Ethical issues Essay Example for Free

Ethical issues Essay 1. Environmental Hazards: The pollutants that business industry dumps into the environment are more than just ugly nuisance; they are killers. For example, air pollution has been found to be related to deaths from bronchitis, heart disease, as well as emphysema, and several types of cancers. Studies by the American lung Association have concluded that between 50 to 120,000 thousand deaths a year are linked to the air pollution that are disbursed by air from manufacturing companies. Ant there is little doubt that the depletion of the ozone is caused by atmospheric pollution. According to Coleman/ Cressey (2001), The contamination of our waters with poisonous waste, for example, lead, mercury and dumping radioactive materials at sea to include the sinking of certain types of vessel, has already taken many lives. Thus, alone the American industry creates 3000 new chemicals every year, and most of the hundreds of thousand of chemicals used by industry have never been thoroughly tested to find out how dangerous they really are. For example, Dell Computer has come increasing scrutiny for its failure to take a leading role in reducing the amount toxic materials in the production of computers. All so, Dell Computer is using prison inmates (cheap labor) to handle the recycling of computers component parts. Not only is Dell violating environmental laws and contributing to improper disposal of computers that contain high contents of mercury, but also is endangering the inmates health. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2005). The growth of our ecological problem actually started in the 1960s, which prompted groups and individuals to lobby congress to establish laws to protect the public and impose stiff penalties on those businesses that violated the laws. Out of this era came the Radiation Control for Health and safety act of 1968, Clean Water Act of 1972, and Toxic Substance Act of 1976. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2005). The responsibility of enforcing these laws is entrusted to (EPA), Environmental Protection Agency. Even businesses of today, continue to behave in total unethically manner when it come to pollution. Many large corporation dont have pollution control program and/or mechanism in place that places value on the environment, be it land, sea or air pollution. But, most violators of the Acts receive  just a slap on the wrist. Businesses are more concern about their own self-interest of profits. Thus, continue to show little regards to the fact they are destroying the environment as well as depleting precious resources. Furthermore, the present contemporaries are incline to affluent life style and their materialistic greed have made them careless about the environment. Just as the rules are written for ethical behavior and left open for ones own interpretation and compliance, the same could be said in reference to the pollution control Act, there is a right and wrong way to demonstrate environmental awareness, but organizations continue to ignore the fact that we are on a path of depleting our precious environment. 2. Equal pay for women. I believe that not only must the hierarchical nature of the division labor between the sexes be eliminated, but the very division of labor between the sexes itself must be eliminated if women are to attain equal social status with men and if women are to attain the full development of their human potential. (Hurst, 1998). Throughout history, women were directly involved in production. When the industrial revolution occurred, single women and children were recruited for example from New England to work in textile factories in Rhode Island. Supervisory positions were held by men. Female workers were paid only half of what men were paid, even though they made up approximately 75 percent of the workers (Eisler, 1977). Men were concerned about the entrance of women into the labor market because they felt that it would have a depressing effect on their wages. They fought to keep women out of the craft unions that later developed. Women held strikes in the 1830s and 1840s to protest reductions in wages, speed-ups in work pace, and working hours (Dublin, 1970). Wars change the face of a nation, to include the workforce. During the World War II, jobs held formerly by men were accessible to women. The influx of women into the labor force has continued in recent years. In general, women tend to concentrate in white-collar and service occupations, while men are  more spread out between white collar and blue-collar positions. A decline in occupational segregation has occurred in broad occupational categories, largely because of shifts in technology and organizational structures. But despite these general improvements, women still are found disproportionately in certain occupations such as nursing, teaching and hold only a small percentage of positions as computer specialists, scientist and engineers. Similarly, a man and woman may be both be in sales, but the woman is much more likely to be in clothing sales, while the mans is involved in selling of stocks and bonds. Craft occupations are another group of occupations in which women continue to be severely underrepresented (Herz, Wootton, 1996). According to a US Department of Labor (1996) report, in 1979, women who worked full time made about 63 percent of what men did, but in 1995, women earned about 75 percent as much as men. However, this decline may be due more to decreases in the earnings of men, in general, than it is to real improvement for women (Bernhardt et al., 1995). The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA) guarantee that women holding essentially the same jobs as men will be treated with respect and fairly compensated regarding all rewards of work: wages, salaries, commissions, overtime pay, bonuses, premium pay, and benefits. However, comparisons cannot be made across different companies. Interestingly, employers may pay workers of one gender more than another on the basis of merit, seniority, quality and quantity of production, or any other factor other than sex. Given that women are still reaching a glass ceiling, particularly when it comes to upper management, CEO positions, these allowed practices are still discriminatory practices. How is equality of position established? By determining and setting criteria for skill, effort, responsibility, and working condition. Ivancevic (2004) maintains that the difference in wages includes also any type of compensation such as vacations, holiday pay, leave of absence, overtime pay, lodging, food, reimbursement for clothing or other expenses. In order to close the remaining earning gap, the concept of equal pay for equal jobs to be expanded to include equal pay for comparable jobs has become more widely  accepted. 3. Women comparable worth in the job market: The concept of comparable worth maintains that since females are discriminated in the labor market we have to look at the worth and intrinsic value of the job, and although jobs may be dissimilar in content (i.e. nurse and plumber), both are important to society and the organization. My wife maintains that she thinks that the garbage man/woman has a much greater worth and value (what would happen if the garbage wouldnt be picked up?) than a doctor, for example, for she seldom goes to the doctor, at least not weekly. Even when men take womens work, they are on top of the pay scale. The solution to the erosion of inequality is, regardless whether viewed from the perspective of equal pay or comparable worth, that womens real wages have to rise faster than mens whose wages dont have to fall. Though laws now prohibit employers from paying a woman with the same qualification less than a man who does the same work. In support of women rights, I would like to see the law expanded to guarantee that the jobs in which most workers are mostly women are paid at roughly the same rate as comparable jobs in which most workers are men. My own personal experience of equal pay and comparable worth is linked to the military pay system. This particular pay system is a product of across the broad theory, that regardless of gender, the pay at this particular rank is the same for both male and female. There are four major factors that govern advancement for the sexes: education, time in service, training, and experience, though there are special incentives for those with critical skills. In other words, all jobs in this particular specialty are to be considered to be equal in pay for all. Therefore it is my belief regardless if you are male or female with identical qualification and capable of performing at the next level there should be no hesitation in advancement. It has been proven time and time again throughout ranks of military professionals, that women are just as capable and sometime more capable than men at performing the same job, but at a higher rate of success and enthusiasm. In closing, the net worth should be based on the value each job (not female or male) renders to the organization. Reference Bernhardt, Martina Morris, and Mark S. Handcock. 1995. Womens Gains or Mens Losses? A Closer Look at the Shrinking Gender Gap in Earnings. American Journal of Sociology 101:302-28. Dublin, Thomas. 1979. Women at Work. New York: Columbia University Press. Eisler, Benita, ed. 1977. The Lowell Offering. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott. Herz, Diane E., and Barbara H. Wooton. 1996. Women in the Workforce: An Overview. Pp 44-78 in The American Woman 1996-7, edited by C. Costellor and B.K Krimgold. New York: Norton. Hurst, Charles E. 1998. Social Inequality: Forms Causes and Consequences. Allen Beacon: Needham Heights, MA. Invancevich, J. M. 2004. Human Resource Management. (9th ed). New York: McGraw Hill/Irwin. U.S. Department of Labor, January 1996. Employment and Earnings. Washington, D.C: Government Printing Office.

