Fordist And Taylorist Production Systems Cultural Studies Essay

Fordist And Taylorist Production Systems Cultural Studies Essay Fordism, named after the Henry Ford from US, who refers to a variety of communal theories about production, assembling and related socio-economic phenomena  [1]  . Although Henry Ford was not the inventor of the automobile but he developed extraordinary methods of production and marketing that allowed the automobile to become reachable to the American working class. Ford always wanted to make cars that his team workers could afford easily. So, the mass production began in Detroit in 1914, when Ford discovered that a moving assembly line using interchangeable parts which could completely reduce the cost of making motor cars. After that he created the Ford Motor Company, which was one of a dozen small automobile manufacturers that emerged in the early 20th century. Mass production was really an unpleasant work, with high turnover because new production system must be oriented towards multi-skilling and rapid re-skilling workers; in order to hold the search for shifting a newly form ing market in a post mass production (cf. Piore, M. and Sabel, C., 1984). Just to retain his unskilled workforce, Ford doubled their wages to $5 per day justified by higher productivity  [2]  . After three years of production, he introduced the Model T, which was simple and light yet sturdy enough to drive on the countrys very elementary road system. He sold 18m Model T Fords, transforming to America into the first car-owning democracy, at a low price that dropped from $600 to $250 over 15 years. Henry Fords success and revolutionary techniques of production were then termed Fordism  [3]  . The scale of mass production is hard to understand. Fords River Rouge plant in Detroit, completed in 1928, he extended for a mile along a tributary of the Detroit River and employed 100,000 men workers. Raw materials like iron ore and rubber were unloaded at one end, and finished cars emerged from the other end, 72 hours later. But Fords system proved less efficient than GM  [4]  , which produced a range of models for different pocketbooks. Labour relations were troubled, sit-down strike, at the big automakers in the 1930s with layoffs and speed-ups, the end of organized capitalism has a tendency to become dis-organized in that the labour-employer relationships are fracturing (cf. Lash, S. and Urry, J. 1987) . GM was the first company forced to recognize the UAW  [5]  union after a sit-down strike closed its plants in Flint, Michigan in 1937. After more battles, the workers won higher wages and benefits, sharing in the American Dream. Unions also negotiated rigid work rules to protect workers from exploitation by foremen. Ford was even more determined to oppose unions than GM, and Henry Ford employed 3,000 service department personnel to prevent them taking hold. In 1937 they beat up key UAW union organizers attempting to hand out leaflets near the River Rouge factory. But in 1941, even Ford was forced to yield to union power, to ensure industrial peace during wartime. But the legacy of bitter industrial relations e ndured. The decline of mass production is due to Post Fordism; small scale batch production in small medium plants not mass production in large plant, only customized not standardized products, using multi-skilled workers with flexible work roles not fixed job descriptions, robots and computerized work teams instead of moving assembly lines (cf. Murray, R. 1989). Car manufacture ceased with the outbreak of World War II, but the auto manufacturers made good profits helping with the war effort, producing everything from jeeps to aircraft engines. The mass production helped the Allies win the war, and led to further consolidation in the industry. The war also brought new social groups, like women and black people, into the auto industry, but also increased social tensions in Detroit. Unemployment disappeared, and the UAWs power grew. The end of the war released an enormous surge of pent-up demand, especially for cars and houses, and Detroit boomed as never before. Car workers wages soared and many became homeowners. The Big three car companies dominated production as never before. In 1955 GM became the first company to make $1bn profit. Big cars predominated, promoted by sexy adverts  [6]  . The first signs that all was not well with Detroit was the 1973 oil crisis, when Middle East producers declared a boycott. Queues formed at petrol stations, and consumers for the first time switched in large numbers to smaller, more economical cars-often made by the Japanese; which they found more reliable. The Detroit-made cars had more defects, and Detroits attempts to build a successful small car failed. The auto industry now is much better prepared to withstand the effects of an oil crisis and meet consumer demand for highly fuel-efficient vehicles than it was during the Middle East oil crisis of the 1970s, Ford Motor Company Chairman Harold A. Poling said  [7]  . Imports of Japanese cars soared in the 1980s as consumers gradually grew to prefer the smaller, more reliable cars. The unions and the US companies reacted to the threat by trying to get the US government to block imports, and by the mid-1980s had succeeded in getting Japan to agree intended export chains (cf. Womack, J., P., Jones, J.T., Roos, D., 1990). But the move backfired as Japanese firms became more profitable and moved up market, launching cars like the Lexus. The US companies determined that they could make more money by selling sports utility vehicles, built on a truck chassis. In the 1990s sales of SUVs  [8]  and minivans soared. Imported SUVs attracted a higher tariff rate, blocking Japanese rivals. They