Sunday, December 29, 2019
Effective Communication in Negotiation - 1126 Words
Effective communication in negotiation In this report I decided to consider effective communication in negotiation. It is a very important topic, because we have to negotiate every day at work, at home, with our friends. We negotiate for deciding a time for meeting, or where to go on a rainy day, etc. Also the importance of negotiation has grown in recent years in a workplace. Nowadays, people works more in teams, where they need to negotiate and prove their opinions. Also many workers are forming relationships with suppliers, where they negotiate about conditions of contracts, terms of payments, etc. (Thompson, 1991). Therefore, the knowledge about negotiation and how to achieve success in it is especially important. First of all,â⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Firstly, the average person is a poor listener. Whatever you say, expect that the other side will almost always hear something different. Secondly, negotiators talk to impress third parties, rather than attempting to establish a constructive dialogue. Effective communication between parties is impossible to achieve as long as each plays to an audience. Thirdly, neither party is hearing the other. Often the listening party doesn t pay enough attention to what is being said because he or she is too busy formulating a response to hear. If one party does not hear what the other party says, there is no communications (Badawy, 1994). There are several solutions how to communicate effectively in order to avoid or reduce these breakdowns: 1. Listen carefully to what is said. Practice good listening techniques by paying close attention to what is said and ask for explanation as needed. 2. Learn that understanding is not agreeing. Repeat what you have understood the other party to have said, phrasing it positively from their point of view. You can understand perfectly and disagree completely at the same time. 3. Speak to be understood. A negotiation is not a debate, nor is it a trial. You need to establish a constructive dialogue, not a monologue. Speaking smoothly, tactfully, and unemotionally are important. 4. Avoid provoking a defensive reaction. 5. Don t over communicate. Talking too much can lead to information overload,Show MoreRelatedPersuasive Communication and1272 Words à |à 6 PagesPersuasive Communication and Effective Negotiations Introduction In business the most vital skill is communication. In a setting where ideas are the business, it is imperative to be able to communicate those ideas effectively. The most important part of communication is the persuasive message. Communication is defined as a process by which we give and express meaning in an effort to create shared understanding. This process requires a huge range of skills in intrapersonal and interpersonalRead MoreNegotiation Skills Essay820 Words à |à 4 Pagesguidelines that you should follow during the negotiation Negotiation involves a two-way communication and the outcome is influenced by the mindset, abilities, and techniques used by the parties of the negotiation. One guideline to the outcome of any negotiation is dependent upon getting the timing right. To achieve this try to organize and plan the circumstances for the negotiation beforehand. This also involves considering the possible outcomes of the negotiation to better understanding the variablesRead MoreThe Role of Negotiation in Conflict Resolution Essay examples1516 Words à |à 7 PagesThe role of negotiation in conflict resolution Introduction Conflict or disagreement over the range of issues has become inherent aspect of modern organisational life. People from different cultural and education background work in an organisation. People working in an organisation may possess different goal and interest. People working in organisation may tend to different over a range of issues including organisational politics, organisational procedure, personal preference or political preferenceRead MoreThe Communication : Direct And Indirect1096 Words à |à 5 PagesLITERATURE REVIEW THE COMMUNICATION STRATGIES: DIRECT AND INDIRECT The direct and indirect strategies of communication strategy will be discussed in this section. These two strategies are the ways of argument which influences explicit communication, it can be easily indicated by the individualistic-collectivism of Hofstede (1980) and high- or low- context of Hall (1976). In the following section, the effectiveness of these strategies will be evaluated from the standpoint of different cultures. BesidesRead MoreQuestions On Developing An Improvement Plan1582 Words à |à 7 Pagesseveral styles of negotiation. There are several ways to negotiate. Weââ¬â¢ve learned about distributive and integrative negotiation. Negotiations can involve hardball tactics as well. This is not necessarily the best way to conduct negotiations; weââ¬â¢ve also studied ways in which to manage negotiations. In this final paper I will examine my own negotiation style in concordance with the questionnaires that I took. One of the questionnaires identifies perceptions of myself related to negotiations, particularlyRead MoreNegotiation Skills: Buying a Car Essay1241 Words à |à 5 PagesNegotiations are a part of daily life whether we are aware of them occurring or not. In everything that we do there are preferred end results and the end results are likely to affect more than one person. The goal in this however, is to ensure that all parties are equally benefited from the actions and reactions that occur to create that end result. While some dealings are done in a more subtle manner without a great deal of negotiation per say there are other situations that would warrant more vocalizedRead MoreIntegrative Bargaining1736 Words à |à 7 Pagesdemonstrate that integrative bargaining can and should be used as an effective tool for negotiations in situations where unequal bargaining power exi st. It has been defined for this essay that integrative bargaining is the process of defining goals that allow both sides to achieve their objectives, and engage in a process that permits both parties to maximize their objectives (Lewicki, 2007). Integrative bargaining can be used as an effective strategy to manoeuvre out from under superior bargaining powerRead MoreManagement Skills And Leadership Skills1528 Words à |à 7 Pagesshould have i. Communication skills Generally, a manager with excellent communication skills has the ability to listen and instruct. It is important to note that mangers who are able to communicate most effectively are able to process the provided information and relate it to their teams vividly (Ellis, 2005). An effective manager should have the ability to maintain productivity by understanding and relating the vision of the organization back to workers. In absence of excellent communication, it shouldRead MoreThe Iranian Revolution755 Words à |à 4 Pagesbegins with effective communication. This begins be acknowledging that culture comprises beliefs, values, and cognitive structures that characterise negotiation styles and objectives. Effective cross-cultural communication requires overcoming communication/negotiation barriers toward reaching amicable resolutions. To form a clearer picture of how culture influences communication and thereby influencing negotiations, it is perhaps wise first explain the negotiation process. The Negotiation ProcessRead MoreSummary On The Conflict Of Conflict975 Words à |à 4 PagesSUMMARY ON Smith, Amy L. and Smock, David R., Managing a Mediation Process, pp. 37-61. Crocker, Chester A., Taming Intractable Conflicts, 119-145. Taming Intractable Conflicts During negotiation, there are times when sudden incidents during a negotiation can lead to mistrust, rapid accusation and violence. These incidences can be terrorist attack, death of a key leader and others. Both parties might even terminate talk in these cases. In this case, the mediator can face personal attacks and
How Being on the Streets and Racism Affects African...
How being on the streets and racism affects African Americans going to prison Introduction How being on the streets and racism affects African Americans going to prison African Americans have always been degraded ever since slavery. We are looked upon as the scum of the earth. In todayââ¬â¢s society, racism is shown towards African Americans the U.S. strongly. Especially when it comes to prison. African Americans are in prison darn near six times the rate of whites. African Americans and Hispanics make up 58% of prisoners in prison. This data was taken back in 2008 but statistics show that there are more African American men in college than in prison. This chart shows the number of African American in college outweighs the number of African Americans in prison. These results also show that the negative thing society says about African Americans is becoming less and less true each day. How being on the streets and racism affects African Americans going to prison Still though the number of African Americans in prison doesnââ¬â¢t seem to be decreasing so the real ques tion is why and how are so many people going to prison. One of the major reasons why African Americans are going to prison is because they are on the street. African Americans are on the street doing drugs, shooting people, killing each other, in gangs etc. These types of things are why so many African Americans are in prison right now. How did all this originate? HowShow MoreRelatedMalcolm X Philosophy Essay1046 Words à |à 5 PagesMalcolm X African American Philosopher Malcolm X first in incident with racism happened at an early age, his house was broken into by Ku Klux Klan members. Who were looking for his father Earl Little because he works for the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), that supports black Americans returning to Africa. Malcolm would occasionally attending the UNIA meetings with his father learning that life is stacked against blacks. Throughout his life Malcolm goes through four transformationsRead MoreAfrican American Culture s Justice System993 Words à |à 4 PagesSince the 17th century, African Americans have been ridiculed, devalued, and oppressed. To be more exact 1616 is the year that African Americans started to become an enslaved race. Slavery was just the first chapter in the book of African American oppression. Ever since then society has treated the black community, as if they do not belong in America. The Jim Crow laws made it so that black people were excluded from a majority of the rights and resource s that were supposed to be available for everybodyRead MoreTravel Back To New York City During The 1920S, A Melting1182 Words à |à 5 Pagesexpressed but there is a sense of segregation. It affects our culture to this day! Television programs are either denotated black or white. Fashion trends and styles are segregated and many believe that racism was a thing of the past but racism has evolved into a deeper segregation (Morris 13). The relationships havenââ¬â¢t gotten better itââ¬â¢s tolerated! If a modern-day Renaissance occurred, race relations would build and hopefully bring an end to racism. A new culture would arise, that brings multiracialRead MoreThe Effects Of Race On America Today1429 Words à |à 6 PagesThe Affects of Race in America Today By, Alex Peterson Soc 420 Final Racial oppression and racism have been an issue seen throughout the history of the United States. During the 60ââ¬â¢s the era of the Civil Rights movement Americans saw advances in racial equality. This seems to have created a notion throughout the United States that racism was not an issue for many years. Yet racism still seems to be engrained in American society, it is just hard to realize when it is happening. Recently racialRead MoreThe Injustice Of Our Prison System2720 Words à |à 11 PagesThe injustice of our prison system In many cases we are forced to believe that the prison system is fair and equal to all, although that may not be the case. The prison system at first glance seems fair and equal but after looking closer you will find many times itââ¬â¢s not fair at all. For example, ââ¬Å"an African American male could spend more time in jail for possession of crack than a white man with the same amount of powder cocaineâ⬠(Harmon 372). This is just one example of how society has been takenRead MoreThe New Asylums1318 Words à |à 6 Pagesdocumentary about life in prison for people who have mental diseases, so some of the thoughts and observations are actually quite sad. Many of the prisoners shown in the documentary look sad and defeated, and they have a right to, because having a mental disease even in the real world is very hard. In prison, they are allowed to refuse their medication, although at least there are people who will try to help them. Still, it looks miserable, even more mise rable than prison looks for people who arentRead MorePersuasive Essay Racism1958 Words à |à 8 Pagesloose. We learned about racism in the past, but in 2013, but we never thought we would experience it. Racism is discrimination or discrimination against another race , from one that believes that their race is superior. One of the biggest debates in America is whether or not racism exist. Racism is still present in America because America has an unlawful justice system for minorities, President Trump is causing racial tensions, and the media is racially bias. There is still racism present in AmericaRead MoreThe Sociological Definition Of Race And Ethnicity1629 Words à |à 7 Pagesethnic group is sharing the same language, religion and same experience of life. Ethnicity is the ethnic characteristic for the specific race. Ethnicities represent the role for separating the different race. In terms of race, people might have the racism to the different culture of others which might base on the historical colonization, the control of the western culture and so on (Fulcher Scott, 2007). Anthropologist argue that race is social construct, not biological reality meaning becauseRead MoreIs Georgia A Criminal Justice Major?1921 Words à |à 8 Pagesovercrowding in prison, but not limited to the statewide numbers of overcrowding. Being a Criminal Justice major I thought this would be great topic to research. The African American Male population in prisons is steadily rising, which I feel has something to do with psychological and sociological backgrounds. Today more African American men are in jail than in college. Many African American men grow up in urban ghettos, in a lifestyle they get caught up in. The African American males dream isRead MorePolice Brutality Against Young Black Men Essay1793 Words à |à 8 PagesSandra Bland, Mike Brown, and Tamir Rice ââ¬â these are just some of the names of the unarmed Black people whose lives were taken by police officers in the last year. The alarming rate at which young Black men and women are being killed is evidence that their lives are not held with high regard. Police brutality against young Black men and women has been perpetrated at alarming rates. Yet, we have not seen much, if any, consequences or responsibility taken by the policemen committing these crimes. Often
Friday, December 20, 2019
Principle Of People Face Trade Offs - 1199 Words
