Porter's Five Forces Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Porter's Five Forces Model - Essay Example It is needed to discuss to what extent that Porter's model of national competitive advantage adequately accounts for variations in national business systems and comparative economic performance. Porter's theoretical postulates on national competitive advantage have been critically examined by many authors. Egan (1995) suggests that Porter's focus on a specific country's success in international trade in one particular industry is of importance due to the fact that there is the untiring accent of the often superior model that the customer comes first. This paper examines Porter's emphasis on the four determinants (the Diamond) of the national competitive advantage (Porter, 1990). Porter's arguments on factor conditions go to the other extreme as well. He proposes that lack of resources would not act as a barrier to development, Eg. Switzerland, Singapore like countries. His demanding conditions are equally loaded with such positivity as a complicated domestic market and its implications in guaranteeing a competitive edge in international markets to the country concerned. Eg. wine industry of France. His related and supporting industries argument parenthetically emphasizes the technology-related benefits (Rao, & Holt, 2005). The spill-over effects of main industries lead to the creation of supporting industries and next the cyclical effect goes on and on to bring about a very positive outcome in competitive advantage, Eg. Italy's leather shoe industry. Finally his firm strategy, structure and rivalry related posture focuses on capital markets, individuals' career choices, management structures and strategic competitive environment in domestic markets. AnalysisOutline of Porter's Diamond of national competitiveness Competitive advantage in international trade is defined as "the nation's capacity to entice firms (both local and foreign) to use the country as a platform from which to conduct business" (Paulson, & Wilber, 2002). The sectoral strength /weakness analysis of a nation's economy to determine competitive advantage in international trade by Porter is a revolutionary idea which gathered some more drive during the post 1998 period. Whereas many economists have doubted the efficacy of Porter's conceptual framework of the "diamond of national competitiveness" basically owing to its many shortcomings in structural consistency, others agree that its theoretical underpinnings have stronger relevance to modern international trade context. Factor conditions, as Porter defined them, not only refer to mere physical resources such as land, labor and capital but also to some key or specialized factors which are being continuously created as against being inherited (Murmann, 2003). For example the firm continuously innovates and produces a specialized set of resources such as capital, skilled labor and infrastructure. After all such specialized resources cannot be copied by rivals - the resource-based view of the firm and leadership.Porter also discusses non-key or non-specialized resources such as unskilled labor. According to him they fail to create a permanent competitive advantage because they are not endowed with those difficult-to-duplicate characteristics that are inherent in specialized

Consumer Behavior phenomenon analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Consumer Behavior phenomenon analysis - Essay Example Through such analysis, it is the hope of this author that the reader will gain a more definitive and firm understanding with regards to the taxi application market and the way in which new startups are seeking to rapidly integrate and provide needed services for consumers within a given market. By utilizing this particular market as a microcosm of the way in which consumer interaction with given good service takes place in the way through which consumer demands as a two-way street upon the way in which marketers engage consumers, the reader will be able to come away with a more profound and delineated understanding of the way through which the process take place in a new and expansive market. The first question that will be discussed is with regards to the ultimate benefit that the consumer retains from integrating with the given service. Both articles references the fact that taxi apps have come to be a way through which the consumer’s life is greatly simplified and the proce ss of ordering a cab to a specific geographic location does not require an individual to be physically present upon the telephone with a dispatcher. In this way, the different start up firms that have sought to provide services via a web enabled and mobile platform have sought to fulfill the consumer’s needs through decreasing the barriers that had traditionally existed for people to call taxis. Similarly, with regards to why consumers ultimately consume the product/service offered, this can be understood with regards to the inelastic demand for transportation services. Whereas it is true that there is somewhat of an inelastic demand with regards to taxi service within various parts of the world, the social and cultural determinants of a particular region are the most powerful factors in helping to delineate whether or not taxi demand is considered a luxury item or standard expense. For instance, within the United States, taxi fare, depending on the city, is not considered as an essential complement of transportation; however, within various parts of Europe and Asia, transportation is very much something that individuals integrate with on a daily basis and come to rely upon as a fundamental service (Mance 1). In this way, the young startups that have been discussed within the articles in question focus upon the means through which marketers can seek to interact with the consumer in order to maximize the level of integration with the service. This is of course done via a number of mechanisms to include aggressive online advertising, sleek and streamlined interaction with the web interface, benefits of service and specific discounts based upon region, and a rapid push to dominate specific markets. Due to the fact that these young startups are ultimately enable, at least at the current juncture, to integrate with the broader market as a whole, and instead focus upon regional and geographic focus in order to engage the highest market share. The process itse lf is indicative of many of the processes that more established firms within the market currently make. However, what is unique about analyzing the competition and growth/development of the taxi applications is the fact that the nascent level of the current market allows for a clear delineation in the strategic approach and level of market outreach that each firm seeks to employ. As past business interaction has proven, the

Hurricane Katrina Essay Example for Free

