Foundations of Nursing Practice Essay

A reflection on how the module content and associated practice experience has contributed to the student’s development as a nurse. This essay is a discussion on how the module content and practice experience has contributed to personal development as a nurse. Therefore it will focus on firstly the concept of individualised care and its relevance to nursing assessment and care delivery, secondly the ethical and professional issues that impact nursing such as confidentiality, consent and dignity. The essay will also focus on exploring the various communication models and the development of the therapeutic relationship between the nurse and the service user, and finally the organisation and delivery of care within the practice environment. With particular reference to a recent placement, at a palliative care nursing home, this essay will discuss Harriet, an 88 year old lady with chronic bronchitis and suffers with multiple sclerosis. For confidentiality purposes the names of service users have been changed to comply with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, Code of Conduct (NMC 2008). This assignment will firstly discuss the individualised approach to nursing, which developed in the USA during the 1950’s and 1960’s, which coincided with the development of the nursing theory and models of nursing which began to challenge the medical model of health care (Lloyd, Hancock, Campbell 2007). The nursing process can be carried out successfully by implementing a popular model used extensively in the UK originally by Roper et al Activities of Living model in which it is based loosely upon the 12 activities of daily living; however Henderson acknowledges 14 activities that people engage in (Kozier, Erb 2008). This model identifies any deficit in their care usually upon admission; it is reviewed as the care plans of the service user evolve; after which an intervention may be given to the service user. The nursing home that was attended for placement had person centred care plans in which they based them on the 12 activities of daily living from sleeping, eating and drinking to mobility and communication; these were short term care plans that were reviewed monthly. Another model that is frequently used described by Ellson (2008, pg22) is the Nursing Process, when it was initially identified; Yura and Walsh (1978) showed that it is a four stage cycle that begins with assessment. Harriet was assessed by the Doctor as the registered nurse in charge (RGN) noticed a change in her health; she had developed a wheeze when talking and had a chesty cough, the RGN suspected a chest infection. A care plan was then devised to follow up the assessment. Harriet was to be started on a course of antibiotics for a week, and was to be resumed on her nebuliser. The care was then implemented the following day during the morning drugs round. An evaluation of that care completes the cycle; in which Harriet was to be seen by the Doctor the following week after completing her course of antibiotics and was to remain on her nebuliser. Additionally, more than one stage can be occurring at the same time, for instance assessment may coincide with implementation (Carpenito-Moyet 2007). If goals are achieved after the first cycle, care maybe terminated or in some cases modified and the service user reassessed. (Ellson 2008, pg22) This process is designed to enhance systematic care, drive communication amongst team members and encourage continuity (Mason 1999 cited in Habermann, Uys 2006).The RGN wrote in Harriet’s daily report and updated her care plans, identifying her change in medication and change in her health. Throughout nursing there are many ethical and professional issues that impact on it from confidentiality, consent to respect and dignity, to clear and accurate records and working as part of a team. The Nursing and Midwifery Council Code of Conduct (NMC 2008) clearly states that nurses should ensure they gain consent (NMC 2008) from the service user this can be anything from examining, providing care and giving treatment. Consequently a nurse has to be prepared if a service user declines their help as they have a right to refuse treatment based on knowledge of the outcomes and risks (Wilkins and Williams 2008). Informed consent is a communication process between the provider and the service user; this is now recognised as a professional standard of conduct (Westrick and Dempski 2009). However if there is a case where the service user does not have the mental capacity to give consent, they are protected by the Mental Capacity Act 2005 in which during the decision making process their rights and interests are accounted for (Griffith and Tengnah 2010). My first task at placement was to try and feed Harriet, I introduced myself alongside a health care assistant and asked if I was able to feed her lunch, I was refused, on the grounds that I was a fresh face and that she did not know me so I let the health care assistant feed her. The following day after assisting the RGN with Harriet’s medication, she kindly said to me that she would let me feed her today if I was able to; so at lunch time I went along with another health care assistant to feed her. Another important ethical issue is maintaining a person’s dignity as Watson (1994) citing (Watson 2008) states that maintaining human dignity is a vital nursing duty and function, that needs to be recognised and respected in which people make to their own care and well being (NMC Code 2008). This can be associated with many aspects of care such as bed bathing, stoma care, peg tube care as Westrick and Dempski (2009) go on to say that it is down to the service user to say what is to be done with his or her body. Fenton and Mitchell (2002) cited in Franklin, Ternestedt and Nordenfelt (2006) argue that elderly people receiving care regarding dignity is a state of physical, emotional comfort, subsequently when this is not always adhered to it can leave the service user feeling embarrassment, shame, humiliation, foolishness and degradation (Mairis 1994 cited in Watson 2008). However nurses themselves can become emotional if the standard of care given is not sufficient this is supported by the Royal College of Nursing survey (2008) asking nurses for their views on dignity in care in which over 80% said they sometimes or always left work distressed due to not being able to deliver the quality of care they thought they should give (Gallagher, Tschudin 2010). When asked to give a bed bath to Harriet, I made sure that only the area being cleaned was exposed thus covering up other private areas in case anybody was to enter her room. When Harriet was seen by the Doctor regarding her chest infection I treated the information sensitively and maintained confidentiality with all her health records. The presence of the therapeutic relationship lies at the heart of patient centred nursing. However the nature of this one to one relationship is very dependent on the context in which nursing care is delivered (McCormack 2004 citing O’Connell 2008). Therefore the building blocks for this relationship should focus on genuineness, empathy and respect, which should leave the service user feeling supported as well as listened to, whilst the nurse feels value in their role (Dossey, Keegan, American Holistic Nurses Association 2008) Whereas Bynum-Grant and Travis–Dinkins (2010) go on to say that whilst the therapeutic relationship is at the core of nursing it is the knowledge and skill along with the caring attitudes and behaviours applied that build the foundations of this relationship. I spent a lot of time with Harriet getting to know her, and building a relationship of trust with her, in order for me to attend her personal care needs, give her medication orally under dire ct supervision. This assignment will now discuss the effective communication skills throughout nursing that helps practitioners to engage with the service user, by making sure arrangements are met for people’s language and communication needs (NMC Code 2008) Studies have shown that the relevant communication means given to an individual can improve well-being (Bell 1996, Happ 2001 cited in Batty 2009). Means of communication that have proved successful are non verbal techniques such as writing, drawing or by gesture, therefore communication aids have been made available such as providing a pen and paper, or alphabet charts (Batty 2009). Effective communication is seen as a fundamental competence required for registration as a nurse (Nursing and Midwifery Council 2004 cited in Timmins 2009) Timmins and Astin (2009) also goes onto explain that continuity of care supports high quality communication as it builds up the relationship between nurse and service user and is a main feature of patient centred care. Crouch and Meurier (2005) cited in Cox and Hill (2010) defines communication as a two way process in which information is transmitted and received. However listening to service users and their families is central to the communication process (Timmins and Astin 2009) Harriet could communicate easily, her hearing was slightly impaired therefore you had to speak loudly and clearly; she was on eye drops as her sight was deteriorating and she was very well spoken and if I was to say something incorrectly she would be very quick to correct me. Harriet however was slightly confused and sometimes repeated things she had said a few moments ago, she also had imaginary friends she would refer to whilst talking to me. This essay will now explore the delivery of care in nursing which is very important as this can impact the service users’ experience. There are three ways in which care can be delivered; this is by primary care, task allocation and team nursing. Primary nursing began in the 1970’s as a way to overcome dissatisfaction with functional and team nursing’s emphasis on tasks that directed nurses’ attention away from holistic care of the client (Huber 2006). Walsh and Crumbie (2007) explain that primary care nursing involves one nurse being liable 24 hours a day for all care delivered to a patient. However Thomas (2006) identifies this is not always necessary as care can be delegated to other nurses or health care assistants †¦ yet the primary nurse carries responsibility for writing care plans and ensuring that long term goals are met. Skelton (2001) cited in Timmins and Astin (2009) suggest that this approach fosters autonomy and gets them involved with their care rather