The Digital Economy

In recent years there has been a greater interest in a â€Å"digital economy†. This new economy is surviving and doing well, despite the fact that there has been a decrease in IT investing in the last two years. Even with the decrease, IT is still going strong. This decrease, which occurred only recently, followed on the heels of a huge boon in IT activity and investment during the 1990's (Price, 2002). The idea of a digital economy is not new. It has been dreamed about for years. The problem was that technology had not advanced far enough to make the digital economy a reality yet. Now that it has, the IT sector is moving forward in an effect to change the economy of the entire world into a digital economy filled with technology and e-commerce, which will offer great convenience and also great speed when doing business on virtually any level from the simple consumer purchase to the large, multi-billion dollar corporate deal. There are several important characteristics of a digital economy. First, the physical movement of people, things, money, etc. , will not be needed. Everything that needs to be done will be done electronically. There will also be an urgent, rapid globalization of economic activity (Ministry, 1997). In other words, the way that business is done will change completely. Some of that is already being experienced in the way that many people now shop online for items and have them delivered directly to the intended recipients, instead of waiting around in long lines in crowded stores, only to find out that the store is out of whatever it is the person wanted anyway. Digital economy will stop all of that, and it will do much more. That is just a small and simple example. There are, of course, much larger ramifications for businesses that deal with a great deal of money, time, and manpower all over the world every day. Second, contracts and other means of securing and sealing business deals will all be done electronically (Ministry, 1997). There is a concern about this, however, because many people are not comfortable today with even doing simple things like giving their credit card number to an online company to pay for a purchase. Clearly, many advanced safety and security measures will be required before all businesses will feel comfortable receiving a contract or proposal that is electronic instead of in writing. Third, the basis of the digital economy, IT, will continue to grow and expand very rapidly. This will result in many changes in economic activities. Economic rules will need to be created and updated at a very rapid pace so as to keep up with competitors and not get left behind in the information age (Ministry, 1997). People who make the rules and regulations for electronic commerce and IT will have their work cut out for them in this new digital economy. There will be a need for many more rules than the traditional economy has, because of the delicacy of electronic transmissions and the potential for ‘hackers' to get into a computer system and get a hold of sensitive information such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and social security information, among other things. Fourth, and finally, the digital economy will make its way to everyone (Ministry, 1997). Even people who do not own a computer now will find themselves caught and pulled into this changing economy. Some people will resist this change because they are concerned about security, or simply because they do not like the way the world and the idea of commerce is changing. Especially people who have been around since the days of walking down to the corner store to get some penny candy. While it may be difficult to convince everyone, especially the older generation, that e-commerce and the digital economy are good things, it must be done because the digital economy is coming. The digital economy came about slowly, as people looked for new and better ways to do things. As IT expanded, it brought with it change, and a renewed interest in what human beings could accomplish if they simply put themselves to the task at hand. Because human beings decided to find out, technology began to grow at a very rapid rate. Now, it is not that technology is changing so fast, it is just that many different components of it are changing all at once (Harris, 2002). As for the power behind the changes, much of that has come from entrepreneurs and other businesspeople that want to see things work better, faster, and smoother. They are also interested in the most possible profit they can get, which causes them to be interested in any kind of cost-effective technology that can help them reach that goal. The more work that entrepreneurs were willing to do to help themselves, the more they also urged technology forward (Harris, 2002). While the IT sector is not officially in control of the global economy yet, it soon will be (Brotman, 2001). Technology is advancing so rapidly that there is no reason to expect it to suddenly stop, or stranger yet, disappear. Because technology has come so far, businesses must go along with it. They will be left behind if they do not take an interest in technology and the digital economy now. Technology and e-commerce are fast becoming the way that people do business. This trend will only continue and will be very difficult to ignore in the next few years. Without taking action now, businesses will be struggling when all of their competitors have the digital and economic advantage. The outlook is very good for the digital economy. The main reason that this new form of business will do so well is because it is based on a form of business that works and has been around for a long time (Sahlman, 1999). While some people, especially in the United States government, are panicky and concerned about an economic crash, many people are coming to the realization that not only is the digital economy on a sound footing, but it is also going to be here. It is around to stay, and the concerns of the government are not going to make it go away (Sahlman, 1999). The digital economy will work because it has fewer barriers to trading and dealing with other countries than the traditional business methods. It will work because it is built on a solid foundation of good business ideas and planning. Most of all, it will work because people want it to. They believe in it and they will see that the digital economy goes forward, no matter what the cost. The digital economy has not quite made it around the globe yet, nor has it accomplished everything it wants to accomplish, but it is still in its infancy. When it finally makes it around the globe and insinuates itself into every transaction that is made, however small that transaction may be, every business transaction will be faster, easier, safer, and more convenient than ever before. That is something that many businesspeople all around the world are looking forward to. So are consumers. No more lines, no more hassles; just the ability to get business done and have the time to go on to something else. All of this has come about because of information systems and computing. Information systems and computing have become more widespread in many organizations throughout the last 15 years and the amount of this has deepened and infiltrated almost every level of organizations (Adams & Sasse, 1999). Some of this has to do with the fact that personal computers have become more powerful and increasingly less expensive (Adams & Sasse, 1999). This has created the ability to have computing power and management information systems tested and placed into the hands of many more individuals throughout various organizations, and this includes the government (Adams & Sasse, 1999). How computers are used and the nature of what they are needed for has also changed recently because computers have come into many more homes (Adams & Sasse, 1999). Much of this comes from extending computers from the workplace into home life (Adams & Sasse, 1999). Some of it also comes from laptop computers and how they have become so important for individuals that travel and need to take their work with them so that they will be able to check e-mail and exchange messages no matter where they are (Adams & Sasse, 1999). Because of all the changes in the nature of computing their use has continued to speed up and spread out to more and more individuals (Adams & Sasse, 1999). Many of these are linked to various organizations or they have specific networks that they are linked into which allows them to do more things. The Internet has also become extremely important because people all over the world can work with each other through a computer and this avoids many of the long distance phone calls, business trips, and other issues that would normally have to be dealt with when dealing with a client or customer overseas (Adams & Sasse, 1999). Much of the use of computers within the public sector and the government is growing very strongly. One study that was conducted regarding state governments indicated that, in general, all states on average were spending over 3 percent of the budget that they had for their executive branch on the management of information resources and computer use (Adams & Sasse, 1999). For all of the 50 states in this country this would come to a combined total of $19. billion (Adams & Sasse, 1999). This particular study was taken in 1989 and estimates indicated that by 1993 the number would be $52. 6 billion (Adams & Sasse, 1999). This would be much higher today. That same study also examined the type of computer use that was dealt with in county governments because their budgets are often smaller than states. An estimate taken in 1992 indicated that county governments throughout the United States were spending approximately $23. 