Hurricane Katrina Essay Whenever natural calamities occur they leave people terrifies, traumatized and to some the shock is just too much too handle. For the people who are not affected by the calamity the least one can do is to offer assistance of any kind to victims of the calamity. It is thus becomes inhuman when a person takes advantage of resources and money reserved for people who have been befallen by a calamity to benefit their self interests. When Hurricane Katrina struck millions of people lost their lives and hundreds of million others were displaced. It has been more than four years since this calamity struck. Despite the many years that have passed the effects of this hurricane is still being felt till today. Amazingly though, while some people are still grieving for the losses suffered from this calamity, some people on the other side have been taking advantage of the money raised and resources put together to help the victims of the storm. This essay looks at some of the scandals that have been unearthed since this hurricane struck (Adam. 2009). When hurricane Katrina struck Americans came out in large numbers to contribute for the victims of this calamity. At least $1. 85 billion was given as charity and this came from contributions of good Samaritans all over America. Months after these contributions were made and passed to the assumingly right channels it is now coming a shock to many a people that the money has in fact never found its way to the right place let alone benefit the victims of hurricane Katrina. There are many scandals surrounding the money that was intended the victims of the storm. Massive rip offs of money that was meant to help the helpless (Hakeem. 2006). One of the major scandals involving the money that was contributed for the survivors of this tragedy is one that involves stealing money from the Red Cross International center that was established shortly after the hurricane struck. This center was established in an attempt to aid victims of the storm by providing them with a form of identification which the victims would then use to claim some money. However this center, though established through a Red Cross initiative the whole process was delegated to another company which was expected to wok out all modalities on behalf of Red Cross. The employees of this agent company however looked at the whole process and found some loopholes through which they could somehow take advantage of this money and channel elsewhere to benefit individuals who had not been affected by hurricane Katrina and consequently living the victims of hurricane Katrina in the cold without money and a place to call home (Hakeem. 2006). Investigations carried out reveal that the employees of this agent company that was carrying out the rescue process on behalf of Red Cross called all their friends and acquaintances and gave them the funds that were originally meant to benefit the victims of the storm. Simply put, the form of identification that was meant to be given to victims of hurricane Katrina were given to people who had not in any way been affected by the storm and consequently these people got money that was meant for these victims. It was outright fraud (Adam. 2009). As investigations continue this issue continues to puzzle and draw more questions than answers. It is not yet clear how this happened without any person noticing it. Or is it that those who were expected to keep an eye and watch are the ones who were busy enriching themselves? How could such a delicate matter be handled so casually? Did Red Cross ever suspect any backstabbing by the companies it had outsourced this work to? According to U. S Attorney McGregor Scott, when the hurricane struck the number of casualties were way to many for this non governmental organization to handle. Thus in the circumstances they were not left with much of a choice but to look for help beyond their boundaries and outsourcing seemed the best of all the available options. Pressure was quickly mounting on Red Cross not to sit on the money that had been raised to help the victims but instead move expeditiously to ensure that the money had been distributed to the victims. As a result of this pressure there was not much time for Red Cross to establish protocols of good faith with the companies that had been given the contacts to give the money to the survivors. This was the biggest loophole (Robert. 2009). It has always been an issue because Americans are complaining of the money that they contributed to help the victims. It is now a big scandal and Red Cross is having trouble going around this whole situation. With the massive suffering that hurricane Katrina caused people are alarmed at these scandals. It is unbelievable just how far the brutality of human beings can go. References Adam. K. (2009). New Orleans, New York: Lonely Planet. Hakeem. et al, (2006). Absurdities, Scandals Stupidities in Politics, New York: Lulu. com. Robert. et al, (2009). Race, Place, and Environmental Justice After Hurricane Katrina: Struggles to Reclaim, Rebuild, and Revitalize New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, New York: Westview Press. .

Nandos Management and Leadership Structure

Nandos Management and Leadership Structure Nandos started in 1987 in Rossetthenville, South Africa when two friends, Robert Brozen and his friend, Fernando Duarte went into a restaurant and ordered the offer that was on the menu. The friends had the flame grilled chicken with peri peri and they enjoyed the meal so much that they decided to buy the whole restaurant, Chickenland and changed the brands name to Nandos. Nandos has moved to the UK five years later and since become a world re-known brand name associated with flame grilled chicken. Nandos first restaurant in the UK was based at Ealing, from which they created a unique vision encapsulating many aspects of the South Africa Portuguese experience which played an important part of the ethos of how they developed their restaurants. Robby wanted all restaurants to individually reflect the location and retain the character. He recruited engaging and inspiring people to manage the business, maintained quality of the product by flame grilling the product to be consumed by customers not far from where they seated, over time, the brand was born. Grant, R M (2002) From this time onwards, a remarkable and unique major multi-million dollar business serving in many parts of the world. Today, it employs around 7000 workers in the UK with about 228 restaurants and is growing at a rate of 15 to 20 more restaurants on year by year growth rate. On the international scene, it has developed a strategy by which it expands using Franchising model that allows it to stay close to the core business. It maintains its core values, culture and location attributes making it stay focussed on the nature of the business in its franchise relationships. Culture and leadership According to (Johnson and Scholes 2006): Nandos allows flexibility for the culture of the countries they operate in to be incorporated. The companys leadership has achieved a great deal in the short time that they have been around. The major achievement recently was recorded when in March 2010, the company was awarded first place in the Sunday times top 25 best companies to work for in the UK. The classification is based on being able to employ at least 5000 or more workers. White, C (2004) Grant, R M (2002) Nandos achieved a maximum of three stars in the Best Companies Accreditation Award in 2009. Nandos is the only worldwide company to receive three stars in the United Kingdom. The award measures eight significant areas that include well-being, personal growth and leadership. And in 2010 the company entered the Sunday Times Best Companies to work for and came out first, beating other companies such as Goldman Sachs and Price Waterhouse Coopers. The company again received the full three stars, showing not only quality but sustained commitment to the leadership and management development across the organization. Grant, R M (2002) Training and development The National Training Awards (NTAs) have been running for quarter of a century, the awards recognise and celebrate Investors in People accredited organisations that have delivered outstanding organisational benefits by directly linking the training needs of their people to the business needs of their organisation. Nandos, over the years have achieved awards for five of their in-house training schemes. These are: buddy systems (buddies are much experienced staff who help train new staff); new restaurants opening training; working in management teams (team building); Nandos inductions; and coaching programmes. In addition, Nandos was first recognized as an Investor in People in 1998. They are now celebrating ten years of recognition. White, C (2004) So, what is behind the outstanding set of achievements? According to Nandos human resources director Julia Claydon, Its not just one thing; its a whole mix of different things. At the heart of the business