Factors Influencing Availability of Water in South Africa

Factors Influencing Availability of Water in South Africa There are many factors influencing the sustainability of water supply in South Africa. One of the reasons is that According to the global water balance (figure below), South Africa is situated in a negative runoff zone, which means that annual evaporation always exceeds rainfall and South Africa is further situated in a semidesert / desert latitude zone, which has almost no weathering and soil formation, due to the drop in precipitation and vegetation cover, and the higher temperatures and evaporation rate. Besides the main factors, that will be dealt with in the essay, such as the over exploitation of water by the economic sectors and the main water sources in South Africa being polluted and therefore cannot be used, the situation of South Africa contributes largely to unsustainable usage of water through evaporation and therefore influencing the sustainability of water for future generations. The table below supports The Miller Model (Figure 1) as it shows that in South Africa, the amount of evaporation exceeds the amount of rainfall and the water demand often exceeds the water yield which highlights the shortages of water in that alone without other major factors being looked at. South Africa gets most of its water (66%) from surface runoff which is contained in about 320 dams all over the country which have total capacity of more than 32 400 million m3. Johannesburg being such a huge city is the biggest metropolitan area in South Africa. However unlike other cities of its size anywhere in the world it is one in very few that are not situated on or next to a major watercourse. Johannesburgs main water source comes from the Jukskei and Upper Klip River in the north and south respectively. The Jukskei catchment is situated within the Pretoria-Witwatersrand area. A range of users from recreational activities to industrial users are using the Jukskei River, with different water standards catering for each category and although the catchment is used for a variety of human activities it still has to support a population number of 790  000 in 1991 which has probably increased over the years. The Klip River catchment is one of the most heavily impacted river s ystems in South Africa and is subjected to almost every type of pollution. It furthermore serves all five recognised user groups identified by DWAF (domestic, agricultural, recreation, industrial and the natural environment). It is approximated that 9500 million m3/annum of the total requirements for water of 12  871 million m3/annum is abstracted from surface water resources.   The remainder comes from groundwater, the re-use of return flows, and the interception of water by afforestation.   In rural, semi arid and arid areas, surface water is not abundant therefore groundwater is used extensively instead  the six major aquifers (rocks with porosity and water permeability) in South Africa include, Table Mountain Group sandstones, coastal sand deposits, basement granites, Karoo dolerites, Dolomites and alluvium along perennial rivers.   Most exploitable groundwater occurs in the eastern and northeastern parts of the country and in the Western Cape, where aquifers are concentrated.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  When looking at Figure 3 which is the map of South Africa shows how utilizable groundwater is scarce in KwaZulu-Natal and the south of South Africa whereas water is concentrated in Northern and Western Cape. However with ground water excessive concentration of chloride, nitrate, and other salts, all of which are costly to remove which shows how less and less groundwater will be exploitable for human purposes as it is becoming increasingly polluted with tox ic wates. Looking at the above figure it shows how water in South Africa is concentrated in the Northern part of South Africa. In KwaZulu Natal province, there is 92% of available water that is guaranteed and only a one in thirteen risk of water restrictions which shows its availability. Although water may be currently available, leading scientists predict that SAs economic hub will run short of water should a severe drought occur in the next 10 years. Due to South Africas failure to maintain water pipes that provide households with water 30% was lost through leaking or burst pipes. The right to sufficient water is guaranteed by the countrys constitution, and the government has worked hard to provide access to running water to 88 percent of the population, up from 62 percent in 1996. However, water may be available but it is unevenly distributed and it is extrapolated that by 2025,that water deficits will occur in three of the four water management areas that support most of the countrys economic activity. The Klip River which has been mentioned previously is located in an urban area where there is plenty urban development and Industries. Due to mining activities in the area, the river is subject to pressures from those mining activities as large amounts of water are required to support industries such as those that generate electrical power. Mining on its own has been averaged to use up to 8 % of South Africas water. Mines such as the Grootvlei mine are responsible for intoxicating valuable groundwater by pumping wastes into rivers thus making it useless in regards to human use. IRRIGATION Irrigation accounts for 50% of the total water use in South Africa. Farmers that grow crops or fruit, for commercial use or farmers that practise subsisitence farming, use lots of water to meet the demands of the fields of crops that need watering. The process of meat production uses up a lot of water which is said to be around 3000 litres of water for one Kg of meat which is why people are encouraged to reduce their intake of meat to save water. FACTORIES Factories not only emitt gasses into the atmosphere but they also release effluents into nearby rivers that are both toxic to humans and animals. Some factories use water to cool down tanks and other machinery and the release it back into rivers which is a form of pollution because when water is heated, oxygen decreases which is detrimental to aquatic life. MANAGEMENT AND SOLUTIONS: Community Development and Environmental Education By raising awareness amongst all people in rural areas, that are mostly uneducated, that water is a precious resource which has an impact on all aspects of life people will begin to take note of the significance of water to all that exist. These awareness projects can be made by having people talk to people about how to reduce water usage by not bathing three times a day or leaving a tap running for example. Water Conservation 50% of all water available in South Africa is used up by irrigation purposes. The application of water conservation and demand management (WC/DM) principles in the irrigation and farming sector will have a significant effect on the availability of water to other sectors. In order to successfully manage water resources then stricter boundries must be set on each sector using and only allowed a certain amount of water. Industry, Mining and Power Generation Sector The Industry, Mining and Power Generation Programme oversees the development and implementation of appropriate policies, strategies, projects and initiatives that will promote water conservation in these economic sectors. Such programmes should be improved as they aim to establish a culture of water conservation in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors and this will ensure sustainable use of water. Another solution and initiative that have been taken to combat water shortages is the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (II) which is due to begin in 2020 as It is expected to take more than nine years to prepare for and implement the project. Once the project is underway there will be an estimated transfer of 479-million cubic meters annually to South Africa which is aimed at getting water from Lesotho and supplying Gauteng province with it however Negotiations were still under way with the government of Lesotho regarding the flagship of the project. Desalinization of surrounding oceans such as the Indian and Atlantic Ocean has been considered but later ruled out due to financial, technological and facility constraints in the country to undergo this process. It is true that water is still available in South Africa and it is also true that in a few years this resource will not be able to support and sustain the population. Industries and households have proved to be the guzzlers of water in South Africa. Strategies that have been implemented will be effective in reducing the usage of water by Industries, and programmes that aim to educate the youth and the elderly on water conservation will alert people to the fact that We dont have the luxury of choice and time.

