Live Theatre Review

The actors and director of The â€Å"Woman In Black† had complete power and control over the audience's reactions and emotions. For our Drama GCSE we went to see â€Å"The Woman in Black†, on Monday 1st December 2003. The play was showing at the Fourtune theatre and was based on a book by Susan Hill; which was adapted by Stephen Mallatratt. The â€Å"Woman In Black† is about a middle aged solicitor called Arthur Kipps, who years earlier had lost an infant son following some eerie incidents in an English town. In hopes of getting rid of his personal demons and ghosts, he approaches a young actor to turn his written account into a theatre piece (re-enactment.) It shows all of the happenings with a recently deceased woman called Alice Drableau and her remote, mysterious house. The play explores the issues of the supernatural and things beyond the human world, such as ghosts and things that are invisible to the human eye; created by mime and the actors and audience's imagination. I think that the play and the actors explored these issues very well, but I am not sure if they were explored in a believable way. I thought that the first half of the play was quite slow, tedious, and we weren't drawn in so there wasn't any control over us whilst watching it. However, when the play reached the second half the pace started to pick up, and tension was created, which drew us in and gave the actors control over our reactions. It was remarkable how far people in the audience were willing to go with their imaginations. They seemed to be really involved with the performance; I think that to a certain extent we all were. The play was structured with flashbacks and crosscutting which gave us a more in depth understanding of what had happened in the past to effect the future. The actors took us on a journey with them in whichever time they were in. We knew what time they were in, as the actors clicked their fingers towards the lighting technician each time. At first it didn't seem to be part of the performance, later on when it occurred again it was clear that this was a repeated action and was necessary to the play. When actually thinking about it they were actors, acting as though they were acting a re-enactment. Quite confusing I thought. The lights changed from being bright when in the present, to being dim; and almost seemed like sepia tones to give that more ancient feel when in the past. I don't think that this was done as well or creative as it could have been. The clicking to me just seemed odd and something that didn't belong in the play, even though I can understand what they were trying to do. The lighting technician brought us back to reality and removed us from the performance; it drew us back out from the tense gripping story. The tension that was built up before these points suddenly dropped and then tension tried to build up again after that point. The actual changes between times eras was very fast, it was almost like there was a sudden change in tempo for that spilt second. The structure of the stage also affected the amount of space used by the characters. In the first half of the play we only saw half of the stage. The basic layout of it was rather boring. There wasn't much space for anything and the layout just wasn't interesting or eye-catching at all. As the play moved into the second half, the other part of the stage was revealed to us. It was an exciting change that spiced things up a bit. They suddenly had so much more space to work with. The â€Å"Woman in Black† has two main characters. Arthur Kipps played by Paul Stewart and the young actor who is actor Matt Holland. There was also the shadowed â€Å"Woman in Black† (Who is Alice Drableau the deceased,) although she didn't have a huge role in the play. The two main actors portrayed many characters, with the usage of costume and their vocal techniques and tones of voices. I thought that they portrayed the different characters quite well but it definitely wasn't believable for me personally. The actors changed costume in front of us (the audience), which once again drew us away from the drama. In my eyes. Once again, I realise that this was part of the piece, and if you think of it as an actual play, it was a great technique to use. I just found it rather off putting when I was actually getting into the drama; I realised that we weren't seeing the story, we were seeing people tell us and re-enact the story. Some of the two men's movements were very interesting and engaged us in the performance. Mr Kipps didn't really use much movement when narrating. On the other hand when he took on the role of other characters and the young actor played a younger version of Mr Kipps, they used movement to the best of their ability. An example would be a simple motion of a horse and cart. The two characters mimed this very well in a believable way, showing how they would be when on a real horse. A great bit of movement that I found really effective, was when they pretended to be on a train. The actors were really aware of the space and objects around them. For example they used 2 briefcases as doors and a couple of chairs as seats, when walking through the imaginary train and we could tell instantly what it was. One of the men walked sideways along to show the compact space on a train, the two men also sat diagonal from each other which gave us the impression that there could have been more people on t he train. The woman in black definitely had the ultimate power over the other characters reactions, and over us. She moved silently in and out drifting along in an almost Godley fashion and She made it look as though the dark stage was her shadowed sky; she was swooping down and scaring the prey. We were the prey, and we were shocked, in fact some people did let their emotions get the better of them. She wore pinnacled headgear, under a black veil. The black costume seemed as though it was to symbolise death and possibly evil. I would say that the actors had partial control over the audience and controlled the tension and atmosphere. The blackouts and lighting also helped create the woman in black's fast movement on the rocking chair; she was furious, focused and very creepy in a psychotic sort of way. This drew us in further. A rocking chair normally moves slowly and contains a nice old person maybe knitting. It came as a huge shock when this happened, because it was such a huge contrast. There were two moments where there was a huge amount of control on the audience. The young actor approached a door this was concealed before and as it is now in light we are intrigued to know what is behind it. There was a lot of tension at this point and the use of pauses made the intense slow hand movements towards the door quite nerve-wracking. It was surprising how much this affected people. A great moment of tension which created a really strong atmosphere was when the young actor who was pretending to be Mr Kipps was sleeping. There was a long empty silence and a complete blackout. This was a moment that was really tense, we the audience were also in a total blackout, so they were putting us in the same situation. We were under control, as we couldn't see anything, so we didn't really know what was going on or what was going to happen. We were really involved. The actor also used a torch in the audience, whilst the whole room was black. The light was shone all around the audience, kind of like a spotlight. This whole moment, reminds me of childhood and being scared of the dark. Set, lighting, props and special effects I feel were all necessary to create a real sense of atmosphere. There were quite a few sound effects, to try and make the play seem as real as possible. Not only that, but some of the sound effects seemed to be symbolic. The sound of crows at the Graveyard, I'm sure this is a bad omen, death and a sign of evil. The sound of a rocking chair, which sounded like a heartbeat racing, to build tension and suspense. A double use. A music box in the Childs room, so innocent, yet the music seemed quite creepy when in the dark. Lots of them seemed to symbolise childhood, the innocence, and good. Because we knew what was going on and it was dark and tense, that goodness seemed almost possessed by evil. I thought that the sets were great and were concealed very well behind the gauze. It helped them to change the environment and setting quite efficiently without us knowing. From a graveyard which was furniture covered in white sheets maybe to symbolise ghosts, or when a person is dead them being covered in a sheet to be concealed. A sense of age and death. We saw the old house, which was covered in sheets again, kind of like an old house that hasn't been lived in for years, derelict. They created long stairs for the characters to run up and down, that for me seemed to create a gradual build to something. There must have been something at the top of the stairs. Also a child's room. A sweet little room, distorted from the innocence of it as soon as the woman in black steps in it. The play ended at a climactic cliff-hanger and it was gradually built up to a high point of tension. I personally didn't find it a fear-provoking piece of drama although I know others did, and I can understand how it happened. People were sucked into the drama and its world and certain things didn't remove them from it. I felt that all of the clicking and the people in the audience screaming just distracted me too much for me to actually enjoy it. I thought that they made a great effort with only two actors, it must have been a lot of hard work, and it used lots of great techniques. They definitely used role play a lot, when becoming different characters and acting out their situations. Marking the moment, using sound and light to emphasis something, such as the immensely tense movement towards the door; will he open it won't he? Clear usage of crosscutting to show us different times they also used different lighting to show this. Narration, this kept informing us of what was going o n, Mr Kipps was telling us the story. I think that the playwright wrote the play to make the audience think about death, how it is a time of isolation. Maybe to make us remember a time when we were scared, something that everyone can relate to. Fear. I think he also wanted to tell a story that would excite people and to bring the typical ghost story to the 2lst century. People enjoy being scared because they get to use their imagination. Most of the play just really reminded me of childhood memories, something that everyone in the audience could relate to. Being scared of the darkness, that children's room with the music coming from a doll, the excitement of discovering something, bag loads of curiocity.This was why we felt so involved, small parts of the play would have related to us as the audience. We all know it is safe environment/ atmosphere, and that the play isn't real life, but there is still that sense of danger. The thrill of not knowing something. The idea that we have all been scared in our lives, something that we can relate to. The thing is that I thought most things were just too predictable. We knew something was going to happen, we could kind of guess what would happen; we just didn't know when it would happen.

