Critical thinking Essay Example for Free

Critical thinking Essay (i) Compound argument is one claim made up by two claims with using or or and to combine the two claims in the sentence. The argument has multiplicity on at least one side of the statement. For example, apple is not orange or apple could not make an orange Juice. Although there are two claims in this sentence, but it Just can be considered as one claim only. Source: http://www. westminsterreformedchurch. org/Logic/LogicTerms/LogicTerms. compound %20argument. htm Answer (it) Concealed argument defined as the claim where uses slanter in order to convince omeone of their claim without using any argument whatsoever. Slanters are the various linguistic devices commonly used to attempt to persuade without argument. Concealed claim contain dubious claim to a loaded question, such as When did you stop beating your wife? . The answer may conceal the fact which called as concealed argument. Source: Critical Thinking Information Literacy across the curriculum, Retrieved from: http:// www. bellevuecollege. edu/lmc/ilac/Curric/kint/phi17. htm Answer (iii) In the principle of rational discussion, we have to assume several things such as the erson who is discussing with us or whose arguments we are reading. On the other hand, we must know about the subject under discussion and whether is able and winning to reason well, and also make sure it is not lying. Before involve in the discussion, we must make sure we do not bring in any bad emotion such as fear, spite or pity to avoid unfairness. So that, we will give a valid reason for the argument with rational thinking and lead to a good conclusion. Another thing we have to consider carefully, do not introduce new arguments while another argument has yet o be resolved because it will lead to confusing. Yet, we must provide the evidence for our position or arguments otherwise our argument or claim will not be valid. Source: Hooks (2011). Critical Thinking: The Rational Discussion Flowchart, Retrieved from: http://www. 606studios. com/bendisboard/showthread. php? 208669-Critical-Thinking- The-Rational-Discussion-Flowchart Answer (iv) Fallacies defined as a mistaken belief, especially one based on unsound arguments. It also can be defined as a claim that someone gives to another person is not good. It ay contain some bad emotion such as appeal to fear, pity, spite, and prejudice. One of the example of fallacies: All dogs are animals. Ginger is an animal. So, Ginger is a dog. In this sentence, Ginger may or may not be a dog. The conclusion is not true that direct conclude that Ginger is a dog, therefore the argument is fallacy since there is no prove for its position. Another example from the author, Bubbly, she said that ner triend, Joanna was spread out the rumors without evidence and concluded Bubbly is a bad person. Joanna doesnt not has any prove on her argument and it is ust came from she heard.

Samsung Electronics Management Style

Samsung Electronics Management Style Samsung Electronics is a Korea-based consumer electronics company. The case describes Samsungs journey from a company focused on manufacturing to one known for the excellence of its product design. It discusses how the company came to use design as a differentiator and for competitive advantage. It describes the steps that Samsung took on the people, process, and system fronts to improve its design capabilities. The case also talks about Samsungs design philosophy, and ends with a brief discussion on the use of design as a competitive advantage. Like all companies in the business of high tech, Samsung must bring innovative products to market faster while ensuring high quality and holding down costs. It is also faced with the challenge of working with global business partners and its own geographically dispersed facilities. Samsungs strategy for meeting its mission of technology-based value innovation relies heavily on what it calls a digital convergence revolution. This revolution features two parts: a digital product development infrastructure (involving design, validation and manufacturing) and digital collaboration. During the period covered by the case study Samsung underwent significant change. How would you characterise the type of change that it underwent? Balogun Hope Haileys analytical framework may be useful for this purpose. According to Balogun.J and Hope Hailey.V there are four types of strategic changes namely Adaptation, Reconstruction, Evolution and Revolution. During the changes that Samsung underwent it will be highlighted exactly the way in which to company changed, whether the change was done over time or whether the change was suddenly implemented. Samsung shows signs of Reconstruction. Reconstruction is a rapid change and it may involve a great deal of confusion but it does not require a fundamental paradigm shift in the way the company does things. (Balogun.J and Hope Hailey.V, 1999)Reconstruction may be a turnaround situation where there is a need for a major structural change or a major cost cutting programme to deal with declining financial performances or changing market conditions. Yun and his management team decided to take steps that would push Samsung out of it a precarious financial position. Therefore he reconstructed the company by layoff of 30,000 employees which represented a third of its entire workforce. This major cost cutting programme was done so that they could get out their debt. Yun and the management team also decided to close down many Samsung factories for two months in order to get rid of their excessive inventory that did not sell. Yun and the team also made major changes when they sold off two billion dollars worth of businesses, like pagers and electric coffeemakers, which were perceived to be marginal significance for the firms future. These types of changes helped the company regain their losses which was a major structural and financial need for the company. Yun wanted to implement a strategy that would separate Samsung from their competitors. Therefore he pushed the firm to develop its own products rather than coping these products of other firms that had been developed. Yun placed a lot of emphasis on the development of products that would impress the customers with their attractive designs and advanced technology. Therefore Yun was reconstructuring the way Samsung has been doing business and wanted the company to reach higher standards where they can be seen as a quality brand and compete with the bigger companies. As a result Samsung reconstruction underwent a major design turnaround from a poorly designed product to a product that will be an in-house design. The next major step that Yun took was to recruitment of new managers and engineers, many of whom had developed considerable experience in the United States. The recruitment of managers and the engineers had a major turnaround due to the fact that it allowed them to start developing their own products and be innovative. He then also discarded Samsungs seniority-based system to a merit-based system for advancements. A merit-based system are based on ones performance meaning that the employees could feel more open to expressing their ideas to help the company reach its goals with the knowledge that they will be rewarded for it. Therefore this turnaround helped the company to have a better relationship with their employees and create a system that would allow them to feel open to express their ideas and creativity. Another major change that Yun made was to hire a marketing whiz, called Eric Kim, which worked hard to create a more upscale image for the company and its products. Eric implemented a major turnaround when he moved Samsungs advertising away from 55 different advertising agencies around the world and then he placed them into one firm. The reason for this change was to create a consistent global brand image for Samsungs product. He therefore got Samsung out of big discount chains and placed more of Samsungs products into more upscale specialty stores. Reconstruction of the firms bureaucratic was implemented in order to reduce it to get faster approvals for new product budgets and marketing plans, thus speeding up their abilities to seize opportunities. Because of the bureaucratic turnaround situation it allowed Yun to make heavy investments into key technologies and it allowed them to push out a wide variety of digital products. How significant was Jong- Yong Yuns role in the change process? Samsungs CEO Jong-Yong Yuns philosophy of continuous improvement has helped Samsung get out of their financial crisis and making it stronger than ever. Yun specifically applied an industrial engineering concept to Samsung in order to cut production times and increase workers productivity. Although he initially met resistance in implementing industrial engineering in the firm, Yun sponsored in-house training sessions for workers. He also trained 1,550 managers in Industrial Engineering concepts. Yuns plans involved product innovation, process innovation and personnel innovation. Samsung Electronics not only shot to the front of the pack internationally but also lifted its parent  Samsung Group  to the number one spot in South Koreas all-important business rankings. Therefore because of Yuns efforts, which drew heavily on industrial engineering concepts, Samsung Group stood at the top of South Koreas giant industrial conglomerates. At the heart of Yuns strategic plan for Samsung Electronics were the three Ps: product, process, and personnel innovation. In the area of product innovation Yun moved quickly to extract Samsung from those businesses that were marginal or no longer producing an acceptable rate of return for the company. As a result Samsung Electronics reduced its television output and did away with such marginal product lines as dishwashers, electronic pagers, and juicers. These products were replaced with such high-tech, high-margin goods as flat-panel displays, MP3 music players, and advanced mobile phones. Among the processes  streamlined  by Yun was the global supply chain, which was changed from a monthly to a weekly system. Under the new system the company changed their focus from make-to-stock to make-to-order production. With the reduction in inventories cash flow improved. In the area of personnel innovation Yun instituted a system of global product management under which each of Samsung Electronics 14 divisions was directed by a global product manager who was responsible for every phase of that divisions operations. (Pedler, M., Burgogyne, J. and Boydell, T. 1997.)  