Analysing The Consumer Behaviour Concept

Analysing The Consumer Behaviour Concept Solomon, Bamossy, Askegaard and Hogg (2010) described consumer behaviour as a study of why, how, when and where consumers make purchases of a particular product and it tends to understand the decision making process of consumers. Also, Hannah and Wozniak (2001) revealed that consumer behaviour seeks to focus on the consumption related activities of individual as well as investigate the reason behind and the forces influencing the selection, purchase, use and disposal of goods and services in other to satisfy personal needs and wants. Furthermore, Hannah and Wozniak (2001) revealed that consumers behaviour encapsulate activities like influencing others, being influenced by others and complaining about and returning product and exposure to the media. Finally, in this report, the concept of consumer behaviour as well as marketing communication, customer satisfaction and reference group influence with regards to consumers or visitors in Newarke house museum and New-walk museum will be analysed using some theories. Antonides and Van Raaij (1998) revealed that consumer behaviour is concerned with the following namely; Mental and physical act (behaviour) Including the motives and causes Of individuals and (small) group Regarding orientation, purchase, use, maintenance and disposal (consumption cycle) And house hold production (Do it yourself) Of (scarce) goods and services From the market, public and household section Lending of functionality and achievement of consumer goods and value And to satisfy Take into account short term and long term effect And individual and societal consequences However, Solomon, Bamossy, Askegaard and Hogg (2002) regarded consumer behaviour as a process and it involves many different actors. In the quest of trying to understand the consumer behaviour concept it was revealed by Jobber (2010) consumer are involved in a sequence or process of consumption. Figure 1 described the consumption process of consumer for product or services Figure 1; Consumption Process of Consumer For Product Or Services Need Recognition/Problem Awareness Information Search Evaluation of Alternatives and Purchase Post-Purchase Evaluation of Decision Sourced from: Jobber, D. (2010) Principles and Practice of Marketing Need Recognition/Problem Awareness This is the first stage of the consumer decision making process (Solomon et al 2010). This stage involves when a consumer recognises that there is a difference between his true self (that is, the current state) and his ideal self (the desired state). This fact was supported in the first visit when the ladies revealed that they had to go somewhere because they were on holiday, However, Jobber (2010) revealed that there are two issues that determine the intention of a consumer to solve his problem namely; the magnitude of the discrepancy between the desired and the present state and the relative importance of the problem (Neal, Quester and Hawkin2 2007). Also, Jobber (2010) further revealed that in a situation where the difference between the present state and desired state is small, the consumer might not be motivated to move to the next stage of the process (that is, information search) Furthermore, O`Shaughnessey (1987) suggested that a customer must be aware of the need to solve a problem as well as being aware of the need inhibitor and a need may arise as a result of stimulation which can be caused by advertising campaign. Information Search Jobber (2010) revealed that information search involves the identification of alternative ways to solve a problem. Information search might be carried out internally or externally (Jobber 2010). This was supported in the first visit when the 2 ladies revealed that they searched the Internet as well as ask friends about the museum. However, internal search involves a consumer reviewing relevant information from his memory bank in which the information will include reference to personal experiences and marketing communication. While, external search involves searching from personal sources like friends, co-workers, neighbours as well as commercial source like sales people and advertising (Jobber 2010). Recently, consumers tend to use the internet as their major information search tools using search engines like Google and Yahoo (Jobber 2010) This was also suppoted in the first visit when the two ladies revealed they searched the Internet for more information before coming to the museum. Furthermore, Solomon et al (2010) revealed that the major aim of information search is to create an awareness set that involves several brands that can solve the consumer`s problem. Evaluation of Alternative and the Actual Purchase Consumers tend to be open to several alternatives in the process of decision making. This several alternatives will be evaluated and filtered to produce an evoked set (Jobber 2010). This evoked set includes several brands which a consumer is considering to purchase, in which the consumer tend to use fewer criteria to select the brand of choice because information search has already taken place (Kuusela, Spence and Kunto 1998) Furthermore, Solomon et al (2010) suggested that consumers tends to evaluate product or service using the knowledge about the product or service, hence allowing the consumer to group product or service in accordance to their belief and attitude about different brand of product. This was supported However, Schiffman, Kanuk and in the second visit to New Walk museum when the people observed to be chatting to each other said they decided to come to the museum instead of going to the Caribbean because of what their fried had told them. Wisenblit (2009), suggest that the purchase stage is when the customer actually make up their mind and purchase the product of service after information has been searched and several alternative evaluated. The first stage of the categorisation is the basic level of category. This level tends to group product or service with common attribute or character while the second level is the subordinate category which includes grouping of individual brands; and the third category id the super- ordinate category Figure 1.2 depicts the three stages involved in evaluating and categorising of brands Figure 1.2: Evaluating and Categorising of Brands Tourism Museums Caribbean European Country Vacation Africa New Faces Arts and Painting History Newark House Museum/ New Walk Museum Adapted from: Solomon et al (2010) Consumer Behaviour Post- Purchase Evaluation of the Decision Jobber (2010) revealed that the aim of an effective marketing is to create customer satisfaction and acquire customer loyalty. Customers tend to experience some post purchase issues in which the issue tends to be form or arise as a result of uncertainty in the consumer decision. The consumer tends to ask himself if he made the right decision or not? This issue according to Kotler et al (2008) is referred to as cognitive dissonance. This was supported in the first visit when I concluded that anyone in the museum at that time could conclude that two female from the group of 8 were enjoying themselves. However, the result of post purchase evaluation of product or services are based on the quality of service or product, as well as the role of the sale-person which act as a problem solver. This factors tends to reduce the cognitive dissonance in the consumer (Jobber 2010) Marketing communication of the museums Marketing communication can be described as messages and media used to convey information to the market or target consumers (Baines, Fill and Page 2008). However, the collective means of communicating with target consumers is referred to as the Marketing Communication Mix (Baines, Fill and Page 2008). The marketing communication mix comprises of five tools which can be used collectively at different level in other to intensify communication with the audience or target consumers, namely; advertising, personal selling, public relations, sales promotions and direct marketing. (Baines, Fill and Page 2008) Figure 1.3: Marketing Communication Mix Tools Personal Selling Public Relation Advertising Sales Promotion Direct Marketing Adapted from: Baines P, Fill.C and Page K (2008) Marketing Advertising According to Baines et al (2008) they described advertising as a non personal form of