Thematic essay 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Thematic 2 - Essay Example In â€Å"I Stand Here Ironing,† a mother reflects on her struggle to raise her daughter Emily during the harsh years of the Great Depression and the World War. She questions the decisions she has made and their effect on her daughter. The mothers are the narrators in â€Å"Everyday Use† and â€Å"I Stand Here Ironing.† Another point of similarity in the two stories is the sibling relationships. Walker’s Dee and Maggie, and Olsen’s Emily and Susan, are sisters whose interactions play important roles in the development of the narratives. The two pairs of siblings experience similar treatment from their mothers, and have similar personalities and sibling relationships. Maggie in â€Å"Everyday Use† and Emily in â€Å"I Stand Here Ironing† are treated in similar ways by their mothers. Maggie and Emily are the elder daughters in poor households. In these circumstances, they are called upon to share a significant part of the mothers’ domestic burdens. Maggie cleans the yard, stays back in the kitchen to wash-up after dinner and, unlike her sister, knows all the household tasks, including quilting. Her position is the family is â€Å"like somebody used to never winning anything, or having anything reserved for her† (Walker, 74). In the same way, Emily is obliged â€Å"to help be a mother, and housekeeper, and shopper† (Olsen, 5). Maggie and Emily bear the brunt of the family’s poverty. ... Walker’s narrator placidly condones the selfishness of the successful Dee, who has carved a place for herself in the outside world, and takes for granted the stay-at-home Maggie, who stoically bears her modest lot. Similarly, Olsen’s mother admits that, unlike her younger siblings, Emily is â€Å"a child of her age, of depression, of war, of fear† (Olsen, 7). It is clear that the younger siblings, Dee and Susan, receive preferential treatment from the two mothers. The mothers come to acknowledge this discrimination. Maggie’s mother makes amends by refusing to give Dee the quilts, while Emily’s mother hopes the Emily will â€Å"find her way† (Olsen, 7) in the future. The siblings in the two stories also share appearances and personalities. Maggie is â€Å"homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs† (Walker, 2). She shuffles and sidles up to people, is afraid to meet strangers and totally lacks self-confidence. Her mothe r declares, â€Å"She knows she is not bright. Like good looks and money, quickness passes her by† (Walker, 13). Similarly, Emily’s walk is nervous. Her skin is scarred by pock marks and she stammers in class. Her mother says â€Å"She was not glib or quick† (Olsen, 4). In contrast, the younger siblings are pretty and confident. Dee is â€Å"lighter than Maggie, with nicer hair and a fuller figure† (Walker, 10). She is attractive, extroverted, confident and ready to take what she wants. Likewise, Susan is â€Å"golden and curly haired and chubby, quick and articulate and assured, everything in appearance and manner Emily was not† (Olsen, 5). The mothers themselves admit that the elder girls are inferior to their younger siblings in attractiveness and personality. The two pairs of siblings experience

Leadership Communication..Q5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Leadership Communication..Q5 - Essay Example We saw this especially with the BP oil sill in the Gulf of Mexico. Describe at least three pros and three cons of rationalizing. Propose a method to deal with the cons of rationalizing. 1. In organizations, rationalizing at the intra-organizational levels may help in understanding the dynamics and changes in leadership development through a continuous learning process. This sort of rationalization can be related to Gestalt psychology (Day and Zacarro, 2004) and can be used by higher management to study the new leaders among the managers. 2. In some situations, ethical practices may undermine an organization’s public image since such practices may leak information on internal problems. Rationalizing may be used to keep the appearance of the organization upbeat vis-à  -vis public relations practitioners and media. 2. The leader may indulge in tricky reasoning with the help of rationalization. This increases the risk of exploitation and exhaustion of the confused subordinates, which will eventually lead to decreased productivity. 3. Psychoanalytical aspects of rationalizing activities in business may give rise to contradiction between beliefs, thought processes, and attitudes within the management. This will create an â€Å"uncomfortable state of tension† (Smith and Mackie, 2007, p. 277-8). Since rationalizing involves a tactical use of lies, it cannot be ethically justified and hence it is quite a problematic behavior in the course of leadership development. Smith and Sharma (2002, p. 197) have stated that â€Å"organizations currently operate with a faà §ade of rationality, ignoring emotional reality.† Ethical practices and emotional intelligence must be encouraged to counter tendencies to avoid truth and create excessive workload from the perspective of the leader. In order to bring about responsible behavior on the part of the leaders (e.g. departmental bosses), the organization itself must behave in a socially responsible way. Day, D.V.

