Why Music Education Should Be in Schools

shoâ€Å"Music majors are the most likely group of college grads to be admitted to medical school. Physician and biologist Lewis Thomas studied the  undergraduate  majors of medical school applicants. He found that 66 percent of music majors who applied to med school were admitted, the highest percentage of any group. For comparison, (44 percent) of biochemistry majors were admitted. Also, a study of 7,500 university students revealed that music majors scored the highest reading scores among all majors including English, biology, chemistry and math†.Sources: â€Å"The Comparative Academic Abilities of Students in  Education  and in Other Areas of a Multi-focus University,† Peter H. Wood, ERIC Document No. ED327480†³The Case for Music in the Schools,† Phi Delta Kappan, February, 1994 Percentage of Americans who believe: * Music is a part of a well-rounded education 95% * Music is an activity that a child can enjoy all his/her life 98% * Learning a musi cal instrument helps students perform better in other subjects 92% * Music brings the family together 90% School band is a good way for young people to develop teamwork skills 97% * Schools should offer music as a part of the regular curriculum 93% * Music gives children a sense of accomplishment 95% * Music helps teach children discipline 92% * Music helps instill an appreciation of arts and culture 96% The U. S. spends more money than any other country in the world per student on education yet does not have the numbers to show it. Japan and Netherlands though put requirements on every single student to be a part of music enriching class through most of primary school

The Shoe Store Incident

This scenario provides a case for gender discrimination. Gender discrimination is illegal under Title VII (Bennett-Alexander & Hartman, 2007). In addition, in this scenario I will provide the legal and ethical issues that arise in this case. Furthermore, this paper will explain what Bob should do in this scenario.Title VII IssuesDiscrimination comes in all shapes and sizes, and managers have to be careful not to cross the line and do the wrong thing. Companies do not want lawsuits for discrimination or anything else. The storeçâ€" ´ best customer, Imelda, probably did not intend to offend anyone nor did she probably know that she was discriminating against anyone. Many times discrimination is not intended. Customers generally believe they are always right and get what they want.However, in this instance the customer is very wrong. Requesting a female employee over a male employee is a form of discrimination, gender discrimination. Gender discrimination is illegal under Title VII (Be nnett-Alexander & Hartman, 2007). If Bob asks Tom to step aside and allow Mary to assist Imelda with her purchases, he will be Ã¥ ¦ ¬n violation of Title VII and can be held liable to the employee for gender discrimination. Customer preference is not a legitimate and protected reason to treat otherwise-qualified employees differently based on gender(Bennett-Alexander & Hartman, 2007, p. 283). Legally and ethically, Manager Bob cannot swap employees Tom and Mary simply because Imelda wants it.Choice Tthe customer is promising to buy five pairs of shoes if she gets a female employee to help her. This would be a huge purchase for the store, great for the profit margin as well as a large commission for the employee. On the other hand, not providing afemale employee may denote a missed sale, Imelda may leave the store. Swapping employees would cheat Tom out of his commission. This would be unethical. Tom deserves his commission; he should not be asked or told to give this up.The Shoe Sto re has very clear company policies. Company policy does not allow two employees to split the commission (UOPX, 2013, para. 5). As stated previously, having Tom give up his commission would not be fair. Company policy rotates employees to keep commissions as fair and equal as possible (UOPX, 2013, para. 5).Manager Bob need to explain to Imelda as nicely and calmly as possible that he is very sorry, but cannot provide her with a female employee. Bob should promise Imelda that Tom is a very nice man and that she will be in very capable hands; ensure her that Tom knows shoes and will treat her and her feet right. Bob should smile and guarantee her that she will be happy with the service she receives. Bob should apologize for the problem, explain that he contacted his regional manager to see if he could make an exception to company policy this time and was told no, and explain that the company risks a discrimination lawsuit. Finally, tell Imelda that he understands if she chooses to shop elsewhere today and apologize again. Bob should not get into an argument with the customer; it is out of the stores control.Conclusion Knowing the law is important for any manager. When questions arise that cannot be answered easily, ask for help. Title VII does not allow discrimination because of gender, meaning a man cannot be treated differently from a female and visa verse. In this case, all must be treated equally. Company policy will not allow Tom and Mary to split the commission and asking Tom to give up his commission would be illegal. Imelda will need to make her own decision whether to shop at the Shoe Store and allow Tom to assist her or leave for another store or until another day. The company must do what isright and legal. The store must treats its employees properly and do what is legal and ethical. Whereas Imelda may not be happy, the company cannot do anything that may bring a lawsuit against them.

Health Care Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health Care - Assignment Example You should like to take care of people and consider this profession to be very important and useful. If you want to be useful for the society you live in, thus, you may obtain a degree in the field of healthcare. If you want to become a healthcare specialist, you should first of all evaluate you personal qualities to determine if this profession is really for you. The work in the field of healthcare demands much devotion and sacrifices. The work of a health care professional demands patience and you should be ready to be patient as well as to be very attentive. I think that practice is the most important aspect of learning. It is very good if theoretical knowledge is accompanied by practice and you should try to have a success in using my knowledge in practice. It will be very interesting to work in laboratory and you should listen to the instructor carefully and then apply the acquired knowledge. It will be perfect if you have some laboratory practice before starting the course. According to Stanfield, â€Å"the progress of technology and the demand of population reflect the need for more heath services and additional training of health workers in many fields† (Stanfield, 2012). According to Stanfield (2012), there is a â€Å"high demand for all health care workers in spite of the downturn in the economy† (Stanfield, 2012). It is essential to remember that the profession of a nurse or a doctor is not merely a profession, it is a mission. The most important rule all the health care professionals should follow is â€Å"do not harm†. Health care professional is a person whose primary task is to help people in need. A health care professional must like to help, but it is also important to remember that a professional health care professional can’t refuse to help as non-interference in urgent need can be perceived as a sort of violence. To become a health care professional means to get obligations to help everybody in any situation without any

Diabetes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Diabetes - Research Paper Example al., 2010). The use of pig cells for the purpose of treating diabetes was originally researched and practiced in treating Australian and oceanic region patients ailing from the disease (Soto-Gutierrez et. al, 2011). However, it has been increasingly used in treating patients suffering from the disease through the injection of cells that produce insulin throughout the globe. These cells are taken directly from pigs which are healthy and are mainly utilized on patients suffering from type 1 diabetes (Lopez-Larrea, et. al., 2012). The cells injected into humans are collected from the pancreas of pigs which are coated with the seaweed gel. The cells are then implanted into human abdomens for the purpose of producing insulin that later on helps in controlling the amounts of sugar in the blood stream (Soto-Gutierrez et. al, 2011). Reports indicate that when using the technology, all risks of infections from the animal cells should first be examined and eliminated to ensure that patients receiving the treatment are safe from animal infections. In the previous tests carried out on the use of these cells, the patients developed no side-effects and were seen to be staying away from the usual insulin injections that were expensive for most of them (Hakim et. al., 2010). Subsequently, the new method of treating the ailment has enabled patients who have been suffering from an unstable diabetic condition to seek adequate treatment since the use of injected insulin has become uncontrollable (Soto-Gutierrez et. al, 2011). In the recent past, many diabetes patients have been able to abstain from utilizing insulin in the treatment of the disease since they received the pig cells. The cells have benefited the patients by producing extra amounts of insulin to aid in the absorption of the glucose found within their bodies (Hakim et. al., 2010). The use of

Partnership Accounting Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Partnership Accounting - Coursework Example Capital - William $ 87,500 Capital - Frank $ 87,500 Capital - Sammy $ 175,000 4. General Partnerships is that all partners have unlimited liability. This means that if a business is not able to pay back its debts, the partners are held responsible to pay the debtors back and they can be forced to sell of their personal assets in order to repay the debt. Only under certain circumstances, there can be a partner with limited liability; however that partner does not take part in the management of the business. Under Limited Partnerships there exist some partners whose liability is limited to the contribution of capital in the business. The resignation, retirement or death of such partner does not cause the dissolution of the firm. However, one partner has to have unlimited liability while the partners with limited liability do not take part in the management of the business. Also, such a partnership has to be registered. Joint Venture Partnership is similar to a general partnership, howe ver it lasts for only a certain time period or for a certain project. Usually two companies share the costs, risks and benefits by running a project. However, a written agreement is not necessary. 5. The two methods of recording changes in the membership of a partnership are Bonus Method and Goodwill Method. Under bonus method, the assets accounts increases by the amount of capital contributed by the new partner. Any access amount paid to acquire the interest in the business is credited to the respective partners account. However, under goodwill method, a goodwill account is opened to account for this access amount. It is an intangible asset. 6. A. The list of provisions is: 1) Nature of the  partnership   2) Contributions to the partnership 3) Allocation of profits and losses 4) Interest on Capital 5) Interest on Drawings 6) Management Duties 7) Policy upon admission or retirement of partners. 6. B. The articles of partnership are very significant as it outlines the nature of t he business, the names of the partners, their addresses, the address of the business. Also it includes the duties of each partner, their profit and loss sharing ratios, any salaries if applicable. It has clauses relating the percentage of interest of capital or interest charged on drawings. It may also contain the policy upon admission or retirement of a partner. All the partners and witnesses sign the articles of partnership agreement. Apart from highlighting the various factors relating to the business, it can serve as a legal document. Many partners contribute their capital, labor and skills to the business which has high risk associated with it. Therefore, there is a possibility that there is disagreement among the partners over assignment of duties, division of profit or loss or the admission of a new partner. In case a partnership agreement has not been framed and signed, this can lead to lawsuit. However, if a lawyer is involved and the articles of partnership are stated, it resolves conflict easily as all partners can refer to it. For instance, a dispute arises among distribution of profits among partners, it can be served as a legal document in the court and the conflict can be easily resolved. To avoid legal implications, it is always better to have a partnership agreement to prevent any partner from violating the agreement. It is signed to protect the interest of all partners. Discussion Board The partnership agreement is a legal document that not only serves in the interest of the partners but the government as well. The agreement not only covers the type of the business that it will carry but other important aspects. Many a times the profit and loss sharing ratio is different from the capital ratio, in such cases partnership agree

