A Local Restaurant and Western Restaurant

When trying to decide where to dine, either at a local restaurant or at a western restaurant, patrons should consider several aspects that concern these dining places. Some of these aspects include the food selection, the service provided and the ambience of each restaurant. When we talk about the food selection, both the restaurant must have a variety of menus as this is one that captured the quality required to be on every restaurant. However, as we all know, Malaysian people are of different race.So, usually, we can find three types of food at local restaurant such as nasi lemak of Malay cuisine, Chinese cuisine such as Char Kway Teow and Indian cuisine like roti canai. For western restaurant, although their foods recently are influence by the local food but its main foods are usually steak, chicken chop and spaghetti. Besides that, the western restaurants usually are sequential in serving their foods which are the appetizer, main course and desserts.On the other hand, the local r estaurant is only having the main course and only some of the local restaurants provide dessert like cendol or ais kacang. Secondly, when going to restaurant, we usually are comparing the service of the restaurant with the others. So, when comparing local restaurant with western restaurant, western restaurant will give a good impression to us. Western restaurants usually employ more waiter and waitress that are trained well whereas the waiter and waitress of local restaurant are usually shorthanded and we even can find some of them act rude to the customers.Due to more number of waiters, the food service for western restaurant is better than local restaurant where we can experience of waiting for so long for our foods at local restaurant. Furthermore, the waiters of western are usually standardized with their own uniform as the badge for the restaurant while local restaurant’s waiters are not provided with uniform by the restaurant. As the conclusion, we can say that western restaurant give more efficient service than the local restaurant.Another difference between western restaurant and local restaurant is the ambience. Both western and local restaurant will provide a place with relaxed and soothing environment to the customers so that they will feel comfortable to dine. However, western restaurant have quiet ambience with soft music sets whereas the local restaurant is a bit noisy and usually not included with musical set instead some are included by a karaoke set. Furthermore, western restaurants are designed with modern and creative high class decorative ffects to attract attention and impress the customers. In contrast, local restaurants are simply decorated, but have so many atmospheres which are compatible with its modest budget. However, both are design and decorate well so that the customers can look around and find a new item and experience if they have to wait. Thus, to decide whether to dine at a local restaurant or western restaurant, facto rs such as the food selection, ambience of the restaurant and the service provided should be taken into consideration.

Video Case – Supply Chain Management at Regal Marine

VIDEO CASE: SUPPLY-CHAIN MANAGEMENT AT REGAL MARINE 1. What other techniques might Regal Marine use to improve supply chain management? Answer: The other techniques might Regal Marine uses to improve supply change management are as follows: * Allowing the supplier to become part of the company coalition. Specialization – utilizing the efficiency and knowledge of persons specializing in supply chain management * Virtual company – relying on a variety of supplier relationships to ensure the product is produced on time and within the demands of the customers * Using the latest computer and transmission technologies to schedule and manage the shipment of parts in and finished products out, would help to increase the efficiency of the company. 2. What kind of response might members of the supply chain expect from Regal Marine in response to their â€Å"partnering† in the supply chain?Answer: Regal Marine expects continuous innovation and high quality performance to en sure that the final goods and services reach customer satisfaction. The members of the supply chain expect that the expectations of Regal Marine transfer into a chain of suppliers that focuses on maximizing value and quality. They can expect loyalty from Regal, and the suppliers can gain prestige by representing the high-quality products which Regal Marine produces, which can result in profit margins.Suppliers can also largely benefit from economies of scale and learning curves, reducing the production cost. 3. Why is supply chain management important to Regal Marine? Answer: Supply chain management is about integration of activities that procure materials and services and transform them into the final product of the company. Supply-chain management enables Regal Marine to compete in a multibillion-dollar industry, and helps it to differentiate its products from competitors (e. g. rocure materials and services, transforming them into intermediate goods and final products, and delive ring the final products through a distribution system). As Regal Marine spends a large portion of its revenue on purchases, supply-chain management provides the company with the opportunity to work on closer long-term strategic relationship with key suppliers. Supply-chain management allows Regal Marine to increase its competitiveness via product customization, high quality, cost reduction and speed to market.Therefore, as a result, Regal Marine has been able to reduce costs while improving quality, responsiveness and innovation. Thus, its effective and efficient supply-chain management enables Regal Marine to differentiate its products through quality, innovation, unique features, up-to-date technology and responsiveness. Regal Marine’s innovative approach to supply-chain management not only benefits the company but the end user as well.

Corporate Culture and Corporate Identity Case Study

Corporate Culture and Corporate Identity - Case Study Example Also, corporate structure is an accessory for inducing the aligned motivation as well as emotions which are often interpreted by corporate identity or firm allegiance. According to Koch and Godden, a number of advocated of management's termination have suggested that the organizations are evolving from an outmoded bureaucratic appearance (Koch and Godden, 1996). Like Tajfeel suggested, Hold ups for the corporate culture hypothesis appears to be facilitated by the experimentations that implement a minimal group paradigm (Tajfeel, 1970: 98). Despite of this, there are some artificial ways of unscrambling one commune of participants from another to be sufficient enough of inducing in-group preferences and extrinsic prejudices. The emotional as well as recognized associations and knots of corporate culture appear to be much authoritative than those which are entirely a result of the labels. As a consequence of such bonding, the members of other organization would generally do what they construe as the agreed-upon job of the corporation. As a matter of fact, this pays no attention to the requirement of coordinating behavior to some restraints, however, can bestow formal rules unnecessarily. With appropriate consideration to the Corporate Identity of a particular firm, one comes across the agency intricacies. In Holmstrom and Tirole's view-point, even though the principal-agent hypothesis presumes without the payment of incentives, many scholars prove the contrary, although, there is enough space for opportunists (Holmstrom and Tirole, 1989). In point of fact, the principal-agent investigations delineate that the trust of principals as well as the cooperation of the agents by working and not neglecting, can prove to be as efficacious as or even more efficacious than the schemes in association with the incentives. Nevertheless, it transforms with experience. With appropriate significance, the principal-agent hypothesis aches from a critical drawback in the negligence of hiring competition for its silhouette. The intend for this study is to analyze as well as determine the factors associated with the corporate culture and corporate identity with regards to the hotel industry with meticulous orientation towards the Hotel Restaurant Erbprinz in Ettingen, Germany. The aspects that are associated with Corporate Identity as well as Corporate Culture can be efficaciously determined through the insight of the members of this organization, keeping in mind the restrained scope of the analysis, albeit a detailed study can be brought in to existence by making an assessment with the customers. Erbprinz Restaurant is a part of the Hotel Erbprinz in the

Significant Others and Art Partnerships Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Significant Others and Art Partnerships - Essay Example However, Diego Rivera’s work would be more open and fantastic while Frida Kahlos was more intimate and personal in scale. According to Herrera (1993, p.208), their ways to deal with fine art takes after male and female stereotypes that prevailed in most parts of the world, particularly in Mexico. Interestingly, Kahlos and Diegos perspective of each others piece of work demonstrated a strong bond between the two artists. Both Diego and Frida accepted the fact that their need to paint was an unconstrained desire with a biological point of view. For example, Diego tirelessly encouraged his wife to continue creating artwork despite the numerous surgical operations that never healed her legs and back due to an accident. In similar fashion, Frida thought that her husband was the greatest artist in the entire world. In fact, she used to refer to him as "the architect of life" (Herrera, 1993, p.209). Furthermore, Frida’s engagement with her husband intensified her political ideologies. Before his suspension, Diego was a member of the Mexican Communist Party and played a significant role in the politics of Mexico. Although Frida’s work never portrayed any political messages, her complex Mexicanism prompted the utilization of prehispanic and popular sources of art in Mexico. Several artists and intellectuals who embraced the native Mexican culture admired the couple’s artwork. Without any doubt, Diego’s artwork composed of prehispanic sculptures and numerous ex-votos (Herrera, p.211). In spite of the fact that Diego Rivera had an accomplishment as a cubist painter in Europe, his artwork significantly changed throughout his career. Both the Mexican and Russian revolutions, government overthrows which took place in 1914 and 1917 respectively, strongly influenced

Business Strategy of Tesco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7000 words

Business Strategy of Tesco - Essay Example Whereas the mission of the firm is the business where the company wants to operate and the customer base the firm will serve. These are the foundation stone of the company according to which the company implement its different strategies. Tesco’s vision statement is: ‘We talk about Every Little Helps a lot, but it's not just a catchphrase or marketing slogan, it represents everything we stand for. For our people and our customers, it's how we run our businesses from China to Chorley’ (Our vision and values, 2009). Core competence is the competitive advantages that a company posses to differentiate itself from the competitors which gives them an extra edge to be the market leader. These services or products should be: valuable, rare, imperfectly imitable and not strategically substitutable (Hitt, Ireland, Hoskisson, 2009, p. 18). The core value of Tesco is to take care of the customers. Earning lifetime loyalty of the customer and to create value for the customer i s their only value (Nwagbara, 2011, p.62). The company believes that no one in the industry tries as harder as they do to reach to the customers (Polytechnic Institute of New York University, 2011, p. 1). Being responsible to the community and the society in which they operate they always try to maintain good neighbourhood and always try to be a responsible member in the society. The brand image for its great quality products with diversified product line is the core competencies for the firm. Tesco’s Mission statement is single phrases which says it all and lets the world know the reason for their presence in the market: ‘Creating value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty’ (Mission statement for Tesco PLC, 2011). b) Stakeholder Analysis The sustainable... Center of discussion in this paper is Tesco as the global merchandise and grocery retail company. In respect of profit Tesco is considered to be the second largest retailer after Wal-Mart and by revenue it is the third largest after Wal-Mart and Carrefour. Tesco have its presence in over 14 countries including Asia, North America and also at Europe. Tesco headquarter is located at Hertfordshire and is the leading grocery market leader at UK capturing 30 % of the total market share. Apart from the core business areas the company is also located at Ireland, Malaysia and Thailand. Worldwide Tesco operates in over 2318 stores with 1878 stores located at UK only. With the success of self-service store of grocery Tesco was born from the amalgamation of Cohen and T.E. Stockwell. After a strong start the company stated expanding its business ranging from small retail stores to large supermarkets. With the diversification in household goods the brand became very popular in the mind of the peo ple. Tesco then entered into the petrol stations for selling fuels at a very competitive price and then also expanded into banking, financial services and products. The sustainable growth and well governed business policies of Tesco gives the belief to the investors to get a competitive return of their investments and their shareholdings. The main reason behind gaining the trust of the shareholders is due to the transparency in the company operation and they expect the implementation of robust strategies by the company in every business processes for the long term growth of the organization along with the shareholders.

