects, gravitation and its inertia, equals to zero. Because these forces add up to zero as gravity cancels out with the objects inertia, then the rider while riding in an arched path, in form of for example a parabola, feels weightless. This free-fall also occurs when the roller coaster is up high in the air and abruptly drops and accelerates to the ground. It is due to gravity, the Earths pull, only and therefore, as Newton proposed, even though some people weight more than other, they accelerate at the same rate. One of the most important and fascinating parts of a roller coaster ride are its curves. When going through a loop, the track of the roller coaster exerts a centripetal force. Centripetal force is a force that makes a body follow a curved path. If you ever wonder how you go through a loop in a roller coaster without falling off, one of the reasons for this is centripetal force which holds the riders in their seat. It is a force that pulls you in the direction of the center of a circle when traveling in a circular course. Furthermore, roller coasters also have a relationship with inertia which also helps passengers stay in their seats and not fall off the train. Inertia is the property of things to resist any changes in motion. For example, if an object is still then it will not move unless a force acts on it, the esistance of moving is considered inertia. This force presses each individual to the outside of the loop as the train twists upside down. Gravity is still pulling you toward Earth but acceleration force is more powerful than gravity at the top which also pulls you but in the opposite direction, upwards. Similarly, a moving roller coaster, as it is or force alters its speed or direction. The more mass the roller coaster has, the more inertia it has. Riders who frequently go to amusement parks and ride on roller coasters are usually astonished by the fact that these do not have engines. Immediately, riders nquire, how does it stay on tracks, what makes it remain in motion, why we do not fall when turned upside down? Initially, the train of a roller coaster is only pulled up the first hill by a motor but after such action, it must finish the ride by itself. It is not a motor that is responsible for driving the roller coaster but rather the conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy. The train gets the kinetic energy necessary for the entire ride from the first steep hill it goes down. Energy can never be created or destroyed, however, it is conserved through forces like gravity, which is known as conservation of energy. Kinetic and potential energy are the two most important types of energy that a roller coaster needs to function. Kinetic energy is energy of motion, the faster an object or something moves, the more kinetic energy it possesses. On the other hand, potential energy is defined as energy of position or stored energy. The roller coaster utilizes potential energy, which is dependent of the mass of the train and the height, when the motor lifts it up the hill and then, this transfers to kinetic energy when the roller coaster suddenly drops, gaining speed. Therefore, the sum of kinetic and potential energy forms the mechanical energy of he roller coaster, energy which is occasionally lost throughout the ride due to friction. Potential energy is transferred into kinetic energy at the beginning of the ride as the roller coaster undergoes its first descent. When the train of the roller coaster is at the peak of the hill, it possesses a lot of potential energy and much less kinetic energy because it is at a high altitude and moves slowly. Conversely, when it is at the bottom, it has a lot of kinetic energy and less potential energy because it moves faster and is closer to the ground. Roller coasters get some of the potential nergy lost to kinetic energy when it starts elevating itself again to the top of the hill. This is a continuous process that the train repeats until it comes to rest. Isaac Newtons three laws of motion also relate to roller coasters. Newtons first law or the law of inertia states that if an object is at rest it will remain at rest, and if an object is in motion it will continue with constant speed in a straight line unless an external force is exerted upon it. In a roller coaster, the outside forces exerted on the train of the roller coaster are the brakes or frictional force, which makes it slow down r decelerate. Newtons second law states the acceleration of an object depends on the mass of the object and the net force applied. This is why when the train is going down a hill the speed is so high because of the amount of heavy mass the train carries such as the weight of each person. Therefore, it is said that F (force) = m (mass) * g (gravitational force). So the force that you encounter when going down the steep hill is equal to the mass of the train plus the mass of all the riders multiplied by the gravitational force, which is equal to 9. 8 m/s squared. Lastly, Newtons third aw states that when one body applies a force to another body, the second body applies an equal and opposite force to the first body. This theory in practice is when, for example, you go through a curve and you feel and think that the seat you are in is pushing you, but similarly, you also do the same to the seat because you apply an Furthermore, roller coasters also encounter frictional forces. Friction is defined as a force that acts to resist the relative motion or attempted motion of objects or materials that are in contact. Friction is why the train of a roller coaster reduces peed as goes through the tracks; it makes it harder for the train to roll. This is why as you can observe in an amusement park, the biggest and highest hills of a roller coaster are put at the beginning of the ride and leave the smallest for last in order to keep the train moving. The frictional force of a roller coaster acts in direct opposition to the motion of it. There is friction in the wheels of the roller coaster, as it rubs with the tract it runs through, and in wind drag or air resistance and these are the reasons why mechanical energy, the sum of potential and kinetic energy, is dissolved s the ride continues, and even more at the end of the ride and affects its velocity. If there were no friction then the roller coaster would keep going without stop. Roller coasters are one of the most popular and thrilling rides in an amusement park. During a roller coaster ride, many physics concepts are present that makes the ride so fascinating. Roller coasters undergo acceleration, they transform potential energy to kinetic energy, Newtons laws of motion are put in practice, friction resists its motion and it utilizes gravity and inertia. In short, physics works roller coaster.
