Life in Spain in the Golden Age

The Spanish Society during their Golden Age The golden age of Spain does not exactly refer to tremendous economic growth or an excellent era of monarchial rule in peace and prosperity rather it refers to the rule of Charles II, which was characterized by the weakening of the Castile, and the deteriorating Spanish crown. According to Sedney Donell (2003), during this time, the Castilian privileged classes in various provinces of the Monarchy took advantage of the weakened Monarchy and began to take the affairs of the imperial state in their own hands, which later came to be known as the golden age of Spain (Donell 2003, p. 151). Spanish society during this time was in confusion and this was aggravated by the impact of feminization that was creating confusion on the role of men in the society. How ordinary Life was for them Life in Spain during the golden age was not ordinary as people experienced acute economin difficulty due to severe economic decline because of wars. Marcelin Defourneaux (1979) cited demographic statistics, which proves beyond doubt that â€Å"there was steep decline in the towns which formerly- and recently- had played such a vital role in the economic life of the country† (Defourneaux 1979, p. 92). Defourneaux noted during Philip II Spain’s prosperity was ruined by the waning of the Spanish economy and people had to survive mainly on land products as most of their industries had collapsed. What I could point out about Spain’s society during this time is that theirs was a stubborn society. Despite of the failures of their rulers to bring them peace and prosperity, they remained loyal to their Monarchs. A case in point was the collapsed of Charles II rule only to be replaced by a more inefficient king. Explain the Reason why Spain was like that in the Golden Age There had been several reasons why Spain was economically in distress during their golden age. Among these reasons were corruptions, wars, gender issue, and ineffective leadership. William H. Robinson and Jordi Falgas however, cited that Barcelona and Madrid suffered economic decline due to trade monopoly of King Ferdinand of Argon- Catalonia and Isabella of Castile Robinson & Falgas 2006, p. 5). All this contributed to the economic problem that Spain had suffered during their so-called ‘golden age.’ Work Cited Defourneaux, M., (1979) Daily life in the Golden Age. California: Stanford University Press. Donell, S., Feminizing the Enemy: Imperian Spain, Transvestite Dramma, and the Crises.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   USA: Bucknell University Press. Knight, C., (1840) Penny Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge. London: Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

