Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Essay Example for Free

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Essay It is an unquestionable fact that the world of communication has immeasurable changed since Kenneth Burke first developed his theories and philosophies on this topic in the first half of the 20th century. Nevertheless, Burke’s views and thoughts can still be integrated with the theory of cinema as well as face-to-face communication and other forms of literature and art. Thus, as one critic once said, perhaps Burke will not be remembered so much for what he said but how others took his ideas and brought them forward into other realms of communication. In the 1920s, Burke began writing for the literary magazine The Dial, which included renderings of modernist art and his debates with individuals such as Malcolm Cowley on Dadaism and the Surrealists. His work the Symbolic marks an important time in his thinking when he advocated â€Å"art for arts sake† or the doctrine that aesthetic values are completely separate from political, religious, or economic ones. Burke’s earliest essays dealt with the formal aspects of imagery and the rhythms of language. He believed that reality was a construction of our interpretation of the symbols around us. Much of what we mean by reality has been built up for us through nothing but our symbol systems . . . Take away our books and what little do we know about history, biography, even something so â€Å"down to earth† as the relative position of the seas and continents. What is our â€Å"reality† for today†¦ but all this clutter of symbols about the past combined with whatever things we know mainly through maps, magazine, newspapers and the like about the present†¦And however important to us is the tiny sliver of reality each of us has experienced firsthand, the whole overall picture is but a construct of our symbol systems. (1966, p. 5) Thus, words are symbols, or utterances, produced by humans, alone, to signify those things that they represent. Despite the fact if they are written or verbal, words are a deliberate act for the expressed purpose of expression. A house can be described word-by-word without showing what the house actually looks like. However, because words are symbols, they can never be what they represent. The word â€Å"house† will not be a house. Words are heuristic and can be identified and understood by the person’s own mind and meaning. When a word is identifiable it becomes a representation of what it depicts. Dictionaries can help, but they alter meaning with those who read them. According to Burke, words have an unusual power. As for the relation between ‘identification’ and ‘persuasion’: we might well keep it in mind that a speaker persuades an audience by the use of stylistic identifications; his act of persuasion may be for the purpose of causing the audience to identify itself with the speaker’s interests; and the draws on identification of interests to establish a rapport between himself and his audience. (1966, p. 301-302) Burke was thus instrumental in advancing the whole understanding of rhetoric, with such aspects of his analysis as the pentad of drama, the role of identification, and the ratios or relationships among critical components. His pentad was comprised of the act (what occurs by the delivery of the rhetorical piece), the scene (the situational setup or the context of the discourse), the agent (the person being asked to complete the action), the agency (the tools used to complete the action), and the purpose (the goal of the action). If one analyzes the components of the pentad and their relationships to each other, Burke believed, one would be able to discern the motives underpinning that rhetorical act But we must acknowledge that photographs and, even more so, film are much more complex. When someone sees a visual representation, it can mean myriad of ideas, emotions at once. This visual representation mimics, in fact the viewer’s own perception of life and allows them a greater depth of understanding, or at the very least a sense of understanding, into the subject. In the 1940s, Burke expanded his interest in the visual culture and the function of art, film and television. He often used visual metaphors to explain key concepts, such as identification, representative anecdotes, the pentad, and terministic screens. In his introduction to A Grammar of Motives, Burke covered his theory of the pentad in relationship to a Museum of Modern Art in New York photographic exhibit with photos of war ships and an: aerial photograph of two launches, proceeding side by side on a tranquil sea. Their wakes crossed and recrossed each other in an almost infinite variety of lines. Yet despite the intricateness of the tracery, the picture gave an impression of great simplicity, because one could quickly perceive the generating principle of its design. Such, ideally, is the case with our pentad of terms, used as generating principle. It should provide us with a kind of simplicity that can be developed into considerable complexity, and yet can be discovered beneath its elaborations. (1945, xvi) As noted in â€Å"War and Cultural Life† (1942), he was emotionally impacted by the photos and affirmed that â€Å"one gets a very strong feeling that the war, vast as it is, is part of a still vaster configuration. † (p. 409). Burke felt that the photos â€Å"call(ed) forth a certain philosophic or ‘meditative’ attitude toward the war quite as it also gives nourishment to a strong sense of our national power† (p. 408). He was so taken, in fact, by the photos that he noted â€Å"it would be a very good service both to the strength of our patriotism and to its quality if this exhibit could be shown throughout the United States. † (p. 408) In the Therministic Screen: Rhetorical Perspectives on Film (2001), David Blakesely relied on Burke’s communication theory to look at cinema and the concept of the theory of film. Given all the theories that exist about film, Blakesely notes that there need not be one theory â€Å"to be elevated to disciplinary reverence,† but rather the question is â€Å"how best to use the terministic resources theory make available† (pg. 2). The title of the book comes from Burke’s phrase â€Å"terministic screen† in Language and Symbolic Action (1966), where his main assertion is that â€Å"not only does the nature of our terms affect the nature of our observations, in the sense that the terms direct the attention to one field rather than to another. Also, many of the ‘observations’ are but implications of the particular terminology in terms of which the observations are made† (pg. 46). In other words, as extrapolated from Burke, film rhetoric, or the visual and verbal symbols that weave film experience, directs the viewers’ attention in unlimited ways, but always towards the goal of fostering identification and the complexity that involves. Similarly, film theory, says Blakesley, which is the lens through which and with which one generates perspective on film as art and rhetoric, acts as a terministic screen that filters what does and does not constitute and legitimize interpretation and, thus, meaning (pg. 3). In his essay about Burke (2001), Andrew King emphasizes that Burke’s theories and assertions were not about ideology or political systems but about the over-rhetoricized world. He insists that according to Burke, even with the invention of writing, humans entered the world of virtual reality and building symbol systems. And, ever since, mankind has been piling symbol upon symbol and setting system over and against system. Simultaneously, with this ever-advanced technology, humans are cutting themselves off further and further from nature and the consequences of their actions. â€Å"Technology delays the consequences of our assaults on our nature and symbolic systems mask our failures until it is too late. Nature is recalcitrant and it will have its revenge, but not until it is too late for us to repair the results. † (para. 17)

Sexuality in Men and Women

Sexuality in Men and Women Sexuality Men Women Outline two or more different approaches to the study of sexuality. Sexuality is mainly conceived as being a natural drive or instinct, which becomes inevitably part of the biological make-up of an individual, which only seeks fulfilment through sexual activity. Such a view of sexuality, which sees such as a natural entity, is most commonly referred to as essentialism. The majority of essentialist theories present today have presented sex as a natural instinct needed for the purpose of reproductive activity. In such a way, Weeks (1986) outlines that in such an essentialist approach there is an apparent link between sexuality and biological sex/gender. â€Å"Modern culture has assumed an intimate connection between the fact of being biologically male or female (that is having appropriate sex organs and reproductive potentialities) and the correct form of erotic behaviour (usually genital intercourse between men and women)† (Weeks 1986 p.13) In regards to an essentialist viewpoint, one is left to distinguish between men and women, in particular reference to their independent sexual desires and needs. It has been noted that women tend to have a natural tendency to promiscuity while men, on the other hand are described as having a much stronger sex drive. Therefore, in reference to this particular discourse, human sexuality is heavily rooted in biological terms, whereby a heterosexual drive intended for the purpose of procreation would be considered â€Å"normal.† Thus, under such an approach, lesbian, gay and bisexual men and women have been largely considered deviant and unnatural, while any individuals who categorise themselves as any of these are subsequently not considered â€Å"real† men or women. â€Å"We learn very early on from many sources that â€Å"natural† sex is what takes place with members of the â€Å"opposite† sex. â€Å"Sex† between people of the same â€Å"sex† is therefore, by definition, â€Å"unnatural.