Reaction Time Essay

Summary This experiment aimed to determine the reaction time of the test participant and using the subtractive method identify the selection time and identification time of the participant. The experiments had one participant who participated in a total of 6 experiments; two experiments required a simple reaction with a single stimulus and 4 experiments that required a more complicated reaction. Keywords Subtractive method – the procedure of estimating the time it takes to perform various cognitive operations. Simple reaction – this reaction time task has a single stimulus and requires only a single reaction Choice reaction – In this reaction time task there are more than one stimulus and more than one response. Each stimulus has its own response. Donders A B and C reactions – In this reaction time task there is more than one stimulus but only one stimulus is linked with a response. Introduction Donders A B and C reactions have been used to determine the time it takes to perform cognitive operations for quite some time now. In these experiments we aimed to use light and sound stimuli in the react time tasks to determine individual base time, Identification time and selection time. Using one female college student (23 years) and one person recording the different reaction times. The experiments took place over a period of two days, with the first experiment taking place on one afternoon and the next 5 experiments a week later in the afternoon again. 2. Methods 2. 2 Apparatus and materials. One pen and paper to record reaction times, one Reaction task machine which came equipped with headphones for sound stimuli, a screen for visual stimuli and a panel of buttons colored red, yellow and green for responses. 2. 3 Procedure Pilot Test The participant stood on the reaction task side of the machine and put on the headphones after having been already instructed to press the red button when they heard both sound and visual stimulus. The observer then set the machine to pilot test, simple reaction test and selected the color red. The observer then gave a visual signal to the participant to let them know the experiment was about to begin. In this pilot test the participant was required to press the red button each time they saw the red light flash when it was accompanied with a voice that said red. At the end of a test a hand signal was given by the observer to the participant to let them know the task was over. The light and sound stimuli were given for a total of 20 times if the participant did not make any mistakes (that is pressed the red but only when both stimuli were given) then the pilot test was completed successfully, if not the machine would reset itself and would have to be set again and the test would be administered again. This stage was also a learning phase for both participants and observers as both were using this type of machine for the first time. Experiment 1. The participant stood on the test side of the machine and put on a pair of headphones after having been already instructed they were required to press the red button each time they saw a red light. The observer then set the machine to real test, selected simple reaction and selected the color red. . There was no signal given to the participant as to when exactly the experiment would begin by the observer but they were told to be ready as soon as they saw the light the experiment had begun. At the end of the experiment a hand signal was given by the observer to the participant to let them know the task was over. The stimulus that required a reaction in the experiment was given 19 times and the experiment was only complete if the participant made no mistakes. Each reaction time was noted by the observer. Experiment 2 The participant stood on the test side of the machine and put on a pair of headphones after having been already instructed they were required to press the red button only when they saw the red light flash across the light panel. The participant was instructed not to press a button for any other colour. The observer then set the machine to real test, selected selection reaction and pressed the clear colour button as well as the red. . There was no signal given to the participant as to when exactly the experiment would begin by the observer but they were told to be ready as soon as they saw the light the experiment had begun. The stimulus that required a reaction in the experiment was given 19 times and the experiment was only complete if the participant made no mistakes. At the end of the experiment a hand signal was given by the observer to the participant to let them know the task was over. Each reaction time was noted by the observer. Experiment 3 The participant stood on the test side of the machine and put on a pair of headphones after having been already instructed to press the button that corresponded with the colour they saw flash across the screen i. e. see green light, press green button. There was no signal given to the participant as to when exactly the experiment would begin by the observer but they were told to be ready as soon as they saw the light the experiment had begun. At the end of the experiment a hand signal was given by the observer to the participant to let them know the task was over. The stimulus that required a reaction in the experiment was given 19 times and the experiment was only complete if the participant made no mistakes. Each reaction time was noted by the observer. Experiment 4 The participant stood on the test side of the machine and put on a pair of headphones after having been already instructed to press only the red button when they heard the high frequency sound. The observer then set the machine to real test, simple reaction test and selected high frequency sound. There was no signal given to the participant as to when exactly the experiment would begin by the observer but they were told to be ready as soon as they heard the sound the experiment had begun. At the end of the experiment a hand signal was given by the observer to the participant to let them know the task was over. The stimulus that required a reaction in the experiment was given 19 times and the experiment was only complete if the participant made no mistakes. Each reaction time was noted by the observer. Experiment 5 The participant stood on the test side of the machine and put on a pair of headphones after having been already instructed to press the red button only when they heard the high frequency sound. The observer then set the machine to real test, choice reaction test and selected all the frequencies. There was no signal given to the participant as to when exactly the experiment would begin by the observer but they were told to be ready as soon as they heard the sound the experiment had begun. At the end of the experiment a hand signal was given by the observer to the participant to let them know the task was over. The stimulus that required a reaction in the experiment was given 19 times and the experiment was only complete if the participant made no mistakes. Each reaction time was noted by the observer. Experiment 6 The participant stood on the test side of the machine and put on a pir of headphones after having been already instructed to press the button that corresponded with the frequency of sound they heard, i. e. high frequency= red button, middle frequency=green button and low frequency=yellow button. The observer then set the machine to real test, choice reaction test and selected all the frequencies. This time there was no hand signal given to the participant by the observer but they were told to be ready as soon as they heard the sound the experiment had begun. At the end of the experiment a hand signal was given by the observer to the participant to let them know the task was over. The stimulus that required a reaction in the experiment was given 19 times and the experiment was only complete if the participant made no mistakes. Each reaction time was noted by the observer.

Family and Life

Cause/Effect Essay Did you know that being connected with your family could be the best tool to help you to accomplish your goals much easier? However, a family can influence sometimes in a good way or sometimes in a bad one. Fortunately my family has influenced me in a good manner that in return I will help my relatives just the same way they did. Growing along with my family has influence and improved my life in significant ways. There are three main ways on how my parents have influenced in my life, such as: no to give up on my goals, being responsible for my acts and being solidarity to others.First, one of the most important things that they told me is not to give up on my goals. As I have been gotten older, my mind starts to realize that life without goals is not life, that life without goals or towards something is pointless. I believe everyone when a kid was had dreams to become someone in the future such as: Attorney, Doctor, Professor, and President of The United States of America. My mother, who has been always telling me to believe in myself, that I can achieve my goals if I work harder and believe in myself.As an effect, I graduated from high school last year with good standing grades. I am currently a freshman at Oakton community college working on my way to a four year institute, and I have a part time job at Marshalls Store Department. This was a big achievement in my life because I would not have done it if both my parents were not there sustaining me. Second, effect that my family has on my life is teaching me how to be responsible for my acts. Being responsible in my acts has been teaching me enormous lessons while growing up. This was caused by my oldest sister.She has been through many difficult experiences that taught her to be more responsible for her own acts. Now, I try to do the best in every step that I have to take. Through the years, I have become a better individual in myself by choosing the best ways to be better person in my acts every day by not hurting my family or anyone in my life with my acts. Third, effect that my family has on my life is how to be solidarity to other. I remember how my grandmother, who passed away two years ago, told me that I needed to be solidarity to others if I wanted to live happier and in peace.Furthermore, helping others gives a feeling that words cannot describe itself because this feeling is special I think. Sometimes this feeling fills up a part of me that I cannot fill up with anything else. I help other people whenever I have the opportunity not just because I want to feel special but because it helps me to be a better individual than the day before. My grandma was like a second mother to me, she taught me many values such as: respect, love, tolerance and other things that are essential to put on practice in this life. A family always will be one of the best tools to count on in your live yet.Because any member of any family could help, advice, guide you to the best way f or your own good and not to make same mistakes that they might have done. A family will always be the main resource to come to for help. However, not all family members would be helpful in good means. Some relatives would be selfish and intolerant to you. Eventually one will notice if the advising is given in a good way or not. All human beings need someone who can talk to, someone to turn back on to, someone who would be there for you in the happiest and saddest moments. We all need someone to talk to because we have feelings for others.

Hands by Sherwood Anderson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hands by Sherwood Anderson - Essay Example The story is about Wing Biddlebaum, a fat little old man from Winesburg, Ohio. Wing Biddlebaum was driven out of Pennsylvania, his original hometown, after he was falsely accused of molesting a young boy in a school where he used to teach. This happened because of his habit of caressing the boys’ hairs and shoulders whenever he talked to them. Wing’s seemingly uncontrollable hands manifest his grotesqueness. The central symbol of this story is hands, which figure as agents of conflicting aims of different characters and demonstrate Wing’s helplessness and vulnerability. Discussion We are told that ‘Winesburg was proud of the hands of Wing Biddlebaum in the same spirit in which it was proud of Banker White's new stone house and Wesley Moyer's bay stallion’ (Anderson 16). His hands are a distinguished feature which amazes the citizens of Winesburg, but he seems not to notice and instead is afraid of them. Many citizens, including George Willard, have m any times wanted to ask him about his hands and why he seemed frightened by their power. This fear of his hands shows his grotesque nature. Wing hides his hands in fear that he might repeat the incident at the school. This is despite the fact that he had pure intentions in everything he did. ‘In a way, the voice and hands, the stroking of the shoulders and the touching of the hair was a part of the schoolmaster's efforts to carry a dream into the young minds.

Dell Supply Chain Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Dell Supply Chain Management - Case Study Example Thus, the supply chain system of Dell does possess shortfalls and improvement areas do exist. This paper serves the purpose of critically evaluating the Dell Supply Chain and envisaging not only the efficiency of the system but its inefficiencies as well. The paper firstly describes what a supply chain is. The next section presents what is actually supply chain management. Dell's Supply Chain is discussed next following the critical success factors adopted by the Dell Supply Chain Management. Then a major section of the paper presents a critical evaluation of the Dell Supply Chain. And then the conclusions are finally presented. Supply Chain involves every person and stage that is involved in satisfying the customer's demands. It includes every party from the manufacturer to the customers. The supply chain involves the chain that starts from manufacturer, suppliers, transporters, warehouses, retailers and ends on the customers (Chopra and Meindl, 2004). The supply chain of every company is active and ever changing. Information and products are the crucial and continuously involved constituents of every stage in the supply chain. T The key to successful supply chains are the customers because the basic intention of the supply chains is to fulfill the customers' requirements (Chopra and Meindl, 2004). Every party involved in the supply chain works to fulfill the customers' demands because when the customers are satisfied and are getting what they actually want, they are willing to pay even high prices for the products and making profits is what every company lives for. The supply chain is an entire network of various parties striving towards the fulfillment of the demand (Chopra and Meindl, 2004). Thus every supply chain is demand-driven i.e. the whole of the chain of supply works to fulfill the demand (R Ernst, B Kamrad, 2000). The different stages involved in the supply chain involve stocks and inventory which are updated at every stage (Alan Johnson, 2006). Supply Chain and the Competition The competition in the entire global industries is now based on the competition of the supply chains. The approaches different companies use to run and deal with their supply chains are crucial for their construction or destruction (David A. Taylor, n.d.). Supply chain also has a great impact on the cost that the organizations incur and the savings that it makes. Enhancements in supply chains are not just beneficial for the baseline operations but they are also important for the top line operations because an efficient supply chain can increase the competitive advantage of the organizations over the others (David A. Taylor, n.d.). Therefore, the organizations today are focusing on the lowering of costs mainly through their supply chains and through these low-costs, fulfilling the demands of the customers.