Principle Summary-Chapter 1 Overview Principle 1- People Face Trade-offs You give some, you get some. Trade-offs happen as a group-efficiency and equity Tax and welfare policies to make income more equal reduce the return to hard workers and cause less production for economy Example-Spend more on national defense, then we have to spend less on social programs Principle 2- The cost of something is what you give up to get it Opportunity Cost-what you give up to get an item (true cost of item) Example-Cost of going to college includes tuition along with value of time that could have been spent working and potential wage. Principle 3- Rational People think at the margin Rational people try to do the best thing to reach their goals Marginal Changes are incremental changes to an existing plan Marginal Benefit exceeds cost-then rational decision makers continue course of action Example- Farmer should only produce another bushel of corn if price for it exceeds his cost of making it Principle 4- People Respond to Incentives Incentive-something that induces people to act Rational people respond when marginal benefit or costs change Public policies change benefits and cost and can come with unwanted consequences that were not previously predicted Example-Automobile price rises-buyers buy less cars and car producers hire more workers and produce more cars Principle 5- Trade can make everyone better off No one wins and loses with trade Traders are allowed to specialize in whatShow MoreRelatedKey Principles of Economics1453 Words à |à 6 Pagesunderstanding of how the world works. It is the study of how people choose to use resources to improve their well-being. According to Samuelson (1948) ââ¬Å"Economics is the study of how societies use scarce resources to produce valuable commodities and distribute them among different people.â⬠This paper will outline the 10 key principles of economics. These principles are grouped into the three 3 categories of ââ¬Å"How people make decisionâ⬠, ââ¬Å"How people interactâ⬠and ââ¬Å"How the economy works as a whole and willRead MoreRisk Reward and Fracking1326 Words à |à 6 Pagesthe article that focus on key principle and indices of economics and based on the decision made by our leaders could possibly determine our fate in an economy that is trying to rebuild. Therefore, throughout this work the goal is to explain how the following three economic princ iples, people face trade offs, trade can make everyone better off, and governments can improve market outcomes relate to the petroleum boom in the United States. Once the economic principles are explained defining and identifyingRead MoreEconomic Guide to Everyday Life Decisions Essay522 Words à |à 3 Pagesthe study of how people seek to satisfy their needs and wants by making choice. Because we all have limited resources, we have to make decisions daily. For example, gasoline. Are we going to stop at the first stop on the way home or are we going to check the price first and get gas in the morning. When decisions are made, they are usually based on supply and demand Demand shows us how much of a product consumers are willing to buy. If the price of gas is $3.50, people would like to purchaseRead MorePersonal Economic Decisions1455 Words à |à 6 PagesEconomic Decisions How People Make Economic Decisions People make economic decisions on a daily basis, from choosing to go to the grocery store and cook dinner or going out to eat. While in the general scheme of things this is a relatively small decision to make it still can have impact on the economy. Yet a decision for a family to have a child is more of a major decision and has far more of an impact on the economy then a dinner decision. There are four basic principles to economic decision makingRead MoreEssay Marginal Benefits And Marginal Costs703 Words à |à 3 PagesApril 27, 2015 Economics There are four principals of decision making: People face trade-off The cost of something is what you give up to get it Rational people think at the margin People respond to incentives The first principle can be summarized with the following phrase ââ¬Å"Thereââ¬â¢s never a free lunchâ⬠every time that you need something you have to give something in return. One example is an employee that needs a particular day off. He could just miss work and not get paid or ask for a change of scheduleRead MoreHow People Make Economic Decisions Essay672 Words à |à 3 PagesIn order to do this, there are 4 principles of individual decision-making: facing trade-offs, evaluating what one is giving up to obtain their goal, thinking at the margin, and responding to incentives. The first principle in individual decision-making is facing a trade-off. In order for individuals to accomplish their goals or to obtain something they desire, there is usually something that must be given up or traded to accomplish that. In Chapter 1 Principles of Economics, efficiency vs. equityRead MoreTaxation And Subsidy Policy : An Example Of A New Fire Department Essay1015 Words à |à 5 Pagespositive externality is the building of a new fire department or emergency health care facility in a neighbor to improve the accessibility and efficiency of emergency care. This should be a subsidy policy because it will benefit more than just the people who are in desperate need, which will promote a positive externality. 2. What 2 kinds of government policy can internalize an externality? Give an example of Negative Externalities for private goods. Which policy do you recommend in this case?Read MorePeople Face Trade-Offs645 Words à |à 3 PagesPeople deal with plenty of choices in their everyday lives. At the moment we open our eyes, we have to make decisions. For instance, should we get up and prepare ourselves for a new day, or should we continue resting in our beds? Even after when we have made this decision, we will still face choices after choices. However, we cannot get all the things we want as according to Mankiw, scarcity exists in our society. In other words, scarcity means that society has limited resources and therefore cannotRead MoreA Brief Note On People Face Trade Offs982 Words à |à 4 PagesPeople Face Trade-Offs In this assignment, it is evident that I have only one semester left to graduate and I have enough finances to do a maximum of four courses. Three of the courses are required courses and the last course slot is elective. I will have to narrow down my choices to three electives and based on two economic decision-making principles, I will provide and support my choice. To begin with, in the scenario, I have three different courses and I have to select one. The three coursesRead MoreTen Principles Of Economics And The Data Of Macroeconomics Essay1216 Words à |à 5 PagesTen Principles of Economics and the Data of Macroeconomics Mankiw explains that economics is the study of how society manages its scarce resources. And, how the combined choices of millions of households and firms determine how those resources are allocated. To understand these complex concepts, economists must study how people make decisions, how people interact with other people, and the forces and trends that affect the entire economy (p. 16). To do so, economists assume many roles. Economists
The Function Of A Video Game - 751 Words
The function of a video game is to entertain billions of players around the world. This does not mean that they are good, some gamers are just so bliss sometimes not to realize how major of an influence an inanimate object has on them. This inquires the justification that games cause people to act in a distasteful manner. That means games are harmful to the human body and can cause side effects. They are unable to tell the difference between reality and videogames. This said games are evil because they cause people to hurt others and themselves. Also many controversies were caused because of videogame. As the average human people plays a videogame the amygdala(aggression) becomes very active, so active that it empowers premotor cortex which help us self-restraint. For example,ââ¬Å"60% of middle school boys and 40% of middle school girls who played at least one Mature-rated (M-rated) game hit or beat up someone, compared with 39% of boys and 14% of girls who did not play M-rated games.â⬠a fact gaven by procon.org showing that violence in games do add to a violence in a human being and it has been affecting other students that had done nothing wrong. Why do you think it is required even by law that their must be an indication if it is violent or not like at October 7,2005 when California passed the law that required violent videogames to include an 18 label. Further more, A 2015 peer-reviewed study found compelling evidence that the use of realistic controllers can have aShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Female Body Function On Video Games844 Words à |à 4 Pagesexplained h ow did female body function in video games work. Male and female are not fairly equal at all because ââ¬Å"through which women and girls look to determine their own worth and men and boys may use to form expectations of femalesâ⬠represents female charactersââ¬â¢ own worth have to depend on male expectations which is inequality due to sexual differences. Video games created male and female characters with different body image so players can start to judge the game just by looking at fake charactersRead MoreThe Effects of Video Games and Violence 1169 Words à |à 5 Pagescentury, video games have become quite an attraction among people of all ages and culture. A statistic showed that the age bracket for video gaming ranges from eight to forty year olds (Baran, 2012). With the (moving ahead or up) of technology, video games also have (moving ahead or up) in its interest in whats lifelike and real and (types of writing or art). The technologies allowed video games to become very fancy (or smart) and realistic. This type of (moving ahead or up) had brought the Video gamingRead MoreVideo Games and Sociological Theory Essay600 Words à |à 3 PagesVideo Games and Sociological Theory July 22, 2012 Video games have become as pervasive an aspect of our society as television, with many people spending more time playing video games than watching television. There are many perspectives with which to gauge videos gamesââ¬â¢ effect on society, from a functionalist, conflict or interactionist perspective. (Schaefer, 2011) Each of these sociological theories can provide a different view of video games, how they affect society and the subculturesRead MoreVideo Games Have A Negative Influence On Young People1376 Words à |à 6 Pagessociety often depicts video games to have a negative influence on young people. However, playing video games is more beneficial than people would think. Playing video games has many advantages, such as they help increase and develop cognitive functions, mental health, and more often than most they are educational. Gee, James Paul. What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. Palgrave Macmillan, 2007. This book looks at the educational level of what video games have to teach us. GeeRead MoreVideo Games Enhance Cognitive Skills1372 Words à |à 6 PagesDespite video games being known for promoting anger and becoming addictive, it is shown that in recent studies some video games enhance cognitive skills. It is seen that action games enhance cognitive skills and that ââ¬Å"brain trainingâ⬠games do very little in improving these skills because of lack in critical features. In fairly recent studies about neuroplasticity in the brain, Daphne Bavelier and C. Shawn Green stumbled upon a discovery that certain participants were scoring well above averageRead MoreDo Violent Video Games Promote Teen Aggression and Violence? 670 Words à |à 3 Pagesteenagers playing video games and how it affects the youth mentally. Heavy consumption of violence video games does indeed stimulate a change reaction in the brain waves, but there is no hard evidence stating that those changes causes teenagers to act aggressively and violently. On the contrary, it is a popular beliefs that violence video games does indeed causes teenagers to displayed unpleasant behaviors and actions because that is what they learned and observed from the games. Therefore, parentsRead MoreHow Can Society Assist Successful Aging?1586 Words à |à 7 Pagesimprove a specific cognitive function. The following essay will address the question, how can brain training programs assist in successful ag ing? In particular, this essay will address this question with a specific look at ââ¬Ëprocessing speedââ¬â¢. Processing speed can be defined as the Speed of processing refers to the ââ¬Å"speed with which many processing operations can be executedâ⬠and how quickly an individual can respond to stimuli. Processing speed is an integral cognitive function and has an enormous effectRead MoreViolent Video Games Should Be Banned Essay1432 Words à |à 6 Pagesviolent video game become more and more advanced. The effects of media violence on video games has been increasing in peopleââ¬â¢s daily life. It is still be an issue and have a lot of debate on whether or not violent video games should be banned. In this essay, violent video games can be defined by RWJF Blog Team as those video game which represent violence as the best or only way to resolve conflict.( Pioneering ideas 2010). This essay will discussed by two reasons for violent video game shouldRead MoreVideo Gaming And High Performance Gamming Computers1201 Words à |à 5 Pagesthat of a movie. Along with games the hardware use to run those games has also evolved to some of the most advanced technologyââ¬â¢s we know. With this new hardware there are different type of systems classifications like consoles, and high performance gamming computers. Among these two classifications I believe the gamming pcââ¬â¢s are better than consoles. Here I am going to go over why I believe this based on price, functions available, control of functionality, choices of games, and community size. ToRead MoreResults And Selection Of Study Selection Process Essay1517 Words à |à 7 Pagesinstitutions, or were community-dwelling. Relevant conditions reported were dementia and MCI. However, the majority of participants were healthy older adults. The interventions utilised included the Nintendo WiiTM, Xbox 360, non-action video games, exergames, online game suites, exercise programs used on iPads, and cognitive training programs. Furthermore, the frequency of the interventions ranged from 3 to 24 weeks, and lasted 20 to 90 minutes per session. The outcome measures used included attention
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Managing People and Organisations
Questions: 1. What is meant by the cultural values of individualism and masculinity or femininity? 2. How might these values affect organisation design and management processes? Answers: (1). Greet Hofstede, has studied very carefully the interaction that is there between the cultures. The definition of the culture of individualism is a definition that has been propounded by him. According to this Dutch psychologist those cultures that follow the individualistic culture or rather individualistic in nature then, they actually focus more on the personal goals (News.telelangue.com 2016). According to Greet Hofstede, there are certain, characteristic, which are typically male masculine characteristics. Thus, these characteristics are termed as the masculine characteristic and this include characteristics such as, assertiveness, ambition, materialism and power. On the other hand, there are certain characteristics that are considered as stereotypically feminine in nature. The feminine characteristic includes, values, such as, human values. The culture, or rather those cultures who give more importance to masculinity, there always lays a gender inequality (Samson and Daft 2016). Moreover, the masculine cultures are generally more ambitious and at the same time, these cultures are more competitive in nature and characteristic. On the other hand, the characteristic of that culture that are giving more emphasis to the feminine cultures tends to give higher values on building relationship as well. The feminine cultures do not have that much of gender inequality at the same t ime. (2). The culture of individualism, masculinity and femininity that is there in each country determines the culture of the organization. For instance, the culture of Japan has such a business ethos that give more emphasis to the things like fixed gender roles. Apart from giving importance on the fixed gender roles the organizations established in Japan, give importance to the structure of the organization at the same time. The organizations in Japan also set the long-term orientation at the same time (Bashir et al 2013). Most of the big multi national corporations are operating all over the world; therefore, these MNCs should be aware of the cultural structure of the countries that are there in different parts of the world. According to many scholars and critics, the big corporations or the MNCs, should actually develop a high cultural index or CQ. In unknown countries the managers, many face unfamiliar situation and to combat this unfamiliar situation it is important that the managers should have high cultural index. The cultural index is made up of different components and this includes not only the physical components but at the same time, it includes the emotional component and at the same times the cognitive component at the same time. The social as well as the cultural patterns are different in different countries; therefore, the leadership style of the manager too changes with the pattern at the same time. Therefore, it is important for the manager to be aware of the cultural index of different countries. Thus, the Greet cultural values of individualism and masculinity or femininity, are important for the organizations as these effect the culture of the organization. Especially in the era of globalization, the effect is more than anything else is (Gallant 2013). References Bashir, M., Jianqiao, L., Abrar, M. and Ghazanfar, F. (2013). The organizations cultural values: A study of public sector universities in Pakistan. 1st ed. Gallant, M. (2013). The Business of Culture: How Culture Affects Management Around the World. Halogen Software Talent Management Blog. News.telelangue.com. (2016). Geert Hofstede and cultural-dimensions theoryan overview | WorldSpeaking. Samson, D. and Daft, R. (2016). Management.
