Nursing and American Nurses Association Essay Example for Free

Nursing and American Nurses Association Essay Describe the definition of nursing as put forward by the American Nurses Association. How does it address the metaparadigm theories of nursing? According to the American Nurses Association (ANA), the definition of nursing is â€Å"the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations.† Metaparadigm theories of nursing consists of theories that describe the four interrelated concepts, which are persons, environment, health and illness, and nursing. Persons are the recipients of nursing care and include individuals, families, and communities. Environment refers to the surroundings of the client, internal factors affecting the client, and the setting where nursing care is delivered. Health and illness describe the clients state of well-being. Nursing refers to the actions taken when providing care to a patient. ANA’s definition of nursing has included three of the four concepts that make up the metaparadigm theories of nursing. Its definition strongly emphasizes the concept of nursing. It listed many functions that nurses perform such as: protecting, promoting, optimization of health and physical abilities, preventing illness and injury, alleviating suffering, and advocating for patients (ANA website, n.d.). All these nursing actions are related to the care of health and illness, which is the second concept of the metapardigm theories of nursing. The ANA’s definition of nursing describes in more detail the concept of health and illness in terms of health, abilities, illness, and injury. These physical conditions affect the state of well-being and may lead to one’s own suffering and negative responses (ANA website n.d.). Persons is the third concept. According to the ANA definition of nursing, persons include: individuals, families, communities, and populations that receive nursing care. The fourth concept is environment. It is directly related to the other three concepts mentioned above. The environment is the surroundings or the settings in which nursing care is delivered and includes the in the hospital, home, theater, etc†¦

The Holocaust In Rwanda History Essay

The Holocaust In Rwanda History Essay The Holocaust was, without question, one of the defining events of the 20th Century and its legacy left an indelible mark upon subsequent attempts to come to terms with issues of genocide and mass murder. Whilst the Holocaust is the most well-known case of genocide, the systematic extermination of groups of people or entire societies both pre-dates 1945 and has also played a fundamental part in international politics since the end of the Second World War. The formation of the United Nations helped to legally define the concept of genocide and Fatsah Ouguergouz shows that Article II of the Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide enumerates a number of acts which committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such constitute the international crime of genocide (Ouguergouz 2003: pp.216). However, despite greater efforts to understand and combat the problem of genocide the post-1945 world has proven itself incapable of eliminating genocide. The Holocaust might be the most glaring example of genocide before 1945, but there is a strong case to be made for the argument that the Rwandan genocide a serious episode since the end of the Cold War. This essay will examine whether the Rwandan experience displays points of comparison to the Holocaust and to what extent a comparison is a valid historical line of enquiry. There have been a number of historians that have sought to locate common themes in the Jewish and Rwandan experience of genocide. One concept that is often applied to the Holocaust and the case of Rwanda that is argued to mark them out from other instances of genocide is the idea of total genocide. Robert Melson draws a distinction between what he refers to as partial genocide, which is the use of mass murder in order to coerce and to alter the identity or the politics of a group, not to destroy it and total genocide, which means to do away with a group entirely (Melson 1996: pp.28). Mark Levene argues that both in the case of the Holocaust and Rwanda one can argue that total genocide was being practised by the perpetrators and that it was not simply a conscious attempt to mass murder targeted groups as groups, but, so far as it was possible to do so, to the point of their complete annihilation (Levene 2005: pp.66). The concept of total genocide to the Holocaust and to Rwanda is impo rtant to consider when thinking about both cases. Indeed, the term Final Solution is synonymous with an approach seeking to exterminate an entire group of people and Friedlander shows that for Hermann Goring the final solution was also a total solution (Friedlander 1997: pp.284). Christian Scherrer argues that Rwanda can similarly only be understood as a situation of final solution and total genocide and he argues that this is the only possible starting point for understanding Rwandan realities as they are today (Scherrer 2002: pp.169). In other words, the explicit aim of the Nazis was to remove entirely the presence of Jewish people from the face of the earth and the parallels with the case of Rwanda are clear. The relentless drive by Hutu extremists and militias to eliminate the entire Tutsi population originated in large part from the belief that the solution to Rwandas problems was to eliminate the entire Tutsi population (Twagilimana 1997: pp.50). Conceptualising of the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide with reference to the n otion of total genocide, therefore, appears to be justified in relation to the intentions of the Nazis and the Hutu. ************* difference= brith of the hatred. R the division was created by the colonists (French and Belgians), by defining differences in characteristics between the Hutu and Tutsi and creating a hierarchical system for the possession of such traits, which essentially gave rise to hatred and segregation in Rwandan population. Whereas anti-Semitism has been in existence for centuries (PROOF) Another comparison that can be drawn between the Holocaust and the Rwandan experience of genocide is the innocence of the victims. Lemarchand argues that Tutsi and Jews share a sense of victimhood for which here are few other parallels in recent or past history and that Jews across the world, and the state of Israel in particular, heavily empathise with the Rwandan experience (Lemarchand 2005: pp.145). A former Rwandan government official states the Rwandan genocide and the Holocaust were the same as both killed innocent people based on their race, religion or convictions (Eltringham 2004: pp.54). ADD: how both Rwandans and the jewish populattions were both victims. DIFFERNCE: Rwandan killed their own population Whereas the germans gesapto aswell as SS were recuited to simply exterminate the Jewish popution. DIFFERENCE: GERMANS BELIEFES: Aryan race, and the hatred and anilations of Jews, the disabled, old