Distribution Channels and Role of Advertising in Marketing Essay

Distribution Channels and Role of Advertising in Marketing - Essay Example Role of Advertising in Marketing Once an organization has finished making a product and distributed it to local retailers, they need to be able to convince the consumer to purchase the product. Unless a consumer is told and informed about a particular product, then it is likely that they will not buy it because they don’t know anything about it. This is why advertising is so important. Advertising is only one part of a marketing campaign, but it is perhaps the most vital. The most common method to do this is through persuasion. Consumers need a valid reason before purchasing a product, so it is important to give them a few. The marketing department of an organization does not just put out advertisements at random; often surveys or focus groups are used to determine how well the advertisement of a product will go down with a consumer. There are many different ways to advertise a product, such as through television, radio, billboards, or even social media. This last method is becoming extremely popular in toda y’s global environment because it is often free and can reach a wide range of people.It is important that any form of advertising is positive, because a bad advertising campaign can have a negative effect on a brand.It can take months and even years for a company to restore its reputation with the public.

Assignment 8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Assignment 8 - Essay Example supervised in terms quality assurance and maintenance of functions as well as improving the competencies of the persons being supervised no matter how proficient they may be. Additionally, supervision brings together the efforts of the person supervising and whoever is being supervised in order to obtain the set objectives of the supervision as they can share ideas on how best to improve on the goals of their task at hand. The monitoring and supervision of the efforts to improve the atmosphere in which we learn in therefore help us to understand on what areas that we should improve on in order to instill effective supervision practices in our daily lives. This brings us to the question of what is expected of us in conducting effective supervision in the running of our affairs (Bachkirova, Jackson and Clutterbuck, 2011).   In order to be an effective supervisor, the person tasked with supervising must master his role and adopt a front-line mode of carrying out the task handed out to one. This shows that effective supervision begins with the supervisor who must be aware that effective supervision involves proper and regular planning as well as a review of the progress of the supervision. The supervisor must know whoever is being supervised and motivate them in order to have the best outcomes at the end of the supervision which can best be known by being aware of what drives the supervisees in the tasks allocated. As a strategy, the supervisor will be required to properly educate and train the supervisees through clear definition of the expectations, the missions and the vision of the tasks and the goals of the definition. The supervisor must also build a teamwork mentality in the supervision environment in that every person must be involved in the general supervision work for maximum benefits that will be enjoyed over a longer period of time. The teamwork also helps in the building of excellent relationship between the supervisor and the supervisee which helps both

Hospitality Staff Roles, Responsibilities and Qualifications

Hospitality Staff Roles, Responsibilities and Qualifications According to Merriam-webster.com (2016) roles is defined as the function performed in a particular operation or process while responsibilities are duties or tasks that you are required or expected to do, for example the one of the roles in a hotel is a manager and his or her responsibility is the up keeping of the standards of the hotel. In this research, the roles, responsibility and the qualification requirements for the hospitality staff will be outlined then discussed. A conclusion will be drawn on the roles, responsibility and qualification requirements for the hospitality staff. The roles, responsibilities and qualification requirements for the hospitality staff are listed below Responsibility and qualifications for the role of supervisor: Overseeing Operations Train Order and manager inventory (suttle,2016) Must have good communication skill. Must have the know how. Have experience. Entry-level job for those who is educated in business management. (Kelchner, 2016) Responsibility and qualifications for the role of manager: Analyze and plan restaurant sales and profits. Maintain the standards of the restaurants. Motivate, train and hire staff. (Prospects.ac.uk, 2016) Must have a Certificate or an associate