Outback Steakhouse †Customer Satisfaction Survey Essay

Outback Steakhouse is a multinational restaurant chain operating throughout the United States and in 18 other countries including Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and many more countries worldwide, (Outback Steakhouse, 2013). In most basic terms, Outback Steakhouse could be described as an Australian themed steakhouse. The restaurant offers a casual dining experience with menu offering a wide variety of selections that will fit most guests’ preferences. As common with casual dining restaurants guests are seated and served by wait staff and pay for their meal after eating. The casual dining restaurant industry is highly competitive business with many chain restaurants competing for the same customers. Research has shown that the â€Å"demand for casual dining is driven by personal income, consumer tastes, and demographics†, (Hoovers, 2013). It is important for all businesses in the casual dining industry to ensure they’re meeting and exceeding customer expectations and demands. In order to meet those demands the company must learn what their customers expect from their casual dining experience. One way of reaching out to customers for insight into their experiences and expectations is with a customer satisfaction survey. Customer satisfaction surveys are extremely important for all businesses selling a product or service to consumers. â€Å"Surveys get the pulse of your customers by revealing their satisfaction levels and preferences†, (Information Week, 2008). By implementing a customer satisfaction survey the managers of the local Outback Steakhouse will be better informed about the positive and negative aspects of their service directly from the customers themselves. â€Å"In an era of high competition and expectations, customer satisfaction surveys are essential tools for listening to customers about their satisfaction levels, and for developing strategies for improvement†, (eSurvey Pro, 2013). In this particular case a combination of closed-ended, multiple-choice and open-ended questions were used. This provides the surveyor an opportunity to collect data that is easier to analyze as with closed-ended and multiple-choice questions, but also allows the customer an opportunity to elaborate or branch if necessary. Method Recently a customer satisfaction survey was conducted at a local Outback Steakhouse restaurant (Appendix A). A group of 10 customers (10 tables surveyed; 1 survey per table) that had just finished their meal were approached to assist in a brief customer satisfaction survey about their experience dining at the restaurant. This afforded the surveyor the opportunity to collect data while the experience was still fresh in the customers mind. By giving customers an outlet to express their opinions and to vent possible frustrations you are able to gather a lot of valuable information. The customer satisfaction survey addresses many facets of their experience to gauge various satisfaction levels and to better identify areas that need the most improvement. The first step in the process was to develop the actual survey that would be distributed to customers. Research was done to compare other customer satisfaction surveys used by competitors in the restaurant industry. There were many similarities between the various surveys and the final survey for Outback customers is also written and compiled in a similar manner. There are also many resources available over the Internet to help develop effective customer satisfaction surveys for various fields of business. Developing the survey and writing the questions is an important step in the process because you must ensure that each of the questions serve a purpose and is written clearly and concisely. The customer shouldn’t feel burdened by the survey and if there are too many questions or the questions are confusing or seem irrelevant it may discourage some customers from participating. The customer satisfaction survey was conducted on a Friday evening between 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm and tables were selected at random. The surveys were placed on tables before the guests were seated so that the pool of customers was completely random and unbiased. This local Outback Steakhouse is located in a middle-class neighborhood and is located within a mile of the local interstate which increases traffic  near the restaurant and has the potential to improve business. There were a wide range of customers in the restaurant during the time the survey was conducted which resulted in a diverse group of participants. After collecting the completed surveys the data could be compared to find trends in responses (Appendix B). These trends could indicate a consistent problem that needs to be addressed and can also highlight areas where the business is thriving which can serve as a great motivator for the staff and management. Analysis The first question of the survey addresses the frequency in which the customer visits Outback Steakhouse. This can be used to differentiate between new customers or regular customers and can look for trends in the data. The survey results indicate that the restaurant often serves regular or repeat customers. This is extremely important for business because it is very beneficial for the company to increase loyalty and keep the customers they already have. â€Å"With the high cost involved in acquisition of new customers loyalty usually plays a critical role in the development of business and services that are provided†, (Bhaskaran, 2013). Many customers responded to the survey stating that they visit monthly and some even visit weekly, which is very telling of the consistency in the service offered at Outback Steakhouse. Another trend in the survey data was the overall satisfaction with the service and staff at this Outback Steakhouse. Based on the data collected (Figure 1) the overall satisfaction levels indicate that customers are generally very satisfied with the service they receive when dining at the restaurant. In addition to gauging their overall level of satisfaction the survey asked individual questions pertaining to the satisfaction with the wait time, their server, their meal and the overall environment within the restaurant. All questions returned satisfactory results with most responding with answers of ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’. There were very few negative answers in response to these four specific questions about their satisfaction with the different facets of their dining experience. These questions are important