The Go-Between

The Go-Between Essay †The Go-Between† is a short story written by Ali Smith in 2009. The story was written for a collection of short stories written to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the United Nations’ adoption of the universal declaration of human rights. The writer found inspiration in article 13, which describes the right to freedom of movement. The story follows the 33-year-old former microbiologist who gives us a direct insight into what it means to be African refugees on the border between Morocco and Spain. â€Å"I was a microbiologist, before. † (Page 3, line 32-33)The narrator is even, for some reason, fled his native Cameroon, and has on several occasions tried to flee across the border to Europe. None of his attempt is successful, and they have cost him part of his ear and a finger. He explains in detail about how flight tests were done and what treatment he has received from the authorities. The narrator has abandoned himself to escape and ha ve now settled in the Spanish city of Ceuta, located in Morocco. Here he lives in a small room with three others, where he works as a guide (Go-between) for newly arrived refugees.He establishes contact between aid organization doctors and refugees. He speaks several languages and can put the switch in position. â€Å"The French doctors can be Italian, Spanish, French, English, for instance. I speak these, and also some others. † (Page 2, line 31-32) The novel provides a powerful insight into the miserable and tragically conditions refugees in North Africa. The story is told through a first person narrator, who tells the story in the past tense. The narrator seems to be at a distance of the actions he describes.The narrator is authoritarian by virtue of the fact that he is anticipating the events of the story. Given the fact that the story is told by a first person narrator, there is only one point of view. Obviously we are dealing with an inner point of view; the events are being viewed with inner sight from the narrator's point of view. We are only told about the narrator's own thoughts and what he feels and senses. As mentioned, the narrator has several times attempted to flee to Europe, but all the experiments have failed, and he has every time been sent back.The first time the narrator is trying to reach Europe, his ladder number two breaks, and he gets caught out in nowhere between the two fences that separates Europe and Africa. Here he lives for six weeks, with the help of the workers who are about to put the fence up. Finally prisoners police him and send him back to Africa. The second time the narrator, along with 500 other refugees, tries to jump over the two fences that separate them from Europe. During the trial he, loses a part of his ear, then they all get caught and sent back to Africa.Before repatriation, they are chased by dogs, beaten with sticks and shot at. They are not officially recorded, as is supposed, but are simply sent back to Africa. The third and fourth escape attempt takes place in the water, but the narrator gets picked up by patrols boats both times. One of those times he loses a finger on one of the barbed wire fence that is set up under water. After the many unsuccessful escape attempts, the narrator helps the African refugees who arrive from Ceuta. â€Å"†¦ I help the French doctors. Borders are not always visible!I can go between people and places. I can go to the bits of the city they can’t, or the buildings they can’t, or the people they don’t know about, or the people who don’t wish to be seen. I can take them with me; I can tell the people its okay. † (Page 2, line 39-42) The writer uses an unusual writing style in his short story, which starts in medias res with a question; â€Å"You know what Spain is? † (Page 1, line 1) That the story starts in medias res means that there is no introduction or opening, and the reader is not presented to the situation, persons or setting of the story.So you don't know what has happened in advance of the situation you are presented to. The most conspicuous feature in the story in terms of writing style is the fact that it is written like if the narrator is talking to somebody. That we can tell by the questions, the informal, the casual language and the missing questions marks. It is almost like you are reading a part of a conversation between the narrator and someone else. We are only introduced to the narrator, which makes him the main character.The only things we know about him is his former work and his physique. As mentioned before, he is a educated man who speaks several languages. He does also quote the scientist Van Leeuwenhoeck. We are told that he is 33 years old, and in the end of the story he describes himself as a slight man. â€Å"I’m a small, slight man. I’m not a big man. I’m lean and slight. My stature is slight. My coat is a bit too slight – here comes the winter. † (Page 4, line 120-121) The story seems to be critical of the problems concerning freedom of movement in the world.We’ve been given an insight in a world where freedom of movements is non-existent. To show this, Ali Smith uses irony as a very effective way of calling people’s attention to the problem, which he is perfectly illustrating through the short story. He wants to draw people’s attention to the fact that the human right are not fulfilled, and that politicians all over the world has to look at this problem, because the people who are supposed to register the refugees apparently don’t know how to do their job.The refugees are injured, humiliated and chased, â€Å"†¦ with dogs, sticks, electric shock sticks and gun†¦ † (Page 1, line 23-24) The short story can be seen as a wake-up call to the world. Instead of celebrating the anniversary, action should be taken. â€Å"Now it the time to actually fulfil the rights we have given people and not just be satisfied with the ways things are functioning at the moment. † – Ali Smith

