Employee Satisfaction and Customer Satisfaction Essay Example for Free

Employee Satisfaction and Customer Satisfaction Essay This thesis will be based on my current and previous practical experience combined with the theoretical basis that I have acquired through the modules on Academy business school. I have 8 years of management experience in retail, but in the last 3 years being employed as a personal assistant for my son who was born with a physical disability. 1 October 2012 I have been employed part-time as a sales assistant in the newly opened shoe Tops, located in Aalborg Mall. My point of view in this project will be from the perspective of the owner / management since my prerequisites for this are realistic and that in the future I have ambitions again to get a job at this level. Presentation of TOPS in Aalborg Shopping Eurosko a purchasing cooperative consisting of independent skohandlere working together on purchasing and marketing. These skohandlerer operated under the name TOPS. This cooperation is intended to give members a better overall economy to meet the increasing competition in the retail industry. The shops sells private labels and various brands of Danish suppliers. TOPS products are designed for the average consumer, and the target audience is the whole family. Product labels within private labels are as follows: Ralf Boston, Taxi, Adi, Mary B and Between. The new Tops store in Aalborg shopping center is located in the new extension which has the name Nygade (pink street). This street connects the input A (main entrance at the grocery store) and input B (input opposite Steak Jensen / Nibevej). Shoe store TOPS is funded by Thorkild Hansen, who every day is trade able boss in Aars. It is his daughter Camilla Hansen, store manager / owner of the new store. They both have a history from the hardware store industry. In the shop there is employed a sales manager, a full-time sales assistant and one part-time sales assistant. You are aware that you have to have some hourly paid sales assistants to cover crooked hours. However, one would first look for the urgent need before hiring more. The store is located in North Jutland most attractive retail area in the city south of Aalborg. The competition here is tremendous, from German Deichmann to skokà ¦derne Skoringen and PAW SHOES. Grocery store is also a major competitor, while the overall industry slippage, as retailers fierce competition is to blame in. The hard struggle with the center of Aalborg has been going on ever since opening in 1997, and its just a matter of time before one can proclaim City South and Aalborg Shopping Center as the victor. City Southern and Aalborg Shopping Center is marketplace for all over Gauteng. The clients who come to Aalborg Mall comes with the purpose to spend money. Unlike customers in the city center, where there are many shoppers. Problem Argumentation In a store like TOPS in Aalborg shopping center, there are many challenges for Camilla Hansen. Problem of the project will be based on one of the issues that are most central to the management, namely the motivation of the staff. Why is it such an important issue? One of the things that can explain the motivation question is the aforementioned competition as TOPS face. Is the sales staff not motivated to provide the best service when they meet customers, customers needs are met in one of the competing shoe stores. There are also other elements such as indirect challenge my question about motivation. These I will elaborate on below. The increasing competition in the retail and policies have been elements in the environment that have helped to pave the way for the long opening hours. This development is currently further escalated with the abolition of the Shops Act 1 October 2012. Another challenge is the union HP, which puts pressure on employers to their employees come to work under some decent conditions, with regard to working hours. At the same time include the cost structure in the retail industry, where labor costs and rent are the greatest. Since the wage cost is the only one who in a short time can be changed, it is here, it is very focused. Rationalisation and maximum benefits of the employees are daily challenge in retail. It obviously has not done better after the financial crisis in 2008. The demand for goods has fallen / stagnated and the demand there is, is not the same as before. At the same time discount concepts in many cases prospered due to the crisis. In the wake of these above mentioned elements have TOPS a need for the core of employees who are employed must be highly effective. Performance would with store personnel must be high, even in the long run. Therefore, it is important to achieve a sustained high staff motivation in TOPS. I therefore think it appropriate to make visible how the job should be structured so as to achieve a high intrinsic motivation of the employees. However, one must create a culture that supports the motivation. Succeeded this, then the employees will eventually provide the same high level. Problem Formulation It is a challenge for management that structures the right job design for the team in the shop, so to create a sustained high level of motivation. This will form the basis for the desired high level of performance. I therefore do the following: Explain the job characteristics model, in relation to the employees of Tops in Aalborg Mall. Provide an analysis of the elements to create a high MPS. Find out