Dissertation: Fast Food Restaurants

ABSTRACT Organizational behaviour in fast food industry is an important area to analyze as fast food sector is growing rapidly. It has direct positive relation with organizational productivity. Around the globe, the penetration of fast food sector is enormous. A field study was conducted in order to evaluate the employees’ perception of various dynamics of organizational behaviour.The context selected was the fast food restaurants of Pakistan. A sample of 100 fast food restaurants’ employee was selected and data was collected using pre-printed structured questionnaires. The main data collection technique employed was factor loading using principle component analysis. It was performed on various constructs which were used to understand the organizational behaviour.The findings of this dissertation exerts organizational decision markers to focus on acceptance of change by managers and employees, being more responsive to customers’ suggestions, employees awareness a bout organizational mission, non-monetary appreciation by the colleagues and seniors, task prioritization, intra-team dynamics, workload adjustment, resource sufficiency, organizational justice in the form of fairness, imparting training to the employees, job relevant training to employees, provision of congenial work environment to employee, security at work place, coordination with employees, ensuring transparency while promoting people and elimination of biasness among employees. The accomplishment of these would have important bearings on overall organizational behaviour and will ultimately improve the productivity of the organization. Like many researches, this research also has some limitations. Future research should take in to account these short comings. Table of Contents ABSTRACT1 You can read also Classifications of RestaurantsCHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION OF DISSERTATION: AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF DISSERTATION5 1-1: A Brief Account of the Area of Interest:5 1-2: Choice Rationale of the Thesis Research:6 1-3: Aim of the Dissertation Research:7 1-4: Fast Food Industry of Pakistan – the Context:7 1-5: Research Questions of Dissertation:8 1-6: Research Objectives of Dissertation:9 1-7: Nature of Research Output and Final Outcome of Dissertation:10 1-8: Structure of the Thesis:11 1-9: Chapter Summary:12 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF ACADEMIC AND SCHOLARLY LITERATURE13 2-1: Organizational Behaviour– An Imperative issue for Businesses:13 2-2-1: Culture:15 2-2-2: Change:16 2-2-3: Customer Orientation:17 2-2-4: Rewards and Recognition:18 2-2-5: Leadership/Supervision:19 -2-6: Fair Treatment of Employees:19 2-2-7: Job Characteristics:20 2-2-8: Training:20 2-2-9: Work Environment:21 2-3: Summary:22 CHAPTER 3: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OF THE DISSERTATION23 3-1: Theoretical Und erpinnings – Rationale:23 3-2: Research Aims and Objectives:24 6. 1. 13-2-1: Background Discussion:24 6. 1. 23-2-2: Research Aims:25 6. 1. 33-2-3: Research Objectives:26 3-4: Summary:32 CHAPTER 4: DESIGN, METHODOLOGY AND METHOD(S) OF DISSERTATION RESEARCH33 4. 1: Nature of Research Endeavours:33 4. 2: Type of Research:34 4. 3: Reference to Sampling Frame:35 4. 4: Population Attributes and Sampling Design:35 4. 5: Decision on Sample Size:36 4. : Characteristics of Data Collection Instrument:36 4. 7 Pre-Testing the Data Collection Instrument:37 4. 8: Field Survey and Data Collection – Primary and Secondary Research:37 4. 9: Data Analysis and Report Writing:38 4-10: Summary of the Chapter:39 CHAPTER 5: FINDINGS AND ASSOCIATED DISCUSSION40 5. 1: The Pakistani Fast Food Sector – Context of Dissertation:40 5-2: Reliability Analysis:42 5 – 3: Review of Dissertation’s Aim and Associated Objectives:43 5 – 4: Demographic Profile of the Employees:44 5 – 5: Primary Data Analysis:46 5 – 6: Research Objective 1: To explore the employees’ perception of culture of fast food restaurants of Pakistan. 9 5 – 7: Research Objective 2: To explore the employees’ perception of change dynamics of fast food restaurants of Pakistan. 52 5 – 8: Research Objective 3: To explore the employees’ perception of customer orientation of fast food restaurants of Pakistan56 5 – 9: Research Objective 4: To explore the employees’ perception of leadership dynamic of fast food restaurants of Pakistan. 61 5 – 10: Research Objective 5: To explore the employees’ perception of rewards and recognition of fast food restaurants of Pakistan. 64 5 – 11: Research Objective 6: To explore the employees’ perception of job characteristics of fast food restaurants of Pakistan. 7 5 – 12: Research Objective 7: To explore the employees’ perception of fair treatment with employ ees among fast food restaurants of Pakistan72 5 – 13: Research Objective 8: To explore the employees’ perception of training among fast food restaurants of Pakistan75 Table 5 – 37 gives the rotated component matrix of training. It shows that two factor were extracted when factor loading was applied. The first was â€Å"number of trainings given to employees in last six months† (0. 959) and â€Å"number of trainings† given in last one month’ (0. 956). The factor could be termed as â€Å"recent training offered to employees†. The second factor extracted was loaded on two variables i. e. , â€Å"employees training on assessed needs† (0. 63) and â€Å"employees are trained to meet changes in job† (0. 873). The factor extracted could be named as â€Å"job relevant training†. 78 5 – 14: Research Objective 9: To explore the employees’ perception of work environment among fast food restaurants of Pakistan. 7 8 5 – 13: Summary:82 6-1: Conclusion of the Dissertation:84 6-2: Recommendations:85 6-2-1: Recommendation 1: Change Dynamics:86 6-2-2: Recommendation 2: Customer Orientation:87 6-2-3: Recommendation 3: Leadership Dynamics:87 6-2-4: Recommendation 4: Rewards and Recognition:87 6-2-5: Recommendation 5: Job Characteristics:88 6-2-6: Recommendation 6: Fair Treatment with Employees:88 6-2-7: Recommendation 7: Training:89 -2-8: Recommendation 8: Work Environment:89 6-2-9: Recommendation 9: Culture:90 6-3: Limitations of Research:90 6-3: Future Research Opportunities:91 REFERENCES92 APPENDIX101 QUESTIONNAIRE102 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION OF DISSERTATION: AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF DISSERTATION This is the first chapter of the dissertation. It will contribute a brief overview of the dissertation topic. It will also contribute the aims and objectives of the dissertation research. Further to this, this chapter will underscore the final outcome of the dissertation along with dissertation struc ture. In addition to this, the chapter will also contribute the structure of the dissertation.The chapter will end with the summary of the chapter. 1-1: A Brief Account of the Area of Interest: The world is at the verge of transition (Adler and Gundersen, 2008). This exerts enormous pressures on managers to sharpen their skills with reference to dynamic issues. Priem et al. (1995) suggested that environmental dynamism dictates the decision making process and firm performance. Thompson (1967) highlighted that organizations are open systems situated within an independent external environment. Garg et al. (2003) suggested that these environmental concerns are also closely related to the selection of senior managers in the organisation. Businesses are growing day by day. Increase in he size changes the ownership pattern and separated the ownership form the management of organization. There are different managers who work on the behalf of their owners and managers have other people who w ork for their managers. These managers assume responsibility of manipulating resources as well as day-to-day running of the enterprise so as to ensure the accomplishment of short-range and long-range plans. An organization is a group of people arranged in different teams and department in a particular manner. These people generally belong to the society where the organization is located. This collection of people generally holds for an extended period of time and work together towards accomplishment of organization’s long-term mission.According to Cartwright (1965), an organization can be regarded as a collection of related people arranged on the bases of their interdependence on each other yet with an emphasis on the whole. The behaviour of people within organization is controlled and can be forecasted quite often. The contribution of people or parts of the system would lead to the accomplishment of organizational goals and objectives. Organizational behaviour involves study of activities of people and their behaviour that influences organizational performance. The core areas of OB include motivation, leader behaviour, group structure and processes, change process, job and work design and work stress (Bigelow et al. , 1999).Research in the domain of organizational behaviour corroborates an association between behaviour of an organization and its productivity level. The work of Hansen and Wernerfelt (1989) revealed that as compared to economic indicators of organizational performance, the factors associated with organizational behaviour have twice as much explanatory power as much the economic variables. The study of organizational behaviour draws attention to lot of areas which might be advantageous or cumbersome for the organization. It identifies issues like workforce diversity and offers solutions to manage it. The insights arising out of OB enables managers to harness the workers’ efficiency. This is generally accomplished through empowering employees.It also guides managers to design jobs and workplace in such a way as to facilitate achievement of organizational goals and objectives and reduce job stress (Robbins, 1998). 1-2: Choice Rationale of the Thesis Research: Organizational behaviour in fast food industry is an important area to analyze as fast food sector is growing rapidly. Fast food items can be cooked rapidly and thus can be obtained in no time. Around the globe, the penetration of fast food sector is enormous. It gives convenience for busy lifestyle yet it is high in calories, sugar and fat (Glanz et al. , 1998). Many people don’t have their eating schedule in terms of breakfast, lunch and dinner.It is generally defined as immediate consumption food available at premises or in specific eating areas (Data Monitor, 2005). Bender and Bender (2000) highlighted that fast food items do not have large variety of goods and generally adopts a unique production processes. Hamburgers, pizzas chicken and sandwi ches are specialized fast food products. Fast food industry is regarded as a basis for obesity. Many US fast food producing firms faced court trial because of public concerns on obesity (Adams, 2005). Importance of nutritional values of fast food was also analyzed by researchers (Nayga Jr, 1997, O Dougherty et al. , 2006). Further to this, Brown et al (2000) also emphasized the importance of understanding nutritional requirements and fast food for youngsters.The above discussion asserts the importance of understanding or studying the fast food organization. This dissertation will use the context of fast food industry and will analyze dynamics of organizational behaviour in the said context. 1-3: Aim of the Dissertation Research: This research focuses on analysis of the â€Å"perception of employees about various dynamics of organizational behaviour in fast food industry of Pakistan†. The fast food industry is growing rapidly in Pakistan. It incorporates mushroom growth of bot h international and national fast food chains in various parts of the country. This phenomenal growth gained prominence in 1993 and since then it has been unmatched. The various imensions of organizational behaviour envisaged for this dissertation research include organizational culture, change dynamics, customer orientation, leadership dynamics, rewards and recognition, job characteristics, fair treatment, training and work environment. 1-4: Fast Food Industry of Pakistan – the Context: In contrast to past, where the hotels and restaurants were serving traditional and local food, the trend is now shifting towards Western meals especially fast food. The fast and busy life of residents of Pakistan is leading to more and more people dining out. Now-a-days, one can find fast food and fast food restaurants in all parts of the country. People can find fast-food literally every where. Hospitals are serving fast-food. One can stop at a nearby shopping centre.Gas Stations added separ ate sections which serve fast food. University, college and school cafeterias are offering fast food. One may find huge crowds of people in fast food restaurants on weekends. The Pakistan’s fast food market comprises of global giants like Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Hardees, etc. In addition to these, Hilal Fried Chicken (HFC), Al-Najam Fried Chicken (AFC), Fried Chicks, Italian Pizza and many other small firms are also gaining popularity. People from all walks of life and from all ages are visiting these restaurants. Despite its nutritional value, the fast food is also becoming a status symbol.According to Health and Integrated Survey (2009), the average spending of a household on food and related is around 44 percent of the total spending. Moreover, the population of Pakistan has exceeded 170 million. This large size of population spending huge sum of money on their food and related item makes fast food sector really a lucrative area for investment. Pingali (2007) also reported that in Asian people are increasingly using western food and this trend is also influencing the food management system in this country. One of the trends out of this westernization of food in Asia is the outburst of fast-food restaurants in Asian countries. 1-5: Research Questions of Dissertation:The achievement of above stated research aim requires answering number of research questions. These research questions are given hereunder: 1) What is the employees’ perception of culture of fast food restaurants of Pakistan? 2) What is the employees’ perception of change dynamics of fast food restaurants of Pakistan? 3) What is the employees’ perception of customer orientation of fast food restaurants of Pakistan? 4) What is the employees’ perception of leadership dynamic of fast food restaurants of Pakistan? 5) What is the employees’ perception of rewards and recognition of fast food restaurants of Pakistan? 6) What is the em ployees’ perception of job characteristics of fast food restaurants of Pakistan? ) What is the employees’ perception of fair treatment with employees among fast food restaurants of Pakistan? 8) What is the employees’ perception of training among fast food restaurants of Pakistan? 9) What is the employees’ perception of work environment among fast food restaurants of Pakistan? For each of the above mentioned research question, research objectives are developed which are give in the next section. 1-6: Research Objectives of Dissertation: In order to achieve research aim and answering research questions, various research objectives were developed. These are based on selection of nine constructs that have been identified from the literature. It is envisaged that the disseration would encompass following research objectives: ) To analyze the employees’ perception of culture of fast food restaurants of Pakistan. 2) To analyze the employees’ percep tion of change dynamics of fast food restaurants of Pakistan. 