Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Radio as medium of mass communication

Radio is widely used mass communication medium and has a great potentiality in dissemination of information as radio signals cover almost entire world. More than 177 radio stations are there across the country. Almost 97 percent of the population is reached by the radio. Radio being a convenient form of entertainment caters to a large audience. With the invention of transistors this medium has reached the common man in urban and rural areas of India but the utilization of radio is more among rural elites.It has advantages over the other mass media like television and newspapers in terms of being handy, portable, easily accessible and cheap. Radio is the most portable of the broadcast media, being easily accessible at home, at office, in car, on the street or beach, virtually anywhere and everywhere at any time. Radio is effective medium not only in informing the people but also in creating awareness regarding many social issues and need for social reformation, developing interest and initiating action.For example, in creating awareness regarding new policies, news about evelopmental projects and programs, new ideas etc. It will help in creating a positive climate for growth and development. It widens the horizons of the people and enlightens them, and gradually changing their outlook towards life. Research about this has shown that radio is an effective medium for education when it is followed up with group discussion and question- answer session. In India, radio with its penetration to the rural areas is becoming a powerful medium for advertisers.It gains 3 percent of the national advertising budget. Radio is still the heapest alternative to television, but it is no longer the poor medium in advertising terms. Because radio listening are so widespread, it is prospered as an advertising medium for reaching local audiences. Moreover, the radio serves small and highly targeted audiences, which makes radio an excellent advertising medium for many kinds of speciali zed products and services. As far as commercials are concerned, no one will able to tune out commercials easily as is possible with remote control devices and VCRs.It is said that radio's ability to ttract local advertisers hurts mainly newspapers, as television is less attractive to the small and local advertiser. As tar as audience is concerned radio does not hamper persons mobility. Radio as a vehicle of information for masses it is still the fastest medium of communication. For instance, it would take less time for a news reporter for radio to arrive on the spot with a microphone and recorder than the same for TV along with a shooting team and equipment.Another important feature of radio as mass medium is that it caters to a large rural opulation which has no access to TV and where there is no power supply. In such places, AIR-AII India Radio's programmes continue to be the only source of information and entertainment. AIR broadcasts programmes in 24 languages and 140 dialects. â€Å"Radio should be treated as a kin to newspapers in view of the fact that it is local, inexpensive, linked to communities, has limited band width and operates through simple technology'. The economics of radio does allow tailoring programme content to the needs of small audiences.Thus it is economically viable to recast a programme for broadcast to audiences in different sub regional, cultural and linguistic language. This enhances the value of radio as a medium in networking developmental programmes. It offers many possibilities in networking, from local or regional co- ordinated broadcasts and interactive exchange of queries and data. It will serve as a standalone medium of information dissemination or a support medium for curricular learning, Jointly with print material or with fieldwork.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Tanglewood Stores

