Analytical Essay Sample on Gilgamesh and His Journey

Analytical Essay Sample on Gilgamesh and His Journey The Epic Gilgamesh chronicles the journey of a king. Gilgamesh is a king that flaunts his power and enviably shows his week side in most altercations. Gilgamesh has many trials, some he fails, and some he succeeds. Gilgamesh uses his faults and the help of the gods to fuel his desire to succeed as a human. Gilgameshs journey begins with the meeting of the monster that that a trapper spotted outside his city of Uruk. Its name is Enkidu; he is half man and half beast. This causes conflict in the beginning, but all is solved when the men realize their love for each other. They broke doorposts and the walls shook. He bent his knee with his foot planted on the ground and with a turn Enkidu was thrown. There is not another like you who is as strong as a wild ox now you are raised above all men, and Enlil has given you the kingship. So Enkidu and Gilgamesh embraced and their friendship was sealed. (69) Now that the men are allies they choose to work together. In a dream of Gilgamesh, Enlil of the mountain, declared the destiny of Gilgamesh. (70) He was so distraught because he had yet to make a name for himself. I will set up my name in the place where the names of famous men are written. He and Enkidu went to the forest where the monster Humbaba lived. There they began the search for the monster. Enkidu brought up the point that the forest is quite large and this monster is very mean. (71) Gilgamesh panics, he is worried about his name and what people will say about him. So they call on the God who owns the forest, Shamash. Gilgamesh sacrificed a goat to the god; Shamash accepts it and enables the men to find the monster. When the men finally find Humbaba they panic once again and Gilgamesh prays for help. Glorious Shamash heard his prayer and he summoned the great wind.(81) With the great help of Shamash Gilgamesh fell the monster Humbaba Gilgamesh gained the acclaim he wished for, but if not for the help other the God and Enkidu; Gilga mesh would not have made a name for himself. Gilgamesh cleans up after the kill and attacks the god Ishtar. She finds irresistible him so, she asks him to marry her. Come to me Gilgamesh, and be my bridegroom: grant me seed of your body So things as a couple go well, until Istar accuses Gilgamesh of insulting her. She complains to her father Anu, he doesnt give her what she wants, so she steals the guardian of the underworld, the Bull of Heaven. (87) She sics the Bull of heaven on Gilgamesh, but it ravishes the town of Uruk instead. So Gilgamesh kills it in the honor of the god Shamash. Than in turn angers his new love, the god Istar. Because they have killed the Bull of Heaven, and because they have killed Humbaba who guarded the Cedar Mountain one of the two must die. (89) Enkidu had a dream that this would happen. Oh my brother, such a dream I had last night. Anu, Enlil, Ea, and heavenly Shamash took council together (89). In resentment for his life, Enkidu denounced all that had helped him, even the god Shamash. After those remarks it was decided that Enkidu was the one to die. Gilgamesh was helpless. The gods he so relied on were taking his brother. Showing that the hand that feeds can take and it can give. Because I am afraid of death I will go as best I can to find Utnapishtim whom the gods took after the deluge; and the set him to live the garden of the sun; and to him alone of men they gave everlasting life. (97) Gilgamesh journeys for a great length of time. He reaches a garden of the gods, they tell him to go back, but he keeps going. Finally he is directed to the ferryman of Utnapishtim who takes Gilgamesh to Utnapistim. Upon arrival he introduces himself and immediately askes Utnapistim how he obtained everlasting life, Utnapistim replies that Gilgamesh will know soon enough. Utnapistim tells Gilgamesh of the great flood from which he escaped. Enlil punished or granted Utnapistim and his with wife with everlasting life. Gilgamesh still pushes Utnapistim for gives of immortality. He gives Gilgamesh a task, Gilgamesh is not to sleep for six days and seven nights and he well receive immorality. He fails. Utnapistim tries to send Gilgamesh home, but Gilgamesh will not let him. He gi ves Gilgamesh another task, There is plant that grows under water, it has a prickle like thorn, like a rose; it will wound your hands, but if you succeed in taking it, then your hands will hold that which restores his lost youth to a man. (116) He finds the flower, but he left it out and a serpent took it and shed its skin and became young. So Gilgamesh took Urshanabi, the ferryman back to Uruk. When they arrived, Gilgamesh asked Urshanabi to climb the city wall and gaze at all that Gilgamesh had created. All Gilgamesh wanted was to be with his friend Enkidu forever. He failed, but in doing so he saw the good he had done for his city. He had made a name there with his citizens and in engraving his story on stone. Gilgamesh was a man and a king with superhuman power. The underlying forces in his power were the gods. They helped him to succeed and they helped to him fail. He learned that though his soul goal was immortality, that he did not achieve, he could live and be proud of what he created in his own city. Gilgamesh did leave his mark, after five thousand years people still learn of the journey of the great Gilgamesh.

Critical Synopsis Essays

Critical Synopsis Essays Critical Synopsis Essay Critical Synopsis Essay The author developed argument by first reviewing both the planned and emergent models Of organizational change ND then moves to discuss the deficiencies of contingency model of change However, more authors moved towards the concept of organizational change and expanded the number or steps to organizational change (Brunets 1996). These facts are integral part of approach to manage organizational change. Within the writing a standout amongst the most persuasive points of view inside what are known as arranged ways to change is that of Lenin who contended that change include a three stage process: firstly, unfreezing the current conduct; besides moving to the new conduct and, at long last, freezing the new conduct The three-stage model was received for a long time as the overwhelming system for understanding the procedure of hierarchical change (Atoned, 2005). Since its plan, the hypothesis has been audited and changed, with stages being partitioned to make more particular steps. In spite of its prominence, Burners circuited Linens unique hypothesis for being in view of little scale tests, and all the more critically the way that it is in view of the presumption that association act under consistent conditions that can be looked into and anticipated. As a result of such reactions a different option for arranged ways to deal with authoritative change was created that is known as the emergent methodology. An emergent methodology to organizational change sees change as so quick and arbitrary that it cannot be achieved from the top down. Rather, it is argued, change ought to be seen as a methodology of realizing the organization reacts to the interior and outer natural changes. Atoned (2005) proposes that this methodology is more centered on change preparation and encouraging for change than for giving reticular preplanned steps for every change undertaking and activity. While these points might be seen as common sense. A key assumption hidden rising speculations is that with a specific end goal to react to change, administrators must have an inside and out comprehension of the association, its structures, techniques, individuals and society. Understanding these will permit leaders to pick the most proper way to deal with change and recognize the components that may go about as facilitators or obstructions to he change. On my own reflection, the new approach itself is not free from argument that questions the convenience of the expansive nature activity successions, and their application to extraordinary hierarchical settings. A more situational or possibility methodology will be better. As these will change from association to association, leaders reactions and systems for change will likewise need to vary.