degree. Must have organizational and interpersonal skills. Must be able to move around for long periods of time. Administrative and communicational skills. (Study.com, 2016) Responsibility and qualifications for the role of apprentice: apprenticeship varies on the job Must learn and follow rules set by employer Must show interest in the chosen trade. Must demonstrate safety for self and coworkers. (brown, 2016) Must be 16yrs and over. Not in full time education. (Gov.uk, 2016) Responsibility and qualifications for the role of management trainee: Assist with daily responsibilities. Attend training programs. Must cross train in different departments. (Reference, 2016) Must have a Certificate or an associate degree. Must have organizational and interpersonal skills. Must be able to move around for long periods of time. Administrative and communicational skills. (Study.com, 2016) Responsibility and qualifications for the role of casual worker: casual worker is qualified and competent to undertake the duties to be performed says Tbs-sct.gc.ca,( 2016) Responsibilities are based on the area placed Responsibility and qualifications for the role of volunteer Support team members. Report hazards. Be punctual and reliable. Carry out your duties effectively. (no qualification needed) (Victorias Volunteering Portal, 2016) Responsibility and qualifications for the role of a full-time worker. Must be certified in the area to which they are interested in. Must sign the company contract and abide by the rules and standards of the company Responsibility and qualifications for the role of part-time worker Qualification is pending on the area in which a person applies for. Responsibility varies on the role of the part-time work. Responsibility and qualifications for the role of foreign worker Must have a work permit and certified in the area. The qualification for the hospitality staffs varies, it depends on the department and the role. It ranges from just experience needed to having diplomas and degrees to pursue these jobs. As defined above responsibilities are duties or task that you are expected to do (Merriam-webster.com, 2016). The different responsibilities might be similar like the manager and the supervisor, two different roles but their jobs are somewhat similar. Carrying out the responsibility effectivity and at the right time limit the work load and make the role less complex. Conclusion In conclusion, the roles, responsibility and qualification for hospitality staff in the UK is very clear, although the responsibilities for some of the roles are a lot, with the help of assistant it makes the work easier, for example the managers work in hand with the supervisor to carry out daily activities to take pressure off one person or body. To be qualified to work in the hospitality industry doesnt need much regarding qualification because some of the role described above are entry or skilled level jobs just need a certification like a diploma to start work in some roles like a casual or a volunteer worker, this makes it a whole lot easier for persons to get jobs.

Greek Prophetess-cassandra :: essays research papers

THE CURSED PROPHETESS   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Oracle, in the Ancient Greek world, was a shrine where people went to seek advice from prophets or prophetesses (individuals who had special powers to speak on behalf of a god or foretell the future). Besides referring to an altar, the word oracle also refers to the prophet or prophetess, and to his/her prophecy† (Cassandra). The Ancient Greeks wholly believed in these sacred persons. When disease would corrupt a city, the people would go to the shrines to ask a prophet to speak on behalf of the gods. Once the Greeks knew the cause of the plague, they would do everything in their immortal power to convince the gods to relieve them from their suffereing. In the same way as Oedipus, the king of Thebes, asked Tiresias (a prophet) to speak for the gods explaining why his people were suffering, in Oedipus Rex. The Ancient Greeks believed their fate lay in the powers and oracle of the prophets and prophetesses. There was one prophetess, however, that was an exception to this belief. Although Cassandra was the most beautiful and intelligent prophetess, in Greek mythology, her prophecies were never believed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stories of gods falling in love with or lusting after young beautiful women appear everywhere in Greek mythology, and the case of Cassandra is no exception. Greek gods chose their prey because of some distinguished characteristic or part of their geneology. Cassandra was a lovely young woman, and described by Homer as the most beautiful of Priam’s daughters. Apollo, similarly, was the most handsome of the young gods. Cassandra describes Apollo as someone who â€Å"struggled to win me, breathing ardent for me† (Lefkowitz 15).