Ikea Paper

IKEA Business Analysis Industrial Organization – Essay I March 17, 2013 Word count: 3397 Introduction IKEA is a privately held, Swedish multinational company that is one of the world’s largest furnishings retailers. This international home products company designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds, chairs, and desks, appliances, and home accessories. The company is the world’s largest furniture retailer. IKEA was founded in 1943 in the South of Sweden, and its name is an acronym of the initials of the founder’s name, Ingvar Kamprad and of Elmtaryd and Agunnaryd, the farm and village where Kamprad grew up.The company is known for its modern architectural designs on various types of appliances and furniture, often associated with a simplified eco-friendly interior design. In addition, the firm is known for the attention it gives to cost control, operational details and continuous product development, allowing it to lower its prices by an ave rage of two to three percent over the decade to 2010, while continuing its global expansion. As of October 2011, IKEA has 332 stores in 38 countries. Most of these stores are directly owned but some are managed under franchise by owners outside the company.By doing this, IKEA faces a higher chance of success than in a sole proprietorship. In fiscal year 2010, it sold $23. 1 billion worth of goods, a 7. 7 percent increase over 2009. In recent years, IKEA purchases from developing countries have grown from 32% in 1998 to 48% in 2003; 29% of its output comes from Asia, 67% from Europe and 4% from the USA (Arrigo, 2005). For a long time, Poland was the second supplier of raw materials after Sweden, but there was recently a giddy increase in China which, in 2004, accounted for 14% of total output, followed by Poland with 12%, Sweden with 8%, Italy with 7%, and Germany with 6% (IKEA. com).To achieve its goal of boosting efficiency while cutting costs and prices to the end consumer, IKEA i s constantly looking for convenient new locations. This paper will focus on strategic investments decisions with regard to innovation and advertising and strategic product feature decisions. IKEA & Supply IKEA's vision is â€Å"To create a better everyday life for the many people. † To meet its vision IKEA provides many well-designed, functional products for the home. It prices its products low so that as many people as possible can afford to buy them. However, in creating low prices IKEA is not willing to sacrifice its principles. Low price but not at any price† is what IKEA says. This means it wants its business to be sustainable. IKEA supplies goods and services to individuals in a way that has an overall beneficial effect on people and the environment. Customers all over the world have responded positively to IKEA's approach. This is evident in its increasing sales. Supply chain IKEA has an extremely efficient supply chain and its management was the key source in IK EA in cost management which gave it a cutting edge among its competitors as it products where charged 30% lower than the cost of its rivals.With regard to the supply chain, the flow of production and processes go through three industrial sectors before the end product reaches the customer. Firstly, it starts with the primary sector concerning raw materials. Natural resources such as timber are extracted and developed. IKEA buys products from more than 1,300 suppliers in 50 countries (The Times 100). It uses a number of trading service offices across the world. They negotiate prices with suppliers, check the quality of materials and analyze the environmental impacts that occur through the supply chain.IKEA aims that all the products and materials it takes from the primary sector do not harm the environment. They also keep an eye on social and working conditions at suppliers. The second step is manufacturing where primary materials are used to build, manufactured and developed to fini shed goods. A key part of IKEA's success is due to its communications with materials' suppliers and manufacturers. During manufacturing IKEA specifies to its producers that waste should be avoided. Where waste does occur the firm encourages suppliers to try to use it in the manufacture of other products.IKEA has a code of conduct called the IKEA Way of Purchasing Home Furnishing Products, the IWAY (The Times 100). This contains minimum rules and guidelines that help manufacturers to reduce the impact of their activities on the environment. IKEA aims that all there products are manufactured in a responsible way. The tertiary sector provides services needed to meet the needs of the end users such as retailing, distribution, insurance, and customer services. IKEA's retail stores add value to manufactured goods by providing a form of shopping different to the usual high-street experience.They meet the needs of the consumers in a number of different ways. Each IKEA store is large and hol ds more than 9,500 products giving lots of choice. Within each store, there are a number of realistic room settings that enable customers to see what the products would look like in their own homes. In addition, the IKEA store is built on a concept of â€Å"you do half, we do half; together we save money†. This refers to, for example, the customer assembling furniture at home. Customers handpick products themselves using trolleys. Also, IKEA provides catalogues and home delivery to save customers’ time.IKEA stores also have restaurants that provide Swedish dishes alongside local food choices. IKEA & Competition To define the relevant market, IKEA operates in a perfectly competitive market. IKEA is a furniture store and there are many other furniture stores owned by various different entities (so there are many suppliers in this market). Normally the firms in a perfectly competitive market would be price takers. However, IKEA has a lot of market power as it is able to r aise its prices above the perfectly competitive level without losing many consumers. Therefore it can be stated that IKEA is a price setter.There are off course competitors, however it seems that IKEA does not really take competitor’s decisions into account as they are not really relevant to their own decisions. IKEA sets its prices very low because they face low production costs as a result of strong relationships with its suppliers. Competitors are predictable but even if they were unpredictable, IKEA would not be affected by their decisions as the firm is already at the bottom end of the market. IKEA makes use of their concept in a global strategy that designed furniture for a lower price than other competitors offer that can be sold everywhere for the targeted market segment.Sometimes regional differences appear that arise form national habits, lifestyles and culture. What gives IKEA a huge advantage in selling its products at a lower price springs from their â€Å"young † concept is that the customers have to bring home the products and assemble it themselves. No other firm manufactures as much furniture as IKEA. The firm can and will eliminate any local competition by using their global position. It is a fact that they have no competitors on the global market. IKEA’s success was recognized to its vast experience in the furniture retail market, its product differentiation and cost leadership.Across markets where it presently has a presence, products are sold at prices that are 30 to 50 percent lower than competing products. This penetration pricing enables IKEA to gain significant market share. Low prices are a result of large-quantity purchasing, low-cost logistics, and store location in housing areas. In addition, IKEA also benefits from economies of scale and healthy supplier-firm relationships. IKEA enters into long-term contracts, provides leased equipment and technical support in exchange for exclusive, low-cost manufacturing fro m suppliers.For new markets, IKEA should retain its price-image to maintain the brand’s positioning. IKEA strives for cost leadership, and for this reason it negotiates the most cheap conditions with a very large number of suppliers, a large part of whom live in eastern Europe and Asia, where the cost of raw materials, manpower and warehouse rentals is lower than elsewhere. IKEA always tries to acquire raw materials at the best price, choosing the suppliers with the cheapest price but it is equally focused on maintaining good relationships with them to avoid late deliveries or poor workmanship.IKEA’s low cost policy is based on several factors. Firstly, and previously already mentioned, it is based on economies of scale where large volumes reduce the unit cost of production. Secondly, the low cost policy is based on economies of transport where large orders of products permit to IKEA to transfer transport costs to suppliers. Low running costs inside the stores is also a factor. For example, the group uses buildings that are easy to build and inexpensive to manage, and it also has a ‘dressdown policy’, with all employees wearing the same uniforms, which are very simple and ractical. A last factor with regard to low cost policy is the purchases of unassembled products from suppliers with a consequent reduction of costs (taxes are lower for components than for finished products). IKEA & Demand With regard to the number of buyers, this market faces a great number of buyers as IKEA wishes to reach everyone who needs a new piece of furniture or accessory. IKEA provides its products to end consumers as it only supplies their final products. These consumers can be households, other companies, or governments for example.On the demand side, the active participation of its customers, who are seen as genuine partners, is a source of economic saving for IKEA. Most of its products are packed in flat packs and the customer has to take them home and assemble them, paying the cost of transport and assembly, and thus reducing storage costs for IKEA. Wherever consumers go to IKEA stores, products are always the same. Consumers therefore know what they can expect and for what price. This is a very strong characteristic of IKEA because familiarity with a brand makes consumers come back.The 9,500 products that IKEA supplies is available in all IKEA stores and customers can order much of the range online through IKEA’s website. By doing this, IKEA makes products easier accessible, reducing the distance a consumers