Generational conflicts Presentation

What do our companies do to deal with generational differences? 3. How important is it for organizations to have training and programs on generational conflicts? 4. Please share your experience about generational conflicts in the workplace that you have encountered in the past. How did you deal with it? Summarizing group discussions – Baby boomers – Seers – Years Adviser 1: Ron Also – a freelance writer, editor, and consultant, and a former reporter and editor for the Wall Street Journal. Bosses have to get used to spending more time with their young workers. The investment should pay off in improved morale, productivity, teamwork, and innovation.While Josh might prefer text messaging and e-mail, it is critical that he and Sarah meet face-to-face for more substantive conversations about workplace attitudes and expectations. Managers like Sarah also are finding that they need to show respect for Gene Years and encourage them even if they can't give Gene Yea rs what they want as fast as they want it. Advisor 2: Pamela Nicholson – president and COO of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, based in SST. Louis. As a large employer of college graduates, Enterprise has taken steps to address these kinds of issues, in two important ways: training and feedback. Advisor 3: Jim Miller – the executive vice president of sales and marketing at General Tool & Supply, a distributor based in Portland, Oregon.To work better together, Sarah and Josh both need to recalibrate their expectations. Sarah needs to take extra time to validate Josh's ideas and help him understand what it means to be a team player. For so many Years entering the workforce, the attitude is â€Å"I'll be a full-time freelancer, and work will be fun, fun, fun. Sarah needs to counteract that by being completely transparent with Josh about the level of performance required (a new idea needs to be fully researched) and the level of communication required (formal presentations rather t han hallway chats). For his part, Josh needs to figure out how to pitch his good ideas through established channels, within the established team framework.If he really needs to be a maverick, he can go off and start his own company, where he can follow his own business rules. Or, he can go to a different firm that has a maverick culture. Solutions to close the generation gap – Communicating information in multiple ways (oral and written, formal and informal) to address different generations' learning styles – Collaborative decision making (co-creation) – Training managers to handle generational differences – Recognizing that all generations want to be treated with respect (source: ASCII 2013) Wrap up – represented of each generation will say what they would do to deal with conflicts and improve performance Thank you for your active and constructive participation!

Fences Research Paper

Qualities and Flaws In the play â€Å"Fences† by August Wilson, Troy Maxson can be characterized as a responsible, fearless, unfaithful husband and a controlling father. Troy has acted insensitive and uncaring to his wife, Rose, his brother, Gabriel and his son, Cory. Troy can be seen as a man with both positive qualities and flaws. Even though Troy definitely has some good qualities but a lot of what he does is bad. Troy Maxson is a man who takes responsibility for his family. He is a man who assumes the responsibilities of father, husband, and provider. One of the best quality to describe Troy Maxson would be as a family man.He is very committed to the welfare of his family and provides them with basic needs. The author writes, It's my job. It's my responsibility! You understand that? A man got to take care of his family. You live in my house†¦ sleep you behind on my bedclothes†¦ fill you belly up with my food†¦ cause you my son. You my flesh and blood. Not 'c ause I like you! Cause it's my duty to take care of you. I owe a responsibility to you! (Wilson 1128). This proves that troy is a responsible person. He feels that it is his obligation to feed and take care of his family.He has well intentions for his family Troy considers fatherhood as being an obligation where he is forced to take care of his children instead of doing it willingly. Troy Maxson can be portrayed as a fearless person. He relates a story of how he caught pneumonia and was sent to the hospital. He says that he struggled with death for three days and eventually won the wrestling contest. The author writes, Death standing there staring at me†¦ carrying that sickle in his hand. Finally he say, You want bound over for another year? See just like that†¦ You want bound over for another Year? I told him, Bound over hell!Let's settle this now! (Wilson 1112). This quote reveals that Troy possess another positive quality of being fearless. This is my favorite quote fro m Troy, this quote reveals many characteristics of Troy. Mainly, his proud approach towards death is revealed in this quote illustrating how he fears nothing, not even death itself. Troy even dares to put a title to death as Mr. Death shows how he thinks of death as just another person who he wants to fight. The main reason this is my favorite quote is because Troy is characterized as a courageous person. Troy can be described as a selfish and unfaithful husband which is his biggest flaw.He betrays his wife and goes off to have an affair with another women Alberta. When his wife finds out that he has an affair with another woman. He tells her that he had been faithful to her for eighteen years and now he wants to have his own freedom. Troy thinks he is a good husband to Rose because he provides her with food and a house. However, he is a selfish and uncaring husband because he didn't give her love and compassion. She couldn't believe Troy would betray her because she devoted her lif e to him and he stabs her in the back by having a child with his mistress.She tells Troy, â€Å"I took all my feelings; my wants and needs, my dreams †¦ and I buried them inside you† (Wilson 1146). However, Troy's betrayal forces Rose to reassess her position. And according the essay, â€Å"On Fences† by Sheri Metzger. Harry Elam states that â€Å"affirm rather than assault traditional gender limitations. † This shows how women's rights are limited. Rose substitutes her church for her husband. Rose tells Troy that â€Å"This child got a mother. But you a womanless man† (Wilson 1151). This quote shows that she is asserting her independence from her husband.Elam quoted Patricia Collins's argument that black women learn independence at church, but they also learn to subordinate their interests to the greater good of the African American community. Baseball is used as a metaphor in Troy's life. Even though Troy never played baseball professionally, he us es the sport as a metaphor in his life. Troy's confrontation with his son, Cory, is also based on the ground of baseball game. Their fight is rather symbolic as well. They are fighting with a baseball bat, which is Troy's symbolic representation of his unrealized dream to become a baseball player.Troy tells Cory, â€Å"You swung and you missed. That's strike one. Don't you strike out! â€Å"(Wilson 1152). Throughout the play a fence, Troy is portrayed as a controlling father and this is his biggest flaw. Troy’s relationship with his son is bitter and tense. This relationship involves deep protectiveness on the father’s part. Troy's failure to play baseball in the Major League due to the color of his skin makes him grossly unjust towards his family, especially toward his son Cory. He denies him from everything he likes or feels passionate about. He does not allow Cory to play in the football team.Instead, he forces Cory to start working at A& P. His tough love is show n when he refuses to let Cory play football. According to the article, † Baseball as history and myth in August Wilson's Fences† by Susan Koprince. George Giles, a first baseman for the St. Louis Stars, recalled: â€Å"The racism we faced while I was in the Negro Leagues was one of the things that eventually pushed me out of baseball†¦. I was treated like a second-class citizen in my own country by people who knew they hated me before I could even say ‘Hello'† (Craft 44).Similarly, in the play fences, Troy says, â€Å"The colored guy got to be twice as good before he get on the team. That’s why I don’t want you to get all tied up in them sports† (Wilson 1126). We can see how blacks have been discriminated in the world of sports. However, Troy fails to recognize the fact that times have changed and Cory stands a reasonable chance to represent the football team in the Major League. Cory's complaint to his father is significant,  "You ain't never done nothing but hold me back. Afraid I was gonna be better than you. All you ever did was try and make me scared of you. (Wilson 1155). This sets up a huge â€Å"fence† between Cory and his father because Cory sees Troy’s not signing the permission papers as a boulder crushing his dreams. Cory tells troy,â€Å"How come you ain’t never liked me? † (Wilson 1145). Troy says that he doesn’t have time for this kind of talk and believes that Cory has to make his own way in life as his father did. Troy says, â€Å"Ain’t nobody gonna hold his hand when he get out there in that world. † (Wilson 1143) . Even though troy has good motives for his son but he is unable to except the fact that times have changed since his younger years.As Rose states, â€Å"People change. The world is changing around you and you can’t even see it† (Wilson 1146). In Conclusion, Troy is a person with both positive qualities and flaws. H e takes care of his family by providing them food and shelter. However, I believe he has more flaws because he is a unfaithful husband who cheated on his wife. Troy never cared for Cory. He wouldn’t' let him play football, the only thing Cory wanted to do. All of these examples show that Troy is an uncaring husband and a poor father.

Effective Communication and Employee Performance Essay

The purpose of the study is to investigate the impact of business communication on organizational performance in organizations. In business, message is conveyed through various channels of communication, including internet, print (publication), radio, television, etc. Whether or not significant change(s) results in the performance of an organization as a result of business communication is yet to be established. This study, therefore, is carried out to investigate the relationship between business communication and organizational performance in organizations using a contextualized and literature based research instrument to measure the application of the investigated â€Å"constructs†. Using the survey method, the study would obtain sample data from 100 small and large manufacturing and service companies. The research instrument would show encouraging evidence of reliability and validity. Data would be analyzed using descriptive statistics, percentages and t- test analysis. The study is to find out that effective business communication is emphasized to a reasonable extent in surveyed organizations. However, the ‘level of emphasize’ is a question of degree. It would also find out the extent of practices of effective business communication, which is related to the category of business (service versus manufacturing) and its size. The research findings would be limited to some extent by the confounding effect of variations within and between industry types of firm and industry sectors, and the use of respondents’ own-assessments of performance. The yet to be established research would be beyond the usual context of developed western economies, and thereby, potentially contains some lessons for practitioners and researchers in other developing countries. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY The enhancement of effective organizational performance largely depends on the manner and way information is transferred and received among members of the organization. Nations communicate among each other through trade, fox relieve in times of natural disaster. Nations disseminate information on political, economic and social issues whiles effective communication has boost the performance of employees tremendously in modern organizations. However, the challenges that organization face in transmitting their information and messages has greatly affected the performance of some organizations in the country. As the ‘live-blood’ of the organization, communication is expected to be clear and brief but comprehensive. This has not been so in many organizations. Therefore impedes on the overall output of the organization in the country. It is rightly said that thaw success of an organization is dependent on the transparency between the team members and clear understanding of ideas between them. Communication is very vital element in business management. Communication is the means by which people in exchange information. According to Chester Barnard, communication is the means by which people are linked together in an organization to achieve a common purpose. The role of the effective communication on performance of an organization starts from the day an employee joins the firm to the time he or she leaves the firm. It is the prime responsibility of the Human Resource department to clearly inform employees the rules and policies of the organization for them to perform well. It is therefore important that the details, and the important deadlines; must be made clear to members concern in an organization to expect better performance. PROBLEM STATEMENT Communication contributes effectively towards the organizational success. This is only done when it is used to perform its key functions of controlling, motivating, emotional expressions and decision making. In organizations, miscommunication is inevitable. Ineffective communication clearly affects a company’s performance leading to a drop in share price. Moreover, effective communication is critical for employee motivation and job satisfaction (kinicki and kreitner 2006) When communication is not effective, the end result is an increase in production time and a decrease in the bottom line. In order to avoid this outcome, effective communication must be in place. (Joey, 2002) Poor communication in workplace is a serious problem and can be costly to an organization. The impact can be devastating to the parties involved. Some of the results include: †¢Loss of business, customers, products, goods and services †¢High employee turnover †¢Loss of productivity, absenteeism, sabotage, injury and accidents, snick leaves etc. This study therefore seeks to identify the impact of ineffective communication on organizational performance and possible ways to address them. PURPOSE OF STUDY The purpose of the study is to explore the implication of ineffective communication on organizations and how to address them. One of the purpose for studying effective communication and organizational performance is to aid in the planning of the organizational activities. Also, find suitable solutions to curb the challenges facing the organizations. In addition to the above, the study would help business organizations to identify specific goals and as it were make sure that the goals are notwithstanding, develop an effective communication strategy for meeting those goals and verifying that the proposed strategy actually matches the laid down goals. OBJECTIVES The study seeks to look at; †¢The nature of communication and organizational performance. †¢Explore the factors responsible for the challenges of effective communication on organizational performance. †¢Find out the implication of ineffective communicational performance †¢The strategies that can be adopted to address the challenges of ineffective e communication organizational performance. RESEARCH QUESTIONS †¢What is the nature of the challenges in communication on organizational performance? †¢What factors are responsible for the challenges of effective communication on organizational performance? †¢What are the implications of ineffective communication on organizational performance? †¢What are the measures that can be used to address the challenges? KEY TERMS †¢Communication †¢Organization †¢Performance Communication This is activity of conveying information through the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, visuals, signals, writing or behavior. Also, it can be defined as the transfer of information from the sender to the receiver which is intended to make a meaning. ORGANIZATION It is the process of identifying and grouping thee work to be performed, defining and delegating responsibility and authority, and establishing relationships for the purpose of enabling people to work effectively in accomplishing objectives. It is the process of diving work into convenient tasks or duties in the form of-posts, of delegating authority to each post, and of appointing qualified staff to be responsible that the work is carried out as planned. PERFORMANCE It is the process for establishing a shared understanding about what is to achieved and how is to achieved, and an approach to managing people that increases the probability of achieving success (Weiss & Haryle, 1997). Performance is an iterative process of goal-setting, communication, observation and evaluation to support, retain and develop exceptional employees for organizational success. STRUCTURE OF THE RESEARCH Chapter 1: The first chapter of the research talks about the introduction. The introduction involves background of the study, problem statement, aims and objectives, research questions, purpose of study, significance of study, scope of study, operational definition, structure of research and finally the Gant chart. Chapter 2: The chapter 2 also entails the reviewing of literature. The literature review covers the introduction, business communication, role and functions of communication, communication levels, and direction of communication, grapevine communication, communication channels, and barriers both emotional and interpersonal, effects of communication, employee morale and motivation. Chapter 3: Chapter three involves the research methodology. This chapter involves the introduction, research design, and target population, sampling and sampling and sampling technique, data collection procedure, data analysis. Chapter 4: The fourth chapter contains the analysis and interpretation of data. It’s introduction, questionnaire return rate, discussion of findings. Chapter 5: It treats the discussion of results. It’s introduction, summary, conclusion, references, appendices

