Kent State Letter essays

Kent State Letter essays Describe your motivation for graduate study, your future professional goals, and your reasons for having selected Kent State University for graduate study. You are encouraged to identify any faculty with whom you have a particular interest in working. There are many who believe Star Trek was correct in saying Space is the final frontier. I disagree; I believe the final frontier is the immense depth and mystery of the human mind, with psychology acting as the medium for discovery. Psychology was always a fascinating subject to study, but not one I saw in my future. When I started college, I decided history was the line of study I wanted to pursue. I joined a historical research group directed by Dr. Mark Gradstaff at Brigham Young University. Under the direction of Dr. Grandstaff I researched the different portrayals of WWII GIs in propaganda and their resultant effects on the American citizenry. The research I was doing with Dr. Grandstaff was basically historical psychology. As my research continued I took psychology classes each semester and found myself more fascinated with each class and decided to make psychology my main focus of study. With this new drive and enthusiasm for psychology I did two things, first, I joined a psychological research group at BYU, directed by Dr Michael Lambert, and second, I did readings with Dr. Diane Spangler. With Dr. Lambert, I participated in many different projects including: finding definitions for the Dictionary of Psychology published by the American Psychological Association, and editing chapters for APA format and content in the Bergin s Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change (5th Ed.). With Dr. Spangler I participated in discussions and was given recommendations to read magazine articles and such books as: M. Craskes book Anxiety Disorders and D. Barlows Clinical Handbook of Psychological Disorders (3rd Ed). ...

4 ways to strategically develop your employer branding

4 ways to strategically develop your employer branding It’s probably not news to you that hiring has gotten more complicated in recent years. Longer time-to-hire, higher costs, more variables in the pipeline, reaching the best candidates: all have made the recruitment and talent acquisition process into a bit of a hiring crunch. Add to that a buyer’s market for job seekers and it means your organization needs every advantage it can get. Employer branding is not only the first thing to do to improve your hiring, it’s also one of the most important things you can do for your organization’s long-term recruiting health.It’s important to separate your employer brand from your organization’s outward-facing brand marketing. The latter is important in cultivating customers and partners, but the former is what you need to make sure you’re putting the right talent in place. Consider your employer brand as a separate type of marketing. To that end, you should be able to answer these questions, if you want a secure sense of employer brand:What makes you an appealing place to work?What is the public perception of your organization as an employer?What is your employee value proposition (EVP)?Approximately how many of your current employees would recommend you as a place to work?How much visibility do you have into your current employees, and the potential employee pool?If you’re looking to develop a strategy to shore up your employer brand, thinking critically and openly about those questions (and improving the responses, as necessary) is the place to start. After that, there are steps you can take to make sure you’re developing your employer brand in a way that improves your hiring.Clarify your missionYour company website or career platform may be the first experience someone has of your company. You want to make sure you’re presenting a cohesive mission statement and voice in any public-facing platform that potential employees will see. Make your companyâ₠¬â„¢s goals, values, and culture clear, and be sure to play up the factors that make your company unique, or at least better.Know your employeesIf you don’t really know how your employees think of you as an employer, it’s time to do some research. These are people who were already selected to be part of your team, and they bring the most relevant perspectives on what you’re like as an employer. Surveys and requests for feedback (particularly anonymous ones) can provide you with the constructive information you need to make sure you’re the high-quality workplace you want to be. You may learn some uncomfortable or surprising truths from this kind of research, but this whole thing is about being better- not being comfortable.hbspt.cta.load(2785852, '9e52c197-5b5b-45e6-af34-d56403f973c5', {});Understand what the public hears and says about youSites like Glassdoor give former employees to give anonymous feedback about their experience, for the reference of tho se who might be thinking about applying at a certain company. Online reviews can be a mixed bag at best- people with axes to grind can often outweigh genuine perspectives. However, it’s important to know what people are saying about you, positive or not. This can help you figure out which positives to emphasize as part of your employer brand, and also which negative perceptions you’ll be fightingUse metrics and marketing tools to assess your employer brandThese are the same methods you’d use to track your customer marketing, brand awareness, employee engagement, and other data points that inform your marketing decisions. The information you get as you get deeper into the employer branding process will help improve your strategies moving forward.Investing in your employer branding strategy is one of the best things you can do to future-proof your recruitment and hiring. By refining your employer brand and ensuring that you’re appealing to the candidates yo u want to attract, you’ll be less affected by the ups and downs of the talent acquisition trends of the day.