Yun also decided to give his subordinates greater autonomy meaning he empowered the employees. Yuns role played a major role for the success of the company and increased their profits. Yuns achievement in masterminding the sharp turnaround  at Samsung Electronics is the reason why the company is successful. Yuns role in the change process was important as he made major changes to the system. Yun changed the momentum of the company; he changed the bureaucratic system to allow the employees to express their ideas which lead to Samsung been innovative. Yun role in the change process allowed the Samsungs products to be viewed as a higher-priced brand rather than before where it was perceived as a lower-priced appliance. It also became an established low cost supplier of various components to larger and better-known manufactures around the world. Therefore Yuns role helped the company to tap into their resources that they had and to use them to change how processes were done. Yun also changed the process by recruiting the managers and the engineers. Yun laid the foundation for the new change that was implemented and without the guidance and standards that was set by Yun the change processes would not have been successful. Yun played a role in each aspect of Samsungs change and help the company get of their financial problems. Yun was very dedicated to his work and risked a lot for the company. Yun and his management team took time to make sure that the changes they were implementing would be successful and that it would speed up the research and development of new products. Yuns role in the change process gave the customers a better impression on the firms products. His role also allowed Samsung to reduce complexity in the early stages of the design cycle. This then resulted in the firm been able to get the products to the manufactures quickly with minimal problems and at the lowest possible costs. Therefore Yun truly played a significant role in the change process and he helps advance Samsung in digital technologies. Yuns strategy to focus on the higher-end products has clearly enhanced the firms brand image and has led the company to be profitable. In fact many executives in the industry of US have said they are astounded by the ability of the firm to generate a superior brand image. This would not have been possible if Yun was not playing a part in the change process as it was his thinking that allowed this to happen. What methods did Samsung use to promote innovation and the diffusion of ideas across the organisation? Firstly Samsung promoted innovation by deciding to push the firm to develop its own products rather than to copy those products that other firms have developed. Yun placed a great amount of emphasis on the development of products that would impress the customers with their attractive designs. Yun also reoriented the firm and helped it develop new capabilities by recruiting the managers and engineers. Yun put the new managers and engineers through a four week boot camp that was intended to create incentives for new talent. Samsung rigid seniority/based system was replaced with a merit base system that allowed advancement to take place, it also allowed the employees to know that their efforts and ideas are not overlooked and that good ideas are rewarded. As a result the above efforts Samsung started launch an array of products that was designed to make a big impression on the customers. Another large part of the success of Samsungs innovation and ideas was that they regularly got information from the retailers about the new features that customers wanted to see in their electronic devices. This close link with the retailers helped Samsung to come up with best selling products and to create the digital products that the customers were looking for and the actual design preferences of the products. Samsung managers who have worked for competitors say they have to go through far fewer layers of bureaucracy than they had in the past to win approval for new product, budgets and marketing plans, speeding up their ability to seize opportunities. Therefore Samsung reduced the bureaucratic obstacles. Because the bureaucratic obstacle was reduced it allowed Yun to make investments into key technologies that allowed the innovative products to be designed. Samsung claims that it has been able to reduce the time that it takes to go from a new product concept to rollout to as little as six months. Due to the above ideas of how to better run the business it resulted in allowing the efforts of the firms top managers, engineers and designers to be expressed and to be acknowledged for their ideas. It allowed them to better communicate with the top managers about their ideas. Samsung advances in digital technologies have helped with them increasing their chances of getting a better position in the market. They have promoted their innovation by combining their computers, consumer electronics and communications to be the prime leader. Samsung had also created the post of chief design officer to make sure that designers can get their ideas to the top managers. The engineers are pushed to find ways to work with the designs that are presented to them. Yun has also worked closely with Chin to summon engineers and designers from across the firm to mix wireless, semiconductor and computer expertise in order to pursue its vision of domination of the digital home. Samsung had even opened or expanded design centres to help the designers observe the way that consumers actually use the various products. Therefore by giving them this opportunity they know how to be innovative when it comes to designing the products. The designers were able to watch from behind a two-way mirror to see how the customers responded to a particular design. With this the designers were able to go back and work on the necessary things that needed to be implemented in order to make sure the products are what the customers want. This forced the designers to think out of the box and be creative and come up with ideas that would impress the customers. The designers are basically rewarded when they see their hard work and ideas been appreciated by the customers if the product is up to their standards. Samsung at the end of the day relies on the attractiveness of its products therefore Samsung ensures that the employees are happy and are able to express their ideas. To what extent is Samsung a learning organisation? A  learning organization  is the term given to a company that facilitates the learning of its members and continuously transforms itself. (Pedler, M., Burgogyne, J. and Boydell, T. 1997).  Learning organizations develop as a result of the pressures facing modern organizations and enables them to remain competitive in the business environment. A learning organization is characterised by five main features namely: systems thinking, personal mastery, mental models, shared vision and team learning. (Peter Senge,1990) An approach of Samsung was to be innovation and to promote a learning organization.   The most recent and widely accepted notion of learning organization today is one which is characterized by an organizational culture that fosters the improvement of the employees, their productivity and the overall operation and performance of the business through continuous learning (Gilley Maycunich, 2000, p. 5). Theoretically, Samsung maintained a significant capacity to renew all the processes and they remained competitively ready to create products that the customers wanted, therefore the employees got opportunities the identify the customers need because of Samsung been a organization learning. Continuous learning and change is valued through learning organizations. The main concern for Samsung is about the market share, productivity and profitability and it is understood that learning is the key element in obtaining these business results. The creation of capabilities that are previously not established is the idea of learning and Samsung has allowed its employees to be exposed to learning. Moreover, the principle assumption of the learning organization is the improvement of the learning capacity of the individual is similar to the organizations performance. According to Ruffa Morato,( 2009) Samsungs Six Sigma Academy was established to educate the employees and build up the team of quality specialists with problem solving abilities. Samsung spent 3.6 percent of payroll costs on education and training, a very high percentage as compared to firms such as Xerox, NUMMI, Saturn, IBM and Motorola. (Type Pad, 2007) Samsung does not only make investments in education and training but it also creates incentives in order to help motivate each employee and organizational learning. Each employee is given the opportunity to set the learning objectives and learning themes with the consent of the supervisor (Bae Kim, 2004, p.188). Periodic interviews are carried out to assess the progress and discuss the steps to speed up the learning before a final evaluation is given by the end of the year. (Ruffa Morato, 2009).The assessment will decide the actual learning points and promotion of the employees. Samsung also provided the employees with advance technologies so that the employees are able to do their work. The fact that Samsung also sent their designers to boot camp to find creative ideas, it shows their interest to their employees and their interest in trying to ensure that they reach their potential. Samsung had learned as an organisation to be more innovative and creative to reach their goals and to grow. Samsung has invested in their employees to come up with ideas that will wow the customers. They have brought the right employees to work together to create a quality brand image. Therefore Samsung is a learning organisation to the extent that it invests in its own employees as one of their main focuses. CONCLUSION: The competitiveness of the global marketplace has required organizations to become innovative not only in the products and services they create but as well as in their strategies and approaches. Indeed, Samsungs success manifests the substantial returns from innovating within the organization. This involved the styles of the senior marketers to effect the innovation by encouraging participation and involvement of the employees. Samsung recognized that the innovation lies in its most important asset the people. As such, it made innovations in the workplace to empower the employees. This includes training the employees and providing incentives for them. The company has been and continues to strive to become the world leader in the electronics and communication industry by innovating in each and every aspect of its business. Harvard Referencing: Baker, W.E., Sinkula, J.M. (1999), The synergistic effect of market orientation and the learning organization on organizational performance,  Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 27 No.4, pp.411-27 Balogun.J and Hope Hailey.V, 1999, Exploring Strategic Changes, Prentice Hall Barber, Ben, South Koreas Troubles Are Blamed on Chaebols,'  Washington Times, December 25, 1997. Brooke, James, Samsung Tries to Keep Outgrowing Economic Woes,  International Herald Tribune, April 28, 2003. Dempsey, Michael, Jong-Yong Yun of Samsung Electronics,  Financial Times, February 4, 2002. Pedler, M., Burgogyne, J. and Boydell, T. 1997.  The Learning Company: A strategy for sustainable development. 2nd Ed. London; McGraw-Hill. Peter Senge (1990) ,   The Fifth Discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization, Doubleday, New York,.page .105,164 Ruffa Morato ,  Company Case Studies Technorati Tags:  company case study,  Essay samples, September 30, 2009, retrieved 7 July, http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2008/09/sample-essay-sa.html Wrigley, N., Currah, A. (2003), The stresses of retail internationalisation: lessons from Royal Aholds experience in Latin America,International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, Vol. 13 No.3, pp.221-43.

