Price-Elastic Products Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Price-Elastic Products - Essay Example The key is whether revenue is greater than costs. (Investopedia, 2003) I would select price elastic products mainly to increase market share and increase the sales of the product. As the price of a product rises, consumers will usually demand a lower quantity of that good, perhaps by consuming less, substituting other goods, and so on. Conversely, as the price of a good falls, consumers will usually demand a greater quantity of that good, by consuming more, dropping substitutes, and so forth. Consider the example of cell phone market. It is one of the best examples of price elastic products. We can see lots and lots of new cell phone models flooding the markets from different makers. There is no possibility of increasing the price of cell phone due to high competition. On the other hand, more advanced cell phone models with significantly advanced features come at a very low cost. In fact, the cost of the cell phones is a constant decreasing curve. A slight increase in the cell phone leads to a great decline in the market demand. Consider a price-inelastic product (e.g. Petrol). When the price is raised from P2 to P1, the amount of change in demand (Q2-Q1) is very small compared to price rise (P1-P2). This is the case of monopoly. Now, consider a price-elastic product (e.g.). The competition for market share is very high in this case.

Housewife in India and Pakistan Essay Example for Free

Housewife in India and Pakistan Essay In India different approaches to domestic responsibilities are found in the various ethnic groups. In a Hindu family, the head of the family is the Griha Swami (Lord of the House) and his wife is the Griha Swamini(Lady of the House). The Sanskrit words Grihast and Grihasta perhaps come closest to describing the entire gamut of activities and roles undertaken by the householder or housewife. Grih is the Sanskrit root for house or home; Grihasta and Grihast are derivatives of this root, as is Grihastya. The couple lives in the state called Grihastashram or family system and together they nurture the family and help its members (both young and old) through the travails of life. The woman who increments the family tree (bears children) and protects those children is described as the Grihalakshmi (the wealth of the house) and Grihashoba (the glory of the house). The elders of the family are known as Grihshreshta. The husband or wife may engage in countless other activities which may be social, religious, political or economic in nature for the ultimate welfare of the family and society. However, their unified status as joint householders is the nucleus from within which they operate in society. The status of a woman as a housewife anchors them in society and provides meaning to their activities within the social, religious, political and economic framework of their world. However, as India undergoes modernisation, many women are in employment, particularly in the larger cities such as Mumbai or Delhi, where most women will work. In Muslim families, use of the term housewife (or its equivalent) is uncommon, even though housewives are very common and stay-at-home husbands are extremely rare. Muslim society sets different expectations for the husband and wife, but respects their individuality.

Social Media as Advertising Platform: Case Study

Social Media as Advertising Platform: Case Study The report represents an analysis of the promotional strategies implemented by Love for Food. The company has chosen social media as its promotional platform. The complete report has been presented based on identified aims and objectives. Among various measures available to study the performance of effectiveness of marketing strategies, such as A/B testing, multivariate testing and assessing Facebook analytic, the Facebook analytic model has been chosen. With the help of AIDA model, the discussion identifies that the company has not been successful to initiate effective demand due to flaws in promotional strategies. The reflection provided in the study shows this analysis has been very informative to enhance knowledge about the use of Facebook Insights. The discussion puts forth a study of web analytics. The report is presented in the scenario of a firm Love for Food. The business has chosen Facebook as the medium of promoting the business. The report will put forth a brief background of the study and the enterprise. It will identify key aims, goals, objectives and research questions for the discussion. Many strategies of research will be evaluated. Based on the evaluation a key strategy will be selected. The discussion will also put forth a process of experiments based on theoretical perspective, a data analysis will be presented by identifying effectiveness of the marketing strategies. A brief reflection will be presented by addressing key factors identified in the study. In the end, the discussion will be concluded by providing a concise summary. Background Love for Food is a bakery company based is an UK-based bakery firm. The organisation is considering to take online shopping as its key business domain. It has chosen Facebook as a feasible online media to sales its products (Facebook.com, 2017). Since, this platform is cost effective and offer high degree of reach (Bharadwaj, et al., 2013). But, it is imperative for Love for Food to assess the effectiveness of Facebook to promote the services. The study will focus on web analytics using Facebook insights to assess the effectiveness of this tool (Selwyn Facer, 2007). The enterprise has been successful to generate likes and shares of by promoting its Facebook page. But, the firm wants to enhance the outcome more to ensure better success of the business. Aims, goals, objectives or purpose: The key aims, goals, objectives and purpose of this study has been put forth as below. Aims: To assess the effectiveness of web analytics in promoting the businesses. Goals: To enhance the promotional activities of the company by ensuring better result. Objectives: The key objectives of the study are as mentioned below. To identify the effectiveness of web analytics to measure the effectiveness of promotional activities of the firm? To identify key drawbacks lies in the promotional activities of the organisation. Purpose: This study will facilitate Love for Food to improve its promotional strategies. The enterprise will also be able to assess the probable return on investment it will be able to get in short term and long term perspective (Miller, 2012). The analysis will also facilitate the organisation if it will be successful to meet it anticipated target more effectively. Questions: Based on the above discussion following research questions have been identified for this study. How much is the web analytics effective to measure the effectiveness of promotional activities of the business? What are the key drawbacks in the promotional strategies of the organisation? Selection of experiment area: Strategies: There are many strategies available for the company to develop for conducting experiments (Young, 2014). These are multivariate testing, A/B testing and creation of Facebook pages and posts. Each of these strategies is discussed and justified as below. Multivariate Testing: In this process of testing various interlinked variable are modified to assess the impact of the result. This analysis helps to identify the one combination which is effective for the enterprise (Wang, 2014). In the context of Love for Food, the firm will be able to assess the effectiveness of its different marketing promotions with changing scenario. But this will take much time and make the whole process costly (Chaffey, et al., 2012). Thus, this method of analysis will not be effective for the company. A/B Testing: In this process of testing, the enterprise will be able to test data based on single variable. This is effective for simple projects. But, the projects which have many critical data and interlinked operations, will not able to generate effective analysis from this study (Segura, et al., 2016). The A/B testing however also helps to identify an effective channel of promotions. The Love for Food will require undertaking many promotional tools such as social media, advertisement on television and newspapers (Royle Laing, 2014). But, this will raise the cost of project. Because, it is not feasible for the organisation to make presence in those media. Hence, this method of study will not be feasible for the organisation. Creation of Facebook pages and posts: in this process of method, the business will be able to assess the market demand for the product more effectively (Abell Brewer, 2014). The firm will be able to develop many customised solutions and information. The likes, shares and comments provided by the organisation, will facilitate the enterprise to identify the popularity and attractiveness of its strategies. Love for Food can implement this strategy in cost effective and timely manner (Gerlitz Helmond, 2013). Therefore, this process of analysis will be feasible for this study. Method for conducting experiments: Owing to the feasibility of the process of creation of Facebook pages and posts, Love for Food chose this method of conducting the experiment. Initially, a Facebook account was created. The account was logged using the user id and the password as articulated by the company.       Figure 1:1st Step Creation of the page was the second step after the procedure of logging in into the account. Figure 2:2nd Step Figure 3:3rd Step In this step, the page was selected and was ready to be created. Figure 4:4th Step The primary purpose of creating the Facebook was to connect with the people by using a brand, business or a cause. In this case, the cause or community was chosen to continue with the further step. Figure 5:5th Step By clicking on get started and after writing the name for the page, the Facebook page was created as illustrated below. Figure 6:6th Step Figure 7: Page Created The creation of the Facebook page has enabled the company to attract a number of people at the same time. The page also got about 30 likes. The page has also been receiving comments for the photos and the videos that were uploaded by Love for Food. Hence, this procedure has been useful in the attainment of the objectives. Analysis of your experiment area: Page Views: The above analysis of data identifies that the company has become successful to generate 37 views for its Facebook page. The page was run for 3 weeks. Within this small period it has been successful to generate sufficient views. The above chart also shows the sources of views was not only from facebook.com, but also other key websites such as likestool.com, traffup.net also facilitated to increase the number of views the page. This shows the company can get higher reach through Facebook promotions. Page Likes: The above data shows that the enterprise has been able to increase the likes of the page from 17th Feb to 17th March. The firm has been successful to the likes of pages to a certain extent from 15th March. The above chart also represents that the number of likes has been decreased drastically from 16th march. This represents that the business has not been successful to sustain its market presence. According to the AIDA model, the enterprise requires to attention generation, interest development, desire generation and resulting action i.e. purchasing of services (Hassan, et al., 2015). But, above analysis shows the company has been successful to generate attention for the product. It has also been successful to develop interest (Wang, 2014). But as the organisation has failed to sustain these factors for long, it has not been successful to generate desire and purchase decision. Thus it failed to meet its target of generating high degree of return on investment from the projectReflections upon the use of Facebook/Facebook Insights: Pages on Facebook are public in nature and hence, the engagement with the pages are also public. Initially, with the incorporation of Facebook Insights in my project, I learnt that Facebook insights assists in providing insights to the managers of the page along with the activity of the people on the page (Bharadwaj, et al., 2013). I learnt that Facebook insight is a powerful tool for the individuals who are determined towards the tracking of the interaction of the user on the fan page of the Facebook. It can be seen by each and every admin of the page. I also learnt that it aids in understanding the performance of the page with the help of graphs. In the course of using Facebook insights, I learnt that we will also be able to recognise and determine the best time of the day along with the best day of the week for posting pictures and contents on the Facebook page (Gerlitz Helmond, 2013). Further, it is also mandatory to mention that I also learnt that Facebook Insights are also useful in understanding the use and power of a particular content or post (Frick, 2000). One of the most important things that I learnt was it is a tool that is constantly updated which helps in reflecting the developments in the page. Hence, it is essential to keep a check on the loop. The study identifies that the company has chosen social media for promotional perspective. Since, it is cost effective and has high reach. The other process of analysis for studying the effectiveness of promotional strategies thus has been rejected. These promotional strategies can be identified as multivariate analysis and A/B analysis. The analysis of data also shows; the organisation has been failed to meet its promotional objective as it has failed to sustain the interest. In theoretical perspective of AIDA model (Ward Peppard, 2016), the enterprise has not been quite successful in generating demand and purchase intention for its products. However, the study has been very beneficial and informative to develop analytical skills. So, it will add value in academic and professional endeavours. References Abell, L. Brewer, G., 2014. Machiavellianism, self-monitoring, self-promotion and relational aggression on Facebook. Computers in Human Behavior, 36(1), pp. 258-262. Bharadwaj, A., El Sawy, O., Pavlou, P. Venkatraman, N., 2013. Digital business strategy: toward a next generation of insights.. s.l.:s.n. Chaffey, D., Smith, P. R. Smith, P. R., 2012. eMarketing eXcellence: Planning and optimizing your digital marketing. 2nd ed. s.l.:Routledge. Facebook.com, 2017. Love For Food. [Online] Available at: https://www.facebook.com/Love-For-Food-264565583984164/[Accessed 17 March 2017]. Frick, T., 2000. Return on engagement: Content, strategy, and design techniques for digital marketings.. London: Taylor Franci. Gerlitz, C. Helmond, A., 2013. The like economy: Social buttons and the data-intensive web.. New Media Society, 15(8), pp. 1348-1365. Hassan, S., Nadzim, S. Shiratuddin, N., 2015. Strategic use of social media for small business based on the AIDA model. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 172(1), pp. 262-269. Miller, M., 2012. B2B digital marketing: Using the web to market directly to businesses. London: Que Publishing. Royle, J. Laing, A., 2014. The digital marketing skills gap: Developing a Digital Marketer Model for the communication industries.. International Journal of Information Management, 34(2), pp. 65-73. Segura, S., Fraser, G., Sanchez, A. Ruiz-Cortà ©s, A., 2016. A survey on metamorphic testing. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, 42(9), pp. 805-824. Selwyn, N. Facer, K., 2007. Beyond the digital divide Rethinking digital inclusion for the 21st century. UK: Futurelab. Wang, P. e., 2014. Graphical representation of multivariate data. 2nd ed. London: Elsevier. Ward, J. Peppard, J., 2016. The Strategic Management of Information Systems: Building a Digital Strategy. London: John Wiley Sons. Young, A., 2014. Brand media strategy: Integrated communications planning in the digital era. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Viewing The Crucible with a Feminist Lens Essays -- Arthur Miller 2014