Law - Mock Final Exam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Law - Mock Final Exam - Assignment Example Mouza called the developer and complained and argued very loudly that the floor tiles in every room were the wrong color and there were no doors in the bedrooms. She got so stressed with everything as she walked through the villa that she slipped on a wet floor, fainted, and broke her wrist and her new iphone 4S as she fell to the floor. _____The civil Court has the jurisdiction to handle the case as it involves a commercial dispute between Mouza and RUCON which the company that handled the construction. There is also a breach of contract in the case as the contractor failed to carry out the work as required in the contrtact.____________________________________________________________________ ___The appeal will be heard in the Court of Appeal within a period of 30 days from the day of judgment. This is because the Court of Appeal has the powers to handle and appeal emanating from the Civil Court. _____RUCON will be referred to as the appellant as the company will have filed the appeal. Mouza will be referred to as the appellee in the case. _____________________________________________________________________ _____In Abu Dhabi, the Federal Supreme Court of Appeal is responsible for making the final judgment regarding the cases that emanates from the other courts. _____________________________________________________________________ _____If RUCON LLC was based in Dubai, the final decision would have been made by the Court of Cassation. The Court of Cassation is the highest Court in Dubai. _____________________________________________________________________ __The first legal action in the case involves the breach of contract by the company. According to Article 131, RUCON had accepted the contract by entering into an agreement with Mouza to construct the house. On the other hand, it is also important to note that the RUCON promised to complete the work within the completion date as and as required by

Individual income tax. USA Indiana state laws Research Paper

Individual income tax. USA Indiana state laws - Research Paper Example The taxpayer participates in racecar driving on mini circuit. The car is hers and she is her own mechanic. She lost money during the first two competition years. Taxpayers often receive gifts support the products of racing. The question is whether how the deductions will apply to the swimming pool, the gift, the office, the losses she experienced in racing. It also extends to the treatment that the taxation to the gifts which they receive. Summary of Issues The issue in this scenario is the application of taxation and deductions on incomes according to the Indiana taxation law. It seeks to identify the provision of the taxation law in determining what constitutes taxable income and valid deductions. This is in recognition of the fact that not all assets and incomes are taxable and not all expenses are considered as valid for deduction. The taxation law on income taxes in Indiana recognizes Taxable benefits as any income that is earned from professions or daily business occupation. Th is is an important information in the preparation of income tax returns. The incomes and benefits in this issue include: The salary of the taxpayer Gifts from Racing The issues or the items to be considered for deductions include: Loss of Money in competition Installation of Swimming Pool Repair of the Car Office Space Used For Work Summary of Conclusion Taxable income The salary of the Taxpayer The Federal Tax laws consider all salaries from employment are automatically valid for taxation. The second major form of income is from businesses or other professional occupations that earn regular income. Gifts from Racing The gifts from racing are a form of regular income that the taxpayer has to declare in the return and include in the taxable income. Taxation applies to the gift. The law states that any citizen, who earns money from lottery or gifts, will add them to the taxable income. The racing gift is therefore a taxable income in the Indiana tax return. The US Federal return refer s to them as other income. Deductions Loss of Money in competition According to the Law in Indians, any lost income will be considered as exemption from taxation, if indeed the government investigators have evidences that she lost the money. The investigation proceeds to confirm the status of the losses such that whenever the taxpayer recovers the lost funds, then she will have to include the lost money to the taxable income and pay the full tax. If the amount was a form of assistance or support for any issue, then it will be a legible deduction on the Indiana tax return. In the IT-40 Schedule for the Federal tax return, any form of state tax that is recovered has to be reported in a separate column. There is another column for the deduction recovery for every itemized deduction in IT-40PRN. You may be able to deduct up to $3,000 of the rent paid on your Indiana home. Installation of Swimming Pool The swimming pool was a necessity and the doctor recommended it. This is an added resp onsibility to support the life of the taxpayer. It has to be deducted from the income tax just like the long-term commitments such as insurance and mortgage. Repair of the Car Because the taxpayer repairs his own car, it does not affect the taxation scale. There is no financial implication or economic influence. Office Space Used For Work The use of office for work, the responsibility and the taxation fall on the taxpayer. She will also require to link with the employer and

Machiavelli, Lao-Tzu and Carnegie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Machiavelli, Lao-Tzu and Carnegie - Essay Example Generally, when leaders need to make regular decisions that deal with the day to day running of the organization, they may choose to use democratic leadership to involve their subjects and other subordinates. Where there is the need for most executive and finance based decision to be made also, leaders may keep their cards close to their chest, exercising authoritative leadership. However, judging from the fact that some trend of leadership; not necessarily concerned about leadership style have produced more exemplary results of organizational success than others makes it possible to generally say that one concept of leadership is more effective and relevant than others. In this paper therefore, the works of Machiavelli and Lao-Tzu are compared to argue on which of the two authors offers a more proactive and relevant approach to modern leadership. Relevance and Effectiveness of advice in a Modern day Society To pass judgment on the advice on leadership that is most relevant and effec tive in a modern day society, it would be important to consider the kind of setting within which each of the two leaders gave out their advice and compare that to the kind of society we have today. Machiavelli wrote â€Å"The Prince† from a perspective of authoritarianism, where the prince is seen to be a superior, whose offenses to his subjects must be expected, but cannot be questioned. It is for instance stated specifically that â€Å"the prince cannot avoid giving offence to his new subjects, either in respect of the troops he quarters on them† (c. 3). Meanwhile in modern society, democratic practice is hailed in all facets of life, right from an individual level, to organizational level, then to state levels. On the other hand, â€Å"Thoughts from the Tao-te Ching† can be said to have been written in a state of general peace and calmness in the land. This notion is exemplified with a quote such as, â€Å"The good I meet with goodness; the bad I also meet w ith goodness. Thus I actualize goodness† (p. 121). Given the fact that modern society is currently backed by several pressure groups, international organizations and non-governmental organizations that champion the course of global peace and goodness as against war and violence, the advice given by Lao-Tzu on the need to embrace all with goodness can be said to be the most relevant and effective in a modern day society. There would be several justifications for pointing to Lao-Tzu’s advice on leadership as the most relevant and effective in modern day society. In the first place, most modern theories of leadership can be seen as directed towards the need for current leaders to raise the next generation of leaders right within their midst and in their presence. But to do this, it is important that followers will see diligence and trust in their leaders. It is for this reason Lao-Tzu states that â€Å"Not priding oneself on one’s worth forestalls the peopleâ€℠¢s envy. Not prizing treasures that are difficult to obtain keeps people from committing theft† (p. 98, line 18-20). That is to say that, leaders must see the need to create value in their followers rather than depending on the values of their worth and treasures. Meanwhile, when the advice of Machiavelli on the establishment of

