Research Metohd proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Research Metohd proposal - Essay Example As more countries around the world become globalized, offering tourism packages to multitudes of diverse foreign visitors, competition continues to become intense requiring a new focus in order to sustain competitive edge and build growth strategically. However, outside of these generic business principles is a new type of focus as a method of building a more solid brand: corporate social responsibility (CSR). CSR involves the activities of senior managers and the entire organisational staff to improve relationships with the domestic community and even international customers and citizens by promoting concepts of trustworthiness, ethical programming and diversity (as several examples). Corporate social responsibility includes multiple dimensions of moral principles that must be promoted so that diverse customers recognise that the hospitality business is accountable for their actions and makes sensible business decisions. The impact of CSR includes higher stakeholder and shareholder support if they are coordinated and implemented according to social needs. CSR has become more of a strategic function in order to bring the hospitality business better publicity and improve the quality of life of customers and general society. Literature review â€Å"A firm’s corporate image and reputation is an important strategic asset and marketing tool that can lead to a competitive advantage† (Gray & Balmer, 1998, p.695). This is one of the main elements that drive new focus on CSR, so that the business maintains a quality brand identity among customer groups, shareholder groups, and the general public population. Even though the end result of most CSR efforts lead to sustainable improvements in society, the impact on business can be maintaining an edge over competition that does not necessarily focus on corporate social responsibility as a strategic foundation. â€Å"Business operations are undeniably linked with trust-building in the local community population where the operation is based† (wcdr.gfdr.org, 2007, p.4). This is highly important in hotel organisations as they cater to the local community with their service offerings as well as international clients hailing from diverse cultural backgrounds. Therefore, the literature proposes that there must be a localized effort in CSR in order to build this needed trust for brand reputation purposes and to sustain a competitive edge. There are many avenues of building this trust such as through marketing, sustainability programmes, or even volunteerism in a variety of community-based programmes. According to Kline & Dai (2005) businesses that include CSR initiatives in their strategic objectives have been known to witness improved share prices, build better national image and increase employee productivity. Why is this? â€Å"Human beings are essential to service production. They are sensitive and reflect upon their experiences, responding to inner feelings and individual interpretat ions† (Sandoff, 2005, p.530). In the hotel environment, employees are the initial and ongoing point of contact for diverse customers, sometimes hailing from around the world, and therefore become a resource for information and support throughout the service experience. The hotel relies on their professionalism, loyalty and strong focus toward meeting customer needs in order to sustain a better

Analyse the Motivational Problems in MagNet Corporation Research Paper

Analyse the Motivational Problems in MagNet Corporation - Research Paper Example   MagNet Corporation is a new start-up organization and has strength of 35 employees Existing in the market for two years, the company is heavily dependent on Information Technology (IT) tools MagNet mainly operates in the software market and provides educational software to colleges and universities based on Oracle database engine With excellent performance, early entry in the distance education market and two years of successful marketing, the company has been able to penetrate 5% of the market and increase their employee strength from 5 to 35 within such a short span However, with increasing demand in the clientele, the company is also facing problems to the main efficiency in its regular administrative processes where personnel are observed to lack motivation and are also observed as inefficient in change adaptation Business situation After evaluation and analysis of the company’s General Administration Department, i.e. Department C, it has been found that despite its wo rkforce constitutes potential employees, they lack on few motivational grounds and have to face a higher level of stress in order to accomplish the target to boost up the sales from 5% to 10%. Job role segregation has also been viewed as a major problem where the sales representatives rely heavily on the technical department, which makes them a slow learner and increases the burden on the technology department. Many of the sales force has also demanded training as mandatory for their development. In precise, the business situation observed in Department C of MagNet exhibits the need for better coordination amid the staff at the departmental level, motivation needs to boost their change adaptation behavior and understanding of the organizational success requirements. The stressors in this situation can be identified as the growing pressure from the clientele, absence of a specific HR policy framework and limited job commitment deciphered by the employees. Technical situations The ope rational processes in MagNet have been heavily dependent on modern technical instruments, which have in turn also affected the efficiency of the administrative department. Even the communication between the employees and managers happens via e-mail, with lack of interaction that further limits the scope of the supervisors to motivate their subordinates continually and efficiently. The personnel in Department C have also been heavily dependent on the technical support team to respond to the customer’s questions, especially those regarding new products as the employees in this department lack in efficiency to learn about new products and services within a short span of time. Solutions From a critical understanding of the situation, it can be observed that employees in Department C indeed require rigorous training focused on developing their learning, change adaptability and technical skills enhancement. Correspondingly, the company applied Maslow’s needs hierarchy theory and McClelland’s theory of motivation that has efficiently pointed-out the individual motivational needs of the staff members. Based on their performance appraisal as well, the company addressed three employees to be trained and has given formal written warnings to some of the employees so as to motivate them to perform better.  Ã‚  