To be seen and not heard; a quality shared by the inanimate object, and the conventional woman. Society has conformed women into accessories, and therefore, literature has followed suit. Inherent in this ideology, are many base traits attributed to women. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible exploits these traditional feminine characteristics to aid the female character in her role of complimenting the male. When observing something from an alternate perspective it can take on a whole new meaning. Studying novels from different lenses can seem as if you are reading a different work than the author intended. A feminist lens allows the reader to look past obvious themes in the novel for the implicit or concealed misogyny within. This lens â€Å"examines, interprets, and seeks to redress the marginalization of women through a critical response to literature, within the larger context of a male-dominated literary establishment.†(Boswell OL) When examining a work through a feminist lens a variety of components must be taken into account. The main objective is, of course, to analyze the portrayal of women. To do so adequately, however, one must explore gender roles, and therefore look into relations between male and female characters to see if they are equal. (Boswell OL) The purpose of feminist criticism is to reveal the patriarchal dogma of literature. Arthur Miller’s experiences with women are depicted through their roles in his plays. He is quoted as saying â€Å"I like the company of women. Life is boring without them†. This is fitting because he married one of the most interesting women in American history. Marilyn Monroe is a notorious sex symbol because she was objectified during her time as an actress. Her blond hair and pretty face easil... ...e Crucible, New Edition, Bloom's guides. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2010. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 3 May. 2012. Boswell, Marshall. "Feminist Literary Criticism." In Boswell, Marshall, and Carl Rollyson, eds. Encyclopedia of American Literature: The Contemporary World, 1946 to the Present, vol. 4, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 10 May. 2012. Marlow, Stuart. "Interrogating The Crucible: Revisiting the Biographical, Historical and Political Sources of Arthur Miller's Play" In Bloom, Harold, ed. The Crucible, New Edition, Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2008. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 10 May. 2012. Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York: Penguin Books,1976.

Shanghai Business Environment

Enterprises that want to invest in China can stumble over an array of regulations that do not give them free choice of where they wish to locate. This situation has been changing, and China's membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) should act as another catalyst to make the investment climate freer in several industries. Enterprises can look forward to making decisions on where to locate within China based on factors that they would use in the more-familiar open environment. To appeal to businesses, cities need a good IT infrastructure, strong leadership, incentives, and â€Å"livability† (see Figure A).Figure A The size of China's market and Western enterprises' desire to get close to it means that Chinese cities do not generally compete for foreign investment with cities in other Asia/Pacific countries. Outside the manufacturing sector, most enterprises locate in China because they want to sell to China. Of all China's cities, Shanghai has gone furthest toward the s uccess factors for a global â€Å"smart city. † Its ambition to become a major financial center and player on the international stage by 2015 has fueled this drive. History has also given Shanghai many advantages.It is probably the most outward-looking of any Chinese city and has a strong political voice in Beijing. The latter has allowed Shanghai to lead the way in many initiatives because China's political leaders often use the city to test out new ideas. As a result, many initiatives that started in Shanghai have now spread elsewhere in China. Shanghai's characteristics Livability To most Western expatriates, Shanghai is perhaps the most livable of Chinese cities. The city continues to make strides to improve (e. g. , announcing new rules to allow foreigners to buy property for the first time).Measured against other big cities such as Singapore, Hong Kong, or Sydney in the Asia/Pacific region, Shanghai still scores low. From a global perspective, livability is one of Shang hai's weakest areas. However, livability has a large subjective component, and what appeals to Western tastes may not rank as important to the skilled Chinese workforce that an enterprise might what to attract. Incentives Shanghai has traditionally enjoyed a sizable chunk of foreign investment into China, in part because of its position as a testing ground for reform.In some cases, China has forced foreign investors to set up in the city first. This advantage will diminish, and Shanghai will need to learn to play on a more-level playing field. The city has committed to spending, by 2005, 150 billion yuan (one-third of its total industrial investment) on expanding its high-tech sector. This investment targets software and integrated circuit manufacturing, and the city will provide some tax breaks for new operations and help for self-employed software designers. Keeping costs low is key in attracting new business.Shanghai will have to balance the inevitable rise in labor costs with su itable business incentives. Leadership Shanghai's leaders know where they want to go during the next 10 or 15 years and what basic things they need to do to get there. However, they did not develop this vision in partnership with business or the community. Rather, as a command economy, decisions have been made by a select few behind closed doors. Thus, its leaders have greater ability to get things done quickly than leaders in democratic societies often have.Cities such as Shanghai can complete projects without long internal or public debate over infrastructure projects that might take years in the planning stages in other countries and involve a myriad of agencies. Shanghai has benefited tremendously (certainly compared to the rest of China) from the pedigree of its leaders. President Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji are former leaders of Shanghai and have strongly supported the city. However, Shanghai knows that spending does not necessarily produce results.Ten years ago, it sta rted pouring money into redeveloping the riverside Pudong district into an area of towering skyscrapers, designed to be China's version of Manhattan. Within a city of 16 million people, Pudong ended up as a ghost town. Slowly, occupation levels have risen, but largely because the central government has â€Å"twisted the arm† of foreign enterprises rather than use real incentives. Infrastructure Many of the city's hopes revolve around an ambitious project to link all of Shanghai to a giant high-speed data network, known as the Shanghai Infoport.Scheduled for completion in 2010, the project stands out not just for its scale but also for its attempt to bring together many strands of existing infrastructure (telecommunications and cable television especially) into one cohesive network. If it succeeds, Shanghai will be among the few cities in the world to have achieved such a feat. Five main projects will rely on the Infoport's high-speed infrastructure: 1. Shanghai Information In terchange Network: A â€Å"giant intranet† for Shanghai with links to many kinds of information 2.Shanghai Society Security Network: Designed to offer e-payment and checking and to facilitate the use of smart cards 3. Social Electronic Data Interchange Network for Foreign Trade: An export/import data exchange for foreign trade 4. Social Community Service Network: Focused on the residential community 5. Gold Card and Commercial Value-Added Network: Linking banks' automated teller machines (ATMs) and payment systems With 3. 2 million users, Shanghai claims to have the largest cable TV network of any city in the world, and this local-access network has a central part in Infoport.Shanghai's connections in national government played an important role in keeping the project on track. Although cable TV networks in the rest of China were barred for a period from offering Internet or telecommunication services, Shanghai received a special dispensation to upgrade its cable TV networks to do just that. The municipal government claims that 1 million residents can now reach interactive services through their televisions. It wants the entire network to be interactive by 2004.In addition, Shanghai Telecom (part of China Telecom) is rolling out digital subscriber line services and installing the necessary in-building cabling to offer Ethernet broadband access. Mayor Xu Kuangdi talked recently of every home having broadband access by 2004. At the same time, Shanghai Telecom has worked on improving the quality of the core network to be ready for the deluge of new data traffic the Infoport will bring. By year-end 2000, it completed work on what it claims is the world's largest local ATM network. Shanghai now uses a total of 320,000 kilometers (198,848 miles) of fiber-optic cable, with more than 4,000 optical nodes.Shanghai Telecom says it has deployed optical fiber in more than 90 percent of the city's residential areas. Shanghai's challenges Building an infrastructure re presents only part of making the Infoport work. The real test is whether people will use it. Only in the last few months have the first real customers logged on, so it's a little early to tell what the response will be. Cost may prove one prohibiting factor, and the local government may have to consider deep subsidies to encourage more than just the wealthiest people to sign up. Content also remains a question.Experience from elsewhere in the world, especially Singapore, a world-class smart city where government has tried to link itself to all the people, shows that the bulk of a city's population generally does not have much interest in such projects. They may want video-on-demand, but filling out tax documents online doesn't really excite them. Bottom line Other Chinese cities, notably Beijing, have begun some of the initiatives under way in Shanghai and are rapidly improving their information infrastructure. Shanghai will likely continue to stand out as China's smartest city, acc ording to Gartner's success factors.Shanghai's early start and its ability to exploit openings created by the central government's policies will likely keep the city at the forefront of innovation for some time. Shanghai's advanced, if incomplete, IT infrastructure makes it a good place for Western enterprises to locate central operations in China. In addition, Shanghai is a good place in which to experiment with business-to-business and business-to-consumer projects requiring advanced IT infrastructure in hopes of rolling them out to the rest of the country when the infrastructure permits.