is a unique culture and a set of fundamental values and ways of doing things. Pride, passion, courage, integrity, and family are the five values that drive behaviours and decision making in the company. Fun, friendly, and different, is the way one employee described the feeling of working at Nandos and the sense of belonging that is found within the company or family as it is described. I wanted to be part of a success story and be with a family of like-minded people. They even use different words, tone of voice, and language in everyday life at Nandos. The board of directors are referred to as the Full Monty, restaurant managers are called Patrao (head of the family in Portuguese), Nandoca is a waiter, Grillers are the chefs, and the head office in Putney is referred to as Central Support. All throughout the restaurant interior, on the menus, the walls, internal documentation, company website, and marketing material, you will see the same fun, funky, and different style of language. Barcelos is the Cockerel, was chosen as the symbol of Nandos because Robert and Fernando like the explorers of yesteryear believed in faith, justice and good luck. They refer to CSR (corporate social responsibility) at Nandos as Do the right thing. The spirit of Nandos is alive in each of their restaurants through the hand-selected, diverse mix of global music usually South African, and unique features to ensure you enjoy the Nandos experience. They have the largest collection of art by South African artists in the UK and the support and investment in this industry has changed many lives for the better in deprived areas of South Africa. On the green energy front, a new Nandos restaurant which is located on the Junction 27 on the M62 in West Yorkshire is an eco-restaurant, where h eat energy from the grills are recycled to warm up the water and heat up the central-heating system. Also, the frying fat is recycled for fuel. This approach will be gradually introduced to all the Nandos group of restaurants. The members of staff are encouraged to participate in community projects in their locations of their own sites, and schools and colleges partnerships and the funding of community improvements, as well as the donation of staff time and effort is strongly supported and is also seen as a staff development opportunity. Grant, R M (2002) Pride, passion courage, integrity, and family, the five business values drive the everyday ethical and honest behaviour, and this engaging culture results in an impressive level of 45 per cent of appointments that are filled through career progression within the businesses. The management ethos is to allow as much leadership responsibility and authority for decision making to be at the local restaurant level as possible, once the restaurant has been approved and signed off personally by Robert Enthoven himself. In essence, the leadership and management style is one that can be associated with a hands-on action-orientated, situational, and contingency approach. There is a fairly tight framework, as you would expect, to ensure consistency around the product and brand, that is centrally controlled by the support functions of procurement, marketing, and distribution. Yet almost all else is down to the local leadership of the Patrao (manager/family leader). That is, the recruitment/select ion, resourcing, motivation, training of staff, and the customer service and profitability of the restaurant. Training and facilitation in the Nandos way as well as developing the business profitability and the personal growth of the Patraos themselves, and spotting future talent, are promoted up to the next level up of management, the MDs (managing directors). Even below the conventional management level, all Nandocas are encouraged to challenge substandard quality and service in line with the company values. White, C (2004) There is a widespread development process to support career paths at Nandos. There are some specific and technical courses that member of staff must undergo, such as food hygiene, licensed house, health and safety regulations, etc. Then also many other sessions; coaching, people management, finance, and leadership development, etc. Staff can select as many sessions as appropriate that have been identified in the success management process. In terms of speed of career progression, it usually takes approximately 12 to 18 months to get to first assistant position and a further similar period to get to be Patrao. As can be seen, Nandos investment in training is given high priority as this is considered a key enabler for business success. In fact, the training of staff members costs amount to approximately 75 per cent of the human resources budget. Nandos human resource department is faced with improving the training and development evaluation systems and looking for continuous improvement methods that will really measure worth and added value of this level of training and development. Whilst there is a strong intuitive sense and informal evidence that this investment in training is linked to the success of the business, Nandos would ideally like stronger, more specific assessments. Evans, N Campbell, D and Stonehouse, G (2003). Diversity is also a major factor which differentiates Nandos from any other restaurant groups. It has always employed staff from a wide diverse culture, regardless of their level of English. They are trained in ways that work best for that individual and provided with development opportunities. These members of staff are given opportunities to develop within Nandos and to be the best they can and there are numerous stories and examples of employees from abroad who have fitted in well with the Nandos family culture and gone on to develop successful careers within Nandos. Recruitment and selection are carried out by each restaurants manger itself and the team members are also heavily involved. Normally, a trial shift is set in order to see if a new recruit has the right skills and capabilities, if they have the right attitude, and if they get involved in the fun and delivery of good service within the restaurant. Participation and a high level of involvement by all staff are significant to Nandos. It is a regular occurrence for conferences and formal get-togethers, where staff are consulted and included in introducing new working practices and processes. But its not all work; they also like to enjoy themselves, and one thing about the people at Nandos: they have great annual Nandoscars, which are parties thrown by the company and awards are given to the best members of staff. White, C (2004) Leadership in the organisation In 1987 two major reports Handy et al., and Constable and McCormick, acknowledged that the UK had the lowest number of qualified and degree-educated managers when paralleled to chief competitors of the time and that there seemed to be an association between productivity or organizational success and educational achievement of managers and leaders (Constable and McCormick, 1987), the development of leaders and managers has grown in importance. Handy et al. (1987) found that most managers had little higher education and when a manager got a new managerial role they generally learned about the new job through gaining experience at work. These reports led to the professionalization of managers in the UK and to the realization that leaders were not just heroic characters who appeared in an organizations hour of need, but that there was a diversity in leadership and that individuals could be assisted to develop leadership and management skills. Debates about the connections between leaders and managers similarities and differences are one of the key sections. White, C (2004) Variety plays a vital role in the restaurant since the need for developing and educating leaders and managers was recognized, an increasing range of methods with different interventions were developed, mostly focusing on within the company. Leadership and management