Red Lobster Case Study Essay

In the first years, Red Lobster’s positioning is â€Å"affordable† â€Å"fresh† seafood. This positioning last from its start till about 2004. In 2004 after Kim Lopdrup took over as president, he was shocked that consumers put Red Lobster as â€Å"low end† places that serving mass-produced, frozen seafood. So he launched a three phased plan to reposition Red Lobster. Phase 1 involved basic operational improvement. Phase 2 is repositioning around â€Å"freshness†. Customers had vague understanding of freshness and they thought Red Lobster’s product not fresh mostly because too much fried items on the menu. This phase played the most important role in Lopdrup’s plan (initiated in 2004), and de-emphasizing all fried items and introducing wood-fire grilling are most effective elements. In these ways, Consumer Needs were satisfied and Company Skills were improved. Phase 3 is re-modeling the restaurants, the target of which is becoming nicer than ordinary casual dining but still approachable. This phase started in 2008, and was supposed to redone all restaurants by 2014. As a results, customer perceptions that Red Lobster â€Å"has food that is fresh† had increased significantly according to surveys in 2008. By 2010, internal research found that guest satisfaction was up 14% to 78% excellent†. Everything seemed good at that point. There are something worth notice: the new 2008 ads (as current ads in question 2) followed the same model of 2004 ones, but focus shift from â€Å"wood fire grilling† and †fresh fish† to â€Å"new grilling method† and â€Å"freshness†. That means they were introducing new category of cooking method and food that not constrained as â€Å"seafood†, a shift in product. It’s extension of introducing wood fire grilling to reposition. In 2008, Copernicus Company conduct a study to uncover some psychographic segments, and summarized Red Lobster’s customers into 5 categories: Experientials, Indulgents, Traditionalists, Eclectics and Frugals. Lopdrup was facing a balance between building stronger connection with Experientials and losing part of Indulgent and Frugals. According to form above, the revenues gained from new Experientials are as twice as the combination of loss from Indulgents and Frugals. Besides that, Experientials consume much more alcohol, which is more profitable than food. Former calculation showed an optimistic result to us, so Lopdrup should make Experientials the target segment. He also should modify Red Lobster’s positioning accordingly, but do it gradually lest go chapter 11 in the process as K-Mart. The scale of modifying can be described by the answer of  questions at the end of the case: (questions omitted here) Segmentation: According to the former paragraph, experientials should represent the new Red Lobster target customer. Positioning: Red Lobster need to change positioning but not too much. The rise of aquaculture had led to dramatic declines in the cost of seafood, so â€Å"approachable seafood† is not as appealing as before. Red Lobster need to find a new positioning, while keeping â€Å"fresh† (according to Exhibit 6A, freshness is the most important factor when customers select seafood). Exhibit 6A also showed that customers think cleanliness, quality and taste/preparation are very important, so â€Å"tasty fresh seafood† and â€Å"best fresh seafood† are all good options. Promotion: Current ads fit the positioning the marketing team wanted, as the focus was â€Å"freshness†. Traditional price promotions should be scaled back, shown in Exhibit 6A price is one of the least concerned factor. Price: Simply raising prices is not a good idea for Red Lobster. Although Experientials are important, Indulgents and Frugals are large in customer percentage. Using price discrimination can be a good strategy: keep some cheap items in the menu, while introducing more expensive items (including desserts, appetizers and wine). In this way, most patrons can be kept while revenue would raise. Product: Adding better wine selection is a good idea, since experientials could be attracted in this way while other customers have other options. Broadening the menu further beyond seafood to steal share from other premium casual chains is also feasible, the success of â€Å"wood fire grilling† verifies that. Similarly, emphasizing on wine in menu, making some location vary its ambience by time of day are all good idea for the same reason as illustrated before. Place: To target experientials, re-modeling is necessary. From Exhibit 13, we can know that re-modeling won great appreciation. Most customers would enjoy better atmosphere. Moreover, re-modeling were operated after hours, so  business won’t be disturbed. The most important reason is experientials are motivated by Culinary Expertise, sophisticated, upscale atmosphere (shown in Table A, p8 of case). To conclude, all the strategies are to attract experientials without losing other customers.