Max Born and the Discovery of the Born Rule

Max Born and the Discovery of the Born Rule Max Born (December 11, 1882–January 5, 1970) was a German physicist who played an important role in the development of quantum mechanics. He is known for the â€Å"Born rule,† which provided a statistical interpretation of quantum mechanics and enabled researchers in the field to predict results with specific probabilities. Born won the 1954 Nobel Prize in Physics for his fundamental contributions to quantum mechanics. Fast Facts: Max Born Occupation: PhysicistKnown For: Discovery of the Born rule, a statistical interpretation of quantum mechanics.Born: December 11, 1882 in Breslau, PolandDied: January 5, 1970 in Gà ¶ttingen, GermanySpouse: Hedwig EhrenbergChildren: Irene, Margarethe, GustavFun Fact: The singer and actress Olivia Newton-John, who starred in the 1978 musical film Grease with John Travolta, is the granddaughter of Max Born. Early Life Max Born was born on December 11, 1882 in Breslau (now Wroclaw) Poland. His parents were Gustav Born, an embryologist at the University of Breslau, and Margarete (Gretchen) Kaufmann, whose family worked in textiles. Born had a younger sister named Kthe. At a young age, Born attended school at the Kà ¶nig Wilhelms Gymnasium in Breslau, studying Latin, Greek, German, history, languages, math, and physics. There, Born may have been inspired by his math teacher, Dr. Maschke, who showed the students how wireless telegraphy worked. Born’s parents died at an early age: his mother when Born was 4, and his father shortly before Born finished school at the Gymnasium. College and Early Career Afterwards, Born took courses on a variety of science, philosophy, logic, and math subjects at Breslau University from 1901–1902, following his father’s advice to not specialize in a subject too soon at college. He also attended the Universities of Heidelberg, Zà ¼rich, and Gà ¶ttingen. Peers at Breslau University had told Born about three mathematics professors at Gà ¶ttingen – Felix Klein, David Hilbert, and Hermann Minkowski. Born went out of favor with Klein due to his irregular attendance at classes, though he subsequently impressed Klein by solving a problem on elastic stability at a seminar without reading the literature. Klein then invited Born to enter a university prize competition with the same problem in mind. Born, however, did not initially take part, offending Klein again. Born changed his mind and later entered, winning the University of Breslau’s Philosophy Faculty Prize for his work on elasticity and obtaining a PhD in mathematics on the subject in 1906 under his doctoral advisor Carl Runge. Born subsequently went to Cambridge University for about six months, attending lectures by J. J. Thomson and Joseph Larmor. He went back to Gà ¶ttingen to collaborate with the mathematician Hermann Minkowski, who died after a few weeks due to an operation for appendicitis. In 1915, Born was offered a professor position at the University of Berlin. However, the opportunity coincided with the beginning of World War I. Born joined the German air force and worked on sound ranging. In 1919, after World War I, Born became a professor at the University of Frankfurt-am-Main. Discoveries in Quantum Mechanics In 1921, Born returned to the University of Gà ¶ttingen as a professor, a post he held for 12 years. At Gà ¶ttingen, Born worked on the thermodynamics of crystals, then became primarily interested in quantum mechanics. He collaborated with Wolfgang Pauli, Werner Heisenberg, and a number of other physicists who would also make groundbreaking advances in quantum mechanics. These contributions would help lay out the foundation of quantum mechanics, particularly its mathematical treatment. Born saw that some of Heisenberg’s calculus was equivalent to matrix algebra, a formalism that is used extensively in quantum mechanics today. Furthermore, Born considered the interpretation of Schrà ¶dinger’s wavefunction, an important equation for quantum mechanics, which had been discovered in 1926. Though Schrà ¶dinger had provided a way to describe how the wavefunction describing a system changed over time, it was unclear exactly what the wavefunction corresponded to. Born concluded that the square of the wavefunction could be interpreted as a probability distribution that would predict the result given by a quantum mechanical system when it was measured. Though Born first applied this discovery, now known as the Born rule, to help explain how waves scattered, it was later applied to many other phenomena. Born was awarded the 1954 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on quantum mechanics, with particular emphasis on the Born rule. In 1933, Born was forced to emigrate due to the rise of the Nazi party, which caused his professorship to be suspended. He became a lecturer at Cambridge University, where he worked with Infeld on electrodynamics. From 1935–1936, he stayed in Bangalore, India at the Indian Institute of Science and worked with Sir C.V. Raman, a researcher who won the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics. In 1936, Born became a professor of natural philosophy at the University of Edinburgh, staying there for 17 years until his retirement in 1953. Awards and Honors Born won a number of awards during his lifetime, including: 1939 – Fellowship of the Royal Society1945 – Gunning Victoria Jubilee Prize, from the Royal Society of Edinburgh1948 – Max Planck Medal, from the German Physical Society1950 – Hughes Medal, from the Royal Society of London1954 – Nobel Prize in Physics1959 – Grand Cross of Merit with Star of the Order of Merit, from the German Federal Republic Born was also made an honorary member of several academies, including the Russian, Indian, and Royal Irish academies. After Born’s death, the German Physical Society and the British Institute of Physics created the Max Born Prize, which is awarded annually. Death and Legacy After retiring, Born settled in Bad Pyrmont, a spa resort near Gà ¶ttingen. He died on January 5, 1970 at a hospital in Gà ¶ttingen. He was 87 years old. Born’s statistical interpretation of quantum mechanics was groundbreaking. Thanks to Born’s discovery, researchers can predict the result of a measurement performed on a quantum mechanical system. Today, the Born rule is considered one of the key principles of quantum mechanics. Sources Kemmer, N., and Schlapp, R. â€Å"Max Born, 1882-1970.†Landsman, N.P. â€Å"The Born Rule and Its Interpretation.†O’Connor, J.J., and Robertson, E.F. â€Å"Max Born.†

Shawn Hornbeck Kidnapping

Shawn Hornbeck Kidnapping It was a shocking discovery that prompted an emotional response from even the veteran police officers who made it. Looking for a boy who had been kidnapped four days earlier, they found another boy who had been missing for four years. But the miraculous recovery of the missing teen immediately raised as many questions as it answered. On January 12, 2007, the investigation into the disappearance of a 13-year-old Missouri boy  who was last seen four days before getting off the school bus, resulted in the discovery of Shawn Hornbeck, 15, in an apartment near St. Louis. Police serving an arrest warrant in an apartment complex for another person  spotted a white pickup truck that matched the description of one being sought in the disappearance of Ben Ownby, who was last seen near his home in Beaufort, Missouri, about 60 miles southwest of St. Louis. Why Didnt He Escape? When police served a search warrant on the apartment of Michael Devlin, listed as the owner of the pickup truck, they found Ben Ownby along with Hornbeck, who disappeared in October 2002 while riding his bike in Richwoods, Missouri, about 50 miles southwest of St. Louis. Immediately questions were raised as to how Devlin was able to hold Shawn Hornbeck in an apartment for four years without him being able to get away, although he had several opportunities to escape. Neighbors reported seeing young Hornbeck hanging around outside of his apartment complex, unsupervised. He would also ride along the neighborhood streets on his skateboard or bike, alone or with a friend from the complex. When he was nearing the age to get a drivers license, neighbors saw Devlin giving him driving lessons. Most assumed that they were father and son. Hornbeck also had contact with the police four times during his captivity. One time he spoke to the police after he and his girlfriend discovered that his bike had been stolen while parked outside of a shopping mall.   He also had access to a computer and posted on the website dedicated to Hornbeck that his parents put up. He asked in his post how long they would keep looking for their son and he signed it with the name Shawn Devlin. Why didnt he run away? Why didnt he reach out for help? Deal With the Devil When Michael Devlin pleaded guilty in four different courtrooms to charges related to kidnapping and assaulting the two boys, the answers to those questions were revealed. Shortly after Devlin kidnapped Hornbeck, back in 2002, he planned to kill the boy after repeatedly sexually assaulting him. He took Shawn back to Washington County in his pickup truck, he pulled him from the truck and began to strangle him. I attempted to kill (Shawn) and he talked me out of it, Devlin said. He stopped choking the boy and sexually assaulted him again. In what prosecutors called a deal with the devil, Shawn told Devlin at that time that he would do whatever Devlin wanted him to do to stay alive. We know now the details that made him not run away, said Shawns stepfather, Craig Akers. Over the years, Devlin used many methods to control Shawn. The details of the abuse Shawn endured are so horrific and graphic that it was not released by most media outlets, although the reports were readily available. Devlin admitted to making pornographic photographs and videotapes of Shawn and taking him across state lines to engage in sex acts. To continue to control Shawn, Devlin took him with him when he abducted Ben Ownby in January 2007, telling Shawn that because he was in the truck he was an accomplice to the crime. Shawn Protected Ben Ownby Authorities said Shawn was a hero, who tried to protect Ben Ownby from the torture that he had to endure. Devlin told Shawn that he planned to kill Ownby after keeping him a short time. I think that Shawn Hornbeck is really a hero, Ethan Corlija, one of Devlins attorneys, told reporters. He really threw himself on the sword many times so Ben would not have to go through any undue torture. Devlin entered guilty pleas to dozens of charges in four different courts. At last count, he received 74 life sentences to run consecutively, which will keep him in prison the rest of his life. Were just so glad this is the outcome, that the monster is caged and will remain caged, said Craig Akers.

Anna Morandi Manzolini essays

Anna Morandi Manzolini essays There have been many famous men and women scientists throughout the centuries. Although most of the time its men who get recognition, women scientists get their moment of glory as well. Previous women scientists have inspired many women scientists of today. In the 18th Century many women werent able to go to school and get the proper education that men did at the time. That didnt stop all women who wanted to learn, such as Anna Morandi Manzolini. Morandi went to school, studied, and later became famous as s physician. Many people admire Anna Manzolini because of her efforts to not quit and continue to reach for her goals in life. She never let anyone get in the way of her dreams. In 1716 Anna was born in Italy. Her mentor was her father whom she loved very dearly. Since she wasnt able to go to school like boys her own age, she had a small laboratory on her kitchen table that she would play with. When she became older and got married to Mr. Manzolini, they both went to the University of Bologna, Italy. Her main focus of her work was on human organs. Out of wax, she would make figures such as eyes, hands and almost anything that have to do with the human body. Both her and her husband were interested in this type of work. They would help and give lessons in their own house to surgeons and medical students on how to make wax figures. They both loved there work in human anatomy and the creation of wax figures, but it didnt last for one of them. When Manzonlini was 39 years old, her husband pasted away and she took over his position and became a faculty member at the University. Even though he died, she didnt stop working instead she continued what her and her h usband left behind. In 1761 Dr. Manzolini became the Chairperson of the Anatomical Modeling Department. While being the Chairperson, at the same time she made a wax portrait or her husband dissecting a heart. She a ...