Economic Development and Poverty Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Economic Development and Poverty - Term Paper Example However, this does not fulfill the requirement of a national food banking programme. Initiating from Tamil Nadu in the year 1960s, the programme now has taken a huge form and is operating in all primary and government aided schools. In the sections to follow, pros and cons of the policy are discussed with a justifying case and future recommendations. Background to the Mid Day Meal Scheme The background to the Mid Day Meal programme in India was set when Tamil Nadu’s Former Chief Minister K. Kamaraj asked a small boy the question, â€Å"Why are you herding the cows? Why don’t you go to schools?† and he replied, â€Å"If I go to school, will you give me food to eat? I can learn only if I eat.† (Akshaya Patra n.d) This innocent answer by the child set the stage for the introduction of Mid Day Meal with its first operations in Tamil Nadu. The programme was covered under the aegis of National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE) and i mplemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme across the nation on August 15th, 1995. Elated with the positive response for the scheme in terms of school enrollments, retention and reducing hunger, the Supreme Court of India passed the following mandate in November 28, 2001, â€Å"We Direct the State Governments/ Union Territories to implement the Mid Day Meal scheme by providing every child in every Government and Government assisted Primary School with a prepared mid day meal.† (Akshaya Patra n.d) The provisions of the scheme were revised in the year 2004 covering children of class I-V and comprised of following provisions (India Government 2010): Cooking cost @ Re 1 per child per school day, Transport subsidy raised from Rs. 50 to Rs. 100 per quintal, Management costs @ 2% of the cost of grains, subsidy and assistance and Supplying mid day meal to drought affected areas during summer vacations. Again in the year 2006 revisions were made related to the calories counts and per child cost was increased to Rs. 1.80. Revisions regarding other nutritional contents are shown below in the table. Nutritional Content Norm as per NP-NSPE 2004 Norm as per NP-NSPE 2006 Calorie 300 450 Protein 8-12 12 Micronutrient Not prescribed Folic acid, Iron, Vitamin C, etc. Source: (India Government 2010) Objectives of Mid Day Meal Scheme The Mid Day Meal scheme in India serves three major purposes (India Government 2010) of: 1. Improvising upon the nutrition of children studying in class I-V in Government, state, local bodies and other government aided schools. 2. Bringing children of disadvantaged sections to schools by encouraging them to attend school regularly and allowing them focus on classroom activities through hunger elimination. 3. Providing support in the form of nutrition to undernourished children of primary level in drought affected areas during the summer vacations. Monitoring and control The supervision of the Mid Day Meal Scheme is jointly undertaken by the De partment of School Education and Literacy and Ministry of Human Resources Development. The overall control mechanism comprises (India Government 2010): Local level supervision The monitoring of cleanliness, timely procurement and distribution, wholesomeness and equity is done by members of local Panchayats and Gram Sabha representatives on a periodic basis. Transparency of information The Right to Information Act requires schools and centers to display

Globalization at General Electric Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Globalization at General Electric - Essay Example However, the company’s management is determined to increase the company’s annual revenue by venturing into the international market. The CEO of the company is considering different marketing options that the company can launch its products. Currently the CEO is considering Latin American market and the European markets. If the company launches its products through these markets, it will encounter current market situations as its major problem. For instance, the European market was the worst hit by the international financial crisis. On the other hand, the Latin American market is a developing economy that has not yet reached its stability. This indicates that if the company ventures into either of the markets, it will encounter the current problems experienced in the market. In addition, the products of the company may not fit appropriately in the proposed market. The international market condition and economic forces (Hirschey, 2009) bind the choice for appropriate mar ket. For instance, the company is facing stiff competition arising from the rapid expansion of Chinese and Indian economies. Currently the Asian economies are at their peak and, therefore they have high demand for infrastructures products. On the other hand, the European markets have reached their levels of stability thus making lifestyle commodities the main trade items. Balancing the needs of every economy is the main problem been experienced in the company. GE has aggressively invested in international expansion due to its needs revenue sustainability and market requirements. In addition, the company is targeting to increase its customer base and benefit of large-scale operations. For the company to reach its revenue targets, it requires exploiting the opportunities in the international market as an element of sustainable growth. Although America has a vast economy, the company is willing and ready to face challenges that are related to the international market. Currently the company has