QSR Industry In India Essay Example for Free

QSR Industry In India Essay Executive Summary 4 ï‚ ¨ India is witnessing rapid urbanization of small towns and growth of mid-sized cities. This along with rising population in key metros and higher disposable incomes is fuelling growth in every industry. 35% of India‟s population will be in urban centres by 2020 totaling to 53 crores compared to the current urban population of 32 crores. ï‚ ¨ Consumer markets are being driven by the country‟s youth population. Be it college goers or the young working class, exposure to the international environment and culture, has created a demand for world-class products at affordable prices. ï‚ ¨ This has led to the rise of Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) in India, the fastest growing segment in the eating out market. By 2012, there will be at least 2000 more QSR outlets across India. ï‚ ¨ With QSR giants like Starbucks and Dunkin‟ Donuts yet to foray in the market, there is a lot to look forward to. 5 Industry Overview 7% of the total restaurant market comprises of QSRs 6 ï‚ ¨ The Indian fast food market is growing at an annual rate of 25-30 per cent, Foreign fast food chains are Estimated Size of the Indian Restaurant Industry Organized Eating Out Market, Rs. 8600 Cr. Growth : 20% (20%) aggressively increasing their presence in the country. ï‚ ¨ The market is dominated by global brands like McDonalds, KFC and Dominos specially in the organized fast food segment. Growing trend of Unorganized Market, Rs.3 4400 Cr. (80%) Growth : 5-6% consumption of new cuisines and increasing brand awareness has led to the increase of global players. The new age Indian consumers have also played a QSR Market Rs.3000 Crores 7% significant role. ï‚ ¨ Organized modern formats like malls, multiplexes and Organized Restaurant Market (Except QSRs) Rs.5600 Crores 13% food courts have also become a favoured destination. Larger companies are teaming up with small franchisors to set-up their brand. ï‚ ¨ QSRs started with big metros, but are now building their presence in Tier 2 cities like Unorganized Restaurant Market Rs.34400 Crores 80% Pune, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Bangalore. Sources: www.nrai.org,, www.rncos.com Total Restaurant Industry Rs. 43000 Crore Market Segmentation 7 Restaurant Industry †¢Road-side location †¢No technical standards †¢No accounting standardization Unorganized Full-Service Restaurants QSRs Fine Dining Take-away Casual Dining Organized Home Delivery Eat-in Bars and Lounges †¢Accounting Transparency †¢Organized Supply Chain †¢Quality Control †¢Sourcing Norms †¢Multiple Outlets †¢Dominated by Global Players Kiosks/Carts Highest growth segment. Maximum Footfall due to increasing traffic at airports, railway stations, malls, multiplexes and supermarkets Growth Drivers 8 25% of population eats out at least twice a month and spends Rs.150-Rs.500 / meal Urbanization Youth Spending Expanding Middle Class 2% 11% Better logistics A younger and richer India is fuelling rapid growth in the eating-out segment 29% Affuent Upper Middle Class 300 million 29.5 % or 88.5 million Key consumption areas 2% 5% Total population of Gen Next (13-24 Age Group) Total population of Gen Next living in urban areas Household Distribution By Annual Income 1% Nuclear families Mall and Multiplex boom Clothing accessories, Food, Entertainment and durables Spending Power Rs.3000-40000 per month †¢ †¢ Lower Middle Class 86% 64% Bottom of the pyramid Urban youth behaviour †¢ †¢ 2010 2020 Sources: Marketing Whitebook 2011-12, Economic Times, MGI Socially active Hangs out at coffee shops and malls Prefers to be seen at the right places Expresses one‟s identity through choice of brands consumed Maintaining Consistency in product and quality of service are the biggest challenges faced by QSRs 9 Challenges Demand Side Supply Side Health and hygiene concerns among buyers Maintaining Quality of Service Acquiring Key Talent Building a costeffective supply chain QSR customers are very easy to sell to, but also very easy to lose Localization of Menu Managing high attrition rate amongst junior level employees Establishing a supply chain in a new region Beating local competition Standardization of product across outlets Low entry barriers Monitoring multiple outlets Reducing service time – efficient assembly line Talent Supply Chain Monitoring quality of products procured from third parties SWOT Analysis 10 STRENGTH OPPOTUNITIES †¢ Burgeoning middle class †¢ Risk-sharing in a franchise based model †¢ Abundance of cheap labour in India †¢ Increase in malls and Positive multiplexes †¢ Increasing youth spending †¢ Urbanization WEAKNESS THREATS †¢ Sourcing Talent †¢ Food Inflation †¢ Monitoring franchisees †¢ Product imitation †¢ Maintaining quality standards across outlets †¢ Understanding Indian tastes Internal Factors †¢ Price Competition †¢ Dependency on third parties †¢ Local Competition External Factors Negative Urban Youth Make Up The Prime Target Audience 11 Particulars Low Cost in terms of initial investment as well as operating cost Target Audience Profile Category Young Urban Professionals on the move Low Risk Key Features of a QSR Teenagers High Impulse products Students Best Retail Locations Multiplex audience Competitive Prices Shoppers Target Audience Behaviour Age group 16-35 Hygiene Taste conscious Location Cities and towns Social Class Middle and Upper Middle Class Lifecycle Dependent and Pre-Family* Brand conscious Westernized culture Seeking international standards Value seekers Experimental *based on Sagacity Lifestyle Model 12 Working of a QSR Brand Image, Ambience and Overall Experience are important intangible factors for QSR customers 13 ï‚ ¨ A QSR is meant to create instant interest in the mind of the consumer. It has to have ï‚ ¤ Intangible parameters that make a QSR successful Mass appeal Brand ï‚ ¤ ï‚ ¤ A unique experience ï‚ ¤ ï‚ ¨ A characteristic ambience A strong brand identity One cannot find Ronald at any other burger joint except McDonalds. ï‚ ¨ The service, which is the only human touch, plays a big role in creating a unique experience. A lot of time and resources are spent on training the staff ,as they represent the brand. KFC employees are expected to live up to their 3 F‟s to create to perfect environment – Fun, Friendly and Familiar. ï‚ ¨ In an effort to maintain the same experience across outlets, the service, interiors and menu items are standardized . Experience Ambience QSR Formats and Locations 14 QSR FORMATS LOCATIONS Malls Restaurants Tourist hubs Food Court Counters Corporate hubs Kiosks/Food Carts Take-away/Delivery Drive-ins Shopping Centers Multiplexes Airports/ Railway Stations Setting up a Franchise Outlet 15 Initial Qualification †¢ Application Review †¢ Background and Credit Check †¢ Assess training needs †¢ Signing of Franchise Disclosure Document †¢ Verify Assets Site Registration †¢ Franchisor sends site registration to brand for approval †¢ Franchisee remits funds Operation Plan Site Exploration and Securing Control †¢ Prospective franchisee makes an operation plan which is reviewed thoroughly Franchise Onboarding †¢ Franchisee arranges for Financing †¢ Hires a Team †¢ Franchisor provides Support and Training †¢ Builds Restaurant †¢ Supports in Grand Opening †¢ Determine Site Selection Strategy †¢ Identify focus areas †¢ Franchisor completes Action Plan for Trade Area †¢ Franchisee negotiates for the site and sends letter of intent Franchisor’s Role after the launch †¢ On-site Training is provided for every procedure. †¢ The Franchisor has an approved vendor list from where the ingredients can be sourced. †¢ They have an annual promotional and advertising plan that they implement with the support of the franchisees. †¢ Quality checks are conducted via Consumer Feedback, Food SafetyAudits and Standard Audits Managing Human Resources 16 ï‚ ¨ Acquisition When QSRs come to India, they find it difficult to get experienced talent for Human Resource Tree at at a typical QSR outlet strategic positions. There are very few people with relevant experience, Restaurant Manager especially in a global firm. Poaching employees from competitors would mean huge incentives and salary raises. Thus a lot of companies hire people in the same function but from a different industry. ï‚ ¨ First Asst. Manager Support training The franchisors offer support and training to the franchisees for effectively Trainee Manager running the small format franchise business. Training is conducted at 3 stages: ïÆ'Ëœ Induction ïÆ'Ëœ On-going ïÆ'Ëœ Refresher ï‚ ¨ Retention Trainee Floor Manager Out of 10000 emloyees, KFC has to replace 7000 employees each year. This means cost for fresh recruitments, training and relieving employees is very high. Dominos has increased salaries of store front employees by 20% and implemented an incentive plan in order to reduce attrition rate. Training Squad Crew Member Second Asst. Manager Marketing Strategies 17 ï  ± QSRs have to play on their strengths to create and communicate a brand promise. ï  ± The brand promise can be anything from fast service to low prices to healthy food. ï  ± Successful QSR chains have been able to take their brand promise very effectively to the masses. 1 †¢ A large burger chain targeted the value seeker community and created highest value for money as its brand promise. 2 †¢ India‟s largest Pizza chain targeted the customers who wanted fast service at their doorsteps. It created the brand promise of assured fast delivery and communicated it with its â€Å"30 mins or its free† campaigns 3 †¢ A large coffee shop chain wanted to position itself as not just a coffee shop but a place to hangout with friends and family. They marketed themselves with the tag line â€Å" A lot can happen over coffee† which clearly communicated that they wanted their customers to have a complete experience much beyond just coffee. Pricing Strategies 18 ï  ± Its important for QSRs to price their products carefully because of the stiff competition that they face. ï  ± The strategy is to price their products in such a way that the maximum number of customers can be retained and at the same time higher margins are abstracted from the customers who do not mind paying more for extra value. This is achieved by: DIFFERENTIAL PRICING Pricing the base product aggressively and keeping higher margins on the side orders This strategy is for the price conscious consumer who sees great value in the base product and can choose to not take the side orders At the same time it allows the QSR to charge the customer for whom price does not matter, much more through the high margin side orders Most QSRs keep fighter brands in their menu to remain competitive. VALUE PRICING Value combos allow the QSR to sell more no of high margin products with the low margin base products. Eg: QSRs try to sell more French fries and cold drinks through their value meals. Pizza chains sell more garlic bread and cold drinks through their value meals Growth Strategies of QSRs 19 A large burger chain in India has the highest foot fall amongst all countries, but the lowest average bill. Growth in India is achieved based on volumes, hence every QSR is looking to expand its presence . A coffee trading company who supplies coffee beans, started a retail business of coffee shops all over India. Forward Integration A casual restaurant chain diversified into food court stalls., thus entering the QSR market. Horizontal Diversification A coffee shop chain diversified its coffee shops business by establishing express outlets and coffee machines. Concentric Diversification A soft drink giant branched out to form a new company with Pizza and Fried Chicken chains in its umbrella. It sold off its stake, but is in a lifetime contract with the firm Lateral Diversification Menu Planning 20 Menu Selection is critical, especially when localizing in markets like India and China where traditions, religion and local taste are cannot be ignored. Enlisted below are some of the important factors: Size of outlets Target in terms of demographics Local taste preference †¢ QSRs do not keep the full menu at all outlets. †¢ Instead they include only a few high volume products at outlets with space limitations like food courts and express kiosks †¢ Depending upon the age group they are targeting, QSRs have to adjust their menus. †¢ QSRs targeting older age groups have to include healthier and more traditional food items in their menus where as QSRs targeting the youth can have more experimental and/or fast food items. †¢ Product adaptation according to customer preferences is really important for QSRs to succeed. †¢ International chains in India have to adjust their menus to include more vegetarian and spicy items. A Fried Chicken brand has the most extensive range of items in India amongst all its worldwide outlets †¢ Most QSR giants avoid using beef and pork due to cultural taboos. The 4 pronged approach to ensure standardization across all outlets 21 Standardized aspects of every outlet There are 4 important factors that enable standardization for a restaurant with multiple outlets: Training Equipment †¢Every new employee has to go through a specific pre-designed training program for that level of employment. Recipes Procurement of Products †¢The same machines are used by all outlets for making the  dishes. Standard recipes have to be followed by the chefs who receive thorough training for the same. †¢QSRs have centralized approved vendors from where they  procure and process raw materials. They also procure finished products like spices and condiments from the same vendor and distribute it. Case Study – Dominos India 22 60 9000+ 400 364 9000 Jubilant Foodworks Ltd. operates the 364 Dominos international markets outlets in India, pursuant to a