The Main Difference between Aristotles Account of Virtue and Socrates Essay

The Main Difference between Aristotles Account of Virtue and Socrates Account of Virtue - Essay Example This is because it identifies happiness as an activity of the soul which goes together with virtue. Aristotle argues that if what individuals do is the source of happiness then, happiness must identify with activity which goes with virtue. Socrates argued that being virtuous was very much related with increasing individual’s happiness. The controversy between the two is that according to Aristotle happiness should always go in accordance with virtue. On the same note, according to Socrates virtue does not necessarily need to be highly related with happiness. Aristotle attempts to criticize Socrates for his emphasis on Socratic definitions. Aristotle does not completely agree with the argument by Socrates that knowledge is important in as far as virtue is concerned. He thinks that even if there is need for knowledge it is easily attainable as suggested by Irwin (158). Aristotle also draws the analogy between acquiring knowledge and acquiring virtue. He argues that both are gain ed through repeating similar actions. Socrates argues that a virtuous soul should also be well ordered. He also argues that power of knowledge of right and the wrong is the advantage of virtue. This is because the knowledge of the two is important to crafts of measurement. ... He also argues that knowledge of the truth is not very important as one can act accidentally or be directed by someone else. Aristotle explains that virtuous actions are objective and are performed by a virtuous agent. Aristotle is in disagreement with Socrates concerning the nature of vice and ethical value as suggested by Segvic and Burnyeat (78). According to Aristotle for an action to be considered virtuous there must be an agreement with the non-rational desires. The agreement should be for reason to express the actions are supposed to be pursued. Contrary to this, according to Socrates there is no need for prior agreement by non-rational desires concerning the setting of the ends. Therefore Socrates considers that the condition necessary for an agent to attain moral knowledge is through disciplining his or her appetites and passions. The also need to be in a harmonious condition. Aristotle fails to agree with Socrates about non-rational desires lead to errors. Socrates is of th e view that strong non-rational desires results to reason making wrong judgment about what is really good. On his account of, virtue Aristotle disagrees with Socrates denying the possibility of incontinence. Socrates argues that only ignorance of what is good and wrong lies behind apparent incontinence. Contrary to this, Aristotle asserts that Socrates argument conflicts appearances he Aristotle’s perception of incontinence seems to be puzzling and their interpretation is therefore controversial. Aristotle seems to argue that incontinent individual makes the right decision. This is because he or she is moved to action by non-rational appetite that conflicts with the decisions he or she has made. The individual acts on the appetite because its strong as opposed

Alternative energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Alternative energy - Essay Example The use of solar panels requires the use of the appropriate strategy, which will ensure that solar power is properly utilized (Black and Flarend 1-29). This paper seeks to explore the best strategy for the use of solar panels. More specifically, the paper strives to answer the question: what is the best strategy for use of solar panels? In addressing the essay question, the paper will explore the best strategy that can be employed to ensure the effective use of solar panels. The Best Strategy for Use of Solar Panels Solar panels play a crucial role in generating energy in homes. Many people living in sunny areas find it easy to use solar panels in creating energy at their homes. Solar panels are used to tap energy from the sun that can provide light during the night for lighting. Solar revolution has dramatically increased use of solar panels. Most people prefer to use solar panels in harnessing energy from the sun since they provide and readily available sources of energy. The energ y collected from the sun on a bright and sunny day can be collected through solar panels and converted to usable forms (Hantula 4-24). One of the best strategies for the use solar panels includes providing subsidies to those who wish to purchase solar panels. Governments should employ this strategy by providing tax incentives, policies that favour the user, and liberal imports of solar panels. Micro-financing can also act as one of the best strategies in order to ensure that people acquire solar systems in rural areas. The strategy aimed at cutting down the costs of solar panels is crucial as it will enhance widespread use of solar power, which emanates from solar energy. The strategy for the use of solar panels should focus on the benefits that come along with the use sola power. People should be encouraged to purchase solar panels since they utilize readily available resources such as the sun. Solar panels act as safe ways of harnessing energy since they can be used during the nig ht; moreover, they can be used for many purposes such as refrigeration, powering computers, as well as charging cell phones (Black and Flarend 1-29). The strategy for the use solar panels should also focus on the use of solar panels in remote areas. This is because solar panels can provide the best solution to the energy problems in remote rural areas where it is not possible to install electricity. The strategy for the use of solar panels should also focus on reducing the prices of the gadgets used together with solar panels. As such, the prices of batteries, charge controllers, and inverters should be subsidized in order to enable many people use solar panels in their homes. The other strategy for the use of solar panels includes the use of power purchase agreements to finance the purchase of solar panels. Such an agreement is crucial since it helps in the generation of funds that can be utilized in the purchase of solar panels. As a result, there will be widespread and effective use of solar energy that is harnessed through solar panels. Power purchase agreements are vital since they help in ensuring that there is immense growth in solar installations. As a result, many people purchase solar panels and adopt their use in their day to day activities (Hantula 4-24). The strategy for the use of solar panels should also embrace multiple uses of land. In order to maximize and reap maximum benefits from the use of solar

Early Graphic Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Early Graphic Design - Essay Example Social Factors – the rise of the Industrial Revolution with the invention of the steam engine in many ways brought about disruptive changes to society, in which the previous agricultural or feudal system gave way to industrialisation due to a new economic system of capitalism. It gave rise to urban slums where family members were separated, an exploitation of labour and the rise of a new wealthy class of capitalists, in addition to landed aristocracy and royalty. Economic Factors – capitalism is enhanced by the new economic system of industrialisation, in which goods were mass produced for consumption, unlike the previous production system of individually-crafted products made by skilled artisans and their guilds. The sheer number of new products on the market required a new way of marketing these products to people and one way to distinguish one product from another is the use of graphic design to entice buyers.The mass production of goods caused the birth of graphic d esign as a form of advertisement, but this kind of new art was considered a poor imitation of the earlier Gothic style of designs. The Gothic or medieval style was more detailed and thought to be real works of art borne out of the dedicated and loving work of artisans who produce these art works for only few people but not for the mass market. The Gothic style, according to Pugin, represented religion and it was also considered to be English, in contrast to the classical style which he thought as pagan and worldly.

Washington Mutual Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Washington Mutual - Essay Example The conditions are analyzed in the paper and some recommendations have been suggested to improve the performance of the company and thereby determine their accountability. Washington Mutual Inc. is a Seattle based consumer and small business banking company operating in the markets of the United States. It is a savings and loan holding company with two banking subsidiaries namely Washington Mutual Bank (WMB) and Washington Mutual Bank fsb (WMBfsb), as well as numerous non-bank subsidiaries. The Washington Mutual is one of the largest savings and loan associations in the United States. The main business operations of the company include retail banking network of 2,257 stores in California, Florida, Texas, New York, Washington, Illinois, Oregon, New Jersey, Georgia, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, Idaho and Connecticut; card services operating throughout the country with credit card lending business; the commercial operations conducting multi-family and commercial real estate lending business in selected markets and the home loans group, which engages in nationwide single-family residential real estate lending, servicing and capital markets activities (Mouawad, 2007). It is the sole survivor as a major Seattle based bank after the overwhelming trend of merger in the country between 1980 and 1990 which ended the independence of Rainier Bank, Seafirst Bank and Peoples National Bank among others. The Washington Mutual has taken up aggressive business strategies to expand its business. It went on to acquire a huge number of financial and banking institutions since 1930 and rapidly increased its assets to become a giant in banking and finance sector. It showed great performance in customer service since its foundation as a savior of the economy of Seattle after the great fire destruction. It pioneered facilities like cash machine networks and telephone banking for customer satisfaction. The home loan sector of the