than health professionals dictating their care to them. Within the nursing home the primary nursing approach to care was not suitable as there were too many service users for one nurse to focus all their attention to at one time. Many health care settings would deny using task orientated care however in reality it still goes on and tends to induce apathy and reduce team morale. Task allocation on the other hand may be the most suitable way of allocating the workload (Thomas 2006) especially during staff shortages or certain health care settings. Despite the nursing home having person centred care plans and making individualising the care needs, the nursing home still took on the task allocated approach as all the residents had breakfast by 8am and were washed and dressed by 9am. However as Harriet was unable to feed and dress herself due to having multiple sclerosis she was often left until last to have these needs addressed as two health care assistant’s were required. Team nursing was developed in the early 1950’s it was designed so that staff strengths can be used to the maximum and aids group productivity and growth of team members. By using this system nurses should still be able to provide individualised nursing care (Lloyd, Hancock and Campbell 2007) therefore nurses take on certain roles such as temperature, medication or a nurse for the right side of the ward (Kalisch and Kalisch 1978; Reverby 1987 cited in Huber 2006). Communication is therefore key for this model to be effective as the team leader continuously evaluates and communicates changes of the patient to the team members (Zerwekh, Claborn 2006). It also allows the nurse to delegate patients to the strengths of the staff with what their care focuses on (Tiedeman and Lookinland 2004 cited in Zerwekh, Claborn 2006). Unfortunately the care given can become fragmented and thus ineffective and productivity decreased among team members if there are staff shortages. Harriet’s care followed this approach, as she was bed bound the arjo hoist was the only way of transferring her from bed to chair; this required two people, as did log rolling Harriet for her bed bath so she was cleaned effectively and appropriately. I feel the module content has contributed to my development as a nurse as it taught all the relevant information needed for my first placement. I was able to see how the theory coincided with the practice which also contributed to my development as a nurse. For example I was able to see how the individualised care approach was introduced into the person centred care plans used within the nursing home. I was also able to see how the therapeutic relationship was built amongst the nurses in charge, the health care assistants and other members of the multidisciplinary team, they each had their own style of approaching the service user in regards to their attitudes, body language and behaviour, this I was able to pick up and use myself which made me handle situations better. The module content went into great depth and was given in a variety of learning styles which suited my learning pattern having come straight from school; I feel the type of learning given has strengthened my ability to learn and the relevant theory made me feel more confident when attending placement. Having learnt the theory I was able to put some of this knowledgeable experience into practice, as having had no previous experience within health and social care I felt uneasy at first but as more faith and confidence was put into me via my mentor and other staff members, this helped me feel more involved and more comfortable with working within this environment giving me the confidence boost I needed. Throughout the placement I was guided throughout every task that I had to carry out, I was taught it first by mentor and then throughout the weeks I had to improve on what I had learnt, the registered nurses I shadowed were very supportive and approachable which helped me greatly. In conclusion this essay has discussed the concept of individualised care by incorporating the nursing process and models that evaluate the service user’s health and identifies the care needed and any deficits in their care. Nurses uphold a reputation in which the ethical and professional issues are the foundations of this. As explored throughout this essay it shows that confidentiality, consent and dignity are fundamental throughout nursing and need to be incorporated into the care provided by the nurses. Various models of communication have been identified throughout this essay its relevance shows how the nurse must interact with service user, this is very important as the service user needs to be able to express their concerns of their health either verbally or non verbally. The therapeutic relationship is at the epicentre of nursing as this can impact a service users experience within a health and social care setting. The essay has also explored the organisation and delivery of care needed to be most effective throughout nursing. Overall the essay has focused on various fundamental aspects of nursing that contribute to the way care is delivered to service users. Reference List * Batty S. (2009) ‘Communication, Swallowing and Feeding in the Intensive Care Unit Patient. Nursing in Critical Care. 14(2,July/August). pp.175-177. * Bynum – Grant D and Travis Dinkins M,M. (2010) Schaum’s Outline of Psychiatric Nursing. [Online]. Available at: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ru57ujcVO6sC&printsec=frontcover&dq=schaum’s+outline+of+psychiatric+nursing&hl=en&ei=XcZmTeb7HZSyhAfUkJy4DQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-thumbnail&resnum=1&ved=0CEUQ6wEwAA#v=onepage&q=therapeutic%20relationship%20is%20at%20the%20core%20of%20nursing%20&f=false. (Accessed:25 January 2011). * Carpenito-Moyet L. (2007) Understanding the Nursing Process; Concept Mapping and Care Planning for Students. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. * Cox C. and Hill M. (2010). Professional Issues in Primary Care Nursing. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. * Dossey B,M., Keegan L. and American Holistic Nurses Association. (2008). Holistic Nursing; A Handbook for Practice. 5th edn. London: Jones and Bartlett Publishers Limited. * Ellson R (2008) ‘Assessment of Patients’, in Richardson R. (ed.) Clinical Skills for Student Nurses. Devon: Reflect Press. pp. 22-25. * Franklin LL., Ternestedt B,M. and Nordenfelt L. (2006). ‘Views on Dignity of Elderly Nursing Home Residents.’ Nursing Ethics; An International Journal for Health Care Professionals. 13(2). pp131-134. * Gallagher A, Tschudin V (2010) ‘Educating for Ethical Leadership’ Nurse Education Today, International Journal for Health Care Education. 30(3,April). pp.224-226. * Griffith R. and Tengnah C. (2010) Law and Professional Issues in Nursing. 2nd edn. Exeter: Learning Matters Limited. * Habermann M. and Uys L,R. (2006) The Nursing Process; A Global Concept. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone * Huber D. (2006). Leadership and Nursing Care Management. 3rd ed. Philadelphia:Saunders Elsevier. * Kozier B., Erb G., Berman A., Snyder S., Lake R. and Harvey S. (2008). Fundamentals of Nursing; Concepts, Process and Practice. Harlow, Essex: Pearson Education Limited. * Lloyd H., Hancock H. and Campbell S. (2007). Principles of Care. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. * Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008) The Code of Conduct. * O’Connell E. (2008) ‘Therapeutic Relationships in Critical Care Nursing; A reflection on Practice.’ Nursing in Critical Care. 13(3). pp,138-143. * Thomas J. (2006). Survival Guide for Ward Managers, Sisters and Charge Nurses. Elsevier Health Sciences. pp. 91-93. [Online]. Available at: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=pG-AzNFign4C&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=primary%20nurse%20carries%20responsibility%20for%20writing%20care%20plans%20&f=false. (Accessed: 1 February 2011). * Timmins F. and Astin F. (2009) ‘Patient Centred Care Reality or Rhetoric’ Nursing in Critical Care. 14(5,September/October). pp.219-221. * Walsh M. (ed). and Crumbie A. (ed). (2007). Watson’s Clinical Nursing and Related Science. 7th edn. London: Elsevier Health Sciences. * Watson J. (2008) Nursing: The Philosophy and Science of Caring. Revised edn. Colorado: University Press of Colorado. * Westrick S, J. and Dempski K. (2009). Essentials of Nursing Law and Ethics. London: Jones and Bartlett Publishers International. * Williams L. and Wilkins. (2008). Nursing Know How; Charting Patient Care. pp.67-90. [Online] Available at: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=4e1hGOu7AusC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Nursing+Know+How%3B+Charting+Patient+Care.&hl=en&ei=DcVmTbP6EYKKhQed5amuDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-thumbnail&resnum=1&ved=0CEQQ6wEwAA#v=snippet&q=right%20to%20refuse%20treatment%20based%20on%20knowledge%20of%20the%20outcomes%20and%20the%20risks%20&f=false. (Accessed: 25 January 2011). * Zerwekh J,G. and Claborn J,C. (2006) Nursing Today Transition and Trends. 5th ed. pp.342-346. [Online] Available at: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Il41NcOI3c0C&printsec=frontcover&d q=nursing+today+transition+and+trends&hl=en&ei=rMRmTfLPCdCwhAeAnrSTDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-thumbnail&resnum=1&ved=0CDIQ6wEwAA#v=onepage&q=team%20leader%20continuously%20evaluates%20and%20communicates%20changes%20of%20the%20patient%20&f=false. (Accessed: 1 February 2011). Bibliography * Funnel R, Koutoukidis G, Lawerence K. (2008). Tabbners Nursing Care: Theory and Practice. [Online]. Available at: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=iyGLjn0Md0sC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false (Accessed: 17 December 2010). * Davis C. (2009). ‘Team Health and Safety.’ Nursing Standard. 24(2,September). pp.24-25. * Donnelly M. (2002). Consent: Bridging the Gap between the Doctor and Patient. Ireland: Cork University Press. * Mayberry M and Mayberry J. (2003). Consent in Clinical Practice. Oxon: Radcliffe Medical Press Limited. * Pembrey S,M. (1980). The Ward Sister – Key to Nursing. London: Royal College of Nursing. * Pilcher T. (ed). ‘Collaboration and Teamwork in Critical Care.’ (2009). Nursing in Critical Care. 14(2). pp.45-46. * Radwin L,E and Alster K. (2002). ‘Individualised Nursing Care: An Empirically Generated Definition.’ International Council for Nurses: International Review 49. pp.54-63.