people. Whereas tin Rwanda the hatred spiralled via the post colonialidt. One common experience shared by both Jews and Tutsi that make their anguish particularly raw was the fact that in both cases the international community was slow to respond to the mounting evidence of genocide against their peoples. The American and other allied governments certainly knew of the genocide being committed against the Jews by the Nazis, but the reality of the situation was that these governments believed that they had other more vital interests that needed to be pursued elsewhere. In other words, in the context of a World War, saving the Jewish people from extermination was low on their list of priorities. This was to an extent true even of American Jews and in a speech in 1991 the Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir said that the memory of inaction during World War Two was heavy on the conscience of American Jews (Novick 2000: pp.39). The Rwandan experience and the Holocaust share another similarity in this sense, Destexhe argues that the Western world was very slow to recognise what was happening in Rwanda and even more reluctant to call the atrocities in the country genocide (Destexhe 1995: pp.32). It took three weeks from 6 April a long time in the world of CNN-style news before editorials finally began comparing the situation in Rwanda with Germany under Nazism and referring to it as a genocide (Destexhe 1995: pp.32). Taylor agrees with this assessment arguing that the West was largely uninterested in the unfolding chaos in Rwanda (Taylor 1999: pp.4). How poorly the world powers read the situation. But for that matter, did a sincere desire really exist at the time to understand it? (Taylor 1999: pp.4). Taylor claims that the United States was weary of intervention during this period and that only France and Belgium had any pressing interests in Rwanda. Another element of commonality is highlighted by Traverso, one that might be regarded as a feature that separates the genocides in Rwanda and in Germany (Traverso 1999: pp.74). Traverso focuses upon the industrial nature of the killing both in Germany and in Rwanda and whilst the operations of the Nazis are often characterised in this fashion it is less common to conceive of the Rwandan genocide in such terms (Traverso 1999: pp.74). The mobile killing units had precursors in the Ottoman Empire and epigones in Rwanda and Bosnia and therefore he argues that the Jewish genocide constitutes a paradigm of modern barbarism (Traverso 1999: pp.74). The weaponry that the Hutu used in order to commit their crimes might have been no more sophisticated than the simple machete, but this is not Traversos point (Traverso 1999: pp.74). He argues that the sophistication is to be found in the level of planning and organisation undertaken by both Nazi and Hutu leaders and that this is where the industr ial and modern spectre of the genocide is to be located (Traverso 1999: pp 74). Differences between the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide An important difference between the Rwandan experience and the Holocaust was the extent to which ideology influenced the perpetrators of the crime. Smith identifies the centrality of ideological currents in the Nazi genocide (Smith 2002: pp.153). According to Smith, ideology glorifies the perpetrators group by assigning to that group a special historical or religious mission. It demeans the victims group by assigning to its members many negative and often nonhuman characteristics (Smith 2002: pp.153). Ideology certainly played an important role in the Holocaust and there were a number of Hutu intellectuals who advocated more extreme forms of action against the Tutsi, but as Lemarchand argues the role of ideology was fundamentally different in both cases (Gellately 2003: pp.331). According to Lemarchand, whereas the Holocaust is the classic example of an ideological genocide, rooted in the most stridently racist ideology, the Rwanda genocide is better seen as the byproduct of the mort al threats posed to the revolutionary Hutu-dominated state by the RPF (Lemarchand 2005: pp.148). The Rwandan genocide is therefore better understood as resulting from a Hutu population that felt itself to be under threat from the Tutsi, rather than from any driving ideological imperatives. The difficulties of comparing the Holocaust and Rwanda However, a number of historians are not comfortable with drawing parallels between the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide. Lemarchand argues that analysing genocide comparatively is inherently problematic and claims that each instance of genocide must be investigated on a singular basis. Lemarchand does not fundamentally disagree with the notion that there are similarities between the two experiences, but argues that a comparative analysis is dangerous (Lemarchand 2005: pp.143). To treat Rwanda as the carbon copy of the Holocaust is likely to obscure its historical specificity and regional context, and ultimately lead to a misunderstanding of the motivations behind the killings (Lemarchand 2005: pp.143). Eltringhams comparative examination of the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide encounters similar difficulties and finds that a comparison of the suffering in both cases is ultimately futile (Eltringham 2004: pp.56). Both Tutsi and Jews have suffered, but in a different manner and for different reasons (Eltringham 2004: pp.56). There may, therefore, be similarities between the experiences of Jews and Tutsi during the their respective genocides, but the entire comparative paradigm is irretrievably flawed and as a result any attempt to draw sustained parallels between Germany and Rwanda is always likely to end in failure. In conclusion while it is possible to display points of comparison between the Rwandan genocide and the Holocaust, such a comparison must be approached with caution. One can argue that conceiving of the Holocaust and Rwanda as examples of total genocide is legitimate and that the industrial nature of the killing as well as the inaction on the part of the international community all point to a clear line of similarity between the two experiences. However, it is clear that a point of comparison between any two genocides is difficult, if not impossible task. The multitude of factors that cause genocide to take place in any given country are enormously complex and critically depend upon the context from which they emerge.(ADD: The colonists created the divde between the population, whereas anti semitsim has existed for centuries. Therefore, to argue that the Rwandan genocide is a modern-day example of the Holocaust is a misplaced argument, because it does not appreciate the many points o f difference that existed in the two respective cases. Ultimately, one should be careful when drawing points of comparison between the Final Solution and the Rwandan genocide for precisely this reason. ADD: How the rwandan hutu leader sought inspiration from Hitler, he watched films related to Hitler and searched for tips .