A case study of the retail chain NEXT Essay

Introduction In 1864 Hepworth & Son, a Gentleman’s Tailors store was established in Leeds. Hepworth then went on to buy the chain of Kendalls rainwear shops in order to develop a group of Womenswear shops which was called NEXT. Since 1982, NEXT has expanded in a variety of different ways, whether it has been by expanding on existing products or clothing ranges or by expanding into different areas, for example home interior ranges. On February the 12th, 1982,the first NEXT women’s wear store was opened. It introduced an exclusive and co-ordinated collection of stylised clothing as well as shoes and women’s accessories. By the end of July, NEXT had expanded greatly, forming seventy new shops. The collection ranges for men, children and home followed the opening of the women’s collection. In August 1984, NEXT launched their clothing range for men, and by December there had developed 52 shops. The same year, the first â€Å"mini† department store was opened in Edinburgh. This incorporated a cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ as well as Womenswear, menswear, and shoes. When NEXT launched their interior range of soft furnishings for the home in August 1985, the first department store, which had, Womenswear, menswear and interiors, was opened in Regent Street, in London. Between 1987 and 1988, NEXT launched both their Children’s wear collection as well as their directory, so that their customers were able to buy their products in the comfort in their home, with time to spare and look at the products carefully. In 1993, NEXT then announced the brand strategy of â€Å"One Brand Two Ways of Shopping†, which brought together the common ranges across both retail and home shopping formats. To further develop this strategy, in 1999 there was a launch of shopping on the Internet from the NEXT Directory at www.next.co.uk. NEXT is now trading from over 330 stores in the UK, in 16 countries worldwide, such as: Bahrain Cyprus, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait and Qatar, and has 49 stores overseas. It recently opened several larger stores in the UK in areas such as Bluewater Park and Liverpool. Methodology I have chosen to base my report on NEXT. I will be considering different aspects of the business, for example: objectives, organisation, culture, structure and communication channels within the business. I will then be examining how these factors are affecting the success of the business. As I am currently employed at NEXT, I can use this to my advantage in order to find out the information I will require in order to carry out my project. Being an employee at NEXT, I am involved in team talks which are carried out each morning, in order to discuss ideas and for the manager to notify all the staff the objectives and targets for the day, which are mainly involved with the amount of sales required in order to reach profit targets. Staff are also notified how much profit each division of the business (home, women’s wear, men’s wear and children’s wear) is making each day. This enables all the employees to discover how well the business is doing. I will also be using the Internet to visit the NEXT website in order to collect general information about the business, as well what they offer to customers. I will also be using certain websites ion order to further my knowledge in the areas I will be discussing within my report. In order to collect more specific and detailed information, I will be having a meeting with the store manager so that I can find out about how the business is doing financially, and how the managers ensure that objectives are met within the business. Business Ownership In 1986 Parent company, J Hepworth & Son changed its name to NEXT plc. NEXT is a public limited company (plc). A public limited company is an organisation, which has limited liability, which means that the responsibility for the debts of the company is limited to the amount of capital invested in the company. A public limited company sells shares to the general public on the stock exchange. Both private and public limited companies operate within the private sector. To set up a public limited company, application must be made to the Registrar of Companies in Cardiff. This application is accompanied by: – a statutory declaration. – a Memorandum of Association. – the Articles of Association. In addition to this, after receipt of a Certificate of Incorporation, a public company has to offer a prospectus to the public as well as share certificates to those who purchase shares. There are two types of shares, ordinary and preference Authorised share capital is the maximum number of each type of share that can be issued, as laid down in the memorandum of association. Issued share capital is the actual number of shares of each type that have been purchased and share premium is the difference between the nominal price of the share and its market price. The ownership of the public limited company rests with the shareholders. Control of the company is in the hands of the directors. Sight must never be lost of the fact that in many companies, major shareholders may choose directors and in turn directors may be shareholders. Both of these situations could prove to be detrimental to the interests of the remaining shareholders/directors. There are many advantages to be had from forming a public company compared with the formation of a sole trader or partnership. A few of these advantages are: * Limited liability. * Larger capital base, through the purchase of shares. * Separate legal identity ensures continuity of the business independent of the personal circumstances of the individual shareholder. Annual accounts and reports of a public limited company are subject to external review, therefore verifying the truth and accuracy of the financial control of the company. Disadvantages associated with this type of ownership are: * there are many legal formalities that must be complied with before the company can be set up. * activities are closely controlled by company law and the running of the company is subject to legal constraints. * accounts are public and this means a lack of privacy. * the company has to pay for an auditor to independently check the accounts. * the company is accountable to its shareholders and its creditors. * divorce of ownership from control can lead to a conflict of interest, as the aims of the shareholders, directors and management may not be the same, eg directors may want to grow the business over the long term, shareholders may be expecting a quick, high return on their money. * the performance of the company may not be reflected correctly in its share price. If the industry as a whole comes under pressure, then the firm, through no fault of its own, may suffer. * if the company is too large, it may lose its efficiency and become tied down in red tape â€Å"diseconomies of scale†. * they are subject to takeover bids. There is no way of stopping other companies buying big blocks of shares. * in practice, the small shareholder can do very little to influence the way the company is run. Culture and Objectives One of NEXT’s most important objectives is to profitably expand their selling space, as they believe that new space would continue growth of sales and profits in the years ahead, as it would enable them to offer customers a greater choice of product in a more comfortable shopping environment. They are continuing to develop and expand their product ranges, as they believe an understanding of their customers, combined with their design skills, can genuinely add value. The business is innovative as they are able to come up with new ideas to match changes in the business environment as well as changes within the markets, yet they still keep a high quality image of brand. The style, quality and value of their ranges remain their highest priority. They believe that it is important for the product to make the brand successful. They continue to pass benefits of better buying, by offering the same quality product at lower prices or better product at the same price. This effort will ensure that the business continues to go forward. Within the store team, team talks are held every morning so that the employees have time to talk to the managers within a group about ideas and suggestions that could be made within the business. This way the employees feel as if they have a greater involvement with what goes on. This relates to task culture. The managers have to encourage teams and listen to them rather than just telling than what to do. They think that everyone should be involved, so ideas can be shared and everyone feels involved. This way people feel committed to the changes that may be made to the culture of an organisation rather than seeking to resist it. Objectives and targets are set each morning for the day to ensure that aims are met and that they meet their profit targets for the day. The drive to profitability helps shape the attitudes, values and beliefs in the organisation. In this business organisation their role culture involves the objectives of maximising sales and making profit. All members of staff have a defined role to carry out which is determined by their job description. Role culture is normally split up into a number of functions that are organized in a hierarchical way, for example Next divide themselves into various functions like accounts, marketing and production. This type of culture works by logic and rationality. Role culture is mainly used in large organization. In this culture position in the main source of power and rules and procedures are the main source of influence. NEXT takes social, environmental and ethical matters seriously. They are committed to corporate social responsibility from Board level and throughout their teams and group. The Group has taken actions to contribute to ethical trade and, within commercial constraints, sustainable development. The Board has identified and assessed the key business risks, issues and opportunities that have come about due to social, environmental and ethical matters. An executive director has responsibility for these matters and considers all aspects of the Group’s behaviour. NEXT’s efforts to improve development will continue to focus on waste and climate change. They have taken steps to reduce waste and in particular have reduced use of energy and CO 2 release per square meter over last year. The Group will continue these ideas where commercially possible. NEXT’s social policy involves the diversity of its workforce, and safety and ethical requirements for suppliers. People are a key asset to the business, so treatment towards them is very important. They have developed policies for recruitment, training and development of personnel, which are contained in staff handbooks. The business is committed to achieving excellence in the areas of health, safety, welfare, fire prevention and protection of the working environment and has therefore taken up policies aimed at minimizing risks in the Group’s activities in order to make sure that they do not harm employees, customers or the general public, all of whose interests are regarded as critical to business success. NEXT believes that employees have equal opportunities, and will continue to make sure that they offer career opportunities without discrimination. The Group continues to improve the health, safety and well being of its employees. A major health and safety programme has been applied throughout the Group, with increased training in NEXT Distribution and improved communication between staff and management. Increased resources have been dedicated to the promotion of health and safety matters during the year and the Board has reviewed the resulting policy. The Group’s ethical policy is extended to its suppliers. NEXT Brand introduced a supplier Code of Practice in 1998 in respect of working conditions, including ‘minimum compliance standards’ for child labour, environmental protection, wages and other issues. A team of dedicated auditors, based in the UK and overseas, work to inform, monitor and improve supplier fulfillment to the Code of Practice. In 2002 the Group became a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative in addition to its commitment to its own Code of Practice. NEXT has a well-established corporate charity and sponsorship programme, donating time, funding and resources to a wide group of local and national charities. A committee made up of employee representatives have regular meetings to ensure that varied ranges of charitable causes are supported. FINANCIAL OBJECTIVE The financial objective of the NEXT is to maximize long-term growth in earnings per share. Over the last five years their earnings per share has increased by 86%. They aim to grow their earnings per share by continuing to progress the main operating profit of the NEXT Group. This will mainly be achieved through the development of product ranges, expansion of their selling space and the growth of their home shopping business. It will also be achieved by continuing to enhance growth in earnings per share through the buying back of shares for cancellation as and when it is in the interests of shareholders. DEVELOPING THE NEXT DIRECTORY NEXT have two main objectives in NEXT Directory. These are to increase the number of people using the Directory by increasing their customer base and also by increasing the size of offer available to order from home through increasing the number of pages. The Board sets objectives and annual targets for the Chief Executive to achieve. The Board is responsible for general policy on how these objectives are achieved and gives the achievement of that policy to the Chief Executive. The Chief Executive is required to report to the Board at each meeting all material matters affecting the Group and its performance. NEXT also aims to expand sizes of their stores. The drive for new space is decided by strict financial criteria. Every new store aims to pay back the net capital invested in less than 24 months and to achieve at least 15% store profit on sales before distribution and central costs. When appraising new stores the store must achieve its investment criteria on the basis of its expected first year sales. FUNCTIONAL AREAS Within Next, the functional areas have been categorised into three main sectors. These function areas in the business help Next meet their objectives in different ways. The management team give directions to the staff so they are able to meet objectives They have the management team, which are in charge of all the subdivisions of the functional areas, the operational area which involves marketing, administration, finance and accounts, human resources and marketing. These sections then branch off into smaller areas such as: Delivery and Replenishment- where all the products delivered to the store from the warehouse are unpacked, checked off, and then prepared to be taken down to the shop floor, or to be stored within the stock rooms. In order to prepare the items of clothing, they are tagged, for security reasons, and then placed on a hanger with the correct cube indicating the size of the item. Delivery actions have to be carried out quickly and efficiently so that the stock can reach the shop floor ready for replenishment. This needs to be carried out in the correct sizes so that the stock levels are controlled Health and safety-Both the health and safety of the staff and the customers have to be considered. All members of staff have to sign in when entering the store and sign out when leaving. Also, visitors have to follow the same process in case of a fire or any other emergency, which may lead to people having to evacuate the building. This will enable the identification of whom, if anyone has not been able to evacuate the building so they can be brought to safety. Other health and safety regulations have to be followed, for example, and pin tags have to be picked off the floor to prevent injuries from people stepping on them. Health and safety ensures that everyone’s safety within the store, including the customer as well as the staff is maintained at all times. Space management and Best sellers- The best selling stock