Thursday, November 28, 2019
Kennedy Essays - CubaUnited States Relations, Fidel Castro
Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States, the youngest person ever to be elected President, the first Roman Catholic and the first to be born in the 20th century.Kennedy was assassinated before he completed his third year as President, therefore his achievements were limited.Nevertheless, his influence was worldwide, and his handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis may have prevented the United States from entering into another world war.Kennedy was especially admired by the younger people and he was perhaps the most popular president in history.Kennedy expressed the values of 20th century America and his presidency had an importance beyond its political achievements.John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts where he was one of nine children.The Kennedy family was very wealthy and providedmeans for the Kennedy children to pursue whatever they chose and John F. Kennedy chose politics. John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1942 and as a new member Kennedy supported legislation that would serve the interests of his elements.Kennedy usually backed bills sponsored by his party but would sometimes show independence by voting with the Republicans.He also joined with the Republicans in criticizing the Truman administration's handling of China.In China, the Nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek, which had been supported by the United States, was unable to withstand the advance of Communist forces under Mao Zedong.By the end of 1949 government troops had been overwhelmingly defeated, and Chiang led his forces into exile on Taiwan.The triumphant Mao formed the People's Republic of China.Truman's critics, including Kennedy, charged that the administration had failed to support Chiang Kai-shek againstthe Communists. Despite Kennedy's wavering within his own party platform, John F. Kennedy easily won reelection to Congress in 1948 and 1950.In 1952 he decided to run against functioning Republican Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.Kennedy was little known outside his congressional district therefore he began his campaign two years before the election, meeting with hundreds of thousands of people in Massachusetts."Kennedy defeated Lodge by 70,000"1 votes despite the fact that Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Republican Presidential candidate, carried the state by just over 200,000 votes. As a candidate for the Senate, Kennedy promised the voters that he would do more for Massachusetts than Lodge had ever done.During his first two years as senator he backed legislation beneficial to the Massachusetts textile, fishing, watch, and transportation industries.In 1953, however, he defied regional interests and supported the Saint Lawrence Seaway project and later in 1955 he was the only New England senator to support renewal of the Reciprocal Trade Agreement Act that gave the President the power to lower U. S. tariffs, or taxes on import goods, in exchange for similar concessions from other countries. In 1957 Kennedy became a member of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and he later won a place on the Senate Committee on Improper Activities in the Labor Management Field.In 1958 he spent many of his weekends campaigning for reelection in Massachusetts senatorial contest.Kennedy wanted the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination, and almost as soon as the 1956 election was over, he began working toward it. Kennedy announced his candidacy early in 1960 and by the time the Democratic National Convention opened in July, he had won seven primary victories.When the convention opened, it appeared that Kennedy's only serious challenge for the nomination would come from the Senate majority leader, Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas.However, Johnson was strong only among Southern delegates and Kennedy won the nomination on the first ballot and then persuaded Johnson to become his running mate. Two weeks later the Republicans nominated Vice President Richard Nixon for president and Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., for vice president.In the fast-paced campaign that followed, Kennedy made stops in 46 states and 273 cities and towns, while Nixon visited every state and 170 urban areas.The two candidates faced each other in four nationally televised debates.Kennedy's manner, especially in the first debate, seemed to eliminate the charge that he was too young and inexperienced to serve as president, and many believe these debates gave Kennedy the edge he needed for victory. The election drew a record 69 million voters to the polls, but Kennedy won by only 113,000 votes which made it the closest popular vote in 72 years.Because Kennedy won most of the larger states in the Northeastern United States, he received 303 electoral votes to Nixon's 219.Kennedy was inaugurated on January 20, 1961.In his inaugural address he emphasized America's revolutionary heritage,"The same beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe,"2 Kennedy said."Let the word go forth
Monday, November 25, 2019
Business Case Modeling
Business Case Modeling Introduction Business organizations which thrive on success are identified by a mix of unique business components which identify their strategic positions in the market. The striking characteristics inherent in DoCoMo and its subsidiary partners such as KPN, NTT DoCoMo, and a range of other mobile subsidiary partners uniquely identify pricing, value to customers, and product differentiation as marketing components that strategically place the mobile company in the market.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Business Case Modeling specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Pricing As a marketing strategy in a market strewn with rivals such as Vodafone which offers the same mobile products and services, DoCoMo had inherently priced its products tailored at capturing a market share in a competitive environment. Striking examples from the above case study include the competitive service pricing in Japan where users paid an attractive monthly access charges of 300 yen (US $ 2.48) in addition to the fee varying from 0.3 yen for a data packet of 128 bytes to 60 yen for transferring funds, subscription fee varied between 100 yen (US $ 0.83) and 300 yen (US $2.48) for any site as is evident from the case study on (p. 346). This unique pricing mechanism outpaced competitors and provided a tough challenge for could be new entrants in the service industry. Profiteering is the main objective of any business organization. Profits helps sustain a business organization and revenue generated in terms of profits strengthen it and provide it with an impetus in investing in promotional activities and staying afloat in the market. This was the case with DoCoMo. The unique pricing mechanism coupled with product differentiation raked the company in profits in the Japanese market with increased usage. This was a successful marketing endeavor. Customer Value Customers are important assets a business organization can posses. They det ermine the market share, profitability, product and service image and acceptability, and customer buying behavior. DoCoMo had researched its target market very well. This is evidently revealed in the way DoCoMo has designed mobile sets with different features and offered attractive pricing strategies for services in different markets. Porteââ¬â¢s Five Forces (1) identifies factors such as the buyerââ¬â¢s power determining strategic success of a company. This has strategically steered the company into success.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Product features include larger screens designed for the i-mode for specific markets such as in Germany and Netherlands, good quality display characteristics, improved service capabilities such as the i-mode technology based mobile set that incorporates features such as its capacity to send and receive 1000 emails, with a 160 characters capacity SMS. According to the case study on (p.350), the phone incorporated entertainment features particularly for the Japanese market, which, as the case study identifies like to be entertained when they are on their long journeys to work. Product Differentiation Another key factor that propelled DoCoMo to success was the need to differentiate its products and services to suit target market. The case study illustrates this from the genius of the company in tailoring products that competitively substituted products and services offered by other companies such as Vodafone, the companyââ¬â¢s 3G mobiles as compared to FOMAââ¬â¢s 2GHT bandwidth capacity illustrated on (p. 347). According to the article on Porteââ¬â¢s Five Forces (1), the company researched on its key strengths and placed emphasis on its strengths that place it at a strategic position in the market. A strong and reliable supply chain and good and strong working relationship with subsidiaries wer e factors incorporated that saw the companies succeed in a wider market share for its differentiated products. These substitutes ranged from different versions of web browsers for mobile phones, use of hybrid technologies such as WAP and e-HTML, and a diversity of others as illustrated on (p.48) of the case study. Conclusion Analyzing the case study, pricing, customer value, and product differentiation marked the succeed story of DoCoMo. These are elements which stand out which have been the drivers of success. However, the business organization suffered from key weakness, in exploiting presented opportunities and threats in the market. Porteââ¬â¢s Five Forces. A Model for Industrial Analysis. 1999-2007. 1 April, 2010. quickmba.com/strategy/porter.shtmlAdvertising We will write a custom essay sample on Business Case Modeling specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More
Thursday, November 21, 2019
SULA Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
SULA - Assignment Example Therefore, this essay will focus on the highlights about the themes utilized by Morrison in her novel including friendships, choices, and pride. The theme of friendship makes the central force in the novel. It helps to sustain the characters and get them through the hardships of real life situations. The relationships and friendships depicted in Sula emerge as difficult and complicated. They cause pain to the individuals whose relationships did not bear fruit as they had expected. For instance, the friendship between Sula and Nel finally leads to Nelââ¬â¢s broken marriage. The situation occurs after Sula returns to Nelââ¬â¢s house, and her idleness lures her to indulge in a meaningless sexual episode. However, Jude holds that his action is due to the undervaluing resulting from Nelââ¬â¢s sense of self-worth (Nigro 736). The theme is interesting since Sula and Nel had a long friendship, and when this happens, the reader intends to know more about what will unfold as the story continues. In this context, options are prevalent throughout the novel as various characters seem to make different decisions ate varied stages of the text. For instance, Sulaââ¬â¢s characters struggle with self-identity and determination throughout the story. There are evident characters that choose to take their paths different from the ones exhibited by their parents. They want to follow their desires and ideas regarding what is wrong or right (Nigro 734). The situations create problems to the people that surround them enhancing the curiosity of the reader to unravel what will befall the ââ¬Å"deviant.â⬠Hence, the story becomes interesting as the reader wants to read more to realize what happens to the people that deviate from the societyââ¬â¢s expectations. For example, Nel vows to find her self-identity and determination against her motherââ¬â¢s wish. The characters make own decisions that finally have profound effects on the entire society. In the
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Budget prioritization issues, budget cuts, increases tuitions affect Essay