because they allow the surveyor or the management team with the restaurant to isolate different areas of service to identify areas that excel and those with room for improvement. Based on the data collected it appears that overall the  management and staff is doing a great job of providing great service and in many cases are exceeding customer’s expectations. Figure 1 The final questions of the survey asked respondents if they are likely to return to Outback Steakhouse, if they are likely to increase the frequency of their visits and also if they’re likely to recommend the restaurant to a friend. These questions are extremely important in forecasting future business and how it may be affected by customer satisfaction levels. The data collected indicates that overall most customers are satisfied with the service they receive (Figure 2). Despite some minor incidents reported on the surveys none of the respondents stated that they were going to start dining at Outback less frequently following their most recent visit. Many of the respondents provided answers that indicated that they’re very likely to return to the restaurant and would also recommend Outback Steakhouse to a friend (Figure 3). It is also very important to note that many customers would recommend this restaurant to their friends because that gives the surveyor and management and indication of what their reputation may be in the area. This also gives the impression that the company has the ability to possibly acquire new customers for free by utilizing this word of mouth concept. This is also great news for this local Outback Steakhouse because it indicates that they are not losing very many customers. Figure 2 Figure 3 Following the closed-ended questions that required customers to respond using only the choices provided on the survey there was one open-ended question where respondents were able to write any comments or suggestions they wanted to share. The closed-ended questions are important because they allow for the data to be collected and compared much easier because there are a limited number of possible responses you will encounter. With open-ended questions there are an infinite number of different responses you may receive which can be difficult to compare side by side with a large number of respondents. The benefit to this open-ended question is that it serves as an open forum for customers to vent their frustrations or sing their praises. The information the customer wants to relay may not fit well into  any of the close-ended questions provided so the open-ended question works to avoid losing out on any important information that could be useful. The respondents to the Outback Steakhouse customer satisfaction survey all provided additional notes regarding their experience. This is critical to the effectiveness of the customer satisfaction survey because it may introduce areas of concern that were not considered by management or the surveyor and could have been missed. The data collected from this portion of the survey highlighted areas of strength (friendly and effective staff) as well as areas of weakness (long wait time). The comments highlighted in Appendix B identify some of the most common themes across all of the surveys. The responses indicate that the staff at this Outback Steakhouse is friendly, knowledgeable and skilled in their job; this gives the restaurant a competitive advantage over the competition that has a sub-par staff. There were multiple comments that indicated some customers experienced a considerable wait time before being seated which could indicate problems with seating or serving delays. Recommendations There was a lot of important and useful data collected by the customer satisfaction survey at Outback Steakhouse. In order to truly make the most of the survey it is important to compare and analyze the data to identify any common trends that effect business. The survey results indicate both positive and negative aspects of their service so there are some areas in which they could improve, but overall the results were optimistic. If Outback Steakhouse continues with providing the level of service they’re accustomed to than they should be on track for continued success. One common trend mentioned in the open-ended question indicated that many customers had to wait a considerable amount of time before they were seated at a table. While some wait time is expected in the restaurant industry it is important not to overlook any data that might indicate a bigger problem than just the typical wait time. Wait times are typically consistent over the same periods of time – weekdays/nights and weekends differ greatly so a wait time during the weekend is often expected whereas it’s very possible to avoid any wait time when dining during the week. This survey was conducted on a Friday night, which means some wait time is not unusual and overall the customers  seemed to agree that they expected to encounter a wait. An important recommendation is to continue monitoring survey data and customer comments to ensure the wait doesn’t extend longer than it needs to because that provides an opportunity to lose a customer. The data collected also indicates that this restaurant sees a lot of repeat business from customers who visit frequently. This is very beneficial to Outback Steakhouse because they have developed a relationship with the customer and hopefully they have a sense of loyalty to the restaurant, menu, staff, etc. Survey data also shows that the respondents plan to keep the frequency of their visits the same or plan to increase frequency. Increasing business is a great benefit but it is also important that there are no indications that these customers plan to visit less frequently. Since it appears the company is set to keep their existing customer base, it is important to try and reach out to new customers. New marketing campaigns, especially local spots, may be a viable option to attract new business. Local marketing such as sponsorships and teaming up with local groups can be a good choice because it focuses on customers from the area that are likely to visit this specific restaurant versus another location of the same chain. Conclusion Customer satisfaction surveys provide a great deal of useful information that can be critical to the success of the business. If a business is not satisfying their customers consistently they will eventually lose those customers and ultimately lose the business altogether. Research has shown that â€Å"customer satisfaction surveys are essential for continuous improvement of product, services, and/or