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cassandra, daughter of Queen Hecuba and King Priam of Troy, was a beautiful young woman blessed with the gift of prophecy by the god Apollo. In return, she was supposed to love him, but at the last minute she shunned Apollo. As an act of revenge, Apollo added a twist to her gift: Cassandra was doomed to tell the truth, but never to be believed (Cohen 50).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cassandra has always been misunderstood and misinterpreted as a madwoman or crazy doomsday prophetess. She has always been shown in paintings with her long hair flying around her shoulders in what was considered lunatic fashion, scantily clad, and helpless on her knees in the face of her predicted doom. However, there is so much more to Cassandra than her maddened predictions and pitiable treatment. Cassandra was a great, intelligent heroine who was cursed by the gods for not playing by their rules. She is a tragic figure, not a madwoman

Twilight 18. THE HUNT

18. THE HUNT They emerged one by one from the forest edge, ranging a dozen meters apart. The first male into the clearing fell back immediately, allowing the other male to take the front, orienting himself around the tall, dark-haired man in a manner that clearly displayed who led the pack. The third was a woman; from this distance, all I could see of her was that her hair was a startling shade of red. They closed ranks before they continued cautiously toward Edward's family, exhibiting the natural respect of a troop of predators as it encounters a larger, unfamiliar group of its own kind. As they approached, I could see how different they were from the Cullens. Their walk was catlike, a gait that seemed constantly on the edge of shifting into a crouch. They dressed in the ordinary gear of backpackers: jeans and casual button-down shirts in heavy, weatherproof fabrics. The clothes were frayed, though, with wear, and they were barefoot. Both men had cropped hair, but the woman's brilliant orange hair was filled with leaves and debris from the woods. Their sharp eyes carefully took in the more polished, urbane stance of Carlisle, who, flanked by Emmett and Jasper, stepped guardedly forward to meet them. Without any seeming communication between them, they each straightened into a more casual, erect bearing. The man in front was easily the most beautiful, his skin olive-toned beneath the typical pallor, his hair a glossy black. He was of a medium build, hard-muscled, of course, but nothing next to Emmett's brawn. He smiled an easy smile, exposing a flash of gleaming white teeth. The woman was wilder, her eyes shifting restlessly between the men facing her, and the loose grouping around me, her chaotic hair quivering in the slight breeze. Her posture was distinctly feline. The second male hovered unobtrusively behind them, slighter than the leader, his light brown hair and regular features both nondescript. His eyes, though completely still, somehow seemed the most vigilant. Their eyes were different, too. Not the gold or black I had come to expect, but a deep burgundy color that was disturbing and sinister. The dark-haired man, still smiling, stepped toward Carlisle. â€Å"We thought we heard a game,† he said in a relaxed voice with the slightest of French accents. â€Å"I'm Laurent, these are Victoria and James.† He gestured to the vampires beside him. â€Å"I'm Carlisle. This is my family, Emmett and Jasper, Rosalie, Esme and Alice, Edward and Bella.† He pointed us out in groups, deliberately not calling attention to individuals. I felt a shock when he said my name. â€Å"Do you have room for a few more players?† Laurent asked sociably. Carlisle matched Laurent's friendly tone. â€Å"Actually, we were just finishing up. But we'd certainly be interested another time. Are you planning to stay in the area for long?† â€Å"We're headed north, in fact, but we were curious to see who was in the neighborhood. We haven't run into any company in a long time.† â€Å"No, this region is usually empty except for us and the occasional visitor, like yourselves.† The tense atmosphere had slowly subsided into a casual conversation; I guessed that Jasper was using his peculiar gift to control the situation. â€Å"What's your hunting range?† Laurent casually inquired. Carlisle ignored the assumption behind the inquiry. â€Å"The Olympic Range here, up and down the Coast Ranges on occasion. We keep a permanent residence nearby. There's another permanent settlement like ours up near Denali.† Laurent rocked back on his heels slightly. â€Å"Permanent? How do you manage that?† There was honest curiosity in his voice. â€Å"Why don't you come back to our home with us and we can talk comfortably?† Carlisle invited. â€Å"It's a rather long story.† James and Victoria exchanged a surprised look at the mention of the word â€Å"home,† but Laurent controlled his expression better. â€Å"That sounds very interesting, and welcome.