Customer Cost, Quality And Time Specifications Are Met

1 - Describe how you can ensure customer cost, quality and time specifications are met. Answer: Customer cost, Quality, and time are three components that add value to the product/services at Swaggies. Value of products/services associated with the process, system or service and relies on the organization’s capability to meet the cost, time and quality provisions of the customer. †¢ Quality: Swaggies customers expect to receive high-quality goods or service, therefore Quality of Products at Swaggies always mention characteristics of product, its ability to satisfy the purpose for which it was made. They always receive correct and clear descriptions and assembly instructions with the product. †¢ Cost: Swaggies customers expect to receive the cost of the product/services parallel to its quality therefore, cost of the Swaggies products/services always correspond with its quality. They fulfill the customer expectation of realistic and competitive prices, correct pricing information in comparison with market. †¢ Time: Swaggies customers expect the products/services delivered on time, therefore Customers receive the Swaggies products/services on time with additional services like a reminder that their product has been dispatched for delivery. Also confirmation of delivery once it is delivered. Key to meet the requirements of quality, cost and time at Swaggies is to †¢ Manage the promises †¢ Understand and fulfill the customers’ expectations of products/services †¢ Never doShow MoreRelatedQuestions On The Essential Software Requirement1424 Words   |  6 PagesChapter 1 - The Essential Software Requirement The IEEE definitions of requirement: A condition or capability that must be met or possessed by a system or system component to satisfy a contract, standard, specification, or other formally imposed document. 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A Brief Note On Pollock s Ethical Dilemma And Decisions

As history has provided us facts showing that with great power also comes great responsibility. The great power part has not been as considerable of a problem as the great responsibility has because as police officers start off at the academy, they quickly recognize the authority they will shortly have. The past and known data has revealed to us that a lot of these officers do demonstrate great control and responsibility, but there is a fraction of officers who are corrupt in many sorts of ways that have conveyed inspection and absence of faith in law enforcement all over America. Thankfully, these actions have consequences and the law makes sure that these corrupt public servants get the punishment they deserve. In Joycelyn M. Pollock’s Ethical Dilemmas and Decisions in Criminal Justice, she quotes that police corruption is â€Å"acting on opportunities created by virtue of one s authority, for personal gain at the expense of the public one is authorized to serve (Cohen, 1986). Some examples of corruption that Barker (1994) have listed are: corruption of authority (gratuities), kickbacks, opportunistic theft, shakedowns, protection of illegal activities, fixes (quashing tickets), direct criminal activities, and internal payoffs. Fyfe and Kane (2006) argue the case that in some situations when police officers commit crime, it can’t be called corruption if the criminal act is being committed off duty. They are just criminals who happen to be cops and being a cop has noShow MoreRelatedManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 Pageseffects, innovation might not have taken place at all. All this business growth has caused increasing complexity in business action and decision making. It has presented chief executive officers (CEOs) and management leaders in all markets and industries with new intricacies in deciding how to weigh and time the business decisions—and the quality of those decisions—that increasingly challenge their companies’ basic survival. W HICH FACTORS HAVE DRIVEN 3 4 Feigenbaum−Feigenbaum: The

Scientific Management free essay sample

Scientific Management is a system that was originated from Fredrick W. Taylor (1911), which composite analysis of worker’s individual workflow and their labour productivity. The main purpose of this theory is to maximize efficiency within organisations to speed up the process of work in the minimum amount of time and cost incurred by the organisation (Ross 2010). Taylor believed that the most efficient way that work could be done was only when workers knew what they were doing and not merely working hard. Scientific Management focuses on four main principles. Firstly, different parts of the task are studied scientifically for a best possible method to achieve and perform it. Secondly, workers are scientifically selected and trained to perform the designated task at their best trained ability. Thirdly, workers and managers will collaborate to ensure the results expected. Lastly, planning and division of work will be divided by managers to workers respectively. There are many examples of Scientific Management in the modern society, of which some includes, car, technology and computer manufacturing plants, hospitals and some of the restaurant (Dharmasiri 2013). We will write a custom essay sample on Scientific Management or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Foxconn is one of the many manufacturing companies that use Scientific Management in the twenty-first century. In an interview with CNN (2012), a worker said, â€Å"women work like men and work like machines †¦ It’s so boring, I can’t bear it anymore. Everyday was like: I get off from work. It became my daily routine and I almost felt like I was some kind of animal.† When work becomes a routine for workers in a repetitive environment, alienation occurs. From the theory of Durkheim (1893), alienation was producing anomie, which could lead to crime and even suicide. This shows very clearly in the case of Foxconn’s serial suicide cases, that workers do not feel a sense of belonging to the company by the recurrent vicious work cycle. They were also not allowed to voice their opinions and all that was needed was to finish their designated task. This increases disloyalty and decreases employee’s morale, which could indirectly affect the productivity of the company. According to the Hawthorne Studies by Elton Mayo, he  believes that workers should be given the rights to speak up their mind and unhappiness. Even if there were no solutions to it, employees would already feel better as they feel respected and treated like part of the organisation. The workers were working in an overcrowded environment and had salaries that were not equivalently fair to their working hours and the excessive amount of work given (Hays 2008a). When employees have to work long hours, not having enough rest it will lead to unhappiness among them. However, the matter of fact is that huge companies like Apple work with Foxconn because of their ability to produce millions of gadgets (Hays 2008b). This usually results from the Scientific Management style, where higher efficiency from the workers gives a higher revenue input to the company. This theory basically focuses on individual workers whom are scientifically trained for a specialised task (as seen in the 2nd principle of Scientific Management) so that they