Budget prioritization issues, budget cuts, increases tuitions affect higher education - Essay Example It can be problematic for a university that does not have the financial means to meet all needs of the students. However, students simply cannot be the sole income resource to help an institute of higher learning to completely operate and maintain the overhead. There may be an issue at some higher educational institutions and universities where the monetary resources are not there to completely provide to a student. This could result in a student not receiving the type of education they anticipate due to budget cuts and priorities made by universities. There then can be a digression at these learning institutions because universities often turn to increasing tuition to help accommodate for the losses. However, if no changes are being made to the university, are students really getting what they are paying for per credit hour in tuition? If students start to compare schools and determine they can receive the same credentials from universities which have more to offer because they have more income to create better learning environments but yet the tuition is higher, it is likely the student will choose a different institution. Therefore, a university finds itself in even more of an economic and budget stretch because of decreased enrollment due to higher tuition rates. Students then cannot afford the university and the university cannot then afford to offer the best technologies, smaller class sizes, more faculty, a variety of class options and also a larger variety of degree programs or certifications. When this happens, what exactly is the draw for a student to attend that college because no matter where a student chooses to go for higher educational needs, tuition is typically not cheap. Before looking at budget cuts and prioritization issues, one might just want to take a look at the common cost of a college class per credit hour to get an idea of how much a student might spend on their higher
Monday, November 18, 2019
China Miville Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
China Miville - Essay Example Interrelations on all these aspects will enable us gain a new notion and perspective on various issues altogether. Human self-deception highly depends on oneââ¬â¢s familiarity with something or someone.On the other hand, knowledge orients on aspects like education, experience, skills, descriptions, information and facts. Nonetheless, knowledge can either become explicit or implicit, systematic or less formal, while in other instances it may refer to the practical or theoretical understanding of a subject. To many, knowledge is merely the phenomenon behind belief in amalgamation with facts. Such kinds of interrelations within the idea behind knowledge raise unending controversies on facets orienting around a fact or a belief. The acquisition of knowledge depends on a complex learning process that depends on our memory, attention, learning, reasoning, decision making, problem solving and understanding of language. In learning, one has to admit that they do not know or they lack idea s about particular aspects. Knowing is the main facade behind knowledge but there arises four facets from knowing that include; known knowns, known unknowns, unknown unknowns and unknown knowns. The known knowns fall under the things that we know that we know, there again exits the known unknowns which fall under the things that we know but are unknown; we do not know them but we understand how to find them. The third aspect is the unknown unknowns which fall under the things that we are unaware about. The unknown unknowns remain a mystery to us as they fall under a very vast field beyond our investigation. On the other hand, unknown knowns are ideas that we do not know that we know. This phenomenon leads to the knowledge that does not know itself, itââ¬â¢s more like a dream; the unspeakable desires that we never talk about. These are the obvious things that we do in life that we pay little or no attention to in the perspective of relevance. Relevance determines the solution to p roblems through identifying relevant elements that lead to the development of anelucidation. This is in the same perspective as the notion behind method since they will always lead to results that they are designed to develop or generate. On the other hand, prejudice is the decision making prior to the availability of relevant facts in a case. The phenomenon refers to any negative or positive evaluation on other people based on ideas like nationality, language, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, disability, age, social class and gender among other personal traits.As a result prejudice leads to unreasonable attitudes that remain resistant to rational influence leading to unfavorable or favorable feelings towards a thing or person based on actual experience. Ideologies lead to the raising of prejudices from unknown knowns while challenge leads to overturning all the aspects taken for granted by human beings. Take for instance in schools, it is a major belief that particular subjects are well performed by particular genders. Incorporating the same idea leads to the same result unless one decides to challenge the latter idea. Most of the things around our lives are taken for granted just for our lives to become the way they are as per our invisibilities. These invisibilities are based on common sense as the prudent and sound judgment which relies on simple
Friday, November 15, 2019
Change Management: ExxonMobil Case Study
Change Management: ExxonMobil Case Study Change is only permanent feature of our life. Life of individuals and organizations are evolving ever since their creation. Modern companies are in a state of cultural change. From working more or less alone to solving specific tasks, we are now required to work in an interdependent way. Teamwork is vital. These changes require that we change what we expect from the co workers. We have to change the values we highly believe. Values like awareness, teamwork, tolerance, responsibility and information are paramount just as flexibility and change readiness. Team work make in imperative that we develop project team instead of specific tasks. Therefore, our daily lives are becoming project oriented. [Baekdal, Thomas, Change Management Handbook] Overview What is Change Management? Change management is a structured approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations from a current state to a desired future state. [Wardale, Dorothy. 4 components of the module; 2009] The current definition of Change Management includes both organizational change management processes and individual change management models, which together are used to manage the people side of change. Change Management is be essentially linked to oganisational Change which is Organisational change is the process by which organizations move from their present state to some desired future state to increase their effectiveness. [Organization Theory, Design, and Change by Gareth R. Jones] Organisational change may be formally defined as an Organisation-wide effort to enhance the effectiveness of an Organisation by strengthening, modifying, or replacing the culture, structure, technology, task, and human processes through the application of planned interventions with or without the assistance of external agents. [People Change Management in Power Distribution] All changes interface with three Organisational components which constitute the Organisational culture. Those three components are: The historical and political evolution of the company. The management and organization of the company. The people who work for the company The historical and political evolution of a company will have a significant bearing on its acceptance of change. The important factors are Base or origin of company, values of company, image it like to promote, traditions and norms practiced by individuals and company policies. Changes will impact the roles of management. These changes consist of structure and operation of organization, style of leadership, role of senior management, and effect of change on workforce, their acceptance and willingness to take remedial measures. Most of the issues in change management are people oriented. Every decision on change impacts the people. All cautions should be exercised in the people oriented changes. Typically with any change people expect a reward pay hike, promotion or other type of recognition. Think carefully the impact of change in every job it affects. [Change Knowledge Management] Importance of Change Management: Change Management is proactive support focused on preventing incidents and problems by effective planning. Some of the benefits are: Consistent planning for change Consistent planning in case of failure of change Communication with appropriate parties before change occurs Approval received from appropriate parties before change occurs Reduction in incidents and problems caused by unplanned change Time spent on preparation and prevention rather than fire fighting and downtime. Model of Planned Organizational Change When organizations are caught flat footed, failing to anticipate or respond to new needs, management is at fault. Change can be managed by observing external trends, patterns and needs, managers use planned change to help the organization to adapt to external problems and opportunities Four events make up the change sequence: Internal and external forces for change exist Organization managers monitor these forces and become aware of a need for change; and The perceived need triggers the initiation for change, which Is then implemented. How each of these activities is handled depends upon the organization and managers styles. Forces For Change Forces for organizational change exist both in the external environment and internally within the organization. Environmental Forces External forces take its root in all environmental sectors, including client, competitors, technology, economic forces, and the international arena. Internal Forces Internal forces for change arise from internal activities and decisions. If goal of rapid company growth is set by top managers, internal actions will have to be changed to meet that growth. Steps For Effective Organizational Change The four steps for organizational change process are as follows: Assess the need for change Initiate change Implement change Evaluate the change Assessing the need for the change The external and internal forces translate into a perceived need for change within the organization. Managers sense a need for change when there is a performance gap-a disparity between existing and desired performance levels. The performance gap may occur because current procedures are not up to standard or because a new idea or technology could improve current performance. Managers in every company must be alert to problems and opportunities, because the perceived need for change is what sets the stage for subsequent action that creates a new product or technology. Big problems are easy to spot. Sensitive monitoring systems are needed to detect gradual changes that can fool managers into thinking their company is doing changes slowly, because managers may fail to trigger an organizational response. Initiating change After assessing the need of change the next crucial step is to initiate change which is true part of change management. This is where the ideas are developed. Search Search is a learning process about current happenings inside or outside the organization that can be used to meet the perceived need for change. Search typically unfolds existing knowledge that can be applied or adopted within the organization. Hiring of experts, consultant is a very important aspect of such search. Creativity Creativity is the development of novel solutions to the perceived problems. Creative individuals develop idea that can be adopted by the organization. Creativity can be designed into organizations. Companies or departments within companies can be organized to be creative and initiate changes. Idea Champions And New-Venture Teams If creative conditions are successful, new ideas will be generated that must be carried forward for acceptance and implementation. This is where idea champions come in. The formal definition of the idea champion is a person who sees the need for and champions productive change within the organization. Champions are passionately committed to a new product or idea despite rejection by others Implementing Change Effective Implementation of perceived change is the most vital part of Change Management. Creative culture, idea champions and new-venture teams are ways to facilitate the initiation of new ideas. One frustration for managers is that employees often seem to resist change for no apparent reason. To effectively manage the implementation process, managers should be aware of the reason for employee resistance and be prepared to use. Techniques for obtaining