Organisational Change and Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Organisational Change and Leadership - Essay Example Using the example of Property Services Agency privatisation already embarked upon in the United Kingdom, the report will review the issue of organisational change and leadership, while giving a thorough analysis of the agency, conducting empirical research of the problem within the limits of current time period, and in accordance to established legislation. The end of the report will identify the ultimate conclusions on the effectiveness of the privatisation processes for both, the government that has taken the object to its privacy, and for the object of privatisation itself that has either started to perform more successfully, or experienced to meet the downfall in its operational activity. When speaking of organisational change - n important tool in management that is aimed to provide sustainable development and constant growth, - it is worth to mention leadership which is vital quality of manager who is eager to come with the best solution and outcome for the planned change or innovation. Being a private organisation, PSA aims to provide, manage, maintain, and furnish the property used by the government, including defence establishments, offices, courts, research laboratories, training centres and land until restructure and organisational change have come into play and imposed PSA to government's privacy. Within the leadership literature, researchers have sought to identify and describe effective leadership from various perspectives. Universal theories proposed that the same leader traits (e.g., for a review, see Bass, 1990) or behaviors (e.g., Bowers & Seashore) create favorable results in all situations. An inability to consistently predict effectiveness (for a review, see Yukl, 1989) led to the development of situation-contingent theories. Researchers postulated that a leader's effectiveness would be moderated by situational variables that either intensified or decreased the effects of a leader's traits (e.g., Fiedler, 1967) and behaviors (e.g., House, 1971; Vroom & Yetton, 1973). Research testing the utility and predictive value of this real-trait, real-behavior research has produced mixed results ( Yuki, 1989). More recently, an alternative, cognitive-attribution approach has been developed to explain the link between leader performance and perceptual processes ( Lord & Maher, 1990). Research suggests that leadership perceptions, indeed, may often be based on both traits ( Lord, De Vader, & Alliger, 1986) and behaviors and events ( Calder, 1977; Meindl & Ehrlich, 1987; Meindl, Ehrlich, & Dukerich, 1985). Rather than attempting to understand a leader's effectiveness in terms of real traits and behaviors, however, this interpretation is based on observers' subjective realities, as described by more general accounts of person perception and information processing ( Lord, 1985) or attribution theory ( Calder, 1977). In other words, leadership is in the eye of the beholder. A leader may assert influence stemming from several different bases of power (e.g., French & Raven, 1959). The success or failure of an influence attempt depends, however, on whether the influence target actually accords such power to the leader. Without follower responsiveness, leader power is meaningless. The specific relationship between

Similarities and differences Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Similarities and differences - Assignment Example (Wagner ) That said research continues to be pursued to determine how beneficial animal therapies are in treating a multitude of disorders, ailments, and other unpleasant issues of the human condition. One of the current uses of animals in therapy is in treating children you have a fear of reading. Such fears can develop due to several different causes. Individuals with legitimate disabilities or difficulties reading may fear the judgment and criticism of their peers, which can manifest in them suffering low self-esteem. Animals, however, unlike people, never pass judgment and can be a comforting and encouraging presence on children, particularly dogs. Multiple reading programs have been developed that involves matching children with dogs and asking these children to read to the dogs. This can, not only improve, their desire to read, but, also, provides them a sense of comfort and relaxation. Ideally such a program’s overall goals are to associate reading with positive experiences and animals can participate in that in unique and endearing ways. ("TDI: Therapy Dogs International") Children are not the only ones that benefit from the inclusion of animal therapy in their live s. The elderly, particularly those that live in institutionalized settings, are occasion to very high rates of loneliness, depression, and a huge detachment, very often, from the world around them. For both alert and non-alert patients, distinct differences are apparent in their behaviors. The physical contact and gentle interaction and companionship of an animal grants these individuals that sense of necessary comfort.(Ptak 10) One of the most saddening side-effects suffered from the brave men and women who serve in this country’s military is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This is a very serious condition that can have hugely negative effects on the psychological, emotional, and physical day to day existences of our veterans. Research is showing that

Right to Reject Vaccines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Right to Reject Vaccines - Essay Example The interaction may lead to the spread of any disease that might be existent in those children who are not vaccinated. The risk of infections is made greater without vaccination. Another reason why all pupils should be vaccinated is that, most of the vaccines are given free by the government and others have their prices levied too. Therefore, there should be no reason whatsoever for any school going pupil, not to be vaccinated. Finally, there have been reports that the majority of parents fail to follow the required schedule in giving their children the required vaccine. Therefore making it mandatory for school going children to be vaccinated before being admitted might make the parents follow up the whole schedule of vaccination. Through the action of schools, the spread of diseases in public places will be minimized, and most of the children will be vaccinated and the risk of being infected reduced too. The result will be a reduction in infant mortality by a significant

Policy proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Policy proposal - Essay Example The death of Laci and her unborn child was cited extensively in the Congressional and Senate debates on the bill. The bill was passed by a Republican-controlled House. It has been a Republican policy to recognize the life of a fetus as long as it is attached to the uterus. Thus, pro-life Republican members of Congress merged their agenda with Laci’s case to energize the government agenda in the house. The Unborn Victims of Violence Act covers the rights of unborn children in the light of criminal violence. The act allows the judiciary to treat the mother and the unborn child as separate entities while dealing with violence against pregnant women (Abrams par. 1). The act also provides that human life begins after implantation in the uterus. Thus, any fetus attached to the uterus is considered a member of the Homo sapiens species. The act allows investigations on the impact of injuring a pregnant woman to the unborn child. Suspects of killing a pregnant woman should be tried on two charges of homicide. In this case, the judiciary would treat the mother and the child as separate legal entities. However, the Unborn Victims of Violence Act does not consider the legal or illegal acts of a mother that harm the unborn children. The uncovered aspects include abortion. As such, a mother cannot be tried for abortion under this law (Congress 6329). Making the bill into law involved several players. The players in this bill include members of Congress, the President, interest groups and political parties. The bill was sponsored by individual members of the Congress. Melissa Hart (R-Pa) moved the bill in the House of Representatives. The house of representatives was the first house to introduce the bill and also debate it. The proposal was sponsored by Senator Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) in the Senate. The bill was tabled in the Senate after adoption and debate in the lower house. The movers of the motion were acting on their beliefs towards life,

Japanese Comfort Women Essay Example for Free

Japanese Comfort Women Essay It is estimated that between one and two hundred thousand female sex slaves were forced to deliver sexual services to Japanese soldiers, both before and during World War II. These women were known as comfort women and the Imperial Conference, which was composed of the emperor, representatives from the armed forces and the main Cabinet ministers, approved their use by Japanese soldiers. Walkom) The term comfort women refers to the victims of a premeditated systematic plan originated and implemented by the government of Japan to enslave women considered inferior and subject them to repeated mass rapes, said Michael D. Hausefeld, one of over 35 lawyers in his firm representing the former sexual prisoners in a class action lawsuit currently pending against the Japanese government. (Eddy) Since ancient times, prostitutes in Japan chose to sell their bodies either for family, poverty, or for saving her husband and her children. More or less, their sacrifices were seen as positive. But, being forced to become comfort woman by Japanese is seen as negative. The difference between the Japanese prostitutes and comfort women is that the comfort women did not choose to be trapped as a sex slave and they were not paid for what they did. In 1931, when the Japanese army invaded Manchuria, â€Å"comfort houses† made their first appearances. These comfort houses were created to provide the Japanese soldiers with outlets for their sexual needs. In the beginning, there were only a few comfort houses but after the Nanjin Massacre occurred in 1937, many more were added, basically to every place that the Japanese were stationed. (Walkom) After the Japanese soldiers slaughtered thousands of Chinese people in the Nanjin Massacre, they barbarically raped an insurmountable number of women. As a result, anti-Japanese sentiments grew and it became harder to fully occupy these lands. The government set up comfort houses to decrease disorder and give the approximately two million soldiers a place to satisfy their sexual needs. The Japanese did not have enough prostitutes to supply the needs of the soldiers so they commissioned civilians to develop comfort houses. At the time, only a small percentage of Japanese women were mobilized to â€Å"work† in comfort houses and they were all prostitutes to begin with. The majority of the comfort women were actually Korean women, who were forcibly taken from Korea to service the needs of the Japanese soldiers. After the war, the Japanese government destroyed all evidence of their involvement in Japanese comfort houses, enforcing that commercial businessmen were responsible for the movement of women. Many of the comfort women were kidnapped or deceived into voluntarily working in comfort houses. Once they were there, they were trapped and forced into prostitution. Some women reported that Japanese agents offered them good jobs or education. Others were told that each family in the village had to donate a daughter to the war effort. Many others were offered food, shelter and factory jobs. The Japanese also kidnapped young, unmarried girls when they had a shortage of comfort women. The ages of the girls in the comfort houses ranged from 15 to 19, with the minority exception of some younger girls and some older, married women. The girls were transported between military bases like cargo, under heavy guard in army trucks, trains, ship and bus. They were forced to lose their virginity before arriving at the bases to prepare them for having sexual intercourse with tens of soldiers every day. Many women contemplated death after this, as they believed their virginity to be more precious than life. (Henson) When living in the comfort houses, the comfort women lived in fear and desperation. They were unable to leave, as they were heavily guarded. Each day, they were penetrated by as many as 50 soldiers, until they were sore and bloated to the point of not being able to open their legs. If they were infected with a sexually transmitted disease, they received injections known as Injection 606. If infected enough times, they lost their fertility. In Japan, infected women were killed. Their food was mixed with cyanide, their bodies taken to a cave and finally, the cave was blown up with a grenade. The comfort houses made money off these women and it is believed that the Japanese government paid them, as most of the soldiers paid by coupons. As soon as the war was finished, the Japanese Imperialist guards disappeared without trace. Most comfort women describe the experience this way, Suddenly, the soldiers came no more, and upon asking we found that the war had ended. In other regions, as the Japanese committed â€Å"harikari, the women were forced to do the same. In extreme cases, the women were put in a cave and blown up. After the war, many of the comfort women were too sick to be moved and were taken under the care of the American army. Most of the women were left with no place to go, as they were in a strange country with no money, and were too humiliated to go home. According to one comfort woman, my bodys wasted, therefore I do not dare go home in fear of being ignored and looked down upon. Even after the war ended, the comfort women were not free. Their guilty minds and inferiority complexes kept them from returning home and they stayed in foreign countries. The small amount that married, were often forced to separate after the fact that they were comfort women was known, or they were divorced because they could not have children. The victims are still suffering the pain physically and psychologically. More than half of them could not get pregnant, and most of them have chronicle diseases. Furthermore, the psychological impact on these women made them felt themselves dirty, ashamed that they disgraced themselves and isolated themselves from others. They are either afraid of getting married, or unable to ask for any commitment from their lovers. For those who got married, their marriage was unstable and unhappy due to their past. Some thought that they must have done something evil in their previous life that they have to be punished in this life. (Hicks) They go to tempos to chant sutras, to confess, to pursue liberation, and they even commit suicide. Although the period of time they spent at the Japanese military base was a small part of their life, what they had experienced caused an incurable impact on their health, marriage, mind, and social adaptation. Although the Japanese government continues to deny or minimize their involvement with comfort women, their defense is unraveling. A conference on Japanese Crimes Against Humanity: Sexual Slavery and Forced Labor was held last year, in which Japanese researchers delivered papers which claimed that the Japanese military, the rest of the government, and Japanese industry were all involved in the decision to provide sex slaves for the countrys soldiers. (Chunghee) Japanese historian Hirofumi Hayashi said: The establishment and development of the military comfort women system as not only carried out by the total involvement of every section of the military but also by administrative machinery at every level of the Japanese state In addition, we should not overlook that Japanese companies were their accomplices. (Chunghee) Researchers from the Center for Research and Documentation of Japans War Responsibilities in Yokohama showed that Japanese rubber companies were under government contra ct to supply 20 million condoms a year to armed forces once the decision had been made to provide sex slaves to the soldiers. Rumiko Nishino wrote that high-ranking adjutants commissioned by Cabinet and sub-Cabinet-level government officials implemented the distribution of the condoms. The availability of condoms to the general population became almost nil. (Chunghee) Last year, the Japanese appeals court overturned an earlier ruling that orders the government to compensate women who were forced to serve as sex slaves during World War II. Both sides had appealed that ruling. The plaintiffs because they thought the compensation was too small, and the government because they refused to pay. Duke) In deciding in favor of the government, the Hiroshima High Court said abducting women to use them as forced laborers and sex slaves was not a serious constitutional violation. Tokyo has admitted that its wartime army had set up brothels, and forced thousands of Koreans, Filipinos, Dutch and Chinese to serve as prostitutes, but it has refused to compensate these victims. Historians say as many as 200,000 women were f orced into sexual slavery during World War II.