Collective Bargaining Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Collective Bargaining - Essay Example The unionization law, therefore, differs in various economic systems. The unionization is not allowed directly but it is a method that is developed in order to exercise collective bargaining and in its objective forming unions is a legal act (Katz, 1993). The formation of a union is only acceptable in private sector but it is treated as a capital crime in governmental offices and armed forces. In case of armed forces, the culprits of unionization are thrown into jail and upon completion of their sentence, they are court-martialed. The formation of a union is the last thing a soldier will think about before leaving his or her job. Additionally, armed forces argue that they are operating for saving their nations’ sovereignty and pride and therefore, they should not indulge in providing ideal work environment for the soldiers while they have to live in tough environment during the war so they must be trained in terms of making the most of even the worst kind of work climate. The practices of collective bargaining and unionization are known to emerge at the end of the great depression when people were forced to work in the extremities of inhumane environments. With the passage of time, the workers started to raise voices about their work environment and finally, legal courts initiated to respond to their needs and companies had to offer their employees a safe and sound environment to work in. the stream of change in this regard because the beacon of moment shifted towards improving the quality of supervisory behaviors as time passed. The legal pressures caused the companies to adopt modern philosophies of management such as delegation of authority and participative management. The Japanese taught the world that bureaucracy is an inefficient way of managing the organizations because it wastes too much time in decision making and they presented the concept of self-managed teams which scanned the environment so that they can develop strategies in order to cope with the current challenges of the business.

Dicuss the Roles that English Language Newspapers Play in India Essay

Dicuss the Roles that English Language Newspapers Play in India - Essay Example From the study, it is evident that English has helped foster nationalism in India. Moreover, newspapers have been an agent for social change helping bring land reforms and enhancing liberation struggle. Introduction In India, the English speaking population is estimated at 4 percent of the total figure (Hohenthal, n.d). Consequently, English is not categorized among the fifteen national languages used in India. According to Hohenthal (n.d), there was a provision in the Indian constitution which allowed English to be used as an official language until 1965 after which it would be replaced by Hindi. However, efforts to remove English as the official language faced much opposition from Dravidians in the south. Following much opposition, the government gave in and recognized English as the associate official language in India (Hohenthal, n.d). Additionally, English is used as the official language in four states: Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura and Meghalaya. However, English has not been ful ly accepted in India as political and nationalists pushing for Hindi to be recognized as the sole national language (Hohenthal, n.d). Despite this opposition and different reception of English in the society, its role in media is increasing (Hohenthal, n.d). English newspapers, magazines and journals are increasing in number. Hohenthal (n.d) writes that out over 19,000 newspapers were recognized in India; 18.7 percent were in English while 27.8 percent were in Hindi. This leads to debate on the role of the English language newspapers in India; yet the population speaking the language is insignificant in number and most of them are multilingual. In addition to informing the public, newspapers serve various roles, as discussed by Harbermas and Anderson. Harbermas explained that newspapers are important in public sphere to enhance rational debate while Anderson noted that newspapers serve a role of creating nationalism. Discussion In India, more than 107 million copies of newspapers ci rculate daily, making it one of the largest newspapers markets in the world (Krishna, 2011). It is further pointed that India accounts for over 20 percent of the global dailies. The English-language newspapers consumption is growing steadily, enjoying the biggest share from the print industry revenues (Krishna, 2011). A joint research conducted by KPMG in conjunction with the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry revealed that demand for the English language newspapers is estimated to grow by 7 percent annually from 2011 to 2015 (Krishna, 2011). Some players in the industry have even decided to concentrate in distribution of the English newspapers in some states previously dominated by native language newspapers, such as Kerala (Print media set to "see a churn" in South Indian state, 2012). These statistics show that most Indians read newspapers which shows that they serve a certain purpose in the lives and to the society in general. Newspapers are part of the print media; understanding their role and development can be pegged from the theory developed by Benedict Anderson and Jurgen Harbermas (Jeffrey, 2009). According to Habermas, press is the most preeminent public sphere institution. Schudson (2003) asserted that print is important because it allows rational deliberation among intelligent citizens in the public sphere. From the point of view of Anderson, newspapers and other forms of printed media help create a common

5 different ones Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

5 different ones - Essay Example If only one X chromosome is affected, she is a carrier. On the other hand, a male suffers from the disease if he has only one allele due to the presence of only one X chromosome in males. The mating of a female carrier with a normal male will not result in any of the daughters suffering from hemophilia. However, there is a fifty percent probability that the daughter may also be a carrier (VanPutte et al 2011). Answer. A normal cell of the human body has 46 chromosomes. The karyotype of a human cell during mitosis reveals that each chromosome is accompanied by another chromosome and these two chromosomes have a similar shape and size. This pair of similar chromosomes is referred to as homologous chromosomes and thus the humans have 23 pairs of homologous chromosomes (Campbell et al 2010). The homologous chromosomes have genes of the same trait. This means that the gene for a particular biological feature is present at the same place on homologous chromosomes. For example, the trait of eye color would be present at the same location on both the chromosomes. Thus, genes of the same trait lie at the same level on the homologous chromosomes (Campbell et al 2010). Answer. The process of meiosis is important for the reduction of the diploid number of chromosomes to haploid. There are two cell divisions during meiosis and the changes in the offspring result due to the genetic material coming from both the parents. The separation of the chromosomes followed by the reduction of the diploid number to haploid occurs during this process. Along with this, alterations are made in the haploid number during the process of meiosis. This results in new combinations of genes (Khanna 2008). Crossing over as well as fertilization which is unsystematic and the grouping of chromosomes independently is responsible for the production of new genes. This is significant for the purpose of selection as well

The wall between Palastain and isreal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The wall between Palastain and isreal - Essay Example It is a source of malevolence, violence and untold misery to many. The Israelis call it the â€Å"Security Fence† while the Palestinians call it the â€Å"Apartheid Wall†. This paper discusses why the Wall brought about damaging effects to the Palestinians living in and around Jerusalem. To begin with, the Wall discussed here refers to the barrier that was constructed by the Israeli Government in June, 2002. Christison (Para 3) states that the Wall was constructed in order to serve as a protection barrier for the Israelis, with the chief objective of preventing the uncontrolled entry of the Palestinians into Israel. One reason for this was the rampant activities of suicide bombers, in what the Israelis termed as terrorism. It separated Israel from the West Bank region, and would me built along the Green Line – an internationally recognized boundary that was set up after the war in 1948 to 1949. While the Israelis were justified to build a barrier of protection, they hardly considered the vast harmful effects that such a Wall would bring about, especially to the Palestinians. Exploring the reasons as to why the Wall resulted in misery for the Palestinians, the first would be the political philosophy of the Israeli Government, commonly known as Zionism. Zionism advocates for the separation of the Israelis from the Palestinians, including those who live in Jerusalem. It is firmly believed that this would eventually cleanse the population. One of the key features of Zionism is the confiscation of land. This implies that the Wall would be constructed in such a manner as to curve out more land for the Israelis, a factor that would eventually help them take over control of majority of the land in question. The effect of such an action is that it has left many Palestinians without land that originally belonged to them. Secondly, the Wall covers a route that partly runs through the West

Definition of Queer in Relation to Gender and Sexuality Essay

Definition of Queer in Relation to Gender and Sexuality - Essay Example The theory seeks to address the definition of identities of different people who choose to hold onto values that society considers abnormal. Queer defines any behavior, act or approach related to gender, sex, sexuality and feminism that contradicts what society considers normal. The existing gender system is highly regarded by society and the normal class comprises only those who conform to societal values attached to gender. Society uses gender to define different aspects of sexuality. The current gender system faces some challenges because it is binary. One can only be male or female. The aspect of being male or female is used to judge the behavior of an individual as either acceptable in society or not. This brings about the issue of being normal, which is criticized by Warner. Warner challenges the need of homosexuals and transsexuals to receive a ‘normal’ tag from society. Currently, as a matter of fact, society only considers heterosexuals. The gay and lesbians in society face defamation and rejection. Society norms insist that they break the very rules of nature that should remain unbroken. They belong to a third gender, probably, because they defy the rules of the binary gender system that society esteems. Michael Warner challenges the use of the term ‘queer’ which, in his opinion, should be referred to those individuals who claim that sexuality is irrelevant but still strive to be regarded as normal. According to Warner’s critique, the society should reconsider the standards of what qualifies to be normal. He further challenges homosexuals and their Queer theory in a bid to receive the normal tag. According to him, issues of being normal or not only came about when man could keep statistics. Statistics of different aspects have led to determination of a normal value for such an aspect. A variety was acceptable in society before. Logically, each one of us deviates from the normal standards of a society in one way or anot her. Therefore, deviation from the norm should not give rise to shame, rebellion or self-defense. On top of that, Warner argues that society should not condemn to rejection and stigmatization those deviating from the norm (48). Bornstein, on the other hand, blames the stigma attached to those deviating from the societal norm which insists on the binary gender system. Bornstein asserts that the binary status of gender leaves an individual with no choice to express the self-cultivated ideals. It condemns one to conform to the system. In her opinion, society should drop the gender system that condemns one side to oppression and allows the other to enjoy privileges (Bornstein 111). Bornstein wishes society was more accommodating to the class of individuals who choose not to belong to any of the two gender options. She calls them a third class of people or transsexuals. Bornstein envisages a transgendered society in which humans will treat each other fairly, without oppression and superi ority. In her opinion, the future without gender will be a safer place for everyone in society. According to my definition, ‘queer’ refers to any form of expression and identity regarding gender that is not common in society. However, the standards of determining what is normal usually leave no space for self-expression and identity in an innovative way. Therefore, the ‘

