Political Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Political Economy - Essay Example The recession and population Growth have been contributing to Income inequalities and at the same time influencing an increased focused on Environmental pollution. The increase in recession and population growth has had a trickledown effect and things have been getting worse as time has gone by. The primary focus of this thesis will be the effects recession and population growth have on triggering income inequality as well as environmental pollution. Financially, the last decade or so has been a debacle for most countries around the world. The term recession has posed as a pest for most economies and has derailed the massive progress the world was making. Money was being flown out of the economic system that was being injected into it. Supplies were not meeting demands and inflation reached its highest. Recession ate down economies all over the world like a pest and all of that resulted in no liquid money being present in the economy. Credit money increased and economies became dangerously short of liquid cash. The spending power of the common man also went down drastically which means no money was being injected in the economy causing the financial state of the world to go worse. To worsen matters, population of the world saw no regression. The world was experiencing an exponential growth in population and as a result, demands were not being met. The world was not producing enough to be able to accommodate and feed the growing population. The common man started facing affordability issues giving way to income inequalities. Income inequalities had their own set of problems. The common man turned to crime and wrongdoings to fulfill his basic needs and this is where crime multiplied in the world. All of it worked in circles and the world situation starting deteriorating. With all the problems mentioned above, the authorities of the world showed increased concern and focus on environmental pollution. The increasing population led to

Trend Analysis for Myer Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Trend Analysis for Myer - Assignment Example A new building was built and completed in 1914. From this base, Myer build the largest departmental stores in Australia (Harold, 2010). The death of Sydney in 1934 saw the management passed to Elcon Myer. In 1938, Elcon Myer passed on, and the management was passed to their cousin, Norman Myer, who led the company till his death in 1956. Myer then grew by promoting growth in its own stores and acquiring other stores (Harold, 2010). Taking the 2009 sales to be the base of analysis, the recorded sales in 2011 and 2012 fairly decreased. However, the sales for 2010 recorded a higher score than 2009’s. This can be attributed to many factors. In this breakdown, the 2009 sales assume a 100% mark, using it as a benchmark to calculate the deviations in percentages for the various years. The performance of sales in the respective years affects the realized profits. In 2010, profits went up as compared to 2009. This exclusive performance as compared to 2011 and 2012 respectively, can be attributed to the increase in sales, cost of goods sold, operating income and expenses directly linked to sales. On 2010, the concession sale recorded an 8% increase from 2009 and remained persistent to the year 2011. In 2012, it gained another 4 % increase. This means that Myer increased its sales by allowing their goods and services to be sold under contract or license by other businesses, not related to the chain of stores, in the geographical area (Bell, 1990). It is astonishing that 2010, which recorded higher sales revenue in 2010 as compared to 2011 and 2012, realized the lowest profits. This performance can be attributed to the following factors; in the same year, the sale revenue realized under customer loyalty program was an increases figure of 12% from 2009. This figure does not contribute in determining the profitability of the business as it was deferred to the next financial year. The operating revenues in 2010 are much lower as compared to 2011

A Study Of Lewins Model Management Essay

A Study Of Lewins Model Management Essay In the refreezing stage the company stabilized changes by establishing systems that can establish behavioural pattern in the organisation. A new performance appraisal system based on behaviour and results was introduced to encourage customer service. (Goodstein., D., L. Burke, W., W., 1991) 14 It is not easy for an organisation change its structure and business processes since any change may lead to some level of resistance by the employees. One of the main causes for resistance is the fear of the unknown and loss of what is familiar. There are four reasons of resistance from employee to organisational change including 1) Parochial self-interest, 2) Misunderstanding and lack of trust, 3) Contradictory assessments, and 4) Low tolerance for change. (Buchanan D. Huczynski A., 2004) BA tried to change behaviour by changing the management style from authoritative to participative. BA wished employees participate more in management decision but since this was unfamiliar employers would fall back to the old patterns. 