Failure Analysis Change Strategy Essay Example for Free

Failure Analysis Change Strategy Essay Team â€Å"A† reveals the circumstances regarding the failure analysis of an hotelier and how a CEO leads an organizational change processes to prevent an impending failure of the company. To counterbalance the hotelier business failure analysis, the team discusses the success analysis of Apple Inc. The team identifies each organization’s mission and vision statements with a behavioral theory explanation discussing the success and failure indicators. Research focuses on which specific organizational behavior theories could possibly explain the company’s failure or success, bureaucrat’s roles, and organizational structure and culture. Leading organizational change identifies the most vital areas for change, potential barriers in the changing process, addressing political and power issues, and steps implementing the organizational using the John Kotter’s 8-step plan. Business Failure Analysis Apple’s Mission statement Apple does not clearly define a mission statement. According to Farfan (2014), â€Å"Apple ends their press releases with a statement that resembles what a traditional mission states is expected to be†¦Apple commits to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings† (The Mission Statement, Global Vision, and Values of Apple, Inc.). Vision. Tim Cook, current CEO of Apple, does not have a simple vision for the company. During a 2009 interview, Cook mentions several values behind the company leading the vision Cook expects; â€Å"We believe that we are on the face of the earth to make great products and that’s not changing, we are constantly focusing on innovating and we believe in the simple, not the complex† (Hull 2012, para. 5). Apple’s Success. Apple’s approach to success bases itself on a  redesign by t he former CEO in 1997, Steve Jobs. Jobs partners with several organizations such as Microsoft and CompUSA forming a strategic alliance with Apple products. According to Finkle and Mallin (2010), Steve Jobs states â€Å"the reason why his companies have become so successful is because they hire the very best people in the world to work for them; his business savvy, negotiation skills, and propensity to take risks enable him to transform technology into companies that flourish† (p. 38). Apple’s leadership style is a major contribution in the company’s success. Charismatic, inspiring, flexible, receptive and free spirit describe former CEO Steve Job’s; constantly challenging employees and influencing a team environment where individuals can voice ideas (Toma and Marinescu, 2013). Apple’s Successful Behavioral Theories. Two behavioral theories contributing to Apples success during Steve Jobs tenure are the top-down creative process and situational â€Å"Zen like† transformational leadership style Job’s runs the organization with. Eliminating layers of bureaucracy enables Apple to conform in a transitioning global market possessing pioneering the technology into new markets. Top-Down Management. During Steve Jobs tenure at Apple, the company incorporates a strong top-down creative process eliminating bureaucracy. This enables information to go directly to Jobs and then filters to sub-teams as specific assignments for completion (Robbins Judge, 2013, p. 506). This process eliminates a top-heavy culture of management increasing product to market response time. Organizational behavior theories mirror the subject matter with which they deal, and people are complex and complicated (Yukl, 2013, p. 15). Situational Leadership. Jobs address the market with a leadership style conforming to market demands. Eliminating a traditional culture of managers within Apple enables Jobs to manage Apple directly and effectively on a global scale. The situational leadership style works for Job’s as the passion toward the company, consumers, and operations are thought of on a global scale. on a cross functional global scale enables the company to adapt to needs and demands on a global scal e. Apple’s Organizational Leadership. Apples role of leadership during the Steve Jobs era concentrates on simplification; taking responsibilities end to end; when behind, leapfrog; put products before profit; dont be a slave to focus  groups; bend reality; impute; push before perfection; know both the big picture and the details; tolerate only A players; engage face to face; combine the humanities with the sciences; and stay hungry and foolish (Isaccson, 2012). Management. Apples managers posses extensive knowledge about the services and products competitors are providing for the market. This ability enables the organization to formulate new ideas raising the bar for their competitors; Apple takes innovation to a new level. Managers and leadership both seek new ideas taking technology into completely new areas. This in conjunction with a completely lean management approach contributes to extraordinary productivity at Apple (Sullivan, 2011). Organizational Structure. Apples organizational structure is simple. There are no committees at Apple, general management is frowned upon, and only one person, the chief financial officer, has a responsibility for costs and expenses that lead to profits and losses (Lashinsky, 2011). Culture. The culture at Apple is very informal and demanding from employees. Rather than a work/life balance many organizations proudly emphasize, Apple makes it clear throughout the organization that it seeks committing, extremely hard-working individuals. An example here on the company website proudly states: This isnt your cushy corporate nine to fiver (Apple, 2014). This reinforcement repeats itself throughout the website instilling a demand for a culture to share an obsession getting every last detail right. Leave your neckties, bring your ideas (Apple, 2014). Innkeepers USA Trust Objectives and Mission Since its bankruptcy and other acquisitions, Innkeepers USA Trust objectives and mission possess no clear definition. Innkeepers USA Trust was widely known as one of leading owners of extended-stay and upscale hotel properties across the United States. In reference to O a real estate investment trust (REIT), Innkeepers USA Trust owns interest in several hotels in many states. The organization’s focal point at one time is to acquire, develop, rebrand, and reposition hotel properties. This organization’s general purpose, prior to failing, is to acquire and develop real estate investments increasing shareholder profit. Behavior theory predicting Innkeepers, USA Failure The companys failures are a result of cutbacks on both business and consumer levels. With decreasing travel, increasing fuel costs, rising energy expense, an abundance of new hotels entering the market, and over $1 billion in debt, Innkeepers USA was forced to file bankruptcy (McCarty Kary, 2010). Preventing the failure of Innkeepers USA Let’s look at some of the vital areas needing change at Innkeepers USA. As property values fall and business dry up during the recession, Innkeeper USA cannot meet financial obligations paying down loans (Aquino, 2011). The organization must restructure and work its way out of bankruptcy. Evolving technology, world cultures, and property employee support need attention in order for the company to be successful. Through the use of evolving technology, the company creates the Hilton performance Advantage system. This system includes a global online service for customers and property owners. Specific customer service sites address every company location throughout the world and staff with employees who are fluent in their native languages. A global e-commerce team and revenue management consolidation center allows property managers to seek guidance from staff specializing in specified sales management and revenue topics. These teams assist with research, strategies, and managemen t needs for individual property owners. Barriers to Change Technology education is one of the largest challenges. The organization organizational strategies to grow the company back to a profitability and sustainability state. As a result of the recession, most organizations decrease and terminate employee travel to minimize expenses. As a result, opportunities for online growth increase reaching customers on a global scale. Cultural issues need attention. Employees fluent in many languages are made available to assist customers in these cultures improving customer care. Each individual property needs evaluations to assess the needs of the demographics; properties cannot be cookie cutter designs. Employee support services create a cultural balance in the company. Educational support is on line; anytime, anywhere a company employee can receive the guidance they seek without waiting. This results from the installation of newer technologies. Power and Political Issues As Innkeepers USA Trust struggles with decreasing room revenue, debt burdens, and liquidity constraints, the real estate investment trust finds itself with power and political issues. Two perspectives of power issues in this organization are the finite and infinite perspective of power. The finite perspective of power is the competitive spirit of an organization that spurs productivity and focuses on winning. Through its competition and power perspective, the organization will ultimately diminish returns; in which Innkeepers USA Trust finds itself in this power struggle by oversupplying new hotels while room revenues are stagnate. Understanding Innkeepers USA Trust power and political struggles, issues require the infinite perspective of power and expert power. An infinite perspective of power seeks to understand that winning or losing is not the main issue. The purpose of an infinite power is to sustain. To sustain Innkeepers USA Trust, Learning Team A suggests acorporate strategy a pproach basing this on skill and knowledge. An example is Apples previous CEO, Steve Jobs. Job’s possess expert power. Job’s first hand involvement with many of Apple’s innovations creates a dependency the company relies on propelling innovation. According to Robbins Judge (2013), expert power is one of the most effective bases of power to influence a company and is positively related to employees satisfaction (p. 416). Implementing Change To successfully implement change within Innkeepers USA Trust, Learning Team A suggests following Dr. John Kotters eight-step process. According to Kotters process, a majority of organizations fail because they do not take a holistic approach that is required to see the change (Robbins Judge, 2013, p.586). The team will establish a sense of urgency creating a compelling reason as to the change, form a powerful coalition leading change, create a new vision to direct change, plan for, create, and reward short term wins that move the organization toward the new vision, reinforce the change by demonstrating the relationships between new behaviors and organizational success (Robbins Judge, 2013, p.586). Conclusion In conclusion, there are many factors in consideration when developing and maintaining a successful organization. It’s important to develop a strategy to meet organizational goals. Looking at the success and failures of existing organizations is an invaluable strategy in developing and maintaining organizational victory. Team â€Å"A† reveals the circumstances regarding the failure analysis of an hotelier and how a CEO leads an organizational change processes to prevent an impending failure of the company, which specific organizational behavior theories could possibly explain the company’s failure or success, and the organizational change identifying the most vital areas for change with recommendations from John Kotter’s 8-step plan. References Aquino, J. (2011).15 Companies that died in the past year: Business Insider, Retrieved June 24, 2014, from http://www.businessinsider.com/15-companies-that-tanked-2011-3?op=1#ixzz35z4L2CQt Farfan, B. (2014). Apple Inc. mission statement is not very innovative and barely a mission at all. Retrieved from http://retailindustry.about.com/od/retailbestpractices/ig/Company-Mission-Statements/Apple-IncMission-Statement.htm Finkle, T. A., Mallin, M. L. (2010). Steve Jobss and Apple Inc. Journal of the International Academy of Case Studies, 16(7), 31-40. Hull, P. (2012). Be visionary. Think big. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickhull/2012/12/19/be-visionary-think-big/ Issacson. W. (2012). The Real Leadership Lessons of Steve Jobss. Retrieved from: hrb.org/2012/04/the-real-leadership-lessons-of-steve-Jobss/-The Real Leadership Lessons of Steve Jobss Harvard Business Review Lashinsky. A. (2011). How Apple Works: Inside the worlds biggest startup. Retrieved from: fortune.com/201/08/25/how-apple-works-inside-the-worlds-biggest-startup-2/-How Apple works: Inside the worlds biggest startup McCarty. D. Kary. T. (2010). Apollo Investments Inkeepers USA Trust Files for Bankruptcy in New York. Retrieved June 29, 2014 from: www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-19/inkeepers-usa-apollo-investment-unit-files-for-bankruptcy-in-new-york.html Robbins, S. R. Judge, T. A. (2013). Organizational behavior (15th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Sullivan. J. (2011). Talent Management Lessons from Apple: A Case Study of the worlds most valuable firm. Retrieved from: www.ere.net/2011/09/12/talent-management-lessons-from-apple-a-case-study-of-the-worlds-most-valuable-firm-part-1-of-3/ Toma, S., Ph D., Marinescu, P., Ph D. (2013). Steve Jobss and modern leadership. Manager, (17), 260-269. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1518528902?accountid=35812 Worlds most admired companies. (2011). Retrieved from http://fortune.com/worlds-most-admired-companies/apple-1/ Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in organizations (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson /Prentice Hall. Retrieved from: https://newclassroom3.phoenix.edu/Classroom/#/om3.phoenix.edu/Classroom/#/contextid/ (LDR/531)/ context/ cdg/ vie w/activityDetails/activity/270c6ef7-2f01-4c47-8c71-5ba7a9d19509/ expanded/False