International Business Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

International Business Management - Assignment Example However, the company remains pressed for resources and cannot afford to make the wrong decision when it comes to entering a new market. It is currently not in a position to bear high political, economic or regulatory risks. To this end, great potential exists in BRIC countries as the growth potential in these nations tends to be higher compared with the U.S. The founder of Genicon must, therefore, decide whether or not to enter the BRIC markets and, if so, which of these markets to enter. This decision must be made vis-a-vis the decision to continue to expand in European regions such as Germany. It is recommended that Genicon enters Brazil owing to low political risks and smooth regulatory environment. 2. Problem statement Genicon faces the problem of whether to enter into developed markets such as Germany or focus on existing markets or enter into BRIC countries. If it chooses to enter the BRIC economies then which economy should Genicon enter for maximizing its profits and growth p otential and minimizing its risks? 3. Analysis Genicon possesses over 10 years of experience in the sale of laparoscopic instruments within and outside U.S (Kupetz, Tindall, & Haberland, 2010). Internationalization may be active or proactive (Wild & Wild, 2012). However, Genicon’s internationalization has been largely proactive to take advantage of favorable business opportunities. Furthermore, the current marketing and distribution environment required firms to sell through GPOs which favored large companies owing to financial structure (Kupetz, Tindall, & Haberland, 2010). Hence, Genicon’s sales in the U.S were declining (Kupetz, Tindall, & Haberland, 2010). Additionally, international markets were providing higher growth rates as far as the market for MIS was concerned. Theory attributes internationalization to the strategic intent of the founder (Wild & Wild, 2012). The case suggests Genicon’s founder- Haberland to have had interest in entering emerging mark ets owing to their high growth rates. However, the biggest concern encompassing Genicon is which BRIC market to enter. It is important to analyze each BRIC economy from the perspective of various factors. Global legal issues such as intellectual property which faces threat of piracy may be important considerations for international businesses (Wild & Wild, 2012). In terms of the legal environment, India offered improvement in terms of shorter product launch times and tighter IP laws. Russia offered weak enforcement laws whereas China offered uncertain, slow and weak regulatory procedures (Kupetz, Tindall, & Haberland, 2010). Brazil, on the other hand, offered â€Å"internationally accepted† regulatory standards with the prospective introduction of the four-tier system (like that in the EU) which was favorable for Genicon. Considering that the role of government intervention is critical factor for startups, the BRIC countries need to be analyzed in terms of this aspect as well . India has been heading towards privatization. Political ideologies may range from being anarchist ( whereby personal and private groups have liberty) to totalitarian (where every aspect of people’s lives is controlled) (Wild & Wild, 2012). Pluralism exists in the middle whereby both public and private groups coexist (Wild & Wild, 2012). China seems to have moved towards pluralism in the wake of globalization with the

Sectionalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sectionalism - Essay Example They had plantations. These were large family farms that produced tobacco and cotton that relied on cheap labor in the form of slaves which was actually intensified as economic sectionalism grew stronger as well. Both North and South sections tried to have representatives in Congress for them to have the power to pass laws that would benefit their sections. Both wanted to have equal States rights and reasonable government tax on imports or exports. The West was also a section but was not part of the sectional conflict between North and South. However, the presence of the West aggravated their conflict as both sections fought to control the West. The people then moved westward and settled there, of course with the additional struggles faced with the first Indian settlers. They saw the west as an "open land", a free land where new opportunities awaited. As more people moved into the west, they realized how potential the land was which then showed the American development. The presence of fertile soil and flat lands attracted the farmers to Great Plains. The discovery of gold and animals rushed in miners and hunters. The people started to acknowledge that additional development to the land could provide them with lots of money. The settlers then slowly started to develop the land and made it prosperous that appealed to investors. The complexity of city life eventually became simple as people tried to embrace the new culture and economy of the West. There were traders, ranchers, miners and farmers that eventually boost the West economy. The opening of the West was indeed an avenue where people started to have hope, rights and duties in expanding and owning a free land. The opening of the West slowly neutralized the sectional conflict between the North and the South. Slavery, one of the four main issues starts to find its voice and freedom. Slavery was believed to be a sectional trait and since the west did not acknowledge this, slaves were not anymore half-free nor half-slave. They can also enjoy what a free man can. No racial discrimination. Black Americans can as well live and work freely with white Americans. Representation, second issue, the North and South as mentioned above seek representatives that will speak on their behalf and propose laws that will benefit their own sections. This is not the case with the West, as people continue to possess economic power, political power arises as well. As new settlers realized their independency in trading, managing and controlling of their new lands, it was also the beginning of intolerance to the government, the individualism of the people. We are to see here that economic opportunities slowly closed the gap caused by sectionalism; however, it also opened to individualism. Individualism in America has allowed a laxity in regard to governmental affairs which has rendered possible the spoils system and all the manifest evils that follow from the lack of a highly developed civic spirit (Turner). An individualism which made the government out of its function due to the immense success of the West economy that encouraged the people to rule the land expecting limited participation from the government. The individualism made them neglectful on their duties and responsibilities as citizens of America. Looking closely to it, the individualism of the West is as worse as sectionalism. Sectionalism only thinks of its own section while individualism only thinks