what basic assumptions that support a high MPS. Make suggestions for how to achieve sustained high MPS. The method Science Theoretical approach The knowledge / theory which I create in the project is based on social constructionism. My new preconception will therefore be formed by the auto poetry system for which the employee is in TOPS. The way in which the theory is formed on the deductive because my curiosity is based on a theoretical model and problem formulation. The method is the hermeneutical spiral, as my practical / theoretical presuppositions will be further developed through a qualitative method (depth interviews). This illustrates thanks to my depth interviews. First I ask my questions, then I ask detailed questions to their answers. This forms a new pre-understanding, which in turn contributes to a deeper level of understanding. This truth can be characterized as being causal explanatory. This provides functional explanations are operationalized through the quantitative method (questionnaire). Thus, I see the questionnaire as a hypothetical method. The hermeneutic process are processed through circular thinking. This theoretical system finally my deeper level of understanding will be provided by exploring patterns of attitudes of the individuals in TOPS. My interest is to see how employees and management mutually influence each other. This I find out each actors share in relation to the questions that my problem formulation contains. Selection of theory: Motivation Theory Motivation Theory is a very broad theoretical area. The models describe the area very differently from simple to concrete and detailed. Overall divided motivation theory for the following two areas: Process Theories Content Theories Process theories are based on the differences that applies to the employees behavior. The theory describes elements to be addressed in order to get employees to acquire a certain behavior. Content theory concentrates on the needs of the employee and that the behavior is the same from person to person. Need fulfillment creates the motivation that causes the employee to perform a particular behavior (Major intrinsic motivation = better sales performance). I have decided that my topic motivation must be based on job characteristics model, which is made by Hackman and Oldham. I do so because it is necessary to take into account the differences in employee behavior. Otherwise, I would not in practice distinguish between kinds of different factors that motivate employees to TOPS. So they just had the same external and internal work environment, to be equally motivated in their work. The theory will form the basis for the solution of the projects problem. At the same time it will be my starting point, to account for the motivation of employees through job design. Job characteristics model is to provide a common understanding of my explanation of how to design the job so that employees acquire the particular behavior (Major intrinsic motivation = better sales performance). Hackman and Oldham job characteristics model This thesis will be based on the version of the book Motivation is written by Helle Hein. This issue compared to the textbook is that there are some minor differences in how the moderators are defined. The model is based on some core job characteristics that form the basis for the ideal job design. Problem definition Question 1 deals with the exposition of the model in relation to the employees of TOPS. Presentation of the model will be done through in-depth interviews with employees. Based on depth interviews I will make a questionnaire to determine the factors that contribute to give a high motivation potential score (question 2). Model moderators will also be involved, as there are some providers elements that affect the fact that not all people react similarly to the job design. There are some barriers as a result of the fact that you do not get the best result, although job design is ideal. The moderators will also be explained through depth interviews (question 1). The model also contains the element of the critical psychological states, which will not be included in my project. This has no direct connection to my problem statement. I assume that when the optimal job design is achieved, as well as fulfillment of the moderators, so it will have a positive outcome (high motivation = good sales performance). Criticism of Hackman and Oldham In the book, motivation is a few points on which job characteristics model are criticized. I will only highlight the criticism points Helle Hein mentions in her book that influence in my project. The factors which constitute the core job characteristics are difficult to understand and distinguish between, for those who have to deal with any questions. This is one reason why I choose depth interview as my method of data collection. Respondent may help to understand the issues, which helps to strengthen the information collected. The theory does not affect factor of social relations. Therefore, I believe that the model has a major weakness in this area. The relationship to ones colleagues is very important in a store like TOPS, where there are not many employees. It is important to feel like part of the community when you show up at work. Failure to do so, and you feel that is a bad mood, you will naturally seek new challenges. This will lead to an ideal job design does not work. Hertzberg theory takes high of social relations, and would have been better in