1. Answering this question demonstrates that processes underlie all of our jobs. What might be surprising is how many students would put their job in the category of â€Å"other,† suggesting that many jobs do not fall neatly into any one functional area. Perhaps many in the â€Å"other† category might best be called â€Å"operations† on further reflection. Customers, both internal and external, are part of each process, and the goal is to manage the processes to add the most value for them. 2. Amazon. com offers a very broad range of services and products at competitive prices.Its competitive priorities would include fast delivery time, on-time delivery, customization, variety and low-cost operations. As a business, Amazon. com is actually assembling a customized basket of goods that must be delivered in a short window of time in a dependable fashion. Low-cost operations are needed to remain competitive. To remain in business, Amazon. com needs to maintain high v olumes of traffic. Operations strategy must focus on stock availability and quick, economical, and dependable delivery. 3.The hospital’s commitment to provide attention to patients arriving to the emergency unit in less than 15 minutes and never to turn away patients who need to be hospitalized implies that the facility must be designed to have extra capacity in both beds and emergency room facilities. It must plan on having extra personnel in the emergency room and also plan on having additional emergency personnel on call to take care of unprecedented heavy loads. In line with the mission statement, maximum utilization of the facilities (i. e. beds and emergency room personnel) would not be one of the performance objectives for the hospital.4. FedEx traditionally has competed on the basis of fast, dependable delivery. Before the boom in Internet applications, many businesses relied on FedEx to get things to other businesses overnight. Now, this need is beginning to diminish as sophisticated systems are being installed to assist companies in planning operations better. And, the internet based companies are adding more demands for low cost ground deliveries to specific customer doors.FedEx, in order to remain competitive with companies such as UPS, has moved into the door-to-door delivery business, perhaps through acquisition. Nonetheless, it will require changes to this company’s competitive priorities. 5. Technology Management. To identify a market segment, we need to determine answers to questions such as: Which colleges and departments currently offer the subject? What do instructors desire in the way of textbook support? Is there a trend toward Technology Management courses? Are there other Technology Management texts? Some needs assessment can be accomplished by survey, but the response rate may be low.A high-investment strategy would be to ask or hire instructors to review and critique a list of topics, then an outline, then a draft. Expli cit services include supplying information about the subject in the form of a textbook and instructor support in the form of ancillary publications. 6. It is often not a good idea for a company to try to excel in all of the competitive priorities because it is generally impossible to do so. Mediocrity is a predictable result. The choice and the minimum level of one or more of the competitive priorities are set by the order qualifiers for the particular product or service.The choice of the competitive priorities that the company should emphasize is usually governed by the company’s strategy driven by its mission statement and the core competencies that the company wants to harness to seek the best competitive advantage. 7. Core processes should link to a firm’s core competencies. Core processes are those processes that provide the firm the best competitive advantage. Essential to the definition a firm’s core processes is the concept of â€Å"interaction costs. à ¢â‚¬  These costs include the time and money that are expended whenever people and companies exchange services, products, or ideas.If the transaction costs are higher to retain a process within the firm’s organization than to outsource the process, the process should be outsourced. 8. Wendy’s assembles hamburgers to order. When materials are held at the stage just before final assembly, they can be used to complete a wide variety of different sandwiches. Because no finished-goods stock exists, when customers say, â€Å"Hold the sauce,† there is no delay or waste of materials. Service clerks specialize. One clerk takes orders and payment. Others fill portions of the order.Orders are processed in single file. Throughput is normally restricted by transactions at the cash register. At busy times, throughput is increased by splitting the bottleneck operation. One clerk takes customer orders, another receives payment. The Wendy’s operation has some characteris tics of assembly. Therefore, the impact of new menu items on the production operations must be carefully considered. 9. Grandmother’s Chicken. a. Kathryn Shoemaker’s strategic plans include the following: Product and service plans: Should the new location offer a new mix?Competitive priorities: If the product mix and service mix are different at the new location, the thrust could be on low volumes and high quality. Quality management: Should the goal be reliability or top quality? Process strategy: What processes will be needed to make chicken dinners in the addition or new facility? New technologies: Is it time to automate? Is this why there is a problem in service times? Capacity: How large should the addition or new facility be? Location: Should we locate in Uniontown or expand in Middlesburg? b. Attitudes toward nutrition could change the demand for chicken.Competitors such as Boston Market may be planning to move to Uniontown or even Middlesburg. There may be a tr end toward demands for ever-faster service, which cannot be supported by the processes specified in the â€Å"unique recipe. † The economy of Uniontown might not be supportive of restaurant services. Shoemaker should also consider the availability of key resources, such as servers, whole chickens, spices, and cooking oil. Will Uniontown labor organize?c. The possible distinctive competencies at Grandmother’s Chicken Restaurant include the â€Å"unique recipe,† the homey atmosphere, and friendly, prompt service. 0. Wild West, is recognizable as US WEST, which was bought out by Qwest in a hostile takeover in June, 2000. But many other â€Å"Baby Bells† are in a similar position. a. Strategic plans include reducing overhead, reengineering operations, and investing in new technologies to meet competition. The â€Å"do-nothing† option of remaining a local monopoly telephone company is not viable because of competition from cable systems and wireless sys tems that are capable of business and personal communication. If the mission is too broad, Wild West should sell its financial services and commercial real-estate businesses.Those businesses do not match their distinctive competencies. b. One environmental issue is whether communication, like health care, will be viewed as a â€Å"right† and therefore should be free. A significant portion of Wild West’s business is governed by regulatory agencies. Customer service in their core business is essential to maintaining a favorable regulatory environment. Other business opportunities, such as manufacturing and providing information services, are prohibited by the same court order that formed the â€Å"Baby Bells† from AT&T. c.Wild West’s distinctive competency is in connecting people (or machines) for the purpose of communication. A weakness is high overhead inherited from the era of telecommunication monopoly. 11. Although the answers may vary depending on the â€Å"niche† elements of the business, the competitive priorities would include on-time delivery, low-cost operations, and customization. The latter competitive priority comes from the capability to assemble unique â€Å"baskets† of food items for each customer. There may be a need to coordinate a given basket between two different stores.Capabilities to develop would include information systems and Web page design, efficient scheduling of delivery trucks (which must first collect the items in the basket and then deliver them to the customer’s door), and an adequate fleet of trucks with drivers. PROBLEMS 1. Boehring University a. Value of output: [pic] Value of input: labor + material + overhead [pic] Multifactor Productivity ratio: Productivity [pic] Compared to Solved problem 1, multifactor productivity has increased from 1. 25 to 1. 76. b. Value of output is the same as in part a: [pic] Labor-hours of input: pic] Productivity ratio: Labor Productivity [pic] The $192 season ticket price is not used in this calculation. It is a â€Å"red herring. † 2. Suds and Duds Laundry a. Labor productivity | |Number of |Input |Output |Output/Input | |Week |Workers |(Labor-hours) |(Shirts) |Ratio | |1 |2 |24 |68 |2. 83 shirts/hour | |2 |2 |46 |130 |2. 83 shirts/hour | |3 |3 |62 |152 |2. 45 shirts/hour | |4 |3 |51 |125 |2. 45 shirts/hour | |5 |2 |45 |131 |2. 91 shirts/hour | b. Output per person does not vary much whether it is Sud, Dud, or Jud working. Productivity declines when all three are present.Perhaps there isn’t enough work to keep three persons occupied, or perhaps there is not enough work space or equipment to accommodate three workers. 3. Compact disc players Value of Output: $300 Value of Input: Labor + Materials + Overhead Productivity [pic] 10% productivity improvement [pic] Given productivity[pic], and the value of output [pic] we solve for the cost of inputs: Productivity [pic] Input [pic] or $136 The cost of inputs must decrease by[pic]. a. A $14 reduction in material costs is [pic] b. A $14 reduction in labor costs is [pic] c. A $14 reduction in overhead is $14/$50 = 28. 00% . The output of a process is valued at $100 per unit. The cost of labor is $50 per hour including benefits. The accounting department provided the following information about the process for the past four weeks: | |Week 1 |Week 2 |Week 3 |Week 4 | |Units Produced |1124 |1310 |1092 |981 | |Total Value |112,400 |131,000 |109,200 |98,100 ||Labor ($) |12,735 |14,842 |10,603 |9526 | |Labor (hrs) |254. 7 |296. 8 |212. 1 |190. 5 | |Material ($) |21,041 |24,523 |20,442 |18,364 | |Overhead ($) |8,992 |10,480 |8,736 |7,848 | |Multifactor Productivity |2. 63 |2. 63 |2. 75 |2. 75 | |Labor Productivity |4. 1 units/hr |4. 41units/hr |5. 15 units/hr |5. 15 units/hr | a. Use the multifactor productivity ratio to see whether recent process improvements had any effect and, if so, when the effect was noticeable. Value of output [pic] Value of i nput: labor + material + overhead $12,735 + $21,041 + $8,992 = $42,768 Productivity ratio: Labor Productivity [pic] Week 1Productivity [pic] Week 2Productivity [pic] Week 3Productivity [pic] Week 4Productivity [pic] [pic] Improved 4. 45% – noticeable in Week 3 b. Has labor productivity changed? Use the labor productivity ratio to support your answer.Labor-hours of input: Labor $50/hour Labor costs Week 1 = $12,735/$50 = 254. 7 Week 2 = $14,842/$50 = 296. 84 Week 3 = $10,603/$50 = 212. 06 Week 4 = $9,526/$50 = 190. 52 Productivity ratio: Labor Productivity [pic] Week 1 = Labor Productivity [pic] Week 2 = Labor Productivity [pic] Week 3 = Labor Productivity [pic] Week 4 = Labor Productivity [pic] [pic] Improved 16. 68% 5. Alyssa’s Custom Cakes a. [pic] [pic] Solve for x = $850/1. 25 = $680 Total costs = $680 Average cost per cake = $680/10 = $68/cake b. Labor productivity Birthday cake = $50/ 1. 5 hours = $33. 30/hourWedding Cake = $150/ 4 hours = $37. 50/hour Specialty Cake = $100/1 hours = $100/hour c. Based on labor productivity, Alyssa should try to sell specialty cakes the most. d. Yes, Alyssa should stop selling birthday cakes. Based on answer a, she loses $68 – $50 = $18 everytime she sells a birthday cake. advanced PROBLEMS 6. Big Black Bird Company The Big Black Bird Company problem is based on a product made by Raven Industries. None of the numbers are representative of actual costs or volume. a. Multifactor Productivity Original Situation: Value of output: [pic] Value of input: [pic]Productivity ratio: Productivity [pic] Overtime Situation: Value of output: [pic] Value of input: [pic] Productivity ratio: Productivity [pic] Productivity decreases by: [pic] b. Labor Productivity Original Situation: Value of output (from part a) is: $500,000 Labor-hours of input: [pic] Labor productivity [pic] Overtime Situation: Value of output (from part a) is: $800,000 Labor-hours of input: [pic] Labor productivity =$800,000 / 7200 hours = $111. 1 1/hours Labor productivity decreases by: (125/111. 11) / 125 x 100% = 11. 1% c. Gross profits Original Situation:[pic]Overtime Situation:[pic] Weekly profits increased. 7. Mack’s Guitar Company a. Labor productivity = output/input Output = 100 guitars x 80% completion rate x price/guitar = 80 guitars/ month x $250/guitar = $20,000 Input Labor = 10/hours per guitar x 100 guitars = 1000 hours Labor productivity is $20,000/1000 = $20/hour Multifactor productivity ratio = output/input Output = 100 guitars x 80% completion rate x price/guitar = 80 guitars/ month x $250/guitar = $20,000 Input Labor = $10/hour x 10/hours per guitar x 100 guitars = $10, 000 Material = $40/guitar x 100 guitars = $4, 000Overhead = $4,000 Multifactor productivity ratio = $20, 000/$18, 000 = 1. 11 b. Option 1. Increase sales price by 10% Output = 100 guitars x 80% completion rate x ($250 x 1. 1) = $22,000 Input Labor is same as in part (a) = $10,000 Material is same as in part (a). = $4,000 Overhead is s ame as in part (a) = $4,000 Multifactor productivity ratio = $22,000/$18,000 = 1. 22 Option 2. Improve Quality Output = 100 guitars x 90% completion rate x $250/guitar = $22,500 Input Labor is same as in part (a) = $10,000 Material is same as in part (a). = $4,000 Overhead is same as in part (a) = $4,000Multifactor productivity ratio = $22,500/$18,000 = 1. 25 Option 3. Reduce costs by 10% Output = same as in part (a) = $20,000 Input Reduce costs by 10% yields 90% of the input costs from part (a). = $18,000 x 0. 90 = $16,200 Multifactor productivity ratio = $20,000/$16,200 = 1. 23 Darren should choose Option 2 and improve quality because it yields the greatest improvement in multifactor productivity. CASE: CHAD’S CREATIVE CONCEPTS* A. Synopsis This case describes a small furniture manufacturing company that has gained a reputation for creative designs and quality by focusing on producing custom-designed furniture.As its reputation grew it began to sell some standard furniture pieces to retail outlets. The overall growth in sales volume and the diversification into the production of standard furniture pieces have caused a number of issues to arise concerning both the internal manufacturing operations and its relationship to the other functional areas of the company. B. Purpose This case is designed to be used as either a â€Å"cold-call† case for class discussion or an assigned homework reading. Major points to be brought out in the discussion include: 1. The range of decisions that are made in designing and operating processes 2.The impact that these operating decisions have on the organization as a whole, such as on marketing and finance 3. The impact that decisions made in other functional areas of the organization have on the operating function 4. The need to go beyond the â€Å"functional silo† mentality and manage in an integrative manner C. Analysis Question 1: What types of decisions must Chad Thomas make daily for his companyâ€℠¢s operations to run effectively? Over the long run? The students should be able to discuss a number of short-term-oriented decisions that are facing Chad Thomas.These should include: a. How to set priorities and schedule different orders. Chad is receiving orders for both custom-made, low-volume furniture pieces and higher-volume, standard pieces. Sales have increased, but the amount of equipment and the production capacity of the company have not. Different orders with different manufacturing requirements are now competing for the same productive capacity. b. What orders to accept and how long of a lead time to plan for in promising a delivery date. c. What type of work policies should be maintained for his employees?Decisions such as the number and type of employees to employ, the number of hours to work per day, and the amount of overtime to allow are all work policy decisions that impact the available capacity level. d. The allocation of resources, equipment, labor, and money t o each product line. e. The level of inventory to maintain at various stages of the production process for both the custom and standard furniture lines (i. e. , raw material, WIP, finished goods). These decisions are linked to the longer-term, total inventory-investment decision.Examples of longer-term decisions that face Chad Thomas include: . Amount of money to tie up in the total inventory investment. b. The type of equipment to invest in to support efficient production. At what point should more specialized equipment be purchased to manufacture high-volume, standard furniture pieces more efficiently? c. What should be the overall workforce level to maintain, and what should be the proper mix of skills and capabilities? d. How should the facilities be laid out to accommodate the two different product lines? This gets the students into a whole range of capacity and equipment allocation decisions including size, type, and configuration.In these decisions it is important that the st udents see the significance of consistency of both strategic and operating decisions across functional areas. Question 2: How did sales and marketing affect operations when they began to sell standard pieces to retail outlets? Standard furniture pieces compete on a different set of competitive priorities than custom-designed pieces. Timely delivery and low costs are much more important than product flexibility. Quality may also be defined differently. The existing facilities are set up to provide flexibility with its job-shop orientation and general-purpose equipment.By introducing a standard line that should be manufactured on a flow line with some dedicated, more specialized equipment, a conflict has developed, and scheduling problems have resulted. Question 3: How has the move to producing standard furniture pieces affected the financial structure of the company? Inventory investment and operating costs are rising because of the frequent changeovers to accommodate the two differe nt product lines and their scheduling conflicts. Profit margins for the standard line are smaller, which puts pressure on manufacturing to increase productivity and reduce costs.There may also be an issue concerning the assignment of overhead costs to each product line. Finally, the potential need to rent warehouse space to store either WIP or finished-goods inventory cuts into the profit margin for the standard furniture line. Question 4: What might Chad Thomas have done differently to help avoid some of these problems? Chad needs to address issues relating to functional areas. Make sure the student is able to identify decisions that relate to more than one functional area. Examples include the following: Operations Function 1. Monitoring capacity and utilization of facilities 2.Formulating inventory policies—dollars, items, and unit levels 3. Setting scheduling policies and priorities 4. Maintaining product line quality Marketing and Sales 1. Accurately forecasting orders f or standard pieces 2. Defining market segments and customer needs 3. Determining what delivery schedules can be promised to customers Finance 1. Deciding level and type of investment 2. Investigating the effect of capacity investment decisions on ROI Distribution/Logistics 1. Managing distribution and pipeline inventory 2. Comparing cost and advantages of various transportation modes 3. Meeting delivery lead timesThree possible avenues that students may focus on are: Thomas might have a. Established a plan for a more controlled growth. Part of this plan would be the development of the appropriate infrastructure to manage a controlled growth as to what markets to enter, what product lines to develop, and how to develop the proper manufacturing capabilities. b. Maintained the company focus on custom-designed furniture only.This alternative presents a whole different set of issues and decisions pertaining to future growth, but it would have avoided the issues of mixed competitive prior ities and scheduling conflicts. . Realized the different requirements for each product line and focused the manufacturing facilities into two separate sets of production facilities designed to cater to each product line’s specific needs. D. Recommendations This case is not designed to be a decision-making case per se but rather a vehicle to get students thinking about the types and the integrated nature of decisions that operations managers face. The students may, indeed, have suggestions as to what should be done to help out Chad Thomas.These recommendations will more than likely follow the alternatives already discussed. As recommendations are provided by students, make sure you push them to understand the implications of their recommendations with respect to the company as a whole and the other functional areas. E. Teaching Strategy This case can be effectively discussed in 20 to 30 minutes by following the discussion questions provided at the end. The questions are interc onnected and somewhat redundant on purpose to reinforce the interrelatedness of decisions made in various functional areas of the company.The intent is to have the students understand the range of decisions that face managers in the operating function and to realize that different types of products competing in different markets place different demands on the operating function. Therefore, productive systems will take on a variety of configurations. Exhibit TN. 1 lays out a sample table to be written on the board displaying important issues in the class discussion. Each column can be used to compare and contrast the differences in the requirements imposed by custom versus standard furniture for each area.|EXHIBIT TN. 1 |Board Plan | |Important Issues |Custom Furniture |Standard Furniture | | | | | |Marketing | | | | | | | |Quality level and quality control | | | | | | | |Process equipment | | | | | | | |Process flow | | | | | | | |Production scheduling system | | | | | | | |Purchasi ng | | | | | | | |Type of inventory and inventory control system| | | | | | | |Type of engineering | | | | | | | |Type of labor and supervision needed | | | | | | | |Wage/reward system | | | | | | | |Layout | | | CASE: BSB, INC. : Pizza Wars Come to Campus * A. Synopsis BSB, Inc. resents the situation where launching a pizza service at a food service operation on a college campus turns out to be very successful. As the manager of the food service operation is contemplating an expansion of the service, an announcement by the university that a new food court will soon be opening in the new student union causes some concern. The new food court will contain, for the first time on campus, other food service companies, including a new Pizza Hut kiosk. This causes the manager of BSB, Inc. to reevaluate the competitive environment and her own competitive priorities.B. Purpose BSB, Inc. provides the students an opportunity to discuss a number of strategically focused issues to include the fo llowing: 1. Mission statements: Mission statements describe the fundamental purpose for which the organization exists. The university decided that a focus on food service operations was not part of its primary mission, so it contracted the service out to BSB, Inc. Students should be able to describe a mission statement for BSB, Inc. This statement will help in discussing the second major focus of this case. 2.Comparison of competitive priorities: When the pizza service was launched a year ago, the competitive priorities were to expand the product line to offer pizza that could be delivered quickly at a reasonable price. Costs were kept low, and turnaround time was short due to the limited combination of toppings available. With the addition of the food court and Pizza Hut on campus, competitive priorities may change. Delivery may still be a differentiating competitive priority, but product flexibility (variety) and volume flexibility (large order sizes) may become more important. BS B, Inc. ay not be able to compete on low cost when compared to Pizza Hut’s operations. 3. The impact changing competitive priorities has on operating decisions: Students need to discuss the potential impact that different competitive priorities have on process design and operating systems. If product flexibility and volume flexibility become more important, then there are implications for: a. Equipment needs—conventional oven versus continuous chain drive b. Capacity requirements—order size and delivery cycle c. Inventory issues—inventory needed to support product flexibility 4. Product life cycles: Demand for pizza on campus has leveled off.Why? Has it reached its mature, steady state? What will be the impact of new competition? What can be done to reposition pizza into a growth stage? These are questions that should be asked of students to get them to think about pizza’s product life cycle. C. Analysis A good analysis of the situation can be perf ormed by going through the five questions at the end of the case. The following is what you can expect from a first-year MBA student given the case as a take-home assignment to read and to respond to the questions at the end. Question 1: Does BSB, Inc. enjoy any competitive advantages or distinctive competencies?BSB’s competitive advantage is close proximity to the customers. Though 43 percent of meals are eaten off campus, 57 percent of meals are still eaten at BSB’s facilities. For pizza delivery the close proximity is critical, as it allows for quicker delivery. In addition, delivery can be done at a lower cost because bikes can be used. BSB’s distinctive competencies are the location of facilities and market know-how. Being on campus, BSB can provide delivery service quicker and at a lower cost. In addition, by being on campus, BSB is closer to the customer base, which allows Kershaw, the manager, to be more knowledgeable of her customer’s needs.She e mploys environmental scanning, such as the customer surveys, to keep abreast of her market. Question 2: Initially, how did Renee Kershaw choose to compete with her pizza operations? What were her competitive priorities? Initially, Kershaw chose to compete on delivery service and price. She used quick delivery as a key selling point. In addition, without a reasonable price, she could not compete with the off-campus pizza companies. In effect, her order qualifier was price, and her order winner was service.Her initial competitive priorities for pizza were delivery speed and price. Her on-campus location and limited standard toppings make these priorities possible. Unfortunately, this policy limits the variety of pizzas available. The increased requests for additional topping combinations and the leveling of sales suggest this policy may be hurting BSB. Question 3: What impact will the new food court have on Kershaw’s pizza operations? What competitive priorities might she choos e to focus on now? The new food court introduces new competition that has the same on-campus advantage as BSB.In addition, these companies can also provide products at reasonable prices, but unlike BSB, they have brand names. Her direct competitor, Pizza Hut, can probably provide a similar price. Most likely Pizza Hut will also have limited varieties; however, BSB still maintains its delivery advantage. The most likely new competitive priorities for BSB will be expanded product variety and longer service hours. The increased requests for alternate toppings show a customer interest in variety, and the expanded hours will enable BSB to offer service when the Pizza Hut is closed or when students are in their dorm rooms.Question 4: If Kershaw were to change the competitive priorities for the pizza operation, what are the gaps between the priorities and capabilities of her process? How might this impact her operating processes and capacity decisions? An increase in product variety will a ffect both service and cost. Kershaw probably cannot have as many premade pizzas ready to throw into the oven. She will also need to stock additional toppings. If she wants to maintain service, she will need to hire additional workers. She will inevitably have some trade-off between service and price if she adds product variety.Kershaw will also need to add capacity. At present, she is near capacity with her pizza ovens. She may even have to consider a new location, as there seems to be limited space at the grill location. Clearly she will need to determine the viability of pizza service before she takes this step. Question 5: Can you outline a service strategy for Kershaw’s operation on campus? If she chooses to stay in the pizza business, delivery will remain important. Food, most likely pizza, delivered from off campus, is a significant competitor. These competitive companies likely offer many pizza combinations.Therefore, BSB will need to increase variety to remain compet itive. The key to this strategy is to maintain quality and to innovate on product offerings. Kershaw must use her proximity to the customer to maintain her competitive advantage in determining their pizza delivery needs. The other strategy would be total price competition. This would require her to keep the limited menu and to push to keep costs at a bare minimum. Unfortunately this means maintaining the same basic strategy she has now. However, this strategy will most likely lead to an inevitable decline in market share.This strategy seems best if she decides to exit the market, but it gives her the opportunity to milk the market before exiting. In reviewing the student responses the instructor should note the following: 1. On question three, the student overlooks the continued importance of convenient, quick delivery. The other food services do not provide this service. 2. Students tend to hedge on question five. They should be pressured into putting together a service strategy as opposed to describing alternative choices only. There are a number of positions Kershaw may take.What is important, however, is to look for consistency in the strategies that students provide. D. Teaching Strategy This case is best assigned as a take-home assignment. Have the students focus on responding to the questions at the end of the case. Tell them to pay particular attention to the last question. The first four questions all lead up to the last one where students should describe a service strategy for pizza operations of BSB, Inc. Tell students you want them to settle on a specific strategy they can support. In class, start with the first question and cycle through to the final question, which describes their service strategies.It is helpful to try to get two or three different strategies on the board to compare and contrast approaches. It is important that students see that there are a number of good alternative strategies and not just one best one. A thorough discussion of this case will take 45 minutes to an hour, especially if alternative strategies are discussed. *This case was prepared by Dr. Brooke Saladin, Wake Forest University, as a basis for classroom discussion. *This case was prepared by Dr. Brooke Saladin, Wake Forest University, as a basis for classroom discussion.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Starry Night, by Vincent Van Gogh Analysis