Burger King HR Essay Example for Free

Burger King HR Essay Burger King is a Fast food restaurant first opened on December 4th 1945 in Miami, Florida by two gentlemen James McLamore and David Edgerton. However the first Burger King was not known as we know it today as it was firstly launched as Insta Burger King. Although it started off as a simple fast food service it is now a large international chain of fast food restaurants. To this day there are now more than 11,200 restaurants in 91 countries worldwide. Up until 1989 Burger Kings biggest competition was Wimpy until they were bought out by the largely growing Burger King. At present, Burger King is a major franchise across the world, also owning over two hundred Hungry Jacks restaurants across Australia. With over fifty years of experience Burger has vastly grown in the Fast food Industry and dominates a large market share along with other Fast Food restaurants such as McDonalds and KFC. Roles and Responsibilities In this section I am going to explore the different roles and responsibilities of the different positions available in Burger King. Roles and Responsibilities of a Manager A manager runs the business on a day-to-day basis and is responsible for specific tasks such as organising resources for the business. A Burger King Manager ensures Burger King runs smoothly and that employees are working well through monitoring their work and motivation. There are five key business areas that Burger King believe their managers need to focus on in order for their restaurants to be run efficiently and achieve high standards. These are: * Operations: Delivering top quality products and restaurant cleanliness * Financial Control: Maximising profits, controlling cash * People Management: Driving results through people; providing development training * Sales Building: Maximising sales at every opportunity * Customer Service: Delivering the Customer Promise 1 Burger King looks for people with passion for their work. Some of the key things Burger King looks for in their managers are: * Outstanding customer service * Great communication skills * Energy, enthusiasm and a hands-on approach * Ability to thrive in a team build working relationships * Responsible flexible 2 * The ability to problem solve Roles and Responsibilities of a Supervisor A supervisor has the power to give instructions, administer disciplinaries and is responsible for the work and conduct of other employees For Burger King supervisors this ensures employees are monitored and that Burger King runs smoothly. A supervisor is usually the first step away from management and can be promoted to management easily. However a supervisor does not have the authority to hire fire employees or the authority over budget. The role of supervisors at Burger King is to promote excellent customer service and that all brand standards are reached. They have to have the ability to motivate their workers and encourage team work especially at busy times throughout the day. Also a Burger King supervisor would need to carry out the instructions of managers and ensure that employees are working well and completing all tasks to the highest standards but in the quickest time possible. When talking to a Burger King employee he spoke about the five minute rule. This means that all food order had to be done in the period of five minutes otherwise a refund could be requested. This benefits burger king as it keeps the waiting time down to a minimum of 5 minutes and keeps the customers flowing in and out of the restaurants. Supervisors need to ensure that this rule is being met through motivation of workers so that profits are not lost. Roles and Responsibilities of an Employee An employee tends to complete the main day-to-day tasks of a business. Employees can either be working full time or part time. Full time workers usually work more than 40 hours a week and get certain benefits such as health insurance and a higher wage. Part time workers usually work less than 40 hours a week and get paid less than that of full time workers. Many people who work part time tend to do other activities during the week such as other jobs or higher education. Whether being a full time or part time employee both should receive the same benefits such as receiving same pay per hour and health plan. Burger King employees tend to do a variety of tasks such as serving customers, working in the kitchens and operating the tills. Employees of Burger King who operate the tills and take orders need to ensure they present themselves in a respectable way and are friendly and helpful as they will be interacting with customers on a daily basis. This helps Burger King to uphold their well known brand and business for themselves as they need to ensure that it is portrayed in the right way. Qualities for Burger King For every position in Burger King there are qualities that you will need to suit it. In this section Im going to explore the different qualities needed for the positions at Burger King. Qualities needed for a Manager To be a successful manager at Burger King you need to ensure that you are adaptable in all situations and have initiative needed to deal with tricky situations. Burger King looks for managers who have good communication skills and customer relations as they will be working with customers daily. Managers need to make sure that employees are enthusiastic and have energy as theyll be dealing with main aspects of the fast food restaurant such as cleanliness and the production of top quality products. Qualities needed for a Supervisor Burger King looks for commitment and responsibility in their supervisors. This is because they need to be there to supervise their employees to ensure that they are working well. Also make sure that all resources are available so that employees have the materials they need in order to work. Also a supervisor needs the confidence to be the voice of the employees and voice any worries to the manager so that customers do not bombard Burger King. Also, they need to be respectful and courteous when handling situations and motivating the employees as if not they will not be providing a good role model. Qualities needed for an Employee An employee needs to have a number of qualities in order to succeed at working at Burger King. Some of these qualities consist of: * Common Sense * Urgency * Flexibility * Customer Focus * Respect for others * Teamwork * Honesty * Pride in performance3 Employees will be either working with customers or in the kitchen. They need to ensure that their service is fast but of the best quality to withhold the Burger King fast food name. Employees on the tills have to make sure that they are friendly even when dealing with tricky customers and learn to be patient. Staff in the kitchens needs to be hygienic and be able to work under pressure when complying with the five minute rule. Qualifications needed for Burger King In this section I am going to explain the qualifications needed to fulfil the different job positions available for Burger King. Qualifications for an Employee For a new employee applying for a job at a Burger King fast food restaurant there is not any specific qualifications needed. As there is no true skill to being a till operative or part of their kitchen staff, Burger King focus more on the qualities and personalities of their employees, rather than what qualifications they may or may not have. I dont think it is essential for Burger King to have highly qualified till operatives and kitchen staff, as before they begin working in their specific area, they undergo extensive training. This training will teach all new employees how to get the most from their job and also how best to represent Burger King. Qualifications for a Supervisor For a Supervisor there are also no specific qualifications needed to carry out