† (Weeks 1986 p.13) For both men and women, heterosexuality is clearly the norm under such an approach, while sex is ideally expressed in monogamous and marital relationships in an ideal world. Jeffrey Weeks, who happens to be one of the key critics of essentialism has been known to reject any approach that fails to consider the historical and social forces that shape sexuality. Weeks suggests that the diversity of sexual identity and desire is also important to acknowledge. He rejects the notion that there is a true essence of sex, there is no â€Å"uniformed pattern† which is â€Å"ordained by nature itself† (Weeks 1986 p.15). The essentialist argument comes as simplistic to Weeks, as it reduces the nature of sexual relations and identities to biological factors. Many other theorists have acknowledged the simplistic nature of essentialism, by agreeing that sexual desires may appear to be natural, but also acknowledging the idea that our sexual responses and identities may in fact be socially constructed. When we learn the patterns of our behaviour, we are subjected to the meanings attached to such behaviours as well. Such behaviours then become a product of certain social and historical forces; which can immediately be extended to include our sexual attitudes, feelings and the ways in which we feel about sexuality itself and hence our sexual identity. It has been said that sexuality is very much shaped by the culture in which we live. The very factors that make up our society (laws, religious teachings, social policies, the media) all attach their own meaning to such meanings that are conveyed to us. This approach does not deem biology as insignificant; inevitably the body imposes some limits due to sheer distinction between being male or female i.e. we experience different things in regards to what genitalia we possess. Yet having said this, anatomical structure and physiology do not directly influence what we do and the way we act, not does it determine the meaning we attach to the actions we choose to make. â€Å"All the constituent elements of sexuality have their source either in the body or the mind, and I am not attempting to deny the limits posed by biology or mental processes. But the capacities of the body are given meaning only by social relations†. (Weeks 1986 p.15). In relation to social construction, the body is said to gain certain meaning in certain social contexts as different parts of the body can be defined in many different ways. For example, in the 1960s it was stated that a new cultural context emerged. It was at this point in time that the â€Å"G-spot† was discovered. Such a discovery led to the vast publication of books, with the added introduction of classes to help women explore their bodies and find their so-called â€Å"G-spot.† In such a way, the physical anatomy of women stayed the same as before but at this point it had a different social significance. This particular part of the body was given a particular and new social meaning, which was constructed to become an object of desire. Foucault (1981) has been a very influential early theorist by shedding light on the social construction of sexuality. He argues that there is no one truth about sex. Hence various discourses, whether this be it law, religion, medicine or psychiatry have established their particular view of the body and its relative pleasures. Sexual desire is created through a set of bodily sensations, pleasures and feelings. It is such desires which shape our sexual values and henceforth the meaning we attach to our bodies. Sex is therefore not some biological entity governed by natural laws (as suggested by essentialism) but is more like an idea specific to certain cultures and particular historical periods. The creation of definitions and in particular the categorisation such that of heterosexual, homosexual and lesbian etc becomes the ingredients of sex. It is through this that we try to make sense of it. However, the work of Foucault, although recognised as very important has been criticised for not paying enough attention to the way gender influences sexual desire and identity. In tangent with the work of Foucault, Weeks highlights that sexual identity is historically shaped. Weeks was apprehensive with the way in which sexuality and especially homosexuality has been embedded in an ever-changing and highly complex history over the past 100 years. With a number of influences, cited as being feminists, gay and lesbian activists and Foucault himself, Weeks developed the hypothesis that many sexual categories that we ultimately take for granted are actually the product of social and historical labels. The distinction between the â€Å"natural† and secure are all subject to continuous labelling. Weeks felt it important to study the history of sexuality, in order to gain an understanding of the many forms of identities existent in society today, in terms of demographics such as class, ethnicity, gender and sexual preference. Again, he emphasises the point that it is reductionist to reduce the complexities of reality to essentialist biological truth. Sexual identity, therefore, according to Weeks is not achieved simply by an act of individual will but rather through social construction. In addition to the above, â€Å"the biological justification for heterosexuality as normal, it might be proposed, has fallen apart. What used to be called perversions are merely ways in which sexuality can legitimately be expressed and self-identity be defined.† (Giddens 1992 p.179). Giddens suggests that it is late modernity that has changed sexuality from being a single hegemony and replaced it with sexual pluralism. This significant shift brought on by the fact that sexuality as a term was largely replaced by â€Å"sexual identity,† which nonetheless is defined by individual choice, whereby sexual choice falls under one of the elements of an individual’s â€Å"lifestyle† choice. In a historical sense, such a shift took place in a very short period of time. Sex and ways of thinking about it, provided a science of sex so to speak. These were accompanied by clear distinctions between the normal and abnormal. Such ways of thinking have produced a series of accounts of the way people behave sexually. Such accounts different to the work of the early sexologists such as Freud. Giddens introduces the notion of institutional reflexivity to explain the shift. Through the process of reflexivity, it is the distinctions between the â€Å"normal us† and the â€Å"perverse them† that vanish. Sexual diversity, although still regarded by many hostile groups as perversion, has moved out of Freuds case-history notebooks into the everyday social world (Giddens 1992 p.33). It has been found that there has been evidence to support the claim that the notion of perversion has been replaced by diversity, that our expressions of sexual desire rank alongside other expressions of self-identity, that sexual pluralism has replaced sexual monism. Some caution is necessary with this however, as Weeks points out (1986 p.81) â€Å"the admitted fact of diversity need not lead to a norm of diversity.† Such arguments and criticisms establishing the complex nature to the study of sexuality. Amongst the essentialist/social constructionist debate, there has been a large amount of contribution from radical feminists. Radical feminists, (the assumed extreme ended form of feminism), has come under criticism for employing an essentialist viewpoint, whereby radical feminists themselves would claim to be following a social constructionist viewpoint. The essentialism that radical feminists are thought to applied to radical feminist thought is not the traditional biological sense, but a more social sense. Radical feminists view the subordinate position of women as being universal and hence unchanging, therefore leading to a failure in acknowledging historical and cultural difference. As Ann Ferguson states â€Å"though these social constructionist theories may not technically be biologically essentialist, they are still a form of social essentialism: that is, they assume a social divide between male and female sexual natures which is unconvincingly universal, static and ahistorical.† (Ferguson 1989 p.54) Typically, radical feminist thought on sexuality has pondered on the way in which patriarchy impacts women in particular social contexts. Radical feminists have not assumed sexuality to be universal and hence unchanging. A large part of the belief system of many radical feminists is the view that sexuality is socially constructed and therefore can be changed and reconstructed in many different ways; views on sexuality can change and be opposed. Nonetheless, all preceding points have been ignored, as the view that radical feminists are essentialist has largely been adopted. IN addition to this, it appears that the recent that the influence of postmodernist ideas within feminism has re-instated this. For example, the words â€Å"patriarchy†, â€Å"woman† and â€Å"man† have been classifies as essentialist and problematic. Such issues and conceptions highlight the difficulty in theorising sexuality with one dominant approach. It has been suggested that queer theory, as it emerged in the 1980s in the United States, was the distinctive factor that provided intellectual challenge to the categories that were established in the 19th century. It was queer theory that opposed the idea that heterosexuality was the only natural and normal form of sexuality, in addition to challenging the idea that homosexuality was in fact a distinct category of people that act in a particular way. All binary divisions that were imposed on sex and sexuality were rejected by such an approach. It was argued that the theoretical basis for the rejection of existing categories was