The Fast Food Culture is Detroying America Essay -- Fast Food Research

The typical American diet, with its emphasis on fast food and frozen food, is a consumption pattern reflective of, and symptomatic of, our production patterns -- what kind of jobs we find ourselves going to day-in and day-out, and the way these jobs encourage us to see the world we live in. If people are more apt to think of themselves as consumers rather than producers, if gratification is associated with consumption rather than working, doing, and making, we have only to bear in mind that this is a society where work is either unattainable or alienating. (Willis, A Primer For Daily Life, "Learning From the Banana," page 59) The psychological impacts based on today's workplace lead us to believe we have no time. We no longer make our own food. We no longer cook our own food. We experience an alienation from its sources; food comes to us ready-made, pre-packaged, and/or frozen. Our usual food choices are commonly referred to as "junk-food," and when we happen upon someone cooking a meal entirely from scratch, we often joke, "What's this, real food?" Our relationship towards food has become so skewed that we no longer expect quality. If, by chance, we happen to encounter it, we are genuinely shocked and surprised, and almost threatened, for the rare presence of quality exposes that there usually is none. We have no idea what is in our food, or where it comes from. We are alienated from the land which gives us food, and from the actual production of our food. Do we know whose hands our food has passed through before we see it stacked neatly on shelves, or handed to us in a bun at Burger King, ready for us to consume at leisure? Contrary to McDonald's "educational literature" passed out to young children in schools, hamburge... ...5; call 408.423.4069 Vegan Outreach, 10410 Forbes Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15235; e-mail mba8+@andrew.cmu.edu Other Useful sources : McSpotlight -- contains over 1600 spotlights of McDonald's wrongdoings (Once you click, choose the server nearest you: Netherlands, Finland, USA, New Zealand) Viva!Guides -- some interesting literature and ideas; "How Now Mad Cow," + others... McDonald's Very Own Dietary Info -- ingredient lists of every product, complete with calorie, fat, fiber, etc counts Screwing McDonald's -- in case you missed the McSabotager earlier in the page... McDonald's is suing people who call their food unhealthy Opposing Viewpoints : Myths & Facts About Beef Production -- The incredible health benefits you will receive by eating beef! (Curiously, funded by...) Beef Handbook--Nutrition & Health -- the U.S.D.A. tells it like they see it...

Res Sisters Essay

* Zain Mehdi Prof: Mary Nordick English – 110. 07 Thursday, March 7th What have you learned about life on the reservation from Highway’s play? Has the play changed any of your opinions or perceptions? The play The Rez Sisters was written by Tomson Highway, a Cree from the Brochet reserve in north-western Manitoba, at the end of the twentieth century. Through a group of seven native women, Tomson Highway’s The Rez Sisters reveals the lives of aboriginal people and their community on an Indian Reservation. The play shows the harsh realities of Indian reservations of joblessness, prejudice and alcoholism.The old Aboriginal rituals have slowly been forgotten and replaced by the cliches of consumerism. While the people of the community don’t lack the attitude of get–up-and-go, they really have no place to go to. The inhabitants of the Wasy Rez are part of a community that is falling apart. Most of the people are stuck on the welfare, and just getting by on the dirt roads of the Rez. Moreover, they don’t have any control over their lives. Throughout the play, the main characters state, â€Å"Everyone here’s crazy† (Highway, 518). Since there is no work on the Rez, it makes most of the people on welfare go crazy.Some of the men have to go hundred miles to find work while the young boys have to go all the way to Toronto because it is â€Å"the only place educated Indian boys can find decent jobs these days† (Highway, 518). There is constant drinking, fighting and adultery. There is â€Å"nothing to do but drink and screw each other’s wives and husbands†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Highway, 518). Infidelity is so common on the Rez that some of the families have â€Å"†¦fourteen of them (children)†¦Imagine†¦and all from one father† (Highway, 522). * * After reading The Rez Sisters, I was a little surprised by the life on a reserve.I was raised in Toronto, where I did not personally know any Na tive Americans and everything I knew about them was from the books. In the books it describes the Native Americans as being very religious, so when I heard about a big Pow Wow (a native gathering) and I decided to go. I learned a little about the traditional beliefs so when I moved from Toronto to Saskatoon, and it was a complete shock. You see a lot of Native Americans but you rarely see ones who actually follow the traditional beliefs. Most of them have cut their long hair, or never even grew it out.The Rez Sisters focuses on such undervalued lives and brings them up to size. * * Highway’s play is trying to deliver a social massage that if the Native Americans had enough job opportunities and freedom to live wherever they wanted, they would succeed in rebuilding their falling community. I agree with that one hundred percent because they are put down so much, that