Managing Hospitals by Physicians Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Managing Hospitals by Physicians - Essay Example Moreover, in turn, hospitals are reliant on these physicians as a recommendation foundation for patient volume. This arrangement of the health care system is a very old tradition which has only presently illustrated the signs of transforming with the uprising of hospitalist physicians. It is more referred to as a strange economic relationship for the reason that the physicians seek advantage in financial terms from the use of hospitals but do not put up with the unswerving liability for the economic health of these institutions (Final Report, 2008). The rock-strewn nuptial between physicians and hospitals is barely a novel occurrence. The stringency between the notion of the hospitals as a 'doctor's work-place', pertinent to medical regulation, and the hospital as an autonomous corporation with its own locus of control and an array of operations has buffed and diminished for a major part of the twentieth century (Stevens, 1989). Commencing with the regulation of workmen's compensation funds by innovating hospital administrators and accusations by physicians that hospitals were bartering their charitable services for a benefit, the thrash about for independence, regulation, respect, authority and money has furthered at a swift pace. Physicians who were trained and preserved as the trend-setters of all medical practice, construed to with the growing portion of the nation's health care dough flowing straight away to the hospitals and not to them. In turn, a novel strain of the non-physician hospital administrators who were trained to regulate their institutions as a business, construed to the physicians as indignant of 'lay' control and the rules as well as regulations essential to regulate a subtle and efficacious venture. With negligible irony, an administrator remarked that 'doctors, for the reason that they are doctors, are hard to accommodate into the hospital organization' (St. Luke's Health Initiatives, 2005). And hence, it has vanished. There have been many periods of cooperation, chiefly, in the face of a professed common rival such as third party payers and tyrannical government control and payment systems, but by and large, the provider community of the hospitals and physicians has maintained itself as a debatable creed for much of the twentieth century. Even though, the routine dealings of physicians and hospitals were apparently cordial in superficial terms, there was frequent smouldering distrust, hostility, antipathy and even detestation between the two communes. The objective of physicians ha s always been the regulation of the scope of independent, private practice with minimum restraints between themselves and their patients. The philosophies of the hospital medical personnel, the authoritative model of the physician-hospital connection, were based on utmost physician

Accounting Information System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Accounting Information System - Essay Example The company is in the process of determining the advantages and drawbacks of automatic feeding of data by the use of the GL software. Data extraction- this is the act of mining raw data from the accounting information system in use by the company. The question is whether the data can sustain numerous needs of the company and the accuracy of the data. Data analysis- after data has been extracted from the system, the company has to enter into the analysis stage where the details of the customers are identified to determine how they could be applied to increase the sales volume of the company. Taking Orders- customers who demand the company’s products were to make order manually, either via telephone or online ordering. This means that the activity of ordering had to be undertaken by the company staff that had to capture the requirements of the customers. Processing orders- after taking the orders, the customer service personnel of top burger had to process the customer orders to ensure that the customers received exactly what they required at the nearest stores. Delivery- burger undertook the activity of delivering their goods to the customers at their doorsteps as a way of gaining competitive edge against their competitors and as a means of increasing their sales volume. Preparation of daily sales- restaurant managers were charged with the obligation of preparing daily sales summaries that were to be electronically submitted to the company administrators the next day. The activity assists in determining the level of sales of the company. System management activities- these are the activities, which involve the maintenance of the IT system to ensure it, worked effectively and smoothly. It also ensured customer integration in the transaction processing system. Promotion activities- promotion is one of the strategies that businesses use in marketing their products to the target market. To achieve this, top burger promoted amateur athletics and other communit y groups to win the loyalty of the community. Question 2 I think that Top Burger business strategy drives the development of its information system. Top burger has the growth strategy that entails increasing their customer base and their lines of products. Growth strategy also involves the improvement of their number of processes. This can be justified as follows: Bob is worried on whether the increasing number of orders could be sustained by the company current systems. This means that the developments in the system is compelled by the increased number of customers i.e. the high activity during peak season require enhancement of information system. The growth in the number of sales propelled the acquisition of new equipment. Bob argued that a new machine would make automatic feeding of data possible and this would increase the pace and quality of service delivery. The multiple activities also made the management review the ability of the information system to facilitate the diverse needs (Roman, 2008). The growth in the number of activities therefore called on the need to develop IT infrastructure. A look at the companies timeline also shows that it was because of the growth record that the company decided to begin making online ordering through the internet in 2003. The first prototype was also opened as the growth continued. Moreover, Bob’s worry is on the ability of the IT system in supporting the business strategy. He is concerned with the limitation of the current system to provide sufficient internal controls, improvements because of the integration and the use of software in supporting

Would you have signed the Constitution of 1787 Essay

Would you have signed the Constitution of 1787 - Essay Example purposes of the Constitution is posted at the exact beginning of the document, stating, â€Å"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity [†¦].† That in itself is a set of rules that the government can follow. It lists aspects that they should be aware of when they make decisions, and the people that should be considered during the decision-making process. The Constitution of 1787, as opposed to any other government-based documents, is the best plan for the government because it focuses on the more important aspects of the government system itself. The important positions are pointed out, as well as their tasks and duties. There are numerous positions in the government, each with varying jobs and tasks. The Constitution helps to keep people on track with what they need to be doing. It goes into heavy detail about what a member can or cannot do, as well as the specifics of each branch. This document is perfect for the government as it can keep things from going completely out of control, and it centers in on the things that are most important to the people. The Constitution also goes into the process by which a bill is considered, created, and enforced, which most definitely proves helpful when large groups of people are at ends with what to do. There are other â€Å"how-to† instructions in the Constitution, adding further to the fact that the Constitution can be viewed as appropriate guidelines for running a stable government. How one votes and how someone is chosen for a specific job is also mentioned throughout the document. The Constitution is the perfect set of guidelines to be looked at for any government system, really. It is something that really suits the workings of the United States of America. However, if I were around during the signing of it, I

The brief and frightening reign of Phil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The brief and frightening reign of Phil - Essay Example In this case, people are focused on stripping the natural resources of Inner Horner (Saunders and Saunders 15). Additionally, the political leadership of the location becomes power-hungry, which leads to grisly political murders in order to hold onto power. The demagogic Phil seizes the chance to assume power of both Outer and Inner Horner. Phil uses unethical strategies such as ruthlessness, flattery and deceit in order to assume to power. The story by Saunders points to human tendencies towards political and social ruthlessness in order to gain power. In order to highlight these tendencies, Saunders uses allegories and symbolism to express his purpose. The symbolism and allegories used in the story represent real world events. Question 1 Saunders’ main purpose in writing the novel is to highlight human tendencies. The story aims to highlight mass hysteria and series of injustices following the assumption to power of power-hungry and tyrannical Phil. Saunders uses symbolism t o describe Phil and the people of Inner Horner, and allegory to describe outer and inner Horner. For instance, Saunders states that Phil is a despot in a fabulous country in Horner. The citizens of this country are cockamamie fusions of organic substance and machine parts. The author uses symbolism by using elements, animals, places and colors in order to represent Horner and Phil. For instance, Saunders states that Carol, â€Å"an Inner Hornerite who resembled a gigantic belt-buckle with a blue dot affixed to it, as if a gigantic belt buckle had been stapled to a tuna fish† motivated Phil to device senseless and cruel systems of leaderships (Saunders and Saunders 22). The author aims to expose the nature of rulers as jealous and power hungry people. According to the author, citizens of a country deserve leaders they can trust. These leaders should act as reflections of the society. The systems used by Phil focused on depressing citizens through unsustainable tax regimes, gen ocide and harassment (Saunders and Saunders 31). This compares events in Horner to recent events in countries such as Bosnia and Iraq. Saunders used symbolism by using abstract characters. Additionally, he uses allegory to create the setting of the story. For instance, the characters in the story are not strictly humans though the story uses the term human. The characters have three arms, legs, unique mechanical parts and organic matter. They have other features such as antlers and additional brains, â€Å"one on the side of his neck and one on his hip† (Saunders and Saunders 42). Allegory is seen when the author describes inner Horner as a small place that only one Inner Hornerite could fit. This means that the other Inner Hornerite had to wait for their opportunity to live in their country. Question 1b This story connects with the ideas of genocide and harassment. Leaders use genocide and harassment to oppress citizens or people deemed as threats to their leadership. Philâ €™s ascent to leadership was motivated by jealous. He aimed to deprive the region of its natural resources in order to deprive its habitats their livelihood. Phil was jealous because Outer Horner was not blessed with the natural resources of inner Horner. As a result, he organized supporters from Outer Horner and hired giants in order march to power. He began by instituting unsustainable tax regimes and relentless mining of the natural resources (Saunders and Sa

Reflection - 21st century skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reflection - 21st century skills - Essay Example Students are encouraged to learn by doing, which increases their global skills highly needed in the 21st century. The portal also focuses on leadership, and collaboration between teachers and students. However, teachers seem to be focusing more on the digital recording of the grades rather than on the core content of the subjects. The portal system is not appropriate for early year students, since they cannot use the digital technology properly. The teachers of early year students still need to come face-to-face with the parents to communicate effectively. Also, the system seems to be discouraging the traditional way of teaching subjects. Students will slowly forget the conventional classroom environment. Hence, besides promoting global skills, the core content also needs to be focused upon. Students must also learn how to communicate in person while being good at

Impact Of Music File Sharing On The Production Of New Music Essay

Impact Of Music File Sharing On The Production Of New Music - Essay Example The modern trend of business provides a great deal of importance to capitalize over cultural aspects that are integrally associated with social upbringing of an individual. Music is one such medium that incorporates within its scope diverse aspects of the social existence and acceptance, popularity or support for an artist or for a particular form of music varies according to the extent of using cultural traits and their commercialization in the modern business scenario. Compared to the earlier time, though music and various forms of performing art remained as a source of income or doing business since time immemorial, it never took form of an organized business industry as that of the recent situation. The post Industrial Revolution era witnessed a general trend provided a spontaneous impetus to the humankind to find all possible means to accumulate financial capital and encourage capitalism. Such capitalist aggression also blocked the natural right of common people to enjoy and con sume the products of their respective cultures and it also suggested that if such rights are to be obtained, an individual is required to pay certain amount of price. Interestingly, the process of such prohibition also received legal acknowledgment in terms of protecting rights of an artist and encouraging the production of cultural artifacts: â€Å"Cultural production, like other areas of production, underwent a transformation as the Industrial Revolution gathered steam. It became possible to mass-produce cultural artifacts† (Giese, 2004, p. 348).