due to the fact that such categories fails to reflect real differences, whether this be biological or otherwise, but instead reflected discourse. Such categories therefore, were part of the language of heterosexual dominance and hence had no truth outside it. (Stein Plummer 1994). Furthermore, queer theory also criticized the notion of distinct sexual identities. Similar to postmodern thought on sexuality, queer theory recognized that the conception of identity was made up of many different things. â€Å"Individuals can construct and reconstruct themselves through their choice of lifestyles, moving across categories and boundaries as they please† (Epstein 1994). Queer theory not only provided a refreshing sociological analysis of the importance of social categories but also had a political aim as well. However, such a viewpoint is open to sociological criticism as some may argue that fails to recognize the sheer volume of social construction, hence leaving the approach fairly simplistic. Judith Butler’s work (1990, 1991) represents a postmodern attempt to theorise sexuality. Butler challenges the assumed causal links between sex, gender and sexual desire. She emphasises that the person individuals’ desire is seen to lead from either being masculine or feminine, whereby the norm construction is for desire to be directed towards the opposite gender. Not only does Butler challenge such a notion, but further goes on to address the assumption that heterosexuality is the only valid form of sexual desire. To her, heterosexuality is simply one element of desire. What is important to point out at this point is the fact that heterosexuality is the only form of desire that has come to be seen as natural. Butler highlights that once these notions and so called links are challenged then both gender and sexual desire will become â€Å"fluid† – something which is not extensively present today. Butler is one of the few theorists who contests all forms of sexual norms. â€Å"It is not just the norm of heterosexuality that is tenuous. It’s all sexual norms† (Butler in Osbourne and Segal 1994) Going into further detail, Butler proposes that no gender is a â€Å"true† gender. Gender is a performance; it is more about what is done at particular times rather than a universally fixed notion. Butler sees heterosexuality as the â€Å"naturalized† original, while a binary model of sexual identity i.e. the â€Å"either/or† of hetero/homosexuality is unstable as each requires the other as a reference point. For Butler, â€Å"there is no proper gender, a gender proper to one sex or the other, which is some way that sexs cultural property (Butler 1991 p.21). There are, rather, illusions of continuity, by which heterosexuality naturalises itself. Such an illusion is thought to depend on the idea that â€Å"there is first a sex which is expressed through a gender and then through a sexuality† (Ibid). However, Butler argues the opposite, stating that a â€Å"regime of sexuality mandates as compulsory performance of sex† (ibid p.29). We have already established that the performance relied on masculinity and femininity. According to Butler, the linked chain of sex, gender and desire, which becomes the make-up of heterosexuality is thought to be required yet fragile at the same time. The claim of such a chain being fragile is addressed in Butler’s Gender Trouble (1996), whereby Butler outlines a fundamental interpretation of the â€Å"Oedipal struggle† as developed by psychologist Freud. Within this text, Butler chooses to focus on the original denial of same-sex desire. She readily argues that it is homosexual incest that was the original taboo, as compared to heterosexual incest as was claimed. â€Å"The young boy and the young girl who enter into the Oedipal Drama with incestuous heterosexual aims have already been subject to prohibitions with dispose them in distinct sexual directions. Hence the dispositions that Freud assumes to be primary or constitutive facts of sexual life are effects of a law, which internalised, produces and regulates discrete gender identity and heterosexuality.† (Butler 1990 p.64) Therefore, the gender identification within the oedipal struggle is one that is produced by the repression and denial of same-sex desire. Such a disposition is caused by the effects of laws that see same-sex desire negatively. Some may argue that such a statement supports the idea of social constructionism. In regards to heterosexuality, there are certain expectations that are placed on the body which relate to gender performance in order to acquire sexuality. A â€Å"feminine† woman and a â€Å"masculine† man are expected to experience pleasure via penetration of their respective genitalia. This nonetheless explains the problems faced by transsexuals and the belief that successful acquisition of gender identity is impossible without the appropriate genitalia. Therefore, the transsexual’s gain or loss of a particular body part to establish a certain desired identity is not a â€Å"subversive† act but rather an act that portrays the nature and existence of the link between sex, gender and desire have become â€Å"naturalized.† Although the work of Butler has been highly influential in the discipline of gender studies, it appears that a number of criticisms have been attached to her work. A major critic to the work of Butler has been Nancy Fraser, who argues that the concept of performance in relation to gender and sexuality and Butler’s immediate focus on it is somewhat ignorant of â€Å"everyday ways of talking and thinking about ourselves.† Many others have also focused on such an issue in their criticism of Butler’s work. For example, Speer and Potter also argue that Butler’s work is difficult to apply to real-life situations, as the focus on language and meaning leads to problems relating to validity. Generally, over the past couple of decades, it appears that there have been significant shifts in the understanding and acceptance of sexuality, especially homosexuality. There has clearly been an emergence of new sexual identities, with fundamental challenged to traditional frameworks. However, having examined a number of approaches to the study of sexuality and looking closely upon the basis of the arguments presented by many of the theorists addressed in this essay it appears as though their arguments are in a nutshell rooted within the essentialist/social constructionist argument. While there are theorists who view sexuality as determined by a particular factor whether this be it biological or anything else, there are those that view that society and history have their part to play as well. I feel that such a construction and these same assumptions, in whatever form they may come, will always remain. Sexuality will perhaps always be subjected to such connotations. What I do find important, however, is the factor of gender and its relationship to sexuality. It appears that gender is in fact an integral part of sexuality and the understanding of it. However, even discourse on sexuality and gender are yet to clearly direct us to a definitive understanding of sexuality. References BUTLER, JUDITH (1990) â€Å"Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity†, London: Routledge, pp. 21-29 BUTLER, JUDITH (1991) â€Å"Imitation and gender subordination† in D. Fuss (ed.) â€Å"Inside/out Lesbian theories, Gay theories†, London: Routledge, pp 64-65 EPSTEIN, STEVEN (1987) â€Å"Gay politics, ethnic identity: the limits of social constructionism†, Socialist Review, 93/94: pp 9-54 FERGUSON, ANN (1989) â€Å"Blood at the Root: Motherhood, Sexuality and Male Dominance†, London: Pandora Press, pp 54-55 FOUCAULT, MICHEL (1981) â€Å"The History of Sexuality Volume 1: An Introduction†, Harmondsworth: Penguin FRASER, NANCY (1994) â€Å"False Anthitheses† in â€Å"Feminist Contentions: A Philosophical Exchange†, London: Routledge, p 67 GIDDENS, ANTHONY (1992) â€Å"The Transformation of Intimacy: Sexuality, Love and Eroticism in Modern Societies†, Cambridge: Polity Press, p 33 p 179 HAWKES, GAIL, (1996) â€Å"A sociology of sex and sexuality†, Buckingham: Open University Press, pp 134-141 MARSH, IAN (2000 ed) â€Å"Sociology making sense of society†, London: Prentice Hall, pp 327-380 OSBOURNE, PETER and SEGAL, LYNNE (1994) â€Å"Gender as performance: an interview with Judith Butler.† in MARSH, IAN (2nd ed), â€Å"Sociology making sense of society†, London: Prentice Hall, pp 373 RICHARDSON, DIANE (2000) â€Å"Rethinking sexuality†, London: Sage, pp 19-67 SPEER, SUSAN and POTTER, JONATHAN (2002) â€Å"From Performatives to Practices† in McILVENNY, PAUL (ed) â€Å"Talking Gender and Sexuality†, Philadelphia: John Benjamins Company, pp 150-180 STEIN, ARLENE and PLUMMER, KEN (1996) â€Å"I can’t even think straight†: â€Å"queer† theory and the missing sexual revolution in sociology†, in SEIDMAN, STEVEN (ed.), â€Å"Queer Theory/Sociology†, Oxford: Blackwell. WEEKS, JEFFREY (1986) â€Å"Sexuality†, London: Tavistock, pp. 13-81

Total Quality Management And HRM