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Philosophy Essay Example for Free
Philosophy Essay Fundamentally the term philosophy is the study of different natural phenomena that exists like knowledge, truth, beauty, justice, validity, mind, numerous languages. Anthony Quinton a well known author of his time declared it as thinking about thinking. It is quite dissimilar than mysticism or mythology that are also ways of addressing numerous dissimilar questions. This term has a particular definite meaning as this word is an origin from ancient Greek times and it means ââ¬ËLove of wisdomââ¬Ë. In addition with this it is also segmented into numerous different branches like Metaphysics, Epistemology, Political Philosophy, Logic, Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of language and several more This branch of philosophy is fundamentally used to study the nature of the mind, mental events, mental functions, mental properties, consciousness and their relationship to the physical body, particularly the brain. Several well known scientists work on this segment of philosophy and gave there numerous theories as well as applications on this but still the relationship of the mind to the body, is commonly seen as the central issue in philosophy of mind. It was also explored that there are other issues too regarding relations with physical body that have to be resolved. According to research it was discovered that chronological mapping of the brain was the initial attempt, which correlates mental functionalities with different segments of brain. Many of us have a thought that the main defining characteristic of a person is either the person has consciousness, mind or soul. Not only this it was also a fact that almost all of us exactly know consciousness, but still there are several problem regarding this as having awareness of consciousness is not the end until we know what consciousness is. Several philosophers gave their thoughts and works in this field to resolve all issues of philosophy of mind. In 427 BC Plato one of the well-known and prominent philosopher of his time share his though and declare the fact that fundamentally what we are is our real soul, and that our real soul will survive after death, and after our death this soul will be release form our body. Similarly in 384BC Aristotle reveal the fact that soul and body are basically related with each other, in addition with this he also explore the point that our soul is not a part of other substance but it is directly related with our body as or material substance, of which the body is made. Beside this Aristotle once said, If an axe had a soul, its soul would be cutting. Furthermore in year 1825 T.H. Huxley gave his views regarding philosophy of mind. As according to him our mind is a product of brain. Not only this he also gave samples to prove his words as he statesâ⬠if I think that I want some chocolate, this may be because my stomach is sending messages to the brain because my blood sugar level is lowâ⬠. In addition with this he also explore that this term consciousness didnââ¬â¢t have any sort of power to cause anything, all such situations are reflection of biology as according to him till the time body is alive and is in working position but when body dies, mind will stop its functionalities and dies with it. Several philosopher work in this particular area to resolve mind-body problem, they define the fact that through which techniques and approaches a supposedly non-material mind can influence a material body and vice-versa. Besides philosopher also concerned this particular point that how someones propositional attitudes could become the result of that individuals neurons to fire not only this how his muscles also contract in exactly the accurate behavior as well. ââ¬Å"The diversity of our opinions does not arise from the fact that some people are more reasonable than others, but solely from the fact that we we lead our thoughts along different paths and do not take the same things in consideration.â⬠To resolve above mentioned issues Dualism and monism are explored and declared as the significant thoughts to resolve all such problems of mind and body. Dualism if basically defined as a position in which both mind and body lie down in some categorical way which would separate them from each other. Not only this Dualism is also segmented into three parts as well. Similarly Monism is also a declared as a particular stage where both mind and body are not ontologically distinct kinds of entities. Furthermore many other related things are also completed and different techniques are also designed by philosopher to solve all such issues of mind and body. As the father of modern philosophy Descartes in year 1596 uses his famous writing ââ¬Å"method of doubt to explain the fact that he has no doubt on the existence of his mind. After Descartes master piece writing various more photosphere also contributes in this field and still many of the issues of mind-body problem are not resolved, and these philosopher are looking forward to solve all such issues and gave a clear concept of how this part of body actually works and what is the fundamental relationship of mind and body.
PESTLE and SWOT Analysis of McDonalds
PESTLE and SWOT Analysis of McDonalds Executive Summary In this report entitles about the external analysis of fast food restaurant and internal analysis of McDonalds cooperation by SWOT analysis and constructing of TWOS matrix that give us the future strategies of MC Donalds. The vital results of external analysis are the there is wide competition with the competitors because it is perfect competition between the firms. The customers are more oriented about the organic food, and also about health issues such as obesity. Such as increasing the organic food is also opportunity and at the same time it will increase the cost, so they should more concentrate pricing of the product. From the internal analysis the firm is stronger in financial position and supply chain and also strong brand image. By combining these elements the firm should go for the research in terms of the health issues and also they can extend the new stores to attract the customers. They should also increase the benefits to the employee s that should decrease the turnover ratio. This report is prepared for the CEO of McDonalds cooperation for taking decision on future strategy Terms of Reference This report is prepared for the internal use only and prepared as the assignment for the strategic management in the course of MBA. The use of this is primarily for accessing the understanding and awarding grades Introduction McDonalds is the one of the biggest fast food chain restaurant having more than 32000 restaurants in 199 countries whole over the world. McDonalds is selling majorly soft drinks and fast food items like fries, chicken, burgers, salads and ice creams. The restraints of mc Donalds are operated such as an affiliate, franchisee, or the corporation itself. In term of long term goals of the mc Donald is satisfaction of customer and loyalty to their brand. Brand image and the unique brand logo are one key success factor for the McDonalds. This is report prearranged in a certain manner that is in the first discussion about the external analysis of the organization by PESTLE and PORTERS five force model for the analysis in industry level. In the internal analysis part discuss about the tangible assets, key success factors ,supply chain, SWOT analysis and formulate the TWOS matrix for the future analysis for future strategies and in the conclusion part entitled about the recommendations and long term strategies. EXTERNAL ANALYSIS In this section deals with the considerate the factors that effect the organization by the external environment. These are forces that the organization would take steps to reduce the effects but could not avoid it totally (Strategic Management Process 2000) Macro environment: The analysis of macro environment is can be done by PESTLE analysis and also other factors like competitors, suppliers, customers. The complete analysis of