Report on Pizza Hut Essay

During the past four decades Pizza Hut has built a reputation for excellence that has earned the respect of consumers and industry experts alike. Building a leading pizza company has required relentless innovation, commitment to quality and dedication to customer service and value. The qualities of entrepreneurship, growth and leadership have characterized Pizza Hut’s business through more than four decades of success. Through the strength of its heritage, its culture and its people and franchisees, Pizza Hut looks forward to more success in future. There are different objectives of every organization. In order to achieve these objectives different targets are set. Targets pass down the hierarchy depending on the nature of the business. Therefore, in order to achieve the objectives, management decides on different strategies. These strategies are divided into many sub-parts and are useful for the running of the business. The employees and the management know what they have to achieve through the targets which have been set to them and the strategies they have adopted help them know the way they will achieve the objectives. Similarly, Pizza Hut has different targets set to them and they have adopted different strategies to successfully achieve the targets set. These targets are set by the RSC i. e. the restaurant support centre in Karachi. These targets are passed on to the RGM (restaurant general manager) and he passes them to the workforce. These targets fall within the organizational structure in which there are many people who have different targets to achieve. In order to successfully achieve the targets they need to co-operate and work in a friendly environment. Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar Pakistan Page 4 Report and Marketing Strategies of Pizza Hut HISTORY OF PIZZA About Pizza, Some will tell you Italy. That’s wrong. What you know as pizza came into vogue around the time of Napoleon and the French revolution. Italians, known to be lovers of fine food and wines perfected and imported this terrific dish to America. From here it quickly endeared itself to mass production and re-export to the rest of the world. Bon appetite! INTRODUCTION & HISTORY OF PIZZA HUT In 1958, Frank and Dan Carney had an idea for a great local pizza restaurant in Wichita Kansas. The small 25 seat restaurant only had room for 9 letters on the sign†¦ the building looked like a hut†¦ so ‘Pizza Hut’ was born! Fifteen years later, we opened the first UK restaurant and since then we’ve become the biggest Pizza Company on the planet, Let see listen Pizza Hut Story from them! †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 1958 Frank and Dan Carney open the first Pizza Hut in Wichita, Kansas. 1972 1000 restaurants are open throughout the USA. 1973 Pizza Hut went international with restaurants in Japan, Canada & England. The first UK Pizza Hut opened in Islington, London. 1977 PepsiCo bought Pizza Hut. 1980 Pan Pizza was introduced. 1982 The UK joint venture started between PepsiCo and Whitbread. 1984 Over 50 restaurants so far in the UK. 1986 By now, there were 100 restaurants in the UK and 5000 worldwide. 1987 An average of one restaurant opened each week in the UK. 1988 The UK’s First Delivery Unit was opened in Kingsbury, London. 1992 There were 9,000 restaurants in 84 countries. 1993 There were 300 restaurants and delivery stores in the UK. 1994 10,000 Pizza Huts were open for business. 1997 PepsiCo decided to focus on their drinks business. As a result, Tricon Global Restaurants was born, creating the largest restaurant brand in the World. Tricon became the partner company with Whitbread. 1999 Pizza Hut had over 400 restaurants, employing 14000 people. 2002 Tricon Global became YUM! Brands Inc. 2006 Whitbread sold their share of the joint venture to Yum! Brands Inc. Pizza Hut UK Ltd was now 100% owned by Yum! 2008 We bought Godfather’s Pizza in Ireland with 28 stores. Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar Pakistan Page 5 Report and Marketing Strategies of Pizza Hut Pizza Hut’s Mission Statement. We take pride in making a perfect pizza and providing courteous and helpful service on time all the time. Every customer says, â€Å"I’ll be back! † We are the employer of choice offering team members opportunities For Growth, Advancement, And Rewarding Careers in a Fun, Safe Working Environment. †¢ P. E. A. R. L. S ? PASSION for excellence in Doing everything ? EXECUTE with positive energy and urgency. ? ACCOUNTABLE for growth in customer satisfaction and profitability. ? RECOGNIZE the achievement of others and have fun doing it. ? LISTEN and more importantly, respond to the voice of the customer. Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar Pakistan Page 6 Report and Marketing Strategies of Pizza Hut COMPARATIVE STRATEGY: This forced competitors to look for new methods of increasing their customer bases. Many pizza chains decided to diversify and offer new nonpizza items such as Buffalo wings, and Italian cheese bread. The current trend in pizza chains today is the same. They all try to come up with some newer, bigger, better, pizza for a low price. Offering special promotions and new pizza variations are popular today as well. For example, chicken is now a common topping found on pizzas. In the past, Pizza Hut has always had the first mover advantage. Their marketing strategy in the past has always been to be first. One of their main strategies that they still follow today is the diversification of the products they offer. Pizza Hut is always adding something new to their menu, trying to reach new markets. For example, in 1992 the famous buffet was launched in Pizza Hut restaurants worldwide. They were trying to offer many different food items for customers who didn’t necessarily want pizza. Another strategy they used in the past and are still using is the diversification of their pizzas. Pizza Hut is always trying to come up with some innovative way to make a pizza into something slightly different different enough that customers will think it’s a whole new product. For example, let’s look at some of the pizzas Pizza Hut has marketed in the past. In 1983, Pizza Hut introduced their Pan Pizza, which had a guarantee of being ready to eat in 5 minutes when dining at Pizza Hut restaurants. In 1993, they introduced the â€Å"Bigfoot,† which was two square feet of pizza cut into 21 slices. In 1995, they introduced â€Å"Stuffed Crust Pizza,† where the crust would be filled with cheese. In 1997, they marketed â€Å"The Edge,† which had cheese and toppings all the way to the edge of the pizza. Currently, they are marketing â€Å"The Big New Yorker,† trying to bring the famous New York style pizza to the whole country. Lastly, Pizza Hut has always valued customer service and satisfaction. In 1995, Pizza Hut began two customer satisfaction programs: a UAN (in USA 1-800) number customer hotline and a customer call-back program. These were implemented to make sure their customers were happy, and always wanted to return. In our plan, we will first give a situation analysis of current and relevant environmental conditions that affect our plan. Next, we will give a brief analysis of the current fast food industry, and any trends or changes that might occur in the future. Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar Pakistan Page 7 Report and Marketing Strategies of Pizza Hut Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar Pakistan Page 8 Report and Marketing Strategies of Pizza Hut ENVIRONMENTAL AND INTERNAL ANALYSIS OF PIZZA HUT In our visit to Pizza Hut we conducted research on PEST (Political, Economic, Social and Technological) Analysis. In the internal analysis of Pizza Hut we have considered SWOT of the Company. PEST (Political, Economic, Social & Technological) i. POLITICAL ISSUES: Political issues include regulatory frame work operating in judicial system which may affect the business in different ways. There are not many political factors in Peshawar affecting Pizza Hut as is lack of competition. Factors such as laws on business employment, pollution and taxation apply on the organization which it has to follow regarding the rules. ii. ECNOMIC FACTORS: If the county’s economy is better so the GDP of the country will be good, this is a green signal for the business as the per capita income of the people will be increased and they will spend more money. In our survey we came to know that most of the people in the beginning of the months spend more and they visit pizza hut very often. When the inflation rate increases the cost of raw material also increases and this leads towards high prices of the products and vice versa. iii. SOCIAL FACTORS: Pizza hut is a multinational and it is basically originated from America so the organization is overwhelmed by western culture. There are social forms of society which consist of Upper class, middle class, middle upper class, lower class and lower class. Every country has cultural norms, values, beliefs and religion which can affect the organization. iv. TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS: Now a day’s technology is improving so as baking and heating ovens will be of new and efficient technology and will provide efficient service. Due to new technology there are new ways of marketing like internet; telemarketing and the organization can advertise their products with much more faster pace. Computer based customer data that is MIS (managing information system) helps in collecting customer data, daily transactions, future forecasting and decision making. New vehicles will make their service more efficient. Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar Pakistan Page 9 Report and Marketing Strategies of Pizza Hut SWOT ANALYSIS: Every organization has its strengths, weakness, opportunity and threats. So, the SWOT analysis for pizza hut is as under: Strengths: Pizza Hut is the market leader in providing different products of pizzas as there are no competitors in this sector. There good image makes the organization more strong. Pizza Hut is providing good taste, quality products with qualified staff, good atmosphere and hygienic environment. They are specialized in pizzas. Motivation level of staff is very high which make the organization more prosperous. They are ISO (International Standard Organization) certified. They have enough resources for operating different activities of the organization. They are providing free home delivery service. They have created monopoly in this sector. Another big Strength and even a Competitive Advantageis the fact that they have a full service restaurant as well as delivery services. Most of Pizza Hut’s competitors do not have restaurants. Because of the restaurant, Pizza Hut can market too many different segments that other pizza chains cannot. For example, Pizza Hut can market to families much easier than Domino’s or Little Caesar’s. Weaknesses: However, the fact that Pizza Hut does have a restaurant to run is also a weakness. Pizza Hut has higher overhead costs, due to the restaurant that other competitors don’t have to deal with. Another result of higher overhead costs is higher prices Pizza Hut must charge. Obviously, Pizza Hut is not the low cost producer. They rely on their quality pizza and good service to account for their higher prices. They are providing less range of products comparatively with high prices. They are more focused on Western taste instead of Eastern. Opportunities: New markets can be explored and new opportunities they can gain. Pizza Hut can come up with the new products considering the Eastern taste of the people as like McDonalds. Diversification of new products can increase their market share. They can reduce their prices because of more resources. Threats: Pizza Hut’s number one threats are from their competitors. Currently, Their closest competitor is Domino’s Pizza who is working to open their Branch at Karachi. Domino’s main competitive advantage over Pizza Hut is their Lower price. ii. Little Caesar’s who is establishing their self in India and might move to i. Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar Pakistan Page 10 Report and Marketing Strategies of Pizza Hut Pakistan is another one of Pizza Hut’s competitors, right behind Domino’s in market share. Little Caesar’s is famous for offering large quantities of pizza for less money. iii. New entrance like Dominos pizza in Pakistan market can affect their market share. iv. Other local restaurants can affect their market share by providing pizzas with lower price. v. Social factors can affect their image as a Western organization. SEGMENTATION: Main segments which Pizza hut has captured are the combination of higher incomes and dual career families , due to higher income consumer have more disposable income , allowing them to eat out more often. Pizza Hut holds the most market share in the Pizza industry, the perceived quality and service of the company will help to ensure a better the average chance at a successful introduction of a new product. The introduction of a product that keeps with today trends is also important to reduce the risk of failure. Pizza Hut maximum market segment is younger generations. These generation ranges from 12 to 30, the overall spending of these generations is mostly on non essential items, the higher amount of spending has been done on eating out. POSITIONING Pizza Hut was among the first multinational brands to enter the food retail sector in Pakistan. When the first Pizza Hut restaurant opened in Karachi the quick service industry was at a nascent stage and the pizza category was dominated by a sole regional player who had a marginal presence. Pizza Hut went on to play a significant role in pioneering and developing this category in Pakistan. Worldwide and in Pakistan, Pizza Hut has come to become synonymous with the ‘best pizzas under one roof’. This is because at Pizza Hut the belief is that every pizza has its own magic, thus making it a destination product – which everyone seeks. It is this belief that has ignited the passion to create, innovate and serve the finest product the industry has to offer, while setting standards for others to strive to replicate. Pizza Hut is committed to providing uncompromising product quality, offering customers the highest value for money and giving service that is warm, friendly and personal. Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar Pakistan Page 11 Report and Marketing Strategies of Pizza Hut. A critical factor in Pizza Hut’s success has been its unique dining experience. Crew members at Pizza Hut strive each day to provide ‘CUSTOMER MANIA’ – the kind of service that ensures that every visit of the customer is a memorable one. Pizza Hut’s constant endeavor to provide extra value – whether it is pizzas which are available to suit every price range, new promotions or the introduction of innovative product ranges – that puts a ‘Yum’ on every customer’s face – has allowed it to increase its presence in Pakistan to the current 38 restaurants across 9 cities. Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar Pakistan Page 12 Report and Marketing Strategies of Pizza Hut Market Targeting: Pizza hut targeted market defines them as a family product. This is because they don’t really directly market their customers. They are target everyone whereas their competitors target a certain gender or age. But pizza hut targets a wide range of customers. This is because they want to make the most money and who blames them. They have many competitors and they are bound to try everything to cope up tops. Their competitors are everywhere. There are just a few that are main competitors and pizza hut will always try to be the best and get the most money by making their products better quality but also cheaper. They try to offer something different with their product as well. They offer a range of stuffed crusts to try and attract customers. They also do vegetarian options with meet free pizzas and a salad and pasta bar. Not a lot of restaurants offer a salad and a pasta bar. This is another competitive idea to attract or customers. STRATEGIES ADOPTED BY PIZZA HUT: A business’s strategy is the pattern of decisions and actions that are taken by the business to achieve its goals. A business has a variety of goals and objectives. All businesses need to organize their business activities in order to achieve their business objectives. Running a business involves planning the current as well as future activities. Hence, in order to achieve the business objectives, all business organizations adopt different strategies. Similarly, Pizza Hut has adopted many strategies which help achieve the targets set by the main office to the local store opened at Peshawar. Changes are the external as well as internal environment has led Pizza Hut rethink their past strategies and has therefore designed new strategies after noticing the changes in the environment. These environmental changes are seen through the PEST and SWOT analysis. After considering all the factors Pizza Hut has decided upon the strategies and their current strategies are divided into five main categories and further have sub-parts. These strategies are: – Functional Strategies: These are strategies designed to improve the efficiency of a business’s operations. They often focus on an area, such as marketing, human resource etc. All business organizations adopt strategies at functional level as once the functional objectives are achieved, corporate objectives become easy. In order to make the functional strategy efficient, Pizza Hut has made all the functional departments co-operate with each other. Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar Pakistan Page 13 Report and Marketing Strategies of Pizza Hut Total Quality Management (TQM): This is the most important for a food chain like Pizza Hut. All the employees’ backof-the-house i. e. the kitchen assistants are trained accordingly. They are given extra classes in order to meet the quality standards set by Pizza Hut around the world. This strategy is important in order to satisfy the CHAMPS. This strategy is strictly implemented in Pizza Hut in order to fulfill the quality standards. Different quality management staff is also there at Pizza Hut. The shift managers have the task to observe whether the quality standards are met or not, whereas there are a total quality management department at the main office in Karachi. This department has the task to implement quality standards and know whether they are achieved or not. Business Level Strategy: Business level strategies are plans made to gain a competitive advantage over its rivals in a market. Hence, all the businesses need to adopt business level strategies in order to compete in a competitive environment. If we take a look at the Pakistani market, there are no large competitors of Pizza Hut but unlimited small competitors exist in the market. The threat of competitors is very low as there is no international food chain offering pizza in Pakistan at present. Therefore, present strategies adopted by Pizza Hut are keeping in consideration the present competition. Whereas, in future this competition will increase and Pizza Hut will have to change all its business level strategies in order to compete with its rivals. In very near future Dominos is opening its first branch in Karachi. This would be a threat for Pizza Hut and hence, the strategies would be changed. Pricing Strategy: The level of competition a business faces determines its pricing strategy. Sometimes a business has the scope to set its price and sometimes a business cannot. When a business has the scope to set its price there is a number of pricing strategies or policies it might choose. As there are no such competitors of Pizza Hut which could compete with the quality of pizza produced at Pizza Hut, therefore, the pricing strategy adopted by Pizza Hut is ‘market skimming’. Pizza Hut has adopted this pricing strategy as they want to hold maximum share of the market by maximum profit. This is a golden era for Pizza Hut, as there are no competitors and hence, Pizza Hut is free to charge any price they want. They are charging higher prices due to the uniqueness of the product. They satisfy the target market as the food quality is worth the price paid. The pricing strategy is not just to get the worth Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar Pakistan Page 14 Report and Marketing Strategies of Pizza Hut of quality but also to gain maximum profits before any competitor enters because then Pizza Hut will have to change its pricing strategy. Although the prices would be lowered with the new entrants in the market but not to a greater extent as the quality food products are not home-produced. They are imported from different countries keeping in view the best quality. Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar Pakistan Page 15 Report and Marketing Strategies of Pizza Hut Market Share: As there are Dozens of Pizza Suppliers Globally Providing Services in different part of the World, but Pizza Hut is the One who got the Bigger Market Share Globally. This is the Survey taken by www. survey. com that Pizza Hut is having 48% of Overall Pizza Market in the World. After that Dominos is leading with a percentage of 20% while the rest 32% is divided in the Remaining Pizza Providers Globally. MARKET SHARE OTHERS 32% PIZZA HUT PIZZA HUT 48% DOMINO’S OTHERS DOMINO’S 20% Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar Pakistan Page 16 Report and Marketing Strategies of Pizza Hut FOUR P’S OF MARKETING. PRODUCT: Product refers to the actual program you are planning. The goal of pizza hut is to develop the best product with the resources available. Pizza Hut sells pizzas in four different sizes: personal (an individual serving), small, medium and large, though most stores have done away from with the small size. A variety of toppings are available, plus â€Å"specialty† styles, including Meat Lovers, Pepperoni Lovers, Cheese Lovers, Veggie Lovers, Double Cheeseburger, Supreme, Super Supreme and the newly introduced Pizza Mia. The pan pizza has a thicker crust than most other commercially available pizzas .so their products have help them to retain their customers and to increase them . they provide their customers with complete nutrition plan and healthy food is guaranteed. The nutrition plan also clearly tells diabetes patients can use what range of food at pizza hut. Over weight patients are also satisfied and the pizza with less cholesterol can be ordered. This encourages the customers to visit pizza hut rather than going elsewhere. As pizza hut has to boost its sales in the existing markets, so they the new food products are introduced in all branches line-by–line because all branches are operated in co-operation with one another. Different products for different regions are also developed as there are choice differences. Pizza hut offers a long list of products and never afraid to offer new products like in Peshawar according to market they introduce the very first â€Å"Chapli Kabab Pizza† which was very healthy product by Pizza hut in this region. There are a lot many products according to different geographical places. Like in India they have got there vegetable pizzas, which has a large market there BUT not the Cow Meat Pizza. Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar Pakistan Page 17 Report and Marketing Strategies of Pizza Hut. PRICE: . As there are no such competitors of Pizza Hut which could compete with the quality of pizza produced at Pizza Hut, therefore, the pricing strategy adopted by Pizza Hut is ‘market skimming’. Pizza Hut has adopted this pricing strategy as they want to hold maximum share of the market by maximum profit. This is a golden era for Pizza Hut, as there are no competitors and hence, Pizza Hut is free to charge any price they want. They are charging higher prices due to the uniqueness of the product. They satisfy the target market as the food quality is worth the price paid. The pricing strategy is not just to get the worth of quality but also to gain maximum profits before any competitor enters because then Pizza Hut will have to change its pricing strategy. Although the prices would be lowered with the new entrants in the market but not to a greater extent as the quality food products are not home-produced. They are imported from different countries keeping in view the best quality. First, this pricing strategy will help segment the market. Different groups of customers are willing to pay different prices for the same product. The high/low pricing strategy will also create excitement. The pricing strategy adopted by Pizza Hut is ‘market skimming’. Pizza Hut has adopted this pricing strategy as they want to hold maximum share of the market by maximum profit. This product will emphasize product and service quality PLACE/DISTRIBUTION: It refers to the best place to offer program. That is the place where it is located and through what channels are we distributing programs and the competitive advantage lies in distribution. The pizza hut Peshawar is situated out of the market area near Army Stadium and Shami road. This site has been chosen keeping in view the following factors. It is in an out of centre location on retail or Leisure Park with good parking accessibility. Secondly the catchment area is of a specified minimum size and within a given drive time to the site. Distribution The type of distribution channel used by Pizza Hut is the direct channel. The direct channel is successful when there is an extremely large market that is geographically dispersed. The direct channel is also useful when there are a large number of buyers, but a small amount purchased by each. Pizza Hut uses three different methods of selling its products directly to the market. Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar Pakistan Page 18 Report and Marketing Strategies of Pizza Hut i. The first method of distribution used by Pizza Hut is Home. Office delivery. Customers can call Pizza Hut ahead of time, place an order, and the order is delivered to the customer’s home. can go to the nearest Pizza Hut, place an order and either leave with the order or eat at the restaurant. One of Pizza Hut’s largest competitive advantages is its restaurant style facility. Pizza Hut offers a clean place to sit down and enjoy the variety of pizzas, salads, and sandwiches in a fun, family atmosphere. ii. Another method of distribution is for customers to dine-in. Customers iii. The third method of distribution is to order Online. Selective County Customers can now go on the Internet and place an order for Pizza. This method is useful because it allows customers to view the entire menu, download any special coupons, and order without having to disclose any credit card numbers. Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar Pakistan Page 19 Report and Marketing Strategies of Pizza Hut PROMOTION: The objectives of promotion are to introduce a new product, stimulate demand, change the short-term behavior of the customers, and encourage repeat or greater usage by current customers. Pizza hut uses many promotional strategies. The main promotion is a coupon to purchase. This promotion is also distributed mainly by mail, but also by fliers on college campuses around the country in order to reach the target market. They are using billboards on main stream places to get there customer. They are also distributing door to door brochures to capture more and more customers. Pizza huts also using marketing techniques. These are the strategies Pizza hut is using for its marketing. Pizza huts try’s to attract the younger generation as their main market segment. Apart from this Pizza Hut is using intense marketing strategies they are also giving ads in magazines. Advertising camping will creates awareness of the products in our target markets. Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar Pakistan Page 20 Report and Marketing Strategies of Pizza Hut CONCLUSION Pizza Hut has many targets which it has achieve in a given period of time. The time-period is mostly a year. Therefore, in order to fulfill the targets different strategies are adopted by Pizza Hut. It can be concluded that these strategies have been successful and there is flexibility in the strategies, as they can be changed with the changes in the market conditions as well as the targets. Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar Pakistan Page 21 Report and Marketing Strategies of Pizza Hut REFERENCES Mr. Amir Zeb, Shift Manager, Pizza Hut, Peshawar Mr. Hamad Zeb, Shift Manger, Pizza Hut, Peshawar Lower staff of Pizza Hut, Peshawar Google Search Engine www. definitions. com www. answers. com www. about. com www. wikipedia. org www. pizzahut. com Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar Pakistan  .