Turkish invasion of Cyprus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Turkish invasion of Cyprus - Essay Example Even before the conflict, the tension arose when the Cyprus Convention, on the basis of which Britain 'leased' the island, lost much of its relevance for some reasons, foremost of which was the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire. However there is a background of the conflict followed by the year 1878, when Cyprus was offered to the British, the Turkish sultans expected them to build a strong naval base on the island, which could be used as a deterrent against possible Russian attacks on the Asian parts of the Ottoman Empire (Borowiec: 24). This project was never realized thus never fulfilled. Despite high claims and loud voices in Britain that demanded an end to colonial rule in Cyprus, the Convention was never abrogated, resulting in the economic disaster in Cyprus. After the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, it was felt that the time was not favourable for the Cyprus government as the Turkish government had just relaxed its negotiating position linking free access to Ayios Theodhoros with Artemis Road (Hart: 47). It had also, instructed its permanent representative to the United Nations to thank Secretary-General for his efforts in obtaining the release of Denkta, and to state Ankara's acceptance of the UNFICYP timetable for the phased resumption of police patrols to the village, provided UNFICYP returned the Kophinou police compound to Turkish Cypriot police and redoubled its efforts to settle the Artemis Road situation. The attitude of the Turkish Government was warlike because for months the Demirel administration had been focusing its attention on internal development projects, many involving U.S. economic assistance. However the advance deployment of heavy weaponry and Greek mainland troops were indicating something fishy not only, in battalion strength, around Skarinou, but throughout the island. When the Cyprus crises erupted in 1964, Turkey found itself deprived to get U.S. support, at that time Ankara thought of reapproaching Arabs with a hope that would pay off. However the Arabs instead supported Greece with arms and weapons against the Turkish Cypriot minority (Nachmani: 14). Turkey while depicting such attitude of Middle East as the Arab betrayal, tried to shake hands with the Western world. Conflicts and threats during and after Turkish invasion The political aspirations of the Cypriot leaders were to inspire Cypriots towards either Greece or Turkey instead of creating a mutual concern for the unity of their nation and for their own self-preservation as Cypriots. The dominant feeling that remained long after the invasion among Turkish Cypriots was that the internationally recognized government of Cyprus has not represented the interests of the island's Turkish community. Indeed, it was observed that except minor exceptions, particularly after the invasion, Greek Cypriots regarded Turkish Cypriots as enemies rather than as compatriots. Greeks never considered them as their equal partners due to which systematic economic blockade of the Turkish areas by the Greek side were theoretically intended to 'punish' Turkey (Borowiec: 8). Distances between Greeks and Turks remained wider and therefore alienated the minority that was supposed to share the island with the Greeks. However despite the elements that separated two Cypriot