Impact Event as a Cause for Mass Extinction

Impact Event as a Cause for Mass Extinction   By Tom Newell    Part A          Possible Triggers for Mass Extinction Origin of Trigger Explanation Impact Events Extra-terrestrial Impact events, proposed as causes of mass extinction, are when the planet is struck by a comet or meteor large enough to create a huge shockwave felt around the globe. Widespread dust and debris rain down as well as forming a dust cloud, disrupting the climate and causing extinction on a global, rather than a local, scale. Climate Change Atmospheric Earths climate is not constant. Over geological time, the Earths dominant climate has gone from ice age to tropical heat and from steamy jungles to searing deserts. When such climate change occurs abruptly either in the form of a global warming or cooling animals and plants have no time to adapt so mass extinctions can occur. Flood Basalt Eruptions Land Flood basalt eruptions are a type of large-scale volcanic activity, both in terms of extent and duration, that can occur on land or on the ocean floor. A flood basalt may continue to erupt for tens of thousands possibly millions of years and the lava can cover hundreds of thousands of kilometres. Catastrophic Methane Releases Atmospheric Methane clathrate is an ice-like substance formed from water and methane in the sea bed, arctic lakes and permafrost. A temperature rise causes the methane in the clathrate to be released as gas. Global warming results and causes further clathrate heating and methane release. The resultant soaring temperature causes such stress to plant and animal life that mass extinction follows. Humans Land Because of the industrial lives we live, we are constantly emitting pollutants into the atmosphere. The chemicals being emitted are changing the composition of the atmosphere. This intern changes how our atmosphere affects our lives, from controlling temperature to blocking cosmic radiation. Part B It is believed that an impact event has caused a mass extinction in the past. Whats to say it wont happen again? An impact event capable of causing a mass extinction is when the planet is struck by an asteroid or meteor large enough to create a huge shockwave felt around the globe. When an impact event happens, the gigantic amount of kinetic energy is partly transferred from the large asteroid or meteorite travelling at high speeds, into the Earth. The rest of the energy is converted into heat and sound, creating pressure waves travelling radially outwards from its centre, similar to that of an atomic bomb. (physics.org, n.d.) As well as the blast from the impact, enormous amounts of dust and debris can be kicked up into the atmosphere blocking out sunlight and preventing the process of photosynthesis in plants from occurring, massively affecting the balance of ecosystems. If humans on the other side of the world from where the asteroid hit, survived the initial impact, they would mo st likely be killed by fiery rocks raining down from the sky and the heavily polluted dust filled atmosphere. Because of the polluted air, humans will not be able to breath properly and the Earths temperature will increase immensely. The huge dust cloud formed would block out light from the sun. If the asteroid lands in the ocean a colossal tsunami will form wiping out everything in its path and potentially wrapping around the world. An extensive earthquake will also be felt all over the globe after the impact, which will send structures crashing down and habitats will be destroyed. Obviously this chain of events would destroy the systems that we depend on for survival, from economic and infrastructure to the biological and fundamental building blocks of life, therefore causing a mass extinction. Part C Our planet is currently in the midst of its 6th mass extinction and unlike past mass extinction, caused by events like asteroid strikes and volcanic eruptions, humans are to blame! (biologicaldiversity.org, n.d.) It is human activities such as the emission of carbon monoxide (CO) and the clearing of wildlife that are killing our planet. Considerable amounts of CO are being emitted into the atmosphere every day because of our industrial lifestyle, but most people dont realise the harm that is being done to the environment. CO can be released into the air via a multitude of ways, but most commonly through your cars exhaust and the burning of fossil fuels in factories. Once CO is in the atmosphere it takes an oxygen molecule from the ozone molecules contained in the ozone layer in the attempt to make itself carbon dioxide (CO2). In doing this the ozone layer is damaged, therefore affecting its ability to protect us from the suns rays. Therefore, global warming occurs and the Earth will eventually be heated to a temperature at which humans and hundreds of thousands of other lifeforms can no longer survive. Another way in which humans contribute to mass extinction is through habitat removal. Not only does the clearing of habitants destroy the homes of animals, leaving them without a suitable place to live, but it also increases the amount of CO2 in the air. Trees and plants play a critical role in the ecosystem. They absorb carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and convert it into oxygen for us to inhale and use in respiration. By clearing wildlife, we are reducing the amount of trees and plants therefore increasing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. Global warming is no myth and there is plenty of evidence to prove its existence. According to three reliable international agencies, 2016 was crowned the hottest year on record. (www.abc.net.au, 2017) This was no coincidence either, 2015 and 2014 have been the 2nd and 3rd hottest years to be recorded. This is clear evidence that we are impairing the ozone layer and putting our lives in danger and contributing to the next mass extinction. It is hard to deny that humans are causing the Earth to undergo its 6th mass extinction when there is so much evidence to suggest so. The real question isnt whether or not humans are currently causing the planets 6th mass extinction event, but whether or not we can do anything to stop it. Or is it already too late? References ABC News. (2017). Hottest year on record: Australia needs to get heat smart. [online] Available at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-19/2016-hottest-year-on-record-australia-needs-to-get-heat-smart/8194182 [Accessed 5 Mar. 2017]. Bbc.co.uk. (2017). BBC Nature Catastrophic methane release videos, news and facts. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/extinction_causes/Clathrate_gun_hypothesis [Accessed 5 Mar. 2017]. Bbc.co.uk. (2017). BBC Nature Climate change videos, news and facts. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/extinction_causes/Geologic_temperature_record [Accessed 5 Mar. 2017]. Bbc.co.uk. (2017). BBC Nature Impact events videos, news and facts. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/extinction_causes/Impact_event [Accessed 5 Mar. 2017]. Bbc.co.uk. (2017). BBC Nature Mass extinction theories. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/extinction_causes [Accessed 5 Mar. 2017]. Biologicaldiversity.org. (2017). The Extinction Crisis. [online] Available at: http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/biodiversity/elements_of_biodiversity/extinction_crisis/ [Accessed 5 Mar. 2017]. People.uwec.edu. (2017). Extinction Causes. [online] Available at: http://people.uwec.edu/jolhm/eh4/extinction/causeslink.html [Accessed 5 Mar. 2017]. Physics.org. (2017). Will an asteroid impact spell the end of humanity?| Explore | physics.org. [online] Available at: http://www.physics.org/article-questions.asp?id=97 [Accessed 5 Mar. 2017]. The Conversation. (2015). Earths sixth mass extinction has begun, new study confirms. [online] Available at: http://theconversation.com/earths-sixth-mass-extinction-has-begun-new-study-confirms-43432 [Accessed 5 Mar. 2017]. Wallpaper HD Free Wallpaper in All Resolution Free Download. (2017). Asteroid Hitting Earth World End Wallpaper HD For Desktop. [online] Available at: http://www.wallpaperhd.pk/asteroid-hitting-earth-world-end-wallpaper/ [Accessed 5 Mar. 2017].

Harley Davidson Essay -- essays research papers

Harley-Davidson Case Study Introduction of the Company In 1903 William Harley and Arthur Davidson produced the first Harley-Davidson motorcycle for sale to the public. The first year’s production was only three motorcycles with one dealer. In 1909, Harley-Davidson introduced the first? V-twin engine, which is still the company standard today. Harley-Davidson rapidly grew to the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world by early 1920s, with 2,000 dealers in 67 different countries. By the 1930s all of the American competition was gone. Harley-Davidson suspended production of civilian motorcycles during World War II, and only built motorcycles for the military, exclusively. When the war was over, Harley-Davidson converted back to civilian production. Harley-Davidson's growth was fueled by acquisitions as well as capitalizing on new technologies. In 1969 Harley-Davidson merged with American Machine and Foundry (AMF). By the 1970s other competitors were entering the global market, and many of them were from overseas. In an attempt to transform the company, in 1981,a senior executive of Harley-Davidson bought the company from AMF and turned the company around dramatically. Harley-Davidson emerged with new products and innovations along with a new commitment to quality, creating the dynasty Harley-Davidson has become today. Harley-Davidson's success continued to grow as they received tariff relief from the International Trade Commission on 700cc motorcycles. Another event contributing to Davidson's renewed success was the formation of the Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.). This company sponsored club consisted of riders who transformed motorcycling into a family-oriented social sport. It continues to be very successful with 600,000 owners and 1,200 chapters worldwide. Economic Indicators Internationally, Harley-Davidson revenue has exceeded $816 million, which accounts for 18% of the net revenue for motorcycles. The Harley-Davidson emblem is an international icon and the sound of V-twin engine is unmistakable. Harley-Davidson is the number one motorcycle manufacturer and is also the number one seller of heavyweight bikes in the U.S. They also sell a line of clothing and accessories as well as make bikes under the Buell nameplate. Harley-Davidson’s attire has attitude and rightfully so, there is no other motorcycle as classy as the â€Å"Harley†. One Harley-Davidson ... ... and strong brand recognition, it may appear as if they can’t improve much more than they already have. As with any business, the one thing Harley-Davidson can do wrong is be too confident in their success. They have to search for new markets and continuously improve their current products. They need to remain flexible and knowledge of their internal and external strengths and weaknesses. As with any company in the lead, competitors will seek to copy what they have or improve upon their technologies. Harley-Davidson’s loyal market is aging and they have not been successful in tapping into the female riders or the African American riders. Recently Harley-Davidson commercials have begun appearing on certain networks targeted for these markets. The new commercials also feature the female rider. If Harley-Davidson is successful is attracting these new markets, they will also have to expand their products to meet the demands of the new demographic. Harley-Davidson appears to be poised to go after this market and if history repeats itself, Harley-Davidson will continue to stay in front on their strategies and continue to remain a force to be reckoned with in this industry.