are placed in the best selling spaces, which is usually directly in front of the entrance where it is easily seen by the customer to attract more customers and therefore maximise profits. The third sector they have is the commercial area, which involves, till service, fitting room service, security, front cover, shoes and general customer service. A high level of customer service is provided on the shop floor so that customers feel welcome and make repeat purchases as they feel in a comfortable and friendly shopping environment. Finance and accounts Within Next, the financial area of the business is extremely important as it analyses how well Next is meeting its objective of maximising profits. This area within the business has to keep an exact and very detailed record of the money paid in and out. Also various financial records have to be produced at regular periods, for example balance sheets and profit and loss accounts. This is so that the amount if profit and income the company is getting can be analysed clearly to determine its success or any adjustments that need to be made if the income is low, in order to maximise profits that next is receiving. Next have subdivided their finance and accounts area into two further function areas. One area is the management accounting function. This provides the managers with figures, which will help them to make decisions, perhaps about pricing decisions, within the business that could help them better their financial position. This functional area has the capability and the responsibility to shift the company in specific directions by making decisions in relation to the analysis of figures, and enables them to use these figures to make predictions for the future. Improvements that Next may decide to make are based upon the information extracted from breaking down of the figures to display the performance of the business. If the performance is not satisfactory then targets are set for the business to achieve to better its performance. Also limitations of spending may be set for specific areas of the business, by using certain control systems such as budgeting. The cashiers department, within the accounting functional area, involves the collection of any cash or other payments from each till within the store so that the cash transactions can be analysed and the sum can be checked. Other payments to the store through cheques or payments through bank accounts are also handled in this department, and then these will be recorded in cashbooks or within the stores’ computer system. The wages department is in charge of managing the payrolls by calculating and paying the wages. The information needed to calculate these figures are obtained from the timetables of hours worked by the employees on each department within the store, so that the amount of pay they receive is accurate. The second subdivision within the finance and accounts area is the financial accounting function, which keep records of any financial events that may have occurred in order to keep summaries of financial dealings. Any debtor or creditor details must be recorded as well as accounts of the amount of money being paid into or out of the business. To ensure the company does not give out incorrect wages, factors such as national insure will need to be calculated and deducted from ones wage. Other financial accounts have to be provided such as annual reports so that figures can be easily obtained ready for discussion between the directors. Marketing Within this area of the business, it is important that customer requirements are identified, anticipated, and satisfied beneficially in terms of profit. This again links to Next’s main objective of maximising profit. Although marketing and sales is combined in Next, they both have distinctions between them. The marketing area have to persuade the company to produce what the customer wants, whereas the sales area have to persuade the customer to want whatever the company may be producing. The marketing department have to look into what the customers wants and needs are, therefore research, especially primary research, has to be carried out to find out details about the market for example, who is in it, what this particular market wants, where, how, and at what price one way of finding out this information through primary research is to carry out questionnaires. Although Next do not produce their own products, their marketing area has a close link with the producers of Next’s products to ensure the requirements of the customers are closely related to the development of the product. Other tasks carried out by the marketing area are pricing, distribution, advertising, packaging and promotion. All these factors must be considered carefully to ensure the success of the product. Human resources Within Next the human resources management area, also known as the Personnel debarment, is involved with recruitment, market share, liability, organisational structure, type of ownership, motivating workers and industrial relations. Research and development: Within Next, the research and development area is linked to the commercial department, as its functions are commercial, which are achieving and furthering the aims of the business. This is achieved by improving existing products or creating completely new ones, operational processes are also improved to ensure the products are also improved successfully. Advice is given to the company in order to lead them in the right direction throughout the course of improving their products and processes. If this flow of new and improved products were not carried out then Next would be unlikely to remain successful, as they would still have their unsuccessful products, which would bring no income into the company, therefore the profit will start to fall. Administration The administration area within next work towards provided the employees with any documents needed, communicating messages as well as dealing with any enquiries. MANAGEMENT STYLES The structure of an organization depends a lot on its management style. The main management style used in Next is Democratic this is a system based on equality of all members of their community. This allows the main managers to develop. The staff within Next are given a framework with which they are given more responsibility and the opportunity to make decisions. However, employees are still encouraged to take part in decision-making. Therefore these individuals are held responsible for any decisions that they may chose to make. This recognizes employees are stakeholders in the organization. The democratic leader listens to all staff and is willing to take suggestions on board. Advantages for this type of style is that it helps motivate employees well because it makes them feel like they are being appreciated. Also the employees are well informed about the organizations aims and future plans. However it can lead to disadvantages as well as it is difficult to apply. Autocratic styles are sometimes also used in next under certain circumstances. This is when one person has absolute power. The managers make all the decisions without consulting the employees. Employees can get unmotivated by this, therefore causing a negative atmosphere in the workplace. However there are some situations where harsh leadership is vital. Advantages of this are that quick decisions can be made and there is no time wasted on discussion resulting in the business saving time and money. Next only use this method when quick decision-making is vital, usually by the manager, for example; if there is a close deadline to be met, but it rarely has a negative effect on the staff, as it is not used to intentionally exclude members of staff. Consultative management also takes place within next and this develops their democratic style with which workers are asked opinion. Before any decisions are made, the manager consults their team. Employees discuss the problem and views taken into consideration. The decision is the managers but based on the conclusions of the group. The advantages of this are that it helps to motivate staff as they are aware that they have a say in the business to some extent as with the democratic style, but their decisions are not necessarily what the company goes by. The disadvantages of this are that it is time consuming and effort will be needed by a manager to do this. The Management encourages employees to set goals in line within the organization aims. This is management by objective. The employees are reviewed regularly in performance appraisals. The advantages of this style are that it will increase efficiency of individuals and help to motivate them and train them so they are productive. However, the disadvantages of this is that it needs to be well organized and will not work in highly structured jobs. The Democratic style is the management style that Next adopts in general. This sort of management style involves empowerment. With this type of management style it allows the manager to feel comfortable with other people in the organization making some of the decisions. Democratic managers will often want feed back from their employees on decisions being made. Democratic leaders therefore have to take time to listen and perhaps act on the opinions of the group. This type of management is good as it makes the employees happy and productivity is high. This is very good because employee’s thoughts and suggestions are listened to by the business. This makes the employees seem as if they are respected and that their thoughts are valid. Management delegation The Chief Executive has delegated authority for the day-to-day management of the business to operational management drawn from executive directors and other senior management who have responsibility for the particular areas. The most important management meeting is the weekly NEXT Brand trading meeting, which considers the performance and development of the NEXT Brand through its different distribution channels. It considers all business aspects of risk management in respect of the NEXT Brand including sales, property, product, systems, warehousing and personnel. Key performance indicators are monitored daily and weekly. Risk management The Board is responsible for the Group’s risk management process. It has given responsibility for achievement of the risk management process to the Chief Executive and senior management best qualified in each area of the business. The Board sets guidance on the general level of risk, which is acceptable and has a considered approach to evaluating risk and reward. The Board confirms that it has again carried out a review of the effectiveness of the Group’s system of internal control covering financial, operational, fulfillment and other controls and risk management. This includes identifying, evaluating, prioritizing and revising risks, determining a control strategy for each significant risk and consideration of how each risk might impact on the achievement of the business objectives. Risk management and internal control is a continuous process for the Board and has been considered on a regular basis during the year. The Board promotes the development of a strong control culture within the business. During the year the Board addresses the business risks that have been identified as vital, including a review of these risks that takes into account any changes in circumstances over the period. The Board considers that the Group’s hierarchical structure of management and continuous monitoring of key performance indicators provides the early warning mechanisms necessary to identify any areas of concern. Communication channels Communication with employees Team briefing/ team talks- internal and formal This is carried out each morning with all members of staff working that morning shift and all the mangers within the store. This gives an opportunity for suggestions to be made and opinions to be shared by members of staff. It gives them motivation as they feel part of a team, as they are able to discuss their views on certain areas. The manager also sets targets for the day and informs the employees of the success or failures which have been encountered. Training (Face to Face)- internal and formal This method of internal communication will result in successful communication with customers through an external channel. The employees at next need to be informed on how certain tasks are carried out before they start working at the store. This is to ensure that they are able to see to any queries the customer may have. Training the staff will ease the workload of the managers, as they are able to help with the tasks involving customers on the shop floor and therefore help achieve the business objectives. Also, incentives may be given to staff if their hard work is identified, this may motivate the employee to work hard in order to be rewarded. Performance Appraisals-internal and formal This form of communication occurs between the floor manager and the individual members of staff working on that particular floor. This process involves the evaluating of the performance of the individual employee. The manager then provides feedback to the employee on areas where adjustments may need to be made involving performance. This process acts as development experiences, which should enable the employee to improve knowledge and understanding in preparation for future responsibilities. Expectations and requirements are expresses by the manager so the employee is able to set targets to better his/her performance. Notice Board – informal and internal This method of communication is used within Next to inform employees about different subjects, for example; events that are due to occur, or perhaps reminders are highlighted to be remembered whilst working, for example customer service. Letters stating the progress and objectives of the business are also placed on the board so it is clear to the employees what they are aiming to achieve. Roster – formal and internal The rosters within next are held on the shop floor and ensure that all members of staff have a clear indication as to what tasks they will be carrying out throughout their shift. They are given set tasks every hour for example: till service, fitting room running, etc, this motivates the staff as they will not get bored by having to do the same thing all day (job rotation). Communication with customers Customer service Within Next customer service is essential within every task carried out be the employees. The person on front cover has ensure the customer is greeted on entering the store, and if there are any customers already in the store must be approached and asked if they require any help. Employees of next are taught to put the customer first in all circumstances, as they are the ones who are supporting next financially. When serving customers on either the till or fitting rooms, they should be greeted and ask if they require any help, in a polite and friendly manner. If a customer requires an item alternatives could be offered as well in order to increase sales. Internet Selling – external communication The Next directory has a link with the next website where customer are able to view and purchase clothes, through online shopping, from next in the comfort of their own homes. The website used is www.next.co.uk Special Offers – external communication This communication method is used to attract customers to buy products at reduced prices, however, after having entered the store customers usually decide to purchase other products they like which may be full priced, increasing Next’s profit. Window Displays Existing items that are in the store are arranged in an eye-catching mode and then put on display in the window, so any passers by are able to view items in the shop without having to enter. This may attract new customers who have not visited the store before. Quality assurance + adding value Next do not have a great deal to do with the production process however to ensure the quality of the products are the highest standard possible, the best quality manufacturers are used. The items are continuously checked within the warehouse as well as when they are received by the individual stores. If there are any