they have decided to stay in that one spot and not bother trying to work up to something much better. In The Rez sisters Philomena says that: â€Å"the place gets in your blood, you can’t get rid of it and it can’t get rid of you† (Highway, 517).I was really impressed by this statement because it shows that they really do honor their heritage a lot, but it’s difficult for them to leave the only thing they have always known. * * The story of The Rez Sisters dictates the life is tough, but poses the question: What else they are going to do? Well they can always go play bingo. Which is humorous because Highway uses bingo as a form of escape from the life on a reserve. I gained more respect for Native Americans because I never really had an idea of the life on reserves. I figured the people on the reserve followed the traditional beliefs and kept to themselves.I realized they don’t get much help from the government and are left on their own to manage, and with the people not having enough jobs, all they have left to do is kill time, and that is where the alcohol and adultery comes in. * * * * * * * * | Works Cited | * â€Å"Pride and Prejudice (1813 Novel):A  Why Was Caroline Bingley so Desperate for Social Advancement and Wealth? † Quora. N. p. , n. d. Web. < http://www. quora. com/Pride-and-Prejudice-1813-novel/Why-was-Caroline-Bingley-so-desperate-for-social-advancement-and-wealth/answer/Ashley-Knight-1> â€Å"Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice. N. p. , n. d. Web. â€Å"Pride and Prejudice. † Google Books. N. p. , n. d. Web. http://books. google. ca/books? id=s1gVAAAAYAAJ â€Å"Pride and Prejudice. † SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n. d. Web. http://www. sparknotes. com/lit/pride/themes. html â€Å"Pride and Prejudice Study Guide & Essays. † Pride and Prejudice Study Guide & Literature Essays. N. p. , n. d. Web. < http://www. gradesaver. com/pride-and-prejudice/> * â€Å"Styles and Themes of Jane Austen. † Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation *

Miracles – Philosophy

Philosophy- â€Å"A belief in miracles leads to the concept of a god who favors some but not all his creation† The problem with miracles is that it cannot be properly defined which means there is no absolute meaning for a meaning, instead my philosophers have attempted to define miracles in their own way. In these definition they are usually for or against the existence of miracles, for example take two contrasting definitions Ward and Hume. Ward says miracles are events which god intervenes because he only knows the consequences of the action.On the other hand, Hume is a philosopher who is totally against the idea of miracles, he says miracles do not exist because they violate the laws of nature. Knowing this, god cannot intervene because he would violate the laws of nature, humans have faith in experience and trust the laws this would be lost if miracles were deemed true. Another philosopher would had a problem with miracles was a man called Wiles. He basically said, to say god carries out these miraculous events is to say god is guilty of obituary and partisan.Any event where the natural flow is violated for a certain people raises the issue of fairness and consistency. Wiles also said the two idea of having an all loving god and the existence of miracles are two incompatible ideas so its easier to believe that god is all loving and reject the idea of miracles. If this was in reverse and miracles existed and god could intervene then why didn't he intervene is horrific events such as Auschwitz or Hiroshima instead he saves one persons life, this seems unfair and a contradiction of an all loving god.As for biblical miracles Wiles said we must take them in a symbolic sense rather than a literal sense. A strength of Wiles it that allows educated believers to keep faith with god and uphold their faith in natural laws. Many people agreed with what Wiles was saying for example a man called Bultman agreed that the miracles explained in the bible are not there to take literal, he says we get the true message behind the miracle if we demythologize them.For example he turned water into wine to prevent the embarrassment of the hosts which shows his care and wisdom. To believe that god favors some more than others through the existence of miracles is wrong, who says its god that these events originates? We have no evidence to suggest this, just because we cannot find this would doesn't mean we have to point it to god. Holland was another philosopher who didn't believe in the concept of miracles, well the name miracle he thought that they were more of a coincidence.He used the analogy of the train, what is some one was stuck on the track and the train had stopped right in front of the person, some people may call this a miracle but when we know the full picture someone in the train may have accidentally pressed the emergency stop or the driver could have passed out. So the concept of the whole miracles thing may just be one big coincidence. L ooking at Holland’s view it would make god innocent of being arbitrary and partisan, this is because these events are just coincidences it has nothing to do with god.As mentioned earlier, Hume was a man who rejected the idea of miracles due to being a violation of the laws of nature. Hume believes strongly in experiences and what we gain from them, as for this situation, the laws are something we have learnt about and follow. So when something happens that goes against these we deem them coming from god