Master Franchise Agreement International, which operate Dominos pizza delivery stores and the associated trademarks in the operation of stores in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The pizza million pizzas sold each year employees in India Dominos provides them with the exclusive right to develop and outlets worldwide outlets in India with stores in Sri Lanka are operated by their subfranchisee, DP Lanka. It is the largest Pizza chain in India, way ahead of its immediate competitor Pizza Hut with 50% of market share in the Indian Pizza market and 70% market share in the home delivery market. Source: dominos.com, dominos.co.in, reuters.com Case Study – Dominos India 23 Particulars Market share in the Indian Pizza market – 50% Market share in the home delivery segment –70% Sales Per Day Per Outlet Rs.56600 80% of their sales come from the Pizza segment, and EBIDTA margin (9M FY2011) 18% the remaining is attributed to beverages and side items. Same Store Sales Growth (9M 38.7% 80% of sales come from home delivery and 20% from 65% FY2011) Market Share OTC sales. Sales Break-up: Cuisine-wise 4% Sales Break-up: Segment-wise 20% 16% Pizzas Home Delivery Beverages Over-the-Counter Others 80% 80% Source: indiainfoline.com, dominos.co.in Critical Success Factors of Dominos India 24 Critical Success Factors 1. Delivery-oriented model reduces cost 2. Dominos has a vertically integrated supply chain. (as seen below) 3. Franchising model Supply Chain of Dominos Regional warehouse Raw Material Supplier (Approved vendor) Regional Centralized Facilities for processing raw material like dough – 4 centres across India Refrigerated trucks carry the finished items to retail outlets Retail Outlets Items are prepared based on orders and sent to end consumer 25 Key Players‟ Profiles Key Player Profiles 26 Name Cuisine Parent Company/ Master Franchisee Origin Location Formats Outlets Expansion Plans in India McDonalds Burgers Hard Castle Restaurants Pvt. Ltd USA PAN-India Dine-In, Food Courts, Drive-in 210 To add 20-25 outlets by 2013 KFC Fried Chicken Devyani International Ltd. USA PAN-India Dine-In, Food Courts 110 500 outlets by 2015 Chicking Fried Chicken Mirah Group UAE South Zone Dine-In 14 Bangs Fried Chicken Fried Chicken Bangs India India South Zone Dine-In, Food Courts 7 100 outlets by FY2011 Pizza Hut Pizzas Devyani International Ltd. USA PAN-India Dine-In 171 300+ outlets by 2015 Dominos Pizzas Jubilant Foodworks USA PAN-India Dine-In, Delivery , Food Courts 364 To add 70 outlets in 2011 Papa Johns Pizzas Om Pizzas Eats USA West Zone Dine-In 25 Pizza Corner Pizzas Global Franchise Architects India South Zone Dine-In, Delivery 50 US Pizza Pizzas United Restaurants Ltd. India PAN-India Dine-In, Delivery 77 Smokin‟ Joes Pizzas Smokin‟ Joes Pizza Pvt. Ltd. India PAN-India Dine-In, Delivery 52 Garcia‟s Pizzas Garcias Famous Pizza India West Zone Dine-in, Delivery 20 To add 20 outlets Slice of Italy Pizzas Green House Hestoft Foods Pvt. Ltd. India North Zone Dine-In, Delivery 16 Key Player Profiles 27 Name Cuisine Parent Company/ Master Franchisee Origin Location Formats Outlets in India Expansion Plans in India Barista Coffee Shop Barista Coffee Company Ltd. India PAN-India Espresso bars, High end cafes 230 Costa Coffee Coffee Shop Devyani International Ltd. England PAN-India Cafes 75 300 outlets by 2014 CCD Coffee Shop Amalgamated Bean Coffee Trading Co. India PAN-India Cafes, Mall Airport kiosks, Office outlets 1090 To add 200+_ outlets by 2014 Gloria Jean‟s Coffee Shop Citymax Hospitality Australia Metros Cafes 15 40 outlets by 2012 Kent‟s Fast Food Burgers Kents Fast Food India North Zone Dine-In 15 Subway Submarine Sandwiches Subway Systems India Pvt. Ltd. USA PAN-India Dine-In, Food Courts 200 250 outlets by end of 2011 Tacobell Tex-Mex Yum Restaurants USA Bangalore Dine-In 3 100 outlets by 2015 Falafel Veg. Hummus House Lebanese Mirah Group India Mumbai Dine-In, Kiosks 8 100 outlets by 2011 Wimpy Burgers Famous Brands Ltd. UK Delhi Dine-In 3 Yo! China Asian Moods Hospitality Pvt. Ltd Delhi, India PAN-India Dine-In, Kiosks 80+ Key Player Profiles 28 Name Cuisine Parent Company/ Master Franchisee Origin Location Formats Outlets Expansion Plans in India Dosa Plaza South Indian Prem Sagar Dosa Plaza Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai, India PAN-India Dine-In, Food Court 35 Jumboking Vadapav Jumboking Foods pvt.ltd. Mumbai, India West Zone Express, Restaurant Takeaway 43 250 outlets by 2011-12 Kaati Zone Mughlai East West Ethnic Foods Pvt. Ltd. Bangalore , India South Zone Dine-In 15 Mast Kalandar Indian Spring Leaf Retail Pvt. Ltd. Bangalore , India South Zone Dine-In 21 Nirula‟s MultiCuisine Nirula‟s Corner House Pvt. Ltd. Delhi, India North Zone Dine-In, Kiosks 80+ To add 50 outlets by 2012 Kailash Parbat MultiCuisine Kailash Parbat Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai, India PAN-India Food Court Stalls 15+ Comesum MultiCuisine RK Group Delhi, India PAN-India Dine-In, Delivery 11 Haldiram‟s MultiCuisine Haldiram Snacks Pvt. Ltd. Delhi, India North Zone Dine-In 18 Bikano Chat Cafe MultiCuisine Bikanervala Foods Pvt. Ltd. Delhi, India North Zone Restaurant, Institutional Tuck Shops, Food Cart 68 Sagar Ratna MultiCuisine Sagar Ratna Hotels Pvt. Ltd. Delhi, India North Zone Dine-In, Food Court 53 Tibbs Frankie Frankie J.Tibbs Co. Mumbai, India West Zone Kiosks 20+ Key Players‟ Segmentation 29 Segmentation based on Size of the Chain Local Chain Jumboking National Chain International Chain Segmentation based on Cuisine Pizzas Burgers Sandwiches Coffee Shops Indian Specialty Cuisine Dominos McDonalds CCD Comesum Jumboking Pizza Hut KFC Barista Sagar Ratna Yo!China Pizza Corner Wimpy Costa Coffee Kailash Parbat Tabobell Papa Johns Subway Gloria Jeans Mast Kalandar Falafel Pizza Hut Smokin Joes Kents Fast Food Kaati Zone Tibbs Frankie Barista Pizza Corner Garcia‟s Haldirams Haldiram‟s Cafà © Coffee Day Papa Johns Slice of Italy Nirulas Sagar Ratna Tibbs Frankie Tacobell US Pizza Bikano Chat Cafe Comesum McDonalds Nirulas Dosa Plaza KFC Mast Kalandar Kailash Parbat Subway Kaati Zone Yo! China Wimpy Garcia‟s Smokin‟ Joes Dominos Falafel‟s US Pizza Bang‟s Fried Chicken Bikano Chat Cafà © Costa Coffee Kents Fast Food Gloria Jeans Geographical Segmentation 30 PAN-India : International Cuisine McDonalds* NORTH ZONE Nirula‟s Haldiram‟s Bikano Chat Cafà © Slice of Italy Kent‟s Fast Food Sagar Ratna Wimpy PAN-India : Coffee Shops Gloria Jean* KFC* Costa Coffee* Subway* Barista Pizza Hut* Cafà © Coffee Day Dominos* US Pizza Smokin‟ Joes WEST ZONE Papa Johns* Garcia‟s Falafel Jumbo King PAN-India : Indian and Specialty Cuisine Dosa Plaza Comesum 65% of Dominos‟ revenues are contributed by the top 7 cities out of 70 cities it is present in. 50% of their outlets are in Maharashtra, New Delhi and Karnataka SOUTH ZONE Pizza Corner* Chicking* Tacobell* Kaati Zone Bangs Fried Chicken Mast Kalandar *International Brands Kailash Parbat Yo! China Tibbs Frankie Key Players‟ Positioning 31 PAN-India Ethnic Cuisine Ethnic Cuisine PAN-India Pizza Hut Dominos Comesum* Dosa Plaza* Kailash Parbat* Yo! China* Cafà © Coffee Day* Barista* Gloria Jeans Costa Coffee Sagar Ratna* Haldiram‟s* Mast Kalandar* Jumbo king* Kaati Zone* Bikano Chat Cafà ©* Nirula‟s* Zonal Tacobell Falafel Pizza Corner Papa Johns US Pizza* Smokin Joes* Slice of Italy* Garcias* McDonalds KFC Wimpy Subway International Cuisine Chicking Bang‟s Fried Chicken* Kent‟s Fast Food* Tibb‟s Frankie*International Cuisine Zonal *Indian originated chains Dominos and Cafà © Coffee Day are the largest QSRs in India in terms of reach and number of outlets 32 No. Of Outlets v/s Geographical Spread of Pizza Chains Pizza Chain Outlets Spread Origin Indian 52 PAN-India Indian 50 South Zone International 25 West Zone International 20 West Zone Indian Slice of Italy 16 North Zone Indian Chain Outlets Cities 1090 120 PAN-India Indian 364 87 PAN-India International McDonalds 210 45 PAN-India International Pizza Hut 171 34 PAN-India International Barista 230 30 PAN-India Indian Subway No. of Outlets PAN-India Dominos 115 77 Cafà © Coffee Day No. of Cities 65 International Garcias 15 PAN-India Papa Johns No. Of Outlets v/s No. of Cities of top brands in India 171 Pizza Corner 15 International Smokin Joes 5 10 Geographical Spread PAN-India US Pizza 0 364 Pizza Hut No. of Outlets Dominos 200 26 PAN-India International KFC 110 21 PAN-India International Spread Origin 33 Trends and Future Prospects Big brands – Small cities – Small formats 34 Locations Large chains expanding to smaller cities Domestic chains setting up in big cities Formats Cuisines Technology Express Outlets Basic street Foods entering organized market – Vadapav, Ice Gola Online ordering systems Smart Carts/Kiosks Regional cuisines– Kebab Lucknow Wale, Malwaneez IVR system for placing order and making payment via Credit Card Kiosks have managed to attract huge footfalls at sales points. Even big chains are now customizing their outlets to smaller models like „express‟ and „stand-ins‟ Integration of concepts – so Mcdonalds serves coffee and CCD serves sandwiches Menu diversification by introducing Indian flavours – Chicken TandooriSub at Subway Investors are queuing up to get a big slice of the pie 35 ï‚ ¨ With the number of QSRs growing at 30% per year, the industry is attracting investors‟ interest, especially after the IPO of Jubilant Foodworks, the master franchise of Dominos Pizza in India ï‚ ¨ ICICI Venture acquired 10% stake i.e. $55 Million in Devyani International who is the franchisee of KFC, Pizza Hut and Costa Coffee in India ï‚ ¨ Also Mast Kalandar, a Bangalore-based QSR chain, secured a second round of investment from Helion Venture Partners, Footprint Ventures and Salarpuria Group. ï‚ ¨ Chinese cuisine QSR Yo! China received funding of $5.5 Million from Matrix partners ï‚ ¨ Accel Partners invested in Bangalore-based fast food chain Kaati Zone. Source: vccircle.com QSR giants Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks set to foray into the Indian market 36 ï‚ ¨ ï‚ ¨ ï‚ ¨ Dunkin’ Donuts- Jubilant FoodWorks is to develop, sub-franchise, and operate more than 500 Dunkin‟ Donuts restaurants throughout India over the next 15 years. The first Dunkin‟ Donuts locations are expected to open by early 2012. The Agreement marks the largest international store development commitment in Dunkin‟ Donuts‟ history. Starbucks – Tata Coffee is to bring Starbucks , the world‟s largest coffee chain to India through a Joint Venture Quiznos – The US-based subway restaurant chain has signed a master franchise agreement with Arjun Valluri for setting up outlets in Southern India. Source: www.dunkindonuts.com, www.trak.in, U.S. Franchise Trade Mission Participants Profile, April 10-15 2011 Sources 37 Research firms ï‚ ¨ Technopak ï‚ ¨ IBEF ï‚ ¨ Marketing Whitebook 2010-11, 2011-12 ï‚ ¨ Mckinsey Global Institute ï‚ ¨ www.rncos.com ï‚ ¨ www.nrai.org Company Websites ï‚ ¨ www.yum.com ï‚ ¨ www.mcdonaldsindia.com ï‚ ¨ www.dominos.co.in Other websites ï‚ ¨ Hospitalitybizindia.com ï‚ ¨ Indiaretailing.com ï‚ ¨ Franchiseindia.com Newspapers ï‚ ¨ Deccan Herald ï‚ ¨ Economic Times ï‚ ¨ Business Standard ï‚ ¨ DNA 38 About D‟Essence Our Services 39 D‟Essence Hospitality is Boutique Management Consulting firm based in Mumbai which provides specialty consulting services for the entire spectrum of the hospitality industry with a special focus on hotel operators, builders and investors ï  ± Feasibility Studies ï‚ ¤ Management Model Viability ï‚ ¤ Technical Viability Economic and Financial Model Viability ï‚ ¤ ï‚ ¨ Market Viability Business Model Viability Exit Strategy Viability Site Analysis We have vast experience in project planning site selection. In many cases it has been seen that planners architects normally look into a project from design and land-use perspectives. But we do detailed site and market analysis to determine the viability of the project from financial and investment standpoint. ï‚ ¨ India Entry Strategy We help our clients to develop suitable market entry strategies through analyzing entry barriers (ease), geographical factors, incumbents‟ resistance and routs to market. ï‚ ¨ Management Contracts Branded operators have very stringent clauses in the contracts. To deal with them needs deep understanding of the domain and effects of each clause on the profit margins. D‟Essence Hospitality Services makes full use of its expertise in understanding the management contracts and negotiating it for best acceptable terms. Our Services 40 ï‚ ¨ Key Recruitments D‟Essence Hospitality is dedicated to becoming India‟s leading executive search firm exclusively serving the Hospitality Industry. Our search team enables you to recruit for executive level management, divisional managers, general managers, culinary, finance, sales and marketing, food and beverage, engineering professionals who will all, directly affect and drive the profitability of your organization ï‚ ¨ Acquisitions From our years of experience, we advise our clients on which assets to buy and when to buy and based on our recommendations they devise strategies for buying assets. We also provide assistance to our clients to develop assets disposal strategies in order to maximize project performance ï‚ ¨ Business Model and Business Plan We assist our clients in the business planning process and then prepare a plan based on the available resources and their business objectives. Our Business Planning services include feasibility studies, business formation plans, strategic plans, new product plans, marketing and promotional plans, etc. ï‚ ¨ Fund Raising ï‚ ¨ Mentoring ï‚ ¨ Growth Strategy THANKYOU D‟Essence Consulting 303, Aar Pee Center, 11th Road, Gufic Compound, MIDC, Andheri (E) Mumbai- 400093 Tel +91 22 28347425 www.dessencehospitality.com