8 billion on management information systems which amounted to over 17 percent of the operating budgets that they had (Adams & Sasse, 1999). Business strategy and IT strategy are often very closely interlinked, especially in today's global and technologically advanced society. However, the selection of information systems is not always appropriate for the business at hand, and when the strategy and information systems do not mix, it can be disastrous. One business involved itself in the business-to-business (B2B) context. B2B is where marketplaces are created so that sellers and buyers can come together more easily, which helps to improve efficiency, liquidity, and other factors (Putting, 2002). The B2B exchange generally did not do well after a very short time of prosperity, and many people believed that the whole concept was flawed, but it appears that the way the concept was executed and not the concept itself was where the problem actually was. In other words, it was not the idea of a B2B exchange, but rather the strategy that the companies used, that caused the problems for many of these companies. The strategy of the B2B idea was the main problem with the concept. The problem largely revolved around the issue that both suppliers and buyers were needed, but the suppliers would not congregate if there were no buyers and the buyers were not interested if there were no suppliers (Putting, 2002). In other words, both groups had to be present but which group would get there first and how to get both groups there together so that everyone would be interested because a large problem. This problem was one of strategy, as the concept of B2B was strong but it was not well planned-out. In hind-sight, the B2B concept would have worked much better if companies had understood it better before they agreed to it. They did not really understand the concept clearly, and this is part of the reason that there was so much trouble getting both suppliers and buyers to come together at the same time so that they would be able to do business which each other more easily. There were also other reasons that the concept did not do well, and these included the idea that suppliers feared the direct comparison that they felt they would be subjected to and would cut into their margins, as well as the lack of interest between buyers and sellers both in paying any kind of transaction fees for what they felt was a very simple and inexpensive process of matchmaking (Putting, 2002). Another problem with the strategy, and the way that it ties into the IT issue, is that the buyers and sellers market that the B2B concept was attempting to create was begun before the computing and software abilities were in place to allow such a thing (Putting, 2002). It is quite likely in the future, however, that software will be created that will allow for the B2B concept to work the way that it was designed to work. This does not mean, though, that the B2B concept is one that will be revived, simply because the technology is there. It may be something that has already had its time and will not be coming back, regardless of what kind of effort is made to revive it. However, the B2B concept has now gone in a different direction and it may be headed in the right direction finally. Instead of working toward exchanging things, the B2B companies now are more interested in software and various solutions that can help others with e-business efficiencies and business processes (Putting, 2002). By doing this, the B2B companies will be able to build their businesses by getting one customer at a time instead of trying to build all of the marketplace that does not have any customers (Putting, 2002). In a related area, an industrial group that consisted of manufacturers of tools that are designed for the automobile industry collaborated to create a computing environment but they were ahead of their time by as much as two years (Worthen, 2001). Because of that, there was no real way to integrate the systems that they created and many of the employees were afraid that there would be layoffs because the money that was spent – 4 million dollars – would not be allocated for something else and was basically wasted when the integration did not take place as planned (Worthen, 2001). This is another case of taking the IT strategy and the business strategy as separate entities, when they really should have been dealt with together to avoid the problems that the group of manufacturers faced. Although the message is getting across to other companies about what these manufacturers can do and provide, there are still problems with any kind of integration, and this is costing these companies both money and reputation, both of which could be very harmful if too much of them is lost. In both of these cases just discussed, there were problems with the strategy formulation and implementation, as well as the strategic process itself. In other words, there were strategic challenges that were not examined and thoroughly accounted for before the implementation was begun. By far the largest strategic challenge that is facing marketers today is that of globalization (Shaw, 1999). In the next 10 years the global marketplace will continue to grow and as it does marketers must work harder and smarter to come up with new ways to keep their marketing and advertising campaign appealing to the largest number of people possible (Shaw, 1999). This can be somewhat difficult, because globalization means the drawing together of many different cultures and beliefs, which represents a strong and worthy challenge for those that market a product, business, or service to various countries. In a B2B context, these people from all over the world must be able to work together, and this can be very difficult when cultural, language, and other barriers get in the way, and when the strategy has not been carefully planned out. Possibly the most significant issue when it comes to strategy is that of standardization – the product or service must be standardized enough that it will work well for all customers – which is something that many of these companies do not consider before they implement B2B ideas that relate strongly to IT. One of the main problems with looking at this is the evidence that many business managers do not clearly understand what standardization is and therefore the responses that they give when indicating to marketers what they actually want may represent a strong desire to protect their self interests (Onkvisit & Shaw, 1994). When they do this, marketers must be careful to make a determination as to whether these business managers really want to market in the way that they are indicating or whether there are other factors that the managers must be made to understand before successful marketing campaigns can take place (Onkvisit & Shaw, 1994). Studies that have been done into this issue also failed to address whether there were specific approaches to marketing and advertising products that are seen to be more effective (Shaw, 1999). There are lessons to be learned from this, however, besides the obvious need for standardization. Other lessons include the fact that marketing something new can be very difficult and the companies that wish to work in a B2B context must expect that they will have a difficult time convincing others of the worth of what they are doing. Also significant is the idea that IT cannot always keep up with what these companies want to do, and the business strategy must tie into the IT strategy. If the two are not compatible, there will be a great deal of trouble and a lot of money lost, which many businesses certainly cannot afford. All of this is causing a great deal of organizational change in many businesses. Organizational change is necessary and important and various aspects of change management must be dealt with by these businesses. These include the resistance to change from management and employees, as well as how to facilitate and implement the process of change. Evaluating effectiveness is also important. Change is a reaction to the environment in which one must compete. Because technology is evolving so fast this environment has become fluid and some have difficulty adapting to it. However, today's business environment demands it. Change also presents challenges, and organizations must use these as a platform to build on and learn to welcome the changes that are taking place. Much of this change comes from external forces such as technology, economics, or regulations and laws that have been changed. This is quite often in the form of computers. However, the fact that laws and regulations change so quickly also has significant impact on organizations. Another area of change is from internal forces and these often deal with problems with processes or behaviors. The design of organizations must continue to change to adjust to new technology and consumer demands and this can have a significant impact on the decisions made by human resources. Organizational change deals with things that encompass the entire organization rather than a specific individual or department. Making employees aware of the necessary changes in advance of them occurring can make the transition easier and make individuals more flexible about changing. Sometimes individuals can bring different perspectives to the situation and these change agents can often help to create more of a catalyst for change in an organization. Training employees becomes high priority for organizations that are undergoing change and utilizing teams for this so that the timing and scope are right can become one of the most significant things that companies can do to ensure that change takes place properly and with the least amount of difficulty. Information systems can be quite helpful for this, but only if they are correctly utilized. There are many different ways to look at telecommuting. Depending on the country one comes from, there are