development has matured, often in seclusion, from the remainder of personnel and human resources manager, and sometimes even as a separate function from employee training and development. Whilst there may have been worthy reasons for such separation, however, it is important that clear links are made within the major human resource management and development areas-and that these, in turn, are able to contribute to and be part of business strategic planning to secure an organizations future senior managers and leaders. The importance of horizontal and vertical integration of business strategy, organizational development, and the management and development of human resources has never been more obvious as organizations, fro m all sectors struggle for survival in an increasingly difficult national and international environment. Grant, R M (2002) The growing importance of continued improvement of those who are future leaders and managers can be acknowledged by reviewing changes in the external environments in which organizations operate. Within the UK, there are major changes and debates about the nature of work and the working population, with increasing diversity, changing opportunities, and increased external political, economic, environmental, and social influences. Globally, changes and influences are very easy to identify through new developing economies and cultures. Recent crises help to demonstrate that all nations and economies are critically linked and that survival of each is reliant on all. Managers and leaders therefore have to learn how to work in such organizational and international environments, taking account of diversities within. For organizations, there are more opportunities due to greater employee mobility, but with technological development there are requirements to manage increasingly distant and div erse employee groups through technological networks. Evans, N Campbell, D and Stonehouse, G (2003) Theories of motivation Many theories have been proposed by many authors on the subject of motivation in organisations. Among some of the notable contributors to this debate was an industrialist named Frederick Winslow Taylor, who put forward the concept that workers are motivated by rewards in pay. In his Theory of Scientific Management, he argued that workers do not necessarily enjoy to work and therefore need to be controlled and closely supervised. In order to achieve this, managers need to breakdown the production into a number of small related tasks and given training to improve their skills sets which should result in efficiency over a period of time for the tasks they are assigned to do. The second major observation was that workers should be paid according to the production levels they attain over a given period of time, this he called piece rate pay, which as a result would encourage workers to produce more achieving the maximisation of productivity. These methods later were adopted by the business world as they saw the benefits that they offered through increased production levels resulting in lower unit cost of production. Henry Ford was the first to use the methods on a large scale when he introduced the production line to make ford cars. This was the beginning of the mass production systems as we now know them to be. Within Nandos there is a resemblance of the Taylorism which is applied by the workers having division of labour. There are those who simply welcome the dinners and those that serve them on the till. Yet still some ensure that the flame grills are going on smoothly so that the patronage is served on time. There is a good case for a classical production system within Nandos restaurant. Taylors methodology has close relations with the concept of an autocratic management style, where managers decide on all the decisions and simply give orders to staff members that are below them, and Macgregors Theory X methodology to workers in which workers are viewed as lazy and wish to avoid responsibility. Further down the line, the workers soon came to dislike Taylors methodology as they were only given boring, on challenging, repetitive tasks to carry out and were being treated little better than human machines. Businesses could also afford to lay off workers as productivity levels increased which in turn led to an increase in strikes and other forms of industrial action by dis-satisfied workers. Elton Mayo understood that workers are not just concerned with money but could be better encouraged by having their social needs met whilst at work (a factor that Taylor ignored). He presented the Human Relation School of Thought, which concentrated on managers taking more of an interest in the workers, treating them as people who have worthwhile opinions and realising that workers enjoy interacting together. Mayo carried out a series of experiments at the Hawthorne factory of the Western Electric Company in Chicago where He secluded two groups of women workers and studied the effect on their productivity levels of altering factors such as lighting and working conditions. He anticipated to see production levels decline as lighting or other conditions became progressively worse but what he actually discovered astonished him: whatever the change in lighting or working conditions, the productivity levels of the workers improved or remained the same. From this series of experiments Mayo came to the conclusion that workers are best motivated by three major factors: Improved communication between managers and workers (Hawthorne workers were consulted over the experiments and also had the opportunity to give feedback) White, C (2004).Greater manager involvement in employees working lives (Hawthorne workers responded to the increased level of attention they were receiving) Working in groups or teams. (Hawthorne workers did not previously regularly work in teams) In practice therefore businesses should re-organise production line in order to encourage greater use of team work and introduce personnel departments to encourage greater manager involvement in looking after employees interests. His theory most closely fits in with a paternalistic style of management. Abraham Maslow along with Frederick Herzberg introduced the Neo-Human Relations School in the 1950s; the main focus of the school was the psychological needs of employees. Maslows theory states that there are five levels of human needs in which are essential for employees to have in order to be fulfilled at work. All of the needs are structured into a hierarchy (see below) and only once a lower level of need has been fully met, would a worker be motivated by the opportunity of having the next need up in the hierarchy satisfied. For example a person who is dying of hunger will be motivated to achieve a basic minimum wage in order to buy food before worrying about having the respect of others. Grant, R M (2002) A company should therefore offer different enticements to workers in order to help them fulfil each of the needs in turn and advance up the hierarchy (see below). Managers should also be aware that not all workers are motivated in the same way and do not all move up the hierarchy at the same pace. They may therefore have to offer a slightly different set of incentives from worker to worker. Frederick Herzberg had a close relationship with Maslow and believed in a two-factor theory of motivation. He argued that there were certain factors that a business could introduce that would directly motivate employees to work harder, the motivators. He also believed that there were also factors that would de-motivate an employee if not present but would not in themselves actually motivate employees to work harder, the Hygiene factors. Evans, N Campbell, D and Stonehouse, G (2003) Motivators are more concerned with the actual job itself, for example how thought-provoking the work is and how much opportunity it gives for extra accountability, credit and advancement. Hygiene factors are factors which surround the job rather