Bell Hooks Biography

Bell Hooks take on booty:By:Course:Professor:Date: Question 1 Bell Hooks is an acclaimed intellectual who is known for her insight and tough analysis on the black culture. In her life she has earned many titles; the contemporary feminist, cultural critic, social activist, cultural critic, artist, writer and most outstandingly pussy to booty analyst. This an alias she earned from her popular book who's pussy is this? She was born in a small segregated black community in Hopkinsville town in Kentucky in 25th September 1958. The economic and social settings were not one she could boast about as the community it was poverty ridden and the source of income was just by working for low pay at construction sites or other low paying joints. Born by Veodis Watkins and Rosa Bell Watkins, Her real name is Gloria Jean Watkins but she chose the name Bell Hooks as a tribute to her grandmother and great grandmother. She earned a scholarship to Stanford University where she did her BA, later she went for masters at University of Wisconsin in Madison and finally University of California for her PhD. In 2014 she launched the bell hooks institute at Berea College situated in Berea, Kentucky. Question 2 Apart from giving her views in her books and popular website, she does her critic and gives further insights on black stories and popular cultures in television shows, newspaper columns and lecture talks with students in universities across the country. She has written over 30 books and the most popular titles are; Aint I a woman written in 1981, this books dissects the black culture and pays critical attention to the black woman. It studies what she does and gives theories to the reasons behind her action. Her theories are believed to hold water and make a lot sense as she gives explicit examples from the Kentucky community she grew in. In 1984 she wrote feminist theory which seemed like a sequel to her previous book. Here she gave more insights and explained how the black woman is marketing herself as an effort to level her reputation with white women by advertising herself in a different way; showcasing her booty. All about love was another best selling title written in the 2000, its subtitle was; new vision. Many young blacks have a liking for it as it holds connection to their daily love life; the book explains the theory of why teenagers think of falling in love at a tender age. It is an analogy of the teenagers having a feeling that their parents or the society doesn't give them enough love and attention and they tend to supplement the love with romantic affairs. In 2004 she wrote We real cool explained the black man's culture and perception of masculinity. Her latest piece that has reader's attention is whose pussy is this; it is trending as it explains the culture and general perception of booty. Question 3 The bottom line of all her books and lectures is to educate the audience that not all they and perceive about the booty is true. Before the audience; which is mostly the youth make a decision to widen her hips or enlarge her booty she should first have a critical analysis and the implications. Her view is that black female choice to resort to booty enhancement was out of desperation to be noticed and somewhat respected like the white females; that was at the end of racism period in the 1980. She believes that youths are attached to it as they see it to represent the new pop culture, one where the booty is perceived as a sexual liberator. This claims that is backed up by media evidence as females that have big booty are mostly if not the ones that always appear on television commercials and Hooks sees is deception. The central focus in females has shifted from the vagina to her booty as its visibility is a marketing advantage. Hooks is particularly saddened by the booty highlight on kids' clothes as it will make them grow in the deceptive theory that the only way to get noticed is by highlighting the attention on the booty, she says it's a destructive direction we are pointing the children to. Question 4 I totally agree with her theories because the booty has moved from a liberator of sexuality to portraying the egoistic nature of a woman. It is very deceptive as women with big booty think that they have a natural advantage over other women, they believe that they can dictate the male that can posses the booty according to the males financial status. This trend also increases the HIV transmission rate youths as they engage in anal sex under the misconception that anal sex does not transmit HIV. REFERENCESA discussion video of Bell Hooks panel answering to students questionshttps://youtu.be/QJZ4x04CI8c

Mcdonald’s vs Burger King Essay

Let’s look at fast food restaurants. When you hear someone say, â€Å"Let’s go to McDonalds or Burger King,† what comes to mind would you consider the Big Mac or a Whopper? Think of how many calories that goes into each one. When you look at the Big Mac your calorie count is, â€Å"540 with 29 grams of fat and 45 grams of carbohydrates. † The Whopper shows, â€Å"670 calories, 39 grams of fat and 51 grams of carbohydrates. †(www. associatedcontent. com) So which is healthier, McDonald’s wins this one. Less calories in the Big Mac than the Whopper even though Burger King promotes flame broil is better and much healthier. When walking in the restaurants of McDonald’s you get the since of not welcomed until it is your turn to order. Looking around the place, it is clean yet not many people stay to eat there. One or two people will sit and chat for a while before leaving and making their order. One thing is true about McDonald’s, if they mess up your order while you are still there, they will make it correctly and bring it to your table nice and hot no matter what it was you ordered. Now for Burger King, when you enter their door the cashier says â€Å"Welcome to Burger King, can I take your order,† this research has been done in several restaurants in the area. Once you have placed your order you are given a number and a cup to fill your drink, by the time you are done filling your drink you food is ready to go. Looking around the restaurant there are a number of patrons sitting eating laughing and joking around with one another so the atmosphere is a warm and inviting one. McDonald’s seems to be more of a get it and go type of place and Burger King was sit for a while and chat. The goals of each restaurant are simple. The customer is first, satisfaction is a must. We all know that it’s not as simple as it sounds. Let’s compare the two, at Burger King’s customers are greeted with a smile when you walk in, when a customer places an order they have a choice of dining in or take it to go. The customer is given an option to say, â€Å"I will dine in or take it to go,† this shows they are given customers a choice of what they want to do. McDonald’s on the other hand, satisfaction is number one also, but you’re not greeted with a smile, sometimes it seems that the cashiers don’t want to work there or they just seem so tired. When placing an order the customer have to wait for at least five minutes before it is ready. Not so good in the fast food world of service, but satisfaction is what they are striving to have. They both share the same goals but one is more of an over all than the other. McDonald’s have a goal of satisfying their customers at 100% but they sometimes fail at making this goal work. How does the public differ in the choices of McDonald’s over Burger King? For one which taste better, which has better quality, would the customer prefer flame broiled over fried. Take a taste test first, McDonald’s signature burger the Big Mac; as the commercial says, â€Å"Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickle and onions on a sesame seed bun. † When the customer orders it in the restaurant, it is in fact, much smaller compared to the advertisement suggest. When doing this research, two out of five people got what they really wanted; the other three had to ask for more sauce and less lettuce. When the order was received, it was sloppy, sauce on the sides of the bun and not on the burger. The taste was satisfactory but if you present something that isn’t prepared right the taste falls short. Burger King’s signature burger the Whopper; â€Å"Beef patty, sesame seed bun, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup, sliced onions, flamed broiled on a sesame seed bun. † Research shows out of the five customers that were tested at Burger King, each customer got exactly what they ordered and was satisfied with the taste of the meal. One even asked for an extra slice of cheese. Burger King satisfied more customers in the area of taste. Which has better quality of food? This falls very hard when thinking about both restaurants. McDonald’s and Burger King have in fact, had good quality but one out shines the other. As it was stated before McDonald’s Big Mac was served sloppy that was not quality service. In terms of Burger King, the customers were very satisfied with the quality of food and service that they received. Looking at the companies goals is a major difference. Let’s take the Mc Donald’s organization, one hundred percent customer satisfaction. When looking at this goal, it’s not always reachable. When this goal is not met, they will do what ever it takes to fix the problem. The next goal that puts them at a higher standard than other competitors, it’s founded on giving back to the community with the Ronald Mc Donald House and Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities. In each restaurant and drive thru there’s a donation box so money can be placed into helping the charities. So many times there have been full boxes of money given. Over the years McDonald’s has given millions of dollars back to communities in an effort to help children in need of care. Burger King was founded in 1953, the worlds #2 hamburger chain since McDonald’s. All of the burgers cooked at Burger King are prepared by grilling over flamed fire. When looking at how the structure works for them, Burger King doesn’t advertise their products like most competitors. There is no way Burger King can produce more sales than McDonald’s due to their marketing strategy which puts them at a disadvantage with McDonald’s. Where they can improve on this, they can do more advertisement of their products and open more chains around the world. Burger King does offer its â€Å"own in house charitable organizations† and programs which is the â€Å"Have It Your Way Foundation,† which is also a â€Å"US based non-profit corporation to alleviate hunger and disease prevention. (http://en. wikipedia. org) However Burger King also offers Scholarship Programs for millions of high school children across the United States which is in the memory of the co-founder James W. McLamore. This year alone they have awarded more than $1. 4 million in scholarship funds to 1,258 students and they also have four new awards that they give out but the major scholarships includes one King $25,000 and three James W. McLamore Whopper scholarship $50,000. (Burger King Corporation) The interaction with the public for both restaurants is very different. When walking in the restaurant the employees are very busy taking orders. The sense of urgency is upon them to get the food out fast and perfect. Once the order is placed, there is no time to talk however at Burger King, while waiting on your order the manager has time to chit chat with you. Managers make sure that the environment is warm and inviting. The employees that are cleaning around the tables and chairs make sure that they do notice you. There have been times where the employee asks if they could get something more or a refill. This is what customer service should be like. McDonald’s, on the other hand, there is no sense of warmth. Maybe one person may look your way and ask is everything’s alright, but that’s as far as the conversation will go. At both restaurants there is a difference between the employee and manager. They both have different shirts and tags. Sometimes though it could be hard to tell the difference because if you go to the restaurant late at night it’s more lax than the day time hours where you will have employees and mangers playing around but still doing their jobs. One other thing that these companies do, they do hire the less fortunate, meaning people with disabilities. Both companies start with their signature logo and end with their logo, major difference McDonald’s only takes the order. Sometimes it’s hard to understand what is being said over the pa and the order may get mixed up but there is time when getting to the window to fix it. Not all the time at McDonald’s does the employee have the food ready so the customer is asked to pull over and food will be brought out to them? On one occasion, while waiting for the order as the minutes passed by, no order was delivered. The customer had to go into the restaurant to get the order and it was still not what the customer ordered. One would wonder how many times this has happen in the past. Is drive thru really fast and easy? Thinking it may be better to order inside so the order can be done properly. Burger King Employees smile when taking and giving the orders. Even in the drive thru, the smile can be heard over the pa when placing an order. If a customer has to wait on their order thru the drive thru, they are asked to pull around the front and someone will be out with the order. It is never long that you will have to wait maybe two minutes at the most and the food is hot when it is received. There are healthy choices on the both menus, but do customers often choose the healthy choice? Not always. Looking at the choices of the menus: In some states McDonald’s is required to show the calorie count for the customers. On their boxes that the food comes in, there is also a calorie count that the customer can look at and see just how many calories is listed for the choice that was made for the order.

