Advantage and disadvantage of globalization Essay

Innovation ideas, which are suitable to adapt changeable customers’ preferences. With the development of technology, customers preferences are always updated due to global information transmit. Global Managers are capable to create more inventive products to keep and expand global markets. 2. Localization, which can avoid cultural conflict between local customers and global company, avoid future failure of investment of subsidiary of local company. Global managers must consider customizing products to comply with local national traits and policies. On-time follow-up, which is necessary to find and solve customers’ problems, renovate and meet their requirements, to update and improve the level of global marketing. Global managers are responsible for timely feedback to customizing products. Market segment, which is flexible for global manages to make differential marketing strategy for different products in different markets. Some products with lower price and higher frequency usage can be adapted standardization strategy, which some products with high price and lower frequency usage can be adapted customization strategy. High manufacturing costs. In order to adapt different customers preferences in different markets, global companies must put their products into different manufacturing process, or different testing system, or different package operation, etc. so that the products can be customized to sale in the global market. Unavoidable national barriers. Almost every country set national trade barriers or policies to protect local companies business. And some of countries have their own cultural and religious, own living habits, global companies are difficult to enter inside without any risks or discourages. Redundant market researches. Global companies have to contribute themselves into lots of market surveys and researches, because it can influence decisions among subsidiary market. However, without local questionnaires or face meeting, data collect and calculation, case study and comparison, etc. , global managers cannot finalize a new investment program carelessly.

Huckleberry Finn Should Be Banned

Huckleberry Finn should be banned from schools. There are several issues in the novel that schools should not permit their students to learn about and study. These issues are extreme racism, Huck questioning the rules of society, and teaching bad morals. Huckleberry Finn contains several racist comments. In today’s society, there are people who will take these comments very offensively Huck says, â€Å"according to the old saying, ‘Give a nigger an inch and he’ll take an ell. † Huck is stating that other people believe the African American slaves were to have strict rules to abide by because if you let them get away with something once, they will take advantage of that opportunity and try to get away with something else later on in the future. During the time that Huckleberry Finn was written, African Americans did not have the freedom that they do today. They were considered property, not citizens, which people would buy, trade, and own. Throughout Huckleb erry Finn, Huck is constantly questioning the rules of his society.One example is when Huck says, â€Å"The widow rung a bell for supper, and you had to come to time. When you got to the table you couldn't go right to eating, but you had to wait for the widow to tuck down her head and grumble a little over the victuals, though there warn't really anything the matter with them. † When he is stating this, he believes that the rules in the society he lives in are petty and useless. If students are allowed to read this, they may begin to think that it is okay to question the rules that our government have set and possibly not follow them because they think they are petty or useless.The final reason that Huckleberry Finn should be banned from schools is that Huck teaches bad morals for the students who have to read this novel. Instead of following the rules of the society he has grown up with, he uses made up rules of Tom Sawyer and doesn’t question them. â€Å"So Tom got out a sheet of paper that he had wrote the oath on, and read it. It swore every boy to stick to the band, and never tell any of the secrets,† This quote gives an example of the rules that Tom Sawyer set that Huck began to adopt.This band was set up in a way that it seemed like a club or a gang. Students may read this and begin to think that because they do not believe what the rules of society are, that it is okay to join a club to rebel and have their own set of rules. Therefore, Huckleberry Finn should be banned from all schools. The issues that just have been discussed should be taken into consideration. With the extreme racism, the questioning of the society by Huck, and the teaching bad morals should be enough to ban this novel.

If you came back to earth as someone or something else, who or what Essay

If you came back to earth as someone or something else, who or what would it be - Essay Example The name of Bush in the political grounds of America is not new and almost everyone is aware of his status and name. Bush’s decision making power, motivational speeches, devotion and confidence are some traits which I admire personally. The position he holds in American political arena is yet another positive feature that makes him an ideal for me. I personally believe that he is a good leader with excellent communication skills. His attitude, wisdom and thoughts are all marvelous as they become a part of America’s success. His power and authority are the main factors which influence my thoughts and fascinate me towards his personality. Wealth and riches that surround George W. Bush are yet another fascination for me. I would like to be G. W. Bush as his mind, intelligent thoughts and influencing personality led him to become a successful man. I would like to have a mind and personality like him so I may rule one of the powerful nations in the world. Being G. W. Bush wo uld help me in making some necessary changes which I feel may help the poor or minority groups living in America. Lastly, the fame, reputation and reverence that G. W. Bush holds, is desirable by majority of the American population. I wish to have a name as shining in the world as he has.

Chapter 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Chapter 5 - Essay Example Then proceed to the actual purchase. The decision to purchase and the selection will be based on the features of the product, the perceived value and its capabilities. Then proceed with post purchase analysis. From the onset, the marketers should know that purchasing only exists because there exists are need. It therefore follows that the strategy to generate or reinforce a need in the consumers mind is absolutely significant in stimulating the consumer purchasing behaviour. This can be done through thorough marketing campaigns such as advertisements. The marketers should create brand awareness among consumers. Consumers normally select products that they know by name or those in their mind, this is called Top-of –mind awareness or TOPA. The marketers also need to improve customer relations and the general shopping experience for the consumers. This will go a long way in forging strong relations and improving reputation of the marketer’s product hence creating customer

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 303

Assignment Example Social media is operational and intertwined into the entire organization with operations, marketing, and PR all playing a role in the overall social strategy for Taco’s. Chipotle way of beating competition is recruiting top performing employees to ensure that the experience the organization provides is exceptional and highly regarded. Its restaurants are operationally efficient and pleasing. It constantly increases the company’s awareness and regards the environment highly. The company uses classic cooking methods and has a unique interior design. The corporate strategy the company has used is that it has aggressively marketed low prices to attract customers to visit more often (Mertens, p. 18). The company is interested in how food is prepared and seeks out to pay for what they recognize as better. Chipotle’s value customers and that is why they are unwilling to compromise on serving delicious foods. The company’s aims to deliver quality foods coupled with high quality ingredients. The company continuously strives to evolve in order to maintain competitive

Compare Bible Genesis Chapter 13 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Compare Bible Genesis Chapter 13 - Essay Example The first one was written during the time when Israel had kings ruling Jerusalem and before their deportation to Babylon in 587 BC. The customary scholarly description for the earlier custom, which extends sporadically all through the Pentateuch, is the Yahwist or J tradition. Many scholars would date the later creation story in Genesis 1:1 2:3 to a time after 587BC and the exile to Babylon. It is also argued that it may have been written even later i.e. after the return to Judah in 539BC during the Persian period. This tradition is called as the priestly tradition or the P tradition. There are lots of difference between the Y tradition and the P tradition (Shelley) The two chapters of Genesis fulfil every aspect of a Myth, or a kind of Myth conclusion. There are two accounts of creation in the genesis and they surely contradict each other. It is absolutely old and deals with a paranormal being that a society found vital. Therefore the first two chapters are an atheist's best friend and a Christian's nightmare. It is a blatant contradiction in what is claimed to be a divinely inspired document. In the first God created mankind on the sixth day. After making everything else, finally he creates mankind. Then he rests. In the subsequent creation the timeline is not broken up into days. But the first thing God does is to make Man before he makes even plants.

Discuss the definition of terrorism and the two major types of Essay

Discuss the definition of terrorism and the two major types of terrorism outlined in our textbook - Essay Example According to Schmalleger, terrorism can be mainly divided into two types, namely domestic terrorism and international terrorism (Schmalleger). According to the Unites States Department of Justice domestic terrorism is â€Å"The unlawful use of force or violence, committed by a group(s) of two or more individuals, against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.† (Presley). Terrorism which is practiced in one’s own country against own people is known as domestic terrorism (Domestic Terrorism). This type of terrorism takes place through groups or individuals operating entirely within the U.S. aiming to influence the U.S. government or population to affect political or social amendment by conducting criminal action (Maehr). The activities of international terrorists on the other hand cross national boundaries. The distinction between domestic and internationa l terrorism does not refer to where the terrorist act takes place (Emergency Training: Terrorism). Instead, it refers to the origin of the individuals or groups responsible for it (Emergency Training: Terrorism). On April 30, 2001, the US State Department agreed that the distinction between domestic and international terrorism was getting blurred (Raman). It goes without saying that there is hardly any terrorist organization in today’s world which does not have international networking (Raman). â€Å"Sometimes the networking is with the diasporas; sometimes with like-minded terrorist groups or non-State actors or mercenaries in other countries; sometimes with State actors, who want to use them to achieve their own strategic objectives (Raman). Domestic terrorism is considered as a crime which should be treated as a criminal matter whereas international terrorism is both a crime and a matter

An historical perspective on this surveying process for (levelling Essay

An historical perspective on this surveying process for (levelling survey) - Essay Example Most of the older versions were bulky and involved tedious measurements and data collection. In addition, the telescopes were low-powered as compared to newer versions that are more powerful. Later on, William Grant, an English civil engineer developed the dumpy level, which was more compact and portable. Its disadvantage is the requirement of shorter sights, which means that one has to make several sights. Surveyors used precise level designs, which had a micrometer adjustment to raise or lower the line of sight and an extremely precise spirit level tube, in large leveling projects that demanded accurateness. Even so, the automatic level revolutionized leveling because it guarantees that the line of sight remains horizontal after leveling the instrument. It is less tedious because it only requires to be leveled once, and the tripod needs minor settling. The laser level is a newer version, which projects a visible beam that is noticeable by a sensor on the leveling