† His smile was genial. â€Å"We've been on the hunt all the way down from Ontario, and we haven't had the chance to clean up in a while.† His eyes moved appreciatively over Carlisle's refined appearance. â€Å"Please don't take offense, but we'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from hunting in this immediate area. We have to stay inconspicuous, you understand,† Carlisle explained. â€Å"Of course.† Laurent nodded. â€Å"We certainly won't encroach on your territory. We just ate outside of Seattle, anyway,† he laughed. A shiver ran up my spine. â€Å"We'll show you the way if you'd like to run with us – Emmett and Alice, you can go with Edward and Bella to get the Jeep,† he casually added. Three things seemed to happen simultaneously while Carlisle was speaking. My hair ruffled with the light breeze, Edward stiffened, and the second male, James, suddenly whipped his head around, scrutinizing me, his nostrils flaring. A swift rigidity fell on all of them as James lurched one step forward into a crouch. Edward bared his teeth, crouching in defense, a feral snarl ripping from his throat. It was nothing like the playful sounds I'd heard from him this morning; it was the single most menacing thing I had ever heard, and chills ran from the crown of my head to the back of my heels. â€Å"What's this?† Laurent exclaimed in open surprise. Neither James nor Edward relaxed their aggressive poses. James feinted slightly to the side, and Edward shifted in response. â€Å"She's with us.† Carlisle's firm rebuff was directed toward James. Laurent seemed to catch my scent less powerfully than James, but awareness now dawned on his face. â€Å"You brought a snack?† he asked, his expression incredulous as he took an involuntary step forward. Edward snarled even more ferociously, harshly, his lip curling high above his glistening, bared teeth. Laurent stepped back again. â€Å"I said she's with us,† Carlisle corrected in a hard voice. â€Å"But she's human,† Laurent protested. The words were not at all aggressive, merely astounded. â€Å"Yes.† Emmett was very much in evidence at Carlisle's side, his eyes on James. James slowly straightened out of his crouch, but his eyes never left me, his nostrils still wide. Edward stayed tensed like a lion in front of me. When Laurent spoke, his tone was soothing – trying to defuse the sudden hostility. â€Å"It appears we have a lot to learn about each other.† â€Å"Indeed.† Carlisle's voice was still cool. â€Å"But we'd like to accept your invitation.† His eyes flicked toward me and back to Carlisle. â€Å"And, of course, we will not harm the human girl. We won't hunt in your range, as I said.† James glanced in disbelief and aggravation at Laurent and exchanged another brief look with Victoria, whose eyes still flickered edgily from face to face. Carlisle measured Laurent's open expression for a moment before he spoke. â€Å"We'll show you the way. Jasper, Rosalie, Esme?† he called. They gathered together, blocking me from view as they converged. Alice was instantly at my side, and Emmett fell back slowly, his eyes locked on James as he backed toward us. â€Å"Let's go, Bella.† Edward's voice was low and bleak. This whole time I'd been rooted in place, terrified into absolute immobility. Edward had to grip my elbow and pull sharply to break my trance. Alice and Emmett were close behind us, hiding me. I stumbled alongside Edward, still stunned with fear. I couldn't hear if the main group had left yet. Edward's impatience was almost tangible as we moved at human speed to the forest edge. Once we were into the trees, Edward slung me over his back without breaking stride. I gripped as tightly as possible as he took off, the others close on his heels. I kept my head down, but my eyes, wide with fright, wouldn't close. They plunged through the now-black forest like wraiths. The sense of exhilaration that usually seemed to possess Edward as he ran was completely absent, replaced by a fury that consumed him and drove him still faster. Even with me on his back, the others trailed behind. We reached the Jeep in an impossibly short time, and Edward barely slowed as he flung me in the backseat. â€Å"Strap her in,† he ordered Emmett, who slid in beside me. Alice was already in the front seat, and Edward was starting the engine. It roared to life and we swerved backward, spinning around to face the winding road. Edward was growling something too fast for me to understand, but it sounded a lot like a string of profanities. The jolting trip was much worse this time, and the darkness only made it more frightening. Emmett and Alice both glared out the side windows. We hit the main road, and though our speed increased, I could see much better where we were going. And we were headed south, away from Forks. â€Å"Where are we going?