The Center, Left, and Right in Turkish/Greek/Italian Politics :: Politics Political Italy Turkey Greece Papers

The Center, Left, and Right in Turkish/Greek/Italian Politics The politics of the countries of Turkey, Greece and Italy are fairly diverse in relation to each other, as well as within themselves. The political parties of each country are also many in number and varied in nature. In this essay, I will provide a brief overview of the government of each country Turkey, Greece and Italy followed by an examination of the current political parties that exist in each of those countries, looking especially at where the left, center, and right fall with respect to each country. An overview of the politics of Turkey Turkey gained its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1923, but it did not formally draft a constitution until 1982, when it initiated a four-branch government. Currently, Turkey's government is composed of a President, who is elected every seven years and serves as the executive branch; a unicameral (one-house) legislative branch; a Grand National Assembly composed of 450 members; a Prime Minister, who functions similarly to the Vice President in the U.S.; and a judicial branch that is independent of the governmental structure. Turkey is a democratic and, more importantly, a secular state, despite the prevalence of Islam. The current President of Turkey is Ahmet Necdet Sezer, and the current Prime Minister is Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Political parties in Turkey As of 1996, there are currently 22 registered political parties in Turkey, most of which are small. The main parties that make up the political center are the Motherland Party (ANAP) and the True Path Party (DYP), both of which swing more toward the right; and the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Democratic Left (DSP), both of which swing more toward the left, despite the contrary nature of their names. To the far right is the National Action Party (MHP), an ultra-nationalist party. ?The ANAP party was founded in 1983 and governed Turkey from 1983 to 1991, though as of the 2002 election, its representation was much less, especially in Parliament.[1]? In the 1980s, however, it was the ANAP party that instituted many important transformations in Turkey, including "introducing free-market reforms, downsizing the public sector," and it was under this party that Turkey "applied formally to join the European Economic Commission" (EEC then, more like the current EU).[2]? Like the ANAP, the DYP was also formed in 1983, and is a conservative party that "draws support from the countryside. The Center, Left, and Right in Turkish/Greek/Italian Politics :: Politics Political Italy Turkey Greece Papers The Center, Left, and Right in Turkish/Greek/Italian Politics The politics of the countries of Turkey, Greece and Italy are fairly diverse in relation to each other, as well as within themselves. The political parties of each country are also many in number and varied in nature. In this essay, I will provide a brief overview of the government of each country Turkey, Greece and Italy followed by an examination of the current political parties that exist in each of those countries, looking especially at where the left, center, and right fall with respect to each country. An overview of the politics of Turkey Turkey gained its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1923, but it did not formally draft a constitution until 1982, when it initiated a four-branch government. Currently, Turkey's government is composed of a President, who is elected every seven years and serves as the executive branch; a unicameral (one-house) legislative branch; a Grand National Assembly composed of 450 members; a Prime Minister, who functions similarly to the Vice President in the U.S.; and a judicial branch that is independent of the governmental structure. Turkey is a democratic and, more importantly, a secular state, despite the prevalence of Islam. The current President of Turkey is Ahmet Necdet Sezer, and the current Prime Minister is Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Political parties in Turkey As of 1996, there are currently 22 registered political parties in Turkey, most of which are small. The main parties that make up the political center are the Motherland Party (ANAP) and the True Path Party (DYP), both of which swing more toward the right; and the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Democratic Left (DSP), both of which swing more toward the left, despite the contrary nature of their names. To the far right is the National Action Party (MHP), an ultra-nationalist party. ?The ANAP party was founded in 1983 and governed Turkey from 1983 to 1991, though as of the 2002 election, its representation was much less, especially in Parliament.[1]? In the 1980s, however, it was the ANAP party that instituted many important transformations in Turkey, including "introducing free-market reforms, downsizing the public sector," and it was under this party that Turkey "applied formally to join the European Economic Commission" (EEC then, more like the current EU).[2]? Like the ANAP, the DYP was also formed in 1983, and is a conservative party that "draws support from the countryside.