3) To analyze the employees’ perception of customer orientation of fast food restaurants of Pakistan 4) To analyze the employees’ perception of leadership dynamic of fast food restaurants of Pakistan. 5) To analyze the employees’ perception of rewards and recognition of fast food restaurants of Pakistan. 6) To analyze the employees’ perception of job characteristics of fast food restaurants of Pakistan. 7) To analyze the employees’ perception of fair treatment with employees among fast food restaurants of Pakistan ) To analyze the employees’ perception of training among fast food restaurants of Pakistan 9) To analyze the employees’ perception of work environment among fast food restaurants of Pakistan. 1-7: Nature of Research Output and Final Outcome of Dissertation: The accomplishment of this dissertation will facilitate organizational decision makers, particularly the sen ior management, in developing an understanding of various factors which are perceived to be important dimensions of organizational behaviour. This understanding could serve as a basis for various insights about evaluating their (senior management) current endeavours and subsequent decision making.By working on various dimensions of organizational behaviour, an organization can improve employees’ comfort level with the organization which has direct link organizational performance and profitability. The final outcome of the dissertation is a reduced list of factors which will be regarded as more important by the employees. The dissertation research involves identification of a number of factors from literature which are perceived to be the determinants of organization behaviour. These variables are reduced to few factors by using factor analysis. 1-8: Structure of the Thesis: This dissertation comprises of six chapters. At the outset of each chapter, the introduction of the cha pter is given.Similarly, each chapter ends with conclusion of the chapter. This section reveals a brief snapshot of each chapter. Chapter 1- Introduction of Dissertation: Aims and Objectives of Dissertation: This was the first chapter of the dissertation. This chapter emphasized the importance of studying organizational behaviour and importance of fast food industry. It also put forth the research aims and objectives. This chapter ended while elaborating the final outcome of the dissertation research and overall structure of the dissertation. Chapter 2 – Review of Academic and Scholarly Literature: This chapter will contribute the literature on importance of studying organizational behaviour.It will elaborate all the constructs (organizational culture, change dynamics, customer orientation, leadership dynamics, rewards and recognition, job characteristics, fair treatment, training and work environment) and related variables. It would also contribute an overview of global fast food industry with a particular emphasis on why it should be studied. This chapter will extract variables that will serve as the basis of development of theoretical framework. Chapter 3 – Theoretical Framework: This chapter will be linked with previous chapter (Review of Academic and Scholarly Literature) and will present the theoretical framework developed for this dissertation. It would dictate the methodology and associated areas of research.Chapter 4 – Methodology: This chapter will contribute the details of various research techniques which will be used for accomplishment of the dissertation research. Various sections that will be presented in this chapter will include population selection and sampling design, questionnaire development, pre-testing and piloting, overview of statistical techniques and other connected issues. Chapter 5 – Findings and Discussion: This chapter will present findings based on the dissertation research. These findings will be lin ked with the dissertation research objectives. Chapter 6 – Conclusion, Limitations and Future Research Areas: This will be the last chapter of the dissertation and would contribute conclusion, limitations and future research areas. 1-9: Chapter Summary:This chapter highlighted the overall aim of the dissertation and associated research objectives. It exerted the importance of understanding of organizational behaviour and identified various constructs which will be studied during the course of research. This chapter also contributed a snapshot of final outcome of the dissertation research and overall structure of the dissertation. The next chapter will contribute literature review on organizational behaviour and associated constructs. CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF ACADEMIC AND SCHOLARLY LITERATURE The last chapter gave the introduction of the dissertation. This chapter presents review of literature on various constructs which are subject of discussion of this dissertation.These include culture, change, customer orientation, rewards and recognition, leadership/supervision, fair treatment of employees, job characteristics, training and work environment. The chapter starts with the importance of understanding and studying organizational behaviour and ends with the conclusion. 2-1: Organizational Behaviour– An Imperative issue for Businesses: Adler and Gundersen (2008) suggested that present era is observing a high level of transition from one type of general and business practices to others. Kaplan and Norton (2001) suggested that in such hostile and dynamic environment, organizations attempt to perform better strategies as compared to their rivals. The key to perform better than rivals is to formulate better strategies as compared to the competitors firms.The organizations, in an attempt to compete in the industrial age, attempt to formulate and apply knowledge based strategies yet it has lot of challenges. In contrast to the previous century, where the envi ronmental change is incremental, the current era is characterized by a rapid change in organization’s environment. Saint-Onge (1999) commented on organizations’ abilities and suggested that in the wake of such speedy change, the key to shine out of the crowd is to be better informed as compared to your counter-parts. Further to this, Kennerley and Neely (2003) supported this idea and suggested that the dynamism of environment requires organizations to continuously change the course of action so as to match with the situation.Katz and Kahn (1978), long ago, referred to organizations as open systems. They further exerted that being an open system the organizations interact with the external environment and takes influence from the happenings in the external environment. Earlier, Thompson (1967) contributed similar idea. The work of Garg et al. (2003) suggested that these environmental concerns are in issue of primitive importance for the organization decision makers spec ially top management. Consequently, the changes in the external environment are closely monitored and their possible influence on the organization is also gauged. In the present times, the size of businesses is increasing.This brings additional challenges for the organizations as it also results in change in ownership and management pattern of the organization. Increasingly, the ownership and management of the organization is getting distinct. Organizations, being governed by the managers, instead of owners exerted that managers and employees are important stakeholders of the enterprise. They are the one who make important decision making about the enterprise’s resources. Moreover, they are the one who directs the working of the organization in certain directions so as to enable its ultimate purpose, the mission. Mintzberg (1980) regarded that organizations are coordinated units where people tend to synchronize their work with each other so as to make necessary mutual adjustm ent.Further to this, the work of Cartwright (1965) also highlighted the features of organizations as a collection of related people who are put together in such a way that they have certain level of dependence on each other. All of these people, if taken together, results in the full organization. The behaviour of the people in the form of their contribution towards attainment of organization goal is important. Such behaviour is often controlled and forecasted by the organizational decision makers. The working of people, their behaviour and the influence of behaviour on the organizational performance constitute organizational behaviour (OB). The study of organizational behaviour encompasses variety of areas that has to be studied.These include work stress, motivation, leader behaviour, group structure and processes, change process and job and work design (Bigelow et al. , 1999). A number of management studies revealed strong positive association between OB and organizational product ivity. Hansen and Wernerfelt (1989) revealed that as compared to economic indicators of organizational performance, the factors associated with organizational behaviour have twice as much explanatory power as much the economic variables. OB highlights both problems and new advantageous vistas for enterprises. It identifies issues like workforce diversity and offers solutions to manage it. OB has been quite influential in increasing the level of employees’ performance.It also guides managers to design jobs and workplace in such a way as to facilitate achievement of organizational goals and objectives and reduce job stress (Robbins, 1998). 2-2:Construct Definitions: The general understanding of the constructs and their various dimensions studied are given under each construct definition. 2-2-1: Culture: It refers to a widespread understanding of organizational value system by the people who form organization (Becker, 1982). As a concept, it has roots in social anthropology and has been extensively used to understand the behaviour of primitive societies (Kotter, 1992). It is concerned about the shared traditions and customs of an organization and organizational members’ feeling about these. Organizations should hire those persons that match with the organizational culture.If hiring is not aligned with organizational culture, it would lead to decrease in motivation and commitment of the hired (Reilly et al. , 1991). Misfit employees have more turnover than individuals who perceive a good fit (Sheridan, 1992). It has been widely used as â€Å"corporate† or â€Å"organizational culture†. The work of Denison (1984) and Furnham (1993) suggested that organizational culture can be used to achieved economic success. For this organization need to have a work force commitment towards various dimensions of organization culture including core values, beliefs and assumptions. This idea was furthered by Hofstede (1980). Moreover, Deal (1982) suggest ed that strong organizational culture is an important determinant of organizational performance.For the dissertation, the construct culture is broken down into various variables including â€Å"inter-group work coordination†, â€Å"intra-Group work coordination†, â€Å"biasness†, â€Å"people orientation†, and â€Å"innovation and risk-taking† (O'Reilly Iii et al. , 1991, Chatman and Jehn, 1994). Tjosvold et al. (1992) suggested that creating a culture in which people at same management level coordinates with each other is a difficult task however, it is critical for the organization. This issue becomes more important if the environment is turbulent. Beer et al. (1994) also highlighted that in the wake of changing external environment, the success of a change management program depends on the extent of coordination between various functional departments as well between various management levels.Similarly, Lemons and Jones (2001) and Meyer and Smith (2000) suggested that if any organization ensures transparency in its systems specially promotion, it would increase the commitment of employees with the organization. They suggested that despite the fact that every year companies spend lot of money in ensuring fair treatment with its employees; the biasness in promotion is still an imperative issue. Kaplan and Ferris (2001) suggested that if employees find problem in organization’s promotion system, it would evoke perceived organizational injustice. Koys (1991)suggested that organizations must maintain transparency in promotion as it is a legal requirement. 2-2-2: Change: Dynamic environment requires organizations to continuously update them as per the needs of the environment.Hall (1987) suggests that typically organizations do not prefer to change themselves and if they are posed to change, they show massive resistance. Organization’s survival depends on its ability to manage change. Similarly, an organization†™s success or failure depends on the things its employees do or fail to do. There are a number of changes that takes place in an organizational setting. This include change taking place in terms of social value system, educational change, political, technological, environmental, market, business, economical and religious, etc. For the purpose of the dissertation research, various dimensions of change that has been incorporated for study include â€Å"acceptance of change by individual†, â€Å"acceptance of change by senior management† and â€Å"rewarding of change†.Paterson and Cary (2002) highlighted that change management programs result in anxiety among employees. Iverson (1996) suggested that if an organization facilitates its employees during the times when a change is brought in, it would result in positive influence on organization. Kavanagh and Ashkanasy (2006) suggested that if senior management provides leadership in change management, it would facil itate change implementation and acceptance by employees. 2-2-3: Customer Orientation: Consumers/customers are at the heart of organizations. Traditional concept of customer’s satisfaction and customers being the profit centre is transforming into customer delight. Nowadays, the uyers are equipped with more information and are better aware in comparison to the past. They have variety of methods through which buyers can check organizational assertions and thus can make an informed decision (Urban, 2003). Customers always try to maximize their value commonly regarded as customers’ perceived value. It can be obtained by comparing a customers’ thinking about the benefits that he derives from a product and all associated costs that he incurred for obtaining that product. It also includes cost of foregoing related options. Those organizations which provide better value to its customers as compared to its rivals enjoy high level of customer loyalty.This idea was substan tiated by Hennig-Thurau (2004) who suggested that if an organization improves the customer orientation of its service employees, it would result in increased customer satisfaction. This would result in enhancement of customers’ commitment and organization would be better able to retain these customers. Brady and Cronin (2001) highlighted that if the employees maintain customer orientation, it would influence the perception of the customers towards quality of the products and services produced by the organization. So, that makes a strong point that organizations should focus on creation and provision of relatively better value to its customers (Learning, 1998).Shapiro (1988) suggested that customer orientation contends that customer related information should be transmitted at all levels across the organization. It should then be used in the strategic management and for tactical decision. Similarly, Kohli (1990) exerted that customer orientation deals with the extent to which information about the buyers is gathered and incorporated in decision making. similarly, Ruekert (1992) furthered this idea. The significance of customer orientation can be witnessed from its high recognition in management literature. Similarly, the work of Narver and Slater (1990) and Jaworski and Kohli (1993) substantiated that customer orientation brings economic benefits to an organization. employees’ empowerment to provide high value services†, customer feedback system† and â€Å"customer focused processes† were used to evaluate â€Å"customer orientation† construct for this dissertation research. 