Rebecca Shulman February 25, 2013 ENGL 205-04 Epic and Romance Paper #1: Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh, 1889 Swirls mix with white, yellow, blue, and black as the town sleepily yet still so helplessly moves on with its life. No one can truly understand the mystery of the night until they’ve watched it grow. The night is born so magically as the sun of the day descends over the horizon and the moon peeks in through the shadows. It’s a darker sun, and although it is not quite as bright as the first, it is still able to shine down and create a new light for those who wake.The earth is cooled to the core as the town howls with blue breezes, while the wind chills the bones of those who walk the streets. I ponder at this painting, and wonder what thoughts pop in the minds of those whose eyes before mine have already fallen upon this golden wonder. It seems like such a small and quiet village, where the trees, so dark and gloomy as they are at dusk, grow ascending from the ground and are never ending structures.Behind the eyes of the painter was the thought of an ever-changing starlit sky in France, comparing dark with light and how it’s effects were so important to how life can look in one of the many perspectives. The oils are swimming expectantly across the page, creating this wild cotton candy vibe to the soft creamy delight of sweets that enter my imagination while I sit and stare at the tinted buttercream colored moon.As it smiles in my direction, I imagine what it’d be like if there were tiny raindrops slowly falling, but there isn’t a single cloud among such radiant tiny balls of fire. The lines in the sky dance and twirl like waves of an ocean crashing along the shore during the mightiest of storms. I can’t help but wish that I could be a part of this memorable scene, thinking what it would feel like to swim amongst the honey dipped stars so high above me, as I raise my hands and lift my chin, aiming towards the he avens.I’d look below me as my arms spread so angelic, looking down toward the low-lit buildings as I surf around this world full of beautiful wild colors of nature. Though there is a glow throughout the drawing, there is also a clear exactitude of how the sky and land are separated by colors. Where the skies glow of yellow is stronger than it is near the ground, the brightness of the waning moon shows how far that beauty can shine over the land like a guide, or a distant friend.