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 49

Case Study Example This value chain management ensures timely delivery of the products in the market. Moreover, the products are low cost and relatively affordable. Zara is has a customer-centered approach to the market. Besides having to consider great value and quality, the company also uses its resources to ensure that the products reaching the customers is at low cost. Providing fashion at low cost has remained one of the company’s strength and the means behind the market share claim. The target market for the clothing is the customers with medium to high purchasing power. This includes those individuals who are fashion conscious and who want to look fashionable at all times. In my opinion, this helps the company to compete well with other fashion companies in the world. Being customer-centered, the company has market researchers in every part of the world where their presence is felt. This allows the company to respond directly to consumers’ needs. Further, the company has focused on research-based designing and innovativeness. This helps to create brands that the consumers can appreciate and that are ready to capture their attention and hence compete well in the market (Kumar, 2005). The success of any company depends on both the internal and external environment of the organization. Zara Company has a strong organization structure that ensures its success. With a well-structured management and a long-time experience in the market, the company has an easy time navigating the market and creating new environments. The company’s presence in 74 countries in the world also contribute to its success. This is because for a company to be successful. It must be able to secure a wide customer base that will ensure maximum and consistent source of revenue. This expansive strategy has allowed the company to be relevant to the emerging markets and to create a market share for itself as compared to many of the

Business strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Business strategy - Essay Example It s using pricing as its strategy while it has failed to look at improve itself and its products. Price cannot be used as a competitive edge any longer as consumers are becoming less price sensitive and more product and feature-conscious. HP has been able to improve itself and is using its efficiency as its competitive edge. The strategy of the firm to supply customized products to customers has worked in the US as it was a controllable area but as a global strategy this does not seem to be working as their revenue in the US is increasing at a decreasing rate in exhibit 8, where in 2004 it decreased by 2%, in 2005 it decreased by 2 % and in 2006 it decreased by 2% again. Revenues in the Asian market remained the same in 2003 and 2004; in 2005 it increased by 1% and in 2006 it increased by 1% showing that the market has more growth potential than the US. Dell customizes the products and handles mass customization. This puts a strain on the supply chain as the specific demands have to be met and quality has to be maintained along with timeliness. This is easier on a small scale but on a larger scale maintaining the same quality and precision becomes difficult and demanding. The strategy of Dell to play safe and not concentrate on R&D of products is making them loose out. Dell spent 0.8% of its revenue on R&D in 2006 which is 3.1% lower than HP and 2.9% lower than Apple. Innovation is essential for a technological based industry as products are replaced by better technology and Dell would eventually lag behind if it does not keep pace with the changing needs of the consumers. Dell should change its strategy from attacking the product giving the highest profit to inventing a product that will give them highest profit. Then they could have a better market share for longer and retain a competitive edge. Dell has applied the same strategy in all the countries and has not tried to understand the market in some cases. For instance, Dell sells

Consumerism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Consumerism - Essay Example The continuously expanding capitalism commercial culture spoils everything, marginalizing religious life, civic life and family life, and turning citizens to mere consumers whose personal market choice avails to them what they want but fails to avail of them what they want to vent. This paper aims at discussing and analyzing the argument contained in Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole by Benjamin R. Barber. The author of this book is a well known political theorist who has over the years been writing many materials about how the civil society is deteriorating. He also gives recommendations on how the initial state of the civil society can be reclaimed. He believes that there was a time in history when capitalism had virtues that had positive contributions to citizenship, responsibility, and democracy. Currently capitalism is tainted with the vices that encourage consumerism, while on the other hand undermining citizenship, responsib ility, and democracy. He states that in the current world capitalism and democracy do not come together. Previously, capitalism worked under the protestant work ethic. Under this ethic, capitalism was dependable, restrained, responsible, hardworking, and forward thinking. This enabled distribution of resources and meeting of human needs. During later days, capitalism had all human needs met thus capitalism ended up consuming itself (Barber 67). Because capitalism had to keep growing, consumer market had to keep selling. Despite the fact that many citizens did not have their basic needs met, capitalism still chose to ignore them. Instead, they made consumers want the products that were already over supplied. There are two possible results of this. First consumers of the oversupplied products are targeted. Second non-consumers of the available products are manipulated into wanting the oversupplied products. For instance, game producers target children while at the same time preventing adults from growing up, so that they would continue consuming their products. This can be done by making adults believe that games were made for them too. This way, adults are manipulated into wanting to use these products. Barber’s argument holds some truth in it. Consumers always get themselves wanting to buy some products. This happens regardless of whether they need it, or if they can afford. When a producer introduces a new product, they make consumers believe that they need it, and that the price is affordable (Barber 112). For example, Apple announces the introduction of a new iPod. Consumers of the same find themselves wanting to purchase this particular product even if they might be having a product that serves the same purpose. Despite the possibility of the iPod not making any difference in the lives of the citizens, they still buy it believing that they need it just as the producers claim. The book also tends to depict the constant creation of supposed human need s that have led to the creation of an infantilists’ ethos that interferes with people’s ability to be good citizens. When people identify themselves as consumers or individuals instead of a constituent of a political organization, people tend to forget that they should be thinking of the collective benefit of the whole community. A common observation in America is that there is pressure mounting on children to mature at a fast rate in order to be consumers. On the other hand, producers are trying hard to

ASSIGNMENT ( The judiciary as a referee ) Essay

ASSIGNMENT ( The judiciary as a referee ) - Essay Example It plays the role of a neutral arbiter, or a referee in any dispute before it, by applying the law as it is to the facts before it. The judiciary is vested with the powers to interpret the law. The Supreme Court is the court of last resort as far as interpretation of the law is concerned. The duty of the court is to interpret the statute law from parliament, to affect the purpose and intention of the parliament. The judiciary cannot make law. If the parliament is not satisfied with the way the court interprets the law, it can make law to quash the court’s interpretation. As a referee, it is the judiciary’s role to determine who should do what, or which state of affairs should prevail in any dispute that is presented before it, that is, it makes decisions. In essence, it arbitrates disputes that arise over facts and law. In doing so, the judiciary should apply the law, and should not let the personal opinion of individual judges or their bias to influence the outcome of the court. Everyone should be treated equally before the law, and it should act without fear or favour. The New Zealand legal system is an adversarial one and, therefore, the judge’s duty is just to hear cases presented by both sides, and plays minimal role as far as evidence adducing is concerned. To add, they should not make law or policy that should be a reserve of the parliament. ... In doing so, the court can never question the validity of the Acts that have been passed by parliament. The court has jurisdiction to look into administrative decisions of public officials to ensure that they observe the law. The courts role is to ensure that the public officers execute their mandate in good faith, without malice, and pursuant to the law. In R v Somerset County Council, ex parte Fewings [1995] 1 All ER 513, 524, stated that any action taken by a public official must be justified by a positive law. The court also has a duty to enforce and uphold personal liberty and human rights that are enshrined in the law: to wit the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 and the Magna Carta 1215, which still applies in New Zealand. Therefore, it is the courts duty to enforce human rights and to prevent the government from abrogating human rights. In Attorney General V Chapman [2011] NZSC 110, the court held that the bill of rights does not apply to the judges in discharge of their du ties. It relied on the common law protections under the judicial immunity to render New Zealand Bill of Rights’ remedies available for breach of rights by the New Zealand judges nugatory. Nevertheless, the judiciary, as a referee, it should not make laws. In essence it does, through the doctrine of precedence. For instance, the court in Fitzgerald v Muldoon [1976] 2 NZLR 615), made a decision that is considered to be part of the constitutional law. In this case, the court held that the Prime Minister had no powers to suspend law. He stated that sentiments made by the Prime Minister to that effect were contrary to the bills of right of 1688 that prohibited public authorities from suspending the law.

Cultural Diversity Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cultural Diversity Paper - Essay Example Through his photographic and visual art, he tries to communicate the essence of equality among races manifested in the strengths and abilities of blacks in the society. Also, as portrayed by his sculptures, he significantly condemns injustices based on racial groups and expresses his concern on the smooth convergence among different ethnic and racial groups. Though his sculptures revolve around the apartheid regime in South Africa, they communicate significantly on behalf of the racially discriminated African Americans in the United States. For instance, Thomas sculptures the heads and arms of the black miners in South Africa. This sculpture contains the ten out of the thirteen miners, initially pictured by Ernest Cole, as they experience a humiliating medical inspection by the white doctors. Thomas captions the sculpture â€Å"Raise Up.† The imagery portrayed by the sculpture is not appealing. After undergoing through the humiliating experience, the sign later signifies the industry’s power to manipulate the worker’s body (Bmoreart.com). Then, the sculpture turns out to be a sign of insurgency that leads to exhortation and subsequent rebellion of the Black Americans against their oppressors. Rising of arms signifies surrender, but through the captioning by Thomas, it ignites and challenges the Blacks to fight again st the powers of slavery and racial discrimination Thomas’ work depends solely on the past rather than the present. The sculptures emphasize the past African experiences under the power of colonial rule, as depicted in pictures and photographs. Thomas converts a rather two-dimensional script into a tangible form reflecting the past. In his work, Thomas sculptures the captives’ poking of hands through the police truck as it drives away from the Supreme Court in South Africa (Bmoreart.com). Thomas designs a similar sculpture of a black hand clenching a fist through a wooden bar. Most

See below Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

See below - Coursework Example Fear of being shown up results when a person lacks brave as well as courage in her capabilities undertaking her job. She, therefore, finds it hard to give the job to her subordinate since they will outperform her. Managers may have difficulty in delegating duties as a result of the absence of trust. She gets a lot of sureties that the particular employee has all the knowledge and ability it needs to undertake a certain task as per the provided guidelines. A manager may have difficulty in delegating duties due to lack of time. When a manager gets overwhelmed with work, she always find herself not having the time to recollect herself and make a decision on the particular staff members to control certain tasks. Others find it difficult to delegate the duties due to the need for control. A manager with a higher sense of need for control prefers things to get performed with specific procedures. As a result of getting excessive controlling, she ends up having difficulty in delegating since she wants to remain in a certain position of command over her staff (Narayana Reddy, Appannaiah & Sathyaprasad, 2010). These difficulties can get overcome when the manager do away with the fear of getting shown up. In this case, the subordinates should not boast that they have outperformed their manager when given the chance to do so. These difficulties can get overcome if the manager builds trust with all the staff members. This will make the manager feel secure that all the employees have the capability of undertaking a task by following the set guidelines. The difficulties in duties delegation can get overcome when the manager creates time to recollect herself conduct a simple study and identify the specific employees who can undertake specific tasks. This will help the manager to pass on the some of the responsibilities to other staff members hence enhancing the delegation. A manager should reduce the tendency of having the need for control, and, therefore, accommodate

