Frequently Asked Questions for a Marketing Interview Essay Example

Frequently Asked Questions for a Marketing Interview Essay Frequently Asked Questions for a Marketing Interview 1. What is market research according to you? 2. What is the difference between sales and marketing? 3. Explain the term customer loyalty. 4. What is the difference between Customer Satisfaction and Delight 5. What is Target Market? 6. Give an example of a product which exhibits habitual buying . 7. What are the various methods of Sampling? 8. Give an example of a lifestyle store. 9. What is meant by footfalls? 10. What is Primary Data? 11. Annual Report of a company is primary or secondary data? 12. What is meant by Cross Selling? 13. How will you show a physical evidence for an airline? 14. What is Brand Equity? 15. What is the difference between Market Potential and Sales Potential? 16. What is the difference between sales and marketing. 17. What is market Skimming . In what scenario will you implement it? 18. If you were a marketing manager of a five star hotel, how would you ensure the customer loyalty? 19. What is likert scale? 20. What is blue ocean strategy? 21. What are the applications of BCG Matrix? 22. What is sales territory? 23. Differentiate between needs and wants. 24. What is B2B marketing? 25. What are lifestyle brands? 26. What are cult brands? 27. What is Umbrella Branding? 28. What are quotas? 29. What do you understand from Service Guarantee? 30. What are intermediaries? FAQs FOR MOCK INTERVIEWS – FINANCE / BANKING / ECONOMICS 1. What is break-even point? 2. Distinguish between NPV and IRR. 3. What is a Derivative? 4. Explain Fundamental analysis. 5. What are Basel norms? 6. What is a Non Performing Asset (NPA)? 7. Describe Working capital gap. 8. What is EMI? 9. What is hedging? 10. Describe various types of risks in financial system. 11. What is a monetary policy? 12. What is exchange rate? 13. Mention various instruments of the money market. 4. Name the regulatory bodies for: banks, capital markets, and insurance sectors. 15. What is debt restructuring? 16. Distinguish between fund-based and non fund-based facilities. We will write a custom essay sample on Frequently Asked Questions for a Marketing Interview specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Frequently Asked Questions for a Marketing Interview specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Frequently Asked Questions for a Marketing Interview specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer 17. What are documentary Letters of Credit? 18. What is arbitrage? 19. What is cash management? 20. What is ‘Bancassurance’? Frequently Asked Questions for Mock Interview – Economics/Finance 1. What are Bonds? 2. Define money market 3. What is securitization? 4. What is credit creation? 5. Do you feel banking sector is able to weather recession? 6. India has a heavy percentage of public sector, is it helpful for sustaining high growth rate? . How monetary policy affects the growth of the economy? 8. Explain inter-linkages between monetary and fiscal policy. 9. What is financial crowding out? 10. Are stock prices an indicator of economic health? 11. Are we heading for stagflation? 12. So far as economic down turn is considered, which banking sector is better able to sustain, public sector banks or private sector banks? 13. Are we looking at reality sector recession? 14. Should we appreciate the rupee? 15. Is the dollar over priced? 16. What is capital market? 17. S hould India opt for dis-investment in public sector? 18. What is sub-prime crisis? 19. Could India be facing sub-prime crisis? 20. Are inflation and deficit related HR Domain Questions 1) What is the differences between HR , HRM HRD ? A. human resources, that element within a company which deals with the human aspects/needs of workers. Many companies have an HR department, which may provide a broad range of services to its employees. Some who work in HR are considered part of the department, but many people outside of such a department may have something to do with not just the financial aspects of work, but also â€Å"the human element† of employing workers. Human Resource Management is the organizational function that deals ith issues related to people such as compensation, hiring, performance management, organization development, safety, wellness, benefits, employee motivation, communication, administration, and training. Human Resource Development (HRD) is the framework for helping employees develop their personal and organizational skills, knowledge, and abilities. Human Resource Development includes such opportunities as employee training, employee career development, performance management and development, coaching, mentoring, succession planning, key employee identification, tuition assistance, and organization development. ) What are Functional , Product based and Matrix Organizational Structures ? 3) What do you understand by Induction Program what are the important parameters to be considered before designing an Induction program ? A. An induction program is the process used within many businesses to welcome new employees to the company and prepare them for their new role. Induction training should include development of theoretical and practical skills, but also meet interaction needs that exist among the new employees. Benefits of an induction program An induction program is an important process for bringing staff into an organisation. It provides an introduction to the working environment and the set-up of the employee within the organisation. The process will cover the employer and employee rights and the terms and conditions of employment. As a priority the induction program must cover any legal and compliance requirements for working at the company and pay attention to the health and safety of the new employee. An induction program is part of an organisations knowledge management process and is intended to enable the new starter to become a useful, integrated member of the team, rather than being thrown in at the deep end without understanding how to do their job, or how their role fits in with the rest of the company. Good induction programs can increase productivity and reduce short-term turnover of staff. These programs can also play a critical role under the socialization to the organization in terms of performance, attitudes and organizational commitment A typical induction program A typical induction program will include at least some of the following: †¢ any legal requirements (for example in the UK, some Health and Safety training is obligatory) †¢ any regulatory requirements (for example in the UK banking sector certain forms need to be completed) †¢ introduction to terms and conditions (for example, holiday entitlement, how to make expense claims, etc) †¢ a basic introduction to the company, and how the particular department fits in †¢ a guided tour of the building completion of government requirements (for example in UK submission of a P45 or P60) †¢ set-up of payroll details †¢ introductions to key members of staff †¢ specific job-role training 4) What are the various levels of HR planning done in organizations ? A. Human resource planning is a systematic analysis of HR needs to ensure the availability of the correct number of employees with the necessary skills at the right time. The in creased competitive nature of business that makes workforce flexibility an imperative need has raised the importance of human resource planning. Demand Forecasting The steps to HR Planning start with forecasting the number and type of employees needed in the future. This requires a good understanding of the internal and external environment of the enterprise. The major aspects of the internal environment that affect HR Planning include short-term and long-term organizational plans and strategies, and the status of the organizations human resources. The major aspects of an enterprise’s xternal environment that impacts HR planning include the general status of the economy, developments in technology, level of competition, labor market trends and regulations, demographic trends and the like. For instance, an organization planning to launch a new product would require additional marketing staff, and an organization looking to open a new branch would require more office staff. An organization looking to close down unprofitable branches might look to retrench workers. Similarly, technological developments might prompt the organization to shift to reliance on fewer numbers of technically skilled workers rather than depend on a large pool of manual labor. Correct forecasting of human resource requirements contributes significantly to the competitiveness of the enterprise. Organizations forecasting more workers than required retain surplus or under-utilized staff, and organizations that fail to grasp the full extent of human resources required find themselves overstretched and unable to seize opportunities. The two major methods of forecasting are judgmental methods such as Delphi technique or managerial estimates, and various mathematical models such as time series, personnel and productivity ratios, regression analysis, and the like. Inventory Analysis and Supply Forecasting The second step in HR planning is inventory analysis or keeping track of the current employees in the organization to determine the extent to which this meets the forecast. The HR inventory analysis entails Skill inventory, or keeping track of the number of employees, and the age, locations, qualifications, and skills of each employee to determine the specific role each employee would fill in the short term and long term †¢ Forecasting resignations and recruitment and understanding their impact on the skill inventory levels †¢ Forecasting leaves, transfers, dismissals, sabbaticals, prolonged illness, and deaths of employees and their impact on inventory levels The ways to forecast the internal supply of human resources include methods such as Markov analysis, transitional matrices, replacement schedules, succession planning, and the like. Audit The third step in HR planning is audit, which includes reconciling inventory with forecast through a systematic analysis of demand and supply forecasting, and identifying areas where shortages and surpluses exist. The audit phase also involves, among other tasks: †¢ Identifying reasons for resignations, the cost of such resignations such as recruitment and training costs of new hires, cost of lost experience, skills and knowledge of the departing employee, and the like, and devise retention plans to retain key talent, if required †¢ Review the effectiveness of the recruitment activities, training and development initiatives, career planning exercises, succession planning, and other interventions Reconciliation The next step in HR Planning is developing action plans to bridge the gap between forecast and supply. The various alternatives include: †¢ Strategy to recruit new employees Retrenchment of downsizing strategy to shed excess workforce †¢ Training and Development plans to right-size the workforce †¢ Career Planning and Succession Planning to identify key personnel †¢ Changes in work regulations such as timings, overtime policy and the like The basic considera tions when undertaking the planning process is compliance and impact of labor legislation. Laws that govern overtime and retrenchment for instance can have a significant impact on the strategy adopted. The other consideration is the availability of resources such as financial, physical, and technical for implementation of the plans. Once approved, such plans become part of the company’s strategic objectives. Strategic HR Planning entails aligning such HR Plans with the overall strategic goals of the organization. Control The last step in HR Planning is monitoring and controlling implementation of the HR plan. This entails ensuring implementation proceeds in accordance with the plan and taking timely course corrections. The external and internal environment of an enterprise always remains in a state of flux, and a good HR Plan incorporates mechanisms to make timely revisions in accordance with such changes 5) What is the difference between Job Description Job specification ? A job description is a list of the general tasks, or functions, and responsibilities of a position. Typically, it also includes to whom the position reports, specifications such as the qualifications needed by the person in the job, salary range for the position, etc. A job description is usually developed by conducting a job analysis, which includes examining the tasks and sequences of tasks necessary to perform the job. The analysis looks at the areas of knowledge and skills needed by the job. Note that a role is the set of responsibilities or expected results associated with a job. A job usually includes several roles. The job description might be broadened to form a person specification. An alternate terminology used under the UN system is Terms of reference (TOR). 6) What do you understand by Job Design? What are the modern methods of Job Design [pic]A. Work arrangement (or rearrangement) aimed at reducing or overcoming job dissatisfaction and employee alienation arising from repetitive and mechanistic tasks. Through job design, organizations try to raise productivity levels by offering non-monetary rewards such as greater satisfaction from a sense of personal achievement in meeting the increased challenge and responsibility of ones work. Job enlargement, job enrichment, job rotation, and job simplification are the various techniques used in a job design exercise. In job enrichment, the attempt is to build in to jobs a higher sense of challenge and achievement. The accumulation of achievement must lead to a felling of personal growth accompanied by a sense of responsibility. Job enlargement means increasing the scope of a job through extending the range of its job duties and responsibilities 7) What is Human Resource Outsourcing? What are the various functions which can be outsourced ? 8) Why is reliability and validity a important part of selection tests and interviews ? 9) What are the various sources of recruitment ? SOURCES OF RECRUITMENT [pic] 10) What is the career management cycle? Which stage is the most important according to you ? Career Management Cycle The Career Management Cycle is a life-long process to assist you in making personally authentic career decisions and pursuing your goals. The Career Center can assist you with the following steps: †¢ [pic]Step 1: Know Yourself Can you clearly articulate who you are, identifying your interests, values, and skills? Its imperative that before you pursue a job search, you have a good grasp of yourself. Consider the following: o †¢ [pic]Step 2: Explore Your Options Once you feel confident about who you are, the next logical question is: Whats out there? Consider the following: †¢ [pic]Step 3: Plan your strategy and take action Now that youve narrowed your options, it’s time to set goals and conduct a job search or apply to graduate school. [pic]Step 4: Manage Your Career Once you begin working, be sure to continue networking and developing your skills. Consider the following: 11) What is the difference between Rate range and pay grades ? 12) What percentage of a salary is deducted as a part of the employee provident fund ? 3) When is an employee eligible to receive his/her Gratuity? How is it calculated ? 14) What do you understand by 360 degrees performance appraisal? Where can it be used ? In human resources or industrial/organizational psychology, 360-degree feedback, also kno wn as multi-rater feedback, multisource feedback, or multisource assessment, is feedback that comes from all around an employee. 360 refers to the 360 degrees in a circle, with an individual figuratively in the center of the circle. Feedback is provided by subordinates, peers, and supervisors. It also includes a self-assessment and, in some cases, feedback from external sources such as customers and suppliers or other interested stakeholders. It may be contrasted with upward feedback, where managers are given feedback by their direct reports, or a traditional performance appraisal, where the employees are most often reviewed only by their managers. The results from 360-degree feedback are often used by the person receiving the feedback to plan training and development. Results are also used by some organizations in making administrative decisions, such as pay or promotion. 15) How do you evaluate the effectiveness of training programs? What is Kirk Patrick’s model to evaluate the same ? Evaluation is often looked at from four different levels (the Kirkpatrick levels) listed below. Note that the farther down the list, the more valid the evaluation. . Reaction What does the learner feel about the training? 2. Learning What facts, knowledge, etc. , did the learner gain? 3. Behaviors What skills did the learner develop, that is, what new information is the learner using on the job? 4. Results or effectiveness What results occurred, that is, did the learner apply the new skills to the necessary tasks in the organization and, if so, what results were achieved? 16) What is the difference between Management Development Program Worker Training program ? Give examples of the same 17) What do you understand by Core competency and role based competency ? 18) Who are Kaplan and Norton ? What is the Balance score card ? 19) What were the Hawthorne experiments? Is there any relevance of it in the modern context 20) What are the various leadership styles? Are transactional leaders more effective or Transformational leaders more effective in the work place ? Leadership style is the manner and approach of providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating people. Kurt Lewin (1939) led a group of researchers to identify different styles of leadership. This early study has been very influential and established three major leadership styles. The three major styles of leadership are o Authoritarian or autocratic o Participative or democratic Delegative or Free Reign 21) What are the various stages of Group formation? Which stage is the most important 22) What are the various stages of Grievance handling in a Manufacturing plant ? grievance is a sign of employee’s discontent with job and its nature. The employee has got certain aspirations and expectations which he thinks must be fulfilled by the organisation where he is working. When the organisation fails to satisfy the employee needs, he develops a feeling of discontent or dissatisfaction. Thus, grievance is caused due to the difference between the employee expectation and management practices Steps in the Grievance Procedure 15 Identify grievances: Employee dissatisfaction or grievance should be identified by the management if they are not expressed. If they are ventilated, management has to promptly acknowledge them. ?Define correctly: The management has to define the problem properly and accurately after it is identified/acknowledged. ?Collect Data: Complete information should be collected from all the parties relating to the grievance. Information should be classified as facts, data, opinions, etc. ?Prompt redressal: The grievance should redressed by implementing the solution. ?Implement and follow up: The Implementation of the solution must be followed up at every stage in order to ensure effective and speedy implementation. : 3) What is the Trade Union act, Industrial Dispute act the factories act ? Is it still relevant in today’s context for all industries ? 24) What is the Geocentric and the polycentric approach in International HRM ? 25) What is the importance of cross cultural communication in today’s global Business environment ? Cross-cultural communication (also frequently referred to as intercultural communication, which is also used in a different sense, though) is a field of study that looks at how people from differing cultural backgrounds communicate, in similar and different ways among themselves, and how they endeavour to communicate across cultures. 6) How does an organization go about building the next generation of leaders ? 27) What do you understand by Knowledge Management? Can HR processes be benchmarked ? Importaance of training Training your employees do have a significant role in modern business era. Not just to equip them with latest tools your company has implemented, there is a lot more to it. I have sorted down them in a list. This is a must read if you employ or mean to employ in future atleast one person. Training your emplyess is important because 1. Rapid technological innovations impacting the workplace have made it necessary for people to consistently update their knowledge and ski lls 2. People have to work in multidimensional areas , which usually demand far more from their area of specialisation. 3. Change in the style of management. 4. Due to non-practical collage education. 5. Lack of proper and scientific selection procedure. 6. For career advancement. 7. For higher motivation and productivity. 8. To make the job challenging and interesting 9. For self and development 10. For employee motivation and retention 11. To improve organisational climate 12. Prevention of obsolescence 13. To help an organisation to fulfil its future manpower needs. 14. To keep in pace with times 15. To bridge gap between skills requirement and skills availability 16. For survival and growth of organisation and nation