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Economics - Essay Example These relative assessments of other economic arrangements are, to be certain, innately hypothetical for two explanations (Feldman & Serrano 2005): first, they are hypothetical due to the hypothetical feature of the theories on which they are founded; second, they are hypothetical because practical limits on individual, business, and societal choices cannot be merely understood as proof of a breach of the rules of deliberate individual, business, and societal choices. These are the main reasons economic principles become increasingly important nowadays. For the two explanations abovementioned, the hypothetical assessments of other economic structures are constantly open to questions from both parts: they could be assessed because economic principles about the operating components of institutions are discovered to be insufficient, or to be inappropriately used. And they could be assessed because they wrongly analyze the unconscious or conscious feature of the ‘constitutional choi ces’ (Feldman & Serrano 2005, 64) that have situated the society, businesses, and individuals in a specific institutional context. However, the reality that the comparative assessments of economic institutions and principles will constantly be hypothetical and open to questioning in this way has one more repercussion: so long as there is no major opposition to the theories, and so long as there is no opposing proof to the dominant interpretation of the particular individual’s, business’s, and society’s constitutional interests and the unconscious or conscious character of their choices, as long as the temporary evaluation may properly be declared to be the most justifiable and well-substantiated hypothesis in sight. This kind of hypothetical comparative assessment can be used for all forms of economic structures: it can be used for institutions and principles that are the product of ‘natural development’, and to those that have been intention ally recognized. And it can be used for the wide-ranging economic principles that guide market forces, at least for the organizational-constitutional principles that rule structured general arrangements. Theories of the operating components of social and economic institutions serve a fundamental function in the assessments of other economic structures. As a result, the economic principles that generate such theories are a major root of information for the attempts in comparative organizational and constitutional assessment of choices. Specifically, obviously, not to claim that practitioners of economics could profess to be better evaluators of the appeal of other institutional structures, more ‘superior’ than the society, business, and individuals themselves who are to exist within these structures. However, due to the important function that theoretical perspective serves in any comparative assessment of economic institutions and principles, there is a substantial comp onent of ‘truth-judgment’ (Buchanan 1977, 213) required in these assessments. And one could quite be cynical about the level to which the ‘final evaluators’, the society, business, and individuals themselves, may be supposed to be directed, in their own assessments of other institutions, by a knowledgeable understanding of the concrete operating components of the economic alternatives. The economist’s ‘comparative institutional analysis and evaluation’

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Discuss the problems associated with constitutional design in Central Essay

Discuss the problems associated with constitutional design in Central and Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia) since 1989 - Essay Example Countries like Bulgaria therefore struggled in order to bring in a balance between the powers of President and other State authorities to make the overall legislative environment more flexible to accommodate the new ideological changes which took place in the region. On the other hand, countries like Poland, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Hungry made their accession to EU in the first part of 21st century however, the overall process of making constitutional changes were on since 1989. It has been argued that the overall approach towards constitutionalism remained focused on two important approaches of pluralist bargaining and imposition of ideas of dominant group. Countries like Hungary, Poland and Czech took the first approach whereas countries like Bulgaria, Lithuania, and Slovakia etc. modeled their constitutions based upon the ideologies of the dominating groups. Firstly, this essay will discuss the problems faced by Central and Eastern European countries in constitutional design since 1989 and how the overall process of constitution building evolved over the period of time. Therefore, this paper will outline the constitutional changes made by these countries over the period of time to make their constitutions in accordance with the requirements for the membership of EU. Some of the key challenges and problems faced included making a balance between the powers of different institutions, electoral rights for the EU citizens, redefining the role of national and international law as well as the transfer of power. These issues, though were gradually drafted into the constitutions however, they took time and were not rushed into the implementation. Since breaking away from the communism, Central Eastern European countries had to make a transition towards parliamentary democracy but had to develop the market economies too. The initial response towards this transition was based upon development of policies which can reduce the

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Impact of Technology on Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Impact of Technology on Education - Essay Example The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in US lays an added emphasis1 on the use of technology for the betterment of the sector. Information Technology is the all important offspring of Technology having its footprints on the way education is imparted or educational material is prepared or education is accepted by the intended audience. Taking care of this fact, the Campus Computing Project (CCP) happens to be one of the largest continuing study programme about the role of IT in American higher education. As internet is gradually maturing and presenting a paradigm shift in its very ideation, the infrastructure has acquired a business character, a transcontinental personality and a vending framework of wide-ranging, business, educational, scientific and personal data. Now the use of internet covers real-time computer conferencing, audio broadcasting, video broadcasting, real time telephony and of course real-time business. Education too takes a leaf out of such applications and has been able to make good use of internet and related technologies. There is increasing participation of private and public sector together with government in making technology available to different aspects of educational needs. Apple Inc. a leading company using technology and computing for its business objectives, for example has partnered in many education related schemes like; Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT), North Central Regional Education Laboratory (NCREL), International Data Corporation (IDC) etc . which helped not only in encouraging the use of technology in education, but also made fullest use of technology in promoting the cause of education. In his famous taxonomy, Bloom (1964) identified the domains within which learning takes place. He labelled them as cognitive, affective and psychomotor. Traditionally, the concentration has been on the cognitive domain with comprehension, facts and figures acquiring the centre stage. But with technology making its impact, information society made it almost compulsory for the education providers to bring into effect, adequate amendments in their approach so that the learning process becomes far more interactive and effective. In this new approach role of student as well as the means of education became more important. In fact this theory too has been in practice for quite a while now, as is evident from what Rogers (1961) said about the learning process. Rogers (1961) stated that the only learning that significantly influences human behavior happens to be self-discovered. The IT era has helped in making the learning process more interactive, and more relevant to the fast pace developm ent of the day. Education for sustainable development therefore focuses more on how people live, work and make decisions. The learning process in general involves; Learning values and cultures: Such an education is imparted by the parents and the society in general. How the parents behave, what are the means of communication used by the parents, how effectively the parents are able to manage their time and efforts towards the children, and what kind of social upbringing is the child subjected to, are some of the major contributors towards the value education. The ethics and cultures too are picked by the students from his/ her

Friday, July 26, 2019

The witness beneficiary rule in S.15 of the Wills Act 1837 is outdated Essay

The witness beneficiary rule in S.15 of the Wills Act 1837 is outdated and in need of reform.Discuss this statement with reference to relevant academic and judicial comment - Essay Example 15 of the Wills Act 1837 which have prompted lawyers, paralegals, legal practitioners and academicians to observe that there is a need for amends, so as to have the pitfalls amended. One of the drawbacks in the Witness Beneficiary Rule in s. 15 of the Wills Act 1837 is the failure to capture the complexities that accompany the law of testation. Specifically, the Witness Beneficiary Rule negates a situation whereby a beneficiary of a will gets married to the main witness, 10 years after the signing of the will. This is a complex issue because the Witness Beneficiary Rule assumes that there is always a distinction between a beneficiary and a witness and this assumption fundamentally underpins and informs the legitimacy of the exaction of the will, upon the death of the testator. Instead, what is captured as a limitation, known as Gifts to an attesting witness to be void states that: if any person attests the execution of any will of any will to whom or to whose legal spouse any beneficial legacy, device, interest, estate, gift or appointment, of or affecting any real and/ or personal estate [apart from and except directions and charges for the payment of debt(s)], shall be thereby made or given such legacy, device, interest, estate, gift or appointment, shall, so far only as concerns such person or legally recognised spouse or any person claiming under such a person [a legally recognised spouse], be totally null and void, and such a person so attesting shall be admitted as a witness, to prove the execution of such will, or to demonstrate the invalidity or validity thereof, regardless such legacy, device, interest, estate, gift or appointment that has been mentioned in such will1. The provision above is therefore clearly derelict of the consideration of the circumstances that may impede the exaction of the Witness Beneficiary Rule in s. 15. To the effect of the above, solution to the complication above will be pegged on the circumstances

Thursday, July 25, 2019

BP Exploration Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

BP Exploration - Case Study Example Drawing on your previous analysis, to what extent do you believe BP Exploration's relative performance can be sustained in the medium term Over the last five years, BP Exploration has drawn on a number of resources and capabilities which keep it one of Britain's biggest companies and one of the largest oil and petrochemicals groups in the world. BP employs more than 65,000 people in 70 countries. BP Exploration is responsible for 60% of BP's worldwide revenue. It employs 60% of BP's staff and has more than 40 independent Assets.1 BP's work on oil and natural gas exploration and production, together with the management of crude oil and natural gas pipelines, processing and export terminals has led the company to many areas of the globe. BP Exploration has a wide resource base; already with strong positions in Alaska, the North Sea and North America, it is now developing major new fields in Angola, Azerbaijan, Trinidad, Algeria and in the Gulf of Mexico, with liquefied natural gas business expanding into the Asia Pacific Region. BP's TNK BP venture in Russia employs 100,000 people. It owns and operates five refineries through West Siberia, the Volga-Urals and East Siberia. The BTC Pipeline now runs 443km through Azerbaijan, 249km through Georgia and 1,076km through Turkey. The pipeline, buried its entire length, has eight pump stations. It is the first direct pipeline link between the Caspian Sea and the Mediterranean. BP hopes the BTC project will bring positive economic advantages to the region and avoid inc reasing oil traffic through the vulnerable Turkish Straits. In addition to BP Exploration's projects worldwide, BP promotes an 'Upstream' mindset - the company works towards long-term sustainable business, delivering superior service through cycle returns by having a greater share of large, low cost oil and gas fields.2 BP has implemented key successful strategies in order to remain a world leader. These are: making a stand on global warming and climate change; promoting an 'upward feedback' strategy in-house; and development of a business intelligence strategy. To a large degree BP Exploration's resources and capabilities are well aligned with its business plan, generating a competitive advantage for the company as a whole. In the late 1990's BP made a break with the petrochemical industry and set a precedent. The company's management understood it was good business to incorporate ecology into business and community strategic planning. In May 1997, BP CEO, John Brown gave a pioneering speech, announcing BP's decision to accept that climate change is occurring and its intention to do something about it. This move created BP a lot of attention from the world's media, environmentalists and politicians. BP was the first multi-national to make such a stand. It committed to reducing greenhouse emissions and to joining international efforts in minimising greenhouse emissions. Solar energy was officially made a priority, on a par with BP's three other business ventures: exploration, oil and chemicals.3 In-house, BP's 'upward feedback strategy', was designed to create a greater sense of job satisfaction for employees while working in harmony with the company's growth. Senior management was determined to achieve a more open style in the workplace; based on committed teams engaged in open, honest communication to plan and achieve corporate,