were not very fuel-efficient, but with oil prices at $18 a barrel, no one seemed to mind. As imports flooded in, the car market became increasingly dominated by foreign producers, who imported millions of cars from overseas factories. Companies also increasingly relo cated production to Canada and Mexico after the Nafta free trade agreement. GM, Ford and Chrysler thought that the Japanese had an unfair advantage due to an undervalued (low) currency. They also believed that oil prices would return to lower levels. Lean production, Japanese manufacturers like Toyota and Nissan were also building more factories within the US to escape import controls, threat from Japan,(cf. Womack, J., P., Jones, J.T., Roos, D., 1990) in the response to eliminate waste by introducing this method. These factories were based on a new and more efficient production system, and they also allowed the transplants to develop new models more quickly. They also developed closer relationships with suppliers, using just-in-time methods. Soon they were competing across the whole range of vehicles, from trucks to compact cars. Green cars, in the last year many Americans have accepted the reality of global warming, and the demand for green vehicles has grown. Toyota sells 100,000 Prius hybrids a year and is rolling the hybrid technology out across its entire range. Both Ford and GM exposed electric-powered concept cars at the 2007 Detroit Motor Show, but they may be years away from mass production. Taylorism, a system of production devised by F. W. Taylor (1911), and characterized by the division of factory work into the smallest and simplest jobs while closely co-ordinating the sequence of tasks in order to achieve maximum efficiency, as, for example, on a production line. As a result, skilled managers and technicians oversee semi-skilled or unskilled workers who are engaged in simple, repetitive chores. This system of production has had profound spatial implications, as large firms often allocate skilled and unskilled jobs to different locations, creating a division of labour  [9]  . Taylorism is often mentioned along with Fordism, because it was closely associated with mass production methods in manufacturing factories. Taylors own name for his approach was scientific management  [10]  . Applications of scientific management sometimes fail to account for two inherent difficulties: Individuals are different from each other: the most efficient way of working for one person may be inefficient for another. The economic interests of workers and management are rarely identical, so that both the measurement processes and the retraining required by Taylors methods are frequently resented and sometimes sabotaged by the workforce. Both difficulties were recognized by Taylor, but are generally not fully addressed by managers who only see the potential improvements to efficiency. Taylor believed that scientific management cannot work unless the worker benefits. In his view management should arrange the work in such a way that one is able to produce more and get paid more, by teaching and implementing more efficient procedures for producing a product. Although Taylor did not compare workers with machines, some of his critics use this image to explain how his approach makes work more efficient by removing unnecessary or wasted effort (cf. Parker M. and Slaughter, J., 1988). However, some would say that this approach ignores the complications introduced because workers are necessarily human: personal needs, interpersonal difficulties and the very real difficulties introduced by making jobs so efficient that workers have no time to relax. As a result, workers worked harder, but became dissatisfied with the work environment. Some have argued that this discounting of worker personalities led to the rise of labour unions. It can also be said that the rise in labor unions is leading to a push on the part of industry to accelerate the process of automation, a process that is undergoing a renaissance with the invention of a host of new technologies starting with the computer and the Internet. This shift in production to machines was clearly one of the goals of Taylorism (cf. Berggren, C., 1989), and represents a victory for his theories. It may not be adaptive to changing scenarios; it overemphasizes routine procedures, i.e. strictly following a given set of rules and regulations, work procedures, production centeredness etc. However, tactfully choosing to ignore the still controversial process of automating human work is also politically expedient, so many still say that practical problems caused by Taylorism led to its replacement by the human relations school of management in 1930. Others (cf. Braverman, H., 1974) insisted that human relations did not replace Taylorism but that both approaches are rather opposite: Taylorism determining the actual organization of the work process and human relations helping to adapt the workers to the new procedures. However, Taylors theories were clearly at the roots of a global revival in theories of scientific management in the last two decades of the 20th century, under the moniker of corporate reengineering or business process re-engineering (cf. Milkman, R., 1997). As such, Taylors ideas can be seen as the root of a very influential series of developments in the workplace, with the goal being the eventual elimination of industrys need for unskilled, and later perhaps, even most skilled labor in any form, directly following Taylors recipe for deconstructing a process. This has come to be known as commoditization, and no skilled profession, even medicine, has proven to be immune from the efforts of Taylors followers, the re-engineers, who are often called derogatory names such as