PESTLE is given in the appendix and some key factors is given in the table 1 The important factors like obesity and other competition is more in the fast food chain, and mc Donalds is also concentrating on the green, price to have competitive edge on competitors, menu based upon the region such as in India Mc Donalds introduced MAC ALLU and O fat items are planning in the menu for attracting the customers more oriented about obesity. Porters five force model Porters five force model is used for the analysis in the industry level; complete analysis of five porters is given in appendix and summarized is given below In the case of MC Donalds from the five porter analysis new entry is very high due to less regulation in fast food industry, substitute threat is low, where as competition and rivalry among the firm are very high so McDonalds pricing is very important. Supply power is low unless the main ingredient of the product is not readily available Opportunities and threats The external audit can be done by using opportunities and threats, the whole Opportunities and threats are explained in the appendix. The opportunities for the mc Donalds such as low cost menu will gain competitive advantage and attract more customers and also such as people also more oriented about the health so McDonalds concretes more on healthier goods o attract the customers. They have main threats like obesity, the relationship with the franchiser, quality also decreasing due to the lack of proper control on the franchising, such as American brand appeal act as threat in some anti American countries, Global recession and fluctuating foreign currencies Key success factors Mc Donalds one of the success factors is franchising with the local suppliers, uniqueness in the brand image, pricing of the meal with the best price, store location in maximum places and easy access to the customers, turnover rate per chair in the McDonalds is high as compare to the restaurants, attracting the customers based upon the kids menu and toys .introduction of breakfast menu and coffee in the menu, localization of their menu like introduction MAC ALLU and mutton in India. Appearance of the restaurant more focus on their values and productivity, Promotion and a continuing focus on building brand loyalty Internal Analysis of McDonalds Internal analysis of McDonalds can be done based upon the tangible assets and intangible assets, strength and weakness, supply chain. These are the factor on which firm has control as they can be alter based upon available resources and increase capabilities. Tangible assets and intangible assets: The vital tangible assets of McDonalds comprise of resources such as financial resources, and also resources in terms physical elements location of restaurants in city, airports and in all happening locations, the trade secret of their recipes, innovative production processes etc and resources in terms of organizational such as efficient strategic planning processes, control systems and excellent evaluation. The vital intangible assets of McDonalds are unique brand identity and their logo. The capabilities of the organizational also important such as satisfaction of the customers are high, product innovativeness and excellent product development capabilities (see appendix). Strengths and weaknesses The strength and weakness are explained in the appendix. The strength of McDonalds is the brand image, their innovative products, uniqueness in their products, strong finical position, more in terms of their stores in the main cities, employee training such as mangers get training in Hamburger University, segmentation of their product such as kid meal, happy meal etc. more concentrate about the customers, turnover per chair is more in McDonalds, strong advertisement campings to attract the more customers, kids offers to attract more customers. Weakness of mc Donalds such as No clear strategic direction, obsolete facilities, higher overall costs than rivals, subpar profits, Falling behind in RD, Too narrow product line. High Staff Turnover including Top management, Unhealthy food image, Uses HCFC-22 to make polystyrene that is contributing to ozone depletion TWOS Matrix: TWOS matrix is build based upon the internal and external factors by using strength, weakness, opportunities and threats. It is constructed based upon comparing of each factor with the other factors of SWOT. The complete TWOS matrix is given in the appendix. In this based upon the TWOS matrix explain about the differ combination as possible. Strengths and Opportunities Because of strong financial position and their unique brand image McDonald can extend their stores and attract new customers. Due to their unique brand image they can advantage over their suppliers. Due to the strong financial position they can invest more on the Research and development example in term of decreasing the fat in the food. Strengths and threats Mc Donalds can take more control on the franchise dealers to maintain the quality and reputation. They can offer novel product and keep the innovation to attract the new customers and existing customers. Weaknesses and Opportunities By creating product in a greener such as decreasing HCFC-22, product quality can be increased and also plan for the healthy meal. By Increase stores in different locating that increases the market penetration. Weaknesses and Threats Applying 0 grams Trans fat that increase the customers who are more oriented about the obesity By changing HCFC -22 in to the carbon free HFC (hydro fluorocarbon) which is not harm to environment. Future Strategy Based upon the different analysis of the firm and by comparing the different analysis the future strategies can be planned. The strategies in term they can be broadly classified in to two broad sections such as business and corporate strategies. The recommendation of the firm based upon the analysis is listed in following section. Business level strategy Such as differentiation of their product to gain competitive advantage, increase in the research to develop food with low fat content that can be decrease the obesity, focusing more on the customers to increase the customer loyalty to the brand. They can also concentrate about the organic food, Labor turn rate should be decreased by giving different bonuses and effective salaries. Corporate Level Strategy Due to the strong financial they can penetrate into new market by increase their store in different locations. And also they go for back ward integration with the suppliers to get the quality goods for low price. Conclusion In this report entitled about the different external and internal environment of mc Donalds and by constructing the PESTLE analysis, SWOT analysis and also prepare the TWOS analysis for the long term strategy in the future.mc Donalds increased their stores about 50 percent in last five years but there is only less increase in the sales about 2percent only so McDonalds is planning to change their strategies to attract the more new customer and planning to increase the customer life time value such that the sales can be increased they should consider about the following factors such as health issues they can increase the organic food, they can also by employing and also proper planning of the queues that can decrease the queuing time and also increase the turn over. Price is also one of the important factor because bargain power is low they can be shift to the other company, so pricing can be properly planned. They can be plan for the deli burger which cost low that will give price adv antage whereas they also keep the organic burger in their menu to attract the health oriented customers and also they can be focus on o fat food that can also attract who concrete about diet. They should plan to decrease the employee turnover ratio. Limitation and Recommendation The limitation would be that the current strategies that are practiced currently have not been reviewed in depth; the future research can be done on analyzing the current strategy of mc Donalds and see how these can be amended to formulate the future strategy.
