Impact of Employee Motivation Strategies on Customer Service

Impact of Employee Motivation Strategies on Customer Service Creating and maintaining a well-motivated work force is challenging task of a company. The confidence and motivation of work force are being constantly worn down by the inevitable rejection they suffer from buyers as part of everyday activities. To some extent, a high level of employee motivation is derived from effective management practices. To develop motivated employees, a manager must treat people as individuals, empower workers, provide an effective reward system, redesign jobs, and create a flexible workplace. Empowerment occurs when individuals in an organization are given autonomy, authority, trust, and encouragement to accomplish a task. Empowerment is designed to unshackle the worker and to make a job the workers responsibility. In an attempt to empower and to change some of the old bureaucratic ideas, managers are promoting corporate entrepreneurships. Entrepreneurship encourages employees to pursue new ideas and gives them the authority to promote those ideas. Obviously, entrepreneurship is not for the timid, because old structures and processes are turned upside down. Managers often use rewards to reinforce employee behavior that they want to continue. A reward is a work outcome of positive value to the individual. Organizations are rich in rewards for people whose performance accomplishments help meet organizational objectives. People receive rewards in one of the following two ways: Extrinsic rewards are externally administered. They are valued outcomes given to someone by another person, typically a supervisor or higher level manager. Common workplace examples are pay bonuses, promotions, time off, special assignments, office fixtures, awards, verbal praise, and so on. In all cases, the motivational stimulus of extrinsic rewards originates outside the individual. Intrinsic rewards are self-administered. Think of the natural high a person may experience after completing a job. That person feels good because she has a feeling of competency, personal development, and self-control over her work. In contrast to extrinsic rewards, the motivational stimulus of intrinsic rewards is internal and doesnt depend on the actions of other people. When people think of honoring employees for jobs well done, they may typically think of monetary rewards. However, these may be neither necessary nor the best type of reward. By contrast, frequent, positive feedback provided within a n enjoyable, team-oriented environment makes a tremendous difference in employees sense of being valued and, as a result, their commitment to your company. With or without financial rewards, these cultural aspects of the workplace could be the smartest investment in the staff and business. 2.0 Problem Statement McDonalds want to improve service quality and productivity in company; the single most effective thing is improve employee morale and motivation. Fortunately there are many ways to do this from the familiar recognition and reward programs to motivating with good management, teams, training, and more. And the really good news is that most of these programs dont cost a lot of money. Motivating customer service employees provides details on the full range of approaches use to improve frontline motivation. It is important to understand exactly how these motivational approaches have been put into action in to improve customer service and provide better customer care with customer satisfaction in McDonalds. It is important to hire the right people after all, you can never motivate the wrong people, create powerful recognition and incentive programs, that fully engage and motivate employees and make the frontline job more interesting, challenging, and rewarding through empowerment, teams, good management, training, and more. 3.0 Research Objectives To identify current employee motivation strategies in McDonalds To identify effective motivates factors of employees in McDonalds To understand the customer feel about the employees of McDonalds To introduce proper employee motivation strategies to improve customer service and employees performance in McDonald 4.0 Research Questionnaires What are the current employees motivation strategies in McDonald? What are the best effective employee motivation factors for McDonald? How is the customer view about the employee of McDonald? What are the most suitable employee motivation strategies to improve customer service and employees performance in McDonald? Chapter -02 5.0 Literature Review Literature Review of Employee Motivation and Customer Service Many people go to work every day and go through the same, unenthusiastic actions to perform their jobs. These individuals often refer to this condition as burnout. But smart managers can do something to improve this condition before an employee becomes bored and loses motivation. The concept of job redesign, which requires knowledge of and concern for the human qualities people bring with them to the organization, applies motivational theories to the structure of work for improving productivity and satisfaction 5.1 Employee Motivation When redesigning jobs, managers look at both job scope and job depth. Redesign attempts may include the following: Job enlargement, often referred to as horizontal job loading, job enlargement increases the variety of tasks a job includes. Although it doesnt increase the quality or the challenge of those tasks, job enlargement may reduce some of the monotony, and as an employees boredom decreases, his or her work quality generally increases. Job rotation, this practice assigns people to