† I asked. No one answered. No one even looked at me. â€Å"Dammit, Edward! Where are you taking me?† â€Å"We have to get you away from here – far away – now.† He didn't look back, his eyes on the road. The speedometer read a hundred and five miles an hour. â€Å"Turn around! You have to take me home!† I shouted. I struggled with the stupid harness, tearing at the straps. â€Å"Emmett,† Edward said grimly. And Emmett secured my hands in his steely grasp. â€Å"No! Edward! No, you can't do this.† â€Å"I have to, Bella, now please be quiet.† â€Å"I won't! You have to take me back – Charlie will call the FBI! They'll be all over your family – Carlisle and Esme! They'll have to leave, to hide forever!† â€Å"Calm down, Bella.† His voice was cold. â€Å"We've been there before.† â€Å"Not over me, you don't! You're not ruining everything over me!† I struggled violently, with total futility. Alice spoke for the first time. â€Å"Edward, pull over.† He flashed her a hard look, and then sped up. â€Å"Edward, let's just talk this through.† â€Å"You don't understand,† he roared in frustration. I'd never heard his voice so loud; it was deafening in the confines of the Jeep. The speedometer neared one hundred and fifteen. â€Å"He's a tracker, Alice, did you see that? He's a tracker!† I felt Emmett stiffen next to me, and I wondered at his reaction to the word. It meant something more to the three of them than it did to me; I wanted to understand, but there was no opening for me to ask. â€Å"Pull over, Edward.† Alice's tone was reasonable, but there was a ring of authority in it I'd never heard before. The speedometer inched passed one-twenty. â€Å"Do it, Edward.† â€Å"Listen to me, Alice. I saw his mind. Tracking is his passion, his obsession – and he wants her, Alice – her, specifically. He begins the hunt tonight.† â€Å"He doesn't know where -â€Å" He interrupted her. â€Å"How long do you think it will take him to cross her scent in town? His plan was already set before the words were out of Laurent's mouth.† I gasped, knowing where my scent would lead. â€Å"Charlie! You can't leave him there! You can't leave him!† I thrashed against the harness. â€Å"She's right,† Alice said. The car slowed slightly. â€Å"Let's just look at our options for a minute,† Alice coaxed. The car slowed again, more noticeably, and then suddenly we screeched to a stop on the shoulder of the highway. I flew against the harness, and then slammed back into the seat. â€Å"There are no options,† Edward hissed. â€Å"I'm not leaving Charlie!† I yelled. He ignored me completely. â€Å"We have to take her back,† Emmett finally spoke. â€Å"No.† Edward was absolute. â€Å"He's no match for us, Edward. He won't be able to touch her.† â€Å"He'll wait.† Emmett smiled. â€Å"I can wait, too.† â€Å"You didn't see – you don't understand. Once he commits to a hunt, he's unshakable. We'd have to kill him.† Emmett didn't seem upset by the idea. â€Å"That's an option.† â€Å"And the female. She's with him. If it turns into a fight, the leader will go with them, too.† â€Å"There are enough of us.† â€Å"There's another option,† Alice said quietly. Edward turned on her in fury, his voice a blistering snarl. â€Å"There – is – no – other – option!† Emmett and I both stared at him in shock, but Alice seemed unsurprised. The silence lasted for a long minute as Edward and Alice stared each other down. I broke it. â€Å"Does anyone want to hear my plan?† â€Å"No,† Edward growled. Alice glared at him, finally provoked. â€Å"Listen,† I pleaded. â€Å"You take me back.† â€Å"No,† he interrupted. I glared at him and continued. â€Å"You take me back. I tell my dad I want to go home to Phoenix. I pack my bags. We wait till this tracker is watching, and then we run. He'll follow us and leave Charlie alone. Charlie won't call the FBI on your family. Then you can take me any damned place you want.† They stared at me, stunned. â€Å"It's not a bad idea, really.† Emmett's surprise was definitely an insult. â€Å"It might work – and we simply can't leave her father unprotected. You know that,† Alice said. Everyone looked at Edward. â€Å"It's too dangerous – I don't want him within a hundred miles of her.† Emmett was supremely confident. â€Å"Edward, he's not getting through us.† Alice thought for a minute. â€Å"I don't see him attacking. He'll try to wait for us to leave her alone.† â€Å"It won't take long for him to realize that's not going to happen.† â€Å"I demand that you take me home.† I tried to sound firm. Edward pressed his fingers to his temples and squeezed his eyes shut. â€Å"Please,† I said in a much smaller voice. He didn't look up. When he spoke, his voice sounded worn. â€Å"You're leaving tonight, whether the tracker sees or not. You tell Charlie that you can't stand another minute in Forks. Tell him whatever story works. Pack the first things your hands touch, and then get in your truck. I don't care what he says to you. You have fifteen minutes. Do you hear me? Fifteen minutes from the time you cross the doorstep.