Communication, language and Literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Communication, language and Literacy - Essay Example Analysis reveals that oracy was a term coined by Andrew Wilkinson in the 1990s. Oracy is comparatively a new innovation in the educational field that enables the children to empower their listening and spoken interaction. It provides children with a lot of opportunities to train the ear and accustom themselves to new and familiar sounds in the language and make them aware that their learning is very significant and enable them to aim a bright future by laying a good educational foundation. It gradually makes children respond to sound patterns through songs, rhymes and stories. They recognize words and phrases and gradually engage in simple conversations (Oracy, Using the KS2 Framework). As oracy has been regarded as an effective medium assuring healthy education, educational researchers have identified its real value in literacy and implemented different methods to improve the educational standard of the children. This is an attempt to explore whether oracy with literacy can bring no table changes in educational field. In order to make it clear, the researcher goes through the stories of the popular writers like Katie Morag and so on. It is very clear and generally accepted fact that the two processes, that is, language for learning and language for thinking are overtly related with oracy development. Studies prove that social interaction plays a vital role in a child’s language acquisition. The primary stage in the development of social capability is the acquisition of reciprocal understanding. Rosemary Boys keep the view that â€Å"This begins in the mother/child interaction starting at birth, and develops as the child’s communication and language skills become increasingly sophisticated† (Boys, n. d.). From the words of Rosemary it is evident that a child normally begins its language acquisition for its mother and in the long run it gradually develops and assumes the form of the language that we use nowadays. Jean Piaget and

The wall between Palastain and isreal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The wall between Palastain and isreal - Essay Example It is a source of malevolence, violence and untold misery to many. The Israelis call it the â€Å"Security Fence† while the Palestinians call it the â€Å"Apartheid Wall†. This paper discusses why the Wall brought about damaging effects to the Palestinians living in and around Jerusalem. To begin with, the Wall discussed here refers to the barrier that was constructed by the Israeli Government in June, 2002. Christison (Para 3) states that the Wall was constructed in order to serve as a protection barrier for the Israelis, with the chief objective of preventing the uncontrolled entry of the Palestinians into Israel. One reason for this was the rampant activities of suicide bombers, in what the Israelis termed as terrorism. It separated Israel from the West Bank region, and would me built along the Green Line – an internationally recognized boundary that was set up after the war in 1948 to 1949. While the Israelis were justified to build a barrier of protection, they hardly considered the vast harmful effects that such a Wall would bring about, especially to the Palestinians. Exploring the reasons as to why the Wall resulted in misery for the Palestinians, the first would be the political philosophy of the Israeli Government, commonly known as Zionism. Zionism advocates for the separation of the Israelis from the Palestinians, including those who live in Jerusalem. It is firmly believed that this would eventually cleanse the population. One of the key features of Zionism is the confiscation of land. This implies that the Wall would be constructed in such a manner as to curve out more land for the Israelis, a factor that would eventually help them take over control of majority of the land in question. The effect of such an action is that it has left many Palestinians without land that originally belonged to them. Secondly, the Wall covers a route that partly runs through the West

Communication, language and Literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Communication, language and Literacy - Essay Example Analysis reveals that oracy was a term coined by Andrew Wilkinson in the 1990s. Oracy is comparatively a new innovation in the educational field that enables the children to empower their listening and spoken interaction. It provides children with a lot of opportunities to train the ear and accustom themselves to new and familiar sounds in the language and make them aware that their learning is very significant and enable them to aim a bright future by laying a good educational foundation. It gradually makes children respond to sound patterns through songs, rhymes and stories. They recognize words and phrases and gradually engage in simple conversations (Oracy, Using the KS2 Framework). As oracy has been regarded as an effective medium assuring healthy education, educational researchers have identified its real value in literacy and implemented different methods to improve the educational standard of the children. This is an attempt to explore whether oracy with literacy can bring no table changes in educational field. In order to make it clear, the researcher goes through the stories of the popular writers like Katie Morag and so on. It is very clear and generally accepted fact that the two processes, that is, language for learning and language for thinking are overtly related with oracy development. Studies prove that social interaction plays a vital role in a child’s language acquisition. The primary stage in the development of social capability is the acquisition of reciprocal understanding. Rosemary Boys keep the view that â€Å"This begins in the mother/child interaction starting at birth, and develops as the child’s communication and language skills become increasingly sophisticated† (Boys, n. d.). From the words of Rosemary it is evident that a child normally begins its language acquisition for its mother and in the long run it gradually develops and assumes the form of the language that we use nowadays. Jean Piaget and