Theories of Communication in Education

Theories of Communication in Education The application of theories, principles and models of communication in education and training Introduction: Communication is a process of exchange of facts, ideas, opinions and a means that individuals or organizations share the meaning and understanding with one another. 2.1. Analyse theories, principles and models of communication: Two schools of thoughts are recognised in the study of communication and these include: The Semiotics School: The basis for semiotics was laid by Morris-1946, for languages or symbols theory. This school deals with communication as a mixture of sign, symbol and message, which the sender wishes to carry and wants a particular reaction from the recipient of the messages-the sign itself. The semiotics schools focus is categorised into three areas of general study: syntactic (study of relationship between symbols), semantics (study of symbol to referent relationship) and pragmatics (study of relationship of people with symbol). The Process School: perceivescommunication as a process, a simple messages transmission and meanings which the sender intends to carry not minding the reaction of the. Instances include art works, culture and music since messages are not formed with any reason, but as an expression of the senders thoughts. The recipient can translate the message the way he wants. The process school of thought is also called Linear School. Communication Theories: Some studies are based on the influence of communication and media on the human society. One of the earliest studies in this group is: Hypodermic/Bullet Theory: whichrelies on the powerful principle of media and its consumers are passive and naÃÆ'Â ¯ve. Furthermore, it states that messages passing through media are like magic bullets which strikes the audience as quickly as possible but also impacts them to carry the required action as quickly as possible. Two Step Flow of Information Theory: Paul Lazaefled Elihu Katz, Berelson and Hazelduadet were at the forefront of this theory which states that mass media did not exert the types of impact on the audience as was generally believed. The audience came to an agreement not directly under the impact of mass media but more by means of association amongst themselves. This was the finding of an investigation carried out in the 1940s during Americas presidential elections. Models of Communication: Aristotles Model: This model was developed some 2000 years ago. Aristotle (the Greek philosopher) includes in this model the five necessary factors of communication: Speaker, Speech/message, Audience, Effect and Occasion. Aristotle suggests that the speaker should construct a speech for separate audiences on separate instance for separate purpose. This model is applied in public speaking. Lasswells Model (1948): states that for mass communication process to be understood, each of the phases has to be understood. This model elaborates on the effect instead of the message itself. Effect implies observable change in the receiver. It also proposes that any change in the elements will change the effect. Shannon and Weavers Model (1949): also termed the engineering model of communication is an exemplary of the process school of thought. It is also known as the mathematical theory of communication as it gave a technique to the problem of how to convey maximum information in a given channel. It proposed the noise concept. As engineers during World War II, Shannon and Weavers main challenge was in finding out the most efficient human communication means. Newcombs Model- 1953: This is the premier of the models to propose the function of communication in a society. The main function in accordance with Newcomb is to sustain equilibrium in a society. For example: Tutors come up with a new policy of increasing the school timing from 5 hours to 7 hours. A Teachers B Learners X Policy or issue If both learners and tutors are okay with this policy then the communication maintains its equilibrium status between them. Else the communication flow between A and B becomes trouble in the social system. If A or B is not willing to accept the policy then it will directly impact the social system and cant maintain the equilibrium status. So TutorsA can convince learners B as much as possible. Else they have to make some amendments in the Policy X and convince them towards the policy. Charles E. Osgoods Model- 1954: In this case, communication is a dynamic process where a healthy interactive association exist between the source and the receiver. Wilbur Schramms Model: Schramm continued from a simple human communication model to a more complex model that justified the total experiences of two people trying to engage in communication and then to a model that considered human communication with interaction between two people. In his second model, Schramm suggests the idea that only what is shared in the aspects of experience of both source and destination is actually communicated, because only that size of the signal is common to both of them. The third model views communication as an interactive process where both the receiver and the sender act as encoder, interpreter, transmitter and receiver of signals. It is a Circular Model, so that communication is something circular in nature. 2.2. Ways in which theories, principles and models of communication can be applied to teaching, learning an assessment Different people respond to different forms of communication, when we teach we give consideration to the varying types of learners, Visual, Aural, Readers, Kinaesthetic (VARK), we try to design our lessons to include all of the styles. Learners learn in different ways depending on the results produced by a sensory input. Making reference to a condition known as synaesthesia, in which one sensory input produces unexpected results for instance, a synaesthete may see the colour red when they see the number 2 and blue if they see number 3, in some cases sound caused a visual effect for the synaesthete. This may explain why one person responds better when information is given in a verbal format, another responds better if it is visual and so on. The connections between these different sensory areas of the brain mean that we all have our own unique way of perceiving what is being taught or communicated. This allows for empathy with learners of different styles and this is a good reason to consider how to communicate to learners with different learning styles. Communication is the art of successfully sharing meaningful information with people by means of an interchange of experience. The important word is successfully, which implied that a desired behaviour change results when the receiver takes the message (Walklin 1993, p. 164). According to Walklin, it is not enough to communicate the instructions, it is also important to deliver praise or constructive criticism in order to encourage and guide the learner into new discovery, if you ask the learner to complete a task a feeling of accomplishment will encourage behaviour conducive to further learning. This is essential to me when teaching as my own learners can often be hostile to the learning process, feeling it has been imposed upon them. It is also important to listen to the students, if you set tasks that are above the students current abilities then you are likely to create a communication barrier whereby the student will close in on themselves not wishing to admit they cannot continu e and the learning process will stop. Achieving two way communications with our learners is not straightforward. Barriers can often present themselves. It is crucial that a tutor can identify barriers and help learners overcome them. Petty (2009) proposes that unsuitable level of work, jargon, vocabulary, environmental factors, fear of failure and inapproachable tutor can be barriers to learners learning experience. Whilst I agree in principle to this, I also believe that introducing new vocabulary and language usage is necessary to the learners further development. Reference: Ars Rhetorica. Edited by W.D.Ross. OCT. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1959. Bizzell, P. and Bruce Herzberg. (2000). The Rhetorical Tradition: Readings from Classical Times to the Present. NY: Bedford/St. Martins. p. 3. Chomsky, Noam (1956) , Three models for the description of language. Ire Transactions on Information theory, 113-124. Golden, James L., Goodwin F. Berquist, William E. Coleman, Ruth Golden and J. Michael Sproule (eds.). (2007). The rhetoric of Western thought: From the Mediterranean world to the global setting, 9th ed. Dubuque, IA (USA): p.67. Gross, Alan G. and Arthur E. Walzer. (2000). Rereading Aristotles Rhetoric. Carbondale, IL (USA): Southern Illinois University Press: Lasswell, Harold D. (1948) The Structure and Function of Communication in Society. Morris, C. (1946) REVIEWS. Signs, Language, and Behavior. New York, Prentice. Hall Inc., Pp. xi, 365. Murphy, John J. (1983). Introduction, Peter Ramus, Arguments in Rhetoric against Quintilian. C. Newlands (trans.), J. J. Murphy (ed.). DeKalb IL (USA): Univ. of Illinois Press. Petty G (2009) Teaching Today (4th Edition), Nelson Thornes. Shannon,C Weaver, W (1949), The mathematical theory of communication, University of illinois press: Urbana. Scramm, W. (1954) Procedures and effects of mass communication in Henry, N.B.(1954)Mass, media and education: University of chicago Press: Chicago. Walklin, A. (1993) Teaching and Learning in Further and Adult Education. Cheltenham: Stanley Thornes (publishers) Ltd.