faults in the garment when being checked in the circulation, then these items are withdrawn and renovated. This process is defined as quality control, and is involves with the detection and removal of any products that fall below the set standard after they have been produced. Quality assurance involved attempting to prevent any faults from occurring in the first place. All the returns are monitored and if a trend occurs in the fault of a garment, then the manufactures are contacted in case there is a fault within the production process. The products are tested to ensure they are highly durable, and therefore of o high quality. Value is added to Next’s products by its quality assurance and control. The way in which the marketing area of Next carries out its research ensures that sufficient information is obtained about the expectations of consumers so that quality standards required from the consumers is created. This adds value to the product, as the consumers will be more willing to pay for the product as it is at a high quality. Next have to accept the fact that their designs will not enable them to ‘get it right’ every year, so they have to take some risks. Small companies are able to do this and can go on touch; however, larger companies cannot and so therefore need to have systems. Any mistakes that next happen to make with any designs of their products do not last too long, as they have a short product cycle because they work in seasons. Each new season brings new products. This enables next to bring in new clothing designs and improve on the designs, which were not a success; this will mean further marketing research. However, any products which proved to be a success can be carried over to the next season so that Next can keep their income rate high as they already know the product is successful. Impact of ICT The retail systems used by Next are their own as they are packages that they wrote based on their models. They invented them themselves, however, they’ve outsourced their mainframe computers and payroll packages. The use of ICT allows the different functional areas within next to pass their information through from one to another. This enables them to work together more efficiently as each area has the same information to work with. For example, this can be used for means of administrative work so that any paperwork that concerns costumers can be passed out to the required functional areas within the business Internal ICT Communications used by Next use ICT to communicate both internally externally. This includes communication between managers for example faxing is used to contact each other because they have a fax machine located within their office, therefore they are able to keep a record of what has been communicated, for example, records or letters. If management need to be contacted by the employees from anywhere within the store then pagers would probably be the alternative to contact them, as it is heard throughout the store so they will receive it straight away, whereas with faxing, it may not be received straight away as they may not be in their office. At the till point customers are able to purchase their items, as well as order items in. This can be done as the till enables one to check what items are available to order from the warehouse, or whether any local stores have them, if so then the item can be sent to the store. The till keeps an account of what items have been sold so best sellers can be identified and the worst selling products can be improved on. It allows more information to be exchanged or to be researched within the store Internet selling is one main use of ICT within Next; it allows customers to shop and purchase whilst at home so they are able to take time to view products. Also it may appeal to more people who are often too busy to come out shopping. It is an effective way for next to maximise their profits. It also has informative areas on the website which show annual reports of the business to indicate how successful a year it has been. This idea of online shopping may not be such a good idea in some ways as the customer is unable to try products before purchase so if it doesn’t fit it will have to be returned. Within the financial area of the business the current accounts are stored as files on the computer, to keep it organised well and to ensure it is easily accessible. Also, with the use of specialised software, the procedures involved with accounting are simplified a great deal. Success of meeting objectives: PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT Turnover and profit figures are set out in the table below: Turnover Profit Excluding VAT Before Tax 2003 2002 2003 2002 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m NEXT Retail 1,579.7 1,359.7 213.9 188.2 NEXT Directory 471.7 362.2 65.1 49.2 The NEXT Brand 2,051.4 1,721.9 279.0 237.4 NEXT Franchise 22.7 19.1 4.4 3.7 Ventura 97.4 101.9 11.2 13.0 Other activities 31.1 28.8 15.1 2.5 ESOP charge (8.2) (8.0) Turnover & operating profit 2,202.6 1,871.7 301.5 258.6 +17% Interest (expense)/income (0.3) 7.2 Profit before tax 301.2 265.8 Taxation (90.7) (76.0) Profit after tax 210.5 189.8 +11% Earnings per share 68.7p 58.1p +18% The profit and loss account above clearly indicates that Next has successfully met its objective of maximising profits as it has increased a further 11% since 2002. Next have continued to make good progress within the year 2003. Earnings per share rose by 18% to 68.7p and were improved by the useful effect of the share buybacks in the last two years. Next want to own fewer, bigger stores in order to take advantage of the economies of scale. This is a strategy in which they have been working on for the past few years. They are not interested in growing the number of stores in all areas, they have generally chosen to expand into towns, which they would prefer their stores to be in, and now they have stores in these areas chosen. Each store has to fit their model in terms of footfall and the time in which it will pay back their investment. Next currently have a 4-5% market share in the UK, but they hope to increase this up to about 8% in the next five years. However it is important that they do not dilute their management by diversifying the business or expanding into Europe. The Corporate strategy of next: From the early 1990’s Next have resisted all attempts to increase the number of clothing brands that they operate because they were convinced that expansion would lead to the failure of the NEXT Brand. The success that they have achieved over many years as a result of product development, the progressive move to larger stores and the increase in the number of home shopping customers, shows that that it is right to continue with their strategies as it is obvious that they are being met successfully due to the success of the business. Although Next retail is what Next is most associated with, the Next Directory is also proving to be financially successful and has a turnover of almost à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½500m and is one of the few really profitable home-shopping companies in the UK. Next’s ability to generate cash enables them to continue to buy back their shares when it is in the interests of our shareholders. This is an important part of their aim to deliver long-term growth in earnings per share. The success of NEXT is due to the following factors: Their focus on providing their customers with the product they want. The strength and skills of a good, well motivated management team that is honest to recognize its mistakes and quick to put them right. The support of their suppliers with whom they work in partnership to achieve good quality and value for money products. Also, the enthusiasm and dedication of all their employees who take great pride in the success of their company. Next Retail Financial Performance YEAR 2003 2002 %Change SALES 1, 121.0 944.8 15.7 OPERATING PROFIT 130.4 113.6 12.9 PROFIT BEFORE TAX 123.2 115.8 6 PROFIT AFTER TAX 85. 7 81.1 5.4 EARNINGS PER SHARE 31.7p 25.5p 19.5 Next Directory Financial Performance 2003 2002 % change à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m Sales (exc VAT) 247.1 215.3 +15% * Active customers 1.58m +17% * Printed pages 1, 246 +20% * Disappointing profit growth Next is expected to continue to maintain its solid operating performance and strong free cash flow generation, while carefully managing its maximum potential share buyback of up to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½600 million during the financial year of 2004. In order to continue this solid operating performance, there needs to be flexibility within the company’s supply chain and stores. Next has to maintain its successfulness of the correct levels of inventory and the capability of being able to respond to changes in fashion with shorter lead times. They need to keep a disciplined and controlled and expansion strategy. Also a relatively simple company structure needs to me maintained to allow successful communication and to allow any problems to be solved together as a team. However, their organizational objectives may not be successful, as the profit growth is rather disappointing. A stronger relationship will need to be built with customers so that they are able to develop a better reputation for excellence and increase brand loyalty of the customers so that they carry out repeat purchases in next as they are familiar with their products and are satisfied with them. Organisational structure Although outside the individual next store the structure seems rather tall, in terms of individual Next stores the structure would most probably be classed as being a flat structure as the store manager is in charge of all of the smaller functional areas, which are then in charge of their own section and their staff. This ensures that the span of control is shared, so managers have a shared amount of people to supervise. This therefore results in equal distribution of workload, so the managers are able to carry out their duties effectively. Also with this flat structure, communication is not as limited as people are more accessible to communicate with, as there are more managers of different areas within the business. However, if there were fewer managers then this would mean that they would not be able to communicate with all members of staff as there would not be enough time available to do so, which may result in lowered motivation levels for the employees. Simplified representation of organisational structure: Chief executive Sales director Regional manager Area manager Store manager Administration Finance Human Research and Marketing Production Resources development Organisational Strength: Next plc’s strength is their adult fashion range, which is for people aged between 20 and 40; these items are sold under their own label. This is their main target group. Although some of Next’s competitors find it difficult to satisfy the needs of this particular segment within the market, however, Next has managed to achieve this successfully in the past by selling their products at relatively low prices. With their label, next associate their good quality of clothes used as well as good workmanship. Because next are using their own brand, they are able to react on consumer wishes very quickly and therefore have total control over the total quality management. Organisational Weaknesses: The e-commerce section can make further gains. Next sees the Internet as an extension of perhaps the telephone in which people can order their product online. It is a simple process, which only really requires the vehicle that will get the orders to the retailer. At present, it is uncertain whether e-commerce will be the future of shopping and if customers are satisfied just sitting on the computer to chose their clothes, however, if the trend in internet shopping goes further, then unfortunately Next would be in a bad situation in comparison to its competitors as its platform isn’t sufficient enough. Another weakness is the concentration of similar type of clothing retail companies on the UK market. This may damage the next if its competitors gain market share or if consumers change their habits and next cannot adapt to these changing trends quickly. To spread into foreign markets could perhaps balance any possible risk of decreasing sales. A policy such as this would strengthen Next’s position if the pound became weaker or if the government decided to join the monetary union. As Next uses democratic management styles, they highlight open communication, which is based on self-managing teams. These teams are able to share the workload of the managers therefore objectives can be met more quickly and efficiently, rather than the manager being left to carry out a load of work with a lack of communication with the staff. Also this high level of communication ensures all members of staff are aware of the task in hand so they are able to provide a high level of customer sevice and can help meet the requirements of the customer. Alternative approaches could be used in order for Next to meet its objectives better: The employees could be given more power and responsibility and make them feel more part of team. This would involve changing the culture, in order to make the staff more of a team. The structure will then be flatter, people will work in teams less of a hierarchy, less feeling of a division between staff and managers. Alternative or more motivation methods could be used so that the employees feel more sense of belonging and feel more included in the business so are happier working there, and this will be reflected in the way they work and come across to customers, which will probably be more enthusiastic and willing to help. Bonus incentives could be a form of motivation, as it will mean that the employees are more willing to work harder and at their best in order to achieve a bonus. Next could also carry out the process of share save, where they buy shares at reduced rates, and therefore have more money that could be spent on expansion of stores or developing new and developed products. Good quality and price This factor is key for success. One way to achieve this object is possibly to look for a supplier who is located in an emerging market to participate at low labour costs. However, this country should have a clothing manufacturing background, for example India, Turkey or Hong Kong, so that it is easy to recruit well-trained employees. Furthermore, the supplier should be a part of the production process, so that stock capacity can be reduced. A quality officer from Next should be at the suppliers at all times in order to guarantee the high quality of clothes. To lower the costs and to gain a better trade position, suppliers should be reduced to a minimum and therefore new price conditions negotiated. This can lead Next to low costs and high quality in the long run. Relationship between next and its environment The green issue is gaining greater importance and Next should aim to make further progress in this area. The production process should ensure that Next guarantees that plants are environmentally friendly. The factories should contain filters so that erosion is reduced and any used chemicals are biologically decomposed. Another area is labour force. Next and its supplies should try and aim their production to be carried out successfully and without child labour. This should be communicated to the customers of Next. Shopping as an event Value should be added for customers, customer care and service should be provided in general. Next should ain to expand their smaller branches into superstores, so that customers are offered special services, i.e. clothing consultancies, childcare. In order to attract more customers and help them enjoy their shopping experience small events should be held. Next could perhaps place a small cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ or resting area in the store for inactive people who are not engaged in the process of shopping. In order for the main aim of â€Å"double digit growth† to be achieved and for next plc to get a better position in the market, a strong brand and good service should help lead to this.