employee cooperation are: Resistance To Change Idea champion often discover that other employees are unenthusiastic about their new idea. Members of a new-venture group may be surprised when managers in the regular organization do not support or approve their innovations. Several reasons for employee resistance are: Self-Interest. Lack Of Understanding And Trust. Uncertainty. Different Assessment And Goals. The reasons for resistance are legitimate in the eyes of employees affected by the changes. The best procedure for managers is not to ignore resistance but to diagnose the reasons and design strategies to gain acceptance by users. The strategies for overcoming resistance to change typically involve two approaches: the analysis of resistance through the force field technique and the use of selective implementation tactics to overcome resistance. Force Field Theory of Change Developed by Kurt Lewin: Its the process of determining which forces drive and which resist a proposed change. To implement a change, management should analyze the change forces. By selectively removing forces that restrain change, the driving forces will be strong enough to enable implementation. As restraining forces are reduced or removed, behavior will shift to incorporate the desired changes. The theory underlying organizational development proposes three distinct steps for achieving behavioral and attitudinal change: unfreezing, changing, and refreezing. In the first step, unfreezing, the diagnostic stage of organizational development in which participants are made aware of problems in order to increase their willingness to change their behavior. Diagnosis is done by change agent. This diagnosis helps determine the extent of organizational problems and help unfreeze managers. The second step, changing, a step in the intervention stage of organizational development in which individuals experiment with new workplace behavior. There the change agent implements a specific plan for training managers and employees. Refreezing, a step in the reinforcement stage of organizational development in which individuals acquire a desired new skill or attitude and are rewarded for it by the organization. [5] Selective Implementation Tactics The other approach to managing implementation is to adopt specific tactics to overcome employee resistance. The following five tactics have proven successful: Communication and Education. Communication and education are used when solid information about the change is needed by users and others who may resist implementation. Education is especially important when the change involves new technical knowledge or users are unfamiliar with the idea. Participation. Participation involves users and potential resisters in designing the change. This approach is time consuming, but it pays off because users understand and become committed to the change. Negotiation. Negotiation is more formal means of achieving cooperation. Negotiation uses formal bargaining to win acceptance and approval of a desired change. Coercion. Coercion means that managers use formal power to force employees to change. Resisters are told to accept the change or lose rewards or even their jobs. Coercion is necessary in crisis situation when a rapid response is urgent. Top Management Support. The visible support of top management also helps overcome resistance to change. Top management support symbolizes to all employees that the change is important for the organization. Evaluating The Change The last step in the change process is to evaluate how successful the change effort has been in improving organizational performance. Using measures such as changes in market share, profits, or the ability of manages to meet their goals, managers compare how well an organization is performing after the change with how well it was performing before. Managers also can use benchmarking, comparing their performance on specific dimensions with the performance of high-performing organizations to decide how successful the change effort has been. Types Of Planned Change Now that we have explored how the initiation and implementation of change can be carried out, let us look at the different types of change that take place in organizations. The types of organization changes are strategy, technology, products, structure, and culture/ people. Organizations may innovate in one or more areas, depending on internal and external forces or change. In the rapidly changing toy industry, a manufacturer has to introduce new products frequently. In a mature, competitive industry, production technology changes are adopted to improve efficiency. In the diagram, the arrows connecting the types of change show that a change in one part may affect other parts of the organization: a new product may require changes in technology, and a new technology may require new people skills or a new structure. Technology Changes A technology change is related to the organizations production process-how the organization does its work. Technology changes are designed to make the production of a product or service more efficient. How can managers encourage technology change? The general rule is that technology change is bottom up. The bottom-up approach means that ideas initiated at lower organization levels and channeled upward for approval. Lower level technical experts act as idea champions-they invent and champion technological changes. Employees at lower levels understand the technology and have the expertise needed to propose changes. Managers can facilitate the bottom-up approach by designing creative departments. A loose, flexible, decentralized structure provides employees with the freedom and opportunity to initiate continuous improvements. A rigid, centralized, standardized structure stifles technology innovation. Anything managers do to involve the grass roots of the organization-the people who are experts in their parts of the production process-will increase technology change. New-Product Changes A product change is a change in the organizations product or service output. New-product innovations have major implications for an organization, because they often are an outcome of a new strategy and may define a new market. The introduction of a new product is difficult, because it not only involves a new technology but also must meet customers needs. Companies that develop new products usually have the following characteristics: People in marketing have a good understanding of customer needs Technical specialists are aware of recent technological developments and make effective use of new technology Members from key departments-research, manufacturing, marketing-cooperate in the development of new product. These findings mean that the ideas for new products typically originate at the lower levels of the organization just as they do for technology changes. One approach to new product innovation is called the horizontal linkage model. In this model people from research, manufacturing and marketing departments meet frequently in teams and task forces to share ideas and solve problems. Research people inform marketing of new technical developments to learn whether they will be good to customers. Marketing people pass customer complaints to research to use in the design of new products. Manufacturing informs other departments whether a product idea can be manufactured within costs limits. This teamwork required for the horizontal linkage model is a major component of using rapid innovation to beat the competition with speed. Structural Changes A structural change is a change in the way in which the organization is designed and managed. Structural changes involve the hierarchy of authority, goals, structural characteristics, administrative procedures, and management systems. Almost any change in how the organization is managed falls under the category of structural change. Successful structural change is accomplished through a top-down approach, which is distinct from technology change (bottom up) and new products (horizontal). Structural change is top down because the expertise for administrative improvements originates at the middle and upper levels of the organization. The champions for structural change are middle and top managers. Lower-level technical specialists have little interest or expertise in administrative procedures. If organization structure causes negative consequences for lower-level employees, complaints and dissatisfaction alert managers to a problem. Employee dissatisfaction is an internal force for change. The need for change is perceived by higher managers, who then take the initiative to propose and implement it. The top-down process does not mean that coercion is the best implementation tactic. Implementation tactics include education, participation, and negotiation with employees. Top-down change means that initiation of the idea occurs at upper levels and is implemented downward. It does not mean that lower-level employees are not educated about the change or allowed to participate in it. Culture/People Changes A culture/people change refers to a change in employees values, norms, attitudes, beliefs, and behavior. Changes in culture and people pertain to how employees think; these are changes are in mindset rather than technology, structure, or products. People change pertains to just a few employees, such as when a handful of middle managers is sent to a training course to improve their leadership skills. Training is the most frequently used tool for changing the organizations mindset. A company may offer training programs to large blocks of employees on subjects such as teamwork, listening skills, quality circles, and participative management. Another major approach to changing people and culture is organizational development. Organizational Development Organizational development (OD) is the application of behavioral science knowledge to improve an organizations health and effectiveness through its ability to cope with environmental changes, improve internal relationships, and increase problem-solving capabilities. Organizational development improves working relationships among employees. The following are three types of current problems that OD can help managers address. Mergers/Acquisitions. Culture differences should be evaluated during the acquisition process, and OD experts can be used to smooth the integration of two firms. Organizational Decline/Revitalization. OD techniques can contribute greatly to cultural revitalization by managing conflicts, fostering commitment, and facilitating communication. Conflict Management. Conflict can occur at any time and place within a healthy organization. Organizational development efforts can help solve these kinds of conflicts. OD Activities A number of OD activities have emerged in recent years. Some of the most popular and effective are as follows. Team-Building Activities. Team building enhances the cohesiveness and success of organizational groups and teams. Survey-Feedback Activities. Survey feedback begins with a questionnaire distributed to employees. Employees are engaged in problem solving based on the data received from questionnaire. Intergroup Activities. These activities include retreats and workshops to improve the effectiveness of groups or departments that must work together. Process-Consultation Activities. Organizational development consultants help managers understand the human processes within their organization and how to manage them. Symbolic Leadership Activities. This approach helps managers to use the techniques for cultural change, including public statements, ceremonies, and slogans. References Baekdal, Thomas, (2006). Change Management Handbook. Technology and immediacy of information (on-line) available http://www.wikipedia.com Becta (2003) Available http://www.becta.org.uk/tsas. Daft, Richard L, (1997). Management. Florida: Dryden Press. Change Management Report by Zulfiqar,Shamsullah,Shahzad,Rizwan; 2009 Case Study: EXXON MOBIL Company Profile: Company History: Exxon Mobil Corporation is the second largest integrated oil company in the world, trailing only BP p.l.c. The company is involved in wide range of oil and gas related activities such as exploration, production, transportation, and marketing in more than 200 countries. Exxon Mobil is a major manufacturer of basic petrochemicals, such as olefins, aromatics, and polyethylene and polypropylene plastics. The company is operating 4000 service stations under the brand names Exxon, Mobil, and Esso. Mobil Corporation and Exxon Corporation are merged in 1999 to