Managing Change in the Urology Department of a National Health Service Essay

Managing Change in the Urology Department of a National Health Service Hospital in England - Essay Example It is clear from the discussion that the events that caused the need for change in the hospital were the combined financial crisis and the newly introduced regulations on the number of working hours for hospital personnel. Improving the situation will require the application of effective strategies and techniques that would change the current situation. The strategies and techniques require efficient processes and procedures. The hospital should be prepared to apply efficient change initiatives that are inclusive and address the needs of all the stakeholders. Otherwise, resistance will arise among the stakeholders. The three crucial areas that require the change include stakeholder/employee relationships, management of technological change, and worker motivation. This report begins with the summary of the organization that paves way for discussion on the issues that require close attention. The mission of the National Health Service Hospital in England is to sustain continuous improv ement in the delivery of health care services. The management seeks to ensure a healthy working environment for the employees as well as other stakeholders. The Department of Urology is struggling to respond to external pressures for change that have threatened its ability to offer efficient medical care. The hospital works with five consultant surgeons, a few middle-grade and junior doctors, a range of nurses and other clinical personnel. The hospital infrastructure is not efficient enough to offer competitive and efficient health care services. The events that triggered a need for change in the hospital were the combined financial crisis and the newly introduced regulations on the number of working hours for the hospital personnel. The introduced regulations on treatment duration made the hospital sub-contract some of the treatments to a private hospital, leading to financial losses. The factor that contributed to the shortage of medical staff is the conflict in the regulations in volving the working hours. The management of the crisis is loaded with many challenges such as the tension between managers and clinicians and failure to agree on the staff capacity, allocation of extra beds, and operating theater. Others include information overload, ineffective problem solving, disagreement on the number and qualifications of new entrants, and inefficient data collection. The current challenges facing the Urology Department of the National Health Service Hospital in England are related to the incompetence of the stakeholders in managing the changes facing the health care industry. Change Management Change management is a structured process designed to deal intentionally and directly with human

Let's Be Lefties For a Day Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Let's Be Lefties For a Day - Assignment Example ch ensures that employees maximize their contribution to the organization while enabling them to reach their own potential; creating a win-win situation for all. Diversity in the workplace refers to the variety of employees in a given work environment. Every organization today is made up of employees from a variety of ethnic, cultural, and racial backgrounds, add to this diverse group a mix of genders. Managers and professionals in such settings are responsible for molding this diverse group into a cohesive unit that benefits the organization, while ensuring that every employee is enabled to reach his/her potential. The idea of diversity is acceptance of differences and respect for them. In essence this means accepting that each individual is unique and is different from another in certain respects. These differences can be in a wide variety of spheres ranging from cultural and racial to religious and gender. Exploring these dimensions and understanding them can lead to an enriching experience – the ability to not just make allowances for but to appreciate them and celebrate the unique qualities they contribute. Diversity does not mean just physical diversity in outward appearance or speech. People who grow up in differing environments or come from different educational backgrounds also think and respond differently. The difference lies not only in how they are perceived but also how they perceive others and themselves. This also affects the way they interact with others especially those they perceive to be different from themselves. The result can be discrimination where those who ‘belong’ are at an advantage while those who do not are at a disadvantage. The challenge for the manager or professional in a business setting is to build bridges across differences and strengthen bonds to enable a work environment sans discrimination. The simple experiment of using the left hand instead of the right for ordinary activities like turning the pages of a book or

Review of Related Literatures and Studies Essay Example for Free

Review of Related Literatures and Studies Essay The proponents reviewed several related studies and literature. This was done to clarify different ideas from other studies and literature. Relevant ideas of some students who developed some software were also reviewed. Related Literature The proponents understand that the program to be made without intellectual development could crash and might not be attracted to the uses and beneficiaries. The communication between the target user and the programmer should be clear, and sharp. According to George Gerard G. Mendoza (2005), two reasons why people use computers regardless of their profession. First, they are fast. Second, they are accurate. To improve the current grading system, manual and duplicative tasks need to be computerized. Computerization of tasks will also pave the way for the unification of the grading system with the enrollment system and student information system. Josefina Estolas in the book Fundamentals of Research (1995). A major purpose of a database system is to provide users with an abstract view of data. That is the system hides certain details of how the data are stored and maintained as stated by Abraham Silberschatz, Database System Concepts (1999). A database is an organized collection of facts and information. An organizations database can contain facts and information on customers, employees, inventory, competitors, sales information and much more. Most Managers and executive believe a database is one of the most valuable and important parts of a computer-based Related Literature Foreign Study According to Ms. Barbara Riggs and Mr. Jacob I. Lee (1994) of the University of Maryland as they perceived from their study as regards with the old grading system of their university and the problems encountered. It is a daunting task to process 130,000 grades in a timely let alone painless manner every semester. Add to this the collection of Early Warning grades and there is a tremendous amount of work for both†©our administrative staff and the faculty. Therefore, it was no surprise when several faculties voiced concern over the traditional time-consuming grade collection process. Our established method of grade collection was similar to other universities during the mid 80s. Scannable grade sheets were produced for each course section and distributed to the faculty. Over 8,000 grade sheets were created every semester and then hand carried to academic departments by R R support staff. The departments were then responsible for delivering grade sheets to the appropriate instructor. After all this routing, it was not unusual for a faculty member to request a new grade sheet because the original had been lost or damaged. Once the grade sheet made it to the faculty members hands, they were required to write the grade and then fill in the corresponding bubble with a #2 pencil on the scanning form. If mistakes were made the faculty member had to be sure to erase the incorrect mark completely. Erasures often led to scanner misreads and recording of incorrect grades. Faculty were also required to return all grade sheets to the Records Registrations office within 48 hours of their final exam. Grade sheets were not permitted to be returned by mail because they could not be folded, but, more importantly, because mailing created security issues. Obviously, the scale of organization and centralization of grade sheet distribution and collection was enormous. Because of security concerns, controls had to be foolproof. Grade correction was very tedious and time-consuming. So, as technological capabilities and services were successfully developed for students, both faculty and administrators saw the potential to automate the existing grade collection process.