has to travel when choosing to purchase IKEA products, and bundles its good together with home deliveries of the orders. An IKEA market strategy in terms of service providence to their customers is always a unique one. The stores and services of IKEA are very much different from the other furniture vendors. The stores are very much spacious and divided into cheerful model rooms.This provides wide range of services to its customers to choose the furniture according to the measurements of their house along with the prices and variety of designs that are showed in kiosks. In addition, IKEA also provides childcare centers and include restaurants and cafes serving typical Swedish food. They also have small food shops selling Swedish groceries, everything from the famous meatballs to jam. Stores are located worldwide. It welcomed a total of 565 million visitors to the stores during the year 2008 and a further 450 million visits were made to the IKEA website.Low prices are one of the cornerstones of the IKEA concept and help to make customers want to buy from IKEA. IKEA's products cater for every lifestyle and life stage of its customers, who come from all age groups and types of households. This is vital in times when the retail sector is depressed, as it increases IKEA's potential market. The wide range of products that IKEA offers are of most value for consumers. Consumers prefer to have a lot of c hoice for good quality and low prices. IKEA’s product based market strategy drew many customers to their store and kept it the top position in the global market of the furniture companies.As previously mentioned, IKEA issued variant catalogs of their products in different native languages so as to reach all sections of their customers. IKEA also adopted some of the experimental marketing strategies for the publicity of their products. In earlier years it has taken decision to decorate a chain hotel with their furniture that has become a beneficial market strategy for both the parties. Its main aim is to target the customers of that hotel and market their products. Even the chain hotel gets benefit to decorate their hotels with lavishing furniture at low cost.Furthermore, the most important strategy of IKEA is not providing the exit for the customers who had entered in to their stores without having seen all the furniture in store. In this phenomenon there is scope that the cu stomers may go for the more furniture that is not actually needed (Kotelnikov, 2005). Since it was founded IKEA has always had concern for people and the environment. The IKEA vision â€Å"to create a better everyday life for the many people† puts this concern at the heart of the business. IKEA has responded to the public's rising concern for sustainability in its choice of product range, suppliers, stores and communication.It has also spotted business potential in providing sustainable solutions. IKEA's concern for people and the environment encourages it to make better use of both raw materials and energy. This keeps costs down and helps the company to reach its green targets and have an overall positive impact on the environment. IKEA aims to be a responsible organization and believes that a strong environmental stance is good business practice, as it also has shown as the current trend of more â€Å"green† and environmental friendly preferences of consumers when ch oosing their products.Demand & Supply Function Demand Function There are a couple of variables that are relevant to the quantity (Qd) of IKEA goods and services that consumers are willing and able to purchase, in other words demand. First of all the price of the goods (P) IKEA sets affects the demand. Next to P, prices of related goods and services (PR) are also important as those are goods from which inputs are derived to be used in the production of the primary good. The prices of related goods and services are therefore taken into account when IKEA sets its price (P).The expected future price of products (Pe) might also influence demand because if a consumer believes that the price of the good will be higher in the future, he or she is more likely to purchase the good now. In addition, prices of all other companies’ products (P1†¦Pn-1) have an influence on the demand function of IKEA. If their prices are much lower than IKEA prices, consumers will buy from other firms . However, as already mentioned, this is not the case for IKEA as they offer products for low prices. Also, if the consumer expects that his income will be higher in the future, the consumer may buy the good now.Therefore, expected future income (Ye) also affects demand. Thirdly, the incomes of consumers (Y) are also relevant to demand because this influences the ability to purchase the IKEA goods. Demand is also affected by the number of consumers in the market (N), the more consumers in the market, the higher the demand for the IKEA products. Moreover, advertising expenditure (A) affects demand as well. The more advertising, the more consumers are informed or persuaded to come and buy at IKEA. IKEA shows to be very efficient at this with providing their catalogs.Lastly, consumer tastes and preferences (T) also affect demand. It seems that consumers prefer IKEA products over other products because of its low prices and quality of the products. However, consumers incur transportatio n costs (t) that have an effect on preferring to buy from IKEA (which is often located just outside the city center) or to buy from a shop closer to their homes. Consumers know that IKEA provides very high quality products no matter in which shop they will buy the products and consumers could therefore prefer IKEA products over other. The general demand function for IKEA would therefore be:Qd = f (P, PR, Pe, Y, Ye, N, A, T(t)) or, Qd = a + bP + cPR + dPe + e(P1†¦Pn-1) + fM + gYe + hN + iA + jT(t) Where b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, and j are slope parameters that measure the effect on Qd of changing one of the variables while holding the others constant. We assume that, all in the short run, there is no change in taste and preference, that the income of the consumer is constant, that there is no change in customs, habit and quality of goods, no change in substitute products, related products and the price of the product, and finally, that there are no complementary goods.Supply Funct ion There are a couple of factors that affect supply, the amount of products IKEA is willing and able to sell at a given price all other factors being held constant. Firstly, the price of IKEA’s products (P) influences the supply function. Ikea can be seen as a leader in this market and therefore it might be the case that the firm cuts its price, possibly as an attempt to keep the number of entrants low. Secondly, the price of related goods (PR) influences the supply function.If the PR increases, the cost of production will increase and therefore supply would decrease. Thirdly, technology (T) with regard to production affects supply in a way that whenever there is a technological advancement or technology used making production very efficient, the supply increases as production costs decrease. In addition, the price of inputs (PI) such as labor, energy, raw materials, influence supply. When PI increases, sellers are likely to raise P for each unit of output.For IKEA it is kno wn that they have access to relatively cheap raw materials and an increase in PI would not quickly lead to an increase in P because IKEA aims to keep its prices low. Moreover, the number of suppliers (N) in this market might have a small effect on the supply function of IKEA. There are already many suppliers in this market and an increase in N would not lead to a significant decrease in P of IKEA. As stated previously, in creating low prices IKEA is not willing to sacrifice its principles (â€Å"low price but not at any price†).Expectations (Em) concerning the future market condition can directly affect IKEA’s supply in that whenever IKEA believes that the demand for its product will increase in the foreseeable future, IKEA will immediately increase production in anticipation of this increasing demand and therefore future price increases. Lastly, government policies (G) and regulations can have a significant effect on IKEA’s supply. For example environmental reg ulations could influence decisions IKEA has to take in consideration when switching to a new supplier of raw materials. The general supply function for IKEA would therefore be:Qs = f (P, PR, T, PI, N, Em, G) Assuming that all consumers know all things, about all products, at all times (including knowing the probabilistic outcome of all future events), and therefore always make the best decision regarding purchase. In addition, assuming that Ikea is the leader in a market with a large and endogenous number of firms. Decisions As IKEA is already at the bottom end of the market and operating very efficiently and profitably, the only decisions that they will face would be concerning future investments, advertising, and product features. One of the things that IKEA is now able to do is expanding more to new markets.So far, IKEA has limited its store locations to some of the most heavily populated markets in the countries in which it competes. To continue its growth trends, IKEA may have to begin investigating other (smaller) communities. IKEA has to consider how it will respond if and when a lower priced competitor enters its market. Also, IKEA may want to consider that its product assortment and promotions may not appeal to all cultures. However, for new markets, IKEA should retain its price-image to maintain the brand’s positioning. New cultures mean also that branding has to adapt to popularity in those particular new countries.For IKEA, despite the history of success the company has enjoyed thus far, there are no guarantees for the future. If IKEA does not keep on innovating and making the right expansion decisions, the company will become increasingly vulnerable to new competitors. Word count: 3397 References Arrigo, E. (2005). Corporate Responsibility and Hypercompetition. The IKEA Case. Symphonya, 2, pp. 37-57 Facts and figures, www. IKEA. com. Kotelnikov, V. (2005) Experimental Marketing. Retrieved from: http://www. 1000ventures. com/business_guide/m arketing_experiential. html Building a sustainable supply chain: An IKEA case study. The Times 100.