Jean Baudrillards Disneyworld Company Theory Analysis

Jean Baudrillards Disneyworld Company Theory Analysis In his essay Disneyworld Company (1996), Jean Baudrillard suggests that we are living within an immediate synchronism of all the places and all the periods in a single a-temporal virtuality. Please explain this statement, referencing at least two contemporary digital examples. In his statement ‘an immediate synchronism of all the places and all the periods in a single a-temporal virtuality‘, Baudrillard is addressing the gap between what we can see as the known and the experienced (Baudrillard, 1996). It is in this sense that Baudrillard is writing against the notion of human nature and revealing only experience as the real and knowledge as merely the imagined. It is due to this gap that Baudrillard is then able to show that virtuality has begun to replace our real perceptions. To understand this in full we must investigate his and other philosopher’s thoughts regarding the digital age in greater detail. Informed primarily by the role that intelligence and sensual perception plays as it is applied to experience and knowledge, Baudrillard looked at the role of subjectivity as it related to both the objective and the phenomenological world. Beginning his enquiry into humanity and reality and its relationship to the world, Baudrillard focused upon the condition of the free world and its growing technologies with an emphasis that its Medias had placed upon commercialisation, imagery and art consumption. Baudrillard spoke of the new emphasis on the philosophy of self fulfilment suggesting that, ‘Through planned motivation we find ourselves in an era where advertising takes over the moral responsibility for all of society and replaces a puritan morality with a hedonistic morality of pure satisfaction, like a new state of nature at the heart of hyper civilisation’ (Baudrillard, 1968, p.3) After prescribing this current philosophical and moral reality that he believed informed the condition for humanity in the west, Baudrillard then turned to a notion of subject / object consciousness in an attempt to define a link between our knowledge and our experience. Detailing a consumer-able condition that pertained very strongly to post modern, capitalist living, Baudrillard concluded that the relationship between the subject and object now formed the living consciousness of an abstracted life between what he/she identifies with and what is signified in the actual consummation of any chosen object, such as an image, by stating that, ‘We can see that what is consumed are not objects but the relation itself signified and absent, included and excluded at the same time it is the idea of the relation that is consumed in the series of objects which manifests it.’ (Baudrillard, 1967, p.11) What Baudrillard does here is implement the idea of a simulated code acting as our knowledge, rather like that of a robot with artificial intelligence, that works by replacing the old humanised ideological frameworks that once informed society and acted as the gel between experience and knowledge / subject and object. These driving forces once born of experience communicated through culture and language in the forms of social exchange and communal ideology were seen by Baudrillard as being the premise of the image. In this we see that Baudrillard is showing how this simulated code informs a new humanity, devoid of natural origin, that does not live out a life according to cultural meaning that is supported by a communal language, but instead acts out an imagined life that can be understood and identified by its relationship to the values apparent within the code or what Bakhtin called the ‘relationship of the other’ essentially, placing life itself as a simulated relati onship to a tructural code of knowledge. (Bakhtin, 1993). Writing on the subsequent implications of this reality that he defined as hyper-reality and documenting the cultural shift that supported the change from registering external behaviour of a subject as an indication of a subjective response to the recognition of the other as an objective image of simulated experience, Baudrillard suggested that, ‘A whole imagery based on contact, a sensory mimicry and a tactile mysticism, basically ecology in its entirety, comes to be grafted on to this universe of operational simulation, multi-stimulation and multi response. This incessant test of successful adaptation is naturalised by assimilating it to animal mimicry. , and even to the Indians with their innate sense of ecology tropisms, mimicry, and empathy: the ecological evangelism of open systems, with positive or negative feedback, will be engulfed in this breach, with an ideology of regulation with information that is only an avatar, in accordance of a more flexible patter.’ (Baudrillard, 1976, p.9) With this we can see that all cultures have become divorced from a natural reality born of experience and that the ideas of a structured culture have become replaced by a gap that is filled with the virtual. In this sense, life, according to Baudrillard, is one of virtual imagery that is then rationalised against a simulated code rather than an intrinsic relationship with nature. Essentially, this ideological code acting as virtual knowledge informs us of linear time and space and so distorts our experience of life and existence. The virtual imagery presented to us via global technology and media, such as the internet, then reinforces our application to this reality and gives us our user identity that replaces the old systems devised of actual or phenomenological reality. Scepticism towards global medias, technologies and the growing dependency that humanity and society had begun placing upon the cultural apparatus of the globe was put forward by Marxist philosopher Seigfried Kracaue rs in his concerns about the mass consumption of art. This indicated that reality of the working masses was hidden under the illusion (or virtuality) of mass produced, distributed and unrelated art (Kracauer, 1963). Expanding upon the ideas of mass consumption and art put forward by Kracauer, contemporary Walter Benjamin introduced the notion of time and space to this idea. Focusing upon the history of technological progression and its relationship to art and social reality, Benjamin suggested that, ‘Even the most perfect reproduction of a work of art is lacking in one element its presence in time and space, its unique existence as the place where it happens to be. This unique existence of the work of art determined the history to which it was subject throughout the time of existence. This includes the charges which it may have suffered in physical condition over the years as well as the various changes of its ownerships. The traces of the first can be revealed only by chemical or physical analysis which it is impossible to perform on a reproduction; changes of ownership are subject to a tradition which must be traced from the situation of the original’ (Benjamin, 1935, p.1) Bringing the role of time and space into the capitalist reproduction of art, Benjamin was able to expand upon Kracauer’s notion that this art was resistant to nature, the individual, the nation and the community. What Benjamin was then able to suggest was that firstly, any one piece of culture belongs to the mass production of art that determines it, and that secondly, every cultural artefact cannot stand free of the time and space in which it was presented as without its mass, it has no meaning or cultural apparatus from which it can be signified or understood (Benjamin, 1935). We can see from this that both Kracauer and Benjamin devised a rationale that applied to the placing of the ideological and virtual conceptual framework within the technological reality of global production. More contemporary thinkers and writers that have concerned themselves with this role of global media and their advancing technologies in the current global condition, hae often supported these view s providing evidence for the onus placed upon imagery in the process. For instance, in his text War and Peace in the Global Village writer Marshall McLuhan commented directly upon the growing dependency of western cultures mass media technologies. The global village mentioned in the title referred to the relationship between the people of the global cities and the mass culture that they consumed and were informed by. In particular, this text observed the actual impact that new technologies such as television and news had on cultural perception and indicated how it affected the perception of time within that perception, suggesting that it was being used to artificially construct a regional global identity based upon a virtual history and world based upon linear time and imagined geographies. For instance, information readily received from actual and real events in the world made the concept of a world and its state of being a direct part of one’s own naturalised condtion and e xperience. Essentially, as this mass of information could be freely accessed by anyone among the global village at any time, then the information could be seen as a virtual universalising reality. Furthermore, using an example of contemporary war coverage, McLuhan was able to demonstrate a clear biasness that was present in the then contemporary manipulation of mass technologies so that invading troops could be portrayed as ‘military contractors‘. He termed this as ’dichotomization’, which would offer two points of view both pertaining to the culture / counter culture of the presiding mass (McLuhan, 1963). This is the gap between knowledge and experience that Baudrillard was referring to, in which he believed synchronisation could flood the space now rendered free of actual time and actual space and portray the virtual as the real. Although we can see that both Kracauer and Benjamin’s theories of mass reproduction and McLuhan’s findings on the perceptions of technological medias are still relevant and apply to the presentation of the global world that we now find ourselves deeply immersed in, other theorists have offered another approach, implying that Kracauer and Benjamin’s theories contained a fatalistic scepticism that was born of the early twentieth century western modernist perspective. For instance, concerned with the notion of technological expansion, mass culture and the effects of globalisation, contemporary cultural theorist Homi Bhabha engaged in a global perspective that aimed to critique the notion of mass reproduction and its over riding condition. Considering Kracauer and Benjamin’s conceptual analysis of the reproduction of the mass and observing the colonial effects placed upon other cultures, Bhabha positioned this dimension in the conemporary sense by emphasising that it also formed a part of the dichotomy of the mass. Having placed their theory of mass reproduction as one of global scepticism, that was bound by the cultural historicity of their western heritage as is represented by Baudrillard’s positioning of Disney Land as a producer of virtuality within the contemporary age, Bhabha then suggested a third way approach that stood outside of the virtual mass and could observe it organically, either as individual or as a community. Having positioned Kracauer and Benjamin’s theories as part of the dichotomy of the mass, Bhabha was then able to indicate that the essence of a true global perspective was born of organic community that could be found somewhere outside of the global mass; somewhere away from the ‘imaginary’ virtual debates of global inter-national territories and free of their dependencies upon linear and grand concepts of history and time elase (Bhabha, 1994). He suggested that the location of this else where was within the unbound psychology of the individual and not in the construct of their ideological positioning within the virtual time and space created by global media, technology and information. Engaging with Benjamin’s notion of time and space in this cultural reproduction, Bhabha reasoned that, ‘The temporality of negotiation or translation has two main advantages. First, it acknowledges the historical connectedness between the subject and object of critique so that there can be no simplistic, essentialist opposition between ideological misrecognition and revolutionary truth. The progressive reading is crucially determined by the adversarial or agonistic situation itself; it is effective because it uses the subversive, messy mask of camouflage and does not come like a pure avenging angel speaking the truth of a radical historicity and pure oppositionality. If one is aware of this heterogeneous emergence (not origin) of radical critique, then and this is my second point function of theory within the political process becomes double edged. It makes us aware that our political references and priorities the people, the community, class struggle, anti-racism, gender difference the assertion of an anti-imperialist, black or thir perspective are not there in some primord ial, naturalistic sense. They make sense [only] when they come to be constructed in the discourses of feminism, Marxism.’ (Bhabha, 1994, p.23) It is from this idea of mass, global communication and its accessible depictions of regionalism and linear time that Baudrillard states that there is a synchronism. This synchronism is understood by Baudrillard as the thing that is manipulated by Disneyland to enforce and reinforce an idea of what is real and what is not that as part of the process negates the actual experience of the object itself. Essentially for Baudrillard, through image Disneyland is set within an ideological and conceptual framework reinforced by mass imagery and perceived as being real rather than being virtual. Through the mass image, the reality of Disneyland appears to us as real as it accords to the simulated code that acts and has replaced our naturalised and cultured knowledge structures, without the real experience itself being captured within an experiential temporality. Therefore, it is through the ideology of image that we view the notion of Disneyland as being fixed and constant and not in a transie nt state of natural and ultural change as pertains to objects of the organic or civilised worlds. Essentially, it is through a display of established imagery that Disneyland can synchronise all the places and all the periods of the virtually known globe, and its many cultures, in a single a-temporal virtuality and replace any reality in the process. Bibliography Bakhtin, M., (1993) Toward a Philosophy of the Act. Ed. Vadim Liapunov and Michael Holquist. Trans. Vadim Liapunov. Austin: University of Texas Press Baudrillard, J., (1968) The System of Objects Taken from: The Order of Simulacra (1993) London: Sage. Baudrillard, J., (1976) Symbolic Exchange and Death Taken from: The Order of Simulacra (1993) London: Sage. Benjamin, W., (1935) The Work of Art in the Mechanical Age of Reproduction London: Harcourt. Bhabha, H., (1994) The Location of Culture New York: Routledge Kracauer, S., (1963) The Mass Ornament London: Harvard University Press. McLuhan, M., (1968) War and Peace in the Global Village Washington: Washington Post. Web Links Baudrillard, J., (1996) Disneyworld Company Paris: Liberation. Taken from: www.ctheory.net/articles.aspx?id=158 Jean Baudrillard