Fall of Icarus Poems

After reading Landscape With The Fall of Icarus by William Carlos Williams and Musee Des Beaux Arts by W. H. Auden, a clear idea is present. Both authors seem to minimize the importance of Icarus’s death, but with what intent? In both poems, self-concern outweighs any intentions to help Icarus. It is clear to me what the authors were trying to express by implying that people simply had their own things to do, too used to disaster to even care about anyone besides themselves.In the Landscape With The Fall Of Icarus, Williams makes it clear that people are too concerned with themselves to notice anything happening around them. That idea started to become present when Williams wrote â€Å"the edge of the sea concerned with itself†. This quote demonstrates how everyone only cared about what they were doing. The message was very clear to me when the poem said â€Å"insignificantly off the coast there was a splash quite unnoticed this was Icarus drowning†.The way Willi ams used the word â€Å"insignificantly† while describing Icarus’s fall made me think that he wanted to give the impression that Icarus’s fall was not important to anyone and it was just another daily tragedy. In the Musee des Beaux Arts by W. H. Auden, the message Auden was trying to give seems to jump out of the page. For example, a quote from the poem says â€Å"how everything turns away Quite leisurely from the disaster; the ploughman may Have heard the Splash, the forsaken cry, But for him it was not an important failure†.This quote clearly shows how people can so easily turn from disaster without a second thought. And even though someone may have heard the splash and the cry, it was not an â€Å"important failure† to them because he was not affected. I think Auden meant the reason for people’s selfishness, when it comes to disaster, to be from how used they were to tragedy. If disaster is an often occurrence, it’s harder to be a s affected from it. The first lines of Musee de Beaux Arts are â€Å"About suffering they were never wrong, The old Masters: how well they understood Its human position: how it takes place†.This beginning to the poem demonstrates that same idea: that people are accepting of suffering. People understood its human position; they understood how it takes place. This is why I think Auden made Icarus’s death seem unimportant, simply because people were so used to it. Also, the last lines of Auden’s poem were â€Å"the expensive delicate ship that must have seen Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky, Had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on. This quote from the text seems to give a clear answer to why Icarus’s death seemed so unimportant; it was simply because people were too caught up in their own business to care for each other’s. As you can see, Icarus’s death in the poems Landscape With The Fall Of Icarus and Musee des Beaux Arts seemed very unimportant. By reading the poems carefully, you can see the two author’s meaning behind this, which was that people were too concerned with themselves to care.