Jeepneys

Among the many public transportation vehicles in the Philippines, only one represents the vibrant cultural heritage of the Filipinos: jeepneys. Jeepneys, also called as public-utility jeepneys (PUJ), are the most popular form of transportation according to research (Westerman, 2018). It exemplifies the resourcefulness and the creativity of the Filipinos through pious and beautiful art creations painted, drawn, and/or written on its exterior, â€Å"normally depicting family portraits, religious icons, sceneries, movie and anime characters, dream cars, and dream girls (Ragodon, 2017, para. 8).† Jeepneys exhibit a vast Philippine history, existing not to merely serve the Filipinos but also to share the beauty of a Filipino's values. Jeepneys are an immense help to mankind. In order to ride it, one must have only a few coins in his/her pocket because of its cheap fare (8 php). This fare benefits both the affluent and poor sectors of society. Riders pass their payment forward for it to reach the driver—a process that encourages abnegation and honesty among the riders which shows and develops â€Å"Filipino hospitableness†, a quality that is often recognized by non-Filipinos. Moreover, Jeepneys have a boundless number of routes, making it more convenient for riders to reach far destinations. Although jeepneys benefit the Filipinos in various ways, it further worsens the current state of the Philippines. Jeepneys depend on remodeled parts and damaging diesel, contributing to the Philippines' intense traffic and pollution problems (Gregorio, 2018, para. 4). It emits harmful gases that may affect people, plants, animals, and the atmosphere—all of which may permanently affect the environment detrimentally. Furthermore, jeepneys put the welfare of its driver and riders at risk. Aside from allowing its riders to inhale dangerous gases (particularly carbon dioxide), jeepneys provide a â€Å"dirty, uncomfortable and often unsafe way to travel (â€Å"Jeepneys just part of the problem†, 2017, para. 1)†. Riders would have to struggle being squished in a tight-spaced, rectangular seat without any protection from the smoke that enters the vehicle through its windows. While riders are direct victims of harmful air, a World Bank report shows that Jeepney drivers are direct victims of harmful air, being the leading victims of air pollution in the year 2002 (as cited in Crisostomo, 2003, para. 1). In addition, increasing fuel costs due to economic inflation affects jeepney drivers. For a high fuel cost that lasts for a few days, jeepney drivers would have to sacrifice a portion of their irregular income in order to pay the said cost. Castillo (2017) stated the following: Under the current system the average gross venue of a jeepney driver would be around P4,000 a day. Take away about P1,000 for fuel, P600 for operator boundary or driver salary, and maintenance costs racking up P400. The driver would then be left with P2,000, working for roughly 16 to 18 hours a day. (para. 4) Aside from suffering from these, jeepney drivers also suffer from the poor design of the vehicle as proven by a study administered by the College of Engineering of the University of the Philippines Diliman (Tantiangco, 2016, para. 1). Because his/her area inside the jeepney is narrow, small, and restricted, the jeepney driver experiences health issues and discomfort. He/she chooses to neglect this problem, however, â€Å"simply because there will be monetary costs in solving these problems and because they have grown accustomed to these conditions (Tantiangco, 2016, para. 5). † To combat these jeepney problems, the Department of Transporation issued Department Order No. 2017-011, also known as the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), â€Å"a flagship program of the Duterte administration which envisions a restructured, modern, well-managed and environmentally sustainable transport sector where drivers and operators have stable, sufficient and dignified livelihoods while commuters get to their destinations quickly, safely and comfortably,† as defined by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) (para. 1). This program aims to replace jeepneys (as well as buses and utility vans) 15 years old or older with newly improved â€Å"modernized† PUVs that are safe, ethical, and environmental- and cost-friendly. Two kinds of jeepneys will be used for the jeepney modernization: electric jeeps and Euro-4 compliant jeeps, both of which are well-designed for the comfort of its passengers. Though the new, modernized jeepneys allow 20 to 22 riders to sit inside it, the riders would not have to squeeze each other in in order to fit. Windows are covered and some PUVs have an air conditioner. These are some of the new adjustments the government has added for the comfort and benefit of the riders. To account for the security and safety of the jeepney riders, the new PUVs have been installed with CCTVs, GPS, and speed limiters according to Flores (2017, para. 20). Flores (2017) also said that people with disabilities (PWD) â€Å"will have easier access (para. 20)†, as opposed to the old jeepneys that do not give much access to PWDs; â€Å"safety officers will be assigned (para. 20)†. Riders may now ride PUVs to their hearts content, assured that their safety is prioritized. The modernized PUV does not only benefit its riders, it will also benefit its driver. Castillo (2017) said that â€Å"cost would be cut significantly and drivers can take home more†¦ All these are due to brand-new engines that require less maintenance (para. 5).† The earnings of a driver increases. As the Philippine government instills the PUV modernization progam, jeepney drivers may have a difficult time adapting due to the required payment of the new jeepney—800 php a day. The government, however, has promised to give subsidy to the drivers (CNN Philippines staff, 2018, para. 13) and has partnered with Landbank and DBP in order to aid in carrying the funds (Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, n.d., para. 4). PUV drivers are to be engaged in training sessions that will equip them with the knowledge they need (Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, n.d., para. 4). The Philippines will grow further as nation if public transportation works for the benefit of its citizens. With modernized PUVs, Filipinos would be better taken care of and protected—physically and emotionally—surrounded by an environment that reflects its heart and supports nature.