Time and Change in Poetry Essay -- Robert Herrick Thomas Hood Poems Es

Time and Change in Poetry Comparing and discussing two poems written by two different people in two different times on the subject of time and change. Time and Change I will be comparing and discussing two poems written by two different people in two different times on the subject of time and change. The subject time and change is part of our everyday lives and it affects our behaviour and attitudes. The first poem I will be studying is â€Å"To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time† which I will refer to as poem 1 and is by Robert Herrick in the 16th Century. The title of the poem makes the reader think that it has a sexually orientated meaning to it. The second poem is â€Å"I Remember, I Remember†, which I will be referring to as poem 2 and is by Thomas Hood in the 18th Century. The title of this poem suggests to the reader that it is a personal poem based on the poets own life experiences. Both poems talk about time and change in different ways. Poem 1 is written to instruct young people what to do with their time and poem 2 is written in first person narrative and talks about how different life is. Both poems encourage you to read them and put the same message across to enjoy what you have while it lasts. I think the time and change topic is very important and by studying and analysing each poem carefully, you can see a new perspective on life. A theme is something that you can find throughout a poem, play, book etc. It lets the reader/audience know what it is about and lets you understand the meaning of the piece more clearly. The themes of the two poems look at the concept of the changes between being youthful to growing old and discuss how time passes quickly in your life. They both convey natur... ...It is always instructing young people what to do with their time and how to spend it, as well as a instructive advice. I feel the poem repeats its message too many times but this helps to put the point of the poem across more strongly for people to underrstand what it is about. I think both poems put the point of time and change across strongly in their own, unique way and it helps people to understand what the actual subject matter means and is trying to demonstrate. The poems are written well and both discuss how ageing affects you. Poem 2 make sme think of my childhood and my most precious memories whereas poem 1 makes me think of my future and what could happen. Both poems have the impact to make you think of the past, present and future and lets you know that all three are different and its down to you as to what you do with your life and time.

The Psychological Impact of War and Peacekeeping Essay -- Psychologica

Comparing ‘Suspicious Minds at Risk? The Role of Meaning in Processing War, Peacekeeping Experiences’ and ‘Nationalism, Internationalism, and Perceived UN Irrelevance: Mediators of Relationships between Authoritarianism and Support for Military Aggression as Part of the War on Terror’ and How Many Casualties Are Too Many? Proportional Reasoning in the Valuation of Military and Civilian Lives War is one of the unfortunate constants of human history, fought for various reasons. One has to wonder how much human beings can dehumanize the enemy, or their own soldiers with simple propaganda. How much distress and suspicion can lead to soldiers having a hard to readjusting to normal life? How easy it is to see one’s own country as the ultimate moral good, and all means to show it are legitimate, and anyone who speaks out is irrelevant? There are studies over this, but one wonder how well were they done, and how they compare to each other. The journal, ‘Suspicious Minds at Risk? The Role of Meaning in Processing War and Peacekeeping Experiences’, wanted to see correlation of age, meaning as comprehensibility, perceived threat, personal significance, intrusion/avoidance with quality of life.(Shok et al. 2011) They hypothesized that age and perceived threat has a positive correlation with meaning as comprehensibility and meaning as personal significance and that both of these in turn had positive correlation with quality of life and a negative correlation with intrusion/avoidance. Perceived threat was also hypothesized to have a positive correlation with intrusion/avoidance, which had a negative correlation with quality of life. (Shok et al. 2011) It was a cross sectional correlational study, who used Dutch veterans who had been ... ...ers experiencing war and their state mind prior to it. Works Cited Friedrich, J., & Dood, T. L. (2009). How Many Casualties Are Too Many? Proportional Reasoning in the Valuation of Military and Civilian Lives. Journal Of Applied Social Psychology, 39(11), 2541-2569. doi:10.1111/j.1559-1816.2009.00537.x Crowson, H. (2009). Nationalism, Internationalism, and Perceived UN Irrelevanc Mediators of Relationships Between Authoritarianism and Support for Military Aggression as Part of the War on Terror. Journal Of Applied Social Psychology, 39(5), 1137-1162. doi:10.1111/j.1559-1816.2009.00475.x Schok, M. L., Kleber, R. J., Lensvelt-Mulders, G. M., Elands, M., & Weerts, J. (2011). Suspicious Minds at Risk? The Role of Meaning in Processing War and Peacekeeping Experiences. Journal Of Applied Social Psychology, 41(1), 61-81. doi:10.1111/j.1559 1816.2010.00702.x

History of Computers: Microsoft Windows :: Computers Software Technology Essays

History of Computers: Microsoft Windows Every time I turn on my Dell computer the screen pops up that says loading Windows XP software. My roommate turns on her computer and it says the same thing, as with most people on my floor. Today this seems to be the trend with most computers no matter what brand of hardware. This was not always the case though, Windows software is actually a fairly new technology that has grown much over the years and continues to develop and change even today. I wouldn know where I would be without my Windows software, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. This software is important in so many lives and companies today that it would be hard to imagine a time without it. Windows software was not always as popular as it is today. It took a lot of work to develop this complex software. Let start by taking a brief look back on the major software before Windows, to fully understand why Microsoft Windows gradually became a total hit. Before Microsoft Windows there was MS-DOS. MS-DOS was a highly complicated operating system that often frustrated its users and was difficult to learn. Interaction with the operating system was by command line interference. Every command had to be typed in exactly right and the system was case sensitive (Campbell-Kelly 264). If anything was incorrect in the command line, then the whole command had to be retyped (264). Not only did this prove to be frustrating, but once you got the hang of this type of command typing, you would go use another program and the command set would be totally different. There were not standard interference commands and therefore every company made theirs different (265). With the hope of inventing something better than MS-DOS, in 1985 Windows 1.0 was finally released after a preemptive marketing announcement three years earlier (Rojas 828). Windows 1.0 was not well received and was no where near the capabilities of the Macintosh software which offered clear graphics and fonts. Windows 1.0 still had many of the same type of problems encountered with MS-DOS (History of Microsoft Windows).

Nutrition Final Paper Essay

Question 1 (3 pts): Clients will often approach the RD, bewildered as to how to select, plan, and prepare a healthy diet for themselves or their families. Using yourself as an example, discuss the six basic principles of diet planning and how they apply to your dietary intake. Answer 1: Preparing and eating health meals for me and my family can be difficult with our busy schedule, but it starts with a plan. Using the 6 principles of diet planning I start with adequacy. I accomplish this by writing out a grocery list of all the things my family will need for the week. I also shop weekly because we prefer fresh fruit and vegetables. Next, I make sure we have an even balance of foods. I write out meal plans for the week to make sure my family has an even items of food and also a variety of foods. This can be very challenging with young picky kids, because my son would just eat fruit and oatmeal all day long if I let him. Variety is really hard in the Parker home because of the limited food choices do to my husband intolerance to red meats and dairy products. I also struggle because my favorite food list consists of about 10 different kinds of foods. We don’t really have problems with the nutrient density because we only eat lean proteins such as fish, turkey, and chicken. My husband cannot tolerate fatty food so we don’t fry, and we enjoy a fixed variety of fruits and vegetables. I do not pay attention to calorie content unless it is a prepackaged food you heat up or add water to, but I do make sure what I’m putting into my families bodies is enough to keep them going for the day. Moderation is the last of the principles and a big one in my house. When cooking we do not add extra salt for taste nor do we consume foods with high trans fat, saturated fat,or cholesterol. Water is also the most consumed beverage. Soda has no home in my pantry, but we do elect for juices that are not made from concentrate. Question 2 (2 pts): Discuss the key recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 and differentiate these guidelines from the Canadian Guidelines for Healthy Eating. Do you have a preference as to which one you would use with clients? Answer 2: The dietary guidelines for Americans in 2010 have 4 main points. Starting with balancing calories to manage weight. With in this section it talks about how to maintain calorie control,intake,and balance. Also, is talks about physical activity and keeping active to maintain a healthy weight. In the Canadian guidelines it has in own section for keeping active and doing it in accordance to your body weight, but it really doesn’t touch on calorie balance or intake. Next, the American guidelines touches on foods to reduce from your diet. Focuses limiting sodium, saturated, mono and poly saturated,cholesterol ,trans fats,added sugars,refined grains,and alcohol. Whereas Canadian guidelines really just focus a lot on salt intake, alcohol, and caffeine. Next American guidelines talks about food to increase. Included in this list is fruits, vegetables, fat free dairy, lean proteins, seafood, and foods that have more vitamins within them. The Canadian guidelines emphasis consuming a variety of complex carbs and foods from the earth. Also, incorporating low fat dairy products as part of a daly routine. Although, both will guide the average person to a healthier lifestyle I would refer my clients to the American guidelines because it goes in to more depth of how to live healthier. Question 3 (3 pts): MyPyramid is a popular graphic source for nutrition information. In fact, it is so popular that it has been duplicated as a graphic for exercise information, vegetarian diets, etc. Given its popularity, it would appear that MyPyramid is the best pictorial to teach consumers nutritional information. Would you agree or disagree? Why? After you have stated your own personal argument, consider the other perspective and discuss why someone would take this perspective. Answer 3: I believe MyPyramid is a great way to teach consumers nutritional information, but I disagree that’s it is the best way. The people who need these guidelines the most are most likely ones who do not take the time to get on the Internet and use the tools that MyPyramid has to offer. I don’t think it properly educates people on the right food choices in each group. Education on nutrient density is a lacking component when using MyPyramid. I also believe that the MyPyramid is lacking in teaching balance of healthy foods. It seems like they stress certain foods more than others and thus creating unhealthy habits for individuals not properly understanding their nutrition needs. Question 4 (3 pts) : Food manufacturing and technology continue to grow in sophistication. While one can certainly debate about the pros and cons of such growth, there is no doubt that consumers are often confused about the different labels given to the different types of processed foods! (a) In a few sentences, describe each of the following: fortified, refined, enriched, whole grain, and textured vegetable protein. (b) What are your thoughts on how these types of foods fit into the diet of the American consumer? Question 4 a) Refined foods are highly processed that have been stripped of their original nutrient content such as white flour and white pasta. Enriched foods add vitamins and minerals to replace the ones lost in the refining process. Fortified foods add vitamins and nutrients in addition to the ones found before the refining process. Question 5 (3 pts): To fully gain command of their dietary intake, consumers should know how to read food labels. Many find reading food labels very confusing. Why do you personally believe that consumers find food labels hard to read? Describe how you, if you were an RD, would educate your client on reading a food label. What do you think would be your priority point of education for your client? Question 6 (5 pts): As noted in your readings, describing a vegetarian diet is somewhat like describing a typical American diet; there are many varieties. Please describe the types of vegetarian diets one might come into contact with and provide a short synopsis on the food plan that would be followed. Question 7 (3 pts): Discuss the rationale why consumers/clients select to pursue a vegetarian dietary plan as well as the health benefits of following a vegetarian diet. Question 8 (3 pts): Discuss nutrients that an RD should be careful to assess for and discuss with a client pursuing a vegetarian program to ensure that their dietary plan allows for sufficient quantities of that nutrient.