Foreign Direct Investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Foreign Direct Investment - Essay Example In essence, FDI gives the investor the power to operate a company in another country for the long term. Developed host countries are not too welcome to the idea on the premise that they fear foreign firms will end up dominating their local firms. In contrast to this, developing countries are more welcome to the idea on the grounds that FDI will bring additional capital, expertise and new technology into their country. (Contessi & Weinberger, 2009). Host countries record FDI flows as liabilities along with similar items in their balance of payments. In host countries like these FDI flows make up a large percentage of the total investment in the economy as compared to more developed countries; the effects of FDI on these countries differ as well, with developing countries showing a steady growth trend as compared to developed countries who showed boom and bust cycles as a result of engaging in FDI. (Contessi & Weinberger, 2009). Growth is normally measured by looking at the trends in p er capita GDP growth. Analysts relate FDI to per capita to GDP growth by looking at figures of gross FDI inflows and FDI inflows per capita to see if they have any impact on the economic growth of a country. Research has revealed a positive relationship between FDI levels and growth levels in an economy, in some cases these results have been insignificant as well but these variables have never shared a negative relationship. Extraneous variable have a magnitude changing effect on this relationship. It has been seen that, the more developed a country is, the better and greater positive effect FDI will have on its economic growth. (Contessi & Weinberger, 2009). Most studies that have analyzed the impact of FDI on the economic growth of the host country have found the results to be pretty elusive. Most established relationships are based specifically on the host country’s own specific economic characteristics. Thus it is difficult to generalize these effects and apply them to ot her countries as the findings of a study. However, the probable effects are not completely elusive, as the endogenous growth theory provides framework for the positive linkage between growth and FDI inflows. (Johnson, 2005). A study found that FDI can have a positive effect on growth, given that the host country promotes exports simultaneously. (Balasubramanyam et al, 1996). Another study showed that FDI had a positive impact on growth, but this effect was to be directly proportional to the host country’s level and quality of human capital. (Borensztein et al, 1998). A further study conducted on 50 developed and developing countries also found FDI to be positively impacting host country’s growth rate. (Olofsdotter, 1998). Research revealed that FDI and growth have a positive relationship, the magnitude of which depends on the specific economic conditions of the country in question. (Zhang, 2001). Another study based on research on Latin American countries also had simi lar findings. (Bengoa & Sanchez-Robles, 2003). Some studies on the other hand, found a weak link between FDI and economic growth based on research done on a mix of developed and developing countries. (De Mello, 1999). Other studies, like the one which conducted research on a mix of 72 developing and developed countries found that FDI

Relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Relationship - Essay Example Because of her, I consider myself alone and this loneliness has entered into me, as it is my own part. Now, I really want to be alone most of the time without anyone disturbing me in my isolated world. There are three kinds of relationships that are assertive, aggressive and passive. I categorize my mother’s relationship with me as passive and aggressive because whenever I try to communicate with her, the end is aggression and I feel that I will go mad. I have the same attitude with my friends, as because of keeping such behavior with my mother, I have developed the same behavior for everyone trying to communicate with me. Whenever someone is unable to understand my problems, and me I get aggressive and try to run away from the place. With the continuous problematic relationship with my mother, aggression and passiveness have become part of my personality. Therefore, what defines me with my relationships is aggression and passiveness. My group members have also problems with their relationships. One of my group members informed us that she had a troubling relationship with her boss due to which, she lost her job. She hated her boss. After listening to her issue regarding her job and her strained relationship with her boss, I considered myself fortunate enough in terms of my relationship with my boss. I work on part time basis as a receptionist in a medical therapy centre. I had no experience of the job before and when I was called for interview, I was surprised as I was quite new to the job. My job responsibilities include verification of insurance of clients with the insurance company, billing the insurance and reminding the clients about their schedule. I just randomly dropped my CV for the job without anything in my mind and I got the job. My boss is kind, sympathetic, supportive and instructive. He has allowed me to work on weekends. He is also a good teacher, as he teaches me a lot. I like my job. I also do another job as an internee, however, I do not

Biochemistry science field Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Biochemistry science field - Research Paper Example Therefore, it may be hypothesized that the use of cartilage in the promotion of endochondral regeneration of bones may leverage normal development and repair sequences resulting in a properly vascularized regenerate capable of integrating with the host tissues. Various tests have demonstrated that cartilage grafts are able to support the regeneration of vascularized and integrated bone tissues in vivo, while lineage tracing experiments have revealed graft derived regenerates. Mesenchymal stem cells are actually the pluripotent cells existing in numerous adult human tissues, for example bone marrow and adipose as well as synovial tissues, and since they originate from the mesoderm, they differentiate to become bones and cartilage as well as muscles and adipose tissues (Nolta, 2006). Mesenchymal stem cells from embryonic sources have demonstrated probabilities in science while at the same time creating a considerable amount of controversy. As a consequence, numerous researchers have put emphasis on adult stem cells or those isolated from human adults that may be transplanted in to tissues that are damaged. As a result of their multi-potent capability, mesenchymal stem cell lineages have been employed with success in animal models in the regeneration of articular cartilage and in human models in the regeneration of bones. Research done recently has shown that articular cartilage can be repaired through percutaneous introduction of mesenchymal stem cells. Th is paper aims at explaining how bone and cartilage can be differentiated from stem cells as well as considering the current research and development of this discipline. An experiment that sought to investigate conditions that can stimulate stem cells to differentiate into fat of bone cells while being encapsulated by hydrogels was conducted with polymer networks, which could simulate various conditions where the stem cells grow naturally. The first step in growing the new cartilage involved initiating

Negotiation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Negotiation - Essay Example The avoiding style is uncooperative and unassertive, which might take the form of rescheduling an issue until a better period or withdrawing from it. The main conflict is never resolved or addressed. This model may be appropriate when a manager encounters a trivial issue. He might use this style to postpone the decision until a better time or withdraw from it. The potential ramification of overusing this model is that the main conflict may never be solved or addressed. When used reasonably, it might be appropriate, especially when there is no likelihood of winning. The competing style (also referred to as the win-lose approach) is uncooperative, assertive, and power-oriented model. An individual pursues his concerns at the expense of the other person to win position. A manager utilizing this style seeks establishing outcomes that would enrich him at the expense of the parties involved. This mode may be appropriate when there is a need of decisive action and hasty answers such as duri ng emergencies cases. It is applicable when confronting an unpopular action like cost cutting that demands crucial answers. When used too often, it may be unsuitable as one uses whatever means to defend his position without regarding other people’s feedback. ... However, it is not applicable when there is a conflict demanding a solving approach. Lastly, the collaborating style has high cooperativeness and assertiveness, often summarized as win-win scenario, and in this case, parties work towards accomplishing their desired goals and outcomes. This style is appropriate when there is a complex conflict and a high demand of having creative ideas of both parties. Nevertheless, this resolution style requires a lot of time in making the final decision. 2. What three (and only three) points of advice would you give to your best friend facing a negotiation? Or, stated differently, set forth how you would describe to your best friend the Getting To Yes model of negotiations knowing that he or she has not and will not read the book. In any event, be as specific as possible. (30 points) The Getting To Yes model of negotiations is applicable to collaborative negotiations established by William Ury and Roger Fisher. This model is helpful in negotiations as it detaches people from a conflict or a problem, separates positions from different interests, augments options for mutual gain, and looks for suitable standards. The first point to bear in mind is that the model is significant as it looks for multiple interests of others by asking various questions such as why in negotiation. Individual interest should go along with specific details and invite other parties to improve if they are not precise. The second point to keep in mind is that the model looks for appropriate standards by avoiding judgment. The criterion is based on fair procedures and standards without assumption and fixed policy. The third point: this mode enlarges creative problem solving as it evaluates possible options without evaluating personal ideas

Business in asia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Business in asia - Essay Example The researcher states that the classical growth theory argues that economic growth can negatively impact on the rising population and inadequate capitals. The classical theorists believe that short-term increase in actual GDP can result in population explosion which can ultimately reduce the actual GDP. The neoclassical theory depicts that steady economic growth can only be achieved with correct amount of labor, money and technology. It was the extension of â€Å"Harrod Domar Model† which tells that higher amount of savings and higher minimal production of capital can increase the growth rate of economy. In developing countries, labor is plentiful, but the capital is limited, which in turn reduces the amount of savings and leads to low investment and low economic growth. The endogenous growth theory depicts that economic growth is mainly the consequence of endogenous force and not due to external impact. According to this theory, investment in labor capital, invention and info rmation are the significant elements which can determine economic growth. Endogenous theory also shows that policy actions can also influence on the long-term development of economy. In this theory, the engine of growth is the labor capital because endogenous theorists believe that if labor capital accretion increases then the productivity of employees and physical resources also increase. The endogenous theory observes innovation as one of the major determinants of technological development and productivity growth. Therefore, developing countries that invest more on research and development are able to accomplish higher paybacks. The Simple AK Model which is developed by Paul Romer (1990) is the modest endogenous model. This model shows that exclusion of lessening return can result in endogenous growth (Slide 40). Question 4 Austrian Business Cycle Theory seeks to clarify the economic succession which indicates variations in production or economic movement in a country. These varia tions happen around a long-standing development tendency and usually comprise alterations over a period of time between stages of boom and burst. The Austrian Business Cycle Theory observes business cycles as the unavoidable result of extreme development in bank credit, aggravated by integrally harmful and ineffectual central bank strategies which cause lower interest rates for longer period of time. It can result in unnecessary credit formation, hypothetical economic bubble and reduced savings. According to this theory, low interest rate for a constant period of time and extreme credit formation can result in unpredictable and uneven balance between savings and investment. The increase of credit can result in higher money supply and higher money supply leads towards un-maintainable boom during which the artificially induced lending reduce the investment prospects. Thus, the Austrian Business Cycle Theory denotes that bursts can happen if the lending or credit formation becomes unma nageable. A saving induced boom is maintainable, but