Innovation and Technology Strategies of Mcdonalds

Innovation and Technology Strategies of Mcdonalds McDonalds is the largest fast food restaurant chain that serves approximately 47 million customers daily. The fast food restaurant is operated by many types of business venture like franchisee, affiliate or the corporation itself. Through continual innovation technology research and upgrade, McDonalds have transformed itself from a small bar-b-que restaurant to a fast food restaurant chain serving mainly burgers, chicken products, fries, beverages, desserts, salads, wraps and fruits for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even supper 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In this report, we will discuss on how McDonalds manages its innovation technology and the strategies employed by McDonalds in gaining its competitive advantage. We will be using SWOT analysis to analyze the internal strength and weakness and external opportunities and threats of McDonalds innovation technology process and also discuss the innovation technology concept adopted by McDonalds. Some concepts that are discussed are stated below. Innovation Concept:- Kids gadget (eg. Happy Meal that comes with toy) Food safety and quality standards (Nutrition facts on the food they serve) Being Green (eg. Unbleached paper napkins used from recycle material, One Meal, One Napkin, McRecycle) Events (eg. FIFA 2010, Singapore Youth Olympic Games 2010) Mc Cafà © Technology Concept:- Drive-Thru, where customers can order McDonalds meals on the go, Online/Phone ordering delivery 24/7 EZlink payment over counter and credit card payment for online and phone ordering Free Wi-fi connection at all McDonalds branches Online Networking (Facebook) The report will also recommend some approaches McDonalds can adopt to enhance the business. Introduction 1.1 Company Profile McDonalds is the leading restaurant brand with more than 30,000 local restaurants serving nearly 50 million customers in more than 119 countries each day. Approximately 70 percent of McDonalds restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent, local businessmen and women. Their rich history began with their founder, Ray Kroc. The strong foundation that he built continues today with McDonalds vision and the commitment of our talented executives to keep the shine on McDonalds Arches for years to come. McDonalds serves hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken products, French fries, breakfast items, soft drinks, shakes, and desserts. McDonalds also modified its menu to healthier alternatives like salads, wraps and fruit due to obesity trends in western nations and criticism over healthiness of its products. 1.2 History of Company McDonalds started as a humble Bar-B-Que restaurant in the year 1940. Below states McDonalds achievements through the years. (McDonalds, 2010) 1940 Dick and Mac McDonalds open McDonalds Bar-B-Que restaurant in San Francisco. It is a typical drive-in with featuring a typical menu with car-hop service 1948 Dick and Mac McDonalds closed their restaurant for 3 months and reopens as a self-service drive-in restaurant with reduced menu serving hamburgers, cheeseburger, soft drinks, milk, coffee, potatoes chips and a slice of pie with the 15 cents hamburger as the staple of the menu 1949 Potato chips are replaced by French fries on the McDonalds menu 1954 Multimixer salesman, Ray Kroc(52), visit McDonalds in San Bernardino intending to sell more multimixer to the brothers but is fascinated by the operation and learns from the brothers that they are looking for nationwide franchising agent. Kroc has an epiphany and determined that his future is in the hamburgers. 1955 Kroc opens his first McDonalds restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois on April 15. The restaurant is designed by architect Stanley Menston in 1953 with red and white tile and Golden Arches 1959 The 100th restaurant opens in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin 1962 McDonalds in Denver, Colorado becomes the first indoor seating restaurant 1963 The 500th McDonalds restaurant in Toledo, Ohio 1965 McDonalds first public offering in celebration of its 10th year anniversary 1966 First National Television Commercial of Ronald McDonald who appeared on his flying hamburger in 35 one minute color spots on the NBC and CBS networks 1967 McDonalds first international restaurant in Canada and Puerto Rico 1969 Remodeling of McDonalds logo which emphasis more on the ever-more-famous Golden Arches 1978 The 5000th McDonalds restaurant in Kanagawa, Japan 1979 Happy Meals are introduced to the national menu featuring a circus wagon theme 1984 McDonalds founder and Senior Chairman, Ray Kroc, dies on Jan 14 1985 April 15, McDonalds celebrates 30th years of operation 1988 The 10,000th McDonalds restaurant in Dale City, Virginia 1996 McDonalds Corporate Internet site launched 2003 McDonalds launched its first global advertisement campaign, Im lovin it, in Munich, Germany 2006 McDonalds added nutritional info on its packaging at the Torino 2006 Olympic 2007 McDonalds Packaging updates that features 24 faces from first-ever global casting call 2009 McDonalds being awarded for Being Green 2010 McDonalds offers visitors with free Wi-Fi in over 11,000 restaurants 1.3 Vision Statement and Values Vision McDonalds envision a supply chain that profitably yields high-quality and safe products without supply interruption while leveraging their leadership position to create a net benefit by improving ethical, environmental and economic outcomes. Ethical McDonalds envision purchasing from suppliers who follow practices that ensure the health and safety of their employees and the welfare and humane treatment of animals in their supply chain. Environmental McDonalds envision influencing the sourcing of their materials and ensuring the design of their products, their manufacture, distribution and use minimize lifecycle impacts on the environment. Economic McDonalds envision delivering affordable food, engaging in equitable trade practices, limiting the spread of agricultural diseases, and positively impacting the communities where their suppliers operate. McDonalds view this vision and its responsibilities holistically. As sourcing decisions are made, they consider their priorities for food safety, quality and costs, as well as ethical, environmental and economic responsibilities. Values McDonalds place the customer experience at the core Customers are the reason for their existence. They demonstrate appreciation by providing them with high-quality food and superior service, in a clean, welcoming environment, at a great value. Their goal is Quality, Service, Cleanliness Value for each and every customer, each and every time. McDonalds are committed to the people They provide opportunity, nurture talent, develop leaders and reward achievement. They believe that a team of well-trained individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences, working together in an environment that fosters respect and drives high levels of engagement, is essential to their continued success. McDonalds believe in the their system McDonalds business model, depicted by the three-legged stool of owner/operators, suppliers and company employees, is their foundation, and the balance of interests among the three groups is key. McDonalds operate the business ethically Sound ethics is good business. At McDonalds, they hold themselves and conduct their business to high standards of fairness, honesty and integrity. They are individually accountable and collectively responsible. McDonalds give back to the communities They take the responsibilities seriously. They help their customers build better communities, support Ronald McDonald House Charities, and leverage their size, scope and resources to help make the world a better place. McDonalds grow their business profitably McDonalds is a publicly traded company. As such, they work to provide sustained profitable growth for the shareholders. This requires a continuing focus on our customers and the health of their System. McDonalds strive continually to improve Being a learning organization that aims to anticipate and respond to changing customer, employee and System needs through constant evolution and innovation. 2 SWOT Analysis Let us look at some of the strengths that McDonalds hold for it to be so successful and what opportunities did they took advantage of. Strength With billions of investment spent on training annually, McDonalds have succeeded in motivating its staff to provide better customer service. The brand reputation of McDonalds increased when the Fortune Magazine 2008 listed McDonalds as one of the most admired food service companies. The Golden Arches and spokes character, Ronald McDonald the clown is one of the worlds most recognizable logos. Source: Images obtained from flickr.com and Palm Beach County Library System McDonalds is a global company operating in 109 countries. By spreading out in different regions, they can withstand economic fluctuations and operate effectively during an economic downturn. McDonalds restaurants are able to adapt to each countrys cultural differences. For example, lamb burgers are served in India instead of beef and pork. As most of the McDonalds restaurant businesses are owned and operated by franchisees which are independent they are able to reach out to global locations like major airports, and cities, tourist locations and theme parks. McDonalds developed an efficient, assembly line style of food preparation. In addition, they maintained a systemization and duplication of all their food preparation processes in every restaurant. McDonalds uses 100% pure inspected beef with no fillers or additives added. The produce is farm fresh. McDonalds serves 100% farm raised chicken, no fillers or additives and only Grade-A eggs. To ensure only safe and tastiest food are produced, McDonalds purchased their ingredients only from certified suppliers. The frequent food inspections conducted also ensured food quality and freshness. McDonalds only serves name brand processed items such as Kraft Cheese, Nestle Chocolate, Heinz Ketchup and Minute Maid Juice. McDonalds treats food safety very seriously. Checks are performed at every stage of the food processing to ensure that the food is produced from a clean, contamination free environment. McDonalds have printed their food nutritional information on the serving mat that was placed on the serving trays. It enables the consumers to understand what the nutritional levels of individual food they are consuming are, at the same time, enjoying their meal. This information was published on McDonalds Internet site. For consumers who were health conscious, McDonalds have gone the extra miles to offer salads, bottled water and other low fat / calorie food as alternatives. To build publicity, McDonalds sponsored various main events. The recent sponsorship is the Singapore Youth Olympic Games 2010. McDonalds have incorporated free Wi-Fi in the restaurants to encourage consumers to come for their meal. 2.2 Weakness McDonalds tried to market into the pizza line but failed thus leaving them not able to compete with fast food pizza chains yet. The employment of temporary staffs and part-timer lead to high employee turnover in their restaurants. This will increased the amount of money being spent on training new staffs. While promoting health living, McDonalds had yet to explore the trend towards organic foods. 2.3 Opportunities McDonalds can create a healthier version of the hamburger to cater for the health conscious society today. They can do it by replacing the ingredient with those that are organic. They will be the first in the fast food industry to have an organic hamburger. McDonalds can provide optional allergen free food items, such as gluten free and peanut free. McDonalds can look into introducing new food items, like sandwich wrap to cater for new taste buds. 2.4 Threats McDonalds uses subliminal perception to attract children as young as one year old into their restaurants with special kids meals, toys, playgrounds and popular movie character tie-ins. Children end up enjoying McDonalds through childhood to adulthood. Hence, many parents criticized their marketing practices towards children which are seen as not ethical. McDonalds is considered as unhealthy food, allegedly with addictive additives that contributed to the obesity in consumers. Competitors are a threat. Major competitors include Burger King, Starbucks, Subway and KFC and any mid-range sit-down restaurants. 3. Innovation Concept Kids Gadgets Source: Happy Meal http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/parents/happy_meal_choice.html McDonalds Happy Meal toys for kids have undergone an evolution. The toys were first design with mechanical moving parts that simulate the movement of the toy character. Over the years, McDonalds have incorporated digital games with the toys. Example is the Rocking Horse. The LCD displayed the movement of the horse when the child put a rocking action on the toy. Quality Food Source: http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/food/food_quality/trends_innovation/barbara_booth.html Culinary Innovation Meet Chef Dan Coudreaut, McDonalds Director of Culinary Innovation Chef Dan as he is known to millions has been the Director of Culinary Innovation at McDonalds headquarters for over four years. His background and training is in fine dining, and he gets huge job satisfaction being a part of McDonalds. Coudreaut began working as a dishwasher when he was 14 years old. He earned an associates degree in business administration and management. To pursed his dream as a Chef, Coudreaut worked in New York City at Quatorze Bis, a French bistro, as the PM Sous Chef. Later, he enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America, where he graduated at the top of his class in 1995. Coudreaut with his team created up to 1,800 new recipes annually but only a few selected recipes that are wholesome, tasty and easy for McDonalds crew members to prepare to launch. The most recent innovation was to produce the famous Fruit and Walnut Salad as well as the Premium Chicken Sandwich line. Customers increasingly want higher-quality items, which is a reality that allows me to take more risks and make flavors bolder, says Coudreaut. My fine-dining background and McDonalds desire not to stifle creativity helps me develop products customers can really enjoy. The Birth of the Egg McMuffin A legacy of  innovation from within It was 1970. Legendary McDonalds franchisee Jim Delligatti, still fresh from his historic success in developing the Big Mac sandwich, began experimenting with simple breakfast items. Exploring new business opportunity for his restaurant during the morning hours, the usual Opening at 11:00 A.M. was changed to 07:00 A.M. instead. Delligatti started selling coffee and other simple items like doughnuts, and sweet rolls. Pancakes and sausage were added to the menu a year later. Even with limited selection, Delligatti was by that time was able to obtain 5 percent of his business during breakfast. But a significant dilemma remained: while Delligattis innovation had increased business at his store, other McDonalds operators balked at the prospect of extending their already-backbreaking 11:00 P.M.