Is There a Valid Test of Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory? Essay

Department of Behaviour in Organisations, University of Lancaster; on study ieavefrom the Department of Psychology, University of Melbourne There are several ways of stating Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation and each version can be tested in various ways. Those who defend the theory argue that researchers who fail to find support for the theory have usually departed from the procedures used by Herzberg. There have been variations in methods of gathering data, categorizing the responses, and analysing the results. These variations may be justified on the grounds that the strength of any theory lies in its logic and in its ability to withstand deviations from a set method. Some tests of Herzberg’s theory are more likely to produce support than others. This was confirmed in a study of London bus crews. However it can be argued that there is more than one valid test of Herzberg’s two-factor theory, though some of these are likely to produce contradictory res ults. The Herzberg theory, or two-factor theory of motivation or Motivator-Hygiene (M-H) theory, has given rise to a mass of investigations and experiments in industry and in many different types of organizations. Results do not always support Herzberg; in fact, only about one in three do so. Donald Hebb once said that when it is a question of survival, theories are like women—fecundity is more important than purity. M-H theory has certainly been very fertile—more so perhaps than any other theory in applied social psychology. Many industrial psychologists have not only survived but indeed thrived on the theory. The fecundity of the theory is not in doubt but its purity certainly is highly suspect. WHAT IS THE THEORY? The theory is in two parts, each of which can be stated in several ways. Part 1 says that job factors can be separated into two quite distinct sets: the first set consists of factors which contribute to job satisfaction and rarely if at all to job dissatisfaction; these factors are called ‘Motivators’. The second set consists of job factors which contribute to job  dissatisfaction and rarely if at all to job satisfaction; these are the ‘Hygienes’. Consequently job satisfaction and dissatisfaction are separate dimensions and not the two ends of a single dimension. This is a flat contradiction of the traditional view in psychology that satisfaction and dissatisfaction constitute a single dimension. The first difficulty with the theory in practice is that the data usually include a proportion of responses which do not fit this pattern. Some Motivators contribute to dissatisfaction while some Hygienes contribute to satisfaction. Within-factors reversals are far from rare and sometimes outnumber responses in the expected direction. These incongruent responses are attributed to sampling error, which of course is begging the question—rejecting inconvenient data in order to save the theory. The analysis then takes the form of a relative comparison—for Motivators we   predict more satisfaction than dissatisfaction, and for Hygienes we predict more dissatisfaction than satisfaction and test for significance accordingly. What investigators fail to point out is that in doing this they are really reformulating the theory to fit their facts. The revised theory now says, in effect, that Motivators contribute more to satisfaction than to dissatisfaction while Hygienes contribute more to dissatisfaction than satisfaction. This is reasonable but it makes nonsense of the claim that satisfaction and dissatisfaction are separate dimensions. In fact it supports the traditional view of the single continuum; different job factors produce ranges of satisfaction-dissatisfaction which are to be found at different positions on the same continuum. Part 2 of the theory is also in two parts. First: paying more attention to Motivators (intrinsic job satisfaction or higher order needs) will increase satisfaction but will not affect any dissatisfaction with the job; or, alternatively, improving Motivators will improve organizational efficiency as shown by higher productivity, better quality, better attendance and punctuality, lower labour turnover†¦ in short, by improved performance. Second: paying more  attention to Hygiene factors (extrinsic job satisfaction or lower order needs) will decrease dissatisfaction but will not increase overall satisfaction; or alternatively, there will be no improvement in performance—on the contrary, taking costs into account there will be a lowered organizational efficiency because improving Hygienes will cost the organization more money. Notice that for each part of Part 2, i.e. as regards both Motivators and Hygienes, there are alternative predictions. Increase of satisfaction or decrease of dissatisfaction are both theoretically trivial extensions of Part 1 of the theory; trivial in that they say no more than is already contained in that model. To be fair to the M-H practitioners they do not rest their case on this alternative; they are concerned only with the effects on performance and organizational efficiency. Job satisfaction is either a by-product or a step towards better efficiency. This may tell us something about the value system in which they operate but it in no way detracts from the validity of this method of testing their theory. One problem must now be faced. Does Part 2 of the theory depend on Part 1? According to House & Wigdor (1967, p.385) if the satisfaction-dissatisfaction dichotomy is false then Part 2 is ‘highly suspect’. I would argue that if Part 1 is false then Part 2 is irrelevant or must be argued on other grounds. If and only if Part 1 is true, then Part 2 can be tested using the concepts established by Part 1. Another serious difficulty for testing the validity of the theory is the fact that both parts stand on two legs. In Part 1, one leg identifies Motivators while the other identifies Hygienes; in Part 2 one leg predicts the effects of increasing the potency of Motivators while the other leg deals with changes in Hygienes. Does the theory claim that each part can stand on one leg at a time? If one investigator confirms the Motivator leg but not the Hygiene leg, does Part 1 of the theory stand or fall? And if another investigator follows with the opposite result, confirming Hygienes but not Motivators, does this increase or diminish our confidence in the theory? Similarly for Part 2 of the theory. In any case, testing the effect of putting more weight on the Motivators is a dubious procedure if this is the only change. The effects are not really surprising. The relative ineffectiveness of spending resources on Hygienes, which is what the theory also predicts, may surprise industrial welfare advocates but not cynical managers. In general terms, statements describing the theory are superficially similar and do not differ greatly from the way set out above. For instance: Whitsett & Winslow (1967, p.393) in explaining M-H theory say ‘dissatisfaction and those factors that contribute to dissatisfaction are separate and distinct from those factors that contribute to satisfaction. Satisfaction is not opposite from dissatisfaction for they operate on separate continua†¦ This is different from traditional thinking†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ As regards Part 2, House & Wigdor (1967, p.371) say ‘The second major hypothesis of the dual-factor theory of motivation is that the satisfiers are effective in motivating the individual to superior performance and effort, but the dissatisfiers are not’. Later they add (p.373) ‘If the dual-factor theory were correct, we should expect highly satisfied people to be highly motivated and to produce more’ which as they point out does not square with the evid ence. But though general statements are similar, precise statements, if made at all, are usually inconsistent or at variance with each other. Sometimes there is no argument—an author assumes that his understanding of the theory is the same as that of others. Or the research design indicates an underlying interpretation of the theory which may be similar to or quite different from that of another study which the author is supporting or refuting; but authors seem to be unaware of this. Arguments about what the theory says may be unspoken and have to be inferred. However, sometimes interpretations of the theory are set out in a way that makes possible comparisons with other interpretations. For example. House & Wigdor (1967) include a rank order of importance for the Motivators and for the Hygienes as part of the theory. This reflects the infiuence of Maslow upon Herzberg and may be a reasonable interpretation of Herzberg’s intention. On the whole it seems an unnecessary refinement that makes for extra complications when testing validity. Whitsett & Winslow (1967) accuse Burke (1966) of ‘A unique misinterpretation of the M-H theory . . . since M-H theory makes no claim that there should be  any fixed order of importance among either motivator or hygiene factors’ (p.41O). As it happens Burke makes no such claim either. Is overall job satisfaction part of the theory? Not according to Whitsett & Winslow (1967) who say: ‘One of the most common and persistent misinterpretations of the Motivation-Hygiene (M-H) theory is the attempt to use measures of overall job satisfaction to make statements purporting to be derived from the theory. The theory does not, and purposely does not, make statements about overall job satisfaction’ (p.395). In stating that job attitudes must be looked at twice (p.396) they are emphasizing Herzberg’s procedure of conducting separate sets of interviews for good critical incidents at work (revealing satisfaction and hence Motivators) and for bad critical incidents (revealing dissatisfaction and hence Hygienes). Perhaps the most systematic attempt to sort out what the theory really says was made by King (1970) who identified five distinct versions of Part 1 of the theory. Some versions are stronger than others because they entail them. King is not always sure that Herzberg was aware of these versions or which of them Herzberg was claiming to support. King classifies the evidence according to whether it is irrelevant or relevant to these theories, and then subdivides the relevant studies into those which support and those which refute any of thesefivetheories. Table 1 sets out King’s five distinct versions of Herzberg’s two-factor theory.

