Importance of parental Involvement free essay sample

Importance of parental Involvement on the academic performance of Grade V-VI pupils BY ct-Gee Introduction Parent involvement is absolutely essential to student achievement in school and in life. The overwhelming studies and research indicate that there are positive academic outcomes stemming from parental involvement with benefits beginning in early childhood throughout adolescence and beyond (Henderson Mapp, 2002; Patrikakou, Weisberg, Redding, Walberg, 2005). The impact that parents can have n their childs learning and achievement transcends income levels and social status. In fact, the most accurate predictor of a students achievement in school is not income or social status, but the extent to which that students family is able to: 1 . Create a home environment that encourages learning; 2. Express high (but not unrealistic) expectations for their childrens achievement and future careers; 3. Become involved in their childrens education at school and in the community. If two f these three criteria are accomplished, children of low income families will achieve at or above the levels expected of middle class children. We will write a custom essay sample on Importance of parental Involvement or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Parental involvement does not only mean that it leads to higher academic achievement, but to better attendance and improved behavior at home and school as well. When school and home, work together collaboratively, and using a competent approach to education, it can make a huge difference in student achievement. Students value their education when they see the interest shown by their parents. When children achieve, everyone benefit. As children excel, the school is recognized, the teachers are recognized and the parents and other family members of those children are encouraged to extend their knowledge by going back to school. The purpose of this study is to reveal how important is parental involvement on the academic the performance of Grade V-VI pupils at school. This aims to show the readers that parents can be a great supporter and a big help for their children to become inspired to study harder.

Walt Disneys Company Strategy

Walt Disneys Company Strategy Introduction This report reflects some of the important findings in terms of strategy, organizational behaviour as well as recommendations that should be put in place for further growth. Walt Disney has been in the forefront of the entertainment industry especially in its four consumer markets namely: Studio and Motion pictures, media networks, consumer products and theme parks and resorts.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Walt Disneys Company Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This report further identifies some of the strengths and weaknesses that befall Walt Disney even with such glory. There are also some threats and opportunities that face this giant company. This report also analyzes the strategic goal of Walt Disney, especially in terms of product positioning, segmentation, pricing, channelling and also promotion. The recommendations that are outlined in the end will enable this company to prepare itsel f in dealing with the present threats as well as those that might come up in the future. Company History Walt Disney was established by Walter Elias in the early 1920’s and began as a cartoon studio until its growth to a global corporation. This company provides high class entertainment for people around the world. Walt Disney owns massive networks of media together with parks all over the world and operates mainly in North America, Asia, Europe as well as Latin America. This company has a strong brand image that enables it to draw huge numbers of customers especially to the extended entertainment products. This is a world class entertainment company with over 180,000 shareholders and employs about 60 thousand employees. Walt Disney has over the years relied on market diversification to achieve its main goal which is to draw more customers. This has enabled the company to grow massively developing from development, marketing as well as research (Jones 273). Walt Disney has be en able to enjoy the benefits of en masse production since it has been a market leader. An example would be when this company utilized extreme amounts of money to invest in its European theme park. It is estimated that the amount totalled to about $3.6 billion, which is a huge amount for other companies to afford. Walt Disney also enjoys the involvement of the government policy which is also demanding.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is estimated that the French government at one point invested about $1.2 billion in this project, provided transport as well as tax relief on cost of goods estimated to be 7 percent from the previous 18.6 percent. Since the entertainment industry in Disney is designed in a unique way, suppliers are less dominated hence bringing up concentration (Jones 274). Its growth is basically drawn from its size. The company is able to establi sh a dependable relationship with its suppliers since it orders products in large quantities. The Disney Company has been able to compete tirelessly with competitors by upgrading all products as well as services to fit customers’ expectations. Internal strength and weaknesses Walt Disney is one of the Hollywood’s largest studios, owning about eleven theme parks as well as other product channels. It owns media networks, theme parks and resorts all embedded in the company’s strong brand. However, there are other aspects like competition that affect its operations in terms of pricing, which leads to low margins. Some of the internal strengths include widened product portfolio, well established brand image as well as wells of Disney’s competitors include Universal Studios which has massive targets in Disney’s customers (Clark 5). Another weakness that Walt Disney has is the protest by some of the religious groups. Some of them claimed that the material s released by the company were offensive. Walt Disney also lacks innovative ideas that would work towards retaining customer’s attention. There have also been some negative sexual implications especially in some animated movies such as â€Å"The Lion King† and â€Å"Aladdin†, among others. External environment surrounding Walt Disney External Environment (p 1) states that Walt Disney is surrounded by competitors who are mainly saturated in the market especially in the U.S. Examples include Busch Entertainment which has equivalent financial resources to Walt Disney. However, with the demanding capital to enter the entertainment industry, Walt Disney finds itself comfortable with less competition. The corporate hierarchical structure of Walt Disney is stable, with decisions made from top to bottom management. The middle management is the one responsible for carrying out the available projects with the help from the lower management. The culture of the corporation is well defined where all employees must adhere to (External Environment 4). Disney has remarkable quantity of resources that are available for allocation. This is where Walt Disney associates with its brand name and quality to promote their products and services. The main financial objective of Walt Disney is to diversify in a tremendous rate so as to maximize their shareholder equity returns. Another strength that Walt Disney boasts about is the proper organization of its logistics operations, HR management, as well as Information Systems. Walt Disney has been able to grow over the years because the management has been in a unique position in the industry. They have been able to relate to past experience, thereby identifying the customers’ expectations.