The Impact of Personal and Organisational Variables

The impact of personal and organisational variables on the leadership styles of managers Summary This study has attempted to collect and analyse data on a number of personal as well as organisational variables that are considered as potentially useful in explaining the leadership styles of managers. Such data include the gender, age, length of service in present organisation, length of service in an organisation, hierarchy, size and type of organisation, whether a manufacturing or a financial services entity, for example.The objective of the study is to examine the impact of these variables, if any, on the leadership style practices of managers. In the modern management of human resources it is useful to investigate whether, for example, there is less use of directive form of leadership in preference to consultative, participative and delegative leadership practices. If so, such practices will be in line with the expected liberalisation in today’s world as different from yeste rday’s more authoritarian styles of organisational management.It would be useful to know what personal characteristics, such as age, have on leadership practices which is supposedly based on some suggested principles. For example, how do older and younger top-level and lower-level organisational leaders differ in their leadership activities? Knowledge of the answers to these and similar questions can be used to improve the management of human resources. Respondents to this study identified a number of personal variables during the data collection phase.This included their age, gender, and length of service either in the present organisation or in all organisations in which they have worked. Although a number of variables were thus involved and consequently used in the exploratory data analysis, some of them, like gender and length of service, were not significant, on their own, in the analysis. However, age shows up most significantly in their effects on the leadership styles of the managers. On leadership styles and behaviour, ompared with older workers, the researchers found that younger workers feel more comfortable in fast changing environments and are more willing to take risks and consider new approaches. They also operate with more energy and intensity, and have a greater capacity to energise others. In addition, they are more likely to seek out opportunities to take charge and push vigorously and competitively to achieve a high level of results. When compared to older workers, younger workers also tend to work to develop and promote themselves.Similarly, on leadership styles and behaviour, compared with younger workers, the researchers found that older workers study problems in light of past practices in order to ensure predictability, and minimise risk. They tend to maintain a calmer and more understated (though not detached) demeanour. Older workers tend to maintain an in-depth knowledge of their field and use this knowledge to approach proble ms. They cooperate and delegate more, in addition to showing a greater degree of empathy and concern for other workers. Contrary to the practices of younger workers, the authors suggest that older workers work to develop and promote others.Respondents were asked to indicate their overall satisfaction levels with their boss’s leadership styles. Given the hierarchical nature of most organisations, subordinates rated bosses who, in turn, rated their own bosses and so on so that a full picture of the situation with this consideration was obtained. A further examination of the data suggests that managers at higher organisational hierarchy, obviously, tend to use some but not all of the four leadership styles – directive, consultative, participative and delegative.The impression seems to be that before they get to the higher organisational position they would have tried each of the leadership style dimensions and decided to concentrate on only one, two or three of them but n ot all four leadership styles. Experience would have assisted them in selecting and concentrating on the style or styles of leadership that they considered most appropriate during the performance of each of their organisational activities.A corollary of this finding is that lower level managers tend to use significantly more of the overall leadership styles in comparison with the higher-level managers. This finding is as expected since lower-level managers need time and experience to decide which of the styles would work best for them in different situations. Thus in their learning processes, they might decide to use each and all of the leadership styles during their learning period. This study set out to examine the leadership styles of managers from the perspectives of their ages and the levels they occupy in their organisational hierarchies.Using survey data from over 400 UK employees and managers, the authors found that managers at higher organisational hierarchies tend to use l ess of the overall leadership style in preference to one or the other of the directive, consultative, participative or delegative leadership styles. It was felt that their experiences enable them to more easily select an appropriate style of leadership in performing their organisational activities rather than relying on a composite leadership style. However, it was also found that older managers tend to use less of the individual leadership styles in preference to the overall leadership style.This situation leaves us with the conclusion that the higher level managers in our study may not be the oldest ones and that, today, younger managers are rising to the top positions in organisational management. One reason for this, of course, is the increasing use of technology in managerial duties and that younger managers tend to be more adept at this than their older colleagues. One of the implications of our finding is that organisations today must increasingly recognise the complementary roles and skills of younger and older employees in achieving their goals. Age does not necessarily have to be an asset or a barrier.THE DOWNSIDE OF SELF-MANAGEMENT: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF CONFLICT ON TRUST, AUTONOMY, AND TASK INTERDEPENDENCE IN SELF-MANAGING TEAMS Summary Over the past few decades, interest in self-managing teams has increased, particularly interest in understanding their design, structure, and performance. Little is known about how self-managing teams design and adapt themselves, and how these actions affect performance. A recent review of teams in organizations that specifically discussed adaptation did not reference any research exploring structural change as an adaptive mechanism.The author illustrated an example of teams with high trust suffering performance losses when they adopted a design with high individual autonomy. Thus, selfmanaging teams’ ability to choose and adapt their structures has important implications for their performanc e. In general, flexibility and adaptability are beneficial and are often what allow teams to avoid trouble and manage problems successfully. However, the author suggest this flexibility can sometimes be a liability, specifically when a self-managing team unintentionally adopts a potentially dysfunctional design.The authors focus is on how task and relationship conflict in self-managing teams can cause them to restructure themselves in response. The author defines task conflict here as disagreement among group members about decisions, viewpoints, ideas, and opinions and as potentially including controversy over the best way to achieve a group goal or objective. In the context of self-managing teams, the issue of structure and process becomes more complex than it is for â€Å"traditional† work teams.Normally, structural, or design, variables are considered exogenous inputs in a classic input-process-output (IPO) model, but in the case of self-managing teams they can clearly be outputs as well. This characteristic raises two thorny issues, one conceptual and one methodological. First, it suggests that the study of self-managing teams should address not just the immediate effect of structure on outcomes such as performance, but also the effects on structure itself of various processes, such as conflict, and the effects of emergent states like trust.Conflict has long been known to have the potential to harm group processes, such as coordination and cooperation, as well as performance outcomes, such as goal accomplishment, and much is known about the causes and effects of conflict in teams. Although the benefits of sharing divergent viewpoints and discussion are clear, especially in terms of team decision-making quality, the overall effect of both task and relationship conflict on performance appears to be negative. Despite voluminous research, the effects of onflict on team structure have remained largely unexplored, representing a significant shortcoming in academic understanding of teams, particularly selfmanaging ones. The author believes that the links between conflict and structure may not only be direct, but also indirect—through intervening variables such as intrateam trust, which has been found to be important to self-managing team performance. Hypothesis 1. Higher conflict, whether task or relationship, is associated with lower trust.The author expects that the reductions in trust associated with increased conflict will in turn influence team structure, resulting in lowered autonomy and task interdependence. Autonomy and task interdependence both consistently stand out in the team design literature as the two primary structural factors of teams. Hypothesis 2. Lower trust is associated with lower levels of individual autonomy in a team. It is also likely that trust influences task interdependence. By a logic similar to that presented above, perceptions of risk may also lead team members to limit task interdependence and coordination requirements.Task interdependence is often considered the extent to which an individual’s task performance depends on the efforts and skills of others. Hypothesis 3. Lower trust is associated with lower levels of task interdependence in a team. In addition to the indirect effects discussed above, it is also possible for conflict to have direct effects on team structure. In terms of autonomy, such effects might result from a desire for revenge or retribution in response to task or relationship conflict; a team member might essentially withhold autonomy from another as a punitive act.Hypothesis 4. Higher conflict, whether task or relationship, is associated with lower levels of individual autonomy in a team. A direct effect of conflict on task interdependence is also possible, as team members may redesign their team to avoid interacting with one another. If relationship conflict is high, members can reduce task interdependencies to minimize their contact with team members they do not like, thus avoiding conflict. Hypothesis 5. Higher conflict, whether task or relationship, is associated with lower task interdependence.Hypotheses 1, 2, and 3 thus suggest that trust serves as an indirect intervening variable by which trust is affected by conflict and, in turn, affects team structure. Hypothesis 6. Higher conflict, whether task or relationship, is associated with teams characterized by a combination of lower task interdependence and lower individual autonomy. Finally, it is worth noting that such a design— low interdependence combined with low autonomy—is potentially dysfunctional.Thus, moving slightly outside the main focus of the present study, the author would also expect to find such an interactive effect of autonomy and task interdependence on team performance. In other words, design changes that are either directly or indirectly associated with conflict in a self-managing team are likely to have dysfunctional effects on perfo rmance. The authors basic contention is that self-managing teams can be particularly susceptible to detrimental effects of conflict as a result of their ability to alter their own structures and designs.The results have largely supported that contention. He has shown that higher levels of conflict (especially relationship conflict) in teams are associated with lower task interdependence and individual autonomy, partly because of direct effects, and partly because of indirect effects of lower trust. He also demonstrated that high conflict in teams is associated with the combination of lower autonomy and interdependence, which is a potentially dysfunctional design for a self-managing team, with lower performance than other configurations. Leadership in the Service of Hospitality SummaryThe definition of leadership has changed considerably in the past one hundred years, beginning with the â€Å"great man† concept and, more recently, focusing on â€Å"transformational leadership . † The next step in leadership evolution is servant leadership, in which the leader seeks to support and empower followers. The implications are considerable for the hospitality industry, since it is based on the concept of leadership through service. Hospitality educators could take steps to instill servant leadership principles in students to equip them for this increasingly relevant leadership style.This paper looks back on half a century of publications, the changes it has recorded in leadership theory and practice illustrate the evolution of approaches to understanding the relationship between leaders and followers in hospitality organizations. In the current business climate, there is a greater need for leaders who can guide with integrity and courage instead of autocratic leaders. Therefore it seems logical to research several philosophies on employee care and environmental stewardship. These philosophies promote a culture of trust and respect.This emerging approach to leadership is examined in light of the pressing issues businesses are confronting as we move into the second decade of the twenty-first century—leaders whose motives are often questionable and a workforce that has become increasingly stressed, disillusioned, and disengaged. Early theories focused almost exclusively on personal characteristics of the leader and attempted to better understand the reason for his or her impact on organizational performance. In fact, one of the first perspectives was called the â€Å"great man† theory under the premise that leaders (at that time, almost exclusively male) were born, not made.During the 1950s and 1960s, behavioural theories emerged with increasing frequency. Theorists proposed that individuals could learn to be leaders through skill development and deliberate action. While the earliest theories focused on the leader’s characteristics and competencies in search of the key to greater effectiveness, thinking during the p ast twenty-five years has generally taken a broader view that considers both the dynamics created between the leader and his or her followers as well as the context and features of the particular environment.Servant leadership captures and reimagines elements from earlier thinking on the requirements of both the individual as leader and his or her relationship with followers. Servant leaders demonstrate the flexibility required for effectiveness in a culturally diverse workplace, incorporating the positive and appropriate aspects of other leadership models. Behaviors