this position. However, Burger King does look for someone with previous experience of supervising a team. In the hierarchy of jobs in Burger King we can see that supervisors are only just above employees. This means that is only a small step to be promoted from an employee to a supervisor, or which their skills would already be from working in Burger King previously. I believe that Burger King should look for at least five A-C grades at GCSE level when recruiting a supervisor, as this shows that not only are the candidates good in these specific areas, but also have the drive to succeed and achieve highly. Burger King needs to have an enthusiastic supervisor who would be able to motivate a team to work well, not just someone looking for higher pay than a lower employee in the hierarchy. Qualifications for a Manager Like the employee and supervisor roles, managers also are not required to have any specific qualifications. However, similar to the supervisor position Burger King looks for previous experience of managerial work. This is essential as they need someone who would be able to deal with tricky customers and also a leader to motivate their team. Without experience, candidates may not be able to cope under pressure or realise the initiative theyd need to use in complicated areas. I think that it is essential for a manager to withhold at least five A-C grade GCSEs as it shows dedication and enthusiasm for their work. It may also benefit Burger King to advertise for people with a specific qualification in a managerial subject, such as Business Studies. This could only improve the running of the largely expanding fast food chain, as with more knowledge on businesses, more improvements can be made. Training Employee training is a necessity as it is a way in which your skills can be developed and motivation to be increased. Training relates to employees gaining specific skills and abilities to perform well in their jobs. Training at Burger King can vary depending on the position that is being fulfilled. For each member of the management team the fast food restaurant expect a minimum of 12 weeks on-job and off-job training. The usual on the job training programme for a manager during this period is shown below: Weeks 1-3 * Gaining Product Knowledge * Leaning the job of a crew member * Counter Service * How to make a whopper * Equipment Knowledge * Supervisory Skills Weeks 4-5 * Basic Food Hygiene * Supervisory Skills Course * Supervisor Evaluation (observation on the job) Weeks 6-8 * Shift Control Skills * Loss Control * Shadowing Manager * Daily Administration * People Management Week 9 * Food Safety and Product Quality * Basic Management Training Course * Roles and Responsibilities * Team Work * Customer Service Weeks 10-12 * Shift Running (Under Supervision) * Feedback on management Skills All employees who undergo training at Burger King are not charged however they are expected to fund for the normal living expenses such as commuting and accommodation costs. For new employees such as till staff and kitchen staff Burger King has a Right Track Training Programme to ensure they have the best start to Burger King. This training programme is a comprehensive induction and training programme covering everything from Health Safety and Food safety through to working in the dining area, front counter or kitchen and how to make each product. Through providing an induction to all new staff it allows new staff to see how theyll be working, where theyll be working and who their fellow employees are. Also how things are done to help them fit in. Burger King believes that all their employees will learn what they need to know by shadowing which is when they work alongside others as well as using their new interactive DVD Programmes. It would be beneficial for Burger King to carry out an appraisal system but instead of annually it may be more favourable for them to be carried out every few months. This would then help employees to see what they are working well at and what things to improve on; these could then be made into targets which success could result in promotion or pay rise. The quicker employees feel wanted, the quicker they are earning money for Burger King. From reviewing staff progress more frequently it may give employees more motivation to stay working at Burger King for a longer period as they now have aims and goals which could improve their career. This would mean less training costs for Burger King and also in the long run a low staff turnover. At present I believe the techniques that Burger King is using to train their employees and managers, such as shadowing and induction programmes are effective in what they are doing. However, if Burger King want to ensure that employees stay in the job for a longer period it may be beneficial for them to do other training techniques such as training weekends away. This will build team skills and also allow employees to interact with staff from other sectors in which they work in. Motivation in Burger King In this section I am going to explore the different motivational theorists and see how their theories affect Burger King. Motivation is having the desire and willingness to do something. A motivated person can be reaching for either a long-term goal or a short term goal. Motivation is important as if employees are motivated to work; it increases the quality of products and therefore the reputation of a business. This is a major factor within Burger King as they are known for a high staff turnover. However, if their staff were more motivated and saw the long term opportunities for working for Burger King, they may be more willing to stay on and try for promotion. Abraham Maslow- Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Maslows theory mainly revolved around psychology and stated that, As humans meet basic needs, they seek to satisfy successively higher needs that occupy a set hierarchy. This is Maslows hierarchy of needs: Maslow believes that when the first stage is completely fulfilled only then will an employee be motivated enough to step up to the next level and complete it. For example only when an employee has basic needs such as food drink and sleep will they then be able to progress onto their safety needs such as security, limits and protection. In terms of Burger King Maslows theory wouldnt largely affect them. However for all people to work well certain needs need to be fulfilled such as sleep, food and drink. For Burger King Employees I believe that they only really need to concentrate on the first two stages as many employees do not stay long and are only there for the short term. Burger King does provide good hygiene conditions and security. Belonging and Love needs arent really met as although they work in teams Burger King do not provide team building activities such as weekends or any social events. This theory mainly addresses the needs of employees. Frederick Winslow Taylor Taylors primary idea was that workers are mainly motivated by pay. Therefore his theory was that if you break down production into a set of small tasks and only pay for the amount of product each employee produces, this would motivate staff and increase productivity. At the beginning this seemed like a good idea as productivity increased and workers were only paid for how hard they worked. They began to build specialised skill for the specific area and businesses were more efficient as less staff were needed. However, employees soon became to dislike Taylors approach to motivation as they were given boring, repetitive tasks and were being treated no better than human machines. Certain aspects of this theory do apply to Burger King. Burger King pays their employees hourly, not piece rate, and has set areas in which people work- these can either be tills or kitchen staff. This provides competition