Changes in UAE Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Changes in UAE Culture - Essay Example The major contributing factor toward the multiculturalism of the UAE is the massive in-pour of foreigners specially Westerners in the UAE. Another contributing factor is government’s flexible policies and frequent efforts to modify the country’s environment so as to match the needs of the foreigners. The main reason the government is doing this is that the government wants to provide the foreigners with a homely environment so that more and more foreigners work in the UAE and contribute to the strength of its economy. The positive effect of multiculturalism of the UAE is that it has provided the indigenous people with an opportunity to easily integrate into the contemporary lifestyle. For centuries, the Arabs have lived the life of nomadic tribes that were totally unaware of technology or the fundamentals of the modern lifestyle. Living with the foreigners in their own country has enabled the people to live and work in the foreign countries. The negative effect of multi culturalism of the UAE is primarily the concerns of the indigenous population to preserve its original culture as it is readily merging into the whole range of cultures that are dwelling together in the UAE. Preserving the indigenous culture of the UAE is primarily the government’s responsibility. To achieve this, the government can take initiatives that describe the indigenous culture of the UAE, for example, making films, theatres, and songs that reflect the original values of the UAE culture. The government has taken certain steps to preserve the indigenous culture e.g. â€Å"To act as repositories of this heritage and a source of information for both visitors and the younger generation who have not experienced a traditional lifestyle, museums and heritage centres have been developed throughout the UAE† (UAE Interact, n.d.), but objective measures need to be taken to actually sustain this culture in a time where it is threatened by external cultures. Change 2 Increa se in the Number of English-Speaking Indigenous People of the UAE I have chosen this area of change because there is a considerably increase in the number of the indigenous people of the UAE who know and can speak and understand English today than there were 40 years before. Today, there is a very large population of foreigners in the UAE and though many of them are not Americans and have arrived there from such South-East Asian countries as Indian, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, yet they commonly communicate with one another in English. Owing to the omnipresence of the English-speaking foreigners in the UAE, the indigenous people feel the need to learn to speak English because they have to encounter the English-speaking foreigners on daily basis and everywhere, be it market or workplace. For centuries, the people in all of the Arab countries including the UAE have not felt the need to learn English, but now they have. The main contributing factor behind increase in the number of English -speaking indigenous people in the UAE is the fact that they have to interact, live, and work with the foreigners on daily basis whether or not English is the first language for the foreigners. Since a vast majority of the foreigners from the South East Asian countries cannot speak Arabic, so English has been established as a standard language for communication with

Air Quality in Tung Chung Essay Example for Free

Air Quality in Tung Chung Essay In summer, wind blow from south to east, there is low pressure on land and high pressure on sea, onshore wind from Central China and in winter, wind blow from north to west, serious air pollution in Tung Chung due to monsoon wind. As there is high pressure on land and low pressure on sea, offshore wind from Central China to Pacific Ocean blows air pollutants emitted by industries, power stations and vehicles from South China to Tung Chung. Secondly, another cause is human factors. The major developments on Lantau Island at present are the Hong Disneyland and Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok, AsiaWorld-Expo and power station in Penny’s Bay. First, combustion of fossil fuels from the airplanes at the Airport worsens the air quality in Tung Chung. Second, busy vehicular flow to the airport, AsiaWorld-Expo and Hong Kong Disneyland and emits air pollutants. Third, fireworks at Hong Kong Disneyland produce air pollutants which are blown to Tung Chung by wind. Last, air pollutants also emitted from the Penny’s Bay Power Station. The major development project on Lantau Island in the future includes the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. The commercial work and the busy vehicular flow after their completion will further produce more air pollution. The air quality in Tung Chung is likely to be worsened in future. Rapid economic development in South China results in serious air pollution in Tung Chung. As more industries are relocated from Hong Kong to South China due to lower production cost, there is a rapid cross-border flow of goods and people between Hong Kong and South China. There are some type of air pollutants: Carbon oxides, Carbon monoxide, Carbon dioxide and Sulfur dioxide. In conclusion, the air quality of Tung Chung is poor. Physical and human factors are the causes of air pollution in Tung Chung.

Black man and white women Essay Example for Free

Black man and white women Essay Black man and white women in dark green row boat The story Black Man and White Women in Dark Green Rowboat, written by Russell Banks, is about an interracial relationship on the brink of disaster. The story opens up on an extremely hot day in August at a trailer park that is right next to a lake with a variety of people who live there. I was not immediately aware that the black man and the white woman were the focus of the story, but those characters gradually emerged and thats when things started to get interesting. It becomes very obvious that white women want to control everything in the relationship and doesnt iew the black man as an equal partner. Before they meet at the beach, the white women walks up in her bikini holding her towel, fashion magazine, and tanning lotion with her blonde hair swinging side to side. I automatically start to view her as an egotistical person. When the white women encounters the black man at the beach, she helps him push the boat to the water, but instead of helping him push the boat all the way from shore, she hops in it before her feet had even got wet. He was left to not only push the boat himself, rolling his pant legs up, but also pushing her in it as well. While he is rowing the boat he realizes he didnt bring a hat and he is sweating. He wraps his shirt around his head and she explains to him that he looks like a sheik and a galley slave. To me this shows how she thinks of him as her own romanticized slave that she can control. She even reassures him that she was not kidding by saying no really. Honestly. (68). The man continues to row and she says shes starting to put on weight and then she tells the man that she told her mother about them and their situation, but she never looked at him when she was talking to him. Her eyes were closed and directed oward the sun. She isnt treating him like she cares; she is Just caring on with her sun bathing. Then she tells him that she is going to have an abortion that afternoon. She does this without even asking the man if thats what he wants to do. Even after he expresses hatred towards the situation and basically tells her he wants her to keep the baby she doesnt listen. She Just insists that everything will return to normal when its done. He asks her what happened and she brushes the question off and explains her mother is 0k with him. You can tell he cares about her mothers opinion f him as he wants the reassurance that her mother actually likes him. The woman explains her mother Just thinks she is fragile from depression. Honestly I feel like the women had had other abortions and Just didnt want to be honest with the man. After some time had passed, the woman asks him how long he was going to fish. He tells her about an hour and offers to row her to a swimming spot if she would rather swim. She turns down the offer and makes appoint to mention the fact that she has to be back in time to make it to her abortion later that afternoon; again aking it known she is making this decision on ner own. The women sta rts looking through her magazine while the man continued for a few more casts then he finally gave up and said, No sense fishing when the fish aint feeding. The whole point is catching fish, right? (71). This is the mans turning point. I think he realized that the relationship he was in was kind of like fishing, there was no point in him being with her if she didnt want to move on to the next level. Before rowing back into shore, he said he wished he could Just leave here there. She gets very nervous when he said hat and tells him they have to go back. Thats when the man decided that it was time to move on with his life and he said, You mean, you have to go back. (71). He rows back and all the people are carrying on like they were before except now things are changing for them. The White woman goes with her towel and magazine to have her abortion and back to living with her mother, while the Black man goes on his own separate way while watching the women leave.

Process Of Unstructured Clinical Judgement Health And Social Care Essay

Process Of Unstructured Clinical Judgement Health And Social Care Essay However, there continues to be an increasing  interest  and  expectation  on professionals from the public and the criminal justice system in regards to the potential  danger  posed by  serious  offenders  being released  back into the community and the need for the offenders to be better managed, in order  to adequately protect  the public from dangerous individuals (Doyle et el, 2002). As the assessment of risk  is made  at various stages in the management process of the violent offender, it is  extremely  crucial that mental health professionals have a structured and consistent approach to risk assessment and evaluation of violence. (Doyle et el, 2002). This paper will examine three models of risk assessment that  are used  to reduce potential danger to others, when integrating violent offenders back into the community. These three approaches are unstructured clinical judgement, structured clinical  judgement  and actuarial  assessment. It is not intended, in this paper, to explore the various instruments used in the assessment process for the  respective  actuarial and structured clinical approaches. Unstructured Clinical Judgement Unstructured clinical judgement is a process involving no specific guidelines, but relies on the individual clinicians  evaluation  having regard to the clinicians experience and qualifications (Douglas et al, 2002).  Doyle et el(2002, p650) refers to  clinical  judgement as first generation, and sees clinical judgement as allowing the clinician  complete  discretion in relation to what information the clinician will or will not take notice of in their final determination of risk level. The unstructured clinical  interview  has been widely criticised because it  is seen  as inconsistent and inherently lacks structure and a  uniform  approach  that does not allow for  test, retest reliability over time and between clinicians (Lamont et al, 2009). It  has been argued  that this inconsistency in  assessment  can lead to  incorrect  assessment of offenders, as either high or low risk due to the subjective opinion inherent in the unstructured clin ical assessment  approach  (Prentky et al, 2000). Even with these limitations discussed above the unstructured clinical  interview  is still likely to be the most widely used  approach  in relation to the offenders violence risk assessment (Kropp, 2008). Kropp (2008), postulates that the continued use of the unstructured clinical  interview  allows for idiographic analysis of the offenders  behaviour (Kropp, 2008, p205).  Doyle et al (2002) postulates, that clinical studies have shown, that clinicians using the risk analysis  method  of unstructured interview, is not as  inaccurate  as  generally  believed.  Perhaps this is due, largely to the level of experience and  clinical  qualifications of those conducting the assessment. The unstructured clinical  assessment  method  relies heavily on verbal and non verbal cues and this has the potential of influencing individual clinicians assessment of risk, and thus in turn has a high probability of over reliance in the assessment on the exhibited cues (Lamont et al, 2009).  A major flaw with the unstructured clinical interview, is the apparent lack of structured standardized methodology  being used  to  enable  a  test  retest reliability  me asure  previously mentioned.  However, the lack of consistency in the assessment approach is a  substantial  disadvantage in the use of the unstructured clinical interview.   The need for a more structured  process  allowing for  predictable  test retest reliability would  appear  to be a  necessary  component of any risk assessment in relation to violence. Actuarial Assessment Actuarial  assessment  was developed  to  assess  various risk factors that would improve on the probability of an offenders recidivism. However, Douglas et al (2002, p 625) cautions that the Actuarial  approach  is not conducive to violence prevention. The Actuarial approach relies heavily on standardized instruments to assist the clinician in predicting violence, and the majority of these instruments  has been developed  to predict future  probability  of violence amongst offenders who have a history of mental illness and or criminal offending behaviours. (Grant et al, 2004) The use of actuarial  assessment  has increased in recent years as more non clinicians  are tasked  with the responsibility of management of violent offenders such as community corrections, correctional officers and probation officers. Actuarial risk assessment methods enable staff that do not have the experience,  background  or necessary  clinical  qualifications to  conduct  a standardised clinical  assessment  of offender risk. This actuarial  assessment  method  has been found  to be extremely  helpful  when having risk assessing offenders with mental health, substance abuse and violent offenders. (Byrne et al, 2006). However, Actuarial assessments have limitations in the inability of the instruments to provide any information in relation to the management of the offender, and strategies to prevent violence (Lamont et al, 2009).  Whilst such instruments may provide transferable  test  retest reliability, there is a need for caution when the instruments  are used  within differing samples of the  test  population  used as the validation  sample  in developing the  test  (Lamont et al, 2009).  Inexperienced and  untrained  staff  may not be aware that tests  are limited  by a range of variables that may limit the reliability of the test in use. The majority of actuarial tools  were validated  in North America (Maden, 2003). This has  significant  implications when actuarial instruments  are used  in the Australian context, especially when indigenous cultural complexities are not taken into account. Doyle et al (2002) postulates that the actuarial  approach  are focused  on prediction and that risk assessment in mental health has a much broader  function  and has to be  link  closely with management and prevention (Doyle et al, 2002, p 652). Actuarial instruments rely on measures of static risk factors e.g. history of violence, gender, psychopathy and recorded so cial variables.  Therefore, static risk factors  are taken  as remaining constant.  Hanson et al (2000) argues that where the results of unstructured  clinical  opinion  are  open  to questions, the empirically based risk assessment  method  can significantly predict the risk of re offending. To rely  totally  on  static  factors that  are measured  in Actuarial instruments, and not incorporate dynamic risk factors has led to what Doyle et al (2002) has referred to as, Third Generation, or as more commonly acknowledged as structured professional judgement. Structured Professional Judgment Progression toward a structured professional  model, would  appear  to have followed a process of evolution since the 1990s.  This  progression  has developed through  acceptance  of the complexity of what risk assessment entails, and the pressures of the courts and  public  in developing an expectation of increased predictive accuracy (Borum, 1996).  Structured professional judgement brings together empirically validated risk factors, professional experience and contemporary knowledge of the patient (Lamont et al, 2009, p27).  Structured professional judgement approach requires a  broad  assessment  criteria covering both static and dynamic factors, and attempts to bridge the gap between the other approaches of unstructured clinical judgement, and actuarial  approach  (Kropp, 2008).  The incorporation of dynamic risk factors that are taking  account  of variable factors such as current emotional  level  (anger, depression, stress), social supports or lack of and willingness to participate in the treatment rehabilitation process.  The structured professional approach incorporates  dynamic  factors, which  have been found, to be also crucial in analysing  risk  of violence (Mandeville-Nordon, 2006).  Campbell et al (2009) postulates that instruments that  examine  dynamic risk factors are more  sensitive  to  recent  changes that may  influence  an increase or decrease in risk potential. Kropp (2008) reports that research has found that Structured Professional Judgement measures also  correlate  substantially  with actuarial measures. Conclusion Kroop, (2008) postulates that either a structured professional judgement approach, or an actuarial approach presents the most viable options for risk assessment of violence.  The unstructured  clinical  approach  has been widely criticised by researchers for lacking reliability, validity and accountability (Douglas et al, 2002). Kroop, (2008) also cautions that risk assessment requires the assessor to have an appropriate level of specialized knowledge and experience. This experience should be not only of offenders but also with victims.  There would  appear  to be a valid argument that unless there is consistency in  training  of those conducting risk assessments the validity and reliability of any measure, either actuarial or structured professional judgement, will fail to  give  the  level  of predictability of violence that  is sought.  Risk analysis of violence will always be burdened by the  limitation  which lies in the fact that  exact  an alyses are not  possible, and  risk  will never be totally eradicated (Lamont et al, 2009, p 31.). Doyle et al (2002) postulates that a combination of structured clinical and actuarial approaches  is warranted  to assist in risk assessment of violence. Further research appears to be warranted to improve the evaluation and  overall  effectiveness of risk management.