Discrimination against Women in the United States Police force Essay

Discrimination against Women in the United States Police force - Essay Example According to Barbara Raffel Price (1996), â€Å"In the United States police departments must hire people without regard to race or gender. However, in policing, gender integration and the opportunity for women to participate in forming police policy has been strongly resisted† (Price, 1996). Discriminations in all forms were prohibited by law in America. However, the custodians of law or the law implementers itself are the major culprits in breaking laws as far as women discrimination in police forces in America are concerned. This paper analyses the discrimination against women in the United States police force. Acceptance of policewomen by policemen The following table gives a brief idea of acceptance of policewomen by police men at various parts of the world. Levels of Eastern Europe Western Europe Britain USA Acceptance % % % % Accepted by all 28 16 17 6 Policemen Accepted by 57 72 59 61 Most policemen Accepted by 7 7 16 20 Some policemen Accepted by few 7 4 3 9 Policemen Accepted by no 0 1 1 3 Policemen (Brown, 1996) From the above table, it is evident that policewomen acceptance by all policemen in America is extremely low compared to that in other parts of the world. In other words, American policewomen are suffering huge discrimination compared to policewomen in other parts of the world. American policemen do not keep a positive attitude towards policewomen. â€Å"Male officers anticipate women failing; they doubt women can equal men in most job skills; they do not see women officers as doing "real" police work; and they perpetuate myths about women's lack of emotional fitness† (Price, 1996). Even before giving an opportunity to the policewomen to prove their abilities, male police officers in America rate them as inferior to policemen. Thus American policewomen do not get enough opportunities to prove their credentials because of the negative attitudes of the superior male officers. Many of the superior male police officers have the illus ion that the role of policewomen is to assist policemen rather than participate in the actual policing work. Just like a woman doing a secretary post in an organization, policewomen in America forced to do secretarial jobs. Not only in job allocation, but also in promotion, deployment, training and overtime works, American policewomen suffering lot of discriminations. The following table provides a rough idea about these discriminations suffered by American police women compared to other policewomen in other parts of the world. Reported discrimination by policewomen Areas of Eastern Europe Western Europe Britain USA Discrimination % % % % Promotion 14 26 18 45 Deployment 28 29 55 60 Training 14 24 25 47 Overtime 114 37 19 19 (Brown, 1996) From the above table, it is evident that 45% of American policewomen are suffering discriminations related to promotion whereas policewomen in other parts of the world are suffering comparatively less discriminations with respect to promotions. In the case of deployment and training also, American policewomen suffering a lot compared to other policewomen. It should be noted that American policewomen are getting less training even though the policemen are getting best training in the world. In other words, American police force is not at all giving any importance to the contributions to the policewomen. In their opinion, policewomen are only supporting staff and therefore they need less training. Fuller (2006) pointed out a case in which

Psychology For Social Care Practice Essay Example for Free

Psychology For Social Care Practice Essay This essay will demonstrate my understanding of developments which occur at each stage of an individuals life cycle. I will relate these developments to two relevant psychological theories and discuss how an individuals needs must be met to enable them to develop. The human life cycle can be broken down into 5 basic stages (Bingham et al. 2009); Infancy 0-2 years Childhood 2-12 years Adolescence 12-21 years Adulthood 21-65 years Older Adulthood 65+ years During each stage of the life cycle, different physical, emotional, cognitive, social and cultural developments occur; In infancy, physical changes include learning to sit up, crawl and walk independently. At this stage, the infant will begin to look for attention from others and seek affection and love. Infants are able to interact with others by smiling/laughing and crying, and begin to form attachments to main care givers such as family members from around 6 months. Fine motor skills and communication skills (understanding and formation of words) develop rapidly in infancy and individuals will become used to the routines and norms of those around them. In childhood, physical development extends to skills in balance and control over the body. Emotionally, the child will continue to strengthen bonds with primary care givers and social development will move on to interactive play and forming friendships. Language and expression develop further and the child shows a capacity to learn new information and skills as well as learning about and conforming to social and cultural norms. The body begins to change significantly in adolescence; the individual will go through puberty. An adolescent will be more self aware than in childhood and will become detached from primary care givers, instead preferring to form closer relationships with friends and peers. The individual will form stronger affiliations to certain cultural and sub-cultural norms and will express these through personal appearance, partaking in activities and choosing certain peer groups. In early adulthood, the individual will reach a peak of physical fitness which they will thereafter have to work at to maintain. More physical demands are made on the body such as childbearing, work and aging. Emotionally, a person  in adulthood will have established a role possibly in their place of work, or at home as a parent- how effectively they fill their role can effect self esteem. Social development can become limited to those with similar careers or interests and can be hindered by other responsibilities s uch as work and family commitments. Older adults may experience a decline in physical fitness eyesight may deteriorate and the body may become weaker. Some individuals may remain fairly fit well into older adulthood and some may find that physical fitness can deteriorate rapidly. Older adulthood can be isolating and ones self image can be altered through changing of roles eg. retirement. Socially, some find a sense of freedom in being able to leave work behind and live, others lose a sense of purpose and find that their world may become smaller and more family focused. Older adults will have a well established perception of themselves and what they find acceptable as part of their culture. For this essay I have used Mrs. Oswald as a case study. Mrs. Oswald is a resident at Thorneycroft residential care home for older people. She has been a resident at Thorneycroft for six months and at ninety-five years old, is in the final stage of development as detailed in the life cycle breakdown above. Mrs. Oswald is relatively able bodied, she is able to bathe herself but requires help getting in and out of the bath. She is able to move around independently, she does have a tripod to help her with this but she doesnt tend to use it. She is prone to falling over and has fallen fifteen times since moving to Thorneycroft, this is not helped by her insomnia which leaves her restless at night so she ends up wandering around unattended. Mrs. Oswald is hard of hearing and requires a hearing aid but her eyesight is good when wearing her glasses. She has a good level of personal hygiene and takes pride in her appearance. Before coming to Thorneycroft she had home help who assisted her with household tasks such as cooking and housework and helped her with medication for her cellulitis. Mrs. Oswald was a midwife for fifty years, she is well educated and enjoys sharing her knowledge and talking about her career. She keeps her mind active by reading the newspaper, doing crossword puzzles and playing dominoes when she goes to the day centre but it is possible that these activities are not stimulating enough fo r her. She is a little confused at times about her roles; she behaves as though Thorneycroft staff are her employees and adopts a matron-like attitude with them, which probably  crosses over from her role in her career as a midwife. She can be forgetful but does not have dementia and before moving to Thorneycroft was quite vulnerable as she sees the best in people and was being exploited by people doing odd jobs and coming in and out of her home. Mrs. Oswald appears to be content on the surface, she has started to accept death and talks about it openly. Her remaining family all live some distance away in England but she looks forward to a phonecall from her cousin each evening and seems to take comfort in speaking to him, appearing more settled after their conversations. She has outlived her close family husband and daughters and appears lonely. Mrs. Oswald doesnt talk much about her husband an daughters the way she does about her career, it is possible that talking about them makes her feel sad. As before, Mrs. Oswald has not made friends with other residents of Thorneycroft, though she has made a few friends at the daycentre. She likes to talk and could be encouraged to mix more which would help with her feel ings of loneliness, she never had friends or visitors at home before she came to Thorneycroft as her family all live far away and only visit to attend review meetings every six months. She has not formed close relationships with staff at Thorneycroft, instead, as mentioned before she treats them as her employees. Mrs. Oswald is an articulate and well spoken individual who has come from a middle class background. She appears to be well educated and has had a successful career as a midwife spanning fifty years. She had her daughters when she was young and out of wedlock, as a result they were brought up by her mother and Mrs. Oswald left at sixteen to begin her training as a midwife. Her career was important to her and she concentrated on this, not having any more children and marrying late in life. Her middle class upbringing has followed her through life, and she still takes pride in her appearance and has a strong sense of what she believes to be proper. Her husband and her enjoyed going on cruises and she is well- travelled. She does not attend church services or appear to be religious at all. In order for them to progress successfully through each stage in the life cycle, an individuals needs at each stage must be met. For example, our most basic physical needs are shelter and nourishment, if these needs are not met in the infant stage, potential for development and progression into childhood will be threatened. For each aspect of development, certain needs must be met; Physical The body must be kept fit and healthy through nourishment, shelter from the elements and the cold, excercise and rest. Emotional The need to be loved and to feel love for others. Good self esteem can be established from feeling loved and wanted by others. Social Being able to interact and build relationships with people around you. Cognitive The need for opportunities to learn and develop knowledge and keep the mind active. Cultural Having your values, religion, diet, language etc.(norms) as part of your daily life. In order for me to understand the needs of Mrs. Oswald and to what extent her needs have been met throughout her life, I examined Erik Eriksons theory of eight psychosocial stages. Erikson believed that humans develop through eight predetermined stages (a detailed table of these can be found in appendix 1) and in order to progress successfully through life, we must successfully negotiate each stage and that failure to do so results in mental deficiencies suc h as lack of trust, which will remain with us throughout life (Collin et al., p. 273). Each stage has one positive outcome and one negative outcome, and individuals progress through each life stage with a mixture of both, the differences between positive and negative being a result of the environment the individual is developing in. Mrs. Oswald, as an adolescent, would have experienced role confusion. She was from a middle class background but fell pregnant at a young age, resulting in her being hidden away and her mother raising her children as her own. It would have gone against Mrs. Oswalds role as a respectable young girl to have children at such a young age. She went off to train as a midwife at sixteen and left her family and her daughters behind. She concentrated on her career and appeared not to have any intimacy throughout young adulthood. This was resolved in mature adulthood when Mrs. Oswald got married and enjoyed the intimacy which she had missed out on in young adulthood. She never had any more children but her husband nd her appeared to have a happy life and they enjoyed travelling together. Mrs. Oswald is now in maturity and has begun to talk about death in an accepting way. Her needs may not have been met in the early stages of her life where she did not conform to her role in society and her life lacked intimacy, but later in life she had a successful and satisfying career and a happy marriage. I have used Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs (see appendix 2) to assess how  Mrs. Oswalds needs are being met now. Maslows Hierarchy of Needs starts at the basic physiological needs we need just to stay alive. Once these are made we have a need for safety, then we want love and affection. Within our group we want to have self esteem. Finally we have a need of satisfying our full potential that Maslow calls Self Actualization (Deeper Mind). Maslow believed that ones needs had to be met at each stage of the hierarchy before the needs at the next stage could be attended to. The first category in Maslows hierarchy refers to physiological needs. I believe that most of Mrs. Oswalds needs are being met at this level. She has plenty to eat and drink and since she is mobile she has some level of excercise. She can have fresh air and she has warmth and shelter. However, Mrs. Oswalds need for sleep is not being met at Thorneycroft. She suffers from insomnia which is not helped by the fact that her bed is too small and therefore uncomfortable for her to sleep in. This has resulted in her being reluctant to settle in bed at night at all, so she is losing out on sleep. As a result of all her physiological needs not being met, all of Mrs. Oswalds safety needs are not being met either. Although she has shelter and security at Thorneycroft, the fact that she does not sleep has compromised her safety as she has a tendency to wander around at night time and is prone to falling as her mobility is not great. Mrs. Oswald appears sad that she has outlived her close family and her husband and doesnt speak about them much. She does have some distant family whom she speaks with on the phone every night which brings her some comfort, but she remains distant with others and reluctant to form close relationships with staff or fellow residents. Her need for love and belonging has not been satisfied. In order for Mrs. Oswald to progress and reach self actualisation the care staff at Thorneycroft must work on the needs which are not being met. Getting her a bed which is comfortable for her to sleep in may help her to settle at night and reduce the risk of a fall. She could be encouraged to mix more with fellow residents and form closer relationships with them as well as staff. This will help with Mrs. Oswalds sense of love and belonging and boost her self-esteem which will help her to reach self actualisation. References BBC (2014) BBC News Magazine. [Online] Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23902918 [Accessed 13/11/2014] BINGHAM, E. et al (2009) HNC Social Care for Scotland. 12th Ed. Essex: Heinemann. COLLIN, C. et al (2012) The Psychology Book. London: DK London. MACLEOD, S. (2011) Simply Psychology. [Online] Available form :http://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html [Accessed 11/11/2014]. NORWOOD, G. (2014) Deeper Mind. [Online] Available from: http://www.deepermind.com/20maslow.htm [Accessed 11/11/2014]