will be better at it. However, when specialisation occurs, there is a higher tendency of a de-skilled workforce. As stated by theorist, Braverman (1974), when employees only learn responsibilities and skills within their job scope, they tend to lose their level of communication skills and knowledge as they are confined only within their area of mastery. This would narrow down a person’s creativity and absorption of knowledge. It would make it hard for them to switch to another industry because of their limitations. It also remains a fact that many jobs (1.2million) were created for the people, creating higher employments. People wanted to work for Foxconn initially because of the incentives they offered. Founder Terry Gou, believed that incentives such as well furbished dormitories for the employees and a metropolis which has many facilities (Johnson 2011) would attract people to work for them. Fredrick Taylor had a similar approach called the ‘initiative and incentive’ system. He believes that only when employees get incentives, will they take initiative in their work and put their best efforts in. (Freedman 1992) In Foxconn case, there have been a rising number of unhappy employees. In  interviews with The New York Times, most hire in Foxconn last averagely a few months before they quit dejected and depressed. There have been ten of thousands who have already left the company (Barboza 2010). This shows that even the incentives given to them were not justified compared to the amount of workload, mundane and harsh working environment. Taylor believed that money was the main reason for the employee’s motivation and hard work. His theory of â€Å"a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work† was supported by the higher amount of salaries that was given to employees who achieved more results throughout the day as compared to those who did lesser (Mindtools). According to the Hawthorne Studies by Elton Mayo, it is seen that there has to be social motivating factors and not just monetary incentives. Some of which includes, interpersonal relations between employees and managers. Elton Mayo believes that it is important for co-workers to feel like friends for a better work environment. However, Scientific Management shows the lack of compassion for the employees, as there was not supposed to be communication between them. All that was needed was to finish the task given. Backing up with Mary Follett (1938) theory, she believes that managers should work with employers rather than controlling them. In the 21st century, we are moving towards a postindustrial society where people are generally more educated. Scientific Management would not be feasible in this generation as people have more knowledge and they would not feel convinced to just take instructions blindly. When organisations neglect workers monetary, emotionally and physically needs, all in exchange for achieved end quantity results, there will be a negative impact in the long run. In Foxconn case, although productivity is high, it is directly inproportionate to the happy employees. Scientific Management shows that employers care more about productivity as compared to the happiness of employees. This would discourage workers as they would feel unappreciated and they see no purpose in their stay in the company. When this happens, it demoralises employees and they would lose focus and motivation to work hard for the company. This is clearly shown true by the number of workers who resigned in Foxconn. There are pros and cons to Scientific Management; therefore it would be  biased to discredit it totally. In a world today, transformational management would be the ideal style of management for organisations. The community is moving at a fast pace towards a post-industrial society in the 21st century. The most important thing for any company to do well in the long run is for employees to be in an environment that they feel happy in. When they feel happy, there will be higher motivation for them to want to give their best, which increases their loyalty to the company. It is important for companies to have high efficiency and productivity, however not at the expense of worker’s happiness, health or safety. Organisations should always exercise social responsibility, only when they do so will they get the respect and results expected from their employees. However, due to the nature of the job, it requires fast outputs in the shortest time possible. Workers were then treated like machines, with low labour cost. Most of the large organizations incorporate Scientific Management in their style of work, as it seems like the most efficient way to increase productivity in the fastest possible way. It is seen that Taylor’s Scientific Management theories, which have developed over a century, is still relevant and found within the modern workplaces. Scientific Management free essay sample The research proceeded through five phases: (1) The initial  Illumination studies  (1924[-]27) were aimed at evaluating the effect of lighting conditions on productivity; (2)  the Relay-assembly Room studies  (August 1928[-]March 1929) assessed the effects of pay incentives, rest periods, and active job input on the productivity of five selected woman workers; (3)  the Mica-Splitting Test group  (October 1928[-]September 1930) in which a group of piece-workers were used to corroborate the relative importance of work-group dynamics vs. ay incentives; (4)  the Bank Wiring Observation group  (November 1931[-]May 1932) a covert observational design in which the dynamics of control in a work-group of 14 male employees on the regular factory floor were observed; and (5)  the plantwide Interviewing program  (September 1928[-]early 1931) essentially an attempt by the company to categorize concerns, mitigate grievances, and manipulate employee morale according to the princ iples of social control learned in the previous phases). The latter two phases were interrupted by the detrimental effects of the Great Depression on company production orders, but the interviewing phase was later reinstated as a Personnel Counseling program, and was even expanded throughout the Western Electric company system between 1936[-]1955. We will write a custom essay sample on Scientific Management or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Hawthorne effect, defined as the tendency under conditions of observation for worker productivity to steadily increase, was discovered during the earliest scientific management phases of the research. It was suggested that when human work relations (ie. supervision and worker camaraderie) were appropriate, adverse physical conditions had little negative effect upon worker productivity. If the company could only learn more about the human relations aspects of the workplace, they might soon be able to utilize them to increase overall plant production. The latter phases of research, therefore, become more sociopsychological in design. MAY0 was the most prominent early popularizer of these studies. His previous industrial psychology work included reducing turnover in a Philadelphia area textile mill by establishing a system of rest periods for workers but he now stressed a ocial relations interpretation of the ongoing Hawthorne research. This portrayal had the eventual disciplinary effect of extending the purview of