form Exxon Mobil. [Exxon Mobil Corporation Business Information, Profile, and History http://companies.jrank.org/pages/1494/Exxon-Mobil-Corporation.html#ixzz0cW28yLUs] The Merger of Exxon and Mobil 21st Century In December 1998 Exxon agreed to buy Mobil for about $75 billion in what promised to be one of the largest takeovers ever. Merger was necessitated by reducing Oil prices and prevailing Asian economic crisis. By Merger both companies foresaw annual Profit benefit of $ 2.1 Billion. Based on 1998 results, the proposed Exxon Mobil Corporation would have combined revenues of $168.8 billion, making it the largest oil company in the world, and $8.1 billion in profits. As discussed earlier Merger/Acquisition are an important part of organizational development (OD). Exxon Mobil has utilized this tool effectively to maximize their profits and reduce operation cost and overheads. Exxon Mobil in the 21st Century The integrations of Mobil into Exxon resulted in delivery of cost saving and two contrasting corporate cultures. Exxons strength was always reflected in finance and engineering while on contrast Mobils strengths lie in marketing and deal-making. By union of both giants Exxon Mobil resulted in cost saving of $4.6 billion. These saving were used to fund the companys growth by internal means, and expanded their Oil Gas output. Between 1999 and 2004 after successful merge, Exxon Mobil earned $75 billion in net profits and generated $123 billion in cash. As Exxon Mobil prepared for the future, perhaps the most significant event on the horizon was a change in leadership, environment policy and meeting geo political situation challenges in region such as Middle East, North Africa, and Caspian Sea. However, most of significant is meeting challenges posses by decade old environmental policy of non acceptance of Green House gases (GHG) effect on climate. This Organizational Change is discussed in depth in next part of report. EXXONMOBIL AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT ON ISSUE OF CLIMATE CHANGE Old Guards and Organization Resistance toward Climate Change: ExxonMobil released its 2005 Corporate Citizenship Report (May 2006) and its report on Tomorrows Energy (February 2006). Both make clear that Exxons fundamental business approach and thinking on climate change had not changed. The company firmly believes that oil is the future and that concerns about climate change do not merit meaningful investments in clean energy and alternative fuels. In these two reports, ExxonMobil acknowledges that human activities have contributed to the increased concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHG) and that this accumulation poses risks that may prove significant for society and ecosystems. The company declares that these risks justify actions now, but the selection of actions must consider the uncertainties that remain. Exxon then goes on to describe: the complexities of climate science; the limits of climate knowledge; the limits of current climate models; the uncertainty of projections ExxonMobil declares that even with many scientific uncertainties, action is still justified. However, by emphasizing the remaining points of uncertainty rather than the scientific consensus that has emerged on the human role in climate change, ExxonMobil continued to take a deliberative approach that casts climate change as a long-term problem rather than a priority for near-term action. Despite their rhetoric, ExxonMobil was not taking the actions needed to address the financial and competitive risks posed by climate change due to inherent organizational resistance to change. Leadership shrugs off from taking decisive actions and taking lead toward this grave issue. ExxonMobil operates on the assumption that oil and gas will continue to represent a large percentage of the energy mix, whereas renewable energy sources will remain minimal. In contrast, the private venture capital community has begun investing heavily in clean energy technology, as have ExxonMobils competitors. ExxonMobil continues to lag behind. ExxonMobil lags behind competitors like BP and Royal Dutch Shell on low-carbon leadership ExxonMobils nearly only focus on oil and gas has placed it behind competitors like BP and Royal Dutch Shell, which have committed billions of dollars toward the development of low-carbon technologies that they intend to build as new profit centers for their companies. Climate Change ExxonMobils Change Strategy: A newly published report (Dec. 2008) by ExxonMobil titled Responding to Environmental Ethics: Moving from Petroleum to Renewable Energy for the 21st Century. As title indicated an organizational shift in environment policy is happening at Exxon Mobile. Exxonmobil admitted link between Oil Gas and climate change in following words ExxonMobils focus on petroleum and gas products, especially those that are combusted to extract energy, has played a key role in promoting climate change through an enhanced greenhouse effect. The combustion of petroleum and gas has increased the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to levels that are rapidly warming the planet, leading to severe consequences for the world economy and most of the Earths natural features. Exxonmobil inactiveness in past regarding Global warming is also addressed in said report ExxonMobil has traditionally been skeptical of climate science. It wasnt until recently that the company decided to accept that climate change is largely attributed to human activity and that something must be done about it A perceived Change is envisioned by Exxonmobil. This remarkable change in Exxonmobils outlook toward climate related issues happened due to following few theoretical Factors, Environmental Factors: As discussed earlier in our report, environmental Factors such as clients, competitors and changing technology are basis of any Organizational change. Same is true with Exxonmobils new Climate Strategy. Exxonmobil moved towards change after realizing that competitors such as BP Inc., Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron are taking lead on climate related issues concerning Oil Gas Sector. Public awareness vis-Ã -vis global warming increased significantly over the few years which also contributed toward Exxonmobils new climate strategy. Internal Factors: Internal Factors such managers, top management and shareholders also play a decisive role in this Change strategy. Shareholders worried that competitors investment in alternative renewable energy may cause lower future growth. Exxonmobil adopted knowledge as the basic search tool assessing change. Exxonmobil stated in their 2008 report said In general, the companys goal is to provide energy around the world to improve quality of lives while minimizing environmental impact and supporting communities. Second, the company assesses any issues identified in the first step through information from various sectors, including non-governmental organizations, academia, financial institutions, and employees. Then it develops a list of material areas that the company will focus on based on its analysis. In 2007, these material areas were Environmental Performance, Workplace, Corporate Governance, Transparency and Human Rights, and Community Development Implementation of Change Strategy: After assessing perceived change, next logical step for Exxonmobil is initiation of Change Implementation at organizational level. Exxonmobil Called this The End of Carbon Era. To save environment damage petroleum combustion must be curtailed significantly in this century by taking action to fight climate change. Exxonmobil has decided to reinvest its business to remain one of the worlds most significant companies and ensure it viability. Exxonmobil is to invest in existing alternative technologies that are emissions-free. This will mean entering fields to provide reliable energy to the world and improved its tarnished image. ExxonMobil has invested in improving its energy efficiency, increasing its co-generation capacity by 12% in 2005 and working to reduce gas flaring in Nigeria and elsewhere. It has also supported research into producing more fuel-efficient internal combustion engines, although the extent of that support is unclear. The company states that technologies like carbon capture and sequestration, hydrogen production and use, solar, and biotechnologies all require fundamental breakthroughs in research to overcome current barriers to cost, performance, safety, and public acceptance before they could enter into widespread use. Conclusion: ExxonMobil claims that the risks from climate change justify action now. Exxonmobil which is world leader in petroleum production has assesses the change based on theoretical effecting factors, initiated perceived change and implemented change for betterment of mankind. Our study concludes that the Exxonmobil has followed theoretical cycle of change and now successfully implementing the Change, thus transforming its global image. Biblography: http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Exxon-Mobil-Corporation-Company-History.html Baekdal, Thomas, (2006). Change Management Handbook. Technology and immediacy of information (on-line) available http://www.wikipedia.com Becta (2003) Available http://www.becta.org.uk/tsas. Daft, Richard L, (1997). Management. Florida: Dryden Press. Jones, John Aguirre, DeAnne. (2004). 10 Principles of Change Management: Tools and techniques to help companies transform quickly. Responding to Environmental Ethics: Moving from Petroleum to Renewable Energy for the 21st Century by Carlos Rymer. December 11, 2008. http://companies.jrank.org/pages/1494/Exxon-Mobil-Corporation.html http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Exxon-Mobil-Corporation-Company-History.html Organization Theory, Design, and Change, 5th Edition by Gareth R. Jones.
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
How does Intelligence help the Joint Force Commander Essay -- Militar
Intelligence is a critical component of joint planning and execution. Through the prism of Phase 0 (zero) Shaping, intelligence relates the realities of the operational environment before hostilities including an assessment of current economic, political, and cultural dynamics. Yet, throughout the subsequent phases of operational planning, analysts can also develop concise estimates on friendly and enemy centers of gravity (COG), thereby introducing not only the triggers of adversarial activity but at what point friendly forces can maneuver with maximum decisiveness. All the while, intelligence professionals systematically prepare real-time and near real-time intelligence to maintain the informational edge during execution. Intelligence enables the Joint Force Commander to visualize the operational environment, evaluate operational effects, and sustain information superiority throughout the duration of joint operations, thereby offering increased integration, synchronization and direction of involved joint elements. Understanding the complex operational environment of today and tomorrow is elemental when integrating diverse forces to achieve a favorable outcome. Intelligence professionals have a wide array of systems to draw from when preparing intelligence to facilitate a broad understanding. This array includes combat support agencies as well as national intelligence agencies which work in an ever increasingly collaborative environment. This aids the intelligence professional as they collect raw information as well as already produced actionable intelligence gained throughout all levels of war and throughout the full scope of military operations. This effort is critical in establishing priorities of effort which will ... ...s to collect information, evaluate problems, and reach the most plausible solutions. However, the varying requirements of operational and tactical warfare merit differing approaches to planning and execution. The design of the JOPP process is for campaign contingencies which fall into the scope of operational level, while the MDMP process is best suited for the tactical level. Moreover, JOPP takes into account that a joint commander may not be as thoroughly knowledgeable of all assigned forces as the tactical commander would be. Wisely, JOPP asks the joint staff and commander to evaluate friendly, as well as enemy, COGs so to evaluate capabilities of either force. The tactical commander, not wanting to take anything for granted, would already know the true combat potential of the force, as speed and decisiveness are certainly critical in the tactical realm.