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Anorexia and Bulimia - A Growing Epidemic Essay -- Causes of Bulimia N
Bulimia and anorexia is a growing epidemic in America. Bulimia and Anorexia can start at any age, but is most common between the ages of 11-17 years old. Of all the individuals that experience this illness only 50% of all of them are ever cured, and another 6% that suffer from this horrible illness will experience death. This illness has become very deadly to our young adults. Bulimia and anorexia can cause a distorted image in a persons mind because they truly believe they are overweight. In their minds they are beyond doubt obese. Even if the person weighs only 95 pounds. This sickness has the person thinking they are overweight. This could bring about a severe bout of depression. Once the person hits the stage of depression professional help is needs because the feeling of being overweight and depression could put the individual over the edge. Individual experiencing Bulimia go on what is called eating binges. Eating binges are when people eat longer amounts of food in less then two hours. (Internet3) Then after they binge they feel guilt or shame so they need to undo their behavior. To undo their behavior they make themselves vomit, or they take laxatives, water pills or starve themselves. (Cauwel21) Binge and poring usually occurs more than two times a week for at least three months. (Internet1) What cause bulimia and anorexia? It can be brought on by stress or depression, but most often dieting causes it. (Erichsen 12) Stressful situations such as death can bring about bulimia and anorexia. Also many young adults frequently experience sessions of depression for various circumstances during their adolescentââ¬â¢s years. But, again most of the time bulimia and anorexia is trigger by dieting. (Moe 21) Many psychological factors play a big role in the cause of bulimia and anorexia. People that have a fear of growing up sometimes have incidents with anorexia because they think that if they stop eating they want get older or bigger. (Erichsen15) Ford5 People need to take control of themselves if they are anorexia or bulimia because they can control how much they eat or if they want to eat. (internet1) If a person feels out of control because of difficulties at home they should control what they eat or if they are going to eat. The people that suppress anger need to release it and get it out. If there is a major life change, such as divorce, family problems,... ...rging behavior. Challenging the weight and body image beliefs of the patients is also part of the treatment. Improving self-esteem and ability to communicate needs and feelings may be the key to the treatment. Each case is different, so the course of treatment for each patient is different but the guideline for case is the same. Anorexia patients mostly start off with small amounts of nutritious and easily digestible foods such as eggs, custards, soups, and milkshakes are usually what they eat the first days. People that have anorexia extra calcium and multivitamins pills to help with the large loss the body has sustained. (internet2) Bulimia and anorexia causes a distorted image in a persons mind, this is because they believe they are overweight. Depression is usually one of the first symptoms. Many people have suffered from this illness or still are suffering. Bulimia and anorexia could happen to a person at any age, but is most common in teenagers because of the problems young adults experience during. Most of the time it is trigger by dieting, but no matter how it is triggered it is a very dangerous illness. Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site!
Monday, August 19, 2019
The Impact of Computers On Our Lives :: Technology Society Computer Essays Papers
The Impact of Computers On Our Lives Only once in a lifetime will a new invention come about to touch every aspect of our lives. Such a device that changes the way we work, live, and play is a special one, indeed. A machine that has done all this and more now exists in nearly every business in the US and one out of every two households (Hall, 156). This incredible invention is the computer. The electronic computer has been around for over a half-century, but its ancestors have been around for 2000 years. However, only in the last 40 years has it changed the American society. From the first wooden abacus to the latest high-speed microprocessor, the computer has changed nearly every aspect of peopleââ¬â¢s lives for the better. The very earliest existence of the modern day computerââ¬â¢s ancestor is the abacus. These date back to almost 2000 years ago. It is simply a wooden rack holding parallel wires on which beads are strung. When these beads are moved along the wire according to "programming" rules that the user must memorize, all ordinary arithmetic operations can be performed (Soma, 14). The next innovation in computers took place in 1694 when Blaise Pascal invented the first ââ¬Å"digital calculating machineâ⬠. It could only add numbers and they had to be entered by turning dials. It was designed to help Pascalââ¬â¢s father who was a tax collector (Soma, 32). In the early 1800ââ¬â¢s, a mathematics professor named Charles Babbage designed an automatic calculation machine. It was steam powered and could store up to 1000 50-digit numbers. Built in to his machine were operations that included everything a modern general-purpose computer would need. It was programmed by--and stored data on--cards with holes punched in them, appropriately called ââ¬Å"punchcardsâ⬠. His inventions were failures for the most part because of the lack of precision machining techniques used at the time and the lack of demand for such a device (Soma, 46). After Babbage, people began to lose interest in computers. However, between 1850 and 1900 there were great advances in mathematics and physics that began to rekindle the interest (Osborne, 45). Many of these new advances involved complex calculations and formulas that were very time consuming for human calculation. The first major use for a computer in the US was during the 1890 census. Two men, Herman Hollerith and James Powers, developed a new punched-card system that could automatically read information on cards without human intervention (Gulliver, 82).