Fashion Children Family

Fashion Children Family Fashion victims? Children and consumption: when looking at families and family life today, sociologists often ignore some key family memberschildren. An important new study has begun to look at the way children shape their identities through their role as consumers: a case, perhaps, of we are what we buy?.  Sharon Boden,  Christopher Pole,  Jane Pilcher  and  Tim Edwards. Sociology Review  15.1  (Sept 2005):  p28(4). Full Text :COPYRIGHT 2005 Philip Allan Updates Sociologists have long been interested in consumption, that is, how we shop, where our purchasing needs come from, how we treat the products we buy and how consuming shapes out lives. Running alongside the study of the behaviour of consumers is a concern to understand what factors shape the marketplace and what the cultural intermediaries (television, print media, advertising campaigns) are that promote its value to us. The rise of the tweenager Consumption studies have largely focused on adults and have neglected children as independent, active consumers worthy of study. Children, however, have increasing purchasing power and status as new consumers in what has come to be known as the rise of the tweenager. Taking childrens clothes as a case in point, large-scale surveys, such as those undertaken by Mintel Market Intelligence (2003), confirm that this market is growing strongly (by 5% in 2002 compared with 2001). Retail competition is intense, with both designer labels (e.g. John Rocha, DKNY and Burberry) and everyday low-price retailers (e.g. Matalan, Asda and Tesco) proving to be huge growth sectors. Another useful source, www.juststyle.com, reports that in 2003 the UK childrens clothing market was worth 6.02bn [pounds sterling], accounting for 18.9% of the UKs total clothing expenditure, with fashion wear rather than traditional childrens wear being the growing sector. This translates on the high street into a shift away from traditional chains such as Adams and Marks Spencer to shops offering trendier, more covetable items (often celebrity copy-cat clothes) such as New Look and George at Asda. Lifestyle brands, such as Quicksilver and Billabong, which produce suif- and skateboard-related clothing, are making their mark as fashionable alternatives to bland, casual clothing lines. These figures show that, far from being absent from fashion consumption, children are very much present and active in driving forward the childrens wear industry. This leads to a situation in which the status of childrenand, indeed, the nature of childhood itselfis unable to be considered apart from the highly commercialised and media-saturated society that typifies the industrialised world. Sociological questions therefore need to be raised to understand the nature of consumption for children and how their corresponding new status in the marketplace may alter how they behave and how they are treated as social actors. Key concept A number of sociological issues are raised and can be analysed through the lens of childrens fashion consumption. These include: * social inclusion and exclusion within peer relations * changing power dynamics of the family and household * identity construction and performance in childhood * the commercialisation of the lifecourse and lifestyles Researching childrens consumption Having highlighted the growing significance of childrens consumption not simply in economic terms but more broadly in relation to key sociological concepts, we now offer a brief overview of our research project, which aims to provide insight into the link between children and consumption. Funded through the ESRC/AHRB Cultures of Consumption research programme, the study examines the practices and experiences of children in relation to buying clothes. In doing so, we are advancing understanding of the ways in which the home is penetrated by consumption, especially in relation to the ways in which children and parents act and connect as consumers. We are also adding to the existing knowledge of the political and cultural importance of children as consuming agents. The key questions guiding this research are: * What are the roles of children in choosing and buying their own clothes? How are these roles expressed and how have they changed over time? * In what ways do children engage with the concept of fashion and to what extent does it drive their wants and purchases? * How does fashion consumption alter the parent-child relationship and structure patterns of household consumption? Research methods Our data collection methods were selected to make the child the focus of the study (see also Box 1). We employed a range of participatory, qualitative methods designed to capture how children experience consumption in the context of their families. Box 1 Ethics and research with children When researching with children, certain ethical issues must be taken into account. * Avoid seeing the child as an object rather than a subject or social person acting in the world in their own right, * Protect the childs interests during the research. * Be attentive to the different experiences and competencies of the child and the adult researcher. * Establish a safe and effective rapport between researchers and children/families, based on trust, with the assurance that data will be treated sensitively. * Ensure that the aims and objectives of the research are transparent and beyond question, not only at the time of seeking access to children but throughout the research process. Source: adapted from E Christensen and A. Prout (2002) Working with ethical symmetry in social research with children, Childhood, Vol. 9, No. 4 The research focused on the consumer behaviour of 15 children, aged between 6 and 15, who were located in eight families spread across England. They were visited five times by a member of the research team. Specifically, activities undertaken with these children during such visits included: * unstructured discussions covering a wide range of topics, including shopping for clothes, trying to negotiate purchases with parents, imitating the images of pop stars and sports stars, and keeping up with the latest fashion trends * write and draw project-based work in which children were given the opportunity to express creatively their clothing likes and dislikes * a wardrobe audit, in which children actively presented their clothes to the researcher and explained to them both the processes leading up to the purchase and how/if the garment was being worn * photographychildren were given disposable cameras to record any new clothing purchases and to depict any aspect of fashion that was important to them Besides these child-centred research methods, the researchers observed relevant family activities, such as shopping trips and browsing through clothing catalogues. We conducted interviews with mothers based on the diaries they had been completing during the study, and spoke to a number of people who work in the childrens wear industry and are responsible for producing and promoting the clothes. Clothes, gender and parents concerns The approach outlined above provided us with a large amount of relevant and richly detailed data which will contribute to sociological debate in the areas of consumption, childhood and fashion. Some issues arising from our study include the ways in which children and their parents use clothing in the construction and embodied expression of gendered identities. Here, using our varying sources of data, we have been looking at childrens displays of femininity or masculinity, how children relate to their age and the process of growing up, and how these things can be viewed in either a positive or a negative light. Perhaps the most substantive issue to arise in this respect is how parents label some girls clothes as too provocative, Items such as bras, thongs, low-cut tops, miniskirts, skimpy things, cropped tops, really short clothes have all been identified by parents as inappropriate clothing for children. Parents consider them inappropriate because they encourage children to be looked at and thought of in a sexualised way. In the focus groups we held with parents (which formed part of the process of family selection for the year-long study) mention was made by them of paedophiles, weirdos and the wrong sort of people giving the wrong sort of attention to children who dress in the sorts of items listed above. Items such as high heels, which are thought to accentuate the female figure, were frowned upon. A related problem identified by parents is that the styling of girls clothes has been changing over recent years to mimic that of adultsmini-mums outfits was the phrase used by one mother. Children clothes and identify construction The issue of clothes in relation to modesty and respectability was significant for the girls themselves. They expressed worries about wearing clothes that exposed too much bare skin or that appeared too old for themformulating clothing-personality associations: the wearing of an inappropriate garment might reflect a side of their personality they wanted to disguise or were net yet at ease with. More broadly, this demonstrates how material culture can be a narrative resource in childrens expressions: children speak about clothes in ways that (they feel) illuminate their identities. Childrens accounts of their preferences and their use of clothing have, in turn, shed light upon issues such as taste and style, and the importance of fashion to image, lifestyle and belonging to either gender. Unlike girls fashions, boys fashions seem consistent, unthreatening and net so overtly gendered as their female counterparts. Other gender-based issues to emerge from our study include: * the differences in clothing design, including fabric, colour and styling, which culturally demarcate girls and boys in modern consumer cultures * the faster physical development of girls and the related problems of sizing * the adoption of same-sex role models and fashion icons * the significance attached to label culture and branded sportswear Both boys and girls, it seems, have the capacity to discriminate in relation to clothing quality and style from an early age and, in the course of the study, they offered independent appraisals and critiques of the fashion marketplace and of particular labels. They drew attention to the potential social dangers of purchasing poor-quality, unfashionable or inappropriate clothing. In the interview in Box 2, the Nike brand is used to influence the teenager Josephs perceived popularity and to wrap a protective veil over his physical body that deflects attention to the commodity of the sign (in this case, the well-known Nike swoosh). Box 2 Constructing style Joseph (aged 15) used Nike style to encourage others to gaze upon, envy and copy his look, encouraging in his peers a type of conspicuous consumption of himself. His comments reveal a self-reflexive sense of pride and achievement in constructing a stylish appearance. Researcher: What do you mean by looking flashy? Joseph: Youve got good style clothes and, you know, shiny like this looks cool. Ive got an outfit upstairs which is I call it flasher, Ill show you that if you want. Researcher: Yeah? Joseph: Yeah, like that. Peoplewhen youre walking about the streettheyd look at you and go, Oh, look at that! Researcher: You would like that? You like that sort of thing? Joseph: Yeah. When I was wearing that coat yesterday, everyone was doing that. So that was a good vibe. Early analysis suggests a link between the perceived social significance of labels and clothing type and the processes of growing up. Some children come to reject former signifiers of their childhood in an attempt to age up into a more teenage style. For boys, a greater symbolic value seems to attach to constructing a cool image through wearing sports and surf/skate clothes. For girls, this has taken the form of turning against Barbie and other labels perceived as childish (see Box 3). Box 3 Turning against Barbie The following interview from the Leicester research is an example of a 7-year-old female from a rural village turning against Barbie (a brand of clothing and accessories which is an offshoot from the Barbie doll) as proof of no longer being a little girl. Megan is pushing away and rejecting a former signifier of her childhood in an attempt to age up into a more teenage style. Researcher: [Have you got] Anything with Disney on or Barbie? Megan: No, no no! Definitely net Barbie! Researcher: You dont like Barbie? Megans mother: No. She used to. Researcher: Why dont you like Barbie? Megans brother William, aged 9: She used to have this top with Barbie on. Megan: Shes too little for me. Researcher: But you used to like her. Maybe shes okay for little girls? Megans mother: Yeah, I think I would say a year ago she stopped. Se everything that has Barbie on Megan doesnt like. Researcher: Weve got a few sporty tops here, like these fleeces. Megans mother: Yeah, that one has got Boston on. Thats had some wear. Megan: Well, I think thats quite sporty and this one I like. Conclusion The relationship of children to fashion consumption throws up a fascinating range of sociological issues, from the changing power relations between children, their peers, their parents and the marketplace, to the use-value (to keep warm and dry) and sign-value (to look good) of clothes for childrens identity construction. The ever expanding opportunities and invitations of consumer culture are negotiated by children as part and parcel of everyday life. There are, to be sure, many paths open to social researchers wanting to develop an understanding of how contemporary consumer culture operates. In this article, we have presented an overview of out own study, which prioritises childrens experiences of consuming clothes. The study has already given many interesting insights into the nature, processes and consequences of consumption for children and childhood. Signposts There is relatively little material available to students on the sociology of childhood, so this will be a welcome addition. The authors look at a particular and relatively new aspect of childhoodchildren as consumers. The material provides useful information for discussions on the role of children in the family, the power of the mass media and marketing organisations, the development of gender roles and ideas of self, as well as highlighting issues about the considerable gap between the better-off and the poor and marginalised groups of society. There are political issues as well, not least concerns over the trend to make ever younger children, particularly girls, adopt semi-adult styles of dress and become conscious of body image. If, as the postmodernists suggest, society is increasingly concerned with style and outward appearances, this article shows that even some of the youngest members of society are affected. Some of the research methods outlined in the article could be adopted as the basis for interesting coursework, although students taking this route should be aware of the ethical issues of using young children as subjects and should discuss their ideas with their teachers before embarking on their research. Reference and further reading Boden, S., Pole, C., Pilcher, J. and Edwards, T. (2004) New consumers? The social and cultural significance of childrens fashion consumption, ESRC Cultures of Consumption Working Paper Series, www.consume.bbk.ac.uk Featherstone, M. (1991) Consumer Culture and Postmodernism, Sage. Gunter, B. and Furnham, A. (1998) Children as Consumers, Routledge. Martens, L., Southerton, D. and Scott, S. (2004) Bringing children (and parents) into the sociology of consumption, Journal of Consumer Culture, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 155-182. Russell, R. and Tyler, M. (2002) Thank heaven for little girls, Sociology, Vol. 36, pp. 619-637. The authors involved in this research project are all based in the Sociology Department at the University of Leicester.