Organisational Transformation in Practice Essay

Organisational Transformation in Practice - Essay Example My role in this acquisition and change process has provided immense learning experience in terms of organisational change process and people’s psychology. A patchwork of this experience combined with learning from the module will be elaborated in this discussion. Literature findings will be confined to organisational change and its psychological implications on employees. Attempt will be made to provide a few probable and implementable suggestions for situations that did not conform to the need, as identified in literature. Background of the company: Armen Technologies (AT) is a multinational company that provides information technology enabled business services in four regions of the world including Europe, North Africa and South East Asia. Headquartered in Beijing, AT has more than 5000 employees. Its business volume and spread were enriched when AT acquired the IT Company VTL Solutions. This acquisition process resulted in overall growth of AT, but after much struggle. Cont ext: At the outset, this acquisition process was absolutely strategic and involved many negotiations during long period. From HR perspective, this acquisition seemed extremely lengthy and complex process. The acquisition process that began with various types of negotiations followed into aligning the acquired company’s businesses, clients, customers and employees with the acquiring company’s systems. One of the most significant parts of this acquisition was reinstating the confidence of both companies’ employees at all locations. This task required a strategically planned approach and to be executed by highly experienced personnel. While the general transformation process during and after the acquisition itself was complex and multidimensional event, transformation with respect to processes and systems in the human resources perspective was equally challenging. On a broader note, the HR aspect involved activities such as integration and alignment and corporate c ommunication along with assistance in implementation of change strategies. Corresponding literature findings: Mergers and acquisitions act as change agents in corporate restructuring (DePamphillis, 2011; p.4). Organisational changes that follow mergers and acquisitions are usually uneven and face numerous obstacles. According to Marks and Mirvis (2010), the fervor of success after acquisition usually infuses equally faster in the acquired company but in a retrospective manner, usually in the form of patronizing attitudes of its employees. To add further, unilateral integration of organisational systems and policies leads to greater turbulence in the acquired company. Culture-fit is a core ingredient of organisational sustenance post acquisition (DiGeorgio, 2002). Studies related to organisational change and mergers and acquisitions provide vast and diverse views that are mostly practically implementable and have been successfully implemented in many situations. For instance, various change implementation models that have been proposed include McKinsey’s 7-S framework, Kotter’s (1996) eight-step model, Lewin’s 3-phase model of change ADKAR model etc (Hiatt & Creasey, 2003; Cameron & Green, 2004). All these models provide comprehensive and systematic methods to implement change. Several other models are suggested to diagnose change, such as, Kurt Lewin’s force field analysis model (Cameron & Green, 2

Quality Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Quality Model - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that for a business to succeed, it is necessary to have strategies to ensure optimal productivity to meet customers’ needs and attain company objectives. Quality management entails customer satisfaction, improving management, involvement of employees and reaching company goals. Total quality management involves every facet of a business together with sections like research marketing, and development, sales and human resources. The basic tenets of total quality management range from satisfying the customer, satisfying the supplier, and consistent improvement of the business. This essay explains the primary elements of the three spheres of quality model. It further describes the organizational activities that fall within each of these spheres. The first element of the three spheres of quality model is total quality management. According to Nguyen and Derstine, this is a crucial factor for businesses to prosper both internally and exter nally. Internal success in the company takes into account state of products and services to meet customer expectations. The organization also needs employees to be fully productive through keeping workers content. In terms of external success, company profitability can lead to market success. Companies that trade publicly and have higher standard of total quality management are more likely to succeed and end up having more profitable market shares. Traditional accounting systems have for a long time failed to consider measures.

Swot analysis Walmart Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Swot analysis Walmart - Research Paper Example Introduction and Overview In this paper, I will focus upon a strategic and comprehensive analysis of the business tactics, market trends and economic trajectories of Wal-Mart, by attempting a SWOT analysis of the company’s pros and cons. Every successful business has their upsides as well negative aspects. A qualitatively superior standard of operation and well-sustained market shares can only be maintained through a balanced adaptation of both to suit particular business issues and requirements. As a leading brand, Wal-Mart has been the center of several business economic, socio-economic and political economic studies and research. An updated analysis of the company’s market strategies, trends and business highlights will be the primary focus of my paper. While Wal-Mart still retains an amount of prestige and holds a position in the market, it cannot be denied that it is no longer the sole retail giant in America. In a global age, the rapid increase of consumer demand has given rise to numerous small, medium and large retail corporations to provide products and customer services with the required speed ad ease to cause serious business threats to Wal-Mart. For more than 45 years, Wal-Mart has been able to remain successfully in the running against stringent rivalry and rising competing foreign market retailers. Its growth has suffered in the past years. Recent figures and statistics are not reassuring. While assessing the company’s varied and diverse business aspects, I will attempt to provide a detailed reading of the same by utilizing the simple but effective SWOT model of business analysis. 2. Methodology and Procedure As stated in the Introduction, the SWOT method of business analysis is simple but highly effective in producing a detailed, comprehensive and objective research on the four major aspects of any, small or big, business: the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. With this methodology, I will attempt a study and analysis of the inner workings and the relevant problems in the operations of Wal-Mart. The effectiveness of the SWOT method lies in its operational dynamics. It penetrates inward into the basic working and process involved in running the companies, ranging from the production to public relations to retail. I intend to apply this procedural business analytic model because I believe every little aspect of a business can be summed up under the four general headings that are the purview of the SWOT model, as mentioned above. In context of Wal-Mart, this method is particularly pertinent as a comparative study of the strengths and weaknesses of a business yields a greater economic and strategic perspective of current market trends. (Pahl & Richter 7) The company gains from an analysis of competitive advantage that is directly relatable to a firm’s performance in the market. A well-balanced and well-thought theoretical methodology ultimately has the capacity to lead to greater prod uctivity and client satisfaction, all resulting in more generation of revenue. (Hao 15) 3. SWOT Analysis of Wal-Mart: A Comprehensive Business Study Before attempting an application of the SWOT model, I will briefly give an overview of the company’s past and present profile. Figure 1. Company Overview (2012) Name Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Industries served Retail Geographic areas served Worldwide Headquarters Bentonville, US Current CEO Mike Duke Revenue $ 466.950 billion (2012) Profit $ 15.699 billion (2012) Employees 2.2 million

The Passion of the Christ Essay Example for Free

The Passion of the Christ Essay On February 25th (Ash Wednesday) 2004, Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ film was released. The film is based on Jesus’ arrest, trial, and execution according to the four Gospels. Most of the film is historically accurate, although there are some fictional events too. The film became the highest grossing non-English language film of all time and it was named the most controversial film of all time. Critics claimed the film was historically inaccurate due to the way the film portrayed Pontius Pilate, along with the use of excessive violence, anti-Semitic content, and the use of additional material. One of the most important historical inaccuracies is the way the film portrays the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. According to author B. A. Robinson, â€Å"Pontius Pilate is consistently portrayed as a weak-willed governor, frightened of the power of the Jewish priests, and lacking in confidence. † After viewing the film, one would feel that Pilate was essentially morally neutral in the events of Jesus’ execution after stating Jesus is innocent of any crime but due to the pressure of the mob demanding execution, Pilate yields to it (Oxtoby Amore 172). According to authors Oxtoby and Amore, the crime Jesus was being accused of perverting the people and claiming to be the king of the Jews (168). â€Å"In reality, Pilate was harsh and vicious in his treatment of Jews and had thousands of them crucified (Robinson). † Several critics were troubled by the film’s explicitly detailed violence and further criticized the film for focusing on the brutality of Jesus’ execution, instead of his religious teachings. A number of the scenes which do not appear in the Bible but which seem to be fictional creations added to â€Å"flesh† out the movie and extend the film to a feature length include: the scene when Jesus is repeatedly beaten by the Temple guard after his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane for no apparent reason, when Judas is emotionally distraught over his prior betrayal to Jesus and is tormented by Jewish children whose faces morph into demons, when the crucified thief who taunted Jesus has his eye pecked out by a crow, and the scene of Satan carrying a demonic baby during Jesus’ flogging (Robinson). Film critic Roger Ebert said in his review, The movie is 126 minutes long, and I would guess that at least 100 of those minutes, maybe more, are concerned specifically and graphically with the details of the torture and death of Jesus; further stating that this was the most violent film he had ever seen (Sanburn). Film critic A. O. Scott stated in his review, â€Å"The Passion of the Christ is so relentlessly focused on the savagery of Jesus’ final hours that this film seems to arise less from love than from wrath, and to succeed more in assaulting the spirit than in uplifting it. † Before the film was even released, there were prominent criticisms of perceived anti-Semitic content in the movie. After representatives of the Anti-Defamation League attended a private screening of a pre-release version of The Passion of the Christ, they released a statement calling it one of the most troublesome texts, relative to anti-Semitic potential, that any of us had seen in twenty-five years. It must be emphasized that the main storyline presented Jesus as having been relentlessly pursued by an evil cabal of Jews, headed by the high priest Caiaphas, who finally blackmailed a weak-kneed Pilate into putting Jesus to death. This is precisely the storyline that fueled centuries of anti-Semitism within Christian societies (Robinson). A key event in the Bible that is missing in the film is the canonical line from John’s gospel in which Caiaphas argues that it is better for one man to die for the people so that the nation be saved; had this line been included in the film, perhaps giving Caiaphas a measure of the inner conflict he gave to Pilate, it could have underscored the similarities between Caiaphas and Pilate and helped defuse the issue of anti-Semitism (Robinson). Although Mel Gibson claimed to have based the film entirely from the Biblical Gospels, there are many elements that came from the book called The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Anne Catherine Emmerich; The book contained her visions of the sufferings of Christ and are criticized for revealing more information about the Life of Jesus Christ besides what is read of Him in the Bible (Facing the Challenge). This poses a problem because it sets up another authority alongside the Bible. Ultimately, despite the questions over the historical accuracy of some aspects of the film, it did remain broadly faithful to the Bible’s narrative and it was clear in portraying the central realities of the Christian faith. The United Methodist Church stated that many of its members, like other Christians, felt that the movie was a good way to evangelize non-believers. As a result, many congregations set up tables at the theaters to provide answers and prayers to viewers.