15 A tactic that was used in BA to manage resistance to change was the HR policy which included training guidelines. Such an HR policy is important in making the employees understand and react positively to change. There is also an example where resistance to change hindered the organisations goals and objectives. In an attempt to cut down cost can compete with low cost airlines BA tried implementing a new payment system and also hiring workers for lower salaries. This created insecurity among the employees which ended in a strike that cost the company in millions in 2000. Therefore handling resistance and the HR aspects of the company is vital to a successful change process. 15 REFERENCES 16 Wilson, C.D., (1992), A Strategy of Change, Thomas Learning, London 16 British Airways, 2006, Leaders For Business: What are we looking for?, http://www.britishairwaysjobs.com/baweb1/?newms=info196 (22 December 2006) British Airways, 2006, Our Recruitment Process: The Assessment Process, http://www.britishairwaysjobs.com/baweb1/?newms=info48 (22 December 2006) 16 Paton, R.A. McCalman, J. (2008) Change Management 2nd ed. Sage Publications, London 16 Cellars, T. (2007), Change Management Models: A Look at McKinseys 7-S Model, Lewins Change Management Model and Kotters Eight Step Change Model, Associated Content, [Online], http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/237685/change_management_models_a_look_at_pg5_pg5.html?cat=3, accessed on 30 November 2009 16 Green, M. (2007), Change Management Masterclass, Kogan Page Limited, Philadelphia 16 Syque. (2007). Lewins freeze phases. Retrieved April 12, 2007, from Changing Minds 16 12Manage. (2007, April 9). 7-S framework (mckinsey). Retrieved April 12, 2007, from 12Manage Web site: http://www.12manage.com/methods_7S.html 16 Chapman, A. (2006). Change management. Retrieved April 12, 2007, from Business Balls Web site: http://www.businessballs.com/changemanagement.htm 16 Mind Tools. (2007). Lewins change management model: Understanding the three stages of change. Retrieved April 12, 2007, from Mind Tools Web site: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_94.htm 16 Morgan, O. (n.d.). Organization management part 1. Retrieved April 12, 2007, from Oliver Morgan Web site: http://www.omorgan.info/download/Part%20I/organisation_management_Part_I.pdf 16 Recklies, D. (2007). The 7-s-model. Retrieved April 12, 2007, from Recklies Management Web site: http://www.themanager.org/Models/7S%20Model.htm 16 Johnson G and Scholes k (2002) Exploring Corporate Strategy, Prentice Hall, 6th ed. 17 INTRODUCTION British Airways Plc, renowned in the world as a leading airline, operates international and domestic scheduled and charter passenger services, freight, mail as well as ancillary services. Including 6 domestic flights, British Airways serves nearly 150 destinations. New code share arrangements agreed with Finnair, Iberia and Cathay Pacific are included in BAs global alliances. The airline operates in geographical areas such as the UK, Europe, America, Africa, Middle and Far East, Australasia and Indian sub-continent. For the year ended March 2009, the company generated revenues of  £ 8,992 million which is an increase of 3.1% on the  £ 8,753 million revenues generated in the year ended 2008. The net loss of the company was  £358 million during the 2009 financial year, showing a major decrease from the  £696 million profit in the previous year. British Airways Plc was formed from the airlines,  BOAC,  BEA, Cambrian Airways  and Northeast Airlines on 1 September 1974 through  nationalisation  by the Labour Government. In February 1987, thirteen years later, the company was privatised. Measured by passenger numbers, British Airways was the largest airline of the UK until 2008. British Airways is listed on the  LSE  and is a constituent of the  FTSE 100 Index. The airline celebrated its 35th anniversary on 31 March 2009. Change management According to cook et al (2004) change management is a set of processes that is employed to ensure that significant changes are implemented in an orderly, controlled and systematic fashion to effect organizational change. One of the goals of change management is to reduce resistance to change in order for organizational members accept the change and thereby achieve the organizations goal of a smooth transformation. Change management can be seen to have five specific stages that must be realized for an organisation to be successfully implementing change. Firstly the organisation must know why a specific change or series should be brought about. Secondly the organisation must be motivated and desire to go through this particular change. Thirdly the organisation must posses the knowledge of how to carry out the change. Fourthly the organisation must acquire new skills and behaviours that are necessary for the change to occur. Lastly the organisation must become sustainable by making these new behaviours their usual practice. Further according to Wilson (1992) change can occur mainly in two dimensions depending on the theories and models used. This view explains that change can be either planned or unplanned. Also change can be described in terms of the process or implementation strategy. The issues of understanding and managing change within an organisation depend on the change approach that is selected by the organisation. Organisational Structure British Airways operates as a group of companies whose main industry sectors are international and domestic scheduled and charter air services carrying passengers, freight and mail as well as providing supplementary services. The group consists of British Airways Plc and a number of subsidiary companies, including British Airways Holidays