Fiction essay thesis and outline Essay

â€Å"The Lottery,† written by Shirley Jackson and â€Å"The Rocking Horse Winner,† written by D.H. Lawrence both use the stories settings in contradicting ways in order to present the seriousness of the stories. Jackson used the setting as a way to sidetrack the readers while Lawrence used the setting to  construct the story. Setting is an important piece in any story and is extremely true in the two short stories that are about to be shared. In â€Å"The Lottery†, the setting is used by Jackson in an effort to distract that reader. By distracting the reader by using beautiful memory visuals, the author is able to formulate an ironic ending to the story. The setting is illustrated to be warm, bright, happy and peaceful. Some readers may suggest that the scene is pleasant and in a certain way, suspenseful. The author described the day to be â€Å"clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day.† (Jackson p.250) Jackson used the specific description in hopes to create a harmonious, calm and amiable scene for the readers. This calming mental picture of the atmosphere made the readers believe that the story will have a happy ending. The characters also played a role in throwing off the horrific ending. Throughout the story, the character all remained calm and happy. As the readers continue to read the story, they soon realize the truth about what is truly about to happen. This deceives the idea of a perfect ending. The portrayal of the buildings, town and the lottery box all added to the setting that throws readers off track of the gruesome reality of what is going to happen. In â€Å"The Rocking Horse Winner†, written by Lawrence, the setting is the center of the short story. Lawrence also used real life places throughout the world and London to help create the setting in short story. The author also used real life events and hobbies to help the reader really feel involved in the story and not feel the need to try very hard to mentally visualize the setting. Lawrence outlines the characters struggles to constantly be competing with the neighbors. The in-depth description that Lawrence uses of the house and gardens paint a picture of the conflicts of income and actual lifestyle. The mood and environment fit well with this story setting. There is not a lot needed from the author to paint the scenery. Since a lot of readers have personal experiences with horses, the readers are able to read and understand without much thought. As soon as a reader can relate to an event, the little details are not needed to pull the reader into the story. There is one similarity and a few differences in these two short stories. The one and only similarity of these two short stories is that in both of these short stories, the settings are reasonable, realistic and convincing. The settings in both stories are either real locations or places that have a huge possibility of existing. In difference, Jackson used the setting to distract the audience from the gruesome, shocking and horrific ritual of stoning that was about to take place. The readers were all swayed from this reality until the end of the story. Contradicting, Lawrence incorporated the setting into the story and used vivid descriptions to allow the readers to add their own memories. Lawrence created the setting in an effort to draw the readers in as the story unfolded. In conclusion, although both stories had a similarity, they both used the setting in different ways. Shirley used the setting to distract the readers while Lawrence used the setting as the main focal point in the story. Both stories surely provided the readers with firsthand examples on how important the setting can be in a story and how it can have a huge impact on the readers perception. â€Å"The Lottery,† written by Shirley Jackson and â€Å"The Rocking Horse Winner,† written by D.H. Lawrence both use the stories settings in contradicting ways in order to present the seriousness of the stories. Jackson used the setting as a way to sidetrack the readers while Lawrence used the setting to construct the story. Works Cited: → Kennedy, X. J, and Gioia, Dana,eds.. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing, Compact Interactive Edition. 7th ed. New Jersey: Upper Saddle River, 2013 →Jackson, Shirley. â€Å"The Lottery†. 250-256. →Lawrence, D.H. â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner†. 234-244