Choosing a Vegan Lifestyle Essay -- Argumentative Animal Rights Vegan

Choosing a Vegan Lifestyle Erica is going out on a date tonight with a boy from her Biology class. She takes a long shower and washes herself with hard animal fat. Next, she neatly spreads grease derived from wool onto her lips. To finish herself off, she spreads liquid from a shark liver onto her face and sprays some oils and liquids derived from the anal sex gland of the beaver and whale excretion. Now she is ready to go as she is sure that she will impress her date with her dolled up appearance. Little does she know that the soap, lipstick, makeup and perfume have all been created from the slaughter of innocent animals. Animal production for agricultural purposes is harmful to humans, the environment, and of course, the animals which are subjected to testing, mistreatment, and distressing conditions. Veganism is an alternate healthy lifestyle in which people choose not to consume or purchase products which harm animals, their personal health, and the environment as a result of animal production. Becoming a vegan may take some initial adjusting, but after acknowledging all the problems that the meat industry creates, it will hopefully seem like the only choice to make. For the sake of animals, personal nutrition and the environment, choosing a vegan lifestyle reflects a beneficial outcome for all. Animals are the unfortunate, innocent test subjects used when creating new products. Every year, except in UK where it is banned, millions of animals are subjected to painful experiments simply so that people can have a new brand of shampoo or a new scent of perfume. There are three main tests which animals are subjected to. First is an eye irritancy test in which a substance is applied to the eye of a rabbit to see if there... ...ome to millions of species, which can become endangered when they lose their habitats. Trees also absorb carbon dioxide, so fewer trees mean more global warming. And it is not just the land that suffers. Every year farmers in the UK spread about 80 million tons of animal manures and other organic farm wastes on to the land as fertilizer. Much of this runs off into nearby rivers or streams. This run-off endangers the health of fish and other animals in the area. This shows how meat and dairy production is an unproductive use of land, food and water. Choosing a vegan lifestyle is beneficial to humans, animals, and the environment. Supporting veganism can make a big difference in the world. Whether it is for animals, personal nutritional reasons, the environment, or all three, there is no reason why anyone should not at least consider or support becoming a vegan.

The Hollow Men Essay -- Literary Analysis

At a point in all mortal’s existence, there will be a moment when their soul is between two states of being, waiting to be judged. Without the fearlessness and faith to move on to the afterlife, they will spend eternity stuck in purgatory. When T. S. Eliot wrote â€Å"The Hollow Men,† he used symbolism, imagery, and repetition to share his insight to address the lack of courage and faith that plagues every human being. T. S. Eliot’s â€Å"The Hollow Men† is a dramatic monologue, free verse poem that consists of five parts that could be considered five separate poems. His use of â€Å"allegorically abstract text nevertheless achieves a remarkable unity of effect in terms of voice, mood and imagery† (Morace 948). Before the poem starts, there are two epigraphs; â€Å"Mistah Kurtz – he dead. / A penny for the Old Guy† (lines 1-2). Eliot alludes to these two epigraphs because their themes are developed throughout his poem. â€Å"The first epigraph is from Joseph Conrad’s â€Å"Heart of Darkness,† a story †¦that examines the hollowness and horror of lack of faith, spiritual paralysis, and despair† (Bloom 61), just like the â€Å"hollow men† in his poem. The second epigraph â€Å"refers to the celebration of Guy Fawkes Day in Britain† (Bloom 61). This is a day that celebrates Fawkes’ unsuccessful rebellion against Kin g James I with his capture in the cellar of the Parliament building, where stored gun powder was supposed to blow up and kill King James I and his family. Once captured, he cowardly turned over his co-conspirators and they all were killed. It is â€Å"celebrated with bonfires, fireworks, the burning of scarecrows, and solicitation of ‘pennies for the Old Guy’. Eliot’s images of scarecrows, a cellar, and violent souls recall this tale of a violent plot tha... ...nsight to address the lack of courage and faith that plagues every human being. â€Å"The poem succeeds admirably in registering a mood not merely of disillusionment, but of personal weakness† (Morace 950). Without the faith and courage to face the final judgment, and move on to the afterlife, one will be left to linger in purgatory. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. "Thematic Analysis Of ‘The Hollow Men’." Bloom's Major Poets: T.S. Eliot (1999): 60-63. Literary Reference Center. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. Eliot, T.S. "The Hollow Men." Famous Poets and Poems - Read and Enjoy Poetry. 6 Aug. 2006. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. Morace, Robert A. "The Hollow Men." Masterplots II. Ed. Frank N. Magill. Englewood Cliffs: Salem Press, 1992. Vol. 3. 948-50. Print. Urquhart, Troy. "Eliot's THE HOLLOW MEN." Explicator 59.4 (2001): 199. Literary Reference Center. Web. 5 Dec. 2011.

