Discussion About Genetically Modified Foods Essay

Outline Introduction a. The genetically modified foods are a long issue which is widely debated. b. People feel confused about their safety. I. Views a. ) Magana-Gomez’s argument. b. ) He argues that negative effects of GM food were identified â€Å"at molecular and microscopic levels†. c. ) Curieux-Belfond CL contends that the benefits of genetically modified foods far outweigh the disadvantages. II. Genetically modified foods: Beneficial views & Adverse views a. What is the possible risk for genetically modified crops considering nutrition and health? b. Whether the economic effects are the most important?c. Will it bring severe environment problems? III. Arguments for beneficial effects of GM foods a. Firstly, transgenic technology has made considerable progress in food applications. b. Transgenic food has successfully lowered food prices and ensured food safety. c. GM foods significantly reduce the environmental impact of agriculture. Introduction The author, Magana-Gomez, critically analyzed the risk assessment methods of transgenic food for human nutrition and health in the paper, â€Å"Risk assessment of genetically modified crops for nutrition and health†. Magana reviewed various modes including different feeding period, animal modes and parameters in the paper published in 2011 by Nutrition Reviews (Magana G, 2009). In consistent with his studies, negative effects of GM food were identified â€Å"at molecular and microscopic levels†. However, with our entry into the 21st century, genetically modified foods have undergone even faster development. However, there are also many doubts about the safety of genetically modified foods. Therefore, genetically modified foods have become a hot topic issue. Personally, although there are many controversies about GM food, I still insist on the research and promotion of transgenic food due to its diverse benefits. Views According to Curieux-Belfond CL, he could identify the factors that deserve consideration before â€Å"commercialization and promotion of transgenic food† (182). In this paper, â€Å"Factors to condider before production and commercialization of aquatic genetically modified organisms: the case of transgenic salmon†, the author took transgenic salmon as an example, in which Curieux-Belfond examined the corresponding impacts in terms of aquaculture, wildlife, ecosystem and human health. The paper published in 2011 by Evironmental Science & Policy suggested that GM food undoubtedly contributed to economic benefits without exerting too much extra burden (Curieux B, 2009). In the end, the author believed that the benefits of genetically modified foods far outweigh the disadvantages. Analysis of the benefits of genetically modified foods Magana’s argument is persuasive when he assessed the risks about GM food. However, since genetic engineering techniques have successfully transferred anti-viral, insect resistance, cold resistance and other genes to cotton, wheat, tomatoes and other plants, we can get stable new varieties of genetically modified, with low production cost and high-yield food, which will ease the world food shortage and reduce the use of pesticides to a large extent. Based on the above reasons, I will provide a critical analysis with the following specific examples which show his argument is partially wrong. Firstly, transgenic technology has also made considerable progress in animal food applications. At present, a variety of mammal and bird genes are successfully integrated into the genome of fish, which can significantly enhance transgenic fish muscle protein content and improve growth speed. With the development of genetic engineering technology, people have been freed from natural enzymes to a large extent. Especially when the enzyme obtained from natural protein material encounters difficulties, genetic engineering has the unique advantages of natural gene cloning (Seralini GE, 2011). Thus, it can be highly expressed in microorganisms with mass production by fermentation. At present, the transgenic enzymes are widely used in the food industry, such as maltose enzymes amylase, pectinase and the juice protease. The food nutritional quality modified by genetic engineering has also made remarkable achievements. For instance, the genetic engineering technology has been applied for seed protein improvement, which renders it possible to change the plant composition and amino acid content. Secondly, transgenic food has successfully lowered food prices and ensured food safety, which helps increase production and food supply while reducing the farm labor and pesticide applications, agricultural inputs and production costs (Weasel LH, 2009). In the future, GM crops have great potential in solving the food crisis. For instance, by applying transgenic technology to the human staple foods of rice and wheat, people can increase food production and improve nutritional quality, which will provide mankind with higher-quality food. Furthermore, GM foods have also proved effective in alleviating poverty and hunger. The world’s poorest 50% of the population are small and resource-poor farmers, while 20% living in rural areas without their own land actually depend on agriculture. Therefore, the increase in small-scale and resource-poor farmers’ income will directly assist 70% of the world’s poorest people (Curieux-Belfond O, 2009). So far, genetically modified cotton in India, China and South Africa have already made a significant contribution to more than 1. 2 million poor farmers’ income. The benefits of genetically modified corn in the Philippines and South Africa will be much clearer in the future. In addition, genetically modified rice has great potential to benefit 250 million poor families in Asia, whose benefits will reach 10 million people (Curieux-Belfond O, 2009). Transgenic food also helps to reduce land development. Transgenic technology has been developed to improve the current 1. 5 billion hectares of arable land productivity through conservation of biological resources, thereby reducing land development and deforestation. Thirdly, I will demonstrate such improvement since they significantly reduce the environmental impact of agriculture. Traditional agriculture has a significant impact on the environment, and transgenic biotechnology can help reduce this impact. In the first decade of application of genetically modified crops, by planting herbicide and insect-resistant characteristics, transgenic technologies have greatly reduced the use of pesticides, saved fossil fuels and reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Undoubtedly, genetically modified crops with drought-tolerant genes will improve water-use efficiency and maintain sustainable agricultural development, which will play an important role in easing the crisis of population growth and global food shortage (Artemis D, 2009). GM crops have also contributed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in two main ways, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping slow climate change. First, by reducing fuel use, the spraying of insecticides and herbicides, GM crops continue to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In 2007, genetic engineering has been stated to reduce 1. 1 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions, which is equivalent to a decrease of 50 million cars from the road. Secondly, herbicide-resistant GM crops help reduce tillage applications, which protects the land and enhances soil carbon sequestration. Conclusions Despite the many advantages of GM food, we cannot ignore the risks. After genetically modified foods have been taken into the human body, they may cause harm to human health. Moreover, after a large number of transgenic crops come into nature, they may be biologically harmful to ecosystems. Since the risks of GM food is serous, it is important for us to reflect on it first. Any of the scientific and technological developments should be comprehensive and provide well-being for human life. If genetically modified foods can only increase our economic interests and improved material life without the moral, social and environmental harmony, they cannot be defined as making great contribution to social development. Therefore, whether GM food is a benefit or a disadvantage really depends on what kind of human values people hold (Qaim M. 2009). That is the question we reflect on deeply. In contemporary society, with the rapid development of science and technology, the economic situation of the human and the material standard of living has been soaring. It seems that mankind is taking great proud for the advanced technology. However, we should look back to what the living environment we rely on is subjected to. Therefore, genetically modified foods are seen as the savior of mankind, which is actually human self-centered ideology. Of course, with the continuous development of biotechnology and genetic engineering, human beings have the ability to create more genetically modified food. Therefore, the drawbacks of genetically modified food are not the technology itself, but rather due to humans themselves. Thus, personally, I fully sanction the development of GM foods while we should objectively analyze the potential risks. Reference Artemis D. 2009. â€Å"Health risks of genetically modified foods. † Food Science and Nutrition. 49. (2):164-175. Curieux B, Vandelac L, ect. 2009. â€Å"Factors to condider before production and commercialization of aquatic genetically modified organisms: the case of transgenic salmon. † Evironmental Science & Policy. 12. (2):170-189. Magana G, Javier A, Calderon de la Barca, Ana M. 2009. â€Å"Risk assessment of genetically modified crops for nutrition and health. † Nutrition Reviews. 67 (1):1-16. Qaim M. 2009. â€Å"The economics of genetically modified crops. † Annual Review of Resource Economics. 1:665-693. Seralini GE, Mesnage R, ect. 2011. â€Å"Genetically modified crops safety assessments: present limits and possible improvements. † Environmental Sciences Europe. 23. (10): 1-10. Weasel LH. 2009. â€Å"Food Fray: Inside the Controversy over Genetically Modified Food. † American Management Association. Amacom, 86-150. Print.