Elimination of Ghettos free essay sample
A look at the process undertaken by the Nazis in the Holocaust of emptying the ghettos of people. This paper studies the process of elimination the Jewish ghettos in World War Two Europe. It explains the logic behind the concept of the ghetto and how they finally became unmanageable. The writer looks at how the elimination of the ghetto Jews fit into the overall aim of the Nazis to wipe out the entire Jewish population of Europe. Ghettos mentioned are Lodz and Warsaw. It shows how they were sent to concentration camps and finally to their death. In 1939, a decree was issued by the Chief of the German Security Police, which outlined certain procedures for the treatment of all Jews in the German occupied territories. Through this decree, all the Jews were to be isolated, identified, and contained in ghettos, primarily to be used as slave labor, but with the ulterior motive of their mass execution. We will write a custom essay sample on Elimination of Ghettos or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Hence, a pre-planned and systematic strategy was adopted by Hitlers regime, which not only identified and segregated all the Jews, but their property and the German State seized assets. Since most of the Jews populated the rural country-side, they were systematically brought to the cities to live in these newly created ghettos. These ghettos were usually cut off from their surroundings by barbed wires or high walls with mounted guards. These ghettos eventually became overcrowded, and lacking the basic facilities of water, sanitation, fuel, and constant threat of epidemics, the Jewish population began to suffer from a high mortality rate within the walls of their new surroundings.
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Being a Farm Kid free essay sample
Hick, backwards, redneck, stupid, bumpkin. These are all fine names given to persons that work to feed and clothe the world by certain persons who have no idea what they are talking about. However, there are some people that know very well what it really means to live the life of an agriculturalist. Those that know the best are the ones that have grown up on farms. Being a farm kid means that I know everyone within five miles of where I live. It also means knowing all of their quirks, and the quirks of their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. By just hearing a last name, I can usually assume the character of that person. We also have to overlook those things at times for the sake of neighborliness. Neighborliness takes on many forms, be it pulling cars out of ditches or clearing driveways after snowstorms, to taking food to a neighbor after a death or illness. We will write a custom essay sample on Being a Farm Kid or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Being a farm kid also means having a sense of tradition. Itââ¬â¢s being able to stand atop a windmill tower and see, in one broad glance, the farms where my great-grandfather, grandfather, father, and I, myself, grew up. A true farm kid calls areas by long gone one-room schools and pieces of property by the families that farmed the land in their parentsââ¬â¢ youth, such as ââ¬Å"the Teigesââ¬â¢ placeâ⬠or ââ¬Å"north of Liberty Center School (which closed in the 1940ââ¬â¢s).â⬠I can also walk through the local cemetery and know 99% of the names. Not only that, but I can also pronounce the pure German, or other nationality, names that trip up even the best telemarketer. Being a farm kid instills me with a sense of pride. A true farm kid, while maybe a little ornery, will be a good person and a responsible citizen for the simple fact that a person should be. A farm kid finds the reaction people give when they figure out his dad has a masterââ¬â¢s degree amus ing. It also means taking pride in agriculture. A farm kidââ¬â¢s blood will almost always boil at the thought of animal activists and ââ¬Å"pure foodâ⬠yuppies. Being a farm kid means being spiritual. In addition to being spiritual, the church is often the central social hub for the community and plays a big part in rural life. Be it 5th Sunday dinners, weekly church services, or Vacation Bible School, a farm kidââ¬â¢s life would be incomplete without church. But a farm kidââ¬â¢s spirituality goes much further than just words on Sunday morning. Farming brings together human and earth more than any other profession. Whether itââ¬â¢s watching a summer storm roll across the northern part of the county from a hilltop, or running among the rows of wheat, soybeans, or milo, farm life constantly fills a person with wonder at the power of whatever being put this silly planet together. Being a farm kid means doing work. A farm kid may spend his weekends, summer, and free time doing any number of tasks, from helping with harvest to clearing brush out of a pasture. We are also expected to complete these things in a timely manner and with very little complaining. Farm kids will also find themselves at play amongst machinery and chemicals. They will soon learn to be safe, though, whether itââ¬â¢s by being yelled at for getting to close to the chainsaw or being told that the fly liquid that goes on the calves will kill you. I also learned that shorts mean scratched up legs, but I still wear them. Being a farm kid means living a hard life. At an early age, farm kids realize that death is a fact of life, whether itââ¬â¢s the calf that wasnââ¬â¢t born right or the raccoon that got in the hen house. At times, it feels like the little valley that I call home and have, on so many occasions, been glad to see, is like an enclosure keeping me there. Farm kids also learn early about finances because farm parents donââ¬â¢t try hard to keep talks about money behind closed doors. While most kids wonââ¬â¢t have to hear about complete financial devastation, it can be a little frightening at times. When it comes to a social life, a farm kidââ¬â¢s is limited, at best, due to the seclusion of the country. My curfew is always 30 minutes sooner than what my parents say because it will take me at least that long to get home. There is also the age-old question for male farm kids: ââ¬Å"Will you return to the farm?â⬠Most kids donââ¬â¢t really decide what they will do when they grow up until their junior year of high school at the earliest, but farm kids are faced with this question from the time they can talk. And itââ¬â¢s no easy decision. While farm life isnââ¬â¢t easy, it offers a way of living that defines a person. The next time you hear a person talking about hicks or rednecks, remember that farm kids are normal people. We might live a hard life, but that we enjoy it. Oh, and youââ¬â¢d be naked and hungry with out us.
Marketing Reflection Paper free essay sample
What was your firmââ¬â¢s marketing strategy? How would you rate your performance (less than 1 page)? Cheetah Corp. as many other corporations has a customer oriented marketing focus is on customer needs and satisfaction. Cheetah Corp. caters to the needs and requirements of the existing and future customers, and uses resources to gather new consumers. Each time we opened to other markets, we created content and published to give information about our new computers and services to potential customers. To influence our potential customers we used advertisement ads highlighting their preferences and most have list. This strategy was possible with database provided in the simulation giving us the opportunity to create customized communication strategies through our newspaper in order to promote our new products and services. Opening to other diversities and cultures in terms of beliefs, expectations, tastes and needs and then create a customized marketing plan to target those consumers effectively. Our performance was good, but it can improve. As now we are the number one on sales and market share. LO1: Explain the ââ¬Å"marketing conceptâ⬠and its strategic importance to business performance Our marketing concept and strategy that we used to focus on keeping and improving relationships with current customers was learning from our database their needs/preferences, their market, amount willing to pay, and physical location to determine their culture. By reviewing customersââ¬â¢ needs and wants we were able to identify Workhorse price was the number one in their list of importance, while Mercedes was too much concerned about price. Mercedes number one priority was ââ¬Å"can work on multiple complex tasksâ⬠while Workhouse and Travelers did not care as much about this feature. Under ââ¬Å"Segment by applicationsâ⬠we were able to identify Mercedes was not concern as much as Workhorse. Mercedes was more concern about ââ¬Å"engineering/designâ⬠than Travelers and Warhorse. This gave us the ability to focus on pleasing our customers accordingly. The ability to know their price willing to pay allows us to be reasonable and competitive with our cost of production and selling price. Develop and execute a marketing plan Clarify business objectives and strategy while executing our plan. Thereââ¬â¢s so much going on in the simulation marketing exercise, each team is struggling to keep up. At the same time, each team feels pressure to be ââ¬Å"progressiveâ⬠and actively integrate emerging media and strategies to be able to gain market share at all cost. Now each group is looking and analyzing what strategies the other groups are using, what mistakes are they committing. Once this valuable information is on other groups hands everything starts to get more competitive and a minimum error could cause devastating consequences. Even while we are ahead of the game and in Q2 we were far from the other groups, each quarter the other groups are getting closer and closer. The execution of the plan wasââ¬â¢ a good marketing strategy since we did not necessarily focused is on many gadgets and instead we focused in a simple marketing approach. We selected Mercedes since they were willing to pay high price for quality and their market share was very competitive. We discussed possible Innovation and opportunities to Identify, evaluate and activate emerging opportunities. We are now focusing in creating compelling advertising campaigns that would get the consumerââ¬â¢s attention and drive awareness. Once potential customers were aware of the product, direct sales and retail promotions could then close the deal. LO3: Analyze marketing situations, offer solutions, and justify recommendations We analyzed the industry current size by market place to determine future expansions, sales people, support and training. Our target market, based on our performance we analyzed with detail the possibility and financial capacity to enter other markets and what strategies are we going to use to design our new computer, determine the right prices, services and the right marketing ads. Distinguishing characteristics of our potential customers allowed us to enter the right computer products, the right price, the right marketing approach based on location, historical data and a big piece was taking the risks and chances. The size of the primary target market is our main focus and our goal is to get stronger with Mercedes until the numbers tells us the opposite. New locations and how much market share can we gain the market share percentage and number of customers we expect to obtain in the defined geographic areas. We are now present in all places we the hope of getting market share from our competitors. We still are looking at their strategies, learning from the successes and also from their mistakes. Our current pricing and gross margin targets, at this level weà are going to focus on price reduction new attractive ads, new and better computer features. We still have room for improvement and our disadvantage still in our competitorââ¬â¢s knowledge and performance improvement. LO4: Identify and address the ethical and legal issues related to a firmââ¬â¢s marketing activities Fortunately we did not have any ethical or legal related issues in our firm. These issues may affect the competition in a positive way. One the reputation of any company has broken it would take a lot of effort to remedy it. Putting the competition in advantage and will gain good reputation over issues over truth and honesty. LO5: Apply marketing concepts and tools to solve business problems in your work environment I work in the healthcare industry, and my company has gain market share rapidly by focusing on customers and their needs. Their marketing has improved as well by utilizing the right approach and creating new opportunities for physicians with better and more attractive compensation and benefits. This strategy was very clever if you think about what runs patient levels. Another strategy was the media, performance improvement, employee satisfaction/retention and the publicity about it. With the new reforms the healthcare industry is getting more competitive as our simulation is, and the reasons are very similar ââ¬Å"competition and performance improvementâ⬠. The healthcare industry has been evaluated and this performance is now public and at the same time the scores would determine the amount Medicare would reimburse. Conclusion I was able to learn about fundamental strategic marketing concepts, experience essential marketing tools, such as: marketing plan, master market and competitive analysis, combine tactical implementation with long-term strategy, broaden the long-term focus, design brands, design appropriate and accurate ads, set the right selling prices, adequately hire, train and sales people, analysis profits and performance, pay attention to details, learn from competition mistakes and successes.