Another new assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Another new assignment - Essay Example The patient, who is the direct recipient of the delivery of health care service, is the most qualified person to assess, evaluate and judge the quality of healthcare that he or she receives. If the patient is totally immobile or unconscious during the confinement in the health institution, then, the immediate relative (spouse, children) who regularly accompanies the patient and oversees the delivery of the required medical services, is the next authorized person to gauge the quality of health care rendered and received by the patient. Quality is measured in terms of customer perspectives with emphasis on the following: (1) accessibility and availability of service; (2) timely and safe delivery of service; (3) coordination and continuity of care between services; and (4) effectiveness of services (i.e., the delivery and outcome of care). (ibid. p. 74) Delaune & Ladner (2006) averred that â€Å"a healthcare organization must be concerned with doing the right things (efficiency, appropriateness) and doing the right things well (availability, timeliness, effectiveness, continuity, safety, efficiency, and respect and caring)† (p. 74) Quality measurement consists of evaluating three interrelated components: structure (philosophy, guidelines, facilities, financial resources, policies, procedures, and job descriptions); process (nursing care and standards of care); and finally, outcome (client’s health status, self-care abilities, acquisition of knowledge, and higher level of wellness). The steps enumerated in Table 1 utilized by John Groocock in a big manufacturing firm have some parallelism to the measurement of quality in a healthcare institution except that the terminologies and classifications are not exactly the same. As previously noted, the elements needed in evaluating the quality of care in a hospital setting fall under three categories: structure, process, and outcome.

Peter Winchs The Idea of a Social Science and Its Relation to Essay

Peter Winchs The Idea of a Social Science and Its Relation to Philosophy - Essay Example According to the scholars on the topic of social science, this subject of study has been slow to imitate the natural sciences and liberate from the dead hand of philosophy and this has resulted in the slow growth of this branch of study. They maintain that it is important for the social science to follow the methods of natural science rather than those of philosophy if it should make some significant progress. The main purpose of Peter Winch is "to attack such a conception of the relation between the social studies, philosophy and the natural sciences." (Winch, 1958, p 1). According to Peter Winch, a successful social science in general and sociology in particular would more nearly resemble literacy criticism than physics and other physical sciences and he provides several justifications for his claim all through his book. Winch's justification of his claim becomes evident in a reflective analysis of his distinctions between and among 'understanding and explanation,' 'motives, reason s, and causes,' and the difference between the sociologist's and the physical scientist's relation to the phenomena that they investigate (the 'subject matter' of the social sciences), and this paper undertakes an analysis of these aspects of the book along with a summary. In his The Idea of a Social Science and Its Relation to Philosophy Winch... cience in general and sociology in particular would more nearly resemble literacy criticism than physics and other physical sciences and he provides the central core of his argument under the title 'Understanding Social Institutions.' He maintains that 'understanding' is more essential phenomenon than 'explaining' and it clarifies his major arguments. According to him, it is essential to use the term 'understanding' rather than explaining, though he does not mean to allude to the distinction made by Webber between 'casual explanation' and interpretive understanding'. "The point I have in mind is a rather different one. Methodologists and philosophers of science commonly approach their subject by asking what the character of the explanations offered is in the science under consideration. Now of course explanations are closely connected with understanding. Understanding is the goal of explanation and the end-product of successful explanation Unless there is a form of understanding that is not the result of explanation, no such thing as explanation would be possible. An explanation is called for only where there is, at least thought to be, a deficiency of understanding." (Winch, 1990, p X). Winch considers 'understanding' as the standard against which the deficiency of the knowledge must be measured and this calls for explanation. The understanding one already has is expressed in the concepts which constitute the form of subject matter that one is concerned with. On the other hand, these concepts also express certain aspects of the life characteristic of the people who apply them. The interconnections among these aspects are the major subject of explanation in the book by Winch. It is also vital to understand the connections among concepts such as motives, reasons, and

Public Perception of Female Offenders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Public Perception of Female Offenders - Essay Example It tries to focus on the differences of opinion amongst male and female respondents. They are a very small majority, only 14% of the total convicted and most of them are in the prison for a very short term. Usually their offences are trivial; but this does not mean that there are no serious offenders. Sometimes imprisonment begins as early as at 16. Roughly almost half of the accused women get convicted eventually. There had been a steady increase in the numbers of female offenders in Scotland in recent years thought compared to the raise in overall numbers, the situation is improving. There had been unfortunate incidents like suicide plaguing the prisons for sometime now. The suicide in 1997, of a convicted female prisoner in HM Institution Cornton Vale, seventh of its kind, focussed the public mind slightly more on the plight of female prisoners. The recent deaths, all by hanging are given below: This is apart from incidents of unsuccessful self-harming which would have been fatal, but for the quick prison staff intervention. Many studies have emerged