Impact of Absenteeism on Productivity

Impact of Absenteeism on Productivity Employees of different establishments are entitled to a given number of leaves like sick and local leaves among others according to the law. Therefore, all organisations can expect a certain degree of absence and illness. However, it can be observed that more and more people in organisations are having frequent absences and many cases of illness have been recorded. In 2007, Confederation of British Industry/AXA Absence Survey has set the cost of absence to employers in the UK at more than  £13 billion a year, while cost per employee is  £659 annually. According to Williams (2003), in Canada also billions of dollars are lost each year due to absenteeism. Sickness absenteeism and sickness is therefore a growing major global problem affecting thousands organisations. High level of absenteeism is a serious problem for both large and small organisations, since they are costly to both individual establishments and economy as a whole and adversely affecting efficiency, productivity, and profitability. Sickness absenteeism and sickness can be an indication of fundamental organisational problems. Therefore, it is important to establish the cause and find out solutions through the examination of organisations policies and activities. There are several reasons why employees might be absent or fall sick. These reasons might be poor working conditions and relationship with management, no motivation, and no scope of self-development, a culture within the organisation and no career opportunities, too much stress at work among others. Thus, it is recognised that it is becoming necessary to find social and institutional remedies. When employees are absent and ill, it leads to poor productivity. And therefore, costs of the organisation rises as the goods and services are of poor quality. In the United States according to the Commonwealth Fund, about $260 billion are loss in output due to health-related problems. Hence, it is crucial for an organisation to understand the causes of sickness absenteeism and sickness and their impact on the organisation. Therefore, it is both the legal and morale duties of the employer to prevent people in the organisation from being made ill with their respective jobs. This is because, a healthy worker in both public and private organisations is important, as the corporate objective of organisations largely depends on health and as well non-health issues of its population. That is, happy employees are efficient and productive employees. Problem Statement The problem of high level of sickness absenteeism and sickness at work is an existing problem at Air Mauritius, affecting productivity. These are most frequent among staffs working on shift hours. The sickness absenteeism rate at Air Mauritius is illustrated as follows: Year Sickness Absences (man-days) 2006 12457 2007 14654 2008 17323 2009 15418 Out of the sickness absences recorded, an average of 23.5% is registered on week-end. In addition, a research of the non-communicable screening exercise carried out at the Head Office and the SSR International Airport among 1100 employees illustrates that an average of 50% of the persons are pre-diabetic or diabetic, have high risks of suffering from cardiac arrest and are either obese or overweight. Therefore, the above information gives a clear indication that the prevalence of health problems, absenteeism problem which is quite pronounced among employees of Air Mauritius Ltd. That is why, absenteeism and health issues have to be closely monitored and supported else it would have a serious effect on the performance of employees. Hence, the study will be based on finding the reasons of a high sickness absence rate and find ways to help employees to remain in good health. 1.3 Research Objectives Identify the causes of sickness absenteeism and sickness at Air Mauritius Ltd. Does sickness absenteeism and sickness impact on productivity at Air Mauritius Ltd. Give Air Mauritius Ltd employees incentives to be more productive and regular at work. Establish an absence management policy at Air Mauritius. 1.4 Proposed Methodology Data collection includes primary sources and secondary sources. The primary source includes an interview with the Human Resources department and the Health Safety department to find out the rate of absenteeism and sickness reports in the ground operations, engineering and cabin operations departments. Discuss with employees and collect data through questionnaire which will be administered to a sample of employees. Secondary sources consist of data collected from the companys website, magazine articles, journals records like Emerald, EBSCO among others and various books about human resources absenteeism and productivity. 1.5 The layout of the dissertation The subject under study will be presented as follows: Chapter 2: Literature Review Under this chapter, a literature review has been done concerning the nature of sickness absenteeism, sickness and productivity, their costs, the factors leading to sickness absenteeism and sickness and the possible solutions to reduce sickness absenteeism and sickness and increase productivity at work. Chapter 3: Company Profile This chapter set an overview of the company Air Mauritius Ltd. The business in which it operates, its products and its customers are described. Its work environment, management and staff population and its evolution are as well presented. Chapter 4: Research methodology This chapter explains the methodology that has been used to get an insight in the subject and discuss the limitations of this project. Chapter 5: Survey findings and analysis Here the findings that have been generated from the survey are presented using graphs, charts and they are analysed in relation to this project. Chapter 6: Recommendations and conclusion After the survey findings are analysed the shortcomings in the project are noted and recommendations are made. Annex 1: Sample questionnaire given to employees. 2 Literature Review 2.1 Definitions 2.1.1 Absenteeism In general absenteeism is defined as the failure to show for work or any other habitual duty. This usually disrupts work schedules adding workloads to those who are at work which might lead to low morale among employees. Therefore, absenteeism obstructs the good functioning of production and efficient running of an organisation. Lokke A.K, Eskildsen. J and Jesen. T. W (2007) similarly reported that the traditional definition of absence is about not being physically present at the place and time the employee is expected to be. Davey. M.M, Cummings. G, Newburn-cook. C. V, and Lo. E. A (2009) have defined absenteeism as the failure to appear to work when planned, and according to them absence is measured by frequency or amount of work days missed. The Entrepreneur (http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia) described absenteeism as an employees deliberate or habitual absence from work. Everybody misses a day of work now and then. But its a problem when an employee misses too many days of work. Not showing up for work can cause serious problems when other employees have to cover for the missing worker or, worse, the work simply doesnt get done. Another definition by Nicholson (1977, p. 237) said that Absence, in the language of economics, is an unpredictable variation in the firms labour supply and in labour-intensive and technologically primitive settings which can produce costly concomitant variations in output. Furthermore, Harvey and Nicholson (1993), p. 841 recognized that absenteeism was the major cause of lost productivity in business and industry. In a similar vein, Buschak. M, Craven. C and Ledman. R (1996) stated that absenteeism is a difficulty that every organisation or business faces creating costs and productivity problems. Thus, leading to a heavier work load on the majority of employees who have shown up for work. This type of situation tends to create dissatisfaction, frustration, stress and fatigue among employees 2.1.2 Types of Absenteeism There are two main types of absence voluntary and involuntary. Hackett and Guion, (1985) have defined voluntary absences as what is in the control of the employee. These can take form of short-term, casual and illegitimate absences which is based on the motivation of the employee. On the other hand, involuntary absences are what are beyond the control of the employee; they are usually due to sickness or family responsibilities. 2.1.2 Sickness Reijenga. F. A. (2006) defined sickness as all types of health problems or disabilities. As mentioned before there are two types of sickness, short term sickness for example influenza and long term sickness such as diabetes which is classified as a chronic disease. Tabaluyan, T., Kuswadji, S (1996) reported that sickness absence is defined as not being able to work due sickness or injury, that is, the incapability to work. In the same way, Employers Organisation, (2005) elaborated that sickness absence should include industrial injury, part days absence, and other self-certificated absence which is not explicitly ascribed to be an acceptable reason other than sickness. However, M. Borritz, R. Rugulies, K. B Christensen, E. Villadsen and T. S Kristensen (2005) indicated that sickness absence is a complex phenomenon that can be caused by individual, work related, organisational, and societal factors. Sickness absence has been discussed as a consequence of ill health,  a coping mechanism, behaviour of social equity, a reaction to organisational injustice, or a consequence of exposure to adverse work-environment factors. Furthermore, Whitaker S. also agreed with the fact that sickness absence is influenced by many factors like social causes other than health issues. 2.1.3 Productivity In an economist point of view productivity is a ratio of some measure of output to some index of input use, according to Eatwell and Newman (1991). Therefore, productivity is nothing more than the arithmetic ratio of amount produced to amount of any resources used in the course of production. An online definition by http://business.yourdictionary.com, stated that productivity is the efficiency with which output is produced by a given set of inputs. Productivity is generally measured by the ratio of output to input. An increase in the ratio indicates an increase in productivity. Conversely, a decrease in the output/input ratio indicates a decline in productivity. However, definitions of productivity in the above context are meant to the manufacturing sector. 2.1.3.1 Productivity in the Service Sector Rutkauskan. J and Paulaviciene. E (2005) have studied the concept of productivity in the service sector and they aroused that productivity, efficiency and effectiveness are terms that should be used together. This is because to be productive one should be both efficient and effective. The analysis of productivity is a difficult task in the service sector. As the productivity concept in the service sector involves both the organisation and the customer. According to Tolentini (2004) productivity depends on the value of the products and services and the efficiency upon which they are produced and distributed to the customers. Similarly in the research work of Maroto-Sanchez. A (2010) productivity is about being both efficient and effective. He described effectiveness as to how an organisation meets the active needs and expectations of its customers. Hence it can be seen that, to be productive in the service sector employees have to be both effective and efficient. Therefore, employers have to ensure that their employees are effective and efficient enough to provide a good service to their customers. 2.2 Causes of sickness absenteeism and sickness There are various factors that affect sickness absence and sickness. Factors affecting sickness absence in the aviation sector can be classified as health related issues such as injury at work such as musculoskeletal pains stress and fatigue and so on, and non-health related issues like organisational commitment, job satisfaction among others since according to Whitaker. S. research, sickness absenteeism is influenced by a variety of factors non-related to health. Testimonials that have been gathered among employees at Air Mauritius have proved that sickness absenteeism is mostly related to the non health-related issues. However, it is only after the analysis of the questionnaires that we will be able to understand the real causes of absenteeism and its impact on productivity. 2.3 Non Health-related issues 2.3.1 Organisational Commitment Organisational Commitment is typically measured by items tapping respondents willingness to work hard to improve their companies, the fit between the firms and the workers values, reluctance to leave, and loyalty toward or pride taken in working for their employers (Maume, 2006, p. 164). Similarly, Boolaky. M and Gokhool. D, p. 73 defines organisational commitment as the degree to which a person is committed to the organisation he or she is working for. The person is proud to be associated to the organisation and is committed to work towards the objectives and goals of the organisation. Many studies have reported that there is a relationship between organisational commitment and absenteeism. Gellatly, 1995 and Somer, 1995 studies have concluded that organisational commitment is negatively related to absenteeism. That is, when an employee is not committed to its organisation, this will tend to impact negatively on absenteeism. A research carried out by Meyer and Allen (1991) reported that commitment comprises three components namely affective, continuance and normative. Where affective commitment refers to the individuals emotional attachment to the organisation her/she is working, that is the individual participates in the organisations activities because he/she wants to. Continuance commitment is when someone realises that too much energy or time have been devoted to leave the organisation or that they would not be able to find another job. And normative commitment is when an individual feels that he/she has an obligation to participate in the activities of the org anisation and that it is the right thing to do. Meyer (1997) found that affective commitment was strongly linked to absence behaviour. However, normative commitment according to Meyer (1993) was negatively related to absenteeism on the other hand Somers (1995) has found no relationship between the two. And at last, Mayer and Schoorman (1992) concluded that continuance commitment did not have a strong relation with absenteeism. 2.3.2 Job Involvement Job involvement commonly includes identifying with the job,   actively participating in the job, and perceiving job performance to be important   to self-image (Blau. G. J, 1985; Rabinowitz Hall, 1977). Robbins (1998) defines job involvement as the degree to which a person identifies with his or her job, actively participates in it, considers his or her performance important to self-work. That is, job involvement refers to the extent to which one is committed and participates in his or her job. The direct relationship of job involvement to absenteeism is very ambiguous. Blau. G. J (1986) review of the studies carried out at that time, found that the studies had different conclusions; this is because there are differences in the measurement and samples taken. Taunton et al. and Cohen (2000) showed that there is a negative relationship between job involvement and absenteeism. However, job involvement and productivity have a positive relationship. That is, as job involvement increases, productivity increases and vice versa. According to W. H. Weiss (2006) employees who are involved in their jobs, that is, they have the know-how of why they need to carry out certain tasks and how does these contribute to the organisations goals are the most productive workers. Therefore, it can be noted that job involvement is necessary to increase productivity of employees. 