Associated with Servant Leaders 1. Listening intently to others combined with personal reflection on what is heard 2. Empathy: assuming the good intentions of colleagues 3. Awareness: understanding issues involving ethics and values . Persuasion, rather than relying on authority or coercion 5. Conceptualization: servant leaders dream great dreams and are also operationally skilled 6. Foresight: the ability to foresee th e likely outcome of a situation 7. Stewardship: holding institutions in trust for the greater good of society 8. Commitment to the personal and professional growth of all employees 9. Building community within the organization As definitions of customer service turn to customer care, servant leadership becomes increasingly relevant. Servant leaders appreciate, encourage, and care for their followers.Employees, inspired by the example their leader sets, in turn provide generous and genuine care to guests. When employees take personal responsibility for addressing each guest’s needs, when they serve out of a personal commitment to provide value and assistance, service becomes authentic and quality increases. This customization of service translates into high customer satisfaction and subsequent organizational effectiveness. When employees perceive their leader as trustworthy—when they keep their promises and act on espoused values—employee commitment, effort, and efficiency increase.While both servant and transformational leaders seek to empower employees, servant leadership adds an ethical emphasis beyond what is generally found in transformational leadership theory. Arguments have been posed that transformational leaders, highly motivated to accomplish their organizational goals, may be tempted to use their charisma and misrepresent aspects of the situation to their followers. The path to servant leadership is not always direct, and students must be encouraged to cultivate a long-term view of the journey.Educators can help each student to see the value in doing what is right, even if it is not immediately recognized or rewarded. While focus is on facilitating these outcomes in student learners, faculty may find that modelling servant leader attitudes and practices can help them to facilitate personal responsibility and high standards of ethical behaviour. When faculty demonstrate empowerment and build trust, they can raise students’ expectations regarding the requirements of their future hospitality leadership role. Job-Related Barriers and Coping Behaviors n the Career Development of Hospitality Undergraduates Summary The main reason why this research is done is to understand the reason for the extremely high turnover in the hospitality industry. The purpose of most of the hospitality education programs is to prepare students for future management positions. However, many of these students drop out after 3-5 years. The first step of the survey, in the direction of solving the problem is to understand students' career planning. Studies from the student perspective are scarce, so this study will focus mainly on these students, hree main objectives guiding the study. 1. To explore and compare hospitality students' perception of work-related barriers 2. The relationships between the role of the barriers students investigate in their career decision processes. 3. To evaluate the effectiveness of career counseling to improve and suggest directions for future studies focusing on barriers for hospitality students Job-related barriers are defined as â€Å"events or circumstances, either within the person or in his or her environment, which are part of a career progress difficult†.Several studies focus on further classification of these career difficulties. Factors, including race, age, education and background are examined during the years. In addition to the quantitative studies that have focused on the effects of barriers for student career development processes a few researchers found that qualitative methods have the advantage of improving the exploration of the students' perceived barriers. Nowadays hospitality researchers have developed a new and different approach to the career development of students in the hospitality industry.Acquiring useful skills is viewed helpful in promoting hospitality graduates compatibility with advances in the industry. Along with the before mentioned a pproach, the view and the perception of the students in the hospitality is considered more and more important. The lack of opportunities for growth was the main reason reported by alumni of hotel and restaurant programs for changing employers or leaving the industry. Unsuitable working hours and poor financial compensation be mentioned as another important reason for the change businesses, changing careers, or leave the industry altogether.Career decision-making self-efficacy (CdSe) refers to the degree of confidence people have in their expertise or ability to informational, educational and professional goal-planning activities to be carried out. In addition to these CdSe states that â€Å"the students' perceptions of barriers can be based on several considerations: chance barriers arise, the degree of disruptiveness as it occurs, and an individual is able to overcome barriers† . A total of 430 surveys were distributed to hospitality students at two universities through the stratified sampling method (program enrollment ratio: 7:3).School 1 is located in a small suburban university city with a population of 27,906 and a number of medium-sized cities in the area. School 2 is located in a medium sized city known for commercial and medical institutions with a population of 217,326 and the proximity of nearby small towns. Selection of these two samples, the investigator in order to determine whether location has significant influence on the selected variables. One of the outcomes of this research is what kind of factors are considered as the main barriers.The factors, difficulty finding a job because of a tight labor market and not knowing the â€Å"right people† to get a job came in first and second. The findings of this study suggest that students perceived barriers differently, because the same item are grouped into different factors within the subscales. Thus, the inability to move away from friends / family seen as affecting â€Å"getting a jo b they desire† (finding the job factor), but the move was also seen as their â€Å"performance on the job† to influence (performing the work factor).When both quantitative and quantitative measures were used to students' perceptions of career barriers to explore other results have emerged from these two reviews. When students had a choice to predetermined list of wide assessments given, they rated the tight labor market as the top concern, followed by lack of connection. The findings of this study showed that students often use problem-oriented methods to deal with barriers.Again, although the qualitative method may have limited students from considering all possible coping strategies, students turned on internal (hard to improve themselves, work) over external assistance (eg professional help) to find solutions. This result showed a consistency in the qualitative data, because internal barriers (lack of experience, motivation, self-confidence) more than external ones ( tight labor) were cited. Finally, the moderate relationship found in this study showed that although students were able to career decision in the hospitality industry , they do not have the confidence in this field to conquer the barriers.By studying the career development processes of hospitality students, hospitality teachers will benefit from understanding how to help students cope with barriers and hospitality situated in a better position to help students with their career goals. Decreasing barriers in students' career planning will improve hospitality students control over their career behavior. A conscious choice of career, a meaningful career goal and career preparation will facilitate hospitality students commitment to their career choices and retention in the hospitality industry. Career Decision Making and Intention: a Study of Hospitality Undergraduate StudentsSummary This study focused on a sample of hospitality undergraduate students and had three main objectives: Firs t, to determine factors that affect their career-related decisions; second, to explore motivations for pursuing a hospitality career; and third, to examine whether the probability of hospitality students’ career intentions can be predicted by selected variables Self-Efficacy. This concept dominates career development theories and may be best described as â€Å"Can I do this? †. Self-efficacy serves as a mediator to motivate people to achieve a special goal, such as pursuing a career in the hospitality industry.Self-efficacy is about individuals’ belief in their ability to carry out the following five tasks: self-appraisal, vocational information gathering, plans for the future, problem solving, and goal selection. Performing these five tasks is essential to achieve career maturity. Outcome Expectations. This factor is an important determinant of â€Å"career interests and choice goals† and may be best described as â€Å"If I do this, what will happen? â € . Outcome expectations are both the intrinsic and extrinsic rewards that career choices and goals are based on. Vocational Exploration.This factor refers to a process that an individual engages when choosing a career. This process begins with exposure to various sources of information (about one’s self, the vocational world, and alternative options) and involves activities such as (a) testing occupational preferences and interests, (b) evaluating suitability and obtaining feedback, (c) establishing career goals and overcoming barriers and obstacles, and (d) engaging in and committing to a career choice. Career Intentions. This factor is defined as â€Å"the degree to which a person has formulated conscious plans to perform or not perform some specified future behavior†.Both self-efficacy and outcome expectations are predictors of â€Å"career intentions and persistence behavior†. Three methods of data analysis were performed in this study. First, a series o f bivariate correlation analyses was conducted to test the relationships among career-related variables. Second, logistic regression analysis was performed to test the hypothesis and identify background and career-related variables that significantly predicted the probability of students’ intention to work in the hospitality industry after graduation.Third, students’ responses to one open-ended question were thematically analyzed. This question encouraged students to express their own views and opinions about pursuing careers in the hospitality industry. The authors results hold three main implications for both hospitality educators and industry. First of all, hospitality students in this study identified themselves as the most influential factor in making career decisions and also reported intrinsic rewards as more valuable outcomes or motivators for pursuing careers than extrinsic.Implications of this finding suggest that hospitality firms continue to create industry positions that promote â€Å"self-reliance,† â€Å"autonomy,† â€Å"advancement,† â€Å"opportunities for personal and professional development,† and â€Å"sense of achievement†. These researchers concluded that â€Å"money alone does not motivate a young manager† â€Å"the strongest driver of commitment is the intrinsic nature of the job,† and â€Å"one of the most important job features focuses on challenging job that offers growth opportunities†. Industry may also find our qualitative data on students’ motivations for pursuing a hospitality career valuable.Their responses matched with industry professionals’ views regarding qualifications for hospitality graduates in the 21st century, and included service attitude, flexibility, enjoy serving people, enjoy what you do, dedication, and commitment. Second, hospitality educators may find our regression analysis on factors affecting undergraduate students’ c areer intentions worthwhile when planning curriculum. For example, female students were found to show stronger intentions to work in the hospitality industry than male students. How does the material/information in the articles relate to the career development programme hat you followed at IHM? The IHM career development programme is created to prepare the student for his/her professional life after graduating IHM. By the use of several obliged tests and assignments, the student and his/her study career coach try to find out what the weaknesses and more important, strengths of the student are. Along with the before mentioned activities, the students tries to acquire skills that might help him/he in the future. Because the author of this assignment is currently a second year student, the first two years of the career development programme are examined.According to (Kuang Chuang, 2011) most of the career development programmes are designed to fit the student in a profile that companie s expect. However the turnover rate in the hospitality industry is extremely high, most of the universities do not change their programmes to decrease this high turnover rate. As mentioned before, students are bounded to several tests in order to increase their chance to receive a suitable job after graduation. The examples given in the article of the before mentioned authors, are the so called job-barriers.These barriers are events of circumstances that are part of career development difficulties of the ex-student. Examples of barriers are; inflexible working hours, poor financial compensation and the lack of growth. Students mentioned these three barriers as most important factors to leave the industry. Nowadays the industry, together with the universities, realize more and more that the students' point of view is important as well. Only fitting into a profile is not applicable anymore in the current market. Personal opinions, from students in this case, are becoming the new stand ard.The link with the IHM career development programme is that IHM tries to learn the student a range of skills that might turn out useful in any industry and not only the hospitality industry. Improving the lack of experience and motivation are also an important part of the programme. Of course fitting into a certain profile is also part of the programme, e. g. company visitations in the first year, and the expectations that derive from these visitations. Overall the article concludes that hospitality teachers will benefit from understanding how to help students with their barriers and how to give them a better position on the future market.A well chosen choice of career, a well structured goal and preparation will improve the chance of reaching the goals of students. The second article (Ning-Kuang Chuang and Mary Dellmann-Jenkins, 2010), tries to understand the factors that are involved in choosing a future career for students. Further objectives were if the career intentions of s tudents can be predicted by researching several variables. In accordance with the IHM programme, the articles explains the importance of self efficiency. It can be best described as; Can I do this?Part of the self efficiency are also individuals’ belief in their ability to carry out the following five tasks: self-appraisal, vocational information