Monday, November 11, 2019
Haroun and the Sea of Stories Closed Reading Essay
So Iff the Water Genie told Haroun about the Ocean of the Streams of Story, and even though he was full of a sense of hopelessness and failure the magic of the ocean began to have an effect on Haroun. He looked into the water and saw that it was made up of a thousand thousand thousand and one currents, each one a different colour, weaving in and out of one another like a liquid tapestry of breathtaking complexity; and Iff explained that these were the Streams of Story, that each coloured strand represented and contained a single tale. Different parts of the ocean contained different sorts of stories, and all the stories that had ever been told and many that were still in the process of being invented could be found here, the Ocean of the Streams of Story was in fact the biggest library in the universe. And because the stories were held here in fluid form, they retained the ability to change, to become new versions of themselves, to join up with other stories and so become yet other stories; so that unlike a library of books, the Ocean of the Streams of Story was much more than a storeroom of yarns. It was not dead but alive. (Rushdie 72) In Salmon Rushdieââ¬â¢sââ¬â¢, Haroun and the Sea of Stories various themes are explored presenting numerous arguments to the reader. One of the main themes within the novel is the importance of stories. Within the passage above Salmon Rushdie presents the changing nature of stories and their ability to become new versions of themselves, this is explored through the use of literary devices. These techniques allow interpretation of the themes, present Rushdieââ¬â¢s ideas and further engage the reader. Some of the techniques used within the above passage are; third person narrative, repetition, synonyms, sentence structure and metaphor. The above passage is key to Rushdieââ¬â¢s story, Haroun and the Sea of Stories and its themes as this is when Haroun is first introduced to the Sea of Stories. Haroun is challenged to make a decision between two wishes; to have his mother come back or for his father to regain his lost story telling ability. Failing to make either wish due to his eleven minute concentration, a result of his mothers departure, Haroun is possessed with a ââ¬Å"sense of hopelessness and failureâ⬠(pg 72). These feelings foreshadow future angst Haroun will feel and overcome about the Sea of Stories and its potential destruction. The use of third person narrative can be seen throughout the novel and passage. This allows the reader to be an onlooker to the story, a gain a more informative view of the story, allowing them to see numerous points of view rather than just one. Within the passage third person is used to engage the reader and distance them from the immediate situation while still allowing them to observe the beauty described by Iff the Water Genie. Examples of third person within the passage are ââ¬Å"Iff explainedâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Iff the Water Genie told Haroun. The passage portrays the nature of the sea and sets up the context for the oceans future with the use of repetition. The idea of change is presented; throughout the passage with the idea of stories being simple is challenged, uncovering their true complexity, detailing how the water is ââ¬Å"made up of thousand thousand thousand and one currents, each of a different colourâ⬠(pg 72) and how stories have the ability to join up with one another and to become yet another story. This represents the idea that everything can change and nothing is susceptible to it, this can also be seen throughout the novel. Change can be seen through the repetition of the word ââ¬Ëdifferentââ¬â¢. The ââ¬Ëdifferent coloursâ⬠, the ââ¬Å"different sorts of storiesâ⬠and the ââ¬Å"different parts of the oceanâ⬠. The repetition of the word is used to present the reader with the full potential of the ocean and its changing magical ability. Within the novel the sea can be seen to change from something possessed with magic and beauty that inspired many to something toxic and sickly contaminated that affects numerous people and their health. Repetition of the ocean being alive and personifying the ocean, can be seen through the passage. The passage personifies the ocean by talking of its playful nature of the currents ââ¬Å"weaving in and out of one anotherâ⬠and its ability to change, as it has a mind of its own. The last sentence within the passage states ââ¬Å"it was not dead but aliveâ⬠the use of short sentencing emphasised its point and indicates its importance. However this short verse changes the mood of the passage, the reader is confronted by the abrupt word ââ¬Å"deadâ⬠this single word changes the tone of the sentence and explores that along with the capability to be alive there also is the capability to be dead. This foreshadows the next passage and the future of the ocean. Within the passage the metaphor of the ocean being a library is emphasised, it states that it is ââ¬Å"the biggest library in the universeâ⬠this metaphor is used to try and example the extent of the sea and how many stories it possesses, connecting it to a familiar idea for the reader. However the metaphor is later contradicted renouncing the oceans likeness to a library of books due to the fluid form of the stories and their changing nature and ability to become new versions and to join up with other stories. It presents the ocean to be much more. This is revisited throughout the novel, exampling how the ocean is ââ¬Å"much moreâ⬠and how it is a health source to plentimaws fish, directly impacting them as the ocean becomes more toxic, as well as a way of life to all members of gup city. In the passage synonyms are used to help emphasis the key points an example of this is the synonym ââ¬Ëchangeââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ënew versions of themselvesââ¬â¢. These synonyms are used to indicate the importance of the oceans changing ability allowing the reader to assess how it is important. This concept is seen to be a key point of the passage and one of within the novel. The synonym of ââ¬Ënot deadââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëaliveââ¬â¢ are used to stress the importance of the Sea of Stories, by stating its alive nature, the impact the sea has on others throughout the novel can be seen, to those who feed off it and keep it pure, for instance the plentimaw fish. The passage seen above is made up of four sentences; three extended and one truncated. The use of sentence structure is important as it seperates the ideas of the passage. Both the magic and splendor of the Sea of Stories and the realisation of it being ââ¬Å"not dead but aliveâ⬠(pg72) are seen within the passage. Extended sentences are used to describe the magic of the ocean an its ability to effect others, in the passage it is seen to effect Haroun, as he has a sense of hopelessness and failure however from the magic of the ocean Haroun is affected and changed. With the use of extended sentences the Sea of Stories is described by Iff the Water Genie. The reader is presented with the imagery of the water and its numerous colours, forever moving, weaving and how it is constantly changing into something new joining with other stories. This description paints a picture to the reader allowing them to imagine the true nature of the Sea. The second last sentence of the passage describes how the sea is ââ¬Ëââ¬Ëmuch more than a storeroom of yarnsââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ as the stories are fluid form, holding the ability to become other stories, new stories. This allows the reader to interrupt the importance of the sea. The final sentence is made up of six words ââ¬Å"it was not dead but aliveâ⬠these few words hold great power as within the short sentence the reader is confronted with their meaning. Both the emotive words and change in tone, the reader is left questioning is there something more, with the words foreshadowing the future of the sea. The first and final sentences of the passage are seen to interlink as the effect the ocean has on Haroun creates a sense of obligation for him to help fight to fix the ocean and to keep it alive. Within the passage above form is seen to produce meaning. This is done through the use of literary techniques, the use of these devices allow the purpose of the text to be seen. The meaning of the passage is to example change, the good and bad, and to portray the importance if the Sea of Stories to the reader. The passage and its form also hold meaning the novel as it describes the sea and illustrates its magic.
Friday, November 8, 2019
Universal Healthcare is Moral Essays
Universal Healthcare is Moral Essays Universal Healthcare is Moral Essay Universal Healthcare is Moral Essay Universal healthcare can be defined as a healthcare system which employs a combination of health financing and service provisions to provide universal healthcare coverage to most members of a society. This definition of a universal healthcare is not binding. In fact, various definitions of universal healthcare do exist. The differences emanate from the fact that various universal health practices apply in different countries and the extent to which the system is put into practice does vary. As at today, universal healthcare is being practised in all industrialized countries except the United States. Since the German health insurance bill of 1883, which was part of Otto Von Bismarkââ¬â¢s social legislation, universal healthcare has spread to many countries like the UK, Spain, and Italy. But the interpretation of the system varies in these countries. One common feature of the system in these countries though, is that their governments are actively involved in the functioning of the system. Access to healthcare services in these countries derives from citizen rights rather than insurance coverage. The case in the United States is exactly the opposite. In determining the morality of a universal healthcare, recourse can be made to Jeremy Bentham and James Mill ethical theory which states that ââ¬Å"all action should be directed towards achieving greatest happiness for greatest numberâ⬠. This theory is the theory of utilitarianism. How does this apply to the morality of a universal healthcare? In accepting morality as recognition of the desirability of good over bad, we can say that the greatest happiness for the greatest number represents good more than bad. No matter the side of the debate one is, the truth remains that universal healthcare will primarily extend the provision of healthcare services to more less privileged citizens of the Unites States. In that case, it is moral. Universal healthcare is also an example of a common good. The aforementioned statement is open to debate though. But a common good need not be beneficial to all. This perfectly supports the argument in favour of a universal healthcare. There exist a segment of the population who vehemently oppose the promulgation of a universal healthcare. Seeing no benefit for themselves, but since the majority will benefit, why do we not go ahead and introduce the system into our healthcare system? Even the scriptures support the existence of a universal healthcare. The scripture deifies the government as an arbitrary authority in matters of governance. If we practice democracy, then we should as well expect the leaders we voted for to promote our common good to care enough for our health. It is in the pursuance of such common good in the face of opposition that the biblical injunction becomes significant. A universal healthcare is thus moral. It is the right of all Americans and it is the job of the government to support this right. Is social justice moral? Yes. And universal healthcare is just one example of it. Social justice expresses fairness. It gives individuals and groups fair treatment and a just share of benefits. Same thing that universal healthcare stands for!. But the ride is not all that smooth. Antagonists of this system have argued that introduction of the system will spur many unintended consequences. They employ this theory of double effect concluding that universal healthcare will lead to a forceful demand for services even when such are very much unreasonable. The system, they say, will lead to avoidable court cases and that individuals might take no further interest in providing for their own health since they now have the right to demand for it anyway. The scripture has also been cited as teaching against the existence of such system as a universal healthcare system. It has been argued that the bible forbids the use of force in obtaining ââ¬Ëthingsââ¬â¢ for ourselves. Universal healthcare is seen as such a ââ¬Ëthingââ¬â¢ since the government will have to force all citizens and healthcare providers to comply. Another theory that has been employed in the argument against a universal healthcare system is the theory of emotivism. Antagonists argue that the campaign for the introduction of a universal healthcare is based on feelings rather than reality. They insist that the fact that the majority have that feeling does not necessarily mean that the system is moral. They believe that the decision on whether the system is moral or not should be based on a measurement of realistic projections rather than hinged on a plethora of emotions. The realistic projections, they say, will reveal that though universal healthcare might be beneficial to all, it is essentially immoral. Antagonists also argue that the introduction of the system will undermine the theory of ethical relativism. Ethical relativism dictates that what is right or wrong and good or bad is not absolute but variable and relative, depending on the person, circumstances, or social situation. Since universal healthcare is a mockery of the above concept, antagonists argue that it is immoral. Firstly, the theory of double effect does not really apply to universal healthcare. No matter the nature of the unintended consequences, the merits of a universal healthcare far outweigh the demerits. All good things do have a side effect. The side effects are not necessarily akin to a double effect. To dismiss a system that will be so much beneficial to the majority on the basis of an inappropriate double effect is in essence immoral. It is also a known fact that nothing goes for nothing,. Double effect is not a substantial reason to damn a universal healthcare system. Definitely a price must be paid for everything that will be of benefit to the society at large. Remember when there is no pain, there canââ¬â¢t be any gain. The theory of emotivism is also not strong enough to oppose the fact that a universal healthcare is moral. Antagonists argue that it is based on emotions instead of reality. This is not true. After all universal healthcare benefits the majority and this perfectly fits into the system of government (Democracy) and also supports Jeremy Bentham and James Mill ethical theory which states that ââ¬Å"all action should be directed towards achieving greatest happiness for greatest numberâ⬠. Since it is the happiness of the majority what is being solicited for, then the issue of unnecessary emotions is definitely avoided. Although ethics vary from one culture to another and there is no universal standard that can conclusively differentiate between good or bad, a universal healthcare system still expresses the common good with one voice, even among different cultures. Every culture, tribe, and even religion believes that health is wealth. The concept of universal healthcare can be easily understood among people of different tribes and ethical backgrounds. It is also true that the scriptures forbid the use of force. But the same scriptures vest an overriding authority in the government. The scriptures can be argued to understand that such issues as debates might arise especially when critical decisions that affect the common good must be made. In vesting such an authority in the government, the scriptures empower the government to make the right decisions no matter the stand of the opposition. This should not be interpreted as a use of force. Rather, it should be understood as fulfilment of a scriptural injunction. The argument that a universal healthcare is a form of force is weak and is not what the scriptures teach. Sometimes arguments or debates do come easy, especially when the other side have a hard case to prove. That universal healthcare is immoral sounds like a hard case to prove. The preponderance of theoretical and practical evidence supporting the morality of universal healthcare are so abundant while the supporting arguments for its immorality are essentially weak. The theories of utilitarianism, common good, social justice and scriptural teachings are strong enough concepts that cannot be dismissed with a wave of the hand. These supporting theories have been shown above to be strong pillars behind a universal healthcare system. If they do support the system, as has been shown, it seems to me the morality of universal healthcare system needs not be called to question again. It is time the united states dispel this fear of the unknown and introduce the system into our healthcare system. That the system is already in use in other industrialized countries with astounding benefits to citizens should also inspire our government to do the right thing. We should not aim to be wrongly different, but rightly so. Universal healthcare also draws support from different segments of our society. The support spans across racial, professional, gender, political and age divides. Such a monumental support should not be dismissed for the comfort of the minority. Universal healthcare. Wikipedia online encyclopaedia.. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Universal_health_care. Definitions from www. answers. com Definitions from www. dictionary. com Doug Pibel, Sarah van Gelder. (Jul 19, 2006). Health Care: Its What Ails Us. yesmagazine. org/issues/health-care-for-all/health-care-its-what-ails-us John R. Battista, M. D. and Justine McCabe, Ph. D. (june 4 1999). The Case For Single Payer, Universal Health Care For The United States. Outline of Talk Given To The Association of State Green Parties, Moodus, Connecticut on June 4, 1999.