When to Salute

When to salute Army personnel in uniform is required when you meet and recognize persons entitled by rank. Do not solute, when it is inappropriate or impractical, like in public conveyances such as planes and buses, in public places such as inside theaters, or when driving a vehicle. Salute is also rendered: (1) When the United States National Anthem, â€Å"To the Color,† â€Å"Hail to the Chief,† or foreign national anthems are played. (2) To uncase National Color outdoors. (3) On ceremonial occasions. (4) At reveille and retreat ceremonies, during the raising or lowering of the flag. 5) During the sounding of honors. (6) When pledging allegiance to the US flag outdoors. (7) When turning over control of formations. (8) When rendering reports. (9) To officers of friendly foreign countries. Salutes are not required when: (1) Indoors, except when reporting to an officer or when on duty as a guard. (2) A prisoner. (3) When is saluting is obviously inappropriate? Is when, a person carrying articles with both hands, or being otherwise so occupied as to make saluting impracticable, is not required to salute a senior person or return the salute to a subordinate. In any case not covered by specific instructions, the salute is rendered. (4) Either the senior or the subordinate is wearing civilian clothes is reporting Indoors. When reporting to an officer in his office, the soldier removes his headgear, knocks, and enters when told to do so. He approaches within two steps of the officer’s desk, halts, salutes, and reports, â€Å"Sir (Ma’am), Private Jones reports. † The salute is held until the report is completed and the salute has been returned by the officer. When the business is completed, the soldier salutes, holds the salute until it has been returned, executes the appropriate facing movement, and departs. When reporting indoors while carrying a weapon in your hands, by a sling or holster. The procedure is the same except that the headgear is not removed and the soldier renders the salute prescribed for the weapon with which he is armed. Reporting Outdoors; When reporting outdoors, the soldier moves rapidly toward the officer, halts approximately three steps from the officer, salutes, and reports. When the soldier is dismissed by the officer, salutes are again exchanged. If under arms, the soldier carries the weapon in the manner prescribed for saluting. Saluting officers in official vehicles by recognized individually by grade or identifying vehicle plates and/or flags, is considered an appropriate courtesy. Salutes are not required to be rendered by or to personnel who are driving or riding in privately owned vehicles except by gate guards, who render salutes to recognized officers in all vehicles unless their duties make the salute impractical. When military personnel are drivers of a moving vehicle, they do not initiate a salute In Formation; Individuals in formation do not salute or return salutes except at the command, †present, ARMS†. The individual in charge salutes and acknowledges salutes for the entire formation. Commanders of organizations or detachments that are not a part of a larger formation salute officers of higher grade by bringing the organization or detachment to attention before saluting. When in the field under battle or simulated battle conditions, the organization or detachment is not brought to attention. An individual in formation at ease or at rest comes to attention when addressed by an officer. Not in Formation; On the approach of an officer, a group of individuals not in formation is called to attention by the first person noticing the officer, and all come sharply to attention and salute. Individuals participating in games, and members of work details, do not salute. The individual in charge of a work detail, if not actively engaged, salutes and acknowledges salutes for the entire detail. A unit resting alongside a road does not come to attention upon the approach of an officer; however, if the officer addresses an individual (or group), the individual (or group) comes to attention and remains at attention (unless otherwise ordered) until the termination of the conversation, at which time the individual (or group) salutes the officer. Outdoors; Whenever and wherever the United States National Anthem, â€Å"To the Color,† â€Å"Reveille,† or â€Å"Hail to the Chief† is played, at the first note, all dismounted personnel in uniform and not in formation face the flag or the music, if the flag is not in view, stand at attention, and render the prescribed salute. The position of salute is held until the last note of the music is sounded. Military personnel not in uniform will stand at attention and remove headdress, if any, with the right hand. Then place the right hand over the heart. Vehicles in motion are brought to a halt. Persons riding in a passenger car or on a motorcycle dismount and salute. Occupants of other types of military vehicles and buses remain in the vehicle; the individual in charge of each vehicle dismounts and renders the hand salute. Tank and armored car commanders salute from the vehicle. When the National Anthem is played indoors, officers and enlisted personnel stand at attention and face the music or the flag if one is present. Last, Small flags carried by individuals, such as those carried by civilian spectators at a parade, are not saluted. It is improper to salute with any object in the right hand or with a cigarette, cigar, or pipe in the mouth. Officers and enlisted men under arms uncover only when; (1) Seated as a member of (or in attendance on) a court or board. (2) Entering places of divine worship. (3) In attendance at an official reception. b. Male personnel remove their headdress indoors. When outdoors, military headdress is never removed, or raised as a form of salutation. c. Female military personnel will remain covered at all times when it would be appropriate for civilian women at a similar function to wear a hat. They must wear headgear when in uniform outdoors if headgear is authorized.