conflicting opinions on exactly what the word means, and the same is true of ‘telework,' which has also been used to mean roughly the same thing as telecommuting. Some people define telecommuting as an arrangement that allows employees to carry out their work at a location away from the conventional office, either in the employee's home, satellite offices, or neighborhood work centers (Qvortrup, 1998). Still others define teleworking as a way of working using information and communication technologies in which work is carried out independent of location (Harris, 1998). There are four main ways in which people can telework. Firstly the employees can work from home, liaising with the office by using phone, email, or fax (Nilles, 1996). The second way could be when the employees split the time between home and office (Nilles, 1996). Thirdly there are certain types of employees, for example sales people, journalists, etc. who carry out their work while they are on the move (Nilles, 1996). Fourthly, there is an arrangement called the tele-cottage, which provides neighborhood centers with shared computers and communications resources for the office workers (Nilles, 1996). Teleworking can also be defined as performing job related work at a site away from the office, then electronically transferring the results to the office or another location (Nilles, 1996). During the 1970s and 1980s, telework in Europe was often termed as ‘Electronic Homework' and was either based on full time contract or on a freelance relationship with the employer (Nilles, 1996). It has been suggested that an adequate definition of teleworking should include three variables: the location of work, the use of electronic equipment, and the existence of a communications link to the employer or contractor (Nilles, 1996). It is work which relies primarily or to a large extent on the use of electronic equipment, the results of which work are communicated remotely to the employer or contractor. The remote communications link need not be a direct telecommunications link but could include the use of mail or courier services (Nilles, 1996). The word ‘Teleworking' together with various pseudonyms such as telecommuting, networking, flexi place or the electronic cottage, has been used to describe various types of work. The term teleworking has also been divided into three sub-categories in order to specify the many different modes of telework which can be found today (Nilles, 1996). The three sub categories included Electronic Homework, Telecommuting, and Flexi Place (Nilles, 1996). This can be defined as working at home and delivering the work directly to an external customer using some form of telecommunication. Telecommuting is working away from the work place. (i. e from home or on travel, and communicating with the employer with the assistance of computers and some mode of telecommunication) (Nilles, 1996). The Internet these days is a common mode of communication used for this purpose. Flexi place involves no defined location of work. A person on flexi place uses his computer and telecommunication device while working on the move (Nilles, 1996). This often involves the Internet, and this can be dangerous, as many people are not aware of cyber ethics, or the ethical issues that pertain to Internet usage. It is very important that adults and children alike utilize information that deals with cyber ethics so that they are more aware of how to handle problems that may arise (Friedman & Nissenbaum, 1996). Many of these people are not aware of how to use the Internet ethically and responsibly and because of this they often do things that are detrimental to themselves or others without actually realizing it (Friedman & Nissenbaum, 1996). Within the last decade or so there have been numerous incidence of hacking that have involved young individuals and have received strong public attention (Friedman & Nissenbaum, 1996). EBay, Yahoo, CNN, and other various sites were attacked not all that long ago and viruses have apparently run rampant on the Internet in recent months and years. They are very strong reminders of the great deal of damage that young individuals can cause when they decide to ignore cyber ethics and see how much fun they can have instead. According to recent information it appears that computer hackers and viruses cost businesses globally over $1. 5 trillion during the year 2000. All signs point toward a problem that is continuing to grow because young individuals do not view hacking as something that is actually dangerous (Friedman & Nissenbaum, 1996). Unless there is a very strong shift in the way these young people are looking at this issue the problem will only continue and will likely get worse. A poll taken of almost 50,000 students in middle and elementary schools revealed that almost 50 percent of them did not see computer hacking as any type of a crime (Friedman & Nissenbaum, 1996). Citizenship is very important not just in the world but on the Internet as well and it seems that adults have really got to begin to take more responsibility for teaching children about cyber ethics (Elgesen, 1996). Information technology is somewhat wild at the moment because it is still relatively new and taming it down with responsible and ethical use and guidelines must be done. The best way to do this is by teaching a curriculum of cyber ethics that will began in either preschool or kindergarten and will continue with the students all the way up through their schooling (Elgesen, 1996). This will show not only how to use the technology appropriately but how to look for content and what all should be done to ensure that people are utilizing the Internet logically and safely. Various professional development courses that deal with educators and campaigns that are designed for awareness in communities are also needed in order to help educate many adults about the responsibilities they have when they use computers (Elgesen, 1996). Quite often adults reward or glamorize young hackers even if they do not really realize that this is what they are doing (Elgesen, 1996). The technical abilities that these children have are very impressive but the behaviors that they utilize them for are completely inappropriate for society (Elgesen, 1996). It is very important to begin teaching decision-making skills that are ethical to young individuals with their first exposure to technology. This is largely one of the ways that unethical behaviors and technology crimes can be avoided or at least may be minimalized (Gorniak-Kockowska, 1996). If individuals wait until students reach the workplace to try to teach them proper cyber ethics it will be way too late because ethics and morality is often developed in young individuals by the time they are 10 to 12 years of age (Gorniak-Kockowska, 1996). Technology is very important to help individuals work toward a better world but if cyber ethics are not addressed very soon it is quite likely that technology will then not flourish the way that it was designed to but instead will be fraught with problems and complications that will only make things more difficult. Although teaching cyber ethics is very important, most individuals surveyed recently indicate that parents should be the ones to teach children about copyrighted material instead of allowing it to happen in school (Introna, 1997). These same parents should also teach their children about the rest of cyber ethics and how important they are. Because children use computers so much at schools and because they also have Internet access through these schools it is becoming increasingly more important that teachers and parents both take a very active role in teaching not only safe computer use but cyber ethics as well, so that this lesson is learned well before these children grow up and enter the business world (Introna, 1997). Surveys taken of many adults still confirm that most of these individuals believe it acceptable to download copies of works that are copyrighted even if they are not authorized to do so (Introna, 1997). Intellectual property on the Internet should be respected as well (Introna, 1997). By emphasizing this to the nation's young individuals and to their parents perhaps more respect will be gained at home and also in schools, making it easier for the workplaces around the country (Introna, 1997). Teachers and parents should begin to work together to ensure that young people throughout the country are only using computers and the Internet for good intentions and are respecting what they find online instead of downloading unauthorized copies (Introna, 1997). The issue of cyber ethics is changing very rapidly because technology is growing and changing as well. One of the problems with it is that the definition of it can be very broad or very narrow and this often makes it difficult for individuals to actually determine what cyber ethics means and what it means for them specifically. In other words, some of them see it as not utilizing the computer to hurt anyone else but others see it as being much more than that by ensuring that copyrighted material and other issues are kept protected (Introna, 1997). When computers first were created there was nothing known as computer ethics because the Internet and other things which could cause individuals to find a great deal of copyrighted material and other intellectual property online was not available (Introna, 1997). Computers were seen as a tool, and not seen as something that could be utilized to harm others or cause problems for various individuals throughout the country or throughout the world. However, it did not take society long to realize that harm could come to people and their property over the Internet. Efforts have been made to stop this kind of behavior and protect copyrighted material, but the effectiveness of these measures is questionable.