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More SWOT Analysis of Walt Disney Though Walt Disney has since grown to be a successful company, it is clear that there are market forces that drag or affect its performance. This analysis will focus on strengths of this company as well as weaknesses, not forgetting the possible opportunities and threats that befall this company. Strengths The main strength of Walt Disney is stored in its brand name. This company has a famous brand that is known to almost every one around the world. This strength is basically drawn from the company’s objective to be the world’s leading entertainment provider, differentiating its products and services from the competitors’. The Disney brand focuses on vibrant characters like Mickey Mouse, Pooh, just to mention a few, to attract customers especially children. Marimax studios together with that of Pixar have been beneficial to the company in reaching a large base of characters as well as attracting more brands (Clark 2). Disney has alwa ys focused on low-cost strategy which has enabled them to stay in the market for a while. It is clear that a company must have new and fresh ideas to stay in the current environment of business. This company is able to control costs and at the same time provide goods and services of high quality. Weaknesses The large workforce in the corporation has been one of the setbacks of this company, not forgetting lofty overhead expenses. Frequently changing the management system interferes with company’s operations because sometimes it becomes more complicated. One should also not forget that this change will always be associated with unwanted expenses. Threats The main threat that faces Walt Disney is within its television network. TBS (Tuner Broadcasting System) has mounted much pressure that Walt Disney cannot handle. It is also important to note that in the business environment, competition is inevitable even if there are high costs involved. There are small companies that risk i t all in order to fit in the market (The Walt Disney Company 9). One threat in the Disney’s cartoon industry is the introduction of new cartoon characters. There are quite a number of new characters that are seen everyday in the Television Network. This brings us to the question, â€Å"will the characters like Mickey Mouse hold the pressure internationally?† This can only be determined by observing the industry carefully. Walt Disney also faces major threats of its security system due to issues of terrorism. Employees also have the threat of losing their jobs because the company frequently engages in acts of introducing new executives. Opportunities Focusing on this SWT analysis, it is evident that Walt Disney uses demographic segmentation as its strategy. In today’s market, it would be important for this company to conduct psychographic strategy in order to increase the volume of customers. Corporate and Business Level Strategy Walt Disney is currently using an informal management approach which is horizontal and decentralized. The available departments are responsible for bringing up new ideas which are considered in the low hierarchy awaiting final decisions. The main focus of the management is on collective creativity of the groups as well as team work. Walt Disney has set aside a special Sunday when all the creative individuals meet in order to share their ideas (The Walt Disney Company 16). Every employee in this meeting is supposed to participate and pass on his or her ideas to the rest of the team. Walt Disney has also benefited from the services of the executives that are brought in by employees of the top management. These executives bring with them significant ideas and experience earned from previous entertainment industry to Walt Disney (The Walt Disney Company 19). Walt Disney uses emergent strategies which are not specifically planned. In this strategy, ideas come from the lower to the top management without the intervention of the seniors. This is one of the best strategies to be used by companies because many people can combine ideas to come up with a concrete strategy. Since Walt Disney has the intention of targeting families that love entertainment, it is strongly recommended that they cater for the ever changing trends as well as people’s life-styles. The success of Walt Disney has been in the vision of customers’ value. Walt Disney has been able to visualize the expected results and work upon achieving the best. The other principle of Walt Disney’s success is the ability to demonstrate leadership courage. Disney was able to portray his visions which inspired other people’s ambitions. He operated by trading values for values with those who felt the need to benefit from the corporation (Linetsky 3). Walt Disney also operates to provide the best quality. This is one of the ways that enables a company to establish long-term relationships with customers. The third principle used by Walt Disney is to be perfect in all possible ways without compromising the quality of the products and services. Disney is a profound perfectionist and wanted his ideas to work in every means. All his standards are set high because they demonstrate high moral value. Along with his standards, he also considered the costs of achieving as well as failing to achieve them. Disney maintained his high standards because they were the guide to his success. In some cases, Disney had to engage in some arguments with his employees and even family members in order to preserve the integrity of his standards. The fourth principle was about money. Disney believed that money was not an end but rather a means. He valued money as a source of financing his ventures and this made him achieve meaningful results (Linetsky 4). The fifth principle is exceeding the expectations of the customers. Disney ensured that his company created a positive customer experience so as to achieve great results. He believed that the most important achievement a company could have is have highly satisfied customers. The other principle was to create experiences that are much valued through the design of the entire business. This can be witnessed by the success and design of Disneyland. Its design took much planning techniques that later contributed to the present relaxing and refreshing experience. The excellent designs are also clearly demonstrated in Walt Disney’s film and park industries (Linetsky 5). The seventh principle was all about treating minds with total respect. In this aspect, Disney made use of the ideas of his employees to achieve his intended goals. He created a favourable working environment that enabled people to exchange ideas for better growth of the company. The eighth principle was all about treasuring creativity. Disney believed that dreams were creative and that it is important to translate them in real life. The last principle that worked for Disney was to think from all direction. Walt encouraged his workers to think and come up with developing ideas. At some point, he used sketches to implement his thoughts and dreams so that his workers could have a clear understanding of his ideas. He was actually comprehensive of those contributing ideas