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Health Optimisation - Gerontic Nursing Care Essay

Health Optimisation - Gerontic Nursing Care - Essay Example Sullivan (2008) further points out that the patients suffering from dementia and delirium tend to have issues and behavioral problems of the same type including purposeless activity, sleep disorders, inappropriate conduct or aggressiveness. In both cases, the patient is most likely to be disoriented, have hallucination and delusions. Virani et al (2010) adds that patients suffering from dementia are at a high risk of getting into the condition of delirium. However, the overlap does not account for all the symptoms associated with each condition. Each condition has a set of unique symptoms that are entirely different from the other. According to Thomas et al (2008), â€Å"delirium is characterized by acute consciousness disturbances and global changes in cognition†. Moreover the patient can be extremely hyperactive if agitated or extremely hyper alert. On the other hand, Eliopoulos (2010) points out that a delirium patient can be hypoactive if the patient is confused, lethargic or even when sedated. Dementia on the other hand has many characteristics. According to Ouldred et al (2008), â€Å"dementia is characterized by slower move into deficits in cognition that include memory impairment and at least one of the disturbances of cognition such as aspraxia, asphasia, and a disturbed or agnostic executive functioning†. The impairment cause must be significant in occupational or social functioning and represent a great decline from a previous level of functioning. Course of illness According to Miller (2009), delirium is transitory. Its onset is quick and its treatment will remit symptoms. A sudden drop to baseline causes delirium. Dementia on the other hand is characterized by a slow progress and a long-term gradual decline from the baseline. Furthermore, it is chronic, progressive and irreversible. Etiology When comparing both delirium and dementia etiologically, a big difference comes out. Metabolic imbalance, substance abuse, failure of the liver, congestive heart failure or its infection all cause delirium. On the other hand, dementia is mainly caused by degeneration of the nervous system including neurodegenerative diseases and Alzheimer (Waszynski et al, 2008). Treatment According to Saxon et al (2010), the delirium symptoms can be prevented or reversed to prevent further medical or cognitive impairment. Some of the management of delirium, which are non-pharmacological, include steps such as provision of optimized, quite environments, in contrast, the dementia symptoms cannot be remitted but can be managed. Assessment The elderly patients like Mr. Webb are mostly at a higher risk of cognitive disorders. These cognitive disorders can be chronic such as dementia or acute such as delirium. For effective treatment, the first step is clarifying the diagnosis and assessment at onset. However, as Thomas et al (2008) explains, this can be challenging to the elderly patients like Mr. Webb. They often have accompanied medical co-mor bidities that can result to affective and cognitive changes (Gagliardi, 2008). 1. Approach the patient (Mr. Webb) As explained by Gagliardi (2008), I will try to reduce the number of people in the room. As well, as encourage him to rest either on the bed or on the chair. I will initiate a

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Merketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Merketing - Essay Example A traditional philosophy of marketing, known as the production philosophy, believes that a good product will sell itself (Sandhusen, 2000, p. 13). By the beginning of the 20th century this had evolved into a sales oriented system. The sales based philosophy worked on the belief that a good salesman could sell anything to anyone. It relied on advertising and customer manipulation (Sandhusen, 2000, p. 13). These philosophies evolved throughout its history and most modern theorists now contend that all business is customer driven and successful marketing is getting the customer what they want at a price they are willing to pay (Lancaster & Reynolds, 1999, p. 78). Marketing has been described as "[...] the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organisational objectives" (Lancaster & Reynolds, 1999, p. 1). It is not so much a single task as it is a concept of visualising your customer through their eyes, and creating a profit by understanding and satisfying their needs by providing something of value (Forsyth, 1999, p.124). In its basic form, marketing matches the companys capability to supply the customer with a customers need for goods. This process is often analysed through the use of the 4Ps/4Cs model. The producer controls product, price, promotion, and place. The customer controls their 4C counterparts of customer solution, cost, communication, and convenience. In general, though price incentives can be utilised on a limited basis at some cost to profitability, marketing can only control the promotion and the place in the short term. The customer controls the cost they are willing to pay, acceptance as a solution, convenience, and communication with the producer. Except by manipulation, the company is limited to only researching the aspects that are controlled by the

Public international law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Public international law - Essay Example Part 1: Background on the Dispute In 1858, Costa Rica and Nicaragua ratified a Treaty of Limits granting Nicaragua sovereign jurisdiction over a 140 km stretch of the San Juan River, and Costa Rica sovereign rights over its right bank, as well as certain ,navigational rights, "con objetos de comercio."2 An 1888 arbitral award rendered by United States President Grover Cleveland affirmed the Treaty's continuing validity3 and upheld Costa Rica's right to navigate the river with revenue service vessels, but not war vessels.3. In 1916, the Central American Court of Justice held that Nicaragua breached the 1858 Treaty by signing the Chamorro-Bryan Treaty of 1914, granting the United States "exclusive proprietary rights" for the construction and maintenance of an inter-oceanic canal through the river. Excluding a 1956 Agreement on river traffic and protection of the border, no events of significance to the treaty regime occurred for almost seventy years. Starting in the 1980s, Costa Rica p rotested Nicaragua's introduction of new restrictions on navigation, while Nicaragua alleged Costa Rica was exceeding its right of free navigation under the 1858 Treaty. Tensions mounted. On September 29, 2005, Costa Rica instituted proceedings against Nicaragua at the ICJ claiming that Nicaragua was in breach of its obligations under the 1858 Treaty. Nicaragua raised no objections to the Court's jurisdiction. Costa Rica sought an order declaring Nicaragua in breach, and requiring Nicaragua to cease unlawful conduct, make reparation, and give assurances of non-repetition. Nicaragua denied breaching any obligations, asserted that any obligations allegedly breached did not derive from any international law rule, and sought a number of rulings on its power to regulate Costa Rica's navigational rights. Part 2: Summary of the Judgment The July 13, 2009 Judgment provides concrete guidance on the extent of Costa Rica's right to free navigation, defines the scope of Nicaragua's power to reg ulate Costa Rica's right, and identifies a customary right of Costa Rican riparians to engage in subsistence fishing. Specifically, the Court held that Costa Rica has a treaty right to free navigation "for the purposes of commerce," including the transport of passengers and tourists, and that Nicaragua cannot impose visa or tourist card requirements on passengers of Costa Rican vessels. Also, the Court concluded that Costa Rican riparians have the right to navigate between their communities to meet everyday essential needs, as do Costa Rican official vessels used solely to provide essential services to riparian communities. Costa Rica does not have the right, however, to navigate with vessels carrying out police functions, to exchange police border post personnel, or to resupply posts. The Court ruled that Nicaragua has the right to require Costa Rican vessels to stop at the first and last Nicaraguan posts on their route; require river travelers to carry an identity document; issue, but not charge for, departure certificates; impose navigation timetables; and require vessels to display the Nicaraguan flag. Part 3: The Judgement 1. On 29 September 2005 the Republic of Costa Rica filed in the Registry of the Court an Application of the same date,