Perfect Pizzeria Case Study

Table of Contents Executive Summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 Problem Statement†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4 Analyzing Case Data†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 Managerial Employees†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 4 Non-Managerial Employees†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 6 Key Decision Criteria†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 Alternative Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7 Recommendations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦10 Criteria 1†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦10 Criteria 2†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦10 Criteria 3†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 11 Criteria 4†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 Criteria 5†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 Criteria 6†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦12 Criteria 7†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦12 Action and Implementation Plan†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 13 Employee Handbook†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 13 Reward and Bonus Program†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 14 Training Program†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 14 Softball Team†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 15 Quarterly Evaluation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 16 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 17 Chart†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 17 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 18 Executive Summary Perfect Pizzeria is experiencing managerial and employee problems that are negatively affecting the chains second largest franchise located in located in Southern Illinois. The overall issues that we will address in our case study for Perfect Pizzeria are: the lack of formal training, systematic criteria for the selection of managers and employees positions; the high turnover rate; the lack of incentive/rewards for employees aside from management; low profit rate due to high percentage of damage or unsold goods, lack of employee loyalty and motivation, no room for advancement beyond management unless employees invest in the franchise. And lastly, the lack of organizational structure with respect to not having an official handbook outlining the company’s policy and procedures, goals and objectives of the company. Additionally, we will address the Rational Choice Decision-Making Process, the Exit-Voice-Loyalty-Neglect (EVLN) model as well as the Expectancy Theory which is based on â€Å"the idea that work effort is directed towards behaviors that people believe will lead to desired outcomes†. Mcshane & Von Glinow, 2011) It is our goal to provide you with our case study that will give you a detailed analysis of Perfect Pizzeria and our recommendations on how to successfully get them back on track in terms of gaining higher franchise profits, attracting and retaining qualified workers, establishing a respectable managerial and employee relationship, allowing for an inclusive receipt of bonuses and rewards for outstanding job performances by any employee, not just management. Problem Statement Perfect Pizzeria currently does not have a systematic selection criterion for hiring managers. Managers demonstrate low expectancy to performance and do not properly execute their role as a manager. Hence, managers lack the leadership and problem resolution techniques to properly communicate with their employees. Consequently, the lack of communication between managers and employees has lead to low morale and ennui within their organizational structure. The objective of this case analysis is to address the multiple symptoms within Perfect Pizzeria which are 1) improve managerial skills, 2) improve employee morale, 3) improve profitability, 4) increase communication between employees and management, 5) improve work quality 6) monitor employee progress and 7) provide feedback to the employee. Perfect Pizzeria is experiencing managerial and employee problems that are negatively affecting team morale, loyalty, and causing a more consistent rise in the percentage of food and beverages unsold or damaged leading to low profits for the franchise. In view of that, the work environment appears to show that the employee’s lack job satisfaction and motivation. Analyzing Case Data Management Employees The case study of Perfect Pizzeria outlines several management criteria that were not in the best interest of the organization. The lack of hiring procedures and guidelines plays an instrumental role in their management system. Perfect pizzeria is staffed primarily from college and high school students; however, when hiring for management positions there is no systematic criteria in which to select the best-qualified person for the job. Those currently occupying leadership positions do so without the proper leadership training or experience to handle the open communication required to build team cohesion in a food franchise environment. While managers in general implement policy and procedures in most franchise environments, Perfect Pizzeria lacks the control mechanisms to monitor employee behavior. Thus, not providing the appropriate negative consequences for any employee that may exercise opportunistic behavior while not under direct supervision. The lack of guidance for management positions has integrated personnel within the organization lacking the skill sets necessary to control the behavior of their shift employees. The behavior demonstrated by unqualified mangers hired at Perfect Pizzeria contradict Kaafi and Noori’s (2011) conclusion that â€Å"a manager’s primary outcomes are job performance, organizational commitment and quality of work life†. To further illustrate the lack of policy and guidelines managers are not afforded the opportunity of initial or continued training in which they can maintain their skills. To illustrate, Perfect Pizzeria recruits within its ranks for assistant and night shift mangers based on the capability of performing the duties of regular employees. Employees promoted to assistant and night managers maintain the same pay scale as non-managerial employees. In contrast the manager is the only employee that is provided with a bonus incentive if the percentage rate of unused/damaged food is low at the end of the month inventory check. A necessary way for managers to smoothly start establishing any new changes to the way they conduct business is for them to be aware of the different workplace emotions around them, internally and externally. Acknowledge what’s going on with their employees, as well as the emotions of the customers, so that everyone’s needs or concerns are addressed. Not acknowledging them has lead to counterproductive workplace behavior by employees and a loss of loyal customers. Emotions in the workplace have a large impact on the company’s immediate and long-term goals, whether it is positive or negative because it determines just how productive an employee will be. Non-Managerial Employees The working conditions the employees at Perfect Pizzeria display are contrary to company goals and objectives. Manager-employee relationships within Perfect Pizzeria have declined; employees no longer share the ethical values to help them choose to do what’s right when making a decision that can negatively impact the franchise. Employees take advantage of food compensation provided by management while on shift without fear of reprimand from managers. Such acts as eating the food at the pizzeria without paying or simply being careless and damaging food or beverages, directly contributes to the increase of unused/food waste numbers. Perfect Pizzeria employees demonstrate