as well as insights (Linetsky 7). Structure and Control Systems Walt Disney has been profitable due to its use of diversification. Disney also uses synergy effectively as well as employee relation (Kirkman 1). These aspects have made this corporation to stay on top of the niche market. According to the analysis and prospects of Disney, it is clear that they are on the verge of competing with giants like Yahoo and the rest. The ability of Walt Disney to link innovative creativity to meet customer expectations is what makes him prevail in the entertainment industry. Converting imagination to real life or physical existence positively influences other people. Disney has been on the list of people who are responsible for technological and organizational innovations in animation as well as film industry (Dilts 1). Recommendations The first recommendation that I would strongly suggest is that Walt Disney should expand their line of production by engaging in market segmentation. This can be done through psychographic as well as observing the lifestyle characteristics of the customers. I strongly believe that Walt Disney can greatly benefit if it ventures into other industries like fast foods. Using the brand name Disney, they can attract a large group of customers especially kids. Walt Disney can as well consider introducing online learning software where children can learn more about animation. Walt Disney should as well analyze all the financial capabilities as well as policies that are implemented in the organization. This can be done through trend analysis in order to determine the financial growth of the corporation. There is also another aspect to be monitored further which is li quidity. This can be used to indicate the capability of the firm to meet its obligations; both short term and long term. Another change that would be necessary for the company’s profitability is to avoid the frequent change of the management. Though new executives bring with them new concepts, this posses a great risk in terms of communication efficiency within the organization. It is important that Walt Disney should focus on promoting the existing employees. This is simply because they understand the rules and the regulations of the company as well as capabilities of the other employees. It would also be important for Walt Disney to specialize in providing consumer products as well as rely on its marketing strategy. They should not only think of diversifying into a new line of products, but concentrate on the existing products and services as well. Walt Disney should put much emphasis on divisions such as the theme parks as well as film entertainment. This will avoid the ri sk of engaging in those markets that do not address customers’ needs in terms of products and services. I would also recommend that the company increases its asset requirements and maintain them under strict control. In terms of product delivery, it would be wise for Walt Disney to establish its own distribution channels. This can be done through channel strategy, delivering services and products to its esteemed customers. Promotional campaigns are also important which would see products expanded all over the market (Ali 19). Since Walt Disney is a multinational corporation, I strongly believe that they have the capability to financially promote their campaign programs. They can have large promotional budgets since they have their own line of media, hence saving costs of running ads on other media. The issue about pricing can as well be closely monitored so as to cater for a large number of customers. The pricing strategy should in fact focus on the Kim line of products (Ali 21). Ali, Shabir. Analysis of case: Walt Disney. 2009. Web. Clark, Wendel. â€Å"Walt Disney world SWOT analysis.† Demand Media Inc., n.d. Web. Dilts, Robert. Walt Disney: Strategies and genius, volume 3. Santa Cruz, CA: Meta Publication, 1996. Print. External Environment. Opportunities and threats. Scribd Inc. 2012. Web. Jones, R. Gareth. Case 21: Walt Disney Company 1995-2009. p. C273-C283, 2009. Print. Kirkman, Christopher. Strategy analysis of the Walt Disney Company. 2001. Web. Lai, Wilfred. Mixed opinions and less support persist with Hong Kong Disneyland. 2008. Web. Linetsky, L. Barry. Nine principles of Walt Disney success. 2007. Web. Media Releases. Residents have mixed opinions towards Hong Kong Disneyland. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2006. Web. The Walt Disney Company. A case study. 1996. Web.

The Shawshank Redemption and its Relation to Greek Mythology Term Paper

The Shawshank Redemption and its Relation to Greek Mythology - Term Paper Example Narrated by an older prisoner named Red, the film gives its viewer information about Andy primarily through the external perspective Red provides, and Red sees in Andy many reasons to pay close attention. Red’s way of telling Andy’s story is one of the first attributes of the film to hint at the possibility that Andy is a larger than life character of potentially mythic—and heroic—proportion. Since the film is set in the 1940s, the viewer instantly recognizes differences in the legal system as well as the treatment of prisoners from how those things are today. This remove from contemporary times serves to emphasize the mythical atmosphere of the film, so the viewer more readily accepts the ideas set forth. We quickly identify Andy as a person of uncommon qualities. Although he comes from a middle class background and has no prior criminal record, he maintains his composure during his transition into prison and his first overnight. As the more experienced inmates make bets about who will cry during their first night in prison, some put their money on Andy. They are disappointed to find that not only is he not the first to cry, but he does not make any sound at all. As soon as Andy arrives at the prison, he is subjected to cruelty, abuse, and even torture. Although he fights against the prisoners who torment him, he is outnumbered by them and can not protect himself. From this early point in the film, one can identify the features of the mythological hero in Andy. According to Campbell, the hero often finds himself in a world that suffers from a â€Å"symbolic deficiency,† and feels compelled to set it right (30). The deficiency can be spiritual, as in a fallen world, or it can be physical, as in a world of ruins (Campbell 30). It is undeniable that the world Andy descends into when he arrives at the prison is deficient. He has to pull a maggot out of his food during one of his first meals, he suffers physical abuse from prisoners and guards alike, and above all else he is serving a prison sentence for a crime he did not commit. Considering this, it seems his prison world’s deficiency is merely an extension of the greater societyâ €™s depravity. Despite the phenomenal abuse, Andy’s mind remains solvent and he maintains his ability to plan and strategize. When he overhears one of the prison guards, Captain Hadley, complaining about the money he is going to lose to taxes, Andy seizes the opportunity. Although it is an immense risk, he presents Hadley with financial advice that eventually results in the exchange of Andy’s financial services for goods provided by Captain Hadley. Andy does not ask Hadley for something for himself, but instead requests cold beers for all his workmates that were with him that day, a seemingly selfless action. This kind of selflessness and largesse is evident also in the actions of the hero figure in mythology. Wright describes mythological heroes as people who â€Å"through extraordinary actions, save the group, change the world,† and commit other meaningful acts (146). For example, Heracles of Greek mythology possessed incredible physical strength that gave him the power to change things in his environment for the better (Grimal 185). He defeated a beast that was causing problems for herders, and killed the Stymphalian birds that were destroying Arcadian crops (Grimal 187). Heracles used his physical abilities to engage in these selfless, world changing actions. Though Andy did not slay beasts in prison, he did devote energy toward significant and world changing activities. Buying beers for his friends was not the limit of Andy’s meaningful acts. Not long after he made the request for