Every Tourist Is A Voyeuring Gourmand Tourism Essay

Every Tourist Is A Voyeuring Gourmand Tourism Essay This chapter will continue on from chapter two and aims to discuss in detail the culinary tourist. The researcher will define the term culinary tourist and explain how these types of tourists can be categorised. This chapter will also outline the issues facing sustainable tourism and authenticity in relation to food tourism and the culinary tourist. Furthermore, the researcher will highlight the Travel Activities and Motivation Survey (TAMS) which is considered to be the most comprehensive profiles available of culinary tourists. Finally, the researcher will investigate the culinary tourist in Ireland. Although data is scarce in relation to the Irish culinary tourism industry, a Mintel report which was published in 2009 provides some knowledge into both the international and Irish tourists who holiday in Ireland. Eating is one of our most basic physiological needs even when outside our usual environment (Tikkanen 2007). Yet, information on food tourism and the culinary tourist appears rare. Chapter two outlined the fact that food is a very much overlooked element of tourism literature (Selwood 2003). As a result of this lack of direct research into food tourism, there are few insights into the demographic and psychographic characteristics of food tourists (Wolf 2006), and those insights that do exist are considered by Hall et al (2003) to be largely superficial. Murray (2008) agrees and states that terms such as food tourism or the culinary tourist could be used in ways which are misleading and, as a result, may cause inappropriate decisions to be made by tourism planners and operators. Murray (2008) suggests that once culinary tourism has been identified as a potential avenue to pursue, the natural tendency is to identify the market, and that leads immediately to segmentation. However, some tourists may be culinary enthusiasts rather than culinary tourists, and although interested in food, culinary activities are not the main purpose of travel for these types of tourists (Murray 2008). In spite of the recognition that little is still known about either the food buying-behaviour of tourists or of the role it plays in the overall travel decision, destinations are increasingly using food as a means to differentiate themselves and broaden their market base (Hall et al 2003; McKercher, Okumus, and Okumus 2008). As previously discussed, food is an important tourist attraction and enhances or is central to the visitor experience (Henderson 2009). For many, food becomes highly experiential (i.e. much more than functional) when it is part of a travel experience, it can become sensuous and sensual, symbolic and ritualistic, and can take on new significance and meaning (Hall et al 2003, p.61). Long suggests that the culinary tourist anticipates a change in the foodways experience for the sake of experiencing that change, not merely to satisfy hunger (Long 2004, p.21). Longs definition implies that intentionality is required whereas Wolf (2006, p.2) proposes a more lenient def inition; the true culinary tourist is not a snob, but rather an explorer who also happens to be an impassioned aficionado of food and drink. Therefore, the culinary tourist could be defined as loosely as someone who appreciates local food or someone who spends time in a grocery store in a foreign country. Due to broad definitions such as this, one could acknowledge why research on culinary tourists is rare. The Culinary Tourism in Ontario (2005-2015) Strategy and Action Plan makes a very noble attempt to differentiate between tourists with intentionality and those who are better described as enthusiasts. The Action Plan illustrates culinary tourism markets being broken down by an understanding of what motivates the traveller: Primary Travellers whose main focus and intent is for a culinary tourism experience. Secondary Travellers whose focus on culinary tourism is shared with another tourism motivator such as golf, shopping, visiting family and friends. However, culinary tourism is part of their itinerary. Tertiary Travellers whose itinerary or motivators does not include culinary tourism. Culinary tourism experience is impromptu or ad hoc to their original intent (Culinary Tourism in Ontario (2005-2015) Strategy and Action Plan, p.21). 3.3 Location, Sustainable Tourism and Authenticity Sims (2009) remarks on the growing body of research which is beginning to prove that sensations of taste, touch, sound and smell can play an important role within the holiday experience, adding that holiday food is becoming of particular importance to researchers (Sims 2009, p.321). Crotts and Kivela (2006, p.355) agree and cite that our sensory perceptions play a major psychological and physiological role in our appraisal and appreciation of food, as they do for other experiences at a destination. Dining out is a pleasurable sensory experience, hence, the feel good factor which tourists experience as a result of food consumption at a destination is a pull factor and a marketing and merchandising tool that cannot be underestimated (Crotts and Kivela 2006, p.355). For this reason, one can argue that tourists often place considerable emphasis on how they feel at a destination, and how they experience what the destination offers, by carefully selecting that special restaurant and/or foo d that might fulfil a particular personal desire (Crotts and Kivela 2006). Although many studies identify and address factors that affect destination choice and image, very few empirical studies address the role that food plays in the way tourists experience the destination. Dining habits can also provide an insight into ways of life, helping tourists understand the differences between their own culture and those with which they come into contact with (Hegarty and OMahoney 2001). However, it must be acknowledged that the variety of foods on offer at a destination can have major implications for the economic, cultural and environmental sustainability of that tourism location, with researchers arguing that a focus on locally sourced products can result in benefits for both the hosts and the culinary tourists (Clark and Chabrel 2007; Sims 2009). Sims (2009, p.322) argues that local food and drink products can improve the economic and environmental sustainability of both tourism and the rural host community through encouraging sustainable agricultural practices, supporting local businesses and building a brand that can benefit the region by attracting more visitors and investment. Furthermore, Sims (2009) explains that local food can play an important role in the sustainable tourism experience because it appeals to the visitors desire for authenticity within the holiday experience. At present, there is a trend towards universal standardisation and homogenisation, which is demonstrated by the spread of fast food chains (Henderson 2009; Keel 2010). Concurrently, tourists are becoming more adventurous and are open to new food experiences (Daniele and Scarpato 2003; Henderson 2009). Many culinary tourists are also seeking genuine and authentic which can be found in local foods and eating-places (Henderson 2009). Therefore, one can conclude that tourist destinations could successfully differentiate from other locations through local authentic food. As explained above, authentic food consumption at a destination creates a pull factor for the consumer (Crotts and Kivela 2006, p.355). Furthermore, increasing tourist consumption of local foods can generate a multiplier effect that will benefit the local economy and provide a boost to rural destinations looking to develop a sustainable tourism industry (Sims 2009; Torres, 2002). In addition, concerns about the environmental consequences of transporting food across the globe have led researchers to argue that buying local food products is vital if the tourism industry is to reduce its carbon footprint (Mitchell and Hall 2003; Sims 2009). In Rebecca Sims (2009) article titled Food, place and authenticity, she studied ho w local food has the potential to enhance the visitor experience by connecting consumers to the region and its perceived culture and heritage. She focused on two UK regions for her report, the Lake District and Exmoor. Her results illustrated that over 60% of the tourists interviewed said that they had deliberately chosen to consume foods or drinks that they considered local while on holiday which suggests that, tourists are seeking products that they feel will give them an insight into the nature of a place and its people Sims (2009, p.329). However, this demand for local food could also be viewed as a search for authenticity. Over 50% of the tourists interviewed in this study said that they had bought, or were definitely planning to buy, food and drink as souvenirs of their holiday, with less than 10% saying that they were not interested in doing so (Sims 2009, p.328). The souvenir purchasers varied in their levels of enthusiasm, from reluctant buyers who felt compelled to buy sma ll gifts for family or colleagues, to one enthusiastic couple who, while visiting Exmoor, had spent  £60 on specialist tea and coffee by a renowned local tea merchant in addition to the usual stuff like fudge (Sims 2009, p.328). Tikkanen (2007) concurs with Sims (2009) and relates food tourism to Maslows hierarchy. Tikkanen (2007, p.725) identifies five approaches to food with respect to motivation for a visit. These five approaches are food as a tourist attraction, foodstuffs as a tourist product component, food experience in tourism, the role of food in culture and linkages between tourism and food production. This approach to the theory surrounding the culinary tourist demonstrates that food consumption is regarded as one of the most important factors in the marketing of a destination (Tikkanen 2007). Hence, food and tourism are increasingly combined. Food can draw a person towards or back to a holiday destination, plus more and more food products are now bought as souvenirs, which, if managed correctly could result in benefits for both the hosts and the culinary tourists. 