industrial testing beyond the previous individualized placement of workers toward the wider realm of manipulation of work-place relationships. Mayo’s account is altogether more programmatic than the guarded comments of WHITEHEAD or of ROETHLISBERGER and DICKSON in their official company research report (where more of the messy empirical details of the early phases of research were presented). All three sources, however, intentionally portray the Harvard Business School researchers as equally benevolent toward worker and company interests. The standard portrayal of wholehearted cooperation between the workers and supervisors in the latter phases of research came under sharp attack from industrial sociologists from 1937 onward including: GILSON; LYND; MILLS; LANDSBERGER. It was BARITZ, however, who popularized the notion that industrial researchers were inevitably servants of power. The counseling phase of research in particular was designed to apply the listening techniques of the Catholic confessional and the psychiatric couch (p. 116) with the aim of adjusting people to situations (rather than alleviating those situations from the workplace). An attempt at disciplinary damage control was then published by DICKSON and ROETHLISBERGER. A more convincing counter argument can be gained from other sources. Baritz clearly overstated his argument. Early 20th century immigrant workers were not simply hapless victims of capitalism. They used the limited opportunities presented by the industrial workplace to create their own conditions for the further development of their sub-cultures. ALTHENBAUGH; BERNSTEIN; SUSMAN; NELSON-ROWE all indicate that these self-made conditions included such features as parochial schools, organized labor unions, and even labor colleges. GILLESPIE follows up this line of historical reasoning by placing the Hawthorne research into the context of the rise of labor unions. The Hawthorne subject pool did not mindlessly  react  to industrial management techniques nor did they simply  adjust  or  adapt  to the less than subtle contingencies of social relations experiments. They recognized these contingencies for what they were: New company attempts to increase overall production and control union sentiment. HOGAN; WEISS indicate that transplanted peasant culture which emphasized family collectivism, religious devotion, and attitudes toward the value of work and formal education likely affected workplace relations as much as any company-based program. Whereas scientific management  decorticated  workers, and the mental testing tradition  individualized  workers, social relations research portrayed workers as ruled by a  sentiment of interpersonal irrationality. This was, of course, an improvement; but not much of an improvement. BRAMEL FRIEND caution modern researchers to bare in mind that the results of industrial research can not be fully understood by mere appeal to subject expectancy effects, nor even to contextualized social work group relations. They must be understood in the wider, shifting, societal-historical context of management-union relations. ******************************************************************************** EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE RECOGNISED: Improve driver behaviour just by paying attention to them Let’s face it; human beings are creatures of habit, cultivating unique behaviour patterns over time, some good, others bad. Whether it’s how we speak, sit, eat or drive, humans develop what physiologists call ‘muscle memory’, where the brain and body orchestrate automated responses to everyday situations, commonly known as ‘habits’. The Hawthorne Effect Back in the late 1920s, an American psychology professor called Elton Mayo began a series of experiments at the Western Electric Hawthorne Works in Chicago to determine the link between working conditions and productivity. Initially, Mayo wanted to determine the effect fatigue and monotony had on job productivity. To do this, he separated a group of employees from the rest of the assembly line and subjected them to a number of different tests involving changes in their working environment, like rest breaks, work hours, lighting, temperature and humidity. He placed a supervisor on site to monitor the employees. This person, who informed the test group of all forthcoming changes in their work situation, was regarded as a benign observer, rather than a strict disciplinarian [or spy] by the workers. As the experiments progressed, Mayo discovered that productivity amongst the test group increased considerably and he came to the conclusion that simply by being proactively and individually monitored by management, employees performed better. He, in effect, uncovered a profound truth about the way human beings perform at work, specifically, â€Å"The need for recognition, security and sense of belonging is more important in determining workers morale and productivity than the physical conditions under which he works. † Drive-Report’s Hawthorne Effect The life of a professional truck or bus driver can be lonely one, characterised by long working hours on monotonous stretches of highway. Because drivers are away from the ‘head office’ most of the time, it is difficult for management to get to know each and every driver’s professional aptitude, let alone his or her personal circumstances. It’s not hard to see why so many South African professional drivers feel like nothing more than a number on the payroll. For Prof Mayo, professional drivers would no doubt make ideal test cases. With Drive Report stickers posted on fleet vehicles, supported by regular and constructive management intervention using the Drive Report driver profiling services, the Hawthorne Effect is unlocked. By involving drivers in the Drive Report behavioural analysis process, fleet managers and driver trainers express a genuine concern for the driver, based on issues of improved safety and skills development, effectively making the driver feel ‘part of the team’, and a valuable one at that. Once drivers embrace the notion that Drive Report is an ‘on-going improvement tool’ employed to help them [rather than a ‘policing’ tool], they consciously strive to drive better, rectifying bad driving habits by replacing them with all the ‘best driving practices’ taught to them by their driver trainer. Bottom line The Drive Report system is specifically designed to improve driver efficiency. By proactively using the data generated by Drive Report for coaching purposes, fleet managers unleash the power of the Hawthorne Effect, boosting driver job satisfaction and professionalism, yielding financial benefits such as reduced fuel and maintenance costs while enhancing on-road safety. If these monetary gains are passed on to the driver as part of an incentive programme, a truly holistic win-win situation is created. /****************** re you looking for ways to motivate your team? Lets look at a principle called the Hawthorne Effect. In the 1920s, Elton Mayo, an Harvard University professor, started research at the Western Electric Companys Hawthorne plant in Cicero, Chicago. Mayo conducted behavioral research and was considered the founding father of industrial psychology. Mayos research showed that workers are motivated more by emotional rather than economic factors. Examples would be active involvement