DBQ: Jacksonian Democracy Essay

In the 1820’s and 1830’s, the Jacksonian Democrats believed they were protecting many aspects of freedom for the American people and I agree with their beliefs to a limited extent. The Jacksonian Democrats were successful in maintaining the political democracy during this time. However, they were completely defeated in their attempt at establishing and preserving individual liberty. While, they were successful in some aspects of guarding the equality of economic opportunity. I agree with the Jacksonian Democrats on the topic of Political Democracy. As Andrew Jackson points out in Document B, â€Å"It is easy to conceive that great evils to our country and its institutions might flow from such a concentration of power in the hands of a few men irresponsible to the people† and further more, â€Å"It is to be regretted that the rich and powerful too often bend the acts of government to their selfish purposes.†. He was criticized for his own actions by Daniel Webster in Document C, where he called him hypocritical and irresponsible. Webster claimed that Jackson was bad for the country and was not satisfying the needs of the majority. However, this is less fact, as it is pure criticism by Webster, one of Jackson’s biggest critics. In spite of these claims of power abuse, Jackson used a system of rotation of office to keep the members of equal power. Regardless of Jackson’s efforts to give power to the people, â€Å"the grand question of the time was ‘whether the people should be encouraged to govern themselves, or whether the wise should save them from themselves.'† As stated in Document D. Political Democracy was a priority for Andrew Jackson and he successfully established a government to protect it. Jacksonian Democrats did not protect individual liberty. Though Jackson was a strong supporter and activist in the fight for individual states’ rights, this did not carry over to individual liberty for all people. Document F contains two acts resolved in South Carolina. The third of the Acts and Resolutions was an attempt to regulate the media and one’s right of free speech, attempting to â€Å"make it highly penal to print, publish, and distribute newspapers, pamphlets, tracts and pictorial representations calculated and having and obvious tendency to excite the slaves of the southern states to insurrection and revolt† as stated in Document F. Also in  the document, they try to prevent mail distribution as a result of the transmission of incendiary tracts. While in Document E, a riot in Philadelphia causes â€Å"hostility to the blacks and an indiscriminate persecution †¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Chief Justice Roger B Taney points out, â€Å"While the rights of private property are sacredly guarded, we must not forget, that the community also have rights, and that the happiness and well-being of every citizen depends on their faithful preservation†. Though this is true, the fact that individual liberty has not been protected remains. The Jacksonian Democrats partially fulfilled their role as â€Å"guardian† in relation to protecting the equality of economic opportunity. As in the case in Document H of Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge (1837), the government enforced the set rules and was in no way lenient or giving, as they should be. In this case, Chief Justice Taney ruled that â€Å"there is no exclusive privilege given to them over the waters of the Charles River†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This ruling exhibits the effort the government put forth towards maintaining equality of economic opportunity. While in Document B, Jackson states, â€Å"The present Bank of the United States †¦ enjoys an exclusive privilege of banking, †¦ almost a monopoly of the foreign and domestic exchange.†, and this is obviously a failed element of maintaining this equality, and a very important one at that. Though Jacksonian Democrats were not in favor of the Bank of the U.S. as a whole, they were still not able to co ntrol it as a necessary. In the 1820’s and 1830’s, the Jacksonian Democrats believed they were protecting many aspects of freedom for the American people and I agree with their beliefs to a limited extent. Some of which, I completely agree with and others that I could not see in my wildest dreams. They did not protect individual liberty at all but claimed they were the official â€Å"guardians† of it. As for the equality of economic opportunity, they were able to achieve this in some arenas. The individual cases were decided in favor of this attempt but the national issues weren’t won. The Jacksonian Democrats were able to play the role of â€Å"guardian† and protect many of the rights they believed they did, but I don’t think they came near covering all of them.