Computer Rage :: Essays Papers

Computer Rage In today’s world, computers are becoming more relevant than ever before. With this comes hardtack. Anyone who uses computers must experience some sort of frustration at some time. There is really no way around it. This may include all or some of the error messages, unanticipated results because of the software, or having a computer just freeze up for no apparent reason. Since anyone who uses a computer can experience these problems, there comes a price - immense frustration. This frustration can turn into anger, which in turn becomes rage. Whether it is acted rage or built up rage, it must some how be vented. Either way this becomes cumbersome to the user, so much that this becomes computer rage. The reason why people may become upset at their computer is due to lack of patience. This is why reactions to computer problems can be more extreme than with other tools they may use. People today just don't have the patience for anything. Since people are starting to spend more time in front of computers than doing physical research, the blame for frustration must be put on something. This something just happens to be the computer. For this reason, I believe that computer problems make people angrier than with other tools. For instance, there is an art to being a mechanic. A mechanic must posses some level of patience. If the person using the computer does not posses patience, they will flip out in a rage of fury. This kind of action cannot happen in a place of business. It's bad for the other employees, not to mention the customers. You would not let a certain shop work on your vehicle if you seen a mechanic cursing and swearing, Would you? For this reason you must posses some patience. To overcome this, you should just walk away calmly and take a deep breath. Do something else to take you mind of the present problem at hand. When you feel calmed downed and more relaxed, go back to the computer with a different mindset. Usually, this will solve your problem. When you come back to your computer, you may see things in a totally different light and your problem will be cured. You may see something that you didn't see before and it was right in front of you. Computer Rage :: Essays Papers Computer Rage In today’s world, computers are becoming more relevant than ever before. With this comes hardtack. Anyone who uses computers must experience some sort of frustration at some time. There is really no way around it. This may include all or some of the error messages, unanticipated results because of the software, or having a computer just freeze up for no apparent reason. Since anyone who uses a computer can experience these problems, there comes a price - immense frustration. This frustration can turn into anger, which in turn becomes rage. Whether it is acted rage or built up rage, it must some how be vented. Either way this becomes cumbersome to the user, so much that this becomes computer rage. The reason why people may become upset at their computer is due to lack of patience. This is why reactions to computer problems can be more extreme than with other tools they may use. People today just don't have the patience for anything. Since people are starting to spend more time in front of computers than doing physical research, the blame for frustration must be put on something. This something just happens to be the computer. For this reason, I believe that computer problems make people angrier than with other tools. For instance, there is an art to being a mechanic. A mechanic must posses some level of patience. If the person using the computer does not posses patience, they will flip out in a rage of fury. This kind of action cannot happen in a place of business. It's bad for the other employees, not to mention the customers. You would not let a certain shop work on your vehicle if you seen a mechanic cursing and swearing, Would you? For this reason you must posses some patience. To overcome this, you should just walk away calmly and take a deep breath. Do something else to take you mind of the present problem at hand. When you feel calmed downed and more relaxed, go back to the computer with a different mindset. Usually, this will solve your problem. When you come back to your computer, you may see things in a totally different light and your problem will be cured. You may see something that you didn't see before and it was right in front of you.

Financial Markets, Money Markets, and Institutions

FINANCIAL MARKETS, MONEY MARKETS, AND INSTITUTIONS Q1. A Financial intermediary is an institution that bridges between user & provider of finance. Which of the following is/are a financial intermediary? (MRQ) Venture CapitalistInsurance institutionsCredit unionsCommercial Banks(2 marks) Q2. Which of the following is a money market instrument? (MCQ)Corporate BondTreasury BillsDebenturesStocks(2 marks) Q3. Faust Co trades agricultural products & oils in its markets. Which type of market is Faust Co most likely in? (MCQ)Money marketsDerivatives marketCommodity marketsInsurance markets(2 marks) Q4. Which of the following is a difference in primary & secondary markets? (MCQ)Secondary markets relate to the trading of securities at the initial offeringPrimary & Secondary markets deals in the sale of securitiesThe primary market is used by newly public limited entitiesPrimary markets deal initial offerings & Secondary markets deals in existing investments (2 marks) Q5. The conversion of illiquid assets into marketable securities is known as? (MCQ)FuturesSecuritizationEuro currencyRepos(2 marks) Q6. Which of the following correctly describes Arbitrage? (MCQ)Opportunity for investors to widen their investmentThe use of different types of securities in the financial market for investors to assess their riskThe process of buying a security from one market and selling off to another market to obtain profitAn investment to reduce the risk of unfavorable price movements (2 marks) Q7. The following statements relate to key roles of a financial intermediary. Match the appropriate options with their definitions. (P&D)The pooling of many small deposits to make the larger advancement of finance Reduction in default risk by lending finance to multiple businesses FINANCIAL INTERMEDIATION AGGREGATION MATURITY TRANSFORMATION RISK REDUCTION(2 marks) Q8. Which of the following investment is most risky? (MCQ)Ordinary sharesPreference sharesMarket risk bondsCompany issue bonds(2 marks) Q9. Select the appropriate option in relation to money markets. (HA)It is a market for short-term funds TRUE FALSEThis market is operated by financial institutions TRUE FALSEThe interest-bearing instrument is an example of money market instrument TRUE FALSEMoney market deposits is an example of money market derivatives TRUE FALSE(2 marks) FINANCIAL MARKETS, MONEY MARKETS, AND INSTITUTIONS (ANSWERS) Q1. All options are examples of financial intermediaryVenture Capitalist (An investing company in small companies)Insurance institutions (Charging premiums which are invested to provide returns) Credit unions (A member of the union may borrow from a pool of deposits at low interest) Commercial Banks Q2. BAll others are capital market instruments. Capital markets are long-term financial instruments in form of debt or equity which are traded. Q3. CMoney markets (A market that supports short-term debt financing & investment)Derivatives market (A market that provides instruments for managing financial risk) Commodity markets (A market that supports trading of raw or natural materials)Insurance markets (A market that facilitates buying & selling of insurance) Q4. DSecondary markets relate to the trading of securities at initial offering (Incorrect, trading of old securities)Primary & Secondary markets deals in the sale of securities (Correct, but a similarity between both markets) The primary market is used by newly public limited entities (Correct, for primary market only)Primary markets deal initial offerings & Secondary markets deals in existing investments (Correct, difference between both markets) Q5. BFutures (A buying & selling of a specified asset at a fixed rate in future) Euro currency (A currency which is held by people outside the country of issue of that currency)Repos (An agreement between two parties to buy or sell a financial instrument on an agreed date & price) Q6. COpportunity for investors to widen their investment (Diversification)The use of different types of securities in the financial market for investors to assess their risk (Risk-shifting)The process of buying a security from one market and selling off to another market to obtain profit (Arbitrage)An investment to reduce the risk of unfavorable price movements (Hedging) Q7.The pooling of many small deposits to make the larger advancement of finance AGGREGATIONReduction in default risk by lending finance to multiple businesses RISK REDUCTIONFinancial Intermediation: The process of bringing together of borrower & lender is financial intermediationMaturity Transformation: Borrowers wish to obtain long-term finance & Lender is unwilling to lock its finances. This technique develops a floating pool of deposits which satisfies both needs. Q8. AOrdinary shares, most risky as paid at last after all liabilities are cleared offPreference shares, riskier than bonds as paid after debts are clearedMarket risk bonds, also known as government bond as these provide returns on the current market basis Company issue bonds, risky due to the chance of company defaults but are usually backed up by company assets Q9. It is a market for short-term funds TRUE This market is operated by financial institutions TRUE The interest-bearing instrument is an example of money market instrument TRUE Money market deposits is an example of money market derivatives FALSEMoney market deposit is an example of the interest-bearing instrument rather than money market derivatives. Money market deposit provides high interest on deposited savings.

Insect Classifying Arthropods Virtual

Introduction to Biology Name: Julie Maxwell Classifying Arthropods Virtual lab (Week 8) Go to the following website for completion: http://www. mhhe. com/biosci/genbio/virtual_labs/BL_18/BL_18. html Upon completion of the Classifying Arthropods Virtual Lab, please answer the following questions thoroughly using complete sentences and proper grammar and spelling. Data Table | Body Sections(1,2,3, or >3)| Walking Legs (6,8 or >8)| Other Appendages| Antennae(0,2 or 4)| Claws Present? | Jaws Present? Class| Common Name| Specimen 1| | | | | | | | | Specimen 2| | | | | | | | | Specimen 3| | | | | | | | | Specimen 4| | | | | | | | Beach Hopper| Questions: 1. Many species of arachnids are predators, but have no teeth or jaws. How do they obtain nutrients from their prey? They inject venom in the prey that paralyzes them then the predators suck out the nutrients they need. 2. Arthropods are the most diverse group of animals. Describe some characteristics of arthropods that may have cont ributed to their great evolutionary success.The body segmented, the segments usually grouped in two or three rather distinct regions – making them highly mobile. * Paired segmented appendages (from which the phylum gets its name) – making them ambulate & walk easily. * Bilateral symmetry – making them relate to the environment quite easily. * A chitinous exoskeleton, which is periodically shed and renewed as the animal grows – making them resistant to shock of hard objects. * A tubular alimentary canal, with mouth and anus – accounting for good food digestion. The circulatory system an open one, the only blood vessel usually being a tubular structure dorsal to the alimentary canal with lateral openings in the abdominal region – ensures better perfusion and less chances of hemolysis due to their being highly mobile. 3. What are some advantages and disadvantages of having an exoskeleton? Advantages are, the exoskeleton provides a bony plat e of armor for support and protection of the soft internal tissues and organs. Disadvantages; it limits the possible size of the animal.Since the weight of an animal is a function of its volume, a doubling of an animal’s size increases its weight by a factor of 8. 4. Which of the five classes of arthropods is the most diverse? Explain. Insecta or Hexopoda (insects) is the most diverse class. There are about 900,000 known insect species, three times as many as all other animal species together, and thousands of new ones are described each year. They are commonly grouped in 27 to 32 orders, depending upon the classification used. The largest order is that of the beetles (Coleoptera).Next, in order of size, are the moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera); the wasps , ants , and bees (Hymenoptera); and the flies and mosquitoes (Diptera). Other major orders are the true bugs (Hemiptera); the cicadas , aphids , and scale insects (Homoptera); the grasshoppers and crickets (Orthoptera); the cockroaches (Blattodea); and the mantids (Mantodea). 5. For each of the following characteristics, indicate whether the trait is common to Phylum Arthropoda or specific to certain classes of arthropods: wings, chewing mouthparts, jointed appendages, number of legs, segmented bodies, type of respiratory structure, exoskeleton.