than the job itself. For example a worker will only turn up to work if the company has provided a reasonable amount of pay and safe working environment but these factors will not make him work harder at his job once he is there. Importantly Herzberg viewed pay as a hygiene factor which is in direct contrast to Taylor who viewed pay and piece-rate in particular. Herzberg understood that businesses should motivate employees by accepting a democratic approach to management and by improving the nature and content of the actual job through positive methods. Some of the methods managers could use to motivate employees are: Job enlargement, in which workers are given a greater assortment of tasks to perform (these tasks are not necessarily more challenging) which should make the work more stimulating. Job enrichment which involves workers being given a wider range of more difficult, exciting and challenging tasks surrounding a complete unit of work. This should give a greater sense of achievement. Empowerment means allotting more decision making power to employees to make their own choices over areas of their working life. Managing diversity Multiculturalism is a system of beliefs and behaviours that recognizes and respects the presence of all diverse groups in an organization or society, acknowledges and values their socio-cultural differences, and encourages and enables their continued contribution within an inclusive cultural context which empowers all within the organization or society. White, C (2004) There are the four pairs of action phrases that give substance to the Definition of multiculturism: beliefs and behaviours, recognizes and respects, acknowledges and values, encourages and enables, and a fifth one, empowers. Multiculturalism is a system, a set of interrelated parts-in this case, beliefs and behaviours-which make up the whole of how humans experience and view todays world. It includes what people believe about others, their basic paradigms, and how this impact, and are impacted by, behavior. The outcomes of this framework of beliefs/behaviors are seven important actions. The first is acknowledgement of the rich variety in a given society or organization. For the longest time racial/ethnic minorities, the physically disabled, and women have not been given the same acknowledgement as others. The one-sided approach to history and education has been a testimony to that fact. Grant, R M (2002) With acknowledgement should also emanate respect. Respect and acknowledgement are not the same, since be acquainted with the existence of a group does not necessarily produce respect for the group. In a slave economy, for example, the presence of slaves was recognized but their humanity was not respected. For example, in the United States of America, the presence of   American Indians in the Western expansion of the continent was constantly recognized by whites, but their environmentally conscious cultures were never respected. Thecontribution of women has usually been relegated to a footnote status.   Multiculturalism also entails recognizing the validity of the cultural expressions and contributions of the various groups. This is not to imply that all cultural contributions are of equal value and social worth, or that all should be tolerated. Some cultural practices are better than others for the overall betterment of society. Evans, N Campbell, D and Stonehouse, G (2003) These cultural expressions and contributions that differ from those of the dominant group in society are usually only acknowledged when there is an economic market for them, such as music for African Americans, native Indian dances for tourism or cuisine from India. When the business sector wants money, the advertising industry pictures people of colour in a positive light. But in most other cases the entertainment media simply misrepresentate minority stereotypes, such as women usually in supportive background roles. Multiculturalism means valuing what people have to offer, and not rejecting or belittling it si mply because it differs from what the majority, or those in power, regard as important and of value. Multiculturalism will also encourage and enable the contribution of the various groups to society or an organization. Grant, R M (2002) Women and persons of colour, for example, often experience dissuasion because what they bring to the table for discussion is often regarded as of little value or worth. Not everything can be utilized, however, nor is of the same worth Many different organisations in society, such as colleges, churches, businesses, corporations, as well as communities have also achieved diversity well, but again, for purposes of segregation. Audre Lorde 2010 explains, we have no patterns for relating across our human differences as equals. Without such patterns or models, the prevalent attitude and behavior toward persons of colour and others with biological, physical and sociocultural differences, or those with operating out of different thinking systems, has been one of exclusion and control. Today, to reach potential as organizations and society,that attitude has to shift to one of inclusion. White, C (2004) states that managing diversity is an non-stop process that unleashes the various skills and abilities which a varied population bring to an organization, community or society, so as to create a wholesome, inclusive environment, that is safe for differences, allows people to reject rejection, delights in diversity, and maximizes the full potential of all, in a cultural context where everyone profits. Multiculturalism, as the art of managing diversity, is an inclusive process where no one is left out. Diversity, in its core, then is a safeguard against idolatry the making of one group as the norm for all groups. Therefore, one of the dangers that must be avoided in grasping a proper understanding of multiculturalism is bashism. Bashism is the tendency to verbally and/or physically attack another person or group based solely on the negative meaning given to group membership-due to natural, cultural, political or socioeconomic differences (such as sex, age, race/culture, political party, class, education, values, religious affiliation environmental destruction), one of the principal problems confronting world society today is the problem of racial/ethnic hostility and cultural insensitivity-the new wine of racial/ethnic ferment in conflict with the old wineskins of intolerance. Cultural diversity What is Cultural Diversity? Cultural Diversity means a variety of different cultures or peoples with different ancestries, religions and traditions all living and intermingling together. Britain has profited from its vast cultural diversity throughout its history and is currently one, if not the most culturally diverse countries in the world. The diet we eat, the music we listen to, and the clothes we wear have all been influenced by different cultures coming into Britain. Foreign food, for example, is part of an average British diet, the most common example would be the Indian curry that has been served in Britain from 1773. Nandos restaurant recognises its origins as South Africa, with Portuguese influence and therefore has a policy that encourages inclusion in the work force. Hence appointments at all levels tend to reflect the nature of diversity within the organisation. Conclusion Nandos is relatively young company has the right type of leadership to drive it into the future. Their policies are well inclined to be inclusive taking into account the nature of diverse societies where it operates in. According to Adalfer, workers are motivated to produce efficiently and effectively if they are managed adequately through a good payroll system. Adalfer called these as the Hygiene factors. This position is supported by Maslow who suggested that the basic needs tend to be fulfilled first after which higher needs are sought after until such a time when the individual attains self actualisation.