Total Quality Management And HRM This chapter provides the background to this project termed The role of human resources management in the implementation of total quality management; it consists of an introduction to total quality management and human resources management. It will also provide an introduction to problem/questions the research intends to resolve, highlight the reason for my interest in the research topic, indicate the possible benefactors of this research work, specify the locus and focus of the project and the methodology that will be adopted during the course of the project. The aims, objectives and deliverables of the study will also be clearly defined followed by the project outline. 1.1 Introduction to Total Quality Management and Human Resources Management Organisations that pay special attention to the quality performance of their operations are mostly rewarded in the global business world, for organisations to survive in the tough competitive market they must continuously improve the quality level of their products and services; it is onus on the management to find ways of improving their quality services the question is how? Fortunately the business environment have been able to define certain means of achieving and improving quality in their individual organisations, although different organisations implore variable tactics they all have one method in common which is Total Quality Management (TQM), researchers have different interpretation of TQM, but according to youssef et al (1996) they all agree that based on the proper implementation of TQM, it can improve quality of products and services, improve company performance level, reduce costs thus improving the companys competitive advantage in the global market, in addition to this previous studies all agree that TQM is an approach to improving the effectiveness and flexibility of a business as a whole i.e. its essentially a way of organising and involving the whole organisation; every single individual at every level or department. This implies that for any organisation striving towards continuous improvement, each individual of the organisation must acknowledge the other and recognise that each activity (small or big) matters. From the literature review, it will be established that Human Resource Management plays a crucial role in implementing TQM through reinforcing human relationships, improving employee competence, and achieving culture change. Quality gurus such as: W. Edwards Deming, Joseph M. Juran, Philip B. Crosby, Genichi Taguchi, Kaoru Ishikawa and Walter A. Shewhart amongst others all agree on the importance of a team based culture for organisations to continuously improve on quality, perhaps the most popular of the quality gurus is Deming for hi s contribution to the Japanese industry in the 1950s, all of their quality philosophies had the following points in common: Providing quality goods and services. Customer focused (internal external). Production is optimised through team-work, transformational leadership and statistical measurement. The central focus of Total Quality Management and related approaches is customer (internal external) based, The external customer is the reason for a business to exist, and by directing every operation of the internal customers (employees) of the of the organisation towards the external customer satisfaction through continuous improvement in quality. Research by Wilkinson (1992) and Collinson et al. (1998) amongst other researchers opine that there are two sides to TQM a hard side and a soft side, and that the soft side emphasizes on the management of human resources, relationship between employees and employers (teamwork), customer care and the hard side lay emphasis on the technical aspect of an organisation. The soft side of TQM is mostly adopted by service industries while the hard side is accustomed to manufacturing industries. The issue with this Hard and Soft TQM concept is that most organisations fail to integrate these two parts effectively, especially in the manufacturing industries which tend to focus on production first and quality second due to their desire to meet the schedule. According to Omachonu, V. and Ross, J., (2004) in the United states and other highly industrialised countries the economy has shifted from manufacturing to service industries, indicating that 80% of workers globally are employed in the service sector. This suffices to say that quality improvement can only be achieved through the actions of the humans in the organisation, HRM is the practice adopted by organisations to achieve this goal, HRM can be defined as a strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organisations most valued assets i.e. the people/humans working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of the organisations objectives (Michael, A. 2006). The notion sustaining the practice of HRM is that people are the organisations key resource and organisational performance largely depends on them. Therefore if an appropriate ra nge of HR practices and processes are developed and implemented effectively, then HR will make a substantial impact on an organisations performance. Although previous research has established the fact that HR is crucial to performance, the general consensus from most of the research especially that carried out by Purcell et al (2003) is that HR can make an impact by contributing to the following: The development and successful implementation of high performance work practices, particularly those concerned with job and work design, flexible working, resourcing (recruitment, selection and talent management),employee development (increasing skills and extending the skills base),reward, and giving employees a voice. The formulation and embedding of a clear vision and set of values. The development of a positive psychological contract and means of increasing the motivation and commitment of employees. The formulation and implementation of policies which, in the words of Purcell et al (2003) meet the needs of individuals and create a great place to work. The provision of support and advice to line managers on their role in implementing HR policies and practices. The effective management of change (Purcell et al, 2003.) From the above it is obvious that HRM plays a huge role in TQM, hence this research will be focused on the identifying the HRM practices that are most effective to TQM and how best this practices are implemented in the industry today, the research will focus its attention in the oil service industry of Nigeria thus the topic The role of human resources management in the implementation of total quality management in the oil service industry the research will be done using a multinational oil servicing company (Hercules Offshore) as a case study, the reason for this is that most developing countries still fail to recognise their employees and the role they play in the quality of goods and services, my interest in this topic arose from my experience working in the Nigerian company I realised that most employees lacked commitment to the managerial goals and objectives, emphasis are made more on individual performance rather than a holistic approach which is the main concept of TQM, there was a huge gap between the front office and the back office, this research aims to identify how this gaps could be closed to encourage continuous quality. Most companies in Nigeria and other developing countries that are yet to grasp the advantage of a committed work force will find this project useful, even the country as a whole would benefit from what this project aims to achieve because if every individual lives and performs for a general goal not an individual goal the country would move forward. 1.2 Project Aim The aim of this project is to identify and study the impact of Human resources management in the implementation of Total quality management and the role of the humans (employees) in quality attainment and improvement. 1.3 Project Objectives There are some objectives that fall within this specific aim and the objectives include: Does the Nigerian average worker know what TQM is? What are the perceptions of the companies customer service in Nigeria? How are these practices implemented in Nigerian oil servicing industries? What are the exact HRM practices that assist in the implementation of TQM in the oil service industry? What are the factors influencing employees to adhere or refute company quality policies? The determinants of employee responses to TQM 1.4 Deliverables Understanding the role of HRM in the implementation of TQM Understanding total quality management and the need for organisations to have an effective and efficient TQM model. Understanding how management strategies for continuous quality improvement can reach the roots of the organisation Improving employees commitment to quality in the Nigerian oil industry identify the major limitations to quality improvement practices in Nigeria Recommendations for further improvement. 1.5 Project Methodology This study is descriptive in its entirety rather than experimental. It entails collecting data in the form of literature review survey, questionnaire survey, and interview questions from some selected HR managers including the managers in the organisation for the case study (Hercules offshore). The methodology to be developed will focus on the mechanism through which high service level can be achieved by efficiently managing the human resources available to an organisation, the role of the human in TQM implementation, how TQM practices are implemented using HRM practices in the oil service industry in Nigeria, and to assess the average workers knowledge of TQM. This proposed project will involve a four phase design that will be used for implementation. The first phase of the project is the research planning, the second phase will involve the project planning, the third phase is for result analysis, fourth phase is the project summation. The main tasks to be completed at the end of the fourth phase plan are; i. Analysing the background of the survey through literature review ii. Selection of case study for the project iii. Carry out a feasibility study of the case study iv. Data Collection v. Data Analysis vi. Result Analysis vii. Discussion and Conclusion viii. Recommendation The methodology to be developed for the research and project planning, result analysis and project completion is illustrated in figure 1.1 Phase 1 Research Planning Phase 2 Project Planning Phase 3 Result Analysis Phase 4 Project Summation Figure 1:1 Methodology to be developed Source: Author This study addresses the importance of improving an organisations quality output through improving the efficiency and commitment of the internal customers (employees). Figure 1.2 shows a diagrammatic