Internet Marketing Essay Example for Free

Internet Marketing Essay Topshop is clothing store selling clothes, shoes and jewellery; they have stores in nearly all towns across the UK. Topshop also has an online store that you can buy they’re products from and they deliver to your home for a small price. You can order your chosen products wherever you are in the world, as they deliver worldwide. Also on the Topshop website you can choose the language preferred to shop online making it easier for people to use. If you change the language to shop on the Topshop website the currency automatically changes. This allows the business to sell globally, which will make them a lot more profit. Topshop also use social networking sites and mobile apps to support their communication, as they have a Facebook and Twitter page to promote their products and answer any questions from customers. Also Topshop have a mobile app so you can save, send and share all your favourite looks, and shop the pieces you’re after from their website. This is a great way of promotion as everyone today uses social networking websites, so it’s a way for them to be seen and keep up to date with what people are wearing and what people want. Topshop can also promote their last minute promotions such as sales through their website and mobile app. There are plenty of advantages for this, as not only is it money efficient it’s quick and Easy and can be seen by a lot of people. Using their website to promote sale is money efficient as they already have the website and the staff working it, if they printed out flyers or advertised in magazines etc. it would cost a lot more and it would probably be seen by less people. Topshop also sells ranges from different designers other than themselves; I think they do this to attract customers who buy from them specific designers to buy from them. Also this gives them a lot more variety and they will make a profit from it. ASDA also have an online store, which they sell everything from food to car insurance. ASDA tries to engage customers on their website by the use of videos, slide shows, animated backgrounds and their own radio station you can listen to online. They do this so people will want to look further into the website and hopefully buy the advertised products. Also the slideshows appears on the home page of the website, so people can see everything they provide on the first page. ASDA have a lot of competitors such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s etc. so they are constantly updated and new things to their website to beat the competitors. ASDA have identified new market development opportunities such having an in store opticians and pharmacy, doing this not only helps them make a profit but it keeps them ahead of their competition. River Island communicates with their customers through their website very well as they give customers a choice to make an online account; this is so the customers can keep record of their orders, order faster and efficiently. This helps them understand their customers as they know what their customers want and it benefits them as they know what sells the most and is popular with their target audience. River Island’s website provides the opportunity for the customers to use their online size guide for both men and woman, so their customers buy the correct sizes that customers will feel comfortable in. I think this is really effective for both the business and the customer, as the business will have fewer complaints and returned from the wrong sizes. For the customer this is good because you know that you will defiantly buy the size that fits and you don’t need to worry about sending them back or not having an outfit on time.

Social Deviance Essay -- Sociology Behavior Society Deviant Essays

Social Deviance Social deviance is a term that refers to forms of behavior and qualities of persons that others in society devalue and discredit. So what exactly is deviance? In this essay we are concerned with social deviance, not physiological deviations from the expected norm. In general, any behavior that does not conform to social norms is deviance; that is behavior that violates significant social norms and is disapproved of by a large number of people as a result. For societies to run with some semblance of order the problem of deviance is essential and intrinsic to any conception of social order. It is problematic because it causes a disruption, but it is essential because it defines our boundaries as a society. It is intrinsic to a conception of order in that defining what is real and expected, defining what is acceptable, and defining who we are - always done in opposition to what is unreal, unexpected, unacceptable and who we are not. If we can accept the reality of change, then designations of deviance are crucial in locating the shifting boundaries of our socially structured reality. (Erikson, 1964) What is perceived as deviant behavior is subject to change depending on our position, place and time. Different cultures have different levels of social order and control, therefore making what can be seen as a deviant behavior in one culture highly acceptable in another. When we define someone or some group as deviant - we strengthen our own position and simplify our response to the "other": we can ignore, expunge, destroy, or rehabilitate them. We convince ourselves of our own normalcy by condemning and controlling those who disagree. Deviance is a phenomenon situated in power: Winners are the good and the normal; Losers are the sick, the crazy, and the evil. Deviance therefore exists in opposition to those who attempt to control it - to those who have power. (Phofl, 1994) Deviance is not a matter of the cost or consequences of a particular behavior, or the behavior itself. Deviance is a label used to maintain the power, control, and position of a dominant group. It is a negotiated order. Deviance violates some groups assumptions about reality (social order). It violates expectations. The definition of deviance defines the threat and allows for containment and control of the threat. The definition of deviance preserv... ...one is given the label of a deviant in order to understand deviance itself. (Haralambos, Holborn, van Krieken, Smith, 1996) It seems that it can be concluded that deviant behavior cannot be seen to be based entirely on the individuals involved. It is a social problem, brought about by the differing views and values instilled in each culture and society. Amazonian Indians walk around without any clothing, to them this is not a deviant act, in modern western society this is indeed an act of great deviance and one might find themselves arrested for it. So depending on the state of social order and associated norms acts of deviance differ greatly. Reference List Becker H. S., Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance, Free Press, New York, USA. Erikson K. T. 1964, Notes on the sociology of deviance, in The Other Side: Perspectives on Deviance, Free Press, New York, USA. Giddens A., 1997, Sociology 3rd edition, Polity Press, UK. Haralambos M. Holborn M. van Krieken R. & Smith P., 1996, Sociology- themes and perspectives, Longman, Melbourne, Australia. Phofl S. 1994, Images of Deviance and Social Control: A Sociological History, McGraw-Hill, USA.