Monday, July 22, 2019

Assignment topic Mentoring Essay Example for Free

Assignment topic Mentoring Essay A brief outline of the plan for the assignment including why it is an issue and you likely conclusions. (If you like an abstract) An analysis of the Delivering Great Service strategy that is currently being applied by Sainsburys Supermarkets in relation to mentoring. And how the objectives of the strategy are being achieved. A list of material and people you intend to consult (give proper details) * Torrington,D and Hall,L and Taylor,S (2002), Human Resource Management, Prentice Hall Europe, UK * Marchington,M, Managing the Team * Megginson, D. and D. Clutterbuck, (1999), Mentoring in Action, Kogan Page Limited, UK. * Parsloe, E. (1999), The Manager as Coach and Mentor, (2nd Ed), The Guernsey Press, Channel Islands. * Norton, B. and J. Tivey. (1995), Management Directions, The Institute of Management, UK. * Delivering Great Service, Colleague Briefing Leaflet, 2001 * Business Update, Sainsburys Intranet, 28th January 2002 * The Importance of Service, Delivering Great Service Store Managers Tool Kit 2001 Approved by Date HAYLEY SCARFE (00957807) BAIB II HRM ASSIGNMENT WITH REFERENCE TO SAINSBURYS SUPERMARKETS LTD, ANALYSE THE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND EXPLAIN HOW MENTORING WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THESE OBJECTIVES (WITH DIRECT REFERENCE TO DELIVERING GREAT SERVICE FULLY DISCUSS THE IMPLEMENTATION AND RECOMMEND STRATEGIES PRIORITIES AND TIME SCALES FOR IMPLEMENTING YOUR CHOSEN TOPIC. NOTE: 1. BEFORE I COMMENCE THIS ESSAY IT IS IMPORTANT TO STRESS THAT ITS CONTENTS IN RESPECT TO SAINSBURYS SUPERMARKETS ARE STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL AND ONLY MEANT FOR THE PURPOSE OF ANSWERING THE ESSAY QUESTION 2. THE CONTENTS ARE ONLY TO BE READ BY THE ASSESOR FOR THIS PIECE OF WORK Contents Page 1. Introduction 2. Introduction and Development of Delivering Great Service 3. The Service Promise 3.1 Sainsburys Mission Statement 3.2 Easy, Enjoyable and Inspiring 4. Impact on Company Employees 4.1 Store Structures 4.2 Departmental Management 4.2.1 Departmental Management Role 4.3 Mentoring 4.4 Store and Duty Managers 4.5 The relationship between Duty Managers and Departmental Managers 4.6 How the Service Promise is developed through mentoring 5. Implementation of Timescales 5.1 Store implementation Timescales 6. Conclusion 1. INTRODUCTION Sainsburys Supermarkets Ltd like any other business have a number of strategies in place in order to compete against its main competitors in the supermarket industry. Throughout this assignment I am going to concentrate on the companies most recent strategy called Delivering Great Service and how the topic of mentoring will contribute to the achievement of the Delivering Great Service objectives. 2. THE INTRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF DELIVERING GREAT SERVICE Over a period of years Sainsburys lost the dominant market share of the food retail sector to its main competitors. To try and rectify this situation and attempt to once again become the U.Ks top supermarket chain Sainsburys has commissioned research into what their problems were and how to overcome them. The research concentrated on the identification of the wants of Sainsburys customers and how Sainsburys can deliver these wants. With the results collated Sainsburys head office Human Resources staff developed the Delivering Great Service package. The idea behind strategy is to regain the once strong market share Sainsburys enjoyed over Tesco, Asda, Safeway, Waitrose and Morrisons, the companys main competitors through the strategy objective, Service Promise. The commissioned research uncovered Sainsburys customers want Great Service, outstanding quality and competitive prices, all of which are contained within the objectives of Delivering Great Service known as Service Promise. (THE IMPORTANCE OF SERVICE DELIVERING GREAT SERVICE, STORE MANAGERS TOOLKIT 2001) 3. THE SERVICE PROMISE The Service Promise is used as a tool within the Sainsburys Management Team, this is company wide, to improve colleague skills, store knowledge and confidence within the company name. It is through these improved skills that the Sainsburys Management Team and colleagues can work together to improve the customers shopping experience with Sainsburys and successfully deliver great service. 3.1 SAINSBURYS MISSION STATEMENT To clearly demonstrate the aspects of the Service Promise the following diagram is applied: (DELIVERING GREAT SERVICE, COLLEAGUE BRIEFING LEAFLET, 2001) I have devised the following diagram to demonstrate how the aspects of the Service Promise relate to Delivering Great Service 3.2 EASY, ENJOYABLE AND INSPIRING The three categories contained within the Service Promise (outstanding quality, great service and competitive prices) contain guidelines for Sainsburys employees to adopt collectively, thus enabling the delivery of great service. The guidelines are as follows: 1. Easy Make shopping easier by; * Speeding up customer transactions * Acknowledging their problems and accepting responsibility * Actively seeking out customers who need extra help 2. Enjoyable Make shopping more enjoyable by; * Increasing personal efficiency, politeness and friendliness * Treating customers as individuals 3. Inspiring Present inspiring products and ideas to meet customer needs by; * Presenting quality ranges of products that meet and succeed customer needs and expectations * Interacting with customers to advise them of new products, encouraging them to try before they buy (THE IMPORTANCE OF SERVICE, DELIVERING GREAT SERVICE STORE MANAGERS TOOL KIT 2001) 4. IMPACT ON COMPANY EMPLOYEES The company strategy, Delivering Great Service has massive implications on all Sainsburys employees; it requires everyone to take on new responsibilities and new daily working practices if it is to be successful. Im going to focus specifically on the implications Delivering Great Service has on Sainsburys Departmental Managers and how the topic of mentoring can help achieve the strategy (Delivering Great Service) objectives (service promise). 4.1 STORE STRUCTURES Before I do this I have designed and included a very basic store structure diagram to illustrate the structure of a typical Sainsburys Stores. As you can see from the diagram the Store Manager is responsible for the entire store with a team of Duty Mangers and Department Managers on hand to share responsibilities and the running of the store filtering down to the Store Colleagues. 4.2 DEPARTMENTAL MANAGEMENT I have already discussed the implications Delivering Great Service has on all colleagues in respect of what its objectives require from everyone to be successful (making shopping easier, making shopping more enjoyable and presenting inspiring products), but I havent discussed the implications the Department Manager faces. 4.2.1 DEPARTMENT MANAGERS ROLE The Department Managers role within the company is to communicate the importance and relevance of all business decisions and strategies to his or her Department Store Colleagues. Thus the Department Manager is responsible when explaining the Delivering Great Service strategy to his or her Department Store Colleagues and ensuring that they all have a full understanding and appreciation of the importance and the implementation of the Service Promise targets (previously outlined) and what they have to do. Not only does the Department Managers have to do this, they have to achieve it with the support and co-operation of Department Store Colleagues. In essence the Department Manager has: TO MOTIVATE COLLEAGUES TO WANT TO DELIVER THE SERVICE PROMISE TO OUR CUSTOMERS, EQUIPPING THEM WITH SOME OF THE SKILLS TO DO THISi (DELIVERING GREAT SERVICE THROUGH CUSTOMER OBSESSION, MISSION STATEMENT, 2001) But how are they supposed to do this? The Department Manager would need great leadership and motivation skills combined with skilful use of communication to initiate Department team spirit to enable Service Promise targets to be met. They would need a keen eye to identify those within the Department that need extra help or indeed those who arent willing to work towards Delivering Great Service objectives. Necessary skills would include the capacity to deal with targets being missed and the individuals ability to quickly set more achievable targets. But with no formal training how could Department Managers achieve these skills and successfully achieve Delivering Great Service objectives with the full support of their Department? I believe that Department Managers could achieve these skills by turning to mentoring. The mission statement below accurately sums up what Department Managers are expected to achieve in respect to Delivering Great Service: TO INSPIRE OUR PEOPLE TO CONTINUALLY EXCEED OUR CUSTOMERS EXPECTATIONS, TO DELIVER BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT (DELIVERING GREAT SERVICE THROUGH CUSTOMER OBSESSION, MISSION STATEMENT, 2001) 4.3 MENTORING How could mentoring assist Department Managers to achieve the requirements expected? To begin with the definition of mentoring needs to be identified and questions need to be asked as to how Sainsburys can fulfil the Service Promise by achieving the strategic objectives of Delivering Great Service The Little Oxford Dictionary defines Mentor as Mentor advisor, counsellor (THE LITTLE OXFORD DICTIONARY, 1971, 4THED) A separate textbook definition of Mentor is to help by one person to another in making significant transitions in knowledge, work or thinking (MENTORING IN ACTION MEGGINSON, D. AND D. CLUTTERBUCK, (KOGAN PAGE LIMITED, UK (1999))) 4.4 STORE AND DUTY MANAGERS Store Managers and Duty Managers within Sainsburys receive a wide array of continual training sessions and personal development ran by both internal and external bodies. They are constantly assessed by their Manager who is the Regional Business Manager with regards to their Stores performance and satisfaction of their staff, a survey is conducted every six months talkback to check on staff satisfaction levels in all stores. As Managers they are required to posses leadership, motivational and coaching skills and the ability and confidence to use them as well as the privilege of constant feedback from the Regional Business Manager and constant people skill training. Store Managers and Duty Managers are massively invested in within the company resulting in a large value added resource offering an indispensable skill base, the senior store management team is essential to the companys success. Through such investment they hold the essential, crucial skills that Department Managers need to develop if they are to successfully motivate Department Store Colleagues to implement the Delivering Great Service strategy and Service Promise objectives in their daily working practise. To mentor someone is to advise and council a person whilst developing the learners skills to meet business objectives. The mentor is there to listen and suggest ways in which to tackle a situation promoting a culture where the learner isnt being spoon-fed but independently identifying ways in which to personally improve upon current skill base and achieve targets. 4.5 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DUTY MANAGERS AND DEPARTMENT MANAGERS But how will Sainsburys Duty Managers by mentoring Department Managers enable them to contribute to the achievement of Delivering Great Service through Service Promise? Sainsburys Duty Managers are high performers able to implement business objectives and strategies into the daily running of a store in a responsible fashion whilst observing the companys values (which are as follows): 1) We will be HONEST 2) We will demonstrate INTEGRITY 3) We will show our COMMITMENT to each other 4) We will be LOYAL 5) We will take PRIDE in everything we do (REGION 35 BUSINESS PLAN JUNE 2001) Point 3 and 5 are important. When mentoring a Department Manager the companys values would easily ensure the mentor and learner success, by committing to the learner and taking pride in the learners achievement The leadership and motivational skills along with strong communication and a focused approach that are necessary to implement the Delivering Great Service strategy, through mentoring an individual Department Manager could be successfully developed as the Duty Manager already possess and uses the skills the Department Manager needs. Through a series of on the job observations and one on one coaching sessions the Duty Manager can exchange ways of better practice to reflect better results (in Service Promise targets) and encourage the Department Manager to have confidence when communicating with their staff. 4.6 HOW SERVICE PROMISE IS DEVELOPED THROUGH MENTORING. Through the improved skill base the Department Manager will have developed through mentoring and will be able through the Service Promise (objectives if the Delivering Great Service strategy) to achieve stated objectives through actions completed, as seen below: 1) 2) 3) 5.IMPLAMENTATION OF TIMESCALES But what time scale are we looking at? Delivering Great Service is a strategy that is in Stores NOW and Department Managers fully understands its implications NOW, its not planned to reach a Store in 6 months, results are expected to show in 6 months. With such a constraint on time I propose the following timescale strategy: 5.1 STORE IMPLEMENTATION TIME SCALES 6. CONCLUSION In conclusion it can be seen that the implementation of Delivering Great Service has allowed Duty and Departmental Managers to grow in their roles. The mentoring skills of the store management are developed therefore allowing them to implement the strategy outlined and provide the highest level of customer service on the shop floor. As this is what 70% of customers require in order to have a satisfied shopping experience that is easy, enjoyable and inspiring. This will allow them to compete with their market competitors to the highest advantage and regain the market share, which they have lost. BIBLIOGRAPHY BOOKS * Torrington,D and Hall,L and Taylor,S (2002), Human Resource Management, Prentice Hall Europe, UK * Marchington,M, Managing the Team * Megginson, D. and D. Clutterbuck, (1999), Mentoring in Action, Kogan Page Limited, UK. * Parsloe, E. (1999), The Manager as Coach and Mentor, (2nd Ed), The Guernsey Press, Channel Islands. * Norton, B. and J. Tivey. (1995), Management Directions, The Institute of Management, UK. * Parsloe, E. and M. Wray, (2000), Coaching and Mentoring, Kogan Page Limited, UK. * Pegg, M. (1999), The Art of Mentoring, Biddles, UK. * Murrell, A, J. Crosby, F, J. and E, J, Robin, (1999), Mentoring Dilemmas, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers, UK * Clarke, D, (1996), Mentoring, Fenman Limited, UK * Ried, M, A. and H, Barrington, (2000), Training Interventions, (6th Ed), The Cromwell Press, UK. * Harrison, H, (2000), Employee Development, (2nd Ed) The Cromwell Press, UK. * Marchington, M. and A, Wilkinson, (2000), Core Personnel and Development, (2nd Ed), The Cromwell Press, UK. * Foot, M. and C, Hook, (1999), Introducing Human Resource Management, (2nd Ed), Longman, Malaysia. SAINSBURYS SOURCES * Annual Report, 2001 * Delivering Great Service, Colleague Briefing Leaflet, 2001 * Business Update, Sainsburys Intranet, 28th January 2002 * The Importance of Service, Delivering Great Service Store Managers Tool Kit 2001