The Importance of Employee Engagement

Change is a constant in today? s modern business activity. As Harvard Business School Professor John Kotter wrote in Fujitsu? s `Fit for Change? report, â€Å"the current rate of change within businesses is faster than the rate at which organisations are improving†¦many organisations just can't keep up with the speed of change. † (www. theinformationdaily. com, 2012). This more and more complex and competitive environment inflicts a greater pressure on the employees; given that the employees are the heart of organisations not approaching them appropriately is one of the main reasons of corporate failure (Argenti, 2009).Although there is not a lot of research done in this field as it is a relatively new concept (Saks, 2006), understanding the importance of employee engagement and implementing a well-developed internal communications plan is crucial for success, especially during change (Dolphin, 1999). The organisation should be guided by experts through all this complexit y if it wants to overcome all the tension that originates from the dynamics of change and survive. THE IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Many authors claim that an organisation? accomplishments, financial performance and employee outcomes may be predicted by the levels of employee engagement. However, it is surprising that even if it is a logical assumption, it appears that employee engagement is waning and that disengagement among the majority of today? s workforce is costing huge amounts of money to organisations in productivity loss (Saks, 2006). At present, workers are well educated, have greater expectations than those of past generations, and aspire to have a better understanding of the company they work for (Argenti, 2009).According to Argenti (2009), most companies? senior managers exclude lower-level employees from taking part in most decision-making. According to Dolphin (1999), employee communication is too often conducted by in-experienced and junior personnel. Therefore , it could be said that organisations do acknowledge the importance of employee engagement to some degree but are not following an appropriate and effective two-way communication strategy that will engage their staff. ORDER AND CHANGEEvery organisation has a culture and identity of its own and these should be consistent, coherent, and clear. When an organisation suffers a big change, it might have the need to acquire a new identity and/or alter or even create a whole new corporate culture (Dolphin, 1999); to be able to direct this change effectively, there must be a well-defined vision. Most of the definitions of vision in this context make reference to an ideal or a future to which the organisational change should lead to (Palmer, Dunfard ; Akin, 2006).Without a firm vision and effective internal communications, the â€Å"changes introduced by managers may seem arbitrary and unneeded†¦ vision helps to motivate staff in working towards the change and engaging in what may appea r to be daunting or risky actions† (For Kanter et al. , as cited in Palmer et al. , 2006, p. 245). Sutton and Khan (1986 as cited in Jimmieson et al. , 2004, p. 12) argue that when a deep change is about to happen, workers â€Å"go through a process of sense-making in which they need information to help them establish a sense of prediction and understanding of the situation†.Palmer, Dunfard and Akin (2006) insist in the importance of having their employees well informed about the situation and about what is expected from them, To the extent that the strategic intent is not complemented by clarity as to expected actions, the chances increase employees will fail to convert a change initiative into supporting action at their level of organisation. The Key point here is that the lack of supporting action is not due to overt resistance or even apathy; it is due to the lack of clear understanding of what such supportive action would â€Å"look like. (Palmer et al. , 2006, p. 149) Organisations must therefore aim to achieve a balance between order and change. For instance, they can only operate efficiently if members execute their roles consistently, perform everyday operations, and uphold ordered structures, but they also need to stay open and agile enough to react to and anticipate the fluctuating stresses of today? s changing commercial environment. (Jacobs, 2004, p. 382). Carl Weick (1979, as cited in Jacobs, 2004, p. 82) highlights in his relational perspective the role of communication when dealing with the tension that arouses between these two elements and suggests that organisations are in essence the outcome of communication collaborations. Lewin? s Three Stage Model of Change (Carnall,2007, p. 70) can be used to help the organisation better understand this process. It consists of three stages: 1. Unfreezing. It is related to cultural change.Identifying both present behaviours and required behaviours necessary to achieve the organisation? s mi ssion and common goals and analysing the differences, with the participation of the company? s members, is the first step of â€Å"unfreezing† actual change. 2. Changing/Moving. Identifying the procedures and changes in the structure that will enable the execution of the new behaviours and the implementation and examination of accomplishments. 3. Refreezing. Instilling the new behaviours, attitudes, and values in the group.This is usually done by rewarding new behaviours, carrying out policies, implementing an effective communication, and educating members in order to support the new culture and behavioural principles; commitment to change is attained in this stage. However, as organisations and their environments are ever more uncertain and dynamic, many changes may occur at once and when one area is refreezing another might be unfreezing or moving. This has led Clark and Clegg to believe that `successful management in the future must be based on intelligence and creativity and the capacity to question and learn? â€Å"executives must learn how to combine continual change with the ability to sustain `business as usual? † (1998, as cited in Carnall, 2007, p. 78-79). An organisation is dynamic, it is persistently reinventing itself, and therefore must be monitored constantly. THE RISKS OF CHANGE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF ORGANISATIONAL SUPPORT A possible reason for failure could be that organisations simply do not dedicate enough time or attention to understand the psychology of change. Employees? xperience is a critical factor that should be considered; it is how people adapt and react to change that makes a difference. Firstly, changes in an organisation are not linear by nature and thus uncertainty is the most common psychological condition that emerges as a result (Callan et al. , 2004); â€Å"much of what we refer to as resistance to change? is really ‘resistance to uncertainty’ meaning that the resistance originates from the proces s of dealing and handling change, not from the change itself (Carnall, 2007, p. 3). Secondly, Palmer, Dunfard and Akin (2006) argue that people? perceptions of how they believe that change will affect their personal interests will influence their readiness for it. People have a tendency to support changes that do not seem threatening to their interests and resist those that appear to be harmful. (Palmer et al. , 2006, p. 149). Managers should understand the potential risks of letting employees face changes on their own without a consistent support on behalf of the organisation. Doubt and uncertainty should be dissipated and substituted by safety, and mutual interests should be addressed to avoid feelings of threat.According to Argenti (2009) effective internal communications not only requires facilitating employees with relevant and sincere information but it should also reinforce their belief that they are significant assets to the company and that subsequently their matters are to o. Listening to them and allowing their participation in conversations regarding organisational change will keep them â€Å"excited about their work, connected to the company? s vision, and in a position to further goals of the organisation† (Argenti, 2009, p. 84). An example that describes poor attention to how stakeholders react to change (whether they are predisposed to welcome it or reject it from the beginning) is Kodak? s announcement of its reduction in workforce to its staff, and of its dividend cut to its investors. They ignored the importance of setting an adequate strategy to promote a positive response prior to change and this basically resulted in resistance to change from both groups which led the merger with Compaq Computers a failure (Palmer et al. , 2006, p. 1) REASSURING EFFECTIVENESS IN COMMUNICATION Before any action is taken, the organisation must have a sense of the present effectiveness of its internal communications. Argenti (2009) reveals that an exce llent way to measure the effectiveness of its actions is by executing communication audits and systematic temperature checks to discover the employees? attitudes towards the organisation itself, their opinion about the quality of the communications they are getting, and whether the messages are being understood.Once this is done, an internal communication framework can be implemented to work on solutions to any communication deficiencies and satisfy those requests. The Strategic Employee Communication Model and Best-practice Definitions (Appendix A) can be used in a change programme as â€Å"benchmarks against which to measure a company? s employee communication strengths and weaknesses as well as a model of effective change†. According to Barrett (2004), both the model and its different elements were inspired by research done in numerous Fortune 500 companies on what actually works in employee communication.The best companies integrated many of these definitions in their pra ctice scheme. This model links all principal factors involved in employee communication between them and to the company? s manoeuvres and strategy; it analytically breaks down communication into distinguishable and manageable portions and illustrates how interconnected and inter-reliant each portion is when employee communication is placed strategically within the organisation, a must in order to make change feasible. What moves this model from a tactical level to a strategic one is the direct connection to the firm? â€Å"strategic objectives and business planning process plus the overlay of supportive management with on-going assessment of individual and company communication. † (Barrett, 2004, p. 22). An example of a good communication in practice is what CEO Gordon Bethune did in Continental airlines. Every month, he held an open-house in his own office where employees were welcome to go and talk to him about any issues, suggestions, or complaints, and in numerous occasio ns he would go himself to meet the employees at their workplace.This platform for open, informal, and sincere discussion was his trait of leadership. He has been recognised for having significantly improved employee spirit and productivity as well as enhancing the global culture of the firm. This is illustrative of what should be done to have the organisation prepared in the eventuality of change. THE LEARNING ORGANISATION. FROM INDIVIDUALS TO A TEAM In order for the organisation to move as a whole it should behave and act as one.Organisations should provide the ground for individuals to move out of their sense of self, be flexible, and connect with and contribute to the group consciousness. Many authors emphasise the need of creating learning cultures within organisations in order to achieve success during change. â€Å"Teams, not single individuals, are the key to successful organizations of the future and†¦ individuals have to learn in the context of the team† (Append ix B). Hurst (1995, as cited in Carnall,2007, p. 65) for instance exposes that a performance organisation should evolve into a learning organisation when it faces complexity; â€Å"tightly defined tasks, control systems and rigid structures† should be replaced by â€Å"recognition, networks and teams†. His ecocycle model of eight stages points toward renewal through which the company reinvents itself, more explicitly, â€Å"in which people rethink what they seek to achieve, with whom and how, and thereby recreate the organisation†¦ it is certainly a learning process†. The complexity theory can throw some light on this perspective.As Darwin, Johnson and McAuley (2002, cited in Carnall,2007, p. 84) note, the basic idea that lies beneath the relevance of the complexity theory within the literature regarding organisational behaviour is that of a multifaceted adaptive organism described as a coherent network of agents interacting in parallel with no ? command an d control framework? and who are ? adaptively intelligent? (Appendix C). This view links to the idea of ? self-organisation? (Carnall,2007, p. 84). Emery (2004, as cited in Carnall, 2007,p. 85) also presents â€Å"an analysis of open-systems theory-based action research as an enabler of learning and change†.She starts off by stating that learning is fundamental for viable change and then argues that practitioners must deal with all individuals at every level of the corporation and all practical areas must be implicated in some kind of practise that will enable them to take part in this learning process. However, she highlights that there are certain obstacles that might get in the way such as certain attitudes of the elite members, fail to use a common language throughout the organisation, and diverse framework and priority schemes.Another issue to tackle is the fact that individuals have different learning rates and they learn in different ways (Carnall, 2007). That is where the role of internal communications plays a significant role. Professional practitioners should be able to identify where communications fail and target unlike audiences with different techniques to be able to engage them appropriately. We therefore can determine that the objective of education in the long-run would be to create a â€Å"strong sense of listening and of responsiveness [that will] permeate(s) the organisation† (Macleod, p. 9) by: -Forming engaging managers that will know how to communicate cultures and values and treat their personnel with respect. As MacLeod ((Macleod, p. 79) ) states in his report, managers who engage â€Å"facilitate and empower rather than control or restrict their staff; they treat their staff with appreciation and respect and show commitment to developing, increasing and rewarding the capabilities of those they manage. †. -Giving employees a voice and tools to address management with their concerns.They must feel â€Å"they are l istened to and see that their opinions count and make a difference†¦ [And that they are able to] speak out and challenge when appropriate† (Macleod, p. 79) CONCLUSION Employee engagement levels can predict an organisation? s accomplishments and performance as it is claimed by many authors. However, due to today? s complex environment it is more than necessary to build up a strong internal communications strategy. Employees should not be isolated from the organisation as a whole and should be informed and involved in it. The corporate culture should be coherent and the vision should be clear.If organisations fail to communicate all this properly and engage its employees into believing that change is not synonym of threat, resistance will appear. Resistance may lead to a break in the internal homeostasis and the consequences will show up as a failure when trying to move the organisation forward. REFERENCES Argenti, P. (2009) Corporate Communication. 5th ed. Singapore: Mc Gr aw Hill. Carnall, C. (2007) Managing Change in Organisations. 5th ed. Essex: Prentice-Hall. Dolphin, R. (1999) The Fundamentals of Corporate Communications. Butterworth-Heinemann. Jimmieson, N. t al. (2004) A Longitudinal Study of Employee Adaptation to Organizational Change: The Role of Change-Related Information and Change-Related Self-Ef? cacy. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology , 9 (1), p. 11-27. MacLeod, D. and Clarke, N. (2009) Engaging for Success: enhancing performance through employee engagement. [report] Department for Business Palmer, I. et al. (2006) Managing Organizational Change: A Multiple Perspectives Approach. s. l. : Mc Graw-Hill Saks, A. (2006) Antecedents and Consequences of Employee Engagement. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 21 (7), p. 00-619. www. theinformationdaily. com (2012) Making your organisation fit to change. [online] Available at: http://www. theinformationdaily. com/2012/12/21/making-your-organisation-fit-to-change [Accessed: 4 Mar 2013]. J acobs, G. (2004) Corporate creative thinking. In: Oliver, S. M. ed. Handbook of corporate communications and public relations. London: Routledge, pp. 382-384. Barrett, D. J. (2004) A best-practice approach to change communication. In: Oliver, S. M. ed. Handbook of corporate communications and public relations. London: Routledge, pp. 22-24. . APPENDICES Appendix A. Figure 2. 1 Strategic employee communication model (Barrett, 2004, p. 23) *Appendix B. Senge? s five disciplines: 1. Systems thinking: everyone must learn how to view things as a whole and that one set of events has impact on others 2. Personal mastery: ? the discipline of continually clarifying and deepening†¦ personal vision, of focusing†¦ energies, of developing patience, and of seeing reality objectively.? 3. Mental models: ? learning to unearth†¦ internal pictures of the world, to bring them to surface and hold them rigorously to scrutiny? 4.Build a share vision: leadership is the key to creating and co mmunicating the vision†¦ the leader creates vision but is prepared to have it reshaped by others 5. Team learning: teams, not single individuals, are the key to successful organizations of the future and individuals have to learn in the context of the team (Senge, 1990, as cited in Carnall, p. 164) *Appendix C. Darwin, Johnson and McAuley (2002, Carnall, p. 84) describe a multifaceted adaptive organism: 1. It is a network of ? agents? acting in parallel, often interconnected, ways but without any ? ommand and control? framework 2. These agents are ? adaptively intelligent? ; constantly seeking and making sense of patterns, testing ideas, evolving and learning. 3. Change is achieved through learning, evolution and adaptation. 4. Control of the system is dispersed throughout the system. 5. Coherence within the system arises out of competition and cooperation among the agents as they see advantage in alliances and other arrangements for mutual support. This view links to the idea of ? self-organisation?. (Darwin et al, 2002, as cited in Carnall, p. 84)