gathering, plans for the future, problem solving, and goal selection. Especially in the practical modules, students are constantly challenged to improve their performance and look critically towards themselves and to others. These factors are essential in achieving a mature and professional student. The focus in this part lies on the last two factors, problem solving and goal selection because these to factors can be best related to the career development programme of IHM.One of the boundaries that lies in the main question in this part of the assignment is the fact that all the articles should relate to the career development progra mme. However, the entire educational programme of IHM focuses on the before mentioned factors, and therefore this part will also include information about the rest of the IHM programme. The most obvious factors in the IHM programme related to problem solving is Problem Based Learning. In short, PBL. During these sessions students are trained in solving real life problems, that might also occur in the careers of the students contributing in a session.But PBL is in the authors opinion not only about solving problems but also about setting goals. What does a group want to achieve, will that challenge them, and why do the students want to know it? All these aspects of the IHM programme relate to this article in such a way that IHM also tries to find out why a student wants to achieve something. In the article, the students stated that money was not the only motivator in a job, but the intrinsic value that was found in a job gave the decisive. Especially these intrinsic values are also m entioned in the industry as most important in hiring people.Therefore the IHM educational programme is an extension of the article or the other way around. Describe in your own words how a manager of a hospitality company can use the information derived from the articles and the career development programme. What is a leader? Is a leader someone born to lead, or someone learned to lead? In earlier times especially men were considered leader that were born. There gender and background gave them the status that was expected and necessary to lead. In those days, most of the leaders were autocratic leaders, not much or little attention was given to the human aspects of leading.According to (Judi Brownell, 2010), the ‘great man' concept was the way to look at leaders. Nowadays leaders are considered transformational, they change according to what is needed to lead successful. The next step is the servant leadership style in which the leader seeks to support and empower followers. T he implications are considerable for the hospitality industry, since it is based on the concept of leadership through service. In the current market there is a need for trustworthy leaders who lead with integrity. Care about employees and the environment are considered more and more important.Keywords are trust and respect, however motives of leaders are, or are becoming questionable, and more often employees are stressed, disillusioned and disengaged. Is the personality of the leader the key factor in success? Or can a leader be trained to be a leader as mentioned before? Servant leadership might be the new success, but I have my doubts about the ‘new' element in this case. The hospitality industry has always been an industry were not the employees, but the guests and their expectations were considered most important.Employees in this industry have always been servants of guests. In my opinion is a good leader in a hospitality company, a trustworthy, respectable and integer p erson. One that has feeling with his company and his employees in order to let the guest feel at home and treated as such. Quality increases when employees feel respected and valued. While both servant and transformational leaders seek to empower employees, servant leadership adds an personal aspect to the business beyond what is normally found in transformational leadership.According to (Titus Oshagbemi, 2008), t would be useful to know what personal characteristics, such as age, and gender have on leadership which is based on some suggested principles. For example, how do older and younger top-level and lower-level organisational leaders differ in their leadership activities? Older workers are considered more calm and understated, they tend to cooperate and delegate more work compared to their younger employees. Also these older workers show a greater degree of empathy and care for their colleagues, they work to develop and promote others instead of themselves.According to my opin ion all this theory is important but not essential. Of course a leader can be trained in more or less disciplines of the hospitality business. But overall a leader is born, a leader has a natural feeling of what he/she has to do in order to make his employees do what he/she wants without being questioned. In addition to this most important factors a good leader, let his/her employees feel valued and respected. I think a hospitality leader is a leader that can deal with all sorts of problems. The most important information in these two articles is the information about the servant leadership.This kind of leadership should, in my opinion, almost be natural in a hospitality company. It doesn't maybe give direct rewards or benefits, but it would increase the quality of a lot of companies. A leader is in every way a role model, not only business wise but also personal wise. When answering the main question, for a hospitality manager without the natural leadership ability, I would recomme nd to turn the entire process around. Try to find out what you would like to experience when visiting your own company. How should the staff treat you, how should the overall feeling be?Explore what being a leader is about? According to these articles there are different ways to achieve a successful company. In addition to these articles, a manager should learn how to develop him/herself, the career development programme gives lot of opportunities to do so. By the hand of e. g. a Belbin Teamroletest or a Core Quality Quadrant, a manager might come up with ways to improve his leadership capabilities. But in my opinion, a manager hopefully already owns this kind of knowledge about him/herself, and should not have to rely on a university programme.Describe in your own words the importance of self management, personal leadership and career development for your personal professional development as a manager. Self management is the ability to lead a group without being constantly supervis ed or controlled. Little is actually known about the pro's and con's of self management, on the one hand it is a positive factor that individual peers can form an autonomous group, with self control. A group that makes it own decisions and is responsible for its performance. Skills like: leadership, cooperation and team-building can be learned.On the other hand, one might say that conflicts easily occur within a group, these conflicts might decrease the overall performance in this group. Conflicts are caused by a bad designed group, a group without clear agreements and without a clear structure. In this case the self management in my own personal professional development as a manager is the main issue. E. g. is the experience I gained at IHM with self managed groups. Especially in module assignments, teamwork is at the essence. Placed most of the time in a random group, it is just luck whether you are placed in a productive group, or not.Of course there are the workshops about cultu ral differences, effective teamwork and communication skills, but these workshops do not contribute to the basic of these groups. A group consists out of 4 peers, 2 peers are contributing and obviously 1 or 2 are not. This is the problem that, in my opinion, comes forward in any group. Answering the before mentioned main subject, self management is extremely important, if carried out correctly. Students at IHM, might get the feeling that there are always negative aspects in a group process. This is a negative aspect in the self managing atmosphere of IHM.However I believe that if carried out correctly and if just slightly supervised, the before mentioned, negative peers get the feeling that they also have to work in order to reach the set objectives. So concluded I would say that self management is important when becoming a future manager but it should be learned correctly in order to succeed. Secondly I will explain my vision on personal leadership in my personal professional devel opment as a manager. As mentioned earlier in this assignment, I think leaders are born instead of taught. I realize that in the current, international market, this vision is to black and white.I understand the importance of knowing the theory behind leading and the ability to perform according to the theory. In addition I will specify the †manager† part in the earlier mentioned statement. At IHM we are becoming future hospitality managers. In my opinion hospitality managers should have a common feeling of what a guest actually wants. The basic should be right in order to successfully create a future manager. Besides all the business, marketing and HRM knowledge, the basic should be right. Therefore I think that just a percentage of all the IHM graduates will become successful future hospitality managers.This might also be a reason for the high turnover in the industry, however this will not be examined further in this assignment. Self management will however remain one o f the most important factors in our future jobs, because of the increasing globalization and the changing nature of the hospitality industry. Finally this part of the assignment will focus on the career development part in becoming a manager. In my opinion standing still is †¦ Especially in the current modern business market, every single individual has to keep improving whenever the possibilities are present.Improving does not only relate to performing better, but also on the before mentioned fact of dealing with problems, the so called barriers. These barriers will not only come up when being a manager, but will cross the paths of current IHM students as well. Therefore I would like to explain the importance of career development by using the example of the students, becoming managers. I think one of the most important factors in career development is to turn the barriers into something positive. Learn from the difficulties that will sooner or later arise. Together with this barrier dealing issue, the performing part is the other main aspect.I think it is wise for managers in any industry to improve their overall performance constantly. Not only from learning theory, but from learning the industry as well. Explore what, related to the hospitality industry, your guests want and how their needs change. What are the trends and how will you use these in your advantage? Write a reflection of what you have learned from this replacement assignment, and how this can help you to make the right career decisions for you. At first, I have to be honest, I thought of this assignment as just the next of many others.The same aspects of the career development programme highlighted again. Until the moment that I started searching for articles. I realized that there was a lot to learn about these kind of programmes. Information that I had never seen before. Useful research that had been done concerning real life students' †problems†. In the last part of this r eplacement assignment I will focus on the 3 factors mentioned in the part above. Self management As mentioned earlier in this assignment I consider the luck factor in a designated module assignment group as a negative aspect. But maybe I should consider this barrier as a positive factor.I will help my fellow peers to gain a feeling with a project, try to guide them trough the available theory and set up clear rules and agreements. This might be a positive influence in a group. These steps will improve the group process and eventually the overall performance. Therefore I consider this a right decision in my upcoming career. Personal leadership I always have, and still do, consider myself as a leader type of person. This comes forward out of my personal experiences. E. g. I have been the chairman of several commissions, part of the largest student hockey club in the Netherlands.And I used to be the captain of my team. One of my strong points is that I can understand the position of ot her people in situations, I always try to listen carefully, not only to what people are telling me, but also what they don't. During my first two years at IHM, especially my practical module points and PBL points, underline this personal skill. Positive feedback from PBL coordinators and fellow peers also prove this. Currently my objective is to get a internship at the famous Amstel Hotel in Amsterdam. During my third year at IHM I will focus more on what is expected from me if I want to get the internship.Together with the Industrial Placement Office, I will try to make the right decisions in this step of my career as well. Career development After making this assignment I think I will consider the career development programme of IHM as a useful part of the education, instead of a less interesting way to receive credits. I think it would be good to make these kind of assignments part of the career development programme, because it offers a lot of information to students that they o therwise wouldn't have seen at all. It also gives students the opportunity to broaden their horizon bout career development, further than the basic assignments, in my opinion, for the portfolio do. The assignments given in the first 2 years of the education give not really a in depth view of the benefits the programme has. Conclusion Finally I want to conclude that however I didn't like the assignment at first, I realize that it will contribute to my career development programme in a positive way. After reading all the information in the articles, my look on the programme changed. It became clear to me that it is a way of preparing you for your upcoming professional life, however at first I might not seem that way.I read more about self management, career development and personal leadership in one week than in the rest of the two years together, and learned a lot. Literature list 1. Ning-Kuang Chuang. (2011). Job-Related Barriers and Coping Behaviors in the Career Development of Hos pitality Undergraduates . Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism. 14-32. DOI: 10. 1080/15332845. 2010. 500183 2. Ning-Kuang Chuang and Mary Dellmann-Jenkins. (2011). Career Decision Making and Intention: a Study of Hospitality Undergraduate Students. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research 2010 34: 512 originally published online 19-05-2010.DOI: 10. 1177/1096348010370867 3. Judi Brownell. (2011). Leadership in the Service of Hospitality. AUGUST 2010 Cornell Hospitality Quarterly 363. Volume 51, Issue 3 363-378. DOI: 10. 1177/1938965510368651 4. George W. Langfred. (2007). THE DOWNSIDE OF SELF-MANAGEMENT. Academy of Management Journal 2007, Vol. 50, No. 4, 885–900. 5. Titus Oshagbemi. (2008). The impact of personal and organisational variables on the leadership styles of managers. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 19, No. 10, October 2008, 1896–1910.