Ltd, British Airways Travel Shops Ltd etc. The two main operating bases of the company are Heathrow and Gatwick airports and has established in branches around the world. The company is listed in several stock exchanges including LSE, Munich, US etc. British airways together with its partnerships have managed to extend its network thus entering all significant markets. As for the structure of BA, it has suffered a shift from modern to post modern to post modern organisational structure i.e. it has moved from mechanistic to more organic style of operation. The operations of BA can be analysed departmentally into Planning, Distribution and mileage partnerships, Marketing communications, Global contact centres, eCommerce, Triton Programme, Revenue management, AirMiles Travel Company, Travel Shops, BA Holidays, BA travel Clinics, Corporate communications, BA world Cargo, Ground Operations, BA engineering, Information management, BA shares etc. Each division has its own functionalities to perform, goals and objectives to meet which contributes to corporate aims and objectives. Department Responsibility Planning Planning fleet, network, schedule, infrastructure, resources, property Distribution mileage partnerships Ensure that customers can book pay and ticket a booking through the website, contact centres, shops, travel agents around the world Marketing communications Marketing communications, advertising, promotions, gain insight into customer needs Global contact centres Delivers services to customers who prefer using the phone eCommerce Major projects to broaden the range of transactions customers can do on their own, improve quality of online channels Triton Programme The 10 year contract with Amadeus, leading provider of travel industry systems Revenue management Monitors, controls, forecasts sales working to improve profitability AirMiles Travel Company Carries out customer loyalty programmes Travel Shops Provides personal services and expert advise from well travelled consultants BA Holidays Sells holiday packages travel Clinics Offers travel health advice and comprehensive vaccination service Corporate communications Protects and manages the global reputation ensuring that a wide audience are aware of the airlines news and developments. world Cargo Provides freight, mail and courier services Ground Operations Management of Customer services and terminal operations with safety and security Engineering Responsible for aviation maintenance providing full support for the fleets Information Management Responsible for all IT across the BA group and plays a fundamental role in shaping the future of the airline BA shares Responsible for all investor relations Table 1: Departmental Analysis of British Airways Market Environment PEST Analysis The Airline industry has become extremely competitive due to the budget airline and the current unfavourable economic conditions. All player compete for the market share in an environment where the bargaining powers of customer have increased and there is no control over the powers of fuel suppliers and prices. In the current economic conditions there is limited growth in volume and demand for air travel has declined significantly. The PEST analysis shows the external factors that affect the organisation and its change processes. It also reveals the changes the organisation must make in order to remain competitive in adverse market conditions. Thus, this section looks into the external environment of British Airways since change strategies are affected by the factors and changes in the macro environment. Such changes could bring about favourable or adverse effects on the companys turnover and growth. The PESTEL framework has been applied to examine the external factors and its impact on the company. Political and Legal Factors Developments in the political and legal factors can have a high impact on the airline industry. Political developments include changes in governmental policies, international regulations and legislations, government taxes on air travel, political and economical relationships with counties, changes in airport and aviation rules etc. Some of the developments have a favourable impact on the company while some others will have an unfavourable impact. The EU policy has increased air travel and therefore has been a positive impact on the airline industry. On the other hand, increase of government taxes has adverse results on the industry since demand for air travel declines due to high airfare. Economical Factors Economic developments such as increase in fuel prices, unfavourable currency and interest rates, recession, inflation, increase in unemployment has a negative impact on British Airways. In such environments leisure travel declines because people have less disposable income and business travel declines because corporate spending is reduced. Also recession negatively impacts on growth of companies in terms of expansions and buying additional aircrafts. On the other hand, changes such as economic boom, deflation could favourably contribute towards a companys performance. Social and Environmental Factors Airline industry is constantly under pressure for various environmental pressure groups due to high CO emission, noise and the effects on the climate. Also outbreaks of diseases such as such as Swine Flu can decrease air travel. Another aspect that could reduce air travel is safety related issues such as acts of terrorists and crashes. Technological