Essay on A Seperate Peace - 671 Words

â€Å"A Separate Peace† by John Knowles Separate Peace What really happened in the tree? Gene and Finny were very good friends; however, whatever happened in the tree the day the Finny quot;fellquot; out, is the actual cause of Gene â€Å"†¦My knees bent and I jounced the limb†¦Ã¢â‚¬  page 52. In fact, Finny did not fall out of the tree, but Gene had actually pushed him out. Gene had very good reasons to push him out â€Å"Finny had put him up to it, to finish me fro good on the exam.† Page 49. He pushed him out of jealousy for two things. For athleticism, and for his popularity, and also for his ability to talk his way out of anything.. First, Finny was a very athletic person; however, Gene is just a normal average day person. Gene couldnt stand†¦show more content†¦Finny was able to talk people into doing anything, just by how he acted. Moreover, he was able to invent a new sport because of his athleticism. Another example of finny being better and saying, quot;I can do it and you cantquot;. Gene knew as a fact that he could not invent a new sport and get enough attention for it. Gene could not do many things that Finny was able to do, such as talk his way out of anything. During summer school, Finny was able to talk his way out of getting in trouble a couple times. When he and Gene had skipped dinner to go to the tree, they were caught when they were walking back. All he did was talk to the teacher right there, and nothing ever came up about again. Another time was when Finny was at the headmasters house for tea, he was wearing a tie as a belt, but the odd part was that it was the school tie. Again, Phineas explained to the headmaster, that wearing the school tie as a belt, contributed to the war effort. All he had to do was explain it, and he never got in trouble again. Gene probably wished he had the ability to do that; however, he knew that only Finny could do it, and with such ease . When Gene and Finny road to the beach, it was Finny’s idea in the first place. They spent the night on the beach and when they got back Gene fails his triginometry test. Later Gene claims that Finny did it on purpose to lower his grade and make Finny look good. They never really told what Finny’s intentions reallyShow MoreRelated A Seperate Peace Essay898 Words   |  4 Pages A Separate Peace Essay In the novel, A Separate Peace by John Knowles, the protagonist, Gene Forrester â€Å"battled† within himself to find â€Å"a separate peace† and in this process directed his emotions at Phineas, his roommate. Forrester and Phineas formed the illusion of a great companionship, but there was a â€Å"silent rivalry† between them in Forrester’s mind. Self deceptions in Forrester led him to believe that Phineas was â€Å"out to get him† (Forrester). Subconsciously Forrester jounced the limb of theRead MoreA Seperate Peace, By John Knowles1414 Words   |  6 Pages A Seperate Peace Maturity Essay (First Draft) Introduction: Almost every human being in the worlfd matures, the person can mature physically and/or mentally. In A seperate peace, by John KNowles, an ongoing that comes up several times during this novel is is maturation or maturity. Many characters in this melodramatic novel, if not all of them end up maturing in this novel. World war 2 made some characters like Leper Lepellier mature more then if there hadnt been a war.Also as the story progressesRead More Seperate Peace Summary Essay850 Words   |  4 Pages A Separate Peace Gene Forrester is a quiet, intellectual student at Devon School in New Hampshire. During the Summer Session of 1942, he becomes close friends with his daredevil roommate Finny, who has a talent for getting away with mischief through his sincere, disarming charisma. Finny prods Gene into making a dangerous jump out of a tree into a river, and the two start a secret society based on this ritual. Gene envies Finnys astonishing athletic abilities, and he begins to suspect thatRead MoreHow The Two State Solution Can Solve The Arab / Israeli Conflict825 Words   |  4 PagesIsrael said, In my vision of peace, in this small land of ours, two peoples live freely, side-by-side, in amity and mutual respect. Each will have its own flag, its own national anthem, its own government. Neither will threaten the security or survival of the other†¦ If we receive this guarantee regarding demilitarization and Israel s security needs, and if the Palestinians recognize Israel as the State of the Jewish people, then we will be ready in a future peace agreement to reach a solution whereRead MoreTribal Criminal Jurisdiction 1124 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Indigenous Tribes had their own languages, customs, and legal systems. These legal systems were completly new to the Europeans, because they did not focus on the Anglo norms of ctime and punsihment, instead, they focused on the restoration of peace and tranqui lity within the tribe. When any members had a disagreement, they would present the problem to the tribal elders who would sit with the two parties and their families and simply talk; they would talk until a unified decision could be madeRead MoreMalcolm X Essay1719 Words   |  7 Pagesunlike Malcolm X who is building the thoughts of separation. That is bad because then the idea will be passed on from parents to kids which will make it harder to change the mindset of those people. Martin Luther King thought integration would lead to peace between both races. Martin Luther King shows us how he wants both races to collaborate together in his speech â€Å"The Future Of Integration†, when he said â€Å"If we are to make brotherhood a reality, the white man must treat the Negro right, not merely becauseRead MoreIs Nuclear Power the Way to Go? Essay1458 Words   |  6 Pagesway to go? Nuclear Power? What is nuclear power and why do so countries pursuit it or ask to be ban? According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency nuclear power is created through a process call fission where uranian atoms are seperate which leads to the release of energy (paragraph one, epa.gov, 4/22/2011). The first major investment on nuclear power was seen in the Manhanttan Project. The results of the Manhanttan Project were seen on the island Japan during World War Two, whereRead MoreWhat Led to the Collapse of Consensus?1489 Words   |  6 Pagesreligions. The numbers were small living in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco and the East Village of New York City. They spoke of peace, love and beauty. They were the free people. Hippies were the physical representation of the collapse of consensus. Integegral to the counter culture were rock festivals. Here, hippies folowed the music of â€Å"peace and love†. Groups like the Gratful dead and Jefferson Airplane. A number of rock festivals gave expression to this including: Crosby Stills andRead MoreUs Foreign Policy Essay902 Words   |  4 Pagesa lot of the bad blood and simering fiery emotions that still existed between England and the US were slowly calmed in part to a couple of new treaties. While relations were fixed, it would seem that many US officials wanted to keep the country seperate from others. A strong belief during the first 50 years of the US existence was to remain completely neutral with all countries and not get involved in wars or conflicts. This idealism was known as Isolationism and practically every founding fatherRead MoreEssay On Love And Hate In Romeo And Juliet883 Words   |  4 Pagesquote proves my argument of love overcoming hate because without love, they feud would not be broken. With the feud still kept alive, more people may lose their lives. The two families are coming together to mourn the loss of the children and making peace. Sitter, 3 The Lords realize that their feud did not allow people to love who they wanted to, and in conclusion

Early Childhood The Transitional Phase That Follows Infancy

Early childhood is the transitional phase that follows infancy. It is crucial for those that are significant in the child’s life to understand how they grow, develop, and learn in this stage in order to create and provide a sufficient environment. It can also help with positive development and other factors as they move into childhood. Despite the many changes this stage entails, every child is different and develops at their own pace. At this stage, children begin to explore and understand the world around them. They begin forming relationships and attachments with their guardians, along with undergoing many changes physically and mentally that allow them to gain a sense of self. Ensuring that these relationships and other changes develop positively helps assure a happier and more successful life for the child. In result, some of the most significant aspects of early childhood development are the relationships between parent and child, physical changes, and cognitive developm ent. â€Å"Don’t forget to kiss me goodnight† is a popular saying often seen on a couple’s bedroom wall. It is just as important for parents to kiss their toddlers goodnight as it is their spouse. With that physical touch, frequent hugs, and devoting full attention at times throughout the day, a parent establishes a lifetime bond with his/her child and makes the toddler feel secure and loved. The Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development reviewed an extensive and complex body ofShow MoreRelatedThe Theory Of Object Hood1244 Words   |  5 Pages The concept of object hood is innate, and can be found very early on in infancy. By Name Institution Course Tutor Date The concept of object hood is innate, and can be found very early on in infancy The ability of children to detect object starts from their early stages of life. Different researchers have come up with different models explaining how children perceive objects and how that perception changes over time as they grow older. Tracing of objects according to Piaget’sRead MoreThis is an chapter by chapter summary of the book Becoming Attached, did it for extra credit11157 Words   |  45 Pageshumans, came across this theory. The author tends to talk about and describe how as babies the basic need to have mother around is just as important as having food, water, and clean diapers. The author gives examples of children who were adopted after infancy and children whom had to spend significant amounts of time away from their mothers during their infant years had suffered from infections and hospitalism, and also severe depression and lonliness. Researchers such as Levy, Bender, Bakwin, GoldfarbRead MoreComparing Fairbairn s Motivation Behind His Departure From Freu d s Structural Model And Development Of Object Relation s Theory3943 Words   |  16 Pagesby the external world having the function of incorporating the demands of the Id and the Super Ego in attempt to bring harmony with reality. The Super ego unconsciously creates the morals, values and prohibitions and develops at a later stage of infancy, which Freud termed the Phallic Stage. It is during this stage the infant experiences the Oedipus complex. Fairbairn had a profound understanding of Freud’s work and was heavily influenced by it. He felt, however, it was out of date and requiredRead MoreAn Evalution of the Attachment Theory Essay13038 Words   |  53 Pages12 2.2 Secondary Research - qualitative or quantitative 15 2.3 Information gathering Content Analysis 16 Chapter 3: Literature Review Applying the Attachment Theory when working with Looked after Children 3.1. Part 1 - Early Attachment Theories, Criticisms Findings 20 3.2. Part 2 - Emotional and Behavioural difficulties 28 3.3 Part 3 - Effects on Child Development 35 Chapter 4: Critical overview Conclusion 4.1 Critical overview Read MoreDefinition of Adolescent Development14194 Words   |  57 Pagesinclude predictable physical and mental milestones. Introduction Derived from the Latin verb adolescere (to grow into maturity), adolescence is the period of transition from childhood to adulthood. Adolescent is a distinct and dynamic phase of development in the life of an individual. It is a period of transition from childhood to adulthood and is characterized by spurts of physical, mental, emotional and social development. WHO considers adolescence to be the period between 10-19 years of age, whichRead MoreDefinition of Adolescent Development14200 Words   |  57 Pagesinclude predictable physical and mental milestones. Introduction Derived from the Latin verb adolescere (to grow into maturity), adolescence is the period of transition from childhood to adulthood. Adolescent is a distinct and dynamic phase of development in the life of an individual. It is a period of transition from childhood to adulthood and is characterized by spurts of physical, mental, emotional and social development. WHO considers adolescence to be the period between 10-19 years of age, whichRead MoreStages of Life6505 Words   |  27 Pagestheory and its development. In a most fundamental sense, development in adulthood is about getting older. Traditional psychotherapy looks at how our adult emotional lives are rooted in childhood and infancy. But what happens when the child becomes an adult? Is adulthood only the unconscious reenactment of early childhood conflicts and traumas? In the 1950s, famous author and psychologist Erik Erikson constructed a psychosocial, developmental model of the life cycle. He wrote numerous anthropologicalRead MoreThesis, Term Paper, Essay, Research Paper21993 Words   |  88 Pageseducation, fewer job opportunities and families headed by mothers who gave birth to their first children in adolescence (Dryfoos, 1996; Macleod, 1999). Teenage pregnancy is also associated with other problematic behaviour such as alcohol and drug use, and early initiation of sexual activity, which have been identified as predictors of pregnancy (Coley Chase-Lansdale, 1998; National Population Unit, 2000). Plant Plant (1992) argue that risk or problem behaviour is associated with social disadvantage, povertyRead MoreOcd - Symptoms, Causes, Treatment131367 Words   |  526 PagesBehavioral research on obsessions and compulsions offered new insights into the pathogenesis of the disorder. Yet, by the early 1980s, behavioral research into OCD had stagna ted. The â€Å"cognitive revolution† that led to advances in the treatment of depression and other anxiety disorders, such as panic, had little impact on the research and treatment of OCD. However, by the late 1980s and early 1990s, behavioral researchers like Paul Salkovskis and Jack Rachman were advocating a more integrative theory andRead MoreManaging Information Technology (7th Edition)239873 Words   |  960 PagesMechanisms 355 Controls in the Definition and Construction Phases 355 Controls in the Implementation Phase 357 Review Questions 358 †¢ Discussion Questions 359 †¢ Bibliography 359 Chapter 9 Methodologies for Custom Software Development 361 Systems Development Life Cycle Methodology 361 The SDLC Steps 362 Initiating New Systems Projects Definition Phase 363 363 Construction Phase 365 Implementation Phase 366 The SDLC Project Team 370 Managing an SDLC