because we cannot define or justify them. All in all, Hume says the alert of miracles comes from the ignorant and barbarous nations. Knowing this, God would also be innocent because it is not god who intervenes so its not him which favors some and not others.There are events that are unexplained so they must come from some where, lets say for arguments sake tat they come from god. Us as humans are not on his level therefore we cannot say or he is this or that, he may have a re ason and we would find out when we die. All the events that are unexplained may paint a bigger picture but humans are outside of god knowledge and experience so we cannot really judge god. Irenaous was a philosopher who looked at the problem of evil, he would say god is being cruel to be kind and making humans into the image of god, this because events like miracles change people.To develop these emotions naturally have more significance than being drilled in at birth by god. Overall, I conclude that God does not favor some people over others. My reasons for this is because we cannot define miracle we can only speculate on what we think, for this reason how can we act upon such uncertainty? Also we cannot judge god because we have no knowledge of him or what he has planned, only him and him only knows the repercussions of his actions.

Notes on Sociology

Choosing a research method Webb, R. , Westergaard, H. , Trobe, K. , Steel, L. , (2008) AS Level Sociology, Brentwood: Napier Press p. 162 Sociologists use a range of different research methods and sources of data to collect information and test their theories. In this Topic, we shall identify the main methods and sources used in Sociology. We shall also look at the different types of data that these methods produce. We shall also examine the factors that influence sociologists’ choice of what topic they research, and at some of the main practical, theoretical and ethical (moral) factors that affect their choice of which methods to employ.Types of data P. 163 Sociologists use a wide variety of different methods and sources to obtain data (information or evidence) about society. To make sense of this variety, we can classify them into: †¢ Primary and secondary sources of data. †¢ Quantitative and qualitative data. Primary and secondary sources of data Primary data is i nformation collected by sociologists themselves for their own purposes. These purposes may be to obtain a first – hand ‘picture’ of a group or society, or to test a hypothesis (an untested theory).Methods for gathering primary data include: †¢ Social surveys: these involve asking people questions in a written questionnaire or an interview. †¢ Participant observation: the sociologist joins in with the activities of the group he or she is studying. †¢ Experiments: sociologists rarely use laboratory experiments, but they sometimes use field experiments and the comparative method. A big advantage of using primary data is that sociologists may be able to gather precisely the information they need to test their hypotheses.However, doing so can often be costly and time consuming. Secondary data is information that has been collected by someone else for their own purposes, but which the sociologist can then use. Sources of secondary data include: †¢ O fficial statistics produced by government on a wide range of issues, such as crime, divorce, health and unemployment, as well as other statistics produced by charities, businesses, churches and other organisations. †¢ Documents such as letters, diaries, photographs, official (government) reports, novels, newspapers and television broadcasts.Using secondary data can be a quick and cheap way of doing research, since someone else has already produced the information. However, those who produce it may not be interested in the same questions as sociologists, and so secondary sources may not provide exactly the information that sociologists need. Quantitative and qualitative data Quantitative data refers to information in a numerical form. Examples of quantitative data include official statistics on how many girls passed five or more GCSEs or on the percentage of marriages ending in divorce.Similarly, information collected by opinion polls and market research surveys often comes in t he form of quantitative data – for example, on the proportion of the electorate intending to vote for a particular party or how many people take holidays abroad. Qualitative data, by contrast gives a ‘feel’ for what something is like – for example, what it feels like to get good GCSE results, or for one’s marriage to end in divorce. Evidence gathered by using participant observation aims to give us a sense of what it feels like to be in that person’s ‘shoes.These methods can provide rich descriptions of these people’s feelings and experiences. Factors influencing choice of method P. 164 Given the wide range of methods available, how do we select the right one for our research? Different methods and sources of data have different strengths and limitations and we need to be able to evaluate these when selecting which to use. We can look at these strengths and limitations in terms of a number of practical, ethical (moral) and theore tical issues. Practical issues Different methods present different practical problems. These include: Time and moneyDifferent methods require different amounts of time and money and this may influence the sociologists’ choice. For example, large – scale surveys may employ dozens of interviewers and data – inputting staff