Public administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Public administration - Essay Example According to Chambers (2003), in a democratic system, the majority impose their will on the minority who in essence has no protection against the more often unlimited power of the majority. All the eligible citizens have by right, equal participation in proposing, developing or creating laws by which their society is run, either directly or through elected representatives. In a democratic system of government, the Majority wields absolute and unlimited power and their decisions cannot be appealed under the established legal system that gives effect to this form of government. More often than not, this opens the door to unlimited tyranny perpetuated by the majority. As Persson & Tabellini (2006) notes, democratic systems usually take two forms; direct democracy and representative democracy. In the former, citizens participate in all decision-making personally without relying on their representative. The voting population hence has the power to alter constitutional laws, bring forth initiatives or suggestions on law governing them and also institute binding orders against their elected officials such as recalling them even before their terms end for non-performance. They can also take the form of representative democracy whereby people vote in representatives or officials who then come up with initiatives on their behalf Democracies are more often concerned with group wants or needs in terms of public good. Attitude towards law in a democratic institution is that the will of the majority shall prevail, whether it is governed by emotions without regard to consequences or based upon deliberation. Law making in a democratic form of governance is a rapid process requiring the approval of the majority as determined by voter referendums or polls. More often these referendums give legislators the opportunity to blame faulty laws on the people. On the other hand a