Case Study Pizza War Essay

BSB, Inc. is a large nationally operated food-services company. The company serves client organizations on a contract basis. Its business is divided into three (3) market-oriented divisions of corporate, airline and university or college. Case Summary Renee Kershaw is BSB’s manager of food services at a medium-sized private university in the Southeast. BSB has been operating at the university for the past 10 years and Kershaw has been the manager at BSB for the past 18 months. At the university, BSB caters for 6000 students and 3000 faculty staff and support personnel via its 3 different eateries in the university campus. The three eateries are: a)The Cafeteria ? Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily b)The Dogwood Room ? Serves an upscale luncheon buffet on weekdays only c)The Grill ? Open between 11a. m to 10p. m daily and until midnight on Friday and Saturday nights Initially, after 4 months being in-charge of BSB’s operations at the university, Kershaw conducted a survey on customer needs and market trends. The survey revealed that students were not satisfied with the food services at the university. A large amount of the food being consumed by students was not from BSB’s facilities mainly due to a lack of variety and unsuitable facilities’ serving time for the students. Below are the data from the survey: Food prepared in dorm room20% Food delivered from off campus36% Food consumed off campus44% Students with cars on campus84% Students with fridges or microwaves in their rooms62% Food that students consumed outside BSB, Inc. facilities43% As a result of the survey conducted by Kershaw, she decided to include pizzas in the menu. In addition to the new menu, Kershaw also introduced delivery service (by bicycle) for its pizzas. Currently, apart from placing the pizza making facilities at the grill, space is also being allocated at the grill to store pizza ingredients, as well as to prepare and stage pre-made pizza. In order to keep the cost down and provide fast delivery, only a limited number of ? standard pizzas’ are offered in the menu. Challenges and Problems Despite the rise in sales and profit from the pizza operations, increase in demand for the pizza has led to capacity problems and increase in delivery times. As a result, the pizza’s sales began to level off. Furthermore, Kershaw is concerned of the competition from a new food court to be opened in campus which will house Pizza Hut, Dunkin’ Donuts and Taco Bell. Specifically, Pizza Hut will be putting up a facility offering a limited menu and pizzas on a â€Å"walk-up-and-order† basis. Question 1 Does BSB, Inc. enjoy any competitive advantages or core competencies? Answer Competitive Advantage is the ability of a company to win consistently over the long term in competitive situation. Core Competencies are the unique resources and strengths that an organization’s management takes into account when formulating strategies. BSB enjoys competitive advantages or core competencies in a number of ways. a)Specialization – BSB is a specialized food-services operator for universities and colleges. b) Experiences ? BSB has been serving the university for 10 years therefore they have first hand knowledge relating to customer preferences and needs derived from their experiences in the market. For e. g. : survey data. c)Existing facilities and services provided ? new entrants have to start from scratch. For e. g. : location and delivery services in the university are very important due to the lack of parking spaces. d)Brand Recognition – Familiarity among the campus community of the BSB ? brand’ as it has been in existence for some time. e)Close proximity – Close proximity to the customers is critical for pizza delivery as it allows quicker and lower cost delivery. Question 2 Initially, how did Renee Kershaw choose to use her pizza operations to compete with off campus eateries? What were her competitive priorities? Answer Kershaw decided to use her pizza operations to compete with off campus eateries based on the following reasons: a)Available resources ? Based on time, location and staff available for Kershaw at that time, pizza operation is the most logical choice to be adopted in competing with off campus eateries. Pizza operations do not require much time to be set-up. Furthermore she can run the operation from one of the available eateries (she decided at the Grill) and a minimal amount of staff training is required to run the pizza operations. b)Food variety ? By introducing pizzas in the menu, Kershaw has somewhat addressed the problem of the lack of food variety by only implementing minimal changes in her normal operations. c)Catering for students’ tight schedules ? Through delivery services, Kershaw is able to cater for students with tight and erratic schedules. This decision is based on the high percentage of food not purchased from BSB facilities whereby 36% of the food is delivered from off campus. Since pizza can be kept and reheated easily, going into the pizza business seemed like the best option for Kershaw because 62% of students in the university have fridges and microwaves in their rooms. Competitive Priorities are the critical dimensions that a process must possess to satisfy its internal or external customers both now and in the future. Kershaw’s competitive priorities when choosing the pizza operations to compete with off campus eateries were: a)Cost ? Low cost of operating since pizza operations require minimal staff training and delivery is done by bicycle. Limited combinations of toppings and ? standard pizzas’ available enable Kershaw to keep cost down. b)Flexibility ? Through minimal changes, Kershaw is able to add a selection of pizzas to her menu as part o her efforts