bean counters. A complex division of labour  [11]  and the expansion of economic interdependence accompanied the emergence of industrial capitalism. The division of labour reached its logical conclusion in the emergence of Taylorism and its mass production partner, Fordism. These had their weaknesses including high start-up costs and a relatively rigid production process. Such low-trust systems can be contrasted with high-trust systems, where workers operate with greater autonomy and cooperation. A whole series of techniques and initiatives are described by the term post-Fordism including group production and mass customization. These are epitomized by the Quality Circle, a concept alien to Taylorist assumptions that workers need to be stripped of opportunities for creative input. Such systems tend to be marked by high skill levels and rapid turnover of product designs. The decline of manufacturing industry as an employer can be explained both by competition from the Far East and the increasing rate of technological change. Global production systems have also contributed to the movement of industry around the world. These processes have led to a steady decline in trade union membership since the 1970s. The separation of home and work contributed to the marginalization of women from paid employment, a pattern gradually reversed during the twentieth century. Within the economy women remain concentrated in poorly paid routine occupations  [12]  . Either work becomes recreated as womens work, or heartlands of female employment slowly have their status eroded over time. Labour-force participation is higher among childless women, though many more females now return to their full-time jobs after childbirth than they did a decade ago. Women dominate part-time employment, though their reasons for remaining in such jobs remain the source of controversy  [13]  . The most notable change in working life in developed countries has been the expansion of female participation in the paid labour market and resulting erosion of the male breadwinner model within families. Among men, the trend has been away from manual work and currently also away from routine non-manual labour. These trends have levelled off in recent years, with women remaining over-represented in routine white-collar jobs and men over-represented in skilled manual work. Despite womens advances across the economy, the top posts remain the preserve of men. Women in the most recent generation have benefited from the legislation passed in the 1970s, but the pay divide remains substantial over a lifetime. Debates on skills in the workplace have tended to become polarized between those, (cf. Braverman, H., 1974), who see capitalism as continually deskilling the workforce as new machines and technologies replace crafts and creativity; who argue that it is not technology but the way this i s used that is most important  [14]  . Unemployment has a long history and has ebbed and flowed throughout the twentieth century. There are significant effects for individuals, communities and the wider society. These are disproportionately borne by the young and ethnic minorities. A key task for individuals will be to find ways of forging long-term life plans in a society that privileges the short-term. In 1990s the the new industrial relations associated with the introduction of HRM, also seeks to create an atmosphere and a framework for union-management collaboration (cf. Guest, D., 1989, Storey, J., 1992). From the above it is possible to deduce some conclusions. First of all, there are changes in the way by which work is done and controlled. The Fordism model is dictatorial, with rigid discipline, technical and specific personnel training, taking man as a simple addition of the machine and separating the intellectual from the manual work. Classical management control is performed by rigid supervision procedures. The number of problem with general post-Fordist paradigm has implication for the potential embedding (cf. Kelly, J., 1998) The post-Fordist model presents flexible authority and control systems by which conformism and passivity open spaces for dynamism and creativity (according to the management model established earlier). However, when this analysis is centred on the objects and ideology that guide the productive process, one can conclude that no evolution has occurred. Management, yesterday and today, aims toward maximum rationalization of the production system, greater increase in productivity, profitability and competition, maintaining together the older way of production (cf. Sparrow, P. and Marchington, M., 1998). When that concentration is measured in employment terms, aggregate data for the mid-70s to the mid-80s show that larger firms in all three societies have been shedding labour, even though disproportionately. This fact must be analysed also by the quality of employment, the quality of life and the security of economic recovery, and not just from the point of view of job creation in terms of head-counts. The de-centralization of decision-making and flattening of managerial hierarchies in post-Fordist has led to a de-centralization of managerial control, or whether Fordist centralized management control is being maintained, even in spatially decentralized units, through the development of new control technologies (cf. Lane, C., 1995). In fact, there is not, in either model, a proposal that guarantee the autonomy of the worker. In both, Taylor and Ford, task obligations are reached through rigid control and supervision concerning the worker. In the post-Fordism model, task obligations occur by way of a rigid management scheme. Direct supervisory control is inhibited, assuming either the form of auto-control or