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Presidential - Research Paper Example He was instilled with a sense of charity and the importance of giving to others (Morris, 1979). Throughout his childhood, he struggled with many illnesses that he had to overcome (Miller, 1994). That spirit of conquering whatever he was faced with would stick with him throughout his life, making him an exceptional leader and a person of great accomplishment. Theodore Roosevelt would have been known for his many accomplishments, even if he hadn’t become President. In terms of government office, Mr. Roosevelt held many public offices prior to being elected President. He was an assemblyman for the state of New York and governor of New York as well. He was also the Police Commissioner of New York City, a U.S. Civil Service Commissioner, a sheriff in the Dakota Territory, Assistant Secretary of the Navy and Colonel of the Rough Riders and Vice President of the United States (Roosevelt, 2012). This was all accomplished before he became President when he was 42. During his career, he also ran for Mayor of New York, but was not elected. Teddy Roosevelt was the nation’s first environmental President. Those before him did not have any type of effort towards the environment. President Roosevelt protected 230 million acres of land while he was in office (Roosevelt, 2012). This 230 million acres included 150 National Forests, 51 bird reservations, 5 National Parks, 18 National Monuments and four game preserves (Roosevelt, 2012). The fact that in the early 1900’s he thought to preserve land is impressive considering that those dedicated lands still exist today. He also made land preservation and conservation a topic for consideration which had not previously been of interest to the people and to the government. Now, in 2012, political campaigns always include opinions about the environment and conservation. It is