Maximising profits and meeting objectives Essay

J D Wetherspoon owns pubs right across the UK. It is now the UK’s fastest growing company. They serve good quality food at knockdown prices. They also clear your plates away quickly afterwards and ask if the food was to your satisfaction. Wetherspoon’s employs approximately 11,200 staff who work either part or full-time. The company believe that there is a direct link between the high performance of their staff and their approach to staff recruitment, training, development, and motivation. Each pub operates with skilled management, who are fully supported by bar and kitchen staff. Their mission statement is ‘to have by far the best CBSM (cleanliness, beer, service, maintenance) standards in the pub world; to be the best company to work for; and, by doing these things to be the most profitable.’ McDonald’s McDonald’s have over 1000 restaurants across the United Kingdom. Three quarters of these are run by managers on behalf of the company and the other quarter being run as franchises. McDonald’s is the world’s largest franchising company, with seven out ten outlets being a franchise, and being owned and run by independent entrepreneurs. McDonald’s sell burgers and chicken with a variety of different desserts and hot and cold drinks, served by friendly and helpful team members. One of McDonald’s stated aims is ‘to provide a friendly service in a relaxed, safe, and consistent restaurant environment.’ J D Wetherspoon J D Wetherspoon uses Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as the bases of their motivation techniques. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs gives the managers clear and useful insights into how best they should motivate their staff. J D Wetherspoon aims to provide each individual employee with the skills and knowledge, which will help them to gradually climb the ladder of hierarchy permanently. Maslow’s pyramid can help Wetherspoon’s with this. They believe in creating a work force, which is committed and motivated. This workforce should be made up of people who can achieve personal fulfilment via the freedom that they get through their work. Realising that they will not be able to keep all their employees for all of their working life, J D Wetherspoon wants them to grow a sense of loyalty to the company They promote their staff through the different levels of employment status in the business, from bar/kitchen associates, to pub managers, to general managers to help motivate them. They pay each of the employees more than their competitors are paying their staff, so that the all associates (employees) feel motivated and will stay with the company for as long as possible. They believe that once their employees know that they are being paid more than the minimum wage for their work, they will become more motivated. The company bases its pay on reviews of performance of each of the staff; the better the performance the better the pay. The company also provides a bonus scheme for its workers. Each member of staff receives a bonus depending upon the performance of the pub in which they work. To get each member of staff to work to their full potential, the business runs many incentive schemes. One example of this is a monthly draw for examples of excellent customer care. The winner will receive an all expenses paid holiday for two in New York. Along with this, the business offers a share option scheme to each of its employees, enabling them to buy shares in the company at an assured price. The company do this in the belief that it will make the staff have a sense of belonging in company and will want to see the company succeed. McDonald’s McDonald’s method of motivation involves using rewards, goals, and promotion prospects for their members of staff. Although the company motivates their staff via reward methods, goals and promotion prospects, they use F.W. Taylor’s Scientific Management motivation theory. McDonald’s splits their staff into teams, so that there is a team of people in each of the areas of the restaurant. There are also team members who walk round the restaurant and clear tables of empty food boxes and drinks cartons. Julie Room, a General Manager from a McDonald’s restaurant says that McDonald’s are continually hiring new members of staff, as their staff members ‘are always leaving.’ McDonald’s have high promotion prospects for their staff, with all the managers who work for the company once being crewmembers, and 80% of the top managers were once crewmembers. The president of McDonald’s Ltd, also worked as a crewmember in a restaurant. This gives the current members of staff aspirations for the future. To help each member of staff, the company trains them in the restaurant that they will work in. Each staff member is trained in all 16 areas of the business including grill, buns, dressings, filets, and pies, drive-thru, front counter, and back room. This is all on the job training. This means that the staff can experience job rotation within their work. This leads to job motivation for the staff. Therefore, the team members are more likely to stay with the company for longer. This is very similar to the motivation theory of Douglas McGregor. J D Wetherspoon J D Wetherspoon’s management is of a democratic style. The management encourages the staff to take part in decision-making through the multi-channel communication system, which the company has in place. Wetherspoon’s believe that many of the projects that they adopt stem from the ideas put forward by their ‘associates’. This is because they are on the ‘front-line’ of the company. They can see where things need to be improved and changed. These things tend to obvious to the people who are in contact with customers on a day-to-day basis but are not quite so obvious to the managers, higher up in the business who are very rarely seen by the customers. The changes and improvements that the associates would like to see are communicated to their line manager, who refers them to the pub/restaurant manager. Within a few weeks, the ‘good ideas’ are put into practice to make to the pub/restaurant appear better to the public and possibly to attract more customers. Every fortnight, they hold a ‘big meeting’ where over 100 employees attend. This includes people like the company chairperson, company directors, and pub managers and some associates from many pubs/restaurants. Here, all the employees can voice their opinions on the company’s over all performance and the ways in which they think it can be improved. Everyone who attends, gets to vote whether a certain route for a promotion of an offer the company is participating in, gets the go ahead or not. Many of the people who work for Wetherspoon’s carry a high level of commitment and many are proud to work for Wetherspoon’s. The company strongly believes that one of the key factors, which differentiates the company from its rivals, is the high quality of customer service/care that is achieved, from employing a number of committed employees. McDonald’s McDonald’s management style is more autocratic. This is because the members of staff are told which part of the restaurant they will be working in and they are told what they have to do. However, some of the approaches that McDonald’s use can be seen in McGregor’s Theory Y. This is people centred and the managers are more democratic. The managers give the teams responsibility for each of the sections, awarding them appropriately, as they meet and exceed targets. They also believe that their staff want to work and are not lazy. However, the