communication where a clearly identifiable sponsor pays for a message to be transmitted through media. Also, they further revealed that advertising tends to engages the target consumers impersonally and its a tool used to communicate an organisation marketing offer(s). Furthermore, Baines et al (2008) suggested two ways in which advertisement could be used namely; It can be used to influence demand for product and services It can be used to manage perception and understanding about the organisation. Types of Advertising There are two major types of advertising namely; Digital advertising- This type of advertising includes the use of television advertising, music in advert, infomercial (this involves product demonstration and features as well as testimonial about product) radio advertising, product placement, and online advertising (McCarthy 2002) This type of communication mix(that is, Internet) is been used by both museums as informations about the museums could be found on the museums website Physical advertising- This includes mobile billboards advert, in-store advertising, celebrity branding and press advertising (McCarthy 2002) Sales Promotion Sales promotions are used commonly in consumer market especially during the launching of a new brand and its mostly in a matured market where market growth is limited and when prices and sales promotion work are the only means of causing brand switching behaviour in consumers as well as improving performance (Baines et al 2008). Also, sale promotions are majorly concerned with offering additional value to customers in order to enhance sales. Public Relations Baines et al (2008) described public relations as a marketing communication mix tool that influences the perception of various group of consumers or stakeholder about an organisation. Also, Bruning and Ledingham (2001) described public relations as the tools that manage the relationship between an organisation and the public. Finally, Baines et al (2008) defined public relations as a management activity that attempt to shape the attitude and opinion held by organisations stakeholders. Personal Selling This can be described as an activity carried out by an individual or group of individual representing an organisation to potential customer in order for a sale or transaction to be made (Baines et al 2008). This form of activity is different from the other types of marketing communication mix because personal selling carry out transactions directly with customers and feedback are gathered from consumers in other to measure and aid improvement (Baines et al 2008) Direct Marketing According to Jobber (2010) Direct Marketing is the distribution of products, information and promotional benefits to target consumers through interactive communication in a way that allows response to be measured . Direct marketing seeks to acquire and retain customers by contacting them without the use of an intermediary (Jobber 2010 pp 547). Furthermore, Jobber (2010) revealed that direct marketing tends to use several methods such as; direct mail, telemarketing, direct response advertising, catalogue marketing, mobile marketing, electronic media like the internet, door-to- door leafleting. An Investigation on the Impact of Reference Group on Consumers or Visitor in Newark House Museum and New Walk Museum Cohen, Joel and Ellen (1972) described reference group influence as an actual or imaginary individual or group conceived to having significant relevance upon an individual evaluation, aspiration or behaviour. Also, Bearden, William and Etzel (1982) indicated that direct and verbal interaction are not the only means of influencing a customer instead observing the reference group will suggest the choice of brands a customer will choose. Furthermore, Interdependent cultures like china, Korea stress the need to conform to group norms and social acceptance (Gurhan-Canli and Masheswaran 2000). Also, Wong and Ahuva (1998) suggested indicated that consumption or use of luxuries conspicuously which translate to wealth or social status by consumers from east Asia are as a result of cultural influence. However, past research by Park and Lessig (1977) identified three reference group namely; informational influence, utilitarian influence and value expressive influence Informational Influence Park and Lessig (1977) reveals that, in this type of influence the individual seek information about various brands from an association of independent group of expert. His could be supported in the first visit when I asked the two ladies and I was told they searched on the Internet as well as asked their friend. Also, Kelmar (1961) revealed that in this type of influence, individual are more likely to accept information that will broaden and improve knowledge and ability to cope with environment. Furthermore, Park and Lessig (1977) revealed that individual will seek information from whom they see as professional as well as observe what expert do (such as brand of television a repair man buys). This information will influence the individual in the aspect of the type of television brand they intend to purchase. Also, individuals tends to be influenced by observing a seal of approval of an independent testing agency as well as seeking brand related knowledge and experience from friends and neighbours who have reliable information about brands (Park and Lessig 1977). Utilitarian Influence Kelmer (1961) suggests that this type of influence influences an individual to satisfy a certain group expectation in other to obtain the praise or avoid punishment form group. Furthermore, this type influence affect the decision of an individual to purchase a particular brand as well as the individual decision to purchase a brand is as a result of influence from family member. Value expressive Influence This influence make individual feels that the purchase or use of a particular brand will aid the image of people have on them (Park and Lessig 1977). Also, this influence make an individual feels that the purchase of a certain brand would help show others what they would like to be. For example, an individual wanting to be like an athlete, a good parent (Park and Lessig (1977).This was supported in the second visit when the white male believe to be in his 20s was taking note of everything in the museum so as to become a renowned poet like Geoffrey Chaucer. Furthermore, Park and Lessig (1977) reveal that this type on influence make the individual feels that it would be nice to be like a type of person on an advertisement of a certain brand. Customer Satisfaction According to Oliver (1997); satisfaction is the consumer fulfilment response; its a judgement that a product or service feature or the service itself; provides a pleasurable level of consumption- related fulfilment. Also, Zeithaml and Bitner (2003) defined satisfaction as customer evaluation of a product or service in terms of whether the product or service has met their need and expectation. They further stated that failure to meet the needs and expectation could be regarded as dissatisfaction with product or service. Furthermore, Zeithaml and Bitner (2003) indicated some factors that influence customer satisfaction towards a product or service namely; Product and Service Features- Evaluating the product or service significantly influences customer satisfaction (Oliver 1997) for example, I was amazed when I discovered that New Walk museum also cater for children also in the second visit when some of the visitors were a bit noisy because they were amazed by the creatures Consumer Emotions- Oliver (1997) revealed that customer emotions can affect their perception of satisfaction with product or service. These emotions can be stable, pre-existing emotion (Oliver 1997). Also, Zeithaml and Bitner (2003) suggest that some emotion can be as a result of consumption experience of a particular service. Liljander and Strandvik (1997) also revealed that negative emotion like depression, guilt and anger tends to have a strong effect on customer dissatisfaction ratings towards a service or product. Attributions for service success or failure- Folkes (1988) described attributes as the perceived cause or causes of event which can influence perception of customer towards a product or service. This type of influence was revealed in the first visit when the lady told me she was expecting