to increase the variety of food offerings. c)Time ? The limited number of pizzas that can be prepared and cooked would be able to speed up preparation and delivery time since ? standard pizzas’ can be pre-assembled and ready-to-cook once orders are received. QUESTION 3 a) What impact will the new food court have on Kershaw’s pizza operation? The immediate impact would be direct competition from other food operators. As announced by the University, the new food court would accommodate, among others, food franchises such as Dunkin’ Donuts, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. BSB, Inc was the sole contractor and provider of food services in the University campus prior to the announcement, thus it has, until recently, enjoyed somewhat monopoly status. Of even more concern to BSB is the fact that the new food operators are coming in as established brand names, hence making competing with them an even more difficult task. Competition to BSB, Inc would come in the form of alternative food types. Dunkin Donuts, for example, would offer snack-type food for the students, where as the likes of Taco Bell offers easy-to-go fast food. Students would find these types of food suitable for life on campus. Students are normally subject to hectic schedules and are always on the move, therefore having the convenience of easy and ready-to-go food services (as offered be the new operators) would suit them very well. Of more significance (to BSB) is the emergence of Pizza Hut on campus. Kershaw’s BSB has recently introduced grilled pizza as an item on its grill menu, and has so far enjoyed considerable success too. Of course, this was before Pizza Hut came into the picture. There is little argument that Pizza Hut would provide the keenest and most direct competition to Kershaw’s pizza business. In fact, Pizza Hut, being a reputable and an established franchise coupled with its financial muscle, would be a serious and immediate threat to BSB’s market share in pizza sales. However, Kershaw should take note of the fact that the Pizza Hut franchise on campus has its limitations. For one, the Pizza operator does not offer delivery service (for now), as it operates on a ? walk-up-and-order basis. Secondly, it is only offering limited selection of toppings for its pizzas, preferring to focus on a ? standard menu’. QUESTION 3 b) What competitive priorities might she choose to focus on now? BSB’s competitive priorities can be divided into three main categories; Cost, Flexibility and Time. With the establishment of the new food court and the emergence of the new food franchises at the food court, Kershaw’s BSB would now have to decide which competitive priorities would give it a competitive advantage and thus allow it to better compete with its more established competitors. BSB may choose to focus on its wide array of food selection it provides on campus via its three main food facilities; the Cafeteria, the Dogwood Room and the Grill. Compared to its competitors which serve mainly homogeneous products i.e. donuts, tacos and pizzas, BSB offers a better selection of food items including those offered by its competitors i. e. pizza, which may work to BSB’s advantage in serving customers who desire for an ? expanded’ menu to satisfy their culinary instincts. As part of its efforts to offer a variety of food selection, BSB can also look at increasing the topping combinations for its pizza to compete head-on with Pizza Hut’s limited selection of toppings. BSB’s efforts at expanding its menu should not be at the expense of quality, while at the same time attempt to maintain the pricing for its food items. Another competitive priority that Kershaw and BSB would do well to leverage on is its ability to provide delivery service. Since BSB’s competitors do not offer delivery service, BSB has an edge in this area, as students, which make up the majority of it customers, would usually prefer not to dine out given their hectic schedules. Also, BSB’s customers would be able to enjoy food in the comfort of their own dwellings. In addition, Kershaw may want to set a minimum amount limit for delivery orders to ensure the service remains cost viable, and also to ? encourage’ customers to order more food or higher priced food items. QUESTION 4 a) If she were to change the competitive priorities for the pizza operation, what are the gaps between the priorities and the capabilities of her processes. In its efforts to add variety to its food selection and in response to a customer survey conducted, BSB has started offering pizza to its customers. BSB’s pizzas were well received by the students, and soon after, sales increased, resulting in higher profit margins for the company. However, the new found success comes with new challenges. Kershaw soon found that her existing capacity is not sufficient to cater for the increasing demand for her pizzas. She lacks storage space for pizza-making equipment and facilities i. e. ovens and space for her pizza ingredients. Her pizza operations are putting a strain on her other grill activities, which is forcing her to re-look at some of the selection on the grill menu. Given her existing facilities, she faces the dilemma of increasing her pizza supply at the expense of other food items. This may defeat her initial purpose of attempting to offer a variety of food selection. b)How might that affect her operating processes and capacity decisions? Kershaw was also faced with the problem of longer delivery time for her call-to-order pizzas. She deduced that the gap arising between her existing capacity and the growing demand for her pizzas has, to some extent, caused delivery time for pizza orders to slowly increase, possibly leading to ensuing complaints from its customers. The poor service (delay in delivery orders) may influence customers to seek alternative food services in and off campus. As a consequence of the gap, customers’ satisfaction may decline, potentially leading to loss of regular and existing customers as they opt for alternatives. As a result, sales will suffer, and inevitably affecting BSB’s bottom-line, if not immediate, in the long run. Lower margins and ultimately declining profitability will in turn impact the company’s overall performance and viability as a going concern. QUESTION 5 What would be a good service strategy for Kershaw’s operations on campus to meet the food court competition? With the emergence of new food services in campus namely Dunkin’ Donuts, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, Kershaw should first invest time and resources in understanding the impact of the emergence of these competitors on customer preferences. Knowing very well the fact that Pizza Hut are of world class standard with regards to quality and taste, Kershaw needs to come up with a better business strategy. Our group has deliberated on the following recommendations as part of Kershaw’s strategy: 1. Offer Variety of Pizzas at Cheaper Price Off Campus food outlets, especially those offering Pizzas have emerged as a serious source of competition to BSB. These food operators are likely to offer many pizza combinations. Thus, Kershaw could maintain its competitive advantage by offering a variety of pizza with a wide range of toppings at reasonable prices. The key to this strategy is to maintain quality and to innovate on product offerings. For instance, Kershaw could offer pizza selections which are different from what Pizza Hut currently offers (such as Spicy Tandoori Pizza, Vegetarian Pizza and Chicken Hot Pizza). This might allow the customers to have more choices that are superior in quality yet affordable. By offering Vegetarian Pizza which is not being offered by Pizza Hut, the international students who are vegetarians (i. e. students from India and China) could also indulge in the pizza. This could create a niche market for BSB among vegetarians. Due to the fact that the majority of the university’s residents are students who do not earn a fixed and stable income, Kershaw should offer pizzas that are affordable to them. To beat her competitors, Kershaw should sell the pizza at lower prices than Pizza Hut. By offering a variety of pizzas at lower prices, Kershaw could increase the demand for its pizza, ultimately increasing its profits. 2. Maintain Good and Consistent Quality Understanding customer needs and maintaining good quality are paramount in ensuring success, especially in the food industry because customers are extra value conscious when it comes what they ?consume’ i. e. food and beverage. For some customers, price may be of less importance compared to quality. Kershaw should continuously reinforce its pizza quality and standards to remain ? relevant’ with in-campus and off-campus customers. 3. Phone Order and On-time Delivery Kershaw’s direct competitor, Pizza Hut could probably match BSB’s pizza prices, but may lose out in terms of selection and delivery. Since Pizza Hut does not accept phone orders and do not offer delivery services, Kershaw should take advantage by offering these services to the customers. Kershaw should allow phone orders because most of the students face erratic schedules that discourage them from eating out In addition, the delivery should be made timely to ensure customers’ satisfaction. 4. Longer Operation Time Due to the fact that the schedule of students are tight and normally did not fit with cafeteria serving hours, Kershaw should extend its business operations until midnight. Some students tend to study until midnight and like to have supper. In fact, they will find the nearest food court for convenient. Many students tend to study and have a group discussion outside the library while having supper at the same time. Thus, it is important for Kershaw to extend its operation hours and serve food such as pizza or burger at the cafeteria. As a result, Kershaw could maintain its competitive advantage and compete against the likes of Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. 5. Expanding the Distribution Network Presently, Kershaw is renting three food-service facilities namely the cafeteria, Dogwood Room, and Small Grill. However, she is nearing full capacity on her pizza operations and is looking to expand. Thus, she may have to consider a new location, as there seems to be limited space at the grill location. Clearly, she can choose to set up new convenient and attractive food-facilities such as the Kiosk and Bistro-type facilities, provided that the return on investment is worthwhile. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION In conclusion, by adding variety to the menu while maintaining the quality and delivery speed, it is possible for BSB to maintain its competitive advantage despite the emergence of new rivals such as Pizza Hut and Dunkin Donut. The increase in requests for additional topping combinations and levelling of sales suggest that BSB should expand its product variety. This suggests customers’ desire for a variety of selection, and the expanded hours will enable BSB to offer its services when the Pizza Hut is closed, or when students are in their dorm rooms. However, an increase in product variety will affect both service and cost. Kershaw probably cannot have as many pre-made pizzas ready to be thrown into the oven. She will also need to stock additional toppings. If she wants to maintain good service, she will need to hire additional workers. Hence, there will inevitably be some trade-offs between quality service and cost if she decides to focus on product flexibility.