Cultural Text Analysis Essay

Cultural texts can be described by Vanhoozer et al, as any work that is done by human beings that has a meaning because it is done intentionally and not as a fluke or by reflex. They include newspaper articles, books and other printed material, objects, images, spaces, films and music (Vanhoozer et al. , 2007, p. 248). There are a number of aspects of the English language (figures of speech) that are used in the writing of cultural texts to make the language use in the texts flowery, or even to explain some things in a deeper manner. They are also used to show the emotional intensity or to explicitly show the writer’s sense impressions by comparing one thing with another that is common or well known to the reader. Some examples of these are the use of metonyms, metaphors and connotations. A metonym can be defined as the usage of a word in a text to denote one thing while in actual fact; the word refers to a related thing. It can also be described as a situation where a word is replaced with another one that is closely associated with it (Casnig, 2009). An example of a metonym is the way people say plastic to mean credit cards or the way they say Washington, while what they actually mean to refer to is the United States Government. A metaphor on the other hand is defined as the comparing of two things without using words ‘like’ or ‘as’. They are a good way to put an image into the mind of the reader in regards to the message that they are trying to convey. Improper use however could mean that the message that the writer is trying to convey will not be understood properly (Wheeler English, 2010). An example when it comes to its use is when used in a sentence, when somebody says, â€Å"†¦her hair is snow white. † Here, the color of hair is being compared to the color of the snow, but there is no use of the words ‘like’ or ‘as’, and thus this makes the expression a metaphor. When it comes to connotations, these are ideas that are implied or suggested. They refer to the connections or associations that are connected to certain words or even the emotional suggestions that are related to the word in question (Word Reference. com, 2010). An example of this could be the way the word snake if used in reference to a person could be used to mean that the person is evil or dangerous. It could also mean that the person is crafty and not open and honest in their dealings with people. The cultural texts that I am going to use to show how metonyms, metaphors and connotations have been used are: a film on Eyes on the Prize Interviews. The specific interview in this case is the Rosa Parks interview that was done on November 14, 1985, and was produced by Blackside Inc. The interview was gathered as part of Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years (1954-1965). The second cultural text will be an article titled â€Å"Walking while Muslim† which is an article that was written in the year 2005 by Margaret Chon and Donna E. Arzt. Finally, I am also going to look at Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends which is a book written by Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Charles A. Anderson and Michael J. Sleasman. In the film on an interview with Rosa Parks, examples of metonyms that have been used are: when she is asked by the interviewer about how segregated their area was, she says, â€Å"In 1954, after the Supreme Court decision had been handed down to do away with uh, segregation in the public schools†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Here, Supreme Court is a metonym for judges or juries, because in actual fact, they are the ones that make rulings in court. Another example is when Rosa Parks refers to the bus as being ‘packed’, which is a metonym for full, or filled to capacity. When it comes to connotations, an example of one is when the interviewer asks her, â€Å"How did you feel about sparking the boycott†¦? † The word spark here is used to mean that she was the one who agitated or stirred the people into action. Another connotation is when she refers to people as blacks and whites in her interview. This is a connotation of the African Americans and the American people (Washington University Film and Media Archive, 1985). In the article, â€Å"Walking while Muslim†, there are also some figures of speech that have been used in its content. Examples here are the use of connotations where it is said that the United Nations standing committee is toothless. What this means is that they have no power in terms of the functions that they are allowed to carry out. It is also shown when it is said that the international human rights enforcement systems are expected to have a better track record than the UN in the protection of human rights. The phrase track record is used here to refer to the record of their actual performance and accomplishments. This is because in the literal sense, track record means a documentation of speeds that an athlete runs or has been running over a period of time. Metaphors have also been used where the International Human Rights law is being likened to a guardian of religion. Here, the law and guardian have been compared without the use of ‘as’ or ‘like’. There is also an example of a connotation where they say that Jihad is one of the Islamic beliefs that are perceived as religious zealotry directed at non-Muslims. The word Jihad here is used as a connotation of the violent aggression of Muslims towards non-Muslims or secular people (Chon, M. and Arzt, D. , 2005). In the book, Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends, figures of speech have also been used in this context. Examples of some of these are: one of the characters in the book, Kevin Warwick—a leading researcher and professor of cybernetics at the University of Reading, says he is a cyborg. This is a metaphor because he is comparing himself to a being that is part human, part machine. In the book also, there is also a section where biotechnology is likened to a savior, and also where we are told that we should offer ourselves as living sacrifices. In this case, we are being directly compared to sacrifices (animals that are usually offered to God in order to appease him or thank him for something). There is also the use of metonyms where it says that â€Å"whatever label we choose to wear,† referring to the title that we choose to have because in actual fact, we cannot wear a label. Another metonym that I have discovered is when the author says that as Christians, they may fail to see the way the world looks at those who believe that the present is all that there is. Here, the ‘world’ does not refer to the physical globe, but to the people who are non-believers. It is a word that is commonly substituted for those who are not adherents of Christianity (Vanhoozer, K. et al, 2007). References Casnig, J. (2009). Metonymy. [Online]. Available at: http://knowgramming. com/metonymy. htm Accessed on: May 28 2010 Chon, M. and Arzt, D. (2005). Walking while Muslim. [Online]. Available at: http://www. law. syr. edu/Pdfs/0WWM_ChonArzt. pdf Accessed on: May 28 2010. Meginsson, D. (2007). Connotations and Denotations. [Online]. Available at: http://www. writingcentre. uottawa. ca/hypergrammar/conndeno. html Accessed on: May 28 2010 Vanhoozer, K. , Anderson, C. , and Sleasman, M. (2007). Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends. Michigan: Baker Publishing Group. Washington University Film and Media Archive. (1985). Interview with Rosa Parks. [Online]. Available at: http://digital. wustl. edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx? c=eop;cc=eop;rgn=main;view=text;idno=par0015. 0895. 080 Accessed on: May 28 2010. Word Reference. Com. (2010). Connotation. [Online]. Available at: http://www. wordreference. com/definition/connotation Accessed on: May 28 2010.