Perceptions And Attitudes Of Tourism Students Psychology Essay

Perceptions And Attitudes Of Tourism Students Psychology Essay The perceived nature of an industry is a key factor that determines the attractiveness of an industry. Many studies have projected a two- side image of the tourism industry. One was an image of glamour, reflected in aspects of the work such as associating with people, the opportunity to travel, using foreign languages and diverse job tasks (Szivas, Riley, Airey, 2003). The other was portraying a negative image whereby jobs were perceived as low status and low skilled (Szivas Riley, 1999). Students awareness of the main features of tourism jobs, such as low pay and unsociable working hours, may exert a negative influence on their behavioral intention, and force them to prematurely leave the industry (Parsons Care, 1991). Exposure to the industry through practical work experience help students to gain a better understanding of the tourism industry. They could see the advantages and shortcomings of tourism careers and obtain a clearer picture of what they liked or disliked about tourism jobs. Subsequently, enhancing their career decision making process. MORE!!! 2.2 Perceptions and attitudes of tourism students 2.2.1 Tourism programme It is worthwhile and logical to firstly, comprehend students perceptions and views towards choosing tourism programme before attempting to shed light on their attitudes towards a tourism career. Table 1 there, represents the studies of various authors concerning the attitudes and views of students vis- Ã  - vis the selection of tourism programmes, in a summarized form. 2.2.2 Tourism as a career choice Over the years, many studies have been conducted and much attention have been awarded to understand the perceptions and attitudes of young people or those individuals who are potentially likely to pursue a career in hospitality workforce in the future. Table 2 is a summarized version of the numerous studies carried out. 2.2.3 The concept of Career Intention and Choices Walton and Mallon (2001) commented that careers were regarded as chosen professions in particular areas or manifestation of career choices. These terms are appropriate as they relate to students degree of uncertainty over career intention, choice and commitment to a future career. In other words, making a career choice through pursuing the appropriate programme of studies may be a function of behavioral intention. A theory put forward by Ginzberg (1951) proposed that the ultimate decision regarding career choice is not reached at a single moment of time, but through a series of decisions taken over a period of many years as part of the process of mental and physical maturation. One stage which fits this study is the tentative period whereby, the young adult at the university level is steadily broadening their consideration and understanding of the factors underlying their emerging career choices. At first, their interest serves as the major (often the sole) basis for their choice. But, as time passes, new elements intervene, either internal or external and the students become aware that their interests have altered or new ones have emerged. Indeed, often before entering the university they have to decide on a particular career choice supported by the selection of an appropriate programme of study, plus there is pressure because of peers, parental concern, mature interest and other forces. Eventually, it is during their senior university level that the students might reconsider their choices, or support their initial career decisions. In the realistic period, a choice is made with the intention of realizing it. 2.2 The Theory of Planned Behavior Ajzen developed the Theory of Planned Behavior in 1991 as an extension of Ajzen and Fishbeins 1975 Theory of Reasoned Action. The TPB has four components: attitudes (i.e. the individuals positive or negative feelings about performing a behavior), subjective norm (i.e. the individuals perception of whether people important to the individual think the behavior should be performed), perceived behavioral control (i.e. The individuals perception on the self skills and ability of performing a behavior) and behavioral intention (i.e. an individuals readiness to perform a given behavior) Ajzen stated that for nonhabituaI behaviors that are easily executed by almost everyone without special circumstances, the theory of reasoned action was adequate. When behaviors are more difficult to execute, and when a person needs to take control over needed resources in order to act, the theory of planned behavior is a better predictor of behavior than the theory of reasoned action. In the theory of planned behavior, control is taken into account as a variable labeled perceived behavioral control, which is defined as a persons perception of how easy or difficult it would be to perform the action. The theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) has been since its development some 20 years proved to be a powerful approach to explain human behavior. Â   The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) predicts that planned behaviors are determined by behavioral intentions which are largely influenced by an individuals attitude toward a behavior, the subjective norms encasing the execution of the behavior, and the individuals perception of their control over the behavior (Ajzen, 1975). In simpler terms, behavioural decisions are the result of a reasoned process in which the behavior is influenced by attitudes, norms and perceived behavioral control. 2.3 The Theory of Planned Behavior: Model Icek Ajzens revised model (1991) is expressed in the diagram (figure 2) below: Figure 2: Ajzens Theory of Planned Behavior The theory of planned behavior postulates three conceptually determinants of intention. 2.4 Determinants of Behavioral Intention Attitude towards behavior Attitudes represent an individuals likes, dislikes, beliefs and opinions regarding a particular behavior. It represents a summary of evaluation of psychological object captures in attribute dimensions of good- bad, harmful- beneficial, pleasant- unpleasant, and likable- dislikable (Ajzen; 2001) Rosenberg and Hovland (1996) viewed attitude as a multi-component construct and made the following statement all responses to a stimulus object are mediated by the persons attitude towards the object. Ayres (2008) claims that traditionally there have been a career-for-life philosophy adopted by workers, whereby workers will spend their entire working life working in one industry, and, in many cases, one organization. This philosophy has in recent times, coinciding with Generation Y entering the workforce, been replaced by a more uncertain career structure, with employees frequently changing employers within their industry and many also pursuing work in different industries (Inkson, Anhur, and Pringle, 1999). Morton (2002) stated that Generation Y employees show a tendency towards valuing equality in the workplace and they seek positions that offer reasonable wages and good opportunities for training. Morton (2002) also claimed that they respect managers who empower workers and who are open and honest with employees. Martin (2005), who calls this generation Yers, describes eight main characteristics shown by Generation Y towards their careers. These eight characteristics include the Generation Y employee being self-reliant and independent, technosavvy, entrepreneurial, seeking flexibility, having an urgent sense of immediacy, wanting increasing responsibility, having a get off my back attitude and adopting a free agency attitude. Oliver (2006) claims that recent interest in the Generation Y worker has intensified in recent years, and while generalizations are plentiful, he claims that the Generation Y worker is uninterested in a job for life, instead seeking flexibility and work-life balance. Oliver (2006) states that, overall, Generation Y workers are seen to have much higher expectations of a job than previous generations, including high expectations of pay, conditions, promotion and advancement. A study conducted by Kusluvan and Kusluvan (2000) found that some of the factors that seemed to account for the negative attitudes towards careers in tourism, formed after students had undertaken a practical work assignment, are stressful jobs, lack of family life owing to the nature of the work, long working hours, exhausting and seasonal (unstable) jobs, low social status of tourism jobs, unsatisfactory and unfair promotions, low pay and insufficient benefits, unqualified managers, poor attitudes and behavior of managers towards employees, unqualified coworkers and poor attitudes and behavior of coworkers and poor physical working conditions for employees. Subjective Norms Subjective Norms is the degree to which someone wants to conform to others behavior or expectations. Usually, others are individuals (family and friends) whose preferences on a subject matter are important to him or her. This concept was introduced into theory of planned behavior to accommodate the non volitional elements inherent, at least potentially, in all behaviors (Ajzen, 2002). Although schools, peers and the students community all have an impact on the young adults self- identity and career choice, the parents expectations and perceptions of vocational fit for their children have been found to be the key roles in shaping their career choices (Ferry, 2006). In one study (Creamer and Laughlin, 2005), this influence has been so strong as to override the influence of teachers, faculty, and career field in question but were not as well- known and or trusted as to students parents for this type of decision. In an era where 49% of UK workers report that balancing work and family responsibilities is an issue of significant concern to them (IP Morgan Fleming, 2003), the influence of family and personal life and career decisions is receiving increasing amounts of media attention. Todays business school graduates are looking for a work style to go with their lifestyle, claims the HR consultancy Hay Group (The Economist, 2006). Generation X and Generation Y workers who are younger than 40, are more likely than boomers to say they put family before jobs, says an article in USA Today (Elias, 2004). Todays younger employees are working to live rather than living to work, states a newspaper manager in the journalism newsletter Fusion (Williamson, 2006). Thus, the second hypothesis formulated: Perceived Behavioral Control Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC) refers to a persons perception of the ease or difficulty of performing a particular behavior. According to Ajzen (2002), PBC is used to deal with situations where people do not have complete volitional control (i.e. external influences) over the particular behavior in question. An employees perception to any industry will, no doubt, be determined by their commitment, perceptions, and attitudes towards working in the industry as well as the types of jobs available in the industry. It is argued that this is particularly pertinent to tourism and hospitality as it has been reported that potential recruits have a negative image of working in the industry (Aksu and Koksal, 2005; Brien, 2004; Getz, 1994, Kuslavan and Kuslavan, 2000). Several researchers have also studied the perceptions of undergraduate tourism and hospitality management students. Barron and Maxwell (1993) examined the perceptions of new and continuing students at Scottish higher education institutions. They found that in general the new students had positive images of the industry, whereas the students with supervised work experience were much less positive in their views. Baron and Maxwell (19930 found significant differences between the new students perceptions of the industry compared with the students who had undertaken their industry placement. The marked differences in the perceptions of new students compared with those post placement students and graduates lie in the difference between perception and experience in the industry. West and Jameson (1990) agree and claim that the more exposure hospitality students have to the industry, the less commitment they show. 2.5 Behavioral Intention Intention is an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions; in the words of Ajzen, an indication of how hard people are willing to try, of how much effort they are willing to exert in order to perform the behavior. Therefore, the stronger the intention to engage in a behavior, the more likely should be its performance. (p. 181) TPB states that people act in accordance with their intentions and perceptions of control over their behavior, while intentions are influenced by attitudes toward the behavior, subjective norms and perceptions of behavioral control (Ajzen, 1985). Lam and Xiao (2000) found that young and new recruit employees had a high intention to quit the job, or leave the hospitality industry when they found that the salary package of the industry was not as competitive as others, and the pressure at work was unexpectedly high. Tempted by better conditions, higher salaries and increased opportunities for career progression, the young hospitality graduates were turning their backs on the industry and being recruited by large retailing companies (Leslie, 1991) Behavior Hsing (2002) defined behavior as the performance of an action at a certain time, in a certain context and with a certain purpose. Generally, the more favorable the attitude and subjective norm with respect to a behavior and the greater the perceived behavioral control; the stronger an individuals intention should be to perform the behavior under consideration (Ajzen, 1991). However based on varying behaviors and situation, the relative importance of attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control is expected to be different. 2.6 Indicators of Behavioral Intention For the TPB to predict behaviour successfully or for maximum prediction, intention must be measured as closely as possible in time to the observation of the behaviour. The longer the interval between measurement of intention and behaviour, the greater the likelihood that an unforeseen event will occur that will lead to changes in intention and be less predictive of actual behaviour. Nevertheless, this study is not working on actual behaviour, but rather on attitudes and beliefs about the behaviour of choosing a particular career. 2.6.0 Variables of Attitude towards behavior Thus, to measure student attitudes toward behaviour, which in this context meant choosing the programme and direction, or intention to seek a career in hospitality, questions were constructed in such a way so as to shed light on the attitude and beliefs of the undergraduates: 2.6.1 Variables of Subjective Norms A second major predictor of intention in this study is the influence of important people in an individual students life as encouragement and support to perform the behaviour intention. Subjective Norm refers to a favourable or unfavourable student perception of social pressure and the relative importance of different sources of social influence on their intention (decision) to choose a programme and hospitality career. Such social influence might come from immediate family members, peers and friends, teachers and other individual and groups. As stated by Ajzen and Fishbein (1980) an individual will perform or operationalise their behaviours that they perceive as favoured by other people who are important to them. In the present study, there were items used to obtain a direct measure of students perception of significant others and the degree to which they influenced the decision to take a tourism management course. Questions which relate to parents, friends, brothers and sisters and school teachers were constructed to indicate how strongly they agreed or disagreed with such statements. Such questions were: However, according to Ajzen and Fishbein (1980) any relationship between the respondents and the referent (s) will be more or less stable over time. To assess the actual career influencer parallel to those of the students intention, an open ended question was asked:

Work Life Balance Programs Cost Or An Investment Management Essay

Work Life Balance Programs Cost Or An Investment Management Essay Work-life balance programs are fast gaining popularity in developed countries, even though they are viewed as novelties in Malaysia. Work-life balance programs can be defined as any benefits, policies or programs that help employees find ways to manage the demands of the workplace and life outside work (Ortega, 2006) or strategies, policies, programs and practices initiated and maintained in workplaces to address flexibility, quality of work and life, and work-family conflict (Bardoel et al, 2008). In other words, work-life balance programs are designed as a two pronged approaches to achieve meaningful achievement and enjoyment in everyday life (Joshi et al, 2002). There are many forms of work-life balance programs such as flex-time, child-care facilities at work, gyms and concierge services and paid vacations. Many reasons are cited for the introduction of work-life balance programs at the workplace, the most common being that it increases productivity as well as employee loyalty. While these are all valid justifications, the costs of having work-life balance programs should not be ignored. Therefore, do the benefits of work-life balance programs outweigh the costs? Going further, should these programs be considered a cost or an investment to the firm? While it may be easier to estimate the returns on investment of a project, it is difficult to financially quantify the impact of work-life balance programs. Thus, companies have to resort to a series of performance measurement tools that are indirectly related to financial return. The best performance indicators are in terms of human resource management. One of the benefits of work-life balance programs can be seen through recruitment. Successful work-life balance programs are powerful marketing tools for attracting new employees who are drawn to the company not just for good remuneration, but other perks too. Work-life balance programs also help to create a better relationship between employer and employee that can be mutually beneficial. One of the main sources of workplace stress is unreasonable demands made on employees time. Thus, programs that assist employees to better manage their time lead to greater job satisfaction. This is evident in the healthcare industry where employees have to work alternative hours in a very stressful and emotionally draining environment. Work-life balance programs in the healthcare industry like wellness programs and child care facilities bring balance and perspective to the lives of employees (Ortego, 2006). This leads to greater productivity, lower job turnover and absenteeism, greater esprit-de-corps and more loyalty towards the employer. In terms of operating costs, retaining employees reduces the cost of training new employees and the time it takes to train new staff to be competent. In fact, there is some evidence to support the argument that compan ies that offered work-life balance programs outperformed those that did not (Joshi et al, 2002). To evaluate if such programs are good investment, we need to examine them from three metrics, which are efficiency, effectiveness and impact (Bardoel et al, 2009). Efficiency metrics are those that measure the cost of work-life balance programs to ascertain the return on investment (ROI). Effectiveness measures are those that indicate how work-life balance programs affect the capacity and actions of employees in targeted talent pools. The third type of measure concentrates on the real impact of work-life balance programs on organizational performance by measuring the value added to an organization by a work-life balance program. Interestingly, research has found that managers often collect data on efficiency, but not on effectiveness and impact factors. This is a major limitation because efficiency measures do not reveal the value added to such programs. The second group of metrics termed effectiveness metrics, assess the outcomes related to the intended effects on individuals of work-life balance programs, for example through employee satisfaction surveys. Again, surveys are useful but they do not gauge whether such programs have positively impacted performance. Though financial ratios such as ROI are typically used to assess core competency, it should be remembered that ROI focuses on financial indicators whereas work-life balance programs use non-financial indicators. Impact metrics measure the ability of work-life balance programs to improve the quality or availability of a particular talent pool, for example to achieve competitive advantage by lowering absenteeism and turnover. To illustrate this cost versus investment dilemma, let us examine three types of work-life balance programs childcare, office gymnasium and flexible work hours. Childcare facilities are provided to entice workers from dual-income households where both parents work. There are many forms of childcare facilities such as in-house child care facilities, after school programs, subsidized child care, and referral services. The main benefit of having such a facility is to help employees cope with the demands of caring for their young children and their jobs and reduce stress among employees as they are assured about the safety of their children (Ortego, 2006). When employees are happy and well-adjusted, it is believed that they become more productive and can contribute more to the company. Other fringe benefits include tax reliefs and exemptions to employers (Deery, 2008), though this is only available in a few countries. On the other hand, the costs of maintaining such childcare facilities are numerous. They include the cost of setting up the facility, the cost of employing qualified staff to care for the children and other operating costs. Also, there is no empirical evidence to support the argument that such facilities promote productivity (Michel et al, 2009). In some cases, the employee might spend more time at the childcare facility instead of at work. In addition, it is almost impossible to quantify the ROI of a childcare facility. Another popular form of work-life balance program is the office gym. A gym is provided because it is believed that exercise promotes good health and reduces job stress. In turn, healthy employees are more productive and there are fewer cases of absenteeism due to poor health (Stimpson, 2008). However, running a gym is potentially expensive. Equipment must be bought, a special room must be prepared and in some cases, physical trainers must be employed. Setting up an office gym must also be done with caution as not all employees would enjoy working out to keep fit. Some may prefer other forms of exercise like swimming, jogging or playing tennis or some may not bother to exercise at all. Hence, it would be a waste of resources to set up a gym when few employees utilize it. There must be proper rules as to when the gym can be used to avoid abuse. In addition, if the gym is open beyond office hours, the cost of operation must also be considered. Finally, the cause and effect relationship of setting up an office gym and increased productivity are largely conjectural. The third type of work-life balance program mentioned earlier is flex-time. This is a form of work schedule that allows employees to select the hours they will work, for example a condensed work week or a shift (Deery, 2008). Flex-time is particularly attractive to those who have to juggle work with other demands like caring for aged parents or looking after young children if childcare facilities are not provided at the workplace. Flex-time is also beneficial for the company in terms of decreasing overhead costs. If employees work different schedules that do not overlap, equipment such as computers and desks can be shared. Companies that do business with firms in different time zones will also benefit as they are able to operate for longer hours and do not have to pay overtime Bourne et al, 2009). Nevertheless, there are some problems associated with flex-time including difficulty of communicating with employees who work outside regular office hours. There are also concerns about sta ff abusing flex-time. If the flex-time schedule is not structured properly, it could lead to the office being staffed sparsely during peak hours (Burke, 2005) and this is unacceptable. In conclusion, from a purely financial perspective, it would appear that work-life balance programs are more of a cost than an investment to the firm. These programs rely on qualitative measures to estimate their success whereas investments rely on quantitative indicators and attempting to reconcile both is problematic to say the least. However, it would be unfair to dismiss work-life balance programs as facile and unprofitable. Just because something cannot be measured with crude financial instruments does not mean it does not exist. The benefits of work-life balance programs on the happiness and well being of employees are well documented. When employees are happy, they become more productive and this ultimately benefits the organization. Therefore, companies should adopt work-life balance programs as long as they are not a severe financial burden. Question 2 Do you think work-life programs can increase retention? Why or why not? How could you assess whether such a program were a good investment? One of the key reasons cited for the proliferation of work-life balance programs is that they contribute to increased retention of employees. Before we answer how work-life balance programs do so, we first need to examine some of the key reasons for employee turnover. It is widely acknowledged that conditions at the workplace affect job turnover. There are many reasons why employees quit because of conditions at the workplace such as long hours, conflict with colleagues and superiors, lack of appreciation shown by employers and unclear job descriptions. For example, long hours at work and increased work intensity both contribute to adverse physical and psychological conditions and lead to negative family functioning (Burke, 2005). Workplace stress can be caused by long working hours, excessive workloads, weekend duties, inadequate physical activity and an unhealthy lifestyle. All these lead to a reduction in the quality of health. When employees are severely overworked and excessively strained, they experience symptoms of fatigue, depression, musculo-skeletal pains, sleeping disorders and an increase in chronic diseases (Tsui, 2008). When the situation becomes too stressful, employees leave their jobs, even opting for those that pay far less but involve less stress. If workplace stress is prolonged, it leads to burnout. Lee and Shin (2005, cited in Deery, 2008) examined the psychological dimensions of job burnout and concluded that it consisted of three components namely emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and diminished personal accomplishment. Burnout is potentially fatal as it increases the risk of coronary diseases, stroke and suicidal tendencies. Employees who lack time to spend with their family or maintain a social life are more likely to be emotionally exhausted, which impact negatively on their job satisfaction and eventually cause them to leave their organizations (Karatepe and Uludag, 2007 cited in Deery, 2008). The following diagram illustrates the relationship between stress and how retention can be improved by work-life balance programs: (Source: Deery, 2008) Also, employees quit their jobs because of dissatisfaction. The top reason why Americans leave their jobs is because they do not feel appreciated (Ortega, 2006). This dissatisfaction may stem from having inadequate job descriptions and unreasonable demands made by employers. Some may be insufficiently trained to perform their jobs or lack sufficient re-training when their job description changes. To compound the matter, there is no assistance for employees when they encounter technical problems when their jobs change and management is indifferent to their plight. All these contribute to stress and increased dissatisfaction with work. Obviously, remuneration is another factor that leads to job dissatisfaction. Employees become unhappy with their jobs when they feel they are inadequately compensated for their efforts based on comparisons of the remuneration of their peers within the organization or within the industry. In the absence of other benefits that work-life balance programs of fer, there is little incentive for employees to remain within a company if they can earn more elsewhere. Female employees are faced with additional problems that their male counterparts do not experience. Despite advances in promoting equal rights for women at the workplace and the gradual acceptance that the traditional roles of both men and women have and need to evolve to reflect the changing times, female employees still feel they have to shoulder the traditional burden of being the perfect housewife and mother, in addition to proving that they are as capable as men at the workplace. Therefore, women are more vulnerable than men to suffer from stress caused by the conflict of managing the roles of employee, wife and mother (Michel et al, 2009). Often, it is because the workplace is inattentive or even hostile to the problems faced by female employees that compel them to leave the workplace when they start a family or when the demands of their family changes. These are some of the primary causes of employee turnover. High turnover is unacceptable, particularly amongst skilled or knowledge-based workers. Particularly in western countries which have declining birth rates and a tendency for job-hopping, the need to retain key staff is essential. Retaining existing internal resources such as good staff, is crucial to maintain an organizations success (Bourne et al, 2009). High employee turnover breaks the continuity of operations and this will adversely affect efficiency. For instance, when an employee leaves, there is bound to be a break in service until a qualified replacement is found and trained. High staff turnover can foster a culture low in morale and loyalty. From a financial viewpoint, there are two major costs associated with turnover which are replacement costs and preventative costs. Replacement costs are the costs of recruiting, selecting and training replacements; loss of output or efficiency during this process; possible wastag e; spoilage and efficiency due to inexperienced staff (Burke, 2005). On the other hand, preventative costs are the costs of retaining staff through pay, benefits and work-life balance programs. Hence, there is greater pressure for employers to strike a balance between eliminating unproductive employees and formulating new and innovative ways to attract and retain talent. There is some evidence to support the postulation that work-life programs can increase retention, provided that the main cause of workplace stress is juggling work-life balance (Osif, 2009 and Joshi et al, 2002). One, work-life balance programs like wellness and physical fitness programs help reduce the symptoms of stress and promote greater physical health. On the other hand, counseling and support groups help employees to manage their stress. While it is impossible and perhaps not desirable to eliminate all forms of stress at the workplace, such programs can contribute a great deal in managing negative stress. When employees are better able to cope with the demands of the workplace, they are less likely to suffer from burnout and less likely to leave. Secondly, work-life balance programs like flex-time are much welcome by working mothers and employees who may want to further their studies and work at the same time. Additional flexibility in terms of working hours will ensure that employees are not compelled to leave because they cannot work the traditional office hours. This will lead to greater retention. Thirdly, in a bid to retain the best and brightest, companies have to resort to novel ways such as work-life balance programs. Assuming that remuneration is similar between two companies, additional perks will go a long way to making a company the desired place to work. Even if a company offers slightly less salary than its competitors, some employees will be enticed to remain there because of the programs and fringe benefits others do not offer. Finally, companies need to show that they value their employees who often have to sacrifice so much for work. While the traditional viewpoint is to provide financial incentives, very often it is the non-financial gestures that make employees feel valued. For example, having office parties or company vacations may be more personal and sincere gestures to show appreciation when the company performs exceptionally well rather than just provide generous bonuses. In that sense, work-life balance programs can be viewed as the minor intangibles that collectively show whether the employee is valued or not. On the other hand, having work-life balance programs does not alleviate an employees woes if they are caused by other stress factors. For instance, if unhappiness at work is because of lack of sufficient training, then overcoming it would be to provide the necessary training. Findings suggest that training quality is positively related to training satisfaction, job satisfaction and the intention to stay in the company. Thus, this type of training is important as a means of retaining employees. In addition, there is no guarantee that such work-life balance programs will increase retention. No substantial longitudinal study has been conducted to ascertain the effectiveness of such programs in leading to long-term retention of staff, and the costs may outstrip the advantages in the long-run, particularly when the economy is bad and the company needs to cut expenses. In conclusion, there is some evidence that supports the notion that work-life balance programs can increase retention (Turner et al, 2009). Introducing flexible working hours and arrangements, providing better training, breaks from work and better work support all enhance employee retention by resolving some of the work-life conflicts faced by employees. Nevertheless, these programs can only be regarded as good investments if they are proven to improve retention of quality staff in the long term and contribute to the overall profitability of the firm. Question 3 Besides flextime arrangements, wellness programs, child-care options and fitness centers, describe three other common mechanisms to improve employees motivation and retention. Present steps to implement such mechanisms in a typical organization. A company can motivate employees through work-life balance programs. Apart from the ones described earlier, other programs like sabbatical leave, paternal leave and work naps are some of the other mechanisms that can improve employees motivation and retention. While sabbatical leave is normally associated with academic institutions, the scope of sabbatical programs is quite extensive, but basically they provide unrestricted time away from work so that the employee can do what he or she wants. For example, the employee can opt to take sabbatical leave to learn how to paint, travel extensively abroad or for further education. Sabbaticals are viewed as a means to allow critical talent time to recharge and people generally return supercharged and more productive than before (Pagano and Pagano, 2009). Basically, there are three defining characteristics of sabbatical leave. One, the time away is planned. Two, it is extended generally for at least four weeks with some firms offering up to three months and three, the employee is expected to return after the break. There is some psychological basis for providing sabbatical leave. Such a work-life balance program is viewed as a form of work motivation. Specifically, it fulfils Maslows Hierarchy of Needs theory. According to Maslow, needs are arranged in a hierarchy from the most basic to the highest level (Baron, 1998). There are five hierarchies of needs which are (in ascending order) physiological needs (the need for food, water and sleep), safety needs (need for security), social needs (need to belong), esteem needs (the need to develop self-respect) and self-actualization needs (the need for self-fulfilment). Therefore taken in this context, taking a sabbatical leave to fulfil a longstanding desire is a form of self-fulfilment that will ultimately benefit the individual. However, employers generally tend to negatively view sabbatical leave of this nature as an indulgent form of fantasy and a waste of both time and money to the company. Yet, harbouring unfulfilled desires will adversely affec t productivity as the employee will feel frustrated. In addition, even the best job can seem monotonous after a while and sabbatical leave should be viewed as a way of gaining fresh perspective and overcoming work fatigue. There are some problems when instituting sabbatical programs which is why companies tend to avoid them. The first problem is lack of top management support. Top management must see the merits of such a program to implement it successfully. Secondly, there is a problem of scheduling. Too many employees taking sabbatical leave at the same time is a serious threat to business, especially during busy seasons. From the employees viewpoint, sabbatical leave can be problematic in two main respects. One, the employee may be worried that if he or she is away for too long, the company may decide that it can do without them. Two, returning to work after a lengthy sabbatical can be very stressful and intense since there will be a lot of unfinished work to attend to (Turner et al, 2009). However, sabbatical programs can be successful if well implemented. First, the company should determine the objectives of such a program, be it to re-energize employees, attract new employees or improve work culture. Two, the company should study the market to see what other companies are offering to come up with better programs. Three, employees should be involved in the decision making process to gain their input and insights. Four, the program should be developed by preparing a sabbatical leave policy. This should include support documents like departure checklists, timelines and scheduling requirements. Five, the program should be piloted to ascertain its effectiveness and adjusted if necessary (Pagano and Pagano, 2009). Frederick Herzberg developed a theory of motivation called the Two-factor theory that is similar to Maslows Hierarchy of Needs. According to Herzberg, job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction acted independently of each other (Baron, 1998). Hence, there are factors at the workplace that cause job satisfaction, whilst there are other factors that cause dissatisfaction. The positive satisfaction factors are collectively termed motivators. These include recognition of a job well done, a sense of achievement and personal growth. Hence, they reflect Maslows hierarchy of needs. However, Herzberg describes another set of factors called hygiene factors. Hygiene factors do not provide positive satisfaction such as company policy, and working conditions, but their absence could cause dissatisfaction. Therefore, work-life programs can be regarded as hygiene factors, the absence of which causes job dissatisfaction. While it is common for most companies to provide paid maternity for their female employees, few in Malaysia extend paternity leave to male employees, though it is common practice in Scandinavian countries. This is a fringe benefit that is being increasingly sought after by more and more employees. As the traditional roles of men and women evolve, more fathers now want to have a more hands-on approach to parenting. This means being with their wives during childbirth and tending to the needs of mother and child during the crucial period following birth. The Family and Medical Leave Act in America allows for a minimum of 12 weeks paid paternity leave while those in Scandinavian countries allow leave to be extended for up to three years (Joshi et al, 2002). While it is unlikely that Malaysian fathers will want to take such a long time off from work, more would like to spend a week or two with their recuperating wives and new infants. Therefore, providing paternity leave acts as a form of motivator to encourage male employees to remain with the company (Robbins and Judge, 2007). Implementing paternal leave at the workplace should not be too difficult as the procedure is similar to maternity leave. Hence the same documents for record keeping can be used. Taking a nap at work would seem extremely unprofessional and unproductive. Yet, some researchers conclude that taking short naps at work, termed power naps may actually increase alertness and productivity. The scientific argument in support of power naps is that it is designed to replenish down time during out circadian rhythm which normally occurs during the afternoon. Some of the benefits of power naps include increased memory, response time and cognitive skills. Taking power naps may be linked to the drive theory which is a theory of motivation that suggests that behavior is pushed from within by drives stemming from basic biological needs like sleep (Baron, 1998). The problems associated with permitting power naps at the workplace include the duration of the nap, scheduling and top management support. It is generally believed that a power nap of fifteen to twenty minutes is sufficient to yield the abovementioned benefits (Robbins and Judge, 2007). Anything longer than that will result in the employee falling into deep sleep which would result in sleeping difficulty at night. However, the company must decide when it is permissible for employees to nap. Some allow employees to nap during their lunch break while others prepare a schedule. While it is not necessary to prepare special sleeping areas since employees are perfectly capable of sleeping at their desks, it is important to ensure that such naps do not interrupt the flow of work. Customers must also not see employees napping as it would create a negative perception of the company. However, if implemented correctly, power naps may be amongst the cheapest and most beneficial forms of work-life balance programs. In conclusions, these are but a few examples of the many work-life balance programs that can be designed to provide motivation and improve retention of employees. Deciding on which to choose will depend on the size and nature of the organization, its work culture and the target benefits of such programs. Top management should keep an open mind about these initiatives for if conducted in the correct manner, the desired results can be obtained.