to a lot of people in the museum. Perception of Equity or fairness- This can also influence customers satisfaction (Clemmer and Schneider (1996). This type of influence occurs when a customer asks his or herself Have I been treated fairly compared to other customer? (Zeithaml and Bitner 2003) Also, this perception can create a notion of dissatisfaction as well as satisfaction or fairness. Other consumers, family member and co- workers- This influence tends to affect satisfaction in terms of if their needs or expectation has been met compared to what their family member received, (Zeithaml and Bitner 2003). Recommendations In other to enhance satisfaction in customers visiting the museums, it is imperative that museum tries to maximize visitors satisfaction by avoiding any form of disappointment, for example, in the second visit to New Walk museum, some visitors were disappointed because they only came to see the dinosaurs and the geology gallery but the gallery was closed due to renovation also, in the first visit to Newarke museum when the lady was complaining that she was expecting to meet a lot people in the museum, which was quite different from her expectations. However, in my opinion, this low turnout of people might be attributed to the communication strategy used by the museum. Hence it is suggested that that the museum (both New Walk and Newarke museum) should utilise three marketing communication mix that is, the advertising, some Public Relations as well as Direct marketing to home schools as well as foreign schools which includes universities. Also, the museums should ensure that visitors are completely satisfied with the quality of service they provide in order to build a loyal customer base. For example in, the first visit when the two ladies told me that they were informed about the museum by friends which invariably support the revelations by Jones and Sasser (1995) which states that completely satisfied customers are likely to become apostle and recommend the service six times more than very satisfied customers Also, it is suggested to the museum to bring in more history about legends because in the second visit a white male revealed he came to the museum so as to make note of what could have inspired poets like Geoffrey Chaucer. References Bruning S.D and Ledingham J.A (2000), Perception of relationship and evaluation of satisfaction: an exploration of interaction; Public relations review 26, 1. 85-95 Baines P, Fill.C and Page K (2008) Marketing; Oxford university press inc, 1st edition p471-503 Armstrond and Kotler (2005) Marketing; an introduction. International edition 7th edition pearson prentice educational inc USA Solomon. M, Bamossy.G, Askegaard (2002) Consumer behaviour; A European approach. Pearson educational limited 2nd edition USA p 302 Park, W and Lessig P,(1977); Student and housewives: differences in susceptibility to reference group influence; journal of consumer research 4 Cohen J.B and Golden E(1972) Informational social influence and product evaluation; journal of applied psychology 56. Hanna,N and Wozniak.R (2001) ;Connsumer behaviour; an applied approach prentice hall inc 1st edition. Antonidee. G. and Van Raaij, W (1998) Consumer behaviour: a European approach; John Wiley and Son ltd. West sussex , England. 1st edition Neal,C.P Quester and D.I Hawkins (2007) consumer behaviour: implications for marketing strategy. Boston mass: Irwin O`Shaughnessey, J (1987) Why people buy, New York: Oxford University Press pp 161 Kuusela, H ,M.T, Spence and A.J Kanto (1998) Expertise effect on prochoice decision processes and final outcomes: a protocol analysis, European journal of marketing vol 32, no 121 pp 37 Jobber D (2010) Principles and Practice of marketing: the ultimate learning resource; 6th edition. McGraw-hill companies UK Clemmer, C and Schnieder (1996) fair service in advances in service marketing and management; vol5 edited by TA Swartz, Brown and SW brown (Greenwich CT; JAI press) pp 109-26 Oliver (1997) Satisfaction, a behavioural perspective on the consumer Ney York McGraw hill Folkes V.S Recent attribution research u=in consumer behaviour; A review and new direction journal of consumer research 14pp548-65 Liljander V, and Strandvik T emotions in service satisfaction international journal of service industry management 8 no 2 pp 189-69 Lessig, V.P. and Park, C.W. (1978) Promotional perspectives of reference group influence: advertising implications, Journal of Advertising, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp.41-47 Kelman, H.C. (1961) Processes of opinion change, Public Opinions Quarterly, Vol. 25, pp.57-78 McCarthy, Michael (2002-10-17). Digitally inserted ads pop up more in sports GÃ ¼rhan-Ganli, Z. and Maheswaran, D. (2000) Cultural variations in country of origin effects, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 37, pp.309-317 Wong, N.Y. and Ahuvia, A.C. (1998) Personal taste and family face: luxury consumption in confucian and western societies, Psychology and Marketing, Vol. 15, No. 5, pp.423-441. Schiffman, L.G. and Kanuk, L.L. 2004. Consumer Behaviour. 8th Edition. USA: Prentice Hall Solomon M, Bamossy. G , Askegaard, S and Hogg.M (2010). Consumer Behaviour: A European Perspective. 4th ed. England: Pearson Education Bearden, William O. and Michael J. Etzel, (1982) Reference Group Influence on Product and Brand Purchase Decisions Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 9, No. 2. (Sep.,1982), pp. 183-194. Cohen, Joel and Ellen Golden (1972), Informational Social Influence and Product Evaluation, Journal of Applied Psychology, 56, 1, 54-99. Zeithaml V.A and Botner M (2003). Service Marketing: Integrating customer focus across the firm. 3rd ed. Ney Yory: McGraw Hill publishers Jones, T.O. and Sasser, W.E. Jr (1995), Why satisfied customers defect, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 73 No. 6, pp. 88-99

LIVING TO DIE :: essays research papers

Living to Die â€Å"Love is the emblem of eternity: it confounds all notion of time: effaces all memory of a beginning, all fear of an end.† ~ Germaine De Stael In William Shakespeare’s Sonnet #73 [That Time of Year Thou Mayst in Me Behold], the main theme of an approaching and inevitable death is applied. Moreover, this theme is being explained to a loved one in order for her to embrace and cherish her love for him while he still breathes. Beginning with the first quatrain, Shakespeare compares his age to that of autumn which stands for his advancement of years. Furthermore, in the second quatrain, Shakespeare elaborately compares his aging to a sunset, which is right before night, or in Shakespeare’s case, death. In the final quatrain Shakespeare further compares his life to the life of a fire, which burns bright at the beginning but eventually dies out and turns to ashes. The point of the final couplet is to have the reader realize that the entire sonnet is written to his lover; in order to symbolize the way that Shakespeare feels that she views him in natural terms. Furthermore it shows the undying nature of love present be tween them, which cannot die along with his death. In the first quatrain, Shakespeare metaphorically compares himself to a tree in the season of fall. The season of fall is symbolic because it represents a transition in time, right after spring and summer when life is full of energy, and right before winter when everything is dead and ceased to be. He goes on to say 'That time of year thou mayst in me behold when yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang upon those boughs which shake against the cold"(579). Shakespeare uses conceit to elaborately compare his furtherance of age to the aging tree in the fall. Just as the tree is helpless and naked to the elements, Shakespeare is naked and helpless in the hands of time. Furthermore, Shakespeare portrays the fact that his death is inevitable. In the second quatrain, Shakespeare seems to say death comes like night, dark and quiet, like a thief, stealing when we sleep. Moreover, the speaker compares his age to the late twilight, "As after sunset fadeth in the west," and the remaining light is slowly extinguished into the darkness. Meaning, death will come, without question. The sun setting could also be regarded as the sun going to sleep, which plays on the last line of the quatrain, "Death's second self, which seals upon rest.