Thursday, November 28, 2019
In The Next Twenty Years, The World Will Have Solved The Major Problem
In the next twenty years, the world will have solved the major problems of transportation today. Global warming news will no longer be splashed over news screens nation wide. Traffic jams will be a thing of the past as some cars take to the air. In fact, traffic jams will be documented at the Smithsonian to ensure future generations have a sense of what traffic jams were. The next twenty years will see huge advancements in the area of transportation making life much more enjoyable for all. In numerous cities across the country, the personal automobile is the single greatest polluter. Emissions from millions of vehicles on the road add up and cause the global warming problem talked of earlier. The solution is to have much more efficient vehicles that produce fewer emissions with every mile. This is why in twenty years the electric vehicle, or EV as most scientists refer to it, will see its nation wide introduction to roads everywhere. Electric vehicles are actually present in the world today. Unfortunately, the price of these EVs well exceeds the price of a normal car. In twenty years however, the price of these vehicles will have dropped dramatically with the new invention of the flying car swaying people's interest. Any normal middle class family would be able to afford at least two of these electrically powered vehicles. While the families will be benefiting from not having to buy gas every week, the environment will benefit by not taking in as much emissions as in the past. Electric vehicles or EVs, are vehicles that are powered by an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine. EVs use electricity as the fuel instead of gasoline or some other combustible fuel. The power for the vehicle is stored in many large batteries in the bottom of the car, from there the power goes to a power regulator where it is changed from DC power to AC power. The engine only has one moving part, which send the power directly to the wheels. Therefore, it does all the primary functions of a gas engine with no emissions. The major auto manufacturers are producing high-performance electric vehicles now, such as General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, and many foreign companies as well, in a wide range of style and sizes. They include passenger cars, mini-vans, sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks. Also there are some EVs as small as bicycles and motor scooters and as large as busses. The EV is environmentally friendly. Electric vehicles are today's zero-emission vehicles. The EV releases no pollutant because it has no tailpipe making it safe for the environment. Instead of gas stations, EVs get their fuel from electric power stations. An electric powered engine has many has many benefits over a gas engine in the comfort department as well. EVs offer a quiet fume-free, smooth driving experience. Since the motor does not operate when the vehicle is at a stop, an EV has no idle noises. EVs provide fast acceleration by delivering power instantly to the wheels by providing high torque at low speeds, they give a feel of smooth and quick responsiveness. Well-designed EVs like those produced by major auto companies, travel at speeds equivalent to conventional vehicles and offer all the same safety and high-speed performance features. The EV also has low operating costs. The per-mile fuel cost of operating an EV can be less than one-third that of a gasoline-powered car. EV owners also say good-bye to many familiar maintenance costs, no more tune-ups, oil changes or muffler replacements. Another advantage of an EV is the convince of no gas stations. EV drivers like that refueling or reenergizing can be done overnight, easily and safely at home or at public locations like shopping centers, where electric charging units have been installed. Electric vehicles are very safe. The EVs produced by major companies meet all safety requirements. As the EV becomes more popular, the safety record is being monitored closely. To date, findings are positive and have shown that numerous EV vehicles maximize safety. For example EVs have a lower center of gravity that makes them less likely to roll over. EVs also have less potential for major fires or explosions. The body construction and durability of EVs enhance the vehicle safety in an accident. What is more truly amazing than the Ev? This question is simply answered in the M400 model flying car. At skypadtech.com, they are taking orders on the M400 model flying car. For a mere 899,000 thousand dollars, this flying car will take
Unity and Diversity in Spiritual Care free essay sample
Spiritual needs, and psychosocial needs are much less tangible than physical needs, because they are often abstract, complex and more difficult to measure. These more intangible needs have frequently been given a much lower priority than needs which are more obvious and more easily measurable. Spiritual needs, if expressed outside of a religious framework, are very likely to go unnoticed. So if we are to identify spiritual needs and provide spiritual care, its first necessary to have some understanding of the nature of spirituality and how it may be expressed by different individuals. In Australian society, and therefore in our health care setting, we encounter a diversity of cultures, philosophies and religious traditions, as well as individuals who have no clearly defined philosophy or belief system. Therefore its important that we develop some general definitions which can help us to recognise spiritual needs when we encounter them in our clients. We will write a custom essay sample on Unity and Diversity in Spiritual Care or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In recent years, a number of definitions have emerged which are helpful both for defining spirituality, and differentiating between spiritual needs and religious or psychosocial needs. Simsen defines spirituality by saying THE SPIRIT is that part of man which is concerned with the ultimate meaning of things and with a persons relationship to that which transcends the material. (Simsen, 1985:10) Moberg says it is The totality of mans inner resources, the ultimate concerns around which all other values are focussed, the central philosophy of life which influences all individual and social behaviour. (Moberg, 1979) SPIRITUAL NEED has been variously defined as, Any factor that is necessary (requisite, indispensable) to support the spiritual strengths of a person or to diminish the spiritual deficits. (Simsen, 1985:10). The lack of any factor or factors necessary to maintain a persons dynamic relationship with God/Deity (as defined by that person). (Stallwood, 1975: 1088), and That re quirement which touches the core of ones being where the search for personal meaning takes place. (Colliton, 1981: 492). I find all these definitions helpful because together they give a comprehensive (though not exhaustive) picture of what we are aiming to do in giving spiritual care. We need to realise however that spirituality may not always be expressed within a religious framework. Therefore we need to make a distinction between spirituality and religion. One definition of RELIGION is, a framework of spiritual beliefs, a code of ethics and a philosophy that governs a persons activity in pursuit of that which he holds as supreme, his God. In the book, Nursing and Spiritual Care, McGilloway says, Religion helps people answer basic questions about life and death and the unexplained happenings in the world around them. McGilloway, 1985: 23) As these definitions demonstrate, spirituality is not limited to religious affiliation and practices, but is a much broader concept. Another difficulty in identifying spiritual need is that we can fail to make the distinction between spiritual needs and psychosocial needs, since they are not always opposites, and may in fact overlap. A model I find helpful in clarifying this, is one that describes a person in terms of three di mensions. (1) The PHYSICAL or biological dimension which relates to the world around us through our five senses. 2) The PSYCHOSOCIAL dimension which relates to self and others, and involves our emotions, moral sense, intellect and will. (3) The SPIRITUAL dimension which transcends physical and psychosocial dimensions and has the capacity to relate to a higher being. (Stallwood, 1975: 1087) These three dimensions are distinct but overlapping. They cannot be sealed in separate compartments. A crisis or illness affecting our physical body will invariably affect the other dimensions as well. SPIRITUALITY IN NURSING TODAY How does nursing today view spiritual care? For a long time, nursing literature concerning spiritual care was directed towards belief systems and religious practices. If considered at all, it was largely defined in a very narrow way as relating to frankly religious functions and intervention limited (at least officially) to calling the hospital chaplain. Regardless of that, we were often confronted with spiritual need and recognised at least the more overt expressions of this. For example, statements such as God must be punishing me or questions like, Nurse, do you think there is anything after death? were recognised as indicating a spiritual concern. By the late 1960s and 1970s the nursing literature had begun to reveal a growing interest in the spiritual, as well as the psychosocial and emotional aspects of nursing care. Nursing theorists of this era saw the human person as an integrated whole with different dimensions or capabilities (as they put it) for discerning the world around and within. Their writings suggest that when they spoke of spirituality or spiritual need, they had in mind a much broader concept than just religious or denominational adherence and practice. In 1971, Joyce Travelbee declared, A nurse does not only seek to alleviate physical pain or render physical care she ministers to the whole person. The existence of suffering, whether physical, mental or spiritual is the proper concern of the nurse. 4 (Travelbee, 1971: 159). Here we see clear evidence of a return to the traditional focus of nursing, a concern for the whole person. This focus is even more evident today. The North American Diagnosis Association [NANDA] approved list of Nursing Diagnoses which is widely used in Australia, includes SPIRITUAL DISTRESS which is described as, Distress of the human spirit; disruption in the life principle that pervades a persons entire being and integrates and transcends ones biological and psychosocial nature. (Alfaro, 1990: 203) This classification, first approved in its present form in 1988, recognises that suffering extends beyond the physical, mental and emotional. Spiritual care can be a natural part of total care which fits easily into the nursing process of assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation. Placing spiritual need and spiritual care within this framework, has proved to be very helpful, for both philosophical and practical reasons. Firstly spiritual care can become more tangible as well as more assessable. And s econdly, the types of knowledge utilised by the Nursing Process practice wisdom, ethics of practice, and scientific knowledge (Ziegler et al, 1986:14-18) are all relevant to assessing piritual needs and planning spiritual care. It can also then be documented in nursing care plans, to ensure a continuity of care. Like all other areas of care, spiritual care should be a team effort. If spiritual needs are accurately assessed and documented, all staff will be encouraged to see that care is provided. Members of the team who for any reason, dont feel comfortable about providing that care themselves, w ill be able to use referral. The result will be a united approach to spiritual care which is seen as a natural part of nursing practice.
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Labor Unions in 1900 essays
Labor Unions in 1900 essays Would you have joined a Labor Union in 1900? I believe that in 1900 I would have been torn over whether or not to join a labor union. Prior to 1900, people had organized together, but they really had no clout. Even though they stood up for what they believed, in the end, the federal government always stepped in on the side of business. Oftentimes, many people were killed during the process. For example, in 1877 when the four largest railroad companies got together and decided to cut their employees salaries by ten percent, the workers struck back in defense. However, President Hayes called in federal troops. After a few weeks, the battle between the workers and the soldiers ended, but over 100 people were killed. There were also strikes by steelworkers and silver miners in 1892, in which federal troops were called in, and several people ended up dying in these incidents as well. Employers could bribe politicians, as well as hire scabs to replace the striking workers. After President Garfield was killed, politicians were forced into reforming the spoils system-giving appointed positions to loyal members of the party in power. This placed many politicians in the position of looking elsewhere for money. Therefore, they turned to where the money was-the big corporations. With campaign money coming from the big corporations, they could bribe politicians into doing what they wanted because they were donating so much money. Employers could also force workers to sign a yellow dog contract stating they would not join a union as a requirement for employment. Then, if a worker joined a union after signing this contract, the employee could be blacklisted and no other business would hire him. Many workers lived in company housing and shopped at company-owned stores. Therefore, the corporations had the upper hand. The employee had not much of a choice but to bow down to the employers demand ...
Treaty Of Versailles essays
Treaty Of Versailles essays On June 28 1914, the war had started with the shooting of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. On 28 June 1919, exactly five years and about 9 million dead soldiers later, the Treaty of Versailles was signed by defeated Germany. Germanys nose was in the dirt and the allies meant to keep it there. At the treaty of Versailles, Germany and the other Central powers agreed to repay every cent of damage caused by the war. This was known as the reparations and the final amount was fixed at the huge some 30 billion gold marks (at least two zeros more for todays value) plus interest payable over thirty years. The Peace Treaty of Versailles wasnt a real success. The Versailles Treaty left many questions unanswered and did not fully settle the questions. The pact couldnt reverse the tendency initiated by World War I. Generally the Allies attempted to create a status when it all began, which lead to instability and created the Second Great War in Europe. The unsympathetic settlement with Germany left it weak and opened the door for military opportunists, like Adolf Hitler. The Allied nations wanted to keep Germany at the bottom level; most of the leaders were determined to crush Germany and her possessions. Thus, the Versailles Treaty had altered its articles, according to the widespread hatred towards Germany. Consequently, Germany was blamed as the instigator of WWI. The outstanding figures in the negotiations leading to the treaty were Woodrow Wilson for the United States, Georges Clemenceau for France, David Lloyd George for England, and Vittorio Emmanuelle Orlando for Italy-the so-called Big Four. U.S President Woodrow Wilson insisted that Germany should be treated fairly with justice and honor so that they would not want to get revenge in the future. In fact the United States had suffered only few casualties compared to other allied countries. President Wilson also suggested that a Le...