this area. This theory, I squint a little in my statement (question 1). In my hypothesis, I touch on the concept of MPS. Helle Hein questioning whether one using a formula and theory can design the best possible job design to an employee. It is one of the concepts used in my project. Therefore, the same criticisms apply here. Hackman and Oldham theory is developed at the beginning of industrialization in the United States until the 1970s when the authors formulated the theory. As it developed it was the starting point for the theory not the retail industry, which means that in some cases, it will not always fit completely with the fact that I daily find myself in. Cultural Theory Theory scope of the concept of culture has many approaches. Here there are for example Hofstede. This theorist is based on civic culture. He believes that an organizations culture is created on the basis of, for example, the country or region in which it is located in. The theory here is based on a number of opposing elements that help to characterize the culture. An example of this could be that the culture of TOPS will bear the mark of masculinity rather than the feminine. This is because you are very sales and performance oriented. Another theorists is Schein. This theory is built into a funnel model which is divided into 3 layers. The top are artifacts, which is a description of the physical conditions in which an outside person can see with the naked eye. The next layer is the values. This layer describes the employee proved doing to emphasize culture both internally and external. The last layer is called as basic assumptions, the conduct which they unconsciously without even thinking about it. The basic assumption being made by the leader. A third theory is the Deal and Kennedys cultural model. This theory is based on the market to which the organization finds itself in. The theory describes two dimensions, each with their opposing extremes. These being high risk / low risk or timely feedback / slow feedback. Here are TOPS in the dimension which is characterized by low risk and rapid feedback. In trade with each customers risk low if it failed. At the same time you get rapid feedback on sales because you can constantly follow it. Overall, it is appropriate to use the Deal and Kennedy to describe culture as the retail industry is very market specific. This will also be my approach. But to describe the culture internally, I will build on Schein funnel model, because this model is more up rational. At the same time, the shop is starting, and I therefore believe that it is the store manager, who through her actions and attitudes create culture. Furthermore, it is also the one who owns the shop and is the pioneer. In a pioneering company, it is usually the owners attitudes and opinions that characterize the corporate culture.

The Love Scene between George and Maire from Translations Essay

The Love Scene between George and Maire from Translations This scene, in my opinion is the dramatic centre of Translations. The scene displays that George and Maire have fallen in love as they return from the dance together; the pair find it hard to communicate, and exhaust every method of communication before reciting place names to one another. The common language of the place names increases the tension between George and Maire until, finally, they kiss. The kiss is witnessed by Sarah who uses her new found talent of speech to tell Manus. The scene, in my view is very important as it is the catalyst for the disastrous events which follow, it leads to the disappearance of George, the search of Baile Baeg by new English soldiers, Maire’s despair, and the imminent ‘evictions and leveling of every abode’. The stage directions play a prominent part in the scene, they specify darkness and music being played, the music is significant as it is a common form of communication, everybody can relate to it. The ‘music rises to a crescendo’ as Maire and Yolland enter on stage and the audience are involved in the excitement and merriment of the pair. The music also crescendos later after Sarah has seen them which emphasizes the significance of what has just happened. The stage directions also describe their actions towards one another, the gestures and the pause before the kiss; all which would add a lot of drama and pace to the scene. Act 2 Scene 1, which is just before the love scene, is very different. Maire and George at this point are still very shy and use Owen to translate everything between them: Maire: Tell him then Owen: Tell him what? Maire: About the dance. Maire is essentially inviting Ge... ...hows that she has gone to tell him about George and Maire, bring the scene to a climax. It is also poignant that after Sarah has been given the gift of speech, she is now about to use it to tell her teacher and change everything in Baile Baeg, possibly costing George’s life. As the scene acts as a microcosm of the play’s messages, Friel displays the themes of translation, cultural differences and conflict of interests all in one scene. As a result, I think that this is a very important, if not the most important scene of the entire play, as the scenes before all build up to this moment, and the later events preceding it are all results of George and Maire’s union. Brian Friel has also managed to keep the audience interested by using tension, pace, irony and suspense; and successfully brings the end of the act to a climax, keeping the audience engaged.