in changes and decisions which results in employees taking more ownership and gave them a feeling of importance. This approach resulted in a greater impact when compared to improvements in workplace conditions or more pay. Mayo also laid the foundations for later gurus, notably Herzberg (Motivation and Hygiene Factors), Maslow (Hierarchy of Needs), McGregor (XY Theory) and with Peters and Waterman (In Search of Excellence). During the 10-year study Mayo conducted research with 20,000 Western Electric employees that included a team of Harvard scientists and up to 100 investigators. This massive ten-year program grew from the initial experiment that began by improving the lighting to determine the effect on workers motivation and productivity. They found positive results, but productivity also increased in the control group of workers where conditions were unchanged, except that they were informed they were part of the study. Mayos work was perhaps the earliest significant demonstration that that took a look at factors that impact people in their workplace. Today, consider how can you use the Hawthorne Effect, and the results of the research from the 20s to help yourbusiness. Remember, people are mainly motivated not by economic factors, but emotional factors, such as feeling involved and receiving attention. /**************** Taylorism versus the ‘Hawthorne effect’ February 28, 2011  in  Columnists Management has been one of the great success stories of this world. But what is management? A myriad of definitions litter the pages of management texts. This article will not proffer a definition but will juxtapose the two main styles of managing people at work so that readers will be able to distinguish between good and bad management. Tendai and Chipo manage a team of workers under them. Tendai tries as much as possible to avoid any human contact with his staff and treats them as economically motivated automatons. He is a â€Å"cowboy† type of manager who undermines individual initiative and freedom. On the contrary, Chipo takes a more people-oriented approach. She tries to understand the problems and anxieties of her staff and to encourage their wider participation at work. Both Tendai and Chipo seek to control their teams but using different tactics. Tendai is a scientific management type of manager. Scientific management or Taylorism had its origins in Frederick W Taylor who lived from 1856 to 1915. In essence, Taylorism entailed extreme division of labour, de-skilling of the worker, payment by results (â€Å"piece-work†), tight managerial control and ehumanisation of the workplace. Taylor and his followers considered money to be the main motivator for workers. According to him, if workers were carefully trained and given the right tools, productivity would increase. Taylor observed that workers would exert no more effort than they believed they were being paid for — a phenomenon he termed â€Å"soldiering†. He posited a panacea — time and motion studies combined with rational analysis to determine the best method for performing any particular task. His thesis was that if compensation was linked to output, productivity would go up. Taylor’s ideas marked the genesis of mass production. Henry Ford of the â€Å"You can have any colour (of car) as long as it is black† fame was one of the first to adopt Taylor’s methods in the production of the â€Å"Model T†. By the 1930s, scientific management had started to fall out of favour. Taylorism became synonymous with boring and repetitive jobs, loss of skills, loss of autonomy for the workers, low morale, sabotage, inferior quality, absenteeism, high turnover and general apathy. Having worked as a machine operator before, Taylor didn’t see workers as people, but rather as cogs in a machine that could easily be replaced. The industrial engineer, with his stopwatch and clipboard, standing over a worker measuring each little part of the job and worker’s movements became a loathed figure and led to antagonism between workers and managers. Chipo belongs to the human relations school led by Professor Elton Mayo, a Sociologist from Harvard Business School and fierce critic of Taylorism. Between 1924 and 1932, Mayo and his colleagues carried out a series of experiments with factory workers at the Hawthorne Works of the Western Electric Company near Chicago in the United States of America. The Western Electric company was an assembly division of America Telephone and Telegraph (ATT). The research involved the illumination experiments of the mid-1920s, Relay Assembly Test Room involving the six workers from 1927 to 1932, a survey of 21 000 employees in 1928 and observations in the Bank Wiring Room from 1931-1932. The outcome of this research became famously known as the â€Å"Hawthorne Effect†. In the illumination experiments, lighting intensity was varied up and down for an experimental group of workers, whilst light levels were left unchanged for the control group. Almost all of the lighting changes led to an increase in productivity. Most interesting of all, productivity also shot up within the control group. What really was going on? Apparently, something unusual was happening. The workers felt that they were part of it. They felt important. They felt obliged to work harder and demonstrate that they could not be regarded as mere parts in the organisational machine. Thus was born the notion of the â€Å"Hawthorne Effect†. With the Bank Wiring Room experiments, a small group of male workers were engaged in producing electrical components. The research sought to find out how payment incentives would affect productivity. Surprisingly, productivity fell. Apparently, workers had become suspicious that their productivity would lead to some of them losing their jobs. Closer observation revealed the existence of informal groups or cliques which served to control group members and to manage bosses. Rate busters (those who performed beyond the norm) were forced to toe the line through a mixture of peer pressure and physical sanctions. The major finding of the Hawthorne studies was that when individuals are made to feel special, it encourages them to behave or perform at a higher level of efficiency than they might otherwise. Those men and women who participated in the Hawthorne studies felt special by virtue of being the focus of attention by the researchers. Being studied prompts a person to reflect more on the task and this often causes them to improve their performance. Like it or not, the Hawthorne studies have taken on an almost mythological status and are firmly embedded in HR folklore. The general conclusion from the studies was that workers are not solely driven by economic considerations but by social needs as well. Management therefore requires effective social skills, not just technical skills. The informal side of the organisation is as important as, or perhaps even more important than, the formal rules and hierarchy. Whereas Taylor sought to eradicate the informal aspect of work, the human relations school sought to acknowledge its indispensability and to find ways of aligning it with the formal parts and purposes of the organisation. Following Mayo, facilities such as canteens and other facilities at work including social clubs were introduced. The limitations in the research methodology used in the Hawthorne experiments led to debate and doubt about whether the conclusions of Mayo and his colleagues were valid and reliable. In 1982, Berkeley Rice alluded to the â€Å"Hawthorne Defect† in the journal Psychology Today. However, as we were all taught in business school, every research is flawed in one way or the other! Between Tendai and Chipo, who fits the â€Å"bad guy† tag? Who is the â€Å"good guy? †