The Experience of Ethnic Minority Workers Essay Example for Free

The Experience of Ethnic Minority Workers Essay Working conditions in hotels and restaurants †¢ Cash-in-hand, undeclared or under-declared, and illegal working was found among the ethnic minority and migrant restaurant workers interviewed, and affected both employment conditions and rates of pay. This was prevalent in small, ethnic minority-owned restaurants, usually employing members of the same ethnic group. The National Minimum Wage (NMW) was the rate commonly paid to basic grade staff, including bar and restaurant staff, hotel porters and housekeeping staff, particularly outside of London. The research also found a high incidence of flat rate payments per shift or per week, regardless of hours worked, below the NMW, often paid cash-in-hand. Long hours working was a further feature. Full-time workers did a minimum 40-hour week, with 50 to 60 hours a week being common, particularly in restaurants. Late night working, or until the last customer left, was often expected without extra pay. Some felt that they had no life outside work due to the long hours demanded by the job. In some instances, individuals had several jobs to earn money to support family or send back home. There was low awareness of holiday and leave entitlements. Very few workers received more than the statutory entitlement to four weeks’ holiday. Some reported getting no paid holidays or receiving less than the legal minimum, and there was generally low awareness of holiday entitlement. In small restaurants there was sometimes an informal policy of two weeks’ leave. It was common for workers to have received no written statements of particulars or contracts. This was found among both informally and legitimately employed workers, and was a source of anxiety for several. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 1 †¢ There were poor perceptions of job security in the sector. Few workers felt secure in their employment, often feeling they could be sacked on the spot, particularly those working informally. Some longer-term workers in regular employment were aware that increasing use of casual and agency staff meant that their jobs were not secure. Training available to migrant workers, particularly in restaurants, was minimal, usually only in basic health and safety, hygiene or fire procedures. In some hotels, however, managers had recognised the neglect of training in the past and were offering staff the chance to pursue National Vocational Qualifications. †¢ Problems at work †¢ There was a high degree of acceptance of the poor working conditions in the sector among interviewees, with issues such as low pay, long hours, unpaid overtime and poor health and safety standards often not perceived as particular â€Å"problems† but rather viewed as the nature of work in the sector. Where problems were identified these related to: pay; long working hours; workload; getting time off; bullying and verbal abuse, including racial harassment; problems getting on with colleagues; English language skills; and theft of property from work. Bullying and verbal abuse was common, particularly in kitchens where chefs were often known as bullies, but this was accepted by some as â€Å"just the mentality of the kitchen†. Sometimes the abuse had a racial element, with â€Å"bloody foreigner† used as a term of abuse. Racist abuse from restaurant customers was also regularly suffered by some waiters. In one hotel, several staff had experienced bullying from a manager, resulting in time off sick with stress. Staff believed there was an ulterior motive of trying to get rid of long-serving employees and replacing them with cheaper casual staff. Opportunities for promotion were felt by several interviewees to be inhibited by discrimination on grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality or age, as well as the limitations imposed by work permit or visa rules. Some long-term workers felt they had been overlooked for promotion, with their age then compounding the problem as employers looked for younger staff to promote and develop. Where employees saw that they had opportunities to progress, this was due to the support of a manager. Opportunities were further limited by employer presumptions about the suitability of staff for â€Å"front-of-house† jobs, such as reception or waiter positions, based on ethnicity, gender and age. Some employers expressed preferences for white staff, or a â€Å"balance† of white and non-white front-of ­ house staff, on the grounds that it was what their customers wanted. The research found that such racial stereotyping was expressed openly in this sector in a way that may not be acceptable in other sectors. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 2  . In the main, interviewees did not raise health and safety concerns when discussing problems at work, reflecting an acceptance of the hazards of this type of work. However many issues did arise during the course of interviews, which included: burns and working in hot kitchens; working in a confined space; back and shoulder pains; and tiredness from long working hours and heavy workload. Often, responsibility for health and safety, such as avoiding burns, was seen as primarily belonging to the employee and not the employer. Most workers believed that little could be done to tackle the problems that they were having at work, or felt that the only solution was to leave the job. A handful of workers had taken action to resolve their problems at work, either by raising concerns with their manager, or seeking outside support or advice. †¢ Support, advice and awareness of rights †¢ Workers felt poorly informed about employment rights in the UK, and had little idea of where to get information if they needed it. Many also were unsure about aspects of their own particular terms and conditions of employment, which was related to a lack of written information. As might be expected, those who had been in the UK for a longer time, and the small number who were members of a trade union, felt better informed about their rights at work. Trade unions had been a valuable source of support for a small number of interviewees, but for most workers, unions simply did not feature in their experience of work. But despite the difficulties of organising in the sector, including high staff turnover, no culture of trade unionism and employers that are hostile to trade unions, union membership was growing in one London hotel and catering branch. This was the result of recruitment campaigns that included information in several languages. Some interviewees either had, or would, seek support from community organisations about problems at work. However, there was a variation in the level of community support available in the three regions, with London and the West Midlands having established organisations representing a variety of ethnic groups, but such structures were much less well developed in the South West. Seeking support and advice through community organisations can also be a double-edged sword for those who work for employers within the same ethnic community, with some fearing that if they sought advice, word would get around and they would have problems getting work in future. Of the small number of workers who had sought support for problems at work, Citizen’s Advice, Acas and a specific project for service workers (no longer in existence) had been used. While a small number were aware of Citizen’s Advice, a couple thought that the service excluded them because of its name, which implied to them that it was for British citizens only. †¢ †¢ †¢ 3 Conclusions and recommendations †¢ While many of the working conditions and problems highlighted in this report are common to workers in the sector, the research found several features that serve to differentiate the experience of ethnic minority and migrant workers: immigration status; working in the informal sector; discrimination in the labour market and employment; and low expectations which increase tolerance of poor working conditions. For ethnic minority and migrant workers the difficulties in raising and resolving problems relate both to their own individual vulnerability and characteristics of work in the sector. Recent migrant workers may have limited English language skills and little or no knowledge of UK employment rights and support structures, factors that compound the difficulties of addressing problems in the sector. These include: the perception that there is a ready supply of labour to replace workers who complain; a lack of union organisation; a culture of poor personnel practice, such as minimal training and provision of information; and the informal nature of much employment obtained by ethnic minority and migrant workers in the sector. There appeared also to be a lack of monitoring or enforcement of employers’ compliance with employment legislation in this sector. To understand the different experiences and motivations for ethnic minority and migrant workers working in hotels and restaurants, the research developed a typology of strategies that highlights at one end how some individuals feel they are acting strategically in relation to their work choices, whereas at the other, economic factors and limitations play a greater role in determining their choices. The strategies move from Career progression through Broadening opportunities and Stepping stone to Pragmatic acceptance and No alternative. The research makes a number of recommendations about how the position of this vulnerable group of workers can be improved through better access to employment rights and information, improvements in working conditions and career opportunities, and improved provision of support and advice. †¢ †¢ †¢ 4 1. INTRODUCTION This project, The Experience of Ethnic Minority Workers in the Hotel and Catering Industry: Routes to Support and Advice on Workplace Problems, was funded by the European Social Fund and Acas and carried out by the Working Lives Research Institute, London Metropolitan University between May 2004 and July 2006. The project used qualitative research methods to explore the experiences and problems at work of ethnic minority and migrant workers in hotels and restaurants, with the aim of both identifying the range of experiences and problems encountered, and gaining a greater understanding of access to and use of support and advice to resolve these problems. The research therefore provides evidence of the conditions faced by ethnic minority and migrant workers, which is an area relatively neglected by research so far. Its objective is to inform policy in order to improve good practice in relation to the employment of ethnic minority and migrant workers, to prevent problems from arising, and to improve the support and advice mechanisms available. The key target groups for these research findings and policy objectives are thus employers, statutory bodies, the voluntary sector, trade unions and community groups. 1. 1 Background to the project At the start of the project a working paper (Wright and Pollert, 2005) was prepared to establish the extent of ethnic minority and migrant working in the hotel and restaurant sector, as well as pinpointing the main issues for workers in the sector identified by the existing literature. The working paper is available on the project website1. The paper showed that ethnic minority and migrant workers make up a significant part of the hotel and restaurant workforce – almost threefifths (59%) of workers in the sector in London described themselves as other than. White British in the 2001 census (Wright and Pollert, 2005: 27). Outside of London the picture reflects the differences in the concentration of the ethnic minority population across the UK. In the West Midlands, where 84% of the hotel and restaurant workforce were White British in 2001, the largest other groups were White other (2. 9%), Bangladeshi (2. 3%) and Indian (2. 2%). The sector is a particularly important source of employment for some groups, with 52% of male Bangladeshi workers employed in restaurants, compared to only 1% of white males (Holgate, 2004: 21). In London, migrant workers (those born outside the UK) account for 60% of those employed in the hotel and restaurant sector (GLA, 2005: 68), compared to 31% of all London workers who were born outside the UK. However there have been important changes in the composition of the hotel and restaurant workforce since the 2001 census, with employers filling vacancies in the sector by employing significant numbers of workers from the East European countries that acceded to the EU in 2004 (known as the A8 countries). The government requires nationals of the A8 countries who wish to work in the UK to register with the Worker Registration Scheme (WRS), and Home Office figures show that of the 375,000 workers registered between May 2004 and March 2006, 22% were working in hospitality and catering (80,570 workers) (Home Office, 1 http://www. workinglives. org/HotelCatering. html 5 2006a). There has, however, been a decline in the proportion of WRS applicants in Hospitality and Catering from 31% in the second quarter of 2004, to 18% in the first quarter of 2006, with Administration, Business and Management now employing greater numbers. The highest proportion of all applicants under the scheme were Polish (61%), followed by Lithuanian (12%) and Slovak (10%). The figures also show a movement of registered workers to other parts of the UK than London, with the percentage applying to London falling from 25% in the second quarter of 2004, to 11% in the first quarter of 2006 (Home Office, 2006a). While working conditions in the industry have been well documented as consisting of low pay, low status, exploitation of employees and lack of unionisation (e.g. Gabriel, 1988; Price, 1994; Head and Lucas, 2004; LPC 2005), little has been written in the UK about the actual experiences of ethnic minority and migrant workers, with much of the existing literature focusing on management behaviour and strategy (Wright and Pollert, 2005). Some recent exceptions include a study of low pay in London (Evans et al, 2005), which included the hotel and catering industry. This study of 341 randomly selected low paid workers contained 90% who were migrants. Of their sample of hotel and hospitality workers, the largest group (two-fifths) were non-British whites, mainly from Eastern Europe, followed by Africans (24%). It found the lowest rates of pay to be in the hotel and catering sector, below contract cleaning, home care and the food industry. Other recent research has considered the experience of Central and East European migrants in low paid employment in the UK in the context of the A8 countries joining the EU, and covers hospitality, along with construction, agriculture and au pairs (Anderson et al, 2006). It is some 15 years since the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) undertook a formal investigation into recruitment and selection in hotels (CRE, 1991) in response to concern that the sector was failing to consider equal opportunities in employment practices. It found that ethnic minority staff were disproportionately concentrated in unskilled jobs, and found only one ethnic minority manager out of 117 hotels investigated. It made a number of recommendations about how hotels should improve their practices in relation to recruitment, monitoring, positive action and training taking account of equal opportunities issues. However, we have been unable to find evidence of any monitoring or evaluation of whether these recommendations have been heeded or implemented by hotel employers. While knowledge of employment rights among all workers in the UK is poor, it has been shown that vulnerable groups know even less (Pollert, 2005). A random survey of people’s awareness of employment rights in the West Midlands found that women, ethnic minorities, young people and the low paid were least likely to be aware of their rights (WMLPU, 2001). The research was undertaken in the context of considerable public debate on migration policy, and at a time when the government was intending to phase out low skilled migration schemes, such as the Sectors Based Scheme, which granted work permits to certain numbers of workers in skills shortage sectors such as hospitality, in the light of new labour available from the European Union (Home Office,2005). At the same time there is increasing concern for â€Å"vulnerable† workers, and the government has recently published a policy statement on protecting vulnerable workers, defined as â€Å"someone working in an environment where the risk of being denied employment rights is high and who does not have the capacity or means to protect themselves from that abuse† (DTI, 2006: 25). 