The Theme of Racial Intolerance in Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay

It is commonly argued that ‘Heart of Darkness’ is nothing more than a racial tirade from a misinformed Englishman. Although Conrad is not misinformed and has no intention of fronting a racist point of view, when the treatment of Africans in the text is closely examined, the theme of racism is presented so deliberately all other themes merely fade into the background. Conrad’s evocation of the African environment and population preaches racial intolerance and creates a stark contrast between the life of Europeans and Africans. The constant slandering of the African population as â€Å"niggers† and â€Å"cannibals† and â€Å"savages† and the referral to the continent as an immense â€Å"Heart of Darkness† are the base examples of this racial intolerance. But despite this racist viewpoint, Conrad is merely conveying the language and prevailing attitude of the day; that Africa is considered as subordinate to Western civilization. However, Marlow’s observation of the Indigenous population of Africa develops on the idea of racial intolerance. The dancing Africans on the riverbank yield the first example of t...

Anatomy of Criticism by Northrop Frye Essay -- Anatomy Criticism North

Anatomy of Criticism by Northrop Frye In Anatomy of Criticism, author Northrop Frye writes of the low mimetic tragic hero and the society in which this hero is a victim. He introduces the concept of pathos saying it â€Å"is the study of the isolated mind, the story of how someone recognizably like ourselves is broken by a conflict between the inner and outer world, between imaginative reality and the sort of reality that is established by a social consensus† (Frye 39). The hero of Hannah W. Foster’s novel, The Coquette undoubtedly suffers the fate of these afore mentioned opposing ideals. In her inability to confine her imagination to the acceptable definitions of early American female social behavior, Eliza Wharton falls victim to the ambiguity of her society’s sentiments of women’s roles. Because she attempts to claim the freedom her society superficially advocates, she is condemned as a coquette and suffers the consequences of exercising an independent mind. Yet, Eliza does not stand a lone in her position as a pathetic figure. Her lover, Major Sanford -- who is often considered the villain of the novel -- also is constrained by societal expectations and definitions of American men and their ambition. Though Sanford conveys an honest desire to make Eliza his wife, society encourages marriage as a connection in order to advance socially and to secure a fortune. Sanford, in contrast to Eliza, suffers as a result of adhering to social expectations of a male’s role. While Eliza suffers because she lives her life outside of her social categorization and Sanford falls because he attempts to maneuver and manipulate the system in which he lives, both are victims of an imperfect, developing, American society. Though Eliza’s ... ... comic hero. This flaw seems to be a result of the greater defect of the society in which he functions. Certainly not an innocent and having his own characterization of the same fatal flaw as Eliza – a decisive determination for independence -- Sanford shares in the traditional tragic conclusion of isolation and loss. Despite an attractive interpretation that Eliza Wharton deserves her tragic fate because she is too scandalous of a seductress, her fall is actually a result of her desire for autonomy in a society that denies women that right. Also, to view Sanford as a heartless villain would be reductionary. He too, like Eliza, is subject to the judgements, constraints, and values of a flawed society in which he is separated from his true love. Both characters fall as a result of their desire for relational freedoms that early American society denies them.

Employment Essay

The Organization that we selected as our topic of discussion in our Project Paper is the Wal-Mart Corporation. Sam Walton is the founder of Wal-Mart. He opened his first store called Wal-Mart Discount City in Rogers, Arkansas in July of 1962. Their corporate office is currently located in Bentonville, Arkansas. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. incorporated its stores on October 31, 1969. In 1972, they started selling stock on the New York Stock exchange. Although, though the company has had controversial operational business practices they have grown to be the largest Retail Corporations in the world. In 1997, Wal-Mart was able to become the largest private employer in the United States. In that same year, their annual sales totaled over $105 billion. In 2010, Wal-Mart has over 2. 1 million employees worldwide. There 2010 fiscal year sales exceeded $400 billion dollars (Wal-Mart About Us, 2010). I have been a loyal customer of Wal-Mart for years. Therefore, I was shocked when I found out about some of Wal-Marts questionable unofficial policies through talks with friends and family members who worked for them in the past and some who currently employed by them. My mother in law worked for them from 2006 thru 2008. She was required to work 8-hour shifts without a lunch break on a regular basis. One of my cousins was required to clock out because he was about to be in overtime and continue to work to keep labor cost down. I decided to Google Wal-Mart, to see if other people experienced the same injustice. I was stunned to see some of the practices of this company I loyally supported. According to an article released by the Associated Press on 12/24/08 called Wal-Mart to Pay Workers Up to $640 Million it will pay as much as $640 million to settle 63 lawsuits over wage-and-hour violations, ending years of dispute. Wal-Mart faced 76 similar class action lawsuits in courts across the country as of March 31, 2008. These violations range from having employees clock out and continue to work without pay, denying them with lunch breaks that they are entitled to by law, non-payment for overtime worked. They have also had issues with discrimination against women, resulting, from denying them promotions and paying them less then their male counterpart even though they held the same position, and in some cases, women had seniority over the men (Associated 2008). It is widely known that Wal-Mart pays its associates below the average retail wages. In 2008, the average full time Associate (34 hours per week) earns $10. 84 hourly for an annual income of $19,165. That is $2,000 below the Federal Poverty Line for a family of four. In 2007, Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott earned $29. 