Microsoft Hazel Case Essay

Hazel had worked for the same Fortune 500 Company for almost 15 years. Although the company had gone through some tough times, things were starting to turn around. Customer orders were up and quality and productivity had improved dramatically from what they had been only a few years earlier due to a company-wide quality improvement program. So it came as a real shock to Hazel and about 400 of her fellow coworkers when they were suddenly terminated following the new CEO’s decision to downsize the company. After recovering from the initial shock, Hazel tried to find employment elsewhere. Despite her efforts, after eight months of searching, she was nowhere closer to finding a job than the day that she had started. Her funds were being depleted and she was getting more and more discouraged. There was one bright spot, though: She was able to bring in a little money by mowing lawns for her neighbors. She got involved quite by chance when she heard one neighbor remark that now that his children were on their own; nobody was around to cut the grass. Almost jokingly, Hazel asked how much he’d be willing to pay. Soon Hazel was mowing the lawns of five neighbors. Other neighbors wanted her to work on their lawns, but she didn’t feel that she could spare any more time from her job search. However, as the rejection letters began to pile up, Hazel knew she had to make an important decision in her life. On a rainy Tuesday morning, she decided to go into business for herself – taking care of neighborhood lawns. She was relieved to give up the stress of job searching, and she was excited about the prospect of being her own boss. But she was also fearful of being completely on her own. Nevertheless, Hazel was determined to make a go of it. At first business was slow, but once people realized Hazel was available, many asked her to take care of their lawns. Some people were simply glad to turn the work over to her; others switched from other lawn care services. By the end of her first year in business, Hazel knew she could earn a living this way. She also performed other services such as fertilizing lawns, weeding gardens, and trimming shrubbery. Business became so good that Hazel  hired two part-time workers to assist her and, even then, she believed she could expand further if she wanted to. Questions: In what ways are Hazel’s customer s likely to judge the quality of her lawn care services? Hazel is the Operations Manager of her business. Among her many responsibilities are forecasting, inventory management, scheduling, quality assurance, and maintenance. What kinds of things would she likely forecast? What inventory items does Hazel probably have? What scheduling must she do? What things might disrupt her schedules and cause her to reschedule? How important is quality assurance to her business? Why? What kind of maintenance must be performed? Hazel decided to offer the students who worked for her a bonus of $25 if she implemented one of their ideas on how to improve the business, and they responded with several good ones. One idea that she initially rejected now appears to hold great promise. The student that proposed the idea has unfortunately left, and is currently working for a competitor. What should Hazel do? Hazel Case Revisited Questions: What competitive advantage does Hazel have over her competitors? Hazel would like to increase her profits, but she doesn’t believe that it would be wise to raise her prices considering the current state of the local economy (she is aware of this current state because of her keen environmental scanning abilities!). Instead she has given some thought to increasing productivity. Explain how increased productivity could be an alternative to increase prices? What are some of the ways that Hazel could increase productivity? Hazel is thinking about purchasing some new equipment. One type of new equipment she is considering is power sidewalk edgers. She believes that power edgers will lead to an increase in productivity. Another type of new equipment would be a chain saw, which would be used for tree pruning. What trade-offs must Hazel think about in her analysis? Hazel is fairly successful in her neighborhood and now wants to expand into other neighborhoods, including some that are up to five miles away. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of doing this? (this is a classic expansion dilemma) Hazel does not have a formal mission statement and a set of objectives. Take one of the following positions and defend it: Hazel does not need a formal mission statement and a set of objectives. Many small businesses don’t have them. She definitely needs a formal mission statement and a set of objectives. They would be extremely beneficial. There may be some benefit to Hazel’s business, and she should consider developing one.

Im Alive Essay Example

Im Alive Essay Example Im Alive Essay Im Alive Essay The television show I’m Alive, episode â€Å"Ambushed† makes viewers re-think holding a snake without it being identified by an expert. A biology teacher told her students that they could find animals in the wild, bring them into school, and she would identify them. In their classroom, there were turtles, spiders, frogs, snakes, and more. The teacher told the students that they could hold any of the animals that they wanted to without permission. Rusty Van Wert and Caleb Snow went over to a terrarium. Rusty reached into the cage to grab and hold a non-venomous yellowbelly water snake, which had been caught in the wild and identified by his biology teacher. His eyes were lit up with joy to be holding this snake. He had a very big smile on his face and could not appear to be any happier in that moment. The snake was then handed off to Caleb, who had never held a snake before. Caleb squeezed the snake pretty hard which made it start squirming and twisting and just going crazy. Caleb’s eyes showed fear. His whole body was frantically trying to control this 2. 5 foot long snake and get it back into the cage. Sweat started to run down his cheeks and drip onto his shirt. He was very nervous and still trying to put the snake back into the cage when he got bit. He yanked his arm away very quickly and immediately let go of the snake. Rusty’s first thoughts were â€Å"If this snake gets loose it is going to bite someone else. So I had to do something and I had to do something quick. † Rusty tried to grab the snake as quickly as he could and that’s when the snake bit him. He was bit four times. The snake was latched onto Rusty’s hand, so he frantically yanked the snake off by his other hand and jammed it back into the cage and threw the lid on top. Total shock had overcome both Rusty and Caleb. Now looking into each other’s eyes not knowing what to do or think, hearing the teacher say â€Å" This is just a non-venomous yellowbelly water snake, but you better go down to the nurse’s office and get checked out anyways. † They headed to the nurse’s office. On the way to the nurse’s office both Rusty and Caleb’s hand started swelling up and they were in extreme pain. Their vision became blurred being described as tunnel vision. They started stumbling around and started to have trouble breathing. Both of them got sat down in chairs in the hallway before making it to the nurse’s office. Rusty’s face went pale, he started sweating really bad, then all of a sudden his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he passed out. Caleb jumping up in fear started to yell at Rusty and he regained consciousness. They finally made it to the nurse’s office and it was decided they both be taken to the hospital and get checked out there. Shortly after arriving at the hospital Rusty was taken back and seen by a doctor because he was in such bad shape. The doctor said that the snake bite that he had was defiantly not from a nonvenomous snake but he had to have a picture of the snake to determine what kind of antivenom he was going to need to give to Rusty. The school sent over photos of the snake and Rusty identified which snake that they had gotten bitten by. The doctor said that it was a venomous cottonmouth snake. Shocked by the news that he was just given Rusty started getting viles of antivenom pumped into his body. He ended up needing 8 viles of antivenom. Typical cottonmouth snake bites can deliver 142 mg of venom. 13 mg is enough to kill a human. Rusty was in critical condition and in intensive care for 2 days. Rusty and Caleb both ended up recovering and being released from the hospital but they both had to undergo six weeks of rehab to repair the damage that was done to their hands and arms. Rusty concludes the story by encouraging people to not ever hold a snake that has not been identified by an expert. If an snake has been found in the wild and identified by a person on the street as a common snake of the area, always check with an expert before handling the snake.