Factors Changes in technology have shown negative and positive impacts on the airline industry. The positive impacts have been safety, cost reduction and ease of booking and planning travel online. On the other hand due to new technological developments such as advanced meeting facilities business travel is not necessary to the same extent as before. BA and Ryanair British Airways aims to operate a high quality service to its customers at a affordable price. It operates long and short haul flights to many destinations around the world and ensures comfort while taking the passengers closer to their destination. British airways mainly operate in three areas, namely passenger transport, cargo and mail services. British airways aim to understand its customers needs and operate accordingly. The company has a strong brand image and the employees are expected to work up to its standards. The organisational structure can be regarded as a flat type because it has only one level of hierarchy that separates Managing Directors at the top from bottom-line employees. On the other hand Ryanair operates on a no- frill strategy which means that the passengers are not provided with any extra facilities and operates simply as a point to point transportation service. It has grown largely in Europe by attracting customers who prefer low ticket prices thereby reducing the market share of British Airways. It mainly operates short haul flights to destinations which are secondary airports. Factors Affecting Change Management According to Paton and McCalman (2008) Change management can be defined as a planned process for changing a core function or organization of an enterprise. Change Management is an organized, systematic application of the knowledge, tools, and resources of change that provides organizations with a key process to achieve their business strategy. (Lamarsh 2000). With the aid of technology the industries and products are congregating which means each firm has to take a very holistic approach to the marketing of goods and services. Paton McCalman (2000). Factors driving change Most organisations change when internal and external environments change. The factors that initiate the need for organisational change can be two fold. The first factor can be called an External Trigger which involves the activities and innovations of competitors, change in customer requirements, legislation and government policies, and so on. Economic change can create the need for change. Also, due to the EU policies many companies had to change their practices and procedures. Environmental pressure groups that impose pressure due to adverse environmental effects can force a company such as BA to change its processes to make it climate friendly. The second factor can be called the Internal Triggers including new product and service design, innovations, appointments of new directors, new ideas on how to achieve service quality etc (Buchanan D. Huczynski A., 2004). The British Airways privatization program that changed the companys ownership was launched due to the impact from such triggers. The aims and objectives of this programme was to improve the organisations performance and gain a competitive advantage over its competitors. According to the change model described by Lewin, organisational change occurs in three stages. The first stage is called Unfreezing which reduces the forces which maintain behaviour as it is currently and recognition of the need for change occurs. The second stage is called Movement which is the development of new practices and the implementation of the change. The final stage is named as Refreezing which is stabilizing the changes that occurred and reinforcement through supporting mechanisms. (Mul lins, J., L., 1999) Involving People It is essential that the organisation manages its human resources in a manner that is favourable to the change process. It is important that the employees understand and support the change in order to have a smooth transformation. If the change managers can make the people involved to see the common objectives and mutual benefits that the change will bring about it helps in making the change more successful (Paton McCalum, 2000). However, each individual will react to change in a different manner. The factors that affect how individuals will react to change are manifold, namely the organisational culture, the reasons for change, factors of change, leadership aspects and organisational structure. The change management style and approach are important aspects with regards to involving the employees of the organisation. Change management requires a considerable amount of skill and previous experience on the management of the organisation. It is important to consider each individuals pe rception and attitude towards the process for it to be a success. For example during the second stage of change, BA developed tactics and programs to bring the vision of the top management-level to the bottom-line employees throughout the organisation. Thus the internal structure and systems were changed and also a permanent training center was established to promote staff training. Stakeholders It is important that the company analyses its stakeholders since the change will have an effect on them. Communication is vital to involve all stakeholders in the process so that the change is successful. It is also important to categorise your stakeholders according to their power and interest involving the change. There