2.3.3 Job Satisfaction Job satisfaction refers to an emotional state of mind that reflects an affective reaction to the job and the work situation, whereas the focus of organizational commitment is on a more global reaction (emotional or non-emotional) to the entire organization (Dipboye et al., 1994; Farkas and Tetrick, 1989; Lance, 1991; Russell and Price, 1988). (Falkenburg. K and Schyns. B, 2007, p. 710) Job satisfaction is defined as the extent to which people like (satisfaction) or dislike (dissatisfaction) their jobs (Spector, 1997, p. 2). This description implies that job satisfaction is a broad or global emotional reaction that individuals hold about their job. Researchers and practitioners have evaluated different facets or dimensions of satisfaction. Examining these facets is usually useful for assessing employee satisfaction with critical job factors. Traditional job satisfaction facets consist of: co-workers, pay, job conditions, supervision, nature of the work and benefits  (Williams). Studies have found that job satisfaction can also be an independent variable affecting both productivity and absenteeism. (Boolaky. M and Gokhool. D, p. 75). There have had many theories on the relationship between job satisfaction and absenteeism. Most of these studies concluded that as job dissatisfaction increases, self-reported absenteeism increases (Taunton et al. 1885, Drago and Wooden 1992). In 1982, a study made by the Business Roundtable stated that job dissatisfaction affects absenteeism to a great extent. Employers should understand that the companys goals and quality supervision are necessary for job satisfaction. It has also been noted that as size of job increased, job satisfaction decreased. Furthermore Hinze et al. (1985), report that identified the relationship between absenteeism and job satisfaction describe that absenteeism was lower among those who had strong cohesiveness that is, team spirit, and when management criticised workers for being absent it was observed that absenteeism was lower, employees who regarded their work as mentally inspiring had fewer absences. Moreover Hausknecht, Hiller and Vance. (2008), defined job satisfaction as the sense of enjoyment that individuals derive from their experiences on the job and within the team they work with. Therefore, according to this report high attendance is expected in working environment where there is high satisfaction. This is because, the members of the team have this feeling of belonging and support among themselves. Moreover, it can be observed that in a working environment where there is high satisfaction it increases the level of productivity. P. Valdes-Flores and J. A. Campos-Rodriguez (2008) describe job satisfaction as a set of favourable or unfavourable feelings for the employees to perceive their work and that determine the possibility of a major disposition to achieve higher performance, consequently, job satisfaction refers to an individuals general attitude towards his or her job. Link between involvement and commitment Blau (1986) had developed the interaction of job involvement and organisational commitment and how this affected absence behaviour. Moreover, Blau and Boal (1987) refined the idea. The study reported that there are four level of contribution of high and low of job involvement and job commitment. When job involvement and job commitment are high, employees are not likely to be absent and if they happened to be absent this could be due to genuine sickness. This type of employees is called institutional stars. Those who experience a low job commitment but high job involvements are absent because of career prospects or due to working environment, these persons are called lone wolves. Individuals with low job involvement and high organisational commitment called the corporate citizen respect their co-workers and also abide to the norms and goals of the organisation they work for. Those could be absent from work in according to the organisations lawful absence rules. And lastly the apatheti c employees identify themselves having a low job involvement and organisational commitment, they have highest rate of absence. Link between organisational commitment and job satisfaction Many studies have reported the association between organisational commitment and job satisfaction (Meyer et al, 2002). According to Levison and Moser, (1997) employees tend to be lethargy without job satisfaction, which reduces organisational commitment. Furthermore, a study carried out by Steers and Rhodes (1978) stated that job satisfaction and organisational commitment play a big role in determining employee attendance. Griffeth et al (2000), indicated that organisational commitment was a better predictor of absenteeism than job absenteeism. However, as job satisfaction is more about the emotional state of mind, it is influenced by daily events rather than organisational commitment which cover the organisation as a whole and develops over time (Sagie, 1998). Link between job satisfaction and job involvement Wegge. J, Schmidt. K, Parkes. C and Dick. R. V (2007) found that events at work impact on how employees feel at work thus determining job satisfaction. Furthermore, job involvement measures the importance of the job to ones self opinion and therefore represents personality differences. Job satisfaction is situational variable and job involvement personality in our reasoning. Thus, they both interact. That is, if job satisfaction is low, job involvement will negatively affect absenteeism. However, when job satisfaction is high in any situation it will overcome the impact of job involvement on absence behaviour. Job satisfaction therefore has a moderate impact on job involvement and absence. To be more precise, when job satisfaction is low, job involvement is negatively related to absenteeism whereas, when job satisfaction is high, job involvement is not associated to absenteeism. 2.3.4 Organisational Culture Morgan. G has described organizational culture as: The set of the set of beliefs, values, and norms, together with symbols like dramatized events and personalities, that represents the unique character of an organization, and provides the context for action in it and by it. Another definition of organizational culture by Schein. E a pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems that has worked well enough to be considered valid and is passed on to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems.   Norms influence everyone in an organisation; they are unwritten and usually tell things like they are influencing everyones perception in the organisation and they contribute to the norms and support them. Nowadays, we live in an absenteeism culture. According to Smit (2000), absenteeism and culture are negatively related. That is, employees encouraged and supported by the society to call a sick leave. However, employers do support absenteeism as a cultural phenomenon. That is, when people take sick days when they are not sick, employers accept this as a cost to the organisation. (Allen. R. F, Higgins M. 1979) 2.3.5 Motivation Robbins and Coulter (1999) have defined motivation as the willingness to exert high levels of effort to reach organizational goals as conditioned by that efforts ability to satisfy some individual need. Luthans (1998) stated that motivation is the process that arouses, energizes, directs, and sustains behaviour and performance. That is, it is the process of stimulating people to action and to achieve a desired task. One way of stimulating people is to employ effective motivation, which makes workers more satisfied with and committed to their jobs. Money is not the only motivator. There are other incentives which can also serve as motivators. Steers Rhodes (1978), developed the most common model of absenteeism. They depicted that attendance is determined by the employees motivation to go to work. However, Lee (1989) evaluated the theoretical facts of the Steers Rhodes Model (1978) and found that motivation is not strongly related to attendance. Nevertheless, the study of Burton. J. P, Lee. T. W, Holtom. B. C (2002), claimed that sickness absenteeism was related to ones motivation to attend work. That is, according to some theories sickness absenteeism is not only due to illness but it may be voluntary, Brooke (1986). Employees might use sickness as an excuse not to go to work, where there are other causes of this particular behaviour, Martocchio (1996). Moreover, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) suggested that in order to reduce absence, the best way was to ensure that employees are well-motivated by their jobs. And to motivate employees, employers have to keep them informed of their behind-the-scenes strategies for survival during recession, Anne Fairweather (2009), head of public policy at an organisation. Motivated employees can be productive employees. Recognition, working environment and work achievement are factors that can keep employees motivated thus highly productive. Employees who achieve the goals directed by their supervisor are usually well-motivated. And expect recognition after the long hours of hard work, for instance an increase in salary, bonuses or promotions. According to a research carried out by Personnel Today (2008), employees were more productive when they received recognition for their work and praise from management. Working environment is another factor to motivate employees in being productive and need to be provided with a pleasant environment to work. Therefore it can be noted that motivation is necessary to increase productivity. Personal Issues Every employee in any organisation has to go through personal issues. It can be observed that facing these issues most of the time and energy of that particular person is focused on their personal issue they are dealing with. Personal issues can take the form of family problems, ill parents or young children to take care of, drug abuse, drinking problems, sexual orientation and many more distracting one from his or her job. According to Ericson (2001) issues like child and eldercare, single-parent families are those characteristics that might lead to an impact on absenteeism at any level in an organisation. Furthermore, Goff et al. (1990) found that when ones work and family issues are conflicting there is a greater frequency of absenteeism. It has also been noted that management in most organisations are lenient, staffs make excuses of being sick so as not to attend work, consequently, recording a sick leave. This is also common in the aviation sector especially among staffs having odd working hours; they find it easier to register for sick leave so as to be able to manage their own issues. Shift work influence the working choices of parents and to be able to retain shift workers child-care services should be offered, P. D. Brandon and J. B. Temple (2007). Employees have to make sure that they do not bring their personal issues into the office. Therefore, organisations must be able to provide a pleasant environment where employees would not think about their personal issues instead of concentrating on their work. Some company might also provide psychological help to their staffs. As personal problems can lead to a fall in productivity. Health Related Issues Health promotion seems to impact positively on employees health, morale, level of sickness absenteeism and productivity. Unfortunately it is noted that the necessary structures and facilities to promote health are not available at Air Mauritius, however, management has shown its intention to change the situation and has establish wellness and fitness centres. Chronic Diseases Chronic diseases do have an impact on employees sickness absence and sicknesses at work, example of chronic diseases are diabetics, cancers among others. The productivity of the organisation is also affected when the employee is ill. For example an employee suffering a particular form of cancer will have various complications and might not be able to attend work for a few days. This will lead to a lack of staff, thus increasing the workload of others. Therefore, organisations can exercise some control over illnesses by ensuring a safe and healthy workplace, proper ergonomic design, health and safety management 27policies/practices to address absenteeism in the workplace (Ericson, 2001). These can facilitate healthier working environments and provide favourable conditions to reduce absenteeism and enhance satisfaction and productivity. Fatigue and Stress According to the New Grolier Webster International Dictionary of English Language fatigue is defined as the tiredness of a persons physical or mental energy. More precisely it is described as a specific reaction of our central nervous system and muscular system due to exertion (S. L. Smith et al., 2009). That is, the exhaustion of strength due to continued stress. Stress on the other hand is identified as factors causing mental or emotional strain or tension to a person (New Grolier Webster International Dictionary of English Language). Khodabakhsh Ahmadi and Kolivand Alireza, (2007) stated that stress is often used to describe the bodys responses to demands placed upon it, whether these demands are favourable or unfavourable. In this context however, stress is related to the work place where due to unsatisfactory work organisation, management, environmental design and differences between the efforts put into work compared to the rewards received (S. L. Smith et al., 2009). The level of work-related stress has increased consequently during the past few years in the aviation sector. C. Kelleher S. McGilloway, 2005, claimed in a research carried out for an Irish airline that the level of work-related stress among stress is high. Khodabakhsh Ahmadi and Kolivand Alireza, 2007, have found that the level of work stress among military pilots has also increased. The report of the ITF 2009, indicated that there has been a serious increase in stress and fatigue since 2000. There are various causes of work-related stress and fatigue in the aviation sector. The odd and long hours of work which usually results in overtime, drain staffs both emotionally and physically. Fatigue and stress is also caused due to the lack of rest. Airline staffs working in different time zones and odd hours are the ones experience chronic sleep deprivation. A rise in the level of flights and passengers has led to uncontrollable work load due to high work demands causing stress and fatigue among staffs. The tradition of overbooking flights in almost all airlines is the cause of various problems. Passengers who find themselves left behind due to the lack of seats on the flights are usually furious and tend to shout at staffs using abusive language thus stressing them. People working in the aviation sector have experience a consequent rise in the stress level at work (S. L. Smith et al., 2009). Hence this impact on sickness absenteeism and sickness thus affecting the productivity level of employees. Injury at work An organisation must make sure that it provides the proper safety equipment to its employees. This is because accidents can happen where employees could be injured. This would cause sickness absenteeism due to the employees inability to attend work, leading to a fall in productivity due to the lack of employees and increased work load on those present at work. Also the costs