between the two areas which can build motivation as to which area can work the best. However Burger King wouldnt realistically be able to pay employees on their productivity as each area has different tasks, some of which cant be measured, such as working on the tills. This theory addresses mainly the performance of employees. Frederick Herzberg Herzberg believed in a two-factor theory of motivation. Job Enlargement- Workers would be given a greater range of tasks to perform (not essentially more challenging) which should make the work more interesting. Job Enrichment- Involvement of workers being given a wider variety of more intricate, interesting and demanding tasks surrounding a complete unit of work. This should then give a greater sense of achievement. Herzberg used a survey to investigate what people liked and disliked about their jobs and with these results he put them into two categories; motivators and Hygiene Factors. His two factor theorem is shown below: Motivators Hygiene Factors Achievement Company Policy Recognition of achievement Supervision Meaningful and interesting work Pay Responsibility Interpersonal Relations Advancement Working Conditions For Burger King they need to ensure that all hygiene factors are covered so that workers feel safe and happy to be working in a clean environment. For example clean work surfaces and floors. Burger King does already achieve highly good hygiene factors however theyre not providing the best motivation. With this they dont have any achievement within their working days and simply work for pay. This lacks fun and could mean that employees would work better if they had something to look forward to. This theory addresses both the needs and performance of employees. PEST In this section I am going to explain how PEST affects the recruitment process in Burger King. From identification of a role to managing change inside the company PEST influences how Burger King plans and responds to these influences as it effects the entire recruitment cycle. Pest analysis is concerned with the environmental influences on a business. PEST is an acronym which stands for: P- Political E- Economy S- Social T- Technology When referring to pest you need to think about the following: POLITICAL Local Authorities Central Government Parliament Minimum Wage Base Rates Privatisations ECONOMIC/ LEGAL Laws Health and Safety Dismissals Monopolies Mergers and Takeovers Consumer Protection SOCIAL Trends Laws Habits TECHNICAL ICT Telecommunications Production Human Resources Marketing PEST can be used by businesses to review a strategy or position, direction of a company, a marketing proposition, or idea. Many businesses use PEST analysis for business and strategic planning, marketing planning, business and product development and research reports. PEST analysis is most helpful before completing a SWOT analysis (Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats). PEST can essentially be useful when a business is expanding into new countries and markets as it helps guide a company from making costly mistakes, unfounded assumptions, and help effectively adapt well into a new environment, when considering recruitment and selection. Pest in terms of Burger King Political Minimum Wage- At present Burger King do comply with the national minimum wage, however if they were to expand into new countries the minimum wage may be different. If it were increased it would mean that Burger King would be paying more for staff and may have fewer funds for other factors of the business such as new technology. If the minimum wage was decreased then this would mean more funds for other factors of the business. Laws- Burger King needs to take into consideration different laws in different countries. In some countries the consequences of breaking these laws could be ominous especially in China where they use capital punishment. Also laws that in force who can be employed by Burger King, for example women and children. Economic Health Safety- Burger King need to ensure that their health and safety is of the highest standards. If Burger King were to expand into less developed countries it may mean that they need to improve their health safety aspects. Therefore they would need to consider training within their recruitment process. Monopolies Mergers Takeovers- If Burger King where to expand into other countries they need to ensure that there arent other fast food restaurants who dominate the fast food market as they are less likely to build there own customer base. Also less people would be willing to work for them compared to competing restaurants, which would mean Burger Kings recruitment levels would fall. However, if other countries have fast food restaurants that are not well known, Burger King may be able to takeover these smaller restaurants and expand the Burger King brand. Social Trends- Burger King needs to take into account what the favourite foods are in certain countries. For example the Whooper Burger may be favourable in certain countries but in others it may be the Cheese Burger. Habits- As Burger King operate in a number of countries they need to be aware of the language barriers which will occur. To ensure these are fulfilled Burger King needs to employee staff who speak the language of the country they are operating in. Therefore training aids would have to be converted into the chosen language. Technical ICT- As technology is always changing and more developed in certain countries, Burger King needs to ensure that they are up-to-date if they want to be the best fast food restaurant. For instance they need the best till operations so that transactions are fast and comply with the five minute rule. Also as technology changes it will affect the job training that Burger King offers employees. Production- If Burger King used advanced technology it may mean that they could produce their products in bulk and therefore save time and reduce the costs of their production. With production being affected Burger King would have to look at how to ensure consistency in training and staff development. Through using PEST Burger King can evaluate what areas they need to consider when expanding into new countries. It would be beneficial to use PEST as it would be easier for Burger King to adapt to new surroundings if they knew the trends and laws they need to abide to. This means that in the future they could expand into new countries with less difficulty. Recruitment Documents In this section I have created my own personal specification and Job description and will evaluate individually. Job Description Post Title: Manager Responsible to: Director External Contexts: Members of public and other stakeholders Internal Contexts: Other managers and all general staff Salary: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½12,600 Job Purpose To take responsibility for your section by making key decisions, ordering goods and leading, motivating and training your team. To enthusiastically lead and motivate the restaurant team to achieve the highest standards levels of customer service satisfaction. Main Duties and Responsibilities * Manages all daily operations of Burger King to maximise sales and a positive customer experience. * Motivating and training your team to ensure the very highest standards are maintained. * Ensures great food is promptly delivered in a clean and inviting environment. * Take full responsibility for your section to ensure that all transactions run smoothly. * Ensures that each visit by a customer results in a friendly and personalised service. Rewards In return for your dedication and hard work we offer a competitive salary as well as the following benefits: * Medical and Dental insurance * Paid holidays * Vision Care * Life insurance * Bonus Program * Career Advancement Opportunities Analysis of Job Description A job