Impact of Employee Motivation Strategies on Customer Service

Impact of Employee Motivation Strategies on Customer Service Creating and maintaining a well-motivated work force is challenging task of a company. The confidence and motivation of work force are being constantly worn down by the inevitable rejection they suffer from buyers as part of everyday activities. To some extent, a high level of employee motivation is derived from effective management practices. To develop motivated employees, a manager must treat people as individuals, empower workers, provide an effective reward system, redesign jobs, and create a flexible workplace. Empowerment occurs when individuals in an organization are given autonomy, authority, trust, and encouragement to accomplish a task. Empowerment is designed to unshackle the worker and to make a job the workers responsibility. In an attempt to empower and to change some of the old bureaucratic ideas, managers are promoting corporate entrepreneurships. Entrepreneurship encourages employees to pursue new ideas and gives them the authority to promote those ideas. Obviously, entrepreneurship is not for the timid, because old structures and processes are turned upside down. Managers often use rewards to reinforce employee behavior that they want to continue. A reward is a work outcome of positive value to the individual. Organizations are rich in rewards for people whose performance accomplishments help meet organizational objectives. People receive rewards in one of the following two ways: Extrinsic rewards are externally administered. They are valued outcomes given to someone by another person, typically a supervisor or higher level manager. Common workplace examples are pay bonuses, promotions, time off, special assignments, office fixtures, awards, verbal praise, and so on. In all cases, the motivational stimulus of extrinsic rewards originates outside the individual. Intrinsic rewards are self-administered. Think of the natural high a person may experience after completing a job. That person feels good because she has a feeling of competency, personal development, and self-control over her work. In contrast to extrinsic rewards, the motivational stimulus of intrinsic rewards is internal and doesnt depend on the actions of other people. When people think of honoring employees for jobs well done, they may typically think of monetary rewards. However, these may be neither necessary nor the best type of reward. By contrast, frequent, positive feedback provided within a n enjoyable, team-oriented environment makes a tremendous difference in employees sense of being valued and, as a result, their commitment to your company. With or without financial rewards, these cultural aspects of the workplace could be the smartest investment in the staff and business. 2.0 Problem Statement McDonalds want to improve service quality and productivity in company; the single most effective thing is improve employee morale and motivation. Fortunately there are many ways to do this from the familiar recognition and reward programs to motivating with good management, teams, training, and more. And the really good news is that most of these programs dont cost a lot of money. Motivating customer service employees provides details on the full range of approaches use to improve frontline motivation. It is important to understand exactly how these motivational approaches have been put into action in to improve customer service and provide better customer care with customer satisfaction in McDonalds. It is important to hire the right people after all, you can never motivate the wrong people, create powerful recognition and incentive programs, that fully engage and motivate employees and make the frontline job more interesting, challenging, and rewarding through empowerment, teams, good management, training, and more. 3.0 Research Objectives To identify current employee motivation strategies in McDonalds To identify effective motivates factors of employees in McDonalds To understand the customer feel about the employees of McDonalds To introduce proper employee motivation strategies to improve customer service and employees performance in McDonald 4.0 Research Questionnaires What are the current employees motivation strategies in McDonald? What are the best effective employee motivation factors for McDonald? How is the customer view about the employee of McDonald? What are the most suitable employee motivation strategies to improve customer service and employees performance in McDonald? Chapter -02 5.0 Literature Review Literature Review of Employee Motivation and Customer Service Many people go to work every day and go through the same, unenthusiastic actions to perform their jobs. These individuals often refer to this condition as burnout. But smart managers can do something to improve this condition before an employee becomes bored and loses motivation. The concept of job redesign, which requires knowledge of and concern for the human qualities people bring with them to the organization, applies motivational theories to the structure of work for improving productivity and satisfaction 5.1 Employee Motivation When redesigning jobs, managers look at both job scope and job depth. Redesign attempts may include the following: Job enlargement, often referred to as horizontal job loading, job enlargement increases the variety of tasks a job includes. Although it doesnt increase the quality or the challenge of those tasks, job enlargement may reduce some of the monotony, and as an employees boredom decreases, his or her work quality generally increases. Job rotation, this practice assigns people to different jobs or tasks to different people on a temporary basis. The idea is to add variety and to expose people to the dependence that one job has on other jobs. Job rotation can encourage higher levels of contributions and renew interest and enthusiasm. The organization benefits from a cross-trained workforce. Job enrichment, this called vertical job loading, this application includes not only an increased variety of tasks, but also provides an employee with more responsibility and authority. If the skills required to do the job are skills that match the jobholders abilities, job enrichment may improve morale and performance. Todays employees value personal time. Because of family needs, a traditional nine-to-five workday may not work for many people. Therefore, flextime, which permits employees to set and control their own work hours, is one way that organizations are accommodating their employees needs. Here are some other options organizations are trying as well: A compressed workweek is a form of flextime that allows a full-time job to be completed in less than the standard 40-hour, five-day workweek. Its most common form is the 4/40 schedule, which gives employees three days off each week. This schedule benefits the individual through more leisure time and lower commuting costs. The organization should benefit through lower absenteeism and improved performance. Of course, the danger in this type of scheduling is the possibility of increased fatigue. Job sharing or twinning occurs when one full-time job is split between two or more persons. Job sharing often involves each person working one-half day, but it can also be done on weekly or monthly sharing arrangements. When jobs can be split and shared, organizations can benefit by employing talented people who would otherwise be unable to work full-time. The qualified employee who is also a parent may not want to be in the office for a full day but may be willing to work a half-day. Although adjustment problems sometimes occur, the arrangement can be good for all concerned. Telecommuting, sometimes called flexi place, is a work arrangement that allows at least a portion of scheduled work hours to be completed outside of the office, with work-at-home as one of the options. Telecommuting frees the jobholder from needing to work fixed hours, wearing special work attire, enduring the normal constraints of commuting, and having direct contact with supervisors. Home workers often demonstrate increased productivity, report fewer distractions, enjoy the freedom to be their own boss, and appreciate the benefit of having more time for them. Of course, when there are positives, there are also negatives. Many home workers feel that they work too much and are isolated from their family and friends. In addition to the feelings of isolation, many employees feel that the lack of visibility at the office may result in the loss of promotions. 5.2 Employee Motivation Strategies 1. External Motivation There are two kinds of external motivation: a) Fear You had better get this right, or you will lose money, job, respect, relationship, status, etc. b) Incentives If you do this right, you will gain money, recognition, status, promotion, lifestyle, etc. The impact of external motivation is temporary. When the threat or incentive is removed, motivation is lost. 2. Internal Motivation Most employees have been exposed to the idea If it is to be, its up to me. And they have all been advised to set goals. Many employees set worthwhile goals, BUT their suboptimal thinking prevents them from taking the best actions to achieve the best outcomes. They compromise their own best interests, because they havent been educated in the art and science of consistent Optimal Thinking. As an Optimal Thinking leader, you assess and best resolve demotivating company rules, policies and behaviors (e.g. unproductive meetings, destructive criticism, and unclear expectations about employee performance). By minimizing demotivates and optimizing no-cost employee motivation strategies (e.g. maximizing job ownership, setting supremely motivational realistic challenges and goals, providing fair treatment and appropriate recognition, measuring performance progress, optimizing collaboration and teamwork) and educating your employees in the consistent art of Optimal Thinking, you will provide the most conducive environment to optimize employee motivation and productivity. 5.3 Motivation Theories Motivation has been researched by psychologists and others for many years. A number of theories have evolved which are pertinent to the motivation of employees. The basis of Maslows motivation theory is that human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs, and that certain lower factors need to be satisfied before higher needs can be satisfied. According to Maslow, there are general types of needs (physiological, survival, safety, love, and esteem) that must be satisfied before a can act unselfishly. He called these needs deficiency needs. As long as we are motivated to satisfy these cravings, we are moving towards growth, toward self-actualization. Satisfying needs is healthy, while preventing gratification makes us sick or act evilly. The two-factor theory (also known as Herzbergs motivation-hygiene theory) states that there are certain factors in the workplace that cause job satisfaction, while a separate set of factors cause dissatisfaction. It was developed by Frederick Herzberg, a psychologist, who theorized that job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction act independently of each other. Expectancy Theory proposes that a person will decide to behave or act in a certain way because they are motivated to select a specific behavior over other behaviors due to what they expect the result of that selected behavior will be. In essence, the motivation of the behavior selection is determined by the desirability of the outcome. However, at the core of the theory is the cognitive process of how an individual processes the different motivational elements. This is done before making the ultimate choice. The outcome is not the sole determining factor in making the decision of how to behave. 