Changes On Employees Retention And Performance In Kfc

Changes On Employees Retention And Performance In Kfc Employees are considered as the best resources particularly in the service business sector. Also employees are the key stakeholders who are affected mostly due to organisational management or ownership change. Downsizing and rightsizing are some of the key issues resulting from the mergers and acquisitions globally and this affects the international policies and strategies of the multinationals. Also employees policies are mostly at stake. This issue is, therefore, being analysed to study the impacts of frequent ownership changes in KFC particularly from 1971 to 1986 on the employees retention and growth. As KFC is a global giant in fast-food / service business sector and faced frequent ownership changes in a short span of time so this case can add value to the reader of this report and other businesses to understand the relation of employees retention, performance and productivity with the leadership / ownership issues and how such situation can be dealt. Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) An Introduction In 1930 KFC was launched and the mission was to provide quality, service and cleanliness (QSC) to the customers and consumers. Competition level was very low in the industry particularly in the domestic market. KFC growth was good in its initial decades but with the increasing competition in the domestic market the cake size started squeezing. Popeyes, the major competitor for KFC, was born in 1972 which comes second with a share (12.7%) and KFC (55.2%) (http://lidan.y3k.org/blog/en/2004/04/kfcs-localization-strategies-in-china/). In early 1950s KFC went in the foreign market (http://www.kfc.com/about/history.asp ). 3.0 Research Question Did the past frequent ownership changes in KFC have an impact on the employees retention and performance? 4.0 Objectives The key objectives of this study are to; Assess whether frequent ownership changes affect managerial policies Study whether the frequent ownership changes have an impact on employees retention rate Evaluate the impacts of organisational ownership change son employees performance Literature Review Fast-food is considered as convenience food that can be cooked and served very quickly. On the average, 1/5th of the population of the USA (which is approximately 45 million people) eats every day in a fast-food restaurant. The term fast-food denotes speed in both food preparation and customer service, as well as speed in customer eating habits. The designation, quick service (http://www.answers.com/topic/fast-food?cat=entertainment ) has been traditionally preferred by the restaurant industry. There are certain forces which makes an industry attractive globally. As fast-food industry grew in the USA competition also became tough in the domestic market. Industry faced maturity stage (http://www.kfc.com/about/history.asp). At this stage of industry life cycle companies started entering in the foreign markets in order to survive. The doors for industrial growth and reforms had opened due to the economic revolution after World War II. Governments needed the foreign businesses to come and participate in the economic development of the country. For example China relaxed its policies regarding the western service businesses particularly agricultural modernisation plans of China needed poultry industry to grow (http://www.franchisetochina.com/h3.htm). Fast-food is considered as economical and easy to cook food. Chicken is relatively cheaper ingredient as compared to mutton and beef. Also chicken growth is economical because it grows faster and consumes fewer inputs. In many Asian and Latin Americans countries chicken is traditional food. These all factors lead to economies of scale for fast food industry particularly related with chicken meals. Consumer market has changed tremendously. Drivers like global economic reforms and higher divorce rate in the USA have led to more female workers (http://lidan.y3k.org/blog/en/2004/04/kfcs-localization-strategies-in-china/) and they need ready meal to save time. The average mother of a child under 15 spends more on fast food every year than on books, music, movies and video games combined, according to a new report (Mindlin, 2008). Health conscious consumers taste has also changed. People like to have some light meal during work hours (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/sub jects/f/fast_food_industry/index.html). These forces made the industry attractive and increased the potential and demand of fast-food in the world. Fast-food industry apparently has a localisation approach. McDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC, etc have adapted their organisational culture and menu according to host country culture and values. Particularly KFC deployed localisation strategies in China and McDonalds removed pork from its menu in India. Figure 2 below explains that a balance is necessary to achieve a successful strategic move in the foreign market. Respond locally through learning the cultural values of host country and integrate them with the companys global core values. Global Integration Local Responsiveness Cross Boundary Learning Fast-food industry flourished in the USA during the last centaury. The chicken segment was the 5th in terms of sales in the fast-food industry and there were few competitors as compared to other segments. For instance the sandwich chain segment which included McDonalds, Burger King and Wendy had 12 competitors while KFC had only 5. KFC was the overall 6th biggest (http://lidan.net/blog/2004/04/kfcs_localization_strategies_in_china.html). In 1999 fast-food industry sales rose by 5.4% with around 0.8 million restaurants in the USA and during the same period full service restaurants grew by 7%. Gradually the due to saturation in the sector companies started exiting the industry (like Boston was acquired by McDonalds) or decided to enter in the foreign markets. Domestically the chicken market seemed saturated and the growth rate in the USA was only 1% (http://lidan.y3k.org/blog/en/2004/04/kfcs-localization-strategies-in-china/). According