Immunity and Disease

Question: Write a report on Immunity and Disease. Answer: Research Strategies for Type 1 Diabetes: The strategic research of the Type I diabetes is important to serve the research opportunities and the research progress, prevention, treatment, and future plans related to the type I diabetes. Present researches on diabetes type I are the autoimmune disease applied in mice, which shows a progressive mechanism; where the beta cells of pancreas undergo an irregular process including the insulitis causing inflammation (Saunders et al. 2007). Research progress: This process includes majorly a principle, known as the Hygiene Hypothesis. This principle is classified into the Helminth Infections and the Autoimmunity. The Helminth Infection includes the IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 (comprising the Th2 cells), whereas the autoimmunity includes IL-12, IL-23 (specifically including the Th1 cells and the Th17 cells) (Alvarado et al. 2015). The research strategy on the diabetes type I includes the therapeutic applications of the two types of principles. Helminth infections: Inflammatory Bowel Disease; Multiple Sclerosis. Murine- Type I diabetes; Rheumatoid Arthritis; and Multiple Sclerosis, etc. in human (Herold et al. 2013). In Type 1 Diabetes includes the process in which the mechanism persists in two parts namely, the pancreatic lymph node and the pancreas itself. The antigen presenting cells or the APC consisting with two receptors such as the MHC and the immune receptor (Wilson et al. 2004). The helper T cells bind to the receptor of th e APC with the help of the TCR especially the CD3. The resulting mechanism includes the formation of: 1) Cytotoxic T cells, 2) activated macrophages, resulting in the rupture of the pancreas beta cells. As a result, the situation undergoes diabetes, type I. The type I diabetes potentially destroys the own insulin-producing beta cells, but there are clues to produce the treatments and restoring the cell population (Wilson et al. 2010). Method: The research that would be conducted under the quantitative method. According to the methodology sampling will be conducted with about 50 samples approximately, with 30ml volume of the samples. The sampling includes, blood, and urine for example. These samples would be subjected to random selection and testing. The next step includes the isolation and identification of the diabetic responsible gene with the blood samples. These genes were then be incorporated in mice. The selection of mice should be in such a way that the mice have the eligibility and physical maturation for giving offspring. The genes were incorporated in some stipulated ways: 1) Target gene being radio labelled. 2) and normal gene without the target effects. The mice were taken as females and males. Three sets of couple mice were experimented. The conditions include: 1) with one radio labelled target gene and one normal gene, 2) both the radio labelled target genes, 3) both the normal genes. The stipulated time were given to the experimented mice to mate and produce offspring. This process has been carried out for three times for trial and error method. The resultant offspring with definite results are to me observed and sequenced deliberately. The offspring also could denote the transferring rate of the target gene to the offspring and increase and decrease of the desired disease in the future generations too. Therefore site directed mutagenesis was to be performed for the trial of removing the target diseased gene from the mice itself. The resulting data would be analyzed with statistical analysis in the mean median mode. The mean median mode includes the identification of the average of the testing results of the samples. The respective results are subjected to tabular and a graphical format for the identification of the accumulation of the reports. The percentage of the sample with type I diabetes gene may be subjected to treatment and therapy. These sequences were to undergo such processes like transduction and transcription for the formation of the protein which has been purified from the target diseased genes. These proteins can be incorporated into the desired patients which could help then to gradually remove the diseased gene from the body with mutations and other genetically manipulations. If this treatment and strategy does not work and fails, then similar purification treatment can be done with other sets of patients with the same disease and with other types of sample, where the acquiring of the genomic matter should b more potent. Other, it also be tested for the purification of the insulin itself and be incorporated in the experimental mice to carry on the purification process. (Finlay et al. 2016). Preventions: One of the important factors that should be avoided such as: Hypoglycemia, Hypoglycemia unawareness, and hyperglycemia, etc. Primary preventions includes by preventing the risk factors of the disease. The secondary preventive measure includes the prevention of development of the disease. The tertiary factor includes preventing the complications from the early stages of the disease, early diagnosis, and treatment for the disease (Alvarado et al. 2015). Treatments: This disease is researched to be regulated. Therefore, the research strategy includes the modification of the therapeutic applications and the new researches in type I diabetes. The remedies of the therapeutic methods to resolve the problem of type I diabetes includes: 1) Pancreas transplantation- artificial insulin will no longer be provided to the patient. The patient may include lifetime potent immune-suppressing new insulin producing cells. Although this process may undergo problems and the body may undergo a rejection by the body. 3) Stem cell transplantation- the patients with newly detected type I diabetes may undergo stem cell transplantation (Maizels 2016). 2) Islet cell transplantation- it is of a researched value that the transplanting the involved in the life-threatening disease "type 1 diabetes", are: replacements of the lifelong insulin injections or pumps; monitoring the blood glucose level; maintain healthy diet (Magnuson et al. 2015). Future plans: The future plans for researches on type I diabetes include how the proposals of the research involve in the development of the heath of the people at the risk of diabetes. Therefore based on the present proposals and knowledge of autoimmunity, new approaches for the type I diabetes should be focused mostly in prevention and treatment. Secondly on the basis of the beta cells treatment the research goals should be set to play a crucial role in treatment in all forms of diabetes (Wilson et al. 2010). References: Alvarado, R., OBrien, B., Tanaka, A., Dalton, J.P. and Donnelly, S., 2015. A parasitic helminth-derived peptide that targets the macrophage lysosome is a novel therapeutic option for autoimmune disease. Immunobiology, 220(2), pp.262-269. Finlay, C.M., Stefanska, A.M., Walsh, K.P., Kelly, P.J., Boon, L., Lavelle, E.C., Walsh, P.T. and Mills, K.H., 2016. Helminth Products Protect against Autoimmunity via Innate Type 2 Cytokines IL-5 and IL-33, Which Promote Eosinophilia. The Journal of Immunology, 196(2), pp.703-714. Magnuson, A.M., Thurber, G.M., Kohler, R.H., Weissleder, R., Mathis, D. and Benoist, C., 2015. Population dynamics of islet-infiltrating cells in autoimmune diabetes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(5), pp.1511-1516. Maizels, R.M., 2016. Parasitic helminth infections and the control of human allergic and autoimmune disorders. Clinical Microbiology and Infection. Saunders, K.A., Raine, T., Cooke, A. and Lawrence, C.E., 2007. Inhibition of autoimmune type 1 diabetes by gastrointestinal helminth infection. Infection and immunity, 75(1), pp.397-407. Wilson, M.S. and Maizels, R.M., 2004. Regulation of allergy and autoimmunity in helminth infection. Clinical reviews in allergy immunology,26(1), pp.35-50. Wilson, M.S., Taylor, M.D., O'Gorman, M.T., Balic, A., Barr, T.A., Filbey, K., Anderton, S.M. and Maizels, R.M., 2010. Helminthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ induced CD19+ CD23hi B cells modulate experimental allergic and autoimmune inflammation.European journal of immunology, 40(6), pp.1682-1696.