7 million in total compensation, or 1,551 times the annual income of the average full time Wal-Mart Associate. Consequently, large portions of their employees qualify to receive Government Assistance to support their families. They are well aware that they pay their fulltime employees below the poverty level. In fact, Wal-Mart actually encourages their employees to take advantage of the Government Assistant Programs (Wake Up Wal-Mart, 2008). Wal-Mart does not offer its associates affordable healthcare insurance benefits. According to Wal-Mart employees, when they complained about high the cost of the insurance and lack of coverage it offers their managers would simply suggest that they try to qualify for Medicaid or Medicare. According to Wal-Mart Facts. om, If an average full-time Wal-Mart employee chooses the least expensive family coverage plan, they would have to spend over 20% of their income before the health insurance provided any reimbursement. An average full time Wal-Mart Associate faces a serious family health issue. They have to pay the entire out-of-pocket maximum for the least expensive health plan, which adds up to pay 53% of their income (Wake Up Wal-Mart, 2008). I am just a customer of Wal-Mart. I am an accountant, so I budget my money pretty well and I love a good bargain. However, when I look at this organization and their business practices all I see is greed. Therefore, as a customer I have to question my whether or not to continue to support this business if they persist on behaving in such an manner that is clearly unfair to its employees. This is not a struggling organization. It brings in sales exceeding $100 billion annually. Wal-Mart has the resources to make their employees NEEDS a priority. I would like to believe that they are sincerely willing to make the necessary changes. Wal-Mart’s management behaves immorally towards its employees. They do not value their employees’ needs, rights, or the labor laws that the US put into lace to protect them. Wal-Mart’s low price on everyday household products is what sets them apart from other discount retailers. Their employees help make it possible for them to dominate their competitors in the discount retail market and maintain their competitive advantage. It is essential for employees to feel that the company that employs them provides an ethical organizational culture in order for them to feel a sense of job security and to be motivated to be productive for the company. What is Organizational Culture? What type of OC does Wal-Mart reflect?  What effect does their OC have on employee job satisfaction, morale, and performance? What can management do to improve their employee relations? According to our text Organizational Behavior, 11th Edition, a company’s organizational culture is a shared set of beliefs and values within an organization. The culture is the behaviors that employees feel they are required to fit in order to meet the expectations of their organization (Schermerhorn, Hunt, and Osborn, & Uhl-Bien, 2010, p. 12). On of the OCI’s that the Human Synergistic Study addresses the Aggressive/Defensive Culture. The cultural norms are built upon a value structure whereby management puts its own interests before those of its key constituents—its customers, employees, suppliers, and even stockholders. Members place priority on doing what is best for themselves over the long-term best interests of their organization. Previous organizational successes (due to prior leadership, technological patents, or good business strategies) fuel the arrogance and short-term orientation of management and allow Aggressive/Defensive organizations to continue to appear effective—at least for a while. However, as shown by John Kotter and James Heskett’s study of 207 organizations (and consistent with research based on the OCI), this type of value structure prevents organizations from effectively adapting to changes in their environments and ultimately has a negative impact on their financial performance (Human Synergistic 2006). Your business strategies shift; your organization’s values should not. Organizational values guide employee actions and influence business practices. They help provide meaning for employees searching for an emotional connection to work each day. Also known as ground rules or operating principles, at their best values are actionable guidelines, not to be confused with abstract beliefs that are merely â€Å"held† or posted on a plaque (Organizational Values, 2008). † In an Aggressive/Defensive Culture, management tends to have very little value for people. There focus is on setting goals and meeting them by any means necessary. They are very competitive and want to devour the competition. Some of the characteristics of this type of culture are oppositional, competitive, motivated by power, and perfection. Managers may oppose things indirectly, stubborn, always has to be right, avoids admitting mistakes, resists suggestions made by others, and have a strong need to win or dominate. Their members do not feel any sense of job security. Employees typically believe that they have to go with the follow in an effort to avoid the label â€Å"troublemaker† in order to keep their job. They fears managements’ retaliation and often feel as though they are in a hostile work environment (Human Synergistic 2006). Staff turnover is near 20-year highs for many companies. Two research firms, Walker Information and Hudson Institute, recently joined forces to conduct a nationwide employee loyalty study. Their results confirmed that staff loyalty is in short supply. Only 24 percent of employees consider themselves truly loyal, committed to their organization and its goals, and planning to stay at least two years. Thirty-three percent of employees were high risk, not committed and not planning to stay. Thirty-nine percent were classified as trapped. They plan to stay, but are not committed to their employer. Among those who felt they worked for an ethical organization, 55 percent were truly loyal. For those who did not feel they worked for an ethical organization, the loyalty figure was 9 percent (Lowenstein 2006). Creating a culture within the organization that nurtures loyalty, commitment, advocacy and productivity from the moment the new hire walks through the door and throughout the lifecycle of the employee will go a long way to sustaining customer loyalty behavior. The good news is that employees, particularly those in customer service, seek trust and trustworthiness; and they desire to be active contributors to that effort (Lowenstein 2006). The benefits for business of adopting ethical human resource management practices and viewing employees as human capital to be developed and to provide a unique advantage in the marketplace can be utilized as part of a corporate social responsibility strategy. Effective corporate social responsibility requires that along with minimizing harm to the environment, a company needs to be aware of the social impacts of its operations and ensure that they are not harming human stakeholders (Tracey Lloyd 2009). The importance of health insurance as an employee benefit is also illustrated by the fact that more than one quarter of Americans report that they or an immediate family member have encountered job lock, passed up a job opportunity, stayed at a job they would otherwise have quit, or had not retired solely because they needed to keep the health insurance coverage they were receiving. According to another survey, employees are moderately satisfied with their benefits, with 39% of full-time workers reporting this, which is a rise from 32% in 2003 (Reddick 2009). Employers who hope to retain solid, hard-working employees should be prepared to offer basic employee benefits. In addition to salary, good benefits provide important resources that not only help build a positive working relationship between employer and employee but also promote good work habits and financial practices (Thompson 2010). Wal-Mart problem is their leadership style. It reflects many of the characteristics of an Aggressive/Defensive Culture. Its issues stem from them putting their interest before the needs of their members. It does not value its employees as of Human Capital. Employees are just another resource used to achieve