to available literature, the estimated annual worth of the UK fast-food market is  £7.82 billion (Keynote 2003), equal to an average spend of  £20/month/adult (Schrà ¶der and McEachern, 2005). Due to busier consumer lifestyles and dual-working families with children emphasis is increasingly being placed on quick meal solutions (Atkins and Bowler 2001). Therefore there is a market growth of 19% in fast-food since 1998 (Keynote 2003). For service business sector, particularly, manpower or employees are key resources to gain profitability (Heskett and Sasser, 1994). Take figure 3 below. Customer loyalty stimulates profit and growth in the business and customers loyalty is a direct result of the customer satisfaction. Satisfaction is largely influenced by the services value provided to the customers and consumers and this value is created by the loyal, satisfied and productive employees. However employees satisfaction is resulted primarily from the high-quality support services and policies that enable the employees to deliver results to the customers (http://hbr.org/1994/03/putting-the-service-profit-chain-to-work/ar/1). Service Value Chain This model reveals that employees are key resources particularly for the service business organisations. Streamlined organisational processes and consistency in the organisational policies help facilitate the employees in service industry (particularly) to deliver quality services to the customers and add value with efficient performance to achieve sustainable growth and profitability. However consistent policies and long term strategic planning also need stability in the organisations management (http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Or-Pr/Planning.html) and author also understands that the organisational ownership change should not influence and change the organisational policies especially employees policies in the service business sector at a stroke or right from day one rather lead time should be given to the employees and other stakeholders so that everybody can adjust with the changing environment. Employees are considered as a companys live hood. If employees in an organisation are highly motivated and proactive, every effort will be done by the employees to achieve the organisational goals as well as keep track of industry performance to address any potential challenges. This two-prong approach builds an organisations stability. On the other hand with low motivation level of employees an organisation is completely vulnerable to both internal and external challenges because the employees are not going the extra mile to maintain the organisations stability and thus unstable organisation ultimately underperforms (http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5407144_employee-motivation-impact-organizational-performance_.html). In todays work environment want a relaxed and hygienic work environment and have fun with a balance between the life, work and family (http://humanresources.about.com/od/motivationrewardretention/Employee_Motivation_Recognition_Rewards_Retention.htm). Literature also reveals that key employee retention is critical to the long term health and success of any business or organistaion. Managers agree that managers ole is key to retain best employees to ensure business success (http://humanresources.about.com/od/retention/a/more_retention.htm). Important organising principles include organisational values in designing HRM polices. Compensation and developing an individual are deeply related with the satisfaction and commitment of the employees which mean particularly in the service business sector employee retention and growth with performance also depends on managements policies at strategic board level (Rosete, 2006). Employees retention in the quick service industry is key to success of the business. Quick service companies retain the most desirable employees by recognizing employees contribution to the organisation because recognition is an effective leadership tool that motivates the employees and acknowledges the efforts and creativity or willingness of employees to exert extra effort. The biggest problem for the quick service industry and which creates major drains of profit and human resources is employee turnover. According to a report the annualised turnover rate of employees was 16% in 2000. The same turnover numbers as related to the quick service industry are employees 150% and management 20%. The cost of turnover shares an average cost of replacing an employee is equal to the annual salary plus benefits. In the aftermath of industry downsizing, employee loyalty is also on decline. There is 11% decline in the workers commitment. However leadership (which means a consistent organisationa l policies with least possible changes) is key to retain and develop employees because the quick service industry has a direct correlation of sales, profits as compared to employee turnover (Forrer and Guerrieri, 2002). Organisational culture is developed by the management policies and leadership style. once established, the organisational culture is highly resistant to change. Employees tend to stick to a set way of working. However frequent management or ownership changes also change the working pattern and organisational goals. This may make the employees more resistant with decreased performance (Tom and Michael, 2000). In 1930 KFC was launched with a mission to provide quality, service and cleanliness (QSC) to the customers. KFC grew well in domestic market but later competition became hard in the local market. McDonalds, Wendy, Boston etc had entered in the market leading to shrunken market size. The major competitor for KFC, Popeyes, was born in 1972 which comes second with a share (12.7%) and KFC (55.2%) (http://lidan.y3k.org/blog/en/2004/04/kfcs-localization-strategies-in-china/). In 1950s KFC went in the foreign market (http://www.kfc.com/about/history.asp). Thus KFC earned first mover advantage and brand recognition. In 1964 it entered the UK, in 1970s Japan and Asia Pacific, in 1987 China and in 1990s South Asia (http://www.kfc.com/about/history.asp). KFC has a