Technology and Banking Sector

Question: Discuss about theTechnology and Banking Sector. Answer: Importance of Technology for Banks The importance and significance of technology in banking industry cannot be denied. The main objective and goal of the company is to serve customers excellently in order to achieve more revenue and income. The industry of bank has contained the utilization of technology to facilitate customers quick as well as fast service (Lee and Lee 2001). The banking sector has completely modified due to implementation of new and innovative technology. The paper banking and division based banking is changed into digital banking facilities. Previously, the utilization of broadband internet has made it easy to transfer the information. The utilization of technology has modified the systems of management and accounting of all bank especially in New Zealand. Currently, it is modifying the method how banking industry is delivering customer services to its clients. The role of technology in the industry of bank is enormous (Lichtenstein and Williamson 2006). Due to E-banking, the banks are now capable to transfer its facilities without any difficulty to its loyal and high-class clients. Banking institutes has employed a Graphical User Interface to create the system user approachable to all customers (Laforet Li 2005). Through this software, the consumers can get complete information about their banking accounts in their computer. Customers can transfer amount from one account to other account easily and they can get pricy of statement of bank without any hesitation through this software. In some bank, Electronic Date Interchange software is being used. This software is used to transfer the information among customers and banks. This may be utilized to communicate transaction of business in a form of computer-readable. The data can be read by customers easily without any hesitation. In banking sectors of different nations such as New Zealand, USA, UK and India, the NRI Banking Services Technology is used (Lee Feick, 2001). This is new t echnology but is used in different nations. Through this technology, the people who work in foreign country can send amounts to their families. This technology is excellently used to send money from foreign banks to domestic banks. This expertise has created it easy for foreigners to transfer cash to their relatives in order to support then excellently. In previous years, the banking facilities was offered in just cities and urban areas. Nowadays, the technology has created it easy to initiate facilities of bank in rural areas. For instance, the Mobile money banking services has introduced in New Zealand. In this situation, a rural citizen can contact with Mobile Corporation which is started for free. This company can deposit cash on their account through a close operating center of mobile money (Luarn, 2005). This cash can be achieved at any time in that rural area as well as the money can be sent or received through this method as well. This mobile money banking services made it easy to send or received cash at any time in anywhere. Through introduction of plastic card, the flexibility of banks has increased. The debit cards as well as credit cards have created industry of bank more elastic and convenient. A client can borrow a particular amount of cash from banking company to buy a thing through utilization of credit card. The ba nk deducts this amount later from their account. In this situation, the customer do not require to go through the irritation and annoyance of advancing little cash. A client can give money for anything through Smart Cards. The banks deduct cash mechanically later. These cards are utilized by customer to give or send cash from their banking accounts utilizing a machine of ATM. The introduction of these cards made banking system more flexible and convenient (Parker, 2011). Facility of self-inquiry is another technology used in banking systems. All banking institutions of New Zealand have provided this facility through which they customers dont bother to lineup the help desk. The ATM card can be used by customers to know the actual position of their accounts. These cards provide complete information regarding money and consumptions made by customers (Sathye, 1999). Remote banking is an excellent technology involved in banking sectors. The banking industry has fitted machines of ATM in diverse areas. The customers is not required to go to the core branch to do dealing. This service has made banking capable at any time. The consumers may utilize the machines of ATM to deposit cash on their banking accounts. They can get cash from any ATM machines. The facility of remote banking has assisted individuals in rural areas enhance on their civilization and tradition of saving cash. The banking institutions of New Zealand are also using service of centralized in formation. This makes capable the banks to convey data and info from one branch to other branch of bank (Yang, 2005). For instance, if a client of Westpac New Zealand Bank registered his account with the rural branch, he can achieve information on his account even though at the core branch of Westpac in a urban area. The chances of frauds and errors have been decreased due to implementation of technology. Technology has performed a vital part in declining deception in banking institutes with secure its clients. For instance, banking institutes utilize an expertise which variables signatures prior a consumer extracts big amounts on a particular account as well as this decreases on the frauds or danger which happen because of counterfeit and fake. In the banks, the Tele-banking also performed vital and significant role. The customers are provided complete information about their accounts and accounts status through telephone in banks of New Zealand. It embodies directing monetary dealings by computer as well as a telephone. An automated answering phone system is used in various New Zealand banks such as Westpac. The operators of telephone complete guide customers regarding their accounts and transactions. In numerous banks of New Zealand, the SMS banking is also used. This allows the clients to function the services of banks on mobiles utilizing SMS or messages. The banking of SMS is much The technology is playing vital role in the success and development of banking companies. Al most all banks in New Zealand are using technological advancements in banking services to enhance the profitability and customer service. The role of technology in success and development of banks cannot be denied as it made banking services more flexible and convenient. No bank can make progress without implementing lasts tools and techniques. The implementation and execution of technology in all banks is essential. The Benefits and Costs of Adopting New Technological Frameworks and Tools in New Zealand Banking Industry Implementation of technological tools in a bank shows diverse set of costs to management. It contains several benefits and costs. The below mentioned are costs and benefits of adopting new technological frameworks and tools in the banking industry of New Zealand: The managers who lead technological modification should frequently facilitate as technological creators as well as appliers. As a strategy, one bank makes the expertise as well as provides it to employers, who have limited information but well-informed regarding their fields of implementation (Narendiran, 2011). Practically, the manipulator bank is not agreeing to get on accountability for the expertise at the point in its assessment as which the growth team desires to provide it. The person who is responsible of implementing new technology should make a comprehensive plan. In order to implement successfully, it is responsibility of managers to perform a role of creators as well as employers (Zheng Chen 2003) It is announced by the Scott Collary, the chief executive of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, that application of Gerard Florian as a technology of group executive has implemented. Before this, Florian performed the role of policy office for Business Unit of Dimension Datas Global Cloud. At the worldwide tech giant of division of Australia, he will do the roles of chief marketing officer as well as chief technology officer. The technology will be defined by Florian at ANZ. He will make strategy for technology and plan for implementation of technology. The whole infrastructure for adopting new technology will be managed and handled by Florian. Through implementation of latest technology, the ANZ reported AUD 5.7 billion of profit in 2016 and it currently completely focused on digital age. The application of internet banking was introduced in Auckland Savings Bank initially in 1966. In 1999, the National Bank of New Zealand and Bank of New Zealand adopted new technology. The nu mber of customers enhanced by 54% in banking sector of New Zealand as compared to past year. According to market perspective, the implementation of new technological tools enhance the satisfaction of users, but the appropriate substance, timetable and kind of employer participant will differentiate extensive from bank to bank. In order to implement a new technological tool, the marketing perspective must be kept in account. It assist prepare a bank to get innovative technology. Numerous application tries fail as institution undervalues the level or significance of this preparation. Numerous managers cannot implement new technology as they spend enormous amount on generation of technology but spend limited time on implementation. It is suggested that not just extensive investment by creators in the plan is required but a suitable level of investment in the properties of banking company also required (Centeno, 2004). Multiple internal markets also impact the application of new technology. The greater the level of managerial hierarchy in a company, the greater the chance of fruitful application. On the other hand, the limited hierarchal structure makes extensive issues. It is responsibility of managers to make internal plans of marketing excellently to avoid issues and problems. In this process, the manager recognize the teams whose approval and recognition is greatly essential for success and development of the banks. The manager should demonstrate the appropriate approach that is essential for success. Higher level of management as well as end users have to purchase in the creation to generate it successful, but the idea of marketing required differentiation techniques. When Westpac introduced internet technology, it verified the charges on the basis of saving across time. The excellent of customer service enhanced, decreased the costs of manufacturing directed to extension of share of market, a nd the bank proved capable to facilitate as a service site for additional facilities. On the other hand, BNZ introduced M credit system, through which details are provided on mobiles about accounts. In the same way, the ANZ bank developed electronic wallets as well as apps for smartphones such as Fastnet Classic app. The banks can cover extensive portion of market through mobile banking. The offers introduced by ANZ can be used for limited customers who have high quality phones and iPhones (Giannakoudi, 1999). The processes are greatly impacted by the application of new technology. The customers and management process are impacted by this process. It is proved that application of latest technology has enhanced the quality of procedures through improving negotiation, standardization of process and improving workflow. Through introduction of internet technology, the banking sector of New Zealand improved inclusively. The introduction of use friendly websites of banks improved customer services excellently. The customers can get complete information regarding bank through websites (Schwarzer, 1992) It has been announced by the Westpac that it has created more than 170 branches in rural areas due to implementing new technology. The ANZ bank is considered to open more 6 branches in different areas. The National Bank and ANZ brands merged in 2012. It is said by the head of digital and transformation, Liz Maguire, at ANZ that more than 50% operations are performed through digital channels. As the branches are widen up, impacted negotiation have increased matters that oldest individuals will try with the evaluation from banks to performing their banking online, whereas owners of business are more worried about payments and withdraws. More than 50% of people are frightened to implement new technology (Elleithy, 2008). In order to manage the challenges of implementation of new technology, ANZ used iPhones and iPads to teach consumers how to utilize latest technology. The bank motived to people to use phone banking who did not have availability of internet or computer. Due to implementation of new technological tools, various banks of New Zealand opened more branches in 2015. ANZ has 225 braches of bank and it is making plan to make 6 more. BNZ has 171 branches in 2015. Kiwibank has 265 branches in 2015. Westpac Bank has 189 branches in the 2015 (Brown, 2006). Various creators of technology will admit confusion that creations do not gain unconscious approval (Barton, 2000). It is assumed that sale of an innovation is essential to gain acceptance, whereas it is similarly hazardous to whole the system. Innovative as well as mysterious technologies are defenseless to publicity. The prospective employers of the technology make disappointments when the desired results of the technology are not achieved. For instance, when a software is applied in a company, it is thought that this last product. The break among awareness as well as authenticity was noticeable to the active exertions of one manager in the banks. The managers are required to implement a technology in such a way as no issue can happen. Before application of extensive technology, it is recommended to conduct a pilot test for introducing new and innovative technology (Palmer, 2002). The risks of implementing a new technology cannot be avoided as sometimes the results of test are cons idered best but actual results achieved are poor. The criticisms of a particular project cannot be avoided. For successful implementation, the objective of test should be kept in mind as well. In some test, risk factors are not considered essential, while in some tests these tests are considered significantly essential. In order to implement new technology in the banking sector, the risks of implementation should be analyzed and handled. The banking industry of New Zealand managed 8 obstacles while introducing new technology. The managers of Westpac and ANZ made completely plan to handle the issues regarding organization change (Podder, 2005). The issues regarding cyber security, legacy systems, lack of clarity, digital iceberg, and lack of digital literacy, comprehension of demand of customers and participation with giants of digital are managed effectively. These issues occurred during application of new technology in banking industry of New Zealand. BNZ introduced ICT projects th at provided the various advantages to the bank in last year involve the migration of information center. The critical IT system of banks business was moved in the data center of IBMs Auckland. Olivier joined Westpac in order to facilitate the decision making process of bank regarding technology and application of latest tools. In order to facilitate various technologies such as ATM middleware, online card instigation as well as Direct from Account payment, Olivier provided great assistance and help (Polasik and Wisniewski 2009). In this essay, the importance of latest technology has been defined in detail. The banking sector of New Zealand is progressing in last few years due to implementation of latest technology and tools. The importance of technology in banking sector of New Zealand is described greatly. After that, the cost and benefits of applying new technology with perspective of banks of New Zealand are defined in detail. References Polasik, M., and Wisniewski, T. P. (2009). Empirical analysis of internet banking adoption in Poland. The International Journal of Bank Marketing, 27(1), 32-52. Podder, B. (2005). Factors influencing the adoption and usage of Internet banking: A New Zealand perspective. Published masters thesis, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand. Palmer, J. W. (2002). Web site usability, design, and performance metrics. Information Systems Research, 13(2), 151-167. Barton, C. (2000). Banking on the future. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved from: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5objectid=185860 Brown, T. A. (2006). Confirmatory factor analysis for applied research. New York: The Guilford Press. Centeno, C. (2004). Adoption of Internet services in the Acceding and Candidate Countries, lessons from the Internet banking case. Telematics and Informatics, 21(4), 293-315. Elleithy, K. (2008). Innovations and advanced techniques in systems, computing sciences and software engineering. USA: Springer. Giannakoudi, S. (1999). Internet banking : the digital voyage of banking and money in cyberspace. Information and Communications Technology Law, 8(3), 205-243. Lee, E. J., and Lee, J. (2001). Consumer adoption of Internet banking: need-based and/or skill based? The Marketing Management Journal, 11(1), 101-113. Lichtenstein, S., and Williamson, K. (2006). Understanding consumer adoption of internet banking: an interpretive study in the Australian banking context. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, 7(2), 50-66. Laforet, S., Li, X. (2005). Consumers attitudes towards online and mobile banking in China. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 23, 5, 362 380. Lee, J., Lee, J., Feick, L. (2001). The impact of switching costs on the customer satisfactionloyalty link: mobile phone service in France. Journal of Services Marketing, 15, 3548. Luarn, P. (2005). Toward an understanding of the behavioural intention to use mobile banking. Computers in Human Behaviour, 21, 873-891. Narendiran, C. (2011). A new approach on secure mobile banking using public key infrastructure. International Journal of Computing Technology Information Security, 1, 1, 40-46. Parker, R. (2011). New Zealand smartphone penetration: the facts. Retrieved 11 July 2012 from: https://blog.jericho.co.nz/new-zealand-smartphone-penetration/ Sathye, M. (1999). Adoption of Internet banking by Australian consumers: an empirical investigation. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 17, 7, 324- 334. Schwarzer, R. (1992). Self-efficacy: thought control of action. Washington: Hemisphere. Yang, K.C.C. (2005). Exploring factors affecting the adoption of mobile commerce in Singapore. Telematics Informatics, 22, 257-277. Zheng,X., Chen, D. (2003). Study of mobile payments system. Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Electronic Commerce (CEC), CA, USA.