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Strong Continental Empire :: essays research papers
There are five key ingredients in building a strong continental empire. A strong continental empire must be able to up-hold these five things to survive. These five important things are: a strong central government; foreign policy, to deal with others countries, manifest destiny, to deal with matters, and the ability to solve internal problems such as social, economic, and political problems. America is a continental empire and runs itself by using these five things. The most important of these is probably the strong central government. A strong central government ensures that the government will be able to run smoothly in a time of crisis and have the capability to make sound decisions that will benefit the American populace. Foreign policy was developed so that America would know where it stood when it came to dealing with other countries. It was important that America dealt with international problems in a uniform manner. Manifest destiny deals with the issue of how America and Am ericans will acquire land. Infrastructure is America working together. America depends on many things to keep it running, when these things cross paths we develop an infrastructure. America must solve internal problems all of the time. What these problems are and how we solve them is what shapes America. America slowly began to build a continental Empire. Ã Ã Ã Ã Ã America developed a strong continental empire by accomplishing the five things needed for a strong continental empire. America started slowly by developing a government that was rusted by the people. Once they accomplished this they started to filling in the pieces of the continental empire puzzle. They developed a strong central government. Then America began to gain land, which led to conflicts with foreign nations. As the United States of America grew, it's infrastructure of money, transportations, and other aspects grew.
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Present Value
Selling price The selling price would equal to the sum of the potential profits realizable by the purchased asset. In order to present a proper amount with respect to the time value and including the market risk and risk premium, the profits have to be discounted to the present value using the appropriate discount rate. The sum of the discounted cash flows for the next two years of the assetââ¬â¢s useful life is $299,021.75. The same number represents a fair price for purchasing the asset, as it includes potential benefits realizable by the investment, as well as accounts for the possible risks on the basis of the fixed discount rate. Price adjustment under higher rates and inflationThe higher inflation rate would require the appropriate price markup. Market interest rates as well as the risk rates are higher under the growing inflation. Therefore, the price of the asset will be increased, by marking the adjusting the dollar value using the appropriate inflation rate.LocationIf th e asset would be located in the area with unstable governmental and economic situation, it would cost less. The unexpected and sharp market prices fluctuations could alter the projected profit margins. The implementation of long-term contracts would be under a threat. However, with only two years of potential profits, the latter argument does not represent the most critical issue in determining the price level. The risks associated with the potential benefits are significantly higher than in the case of operating in a stable economy. Consequently, the asset would lose some of its value, and its selling price would be lower.BondsThe goal of the firm is to maximize present shareholder value. This goal implies that projects should be undertaken that result in the positive net present value, that is the present value of the expected cash inflow less the present value of the required capital expenditures. Using net present value as a measure, capital budgeting involves selecting those pr ojects that increase the value of the firm because they have a positive NPV. The timing and growth rate of the incoming cash flow is important only to the extent of its impact on NPV. The increase in the net present value means the decrease in the discount rate. This data can be observed in the financial plan section, using cash flows, where the present value of a cash flow stream is equal to the sum of the present values of the individual cash flows. Moreover, in determination of the net present value cost of capital percentage can be used.The cost of capital for any investment is the rate of return capital providers would expect to receive if they would invest their capital elsewhere (opportunity cost).à The annual financial reports for the two companies suggest at a first glance that Cisco systems would be a more sound investment, as it represents a more favourable income statement balance. General Motors Company shows very low profits for the last periods, however its profit m argins are steadily growing. A significant loss, which negatively affects the current credit rating of the company, is realized in prior periods due to discontinuing operations and losses on requisitions. However, the companyââ¬â¢s liquidity shows a close to industryââ¬â¢s median value. General Motors shows a more confident overall stability of business operation, while Cisco system greatly depends on innovation and research and development, which is associated with greater costs and bigger risk involved.However, the business indicates less dependency on fixed costs, which allows to attain not only technological or innovative advantage on the market, but also to win better trading bargains offering more favourable prices to customers. The business operations of Cisco largely depend on the appropriate timing and immediate reaction.Cisco should have a higher discount rate than General Motors, because it requires a more profound analysis for determining the potential performance of the company. The higher risks associated with the investment should be accordingly accounted for including the calculation of the market rate and the risk premium. General Motors offers lower returns but higher stability, which means less risk. Making a long term investment in bonds with the same pay rate would be more sound and reasonable for General Motors Company, as it provides a less risky opportunity of return. However, its benefits are limited compared to the potential suggested by the Cisco systems company.
Friday, August 16, 2019
Performance Excellence in Hotels Essay
The failure in delivering high performance will have negative impacts on both internal and external customers. Therefore, the main purpose of this research project is to introduce the concept of performance excellence in the service sector, discuss the meaning and driving forces of competitiveness through the performance excellence in this sector, and report the findings of building excellence in organizational design, team work as well as leadership within The project will be organized in a way that gives a balanced critical review of performance excellence and answer the following questions, in particular its implementation in Hotel: 1. What functional roles does performance excellence play in an organization and in particular on the service sector? 2. What are basic dimensions of performance excellence that influence the development of competitive advantage in the service sector? 3. What are some relationships between quality and performance excellence in attaining sustainable competitive advantage? Performance Excellence and Its Functional Roles Performance excellence can be defined as ââ¬Å"an integrated approach to organizational performance management that result in delivery of ever-improving value to customers and stakeholders; improvement of overall organizational effectiveness and capabilities; and organizational personal learningâ⬠This implies that all managers should give more interests and attention to implement it. The extracted information from the previous process can help executive managers to identify opportunities and threats as a necessary step to adapt successful strategies.