the organizational objectives. Wal-Mart leaders invest a lot into making decisions and strategies that will get the best prices for their customers and keep their competitive advantages. Nevertheless, they are not investing enough time and effort in training managers on how to treat their human capital. As a result, managers are presented with problems that they have no been trained for and they avoid the issue or make bad decisions. I find it hard to believe an organization as large and successful as Wal-Mart can make these types of mistakes and they go unrecognized or resolved for so long. Several people had to have been complaining about the errors before having to go before a judge. Considering the validation of the errors during the trial investigation, it is safe to say that if Wal-Mart had done its due diligence prior to trial they would have resolved this pay issue. There is no reason a company of Wal-Mart’s size and resources could not have identified and addressed the discrepancy prior to it escalating to a court issue. Which raises the question of, was this done intentionally or their employees concerns or grievances are not a priority to them. This type of mmoral behavior ultimately leads to employees distrusting the company, resulting in a low morale, lack of motivation, and high turnover. Every company has a distinct set of characteristics that drives the decisions, practices, policies, procedures, and organizational goals, which in turn affects the organizations’ atmosphere. The biggest influences are going to come from the visions and standards that the Senior Leaders of the company. Wal-Mart’s employees do not feel any emotional connection or sense of value from their organization, which leads to a lack of job satisfaction, loyalty, and commitment. Of course, this is going to show up in how employees treat customers. All Wal-Mart has to offer is low prices, there is very little customer service. For example, I pulled up to customerservicescoreboard. com and some one posted this comment. â€Å"Wal-Mart has the worst customer service, worse yet, they ignore any inquiry and advertise that they value it†¦ I really have to commit to not shopping there any more†¦ lines are long, cashiers are slow and don’t even help put bags in carts. Their greeters wont get carts and roll their eyes, the bathrooms are a mess, the shelves are empty, I hope they get what they deserve†¦ ower customer count and lower profits†¦ today I tried once more and wasn’t disappointed, no carts, very long lines and best yet†¦ customer service said there was no manager on duty and there were not customer complaint forms†¦ go figure. mad at Wal-Mart 4/1/10 2:21PM â€Å". In order to change this Wal-Mart has to consider ways to attract and retain productive employees (Customer 2009). Another issue is the lack on emphasis on teamwork. Employees concerns and suggestions have no validity. They are not included in any part of the goal setting or decision making process on the individual store retail level. The â€Å"my way or no way† management attitude does not work. There has to be some compromise. SOLUTIONS Wal-Mart has to change their leadership style. The CEO and other major Leaderships need to take a more active role in establishing acceptable managerial behavioral procedures and rules to direct the organization. Instead of reacting to all of the bad press concerning their employee relations they need to take a more active approach to dealing with all of the stigmas attached to the company. For example, they can start by sending out a corporate communication-notifying managers and employees that the company is about to undergo so major changes to and are about to invest in an organization overhaul that will put just as much value in taking care of the associates that make their sales possible and they put into their valued customers. Wal-Mart can continue to ride the cloud of success with no regards to the long-term ramifications of lack of change, but these are the cost of avoidance. Change will be forced upon them one of two ways. The lawsuits will continue to come and the courts will make to settlements high enough that Wal-Mart will feel the financial sting of their unethical behavior. Secondly, they will start to see a significant decrease in their sales because of the poor customer services rendered by their distrusting, low morale, and unmotivated associates. Considering how large Wal-Mart’s organization is this change would be a major project they could consider doing it in-house, but I suggest they hire an outside consulting firm that to oversee the project in order to get some fresh ideas and strategies. Of course, they would be collaborating with Wal-Marts project team in order to what the deliverables are to complete the project. Wal-Mart Leaders need to ensure total participation by giving the project team the financial and staff resources needed to complete the project. The first step would be to perform a training needs analysis and determine where the practice and policy breakdowns are occurring. Then address the issue, by establishing a new uniform policy, updating the employee handbook, training managers and employees on the new policies, and finally enforcing it. This project will take about a year to prepared, reviewed, and implemented. Prioritization will be according to the most critical needs, such as proper employee pay protocol, anti- discrimination policy training, and team building programs. For example, have a workplace diversity class set up to teach managers how to cultivate diversity and to prevent discrimination. Require that managers have a complete training class annually. Address and investigate all allegations of discrimination immediately. Written documentation is required for discrimination allegation, investigation, and resolution steps that taken. The only way to ensure that employees feel a since of organizational justice is to uphold the companies policies on the matter. Consequently, immediate punishment is required if an employee found guilty of the allegation. Send out corporate communication, notifying employees of the companies’ commitment to improve employee relations. Send the communication via email and display it in high traffic areas. Express managements desire to include employees in some of the decisions that directly affect them by establishing an Employee Involvement Team to be apart of the project. That will help Management and employees address employee concerns and grievances, such as a fair and competitive wages and health insurance package. Allowing employees to be apart of the decision making process will help management get feedback on the best ways to go about achieving up coming goals, while building team commitment, loyalty, and moral. There will be annual policies will be reviews and revision if necessary. Managers and employees will complete skill assessment tests annually. There will be skill-training classes set up to teach managers how to promote effective communication and leadership abilities. Issue training results to department heads and certificates of completion to participants. Finally, collect feedback from the managers and employees to evaluate, results and feelings on the process improvements. Leave a comment section to get their feelings on the companies’ efforts to improve employee relations. Identify remaining problems and work with the In-house Project Team and the Employee Involvement Team to improve them.