Annotation of articles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Annotation of articles - Essay Example In fact, The Boston Globe is among the top ten newspaper websites in America. This undoubtedly shows that it is a trusted source of information. The fact that it has been done by an experienced movie critic, Burr, who is definitely aware of what to put in and what not to makes it even more reassuring. It is definitely an official review. Reflections of War by Stanley Kauffmann. Kauffmann, Stanley. â€Å"Reflections of War.† New Republic. 236.10/11 (3/5/2007). Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 September 2012. In his review, Kauffman starts by giving a description of the place covered in the movie, Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams. In fact, it is clear that he understands the plot. He is also very well informed since he even offers an account that the writer-director of the film lives right across the place. He also offers a succinct description of the characters depicted and the events that take place. Kauffman also offers an account of the movie Close to Home, which is a legal dr ama showcasing the existence of crime in the streets. Here, Kauffman also offers a clear account of who is involved and what happens. Being a movie critic, this does not go without an opinion from his perspective. Kauffman himself is an experienced film and theatre critic as well as a talented author and editor. The New Republic on the other hand is a genuine source. In fact, the magazine has been around since 1914. The magazine itself is very informative in the disciplines of arts and politics. Post War: Sarajevo conflict was hell, but what comes after is another battle by Ella Taylor. Taylor, Ella. â€Å"Sarajevo conflict was hell, but what comes after is another battle.† Villagevoice.com. Feb 6, 2007. Web. 6 September 2012. Taylors review begins with a reflection of what is happening today in war torn countries as well as what has been there in the past. She also gives an account of the effects of past wars in various countries. Despite being less graphic, Taylor describes the movie Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams as being one that brings back sad memories of the war which is another emotional battle. The review particularly highlights the plight of women, and especially single mothers who have to carry heavy burdens of being sole providers, in a male dominated society. Ella Taylor is an experienced movie critic and holds vast experience writing for various media companies in America. Villagevoice media on the other hand is an informative and genuine features and news website. The source of information is therefore legitimate. This information is very helpful in understanding the aftereffects of wars and genocides. The conflict in Sarajevo clearly shows what goes on in the lives of war victims physically, emotionally and psychologically. It is clear that although the war has ended, every victim still continues to struggle with memories and emotions arising from past events. Looking to the Future, Living with the past by Stephen Holden Holden, Stephen . â€Å"Looking to the Future, Living with the past.† nytimes.com. February 16, 2007. Web. 6 September 2012. Life after war is always haunted by memories and bitterness from the past. In his review, Holden clearly highlights this. Even when the war remains in the past, victims inevitably carry it with them. Memories of what happened cannot be rubbed from their minds and every time they come back with a

Requirements for the Corporate Computing Function Essay

Requirements for the Corporate Computing Function - Essay Example For instance, most companies today have a backlog of e-mails, instant messaging, web processing, voice call and other communication means to handle on a daily basis. In most cases, handling organization and management of information tend to pose a huge challenge to many. In spite of the challenges involved, it is an aspect that must be given serious attention. Data is part of a business today and the information obtained from data received is of great value in today’s business environment (Andersen,. 1995). In fact, most organizations depend on the availability and accuracy of the data to function. However, the technological advancements witnessed in the recent past have brought new hurdles in managing information that did not exist in the past before the emergence of computers and the internet. Whereas technology has increased efficiency, access, and integrity on ways of how to manage information, it can be tiresome. However, based on the competitive nature of the global econ omy, managers must ensure that data is received in a timely and accurate manner in order to be able to meet the information needs of management. The availability of accurate and timely data is important for the management since it keeps them informed and up to date with decisions (Andersen,. 1995). ... In the past, businesses used to rely on manual file management system, including cabinets and notebooks. However, the traditional filling systems are no longer productive in today’s competitive business environment. To solve this dilemma, the management must integrate technology by installing information system that is capable of addressing business processes and accomplish the goals of the organization in a timely and effective manner (Hanrahan, 2007). This can be achieved by introducing the Local Area Network (LAN) and Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) technology to ensure that the company receives data real time. The LAN is a technology used to interconnect computer networks in a single building (Hanrahan, 2007). The installation of the LAN technology in the company will enhance information sharing, which helps in meet information needs of the management. This is attributed to fact that managers will use the LAN technology to link with other members of the staff, thereby enha ncing the provision of information in a timely manner. The fact that the management will be able to obtain data real time helps in aiding timely decision-making in the company. Therefore, the fact that LAN technology allows management to share data is important and helps meet the informational needs of the management. The MAN technology will also help ensure that the informational needs of management are fulfilled. The MAN technology is important because it interconnects users with computer networks in a wide geographical area (Hanrahan, 2007). This may include different buildings within a city. As a result, MAN will allow the management to share data with users located in different geographical locations without necessarily having to travel to get the information. This is critical since it

Days of Heaven by Terrence Malick Research Paper

Days of Heaven by Terrence Malick - Research Paper Example Bill, Abby and Linda works at the same farm. The farmer who was the owner of the farm was a wealthy guy. The farmer somehow falls in love with Abby. At the same time it comes to the knowledge of the farmer that he is dying off some unidentified disease. When Bill gets to know about it, he designs a plan and try to convince Abby to marry the farmer. Bill wanted Abby to marry the dying farmer so that when he is dead they both can have his inherited money (French). Bill convinces Abby and after they both get married, Bill stays at the farm being Abby’s brother. The farmer’s foreman suspected the scheme. At the same time, the farmer is also able to resist the disease and stayed healthy. This ruins Bill’s plan. The farmer also gets to know about Bill’s and Abby relationship. On the other hand, Abby starts loving her new husband. The farmer tries to kill Bill but instead Bill kills him and escapes with Abby and Linda. Police eventually finds Bill and kills him. The music in the film is thoughtful and is filled with regret and loss. The musical mode in the film is like that of ‘The Godfather’, but is not very strong and remembered. This shows that Malick wanted to reflect a sad psychological connection of the characters with music. This has helped in determining the mental conditions of the character throughout the film (Schager). ‘Good days of heaven’ was not very well received by critics. The film, however, won an Academy Award for best cinematography. Regardless of the unfavorable critics, it is one of the most acclaimed films.

Team working theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Team working theories - Essay Example   According to Tuckman’s model, there are five stages involved in building an effective team. They are forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. During the formation stage, the team is entirely dependent on the leadership of one person. It is at this stage that clear and specific aims are formed. In the storming stage, everyone is concerned with the impression they are making than the job in hand. It provides an opportunity to challenge other members or the set aims. Conciliation is necessary because different people will challenge for supremacy or the best method of leading. In the norming stage, the challenges are recognized, and some terms agreed. In the performing stage, the team is at its best performance. All the members are in agreement, happy and understand their roles. In the adjourning stage, a sense of closure is brought to a team whose project is completed.According to John Adair’s action-centered model, there are three parts that contribute to effective team building. Identifying the task means setting the vision, purpose and direction of the team. In managing a team, the leader and other team members establish style, culture and ethics of the group. In the management of individuals, the leader should understand the team members as individuals and find the best ways of supporting them.According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, individuals cannot commit themselves to moving to a higher level of needs until the previous need is fully attained.  