3.4 Travel Activities and Motivation Survey While few demographic and psychographic data exist to draw a comprehensive picture of the typical culinary tourist, one major study conducted in Canada can provide some insight. In April 2001, the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) released the Travel Activities and Motivation Survey (TAMS), Wine and Cuisine Profile Report which is considered to be one of the most comprehensive profiles available of culinary tourists. This survey offers a comprehensive assessment of travel behaviour and motivators and provides a rich and authoritative database by which to develop future marketing strategies. According to this report, both young and mature singles along with young and mature couples were most likely to exhibit an interest in holiday activities associated with food and wine (TAMS 2001). Interest in such activities also increased as the level of education and household income increased (TAMS 2001). While this information represented Canadian travellers, the results for US travellers were extremely similar. The report did not break down travellers by specific age groups but rather categorises travellers as young or mature. The report found a high correlation between culinary tourists and exploration (TAMS 2001). This concurs with Wolfs (2006) definition above and suggests that culinary tourists are explorers. Those who exhibit an interest in vacation activities associated with wine and cuisine were considerably more likely to have sought out vacation experiences associated with exploration (e.g., visiting historical sites, natural wonders), personal indulgence (e.g., to experience the good life, visiting a casino, experiencing city life such as night life) and romance and relaxation (e.g., experience intimacy and romance, relax and recuperate) (TAMS 2001, p.19). A more recent TAMS, based again on the Canadian and US markets was published in 2007. The survey revealed that 37% (or 7.7 million) of Canadian travellers and 33% (or 58.6 million) of American travellers wer e wine and cuisine enthusiasts, exhibiting either a moderate or high interest in wine and cuisine-related activities while on trips during the years 2005-2007 (TAMS 2007a; TAMS 2007b). Similar to the 2001 survey mature (35-64 years old) couples and families (those with kids) were more likely to be interested in wine and cuisine-related activities. Young couples (less than 35 years old) and senior couples (over 64 years old), though to a lesser extent, were also actively engaged in activities associated with wine and cuisine (TAMS 2007a). Once again the 2007 report shows a strong association between tourists with an interest in wine and cuisine with increasing levels of education and household income (TAMS 2007a; TAMS 2007b). Also interesting to note is the fact that wine and cuisine enthusiasts were frequent travellers, taking an average of 4.1 trips between 2004 and 2005 versus 3.2 trips for other travellers (TAMS 2007a; TAMS 2007b). Relative to other travellers, wine and culinary tourists had a higher tendency to consult a large number of information sources when they were planning trips. Using the internet (86%), considering their own past experiences (63%) and taking advice from friends and relatives (55%) were the most popular information sources (TAMS 2007a). They were also more likely to read the travel section of daily and weekend newspapers and to surf travel-related websites than other travellers (TAMS 2007a; TAMS 2007b). It must be noted that this report evaluated the demographic behaviour of Canadian and American culinary tourists; therefore, an opportunity exists to investigate whether culinary tourists from other countries share similar demographic and psychographic traits. 3.5 The Culinary Tourist in Ireland As explained above, studies into the demographic and psychographic characteristics of food tourists are in the minority. While the TAMS provide an insight into American and Canadian tourists, a Mintel report which was published in 2009 provides some knowledge into both international and Irish tourists who holiday in Ireland. Among Irish tourists, quality is the most important factor for food. Availability of local produce is also significant, it is however recognised that these factors result is a premium price for food and so are most appealing among the older and more affluent consumers (Mintel 2009). Mintel (2009) reported that younger adults and those from lower socio-economic groups were more price sensitive while holidaying in Ireland, therefore, low cost fast-food appeals to this segment, making them less important for the food tourism market. This study stated that the most likely consumers to visit fine dining and local independent restaurants, and those most likely to show a keen interest in food while holidaying in Ireland are those aged 35 to 64, and those that fall under the upper middle class, middle class, lower middle class (ABC1) age bracket. These age groups are fortunately the fastest growing in Irish society and forecasted to make up the largest segment of the Irish population for the next decade. In terms of broader tourism trends, it is consumers from these age and socio-economic categories that are most likely to visit Ireland from abroad, and are the most likely to stay in Ireland from the Irish population. Irish culinary tourists have become of particular importance during the current economic climate as many Irish consumers are now considering holidaying at home rather than going abroad. Furthermore, this report stated that the internet is the most widely used source by tourists for both bookings and see king information prior to taking a holiday or short break within Ireland. This presents a strong portal for the promotion of the Irish food tourism industry through tourist authority websites such as Failte Ireland and Tourism Ireland. At present, these websites provide little or no information about food in Ireland. However, it should be noted that many older consumers have been slow to adopt to the internet, and given that these consumers form the key groups for food tourism, traditional channels should not be abandoned. Also mentioned in the report was Irelands à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬200 million festival sector, another key channel for the food tourism industry, which has a large portion dedicated to food and drink. Guides such as the Michelin guide, the Michelin Pub Guide, and the Bridgestone Guide are seen as exceptionally influential on consumers choices. Positive online reviews also have an influence as more consumers than ever use the internet. Mintel (2009) acknowledge a the trend that Irish and UK consumers have a growing affinity with food, with broadening tastes and a renewed appreciation for local ingredients and modern takes on traditional dishes, as seen with the growth of farmers markets and artisan food producers. Much of this revival and new interest in food has been driven by the media with channels like Channel 4, the BBC and RTÉ using primetime slots for cooking and food interest programmes. Ratings figures from the Broadcasters Audience Research Board for the first quarter of 2009 show that some of the more popular cooking programmes are among the top five highest viewed shows, particularly Masterchef on BBC and programmes featuring celebrity chefs like Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsay on Channel 4. However, due to the current economic crisis, a growing number of people are eating and entertaining at home, and television has become a highly influential forum for promoting good quality food. Although this may have taken somewhat from the restaurant industry, this is in turn creating potential for cookery schools. With the growing interest in food, and the growing number of people entertaining at home there are positive signals for cooking schools, particularly within the domestic tourism arena. However, the cooking courses at these centres are relatively expensive compared to other holiday activities and in recessionary times, luxuries such as these may be less accessible if pricing strategies are not reviewed. Although this report portrayed a positive perspective for the Irish food tourism market, value for money remains a major factor hindering the development of culinary tourism in Ireland. As discussed in Chapter 2, there are issues regarding the perception that Irish food is expensive, service related issues, Irish food cost issues and the lack of innovation among food producers (Coughlan 2009). The report suggests that the government has dedicated a significant amount of funding toward promoting tourism; however, high taxes are affecting competitiveness. Failte Ireland found that although nearly 98% of tourists would recommend visiting Ireland, 19% of these had some reservations. Of this 19%, 26% stated that their main reservation was the high prices in Ireland (Failte Ireland 2010). In addition to this is the concern that not enough emphasis is being placed on promoting Ireland as a food tourism destination (Mintel 2009). These issues must be addressed if Ireland is to be perceived as a desired destination for the culinary tourist. 3.6 Summary The literature reveals that there are few insights into the demographic and psychographic characteristics of food tourists. Yet, eating is one of our most basic physiological needs even when outside our usual environment. Hence, everyone needs to eat. Therefore, it is difficult to define and describe the culinary tourist. Moreover, some tourists may be culinary enthusiasts rather than culinary tourists, and although interested in food, culinary activities are not the main purpose of travel for these categories of tourists. However, for some tourists, food becomes highly experiential and consumers are increasingly aware of the benefits (economic, environmental and health related) of local produce, and there is an increased desire to sample local dishes, foodstuffs and drink. Although, there is little known about either the food buying-behaviour of tourists or of the role it plays in the overall travel decision, destinations are increasingly using food as a means to differentiate themselves and broaden their market base. From this discussion of the literature, it can be seen that local food has the potential to play a central role within the tourism experience. There is a renewed interest in local food and drinks festivals, as well as an increased interest in local markets as tourists seek out authentic food experiences. These local food and drink products can improve the economic and environmental sustainability of both tourism and the rural host community. This chapter also discussed TAMS which is considered to be one of the most comprehensive profiles available of culinary tourists. This survey offers a comprehensive assessment of travel behaviour and motivators and provides a rich and authoritative database by which to develop future marketing strateg ies. Furthermore, an insight into the both the international and Irish tourists who holiday in Ireland was provided using a a Mintel report which was published in 2009. As suggested in the above section, food tourism is a possible competitive advantage and it can be a core element in the branding of a country or destination by marketers. Domestic and international visitors are becoming more adventurous and open to new experiences overall and with specific reference to food. Many are also looking for the genuine and authentic, which, it is believed, can be found in local foods and eating-places (Reynolds, 1993).