Thursday, August 15, 2019
Analyse Staff Turnover, Its Cost and Effects on the Business and Develop Strategies to Improve Retention.
Analyse staff turnover, its cost and effects on the business and develop strategies to improve retention. Subject: Human Resource Management MGT 201 Student Name: Brenda Lai (YUN-CHU LAI) Student Number: 00038680T Lecturer: Alison Knight Staff turnover, or labour turnover, is a percentage of a number of employees that leave a firm in a period of time. Reasons for leaving can be voluntary, such as resignation, relocation to another company or any other personal reasons that cause the employees unable to continue the job.It may also be involuntary such as being terminated due to poor job performance, absenteeism or violation of work policies. Companies that have too low or too high turnover rate are generally inefficient and low-productive. Firms that have high turnover rate will have an overall decreasing in competency and productivity because the frequent replacement of workers as well as increasing in costs. However, it is not necessarily true that the lower the turnover rate, the b etter for the business. Businesses that have very low turnover rate could result in a tiring, inactive and demotivating work environment.As employees form the backbone of every organization, it is critical for managers to analyse the causes for high or low turnover rate, develop retention practices and maintain a steady, satisfied workforce. Turnover costs for many organizations are high and can have significant impacts on the financial performance of an organization. Turnover costs can be categorized into two kinds, direct costs and indirect costs. Direct costs include recruitment, selection and training of new employees, expense of advertising positions, and costs of temporary replacement of employees.Indirect costs, which refer to loss of efficiency and productivity, can be caused by a variety of reasons such as inefficiency and lack of experience of the newly appointed employees, breakage of tools caused by mishandling of equipment by new employees, lack of cooperation and coord ination between old and new employees, costs of increased supervision and support for the new employees, the time used for reading resumes and interviewing the candidates. The costs mentioned above are only general ideas that can be found in most businesses, however turnover costs can vary from different industries.For example, as a sales company, losing one sale could mean losing more than one important client at the same time. If the business is service-based, employers need to make sure they keep key employees. If employees leave, the company can face serious problems due to lack of professional services resulting in high staff turnover which could cost the business more than anything else. Smart companies pay attention to retaining of employees and minimize the act of turnover, which will then be discussed more in details in the following paragraphs.In a human resource perspective, for most organizations the goal is to lower staff turnover, maintain consistency in the workforce and train more skilled employees. High staff turnover can be costly to the business financially and also create problems internally. Internal problems include low employee morale, low employee royalty and stressful employees. This can then lead to decrease of productivity and efficiency. On the other hand, companies that have a low staff turnover rate are generally more productive and successful. (This is not an assumption; low voluntary turnover might sometimes be a negative for organizations.Details will be discussed at the next paragraph. ) Reasons being are that the employees trust each other, respect their leaders and feel a sense of belonging while working in the company. Employees in a positive and motivated work environment are normally more loyal and willing to dedicate their personal energy to the job. In addition, an organization that offers a better payroll system compared with others with similar jobs is likely to have lower turnover rate. Companies that offer satisfyin g bonuses and incentives tend to entice their employees to stay longer.Another reason for companies that have low turnover is that they help the employees to see the career benefits that lie ahead for them to achieve. Ultimately people search for settlement and a long-term career that helps to reach their goals. Therefore a well thought out career plan for employees is always a good way to keep them engaged. For instance, most hotels offer management training programmes for employees who have worked in the establishment over 1-2 years. It encourages employees who desire a long-term career goal to remain, and to continuously dedicate their skills to the hotel.Hotels also offer department transfer opportunities for employees who have been in the firm over 6 months or 1 year. By doing so, the hotel can keep the workers that are loyal to the company, and reducing some of the costs of training if they are transferred or promoted to or within a similar department. Overall a low staff turn over means a more productive, positive and efficient work environment and in some cases, successful business. It is important for companies to keep the staff turnover rate down, however according to Dr.John Sullivan who is an expert in recruitment management says that from his experience, voluntary turnover rate below 4% is not a good sign and should be taken into serious discussions by the company. (Dr. J. Sullivan, 8/8/2011, Final Thoughts, http://www. ere. net/2011/08/08/a-low-turnover-rate-could-mean-that-you-have-ugly-employees/). The article says that a low voluntary turnover rate could at the same time mean the employees in the firm are unskilled therefore seemed unattractive to other competitors or unambitious to seek external jobs.A very low voluntary turnover could sometimes be caused by inactive management or a lack of courage to terminate unsuitable employees. It is also crucial for companies to receive exit or a post-exit interview for feedback from departing employees. With almost no circulation in human resource, companies will find it difficult to understand its problems that could cause failure of the business. Companies that have zero or very low voluntary turnover rate is like a stagnant pool of water, with no fresh and clean water coming in, implying lack of new ideas, skills and competitive intelligence that are brought in by new employees.It is always good to recruit on a regular basis. Having skilled new employees input can make the current employees feel threatened and having to compete with them, as a result of creating a motivated and competitive environment. Eventually the lazy and unambitious employees will be forced to leave. Well-managed companies with exceptional management and retention practices generally maintain low voluntary turnover rates, but higher involuntary rates to keep development processes running and avoid talent