description is a written statement of what a job holder does how it is done, why it is done and the skills needed to perform the job. These include the purpose, duties, equipment used, qualifications, training, physical and metal demands and working conditions. I have created a job description for a managerial position at Burger King. I believe that my job description is effective as the main purpose of it is to describe the roles and duties that the job position undertakes. These need to be in a job description so that the potential employee knows what duties they will be carrying out if they apply for the job. Also in my job description I have added in the rewards of working as a manager in Burger King so that new recruits can see what they will get in return for their dedication to the job. This is effective because it could persuade them to take the job as there are many benefits. I have chosen to layout my job description with headings and sub-headings for each section as it brakes down the information and provides a well ordered recruitment document. Also I researched into the types of job descriptions that Burger King use and used this as a template. Also, I have used the Burger King logo at the top of my document so that all candidates can see what the job is for, before actually reading it. By creating a job description it ensures that only people who believe they can complete the duties of a manager apply to the job and therefore do not waste the time of Burger King. Personal Specification Job Title: Burger King Manager Responsible to: Director Salary: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½12,600 There are a number of qualities that we look for in our manager. These consist of: * Adaptable in all situations * Initiative to deal with tricky situations * Good communication skills * Good Customer Relations * Enthusiastic and energised * Flexibility * Team work * Respect for others * Pride in performance Burger King takes pride in being one of the leading fast food retailers. Our managers need to have the skills to motivate their team and the assertiveness to ensure all work is done smoothly. Also both written and communication skills will be required as you will be working with people daily and also need to write reports on your employees, to ensure that their progression is recorded. The relevant work experience that we look for is four or more years in a management or supervisory capacity in a restaurant or in the retail/ hospitality industry. Qualifications The qualifications we require for our managers are: * High school diploma or equivalent, with two years of college or equivalent preferred * Strong math and Windows-based computer literacy * Reliable Transportation * Open/Flexible Schedule Analysis of Personal Specification A personal specification is drawn up from the job description and describes the knowledge, skills and attributes that are essential to perform jobs. The criteria must be specific, measurable, and justifiable in relation to the job requirements. I have created a personal specification for a managerial position at Burger King. I have created my personal specification so that it relates to my job description and reflects the skills required for competency in the role, as directed in the job description. I believe that this is effective so that the skills on my personal specification relate to the job in hand. My personal specification is successful as is it contains both the skills and qualifications needed to comply with the job. These are needed in a personal specification so that potential employees know what they need to have a chance with getting the job. Without these, Burger King would get too many people applying for the job who are not suitable. I have chosen to layout my job specification with headings, sub-headings and bullet points for key information as this brakes down the information and provides a well ordered recruitment document. Also I researched into the types of job descriptions that Burger King use and used this as a template. Also, I have used the Burger King logo at the top of my document so that all candidates can see what the job is for, before actually reading it. By creating a personal specification it ensures that only people with the given qualities and qualifications apply to the job and therefore do not waste the time of Burger King. Interview Process In this section I am going to explain the preparation of an interview, what a good interview consists of and analyse an interview that was carried out. An interview is a conversation between two or more people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee. Interviews can be divided into two rough types, interviews of assessment and interviews for information. Preparation for an Interview Before an interview can take place there are a number of factors that need to be considered. Firstly, a business needs to have already produced a job description and personal specification, to which they can compare the candidates qualities and previous work experience to. Not only can these documents help identify a candidates personality traits but also a guide to base the interviewers questions around. Before an interview can take place it is essential you know you are going to ask the candidate. These questions need to relate to all recruitment documents including the personal specification, job description and job advert as they focus on the type of employee needed for their company. The questions need to test the candidate on whether their skills are the best suited for the job in hand and to see how they compare to other potential employees. Questions for Interview It is vital that the right sorts of questions are asked during an interview as these will determine whether the candidate suits the job or not. To get the most potential from a candidate it is in the best interest of the business to ask both open and closed questions. A closed question limits responses to a set number of options, such as yes and no, however these could be used at the beginning of an interview to create a more welcoming atmosphere, for example, How are you? Open questions require the person answering to provide a response in their own words, for example, How would you motivate a team? These questions are essential to find out the most about a person including key areas such as skills, qualities and personality. The key to any good interview is to develop on the answers given by the candidate and extend the knowledge of that area, i.e. What examples could you give me of when you have carries that out? The questions asked need to be relevant to the position advertised which is why relating them to the recruitment documents are so important. If you are interviewing for a managerial position you wouldnt ask, How would you deal with difficult customers? as it is unlikely for a manager to spend much time communicating with customers. The Interview Task For this task we were put into groups and carried out a panel interview for a managerial post at Burger King. Before we carried our interview out for a managerial position at Burger King there were a number of factors we needed to consider: * What questions would be suitable and relate to the recruitment documents. * What were the main skills we were looking for to fulfil the position. * How did their personality reflect their interest in working for Burger King. * How were we going to judge their: Appearance Attitude Body language As the interviewers we decided that it was a necessity for us to dress smart as we would be representing Burger King. On our panel we had three people, all carrying out the same role of asking the candidate questions in turn. We used three people as we were interviewing for a managerial position, which we believe would require more than one opinion on the candidates. This