Asphalt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Asphalt - Essay Example The power racer accomplice can also further be synchronized with the contemporary era Play station 4 and X-box 720 for maximum gaming practice and online arcade gaming using the iPhone. This has made gaming places such as supermarkets, Casinos, and arcades to become famous (Saponas et. al, 2008). The racer accessory is further associated with other gaming favourite apps that include Fifa 15 and Taken as a result of its ease of game control. As a means of customizing buyer needs and wants, the power racing has been produced in different colours and shapes that meet customer demands. The organization aims to be a multi-national company and attain market leadership in the gaming industry on a global scale. The mission of the business is to become the leader in the gaming industry (Saponas et al, 2008). Saponas, T., Lester, J., Froehlich, J., Fogarty, J., and Landay, J. (2008).Ilearn on the iphone: Real-time human activity classification on commodity mobile phones.  University of Washington CSE Tech Report

Econometrics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Econometrics - Essay Example d) Assume that you run a regression with 223 observations. The dependent variable is ‘annual salary’ and there are 3 independent variables ‘work experience in years’, ‘education duration in years’ and ‘number of employees in company’. The regression yields following result for the variable ‘number of employees in company’: e) A researcher wants to find out whether age has an effect on how happy people are. The researcher runs a regression with the dependent variable ‘happiness score’ (0 to 10 with 10 being extremely satisfied) and the independent variable ‘age’ (in years). The modelling results show that age is not significant. You also have a look at the residual plot (shown below). Please explain why the residual plot indicates that the regression generated by the researcher is misleading. Discuss what relationship you expect between age and happiness. Outline how you could work this into the initial regression model and hence, improve it (10 marks). From the analysis of the residual below it can be observed that the residua are symmetrical. The residual also have constant variance. This means that the assumption of constant variance is fulfilled. We therefore expect a significant relationship between the age and happiness. To improve the initial regression model, we would ensure that other variables that influence the happiness are introduced into the regression model. f) You want to know whether people with higher incomes are happier. Your friend has run a survey in their company and run a regression on the data. The dependent variable is ‘happiness score’ (0 to 10 with 10 being extremely satisfied). There is only one independent variable: ‘monthly income’ (in  £). Your friend sends you the gretl output of the regression via email. Unfortunately, the file got corrupted and only the critical F-value is legible (see below). Using this output, show that ‘monthly income’ is indeed highly significant (provide

Brazil Will Eventually Become Economic Powerhouse Essay Example for Free

Brazil Will Eventually Become Economic Powerhouse Essay Currently, Brazil with its population hitting 186. 6 million has the ninth largest economy in the world (Jaeger, p. 2). Since the beginning of the 21st century the country has been enjoying a well-established economic stability, low inflation, high productivity rates and developing macro-economic infrastructure. Currently, Brazilian economic indexes are gradually improving in their dynamics, though some of them still remain on the average level for Latin American region. In particular, GDP growth in 2006 was hardly over 3% (Estevao). Since the middle of the last century Brazil was expected to develop shortly into â€Å"the world’s next economic power. † However due to two-decade long economic stagnation and financial crises in the mid-1980s Brazil has lost its positions and fell short of expectations regarding its economic development, especially in comparison with rapidly progressing economies of the countries in Asian region, such as China, Taiwan or South Korea, etc. (Adrogue, Cerisola Gelos, p. 3). Nevertheless, in the 1990s a series of well-planned governmental policies were implemented and Brazilian economy went through a number of structural economic changes, which allowed achieving certain stability, especially on macro-economic level. Therefore, country’s inflation was taken under control, external debt was considerably decreased, and numerous measures directed on reformation of financial infrastructure, liberalization of trade, achieving price stability and stimulating general economic growth were undertaken (Jaeger, p. 5-6). This way the country managed to improve its international image and gain a reputation of â€Å"trustworthy† nation again. As a result, since recent times Brazil has been receiving a lot of private investments. Foreign investors are attracted by high return of their funds and relatively low risks. Such significant factors, as good demographic situation in the country, high interest rates, stable political situation and prudent governmental policies regarding overseas trade, created absolutely favorable environment for foreign businessmen, who intend to invest their funds and start their businesses in Brazil. Good investment climate and economic stability are not the only factors determining future rise of Brazilian economy. In addition to that, Brazil is very rich with various natural resources. Those are, first of all, huge territories of arable lands available for cultivation of a great variety of crops. Moreover, there are large mineral and plant resources including iron, copper and even gold, which have not been even properly explored yet. That is why there are great opportunities for different industrial and agricultural companies in Brazil. Undoubtedly, there are some problems which require immediate attention and solution in order to fasten economic development and achieve high levels of social wellbeing. Those include corrupted educational system and problems with human capital, insufficient financial and fiscal systems, poverty and income disparities, etc. Certainly, such reforms are hard to implement within some short period of time, therefore, positive transformations are expected to become effective gradually. Nevertheless, modern Brazil can be called the â€Å"country of the future† with its huge national market, cheap working power, abundance of natural resources, and many other factors determining a large long-term economic potential of the country (Jaeger, p. 2). Great economic stability and openness, steady increase in manufacturing and consumption, establishment of new international trade connections and other fundamentals will definitely contribute greatly to future prosperity and economic power of the country. Works Cited: Estevao, Marcello. Brazil Seeks to Unlock Economic Potential. International Monetary Fund. 26 Feb. 2007. 25 Nov. 2007 http://www. imf. org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/2007/CAR083A. htm. Jaeger, Marcus. Brazil: Economic scenarios for the next 15 years. Ed. Maria L. Lanzeni. Deutsche Bank Research. Frankfurt Am Main: Deutsche Bank AG, 2006 Adrogue, Richardo, Martin Cerisola and Gaston Gelos. Brazil’s Long-Term Growth Performance -Trying to Explain the Puzzle. International Monetary Fund, unpublished manuscript, December 2006.