American Barrick Resources Corporation Case Essay

a. Explain the value chain for gold mining firms (how can a mine create a competitive advantage relative to its rivals). What are the factors that may explain exceptional performance of ABX relative to the other gold mines? To create a competitive advantage, a mine has to properly manage its exposure to gold price fluctuations. This is not an easy thing to do since there are so many factors to consider: when, how much, and how to hedge the gold production. Firms in this industry differentiate themselves based on the risk management strategies they implement. Furthermore, mines should also be able to minimize the cost of gold production along with making large sunk costs. Operating in this sector obliges the companies to make huge investments to create the proper infrastructure to dig and process the ore; therefore, they should be financially stable on order to afford investing large amount of money. ABX implemented a gold hedging program that quickly became an integral part of its corporate strategy. This strategy helped it to hedge efficiently against gold price fluctuation. Besides, it allowed it to occasionally sell its gold at prices above those of the market. The exceptional performance of ABX was also due to its annual acquisitions. Luck was an important aspect as well, since gold was discovered in most of its new properties. Moreover, American Barrick generated a lot of cash, which it reinvested to finance its growth. It was also able to cut its expenses in order to enhance its growing profitability. The management of American Barrick wanted to diversify its activities by listing the company in Toronto, Montreal, and the United States among others. The top managers were very serious about keeping a financial stability and a liquid balance sheet by issuing few debts and hedging against risk. All in all, American Barrick attracted a lot of investors because of its risk management strategies, expected future growth, strong and liquid balance sheet, and finally its efficient management team. b. Quantify the nature of gold exposure, that is, in the absence of a hedging program using financial instruments, how sensitive would Barrick stock be to gold prices changes? For every 1% change in gold prices, how might its stock price be affected? How could the firm manage its gold price exposure without the use of financial contracts? If American Barrick wanted to protect itself from gold price exposure without the use of financial contracts, it could use natural hedges. One way to hedge against undesired risk is to match cash flows such as revenues and expenses. In other words, a commodity producer such as American Barrick, which has revenues payables in U.S. dollars and incurs cash outflows in a different currency, will try to match its outflows to its expected inflows in the foreign currency. Another way of hedging against risk is the purchase of insurance to protect against financial loss due to external influences. It is also common to hedge gold investments against fluctuations of the U.S. dollar. It is extremely important for commodity traders to know which currency is correlated with what commodity in order to be able to predict certain market movements; for instance, there is often a negative correlation between gold and S&P 500. c. What is the stated intent of ABX’s hedging program? What are the arguments for managing gold price exposure? ABX wanted to lock in the price at which it could sell its output in order to avoid seeing the expected value of its projects fluctuate widely. It wanted to differentiate itself from its competitor by choosing the right hedging policy. ABX aimed at being financially stable by protecting itself against the dips in the gold price. It vehemently argued that managing gold price exposure would allow it appropriately forecast its cash flows, rise its production, and offers its investors a clear vision of their future earnings. d. How would you characterize the evolution of Barrick’s price risk management activities? Are they consistent with the stated policy goals? American Barrick used to use gold financings. Through this way of financing, investors could benefit from both the increase incurred in the volumes of gold to the trust and the gold price. In 1984 and 1985, ABX used forward sales right after a sharp drop in gold prices. This strategy allowed the company to eliminate its exposure to price drops; however, it also limited its opportunities to benefit when the prices rose. This led it to try option-based insurance strategies that could manage the risk but still allow retaining some of the benefits of rising prices. However, as it needed contracts with a longer maturity, ABX shifted to spot deferred contracts. The evolution of Barrick’s risk management activities is characterized by its wish to be fully protected against price declines and still be able to capture benefit from increasin g gold prices. The risk management strategies implemented by American Barrick were consistent with their goals since its positions grew considerably.   