Motifs in Shakespeares King Lear :: King Lear essays

Motifs in King Lear Shakespeare uses many motifs to expand on the themes of the story. His most-used motif revolves around filial responsibility. Each of the two plots contains characters who betray their fathers. Goneril and Regan flatter their father, King Lear, and then betray him. The drastic change that occurred in their attidtude towards their father is clearly evident through Goneril's speech before: "Sir, I love you more than words can wield the matter; Dearer than eye-sight, space, and liberty; Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare; No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour; As much as child e'er loved, or father found; A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable; Beyond all manner of so much I love you." (Act I, Sc i, Ln 57-63) and after she had been allotted one half of the kingdom: "'Tis his own blame; hath put himself from rest, And must needs taste his folly." (Act II, Sc ii, Ln 289-290) They both were interested only in getting Lear's land, and used any means necessary to get it. Edmund, in the other plot of the play, deceives his father in order to gain his favor. Edmund, the Earl of Gloucester's bastard son, tells his father that Edgar, Gloucester's legitimate son, is plotting to ruin Gloucester. This causes the Earl to banish Edgar and give his title and land to Edmund. The ironic misuse of power used by the Earl of Gloucester shows up in both plots. Gloucester punishes Edgar and later finds that Edmund was the one taking advantage of him. Similarly, Regan and Goneril gain Lear's favor, while Cordelia is left 'dowerless' and banished from the kingdom. In the end, though, Cordelia saves Lear from the betrayal of Goneril and Regan. Shakespeare develops these major motifs with supporting motifs. He describes how revenge can affect families and create problems for the characters. He also uses the senility associated with old age to justify the irrational actions of both Gloucester and Lear. Gloucester, deceived by Edmund, becomes paranoid of Edgar. Lear is portrayed as senile form the beginning when he splits his kingdom between his daughters. He becomes so engrossed by Goneril's and Regan's flattery that when Cordelia refused to cater to his wishes, he banishes her in a fit of rage. Using the various motifs, Shakespeare makes many thematic statements about filial responsibility. Without scrutiny, many children will become overtaken by greed and attempt to get their parents' wealth by any means. Some children will remain good at heart, but it is difficult to predict which children will honor their parents.

Analysis of New Social Movement Theory Essay -- Sociology Social Mov

Analysis of New Social Movement Theory Works Cited Not Included In Johnston, Laraà ±a, and Gusfield’s discussion of New Social Movement (NSM) theory, they identify the concept as a â€Å"double-edged sword,† in that is has both related itself to the changing shape of society but also overemphasized the newness of its model, almost divorcing itself from previous social movement theories instead of acknowledging and assessing the similarities between them and integrating what is useful from theories of the past. As its basic framework asserts that social movements now are not as linked to class as they were in the time of the emergence of Marxism and at the height of industrialist society (as Resource Mobilization Theory might stress), new social movement theory succeeds in fitting itself to post-modern and post-industrialist social structure while it fails to explain the situations and changes that it describes. It makes the important point that a new and different society incites new and different movements. However, the language o f the theory has a â€Å"tendency to ‘ontologize,’† as it tries to claim â€Å"more explanatory power than it empirically warranted,† which occasionally makes it an obstacle rather than a tool to analyze the modern face of social movements (Buechler & Cylke 276). Johnston, Laraà ±a, and Gusfield proceed to break down social movements and attribute to them eight characteristics which help clarify what defines a â€Å"new social movement.† The first of these characteristics is the frequently discussed observation that social movements are no longer homogenous in the category of social class, which Johnston, et al. describe as an NSM not bearing a â€Å"clear relation to the structural roles of its participants† (Buechler &... ...on in the Leninist model,† according to Johnston, Laraà ±a, and Gusfield (Buechler & Cylke 278). Overall, New Social Movements are defined by their particular reflections of individualist, post-industrialism, though the basic premises for the formation of movements remain. Individuals have grievances which affect their choices of action and organization. Though collective action is acted out in different ways and reflects a less unified identity formation process, NSM’s bring to bear their effects on society by the sum of the actions of its members, whether those actions are personal or collective, and whether or not ideology is broadly shared. In this way, it may be detrimental to call New Social Movements â€Å"new.† Their context has changed, and so they have changed. The evolution of social movements reflects both their current environment and their roots.

Brief History of the National Rifle Association :: NRA Guns Historical Militia Essays

Brief History of the National Rifle Association   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The National Rifle Association in its simplest form is the largest gun club in the world. The organization was founded in 1871 by former Union Army officers to encourage sport shooting in order to have a fine tuned militia in case of emergency. The Union officers believed that a well regulated militia was integral for the security of a free state. It is an organization that opposes gun control, it believes in the individual defense of the uses of firearms, and it is interested in all aspects of shooting sports.1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Today, the organization stands with approximately 3.4 million members. Within the NRA, there are four major organs. The Institute for Legislative Action (is the lobbying arm), the political Victory Fund (which is a political action committee), the Civil Rights Legal Defense Fund (deals with scholarly research and legal developments), and the Grass Roots Division (which specializes in raising support through grass roots methods). As a membership organization, the NRA's directions is set by voting members. The direction of the policies are carried out by a 75 member board that is geographically distributed. The Board of Directors are elected by secret ballot.2 Brady Act   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Brady Act was approved by Congress in November of 1993 and was then signed into law by President Clinton later in the month. The act was originally named for anti gun lobbyist Sarah Brady, and not for former press secretary Jim Brady. It was through Jim Brady's support and the media coverage that linked his name to the act. The act requires that there be a waiting period of five state government business days at the time an individual applies to purchase a handgun from a federal firearm license. During the five day wait, the local sheriff or police chief must "make a reasonable effort" to see if the purchaser is prohibited from owning a handgun. The police official may approve the sale before the five day period only if the record check has been completed or if he believes the purchaser needs a handgun immediately to protect himself or his family.3   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Presently, the Clinton administration isn't complying with the Brady Act. The act requires that within 60 months of enactment, the Attorney General must establish a national instant criminal background check system that allows federal firearms licensees to have access through some type of electronic method. The reason for the delay lies with the fact that U.S. Circuit Courts have split on whether the Brady Act violates the 10th amendment of the Constitution by allowing law enforcement agencies to conduct criminal records checks in