The Marxist and Functionalist Perspectives on the Family Essay

The Marxist and Functionalist Perspectives on the Family For the purpose of this essay question I will discuss the Marxist and the Functionalist perspectives on the Family. I will compare and contrast them and give a critical analysis of each and place them in historical context as well as modern day. In Britain today there are many different types of families. A social unit living together defines what a family is. The family resembles the core feature of society. Both Marxist and Functionalist perspectives believe the family is what holds society together and helps socialise the future generations. There are three types of family existing in today’s society. The nuclear family resembles a family unit made up of no more than two generations, stereotyped as a mother, father and 2.4 children. The extended family refers to a family unit made of many three generations or more who live with each other or near by. This type is typical of pre-industrial or ‘primitive’ societies. The third type of family is the reconstituted. This type has become more apparent in modern day society. It refers to adults who have married before and have brought their children from the first marriage to the second, creating a new family unit. It is important to note that not every household includes a family – for example student flats. The functionalist perspective believe society is like a machine in that all its institutions sustain continuity and consensus and keep society running smoothly. Functionalists believe the family contributes to society’s basic needs and helps maintain social order. Functionalists have been criticised for placing too much ... ...e into existence with the invention of private property. Both Murdock and Parsons paint a very ‘rosy’ picture of family life. They fail to take in account the darker side of society and family issues such as domestic abuse etc. Parsons views on men and women in relationships are often out dated. A lot of women these days are the breadwinners in the family and therefore the husband and wife roles have been reversed. Functionalist do not recognise that women suffer from the sexual division of labour while Marxists highlight this is their theory. Marxists also come under scrutiny for exaggerating the importance of the family life as being a refuge from the capitalist society. Marxists also underestimate darker issues such as violence within the home etc. Zaretsky overemphasises the fact that family and work are separated.

Walter Lippmanns The Public Philosophy :: The Public Philosophy

Walter Lippmann's The Public Philosophy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Walter Lippmann begins his The Public Philosophy by expressing his concern for the state of the Western Liberal Democracies. The West, he writes, suffers from "a disorder from within." This disorder has its roots in the long peace between 1812 and 1914, and was further exascurbated by the great population increase of that era and the coinciding industrial revolution. The latter changed the nature of armed struggle, which in turn intensified the "democratic malady." The situation Lippmann describes is the "paralysis of governments," the inability of the state to make difficult and unpopular decisions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This paralysis is the product of both the long peace and the great war. The period extending from Waterloo to 1914 lulled the West into believing that the age of Man's aggression had passed. Because the "hard decisions" of taxation, prohibition, and war were not often faced in these years, the Jacobin concept of the desirability of weak government was instilled in the West. When the first world war did come about, the West was unable to deal effectively with its costs. The new technologies spawned by the industrial revolution, as well as the greater populations involved, had made war infinitely more costly than in the past. Consequently, the executive aspects of Western governments were forced to "democratize" the appropriation of men and money by handing their power to the representative assemblies. The assemblies too were forced to cede their power to "the People," who channeled them to media powers and party leaders. The result was "Disastrous and revolutionary . The democracies became incapacitated to wage war for rational ends or to make a peace which would be enforced."   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lippmann holds that the major malfunction of the West is this acquisition of executive and representative powers by the masses. This is a fundamental distortion of the rights of the governed. Lippmann contends that the People have but two natural rights: to decide whether or not to by governed, and to choose who shall govern them. "This breakdown of the constitutional order is the cause of the precipitate and the catastrophic decline of Western society."   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Why then, cannot a mass govern effectively?

Advertising and Leo Burnett Essay

1.0Introduction First of all, an advertising agency is uniquely and meaningfully from the client, provides an outside point of view to the effort of sell clients ‘ products or services. Besides that, an agency also can deal with overall marketing and branding strategies and promotional activities for its clients, for the example of Leo Burnett. Leo Burnett is Malaysia’s leading international advertising agencies through about 95 offices in almost 85 countries, is owned by advertising conglomerate Publicis (leoburnett.com, 2013). It also helped create some of the top consumer brands such as Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes cereal and Tony the Tiger icon. The clients of Leo Burnett are Maybank, Petronas, Hotlink, Maxis, Taylors’ college, Marlboro and so on. They are all about that special connection between brands and consumer. Their mission is the â€Å"best in the world, without exception, in brand buyers turning into brand believers,† and will not be using its proprietary brand of belief systems. According to Stephen Gatfield, their vision reflects his personal brand-building expertise and constant enhancements will ensure that its customers get a higher return on the deal in advertising. Based on the research, Leo Burnett won the Overall Agency of the Year 2012 at the Advertising and Marketing Awards Malaysia. 2.0Description of job titles and functions See more:  Mark Twain’s Humorous Satire in Running for Governor Essay The top of agency is usually led by a CEO, 2 junior presidents, and some different functional area such as executive creative director, managing director, chief operating officer, and chief executive officer. 2.1Executive Creative Director Leo Burnett has some of the most important key accounts in the world, for the example Yasmin Ahmad. She was a talent film director, writer and scriptwriter from and was also the executive creative director at Leo Burnett Kuala Lumpur. She worked at the company for 51 years, since 1958 to 2009. She brought some of the national oil company and the most remarkable advertisements for Petronas by Leo Burnett. It has won multiple awards within Malaysia and internationally so today put them as one of the top institutions in Malaysia. In the mean time, we know that her television commercials and films are well known in Malaysia because of their comedy, kindness and love. Recently, Eric Cruz is joining Leo Burnett in Malaysia as Executive Creative Director. Therefore, his work focuses on the connection between art and design, moving images and exploring new things in media hybrids. According to Tan Kien Eng, Leo Burnett’s CEO, he says that Eric’s unique bring together of experience having worked with some of the world’s leading agencies across some of the most creatively-vibrant markets sets him apart. He has provided a strong global work and is deeply impressive performance in Asian cultures. 2.2Managing Director Robert Kay has joined Leo Burnett in Malaysia and he is new managing director. In the past years, he has worked for some of world Class Company and includes control marketing and product development for Australasia. In the mean time, based on the research, I found that he not only as account leader for Saatchi & Saatchi also as leader of one of Asia’s most awarded marketing-services companies. Besides that, Robert Kay is a very well-known person in the company because of his passion for creativity. The most important thing is the brand has allowed him to connect with some of the popular brand in beverage industry such as Coca-Cola and Carlsberg Tetley, technology such as Hp and car industry such as Mercedes-Benz & Fiat. Thus, his work mostly focuses on providing leadership on strategic problem and looks for new business opportunity. 2.3Chief Operating Officer Recently, the company has selected Michelle Ong as chief operating officer and also overseeing operations. In fact, his work are focus on reinventing workflow process while cooperation with colleagues in the company. Furthermore, she also needs to focus on key MNC brands such as McDonald’s, Dutch Lady Malaysia, and Procter & Gamble (P&G). Based on the research, she has over 15 years of strong communications experience and builds a different range of brands, have work with Ogilvy & Mather and McCann World group in the past years. 2.4Chief Executive Officer Leo Burnett’s chief executive officer is Tan Kien Eng. He has grown the resourceful reputation of his work with more than 20 years of industry experience. In the mean time, he also creates a team to build Arc Worldwide Malaysia as the number one direct agency for three years in Malaysia. According to Tan Kien Eng, he believes that a company with growth must come with freedom. He starts from the growth of our people and our customers ‘ business growth in order to develop the Leo Burnett brand. In Leo Burnett, he has also strengthened account servicing and creative sides. In the mean time, He also helped OgilvyOne to establish the creative reputation successful in Asia Pacific and made OgilvyOne number one in Malaysia. In the past years of advertising world, we play a role in the planning, and today because we have introduced strategic planning capability of the client has started to become more dependent on the strategic account Director. Therefore, he is focus on the next phase of growth for Leo Burnett Group Malaysia now. 3.0Conclusion As a conclusion, according to Leo Burnett, it mentioned that a good advertising does not just circulate information. It penetrates the public mind with needs and belief. In my opinion, I think that using an advertising agency can save time for a business because not needs to spend more time develop an advertising campaign. In the mean time, an advertising agency also can help us save a lot of money as agencies can get more discounts by radio or TV stations so they can get cheaper price than people in direct contact. Furthermore, advertising agencies also can help us to develop a brand in the market. It also can help us research and provide us to target the most effective market.