† The Jeep rumbled to life, and he spun us around, the tires squealing. The needle on the speedometer started to race up the dial. â€Å"Emmett?† I asked, looking pointedly at my hands. â€Å"Oh, sorry.† He let me loose. A few minutes passed in silence, other than the roar of the engine. Then Edward spoke again. â€Å"This is how it's going to happen. When we get to the house, if the tracker is not there, I will walk her to the door. Then she has fifteen minutes.† He glared at me in the rearview mirror. â€Å"Emmett, you take the outside of the house. Alice, you get the truck. I'll be inside as long as she is. After she's out, you two can take the Jeep home and tell Carlisle.† â€Å"No way,† Emmett broke in. â€Å"I'm with you.† â€Å"Think it through, Emmett. I don't know how long I'll be gone.† â€Å"Until we know how far this is going to go, I'm with you.† Edward sighed. â€Å"If the tracker is there,† he continued grimly, â€Å"we keep driving.† â€Å"We're going to make it there before him,† Alice said confidently. Edward seemed to accept that. Whatever his problem with Alice was, he didn't doubt her now. â€Å"What are we going to do with the Jeep?† she asked. His voice had a hard edge. â€Å"You're driving it home.† â€Å"No, I'm not,† she said calmly. The unintelligible stream of profanities started again. â€Å"We can't all fit in my truck,† I whispered. Edward didn't appear to hear me. â€Å"I think you should let me go alone,† I said even more quietly. He heard that. â€Å"Bella, please just do this my way, just this once,† he said between clenched teeth. â€Å"Listen, Charlie's not an imbecile,† I protested. â€Å"If you're not in town tomorrow, he's going to get suspicious.† â€Å"That's irrelevant. We'll make sure he's safe, and that's all that matters.† â€Å"Then what about this tracker? He saw the way you acted tonight. He's going to think you're with me, wherever you are.† Emmett looked at me, insultingly surprised again. â€Å"Edward, listen to her,† he urged. â€Å"I think she's right.† â€Å"Yes, she is,† Alice agreed. â€Å"I can't do that.† Edward's voice was icy. â€Å"Emmett should stay, too,† I continued. â€Å"He definitely got an eyeful of Emmett.† â€Å"What?† Emmett turned on me. â€Å"You'll get a better crack at him if you stay,† Alice agreed. Edward stared at her incredulously. â€Å"You think I should let her go alone?† â€Å"Of course not,† Alice said. â€Å"Jasper and I will take her.† â€Å"I can't do that,† Edward repeated, but this time there was a trace of defeat in his voice. The logic was working on him. I tried to be persuasive. â€Å"Hang out here for a week -† I saw his expression in the mirror and amended â€Å"- a few days. Let Charlie see you haven't kidnapped me, and lead this James on a wild-goose chase. Make sure he's completely off my trail. Then come and meet me. Take a roundabout route, of course, and then Jasper and Alice can go home.† I could see him beginning to consider it. â€Å"Meet you where?† â€Å"Phoenix.† Of course. â€Å"No. He'll hear that's where you're going,† he said impatiently. â€Å"And you'll make it look like that's a ruse, obviously. He'll know that we'll know that he's listening. He'll never believe I'm actually going where I say I am going.† â€Å"She's diabolical,† Emmett chuckled. â€Å"And if that doesn't work?† â€Å"There are several million people in Phoenix,† I informed him. â€Å"It's not that hard to find a phone book.† â€Å"I won't go home.† â€Å"Oh?† he inquired, a dangerous note in his voice. â€Å"I'm quite old enough to get my own place.† â€Å"Edward, we'll be with her,† Alice reminded him. â€Å"What are you going to do in Phoenix?† he asked her scathingly. â€Å"Stay indoors.† â€Å"I kind of like it.† Emmett was thinking about cornering James, no doubt. â€Å"Shut up, Emmett.† â€Å"Look, if we try to take him down while she's still around, there's a much better chance that someone will get hurt – she'll get hurt, or you will, trying to protect her. Now, if we get him alone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He trailed off with a slow smile. I was right. The Jeep was crawling slowly along now as we drove into town. Despite my brave talk, I could feel the hairs on my arms standing up. I thought about Charlie, alone in the house, and tried to be courageous. â€Å"Bella.† Edward's voice was very soft. Alice and Emmett looked out their windows. â€Å"If you let anything happen to yourself- anything at all – I'm holding you personally responsible. Do you understand that?† â€Å"Yes,† I gulped. He turned to Alice. â€Å"Can Jasper handle this?† â€Å"Give him some credit, Edward. He's been doing very, very well, all things considered.† â€Å"Can you handle this?† he asked. And graceful little Alice pulled back her lips in a horrific grimace and let loose with a guttural snarl that had me cowering against the seat in terror. Edward smiled at her. â€Å"But keep your opinions to yourself,† he muttered suddenly.