Charismatic leadership style of mahatma gandhi Essay

Introduction Mahatma Gandhi was one of the most important person and charismatic leader in the history of India as he was he only one who is considered as the founder of our nation. He was the self made leader, he was not having any career in his life, no fame was gained by him, he was also not so rich an average looking man but still he was the father of the country. Mahatma Gandhi gave right ways and positive thoughts to many people in the nation, he make them teach what he actually practice in his real life, he was called as the great symbol of truth by the public of our nation. It was due to rule of British in India which made him to fight against them and for this he needed to guide the Indian citizens to fight against them this made him to become the absolute leader and to use evil practices against the British. It was the period during which he was in South Africa working on some legal work their which he was subjected to abuse , but then he realizes how the Indians in their home land were badly treated and beaten by the British which was subjected to cruel abuse. To fight against the British people Gandhi took many ways which he called as practices in all over India which were non violence, truth and bravery. This whole practices were named by Indians as Satyagraha and which was having a big meaning among the Indians. The practice of Satyagraha was done all over Indian was used against corruption, non- violence, civil defense. Mahatma Gandhi thought that doing such practices will only help them to have proper control over social and political rulings. It was because of his charisma that he many Indian were devoted towards Mahatma Gandhi and due to which they were following practice of Satyagraha without any fear. Through the practice of Satyagraha Gandhi Ji followed the fight for independence from British which was considered as a big fight in whole world during that period of time. During his fight for  independence Gandhi Ji advice his Indian to use the non- vio lence fight against the British which generally consists boycotting the practices of British and not accepting the use of British products in India. It was his intelligence, leadership qualities and charm nature which helped many Indians to fight against the British by the use non- violence practice. Since Mahatma Gandhi was very devoted towards his home land and towards its country people that he was ready to die for them anytime that is why he was the main point of attraction among the hearts of Indian people and that’s why people of India were also ready to die for Gandhi Ji anytime anywhere. HELPERT†S DIMENSIONS OF CHARISMA Transformational leadership President of South Africa stated bout Gandhi Ji â€Å"You produce a Lawyer and we produce a Leader out of you†. This first evident that makes him great leader was in South Africa when was thrown out of first class compartment on the basis that he was an Indian and Indians were treated as lower class people in South Africa and this is just because of color of Indian people. This intolerant behavior towards Indians opened his eyes and showed how his country people are treated. This thinking intended him to fight against racism for equal rights of Indian people. This further led him to a great fighter in India and he was also a great leader in the hearts of Indian people. According to Bass (1985) transformational leaders generally consists of distinctive attractive behavior that includes sacrificing personal gains for the advantage of the group setting common example for followers and demonstrating high model standards. Leadership style of Gandhi Ji clearly shows the presence of transformational leadership. As an example his followers were intended by him, have trust in him, love him, were loyal to him and revert him. Transformational leaders also charm to higher values like equality, freedom, right decision and peace. Gandhi Ji was mainly known for these leadership styles and fought for his entire life following these values and taken stand for these values. Gandhi ji leadership styles throughout his life encouraged his followers to follow this practice of non-violence fight and also to fight in unity. During their fight for  freedom thousands of his followers were sent to jail and were also beaten badly and treated brutally. Example: Many of his followers were gathered for the Salt March which was followed by a non- violence practice but then also British officers beat them badly with sticks. Then also they did not follow the path of violence because they had a great respect of Gandhi Ji and his practices of non- violence, equality and unity. 1. Accordi ng to Ferrin and Dirks transformational leadership is strongly associated with trust in the leader. According to Bass, transformational leaders consists the following behaviors: Idealized influence This nature arouses active and powerful follower emotions and identification with the leader. Gandhi was successful in motivating and influencing lots of people as a result he was the person of his words, and continuously practices what he preached. He was a task model for lots of common people and won their respect and trust through his practice. He expressed hg model conducts, non-violence, cooperation (voluntary imporvinshment), commitment and endurance so as to achieve India’s independence. Intellectual Stimulation This behavior will increase follower awareness of issues and forces followers to look at issues from a new view point. Gandhi Ji was perpetually supportive of his believers and inspired them to think broadly as well as frankly, raise queries and solve issues. He was willing to simply accept wrong doing and mistakes and wasn’t ashamed to discard a method that didn’t worked as plan. For example: Gandhi Ji asked for the shut off his non- violence campaign just because sum of his subordinates were using violence methods to fight against British in that case instead of going against them he asked for the closure of the campaign. Individualized Consideration This includes giving support, training and inspiration to followers. Gandhi Ji was very supportive to his followers as an example he with patience listen to the problems and considerations of the poor with regard to their ability to keep our support because of British policies. Gandhi Ji was also very supportive of different leaders like national leader and Vallabhbhai Patel. He nurtures them inspired them to share concepts and even authorized them to create choices, never creating them feel addicted to him. Inspirational Motivation This type of leadership includes human action and appealing vision and making use of symbols to focus subordinates effort. Gandhi Ji stood by his personal values and systematically delivered his vision of independence by openly exchanging his vision and using symbols like the Salt Satyagraha Movement, he guided his believers with the way right meaning that successfully impressed them to stay idealistic and increase their effort. Gandhi’s Power and Influence Tactics 1. Referent Power Referent power is also called as: Charismatic power Personal Power Power of personality When a leader is respect, admired and influentially followed by others. As we have already discussed in transformational leadership Gandhi Ji was respected by his followers and having a two way relationship between him and his followers. An important leader is given respect only when two way communications is followed and Gandhi Ji believed in this way of communication that’s why he was a great leader. Gandhi ji constantly proved to be a role model and is behavior consistent with the moral principles he predicate. Qualities of Mahatma Gandhi as a Referent Leader Honest and considerate to others Unselfish intentions Role model Used the process of internalization to influence his followers Many of the followers of Gandhi Ji were influenced by stimulating their values of self  respect, justice and freedom to fight against British. At certain points personal identification was also considered. For example Jawaharlal Nehru was initially influenced by Gandhi Ji as he used to western wear clothes and looking at the style and dressing sense of Gandhi Ji he also started wearing Khadi clothes. Similarly many followers of Gandhi ji boycotted the western style wearing and opted for khadi dressing like Gandhi Ji. According to (2010) power is the capacity to attract the nature and attitude of people in the direction desired. With an exclusive charming and attractive practices followed by Gandhi Ji empowered him with high referent power. He was able to maintain his power by expressing care towards the needs of the public by showing trust and treating people equally. Due to his high level of personal sincerity and pers istent values allowed him to maintain his referent power. 2. Expert Power Since Gandhi Ji was a good lawyers as he has completed hi law from South Africa and was aware of all the rules and regulations of the government. Due to his expert knowledge also the member of Indian national congress and later join the British Indian community in the Transvaal where he fought against restriction on Indian trade he always follows the rules and regulations in correct direction and his entire practices were legal there were no illegal practices followed by him. Due to his non-violence and expert power his followers were also influenced by his practices and used to follow his path. 3. Job Involvement Gandhi Ji always encouraged for ethical practices during his lifetime which are: Truth and love Self Discipline Abolition of untouchability Dependency(Weaving his own clothes) Gandhi Ji always had a high influence on people because of the above mentioned characteristics of his leadership. Gandhi Ji mainly shows interest  for others rather than focusing on self interest also called altruistic behavior. In order to influence his followers in the direction of non- violence he did fast for several days. During that period he not even thought about his health and food, he suffered a lot till he gets the desired result of his fast. Gandhi Ji become as a leader of masses from the leader of community when Gandhi ji was in South Africa he fought in suit and tie but when he came to India he adopted the situation realizing in India and wore clothes of a peasant, weaved his own clothes and lived in a small house. He was always under control of situations and having effective negotiation skills while dealing with British authorities. Conclusion Gandhi shows the transformation of a standard man into a legendary leader. It shows how conditions will inspire someone to fight against injustice and difference. Gandhi’s style of leadership proves that to attain a required and decent end, suggests that must be equally sensible. Gandhi had a vision that was accepted by his followers. His personal practices led to India to be free from Britishers. His involvement and interest towards the poor people of society is memorable and peerless. His teaching of non violence is extremely abundant relevant even in today’s world. For the contribution and sacrifices he created for the India’s independence, upliftment of poor people, contribution towards woman encouragement and unity among completely different religions, he has been given the title of ‘Mahatma’ by his nation and is named as ‘Bapu’ that’s Father of the nation. References http://www.mahatma.com/php/showContent.php?linkid=9 http://www.youthforhumanrights.org/voices-for-human-rights/champions/mahatma-gandhi.html https://sites.google.com/site/leadershipmasters/powers-of-leadership http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080725175352AAz0Fqu http://www.unpost.org/mahatma-gandhi-soft-leadership/ http://www.etudier.com/dissertations/Gandhi-And-His-Leadership-Style/206087