Introduction of management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Introduction of management - Essay Example Sun says that organizational culture should be regarded the right channel of solving problems (137). Organizational culture is a structure constituting shared values and beliefs concerning what are significant and suitable in an organization. It comprises of feelings and interaction both within the organization and outside the organization. Organizational culture is supposed to be unique and is practiced on a daily basis; this contributes to the organizations function and strategy. â€Å"It’s important for organizations of different size and level to create the kind of environment or culture where the positive managerial patterns of listening, coaching, guiding, involving, and problem-solving are actively encouraged and reinforced† (The Importance,† cultureconsultancy.com). 2. Classifications of Culture Culture can be classified as counter culture, sub culture, or strong and weak culture. Counterculture comprises of shared beliefs and values that contradict the va lues of the organization. In many cases, it occurs around a dictatorial manager. This type of culture is dangerous to the development of the organization (Shahzad et al 977). ... In any organization, members are differentiated according to the roles they play. Interpersonal relations in an organization are managed and it is here that the inputs by the members are measured beside the output. Therefore, the outcome of an organization is what provides a constant test to the organizational performance. Furthermore, the interaction between the customers and the shareholders too provides a continuous examination. Bridging the gap between the organization and the customers, or between the shareholders and the customers, or between the shareholders and the members will contribute to the organizational effectiveness and development (Aydin and Ceylan 34). People normally learn most of the behaviors and practices from the people they grow up with, even though every individual has a unique behavior and personal preferences. With time, the behavior and belief of people in the same organization tends to be similar and exhibits common properties. This helps the organization develop its own culture. Now that people in the organization carry duties together, the developed culture helps to create understanding and promote effectiveness. According to Aydin and Ceylan â€Å"the beliefs and ideas of the organization have created the culture, which cannot be seen but their physical manifestation are felt in the work place† (36). For efficiency purposes, the developed culture shapes the work relationships and procedures in the organization. Organizational culture helps to solve both the internal and external issues by enhancing adaptation through a shared pattern. Once there is admission of new members into the organization, they can easily be ‘swallowed’ by the organizational thinking and through the shared pattern of

Assessment of Organization Process. The Art of Effective Listening Research Paper

Assessment of Organization Process. The Art of Effective Listening (How does it work in the Wal-Mart Stores) - Research Paper Example The process entails continued collection and utilization of information and ideas from customers, employees, competitors, interest groups and policy makers with a dream to improve the eminence of workforce productivity (Duke & Robson, 2012). This paper therefore seeks to provide a detailed account of organizational behaviour process of listening as entrenched in the operational philosophy of Wal-Mart. Particularly, the paper focuses on relevance of this behaviour process in relation to branding, pricing, marketing, operations, customer satisfaction and revenue performance. In conclusion, the paper examines how the art of listening as impacted the quality of work relations and productivity from the managements’ and staff perspective. Wal-Mart and the art of Listening Wal-Mart is a multination corporation dealing in a wide range of consumer products with its headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. Since its inception in 1962, Wal-Mart has steadily grown to become the worldâ€℠¢s largest retail chain store by revenue estimated at US$446.95 billion as at 2012FY as reported by Duke and Robson (2012). The corporation operates more than 8600 retail stores in 27 countries with major divisions in the US, UK, China, Canada and Mexico. That notwithstanding, Wal-Mart is governed by a 15-member board of directors, managed by 37 executive officers and a total of 2.2 million associates under the able leadership of the CEO (Duke & Robson, 2012). The magnificent success of Wal-Mart has come a long way especially with its legendary concerns for the varied income status of the customers. With over 200 million customers worldwide, Wal-Mart has managed to keep a leading edge in the global retail market. Wal-Mart offers a balanced mix of variety and quality at competitive prices well attested by its low prices. This has been made possible through the art of listening to the concerns of customers while appreciating the tireless efforts of the staff and management to make Wal -Mart the shopping destination of choice as observed by Duke and Robson (2012). At Wal-Mart, issues are handled with urgency and each member of staff is encouraged to prioritize the needs of customers. Gereffi and Christian (2009) states that the first core value of Wal-Mart relates to quality customer service through a personalized approach that will make the customer keep coming. The organization encourages customers to give feedback so that the Wal-Mart can improve its values, services and productivity in line with customer needs. Not only does the management listen to customer queries, it is also committed to ensure that the organization exceeds the best expectations of customers as ascertained by Diana (2007). The essence of this behavioural process is coined in the marketing strategies of the company which transcends all the departments including operations, productions, quality assurance, marketing, customer care and HR department. The company recognizes that its employees ar e the success factor of Wal-Mart. As such, the organization supports all employees through an open-door policy where employee concerns are handled amicable without victimizing the concerned employee. When employee concerns as handled promptly and in the best way possible, employees feel appreciated and cared for. In addition, this behavioural

QDB SME Toolkit GAP Analysis Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

QDB SME Toolkit GAP Analysis Report - Assignment Example However, the document does not deal with the solution of the gaps that are identified in the document. Today, each and every decision from starting a new business to deciding future or improving an existing business is based on availability, accuracy and quality of information. Keeping in view an importance of information the Qatar Development Bank (QDB) developed a toolkit to facilitate the entrepreneurs for starting a new business or to improve an existing business. QDB is a Government entity having responsibility of supporting and developing local Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s) in Qatar. QDB designed and developed SMEs toolkit that is an online counseling service to serve the desires and requirements of Qatari private sector. It is particularly intended to assist an entrepreneur for establishing a new successful small or medium enterprise. It provides an entrepreneur online guidance and information regarding step-by-step business planning, requirements for opening a particular business and checklists. Currently, the QDB toolkit provides information of ten (10) busines s categories that includes Accounting and Finance, Business Planning, Human Resources, International Business, Legal and Insurance, Marketing and Sales, Operations, Technologies, Woman-Owned Businesses and Market Overview. Particularly, the purpose of producing this document is to provide information regarding the existing services currently provided by QDB for the SMEs through the toolkit, The objectives of Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology (ictQATAT) for development of the toolkit, the facilities that are being provided to the entrepreneurs, suggestions for improvement through a thorough GAP analysis along with prevailing best practices for such toolkits. The document compares the performance and usage of the currently designed and developed QDB toolkit and desired future state of the QDB toolkit provided

LASA 1.The S'No Risk Program Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

LASA 1.The S'No Risk Program - Case Study Example Prior to the S’no Risk Program, there was a traditional sale held in the fall season wherein a 10% discount was offered (Bell, 1994). Eventually, the program took hold and a combination of factors including a surge in the snowfall and customers being enticed by the relative lack of risk meant that sales grew, and distributors were pleased to carry Toro products, even leading to cases of depleted inventories. The program lasted one year and then an evaluation was conducted, and the recourse offered by the insurance company called for an adjusted premium of â€Å"around 8% of sales for the coming year† (Bell, 1994, 3). This is approximately a four-fold increase from the previous annual period, and so it may be quite alarming. The reason for the rate hike however, is apparently due to the fact that American Home offered too cheap a rate initially. In this case, Susan conduct an independent study that analyzed the historical data, with regard to payouts as proscribed by the S’no Risk Program, and realized that in 1983, there would have been payouts of approximately 19% of sales (Bell, 1994, 3). With this information in mind, it makes sense that the insurance firm would want a higher rate, as the trend for payouts was higher than the low premium offered in the first year of the program. Another cause for the increased premium in the following year may have been due to the increasing total number of snow equipment components sold from 81/82 to 82/83 (Exhibit 1). The customer viewed the advertisement and was able to see immediately that there was a chance at varying rates of snowfall for a savings, and in some cases an absolute refund with the prospect of also keeping the Toro machine from the purchase. In essence, the consumer would be receiving something for nothing, and obviously they are the benefactors and Toro loses out in this scenario. Rather than offering different tiers of savings, I would suggest that it would be more simple to offering one large refund if the snowfall was below some threshold. This would be easier from an administrative standpoint, and if the consumers would still be drawn to purchase from such a modified program, the payouts would likely be minimized, which would be a favorable outcome for the income balance sheet of Toro. The S’no Risk Program executed in 1983 was a success, but it should be understood that Toro had several factors that were aligned in their favour. Their objective was accomplished of increasing sales, which allowed them to improve the year-to-year standing of their company, as well as afford the relatively low insurance premium, which also was a positive for the insurance company. As stated in the case, in the seasons leading up to the creation of the program, there was a plummet in the average snowfall, which meant that the market for snow equipment was in retreat. Toro needed an initiative that would jump start consumers and boost the sales of the company, and the pos sibility of an arrangement with Home Assurance was a welcome idea, even though it was not absolutely risk-free. If the insurance rate were higher, as it was recommended that it should have been, then the net sales generated off the snow equipment, less the payouts would have been less justified. This assumption would be further supported if the related premiums were to increase for the next yearly period. Likewise, if there was little snowfall at all not only would the payouts drastically increase, but it raises the doubts if many would purchase a piece

Practice Determinants and Outcomes of Multiple Performance Measures Essay

Practice Determinants and Outcomes of Multiple Performance Measures - Essay Example Business performance measurement systems play an important role in developing strategic plans, monitoring and evaluating the achievement of organizational strategic goals and compensating managers. In today’s dynamic business environment with extreme competition, there has been considerable discussion on the importance of performance measurement innovations (Kaplan & Norton, 1996, Atkinson et al., 1997, Ittner & Larcker, 1998a). New financial metrics such as Economic Value Added (EVAÂ ®) and Shareholder Value Approach (SVA) have been introduced and used by some organizations. Non-financial measures have been recommended to complement the financial measures and organizations are being advised to erect multi-dimensional measurement systems. Multiple performance measurements and integration of financial and non-financial measures are some of the key innovations in management control systems that will provide managers critical information on monitoring key business activities and organizational goals. As no comprehensive corporate performance measurement study has been conducted in Hong Kong and Shanghai, the first objective of this study is to explore the current practices of multiple performance measures by both Hong Kong and Shanghai organizations and compare any differences between them. As Hong Kong is one of the international cities long influenced by modern western managerial practices, it is preferable to study the performance measurement practices in Hong Kong.