ennui, which directly affects their outward behavior. While the negative disposition may not be directly shared with all employees on shift it is reasonable to say that it is a dilemma that can be contagious to other employees. Research provided by Manzoor (2012) states that employers ultimately need employees that work well with others. While a team member performs a specific job that is equally important to the overall success of the team. The current employees at Perfect Pizzeria lack the proper monetary motivation to commit to their duties and organizational goals resulting in high turn over rates. Key Decision Criteria In order to improve the events that have occurred at Perfect Pizzeria, the decisions that are made must: 1) improve managerial skills 2) improve employee morale and decrease turnover rate 3) improve profitability 4) increase communication between employees and management 5) improve work quality 6) monitor employee progress 7) provide feedback in order to help the employee’s to grow and develop skills useful to the organization. Alternative Analysis Effort| Performance Options| Outcome| 1. Improve managerial skills| * Mangers training program * Hire qualified management * Direct by explaining the process| Enhanced Leadership| Effort| Performance Options| Outcome| 2. Improve employee morale & decrease turnover| * Use a hiring agency or change the hiring process * Reward bonuses & incentive program * Allow the opportunity to become leaders| Self-motivated employees| Effort| Performance Options| Outcome| 3. Improve profitability| * Train employee’s about environment & food safety * Employee training programs * Limit free food according to the numbers of hours worked| Decrease damaged/unsold food percentage rate| Effort| Performance Options| Outcome| 4. Increase communication between employees & management| * Meetings on a regular basis * Interacting with employees inside & outside of work * Allow positive & negative feedback| Build positive relationships| Effort| Performance Options| Outcome| 5. Improve work quality | * Reward for accountability * Assure employees with positive communication * Management needs to help when needed| Increase production| Effort| Performance Options| Outcome| 6. Monitor employee progress| * Measure job performance * Implement cross-training for skill variety * Leadership opportunities| Job enrichment| Effort| Performance Options| Outcome| 7. Provide feedback to the employee| * Listen to employee comments * Quarterly assessments * Being honest about performances| Job satisfaction| Recommendations Criteria 1: Improve Managerial Skills Alternative: Hire Qualified Management Based on a professional association of practicing managers, American Management Association, managers need certain skills to perform the duties and activities associated with being a manager (Jones 2009). When hiring potential managers, Perfect Pizza should not only look at the human skills of the individual but also ensure that potential managerial candidates also have communication skills, effectiveness skills, interpersonal skills, and conceptual skills. Communication skills is the ability to transform ideas into words and actions. It is the set of skills that enables a person to convey information so that is it received and understood. Effectiveness skills is contributing to the company’s mission/departmental objectives, customers focus, and multitasking (Jones 2009). Interpersonal skills is coaching and mentoring, diversity. Being able to work with diverse people and culture, networking within the organization, networking outside the organization, and working in teams. Conceptual skills is the ability to use information to solve the company’s problems, recognizing problem areas and implementing solutions, and understanding the company’s business model. Criteria 2: Improve employee morale & decrease turnover Alternative: Reward, bonuses & incentive program According to the research of John Gray, if an employee incentive program is run correctly, it can increase the employee morale and productivity and performance (Gray 2006). When employees in the organization are happy, it can lead to positive outcomes. Criteria 3: Improve profitability Alternative: Employee Training Programs A common mistake made by many organizations is the failure to adequately invest in the continued training of their employees after they are hired. Based on research from the Management Association of Illinois, one of the biggest factors in maintaining employee satisfaction levels and the company’s profitability is the amount of training companies provide (Silverman 2009). The training and development of employees through training programs is an essential part of their satisfaction and longevity and should be made a priority of the organization. Training programs not only help to bolster employee satisfactions and the company’s profitability, but also produce tangent benefits for the company. Criteria 4: Increase communication between employees & management Alternative: Interacting with employees inside & outside of work Many companies do not realize that interacting with employees inside and outside of work will increase communication with employees and management. According to research from the American Management Association, participating in activities, creating a sport team, community service, and volunteer services outside of work will help employees and managers unwind and get to know each other better (Jones 2005). Criteria 5: Improve work quality Alternative: Assure employees with positive communication More emphasis should be placed on employee standards and job matching responsibilities. Perfect Pizzeria employees are interdependent of one another in order to produce their product. Hence, in order to promote job consistency employees need to be educated on what their duties and expectations. An employee cannot work up to the expected standard if they are not aware of what is required of them. The following pointers will help attain this goal. * All staff regardless of their roll must have a clear understanding of what the business actually does and know  the names of all the products and its main competitors * Ensure they have  a good enough understanding of who does what to be able to find someone to help a customer when the need arises. The management must take time to explain the organization’s aims and objectives to the employees. * Set measures for the business that they can all contribute to * Provide a clear and simple report to show them how the business is doing Criteria 6: Monitor employee progress: Alternative: Leadership opportunities Perfect Pizzeria should implement a deliberate internal program that encourages a sense of ownership with their employees. Keeping the staff informed, prepared and up to date with all company operations is key. The following pointers will help attain this goal. * Staff must have a clear understanding of product * Explain the organization’s aims and objectives to the employees * Set measures for the business that they can all contribute to * Provide business progress report These steps are in line with the expectancy theory which is a motivation theory based on the idea that work effort is directed toward behaviors that people believe will lead to desired outcomes. Criteria: Provide feedback to the employee Alternative 7: Quarterly Assessments Feedback to employees about their performance through quarterly assessments helps improve their performance, motivates self-improvement, and builds trust (Lun 1999). Action and Implementation Plan Employee Handbook Based on the recommendations listed above, Perfect Pizzeria needs to overhaul the way that it is currently doing things to be competitive in their market. The most important thing that needs to happen is Perfect Pizzeria needs to come up with official documentation that sets the standard for the company policy and