are some aspects regarding stakeholders and the change process that should be taken into consideration. Differentiating and grouping employees and deciding how to deal with different types, planning communication in both directions and also looking after the interests off all individuals. There are mainly four types of stakeholders, blockers, sponsors, champions and sleepers Green (2007). Blocker have high power but low level of commitment, while the sponsors have high power and high commitment. Also Champions have high energy and high commitment while sleppers have both low power and low commitment to change. For a successful change it is important to identify the stakeholders with high power and commitment. British Airways has a number of stakeholders who have various interests in the business and from whom the company expects different things. There have been conflicts between these stakeholders due to their differing interests as well as formations of coalitions. It can be observed that most stakeholders have an interest in the organisation performing well. In the above context it is important that the stakeholders are analysed according to the power and commitment grid so that change can be successful. Planning the change The change process must be planned and it is advisable to use models of change and also consider the impacts of resistance to change. Two different change models are discussed in the following section, namely the Mckinsey 7-S model and Lewins Model. The basic principle of the model is that there are seven internal aspects of an organization that need to be aligned if it is to be successful. The 7S model can be used in a wide variety of situations such as improving the performance of the company. The McKinsey 7S model contains seven interdependent factors which are categorised as hard or soft elements. Hard elements are strategy, structure, systems and soft elements are shared values, skills, style and staff. The Hard elements are easier to identify and influence while the soft elements are more difficult to manage but equally important for a successful transformation. The model depicts the interdependencies of these elements in terms of how a change in one element affects the others. According to the model the seven elements must be aligned. In the case of BA, the model can be used to identify what needs to be realigned to improve performance during other changes in the company. What ever the change is this model can be used to understand the interrelationships. Further it can be used to analyse the current position, proposed position and identify the gaps between the two. It is also necessary to adjust these elements to make sure the company works effectively. Now lets examine Lewins change model. According to Lewin, there are three stages of change in an organisation which are unfreezing, movement, and refreezing. Unfreezing Stage accordingly, the first step for BA is to unfreeze present pattern of behaviour to manage resistance. In this stage change did make an impact on individual level due to the implementation of Downsizing of Workforce policy to restructure the organisation. This policy reduced hierarchy, and allowed worked to be carried out easily thus improving performance. (Shibata., K., 1993) The downsizing was achieved through compassion. BA also introduced training programs such as Putting People First to help line managers and workers understand the change and the requirements of the industry. Movement Stage The second stage of Lewins Model is movement. During this stage BA used tactics and programs to bring the vision of the top management and line employees. In support a number of new systems where implemented. (Goodstein., D., L. Burke, W., W., 1991) Refreezing Stage In the refreezing stage the company stabilized changes by establishing systems that can establish behavioural pattern in the organisation. A new performance appraisal system based on behaviour and results was introduced to encourage customer service. (Goodstein., D., L. Burke, W., W., 1991) Resistance to change It is not easy for an organisation change its structure and business processes since any change may lead to some level of resistance by the employees. One of the main causes for resistance is the fear of the unknown and loss of what is familiar. There are four reasons of resistance from employee to organisational change including 1) Parochial self-interest, 2) Misunderstanding and lack of trust, 3) Contradictory assessments, and 4) Low tolerance for change. (Buchanan D. Huczynski A., 2004) BA tried to change behaviour by changing the management style from authoritative to participative. BA wished employees participate more in management decision but since this was unfamiliar employers would fall back to the old patterns. A tactic that was used in BA to manage resistance to change was the HR policy which included training guidelines. Such an HR policy is important in making the employees understand and react positively to change. There is also an example where resistance to change hindered the organisations goals and objectives. In an attempt to cut down cost can compete with low cost airlines BA tried implementing a new payment system and also hiring workers for lower salaries. This created insecurity among the employees which ended in a strike that cost the company in millions in 2000. Therefore handling resistance and the HR aspects of the company is vital to a successful change process.