360 Degree Feedback Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

360 Degree Feedback - Assignment Example 360-degree feedback system may however not be effective in assessing result-oriented performance, which are more quantitative such as sales and market share. When compared to the traditional performance appraisal, the 360-degree feedback can be said to be advantageous in how it ensures active participation by major stakeholders including employees themselves (Kaye, 2010). Such participation is enabled because includes an employee self-assessment to start the process. This way, the eventual outcome of the appraisal can be said to be the exact representation of employee performance. The feedback system may however be disadvantageous when an organization has to deal with a very large employee size. This is because such large size of employee and the use of 360-degree feedback may be highly time consuming. This is situation could also delay the turn-around time to get employees assessed. When used to measure ineffective and effective performance, the 360-degree feedback guarantees an in-depth understanding of factors that account for employee performance. This is because of the qualitative nature of the feedback system. but in cases where an employee’s performance is dominated by quantitative and numeric outcomes, the feedback system becomes inappropriate in measuring effective and ineffective

The awareness of the physical abuse of the elderly in living Research Proposal

The awareness of the physical abuse of the elderly in living facilities - Research Proposal Example The proposed report posits using quantitative survey research in a fixed design, which will bring new dimensions to the general discussion of preventing elder abuse. The awareness of the physical abuse of the elderly in living facilities is an important issue today, and is the subject of the proposed report. Abuse and neglect are too often visited upon older individuals who have lost some degree of their independence, and many areas do not have the programs necessary to effectively counter this threat. There is even abuse and neglect that goes on with healthcare facilities, and this is perhaps the most insidious sort of abuse. In some cultures, the elderly are prized and honored above all other citizens and groups, but unfortunately this is not the case in the present culture. Older individuals are more likely to be seen as being in the way of the young than as role models who should be exalted because of their aged wisdom. Presently, however, many individuals are treated harshly by healthcare facilities and even their own kin, making elder abuse a significant problem in society. Also, in terms of economic scales, older individuals who are of a lower socio-economic class are more likely to be abused or mistreated. These people may lack a stable caregiver. The proposed report will look into all aspects of abuse, including verbal, sexual, emotional, and financial abuse of the elderly; however, physical abuse is the main consideration that the proposed report will focus upon. â€Å"Physical abuse is generally considered the most extreme form of elder maltreatment. Such physical abuse includes slapping, blunt force trauma, bites, pinching, traumatic alopecia, burns and scalds, force feeding, overmedication, undermedication, and improper medication, and improper use of physical restraints. Physical abuse accounts for up to 14% of all elder trauma and

Performance and Reward Challenges in the Retail Sector

Performance and Reward Challenges in the Retail Sector REPORT ON PERFORMANCE AND REWARD CHALLENGES RETAIL SECTOR FACE IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD. OVERVIEW This report aims to discuss, analyse the Reward and Performance challenges faced by the retail sector, there were two major retail organisations used in the names of Tesco Store and Waitrose Supermarket, Hence the report considers recommendations and solutions to these challenges with the help of performance and reward theories by the writer. INTRODUCTION Organisations generally need to monitor the performance of itself and its employees in order to achieve its goals either in a short or long term, however, in order to attain an acceptable performance level, there is a motivating factor attached to the employer/employee relationship which is called reward. In relations to the Retail organisations there is a need for organisations to retain and motivate employees to work due to the demand for manpower to satisfy the retail sector needs, for employees to perform well, it is necessary for an existence of a reward package in place; this is basic in retail organisations just like any other business firm, on the other hand, organisations expects a good performance from the rewarded employees as well, thus, there are some arising issues and differences of opinions between both parties such as failure in psychological contracts, low employee morale,absence,e.t.c which results in major challenges for organisations to reach their desired goals, however, there is a need to explore what performance and reward really entails in order to have a easy understanding as this report evolves, hence, examine how rewards scheme enhances employee performance as there are major challenges faced by organisations to fulfil psychological contracts between them a nd their employees which has a vast implication on performance. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT This has changed over the years, it has been a general believe that performance management is about rating employees using a trait-biased instrument such as neatness, punctuality and attendance as opposed to focusing directly on the work output, it tends to be secretive while employees were not really involved in the process nor told of what rating they got, however, this style of performance method is no longer considered to be of good practice. It is the means of getting better results from the organisation, teams, and individuals where there is an agreement of objectives, skills and competence required so it is therefore, the way in which an organisation improve and develop its workforce, however it is also used to measure the distribution of rewards aligned to a performance related pay procedure.