different jobs or tasks to different people on a temporary basis. The idea is to add variety and to expose people to the dependence that one job has on other jobs. Job rotation can encourage higher levels of contributions and renew interest and enthusiasm. The organization benefits from a cross-trained workforce. Job enrichment, this called vertical job loading, this application includes not only an increased variety of tasks, but also provides an employee with more responsibility and authority. If the skills required to do the job are skills that match the jobholders abilities, job enrichment may improve morale and performance. Todays employees value personal time. Because of family needs, a traditional nine-to-five workday may not work for many people. Therefore, flextime, which permits employees to set and control their own work hours, is one way that organizations are accommodating their employees needs. Here are some other options organizations are trying as well: A compressed workweek is a form of flextime that allows a full-time job to be completed in less than the standard 40-hour, five-day workweek. Its most common form is the 4/40 schedule, which gives employees three days off each week. This schedule benefits the individual through more leisure time and lower commuting costs. The organization should benefit through lower absenteeism and improved performance. Of course, the danger in this type of scheduling is the possibility of increased fatigue. Job sharing or twinning occurs when one full-time job is split between two or more persons. Job sharing often involves each person working one-half day, but it can also be done on weekly or monthly sharing arrangements. When jobs can be split and shared, organizations can benefit by employing talented people who would otherwise be unable to work full-time. The qualified employee who is also a parent may not want to be in the office for a full day but may be willing to work a half-day. Although adjustment problems sometimes occur, the arrangement can be good for all concerned. Telecommuting, sometimes called flexi place, is a work arrangement that allows at least a portion of scheduled work hours to be completed outside of the office, with work-at-home as one of the options. Telecommuting frees the jobholder from needing to work fixed hours, wearing special work attire, enduring the normal constraints of commuting, and having direct contact with supervisors. Home workers often demonstrate increased productivity, report fewer distractions, enjoy the freedom to be their own boss, and appreciate the benefit of having more time for them. Of course, when there are positives, there are also negatives. Many home workers feel that they work too much and are isolated from their family and friends. In addition to the feelings of isolation, many employees feel that the lack of visibility at the office may result in the loss of promotions. 5.2 Employee Motivation Strategies 1. External Motivation There are two kinds of external motivation: a) Fear You had better get this right, or you will lose money, job, respect, relationship, status, etc. b) Incentives If you do this right, you will gain money, recognition, status, promotion, lifestyle, etc. The impact of external motivation is temporary. When the threat or incentive is removed, motivation is lost. 2. Internal Motivation Most employees have been exposed to the idea If it is to be, its up to me. And they have all been advised to set goals. Many employees set worthwhile goals, BUT their suboptimal thinking prevents them from taking the best actions to achieve the best outcomes. They compromise their own best interests, because they havent been educated in the art and science of consistent Optimal Thinking. As an Optimal Thinking leader, you assess and best resolve demotivating company rules, policies and behaviors (e.g. unproductive meetings, destructive criticism, and unclear expectations about employee performance). By minimizing demotivates and optimizing no-cost employee motivation strategies (e.g. maximizing job ownership, setting supremely motivational realistic challenges and goals, providing fair treatment and appropriate recognition, measuring performance progress, optimizing collaboration and teamwork) and educating your employees in the consistent art of Optimal Thinking, you will provide the most conducive environment to optimize employee motivation and productivity. 5.3 Motivation Theories Motivation has been researched by psychologists and others for many years. A number of theories have evolved which are pertinent to the motivation of employees. The basis of Maslows motivation theory is that human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs, and that certain lower factors need to be satisfied before higher needs can be satisfied. According to Maslow, there are general types of needs (physiological, survival, safety, love, and esteem) that must be satisfied before a can act unselfishly. He called these needs deficiency needs. As long as we are motivated to satisfy these cravings, we are moving towards growth, toward self-actualization. Satisfying needs is healthy, while preventing gratification makes us sick or act evilly. The two-factor theory (also known as Herzbergs motivation-hygiene theory) states that there are certain factors in the workplace that cause job satisfaction, while a separate set of factors cause dissatisfaction. It was developed by Frederick Herzberg, a psychologist, who theorized that job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction act independently of each other. Expectancy Theory proposes that a person will decide to behave or act in a certain way because they are motivated to select a specific behavior over other behaviors due to what they expect the result of that selected behavior will be. In essence, the motivation of the behavior selection is determined by the desirability of the outcome. However, at the core of the theory is the cognitive process of how an individual processes the different motivational elements. This is done before making the ultimate choice. The outcome is not the sole determining factor in making the decision of how to behave. 