and cost a great deal of money. By contrast, a small – scale project involving a lone researcher using participant observation may be cheaper to carry out, but it can take several years to complete. The researcher’s access to resources can be a major factor in determining which methods they employ. A well – known professor will probably have access to more research funds than a young student, for example.Requirements of funding bodies Research institutes, businesses and other organisations that provide the funding for research may require the results to be in a particular form. For example, a government department funding re search into educational achievement may have targets for pass rates and so require quantitative data to see whether these targets are being achieved. This means the sociologist will have to use a method capable of producing such data, such as questionnaires or structured interviews. Personal skills and characteristicsEach sociologist possesses different personal skills, and this may affect their ability to use different methods. For example, participant observation usually requires the ability to mix easily with others as well as good powers of observation and recall, while in – depth interviews call for an ability to establish a rapport (relationship of empathy and trust) with the interviewee. Not all sociologists have these qualities and so some may have difficulty using these methods. Subject matter It may be much harder to study a particular group or subject by one method than by another.For example, it might prove difficult for a male sociologist to study an all – female group by means of participant observation, while written questionnaires may be useless for studying those who cannot read. Research opportunity Sometimes the opportunity to carry out research occurs unexpectedly and this means that it may not be possible to use unstructured methods such as questionnaires, which take longer to prepare. For example, a Glasgow gang leader offered ‘James Patrick’ (1973) the chance ‘out of the blue’ to spend time with his gang.With little time to prepare, ‘Patrick’ had no option but to use participant observation. In other circumstances, the researcher may have been able to set up the research opportunity carefully beforehand and have plenty of time to select their methods. P. 165†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Ethical issues Ethics refers to moral issues of right and wrong. Methods that sociologists use to study people may raise a range of ethical questions. The British Sociological Association s ets out guidelines for the conduct of research, including the following principles: Informed consentResearch participants (the people being studied) should be offered the right to refuse. The researcher should also tell them about all relevant aspects of the research so that they can make a fully informed decision. Consent should be obtained before research begins, and if the study is lengthy, again at intervals throughout the process. Confidentiality and privacy Researchers should keep the identity of research participants secret in order to help to prevent possible negative effects on them. Researchers should also respect the privacy of research participants.Personal information concerning research participants should be kept confidential. Effects on research participants Researchers need to be aware of the possible effects of their work on those they study. These could include police intervention, harm to employment prospects, social exclusion and psychological damage. Wherever p ossible, researchers should try to anticipate and prevent such harmful effects. Vulnerable groups Special care should be taken where research participants are particularly vulnerable because of their age, disability, or physical or mental health.For example, when studying children in schools, researchers should have regard for issues of child protection. They should obtain the consent of both the child and the parent, and they should provide information in language that the child can understand. Covert research Covert research is when the researcher’s identity and research purpose are hidden from the people being studied. This can create serious ethical problems, such as deceiving or lying to people in order to win their trust or obtain information. Clearly, it is impossible to gain informed consent while at the same time keeping the research or its purpose secret.However, some sociologists argue that the use of covert methods may be justified in certain circumstances. These may include gaining access to areas of social life closed to investigation by secretive, deviant or powerful groups. Theoretical issues This refers to questions about what we think society is like and whether we can obtain an accurate, truthful picture of it. Our views on these issues will affect the kinds of methods we favour using. Validity A valid method is one that produces a true or genuine picture of what something is really like.It allows the researcher to get closer to the truth. Many sociologists argue that qualitative methods such as participant observation give us a more valid or truthful account of what it is like to be a member of a group than quantitative methods such as questionnaires can. This is because participant observation can give us a deeper insight through first hand experience. Reliability Another word for reliability is replicability. A replica is an exact copy of something, so a reliable method is one which, when repeated by another