Qantas Airlines Contemporary Issues

Introduction As suggested by Teeple, 2000 globalization is thought of as various mechanisms or processes that aim at creating and consolidating a unified world in terms of economy and culture characterized by a complex link of information sharing that is world wide.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Qantas Airlines Contemporary Issues specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More With this concept, the world has experienced free movement of people, goods and services and capital between and among countries made possible by the advent in technology information. As a result the world has no doubt turned into a global village fashioned by interconnectedness and interdependence. It is evident that through globalization cultures are being exported throughout the world as various societies are compelled to evolve and co-exist with the changes brought about by globalization. It is worth remembering that globalization has impact not o nly in terms of economy but culture, politics as well as environmentally. All these have brought about contemporary issues when doing business in the international arena. Having in mind that businesses need to stay competitive, there is thus need to adequately and timely address the emerging contemporary issues (Swanson, 1993). For the sake of this assignment, Qantas airlines will be used in providing insights on issues facing airline industries when doing business beyond borders. The airline was founded back in 1920 and is the flag carrier of Australia. The airline is Sydney where it has its main hub. The airline has been deemed to be a four star airline according to Skytrax. Globally, it has been voted to be the 7th best airline although this is a drop from previous years. It also trades in the Australian stock exchange markets. Being the second oldest airline in the world, it started going international back in 1935. Currently, the airline operates both domestic as well as intern ational flights. Among the international destination include; Africa (South Africa), East Asia (China and Japan), south Asia (India), southeast Asia (Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand), Europe (Germany and UK), North America (U.S), South America (Argentina). Domestic destinations include Queensland, northern territory, and New South Wales among others.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This thus shows clearly that the airline operates internally since its flights are destined to all continents. The essay will thus elucidate on the major contemporary issues facing the airlines, the available alternatives and finally one best alternative is selected for recommendation (Chesterton Markson, 2008). Key contemporary issues facing Qantas airlines One major issue facing the airline is with regards to safety and security. Considering the happenings of September 2001 in U nited States of Americas and in the recent past where individuals have been intercepted carrying detonators and bombs, there customers have raised concern and are scared on who to trust when travelling to other countries. With such a case customers have already shifted to other airlines that have been deemed to be more secure inn terms of screening. It is worth noting that all these issues concerning terrorism have been heightened by technological advancement. Terrorists need not to travel to be given instructions on how to execute the evil act; this can be comfortably accomplished through various means such as e-mails despite the geographical distance. Additionally, it is worth to note that the recent happenings especially in Middle East countries and some countries in Africa particularly Egypt, Libya and Tunisia have threatened the airline business expansion strategy. The political instability which has seen to it that the various infrastructures and security issues have been nega tively affected jeopardizes the airlines plans of expanding its business. According to Joshi, 2009 stiff competition in the airline industry is another contemporary issue facing Qantas airlines. It is worth noting that while carrying out international business; it finds itself fighting with other giant companies such as British Airways, Virgin Atlantic which is new in business among others. It has been shown that when a firm does not have a sound plan on how to tackle competition, it can easily find it self in trouble and even close its business operations.  Just like any other organization whether for profit or non profit ethical issues when failed to be adequately addressed or prevented from happening can negatively impact on an organization. Although the airline has not yet been reported to have violated the rules of business to gain enormous profits at the expense of the relevant stakeholders, there is need to have plans in place to ensure this does not happen. Similarly, the world has come to realize that to save the environment; individuals to corporate have been called upon to cut down on their carbon footprints.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Qantas Airlines Contemporary Issues specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is one area that the airline has found it rough (Daniels et al., 2007). Cutting down on carbon footprint will enhance a cleaner environment.  Having in mind that the only constant is change, the recent technological advancement is one issue that has proved to be a challenge to each and every organization Qantas airlines not being an exception. A number of organizations that have mastered how to manage technological adoption have used the same as a competitive advantage. The airline in the wake of early 2000 was lagging behind in adopting technology (Chesterton Markson, 2008). However, when it did, the strategy was not well crafted to be successfully utilized in ma rketing, training workers as well as attaining the demands of customers. Another serious contemporary issue that was and still proves to be a challenge to the airline is with regards to customers issues. It has been noted that the firm has lost control over the customers. This has been attributed to technological advancement and competition. Additionally, there is need to note the demographic changes in the customers that need the airlines services (Chesterton Markson, 2008). The younger generation needs latest entertainment equipment among other sophisticated things. On the same note due to technology and better education the expectations of customers have tremendously change as majority demand for high quality and sophisticated services. Operating cost creep and financial crisis not only have a domestic impact but also a global impact. Interestingly, when there is a financial crisis for instance the one that happened between 2008 and 2010, majority of the potential travelers opte d to tighten the zips of their wallet and only spend their money on necessary goods and services. At such times the currency tremendously loss value (Kaplan, 2005). For that matter the industry failed to enjoy enormous revenues and profits forcing it to lay off some employees. On the same note, uncontrollable costs such as government taxes and tariffs, insurance as well as utilities have tremendously risen. This coupled with the unpredictable jet fuel prices has negatively impacted on the airlines business.  