representation of the methodology giving the steps to be adopted. These steps are: understanding and knowing the aim of the project, designing questionnaires and arranging interviews, administering questionnaires and conducting telephone interviews with employees of an organisation in the oil services industry comprising of human resources managers, project managers, operations managers, vessel managers, shipyard managers and deck hands. Recommendation would also be made to enhance the organisations implementation of total quality management. This will be sent to the organisation in order to gain feedback from the recommended solutions. Understanding the direction of the project Designing questionnaires and arranging interviews Questionnaires and conducting interview Result Presentation and Analysis ng Discussion, Recommendations and Conclusion Figure 1.2: Diagrammatic representation of the Methodology Source: Author 1.6 Project Summary In this section the author provides a brief outline of the content of each chapter in the project. Chapter 1- Introduction to the dissertation, the project aim, objectives and the methodology to be adopted. Chapter 2 A literature review survey of the project that will comprise human resources management practices, total quality management, strategic management, and customer services. A summary of the literature review will be given at the end of the chapter. Chapter 3 A comprehensive study of the organisation background, including its products and services and an exhaustive insight into the oil servicing industry in Nigeria Chapter 4 The methodology to be used will be presented in this chapter. It will show the approach and other considerations that were made in obtaining data and result analysis for this project. Chapter 5 A compressive analysis of the empirical data and results of the study by describing the descriptive findings will be presented. Chapter 6- This will present the discussion of the work done, importance of the questionnaire, interviews and results to the project and issues encountered. The conclusion and recommendations are also presented in this chapter. The order of presentation for the chapters in this dissertation is shown graphically in figure 1.3 Chapter One Background of study Aim, Objectives and Deliverables Introduction Chapter Two Literature Review Related theories Chapter Three Company background and Oil service industry This chapter focuses on the concept of HRM and TQM in the Nigerian oil industry Chapter four Methodology Research design, approach and strategy Chapter five Results and Analysis of Data Results presentation Data analysis Chapter six Discussion and Future Work Discussion of findings Future works and Conclusion CHAPTER 2 Figure 1.3: Project Summary Source: Author LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction The role or effect of Human Resource practices on the implementation of Total Quality management cannot be over-emphasized, because it serves as a basis for ascertaining employees attitudes towards effective and efficient quality practices, simply put if the employees are not quality oriented, there is no quality hence the organisations ability to conform to its customers requirements is low, Several studies investigating the relationship of HRM and TQM have asserted the same ideology e.g. (Lammergeyer, 1991; Wilkinson, 1992; Oakland,1998; Palo and Padhi,2005). Additionally, according to Morrison and Rahim (1993) and Hoogervorst et al. (2005), TQM depends on the effective management of human resources. Considering the TQM model, Murphy and Cleveland (1991) state that the system that is used to appraise performance needs to be congruent with the culture and principles that guide the conduct of the organisation, unless congruence is retained, anything that is developed is liable to be rejected. Hence this chapter presents a literature review closely related to the project, the literature survey will be carried out in a topical format this is necessary to give an exhaustive background knowledge to the terms in the topic ; the first section will be on the definition and principles of human resource management, advantages of HRM in the global business world, the second section will consist of the definition and concept of total quality management, its origin and benefits to the industry, the third section will investigate the work done so far with respect to the role of HRM in the implementation of TQM and its importance, the fourth section will consist of the research background, proje ct justification and literature review summary. 2.1 Definition of Human Resources Management Presently in the dynamic competitive business environment, there has been reasonable doubt as to what the roles and functions of Human Resource Management (HRM) are in an organisation. According to Soderlund and Bredin (2005) previous research by American Business School Professors all identify HRM as an effective organisational tool, but due to the present volatile business environment there has been conflicts on the concept and role of HRM within an organisational structure. One of the main problems contributing to this is that there is no single unified concept of what is meant by HRM. There are a variety of definitions attributed in the literature as to what exactly HRM is. In addition to this philosophy, Brewster and Larsen (2000) stated that due to its diverse nature there is no generally accepted definition for HRM and what it entails. Less satisfactory definitions have been proposed by different authors Soderlund and Bredin (2005) classified HRM as a management philosophy tha t concentrates on people (employees) treatment, Dessler (2006) defined HRM as the process of acquiring, training, appraising, and compensating employees, and of attending to their labour relations and health and safety, Marchington and Wilkinson (2002) defined HRM as the management of employment. These definitions are perhaps simplistic in nature and failed to highlight the true concept of HRM (Michael, 2006). Michael (2006) went further to define HRM as a strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organisations most valued assets (humans/employees) the people working in the organisation who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of its objectives, Price (2007) also supports Michaels definition with his proposed philosophy of HRM, according to Price, HRM is a philosophy of people management based on the belief that human resources are uniquely important to sustained business success. In addition to his philosophy he stated that an organisation gains competitive advantage by using its people effectively, drawing on their expertise and ingenuity to meet clearly defined objectives. Prof P.S Nel et al (2001) in their book strongly supports Michaels definition of HRM with this quote HRM is the only resource in an organisation that reacts when acted upon i.e. with the exception of human resources all other resources of an organisation are static because other resources derive their dynamic character from human resources. Although there are diverse definitions to HRM, for the purpose of this research the definition proposed by Michael (2006) will be adopted considering the fact that it clearly states that HRM is aimed at recruiting capable, flexible and committed people, managing and rewarding their performance and developing key competencies. 2.1.1 Human resources management in practice Armstrong, (2000) highlighted that HR is of immense importance to modern day organisations, it provides an approach to inducing improved performance levels through the use of the humans (employees) by improving their levels of customers service, productivity, growth, profits and quality control. There are a number of activities, roles, processes covered by HRM, Lado and Wilson (1994) outlined the following to be the HR activities in contemporary organisations Planning. Recruitment and selection Training Performance management Benefits and rewards Compensation Career development Banhegyi et al., (2008) and Robbins and Coulter, (2002) also supports the HR activities stated above as the salient global HR activities in present day organisations. 2.2.1 Planning Planning in Human Resource has been a debated topic in different HRM contexts over the years (Wren, 1994). HR was initially a strategy used to determine the strength and weaknesses among employees and to develop the skills and competences they needed (Gallagher, 2000). With the era of individual career plans, organisations started recruiting individuals with certain desired skills and competences as a method of employing individuals who shared the same orientation or objectives with that of the organisation (Kuratko and Morris (2002), this means that HR planning is essentially a method of selecting employees that align with the succession plan of the organisation. This aspect of HR is still been exhaustively discussed by many researchers, Schuler (1986) proposed that HR planning is a complicated and complex issue of debate within the HR activities. Storey (1995) argues that HR planning today is a very important task of every contemporary organisations HR department. According to him, HR planning mainly involves the identification of skills and competence within the organisation, the filling of identified competence gaps, and the facilitation of movements of employees within the organisation. An essential part of the HR planning is the succession planning which aims to ensure the supply of individuals and filling of gaps on senior key positions when they become vacant and replenish competences to areas where they are most valued (Wolfe, 1996). 