support, as well as enterprise competitiveness and survival†, (eSurvey Pro, 2013). In order to continue and improve their level of service and satisfaction it is important that regular customer satisfaction surveys be conducted. Performing regular surveys allows for the company to identify any problems, develop strategies and to put those plans in motion. Once the improvements have been in place it would be beneficial to conduct another survey that could gauge how those changes have affected business. This is also an opportunity for the company to identify any new problems or suggestions that should be addressed. References Bhaskaran, V. (2013). Conducting an effective customer service program. Survey Analytics. Retrieved from http://www.questionpro.com/images/Conducting-Effective-Customer-Satisfaction-Program.pdf ESurvey Pro. (2013). Business Imperatives. Customer satisfaction surveys. Retrieved from http://www.esurveyspro.com/article-customer-satisfaction-surveys.aspx Hoovers, Inc. (2013). Casual Restaurants Report Summary. Casual restaurants industry overview. Retrieved from http://www.hoovers.com/industry-facts.casual-restaurants.1443.html Information Week. (February 14, 2008). Gauging customer satisfaction: The importance of the online survey. Retrieved from http://www.informationweek.com/gauging-customer-satisfaction-the-import/206504051 Market Research Methods. (2012). 5 Essential customer satisfaction survey questions. Retrieved from http://www.mymarketresearchmethods.com/customer-satisfaction-survey-questions/ Outback Steakhouse. (2013). Outback Steakhouse. Retrieved from http://www.outback.com Appendix A Below is sample of the customer satisfaction survey that was given to customers of the local Outback Steakhouse to gain insight into the quality of service they offer. Following each question is a brief rationale explaining why the question was included and how it would be useful to the company. The rationale information was not included in the customer’s survey. * * * Customer Satisfaction Survey Outback Steakhouse Please take a moment to complete this short survey. The information you provide will be extremely useful in identifying strengths and weaknesses in service as well as developing plans for improving the service you receive. Your time is greatly appreciated. 1. How often do you typically visit Outback Steakhouse, Inc.? a. 1 – 3 visits per week b. 1 – 3 visits per month c. 1 – 3 visits per year Rationale: – This question is useful in comparing data from regular customers against data from sporadic customers. 2. How satisfied are you with the time you waited to be seated? a. Very satisfied b. Satisfied c. Neutral d. Dissatisfied e. Very dissatisfied Rationale: – This question can help to identify specific areas of service that may need to be improved upon. 3. Were you satisfied with the friendliness and attentiveness of your server? a. Very satisfied b. Satisfied c. Neutral d. Dissatisfied e. Very dissatisfied Rationale: – This question can help to identify specific areas of service that may need to be improved upon. 4. Generally, how satisfied were you the taste and presentation of your meal? a. Very satisfied b. Satisfied c. Neutral d. Dissatisfied e. Very dissatisfied Rationale: – This question can help to identify specific areas of business that may need to be approved upon. 5. Were you satisfied with the cleanliness and overall appearance of the dining room? a. Very satisfied b. Satisfied c. Neutral d. Dissatisfied e. Very dissatisfied Rationale: – This question can help to identify if the servicescape is beneficial to the overall satisfaction of customers. 6. What is your overall satisfaction level with Outback Steakhouse, Inc.? a. Very satisfied b. Satisfied c. Neutral d. Dissatisfied e. Very unsatisfied Rationale: – It could be useful to learn more about the reputation and overall level of satisfaction of customers. 7. Based on your experience while dining at Outback Steakhouse, Inc. how likely are you to return? a. Very likely b. Somewhat likely c. Undecided d. Somewhat unlikely e. Very unlikely Rationale: – Ultimately it is important to know whether or not the company is at risk for losing customers because of poor service. 8. Based on your experience while dining at Outback Steakhouse, Inc. do you plan to visit more regularly? a. More often b. No change c. Less often Rationale: This could indicate if customers are satisfied enough to increase their number of visits and would show if things are going well for the business in terms of customer satisfaction levels. 9. How likely are you to recommend Outback Steakhouse, Inc. to a friend? a. Very likely b. Somewhat likely c. Unsure d. Somewhat unlikely e. Very unlikely Rationale: The highest compliment a customer can make is recommending the company to a friend. If a customer is likely to recommend the company to friends 10. Please provide any suggestions that you feel would improve your overall dining experience. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Rationale: – This will give customers the opportunity to freely voice their opinions. It is much easier to gain additional insight into customer satisfaction when customers are provided with a forum to share. Appendix B Customer Satisfaction Survey Outback Steakhouse Collected Data 1. How often do you typically visit Outback Steakhouse, Inc.? a. 1 – 3 visits per week (2) b. 1 – 3 visits per month (5) c. 1 – 3 visits per year (3) 2. How satisfied are you with the time you waited to be seated? a. Very satisfied (5) b. Satisfied (4) c. Neutral (0) d. Dissatisfied (1) e. Very dissatisfied (0) 3. Were you satisfied with the friendliness and attentiveness of your server? a. Very satisfied (3) b. Satisfied (5) c. Neutral (2) d. Dissatisfied (0) e. Very dissatisfied (0) 4. Generally, how satisfied were you the taste and presentation of your meal? a. Very satisfied (4) b. Satisfied (5) c. Neutral (0) d. Dissatisfied (1) e. Very dissatisfied (0) 5. Were you satisfied with the cleanliness and overall appearance of the dining room? a. Very satisfied (5) b. Satisfied (3) c. Neutral (2) d. Dissatisfied (0) e. Very dissatisfied (0) 6. What is your overall satisfaction level with Outback Steakhouse, Inc.? a. Very satisfied (4) b. Satisfied (3) c. Neutral (2) d. Unsatisfied (1) e. Very unsatisfied (0) 7. Based on your experience while dining at Outback Steakhouse, Inc. how likely are you to return? a. Very likely (5) b. Somewhat likely (3) c. Undecided (1) d. Somewhat unlikely (1) e. Very unlikely (0) 8. Based on your experience while dining at Outback Steakhouse, Inc. do you plan to visit more regularly? a. More often (4) b. No change (6) c. Less often (0) 9. How likely are you to recommend Outback Steakhouse, Inc. to a friend? a. Very likely (4) b. Somewhat likely (4) c. Unsure (1) d. Somewhat unlikely (1) e. Very unlikely (0) 10. Please provide any suggestions that you feel would improve your overall dining experience. Notable responses: â€Å"Great food! Great service! We’ll be back next week!† â€Å"Our kids loved Sarah! She was very friendly and was one step ahead of us throughout our dinner. Sarah made dining out with our young children a much better experience.† â€Å"Our steaks were cooked to perfection and Brian was an awesome waiter. We will definitely be back!† â€Å"We haven’t been to Outback in about a year and were interested in trying something new. Our waitress was very helpful with food and drink recommendations and made our experience