procedures. This can be achieved by developing a new employee handbook that will be given to all employees. It will also be given to all the newly hired employees as part of their orientation process. According to Felsberg (2004), an employee handbook will be carefully drafted and periodically reviewed by the Human Resources department. The handbook will be reviewed and updated at least every two years. If policies or laws change, updates can occur more frequently. The employees will be required to date and sign the handbook acknowledging that they have reviewed it. This ensures that the employee understands the company’s policies and practices. The section of Perfect Pizzeria’s handbook that would need the most change is the employment policies. The responsibilities of the employees need to be clearly laid out so the supervisors and the rest of the team know where they fit in the organization. The supervisor’s responsibilities are not only to represent the company’s management to its employees, but to represent the company’s employees to its management. The team’s responsibility also needs to be revamped because every phase in producing the company’s product is important. Reward and Bonus Program According to Hsieh (2011), employees who perceive a greater fit with their employer are less likely to leave the firm, are more committed to it, and have higher work satisfaction. Reward practices logically serve as motivators, shaping employee behaviors. Rewarding employees for ideas that minimize or eliminate costs is more important in an overall cost leadership strategy. A rewards system is an important part of an organization’s human resource strategy. The old bonus system of rewarding the manager does not work in today’s business environment. With the old system, if the percentage of food unsold or damaged in any way is very low, the manager gets a bonus. Modern organizations must make their rewards system to help achieve higher performance at not only the managerial level but at the team level. The perfect system helps the company give the right amount of reward, to the right people, at the right time, for the right reasons. The new system will continue to reward the managers for the low percentage but an employee reward and bonus system will also be created. An Employee of the Quarter program will be created and based on performance perceived by the managers and fellow employees and quarterly evaluations. The Employee of the Quarter will be recognized in a company newsletter, a plaque, and also a cash bonus. This will make sure that the manager are not the only ones being rewarded and will motivate the team to not only work harder, but smarter. Training Program New employees will go through a formal training program where all employees should be able to complete a number of tasks to make sure that they can do their job proficiently. Psychologist David McClelland recognized that a person’s needs can be strengthened through reinforcement, learning, and social conditions. McClelland examined three â€Å"learned† needs: achievement, power, and affiliation. McClelland’s research supported his theory that needs can be learned, so he developed a training program for this purpose. Perfect Pizzeria will incorporate his achievement management program for employees. Trainees will write achievement-oriented stories and practice achievement-oriented behaviors in business games. This training period will also include new managers. Managers will learn about McClellan’s â€Å"need for power. † This need is where people want to control their environment, including people and material resources, to benefit themselves and others. It will be mandatory for managers to attend a program, which will include management classes. The management classes will provide management expectations, operational procedures, and the basic concepts to be successful. Serving the customers is the cornerstone of Perfect Pizzeria. In the training program, managers will learn how to communicate with all types of customers, vendors and co-workers. Out of everything they learn, customer service is the one skill they will use every minute of every hour of every day they are at Perfect Pizzeria. The training program will cover proper management techniques to problem solving. Once they have completed the program, they will be able to handle any situation. Softball Team To increase communication with the employees and management, Perfect Pizzeria will form a team and join the local company softball league. With all the reasons for starting a softball team, such as physical fitness, stress relief, and fun, the most important reason is strengthening relationships. Playing softball together helps co-workers form and strengthen friendships, and instills a sense of camaraderie among company players. Co-workers who don't communicate outside of the workplace will get a chance to interact and get to know each other, and close associates can enjoy seeing different sides to the people they work with every day. A softball team will also support employees’ â€Å"need for affiliation. † This need is where people seek approval from others, conform to their wishes and expectations, and avoid conflict and confrontation. Employees with a strong need for affiliation project a favorable image of themselves. They actively support others and try to smooth out workplace conflicts. They also work well in coordinating roles to mediate conflicts and cultivate long-term relationships. Quarterly Evaluations Throughout the year, the employees’ performance will be tracked. According to DelPo (2007), a log for each employee will be kept on a computer. Memorable incidents involving that employee, whether good or bad, will be noted. If an employee is going above and beyond what is expected or they really mess something up, immediate feedback will be given orally or in writing. The manager will let the employee know that they noticed and appreciate the extra effort or that they are concerned about the employee's performance. If a manager gives oral feedback, they will make a written note of the conversation for the employee's personnel file. Every three months, a manager will formally evaluate each employee by writing a performance appraisal and holding a meeting with the employee. The appraisal will include each standard or goal that is set for that employee, the manager’s conclusion as to whether the employee met the standard or goal, and the reasons that support their conclusion. At the meeting, the manager will let the employee know what they did well and which areas could use some improvement. The manager will explain his or her conclusions about each standard and goal. They will also listen carefully to the employee and ask the employee to write them down on the evaluation form. Conclusion Overall, Perfect Pizzeria can overcome their managerial and employee problems as well as prevent a high percentage of profit loss by carefully implementing new organizational changes. The changes outlined within our action and implementation plan will lead to employee motivation, high morale, low turnover rate, qualified applicants, respect for managers, and effective systematic criteria for the selection of managers and employees, and formal training classes for managers. Therefore, it is imperative that these positive changes be made immediately in order for Perfect Pizzeria to prosper. Chart 1 References Appelbaum,  S. H. , Iaconi,  G. D. ;  Matousek, A. (2007). Positive and negative deviant workplace behaviors: causes, impacts, and solutions. Corporate Governance,  7(5),  586. Retrieved November 7, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  1381003221). Delpo, A. (2007). The Performance Appraisal Handbook: Legal and Practice Rules for Managers. California: NOLO. Felsberg, E.. (2004). Composing effective employee handbooks. Employment Relations Today,  31(2),  117. Retrieved November 15, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  665846591). Gray, John. (2006). â€Å"Motivating Employees. † John Gray. Accessed December 3, 2011 From www. johngray. com Hsieh,  Y. ,  ;  Chen,  H.. (2011). Strategic fit among business competitive strategy, human resource strategy, and reward system. Academy of Strategic Management Journal,  10(2),  11-32. Retrieved November 15, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  2439526121). Jones, C.. (2009). Developing Management Leaders by Teaching Managerial Skills. New York: American Management Association. Kaifi,  B. ,  ;  Noori,  S.. (2011). Organizational Behavior: A Study on Managers, Employees, and Teams. Journal of Management Policy and Practice,  12(1),  88-97. Retrieved November 4, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  2399209841). Luthans,F. , Rosenkrantz, S. A. ; Hennessey, H. W.. (1985) â€Å"What do successful managers really do? An observation study of managerial activities,† J. AppliedBehav. Science, 21, 255-270. Luo L. â€Å"Work motivation, job stress and employees' well-being. † Journal of Applied Management Studies; Jun 1999; 8, 1; pg. . ABI/INFORM Global. Porras, J. I. & Anderson, B.. (1981). â€Å"Improving managerial effectiveness through modeling-based training,† Org- Dynamics, 9, 60-77. Manzoor,  Q.. (2012). Impact of Employees Motivation on Organizational Effectiveness. Business Management and Strategy,  3(1),  1-12. Retrieved November 4, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Docu ment ID:  2485742121). Mcshane, T. , Mchane, T. L. , & Glinow, M. V. (2011). Organizational Behavior: emerging knowledge and practice for the real world. (5th ed. , pp. 494-495). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Mcshane, S, & Von Glinow, M.. (2011). Organizational Behavior: emerging knowledge and practice for the real world. (5th ed. , p. 109, 199). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Mellewigt,  T. ,  Ehrmann,  T. ,  &  Decker,  C.. (2011). How Does the Franchisor's Choice of Different Control Mechanisms Affect Franchisees' and Employee-Managers' Satisfaction? Journal of Retailing,  87(3),  320-331. Retrieved November 4, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:  2476250611) Silverman, Joy. (2009). Discovering and Acting on Employee Opinions. Management Association of Illinois, 2009.

Organisation and Behaviour Essay

Case Study 1: Dimensions of Organisational Structure Changing the Rules at Bosco Plastics When Jill Thompson took over as chief executive officer at Bosco Plastics, the company was in trouble. Bosco had started out as an innovative company, known for creating a new product just as the popularity of one of the industry’s old standbys was fading, i.e., replacing yo-yo’s with water guns. In two decades, it had become an established maker of plastics for the toy industry. Bosco had grown from a dozen employees to four hundred, and its rules had grown haphazardly with it. Thompson’s predecessor, Wilhelm K. Blatz, had found the company’s procedures chaotic and had instituted a uniform set of rules for all employees. Since then, both research output and manufacturing productivity had steadily declined. When the company’s board of directors hired Thompson, they emphasized the need to evaluate and revise the company’s formal procedures in an attempt to reverse the trends. First, Thompson studied the rules Blatz had implemented. She was impressed to find that the entire procedures manual was only twenty pages long. It began with the reasonable sentence â€Å"All employees of Bosco Plastics shall be governed by the following . . .† Thompson had expected to find evidence that Blatz had been a tyrant who ran the company with an iron fist. But as she read through the manual, she found nothing to indicate this. In fact, some of the rules were rather flexible. Employees could punch in anytime between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. and leave nine hours later, between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. Managers were expected to keep monthly notes on the people working for them and make yearly recommendations to the human resources committee about raises, bonuses, promotions, and firings. Except for their one-hour lunch break, which they could take at any time, employees were expected to be in the building at all times. Puzzled, Thompson went down to the lounge where the research and development people gathered. She was surprised to find a time clock on the wall. Curious, she fed a time card into it and was even more flabbergasted when the machine chattered noisily, then spit it out without registering the time. Apparently R&D was none too pleased with the time clock and had found a way to rig it. When Thompson looked up in astonishment, only two of the twelve employees who had been in the room were still there. They said the others had â€Å"punched back in† when they saw the boss coming. Thompson asked the remaining pair to tell her what was wrong with company rules, and she got an earful. The researchers, mostly chemists and engineers with advanced graduate degrees, resented punching a time clock and having their work evaluated once a month, when they could not reasonably be expected to come up with something new and worth writing about more than twice a year. Before the implementation of the new rules, they had often gotten inspiration from going down to the local dime store and picking up five dollars worth of cheap toys, but now they felt they could make such trips only on their own time. And when a researcher came up with an innovative idea, it often took months for the proposal to work its way up the company hierarchy to the attention of someone who could put it into production. In short, all these sharp minds felt shackled. Concluding that maybe she had overlooked the rigidity of the rules, Thompson walked over to the manufacturing building to talk to the production supervisors. They responded to her questions with one word: anarchy. With employees drifting in between 8:00 and 10:00 and then starting to drift out again by 11:00 for lunch, the supervisors never knew if they had enough people to run a particular operation. Employee turnover was high, but not high enough in some cases; supervisors believed the rules prevented them from firing all but the most incompetent workers before the end of the yearly evaluation period. The rules were so â€Å"humane† that discipline was impossible to enforce. By the time Jill Thompson got back to her office, she had a plan. The following week, she called in all the department managers and asked them to draft formal rules and procedures for their individual areas. She told them she did not intend to lose control of the company, but she wanted to see if they could improve productivity and morale by creating formal procedures for their individual departments. Case Questions (AO 1.1, 1.2 & 1.3): †¢ Do you think Jill Thompson’s proposal to decentralise the rules and procedures of Bosco Plastics will work? If so, why and how? Give reasons. What, in your opinion, are the requirements to make decentralisation effective? †¢ What kinds of rules and procedures do you think the department managers will come up with? Which departments will be more formalised? Why? †¢ What risks will the company face if it establishes different procedures for different areas? Explain your reasons by analysing the merits and demerits of ‘organic’ and ‘mechanistic’ structures with regard to changes proposed by Jill Thompson. Case Study 2: Organizational Structure and Culture Surviving Greenscape’s Hard Times In ten years, Greenscape had grown from a one-person venture into the largest nursery and landscaping business in its area. Its founder, Lita Ong, combined a lifelong interest in plants with a botany degree to provide a unique customer service. Ong had managed the company’s growth so that even with twenty full-time