pointing out the importance of understanding social, personal, psychological backgrounds, range and availability of pre and post-sentence community disposals, further help and support, appropriate custodial arrangements and the improvement on all these measures. Women who offend have some kind of unfortunate background and mostly have a cause too. No doubt, women who commit heinous crimes cannot be permitted to take into streets and have to be convicted. But most of the offenders would have committed petty crimes and imprisoning them will have disastrous effects on their families, children and dependents. They could be mothers, less educated school dropouts without work beyond home. They could be facing accommodation problems and might have been victims of some kind of abuse. Also they could be drug addicts, binge drinkers, pro stitutes or going through psychological distress. Usually they come from unsupportive and chaotic households. It is important to know more about this unfortunate segment of the society and compare the research with real statistics. It is important that Scottish executive claims that the number of female offenders has dropped in recent years. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/law/wosw-09.asp METHODS AND DESIGN This report is from the male and female perspective and apart from this, also answers three important questions. It presents the necessary charts in support of the research done. The target group number is 76 and research was conducted by six researchers with the aid of appropriate questionnaire, especially for the opinion difference between the genders. It is a cross-sectional survey design with the questionnaire support as primary method of

War Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

War - Research Paper Example In this aspect, it can be said that the human race is one of the most successful species of the planet (Tooby & Cosmides 1). Humans have, through time, learned abilities and devised tactics to overpower their competitors. Along with the human evolutionary success came the birth of different cultures and establishment of numerous civilizations throughout the planet. Looking back to history, war is not something that occurs due to the innate ability of different societies to amass weapon stockpiles and train military men for battle, nor does it happen due to the evolutionary history of the human species -â€Å"that war is the result of cultural and social processes, divorced from any individual or biological ‘function’ or expression of individual psychology† (Tooby & Cosmides 1). War is the last straw drawn when two or more factions can no longer reach compromise with regards to morality, wealth and property, religion or even race. It is the last solution when all n egotiations fail and that opposing parties are obliged to concede to the notion that force is required to achieve order and eliminate the existing problem within aspects far beyond the basic need to survive (Tooby & Cosmides 1). It should be noted that although the Darwinian theory of continued existence does hold water, man as a sentient being have also learned to bargain and to deal with the terms of different agreements. History has taught us that although war is inevitable in some cases, humankind will never put it ahead in the negotiating table due to the dire consequences it will bring to both factions (Tooby & Cosmides 1). The developing equality of for women’s rights has become evident through the decades. The women of today can now freely hold positions of power and authority. It is also very noticeable that there has not yet been another war comparable to that of World War II. Wide spread conflict that involves majority of the nations has not occurred for the past s ix decades. This brings into question the idea that women in power have reduced the likelihood of war (Tooby & Cosmides 1; Zur 3). Review of past research done by Ofer Zur revealed that â€Å"there is a great complexity to the phenomena of war and more complexity in the differences between attitudes of men and women towards war† (Zur, 3). His study entitled â€Å"Men, Women and War: Gender Differences in Attitudes towards War†, he exposed the faulty idea of men drawn to war more than women. The research results showed that men and women will support war just as strongly as men however the grounds of which to support a war would be different. Women support war â€Å"when an appeal is made based on empathy for the oppressed and vulnerable human beings† (Zur, 3). Males on the other hand â€Å"justify war according to the rational and legal criteria† (Zur, 3). He also stated that the data indicates that men more than women, acknowledge or negate war and aggre ssion and devastation caused by war and accept stereotypical sex roles during war time. Based on these results, it can be deduced that women in power will not ultimately change the likelihood of war. Instead it will lead to a change in perspective and basis in declaring war during conflicts. The more important question that will

Burger King HR Essay Example for Free

Burger King HR Essay Burger King is a Fast food restaurant first opened on December 4th 1945 in Miami, Florida by two gentlemen James McLamore and David Edgerton. However the first Burger King was not known as we know it today as it was firstly launched as Insta Burger King. Although it started off as a simple fast food service it is now a large international chain of fast food restaurants. To this day there are now more than 11,200 restaurants in 91 countries worldwide. Up until 1989 Burger Kings biggest competition was Wimpy until they were bought out by the largely growing Burger King. At present, Burger King is a major franchise across the world, also owning over two hundred Hungry Jacks restaurants across Australia. With over fifty years of experience Burger has vastly grown in the Fast food Industry and dominates a large market share along with other Fast Food restaurants such as McDonalds and KFC. Roles and Responsibilities In this section I am going to explore the different roles and responsibilities of the different positions available in Burger King. Roles and Responsibilities of a Manager A manager runs the business on a day-to-day basis and is responsible for specific tasks such as organising resources for the business. A Burger King Manager ensures Burger King runs smoothly and that employees are working well through monitoring their work and motivation. There are five key business