5.4 Importance of Customer Services Good customer service is the lifeblood of any business. It can offer promotions and slash prices to bring in as many new customers as company want, but unless company can get some of those customers to come back, business wont be profitable for long. Good customer service is all about bringing customers back. And about sending them away happy happy enough to pass positive feedback about business along to others, who may then try the product or service offer for themselves and in their turn, become repeat customers Good salesperson can be used to sell anything to anyone once. But it will be your approach to customer service that determines whether or not ever be able to sell that person anything else. The essence of good customer service is forming a relationship with customers a relationship that that individual customer feels that he would like to pursue. Answer your phone. Get call forwarding or an answering service. Hire the staff if business need to. But make sure that someone is picking up the phone when someone calls your business. Dont make promises unless you will keep them. Not plan to keep them, will keep them. Reliability is one of the keys to any good relationship, and good customer service is no exception. It is important think before you give any promise because nothing annoys customers more than a broken one. Listen to your customers. Is there anything more exasperating than telling someone what you want or what your problem is and then discovering that that person hasnt been paying attention and needs to have it explained again? From a customers point of view, I doubt it. Can the sales pitches and the product babble. Let your customer talk and show him that you are listening by making the appropriate responses, such as suggesting how to solve the problem. Deal with complaints. No one likes hearing complaints, and many of us have developed a reflex shrug, saying, You cant please all the people all the time. Maybe not, but if you give the complaint your attention, you may be able to please this one person this one time and position your business to reap the benefits of good customer service. Be helpful even if theres no immediate profit in it. The other day I popped into a local watch shop because I had lost the small piece that clips the pieces of my watch band together. When I explained the problem, the proprietor said that he thought he might have one lying around. He found it, attached it to my watch band and charged me nothing! Where do you think Ill go when I need a new watch band or even a new watch? And how many people do you think Ive told this story to? Train your staff (if you have any) to be always helpful, courteous, and knowledgeable. Do it yourself or hire someone to train them. Talk to them about good customer service and what it is (and isnt) regularly. Most importantly, give every member of your staff enough information and power to make those small customer-pleasing decisions, so he never has to say, I dont know, but so-and-so will be back at Take the extra step For instance, if someone walks into your store and asks you to help them find something, dont just say, Its in Aisle 3. Lead the customer to the item. Better yet, wait and see if he has questions about it, or further needs. Whatever the extra step may be, if you want to provide good customer service, take it. They may not say so to you, but people notice when people make an extra effort and will tell other people. viii) Throw in something extra. Whether its a coupon for a future discount, additional information on how to use the product, or a genuine smile, people love to get more than they thought they were getting. And dont think that a gesture has to be large to be effective. The local art framer that we use attaches a package of picture hangers to every picture he frames. A small thing, but so appreciated. Chapter -03 6.0 Methodology Staff surveys are usually very helpful in establishing whether staff in your company is motivated and therefore performing to best effect. Aside from the information that questionnaires reveal, the process of involving and consulting with staff is hugely beneficial and motivational in its own right, Whilst survey will be unique to McDonalds and staff issues, industry and culture, some useful generic guidelines apply to most situations and own questionnaires on employee motivation. 6.1 Sampling Frame Research is mainly focused on primary data. Random sampling method is used for the primary data collection. Two questionnaire surveys are conducted for the research study. It is randomly selected 10 McDonalds in all over the country. Then it is selected 100 employees from all over the McDonalds in country. It is randomly selected 100 customers from selected ten McDonalds in all over the country. 