Grapvine Communication

INTRODUCTION Grapevine communication is the informal communication network within an organization. Grapevine is used to spread information bypassing the formal communication structure. Just like the grapevine plant: it spreads in random ways and it goes where it can. It is formed by individuals and groups in an organization. The people in the groups have something in common that links them together. A person can belong to one or more groups. A grapevine communication is a form of informal communication by which people communicates each other without any formal line of communication.It’s called Grapevine because like that of a grape vine it’s impossible to find the origin of information which results in spread of rumours. Grapevine communication is a form of informal business communication, which develops within an organization. It means gossip, usually gossip that spreads and covers a lot of ground (a lot of people), much like vines do. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT At first we desir e to express our deepest sense of gratitude of almighty Allah. We are thankful to our University (Leading University, Sylhet) and the respective authorities for providing us an opportunity to take our BBA program.With profound regard we gratefully acknowledge our respected course teacher Md. Shamimul Islam for his generous help and day to day suggestion during preparation of the assignment. He is so much an inspiration and guidance to us that we are, short of words in expression our gratitude. We like to give thanks especially to our friends and many individuals, for their enthusiastic encouragements and help during the preparation of this assignment by sharing ideas regarding this subject and for their assistance in typing and proof reading this manuscript.And finally, we thank to all of our group members as they all were serious and prolific towards making this assignment. Once more time to Sir, we owe more than we can mention†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦mostly for teaching us to see the silver lining in every hard work. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY We have prepared this assignment to know about the grapevine, it’s positive and negative impact. Actually what the grapevine is and what are the impact of grapevine in any organization. We mainly tried to find out whether grapevine is helpful or it is harmful for the organization’s progress. METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDYIn this assignment we have collected different information from both primary and secondary sources of information. We collected different data from different books but mainly by browsing internet (secondary source). We paid more attention to secondary source to collect updated information. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY In this assignment we tried to find the effect of grapevine in the organization but didn’t get enough information on this topic. Because of the scarcity of information from primary sources we have to depend on secondary sources. DESCRIPTION OF THE TOPIC DefinitionIn the word of Keith Davis, à ¢â‚¬Å"Grapevine is basically a channel of horizontal communication, for its only people working at the same level of hierarchy who can informally communicate with one another with perfect ease. † Formal vs. Informal Channels of Communication Every organization has a formal communication system. This formal system provides information regarding the organization to the employees through different media. The formal network, made up of memos, reports, staff-meetings, department meetings, conferences, company newsletters, official notices, is highly documented and as such has very little chance for change.However, nearly all of the information within the grapevine is undocumented and is thereby open to change and interpretation as it moves through the network. â€Å"The informal organization is less permanent and less stable because its leaders and patterns of action change readily. † This occurs because of the dependency of the network on personalities, whereas the formal n etwork is set up through structured policies nondependent on individuals. The grapevine is flexible and personal and can spread information faster than the formal communication channels.The grapevine is also capable of penetrating even the tightest security because it cuts across organizational lines and deals directly with people in the know. Bosses who chose not to pay attention to the grapevine have 50% less credible information than those who do. It exists because of excessive structuring of formal work flows and the excessive channeling of information flows. It is fed by personal apprehension, wish fulfillment, retaliation, and gossip. Surprisingly, most researchers have found that most grapevine information is either true or has within it a kernel of truth.How Accurate is the Grapevine Allport and Postman's research indicated that â€Å"most rumors start as a report of an actual episode – that is to say, with someone's perceptual experience of an event which he deems o f sufficient interest and importance to communicate to others. Once this central theme, the actual episode, has been accepted there is a tendency to distort subsequent news or events in order to make them consistent with the central theme. However, Keith Davis reports from his research â€Å"that in normal business situations between 75 percent and 95 percent of grapevine information is correct. In general people tend to think the grapevine is less accurate than it is because its errors tend to be more dramatic and consequently are more impressed on one's memory than its day-to-day routine accuracy. In a normal work situation, upwards of 80% of the information that comes over the grapevine is accurate. While the day-to-day accuracy may be good, people believe the grapevine is less accurate because the times it is wrong are more dramatic. A communication may be 90% correct in details but that last 10% is often the most important part of the message.Messages from the grapevine are of ten lacking in all the details so that the message is subject to misinterpretation; while the grapevine generally carries the truth it seldom carries the whole truth. An interesting note about the informal communications network is that an estimated 80% of grapevine information is oriented toward the individual while 20% concerns the company. Allport and Postman discuss, in their book, the changes that occur as a rumor passes along the grapevine. The central theme may be resistant to change, however crucial details necessary for understanding the true situation keep being deleted.At the same time the most dramatic details keep being exaggerated each time the rumor is repeated. So as the rumor moves along it begins to appear as some sort of shrinking missile as it keeps getting shorter and more pointed in flight. This may sound very simple, however we should remember that â€Å"the grapevine is fast-paced and generally moves, free of organizational restraints, by word of mouth. â₠¬  Factors Affecting Grapevine's Operation Several additional factors affect the operation of the grapevine. (1) In wartime, the conditions for rumor are optimal.Military events are of the greatest importance. (2) The greater the homogeneity of the organization, the better the grapevine will operate. (3) Rumors prosper best where formal communication is poor. They thrive in an environment where employees are not kept informed about anything that may be important to them. (4) They perform best in informal social contacts but can operate as effectively as a sideline to official meetings. In a poorly managed organization they can chip away at morale and fuel anxiety, conflict, and misunderstanding. 5) People start and spread rumors to enhance their status, fill gaps in social conversations, and avoid suspense over suspected events. This activity increases during times of stress, uncertainty, and in the absence of news. Frederick Koenig, a sociologist who studies rumors, believes that people listen to and pass a rumor because it satisfies some need. This is why the nature of people involved is important. Different people have different needs and rumors†¦ a) may circulate because they are interesting or a source of diversion.The valve can be the content of the message or the state of the group. b) can pull together events and fill in the gaps to make sense and provide explanations for what is going on. c) can validate and support a point of view d) reconcile one's psychological state with what one sees as actually going on. e) are a means of getting attention. f) are a way of manipulating situations. The idea of some person or group deliberately starting a rumor to serve selfish ends is frequently suggested. Types of Grapevine Rumors can be divided into four categories.The categories are- 1. Wish fulfillment rumors 2. Bogey rumor 3. Wedge drivers rumors 4. Home stretchers rumors Wish fulfillment rumor These express the wishes and hopes of those who circulate rumors and these are the most positive and they help to stimulate the creativity of others. often solutions to work problems are a result of employees verbally expressing desire for changes. These improvements sometimes result in increased efficiency for certain departments within the organization. Even though the tone is positive they still represent employee concerns. Bogey rumorBogey rumor comes from employees' fears and anxieties causing general uneasiness among employees such as during budget crunch. In this case, employees will verbally express their fears to others. These rumors are sometimes damaging, such as a rumor about possible lay-offs, and need a formal rebuttal from management. Wedge Drivers rumor Wedge Drivers divide groups and destroy loyalties. They are motivated by aggression or even hatred. They are divisive and very negative rumors. They tend to be demeaning to a company or individual and can cause damage to the reputation of others.A wedge driver rumor may be s omeone at x Company saying that v Company serves worms in their hamburgers; or in another context, a school-age child telling friends that another child has AIDS, or some other tale, like â€Å"Louise, the office manager, was seen the other day alone with that young new accountant. They were in a car together leaving Motel Six. † or one may spread the word that â€Å"Mary got the promotion because she is sleeping with the boss. † Women are more likely to be attacked with the sexual gossip. Home stretchers rumorThese are anticipatory rumors. These rumors occur after employees have been waiting a long time for an announcement. There may be just one final thing necessary to complete the puzzle and this in effect enhances the ambiguity of the situation. Now we will look at how the message is spread and those who participate. How is the message spread Within the organization communication chains exist. The chain used by formal communication may be very rigid, following the chain of command or authority. However, the chain used by the grapevine tends to be very flexible.Four different chains/structures appear to dominate the grapevine network according to Keith Davis are: 1. Single Strand Chain 2. Gossip Chain 3. Probability Chain 4. Cluster Chain Single Strand Chain This is a simple concept to follow, A tells B, who tells C, who tells D and so on. Each person passes the information on to the next person. The longer the strand the more distortion and filtering affects the information being passed until the last person in the chain may find the information unrecognizable from the original message. Most inaccuracies occur in this chain. Gossip ChainIn this illustration A simply tells everyone with whom they come in contact. This pattern is considered to be somewhat slow in moving the information. Probability Chain In this case A makes random contact with say F and C and passes on the information. They in turn randomly contact others in accordance with la ws of probability. Some hear the information and some don't. In this structure, there is no definite pattern of communication. Information is randomly passed along to anyone willing to listen. They type of person who communicates in this manner might be a very outgoing and talkative type of individual.Cluster Chain Here A tells contacts, B and F, who may work with A. They may tell two or three other persons with whom they usually have close contact. Most predominant pattern is the cluster pattern. Selectivity is the basis for this pattern. In any organization, individuals will generally feel more comfortable with some fellow employees than with others and therefore only relay information to those in their informal social groups. This flow pattern results in information missing some individuals completely. Roles of the ParticipantsIn addition to identifying certain structured patterns, research has also given us some other facts and descriptions, It has been discovered that only 10% of all the individuals in an organization are highly active participants in the grapevine. The types of individuals relative to rumors, have been identified. The three are- 1. Bridger 2. Bagger 3. Bearer Most employees fall into one of the three basic categories as they relate to the grapevine. Bridger Bridger’s receive and pass information to others. These people are the ones primarily responsible for the success of the grapevine.Bridger’s are the passers-along; the liaisons of rumors, also called KC's, as explained by Sutton. â€Å"Key Communicator† is the term that is given to this type of individual who is responsible for initially sending information into various networks. Baggers Baggers hear rumors but do not pass them along or fail to tell others. They are called â€Å"dead-enders. † They receive information but do not pass it on or only pass it on to one or maybe two other dead-enders. Bearer Bearers are not privy to any information, do not hear the information and thus cannot pass along, a rumor.They tend to be outside the grapevine. They neither hear nor pass along the information. Each type of individual can easily be identified in the communication mains previously illustrated. It should also be noted that people are more active on the grapevine when their friends and colleagues are actively involved. After all that has been said about the grapevine the next questions that arise are: What should the company managers do about the grapevine? Is it good or bad? Should the managers participate? How do we manage the grapevine? Management's Response to the GrapevineThe key thing to remember is that the grapevine exists, William A. Delaney reminds us of this when he says the â€Å"grapevine exists, always has and always will, and you can't stop it. † So managers should accept the fact and decide how they can use it to their own benefit. Vanessa Arnold contends that â€Å"Managers interested in creating effective organi zational communication will use information from the grapevine to improve communication throughout the firm. † The real value of the grapevine should be in revealing to management those issues that generate from the grass roots.As Donald Thompson said â€Å"its usefulness is seldom acknowledged, its voice often muffled, its insights ignored. † Should Managers Participate In many cases lower and middle managers are already active participants. They hold strategic positions in the communication channel because they filter and block two-way communication between higher management and operating employees. Managers basically have three options when it comes to their participation in the grapevine: 1. Ignore the grapevine, be no part of it. This is difficult in most organizations, but can be accomplished.They do their job and let it operate unnoticed around them. In effect they become an â€Å"isolate. † 2. Participate only when it serves their purpose. In this case th ey may seek out the grapevine and tap it to learn what is being said concerning a specific situation or issue. 3. Become an active and full-time participant. Managing the Grapevine Since the grapevine cannot be held responsible for errors and is somewhat of an unknown, managers sometimes succumb to the wish that it will go away; but we have learned from experience and research that â€Å"homicide† will not work with the grapevine.It cannot be abolished, rubbed out, hidden under a basket, chopped down, tied up, or stopped. If we suppress it in one place it will pop up in another. If we cut off one of its sources, it merely moves to another one†¦ It is as hard to kill as the mythical glass snake, that, when struck, broke itself into fragments and grew a new snake out of each piece. In a sense, the grapevine is a human birthright, because whenever people congregate into groups, the grapevine is sure to develop. It may use smoke signals, jungle tom-tome, taps on a prison wal l, ordinary conversation, or some other method, but it will always be there.Organizations cannot â€Å"fire† the grapevine because they did not hire it. It is simply there. Management Options Internal rumors are generally managed differently than external rumors if for no other reason than management of a company has more control over internal formal communication than over information sent out to the external environment. Since grapevine activity increases during times of uncertainty, management must provide information through the formal system of communication about key issues and events that affect employees.Management should supply employees with a steady flow of accurate, timely information; in this way, the potential damage caused by the grapevine can be minimized. Any attempt to soften or distort a rumor to make things look good is not a good way to deal with the rumor. The longer a rumor circulates the more difficult it is to control. Facts should be released quickly . The grapevine can be controlled with prompt, clear, and accurate information on the issues important to the employees. Full facts must be presented. Formal communication lines must be kept open and the process as short as possible.Direct memos, large group announcements, and intercom systems should be used. If employees perceive management is giving them the facts, they will be less anxious and less emotional when rumors are heard. Although the preferred management option is prevention, this never works 100% of the time. In other words, there will be negative rumors and if one wants to manage them, one ought to be prepared. So when prevention doesn't work, and it won't, what can one do? Two methods are suggested. First, a four-step method, and second, a disciplined three-phase management program, Generally, in the four-step method, four steps are suggested: 1.Seek to keep employees informed about what is going on. A formal company newsletter always seems to help. 2. Heed rumors. L isten to what is being said that is 80% true. What other information source is so highly credible? 3. Act promptly. Rumors are more difficult to correct over time because they â€Å"harden†Ã¢â‚¬â€œthe details become consistent and the information becomes publicly accepted, 4. Conduct a training program for employees on the nature of rumors. Advantages of Grapevine Communication Grapevine communication creates a social bond where none existed.People like to talk to one another; whether they talk about work or family, or anything. Teams become more cohesive when members talk to one another outside of the project or assignment they may be working on. Informal communication lends itself to bonding. The grapevine fills in a gap that is left when official information is missing, especially in chaotic or changing times. Even in organizations where management is very proactive about communicating change and keeping employees informed, the grapevine helps to fill in the blanks.The gra pevine in many ways helps keep people honest; it can dissuade people from engaging on behavior that they don’t want others to know about. This is a two edge sword. On one hand, people will think twice about taking what they know is a wrong course of action. On the other hand, they may also think twice about taking a necessary risk and doing the right thing, fearful those appearances that may give rise to rumors. Disadvantages of Grapevine Communication There are some intrinsic dangers in bypassing the organizational channels to get to the facts of the matter.The main danger is that much of the information that gets spread through the grapevine is not verified. Some of the information is likely false and difficult, if not impossible, to verify. We discount information when the source is a known gossiper. But not completely†¦ Even when the source is someone known to spread rumors, we believe that where there's smoke†¦ Since we don’t know what part is fire and w hat smoke is, we accept the whole rumor. To justify our participation in spreading the rumor, we tell ourselves that part of it must be true.The main reason why we give credence to a rumor is that it seems to match what we think about the situation or person that the rumor is about. We also tend to believe the person sharing the rumor with us. Another main disadvantage of grapevine communication is that it's often used to spread more than rumors; it's used to spread gossip. The terms rumors and gossip are used sometimes interchangeably, but rumors are not quite the same as gossip. Both are pieces of information that can't be verified, but rumors tend to affect organizations or groups of people, while gossip refers to more personal matters.When gossip is being spread through the grapevine, people's reputations, careers, and lives can get destroyed very rapidly. FINDINGS While preparing our assignment we have to study a lot on this topic. From all our experience we gathered, we can co me to an end that, certain situations like insecurity of service, uncertainty over promotions, special increments to a particular employee, certain innovations in the organization likely to affect the job prospects of the employees are sure to activate the leaders of the grapevine so that very soon all kinds of rumors have spread in the organization.Whether grapevine is sour or sweet is depends on its impact on the organization. If it works for the organization to increase its quality it will be sweet. For this we will have to use grapevine efficiently. On the other hand, if it works against the organizations purpose it will be considered as sour. SUGGESTION From our study we can suggest that, to use grapevine efficiently we should follow the following ways: 1. The managers should try to spot the leaders. They should try to find out the people who are more active on the grapevine and keep them well informed so that harmful rumors do not reach the employees. . The grapevine should be used to feel the pulse of the employees. 3. If there is any false rumor, the management should immediately use the official channels to contradict and to dispel the fears of the employees. 4. Involve the workers in the decision-making process. CONCLUSION The grapevine is basically a channel of horizontal communication, for it is only people working at the same level of hierarchy who can informally communicate with one another with perfect ease.Thus the workers may have one grapevine and the first line supervisors another. But the fact is that the grapevine does not follow any set pattern and it can be effective horizontally, vertically and even diagonally. REFERENCE Secondary Source 1. Essentials of Business Communication, by: Rajendra Pal & J. S. Korlahalli 2. Business communication (Theory and Application), by: M. Omar Ali 3. www. definitions. net/definition/grapevine. 4. http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/grapevine.