Demography of China Essay

The demographic situation in People’s Republic of China is one of the burning issues nowadays widely discussed in the global community. Today, China’s population is over 1. 3 billion, the largest of any country in the world. So every 5th person in the world is coming from China. The population of China is greater than the entire world 150 years ago. Every year the population of China increases by 14 million people (the number of people in Texas or Chile). Each decade it increases by about 130 million (more than the population of Japan). About 39,000 new people are added every day. Cultural prerequisites for such family expanding tradition: The Chinese traditionally prefer early marriage, early child-bearing, and large families. Each married women usually raises between five and six children. The Chinese say: â€Å"†¦ more children means great happiness†. Population Problems in China. There is a great number of social, economic and environmental problems evoked by the demographic situation. * High unemployment rate. The competition to find a job is very high and as Chinese people saying themselves: â€Å"I’m frightened for my children`s future, China’s biggest problem is the population†. As a result a lot of people migrate to a bigger cities or to neighboring countries to seek for a job. * Water and food shortages. As the world’s population increases, so too does its need for food and water – the two resources which are absolutely necessary to sustain life. The Asian giant has been warned by one of its own groundwater experts to either cut its food production or else face â€Å"dire† water levels, especially in the dry northwest plains. If not, aquifers will sink to â€Å"dire† levels not seen in 30 years. For example, the yellow river is dying up. The river has been overused and abused. Dozens of dams block its flow, drawing off huge quantities of water to grow cotton in the desert. * Housing shortages. China has an acute shortage of housing, attributable not only to the large annual increases in population (over 10 million a year) that must be accommodated but also to the long-standing policy of directing investment funds into heavy industry rather than into housing and other social amenities. As a result of expensive housing, people are forced o live in poor conditions and share a flat with big number of people. * Chronic air and water pollution problems are now evident in rural and urban areas throughout the country. China didn’t join Kiyoto protocol, so having a well- developed industry it keeps on emitting CO2 in great quantities. Air pollution is all over China, even harming the most picturesque locations. Acid rain is also a common place. * All of these are issues that the Chinese government must struggle and find a lot of solutions in order improve the lives of its people.

Feasibility of putting up vegan restaurant Essay

INTRODUCTION This chapter presents the business profile and general description of vegan restaurants, which fall under the consumer foodservice industry. This chapter includes the background of the study, rationale of the study, objective of the study, scope and limitation, significance of the study, research methodology, research design, and locale of the study, data gathering tool, data gathering procedure and the definition of terms. 1.1 Background of the study Vegan was termed in England in 1944 by Donald Watson which means â€Å"non-dairy Vegetarian†. It opposed the use of eggs as a food. Later, the definition of vegan was extended and it means that â€Å"man should live without exploiting animals†. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veganism.) Cafà © is an establishment that focuses on serving coffee. It may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches. â€Å"Cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬  is a French word which means coffee. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caf%C3%A9.) People give extra importance when it comes to health. One of its reasons is the sudden existence of many diseases that threatens the lives of the people. Obviously, when we talk about health, it always entails a healthy diet. Eating Vegetables and fruits is the best thing we know how to prevent such life ominous diseases because of its vitamins and mineral content with the absence of bad cholesterol. According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a report issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a vegetarian diet is associated with lower levels of obesity and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. There are varieties of restaurants registered here in General Santos City and most of the foods offered in these restaurants are meat and animal products. To make a variation and since there is a rapid growth of health and beauty conscious people, the researchers aim to provide an exceptional and accommodative vegan restaurant with cafà © for the people who need a place for chatting, to  make transactions and other personal activities. With its extraordinary structure and location, food lovers especially vegetarians might find it a good place to unwind, socialize and experience eating in a vegan way with a Pinoy touch. This proposed vegan restaurant will be the first vegetarian restaurant in General Santos City. Since it is vegan, it serves vegetable cuisine and plant products like beverages from fruit extracts and pasta with the recipe culture of Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Italian that serves as the asset from the competitors. It also has a cafà © that could make an edge among other restaurant. The place is a Wi-Fi hot spot and a Zen style ambiance which makes customers feel relaxed while eating or staying inside. Special room for conference meetings and other events is also offered. 1.2 Statement of the Problem The researchers will aim to determine the feasibility of putting up a vegan restaurant in San Miguel Street, General Santos City. Specifically, this study has the following objectives: a) To present the business descriptions of the existing restaurants in terms of their: a.1) products and services a.2) major players in the industry a.3) capacity of the industry a.4) key success factors a.5) the market a.6) the government role b) To conduct a structural analysis of Vegan Restaurant with cafà © in General Santos City b.1) Threats of Potential Entrants b.2) Threats of Substitutes b.3) Bargaining power of the suppliers b.4) Bargaining power of the customers b.5) Competition in the Industry c) To determine the feasibility of putting up a vegan restaurant with cafà © in General Santos City considering the following aspect: c.1) Management and organizational; c.2) Marketing c.3) Technical c.4) Financial 1.3 Specific Objectives This refers to the specific objectives of this study which will comprise of the management organization, the technical production, the marketing aspect, the financial study, and the social significance. 1.3.1 Management and Organization This aspect includes the form of business organization, organizational structure, personal qualifications, duties, and responsibilities and personnel salary structure. 1.3.2 Technical and Production It deals with the equipment and facilities needed in the vegan restaurant and its operation. It also deals with the architectural design of the restaurant. 1.3.3 Marketing Aspect It focuses on the trends, the competition, target market and the size of the market. Also it presents the design and implementation of the marketing activities of the vegan restaurant. 1.3.4 Financial Study It determines the operating cash requirements, cash flow, the financial statements and the financial analysis; and also, it provides the viability of the project. 1.3.5 Social Significance It focuses on the impact of the society and the economy. 1.4 Significance of the Study The business â€Å"Greens N’ Coffee† vegan restaurant is socially significant since it would create income, development, additional leisure, and improvement and therefore, progress. Basically, vegan restaurant is an income generating activity, for the exchange of output of money, since any businesses’ concern is profitability. The following beneficiaries of the study were identified by the researchers: To the public, that they may  appreciate the health benefits that will be offered by the vegan restaurant. To the Generals who are seeking for employment, they may be able to find jobs in which they can generate income to support them in their daily lives. To the future restaurant owners who are planning to put up a vegan restaurant, that they may be able to have a new perspective on the design and strategies essential to the effectiveness, stability and productivity of the business. To the local Government of General Santos City, for they can obtain taxes and other income from this business that they can use once the study is proven feasible To the future researchers, they may be able to use this as their reference for future studies regarding on vegan restaurants. 1.5 Scope and Limitation This study aims to determine the feasibility of putting up a vegan restaurant with cafà © in San Miguel Street, General Santos City. The respondents of this study will only be limited to the restaurants in General Santos City. This study discusses the management and organization aspects, technical and production aspects, marketing aspects, financial study aspects and social significance aspects of the industry. This research study will be conducted in the months of July to September 2011 within the locality of General Santos City. The researchers will choose 4 players of the restaurant industry registered at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) of the city. The researchers will be interviewing 4 managers or supervisors from the said members of the restaurant industry. 1.5 Research Design and Methodology This refers to the research method, the respondents of the study, the locale of the study, the research instrument that will be used for this study, and the data gathering procedure. 1.6.1 Research Method In this study, a descriptive method of research will be used which will deal with information that can be easily understood, while the process of this goes beyond mere gathering and tabulation of data. It involves the elements of interpretation of the meaning or significance of what is described. See figure 1 for the research flow. 1.6.2 Respondents The respondents of this study are the managers, and assistant managers of the Grab A Crab Restaurant, Ranchero Restaurant, Taps N’ Mix, and Dimsum Diner in General Santos City. 1.6.3 Locale of the Study This business will be located at San Miguel Street, Lagao, General Santos City. The city is the southernmost port city of the Republic of the Philippines. It is one of the most populous urban centres in the country with a population of 530,129 as per data of 2007 census (http://www.census.gov.ph/data/census2007/index.html). GenSan is bounded by municipalities of Sarangani Province namely Alabel in the East of the city, and Maasim in the South. General Santos City is a component of province South Cotabato. 1.6.4 Research Instrument The researchers will be using a primary and a secondary instrument as a research tool in order to acquire information from the respondents. An interview guide will be used as the primary instrument. The sources of the primary data are the managers, supervisors or representatives of the restaurant in General Santos City. The interview guide which will be used to gather data from the members of the industry consists of questions regarding the management and organizational, technical, marketing and financial aspects of the restaurant industry. This type of gathering tool will most probably benefit this study. Along with this, observation will also be used to collect further information which will be helpful in conducting the study. The secondary tools that the researchers will apply are the library resources, internet data, periodicals, published and unpublished materials. 1.6.5 Data Gathering Procedure The researchers will make preliminary visitations to the location of the four (4) major players of the restaurant industry. Letters of permission will be sent to the respondents and eventually approvals are expected as a response. After a positive response, there will be a planned interview with the managers, supervisors, or representatives from the respondents. Afterwards, data will be gathered, classified and interpreted with respect to the objectives of this study.