way the interview is less biased towards the potential employee as there is more than one opinion. The type of questions we decided we were going to ask was: * Did you find us ok? This helped to create a welcoming atmosphere, to calm any nerves of the candidate. * How have leadership skills benefited you in your previous job? This helps the interviewer get a greater understanding of a candidates previous work experience. This could also be checked up on through references. * How do you think your managerial skills can help our business? This helps the interviewee voice the skills and qualities they could potentially bring to Burger King. This is an open question which candidates could go into depth with and best promote themselves. * What do you know about the history of the company? This allows the interviewer to see how much a candidate actually knows about the business of whom they may be soon working for. The more they know about the business suggests the more interested they of having a long-term career there. * If one of the workers was not working to the full of there potential, how would you motivate them? This is an essential question to be asked for a managerial position as they would be in charge of a team, or which they will need to motivate to work well. * If there was an unsatisfied customer, how would you deal with them? This can help the employer get a fuller understanding of how the candidate would work on the spot and in tricky situations. * If one of your employees were late more than once, how would you deal with this? This is a good indication of how the potential employee would discipline their staff. Analysis of my Interview During our five minute interview we were able to ask a variety of questions relating to the role of manager as Burger King. For this position, we were looking for a candidate with previous managerial experience, who had a keen interest in the history of Burger King and presented themselves well. Whilst carrying out the interview there were a number of things that our group did well: * Asked questions relating to the position of manager. * Asked both open and closed questions. * Kept eye contact with candidates whilst answering and asking questions. * Showed a keen interest in what the candidate had to say. * Had an open body posture, i.e. Arms on the desk not crossed. 1 http://www.burgerking.co.uk/CompanyInfo/careers/index.aspx 2 http://www.burgerking.co.uk/CompanyInfo/careers/index.aspx 3 http://teenzone.monster.co.uk/articles/fastfood/page4/

Impact of the Digital Age

Impact of the Digital Age INTRODUCTION The digital age refers to present time use of machines and computers to present information. The digital age had an overall impact on our societies and day to day activities. It has a lot of advantages and disadvantages i.e. it came with so many opportunities as well as costs. We are living in the age in which professionals in digital technologies are trying to push their boundaries on becoming more advanced in technology even beyond our imagination. Digital world has given a new explanation to technology which is now used as a mode of expression, interactions, entertainments, learning etc. Most of us knew that there will be a stage in life where digital devices will be the most important part of human beings. Let’s take ourselves as an example here; we use smart phones, ipads, laptops etc. Devices that we carry with us whenever we go to the toilet, but the most important question here iscan we survive without these devices in our possession or pockets? The answer will most definitely be â€Å"no† for most of us depend so much on these devices in our daily life or activities. As we know that we are living in the digital world and these devices have changed completely the way human beings have lived before, due to the simplicity of using digital devices from texting, sending/receiving pictures/music/, making video calls and other hundreds of functions that digital devices have. These devices have even made us to be able to perform multiple tasks as soon as we hold them in our hands, we might read a message, listen to music, talking to someone, checking Facebook accounts etc. But how do we divide our attention from these tasks? We as humans may not perform multitasking accurately like how computers do, as we lack the ability to monitor multiple tasks at the same time but yet we can give individual attention to each task. The essential thing to humans on these digital devices is their memory, which has extended extremely fast and efficiently. We use this memory part of the digital devices from storing very critical secrets, important business documents, pictures etc. Not only due to its faithfulness but also the ability to maintaining the stored information for a very long time as long as we keep them in our machines and nobody can access them without our permission. Professionals in memory engineering have managed to make our lives easier by creating and improving the digital memory that we use. Instead of saving information in our heads/papers we just save them in our digital devices and carry the saved information with us wherever we go to and we do not even worry about them once they are stored. THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL AGE ON THE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND POLITICAL LIFE OF SOCIETIES TODAY. SOCIALLY Digital age has impacted the social life of societies hugely. In the past, most of our social interactions were private and undocumented. That is increasingly not the case with the advent of digital age. When we interact with each other through the internet, we leave digital records behind. Companies like Facebook and Twitter have huge databases full of all kinds of information about our social behaviours. Let’s think of the days where there were no online messengers, no emails, and no cell phones. Indeed cellular technology made it possible for us to communicate over wireless media. Web communication facilities have worked wonders in speeding long-distance communication. Today we can reach and keep in touch with our family and friendseven our enemies, with the help of social networks like bbm, facebook, twitter, skype etc.On the other hand, they have deprived mankind of the warmth of personal contact. Emails replaced handwritten letters and communication lost its personal tou ch. With the means of communication so easily accessible, that magic in waiting to reach someone and the excitement that followed has vanished. Also, the internet has bred many unethical practises, like hacking, spamming etc. Internet crime is on the rise. The internet being an open platform lacks regulation. There is no regulation on the content displayed on websites. Internet gambling has become an addiction for so many, access to pornographic sights and inappropriate information is made accessible to children. Overexposure to the internet has taken its toll. Children are spending all their time playing online and less or almost no time on the ground. Youngsters are spending most of their time social networking, missing on the joys of real social life. ECONOMICALLY Economically, the digital age has also helped a whole lot. Industrial revolution is one of the impacts of digital age in the economic life of societies today because the use of new technologies and inventions of machines helps towards increasing production of goods and services and also delivering those goods to the appropriate place when needed. Also, without the world wide web(www) for example, globalization and outsourcing would not be nearly as feasible as they are today. The digital revolution radically changed the way individuals and companies interact. Small regional companies were suddenly given access to much larger markets. Concepts such as on-demand services, manufacturing and rapidly dropping