2.2.2 Recruitment and selection This is the process by which an organisation places the diverse talents at their disposal in different levels of the organisation. Analoui, (2007) defined the process as an ethical approach by an organisation to find and attract the most efficient individual with the desirable skills for an available position. According to Price (2007), the recruitment process is divided into three approaches: Suitability the most qualified applicant for the position, Malleability moulded within the cultural norms, and Flexibility the most reliable and versatile employee. These factors are quite complicating and can be easily mistaken during the process of hiring employees. Suitability is a critical aspect hence its mainly concerned with the process of hiring the most suitable applicant for the position. Pfeffer (1994) proposed that the ability by an organisation to select and retain talented employees is of great advantage in the global competitive market. It is obvious from the present global market that organisations who possesses the greatest talents prevail in the competitive market hence firms tend to employ renowned managers to lead the thriving future. 2.2.3 Training It is already a well-established fact from the above literature that employees skills and knowledge are of immense impact on an organisations level of quality in goods and services (Guzzo, R A. and Noonan, K A, 1994). Ostroff and Kozlowski, (1992) supported this idea by stressing that for organisations to overcome certain problems and to attain continuous improvement the employees have to be continuously trained individually or as a team, their research also suggested that training also serves as a socialisation tool for new employees to gain cultural knowledge about the organisation, learn about the necessary tasks and how to perform their responsibility; clarifying their roles and relate with others inside the organisation. Additionally, Hackman and Wageman (1995) identified training in their study as the second most commonly used HRM practice in implementing TQM. Rollag Cardon (2003) supported this philosophy in their research as they indicated that the process of socialisation within a firm enhance new employees to integrate speedily within the new organisation. Formal training is a wide-spread method for organisations to enhance the personnel performance level, as important roles are covered also by organisational socialization and multitasking (Chao, 1997 and May, 1997). Research by Bishop (2003) highlights training as a cost effective strategy especially when there is a shortage in talented or skilled labour, employees could be trained on the job (OJB) thereby saving cost in time and resources of finding a competent workers. 2.2.4 Performance Management The concept of performance management within an organisation is to determine how the employers can get the highest level of commitment from their employees (Dransfield, 2000). There are three steps of approaching the performance measurement within an organisation, the three steps are stated below: Objectives Appraisal Feedback (Dransfield, 2000) Dransfield (2000) described the first step (objectives) as goals that are quantifiable, easy to measure and simple to communicate throughout the organisation after which the performance appraisal takes place and subsequently feedback. Although quality gurus like Deming and Juran are of the opinion performance appraisals are deterrent to quality improvement, according to Deming (1986) there are many undermining factors of performance appraisal as stated below It nourishes short-term performance, annihilates long-term planning, builds fear, demolishes teamwork, and nourishes rivalry and politics. It leaves people bitter, crushed, bruised, battered, desolate, despondent, dejected, feeling inferior, some even depressed, unfit for work for weeks after a receipt of an unacceptable rating, unable to comprehend why they are inferior. Soltani (2003; 2006), also supports this idea he believes that performance appraisal disregards the existence of variability in the system, it holds workers responsible for errors that may be the result of faults within the system and it undermines teamwork However, other investigators conclude that performance appraisal is compatible with TQM if it is based on quality criteria (Blackburn and Rosen, 1993; Simmons et al., 1995; Wilkinson et al., 1994; Wood and Peccei, 1995). Shadur et al., (1994) in their research claim that some organisations still have some form of performance appraisal and there is evidence that this HRM practice is useful in implementing TQM. Other researchers affirm that although performance appraisal can be related to individual performance, it can be of more advantage to quality improvement if it should be focused on measuring organisational and group performance (Petrick and Furr, 1995; Schuler and Jackson, 1987; Simmons et al., 1995) 2.2.5 Benefits and rewards The major determinant of human behaviour is the consequences to their actions, if employees know there is a reward for their actions they tend to work towards earning that reward, most managers in contemporary organisations have adopted the benefits and reward system as an incentive besides the wages that would derive that extra commitment from their employees, according to Appleby and mavin (2000) attaining high levels of commitment from employees within an organisation is highly essential. Consequently employee considerable effort will manifest into an intended realisation and fulfilment of a specific desired outcome. Such manifestation enhances the explanation of the crucial aspect of organisational reward system and how it can be sustain and elicit the firm human capital investment Tannenbaum and Dupuree-Bruno (1994). As defined by Manus and Graham (2003), total reward includes all types of rewards/benefits-indirect as well as direct, and intrinsic as well as extrinsic. Each aspect of reward, namely base pay, contingent pay, employee benefits and non-financial rewards, which include intrinsic rewards from the work itself, are linked together and treated as an integrated and coherent whole. The concept of total reward has emerged quite recently and is exerting considerable influence on reward management (Michael, 2006). An equally wide definition of total reward is offered by WorldatWork (2000) who state that total rewards are all of the employers available tools that may be used to attract, retain, motivate and satisfy employees. Thompson (2002) supports this idea with his definition of reward management, where he states that total reward typically encompass not only traditional, quantifiable elements like salary, variable pay and benefits, but also more intangible non-cash elements such as scope to achieve and exercise responsibility, career opportunities, learning and development, the intrinsic motivation provided by the work itself and the quality of working life provided by the organisation. 2.2.6 Compensation According to Patel Cardon (2010) compensation is an essential tool for modern-day organisations as it contributes to attract and retain high skilled employees with superior salaries, and it encourages a desired stakeholder behaviour regarding recognition and legitimacy. Minbaeva et al. (2003) inferred that compensation would enhance motivation among personnel too. Even though non-financial compensation can really work as a positive incentive for the workers, providing monetary benefits is necessary to increase the productivity of the employees on the individual or group level (Gomez-Meja, 1992). Balkin and Swift (2006) suggest a more flexible approach toward the payment issue. They proposed to relate it to the life stage of the organisation with a higher rate of non-monetary benefits during the first years of activity, and a re-equilibration whenever the company enters the mature stage. Non-monetary paybacks are represented by stock options, stocks or other form of equity sharing that enhance the participation and the motivation of employees, while spreading the risks over a larger number of people (Graham et al., 2002). The aforementioned ownership sharing represents also a long-term planning for compensation, as Graham et Al. (2002) stated, but also short-term rewards exist. These are represented by profit sharing policies aiming to encourage the employees toward group work, or to control the organisational outcomes (Heneman Tansky, 2002). 2.2.7 Career development (CD) Many practitioners and scholars within human resource development (HRD) field have claimed that the utmost crucial aspect of the practices is career development (McLagan, 1989; Weinberger, 1998; Swanson Holton, 2001). However, this area of studies has been given little attention (Upton, Egan Lynham, 2003). With the intense competition in the 21 century, many organisations have realised that in order to remain competitive they have to improve their employees and enhance their career development as an holistic approach (Boudreaux, 2001); rather than individual career development (Swanson Holton, Upton, Egan Lynham, 2003). Hence, many organisations are now taking proactive measures towards equipping their staffs (Leana, 2002) or create a climate that supports their staffs at all levels of the organisation to be more resultant and productive (Sullivan, 1999); which Boudreaux, (2001); Brown, (1997) referred to as shared responsibility. However, learning within an organisation is quite critical and expensive (McDonald et al., 2002). According to Power et al (2001) the most common learning methods within organisations are informal (i.e. on-the-job coaching, sessions, lesson learned, development assignment) and formal learning (i.e. as training/workshop and other forms of professional training conducted by professional bodies internally or externally (McDonald et al., 2002). 1.3.1 Reservations about HRM As many other departments within an organisation encounter, HRM has its own challenges, according to Michael (2006) the main reservation have been that HRM promises more than it can deliver and that its morality is suspect, Michael