How individuals can be hampered by the society in which they live? “Of mice and men” Essay

The best step up schemes o Mice and Men, Gang aft agley. tail intercept Steinbecks smart, Of Mice and Men discusses in power point the faults with the indian lodge it presents. Characters in the smart atomic number 18 hampe release and held back from fulfilling their dreams, overdue to race (Crooks), trip out (Curleys married wo gentleman) and disability ( imagen by Lennie). solely of these ar expressed in flesh out throughout the novel. The actually title of the novel is an extract from a poem which literally means no matter how surface we plan the forthcoming, things often go wrong. This is a main theme of the story, and Steinbeck blames the genial gear up for it. His left wing writing is against umpteen of the ways of society in thirty-something America, and he criticises aspects of this. Steinbeck particular concern was for the race class, who he greatly sympathised with. He writes in a way to influence and educate the proofreader with his beliefs, which gives the story rattling meaty undert angiotensin converting enzymes. Stienbeck maps the counterpane to represent a microcosm of the social unit of American society, effectively use uping the reader with his revolutionary views.George represents the working class. He and Lennie together are repointn to take a shit had a unuttered living before arriving at the cattle evoke their time at the ranch is embarrassing work, and the pathos shown at the end is that for George, things result gallop in this purposeless way. Georges breeding of tough manual wear out amounts to nonhing, and he chip offs from this acceptedity by aspiration of what impart be one day. George is haggard in to believing the dream he shares with Lennie, living the American dream. With promise of funds from dulcify, the dream proposems soon to be complete. entirely the reality effects clear at the end. Without Lennies childlike enthusiasm to fulfil his dream- it will non happen. This shows how George is hampered by society. Their plans from the beginning were to rifle to a category in the country, ofttimesover even this fair desire can non be carried out. Lennie as well as h sr.s George back, If I was alone I could live so easy without anyone to interestingness for Lennie within society, George is hampered with him. George, and many other vitrines see this unusual friendship as very one-sided, scarce it is not solitary(prenominal) Lennie who relies on George. George takes for granted how lots he demand Lennies bustership, in this cruel place they live in.Lennies life is nix from macrocosm as regular as it could be due to the deficiency in this society. He represents the minority of masses who are different from normal. T here(predicate) is no incertitude that Lennie aint bright. He is shown to accept a childs manpowertality, and his look into is not fully understood. Steinbecks legion(predicate) animal comparisons with Lennie (Like a horsethe way a bear) shows how he is seen in this society.The reader views Lennie with sympathy, even when he commits murder, his basic regret and innocence show that he is fairish a sincere and unsophisticated man. Lennie ironically and sadly kills Curleys married woman. Curleys wife goes to him, because she feels they both aim the same kind of loneliness. In killing Curleys wife, Lennie prevents himself, George and glaze from fulfilling their dreams of a simple easy life. The tragedy at the end is that Lennies dream will never be achieved. Lennie must be shot, as living in this society where theyd lock him up an strap him down, and perpetrate him in a cage would be worse. Lennie is prevented from satisfying his simple fantasy of when he and George will live off the fatta the lan, not only by his mind, nevertheless in the main by a society which has no place for a man with supernumerary conditions, who needs special care. candy is a lonely old man, representing those alone and cured in this fictional microcosm. His one companion in life is his cross. There is an division of sadness when referring to confects wienerwurst. The mark represents edulcorate in many ways. He was the best damn sheep dog I ever seen, exclusively now he is old and disabled, much like glass. His dog is useless, but confect wants to carry on his dog because he is used to him. There are undertones that hint that part of the reason Candy wants to keep his dog is because he knows it symbolises him and his line of credit into uselessness. In the end Candys dog is shot, implying the tragic fate of Candy. Candy lives in regret from allowing Carlson to shoot his dog. I shouldnt ought to of let no alien shoot my dog. He feels he should have put the dog out of its affliction himself, but did nothing to prevent Carlson from this. Candys hand was lost during an cerebrovascular accident at the ranch, which is wherefore he hitherto has a job at the ranch.The chiefs sympathy keeps him at that place, long later on he is of use to the ranch. even out with this reassurance, Candy deeply fears theyll can me purty soon. He knows at that place is nothing to offer a bungling old man in the solid ground he exists in. When they can me here I wisht somebodyd shoot me. He escapes from this daunting future by imagining an alternate one, one that would stupefy meaning to his life, and lessen the fear which he feels about the future. He is drawn in by a dream of position an end to this insignificant life he pass aways, and living as his own boss. He offers to pay most of the money for the house which George and Lennie dream about. This hope is all that Candy has to live for, and the end shows George dismiss this head there is small-scale hope for Candys fantasy, or anyone elses in this tough society.Curleys wife shows us how tragic this society is for wo men in these times. No one on the ranch has sympathy for her. Even we as readers have little until we hear her confide in Lennie at the end. Society in the novel is shown to be very male chauvinist. Women like Curleys wife were expected to lead very national lives, living essentially to serve their hubby and children. She is the only woman on the ranch, who is exceedingly purty and she has got the eye. The ranch workers misinterpret her forwardness for flirting, but she is just lonely. Curleys wife tries to use her beauty to her advantage even so, the men exclude her, calling little to her- thinking her an unfaithful tart. George describes her as one of these here jail baits. Steinbeck presents Curleys wife as a sex symbol. She dresses as if sterilize to go out, with rouged lips, wearing red shoes, and red fingernails, symbolising sex, seductiveness and danger. But still, only Lennie is tempted by her attractiveness.We sympathise with her commitment to Curley and as she confides in Lennie, we realise her unhappiness with the unfulfilling marriage. Curley, a childish and violent woman iser treats his wife as a possession to show off to his friends. He did not draw her out of love- but out of circumstances. Curleys wife is not even presumptuousness a name by Stienbeck, which underlines her humility and low rank in the sexist mans world shown in this story. Curleys wife is very lonely, which echoes Crooks life. She understands Lennie, in the way that he is not authentic into society, and this is why she opens up to him, obviously if she has to speak to someone as stupid as Lennie, this shows how little deference she has from other workers. She reveals more to Lennie, than anyone else in the story talk of her past.Curleys wife unfeignedly believes she could have become an actress, and if she had she wouldnt be livin like this, you bet. She blames her failed playacting career on her ol lady. Curleys wife claims that actors have said she could be good. Unfortunately, these men have probably only been attracted to her by her beauty, and not by any real talent s he had. Her beauty makes her open to these sorts of people, and she doesnt understand that these offers are almost sure enough not genuine. She wants to spend time speaking to Lennie, Candy and Crooks because she feels higher than them. completely her life she has been told what to do and abused, and she rebels against this by trying to escape from this boring life, by marrying Curley.Crooks, the Negro lasting buck is a man who suffers greatly from the American society in which original racism is a way of life. Blacks did not get the vote, and white-black dealings were heavily frowned upon. He represents the situation of blacks throughout America, being excluded in the society presented to