5.4 Importance of Customer Services Good customer service is the lifeblood of any business. It can offer promotions and slash prices to bring in as many new customers as company want, but unless company can get some of those customers to come back, business wont be profitable for long. Good customer service is all about bringing customers back. And about sending them away happy happy enough to pass positive feedback about business along to others, who may then try the product or service offer for themselves and in their turn, become repeat customers Good salesperson can be used to sell anything to anyone once. But it will be your approach to customer service that determines whether or not ever be able to sell that person anything else. The essence of good customer service is forming a relationship with customers a relationship that that individual customer feels that he would like to pursue. Answer your phone. Get call forwarding or an answering service. Hire the staff if business need to. But make sure that someone is picking up the phone when someone calls your business. Dont make promises unless you will keep them. Not plan to keep them, will keep them. Reliability is one of the keys to any good relationship, and good customer service is no exception. It is important think before you give any promise because nothing annoys customers more than a broken one. Listen to your customers. Is there anything more exasperating than telling someone what you want or what your problem is and then discovering that that person hasnt been paying attention and needs to have it explained again? From a customers point of view, I doubt it. Can the sales pitches and the product babble. Let your customer talk and show him that you are listening by making the appropriate responses, such as suggesting how to solve the problem. Deal with complaints. No one likes hearing complaints, and many of us have developed a reflex shrug, saying, You cant please all the people all the time. Maybe not, but if you give the complaint your attention, you may be able to please this one person this one time and position your business to reap the benefits of good customer service. Be helpful even if theres no immediate profit in it. The other day I popped into a local watch shop because I had lost the small piece that clips the pieces of my watch band together. When I explained the problem, the proprietor said that he thought he might have one lying around. He found it, attached it to my watch band and charged me nothing! Where do you think Ill go when I need a new watch band or even a new watch? And how many people do you think Ive told this story to? Train your staff (if you have any) to be always helpful, courteous, and knowledgeable. Do it yourself or hire someone to train them. Talk to them about good customer service and what it is (and isnt) regularly. Most importantly, give every member of your staff enough information and power to make those small customer-pleasing decisions, so he never has to say, I dont know, but so-and-so will be back at Take the extra step For instance, if someone walks into your store and asks you to help them find something, dont just say, Its in Aisle 3. Lead the customer to the item. Better yet, wait and see if he has questions about it, or further needs. Whatever the extra step may be, if you want to provide good customer service, take it. They may not say so to you, but people notice when people make an extra effort and will tell other people. viii) Throw in something extra. Whether its a coupon for a future discount, additional information on how to use the product, or a genuine smile, people love to get more than they thought they were getting. And dont think that a gesture has to be large to be effective. The local art framer that we use attaches a package of picture hangers to every picture he frames. A small thing, but so appreciated. Chapter -03 6.0 Methodology Staff surveys are usually very helpful in establishing whether staff in your company is motivated and therefore performing to best effect. Aside from the information that questionnaires reveal, the process of involving and consulting with staff is hugely beneficial and motivational in its own right, Whilst survey will be unique to McDonalds and staff issues, industry and culture, some useful generic guidelines apply to most situations and own questionnaires on employee motivation. 6.1 Sampling Frame Research is mainly focused on primary data. Random sampling method is used for the primary data collection. Two questionnaire surveys are conducted for the research study. It is randomly selected 10 McDonalds in all over the country. Then it is selected 100 employees from all over the McDonalds in country. It is randomly selected 100 customers from selected ten McDonalds in all over the country. 6.2 Data Collection Mainly research is focused on primary data and secondary data also collected from books, journals and informal discussions. Two questionnaires are prepared to collect all the information required for the objectives. One questionnaire is prepared for the McDonalds employee and other questionnaire prepared for the McDonalds customers. Then the prepared questionnaire is pre tested with five employee and five consumers to make sure that questionnaires are appropriate to get required information. Then questionnaire survey is conducted randomly selected 100 employees and customers. Questionnaires are completed when interviewing the employee and customers. Chapter -04 7.0 Data Analysis 7.1 Employee Survey According to the results of the questionnaire survey, out of the sample that were subjected to the survey 75% of chefs and managers said that they were satisfied with the level of flexibility of working hours. However only 61% of the cashiers were satisfied, and it should be noted that out of the cashiers that were interviewed 53% are female workers. The female workers may find it difficult to match their requirement with the available working shifts. Even though the management had emphasized that the performance related rewarding strategies were in place, the questionnaire analysis shows some contradicting results. Only 37% of chefs, 46% cashiers are satisfied with their salary. But 100% of the managers are satisfied with their salary. Also approximately 37% of chefs and cashiers are satisfied with the benefits, while 75% of the managers are satisfied with their benefits. Further 25% and 38% of chefs and cashiers are satisfied with the frequency and amount of bonuses respectively. However 50% of the managers are satisfied with the bonuses. But 62% chefs, 53% cashiers and 100% of the managers are satisfied with the rewarding scheme. Nevertheless this analysis indicates a more focus and biasness towards the management in terms of rewards and the requirements of the team members are not sufficiently addressed. However based on the questionnaire analysis, on average 50% of the employees are satisfied with the career advancement opportunities available to them. So the reason for this lower satisfaction level should be investigated. The results of the questionnaire survey shows that around 76% of the operational level employees (cashiers, chefs, etc) are below 4 years in service. So this can be a symptom of employee turnover or they may have been promoted to higher grades. So it is identified that the job security for the KFC team members are high, a large number of employment opportunities are available within their group of companies and their career path is clear. According to the questionnaire results 75% of chefs and 100% of managers are satisfied with their job security. However the cashiers show a lower satisfaction rate of 53% of job satisfaction. Even though the management believes in a supportive corporate culture to enhance employee motivation, the effectiveness of the implementation of the strategies is questionable. This because the results of the questionnaire results revealed that only 50% of the chefs and only 46% of cashiers are satisfied with the existing corporate culture even though there is 100% satisfaction of the management. 7.2 Customer Survey 100 customers were interviewed in this survey, according to their view 69% customers satisfied with customer service delivering in McDonald, 26% customers dissatisfied and 5% customers were neutral in that question. Product quality and price view of customers were good 78% of customers satisfied with product quality and 82% customers satisfied with product price. According to customer view, researcher can summarized their view as above Chapter -05 8.0 Conclusions Recommendations 8.1 Conclusions It can be concluded that the rewarding strategy which is in place at the moment is somewhat ineffective. One of the major issue with the current system is it is more bias towards the management but does not take into account the requirements of the team members. This fact is proven by the results of the questionnaire analysis. For instance only 37% and 46%% of chefs and cashiers are satisfied with their salary, respectively. However 100%% of the managers are satisfied of their salary. On the other hand 37% and 38% of chefs and cashiers are satisfied with their benefits respectively, while 75% of the managers are satisfied. It can be concluded that, in general KFC has taken actions tom promote their team members to higher positions in anticipation of motivation. When considering the results of the questionnaire only 0% of chefs and 15% of cashiers have service records of more than 7 years. So the chefs and cashiers may be promoted as managers in course of time. This fact is further supported by the fact that no managers were found to have less than 4 years of experience at Mcdonald. So managers must be promoted from the operational level to their current position. 8.2 Recommendations It is recommended to revise the existing rewarding scheme appropriately to accommodate the requirements of the team members in terms of amount of economic benefits ensuring a win-win situation for both the employees and the employer. It is recommended to attend to the issue of high work load of female cashiers, and to the issue of lack of new technology in McDonald. It is emphasized that by bringing in new technology to reduce work load. It is recommended to design a new shift of working, different to the general shifts that are currently available in order to accommodate the requirements of the female employees. It is recommended to provide convenient physical working environment for female workers. It is recommended to assess the training needs of chefs regularly because of the technical nature of the job and because of a chefs ability to deliver superior customer satisfaction. Proper training program should be organized and conducted continuously to enhance the knowledge and the skill base of the chefs.