SCOR At Wal Mart | Analysis

SCOR At Wal Mart | Analysis The Supply Chain Operations Reference Model, or SCOR, was introduced by the Supply Chain Council to provide all companies a framework or tool they can use to improve their companys supply chain internally and externally. It allows supply chain managers to analyze their current situations as well as guide them to supply chain decisions for improvements and future resolutions. A major strength of the SCOR model is that it can be used across industries and applied to a variety of different companies. There are five levels in the SCOR model. The first level, the process types, includes plan, source, make, deliver, and return. These process types describe the overall scope and content of the SCOR model. The following levels further penetrate each of the process types to analyze their operations strategies, quantify and measure their processes, as well as provide tools for companies to develop new processes that will give their supply chain a competitive advantage as well as the ability to efficiently adapt to market changes. PLAN The first phase of the supply chain according to the SCOR model is the process of planning. Planning is a crucial first step to set-up, manage, and organize the processes necessary for a flexible and efficient supply chain. The planning phase consists of several processes such as demand forecasting, product pricing, and inventory management. Wal-Mart utilizes a sophisticated algorithm to calculate their forecasts that allows the company to forecast the exact quantities of each item to be delivered while taking into account each stores current inventory. This is also possible because of Wal-Marts computerized inventory structure that uses the Point of Sales (POS) system. This not only tracks all the companys inventory and stock at retail stores and distribution centers, it also monitors when products are sold and is able to predict the future quantities needed. It is this production scheduling and the ability to monitor inventory so closely that allowed Wal-Mart to accurately predict where, when and how much of a product will be needed and in turn develop a distribution network that works hand in hand with these needs. This reduces their costs by reducing leftover inventory and optimizing the transportation of their products by delivering only exactly what is needed. Super retailer Wal-Mart has spent considerable resource s to ascertain how best to minimize transportation costs. Efforts such as owning their own fleet, standardizing processes, and capitalizing on information technology have resulted in transportation costs that are 3% of total costs versus the industry average of 5%. By analyzing how to cut costs in all aspects of their transportation, Wal-Mart was able to pass these savings onto consumers and support their always low prices strategy. SOURCE The second phase of the supply chain, sourcing, focuses on the procurement of materials and resources. Choosing suppliers that best meet the companys needs is the main part of this phase. Transportation not only serves as a link between the company and its suppliers, but transportation providers are essentially a supplier in and of themselves as well. In this case as wal-mart is retailer it doesnt has to go for sourcing that is procurement of raw-material is not required. The suppliers in this case will be the companies who are selling their product through wal-mart retailers that are: Grand ocean star (Supplier of sea food it takes 5 to 10 days after order) Procter Gamble Co (it takes lead time range of 8.5 to 14.0 days to deliver the food product) Nestle Gillette Hewlett-Packard Johnson Johnson Kimberly-Clark Kraft Foods Nestlà © Purina Pet Care Unilever MAKE The third phase in the Supply Chain Operations Reference model is make, defined as the process that transforms a product to a finished state to meet planned or actual demand (Bolstorff Rosenbaum, 2003). There are three parts to this phase which include product design, production scheduling and facility management. Wal-Mart exemplifies how the construction of a product affects transportation costs. Wal-Mart recently asked its 60,000 suppliers worldwide that by 2008 they decrease the amount of overall packaging they use by 5%. Wal-Mart believes this packaging proposal will save the company $3.4 billion. When Wal-Mart previously did this in 2005 with the packaging of its private clothing label, Kids Collection, the company saved $3.5 million in one year. By reducing the amount of packaging, Wal-Mart is not only cutting costs, but they are reducing the weight and volume of their products. This increases the ability of their trucks to carry more per truckload, possibly even making less runs in a given day. Wal-Marts packaging decisions illustrate the direct impacts supply chain decisions and transportation can have on each other. Wal-Mart had just over 40 distribution centers located around the United States. Stocked in these centers were over 80,000 items. 50% to 65% of Wal-Marts competitors directly supplied the inventory to their retailers from their warehouses, in comparison to Wal-Marts 85%. Wal-Mart replenished their stores on average within two days compared to the five days their competitors took. The shipping costs were approximately 2% less of total cost than competitors (Chandran, 2003). The location of a facility can cut transportation costs dramatically as shown by the Wal-Mart example. DELIVER The fourth phase in the Supply Chain Operations Reference model is the delivery of the product. This phase is most associated with the role of transportation in the supply chain process as it is the most visibly connected. The delivery part of the process can be broken down into two different segments, order management and delivery scheduling. Transportation plays a role in each in that processes that provide finished goods and services to meet planned or actual demand, typically include order management, transportation management and distribution management Wal-Mart has a private fleet of their own truck drivers and by somewhat integrating backward in their supply chain, they have needed to become efficient in documenting and tracking their products. To do this, Wal-Mart employees use hand held computers, a form of EDI systems, which contain information about the products storage, packaging and shipping and eliminates the need for actual paperwork saving them time. Because there is no third party, Wal-Mart must self manage the ordering of their products with great accuracy. What makes Wal-Marts distribution process so efficient is that they use a logistics technique known as cross-docking .It breaks down the distribution of the products into five simple stages. The unique aspect of Wal-Marts system is that their drivers deliver the trucks to their distribution centers at specific times and set intervals. Their entire distribution system is a consistent flow of goods adjusted to the individual needs of each retail store. Wal-Marts delivery system works so well because it is developed in accordance with the demands of each store and the communication between each point allows the process to be effective. Wal-Mart believe that the widespread implementation of RFID technology marks a sea change in the supply chain, much as the introduction of bar codes was as seen as revolutionary two decades ago. But while bar codes can tell a retailer that it has two boxes of product XYZ, Wal-Marts EPCs can help distinguish one box of product XYZ from the next. This allows retailers greater visibility in monitoring product inventory from supplier to distribution centre to store. RETURN Most store items can be exchanged or refunded with a receipt within 90 days of purchase. Walmarts No Receipt policy applies to items returned in a store only. You have the option of a cash refund (for purchases under $25), a Gift Card for the amount of the purchase (for purchases over $25), a credit to your credit card or an even exchange for the product. We can make up to three No Receipt returns within a 45 day period. All merchandise sold and shipped by Walmart.com may be returned to a store within 90 days of receiving it. If there is an error on our part related to your order, we will issue a credit for your order and any applicable shipping and gift-wrapping charges. An item must be returned in the original manufacturers packaging, so we recommend you keep your packaging for at least the first 90 days after purchase. Plants, Food, and certain Health and Beauty items: To return perishable items, the following information is to be required and send to customer care link of wal-mart i.e Order number for the item Date of arrival Condition of item at time of arrival Detailed explanation of the issue