Employee Behavior

Proper understanding of employee behavior in a workplace is key to maximizing the potential of an organization. Proponents of scientific behavioral approach argue that, the use of scientific methods in dealing with employee productivity in an organizational set up is the key to success. Behavioral- science approach theorists, Mary Parker Follet, Hugo Munsterberg and Elton Mayo laid much emphasis on the human and psychological factors which are likely to effect the workers. Considerable notions of these theories are employee relationship and motivation, information processing and organizational development. The trio are considered pioneers in the field of organizational psychology and behavioral approaches in the theories of management. Follet is an American social worker, a pioneer in the organizational theory and organizational behavior fields also a management consultant. Her theory criticized the micromanagement of employees and argued that, managers should stop being authoritative but instead, grant their employees the freedom to collaborate, socialize and work in teams with minimal supervision. Munsterberg, on the other hand argued that hiring of workers with the right personality and mental capabilities for performing certain jobs is key. Moreover, increased employee motivation, job performance and employee retention is very imperative. His theory suggests that matching of the correct jobs and skills to employee personality very significant for employee productivity. Elton Mayo, the founder of human relations movement is best known for Hawthorne studies which was conducted at western electric company. His theory was based on the soft ways for successful management. He recommended that individual's work performance depends on both social matters and job satisfaction. He contributed significantly on behaviorism movement in the management field. However, despite of criticisms from other proponents such as Marx, Weber and Taylor, modern behavioral pioneers, Follet, Munsterberg and Mayo contributed immensely on the contemporary management perspectives. Their arguments that successful management stem from understanding how best to treat and motivate employees upholds. Furthermore, application of the theories has made employees to become more efficient in their jobs.Organizational structure.Organizational structure defines how organizational activities are coordinated, and directing supervisions of the allocated tasks towards the achievement of organizational goals. Major types of organizational structure includes functional, divisional and matrix. Functional structure refers to grouping of the organization departments according to purposes. It is useful for small organizations with flexible departments which can solely rely on the skills, talents and knowledge of employees. Divisional structure is used by large organizations which operates in different geographical areas. The organization is divided into divisions which areas separately managed towards achieving the common set goals. It is useful in the sense that its desires can be met rapidly and more specifically since each division operates independently. Last but not least is the matrix organizational structure. This forms a combination of both functional and divisional structures. It is typically used in large multinational organizations and enjoys the benefits of both functional and divisional structure under one umbrella. Personality test Everyone in a work place possesses different personalities. The use of personality test immensely employs the use of the big five personality traits which includes openness, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and neuroticism. In a work place, personality traits can help in revealing strengths and weaknesses of the employees. Moreover, it helps in determining levels of emotional intelligence among employees, a key tool for efficient communication. In addition to this, personality traits helps in creating awareness and enhancing excellent team work among employees. Finally, personality traits it helps in promoting deeper understanding of employee capabilities based on their strengths and capabilities, thus making it easier to delegate the duties. Perceptional DistortionsPerceptual distortions refers to the variations of a person's response to a stimulus from the common perception. Majorly, it occurs as a result of intellectual biasness of an individual. The major causes of perceptual distortions includes but not limited to stereotyping, halo effect, pre-deposition, recency effect, pre-deposition effect, primacy effect and prejudice. An example of perceptual distortion is that of an individual who is suffering from anorexia and holds a biased self-image. Such people see their bodies as overweighed and unsightly whereas others perceive them as the undernourished as well as underweighted. Impression Management Motives and Basic Governing FactorsImpression management refers to a self-presentation system which focuses on improving a person's image in the eyes of others. Typically, it refers to a process in which people attempt to influence the perception of others. Managers synonymously implement the use of impression management to present themselves to their employees, the public and to their peers as a way of influencing the perceptions of their appearance. The underlying motives and basic governing factors of impression management culminates on the awareness of being a potential monitoring instrument and the kind social status. Additionally, cultural norms, personal goals and social perspectives forms other impression motives and governing factors for managers. The duo reveals the assertions which leads to a dynamic way of presentational aspects. Managers