Hr Portfolio Essay

1.0 Research Synopsis In the current era people are considered the most important asset to an organization. In today’s highly competitive economy, placing the right people in the right position at the right time is very critical for the success of any organization. Job Analysis is the foundation for every employment decision made in an organization. Human resource professionals and consultants use job descriptions and job analyses as basic building blocks for many human resource functions, including recruitment and hiring, performance evaluations, and salary ranges (Levine, Sistrunk, McNutt, & Gael, 1988). Job descriptions and job analyses are essential to businesses. They help to ensure that the correct people are hired for the job (Brannick, Levine, & Morgeson, 2007). Therefore, it is important to see to it that job descriptions and job analyses are done properly and are thorough because the accuracy of these tools will in turn affect the quality of many HR functions (Fleishman & Mumford, 1991). Because job descriptions and job analyses are so important to HR functions, evaluating the quality of these two tools and how well they fit together is important. Job descriptions are meant to be developed from job analysis data (Brannick et al., 2007). It is also vital an HR manager focuses on aligning HR activities with the organization’s strategic goals as an organizational structure is developed through the HR planning process by the identification of positions to be staffed to support implementation of the organization’s strategy. This study illustrates the importance of conducting an accurate job analysis, the importance of it and a job description, the relationship between the two, and how it affects all other HR functions in an organization. 2.0 Job Analysis According to (Dessler, G. 2009) Job Analysis is the process of identifying the tasks, responsibilities and context of a role and the knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform them. It is a systematic exploration study. It is the procedure through which the duties of these positions and the characteristics of the people who should be hired for them are determined. The information gathered through the job analysis process is used to support the full range of HR activities. It involves determining the relative importance of the duties, responsibilities, physical, emotional skills etc. for a given job which then determine what the job demands and the specifications an employee must have to perform a job productively. This is then used for developing job descriptions and job specifications. 2.1 Importance of Job Analysis According to (Dessler, G. 2009) an organization structure is developed through the HR planning process by the identification of positions to be staffed to support implementation of the organization’s strategy. From this plan, the knowledge, skills and attitudes that employees will require to enable the organization to achieve its objectives can be identified. Job analyses are essential to HR because they are the means for the development of all HR functions (Bowen, 2003; Brannick et al., 2007). A job analysis can serve as the basis for many HR functions. These HR functions include job descriptions, job classifications, job evaluation, performance appraisal and training, and job specifications (Ash, 1988; Ash & Levine, 1980; Brannick et al., 2007; Levine et al., 1988). The details collected though a job analysis play an important role in controlling the output of a job. The main purpose of this whole process is to create and establish a perfect fit between the employee and the job. Job analysis also helps in the decision making of compensation, perks and incentives for a particular job position. It also helps in evaluating the performance and training needs of existing employees. This process is the basis of achieving organizational goals and objectives. 2.2 Steps in Job Analysis According to (Dessler, G. 2009) the job analysis process involves 6 steps: Step 1 – Decide how you’ll use the information, since this will determine the data you collect and how you collect them. Some data collection techniques – such as interviewing the employee and asking what the job entails, are good for writing job descriptions and selecting employees for the job. Step 2 – Review relevant background information such as organization charts, process charts and job descriptions. Organization charts show the organization – wide division of work, how the job in question relates to other jobs, and where the job fits in the overall organization. The chart should show the title of each position and, by means of interconnecting lines, who reports to whom and with whom the job incumbent communicates. A process chart provides a more detailed picture of the work flow. In its simplest form a process chart can show the flow of inputs to and outputs from the job you are analyzing. Step 3 – Select representative positions. There may be too many similar jobs to analyze them all. In such a case use a representative sample. Step 4 – Actually analyze the job, by collecting data on job activities, required employee behaviors, working conditions, and human traits and abilities needed to perform the job. Step 5 – Verify the job analysis information with the worker performing the job and with his or her immediate supervisor. This will help confirm that the information is factually correct and complete. This review can also help gain the employee’s acceptance of the job analysis data and conclusions, by giving that person a chance to review and modify your description of job activities. Step 6 – Develop job description and job specification. These are two tangible products of the job analysis. 2.3 Components of Job Analysis Job Analysis Job Analysis Job Description and Job Specification Job Description and Job Specification Recruitment, selection and induction Recruitment, selection and induction Job evaluation: wage and salary decisions (remuneration) Job evaluation: wage and salary decisions (remuneration) Training and development requirements Training and development requirements HRP and career development HRP and career development Performance assessment and review Performance assessment and review Job design, assignment of all duties and legal compliance Job design, assignment of all duties and legal compliance (Dessler, G. 2009) 2.4 Uses of Job Analysis Information (Dessler, G. 2009) states that these are the uses of job analysis information. * Recruitment and selection – Job analysis provides information about what the job entails and what characteristics are required to carry out these activities. Such job specification and job description information is used to decide on the sort of people to recruit, hire, to guide interview questions and choose suitable tests to select the best person for the job. * Induction –When a new person joins an organization he will need to be aware of its history, current operations, policies and procedures to be followed, leave requests, pay matters, health and safety etc. A job description will provide the necessary information for the HR management to design induction programs tailored for the need of each new employee. * Job design and productivity, job satisfaction and legal compliance – Job analysis and careful consideration of the way in which the tasks to be performed are arranged into jobs can provide challenging and satisfying jobs for employees while improving efficiency and productivity. Using the information gathered on performance standards and human requirements to influence the design of job assists compliance with law in relation to employment. * Performance assessment and review – Job analysis information enables performance standards to be established and agreed. When clear performance standards are set, rewards may be more easily linked to the performance and training provided to specifically address any discrepancies in performance. Performance review compares employees’ actual performance with performance standards established using job analysis data. * Remuneration – Job analysis is also essential for estimating the value of each job and appropriate remuneration for it. This is so because total remuneration usually depends on the job’s required skill and education levels, safety hazards, degree of responsibility and so on – all factors that are established though job analysis. * Training and Development – Job analysis is also used for designing training and development programs because the analysis and resulting job description show the skills and knowledge – and therefore training and development – that is required. If performance standards are not being met, and this is found to be due to the employee’s lack of skill or knowledge, programs can be designed to lift performance to the required level. * Human Resource Planning and Career Development – The organizational structure provided by the HR plan reveals the scope for employee movement within an organization. Employee development can be provided to ensure that skills, knowledge, qualifications and attitudes required for the future role are gained in preparation for promotion or transfer. This contributes to human resource planning in general and to succession planning in particular. 