United States Foreign Policy Following World War II Essay -- America C

Though the United States was the military power of the world prior to World War II, its foreign policy was one of detachment. The government was determined not to get involved in other countries affairs barring unusual circumstances. A World War provided big enough means to become involved, as many Americans became enraged with the military ambitions of Japan and Germany. Following World War II, Soviet leader Stalin initially agreed to a democratic government in Poland and to free elections in other Soviet-occupied countries, but he ignored his own promises. This caused the United States and Britain to ignore Stalin’s wish of taking a hard line with Germany in settlement talks. The Soviets formed the Socialist Unity party in East Berlin and effectively gained control of East Germany. Though this had a lot to do with the fact that the European people were increasingly tired and lacked the energy to fight a growing Socialist party line, another major factor was that there were enough citizens in this area and in â€Å"other Soviet-dominated countries who believed communism was a better social system and that it could breed a new kind of humanity† (Stranges, 193). The apparent spread of communism caused many to question the government’s policy of non-intervention in foreign affairs. A counselor in the United States Embassy in Moscow, George Kennan, introduced the policy of containment which said that America needed to stop the spread of communism and that it would eventually die out so long as it did not broaden. Not only were the American people scared of the spread of communism, but the United States government believed that communist nations would spread like falling dominoes if even one country in a region began enacting socialist policies. The United States implemented this new policy with the passage of the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan of June5, 1947. In the Truman Doctrine, then President Truman pledged $400 million in aid to Turkey and Greece in an effort to avert communist takeovers. This served as an open ended offer to nations â€Å"to choose between freedom and democracy or terror and oppression† (Stranges, 194). The Marshall Plan was an effort to rebuild 16 nations in Europe. $13.326 billion was pledged to Britain, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Turkey, Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, an... ...n claims that they it was winning the war seemed inaccurate as the North Vietnamese were able to launch the Tet Offensive in January of 1968. As the American public rapidly began to oppose the war, Nixon began to remove American troops from Vietnam while increasing the bombing at the same time. Nixon claimed he was ending the war, but the United States forces invaded Cambodia in april of 1970. The United States had removed all troops from the area by March of 1973, much later than most Americans believed this should have happened. Following the war with Vietnam, America foreign policy saw a new shift. This shift is marked by the decline of containment to a policy of a ‘here and now’ approach. That is, the United States’ new policy was to deal with each situation on a case by case basis rather than treating every threat of communism as a threat to containment. This reclaimed part of the old policy of objectivity in international affairs. As the past shows, controversies and wars alike have the power to dramatically shift a countries foreign policy. One can only wonder what will cause the next change. Works Cited: Stranges, George. The Cold War. New York: Random House, 1997