areas that Burger King believe their managers need to focus on in order for their restaurants to be run efficiently and achieve high standards. These are: * Operations: Delivering top quality products and restaurant cleanliness * Financial Control: Maximising profits, controlling cash * People Management: Driving results through people; providing development training * Sales Building: Maximising sales at every opportunity * Customer Service: Delivering the Customer Promise 1 Burger King looks for people with passion for their work. Some of the key things Burger King looks for in their managers are: * Outstanding customer service * Great communication skills * Energy, enthusiasm and a hands-on approach * Ability to thrive in a team build working relationships * Responsible flexible 2 * The ability to problem solve Roles and Responsibilities of a Supervisor A supervisor has the power to give instructions, administer disciplinaries and is responsible for the work and conduct of other employees For Burger King supervisors this ensures employees are monitored and that Burger King runs smoothly. A supervisor is usually the first step away from management and can be promoted to management easily. However a supervisor does not have the authority to hire fire employees or the authority over budget. The role of supervisors at Burger King is to promote excellent customer service and that all brand standards are reached. They have to have the ability to motivate their workers and encourage team work especially at busy times throughout the day. Also a Burger King supervisor would need to carry out the instructions of managers and ensure that employees are working well and completing all tasks to the highest standards but in the quickest time possible. When talking to a Burger King employee he spoke about the five minute rule. This means that all food order had to be done in the period of five minutes otherwise a refund could be requested. This benefits burger king as it keeps the waiting time down to a minimum of 5 minutes and keeps the customers flowing in and out of the restaurants. Supervisors need to ensure that this rule is being met through motivation of workers so that profits are not lost. Roles and Responsibilities of an Employee An employee tends to complete the main day-to-day tasks of a business. Employees can either be working full time or part time. Full time workers usually work more than 40 hours a week and get certain benefits such as health insurance and a higher wage. Part time workers usually work less than 40 hours a week and get paid less than that of full time workers. Many people who work part time tend to do other activities during the week such as other jobs or higher education. Whether being a full time or part time employee both should receive the same benefits such as receiving same pay per hour and health plan. Burger King employees tend to do a variety of tasks such as serving customers, working in the kitchens and operating the tills. Employees of Burger King who operate the tills and take orders need to ensure they present themselves in a respectable way and are friendly and helpful as they will be interacting with customers on a daily basis. This helps Burger King to uphold their well known brand and business for themselves as they need to ensure that it is portrayed in the right way. Qualities for Burger King For every position in Burger King there are qualities that you will need to suit it. In this section Im going to explore the different qualities needed for the positions at Burger King. Qualities needed for a Manager To be a successful manager at Burger King you need to ensure that you are adaptable in all situations and have initiative needed to deal with tricky situations. Burger King looks for managers who have good communication skills and customer relations as they will be working with customers daily. Managers need to make sure that employees are enthusiastic and have energy as theyll be dealing with main aspects of the fast food restaurant such as cleanliness and the production of top quality products. Qualities needed for a Supervisor Burger King looks for commitment and responsibility in their supervisors. This is because they need to be there to supervise their employees to ensure that they are working well. Also make sure that all resources are available so that employees have the materials they need in order to work. Also a supervisor needs the confidence to be the voice of the employees and voice any worries to the manager so that customers do not bombard Burger King. Also, they need to be respectful and courteous when handling situations and motivating the employees as if not they will not be providing a good role model. Qualities needed for an Employee An employee needs to have a number of qualities in order to succeed at working at Burger King. Some of these qualities consist of: * Common Sense * Urgency * Flexibility * Customer Focus * Respect for others * Teamwork * Honesty * Pride in performance3 Employees will be either working with customers or in the kitchen. They need to ensure that their service is fast but of the best quality to withhold the Burger King fast food name. Employees on the tills have to make sure that they are friendly even when dealing with tricky customers and learn to be patient. Staff in the kitchens needs to be hygienic and be able to work under pressure when complying with the five minute rule. Qualifications needed for Burger King In this section I am going to explain the qualifications needed to fulfil the different job positions available for Burger King. Qualifications for an Employee For a new employee applying for a job at a Burger King fast food restaurant there is not any specific qualifications needed. As there is no true skill to being a till operative or part of their kitchen staff, Burger King focus more on the qualities and personalities of their employees, rather than what qualifications they may or may not have. I dont think it is essential for Burger King to have highly qualified till operatives and kitchen staff, as before they begin working in their specific area, they undergo extensive training. This training will teach all new employees how to get the most from their job and also how best to represent Burger King. Qualifications for a Supervisor For a Supervisor there are also no specific qualifications needed to carry out this position. However, Burger King does look for someone with previous experience of