(Armstrong,2002:373), hence it is the believe that PM is a process of management by using it to analyse,measure,monitor performance and plan for organisation improvements. Furthermore, as it has been highlighted earlier that performance management aids the measurement and distribution of rewards, the next paragraph would explain what reward is, and how it helps performance within an organisation. REWARD MANAGEMENT This has been related to the performance output of an individual, it has changed the tradition of status but contribution as employees are being awarded benefits which could be tangible or intangible rewards for their additional hard work, Armstrong and Murlis,(1998) argued that performance related pay is a motivator for reward management but stressed that it should not only be about money but those non-financial rewards which provides intrinsic and extrinsic motivation such as continuous development, more employee involvement, partnership, mutuality, trust and transparency hence, it is now evident that performance is related to rewards. As they are both key factors in organisation success, there would now be an in-depth evaluation of the current challenges retail organisations face today. There are two retail organisations considered in this report, first is Tesco Plc which I have worked with for five years, second is Waitrose supermarket which is also a leading retail firm in the U.K, the use of these two organisations has given me advantage to compare and contrast while I was able to critically evaluate these challenges they face. TESCO BACKGROUND/OVERVIEW Tesco is the largest food retailer in UK with over 2,200 stores worldwide and 450,000 employees around the world, it also has around 1,878 stores throughout the UK with many other stores outside the country which includes America, Asia and Europe. The company also offers online shopping and home delivery, its largest market is in the UK with four different types of stores namely Extra store which runs 24hours, Superstore which also runs 24hours, Metro and Express, it has as a non-food and clothing department with three different own label named value, normal and finest which accounts for almost a half of the organisation sales. REWARD AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT IN TESCO Tesco organisation structures runs in form of a bureaucratic structure as power and authority flows from the top to the low level in the organisation, this equally has similarity in the rewards structure as well because top level employees get much reward that the low level though the latter are more influential in the carrying out of the operational activities that makes the organisation succeed. The present salary structure does not reward individual or team effort, the staff receives the expected automatic annual increments that are incorporated into their base pay in addition to that they get cost of living rise which is determined by the location, this structure reflects the increasing value which individuals are deemed to give to the organisation as they gain experience in the job, it has major disadvantages as increments reward the passage of time and ignore performance as the current reward structure is thus geared towards rewarding staff for their time and loyalty to the organisation and disregards individual performances within the organisation(Boyne,2002) The pay structure is standardised as directors, senior managers are set on individual basis, and new employees are normally placed on the lowest salary point within the grade for their post and service longetivity, the appropriate grade for a post is identified using HAY job evaluation scheme, progression in the grade is reached by acquisition of annual increments until the maximum of the grade is reached which however leaves employees stuck at the top of their grade with no real prospects to progress further or get a promotion into the next salary grade as this could be considered as a factor which derails the morale of individual and it certainly affects performance too. Hence, there is a big issue that needs to be solved as Tesco needs to balance the advantages of having a long service,reliable,experienced,commited workforce against the inherent conservatism, inflexibility and resistance to change usually associated to them, the organisation faces pressures to become more efficient and performance-oriented. Automatic service increments are costly to Tesco and they are not fully appreciated by employees that feel they are entitled to annual increases and progression though star performers are encouraged and signed on to a programme called Options which is training on how to be a manager but there are still questions if everyone is motivated with such motive as some wouldnt be interested in this initiative. As a result they may put in the minimum effort as they are fully aware that they will be guaranteed a pay increase at the end of the year which some writers referred to as a golden handcuff as poor performers continue to stay with the organisation because they continue to be rewarded well, as a matter of fact, a director mentioned 2we have many long-serving staff, as pay and conditions here are very good and there are not too many performance expectations. (Dittenhofer, 2001). This might contribute to organisational inertia if managers are reluctant to manage poor performances through the performance management system and employees may feel as the programme manager put it so they can get away mediocre and contribute to under- performance. Additionally, there is a free company shares given annually to employees as a way to reward them for their hard work which is a good idea and gives them the advantage of 10% discount from any of their purchases from the company by issuing employees a discount/privileged card after six months of service but how are the exceptional performers rewarded? It is left be unknown which is a major challenge to be considered and looked into. Therefore, the challenges faced by Tesco from the discussion above could be listed as follow Non-existence of Individual/Team Reward Lack of Motivation Organisation is Less Performance Oriented Low Performance Output from Employees Inability to Manage Poor Performances Hence, the need for comparison with a relatively successful and large retail organisation is needed in order to justify the challenges the retail sector is facing in the reward and performance management world, this would enable one to evaluate the situation more and leads me to the discussion of reward and performance management in Waitrose supermarket in the subsequent paragraphs. PERFORMANCE AND REWARD MANAGEMENT IN WAITROSE Waitrose is a relatively big supermarket in the UK; it has 221 branches across the United Kingdom. Waitrose creates some act of uniqueness for itself from competitors by offering high quality food and emphasising good customer services which is fundamental for the success of any organisation. However, for the organisation to attain the required level of customer services offered, they strategized by making cultivating the culture of making all its employees a co-partner which is very welcoming from the view of any employees as this gives them sense of belonging in the business running, partners get certain benefits called partnership bonus which is around 10-20% of a partners annual income and it is paid in a monetary value sometimes in the year, discount cards are issued after 3 months of service which entitles them to 15% discount in Waitrose and 25% in John Lewis departmental store as to rewards for their efforts towards the success of the organisation, this sound like a good initiative to reward the employees for their good and hard work. There is a focus to train new partners for customer services skills, health and safety, fresh food handling and fire safety, partners are trained to drop whatever they could be