Strategic Management of Emirates Airline

Strategic Management of Emirates Airline Abstract This Assignment includes three parts. The first part is strategic planning of Emirates airline. The second part discusses the type of decisions which are made in different levels of Emirates and explain the information systems used in these levels. The last part highlights the ethical issues involved in the organizations processes. Part 1: Strategic Planning The purpose of this part is to consider the overall strategic management process and consider what is happening in the environment in order to judge how those happening may affect the organization. In addition there is a consideration of organizations strengths and weaknesses and the opportunities and treats that has significant impact on the organization process. Company overview Emirates is a national airline of Dubai in the Middle East. Emirates flees to over 100 destinations in 60 countries around the world from Dubai International Airport with a fleet of 137 aircraft. Emirates Air line has been existed for 25 years. Although Emirates is a young airline, over one decade it has become one of the most respected brands in the world. The key of their success is using new technology and information systems in their business processes. (Emirates group, 2010) Companys mission: Generally, Emirates growth has never been lower than 20 per cent annually, and the airline has recorded an annual profit in every year since its third in operation. Their effort is to continue their explosive growth and increase the percentage of this growth. Mission statement analysis This analysis will help organization to reveal objectives, goals and plans for achieving them which are important for the long term survival in the industry. In any organizations, managers need to focus their efforts and resources on long-term, general objectives, and provides a foundation for short-term, specific objectives in order to achieve their mission statement. (Robson 1997) General objectives: As mentioned in mission statement, Emirates is trying to increase the percentages of their annual benefits. Emirates carried 21.2 million passengers and 1.3 million tonnes of cargo during the previous years (Annual report, 2010), and they need to carry millions more across a growing network of international destinations if they want to increase their profit. Therefore their aim is to provide the best service in the industry in order to have more passengers and cargo. Specific Objectives: Currently, Emirates flights account for nearly 40 per cent of all flight movements in and out of Dubai International Airport, and their main aim is to increase this market-share to 70 per cent by end of 2010 without compromising the reputation for quality. Moreover, they are trying to add 18 new passenger aircraft to their fleet, increase seating capacity by 14 per cent. They also plan to increase frequencies on many existing routes as well as expanding cargo capacity by 17 per cent. These specific objectives are all to support the general objective which mentioned above. Environmental analysis The organizations environment is an important point to be considered by managers because environmental factors can significantly influence organizational operations. Good managers must be aware of their organizations environment and know how any changes may affect the organization and their organizations available resources. (Robson 1997) Remote environment Remote environment analysis lists all those events, issues and facts which will influence the company performance, but over which they have little influence and those facts are usually out of control. Nature of the environment The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has the seventh largest proven oil, according to the Oil and Gas Journal in January 2009. Because of this geography, United Arab Emirates has rich natural resources and high amount of natural resources of fuel. The availability of large amount of fuel in UAE helps Emirates to provide fuel for its aircrafts much easier than its airline companies. (Business news, 2007) Political challenges One of the reasons that had significant impact on Emirates was experiencing a downturn of their competitors because of the Gulf War. Gulf War was a war which took place in the Persian Gulf between 2 August 1990 and 28 February 1991. Because of this political war, Emirates was the only airline to fly in the last ten days of the war. (Press, 2001) Economies Dubai International Airports Terminal 3 was built exclusively for the use of Emirates at a cost of $4.5 billion. Terminal 3 is the largest building in the world by floor space. The influence of this environment is that many people may want to use this flight in order to visit the largest building in the world even though they have other choice of airlines.(Caswell, 2008) Industrial environment United Arab Emirates (Dubai), which was a fishing village at the southern end of the Arabian Gulf, has grown to become one of the leading trade center of the Middle East. Large number of businesses and trades are running in there. This influences Emirates Airline deeply because many people start coming to Dubai from oversee and also many people need to flight to other countries. Emirates, by providing good airline services, is one of the high demanded airline in this country. SWOT analysis SWOT analysis is a basic tool for analyzing the organizations status. SWOT analysis addresses organizations strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A SWOT analysis defines the relationship between the internal and external appraisals in strategic analysis. It is an exercise in identification and analysis. Analysing the key factors of the environment and the fundamental internal strengths and weakness of the organization will help dictate the strategies appropriate to the firms. (Robson, 1997) Strength: Strengths are the positive internal factors that add value to the company. New business idea: One of the facts that makes organizations stronger is when they create a new business idea. In 2005, Emirates began flying non-stop to New York. This happened when only Delta Air Lines had the same service. Therefore Emirates started to give a service which was not provided by so many airlines, and that helps them in increasing the number of their customers Reputation: Another internal factor that makes the business strong is having good reputation among customers. For example: In 2009, Emirates was voted the fifth best airline in the world by research consultancy firm Skytrax. *Skytrax is a United Kingdom-based consultancy, the public face of Inflight Research Services Competitive advantage: Emirates has won some competitive advantages which made this company as one of the good airlines. To answer this question that how Emirates is able to retain its competitive position in the industry, looking at how good Emirates is serving its products could be the answer. Product in Emirates is the services that airline is providing for its customers such as flight, food. Flight Emiratess offering is divided into three main lines; The First Class seat, the Business class seat and the Economy class. In all three classes passenger are provided by high quality and comfortable seats, in-seat laptop power-outlets, and an ICE system on a LCD screen. Business and firs class have more facilities include massage function, privacy partition, winged headrest with six-way movement, two individual reading lights and an overhead light per seat, in-seat power supply, over 600 channels of entertainment on ICE. Emirates was the first airline in the world to introduce a personal entertainment system on a commercial aircraft and that was a good reason for them to gain completive advantages. Weaknesses: These are the negative internal factor that destroys values of company or put the company in risk. Actually it is difficult to say what are the weaknesses Emirates, because Emirates is considered as one of the most respected travel brands around the world. However there are still some weaknesses that Emirates need to improve. I can say that one of the Emirates weaknesses is having expensive ticket price especially for the business and first class. Emirates started to lose some of its customer when Qatar Airline offered the same flight with cheaper tickets. Opportunities: Opportunities are external positive factors that represent the reason for an organization to exist and develop. One of the opportunities that can add value to the company is having partners, agencies or distribution. Emirates has 6 subsidiaries and its parent company(Emirates Group). These subsidiaries which are operating separately can give Emirates benefits. Emirates SkyCargo Skywards Emirates Official Store EmQuest Emirates Aviation College Emirates Engineering Threats: Threats are external negative factors which could place the organization mission or operation at risk. Market demand In the commercial airline industry, unfilled seat on a regularly scheduled flight represents a threat cost to the operator. Although Emirates attempt to offer the best services for the travellers, it is not possible all the seats get fill during all the flights. Competitor intentions Another threat that might be danger for Emirates is its competitive in the market. While Emirates has one of the most modern fleets in the industry, and has service levels make other airlines to emulate, and start using the same strategy that Emirates is using. (Williamson et al. 2004) Part 2: Information system Analysis There are four managerial levels in any organization that are responsible for organizations plans and decisions; strategic, tactical, knowledge and operation levels. In this section, first the type of decisions that made in each level is discussed. Later, the information systems which are used to help the managers to make the right decision in that level of organization are listed. (Laudon, 2001) Strategic Level Decisions in strategic level: In strategic level senior managers need to develop their skill of making the best decision possible. This type of decision usually concerns about general direction, long term goals. These decisions are the least structured but they could have significant impact on the future