gatmoral Moral Responsibility in The Great Gatsby :: Great Gatsby Essays

Moral Responsibility in The Great Gatsby Bang! Gatsby's dead! George Wilson shot Gatsby! However, who is morally responsible for killing Gatsby? The obvious answer would be George since he pulled the trigger. However, it is clear, if for no other reason than for the unimportance of George in the book, that others were also partly responsible. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tom, Daisy, and George are morally responsible for the death of Gatsby. Tom, because of his tattling on Gatsby, can be morally blamed for the murder of Gatsby. When George talked to him, Tom told George it was Gatsby's car that hit Myrtle, but he failed to mention that it was Daisy driving. Even though it was never directly mentioned, it is shown that Tom knew Daisy was the one who killed Myrtle when Nick said, "...and anybody would have said that they were conspiring together," (p.146) when referring to Tom and Daisy talking in their house. This "conspiring" was probably a plan to get Daisy away from the whole incident. Furthermore, Tom and Daisy leave town the next day, proving Tom's knowledge of Daisy's guilt by just trying to escape with her. Even knowing this, Tom still had the indecency to tell George it was Gatsby's car. Tom can also be morally blamed for the killing of Gatsby because of his affair with Myrtle. George killed Gatsby not only because he thought he killed Myrtle, but also because he was under the impression that Gatsby was the one having the affair with his wife. Tom knew George was thinking this and when George talked to him, Tom seized his opportunity to get off the hook for his sin and directed it to Gatsby, making himself even more morally incorrect for doing it. It is clearly justifiable to blame Tom for Gatsby's death. Daisy can also be put morally responsible for Gatsby's death. Her bad morals relating to Gatsby's death are displayed when Gatsby said, "Anyhow - Daisy stepped on it. I tried to make her stop, but she couldn't..." (p.145) Daisy was not morally responsible enough to stop the car after she hit Myrtle. She would also not take the rap for driving the car later, but instead, left town.

Vegetarianism

Meat: It Does My Body Good I eat meat; I drink milk; I eat eggs. I don’t eat it at every meal, but I do eat it daily. For the sake of this essay, I will state that I, clearly, am not a vegetarian. Let me begin by explaining the term vegetarian as used in this essay: a vegetarian is a person that does not consume meat. There multiple forms of vegetarianism: ovo-vegetarian diet includes eggs but not dairy products; lacto-vegetarian diet includes dairy products but not eggs; ovo-lacto vegetarian diet includes dairy and eggs but not meat.A vegan is the strictest vegetarian diet and excludes all animal products including eggs, dairy and honey. Some vegetarian diets, however, do include fish or chicken, but not ‘red’ meat. After reading several articles on the pros and cons of being, or not being, a vegetarian, I came upon an article by William T. Jarvis, PH. D entitled â€Å"Why I Am Not A Vegetarian† that encompassed many of my same views. Dr. Jarvis, now retir ed, was a professor of public health and preventive medicine at Lorna Linda University, and founder and president of The National Council Against Health Fraud and he is a Seventh Day Adventist.Seventh Day Adventists are strong believers in vegetarianism, which is one reason why I enjoyed his opposing viewpoint. In the article by Dr. Jarvis, several topics and theories are discussed including his observation on classifying vegetarians in two behavioral categories: pragmatic or ideologic. A pragmatic vegetarian is rational and most often are vegetarian out of health related concerns, but an ideologic vegetarian is one that is more emotionally rooted in the behavior ‘as a matter of principle’ so to speak. It is his views on the pragmatic vegetarian that closely mirror my own. In the article, Dr.Jarvis points out that it is possible to obtain all the essential nutrients needed, except vitamin B-12, by eating a vegetarian diet; however, he also points out that the same can b e said for eating an all meat diet, too. While I understand the need that some have to refrain from eating certain foods for health related issues, I believe that our body needs meat. Also, to me, meat tastes good. The quality of protein from meat exceeds the quality of protein from plants. Meat contains much more protein by mass, and this protein contains all the essential amino acids, in the correct balance.Meat is also rich is Iron which is needed by pregnant women and middle-aged women approaching menopause. Many argue that there are certain health risks of eating meat, especially red meat, but they often tend to be exaggerated. Avoid processed meat and try to eat lean meat as much as possible, and meat can be very healthy in the diet, and does not increase risk of heart disease or cancer, as Dr. Jarvis also pointed out in his article quoting scientific data from nutrition-related research supports vegetarianism only tentatively.Another reason I think eating meat is healthier th an a vegetarian diet is that we, humans, are fully able to digest meat. We have canine teeth, which allow us to chew meat, and enzymes in our stomach and small intestine to digest it. In conclusion, eating meat tends to be an economical option for nutrition overall. While it is possible to get all the nutrients in meat on a vegetarian diet, it is much more difficult, often resulting in the need to obtain various types of grains to ensure that no vitamins, minerals, or amino acids are missing.This can be inconvenient and costly, and difficult to prepare. Meat supplies us with the vitamins we need in everyday life. Although, the other articles I read are opposed to meat eating; they still share the health risks of not eating meat, and that meat does the body good. Work Cited â€Å"Why I Am Not a Vegetarian. † Why I Am Not a Vegetarian. N. p. , n. d. Web. 25 Sept. 2012. <http://www. quackwatch. org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/vegan. html>.