3.0 Job Description According to (Dessler, G. 2009) a job description describes the job in terms of the tasks to be performed, equipment used, conditions under which the work is to be carried out and the standard to which tasks are to be performed. It is a written statement of what the job-holder actually does, how he or she does it, and under what conditions the job is performed. This information is in turn used to write a job specification that’s lists the knowledge, abilities and skills needed to perform the job satisfactorily. 3.1 Components of a Job Description There is no standard format for a job description, but according to (Dessler, G. 2009) most descriptions contain sections on: * Job identification – This contains several types of information including the job title, the job code etc. * Job summary – This describes the general nature of the job, listing only its major functions or activities. * Relationships, responsibilities and duties – This section presents a detailed list of the job’s actual responsibilities and duties and the relationship the employee shares with subordinates, superiors and those below him/ her. * Authority of incumbent – This section defines the limits of the job-holder’s authority, including decision making authority, direct supervision of other personnel and budgetary limits. * Standards of performance – This states the standards the employee is expected to achieve in each of the job description’s main duties and responsibilities. * Working conditions – The job description section will also list the general working conditions involved on the job. These might include factors such as noise level, hazardous conditions etc. * Job specifications – This describes the type of person that would be best suited to the job, and the skills, knowledge, attitudes, experience and qualifications they would need to do the job. 3.2 The Uses of a Job Description The uses of a job description are essentially similar to those of a job analysis. However these are a few fundamental areas in which a job description is used for: * Performance management – It can be used to set measurable performance goals based on tasks, duties and responsibilities stated in the job description, and then train employees to achieve these goals effectively. * Training and employee development – A job description can be used to decide on possible job promotions as incentives for workers to improve their performance and career development activities. * Compensation – Job descriptions can be helpful in developing a standardized compensation for each position. * Recognition and rewards – Job descriptions can be used as a baseline for performance and as a tool to encourage employee performance. * Discipline – A job description can be used to illustrate that an employee isn’t adequately performing his/her duties and responsibilities. (Massad, 2005) 3.3 Relationship between Job Analysis and Job Description A job description is a general overview of what the job analysis found. According to Brannick et al. (2007), a functional job analysis can be used to generate the task and duties statements. Any work-oriented job analysis allows the analyst to discern the most important duties and tasks out of the job analysis to put into a job description. The job analysis allows raters to rank things like the goals of the job as well as the duties and tasks. When developing the job description, only the most important and most frequent of these duties, tasks, and goals are selected, allowing it to be an abbreviated version of what is found in the job analysis. 4.0 Job Analysis Interview 4.1 Job Analysis Methods According to the (Management Study Guide, 2008) , the most common methods of Job Analysis * Observation Method: A job analyst observes an employee and records all his performed and non-performed task, fulfilled and un-fulfilled responsibilities and duties, methods, ways and skills used by him or her to perform various duties and his or her mental or emotional ability to handle challenges and risks. This particular method includes three techniques: direct observation, Work Methods Analysis and Critical Incident Technique. The first method includes direct observation and recording of behavior of an employee in different situations. The second involves the study of time and motion and is specially used for assembly-line or factory workers. The third one is about identifying the work behaviors that result in performance. * Interview Method: In this method, an employee is interviewed so that he or she comes up with their own working styles, problems faced by them, use of particular skills and techniques while performing their job and insecurities and fears about their careers. This method helps interviewer know what exactly an employee thinks about his or her own job and responsibilities involved in it. It involves analysis of job by employee himself. In order to generate honest and true feedback or collect genuine data, questions asked during the interview should be carefully decided. And to avoid errors, it is always good to interview more than one individual to get a pool of responses. Then it can be generalized and used for the whole group. * Questionnaire Method: Another commonly used job analysis method is getting the questionnaires filled from employees, their superiors and managers. However, this method also suffers from personal biasness. A great care should be takes while framing questions for different grades of employees. In order to get the true job-related info, management should effectively communicate it to the staff that data collected will be used for their own good. It is very important to ensure them that it won’t be used against them in anyway. If it is not done properly, it will be a sheer wastage of time, money and human resources. Below is the constructed questionnaire prepared for research requirement. 4.2 Job Analysis Questionnaire The purpose of a creating a job analysis questionnaire is to gather information about a position in an organization, its duties, responsibilities, experience, qualifications etc. required for the vacant position. The responses gathered accurately represent the way the position currently functions. This, then leads to the development of a job description. Name: ____________________________ Job Title: __________________________ Company: _________________________ Location: __________________________ Department: ________________________ Job status: __________________________ Hours worked: _________ AM to _________ PM Reporting to: ________________________ * Can you brief me about yourself? * Number of organization’s you worked for before and position/s held? * How long have you been working as an HR manager in the present organization? * What is the field you specialize in within the HR department? * Number of employees and the levels you directly supervise at present? * Number of employees and the levels you are indirectly responsible for in the organizations? * What do you think your strengths and weaknesses * What is your job role as a HR Manager? * Are there any activities you perform that do not come within your job specification? If yes, explain. * What records and reports you prepare as a part of your job? * Do you have freedom to make decisions related to; Recruitment Health and Safety SelectionIndustrial Relations Performance EvaluationOther Training * Explain the extent of freedom you have in these areas. * Can you specify the key responsibilities as an HR manager in this organization? * Can you brief me about the day to day tasks and duties allocated as an HR manager? * According to your point of view, what do you think are the most important skills that you need to possess in performing your job more practically, professionally and efficiently? * Describe the personality of an effective HR manager to suit the current era. * What work experience and qualifications are required for an HR manager? * What is the minimum training / qualifications requirement for this job? Basic school educationBachelor’s Degree High School DiplomaMaster’s Degree College/ associate’s DegreeDoctorate Degree * What is your perception about how this job fits in with the other jobs in the organization? * Briefly explain the establishment of the company and the working environment in your department. * Have you done any tangible changes or specific improvements you have implemented to enhance the quality of HR functions in your company? If so, what? * Is there any particular HR activity that you desire to implement but have not been able to do for a certain reason? * What are the some of the challenges you face as an HR manager? How do you overcome some of these challenges? * What type of relationship have you built with the employees of the organization? * Do you deal with Trade Unions? * If so, what is the extent of pressure from them and how do you deal with them? * In comparison to other competing companies how do you think your company compares in terms of salary and rewards? * Do you experience any stress?Not at allSomewhatVery High * If your stress level is high, how do you handle the stress and pressure you face from the employees? * What are the job’s physical demands? * What are the health and safety conditions? * Apart from your salary what benefits and opportunities do you receive as an HR manager? * What is your personal view about the training programs implemented and conducted in your company and what is your recommendation for improvement if any? * What are your goals or plans to develop your department? * What is the experience and advice you can share for those following HR management? * What is the most enjoyable part of your work? Which HR activities are most satisfying to perform? * What are your personal goals? (Refer Appendix for the completed questionnaire) 5.0 Developing a Job Description According to the details gathered through the