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Logistics systems development Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Logistics systems development - Research Paper Example It focuses on material handling, waste management, packaging and transport.â⬠(Rodrigue, Comtois & Slack, 2009). Pollution has become a major issue of concern in regard to logistics, as logistics firms are opting for heavy goods vehicles, which emit airborne pollutants such as particulate matter and gaseous toxins. If nothing is done regarding this, Co2 emissions will rise to extreme levels. It is important that the issues of green logistics must be taken seriously and solutions must be sought. The biggest challenge that logistics systems are currently facing is the creation of a sustainable society with minimum negative impact on environment. This paper discusses the problems in the development of a green logistics system, giving a detailed description of the paradoxes in green logistics, while offering a ââ¬Ëblueprintââ¬â¢ for the implementation of green logistics, concluding upon a recommended solution. Cost: Reduction of costs are perhaps the most important aspect of a logistics system from the perspective of a distributor, which may be implemented through the improvement in the packaging and efficient reduction of wastes. This will benefit the distributor as well as the consumer, but presents the problem that the environmental costs are often externalized. (Geroliminis & Daganzo, n. d). Time: The management of time mainly rests upon the integration of the supply chain, which can be most beneficial in physical distribution of products. Through integrated supply chains, it would also become more practical to provide flexibility in the system. However the paradox of this option would be that in the process of extending production, the number of retailing structures using energy options would have to be increased, resulting in increased production of emissions. Reliability: On-time distribution or reliable distribution of freight would greatly benefit the producer as it
City of Dreams Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
City of Dreams Summary - Essay Example Within the new policy they see new opportunities for people like themselves to develop personal ambitions and later, an entire China. They are happy to feel less control from Communists Party. Though they are aware of strained social situation, they believe itââ¬â¢s necessary for country to live out the period and form a middle class with a view of future prosperity, and the best they can do is to help middle class formation by personal example. At the same time a huge part of citizens appeared to be not fitted for the new economic policy. Within four years period a lot of fabric in Shanghai was closed, and about 24 million of fabric workers appeared to be unemployed (ââ¬Å"China Rises ââ¬â City of Dreamsâ⬠). Most of them have poor education and cannot manage to find a new job. To get an education is not an option too, because education system is commercial. Therefore nowadays they are trying their best to survive and provide their families and children even with basic living standards, but gaps between poor and middle class and the richest ones are huge. This causes a lot of social problems. Another thing that causes Shanghai social problems is its fast built-up development. In order to build a new houses and offices an old dwelling houses are ruined. Yet dwellers of those houses (often they are the same unemployed workers) are treated unfairly by new building investors, and government stand for the building investors, because new projects increase Shanghai economic development. To resist the suppression without jobs and homes, and also without appropriate governmental support for these people is almost impossible. Lawyers say such cases are doomed to fail. Thereââ¬â¢s too huge corruption in Shanghai governmental institutions. To my mind, countryââ¬â¢s government cannot negotiate rights of its citizens under any circumstances. To suppress one class in order to form another
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
HUNTING THE NIGHTMARE BACTERIA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
HUNTING THE NIGHTMARE BACTERIA - Essay Example Bacterial infections long before the discovery of penicillin used to result in deaths from simple infected wounds. As times progressed, scientific intervention relieved people from the fatality of sepsis. However resistant genes and bacteria seem to have brought back such infections. In the case of Addie Rerecich, a MRSA infection from a single scrape wound resulted, which aggravated upon further treatment and multiplied due to medical intervention, exacerbating her debility to the point where doctors deemed it untreatable, yet bought her some time with surgical intervention. Similarly David Ricci introduced NMD-1 into the United States, leaving doctors who had never treated a patient for such a bacteria; no choice but to quarantine him. Likewise, the alarming outbreak of KPC in New York threatened patient admission in the NIH, leaving the doctors baffled with the inability to control the spread of such a bacteria. The resistance of bacteria to antibiotics has thus posed problems for the doctors, pharmacists, microbiologists and researchers time after time due to the fact that medical resources are finite and the invading organisms are gaining strength in their pathogenicity. As a result, medicines no longer prevent their spread as efficiently as they used to. There are many possible reasons that may have fueled the growth of resistant bacteria beyond the control of health specialists. Firstly, the antibiotics are often prescribed for ailments that do not require them, which results in bacteria becoming resistant to a specific class of anti-microbial drugs. Secondly, it is due to the silent spread of these bacteria across individuals who often do not exhibit symptoms unless it is too late and the bacteria have spread. Unlike humans, the bacteria can transmit mutated genes across contaminated water and grow resistant to antibiotic medication even before they have entered their hosts. Moreover, it may also result
Personal Development Plan Template Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Personal Development Plan Template - Essay Example I felt that I wanted to be the one who organizes and plans for the department, who thinks of ways on how to improve the service we provide, who devises programs for the personnel, the patients, and the public. I wanted to be the head of the hospitalââ¬â¢s respiratory department. But of course, David Beckham did not reach his status in football by just scoring goals. For certain, it required a lot of hardships and training. And though I have already undergone some of my own, there are still skills that I need to develop to reach my goal, especially because I want to also manage the budget distribution of the department. In football, one does not just have a ball being played by his two feet; he has the ball that makes all the others follow, go where they can support the goal he has in mindââ¬âthe same goal of the whole team. And this is a characteristic of a football player that I have to develop, my leadership and management skills. Although I am very fond of reading management materials, I know that this is not going to be enough to be the head of the respiratory department. So for that, I have made some plans to meet and, hopefully, exceed the expectations of the hospital administration. As I read once in a Readerââ¬â¢s Digest, ââ¬Å"Education is the cure for all insecurities.â⬠After I receive my masterââ¬â¢s degree, I plan to take leadership seminars and management seminars here in Australia, which will include proper budget allocation. However, aside from the knowledge and skills I intend to acquire and/or develop, I realize that becoming the head of a hospital department is a great responsibility. And as any football or any other sports legend has done just to achieve their goals, something or some things need to be sacrificed; mine, is putting off being with a woman I will be with all my life. Some things are just worth sacrificing for and some things worth putting off. However, in football, the reality is that not all kicks,
Monday, November 18, 2019
Capitalism is destroying the planet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Capitalism is destroying the planet - Essay Example Therefore, in line of with endeavors of capitalists to maximize their profits by intensive and extensive exploration of the natural environment, this paper shows that capitalistsââ¬â¢ production is the root cause of environmental pollution that is posing serious dangers to survival of biodiversity, which for this case includes humanity. The driving force of capitalism has remained to be profit maximization. Serving social demands such as food, shelter, clothing and social amenities is just but a by the way. In their primary bid to maximize profits, in which none of them can shy away from being part and parcel, capitalists are driven to further accumulate wealth in any means that would give them a comparative advantage over competitors. Since their production is limited to exploring natural environment for their gains, hundreds of thousands of industries have been established. Examples include food processing, motor vehicle, and utilities that generate energy that is the driving fo rce of any economy (Sweezy 2). A capitalistic set-up is very vibrant in the sense that it has several players each pursuing their own economic goals. Such a place is characterized by closely packed business entities each engaged in some economic activity. For instance, in producing goods and services for the masses, the number of factories that have been established are increasingly occupying more space on the surface of the earth. This has the implication that more fossil fuels is being consumed to keep these factories running. Understandably, these fuels, example of which include coal, produces carbon (IV) oxide that leads to global warming. In another scenario, capitalism has encouraged unsustainable economic competition for different players in the market. For example, in the process of maximizing profits in the fish industry, capitalists have built up large fishing vessels that process fish immediately they are fished. This has the implication that the rate at which fish are be ing processed is faster that even the rate of their reproduction. The same case applies to forested areas where trees are being fell rapidly than they are planted. The unsustainable utilization of natural resources is what has raised eyebrows regarding the negative effects of capitalism. The wide spread destruction of the worldââ¬â¢s tree population for the use of manufacturing goods for large scale corporations is just the tip of the iceberg. We have developed a culture that is largely in an ââ¬Å"amnesicâ⬠state if you will. We are taught to consume and build a relationship with these products to where they are accepted in every part of our lives. These same products are increasing the CO2 emissions in the earthââ¬â¢s atmosphere to a recent all-time high of 400.03 ppm. This large increase is due to multiple things including globalized use of fossil fuels and the industrialization of production (Kempf 4). Capitalism has significantly increased the exploration of natural resources which in time increases manufacturing. This domino effect ends with increase in Carbon (IV) Oxide concentration which destroys the ozone layer by causing global warming. Increased temperature have caused melting of the ice carps thus increasing the water levels in the seas and oceans. In the event of a natural disaster such as tsunami, for example the one that hit the coastline of Indonesia in 2004, the effects are
Discuss the extent to which the Youth Justice system addresses the Essay
Discuss the extent to which the Youth Justice system addresses the problem of Youth Crime - Essay Example In US, property crimes are the most frequently committed crimes (Mungatana, 2001). Violent crimes happen when an individual threatens to harm, conspire to harm or attempts to harm someone (Finkelhor and Ormrod, 2001). Violent crimes involve the threat of force and include homicide, robbery or rape. The differences between crime and deviance are (a) crime is a violation of laws pertaining the land whereas deviance is a breach of social norms, (b) agents that control crime are judiciary and police whereas agents controlling deviance are fear of God and societal pressure, (c) society lack coercive power to control deviance while crime is checked using instruments of governments, (d) crime is criminal in nature while deviance can be non criminal or criminal, (e), most behaviors that initially were crimes are currently deviant behaviors, (f) infringement of law makes deviance behavior a crime and (d) deviance is not regarded as serious as a crime. Criminological theories that explain crime and deviance include psychological, biological and sociological perspectives. Biological perspective is a key approach when conducting psychological research and focuses on the notion that behaviors have a biological basis (wise GEEK. 2013). Sociological perspective is abroad way of viewing phenomena. The sociological perspective helps in understanding the individualââ¬â¢s behavior and provides insights about the surrounding world. Psychological perspective postulates that human behavior is the result of an individualââ¬â¢s experiences and ideas. This paper is a discussion on the extent to, which the youth justice system addresses the problem of youth crime. To aid in examination of the issues, various criminological perspective theories will be used and an in-depth evaluation of the historical process of youth justice system. The paper sides with biological perspective, which states that children are born criminals. Historically,
Friday, November 15, 2019
High Employee Turnover in the Retail Industry
High Employee Turnover in the Retail Industry Executive Summary This dissertation has been written to determine why the employee turnover in the retail industry is so high. The reason for this is that managers are not following the basic human resource principles such as offering employees competitive wages, opportunities of promotion or challenging work in order to keep employees motivated. As individuals are not motivated at work, they look elsewhere for better paid jobs where they can develop themselves further so they can progress with their careers. The researcher has also recognised that employees want flexibility at work. This is due to many of the participants of the survey having personal priorities that are more important to them such as children or studying while working. There are clear recommendations for employers stating what can be done with the intention of reducing the employee turnover rate. The most vital are that managers find out specifically why employees are leaving, this can be done by using exit interviews. Once this is determined, they will be able to pinpoint the causes for employees leaving them so that they can then make the necessary changes to keep staff attracted to the job. The study has also shown that it is of vast importance for employers to offer more flexibility in the workplace in order to be able to cater for the employees requirements. The estimated basic turnover cost for a retail assistant is à £1,425 per individual. (Taylor, S 2002:47) This total only includes the expenses of the employee leaving i.e. the paper work and the recruitment process to replace the individual. The total does not account for overtime being paid out to the individuals colleagues or temporary staffs who may be hired to fill the vacancy on a short-term basis. The employee turnover rate for people working in retail is considerably high at 31.3%; retail has the highest employee turnover rate throughout all sectors. (CBI Labour and Absence Survey 2004) The researcher has been working in sales for almost four years now and it is of great interest to the individual as to why staff turnover is so high and what can be done to prevent it and how the company can benefit from retaining staffs. To the researcher, it seems more practical to retain staffs rather then recruit new employees. If employers invested money into staffs, they may find that this will save a lot of money in recruiting and training new staffs. Aims The aims of the dissertation are to: Identify the cause of high employee turnover rates within the retail sector Find out what employees in this sector want from an organisation Establish what can be done by employers to retain people in this particular segment of the labour market. Rationale This dissertation seeks to inform businesses of how high employee turnover can be costly and time consuming which is why the well-known idiom can be used to express the basis of the dissertation: ââ¬Å"prevention is better then cure.â⬠In the business context, this relates to investing more in staff in order to retain them rather then recruiting, selecting and training new staff. High staff turnovers can influence a businesses performance as it is the employees who are in direct contact with the customers and if they are not satisfied with their jobs, they will not be providing the best service possible to the customers. Limitation: This dissertation is concerned with the retail sector as motivation and retention methods vary in different environments. The proposal does not focus on a particular company but on the retail segment as a whole in order to establish the factors, which account for retention within the sector. The study will be based in London; and will focus on individuals who have had experience of working within the retail sector. Literature Review 7.1 Definition of Employee Turnover When employees leave an organisation, several factors need to be considered which all lead to expenses on behalf of the organisation. The organisation will need somebody to cover the workload of the employee that has left the company and the process of recruiting will need to take place in order to fill the vacancy. The higher the employee turnover rate is of a business, the higher the costs will be to replace these workers which is why it is so important for businesses to calculate. To evaluate the labour turnover, the following calculation can be used: (CIPD 2004) ââ¬Å"Crude Wastage Methodâ⬠___Number of leavers in a set period_____ x100 Average number employed in the same period Once labour turnover rates have been identified, it will then be possible for the organisation to recognise the extent that staff turnover can affect them by. Reducing labour turnover will mean that less people are leaving the organisation therefore; there will be less wastage of employees so that money can be saved, as less people will need to be recruited. However, not all organisations calculate the cost of employee wastage. In fact, over 50% of organisations believe that this information is not relevant and 31% believe that it takes up too much time and is not worth the effort. (Recruitment, retention and turnover Survey, CIPD, 2004:33) If organisations do not calculate the employee turnover rate, it will be difficult for them to distinguish its affect and recognise the benefits of reducing it. 7.2 The Effect of Employee Turnover on Staff When an individual leaves a job, either a temporary replacement is hired or the workload is split between the individuals colleagues until a suitable replacement is found. Hiring temporary staff can be expensive while at the same time, giving the individuals colleagues, an increased workload will cause them further stress. If this was to happen consistently, it could be another cause for people leaving the organisation. The graph shows how employee turnover can have a knock on effect because of the impact it has on staffs. (Employee retention report, Reed, 2003:4) The employer must ensure that people are replaced as soon as possible to prevent other staffs from being put under additional stress and pressure. However, if employers tried harder to retain staffs then they would have to put less time and resources into replacing the workforce. 