of the organization. One type of decisions that is made in the strategic level is planning for gaining long term benefit, which is the Emirates objective. This type of decision could require managers to add new destination in their flight schedules. Another long term decision in Emirates is buying new air plane (Airbus 380). Buying a new aircraft is a strategic decision because manager should consider this decision is it going to benefit them in future or not. Information systems in strategic level: Executive Support System (ESS) is the type of information system which is used in strategic level in order to help senior managers make strategic decisions. A mentioned, making profit is one of the Emirates goals. Profit Planning System could help the organization to catch this aim. Profit planning system sets a profit target for the coming period. It is like a summarized version of estimated income statement. It starts with a forecast of expected sales and desired percentage for gross profit keeping in view the market conditions. Another information system used in Emirates is Facilities Location system which helps manager access to external information decide where to locate new facilities. This type of system will help in gathering, analyzing and summering the key internal and external information used in the business. Tactical Level Decisions in tactical level: Decisions in tactical level support the strategic decisions. They tend to be medium range, medium significance, with moderate consequences. The data used to drive this type of decision is usually found in summaries of routine transactions e.g. sales orders from the next level or classification. (Laudon, 2001) For example in Emirates one of the main strategic decisions is to increase the profit of the year. Therefore the tactical decisions which are made by middle level managers would be how middle process could help this decision to be successful. The data used to drive this type of decision is usually found in summaries of routine transactions e.g. sales orders from the next level or classification. Decision about determining ticket prices or producing a low priced ticket, or offering some seasonal promotion in order to attract more customers are those kind of decisions which are made in tactical level. Another tactical decision in Emirates could be determining optimal booking policy for multiple fare classes. Information systems in tactical level: Management information system (MIS) and Decision-support system (DSS) are two important information systems which support movement level. Management Information System mainly concerns with internal sources of information and usually takes data from the Transaction Processing Systems and summaries it into a series of management reports. (Laudon, 2001) Budgeting System which used to prepare short term budgets is an example of this type of system. All the Emirates annual reports are provided by such system and they will be used by the middle managers. Another system which is used in Emirates is Pricing Analysis System which is for determining ticket prices and promotions. Decision-support system (DSS) is also one of the important systems specifically to help management make decisions in situations where there is uncertainty about the possible outcomes of those decisions. This system helps in gathering relevant information and analyzes the options and alternatives. Then the system provides spreadsheet and databases to create what-if models, and provide managers with the best decision to choose. (Robson 1997) A example of DSS in Emirate is Compensation Analysis System. This system provides a comprehensive overview of the organization expenditure, monitor wages, salaries and benefits for the manager and they are able to plan. Knowledge Level: Decisions in knowledge level: The decisions in this level are made by engineering and designer. This type of decisions involve creating new investment, designing new career paths and identifying new markets. The information which is needed for this level is structured internal knowledge such as research reports, product-oriented marketing metrical and techniques and methods. (Robson 1997) Information systems in knowledge level: Knowledge Management systems are used in knowledge level. The aim of theses system is to take documents with knowledge embedded in them, such as memos, reports, presentations, articles and store them in a repository where they can be retrieved easily. Examples of such system are: Competitive Intelligent System which works based on a detailed business model that identifies what information it should collect. Market Analysis System which provides tools for analysis of financial markets using technical analysis. Operational Level Decisions in operational level Operational decisions are every day decisions and used to support tactical decisions. In the operational level the daily requirement are reviewed in order to make the decision. Thus, the operational decision is highly structured and their impact is immediate, short term, short range. The data used to drive this decision type is usually prescribed or defined in the procedures and rules of the organization. (Laudon, 2001) Information systems in operational level: An Operational Information System is a class of information system which provide information base for the day to day operation of the airline. In this system the information about lights, passengers, crew, situational, and environment gather. Some of these flows are carried by additional information such as passenger booking via the internet and form the travel agencies. Transaction Processing System is one of the current systems in airlines companies to support of transaction and analytical processing on newly received operational information. This system includes source concentration, event derivation, and the ability to provide initial view or states of operational data to applications, where subsequently received events update these view. Order Processing System is another system which is used in operational level and keeps track of daily orders and transaction. Part3: Ethical issues There is no doubt that with help of Information Technology and Information Systems human activities will be done more efficient and effective. However some concerns have been risen in usage of IS/IT that may make them to be unethical. Ethical issues in usage of IT One of the main concerns about the information technology is Internet. Internet has been changed the way people used to live. Nowadays people shop through internet, buy ticket online, communicate with friends, family, college in the other side of the word, and that means traditional business such as travel agents have lost their customers to the new competitor which called internet. The other viewpoint of using internet is internet crimes (hacking into data, falsification of data). Internet has broken all the boundaries of personal securities. That could be a huge harm for a organization if their private data be stolen. Ethical issue in usage of IS Developments of information systems also involve ethical considerations in how information is used. As mentioned information systems provides information to managers in organization to make plan and decision. The question is that Do managers make legal decisions? On the other hand information systems are all about gathering information, analysing data. The ethical issue of this fact is that, are the information collected in ethical way. Geographic Information System is a good example for show the unethical aspect of usage Information Systems. American satellites orbit the earth, scanning for various kinds of data, which can then be used in a GIS. Analysis of resulting data tells researchers a great deal about, for instance, natural resources located in other countries. The problem is that poorer countries, without the financial resources to send up their own satellites, claim that the U.S. is taking information from them without any kind of payment. Conclusion What is most concern in decision making not only is Is this a right decision but also is Is this decision the best decision. Managers will always need to access to the useful information in order to make the best decision. An organization should have several types of information systems operating at the same time. The success of an organization which has information system in all the departments such as Finance and Accounting, Sales and Marketing, Manufacturing and Human resources department is guaranteed. Here are two more information systems that I think will help Emirates to have better services: In a company like Emirates which has 6 subsidiaries, Partner Relationship Management (PRM) is a system for improving communication between Emirates and their channel partners. Another recommended system for Emirates is Customer Relationship Management (CRM) to help them stay close to existing customers. Skyward is the famous Customer relationship Management system for Emirates. Considering the strong competition in todays market, they need to improve their CRM performance in order to increase the number of loyal customers. Resources: Business news, March 08, 2007, Robust growth poses threat of inflation to high-flying Dubai [Accessed on Feb. 2010]. Emirates group, 2010 < Available at http://www.emirates.com/english/about/the_emirates_story.aspx> [Accessed on Feb. 2010]. Press J, 2001, International Directory of Company Histories,< Available at http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/The-Emirates-Group-Company-History.html> [Accessed on Feb. 2010]. Laudon J, Laudon K.C, 2007, Management Information Systems Managing the digital firm, 9th Edition, PEARSON Prentice Hall. Oleason V. Schwan K, Eisenhauer G, Plale B et al. Information System-An example form Airline Industry- Article-,college of computing Georgia Institute of Technology. Report by Mark Caswell, 13/10/2008, Dubais Terminal 3 opens, [Accessed on Feb. 2010]. Robson W. 1997, Strategic Management and Information Systems An integrated approach- 2th Edition, Pearson Education Limited, Great Britain. Williamson D. Jenkins W. Coole P. Moreton M, 2004, Strategic Management and Business Analysis, 1th Edition, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann.