supervising a team. In the hierarchy of jobs in Burger King we can see that supervisors are only just above employees. This means that is only a small step to be promoted from an employee to a supervisor, or which their skills would already be from working in Burger King previously. I believe that Burger King should look for at least five A-C grades at GCSE level when recruiting a supervisor, as this shows that not only are the candidates good in these specific areas, but also have the drive to succeed and achieve highly. Burger King needs to have an enthusiastic supervisor who would be able to motivate a team to work well, not just someone looking for higher pay than a lower employee in the hierarchy. Qualifications for a Manager Like the employee and supervisor roles, managers also are not required to have any specific qualifications. However, similar to the supervisor position Burger King looks for previous experience of managerial work. This is essential as they need someone who would be able to deal with tricky customers and also a leader to motivate their team. Without experience, candidates may not be able to cope under pressure or realise the initiative theyd need to use in complicated areas. I think that it is essential for a manager to withhold at least five A-C grade GCSEs as it shows dedication and enthusiasm for their work. It may also benefit Burger King to advertise for people with a specific qualification in a managerial subject, such as Business Studies. This could only improve the running of the largely expanding fast food chain, as with more knowledge on businesses, more improvements can be made. Training Employee training is a necessity as it is a way in which your skills can be developed and motivation to be increased. Training relates to employees gaining specific skills and abilities to perform well in their jobs. Training at Burger King can vary depending on the position that is being fulfilled. For each member of the management team the fast food restaurant expect a minimum of 12 weeks on-job and off-job training. The usual on the job training programme for a manager during this period is shown below: Weeks 1-3 * Gaining Product Knowledge * Leaning the job of a crew member * Counter Service * How to make a whopper * Equipment Knowledge * Supervisory Skills Weeks 4-5 * Basic Food Hygiene * Supervisory Skills Course * Supervisor Evaluation (observation on the job) Weeks 6-8 * Shift Control Skills * Loss Control * Shadowing Manager * Daily Administration * People Management Week 9 * Food Safety and Product Quality * Basic Management Training Course * Roles and Responsibilities * Team Work * Customer Service Weeks 10-12 * Shift Running (Under Supervision) * Feedback on management Skills All employees who undergo training at Burger King are not charged however they are expected to fund for the normal living expenses such as commuting and accommodation costs. For new employees such as till staff and kitchen staff Burger King has a Right Track Training Programme to ensure they have the best start to Burger King. This training programme is a comprehensive induction and training programme covering everything from Health Safety and Food safety through to working in the dining area, front counter or kitchen and how to make each product. Through providing an induction to all new staff it allows new staff to see how theyll be working, where theyll be working and who their fellow employees are. Also how things are done to help them fit in. Burger King believes that all their employees will learn what they need to know by shadowing which is when they work alongside others as well as using their new interactive DVD Programmes. It would be beneficial for Burger King to carry out an appraisal system but instead of annually it may be more favourable for them to be carried out every few months. This would then help employees to see what they are working well at and what things to improve on; these could then be made into targets which success could result in promotion or pay rise. The quicker employees feel wanted, the quicker they are earning money for Burger King. From reviewing staff progress more frequently it may give employees more motivation to stay working at Burger King for a longer period as they now have aims and goals which could improve their career. This would mean less training costs for Burger King and also in the long run a low staff turnover. At present I believe the techniques that Burger King is using to train their employees and managers, such as shadowing and induction programmes are effective in what they are doing. However, if Burger King want to ensure that employees stay in the job for a longer period it may be beneficial for them to do other training techniques such as training weekends away. This will build team skills and also allow employees to interact with staff from other sectors in which they work in. Motivation in Burger King In this section I am going to explore the different motivational theorists and see how their theories affect Burger King. Motivation is having the desire and willingness to do something. A motivated person can be reaching for either a long-term goal or a short term goal. Motivation is important as if employees are motivated to work; it increases the quality of products and therefore the reputation of a business. This is a major factor within Burger King as they are known for a high staff turnover. However, if their staff were more motivated and saw the long term opportunities for working for Burger King, they may be more willing to stay on and try for promotion. Abraham Maslow- Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Maslows theory mainly revolved around psychology and stated that, As humans meet basic needs, they seek to satisfy successively higher needs that occupy a set hierarchy. This is Maslows hierarchy of needs: Maslow believes that when the first stage is completely fulfilled only then will an employee be motivated enough to step up to the next level and complete it. For example only when an employee has basic needs such as food drink and sleep will they then be able to progress onto their safety needs such as security, limits and protection. In terms of Burger King Maslows theory wouldnt largely affect them. However for all people to work well certain needs need to be fulfilled such as sleep, food and drink. For Burger King Employees I believe that they only really need to concentrate on the first two stages as many employees do