How McDonalds use motivational theories Essay

To what extent do McDonalds use motivational theories to enhance the performance of their employees and hence increase efficiency/productivity? Are these methods effective? Introduction McDonalds is a large multinational company that supplies millions of people with fast food. It is important for them to ensure that the workforce they employ is working to their full potential. McDonalds are very customer/ market orientated. They depend on a reputation for customer service. If employees are not motivated then this will suffer. If workers aren’t motivated costs rise. E.g. training costs increase in proportion to staff turnover. â€Å"When an employee is given a task to do and it is not carried out satisfactorily, this failure may well be due to a lack of motivation, rather than a lack of ability†. With this in mind McDonalds must ensure that their workforce is motivated. Motivation can be linked to a number of factors such as pay, working hours, working environment etc. (see appendix p1 for full list). As well as these the corporate culture and management styles can play a part influencing the motivation of the employees. Well-motivated employees achieve more. They are more committed, vigorous and productive. Over the years various strategies for motivating employees have been developed. These are known as motivational theories. Many different and often contrasting theories have been put forward by a number of different theorists (see appendix p1, p2). I am going to look into the extent that McDonalds, Hertford, use these. Hypothesis/theories Employees who are poorly motivated often score badly on at least one of the factors influencing motivation: an undemanding job, unpleasant working conditions and low pay. (see appendix p1) A lack of motivation- either limited to one area or department, or spread throughout the firm- cause employee dissatisfaction. This results in a higher labour turnover leading to a waste of time and money (see appendix p2) increased incidents of absenteeism and/ or sickness, poor timekeeping, and more disputes between both formal and informal groups within the firm. Motivational problems are not easily overcome. Normally if one person in a whole workforce is unmotivated they will start moaning to the other employees. This can then cause the problems to spread as those that have heard the moaning may also start to moan (low motivation and moaning become contagious). The problems become very hard to stop dead. I feel that an organisation such as McDonalds will try to prevent them arising in the first place. Also according to V.H Room the greater the motivation of an employee the greater the chance of them performing a set task providing they have the ability. He put this into an equation: Performance = Ability x Motivation (people need the ability to do a task but they also need the motivation to do it) This equation leads me to think that McDonalds will use a lot of motivational theories as the equation shows that motivation is a very important factor influencing a person’s performance so McDonalds will try to increase it in as many ways as they possible can. Method Primary research To find the information that I needed I constructed a questionnaire table that gave me a lot of information in as little a time as possible. One table told me what McDonalds were doing to motivate the staff and which of these motivation techniques they found effective. (See appendix for method on the  questionnaire and data collection) Secondary research I used data collected by the key skills group in my year. They constructed a questionnaire to pupils in year twelve to find out â€Å"what factors motivate them in their paid work and how this information could be useful to employers†. Then I took particular questions from this for my work and they gave me the results for these. The questions that I used were 5,6 and 7. (See appendix for copy of this questionnaire Pages 6,7). This was relevant to me as some of the question lead to answers that could be related to motivational theories and motivation in general. Analysis The results collected showed that McDonalds used a lot of factors to motivate their workforce and the results showed that the factors the employees found the most important in motivating them were the ones that McDonalds had satisfied well. (The results table in the appendix p4,p5 shows this where the two columns both have the number three in them) It seems that rather than use one single motivational theory McDonalds have taken all of them and tried to combine as shown on the bottom of the back page in the appendix where I have linked factors from my questionnaire table to specific theories. (See appendix p5 for evidence) McDonalds has a democratic leadership style and a task culture (see appendix for definitions/explanations p1) both of which are associated with McGregors theory Y worker (see McGregor in the