6.2 Data Collection Mainly research is focused on primary data and secondary data also collected from books, journals and informal discussions. Two questionnaires are prepared to collect all the information required for the objectives. One questionnaire is prepared for the McDonalds employee and other questionnaire prepared for the McDonalds customers. Then the prepared questionnaire is pre tested with five employee and five consumers to make sure that questionnaires are appropriate to get required information. Then questionnaire survey is conducted randomly selected 100 employees and customers. Questionnaires are completed when interviewing the employee and customers. Chapter -04 7.0 Data Analysis 7.1 Employee Survey According to the results of the questionnaire survey, out of the sample that were subjected to the survey 75% of chefs and managers said that they were satisfied with the level of flexibility of working hours. However only 61% of the cashiers were satisfied, and it should be noted that out of the cashiers that were interviewed 53% are female workers. The female workers may find it difficult to match their requirement with the available working shifts. Even though the management had emphasized that the performance related rewarding strategies were in place, the questionnaire analysis shows some contradicting results. Only 37% of chefs, 46% cashiers are satisfied with their salary. But 100% of the managers are satisfied with their salary. Also approximately 37% of chefs and cashiers are satisfied with the benefits, while 75% of the managers are satisfied with their benefits. Further 25% and 38% of chefs and cashiers are satisfied with the frequency and amount of bonuses respectively. However 50% of the managers are satisfied with the bonuses. But 62% chefs, 53% cashiers and 100% of the managers are satisfied with the rewarding scheme. Nevertheless this analysis indicates a more focus and biasness towards the management in terms of rewards and the requirements of the team members are not sufficiently addressed. However based on the questionnaire analysis, on average 50% of the employees are satisfied with the career advancement opportunities available to them. So the reason for this lower satisfaction level should be investigated. The results of the questionnaire survey shows that around 76% of the operational level employees (cashiers, chefs, etc) are below 4 years in service. So this can be a symptom of employee turnover or they may have been promoted to higher grades. So it is identified that the job security for the KFC team members are high, a large number of employment opportunities are available within their group of companies and their career path is clear. According to the questionnaire results 75% of chefs and 100% of managers are satisfied with their job security. However the cashiers show a lower satisfaction rate of 53% of job satisfaction. Even though the management believes in a supportive corporate culture to enhance employee motivation, the effectiveness of the implementation of the strategies is questionable. This because the results of the questionnaire results revealed that only 50% of the chefs and only 46% of cashiers are satisfied with the existing corporate culture even though there is 100% satisfaction of the management. 7.2 Customer Survey 100 customers were interviewed in this survey, according to their view 69% customers satisfied with customer service delivering in McDonald, 26% customers dissatisfied and 5% customers were neutral in that question. Product quality and price view of customers were good 78% of customers satisfied with product quality and 82% customers satisfied with product price. According to customer view, researcher can summarized their view as above Chapter -05 8.0 Conclusions Recommendations 8.1 Conclusions It can be concluded that the rewarding strategy which is in place at the moment is somewhat ineffective. One of the major issue with the current system is it is more bias towards the management but does not take into account the requirements of the team members. This fact is proven by the results of the questionnaire analysis. For instance only 37% and 46%% of chefs and cashiers are satisfied with their salary, respectively. However 100%% of the managers are satisfied of their salary. On the other hand 37% and 38% of chefs and cashiers are satisfied with their benefits respectively, while 75% of the managers are satisfied. It can be concluded that, in general KFC has taken actions tom promote their team members to higher positions in anticipation of motivation. When considering the results of the questionnaire only 0% of chefs and 15% of cashiers have service records of more than 7 years. So the chefs and cashiers may be promoted as managers in course of time. This fact is further supported by the fact that no managers were found to have less than 4 years of experience at Mcdonald. So managers must be promoted from the operational level to their current position. 8.2 Recommendations It is recommended to revise the existing rewarding scheme appropriately to accommodate the requirements of the team members in terms of amount of economic benefits ensuring a win-win situation for both the employees and the employer. It is recommended to attend to the issue of high work load of female cashiers, and to the issue of lack of new technology in McDonald. It is emphasized that by bringing in new technology to reduce work load. It is recommended to design a new shift of working, different to the general shifts that are currently available in order to accommodate the requirements of the female employees. It is recommended to provide convenient physical working environment for female workers. It is recommended to assess the training needs of chefs regularly because of the technical nature of the job and because of a chefs ability to deliver superior customer satisfaction. Proper training program should be organized and conducted continuously to enhance the knowledge and the skill base of the chefs.

