Thursday, November 28, 2019

McDonald’s At the Face of the Competitive Challenges in HRM Essay Example

McDonald’s: At the Face of the Competitive Challenges in HRM Essay McDonalds proclaims itself as the worlds community restaurant and is proud of their long-standing commitment to a workforce that values diversity. McDonald’s believe in developing and maintaining a diverse workforce that will strengthen the McDonalds system (McDonald’s Company Website).Recruitment at McDonalds is usually the same process in most countries. The applicant fills in an application form and, if successful, will be invited for an interview. Until the 1970s, the corporation routinely put applicants through a half-hour lie detector test in some US restaurants, largely to determine whether or not they had any sympathy for trade unions. This practice was only ended after threats of legal action and changes in American labor law (Vidal, 1997). At present, it appears that having the right attitude is the most important attribute to obtain employment at McDonalds. As a global company, McDonald’s successfully fulfilled the six competitive challenges facing human resources management departments: Going Global, Embracing Technology, Managing Change, Developing Human Capital, Responding to the Market, and Containing Costs. In an article entitled McDonalds Serves up HR Excellence, it claimed the food chain excelled at pulling potential employees into its company: Satisfying the six competitive challenges that human resources management, the company has attracted one-eighth of the American work force (Flynn, 1996). Thus, it is safe to say that McDonald’s fulfilled these six challenges in their strategies in human resources management. In a nutshell, McDonalds basic HR philosophy works in most operations are always open to change.   However, the prime reason why McDonalds HR is so successful because it always remembers its people. McDonald’s goal is to ensure that their work force is committed and the difference between McDonal d’s among other folks is about the commitment that they are able to engender through their people. We will write a custom essay sample on McDonald’s: At the Face of the Competitive Challenges in HRM specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on McDonald’s: At the Face of the Competitive Challenges in HRM specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on McDonald’s: At the Face of the Competitive Challenges in HRM specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer References Flynn, Gillian. (1996, January).McDonalds Serves Up HR Excellence, Personnel Journal, 75.1. McDonalds Company Website. (2005). Corporate Values. Retrieved March 25, 2006, from http://www.mcdonalds.com/corp/values.html Vidal, J. (1997). McLibel: Burger Culture on Trial, London: Macmillan.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Marx Communist Manifesto Summary Essay Essays

Marx Communist Manifesto Summary Essay Essays Marx Communist Manifesto Summary Essay Paper Marx Communist Manifesto Summary Essay Paper Essay Topic: Communist Manifesto All throughout history. there has ever been a sense of hierarchy in society such as the elites over the provincials. blue bloods over plebeians. etc. Although there was much social alteration in the clip of revolution. this subordination of categories did non. Sprouted from feudal society. businessperson continues the division of social categories: Bourgeoisie and Proletariat. The work of the Proletariats was to merely happen occupations and work. They’d continue working so long as it increased the capital. However. Proletariats did non necessitate any â€Å"individual character† to be working. They were merely an â€Å"appendage† to the machines in the mills. Not much accomplishment or instruction was needed to work these machines. hence. the cost of bring forthing the stuffs was really limited. As work increased. their rewards would diminish. As industry increased. so did the Proletariat. Factories were rapidly going packed with more labourers. Conditionss of life for them began to equalise. nevertheless their rewards seemed to fluctuate in response to the competition between other mills. Technologically. the machines weren’t progressing due to their trust on the workers to hasten production anyhow. This began to rupture down the Proletariats vibrant support. so they began to make groups against the Bourgeoisie. Their stria to gether helped them maintain better path on the stableness of the rewards and were more powerful in their occasional rebellions. At times. they would be successful in these rebellions. However. their existent success stemmed from their prevarications. The continual laden behaviour of the Proletariat was no longer compatible with society.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Gender inequalities in the workplace Research Paper - 1

Gender inequalities in the workplace - Research Paper Example Although it is evident that there have been significant gains in the workplace regarding equality in recent times, it is also evident that progress, to ensure equality, has stalled or slowed down. Despite being more than five decades since the idea of empowering women to participate in all the key sectors of the economy was born, it is evident that women face issues related to sexism in their workplace. In effect, this has had an effect of slowing down the gains achieved in ensuring equality. In the United States, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was one of the instruments that contributed to the participation of women in the workplace. This article not only prohibits discrimination due to gender, but also prohibits discrimination of people from the workplace based on their origin and religion (Gregory 1). Inadvertently with the advent of Title VII, it is evident that the world witnessed sweeping changes in the economic and social trends, which enhanced the participation of women in the workplace with the statistics increasing ever since. In the contemporary world, the United States continues to witness women rising in positions of power and their elevation to professional and corporate levels that were previously not fathomed. Despite all these achievements, various issues continue to underline inequality in the workplace. Sex discrimination in the workplace and other key areas of the economy might have subsided although it has not ended. Commenting about the participation and discrimination of women in the workplace, Abrams noted, â€Å"The present day finds us not at the end of the path, but navigating a crucial bend in the road† (1183). In this regard, women have realized that they have made substantial gains in the workplace although there are factors that inhibit their participation in the workplace. In line with this, it is crucial to point out that today’s woman can secure