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Tourism and hospitality operations management The WritePass Journal
Tourism and hospitality operations management INTRODUCTION Tourism and hospitality operations management INTRODUCTIONTASK ONE1.1 Quality and its benefits within the Hospitality context 1.2à Quality Awards/Systems that Hospitality Organizations operate within1.3à Internal System within the Front Office AreaTASK TWO2.1 Supply Chain Management Strategies2.2à Supplier Selection ProcessTASK THREE3.1 Possible issues encountered by Operations Managers3.2 Resolving the IssuesREFERENCE LISTRelated INTRODUCTION Operations management in tourism and hospitality refers to the work done in the different fields of hotel industry. Jobs in the hospitality industry, such as hotels, restaurants, catering, resorts and casinos as well as other hospitality positions that deal with tourists generally, refers to hospitality. Hospitality involves the relationship process between the hotel and a guest and the act of being hospitable, such as guest reception and entertainment with friendliness, goodwill and liberality. Tourists who travel for recreation or leisure purposes is related to tourist management. In recent years, tourism has become a popular global leisure activity among worldwide customers. The project is about Ramada Encore London West. TASK ONE 1.1 Quality and its benefits within the Hospitality context Quality means, serving in a manner which suits to the tourist within the limits of the industry. It also refers to the quality provided to the people who have visited an individualsââ¬â¢ place. The best of the services provided by the operations team is called quality. Delivering quality service is one of the major challenges facing hospitality managers in the opening years of the millennium. It is be an essential condition for success in the emerging, keenly competitive, global hospitality markets. While the future importance of delivering quality hospitality service is easy to discern and to agree on, doing so presents some difficult and intriguing management issues. Since the delivery of hospitality service always involves people, these issues centre on the management of people, and in particular on the interactions between guests and staff, interactions that are called service encounters. In the eyes of our guests, our hospitality businesses will succeed or fail depending on the cumulative impact of the service encounters in which they have participated. It is easy to check the importance of managing these service encounters.à à Think back to the last time you visited a hotel or restaurant.à à Service encounters are the building blocks of quality hospitality service.à First, hospitality managers should identify each encounter in the chain that they wish to take apart, and then single out those that are of operational or strategic significance ââ¬â in effect, focusing in on the few encounters that really make a difference to guest experience and thus to the bottom line. Second, apply what we have called the 6 Sââ¬â¢s to improving these critical encounters through effective redesign. While the first step may seem obvious, it is important to identify a service chain and then to break it down into the component encounters.à à à Too much detail takes time and resources, and may confuse rather than clarify.à à Too little and we may miss important problems.à à The process is iterative, with more detail needed in some areas and less in others, and with an overriding consideration that the chain is assessed not just from the point of view of a manager but also from that of a guest. Those that add significant value to the guest, those that cost in time or money, those that help to differentiate the business from its competitors, and those where significant innovation is possible or occurring. Hospitality service encounters run the gamut from those that are very trivial to those that are highly critical. They vary greatly in their nature and may be simple or complex, standard or custom, low tech or high tech, remote or friendly, low or high skill, frequent or occasional, and so on. They can be instrumental dealing with the performance of necessary utilitarian activities or can involve emotion-laden hospitality events. An initial management task is to understand a service encounter by discerning and dealing with those attributes that are most important to guests. In doing so, pertinent questions must be raised about the specific service encounter(s) under consideration.à With respect to a particular service encounter, hospitality managers might raise many questions like the following: The specific encounter(s) under consideration will, of course, indicate the kinds of questions that should be pursued.à It is important to obtain adequate information to understand the situation thoroughly.à Determining the context of a situation relating to a hospitality encounter that has gone wrong establishes parameters for improvement. All this is part of the second step.à à With the information at hand hospitality managers can organize, and analyze the data and it is here that the 6S approach can help.à à à These are: Specificationà à à Staffà à à Spaceà à à Systemà à à Supportà à à Style Specification means clearly detailing information about the what, when, where, and how, of service encounters.à It requires giving careful thought to the linkages between particular service encounters and others in the service chain. When hospitality managers have carried out these two step process they will be in an excellent position to make decisions that will both improve the quality of hospitality services provided and guest perceptions of them. Zeroing in on hospitality service quality in this manner will help hospitality businesses meet the service challenges of the millennium, enhance their market positions, and reap the associated profit rewards. Staff in the hospitality industry must be trained to enhance all the issues resolved in time, before the consumers enable to dismantle the theory of having been not satisfied with the hotel staff and the services provided. The hotel must have a very good accommodation to have all its clients feel at home. A good space leads to more impressive and lucrative offers for the consumers to come at regular intervals. Space means a big area being controlled and operated by the hotel management and the staff. There should be discipline in the work being allotted to each and every department. That means that the system of working as a family and in a healthy atmosphere be supplemented and enhanced to face any number of customers in the hotel. Support from all the managerial staff makes a real sense of developing the adjustments made by the hotel. The presentation of the hotel should be in such a way that it attracts the eyes of the clients. The style applied to all the rooms, bar, restaurant, pool side and the lobby must be so much eccentric that the onlookers feel proud to be the part of such an organization. More than ever it is important for businesses to be offering the best service to their clients and ensuring that their needs are being met so they stay loyal customers. The increasing use of electronic communication benefits business with efficiency gains but can be detrimental with the interaction with clients. We all need to hold onto and look after our customers and one of the best ways to obtain quality time with valuable clients as well as potential clients and top performing employees is to take them to an exclusive or very popular event such as a high profile sporting event demonstrating to them how much you value them. The best way to spend time at an event is going with a corporate package, for many reasons. Firstly by doing it in style and creating a special occasion people will remember it for years to come and will certainly show how much you value them by going that bit further than buying tickets to the event. Taking employees and clients here will pay you dividends in the future as it will encourage loyalty and continue bringing in valuable income. Using hospitality facilities will provide you with space to spend time with valuable clients and those contacts that you want to convert into customers. Having that prime location at the event gives you a huge benefit over sitting in a crowded and noisy stadium. It is a much better suited environment to enjoy the event while talking business too. Going with a hospitality package can often give you the opportunity to network as other companies will be sharing the facilities with their clients. You can find valuable clients and contacts this way. Supplier selection criteria for a particular product or service category should be defined by a ââ¬Å"cross-functionalâ⬠team of representatives from different sectors of your organization. In a manufacturing company, for example, members of the team typically would include representatives from purchasing, quality, engineering and production. Team members should include personnel with technical/applications knowledge of the product or service to be purchased, as well as members of the department that uses the purchased item. Common supplier selection criteria: Previous experience and past performance with the product/service to be purchased. Relative level of sophistication of the quality system, including meeting regulatory requirements or mandated quality system registration (for example, ISO 9001, QS-9000). Ability to meet current and potential capacity requirements, and do so on the desired delivery schedule. Financial stability. Technical support availability and willingness to participate as a partner in developing and optimizing design and a long-term relationship. Total cost of dealing with the supplier (including material cost, communications methods, inventory requirements and incoming verification required). The suppliers track record for business-performance improvement. Total cost assessment. Methods for determining how well a potential supplier fits the criteria: Obtaining a Dun Bradstreet or other publicly available financial report. Requesting a formal quote, which includes providing the supplier with specifications and other requirements (for example, testing). Visits to the supplier by management and/or the selection team. Confirmation of quality system status either by on-site assessment, a written survey or request for a certificate of quality system registration. Discussions with other customers served by the supplier. Review of databases or industry sources for the product line and supplier. Evaluation (SUCH AS prototyping, lab tests, OR validation testing) of samples obtained from the supplier. The Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality Tourism serves as a medium to share and disseminate new research findings, theoretical development and superior practices in hospitality and tourism service quality. The journal aims to publish cutting-edge empirically and theoretically sound research articles which advance and foster hospitality and tourism research and practices. Academicians and practitioners explore current and important development information on quality planning, development, management, marketing, evaluation, and adjustments within the field. As a result, this journal will help readers to keep up-to-date on the latest theory development and research findings, improve business practices, stay informed of successful hospitality strategies, maintain profit requirements, and increase their market share in this complex and growing field. Comprised of conceptual and methodological research papers, research notes, case studies, and review books and conferences the Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality Tourism offers readers examples of real world practices and experiences that involve: organizational development and improvement operational and efficiency issues quality policy and strategy service quality improvement and customer satisfaction managerial issues, such as employee empowerment benefits, quality costs, returns on investment the role and participation of private and public sectors, including residents international, national, and regional tourism; tourism destination sites; arid systems of tourism Allowing readers the opportunity to share experiences and thoughts with colleagues in the field, this journal also contains several columns that examine different and valuable information sources, including:research notes significant findings related to the goals of the journal dissertations and masters theses abstracts examine quality assurance related topics book reviews recently published works that discuss the strengths structure of the book, subject matter, readability, and discussions about the works contribution to existing practices and knowledge in the field conference reviews highlighting discussing specific papers presented at conferences their importance in the field web site reviews interesting helpful hospitality tourism web sites. Covering several crucial areas in each issue, this journal provides essential information that can be applied to businesses, the classroom, and new research projects. Bringing together a variety of perspectives from around the world, the Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality Tourism has the current, comprehensive, and vital information necessary to evaluate the quality of services and improve customer satisfaction in a cost-effective manner. 