tend to impress their employees, peers and the public through the types of clothes they put on, which have specific designs and fashions. Politicians wear nice suits, curries an expensive suitcase and move in expensive cars so as to impress the public as they woe for votes. Christianity is another strategy used by managers to impress peers and the public alleging that their ways are pure. Workplace Stress.Stress refers to a hypersensitive response of the body to any kind of emotional strain. It occurs as a result of personal conflict between the job workload or demands and the little amount of time an employee has to meet these demands, hence lack of control. The common demands that may lead to stress in the workplace includes poor organization of the work, poor work design, poor working conditions, poor management and lack of supervisory support. Moreover, job monotony and excessive work load are also sources of stress in a workstation. The general responses to stress that can be experienced are majorly classified into physical, Emotional responses. Physical stress occurs in the general body and includes pains, aches and other diseases that may be caused by stress. Physical stress is accompanied by frequent headaches, chest problems, back pain and aching stomach. It is also characterized by insufficient sleep and high blood pressure. On the other hand, Emotional responses are experiences involving feelings and thoughts during stressful circumstances. Such responses include depression and anxiety, withdrawing socially and becoming more forgetful. Anger, lack of focus and becoming more restless are other emotional responses to stress. Too much stress is fatal and prevention measures should be put in place. In order to deal with stress, one should first trace the origin and know the causes of stress and develop healthy responses to curb the situation. Relaxing the mind and having sufficient sleep are important techniques suppressing stress. Avoid being lonely, talk to other people and seek for their help. Finally, talking to the supervisor about the stressing issue can help solve the situation. This can be done improving the working environment and the working conditions. Employee Behavior A proper understanding of employee behavior in a workplace is key to maximizing the potential of an organization. Proponents of scientific behavioral approach argue that the use of scientific methods in dealing with employee productivity in an organizational set up is the key to success. Behavioral- science approach theorists, Mary Parker Follet, Hugo Munsterberg and Elton Mayo laid much emphasis on the human and psychological factors which are likely to affect the workers. Considerable notions of these theories illuminate employee relationship and motivation, information processing and organizational development. The trio is considered the founders of organizational psychology and behavioral approaches in the theories of management.Follet is an American social worker, a pioneer in the organizational theory and organizational behavior fields also a management consultant. Her theory criticized the poor handling of employees and argued that managers should stop being authoritative but instead, grant their employees the freedom to collaborate, socialize and work in teams with minimal supervision. Munsterberg, on the other hand, argued that hiring of workers with the right personality and mental capabilities for performing certain jobs is key. Moreover, increased employee motivation, job performance, and employee retention are very imperative. His theory suggests that matching of the correct jobs and skills to employee personality very significant for the employee performance. Elton Mayo, who started human relations movement is best known for Hawthorne studies which were conducted at the western electric company. His theory was based on the soft ways for successful management. He recommended that individual's work performance depends on both social matters and job satisfaction. He contributed significantly to behaviorism movement in the management field. However, despite criticisms from other proponents such as Marx, Weber, and Taylor, modern behavioral pioneers, Follet, Munsterberg and Mayo contributed immensely to the modern viewpoints in management. Their arguments that successful management stems from understanding how best to treat and motivate employees upholds. Furthermore, application of the theories has made employees become more efficient in their jobs.Q2: Organizational structureOrganizational structure defines how organizational activities are coordinated, and directing supervisions of the allocated tasks towards the achievement of organizational goals. Major types of the organizational structure include functional, divisional and matrix. Functional structure refers to the grouping of the organization departments according to purposes. It is useful for small organizations with flexible departments which can solely rely on the skills, talents, and knowledge of employees. Divisional structure is used by large organizations which operate in different geographical areas. The organization is divided into divisions which areas separately managed towards achieving the common set goals. It is useful in the sense that its desires can be met rapidly and more specifically since each division operates independently. Last but not least is the matrix organizational structure. This forms a combination of both functional and divisional structures. It is typically used in large multinational organizations and enjoys the benefits of both functional and divisional structure under one umbrella.Q3: Personality testEveryone in a workplace possesses different personalities. The use of personality test immensely employs the use of the big five personality traits which includes openness, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. In a workplace, personality traits can help in revealing strengths and weaknesses of the employees. Moreover, it helps in determining levels of emotional intelligence among employees, a key tool for effective communication. In addition to this, personality traits help in creating awareness and enhancing excellent teamwork among employees. Finally, personality traits it helps in promoting a deeper understanding of employee capabilities based on their strengths and capabilities, thus making it easier to delegate the duties. Q4: Perceptional DistortionsPerceptual distortions refer to the variations of a person's response to a stimulus from the common perception. Majorly, it occurs as a result of intellectual biases