Position of Wage Labour in the United States

Position of Wage Labour in the United States Introduction One of the hefty criticisms of the early stages of industrialisation is that people were used as capital assets to facilitate the production processes particularly in the US.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Position of Wage Labour in the United States specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Discussing the impacts of capitalisation of labour on semi-skilled, unskilled, and skilled workers, Kremer points out how the workers were misused following the application of concepts of labour capitalisation during early economic times where they worked under intensively poor conditions (553). The same concept is developed by Dubofsky who argues that, in the early industrialisation age, many employers preferred low priced sources of labour such as children, females, and immigrants who were underprivileged (35). However, the contemporary labour markets of the United States views labour as a distinct resource that can be isolated from the traditional forms of capital since it is subject to controls by forces that are extrinsic to an organisation or any industry employing people. From this perspective, the focus of this research proposal is to examine whether the united State, over time, has fundamentally improved the position of wage labour or it has simply maintained the position of capital. To achieve this noble goal, statistics from the government of the United States are deployed as the primary source of data. Scholarly findings are also deployed to help in integrating the primary and secondary data findings to give a well-informed position on whether United States still clings to the position of capital or it has improved the position of wage labour. The US Department of Labour: Why was it Established? In responding to the question of whether the United States has improved the position of labour or has been maintaining the position of capital, the first chapter of the research will revi ew the circumstances that lead to the establishment of the U.S. department of labour, its mandates and its achievements in improving the welfare of the United States’ workforce.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The chapter will argue that, in an attempt to enhance change of perception that labour can be capitalised and hence subject to operation of market forces to determine labour pricing, several improvements to wages have been realised in a number of ways since the establishment of the United States department of labour. In fact, the U.S. department of labour is mandated to promote, foster, and develop wage earners’ welfares so that their working conditions can be improved coupled with making sure that they are engaged in profitable employments. For precise realisation of its mandates, the U.S. department of labour is given the authority to administer various federal laws of labour, which are meant to guarantee all the employees rights to working conditions. The US Employers Deprived of their Role to Determine Wages Under the ideologies of labour capitalisation, the employer has the supreme ability to determine the right wages to be paid to the workers so that the production process can proceed within the limits of the acceptable levels of profitability. The main question addressed in chapter two of the research will be the manner in which this supreme ability of the employers has been eroded in the United States’ labour markets so that the position of the labour wages is improved. To achieve this goal, the chapter will investigate issues such as role of the United States’ government in influencing the workers coupled with their movements. In this regard, it will be maintained that the main goal of government engagement in the workers’ movements is to ensure that the workers’ unions are d emocratic and independent from coercion by the employing agents. This will confirm Kremer’s argument that states’ role in enhancing freedom of labour unions in United States is aimed at ensuring that workers are shielded from being slaves of the state thus not acting as capital assets for the employers (556). According to Dubofsky, this is achieved through enactment of administrative and political policies coupled with manipulation of various legislative policies of labour unions (26).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Position of Wage Labour in the United States specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Hence, labour unions are made stable, which has the implication of making workers have the motivation of joining unions as the only way of fighting for their wages, rights, and resolution of wages conflicts with the employers without the risks of being sacked. Additionally, the chapter will argue that the position of the labour wages has been incredibly improved through the creation of social stability emanating from the brave liberal ideas of corporate leaders that denying labourers the freedom and extension of ideologies of exploitation of humans’ resource are not the avenues for enhancing profitability. The US Labour Legal Frameworks Still in chapter 2, as a mechanism of setting the theoretical constructs of the research, the chapter will also consider scholarly criticisms and insights as to whether the United States, through its labour legal frameworks, has altered the agrarian society’s social, political, and economic welfare of the workers. In this argument, the chapter will draw the lesson learnt in the 19th century’s riots against establishment of power hegemonies. It is contended by Huff that such riots lead to the emergence of new demands, which truncate to making the United States workforce have both cultural and social autonomy in the work places (247). This autonomy was a major stepping-stone towards the creation of enabling platforms for workers to claim for wages that are commensurate to their efforts put in the production process without the fear of being prejudiced by the employers. The acquired autonomy also made employees to incredibly engage in labour strikes. Indeed, due to this autonomy, neither the employers nor the government managed to curtail the efforts for the workers to campaign for better wage positions. For instance, President Roosevelt’s government never succeeded in pushing for the legislative demands enacted by the American federation of labour (Lane and Pasteur 716). With this failure, the federation had no option rather than to link up with the Woodrow Wilson regime to promote the quests placed by employees. This resulted to an elementary increment of wage position of the workers.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, exempting labour markets from the action of free market forces is an immense challenge. However, one way of doing this is setting minimum wages. The application of this approach to enhancing wage position of the workers is discussed in chapter three of the research. Setting Minimum Wages In any capitalistic economy, when the free market forces are permitted to regulate labour market dynamic, wage inequalities are produced. To enhance equality, Lalibertà © argues, â€Å"a strong minimum wage can help make a genuine difference in outcomes† (8). Setting minimum wages prevents the emergence of low wage employees coupled with continued wage inequity growth. The debate on minimum wages is widely controversial since moral considerations as to what comprises a minimum wage that would enable workers together with their families to sustain their lives come into play. Arguably, setting of minimum wages is meant to ensure that employers do not employ groups that are vulnerabl e to capitalisation such as emigrants and children by virtue of the fact they would be willing to accept low wages and hence be capitalised so that the employers reap optimal profits at their expense. In the quest to improve the labour wages through the perspectives of minimum wages, concepts of living wages have emerged in the US’ labour market terminologies. According to Luce, â€Å"Basic Family Budget Calculator developed by the Economic Policy Institute, the Self-Sufficiency Standard, developed by Diana Pierce, and the Wider Opportunities for Women† (13) are some of the approaches that are used to compute living wages. Both of these approaches deploy the data collected by the US’ government institutions to arrive at an estimation of minimum housing cost, transportation, childcare, food, taxes, and healthcare costs. When all these costs are summed up, the government, through the department of labour, is able to come up with the total annual income required fo r general workers to sustain their lives. The block figure is then converted into hourly pay rates. The figure arrived at is usually higher than the minimum wage set by federal governments (Luce 14). Another approach of ensuring that the wage position of the employees is improved is setting the minimum wages at levels that would enable workers who work full time to attain the federal poverty line. Primary Sources Amid the attempts by United States to put in place mechanisms of improving the wages position of the workers, statistics indicates that instances of non-compliance to the guidelines are still evident. For instance, according to Sates Department of Labour: Wages and Hour Division 2007 statistics facts sheet, â€Å"results for the fiscal year 2007 show a total of 4,672 minors who are found illegally employed, an average of 3.7 minors illegally employed per investigation† (Para 10). Many of these violations involve situations where children who are under the age of 16 w ere found to work for many hours, very late in the night, and or very early in the morning. This is clearly a violation of working hour standards. With regard to United Sates Department of Labour: Wages and Hour Division 2006 statistics facts sheet, â€Å"WHD assessed nearly $3 million in child labour civil money penalties in the fiscal year 2006† (Para. 9). On the other hand, with regard to United States Department of Labour: Wages and Hour Division 2007 statistics facts sheet, WHD collected â€Å"nearly $4.4 million in child labour civil money penalties in fiscal year 2007† (Para.10). In 2008, according to the United States Department of Labour Employment Standards Administration, this figure reduced only by 0.2 million to stand at 4.2 million U.S. dollars (5). This statistics indicates that the idea of capitalisation of labour is still ingrained within the minds of some employers. Table showing Preliminary third-quarter 2012 productivity measures as a percent change from previous quarter, at Annual rate (Q to Q) and from same quarter a year ago (Y to Y) Nonfarm businesses businesses Manufacturing Durable manufacturing Non durable manufacturing sector Q to Y Q to Y Q to Y Q to Y Q to Y Q to Y Q to Y Q to Y Q to Y Q to Y productivity 1.9 1.5 1.5 1.4 -0.4 1.5 -0.7 3.9 -0.1 -0.8 output 3.2 3.3 2.7 3.2 -0.6 4.1 -1.0 7.4 0.0 0.5 hours 1.3 1.8 1.2 1.8 -0.2 2.6 -0.4 3.3 0.1 1.3 Hourly compensation 1.8 2.6 1.9 2.6 1.2 0.6 0.2 0.1 2.9 1.5 Real hourly compensation -0.4 0.9 -0.4 0.9 -1.1 -1.1 -2.0 -1.6 0.6 -0.2 Unit labour costs -0.1 1.1 0.4 1.2 1.5 -0.8 0.9 -3.7 3.0 2.4 Source: United States Department of Labour Bureau statistics (2) Discussion: The Way forward for the US Labour In the last chapter of the research; chapter 4, discussions and inferences will be drawn on the capacity of United States to precisely shun from capitalisation of labour as an endeavour to improve labour positions. However, it is crucial to note that alleviat ion of permitting market forces to determine labour prices rather than putting in place policies for setting minimum wages is driving the production sector into difficulties. This perhaps explains why there has been massive relocation of the United States-based factories such as Addidas to base their productions in Asia. In the new production regions, such companies have been accused of exploitation of workers in the quest for enhancing productivity. For instance, Nike and Addidas have been accused of child labour and paying very low wages to their employees in the foreign-based production factories. In context of this example, the question that remains is whether the approaches of wage improvements adopted by the US are failing thus prompting it to revert to the early industrialisation age where labour was capitalised. Conclusion Capitalisation of labour means that people working in industries could be optimised to help in yielding optimal profitability. However, the paper argued t hat this was a concept applied in the agrarian society. Due to societal transformations, the paper holds that the United States has improved labour wages since the age of agrarian revolution rather than focusing on the ideologies of labour capitalisation. Nevertheless, due to an intensive search for a mechanism of making the industrial sector competitive, there have been attempts by many firms such as Addidas and Nike to relocate to regions where labour costs are low. Consequently, a dilemma surfaces about whether labour market forces should be applied to determine the pricing for labour, or wages need to be set to certain minimum levels as a mechanism of improving them. Dubofsky, Melvin. The State and Labour in Modern America. North Carolina: The University of North Carolina Press, 1994. Print. Huff, Ann. â€Å"Persistent Effects of Job Displacement: The Importance of Multiple Job Losses.† Journal of Labour Economics 15.2 (1997): 165-253. Print. Kremer, Michael. â€Å"The O-Ring Theory of Economic Development.† Quarterly Journal of Economics 108.12(1993): 551-627. Print. Lalibertà ©, Pierre. â€Å"Social justice and growth: the role of the minimum wage.† International Journal of Labour Research 4.1(2012): 7-10. Print. Lane, John, and Michael Pasteur. â€Å"The Low-Wage Labour Market: Challenges and Opportunities for Economic Self-Sufficiency.† Journal of Labour Economics 16.5 (1998): 702-716. Print. Luce, Sophanie. â€Å"Living wage policies and campaigns: lessons from the United States.† International Journal of Labour Research 4.1(2012): 12-45. Print. United Sates Department of Labour. Wages and Hour Division: 2007 Statistics Facts Sheet, 2007. Web. United Sates Department of Labour. Wages and Hour Division: 2006 Statistics Facts Sheet, 2006. Web. United States Department of Labour Bureau statistics. Economic News Release, 2012. Web. United States Department of Labour Employment Standards Administration. Wage and Hour Di vision: Wage And Hour Collects Over $1.4 Billion In Back Wages For Over 2million Employees Since Fiscal Year 2001, 2008. Web.