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Assessment of Military Influence in the Middle East

Assessment of Military Influence in the Middle East Q5. What best explains the diminished role of the military in the dispensation of power across the Middle East? Jibin Mathew George The military has been fundamental to the existence and sustenance of the modern Middle East since its inception as a largely colonial police force in the early 20th century. And it is the relative omnipresence and longevity of the military in the Middle East that has gradually evolved it to be seen as a symbol of stability in a troubled region. The question put forth however begets the question of the range of power and influence the military enjoyed in the past few decades. It is therefore necessary to assess the military influence in the Middle East, declining or otherwise through the lens of existing literature that seeks to explain civil-military relations. Consider Samuel Huntingtons hypothesis in The Soldier and the State; Here, Huntington argues that a measure of objective control within the state, one where the military structure recognizes the political and foreign paramountcy of the civilian government and where the civilian government recognizes the militarys professional competence and autonomy is one which is more likely to have a subservient military to a dominant civilian state, and is therefore the most effective measure against the prevalence of coups. On the other hand, Janowitz in his book The Professional Soldier argues that separation of powers as Huntington proposes would instead invite coups, and is better prepared against coups by a constant, mutual interaction between the military and civilian government, facilitating the civilian oversight of the States military arm. Both Huntingtons and Janowitzs arguments for civilian control over the military are essentially arguments for what some scholars say was coup-proofing against anarchy and errant branches of the military. Here, coup-proofing suggested steps such as tokens of special loyalties, compartmentalization, rotation and the institution of the commissar system and a dedicated internal intelligence service to keep a check on the militarys political power and influence within the state. However, it has also been argued that coup-proofing has inadvertently led to the ascendance of domestic state with a highly politicized, and yet very ineffectual military capability. In other words, the dissociation of trust between the civilian structure and the military by way of coup-proofing has evolved the military into one devoid of military capability. Such evidence was evident as far back as the onset of the 1st Gulf War when highly modernized Arab forces were beaten on the field by the well-organized Iraqi Army. It must be noted however that Huntingtons and Janowitzs case for explaining civil-military relations was largely borne out of western construct and experience and were largely myopic, with respect to the fact that they incorrectly viewed a coup as the sole and final exercise of military power. Huntington and Janowitz did not calculate and hypothesize that officers in barracks may be as influential and powerful as officers in the government, that officers may rather be kingmakers than kings. It is in light of such coup-less exercision of power by the military that the question of its declining influence in the Middle East be addressed, especially considering that military coups have often been considered to be a measure of military influence in a state. Therefore, considering the fact that the number of coups have steadily fallen in the Middle East since the 1970s (With countries like Syria having a turbulent and frequent history of coups not having had one since 1970), it is understandable to conclude that the militarys influence in steadily waning. However, that may not be a perfect assumption. Here, it is important to consider the case of three Middle Eastern States; Turkey, Israel and Egypt. Israel for one, may be argued is a warfare state, a nation-state born out of conflict, with a society where the preparation of conflict permeates all levels of economy, society and culture. And it is this very nature of society that has contributed to the relative permanence of the military in Israeli politics. Israel is a true democracy but, it is one where the significance of the military has allowed it significant precedence in Israeli society. The military is largely overseen by the civilian structure but, their relationship is one of co-dependence and partnership rather than one of paramountcy as Huntington argued. This relationship is owing to a lot of factors not limited to the openness of entry from the military to the political field (Moshe Dayan, Ehud Barak, Ariel Sharon), the very active lobby of ex-military officers within the business and industrial rank and the relative autonomy the IDF enjoys in terms of recruitment, education, training and technological procurement. A lso, the existing civilian-military structure in Israel is a perfect illustration of Janowitzs civilianized military in action, albeit one where the military still enjoys immense influence, that may go as far as political autonomy (In the occupied areas of West Bank and Gaza) as well as a lack of fear from long-term repercussions (Kahan Commission report). On the other hand, the evidence in Turkey is of a military which has been increasingly confident of its duty to preserve the Kemalist Turkish state. It has been a powerful and cohesive institution that has often absorbed tutelary powers by way of coups in 1960, 1971, 1980 and 1977 against democratically elected governments which it didnt believe was preserving the Turkish state. And contrary to popular convention, the army in Turkey preferred to remain kingmakers rather than kings, which is why coups were usually followed by exit guarantees for military officers and a larger role for the military in Turkish domestic and foreign politics (National Security Council after the 1961 constitution following the 60 coup). Presently however, under the more assertive Erdogan, relations have been strained and the military, especially since the 2016 coup attempt has been increasingly devoid of any significant power and influence. It is that rare state in the Middle East where a democratically el ected leader is leading the State away from a partial democracy to a more authoritarian regime. Egypt on the other hand, is a case of a Praetorian state where the lines of distinction are often blurred. It is a state where the military not only did and still does wield a lot of influence and power, but is in charge of a military industrial complex that permeates the all socio-economic levels of the society.   In Egypt, the pattern of increasing arms production and procurement by the military and the expansion of military enterprises into the civilian economy, so much so that 40% of the production capacity is owned by the military, is reflective of the significance of the military in Egypt. Much is the same in Jordan, where its armed forces have entered into joint venture partnerships with 26 foreign defense contractors. However, the cases of Israel, Egypt and Turkey are anomalies in the larger Middle East. In nation-states like Saudi Arabia, power remains solely with the dynastical-clerical network while the military constituted by foreign-trained, apolitical officers and the division of labor allows no real power to the military. Iran remains a theocracy, where power remains removed far from the military, an incidence ensured by the Commissar system which ensures fidelity of the armed forces to the Republic by the Revolutionary Guard. In countries such as Iraq and Yemen, the regular armed forces are splintered into rival factions on primordial and tribal lines. In Syria, similar to Egypt, the institutionalization of the militarys economic interests within the State has ensured the survivability of the regime. There is no single factor responsible for the diminishing role of the military across the Middle East. In fact, it can be argued that the military remains a powerful force in countries such as Egypt and Israel, arguably the most powerful states in the region. However, any power or influence it may have is no longer exercised as it once used to be. Coups have a been a thing of the past for the last few years (Yemen and Egypt being rare exceptions), largely because coups have been increasingly realized to not be the only way to exercise military influence. The same can also be attributed to the fact that regimes such as Syria have grown to perfect ways to coup-proof their regimes by way of not only military division of labor and compartmentalization, but by the utilization of a well-oiled intelligences services like the Mukhabarat, making it even more difficult for civilian regimes to be disposed of. There are other factors to consider as well, such as the fact that coup-proofing measu res have diluted military cohesion, an incidence which makes it almost impossible for a small, disillusioned detachment of the military to wage a coup without the support of the rest of the larger diversified, and highly specialized military such as the Air Forces. To conclude yes, it can be argued that when compared to recent history, the military is enjoying a rather diminished role in Middle East politics. However, this is owing to a multitude of factors, with no single factor solely responsible for the same. That said, the cases of Israel and Egypt do signify that the military does have a significant role to play, if not directly, but by way of a broader, more pervasive degree of influence that has permeated certain Middle Eastern societies.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