doing(within reasoning) upon the request of the customer and lead customers to the product ,so this shows the extent at which customers are being taken to be their priority. In 2005, there was an introduction of performance management scheme called Mystery Shopper which scores its branches on the service they provide considering the presentation, service on the shop floor by the employees ranging from the service counters, checkouts, wine, grocery departments and general assistants, this initiative is believed to help keep level of performance of each partner on top but it is left to be known if it is a motivator for good performance or trick for the organisation to succeed In 2008 W?itro introduced training for its p?rtn?r? with a new program called frh on rvic? which ?im? to lift core rvic? ?t?nd?rd? and continue to make the bu?in ?t?nd out from its competitors by training partners to be more confident on their job to deliver great service by inspiring among other things an attitude to believe things can be done. (www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk) At this point, it can be deduced that Waitrose tries its best to attain the best performance level with range of offers and trainings they give to the partners of the business, additionally they train people to be managers, and where school leavers are being trained to become section managers within a period of few years, then they also offer a graduate scheme that groom people achieving high managerial posts within some few years. The last few paragraphs evidently shows how Waitrose rewards its co-partners in order to achieve its set goals but the argument is that, does these rewards and benefits given to the partners motivate and spur them all to put in a better performance on their jobs, is money a good key to motivate them or is everyone motivated with tangible things? This leads me to highlight the challenges faced by Waitrose in Respect of Performance and Reward Management. Inability to manage performance Non-existence of Individual/Team Reward Too focused on customer satisfaction INTRODUCTION Organisations generally need to monitor the performance of itself and its employees in order to achieve its goals either in a short or long term, however, in order to attain an acceptable performance level, there is a motivating factor attached to the employer/employee relationship which is called reward. In relations to the Retail Supermarket sector, there is a need for organisations to retain and motivate employees to work due to the demand for manpower to satisfy the retail sector needs, for employees to perform well, it is necessary for an existence of a reward package in place; this is basic in retail organisations just like any other business firm, on the other hand, organisations expects a good performance from the rewarded employees as well, thus, there are some arising issues and differences of opinions between both parties such as failure in psychological contracts, low employee morale,absence,e.t.c which results in major challenges for organisations to reach their desired goals, however, there is a need to explore what performance and reward really entails in order to have a easy understanding as this report evolves, hence, examine how rewards scheme enhances employee performance as there are major challenges faced by organisations to fulfil psychological contracts between them and their employees which has a vast implication on performance. RETAIL SUPERMARKET SECTOR OVERVIEW The retail sector a very active in the society in terms of day to day living as it involves food,clothing,furniture.e.t.c it is always an increasing market though the present economic situation in term of recession making slow down of growth as companies who cannot compete suffer, however organisations face challenge of meeting both customer and employee needs, organisations try to secure the confidence of customers as there is a high risk of losing them because customer spending will decline, hence there is need to be at utmost best delivery best service at every given time, on the other hand, this would require a 100% performance from its employees in order to deliver a high and acceptable service but there are challenges being faced in this respect at the sector as employers face the challenges of meeting employees expectations such as psychological contracts which this report aims to evaluate and suggest recommended solutions with the help of academic theories. This report would discuss findings on the performance and reward challenges faced currently by have two of the Britain most successful retail supermarkets namely Tesco and Waitrose. It aims to discuss and analyse the Reward and Performance challenges faced by the retail sector, there was a SWOT and PEST analysis carried out in order to realise the situation of the supermarkets and the challenges they face. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT This has changed over the years, it has been a general believe that performance management is about rating employees using a trait-biased instrument such as neatness, punctuality and attendance as opposed to focusing directly on the work output, it tends to be secretive while employees were not really involved in the process nor told of what rating they got, however, this style of performance method is no longer considered to be of good practice. It is the means of getting better results from the organisation, teams, and individuals where there is an agreement of objectives, skills and competence required so it is therefore, the way in which an organisation improve and develop its workforce, however it is also used to measure the distribution of rewards aligned to a performance related pay procedure.(Armstrong,2002:373), hence it is the believe that PM is a process of management by using it to analyse, measure, monitor performance and plan for organisation improvements. Furthermore, as it has been highlighted earlier that performance management aids the measurement and distribution of rewards, the next paragraph would explain what reward is, and how it helps performance within an organisation. REWARD MANAGEMENT This has been related to the performance output of an individual, it has changed the tradition of status but contribution as employees are being awarded benefits which could be tangible or intangible rewards for their additional hard work, Armstrong and Murlis,(1998) argued that performance related pay is a motivator for reward management but stressed that it should not only be about money but those non-financial rewards which provides intrinsic and extrinsic motivation such as continuous development, more employee involvement, partnership, mutuality, trust and transparency hence, it is now evident that performance is related to rewards. As they are both key factors in organisation success, there would now be an in-depth evaluation of the current challenges retail organisations face today. There are two retail organisations considered in this report, first is Tesco Plc which I have worked with for five years, second is Waitrose supermarket which is also a leading retail firm in the U.K, the use of these two organisations has given me advantage to compare and contrast while I was able to critically evaluate these challenges they face. TESCO BACKGROUND/OVERVIEW Tesco is the largest food retailer in UK with over 2,200 stores worldwide and 450,000 employees around the world, it also has around 1,878 stores throughout the UK with