Resistance to Change in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart Essay example

   Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart chronicles the life of an individual whose carefully constructed world crumbles as his culture is assimilated into a colonizing society. This character, Okonkwo, is prestigious within his community, and in most respects views himself and is viewed by his neighbors as an honorable man. Yet for all his seeming honor, Okonwko self-destructs when his world begins to change. Although the value system held by Okonkwo's village may differ somewhat from that held by other cultures, his particular experience during colonization is universal. When Okonkwo defines himself as an honorable man and thinks back upon his life achievements that have made him so, he focuses most strongly upon his ferocity. He has "brought honor to his village by throwing Amalinze the Cat" in a wrestling match (Achebe 3). Furthermore, his "impatience with unsuccessful men" causes him to "pounce on people quite often" (4). Although it is sometimes problematic for him, Okonkwo's violent and impulsive nature generally earns him great respect in his society. par tab Okonkwo's second most obvious trait is his "inflexible will" (24). This trait enables him to survive the year of the yam famine and build up his prosperous compound, despite his "grim struggle against poverty and misfortune" (27). Okonkwo becomes very proud, knowing that this success "was not luck." He thus believes that he controls his own fate: "Okonkwo said yes very strongly; so his chi agreed. And not only his chi but his clan too, because it judged a man by the work of his hands" (27). As a self-made man, Okonkwo has learned that he can attain his goals through ferocity, violence, tenacity, and stubbornness. His repeated successes have made ... ...ten, to preserve their integrity to their self-image and heritage, individuals intensify their ethnic behavior in the face of obliteration. For many such as Okonkwo, this is a suicidal act, if not literally, then at least socially, politically, and economically. Sources Cited and Consulted: Achebe, Chinua.   Things Fall Apart. Oxford: Heinemann, 1996. Culross, Melissa. "Chinua Achebe and Things Fall Apart." Postimperial and Postcolonial Literature in English. Internet. http://landow.stg.br/ own.edu/post/achebe/ things.htm l. Irele, Abiola. â€Å"The Tragic Conflict in the Novels of Chinua Achebe†. In  ChinuaAchebe’s Things Fall Apart:  A Critical Companion. Delhi: Worldview, 2003. Kortenar. Neil Ten, â€Å"How the Center is Made to Hold in  Things Fall Apart†.  In  Chinua Achebe’s  Things Fall Apart: A Casebook. Ed. By Isidore Okpewho. Oxford; OUP, 2003.

Casino Development in Massachusetts Essay -- Casinos Gambling Governme

Casino Development in Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is in trouble. As the Big Dig gets closer to completion and the unemployment rate rises in the state, what are lawmakers doing to help boost the economy and close the deficit? Heading into the fiscal year 2005, Massachusetts is facing a record deficit of close to two billion dollars. Lawmakers on Beacon Hill are scrambling for solutions, but seem to be coming up empty handed. With the elections drawing nearer and nearer, and local state contenders vying for seats in the state congress getting more competitive with one another, what can Massachusetts do about this economic crisis. A number of legislators from Massachusetts seem to have a solution to help Massachusetts out of this rut, and boost the struggling economy and job market. That solution is the introduction of legalized gambling and casinos to the state of Massachusetts. The legalization of casinos in Massachusetts would provide the state huge tax profits, provide thousands of jobs to a strug gling market, help boost the states lagging tourism sector, drive local business upwards through millions of new visitors each year, and provide everyone (tourists & local citizens) with quality entertainment. Throughout the twentieth century, legalized gambling has become an excellent source of entertainment. Proponents of gambling argue that casinos provide an outstanding source for job opportunities, direct revenue to state and local governments through taxes and fees, and increased tourism in the surrounding areas. Opponents of the controversial gambling topic focus on the attraction of an unwanted crowd, increased crime rate, and traffic congestion on state and local roadways. Both United States citizens and foreign tourists who want to experience the glitz and glamour of gambling can travel to remarkable Las Vegas or Atlantic City. For many years, Nevada and New Jersey were the headquarters of gambling in North America. However, the corporate gambling world got a facelift on February 15, 1992, when a new casino opened in the New England area that would change the entire legalized gambling world forever. This casino would become the most â€Å"fantastic† gambling venue in the w orld. A Whole New Ballgame Foxwoods Resort and Casino, developed by the Mashantucket Pequot Indian Nation, has grown from a small casino to the largest casino i... ... Gives information regarding recent votes and recent legislative moves that directly effect the gaming movement. Van Voorhis, Scott (2004). Gambling biz betting change is for better. Boston Herald. http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=46327ain Discusses recent moves by Thomas Finneran (Fmr. Speaker of the House), which has a major effect on the issue at hand. References (cont.) Gambling Magazine Online. (2003) (http://www.gamblingmagazine.com/managearticle.asp?C=280&A=8441 ) Discusses spending that is happening in Massachusetts to help push casinos to the state. http://www.foxwoods.com Gives General information regarding the casino itself, facilities, and services. Used for a variety of data and information. The Center for Business and Economic Research ,University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2004). Metropolitan Las Vegas Tourism Statistics. http://www.unlv.edu/Research_Centers/cber/tour.html Provides statistical data for tourism in Las Vegas area. http://www.02133.org/issue.cfm?ID=10 Gives good background information regarding the Massachusetts casino movement specifically and also presents good facts and data.