technology costs, made possible innovations in all aspects of industry and everyday life. POLITICALLY Going deep into the impact of digital age on the political life of the society, another considerable impact to look on is during the election period today, people do come out of their houses to vote for the beloved candidate, individuals were given the right to vote for whom they wish to be their leader and at any period. A well educated individual with the necessary requirement that will qualify him to stand as a candidate during an election can do so. Today, you can now write an article, letter or even through computers that are all over which will enable you to go online, search for one of your leaders and have a mutual conversation with him/her about the political problems that rises all the time, the issue of corruption among the leaders, misuse of public funds etc and the best way to tackle all these problems. People could get things that were previously not available to common people, and the standard of living could go up. Conclusion We integrate through digital age, nature and quality of interactions. We have with everything around us given full control to utilize the digital world as human begins. We share a lot of information with one another via digital world (pictures, own and family histories, feelings etc) and yet we have managed to accept the uniqueness of one another in the digital world. We even share invitations for private parties, birthdays and other events through facebook instead of calling friends or sending invitation cards, and people whom we invite respond to those invitations saying if they can come to the invited event or not and even sending their best wishes. Well maybe we should ask ourselves are we safe in this digital surrounding (social media etc), do we have enough knowledge about the dangers of digital age? What about our own privacy and the information we share? We might be aware that sharing information via social media might even ruin someone’s carrier, relationship or even our social status. Being aware of the dangers of the digital world and learning about our own privacy will make us take control of the information we share about ourselves since technology has been and will always play a key role in our society. The impact of technology on our society is deep. It is both positive and negative. Technology has largely influenced every aspect of living. It has made life easy, but so easy that it may lose its charm on day. One can cherish an accomplishment only if it comes after effort. But everything has become so easily available due to technology that it has lost its value. There is a certain kind of enjoyment in achieving things after striving for them. But with everything a few clicks away, there is no striving, there’s only striking. With the developments in technology, we may be able to enjoy all the pricey luxuries in life but at the cost of losing its priceless joys.

Self-knowledge and the Sciences in Augustines Early Thinking Essay

Self-knowledge and the Sciences in Augustine's Early Thinking ABSTRACT: The idea of a firm connection of the seven artes liberales came first into being in Augustine's early concept of education (I. Hadot). Whereas this idea has been analyzed primarily in view of its philosophical sources, this paper is supposed to clarify its internal logic. The main feature of Augustine's concept is the distinction between the two projects of a critique of reason and of a metaphysics, and the coordination of these projects within a treatise on theodicy. Augustine systematizes the disciplinae in the perspective of reason's self-recognition. Reason manifests itself in culture and nature. Through the sciences, reason is led to a reflection upon its own products and, finally, to an understanding of them as reason's self-manifestations. Thus, reason becomes able to comprehend itself. Augustine distinguishes language-based disciplinae (grammar, dialectic, rhetoric) from number-oriented ones (music, geometry, astronomy, philosophy). The first group (with dialectic a s its top-disciplina) leads to a critical reflection upon the conditions of knowledge and into the insight to reason's power of creating sciences. The second group helps carry out a metaphysical ascent from the material to the intelligible world. In philosophy, reason comprehends its ability to constitute knowledge as a synthetic capacity that points to a transnumerical unity as the main ontological feature of the intelligible world. The insight into this kind of unity reveals the meaningful interwovenness of all beings and events and, thus, leads to a refutation of all objections against divine providence. Augustine's early dialogues are works of a special sort. Written soon after ... ...unt of Augustine's understanding of dialectic, cf. PÃ ©pin, J., Saint Augustin et la Dialectique (The Saint Augustine Lecture 1972), Villanova 1976. Cf. also my article: The Decline of Dialectic in Augustine's Early Dialogues, in: Studia Patristica (Proceedings of the XIII. International Conference on Patristic Studies), forthcoming. (7) Illa igitur ratio perfecta dispositaque grammatica admonita est quaerere atque attendere hanc ipsam vim, qua peperit artem; nam eam definiendo distribuendo colligendo non solum digesserat atque ordinarat verum ab omni etiam falsitatis inreptione defenderat. (De ordine 2.13.38) (8) [...] in hac se ipsa ratio demonstrat atque aperit, quae sit, quid velit, quid valeat. (De ordine 2.13.38) (9) Postremo quando istum virum movebunt aut ulla onera aut ulla pericula aut ulla fastidia aut ulla blandimenta fortunae? (De ordine 2.19.51)

Magical Realism and Quantum Physics :: Magical Realism Literature

Magical Realism and Quantum Physics The term Magical Realism is said to have started with the German art critic Franz Roh, who used the trem to describe the return of art to Realism from Expressionism. The term Magical Realism has also been used to categorize some the novels and short stories of authors such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Gunter Grass, and John Fowls. These writers use techniques that combine the real and unreal in ways that make them believable and acceptable by both the reader and characters in the stories. These techniques also can be said to correspond with fields of study such as quantum physics. One of these techniques that can be connected to the field of quantum physics is the "closeness or near-merging of two realms, two worlds" (Faris). This technique was used in Gabriel Marquez's short story "Light is Like Water" when the two brothers Toto and Joel used a metaphor to make the two realms of imagination and reality become close to one another. According to some quantum physicists, this merging could theoretically happen. If quantum physicists were to read "Light is Like Water," I believe that they would come to the conclusion that a 'wormhole' had opened between two existing parallel universes and allowed such an event to take place. In his book HYPERSPACE: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps, and the Tenth Dimension Michio Kaku states that: Normally, life proceeds on each of these parallel planes independent of the others. On rare occasions, however, the planes may intersect and, for a brief moment, tear the fabric of space itself, which opens up a hole- or gateway- between these two universes. (23) This intersecting of planes of existence seems to have happened in "Light is Like Water." I believe the reason that Magical Realism has become such a popular genre is because the events that happen are believable and can be done without the aid of machines. Magical Realism also gives people a break from reality without really leaving the reality that they have come to know and trust. It also gives a look at things that we have overlooked in our busy lives.