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Second World War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Second World War - Essay Example Woodrow Wilson came up with 14 points and based on them, he formulated a treaty strong enough to spread peace in Europe if implemented. On the other hand, Georges Clemenceau wanted to take revenge from Germany. Lloyd George consented with Wilson but the people of England felt like Clemenceau did, so George tried to find a middle way between Wilson’s and Clemenceau’s approach. ïÆ'Ëœ Hitler’s Actions After becoming the Chancellor of Germany in 1933, Adolf Hitler started to secretly develop weapons and army in Germany. He expanded the German army in 1934, started to make warships, and developed airforce in Germany. Hitler then started confiscating land from the non-Germans. Countries that were demanded land from included Austria and Czechoslovakia. Expecting Poland to be the next country in the list, the governments of Britain and France resolved to take military action against Germany. On 1 September 1939, Germany invaded Poland. ïÆ'Ëœ Ineffectiveness of the League of Nations The League of Nations was established in the year 1919 as an international organization to sustain peace in the world. All countries were supposedly the members of this League. Disputes would be resolved through dialogue rather than war. If a country showed non-conformance, she would be stopped trade with and if this did not work, war was inevitable. The League of Nations eventually failed for certain reasons.... These and many other factors caused the outbreak of the Second World War. Involvement of the US Foundations of the involvement of the US in the Second World War were laid with the invasion of Manchuria, China by Japan. In 1931, China was suffering from depression, which made it all the more easier for the Japanese to establish themselves in the Southern Manchuria. Russia was not content with the Japanese invasion of China, and so was the US since the US had good terms with Russia. In addition to that, the US had many political and economic reasons to enter the Second World War including the export of weapons to countries. The War in Europe There was a lot of subjectivity created about the country that would dominate Europe after the First World War. â€Å"The tremendous dislocations caused by the war laid the groundwork for the collapse of democratic institutions there and set the stage for a second German attempt at conquest† (â€Å"A Brief History†). The German democr atic regime was destroyed as a result of the spread of the Great Depression. Adolf Hitler strengthened the Nazi Party in 1933 and put an end to the parliamentary government. The Nazi government strengthened the armed forces in Germany and in an attempt to recover the German territories, overturned the Versailles Treaty. Hitler’s policy was directed at the expansion of Germans in the Eastern Europe. â€Å"Soon Germany, Italy, and Japan became allies, facing Western democratic governments that wanted to avoid another war and the Soviet Union whose Communist government was widely distrusted† (â€Å"A Brief History†). The War in the Pacific The timeline of events

Monday, November 18, 2019

Organizational Behavior in Best Buy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Organizational Behavior in Best Buy - Essay Example they operate the Geek Sqaud which is a customer service business where they assist their customers both bin the Best Buy stores and in customers’ homes. Future Shop and Best Buy are two brands of large, broad-based customer electronics stores they operate in Canada. They also serve their customers through four websites - BestBuy.com, FutureShop.ca, Magnoliaav.com and GeekSquad.com. Their corporate vision is to make life fun and easy. The company is strongly associated with technology as they think technology should serve people. Since its inception in 1966 the company has grown steadily through innovation. They have overcome numerous challenges on the way and grown stronger. With a customer centric approach the employees have been trained to respond to their unique needs and aspirations. Changes in organizational behavior have become essential to sustain the market forces and competition. Employees at Best Buy are stressed out and find it difficult to maintain work-life balance. Organizations are constantly being challenged to develop new dynamic, adaptable structures. This is what Best Buy (BB) was experiencing till they decided to bring about a drastic change in their corporate culture. Attrition rate had increased at Best Buy when the company decided to introduce the ROWE (results-only work environment) program (ICMR, 2007). The vision of the program was that productivity should be measured by output and not by the number of hours spent at work. Turnover has reduced following the implementation of the program (Business Week, 2006). Change management is difficult and BB too faced problems. Implementing ROWE required a complete overhaul of people’s attitude towards work. There was a lot of confusion in the beginning. To manage change motivation is the key to empower the staff and get the front line managers to take collectively responsibility (Landale, 2004). When BB implemented this, they gradually found that employee engagement, a measure of employee