Organization Culture Development and Success of the Organization Essay

Organization Culture Development and Success of the Organization - Essay Example The intention of this study is organization culture as a USP or â€Å"Unique Selling Point† of a firm that differentiates itself from its counterparts. Organizational culture means the way human resource in an organization acts and performs its duties. The culture in an organization is usually developed by top leadership which is translated to the production workers or managers at the lower level of the hierarchy. Any organization that fails to develop a unique culture fails to communicate its value to its customers and hence loses its vividness in the eyes of its customers. In the 21st, the concept is more important than ever before because of the intensive competition by firm. Not only the firms in the same country are fighting for a same job, but outsourcing has included the foreign firms also in the fight for a job that comes to the market. In the midst of so heavy competition, it has become increasingly important for firms to â€Å"Break through the clutter†. No fi rm can break through the clutter or become vivid unless it has something other than that the conventional competition is offering. Many firms, as a result, have increased their focus on organizational culture. Many are trying to develop a culture that will help them gain an edge over their competition. Organizational Culture, apart from helping an organization in all of these, also help helps an organization in developing the ideal characteristics of its workforce overtime without having to incur the heavy training expense that also entails loss of productivity and may lead to boredom and job turnover. It is also suggest by organizational behavior experts to develop a long term strategy based on an organizational culture in order to achieve firm’s targets and goals. The long term strategy can be supplemented by incorporating several training regimes that are used to make sure that the organizational culture has been properly engraved into the conscience of the workers and eve ryone in the organization is following the same culture that is yielding synergy and resulting in achievement in difficult tasks and goals which are not possible unless everyone in the organization is following the same culture. (Jin, Drozdenko, & Bassett, 2007) Organizational Culture leads to more efficiency in the organization. In fact, organizational culture improves the efficiency because it gives the sense of direction to employees and tells them how they are supposed to act in a variety of situation. This reduces their response time and helps them focus on the customer satisfaction more that leads to very satisfactory results. This increases organization wide efficiency of the human resource and all the staff in the organization allocates more time to core competencies. This also increases job satisfaction which leads to customer satisfaction and towards profitability of the organization. (Denison & Mishra, 1995) Organizational Culture also affects the knowledge management pra ctices of an organization. Knowledge management is extremely important for an organization as concluded by Toyota Motor Company, UNIX, Microsoft and Mercedes-Benz. One cannot imagine an organization to achieve success if it does not pay any heed to the technology development and knowledge management flows within the organization. It is extremely difficult to assume the success of the organization without the technology factor playing its part. Hence, indirectly organizational culture plays an important role in the development of an organization and its technology management and knowledge management practices which are now considered vital for the success of the organization. So much so that even the large organizations are making their old staff who seemed incompatible to technology are training them to make them work on the technology of the new era. Of course all of this is not possible without organizational cu

The Impact of the Cloud on Mobile Devices Research Paper - 1

The Impact of the Cloud on Mobile Devices - Research Paper Example It will first provide a conceptual analysis of the issues surrounding the application, its application target market as well as reasons for its popularity and development. Introduction When addressing the issue of the impact of cloud on mobile devices, there are two terms, which are inseparable: cloud computing and mobile cloud computing. Cloud computing is a form of computing which offers animatedly scalable resources are as a virtualized service. It permits the service providers as well as other consumers to alter their computing capability with regard to the quantity and quality required form a particular task at a specific time. There are three major requirements that accompany cloud computing namely thin clients, grid computing, and utility computing. In most cases, cloud computing expose the users to computing systems through internet interfaces to use services for instance search engines, online stores and web-based email (Marinelli, 2009). Cloud Computing encompasses both the programs offered as services in the internet and the hardware and software applications in the processors that offer those services. Computer experts refer to the range of services and applications offered by cloud computing as Software as a Service (SaaS). On the other hand, cloud is the processing hardware and software that offers these services and applications. ... On the other hand, mobile cloud computing is an application in which both the data storage and the data processing occur outside of the mobile device. There are various contemporary examples of cloud computing applications including Google Maps, mobile Gmail, and some direction-finding applications. Nonetheless, most of the data storage and processing of contemporary applications still occur inside the mobile devices as opposed to occurring in the cloud. However, this trend is gradually changing and eventually all the applications will soon occur in the cloud (Perez, 2009). In the case of conservative cloud computing systems, they often occur on collections of servers. Consequently, there are enormous amounts of data placed on these collections through stratums of virtualization depicting the execution of elevated jobs to process this data and bring helpful results. This is however, very different when it comes to mobile-cloud computing, where the origin and processing of data occurs on mobile devices (Marinelli, 2009). The world technology is experiencing new forms of innovations, which is greatly affecting many organizations as well as their technology suppliers. In this regard mobile cloud, computing is emerging as a source of these innovations, which are transforming the global business industry in a great way. In addition, this innovation packs the power to alter businesses of all sizes as well as the economies that control their development. In this view, cloud computing is a subcontract of business and information technology functionality that bears the nimble economies of 21st century (Saugatuck Technology Inc., 2008). Several opinions assert that the conversion of old information technology will not offer the best mobile cloud computing services,

Socialization is done when children follow the footsteps Essay Example for Free

Socialization is done when children follow the footsteps Essay Socialization can be referred to as the process by where adults and children learn from each other. It is often said that socialization begins at home and this is true because it is the responsibility of the family to teach children from a very early age the norms and values of society. It is the process by which they learn right from wrong. Socialization is done when children follow the footsteps of their parents, teachers or older siblings. Socialization never really stops because all through life, people learn new things and they are never knowledgeable enough to know everything. During this process of socialization children develop a sense of self and become their own person. They become unique and have a distinct personality. Individuals develop their potential and learn culture through this process of socialization. Humans are unlike any other species and they need to learn things and how to survive. It is important for humans to learn their culture for it is a part of who they are. We learn by internalizing which is the process when people take norms values beliefs and language as their own and accept them as their own. Importance of socialization Socialization is important for many reasons: It helps a person become who they really are. It provides the basics for a person to learn about their culture and their way of behavior. Socialization helps people discover their talents and they find out that they are really good at something and they enjoy that. Through socialization children can develop as a person and acquire normal social graces. Children need to feel cared for and loved so when parents take time out for their children and teach them values and norms this helps them to develop properly. Learn ways on how to think talk and actions that are important for social living Is a way by which the society can pass culture along to the next generation We achieve harmony and are able to it into society We develop skills and learn not to always act on instinct It avoids isolation and improper development of children It allows us to develop our potential to develop or maximize skills We develop proper learning Agents of socialization The family is a major agent of socialization. It gives individuals their first experience, earliest and deepest experience to relationships and their exposure to the way of life. The family also teaches their own about the social and physical environment and teaches them to follow it. Children learn from the type of environment that elders create. The family also gives children a social place when it comes to religion race or culture. This makes up the child’s self-concept. The family are the ones responsible to teach children manners, respect and obedience. They cannot allow their children to go to school without teaching them how to talk to older people with respect or how to obey when told to do something. The school also plays a role in the socialization of children. The school is a port way for children to learn about their ancestors and to teach them of the way people behaved in the older times compared to the way they behave now. They learn how society is connected to race and gender. The school is their first experience to bureaucracy. This means that the school prepares them for the future because it runs on a time schedule and is governed by rules. This is helpful because it prepares them for when they get a job. It is also proven that schools mold children into gender roles. School also open opportunities or children to join peer groups in which they meet people with similar interests or talents. The mass media is also an agent of socialization. The mass media provides a vast amount of information to a huge audience at the same time. It is proven to have a great impact on the behavior and attitude of children. The media is also a port way for people to learn about different cultures and to meet people of different race and ethnicity. The media can inspire people to achieve access and to follow their dreams. Children will view successful people on the television and aspire to be like them. This is a good thing because children will have ambition. Theories on socialization George Herbert Mead: He developed a theory on social behaviorism. It explained how a person’s personality can be affected by social experience. He saw the power that environment had when it came to shaping behavior. He studied inward thinking. His main concept was self. He described this as the part of a person’s personality composed of self- awareness and self- image. He considered that self only develops when people interact with others. He said that humans care what others think of them and that is what they think of themselves as well. Lawrence Kohlberg: He studied how people distinguish between right and wrong. At an early age for children, they think that whatever feel good to them is right. Another aspect of his is that teenagers in the adolescent stage lose their selfishness and learn to act according to what parents tell them and by the rules of their school. He also said that individuals learn not to argue with what is legal or right. Jean Piaget: he studied human cognition. This refers to how people think. He wondered how children made sense of the world. He described the way children made their way through life based on what they thought of it. Piaget believed that biological maturation and increasing social experience was reflected by human behavior. He stated four stages of cognitive development which included sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. Sigmund Freud: He studied mental disorder and personality. He believed that biology played a major role in the way people develop. He said that the human personality had three parts which include: The id which represents the innate human drives, this would be the human life and death instincts, the ego which refers to the internalized cultural values and norms and the ego which he considered resolved the competition between the restraints of the superego and the demands of the id. . Family Basic Concepts Family is a group of people who are closely related to each other by blood, adaption or marriage. The family is considered the basic unit of society. A family is considered to be the people who will always be there for you, no matter the situation you are involved in. Whenever in need of something the first place you run to is home. You are confident that there you can be safe and that there will be the people you can depend on. The family is the group of people who play a significant role in an individual’s life. Bonds within a family are considered kinship. Within every society there are families, however the views of people and whom they consider to be their family may vary depending on historical changes and culture. Family of orientation refers to when individuals are born into a family that includes parents and siblings living together. This plays an important role in socialization. A family of procreation is when adults decide to start their own family either naturally or through adaption. Marriage is an important aspect when considering starting a family. Marriage is a legal union between two people who commit to each other and this involves economic cooperation, sexual activity and childbearing. Children born out of marriage are considered to be illegitimate. Global Variations Types of families: Extended family: Is a family that includes more than three generations living in the same household. Everyone is connected by blood. Nuclear family: A family that includes a mother, father and their children living under the same roof. Sibling household: This is a family that an older brother or sister is the one in charge of the rest of children. They are required to be the parents and take care of the younger ones. Reconstituted family: This is a family type formed by the combination of two single- parent families. Single- parent family: Is a family type that involves one parent taking care of the household. Marriage patterns This refers to the way in which individuals are required to marry: Endogamy: This refers to marriage between people of the same social category. This limits marriage prospects to other people of the same gender, social class or race. Exogamy: This is when people of different social class get married. This type of marriage promotes cultural diffusion and builds alliances. Monogamy: This is marriage between two people. Polygamy: This is a type of marriage that unites two or more people. Polygyny: This refers to marriage of one man to two or more women. Polyandry: This refers to marriage of one woman to two or more men. Residential Patterns This talks about where a couple resides after being married: Patrilocality: This pattern refers to when the married couple lives with or close to the husband’s parents or family. Matrilocality: This is when the married couple lives close by or with the wife’s family. Neolocality: This refers to when the married couple live in a new place away from any side of their families. Patterns of Decent This refers to a system families used to trace their kinship over generations. Patrilineal descent: This is when individuals trace their kinship through men. This is when sons are the ones who inherit or get property passed on to them by their fathers. Matrilineal descent: This is a system used to trace kinship through women. This is when mothers pass on property or inheritance to their daughters. Bilateral Descent: in order to promote gender equality, this system traces kinship through both men and women. Theoretical Analysis of the Family Functions of the family Structural and functional analysis: Socialization: The teaching of right from wrong to children. Regulation of sexual activity: Every culture tries to regulate sexual activity in order to maintain property rights and kinship organization. Social Placement: Families try to maintain social organization in order to confer their social identity. Material, emotional and financial security: Families provide financial assistance, physical protection and emotional support. Inequality and the family: Social- Conflict analysis Property and Inheritance: Identifying heirs in order to transmit property. Patriarchy: This is how men own women as their sexual and economic property. Racial and ethnic inequality: Families promote people marry others like themselves. Stages of Family Life This is the way how a family evolves. Courtship: Is when partners get to know each other and see if they are compatible. Settling in: This involves romantic love where partners fall in love with each other and usually plan to marry or not. Child rearing: This is the raising of children on the right path showing them love and kindness. The family in later life: This is when people stay married but for the final years of their marriage they return to living with only one spouse. Transitions and problems in family They are many things that break up the family: Divorce is the dissolution of a marriage. Causes: Individualism is on the rise: This is when family members stop spending as much time with each other. Romantic love often subsides: When sexual passion fades this is when relationships fade. Women are now less dependent on men: Women leave unhappy marriages because wives are now not financially dependent on husbands. Many of today’s marriages are stressful: Most families face the problem of not having enough time or energy for family. Divorce is socially acceptable: Divorce is no longer being discouraged. Legally, a divorce is easier to get: Now divorces are easy to get as long as the couple says the marriage has fail. References Macionis John J., Sociology- (13th Edition). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009