Recycling:The Technology of Conserving :: Environmental Environment

Recycling:The Technology of Conserving I. America Thinks Trash Over the past two decades, the U.S. Public has embraced a remarkable hobby: recycling. The awareness of threatening environmental issues and recycling programs have been growing parallel to each other. Despite vast and compelling evidence against recycling, the American public has continued to practice daily rituals of sorting out items from their own trash. After reading the arguments posed by the anti-recyclers, making sure to acknowledge the truth and disregard over generalizations and flaws, a prevailing question arises: Is recycling necessary with our technological advances? II. The History of Garbage â€Å"Population when unchecked increases in a geometrical ration. Subsistence increases only in an arithmetical ratio.† -Thomas Roberto Malthus (1798) The world has inevitable had its share of â€Å"sighting† into the future. An energy crisis in the middle of the 19th century was caused by the dwindling supply of whales. In 1905, President Roosevelt announced a â€Å"timber famine†. In 1929, the United States was proclaimed to have a mere seven year supply of petroleum left. It was also predicted by several ecologists, including Paul Ehrlich, one of the world’s better-known scientists and author of â€Å"The Population Bomb†, that in the 1970’s or 80’s the world would undergo a terrible famine and eventually starve to death. Not only did the widely fear popular â€Å"sightings† not occur, but â€Å"things were actually getting less scarce as population grew.† [8] Did we get lucky? Yes and No. Yes because the scarcity forced prices to increase and forced creative and ingenious minds to â€Å"create† new resources. No because new uses for resources existed, we just had not discovered them. Furthermore, luck did not take care of the problem, hard work towards solutions did. Are we running out? â€Å"Fossil fuels and most minerals are more abundant than in the past--that is, they are more readily available and cheaper than they used to be. Most resources are so plentiful that they will last for centuries† (6). Resources are abundantly available, but like anything else in this world, if we abuse, we will have unfortunate consequences. Maybe not complete extinction or mass starvation, but definitely unwanted problems which could have been prevented. So, we might not run out of oil and one sighs with content. However, it is not necessarily a good thing. More oil means more pollution. III. Two-Faced Trash Humanity’s destiny is debated by two opposing views in the recycling world. The ecologist and the economist.

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Essay -- essays research papers

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill ABSTRACT In March of 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska. An eighteen foot wide hole was ripped into the hull, and 10.9 million gallons of crude oil spilled into the ocean. In the following weeks, many things transpired. This paper will discuss the cleanup, the damage, and the results of the biggest oil spill in United States history. On March 24, 1989, in Prince William Sound Alaska, the Exxon Valdez was moving South West after leaving Port Valdez. The ship was carrying over fifty million gallons of crude oil. When the Valdez was only twenty-eight miles from the port, it ran aground on Bligh reef. The bottom was ripped open, and 10.9 million gallons of North Slope Crude Oil spilled into the frozen Alaskan waters at a rate of two hundred thousand gallons per minute. The remaining forty-two million gallons were off loaded. In the ensuing days, more than 1,200 miles of shoreline were hit with oil. This area included four National Wildlife Refugees, three National Parks, and Chugach National Forest. Within hours, smaller tanker vessels arrived in order to off load the remaining oil. Unfortunately, the cleanup effort was hindered by an inadequate cleanup plan that had been created during the 1970's. These plans outlined how an oil spill would be handled, including provisions for maintaining equipment such as containment booms and "skimmer boats." The plans also called for a response team to be on twenty-four hour notice. Unfortunately, the plans were good on paper only. A spill of this size had not been anticipated. Therefore, the response teams had been demobilized, and the equipment that was supposed to be ready at all times was either too far away or nonexistent.. Precious hours were also wasted as Corporations, the Alaskan State Government, and the National government argued over who should take control of the situation. The arguments ensued after debates over who would pay for what, who was responsible for what, and who would do the best job. The local fishermen were a big help with the cleanup effort. They battled with the oil in order to protect their industry. Many fisherman were seen in row-boats in the small coastal inlets. The fishermen work... ...industry in Alaska, so there has been much concern over the welfare of the fish. Many natives also live by subsistence fishing. Pink salmon and herring were the two species that people were most concerned about. Pink salmon is the biggest commercial fish in Alaskan waters, many people were afraid that the salmon population would need years to recover, however, studies