interview conducted and information gathered through the developed questionnaire, this is the prepared job description for the position of Head of Group Capabilities at Brandix. Position Title: Head of Group Capabilities Department: Corporate HR Working Hours: 8.30am to 5.30pm Reports to: Chief Peoples Officer (CPO) Salary: 200,000 – 250,000 Position Statement The Head of Group Capabilities is accountable for directing and evaluating the implementation of all the activities that come under the Learning and Development function, liaising with business partners for learning solutions, understanding business problems in order to provide appropriate training solutions and leading, coaching and mentoring his/ her team to perform the company’s annual goals. Key Accountabilities * Formulating Leaning and Development strategies and policies * Sourcing for strategic partnership for solutions * Formulating Training and Development plans based on Training Need Analysis Other Responsibilities * Training Need Analysis to be done through discussion with Strategic Business Unit leaders (CEO, Senior Director, HR Heads, Head of Departments) * Address knowledge gaps through the performance and preparing the employees for leadership roles and the organization for growth * Prepare monthly dashboards (includes training man days, training programs delivered, training budget utilization, dropouts etc.) * Prepare employee engagement dashboards (includes number of engagements of the CEO and senior management with executives) The candidate hired has the authority to make decisions regarding recruitment, selection and evaluate the performance for the employees in his/ her department. He/ she will be directly accountable for the team of four under them and indirectly accountable for the executive cadre (which includes entry level executives to the board of directors) and assisting the staff category of employees which consists of 2,000 associates. Core Competencies * Leadership skills * Good Communication and Negotiation skills * Strategic Thinking * Critical Thinking * Approachable and friendly * Good decision maker * Ability to work under pressure * Ability to motivate team members * Integrity * Ability to work with teams * Committed * Good listener * Adaptable Job Specification * Professional HR qualifications * A relevant bachelor degree or higher qualification * At least 8 years’ managerial experience in HR management 6.0 Reflections As a student following the Bachelor of Business at Australian College of Business and Technology (ACBT) it is part of our course structure that we take Human Resource Management as a subject. In this unit it is an absolute requirement for us to conduct a job analysis interview and prepare a job description as an assignment. As a possible HR professional to be in the future, I took this as a challenge to develop a comprehensive HR related assignment to help me in the future. The first was to conduct a job interview analysis. There are many methods to conduct one, through observation, interviews, questionnaires etc. However due to time limitations, my main focus was on the interview and questionnaire method. The first task I had to do was prepare a list of questions that I was going to ask the HR manager I was going to interview. The task proved to be quite challenging as I had never prepared a questionnaire of this nature before. Choosing the right questions to gather the relevant dat a was the most difficult. However with the help and guidance from my lecturer I was able to design a decent questionnaire. It consisted of a few multiple choice questions but mostly open ended questions. It was time consuming and at times frustrating but was a great learning opportunity nonetheless. I then made an appointment with the Head of Group Capabilities at Brandix Lanka, through a contact I have, for a job analysis interview. I was nervous at first, having never interviewed someone before but she was very pleasant and put me at ease immediately. She was also very obliging and answered all my questions to detail and further gave me insight to the general HR practices and procedures at Brandix Lanka. Initially when I had to start on this assignment I wasn’t fully aware of the importance of a Job Analysis. I was confused. However after a detailed discussion with the Head of Group Capabilities and being given full insight into how big a role Job Analysis plays into the role of all other activities in her organization, I am now enlightened. This also gave me the opportunity to understand the jo b analysis process. After gathering the data from the job analysis interview my next task was to prepare a job description. This wasn’t as difficult to prepare as I thought it would be, as I had gathered the relevant data necessary for it through the interview. Having being briefed about the tasks, duties, and matters concerning their Corporate HR department, this provided me with a better understanding to structure the job description well. I took the answers I was given as well and was able to compile a fitting job description. It took a few hours but in the end the result was satisfactory. A Job description and job analysis are used every day in organizations, and while research provides guidelines for what should be included in each of these and how each should be constructed (Brannick et al., 2007; Cascio, 1998), this is not necessarily what is done in practice. This study found that a typical job description for Brandix contains the components recommended by Dessler, G. (2009). Those components include: Title, location, summary, duties and tasks, etc. Through the interview conducted I could c ome to the conclusion that there weren’t significant differences between the job description and the job analysis. I found that the HR professional in charge of conducting the job analysis was thorough in including everything about the job in the job description. There were no gaps to be seen. This indicates that the HR department allows no gaps for mistakes and runs their practices effectively and efficiently. The findings of this research are important because job analyses and job descriptions play such an important role in HR functions. They serve as the foundation for activities such as performance evaluation, recruitment and hiring, and salary determinations (Levine et al., 1988). It is important to get a better understanding of what influences the job analysis process and look at where differences are in the job descriptions and job analyses On completion of this assignment I realized it has helped me achieve a professional knowledge on the major role Job Analysis plays in all HR functions in an organization including, HR planning, Job description, job specification, employee recruitment, e mployee selection, performance appraisal, HR development, training and development, rewards and remuneration etc. Furthermore I think it has improved my ability to communicate more effectively than before which is part of the learning outcome of this study, and be a professional in doing so, and it has improved my ability to generate ideas. I think this experience, interviewing a person in an authoritative position, has made me more confident in my communication skills and my understanding about the general HR practices in an organization. In concluding my reflection I would say that this study has shown me that job analysis in an organization is the primary task that sets a baseline enabling HR professionals to manage other job related activities effectively. The study also demonstrates the need for careful consideration on part of aligning the job description with the job analysis. The information collected by conducting job analysis plays an important role in controlling the output of the particular job which ultimately leads to the overall success of an organization. Employees are key to the success of an organization. Thus hiring the right person with the right skills, knowledge and attitude is vital. This can only be done through developing a suitable job description through conducting a thorough, accurate and effective job analysis. 7.0 References * Bowen, C. C. (2003). A case study of job analysis. Journal of Psychological Practice, 8, 46-55. * Brannick, M. T., Levine, E. L., & Morgeson, F. P. (2007). Job and Work Analysis: Methods, Research and Applications for Human Resource Management. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publication. * Ash, R. A. (1988). Job analysis in the world of work. In S. Gael (Ed.), The Job Analysis Handbook for Business, Industry and Government, I, 3-13 * Ash, R. A., & Levine, E. L. (1980). A framework for evaluating job analysis methods. Personnel, 57, 59 * Levine, E. L., Sistrunk, F., McNutt, K. J., & Gael, S. (1988). Exemplary job analysis systems in selected organizations: A description of process and outcomes. Journal of Business and Psychology, 3, 3-21. * Dessler, G. (n.d.). Human Resource Management (12th Ed.). Global edition, 142-175. * HR-Guide.com. (1999). Job Analysis: Overview. Retrieved 05 01, 2013, from HR-Guide.com: http://www.job-analysis.net/G000.htm * Stone, R.J. (2010). Managing human resources 3rd. edn. John Wiley & sons Australia Ltd. * Jones, R. (2011). Managing Human Resource Systems (2nd Ed.).Pearson * Levine, E. L., Sistrunk, F., McNutt, K. J., & Gael, S. (1988). Exemplary job analysis systems in selected organizations: A description of process and outcomes. Journal of Business and Psychology, 3, 3-21. * Fleishman, E. A., & Mumford, M. D. (1991). Evaluating classification of job behavior: a construct validation of the ability requirements scales. Personnel Psychology, 44, 523-575. * Cascio, W. F. (1998). Applied Psychology in Human Resource Management, 5th edition. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. * HR-Powerhouse.com. (2005). Job Description: Uses of Job Description. Retrieved 05 01, 2013 from: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/78506 * Managementstudyguide.com. (2008). Job Analysis Methods. Retrieved 11 01, 2013 from: http://www.managementstudyguide.com/job-analysis-methods.htm * www.brandix.com