of an individual. The major causes of perceptual distortions include but not limited to stereotyping, halo effect, pre-deposition, recency effect, pre-deposition effect, primacy effect, and prejudice. An example of perceptual distortion is that of an individual who is suffering from anorexia and holds a biased self-image. Such people see their bodies as overweighed and unsightly whereas others perceive them as the undernourished as well as underweighted. Q5: Impression Management Motives and Basic Governing FactorsImpression management refers to a self-presentation system which focuses on improving a person's image in the eyes of others. Typically, it refers to a process in which people attempt to influence the perception of others. Managers synonymously implement the use of impression management to present themselves to their employees, the public and to their peers as a way of impelling the insights of their appearance. The underlying motives and basic governing factors of impression management culminates in the awareness of being a potential monitoring instrument and the kind social status. Additionally, cultural norms, personal goals, and social perspectives form other impression motives and governing factors for managers. The duo reveals the assertions, which leads to a dynamic way of presentational aspects. Managers tend to impress their employees, peers and the public through the types of clothes they put on, which have specific designs and fashions. Politicians wear nice suits, carries an expensive suitcase and move inexpensive cars so as to impress the public as they woe for votes. Christianity is another strategy used by managers to impress peers and the public alleging that their ways are pure. Q6: Workplace StressStress refers to a hypersensitive response of the body to any kind of emotional strain. It occurs as a result of personal conflict between the job workload or demands and the little amount of time an employee has to meet these demands, hence lack of control. The common demands that may lead to stress in the workplace include poor organization of the work, poor work design, poor working conditions, poor management and lack of supervisory support. Moreover, job monotony and excessive workload are also sources of stress in a workstation. The general responses to stress that can be experienced are majorly classified into physical, Emotional responses. Physical stress occurs in the general body and includes pains, aches and other diseases that may be caused by stress. Physical stress is accompanied by frequent headaches, chest problems, back pain and aching stomach. It is also characterized by insufficient sleep and high blood pressure. On the other hand, Emotional responses are experiences involving feelings and thoughts during stressful circumstances. Such responses include depression and anxiety, withdrawing socially and becoming more forgetful. Anger, lack of focus and becoming more restless are other emotional responses to stress. Too much stress is fatal and prevention measures should be put in place. In order to deal with stress, one should first trace the origin and know the causes of stress and develop healthy responses to curb the situation. Relaxing the mind and having sufficient sleep are important techniques suppressing stress. Avoid being lonely, talk to other people and seek for their help. Finally, talking to the supervisor about the stressing issue can help solve the situation. This can be perfected by improving working conditions.

Inclusive education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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Conflict Escalation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Conflict Escalation - Essay Example 152). Escalation may take place for other raison d'tres too. In accordance with the "conflict spiral model" (Rubin et al, 1994) escalation takes place when all sides reply to the other's endeavors. A conflict initiated with an easygoing approach by one party, pursued by equivalent plans by the other party. These plans sequentially create increasingly more violent plans by the prior party, which then stir up an equivalent reaction by the adversary. A number of studies corroborate that people respond obnoxious behavior in public communications (Burgoon, Le Poire, and Rosenshal, 1995) and get trapped in "joint controversial interactions" in discussions (Brett, Shapiro, and Lytle, 1998). When fights escalate, other people are vulnerable to be concerned. Organizations start to makepressure and inflict insensitive negative sanctions. Fighting may establish, or if violent behavior has already cropped up it may turn out to be harsher and/or prevalent as several opponents implicated in the conflict raises, with lots of people vigorously employ in conflict (Kriesberg, 1998, pg. 152). 'Escalation Conflict' can be considered as a realism of organization and organizational behavior (OB). Nearly every one will comprehend what is generally meant by "organizational conflict" and be familiar with its continuation and results. We can perceive conflict as an organizational behavior projected to impede the success of someone else's personal or organizational objectives. Conflict is anchored in the inappropriateness of aims and stems from differing organizational behaviors. In this paper, we shall discuss them briefly, and discuss how 'escalation of conflict' will be observed at the individuals' behavior, group dynamics or organizational processes and organizational structural levels. Individuals' Behavior There are countless researches that people usually are liable to assess behaviors, involvements, and results in provisos approving to the self (Dreu, Carsten et al. 1995). Conflict is menacing and brings about nervousness to an individual experiencing the conflicted behavior, whether it comes by a person or persons or is heading for other individuals working in an organization. People have distinct or opposite reflective processes and attitudes. They have dissimilar likes and dislikes, different viewpoints and dissimilar spiritual values. Individuals have dissimilar thoughts about the correct and incorrect way to execute things or about correct and incorrect as a general rule. All of these combined facets of the individual behavior can result in conflict when groups or a group of individuals worked together (Dreu, Carsten et al. 1995). Group Dynamics Central adjustments or changes that groups of individuals experience during escalation take account of not only the socio-psychological adjustments, but also alterations at the grouping or combined level. Dynamics at individualistic level are time and again emphasized by combined conversation and are likely to become group rules. Combined objectives of beating the opponent expand, in addition to enhanced group interrelatedness (Rubin et al. pg. 90). Once individuals comprehend that others share their visions and pay attention to new judgment supportive of them, their personal insights are legalized and resistant. Group debate can thus bring about individual associate to turn out to be more severe in their aggressive behaviours. Many rational