2-2-4: Rewards and Recognition: Despite the fact that in day to day life both recognition received from the management and the rewards given to an employee are used interchangeably yet both are not the same (Hansen et al. , 2002). The area has attracted a lot of discussion and had been topic of lot of research papers (Cooley and Lawrence, 2006, McDermo tt and O'Dell, 2001, Bessant and Francis, 1999, Johnson, 1996). However, it is regretful that despite a lot of attention in academic and scholarly literature, the traces of concept in business world are scarce.The evidence of use of rewards and recognition in developing employees’ motivation development is still not very evident. As a result of this, such organizational initiatives did not prove very fruitful. The work of Lewis (1998) and Parasuraman (1987) suggested that an organization can improve the quality of its service offering by linking the same with rewards that it offers to its employees. The same was also corroborated by Kotler (1999). Similar evidence arise from the work of Bowen (1999) who suggested that if employees were given rewards then they would have enhanced focus in managing the customers complaints. It’s a common phenomenon that one will feel dissatisfied if he/she is not rewarded or recognized for his/her good work.Monetary rewards are regarded as one of the top rated motivators (Locke et al. , 1980). Money is the mean which provides employees an opportunity of satisfying numerous desire. In addition to this, money can also act as a barometer through which an employee evaluate his worth in comparison with other employees who serve with them (Doyle, 1992). Moreover, money is not important to all employees. According to Maslow (1943), human beings have variety of needs categorized into various groups. He further exerted that high achievers are intrinsically motivated. For the purpose of this dissertation, the provision of â€Å"Monetary† and â€Å"Non-Monetary Rewards† were used.Where monetary rewards essentially takes the form of money, Govindarajulu and Daily (2004) suggested that non-monetary rewards takes various forms including appreciation, paid-vacation, preferred parking space, time-off from normal working in the office, etc. 2-2-5: Leadership/Supervision: Yukl (1994) highlighted that the concept of lea dership gained a lot of prominence through-out the century. Despite the fact that there a variety of leadership definitions are in place (Bass, 1990) yet the underlying meaning behind all of them is that it is meant to influence to influence organizational members towards attainment of goals and objectives of the enterprise.The leaders and founders of the organizations are also influential in setting the overall value systems and in shaping the culture of the enterprise (Schneider, 1987, Schein, 1990). Managers use formal strategic management process to identify and select appropriate goals and actions for the organization (Chandler, 1962). Determining the organization’s mission and goals is the first step of the planning process. Once the mission and goals are agreed upon and formally stated in the corporate plan, they guide the next steps by defining which strategies are appropriate and which are inappropriate (Pearce, 1992). The organization’s mission, objectives, s trategies and tactics must be communicated to everyone.Therefore, it is the responsibility of the supervisors that they should ensure that all efforts had been made in communicating targets, matters of importance and urgency, technical specifications, words of advice and motivation along with performance related feedback. Friendly and accommodating supervisors yield more satisfied and motivated employees. 2-2-6: Fair Treatment of Employees: People exert power and try to influence each other when they work in group. They try to find ways to influence others, earn rewards and advance careers (Culbert and McDonough, 1980). They exhibit or attempt to exhibit political behaviours to persuade the distributions of privileges and punishments (Mintzberg, 1984). Organizations protect the rights of all employees. It leads to respectful working relationships among employees, inculcates sense of ownership and provides a fair dispute resolution system.If a person is not treated fairly, he will fe el betrayed. It would possibly result in employee’s de-motivation and will adversely affect his/her performance. â€Å"Perception about fairness of disciplinary actions†, â€Å"proper allocation of training opportunities†, â€Å"fair dispute resolution† and â€Å"mutual trust† was included in this construct. Collier and Esteban (2007) suggested that if an organization treats its employee fairly, it would increase employee commitment with the organization and is an indicator that organization is fulfilling its corporate social responsibility. Engelbrecht et al. (2008) highlighted that in the present days the organizations have deputed a very diverse workforce.This diversity has lead to significant amount of conflicts in the organization. This demands that managers must treat all the employees fairly irrespective of their gender, age, ethnic background, etc. 2-2-7: Job Characteristics: Employees adopt attitudes and behaviours towards their jobs on th e basis of social information processing (Salancik and Pfeffer, 1978). People have the ability to adjust their attitudes and behaviour on the basis of their perception about the changing nature of job. Moreover, employees develop psychological contracts about their jobs that set out what management expects from the employees, and vice versa (Robinsons et al. , 1994).These physiological contracts, being an important determinant of employees’ behaviour should be clearly communicated to employees (Schein, 1980). â€Å"Skill variety†, â€Å"task identity†, â€Å"task significance†, â€Å"autonomy† and â€Å"feedback† proposed by Hackman and Oldham (1976) were used to observe job characteristics for the purpose of this dissertation. According to Morris and Venkatesh (2010), the job characteristics are strongly associated with job satisfaction and organization performance so organization must focus on job design and characteristics. Similarly, Woo d (2008) suggested job characteristics are often ignored while looking at job satisfaction.He suggested that organization must not ignore it as it is strongly associated with job satisfaction. 2-2-8: Training: Organizations are inefficient because they are managed by inefficient persons. Inefficient employees yield lower productivity and hence lower efficiency. It results in lower profitability and hence lower investment in Human Resources. This results into a vicious circle of inefficiency (Fani, 2005). Similarly, the work of Bettencourt (1996), Lewis (1998) and Yavas (1998) out forth that organization must focus on training its lower level employees not only to improve their technical capacity but also in improving the interpersonal skills of the employees.These skills would held them in coping with changing requirements of the buyers of products and services, handled different and complex personalities and adjusting themselves according to the situation so as to enable them deliv er enhanced value to the buyers. Boshoff (2000) exerted the training of employees and highlighted that if the employees are not equipped with relevant technical and behavioural skills, they would be unable to deliver competitive service and it would result in high level of customers’ grievance. This was further corroborated by Bitner (1990) who reported that around 43 percent of the complaints from dissatisfied customers were the outcome of the incapable people handlings customers’ affairs.Even, competent and skilled employees don’t remain competent and skilled forever. Due to increasing competition, technological changes and quest for improved production process, job roles changes and so does the required skills. Organizations all over the world spend billions each year on employees’ training. The money is generally used to educate employees, provide them with opportunities to learn new things so that they can do their job better and enhance their future career. Individualization of training programs increases their effectiveness (Kolb, 1976). â€Å"Training Need Analysis†, and â€Å"Previously taken training† were used to measure this construct.According to Dysvik and Kuvaas (2008), if an organization gives an employee training opportunities, the employee would not learn new things but would also become loyal and committed to the organizations. Both of these things will positively influence the organizations’ performance. Similarly, Schmidt (2007) suggested that if the employees of an organization are satisfied are with the workplace learning and formal training provided to them, it would positively influence their job satisfaction. 2-2-9: Work Environment: Nature of Job, physical environment and work space and characteristics of job can influence an employee’s work behaviour. Evidence indicates that even relatively modest variations in temperature, noise, lighting, or air quality can exert appreciable effects on employee performance and attitudes (Bell et al. , 1990).For instance, an increase in temperature can adversely affect both physical (Bell et al. , 1982) and mental performance of a person (Fine and Kobrick, 1978). Similarly, unpredictable noise interferes with an employee’s ability to concentrate and pay attention (Baron, 1994). Loud and unpredictable noises also tend to increase excitation and led to reduced job satisfaction (Bell et al. , 1990). Furthermore, right intensity of light is related with task difficulty and required accuracy (Wineman, 1982). â€Å"Workplace Cleanliness†, â€Å"Temperature†, â€Å"Ergonomics†, â€Å"Lighting† and â€Å"Ventilation†, and â€Å"workplace safety† were used in the dissertation for this construct.Biswas and Varma (2007) suggested that the firms should provide safe and healthy working environment to its employees. It would give employees a comfort factor in the organization and they b ecome more productive employees. Peek-Asa et al. (2007) suggested that organization should ensure that it has a comprehensive workplace security program 2-3: Summary: This chapter put forth the review of academic and scholarly literature on the dissertation area. It suggests that organizations are in a constant state of flux. External environment triggers organizational change. Such change in the organizations exerts their continuous study so as to observe the related phenomena. OB involves studying influence of people and their behaviour on organizations.The research in the domain of organizational behaviour encompasses research into variety of associated areas. These include work stress, motivation, leader behaviour, group structure and processes, change process and job and work design. A number of management studies revealed that there is a strong relationship between organizational behaviour and organizational performance. This chapter offers review of literature of various cons tructs. These constructs includes culture, change, customer orientation, rewards and recognition, leadership, fair treatment, job characteristics, training and work environment. The next chapter will give the theoretical framework of the dissertation. CHAPTER 3: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OF THE DISSERTATIONThis chapter will contribute the theoretical framework for this dissertation research. It would use the literature contributed in the preceding chapter and will put forward the proposed model. 3-1: Theoretical Underpinnings – Rationale: Thompson (1967) and Katz and Kahn (1978) suggested that organizations are open systems. They further exerted that being an open system the organizations interact with the external environment and takes influence from the happenings in the external environment. Garg et al. (2003) argued that these environmental concerns are in issue of primitive importance for the organization decision makers specially top management. Presently, the size of busin esses is increasing.This brings additional challenges for the organizations as it may result in change in ownership and management pattern of the organization. Increasingly, the ownership and management of the organization is getting distinct. Organizations, being governed by the managers, instead of owners exerted that managers and employees are important stakeholders of the enterprise. They are the one who make important decision making about the enterprise’s resources. Moreover, they are the one who directs the working of the organization in certain directions so as to enable its ultimate purpose, the mission. Mintzberg (1980) regarded that organizations are coordinated units where people tend to synchronize their work with each other so as to make necessary mutual adjustment.Similarly, the work of Cartwright (1965) also highlighted the features of organizations as a collection of related people who are put together in such a way that they have certain level of dependence on each other. All of these people, if taken together, results in the full organization. The behavior of the people in the form of their contribution towards attainment of organization goal is important. Such behavior is often controlled and forecasted by the organizational decision makers. The working of people, their behavior and the influence of behavior on the organizational performance constitute organizational behavior (OB). The study of organizational behavior encompasses variety of areas that has to be studied.These include work stress, motivation, leader behavior, group structure and processes, change process and job and work design (Bigelow et al. , 1999). A number of management studies revealed strong positive association between OB and organizational productivity. Hansen and Wernerfelt (1989) revealed that as compared to economic indicators of organizational performance, the factors associated with organizational behaviour have twice as much explanatory power as much the economic variables. OB highlights both problems and new advantageous vistas for enterprises. It identifies issues like workforce diversity and offers solutions to manage it. OB has been quite influential in increasing the level of employees’ performance.It also guides managers to design jobs and workplace in such a way as to facilitate achievement of organizational goals and objectives and reduce job stress (Robbins, 1998). 3-2: Research Aims and Objectives: 1 3-2-1: Background Discussion: The fast food industry is growing rapidly in Pakistan. It incorporates mushroom growth of both international and national fast food chains in various parts of the country. This phenomenal growth gained prominence in 1993 and since then it has been unmatched. According to Economic Review (1998), fast food restaurants are penetrating in Pakistan. This upsurge of fast food restaurants is the results of rapidly changing culture of Pakistan and ever high level of globalization which brought wes tern value system to Pakistan.The life style of Pakistani people is becoming busier and busier. This left with very less time for cooking at home. At lunch times, people are using instant or fast foods. Similarly, Pakistanis have now easier access to western food. A large number of national and international fast food chains are opening a number of outlets all over the Pakistan. Initially, these fast food outlets were restricted to large and/or major cities of Pakistan, including federal and provincial capitals yet presently there operations have also been extended to other cities. 