Friday, November 15, 2019

Role Of Project Manager In Communication Management Plan Management Essay

Role Of Project Manager In Communication Management Plan Management Essay The role of a project manager in project communication management consists of Identifying stakeholders, Planning communications, Distributing Information and Managing Stakeholder expectations and Reporting performance A key role of the project manager is to create a communications management plan to analyze stakeholder communications needs and disseminate important information efficiently. Richer forms of communications should be used for important objectives The Tuckman model developed by Dr. Bruce Tuckman in 1970 describes 5 stages of team development such as Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Adjourning If project managers depended too heavily on money, penalty or authority, the project was more likely to fail compared to work challenge and expertise which were more influential Project Managers should set an example by leading their teams such that the team members should know how to deal with conflicts, where team members work out small conflicts amongst themselves before elevating them to the higher ups Project managers and team members could use these strategies such as confrontation, compromise, smoothing, forcing, withdrawal and collaboration Project practitioners should adhere to the PMIs Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct in dealing with conflict amongst team members. 1. Introduction: There are four core knowledge areas of project management that deal with project scope, time, cost and quality management which help in defining the specific project objectives. Human resource, communications, risk and procurement management are the four facilitating knowledge areas. These four facilitating knowledge areas are processes that help in achieving the project objectives and hence are important. The greatest threat to any project is the ineffective communication between the project manager, team and the key stakeholders. Many problems in completion of projects are attributed to unclear scope or unrealistic schedules which indicate communication problems between the project manager, team and stakeholders. It is crucial for project managers and their teams to understand Project communication management. Project communication management deals with generation, collection, dissemination and storing of project information (Schwabe, 2010) This next section deals with the role of a project manager in a communication management plan and the elements involved in it. Further sections show how project managers establish team culture, the characteristics of motivation, conflicts, strategies on conflict resolution and ethical behavior in dealing with conflicts. 2. Communication : Communication is very important for the success of any project. It is also closely related with team work and team building and hence also affects how conflicts happen. A communication management plan for the entire project is very necessary. The role of a project manager in project communication management is given as follows: a. Identifying Stakeholders : This stage identifies the people involved in or affected by the project. The project manager creates processes and manages relationships with them. The project manager must create a Stakeholder register and Stakeholder management strategy. b. Planning communications : This stage identifies the communication needs and the channel of communication required by the stakeholder. A communications management plan and project documents update are required made by the project manager. c. Distributing Information and Managing Stakeholder expectations : The Project manager makes important information available to project stakeholders efficiently and in a timely manner, such that it satisfies the communication needs and expectations of the project stakeholders. Formal or informal plans, procedures, policies are the output of this stage. d. Reporting Performance : A project manager collects and reports project performance information to the stakeholders in the form of status reports, forecasts and progress measurements (Schwabe, 2010) Developing information and making it available to all the stakeholders is an important function of the project managers and team. Project managers and their teams must decide the recipient of the information and distribution channels for the information. They should also decide on the format of the information, such as written reports or meetings etc. A key role of the project manager is to create such a communications management plan to analyze stakeholder communications needs and disseminate important information efficiently. According to the Daft and Lengels Media richness theory, the richness of the media in communication is directly proportional to the time and cost spent on it. Hence face to face communication is preferred to email because of better communication but it is more costly and more time is spent. Thus richer forms of communications should be used for important objectives (Markus L, 1994) 3. Establishing team culture Team work and people management are the most important issues in project management. Establishing and motivating teams are interlinked with communication and are important to understand before understanding conflict and the ethical issues related with conflict. Belbin observes that, The essence of a team is its members form a co-operative association through a division of labor that best reflects the contribution that each can make towards the common objectives. To establish a team the project manager can use the following graphical techniques: Work Breakdown Structures shows major tasks broken down into smaller tasks Linear Responsibility Charts shows relationships between tasks and people Organizational Hierarchy Charts shows structure of a project team or organization The Tuckman model developed by Dr. Bruce Tuckman in 1970 describes 5 stages of team development such as: Forming an important stage of introducing team members either at initiation, or as new members are introduces Storming team members have different opinions on how a team should work. Usually conflicts occur during this phase Norming team members have developed common working method and cooperate with each other Performing Team members are likely to build loyalty towards each other. Team can cope with greater change and complex tasks. Adjourning After completion of work and successful reaching of goals, this stage consists of the break-up of the team (Cadle and Yeates, 2001) This model gives a brief idea about where conflict occurs within a team and at what stage. This could be used by the project manager to handle conflicts effectively during the storming stage. Establishing the right balance of roles in any team is crucial in avoiding or resolving conflicts. In a successful team there is a good combination of different personality types. According to Meredith Belbin a successful team needs the following combination of roles: The chair calm, strong and tolerant individual The plant an individual who generates ideas The monitor-evaluator Evaluates ideas The shaper an individual who focuses on the objectives The team worker helps create a good working environment The resource investigator finds information and resources for the project The completer finisher checks details, deadlines, proof reads The company worker works hard, similar to team worker (Belbin, 1996) A good blend of different personality types in a team will help in formation of less conflicts and resolving conflicts faster. According to Patrick Lencioni, lack of teamwork could lead to a) Absence of trust