Madness and Insanity in Shakespeares Hamlet - The Pretended Madness of Hamlet :: Essays on Shakespeare Hamlet

The Pretended Madness of Hamlet Hamlet, knowing that he will get into difficulty, needs to feign madness for the purpose of carrying out his mission. He rehearses his pretended madnesss first with Ophelia, for even if he should fail there in his act of simulation, that failure will not cause him any real harm. The manifestations of insanity that Hamlet will show become predictable - a sure sign that it is a simulated and not a real insanity. When Hamlet is with a trustworthy friend, he is rational and symptom-free; as soon as those persons appear, however, whom he wants to convince that he is mad, he changes his behavior so as to implant different explanations in their minds for his noticeable irrational behavior. With Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, he makes believe that the reason for it is frustrated ambition; with the Queen and King, that it is their marriage that has upset him; and with Polonius and Ophelia, that it is frustrated love that has driven him mad. These rapid and clumsy changes from rational speech with those he trusts to irrational conversation with those whom he wishes to impress are strong evidence of fraud. In a character profile which I read by Max Huhner who has published several literary essays, Huhner reduces the problem of Hamlet to one factor, of the sort that Freud conceptualized as "secondary gain in mental disease." Hamlet, says Huhner, "could not hold his tongue or keep a secret, and was therefore entirely unfitted for diplomatic work. In a sense his feigning insanity was his sole avenue of safety." It is along these same lines that I have tried to prove the reasonableness of Hamlet's cruel dealings with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, justifying on grounds of practical necessity and the desire to avoid risks the fact Hamlet arranged their execution without heir having had a chance to receive the assistance of the Church. I could summarize my own character analysis of Hamlet as essentially a picture of an impractical man, who has nevertheless proceeded with optimal effect under existing external and internal conditions.

Outline & Evaluate the Functionalist Approach to Crime & Deviance Essay

This question includes assessment of your understanding of the connections between crime and deviance and sociological theory. Functionalist explanations of deviance begin with society as a whole looking for the origins of deviance in the nature of society, not the biological or psychological make up of an individual. Functionalists favour quantative methods to look at society, using statistics to see society as a whole, rather than looking at the individual’s effect on society. The majority of Functionalist’s ideas on crime derive from the work of Durkheim. Durkheim believes that crime in inevitable because not every member of society shares the same values and norms; every society has crime, particularly the most advanced industrial societies. Crime is seen as not only inevitable, but functional to society because it allows for change, which is vital for society to function. Durkheim argues that crime brings society together, as in the case of the Soham murders. From this point of view it can be questioned what the function of punishment is, Durkheim believes punishment is a form of social control and act as a signal to people. A.K Cohen developed Durkheim’s ideas further, providing further possible functions of deviance. Firstly deviance can act as a safety valve providing an expression of discontent. Cohen uses the example of prostitution, he believes this protects the institution of the family and provides a release from the stress of family life without undermining family stability because the relationship between prostitute and client has no emotional attachments. In other words it is fine for a man to use a prostitute, but not to have an affair because that would jeopardise the family! Cohen believes that deviance acts as a warning device too indicate that an aspect of society is malfunctioning, thus drawing attention to it and allowing the problem to be resolved. An example of this is the Los Angeles riots that drew attention to the mistreatment of blacks, likewise the Steven Lawrence case. Durkheim and Cohen’s work is important because it moved ideas away from biological and psychological explanations for deviance, rather seeing it being society itself creating crime. However, other sociologists believe the functions are too narrow and class differences are not examined.