Educational Reform In A Pluralistic Society Essays -

Educational Reform In A Pluralistic Society My personal philosophy of education is that every child has the right to an education. This education should be such that every student has the equal opportunity to succeed and learn at the highest level they are capable. I believe that the purpose of education is to educate people who are well-rounded individuals. By well-rounded, I am referring to graduates who will be able to apply their education to numerous aspects of life. This includes people who are going to college and people who will be entering the work force directly from high school. Every person should have a wide base of knowledge to draw from and add to throughout their life. This type of education allows those who wish to pursue a higher education to draw upon their education in a more intellectual way, and those that choose to work can draw upon their education in a more practical way. Those people who do not pursue education further will still have a knowledge base that allows them to view many aspects of life with an open mind. A second reason I believe that education should be geared toward creating well-rounded individuals is that I think this will greatly improve the state of our nation. A majority of our most productive, happy citizens are those ho have had a wide variety of experiences and have a broad knowledge base. Being able to accept many differences that occur throughout the human race occurs more readily among those with a broad educational background. When deciding what level of government should be responsible for education, I believe that the primary responsibility should rest on the federal government. The role of the federal government should be to regulate the standards of education. This should include monitoring every school in the United States of America to make sure that all students are receiving comparable education. As a result, curriculum standards should be set at a national level. The federal government should keep a establish a national council to decide the standards for each subject area. Representatives from each state would be appointed to monitor their own states progress. At the state level, state appointed committees would oversee the progress of the national curriculum. State committees should decide which textbooks will be adopted. By letting states adopt their own textbooks, this keeps some local control. On a local level, each school district would be responsible for deciding how the federal curriculum standards should be implemented. I believe that every school should strive for both excellence and equality in public education. Considering excellence as students who are working at the highest level they are capable of at the current time, and equality as an equal opportunity for each student to learn. (equality does not necessarily mean that each student learns the same information, but that they are learning under the conditions that suit them the best) One of the best ways to create an environment that combines equality and excellence is to use a system similar to Howard Gardners Multiple Intelligence Theory. This theory is an excellent example of combining excellence and equality. Equality is created because the activities and teaching methods focus on everyones strengths. An education would not be considered equal by my standards if teachers repeatedly teach in ways that certain students cannot comprehend. Examples of excellence can also be found in the multiple intelligence theory. By finding the way that each student learns, each child will be able to do their best work. When implementing these ideas, the role of the student is the most important. While teachers are extremely important to the learning process, the students ultimately have control over whether or not they learn anything. The success of equality and excellence depends upon what kind of commitment the student is willing to make to being the best student possible. After the role of the student and the teacher have been defined, I believe that education should seek to develop critical thinking skills, not supply students with a reservoir of factual data. Factual data is important, but the ability to know that the Battle of Bull was fought on July 21, 1861 is not going to help in a problem solving situation, which is one of the most important skills to have in life. I do not believe that meaningful educational reform is possible in a pluralistic, democratic society. There are too many differences among Americans to be able to decide on what educational reforms are necessary. Today,

a doll house drama analysis Essays

a doll house drama analysis Essays a doll house drama analysis Paper a doll house drama analysis Paper Essay Topic: A Dolls House A Dolls House Drama Analysis Kshana pressley Northwest Mississippi Community College Introduction During the nineteenth century, many restrictions and limitations were place on women in society. Marital roles, social roles, and work roles were very different for women during the nineteenth century than they are today (Hartman, 1999). Henrik Isbens playwright, A Doll House, actively voices women rights many years ago. The marital life Nora Helmer is portrayed throughout the play, conveying subordination, condemnation, sacrifice, and inequality that women felt from men in the roles that hey were expected to accept and play in a very conventional society. During the 19th century, men were thought to be superior, while women as inferior beings (Barksdale, 2012). Nora Helmer The plays main character, Nora Helmer depicts women behavior during the nineteenth century. In the beginning of the play Nora seems to portray to the image of most women during her time. She is very submissive and obedient to her husband, Torvald. Nora leads a double life in the play as a sheltered wife of an attorney and an independent risk taker, At first, Nora seems happy and affectionately esponds to Torvaldss teasing. However, this is Just an act of Nora Helmer that we all later discovered. During the nineteenth century, women could not conduct business affairs and had no control over family finances (Hartman, 1999). Permission to do so was sought from the husband before doing such acts. Nora, the little featherbrain, a nickname given by her Torvald was Just the opposite of that (Isben, 1879). She defied most of the rules. She ate macaroons and lied about it to her husband. She secretly forged her fathers signature, borrowed money without her husbands ermission, and boasted about it to her friend, Mrs. Linde (Isben, 1879). She was secretly proud of the sacrifice that she had made for her husband. However, Nora perception of her husband was totally out of place. When Torvald found out about Noras secret loan, he becomes disgusted with her (Isben, 1879). She realized that her husbands devotion was false. As a result, Nora leaves behind her husband and children to find herself. During the nineteenth century, it was unheard of for women to leave their husband and children in search of a new life (Hartman, 1999). Nora defied the odds. Mrs. Christine Linde During the nineteenth century, single women had more freedom than married women. They earned their own money, despite Jobs being limited and not well paying tor women at the time (Barksdale, 2 However, they earned it and they controlled their own finances. The Jobs that women performed were described as not interesting and not very challenging. This was the case for Mrs. Linde. Perhaps, this is why Mrs. Linde felt empty inside (Isben, 1879). Also, during the nineteenth century, women were expected to play sacrificial roles. Isben portrays such a role in Ms. Lindes character. Mrs. Linde made sacrifices for her family. She married to take care of her ailing brothers and mother. This was truly a sacrifice for Ms. Linde as she married a man whom she did not love. Krogstad, her true love, abandoned so that she could take care of her family. Torvald Helmer Men were the dominant partner in the relationship during the nineteenth century. Men were superior and often shunned women (Barksdale, 2012). As mentioned earlier, the men were the breadwinners and controlled the finances. Torvald Helmers certainly portrayed this image well as he always used the word little to describe his wife. He was an overbearing husband that viewed himself as the intellectual and emotional superior in the marriage. Torvald never considered Nora as his equal in the relationship. He often treated his wife, Nora, as a child- wife (Isben, 1879. Hypocrisy is a flaw of Torvald. He claims that he devoted to Nora and tells her l will protect you like a hunted dove and that he will guide through the perils of the world (Isben, 1879). However once Nora secret is exposed, Torvald is anything but Noras hero. Nils Krogstad During the nineteenth century men had the upper hand over women (Hartman, 1999). In Isbens A Doll House, Nils Krogstad had the upper hand over Nora. He committed a crime in order to support his family. When his Job was at stake, he blackmailed Nora. He was cruel to Nora by tormenting her. It seemed as he had little regard for her as most men did for women in the nineteenth century. However, he was blackmailing Nora to secure a Job so that he could provide for his family. As mentioned before, men were the provider and Krogstad wanted to be Just that. In conclusion, Henrik Isbens A Doll House conveys the role of men and women during the nineteenth century. Women often faced subordination, condemnation, sacrifice, and inequality from society (Hartman, 1999). Mrs. Linde Job often left her feeling empty inside because the Job for women were not so challenging. Nora sacrificed herself to save her husband while Mrs. Linde sacrificed love to support her family. Torvald and Krogstad both condemn Nora for the crime of forgery. Torvald often described Nora using the term little and would never declare her his equal (Isben, 1879). Reference Page Barksdale, M. (2012). How are men and womens roles in society changing. Discovery. Retrieved from http://curiosity. discovery. com/question/gender-roles-society- changing. Hartman, D. (1999). Womens roles in the late 19th century. Lives of women. Retrieved from connerprairie. org/Learn-And-Do/Indiana-History/ America- 1860-1900/Lives-Of-Women . aspx. Ibsen, H ember) A Dolls House. trom nttp:/ dolls-house-text. lenotes. com/

Management practices of planning, staffing, leading, organizing, and Term Paper

Management practices of planning, staffing, leading, organizing, and controlling implemented in the workplace - Term Paper Example After noting the vital aspects of each management staff, the stakeholders find it appropriate to engage the qualified personnel in running a firm. Similarly, the selected employees to manage the organization have to be experienced, motivated and focused individuals (Hannagan and Bennett, 2008). If this is not done, the stakeholders may run into losses, as the coordination of all the management processes may not be functional. In many instances, the stakeholders engage both external and internal training to equip the management with vital knowledge. Through the training, the managers also acquire ample skills to help in coordinating the management practices. In essence, the Management practices of planning, staffing, leading, organizing, and controlling in an organization are vital, as they have direct effect on the [performance of the organization. To begin with, the first management practice that has an effect on the performance of an organization is planning. Planning involves forecasting on various aspects that may affect the sustainability of the firm. First, the planning process involves forecasting on the intended expenditure of the form. Firms have to make allocations in concern to their expenditure, probably for a whole year. As such, they have to involve all the accountants and financial managers who reiterate the proposed expenditure for the firm. Secondly, the firm has to plan for the proposed expansion plans in ensuring the firm is improving its market niche (Leonard, 2013). For instance, in my previous work place, planning for investments in new markets was an approach that enhanced the market niche of the company. This is especially due to the nature of the products, which are highly needed in new markets. Since the company deals in technological appliances, finding new markets is appropriate for business sustain ability. Thirdly, the management should involve planners, especially in concern to unforeseen circumstances. At times, the unforeseen

Exam Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Exam Skills - Essay Example If the teacher does not provide notes that are clear enough to understand, it is the student's responsibility to go and ask the teacher for clarification. Most reasonable teachers are happy to provide clarification for the student. Students must ask questions until everything is completely and one hundred percent clear. Once the student knows and understands what needs to be revised, he or she can then proceed to the next step in the process. The second part of the revision process is to go forth with the revision. The student should not rush through the process. He or she must look over the work carefully and take care to revise every mistake that is outlined. . Paying attention to detail is crucial in this step of the process because if the student misses anything, then the revision will prove to be ineffective. The third part of the revision process is to look over the work carefully another time. Just because the actual revising of the work is complete does not mean that the entire revision process is complete. To insure that the work is free of any sort of common mistakes, such as in the areas of grammar, mechanical, or spelling, it is important to run the work through a spellchecker. ... The spell checker will catch most common mistakes, making the work to be a masterpiece. While spell checkers are wonderful, innovative inventions that allow for the best results, but it will not pick up everything. Because this is the case, it is important for the student to look over the work again, being careful to spot anything that the spell checker may have missed. The student may also may want to have others look over the work to spot anything that the student his/herself did not see. Once this has been done, it is safe to say that the revision is complete. Now that the revision process is complete, it is safe to turn it into the teacher. The work will be of high quality, and the student will be able to look forward to scoring high marks on the assignment, since the student followed this revision strategy closely. The work is free of all errors. As result, the student can feel good about what he or she has accomplished. 3.1 Allocate a proportion of the time available that reflects the proportion of the total marks allocated to each question. When it comes to allocating the correct amount of time to answering questions, it is important to allocate enough time to effectively and efficiently answer each question. Doing this will insure that everything is done in a proper manner, meaning that sufficient time will be provided. This is critical, especially when doing tests or quizzes. When the proper amount of time is allocated to answering questions, everything goes well, and when the proper amount of time is not allocated, a disaster usually ensues. Allocating the proper amount of time to answer questions insures that everything will run smoothly. Properly time

Teams progress Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Teams progress - Assignment Example †¢ What were the weaknesses of your team?†¢ What were the weaknesses of your team?Lack of experience on such team managed projects was a major weakness. Although Work load was equally divided by the leader division of work was such that one member assigned to do research work was not responsible for writing task. Therefore, writing standard lacked coherence of thought. Long-term goals got forgotten to attain short term targets. Due to given time limit, team leader could not justify with the given task. †¢ What do you like best about the team experience?  The best thing about the team experience was developing an understanding of what other members thought about how to work collaboratively, innovatively and at the same time respecting each other views by listening with patience. The feeling of team-spirit was so intense that no member felt bad when his research material was found irrelevant and discarded from the final output. †¢ What do you like least about your team experience?  Online participation through the electronic media via computers was the least satisfactory strategy in comparison to offline participation at the campus library and other designated places. It did not help in resolving the issues faced by members as the target was only on providing an update on current status. Members had to wait until the next face-to-face meeting to resolve issues, which caused a delay in timely submission. My experiences of the joint project have enlightened me on how to bring performance and excellence in the final output by changing my behavior and attitude.  