2 3-2-2: Research Aims: This section deals with the presentation of dissertation aims and objectives.The main purpose of this research, as envisaged in chapter one of this dissertation, was the analysis of â€Å"the perception of employees about various dynamics of organizational behavior in Fast food industry of Pakistan†. The various dimensions of organizational behavior envisaged for this disser tation research include organizational culture, change dynamics, customer orientation, leadership dynamics, rewards and recognition, job characteristics, fair treatment, training and work environment. For each of these dimensions, research objectives were developed. The achievement of these research objectives would ensure the fulfillment of overall research aim. The research model is presented here under: [pic] Figure 3-1: The Dissertation Model Figure 3-1 gives the theoretical framework for dissertation research.It shows that culture, change, customer orientation, rewards and recognition, supervision and leadership, fair treatment, job characteristics, training and work design are the factors that influence organization behavior. 3 3-2-3: Research Objectives: The overall aim of the dissertation is broken down into various research objectives. The research objectives of this dissertation are linked to nine constructs. The selection of these nine constructs is the result of the revi ew of academic and scholarly literature which was given in the second chapter of this dissertation. This section highlights research objectives along with the various variables which would be used to capture the perception of employees about various organizational dynamics.The research objectives along with extracted variables in diagrammatic form are given here under: Research Objective 1: To explore the employees’ perception of culture of fast food restaurants of Pakistan. [pic] Figure 3-2: Variables of Culture Construct Figure 3-2 gives the operational definition of the Culture construct. These variables would be the subject of inquiry through questionnaire. Research Objective 2: To explore the employees’ perception of change dynamics of fast food restaurants of Pakistan. [pic] Figure 3-3: Variables of Change Construct Figure 3-3 gives the operational definition of the Change construct. These variables would be the subject of inquiry through questionnaire.Research O bjective 3: To explore the employees’ perception of customer orientation of fast food restaurants of Pakistan. [pic] Figure 3-4: Variables of Customer Orientation Construct Figure 3-4 gives the operational definition of the Customer Orientation construct. These variables would be the subject of inquiry through questionnaire. Research Objective 4: To explore the employees’ perception of leadership dynamic of fast food restaurants of Pakistan. [pic] Figure 3-5: Variables of Supervision & Leadership Construct Figure 3-5 gives the operational definition of the Supervision and Leadership construct. These variables would be the subject of inquiry through questionnaire.Research Objective 5: To explore the employees’ perception of rewards and recognition of fast food restaurants of Pakistan. [pic] Figure 3-6: Variables of Rewards and Recognition Construct Figure 3-6 gives the operational definition of the Rewards and Recognition construct. These variables would be the s ubject of inquiry through questionnaire. Research Objective 6: To explore the employees’ perception of fair treatment with employees among fast food restaurants of Pakistan [pic] Figure 3-7: Variables of Fair Treatment Construct Figure 3-7 gives the operational definition of the Fair Treatment construct. These variables would be the subject of inquiry through questionnaire.Research Objective 7: To explore the employees’ perception of job characteristics of fast food restaurants of Pakistan. [pic] Figure 3-8: Variables of Job Characteristics Construct Figure 3-8 gives the operational definition of the Job Characteristics construct. These variables would be the subject of inquiry through questionnaire. Research Objective 8: To explore the employees’ perception of training among fast food restaurants of Pakistan. [pic] Figure 3-9: Variables of Training Construct Figure 3-9 gives the operational definition of the Training construct. These variables would be the subj ect of inquiry through questionnaire. Research Objective 9: To explore the employees’ perception of work environment among fast food restaurants of Pakistan. [pic]Figure 3-10: Variables of Work Environment Construct Figure 3-10 gives the operational definition of the Work environment construct. These variables would be the subject of inquiry through questionnaire. 3-4: Summary: This chapter gave the theoretical framework of the dissertation. This chapter linked the research aims and objectives with each other and also contributed the Dissertation model. Moreover, this chapter further linked each construct with the variables which have been deployed in order to operationalize each construct. The next chapter will give methodology of dissertation. CHAPTER 4: DESIGN, METHODOLOGY AND METHOD(S) OF DISSERTATION RESEARCHIn continuation to the previous chapter, which contributed the theoretical framework of the research, the current chapter will deal with the conduct of dissertation research. Major areas covered in the this chapter will be the selection of type of research, selection of population and sample size and sampling procedure, development of data collection instrument and actual conduct of research. 4. 1: Nature of Research Endeavours: In this section, the type of research will be highlighted. As it was suggested in the dissertation proposal, this research not only involves secondary research but also primary research. For secondary research, a detailed literature review was conducted using University’s library resources along with world-wide-web.Specifically, Google scholar and Emerald Insight ® were quite influential in identifying existing literature in the area of organizational behavior and related constructs. It enabled the dissertation candidate to be aware of the relevant domain of body of knowledge. Similarly, the primary research was conducted so as to capture the perceptions of employees about organizational behavior of fast food r estaurants. There are number of methods that can be engaged for the conduct of primary research including personal observation, interviewing, field survey, street ethonography, etc. The main method employed for the conduct of primary research was field survey.Primary research is advocated as compared to secondary research because primary research has more relevance to the issue as compared to secondary research. Further to this, the information generated can also be tailored in primary research and also provides direct and hands-on access to the issue. However, it generally entails more time and resources. It also requires specialized skills in designing the actual survey and subsequent analysis of the data. 4. 2: Type of Research: This section would describe the type of research engaged for this dissertation. For this, the typology suggested by Cooper and Schindler (2006) was engaged. They put forth a classification scheme for categorization of variety of research.This classificati on scheme include variables including data collection strategy, influence of the researchers in varying the research situation, respondents’ viewpoint about the research, points of time on which data was sorted from the respondents, prior crystallization of the research issue. On the basis of above mentioned criteria, the present dissertation is regarded as a descriptive research. This is advocated because of greater extent of crystallization of issue in hand. In primary research, a questionnaire was given to the fast food employee in order to tap their responses. This made this research as a communication sort. Moreover, the questionnaire was administered in the fast food restaurants and no deviation was made in the actual daily routine of the fast food employees.Consequently, the research design is ex post facto. Further to this, it is an inferential research as the insights originating from the survey will be generalized on fast food employees’ population. Moreover, it is a cross sectional research as the data was collected once. A field survey is a method of data collection in which the research goes into the actual place where the respondents, or items from which data is to be collected, are present. Cooper and Schindler (2006) advocated the use of survey for data collection. There are number of reasons for this. For instance, the field surveys are less risky as compared to laboratory experiments and stimulation.It is because the data is collected from actual field setting and is relatively reliable. In addition to this, in field surveys the surveyors reach respondents in their actual routines and own settings. In this situation, the respondents do not find any deviation and the response are highly valid. Further to this, in field surveys the surveyor has less control on the data collection whereas in simulation and laboratory experiments this is more. 4. 3: Reference to Sampling Frame: This section would cover issues related to sampling. Ex traction of sample refers to selection of a subset from the survey population. (Dr. Hani, 2010). Heckman (1979) and Emory (1980) advocated selection of such a subset on a number basis.For example, in lot of instances it is virtually impossible or very difficult to access all the members of population. Moreover, it would also be cumbersome to reach all members, attract lot of financial resources and time. On the contrary, selecting a sample would save lot of time and money. Studying a sample would be less cumbersome as compared to studying entire population. However, Heckman (1979) suggested that such sample should have the same attributes as that of population. 4. 4: Population Attributes and Sampling Design: This section would contribute the details about the population attributes. The population of this research encompasses all those people who are working in fast food chain.Fast food restaurants are those food manufacturers and sellers who serve food in last then 20 minutes. No r eference has been made to the age, gender or to some other demographic characteristics. The questionnaire employed in this research also collected demographic characteristics of the employees. It would be used for generating secondary insights so as to share the context in which research was carried out. The targeted population was employees of fast food restaurants of Pakistan. A convenience based, snow ball sampling technique was used to approach the sample. Goodman (1961), Frank and Snijders (1994) and Kaplan et al. (1987) advocated the use of snow ball sampling.This refers to a situation in which the desired characteristics of the population are scarce. In addition to getting information from sampling unit about themselves, they are requested to share information about other sampling units so that they can be accessed. Data was collected from three cities of Punjab which are Lahore, Gujranwala and Sialkot. The data collection instrument also collected the designation of the resp ondents yet during the initial stages of the survey; respondents show that they were not very comfortable with revealing their identity. This is because of the particular nature of the research topic. It was decided not to emphasize on this question. So, the designation related data was taken out of the analysis.However, on a broad spectrum, the employees interviewed for this dissertation include people who were engaged in cooking food, in-house serving staff, delivery-men and counter staff. Majority of these respondents belong to the restaurants in the posh localities. This is because of the fact that these restaurants exist in the form of a cluster in selected cities. 4. 5: Decision on Sample Size: This section will share insights about sample selection. A sample of 100 fast-food retailers was taken for this research. In taking this decision, cost and time considerations were kept in mind. Both of these issues and geographical distance, constrain the selection of a larger sample s ize.However, the factor loading technique (the main data analysis technique) is not confined to any specific sample size. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sample adequacy is a test that would be engaged to check the appropriateness of sample. Garson (2010) shared insights on deciding about the sample size for factor analysis. The sample size of this dissertation is consistent with his suggestions. 4. 6: Characteristics of Data Collection Instrument: A customized questionnaire was developed for this research. The questionnaire has two parts. First part captures responses of the fast food employees about their perception about organizational behavior.To facilitate the respondents, the questions were grouped on the basis of constructs. Part two of this questionnaire collects information about the demographic profile of the respondents. The questionnaire actually started with salutation and reveals the core aim of the research. It also introduced the dissertation candidate and his acad emic affiliation. The cover page of the questionnaire also shares the method of responding questionnaire by giving an illustration. The dissertation specifically revealed that the collected information would only be used for academic purpose and results will be disclosed in group. The respondents were thanked in anticipation for their support in accomplishing this research. 4. Pre-Testing the Data Collection Instrument: Before the actual start of the field survey, it was important to ensure that data collection instrument should bear certain characteristics. These include brevity, clarity and focus on the issue. Before the actual launch of survey, 3 questionnaires were given to actual respondents and were evaluated for desired characteristics. Certain insights related to use of words, questions sequence and length of questionnaire was adjusted. The questionnaire was improved and launched. The addition of survey filling instruction was an attempt to improve the conduct of the survey. 4. 8: Field Survey and Data Collection – Primary and Secondary Research:At the start of this research, it was envisaged that completion of this dissertation will require both secondary and primary research. Journals, magazine, online databases and library resources were quite influential. So far primary data was concerned; a soft copy of questionnaire was send to the managers of fast food restaurants. The managers of fast food chain were requested to support in accomplishment of dissertation by cooperating in collecting data. The managers were requested to arrange prints of them and share those with employees. The employees filled those questionnaires and retuned them to managers. The managers, on request of dissertation candidate, deputed an employee and get those entered in SPSS and emailed those back to dissertation candidate.As the questionnaires were to be returned to the organizational representative instead of dissertat