not stay long and are only there for the short term. Burger King does provide good hygiene conditions and security. Belonging and Love needs arent really met as although they work in teams Burger King do not provide team building activities such as weekends or any social events. This theory mainly addresses the needs of employees. Frederick Winslow Taylor Taylors primary idea was that workers are mainly motivated by pay. Therefore his theory was that if you break down production into a set of small tasks and only pay for the amount of product each employee produces, this would motivate staff and increase productivity. At the beginning this seemed like a good idea as productivity increased and workers were only paid for how hard they worked. They began to build specialised skill for the specific area and businesses were more efficient as less staff were needed. However, employees soon became to dislike Taylors approach to motivation as they were given boring, repetitive tasks and were being treated no better than human machines. Certain aspects of this theory do apply to Burger King. Burger King pays their employees hourly, not piece rate, and has set areas in which people work- these can either be tills or kitchen staff. This provides competition between the two areas which can build motivation as to which area can work the best. However Burger King wouldnt realistically be able to pay employees on their productivity as each area has different tasks, some of which cant be measured, such as working on the tills. This theory addresses mainly the performance of employees. Frederick Herzberg Herzberg believed in a two-factor theory of motivation. Job Enlargement- Workers would be given a greater range of tasks to perform (not essentially more challenging) which should make the work more interesting. Job Enrichment- Involvement of workers being given a wider variety of more intricate, interesting and demanding tasks surrounding a complete unit of work. This should then give a greater sense of achievement. Herzberg used a survey to investigate what people liked and disliked about their jobs and with these results he put them into two categories; motivators and Hygiene Factors. His two factor theorem is shown below: Motivators Hygiene Factors Achievement Company Policy Recognition of achievement Supervision Meaningful and interesting work Pay Responsibility Interpersonal Relations Advancement Working Conditions For Burger King they need to ensure that all hygiene factors are covered so that workers feel safe and happy to be working in a clean environment. For example clean work surfaces and floors. Burger King does already achieve highly good hygiene factors however theyre not providing the best motivation. With this they dont have any achievement within their working days and simply work for pay. This lacks fun and could mean that employees would work better if they had something to look forward to. This theory addresses both the needs and performance of employees. PEST In this section I am going to explain how PEST affects the recruitment process in Burger King. From identification of a role to managing change inside the company PEST influences how Burger King plans and responds to these influences as it effects the entire recruitment cycle. Pest analysis is concerned with the environmental influences on a business. PEST is an acronym which stands for: P- Political E- Economy S- Social T- Technology When referring to pest you need to think about the following: POLITICAL Local Authorities Central Government Parliament Minimum Wage Base Rates Privatisations ECONOMIC/ LEGAL Laws Health and Safety Dismissals Monopolies Mergers and Takeovers Consumer Protection SOCIAL Trends Laws Habits TECHNICAL ICT Telecommunications Production Human Resources Marketing PEST can be used by businesses to review a strategy or position, direction of a company, a marketing proposition, or idea. Many businesses use PEST analysis for business and strategic planning, marketing planning, business and product development and research reports. PEST analysis is most helpful before completing a SWOT analysis (Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats). PEST can essentially be useful when a business is expanding into new countries and markets as it helps guide a company from making costly mistakes, unfounded assumptions, and help effectively adapt well into a new environment, when considering recruitment and selection. Pest in terms of Burger King Political Minimum Wage- At present Burger King do comply with the national minimum wage, however if they were to expand into new countries the minimum wage may be different. If it were increased it would mean that Burger King would be paying more for staff and may have fewer funds for other factors of the business such as new technology. If the minimum wage was decreased then this would mean more funds for other factors of the business. Laws- Burger King needs to take into consideration different laws in different countries. In some countries the consequences of breaking these laws could be ominous especially in China where they use capital punishment. Also laws that in force who can be employed by Burger King, for example women and children. Economic Health Safety- Burger King need to ensure that their health and safety is of the highest standards. If Burger King were to expand into less developed countries it may mean that they need to improve their health safety aspects. Therefore they would need to consider training within their recruitment process. Monopolies Mergers Takeovers- If Burger King where to expand into other countries they need to ensure that there arent other fast food restaurants who dominate the fast food market as they are less likely to build there own customer base. Also less people would be willing to work for them compared to competing restaurants, which would mean Burger Kings recruitment levels would fall. However, if other countries have fast food restaurants that are not well known, Burger King may be able to takeover these smaller restaurants and expand the Burger King brand. Social Trends- Burger King needs to take into account what the favourite foods are in certain countries. For example the Whooper Burger may be favourable in certain countries but in others it may be the Cheese Burger. Habits- As Burger King operate in a number of countries they need to be aware of the language barriers which will occur. To ensure these are fulfilled Burger King needs