Additionally, there are a number of global uncertainties apart from terrorism. For instance diseases outbreaks such as SARS have negatively impacted to the industry.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is worth mention also that bird flu also brought a considerable loss tot eh firm. Although no one has control over natural disasters, the volcanic eruption in Europe as well as bad whether in countries of destination brushes the industry the wrong way (Joshi, 2009). Alternative actions According to Daniel, et al, 2007 there are several options that the firm can take to address the raised issue before things go beyond hand. In business, one option is to do nothing and leave nature takes its course. Secondly adopting a culture of a learning organization has been brought forth by numerous scholars to be another alternative that can be adopted in solving a myriad of issues facing an organization. Thirdly, it will also be rational if the airline sought to form alliances with other similar organization. This can be done by forming partnerships, merging as well as acquiring other firms. Similarly reengineering and restructuring will call for the organization to fully change everything w ith regards to how it does business. To successfully tackle the issue of competition, the airline can resort to gain competitive advantage through offering customers high quality in-service, improved security and safety measures among others. The service can include comfortable seats that are well spaced, sophisticated entertainment services similarly the variety of food served need to be further expanded to include endless list of bites drinks and other foodstuffs (Kaplan, 2005). Alternatively, the airline can actively engage in adopting a promotional strategy that will help show case Australia. This will help enhance international tourism hence increasing customers or passengers’ numbers. To meet the demand of increased number of passengers, it might be rational for the firm to increase the number of flights. Lastly and more importantly, I propose that the firm need to come up with policies and code of conducts that will be inline with the host country to help curb ethical issues (Chesterton Markson, 2008). Evaluation of the alternatives All the proposed alternatives have their stronger and weaker sides. Not doing anything is a reactive strategy that will make the firm loss the trust of all its stakeholders starting from passengers. The only advantage with this alternative is that it requires no financial budget, however if the worse happens then the whole organization will be brought to its knees. Adopting culture of an organizational learning has numerous advantages but one major one is that it will make the organization be an environment where its workforce are open minded and willing to adopt change (Travis, 2007). The major problem with the strategy is that it will take time and resources for it to be realized. Reengineering and restructuring will mean that the company changes almost everything ranging from its vision and mission statement. The new picture created may be appealing to some of the existing customers as well as new ones. However, t he alternative calls for allocation of huge resources and might results to losing loyal customers. Merging, alliances as well as acquisition helps organization pull together resources hence have a sound when it comes to negotiating for a number of issues in business. It also helps cut down running costs there by increasing profit margin (Laurie, 2001). However there are higher chances of conflict of interest when organizations merge or form a partnership. Offering of high quality in-service will definitely attract customers but only for a short term. On the other hand, the venture is too expensive and it can be easily copied by the competitors eventually making the whole initiative obsolete. Developing policies and code of conducts that are in line with the laws and regulations of host country will help in upholding higher standards of ethics. Nonetheless, this limits individuals not to think outside the box hens inhibiting innovation and creativity (Travis, 2007). Conclusion and Re commendations From the analysis of the proposed alternative, I suggest the airlines adopt the one with regards to a learning organization. It is worth mentioning that a learning organization has a number of benefits. For instance it will help the airline maintain higher levels of innovation and creativity hence being competitive. Similarly, a learning organization will better place Qantas airlines in responding to external factors hence maintaining competitive advantage (Senge et. al. 1994). Similarly, learning organization when it comes to the issue pertaining to changes, the firm will be at an advantage as it can adopt change quickly and successfully. In situations where the relationship between the organization and their relevant stakeholders are analyzed, a learning organization through the five characteristics of a learning organization (team learning, system thinking, mental models, and personal mastery and shared vision) makes it to be people-centered firm. This brings with i t a number of advantages such as improved corporate image. References Backman, M. Charlotte B. 2003. Big in Asia: 25 strategies for business success. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan Chesterton, A. Markson, S. (2008). â€Å"Qantas QF30 drama potentially threatens jumbos’ future†. The Sunday Telegraph. July 27 2008. Daniels, J., Radebaugh, L., Sullivan, D. 2007. International business: Environment and operations. New York: Prentice Hall. Joshi, R. 2009. International business. Oxford University: Oxford University Press. Kaplan, S. 2005. Bag the elephant: How to win keep big customers. New York: Wiley Sons. Laurie, D. 2001. From battlefield to boardroom: winning management strategies for today’s global Business. New York: Palgrave. Senge, P. et. Al.1994. The fifth discipline fieldbook: Strategies and tools for building a learning organization. London: Sage. Swanson, C. 1993. The dilemma of globalization: emerging strategic concerns in international business. Gr eenwich, Conn.: JAI Press. Teeple, A. 2000. â€Å"What is globalization?† In McBride, S. Globalization and its discontent. London: Macmillan. Travis, T. 2007. Doing business anywhere: The essential guide to going global. Hoboken: John Wiley Sons. This report on Qantas Airlines Contemporary Issues was written and submitted by user Abr1l to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Definition and Examples of Doxa in Classical Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Doxa in Classical Rhetoric In classical rhetoric, the Greek term doxa refers to the domain of opinion, belief, or probable knowledge- in contrast to episteme, the domain of certainty or true knowledge. in Martin and Ringhams  Key Terms in Semiotics  (2006), doxa  is defined as public opinion, majority prejudice, middle-class consensus. It is linked to the concept of doxology, to everything that is seemingly self-evident in terms of opinion, or conventional practice and habit. In England, for example, talk of the genius of Shakespeare is part of the doxa, as is a meal of fish and chips or a game of cricket. Etymology:  From the Greek, opinion What is Doxa? [T]he condemnation of rhetoric as trafficking in opinions about justice has dogged the art ever since Plato wrote Gorgias. . . . The Sophists in Gorgias hold that rhetoric creates truth that is useful for the moment out of doxa, or the opinions of the people, through the process of argument and counterargument. Socrates will have no part of this sort of truth which, nevertheless, is essential to a democracy.