My Drum Major Instinct Essay

Stalking is a very serious matter, despite society’s tendency to trivialize the experiences of many female victims. There have been numerous overlooked cases in which female victims have been stalked for various amounts of times and taken action to have the stalker removed, just to have him/her eventually come back up in some sort of manner. Many top box office hits have the clichà © plot of the stalker who murders the girl, but people don’t realize that stalking is a real problem many actually face. There have been quite a few of these incidents, maybe not resulting in murder, but still uncomfortable for women to deal with, close to my community. Just recently in Hamilton, Ohio, a sexual predator was arrested for counts of stalking teen girls by driving by their homes multiple times, texting them up to 80 times per day, and watching them exit school. This is why I want to take the initiative to be a drum major for peace, justice, and righteousness for women in surroun ding communities who are dealing with unwanted contact or stalking. To be a drum major is to be a leader. Leaders take the time to go out of their way and stand up for what they believe in. Leaders take the initiative and set the standard for people to follow. To be a drum major for women, the first task is awareness. Anyone trying to get a point across must first make people aware of the problem and their cause for reaching out. The problem is that many women find themselves being stalked, file restraining orders, and still don’t get the justice they are searching for. Some women even change their whole identity to hide from their stalker in fear of getting hurt. To make people aware of this, one must take the initiative reach out to the common people. This might include going to churches, local meetings, or even starting my own organization to make people aware of the problem. The second thing I must do is writing and actually acting upon the problem. I must write to local officials, to state officials, and finally to the nation’s Congress. If I write letters to each of these, my point will be made. It would help to have other people on my bandwagon to help write, or maybe even sign petitions. That is where more awareness and reaching out come in. Once I get enough people to realize the problem is serious and that they could help save millions of women’s lives, then I would consider myself a leader in my cause. The final thing I must do to further my cause is to keep on with it. In order to be a drum major for peace, justice, and righteousness in my community for women, I must stick with my intentions and keep my values strong so that hopefully one day laws will be changed and justice will be served.