Analysis of Employee Turnover at McDonalds

Analysis of Employee Turnover at McDonalds 1.1 Introduction In a perfect world it would be best for any organization to have employees who love their jobs, enjoy working with their co-workers, are happy with the salary, willing to work hard for their managers and never leave the organization. However, in the real world employees do leave either because they want more money, hate the work environment, hate their co-workers, want a change or because their spouse gets a dream job in another state (Sharma, 2008). Many organizations nowadays face ‘high attrition rate or turnover mainly due to a highly competitive market. Staff attrition or turnover has been cited as one of the primary concerns facing organizations and businesses in any industry. Staff attrition or turnover relates to those who leave an organization due to resignation, termination and retirement. According to the latest CIPD survey (CIPD, 2007), the annual employee turnover rate in the UK was at 18.1 percent. The report also found that the annual turnover levels differed cons iderably from one industry to the other industry, with the highest average rates being 22.6 percent and these were found in private sector organizations and, within this sector, the hotels, catering and leisure industry reports rates of turnover at 10 percent higher than the average for the sector of 32.6 percent. High turnover rates creates particular pressures for the HR department, which is primarily responsible for replacing those who leave, but also for line managers who face disruption to production and service standards. This is the necessary result of having to induct new employees, who are usually less experienced and productive compared to those whom they replace. It takes some time for the new recruits to perform at their optimum levels. This results in the organization failing to meet its objectives, reduction in productivity and higher costs. It is therefore important for HR managers to measure staff attrition, monitor its impact and take appropriate action to minimize its effects(BanfieldKay,2008). Globalization has led to the rapid expansion of multinational fast food companies e.g. McDonalds and KFC. Even at this present time of global economic recession, these fast food companies are growing and generating profits. The customers, who were eating out at a high profile restaurant, are now looking for something reasonable and affordable. McDonalds is offering good hygienic food at a reasonable price to these customers and are benefitting from this global economic downturn. This has lead to a fierce competition between these fast food companies and each of them is trying to give the best quality product and service to its customers. In a company like McDonalds, giving a quick and high quality customer service is essential for its success. However many of the McDonalds restaurants are experiencing high employee turnover which could affect the overall productivity and profitability of the respective McDonalds restaurants. One of the senior executives at McDonalds put the chains an nual employee turnover at nearly 44 percent. According to the chief human resource officer of McDonalds Mr. Floersch the managerial turnover was at 20% globally while that of the crew members averaged between 80 percent and 90 percent. This however, varied from country to country (The Wall Street Journal, 2008). In this research, the researcher would like to investigate the main reasons for experienced employees leaving the organization i.e. McDonalds and what sort of challenges the managers face due to the high turnover. The researcher would also like to find out any retention strategies adopted by the HR department to curb the high turnover rate. For this, the researcher decided to choose few selected restaurants in London. 1.2 The Overall Aim The researchers main aim in this study is to find out the main reasons for high employee turnover at McDonalds, the way it affects the managers and the organization, and steps taken to retain employees. 1.3 Research Objectives The researcher in this research would like to find out the main reasons for having high turnover rate in McDonalds and the challenges that the managers face and also how they can curb the rate of staff turnover.The researcher also intends to study the following: To find out the main causes of high employee turnover To find out the various retention strategies adopted by McDonalds in order to retain employees. To find out the various challenges faced by managers due to employee turnover. Chapter2 2.0 Background-Company Overview McDonalds has 31,000 restaurants in 116 countries and is one of the biggest family restaurants in the world. The first restaurant in UK was opened during 1974 in Woolwich High Street and the first franchised restaurant opened in 1986. In UK there are now 1,190 restaurants employing more than 70,000 people, of which 51% is operated by franchisees. McDonalds main vision is to give the family the best experience, something that they will never forget and would want to come back to. They achieve this through its people they employ. McDonalds realizes that its employees can only perform well when they are given the right working environment and for this, they strive to provide various rewards and benefits which would suit each and every individual working in the organization. McDonalds is one of the largest global brands and it offers a culture of flexibility, opportunity, equality and diversity. It has one of the most diverse cultures within the UK (McDonalds, 2009). 2.1 Recruitment at McDonalds McDonalds policy is to hire those ‘Crew Members who can bring a smile to the workplace. This brings in positive energy and creates a good friendly atmosphere. The recruitment procedure for a ‘Crew Member is a two-step process. First the applicant needs to apply online and if successful, the second step will be to invite the candidate to a restaurant for On job evaluation (OJE) and interview. The on job evaluation helps evaluate the candidates customer service skills and his ability to keep up with the high energy environment. This will last for 15 minutes after which the candidate will be interviewed by the Business Manager for another 15 minutes. Once the crew members are hired, they will attend a welcome meeting which will be conducted at their chosen restaurant or the recruitment centre. The welcome meeting involves viewing a DVD which gives important information about the company and also gives the manager an opportunity to interact with the new recruits. They also at tend a compulsory online Health safety and Food safety test when they start working (McDonalds,2009). McDonalds also recruit ‘Trainee Business Managers who need to display some strong leadership skills. In this, McDonalds makes sure that the candidate is right for the job. A candidate applying for this position has to go through four-step selection process. The first stage is the initial screening process, this helps in ensuring that the candidate meets the basic criteria for selection. If successful, the next step is an online personality questionnaire that the candidate will have to complete. This ensures if the candidate has the desired attributes to be working in McDonalds environment. The next step is a restaurant based ‘On Job Evaluation or OJE. In this the candidate works for the entire day in order to find out what its really like to work in a McDonalds restaurant. The final step of the process is an interview with the Senior Manager of the restaurant (McDonalds,2009). 2.2 Training in McDonalds McDonalds success depends on its well trained crew and managers who maintain company standards of providing high quality, good service and cleanliness at each of its restaurants. McDonalds has a company policy to provide career opportunities that will allow employees to grow and meet their full potential. They have included career development programmes for crew and operations management which will allow them to progress to a senior management position. The company believes in promoting people on their merit. The crew members are trained by the Crew Trainers and they learn the skills necessary to run each of the workstations in the restaurant, from the front counter to the grill area. They are also trained on how to take deliveries and store the frozen food into the chiller, this is then further used in cooking and making the necessary burgers. Major part of this training is floor based and this helps the crew members learn faster and are also able to retain the information provided. After the initial training period the crew members are monitored by the use of ‘observation check lists (OCRs) on an ongoing basis. The observation checklist is a score sheet that marks all aspects of work in the restaurant. The ratings derived from these checklists goes towards their performance appraisal. The restaurants do promote the good performers to management positions where they will have the responsibility to runs shifts within the restaurant. For this, training is given to crew members in areas such as Customer Care, First Aid, Taste of Quality and Food Restaurant Safety. On successful completion of the management entrance exam, the employees will attend a training course provided by the Training Department before they start working in management position (McDonalds, 2009). 2.3 Retention Strategies of McDonalds McDonalds provides high levels of training to its employees working in various positions at the restaurants. This helps in reducing staff turnover and lowers the turnover costs. Employees that perform well are given recognition by awarding them with ‘Employee of the month. It provides medical insurance and offers health care. McDonalds now gives quarterly bonus to its crew and managers instead of yearly bonus, this was a step taken towards motivating its employees. The organization gives five weeks holiday per annum and they are going to increase that to six weeks from April 2009. Computerized English language classes are conducted; this can be enjoyed by the crew members between shifts (The Wall Street Journal, 2008). In 2009, McDonalds aims to provide Apprenticeships to up to 6000 of its 72,000 UK workforce and later will be increased to 10,000 from 2010. This will give the staff an opportunity to gain valuable and nationally recognized qualification that is equivalent to fiv e GCSE grade A*-C. McDonalds senses the importance of investing in their staff says the Senior Vice President David Fairhurst of McDonalds UK. This has been done purely to retain the existing staff and also to attract new ones towards working for McDonalds, which, is a global brand name (McDonalds Latest News, 2009). Chapter3 3.0LiteratureReview This section of the study points out the various theories that are relevant to the topic chosen. It starts with the HR and then focuses on employee turnover and the impact it has on the organization. It also speaks about the various ways an organization can adopt to reduce the employee turnover. 3.1Human Resource Management Human resource management (HRM) is a strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organizations most valued assets. The people working in HRM put individual efforts and also work together collectively in order to achieve its objectives. Their main goal is to help the organization achieve their goals and targets through people. HRM is concerned with choosing human capital that meets the organizations requirements and to develop their capabilities so that the work is done effectively (Armstrong, 2006). Recently there has been a growing importance of HRM; this is due to the fierce competition from overseas economies. In the twenty-first century if an organization wants to have a competitive advantage, it would have to effectively manage the organizations human resource. This would also enable the organization to maintain high performance consistently over a long term. In todays market the managers recognize the growing importance of recruiting, selecting, training and develop ing, rewarding and compensation the employees. However, individuals that work with human resource matters face a multitude of challenges such as the ever constant changing workforce, the government regulations and technological revolution. Furthermore, globalization has made organizations of all sizes to think about cutting costs and improving productivity (Mondy, 2008). It is therefore, important that the HRM and the other departments within the organization work closely together in order to achieve the organizational goals and objectives and to compete locally and internationally (Sims,2002). 3.2 Human Resource Development (HRD) Human Resource Development is a title which represents the latest evolutionary stage in the long tradition of training, educating, and developing people for the purpose of contributing towards the achievement of individual, organizational and societal objectives (Wilson,2005).The fundamental aim of strategic HRD is to enhance resource capability in accordance with the belief that the human capital of an organization is a major source of competitive advantage. It is therefore about ensuring that the right quality people are available to meet present and future needs. HRD policies are closely associated with that aspect of HRM that is concerned with investing in people and developing the organizations human capital. Human Resource Development is important for organizations because it is the people whose innovative ideas, their quality at work and their hunger for continuous improvement that is needed in order to compete in todays modern and high competitive business world and these won t come from machines (Swart et al, 2005). The development of human resource will always be an ongoing process and a vital ingredient for the success of an organization. 3.3 Employee Turnover Employee attrition or turnover can be explained as the number of people who leave employment over a specified period due to retirement, death, redundancy, dismissal, transfer or resignation (Secord, 2003). According to Muller-Camen et al (2008) turnover is the number of people who leave the organization at a given time period. Most organizations would like to reduce their turnover rates, especially when it comes to the good performers who have benefitted from the companies training programs. Some organizations measure their turnover rates on a monthly basis, whereas some do it on a yearly basis. A limited amount turnover is positive for organizations as a poor performer could be replaced by a more productive one. Also, it creates an opportunity for promotion or career development when an experienced staff leaves an organization. However, high turnover could affect the quality of product and service that is offered to the customers (Baum, 2006) e.g. in case of McDonalds if an experien ced staff leaves and a new staff is recruited in the kitchen section, the quality of making the burgers will be affected. It is important for any organization to stem the staff attrition rate as finding a replacement could incur heavy costs for the organization. Some of these costs include recruitment, administration and selection costs. The managers will have to recruit new employees which will incur cost to the organization and also to cover up for the loss, the other employees working in the department would be under pressure to meet the company targets. In a highly competitive market this needs to be avoided by the managers. In order to avoid high attrition rate, it is essential for HR managers to try and retain its existing employees. 