employees working in six to eight crews, the organization culture was still as open, friendly, and personal as it had been when her only â€Å"employees† were friends who would volunteer to help her move a heavy tree. To maintain that atmosphere, Ong involved herself increasingly with people and less with plants as the company grew. With hundreds of customers and scores of jobs at any one time, she could no longer say without hesitation whether she had a dozen arborvitae bushes in stock or when Mrs. McCormack’s estate would need a new load of bark mulch. But she knew when Martina had been up all night with her baby, when Adrian was likely to be late because he had driven to see his sick father over the weekend, and how to deal with Emily when she was depressed because of her boyfriend’s behaviour. She kept track of the birthdays of every employee and even those of their children. She was up every morning by five-thirty arranging schedules so that Johnson could get his son out of daycare at four o’clock and Doris could be back in town for her afternoon high school equivalency classes. Paying all this attention to employees may have led Ong to make a single bad business decision that almost destroyed the company. She provided extensive landscaping to a new mall on credit, and when the mall never opened and its owners went bankrupt, Greenscape found itself in deep trouble. The company had virtually no cash and had to pay off the bills for the mall plants, most of which were not even salvageable. One Friday, Ong called a meeting with her employees and levelled with them: either they would not get paid for a month or Greenscape would fold. The news hit the employees hard. Many counted on the Friday paycheck to buy groceries for the week. The local unemployment rate was low, however, and they knew they could find other jobs. But as they looked around, they wondered whether they could ever find this kind of job. Sure, the pay was not the greatest, but the tears in the eyes of some workers were not over pay or personal hardship; they were for Ong, her dream, and her difficulties. They never thought of her as the boss or called her anything but â€Å"Lita.† And leaving the group would not be just a matter of saying good-bye to fellow employees. If Bernice left, the company softball team would lose its best pitcher, and the Sunday game was the height of everyone’s week. Where else would they find people who spent much of the weekend working on the best puns with which to assail one another on Monday morning? At how many offices would everyone show up twenty minutes before starting time just to catch up with friends on other crews? What other boss would really understand when you simply said, â€Å"I don’t have a doctor’s appointment, I just need the afternoon off†? Ong gave her employees the weekend to think over their decision: whether to take their pay and look for another job or to dig into their savings and go on working. Knowing it would be hard for them to quit, she told them they did not have to face her on Monday; if they did not show up, she would send them their checks. But when she arrived at seven-forty Monday morning, she found the entire group already there, ready to work even harder to pull the company through. They were even trying to top one another with puns about being â€Å"mall-contents.† Case Questions (AO 2.1, 2.2 & 2.3): †¢ How would you describe the organization culture at Greenscape? Under the different types of culture, what type of culture, do you think, operating in Greenscape? Justify your views with evidence. †¢ How large can such a company get before it needs to change its culture and structure? And why it is important to change culture and structure? Discuss briefly the benefits and difficulties that Greenscape have to cope with changing its culture and structure as the company gears for its growth. Case Study 3: Leadership Models and Concepts Right Boss, Wrong Company Brenda Hogan was continuously on top of things. In school, she had always been at the top of her class. When she went to work for her uncle’s shoe business, Fancy Footwear, she had been singled out as the most productive employee and the one with the best attendance. The company was so impressed with her that it sent her to get an M.B.A. to groom her for a top management position. In school again, and with three years of practical experience to draw on, Hogan had gobbled up every idea put in front of her, relating many of them to her work at Fancy Footwear. When Hogan graduated at the top of her class, she returned to Fancy Footwear. To no one’s surprise, when the head of the company’s largest division took advantage of the firm’s early retirement plan, Hogan was given his position. Hogan knew the pitfalls of being suddenly catapulted to a leadership position, and she was determined to avoid them. In business school, she had read cases about family businesses that fell apart when a young family member took over with an iron fist, barking out orders, cutting personnel, and destroying morale. Hogan knew a lot about participative management, and she was not going to be labelled an arrogant know-it-all. Hogan’s predecessor, Max Worthy, had run the division from an office at the top of the building, far above the factory floor. Two or three times a day, Worthy would summon a messenger or a secretary from the offices on the second floor and send a memo out to one or another group of workers. But as Hogan saw it, Worthy was mostly an absentee autocrat, making all the decisions from above and spending most of his time at extended lunches with his friends from the Rotary Club. Hogan’s first move was to change all that. She set up her office on the second floor. From her always-open doorway she could see down onto the factory floor, and as she sat behind her desk she could spot anyone walking by in the hall. She never ate lunch herself but spent the time from 11 to 2 down on the floor, walking around, talking, and organizing groups. The workers, many of whom had twenty years of seniority at the plant, seemed surprised by this new policy and reluctant to volunteer for any groups. But in fairly short order, Hogan established a worker productivity group, a â€Å"Suggestion of the Week† committee, an environmental group, a worker award group, and a management relations group. Each group held two meetings a week, one without and one with Hogan. She encouraged each group to set up goals in its particular focus area and develop plans for reaching those goals. She promised any support that was within her power to give. The group work was agonizingly slow at first. But Hogan had been well trained as a facilitator, and she soon took on that role in their meetings, writing down ideas on a big board, organizing them, and later communicating them in notices to other employees. She got everyone to call her â€Å"Betty† and set herself the task of learning all their names. By the end of the first month, Fancy Footwear was stirred up. But as it turned out, that was the last thing most employees wanted. The truth finally hit Hogan when the entire management relations committee resigned at the start of their fourth meeting. â€Å"I’m sorry, Ms. Hogan,† one of them said. â€Å"We’re good at making shoes, but not at this management stuff. A lot of us are heading toward retirement. We don’t want to be supervisors.† Astonished, Hogan went to talk to the workers with whom she believed she had built good relations. Yes, they reluctantly told her, all these changes did make them uneasy. They liked her, and they didn’t want to complain. But given the choice, they would rather go back to the way Mr. Worthy had run things. They never saw Mr. Worthy much, but he never got in their hair. He did his work, whatever that was, and they did theirs. â€Å"After you’ve been in a place doing one thing for so long,† one worker concluded, â€Å"the last thing you want to do is learn a new way of doing it.