have shown that the effect of the oil on spawning, eggs, and fry was negligible. Chromatography tests have also shown that there are no hydrocarbons in the flesh of most of the fish. Those that do have hydrocarbons in their flesh have a level that is so low as to be measured in the parts per billion range. Herring is also a huge commercial fish in Alaska. The 1988 catch yielded twelve point three million dollars. In 1989, after the spill, herring was declared "off limits" to fishermen. However, this was compensated by a salmon catch that was six times as big as it had been in 1988. In 1990, when herring fishing resumed, it returned to normal levels. The damage to the fishing industry was not nearly as bad as had been anticipated. Usha Varanasi, director of the NOAA's Environmental Conservation Division in S

Low self esteem

I was flicking through some featured articles on my IPad last night when I happened to come across Rod Liddle's piece: ‘our children urgently need less self-esteem'. I asked myself, do our children need less self-esteem? Preposterous. Of course not, in fact I believe that they need more self-esteem. Low self-esteem is one of the major underlying problems of crime, bullying, unemployment†¦ honestly, the list could go on. Children with low self-esteem suffer from depression and a sense of insignificance and generally have a pessimistic view on all aspects of life. Whereas children with high self-esteem are positive and seem to do better in life than those who lack confidence. Why? Why should children need less self-esteem when it is already clear that high self-esteem seems to be a better trait in children? Honestly, I really do think this article is just a '50 year old twat' ranting about the younger generation, however I have an urge to criticize his opinions because his article is just too fallacious. Rod Liddles article was a response to the riots earlier last year in the summer, and yes I do agree that they were outrageous and caused a huge calamity nationally, but, like the teachers I would say the kids need more self-esteem rather than less. This is due to the fact that a majority of the rioters probably had low self-esteem to start with and therefore gave into peer pressure to follow some idiots smashing up the shop windows of Poundland just because it seemed like the ‘cool' thing to do. Even if some kids have self-esteem which sky rockets to the sky, acting as role models for the rioters, it is probably the parents fault, and the upbringing they had which means it is Liddles generation to blame. I believe that the riots were not started by some random, over-confident teens wanting to take over the nation but were sparked by an outrage when the judicial system failed to explain the accidental shooting and killing of Mark Duggan. So obviously it is his generation who started the riots In the first place by unjustly ignoring people's anger, consequently allowing the riots to start. Also, Liddle states that the judicial system is made too liberal saying â€Å"if anything goes wrong with a modern child's life, it is someone else's fault: teachers, or the Police, or society†. In this he is totally contradicting himself, because the police force is made up of his generation or maybe slightly younger, but all still being adults, so really he is criticizing the wrong people. In addition, according to Wikipedia, police arrested 3,100 people which is a fairly reasonable amount of people. Meaning the judicial system is not actually that soft, they do lock up a fair amount of wrong doers. As for the teachers, well I'm sure almost everyone on the planet has had a detention or some form of punishment for doing something wrong in school. And if you do something horrifically bad then you are expelled with no exceptions. So tell me again, Liddle, where children are not disciplined? The riots were not caused only by low self-esteem by also by desperation due to the current economic situation our country is in now. Many people are now broke, poor and depressed, and obviously some people want to do something about it. So when the opportunity arises where you can take whatever you can get hold of, whether you actually want it or get some money out of it then I'm guessing the mind-set is ‘why not? , other people are doing it'. The state of the economy had to be caused somehow, some time ago and after some research it turns out that it was in fact Liddles generation who caused this total slump. Apparently, ‘back then' houses were cheaper and loaning from the bank was easier, causing people to have too much self-esteem and consumer confidence. So when people decided they were rich they started buying and buying and buying until they had no money to give back to the banks. Now in the present day all of us have to pay for their expenses and suffer in this drudgingly, slow sink into an economic depression. Lastly, I am convinced that Liddle is totally unreliable and his use of hyperbole is excessive, he is clearly not a modern day teen and cannot say anything about self-esteem in kids because he simply is not one. Liddle is pretty much 30 years past his prime and cannot accurately state the minds of our modern youths. Many teens are low in self-esteem but merely hide behind a mask to make it seem as though they are ‘significant' and know it, but in fact they want to curl up in a ball and cry about life.