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Leadership - Essay Example On the other hand, an ineffective and unsuccessful team may be witnessed from a group of people who are greatly focused on gratifying self-interests and are often engaged in unnecessary arguments with one another. Members of such team assert themselves to no avail and exercise ‘crab mentality’ where individual functions and the task of decision-making seem unclear. For instance, in the event that members keep complaining about not meeting personal expectations yet lack the responsibility to follow the leader and contribute to the productivity of the team, there only emerges poor performance with no sense of fulfillment. Sources: AchieveMarketing. â€Å"Effective and Successful Teams: Is It Teamwork or Performance that Matters?† HubPages. Retrieved from http://achievemarketing.hubpages.com/hub/Effective-and-Successful-Teams-Is-it-Teamwork-or-Performance-that-Matters on July 9, 2012. Hager, Timothy D. â€Å"Effective and Ineffective Team Characteristics.† Enr ichment Journal. Retrieved from http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200304/082_stf04_teamchar_sb.cfm on July 9, 2012. (2) Scenario: Given that I am managing a team of eight members whose major task involves architectural design of a commercial site, I have 4 individuals (group A) assigned to come up with one particular scheme while the other 4 (group B) ought to create an alternative so that our client can decide based on the project design that suits their requirements well. In the process, people consult me for further insights besides their resources and group A consists of members who have tenured as much as my length of stay in the organization, being colleagues who are within my circle of intimate relations. Group B, on the other hand, is composed of members who have just been regularized in the company and compared to group A, they are younger, competitive, more dynamic, and most of all, are highly eager to obtain promotion and pay increase. With the first 2 quarters, the client has consistently expressed satisfaction with the progress report of group B and yet on the third quarter, the client wavers decision between the two designs, rationalizing that they also perceive huge potentials from the work of group A, considering future systems. Both divisions worked hard and persevered creatively in my regular assessment, it is just that while group B delivers optimum results, they rarely share ideas to group A though the latter encourages open communication within the team. Then I am about to evaluate performances per group where only one group is entitled to appraisal and one group to receive award after the site project is through. To resolve my ethical dilemma as a manager, I suppose it would be fair for group B to have the award and for group A to be appraised, thinking that people who are focused on obtaining personal achievements should be rewarded right away whereas those who are greatly concerned about teamwork and are more disposed to keep healthy soci al relations and behavior within the entire organization must be found deserving of appraisal. Source: â€Å"Ethics Dilemmas – Hypothetical Scenarios.† Retrieved from http://www.ccat-ctac.org/downloads/2004_Felter_Juteau_e.pdf on July 9, 2012. (3) Diverse organization, as I see it, pertains to an organization consisting of members of various

Strategies for control and prevention of delinquency Essay

Strategies for control and prevention of delinquency - Essay Example However, the rate went on decreasing as the years went by. Owing to those worrying figures of juvenile delinquencies cases, that evidence is strong enough to find ways of addressing them in order to reduce them considerably if not to totally eradicate them. Actually, without unique techniques of preventing juvenile delinquency, more youths are most likely to involve themselves in criminal and risky activities making the figures to rise again tremendously. Importantly, there are multiple strategies which can be implemented that aim at solving those problems. In a point of fact, there are several factors that make young people to involve in delinquency which include various family circumstances. Thus, this paper elaborates how a legislator can implement strategies that can be used to control and prevent delinquency. Delinquency Control and Prevention Strategies Since the family is the organizational unit that has been mandated the crucial role of bringing up children, a legislator can use it to control and curb delinquency. In this scenario, a number of family interventions should be put in place. The first intervention is family knowledge training plan (Velleman, Templeton & Copello, 2005). The families where one or both parents are drug addicts would be helped as much as possible to avoid using drugs. Such parents would play a crucial role of reciprocating that knowledge to their children. The trainers would help both the children and parents to change their negative thinking and focus more on the positive ideas. In order to help children grow physically, sociologically and spiritually, parents would be obliged to allow their children to associate with the right peer groups (Loeber, Farrington & Petechuk, 2003). Therefore, the young people would be taught good peer groups that they can join. Parents would also be taught good supervision to their children in order not to be too strict neither lenient on their children’s behaviour (Velleman, Templeton, & C opello, 2005). Additionally, parents would learn how to influence their children to acceptable behaviour both at home and in the society. Parents influencing their children in the right way would be critical in curbing delinquency because frequently, majority of the youth normally follow their parents’ recommendations. On the other side, government officials and other stakeholders willing to

Introduction to Law Enforcement unit 2 DB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Introduction to Law Enforcement unit 2 DB - Essay Example According to (BLS,2012)Police officers protect lives and property. Detectives and criminal investigators, who sometimes are called agents or special agents, gather facts and collect evidence of possible crimes. The role of the law enforcement authorities should change as the circumstances and threats surrounding a county is always unstable.For eg: Since the September 1 1th terrorist attack the role and responsibilities of law enforcement has changed for good. As per (Walsh,2009)†The field of law enforcement has changed greatly since I became involved in public safety in 1985, and my career in Wenham in 1987†. The main change I would like to make is the abuse of drugs among students and selling of drug on the street.This is because protection of young generation is the foremost duty of the law enforcement agents. According to (Bennett,2010)†Illicit drug abuse is seriously affecting our children, our schools, our workplaces and our society†. Bennett, W. J. (2010, September 4). We ignore rise in drug abuse among kids. In http://articles.cnn.com. Retrieved June 12, 2012, from http://articles.cnn.com/2010-09-24/opinion/bennett.drug.abuse_1_drug-overdose-drug-abuse-illegal-drugs?_s=PM:OPINION Walsh, K. M. (2009, February 18). Walsh: Law enforcement changes over 20 years. In .wickedlocal.com/. Retrieved June 12, 2012, from http://www.wickedlocal.com/ hamilton/news/lifestyle/ columnists/