7.3 The Effect of Employee Turnover on the Organisation The impact of employees leaving organisations is that it leads to expenses. Replacing staffs takes up time and money, which are both valuable resources that should be saved wherever possible in order to achieve a more efficiently operated business. When a position is vacant, the amount of paid overtime can rise up to 25%, which accounts for the usual workload that is to be completed by less staffs. (Employee retention report, Reed, 2003:4) The graph shows the adverse affects that happen because of employee turnover. Reducing employee turnover will decrease expenses as the company will not have to spend as much money to hire temporary staffs, recruit new staffs or pay so for so much overtime. 7.4 The Importance of Retention from the Recruitment Stage It is important in an organisation to recruit the right person with the right skills and qualifications for the job. ââ¬Å"People who represent the best ââ¬Ëmatch in terms of their personality attributes, skills and experience are those who are likely to perform best in the job against a range of criteria. They are also the people who are most likely to remain employed for some time and the least likely to take the first available opportunity to leave.â⬠(Taylor, S 2002:171) This is essential as recruiting a person whom is inadequate to do the job would be pointless as they would not be able to complete the tasks of the job to meet the expectations of the company. Therefore, recruiting a person who is not right for the job would be a waste of time and money as the right person for the job will still need to be found for the long-term. 7.5 The Importance of Inductions Once a suitable candidate is found and hired, they will require preliminary training, which is known as an induction. This is where the employee is introduced to the company, its culture and procedures. This will help to familiarise the employee with the company and the job requirements. As a result, the employees will learn the various procedures of how the company wants to operate. Inductions are used to welcome the new employee into the organisation and ensure that they feel comfortable in performing their job role successfully. ââ¬Å"Labour turnover is frequently highest amongst those who have recently joined an organisation. The term ââ¬Ëinduction crisis is used to describe the critical period when new starters are most likely to leave. A well planned induction course can help to decrease labour turnover by ensuring that new starters settle quickly in their jobs and reach an efficient standard of performance as soon as possible.â⬠(Kenney, J and Reid, M 1990:241) The induction is a very significant part of training as if it is not carried out it can lead to the new employee feeling pressured and may lead to feeling that the job difficult to undertake. Poor or even no induction training can be the result of an employee leaving the company within the first few days or weeks of the start date. 7.6 Affects of a Quality Induction Programme Clarks is a well-established shoemaker company that has developed a valuable induction programme to ensure that its store employees are capable of achieving the companys targets. Just over 40% of the companys retail staff has already taken part in the training scheme called Shine. The programme is significantly recognised as it won a UK National Training Award. The scheme is part of a strategic plan to improve performance, productivity and employee retention. New starters receive Shine on the first day off work as on-the-job training. The new trainees are given a workbook which is similar to an employee handbook as it covers safety, the job, pay, hours, rules, selling steps, finding stock and equipment knowledge of products, shoe-care, deliveries, credit cards, cheques and refunds. The programme encourages teamwork and helps the new employees to bond together. It is clear that Clarks has recognised the importance in induction training in order to retain employees which is why the com pany has devised such a satisfactory training scheme. (ââ¬Å"Shoe shop staffs shine! In trainingâ⬠2004:91) 7.7 Retention Plan In order to retain employees, the company must first find out what is causing them to leave. As there can be a wide variety of reasons for people leaving a company, the plan is broken down into key factors: Pay and benefits: the company must be able to offer a competitive rate of pay. This is essential as if an employee can perform the same job and be paid more elsewhere then they will most probably leave the company. The company must be able to keep compete with the pay and benefits offered by rival companies. These benefits can consist of; share options, pension schemes, retention bonuses and flexible benefits Recruitment and selection: when recruiting employees it is crucial to ensure that the employees skills and abilities match what is required of the post in the company. If this is not done then the employee will have problems in carrying out the job role successfully. It is also vital to produce a truthful image of the job as if it is made to sound more glamorous or exciting then it actually is, the employees expectations will not be met therefore they will not be fulfilled in the new job thus causing them to look for a better job elsewhere. Training and development: a good induction process is imperative. Employees also need to have the chance to progress through promotion so that they will not feel like they have to be trapped in the same job. Job design: the work may be too boring or undemanding therefore the position may need redesigning or a new approach such as teamwork. This makes it easier for job-share therefore employees will be able to work when it suits them better as the job will be flexible. Management: ensure that managers and supervisors have the skills and ability to manage effectively and fairly. (Bevan, S. 1997) These are the key features, which the organisation has the control to change. The company has no control over circumstances such as people wanting to move to a different location or ill health therefore these factors cannot be influenced in order to retain employees. Motivation With the intention of retaining employees, keeping individuals motivated is another way to prevent them from leaving the organisation and to ensure that the employer is getting the best from each individual. ââ¬Å"Boredom and frustration at work is often the result of an employees lack of involvement with the companys goals and feelings that their ideas are not wanted or listened to. Companies that involve their employees in achieving company goals are able to motivate employees.â⬠(Chapman, M 1997) For individuals to fulfil their full potential this must be motivated thus The harder an employee works, the more / bigger reward(s) they should gain which will keep them motivated to continue working hard. Motivated staffs lead to a more productive workplace therefore; it will be more profitable. (Maslows Hierarchy 1954) states that people first needed to fulfil there basic needs before they can progress to achieve self-actualisation. This is best shown in a pyramid, each person first starts from the bottom and through work, the individual fulfil each stage and works his or her way up. (Maslows Hierarchy of Needs 1954) Physiological needs: food, water, air, rest Safety needs: security, job security Social needs: affection, love and friendship Esteem: recognition, achievement and status Self-actualisation: personal growth and self-fulfilment. The hierarchy of needs shows that: Employees need money to pay for necessities such as food, rent etc. This is the basis of satisfaction Employees need to know that their job is safe so that they do not have to worry about looking for a new job. It is best to work in teams to encourage socialising between employees as individuals can learn from one another and share knowledge. Employees will be motivated to work harder if they know there is a possibility of promotion. This is the hardest to achieve, as most people want to be the boss. This will take a lot of time and very hard work to achieve. Maslows theory explains how individuals have needs and by employers meeting these needs, they are able to motivate them to keep on progressing. It is vital for the needs of individuals to be met as if they are not it will lead to individuals feeling unfulfilled thus leading them to look elsewhere for another job. (Herzbergs Two Factor Theory 1968) This consists of satisfiers and hygiene factors. A satisfier is what motivates an employee, e.g. achievement, recognition, responsibility, advancement, personal growth and the actual work itself. Hygiene factors are elements that do not motivate people e.g. pay and conditions, status in the organisation, job security and benefits. The theory expresses that employees will be motivated by good wages, promotion and other benefits etc. Employees are not motivated by poor wages, poor working conditions, no job security etc. Ultimately, employers need to offer staff satisfiers to motivate them to work hard. As long as individuals are happy and fulfilled in their jobs and feel that they are progressing, they will continue to work hard and stay within the organisation. 7.9 How to find out why Employees are Leaving The organisation needs to find out why its staffs are leaving so they can then devise a plan to try to prevent this from reoccurring in the future. The methods of finding out why employees are leaving can consist of: Exit interviews: these interviews are normally held soon after the employee has resigned. The interviewer can take the opportunity to find out why the employee is leaving, the conditions under which they would have stayed and improvements the company can make in the future. Leaver questionnaires: these are either completed during the interview or sent to people once they have left the company and normally consist of closed questions to make it easier to analyse. (Leavers questionnaire are also known as Attitude Surveys) ââ¬Å"The exit interview is an increasingly common procedure when an employee leaves an organisation. Ostensibly these are conducted to gain information about the reasons for the employees departure, information which can then be used to improve human resource management.â⬠(Furnham, A 2001) Once the reasons for employees leaving has been established, they can be put into separate categories so the organisation can see what the most popular reasons are for people leaving. They can then go on to make relevant changes in order to help retain workers. 7.10 Conclusion of literature Overall, it seems that in order for the retail industry to grow, organisations must improve their retention methods to ensure they have enough employees to cope with the increase in productivity. It is the sales assistants that have the majority of contact with customers which is why it is so vital to ensure that they receive sufficient training in order to serve customers effectively and efficiently while at the same time providing a service to encourage them to come back. A key way to reduce employee turnover is to keep staffs motivated, so the industry will be investigated to find out how this is done and how successful current methods are. The employee turnover rate is so high within the industry so there must be something that is going wrong to cause such a high turnover rate. Exit interviews seem to be the most crucial method of finding out why people are leaving the industry. It is vital to find out why people are leaving so that action can be taken to prevent staffs to from leaving for the same reasons in the future. Therefore, it will be important to find out if retail organisations carry out exit interviews; and if they do not, then why not? 8. Methodology 8.1 Introduction There are varieties of methods that can be put into practice to assist the researcher to seek out relevant information in order to find out the answer to the research question. Examples of such methods are; observations, case studies, interviews, questionnaires and focus groups. If would be difficult to make observations to find out why people are leaving their retail jobs as people resigning can happen randomly so its not guaranteed to happen when the researcher has scheduled to make an observation. Case studies will not be used as the dissertation is based on the retail industry as a whole, not on specific shops or department stores. Interviews will not be used either as although they lead to a large amount of information being uncovered, they take up quite a lot of time of so the amount of people being interviewed will be limited. A broad selection of peoples opinions need to be taken into consideration therefore, the researcher has chosen to use focus groups and questionnaires in order to obtain both qualitative and quantitative information. As the study is based on the whole retail industry, a wide variety of people who have worked or still work in retail need to be targeted to find out the main causes of employee turnover within the sector. The study will be based on primary research, which will be put into practise to find out peoples viewpoints of the topic. 8.2 Primary Research It will be ideal to use questionnaires to find out information, as it seems to be the most efficient way to use a large sample so a wide amount of information can be collected. Another advantage of using questionnaires is that they are not very time-consuming therefore; more people are likely to respond to them. In addition, they are relatively cheap to produce so the researcher will not need to worry too much about the costs. The questionnaires will be anonymous so people will not feel obliged to answer in a specific manner; hence, they will be able to express their own opinions without feeling obligated. An additional feature of a questionnaire is that people can randomly be asked to fill one out as long as they have had a job in retail. This means that no appointments need to be arranged and that the survey can be conducted at any time or place. However, there are some disadvantages with questionnaires such as the structure of the questionnaire needs to be simple and easy to understand so that people do not get confused. This could ruin the results of the questionnaire as if people misunderstand the questions or the layout they will not answer or complete it properly. If people have literacy problems, it may make it difficult for them to complete the survey accurately. Some people may leave out some of the questions, which could cause a problem when recording the data. This could also lead to the wrong conclusions being drawn to as if people skip questions the results will differ. Consequently, this will need to be taken into consideration when recording the results of the survey. Another possible problem is that the response rate is not guaranteed to be one hundred per cent so some questionnaires maybe wasted. The questionnaire will need to be short and straight to the point, if there are too many long questions it may disc ourage people from completing it as they may feel that it will take up too much of their time. One more problem with questionnaires is that they are limited so people will only be able to give feedback on what they have been asked so a different perspective may be overlooked. With the intention of preventing any issues being overlooked, two focus groups will be instigated before the questionnaires are created. This will be done with the intention to stimulate the topic and look at it from a variety of angles. The focus groups will allow for the upward and downwards approach to be put into use, as the information gathered from the focus groups will then be used to develop the questionnaire. One focus group will be made up of university students whom have worked or still work in retail; therefore, the viewpoint of part-time retail workers whom have other commitments can be established. The other focus group will consist of full time retail workers so that their perception of the issues raised can be distinguished. These group members may have responsibilities such as children, another job, a mortgage etc that is why the researcher feels it is relevant to use two focus groups. Each focus group will have between four to six group members. The focus group will be started by introducing everybody to each other, followed by a summary of the topic. A Dictaphone will be used to record the discussion so that all the information can be recorded so that nothing is left out. The following questions have been prepared to ensure that the discussion is kept on track; Q1) Where does everybody work? / Where has everybody worked? Q2) How long have you all been at these jobs? Q3) Do/did you enjoy it? Q4) What do you like best about it? Q5) What do you hate about it? Q6) Do you feel that your organisation seems to constantly be recruiting new people? Q7) Do you feel that this affects you? i.e. do you have to help train them? Are you often left with a bigger workload? How does this make you feel? Q8) When you have left a job did u receive and exit interview? Q9) Do you think this procedure would help the organisation to find out why they are loosing staffs? Q10) If you were the manager, what would you do to retain staffs? A copy of the minutes of the meeting is available in appendix A. The problems associated with focus groups are that some of the members may feel uncomfortable, as they do not know each other so they may keep their opinions to themselves. However, the researcher will introduce all the members to each other and start the conversation off in a relaxed way to help everyone feel more at ease. Another problem is that it may be difficult to get all the members together at the same time as some people maybe working or have other responsibilities like studying or children. 