decay.One of the key ways to prevent high employee turnover is to instill in them a sense of belonging, loyalty and commitment. The following are some ideas to accomplish this. Initially, human resources or recruitment managers want to ensure they recruit the ââ¬Å"right peopleâ⬠. The right people meaning candidates who share similar values, principles and goals with the company. This ensures long-term employee loyalty and retention, because they have the commitment before they start working in the organization. Secondly, providing employees with opportunities for advancement help them to view what they will be in, in the following years.Most employees feel motivated if they have clear vision of what potential positions are available for them in the future at a higher level. To value employeesââ¬â¢ voice and contribution and give them praise, helps to build up trust and loyalty between employers and employees. Thirdly, companies with a well-developed compensation package create a favorable environment for employees. The package should include variety of pay scale, incentives , bonuses, welfare and benefits. Additionally, leveling the workload and being flexible with working hours have become a critical issue for employers to look at.Employers should recognize the quality of work life is getting more important for employees. Most importantly, having an exit interview is always a good way to find out the reasons why employees leave and issues that should be addressed to reduce a high staff turnover. Retention practices assist organizations to keep their key employees from leaving to work for other competitors and maintain a healthy turnover rate. To develop a retention strategy, managers firstly need to understand the reasons why people leave. It can be environmental or motivational problems.Low performers tend to leave more often than high performers. However high performers could also leave due to lack of promotional opportunities, training or recognition for effective performance. By implementing exit and post-exit interviews can help managers to under stand what employees need and things they can improve on. Job satisfaction plays an important role in retaining employees. It gives employees a sense of belonging, prestige, a status or authority and power in the organization. Feeling satisfied within their position generally creates motivation.When staff are motivated, they are more likely to perform a higher quality of work. Employees who have good work performance deserve rewards. Businesses often use bonuses, commissions, compensation or employee benefits to reward staff to make sure they keep up the good work. Companies with a substantial reward system and employee welfare are more likely to retain their key employees from leaving the company and work for other competitors. For example, Google offers a list of employee benefits that is called ââ¬Å"I-bet-you-donââ¬â¢t-have-that-where-you-workâ⬠.It includes flexible hours for nearly every professional employee, casual dress everyday, pets allowed to work, onsite dental care, free massage and yoga, free drinks, free meals and many other benefits that most employees desire. (HCA Online, 25/07/2006, http://www. hcamag. com/article/a-look-inside-the-google-talent-machine-112999. aspx). Retention and recruitment of key employees will be more critical in the following years as the baby boomer generation moves towards retirement, which leads to shortage of skills in the industry. Managers that recognise their staff as their greatest asset generally are more successful than others who donââ¬â¢t.A successful business requires several factors; one of the most important and most irreplaceable things is its competitive advantage(s). By retaining key employees, the people that create or help to maintain competitive advantages, companies are more likely to achieve its long-term goals and make desirable profits. For example, Google is well known for its special recruitment system and attractive retention strategies that every employee dreams about. One of Goo gleââ¬â¢s interesting programmes is called ââ¬Å"Working with 20 per cent timeâ⬠. (HCA Online, 25/07/2006, http://www. hcamag. om/article/a-look-inside-the-google-talent-machine-112999. aspx). It means that the employee works one day a week on their own to research individual selected projects that the company funds and supports. Google have crafted every position and element in the workplace so that all employees are working on projects that interest them, continuously learning and being challenged positively to do more. This programme makes the work itself become an attraction and retention force, a driver of motivation and innovation, and a feeling that the employees themselves are adding value to the company.What Google have done is not only make their employees want to remain and work for them but also continually create and develop skilled people. With Googleââ¬â¢s perfect retention strategies, they are confident to retain valuable employees and create a positive c ycle. In conclusion, it is essential for organizations to understand staff turnover rates and analyze the cause and effects of turnover, in order to maintain it in a healthy and favorable level. This paper has discussed the costs, causes and effects for high staff turnover, and also the negative impacts on businesses with a very low turnover rate.It has also mentioned a diverse range of ideas on how to prevent a high staff turnover, as well as develop a thorough retention strategy that encourages key employees to remain within an organization. Some successful real life examples have been provided from the company ââ¬ËGoogleââ¬â¢ have been mentioned and referenced. Overall recruitment and retention are substantial factors for a successful business. Reference List: ââ¬Å"A Look Inside the Google Talent Machineâ⬠, ââ¬Å"HCA Onlineâ⬠, , assessed date: 28/03/2013 Dr. J.Sullivan, 8/8/2011, ââ¬Å"A Low Turnover Rate Could Mean That You Have Ugly Employeesâ⬠, ââ¬Å" RER. netâ⬠, < http://www. ere. net/2011/08/08/a-low-turnover-rate-could-mean-that-you-have-ugly-employees/>, Assessed date: 27/03/2013 F. John Reh, ââ¬Å"The High Cost Of High Employee Turnoverâ⬠, ââ¬Å"About. com Managementâ⬠, < http://management. about. com/od/money/a/The-High-Cost-Of-High-Employee-Turnover. htm> Assessed date: 27/03/2013 K. May, ââ¬Å"Causes & Effects of High & Low Staff Turnoverâ⬠, ââ¬Å"Demand Mediaâ⬠, ââ¬Å"Chroneâ⬠, < http://smallbusiness. chron. com/causes-effects-high-low-staff-turnover-33939. h
Customer Satisfaction, Loyalty, and Empowerment Essay