Effects of Late Procurement for Specialist Subcontractors

Effects of Late Procurement for Specialist Subcontractors 1.1. Overview This dissertation sets out to explore the various reasons why there are delays in the subcontractor procurement process in UK Construction Industry. The dissertation will be focusing on purely the private sector of the industry and determining what effects the late procurement can have on the project, both in terms of the commercial and programme implications. The procurement process in construction begins with the client tendering the project to the main contractors. This dissertation will not focus on this element of the procurement process and will in turn focus purely on the procurement of the specialist subcontractor trades. A specialist subcontractor is defined as a contractor appointed to carry out activities in the development of a built asset that involve specialist construction knowledge and skills, (Specialist Sub-contractor, 2016) The reason for this topic is due to the working environment in which the author current works, the author is a project manager in the glazing facade industry working on major projects in the UK construction industry. The issues surrounding late procurement has been disused both on sites and in the academic environment for many years and links have been made between the number of claims for delay and variations, and the pre-construction process (Mosey, 2009). Benefits of early procurement can include the ability to value engineer solutions, correct design co-ordination, review more sustainable solutions and many more. 1.2. Hypothesis The research will demonstrate that late procurement can harm more than the programme on a project, it will show that late procurement can affect the design and quality of the project. The evidence will also show the negative effects that late procurement can have on the BREAM status of a building/ project and sustainability. 1.3. Null Hypothesis Late procurement has no effect on the project in any way. 1.4. Aims To explore the various types of procurement in the private UK Construction Industry To determine what classes as late procurement and understand the main and most common reasons for late procurements To evaluate what are the benefits to late and early procurement in terms of the key project requirements; Time Quality Cost. BREAM/Sustainability An additional aim to the dissertation, if sufficient time and resources are available. What can be done to improve the procurement processes 1.5. Objectives Read up on the various different procurement methods and strategies and understand which are relevant to the UK construction industry. Interview 4 to 5 individuals from different sectors of the UK construction industry. Speak to various levels of the construction industry project delivery team to understand the effects they believe early and late procurement can have on the industry. Questionnaires will be sent out to the following parties. Main Contractor Project Directors * Main Contractor Senior Procurement managers Main Contractor Senior Quantity Surveyors Main Contractor Project Managers / Package Managers * Main Contractor Site Managers Main Contractor Design Managers Architects * Specialist Sub-Contract Directors* Specialist Sub-Contract Project Managers* * Indicates the various project members which interviews will be completed with. 2.1. Introduction The initial literature review will explore the various documents which have been reviewed against each aim. This will highlight where there is a vast amount of literature available and where alternative options have had to be used, as set out in the objectives previously. A literature review (also called literature research study or literature survey) groups relevant ideas and evidence from secondary sources into a logical flow, addressing significance and understanding. (Laycock, Howarth, Watson, 2016) 2.2. The various stages of the procurement process Before the procurement process can be understood the term procurement needs to be understood. Dr Denise Bower stated that procurement is the term used to describe the overarching process of the identification, selection and acquisition of civil engineering services and materials, their transport, the execution or implementation; and subsequent project performance. (Bower, 2003). As in any project, there are various elements which need to be procured, in construction these different elements tend to be larger and require sub-contractors to be procured on various different contracts to manage the design, supply and installation of the various elements. The acquisition of the various trade will be linked to the programme, the type of procurement and contract which is being used. One of the first thing which must be created is the Project Execution Plan (PEP), the PEP sets out how the project which has been defined in the strategic brief will be procured (Morledge Smith, 2013). The PEP is directly linked to the procurement approach which can be dictated by the constraints of the project or by the client. As mentioned, the procurement process is directly linked to the programme, for both on and off site. The programme as a whole is linked to the construction process which is stipulated by British Standards BS 6079-1:2010, which is titled, Project management. Principles and guidelines for the management of projects. There are various different stages to the construction process and this is clearly depicted in Figure 1. Figure 1typical stages of a Construction Project (Harris McCaffer, 2013) The British Standard for procurement policies, strategies and procedures are under BS 8532:2011. This document provides the backbone for the procurement division in the UK construction industry. The document states that it gives recommendations and guidance on the development within a public or private sector organization of policies, strategies and procedures for the procurement of construction in the built environment. (British Standards Institution, 2011). Figure 2 portrays a decision structure for which forms of procurement should be used, the structure highlights the main frequently used forms of procurement in the construction sector. Figure 2 Identifying the Procurement process (British Standards Institution, 2011) 2.3. What classes as late procurement Late procurement in its simplest terms can be explained as when the procurement process chosen does not leave enough time to complete the programme to meet all three demands of the performance triangle as shown in Figure 3. Majority of specialist subcontractors packages are design and build. This means that if there is a delay in the procurement process it is the offsite period which is effected as the end date on a construction project rarely moves, unless the delay is due to the client. Figure 3 The Performance triangle Cost, Performance/Quality, time A Design and Build contract is a single source approach in the sense that, generally, the eventual contractor takes on single-point responsibility to develop the entire design and deliver the works according to the clients requirement (Bower, 2003). A reduced design period makes design coordination between the different trades, especially in the specialist works, where the original intent by the clients architect may not adhere to CDM and building regulation. Late procurement in complex projects could be classed as a lot earlier than in the more standard buildings. A complex project can be classed as a project where it is not a standard structure or a repeated building such a chain hotel etc. Banwells report from 1964 stated that specialist consultants, some of whom may infact also be specialist contractor, should be brought in at the earliest stage as full members of a design team (Banwell, 1964). Obviously the precise period when procurement can be classed as early and when it can be classed as late is debateable and will come down to a commercial decision from the main contractor. 2.4. The positive effects early procurement can have on a project The discussion over the benefits of early procurement / contractor involvement has been discussed for over 50 years, Banwell report 1964. In 1998 the Egan report was publish and this was the turning point for the construction industry as he recommended a radical rethink, it was this report which lead to the creation of the Construction Industry Council (CIC). The Construction Industry Council (CIC) is the representative forum for the professional bodies, research organisations and specialist business associations in the construction industry. (Construction Industry Council 2017, 2017) David Mosey looked into this subject in a great deal, he stated that, a procurement model which omits contactor and specialist design contributions can increase risk and can result in poor communications between team members, unnecessary delays to progress of the project and the creation of incorrect information that leads to claims and disputes. (Mosey, 2009). This outlook is in line with many other academics, the JCT CE guide also states that, It is important that contractors and any key specialists are engaged early, ideally at a stage when the proposed design is not complete so that it is possible for the contractor and key specialists to consider ways in which the design can be made easier to build and maintain (JCT CE Guide, 2006). Design consultants are also in favour of this approach, the CIRIA (Construction Industry Research and Information Association) interviewed John Hayward, director of Mott MacDonald in 1998. He was quoted as stating Our preferred approach, particularly on more complex projects, is to select the contractor who will construct the project at concept stage. The primary objective is optimise buildability and thus improve delivery against time and cost criteria, (CIRIA, 1998). By engaging contractors and specialist contractors at an early stage allows the creation of improved details which follow the build sequence as well as reduce build costs on site for re visits etc. The early involvement approach reduces the focus on the client. The design and built contract relies on the client expressing a clear performance brief at the outset and leaving the main contactor to determine its own means to complete the project in line with the required cost, time an quality parameters. (Mosey, 2009). The client would normally employ their own design team, architects etc, to generate this clear brief, by engaging a core team of specialist contractors this brief can be specifics and accurtate regarding specifications and details. This will reduce and remove some of the off-site time once a contractor is appointed as the brief should be transparent to both to contractor and the subcontractors tendering for the various packages. 3.1. Introduction This chapter will discuss and evaluate the proposed methods which will be undertaken in the research of the dissertation. The different research methods have been carefully chosen by the author based on the title and topic environment. 