8.3 Pilot Study When the focus groups have been carried out, the information will be used as the foundation for the first draft questionnaire. This will then be tested in order to get feedback on it for improvements. This process will continue until all feedback has been taken into account and all the necessary changes have been made. When this is all completed, the questionnaire will go through a pilot study of about ten people to ensure that all the questions run smoothly and are not misunderstood. The final version of the questionnaire is available in appendix B. 8.4 The Survey After the required changes if any have been edited, the survey will be carried out at Charing Cross train station on a sample of one hundred people whom work or have worked in retail as a sales assistant. The people completing the survey must meet the specific criteria, which are that everybody who takes part must work or have worked in retail. The location was chosen as it is very busy and it should be easy to find a variety of people that meet the criteria that could spare five to ten minutes to fill out the questionnaire while waiting for their train. 8.5 Analysis of Data Once the survey has been carried out, the data gathered would be entered into an Excel spreadsheet where the data will be put together to analyse it and to find out what are the main reasons for employee turnover within the industry and what can be done by employers to reduce the amount of employee wastage. The data will then be evaluated in order to identify if there are any trends or relationships that can be established. This information will then be examined to find out what the industrys employees require so that employee turnover can be reduced. 8.6 Limitations It was too difficult to get a group of full time workers from different retail segments together at the same time to hold the second focus group. Some people refused to be part of it and others who said they would participate were not able to agree to a specific time where they would all be free. Therefore, only one focus group of university students could be conducted. The survey will be carried out on one hundred people whom have worked in the retail industry. In addition, the survey will be based in central London, if the survey was carried out around the whole of England, the results could differ. 8.7 Secondary research The dissertation focuses on primary research carried out by the researcher however, secondary data in the form of academic books, reports, articles and CIPD studies have been used to look at the existing trends in the labour market. Information has been gathered from various human resource textbooks to look at employees behaviours more closely and to define what factors motivate individuals within the working environment. The Internet was used to find out reliable facts and statistics about the retail industry in order to examine it closer and determine what has already been established so the researcher could identify if these trends were also shown in their research. 9. Analysis and Findings 9.1 Introduction From the information found out through the focus group, the researcher decided to use open-ended questions in the questionnaire as a means to find out what people really thought. Peoples opinions have then been categorised so that relationships can be identified more easily. One hundred questionnaires were handed out and fifty-four were handed back fully completed thus the response rate for the survey is 54%. 9.2 Demographics The results from the survey show that out of the fifty-four respondents, only 22% were male. In 2003, the retail workforce was made up of 63% females and only 37% males. (Learning and skills, research report, 2004:8) According to the survey, just over a third of the industry was made up of men meaning that women dominated the workforce. These results are not biased, as the researchers sample resembles the trends in the industry, as just over three-quarters of the sample are female. Therefore, although the gender is not evenly split, it will not affect the findings of the survey. The results of the survey also showed that the majority (fifty per cent) of the sample fell between the twenty-one to thirty age-range. However, the sample did consist of a variety of ages as shown in the graph below: This graph clearly shows that women dominate the sample and that no men over the age of forty-one took part in the survey. In fact, only seven per cent of the sample are over the age of forty-one. The under twenty category is the only age range which shows there is an even gender split; nine per cent are male and eleven per cent are female. Overall, the survey was completed by respondents with a variety of ages to ensure that different generations of workers could give their viewpoints on employee turnover within the sector. The majority of participants have no children under the age of fourteen: only seventeen per cent have children; forty-four per cent are male and fifty-six per cent are female. Out of these candidates, fifty-six per cent are married, twenty-two per cent are single and twenty-two per cent are divorced. Forty-four per cent have left the industry due to having children while twenty-two per cent are working full time and thirty-four per cent are working part-time. The thirty-four per cent that are working part-time consist of the individual that are single or divorced. These candidates have to work part-time as they are single parents and they have their children to care for. 9.3 The length of time people have worked in the industry and the amount of different retail jobs they have experienced Almost a third of the participants have worked in retail for between three to five years and only four per cent of participants have worked in the industry for ten years or more. This is a very small amount considering that the most amounts of jobs undertaken in retail by a participant were twelve. This was by only one person who worked in the industry for between five to seven years. Seventy-six per cent of respondents have had between one to four retail jobs which seems to be fairly high considering the fact that over a quarter have worked in retail for a year or less. Out of the whole sample of respondents, only eighteen per cent are still in the retail industry, which means that just over two thirds of the sample have actually left the sector and changed careers. 9.4 The reasons for employee turnover Seven per cent of the survey is still in their first retail job, of which, eighty-five per cent have only been in the first job for one year or less. These candidates are all under twenty, therefore the reason they may still be in their first retail job is that they are so young and are just coming to terms with working life. The research has shown that older candidates are likely to have had more jobs in retail as High Employee Turnover in the Retail Industry High Employee Turnover in the Retail Industry Executive Summary This dissertation has been written to determine why the employee turnover in the retail industry is so high. The reason for this is that managers are not following the basic human resource principles such as offering employees competitive wages, opportunities of promotion or challenging work in order to keep employees motivated. As individuals are not motivated at work, they look elsewhere for better paid jobs where they can develop themselves further so they can progress with their careers. The researcher has also recognised that employees want flexibility at work. This is due to many of the participants of the survey having personal priorities that are more important to them such as children or studying while working. There are clear recommendations for employers stating what can be done with the intention of reducing the employee turnover rate. The most vital are that managers find out specifically why employees are leaving, this can be done by using exit interviews. Once this is determined, they will be able to pinpoint the causes for employees leaving them so that they can then make the necessary changes to keep staff attracted to the job. The study has also shown that it is of vast importance for employers to offer more flexibility in the workplace in order to be able to cater for the employees requirements. The estimated basic turnover cost for a retail assistant is à £1,425 per individual. (Taylor, S 2002:47) This total only includes the expenses of the employee leaving i.e. the paper work and the recruitment process to replace the individual. The total does not account for overtime being paid out to the individuals colleagues or temporary staffs who may be hired to fill the vacancy on a short-term basis. The employee turnover rate for people working in retail is considerably high at 31.3%; retail has the highest employee turnover rate throughout all sectors. (CBI Labour and Absence Survey 2004) The researcher has been working in sales for almost four years now and it is of great interest to the individual as to why staff turnover is so high and what can be done to prevent it and how the company can benefit from retaining staffs. To the researcher, it seems more practical to retain staffs rather then recruit new employees. If employers invested money into staffs, they may find that this will save a lot of money in recruiting and training new staffs. Aims The aims of the dissertation are to: Identify the cause of high employee turnover rates within the retail sector Find out what employees in this sector want from an organisation Establish what can be done by employers to retain people in this particular segment of the labour market. Rationale This dissertation seeks to inform businesses of how high employee turnover can be costly and time consuming which is why the well-known idiom can be used to express the basis of the dissertation: ââ¬Å"prevention is better then cure.â⬠In the business context, this relates to investing more in staff in order to retain them rather then recruiting, selecting and training new staff. High staff turnovers can influence a businesses performance as it is the employees who are in direct contact with the customers and if they are not satisfied with their jobs, they will not be providing the best service possible to the customers. Limitation: This dissertation is concerned with the retail sector as motivation and retention methods vary in different environments. The proposal does not focus on a particular company but on the retail segment as a whole in order to establish the factors, which account for retention within the sector. The study will be based in London; and will focus on individuals who have had experience of working within the retail sector. Literature Review 7.1 Definition of Employee Turnover When employees leave an organisation, several factors need to be considered which all lead to expenses on behalf of the organisation. The organisation will need somebody to cover the workload of the employee that has left the company and the process of recruiting will need to take place in order to fill the vacancy. The higher the employee turnover rate is of a business, the higher the costs will be to replace these workers which is why it is so important for businesses to calculate. To evaluate the labour turnover, the following calculation can be used: (CIPD 2004) ââ¬Å"Crude Wastage Methodâ⬠___Number of leavers in a set period_____ x100 Average number employed in the same period Once labour turnover rates have been identified, it will then be possible for the organisation to recognise the extent that staff turnover can affect them by. Reducing labour turnover will mean that less people are leaving the organisation therefore; there will be less wastage of employees so that money can be saved, as less people will need to be recruited. However, not all organisations calculate the cost of employee wastage. In fact, over 50% of organisations believe that this information is not relevant and 31% believe that it takes up too much time and is not worth the effort. (Recruitment, retention and turnover Survey, CIPD, 2004:33) If organisations do not calculate the employee turnover rate, it will be difficult for them to distinguish its affect and recognise the benefits of reducing it. 7.2 The Effect of Employee Turnover on Staff When an individual leaves a job, either a temporary replacement is hired or the workload is split between the individuals colleagues until a suitable replacement is found. Hiring temporary staff can be expensive while at the same time, giving the individuals colleagues, an increased workload will cause them further stress. If this was to happen consistently, it could be another cause for people leaving the organisation. The graph shows how employee turnover can have a knock on effect because of the impact it has on staffs. (Employee retention report, Reed, 2003:4) The employer must ensure that people are replaced as soon as possible to prevent other staffs from being put under additional stress and pressure. However, if employers tried harder to retain staffs then they would have to put less time and resources into replacing the workforce. 7.3 The Effect of Employee Turnover on the Organisation The impact of employees leaving organisations is that it leads to expenses. Replacing staffs takes up time and money, which are both valuable resources that should be saved wherever possible in order to achieve a more efficiently operated business. When a position is vacant, the amount of paid overtime can rise up to 25%, which accounts for the usual workload that is to be completed by less staffs. (Employee retention report, Reed, 2003:4) The graph shows the adverse affects that happen because of employee turnover. Reducing employee turnover will decrease expenses as the company will not have to spend as much money to hire temporary staffs, recruit new staffs or pay so for so much overtime. 7.4 The Importance of Retention from the Recruitment Stage It is important in an organisation to recruit the right person with the right skills and qualifications for the job. ââ¬Å"People who represent the best ââ¬Ëmatch in terms of their personality attributes, skills and experience are those who are likely to perform best in the job against a range of criteria. They are also the people who are most likely to remain employed for some time and the least likely to take the first available opportunity to leave.â⬠(Taylor, S 2002:171) This is essential as recruiting a person whom is inadequate to do the job would be pointless as they would not be able to complete the tasks of the job to meet the expectations of the company. Therefore, recruiting a person who is not right for the job would be a waste of time and money as the right person for the job will still need to be found for the long-term. 7.5 The Importance of Inductions Once a suitable candidate is found and hired, they will require preliminary training, which is known as an induction. This is where the employee is introduced to the company, its culture and procedures. This will help to familiarise the employee with the company and the job requirements. As a result, the employees will learn the various procedures of how the company wants to operate. Inductions are used to welcome the new employee into the organisation and ensure that they feel comfortable in performing their job role successfully. ââ¬Å"Labour turnover is frequently highest amongst those who have recently joined an organisation. The term ââ¬Ëinduction crisis is used to describe the critical period when new starters are most likely to leave. A well planned induction course can help to decrease labour turnover by ensuring that new starters settle quickly in their jobs and reach an efficient standard of performance as soon as possible.â⬠(Kenney, J and Reid, M 1990:241) The induction is a very significant part of training as if it is not carried out it can lead to the new employee feeling pressured and may lead to feeling that the job difficult to undertake. Poor or even no induction training can be the result of an employee leaving the company within the first few days or weeks of the start date. 7.6 Affects of a Quality Induction Programme Clarks is a well-established shoemaker company that has developed a valuable induction programme to ensure that its store employees are capable of achieving the companys targets. Just over 40% of the companys retail staff has already taken part in the training scheme called Shine. The programme is significantly recognised as it won a UK National Training Award. The scheme is part of a strategic plan to improve performance, productivity and employee retention. New starters receive Shine on the first day off work as on-the-job training. The new trainees are given a workbook which is similar to an employee handbook as it covers safety, the job, pay, hours, rules, selling steps, finding stock and equipment knowledge of products, shoe-care, deliveries, credit cards, cheques and refunds. The programme encourages teamwork and helps the new employees to bond together. It is clear that Clarks has recognised the importance in induction training in order to retain employees which is why the com pany has devised such a satisfactory training scheme. (ââ¬Å"Shoe shop staffs shine! In trainingâ⬠2004:91) 7.7 Retention Plan In order to retain employees, the company must first find out what is causing them to leave. As there can be a wide variety of reasons for people leaving a company, the plan is broken down into key factors: Pay and benefits: the company must be able to offer a competitive rate of pay. This is essential as if an employee can perform the same job and be paid more elsewhere then they will most probably leave the company. The company must be able to keep compete with the pay and benefits offered by rival companies. These benefits can consist of; share options, pension schemes, retention bonuses and flexible benefits Recruitment and selection: when recruiting employees it is crucial to ensure that the employees skills and abilities match what is required of the post in the company. If this is not done then the employee will have problems in carrying out the job role successfully. It is also vital to produce a truthful image of the job as if it is made to sound more glamorous or exciting then it actually is, the employees expectations will not be met therefore they will not be fulfilled in the new job thus causing them to look for a better job elsewhere. Training and development: a good induction process is imperative. Employees also need to have the chance to progress through promotion so that they will not feel like they have to be trapped in the same job. Job design: the work may be too boring or undemanding therefore the position may need redesigning or a new approach such as teamwork. This makes it easier for job-share therefore employees will be able to work when it suits them better as the job will be flexible. Management: ensure that managers and supervisors have the skills and ability to manage effectively and fairly. (Bevan, S. 1997) These are the key features, which the organisation has the control to change. The company has no control over circumstances such as people wanting to move to a different location or ill health therefore these factors cannot be influenced in order to retain employees. Motivation With the intention of retaining employees, keeping individuals motivated is another way to prevent them from leaving the organisation and to ensure that the employer is getting the best from each individual. ââ¬Å"Boredom and frustration at work is often the result of an employees lack of involvement with the companys goals and feelings that their ideas are not wanted or listened to. Companies that involve their employees in achieving company goals are able to motivate employees.