† Case Questions (AO 3.1, 3.2 & 3.3): †¢ What factors should have alerted Hogan to the problems that eventually came up at Fancy Footwear? †¢ Could Hogan have instituted her changes without eliciting a negative reaction from the workers? If so, how? Case Study 4: Need-Based Perspectives on Motivation More Than a Pay Cheque Samuel Gibson was a trainer for Britannia Home Manufacturers, a large builder of prefabricated homes. Britannia Home had hired Gibson fresh from graduate school with a master’s degree in English. At first, the company put him to work writing and revising company brochures and helping with the most important correspondence at the senior level. But soon, both Gibson and senior management officials began to notice how well he worked with executives on their writing, how he made them feel more confident about it, and how, after working with an executive on a report, the executive often was much more eager to take on the next writing task. So Britannia Home moved Gibson into its prestigious training department. The company’s trainers worked with thousands of supervisors, managers, and executives, helping them learn everything from new computer languages to time management skills to how to get the most out of the workers on the plant floor, many of whom were unmotivated high school dropouts. Soon Gibson was spending all his time giving short seminars on executive writing as well as coaching his students to perfect their memos and letters. Gibson’s move into training meant a big increase in salary, and when he started working exclusively with the company’s top brass, it seemed as though he got a bonus every month. Gibson’s supervisor, Mirella Carta, knew he was making more than many executives who had been with the company three times as long, and probably twice as much as any of his graduate school classmates who concentrated in English. Yet in her biweekly meetings with him, she could tell that Gibson wasn’t happy. When Carta asked him about it, Gibson replied that he was in a bit of a rut. He had to keep saying the same things over and over in his seminars, and business memos weren’t as interesting as the literature he had been trained on. But then, after trailing off for a moment, he blurted out, â€Å"They don’t need me!† Since the memos filtering down through the company were now flawlessly polished, and the annual report was 20 percent shorter but said everything it needed to, Gibson’s desire to be needed was not fulfilled. The next week, Gibson came to Carta with a proposal: What if he started holding classes for some of the floor workers, many of whom had no future within or outside the company because many could write nothing but their own names? Carta took the idea to her superiors. They told her that they wouldn’t oppose it, but Gibson couldn’t possibly keep drawing such a high salary if he worked with people whose contribution to the company was compensated at minimum wage. Gibson agreed to a reduced salary and began offering English classes on the factory floor, which were billed by management (who hoped to avoid a wage hike that year) as an added benefit of the job. At first only two or three workers showed up—and they, Gibson believed, only wanted an excuse to get away from the nailing guns for a while. But gradually word got around that Gibson was serious about what he was doing and didn’t treat the workers like kids in a remedial class. At the end of the year, Gibson got a bonus from a new source: the vice president in charge of production. Although Gibson’s course took workers off the job for a couple of hours a week, productivity had actually improved since his course began, employee turnover had dropped, and for the first time in over a year, some of the floor workers had begun to apply for supervisory positions. Gibson was pleased with the bonus, but when Carta saw him grinning as he walked around the building, she knew he wasn’t thinking about his bank account.

The Mosuo Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Mosuo Culture - Essay Example First of all, it is necessary to find out, whether Mosuo represent separate culture According to Triandis (1995) culture as a notion must have certain attributes and Mosuo can be called to be culture for having these attributes -place, separate geographical location and historical background. Therefore, the main aspects of Mosuo culture are norms, attitudes, rules, shared beliefs and behaviors - for this reason Mosuo is also supposed to be subjective culture. What is more important is that all the elements of such culture are transferred from generation to generation. (Triandis 1995) The Chinese government considers the Mosuo to be the members of the Naxi minority. It is possible to say, that Mosuo possess the common territory with the Naxi, but they have different language, cultural aspects and economic situation and rules. The reason for such conjunction of Mosuo and Naxi is due to the deep gap in knowledge about Mosuo. Only recently the historians and authors have come to understanding that Mosuo are absolutely different from Naxi - through their culture, religion and language. The cultures of Naxi and Mosuo may be compared only in terms of them occupying common territory for residence and for better understanding the differences between these two minorities - looking for similarities between the two nationalities make become time wasting. Certain theories state, that Mosuo native language is "eastern dialect" or "dongbu fangyan". The Mosuo culture is thoroughly described by the scholar Lamu Gatusa. (Mackerras 2003) From Triandis (1995) it becomes clear, that Mosuo belong to collectivist economy, because Mosuo society consists of individuals (residents) considering themselves a as part of a big collective i.e. family; the links between separate individuals are very strong, which makes it possible to assume that there is hardly any tint of individualism in Mosuo culture. Mosuo are absolutely motivated by imposed duties and norms. They consider collective priority to be more important, than personal goals and achievements. Mosuo strongly emphasize connections with other community members (I guess it is better to use the word community, than the word 'tribe', as still Mosuo appear to live in an organized manner with strong traditions and values). Although their collectivism is considered vertical for the reason of men having lower status in society, nobody feels oppression; Mosuo culture tends to collectivism in its fundamental conviction that people are bounded into tied groups through common interests and goals. (Triandis 1995) Mosuo cul ture consists of in-groups and out-groups. In-groups are the representatives of a certain family, characterized by similarities and ability to cooperate without demanding equal returns and without leaving family as it may lead to anxiety among other members. However, friends and collective may be also included into the in-group. Each member of Mosuo in-groups can simply be excluded for mistreatment of someone, insult or similar acts. It is necessary also to note, that Mosuo culture sees itself as "links in a long chain" consisting of descendants and ancestors. (Triandis 1995) As it is seen, the word 'link' is the core aspect of the Mosuo life; they value any kind of links - either those