multi domestic strategy (http://mason.gmu.edu/~tgoddar1/m411wk7.htm) to enter the foreign markets because of cultural, economical, social, legal and political factors in the host countries and this strategy also resulted in certain benefits which include; helped KFC to react to high pressures for local responsiveness, to tailor products to meet customer needs in each country of operation, to create wholly owned foreign divisions and to help core competencies transfer from home country. In addition to this; access to resources and skills in the host country, differentiation advantage through combined core competences, becoming the dominant competitor, increased profits and reduced bureaucratic costs were some of the factors to adopt multi domestic strategy. Market Entry Strategies Few Examples KFCs international composition provides a mix of foreign market entry strategies (please refer to figure 4). KFC enters the foreign / international market either through joint venture or company-owned foreign subsidiary. However mostly KFC expands its global franchise network. This is also important to know that organisational culture of KFC is mostly decentralised at operational level because franchisees are business partner or allies of KFC and the KFCs employees policies are implemented through franchising channel. It is also important here to note that organisational culture must be matched or aligned with the national culture or domestic culture. KFC is a global organisation working in many countries around the globe. KFC core organisational culture must be adapted in the host culture so that employees in the host country and customers in the host country can adopt and adapt KFCs themes and menu easily and there should be no communication gaps. This also helps facilitate the emp loyees to adjust with the organisational culture and deliver quality services to the customers. A high demand for services has been created due to the socioeconomic development in 1980s and 1990s (Davis, 2000). This reflects the potential for service businesses growth like the fast-food businesses. In recognition of the distinct nature of transitional markets (Arnold and Quelch 1998), many foreign companies have sought other ways to compete with the domestic or local offerings by clothing their brands in local costumes (Belk, 2000). According to Zhou and Hui (2003) localisation of language, product characteristics, advertising content and even product meanings is a common way accepted by the multinationals in most transitional economies. Hofstede (1980) states that culture is a complex and multifaceted construct. One of the basic dimensions of the culture is individualism collectivism. Individualistic culture stresses on independence, freedom, high levels of competition, achievement and pleasure. However the collectivistic culture has a tendency to embrace the interdependency, family security, social hierarchies, low level of the competition and cooperation (Triandis, 1993). Also advertising is a type of shared or social communication. It is reflective and indicates or specifies cultural values and norms (http://lidan.y3k.org/blog/en/2004/04/kfcs-localization-strategies-in-china/). As cultural differences are reflected by the advertising and advertising appeals which are specific approaches or ways advertisers use to communicate the customers needs and wants (Bovee and Arens, 1989), should manifest such differences across the countries. Collectivism involves the subordination of personal interests to the goals of the group and stresses on sharing, cooperation and coordination and a group welfare concern (Zhang and Neelankavil, 1997). Sometimes minor differences in the culture put major impacts on the strategies of the companies which may affect positively or negatively the employees and the customers. Some cultures are very open to franchising especially for western businesses. An example is the UK and Europe. There are big franchising association or bodies in such countries for example British Franchise Association promoting and accrediting excellence in franchising and European Franchise Federation whose aims and objectives include promotion of franchising in European countries, protecting the franchise industry with Code of Ethics, encouraging and developing franchising in European countries, requesting the interest of franchising to international organisations, promoting European franchising worldwide, serving the members along with the exchange of documentation and information between the national association or federations in Europe and in the world (http://www.thebfa.org/index.asp). Such big platforms secure the franchisors even during the recession or economic downturn or situations like credit crunch periods and provide security to foreign businesses in the host countries to come and invest in a relatively risk free environment. Also franchising is cost effective, time saving, secure and easy to learn way to enter a new country. This reflects that a right foreign market entry strategy may help reduce the impacts of recession or economic downturns (if any) but also the cultural implications need to be integrated in the organisational employees strategies so that talent retention and development can be facilitated. But it is also important to note from the following paragraphs that organisational cultures are dependent on the leadership (owners) policies and practices and a consistent policy should be there to gain long lasting profitability and employees performance with minimum organisational changes. Literature reveals that KFC has faced a lot of managerial and organisational changes since KFCs inception. The changes occurred mostly due to the changes in the ownership (or better to say in the leadership). Colonel Sanders first sold KFC in 1964 to a small group of investors that eventually took KFC public. Heublein, Inc, purchased KFC in early seventies (in 1971) and was highly involved in day to day operations. R. J. Reynolds then acquired Heublein in 1982. R. J. Reynolds had a more laid back approach and allowed business as usual at KFC. Finally in 1986, KFC was acquired by PepsiCo, which was trying