6 1. 2 Research aims The research set out to address the following key questions: 1. What are the working conditions of ethnic minority and migrant workers in hotels and restaurants? 2. How are working conditions seen and what are perceived as ‘problems’, and how does this impact on acceptance of poor working conditions? 3. What type of problems do ethnic minority and migrant workers have working in hotels and restaurants? 4. How do these compare to the problems generally affecting workers in the sector and to what extent are they associated with particular labourmarket niches within the sector to which these workers are confined? If this is so, to what extent is the insecurity of migrant status relevant, or is racial discrimination relevant? 5. How much do ethnic minority and migrant workers in this sector know about their rights at work, and to what extent do ethnic minority and migrant workers in this sector attempt to enforce their legal rights at work, or instead try to find ways to achieve a sufficient income and manageable working conditions, even if this means colluding with illegal employment practices? 6. How much do ethnic minority and migrant workers in this sector know about where to get advice and support for problems at work? And who do they turn to for advice and support? To what extent do ethnic minority and migrant workers in this sector use statutory (i.e. Acas, CRE), voluntary (CABx, local advice agencies), trade union, community (groups or informal contacts through ethnic networks) or informal (friends, family) sources of support and advice? 7. What are the experiences of ethnic minority and migrant workers in this sector of using all these sources of support and advice and what barriers do they face in accessing support and advice for workplace problems? 1. 3 Structure of the report The report describes the research methodology and access routes, together with the characteristics of the interviewees in section 2. The working conditions experienced by interviewees are described in section 3, confirming evidence from much of the existing literature on the sector, but also highlighting where the experience of ethnic minority and migrant workers may be particular. Section 4 describes the problems encountered by interviewees in their jobs in hotels and restaurants, but also considers the attitude of these workers to defining â€Å"problems† at work, as well as their approaches to resolving problems and barriers to resolution. The information, support and advice available to and used by the ethnic minority and migrant workers interviewed is explored in section 5, together with their awareness of employment rights in the UK. 7 In section 6 conclusions are drawn about the specific experiences of ethnic minority and migrant workers in the sector, the problems that they face and their need for support and advice, suggesting that changes need to be made to practice within the sector, as well as in improved provision of support to ethnic minority and migrant workers. 8 2. METHODOLOGY The project employed qualitative research methods to gather in-depth accounts of the experiences of 50 ethnic minority and migrant workers. Interviews were carried out between May 2005 and May 2006. In addition, interviews and face-to ­ face and telephone conversations were held with key informants to provide contextual information on features and trends within the sector affecting ethnic minority and migrant workers. The strengths of using qualitative methods are that they can not only identify tangible issues (the problems themselves, for example), but also more elusive, subjective issues, such as motivation, perceptions of opportunities and of rights, sense of inclusion, integration and fairness – or their opposites – sense of frustration, alienation and barriers to obtaining support and fairness at work. 2. 1 Regional scope The research project was confined to England within the terms of reference set by the European Social Fund. Three English regions were selected in order to provide a comparison of experiences of migrant and ethnic minority workers: London, the West Midlands and the South West. London and the West Midlands have considerably larger non-white and migrant populations than other parts of the country, with significant numbers of Bangladeshis and Pakistanis working in the hotel and restaurant sector in the West Midlands (Wright and Pollert, 2005: 27 ­ 28). In contrast, the South West is the English region with the smallest non-white population, but is experiencing a growth in migrant workers. The problems facing ethnic minority and migrant populations here have been less well documented, but where studies have been done, isolation from ethnic minority communities and support structures emerges as an issue (BMG Research, 2003; Gaine and Lamley, 2003; SWTUC, 2004). Tourism also accounts for 10% of total employment in the South West, with the greatest proportion of these (70%) employed in the hospitality sector – accommodation, restaurants, pubs etc. (Tourism Skills Network South West, 2002). In the South West it was decided to focus the research on two towns with a large tourist population and therefore a high demand for a hotel and restaurant workforce: Bournemouth and Plymouth. The Human Resources manager of a Bournemouth hotel group, interviewed for this research, said that only 32% of their workforce was British, indicating a high reliance on foreign-born workers. 2. 2 Definitions of ethnic minority and migrant workers The research includes both â€Å"ethnic minority† and â€Å"migrant† workers, categories which, in real life, are complex, changing and overlapping. Some ethnic minorities (using the Labour Force Survey definitions) will also be migrants. Migrants (defined here as all those who were born outside the UK, Home Office, 2002) may or may not be defined as ethnic minorities, and may or may not be discriminated against. White Australian or Canadian migrant workers, for example, would not be. But Kosovan people may be regarded as ethnic minorities, and suffer racism and discrimination, and Czech or Polish people may or may not be discriminated against, and while they may not be â€Å"visible† in terms of skin colour, in the way black and Asian people are, they are â€Å"visible† in terms of language, cultural characteristics, and discrimination. As many â€Å"white† Eastern Europeans are now 9 working in the hotel and restaurant sector, particularly since the EU enlargement in May 2004, it was felt to be important to include their experiences in the study. 2. 3 Access to research participants In order to include the experience of a broad range of interviewees from different ethnic groups and backgrounds, including both recent and more settled ethnic minorities, it was decided to use multiple routes to access interviewees. Therefore a range of bodies were contacted, many with a twofold purpose of: a) providing contextual information about the sector and/or the experiences of particular ethnic groups; and b) helping gain access to research participants. Organisations contacted included trade unions, community and worker organisations, sector bodies, employers and statutory and advice agencies (see Appendix 2). In the South West, where there are fewer organised community groups than in the two other regions, we spoke to officers at Bournemouth Borough Council, who gave us informal contacts within the main local ethnic minority communities, as well as putting us in contact with several community interpreters who spoke the main languages of the local ethnic minority groups: Portuguese, Korean, Turkish, Bengali and Spanish. These routes proved very useful in helping to access research participants and in providing interpretation for interviews. However, in the end, Turkish and Bangladeshi workers were reluctant to come forward to be interviewed, which the interpreters said was because they were fearful of speaking out about their employers, despite reassurances of confidentiality. In all three areas we used fieldworkers who were able to use their language skills to carry out interviews in workers’ native languages, namely Bengali, Spanish, Polish, Lithuanian and Mandarin. The fieldworkers were also able to provide access to workers who may not have come forward otherwise, being people who were known and trusted among their own ethnic communities, or who were able to provide sufficient reassurance of confidentiality. Training was provided in using the interview guide to all fieldworkers to ensure a common approach was used in interviews and that fieldworkers understood the aims and objectives of the research. While the approach used provided access to workers in a wide range of establishments, from large hotel groups to small independent restaurants, including several working ‘illegally’ or ‘informally’, we acknowledge that using such routes could not access the most hard-to-reach illegal migrant and ethnic minority workers, who may constitute a considerable proportion of workers in the sector. The research may not fully represent the worst conditions found in the ‘underbelly’ of the sector as suffered by many ‘illegal’ or ‘undocumented’ migrants, as portrayed, for example, in Steven Frear’s 2002 film about a London hotel, Dirty Pretty Things. It was decided not only to seek out interviewees who perceived themselves as having had a â€Å"problem† at work, but a range of people in different jobs in the sector, in order to explore their typical work experiences and their attitudes towards â€Å"problems† and conditions in the sector. 10 2. 4 Key informants In addition to the worker interviews, at least 20 key informants (see Appendix 2) provided further context on the hotel and restaurant sector, including regional knowledge. These included employers and employer representative bodies, trade union officials and branch members, community organisations, representatives of sector bodies and statutory and voluntary organisations. In some cases in-depth interviews were carried out, and in others more informal conversations were held either face-to-face or on the telephone. 2. 5 Worker interviews A total of 50 in-depth qualitative interviews were carried out in the three regions, with a greater number in London due to the huge range of ethnic minority and migrant workers in the sector in the capital. The breakdown was as follows: Table 1: Worker interviews by region Region London South West West Midlands Total % 46% 24% 30% 100% No. of worker interviews 23 12 15 50 during the interviews, which and a half. Participants were of both themselves and their participation with a ? 10 shop A semi-structured interview schedule was used generally lasted between 45 minutes to an hour assured of confidentiality, and of the anonymity employer. They were thanked for their time and voucher. At the start of the interview, participants were asked to complete a two-page questionnaire giving basic demographic and employment details, data from which is provided in the following section. 2. 5. 1 Ethnicity Respondents were asked to describe their ethnicity, according to the classification used in the 2001 Census. The results are grouped together in table 2. Table 2: Ethnicity of the sample Ethnicity White Bangladeshi and Pakistani Chinese and Other Asian Black Mixed % 36% 26% 20% 16% 2% No. of interviewees 18 13 10 8 1 11 2. 5. 2 Country of birth Table 3 shows the range of countries from which interviewees came. It was notable that only one participant was born in the UK, despite attempts to find British-born ethnic minority workers in the sector. Both fieldworkers and interviewees themselves commented that many British-born people do not wish to work in a sector that is known for low pay and long hours, including the children of migrants interviewed, as they seek better alternative employment opportunities (some young British-born workers do work in the sector while they are students, but tend to do so for only a short time). Table 3: Country of birth Country of birth Bangladesh China Colombia France Ghana Holland Indonesia Ivory coast Korea Lithuania Philippines Poland Portugal Slovakia Somalia Spain Sudan Turkey UK Ukraine 2. 5. 3 Gender Women are under-represented in the sample (38% of interviewees) compared to their presence in the sector as a whole, but this reflects the fact that the sample includes a substantial number of Bangladeshi workers, who represent a significant group in the sector in the West Midlands, and most of these workers are male (Wright and Pollert, 2005: 27-28). 2. 5. 4 Age Only one interviewee was under 21 years old. Almost two-fifths (38%) were aged 21 to 30 years old, and the same proportion were between 31 and 40 years old. Six interviewees (12%) were aged 41 to 50, and five (10%) were between 51 to 60. None of the interviewees were aged over 60. 2. 5. 5 Education Overall the sample was fairly highly educated, with 36% having a first stage or higher degree. Another 10% had post-secondary non-tertiary level education, and 36% had received education up to secondary level, while 12% had received. % 24% 10% 6% 2% 4% 2% 2% 2% 6% 8% 2% 4% 4% 6% 6% 2% 2% 4% 2% 2% No. of interviewees 12 5 3 1 2 1 1 1 3 4 1 2 2 3 3 1 1 2 1 1 12 primary level education or less. A further 6% had other qualifications or the details of their education were not known. 2. 5. 6 Employment The majority (62%) of the interviewees worked in restaurants, while 30% worked in hotels. The remaining 8% either worked in both hotels and restaurants, as agency workers, or in catering services. More than half of respondents (54%) said there were 10 or fewer employees where they worked. A further 22% said there were between 11 and 25 people where they worked. Only 6% worked for employers with between 26 to 49 people and 10% said there were 50 or more employees where they worked. However these figures should be treated with caution, and may underestimate the number working for larger employers, as respondents may have interpreted the questions as referring to the workplace or department of the hotel where they worked, rather than the employer as a whole. Almost half the interviewees (48%) worked as waiters or waitresses, either in hotels or restaurants. Another 20% were chefs or cooks, and a further 4% worked in kitchens as general assistants. 12% said they were supervisors or managers and 4% described themselves as cashiers. Another 10% worked in other jobs in hotels as receptionist, general assistant or porter/bar worker. The majority of workers were full-time (70%), while 14% said they worked parttime, and 14% were casual workers. Working hours were long. The largest proportion (40%) worked over 40 hours per week – 10% worked between 41 and 48 hours, while almost a third (30%) said they worked over 48 hours a week. Just over a third (36%) worked between 21 and 40 hours a week. Only 6% did less than 20 hours a week. The majority (82%) had only one job at the time of the interview, with 18% having two or more jobs. However, some of those currently working in only one job talked of previous times in the sector when they had more than one job. 2. 5. 7 Union membership Only five were members of a trade union (either the GMB or the TG), or 10% of the interviewees, although this is still a higher proportion than in the sector as a whole, where only 5% of workers are unionised (Wright and Pollert, 2005: 25). 2. 6 Data analysis All worker interviews were tape recorded and transcribed (or detailed notes were made where the quality of the recording did not allow for full transcription) with the participants’ consent, and field-notes were made shortly after the interviews. This data was analysed with the help of QSR N6 data analysis software in order to assist a consistent and rigorous approach to the data being analysed. A thematic index was developed to categorise the transcripts according to major themes and transcripts were coded accordingly using the N6 software.