Classify the business according to its ownership †McDonalds Essay

The business I have decided to choose for this assignment is McDonald’s. McDonald’s ownership is a franchise. McDonald is a large business with more than 30,000 restaurants in over 100 countries, serving more than 38 million people each day. * Overseas comparisons indicate that franchising is the fastest growing form of retailing and McDonald has grown quickly by granting franchises. The term franchising has been used to describe many different forms of business relationships. This form of business ownership was first introduced in the U.K. It is a form of business organisation that is becoming increasingly popular in the United Kingdom. * A franchise is an agreement between two parties. An entrepreneur (franchisor) and franchisee. The franchise agreement grants to the franchisee the right and authorisation to operate a specific McDonald’s restaurant, at a single address. The franchise term is usually for a period of 20 years. These franchise rights include the use of McDonald’s trademarks, restaurant dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½cor designs, signage and equipment layout, the formula and specifications for menu items, use of McDonald’s method of operation, inventory control, book-keeping, accounting and marketing. * A separate franchise lease covers the right to occupy the restaurant premises. In returns, the franchisee agrees to operate the business in accordance with McDonald’s standards of quality service, cleanliness food safety and restaurant safety. The franchisee is expected to take a ‘hands on’ role in operating the business, and to be involved in local civic and charitable activities. * Throughout the franchise term, the franchisee’s sole business interest should be McDonald’s. Franchising is really the ‘hiring out’ or licensing of the use of ‘good ideas’ to other companies. A franchise grants permission to sell a product and trade under a certain name in a particular area. For example if I have a good idea, I can sell you a licence to trade and carry out a business using my idea in your area. McDonald’s is a big example of brand franchising. McDonald’s has grown its business in the United Kingdom through franchising outlets. Explain the benefits and constraints of the type of ownership. In order to succeed it is necessary to consider the benefits and constraints involvement in franchise. There are clear benefits to this: * You don’t have to come up with a new idea. Someone else had it and tested too! * Large, well-established franchise operations will often have national advertising campaigns and a reputable, well established trading name. * Good franchisors (BFA) will offer comprehensive training programmes in sales and indeed all business skills. * Good franchisor can also help secure funding for your investment as well as e.g. discounted bulk-buy supplies for outlets when you are in operation. * If you are aware that you are running a franchise customers will also understand that you will be offering the possible value for money and service – although you run your ‘own show’ as a part of a much larger organisation. Benefits for franchisor: * Low capital expenditure — franchising is an excellent method of expanding your business with a limited amount of ready capital. Franchisor takes a share of profit without taking risk. Low risk route to expansion. * Personal commitment and motivation from franchisees is greater than from employees, the reason being that they have more accountability and responsibility than an ordinary employee. * Reduced daily involvement — it is a method of obtaining conscientious and dedicated personal who work hard to a safeguard their investment. Benefits for franchisee: Some of the advantages of franchising to the franchisee are that it gives them the opportunity of sharing some of the benefits of a large business such as: * An established reputation * A known brand name and image * Skilled management * Large scale advertising programmes which are usually paid for by an advertising levy * Economies of scale, producing on a large scale is termed economies of scale. McDonald’s does this by trying to keep low cost through economies of scale. They try to select suppliers, which will give the company value for money. * Franchising also offer much of the independence of a sole proprietor In this way a small business benefits from the economies of scale That comes from being part of a large company organisation. Constraints of franchising * Limits on product price – they can’t change their product price up to wherever they want. They have limits for price. * Limits on variety of product – they can’t have variety of products. Customers get confused if they’ll keep variety of product they have to keep certain products. * Limits on freedom- they can’t do whatever they want. They have to follow owner’s instructions to run their business. Franchisees have not much freedom. * Limits on the title of their business- they can’t even change the colour of their title. As you can see they have same colour and title style wherever their branches are. Task 2: A Clear description and explanation of the objectives of the business. The objectives of businesses can vary enormously. Companies may have a number of objectives. In general, the objectives pursued by a business tend to vary according to its size, ownership and legal structure. Small businesses are more likely to focus on survival as an objective as they tend to lack the financial resources to cope with adverse trading conditions. Larger businesses may aim to maximise profits. As being one of the larger businesses McDonald has the following objectives: * Profit maximisation * Survival * Market share * Growth * Providing exceptional customers care * Remaining an efficient and quality producer offering high value to customers (according to company’s policy) Profit maximisation: Profit maximisation is likely to be an important objective for most companies which shareholder including McDonald’s owns. Profit refers to the extent to which revenues exceed costs, so profit maximisation occurs when the difference between sales revenue and total costs is greatest. Companies such as McDonald’s seek to maximise profit to cover up their costs and to provide high returns for their shareholders. McDonald’s does this by trying to keep cost low through economies of scale. They try to select suppliers which will give the company value for money. In order to maximise sales they have various sales promotion throughout the year. The basis for their profit is low cost rather than high price. Survival: Survival is an important objective for many businesses. According to the business writer Peter Drucker: It is the first duty of a business to survive. The guiding principle of business economics, in the other words, is not the maximisation of profits; it is the avoidance of loss. Business enterprise must produce the premium to cover the risk inevitably involved in its operation. And there is only one source for this risk premium: profits. Most recently established businesses like McDonald’s have survival as objectives. This is because often they have intense competition in the market so they have to spend heavily on their advertising to attract customers. They have to ensure that they remain the Market leader in their industry. Growth: Growth occurs for the company when there is an ongoing increase in an economy’s production of goods and services. McDonald’s pursues growth through selling more franchises all over the world in order to have a presence in most countries in the world. They can achieve this by increasing the overall size of the business by merging or joining other firms of buying them out through a take-over. McDonald’s recently went into a joint venture with prà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½t a manager in order to enter another segment of the U.S market and gain a greater share of the market Increasing sale or market share: Growth occurs when there is an ongoing increase in an economy’s production of goods and services. Many businesses pursue growth strategies because their managers believe that this essential for survival. If the firm grows, it grows with more customers, earn higher profits and begin to establish itself in the market. Growth offers: * Increased returns for the owners of the business * Competitive salaries ( and more job security ) for employees of the business * A wider range of products for the business exists and potential customers it is increasingly common for mangers’ pay packages to successful managers can earn substantial incomes if that is reflected in the company’s share price. Increasing market share is an important objective for McDonald’s. It is likely to be a key objective any business operating in a market which is not growing. For example, the market for traditional beers in the U.K is not growing – indeed there are signs that it may be declining. As the market is not increasing the size, brewers of traditional ales can only increase sales by taking market share from competitors. Market share is also important for McDonald’s because that considerably from producing on a large scale. They use expensive equipment and the financial advantages of producing on a large scale are termed economies of scale. Where these economies exist, firm will attempt to take a greater share of the market. This allows them to sell their product at lower price, increasing their competitiveness. Task Three: Every organisation will need to acquire, use and change factors of production in order to produce goods and provide services. McDonald’s has several functional areas that exist in the business to help the business meet its objectives and to provide goods and services as well. And each of which is supported by a particular administrative office. The administration of each function is based on its offices. There are many administrative offices each with a specialist responsibility and function. The functional areas McDonald’s has are as follow: * Finance * Production * Human resources * Marketing * Research and development * 1) Finance Function: The finance director George Mackay is responsible for finance department. The main activities of finance function are: * To keep record of all business transactions, keeping of cost and revenues and setting target through budgeting. * To provide information about services. * To develop new product that satisfy customer’s expectations. * Quality assurance * Supply chain * Measure the financial performance of the business. * Increase market share so they can make profit and give money to their shareholders. * Control the finances and cash flow so the business stays solvent, i.e. does go bankrupt. * Take timely decisions by comparing the predicted performance with actual performance. This chart shows the structure of finance department. Finance Director Finance Information services New product development Quality assurance Supply chain According to McDonald’s finance director accurate financial information allows them to achieve their most important goals to increase profits by expanding, sustained growth and charitable objectives. McDonald’s not only invests much of its profit in extending its own business but also set aside millions of dollars each year to fund charitable activities. Not only this, McDonald’s also provides different type of support to other organisations and schools. * McDonald’s has invested considerable sums in restoring old buildings, often putting back architectural details that have been lost. * McDonald’s supports the Groundwork Trust, an environmental urban regeneration programme. * McDonald’s is a major sponsor of international football. * McDonald’s donates million of pounds towards community, educational and charity programme. * McDonald’s also provides salary and benefits to its employees and reviewed on regular basis. As for most of the time McDonald’s made consistently high profits around $3,633 million and have grown successfully by making good profit and still planning to grow more further (according to the McDonald’s book). 2) Production Function: The function of the production department is to change inputs into outputs, which means produce goods and services are to be brought by the customers. McDonald’s is committed to maintaining and developing the best food products in the quick service restaurant market. And this is what production department is responsible for. In order to deliver on this, the company has made commitments: to food safety, food quality and to nutrition. Company systems and procedures must be continuously updated to ensure the highest standards of hygiene and safety. All staff receives proper training in food safety. McDonald’s food is made from the basic commodities: red and white meat, fish, eggs, milk, grain and vegetables. All raw ingredients are produced to exacting specifications and the highest possible standards and quality and safety. McDonald’s highly trained workers work with suppliers to maintain and develop product quality. McDonald’s recognises the importance of a balanced diet, lifestyle and health therefore provides hot, less fat and fresh food to their customers. McDonald’s invest a lot of money in new technology. Thus, improving the quality food preparation and helps achieving company’s aim of growth in the fast food market. * Controlling production methods and planning the scale of production * Controlling costs and working efficiently * Meeting the specific needs of customers McDonald’s is working hard to develop their products and provide their customers a variety of differentiated products, which helps to meet another important objective satisfying customer needs because increasingly customers expect to buy the product that meet their exact needs. Developing efficient methods of production to reduce cost is helps to make profit and growth because a fall in the cost of production resulting form an increase in the size of a business, which is called economy of scale in the language of business. When outputs rises, the cost of production per item-the unit cost-falls, and the business can reduce the price of its goods. With the lower price, it will get more customers and so benefit from the even lower unit costs. This will make it more competitive and can easily increase market share. McDonald’s has raised standard through out the food processing industry. 