Rape Culture Essay

In the United States, rape has become one of the most underreported crimes each year (â€Å"Reporting Rape† 1). The term rape culture refers to how our society has taught women how not to be raped instead of teaching men not to rape. Through jokes and the sexualization of women we are more likely to believe rape is not a big crisis in our nation. Rape culture leads to the acceptance of rape as a natural occurrence through images that objectify women, media, and the stigmatization of rape victims. In our culture we are made to believe that victims should be blamed for their own abuse according to their state of mind or what they were wearing at the time. Rape culture has become such a major part of own lives that we don’t know its even happening. In todays society, women have become such a â€Å"sex† object from the media, movies, and advertisement, or even jokes. Through images that dehumanize women, they turn them into objects, leading to the increase of violence towards women. In a Stop Violence Against Women event students face the issue face on and said: When the media objectifies women, it also creates an analogous definition of masculinity. She added that the media imposes these societal roles, causing people to ignore complex human personalities and identities (Turmam 1). The over-sexualization of women in today’s media gives women the wrong hopes. At one-angle women see sex as a necessity to be in todays â€Å"norms† but not to put themselves out enough to be sexually assaulted. The word â€Å"slut† has oppressed women by telling them to dress a certain way, where to go or not go, who to talk to and who not to talk to. â€Å"Slut† shaming is an act of shaming a person based on how much they flaunt their sexuality. Taking the word too lightly can have awful consequences on how rape will be justified. Women who show too much skin or dress provocative are labeled as â€Å"sluts† and are tormented as well as looked at with less respect. Women should be able to wear whatever choice of clothing they want, go out where they want and not be in constant fear of rape. We are living in a culture where survivors are afraid to speak up (Kacmarek 2). Most women are afraid that by speaking up they are putting themselves out to be judged. People around us judge a person who has been raped not on the  circumstances but by the type of clothing they were wearing, saying that they have â€Å"lost their self-respect† which means they might have brou ght it upon themselves. Research has found that an increase in sexist jokes can have a negative outcome for rape victims (Viki 1). By creating a society that looks down on those who show their sexuality, it creates fear when women are sexually assaulted. This also makes men believe that it is â€Å"okay† to come onto women. Nobody but the rapist should be blamed for the abuse that happened. No one ever asks to get raped, in any situation. Jessica Valenti confronts the issue of â€Å"no means no†: Until American culture and law frames sexual consent, as proactively, enthusiastically given, there will be no justice for rape victims. Its time for the U.S to lose the â€Å"no means no† model for understanding sexual assault and focus â€Å"only yes’ means yes† instead (Broderick 3) America has looked at consent is such a loose way. Many forget that â€Å" no† does not mean â€Å"convince me.† A survey reveals that many people between the ages of 14-25 do not actually learn about consent in mandatory sex-education classes (Broderick 2). A consent sex does not mean there wasn’t a no, but rather that the yes was not forced upon by convincing or hostile situation where they feel like th ey were pressured to say yes. Also that being when people are under the influence or even unconscious, just because they didn’t say no does not mean that it gives the right for a person to have sex with him. Two people consenting is a necessity when it comes to sex. Many people are not aware of how frightening the statistics involving sexual assault is. The crime of rape is at an alarmingly high rate due to the fact that â€Å"slut†-shaming and victim shaming, many are afraid to speak up about rape. Every year there is 237,868 people sexually assaulted (â€Å"Statistics† 1) Only 40% of rapes actually reported to the police (â€Å"Reporting Rates† 1) That means that 60% are too afraid to report a sexual assault and many rapist getting away for what they have done and possibly doing it again. Out of the 40% of rapes that are actually reported 3% of rapist will ever spend a day in prison (â€Å"Reporting Rates† 1). There is no justice for women in the United States who are being raped. Angie Epifano states how rape is somehow have to more â€Å"legitimate† compared to other crimes: If you were mugged in New York City people would be horrified. No one is going to sit there and say ‘Are  you sure you were mu gged?’ With sexual assault there is always this question of ‘Are you sure?’ ‘What were you wearing?’(Kacmarek 2) Men rape on a daily basis because they know they can get away with it. Our culture has become so involved in bashing others on how to dress or how to act we have forgotten that it is not the victims fault, but that people rape because they are rapists. Another thing that most people forget is that rapes do not happen by random strangers. Most rapes happen by the people we know, friends or family. We are afraid that to face the fact that the rape is not only committed by evil psychopaths but instead by those who we look up to or those who we’ve got to know the best (Broderick 1). About â…” of rapes are committed by someone the victim knows (â€Å"Statistics† 1). Some of best examples how rape culture has taken such huge effect in the United States is in the media. Rapists are made to look like victims in today’s society. A culture where it’s believed that â€Å"boys will be boys,† where men cannot control themselves if they see women in revealing clothing. In the media, rape culture has affected the way rape cases are looked at. The bias opinions on the way news coverage looks at the rapes have been having a negative effect on the viewers. A prime example of this is seen in the rape case in Steubenville, Ohio. The trial was against two young men, Trent Mays and Ma’lik Richmond, both in high school. These two boys raped a unconscious girl who was highly intoxicated. They referred to this young 16 year old as the â€Å"dead girl,† but in trial denied knowing that they were raping her because it â€Å"wasn’t violent†(Plank 1). A person who is unconscious is unable to consent any type of penetrati on. Just because there isn’t a no, does not mean that means that is what the girl wants. Silence is not consent. Rape is usually not violent or forced. The two boys continued to urinate on her, live-text, and disseminated naked pictures of the victim (Plank 1). During this many watched as the girl was being raped, most laughed and took pictures as this was happening. This rape trial is being dismissed because she was not saying â€Å"no† during this. Rape apology in the media was clearly shown when CNN, covered and responded the rape trial. Finally a trial where the rapists were sent to jail the way the reporter dismissed the rape and instead victimized the rapist. Poppy Harlow went on to discuss on how deeply sorry she was for this rapist: I’ve never  experienced anything like it Candy. It was incredibly difficult even for an outsider like me to watch as these two young men that had much promising future, star football players, very good students literally watch as they believed their lives fell apart (Plank 1). Here she makes the rapist seem like a victim when he was the one that made the decision to rape and hurt another human being. Even one of the nicest guys can rape. No one but the rapist should be blamed for violence they inflicted on the others. No matter what the girl was wearing or how her state of mind was, no one but the rapist should be blamed. â€Å"As long as we publicly sympathize with rapist, we are glorifying them. Rapist deserve no apology, rape victims do† (Plank 2) Therefore, there is conclusive evidence that rape culture is prevalent in the United States. Our culture has desensitized and minimized traumatic experiences for its victims. Women are being dehumanized because of they are objectified and over-sexualized. Victim blaming has become such a norm in our society we forget that no one but a rapist should be blamed for what they have done. Statics show how there is not justice for women, when men are not being put away for their crime. Culturally men and women are taking bias sides because of sexist ways that the victim is somehow responsible for being raped.

Management & Budgetary Control and the Beyond Budgeting debate Essay - 1

Management & Budgetary Control and the Beyond Budgeting debate - Essay Example Various advantages can come up from incorporating beyond budgeting technique in an organization. One of these is the fact that people get to improve in their creativity in the business market. Beyond budgeting requires the involved individuals or rather company members to provide plans that would lead to the production of a new commodity (Blyth 68). New commodities require a lot of attention because many people are keen on the details of the commodity in order to assess whether it can act as a substitute product. This thus offers companies opportunities to become market leaders in some fields (Martin and Hau 47). The fact that competition is a contemporary issue in the marketing sector is another factor to understand. Businesses have developed over time where they are required to attain certain market characteristics in order to retain or rather earn a certain position in an industry. These companies thus compete to attain these characteristics faster than their rivals in order to attract more companies. This strategy works effectively and is a result of beyond buying (Henry 64) There are various disadvantages however that come along with the beyond budgeting technique. The major disadvantage is that the companies risk losing their customers. The reason for this is indirect though (Fleisher 78). When companies engage in beyond budgeting, they take up activities that seek to prove that they are superior to the rival company. This normally has the effect of the companies not paying attention to the actual requirements of the customers but rather work while reviewing the performance of the other companies to identify its market position. The normal result of this is the depreciation of the commodities produced by the companies (Gregory 32). There is also the issue of unhealthy competition. Unhealthy competition happens when two industries within a

Adult Law in Social Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Adult Law in Social Work - Essay Example Disabilities are long-term conditions implying that persons with disabilities live with the condition for a minimum of one year. Being a long-term condition also implies that disabilities can be a lifelong condition. Mrs. Lambat has physical impairments resulting from repeated stroke attacks and hence she is a disabled person according to the Act. Mrs. Lambat is currently depending on her daughters for her day-to-day requirements. However, her daughters intend to return to their homes and workplace soon. The daughters together with their mother’s doctor have made a plan to take her to a referral center without her knowledge. This easy will therefore examine an adult case of Mrs. Lambat from the perspective of a local authority social worker. The essay will also consider laws policies and statutory guidance in the given case with relation to disabled people. Through this case, the essay will analyze the dilemma faced by social workers in similar scenarios. The essay will theref ore concentrate on policies relating to assessment, budgetary allocation, and provision of services and care for the disabled people like Mrs. Lambat. Controversies relating to the definition of disability and disabled persons complicate the process of identifying disabled people. Identification of people with disabilities is an important step in providing care to people living with disabilities. The importance attached with the identification process implies that there is need to have measures or guidelines to assist in the identification process. UK laws and policies relating to disabilities provide appropriate measures and guidelines for the identification of disabled people. Some of these laws and policies are important in determining or measuring the level of disability in a person. Mrs. Lambat’s daughters require the knowledge of these legislation and policies. The knowledge of the laws and policies related to persons living with disabilities will enable them to determi ne their mother’s degree of disability and the implication of necessary laws and policies (Austin, 2003). The knowledge of their mother’s degree of disability will enable them to make appropriate decision when choosing the appropriate mode of care. Knowledge of these laws and policies will enable them to evaluate the benefits of having their mother under referral care or homecare. The knowledge Equality Act of 2010 will enable the daughters and the doctor to make appropriate decisions concerning the best care for Mrs. Lambat. The Equality Act of 2012 defines a disabled person as a person with physical or mental impairments (National disability authority, web). According to the Act disability is the inability to perform day-to-day tasks in the long term due to the impairment. This definition will enable them to recognize their mother as a disabled person who needs care. The Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 defines disability based on medical principals (Wehman, 198 8). According to the Act, a disabled person is a person with certain medical conditions or limitations that make them unable to carry out their day-to-day activities normally. Mrs. Lambat disability resulted from repeated strokes and hence according to this Act she is a disabled person. Knowledge of this Act will enable the daughters to make informed choices concerning the best care to give to their mother (Government of Ireland 2004). The two basic Acts emphasize on the fact that disabled person are unable to perform their day-to-day task and hence require constant support. This implies that the daughters have a duty to take care of their mother. According to the case study, the daughters will be soon returning to