Recruitment Case Study Essay Example for Free

Recruitment Case Study Essay Recruitment is when BHX looks for a new member of staff. BHX needs to recruit new staff for different reasons. It could be that they need staff for to fill in new posts or for an extra help for other staff. Sometimes BHX need new staff because they need to replace the old staff with new staff with more experience and qualifications. To recruit staff there is a process for it. There are seven steps in the process. To appoint the right person for the job they need to go through the seven steps for each of the applicants. For recruitment the manager and the human resources are responsible to recruit new staffs. As other organisaton BHX has a policy for recruiting staff. The employer at BHX has to obey the policy. The policy reduces the chance of a candidate being treated unfairly. The law and ethics at BHX are very strict. The law says that there must not be any discrimination against the employee and the employee should have the same opportunity regardless of race, gender, or disability. All disabled applicants who fully meet the Person Specification for the post for which they have applied for has to be guaranteed an interview at BHX. In BHX the recruitment is done by human resource department and the manager. Steps in the process There are seven stages in the recruitment process. 1. Identify the vacancy 2. Draw up a job description 3. Draw up a person specification 4. Advertise the vacancy 5. Shortlist applicants 6. Interview applicants 7. Select and appoint the most appropriate candidate (Carysforth C and Nield M (2002) GCSE applied business for edexcel hieneman) pg235 Agreeing the vacancy: Before recruiting new staff the manager has to think that in which area do BHX need more staff. And manager also has to ask permission of BHX that if they can recruit more staff. BHX will allow manager if they really need some new staff. Staff do cost lost of money and therefore BHX will need to think if they really need new staff. Each department in BHX has budgets and they are only allowed to recruit staff if they are able to pay for the recruitment process. This is what they need to think before advertising the vacancy. Here are some of the reasons why BHX might recruit people. * It could be that more airlines are landing at BHX and therefore they need more staff to service the planes. * More passengers are using BHX. * Someone has been promoted to the higher level or someone left the job. Drawing up job description: A job description tells the employee the key facts relating to the job. BHX needs to list the job title, all the responsibilities, main duties, salary of the employee. When someone applies for the job BHX has to give them the copy of job description so this tells them job covers everything they are expected to do. Here is an example of a job description at BHX. At the top of the job description there is information about the employees post title, the department the employee is going to work in, date etc. After that it says the purpose of the job. The main part of a job description is the employees main duties and responsibilities. At the end there is a box with a signature of the employees relation manager and the section he/ she is from. BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LIMITED JOB DESCRIPTION DIVISION: DEPARTMENT: Human Resources POST TITLE: Human Resources Administrator GRADE: C career grade DATE: January 2006 Job Purpose Complying with Birmingham International Airport Limited employment policies and procedures and recognised best human resources practice; to provide an efficient and effective human resources administration service, that that is customer driven, proactive, flexible, facilitates workable solutions and supports the Company in the achievement of its objectives. Main Duties and Responsibilities a. To ensure the planned human resources services for which this post is responsible for, are delivered according to Company policies and procedures and outlined departmental performance management standards. Undertaking the work of this post in line with the Company values, department objectives own personal responsibilities and professional standards. b. To be responsible for ensuring own administration is managed to expected business standards in a timely manner, without loss of quality standards. This includes responsibility for responding to telephone enquiries, drafting/word-processing routine and adhoc letters, minutes of meetings, reports and other documentation. c. To take a proactive role in the development of the human resources department administrative systems and processes; and communicate such developments, in a manner that supports the Company values and objectives of the department. d. To co-ordinate the recruitment cycle including but not limited to:- * preparation of advertisement, job descriptions, person specifications, * liaising with applicants, * equal opportunities monitoring, * attending candidate assessment. * progressing the employee reference checking process, * preparing accurate contract of employment, * coordinating, maintaining and progressing the Companys employee probationary assessment process. e. To maintain and update the Companys recording systems in respect of counter terrorism checks for relevant employees. For the purpose of employee counter terrorism check renewals to ensure relevant employees and the Department for Transport are notified in good time of the forthcoming expirery of their counter terrorism check clearance. f. To maintain effective housekeeping and ensure accurate updating of the computerised human resources information system (CHRIS) and manual recording systems as they relate to the work of the Human Resources Department. g. To produce human resource management information using the CHRIS, Company databases and spreadsheets for the production of statistical and other human resources related information for management reports. h. To carry out such other duties commensurate with the grading of the post,which will be determined from time to time, in line with the needs of the business. The airport company reserves the right to vary the duties and responsibilities of staff under Conditions prescribed in local agreements. Thus, it must be appreciated that the above duties may be altered as the future changing needs of the service may require. Employee Relations Manager Section Head (School resources) Drawing up person specification: BHX has to list all the appropriate skills and qualifications needed by the employee. They have to list this so only the person with an appropriate qualification can apply for the job. This also enables the employer to think about the best type of employer needed for the job. It also tells the employee what sort of training does the employee need Here is an example of a person specification at BHX. This helps the employer to recruit the best person in BHX. The person specification lists all the knowledge, skills, experience, qualifications etc the employee should have. BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LIMITED PERSON SPECIFICATION JOB TITLE: Security Guard (Part Time Terminals) GRADE RANGE: Security Guard DEPARTMENT: Aviation Security REPORTS TO: General Manager Aviation Security KNOWLEDGE 1 Emergency health and safety procedures including public safety issues HOW TO BE ASSESSED A/I SKILLS/ABILITIES 2 Physically able to carry out passenger and bag searches 3 Ability to remain calm and assertive in emergency situations 4 Basic computer awareness for the purpose of security ID pass checks and report writing 5 Good customer service practices to represent the company in a professional manner 6 Ability to remain alert and vigilant to undertake indoor and outdoor security patrol duties, boarding card and security ID pass checks 7 Well developed verbal and written communication skills 8 Ability to write short and accurate reports 9 Ability to work on own initiative and within a team 10 Ability to deal sensitively and tactfully with people on a one to one basis 11 To work a variety of shifts, inclusive of weekends and bank holidays I I I A/I I/TEST A/I/TEST I/TEST A/I I A/I EXPERIENCE 12 12 months experience in a customer facing role 13 Working to agreed standards and regulations and internal procedures in a consistent way A I EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS 14 Numerate and literate to perform the duties of the job TEST OTHER ATTRIBUTES 15 Willing to undertake mandatory training relevant to the job 16 Able to comply with the company dress code 17 Live within a 30 miles travelling distance of the airport to respond to call out/shift cover 18 Full previous 5 year checkable history (e.g work, study, unemployment, home worker) 19 Able to successfully pass a colour blindness test and medical examination A I A A OH How to be assessed Key: A Application form I Interview TEST Saville Holdsworth tests, and/or Managers designed test HR Certified by HR Department OH Certified by Occupational Health Department Birmingham International Airport Limited is working towards equal opportunities in employment and all employees are required to operate within the spirit of the Companys Equal Opportunities Policy. Employee Relations Manager Departmental Manager (http://www.bhx.com/personnel/jobs/52/Aviation%20Security%20Personnel%20person%20specification%2003.07.doc) Advertising the vacancy: BHX has to decide where to advertise the vacancy and to list al the skills, qualifications and all the attributes. The advertisement includes all the terms and conditions of the employment like salary, number of hours etc. There are different methods of advertising that BHX uses. They advertise low skilled jobs in the newspaper because it a very cheap way to advertise an vacancy. They advertise their vacancy in a newspaper which is delivered around Birmingham and neighboring towns and cities because it is more likely that a local person will apply for a job and its easier for the employee to get to the airport. They advertise some of their job on their website. They also advertise their job at job centers because lots of people who look for a job visit there to find jobs. Here is an example of the job vacancy of an aviation security guard at Bhx. This vacancy was advertised on the Bhx website. In this vacancy BHX cannot recruit a male security guard because at the top of the vacancy it says that they need a female aviation security guard. In the advertisement it lists all details about the job, the opportunities the employee will have and the salary. Female Aviation Security Guards Salary à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½11,187 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½13,295 per annum (pay award pending) Closing Date 21 Mar 2007 Details If you are female and looking for a rewarding part time career opportunity, we have a vacancy that may interest you: FEMALE AVIATION SECURITY GUARDS à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½11,187 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½13,295 per annum (pay award pending) (8 hour shifts, including weekend working and Bank Holidays) The Business Birmingham International Airport aims to be the best regional airport in Europe and, as the second largest airport outside London, regularly handles in excess of 9 million passengers each year, making it one of the busiest UK airports. If you want to be part of a vibrant and supportive team that is helping to shape the future of the business, here is where you make the connection. The Opportunity The main responsibility of this role is to ensure the safety of passengers. To be successful as an aviation security guard, it is important that you have a polite and professional manner, as you will be responsible for checking passenger identities, boarding cards and be required to perform bag and physical body searches. You should be comfortable working on your own initiative and be able to stay calm in emergency situations, while ensuring all security and airport regulations are adhered to. This is a customer facing role so we would like our aviation security guards to have well developed verbal communication skills and as you may be called upon to report on security related incidents good written communication skills are equally important. Previous security experience is not necessary as full training will be given to the successful candidates and you will also receive support from other team members. The Person In return for your efforts in this role, you can look forward to a competitive salary, a generous annual leave entitlement, free on-site parking, stakeholder pension scheme and Company share scheme. We also offer discounts on a variety of retail and catering outlets within the airport and discounted travel/holiday offers. Sex Discrimination Act 1975 section 7(2)(a)(i)) applies and on this occasion male applicants will not be considered. To apply, further details and an application pack are available via our website www.bhx.co.uk or write to the Human Resources Department, Birmingham International Airport Limited, Birmingham B26 3QJ (http://www.bhx.com/page.aspx?type=jLNyxnRIZKE=id=2N3FyjXb9IM=job=XZn9xPVMN1E=) Shortlist the applicants: Shortlisting applicant can be very difficult for BHX. Sue Timothy who is a personnel manager at BHX has to make sure that she shortlists the applicants fairly. To do this fairly she has to look at candidates Curriculum vitae. She has to look at what sort of grades, qualification, work experience and good references from their teacher or their previous employer. If the persons C.V. matches the person specification then Sue timothy can consider the applicant for the next stage which is the interview. Applicants with better qualification will be considered first for the interview and applicants with very minimum qualification will be rejected. Interview the applicants: In Bhx there is a two stage interview. The first interview is done by the human resources and the second interview is done by the manager of the department. This two stage interview is only done if the employee has applied for the high skilled vacancy. For example if someone applies for a job like an aircraft dispatcher, there will be a two stage interview. This is because aircraft dispatcher is a highly skilled job. There is a one stage interview at BHX. For example if someone applies for a job as a cleaner, there will only be a one stage interview. This is because a cleaner is a low skilled worker. At BHX interviewers are trained so that they know hot ask questions and what types of questions to ask. Interviewers who have experience at Bhx will ask open ended question which means that the candidate cant just say yes or no to the question. Example of the ended question can be What made you apply for this job? For this the candidate will have to give reasons for the answers. These kinds of questions tells the interview that how well the appl icant communicate. To make the interview fair to everyone, the interviewer has to ask the same questions to all the candidates. Select the candidate: This is the final stage of the recruitment process. BHX will have to choose the best candidate. They choose the best candidate by looking at how well the candidate has done in their interview. Sometimes an applicant with a really high qualification does badly in the interview. These mistakes could be that the applicant was too nervous during the interview. It could also be that the applicant did not communicate very well with the interview. As BHX is a huge organisation several people are involved in recruiting people. In Bhx human resources and managers are involved in recruiting people. In the interview only one person interviews the people because this makes the interview fair to everyone and the interviewer will ask the same questions to everyone. While employing for the job at Bhx the employee has to apply with the curriculum vitae because in the C.V. its got all the information about the employee like all the qualification from GCSEs to a university degree and all the work experience the employee did. The employer needs to see the C.V to make sure the employee has the correct qualification in order to get the job at Bhx. Before applying for the job at Bhx the employee needs to have one or two references from the previous employer to see if the employee has a good behavior and a good record Overall I think that a recruitment process is very successful in Bhx. Everyone who applies for the job at Bhx has equal opportunities because in the interview the interviewer has to ask the same questions to everyone. With all these seven stages of recruitment Bhx recruits the best person for the job. Recruitment at Bhx can be done better if the interviewers are polite and they know what questions to ask. They can also advertise the job far away from Birmingham so there is more chance to get the best person who will meet all the person specification for the certain job. Staff Development and Training Training is related to job specific skills and abilities, learned at BHX. Development means to increase knowledge, skills or experience. A cleaner will need different training then an airport dispatcher. This is because they all have different job roles and different responsibility. The cost of the training depends on the type of training the person is doing and the level of the job they are at. For example the cost to train a manager is much higher then to train a cleaner. On-the job training is an important way in staff acquires relevant knowledge and skills at work. On the job training is when the staff trains in Bhx. The example of on the job training could be an induction. Induction means when the employee comes to the job for first time, the supervisor has to show the person around Bhx to get familliarise with the other staff and work place. Off the job training is when the staff trains within the Bhx but in different location. The example of off the job training could be someone learning how to use a computer in a training centre. In Bhx the employer needs to train and develop staff for different reasons. They need to develop staff because the job and technology changes. Lots of staff at BHX works on a computer. As times goes by new technology comes and they need to get a special training to use it. Promoted staff needs new skills. Also the new staff needs training. So Bhx has to organise some training events. Without the training the new staff wouldnt have a clue of what to do at BHX. With the training and development, staffs skills improve and when the staffs change their jobs then they would need less training. The staff might need training because during the performance review they might have done badly because they had a lack of skills. Bhx can improve its training system by allowing more budget in the training department. This will mean that staff can get trained more effectively and they will learn more skills during the training. Training can also be done better by recruiting more people who have more qualifications and employees who need less training. This saves money. At BHX there are different types of training. * Induction training is to familiarise the new employees with staff their work place and health and safety in Bhx. The cost for this type of training is very low. * On the job training is for the staff who needs to learn about Bhxs equipment and system. This type of training is cheaper because the staffs are trained in Bhx and Bhx dont have to pay for the accommodation and travel for the employees. * Off the job training is for people who need to learn about other aspects of the job. It can be really expensive to train staff away from Bhx because Bhx has to pay for the employees accommodation and the travel. * E learning (Electronic Learning) means an employee who learns and trains by a computer. This type of training can be really expensive because having an I.T system is expensive and they BHX have to buy different kind of software for different type of training. There is a future need for all these trainings. With the training, staff can do lots of other things which they couldnt do before the training. There are new business opportunities. There is a greater staff motivation. Bhx does work towards IIP (Investors In People). An IIP is a national standard that wants Bhx to train and develop all their employees to help achieve Bhxs objectives. National training awards started in 1987. The training awards are awarded to both employee and employers in Bhx. Every year a few staff gets this award. To get this award the learners have to prove that they have demonstrated excellence skills in their training. www.google.co.uk Application form at BHX When BHX recruits new staff the employee has to fill the application form very carefully. This is because the employer of BHX wants to know every single information about the employee. In the application form the employee has to fill all his/her personal information i.e. name, D.O.B., home address and many more. The employee also has to fill the health information all the secondary school information, the grades that employees has achieved, all the college and universities grades achieved and qualifications that the employee has. The employee also has to list all the skills, knowledge, abilities and experience they have. They also have to list whether they have worked for different company before.