Female managers at Nagel

One of the most important issues concerning the workforce at Nagel Partners is its gender demographic. The proportion of male to female employees is approximately even at the lower levels. However, the number of female role models available to these women employees is disproportionately low, amounting to only about 10% at the executive levels. Nagel Partners’ executives have expressed concern about the profitability of training more female employees to fill managerial and executive positions, and this concern is justified. However, it would prove very beneficial to this firm to embark on such a training scheme, since many women do tend to give out their best performance under situations that are generally different from those that male leaders and managers are able create. One of the major divisions in leadership type is between task-oriented (production-oriented) and relationship-oriented (employee-oriented) leaders. While a task-oriented leader tends to focus on the accomplishment of production goals, relationship-oriented leaders are foremost concerned with the well-being of their subordinates (Lewitz & Bem, 1983). However, once the task has been accomplished, the task-oriented leader is usually better able to focus on relationships. The opposite is true for relationship-oriented leaders, who are able to facilitate the optimal completion of tasks once it has been established that needs of subordinates (or of the group) have been met (1983). In a firm like Nagel Partners, which focuses on a predominantly task oriented job (accounting), task orientation is a necessity. However, considering that employees are human beings, a holistic look at management would warrant the inclusion of a more relationship-based orientation. The type of leader that a woman will prove to be (whether task- or relationship-oriented) may have an impact on her performance as a manager. Though this cannot be considered true in all instances, women have generally been perceived as being more relationship-oriented than men (â€Å"Masculine and Feminine,† 2005). This has also been seen by many as having the ability to affect productivity as a manager in a task-oriented firm. However, in a firm with such a large population of valuable women workers as Nagel Partners, it can be seen that women do have the capability to perform tasks well. Furthermore, it has been stated by several leadership researchers that leaders who are relationship oriented lead divisions that perform as well as those of leaders who are task-oriented (2005). One of the keys behind this is the fact that relationship-oriented leaders are capable of creating an atmosphere in which tasks can be performed at optimal levels (2005). Since women generally have a natural proclivity toward being relationship oriented (â€Å"Masculine and Feminine,† 2005), then the need for such a leader might be considered to be very large at Nagel Partners. Females workers trained to occupy leadership positions are likely to have a positive effect on the productivity of their female subordinates, as they have a natural inclination toward creating the atmosphere in which these persons can produce their best work. Training would, however, likely be necessary in an effort to increase these female managers’ tendency toward the more task-oriented goals of giving directions to and setting standards for employees. The ability for employees to identify with those in leadership positions is also an important component in a manager’s power or influence with employees. The large proportion of women on the payroll at Nagel Partners would allow for increased identification, were more women to be trained and placed in managerial and executive positions. Despite this fact, it has also been shown that many females have trouble subordinating men (Lewitz & Bem, 1983). Some women may have an innate problem with this, while others might come across male employees who are reluctant to behave subordinately toward a female manager. Since as many men as women work at Nagel Partners, training is necessary to improve prospective female managers’ ability to relate well to both sexes. This is an especially good idea since it has been shown that training has the ability to transform less assertive women by increasing their assertiveness in given situations. Women were able to increase the efficacy of their performance in mixed-sex groups as a result of such intervention (1983). Therefore, training women to become managers in this firm would prove beneficial. One possible challenge to be faced by increasing the number of female managers is that in the workforce culture of the United States, masculinity as a leadership type seems to be generally given a higher value. First of all, this operates under the assumption that achievement and assertiveness are masculine traits. While this is not always the case, when training female leaders, considerations should be made regarding methods of enhancing (or, if need be, instilling) those attributes. The fact that these women will be leading other women makes any inherent femininity traits an invaluable leadership tool. However, the fact that these women would also be leading men makes it necessary that those who do not already possess masculinity traits be trained in that area. All these factors would make the training of female managers very beneficial to Nagel Partners. References â€Å"The ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ sides of leadership and culture: perception vs. reality.† (2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Leadership and Change. October. U. of Penn. Retrieved on February 23, 2007 from Lewittes, H. J. & S. L. Bem. (1983). â€Å"Training women to be more assertive in mixed-sex task-  Ã‚   oriented discussions.† Behavioral Science. 9(5), 581-596.   