5 Cases of Colliding Article Functions

5 Cases of Colliding Article Functions 5 Cases of Colliding Article Functions 5 Cases of Colliding Article Functions By Mark Nichol The title of a composition is self-contained; an article (a, an, or the) appearing as the first word of the title cannot serve that role as well as function as an article preceding the title. Discussions and revisions follow each example of this principle below. 1. The Apprentice guru has seen four of his casinos go bankrupt. This sentence cannot appropriate the first word of the title of the television program to serve as the sentence’s opening article; therefore, the sentence lacks an article. To resolve this issue, use a workaround convention- insert an article for the sentence and elide the title’s article: â€Å"The Apprentice guru has seen four of his casinos go bankrupt.† (Essentially, unitalicize The, but understand why you did so.) Alternatively, relax the sentence by inserting the article, relocating the noun that the program title modifies so that it precedes the title, and inserting of after that: â€Å"The guru of The Apprentice has seen four of his casinos go bankrupt.† 2. The Danish Girl star showed up in court in Los Angeles on Friday with a bruise on her face. Use the same solution here: â€Å"The Danish Girl star showed up in court in Los Angeles on Friday with a bruise on her face.† (Or write â€Å"The star of The Danish Girl showed up in court in Los Angeles on Friday with a bruise on her face.†) 3. Smith is expected to shoot The Untouchables remake. The same problem exists, and the same solutions apply, when the title appears elsewhere in the sentence: â€Å"Smith is expected to shoot the Untouchables remake† (but, in this case, lowercase the in addition to unitalicizing it) or â€Å"Smith is expected to shoot the remake of The Untouchables.† 4. Don’t miss the A Christmas Story marathon. Titles beginning with the article a (or an) should be treated the same way: â€Å"Don’t miss the Christmas Story marathon† or- with further revision necessary in this case- â€Å"Don’t miss the marathon movie event celebrating A Christmas Story.† 5. Berrigan credited Dorothy Day, founder of The Catholic Worker newspaper, with introducing him to the pacifist movement and influencing his thinking about war. An article that begins the title of a periodical publication should never be italicized: â€Å"Berrigan credited Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker newspaper, with introducing him to the pacifist movement and influencing his thinking about war.† (This is a style convention of necessity, because periodicals are inconsistent about whether they use an article- for example, compare copies of two preeminent American newspapers to note the difference in the official titles of the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times- and it’s a burden to try to keep track of which publications follow which style.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Possessive of Proper Names Ending in SHow to Play HQ Words: Cheats, Tips and TricksCapitalizing Titles of People and Groups

Managing employee relations Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Managing employee relations - Coursework Example The change in employee relations over the last 30 years and its effect on the different stakeholders of the organization has been considered based on the UK point of view. The strategies developed by them have been studied in order to understand the issue in a more proper fashion. Employee relations: The term employee relations may be defined as the employer and the employee relationship which aims at creation of trust, harmony and commitment within the organization so that the aims and the objectives of the organization are reached and to make the workplace a secure and a productive place. The employee relation in an organization is determined by the relationship which exists between managers and the individual workers and also on the overall relationship between them. (Employee relations, n. d)The government and the trade Unions take a crucial role in maintaining the regulation of the relationship which exists between the employee and the employer. Over the last few decades various environmental factors had their influence over the change in employee relations. The concept of globalization and the emergence of the multinational corporations and their vast geographic presence have affected the changing pattern of the relationship. ... (Blyton & Turnbull, 2004) Political context: The political context includes the factors which are in support for the new economic policies incorporated by the government and its effects. The inclusion of mergers, acquisition and the entry of the foreign sectors in the market raises key concern for the economy. The trade unions raise against such government initiatives and such an environment raises insecurity among the employees regarding their jobs. (Singh, n. d, p.129) The political system involves the process of managing the conflicts and the disagreements between the societies but often it creates disturbance within the framework. In the context of the British political system, it primarily deals with framing and implementing public policies for governing the society. The British political system has faced major political change over the years and the election of the conservative government in 1979 marked the beginning of policy which started the change in the British labor marke t. The activities of the trade union were curtailed and the government aimed to enhance the flexibility of the market. The government thought that such measures will help in the promotion of the growth in the employment. The government promoted entrepreneurship and the concept of individualism emerged within the market. The market was characterized by a sufficient number of competitive products and managerial authority was established. As a result the workings of the management of the organizations also changed considerably. Proper human resource management was in effect which was marked by the concept of individualism. There was a direct communication with the employees and appraisal system was introduced. The support in favor of the trade unions and collective