Analysing the Indian airline Jet airways and its management

Analysing the Indian airline Jet airways and its management Jet Airways is owned by London based billionaire Mr. Naresh Goyal and is a major Indian airline based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is Indias largest airline and the market leader in the domestic sector having market share around 27%. It operates over 400 flights daily to 71 destinations worldwide including 47 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 19 countries across southern Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. The fleet includes Boeing 737, ATR 72-500s, Airbus A330-200, and Boeing 777-300ER. Jet airways has been repeated adjudged Indias best airlines and won many national and international awards. Company took over Air Sahara in the year 2007 and renamed it as Jetlite. Deal was valued around US$ 500 millions and was largest in the history of Indian aviation. Jetlite is marketed between low cost airlines and full service airlines. Jet Airways is one of the youngest aircraft fleet in the world. Average age of the fleet is only 4.82 years only. The airline industry  exists in an  intensely competitive market. In recent years, there has been an industry-wide shakedown, which will have far-reaching effects on the industrys trend towards expanding domestic and international services. The major development in airline industry is the rapid expansion of global alliance. Such alliances led to provide extended services to customers and sharing cost like airport lounges. Jet airways products Major Products:- Tourist travellers to exotic destination Business travellers to all corner of the world Offering through Tie up with resorts and hotels (Packaged deal) Tie ups with local transportations (like with Hertz for local taxis) On Board shopping Associated Products: Currency exchange windows on major airports Cargo services to domestic and international destinations Jet airways customers The customers are segmented into business travellers and tourist travellers. The business travellers are mainly service driven and loyalty depends upon on-time flight schedule, convenience, privileged treatment and loyalty bonus. Customers of this segment are regular and do not shift very easily. The Tourist travellers are price sensitive and sometimes one time customers. They chose flight of destination to destination. Facilities like wide network through alliance partners, on- board services, lounges will always keep stay ahead in completion. Service management: What Company has decided to provide quality and premium and world class airline service at competitive price to passengers. Business travellers who have a priority to maintain timeline, looking for a comfort and convenience and willing to pay premium price. Also for leisure travelers and economy class passengers, they have a no frill segment with convenient in flight paid services. How Offering in time service in new age aircraft with better in-flight service during the traveling and taking care of passenger from booking ticket to ensure safe and comfort travel to reach at final destination. Where: In National and International travel sector When: Already in existence, however it is an evolving process and can be modified depending on the customer expectation. Why: To remain a preferred choice of Airline, which will benefitted for a growth prospects and enhance market share. Jet airways services: Service process design at JET AIRWAYS are designed after taking due consideration of customer segment and requirements to enhance customer satisfaction level. While delivering the service, an emphasized to keeping low cost and always striving to improve efficiency. On Ground Services >>> Check in Options Airport lounges Coach Bus services Immigration services In flight services >>> Entertainment Magazines Cuisines Convenience and safety Assistance >>> Medical assistance Assistance to unaccompanied minors Assistance for infants Assistance for elderly / disabled people Other services >>> Mobile updates Boarding card freebies Customer friendly services like mobile services Customer Delight approach in Jet airways Jet airways moving beyond customer satisfaction and endeavouring for customer delight. The entire organisation is working for creating customer loyalty and relationships which drives business growth and profitability. Service manager believes that customer satisfaction levels can be enhanced through effective customer complaint redressal system and delivering the promise, providing a personal touch, going the extra mile and resolving problems well. The customer feedback or listening customer voices through customer satisfaction index, customer feedback, market research, listening to frontline personnel and strategic activities involving customers. Each flight ensures customer feedbacks and service managers ensure feedback from different segment of customers. Customer complaints / feedback are helpful in providing opportunities for continuous improvements in product offerings, quality and customer services. Effective complaint management creates more customer retention than consistent satisfaction. When customer dissatisfaction addressed, such customers become more loyal to the organization and also provides more opportunities and challenges. Customer complaints can help in learn about meeting their expectations and needs, and enable to build a customer-oriented organization. Good customer feedback system will help in institutionalize learning and continuous improvement. Design and implement fully integrated feedback system followed by focused approach towards gathering customer feedback and integrating it with the companys approach and business strategies ensure improvised services for customers. Organization needs to know what customers are saying. Human Resource Management and Culture in Jet airways The concept of HRM includes recruitment, training, compensation and performance appraisal. Human resource management defines relationship between employees and organization through processes, practices and guidelines. The role of the HR department in Jet airways to create effectiveness in service system Increase effectiveness through job security, training and rewards lead to job satisfaction and motivation. Monitor and evaluate job performance, enhance job role to maintain excitement and reward the employees for their excellence Reward for long-term commitment Employees need to be treated in main stream of organisation Jet Airways gives high priority on HRM to provide essential services to the customer satisfaction and enhance shareholders value. Operates within adopted code of conduct and ethics, abide by law, rules and regulations of the stock exchange. Every employee including directors required to become familiar with code of conduct. Proper training to front end and back end staff Ensuring the basic skills and competencies to handle customer while check in and on board Each employee should avoid using his/her private interest while performing the duty objectively and effectively. Ambiguity and conflict resolution with fair and justifiable manner Reward and recognition as per the aviation industry practice Qualified and skilled crew members The HR practices like job design, employee empowerment, training, remuneration and careful selection processes lead to satisfied employees who deliver high levels of service quality. The employee motivation is critical to the results of the service delivered. The cycles of success and failure are based on the intertwined roles of employees and customers. The employees attitudes and behaviours are affected by human resource (HR) practices which further led to influence customers attitudes and ultimately impact the profitability. Higher employees satisfaction and motivation enhance service deliverance of individual and achieve higher service quality as well as lower employee turnover. It improves the customers perception and makes them more satisfied which further turn to loyal customer. Hence Jet airways became preferred choice of travellers and contribute to profitability. The HR practices like job design, employee empowerment, training, salary and careful selection processes lead to satisfied employees who deliver high levels of service quality. The Effective HR involvement in Jet Airways is the key to having a competent and committed workforce. The recruitment, training and competency development, performance monitoring and rewards and recognition are the key areas where Jet Airways implement effective HR policies to achieve a high quality workforce and high quality service experience for the Customer. The role of HR practices in airlines industry is competency development, employee empowerment, and collaboration. The service delivery gap is the performance gap when employees are unable and/or unwilling to perform the service at the desired level. The major factors which contributes to the performance gap are teamwork, employee-job fit, technology-job fit, perceived control, supervisory control systems, role conflict and role ambiguity The competent employee in Jet airways means first need to understand the importance of technical skills, behaviours and employee attitudes for specific roles and then hiring the right people and identifying strategies to develop them into excellent service providers. The greatest challenges for services managers in Jet airways are to develop employees to manage the complexity and conflicting demands of their roles. Frontline employees have to simultaneously meet customers expectations and organizational priorities. Sometimes demand of difficult customers can lead to feelings of stress, conflict and Frustration. The role stress has a negative impact on performance in terms of employees commitment, satisfaction, productivity and ability to deliver service quality to customers. Factors Contributing to Work Stress are role conflict, role ambiguity and role overload. The role stress can be reduced through leadership, empowerment and formalization. Collaboration among employees within organisation enables them to find solutions for critical and unforeseen problems. Sharing of experience and war stories enables people to learn. Collaborative team approach among employees in Jet airways is more important due to many services deliverance exhibit variability. The variables depend upon customers wants / needs, the frontline employees abilities/ attitudes and organizational support. Managers are unable to develop routines, procedures and manuals to deal with every contingency. Employees help and learn from one another through their experience. Employee Empowerment is a HR practice that gives the employees the authority to use decision making when confronted with diverse customer requests. One of service management principle is Decision-making authority as close as possible to the customer interface. It empowers employees for making decision, give employees the authority to use judgment and make prompt decisions when confronted with diverse customer requests. It leads to higher levels of job satisfaction and employee commitment. Employee Empowerment helps in customer satisfaction and employee motivation. Performance management system Performance measurement systems in Jet airways include various aspects on performance like financial, non financial and are customer-driven. A performance measure has to be integrated and balanced. The Balanced Scorecard comprises of financials, internal business, Innovation Learning and Customer. The Balance Score Card helps managers to stay focused on their strategy and objectives in line of organizations goals. Financial: Year on Year increase in companys revenue and profitability. Increase in market share Increase/ decrease in Customer segment Value creation for shareholders Lost baggage claim Any Accident/ technical faults Non Financial: Geography expansion Addition in number of flights, size of carriers Perceived value and image Corporate social responsibility (CSR) Employee attrition rate Customer Satisfaction Levels: Customer satisfaction survey Average Passenger per flight (Increase/decrease) Word of mouth service experience Code sharing with another carrier Round trip package for business and economy travelers Complimentary solution for hotels, taxi and site trip Steps for an integrated and balanced performance measurement system Work out vision and strategic performance measure Communicate performance measure Set out objectives sync with performance measures Integration in system and evaluation Strategic learning Value creation for customers and Service Innovation in service industry like Jet airways is driven by customer feedback. Efficient delivery of services, quality of delivery followed by performance put service organizations ahead in competition. Customer feedback gives an opportunity to understand customer need, formulate improved differentiated services and deliver effectively. Integration of cross functional thinking in process of creating value added services for customer gives opportunity to involve people is mission of the organisation. Jet airways made tie ups with various services like rent a car, hotels, shopping, dining in restaurant. Boarding pass of flight extends discounts from various premier outlets ranges 15% to 50%. Innovation gives competitive advantages to the organizations and also helps in sustain the desired performance. Innovation described as continually renewing offering (Products services). Diversity in work force that always willing to accepts new age technology and implement in deliverance resulted in scaling performance of the organization. A competitive advantage means distinctive competencies or capabilities and perceived differently by customers and stake holders. The competitive advantages can be offered through cost leadership, create differentiation and focus on specific product / market / customer segment. The sources of competitive advantages of Jet airways are superior skills, distinctive capabilities and outstanding resources .These sources of competitive advantage enable to offer superior customer value and leads to customer loyalty and profits. Competitive forces challenge the quality and delivery of products by imitation and substitutes. The competitive advantages are sustainable through ability to deliver high levels of service quality, manage higher productivity and efficiency and having a large base of loyal customers. Jet airways is commanding leadership position in Business traveller segment due to On time flight schedules and widest network. Tie ups with resorts hotels of exotic destination gives edge to jet airways in tourist travellers segment. This segment prefers product basket offerings which includes air travel, Resort / hotel arrangement and local conveyance. The sustainability of competitive advantages are challenged by technology, human resource skill, and capacity capability to deliver services The increasing participation of customers, the role of IT and the diminishing evidence for the traditional characteristics of services such as inseparability and heterogeneity are important in maintaining a sustained competitive advantage. Setting the highest standards ever seen in Indian skies, Jet Airways introduces delicious new menus, Jet airways become Indias first airline to offer In-flight entertainment and Jet mobile services, web check- in, self check in services at airport are few exceptional services offered. Jet Konnect flights offered low fares to the price sensitive customer segment. Excellent deliverance of comfort, entertainment and cuisine made jet airways one of the finest airlines in Indian skies. Productivity and efficiency is another aspect which makes customer delighted. The various factors affecting efficiency are: Individuals mood at work, health and well-being. Enhance relationships with customers colleagues Streamline work design and work processes Improve the physical environment Increase perceived organizational support The productivity and efficiency can be increased while identifying and reducing waste in processes, and in gaining the most from peoples skills, increasing job control and encouraging inter-personal, collaborative relationships. Challenges ahead. Some of challenges in airline industry are service quality, customer value, changes in information technology, eliminating waste, managing productivity, combating competitive forces, and measuring and monitoring performance in different ways. As an organization has to identify profitable segment of customers and need to extend knowledge of customers so that invest in the groups that are likely to bring the most consistent returns. The growth and sustainability of organization is driven by the profitability of the customers and not their numbers alone and profitability changes with changes in the customer acquisition and retention strategies. Frontline service work is complex which involves interactions with others, using ever-advancing technology, conveying intangibles such as information and solutions to problems, managing processes and dealing with role stress. Future customer service professionals will need enhanced cognitive capabilities (technical process skills) and affective competencies (emotional interaction skills). Technology is facilitating in increased customer self-service and reducing human interaction. Customers are performing tasks themselves and routine, repetitive work is being replaced by technology. Employees are becoming more specialized, work will be more demanding, and they will need to be better equipped to manage complexity and relationships. E-services and advance technology impacts the way businesses interact with their customers. Inclusion of new technology is fast replacing the front desk executive and bringing the company-customer interface right on the customers desktop. Service industry is having challenge of delivering consistently high quality service and service manager are focusing on Realign strategy to accommodate shortened information chains, and changing customer demands and preferences. Redesign processes and reassemble operations taking account of what can and should be back-office and front-office. Restructure to accommodate new work, new technological interfaces.