3.2. Research Paradigms A paradigm, in business, is a model of something, or a very clear and typical example of something (Cambridge Dictionary, 2017). Even though paradigms have increased through the raise in social media, there are still mainly two, Positivism and Anti-positivism. The third paradigm which will be considered in this research is critical theory. (Dr. Nirod K. Dash, June 2005) Positivism, in philosophy, adheres to the view that only factual knowledge gained through observation, including measurement, is trustworthy. (Dudovskiy, Positivism Research Philosophy, 2017) This is a very scientific approach and relies on fact and data rather than thoughts and opinions. Anti-Positivism can also be referred to as interpretive sociology or interpretivist. This is when the researcher interprets the elements of the study and uses their own thoughts, opinions and believes in order to arrive at a conclusion. This method of study usually focus on meaning and may employ multiple methods in order to reflect different aspects of the issue. (Dudovskiy, Interpretivism (interpretivist) Research Philosophy, 2017) Critical theory suggests action research methods to explore the current field knowledge. This is generally used to solve problems immediately. This form of research will form from the back of the interviews when interviewing site level members of the project team. Table 4 The three research paradigms and the various methods (Dr. Nirod K. Dash, June 2005) Research paradigms Research approach Research methods Examples Positivism Quantitative Surveys: Questionnaires longitudinal, cross-sectional, correlational; experimental, Survey of procurement managers into the percentage of late procured packages per major project. Anti-positivism Qualitative Biographical; Phenomenological; Ethnographical; case study Reviewing the literature which is already been written. Completing interviews with different sectors an interpreting their responses. Critical theory Critical and action-oriented Ideology critique; action research In field questionnaires and interviews 3.3. Data Collection Various different types of data will be collected from the different research methods that have been proposed above. These different methods where chosen in order to gain an increased understanding of the industry as a whole, not just from an academic or site level. The different methods will also allow a large amount of different data to be collected, analysed and reviewed. Positivism research will lead to primary data through the surveys and questionnaires. 3.4. Methods 3.4.1. Objective 1 In order to explore the various types of procurement in the private UK Construction Industry the author will complete an extensive literature review. This review will examine the data from research which has been complete by other academics, this will secondary data. Secondary data will be reviewed as this will provide an alternative opinion on the current and past industry. A wide range of opinions will be critical when reviewing the primary data which will be collected from interviews and questionnaires The emphasis of this objective is also to evaluate how much change has happened in the procurement practise to see if the role of a specialist subcontract has been considered when developing the process. In order to understand this the interview with the Main Contractor Procurement leaders will help explain from a practical level whether the theory mentioned in the literature review is completed in the field. The only issue with this method of research is that the academic literature may be one sided or based on past practice and not reflective of the current UK construction industry. 3.4.2. Objective 2 Determining what classes as late procurement and understanding the main and most common reasons for late procurements will be achieved through primary data, the data will be collected by different members of the UK construction industry completing interviews. In order to achieve a rounded and diverse set of responses the author will also aim to interview difference companies in the same sector. The interview questions will be created following an extensive literature review and a review of the questionnaires. The interview questions will contain the same core questions for each sector in order to achieve a broad understanding of the different opinions of late procurement. There will be different role specific questions which will be directed towards the environment that each interviewee works in. 3.4.3. Objective 3 Exploring the perception of late/early procurement and what effects it has on the construction industry will be the hardest objective to complete. The author will create various surveys aimed at different disciplines to understand the different effects and issues caused by the delay in procurement. The questionnaires for the procurement team will try to gain an understanding into the procurement procedure they follow and whether it is by personal choice, company procedure or effected by time critical requirements. The questionnaires will be sent to colleagues in the authors working environment which will then be passed on to their colleagues, this is referred to as snowball sampling. This method has many benefits including; Reaching members of the construction industry in high positions which would have been previously unachievable. Saving time, as other people are sending the questionnaire around the various other individuals No large scale pre planning required, the author will just have to speak to the various key members about the request. However, there are also some disadvantages to this technique; Lack of control over who takes part in the survey Sampling bias as the initial subjects will pass the questionnaire onto their close colleague who may be in similar positions or have the similar options. (Explorable, 2017) 3.5. Research model The model displayed below highlights the various stages which will be completed during the research stage of the project. The first 3 stages have already been completed, along with the definition of the aims. The next stage is to complete the objectives and then review and analyse the data collected. Figure 4 A flow chart depicting the dissertation process 3.6. Gantt chart displaying target project dates Table 6, Gantt chart displaying the target dissertation timeline In summary the author has shown that there has been previous research into the proposed topic, however this research has been into the various procurement strategies and the benefits of early contractor involvement. There has not been much research into the effects of late procurement or the reasons for late procurement. This is where data from the interviews and questionnaires will be harnessed. The methodology clearly portrays that the results from the questionnaire and literature review will be used to create the interview questions. This method will allow any gaps in information to be capture in the interviews, it will also allow some of the more challenging questions to be clearly answered by the interviewee. The main challenge that the author will face is participation with members of the industry for the questionnaires and interviews. The benefit of working in the industry and on major construction site is that the author will have personal links to various members on the industry, this should aid in the response rate. References Banwell. (1964). Banwell Report The Placing and Management of Contacts for building and Civil Engineering Work. London: HMSO. Bower, D. D. (2003). Management of Procurement. London: Thomas Yelford Publishing. British Standards Institution. (2011). BS 8534:2011 Construction procurement policies, strategies and procedures. BSI Standards Publications. Cambridge Dictionary. (2017, March 01). Paradigm. Retrieved from Cambridge Dictionary: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/paradigm CIRIA. (1998). Selecting Contractors by Value. London: Construction Industry Research and Information Association. Construction Industry Council 2017. (2017, March 7). Retrieved from Construction Industry Council: http://cic.org.uk/ Dr. Nirod K. Dash, I. (June 2005). Module: Selection of the Research Paradigm and Methodology. Manchester Meropolitan University. Dudovskiy, J. (2017, Feb 28). Interpretivism (interpretivist) Research Philosophy. Retrieved from Research Methodology: http://research-methodology.net/research-philosophy/interpretivism/ Dudovskiy, J. (2017, March 01). Positivism Research Philosophy. Retrieved from Research Methodology: http://research-methodology.net/research-philosophy/positivism/ Explorable. (2017, March 05). Snowball Sampling. Retrieved from Explorable: https://explorable.com/snowball-sampling Harris, F., McCaffer, R. (2013). Modern Construction Management. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell. JCT CE Guide. (2006). JCT Constructing Excellence Contract Guide. London: Sweet Maxwell. Laycock, E., Howarth, T., Watson, P. (2016). The Journey to Dissertation Success. Oxon: Routledge. Morledge, R., Smith, A. (2013). Building Procurment. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell. Mosey, D. (2009). Early Contractor Involvement in Building Procurement- Contracts, Partnering and Project Managment. Wiley Blackwell. Specialist Sub-contractor. (2016, Jan 21). Retrieved from Designing Building Wiki: https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Specialist_contractor Please find attached at the end of the report the following documents 6.1 Research Ethics Checklist for Students (Page 19 to 25) 6.2 Participant Information Document (Page 26 to 27) 6.3 Participant Consent Form (Page 28 to 29) RESEARCH ETHICS  CHECKLIST FOR STUDENTS (SHUREC7) This form is designed to help students and their supervisors to complete an ethical scrutiny of proposed research. The SHU ResearchEthicsPolicy should be consulted before completing the form. Answering the questions below will help you decide whether your proposed research requires ethical review by a Designated Research Ethics Working Group. The final responsibility for ensuring that ethical research practices are followed rests with the supervisor for student research. Note that students and staff are responsible for making suitable arrangements for keeping data secure and, if relevant, for keeping the identity of participants anonymous. They are also responsible for following SHU guidelines about data encryption and research data management. The form also enables the University and Faculty to keep a record confirming that research conducted has been subjected to ethical scrutiny. For student projects, the form may be completed by the student and the supervisor and/or module leader (as applicable). In all cases, it should be counter-signed by the supervisor and/or module leader, and kept as a record showing that ethical scrutiny has occurred. Students should retain a copy for inclusion in their research projects, and staff should keep a copy in the student file. Please note if it may be necessary to conduct a health and safety risk assessment for the proposed research. Further information can be obtained from the Faculty Safety Co-ordinator. General  Details Name of student Katherine Louise Walter Course or qualification (student) MSc Construction Project Managements Title of proposed research The effects of late procurement for specialist subcontractors in the Uk Construction Industry Proposed start date January 2017 Proposed end date October 2017 Brief outline of research to include, rationale aims (250-500 words). This dissertation sets out to explore the various reasons why there are delays in the subcontractor procurement process in UK Construction industry. The dissertation will be focusing on purely the private sector of the industry and determining what effects the late procurement can have on the project, both in terms of the commercial and program implications. The main aims of the dissertation are; 1.To explore the various types of procurement in the private UK Construction Industry 2.To determine what classes as late procurement and understand the main and most common reasons for late procurements 3.To evaluate what are the major effects on late procurement and do they aid or hamper the three key feature of a successful project a) Time b) Quality c) Cost. d) BREAM/Sustainability 4.What can be done to improve the procurement processes Where data is collected from individuals, outline the nature of data, details of anonymisation, storage and disposal procedures if required (250-500 words). Data will be collected from individuals in the construction sector via interviews and questionnaires. The nature of the data will be both opinions and facts. The opinions will be taken from various sectors of the construction industry in order to gain a wide range of data. The questionnaires will also be sent to various different employees for different companies. This approach will try to avoid results being effected by one companies practice. The data received from the questionnaires will then be used to generate questions for interviews. These interviews will try to focus down into some of the trends displayed in the questionnaires. The interview will also ask questions about the company procedures as well as the individuals thoughts and opinions on how the system could be improved. 1.  Health  Related Research Involving  the  NHS  or  Social Care/Community  Care  or  the  Criminal Justice  Service  or  with research  participants  unable  to  provide  informed  consent Questi