Work experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Work experience - Essay Example The environment has an influence on the structure of the organization, i.e. the organization may take a more horizontal or a vertical structure. Horizontal organizational structures are great for faster decision making and policy implementation within the organization. Sova offers support for communities. They are of the belief that with the right amount of support, every individual is capable of changing his/her life for the betterment of the whole society, and the very individuals. Sova provides a wide range of services, these include; alcohol and drug support, mentoring offenders, assisting people to return to work, helping individuals improve their skills, support with life skills and offering support to children, other young people and mostly, families. The position which I occupied within the organization was that of a motivator. My service within Sova was as a volunteer motivator, I had a direct connection with the organizational customers. As a motivator, the office which I occupied was the support officer. The role of the support officer was to have a direct meet with the customers of the organization and offer advice on choices, when they were faced with difficulties within life. In addition to that, the support officer served the function of offering therapy talk to the customers. The control which I had in this position was that of the low level management, looking into the operations of the organization. In this position, as par the organizational chart below, I was directly answerable to the project manager, who was in the organization’s middle management level, who in return would report to the area manager. The area manager is answerable to the chief organizational officer. The main management levels within the organization are three, i.e. top level, middle level and low level management. The top level management within Sova is responsible for the overall control of the organization (Helmig,

Paper 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Paper 1 - Essay Example The spreading of foreclosure has still not halted as the unemployment rates at 9 percent is the worst happenings US economy ever witnessed. The BOA stock dropped almost 29 percent in the last year is the worst performance in its history. In fact, BOA themselves admitted that they had undermined the mortgage crisis. They are trapped in the falling home price vortex for that leads to more defaults and then to claims from mortgage investors. After second quarter results got public declaring $8.8 billion losses, share price spurted by 28 cents. The phenomena can be explained by not the fundamentals of the company but by the technical analysis as stock market tends to move in opposite direction (contrary to the expectations of masses) for a short while; however a long term direction of the market follows fundamentals that is what happened with BOA also as the stock price is currently, as on 7/25, down at $10.01 having picked $10.23 on 7/21. The long term movement of the stock price of BOA will depend upon how the mortgage market takes turn in the coming months. (Historical prices, 2011) The BOA is not a safe buy now for there are no clear signs of economic recovery in general and housing market in particular. Moreover, unemployment rate is still hovering around 9 percent for the last several quarters. Housing market will improve only when unemployment rate improves and thereby the fortune of Bank of America. Wells Fargo came out with the results of second quarter showing net income of $3.9 billion that comes to 70 cents a share. The earning was up by 29% from 55 cents a share when compared with the figure of a year ago and that is in spite of â€Å"no remarkable change† in economy at macro level; however the revenue was down by 4.7%. That is indeed a good showing by Wells Fargo. Wells Fargos quality of home portfolio can be gauged by its

Business Creation and Growth Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Business Creation and Growth - Coursework Example This essay â€Å"Business Creation and Growth† highlights the advantages and disadvantages of the program that is introduced and developed for assisting the entrepreneur in starting up the business and conducting of the market research. It covers various areas which include the operation, human resources, operation, finance, marketing and organization. The process and the application of Sim venture are very simple and easy to implement as well as manipulate. Therefore it is required to be applied tactically for various purposes. The Sim venture game has been introduced with the purpose of allowing the user to run the enterprise for the period of maximum 3 years. Sim venture game assists the entrepreneur in successfully expanding its business. Sim venture performs the role or the function of a business adviser in which it allows the entrepreneur to carry out its business successfully and enhance his knowledge as well as decision making skills. Sim venture is a very well known b usiness simulation game that is introduced and developed for assisting and supporting the entrepreneur for the growth and expansion of the business. This game has been introduced for developing the entrepreneurial skill. It provides an opportunity to the entrepreneur in facing the complex business environment and competing with the demands in the market. The various areas of the business that is associated with sales and marketing, finance, organization and operation has its implication in the business programme.

Case study for subject (Strategic Leadership in Criminal Justice Essay

Case study for subject (Strategic Leadership in Criminal Justice 7038CCJ ) - Essay Example Kathy is required to resort to an apt leadership strategy that will ameliorate the concerns and distress of the personnel in one’s team and will lead to the requisite levels of work performance. The key issue is that Kathy’s organization is opting for a change, which it believes will lead to better work performance, efficiency and effectiveness. Managing organizational change is one of the most difficulties things to do, as the resistance to change ensues from varied sections of an organization (Joyce, 2000, p. 3). Those personnel who are most likely to be impacted by change could positively be expected to register maximum resistance, which is either intended, or happens inadvertently (Randall, 2004, p. 16). The employees in Kathy’s team are resisting the change and Kathy is required to resort to an apt leadership strategy to manage this problem (Barganza, 2001, p. 119). The personnel could be resisting change owing to a variety of reasons like: It goes without saying that the apprehensions of the personnel in Kathy’s team are to a great extent valid and justified. Hence, Kathy ought to resort to an appropriate leadership approach to ameliorate the identifiable and genuine concerns of the employees. As Kathy is the team leader, it goes without saying that he enjoys a degree of rapport with one’s team members. Hence, in the given dilemma, Kathy ought to establish herself as a transformational leader to assure a smooth management of change in the organization. Transformational leadership is an approach towards leadership which enables the team leaders to help team members rise to higher levels of moral and effectiveness. It allows the team leaders to help wrought out a positive and desirable change in the personnel following them. It is an approach towards leadership wherein the team leader exploits one’s vision and integrity to secure the commitment and sincerity of the team members in the intended change process (Rickards, 2005, p.

The topic for your paper will be Baze v Rees, a Supreme Court hearing Term

The topic for your will be Baze v Rees, a Supreme Court hearing on lethal injection. The question for your 3-4 page - Term Paper Example First and foremost, the main argument on the part of the Baze’s lawyers was that sodium thiopental, the first drug to be given, is likely to be injected improperly making the petitioners feel an ominous pain before the final death provoked by the second and the third drugs, pancuronium bromide and potassium chloride (Supreme Court, 2008). It is a precedent to appeal to the 8th Amendment. The idea is that this prescription to the paramount law document of the US judicial system gives ground to consider causing pain as an undemocratic step within the law system and capital punishment at large. Insofar, the 8th Amendment states as follows: â€Å"Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted† (U.S. Constitution - Amendment 8, 2010, p. 1). Thus, the Constitution provides a particular background to justify the case of Baze v. Rees. Thus, an unconstitutional administration of lethal injection had become the main thesis by the petitioners – both convicted in double homicide – stating that there is the â€Å"risk that the protocol’s terms might not be properly followed, resulting in significant pain† (Mandery, 2011, p. 483). ... There were different arguments to make such a conclusion. First of all, â€Å"cruel and unusual punishments† are those inflicted for the sake of the punishment and pain, in particular. Thereupon, lethal injection does not presuppose disembowelment, torture, beheading, burning alive or some substantial risk going apart from humane procedures regarding capital punishment. To say more, three justices had a concurrent claim that following the case Gregg v. Georgia, 428 U. S. 153, capital punishment complies with the constitutional norms: â€Å"Because some risk of pain is inherent in even the most humane execution method, if only from the prospect of error in following the required procedure, the Constitution does not demand the avoidance of all risk of pain† (Supreme Court, 2008, p. 1). This is the standpoint supported by the majority of the Court. It makes a strong assumption that has nothing to do with the precedent of Wilkerson v. Utah, 99 U. S. 130 (Supreme Court, 2008 ). Nonetheless, petitioners overall claim of the substantial risk in case of improper following the administration of the lethal injection encountered another counter claim by the Court. In this respect the minimal risk is imposed while mixing the death â€Å"cocktail†, and it is a generally accepted fact which suggests â€Å"manufacturers’ thiopental package insert instructions† to be clear to follow even by a newbie (Supreme Court, 2008). The alternative proposed by the petitioners did not correspond to the humane character of the 8th Amendment. As a matter of fact barbiturate-only protocol used primarily by the veterinarians to put animals to sleep was not acceptable in this respect (Supreme Court, 2008). It would definitely go apart with the federal system of capital