Teen Anti-Smoking Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Teen Anti-Smoking Research - Essay Example This paper outlines a proposal to study stop-smoking efforts among junior high school students at two institutions in California's Central Valley (note to student: you may want to change the location to one that is more relevant to where you are-but the rest of the paper should not have to be changed). The percentage of teens who call themselves frequent smokers has declined to about 14% (2001) from 17% (1999) (Society, American Cancer, 2002). Despite this encouraging drop, the number of teens who say that they have tried smoking still rests at 64%, although down from over 70% in the 1990's (Society, American Cancer, 2002). The hypothesis of this proposed study is that the greatest leverage on smoking will come from cessation and peer-pressure efforts in junior high school, at which point teens may be likely to be making their decision to become smokers on a regular basis. This hypothesis is supported by NEA data: According to the 1999 National Youth Tobacco Survey conducted jointly by the American Legacy Foundation and the CDC Foundation, cigarette use among middle school students was 9.2 percent, and more than a quarter of high school students were smokers (NEAToday, 2006). This study proposes to study the motivations behind teen's starting smoking in middle school, and what makes them decide to continue once they have tried smo... The reason for this split is the suggestion from previous research that African American students are less likely to start smoking than their White or Latin American peers (Kelder SH, 2003). There is a suggestion that White and Hispanic students' rates of smoking by the eighth grade is 2 to 4 times greater than that for African American students of the same age, although the rate of trial in the sixth grade is roughly equal for all three groups (Kelder SH, 2003). This study therefore seeks to understand the motivations behind (1) trying smoking, and (2) becoming addicted to smoking. Given that the rate of trial to addiction in high school is roughly 17/64, or 26%, the rate of trial to addiction in middle school may be the same or similar to this group's older counterparts. The study will therefore encompass three areas of study in order to understand the phenomenon in a better way: 1. Comparing the motivators behind trying smoking amongst the three ethnic groups. The primary tool for social research will be interviews of a meaningful number of students (n=60), with about 20 students per group. 2.Establishing through a search of the literature what programs are tried in the area in order to help stop teen trial and addiction to smoking. 3.Present the advertisements to the three groups in order to determine their reaction to the messages contained. In addition to the anti-smoking ads, the author intends to show pro-smoking advertisements for adults, and advertisements not related to smoking to teens, in order to judge their reactions and normalize their reactions to all advertising. In conclusion, this author believes that, although smoking is declining somewhat, it would be important to understand the

Cote restaurant brasserie chain in uk Research Paper

Cote restaurant brasserie chain in uk - Research Paper Example 411). The CRB is a well-established restaurant chain, running different joints across the UK. The different restaurants that make the chain possess different qualities that reveal their dominance in the society. The Cote Restaurant Brasserie Chain has an efficient staff, which depicts high quality services. In addition, the chain is articulately branded through proper marketing and extensive promotion (Reid & Bojanic, 2010, p. 177). Apart from this, the joints have maintained a great exterior, with the maintenance of high levels of hygiene in all aspects (AA, 2010, p. 252). The chain has maintained a uniform style of service; service with appreciation for customers, integrity, and passion. The development of such a service has been developed through the recruitment and maintenance of a motivated workforce. Most importantly, the restaurants serve a variety of fair-priced sumptuous French meals throughout (Steves, 2014, p. 17). Like all other business entities, the UK based Cote Restaurant Brasserie Chain has different weaknesses. These weaknesses limit the development of the chain, its staff, and the achievement of all the set goals/objectives (Hayward, 2013, p. 141). For instance, that the restaurants serve French foods alone limits their customer base. Such food can only attract persons interested in having the food thus blocking a possibly larger population from being CRB customers. In addition, the chain of restaurants are found solely in the UK. As such, people from different areas across the globe interested in visiting might find it costly to do so (Reid & Bojanic, 2010, p. 177). The Cote Restaurant Brasserie Chain is faced with great opportunities that might influence further development of the chain. For instance, that the restaurants are mainly located within the UK, an exploration of the global market in the hospitality industry may

Are Traffic Cameras an Invasion of Privacy Essay

Are Traffic Cameras an Invasion of Privacy - Essay Example Discussion Usually, the traffic cameras can detect an over-speeding car, thereby, enabling the government to take immediate action. For example, in Arizona, the traffic cameras led to the arrest of many law breakers, with 650, 000 tickets given to them, leading to a fine of $37 million imposed for the offence (Morse, 2010). Actually, it is not convincing to argue that the traffic cameras invade the people’s privacy if they commit traffic offences persistently. There are many road accidents resulting from reckless driving such as over-speeding, overlapping among other traffic offences (Friedman, 2007). Therefore, all measures to curb the incidences should not be treated as an infringement of one’s privacy. As a result of limited number of police officers to apprehend the offenders, there is need for technological application that could be used in tracking the offenders on a 24hours basis (Washington Post, 2002). This enhances the vigilance along the major highways in the country and boost the safety both drivers and pedestrians. On the question of privacy, many judges and people agree that there should not be any issue of privacy in a public place (Hankin, 2008). Indeed, the people should not raise privacy concerns when they are out of their homes or in a private office. According to Morse, there are places to be considered as private, including the toilet, bathroom, a person’s own compound, private telephone, personal computer, gym, and a private office (Morse, 2011). For that matter, all actions outside those private domains can be subjected to private scrutiny. In addition, he acknowledges that no law prohibits a driver being observed while on the road (Morse, 2011). Similarly, recording an offence that a driver has committed along the highway does not breach the local and international law. Furthermore, driving is strictly regulated for safety purposes (Morse, 2011). Therefore, those who complain of interference with their privacy misint erpret the Fourth Amendment of the US constitution. The Amendments stress on the need for home safety, thereby, indicating that a doubtless technology can threaten personal privacy and home safety (Morse, 2011). However, this provision should not be misused and taken as a defense for committing crime in the public sphere. When one over-speeds and overlaps on the highway, he/she has to bear the responsibility for the crime, without pointing an accusing finger at the police or the application of technology (Washington Post, 2002). Ideally, the perception that one is being watched might result to decency in public. The person becomes assured that once the camera has captured his/her bad behavior in public, it would not be easy to escape justice (Soda Head News, 2011). For example, if one’s private car was captured overlapping on the road and he/she was in the car, there would be no defense for the crime when mentioned before the law court. Truly, this seems to be a better soluti on to reduce and subsequently eradicate highway crime and improve on the overall safety of all road users. Fundamentally, installing traffic cameras on public places for surveillance is not a crime and does not infringe on the privacy of a person (Friedman, 2007). For example, if