Educational Problems in Egypt Essay

Egypt has the most significant educational system in the (MENA); Middle East and North Africa according to the Human Development Index (HDI). Although the educational system had been developing hastily since the beginning of the 1990s, Egypt had been continuously facing serious and accumulated problems in education. An exploding population, an increasing poverty, low literacy rates, drastic injustice in schools qualities; schools in urban areas where the rich can pay for education are better than other schools in different areas, Low teaching salaries and inconsistent funding for the educational system by the government, all led to a decreasing educational quality mainly in the most essential and indispensable part of the educational system which is basic education, also it led many teachers to the road of private tutoring for extra income. Moreover, memorization rather than critical thinking was unwillingly encouraged through physical punishment in schools and homes. For countless Egyptian children fragmented information was the result and that was never considered real knowledge. Yet again as a product of these causes, more and more escalating numbers of graduates are found unemployed. Egypt will continue to face an educational crisis, as lack of well trained teachers, effective schools and developed educational equipment unless a much better financial commitment is made by the government. This essay will first demonstrate the main causes of the educational problem, examine the effects of these problems on the society, discuss and analyze the previously proposed solutions and finally enlighten a solution that will most likely work in our Egyptian society.

How does work Guide the Development of the Self Essay

In man’s existence today, various concepts exist which if learnt and adhered to, can change the very quality of life itself. This is admirably conveyed by Emerson in his essay on self reliance and also deduced from chapters seven and eleven of Thoreau’s book on Walden. In chapter seven, the author narrates the story of an impoverished farmer who toils on his farm from sunrise to sunset, while in chapter 11, Thoreau dwells on the qualities of the inner person. After reading these essays, one is convinced that the most important attribute in life is that which is gained from knowledge of our true being as intended by the creator. Beginning with Emerson’s work, self trust is shown to be the key to self reliance because man’s true nature is that which is within him. We are all individuals in the eyes of providence, each with our own place which we must learn to accept and respect. It is only when we exercise self trust in the abilities given to us, that we will be able to improve as human beings. The author goes on to say that when we cultivate a respect for ourselves, we reject that which is external and which we spend every waking moment looking for. What is important is not the acquisition of material wealth, but rather, internal spiritual wealth. It is only when we place our faith in GOD, who is the most trustworthy and sits in our heart, that we gain self trust. He then works through our hands and predominates our beings. When you are in conformity, this undercuts your self reliance because it scatters your forces, and the real you cannot be detected. You tend to do things as everybody does. It is therefore important to be your own individual and your uniqueness will be evident. Consistency, on the other hand, enslaves us to our pasts because we are constantly judging our present with 2 tandards from the past. We fear to be contradicted by our peers and are therefore less and less self reliant. Self reliance is evident from the bean field chapter of Thoreau because the farmer was rewarded for his hard work with a harvest of twelve bushels. He did not have the benefit of modern farm implements or labor, yet he loved his work and was rewarded for it. This is a demonstration of self reliance born out of necessity. Instead of discouragement at the prospect of toil, the farmer confronted the ordeal happily and with spiritual calm. Additionally, he gained much more than money. He earned the respect of his neighbors, confidence and experience from his work. John Fields is another impoverished farmer who has a wife and a family to feed. Unfortunately, he is in a situation where survival dictates that he works for a wage as someone’s employee. For this very reason, he cannot be self reliant. Additionally, in order to change his lifestyle, he faces the prospect of being unable to afford the necessities of everyday life, for example, tea, coffee, meat and clothes. He also seems unable to find the time to contemplate his spiritual wellbeing which may help him look at his life afresh. However, the concepts conveyed by Thoreau’s higher laws can prove invaluable to him. One of them is that, â€Å"Man flows to GOD when the channel of purity is open†. This means that Fields must seek GOD who will give him an inner calm. This will enable him to identify that for which he is best suited to do and treat himself with respect. Additionally, he will be able to find that which identifies him as an individual, thereby helping him to excel. The kind of wealth that is described in Emerson’s â€Å"wealth† essay is very foreign to John Field’s understanding. According to Emerson, wealth is the application of mind to nature. This requires that one draws a benefit from the labors of the greatest numbers of men, and also do what his creator intended him to do. Unfortunately, Fields is a laborer who is employed on a wage. He does not even understand the concept of business, let alone begin to fathom how he can employ others. Additionally, he may be in the wrong career and needs to re-evaluate it if he is to enjoy the fruits of a better lifestyle. When Frederick Douglas goes to the north, he discovers that work, unlike in the south, is done with pride and actually creates wealth without the need for slave labor. It also dawns on him that freedom of the mind is the perfect breeding ground for economic progress, which he sees in even former slaves. Additionally, with a free mind comes the possibility of improving the intellect through reading. The common thread running through these readings is that the mind and spirit come first before the body. Nature can only be conquered by the spirit and the best way to enrich the spirit is by accepting that GOD has a purpose for each and every one of us. He has given us individual qualities which we must strive to nurture. We must recognize these qualities and use them according to his will. If we do not see the advantage within our hearts, then we will, as individuals, continue to move in a crowd, and our uniqueness will not help us or humanity. Wealth is first and foremost, that of the heart and spirit.