b) Conflict c) Lack of commitment d) Avoidance of accountability e) Inattention to results which could lead to failure of organizations. The team consists of individuals with different needs and expectations from the team. Motivation plays a very crucial part in the development of a team and its individuals as discussed in the next section 4. Motivation : To understand the various factors that influence motivation we need to understand the hierarchy of needs of an individual. In the late 1940, Maslow suggested that people are motivated according to their circumstances. In this theory is the idea that the employees needs have to be satisfied from the bottom up as shown in Fig. 2. The bottom level consists of basic survival and safety needs. The need for belonging and to be part of a group or a team comes second. The fourth level is about the ego and esteem needs and the final level is the personal fulfillment level. Project manager and project team members need to understand their respective motivations with regards to social, esteem and self actualization (Cadle and Yates, 2001) Self-actualization Personal growth and fulfilment personal growth and fulfilment Esteem needs Achievement, status, responsibility, reputation achievement, status, responsibility, reputation Belongingness and Love needs Family, affection, relationships, work group, etc family, affection, relationships, work group, etc. Safety needs Protection, security, order, law, limits, stability, etc protection, security, order, law, limits, stability, etc. Biological and Physiological needs Basic life needs air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, etc basic life needs air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, etc. Fig: 2 Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Some of the methods employed by project managers to motivate or influence team members to work towards achieving a successful project are: Authority PMs right to issue orders Assignment allocating duties Budget Authorization of funds by PM Promotion Money Pay rise and benefits Penalty causing punishment by PM Work Challenge such that it motivates the team member Expertise PM commands respect from team members based on his special knowledge Friendship ability to establish friendly relations Thamhain and Wilemon found that if project managers depended too heavily on money, penalty or authority, the project was more likely to fail compared to work challenge and expertise which were more influential (Schwabe, 2010) Some of the factors that affect motivation of employees are as follows: Environment Manipulation Scheduling pressure Lack of appreciation Technically inept management Lack of involvement Low quality 5. Conflict Resolution and Ethics The possibility of conflict between team members is always possible unless good communication isnt observed. Some of the common reasons for conflict between team members are as follows Scheduling Project priorities Human resources Admin procedures Personality clashes Costs Technical opinions and trade offs Project managers should help identify and manage conflict by using their human resources and communication skills. Project Managers should set an example by leading their teams such that the team members should know how to deal with conflicts, where team members work out small conflicts amongst themselves before elevating them to the higher ups. The project manager must separate people from the problem and use negotiation to resolve dispute. Unethical behavior should be avoided by both the parties. Negotiation amongst project manager and team members such that: Focus on interests: negotiator needs should keep in mind the interest of the parties to the dispute as against the position the parties have drawn up Inventing Options for mutual gain: Negotiator should find win-win solutions such that no party compromises on the project objectives Insist on objective criteria: negotiator should determine the quality of outcomes rather than positions. According to Meredith and Mantel, negotiation skills are particularly required a) when using subcontractors b) different teams are brought together to work on a task c) during change management. In the event of a conflict, the following principles of negotiation should be adopted: Without damaging the project objectives the conflict must be resolved Honest negotiations must take place All parties should be satisfied by the solution to the conflict (Schwabe, 2010) Strategies for resolving conflict Project Managers and team members could make use of the 5 basic modes of conflict resolution as suggested by Krezner in 2003 1. Confrontation: Project managers directly face conflict in the confrontation mode by using a problem solving approach such that affected parties work through their disagreements towards a win-win solution. This is the most preferred method of conflict resolution amongst project managers (Schwabe, 2010) 2. Compromise: Project managers adopt the compromise mode to bargain and search for solutions that bring some degree of satisfaction to the parties in dispute, similar to give and take attitude. 3. Smoothing Project managers adopt the soothing mode such that they de-emphasize or avoid areas of conflict and emphasize the area of agreement 4. Forcing Forcing mode is also termed as the win-lose approach such that a competitive or autocratic project manager exerts his viewpoint at the potential expense of another team members view point. 5. Withdrawal This is the worst conflict-handling mode where project managers retreat from a potential or actual disagreement and hence called the withdrawal mode 6. Collaborating This is a fairly recent conflict resolution mode called the collaborating mode, where different viewpoints and insights are encouraged by decision makers to develop consensus and commitment Successful project managers also use collaboration and compromise to resolve conflicts. Smoothing, forcing and withdrawal are hardly used by successful project managers for resolving conflict. A standard process for resolving conflict could be detailed as follows: Identify conflict and discuss with stakeholders Gather information Analyze solution List options for conflict resolution Decide conflict resolution mode Carry out conflict resolution Ethical Behavior in dealing with Conflicts Project Managers and their team members are required to make ethical decisions in personal and professional lives. In terms of conflict resolution too, project management practitioners should conduct their jobs in an ethical manner. According to the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct present on the website, the practitioners should behave in the following manner with regards to professional integrity and conflict resolution We make decisions and take actions based on the best interests of society, public, safety and the environment We fulfill the commitments that we undertake we do what we say we will do We accept only those assignment that are consistent with our background, experience, skills and qualifications We inform ourselves about the norms and customs of others and avoid engaging in behaviors they might consider disrespectful We listen to others points of view, seeking to understand them We approach directly those persons with whom we have a conflict or disagreement We demonstrate the transparency in out decision-making process We constantly reexamine our impartiality and objectivity, taking corrective action as appropriate We proactively and fully disclose any real or potential conflicts of interest to appropriate stakeholders We earnestly seek to understand the truth We are truthful in our communications and in our conduct (PMI Code of Ethics, 2010)