Disgrace: Parent-Child Relationships Essay -- Literary Analysis

Family is often a common theme that is shared across many of J.M Coetzee novels. Family members are usually distant to each other or the relationships between parents and children do not succeed in a conventional way. When Coetzee allows for members to engage in relationships with one another they are either â€Å"strained† or tainted by â€Å"violence† (Splendore 148). This is especially true in his novel Disgrace. In Disgrace David Lurie, an English professor, is arguably forced to resign from his position at the University, because of this Lurie moves to his daughters’ farm in Eastern Cape. The pair appears to have a normal relationship most of the time, but there is some obvious discomfort. As time progresses the relationship begins to improve, only to be ruined by an attack. Lurie is locked up, beaten and set on fire, where Lucy, his daughter, is gang raped and left with a pregnancy. It is at this point that their relationship begins to crumble. Alth ough Lurie loves his daughter it is his failed attempts to understand her situation and his eagerness to push her in the right direction that lead to a colder, more distant relationship. Lurie’s displays of love towards Lucy are undeniable. From the attack on Lurie shows overwhelming amounts of love for Lucy. This is mostly apparent during the attack, where Lurie very seldom shows any concern for his own well-being, but shows enormous amounts for Lucy’s, even when his own life is in jeopardy. As soon as Lurie regains consciousness, and realizes that he has been locked in the bathroom he begins to worry about â€Å"his child in the hands of strangers† and that â€Å"whatever is happening to her will be set in stone† (Coetzee 94). With these thoughts in mind Lurie attempts to escape by kic... ...e end of the novel Lucy and Lurie have grown so far apart that they rarely speak or spend any time together, this is all a result of the problems that Lurie’s arrogance to her situation. Works Cited Coetzee, J.M. Disgrace . New York: Penguin Books, 2000. Print. Dooley, Gillian. J. M. Coetzee and the power of narrative . Amherst, NY: Cambria Press, 2010. Print. Kossew, Sue. "The Politics of Shame and Redemption in J.M Coetzee's Disgrace." Research in African Literatures 34.2 (2003): 155 162. Project Muse . Web. 26 Oct. 2010. McDonald, Bill. Encountering disgrace: reading and teaching Coetzee's novel. Rochester, NY: Camden House, 2009. Print. Splendore, Paola . ""No more mothers and father": The Family Sib-Text in J.M Coetzee's Novels." Journal of Commonwealth Literature 38.3 (2003): 148-161. The Journal of Commonwealth Literature. Web. 26 Oct. 2010

Free College Admissions Essays: She is my Hero :: College Admissions Essays

She is my Hero Stepping out of the clinic into the broad daylight, tears ran down her face. She had actually done it. She had an abortion. She climbed into the back seat of the family station wagon and listened to the silence. What had she done? When most girls write about their mothers they talk about how wonderful of a childhood they had being raised by such a great woman. They talk about her accomplishments and how they want to grow up and be just like her. They talk about the soup sick babble that every "perfect" family has to offer. When I write about my mother, I speak of the pain, the fears, the learning and the salvation. My Mother has been a great inspiration to me. She is my hero. Not because of the wonderful things she has done. Not because of the marvelous childhood I was given and certainly not because of her upbringing. My Mother is my hero because she was led down a path of destruction, but with God's grace and mercy she was pulled from her perils; and blessed. As the youngest of five children she was often overlooked. The pride of the family often overrode the opportunity to receive health care, handouts and a decent chance to become something. My mother spent her childhood in a tiny house with her family and many relatives. She was never given the opportunities to excel in learning and life like my generation has. My grandfather was a carpenter and on that living fed many hungry mouths. But despite this already unfortunate lifestyle my mother maintained good grades and was on a path to overcoming her misfortune. When she was sixteen, my mother met and got pregnant by a boy that she attended school with. Ashamed and spiritually broken she gave into to her parents pleading to have an abortion. As time passed she grew older and wiser. She graduated high school and began working several jobs. Attending college was never a thought in her mind. She married young and moved on with her life. Eventually she became pregnant again, but this time she was ready. By now God had strengthened her life. She believed in him and sought is will. She had been given a second chance. To this day my mother is a strong and charismatic woman, full of God's love and joy for life.