The Case Of Gondar City Administration Tourism Essay

The Case Of Gondar City Administration Tourism Essay With its historic heritage, cultural diversity, and urban vitality, Istanbul has significant potential upon which creativity and cultural industries could flourish. This paper examines the current structure of three cultural industries in Istanbul from a spatial perspective. These sectors are arts and culture festivals, the film industry, and the fashion design industry. This study attempts to define and measure cultural industries in Gondar city. It starts with a discussion of the definition and delineation of the term cultural industries, arguing that a large range of goods services can be considered culture industry products that it is important to place the production and exchange of such products in the context of an industrial systems approach. The concept is then operationalized using the city data on employment and the activity of firms. The aim of this paper is to assess and analyze the provision of cultural industries and its contribution to the Gondar city administration economy in terms of employment. The main focus of the study is cultural industries especially performing art activities in the town. To this result, the practice of cultural industries, stakeholders participation, the existing rules and regulation will be examined. While a variety of definitions of the term cultural industries have been suggested, this paper will use the definition suggested by UNESCO (see www.unesco.org) is based on the notion that cultural industries add value to contents and generate values for individuals and societies. They are knowledge and labor intensive, create employment and wealth, nurture creativity-the raw material they are made from-,and foster innovation in production and commercialization processes. At the same time, cultural industries are central in promoting and maintaining cultural diversity and in ensuring democratic access to culture. This twofold nature-both cultural and economic-builds up a distinctive profile for cultural industries. The main questions/issues addressed in this paper are: What is the existing condition of cultural industries in Gondar town ? What are the contribution of cultural industries on the economy in terms of employment? What are the needs and threats of cultural practitioners? What are the challenges of the municipality in the provision and management of cultural industries? What solutions are needed? What options exist for cultural industries provision and management? To attain this, descriptive survey research method will be working based upon primary and secondary data gathering and interviews with stakeholders and responsible government officials. Finally, the study is believed to be a new input, since there has been no research on this area especially for this city. Acronyms UNESCO US UK TV Statement of the problem There is debate about how to define corruption; thus, it is important to define it thoroughly from the outset to determine what use the definitions play in our understanding of the phenomenon. In the new global economy, X has become a central issue for In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in This paper will focus on/examine/give an account of This paper seeks to address the following questions: This essay critically examines/discusses/traces The purpose of this paper is to review recent research into the This paper will review the research conducted on In this paper I argue that.. This chapter reviews the literature concerning the usefulness of using The aim of this paper is to determine/examine The aim of this study was to evaluate and validate Defining or establishing what keywords mean in your work: While a variety of definitions of the term X have been suggested, this paper w definition first suggested by Smith (1968) who saw it as. Throughout this paper the term X will refer to/will be used to refer to. In this article the acronym/abbreviation XYZ will be used. .; to identify the current challenges and opportunities of cultural industries, and to assess the existing rules, laws and regulation of cultural industries; and also to recommend necessary policy intervention measures that could be helpful for this areas. CHAPTER ONE Introduction Background of the Study In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the place of culture in the economy. In recent years government and regional authorities in the Ethiopia countries have begun to take seriously the idea of cultural activities being crucial components of their economies in need of industrial support and development. The role of culture in the functioning and development of Ethiopian economies has become an increasingly popular topic for both researchers and policymakers alike. In particular, there has been a growing awareness in recent years that cultural industries such as film, music and the media are increasingly important and vibrant parts of many countries economiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦../unpublished/ This paper argues that cultural industries sector is an area of the global economy where SIDS enjoy some comparative advantage in production and where there is a window of opportunity given the rise of the digital economy and the increasing commercialization of the arts. The view is that cultural industries may offer more sustainable development options since they draw on the creativity and enterprise of local artists and communities. It is also argued that the cultural industries play a dual role in that it is an economic sector with growth potential and an arena for identity formation. The paper identifies ways in which SIDS can benefit from the increased commercialization of the arts and cultural industries. The paper will also outline the main challenges and opportunities for SIDS in the global cultural economy as well as give broad recommendations by drawing on the experience of the Caribbean. The term cultural industries encompasses a wide variety of co modified activities, including the mass media, film, art, design, music and architecture. There effects are important to national economies in terms of their impacts on trade, employment levels (Casey, Dunlop, and Selwood 1996: European commission 1999: Europian union 2000: Greffe 1997: Pratt 1997b) industrial ownership and investment patterns of consumption. This study starts by discussing some of the definitional problems that characterize research on cultural industries. Using a broad definition of cultural industries understood as an industrial or production system (pratt 1997b), I then analyze stastical data on the levels of employment and the activity of firms in Gondar cultural industries b/n 1994 and 1995. This study investigates cultural industries as both a concept and reality in the context of Gondar. I show that although cultural industries are not the most important economic activities in the Gondar economy, they represent a significant and fast growing area with some distinctive characteristics. Globalization bring modernization. Modernization has positive and negative impact. One of its negative impact have a tendency to destroy local creativity and dominated local peoples to foreign culture and attitude. Local cultural goods if properly packaged and marketed could play an important role in economic system. Many aspects of culture, particularly in the area of dance, music and arts have influenced active industries around the world. But the ability to package cultural activities into marketable goods that can penetrate global markets is a big challenges for countries. Even local markets have not been fully exploited. A major challenges has been the ability to mobilize the creativity of people and exploit them for growth and development. Ethiopia recognizes the role of culture and tourism in development and has national policies on culture and tourism which aims at promoting cultural activities. What the reforms have failed to do is to effectively link culture with business so as to build a sustainable industry. The objective of this paper is focusing on the trends and issues of cultural industries in Gondr city administration. After introducing some concepts about the study area, the paper reviewed different literatures concerning the issue understudy. The research methodology that the paper adopted is also included. In addition to this data presentation and analysis is part of this paper. Finally the researcher winds the paper up by concluding the whole parts of it and giving possible recommendation for the gaps which are researched. 1.2 Statements of problem Ethiopia has her own culture and identity. This culture and identity face a big challenge due to globalization. Local creativity has definitely been minimized by the nature of technological changes and the structural shift in economies, particularly in most productive activities. To be competitive in a globalizing world Ethiopia must promote her cultural economy. This is also true to Gondar city administration. This is still very weak despite the enormous resources available in the country as well as the city. There is a need to assess the value of the arts and culture in the economy. We have to know what the sector looks like and what products and services are involved. Who are the stakeholders in the sector and also what are the elements of the cultural economy in the city are one focus of this studies. Besides what are the challenges to the cultural economy and what is the marketing structure of the sector also other concern areas. 1.3 Objectives of the Study 1.3.1 General Objective The general objective of the study is to assess and analyze the provision of cultural industries and its role for employment opportunities in Gondar city administration . 1.3.2 Specific Objectives Describe cultural industries role for employment opportunities in Gondar city administration . Identify the existing conditions of cultural industries in the Gondar city administration . Describe the current challenges and opportunities of cultural industries in the Gondar city administration . Assess the rules, laws and regulation of cultural industries in the Gondar city administration . Recommend necessary policy intervention measures that could be helpful for Gondar city administration and other similar areas. 1.4 Research Questions What is the existing condition of cultural industries in Gondar town ? What are the impacts of cultural industries on the economy? What are the needs and threats of cultural practitioners? What are the challenges of the municipality in the provision and management of cultural industries? What solutions are needed? What options exist for cultural industries provision and management? 1.5. Significance of the Study The study will enables the researcher to have introduce overview of the existing situations of cultural industries for comprehensive understanding. The study will have a contribution to the community, private investor, local authorities and planners to give proper attention for the multifunction and benefits of cultural industries. It can also some policy indications that are helpful for municipal government and planner to consider as part of their overall town planning ingredients. It will also fill the knowledge gap that exist because there is no study on cultural industries in Gondar. Furthermore, this study serves as a reference for other researchers who are interested in conducting studies on this issue. 1.6. Scope of the Study The study is delimited spatially in the Gondar city administration which is found in the Amhara regional state. The key concerns of the study is examining the status of cultural industries and explaining factors that challenge for the provision of the issue. Besides the impact of cultural industries on the economy of the town is discussed in this paper. Furthermore, based on the indications and results of the study feasible strategies will be recommended to resolve the problem. 1.7 Description of the study area Gondar city administration is a city in Amhara national regional state of Ethiopia. And located on the Southern shore of Lake Tana and the source of the Blue Nile (Abay) river. The city is sited 567km north-west of Addis Ababa along Addis Ababa- Dejen- Debremarkos-Bure road and 465km Addis Ababa-Dejen-Motta road. Gondar city administration currently structured as a metropolitan city including 9 city kebles, 4 adjacent rural kebeles and 3 satellite towns(Meshenti, Zeghie and Tis Abay). The city has a latitude and longitude of 110 38 N and 370 15 E and an elevation of 1840m above sea-level (BDIDP, 2006). Its location at this spot favors the city with many and multifaceted opportunities like water resource (Lake and River), suitable topography, favorable climate to live. Based on figures issued by the central statistical agency in 2007, the city has an estimated total population of 230,344 of whom 107,578 males and 112,766 females (CSA, 2007). CHAPTER TWO 2. Literature Review culture is different from society to society. Even though, cultural activities vary from society to society, they have the same economic impact. So that, in this part the paper tries to utilize different literatures, which are very relevant for the study like the existing situations, socio-economic benefits, challenges and opportunities and policies and strategies related to art, culture and cultural industries extensively by reviewing from the works of different authors. 2.1 Theoretical and conceptual Frame work 2.1.1 The concept of cultural industries The term cultural or creative industries describes the economic activities of artists, arts enterprises and cultural entrepreneurs, for-profit as well as not-for-profit, in the production, distribution and consumption of film, television, literature, music, theatre, dance, visual arts, masquerade, broadcasting, multimedia, animation, fashion and so on. The sector is not just a commercial arena, it is a symbolic and social space where spiritual values, psychic meaning and bodily pleasures are displayed, enacted and represented. From this perspective the cultural/creative industries play a dual role: they are an important area for investment in the new knowledge economy and a means of bolstering spiritual values and cultural identity. This is why UNESCO recommends that countries should maximize potential economic contribution as well as facilitate national, regional and world dissemination of endogenous cultural creativity. /www.caricomorg/index.php?options=com-docmantask/ For the purpose of this study we use the term cultural industries to describe the activities of cultural entrepreneurs and arts enterprises, for-profit as well as not-for-profit in the production, distribution and consumption of film, television, books, music, theatre, dance, visual arts, multimedia, animation, fashion and so on. The concept of cultural industries comprises all enterprises and self-employed persons whose economic activities focus on the production, dissemination and intermediation of artistic and cultural products or services. In other words: all subsectors and market segments that are related to culture in a wide sense, e.g. music industry, publishing industry, arts, film industry etc. This embraces individual artistic ideas or original works of art, products of the applied arts, the trade of art works and products of popular culture, even the dissemination of cultural goods and services through the mass media. /www.unesco.de/fileadmin//culture_and_creative_industries.pdf/ In terms of industry definition, the cultural goods and services involve creativity in their production, embody some degree of intellectual property and convey symbolic meaning. (David Throsby,2001) Cultural products are goods and services that include the arts (performing arts, visual arts, architecture), heritage conservation (museums, galleries, libraries), the cultural industries (written media, broadcasting, film, recording), and festivals. UNESCO has declared that these products are not like other forms of merchandise.( publications.gc.ca/collections) The production, distribution, exhibition and preservation of cultural products can be a source of inspiration and creativity for cultural industries, generating considerable income and employment fuelled by the growing demand for cultural goods and services in an expanding marketplace. Many businesses today, small, medium and large, create wealth using the forms and materials of traditional cultures. Local cooperatives have been formed in some countries to produce and market handmade crafts, textiles that employ traditional designs, audio recordings of traditional music, pharmaceuticals that use indigenous knowledge of healing plants. Trade in cultural products can contribute to the quality of life in the places they are produced, and can enhance the image and prestige of the local area. Some cultural products can also play an important role in community food security, nutrition and health. Their benefits are relatively more important for poorer households, women and disadvantaged groups. Sadly, the commercialization of cultural products has often not benefited the countries of origin, particularly in the fields of music, film, video production, visual arts, crafts and performing arts and dance. And despite their economic potential, most cultural products are hardly researched and rarely feature in national economic statistics. / www.thecommonwealth.org/ 2.1.2 Creative Industries and Development Globally, creative industries are estimated to account for more than 7 per cent of the worlds gross domestic product and are forecast to grow, on average, by 10 per cent a year. While the economic and employment-generating potential of these industries is vast and many developing and transition countries have great potential in this area, most are still marginal players, despite their rich cultural heritage and an inexhaustible pool of talent. That position reflects a combination of domestic policy weaknesses and global systemic biases. Ongoing research has emphasized the potential of these industries in developing countries. Creativity, more than labour and capital, or even traditional technologies, is deeply embedded in every countrys cultural context. Excellence in artistic expression, abundance of talent, and openness to new influences and experimentation are not the privilege of rich countries. With effective nurturing, these sources of creativity can open up new opportunities f or developing countries to increase their shares of world trade and to leap-frog into new areas of wealth creation. (unctad.org/en/docs/tdxibpd13_en.pdf) 2.1.3 cultural industries in urban regeneration and regional growth Throsby noted that the importance of the arts in the economic life of the city and as a means for urban regeneration was first recognized several decades ago. More recently, interest has widened to embrace broader issue of the urban cultural fabric, community values and the prospects for re-thinking urban design along environmentally and culturally sensitive lines. Culture is importantly implicated in the process of urban development. At least four non-mutually-exclusive roles for culture in the life of cities can be observed. First, a specific cultural facility may comprise on its own a significant cultural symbol or attraction affecting the urban economy. Second, a cultural district may act as a node for development in the local area. Third, the cultural industries, especially the performing arts, may constitute a vital component of a citys economy. Fourth, culture may have a more pervasive role in urban development through the fostering of community identity, creativity, cohesion and vitality, via the cultural characteristics and practices which define the city and its inhabitants. (Throsby 2001, p.124) With in this context the concept of cultural capital is a useful way of depicting the place of culture in the urban setting. Heritage buildings, cultural institutions, facilities such as theatres, concert halls, crafts workshops, artists studios and so on can all be seen as capital assets, and the People who produce cultural goods and services in these facilities-actors, musicians, craftspeople, writers, technicians, designers, administrators and many others- all contribute to the generation of economic and cultural value over time. (Throsby 2001, p.126) 2.1.4 cultural industries/economy in Ethiopia Ethiopia is an ancient country with a rich cultural heritage which includes both tangible and non tangible assets, centuries old handicraft production, an exceptional variety of ceremonies, festivals, celebrations and rituals, as well as eight cultural and natural heritage sites registered on the on UNESCOs World Heritage list. Given its rich cultural heritage and having emerged as the most stable country in the Horn of Africa, Ethiopias potential for economic growth through tourism is highly underutilized. The abundant supply of labor is a potential resource for development with little requirement for investment, in particular in regards to handicrafts and other arts that require intensive manual labor. The government has expressed its desire to improve management of the major cultural sites and the promotion of Tourism as a source of income and sustainable development. Centuries old local industries are at risk by the lack of cultural status assigned to bearers of cultural traditions within society, as well as traditionally low prices, which translate into low incentives to learn the trade, putting at risk the national cultural heritage. Population pressures together with environmental degradation, poverty and global warming endanger Ethiopias natural and cultural heritage. Indigenous knowledge and practi ces need to be safeguarded from globalization. History of cultural homogenization, together with a pressure for modernization, have undermined the value of cultural diversity. /www.mdgfund.org/ In spite of existing legal instruments, such as the recently enacted intellectual property laws can create and enabling environment, Ethiopia does not have a policy framework to guide the development of the cultural industry, and its instruments do not yet incorporate indigenous knowledge and natural heritage management traditions. The lack of comprehensive laws and policies, as well as poor enforcement and implementation of existing policies and regulatory frameworks, in part due to lack of capacity and public awareness, has resulted in a poor institutional framework. Although most products are original and functional, there is no standardization, which would allow them to compete in the international market. Additionally, there are no market linkages between producers and traders, with agents retaining a good share of the profit. Further to income loss this translates into low specialization and the inability to respond to market demand. Poor coordination leads to lack of integrati on and synergies, while efforts of stakeholders become fragmented and possibly duplicated. /www.mdgfund.org/ 2.1.5 challenges and opportunities of cultural industries The challenges facing the creative industries are different from those posed to the traditional goods sector. Firstly, intellectual property protection and commercialization is a top priority. The creative industries cannot survive in the marketplace without adequate protection from copyright infringement. Without such protection cultural entrepreneurs would be at the mercy of piracy, bootlegging, counterfeiting and other forms of infringement such as unlicensed broadcasting. Secondly, research and development must be placed higher on the agenda. In the cultural industries research and development means investment in human and creative capital. This is a critical area as the cultural industries start with creativity and it accounts for a large share of investment in the sector. Lastly, marketing and branding are crucial because audience loyalty is difficult to build and predict. With the rise of the digital and Internet economy there is a tendency to underestimate the level of the challenge of introducing new and alternative genres into the world market for creative goods and services. Ultimately, the issue that arises for developing country regions is whether they will be able to develop the expertise along with the distribution infrastructure and marketing savvy to tap into the growth potential of the rising creative sector. One of the main challenges in penetrating the international market is that of introducing new and alternative art forms and genres in global, regional and national markets that are increasingly saturated with content from the main cultural exporters (e.g. the US, UK and India). Participating in these markets is not just a matter of building competitiveness it also calls for changing consumer tastes and lifestyles, which is requires heavy, capital-intensive marketing and alliances with global firms. The countries of the region are also faced with a number of challenges that are associated with small and peripheral economies such as weak management and inadequate information systems, shortage of skilled personnel, low levels of training, poor manufacturing and service facilities, uncompetitive packaging and branding, weak marketing and distribution channels, high levels of copyright infringement and piracy and weak rights management and royalties collections. There also tends to be an historical, institutional and commercial bias against indigenous content in the home market that marginalizes and limits local entrepreneurship, investment and market development. The key opportunities relate to changes like rising domestic cultural content in developing countries, the growth of Diaspora markets and networks, the increasing interest in authenticity and indigenous culture in the tourism industry, cost reductions in new digital technologies, the growth of global media (e.g. cable TV, satellite radio, Internet), and the emergence of Internet marketing and broadcasting. In this context existing strategies for ensuring competitiveness and sustainable development are inadequate. It is against this backdrop that recommendations for developing the potential of the cultural industries through the application of industrial, trade and innovation policies must be made. /www.caricomorg/index.php?options=com-docmantask/ Chapter -3 3. Research Design and Methodology 3.1. Research design To make the data valid and up to date and to arrive at reliable findings, the researcher applying the field and desk surveying method and then collects various types of data related to the study under consideration. Review of available literature and documents, collection and analysis of both primary and secondary data will be carried out. Interviews and discussions with relevant officials of the government and stakeholders will be also held. Relevant documents, journals, reports, books, newspapers, project reports, etc used as a source of information. 3. 1. 1 The types of research The study categorizes descriptive types of research and will carry out by quantitative research that can produce quantifiable numerical data. 3.1.2. Source of the data The researcher used both primary and secondary source of data to gather accurate and reliable information. 3.1.3. Data collection techniques To gather the reliable information, the researcher will use the following data instruments. Those are: Questionnaire, Interview, and Field observation. 3.1.4. Sampling Design The researcher distributes the Questionnaire for the stakeholders who are dwellers of the town and practice on cultural activities. The sample size will decide after actual observation done on cultural activities practitioners. 3.1.5. Sampling Technique: The researcher use both probability and non-probability sampling technique in collecting the information. From non-probability sampling the researcher use purposive (judgmental sampling). He uses his judgment to choose or pick only those who best meet the purpose of the study. From the probability sampling the researcher use stratified random sampling method to make the inclusive and to get data from different subject population 3.1.6 Limitation of the study Financial and time constraints will be the main challenges of this research study. Moreover, during the time of data collection, the study may face different problems such as unwillingness of the respondents and informants. Finally, the study will be challenged by lack of organized data which are relevant to the study. 4. CONCLUSION Misunderstanding of the impact of cultural industries on the economy system will be a challenge in Sub-Saharan African countries including Ethiopia even though the level and impact of cultural industries in creation of job vary from city to city. Hence, the general objective of the study will be to assess and analyze the impact of cultural industries on Gondar city administration economy, and to come up with possible solution to improve the existing problems. To substantiate the study, cultural industries related literatures are reviewed. To conduct the study both primary and secondary data will be obtained and analyzed. The primary data will be collected through questionnaires and structured interview and the collected data will be analyzed using descriptive methods of data analysis and will be presented with the help of tables graphs, figures and charts. Finally, based on the findings, possible recommendations will be drawn to improve the role of cultural industries on the economy of Gondar city administration city.