Free Essays on War With No Illusions

â€Å"War Without Illusions† Imagine a perfect world. There would be no war, no world hunger, no life taking diseases. Think about waking up and not having to worry about a single thing. Now imagine the total opposite. Living in fear from nuclear warfare, Terrorism, and invasions from other countries. Our lifestyles could mirror this if we do not handle this â€Å"Attack on America† properly. We as a country must think of the consequences of our actions well in advance before jumping into battle against the Middle East. With our country’s emotions running sky high it is very easy for us to wish for a military attack as soon as possible. This sounds sweet and pretty on paper but in reality there is much more we must think about. Invading Afghanistan right now may cause deadly results without the proper research. Bordering countries like Iraq, Iran, and Syria will also be a threat. There are still many of Bin Laden’s men in the U.S. and they are very dangerous. We must first investigate further into the terrorist acts and seek out rest of Bin Laden’s henchmen. If we attack Afghanistan right now, Bin Laden can easily have his men who are living in our country strike again. Once we know the actual location of Mr. Bin Laden, then and only then should we strike. â€Å"Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy secretary of defense said â€Å"ending states who sponsor terrorism† â€Å"War Without Illusions† New York Times 17 Sep 2001 a20. This in my opinion is a great thing to stand by. We should not differentiate from the group who has done this from the country or state that harbors them. This attack was planned to almost perfection and required lots of money. I’m sure there government helped fund this and many other terrorist acts. These countries are our enemies and we should no longer refrain from punishing them. Our allies will play a significant role in winning this war. Help from Russia and Pakistan will play a key role in our... Free Essays on War With No Illusions Free Essays on War With No Illusions â€Å"War Without Illusions† Imagine a perfect world. There would be no war, no world hunger, no life taking diseases. Think about waking up and not having to worry about a single thing. Now imagine the total opposite. Living in fear from nuclear warfare, Terrorism, and invasions from other countries. Our lifestyles could mirror this if we do not handle this â€Å"Attack on America† properly. We as a country must think of the consequences of our actions well in advance before jumping into battle against the Middle East. With our country’s emotions running sky high it is very easy for us to wish for a military attack as soon as possible. This sounds sweet and pretty on paper but in reality there is much more we must think about. Invading Afghanistan right now may cause deadly results without the proper research. Bordering countries like Iraq, Iran, and Syria will also be a threat. There are still many of Bin Laden’s men in the U.S. and they are very dangerous. We must first investigate further into the terrorist acts and seek out rest of Bin Laden’s henchmen. If we attack Afghanistan right now, Bin Laden can easily have his men who are living in our country strike again. Once we know the actual location of Mr. Bin Laden, then and only then should we strike. â€Å"Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy secretary of defense said â€Å"ending states who sponsor terrorism† â€Å"War Without Illusions† New York Times 17 Sep 2001 a20. This in my opinion is a great thing to stand by. We should not differentiate from the group who has done this from the country or state that harbors them. This attack was planned to almost perfection and required lots of money. I’m sure there government helped fund this and many other terrorist acts. These countries are our enemies and we should no longer refrain from punishing them. Our allies will play a significant role in winning this war. Help from Russia and Pakistan will play a key role in our...