â⬠(Chapman, M 1997) For individuals to fulfil their full potential this must be motivated thus The harder an employee works, the more / bigger reward(s) they should gain which will keep them motivated to continue working hard. Motivated staffs lead to a more productive workplace therefore; it will be more profitable. (Maslows Hierarchy 1954) states that people first needed to fulfil there basic needs before they can progress to achieve self-actualisation. This is best shown in a pyramid, each person first starts from the bottom and through work, the individual fulfil each stage and works his or her way up. (Maslows Hierarchy of Needs 1954) Physiological needs: food, water, air, rest Safety needs: security, job security Social needs: affection, love and friendship Esteem: recognition, achievement and status Self-actualisation: personal growth and self-fulfilment. The hierarchy of needs shows that: Employees need money to pay for necessities such as food, rent etc. This is the basis of satisfaction Employees need to know that their job is safe so that they do not have to worry about looking for a new job. It is best to work in teams to encourage socialising between employees as individuals can learn from one another and share knowledge. Employees will be motivated to work harder if they know there is a possibility of promotion. This is the hardest to achieve, as most people want to be the boss. This will take a lot of time and very hard work to achieve. Maslows theory explains how individuals have needs and by employers meeting these needs, they are able to motivate them to keep on progressing. It is vital for the needs of individuals to be met as if they are not it will lead to individuals feeling unfulfilled thus leading them to look elsewhere for another job. (Herzbergs Two Factor Theory 1968) This consists of satisfiers and hygiene factors. A satisfier is what motivates an employee, e.g. achievement, recognition, responsibility, advancement, personal growth and the actual work itself. Hygiene factors are elements that do not motivate people e.g. pay and conditions, status in the organisation, job security and benefits. The theory expresses that employees will be motivated by good wages, promotion and other benefits etc. Employees are not motivated by poor wages, poor working conditions, no job security etc. Ultimately, employers need to offer staff satisfiers to motivate them to work hard. As long as individuals are happy and fulfilled in their jobs and feel that they are progressing, they will continue to work hard and stay within the organisation. 7.9 How to find out why Employees are Leaving The organisation needs to find out why its staffs are leaving so they can then devise a plan to try to prevent this from reoccurring in the future. The methods of finding out why employees are leaving can consist of: Exit interviews: these interviews are normally held soon after the employee has resigned. The interviewer can take the opportunity to find out why the employee is leaving, the conditions under which they would have stayed and improvements the company can make in the future. Leaver questionnaires: these are either completed during the interview or sent to people once they have left the company and normally consist of closed questions to make it easier to analyse. (Leavers questionnaire are also known as Attitude Surveys) ââ¬Å"The exit interview is an increasingly common procedure when an employee leaves an organisation. Ostensibly these are conducted to gain information about the reasons for the employees departure, information which can then be used to improve human resource management.â⬠(Furnham, A 2001) Once the reasons for employees leaving has been established, they can be put into separate categories so the organisation can see what the most popular reasons are for people leaving. They can then go on to make relevant changes in order to help retain workers. 7.10 Conclusion of literature Overall, it seems that in order for the retail industry to grow, organisations must improve their retention methods to ensure they have enough employees to cope with the increase in productivity. It is the sales assistants that have the majority of contact with customers which is why it is so vital to ensure that they receive sufficient training in order to serve customers effectively and efficiently while at the same time providing a service to encourage them to come back. A key way to reduce employee turnover is to keep staffs motivated, so the industry will be investigated to find out how this is done and how successful current methods are. The employee turnover rate is so high within the industry so there must be something that is going wrong to cause such a high turnover rate. Exit interviews seem to be the most crucial method of finding out why people are leaving the industry. It is vital to find out why people are leaving so that action can be taken to prevent staffs to from leaving for the same reasons in the future. Therefore, it will be important to find out if retail organisations carry out exit interviews; and if they do not, then why not? 8. Methodology 8.1 Introduction There are varieties of methods that can be put into practice to assist the researcher to seek out relevant information in order to find out the answer to the research question. Examples of such methods are; observations, case studies, interviews, questionnaires and focus groups. If would be difficult to make observations to find out why people are leaving their retail jobs as people resigning can happen randomly so its not guaranteed to happen when the researcher has scheduled to make an observation. Case studies will not be used as the dissertation is based on the retail industry as a whole, not on specific shops or department stores. Interviews will not be used either as although they lead to a large amount of information being uncovered, they take up quite a lot of time of so the amount of people being interviewed will be limited. A broad selection of peoples opinions need to be taken into consideration therefore, the researcher has chosen to use focus groups and questionnaires in order to obtain both qualitative and quantitative information. As the study is based on the whole retail industry, a wide variety of people who have worked or still work in retail need to be targeted to find out the main causes of employee turnover within the sector. The study will be based on primary research, which will be put into practise to find out peoples viewpoints of the topic. 8.2 Primary Research It will be ideal to use questionnaires to find out information, as it seems to be the most efficient way to use a large sample so a wide amount of information can be collected. Another advantage of using questionnaires is that they are not very time-consuming therefore; more people are likely to respond to them. In addition, they are relatively cheap to produce so the researcher will not need to worry too much about the costs. The questionnaires will be anonymous so people will not feel obliged to answer in a specific manner; hence, they will be able to express their own opinions without feeling obligated. An additional feature of a questionnaire is that people can randomly be asked to fill one out as long as they have had a job in retail. This means that no appointments need to be arranged and that the survey can be conducted at any time or place. However, there are some disadvantages with questionnaires such as the structure of the questionnaire needs to be simple and easy to understand so that people do not get confused. This could ruin the results of the questionnaire as if people misunderstand the questions or the layout they will not answer or complete it properly. If people have literacy problems, it may make it difficult for them to complete the survey accurately. Some people may leave out some of the questions, which could cause a problem when recording the data. This could also lead to the wrong conclusions being drawn to as if people skip questions the results will differ. Consequently, this will need to be taken into consideration when recording the results of the survey. Another possible problem is that the response rate is not guaranteed to be one hundred per cent so some questionnaires maybe wasted. The questionnaire will need to be short and straight to the point, if there are too many long questions it may disc ourage people from completing it as they may feel that it will take up too much of their time. One more problem with questionnaires is that they are limited so people will only be able to give feedback on what they have been asked so a different perspective may be overlooked. With the intention of preventing any issues being overlooked, two focus groups will be instigated before the questionnaires are created. This will be done with the intention to stimulate the topic and look at it from a variety of angles. The focus groups will allow for the upward and downwards approach to be put into use, as the information gathered from the focus groups will then be used to develop the questionnaire. One focus group will be made up of university students whom have worked or still work in retail; therefore, the viewpoint of part-time retail workers whom have other commitments can be established. The other focus group will consist of full time retail workers so that their perception of the issues raised can be distinguished. These group members may have responsibilities such as children, another job, a mortgage etc that is why the researcher feels it is relevant to use two focus groups. Each focus group will have between four to six group members. The focus group will be started by introducing everybody to each other, followed by a summary of the topic. A Dictaphone will be used to record the discussion so that all the information can be recorded so that nothing is left out. The following questions have been prepared to ensure that the discussion is kept on track; Q1) Where does everybody work? / Where has everybody worked? Q2) How long have you all been at these jobs? Q3) Do/did you enjoy it? Q4) What do you like best about it? Q5) What do you hate about it? Q6) Do you feel that your organisation seems to constantly be recruiting new people? Q7) Do you feel that this affects you? i.e. do you have to help train them? Are you often left with a bigger workload? How does this make you feel? Q8) When you have left a job did u receive and exit interview? Q9) Do you think this procedure would help the organisation to find out why they are loosing staffs? Q10) If you were the manager, what would you do to retain staffs? A copy of the minutes of the meeting is available in appendix A. The problems associated with focus groups are that some of the members may feel uncomfortable, as they do not know each other so they may keep their opinions to themselves. However, the researcher will introduce all the members to each other and start the conversation off in a relaxed way to help everyone feel more at ease. Another problem is that it may be difficult to get all the members together at the same time as some people maybe working or have other responsibilities like studying or children. 8.3 Pilot Study When the focus groups have been carried out, the information will be used as the foundation for the first draft questionnaire. This will then be tested in order to get feedback on it for improvements. This process will continue until all feedback has been taken into account and all the necessary changes have been made. When this is all completed, the questionnaire will go through a pilot study of about ten people to ensure that all the questions run smoothly and are not misunderstood. The final version of the questionnaire is available in appendix B. 8.4 The Survey After the required changes if any have been edited, the survey will be carried out at Charing Cross train station on a sample of one hundred people whom work or have worked in retail as a sales assistant. The people completing the survey must meet the specific criteria, which are that everybody who takes part must work or have worked in retail. The location was chosen as it is very busy and it should be easy to find a variety of people that meet the criteria that could spare five to ten minutes to fill out the questionnaire while waiting for their train. 8.5 Analysis of Data Once the survey has been carried out, the data gathered would be entered into an Excel spreadsheet where the data will be put together to analyse it and to find out what are the main reasons for employee turnover within the industry and what can be done by employers to reduce the amount of employee wastage. The data will then be evaluated in order to identify if there are any trends or relationships that can be established. This information will then be examined to find out what the industrys employees require so that employee turnover can be reduced. 8.6 Limitations It was too difficult to get a group of full time workers from different retail segments together at the same time to hold the second focus group. Some people refused to be part of it and others who said they would participate were not able to agree to a specific time where they would all be free. Therefore, only one focus group of university students could be conducted. The survey will be carried out on one hundred people whom have worked in the retail industry. In addition, the survey will be based in central London, if the survey was carried out around the whole of England, the results could differ. 8.7 Secondary research The dissertation focuses on primary research carried out by the researcher however, secondary data in the form of academic books, reports, articles and CIPD studies have been used to look at the existing trends in the labour market. Information has been gathered from various human resource textbooks to look at employees behaviours more closely and to define what factors motivate individuals within the working environment. The Internet was used to find out reliable facts and statistics about the retail industry in order to examine it closer and determine what has already been established so the researcher could identify if these trends were also shown in their research. 9. Analysis and Findings 9.1 Introduction From the information found out through the focus group, the researcher decided to use open-ended questions in the questionnaire as a means to find out what people really thought. Peoples opinions have then been categorised so that relationships can be identified more easily. One hundred questionnaires were handed out and fifty-four were handed back fully completed thus the response rate for the survey is 54%. 9.2 Demographics The results from the survey show that out of the fifty-four respondents, only 22% were male. In 2003, the retail workforce was made up of 63% females and only 37% males. (Learning and skills, research report, 2004:8) According to the survey, just over a third of the industry was made up of men meaning that women dominated the workforce. These results are not biased, as the researchers sample resembles the trends in the industry, as just over three-quarters of the sample are female. Therefore, although the gender is not evenly split, it will not affect the findings of the survey. The results of the survey also showed that the majority (fifty per cent) of the sample fell between the twenty-one to thirty age-range. However, the sample did consist of a variety of ages as shown in the graph below: This graph clearly shows that women dominate the sample and that no men over the age of forty-one took part in the survey. In fact, only seven per cent of the sample are over the age of forty-one. The under twenty category is the only age range which shows there is an even gender split; nine per cent are male and eleven per cent are female. Overall, the survey was completed by respondents with a variety of ages to ensure that different generations of workers could give their viewpoints on employee turnover within the sector. The majority of participants have no children under the age of fourteen: only seventeen per cent have children; forty-four per cent are male and fifty-six per cent are female. Out of these candidates, fifty-six per cent are married, twenty-two per cent are single and twenty-two per cent are divorced. Forty-four per cent have left the industry due to having children while twenty-two per cent are working full time and thirty-four per cent are working part-time. The thirty-four per cent that are working part-time consist of the individual that are single or divorced. These candidates have to work part-time as they are single parents and they have their children to care for. 9.3 The length of time people have worked in the industry and the amount of different retail jobs they have experienced Almost a third of the participants have worked in retail for between three to five years and only four per cent of participants have worked in the industry for ten years or more. This is a very small amount considering that the most amounts of jobs undertaken in retail by a participant were twelve. This was by only one person who worked in the industry for between five to seven years. Seventy-six per cent of respondents have had between one to four retail jobs which seems to be fairly high considering the fact that over a quarter have worked in retail for a year or less. Out of the whole sample of respondents, only eighteen per cent are still in the retail industry, which means that just over two thirds of the sample have actually left the sector and changed careers. 9.4 The reasons for employee turnover Seven per cent of the survey is still in their first retail job, of which, eighty-five per cent have only been in the first job for one year or less. These candidates are all under twenty, therefore the reason they may still be in their first retail job is that they are so young and are just coming to terms with working life. The research has shown that older candidates are likely to have had more jobs in retail as
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)