to employee staff who speak the language of the country they are operating in. Therefore training aids would have to be converted into the chosen language. Technical ICT- As technology is always changing and more developed in certain countries, Burger King needs to ensure that they are up-to-date if they want to be the best fast food restaurant. For instance they need the best till operations so that transactions are fast and comply with the five minute rule. Also as technology changes it will affect the job training that Burger King offers employees. Production- If Burger King used advanced technology it may mean that they could produce their products in bulk and therefore save time and reduce the costs of their production. With production being affected Burger King would have to look at how to ensure consistency in training and staff development. Through using PEST Burger King can evaluate what areas they need to consider when expanding into new countries. It would be beneficial to use PEST as it would be easier for Burger King to adapt to new surroundings if they knew the trends and laws they need to abide to. This means that in the future they could expand into new countries with less difficulty. Recruitment Documents In this section I have created my own personal specification and Job description and will evaluate individually. Job Description Post Title: Manager Responsible to: Director External Contexts: Members of public and other stakeholders Internal Contexts: Other managers and all general staff Salary: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½12,600 Job Purpose To take responsibility for your section by making key decisions, ordering goods and leading, motivating and training your team. To enthusiastically lead and motivate the restaurant team to achieve the highest standards levels of customer service satisfaction. Main Duties and Responsibilities * Manages all daily operations of Burger King to maximise sales and a positive customer experience. * Motivating and training your team to ensure the very highest standards are maintained. * Ensures great food is promptly delivered in a clean and inviting environment. * Take full responsibility for your section to ensure that all transactions run smoothly. * Ensures that each visit by a customer results in a friendly and personalised service. Rewards In return for your dedication and hard work we offer a competitive salary as well as the following benefits: * Medical and Dental insurance * Paid holidays * Vision Care * Life insurance * Bonus Program * Career Advancement Opportunities Analysis of Job Description A job description is a written statement of what a job holder does how it is done, why it is done and the skills needed to perform the job. These include the purpose, duties, equipment used, qualifications, training, physical and metal demands and working conditions. I have created a job description for a managerial position at Burger King. I believe that my job description is effective as the main purpose of it is to describe the roles and duties that the job position undertakes. These need to be in a job description so that the potential employee knows what duties they will be carrying out if they apply for the job. Also in my job description I have added in the rewards of working as a manager in Burger King so that new recruits can see what they will get in return for their dedication to the job. This is effective because it could persuade them to take the job as there are many benefits. I have chosen to layout my job description with headings and sub-headings for each section as it brakes down the information and provides a well ordered recruitment document. Also I researched into the types of job descriptions that Burger King use and used this as a template. Also, I have used the Burger King logo at the top of my document so that all candidates can see what the job is for, before actually reading it. By creating a job description it ensures that only people who believe they can complete the duties of a manager apply to the job and therefore do not waste the time of Burger King. Personal Specification Job Title: Burger King Manager Responsible to: Director Salary: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½12,600 There are a number of qualities that we look for in our manager. These consist of: * Adaptable in all situations * Initiative to deal with tricky situations * Good communication skills * Good Customer Relations * Enthusiastic and energised * Flexibility * Team work * Respect for others * Pride in performance Burger King takes pride in being one of the leading fast food retailers. Our managers need to have the skills to motivate their team and the assertiveness to ensure all work is done smoothly. Also both written and communication skills will be required as you will be working with people daily and also need to write reports on your employees, to ensure that their progression is recorded. The relevant work experience that we look for is four or more years in a management or supervisory capacity in a restaurant or in the retail/ hospitality industry. Qualifications The qualifications we require for our managers are: * High school diploma or equivalent, with two years of college or equivalent preferred * Strong math and Windows-based computer literacy * Reliable Transportation * Open/Flexible Schedule Analysis of Personal Specification A personal specification is drawn up from the job description and describes the knowledge, skills and attributes that are essential to perform jobs. The criteria must be specific, measurable, and justifiable in relation to the job requirements. I have created a personal specification for a managerial position at Burger King. I have created my personal specification so that it relates to my job description and reflects the skills required for competency in the role, as directed in the job description. I believe that this is effective so that the skills on my personal specification relate to the job in hand. My personal specification is successful as is it contains both the skills and qualifications needed to comply with the job. These are needed in a personal specification so that potential employees know what they need to have a chance with getting the job. Without these, Burger King would get too many people applying for the job who are not suitable. I have chosen to layout my job specification with headings, sub-headings and bullet points for key information as this brakes