to grow the quick service restaurant segment. PepsiCo, which presently runs Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC, has a management style and corporate culture significantly different from that of KFC. PepsiCo has a consumer product orientation. In 1992, KFC did another reorganisation in the middle management ranks. KFC eliminated 250 out of the 1500 management positions at corporate and gave the responsibilities restaurant franchises and marketing managers (http://kelley_keith.tripod.com/mgmnt5313.html). KFC history reveals that Heublein favoured a franchising strategy but had a low RD budgets, Reynolds strategy was to leave the managers with freedom to run units with managerial expertise and PepsiCo though provided heavy financial backing to KFC but PepsiCos hard employees policies resulted in dissatisfaction, high turnover and decreased loyalty of the employees. A service business cannot afford employees dissatisfaction (Irfan, 2008 and http://lidan.y3k.org/blog/en/2004/04/kfcs-localization-strategies-in-china/ http://www.reocities.com/TimesSquare/1848/kfc.html). Literature review reveals that the weaknesses of KFC have been determined as confusing corporate direction due to selling and reselling of KFC. KFC was sold three times between 1971 and 1986. However the organisational culture of KFC and PepsiCo are conflicting with each other. KFC was based on a laid back approach while PepsiCo culture has a fast track attitude. Since the acquisition KFC employees lacked the job security that KFC employees enjoyed before. Also top management turnovers like top managers of the KFC were replaced by the PepsiCos own management have changed the organisational culture and leadership style which is creating job insecurity in the organisation (http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2009/09/kentucky-fried-chicken-and-the-global-fast-food-industry.html). In conclusion from the information above it can be revealed that mergers and acquisitions are good for business growth but when ownership changes the resulting changes in the polices and culture of the organisation not only threaten the employees but also develop a resistant to change. This sometimes leads to employees turnover or decreased performance. It does not mean that organisational change is not healthy for the organisational growth but there should be a reasonable frequency and in the organisational change pattern and particularly in the service business sector where employees are key resources to deliver value to the customers because losing skilled staff due to frequent change in the organisational policies (and sometimes change in organisational culture to which the skilled staff has stuck) may result in losing the right employees and business profitability and performance may decline. To conclude this further following methodology has been suggested in the literature to analyse such cases; A case study has been suggested as a useful approach when the area of research is relatively unknown (Marschan-Piekkari and Welch, 2004). It is a more flexible approach suited to different types of research questions and is most frequently used approach in business studies particularly international business. It has been suggested that case studies involve data collection through multiple primary and/or secondary sources such as verbal reports, personal interviews, observation and written reports (Marschan-Piekkari and Welch, 2004). Accordingly, the secondary research in this case study will involve written reports, journal articles, online information etc. 6.0 Methodology To conclude this further following methodology has been suggested in the literature to analyse such cases; A case study has been suggested as a useful approach when the area of research is relatively unknown (Marschan-Piekkari and Welch, 2004). It is a more flexible approach suited to different types of research questions and is most frequently used approach in business studies particularly international business. It has been suggested that case studies involve data collection through multiple primary and/or secondary sources such as verbal reports, personal interviews, observation and written reports (Marschan-Piekkari and Welch, 2004). Accordingly, the secondary research in this case study will involve written reports, journal articles, online information etc. The study will be an analytical case study involving secondary research. A number of business models and frameworks like service value chain, Bartlett and Ghoshal and Total Global Strategy George S. Yip will be used to analyse the situation at macro and micro levels. To meet the criteria for analytical approach (Dubey, 2009) the facts of information already available will be used and analysis of these facts will be done to make a critical evaluation of the material. It is important that there must be sufficient information to characterise, analyse and explain the unique features of the case, as well as to point out the characteristics and properties that are common to several cases or case studies. Finally, this approach relies on the integrative powers of research: the ability to study an object with many dimensions and then to draw the various elements together in a cohesive interpretation (Marschan-Piekkari and Welch, 2004). So where the area of research is relatively not known a more flexible approach which can suit the different types of research questions will be a case study approach. Also through secondary research the already available information and data is used and analysed to answer the research question but important issue is to understand that the data and information should be sufficient enough to analyse the unique features of the issue or case. 7.0 Limitations There are following limitations in this case study; Being a case study it will be focused on one company only and can give no additional analyses for the competitors business situations. Primary research is not part of the methodology in this case study. Primary research can add value by validating the past or historical information (gathered by the secondary research) under current business circumstances.