(James A. Herrick, The History and Theory of Rhetoric: An Introduction, 3rd ed. Allyn and Bacon, 2005) Two Meanings in Contemporary Rhetoric In contemporary rhetorical theory, we can distinguish two meanings of the classical term doxa. The first is more faithful to the classical heritage; it therefore stems from an epistemic perspective grounded in the contrast between certainty and probability. The second unfolds along a social and cultural dimension and is concerned with sets of beliefs widely espoused by popular audiences. These two meanings do not necessarily represent a shift from classical to modern theory. Aristotle distinguished doxa as opinion, from episteme as certainty. But in listing various beliefs with a high degree of probability- such as revenge being sweet, or rare objects as more valuable than those that exist in abundance- he also identified specific cultural, social (or what we call ideological) assumptions based on which the premise of an argument can be seen as plausible and be agreed upon by the members of a particular community.(Andreea Deciu Ritivoi, Paul Ricoeur: Tradition and Innovation in Rheto rical Theory. SUNY Press, 2006) Rational Doxa In The Republic, . . . Socrates says, Even the best of opinions are blind (Republic 506c). . . . One can never be the master of ones own doxa. As long as one lives in the domain of doxa, one is enslaved to the prevailing opinions of his social world. In the Theaetetus, this negative meaning of doxa is replaced by a positive one. In its new meaning, the word doxa can no longer be translated as belief or opinion. It is not something passively received from someone else, but rather actively made by the agent. This active notion of doxa is given by Socrates description of it as the souls dialogue with itself, asking itself questions and answering, affirming and denying, and finally making a decision (Theaetetus 190a). And the decision can be rational if the souls conversation is rational.This is the theory of rational doxa, the doxa plus logos . . ..(T. K. Seung, Plato Rediscovered: Human Value and Social Order. Rowman Littlefield, 1996)

6 top retail jobs this holiday season and how to get them

6 top retail jobs this holiday season and how to get them As the weather gets colder, that means two things: the holidays are coming, and there will be a lot of seasonal retail jobs opening up. Whether you’re looking for a side gig to make extra money or a right-now job to get you through the holidays, retail is the place to be from October until January. The seasonal holiday job is a perennial classic opportunity for temporary work, or an experience-building job that can be your entry point to a longer career working in retail. Let’s look at six of the top retail job opportunities available this holiday season.Retail Sales AssociateThis is kind of the classic seasonal job. Brick and mortar stores are busier than ever around the holidays, and they need the kind of all-hands-on-deck staffs that will let them boost those crucial holiday sales while keeping the store running smoothly. Retail sales associates may be responsible for stocking shelves, merchandising, cashier-ing, or working directly with customers. They may also be b ehind the scenes, assisting with incoming shipments and helping to manage inventory.Holiday sales associates are usually expected to work long or late shifts to accommodate for expanded store hours, and potentially on holidays (especially as more and more stores creep their Black Friday specials into Thanksgiving Day). It’s a hectic pace and you may be expected to be on your feet for most of it, so it’s important to have the physical stamina to withstand the holiday rush. This job may also involved a certain amount of heavy lifting and reaching.To get started as a retail sales associate, the bigger retailers (think Target, WalMart, Kohl’s, Toys ‘R Us, etc.) are almost always hiring seasonal help, but also be sure to check out smaller stores, who may also need holiday associates.What you’ll need: A solid retail resume, for starters, and also a strong set of customer service skills. You’ll also need general retail skills like good organization, time management, the ability to work independently without constant oversight, and math skills. You’ll also need to be flexible on your availability to work.Customer Service RepresentativeMore customers means more customer needs, and many stores and companies bulk up their customer service departments for the holidays. In retail, that often means manning the phones, internet chat programs, or social media platforms to make sure that customer issues and complaints are being handled quickly and appropriately. Customer service representatives may also be tasked with giving information to customers, processing returns or refunds, escalating customer issues appropriately, and troubleshooting specific issues. Because customer service doesn’t necessarily coincide with a store’s hours (and even less so if a store does a brisk holiday business online), the shifts may be overnight, over weekends, or over holidays. This can be a good job for night owls, or someone who has daytime obligations.What you’ll need: A solid customer service resume. You’ll need customer service skills first and foremost, as well as tech skills like handling multi-line phones, recordkeeping software, and internet chat programs. You’ll also need strong problem solving skills, as much of your time may be spent helping to diagnose and resolve problems for customers.Holiday ActorMany malls and stores (especially department stores) have a holiday display with some kind of interactive component (like Santa visits and photos). If you resemble the jolly old head elf himself, all the better. But people of all shapes and sizes are often needed to help out with these displays, shepherding kids through, or acting as elves/reindeer/other holiday characters. You don’t need to have an Academy Award-winning resume, but if you’re interested in working in a retail store without being an associate on the floor, this can be an option. You may be assisting with photo setup, or working on crowd/line management. The name of this position may vary by store. For example, Macy’s calls their fleet of seasonal Santas and elves â€Å"Santaland Sales Associates.