researcher, gives the s ame results.For example, in Physics or Chemistry, different researchers can repeat the same experiment and obtain the same results every time. In Sociology, quantitative methods such as written questionnaires tend to produce more reliable results than qualitative methods such as unstructured interviews. p. 166 Representativeness Representativeness refers to whether or not the people we study are a typical cross – section of the group we are interested in. Imagine, for example, that we want to know about the effects of divorce on children.It would take a great deal of time and money to study every child of divorced parents, and we might only be able to afford to study a sample of, say, 100 such children. However, if we ensure that our sample is representative or typical of the wider population, we can then use our findings to make generalisations about all children of divorced parents, without actually having to study all of them. Large – scale quantitative surveys that use sophisticated sampling techniques to select their sample are more likely to produce representative data.Methodological perspective Sociologists’ choice of method is also influenced by their methodological perspective – their view of what society is like and how we should study it. There are two contrasting perspectives on the choice of methods: positivism and interpretivism. Positivists – prefer quantitative data, seek to discover patterns of behaviour, see Sociology as a science. Interpretivists – prefer qualitative data, seek to understand social actors’ meanings, reject the view that Sociology is a science.Why do positivists and Interpretivists prefer different types of data? Positivists and Interpretivists collect and use different types of data: positivists prefer quantitative data, while Interpretivists prefer qualitative. This is because they make different assumptions about the nature of society and how we should study it. Positivists: †¢ Assume that society has an objective factual reality – it exists ‘out there’, just like the physical world. †¢ Society exerts an influence over its members, systematically shaping their behaviour patterns. Positivist research uses quantitative data to uncover and measure these patterns of behaviour. †¢ By analysing quantitative data, positivists seek to discover the objective scientific laws of cause and effect that determine behaviour. †¢ Positivists thus prefer questionnaires, structured interviews, experiments and official statistics. These produce data that is both reliable and representative. Interpretivists: †¢ Reject the idea of an objective social reality – we construct reality through the meanings we give to situations, not the product of external forces. Our actions are based on the meanings we give to situations, not the product of external forces. †¢ Interpretivist research uses qualitative data to uncover and describe the social actor’s ‘universe of meaning’. †¢ By interpreting qualitative data, Interpretivists seek to gain a subjective understanding of actors’ meanings and ‘life worlds’. †¢ Interpretivists thus prefer participant observation, unstructured interviews, and personal documents. These produce data that is valid. Functionalists and Marxists often take a positivist approach.They see society as a large – scale (macro – level) structure that shapes our behaviour. By contrast, interactionists favour an interpretivist approach. They take a micro – level view of society, focusing on small – scale, face – to face interactions. The sociologist’s theoretical perspective is usually the most important factor when choosing which method to use. Whenever possible, they will want to obtain the type of data – quantitative or qualitative – that their perspective views as most appropriate. However, practical and ethical factors usually limit the choice of method. Just because a sociologist prefers a particular kind of data, doesn’t mean that they can simply go ahead and gather it. Time, resources, access, consent, privacy and so on are all constraints on their choice. Finally, even sheer chance may determine the method used. For example, David Tuckett (2001) describes how one postgraduate Sociology student found himself taken ill with tuberculosis and confined to a hospital ward, so he used this as an opportunity to conduct a participant observation study.Choice of topic p. 167. Before choosing which method to use, sociologists need to decide what topic they wish to study. Several factors influence their choice: Theoretical perspective The sociologist’s theoretical perspective is a major influence upon their choice of research topic. For example, a New Right researcher may study the effects of welfare benefits on the growth of lone – parent famili es, since the idea of welfare dependency is central to their standpoint.By contrast, a feminist researcher is more likely to choose to study domestic violence, as opposition to gender oppression lies at the heart of Feminist theory. Society’s values Sociologists themselves are part of the society they study and thus are influenced by its values. As these values change, so does the focus of research. The rise of Feminism in the 1960s and 1970s led to a focus on gender inequality and the environmentalist concerns of the 21st century have generated interest in ‘green crimes’ such as serious pollution or the unlawful transport of nuclear material.Funding bodies Most research requires funding from an external body. These bodies include government agencies, charitable