3) Human resources: Human resources department deals with staff recruitment, training and development. Human resources is a very important function for the business because it selects the workforce (the right people for right job), provides training and development of staff, which improve their skills, performance and relates to the aim of McDonald’s, which is the best service for its customers. Efficiency helps a business run more smoothly, effectively and profitability. Efficiency begins with developing ways of working that are easy to understand and do not waste time or energy. Division of labour, in which each workers carries out a specific job, increase speed and the more people you serve each day the more profit you make so it helps to maximize profit as well as expand the business. McDonald’s have their employment policies. McDonald’s employs some of the best, most ambitious people on the job market. Whether they join as hourly paid staff or management trainees through gradua te or a high standard recruitment, they have the opportunity to develop a career, which can take them to the very top. Above all, McDonald’s values people with a positive attitude towards customers, themselves and other employees, and strive towards delivering the highest standards of quality, service and cleanliness. The ability to understand and adopt McDonald’s customer-led culture is as worth as the more usual career entry requirements of GCSE and university degree. The company is an equal opportunity employer and 1992 set up an equal opportunities group to help foster a diverse workplace and highlight equal opportunities as an important part of the company’ s ethos. McDonald’s commitment to equal opportunity extends beyond race, gender, ethnic origin, marital status, colour, nationality or disability, to compass people with very different backgrounds and experience. Whether university graduates and those without formal qualifications, first jobbers or those who have worked for decades, what binds employees is the knowledge that the opportunities are as great as an individual’s ambition and ability allow. And if employees are happy with the opportunities they are getting form the company they work hard for the company and try to provide best service in the world. It is important to retain talented staff and staff who have become skilled through training. By recruiting quality staff who are committed to the business, thus reducing recruitment costs by not having to recruit too often. McDonald’s also provide benefits with salary to its staff. Hourly paid staff benefits: * Free meal allowance * Paid holidays (4 weeks per annum) * Free life assurance (value dependent upon service) * Private health care (for employees aged 19+with 3 years service) * Sponsorship Programme * Stock purchase scheme * Employees discount card * Service awards (at 3, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years service) * Stakeholder pension Apart from good rates of pay, McDonald’s try to provide good working conditions and incentives. This also helps McDonald’s to meets its objective of expanding and providing best service to the community. 4) Marketing: According to the research about McDonald’s marketing is the whole process by which goods get from producers to buyers. More people work in Marketing than in production. Marketing involves marketing research, distribution, pricing and promotion. As last week McDonald’s was offering 2 normal fries, hamburger, drink for only à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2 and that offer was only for limited period. Marketing department deals with advertising, promotion and improving the image of the product and services to attract more customers. The fast food industry is in which many companies compete for customers. McDonald’s provide a better product, give better value for money, provide a superior service, better at distributing and selling its good and services and making them known through advertising and publicity. There is no doubt that McDonald’s do a lot of advertising and promotion activities. One of them is mentioned above. Recently McDonald’s announced that Kay Napier, Procter & Gamble marketing veteran, vice President/General manger, has been hired as a senior Vice President of marketing. McDonald’s marketing director said, â€Å"I am delighted to add this kind of marketing talent to our team at McDonald’s. This is another step in elevating one of the world’s great brands to an even higher level of marketing strength and value. This will also help them to achieve their objective, which is growth. Customer can be attracted through good eye-catching advertisement, advertisement has this tremendous ability to shift demand curve to the right. As customer increase income rises which helps achieving company’s aim of making profit so that they can cover their cost more easily. McDonald’s also meets its objective which is satisfying customer need by knowing what customer want and how much they are willing to spend on their food. To achieve this objective marketing department employees special research team for the test products do surveys with customers to taste new product and answer questionnaire about them. According to McDonald’s policy McDonald’s will not work with any supplier who does not adhere to the standards required by UK and EU legislation regarding animal welfare, transportation, husbandry, inspection, and quality & hygiene. This policy helps McDonald’s to meet its o bjective of Providing best food, beat competition and improve the company’ image. 5) Research and development: The purpose of R & D is to enable business to compete successfully and achieve permanently sustainable competition over its competitors by becoming more efficient and/or profitable and giving customers’ added value. To achieve this McDonald’s always and will continue to develop new products that satisfy customer’s expectations for great taste and great value. The company’s new product and development team works with suppliers to expand the menu with new core and promotional food items. The team helps to ensure that all new food items meet McDonald’s high quality and safety standards. As with the existing product range, McDonald’s solicits and carefully listens to customers’ view on any new or promotional products. * McDonald’s offer more and more choices for breakfast by developing new products as more and more customers eat breakfast out rather than at home. * Changing existing products McDonald’s uses conventional food chemicals or additives that add flavour and colour that helps to maintain freshness and make changing in existing products by listening to customers’ views. * Collecting data from worldwide research McDonald’s has special research team to find out what customers want and how much they can spend. McDonald’s also has restaurant development policy: When McDonald’s has local knowledge which is a key to choosing new locations, McDonald’s on discussion with local managers who are closely involved at roots level with their local communities. By keeping customers convenience McDonald’s develop new restaurants. Company is committed to responsible and works closely with local planning and community groups when developing new restaurants. Every bullet point and information is written there helps McDonald’s to achieve its objective of providing good service to the community by attracting more customers and making profit. There are advantages and disadvantages with every functional areas but each functional area helps McDonald’s in one way or another to meet its objectives. Task Four: There are three types of management style and they are: * Democratic * Autocratic * Consultative Management style will describe the different ways that the managers treat their employees and also the way the in charge of the employees. Democratic management style: This type of style involves empowerment. Individuals and team are given responsibility to make decisions, usually with a given frame. The team is then responsible for the decisions that it makes. A manager with this style will feel comfortable allowing others t make decisions. Autocratic management style: This style is where manager gives out instructions, telling people what to do rather than asking employees. The manager is the only person who contributes to decision making. Consultative management style: Consultative mangers are ones who seek to consult other to implement decisions. This type of style wants to draw on more sources of opinion than just her or himself. The purpose of management style is to remember where we started. Business exists to satisfy demand for particular goods and services and in order to do this they need resources; the factor of production. Being the fast food company McDonald’s exists to provide catering service to the community. Management is concerned with planning, controlling and co-ordinating the acquisition and use of these resources. In large concerns like McDonald’s, managers run the business by using people and information. The term ‘managing’ comes from the Latin word for hand, as does the word ‘manual’. It originally meant ‘handling’ things’ but did not originally apply to people. McDonald’s Management is responsible for the preparation, integrity and fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements and financial comments. The financial statement has been audited by independent auditors, Ernst & Young LLP, who was given unrestricted access to all financial records and related data. The audit report of Ernst & Young LLP is presented herein. The Board of Directors, operating through its Audit Committee composed entirely of independent Directors, provides oversight to the financial reporting process. Ernst & Young LLP has unrestricted access to the Audit Committee and regularly meets with the Committee to discuss accounting, auditing and financial reporting matters. McDonald’s has an autocratic management style. A manger takes entire responsibility for decisions and, having set objectives and allocated tasks to employees, expect them to be carried out exactly as specified. Employees are told exactly what, how and when work must be started and finished. It is the kind of management style associated with a corporate culture centred almost exclusively on production. Power is focused at the top, and the centralised decision making is geared to getting the goods out of the company and to customers. The culture of a business can be widely affected by its attitudes, values and beliefs. There are different types of culture McDonald’s is very close to customer driven culture by keeping this culture in its mind McDonald’s works and as it is described before that McDonald’s first priority is its customers. Attention is focused on improving all aspects of the production process down to the minutes detail for the customers’ benefits. Technological culture is focused as well. To improve its technology and develop new products they listen to its customers as well as to their staff. An autocratic style does have some advantages and advantages for McDonald’s. Disadvantages are: * Workers may want some flexibility, freedom, little contact workers therefore little teamwork, can be demotivating. * Disadvantage of having a hierarchical structure is that messages can get distorted or lost from one manager to the next. * There is also poor communication between the different functions. Advantages are: * Need quick decisions, health and safety, clear and consistent approach helps employees * Advantages of the hierarchical structure are that every one knows whom they are responsible to and whom they are responsible for. * This can also shows where specialists are needed in their divisional groups The organisation structure McDonald’s has is hierarchical structure, which you can see on next page. The benefits McDonald’s gets are clear management structure, clear lines of responsibility and control and functions are clear and distinct. Of course where there are advantages there are disadvantages as well. The disadvantages McDonald’s has are many layers of communication and many layers of authority and decision-making. The relationship between structure, management style and culture Structure Management style Culture Hierarchical, many levels Autocratic Based on routine procedures of management, e.g. in and job roles, decisions are large business like McDonald’s centralised. Being a huge company McDonald’s has an Operations Director (Peter Sullivan), Development Director (Peter Richards), Finance Director (George Director), Marketing Director (Matthew Howe), HR & Training Director (Carmel Flatley) and chairman and chief executive (Andrew Taylor) are the most important people in the company. Together with the other directors, they oversee the work of the company’s five vast departments: Operational, technical, real estate, financial and marketing. There are also regional manager senior supervisor and superior supervisor, restaurant manager and assistant manager. The board of directors have senior jobs in the company, overseeing different divisions. These are the executive directors. The board also includes non executive directors, who do not work for the company. They help the board make decisions and look after the interests of the shareholders. McDonald’s also have training and careers or its employers. McDonald’s employs local people in their own community. It is an equal opportunity employer, and women and people from ethnic minorities are represented at all levels. Young people accepted for a position on McDonald’s career programme can quickly climb the promotional ladder. Trainee managers go through a series of training courses at centres set up in their own community. They receive even more important on-the-job training at a McDonald’s restaurant. McDonald’s has an open door policy, which allows staff access to managers from the chairman down. Everyone is welcome to make suggestions or complaints. McDonald’s also holds a frequent meetings called rap sessions where staff can voice their complaints to someone from headquarters or air grievances to a member of management from another restaurant. McDonald’s now has a bureaucracy; senior staff is not even treated with the awe they command in some companies. Even the chairman is approachable. The staff and the public have open access to him through the company’s open door policy. There is a McDonald’s management structure on next page. Task 5: A description of the use of ICT for internal and external communications of the business. Businesses need to communicate with a range of individuals and other organisations including their customers, their suppliers, as well as their own employees. Every organisation will need to be able to communicate effectively with staff at all levels for it to function smoothly and efficiently. These are the reason why communication is important for a business or an organisation whether it is internal or external. The business I have chosen for this assignment is McDonald’s. McDonald’s also has internal and external communication to run its business effectively. McDonald’s has an IT strategy. Information technology is important where it enables a business to achieve its goals. However cost is always important and evidence seems to show that IT is more expensive than firms realise. According to Management Consultants, support cost can be five times the amount estimated. This includes help from other staff and time spent on security and back-up procedures. Other costs can include: * Staff training * Introducing health and safety measures * The need to maintain efficient security Two recent trends in keeping down IT costs are: Downsizing: when we look at human resources management then downsizing means is lying off employees. However in IT it simply means using smaller systems, such as a mini-computer instead of a mainframe, or a PC instead of a mini. This is possible because hardware is becoming more powerful. The other recent trend is outsourcing. Outsourcing: This again is a term used in human resources management Internal and external communications: Internal communication: Internal communication is communication that takes place within the organisation. The three main ways of communicating information inside McDonald’s are intranet, McNews and MDUK and High levels. Methods of keeping In touch with staff: * Intranet Launched in the year 2000, McDonald’s UK intranet provides a fast and up-to-the-minute source of information for McDonald’s restaurant management and office staff. It is a single point of reference administrative requirements, news and marketing materials. * McNEWS AND