Planning For Change In An Organization

Planning For Change In An Organization The purpose of this essay is to understand the background and the issues related to organizational strategic change. Be able to lead the stakeholders in the development of a strategy for change and to be able to plan to implement models for ensuring ongoing change. According to Rajagopalan Spreitzer 1997, strategic change is a difference in the form, quality, or state over time in organizations alignment with its external environment. Managing change is all about creating changes in a planned and orderly movement and it is considered to be a crucial role in the organization. Background of the Organizations Strategic Change Travelodge Hotel According to Travelodge 2011, they are considered to be the first budget hotel brand to be introduced in the Uk in 1985 and now managed to operate 380 hotels (over 26,000 rooms) throughout Ireland, Spain and the UK. The chain is under the operation of Dubai International Capital, who purchased the organization from Permira in 2006 as stated in Travelodge site, 2011. January 2009 is the date when Travelodge UK has been launched. They have undergone the first retail-style price checking programme. Through this, they were able to measure up the prices of all the giant UK hotel chains to make sure that they remain being the leader on price. Due to its rapid growth, they are continuously working on their plan of operating 70,000 rooms which is approximately 1000 hotels by the year 2020. Aside from that, they are aiming to be the biggest hotel operator when the Olympics come on 2012. Based on last years data, six and a half million people dwelt in Travelodge. Due to its promotion in the internet of  £19 per night, 87% of those guests booked from online according to the data gathered. This promotion is applied throughout UK. LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1.1 KURT LEWIN ( Unfreeze, Change, Freeze ) Unfreezing This stage involves preparing oneself for a change and preferably making a situation in which change is needed. The more urgent the change should be made, the motivation to make the change is high. Change Time is needed and must be given to people as this is not an easy time because people are learning about the changes and they need to understand the process, In this case, support from the management is essential such as coaching, training and expecting mistakes being a piece of the course. Freezing This is the final stage of the process and it is very relevant as the desired change must be accepted and sustained. Without the freezing stage, there is always a tendency of the people to return back to the things that they are used to do. It is necessary to ensure that desired change is continually being performed and not forgotten. Bullock and Batten, planned change This model involves four stages: exploration, planning, action and integration. The occurrence of the exploration is when the management confirms that there is a need for change and secure resources needed for it (enotes,2011). Resources may be classified into physical or mental such as the expertise of the manager. Subsequently, planning takes place when the people in charge in decision making create a desired plan followed by review and approval. When the implementation of the plan takes place, that is when the action stage occurs. Lastly, integration starts by the time the action in the desired change plan is in motion and when the changes have been associated with the organization with a certain degree of validation by means of policies and organizational procedures. McKINSEYS 7S Strategy to have a competitive advantage in the competition, strategies are needed. Structure organizational structure and the line of management Systems employees daily activities Shared Values organizational values being implemented to employees Style the way leaders and managers behave towards the realization of its objectives. Staff employees and their whole capabilities Skills the expertise and capabilities of the people in the company 1.2 RELEVANCE OF CHANGE MODEL Travelodge Hotel is best analysed using the McKinseys 7 S. In this case, due to the constant existence of the hostels, which obviously offer low prices, Travelodges objective of expansion every year has been affected. In this matter, they need minimize their cost and expenses for them to sustain in the competition regarding price. The company needs to have a good strategy to maintain their growth and to have an advantage in the hotel industry, like providing extra discounts to students and tourist. Talking about the structure, being a hierarchical management as all orders are mandated by the head office, they need to see to it that proper communication must be observed from the top to the bottom. In this way, a change of structure is needed. Likewise, for the change to be effective, systems of the organization must be taken into consideration without neglecting the core values of the hotel which is to provide affordable accommodation to everybody. In my point of view, objectives of the company relating to expansion and change will be best fulfilled if management is supportive enough to motivate people to perform. In implementing changes, employees and their skills are relevant because without them planned changes in Travelodge Hotel will just be wasted. The models and techniques are important for the organization because it serves as the guidelines to achieve the plan. 1.3 VALUE OF STRATEGIC INTERVENTION In every planned action that needs to be materialized, strategic intervention is needed because it gives and reminds individuals a certain motivation and direction in between the process. Making us understand on the things that we do, why we do it and how, is the main function of intervention. Its value cannot be underestimated as they are the tools in the process of achieving organizations objective. Travelodge process of change within the organization and among individuals, requires human process intervention, team building consensus and conflict, as well as human resource management as they are a huge organization. Considering the external, organizational and government intervention is also necessary because the target of expansion requires all those things to operate. ISSUES RELATING TO THE ORGANIZATIONS STRATEGIC CHANGE Various issues are to be considered pertaining to the strategic change in an organization. It does not matter how we define this change because of the mere fact that challenge to the company is inevitable: balancing the demands and hopes among the stakeholders including customer, employees, management and shareholders. Without balance, an organization risks an anxious work force that may yield declining output. Needs for Change Travelodge is experiencing a decline of sales nowadays due to the emergence of new hotels and hostels in the City Of London. Further promotions and offerings about their products and services must be considered. One of the reasons why people tend to stay in other hotel is because of their services and prices. Another thing to be considered by the organization is the culture of their staff. The company is experiencing a high people turnover for years already. Since people are having various options to choose from in the market regarding accommodations, plus the crisis in the economy, Travelodge must be able to have an edge in the market. This thing must be given focus by the organization to maintain the market share. Factors that are driving the need for strategic change in Travelodge The present economy and the massive competition in the hotel industry are one of the factors why there is a need for a change. Travelodge being a low cost accommodation, still needs to find ways on how to increase market share and be profitable. The upcoming Olympic games on 2012 is a good opportunity for them to increase profit. Hence, further development of their promotions and offers must be studied and done. Customer satisfaction is one of their problems nowadays because of low performance of the team which leads the company to adapt change in the system of delivering exceptional experience and services to the guests. Considering the external factors, competitors edge in prices and services are one of the factors that affect the operation of Travelodge Hotel because it decreases the guest turnover and therefore affects their financial status necessary to run the business. Resource Implications of the Organization Not Responding to Change Human Resources which pertain to employees are expected to resist in the process of change because they may feel uncomfortable in doing new things related to what they are used to. Skills Development is necessary for each and every employees working in the hotel industry especially in the aspect of customer service. Strict compliance of the standard operating procedure is required for guests satisfaction. Likewise, physical resources like refurbishments of the building may be hard to do because it entails a lot of time and money to finance the said project. Though it is necessary for Travelodge to keep their rooms and the entire hotel presentable to gain more positive reviews from guest, there are still lots of things to be prioritized and considered especially in the matter of finance. Financial resources is always an issue in implementing any projects because of the fact that there is a decline in the income of Travelodge Hotel. In connection with this, a difficulty in implementing the change is visible. BE ABLE TO LEAD STAKEHOLDERS IN DEVELOPING A STRATEGY FOR CHANGE MULTIPLE CAUSE DIAGRAM According to Hopkins 2005, it is a technique that you can use on your own or with groups of people and also known as the fish bone method. To start with a definition of the performance problem is the essential idea followed by a question of why it is happening until building up a picture of various factors affecting the performance. Travelodge Hotel is undergoing a decrease in performance of their sales and income because of the massive competition in the market. Their regular patrons are finding better options regarding to prices and services. Recent reviews show a lot guest complaints and guest being dissatisfied. This is because staffs are not delivering exceptional service to the guest as well as the appearance of the room itself. Due to crisis financially, further trainings to individuals and building improvements have been left out for a while which results to low performance. Change Management Strategy with Stakeholders 3.2.1 Employees Development Employees must undergo training programs to enhance their skills in customer service. This refers to staff from Front Office Department and Food and Beverage Department because they are the one who are directly in contact with the guest. Further trainings and performance appraisal of the employees must be given focus by the management because in this way employees will tend to do their best in imparting good customer service to the guest. Next step is to create a system which motivates the employees to perform well such as providing extra gratuities at the end of the month. Normally, in the hotel industry, guests are generous enough to leave some tips for the staff, in connection with this, Travelodge must have a system for the gratuities to be divided equally amongst the employees from all departments. 3.2.2 Promotions As Travelodge Hotel is accepting bookings online like all other hotels, promotions and offers must be presented as well in their site to create peoples awareness of what is being offered during the season. 3.2.3 Customers Feedback External stakeholders are relevant in developing a change. By asking feedback from them regarding the services during their stay will help the hotel to develop the areas which they are low in performance. Reviews regarding the hotel provide a lead for the potential guest to make a choice. Nonetheless, Travelodge must see to it that guest are satisfied in order for them to leave an excellent rate and review. Evaluation of the System Used Using the Multiple Cause Diagram is advantageous because in this way, the management can pinpoint the exact cause of the problem that needs to be change. It is an easy to use tool for Travelodge Hotel to be performed because answering to the why question is all it needs. For instance, the cause of a decline in profit is the massive competition in the market, hence, followed by moving their regular guest to other hotels because of poor services. In this way, the management of Travelodge will be able to identify the factors which cause the main problem. And through this, they can easily formulate a strategy which will help them overcome the present status in their business. Management of Resistance Strategies 3.4.1 Open Communication This must be done all throughout the process for the people to fully understand the purpose of the planned change, and the opportunities that lies ahead if change will be implemented. In the process of change exchange of ideas is necessary for the people to feel that their participation is important which somehow results to motivation in responding positively to change. Authority Process This is necessary in order to control peoples behaviour for the benefit of the implemented change. Management must direct people that certain change must be adapted and they need to participate on it. Evaluation In the implemented change, an evaluation is necessary for the management to know whether people are responding positively and whether the goals are halfway to achieve. Knowing the cause of resistance must also be taken into consideration so that proper ways to handle the situation will be exercised. BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT MODELS FOR ENSURING ONGOING CHANGE 4.1 ADKAR Model In my own understanding, ADKAR model is appropriate to use for Travelodge Hotel as it delivers awareness for the necessary changes, desire to participate and support the change, knowledge on how to change, ability to implement the planned change and reinforcement to sustain the change in an organization. Implementation of the Model for Change 4.2.1 Awareness Travelodge Hotel management must see to it that people concerned are aware of the planned change before implementing it so as to avoid resistance and more chaos in the organization. Because strict compliance of standard operation procedures are needed to be implemented which have been neglected by most of the people, management has to announce accordingly its pros and cons. Desire To instil this to the employees, they need to be aware first of the necessity why change must have to happen. So therefore, in informing people that policies and procedures must be changed pertaining to customer service efficiency, convincing them to believe that the hotel is not performing well in terms of income which somehow affects their benefits can create a desire for them to participate in the process. 4.2.3 Knowledge This comes after having the desire of participating in the process. The management is therefore required to elaborate the things that need to be done in the implementation of the planned change. For instance, in order to have a high rate performance in the reviews, receptionist must perform well in dealing with the customers complaint and in achieving that, further trainings are needed. Ability In this area, the Managers of Travelodge Hotel must provide coaching and mentoring to people. In the case of Food and Beverage division, Food and Beverage Managers must provide hands-on training to the staff because this is where he knows whether staffs are performing according to the standard of the hotel. Reinforcement This is where the management needs to have focus for the change to stay in place. This can be done by undergoing evaluations and proper monitoring of the employees performance through feedback from Travelodge guests or on the job observation. Measures to Monitor Progress Progress of the change can be monitored through progressive reviews during meetings and consultation. Wherein each individual will have a chance to speak out their ideas and observation. Likewise, goal- based evaluation is also helpful because this is where the management can assess if the goal is being reached already or still needs more hard work for it to be realized. Similarly, regular reports regarding customers feedbacks and employees performance must also be considered for the management to take necessary measures if something out of the context is happening. CONCLUSION In my own understanding, ADKAR model is suitable to use in implementing the change for Travelodge because it emphasizes to individuals which are the main resources in the organization. By using this model, determining the specific area to improve and to maintain is easy simply because it is a step by step process. Travelodge current situation is driving the company to strive more in formulating ideas on how to improve their services especially in customer satisfaction. Hence, by implementing the planned strategies, it will somehow give the organization an edge to compete in the market.