Experiencing Slavery Through Octavia Butlers Kindred Essay -- Octavia

Authors of fiction often write about the human condition as a way to connect with a broad range of readers. Unlike factual textbooks, fiction gives characters feeling and emotion, allowing us to see the story behind the basic details. In many cases, readers gain a new perspective on a period of time by examining a fiction novel. In Kindred, by Octavia Butler, the near death experiences of Rufus Weylin transports a 20th century African American woman named Dana to the ante bellum South to experience exactly what it’s like to be a slave. Through her day-to-day life on the Weylin plantation, the reader begins to understand just how complex slavery is and how it affects both the slaves and the plantation owners; thus, giving new meaning and an added sense of realism to this 19th century practice of exploitation. On the surface, slavery was a system in which Africans were bought and sold as property. However, by reading Kindred, the reader begins to realize that the system was much more complex. In other words, both plantation owners and slaves focused on retaining their property or staying alive, respectively. Butler illustrates this throughout the text. Seen as inferior and subhuman by whites, slaves were often only able to trust and rely on each other. When Dana is transported to the 19th century, she realizes her need to escape. However, the only way she can do this is by allowing Rufus to lead her in the right direction. As he does this, she wonders whether he is setting a trap for her. She says, â€Å"I realized suddenly how easy it would be for him to betray me—to open the door and run away or shout an alarm† (32). In addition to illustrating a lack of trust for whites, this scene also depi... ...up call. Work Cited Butler, Octavia. Kindred. Boston: Beacon Press, 1979. Hairston, Andrea. â€Å"Octavia Butler – Praise Song to a Prophetic Artist.† Daughters of Earth: Feminist Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century. Middeltown: Wesleyan University Press, 2006. Works Consulted Alaimo, Stacey. â€Å"’Skin Dreaming': the Bodily Transgerssions of Fielding Burke, Octavia Butler, and Linda Hogan.† Ecofeminist Literary Criticism. Chicago: University of Illinois Press,1998. Francis Consuela, ed. Conversations with Octavia Butler. Jackson: University Press Mississippi, 2010. Govan, Sandra Y. â€Å"Homage to Tradition: Octavia Butler Renovates the Historical Novel† Melus 13 Nos. 1-2 (spring-summer 1986): 79-96 Mitchell, Angelyn. â€Å"Not Enough of the Past: Feminist Revisions of Slavery in Octavia E. Butler’s â€Å"Kindred.†Ã¢â‚¬  Melus, Vol 26, No #, 2001

From Moniza Alvis poetry, how do we learn about the challenges of Essa

From Moniza Alvi's poetry, how do we learn about the challenges of living between two cultures? Moniza Alvi writes many poems based on the difficulties she faces whilst living between two cultures and I am going to explore these difficulties through the following poems: - "The Sari", "Throwing out my Fathers Dictionary", "an Unknown Girl" and "Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan." Firstly, I am going to discuss her poem "The Sari" which is a metaphorical poem telling us what happened to her in early life. The poem begins, "Inside my mother I peered through a glass porthole", which creates an image of a baby in the womb. It then continues to say, "the world beyond was hot and brown", which suggests that she was born in Pakistan. The second stanza represents her Pakistani life consisting of a father, servants and animals; "They were all looking in on me - Father, Grandmother, the cook's boy, the sweeper-girl, the bullock." This shows us the differences between the Pakistani and English culture and also what her life would have been like if she had stayed in Pakistan. The phrase "the bullock with the sharp shoulderblades" uses a repetition of soft consonants suggests a feeling of calmness at being somewhere she knows she belongs. The third stanza links her Pakistani and English roots, "My English grandmother took a telescope and gazed across continents", giving the notion that her Grandmother wishes for he upbringing to be in England. The use of the word "gazed" in particular gives an impression of great eagerness. The third stanza begins with her journey from Pakistan to England; "All the people unravelled a sari. It stretched from Lahore to Hyderabad." This suggests that the unravelling sari is showin... ...ttempts to recreate herself in their culture. As you can see, Pakistani beliefs are very different to those held by the English. Moniza Alvi's poetry is deeply influenced by her cultural influences. This is obvious because the majority of her poetry is based on the difficulties of living between two cultures. Her poetry is also influenced by fashions in writing. Her style is very modern and contrasting to pre-20th century poets, and this enhances younger reader's appreciation of the text. In conclusion, Moniza Alvi was privileged to have lived between two cultures because it meant that she was welcomed into two communities and had the opportunity to experience different ways of life. However, all good things come at a price and for this she suffered the issues of not knowing where she fit in, which values she held and having high family expectations.

Coca Cola Marketing Mix Essay

Soft Drink demand market is very strong all over the world. Now there are 2 major Company of Soft Drinks †¢ Coca Cola †¢ Pepsi Co they are competitors to each other. The world’s largest beverage’s company Coca Cola began more than a century ago. The Coca Cola company world headquarter is at Atlanta Georgia, USA. Formation of Coca Cola company was in a simple way, but today it is spread worldwide. It has a Wonderful history and an exciting future. From sometime before 1970-s Coca Cola had started doing business in India. But due to changes in the policy of Indian Government, Coca Cola had to wind up its business from India in 1977. After 16 years, in 1993 it again started doing business in India through one of its subsidiary company Coca Cola India Private Limited. It gradually went in for merger by acquisition the various well known products to stop the direct competition from the local market. Coca cola is the brand with the highest brand equity. No doubt it has gone through the ups and downs of business to reach that position. The marketing mix of Coca cola has been changing over time with more and more products being added such that today it has 3300 products. So what is the marketing mix of Coca cola? Product The company has the widest portfolio in beverage industry comprising of 3300 products. Beverages are divided into diet category, 100% fruit juices, fruit drinks, water, energy drinks, tea and coffee etc. As per Nielson’s data, Coca cola is the No.1 brand in sparkling beverages, juice, and retail packaged water in 2010. Coca cola has its market presence around 200 countries. Coca cola brands in India are Fanta, Maaza, Limca, sprite, Thums up, Minute Maid, Nimbu fresh, Nested iced tea etc. Coca-Cola made its return to India COCA – COLA in 1993 and made significant investments to ensure that the beverage is available to more and more people, even in the remote and inaccessible parts of the nation. Sprite has not only established itself as a brand which successfully boasts it’s ‘cutthru’ perspective with an authentic, edgy, irreverent, urban and straight forward style, but has also achieved status of an undisputed youth ‘badge‘ brand. Fanta entered in the year 1993. Perceived as a fun youth brand, Fanta stands for its vibrant color, tempting Taste and tingling bubbles that not just uplifts feelings but also helps free spirit thus encouraging one to indulge in the moment. Limca has remained unchallenged as the No.1 Sparkling Drink in the Cloudy lemon Segment. The success formula is the sharp fizz and lemoni bite combined with the Single minded proposition of the brand as the provider of â€Å"Freshness†. Maaza has today come to symbolize the very spirit of mangoes. Universally loved for its taste, color, thickness and wholesome properties, Maaza is the mango lover’s first choice Price Due to the availability of wide range products the pricing is done according  to the market and geographic segment. Each sub-brand of coca cola has different pricing strategy. Their pricing strategy is based on the competitors pricing, Pepsi is the direct competitor to coke. Beverage market is said to be a oligopoly market (few sellers and large buyers), hence they form into cartel contract to ensure a mutual balance in pricing between the sellers. Price strategies are important to Coca Cola because the price determines the amount of sales and profit per unit sold. Businesses have to set a price that is attractive to their customers and provides the business with a good level of profit. Long before a sale was ever made Coca Cola had developed a forecast of consumer demand at different prices which inevitably determined whether or not the product came on the market, as well as the allocation of adequate money and resources to produce, promote and distribute the product. Place Coca cola is the world’s most favourite brand and is available all over the world. The distribution system of coca cola follows the FMCG distribution pattern. The effective distribution network of coke has almost eroded the small and middle level players in the market. In India they have captured even the rural market by extensive distribution and have eroded the market share of Bo onto, Kalmar etc. Promotion Coca cola adopts various advertising and promotional strategies to create an increased demand in the market by associating with life style and behaviour and mainly targeting value based advertising. You are more likely to see a coke ad individualised for a particular festival or in with a general positive message. Coca cola uses