MDUK McNews was the award-winning magazine published bi-monthly for all restaurant staff. In 2002, McNews was re-launched as MDUK – a lively people-focused magazine, it covers news, activities and events from restaurants around the country. * High levels Published bi-monthly for all management and office staff it is a showcase for best practice, recognising individual’s outstanding practices and achievements, as well as highlighting internal and external awards. * An email system operates in all offices and company-owned restaurants. * Regular staff communication sessions are held in the offices. * Employee satisfaction surveys for both office and restaurant staff are held annually. This is how McDonald’s communicate with its staff. The purpose of internal communication is to communicate with its internal customers, which are employees to run business effectively and smoothly. Provide them information they need time to time. External communication: External communication takes place between the organisation and the outside world. McDonald’s needs to communicate with a range of stakeholders including shareholders, customers, government, suppliers and the community. Communicating with suppliers and customers: * Telephone: The most frequently used form of external verbal communication is telephone. McDonald’s uses this form of external communication to contact with their suppliers. Apart from this McDonald’s has answering machines to keep in touch with customers. Phone answering machines tape callers’ messages, which can be played back from a distance by calling the number and typing in a code. * Business letter: McDonald’s has its address available on it’s every website for their customers and also to obtain your copy of the pack you can contact them by sending a letter. * Website: Most companies have an internet website including McDonald’s. McDonald’s uses this for all external communications purposes and for public relations activities. I also used McDonald’s website to do research for my assignment. * Fax: Fax is a form of external communication. Fax machine is used to transmit and receive suppliers to communicate. The purpose of external communication is to communicate with its customers, suppliers and community. Provide them information about the business they want. Benefits: The benefits of using internal communication are: * The benefit of using intranet to business is that it provides a fast and up-to-minute source of information for McDonald’s restaurant management and staff. * McNews magazine covers news, activities and events from restaurant around the country. * E-mail system is faster and efficient. Information and reports are confidential. The same message can be sent immediately to many people. * Employee surveys helps to get employee views. The benefits of using external communication are: * Telephone is fast and its great benefit is that it allows people who would find it difficult to meet to converse. And a person who can’t read or write can talk over the phone to get information. * The use of business letter saves time for the person whom you are writing to and you can explain in detail. Not everyone has access to internet so if somebody who needs information about the organisation can write a letter to them. * Fax does the same thing its transmitting speed is fast and saves time. Again if somebody need information about the organisation can contact them through fax if has no access to internet. * Website provides a lot of information about the organisation and in detail with pictures and graphs make easier for you to understand. It saves time of both who wants information and the one who is giving. For example if you asking the manager of McDonald about the company but he hasn’t got enough time to give you information in detail so when you have time you can go on to McDonald’s website and look for the information you need in detail. In order to achieve business objectives McDonald’s has created communication channels which all allows the company to communicate effectively both internally and externally. Due to successful communication when looking at the McDonald’s UK financial profile form 1998 to 2001. One can clearly see a substation increase in profit during this period. By using effective communication McDonald’s meets a range of organisational objectives which are crucial for the business such ads being a market leader, no 1 fast food retailer in the world which is due to the excellent reputation built throughout the year by maintain strong relationships with customers, adapting to new environment investing in new technologies and continuously up-grading systems and improving staff training. All this reflected in McDonald’s ability to maximise sales profit and revenues. ICT has an enormous impact on McDonald’s business internally and externally. E-mails replaced the old fashioned methods of communication such as letters and phone calls. The company has a very sophisticated network database which replaced the traditional systems of filing, storing information. Computers are used every where in the business to replace a range of standard operations such as maintaining stock levels, organising deliveries, preparing invoices and recording payments etc. The use of the internet website enables McDonald’s to reach any place in the world and is a very latest link with the global market for example every body can obtain the information from the website in a matter of minutes. The global net exchange enables McDonald’s through electronic data interchange (EDI) system to arrange financials transfer dramatically reducing time, paper work and costs. Poor communication results in mistakes, anxiety, low morale, inadequate control and aggression. Not surprisingly there is concern to improve the quality of communications. First this means improving the communication skills of people within the organisation. Second, it means developing systems of communication. We can identify the skills required by individuals as: o Patience o Discretion o Understanding o Assertiveness —— where necessary. A clear explanation of how the production process and quality assurance / control system employed by the business help it to add value to its product or service. McDonald’s production is a very important process in McDonald’s business activities and it involves: o Processing o Manufacturing o Assembly o Craft-based production Processing: Most of the McDonald’s products are created by processing which includes food and drinks. Processing involves treatment such as washing, cutting, salting, weighting, heating, grilling and frying etc. The raw materials such as meat, chicken, fish and vegetables etc are passed through a series of processes until the desire form product is produced for example chicken fillet is processed into chicken burgers, grilled and then assorted with salad cream. Manufacturing: Manufacturing involves making boxes, cups, sticks and different children’s toys which McDonald’s has special facility to produce techniques include for example producing plastic toys from plastic granules called â€Å"Polietilen† which is put into a machine which is heated and under pressure different shapes are made for toys. The same thing applies for the plastic cups for hot and soft drinks. Assembly: A typical assembly operation for example putting together big Mac and French fries with a cup of soft drink in a paper bag to serve the so-called big meal for à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½4.99. Another example for an assembly is when staff is in the workshop assemble kid’s toys, which go together with the kid’s happy meal. Craft-based production: Craft based production involves making individual products by hand for example a birthday cake for McDonald’s birthday parties where the parent can request a special shape and decoration for the child’s birthday cake. So McDonald’s takes individual offers for special cakes. Especially trained staff has the ability and skill to create imaginative and attractive design that suits the individual needs of customers. Craft production in McDonald’s for example involves working with material such as icing, chocolate, cream, coco powder and baking powder. Quality assurance: McDonald’s is committed to maintaining and developing the best food products in the quick service restaurant market. In order to deliver on this, the company has made a number of other commitments: to food safety, food quality and nutrition. McDonald’s first is always the health and safety of customers. The company believes that the food safety standards required by law are only a minimum and the company continually seeks to go beyond this. Because of this belief, McDonald’s has developed a food safety policy to help keep the focus of the company’s absolute commitment to food safety and quality. – All raw materials delivered to McDonald’s restaurant must be consistently produced to the highest standards of hygiene and safety. – Company systems and procedures must be continuously updated to ensure the highest standards of food hygiene for all customers at all time. – All staff receives proper supervision and training in food and safety. – The equipment used must be the appropriate for the needs of each restaurant, and must be carefully maintained and carefully calibrated. Following its launch in early 1998, McDonald’s continues its programme of sponsoring research grants in food safety. The grants are particularly aimed at supporting the work of researchers in the early stage of their independent research careers, who are working in established UK-based departments and institutions. McDonald’s is committed to serving hot, fresh, great tasting, great value food to all customers, every time that they visit a restaurant. McDonald’s food has made from the basic commodities: red and white meat, fish, eggs, milk, grain and vegetables. All raw materials are produce to exacting specifications and the highest possible standards of quality and safety, The Company will not use any ingredients unless it is clear exactly where it has come from and that it compiles with all relevant regulations and McDonald’s own high standards. Additives are only used to ensure that high quality standards are maintained. Additives are removed or replaced wherever possible, as long as this does not compromise food safety or quality. McDonald’s has a highly trained team of quality assurance whose job includes verifying the company’s supply chain through audits and site visit. These employees also work with suppliers to maintain and develop product quality and to ensure that restaurants consistently serve hot, fresh food. Independent food safety auditors re also used to assess their key suppliers partners. In 1984 McDonald’s became the first UK restaurant company to publish detailed nutritional information on all core menu items. McDonald’s highest priority is for the safety of its customers. The company will not any product or ingredient that does not meet their high standards of quality and safety, or has not received the necessary approval by the relevant UK authorities. McDonald’s will not work with any supplier who does not adhere to the standard required by UK and EU legislation regarding animal welfare, transportation, husbandry, inspection, and quality & hygiene. McDonald’s always and will continue to develop new products that satisfy customers’ expectations for great taste and great value. Around the country, thousands of people form a network of dedicated suppliers involved in the day-to-day operation of McDonald’s business. The responsibility of serving more than 2.5 million customers each day makes quality a consistent goal. McDonald’s work with leading suppliers across the UK – from potato farmers in Lincolnshire and Norfolk to dairies in the south and midlands-to bring the customers the tasty products they expect from McDonald’s. It is McDonald’s policy worldwide to purchase supplies from local producers wherever possible, providing that they can meet exacting product and hygiene regulations, operate responsibly and humanely and are competitive. McDonald’s strives to ensure quality from crop to counter. To that end, McDonald’s requires the highest standards and specifications, not just product ingredients every detail of production, transport, delivery, preparation and service is also exhaustively monitored. McDonald’s also recognises the importance of a balanced diet and lifestyle and continues quality new products, which satisfy customers’ expectations for taste and value. A focus on quality permeates every aspect of the business. McDonald’s standards lead the industry, and will continue to work with government and health officials to investigate improvements. Quality control: Quality control in McDonald’s involves all kinds of inspection system for checking the raw materials, the food processing, customer service and management. The company carries out different types of testing the raw materials as well as the ready made meal and drinks for example the cooking oil in which the French fries are cooked is changed twice a day. Each restaurant manger and supervisor inspects daily the premises, the safety of the equipment and the expiry date on stored product such as milk, cream etc and general hygiene on the premises including McDonald’s car park and the neighbouring areas. In the company mission statement different policies are allocated such as health and safety, food hygiene, manual handling, customer service, litter control, recycling and environmental policy for example McDonald’s is a member of the environment council, the corporate responsibility group of Earth watch Europe, the industry council for packaging and the environment (INCPEN), and greeting the high street, a group of retailers who have come together to develop recycling in the high street. Another example is that McDonald’s takes a sensitive approach to its built environment, working closely with planning and conservation officers to preserve buildings of architectural merit and to improve the townscape. In many towns, McDonald’s has invested considerable sums in restoring old buildings, often putting back architectural details that have been lost. York, Chester and Stratford-upon-Avon are prime examples. McDonald’s has supported the tidy Britain Group’s annual ‘National clean’ activities. Since 1988 and support its campaign ‘just Bin it’. In addition to corporate funding, restaurant throughout the UK organise and support activities to clean up their local environment in conjunction with local youth groups. o McDonald’s is one of the country’s leading sponsors of council litterbins. o All packaging carries the Tidy Britain Group’s ‘Tidy Man’ symbol. o Many McDonald’s restaurant organise litter-related competitions with local schools and youth groups. o McDonald’s was a founding sponsor of ‘Going of Green’, a nationwide awareness campaign for sustainable growth. In 1997 at the TIDY Britain Group’s Queen Mother’s birthday Awards for environmental improvement, McDonald’s received the top award, the Queen Mother’s Birthday Trophy. o 100% recycled used for happy meal boxes, take away bags, take away trays, napkins, kitchen rolls and toilets. o All McDonald’s tray liners are made from 100% fully recyclable and biodegradable materials. o All McDonald’s suppliers have to use minimum recycled content of 50% in their corrugated containers. o All McDonald’s offices recycle waste paper and also use recycled paper. o The majority of McDonald’s restaurants recycle their cardboard and used cooking oil.