Functional areas of Business Essay Example for Free

Functional areas of Business Essay In today’s society, organizations need strong managers to lead their staff towards accomplishing goals. Managers are problem solvers, leaders, coordinators, communicators and planners. Managers fulfill many roles and have many types of responsibilities at different levels in an organization. Many roles Management can be very complex as they have to respond to planned and unplanned issues that can occur at any given time. Managers have a variety of duties to perform within an organization to help it function properly within the area of business. One of the areas of business that a manager plays a role in is Strategic Planning. Organizing and planning is a priority in businesses. Organizing and planning has objectives that involve developing business goals, organizing business resources to advance these goals. Both internal and external data is used about the industry, markets and competition provides information that is needed in order to direct the organizations resources and to also identify organizational needs. Managers are also responsible for making decisions in an organization, which involves choices that are related to changes that is needed to adapt internal and external factors that have an effect on business operations. Managers must also decide how and where to use resources within an organization. Other decision making responsibilities can include choosing suppliers and vendors for goods and services for the organization. Managers use accounting for financial decision making. Accounting for managers involves forecasting, relevant costing, cost-volume-profit analysis, investment appraisal techniques.(Accounting for Managers) Managers that use accounting sets targets for strategic business units as well as for departments, accounting assists in the assignment of responsibility for achievement of business targets by individual managers. Responsibility accounting is achieved by appraising the performance of managers responsible for their business units while giving due consideration for factors not within their control or influence. Mangers are also responsible for ensuring that all accounting procedures are within accounting standards, business ethics and legal requirements of business, and making th e organization financially, economically and legally sound. A manager in Human Resources create policies for employees, monitors training and performance evaluation, coordinates  new hires and employees, recruits and operate along with the vision and mission of the company. They become a positive influence to their work colleagues, sharing their experiences, to encourage employees to stay positive and perform at their best. The manager also directs his team to help monitor employees based on their performance, compensation and to carry out daily work tasks. As a manager considered a leader in an organization, you have to be able to motivate your employees in order to encourage productivity to ensure the highest level of job satisfaction. Leadership is defined as the action of leading people in an organization towards achieving goals. A manager must also have the ability to influence an employee in many ways. A leader sets clear realistic goals and vision for the organization, motivates employees and builds morale. Leadership is particularly important in senior management, such as VP, CEO, etc. To become an effective leader, a manager gas to lead people providing trust and purpose and self-management using influence and persuasion, achieving personal goa ls. It is important for managers to understand Economics in a business. Economics is very important because it enables managers to make decisions such as the price of goods and services to be produced, allocation of capital, and sales forecasting. Economics also helps managers to understand the possible effects on the way the organization functions. Resources can become scarce, and managers must be able to make financial decisions about what products and services to produce. Economics has an effect on businesses in many ways, which can have a negative and positive affect on an organization. Research and statistics enables managers to make accurate decisions based on available data, which allows them to make smarter decisions and provide more accurate leadership to staff relying on them. Statistics also helps managers to back up assertions. When managers needs to persuade people to move into a direction, or to take some toe of risk, statistics can provide them with objective goals with figures to substantiate positions or to provide a level of certainty as to what direction that the company needs to take. It is important for managers to know the law in an organization to protect the vital interest of the organization which that they manage. It will also help the manager to prevent the organization from legal problems. Not only would the law protect the workers, but it will also protect stakeholders and people that invest in  the company. If the organization is jeopardized, that can result in a huge lost. The law regulates contracts between businesses by laying down rules and regulations for the smooth running of the business and economy. Operations management is defined as the area in business where efficiency and effectiveness of operation support and development plays a role to achieve an organization’s strategic goals. Managers in this area are focused on the design and operations of systems to provide goods and services. Operations management involves planning, scheduling, and control of all activates that will transform inputs into outputs. Managers in particular have to communicate effectively to motivate other people, manage job projects and work on multidisciplinary teams. Marketing is another skill that managers should know to put their company products on the market. Marketing also enables managers to set prices for their products based on manufacturing costs. Directors also assist managers in deciding what type of advertising and promotion strategies that the organization will use. Managers may also assist advertising directors in establishing budgets for marketing and advertising their product. The manager can assist the marketing department with determining the right distribution product for the organization’s products. Great effective managers possess all of these skills to be successful in the workplace, along with other skills and assignments from upper-level management. References Role of management. (1992). Leadership Organization Development Journal, 13(3), 11. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/226916348?accountid=458 Tiffan, B. (2011). Four important roles of a manager. Physician Executive, 37(4), 94-6. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/878544673?accountid=458 Berri, D. J., Leeds, M. A., Leeds, E. M., Mondello, M. (2009). The role of managers in team performance. International Journal of Sport Finance, 4(2), 75-93. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/229346895?accountid=458