3.4 Cause of Employee Turnover There are various employee turnover causes. For example, one of the biggest employee turnover causes is an ill tempered manager. Employees dont like to work with those managers who are always being negative to them, shouting at them and blaming them for something which wasnt their fault. The employees dont want to work for a manager who is not well organized in his work. Employees find it extremely difficult to work with managers who have attitude and are not easily approachable when they face problems, such managers often find it difficult to retain their staff. Sometimes managers in order to maximize profits for the organization try to cut costs by making an employee work more so that they dont have to recruit another staff. Another main cause of employee turnover is less pay to the employees. Many employees leave an organization due to not being paid enough by the management. Employees want that they are respected for their efforts in form of good pay and good benefits. It is ther efore important for organizations to treat their employees as human beings and respect their feelings and opinions. When an employee feels that they are not being looked after by their employer, they get affected mentally as frustration creeps in and this forces them to leave the organization. Also, less pay and no benefits results in lack of motivation and job satisfaction. Another reason that causes employee turnover is an employee interaction with other employees. If an employee is not comfortable with their co-workers they often tend to leave the organization. They dont really get along with the workplace and this affects their performance and productivity. Employee turnover also occurs when they are not rewarded for their hard work. If an employee performs really well at work, he/she expects that the employer would recognize the efforts put in. However, this does not happen often to the employee (Employee Turnover Calculator Blog, 2008). 3.5 Types of Employee Turnover There are two types of turnover: Voluntary and Involuntary. Voluntary turnover is sub-divided into avoidable and unavoidable turnover. Avoidable turnover is that which an organization can prevent from occurring such as increasing the employee pay or by giving him new job assignment. Unavoidable turnover is when an employee quits and the organization could not have prevented, such as people withdrawing through retirement or returning back to school or university. Other examples of unavoidable turnover is when an employee quits in pursuit of a new career, health problems which forces an employee to take up a different type of job or perhapswhenanemployeeleavesthecountry. Involuntary turnover can be split into discharge and downsizing types. Discharge turnover occurs when an individual has been asked to leave the organization. This could be due to job performance problems wherein an employee does not perform well over a period of time even after adequate training is given to the employe e or could be for not being discipline at work e.g. coming late at work or misbehaving with colleagues. Downsizing turnover is targeted at a group of employees by an organization, it occurs as a part of organizational restructuring or cost-reduction program to improve organizational effectiveness and increase shareholder value. This reduction could be permanent or temporary due to a plant or site closing or relocation. The reduction in workforce also occurs at the time or mergers and acquisitions (Heneman Judge, 2006). 3.6 Cost as aresult of Employee Turnover The most important factor of high employee turnover that affects any organization is the cost. These costs can further be divided into the recruitment costs, training costs, lost productivity costs, new hire costs and lost sales costs (Pilbeam Corbridge, 2006). Recruitment costs are usually in the form of advertisements. The organization also incurs cost as they have to pay the recruitment agency, and also for posting advertisements on the internet. The training costs include cost of departmental training, cost of the person(s) who conduct the training and cost of various training materials. There are lost productivity costs as the new trained employee would only contribute at 25% productivity level for the first 2-4 weeks and cost of mistakes the new employee makes during his induction period. The new hire costs include putting the person on the payroll, establish computer and security passwords and identification cards, telephone hookups and cost of establishing email accounts. Th e lost sales costs or lost revenue which is calculated by multiplying the number of weeks the position is vacant by the averageweeklyrevenueperemployee.Despite the costs of high employee turnover being so significant it is overlooked and rarely calculated. Few organizations, 7 per cent of those surveyed, calculate the more extensive costs of turnover (CIPD, 2004a). When these organizations were asked why they dont calculate these costs, over half of them gave the reason that the organization did not require the information, while a third stated that calculating the various costs was just too time consumingforthem. According to Risher Stopper (2002) for an organization cost of replacement can sometimes account to around 2.5 times the annual salary of an existing employee. Such costs are rarely identified by the accounting department of an organization. Therefore, in order to avoid such turnover costs, organizations must form a successful retention strategy overtime. 3.7 Customer Satisfaction and Customer Retention According to Hill (2006) recently many organizations whether it be a small one or a large one, they have increasingly come to understand that it is important for them to maintain customer satisfaction. Nowadays the organizations have realized the fact that retaining existing customers is easier and less costly than finding some new ones. Todays businesses are so competitive that in order to gain or win new customers, organizations have to invest a lot of money. Organizations have started to realize that there is a strong link between customer satisfaction, customer retention and profitability. For many organizations in the hospitality and service industry customer satisfaction will be the topmost priority in order to be successful. Meeting the various needs of the customers and satisfying them has become the key operational goal for many organizations. Customers would only be satisfied when the organizations product or service is good enough to meet their requirements and therefore t his needs to be measured by the organization. In the words of Argenti (2002) in order to measure the overall success of any given product or service one needs to find out how often do the customers buy that same product or service. A customer buying the same product repeatedly would mean that he/she is satisfied with that product. If one can put it in simple terms, a company can make regular profits if customers show a long term commitment to their product or service. The reason why organizations can make profits from long-term and loyal customers is because they dont have to invest huge sums in attracting the new customers through the means of advertisements and promotions. Therefore, if a company after acquiring a new customer manages to keep them in the long-run, its investment on acquiring will pay off. E.g. If McDonalds want to stay competitive in the fast food industry it needs to make sure that their customers are always satisfied with the food and also the customer service. This is essential for retaining customers and would also add value to the company,thereby increasing the company profits. 3.8 Employee Retention Retention includes all those activities that an employer does to encourage qualified and highly-skilled and productive employees to continue working for the organization (Jackson et al, 2009). Staff retention is about attracting and keeping good-quality employees, while accepting that some of them will leave the organization. However, the managers should ensure that when these employees leave, it wont affect the organizations productivity to a large extent (Bloisi, 2007). Retaining a productive employee is of considerable importance to the companys HR professional. The CIPD (2004) report intro HR trends and indicators reported that 31.7 percent of employers face difficulty with retaining its employees. Large organizations find it even moredifficulttoretaintheirworkers.According to Browell (2003) an organization can benefit a lot from retaining the existing staff, some of them include: reduction in recruitment costs and selection and training of new staff, it keeps skills and knowledg e within the organization, helps improve performance, productivity and profitability, it helps in building customer loyalty and satisfaction, and lastly, it could help increase the sales volume of the organization thereby making them competitive in the market. Organizations should consider the following elements which would help in retaining employees: Job previews employees should be given a more realistic job preview when they are being recruited. Care should be taken not to give them high expectations that cannot be met. Improve management style one of the main reasons employees leave the organization is due to dissatisfaction with their managers. Organizations that would like to improve retention should take measures to improve their managers people management skills. Career development and Progression organizations should give their employees ample of opportunities to develop their skills. This can be done by introducing mentoring scheme, encouraging multi-skilling, improving career development opportunities and investing in succession planning (CIPD, 2008). Flexibility organizations should be flexible towards employees working hours and times. If employees are forced to work hours which is not convenient for them, they will look for jobs elsewhere. Treat people equally and fairly to improve retention organizations should make sure not to discriminate against employees. If they are unfair towards them it will result in voluntary resignations. Every employee that belongs to a team should be treated equally by the managers. Improve pay and benefits Many employees leave due to less pay and no benefits. A simple pay rise could be a useful strategy for organizations to retain their employees. Organizations should make sure that they match the market rates or better it when it comes to good performingemployees (Muller-Camenetal, 2008). 3.9 Recruitment In todays global competitive market organizations are under constant pressure to perform well and stay competitive and in order to achieve that, they need to recruit the right people for the right job. Recruitment is a very costly process as a lot of resources go into it. If the organization recruits wrong people it could cost to the organization huge sums and also loss of valuable time. Therefore it is important for the recruitment process to be fair, reliable and valid (Armstrong, 2001). According to Bratton and Gold (2003) an organization should setup such a recruitment process, which will help in generating a pool of talented and skilled workers who are capable for employment in an organization. Recruitment involves searching and hiring qualified people for the organization and consider them when filling job openings. The recruitment process should be consistent, taking into consideration the organizations strategy, vision and values. There are different sources an organization can use for recruiting: the first being the internal labor market and this could be the companys current employees. A good way for recruiting employees from within is through posting announcements in a company newsletter. According to the CIPD recruitment survey (2004a) 84 percent of UK organizations surveyed looked for applicants from within the organization. They did so by using internal email or intranet (69 percent), notice and bulletin boards (68 percent), team meetings (18 percent), staff newsletter or magazines (14 percent), and by memos, circulars and approaching directly. The second source would be the external labor market and this could be reached via electronic media and also referrals from current employees (Jackson et al, 2009). However, the success rate of these sources is not equal and may vary e.g. employee referrals may yield better quality applicants than through newspaperadvertisements. It is important for any organization to monitor its recruitment process as this will help reduce the talented and knowledgeable employees from leaving the organization. For any organization the recruitment process is the very first stage of retention. It is therefore important for an organization to monitor the recruitment practice as it will help in finding the right candidate for the job. In the long term this will also help the organization to reduce the turnover levels. 3.10 Training The primary reason that organizations train their new employees is to increase the level of the knowledge, skills and abilities that they possess. It can be used as one of the ways to retain its existing employees, as training will give them an opportunity to develop new skills and gain knowledge. The amount of training given to the employees has a positive influence on the organizations revenue and overall profitability. Managers should therefore keep a watchful eye on the organizations goals and strategies while conducting training programmes (Snell Bohlander, 2007). Training is also described as a planned process which enables to change the attitudes of people; it helps a person to gain some knowledge and develop the skills through various activities which helps the person to achieve effective performance. Training an employee at work is important as the employee will be able to meet the requirements of the organization in the present and in the future (Beardwell et al 2004). Tra ining is the systematic process of altering the behavior of employees in a direction that will achieve organizational goals. Training is related to present job skills and abilities. It has a current orientation and helps employees master specific skills and abilities needed to be successful (Ivancevich,2007). There are two generally accepted methods of training: one of them is called on-the-job training and the other is called off-the-job training. On-the-job training is probably the most widely used method of training and it usually takes place at the workplace. Off-the-job training usually takes place in a location which is outside of the workplace and is normally more expensive than the on-the-job training (Mullins,2005). In on-the-job training an experience worker trains the newly recruited employee. E.g. in McDonalds trainees acquire skills such as running a machine, making of a burger by observing the experienced worker. OJT is also used for top level management, there are â⠂¬Ëœassistants who train and develop the future managers. Some other forms of OJT include apprenticeships and self-directed learning. The advantage of OJT is that it can be customized according to the experiences and abilities of the trainees. Off-the-job training provides group based learning opportunities which is conducted at a site which is away from the workplace. Off-the-job training is conducted in an off-site training classroom close to the workplace or in a corporate or private facility. Off-the-job training is usually expensive as it requires a lot of travelling and maybe used by large organizations. Training classrooms, vestibule training setups and specially constructed training laboratories are some of the sites used for off-the-jobtraining(Jacobs,2003). In an organization training could also be used to change the culture within the organization. It can be used as an important tool by the organization to improve the overall effectiveness, especially in todays world where the marketis highly competitive. An organization can take up two approaches on training: a systematic training and just-in-time training. In a systematic approach, training must be designed, planned and then implemented appropriately in order to meet the needs of the organization. The training is given by those people who know exactly how to train the employees. Once the training has been provided, it is carefully monitored in order to