Special Needs Assistant Requirements

Dec 2008 How do I become a Special Needs Assistant? Special Needs Assistants. Job Description Special Needs Assistants are recruited specifically to assist schools in providing the necessary non–teaching services to pupils with assessed educational needs. Their duties are assigned by the Principal acting on behalf of the Board of Management. Their work is supervised either by the Principal or another teacher as determined by the Principal. Those duties involve tasks of a non-teaching nature such as: . Preparation and tidying up of classrooms. 2. Assisting school children to board and alight from school buses. Where necessary travel as escort during school hours on school buses may be required. 3. Special assistance as necessary for children with particular difficulties e. g. helping special needs pupils with typing or writing or computers or other use of equipment. 4. Assistance with clothing, feeding, toileting and general hygiene and being mindful of health and safety needs of the pupil. 5.Assisting on out-of-school visits, walks, examinations and similar activities. 6. Assisting the teachers in the supervision of pupils during assembly, recreation and dispersal from the classroom for one reason or another. 7. Accompanying individuals or small groups who may have to be withdrawn temporarily from the classroom for one reason or another. 8. General assistance to the class teachers, under the direction of the Principal, with duties of a non-teaching nature. (Special Needs Assistants may not act as either substitute or temporary teachers.In no circumstances may they be left in sole charge of a class or group of children). 9. Participation with school development planning, where appropriate, and co-operation with any such changes with policies and practices arising from the school development process. 10. Engagement with parents of special needs pupils in both formal and informal structures as required and directed by school management. 11. Other duties app ropriate to the grade as may be determined by the needs of the pupils and the school from time to time.Special Needs Assistants may be re-assigned to other work appropriate to the grade when special needs pupils are absent or when particular urgent work demands arise. Qualifications required: The minimum level of qualification required is a Junior Certificate with passes in English, Maths and Irish. In reality many SNA applicants will have further qualifications such as the FETAC level 5 SNA certificate (single subject or full award) or the FETAC Level 5 qualification in Childcare.Some may also have third level qualifications in related fields such as Montessori, Early Childhood Education or Psychology. Experience Relevant work experience with children is very important. This can include time spent as a volunteer in a homework club, summer camp leader, sports coach, as well as being active in your childrens’ school, for example in the parents association. More information on working as a SNA is available in the Education Personnel section of the Dept of Education & Science website www. education. e or from AEGIS. Local Courses. †¢ FETAC level 5 Special Needs Assisstant single subject certificate courses have been offered as a part-time course in Abbeyleix Further Education Centre and Portarlington Adult Education Centre. Check www. laoisvec. ie †¢ Portlaoise College offers a full FETAC level 5, Special Needs Assistants course as well as a Childcare programme at the same level. www. portlaoisecollege. ie Information taken from Dept of Education & Science Website www. education. ie and INTO website www. into. ie

Life is like a box of chocolates Essay

At first glance the quote ‘life is like a box of chocolates seems’ rather silly. How could such a large and complicated concept such as life be compared to something as small and simple as a box of chocolates? There have been two opposing viewpoints in regards to the meaning of this quote, and each viewpoint comes about by a different analysis of what life and chocolates represent as well as what they mean in today’s world. The conclusion to the question can only come about through a thorough examination of the quote itself along with its possible entailments to see what both groups of people deem important and what they choose to ignore. Both arguments seem to work well to counter the other and show the flaws in the other explanation’s theory. According to the World Book Encyclopedia, life is ‘a state, existence, or principle of existence conceived as belonging to the soul.’ Most people, when questioned about life would not have a very clear or concise answer because life is not something that is wholly tangible. In general life is considered to be everything that happens to a person from the moment they are born to the moment they die. All of their interactions with the world and all of their thoughts and actions. There does not seem to be any plan or order to these events, just everything that happens. Everything. Life is a long process with good, bad and indifferent points. According to the World Book Encyclopedia, a box is ‘a container, usually with four stiff sides, a bottom, and a lid to pack or put things in,’ and chocolate is ‘a substance made by roasting and grinding cacao seeds.’ A box of chocolates would logically be a container which holds cacao products. A scientific dissection of a box of chocolates would show a box (usually rectangular or heart shaped) filled with anywhere from one to dozens of small, individually wrapped chocolates. Usually the type of chocolate and the filling of each individual varies inside a given package. In America however, a box of chocolates means much more then this simple addition of definitions and a direct visual analysis would lead one to believe. A box of chocolates, in our referent system, is a symbol. It generally symbolizes  love, and through metonymy, has been made to mean love. When a gift of a box of chocolates is given on Valentine’s Day, it more than symbolizes love, it actually means love. The meanings have become blurred over the years as chocolate has become a standard gift. It is not an original thought to give someone chocolate, but more a means of showing love. Not an act of love, but merely an expression of love. The first group of people generally finish the simile ‘life is like a box of chocolates’ with the conclusion ‘you never know what you’re gonna get.’ This group views all the meanings of life and of the box of chocolates and found the best compilation to be that both in life, and in chocolates, there is randomness and a lack of order. When a person walks out of the front door of his house on a Monday morning, there is no way for him to know if he is going to find a hundred dollar bill tucked under his doormat, or a large meteor that has fallen and crushed his car. It’s hard to know if a day is going to be a good day or a bad day, you just know that it will be a day. The same holds true for eating a box of chocolates. When you open a box of chocolates, there are rows of non-differentiated chocolates. They all look the same, and yet you know some are filled with cream, some with caramel and some with coconut. When you pick one up, much like when the man opens his front door, there is no way of knowing if you will get a good chocolate (cream) or a bad chocolate (coconut), you just know you’ll get a chocolate. For both examples it will not be easy to tell if it was good or bad until the chocolate, or the day, has been completed. You never know what will happen. The second group of people generally finish the simile ‘life is like a box of chocolates’ with the conclusion ‘a thoughtless perfunctory gift that nobody really wants.’ This group takes up an opposing analysis and says that the important part of chocolates is not the randomness of them within the package, but instead the symbol that people don’t really think in life, but instead just perform as they are expected to. Since chocolates have come to mean love, people no longer do creative things to express their love. They simple buy chocolates. Once the chocolates are delivered, then what. People don’t actually want the chocolates, they want the love. Since the chocolates  have assumed the meaning of love, the chocolates themselves go to waste. Who wants to eat their love? Instead of being eaten immediately, as chocolates are truly intended to be, they are showed to friends and relatives, and eventually put on a shelf or in a cabinet. They will get eaten if someone shows desire, but it’s not important. Under this interpretation, life is pointless and merely for show. People don’t do things because it is what they feel that they should, people do things because they are expected to (just as the lover is expected to give chocolate). It is better to put up an lofty facade, then to be true and honest to the people around you.

Darden case study Essay

1. Using the full spectrum of segmentation variables, describe how Darden segments and targets the sit-down dining market. The types of segmentation include geographic, demographic, psychographic, and behavioral segmentation. For geographic segmentation, Darden has all of its Longhorn Steakhouse restaurants in the eastern half of the United States but they are trying to expand to the west coast. This is a great idea because out west is an untapped market with great potential for lots of earnings. Darden has a chance to redefine the image of steakhouses as is currently being done like the classiness that is being added to the brand. The customer traffic is increasing and Longhorn Steakhouse could potentially even overtake Outback Steakhouse as the premier steakhouse type of restaurant. For demographic segmentation, Red Lobster represents the opportunity Darden has to fill the gap between the young fast food concept and the upscale white-tablecloth restaurants. Red lobster is even making many changes to accommodate for the changing times around America which is causing sales to fall. With innovative concepts such as wood fired grilling resulting in a â€Å"taste of wood-grilled seafood† and investments in equipment and training, Darden is putting itself back in the spotlight to becoming recognized and respected. You can also never go wrong with fried shrimp so Red Lobster will always have that marketing card to play. The Psychographic segmentation is shown by how people want to feel positive emotions when they go out to restaurants such as the concept of a happy family and namely the mythical Italian family. Customers want to feel emotionally satisfied as much as they want to be physically satisfied by the food. Creating an authentic menu hits close to home because people get that warm and happy feeling when they see the authenticity. Even Olive Garden’s commercial â€Å"When you’re here, you’re family† and slogan show the feelings of connection that Americans want to feel and would be willing to come in for. Behavioral segmentation is shown in how less frequently Americans want to sit down at restaurants to eat their meals. With all of our financial constraints we are choosing different and more cost effective ways to eat out and have a good time with the family. Darden needs to use more cost effective ways to lower the meal prices so that family’s will once again be willing to eat out at a sit down restaurant on a regular basis.