Implications of Flexibility in the Recruitment and Retention of Essay

Implications of Flexibility in the Recruitment and Retention of International Nurses on UKs Health Care Sector - Essay Example The International Council of Nurses Workforce Forum (2002 as cited in Parker & McMillan 2007) reported that majority of developed nations is or will be confronting shortages in the supply of nurses stemming from a shrinking availability of nurses alongside heightened needs for healthcare services. As the involvement of the UK in the international community expands, it is fundamental to explore likely implications for the growth of IHRM. With intensified advertising intended to persuade nurse to seek for employment opportunities abroad, as stated by Dowling (2007), the population of nurses vacating their current position to fill a vacancy in a richer nation, or those refusing to return to their native soil after obtaining their diplomas in Western colleges or universities is enlarging. Therefore, there is an immediate need to identify the effects of such trends on healthcare provision and to explore techniques in which recruiting organisations and firms can cope successfully. In the context of the current shortage of nurses, recruitment of health care workers by richer nations, like the UK, may witness critically scarce supply of highly trained and experienced nurses in nations where they are in demand. Certainly this is by now the situation in developing countries where vast population of nurses was employed by health care organisations in the UK. Flexibility in the Recruitment and Retention of Migrant Nurses in the UK Nurses wanting to work abroad should be informed of a broad range of recruitment and qualification barriers. Some of these major challenges are expensive and demanding immigration processes, adjusting to diverse clinical traditions, the requirement to become proficient in a new language, the expense of migration, and the requalification procedure (n .a. 2010). Although the procedure could be restructured in a number of instances in behalf of immigration, official endorsement is an indispensable patient and specialised security process that should be rigidly sustained (Connell 2007). National regulatory agencies, according to Choy (2010), are assigned to guarantee the quality and aptitude of migrant nurses. Communication is one of the obstacles to migration, but regarded a foundation of health care organisations. Patients communicate their problems, express their physical or emotional issues, and provide descriptions of their health concerns to healthcare providers (Hearnden 2007). Nurses should be capable of communicating with other stakeholders, including families of patients and health care personnel. They require the technical and existing language proficiency to converse under pressure and constraint. Language has been a significant consideration in the choice of destination country (Hearnden 2007). Nevertheless, according to Kingma (2008), while the supply of nurses in major source nations decreases new source countries are sought for and migration obstacles are not impervious anymore. In the UK, even though nurses offer important health care provisions and nursing is an attractive profession, there exists a critical problem. Budget cuts have led to unsafe and intolerable working conditions. Inflexible recruitment practices

An Exploratory Analysis of the Possibility for LUSH to Achieve Success Essay

An Exploratory Analysis of the Possibility for LUSH to Achieve Success in China (Mainland) - Essay Example This policy creates a dilemma for companies like L’Oreal which seek to expand their market share to serve consumers from countries where humane treatment of animals is a public policy (1). Such companies were compelled to conduct tests on animals at their cost as noted by Alistair Currie at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) (2). Nevertheless, it is not possible for these companies to exclude China in their market expansion strategies until the government changes the current regulations regarding animal testing and substantiate on the matter (2). Indeed, China is thinking of ways to reduce animal testing with regards to cosmetics (3). Chinas Food & Drug Administration announced that from June 2014, China will do away with its mandatory animal test requirements for cosmetic products manufactured domestically (4). For the first time ever, Chinese companies producing "non-special use cosmetics" such as shampoos or perfumes will have an option as to whether to submit their product samples to the government for testing on rabbits, mice and rats. This will be accompanied by substantiating on product safety using existing safety data for raw ingredients, or European Union-validated non-animal tests (4). The ‘Be Cruelty-Free’Â  organisation will continue to work with Chinese officials towards a complet e ban on cosmetics animal testing (4). This study focused on exploring China’s market potential for typical non-animal testing supporter, Lush, discussing its common marketing strategy and management style as ethical business. My personal interest drove me to choose this topic. I have been interested in Lush for three years after several pleasant experiences on purchases both from online stores and agents. Surprisingly, despite its popularity, it is rare in physical stores. Lush was founded in 1994 as an organic cosmetics and skin care company. The core belief on which it was started was to manufacture fresh mandate products from natural

How to Create a New Project for Dicom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

How to Create a New Project for Dicom - Essay Example A button, "Open", next to each project enables the user to view the available files within that project. Opening existing projects will show a list of the available user Dicom projects. Once a project has been opened, all available Dicom files within that project will be listed; the file name and three buttons next to that file. "Download" button will download that Dicom file to the user computer, "Share" button will share that Dicom file with another registered user as shown below and finally "Delete" button will remove the Dicom files from the project. Clicking "Share" button next to the file name will open a dialog box for the file to be shared with another registered user. The correct name must be typed into the dialog box and confirmed. If the file is shared successfully or if there is an error, the user will be notified. Once Dicom files have been successfully uploaded from the local computer, they will be displayed into the canvas in order based on their Dicom file names; the user can then scroll through the images by using the mouse wheel. The user can also change the canvas lightening by holding the right mouse button and moving position on the canvas. There are 5 annotation features the user can add to the canvas; text in which they will be prompted to enter their own, arrow, circle which will be placed into the canvas and freehand drawing onto the canvas, the user can select a colour for their annotation and users can also move the annotations around the canvas adjusting the size or rotation. All the annotations are using a library, "fabric.js" open source library is used for the annotations as they will also later be used to save as a "JSON" file for later loading, adjustments have been made to the original library to fit my system. Saving an annotation to the user’s account; once the user has added their annotations onto the canvas and are happy to save, they will be prompted with a dialog box to enter the annotation name in which it will be saved as, after this, the user will be prompted to enter an existing project in which the annotation will be saved for later use.

Strategy and the Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategy and the Strategic Management - Essay Example Knowing the firm’s external environment is important in the strategic management process because it affects how value is generated and how activities could be carried out under the influence of technological change, demographic trends, cultural trends, the economic climate, legal and political conditions, and other global events. Using the structure-conduct-performance (S-C-P) model allows a systematic analysis of the firm and its environment. This model: (1) helps a firm identify the attributes of its industry’s structure that constrains the firm’s strategic alternatives and performance, (2) helps it decide how to conduct itself by crafting the most appropriate strategies, and (3) take into account the performance of the firm, the industry, or the economy. The S-C-P model helps a firm develop the tools it can use to analyze threats in its competitive environment. The â€Å"five forces framework† is a tool that looks at five threats to the firm.These threats affect the firm, its performance, and how its competitors would react, thereby helping the firm determine what strategies it needs to develop and execute to overcome problems arising from each of these forces. Complementors are another important force that a firm has to contend with because these firms add value to the firm’s products. A firm can use compliments as a means of gaining an advantage over other competitors, e.g. Microsoft encouraging software companies to develop games for its X-box game player instead of developing games for its competitors. The S-C-P model can also help firms analyze strategic opportunities by identifying generic industry structures and available strategic opport

Medical Marijuana Legalization Essay Example for Free

Medical Marijuana Legalization Essay Are there medicinal benefits of marijuana? Could there really be more to the cannabis plant than â€Å"getting high? † Yes, the cannabis (scientific name for â€Å"marijuana†) plant does in fact have medical uses, and there is much more to this extraordinary plant than consuming it to experience its psychoactive effects. However, most Americans are unaware of the present day medicinal applications of cannabis. From migraines to multiple sclerosis, cannabis can help. The cannabis plant is grown naturally and contains no added chemicals, making it ideal. In modern medicine, the cannabis plant has many medical uses. Cannabis was legal to consume in the United States up until 1937, when the â€Å"marihuana tax act of 1937† made possession or transfer of cannabis illegal throughout the United States under federal law, excluding medical and industrial uses. The American Medical Association was not in favor of this legislation. Before this law was passed, marijuana was legal and quite popular in the United States. Martin Booth explains in his book Cannabis: A History, that In the 1880’s â€Å"hashish† parlors were very popular in America and it was estimated that their were around five hundred of these parlors in New York at the time. From 1850-1942 cannabis was listed in the U. S Pharmacopoeia as a useful medicine for nausea, rheumatism, and labor pains; it was also easily obtained at the local general store or pharmacy. More than 20 prescription medicines containing marijuana were sold in U. S. pharmacies at the turn of the 20th century, and marijuana-based medications were commonly available until cannabis was taken out of the U. S. Pharmacopeia in 1942. Then in 1970, the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, classified marijuana as a Schedule I drug. According to this act a schedule I drug means three things: the drug has high potential for abuse, the drug has no currently accepted medical use in the U. S, and there is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug under medical supervision. Other schedule I drugs include heroin, LSD, peyote, MDMA (ecstasy), and mescaline. The once medicinally valued cannabis plant is now classified with drugs in which have completely different and much more harmful effects. Marijuana cannot be classified with the other schedule I narcotics because it can be beneficial to many people with a number of different diseases or health problems. Marijuana can cure migraines, Doctors in California report they have cured over 300,000 cases of migraines with medical marijuana (medicalinsurance. org marijuana-health-facts). The American Association for Cancer Research has found that marijuana actually works to slow down tumor growth in the lungs, breasts, and brain considerably. Studies also suggest that use of medical marijuana helps lower intraocular pressure in the eyes of glaucoma patients (glaucoma. org /treatment/should-you-be-smoking-marijuana-to-treat-your-glaucoma-1. php). Marijuana is also a muscle relaxer that has antispasmodic qualities that have proven to be a very effective treatment for seizures (nimh. nih. gov). Marijuana works to stop the neurological effects and muscle spasms that come from multiple sclerosis by protecting nerves from the damage caused by the fatal disease (multiple-sclerosis. emedtv. com). Marijuana is so beneficial that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) actually used part of the plant. The main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC for short. The FDA isolated a single molecule cannabinoid pharmaceutical; it was called Marinol and was used for treatment of nausea and vomiting in cancer chemotherapy patients who did not respond to conventional antiemetic treatments, according to the article Medicinal use of cannabis in the United States: Historical perspectives, current trends, and future directions. From the same article the doctors talk about another medication with similar effects of marijuana, except this one is a synthetic molecule shaped similarly to THC. ) It’s called Nabilone and has been approved since 1985 for use with nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy in cancer patients. As of 2011 there are currently sixteen states and Washington D. C. that support medical marijuana. The sixteen states include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. Our federal government on the other hand, does not agree with these state laws and continues to prosecute medical marijuana users because it remains illegal under federal law. The medicinal uses of the cannabis plant have been around since our country was founded, yet in present time, marijuana â€Å"presents no known medicinal value†. The founding father of our nation George Washington, said, â€Å"Make the most of the Indian hemp seed, and sow it everywhere! It has been used in America since our country was founded, but as of now our country cannot come to terms of agreement regarding the cannabis plant. Marijuana can be used to treat or relieve symptoms of many diseases and discomforts, but for now its still illegal and preventing many Americans from getting their medicine. Marijuana has many uses but our federal government cannot see that or chooses not to believe it, regardless, it is still a very applicable medicine. Medical marijuana is used in other countries includin g our neighbor up north, Canada. So, why is it still illegal in America? If marijuana were to be legalized in the United States for medical purposes, our country would greatly benefit. Marijuana is one the purest most natural substances known to many yet it is referred to as a â€Å"drug†, however over fifty percent of Americans think that medical marijuana should be legalized. Sometime in the near future our country will recognize all the medical benefits of this magnificent plant, but until then it is still a federal crime to use and possess.