e. How should a gold mine which wants to moderate its gold price risk compare hedging strategies (using futures, forwards, gold loans, or spot deferred contracts) with insurance strategies (using options)? On what basis should these decisions be made? Once a firm has decided on either a hedging or an insurance strategy, how should it choose from among specific alternatives? A mine that wants to moderate its gold price risk should first analyse the differences between the hedging and the insurance strategies. Indeed, hedging allows eliminating risk by giving up the potential for gain. While an insurance strategy requires a premium to eliminate risk but allows retaining the potential for gain. The decision should be made based on the cost of the strategy, the maturity of the strategy, and the degree to which the strategy allows to benefit from potential gains. Once a firm has decided on what strategy to follow it should choose among the existing alternatives of each strategy. For the hedging strategy, the company should take into consideration the particularity of each financial instrument. Indeed, forward sales for instance, are usually for relatively short delivery periods of under a few years. However, a continuous drop in gold prices might negatively affect the opportunity for the firm to sell at higher market prices. On the other hand, spot deferred contracts allow having multiple delivery dates. They enable the firm to profit from increases in the price and yet set a minimum price on its sales. For the insurance strategy, the main problem encountered by the firm is that of the cost. Indeed, the firm should use the premiums received from the sale of calls to purchase puts. That way the cash inflows and outflows cancel out. The firm can also reduce the cost of insurance by adjusting the exercise prices and rations of puts and calls to determine the degree at which it chose to participate in gold price rises. f. What is a â€Å"spot deferred contract†? Explain the mechanics of the contract. Is it an option? A forward contract? Why has ABX chosen to rely on spot deferred contracts relative to other gold derivatives? As defined in the case, a spot deferred contract is a type of forward sale of gold. At the opposite of a forward where the delivery is set on specified day (maturity), SDC’s are characterized by multiple delivery dates. It is up to the seller to choose on which rollover date they would make the delivery. The seller has the choice to defer the delivery up until the end of the contract. In other words, the seller had flexibility as to when they would like to deliver the quantity of gold. ABX preferred SDC’s to other gold derivatives for the simple reason that they allowed it to profit from increases in the price of gold and yet set a minimum price on its sales of gold. Therefore, as years have gone by, ABX found itself using more and more SDC’s at the expense of other hedging vehicles.

A Brief History Of Multicultural Education - 2246 Words

A Brief History of Multicultural Education from 1960 to Present The United States (US) is considered a relatively â€Å"new† country when considering it in the historical context of the history of nation states. However, the idea of multicultural education (MCE) is certainly not new. Payne and Welsh (2008) posit that MCE originates from the results of struggles of humans throughout history, â€Å"from [the] Hammurabi Code to the Magna Carta, the British Bill of Rights, philosophers such as Locke and Montesquieu, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and various reform movements in different countries, such as Russia and China (Celik, 2012).† The challenges and changes in MCE, by the nature of what â€Å"culture† is considered to be, are difficult to†¦show more content†¦And therein lies one of the problems of MCE. There is no single, all-encompassing, everyone-agrees definition. When reading articles and books on MCE and even the history and development of the field of what is known today as â€Å"multicultura l education†, each author defines the concepts to his/her meaning for each publication. For instance, â€Å"†¦Levinson (2009) calls multicultural education a ‘conceptual mess’ (p. 428) since different thinkers have attached various values and meanings to the concept, which are not clarified by or derived from multicultural education itself.† Readers must understand the author behind the publication and his/her position on MCE before reading the publication to understand the framework in which the information is being presented. However, there is some standardization and typically accepted tenants of multicultural education. These are generally represented by an organization that is considered to be a leading resource in the field of MCE, called the National Association of Multicultural Education, or NAME for short. NAME, understandably, views the definition of multicultural education so vital that they spend an entire page of their website devoted to defining the term. NAME recognizes the variations in definition and goals by individuals and states that, â€Å"continuing debate is healthy (http://www.nameorg.org/name_history.php).†