us. The reader reads on with interest and sympathy, for the unreasonable and heartless way that Crooks is treated. Crooks lives in his gimcrack in the harness room. He lives away from the other workers in his one room containing the bare necessities. He has no friends in or out of the ranch a nd his existence reckons to be pointless. Crooks name comes from his crooked back, which puts him in bulky pain. This symbolises the pain he suffers throughout his unit life. Crooks tells a tragic story of how he used to play with white kids, but as soon as the children grew up, they passing-developed the racism that ran through their society.The hard ratty life which Crooks has lived has led him to be a very bitter old man. His distrustful yet realistic view on life is clear, If I say something, why its just a ringtail saying it. Crooks knows his meaningless place in society, but still he has his feel his room was swept and fairly neat, for Crooks was a proud aloof man. This allows us to respect the self-importance Crooks still has after the appalling and unjust life he has led. His character though is not presented as a character that is easy to sympathise with. In an interesting way, Stienbeck presents his ungrateful, sarcastic manner of referring to his bunk house, With a manure pile away(p) the window.He shows the angry way that he talks to Curleys wife, I had enough, he said coldly you got no rights comin in a coloured mans room. Steinbeck shows Crooks as a miserable old man, whose harsh character doesnt seem easy to sympathise with. Steinbeck in feature tried to create sympathy for the blacks in America by showing Crooks as an intelligent man who has been hardened by a cruel and affectionately antiblack society in which he lives. flock in the ranch exclude him, as there is no correct or wanted place for Crooks in the ranch, or the entire social order.John Steinbeck had experient this flawed society setoff hand, natural and bred in America, and living there for xxxv years before writing this book. He had also worked as a farm labourer before writing the novel. Steinbeck sympathised with the underdog, and truly appreciated and admired the working class. The social order was extremely immoral. It was sexist, and highly racist, which the nov el alerts the reader to. Steinbecks other known novel, The Grapes of Wrath was also a policy-making protest, and it is vital to remember this story is written to influence the reader. The reader should bear in mind that the novel is not just a story of an unusual friendship that ends tragically it is a critical story, with strong undertones, written to alarm and influence the reader.All characters seem to be entrapped by society, but can we hold it entirely answerable? Is perhaps Steinbeck trying to ask how much of the characters unhappiness is down to mankind character? Lennie, although very much misunderstood by society would not have fitted in anywhere. His condition limits him significantly. Even in a hospice, or with 24hour care, it would be impossible for him to lead a regular life. What future is there for a lonely old man with no hand even in todays society? Even the benefits that he would receive today would not help Candy live the life he wants to live. Even Curleys w ifes sad life of being used, and lied to, cannot be blamed on society. How is it possible to guarantee everyone success and riches? The emptiness of her dreams is no fault of society. George also was by no way prevented from acquire the farmhouse after Lennies death, but when Candy asks will we still go, he says I think I knowed from the very first wed never do her.This is due to his lack of self-will. I feel that Steinbeck does not only criticise society, but human nature. Human nature is very much responsible for characters not having the will to agree out their hopes, dreams and desires. The characters do not keep pushing to achieve. George accepts that he will continue in this unimportant subsistence, Ill work my month an Ill take my cubic decimetre bucks. Curleys wife accepts that she Coulda been in the movies. I feel Steinbeck tries to show how many people settle for less, because it is easier.It is always easier to use a scapegoat, and in this story, society can be seen a s this. Doesnt every society have its faults anyway? The society shown is very different from todays, and has many faults, it is unfair, highly racist, and designed for the perfect person. This novel focuses on the misfits of society, and although the social order is far from perfect, it is not the only factor. This Novella is a reproof of not only society, but also human nature. Steinbeck shows characters hampered from all walks of life. The reader reads with interest this disturbing and realistic window into a deeply flawed society.

Locomotion and Movements

locomotion Is unity of the Important characteristics of all living beings as plants and animals. Mostly plants argon fixed but well-nigh plants move. Plants ar fixed but even accordingly they show movements as leaves of plants, touch-me-not show extraordinary movements, when touched by hand. The sunflower air embolism towards the sunlight. During the darkness time so many plants fold their leaves or close the petals but next morning the leaves and petals ar opened normally. Plants manage chlamydeous and Volvo changes their take aims.Animals move from hither from there in search of food ND shelter. Animals overly move from place to place to vitiate unfavorable conditions, for mating. To lay eggs, to make their nests (birds). Animals also support very fast to save themselves from predators. Some animals the likes of coral, sponge and sea-anemone do not change their places. Movements stiff change the at titude of clay parts in the relation body axis but complete body does not move. For example when limbs ar moved, fingers are moved to hold the things. Neck is moved towards the sides to odor and tall Is moved for different purposes.Locomotion means the position of entire odd Is changed from one place to another, this takes place due to some reasons such as to scram food, to get shelter and avoid enemies. Grazing animals, like cow, horse, goat move from place to place, birds fly away, when they are going to be caught, frog jumps into the water when it feels danger. MOVEMENTS IN ANIMALS There are so many types of animals such as unicellular, small, medium size and very large-scale size animals all show movements either they are aquatic, arboreal or terrestrial.Microscopic animals such as ameba, paramecium and euglena show following types f movements. (A) Amoeba Amoeba is found In water. It shows creeping movements. Locomotors movements of amoeba are brought by the formation of finger like projections called pseudopodia (false feet). some(pre nominal) pseudopodia may project out at in any time but one pseudopodia may be continuously projecting in a specific direction, this is called leading pseudopodia, remaining Pseudopodia are go and amoeba moves in desired direction, this type of movements also occurs in W. B. C of human blood. B) Euglena Euglena shows flagella movement . Euglena moves tit the serve of palm like structure called flagellum. flagellum ext eat ups out through the front end of Euglena, during the movements, the flagellum have wordss back and forth to draw the Euglena previous in the in water with a reel rotation on straight line (swimming movements). (C) paramecium The whole body is recovered by thread like cilia which help paramecium in movement, this movements is called cilia movements. The cilia beat the water backwards and the paramecium moves forward, and as their calamity Is oblique, It rotates on Its longitudinal axis.When calla beat present direction the paramecium moves backwards (swi mming movements). (D) serpent Hydra is a fixed aquatic organism. It shows two types of deflexion movements- 1. Looping Hydra moves with the help of its tentacles. Hydra decompression sickness its body and fixes the tentacles on the ground, now it frees its fixed end and draws it near the tentacles and now the body becomes straight up again. 2. Somersaulting In this releases its base and make the body straight and upside down and again bends the body forward till it touches the ground and now it releases the tentacles to make the body straight. INSECTSSome insects lack wings and they are unable to fly like silverfish and genius lice. Some insects like housefly and mosquito have one pair of wing, which are called bow wings, they fly with the help of these wings. Some insects have two pairs of wings the fore and hind wings, like butterfly and dragonfly.