Panera Bread Company Essay

SWOT Matrix Stakeholder Matrix Financial Ratios Financial Trend Graphs Responses to Questions Not Answered in the Presentation Business Strategy Functional Area Strategies Assessment of Panera Bread Company? s Strategic Performance Resources Value Chain Assessment of Panera Bread Company? s Financial Performance and Capabilities Strategic Issues Panera Bread Company Faces Management? s Values Organizational Culture Executive Summary: Our consulting team completed an analysis of Panera Bread Company mainly focusing on the opportunities and threats within the industry, Panera? competitive capabilities, and the company? s strengths and weaknesses. The following recommendations contain the opportunity or threat within the industry, the strength or weakness that allows Panera to pursue or defend against the critical issues and the tools needed to take immediate action. We recommend that Panera Bread Company: 1. Open cafes in untapped markets, and focus on utilizing franchising to achieve the desired 1:160,000 cafe: person ratio by 2010. We found that the restaurant industry life cycle is still in growth. This growth coupled with Panera? strong franchising capability offers a significant opportunity for Panera to pursue. To achieve this Panera must first use the current site selection and market analysis processes to chose ideal locations for new cafes in untapped markets. Panera should also utilize this process to assess the logistics necessary to support the potential locations. Next, Panera needs to utilize the established, stringent franchisee selection criteria to identify candidates that are a good fit, and then work with the selected franchisees using the existing franchise assistance programs to educate and train franchisees in Panera? unique brand, vision and culture. Once Panera sets up franchising systems in new markets, the company should measure success by whether or not the 1 cafe per 160,000 people per location by 2010. Panera also must assess the new franchisees based on the historical areas of success. 2. Bolster the current promotional strategy to a more aggressive soft-sell promotional strategy while still utilizing word-of-mouth tactics to increase first-time customer traffic. We found that customers are prone to give newly opened eating establishments a trial. Panera has underutilized potential in its promotional strategy to allow customers to know of newly opened cafes. Panera can pursue the opportunity within the industry if it strengthens the current promotional strategy to promote awareness. This helps Panera promote brand awareness to become a dominant leader in the bakery-cafe industry. To do this, the company must begin expanding to untapped and lowpenetrated markets where customers will not know much about the company. The company must then increase excitement about these new cafes before opening by using guerilla marketing. An example of this is hiring plain-clothed personnel to circulate future and current development sites and engage potential consumers by drumming up interest in cafe openings. The next implementation step is to distribute coded coupons with a two-week expiration period, and an additional coupon to be given to a friend. Success can be measured by tracking new customer foot traffic in the specific cafes and the new cafe? s sales volume in the first six months. 3. Implement the â€Å"Oven Fresh, To Go† program that will increase customers switching costs and reward buyer loyalty through progressive discounts based on levels of return patronage. Our analysis revealed that the restaurant industry is threatened by low switching costs and low customer loyalty. Our analysis revealed that Panera had strengths in buyer loyalty. Panera should first begin steps one month prior to the start of this service using signage and promotion. Next Panera should print menus that displaying the oven fresh option and distribute them at the point of sale. Panera should cross train employees on the oven fresh operational procedures of taking orders and bringing orders to customer? cars. Next Panera should purchase or lease 2 to 3 parking spots per location in close proximity to the door with signs for designated parking. Last Panera should place a pre-paid post card with survey questions inside to-go packaging and place customer loyalty punch card in packaging that rewards returning loyal customers. Panera should track the discounts given by customers. Because of the progressive nature of the discounts, Panera can identify its most loyal clientel e based on the level of the discount rate. 4. Broaden the product scope and service offering to include a wider array of light entrees, dinner fare, and beer and wine available after 4:30 at select locations nationwide. The new offerings will be paired with community events such as wine-tastings and fundraisers to bolster the perceived dinner atmosphere. Our analysis of the restaurant industry led us to determine that there were a large number of buyers available to firms providing an opportunity for increased market share. Our analysis of the competitive capabilities showed that Panera had an internal strength in research and development. Panera needs to utilize the extensive research and development skills to determine ideal menu offerings, portions, price, and locations suitable for beer and wine. The new product offerings will be introduced to a limited number of stores to determine customer response and verify the scalability to ensure quality. The successful food and alcohol items will be introduced to pre-determined ideal locations along with marketing and training support. The final implementation step will be a market survey question at the point-ofsales system that will determine the number of new dinner customers. The ultimate goal of this recommendation is to increase market share for Panera. Macro-Environment: The United States saw 3. 0% growth in the overall economy for the year 2006. Additionally, real disposable income increased by 2. 1% from the third quarter of 2005 until the end of 2006. The unemployment rate continued on a downward trend from a high of 6. 0% in 2003. Unemployment was 4. 65% in 2006. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, consumer expenditures were $48,398 and $2,794 was spent on food away from home per household. Because there was overall economic growth, consumer expenditures ere high, and unemployment was on a downward trend, the economy at large was in a healthy state. When economic conditions were perceived as good, consumers were more willing to spend excess income, as opposed to saving or investing. Therefore, consumers were more likely to spend money on eating out for various meals; this was an opportunity for the restaurant industry. The legal, regulator y and political environment was relatively stable in 2006. Because there was a stable regulatory and political environment, business owners were able to operate at a more functional level. Companies were not worried about significant changes to regulations which hinder business growth. Therefore, this stable environment was an opportunity for the industry. The population demographics for the U. S. consumer in 2006 were as follows. The population was 49. 27% male and 50. 37% female; the median age was 36. 4. About 15. 07% of the population was over 62 years old. The median income was $46,326 for a single earner household and $67,348 for a dual earner household. Of the total 299,398,484 consumers, 36. 43% lived in the South Region, 18. 8% in the Northeast Region, 22. 12% in the Midwest Region and 23. 16% lived in the West Region. In the U. S. 31. 7% of persons over the age of 25 were a high school graduate; 18. 3% held a Bachelor? s degree, and 9. 7% held an advanced degree. Because of the large number of variables and the diversity of the U. S. population across all descriptors, the restaurants industry? s target market was large and the individual buyers were small and numerous. This caused decreased competition over potential buyers, and therefore was an opportunity in the restaurant industry. There were two significant societal trends that emerged among restaurant industry stakeholders in 2006. First, the issues surrounding trans-fats in restaurants were coming to a head after a 2003 court case. Consumers called for a ban on trans-fats in restaurant food in many different states. Since this made restaurants appear to be the culprit, it decreased customer satisfaction with local restaurant establishments. This decrease was a treat to the industry. Second, the baby boomer generation was aging, and the children of the baby boomers were moving out. This increased the number of empty nesters in the U. S. With no children at home and both husband and wife working, the couple was less likely to arrive home and feel the need to cook dinner. This phenomenon led to more dinner outings and consumers looking for an establishment to eat a quick and quality meal. Because this increased the numbers of consumers looking to dine out, the aging baby boomer population increased the number of meal occasions and therefore was an opportunity for the industry. Industry Analysis: i. Industry Drivers: The market size of the industry was quite large. Commercial eating places accounted for about $345 billion†¦ The U. S. restaurant industry †¦ served about 70 billion meals and snack occasions, and was growing about 5 % annually. † Based on unit sales of $345 billion, sales volume of 70 billion and a growth rate of 5 % annually, we conclude that the market size of the restaurant industry was quite large and growing. Because when the mar ket size of the competing industry was growing, rivalry among competitors decreased, we conclude that decreased rivalry was a threat for the restaurant industry. The scope of the competitive rivalry was broad. Restaurant chains competed on regional, national and global levels. The product scope was also broad. The industry served breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack covering many ethnic tastes. Because geographic and product scope were wide, industry members competed in many geographic areas and over a wide array of product lines. Because competition was increased, we conclude that the scope of competitive rivalry was a threat for the industry. Market growth rate and position in the business cycle was in the growth stage. The U. S. restaurant industry†¦ served about 70 billion meals and snack occasions, and was growing about 5 % annually. † Because the industry was growing at a rate of 5 % annually we conclude that the industry was still in the growth stage. Because no indication was given that growth rate was declining, we conclude that the rate was not increasing at a decreased rate and therefore not approaching maturity. Because e xpanding buyer demand produced enough new business for all industry members to grow without using volume-boosting sales tactics to draw customers away rom rival enterprises, rivalry in the industry was decreased when the life cycle was in growth. Because rivalry decreased when the industry was in growth, we conclude that the growth rate was an opportunity for the industry. The number of buyers and their relative size in 2006 were as follows. â€Å"On a typical day, about 130 million U. S. consumers were food service patrons at an eating establishment – sales at commercial eating places averaged close to $1 billion daily. † Since 130 million consumers spent $1 billion daily, we conclude that on average, each consumer spent $7. 9 per day. Based on our analysis, we conclude that the number of buyers was large and their relative size was small. Because buyers have more power when they are large and few in number, we conclude that many small buyers was an opportunity for th e industry. The pace of technological innovation in product introduction was fast. â€Å"Most restaurants were quick to adapt their menu offerings to changing consumer tastes and eating preferences, frequently featuring heart-healthy, vegetarian, organic, low-calorie, and/or low-carb items on their menus. It was the norm at many restaurants to rotate some menu selections seasonally and to periodically introduce creative dishes in an effort to keep regular patrons coming back, attract more patrons, and remain competitive. † The constant change in consumer tastes and habits and the rate at which most competitors stayed on top of the changes made product competition very fierce. To stay competitive, establishments needed similar commitment to constant revision of menu items. We conclude that the fast pace of innovation in product introduction was a threat for the industry. Product differentiation in the industry was common. Industry members pursued differentiation strategies of one variety or another, seeking to set themselves apart from rivals via pricing, food quality, menu theme, signature menu selections, dining ambiance and atmosphere, service, convenience, and location. † Despite attempts to differentiate products, the restaurant industry operated in a pure competition environment where switching costs were low and there were many competitors. Because the industry products by nature were weakly differentiated, we conclude that the extent to which rivals differentiate their products was a threat to the industry. The learning and experience curve for the restaurant industry was low. â€Å"Just over 7 out of 10 eating and drinking places in the United States were independent single-unit establishments with fewer than 20 employees. † Because 70 % of competitors were restaurants who could open and close at any time, new entrants did not need large corporate backing and were free to open anywhere. The ability of so many small competitors to enter and compete in the industry indicated a steep learning curve. The steep learning curve and low capital requirement was threat to the industry because of the ease of rivals to enter the industry. i. Five Forces: Our analysis revealed that there were about 624,511 commercial eating locations in the industry. Because rivalry intensifies as the numbers of competitors increase and as competitors become more equal in size and competitive strength, we conclude that the high number of competitors was a threat for the industry. Based on industry sales of $ 345 billion, the leading competitor Starbucks had less than two percent of the market share. This fact coupled with the above mentioned 70% single unit establishments characterized the industry as having many competitors with very small market share. Because rivalry tends to be stronger when competitors are numerous or are of roughly equal size and in competitive strength, we conclude that the small relative size based on market share was a threat for the industry. Switching costs and buyer loyalty were low for the industry. â€Å"Consumers (especially those who ate out often) were prone to give newly opened eating establishments a trial†¦loyalty to existing restaurants was low when consumers perceived there were better dining alternatives. Because low switching costs and low buyer loyalty increase rivalry among competitors, we conclude that low switching costs and buyer loyalty were a threat to the industry. It was not more costly to exit the industry than continue to participate. â€Å"Many restaurants had fairly short lives. † Based on our previous analysis of market share, we determined competitors were small in size and can enter and exit with little capital requirements. Assets were sold easily and the workers in the industry were not entitled to significant job protection. Because rivals had low barriers to exit they did not resort to deep discounts to remain in business. Continuous new entrants increased rivalry. We conclude that the ease of entry was a threat and ease of exit was an opportunity for the industry. The industry’s products were discretionary purchases. â€Å"The average U. S. consumer ate 76% of meals at home. † The fact that consumers could eat at home for less characterized the discretionary nature of the eating out option. Because discretionary spending was not necessary and represent consumers? first costs to cut in economic difficulty, we conclude that the discretionary nature of the purchase was a threat to the industry. iii. Changes to the Industry Structure and Competitive Environment: As of 2006, the restaurant industry was growing by 5% a year. Due to this growth rate there was room for more firms to enter the industry. This changed the industry structure in the coming years by introducing more competitors. However, since the market was not saturated, firms entering were in a business environment that allowed them to obtain new market share. Since the long-term growth rate was increasing there was an opportunity for new firms to gain the growing market share. The average U. S. consumer ate 76% of their meals at home. The average person in 2004 had $974 of income to spend on food purchases away from home. Customers were less likely to be loyal to a restaurant if they perceived a better option available to them. Patrons also used restaurants for more than just eating. Restaurants served as places where people could catch up on work, meet friends, and read the paper. The fact that majority of meals were eaten in the home and that restaurant spending was discretionary, coupled with the fickle and specific nature of the customer created strong competition among rivals, and resulted in a threat to firms. Marketing innovation in product and promotion was especially strong in the restaurant industry. Firms constantly updated their menus to accommodate new trends such as low calorie, organic, vegetarian, and heart healthy foods. Restaurants also utilized Wi-Fi and large television screens in order to enhance the experience for customers. Happy hours and other events served as promotion to attract new customers. The constant marketing pressures created complex rivalries between firms and resulted in an altered industry structure. The industry structure resulted in a business environment where firms diligently adapted and changed with updated marketing mixes. This constant change was a threat within the industry. Entry into the restaurant industry was marked by just over 7 of 10 eating and drinking places being independent, single-unit establishments with fewer than 20 employees. Exit from the industry was frequent and often firms were limited to short lives. The easy entry and exit of firms to and from the industry created a business environment that was fiercely competitive. The ease of new rivals entering and the large failure rate was a threat for firms within the industry. iv. Existing Rivals Competitive Capabilities Analysis: The case did not provide specific information about rivals? resources and strategic goals to formulate conclusive competitive capabilities. v. Key Success Factors: The key success factors in the restaurant industry were dictated by what consumers deemed necessary attributes to have and what allowed the business to profit. Consumers did not dine at particular places that did not possess these qualities because they lost value in their purchase. Also, there were many substitutes that offered the key factors to patrons instead. The particular key success factors related to the restaurant industry were: low-cost production efficiency, customer service, breadth of product line and selection, ability to respond quickly to shifting market conditions, overall consumer experience, image and reputation, and high consumer volume. The first key success factor was low-cost production efficiency, which was crucial in lowering prices for the consumer. When a restaurant could not keep costs low, the high costs were passed through to the consumer with a higher price. If customers did not believe the value in what they were buying was worth that high price, they did not pay for it. Since there were many competitors in the restaurant industry, the consumer shopped