Mcdonald’s Practices/Operations in Turbulent Environment

McDonald’s strategic plan is called ‘plan to win’ which helps McDonald’s to be the best fast food restaurant chain rather than the biggest fast food restaurant chain. (kspain, 2008) In turbulent environment, McDonald’s tries to achieve high performance by applying the 5 P’s: people, product, price, promotion, and place or distribution. Product involves both intangible and tangible offerings of the business which customer can see, feel, taste or smell. (Kukreja, 2011) Next, price consists of all the costs of production and delivery of the product or service. Then, promotion comprises all the types and manner of communication that companies use to make products or services known to the customer. Finally, place or distribution is the channel that connects the products or services to the consumers. McDonald’s focuses primarily on its people or focusing on maintaining and improving employee satisfaction in order to maintain good relationship between the employees and the customers. In order to improve employee satisfaction, McDonald’s uses flexible schedules for the employees to fit their working schedule into the way they live their life. McDonald’s also uses celebrating diversity in their hiring way to combining their ideal work force with different people from different backgrounds with different interests. (Mcdonalds, 2011) Besides that, McDonald’s also simplifies the restaurant environment for their staff and customers in a faster speed. To enhance the relationship between employees and the customers, McDonald’s ensures their staffs are friendly and as well as fast with hospitality training. Finally, McDonald’s also provides cost-efficient, relevant training for their world-wide workforce and provide career opportunities for people to achieve their potential. In the product strategy, McDonald’s offered a wider variety of food. McDonald’s strategic planning focuses on breakfasts, chicken, beverages and convenience. The Southern Style Chicken Biscuits are launched for breakfast in McDonald’s. However, the Southern Style Chicken Sandwiches are launched for lunch and dinner. McDonald’s introduced new hot specialty coffee offerings on a market-by-market basis in their beverages business. Besides that, McDonald’s also offered burgers-and-fries instead of just offering snack foods and desserts. Despite of negative image of McDonald’s for the unhealthy food, McDonald’s offers oatmeal and salads to replace high calorie breakfast sandwiches for somewhat healthier options. Lastly, the Happy Meal is one of the good product strategies which aim kids providing kid’s favorites such as small French fries and chicken nuggets along with a small toy. ECUATORIALL, 2012)These planning enables McDonald’s to satisfy customers’ desire for food that fit into today’s lifestyle. For the price strategy, McDonald’s had introduced value meal for their customers. The value meal allows customers to buy a sandwich, French fries, and beverages at a discount price when purchased together. McDonald’s restaurant offer seven to twelve value meals for the lunch and breakfast menu. McDonald’s also offers a dollar menu which consisting many individual items costing only $1. 00 each. investopedia, 2009) Other than that, some of the individual franchise owners offer daily specials of special menu items with lower price such as Big Mac Mondays. These helps McDonald’s to offer affordable prices to customers and also to be profitable for the company. McDonald's spent huge amount of money on promotion which is presented in marketing, leadership and trust. McDonald’s focuses primarily on targeting the children. With this, McDonald’s offers happy meals which targeted children by giving along the small toys with the meals. ECUATORIALL, 2012) McDonald’s also offers various schemes for winning prices by giving lucky draws and also scratch cards when an order is placed on various mean combos. On the other hand, McDonald’s also does its promotion by advertising to make people aware of an item, feel positive about it and remember it. They do their promotion through television, hoardings and bus shelters. Some of the most famous marketing campaigns of McDonald’s are â€Å"You Deserve a break today, so get up and get away- To McDonald’s†, â€Å"Aap ke zamane mein ,baap ke zamane ke daam†, â€Å"Food, Folks, and Fun† and â€Å"I’m loving it†. (scribd)