The Role of the Modern Woman Essay -- Women

Diana Spencer, more commonly known as Princess Diana – or even Princess Di to some – was with out a doubt one of the most influential women of our lifetime. Diana represented what the woman of the 20th Century could become. Strong willed, independent and gorgeous all at once. Not in recent history had royalty, much less that of the United Kingdom, connected so well with the people. She was the first member of the royal family to travel the globe and meet with children victim to land mines and HIV/AIDS. Diana held so much power – and was loved so much by her people – that at her funeral, some referred to her as the Queen of the People. It is said by some that because of her extraordinary influence over the English nation, she suffered an untimely death. Diana was with out question adored by the English people, as well as by foreigners. However, the role she played – which she did with extreme grace – was a relatively new one. One hundred, fifty, even twenty years ago, women were not expected to play the role Diana played. There was no such thing as divorced royalty traveling to devastated parts of the third world countries raising awareness of peoples’ plights. One hundred years ago, women played extremely different roles than they do now. Most educated people are aware of this, however, the evolution of the role women partake in society is one that is not told often. In the past hundred years, two periods really stand out as periods where women made advances in how they were seen by society. The first was in the 1920s when they were granted suffrage. The second was in the 1970s with the rise of the Modern Feminist Movement. The evolution of society’s view of women is best illustrated in the visual publ ications of the last hu... ...ositions in the government, large corporations, even in certain religions. Women have made large and permanent advances that are milestones in this country. Though much needs to be done in other parts of the world – even within the United States – progress is inevitable. Sooner of later, one way or another, change will come. Works Cited The Modern Woman: A Look at Who She Is and How She Got There http://www.ellisparkerbutler.info/epb/pic/womans_world_1913_09_a.jpg http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0000AIZ63.03.LZZZZZZZ.jpg http://www.thespiderawards.com/AwardsPass/WINNERS-NOMINEES/PRO- fashion/images/Flapper.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacqueline_Lee_Bouvier http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/powers_of_persuasion/its_a_womans_war_too/images_ html/images/we_can_do_it.jpg http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&se=gglsc&d=5002183556&er=deny