The merits and shortcomings of quantitative and qualitative research

The merits and shortcomings of quantitative and qualitative research Research methods are technique(s) for gathering data (Harding, 1986) and are generally dichotomized into being either quantitative or qualitative. It has been argued that methodology has been gendered (Oakley, 1998), with quantitative methods traditionally being associated with words such as positivism, scientific, objectivity, statistics and masculinity. In contrast, qualitative methods have generally been associated with interpretive, non-scientific, subjectivity and femininity. Quantitative Research Techniques and Procedures Qualitative analysis is a process that is often the precursor to quantitative, statistical work; a process to make the tacit underpinnings of an issue explicit; a process you can use to deepen your understanding of complex social and human factors that cannot be understood with numbers; a process that helps you figure out what to count and what to measure (Kerlin, 1999, p. 1). A common way of conducting quantitative research is using a survey. Surveys usually involve filling in a questionnaire. There are, of course, many different kinds of quantitative research besides the survey. Observational research involves watching or observing various behaviors and patterns. More complicated forms of quantitative research are experimental research or mathematical modelling research (Peter J.P. Donnelly J.H, 2000). In the social sciences, quantitative research refers to the systematic empirical investigation of quantitative properties and phenomena and their relationships. The objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical models, theories and/or hypotheses pertaining to phenomena. The process of measurement is central to quantitative research because it provides the fundamental connection between empirical observation and mathematical expression of quantitative relationships. Quantitative research is used widely in social sciences such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, and political science. Research in mathematical sciences such as physics is also quantitative by definition, though this use of the term differs in context. In the social sciences, the term relates to empirical methods, originating in both philosophical positivism and the history of statistics, which contrast qualitative research methods. Qualitative methods produce information only on the particular cases studied, and any more general conclusions are only hypotheses. Quantitative methods can be used to verify, which of such hypotheses are true. Qualitative Research Techniques and Procedures Qualitative research is a generic term for investigative methodologies described as ethnographic, naturalistic, anthropological, field, or participant observer research. It emphasizes the importance of looking at variables in the natural setting in which they are found. Interaction between variables is important. Detailed data is gathered through open ended questions that provide direct quotations. The interviewer is an integral part of the investigation (Jacob, 1988). This differs from quantitative research which attempts to gather data by objective methods to provide information about relations, comparisons, and predictions and attempts to remove the investigator from the investigation (Smith, 1983). According to Andrew (2007), qualitative research is a method of inquiry appropriated in many different academic disciplines, traditionally in the social sciences, but also in market research and further contexts. Qualitative researchers aim to gather an in-depth understanding of human behavior and the reasons that govern such behavior. The qualitative method investigates the why and how of decision making, not just what, where, when. Hence, smaller but focused samples are more often needed, rather than large samples. According to Andrew (2007), qualitative research is used to denote approaches which are supported by a set of hypotheses concerning the way the social world functions. It deduces many of its basic principles from the perspective that there are fundamental differences between the science of human world and science of natural world and consequently needs to use distinctive methods. Here, attention is focused upon looking at the world through the eyes of studied objects and upon evolving concepts and theories which are grounded in the collecting data. So, qualitative research connected with own accounts of the individuals of their attitudes and behavior. The significance of qualitative research consists in setting stress on describing, understanding complex phenomena. It investigates, for instance, the relationships and patterns among factors or the context in which the activity happens. It is concentrated on understanding the full many-dimensional picture of the subject of investigatio n. Qualitative methods produce information only on the particular cases studied, and any more general conclusions are only hypotheses (informative guesses). The aim of qualitative research is to deepen our understanding about something, and usually this means going beyond the numbers and the statistics. Qualitative research helps us to give reasons why the numbers tell us what they do. It is often contrasted to quantitative research and they are very often used together to get the bigger picture of what we are trying to find out. Qualitative research helps us flesh out the story. Face-to-Face Interviews and Focus Groups The most common forms of qualitative research are face-to-face interviews and focus groups. Face-to-face interviews are just that: Meeting someone in person and discussing various issues. The informant or person you are interviewing may be an expert in a particular field (e.g. the editor of a newspaper) or they may be someone who is affected by the issues you are researching (e.g. someone who is HIV positive or who reads the media). Focus groups involve discussions with two or more participants. While questions for focus groups need to be prepared to guide and focus the discussions, the responses are often free-ranging, as the participants are encouraged to explore the issues at hand in an in-depth way. While focus groups and interviews will help you develop explanations for quantitative data, sometimes they can provide you with quantitative data themselves Basic Differences between Quantitative and Qualitative Research Techniques Quantitative and qualitative research methods differ primarily in: their analytical objectives the types of questions they pose the types of data collection instruments they use the forms of data they produce the degree of flexibility built into study design The key difference between quantitative and qualitative methods is their flexibility. Generally, quantitative methods are fairly inflexible. With quantitative methods such as surveys and questionnaires, for example, researchers ask all participants identical questions in the same order. The response categories from which participants may choose are closed-ended or fixed. The advantage of this inflexibility is that it allows for meaningful comparison of responses across participants and study sites. However, it requires a thorough understanding of the important questions to ask, the best way to ask them, and the range of possible responses. Qualitative methods are typically more flexible that is, they allow greater spontaneity and adaptation of the interaction between the researcher and the study participant. For example, qualitative methods ask mostly open-ended questions that are not necessarily worded in exactly the same way with each participant. With open-ended questions, participants are free to respond in their own words, and these responses tend to be more complex than simply yes or no. In addition, with qualitative methods, the relationship between the researcher and the participant is often less formal than in quantitative research. Participants have the opportunity to respond more elaborately and in greater detail than is typically the case with quantitative methods. In turn, researchers have the opportunity to respond immediately to what participants say by tailoring subsequent questions to information the participant has provided. Merriam (1988) provided a basis for differentiating qualitative and quantitative research techniques based on their characteristics. Characteristics of Qualitative and Quantitative Research Point of Comparisons Qualitative Research Quantitative Research Focus of research Quality (nature, essence) Quantity (how much, how many) Philosophical roots Phenomenology, symbolic interaction Positivism, logical empiricism Associated phrases Fieldwork, ethnographic, naturalistic, grounded, subjective Experimental, empirical, statistical Goal of investigation Understanding, description, discovery, hypothesis generating Prediction, control, description, confirmation, hypothesis testing Design characteristics Flexible, evolving, emergent Predetermined, structured Setting Natural, familiar Unfamiliar, artificial Sample Small, non-random, theoretical Large, random, representative Data collection Researcher as primary instrument, interviews, observations Inanimate instruments (scales, tests, surveys, questionnaires, computers) Mode of analysis Inductive (by researcher) Deductive (by statistical methods) Findings Comprehensive, holistic, expansive Precise, narrow, reductionist However, there is a range of flexibility among methods used in both quantitative and qualitative research and that flexibility is not an indication of how scientifically rigorous a method is. Rather, the degree of flexibility reflects the kind of understanding of the problem that is being pursued using the method. Merits of Quantitative Analysis The use of surveys permit a researcher to study more variables at one time than is typically possible in laboratory or field experiments, whilst data can be collected about real world environments. The usefulness of a survey is that the information you get is standardized because each respondent the person who fills out the questionnaire is answering the exact same questions. Once you have enough responses to your questionnaire, you can then put the data together and analyze it in a way that answers your research question or what it is you want to know. Since case studies follow a structured format, different situations can be compared or analyzed comparatively. Case studies are typically short (often no more than 5 pages long) and usually only contain the essential information needed to present a situation and, if necessary, to describe and properly analyze a problem. Quantitative data can determine when students have achieved or failed a task, and they can provide national ranking, percentiles, and allow researchers to conduct comparison analyses. Nevertheless, they cannot provide the total picture of why a particular student has either succeeded or failed (Burnaford et al., 2001; Gall et al., 1996 and Mc Bride Schostak, 2000). In quantitative research, the researcher neither participates in nor influences what is being studied; thus, he/she examines the circumstances objectively. In some qualitative research, the researcher may play a more subjective role and participate by being immersed in his/her research. That is, the observer may be the teacher or the facilitator. This role is often the case with when action research, case studies, and focus groups are used in educational research. Advantages of surveys Good for comparative analysis. Can get lots of data in a relatively short space of time. Can be cost-effective (if you use the Internet, for example). Can take less time for respondents to complete (compared to an interview or focus group) Specific concrete example; Can help with problem solving; Are often interesting to read. Demerits of Quantitative Analysis A key weakness of quantitative analysis is that it is very difficult to realise insights relating to the causes of or processes involved in the phenomena measured. There are, in addition, several sources of bias such as the possibly self-selecting nature of respondents, the point in time when the survey is conducted and in the researcher him/herself through the design of the survey itself. It could be argued that the quantitative researcher is more precise, but the response would be that with people it is not possible to be so precise, people change and the social situation is too complex for numerical description. Quantitative research has a tendency to clarify where clarification is not appropriate. (Mc Bride Schostak, 2000, pp. 1-2) Disadvantages of Surveys Responses may not be specific. Questions may be misinterpreted. May not get as many responses as you need. Dont get full story. Can take time to develop; Depending on format, may need some level of good writing skills; Do not usually give broad overview of issue at hand. Merits of Qualitative Techniques The approaches of the qualitative research differ from the methods of the quantitative research. Quantitative methods have their aim in dividing into clearly defined parts, or variables. When we research an issue which we know how to quantify, for example, what can be quantified for sure, we may leave out the factors which are crucial to the real understanding of the phenomena under study (Andrew, 2007). Qualitative methods are helpful not only in giving rich explanations of complex phenomena, but in creating or evolving theories or conceptual bases, and in proposing hypotheses to clarify the phenomena. Besides, value of the qualitative research consists in validity of the information received; people are minutely interviewed so as the obtained data would be taken as correct and believable reports of their opinions and experiences. Its major disadvantage is that small group of interviewed individuals can not be taken as representative (Andrew, 2007). Case studies involve an attempt to describe relationships that exist in reality, very often in a single organization. Case studies may be positivist or interpretivist in nature, depending on the approach of the researcher, the data collected and the analytical techniques employed. Reality can be captured in greater detail by an observer-researcher, with the analysis of more variables than is typically possible in experimental and survey research. Another type of qualitative analysis is site visits. Site visits help you understand your research better; site visits (e.g. when you visit an organization, a manufacturing plant, a clinic or a housing project) are very useful and sometimes even necessary ways of gaining additional insight and making your theoretical information concrete in your mind. They allow you to observe what is going on, and to ask questions you may not have thought about. Qualitative research has a phenomenological focus that can provide an enriched and detailed description of the participants actions and/or viewpoints (Veronesi, 1997). Advantages of Face-to-Face Interviews Can allow for in-depth knowledge sharing; Helps to develop the bigger picture; Helps with analysis of results; Good for networking (e.g. you may be referred to other people to interview). Advantages of Focus Groups Good for community participation (grassroots input); Helpful in developing ideas and sharing latent, or hidden, knowledge spontaneously; Enables you to get information from a number of individuals simultaneously. Advantages of Site Visits and Observation Demerits of Qualitative Analysis Case studies can be considered weak as they are typically restricted to a single organization and it is difficult to generalize findings since it is hard to find similar cases with similar data that can be analyzed in a statistically meaningful way. Disadvantages of Face-to-Face Interviews Can be time consuming; May be difficult to arrange an interview time; Can be difficult to compare and analyze information. Disadvantages of Focus Groups Can be difficult to set up; Participants may need to be paid; Need to be sensitive to who the facilitator is; May need a translator; Sometimes difficult to organize and analyze information. Disadvantages of Site Visits and Observation Take time; Can be expensive (depending how far you need to travel); With observation in particular, you need to be careful how you interpret what you see. With site visits, you may want to make sure you have a guide so that you can ask questions However, the disadvantage of the quantitative as well as qualitative research is that they do not always underpin understanding of multi-dimensional pictures (Andrew, 2007).