Piercing :: essays research papers

A Piercing Look at Society â€Å"If it sticks out, pierce it† is a motto for body piercing. In the past decade, body piercing has â€Å"steadily evolved† to be part of a trendy fashion statement that is spreading like Parkey throughout the American society. â€Å"Body piercing is an American style fad.† (Wattenberg) The influence of fashion is the most powerful pressure there is. The once rebel art of body piercing done only by so called â€Å"freaks† of society is now a trendy fashion practiced by many. The trend of body piercing was partially sparked by models and MTV. â€Å"Piercing gradually shed its outlaw image and was mass marketed to the impressionable generation by music videos, rock stars, and models.† (Leo) Piercings are also found on celebrities whose lives are so torn apart by the media that nothing is kept secret. News would eventually reach the public, which would spark a trend in admirers. Piercing also appears on the Tattoodles Doll in toy stores, and as games on the Internet such as Piercing Mildred. Through these style of piercing has grown to become acceptable by all ages from children means the playing with Tattoodles, to teens watching MTV, to adults on the Internet. Body piercing has excelled so much that it is now on a level referred to as body art along with tattoos. â€Å"Piercing is part of the broader â€Å"body modification† movement.†(Leo) It is figured that 1 out of 10 people have a piercing some where other than their ear. Today’s social standards are not what they once were. Society has begun to relax on what is viewed as the ideal image. It has gone from the conservative middle class look to the open-minded, anything goes creative look. The point is not to look like the crowd anymore; rather to differentiate oneself and make a statement to the rest of society. One doesn’t have to have the nicest or most business like look to get far. â€Å"Society has a tendency to indefinitely relax its standards to accommodate even more bizarre and anti- social extremes of behavior.† (Wattenberg)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Piercing achieved mainstream recognition in American society in the 1990’s. More people began to accept it. One newspaper put it well – â€Å"It moved from society’s margins to the mainstream.† (Leo) Piercing used to be done by â€Å"outcasts of society and was often looked down upon, but now, body piercing studios expand by about one studio per day.

Ethical Lessons Learned from Corporate Scandals Essay examples -- Busi

Ethical Lessons Learned from Corporate Scandals Ethics is about behavior and in the face of dilemma; it is about doing the right thing. Ideally, managerial leaders and their people will act ethically as a result of their internalized virtuous core values. The Enron scandal is the most significant corporate collapse in the United States and it demonstrates the need for significant reforms in accounting and corporate governance in the United States. It is also a call for a close look at the ethical quality of the culture of business generally and of business corporations (Lessons from the Enron Scandal). The collapse of even the smallest of businesses impacts many people, and therefore even the smallest business can learn what not to do from the multibillion dollar corporation. The failure of one’s business will greatly and negatively affect its employees, partners, as well as the families of each of those groups. Business owners have a duty to operate in a prudent, lawful and ethical manner. The major lessons that were illustrated by the collapse of Enron and other corporate scandals will be the morality play of the new economy. It will teach executives and the American public the most important ethics lessons of this decade. Financial cleverness is no substitute for a good corporate strategy. Financial accounting is a backward looking, unusually complex, subject to subjective interpretation, vulnerable to several controversial accounting doctrines...

Start Up of New Fast Food Chain in India

Group 3 Member Debashish Das Pallavi Talwar Hari Das Gupta Pramod Balakrishnan Ans Since the maiden business venture would be the first business venture of the group, we would prefer to keep the funding internal. The business venture we would start is Indian Street food restaurant â€Å" Pao Khao† Executive Summary Pao Khao is a locally owned fast food outlet that will be positioned as an international franchise through our creative approach to the company's image and detail presentation. Pao Khao will provide a combination of excellent food at value pricing, with fun packaging and atmosphere. Pao Khao is the answer to an increasing demand for snack-type & Ethnic Indian food. In today's highly competitive environment, it is becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate one fast food outlet from another. Delhi NCR , has population of more than 2 million. Our main priority is to establish starting in Gurgaon , preferably close to one of prominent shopping malls in MG road. Later, our effort will be a further development of more retail outlets in the surrounding area. This plan is prepared to obtain a location for the initial launch of this concept. Additional financing will need to be secured for the two subsequent outlets, anticipated in month 13 and early in year three. The financing, in addition to the capital contributions from shareholders, will allow Pao Khao to successfully open and expand through year two. The initial capital investment will allow Pao Khao to provide its customers with a value-driven, entertaining experience through the creativity of its founders. Pao Khao will entice youngsters as well as working couple (DINK) to bring their friends and family with our innovative environment, fresh Indian Snack /Ethnic food . 1 Objectives †¢To establish a presence as a successful local fast food outlets and gain a market share in Delhi NCR Fastest growing fast food industry. †¢To make Pao Khao a destination spot for mall-goers, leisure & pleasure seekers 1. 2 Mission Our main goal is to be one of the most successful fast food outlets in Gurgaon, starting with one retail outlet located inside a major shopping mall as a â€Å"market tester. † Pao Khao will strive to be a premier local fast food brand in the local marketplace. We want our customers to have the total experience when visiting our outlet(s) and website as they will learn about this fascinating new â€Å"pop culture. † We will sell merchandise from pre-packaged chutney and t-shirts, to innovative combinations such as Idli Dhokla, all with our official brand attached to them. Our main focus will be serving high-quality food at a great value. 1. 