Brand Community

During the last fifteen years, there are many popular subjects: relationship marketing and brand building,etc.These hot subjects encourage interaction and speed up the incubation of new sources of disciplinary growth: Brand Relationship(the relationship between consumer and brand).In Brand Relationship theory sysytem,more scholars focus on the relationship between consumer and brand, but Muniz and O’Guinn(2001) did more research on the relationship among consumers, and put forward a new brand concept – Brand Community. This concept comes from â€Å"consumption community†,which was first proposed by historian Daniel Boorstin(1974), ‘in the modern era of high mobility, people look not only to communality of consumption behavior but also to neighborhood as a basis for feelings of community.’ The same as consumption community, brand community is also initiative and drive of individuals’ co –operating at the beginning, after that, enterprise start to take advantage of the power of brand community to build brand loyalty and brand equity, therefore, brand community is becoming a new weapon of marketing. In this essay, I make literature review surveys on scholarly articles, books relevant to brand community, providing a description, summary and critical evaluation of brand community. Firstly, discuss the origin and definition of brand community. Secondly, summary the research status and the dynamic natures of brand community which are different from consumption community, briefly introduce three main features of brand community. Thirdly, illustrate evolution of brand community model. Fourthly, case study, use case of Starbucks to explain the implications of brand community. Finally, conclusion and the prospect of research. 1 Demarcation of Brand community 1.1 Origin of Brand community During the last few years, there is a trend that academic research on consumption activities moved away from considerations of individual to a focus on communal. The word ‘community’ was used frequently. ‘consumption community’ (Boorstin, 1973). ‘Subcultures of consumption’ (schouten and McAlexander, 1995). ‘Band community’ (Muniz and O’Guinn, 2001; McAlexander et al., 2002).These communities are referred to as ‘social collectives’ (Greenwood, 1994). ‘Life-mode communities’ (Firat and Dholakia, 1998) and‘neo-tribes’ (Cova, 1997). Brands provide the linking value to some individuals who wants to become member of these communities. These communities seize the idea that people have relations with other people and such relationships are constructed around a fulcrum acted by brands. Harley Owners group(HOG)is a good example of the brand providing such linking value(Fournier et al.,2001).There are more and more descriptive studies detailing the features of such communities: Star Wars fans (Brown et al.,2003); Sun’s Java Center community (Williams and Cothrel,2000) and Nutella(Cova and Pace, 2005). In a word, communities are expected to provide benefits for the organisation: they affect brand equity and create a stable base of loyal, enthusiastic consumers (Muà ±iz and O’Guinn, 2001; McAlexander et al., 2001). Actually, it is not easy for a brand to establish a community. Brand-centred communities may typify themselves to open up a utopian place in the contemporary world.Kozinets (2001) noted that ‘impossibility and dreamness together with deep motivational power and desire’ While utopianism enables customers to engage with reality rather than merely escape into fantasy (Geoghegan, 1987).Which means transform and subvert are the two abilities of utopian (Maclaran and Brown, 2001).Members and the relations among them compose a community. McAlexander and Koeing (2002) identify communities on the basis of identification among community members(a neighborhood, a leisure pursuit, an occupation and devotion to a brand).Brand community is a new type of community, different from traditional community, can form a strong image, a lengthy history around brands.Actually,it is a community established with brand-centric 1.2 Definition of Brand community Because brand community is a new concept, there is nounified definition in academia, but we can define it from two parts: narrow and broad meanings. Narrow meaning is represented by Muniz and O’Guinn. Based on the research on some brands, such as Ford Bronco, etc.Muniz and 0’Guinn (2001) noted a brand community is a no-geographically bound and specialized community based on a structured set of social relationships among admirers of a brand. It highlight the point connection of brand community is brand not region, and brand community has three essential markers (Muniz and O’Guinn, 2001). Bagozzi (2006) noted that brand community is consumption community with common enthusiasm for a certain brand or certain good social cognition (environmental protection), the members realize collective objective or express the common emotional and commitment through common action. Substantiallyï ¼Å'this is as the same as Muniz and O’Guinn’s definitionï ¼Å'they both emphasize the expressions of emotion and action from a certain brand McAlexander (2002) expended this conceptï ¼Å'the broad meaning of brand community is a connection network with focal customer as centre, besides brand relationship, there are many other relationships. This concept emphasizes the Consumers’ all-round experience of brand. Upshaw and Taylor (2001) made a broad explanation to this conceptï ¼Å'they documented that all the stakeholders who have relationship with the brand (including employee〠customer〠stockholder〠supplier and strategic partnered) compose brand community. 2 Basic theory and concept 2.1 Research Status Brand community is becoming an increasing popular topic in brand management research; however, the short-lived time leads to its present research is preliminary, and mainly focused on the concept, features, origin, impact and modes, etc. For example,Muniz and O’Guinn(2001)claimed that brand community has three essential features of community: consciousness of kind, rituals and traditions and moral responsibility. Schau and Muniz (2002)reported the value of brand community image is important to consumers identify centified;Schmitt , Rogers and Vrotsos (2003)described the performance of brand community in Jeep,BMW and many other vehicle brands;Hoeffler and Keller (2002)noted the improving consciousness of brand community is in favor of enhancing brand equity based on consumers; McAlexander , Kim and Roberts (2003)researched the relationship between brand community and consumers satisfaction, consumers loyalty, and claimed that consumers loyalty is not only affected by customer satisfaction, but also by brand community. Belk and Tumbat noted that it is not easy for a brand to establish a community.(Schouten and McAlexander, 1995; Kozinets,2001;Muniz and Schau,2005).There are many scholars focusing on virtual community, documented the classify of community and marketing strategy (McWilliams , 2000 ; Monica , 2000 ; Wind , Mahajan and Gunther ,2003). All above research enrich the brand community theory, but there is a serious problem: research only stays on statical concept ,feature and primary implication phase.Muniz and O’Guinn said the future of research is to know how brand community change in different social situation. 2.2 Dynamic Natures Consumption community and brand community are different on several dimensions:firstly,Muniz and O’Guinn(2001)noted that brand community is non-geographically bounded, they may be either scattered(Boorstin,1974),or geographically concentrated (Holt,1995).Geographical concentration is the dimension of social context. To be more exact, interactions within a brand community may be rich in social context. Communication may be predominantly face to face,nediated by electronic devices(Boorstin,1974).Members may have a number of information about each other(gender,age and background).There is little understanding of movement along this dimension. The temporal stability of a community can be asset to marketers in as much as legerity equates with a long-term, stable valuable market communities can share useful consumption experiences. (Arnould and Price, 1993). 2.3 Three main features 2.3.1 Consciousness of kind This feature includes two sides: legitimacy and oppositional brand loyalty.Muniz and O’Guinn noted that members feel an significant connection to the brand and toward each other, even they are strangers, members feel they know each other, â€Å"the link is more important than the thing †(Cova,1997,p307).They also can distinguish who is the real member by judging whether he is familiar with and in favor of the brand, not just because of chasing fashion to use product of the brand.Sometimes,brand community members build community to share common experience and brand connotation to fight with other brands. That means community will become more solidarity when facing with threats (Muà ±iz and O’Guinn, 2001). 2.3.2 Shared rituals and traditions The main point of this feature is shared consumption experience. It consists of celebrating the history of the brand and sharing brand stories. The transmission of brand community is life-affirming to establish its culture. At the same time, brand history is brand community’s cultural equity. Sharing brand stories playing a significant role in brand building and maintaining. It strengthens consciousness of kind among brand members and contributes to imagined community. It also reinforces members ‘identity to the brand and help members learn more about communities’ value. Ads play a significant role in brand community rituals and traditions. Members are concerned with ads as they display the brand to those outside of the community, and themselves (Muà ±iz and O’Guinn, 2001). 2.3.3 Moral Responsibility Its definition is â€Å"a sense of duty to the community as a whole and to individual members of the community† (Muà ±iz and O’Guinn, 2001).There are at least two traditional communal missions: the first one is integrating and retaining members, there is the presence of a social moral consciousness in traditional communities, they recognize the bounds of what is appropriate and inappropriate, right and wrong. Another is assisting in the use of the brand. Assistance is to help community members, both known and unknown, repair the product or solve problems. Assisting is one of the places in which computer-mediated communication offers a great deal of information (Muà ±iz and O’Guinn, 2001).According to the primary nature of the relationship, the assistance offered between individuals sharing a communal bond is specialized (Wellman, 1990; Wellman and Wortley, 1990) 3 Evolution of Brand Community model 3.1 Traditional Brand community Model Boorstin emphasized the relationship between product (brand) and customer in consumption community model (figure 1).Customers look brand as the promise enterprise made for the products function value and image. Enhancing brand means the contract between enterprise and customer. To satisfy different needs from different target market, different brands need different brand positioning, even the same brand, with the changing of customers’ need, also need change brand positioning. Therefore, Boorstin took the perspective that consumption community is customer-centric, the development of brand should stick to customers’ need as the guide. 3.2. Triangle Brand community model Muniz and O’Guinn ,who are the initiator of the theory of brand community, enrich the relationship model of â€Å"customer-brand†, emphasized brand as intermediary (figure 2).With the development of social economy, customers are not confined to need for product (material level), they are not only concentrating on the function value of products own, more concentrating on consuming the product can give them symbolic significance and emotion interests. The similar experience and shared emotion among community members give them more emotion value than product function value. Brand community Triad Model break through the single dimensionality in traditional â€Å"customer-brand†, concentrate on the relationship among â€Å"customer-customer†. Weakness is that the brand will be influenced not only by customers belong to itself, but also by customers belong to other brands. For example,Many customers will interview the website and forum before purchasing products, they can find information about many other brand customers. 3.3. Brand stakeholder relations model Upshaw and Taylor came up with a new Masterbrand Community model based on Brand community Triad Model. Their opinion is all the stakeholders with brand should include employee,customer,stockholder,supplier and strategic partnered.compose brand community(figure 3).A good brand image is the base of community, while these stakeholders play an significant role in maintaining brand image and reputation, only be kind to these stakeholders ,can brand have attraction. It is the motivation of brand community. This model organizes many factors which can influence brand to build and maintain the harmonious relationship between them. Although this model emphasizes that many kinds of stakeholders are important to brand building, it involves too many complicated relationships which is not easy for analysis and research. Besides, this model strengthens brand’s core position, neglect customers playing an important role in brand building. 3.4. Focal customer model Based on Muniz and O’Guinn’s brand community theory (2001), McAlexanderï ¼Å'Schouten and Koening (2002) put forward Focal Customer Model. This model emphasizes brand, product, customer and marketer are important factors to compose brand community, and bring four relationships into brand community: customer and enterprise, customer and product, customer and brand, customer and customer. This model’s feature is highlighting the focal customer playing linking role in brand community. Besides Muniz’s â€Å"relationship among customers†, they added product, brand and marketer. Although this structure is more comprehensive, it has drifted â€Å"brand community† raised by Muniz, which studied the relationship among customers. McAlexander’s opinion actually is another closely related topic-brand relationship. A research specialist in brand relationship field, Fourier (2001), expended the relationship between brand and customer to four relations as McAlexander’s model. Based on new product diffusion theory, focal customer is playing an opinion leader during product diffusion process, they are the base of enterprise. So, when enterprices want to attract new customers, also should pay more attention to focal customers’ satisfaction and loyalty. 3.5 conclusions The premise of research on brand community is better understanding of brand community models. From the focus of the study,Muniz’s and McAleXander’s models focus on customer, while Upshaw’s model focus on brand, the difference is that former model studied the role customer playing in brand building, the later studied all the factors can influence brand. From the range of the study, Upshaw’s mode is very comprehensive, but too complex; it is difficult to consider all types of relations in one study at the same time. That is the reason why it is seldom used.Muniz’s and McAlexander’s models are more useful, but from the logicality of study, their models did not distinguish the importance of all types of relations, that is to say, they did not tell us which relation playing an important role in brand community. 4 Case study: The success and failure of Starbucks Founded in 1971, Starbucks has the fastest growth rate of any company in the history of retailing. (George and Pierce, 2007)Starbucks sells mainly coffee, and even were it the best coffee in the world it would still only be coffee. The question spontaneously arises, however, why is Starbucks today a brand to be counted among the elite of mythical brands? What has made the consumer pay a premium price for something they would normally have paid significantly less for? The answer can be found in the fact that Starbucks’ marketing approach goes far beyond the tangible component of the product by infusing coffee with new symbolic values and brand community. A high quality of coffee, widespread locations and commercial partnership agreements have undoubtedly contributed to the company’s growth, but these elements are not sufficient to make a brand a global myth, an authentic icon of postmodern society. An exchange from the movie Duplex illustrates the bohemian image Starbucks has acquired as a place where writers and other intellectuals are welcomed as part of a specific community. In the film, a young wife, played by Drew Barrymore, turns to her writer husband and says †Well, what if you got out of the house for a little while and went to write at, like a Starbucks or something? † †It would be nice not to have to write at Starbucks with all the other novelists,† replies the young man, played by Ben Stiller.It is precisely this which is the true essence of Starbucks: a place which evokes symbolic values and brand community values which go beyond coffee and the products sold and which makes a sign a metropolitan legend. It is feeling part of a community like that of the writers looking for success quoted in the film, and many morebesides,which makes consumers identify with a place where, when it really comes down to it, what you mostly do is just drinking cof fee. A person who habitually goes a sort of community to do so not just to drink a cup of coffee but to access a sort of community where they find values, models and behaviors which they tend to recognize themselves in. While Starbucks continued to enrich its context with new meanings and values, other competitors continued to simply sell coffee (Shu-pei Tsai, 2005), Starbucks’s performance demonstrates how, by enhancing the atmosphere and making the place of consumption a space linked to trendsetters and not the minority fringe of the population, by creating a sense of belonging and community, it is possible to achieve success even when satisfying routine needs. As Volli says, Starbucks â€Å"is together closed and secret but also open and public, it shows and hides at the same time, it simultaneously exercises modesty and seduction, the secret and the recall†(Volli,1998).Starbucks has known how to invest a new way of communication ,strongly centered on the communicative processes among members of its brand community and between its members and the outside world. There is no perfect in the world,with the development of society,economy and many other aspects,Starbucks also should face with some shortage and challenge.The greater standardization of the â€Å"structures† has slowly made them lose the bohemian charm which the first points of sale had, and that aroma of coffee which represented the heart of the brand community offering in Starbucks has progressively weakened. The sensory connotation which immediately hits you when you enter a Starbucks and which creates around it a relaxing atmosphere similar to that felt in a club of people who share the passion for coffee, is gradually getting weaker. But the problem is not limited to reduced olfactory involvement, if anything it involves the fact that the chain is losing its soul of the past, becoming more and more like a conventional chain and losing that atmosphere which was so dear to its founder of a small neighborhood ship, whose emotive warmth can generate particularly intense experiences. We could say that this is one of the risks which companies which have been able to build real communities around their brands find them having to face. When the brand becomes as developed as Starbucks, its audience widens and new consumers, with characters different from those of the community’s original members, take possession, thus reducing the initial followers’ feeling of belonging. Infact, belonging to a community satisfies the desire of individuals to share common aspects with other individuals and in that way express their distinctiveness from other social groups. When those very people they are trying to distinguish themselves from try to become part of the community, it is necessary to know how to manage this process by trying to preserve the symbolic consistency of the brand rather than adapting it to the new context. This is a natural process: the company does not live so as to remain in the ghetto of the niche; it is in development a growth that we find the preservation of its vital functions, but the process must be handled with extreme care, avoiding compromising the good and the unique that has been built.