down the information and provides a well ordered recruitment document. Also I researched into the types of job descriptions that Burger King use and used this as a template. Also, I have used the Burger King logo at the top of my document so that all candidates can see what the job is for, before actually reading it. By creating a personal specification it ensures that only people with the given qualities and qualifications apply to the job and therefore do not waste the time of Burger King. Interview Process In this section I am going to explain the preparation of an interview, what a good interview consists of and analyse an interview that was carried out. An interview is a conversation between two or more people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee. Interviews can be divided into two rough types, interviews of assessment and interviews for information. Preparation for an Interview Before an interview can take place there are a number of factors that need to be considered. Firstly, a business needs to have already produced a job description and personal specification, to which they can compare the candidates qualities and previous work experience to. Not only can these documents help identify a candidates personality traits but also a guide to base the interviewers questions around. Before an interview can take place it is essential you know you are going to ask the candidate. These questions need to relate to all recruitment documents including the personal specification, job description and job advert as they focus on the type of employee needed for their company. The questions need to test the candidate on whether their skills are the best suited for the job in hand and to see how they compare to other potential employees. Questions for Interview It is vital that the right sorts of questions are asked during an interview as these will determine whether the candidate suits the job or not. To get the most potential from a candidate it is in the best interest of the business to ask both open and closed questions. A closed question limits responses to a set number of options, such as yes and no, however these could be used at the beginning of an interview to create a more welcoming atmosphere, for example, How are you? Open questions require the person answering to provide a response in their own words, for example, How would you motivate a team? These questions are essential to find out the most about a person including key areas such as skills, qualities and personality. The key to any good interview is to develop on the answers given by the candidate and extend the knowledge of that area, i.e. What examples could you give me of when you have carries that out? The questions asked need to be relevant to the position advertised which is why relating them to the recruitment documents are so important. If you are interviewing for a managerial position you wouldnt ask, How would you deal with difficult customers? as it is unlikely for a manager to spend much time communicating with customers. The Interview Task For this task we were put into groups and carried out a panel interview for a managerial post at Burger King. Before we carried our interview out for a managerial position at Burger King there were a number of factors we needed to consider: * What questions would be suitable and relate to the recruitment documents. * What were the main skills we were looking for to fulfil the position. * How did their personality reflect their interest in working for Burger King. * How were we going to judge their: Appearance Attitude Body language As the interviewers we decided that it was a necessity for us to dress smart as we would be representing Burger King. On our panel we had three people, all carrying out the same role of asking the candidate questions in turn. We used three people as we were interviewing for a managerial position, which we believe would require more than one opinion on the candidates. This way the interview is less biased towards the potential employee as there is more than one opinion. The type of questions we decided we were going to ask was: * Did you find us ok? This helped to create a welcoming atmosphere, to calm any nerves of the candidate. * How have leadership skills benefited you in your previous job? This helps the interviewer get a greater understanding of a candidates previous work experience. This could also be checked up on through references. * How do you think your managerial skills can help our business? This helps the interviewee voice the skills and qualities they could potentially bring to Burger King. This is an open question which candidates could go into depth with and best promote themselves. * What do you know about the history of the company? This allows the interviewer to see how much a candidate actually knows about the business of whom they may be soon working for. The more they know about the business suggests the more interested they of having a long-term career there. * If one of the workers was not working to the full of there potential, how would you motivate them? This is an essential question to be asked for a managerial position as they would be in charge of a team, or which they will need to motivate to work well. * If there was an unsatisfied customer, how would you deal with them? This can help the employer get a fuller understanding of how the candidate would work on the spot and in tricky situations. * If one of your employees were late more than once, how would you deal with this? This is a good indication of how the potential employee would discipline their staff. Analysis of my Interview During our five minute interview we were able to ask a variety of questions relating to the role of manager as Burger King. For this position, we were looking for a candidate with previous managerial experience, who had a keen interest in the history of Burger King and presented themselves well. Whilst carrying out the interview there were a number of things that our group did well: * Asked questions relating to the position of manager. * Asked both open and closed questions. * Kept eye contact with candidates whilst answering and asking questions. * Showed a keen interest in what the candidate had to say. * Had an open body posture, i.e. Arms on the desk not crossed. 1 http://www.burgerking.co.uk/CompanyInfo/careers/index.aspx 2 http://www.burgerking.co.uk/CompanyInfo/careers/index.aspx 3 http://teenzone.monster.co.uk/articles/fastfood/page4/