3 Keys to Success To succeed in this business we must: †¢Create a unique, innovative, entertaining menu that will differentiate us from the rest of the competition. Control costs at all times, in all areas and implement a conservative approach to growth policy. Although, we provide more than enough fund to open more than one outlet, we want to be on the safe side of the business. †¢Sell the products that are of the highest quality, as well as keeping the customers happy with all of our product categories from food to store merchandising. †¢Provide 100% satisfaction to our customers and maintaining the level of excellent services among other competitors. Encourage the two most important values in fast food business: brand and image, as these two ingredients are a couple of main drivers in marketing communications. †¢Get access to high-traffic shopping malls near the target market. †¢Promote good values of company culture and business philosophy. 2. 1 Company Ownership Pao Khao is a privately held company. It will be registered as a Limited company, with ownership 25% – Hari Das Gupta, 25% – Pallavi, 25% – Pramod, 25% – Debashish 2. 2 Start-up Summary The retail outlet will be rented at one of the target location shopping malls. Our preference is Space A, for the main reason of reaching larger traffic. Startup requirements will be financed through owner investments. (all values in INR) a 2. 3 Company Locations and Facilities Pao Khao locations will range in size from 70~100 meter square and will seat from 15 – 25 guests. Our first location will be on the larger end of this range. The location will feature its own originality in merchandise display and other brand building attributes. We will equip the outlet with modern furniture and aim for cleanliness and an open feeling. We are currently looking at several possible sites in shopping malls along MG Road. The space selection will be chosen based upon the following criteria: †¢Community size: minimum of 10,00,000 people within a radius of 5 kilometers. †¢Office Areas and Tourist destination. †¢Easy access. †¢Large percentage of upwardly mobile upper middle class in the community. All of these qualities are consistent with Pao Khao goal of providing a top quality fast food experience. We want â€Å"word-of-mouth† to be our best form of marketing, where our customers value our brand as something exciting and cannot wait to tell their friends and neighbors. Pao Khao will directly compete with several fast food joints inside the chosen shopping mall, including Mac Donald, Pizza Hut and other but create niche for its ethnic Indian Flavour. Products We want to focus only on selling Indian Food. Alcoholic drinks will not be sold in our outlet, as Pao Khao promotes a healthy and positive Indian lifestyle. 3. 1 Product Description Pao Khao primarily ethnic Indian Street/Snack food †¢Chole Bature †¢Dahi Bhalla †¢Indian Thaali †¢Executive Thali †¢Rajmaa chawal or noodles.. (fusion) †¢Pao Bhaji †¢Dhokla etc 3. Competitive Comparison Pao Khao has several advantages over its leading competitors: †¢Unique â€Å"fusion† concept of Indian Food. †¢We expect a high degree of enthusiasm and offer a fun store with friendly staff, that reflects the company's youthful and energetic culture. †¢Supporting merchandise items that support the company's brand building. †¢Our innovative packaging will be more entertaining than our competitors †¢Direct relation with farmers to procure fresh vegetable and grains at lower prices. Core essential for successful business strategy would be 1. Indentifying appropriate and correct place for the first restaurant. 2. Quality of service and food , cleanliness 3. Commitment to customer and creating the right ambience 4. Chefs are key USP and need to have competency to develop this and also keep in mind attrition due to competition. 5. Marketing – Without proper marketing, howsoever a good idea can fail , hence marketing strategy is paramount importance Marketing has to be both ATL and BTL†¦Since we are promoting amidst fierce competition, we need to have aggressive marketing strategy which creates buzz in

Exams Are a Necessary Evil Essay

Exams! Exams! Exams! Exams are the dreaded word that plagues you during student life. As an adult who is done and dusted with this nightmare, you may look back more often than once wondering if all that stress and trauma was after all worth the while. For starters let’s take a step back and analyze what skills one is expected to acquire during the course of education. Well the skills that are used in everyday life, the skills that allow one to get a job and succeed in their field of choice are surely the skills that one should acquire in the formative years. In this case logic, analytical ability, memory, communication skills and interpersonal skills will probably top the list of most people. Of course there is also the actual knowledge which needs to be tested! What skills do exams test? Now though exams are a mode of testing, the manner in which the test is administered can decide what skills are actually tested. The regular ones requiring long winded answers test your memory and perseverance coz surely you must work hard to cram all that stuff into your head and then retain them long time to put them down on paper. In the more objective format of exams, it can be argued that logic and analytical ability is tested. Upside of exams Structure is probably the biggest upside of exams. When you know you have exams around the corner you make a serious attempt to actually stop fooling around and make good use of your time to actually study. They help you deliver results under pressure. Memory is certainly sharpened and they can also make you very competitive. This is arguably a great virtue in today’s world. Downside of exams You forget what you cram and write. Then why bother! This is the age old argument which works against exams. The wise are known to argue that education must cause a student to think, become inquisitive and have an unquenchable thirst to seek knowledge. It is well known that the human brain has an expiry dated storage space for information and hence pundits believe that we need to create an ambience where we nurture genuine students of  knowledge who are passionate about learning. Exam centricity takes away the joy of learning since it is a closed approach; not many excel in the format though they may be inherently very intelligent and it also does not nurture passion of learning but actually serves to detract from that stated objective. Also there are those scores of cases which point at psychological and physical trauma such as illness and depression owing to unwarranted stress levels. Man evolves with time and so will the educational system and the methodology of testing. While in the short to midterm, exams are here to stay, there may be a day when a bold patriarch chooses to shun this process and allow students to flourish in a non-threatening environment which sustains the process of natural learning. There are already a few examples of such forms in modern day society and it will not be surprising that these voices gather momentum with the years to come!