many other stores outside the country which includes America, Asia and Europe. The company also offers online shopping and home delivery, its largest market is in the UK with four different types of stores namely Extra store which runs 24hours, Superstore which also runs 24hours, Metro and Express, it has as a non-food and clothing department with three different own label named value, normal and finest which accounts for almost a half of the organisation sales. (www.tesco.com) REWARD AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT IN TESCO Tesco organisation structures runs in form of a bureaucratic structure as power and authority flows from the top to the low level in the organisation, this equally has similarity in the rewards structure as well because top level employees get much reward that the low level though the latter are more influential in the carrying out of the operational activities that makes the organisation succeed. The present salary structure does not reward individual or team effort, the staff receives the expected automatic annual increments that are incorporated into their base pay in addition to that they get cost of living rise which is determined by the location, this structure reflects the increasing value which individuals are deemed to give to the organisation as they gain experience in the job, it has major disadvantages as increments reward the passage of time and ignore performance as the current reward structure is thus geared towards rewarding staff for their time and loyalty to the organisation and disregards individual performances within the organisation(Boyne,2002) The pay structure is standardised as directors, senior managers are set on individual basis, and new employees are normally placed on the lowest salary point within the grade for their post and service longetivity, the appropriate grade for a post is identified using HAY job evaluation scheme, progression in the grade is reached by acquisition of annual increments until the maximum of the grade is reached which however leaves employees stuck at the top of their grade with no real prospects to progress further or get a promotion into the next salary grade as this could be considered as a factor which derails the morale of individual and it certainly affects performance too. Hence, there is a big issue that needs to be solved as Tesco needs to balance the advantages of having a long service,reliable,experienced,commited workforce against the inherent conservatism, inflexibility and resistance to change usually associated to them, the organisation faces pressures to become more efficient and performance-oriented. Automatic service increments are costly to Tesco and they are not fully appreciated by employees that feel they are entitled to annual increases and progression though star performers are encouraged and signed on to a programme called Options which is training on how to be a manager but there are still questions if everyone is motivated with such motive as some wouldnt be interested in this initiative. As a result they may put in the minimum effort as they are fully aware that they will be guaranteed a pay increase at the end of the year which some writers referred to as a golden handcuff as poor performers continue to stay with the organisation because they continue to be rewarded well, as a matter of fact, a director mentioned 2we have many long-serving staff, as pay and conditions here are very good and there are not too many performance expectations. (Dittenhofer, 2001). This might contribute to organisational inertia if managers are reluctant to manage poor performances through the performance management system and employees may feel as the programme manager put it so they can get away mediocre and contribute to under- performance though organisation sometimes tend to stay on the neck of employees trying to impose behaviours that meets the need of organisation. Additionally, there is a free company shares given annually to employees as a way to reward them for their hard work which is a good idea and gives them the advantage of 10% discount from any of their purchases from the company by issuing employees a discount/privileged card after six months of service but how are the exceptional performers rewarded? It is left be unknown which is a major challenge to be considered and looked into. The next paragraph shows the strong and weak sides of Tesco with aid of Swot analysis to figure out its challenges. Therefore, the performance and reward challenges faced by Tesco from the discussions above could be listed as follow Non-existence of individual/team reward Lack of motivation Organisation is more performance oriented than rewards Low performance output from employees Inability to manage poor performances STRENGTHS Increasing Market Share It has an increasing market share and a good percentage of the UK retail market of around 13% which continues to grow share in food and non-food, it has also grown to into various parts of the country and world making it the second biggest chain convenience store chain retailer so far and it plans to explore with new stores openings so it has a good market share which is a strength. Tesco Online The companys dot.com is the world online biggest online supermarket with huge millions of sales with an increase of 29% on last year and operates in over 250 stores in the UK so this is a strong base where they could still exploit for longer time. Brand Value The results from the last fiscal year suggests that the company profits on operations around the world increased by 78% which is affected by the strong image the company has and also the good quality that equals to good value, profits from the other forms o their market such as insurance and finance is a major factor to this. WEAKNESSES Reliance upon Success. The company is too dependent on the believe they are the leading retailer in U.k which could cause them lapses making them exploit in some cases as they believe people will come for their products because of their customer base and also could exploits staff too as it is widely known that people will always come to work for them. Reliance upon the UK Market. The company is too dependent on the UK market bringing 73.8% of revenues in 2003 though it might not affect them in short term but they are of risk of any changes in the UK supermarket industry in the near future like threats from organisations merging could alter the balance of power and affect them, however the international business is still growing and widely known to contribute huge amounts to the companys profit till the near future. Signs of Serial Acquisitions The company is in risk of becoming a serial acquirer due to the firepower it has and the circulation of its product range mostly in the UK while the gap filling strategy would be useful just as it is to the convenience markets so this may reduce earnings visibility and quality. OPPORTUNITIES Health and Beauty Tescos UK health and beauty ranges grows drastically, and it is currently the fastest growing skincare retailer in the UK market leading in toiletries and healthcare, it also delivers a first class service in the baby goods products. It continues to invest in price to deliver the value customers have come to expect and this year invested  £27 million on health and beauty pricing and it now has 19 ?tor with opticians and closely 200 ?tor with ph?rm?ci. Non-food retail The companys plan to make its non-food be as big as the food