organisations and businesses. As the funding body is paying for the research, it will determine the topic to be investigated. For example, one of the major social concerns of New Labour governments after 1997 was the ‘social exclusion’ of some disadvantaged groups. As a result, government departments were keen to fund research projects to investigate the causes and effects of social exclusion. Practical factorsPractical factors, such as the inaccessibility of certain situations to the researcher, may also restrict what topic they are able to study. For example, although sociologists may wish to study the ways in which global corporations make their decisions, this may not be possible because these are made in secrecy. Summary Sociologists test their theories using quantitative or qualitative data. Sociologists obtain primary data themselves, using methods including questionnaires, interviews and observation. Secondary data are produced by others but used by sociologists.In choosing a method, sociologists take several issues into account: †¢ Practical issues include time and funding. †¢ Ethical issues include whether the researcher deceives the subjects. †¢ Theoretical issues include validity (does the method give a truthful picture? ), reliability (can it be replicated? ) and representativeness (does it study a typical cross – section? ). Perspective also affects choice of method. Positivists prefer quantitative data; interpretivists favour qualitative data. Choice of topic is also affected by society’s values and funding bodies.

Middle Eastern Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Middle Eastern Politics - Essay Example This is a time for Presidential election-2008. Democratic candidates like Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican candidates like Rudy Giuliani and other prominent leaders are in the fray. The general public and political fury against the Republicans concerning United States' military involvement has digressed to a great extent towards the Democrats especially after publication of Carter's book Palestine: Peace not Apartheid. In this sense, his workmanship as an author is benefiting opponents of Democrats!!! How it is happening It is anybody's guess. This is a catch 22 situation. Carter is becoming the cause of "making a mountain of a mole". Democrats are being sandwiched real hard from top to bottom and vice versa like butter and ham between two slices of bread. Why Carter's book sees the light of day at this juncture Maybe just to go for a digression and attract voters attention towards Democrats because otherwise Republicans were being seen falling pray to wider criticism from masses and media about their Iraq policy. One wonders whether this trick can really serve its purpose in the ultimate analysis - giving a boost to the popularity of the Democrats in President ial elections. This is a very high risk proposition. Indeed, stakes are also very high and heavy. Carter has made his Damocles' sword hang on Israelis and Jews inasmuch as he has branded them agents of direct policy of Apartheid against Palestine people and land. The powerful Jew community of United States (US) from within and without has started aiming at the Democrats in the form of a planned campaign. It is because Carter's book points nearly throughout its chapters that Israelis are violators of human rights and world peace: Gaza has maintained a population growth rate of 4.7 percent annually, one of the highest in the world, so more than half its people are less than fifteen years old. They are being strangled since the Israeli "withdrawal," surrounded by a separation barrier that is penetrated only by Israeli-controlled checkpoints, with just a single opening (for personnel only) into Egypt's Sinai as their access to the outside world. There have been no moves by Israel to permit transportation by sea or by air. Fishermen are not permitted to leave the harbor, workers are prevented from going to outside jobs, the import or export of food and other goods is severely restricted and often cut off completely, and the police, teachers, nurses, and social workers are deprived of salaries. Per capita income has decreased 40 percent during the last three years, and the poverty rate has reached 70 percent. The U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food has stated that acute malnutrition in Gaza is already on the same scale as that seen in the poorer countries of the Southern Sahara, with more than half of Palestinian families eating only one meal a day. (Carter 176). Ali Abunimah, a Palestinian author supports Carter while reviewing his latest book. He writes: The 39th president of the United States, the most successful Arab-Israeli peace negotiator to date, has braved a storm of criticism, including the insinuation from the pro-Israel Anti-Defamation League that his arguments are anti-Semitic. Mr. Carter has tried to mollify critics by suggesting