Put the best topic Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Put the best topic - Assignment Example Heroism is not recognized in leadership but everything that is done in leadership is through the assumption that one matters in all aspects. Role models in leadership are mostly family members from where one comes from. Entertainers are considered to be role models in leadership (Law and Ian, 301). Leadership is not inborn but can be learned. It is learned from observable practices, skills and behaviors. The learned are the reasonable skills and abilities. Skills and abilities that are learned can be strengthened and enhanced through motivation and desire that one has. John Cedel develops his leadership talents through observation of what was happening in the environment. He was keen on the other leaders, their strengths and their weaknesses. Once one is a leader, they learn to be better that what they are (Law and Ian, 106). Learning about leadership is not for everyone but for those who master it and considered having a strong desire to excel and belief that skills and abilities ca n be learned and enhanced. Leaders can be good but there is consideration that best leaders are the best learners. A good leader is that person who never stops learning. Experiences, both good and bad should be used to enhance leadership. Those that are learned about leadership should be put in practice. Becoming a leader is not for the sake of an individual but for the sake of everyone in an organization. High IQ does not make performance of a leader better. Those that are brilliant only have the average intelligence without practicing. John Cedel after becoming a leader does not stop learning about leadership skills that are needed in the organization. Skills that he learns make him effectively manage workers in the organization. Having a passion to learning is what makes a leader have good performance (Law and Ian, 205). The passion exposes one to honestly examine how the leader and the others perform. It is through the belief

Reading Response of the TWO readings Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reading Response of the TWO readings - Assignment Example ng at their own homes to workshops and factories, where tea became part of daily routines, replacing gin and beer as the national beverage.2 In â€Å"A Taste of Empire, 1600-1800,† James Walvin argues that the demand for luxury staples, such as sugar, tea, tobacco, and chocolate, are products of social and economic changes in British life. He asserts that the demand for tea increased because Britain also became a world superpower who used slavery trade and wars to attain their economic ends.3 Both Pomeranz and Topik and Walvin agree that tea is related to trade and colonialism because it is a product of international trade and demand for it increased because of the need for other luxury staple products. Pomeranz and Topik and Walvin note the increasing demand for tea using the same information that tea became popular in Europe during the eighteenth century because of cheaper sweeteners. They are also similar in addressing the slave trade that became an important driver to reducing the prices of sugar and to highlighting the role of trade to expanding colonialism. Walvin asserts that the slave trade decreased sugar prices,4 and Pomeranz and Topik agree that the â€Å"availability of cheap sweetener† encouraged tea consumption.5 What is different between the two is that Pomeranz and Topik focus on workshops and factories as main social influencers of tea consumption,6 while Walvin is more general in emphasizing that even the poor in Europe, especially in Britain, dr ank tea in large amounts.7 Walvin further informs the text of Pomeranz and Topik by describing the slave trade, and how Britain’s rise as a commercial and military power played a role in its global trade goals and practices,8 whereas Pomeranz and Topik shows how the British used the Opium War to manage its tea trade with China.9 Pomeranz, Kenneth, and Steven Topik, eds. â€Å"Brewing Up a Storm.† The World that Trade Created: Society, Culture, and the World Economy, 1400 to the Present. NY: M.E. Sharpe

Evaluating sow welfare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evaluating sow welfare - Essay Example In this case, the common systems included tethers, stalls, and other group housing system. Meta-analysis results established that the average level of oral-nasal-facial, productivity and blood cortisol concentrations were similar for sows in stalls and group pens (McGlone et al. 2004). For the review, housing system does not change heart rate, but circulating cortisol concentrations were higher among gestating sows kept in tether than other housing systems. The review also identified that gestation housing system sometimes influences sow behavior, including social behavior, stereotypic ONF, feeding behavior, or postural locomotory (McGlone et al. 2004). In order to validate their review’s results, this paper provides a critical analysis of the meta-analysis and other measures employed to compare the welfare of sows, in these two systems. This paper further investigates whether the meta-analysis and numbers presented justify the study’s conclusion. Meta-analysis is a sta tistical method that is used to compare the results of several independent researches that are considered as â€Å"combinable†. ... Researchers using this method are required to write a detailed research protocol, in advance, and clearly state the study’s objectives, develop the hypothesis to be tested, the subjects of interest, and propose criteria and procedures for identifying and selecting valid studies and obtaining and analyzing data (McGlone et al. 2004). The method for selecting relevant studies should be well delineated with much focus on whether the search will include unpublished studies, whose results may significantly differ from published trials. It is usually recommended considering unpublished studies, in meta-analysis since one that is restricted to published studies may produce irrelevant results due to biases of such publications. Most researchers usually obtain published studies from electronic databases or Cochrane Controlled Trial Register. The results obtained from different studies must then be expressed in a standardized format to make their comparison easier. This method employs w eighted average of the results to compare different research findings. In this context, larger trials have more effects than the smaller trials. In McGlone et al. review, the authors performed meta-analysis by extracting data from published scientific papers. They used the mean value for treatment in each scientific paper as the experimental unit for performing meta-analysis (McGlone et al. 2004). For instance, if the weighted values from an unreplicated pen were present in the paper, then they were considered for meta-analysis since each study represented a single observation. It is worth noting that the meta-analysis presented in Table 1 significantly justifies the study’s conclusions. In this

Benefits And Necessity Of Bilingual Education In Schools And Essay

Benefits And Necessity Of Bilingual Education In Schools And Universities - Essay Example The broader view perceives bilingual education as the presence of double languages, and, hence, tasks for students, in an instructional environment. However, while many people think bilingual education is ineffective and unnecessary, I have discovered it to be otherwise. Critics have opined for long that bilingual education is financially beyond most foreign parents and, therefore, unnecessary. Their view has always been that the cost of educating the minority-language learners in classes undertaking bilinguals in foreign countries is more than that it requires educating students in dominant-only language programs (Crawford 71). A political view has also stated that encouraging bilingual education in universities encourages minority-language students to go against assimilation initiatives as they protest the teaching of the dominant language (Crawford 39). Although most of them are willing to live as part of mainstream society, they are not as ready to let go or alter their culture a nd native languages. This aspect is further compounded among the more informed university students who tend to associate the term â€Å"bilingual student† with uneducated or poor backgrounds as it has been stereotyped in the US or Europe (Lindholm-Leary 68). Furthermore, a public perspective of government-implemented programs on bilingual education has been of that intended to assimilate immigrants into the American culture hence, working in an opposite direction as to its intended outcome. Most foreign students are welcomed with the idea of being isolated linguistically, limiting their learning and earning potential while in foreign countries.