Analysis of Employee Turnover at McDonalds Analysis of Employee Turnover at McDonalds 1.1 Introduction In a perfect world it would be best for any organization to have employees who love their jobs, enjoy working with their co-workers, are happy with the salary, willing to work hard for their managers and never leave the organization. However, in the real world employees do leave either because they want more money, hate the work environment, hate their co-workers, want a change or because their spouse gets a dream job in another state (Sharma, 2008). Many organizations nowadays face ‘high attrition rate or turnover mainly due to a highly competitive market. Staff attrition or turnover has been cited as one of the primary concerns facing organizations and businesses in any industry. Staff attrition or turnover relates to those who leave an organization due to resignation, termination and retirement. According to the latest CIPD survey (CIPD, 2007), the annual employee turnover rate in the UK was at 18.1 percent. The report also found that the annual turnover levels differed cons iderably from one industry to the other industry, with the highest average rates being 22.6 percent and these were found in private sector organizations and, within this sector, the hotels, catering and leisure industry reports rates of turnover at 10 percent higher than the average for the sector of 32.6 percent. High turnover rates creates particular pressures for the HR department, which is primarily responsible for replacing those who leave, but also for line managers who face disruption to production and service standards. This is the necessary result of having to induct new employees, who are usually less experienced and productive compared to those whom they replace. It takes some time for the new recruits to perform at their optimum levels. This results in the organization failing to meet its objectives, reduction in productivity and higher costs. It is therefore important for HR managers to measure staff attrition, monitor its impact and take appropriate action to minimize its effects(BanfieldKay,2008). Globalization has led to the rapid expansion of multinational fast food companies e.g. McDonalds and KFC. Even at this present time of global economic recession, these fast food companies are growing and generating profits. The customers, who were eating out at a high profile restaurant, are now looking for something reasonable and affordable. McDonalds is offering good hygienic food at a reasonable price to these customers and are benefitting from this global economic downturn. This has lead to a fierce competition between these fast food companies and each of them is trying to give the best quality product and service to its customers. In a company like McDonalds, giving a quick and high quality customer service is essential for its success. However many of the McDonalds restaurants are experiencing high employee turnover which could affect the overall productivity and profitability of the respective McDonalds restaurants. One of the senior executives at McDonalds put the chains an nual employee turnover at nearly 44 percent. According to the chief human resource officer of McDonalds Mr. Floersch the managerial turnover was at 20% globally while that of the crew members averaged between 80 percent and 90 percent. This however, varied from country to country (The Wall Street Journal, 2008). In this research, the researcher would like to investigate the main reasons for experienced employees leaving the organization i.e. McDonalds and what sort of challenges the managers face due to the high turnover. The researcher would also like to find out any retention strategies adopted by the HR department to curb the high turnover rate. For this, the researcher decided to choose few selected restaurants in London. 1.2 The Overall Aim The researchers main aim in this study is to find out the main reasons for high employee turnover at McDonalds, the way it affects the managers and the organization, and steps taken to retain employees. 1.3 Research Objectives The researcher in this research would like to find out the main reasons for having high turnover rate in McDonalds and the challenges that the managers face and also how they can curb the rate of staff turnover.The researcher also intends to study the following: To find out the main causes of high employee turnover To find out the various retention strategies adopted by McDonalds in order to retain employees. To find out the various challenges faced by managers due to employee turnover. Chapter2 2.0 Background-Company Overview McDonalds has 31,000 restaurants in 116 countries and is one of the biggest family restaurants in the world. The first restaurant in UK was opened during 1974 in Woolwich High Street and the first franchised restaurant opened in 1986. In UK there are now 1,190 restaurants employing more than 70,000 people, of which 51% is operated by franchisees. McDonalds main vision is to give the family the best experience, something that they will never forget and would want to come back to. They achieve this through its people they employ. McDonalds realizes that its employees can only perform well when they are given the right working environment and for this, they strive to provide various rewards and benefits which would suit each and every individual working in the organization. McDonalds is one of the largest global brands and it offers a culture of flexibility, opportunity, equality and diversity. It has one of the most diverse cultures within the UK (McDonalds, 2009). 2.1 Recruitment at McDonalds McDonalds policy is to hire those ‘Crew Members who can bring a smile to the workplace. This brings in positive energy and creates a good friendly atmosphere. The recruitment procedure for a ‘Crew Member is a two-step process. First the applicant needs to apply online and if successful, the second step will be to invite the candidate to a restaurant for On job evaluation (OJE) and interview. The on job evaluation helps evaluate the candidates customer service skills and his ability to keep up with the high energy environment. This will last for 15 minutes after which the candidate will be interviewed by the Business Manager for another 15 minutes. Once the crew members are hired, they will attend a welcome meeting which will be conducted at their chosen restaurant or the recruitment centre. The welcome meeting involves viewing a DVD which gives important information about the company and also gives the manager an opportunity to interact with the new recruits. They also at tend a compulsory online Health safety and Food safety test when they start working (McDonalds,2009). McDonalds also recruit ‘Trainee Business Managers who need to display some strong leadership skills. In this, McDonalds makes sure that the candidate is right for the job. A candidate applying for this position has to go through four-step selection process. The first stage is the initial screening process, this helps in ensuring that the candidate meets the basic criteria for selection. If successful, the next step is an online personality questionnaire that the candidate will have to complete. This ensures if the candidate has the desired attributes to be working in McDonalds environment. The next step is a restaurant based ‘On Job Evaluation or OJE. In this the candidate works for the entire day in order to find out what its really like to work in a McDonalds restaurant. The final step of the process is an interview with the Senior Manager of the restaurant (McDonalds,2009). 2.2 Training in McDonalds McDonalds success depends on its well trained crew and managers who maintain company standards of providing high quality, good service and cleanliness at each of its restaurants. McDonalds has a company policy to provide career opportunities that will allow employees to grow and meet their full potential. They have included career development programmes for crew and operations management which will allow them to progress to a senior management position. The company believes in promoting people on their merit. The crew members are trained by the Crew Trainers and they learn the skills necessary to run each of the workstations in the restaurant, from the front counter to the grill area. They are also trained on how to take deliveries and store the frozen food into the chiller, this is then further used in cooking and making the necessary burgers. Major part of this training is floor based and this helps the crew members learn faster and are also able to retain the information provided. After the initial training period the crew members are monitored by the use of ‘observation check lists (OCRs) on an ongoing basis. The observation checklist is a score sheet that marks all aspects of work in the restaurant. The ratings derived from these checklists goes towards their performance appraisal. The restaurants do promote the good performers to management positions where they will have the responsibility to runs shifts within the restaurant. For this, training is given to crew members in areas such as Customer Care, First Aid, Taste of Quality and Food Restaurant Safety. On successful completion of the management entrance exam, the employees will attend a training course provided by the Training Department before they start working in management position (McDonalds, 2009). 2.3 Retention Strategies of McDonalds McDonalds provides high levels of training to its employees working in various positions at the restaurants. This helps in reducing staff turnover and lowers the turnover costs. Employees that perform well are given recognition by awarding them with ‘Employee of the month. It provides medical insurance and offers health care. McDonalds now gives quarterly bonus to its crew and managers instead of yearly bonus, this was a step taken towards motivating its employees. The organization gives five weeks holiday per annum and they are going to increase that to six weeks from April 2009. Computerized English language classes are conducted; this can be enjoyed by the crew members between shifts (The Wall Street Journal, 2008). In 2009, McDonalds aims to provide Apprenticeships to up to 6000 of its 72,000 UK workforce and later will be increased to 10,000 from 2010. This will give the staff an opportunity to gain valuable and nationally recognized qualification that is equivalent to fiv e GCSE grade A*-C. McDonalds senses the importance of investing in their staff says the Senior Vice President David Fairhurst of McDonalds UK. This has been done purely to retain the existing staff and also to attract new ones towards working for McDonalds, which, is a global brand name (McDonalds Latest News, 2009). Chapter3 3.0LiteratureReview This section of the study points out the various theories that are relevant to the topic chosen. It starts with the HR and then focuses on employee turnover and the impact it has on the organization. It also speaks about the various ways an organization can adopt to reduce the employee turnover. 3.1Human Resource Management Human resource management (HRM) is a strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organizations most valued assets. The people working in HRM put individual efforts and also work together collectively in order to achieve its objectives. Their main goal is to help the organization achieve their goals and targets through people. HRM is concerned with choosing human capital that meets the organizations requirements and to develop their capabilities so that the work is done effectively (Armstrong, 2006). Recently there has been a growing importance of HRM; this is due to the fierce competition from overseas economies. In the twenty-first century if an organization wants to have a competitive advantage, it would have to effectively manage the organizations human resource. This would also enable the organization to maintain high performance consistently over a long term. In todays market the managers recognize the growing importance of recruiting, selecting, training and develop ing, rewarding and compensation the employees. However, individuals that work with human resource matters face a multitude of challenges such as the ever constant changing workforce, the government regulations and technological revolution. Furthermore, globalization has made organizations of all sizes to think about cutting costs and improving productivity (Mondy, 2008). It is therefore, important that the HRM and the other departments within the organization work closely together in order to achieve the organizational goals and objectives and to compete locally and internationally (Sims,2002). 3.2 Human Resource Development (HRD) Human Resource Development is a title which represents the latest evolutionary stage in the long tradition of training, educating, and developing people for the purpose of contributing towards the achievement of individual, organizational and societal objectives (Wilson,2005).The fundamental aim of strategic HRD is to enhance resource capability in accordance with the belief that the human capital of an organization is a major source of competitive advantage. It is therefore about ensuring that the right quality people are available to meet present and future needs. HRD policies are closely associated with that aspect of HRM that is concerned with investing in people and developing the organizations human capital. Human Resource Development is important for organizations because it is the people whose innovative ideas, their quality at work and their hunger for continuous improvement that is needed in order to compete in todays modern and high competitive business world and these won t come from machines (Swart et al, 2005). The development of human resource will always be an ongoing process and a vital ingredient for the success of an organization. 3.3 Employee Turnover Employee attrition or turnover can be explained as the number of people who leave employment over a specified period due to retirement, death, redundancy, dismissal, transfer or resignation (Secord, 2003). According to Muller-Camen et al (2008) turnover is the number of people who leave the organization at a given time period. Most organizations would like to reduce their turnover rates, especially when it comes to the good performers who have benefitted from the companies training programs. Some organizations measure their turnover rates on a monthly basis, whereas some do it on a yearly basis. A limited amount turnover is positive for organizations as a poor performer could be replaced by a more productive one. Also, it creates an opportunity for promotion or career development when an experienced staff leaves an organization. However, high turnover could affect the quality of product and service that is offered to the customers (Baum, 2006) e.g. in case of McDonalds if an experien ced staff leaves and a new staff is recruited in the kitchen section, the quality of making the burgers will be affected. It is important for any organization to stem the staff attrition rate as finding a replacement could incur heavy costs for the organization. Some of these costs include recruitment, administration and selection costs. The managers will have to recruit new employees which will incur cost to the organization and also to cover up for the loss, the other employees working in the department would be under pressure to meet the company targets. In a highly competitive market this needs to be avoided by the managers. In order to avoid high attrition rate, it is essential for HR managers to try and retain its existing employees. 