Csr and mcdonalds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Csr and mcdonalds - Essay Example As a corollary of the above job enrichment and enlargement policies and programs were initiated with a view to encouraging and motivating the staff to accept new challenges. For instance employee welfare practices though were not many, could be seen to a certain extent in some of the surveyed restaurants. Absenteeism and labor turnover figures were low. In fact labor turnover figures were high only among crew members because most of them were college undergraduates doing a stint to cover up tuition fees. Most probably customer harassment could have contributed to the above average labor turnover figures among the crew members at McDonalds restaurants in Leicester in particular and elsewhere in general. McDonald's pay is based on performance and the monetary incentives are intended to encourage employees to perform better in the jobs and employees might require non-monetary incentives too to remain their current jobs in the long run whilst reducing the degree of turnover. Thus the pay rates determination criteria at McDonald's are essentially determined by evaluation techniques of the HRM Department. For example employees at these restaurants were given a selected array of monetary and non-monetary incentives with the hope that the well trained and skilled employees would not leave their jobs at least in the short run. While HRM related aspects of the retention strategy was focused on employee welfare, there was much less focus on the long term organizational capability building measures to retain employees. The best example of this inadequacy can be found in the fact that the whole staff at McDonald's takes customer harassments for granted.This research study has found a significa nt amount of positive correlation between McDonald's HRM strategy and productivity gains though the extent to which such gains can be attributed to HRM strategy isn't clear. In the first instance as suggested in the Literature Review, the theoretical perspectives on motivation and performance have taken a new turn with greater emphasis on Strategic HRM. Secondly cultural diversity of the workforce at McDonald's requires such SHRM practices to be aligned with international trends. Thus as borne out by the majority of responses to the questionnaire performance related pay at McDonald's would have a positive impact on employee motivation and the Company would try to maximize their incentives. However it has been identified as the most desirable policy to achieve organizational goals and survive in the long run. McDonald's success in Leicester could be attributed to well managed labor relations and good motivation policies in order to encourages greater participation of the employees in the decision making process of the company. Next those four McDonalds restaurants in Leicester along with the other three have not displayed any noteworthy divergence from the theoretical and conceptual contingency framework of analysis applied here as illustrated in the McDonald's approach to CSR. For example all McDonald's restaurants place equal emphasis on animal welfare, education, environment, people, quality and safety and Ronald McDonald's House Charities (RMHC). The connected success factors - sustainable supply chain, nutrition and well being,

Total Quality Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 2

Total Quality Management - Essay Example TQM was wielded into a coherent operating philosophy in Japan in the 1950s in its search for better methods to stimulate product quality. Its wisdom and usefulness caught the interest of W. Edward Deming and Joseph Juran who in the 1960s weaved into the Japanese concept their own ideas of quality generation. The TQM strategy was thus enriched by Deming’s statistical process control and Juran’s teamwork and plan-do-check-action concepts. In 1962, all three quality circles combined as TQM was registered with the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers as a workable concept of organizational process. By the 1980s, when Japan was rising as a global economic power, TQM was picked up by US and European companies.It was institutionalized in 1988 with the establishment of the European Foundation of Quality Management and has since become the basis for the granting of such quality achievement awards as the International Standards Organization. To implement TQM successfully, a n organization must bring its eight key elements into play.These are ethics, integrity and trust, which serve as the TQM basic foundation; training, teamwork and leadership which act as the building blocks; recognition as the roof; and communication as the binding mortar. Based on the strong foundation of ethics, integrity and trust, the building blocks of training, teamwork and leadership are set in place to reach the roof of recognition. Communication then binds all the elements together to work for the accomplishment of the TQM objectives. In so doing, there are three things to consider: the cost of quality, the counsel of quality gurus, and customer satisfaction. I. Cost of Quality The cost of quality is the extra time, effort and money spent by a company for preventing poor-quality products or services from reaching the consumers. In the words of Crosby, P. (1979), it is the price to pay for non-conformance. The cost of poor quality (Juran, J.,1988). As such, the cost of quality is distinguished from the company's expense on raw material, production and labor in that it involves, for the most part, activities on reworks, returns and customer complaints. There are four known types of quality cost: 1. External failure cost - this is associated with defects found after the customer receives the product, the cost incurred in processing customer complaints, returns, recalls and warranty claims. 2. Internal failure cost - the cost of quality associated with defects found before the customer receives the product, which is spent mostly on scrap, rework, re-inspection, re-testing, material review and material downgrade