CSR as its marketing tool to gain emotional benefits in consumers mind. The current promotions through CSR include â€Å"Support my school† campaign with NDTV. It has many brand ambassadors like Shahrukh khan, Hrithik Roshan, South Indian Actor Vijay and Trisha , Ghambir, Aamir khan etc and has signed contract recently with Imran khan. It allows price discounts and allowances to distributors and retailers in order to push more products into the market. It employs both push  strategy through promotions and pull strategy through advertisements and campaigns. Company introduces different themes and concepts to sell their product and advertises mainly in electronic media and out of home advertising. These advertisements build brand image and create awareness. ïÆ'ËœBig names of Indian film industry mainly become the brand ambassadors of the Company. ïÆ'ËœThroughout the years, the slogans of the Coca-Cola have been memorable. For E.g. Thanda Matlab Cola-Cola Jo chaho ho jae Cola-Cola enjoy Coca-Cola-Piyo sir utha ke Brrrrrrr!!! Coca Cola on a regular basis Advertise through Billboards, Hoardings. They occupy the prime locations of the Urban and Semi Urban areas to advertise their products †¢ Bill Boards are used on Highways, main City roads, Across big buildings, Shops etc. †¢Also in India the Coca-cola can be seen painted on walls, bus stands, dhabas etc focusing in rural areas if India Coca-Cola uses direct marketing in many ways. First, the company partners with various restaurants, movie theatres, etc. to carry its product. This way, when a customer orders a drink, the only brand they are offered is Coca-Cola, which forces them to buy a drink from that brand. By doing this, Coke forces out other competition, and keeps the restaurants, or other businesses, purchasing their product over and over again. E.g. Mc Donald’s. According to mobilemarketingmagazine.com, Coke uses mobile graphics and texts to appeal to markets on a more personal level. Coca Cola also sponsors various sporting events in India and around the world in major sport events like Cricket, Football, Hockey, Olympic and Motor Racing etc. Coca-Cola uses the internet to promote its products. The company has its own website, which is quite simple to navigate through. The website allows customers to become interactive through various games, contests, shopping, and through a special section of the website that enables consumers to find out how they can help their community. ïÆ'ËœAlso in the modern era of communication and networking, the company uses various social networking sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter to connect with the consumers. The  internet marketing thus helps to reach to those consumers who can’t afford to spend time on T.V and are always online

Common Inventory System Problems & Solution Essay

Symptoms: Preoccupation with the forecast within the execution time frame. Typically, companies begin altering their forecast management processes when addressing supply chain performance. But this is unwise without understanding the nature of your demand and the root causes of forecast errors. When forecast accuracy is overemphasized, fill rates and inventory turns don’t improve, even when forecast accuracy does. No measure of customer service or inventory turns. Customers must be satisfied on an ongoing basis for a company to achieve long-term sustainability. Yet, inventory managers often have no idea how well customers’ needs are being met. Similarly, without knowing how quickly inventory moves through the value-creation-and-delivery system, a company won’t be able to manage inventory levels. Daily planning is based on a back order report. This is an entirely reactive model. Today’s fast-paced marketplace requires proactive inventory planning to meet current demand. Customers will switch to a competitor if their needs are consistently unmet in the time frame they dictate. Solutions: Mandatory tracking of fill rate and inventory turns for all product lines. Product managers should know these measures at all times. Fill rate should be measured daily, while inventory-turn measures will vary based on sales and production cycles. The important thing is that managers are both tracking and working to improve these rates. Develop realistic forecast-error measures. Developing realistic measures for how much forecast error you can tolerate without a SKU stock-out is essential. Typically, companies estimate plus or minus 10 for this measure, which equals about two days worth of inventory-a miniscule amount considering that companies often have weeks or months worth of inventory. Effective forecast management and inventory planning require accurate data, so accurate forecast error measures are a must. Mistake No. 2: Having unqualified employees manage inventory Symptoms: A sentiment that â€Å"our business is different because (fill in the blank).† Every company has inventory planning challenges, such as variable demand. No business is so different that it would not benefit from strategic  inventory management. Decentralized inventory management. If warehouse managers, office clerks, and other employees without specific inventory-management training are making inventory-management decisions, then it is certain that wasteful inventory is piling up throughout the system. Usually, this model reflects a company with no clear goals or strategy for inventory planning. Lack of formal training program or professional peer interaction. Inventory management is a professional skill that requires upfront and ongoing education. Emphasizing â€Å"buying† over planning. Buyers make purchases, but planners make strategic decisions to meet goals. Thinking of inventory planning from a purely â€Å"buying† point of view means opportunities for improvement and financial benefits will be overlooked—daily. Solutions: Recognize that inventory management requires professional job skills, and hire and train accordingly. Just as a company with hundreds of thousands of free dollars on its balance sheet would hire professional investment advisers, a company with hundreds of thousands of dollars in inventory should have professional inventory managers. Assign accountability for inventory management. Often, companies can’t answer the question, â€Å"Who is in charge of making sure inventory levels support strategic goals?† If no one is, then these inventory planning goals will never be met. TOP 5 SOLUTIONS: 1. Use reorder points on inventory items to keep purchasing streamlined and inventory manageable. Reorder points (otherwise known as min. and max. levels) are the best method for making sure you have the right amount of inventory in your warehouse at all times. If you have too little inventory you could lose out on sales, but if you have too much your cash is tied up in inventory that will not be sold. One of the biggest problems many companies have is managing their cash. A quick way to solve that from an inventory standpoint is by making sure you have set the appropriate reorder points for your business. 2. Spend money on specialized training for mission-critical software. Companies with a lot of inventory spend thousands of dollars on software they need in order to manage and track their items as  they move all over the world. This software manages millions of dollars’ worth of assets. After spending so much money on software, some companies don’t want to spend a f ew thousand dollars extra to buy the specialized training they need to implement the software. This is a big mistake because this software won’t do you any good if you don’t spend a little bit more to learn how to use it. If you try to learn your software on your own you may suffer for months before you learn the basics of how it works. 3. Rearrange the warehouse to set up for picking efficiencies. Sometimes trainers see mistakes that are so obvious you would think they’d be corrected immediately, but warehouse managers may be too distracted to notice them. We often see 100,000-square-foot warehouses that are organized inefficiently. These companies could save themselves large sums of money by making a few changes to where they place their inventory. The items that you sell the most or send out the most should be right next to the shipping dock. This keeps your employees from having to walk all the way across the warehouse to pick them up every time you are going to send them out. As companies grow, sometimes they just randomly put things where there is sp ace. This works for a little while, but as you grow you need to think about efficiency because the minutes that your employees spend driving around the forklift cost you money. 4. Take time to get to know your technology so that you can use all the functionality. Rarely will a company use all of the functionality their software provides. Most of the time there is more that the software can do for you that you haven’t explored. Software companies always hear from their customers about which features they want added to the software when a lot of the time the features are already there. The more features that you use in the software the more effective you can be in managing your inventory. You should either assign someone within the company to learn the software functionality or pay someone to come in and teach it to you. 5. Stop doing yearly physical inventories and move to a more regular, smaller cycle counting and reconciling routine. Businesses used to shut down for a day to a week each year to go into their warehouse and physically count everything to make sure that it matched the information in their software. This practice is mostly outdated because of the amount of time and money it takes. Doing these checks in smaller, more regular cycles keeps a company from having to shut down. We recommend picking one section each day to check  your product levels against the information from your inventory software.