James Poniewozik, “Reality TV at 10: How It’s Changed Television †and Us” Essay

Reality programs can be divided into two large categories: competitions (such as American Idol) and voyeuristic events (such as Real Housewives). The reality television phenomenon is part of a larger societal shift in terms of privacy and self-expression. For a select few, reality shows have given them significant real-life opportunities. Reality programs contain qualities that can be labeled American. The best and worst of reality television shows contain aspirational and democratic qualities. They give the common man a chance in the spot light. They can also revolve around issues, such as job satisfaction and security, which are of topical concern to many Americans. Part 2: The experience of watching the video of the Susan Boyle’s first appearance on Britain’s Got Talent illustrates very clearly one of Steven Johnson’s arguments in his article â€Å"Watching TV Makes You Smarter†: â€Å"When we watch these shows, the part of our brain that monitors the emotional lives of the people around us – the part that tracks subtle shifts in intonation and gesture and facial expression – scrutinizes the action on the screen looking for clues. † We see very clearly Simon Cowell’s eye-rolling at :30, in response to Boyle’s announcement that she is 47 years old. After Boyle announces that her dream is to be a professional singer, there is a cut to a young woman in the audience who smirks and rolls her eyes. When Boyle remarks that she wants to be as successful as Elaine Page, there is another cut to the audience to show their disbelief. All of this occurs before Boyle even begins to sing. The audience and the judges, through their facial expressions, have clearly indicated that they believe Boyle to be delusional. As soon as Boyle opens her mouth, cameras focus on the judges’ wide eyes and the microphones pick up the audiences’ wild cheers. The commentator echoes the audiences’ initial impressions: â€Å"you didn’t expect that did you. † This sentiment is directly addressed by the judges in their commentary: Boyle is referred to as the â€Å"biggest surprise† in the show’s history. Cowell’s comments are filled with irony: he says that he knew as soon as he saw Boyle that he was in for something â€Å"extraordinary. † Watching this video at a later date is instructive. Now, there are very few people who do not know of Susan Boyle and her story. However, in looking at this video from her first appearance on the show, we know that her voice is going to be amazing. With all of the benefits of hindsight, we can observe closely the audience’s and judges’ first reactions to this middle-aged woman in need of a makeover (by the standards of reality television). We can engage our cognitive processes, as Johnson argues, in order to analyze more closely how we can be deceived by our first impressions of reality show personalities.

McCarthyism was more than just McCarthy essays

McCarthyism was more than just McCarthy essays 'McCarthy gave his name to an age, but there was far more to McCarthyism than McCarthy' McCarthy may have given his name to an era but there was much more to McCarthyism than just one man. In this essay the argument will be that there were many factors leading up to the McCarthy era both internal and external and that McCarthy found a platform in anticommunist fear, as it was popular issue at the time. And his fall from grace in 1954 may also be attributed to both internal and external factors that appeared to alleviate the anticommunist threat. Today we call it the McCarthy era. While convenient, the tribute is not without reason. McCarthys villainy was so plain that his name became a curse in the year of his control. Characterised as crass and unprincipled, an unimaginative opportunist, and a distinctly second rate politician, McCarthy was also a shrewd judge of public attitudes and temper . This blend made him an overpowering enemy. Elected into the senate in 1946 McCarthy was almost invisible on the public scene until 9 February 1950 . It was then in Wheeling, West Virginia, that he stumbled upon his cause. But the elements of McCarthyism were hardly McCarthys alone, nor did they diminish after his fall. Joe McCarthy was just one, and not the brightest, of the many inquisitors of the time. He was not a resourceful as his friend J. Edgar Hoover . While McCarthy made the notion of security risks in the federal bureaucracy a national obsession from 1950 to 1954, the foundations were well layed before his arrival and stem med back to 1945 and the end of the Second World War. However even before the war had ended the ruminations of anticommunism had begun with the introduction of the Smith Act which prohibited the teaching or advocating the overthrow of the government . Also before the end of the war the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) were confronting people who worked in the state d...

Customer care in hospitality The WritePass Journal

Customer care in hospitality Introduction Customer care in hospitality IntroductionTypes of Customers:Customer:1. Teenagers:2. Families: (Parents and Children)3. Business clientele:Customer Care policy:1. Quick service:2. Quality policy:3.   Equal opportunities policy(Internal customer policy):Evaluate the Customer Care policy:a) Internal customer:b) Position of the Organisation: c) Trends:d) Targets:a) Listening to the customer:b) Provide appropriate tranning to the staff: c) Analysis of   customer complaints and feedback at your regular intervals:ConclusionRelated Introduction McDonald’s is the biggest fast food service company in the world. McDonalds provide a fast food meals and soft drink to eat in restaurant or take away. McDonald which is located near the Broadway centre is providing a better service to the customers. This outlet is getting very busy in peak hours due to its location. It is in the centre of a major public transport hub. This outlet is established from last 30 years. There are 32,000 restaurants, who served 55 million people in a day. McDonald’s having an outlet in more than 118 countries all over the world. McDonalds first opened in California, USA. In 1940 Mr. ray Kroc take over a franchisee of the McDonalds brother (Dick and Mac) and started opening the new restaurant according to the McDonalds concept. In 1974, McDonalds started his first restaurant in United Kingdom. As of 31st December 2001, McDonalds and his franchisees running over 1,184 outlets in the United Kingdom. The reason to choose this organization because McDonald gives the best quality of foods and beverages to the customers in a lower price. McDonalds gives high standard of service to achieve their customer expectations. McDonalds knows the value of customer. allinlondon.co.uk/directory/1165/19839.php  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1 Types of Customers: Customer: Customers are actual who purchase the Product / Services. Hospitality Industry Customer Hospitality having a various kind of Customer which  Ã‚  Ã‚   is depends on their Needs, Budget, Expectations and Satisfaction. This Hospitality business had different types of customer which include Families, Teenagers and Business Clientele etc. 1. Teenagers: It is cheaper than other organizations. So, most of teenagers find it more affordable and some McDonald outlets offer a internet facilities in their restaurants, which is become common in most of the restaurants to increase the customers. Lots of the teenagers find easier to take a quick bite, which save more time of teenagers. There is also a student discount. 2. Families: (Parents and Children) Most of the children love to have a food and Beverages in McDonalds so, many families take their children to enjoy the McDonald environment. There are different types of menu which includes light and heavy food. McDonald also research the health issues of the customer. Most of the McDonald serves the health conscious food in their outlets for examples; they are using less salt and oil in the food to provide the health conscious food to every customer. 3. Business clientele: Business customer are always in rush for working in the morning. Normally Business customers always have a short period of time to spend a break. So, they prefer the McDonald for takeaway according to their needs and expectations. McDonald provide a quick and efficient service to the business people without wasting their priceless time. McDonalds which is located in Hammersmith Broadway, there are Disney store where the families are coming with their children to do the shopping for the kids. This McDonald has a many number of customers because of it location, like tube station and shopping mall are nearby to the McDonald. So, therefore that outlet having a different types of age group customers. The price of McDonald keeps on changing but the McDonald at Hammersmith Broadway has a happy meal for the kid’s party at Just 5.99 pound. The starting and closing time of the McDonald at Hammersmith Broadway is Monday to Sunday (6.00a.m to 23.00p.m) But on Friday it open till 12.00a.m in night. McDonald at Hammersmith Broadway provides a best service to the customer and they know the value of the customers. Also, they know how to make a profit to the organization to keeps a guest happy. McDonald’s Corporation (2008) Customer Care policy: 1. Quick service:   According to their services McDonalds gives a 100% satisfactions to the customer McDonald ensure that each and every order goes correctly and always double checked done by the team members. If any mistake has been done in the customer order and they are not satisfied with their service, McDonald policy is that to make it correct by offer complementary meal to the customer for service recovery. McDonalds have different types of policy while dealing with customer. They follow first order goes first and then to second order. According to this policy the operation always remain smooth and the customers always be happy with the efficient service. This policy helps them to work easily and provide excellent and quality service to the customer. http:www.makeupyourownmind.co.uk/questions/how-do-you-operate/customer –service/index8.html#question11 2. Quality policy: The management of McDonald’s constantly strives to: 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Improving its standards of food safety and hygiene 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Providing excellent customer service 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Food safety programmes and Assurance of quality. 4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Control of every link in its supply chain. Management of mcdonalds is committed to maintain the highest standards in terms of quality,value and cleanliness. The management is fully determined in exceeding its customer needs in the way   of quality assurance and foof safety programmes. Effective communication on all the levels is the key for keeping tracks of guest complaints and following up with necessary measures. 3.   Equal opportunities policy(Internal customer policy): According to the policy, every employee had equal rights. So, employees love to work comfortable in a proper environment. There is no discrimination of age, nationality, disabled, ethnic origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, and colour. They prefer if you make your staff happy than staff will make your guest happy. Every employee treated with respect and   provided   training   and   development   educations to improve their skills and knowledge , so that training would make them professional towards their work, it includes health and safety, secure working, hygiene and environment. Any employee who is found guilty for unlawful discrimination may face disciplinary action. bized.co.uk/comfact/mcdonalds/mc15.htm Importance of Effective Customer care in hospitality: Customer Service is the essence of hospitality industry. Customers are the back bone for the success of any organisation. Effective communication on all levels of the organisation is very important to impress or disappoint each customer. Every hotelier should be attentive and passionate about customer needs. If the customers are satisfied, you are building a relationship based on trust and loyalty. If the organization is successful in meeting the customer needs, then the customers are more likely to come again to the hotels or become regular customer for that organisation. Some organisation may provide the best service, but they are not fast enough, hence it may lose the important customers and several other referrals. McDonalds always strives to take good care of their customers and provide a service that exceeds customers expectations by providing and offering various options in their menu and encouraging the customers for any feedback or suggestions. McDonald works on the principle that the customer needs to be treated with priority and he should see value as well as quality in what he gets. Every management tries its level best to meet or exceed the customer expectations as it the only mantra for any organization to increase its revenue. The happier customers are more likely to spend more at your establishment. If they are given some small discounts or vouchers, it is more likely that they some back the next day and spend even more on of the other products of your organization. If the staff is friendly and polite it acts as cherry on the cake as the customers some back knowing that they will get a good customer service with a smile and acknowledgment. McDonald believes that it’s better to find a solution for a problem rather than running away from it. The staff are given appropriate training to deal any consequences or problems hence McDonald always encourages its associates to solve any problems which also motivates and builds confidence   in them and makes the customer happy making a good impression of the organization.   McDonalds’ provides highest level of quality, food, service and hygiene at each and every restaurant. The key for its success is constantly monitoring and keeping a track of guest complaints and acting on the feedbacks given by customers to make necessary changes in terms of service, food, quality, and value for money which urges the customers to come back again and again. McDonalds encourages all its associates and customer care department to be open for any feedback from the customers and act on it. Meeting the customer needs is very important for any organization to make profit and for that it is very important to recognize what the customer wants and how much is willing to pay for it. Evaluate the Customer Care policy: Why to evaluate? a) Internal customer: By evaluating the internal customer of a specific age helps to built a relationship with the same age group customers. By checking the evaluation of internal customer and the policies which were implied by the company for the customer helps us to know the benefit of the policy which was implemented. b) Position of the Organisation: By evaluating the organisation comes to know the position, strength, weakness and rating. It helps to compare the organisation with other competitor.   There is some point’s like- What’s going on in the market? What are the competitor’s policies? How the Organisation will use it in an effective way? c) Trends: There are different types of trends in the market. By evaluating we come to know the latest trends in the market and new technology through which guest will be attracted. d) Targets: Every organisation has a goals and targets. It is also helps to complete the targets and achieve the goals of the company and to get the regular business. How to evaluate? a) Listening to the customer: It is very important in any organisation to listen to the customer complaints or suggessions in   order to meet or exceed his expectations. According to Avril owton Customer love to share and talk about their experience and give suggestions to improve the service or standards. b) Provide appropriate tranning to the staff: It is the staff who represents your organisation, in other words they are the face of your organisation. It is the staff who will delever the final product to the customer an make him happy. Hence the primary objective of any organisation to keep iots policies intact is to providew appropriate traning to its staff in terms of the service to be delivered better than the competitors. (William.bmartin,1993) c) Analysis of   customer complaints and feedback at your regular intervals: It is very important for any oraganisation to analyse the customer complaints as well act on it as soon as possible to win the customers loyalty. Organisation should also give a proper feedback to the customers.(avril owton) Conclusion It is clear that the good customer service is vital in any kind of business. The good customer care always performs best in front of the guest. In results, the satisfied customers always return to the business and give the profit to the organisation. According to the McDonalds â€Å"success of their restaurant is gained through their customer†. McDonalds build a good reputation with a customer so, they knows the expectation and demand of the customer always been change. McDonalds always do a market research from which they got information about customer likes and dislikes. According to market research McDonald implement the new things to attract the customer. They know if the customers receive the good service than the customer will be regular for the organisation