Charles Dickens Great Expectations Essay

The themes that are introduced and emphasised in Chapter 8 of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations are a near complete summary of the themes of the novel as a whole and of the conditions in which the English people had to live with in the 1800’s. This chapter epitomises the circumstances in which English people lived and the situations that they faced, and it looks at many different perspectives and takes into account many different factors. The Industrial Revolution was a period in time when everything in England changed rapidly, and Dickens made sure that he captured England’s huge transition in every light he could. Dickens himself lived in poverty for a number of years, and his main motive for writing books (such as Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby) was his desire to see change. These books are based around injustice and the divide between wealth and poverty. Chapter 8 of Great Expectations clearly defines the issues that Dickens sought to deal with through writing. The very first thing that happens in Chapter 8 Pip’s uncomfortable breakfast with Mr Pumblechook. Pip states in his narrative that ‘on politely bidding him Good morning’, Pumblechook immediately asked him a mathematics question. The breakfast then proceeds to continues in this manner (‘before I had swallowed a morsel, he began a running sum that lasted throughout breakfast. ‘) This is a prime example of control. This is one of the themes that come to the fore as the novel progresses. Pip finds that he very rarely has a choice in matters, he is either forced to do something or it would be very foolish or insulting to decline making certain choices. His life his almost completely influenced by others, and he often has no control over it at all. In Chapter 8, he is controlled by Pumblechook (as afore mentioned), Estella (‘†You are to wait here, boy. â€Å"‘) and Miss Havisham (‘†Play! â€Å"‘). In particular, Miss Havisham manipulates the lives of Estella and Pip to suit her own twisted, selfish needs to the point where she is remorseful of her actions. Dickens stresses the point that, in this era, the wealthy people dictate the actions of the poorer people. The fact that Pip is sitting back and enjoying the ride, so to speak, is a result of the people around him ordering and demanding things of him. Pip rarely has a choice to make, and is manipulated and used by many people, some with good intentions (Magwitch), some with evil intentions (Miss Havisham and Compeyson). Control and the gulf between inferiority and superiority are perpetual forces in the novel.

Mystical Caves Used Throughout Mythology Essays - God, Free Essays

Mystical Caves Used Throughout Mythology Essays - God, Free Essays Mystical Caves Used Throughout Mythology The use of caves in mythology to depict darkness and abandonment has branded it as a symbol of chaos. From this perception other associations are made which connect the cave to prejudices, malevolent spirits, burial sites, sadness, resurrection and intimacy. It is a world to which only few venture, and yet its mysticism has attracted the interest of philosophers, religious figures and thinkers throughout history. These myths are exemplified in Homers "Odyssey," where the two worlds of mortals and immortals unite in the eternal cave. To Plato, the cave represents the confusion between reality and falsehood. Individuals chained deep within the recesses of the cave mistake their shadows for physical existence. These false perceptions, and the escape from bonds held within the cave symbolize transition into the a world of reality. Comparatively, in the Odyssey, Odysseus must first break with Kalypso, and set himself free before he can return to Ithaka, when he will then be prepared to release Penelope from the bondage of suitors. His experience within the cave is in itself a world of fantasy, in that Kalypso is a supernatural being, and the only way to escape her enslavement is to receive assistance from immortals superior to her. The philosopher Francis Bacon also theorized about the myth attached to caves in which he maintained that "idols," meaning prejudices and preconceived notions possessed by an individual, were contained in a persons "cave," or obscure, compartment, with "intricate and winding chambers"1 . Beliefs that caves were inhabited by negative thoughts, or spirits, were also held by the native-American culture, in which these spirits influenced the outcome of all human strivings, and had to be maintained inside caves. The souls of the dead were thought to be the most malevolent of all spirits, and were held within the deepest parts of the cave. In Greek mythology this also holds true, according the legend in which Cronus was placed in a cave in the deepest part of the underworld. This was done by Zeus and his siblings after waging war against their father for swallowing them at birth for fear that they might overthrow him. Incidently, Zeus was raised in a cave after Rhea hid him from Cronus. For his punishment, Cronus was placed in Tartarus to prevent his return to earth, which would unbalance the system of authority established by Zeus. Beyond the shadows of the cave, however, this balanced system of power is nonexistent. It becomes a system both unstable and lawless, and survival as a guest in such a cave is only accomplished through the complete submission to the sovereign. In Odysseus encounter with the Cyclops, it is his disregard for Polyphemos authority that costs him the lives of several companions, and ultimately a ten year delay on his return home. The land of the Cyclops epitomizes darkness, chaos, and abandonment; where the only law exists past the entrance of the cave. From the islands shore a "high wall of...boulders"2 can be seen encircling each cave. Clearly impossible of being accomplished by mortals, massive walls of similar description found standing after the Persian Wars were also thought by ancient Greeks to be the work of the Cyclops. Unfamiliar to this system of power, Odysseus disregards these laws and enters the cave without an invitation. For this reason, Polyphemos implicates his own punishment onto the trespassers, and kills six men. In order to escape the wrath of the Cyclops, Odysseus eventually blinds him, an offense which falls under the jurisdiction of Poseidon, and for which he ultimately pays throughout his wanderings. The uncontrollable winds next direct Odysseus through a narrow strait outlined by rocks and cliffs through which he must pass to return home. On these cliffs which stand opposite each other lurk Scylla and Charybdis, one side "reach[ing] up into...heaven"3 and the other not quite as high. Scylla, a creature with twelve feet and six necks, resides in a cave upon this high cliff and devours sailors from fleeting ships. Across the stream of water dwells Charybdis, a dreadful whirlpool beneath a fig tree. Three times daily the maelstrom forms, and shipwrecks passing vessels. In the "Odyssey," Odysseus and his crew encounter these two sea