sector is a sign of growth opportunity they are really planning to exploit which would see their retail share climb over the next few years as it boost sales and production, it has advantage of a good clothing brand as well which could bring profits too. TREATHS UK structural change could spark a price war The price followers in the UK market are about to become aggressive investors in price, Safeway because of now ownership and Sainsbury because of now manegement. Morrison is reducing safeways prices by up to 6% ?nd Sainsbury is bound to see lower prices is one of the basic changes necessary to drive its recovery. With both Asda and Tesco committ?d to price leadership, this could result in a step down in industry profitability. Wal-Mart/ Asda Challenge Since the US shopping giant Wal-mart purchased Asda, Tescos rank as the top UK supermarket has been threatened. Asda can now compete extremely well on price and range of goods. For the moment, Asda is the third largest supermarket in the UK, just behind Sainsburys and then Tesco. However, Asda closed the gap on Sainsburys in 2003, leaving the company to directly challenge Tescos dominance. Tesco is well aware of this, and has so far been quick to keep up with price cuts or special offers at Asda. Wal-mart may also decide to wield its buying power more heavily in the UK, and this could spell the end of Tescos brand dominance in the future. Hence, the need for comparison with a relatively successful and large retail organisation is needed in order to justify the challenges the retail sector is facing in the reward and performance management world, this would enable one to evaluate the situation more and leads me to the discussion of reward and performance management in Waitrose supermarket in the subsequent paragraphs. PERFORMANCE AND REWARD MANAGEMENT IN WAITROSE Waitrose is a relatively big supermarket in the UK; it has 221 branches across the United Kingdom. Waitrose creates some act of uniqueness for itself from competitors by offering high quality food and emphasising good customer services which is fundamental for the success of any organisation. However, for the organisation to attain the required level of customer services offered, they strategized by making cultivating the culture of making all its employees a co-partner which is very welcoming from the view of any employees as this gives them sense of belonging in the business running, partners get certain benefits called partnership bonus which is around 10-20% of a partners annual income and it is paid in a monetary value sometimes in the year, discount cards are issued after 3 months of service which entitles them to 15% discount in Waitrose and 25% in John Lewis departmental store as to rewards for their efforts towards the success of the organisation, this sound like a good initiative to reward the employees for their good and hard work. There is a focus to train new partners for customer services skills, health and safety, fresh food handling and fire safety, partners are trained to drop whatever they could be doing(within reasoning) upon the request of the customer and lead customers to the product ,so this shows the extent at which customers are being taken to be their priority. In 2005, there was an introduction of performance management scheme called Mystery Shopper which scores its branches on the service they provide considering the presentation, service on the shop floor by the employees ranging from the service counters, checkouts, wine, grocery departments and general assistants, this initiative is believed to help keep level of performance of each partner on top but it is left to be known if it is a motivator for good performance or trick for the organisation to succeed In 2008 Waitross introduced training for its partners with a new program called fresh on service which aims to lift core service standards and continue to make the business stand out from its competitors by training partners to be more confident on their job to deliver great service by inspiring among other things an attitude to believe things can be done. (www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk) At this point, it can be deduced that Waitrose tries its best to attain the best performance level with range of offers and trainings they give to the partners of the business, additionally they train people to be managers, and where school leavers are being trained to become section managers within a period of few years, then they also offer a graduate scheme that groom people achieving high managerial posts within some few years. The last few paragraphs evidently shows how Waitrose rewards its co-partners in order to achieve its set goals but the argument is that, does these rewards and benefits given to the partners motivate and spur them all to put in a better performance on their jobs, is money a good key to motivate them or is everyone motivated with tangible things? This leads me to highlight the challenges faced by Waitrose in Respect of Performance and Reward Management. Inability to manage performance Non-existence of Individual/Team Reward Too focused on customer satisfaction

Greek Art - The Geometric Period, Classical Period, and Hellenistic Period :: Greek Art

Greek Art - The Geometric Period, Classical Period, and Hellenistic Period Over a period of time Greek art of the past has changed and evolved into what we value in todayà ­s society as true art and services as a blue print of our tomorrow. As we take a closer look at the Geometric Period and stroll up through the Hellenistic Period allow me to demonstrate the changes and point out how these transitions have served the elements of time. During the geometric period the Greeks style of vase painting was know as Proto-geometric because it was preceded and anticipated the Geometric style - was characterized by linear motifs, such as spirals, diamonds, and crosshatching, rather than the stylized plants, birds, and sea creatures characteristic of minoan vase painting. Artist of the geometric time period created decative funerary art to be placed at the tombs of there dead. These pieces were made of ceramic and created in the form of geometric shapes, hence the time period. One such piece is a vase from the Dipylon Cemetery, (750 BCE) its over-all shape is like that of a hemisphere supported by a cylinder. We also notice that the vase is divided into registers and here the humans are depicted as part of a narrative. The body of the deceased is placed on its side and set on what would appear to be a pedestal in the center of the top register. The form used to represent the human figures are somewhat abstract. For example triangles are used for the torsos, the head is a triangle in profile, round dots would stand in for the eyes and long thin rectangles would serve as arms. The figures have tiny waists, and long legs with bulging thigh and calf muscles. The abstract designs were painted with a clay slip and to still a page form the Egyptians, all the humans were shown as full-frontal or full-profile views that emphasize flat patterns and outline shapes. However unlike the Egyptian funerary art the Greeks focused on the survivors, not the fate of the dead. During this period it was customary to create vases that did not contain supernatural beings, nor made reference to the afterlife that might have provided solace for the bereaved. Another early piece that surfaced back in the late tenth century was the Centaur, half-human, half-horse.