†What you’ll need: Great people skills, especially kid-friendly ones. If you’re interested in being Santa himself, there are actually schools for that. Otherwise, skills like organization and time management also serve you well, as stores are just as interested in having these customers spend money in the store as waiting in line to see the holiday display.Retail Housekeeping Associate/JanitorWith all of the holiday shopping chaos, stores can get cluttered and disorganized. Enter the housekeeping staff. Like just about every other retail department, stores often need extra help in the cleaning department as well. These associates may be responsible for cleaning the store before or after hours, maintaining clean public areas during business hours, restocking thing s like boxes and bags in checkout areas, and generally cleaning up messes that occur in all the holiday hubbub. The housekeeping staff helps the operations of a store run more smoothly.What you’ll need: Good time management and organizational skills, and the ability to work independently to do what needs to be done.Warehouse/Shipping AssociateWarehouse staff are more important than ever in the ecommerce boom, and are essential to more traditional retail stores as well. These associates keep products on shelves and arriving at customers’ doors, and during the holidays, companies hire more staff to accommodate the higher volume of orders. Warehouse associates may be responsible for assembling shipments, preparing shipments, processing outgoing and incoming shipments, tracking inventory, and using heavy equipment (Iike forklifts) to move goods and shipments around. Many companies (like Amazon) hire warehouse staff all around the country to make sure their warehouses and s hipping facilities are operating at peak capacity during the busy holiday season.Most companies hire seasonal warehouse associates on a part-time basis, but there may also be full-time opportunities available through the holiday season.What you’ll need: Good physical stamina, as this is often a very physical and demanding job. You may need to be on your feet for shifts, and may be required to perform heavy lifting or other physical tasks. You will likely also need to be flexible on scheduling, as many warehouse jobs have shifts around the clock to accommodate holiday volume.Loss Prevention/Asset Protection AssociateWith holiday crowds come holiday shoplifters, unfortunately, and stores are aware of the need to bring on more security staff than usual to keep an eye on shoppers. Loss prevention and asset protection associates (perhaps better known as security guards) are responsible for ensuring that employees and customers are stealing, and for ensuring the general safety and security of the store. These associates may be stationed at particular points in a mall or store, or may be tasked with circulating and monitoring potential threats. Security associates may also work behind the scenes, monitoring cameras or other surveillance equipment to maintain order and safety, and catch would-be criminals in the act. You may need to work with police or other law enforcement as necessary, and will likely receive on-the-job training about store safety and security procedures and best practices.What you’ll need: A high school degree or equivalent, and prior security experience is ideal. You may also need to pass a background check. And this job also requires strong people and customer service skills.Retail jobs can be pretty diverse, especially when it’s the holidays and stores need more people to do just about everything you can think of. If you feel at home out on the store floor in the holiday crowds, great- but if your skills lean more toward beh ind the scenes customer service, or maintaining the store’s logistical status quo, there are plenty of opportunities there as well. If you’re interested in finding a holiday retail job, the time to get started is now. Hiring is usually done in a fast and furious way to make sure all the staffing is in place before Black Friday ads start hitting the airwaves, so you need to be able to jump on opportunities as you find them.We’ve got all the tools you need to get started in retail, create your resume, and prep for the interview. Good luck, and happy holiday job hunting!

Regultion of Public Utilities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Regultion of Public Utilities - Essay Example It is worth while t the outset to distinguish clerly between the specil control over public utilities nd the regultion of industries in generl. Under the police power, stte hs the right to regulte ny business. This sort of regultion hs to do with sfety devices, conditions of helth nd well being of employees, nd, with more or less defined limittions, the generl welfre of the public (King, 2000). The regultion of public utilities, however, is of different sort ltogether. It embrces the right to control the very orgniztion nd conduct of the enterprise. It is concerned not only with sfety nd welfre, but with the rtes chrged the public nd the returns or profits relized by the business, s well s with the products or services furnished. In the so-clled unregulted business the right to such interference is not recognized. fter ll resonble provisions for the public welfre hve been mde, ordinry business is still free to furnish such services or products s it desires, chrge such prices or rtes s it is ble to exct, nd conduct its finncil mngement ccording to its own purposes or contrctul rrngements. The right to regulte in the specil sense ws first recognized in the celebrted cse of Munn v. Illinois, decided by the Supreme Court of the United Sttes in 1876. This cse involved the right of the Illinois generl ssembly to prescribe mximum chrges for the storge nd hndling of grin by Chicgo elevtors. The new power ttempted by the stte ws rdicl deprture from existing policy. The ct ws shrply contested nd crried to the Supreme Court of the United Sttes. The power ws upheld, nd the bsis lid for public utility regultion. The principle itself hs never been questioned since. bout the time when the Illinois wrehouse sttute ws encted, there ws widespred legisltion throughout the country, especilly through the newly developed western sttes, for the regultion of rilrods. This ws the period of so-clled Grnger legisltion, when lmost spontneously new sttutes for rilrod regultion were encted. Of the seven Grnger cses decided by the Supreme Court in 1876, ll but the Munn cse concerned rilrods. 1 Thus, ctive regultion t tht time chiefly centered round the rilrods. It finlly resulted in the pssge by Congress in 1887 of n ct to Regulte Commerce, or, s it is clled, the Interstte Commerce ct (Morgn, 2003). During the 1880's serious problems developed lso in connection with other public utilities, prticulrly street rilwys. The rpid growth of cities creted demnd for dequte trnsporttion t resonble rtes. Similrly other services becme importnt, nd demnd for the extension of regultion developed. Consequently, fter 1900, the policy of regultion expnded rpidly, nd in the succeeding decde public utility sttutes with commissions were provided in most of the sttes. The bsis of regultion, s estblished by the Munn decision, nd repeted in ll of the leding cses where the sme question rose, ws the specil public interest in the prticulr industries. It is worth inquiring into this specil interest. Wht re the prticulr qulities, or the extrordinry conditions, which set n enterprise prt from others not subject to regultion Wht constitutes the specil interest which trnsforms business into public utility Vrious nswers hve been mde from time to time to these questions. In court opinions, sometimes one view is reflected,