Micro And Macro Environmental Factors Marketing Essay

Micro And Macro Environmental Factors Marketing Essay Marketing has often been defined in terms of satisfying customers needs and wants. Critics however maintain that marketing goes beyond that and creates needs and wants that did not exist before, According to these critics, marketers encourage consumers to spend more money than they should on goods and services they really do not need. Aim To prepare a report for the Management of Aldi supermarket on its marketing policy and to propose a new position for its fresh fruits and vegetables. In relation to the above scenario. Terms of reference. To prepare this report the author r has considered the various marketing process, evaluated the benefits and cost of marketing orientation, evaluated the macro and micro factors that influence marketing decision masking he author has also considered different market segmentation for different products of .Aldi. The author considered market targeting strategy for the organisation fresh fruits and vegetables . and evaluated buying behaviour of people for the range these products. The author has and recommended a new market position for this product. Introduction The first foundation stone was laid in 1913 with the opening of a small food store in the German town of Essen. During the 40s, an expansion program was created and more ALDI stores were opened. In 1954, a celebration was held for the opening of the 50th store in Germany. By 1960 ALDI had grown to a network of over 300 stores between the Ruhr Valley and Aachen. The prosperous family business was then divided into two independent companies: ALDI SÃ ¼d to service the South, and ALDI Nord for the North. Self-service was still a relatively new retail structure in the 60s and ALDI became the first company in Germany to adopt this new retail concept. While customers were still able to take advantage of the same high quality products as before, they could now purchase them at much more competitive prices. In 1983, ALDI SÃ ¼d started chilled distribution depots and sold fresh products such as cheese, yoghurt and sausages. Frozen products came in 1998 and were closely followed by fresh meat. ALDI, to this day, continues to keep up with the ever-evolving taste of the modern consumer. Today, Aldi 7,000 stores and serves millions of people across three continents. (Aldi.com.au) 4. Marketing process MARKETING PROCESS The marketing process is the process of analyzing market opportunities, selecting target markets, developing the marketing mix, and managing the marketing effort. Target customers stand at the center of the marketing process. There are following steps in Marketing Process: A. Analyzing marketing opportunities B. Selecting target markets C. Developing the marketing Mix D. Managing the marketing effort A . Analysing marketing opportunities This involves carrying out market research to find out the opportunities, the threat and the organisation strength and weakness. Hence the need for a reliable market research approach. With market research the organisation will find out about market constrains, it will find out it competitors about demand for the product it will also be able to profile the age group, of likely consumers of the firms product.the company finds about legislation and other environmental factors that re likely to affect the profitability of the company. With useful information rom the market research the organisation will know customers requirement and able to plan for it. B. Selecting the target Market Todays market is very competitive and to be a viable organisation the organisation as to be customer focused. It is import to analyse and profile consumer. Each company has to segment the market and concentrate on the market where it believe it has the edge over others (Target Market). C. Market segmentation This is dividing the market into separate groups by consumers and their needs traits, behaviour. Target marketing is the evaluation of each market segment and selecting one or more segment where the company can generate more customer value and sustain it over a period of time. D. Market positioning The company need to identify how its products be placed in a distinctive and desirable position to other competing products in the. To define a market position the organisation has to identify possible competitive advantage. The company will need to develop a marketing strategy that will support the market positioning of the product. This will provide consumer with more than those offered by competitors. c. Developing the Marketing Mix Having develop its market positioning and competitive strategy the it will have to decide what its marketing mix will consist of The marketing mix is the set of controllable marketing variables that the firm blends to produce the response it wants in the target market. The marketing mix consists of everything that the firm can do to influence the demand for its product. These variables are often referred to as the four Ps. . Product, Place, Promotion and price. d. Managing the Marketing Effort To manage the marketing the firm will need to carry out four marketing functions of analysing, planning, implementation, and control Marketing orientation Marketing Orientation is defined as as a corporate state of mind that insists on the integration and coordination of all the marketing functions which, in turn, are melded with all other corporate functions, for the basic purpose of producing maximum long-range corporate profits. (business.highbeam.com) The characteristics of market orientation are inter-functional coordination,customer orientation, understanding customers and organisational culture. . . The benefits and cost of marketing orientation Benefits of marketing orientation Growth in profitability Improved corporate image High customer satisfaction, loyalty and retention Increase sales and market share Enhanced competitive advantage Cost of marketing orientation Technology requirement for customer contact and improved ways of doing business Complex customer growing needs and power Increasing customer expectations Staff training and development needs Increase resource demand to providing customer specific marketing ukessays.co/essays/marketing/marketing-report-of-tesco.phpg 6 . Micro and Macro environmental factors that affect marketing 6.1 Micro Environmental factors These are factors within the control of the organisation and their implied actions can affect the organisation. There are six main factors that can be classified as micro environmental factors Marketing channel: This includes the distribution channel, the outlets, sales representatives and market research companies. The consumer, producer,reseller, government, and international markets. Organisations internal environment these includes management, Employees and Directors and franchisee. The competitors Publics: These are group of people or body that have interest in the organisation that have an actual or potential interest in or impact on the organizations ability to achieve its objectives:financial, media, government, citizen action, and local, general, Financial intermediaries: This includes the external auditors, the banks and credit rating agencies. Whatever actions taking by the people will be as a result of the organisation activities and practice. Hence the conclusion that the organisation invariably has control over them.. Macro Environmental Factors This are external factors outside the control of the organisation and ability to envisage them allows the company to be prepared and adopt strategies to overcome them. Demographic Environment This is to do with the population of a particular location and the following understated factors are are likely to affect its outcome which invariably will affect the planing of of the organisation Population Growth Where there is a population explosion or high population the organisation is likely to do well and increase profitability through increased sales. Also migration will have an equal effect Population Mix The population mix will have effect on the types of goods that will be demanded for example in China there will be more pensioners and old age in the next few years and the working population may not be able to sustain the pensioners. Furthermore the demand for adult drapers in such market will increase whilst that of children will greatly reduce. Household pattern The household consumption pattern will also change where there are no babies in the house the parents will not buy baby food or medication. Geographical Shift The emigration or immigration will affect the population of a location and management needs to take this into account when deciding and planing the marketing strategy for example there is migration to the UK and emigration fn Republic of Ireland and this will affect consumption pattern . Economic Environment The economy of a country or the economic prospect will affect the consumption pattern in that country for example the Euro zone are going through and economic depression. Each family are concerned about how they spend their dis[posable income. The same applies in UK and it reflects on peoples shopping habit less people go to shop in Waitrose and more people are turning to Aldi. Social cultural Environment This will equally affect the decision of management for example it will impossible to sell non halal food in a predominantly Islamic country and also with we not make economic decision not to sell alcohol in the Republic of Ireland. Natural Environment Where there resources like raw materials and reduced labour cost it will make economic sense to locate there also where is natural disaster the firm can plan suitable good s for that region. Technology Environment The advent of I pads, smart phones. online shopping has changed shopping habits and also advertising patterns significantly the next generation of technology is on its way. Corporations to be conversant with changing technology so as plan ahead. Political and Legal Environment Governments continue to change all over the world, different governments come up with different policies and laws. Some may be to the advantage of the company some may be threat and some may be opportunities. In conclusion The micro and macro factors are used for SWOT analysis in analysis in an organisation. Buying Behaviour Stages of the Consumer Buying Process Problem or need recognition Information search Evaluation options Purchase Decision Post Purchase Positioning of fresh Fruits and Vegetables at Aldi .Product positioning is the ability of a firm to come with unique product and customer perception of brilliance and likable product. Product s positioning are based class attitudes, benefits,quality and are target at a particular people known as the market segment..( Berry T.and Wilson D , 2000) The target market for fresh fruits and vegetables in Aldi should be children to reduce obesity in the country, to increase healthy awareness and promote healthy eating. Conclusion Marketers go out of their way to find and develop a Niche market and product and tto look for ways on enticing consumers and be a profitable organisation to this end they carry out market research. analyse the market and come up a with valuable product that will be demanded. The also create awareness through different campaign strategy, they spend considerable amount of money to ensure the product is attractive,the packing is attractive and they promote the usefulness of the product Recommendation .Product positioning involves creating a unique, consistent, and recognized customer perception about a firms offering and image. A product or service may be positioned on the basis of an attitude or benefit, use or application, user, class, price, or level of quality. It targets a product for specific market segments and product needs at specific prices. Referencing http://www.aldi.com.au/au/html/company/3777.htm http://www.zainbooks.com/books/marketing/principles-of-marketing_10_marketing-process.html http://business.highbeam.com/138375/article-1G1-8366780/market-orientation-construct-research-propositions http://www.ukessays.co/essays/marketing/marketing-report-of-tesco.php#ixzz2NAfKDrTg ON TARGET: THE BOOK ONMARKETING PLANS How to develop and implement a successful marketing plan. By:Tim Berry and Doug Wilson Palo Alto Software, Inc., First Edition, October, 2000