around for similar food at a lower price. Restaurants needed to keep these costs low to stay competitive and not risk bankruptcy. Customer service was another key success factor because it added value to the meal. The consumer was not just purchasing food; they were paying for the entire experience. A component of this was having pleasant employees in all customer contact positions. Good customer service skills that made the customer feel comfortable in the restaurant helped to keep customers coming back. When a waitress went above and beyond her normal duties to please a customer, the patron was likely to return because of the great experience offered. Exceeding customer expectations was crucial in attracting loyal customers who returned to the establishment. Another factor for success was having a wide breadth of product line and selection. Restaurants needed to offer many different kinds of dishes to attract a broad group of buyers. Some examples were serving chicken, beef, seafood, and vegetarian. If there were ten dishes or so within each of those categories, the restaurant was offering a large selection and a customer could find a meal they craved. Offering various types of dishes helped widen the breadth of what was offered, such as: breakfast, lunch, dinner, soups, salads, pasta, and sides. There were also various styles of food offered such as Mexican, bland, Cajun, Irish, Italian, Mediterranean, and more. Such a broad selection ensured that customers found what they were looking for. If the consumer saw multiple meals he or she as interested in, he or she returned. The fourth key success factor within the restaurant industry was the ability to respond quickly to shifting market conditions. Customers were constantly changing what they wanted, and restaurants needed to keep up with those changes. If a restaurant had an inability to change its menu, it could not compete with its rivals. Recently, consumers changed their needs to heart healthy, vegetarian, organic, low calorie, and low-carb. This also took into consideration seasonal changes. Soups became more prevalent in the winter than the summer. Certain seasonal soups like pumpkin, squash, and others were craved around the holidays, but not as much during other times in the year. Desserts and specialty beverages followed similar patterns. Restaurants needed to change their menus to satisfy customers? cravings and remain competitive within the industry. Having a good overall consumer experience was extremely important in the restaurant industry. This was crucial in building a loyal clientele that could promote the business through word-of-mouth tactics and regularly dined at the establishment. The overall experience took into consideration more than just food and customer service because it encompassed the entire value perceived by the consumer. This included price, food quality, quality of service, ambience and atmosphere, and having a variety of offerings. Without that great experience, a customer would not return and they could verbally damage the restaurant? s reputation when they told friends about their poor experience. This factor was important to build loyal customers and increase brand awareness. Image and reputation was another key success factor because this was what attracted customers to the establishment. This also created word-of-mouth advertising for a restaurant. When something happened to tarnish a restaurant? s reputation, patrons no longer dined there, which led the company to go out of business. Image and reputation was how consumers perceived the company, which could add value for the customer when it was extremely good. Another key success factor was having high consumer volume. No matter what type of eating establishment, having high customer foot traffic was essential for success. This increased brand recognition, word-of-mouth advertising, and sales. This factor was essential to success in the industry, without it, a restaurant was unable to grow, or even survive. These seven key success factors dictated the industry and how restaurants needed perform in order to remain competitive in the industry. The restaurant industry was purely competitive and extremely risky due to the large number of rivals. The seven factors were areas to focus on because that was what consumers deemed important. Critical Issues the Industry Faces: Our analysis led us to the following critical issues faced by the restaurant industry. There were many opportunities in the industry for businesses to capitalize on. According to the analysis of the industry drivers, we concluded that the business life cycle was still in growth and there was a capacity shortage in the industry. This was an opportunity for the industry. Based on our analysis of the five forces model, we concluded that there were many buyers in the industry with many choices in selection of products. This was also an opportunity for the industry. Based on our analysis of the industry drivers, five forces model, and the changes to the industry structure, we concluded that there were untapped markets and consumers were prone to give newly opened eating establishments a trial. Based on our analysis of the changes to the industry structure and the competitive environment and the five forces model, we concluded there was a threat to the industry in that there was low customer switching costs and low customer loyalty. Panera Bread Company’s Competitive Capabilities: i. Business Strategy: Panera Bread Company? s strategic intent was â€Å"to make Panera Bread a nationally recognized brand name and to be the dominant restaurant operator in the specialty bakery-cafe segment. † Panera intended to achieve this by â€Å"being better than the guy across the street† and implementing a successful business model. Panera? s business model satisfyed customers? needs through providing quality food in a casual setting that continued to bring customers in for the ambiance as well as the food. Panera achieved sufficient profits to cover the costs of providing this value to the customers by selling food in the cafes and by collecting franchising fees and a percentage of franchisee sales. Management intended to grow the number of Panera Bread locations by 17% annually and expand further into suburban markets. Panera focused on achieving a 1 cafe per 160,000 people per location ratio by 2010 through effective use of franchising. Panera intended to build a loyal clientele by employing a superior business model and offering artisan breads as a base of a high quality menu that changed to reflect evolving consumer tastes. The prevailing market in which Panera operated experienced 5% growth in 2006. Thus Panera? s strategy of growth was in sync with market conditions. Furthermore, by focusing on building a loyal clientele through quality breads and a menu that suits customers tastes, Panera tailored the strategy to strengths the company already possessed. Panera? ability to create well crafted, predictive strategies and adapt well to changing conditions with reactive strategies indicated that Panera? s strategy was a dynamic fit to the company and market. Therefore, Panera? s strategy was a good fit for the company. Operating in an almost pure competition environment, Panera faced threats from low cost and differentiated products. Panera employed a best cost provider strategy to take advantage of the large amount of value-conscious buyers who want a good meal and pleasant dining experience at an affordable price. Taking a position as best cost provider, in conjunction with a commitment to â€Å"providing crave-able food that people trust, served in a warm, community gathering place by associates who make guests feel comfortable† helped Panera achieve a strong strategy, but the competitive nature of the industry does not permit the strength of Panera? s strategy to become a competitive advantage. Panera had 0. 5409% market share of the $345 billion annual sales in the restaurant industry. Though Panera was not a dominant operator, this was a relatively big market share, given the nurture of the industry. The company? s profits and number of locations grew from 2002 to 2006. Panera? s strategy led to a strong financial position and a sizable market share. Because Panera? s strategy was a good fit for the company, was strong in the competitive industry, and was financially successful, we concluded that Panera? s strategy was working very well and gave the company a competitive position in the industry. Therefore we feel Panera? s overall strategy, as well as its strategy to grow the business and build a loyal clientele was a strength. ii. Functional Area Strategies: Panera? s marketing strategy contained three distinct initiatives. The first aimed to raise the quality of awareness about Panera by focusing on quality crave-able food the consumer can trust, and by enhancing the appeal of its bakery-cafes as gathering places. The second initiative focused on boosting awareness and trials of Panera at multiple meal times. The third initiative was to increase consumers? perception of Panera as a dinner option. Throughout the entire marketing strategy Panera avoided hard-sell, in-your-face advertising. Panera preferred consumers â€Å"gently collide† with and discover the brand. As Panera performed well financially in past years, this marketing strategy was successful. However our analysis led us to conclude there was an untapped potential in the soft-sell marketing technique. This was a weakness that Panera must bolster to pursue industry opportunities. Panera? s production and distribution strategy was to use economies of scale and centralize operations for the dough making process. There were 17 regional fresh dough facilities to service the 1,027 Panera bakery-cafe locations. By controlling the process at central locations Panera was able to ensure consistent quality and dough making efficiency. Panera? s production strategy supports the overall strategic intent of being better than the guy across the street and ensures quality to keep customers coming back. Because Panera? s production strategy supported the company? s overarching strategic goals, we concluded that the strategy was working well and was a strength for Panera. Panera had a unique franchise system. Each franchise license was for a multi unit deal, usually for 15 bakery-cafes to be opened over six years. Panera only granted licenses to applicants who met stringent criteria. These criteria included a net worth of $7. 5 million or more, access to resources that would allow for the expansion of 15 locations, real estate and multi unit restaurant operator experience and commitment to Panera? s brand, culture and passion. Historically, Panera? s ambitious franchising model was a success. Franchisees indicated a high level of satisfaction with Panera Bread Company? s concept, support and leadership. Likewise, Panera reported satisfaction with the quality and pace of franchisee openings and the franchisees? perations. Panera committed limited fiscal resources to franchising; the company did not â€Å"finance franchisee construction of area development payment, or hold any equity in any of the franchise-operated bakery-cafes. † Because the franchising model supported the company? s intent to grow to a dominant restaurant operator, we concluded Panera? s franchising system was a streng th. Panera committed to constantly staying in tune with consumers? changing tastes for the base of the research and development strategy. Panera regularly reviewed the menu and revised the options to sustain customer interest. When developing new products, Panera first made the menu items in test kitchens before introducing them in a select few bakery-cafes. Panera used the test kitchens and select rollouts to determine customer response and ensure that the products could be produced in mass quantities and still maintain the high quality standards associated with the Panera brand. The successful products were then introduced in all the chain locations and integrated into menus. Because it helped keep up the Panera standard for quality food that customers craved, the research and development aspect of Panera? s strategy supported the marketing strategy. Furthermore, by ensuring consistently high quality food that consumers depended on, Panera? s extensive research and development supported the company? s strategic goal of becoming a dominant operator in the restaurant industry. iii. Assessment of Panera Bread Company’s Strategic Performance: -Business Strategy Performance The strategic intent of Panera was to become a nationally recognized brand and dominant operator in the specialty bakery-cafe segment. In 2005 Panera Bread was the highest rated for the fourth year in a row among competitors in the Sandleman ; Associates national customer satisfaction survey. Panera had also won â€Å"best of† awards in 36 states and across a range of markets. In addition, â€Å"J. D. Power and Associates? 2004 restaurant satisfaction study of 55,000 customers ranked Panera Bread highest among quick-service restaurants in the Midwest and Northeast regions of the United States in all categories, which included environment, meal, service, and cost. † Panera created this nationwide renown through the successful implementation of the company? s business model. In 2006 Panera opened 155 company and franchise owned cafes bringing the total units to 1,027 in 36 states. The continued expansion of cafes in new markets showed that Panera was operating successfully within the framework of the intended strategy. However, Panera managed to open only 1 cafe per 330,000 by 2006. So, although Panera had begun the process of increased penetration into markets, the benchmark given of 1 cafe per 160,000 people in 2010 at the time of the case had not been reached. Therefore a complete analysis of the success of the growth strategy was not possible. Panera differentiated the bakery-cafes by implementing several important menu changes that addressed the targeted consumer needs and trends. The addition of â€Å"good carb† breads, antibiotic-free chicken, and an artisan line of sweet goods were employed as part of a differentiation strategy. In 2005-2006 Panera introduced the G2 concept in an attempt to bolster the dining environment, thus providing more value for the customer. There was no data to support or deny the effectiveness of these strategic moves. -Functional Area Strategic Performance Due to fact that the Panera won considerable accolades in consumer satisfaction, we determined that its marketing initiative of developing customer awareness of the quality and trust-worthiness of the company? s food was working. The second initiative of boosting awareness and trial of dining at Panera Bread at multiple meal times had not been shown operationally. Therefore, we were not able to determine the performance of this strategy. The marketing data showed that, â€Å"85 % of consumers who were aware that there was a Panera Bread bakery-cafe in their community or neighborhood had dined at Panera on at least one occasion. † From this data, we concluded that the strategy was sound to pursue and specifically implement. The third initiative of increasing consumers? perception of Panera as a dinner option had not yet been implemented with specific steps. The marketing research showed that 81% of consumers indicated a â€Å"considerable willingness† to try Panera at other meal times which supported following this strategy into the implementation phase. Panera? s production and distribution goal was to ensure lowered costs and quality control with a strategy of centralized locations taking advantage of economies of scale. The quality of the product was evidenced by the many â€Å"best of† awards and other consumer satisfaction accolades. The lowered costs due to economies of scale and the high quality of the products indicate that Panera? production and distribution strategy was successfully implemented and executed. Panera pursued a unique franchising model based on multi-unit, multi-year deals with franchisees who were selected based on stringent criteria. The franchised cafes performed better in return on equity investments and average weekly and annual sales than company-owned cafes and were also equally or slightly m ore profitable. The measured success of the franchisee owned stores showed that the franchising model strategy was performing well. The research and development strategy was to stay in tune with customers? changing tastes. The implementation consisted of regularly reviewing and revising the menus, and the use of test kitchens for exploring new products and determining customer response. In 2003 Panera scored the highest level of customer loyalty among quick-casual restaurants, according to a study conducted by TNS Intersearch. This customer loyalty indicated the success of Panera in anticipating customer needs through the company? s research and development strategy. iv. Resources: Panera had skills and expertise in sight selection and cafe environment. They chose sights and cafe environment by the following method. Based on analysis of this information, including the use of predictive modeling using proprietary software, Panera developed projections of sales and return on investment for candidate sites. † This recourse was difficult but not impossible to copy. The length of time it would last depended on how hard competitors chose to work to develop similar technology. This resource was really c ompetitively superior because no other competitors had it. It could not be trumped by rival? s resources because the same software had to be developed before competitors could use it. Because this resource was hard to copy, competitively superior, potentially long lasting and could not be trumped by rivals? resources, the site selection and cafe environment was a competitive capability. This competitive capability was a strength that gave Panera a competitive advantage. Our analysis revealed that Panera? s advertising and promotion strategy was too weak. They had underutilized promotion potential. Panera? s strategy was to raise the quality of awareness by the â€Å"caliber and appeal of its breads and baked goods, by hammering the theme â€Å"food you crave, food you can trust. Panera also aimed to â€Å"raise awareness and boost trial of dining at Panera Bread at multiple meal times (breakfast, lunch, â€Å"chill out† times, and dinner. )† Panera avoided hard-sell approaches, preferring â€Å"instead to employ a range of ways to softly drop the Panera Bread name into the midst of consumers as they moved through their lives and let them „ge ntly collide? with the brand; the idea was to let consumers „discover? Panera Bread and then convert them into loyal customers by providing a very satisfying dining experience. † This approach was a great concept and successful to an extent, however we conclude that because many of Panera? competitors were using more aggressive promotion, the current strategy was not aggressive enough. â€Å"Management claimed that the company? s fresh- dough-making capability provided a competitive advantage by ensuring consistent quality and dough-making efficiency. † Because this dough making capability allowed Panera to maximize the production capacity, used no preservatives, did not freeze the product and control the quality of the dough by making it themselves, this recourse was hard to copy. How long it would last depended on strengthening competitor capabilities and their interest in the dough making market. Based on the first two tests, we conclude that this capability was really competitively superior and could not be trumped by rivals? capabilities and therefore a competitive advantage. Panera? s franchise system used superior intellectual capital with the use experienced and capable workforce. The success of the franchise system was an example of proven managerial know-how. The site selection software