Satelite Distribuidora de Petroleo Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Satelite Distribuidora de Petroleo - Case Study Example From the high-interest rate expenses, SAT may face liquidity problems and risks. This risk will make SAT lack sufficient funds to facilitate its ongoing operations The main drive towards investing is the desire to create value. Therefore, some of the financial issues that Darby would be concerned about are the future returns that this investment will earn it. In addition, it will be concerned about the initial investment cost and the shareholding. Besides, Darby will study the past financial performance of SAT through both trend and ratio analysis in order to make an informed decision. The legal issues to be considered revolve about the nature of the relationship being created with regard to the Brazilian Company Law. This will involve issues to do with the minimum shareholding and control, rights and duties of each party. Closely to this are the governance issues that Darby will have to consider. I order to ensure that its interests were taken care of, it could be concerned that it is represented by demanding key executive positions and board seats (Applegate and Minardi). Darby is likely to reap immensely big by investing in SAT. This will arise from the already proven track record, and milestone SAT has taken to be among the most reputable firms in this industry (Applegate and Minardi). This gives rise to goodwill, which further assures it of continued market expansion and customer loyalty. Its team of able and strategic-minded executives has been screening the market for new opportunities and has diversified SAT’s single commodity to a line of them. In itself, this presents, SAT as a unique investment opportunity. The continued growth and expansion will make the SAT’s stock to increase in price thereby maximizing Darby’s value in it. However, there are also costs and losses related to this investment. The major losses that Darby stands to face when it invests in SAT are associated with the financial risks. These

Answer the question in essay form Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Answer the question in form - Essay Example My patients would probably not be comfortable with me being a male as they generally were served by females previously. Females are known to be more caring than males and hence my patients would prefer a female nurse to manage them. To handle the role conflict, I would have to learn the profession more closely. I would have to work with females to learn their skills so I can manage my patients in the same effective manner. To further finish the role conflict, I would make my patients more comfortable with me by showing them my good management skills. Being a female boxer on the other hand would have similar problems. Boxing is a a profession stereotyped for males and not females. Females would generally be discriminated in boxing and I would hence face this discrimination. Women are believed to be physically weaker than men and hence boxing would be discouraged by everyone close to me. To handle this conflict I would have to go for proper training and show everyone that I am strong enough to handle this profession. This strength would thus help in diminishing the discrimination. Thus it can be analyzed that role conflict can be managed with appropriate skills and management and nowadays this is being done in many

Cultural event report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Cultural event report - Essay Example Indeed it was a beautiful sight as we passed through the garden and entered in to the main hall which was full of visitors. Majority of people present in the hall were renowned artists who were there solely for the sake of praising the art of African Americans. A large number of paintings and sculptures were placed on display. However, the most significant feature of the gallery included paintings gifted by Andrew W. Mellon in 1920. In addition to this I found following two very special pieces of art. It was a wonder work by an American artist Jacob Lawrence (1917-200). This distinctive painting was made using graphite and tempera on wave paper. As the name indicates it was a picture reflecting the streets of crowded busy outdoor Nigerian market. Shops were shown on either side of the street and people were captured busy in making purchases. The colors were used in such an artist manner that the viewer could image himself a part of the crowd, who is able to hear different sounds, buy and sell goods, etc. Additionally a dissonance of primary colors finely tuned the overall sense of upheaval. This was yet another unique painting of its type featuring a tripled image such that the viewer could see one man from three different dimensions as a single captured subject. The Painting was made using oil on canvas and this distinctive piece of art was the creation of Barkley Leonnard Hendricks. The picture clearly reflected the culture and fashion of 1970’s in the era of civil rights. Very few colors were used in the painting and therefore it was giving a complete natural look. We reached there at around 12 pm on a bright sunny day. It was chilly winter and the sunshine was feeling like a blessing. The distance was about 50 kilometers from my residence and we covered it in around 20 minutes. The National Gallery of Art is built upon a very large area with a huge garden of approximately 6 acres.

Developmental Geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Developmental Geography - Essay Example There is only one option for banking in China, the state-run, bureaucratic system. This monopoly system does not allow for anyone but the already wealthy to borrow from their coffers. This banking system shows the state's disinterest in developing the poorer areas of the country by their investment in only the wealthy segments of the country (Qinglian). 3. Individual debt ties in to the choice for second place among the factors slowing down the further development of China. With the only banks as state-run institutions that are disinterested in assisting customers in the rural areas of the country, they are effectively keeping those citizens in poorer circumstances. The vast national debt of the country is also a cause for major concern. China is trillions of yuan in debt and continues to borrow from other countries, allowing companies in Switzerland, the United States, and others to become predominant fixtures in the Asian country (Qinglian). International companies see the debt of Chinese owned companies as a way to move into the financial market in Asia. International companies are slowly taking over the Chinese market. 4. ... The Chinese government keeps those areas at bay by not allowing for much developmental growth by keeping the families that are already residents in their place and by also not allowing an influx of funds to these rural areas that would assist in economic growth and the further development of the country. 5. The political instability in China stems from the large amount of international interest in the country. Many of the corporations taking root in the cities are not Chinese-based organizations, allowing for the westernization of these areas of the country. In an effort to compensate for this, the Chinese government is keeping their traditional regulations in place over the rural segments of the country, even though they have de-regulated the cities which have received the highest international attention (Yao). In this way, the Chinese government is fighting international corporations for control over their own country. 6. China is seeing a large amount internationalization not only of the companies decorating the concrete landscape of the cities, but also in their export products. Many international companies outsource manufacturing work to China because of cheap labor. The export industry is a major force in the Chinese economy. The major exports of the country lie in the technology manufactured in China and sent to other parts of the world, including cell phones, computers, and other various electronic paraphernalia (Workman). Export is a main source of revenue for the country which causes financial problems for China with the current global economic slowdown. Section B: 1. Export growth has given the development of China a