Ways Groups of People Are Identified Essay Example for Free

Ways Groups of People Are Identified Essay Introduction This paper explores how ethnic restaurants could be a stepping stone towards both sides of the spectrum of in? of multicultural society. A Home to people of manymuch different ethnic backgrounds, Britain is certainly a multicultural place. ContempoaryContemporary Britain has been one of the countries that have experienced a rapid growth of population through the process of international immigration(Piccolo and Thomas 2001). This increases the population diversity, generating a variety of different cultural communities; reshaping the socio-cultural and economic structure of the nation. Britain has arrived to the Age of migration and minority. The ‘differences’ of different cultural groups can coexist in an environment with joyously embrace, celebrated and harmony, or in an environment with disagreement, mistrust and clashes (Thompson 2003). Hypotheses Many different variables can affect the progression of multiculturalism; the ethnic restaurants industry is only part of the bigger picture. Hence, both the internal and external variables from the ethnic restaurant industry will be study. However, this paper will be more focus to the following hypotheses: (this line doesn’t make sense) 1) Does the role of ethnic restaurants acts as a barrier or a stepping-stone on the process of multiculturalism?. 2) At whatich level of the society does ethnic restaurants plays athe largest role on the process of multiculturalism. These hypotheses will be explored and in depth, with theories and ideas supplying the foundation of the paper and the findings will be examined with a case study to test out the findings in relationship with the reality. Methodology The methodology will be based on research on the ideology of multiculturalism in terms of food as a symbol of multiculturalism, and the relationship of ethnic restaurants with multiculturalism. The research will consist of both primary and secondary research; the background knowledge about the ethnic restaurants industry is mainly based on relevant journals and other resources, the ideology of multiculturalism and its relationship with the ethnic restaurants will be split into two separate sections. This allows the ideas of the theories to have equal weight. Following this, will be distinguishing the main factors that have the prime impacts on the progression of multiculturalism and at which level of these factors have the most affect, which is my hypotheses. With adequate amount of ideas and theories in similar field written by a range of authors from different background been examined and explored, a self-constructed case study will be mounted. Investigating how the ideas from the secondary research relate to the reality. An ethnic restaurant will be chosen, the restaurant have to be a restaurant that are similar to the type of restaurants that have been studied from some of the authors that have been researched in the literature review section. The type of primary research will be through observation and interviewing some of the main players within the restaurants, both the staffs and the customers. By interviewing the different players of the ethnic restaurant, I can start building up some of the insight of the kind of knowledge the stakeholders of an ethnic restaurant have on the idea of multiculturalism. The paper will be concluded with a summary of the main findings from the research and how the findings tie in or contradiction to reality, the case study. This is an important part of the paper, as this will prove if the theories behind do or do not occur in reality. It finishes off with some personal insights and any further improvements that could be useful if this paper is to be research in the future. The personal insight s based on the findings of the paper, and further improvement includes some of the difficulties that have arises during the course of the research and the case study constructed. It will be useful for any research if they were to be interested in this topic. Literature Review General Background Since the 1970’s there has been a rapid increase in ethnic entrepreneurship in Britain. This had been argued as a survival strategy for ethnic groups toward deindustrialisation, many immigrants which were initially recruited for low-skilled manual jobs have to adapt to the changes of economic structure from manufacture to service based economy(Jones and Ram 2003). With the ever increasing upward trend of eating out in the British economy (Ram, Sanghera et al.2000; Ram, Jones et al. 2002), many ethnic groups have eyeds this as an opportunity in order to survive the transitional phase of the nation. , Thisthe trend of a more diverse diet of the British economy helps the ethnic minority, as ethnic minority with the knowledge of unfamiliar food have a comparative advantage in entering the ethnic cuisine business (Ram, Sanghera et al. 2000). However, the speed and growth of ethnic entrepreneurs entering the market exceed the market potential, hence creating a market that is overcrowded (Ram, Jones et al.2002) or a market with hyper-competition (Jones and Ram 2003). As we progress to the 21st century there have been periods of time that the growth in the number of the ethnic cuisine market to slow down, however, there have been an increase in the quality of goods and services provide with ethnic cuisines (Ram, Sanghera et al. 2000). We take the Italians for example, when the Italians first started their catering business in Britain; at the beginning they started with pizzeria or dinner, as the start-up cost to the business is relatively low., Today, and nowadays this has progressed to white-tablecloth restaurants where the return of investment is much greater. There have been similar patterns of creating a more upscale business where returns are greater (Ray 2005), also known to some as the bottom-up theory in the catering industry(Riello 2006). Another argument to the shift from quantity to quality in ethnic cuisine is that of the increase in expertise in the business sector from the second generation of the ethnic minority. As mentioned before the rapid growth of ethnic cuisine market is one of the survival strategy adopted in the period of deindustrialisation. With the growth of the second generation from ethnic groups, some of the barriers of the first generation of entering the market are removed. (For example, language/communication barrier removed) Second generation ethnic entrepreneur eyes the ethnic catering industry not as a survival strategy, but rather a strategy to climb the income ladder(Ram, Sanghera et al. 2000; Ram, Jones et al. 2002; Jones and Ram 2003; Riello 2006). Ethnic cuisine have been embedded into the modern society this is partly due to the dynamicity of the economic structure of the nation, the ethnic cuisine industry have also adopted with this dynamicity and restructure itself to establish into the restaurant industry. With the second generation of the ethnic minority becoming more skilled and well adopted in the economy, the nature of the industry have also changed. Food as symbol of culture The importance of consumer behavior in the western society is the contribution in the creation and adaptation to the level of acceptance to new commodities and social habit. The idea of a changing pattern of consumerism plays an important role in the general acceptance of different culture. Food can be assumed to be a commodity to an economy, and different ethnic cuisine supplies different cultural based ‘product’, hence ethnic food to an certain extents is known as an cultural commodity (Ray 2005), and ethnic restaurants, with the increasing trend of eating out acts as a catalyst towards a general acceptance of different cultural social habit(Riello 2006). Catering has been seen as a symbol of culture, this is due to the fact that different ethnic foods have its own identity, quality and traditional attach to it(Ram, Jones et al.2002). Similar to other culture symbols: such as places of worship, ethnic restaurants share some of the fundamental purpose that occurs in places of worship. They both provide a gathering place for groups with common believes, and educating its users to get a feel of the message it is trying to get out. In addition, there are different symbols of culture in different method of eating, similar to different methods of praying. The symbol of cultural relating to the method of different method of eating is very strong., Examples includesuch as the usage of different cutlery, generally in European catering, the main usage of cutleryscutleries are knifes, forks, and spoons, and in the south-east Asian the main usage of cutlery is chopstick. These different methods of eating can be seen as different symbols of food or culture. (Bruckner 2006; Hussain and Miller 2006) Food culture is also associated to class differencest; there have been a long history of catering in relation to class, this is due to the history of strong class separation in the western society. For example: in the 18th century, during the north European renaissance the Italians culture has played an important role in every aspect of living, Italian food and catering included. The taste of Italy has soon become the cultural leader in western society. During that period, the Italian food industry all around Europe was experiencing an increase of acceptance of the Italian catering. However, this surge in the interest of Italian food is not totally due to the taste and quality from superior of skills in catering, but also the cultural associations. (Riello 2006). These long histories of food in association with culture and class have repeated itself with different culture depending on the trend and fashion with the leading culture group. Should I do into class segregation or should I concentrate on culture? In recent history, there have been increasing trends of a more diverse style of catering; this is due to the fact that, the numbers of choices of different ethnic restaurants have increased dramatically, especially south-eastsoutheast Asian cuisines. This is due to the effects that south-eastsoutheast Asians cuisines have been seen as a health diet, hence creating a brand for Asians catering to be a symbol of healthy diet. I will find reading that will support this point. Food in relationship with multiculturalism Multiculturalism has been an increasingly popular ideology to modern society. This is caused bye the increase in convenience of international migration due to the increase in technology that enable people to move around the world with less significant amount of effort. Furthermore, the general reshaping of social and economic structure with the aid from processes such as globalisation. One can say that today’s societies have become more diverse than any other time in history. With such as diverse groups of people with different ethnic, religion, and social background, people have came up with different ideas and models that will accomplish with the increase in diversity of culture group living in the same society. One of the main ideologies of multiculturalism is the balance of power of similar and different groups interacting in close proximity to each other. (Jesudason 1997; Ram, Jones et al. 2002) Should I expand or try to put the arguments of multiculturalism together? Diffusion of different groups One of the main aspects of multiculturalism is how the process of the diffusion of different groups merges into the same society. The advantages and disadvantages of the level of diffusion of different groups merge together. merge. (Thompson 2003; Ray 2005) Advantages: Groups of different culture background merging togethermerging will stimulate an environment of a richer sense of culture. The learning and teaching of different culture meanings will benefits and enhance the standard of living and the standard of well-beings of all the different groups within in the society. With the increase of acceptance and tolerance of groups of different ethnic, religion and social background will reduce or remove any chances of discrimination or racial riotrivet, which, which in history have results in some of most devastating and dramatic historical events. Disadvantages: The losst of identity and beliefsve of different cultural groups will eventually create a society of ‘no difference? t’. Reducing the varieties of identity within a society will damage of possibility of a multicultural society. I have difficulty trying to explain this following idea, I do understand the 2 different approaches, but putting it on paper is difficult. Differences of Groups The most difficult ideology behind multiculturalism is how to verify the differences of groups. In general there are two approaches in verifying the differences of groups: An indifferences approach towards different: The indifferences approach towards different is that instead of identifying different groups in the level of differences in relation to other groups. One will try identifying different groups with the amount of similarity of the members. This approach strongly emphasis on the idea of equality, assuming everyone is equal. This sounds like a more appropriate approach; however it eliminates the importance of different identity in every single member of the group. A differences approach towards different: The differences approach towards different is identifying the level of differences between groups. Opposite to the indifferencesindifferences, approach towards different. This approach shows that all members of a group will still have individual personal level of different. It also takes into consideration that cultural do not follows the rule of universalism, meaning everyone will be different no matter what culture group they are in. Tool or Barrier? In the restaurant industry there is a very strong ethnic based pattern of recruitments, part of the reasoning behind this is the strong cultural background behind ethnic restaurants. Firstly, catering is one of the classic niches traditionally occupied by ethnic minority, since the cultural identity is of the utmost operational importance. In the case of the operation within the kitchen, it is surrounded with a working environment that consist frequent activities with rushed orders, since in most ethnic restaurant the type of food produced are catered with ethnic chefs. The importance of communication inside the kitchen is essential. This is one of the push factors for any workers with different language skills to operate in this working environment(Ram, Sanghera et al. 2000; Jones and Ram 2003; Ray 2005). Secondly, similar to other service based businesses, the working hours for employees in the restaurants industry can be argued to beas unsociable. , Tthis is due to the fact that in the catering industry the ‘rush hours’ are the hours that can be assumed to be the most ‘sociable hours’ (Ram, Sanghera et al. 2000). Due to the natureal of the catering industry of being serving users for their social activities, This can be deduce as the opportunity cost for people related to the catering industry of forgoing their own social time for the return that they get, in this case wages for working. (this line is too long and I cant see how to make it smaller cos I don’t understand it!! ) A And a lot of ethnic restaurants are is supported with strong family ties and cultural support. , Iit is very common for an ethnic business to operate with a high level of family involvement, and this could be part-time of or full-time involvement. These high levels of family support have been adopted by the ethnic group in their survival strategy that has kept them in the businessThe ethnic group in their survival strategy that has kept them in the business has adopted these high levels of family support. , FAas family support do not only offers support financially, but also physically and morally, and it is the physical and moral support that have kept the ethnic entrepreneurship to stay in the competitive market rather than the financial support. The idea of converting culture or loyalty into capital capital, thatthat can be use as an advantagesan advantage in order to stay competitive against much better resourced organisations. With these reasons, the pattern of the employment in ethnic restaurants has a much higher concentration of ethnic group than most other type of organisations. This can act as a barrier for different ethnic minorities working in restaurants to diffuse into the society. Firstly, the language barrier will be harder to break, as the language used in the workplace will most probably be their native language. The language barrier should be the first barrier to break in order for people to diffuse into the surrounding society, as communication is one of the fundamentals of any kind of social interaction. In the case of working unsociable hours, this is also another barrier for employees related to the catering industry to diffuse with the society, as the ‘timing’ to interact with people are limited, reducing the chance and pace of which they can diffuse into the society. Finally, with the high level of family involvement in the restaurants industry, this is a ‘micro’ scale compared to the other two examples mentioned before. By this I mean, the higher the concentration of family involvement in the business the more isolated the group is to the surrounding society. , Tas the only people that they will be in contact is their family members again creating a barrier by reducing the level of interaction to the surrounding society. As mentioned before one of the functions of restaurants is to bring people of similarity together, acting as a gathering point and educating its users. , Inin this instance,case it is the culture and the traditional of the ethnic food they can trying to educates it users. Ethnic restaurants like other businesses are located in areas of high demand of the product (Jesudason 1997; Ray 2005; Riello 2006), as ethnic food is a cultural commodity, most ethnic restaurants are located in area of higher concentration of ethnic population, this is to increase the number of possible customer of the ethnic restaurants, which makes economic sense. As in some casescases, an ethnic restaurant is focusing on a niche market. By having an distinctive focus group of potential customers, they can become an ultimate ethnic monopoly (Ram, Sanghera et al. 2000). Again with the increasing trend of eating ethnic food, and the increase of the level of acceptance of ethnic food, an ethnic restaurant will be a gathering point of both similar and different groups. This can act as a tool as an opportunity for similar and different group to congregate together, both learning and teaching about they culture background, achieving one of the theory of multiculturalism, which is people from dissimilar groups gather together in an environment with joyously embrace, celebrated and harmony(Thompson 2003). (cut this sentence into two) The idea of going to restaurants with a different ethnic background is that it offers a taste, quality and an environment that is different from ordinary cuisine. The experience of been in an environment of different culture background is one of the main attraction of ethnic restaurants and the reason behind the surge in the popularity of ethnic restaurants(Ram, Jones et al. 2002). Taken the theory of consumerism into account, if there is a higher level of consumption in any goods or services, the general acceptance of the particular goods or services will also increase. Hence the increase in the consumption of ethnic food will increase the general acceptance of ethnic food (Riello 2006). As catering can be seen as an art, meaning catering and art both share some common proprieties such as producing a product that will educate and sent out an message to the user, with the increase in the level of general acceptance of ethnic food, the user will become more and more aware and appreciate the artist (in this case the chef), and similar to a piece of art, user will also start to appreciate the cultural background and the historical aspect behind the method and ideology of catering as the same as they admire the food. (Hussain and Miller 2006; Pickett 2006) (cut this into 3 sentences) Does this final part make sense? Case study Case study will be constructed after the x’mas holidays; this is due to the fact that the time just before x’mas is the high season for any restaurants. After the x’mas period they will ‘hopefully’ give me an interview more willingly which I can have better answer/results. The Case Study will be based on a modern Japanese restaurants situated in the city, where there is a high concentration of Japanese oversea organisation near by. The main focus of the case study will be on the awareness of people in the catering industry on some of the ideas that I have mentioned in the paper Some stats on the recruitment pattern, try to find evidence that will support the ideas I have mentioned * And find any points that will go against my ideas, and then try to find the reasoning behind the disagreements. This is a self-constructed case study; the aim of this case study is to test out some of the findings earlier in thisof the paper. Firstly, does the role of the ethnic restaurants acts as a stepping-stone, or barriers towards the progression of multiculturalism. , Ssecondly, at which level of this in the society does ethnic restaurants, have the most impact towards multiculturalism. The case study is carried out in order to test out some of the main findings from the literature review. It is based on interviewing and talking with the different actors in the chosen restaurant, this is the best way to know what different actors feels about ethnic restaurants, questions will include general conception of ethnic restaurant and the relationship with multiculturalisms. Observation of the restaurant will also play an important role in my case study. This is due to the fact that is difficult to talk to all the different actors of the restaurant, as a high percentage of the actors will be the customers of the company, and the interview will be main be done during the operational time of the restaurant. The findings will be first be analysed? is in the sections, and some of the ideas from the case study will be concluded in the conclusion section at the end of the paper. Saki Bar and Emporium is located at Farringdon, at the heart of the city of London. One of the main selling points of the restaurant is to integrate modern Japanese technology into the design of the restaurant. This have acted as one of the main attraction to both Japanese and non-Japanese customers. â€Å"Some of these technologies are very common in Japan†¦for Japanese customers coming here, I hope that this will make them feel closering to home, and for European customers it is simply an attraction point. † Manger Director of Saki Ms. Ayako Like many ethnic restaurants, the staffs are mainly with the same ethnic background. The kitchen staffs in Saki are also the same, most of them are Japanese, expect for one or two, however, these non nativesexceptions can speak fluent Japanese. The waiting staffs have a more diversity in terms of ethnic background, ranging from Japanese, Chinese, to Spanish and English. However, the concentration of Japanese waiting staff still contributes more than 50% of the total. The communication within the kitchen is through the language of Japanese, and the communication on the floor is through English. Thaned the communication between the floor staff and the kitchen staffs is mainly Japanese, hence a translator is often used to communicatein the progress commutating to one another. In terms of customers, around 50% of the customers are Japanese, however, this is still a very high proportion, as the population of Japanese in London is relatively much lower than that. â€Å"Is always good to walk in a Japanese Restaurant surrounded with Japanese, this means that the restaurant can’t be too bad†¦I much prefer Japanese chefs, it will be strange having a European cooking Japanese for me† European customers of Saki. For customer with a different ethnic background this is an opportunity to learn the culture and some of the traditional relating to catering. For example, the greeting of the Japanese culture is very strong. Hence, by entering and exiting the restaurant, customer can experience the shouting of welcome and thank you in Japanese, which in the western society can be assume to be rude. â€Å"I always wonder what exactly do they say to me when I enter her†¦I guess that is what their culture is. † European customer of Saki. This high concentration of Japanese customer can be cause by the cultural loyalty that have been mentioned before, this loyalty can be converted into capital that can be used in order for a more successful ethnic based restaurants. This culture loyalty aids the idea that ethnic restaurants can be used as a general gathering point for people with similar ethnic background as food is a culture commodity â€Å"I haven’t got used to eating sandwiches for lunch yet, I prefer having rice as part of my meal†¦also coming here sometimes I see my friends† Japanese Customer of Saki. To surmise, several of my findings from the literature do relate in reality. Firstly, ethnic restaurants have adapted to the changes of the economic structure of the nation, and moving from quantity into quality dinners. Secondly, in terms of food in relation to culture, the general acceptance of the Japanese food culture for Europeans is relatively high, for example, the idea of eating raw fish is general accepted. Ethnic restaurants can act as a gathering point for groups of similar background. Ethnic restaurants in terms of multiculturalism as expected do play an important role in both as a stepping-stone and a barrier. The recruitment pattern of ethnic restaurant follows the trends of other ethnic restaurants that have been studied in my literature review, as the kitchen been mainly of staff with the same ethnic background, and the floor been a more diverse. The culture support is higher than expected as the culture loyalty was very high in Saki Bar and Emporium. As expected from the case study, it shows that ethnic restaurants can be both a stepping-stone and a barrier in the progression of the multiculturalism, and these two occur simultaneously and it is difficult to determine which side of the scale it tilts. Depending at which levels and groups one look into, the result of ethnic restaurants can be determined, however this depends on how one verify the groups, with a difference approach or an indifference approach towards differences. Conclusion This paper looked into some of the issues that have been under researched by scholars and academicsresearchers in this field; however there has been an increase of interest of some of the ideas explored in this paper. More and more scholars are in the process of examining and exploring the idea of the restaurant industry in relation to issues of culturalism. The first point to note is that the idea of the progression of a society towards multiculturalism is indefinite, it is still an ideology. Also there a numbernumerous of different definitions of a multicultural society, some can argue that there are already societies that followssocieties that follow the same characteristics of a multicultural society and via versa. The aim of this paper is to explore some of the issues that are surrounding the restaurant industry in contrast to the progression of a multicultural society. In the paper I have examined why the restaurant industry can act as a barrier and a tool towards the idea of multiculturalism. However, the levels of effectiveness of each of these variables have not been examined, nevertheless I can conclude that the different variables are acting on the issue of multiculturalism simultaneously, acting as a barrier and tool at the same time. (this sentence doesn’t make sense) However which way of the balance restaurants will have on the idea of multiculturalism will be very difficult to measure.; Thisthis is due to the fact that there are too many different variables both internal ad external with the catering industry that can have an effect on the progression of a multicultural society. (Reuck, A Knight, J 1966) In the case study I have found out that the recruitment pattern of ethnic restaurants do apply in reality, as staff with similar ethnic background is preferred not only in the operation of the restaurant, but also it is more appealing‘pleasing’ forto the customers, as they prefer an environment with a higher concentration of people in an ethnic restaurants. This factor reduces the langue barrier within the restaurant; on the other hand it also reduces their skill to speack the English language. OneWhich is one of the largest barriers that a foreigner hasve inon a foreign country is, as communicating with people. It is is essential to communicate fluently but in, without this essential skill, especially in the restaurant industry, where the working hour is both ‘unsoicalise’ and long, withhich produces a relatively smaller social sphere, one can live without this essential communication skill much longer than other professions. TheWith the recruitment pattern within the restaurant industry is heavily concentrated with the same ethnic background from various reasons, the restaurants industry follows some of the theories that the paper have been explored. The working environment of ethnic restaurant act as a barrier for its staff to merge with the rest of the society, due to the nature of the working hours of the industry, along side with the high concentration of the ethnic groups, changing minority to majority. This changing from minority to majority within the working environment makes the environment of the industry unique. (Bensman, J Arthur, J 1975) Referring back to the ideology of multiculturalism, either depending on which approach one might use to tackle the restaurant industry, by differences, or indifferences approach towards different. The outcome will be different. In addition, the level of scale of the issue will also change the outcome. For example: an ethnic restaurant can aid the progression of multiculturalism in the wider society, but at the same time, it acts as a barrier to the progression of multiculturalism in the society created in the working environment. Finally, this section will examine some of the difficulties occurred during the course of the paper, and suggestion of improvement if some of the ideas from this paper is to be explored in the futurerther. Firstly, due to the limited time, and manpower, some of the ideas have only been examined on the surface; each sections of the paper can be explored in more detail. For example, due to these restrictions, the case study is only based on one restaurant; one obvious improvement is to look into a more and diverse range of ethnic restaurants. This paper looks at only one ethnic group, but, ifwith more restaurants werebeen look into, one can start to identify similarities and differences in different ethnic groups. This would be a interesting topic to look into as the similarities and difference might or might not follows the culture of the ethnic background. Further more, one of the main difficulties is the limited sources that are available for my literature review research that is directly related to this paper. However, as mentioned before this is a field that is becoming more popular among scholars and researchers, one can only imagine the number and quality of the sources are increasing everyday. more conlusion on the case study Biography Bensman, J Arthur, J (1975). Metroplitan communities; new forms of urban sub-communities. New York, New Viewpoint. Barrett, G. A. , T. P. Jones, et al. (1996). Ethnic Minority Business: Theoretical Discourse in Britain and North America. Urban Studies 33: 783-809. Barrett, G. A. , T. P. Jones, et al. (2001). Socio-economic and policy dimensions of the mixed embeddedness of ethnic minority business in Britain. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 27: 241-258. Bruckner, P. (2006). Multiculturalism: Nationalism of the Minorities. New Perspectives Quarterly 23: 23-25. Collins, J. (2003). Cultural diversity and entrepreneurship: policy responses to immigrant entrepreneurs in Australia. Entrepreneurs.