Religion and technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Religion and technology - Essay Example Therefore, the relationship between technology, specifically as a function of science, and religion is characterized by ‘mutually exclusive’ tendencies on both sides that restrict their ability to work together. Religion and theology refuse to acknowledge and often dismiss the technological claims that do not resonate with the role of God in the Universe or that spelled out by the scripture. For example, advancements in technology are meant to increase efficiency in production and make life easier. On the other hand, religion is concerned with the interactions between man and man, man and the environment and man and God. Ethics are a function of religion because, in most cultures, ethics define right and wrong. The values of right and wrong are defined by the religious values of a community. Currently, there are many problems in the use of technology. For example, environmental degradation is a function of technological advancement. In addition, violation of important ethical considerations in the society has increasingly resulted in poverty in poor societies because of a technological handicap compared to the developed countries. On the other hand, the role of religion has been decreasing over the last few centuries. More people are abandoning their religious beliefs because they often feel that the beliefs are outdated or impractical. In addition, the proposition of other theories of the origin of man and sources of answers previously only provided by religion has lessened the role of religion to the people.

McDonald Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

McDonald - Essay Example They can be defined as a set of specific business ideas and actions plans which can help an organization to achieve consumer satisfaction and success in the business in the long run. McDonalds is a fast food chain which is preferred by almost every age group across the world. The main source of revenue food McDonalds is sales of fast food items, such as burgers, French fries, soft drinks, milkshakes, and desserts. It has always responded to varying consumer trends and has established itself as one of the most recognized brands in the world. Analysis of McDonald’s marketing strategy shows that it has certainly focused on its target segment and has understood the demand of its consumer market very well. For this reason, the 4p’s of marketing can be applied for the evaluation of McDonald’s current marketing strategy: Product includes a company’s method of preparing and producing products which would eventually develop the understanding of every customer regarding that particular company’s product and services. McDonalds in its services and products incorporates distinctive features, which depict the physical and the non physical characteristics of the services and product. As stated by Kincheloe (2002), McDonalds have learned the etiquettes and customs of their customers and have accordingly offered them with such various menus, which are very different to those that are offered by McDonalds to the global market. For instance, in India McDonalds has completely eradicated ingredients like beef, mutton and pork from their menu and as an alternate they offer a vegetarian menu to them and also the cheese and sauce as well which are purely vegetarian. Place consists of the delivery channels and the supply chains of the business. It is imperative in McDonald’s business strategy that to have a proper place of its business so that it can offer its

Business research report Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business report - Research Paper Example However, upon completion of the survey process and subsequent data screening, responses provided by 438 participants were considered and the rest were omitted. The reason behind the omission was particularly because some of the surveys were incomplete, some responses were biased and error existed in the rest (Mukherji & Albon, 2009; Saunders, Lewis & Thornhil, 2009). The data has been presented both in the form of descriptive. Application of these methodologies enabled the researcher to describe the major aspects of a set of data quantitatively (Somekh & Lewin, 2004; Spradley, 1979). The ultimate aim was to abridge a sample of data quantitatively with the application of any probabilistic model The first and foremost objective is to determine who are using the park and what the purposes behind that are. In order to achieve this objective, the researcher had to analyze question 1 through to question 4. The first question involved investigation of the main reasons that prompted people to visit the park. It is evident from figure 1 given below that 31.28% of the respondents visit the parks in order to exercise. According to 20.32% of the respondents, walking the dog is the major reason behind their visit to the park. 17.35% of the respondents visited the park in order to accompany their children to the playground. 7.99 % of the respondents visit the park in order to engage themselves in organized sports activities. Sitting/relaxing/socializing is the reason behind visiting parks for 12.79% of the respondents. Among the other major reasons that prompt people to visit their nearby park is to organize family barbecue parties or to fly aero plane models. Given the fact that, majo rity of the sample population visits the park in order to exercise, it provides an excellent premise for the researcher to conduct an in-depth analysis of their attitudes and perceptions towards outdoor exercise equipment positioned along the walk paths. As far as the

Strategic Information Technology Management Essay - 1