HIV Vaccines Essay Example for Free

HIV Vaccines Essay A vaccine is a biological preparation intended to improve an individual’s immunity to a specific illness or disease. Most vaccines are composed of weakened or killed forms of an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism. A typically safe version of the pathogen, which is unable to cause the disease, is then produced by the altered or inactivated state. Once the vaccine is administered into the blood stream, the agent is recognized as a foreign body, which then triggers the process of active immunity, which in turn builds up antibodies to fight this particular pathogen (Wisegeek). Vaccination is intended to provide protection so that if the body comes in contact with the same type of disease in the future, the immune system will already have memory antibodies to fight the disease before symptoms occur. Since the introduction of vaccines for illness causing pathogens, diseases such as measles, polio and the common flu have greatly decreased in occurrence. With that being said, not all vaccines have been proven to be safe or effective. One virus that does not yet have an effective preventative vaccine is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). HIV is a retrovirus that attacks the human immune system. Transmission of the virus can occur in many different ways; through contact of infected secretions of one person with the genital, oral, or rectal mucous membranes of another person. HIV can also be transmitted through blood and from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or through breast milk (Healthmagic, 2010). The virus is characterized by its two glycoproteins: gp120 and gp41. The larger of the two glycoroteins is gp120, this molecule is the primary site of attachment to CD4 receptors of the host cell and while also triggering inflammation when shed into the blood. Gp41 promotes fusion to a target cell while remaining on the cytoplasmic membrane. HIV infects four types of cells: helper T cells, macrophages, smooth muscle cells and dendritic cells. Attachment and entry of HIV into T cells and macrophages occurs in three steps. In the first step, gp120 binds to the CD4 (cluster of differentiation 4) molecules on a host cell; forming a complex known as gp120-CD4 complex. Second, this complex binds to a chemokine receptor, which removes gp120 from the virion. This process if finalized when the virion binds to a cell. Once bound to a cell, the virion’s envelope contacts and fuses with the cytoplasmic reticulum through the medium of the gp41. The HIV capsid then gets insinuated into the cytoplasm; however its covering of gp41 gets left behind and becomes part of the cells cytoplasmic membrane. With gp41 remaining on the cytoplasmic membrane, it is then able to fuse with over 500 cells to form a syncytium, which is a giant cell with multiple nuclei. This fusion is very dangerous because it allows HIV to move from cell to cell without being exposed to any antibodies that are in the blood. During synthesis, an enzyme called reverse transcriptase, transcribes the double stranded DNA using TRNA as a primer in the cytoplasm. Reverse transcriptase is prone to making a lot of errors during this process which generates an abundance of new antigenic variations of HIV. The double stranded DNA then enters the nucleus and is inserted into a chromosome by the enzyme integrase. Once the double stranded DNA is integrated into the cellular DNA it remains a part of it for life. Once the newly infected double stranded DNA is integrated into the chromosome, it cannot be changed or counter acted. However, there are various therapeutic vaccines to help regulate the virus (Bauman, 2011). Therapeutic vaccines are designed to help treat people who are HIV positive by controlling the virus. Those who are infected with HIV and live with it for an extended period of time, start to develop antibodies on a specific part of the glycoprotein 120, which is in charge of initiating the activation of HIV. This antibody, C5, is known to be crucial in producing certain antibodies that are able to control HIV by regulating its hyper action that destroys the human immune system. However, induction of these antibodies cannot occur unless GP120 is at the surface of the virus. In order for gp120 to be at the surface of the virus, gp41 and the antibody C5 must fuse. This is a process that is unable to occur on its own (Bionor Pharma, 2010). The therapeutic vaccine Vacc-C5, invented by Bionor Immuno, is an antibody-mediated vaccine that binds C5 and gp41 together so that the antibodies from C5 can be effective and help regulate the virus. A preventative vaccine is designed to prevent individuals from getting HIV. Over the recent years there have been many studies and attempts to create an effective vaccine to prevent HIV but unfortunately none have been proven to be successful. A good example of a preventative vaccine, that had hopeful prospects, is the AIDSVAX vaccine developed by Philip Berman. AIDSVAX is composed of a synthetic version of the glycoprotein 120, a part of the HIV’s envelope, which the virus uses as a mechanism to latch onto and enter the cell. This version of gp120 was meant to stimulate the production of antibodies against strains of HIV that it resembles, giving immunity to the strain of HIV. However, this vaccine was proven ineffective after the clinical trials. Near the part of the gp120 that attaches to the cell, there is a chain of a specific sequence of amino acids called the V3loop. The V3loop is the most variable part of the glycoprotein and in order for an envelope vaccine to produce an antibody response; it has to be against the exact strain of the virus (Brian Deer). HIV is a virus that has many different strains and is also constantly going under mutations within replication therefore preventing the AIDSVAX vaccine from halting the infection of the virus. The development of vaccines against HIV has not yet reached a point of success. HIV is a virus that has many characteristics that make it highly difficult to prevent and treat. HIV is capable surpassing immune response because of its ability of generating many antigenic variants; due to it being so highly mutable. Also, not only does HIV attack the various cells in the body that combat infections in the immune system but it can also spread through syncytia via formation by gp41, evading detection from immune defence all together. Vaccine development is still an important tool in healthcare because there are still millions of people who currently live with the disease and many who are at a high risk of contracting it. However, even with the many developments in medical research, the production of vaccines is still a costly procedure which also presents ethical and medical problems. In the meantime, the spread of infection must be slowed through the increase of awareness and availability, of information on the risks of contracting the disease. In order to avoid contraction, Health Care Providers must provide the public with information about safer practices, such as; safe sex and the proper use of sterile needles and syringes for injections. They can also promote proper blood screening procedures and spread information on medications, therapeutic vaccines and other ways an individual who already has HIV can prevent the spread of the virus as well.