appendix p1). This increases motivation according to the survey that was carried out by the key skill group. (See appendix p8 for results proving this) There is group working associated with Elton Mayo yet there is a performance related pay scheme that would be linked to F.W Taylor. They have even taken into account the work done by Fredrick Hertzberg which says that an  employees needs can be put broadly into two categories of motivators and Hygiene factors (see appendix p1 Hertzberg). He says that although hygiene factors should be present- motivation falls if they are ignored- they themselves do not motivate employees. His theory suggests that managers must provide motivators in the form of job enrichment and job rotation schemes. As you can see from the table of results (appendix p5) McDonalds staff have said that this is important to them and have said that job rotation schemes have been used and used well. The Questionnaire that the key skills group constructed showed that most of the students were given training in their job and that the vast majority thought that they should have been trained. It is suggested that if proper training were given it would motivate the employees. However I feel that whether an employee is given training or not is better linked to Hertzberg’s motivators and hygiene factors because he says that a hygiene factor alone will not motivate a person however if the factor is neglected then it will cause a lack of motivation. This seems to be the case with training as shown by Question 6 of the key skill questionnaire. Evaluation My prediction that McDonalds would use a lot of motivational theories seems to be correct, as they do not just use one of the theories they have integrated all of them And they have a democratic leadership style. However despite all this they still have quite a lot of labour turnover. â€Å"We do everything we can to ensure that the staff are motivated. We give them proper training and a 4 week trial period yet myself and my colleagues still find ourselves short due to employees not staying with us for that long† said the store manager when I was conducting my research. One view (a) could that this could be down to the fact that most of the employees are young and still at school, college or university. Therefore they may quit the job when they have to start revising for exams, when they go home from their universities or when they finish school and go in search of a permanent higher paid job or career. All of this leads to higher recruitment and training costs. Showing that although the staff they have stated they are motivated they are still losing employees thus showing that they are not being as efficient as they would like. They are making their employees more productive and efficient but are not being efficient in keeping them. (See problems of labour turnover in the appendix p2). Another view (b) could be that staff do not see McDonalds offering a long term career. Alternative jobs are available to the staff and the pay is about the same (Evidence from results of Q5 in the key skills survey). This indicates that their staff retention problems are more likely down to the factors outlined in view (a) above. Conclusion From the data collected I can conclude that McDonalds in Hertford uses motivational theories to a very large extent. My research showed that they have tried to take all of the theories, put together by all of the theorists, and combine them as well as adopting a democratic leadership to make sure that they benefit from a hard working, motivated and therefore productive workforce. The company appears to have the correct type of management as the results of the key skills survey question 7 (See appendix p8) suggests that the workers are McGregors theory Y workers (appendix McGregor p1) I feel that the company is being effective in motivating the employees and my research proves this. This shows that they are using all of the motivational theories to their advantage shown in the appendix where the motivational factors are linked to theory. One of the reasons for motivating the workforce was to increase productivity and I think that they have done this as my questionnaire showed that the employees were motivated. This motivation will increase their productivity and performance according to the manager and V.H Rooms equation. (See appendix p2) I conclude that McDonalds have increased their efficiency to a small extent just by increasing staff productivity because if each worker is producing faster then they are cutting costs in the form of time. However my research showed that McDonalds, Hertford, are not being as efficient as possible as they are still suffering from labour turnover but this may be nothing to do with lack of motivation but simply that the predominantly young staff do not regard it as long term employment option although they do tend to be employed for 1 to 2 years as part time staff.