3.4 Cause of Employee Turnover There are various employee turnover causes. For example, one of the biggest employee turnover causes is an ill tempered manager. Employees dont like to work with those managers who are always being negative to them, shouting at them and blaming them for something which wasnt their fault. The employees dont want to work for a manager who is not well organized in his work. Employees find it extremely difficult to work with managers who have attitude and are not easily approachable when they face problems, such managers often find it difficult to retain their staff. Sometimes managers in order to maximize profits for the organization try to cut costs by making an employee work more so that they dont have to recruit another staff. Another main cause of employee turnover is less pay to the employees. Many employees leave an organization due to not being paid enough by the management. Employees want that they are respected for their efforts in form of good pay and good benefits. It is ther efore important for organizations to treat their employees as human beings and respect their feelings and opinions. When an employee feels that they are not being looked after by their employer, they get affected mentally as frustration creeps in and this forces them to leave the organization. Also, less pay and no benefits results in lack of motivation and job satisfaction. Another reason that causes employee turnover is an employee interaction with other employees. If an employee is not comfortable with their co-workers they often tend to leave the organization. They dont really get along with the workplace and this affects their performance and productivity. Employee turnover also occurs when they are not rewarded for their hard work. If an employee performs really well at work, he/she expects that the employer would recognize the efforts put in. However, this does not happen often to the employee (Employee Turnover Calculator Blog, 2008). 3.5 Types of Employee Turnover There are two types of turnover: Voluntary and Involuntary. Voluntary turnover is sub-divided into avoidable and unavoidable turnover. Avoidable turnover is that which an organization can prevent from occurring such as increasing the employee pay or by giving him new job assignment. Unavoidable turnover is when an employee quits and the organization could not have prevented, such as people withdrawing through retirement or returning back to school or university. Other examples of unavoidable turnover is when an employee quits in pursuit of a new career, health problems which forces an employee to take up a different type of job or perhapswhenanemployeeleavesthecountry. Involuntary turnover can be split into discharge and downsizing types. Discharge turnover occurs when an individual has been asked to leave the organization. This could be due to job performance problems wherein an employee does not perform well over a period of time even after adequate training is given to the employe e or could be for not being discipline at work e.g. coming late at work or misbehaving with colleagues. Downsizing turnover is targeted at a group of employees by an organization, it occurs as a part of organizational restructuring or cost-reduction program to improve organizational effectiveness and increase shareholder value. This reduction could be permanent or temporary due to a plant or site closing or relocation. The reduction in workforce also occurs at the time or mergers and acquisitions (Heneman Judge, 2006). 3.6 Cost as aresult of Employee Turnover The most important factor of high employee turnover that affects any organization is the cost. These costs can further be divided into the recruitment costs, training costs, lost productivity costs, new hire costs and lost sales costs (Pilbeam Corbridge, 2006). Recruitment costs are usually in the form of advertisements. The organization also incurs cost as they have to pay the recruitment agency, and also for posting advertisements on the internet. The training costs include cost of departmental training, cost of the person(s) who conduct the training and cost of various training materials. There are lost productivity costs as the new trained employee would only contribute at 25% productivity level for the first 2-4 weeks and cost of mistakes the new employee makes during his induction period. The new hire costs include putting the person on the payroll, establish computer and security passwords and identification cards, telephone hookups and cost of establishing email accounts. Th e lost sales costs or lost revenue which is calculated by multiplying the number of weeks the position is vacant by the averageweeklyrevenueperemployee.Despite the costs of high employee turnover being so significant it is overlooked and rarely calculated. Few organizations, 7 per cent of those surveyed, calculate the more extensive costs of turnover (CIPD, 2004a). When these organizations were asked why they dont calculate these costs, over half of them gave the reason that the organization did not require the information, while a third stated that calculating the various costs was just too time consumingforthem. According to Risher Stopper (2002) for an organization cost of replacement can sometimes account to around 2.5 times the annual salary of an existing employee. Such costs are rarely identified by the accounting department of an organization. Therefore, in order to avoid such turnover costs, organizations must form a successful retention strategy overtime. 3.7 Customer Satisfaction and Customer Retention According to Hill (2006) recently many organizations whether it be a small one or a large one, they have increasingly come to understand that it is important for them to maintain customer satisfaction. Nowadays the organizations have realized the fact that retaining existing customers is easier and less costly than finding some new ones. Todays businesses are so competitive that in order to gain or win new customers, organizations have to invest a lot of money. Organizations have started to realize that there is a strong link between customer satisfaction, customer retention and profitability. For many organizations in the hospitality and service industry customer satisfaction will be the topmost priority in order to be successful. Meeting the various needs of the customers and satisfying them has become the key operational goal for many organizations. Customers would only be satisfied when the organizations product or service is good enough to meet their requirements and therefore t his needs to be measured by the organization. In the words of Argenti (2002) in order to measure the overall success of any given product or service one needs to find out how often do the customers buy that same product or service. A customer buying the same product repeatedly would mean that he/she is satisfied with that product. If one can put it in simple terms, a company can make regular profits if customers show a long term commitment to their product or service. The reason why organizations can make profits from long-term and loyal customers is because they dont have to invest huge sums in attracting the new customers through the means of advertisements and promotions. Therefore, if a company after acquiring a new customer manages to keep them in the long-run, its investment on acquiring will pay off. E.g. If McDonalds want to stay competitive in the fast food industry it needs to make sure that their customers are always satisfied with the food and also the customer service. This is essential for retaining customers and would also add value to the company,thereby increasing the company profits. 3.8 Employee Retention Retention includes all those activities that an employer does to encourage qualified and highly-skilled and productive employees to continue working for the organization (Jackson et al, 2009). Staff retention is about attracting and keeping good-quality employees, while accepting that some of them will leave the organization. However, the managers should ensure that when these employees leave, it wont affect the organizations productivity to a large extent (Bloisi, 2007). Retaining a productive employee is of considerable importance to the companys HR professional. The CIPD (2004) report intro HR trends and indicators reported that 31.7 percent of employers face difficulty with retaining its employees. Large organizations find it even moredifficulttoretaintheirworkers.According to Browell (2003) an organization can benefit a lot from retaining the existing staff, some of them include: reduction in recruitment costs and selection and training of new staff, it keeps skills and knowledg e within the organization, helps improve performance, productivity and profitability, it helps in building customer loyalty and satisfaction, and lastly, it could help increase the sales volume of the organization thereby making them competitive in the market. Organizations should consider the following elements which would help in retaining employees: Job previews employees should be given a more realistic job preview when they are being recruited. Care should be taken not to give them high expectations that cannot be met. Improve management style one of the main reasons employees leave the organization is due to dissatisfaction with their managers. Organizations that would like to improve retention should take measures to improve their managers people management skills. Career development and Progression organizations should give their employees ample of opportunities to develop their skills. This can be done by introducing mentoring scheme, encouraging multi-skilling, improving career development opportunities and investing in succession planning (CIPD, 2008). Flexibility organizations should be flexible towards employees working hours and times. If employees are forced to work hours which is not convenient for them, they will look for jobs elsewhere. Treat people equally and fairly to improve retention organizations should make sure not to discriminate against employees. If they are unfair towards them it will result in voluntary resignations. Every employee that belongs to a team should be treated equally by the managers. Improve pay and benefits Many employees leave due to less pay and no benefits. A simple pay rise could be a useful strategy for organizations to retain their employees. Organizations should make sure that they match the market rates or better it when it comes to good performingemployees (Muller-Camenetal, 2008). 3.9 Recruitment In todays global competitive market organizations are under constant pressure to perform well and stay competitive and in order to achieve that, they need to recruit the right people for the right job. Recruitment is a very costly process as a lot of resources go into it. If the organization recruits wrong people it could cost to the organization huge sums and also loss of valuable time. Therefore it is important for the recruitment process to be fair, reliable and valid (Armstrong, 2001). According to Bratton and Gold (2003) an organization should setup such a recruitment process, which will help in generating a pool of talented and skilled workers who are capable for employment in an organization. Recruitment involves searching and hiring qualified people for the organization and consider them when filling job openings. The recruitment process should be consistent, taking into consideration the organizations strategy, vision and values. There are different sources an organization can use for recruiting: the first being the internal labor market and this could be the companys current employees. A good way for recruiting employees from within is through posting announcements in a company newsletter. According to the CIPD recruitment survey (2004a) 84 percent of UK organizations surveyed looked for applicants from within the organization. They did so by using internal email or intranet (69 percent), notice and bulletin boards (68 percent), team meetings (18 percent), staff newsletter or magazines (14 percent), and by memos, circulars and approaching directly. The second source would be the external labor market and this could be reached via electronic media and also referrals from current employees (Jackson et al, 2009). However, the success rate of these sources is not equal and may vary e.g. employee referrals may yield better quality applicants than through newspaperadvertisements. It is important for any organization to monitor its recruitment process as this will help reduce the talented and knowledgeable employees from leaving the organization. For any organization the recruitment process is the very first stage of retention. It is therefore important for an organization to monitor the recruitment practice as it will help in finding the right candidate for the job. In the long term this will also help the organization to reduce the turnover levels. 3.10 Training The primary reason that organizations train their new employees is to increase the level of the knowledge, skills and abilities that they possess. It can be used as one of the ways to retain its existing employees, as training will give them an opportunity to develop new skills and gain knowledge. The amount of training given to the employees has a positive influence on the organizations revenue and overall profitability. Managers should therefore keep a watchful eye on the organizations goals and strategies while conducting training programmes (Snell Bohlander, 2007). Training is also described as a planned process which enables to change the attitudes of people; it helps a person to gain some knowledge and develop the skills through various activities which helps the person to achieve effective performance. Training an employee at work is important as the employee will be able to meet the requirements of the organization in the present and in the future (Beardwell et al 2004). Tra ining is the systematic process of altering the behavior of employees in a direction that will achieve organizational goals. Training is related to present job skills and abilities. It has a current orientation and helps employees master specific skills and abilities needed to be successful (Ivancevich,2007). There are two generally accepted methods of training: one of them is called on-the-job training and the other is called off-the-job training. On-the-job training is probably the most widely used method of training and it usually takes place at the workplace. Off-the-job training usually takes place in a location which is outside of the workplace and is normally more expensive than the on-the-job training (Mullins,2005). In on-the-job training an experience worker trains the newly recruited employee. E.g. in McDonalds trainees acquire skills such as running a machine, making of a burger by observing the experienced worker. OJT is also used for top level management, there are â⠂¬Ëœassistants who train and develop the future managers. Some other forms of OJT include apprenticeships and self-directed learning. The advantage of OJT is that it can be customized according to the experiences and abilities of the trainees. Off-the-job training provides group based learning opportunities which is conducted at a site which is away from the workplace. Off-the-job training is conducted in an off-site training classroom close to the workplace or in a corporate or private facility. Off-the-job training is usually expensive as it requires a lot of travelling and maybe used by large organizations. Training classrooms, vestibule training setups and specially constructed training laboratories are some of the sites used for off-the-jobtraining(Jacobs,2003). In an organization training could also be used to change the culture within the organization. It can be used as an important tool by the organization to improve the overall effectiveness, especially in todays world where the marketis highly competitive. An organization can take up two approaches on training: a systematic training and just-in-time training. In a systematic approach, training must be designed, planned and then implemented appropriately in order to meet the needs of the organization. The training is given by those people who know exactly how to train the employees. Once the training has been provided, it is carefully monitored in order to