Employee Empowerment Case Study: TGI Fridays

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

Wake up before its too late

Wake up before its too late Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen. ‘When the well is dry, we shall know the value of water- these famous words by Benjamin Franklin vividly describe the world we live in today. It is only when we run out of things that we take for granted, that we realise how valuable and priceless it really was. Unfortunately, by that time it is usually too late to mend the damage. I would like to start with a little story that took place at a sea-side. Each time a wave washed on land, it would carry a couple of dozens of starfish, deposit them ashore and then the waves would reunite with the sea. As you all know, starfish can only survive on land for a few days. A young boy decided that this had to stop. The death of these wondrous creatures deeply disturbed him. Determined to put an end to this terrible fate, he set about trying to save them by picking up each one and throwing it back into the sea. A man came across him and curiously asked, â€Å"Why bother throwing the starfish back into the sea? Each time you throw one, a dozen more wash across the beach!† â€Å"Well,† said the boy, stooping down to pick a starfish, â€Å"At least, Im saving this one,† as he threw it back into the sea. Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to address this important session at the 12th Annual International Conference on the Environment. I would like to express my sincerest gratitude towards all of you for your august presence. Today, I stand here, positive that I speak on behalf of several others, with similar concerns and hopes for the future of our planet. I am going to tell you about the three environmental issues, which, in my opinion, are the most pressing problems that need to be dealt with, to heal our Mother Earth, to save it from destruction. Let me tell you what is happening to our planet Earth, what will happen to it if we do not enact a change, effective immediately. Firstly, let me take you on a journey to todays tropical rainforests. We have cut trees to serve our personal benefits. We have cut trees to expand our agriculture. We have cut trees to exploit oil to use in our factories. We have cut trees to use in our paper, furniture and building industries, to name a few. All this has undoubtedly enabled us to have a comfortable life. However, there are always two sides to a coin. Lets sneak a peek at the other side. We have cut our single, most essential source of oxygen. Rainforests are so much more than our typical image of just trees and shrubs. They are a home to some of the most diverse species of plants and animals and we are thoughtlessly destroying it. Our tree cutting is also causing soil erosion, flooding and global warming. We have been seeking ways to make our life comfortable. Our comforts have created d iscomforts for our Mother Earth. We have, instead, forgotten it for own convenience, for our immediate wants and needs. Trees can not be cut down one day and then be expected to grow back the following day. So let us wake up before it is too late! Now, let us venture from the rainforests to the vast oceans and seas. Since the beginning of mankind, water has been the key source of civilization. It has been our heritage and we owe everything to it. As you all know, water covers about 70% of the Earths surface. However, only 3% of it is fresh which can be used for drinking or irrigation. Recently, during my visit to a seaside, my eyes were opened to the sheer amounts of discarded waste, stretching from the beaches to the sea. I was appalled by the amount of unexpected litter strewn across the beach. People ruthlessly throw syringes, rubber slippers, plastic bottles, bags and tins on the beach. Wastewater from factories and industries, and insecticides from farms had also ended up in the sea. This results in the endangering of marine ecosystems and also makes the water harmful for human consumption. As the world population grows, the need for water also increases. Approximately 1.1 billion people in the world do not have access to safe water; this is roughly one sixth of the worlds population. If we do not act fast to prevent water pollution, it wont be long before our Earth will turn from a blue planet to a dirty blue planet. So let us wake up before it is too late! Finally, let us take a trip to the upper atmosphere and get a close-up of what is actually happening there. Rain- our source of water- has also become dangerous. There is an increasingly high concentration of pollutant gases worldwide from power stations, factories and cars. These gases have dissolved with tiny droplets in the clouds to form acid rain. The proof of this is the famous site in India- the Taj Mahal. The effects of acid rain have taken toll and weathered away the beautiful marble. That is not all! The ozone layer- the shield which protects the Earths surface from the dangerous rays of the sun is being destroyed due to air pollution. Today, there is a massive hole over the Antarctica. The list of such follies is just endless. As a society, we need to understand that our actions have major implications on the environment that can be virtually irreversible. So let us wake up before it is too late! Remember back to the forest fires in Scandinavia, to the dying coral reefs in Fiji, to the flooding in Manila and then remember all the stories that we hear of philanthropy and humility displayed by humans all over the world every week. All of this is proof that we care, that we are perfectly capable of defining what is right and wrong and thereafter standing up for what is right, standing up for each other, and standing up for the environment. In spite of all our selfish acts, we all have a sense of compassion treasured within us. Together, let us cultivate this compassion towards making a fruitful future for our planet. The question is how. How can you as an individual enable a change to help the environment? How can you ensure that you will never have to walk out on the streets to face a never-ending landscape of bareness? The truth is that we can not resolve this problem without a joint effort. The truth is that we have the ability to make a change, all we need is willpower. The truth is that it may be challenging, but it will also, most certainly, bear the fruits of the seeds we have sown. The fruits that will be enjoyed, not just by us or our children, but also, the children of the future- those who are not yet born, those, who we will never know and never meet, they are the ones who need us the most. If we as individuals take the initiative to create a clean environment nothing is impossible. We must start with the little things such as saving energy and disposing of litter properly, which, on its own, can make a huge difference. A consciousness should be cultivated in us. It is only then that we shall be able to advance to working on major issues. If we all work together from a local scale, to a national scale and eventually a global scale we will most definitely be able to re-create a beautiful earth to live in, for not only the generation of today but also for many more generations, yet to come. We must join hands to protect our environment, join hands to secure its future and join hands to ensure a better place for our future generations. Together, we can make a change, a change for the better; we can make a change today. It is never easy to accept defeat, to accept failure and to admit that we didnt do enough. Let us hope that the day never comes when we regret our actions. Let us act now to prevent our very own despair, remorse and resentment for what we may lose because of what we didnt do. Lets not give us a chance to ask ourselves- ‘How did we get to this? I urge you now to do every little bit you can to benefit the environment. Let us not wait till its too late. On this note, I would like to end by saying that every little action will make a difference. Every little action counts. Just like the little boy at the seashore, we too must save every little starfish that we can. Thank you very much for your kind attention, ladies and gentlemen.

An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley :: Papers

An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley Set in a modern Victorian house in South America. It is mid autumn in October.Charmaine lives with her mother,Liz. ''Ive told you already,Charm, your not having a Halloween party!'' ''But mum, you have never let me have a party before.'' ''I know and whatever you do or say isnt going to change my mind about it.'' ''Just at least let me take responsibility for something for once!'' ''No,your not having a party in this house.'' ''Why are you being so unfair, i hate you sometimes!'' ''Dont you ever say you hate me. Just go to school. Ive had enough of you!'' exclaims her mother. Charmaine grabs her bag,sandwich,Snickers bar and bottle of Evian,then she checks her long,silky hair in the mirror before she leaves. As Charmaine arrives at school she sees her friend Maxine starting to approach her,Maxine looks kinda upset and Charm wasnt really in the mood to make her best friend feel as happy as usual. Also Charm had bad news to tell her friend about the party. ''Hey Max, are you alright?'' ''Not really, I had an argument with my mum this morning and she said I am not aloud to go out tonight,I have to babysit Liam because shes going to a meeting at work.'' ''I had an argument with my mum too, I asked her if I was aloud a party tonight and she said ''No'' just like everything I ask for.'' ''Oh maybe we should just give Halloween a miss this year.'' ''Well I had an idea. My mum is going out tonight night with some work mates and maybe if I asked her if I could have a couple of friends round to watch a few scary movies,she might let me.'' ''Yeah she might do and I could ask her if I could bring Liam with me to your house, if you don't mind him being there.'' ''Sure,I dont mind, it will be well good,get to see Johnny Depp,in his new flick.'' ''He is so gorgeous!''