members of staff at McDonald’s can also come under McGregor’s Theory X. This is because the teams have to be controlled and monitored. They have to be told what to do and are often watched to make sure that they are performing correctly. They are often seen to ‘slack’ and to be lazy. Thus, they need some motivation to inspire them to work. It is only the managers that get a say in what the company does. The employees, which are seen everyday, unlike the managers, do not get any input into company and the decisions it makes what so ever. Therefore, the team members feel undervalued. This can then result in the management team lacking in motivation to motivate their staff. J D Wetherspoon Wetherspoon’s business culture is one orientated around their associates at the lower levels. This is because these people see the areas that can improved. The managers rely on these people to report any problems and successes. Wetherspoon’s encourages their staff to challenge existing ideas and practices to continually improve the company. The changes that are raised are adjusted little by little rather than in one big change. Many of these changes are suggested by the employees, who base them upon their experience whilst at work. However, these sorts of things can only occur in an open culture. Nothing is disclosed within Wetherspoon’s approach and is based upon the understanding and the belief in some of the key ideas of human motivation. Their approach to the way things are done resembles Charles Handy’s Role Culture. This is because of the structure that the company takes; this is much like a pyramid with the chairperson at the top and the associates at the bottom, very rarely speaking to one another (see below). McDonald’s McDonald’s business culture is orientated around the tasks that the staff have to carry out. This is because without these people the company could not function efficiently. These people also see the day-to-day running of the business, the taking of the money, serving of the food etc. The approach that the company takes resembles Charles Handy’s Task Culture. This is because of the company structure. The Task Culture is represented by a matrix, which looks like a grid (see right). The company splits its employees into project teams. Within these teams, they have to solve problems, which may arise. In addition, everyone can cross boundaries within the business. This means that they can work in other departments as well as the one they are employed in e.g. some one working on the front counter, could work in the kitchens. This culture also uses individual talents in each area i.e. people on the front counter need to use people skills, need to have good communication skills and confidence, whereas on the other hand, the people who cook the burgers need to be good at time keeping, cooking the burgers, and keeping up with the demands. J D Wetherspoon The company is committed to providing the highest standards of training and development to all employees. They aim to encourage, motivate, and support all the employees to achieve the company’s mission statement and to fulfil the personal ambitions. There are different programmes, which the company use to train and develop. Generally, when people start working for the business they start as bar/kitchen associates. They start with the training for this job, as they progress in the business, they receive development training. This is for team leaders, shift managers, kitchen managers and pub managers. Each of the positions have their own set of training programmes. For example, for someone to train as a shift manager, they have to go through twelve types of training; induction, food hygiene, health and safety, kitchen training, customer management, personnel policies and procedures, people skills, interview skills, and stock management. They also have to do a National Licensee’s Certificate. Whereas to train as a bar/kitchen associate, they have to do food hygiene, health and safety, and kitchen training. J D Wetherspoon’s develop their staff. They do this because the staff that already work for the company know the way the business works. Also, training staff that already work for Wetherspoon’s, to higher positions in the company can mean that the costs of recruiting and training new staff will be reduced. It also helps to ensure staff loyalty and can reduce many future uncertainties in the company. This can then, in addition ensure that the company will not run out of skilled people; i.e. a bar/kitchen associate who has been promoted to a shift manager can always help out in the kitchen because they would have had the correct training to be able to work in the kitchens. Therefore, they have the skills and the company has not lost them. Training existing staff can help gain a competitive advantage. This means the company can gain more customers and more customer loyalty. In theory, and in many cases, in reality, this can help to motivate the managers, which in turn will help them to train their staff better, and can motivate them too. The company’s training and development programme is a combination of on and off the job training courses. The company’s training centres round career development. McDonald’s McDonald’s hire their staff on a three weeks probationary period. The company have the right to end employment of at any time during these three weeks. It is only after these three weeks, and if their performance has been acceptable, that the member of staff becomes part of the team. It is said that the company takes six months to train a full-timer and 11 months to train a part-timer. This is because of the sixteen areas in which everyone has to be trained on. These include the grill, buns, dressings, filets, and pies, drive-thru, front counter, and back room. They also have a buddy system. This is where a new employee to the company is paired with someone else who has been with the company for a while and have experience. This person will be one of the training squad and will look after the new team member for their probationary period. Eventually the trainer will decide whether or not the new team member is capable of carrying out the work in the area. When this has been decided the staff member would have received a gold star (this system existed in 1999, it no longer exists). The company thought that the teams found this system of rewarding good work, motivational. McDonald’s, like J D Wetherspoon’s like to develop their staff. In the article by Susan Curtis, it says that â€Å"there is a set hierarchy of jobs for crew members to work their way up: (1) Crew member (2) Five – star crew member (3) Training squad member (4) Hourly-paid floor manager (5) Salaried floor manager (second assistant manager) (6) First assistant manager (7) Store manager (8) General manager (only in larger stores).’ They develop their staff for the same reasons that J D Wetherspoon’s do. They do it to save money and to give staff more opportunities within the business. J D Wetherspoon J D Wetherspoon’s encourage their staff to work in teams. This is because team working means that there is a more efficient and effective production team. It is also believed that working as a team, can satisfy the social needs of people. Many managers delegate power among the people who work underneath them. This is in the belief that delegation meets the employees’ ego and self-actualisation needs from the motivation theory of Maslow. In addition, working as part of a team means that people can job rotate, to give them a bit of variety. This means that they can be more motivated towards their job, knowing that there is a possibility of job rotation within their teams, even if it is cooking a different part of a meal. Wetherspoon’s encourages this because they want their staff to achieve as much as possible in their work. They also want their members of staff to have a sense of belongingness to the company. Wetherspoon’s recognise that the feeling of belongingness is an employee need and therefore they set out to meet it. McDonald’s McDonald’s also encourage their staff to work in teams. This is because they, like J D Wetherspoon’s, have a more efficient and effective work force this way. McDonald’s staff are encouraged to work as teams so that all the work is covered and completed, whether it is morning at breakfast, mid-day at lunchtime or in the evening at ‘tea’ time. This also helps to satisfy the staff at McDonald’s and helps to maximise the involvement of the staff. The teams are usually functional. Also within the teams, the staff can swap jobs with someone else and change department that they work in. Team working means that the staff can become multi-skilled. This makes it easier to do someone else’s job. They can also meet shared objectives, i.e. serve each customer within a minute. J D Wetherspoon J D Wetherspoon’s is a pub/restaurant. They sell both drinks and food. This means that they need enough stock to supply their customers. The company have to ensure that each of their pubs has enough beer barrels in their cellar and enough wines and spirits to last them at least a week. The company will have at least a delivery of beer every few days or so as the beer will go off very quickly once the barrel has been opened. The company always has just enough stock to cater for all their customers, whether they be eating or drinking. They bring many different types of beers to their customers throughout the year via beer festivals. Wetherspoon’s work along side Cask Marque (a quality standard for real beer) and CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale). This means that the company brings in new beers and rotates them throughout the year to offer their customers some variety. They also offer many spirits and wines as well. All these alcoholic beverages are kept in stock with strict quality standards, upheld inside the pub. This is to make sure that the customers can enjoy their drinks. This applies to the beers especially. The company offer fifty plus different meals per day, they therefore need to make sure that they have enough ingredients for these meals. They need to make sure that the stock they have does not go out of date to quickly either. They have many meals on their menu, which contain meat (beef, pork, chicken, and lamb) and fish. To keep this from going off they need to put the meats and fish in a chiller. They have to order enough of each ingredient for each of the meals on their menu, as if they are to sell many of the same meal. They do this for both the beverages and food so that they never run out of stock. If they were to run out of stock then there is a possibility of losing customers and future customers. The method of stock control that they use, in my opinion is ‘Just in Case’. This is because they can never be sure how much of each meal option they need to make and they never know how much of a particular beer or spirit they are going to sell, so they need enough stock just in case some one buys a meal or a drink. McDonald’s McDonald’s, on the other hand, operates in a different way. They stock up on all their burgers, salads, deserts, and fries although they use J.I.T. The restaurants are always very busy during the day. Therefore the company gets through many burgers, and fries each day. They have to rely upon their suppliers to deliver in time for ‘rush hours’ i.e. lunch time as they know they will need more stock. They estimate their level of sales for each item on the menu using previous figures, doing this they can predict how much they need to order. To use J.I.T. McDonald’s need to know exactly what they need. They need pretty good knowledge of their customers requirements. They also need to have excellent relationships with their suppliers, and need to have accurate understandings of production requirements. J D Wetherspoon J D Wetherspoon have to assure quality in both food and the drink. They ensure this by buying the highest quality ingredients for their meals from their suppliers. To guarantee this, they make sure that they build strong relationships with the suppliers. They also have a ‘food guru’, who works closely with the food team. Once a month he reviews the company’s menu and the ingredients which they use, and he gives his personal ‘seal of approval’ if he believes they are at the highest standard that people would expect from J D Wetherspoon’s. To ensure that the beer they sell is to the highest standards, they employ beer tasters. These people test the beers on four areas; appearance, aroma, taste and aftertaste. These are usually marked out of 10, so each beer can get a maximum of 40 marks. All of the beers which the company supply must meet their tasting standards, before any orders can be placed. Whilst in stock, there are strict quality standards in place which are maintained within the free house, to ensure that customers enjoy the beer at its best. This process also applies to the wines and spirits. As with the beers, the wines and spirits have to meet the company’s high standards. The wines and spirits are also tested for appearance, aroma, taste and aftertaste and again if they don’t meet Wetherspoon’s standards then they are not sold in any of the pubs/restaurants. They also train their staff to a high standard of work to ensure the quality of customer service. They do this by training their staff in customer management and in people skills. McDonald’s Serving more than 2.5 million customers each day makes quality a consistent goal. They work with leading suppliers across the UK – from potato farmers in Lincolnshire and Norfolk to dairies in the South and Midlands – to bring customers the tasty products that customers expect from McDonald’s. McDonald’s attempt to certify quality from crop to counter. Therefore they require the highest standards and specifications, not just for product ingredients; every detail of production, transport, delivery, preparation and service is carefully monitored. A focus on quality pervades every aspect of the business. Their standards top the food industry, and they continue to work with government and health officials to investigate improvements to their foods. Both companies have their different approaches to maximising profits and to meet its objectives. The way in which each company goes about it is effective to them. Both companies are, although in the same area of trade, are completely different. They operate in different ways, have different kinds of people working for them and generally have different clientele. The people who work for McDonald’s are generally those who can work in the conditions that are found in a McDonald’s restaurant. They tend to be able to deal with pressure a little easier then those working at Wetherspoon’s and vice versa. These people have a different kind of objective to aim towards, that is appropriate to the different companies. Again the approach each company uses helps to achieve these very well and can sometimes help them to exceed them. The companies approaches, however, both lead to them maximising their profits. This is because of the efficiency and effectiveness of the staff in both companies.