Analyze the content of TEN advertisements Research Paper

Analyze the content of TEN advertisements - Research Paper Example The paper "Analyze the content of TEN advertisements" analyzes ten articles. According to the theory, advertisements make people get addicted to unnecessary things and new habits. The second advertisement is that of Ford Mustang 2013. This advertisement lasts nearly 2 minutes and it appeared on television. In the advertisement, the new Ford Mustang 2013 runs down a beautiful street which is full of beautiful people. As the car moves, all people including children watch with admiration. In issues like that of Ford Mustang, one can apply the theory of Interractionism too. According to this theory, (as cited in Herman & Reynolds, 1994, p. 25) the advertisements create a virtual world of modern self. This helps create a new need to buy the new products. In the case of Ford Mustang 2013, the advertisement shows that people watch the new product with admiration. Thus, the viewer develops the feeling that getting that model is a necessary step to get admiration in society. Coca Cola adverti sement is the third one. It appeared on television and it lasts nearly two minutes. The advertisement starts when a young guy inserts a coin in the cola vending machine. The coin initiates a series of events inside the machine in which unnatural creatures fill cola in the bottle in an unnatural place and finally the bottle is handed over to the guy. Evidently the advertisement is capitalizing on the mystery regarding the preparation of coca cola. Admittedly, various rumors regarding the mystery of cola’s preparation can be a weakness. ... However, in the above stated ad of Coca Cola, one can see the art of capitalizing on the so called weakness. 4. Woman’s Horlicks is the third important advertisement. This advertisement is on print media. The advertisement shows a jar in the shape of a woman. The advertisement reads: â€Å"Your husband needs you, your children need you, your family needs you, your neighbors need you, your pets need you, your plants need you.† And the final statement goes: â€Å"And your health needs you.† Thereafter the advertisement contains extensive information about the nutrition content of the supplement. Here, it seems that one should think about the influence of sociological images to understand the importance of this advertisement. In the case of people, always ‘seeing is believing.’ That means through compelling images and statements, it is possible to develop the sociological imagination of people. A woman finds the advertisement of Horlicks something like a wake-up call. 5. The fifth advertisement is that of Nike. It appeared on print media. The advertisement shows a cheetah running at high speed. The cheetah has the trade mark of Nike on its belly. The heading of the advertisement reads: â€Å"What is the secret of this speed?† At the left bottom of the advertisement, it reads: â€Å"Ask the master.† And the right bottom of the advertisement shows the name of Nike and its trademark. The advertisement wants to compare Nike with the fastest animal on earth. In this case, the study by Lutz and Lutz (1977) seems useful. The study proves that interactive picture sequences have the power to enhance subsequent item recognition. When

The Politics of Organisational Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Politics of Organisational Change - Essay Example This is a change from transactional leadership, a traditionalist governance system where rewards are strictly contingent on performance from a functionalist perspective. Trust-based philosophies in transformational leadership are designed to foster job role autonomy and flexibility, thus promoting employee freedom to ensure dedication and loyalty to meeting organisational objectives. The multiple constituencies perspective is inter-linked with chosen management philosophy as it relates to connecting with subordinate personnel with recognition of emotions and psychological needs related to their decision-making power in the organisation. It is not until these needs are satisfied that change can be enacted successfully as constituencies in the organisation respond according to perception of politics rather than the tangible realities of change, politics and organisational design. The politics of change and psycho-social considerations The multiple constituencies approach to organisational development recognises the foundations and validity of the psychological contract as a template methodology for enacting more consensus-based organisational changes. This post-modern approach to managing people and leading them through organisational change practices rejects unitarism as a viable management strategy, a system of governance that is centralized and control is established through non-consensus governance actors (Grieves). Effectively, in order to attain commitment and adherence to change practices, the subordinate constituency must be granted recognizable power-sharing opportunities throughout the change processes to promote perceptions of autonomous working environments; a lean toward organisational democracyÃ'Ž. However, in order for a legitimate and true democracy to exist, it must sustain seven distinct characteristics. These are freedom, openness, trust, transparency, fairness, equality and accountability (Bar rett 2010). â€Å"If there is no consensus within organisations, there can be little potentiality for the peaceful resolution of political differences associated (with change)† (Almond and Verba, p.251). Planned change, such as the push and pull factors identified through Force Field Analysis, dictate the need for negotiated strategies in order to maximise positive change outcomes. For instance, when fear of change is identified as it relates to a specific change goal, fear can be mitigated through more effective interpersonal communications between governance and subordinate work teams or promoting job security as part of the psychological contract. In this case, the leadership of the organisation appeals to the foundational needs of employees as identified in the fundamental Hierarchy of Needs promoted by