-midnight shifts. Unless a new breakfast item was found that could deliver double-digit sales gains, the McDonalds breakfast line would have to wait. That product, which was to completely transform the McDonalds experience, came in late 1971 on the vision of a man named Herb Peterson. After managing the McDonalds account for Santa Barbara, California-based DArcy Advertising, Peterson decided to join the increasing ranks of McDonalds franchisees. Having identified the same breakfast opportunity that Delligatti had seen, Peterson focused his creative energy on launching an entirely new product that could be eaten like the rest of the McDonalds line: by hand. A solution arrived when he began to modify an Eggs Benedict sandwich that was being marketed by Jack-in-the-Box, a West Coast chain. Experimenting with prepackaged Hollandaise, which he rejected as too runny, Peterson combined a slice of cheese with a hot egg, producing the exact consistency he had been aiming for. Since poaching eggs didnt fit into the McDonalds assembly line production process, Peterson invented a creative new cooking utensil a cluster of six rings that was placed on the grill to form the eggs in the shape of an English muffin.  When he complimented the egg and muffin with grilled Canadian bacon, Peterson had a finished breakfast item that was perfect for a sandwich-oriented fast-food chain. Convincing McDonalds founder Ray Kroc of the new creations brilliance turned out to be easier than expected: Peterson invited Kroc to stop by a store over the Christmas holiday, and even though Kroc had just eaten lunch, he ate two of the egg sandwiches anyway. Petersons organized demonstration of the new product, complete with a flip-chart to explain its economics, wasnt what sold Kroc. It was the sandwich itself. Weeks later, Herb Peterson was in Chicago showing the new product to McDonalds senior management, who received it with excitement. Not long after, the final challenge naming the sandwich was tackled during a dinner conversation between the Krocs and the Turners (Fred Turner is now Honorary Chairman of McDonalds Corporation), when Patty Turner suggested it be called the Egg McMuffin. The name stuck, and roll out began. By 1976, McDonalds had perfected the breakfast menu, elevating its brand above the competitors, which didnt introduce commercial breakfast items until the mid-1980s. Thanks to the relentless creativity and innovation of its own visionary franchisees, McDonalds by then held a monopoly on breakfast. To this day, breakfast represents 15 percent of McDonalds sales. Thru SMS on 15 July 2010 All new Spicy Nuggets tangy Honey Chipotle Shaker fries. Being Green Recycle, Renew We start with a 3-pronged approach: reduce, reuse, and recycle; and were committed to diverting as much waste as possible from the solid waste stream. McDonalds has come up with countless small ways to make a big impact: Switching to unbleached paper napkins made from recycled materials. Examining how our suppliers package raw materials and cleaning supplies. Weve even created litter patrols to ensure were good neighbors in our communities. Less is More Currently, 82% of McDonalds consumer packaging is made from renewable materials, and were aiming for higher percentages in the future. In several countries, our restaurants are recycling their used cooking oil for re-use in a variety of products, including the creation of environmentally-friendly biodiesel. In some markets, McDonalds delivery trucks use our own re-purposed cooking oil as fuel. We call this a closed-loop solution, and were very proud of it. Our customers are also helping make a difference. McDonalds restaurants inside WalMart stores saved an estimated 170 million napkins (equivalent to 497 tons of wood) in just one year through the One Meal, One Napkin campaign. McDonalds Global Environmental Commitment Effectively managing solid waste We are committed to taking a total life cycle approach to solid waste, examining ways of reducing materials used in production and packaging, as well as diverting as much waste as possible from the solid waste stream. In doing so, we will follow three courses of action: reduce, reuse and recycle. Reduce. We will take steps to reduce the weight and/or volume of the packaging we use. This may mean eliminating packaging, adopting thinner and lighter packaging, changing manufacturing and distribution systems, adopting new technologies or using alternative materials. We will continually search for materials that are environmentally preferable. Reuse. We will implement reusable materials whenever feasible within our operations and distribution systems as long as they do not compromise our safety and sanitation standards, customer service and expectations and are not offset by other environmental or safety concerns. Recycle. We are committed to maximum use of recycled materials in the construction, equipping and operations of our restaurants. We are already the largest user of recycled paper in our industry, applying it to such items as tray liners, Happy Meal boxes, carryout bags, carryout trays and napkins. Through our McRecycle program, we maintain the industrys largest repository of information on recycling suppliers and will spend a minimum of $100 million a year buying recycled materials of all kinds. We are also committed to recycling and/or composting as much of our solid waste as possible, including such materials as corrugated paper, polyethylene film and paper. We will change the composition of our packaging, where feasible, to enhance recyclability or compostability. Conserving and protecting natural resources We will continue to take aggressive measures to minimize energy and other resource consumption through increased efficiency and conservation. We will not permit the destruction of rain forests for our beef supply. Encouraging environmental values and practices Given our close relationship with local communities around the world, we believe we have an obligation to promote sound environmental practices by providing educational materials in our restaurants and working with teachers in the schools. We intend to continue to work in partnership with our suppliers in the pursuit of these policies. Our suppliers will be held accountable for achieving mutually established waste reduction goals, as well as continuously pursuing sound production practices which minimize environmental impact. Compliance with these policies will receive consideration with other business criteria in evaluating both current and potential McDonalds suppliers. Ensuring accountability procedures We understand that a commitment to a strong environmental policy begins with leadership at the top of an organization. Therefore, our environmental affairs officer will be given broad-based responsibility to ensure adherence to these environmental principles throughout our system. This officer will report to the board of directors on a regular basis regarding progress made toward specific environmental initiatives. On all of the above, we are committed to timely, honest and forthright communications with our customers, shareholders, suppliers and employees. And we will continue to seek the counsel of experts in the environmental field. By maintaining a productive, ongoing dialogue with all of these stakeholders, we will learn from them and move ever closer to doing all we can, the best we can, to preserve and protect the environment. We value sustainable food and packaging McDonalds is committed to minimizing the environmental impacts of our food and other products in the supply chain. We are working with our direct suppliers to: measure and reduce water, energy, air, and waste impacts through our Environmental Scorecard, design our packaging with resource conservation in mind improve fishing practices through our Sustainable Fisheries program. green our distribution system through efforts such as using recycled frying oil as fuel   better understand the carbon footprint of our entire supply chain, based on work by McDonalds Europe We are also trying other things to make a difference upstream in the supply chain by working with other companies and NGOs.  Our sustainable land use efforts, such as protection of high-value conservation lands like the Amazon Rainforest, are ongoing.  We also support multi-stakeholder sustainable agriculture initiatives such as the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform in Europe.  It was created by the food industry to actively support the development of sustainable agriculture worldwide.   You can read more about our efforts to green our supply chain as well as some specific leadership steps taken by our suppliers in our catalogue of global environmental  best practices, the 2009 McDonalds Global  Best of Green. Tracking our performance the Environmental Scorecard and EcoFilter McDonalds Environmental Scorecard for suppliers was created to help make our food suppliers aware of the resources they are using and to help drive continuous improvements related to their impacts in the categories of energy, water, air, and waste.   In 2005, we began rolling out the current version of the Scorecard with a goal of reaching all of our bakery, beef, poultry, pork, and potato suppliers in our nine largest markets.  Last year, we decided to set a deadline of 2009 to reach that goal and are currently on track to achieve this before the end of the year. Many suppliers that have been using the Scorecard for multiple years have reduced their use of water and energy and their production of waste.   In Canada, for example: All direct suppliers of beef, poultry, potatoes, and bakery products located in Canada completed the 2008 Environmental Scorecard 45% showed a decrease in water used per unit of finished product between 2007 and 2008 64% showed a decrease in energy used per unit of finished product between 2007 and 2008 100% showed zero air emissions violations in 2008 64% showed a decrease in waste production per unit of finished product between 2007 and 2008 In 2010, some markets will continue to expand the use of the Scorecard.  Globally, we will focus our efforts on making the Scorecard easier to use and more impactful, through enhancements like online training and data collection.  We also continue to encourage our direct suppliers to help our indirect suppliers become more aware of their resource use and to explore options for reductions. Oil Opportunity McDonalds is finding ways to incorporate used cooking oil into their operations. The answer is biodiesel. In several countries across the McDonalds System, our restaurants are recycling their used cooking oil for re-use in a variety of products, including the creation of biodiesel an environmentally friendly diesel fuel made from recycling vegetable oils. We have a resource that can be put to good use, and weve been taking steps, to varying degrees across the System, to utilize it in the best interests of the business, says Brian Kramer, Senior Manager Corporate Social Responsibility. This is an exciting and relevant area for all of us and one where McDonalds is looking to make a greater impact. From Fryer to Fuel The oil-into-fuel effort is just one aspect of our larger environmental platform. With consumers ranking environmental protection as a top expectation of socially responsible businesses, McDonalds is continuously working on a variety of ways to go green from reducing energy use at our restaurants to creating a more sustainable supply chain. With regard to biodiesel, the way it normally works is that restaurants team up with a contractor who picks up the used oil in bulk and sells it to companies that specialize in refining the product into clean burning diesel for consumer use. McDonalds stepped into this arena about six years ago with a test run in Austria and the effort has gradually gained momentum. Today, biodiesel initiatives are occurring in major markets across Europe, APMEA, Latin America and the U.S. The leader in this effort is McDonalds Europe, which recycles all of its used oil and sends approximately 80% to the production of biodiesel. Meanwhile, a growing number of U.S. restaurants are also directing their oil from fries to fuel. The bulk cooking oil delivery and retrieval program that McDonalds USA has been implementing with our supplier, RTI, over the past decade has achieved significant results as well. Currently, there more than 7,500 U.S. restaurants enrolled in the program, which includes delivery of the cooking oil to the restaurants in bulk via a portal on the exterior of the restaurant to a tank in the store. At the same time, waste oil is sucked out a separate tank and then sold to biofuel companies and other purchasers such as pet food companies. There are a range of environmental benefits to the bulk oil program. For example, every year it eliminates a significant amount of packaging that would normally be used if the cooking oil was delivered in smaller plastic jugs in corrugated boxes, or Jibs. This, in turn, reduces the amount of waste that goes to landfill. Fueling McDonalds Trucks Some markets, like Austria and the U.K., have taken things one step further and now use some of their reformulated oil to fuel their McDonalds delivery trucks. Its known in the environmental world as closing the loop taking your used products and putting them to good use back into your system. This really is a great story, says Sebastian Csaki, Manager Environment and Corporate Social Responsibility McDonalds Europe. The fact that were able to recycle so much of our used oil into biodiesel and use it in our own trucks truly shows our commitment to lessening our environmental impact in innovative ways. Greener Than Ever McDonalds strives to provide eco-friendly workplaces and restaurants that reflect our sustainability goals and demonstrate environmental stewardship in the workplace. In August 2008, McDonalds USA opened its first corporate-owned pilot green restaurant and received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification in April 2009. Some of the green attributes of the Chicago restaurant include energy-efficiency equipment and lighting, high efficiency plumbing fixtures, and permeable pavement and rainwater collection for irrigation. Were using this green building lab to help refine our green building strategy. Our second green restaurant was completed in North Carolina in early 2010. Green building strategies arent limited to McDonalds restaurants. Using the LEED rating system developed for Existing Buildings (LEED EB), we recently tackled our Global Headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois. Our 20-year-old Campus Office Building (affectionately known as the COB) was granted Platinum Certification, the highest level possible. The COB is one of the oldest buildings to receive this certification. The sustainable building enhancements made during the certification process have resulted in clear financial and environmental benefits. Energy use is at its lowest level in five years, helping to offset rising utility costs