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Bowling For Columbine as a Carnivelsque Essay -- essays research paper

To what extent can BFC be viewed as drawing on key elements of Bakhtin’s notion of carnivalesque? Bowling for Columbine is a post-structural film produced by Mike Moore. It leaves a message about America and its people. Today, the world is not a safe place. However, the world is made unsafe by the people who don’t believe it is safe. This is what the film is based on: fear and guns. Bowling For Columbine is a carnivalesque to an extent as it contains many elements of a carnivalesque. These elements are shown through repetition, polyphony of voices and the creation of another world. Many responders would believe that this movie is a misleading act based on Mike Moore’s self-promotion. When looking beneath the surface however, we can see that the film is trying to say something about America, even though there is no clear answer to the question being asked. This is why the film is a post-structural text. There is more than one answer and texts are interpreted depending on the responder’s context. It is not a documentary however because a documentary is a discussion based on evidence for and against. Although Bowling for Columbine provides facts, it is biased. Mike Moore presents a film that is dialogical in nature. He arranges questions and scenes in the film to get the answer or response that he wants. Also, the camera used is analogous to Moore’s own gun. He targets certain people and appears on the scene so as to make himself seem bigger. His camera is also used to ‘shoot’ people with questions that he already knows the answer to. This happens to people such as the bank employees and youths Bent and BJ and this is why responders may think the film is a reason for self-promotion. There is no clear cut answer to the question that is constantly being asked throughout the film. This is why Bowling For Columbine’s narrative is polyphonic. Polyphony allows multiple voices to be expressed. As there are too many different people in the world that have different contexts such as age and cultural background, one clear answer can not be stated in the film. This silence is important because it shows that what is important is missing, the answer to why so many people are killed each year. Polyphony also makes it possible for anything to be said as there are no dominant voices. It does not matter what ranking in society you are or where you come from, all people ca... ...l and maybe The Ramones version of â€Å"What a wonderful world† would be more appropriate. People in the movie itself also make fear and guns seem insignificant and funny such as the news reporter who is only interested in how his hair is instead of the shooting of a primary student. All these ideas shows the unserious attitude used so that people can survive in this harsh world. These elements all show how Bowling For Columbine is a carnivalesque. A polyphonic narrative allows for everyone to speak their opinion so that an idealogy that tries to have the last word on the subject is destroyed. Repitition of the same idea and random images presents many ideas and shows that the question is never answered. The creation of another world and humour helps deal with the harsh world in which we live in. The world can not be peaceful when fear is so easy to be bought through guns. It seems that the question, why are there so many killings in America, is never answered in the film and until there is an answer there can not be a solution on which everyone will agree on. Analysing Bowling For Columbine as a carnivalesque shows what kind of world we are living in; not exactly a wonderful world.