Conceptualizing a Business

Strategic Plan, Part 1: Conceptualizing a Business Atonio Latu BUS / 475 February 10th, 2013 Sarita Wesley, Ph. D. Strategic Plan, Part 1: Conceptualizing a Business Starting a company such as TL Concrete Service requires strategic plans and the factors that will support the business development start-up stages. TL Concrete is a small company with five employees planning and implementing services. The company provides services on concrete drive ways, patio, and side-walks. The company offers free estimate, low cost, and 5 years guarantee on every job.It is vital for the company to seek and develop the right mission, vision, and values. These important factors will act as a road map to guide and maintain the company’s goals; customers’ satisfaction and profitability. TL Concrete mission statement will define the company’s goals. A good vision statement provides direction and purpose for the company to follow through. Core value identifies the importance of the emp loyees and their behavior toward the company’s goals. Concrete service is a good business because people always need hard driveway surface, smooth walk way outside the house, and a patio for the outdoor activities.The company will estimate, form the foundation or the platform, pour the concrete, and remove dirt and trash afterward. It will cost more to install new surface than to replace the existing one. One of the advantages of this type of service is that concrete is pre-mix or ready mix by another service provider. The same service provider that ‘ready mix’ the cements also deliver and pour the concrete at the requested site. The cost of the cement is including in the estimate. TL Concrete future endeavor is to provide services for commercial buildings and commercial complexes.Another future plan for this company is to obtain public contract on major projects. The company’s strength relies on the experience of the employees to provide services, but als o the experience of the company to conduct business. Strong relations between the company and its customers will guarantee to maintain loyal customers. The company will adjust and adapt to any future internal and external factors that will affect the company. For example, most customers are using regular cement on their driveways and walkways. Now, people are starting to use the stamping driveway which cost twice as much as the standard type.TL Concrete will provide data to those who needs surfaces because everyone else is switching to the new format. It is the company obligation to explain and provide data and explain the benefit and the disadvantage of the new products. We consider our mission statement a promise to our customers, and deliver on that promise (Bill Gates, 2013). A powerful mission statement will keep the company focus on its goal regardless of any changes occur within the business. TL Concrete Service mission statement should read,† We provide customers with the best quality concrete service at low prices since 1990†.The company ensures that these words are not created to decorate the wall plaque; these words are to get across the purpose and the objective of the company. The mission statement identify the most important idea behind the company; best quality service. The year 1990 indicated that customers trusted this company and keep it operational for these years despite the economy downturn. There were many successful concrete company operated prior to 2008, the downfall of our economy. Customers were looking for the companies that provide the best concrete service, money was no object.Customers were paying more that the regular rate to attract better services. The post 2008 changed how companies approached their customers, and how loyal customers approached these companies. Companies filed for bankruptcy and the cements manufactures raised the price of the pure cement which in turn increases the price of the concrete. A missio n statement will keep TL Concrete Service to focus on generating profits and customers’ satisfaction. The vision statement is also vital to the strategy plan of the company. It reveled to the loyal customers and the potential customers the purpose and the tools used to accomplish the company tasks.I enjoy reading the Allstate Insurance because it is short and brings out the purpose of this company. Allstate vision statement reads: â€Å"to reinvent protection and retirement for the consumer† (Bright Hub, 2010). TL concrete should provide a vision statement that indicates the same purpose as the Allstate Insurance, to guarantee how the employees understand the individual tasks as well as the team work. TL Concrete vision statement should read: â€Å"To serve our loyal customers and potential customers’ thorough honesty and respect for anyone we provide service to†.The vision statement indicates the importance of the customers and strive the company to stay focus and the purpose; customers’ satisfaction. The company’s vision also generates the company values because customers deserve respect and honesty for the company. The company should have the value of doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do. This attitude generates moral value, ethical standard, and integrity. These are the basic foundation of the code of values created by TL Concrete. Moral values consist of trustworthy, loyal, and courteous.Ethical standard is doing the right thing to provide the best service available to the company and the customers. Honesty is the best policy, and integrity keeps the employees focus on the values indicated by the company. These values will earn the company’s reputation and in turn, attract more customers. The company should value the customers’ feedback and their suggestions of not only what needs to be done, but how to proceed with the work. Mission statement, vision statement and values are thr ee important models that most successful companies accepted.These models create concepts of prospect, directions, values, and opportunities for the company and its customers. These models of strategic plan co-exists, one item cannot exist without the others. I believe there are companies that do not have vision statement. Kevin Clancy, a marketing researcher wrote, â€Å"A few people around the table began to describe the brand’s global positioning strategy, but it had nothing to do with what we would call a vision. It was not even much of a positioning. Eventually a manager from England asked, â€Å"What do you mean by ‘vision’? †(Clancy, 2012).A vision statement brings hope, dreams, and the reason to stay operational. Mission, Vision, and value each presented different meaning to the company’s goals. Mission is the goal, vision is the purpose, and value is what takes to accomplish the goals. References Bright Hub. (12/2010). The hub for the brigh t minds. Retrieved from http://www. brighthub. com Kevin J. Clancy. (2012). Shocking Truth of the Month. Retrieved from http://www. thekevinclancy. com Microsoft Accessibility. (2013). Mission. Retrieved from http://www. microsoft. com/enable/microsoft/mission. aspx Conceptualizing a Business Strategic Plan, Part 1: Conceptualizing a Business Atonio Latu BUS / 475 February 10th, 2013 Sarita Wesley, Ph. D. Strategic Plan, Part 1: Conceptualizing a Business Starting a company such as TL Concrete Service requires strategic plans and the factors that will support the business development start-up stages. TL Concrete is a small company with five employees planning and implementing services. The company provides services on concrete drive ways, patio, and side-walks. The company offers free estimate, low cost, and 5 years guarantee on every job.It is vital for the company to seek and develop the right mission, vision, and values. These important factors will act as a road map to guide and maintain the company’s goals; customers’ satisfaction and profitability. TL Concrete mission statement will define the company’s goals. A good vision statement provides direction and purpose for the company to follow through. Core value identifies the importance of the emp loyees and their behavior toward the company’s goals. Concrete service is a good business because people always need hard driveway surface, smooth walk way outside the house, and a patio for the outdoor activities.The company will estimate, form the foundation or the platform, pour the concrete, and remove dirt and trash afterward. It will cost more to install new surface than to replace the existing one. One of the advantages of this type of service is that concrete is pre-mix or ready mix by another service provider. The same service provider that ‘ready mix’ the cements also deliver and pour the concrete at the requested site. The cost of the cement is including in the estimate. TL Concrete future endeavor is to provide services for commercial buildings and commercial complexes.Another future plan for this company is to obtain public contract on major projects. The company’s strength relies on the experience of the employees to provide services, but als o the experience of the company to conduct business. Strong relations between the company and its customers will guarantee to maintain loyal customers. The company will adjust and adapt to any future internal and external factors that will affect the company. For example, most customers are using regular cement on their driveways and walkways. Now, people are starting to use the stamping driveway which cost twice as much as the standard type.TL Concrete will provide data to those who needs surfaces because everyone else is switching to the new format. It is the company obligation to explain and provide data and explain the benefit and the disadvantage of the new products. We consider our mission statement a promise to our customers, and deliver on that promise (Bill Gates, 2013). A powerful mission statement will keep the company focus on its goal regardless of any changes occur within the business. TL Concrete Service mission statement should read,† We provide customers with the best quality concrete service at low prices since 1990†.The company ensures that these words are not created to decorate the wall plaque; these words are to get across the purpose and the objective of the company. The mission statement identify the most important idea behind the company; best quality service. The year 1990 indicated that customers trusted this company and keep it operational for these years despite the economy downturn. There were many successful concrete company operated prior to 2008, the downfall of our economy. Customers were looking for the companies that provide the best concrete service, money was no object.Customers were paying more that the regular rate to attract better services. The post 2008 changed how companies approached their customers, and how loyal customers approached these companies. Companies filed for bankruptcy and the cements manufactures raised the price of the pure cement which in turn increases the price of the concrete. A missio n statement will keep TL Concrete Service to focus on generating profits and customers’ satisfaction. The vision statement is also vital to the strategy plan of the company. It reveled to the loyal customers and the potential customers the purpose and the tools used to accomplish the company tasks.I enjoy reading the Allstate Insurance because it is short and brings out the purpose of this company. Allstate vision statement reads: â€Å"to reinvent protection and retirement for the consumer† (Bright Hub, 2010). TL concrete should provide a vision statement that indicates the same purpose as the Allstate Insurance, to guarantee how the employees understand the individual tasks as well as the team work. TL Concrete vision statement should read: â€Å"To serve our loyal customers and potential customers’ thorough honesty and respect for anyone we provide service to†.The vision statement indicates the importance of the customers and strive the company to stay focus and the purpose; customers’ satisfaction. The company’s vision also generates the company values because customers deserve respect and honesty for the company. The company should have the value of doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do. This attitude generates moral value, ethical standard, and integrity. These are the basic foundation of the code of values created by TL Concrete. Moral values consist of trustworthy, loyal, and courteous.Ethical standard is doing the right thing to provide the best service available to the company and the customers. Honesty is the best policy, and integrity keeps the employees focus on the values indicated by the company. These values will earn the company’s reputation and in turn, attract more customers. The company should value the customers’ feedback and their suggestions of not only what needs to be done, but how to proceed with the work. Mission statement, vision statement and values are thr ee important models that most successful companies accepted.These models create concepts of prospect, directions, values, and opportunities for the company and its customers. These models of strategic plan co-exists, one item cannot exist without the others. I believe there are companies that do not have vision statement. Kevin Clancy, a marketing researcher wrote, â€Å"A few people around the table began to describe the brand’s global positioning strategy, but it had nothing to do with what we would call a vision. It was not even much of a positioning. Eventually a manager from England asked, â€Å"What do you mean by ‘vision’? †(Clancy, 2012).A vision statement brings hope, dreams, and the reason to stay operational. Mission, Vision, and value each presented different meaning to the company’s goals. Mission is the goal, vision is the purpose, and value is what takes to accomplish the goals. References Bright Hub. (12/2010). The hub for the brigh t minds. Retrieved from http://www. brighthub. com Kevin J. Clancy. (2012). Shocking Truth of the Month. Retrieved from http://www. thekevinclancy. com Microsoft Accessibility. (2013). Mission. Retrieved from http://www. microsoft. com/enable/microsoft/mission. aspx