Career Opportunities in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Career Opportunities in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry Introduction Given the continued volatility within the UK job market, the opportunities for a university graduate continue to evolve. Ultimately, the nature of the marketplace will continue to rise to meet social and economic challenges, thereby mandating that participants are aptly suited for the responsibilities of the future. Lau and Schaffer (1999) recognised that success in a career of choice offers personal needs fulfilment through long term evolution of workplace achievements and accomplishments, ultimately culminating in power acquisition for the properly situated professional. My long term objectives is to frame my career around such variables, supporting my professional goals and principles while at the same time ensuring that substantial growth and opportunity evolve through my career choice. The following five positions represent key industries within the current UK market, each challenging the participant to invoke a broad skill set to enhance their long term career objectives. Hotel Manager Given the variability within the hotel industry and the season-specific integration of tourism into an operating scheme, the potential for gaining logistical experience and expanding my management skill set within this environment is exemplary. The completion of my degree is an essential part of job acquisition within the hotel industry, and although the management position might not immediately avail itself to me, the long term goal of achieving this notorious job title will present motivational encouragement and strategy in my daily operations. As recognised by MacCannell (2002), the prevalence of tourist egoism in the hotel environment is one which challenges staff to bolster and support such powerful internal demand structures, aligning with tourist expectations to prospect for repeat business. As a hotel manager, my duties would include a coordination of all staff members affiliated with our guests, and therefore, exemplary service levels would need to be evolved from my directi on. The potential for substantial tourism growth considering the coming 2012 Olympic games offers opportunity for positioning within an expanding industry, one which would support my long term career objectives. Aligning my skills with an industry with such broad opportunities would also ensure that as alternate positions across the globe arise that I would be uniquely suited for that market by virtue of experience. Tourism Officer Perhaps the most widely sought opportunity for graduates and professionals of these five, this position entails an integration of a wide number of skill sets and strategic methods. Within the community, the tourism officer plays an essential role in guiding the expansion of tourist commerce and supporting local businesses and facilities through attractive event and festivals. In a recent study Desforges (2001) noted that financial reward is an extremely important variable within tourist endeavours, oftentimes relying on strategic politics to evolve into a socially beneficial medium. Optioning the personnel management abilities which I have learned over my brief, but well experienced positions in the UK work force, the officer position would require staff management, budget alignment, and full spectrum training programmes. This challenging, yet rewarding occupation would integrate my written abilities, planning foresight, and organisational skills to prepare and guide the tourist prog rammes of a particular local authority. The highly competitive nature of this position challenges me to fully develop my expectations and long term strategy prior to offering my CV for review. Ultimately, I believe that my creativity, local knowledge and interest, and resourcefulness will be assets in acquiring such a position. Over the course of the coming months at the university, it would be wise to participate in community events and begin to source industry relationships in order to ensure that opportunities arise upon graduation. Outdoor Pursuits Manager Perhaps the most interesting and personally rewarding position within this grouping is the one which would take me into the outdoors and fulfil my passion for adventurous activity. Requiring technical skill sets including budgeting, people management, and leadership, my commitment to these duties would be more than just job specific. In fact, assuming such a role, the physical challenges alone would encourage me to devise new methods of exercise and diet in order to maintain appropriate energy and stamina. Public speaking would become an inherent participle in this role, challenging me to step outside of my comfort zone and encourage participation through vocal support and direction. Forsyth (1997) recognised that sustainable tourism and environmental responsibility are essential factors in the new realm of eco-tourism. Through my role in outdoor pursuits, whether team building for groups or comporting a family reunion on a sightseeing hike, the need for environmental awareness and e ducation would be a skill set that must be further developed. While there is limited opportunity within this position to surmount a corporate ladder, the potential for entrepreneurism in the long term would enable me to pursue an objective of business ownership and coordination. Travel Agency Manager Perhaps one of the more intriguing positions listed here, this opportunity would rely on my knowledge of both the UK travel sector but international destinations as well. Ensuring that my breadth of venue understanding was at par with industry standards, familiarisation visits to new destinations would assist in developing my knowledge set. This job would incorporate a broad range of my skills including organisation, sales abilities, and management of a sales team. As targets become an increasingly important qualifier within this industry, recognising the methods behind sales and tourism opportunities will continue to enable my management of a team of sales professionals. Destination sourcing offers a unique perspective of consumer motivations and would continue to enable my utilisation of personal interests and professional resources over the long term scope of my career. Recognised by Gille and Riain (2002) the nature of globalisation entails a reorganisation of self and community, expanding horizons and encouraging international participation. In this role, it would be my responsibility to ensure that these connections are deeply entwined in the personal objectives of my clientele. Public Relations Account Executive The final career opportunity, and perhaps divergent from the others in terms of sector, the role of P.R. account executive would offer substantial opportunity to utilize my personality, range of communication skills, and intense drive for success to develop and support public relations campaigns. In this role, business to business sales and networking would become extremely important facets of my daily routine, encouraging a working understanding of purchasing motivations and the key challenges which face each industry in our society. Managing events and press conferences in addition to location coordination for photo shoots or media programmes would also integrate my organisational skill set as well as enhance my understanding of the workings of public scenarios. Hiring staff and event for these events would also challenge my human resource skill set and enable an organisational perspective which could translate into further career evolutions. Buck et al. (2003) challenge that the e mployment philosophy of a firm or corporation is â€Å"embedded within its organisational blueprint† thereby entailing a focus on strategy, media expectations, and client perspective when aligning staff with PR activities (p. 532). The public focus of this position is an exciting offering which would continue to involve my evolution as both speaker and participant within the scope of media relations and operations. This position would be both challenging and rewarding as the broad spectrum of daily operations would enable my participation in highly social and publicly visible events. Conclusion Each of these opportunities presents a substantially different perspective of how my post-university career could evolve. The nature of the UK job market is constant evolution; therefore, over the coming several months, there are many new positions which may develop and with them, the opportunity to enter at the cutting edge of industry. Regardless of destination, my path must be one which is both personally and professionally rewarding. From this expectation, I will carefully make my decision according to the merits of each position and their support of my goals. As long term career development is also an essential part of the reward spectrum, I must align myself with a strong industry in which I can continue to develop my professional skills. Networking and social development will further assist in identifying key participants who can offer sustainable choices in future career developments. While all five of these positions offer well suited principles for my inherent skill set, se veral such as hotel manager and travel agency manager and PR account executive are substantially more attractive due to their public focus and wide sphere of influence. While my future may remain uncertain, the opportunities afforded by my university graduation are not, and I look forward to their realisation over the coming year. References Buck, T; Filatotchev, I; Demina, N; Wright, M. (2003) â€Å"Insider Ownership, Human Resource Strategies and Performance in a Transition Economy.† Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 34, No. 6, pp. 530-549 Desforges, Luke. (2001) â€Å"Tourism Consumption and the Imagination of Money.† Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 353-364. Gille, Z; Riain, S.O. (2002) â€Å"Global Ethnography.† Annual Review of Sociology, Vol. 28, pp. 271-295. Lau, V; Shaffer, M. (1999) â€Å"Career Success and the Effects of Personality.† Career Development International, Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 225-231. MacCannell, D. (2002) â€Å"The Ego Factor in Tourism.† The Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 29, No. 1, June.