Strategic Information Technology Management - Essay Example Now, it has developed as a Multibillion Dollar Company and today, it is known as the top brands of the world. Besides a large courier and package delivery chain, they also give specialized transportation, investment and electronic business provisions. The company administers route of merchandise, resources and the related information around the globe on a daily basis (Camerer 2003). The company is able to run its business in more than 20 countruies. Development of the Role of ICT The information and communication technology sector is the main source for low income class in developing countries to fullfill their needs of communication and to acquire knowledge. But, it was not always a useful mean to get appropriate income. However, it has been in development phase for last 20 years. Now, it is playing a major role in the expansion of economic opportunities. In 1980s, the â€Å"universal access† was an aim but today, it has become a reality. At present, the information and commu nication technology segment holds Today the ICT sector holds â€Å"hardware, software, the internet, telephony, content, application and support services† (Haycock, Cheadle, and Bluestone 2012). Today, the information and communication technology sector has become the foundation of the current economical globalization and everywhere in the world the ICT sector greatly supports the economic sector. Here are the reasons. Reducing Transactional cost With the help of ICT sector, the transaction cost is reduced and productivity of sectors increases. Immediate Connectivity Through communication technology, companies can easily and quickly get connected to their clients and it is not only voice but video connectivity as well and all... This essay stresses that mobile phones are advanced means of communication and through this device a person can send a message to another person having this device and communicate by making calls. You can take your phone with you whereever you want to go. There are many other devices or ways of communication for delivering information from one place or person to another place or person. With the extended access to information and communication technologies, people are encouraged to use these technologies. The information and communication technology sector is the main source for low income class in developing countries to fullfill their needs of communication and to acquire knowledge. But, it was not always a useful mean to get appropriate income. Today, the information and communication technology sector has become the foundation of the current economical globalization and everywhere in the world the ICT sector greatly supports the economic sector. This paper makes a conclusion that the concept of information and communication technology; their role in the development and the digitization of the economy and also about the new ways of strategic thinking. The role of a manager of UPS, for the development of company with the information and communication technology changes as to how the manager brings changes with the development of information and communication technology. This study concludes that everthing depends upon the creativity of thought of a manager, he can better evaluate as how instantly he accept the changes and respond in the context of that change.

Unemployment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Unemployment - Coursework Example Unemployment This denotes that comparisons may end up misleading and giving inaccurate count, as well as a count that does not mirror the actual count (Office for National Statistics 2013) and (Dustmann, Glitz & Vogel 2006). This misrepresentation of data could be the reason why the Claimant count emerged with a 1 million count of unemployed persons less than what the ILO Count got (Turner 2012) and (Dustmann, Glitz & Vogel 2006). The reason why the ILO Count was more than that of the Claimant count is because the ILO count measure takes into account all persons with no jobs unlike the Claimant count measure, which does not take into account persons who are unqualified for benefits (Turner 2012), (Department for Children, Schools and Families 2008) and (Dustmann, Glitz & Vogel 2006). In other words, the Claimant Count measure does not include in their measures persons who have a significant other being paid beyond the benefits level for the family, students employed for part-time jobs, persons un der the age of eighteen and reluctant to go in for a youth-training centre as well as persons who have departed their profession voluntarily. The ILO count measure obtains the real actual count of unemployed persons because it collects the actual facts of unemployed persons. It gives the actual number of all unemployed persons who wish to get jobs but are not qualified for benefits unlike the Claimant count measure. Additionally, ILO count measure collects data that is current unlike Claimant count measure that depends on administrative records that may be out of date, incorrect and misrepresented (Office for National Statistics 2013) and (Dustmann, Glitz & Vogel 2006) as well as (Department for Children, Schools and Families 2008). ... Additionally, ILO count measure collects data that is current unlike Claimant count measure that depends on administrative records that may be out of date, incorrect and misrepresented (Office for National Statistics 2013) and (Dustmann, Glitz & Vogel 2006) as well as (Department for Children, Schools and Families 2008). However, the ILO count may not be able to cover all the necessary facts in its surveys during data collection because people may not provide accurate facts. For the two measures, namely; ILO count measure and Claimant count measure, ILO count measure is likely to be inaccurate because it relies on people to answer queries accurately and truthfully, which may not be the case (Turner 2012) and (Dustmann, Glitz & Vogel 2006). People do not always tell the truth especially when it comes to personal information such as their employment status (Turner 2012) and (Department for Children, Schools and Families 2008). Likewise, the Claimant count measure is likely to be inaccu rate as well because it depends on administrative records to calculate its count for unemployed persons (Turner 2012) and (Office for National Statistics 2013). The reason why this may result in inaccurate number of unemployed persons is because most of these administrative records could be misrepresented, incorrect, falsified or altered over time, thereby giving inaccurate information at the of the day (Office for National Statistics 2013) and (Dustmann, Glitz & Vogel 2006). The fact that there are numerous vacancies, yet the rate of unemployment is still high in UK, can be explored with respect to available human skills, lack of knowhow, lack of fresh recruits to replace the retired ones as well as the forcing of young persons by their parents