1.2à Quality Awards/Systems that Hospitality Organizations operate within The concept of quality management in hospitality industry is very important.à The hospitality industry is one of the most important industries in the world that has been growing at unique rate owing to the increased rate of globalization.à The amplified activities in tourism industry and improved international trade are among the factors that have led to increased growth of the hospitality industry.à There has been increased trend towards equivalence of services in the hospitality industry and this is being driven by the need for augmentation of quality of services. As the level of competition increase in the industry, the competitive advantage has been created through provision of high quality services.à In order to understand the trend in enrichment of quality of services in the industry, this paper will review a number of studies on the subject. The case of Ramada Encore London West discusses how total quality management has been used in London in the enhancement of quality in theà à hospitality industry.à This acknowledges that total quality management is a concept that has gained increased use in the hospitality industry. In recognition of the importance of quality management in the hospitality industry, the ISO 9000 has been an important step in setting standards for the implementation of total quality management in the industry.à Enhancement of quality in the hospitality industry is cited to increase the level of customer satisfaction, increased sales and better profits for business in the hospitality industry. Total Quality Management (TQM) is however sometimes difficult to implement in hospitality industry owing to the difficult in identifying some of the most appropriate quality measures. This study identified the need to use the quality triangle in hospitality industry including focus on customers, team work approach to unify goals, and use of scientific approach in decision making. Through comparing TQM in manufacturing and hospitality industry, the study gives important review on how hospitality industry can use the TQM concept to improve their services.à This study is important since it shows how organization in the hospitality industry can actually use TQM concept to enhance quality in their products and services.à It is important to understand that TQM is s wholesome approach which doesnââ¬â¢t only look at one aspect of quality management but concentrate on quality in on all aspects. HACCP is one of the most important aspects in TQM that defines quality. HACCP defines the important points at which quality should be ensured. Through understanding the important points in the process of food production or offering of service where quality can be enhanced, it become easier to enhance quality. While HACCP is an important factor in quality enhancement process that has been used in large food manufacturers, it has been slowly employed in the small business especially in the hospitality industry.à The study found out that there are more than eleven barriers to enhancement of HACCP in enhancement of quality.à This has one of the most comprehensive studies in implementation of HAACP in the hospitality industry.à à The findings of the study are important since they show the importance of HACCP in enhancement of quality of products and services in hospitality industry. Quality enhancement is important in determining the rating of hotels in hospitality industry. It is also related to princes of products and services in the industry. In their study on Quality and Pricing in the Hotel Industry: The Mobil Star and Hotel Pricing Behaviour, Henley, Cotter, and Duncan (2004) argues that price is closely tied to pricing of products.à They argue that quality is one of the most important determinants of price not only in hospitality industry but also in other industries as well. à However, they concede that it is fortunate that in the hospitality industry, quality evaluation and prince information are availed for consumer and have also been published in consumer guides. They give the example of The Mobili Travel Guides as one of the most important sources of information regarding quality and price of products offered in hospitality industry. To find whether hotels usually do change their pricing and quality strategy when their rating is affected in such consumer guides.à This study found out that price is tied to quality of services and products. Most hotels raises their prices when their rating goes higher and lowers the consequently when their rating is lowered, and the same happens at Ramada Encore London West.à The results are important to enhancement of quality in hospitality industry. It reveals that quality of service offered has an effect on rating of the hotels and hence the price of their product. There are different factors affecting the quality of services in the hospitality industry. In their review of different factors affecting quality in the Ramada Encore London Westà shows that the growth of tourisms industry in different parts of the world have led to increased attention to quality assurance in the hospitality industry. The hotel looked into influence of consumer perception on quality of services, the study found out that different factors like previous acquaintance with the hotel, perception and efficiency, perception of value, type of restaurant services, quality of conference facilities, and staff attitudes are among the important factors that affect consumer perception of quality in a given hotel. It is important to operators in the industry who want to improve their quality since they would focus on these factors.à It implies that to enhance quality, hotels must understand the important factors that are used by consumers to assess quality of services and pro ducts and henceforth improve them. Employees of Ramada Encore London West have a lot of influence on the quality of service offered by the organization. Employees are the main point of contact between organization and the customers. Following the HACCP model, this is an important point and there should be efforts to enhance quality at this point. In deed, this point has been reinforced by Kattara, Dina, and El-Saidà à in their study on the impact of employee behaviour on customers service quality perceptions and overall satisfaction.à In this study, Kattara et al., (2008) attempted to investigate the relationship between the positive and negative employee behaviour, customer sensitivity of the quality of service offered and the satisfaction of the employees. This study revealed that employee behaviours whether negative or positive are well correlated with customer satisfaction. Through review of past and current literature, the study found out that customer discernment is mainly influenced by the quality of se rvice they received at a given hotel.à This study is important enhancement of quality in the hospitality industry since it looked at the relationship between employees and their customers. Consumers are also important determinant of the quality of service offered in the industry through their reviews.à à Consumer awareness is an important factor that can be used by consumers to show the level of quality in the industry. While a manager may think that their service are quality, customer many think otherwise.à Therefore the author suggests setting up a program that will assist in monitoring go standards of services to enhance quality. Quality management is not only about ornamental quality of goods and services. The hospitality industry in has not been keen on integrating occupation health and safety with quality management systems.à If OHS is not integrated with quality management system, most organization can degenerate from health participatory process to mere bureaucratic management tool.à The findings of this study are important since they show the importance of integrating OHS and quality systems. Both concepts are closely related and enhance each other. 1.3à Internal System within the Front Office Area The Front Office utility of a Hotel is to act as the public face of the hotel, chiefly by greeting hotel consumers and checking in guests. It also provides assistance to guests during their stay completes their lodgings, food and beverage, accounts and receives payment from guests. Department is typically poised of 1. Reception 2. Reservation 3. Concierge 4. PBX (phone service system) 5. Telephone a) Front Office: à Sell guestrooms; register guests and design guestrooms. Coordinate guest services provide information. Maintain precise room statistics, and room key inventories. Maintain guest account statements and complete proper financial settlements b) Reservation: Receive and process reservation requests for future overnight accommodations. With technology development, the Reservation Department can, on real time, access the number and types of rooms available, various room rates, and furnishings, along with the various facilities existing in the hotel Edgar Dsouz FRONT OFFICE is the nerve center in the entire hotel operations. All the transaction passes through within this department. The Front Office Department comprise of the Reception, Guest Service Offices, Bell Services, Reservation, Operators, Executive Club, Health and Recreation Center and Business Center. The purpose of the Front Office Department is to provide guests assistance with luggage, transportation, information concerning the hotel and the city, and any other service arrangements needed during their stay. Employees of the Front Office Department often provide the first and last impression of the hotel to our guests. It is therefore vitally important that employees display a prompt and courteous attitude to all guests and demonstrate the excellence in service. The Front Office Manager who comes under the direct supervision of the Director of Rooms and supervises the Front Office Department Important of Front Office Department to the Hotel .Hospitality, warm welcome .Often provide first and last impression. .Often have longest contact with guest. .Continuity: Long term service, recognition of repeat guests, remember names, guest histories. .Acquaint guest with hotel. .Sell hotel food and beverage outlets. .Upsell: Suggest deluxe and suites. .Smoother over disgruntled guests. TASK TWO 2.1 Supply Chain Management Strategies For the organizations which are concerned in tourism, competence is conditioned, among other determinants, by the harmonization and synchronization of all participantsââ¬â¢ efforts from the unambiguous performance chain: tourism services suppliers, tour-operators, travel agencies and tourists themselves. Among these participants, a special role is assigned to the tour-operators. Going from certain tourism attractions, they take upon themselves the manufacture of those products that are required by tourists, assembling the different basic and complementary tourism services that are offered by numerous services suppliers, and further, distributing them to the retailers, or directly to the tourists. The impact of their activity is very strong because through the realized products they incorporate different types of tourist services. Going from these aspects and analyzing in a similar manner the tourism activity as the material goods manufacturing activity from logistical point of vie w, it can be said that, successful activity can be achieved when those different participants categories act like a system, into a supply chain. On tour-operatorsââ¬â¢ level, the supply chain management incorporates, among the others, planning and management activities concerning purchasing suppliers selection, internal logisticsââ¬â¢ management, as well as collaboration with all marketing channel partners. Internal logistics involves activities that refers to purchasing, operationsââ¬â¢ support and some aspects that are similar with physical distribution, the supply chain being structured by cooperation between a various number of participants, from raw materials suppliers (their impact is visible especially in catering, foods or beverage suppliers services), up to end consumers. Otherwise, the role of the last category is more important because they lend the tourism activity specific nature, through thereââ¬â¢s participation on a successful holiday product. Supply chains evolve in harmony with changes in the market and their ambitions. The fruition of supply chain is correlated to different elements of progress in the business context referred to as performance capacity, innovation and clock speed. These correlations are the starting point of moving the chain towards the higher goals and therefore are of most importance. In order to assure that the chain is moving on the right path in its evolutionary journey, the journey must start based on the most precise data available. Different firms and diverse supply chains have dissimilar business strategies and value propositions, and answering those questions is often harder than one might imagine. To illustrate, lets look at some examples of metrics that are mis-aligned: cases in which a company discovered that they werent measuring the things that really mattered to their customers. Companies must always be concerned with their competition. Todays marketplace is shifting from individual company presentation to supply chain performance: the entire chains ability to meet end-customer needs through product availability and responsive, on-time delivery. Supply chain performance crosses both functional lines and company boundaries. Functional groups (engineering/RD, manufacturing, and sales/marketing) are all instrumental in designing, building, and selling products most efficiently for the supply chain, and traditional company boundaries are changing as companies discover new ways of working together to achieve the ultimate supply chain goal: the ability to fill customer orders faster and more efficiently than the competition. To accomplish that goal, you need performance process, or metrics, for global supply chain performance improvements. Your performance measures must show not only how well you are providing for your customers (service metrics) but also how you are handling your business (speed, asset/inventory, and financial metrics). Given the cross-functional environment of many supply chain improvements, your metrics must prevent organizational silo behaviour which can hinder supply chain routine. Supply Chain Strategies are the critical backbone to Business Organizations today. Effective Market coverage, Availability of Products at locations which hold the key to revenue recognition depends upon the effectiveness of Supply Chain Strategy rolled out. Very simply stated, when a product is introduced in the market and advertised, the entire market in the country and all the sales counters need to have the product where the customer is able to buy and take delivery. Any glitch in product not being available at the right time can result in drop in customer interest and demand which can be disastrous. Transportation network design and management assume importance to support sales and marketing strategy. Inventory control and inventory visibility are two very critical elements in any operations for these are the cost drivers and directly impact the bottom lines in the balance sheet. Inventory means value and is an asset of the company. Every business has a standard for inventory turnaround that is optimum for the business. Inventory turnaround refers to the number of times the inventory is sold and replaced in a period of twelve months. The health of the inventory turn relates to the health of business. In a global scenario, the finished goods inventory is held at many locations and distribution centers, managed by third parties. A lot of inventory would also be in the pipeline in transportation, besides the inventory with distributors and retail stocking points. Since any loss of inventory anywhere in the supply chain would result in loss of value, effective control of inventory and visibility of inventory gains importance as a key factor of Supply Chain Management function. 2.2à Supplier Selection Process Supplier selection criterion for a particular product or service category should be defined by a ââ¬Å"cross-functionalâ⬠team of representatives from different sectors of your organization. In a manufacturing company, for example, members of the team typically would include representatives from purchasing, quality, engineering and fabrication. Team members should include personnel with technical/applications knowledge of the product or service to be purchased, as well as members of the subdivision that uses the purchased item. Common provider selection criteria: Previous experience and past recital with the product/service to be purchased. Comparative level of sophistication of the quality system, including meeting regulatory requirements or mandated quality system registration (for example, ISO 9001, QS-9000). Ability to meet current and potential aptitude requirements, and do so on the desired delivery schedule. Financial stability. Technical support availability and willingness to participate as a partner in developing and optimizing design and a long-term relationship. Total cost of dealing with the supplier (including material cost, communications methods, inventory requirements and incoming verification required). The suppliers track record for business-performance improvement. Total cost assessment. Methods for determining how well a potential supplier fits the criteria: Obtaining a Dun Bradstreet or other publicly available financial report. Requesting a formal quote, which includes providing the supplier with specifications and other requirements (for example, testing). Visits to the supplier by management and/or the selection team. Confirmation of quality system status either by on-site assessment, a written survey or request for a certificate of quality system registration. Discussions with other customers served by the supplier. Review of databases or industry sources for the product line and supplier. Evaluation (SUCH AS prototyping, lab tests, OR validation testing) of samples obtained from the supplier. TASK THREE 3.1 Possible issues encountered by Operations Managers Lack of capital is often the most critical challenge that a successful manager or leader faces as its very success creates this and it quickly becomes a vicious circle. Without very diligent cash flow management and/or mounting of more capital, including debt, the business often is constrained by capital as it grows. Often the profit in one operating cycle is insufficient to fund the extra working capital required for the next operating cycle. Many capable managers cannot overcome the obstacles in their businesses cash flow cycle and cannot understand why bankers and other lenders often cannot provide the financing as the manager often does not have the security to support the debt. The solution is often easier than most entrepreneurs realize. It often starts with a plan to see what your cash needs are and when your cash needs arise. Then one is in a position to manage it and focus on the cash management techniques most likely to be successful in his/her business. Lack of management skills Lack of management skills is a problem that is very difficult to deal with in most small and medium enterprises as the size of the senior management team is necessarily limited. These areas of weakness could be in finance, human resources, marketing or any area where the current management does not have the expertise, or the time to deal with the issues. It can be solved by determining the weak areas and then developing a plan for dealing with those challenges. Solutions can be as simple as assigning the responsibility to an existing manager with a requirement to watch for the obvious pitfalls, to hiring a person part-time or a consultant. Lack of focus Ignoring risks in their assessment of alternatives and opportunities Lack of a plan Failure to plan for issues absorbing the majority of your time 3.2 Resolving the Issues An operations manager should be more proficient regarding his/her department when operating a staff of Tourism and Hospitality. The faces of the staff repair the atmosphere in the hotel for the customers. Issues should be handled and resolved with timely interviewing of the needs and responsibilities of the staff. It is compulsory for the managers to be more precise over the issues and no favours should be given to any particular person on gander basis. Itââ¬â¢s the most aspiring issue which hinders the work at the work place and creates a substance of non judgemental circumstances for the front line managers. Operations manager must be focussed on the resolution and proper usage of time in work. This can be implemented on focussing on the demands of the staff which speak of the customers. By not giving any heed to the needs, the managers sometimes bring a bad and deliberate reputation to the designation and the atmosphere gives no other chance rather than to leave. Planning is another need for the operations managers. A good plan will lead a good presentation by the staff. A hotel only runs on the presentation of its criteria and backup must be strong to represent its nature. If the planning of the manager does not match the abilities of the staff then it can beheld that the operations manager lacks planning and needs to be refurbished on the planning and strategy building. Issues only happen when there is a lack of co-ordination amid the staff. While working in the field of hospitality one has to resolve the issues otherwise the presentation of the team will lack a lot of planning and debauchery of the things and conjugally.à But if an operations manager will keep on defying the whole lot by giving advices and resolving the issues then his own hard made planningââ¬â¢s wont get much time to be implemented. So an operations manger must be sure on implementing and displaying of his plans in time instead to giving solvents for the problems and issues. Operations management has acquired great significance in the recent years due to an increase in the number of trans-national companies, whose operations are spread across the continents. It helps in developing the synergies between the various operations that are separated by time and space. OM has made it possible for trans-national companies, like Shell Corporation, to source crude oil from an oilrig in Europe and deliver the oil to a refinery located in Asia Pacific. OM is not limited to Oil Companies only. OM has enabled many companies to set up production and manufacturing at cost effective locations and source the required inputs from locations where procurement costs are low. Corporate social responsibility (CSR), which takes as its premise that firms ought to justify their existence in terms of service to assorted stakeholders rather than mere profit, has been a subject of much debate. Yet, notwithstanding certain critical voices, more and more businesses, including hospitality companies, are embracing CSR. Some like Scandic even embedded it into their business models, which means that CSR underpins their organizational modus operandi. Thus this paper, built around an analysis of Scandics Omtanke programme, aims to conceptualize CSR in the context of the hospitality sector. Great stress is laid, therefore, on the implications of CSR for hotel-based human resource management, local community support and promotion of environmental sustainability. Drawing on interviews with Scandic managers and internal documents, we examine the rationale and effects of various CSR initiatives carried out in Scandic hotels in recent years. Building on these insights, the paper concludes by making some recommendations of practical character and highlighting future research directions. Issues can be resolved in the process of making healthy relations of the staff and the customers in the hotel industry are very important. The selection of the staff depends upon the education provided and enhanced in an able way to product these things in such a way that these cannot be traumatised and bullied to halter the work of the hotel. REFERENCE LIST Philip Kotler, John Bowen, James Makens Marketing for Hospitality Tourism 5th Edition Robert Johnston, Graham Clark -à à à à à à Service Operations Management 3rd Edition Chris Holloway, R. Davidson, Claire Humphreys The Business of Tourism 8th Edition Nigel Slack, Mike Lewis -à Operations Strategy 3rd Edition Robert D. Reid, David à à Hospitality Marketing Management. Simon Hudson à à Marketing for Tourism and Hospitality. Cathy Enz Hospitality Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases.
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