The Perception of Happiness in Families :: Happiness Essays

Guccione begins by discussing the uninteresting perception people have with the lives of happy families. Using a quote from Tolstoy, Guccione shares past data of how people are taught to believe that all happy families are alike, while happy families share a uniqueness through their melange of misery. This discussion prepares you for her thesis, which explains how happy families struggle and work for the lives they graciously enjoy. Her thesis is marked by examples of myths, which she dismisses through her research. Successful families, according to her research, must develop skills in negotiating and coping. Guccione also mentions that not all happy families are alike. In fact, each is happy in its own way. She stresses how successful families earn their happiness and that it is not simply known to them. There were three sections of the body in Guccione's essay. The first part of the body discussed the notion of boundaries among families. Balance was another key term and she uses the living call as an example: "Families must be strong enough to allow integrity and and interaction within, yet be permeable to the outside." Guccione's research also led her to the importance of family members feeling that they are an intimate part of a group. She stresses that a frequently encountered problem is families where no one belongs, "where people come and go" as she puts it. Guccione then takes you into the life of a woman, Peg, who now lives an extremely happy life with her family. Previously, Peg had severe problems with her family and was unhappy. However, by creating a balance, she was able to negotiate and cope with the problem. The section closes with Peg, the difficulties she lived and the ones yet to come. Overall, she expresses relief in knowing that hard work leads to happiness. The second part of the body enters the world of single parents, how they cope with life in order to reach true happiness. Guccione begins by showing her research of how happy families posses a mutual thread; "the ability to maintain the balance between individual freedom and the need people have to belong to a group." She also encourages families to help each individual member reach their own potential. Guccione then tells the tale of Marie, a single mother raising her two boys, aged 11 and 13.

Respect Essay

I have been told that I need to write a 1000 word essay on disrespecting a Non Commissioned Officer. But it is really hard to write about this because I am having a hard time wondering how I disrespected them. So, where do I start on this and what do I say about it. As far as this essay goes I am just going to write how I feel about respect and how respect works both ways. It is wrong to disrespect a Non Commissioned Officer because they are appointed above me to guide me to the right place and things to do. But it is really hard to respect someone when they do not respect you. Respect works both ways and if that person or leadership does not respect you trying to respect them is difficult. No matter what is said it is disrespect. For example:I am writing this because I was called about a meeting that my squad leader decided he wanted to spring on the squad after we were released for the day. When I asked the squad leader was the meeting about something that we could have discussed the next business day, he replied no, with a sly smirk on his face. As he began to talk it was clearly the same information that was put out at the end of business. I do not know how that was disrespect when it was the truth. In regards to this essay I am not sure what to say about disrespect other then it works both ways. They tell you to respect the rank not the person but when that person abuses the rank it is really hard to respect it. I think that in today’s United States Army no one respects anybody the way that they should be. They are too quick to say that you are disrespecting them and that they are just trying to make you better but they are disrespecting you in the processes. How can you work for someone or some place when all that they do is disrespect you and everything that you do no matter what it is? When I first came in the United States Army a Non Commissioned Officer would work with you on how to be a good soldier and actually sit with you and respect you on what you were doing if you did a good job and worked hard they didn’t try to beat you down to where you just give up on everything. I used to respect everyone that was above me because they cared about you as a person they respected you and helped you with the hard things that were thrown at you and made sure that you were good not just quick to demote them and kick them out of the United States Army. They had an interest in you as a person and if they had something to learn from you then they would respect you enough to ask for help and respect you enough to talk to you. Respect and disrespect is a hard topic because I am a strong believer in respect someone and you will receive respect back or treat someone the way that you want to be treated. The whole time that I have been back in the United States Army the Non Commissioned Officers that were above me were basically like new privates. They were new to the job and they didn’t know a lot about it. I know that I have been in the United States Army for only a short time and I am only a specialist, I have worked with someone above me disrespecting me not just as a soldier, but as a human being. I feel that leadership should stop turning what people say into disrespect it was not that way AT ALL. I was just asking a questioning and stating the obvious, not disrespecting that person. You know they always preach about disrespect but they do not give respect at all. So as far as this essay goes how do I write it to what they want because no matter what is said in here they will one way or another say it is disrespect or some other form of berating them. 1 Respect and disrespect is an important part of a soldier Non Commissioned Officer relationship and needs to be enforced upon not only the soldier but also the Non Commissioned Officer and Officers. I have had a really hard time in this company because I think that people just think that I am just disrespecting them instead of getting to know their soldiers and how their soldiers talk and phrase things. They are quick to just say HA you disrespected me. I have seen way worse disrespect then what I have ever done to anyone. In my eyes disrespect is if you just plainly say hell no or fuck off. I have never done that and yet they automatically think that if you are asking them why you are told to do something it is disrespect but in fact is not disrespect it is that the soldier is trying to learn from them. If I remember correctly the Non Commissioned Officer Creed states â€Å"Competence is my watchword. My two basic responsibilities will always be uppermost in my mind-accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my soldiers. I will strive to remain tactically and technically proficient. I am aware of my role as a Noncommissioned Officer. I will fulfill my responsibilities inherent in that role. All soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership; I will provide that leadership. I know my soldiers and I will always place their needs above my own. I will communicate consistently with my soldiers and never leave them uninformed. I will be fair and impartial when recommending both rewards and punishment. †But it seems that only a few of the Non Commissioned Officers respect the lower enlisted. Why should soldiers’ words get twisted and why is that NCO’s are not respecting the soldiers and their needs. We need to be respected that is one of the many needs of the soldiers of today. That is why a lot of soldiers act out against Non Commissioned Officers. Ok so disrespect is all on what that person thinks is being said to them not really how and what is being said. When someone makes a statement and the other person comments on it, it is not disrespect it is just informing them on what they think. How is that disrespecting them? There is also a little thing that Non Commissioned Officers should do and that is lead by example and not respecting a soldier is not leading by example it is showing that that what is good for the goose is good for the gander or do as I say and not as I do! 2