granted the franchises cutting-edge knowledge in technology to choose locations and cafe environments. The stringent franchisee requirements employed only the most dedicated, well capitalized and capable franchisees as managers. The franchise system was hard to copy because of the stringent requirements for the franchisees, managerial know-how and the proprietary site selection software. Site selection system would tend to last because of how difficult it was to copy and could not be trumped by rivals because it was so rare, and was characterized by a gradual learning curve. This analysis led us to the conclusion that Panera? s franchise system was a distinct competitive capability and therefore gave Panera a competitive advantage. The product research and development program was also an example of Panera? superior intellectual capital. â€Å"Product development was focused on providing food that customers would crave and trust to be tasty. New menu items were developed in test kitchens and then introduced in a limited number of the bakery-cafes to determine customer response and verify that preparation and operating procedures resulted in product consistency and high quality standards. If successful, they were then rolled out system wide. † The research and development system was hard to copy because of the gradual learning curve and constant need for revision. Because every competitor was also engaged in tactics to improve product development, we conclude that this intellectual capital was only hard to copy in Panera? s specific product line. Because it was not generally hard to copy we do not conclude that it was competitively superior. Based on our analysis, we conclude that Panera? s product research and development was a resource capability and therefore strength, but it was not a competitive advantage because many competitors have the same resources. Panera? s financial position was an important resource. Panera had a low debt to equity ratio. In 1998 this strategy began with the sale of Au Bon Pain for 73 million in cash. This strategy was well served by the franchise system. â€Å"Panera did not finance franchisee construction or area development agreement payments or hold an equity interest in any of the franchise- operated bakery-cafes. † The franchise system allowed Panera to keep long term levels debt low. This allowed Panera to use cash reserves and or take on long term debt at lower costs when capital was necessary to seize opportunities. Panera? s financial position was a resource capability because it was hard to copy. The resource tended to last long because the franchise system kept debt low. It was not really competitively superior because other competitors could have had similar financial positions. Because this capability was hard to copy but it was not competitively superior, we conclude that it was a capability and there for strength, but not a competitive advantage because others may have a similar financial position. v. Value Chain: -Inbound Logistics The case does not provide enough information to comment on the inbound logistics that Panera has with suppliers. However, each franchisee purchased dough directly from Panera Bread. Panera had an interest in each of the franchised stores succeeding because the company received 4%-5% royalties from sales continually. This meant Panera as the supplier had an interest to keep prices of dough as low as possible to maintain viable franchise operations. -Operations Panera provided and required comprehensive front and back of house training, market analysis, and bakery-cafe certification. This corporate level tactic impacted the company? franchised and company owned stores by enabling Panera to develop systems used by all the cafes thus applying economies of scale to operations. Since each cafe-bakery did not have to develop its own operations structure this reduced costs for each store. In addition, the methods Panera introduced to each store had proven historically successful, thus increased the learning curve for a new cafe and lowered costs. Panera had a policy to not finance new franchisees, area development payment agreements, or hold any equity in the new cafes. This operational model resulted in minimal long-term debt and low capital intensity to expand the Panera brand. All the cafes offered an assortment of 20-plus varieties of bread baked daily and as of 2006 at least 22 types of sandwiches. Each of these breads and sandwiches were regularly reviewed to determine whether the products matched regular customer needs, new consumer trends, and seasonal relevance. The complexity of the product line enabled Panera to match menu items with a variety of customer needs. This process ensured that weak selling items would be removed limited excess inventory. Outbound logistics Each franchisee purchased dough directly from Panera Bread. Each dough making facility was able to produce dough for six bakeries. The fresh dough was sold to both companyowned and franchised bakery-cafes at a delivered cost not to exceed 27% of the retail value of the product. These costs margins were achieved by producing the dough at central locations employing economies o f scale. -Sales and Marketing Panera used focus groups to determine customer food and drink preferences, and price points. This work was done by only a few individuals at the corporate level and scaled to the rest of the cafes. The existing company and franchise owned cafes would be able to take advantage of this market information and reduce costs associated with sales and marketing information. The franchising model Panera used required the franchisee to pay 0. 7% of total sales to a national advertising fund and 0. 4 % of total sales as a marketing administration fee. Franchisees were also required to spend 2. 0 % of total sales on advertising in local markets. Panera contributed similar amounts of capital from the company owned stores. Requiring the franchise owned cafes to pay a significant portion of marketing costs allowed Panera Bread to lower the company? s capital contribution. -Research and Development New menu items were rolled out in limited cafes and developed in test kitchens prior to nationwide release. This process addressed two cost drivers. First, by employing economies of scale individual cafes will not have to spend resources and capital investing in the development of new menu items. Second, through the expertise of the advanced research and development department Panera ensured both quality of product and process. This resulted in less product waste and increased customer satisfaction and in turn lowered costs. -Integrated Value Chain Effect Panera Bread utilized both structural and executional cost drivers to lower costs on the value chain particularly in inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, sales and marketing, and research and development. The cost reduction across the value chain gave Panera a strong capability. vi. Assessment of Panera Bread Company’s Financial Performance and Capabilities: Panera Bread Company showed growth in its profitability from 2002 to 2006, but there were no industry standards presented to compare the numbers in relation to the industry and individual competitors. Panera Bread Company stated a desired growth rate of 17% each year, and the sustainable growth rates from 2003 to 2006 were all above this desired rate (See Financial Ratios Section), but the internal growth rates were slightly lower for these years (See Financial Ratios Sections). For the most part, Panera Bread Company showed consistent results for the profitability financial ratios calculated. Therefore the company maintained management? s objectives and values each year. Panera? s ability to maintain cash reserves allowed the company to expand and open new cafes while maintaining management? s goal of not taking on large amounts of long-term debt. Panera Bread Company showed increased revenues as the number of cafes increased, which shows company growth (See Financial Trend Graphs Section). Also, Panera? current ratio was 1. 16 in 2006, which shows the company was able to satisfy all current obligations from operating activities without the need for long-term financing. Since Panera strives to decrease long-term debt, the cash reserves could be used for expansion without the need to restrict assets for future obligations. The company presented low total debt and debt-toequity ratios which allowed the company to avoid overleveraging itself. This also left so me capacity for the company to take on long-term debt if deemed necessary during expansion. The company created a strong financial position for itself by having available cash reserves and diminishing the amount of long-term debt assumed. This created an opportunity for expansion. vii. Strategic Issues Panera Bread Company Faces: The strategic issues that Panera faced were as follows. Our first strategic issue was Panera? s potential to use its internal franchising capabilities to take advantage of the fact that the industry life cycle remained in its growth phase. The second strategic issue Panera faced was how to alter its existing promotion strategy in untapped markets in order to take advantage of the opportunity presented by customer? s willingness to try new restaurants. The third strategic issue was how Panera could use its internal capability to build loyal clientele to defend against the threat of low switching costs and low customer loyalty. The final strategic issue was how Panera could use its internal capability of advanced research and development skills to take advantage of the large number of buyers within the industry. iii. Management’s Values: Management valued the enthusiasm Panera Bread cafes showed for the quality and value of the products offered. The main example was in the company? s dough making capabilities. Panera believed that actions spoke louder than words, so the company needed to show the high quality of its food to the customers. Management believed that the â€Å"attractive menu and the dining ambience of its bakery-cafes provided significant growth opportunity, despite the fiercely competitive nature of the restaurant industry†. Management strived to become the dominant operator within the bakery-cafe segment as well as a leader in the specialty bread segment while making its brand name nationally recognized. Another key value within Panera? s management was maintaining a debt-free balance sheet. The ability to uphold this value came from the company? s franchising model because the franchisees financed the majority of the cafe building expenses. Management stressed the quality of the food and service offered and knew that all other goals, such as expansion, recognition, and holding a higher market share, would simply fall into place as a result. x. Organizational Culture: Panera Bread Company? s organizational culture began with the overall company and the dough-making facilities and spread out to the bakery cafes, whether company owned or franchised. Panera Bread Company was centered on its dough-making capabilities. The company guaranteed freshness and high quality in each dough it created. The dough was then passed to the cafes, where it was baked fresh and delivered to the customer. The quality controls within the company were maintained through the entire process to ensure that the customer would be pleased with his purchase. Quality was the basis for success, and quality was what the company relied on to generate loyal customers. Franchising was also a crucial aspect to Panera? s organizational culture because cafes were where the majority of customer contact occurred, and it was the basis for some of management? s values. Panera? s franchising model was extremely stringent, so only certain individuals were able to have cafes. There were eight criteria that had to be met in order to be considered, and a passion for fresh bread was one of them. Panera ensured that each franchisee had the capital and prior knowledge necessary to succeed. The stringent criteria and Panera? s site selection technology provided a strong basis for cafe success, which in turn led to a strong and satisfying organizational culture. Although Panera did not own the franchised cafes, the company dictated where supplies could be obtained to ensure quality. Panera also trained the franchisees so they could operate on their own successfully, but turn to the company for guidance when necessary. The open environment was helpful without it being too overbearing. The strength in the organizational culture was a contributing factor to Panera? success and continued growth. Appendices i. ii. iii. iv. v. SWOT Matrix Stakeholder Matrix Financial Ratios (See attached Excel file) Financial Trend Graphs Responses to Questions Not Answered in the Presentation i. SWOT Matrix STRENGTHS: -Strong and attainable growth strategy -Ability to build a loyal clientele -The business model -Franchising system ; site selection and proprietary software -Research and Develo pment ; Product Innovation -Financial position – lack of long term debt -81% of frequent and moderately frequent customers indicated a willingness to try Panera for multiple meal times WEAKNESSES: -Under utilized potential in promotion strategy -Frequent diners only come at one meal time per day -Only located regionally OPPORTUNITIES: -The industry life cycle is still in growth -Low cost substitutes viewed as lower quality ; value -Large number of small buyers in the industry (Lack of buyer bargaining power) -Buyers are characterized as likely to give new restaurants a try THREATS: -Low switching costs/low customer loyalty -Product is a discretionary purchase -Substitutes are convenient and lower priced -Wide breadth of competitive rivalry -Steep learning curve ii. Stakeholder Matrix Stakeholders Companies, Groups, And Individuals Type/Nature of the Relationship/ What We Do For Each of Them -A chain of cafes perceived as a neighborhood bakerycafe which can be found in various locations around the U. S. and quality is consistent in all locations Needs How We Satisfy Those Needs Customers -U. S. Consumers -A quality food option which is perceived as a good value -A pleasant dining experience with good service and a warm ambiance -By providing quality food in a casual setting that continued to bring customers in for the ambiance and the food -Creating food consumers crave and can trust at all locations Competitors -Independent single-unit establishments with fewer than 20 employees -Competed on a local level, as Panera desired to be seen as the local, neighborhood cafe and gathering place -Fast-casual restaurants -Competed on inviting dining environment, quality of food and enticing menus -Commercial eating institutions -Competed on price, service, ambiance, overall experience and convenience -Provide a successful franchising model to be pursued by highly -Preopening assistance with market -Provided market analysis and site selection assistance, lease review, Employees -Franchisees capitalized, experienced and passionate individuals analysis and site selection, training programs, leadership new store opening assistance, a comprehensive initial training program, and a program for hourly employees, benchmarking data regarding costs and profit margins, company developed marketing and advertising programs, neighborhood marketing assistance Shareholders -Owners of the 31,313 shares outstanding -The community of the regional markets of company and franchised cafes Provided a stable company to invest in -Do not pay dividends -provide a gathering place for locals and visitors and support the community the locations operate in -A food option and company that adds value to its product and the community at large -Panera sponsored local community charity events Community iv. Financial Trend Graphs: Net Income 70000 Net Income (Millions) 60000 50000 40000 30000 20000 10000 0 2002 2003 2004 Year 2005 2006 This figure shows the net income for Panera Bre ad Company from 2002-2006. It depicts a steady increase in net income each year. Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities Nat Cash Provided by Operating Activities (Millions) 120000 100000 80000 60000 40000 20000 0 2002 2003 2004 Year 2005 2006 This figure depicts the net cash provided by operating activities for Panera Bread Company from 2002 to 2006. It shows an increase over time, except from 2005 to 2006. Open Cafes 700 Number of Cafes Open 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Franchised Cafes Company Owned Cafes Year This figure shows the number of cafes opened at the end of each year. It depicts growth within the company. It also shows that franchise-owned cafes are more prevalent than company-owned ones, which shows success in the company? s franchising model. Store Revenues 2500 Store Revenues (millions) 2000 1500 1000 500 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 Year 2004 2005 2006 This graph shows a steady increase in revenues for each cafe over time. v. Responses to Questions Not Answered in the Presentation: Alterations to Opening Cafes in Untapped and Low Penetrated Markets Recommendation Our recommendation needed to be altered to provide a separate action plan from recommendation to pursue a more aggressive soft-sell promotion strategy. We altered this recommendation by moving Panera? s focus when opening new bakery-cafes using the superior franchising model to solely untapped markets. These untapped markets would allow for sufficient growth to achieve the desired 1:160,000 ratio. Alterations to the More Aggressive Soft-Sell Promotional Strategy Recommendation: Recommendation two needed to be altered from a marketing strategy to a purely promotional strategy. Panera needed to promote its quality menu by implementing the suggested promotional strategies in its bakery cafes. The purpose of the promotional campaign was to bring new customers into the cafes. This satisfied the opportunity within the industry that customers are prone to try newly opened eating establishments in their community. The campaign needed to be implemented in untapped and low-penetrated markets in order to develop brand awareness by attracting new patrons. Though it may help, it will not be as successful in the highly-penetrated markets because Panera is already an established company with high brand awareness and loyal customers. Alterations to Implementation of â€Å"Oven Fresh, To Go† Program Recommendation In response to your concerns regarding recommendation three, we agree that our implementation of â€Å"Oven Fresh, To Go† did not specifically address the low switching cost threat by rewarding return customers for their loyalty. To resolve this issue, we altered the implementation steps to include a punch card in the to-go packaging that would reward existing â€Å"Oven Fresh, To Go† customers for their loyalty and raze their switching costs with progressive discounts based on their level of return patronage. Alterations to Broaden Product Scope Recommendation During the presentation of the recommendations there was concern that recommendation 4 did not adequately address the goal of increasing market share. The primary concern was that offering an expanded dinner menu after 430 pm would not be incentive enough to overcome factors of image, location, and substitutes for Panera to obtain a relevant increase in market share. To bolster the strength of our recommendation and overcome the aforementioned hurdles to success we have amended our recommendation to include the addition of beer and wine at select Panera locations. A Panera site will qualify for alcohol consideration if the area demographics and local legal and regulatory environment are ideal. Selected locations will participate in wine-tasting and other events to engage the surrounding community. The combination of new menu items and select sites serving alcohol will create a new and lively experience for dining at Panera.