The History of Love Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The History of Love - Essay Example The novel has two main characters who also act as narrators of their specific sections. The first narrator is Leo Gursky, an 80year old Polish immigrant in New York. We are first introduced to Leo Gursky when he believes his life is coming to an end, living alone in a small apartment in Manhattan â€Å"I often wonder who will be the last person to see me alive. If I had to bet, I’d bet on the delivery boy from the Chinese takeout. I order in four nights out of seven. Whenever he comes, I make a big production of finding my wallet. He stands in the door holding the greasy bag while I wonder if this is the night I’ll finish off my spring roll, climb into bed, and have a heart attack in my sleep†(Krauss 3). He is scared of dying on a day when nobody has noticed him and says and believes he has to persuade himself of his existence by making himself noticeable. This drives him to mildly attention-seeking behavior like creating a disturbance by dropping his change in a shop or trying on shoes that he does not intend to buy. Gursky passes for a man without much of a life, but we later learn that he was once a man very rich in art and love. He was once in love with a woman called Alma back in Poland, but due to the chaos and tragedy of war while making his way to America, he is separated from his true love Alma who ends up marrying somebody else. Leo’s art is manifested when we are told of a novel he wrote in Poland, The History of Love, but entrusted it to his friend Zvi Litvinoff who later told him that it was lost. The second character is Alma Singer a fourteen year old girl living with her widowed mother, Charlotte and her brother. We later learn that Alma was named after the heroine of a book her father, David singer loved and that Leo Gursky’s book was not lost after all but it was published in Spanish in Chile and that’s how it ended up in the hands of David singer Charlottes’ husband. Alma’s mother is tran slating a novel called The History of love she was given by her husband from Spanish to English. Krauss’s novel centers on the book that was written by Leo in Yiddish, in which all the girls are named after his love Alma. According to Gursky, just the same way Eve was the first woman in the bible is the same way Alma will be the first girl (Krauss 38). As Alma grows up, she is determined to find the real life Alma whom she was named after. Her detective work spurred after a mysterious stranger sends her mum a letter requesting her to translate the Spanish version of â€Å"the history of love† into English. She sets out to bring back her mother into loving again and decides that the mysterious stranger who commissioned the translation of the history of love into English might be a love interest for her mother and she does sets to find out who the stranger could be. As the novel progresses, we start to get passages from Gursky's novel laid out within the Krauss’s novel. Krauss is able to connect the two levels of fiction - the novel within and the novel without. Gursky’s tone is a disappointed, dry voice while Alma's tone is more engaged and naive with most of her expedition written as a comedy. In the young Alma's story we find a charming girl emerging into adulthood

In Praise of the F Word Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

In Praise of the F Word - Essay Example The essay "In Praise of the F Word" discusses the issue that the number of students that graduate from high school each year with a diploma that is no good for them continues to rise. This leniency has caused many students to become dependent on the niceness of their teachers. Mary Sherry, as an adult-education teacher for future students such as these, proposes to implement the threat of failure into the lives of the students that are unwilling to work for a passing grade. The last thing that a student wants to do is be held back a grade or not graduate, especially when they know they can do the work. The threat of this dreaded â€Å"F† word is a surefire way of making students work for their passing grades. However, if the students are threatened with the possibility of failure, the chance is increased of them actually taking school seriously and putting it first. Flunking, therefore, stops being a threat and becomes a â€Å"positive teaching tool†. It acts as the boo st that many students need to take their studies more seriously and to stop relying on the goodness of their teachers. It is not in the job description of these teachers to grade based on personality or behavior of their students but to grade based on how well they absorbed the subject matter. Similarly, â€Å"by rewarding mediocrity [teachers] discourage excellence.† Students are being cheated out of an education because teachers want to appear helpful even if it means that the students will end up only being illiterate.