Free Essays on The Role Of African Americans In The Civil War

In the history of the United States, African Americans have always been discriminated against. When Africans first came to America, they were taken against their will and forced to work as laborers. They became slaves to the rich, greedy, lazy Americans. They were given no pay and often badly whipped and beaten. African Americans fought for their freedom, and up until the Civil War it was never given to them. When the Civil War began, they wanted to take part in fighting to free all slaves. Their opportunity to be soldiers and fight along side white men equally did not come easily, but eventually African Americans proved themselves able to withstand the heat of battle and fight as true American heroes. The road to freedom from slavery was a long and hard for the African Americans. In the northern states the Civil War began as a fight against the succession of the Confederate states from the Union. Abraham Lincoln, who was President at this time, wanted to save the nation by bringing the southern states back to the Union, but this â€Å"Great Emancipator† ironically did not have much intention of freeing the slaves. His greatest interest lie in preventing a war from occurring. However, even he could not stop the outbreak of the Civil War (Fincher). With the war just beginning, ex-slaves and other African Americans wanted to get in on the action. They wanted to fight against those who had enslaved them and their families for generations. They began volunteering and trying to enlist, but everywhere they went they were rejected. â€Å"In general, white soldiers and officers believed that black men lacked the courage to fight and fight well† (History of African-Americans in the Civil War). Even some abolitionists believed putting them in the battlefield would be putting African Americans higher than they should be. They said that though blacks should not be enslaved, they should not be equal to the white male. The Afric... Free Essays on The Role Of African Americans In The Civil War Free Essays on The Role Of African Americans In The Civil War In the history of the United States, African Americans have always been discriminated against. When Africans first came to America, they were taken against their will and forced to work as laborers. They became slaves to the rich, greedy, lazy Americans. They were given no pay and often badly whipped and beaten. African Americans fought for their freedom, and up until the Civil War it was never given to them. When the Civil War began, they wanted to take part in fighting to free all slaves. Their opportunity to be soldiers and fight along side white men equally did not come easily, but eventually African Americans proved themselves able to withstand the heat of battle and fight as true American heroes. The road to freedom from slavery was a long and hard for the African Americans. In the northern states the Civil War began as a fight against the succession of the Confederate states from the Union. Abraham Lincoln, who was President at this time, wanted to save the nation by bringing the southern states back to the Union, but this â€Å"Great Emancipator† ironically did not have much intention of freeing the slaves. His greatest interest lie in preventing a war from occurring. However, even he could not stop the outbreak of the Civil War (Fincher). With the war just beginning, ex-slaves and other African Americans wanted to get in on the action. They wanted to fight against those who had enslaved them and their families for generations. They began volunteering and trying to enlist, but everywhere they went they were rejected. â€Å"In general, white soldiers and officers believed that black men lacked the courage to fight and fight well† (History of African-Americans in the Civil War). Even some abolitionists believed putting them in the battlefield would be putting African Americans higher than they should be. They said that though blacks should not be enslaved, they should not be equal to the white male. The Afric...

Onee Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Onee - Essay Example According to him enhancing high literacy would result to independent intelligence which is a form of perversion and an anti-social stance hence the need for the restructuring of the educational system, (Dewey, 1898). As a result of such policy, education has departed from a system identified with freedom, nationalism, and work ethic. Today, education in America has become less effective for learning academic skills because it has turned into a channel infiltrated with issues affecting political and social differences. Educational policies have become more concerned to the evolution of the society inculcating the modern knowledge that the primary purpose of education is to obtain a good paying job in the labour force economy. This results to the failure of educational policies to address the various problems inherent within the system such as huge hike increases in school tuition, increase in costs of research, decreasing numbers of teachers, cheating among students, ineffective grading system, lack of school supplies and textbooks and other school related issues. Moreover, there has been an appalling failure to improve critical thinking and enhance leadership among students because schools were transformed into training grounds to produce compliant labour force. With these various problems, educational policies must focus on transforming schools into dynamic and self-motivated organizations to help the students learn basic skills such as reading and writing, improve critical thinking and problem-solving, acquire new knowledge, and enhance competitive attitudes and behaviours. Today’s education should not depart from enhancing academic knowledge rather in addition to fundamental core subjects, must also develop creativity, innovation, and social and managerial skills. To implement such policies schools must also introduce new methods in delivering

What is Human Resources Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

What is Human Resources - Literature review Example HR managers in the hospitality business must remember that "human capital, social capital, and knowledge management are foundation capabilities that can lead to competitive advantage." (Burke and Cooper, 2004) Mentoring among fellow workers is important as competencies across cultures can be enriching. Migrants from Asian countries have lots to share about serving in bars and pubs in the European setting. (Brewster, Harris, and Sparrow, 2004) Friendliness and gracious service are some of the traits that the Asian workers are known for. The UK is wealthier now in financial and cultural terms as a result of skills and ideas brought about by migration. The economic growth in the UK is brought about to a certain extent by workers from the neighboring countries in Eastern Europe (particularly Poland) and Asia (such as the Philippines). The country needs migrants to fill its job vacancies. (Evening Chronicle, 2004) According to Caterer & Hotelkeeper (2006), "the HI in the UK now employs almost two million people, with more than 1.25 million or 67 percent working in hotels, restaurants, pubs, clubs, bars, and contract catering." Three important is Three important issues in contemporary employment relations in the HI industry in the UK have been identified by Edwards (Lucas, 2003) and these are "high commitment" or "high involvement" work systems, the international context, and economic performance. Lucas (2003) said "high commitment" is rarely found anywhere in the UK. Instead, what can be found are "low skills" and "low wages" in many of the hospitality employment. The low pay is offset by the government social security and taxation. Workers also find solace from customers' tips. The hospitality business in the UK is further described by Lucas (2003) as "vulnerable" employment. Most migrant workers come from poor economies in Eastern Europe and Asia who consider working in the UK as an opportunity to alleviate their families' poverty back home. But these workers in big firms that are not necessarily good firms, are exploited when considered within the context of fair labor practices in the UK. Migrants accept jobs that most British nationals normally will not accept. The entry of foreign workers into the UK economy brings about not only low wages and other unfair labor issues but also the issue of diversity management in the workplace. Now, more than ever, companies must create a "game plan" to address diversity. Diversity management strategy must go beyond race, ethnicity, and gender. It must include personality, education, religion, the area of specialization, background, and values. Management options can include among others-clustering of minorities in certain jobs or units; tolerance (Live and let live atmosphere); denial or mitigation of differences (We are all the same); building relationships and encouraging dialogues about differences, and mutual adaptation where everyone accommodates changes. (Ivancevich and Gilbert, 2000). Â