1. Should a company be happy or concerned if most customers are satisfied? Satisfaction of the consumer is one of the main goals for a company to achieve. Customer satisfaction is defined as the feeling that results when an offering meets a consumerââ¬â¢s expectations. Companies around the world are doing many surveys, in order to measure the satisfaction of their consumers because the importance of consumer satisfaction is one of the main factors for a company. According to the question, should a company be happy or concerned if most consumers are satisfied, the answer is concerned. The reason of this answer is that if all consumers would be satisfied then it is okay, but in this case not all consumers are satisfied, so there are some consumers who are not satisfied. The company should work hard in order to not leave space for concerns for these people who would be unsatisfied. These unsatisfied consumers would have a big influence on the company because these consumers express t heir concerns to other people and then other people might not want to buy anything from that company. However, one of the main strategies that companies use to achieve their goals of satisfaction is to influence the consumerââ¬â¢s expectations. Customerââ¬â¢s expectations should be very high because if the product or service doesnââ¬â¢t meet their expectations they would be unsatisfied and have a negative perception. Marketers should make their expectations a bit lower so the service or product would exceed their expectations and then customers would be very satisfied. An example of consumer satisfaction would be like this: I usually order pizza at the restaurant called Extreme Pizza so then they deliver it at my home. They always bring it on time so they never are late, and also the food is warm. I am very satisfied with the product and service they provide to me. However, one day I heard my friend complaining about a restaurant service and then I asked him why so, and I realized that he was talking about the same restaurant that I order pizza. He said many bad things about that restaurant, then he told me that delivery is always late so then the food is cold. He also complained that he pays much more money because his house is far away from this restaurant. Therefore, I think that the reason of this problem between my friend and that restaurant is that the location of the house, so it is normal if the delivery is late and the food is cold. However, my house is near the restaurant, so I donââ¬â¢t face these problems. In the end, the difference is that I am very satisfied with their products and service but my friend is not satisfied and told everyone about the bad issue he experienced with that restaurant. To sum up in other words, all companies should be concerned with that percentage of people who are not satisfied even if the number of these people is low because negative things are spread much faster to others and positive ones. 2. Create a loyalty program for AUK with the 4 positive effects in mind Loyalty programs are a type of sales promotions defined as the efforts to reward frequent purchases or consumptions of customers. Anyhow, we have to point out the difference between loyalty and loyalty programs. Loyalty is the attitude of customers for a particular brand. It is divided in two dimensions, behavioral and attitudinal loyalty. Behavioral loyalty is a degree where customer buys the product regularly and does not respond to competitors. Attitudinal loyalty is the degree where customer prefers or likes the brand. There are four positive effects of loyalty programs longevity effect, the blocker effect, spreader effect, and the accelerator effect. Longevity effect is the process of lengthening of the lifetime value of customers by increasing their switching costs. Blocker effect is the process of blocking out marketing communications from competitors. Spreader effect is the willingness of customers to buy related products from a marketer. Accelerator effect is the process where customers speed up to make purchases in order to get to the next level of their loyalty program offers. AUK Loyalty Program The loyalty program tends to encourage customers to buy a product and make customers come again to buy the product. In AUK, students not only can pay for their tuition but also for extra lectures such as cisco, summer program etc. Moreover, AUK could have a loyalty program in a way from those students who come from the same family and town. When a student attends AUK, then he or she will have a 50% discount from the actual price for cisco. Also, summer program is one of them that make a discount for AUK students each summer. Furthermore, AUK provides a 15 % discount of price for a second person from the same family and 30% for the third. Even though, all students of AUK would have the opportunity of 20% reduction in price for work and travel during the summer in the Unites States, with the company called ââ¬Å"Zip Travelâ⬠. Therefore, this loyalty program would have 4 positive effects. One of the longevity effects is that AUK attracts students from the same family to join AUK w ith a discount in price. For example, I have a friend who joined AUK last year, which he has a brother here at AUK who is going to graduate next quarter. He told me that, he did not even think to come at AUK but his brother convinced him to make such a decision and attend AUK. Also, he mentioned that AUK offers a 15% discount in price for the second person of the same family. Maybe the discount and quality that AUK provides encouraged my friend to register in. The blocker effect is also included to the loyalty program of AUK because it provides for its customers extra courses such as Cisco located in the Blue Building at AUK. All students of AUK would have 50% discount in price if they want to take those IT classes. Therefore, when students hear about this offer, they do not bother to go somewhere else and take these classes because this offer with a cheaper price is all right. Therefore, this is how AUK loyalty program blocks out marketing communication from competitors. The spreader effect would be also included to the loyalty program of AUK. For example, I know a friend who participates in every summer program that AUK offers. He told me that, he is very satisfied with the lectures and professors of AUK and that AUK offers a discount for its students who want to participate in the summer program. These are the reasons why he enjoys taking every year classes at AUK during the summer season. Therefore, he is loyal to AUK and does not want to take summer courses in other countries as some students do. The accelerator effect is also one of the loyalty programs included at AUK. An example that AUK offers would be that if in AUK are three students that come from the same family, the second would have 15% discount and the third would have 30% discount. By this offer AUK attracts its students to invite its family member attend at AUK because of the price discount they offer to them. If my brother would come next year at AUK, he would get 15% discount in price, but also if in the following year would come my sister then she would have 30% discount which is a very good offer in attracting more people. In other words, the more people of your family, much cheaper it would cost to you.
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