control by complex technological procedures; nevertheless, it continues to exist. Beyond the work strengthening and capital concentration, the post-Fordism model maintains the division of work, although on more ample bases. If in Taylorism-Fordism the tasks were broken down into simple and routine movements, in post-Fordism the division into fractions of work happens with the attribution of responsibility to the groups that fulfil a set of specific tasks (activities). There is widespread agreement in the literature that due to the need for more flexible and speedier reaction to changing market demands, de-centralization of decision-making and flattening of managerial hierarchies has occurred (cf. Lane, C., 1995). However, there is little systematic evidence as to what form that de-centralization has taken and which hierarchical levels have been affected. To the post-Fordism is like Fordism as well as post-modernism is like modernism. Postmodernism is another version of that historical amnesia characteristic of American culture the tyranny of the new. According to the Green (cf. Green, A., 1997), postmodernism should be seen not as a development beyond modernism but rather as a continuation of a certain idealist current within it. One can make the same statement about Fordism and post-Fordism. Finally, it seems opportune to repeat the words of Ford from back in the 40s (cf. Ford, H., 1991): We are not living in a machine age; we are living in the power age. This power age of ours has great possibilities, depending upon how we use it. Of course it can be mistreated. But, it can also be used greatly to benefit mankind. If this sentence were true during that period of time, today it seems even more adequate. References

Advantages of using CNG

Advantages of using CNG Appeared like a monster for the first time in 1999 and threatened all Egyptians, it was huge, dangerous and cruel. So the Egyptian government declared the war against it, and started to take serious actions. Now its 2009 but no change, its still there darkening the skies of Cairo from October to December causing a lot of environmental and health casualties. Apart from the gray looking skies and awful smell spreading in cities, the Monster causes Respiratory problems. Mahmoud Abdel Majeed, head of Abbasiya Chest Diseases Hospital, said, People suffer from breathing difficulties, coughing and sometimes respiratory failure which requires artificial respiration. Adding that children and the elderly were the most at risk. Most of you now know who the monster is, its the BLACK CLOUD. Funny enough that its not a natural phenomenon but it is mainly caused by us!! According to some statistics its said that 40% of the pollution is from the burning of rice straws, another 23% from vehicle fumes as Cairo now has about 4.3 million vehicles in its streets. Factory emissions also cause 23% and 6 % from burning of wastes. We need solutions! One of the solutions is to use Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as a fuel for cars instead gasoline. Natural gas cars are not different from gasoline fuelled cars except that the natural gas cars are fuelled by CNG not gasoline. And its mechanism is so simple; when u start your engine, the CNG enters a regulator that reduces the pressure before entering the fuel-injection system. The gas is then mixed with air and injected into the cylinders of the engine where its ignited by a spark plug resulting in an explosion which is used to drive the piston. CNG is not only good for the environment but also as for individuals there are other benefits. Using CNG is a new revolution which has economical, environmental and technical pros, yet not all people use CNG as a fuel for their cars for different reasons. CNG is quite economical; its about third of the price of regular gas, good news for the low paid and taxi drivers. Also people who own a natural gas car will have some tax incentives; the government makes them pay fewer taxes as a reward for contributing in protecting the environment from pollution. Further more, the cost of maintenance of natural gas cars is very low in long term compared to that of gasoline cars. From all sides, CNG is quite more economical than gasoline. The main advantage of using CNG as a fuel is because its environmentally friendly. Since it is the cleanest burning fossil fuel, as methane burns cleaner than petroleum fuels. According to a report by the Air Pollution Research Department at the National Research Center in Cairo, it was found that, compared to petrol, CNG has a vital potential to reduce carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon and carbon dioxide concentrations in exhaust released from electronic fuel-injection and well-carbureted engines by an average of 73 percent and 66 percent, 39 percent and 31 percent and 21 percent and 19 percent, respectively. With these figures, CNG became a friend to the environment and people as well, since it causes no or less negative health effects than the petroleum or gasoline. Using CNG also has some technical advantages. CNG gives a high compression ratio, which means that most of the fuel is burnt. The advantage of high compression ratio is that it gives the engine a higher horsepower ratio resulting in a high performance engine. One of the best things about CNG is that u can convert your car to be natural gas fuelled. The conversion process is an easy process; it is simply fitting storage tanks in the trunk of the vehicle and installing injection nozzles in the engine. After this u will have a bi-fuel vehicle! Bi-fuel vehicles have the capability to switch between using gasoline and other fuel like CNG manually or automatically to run the car, what do we need more!! But what makes some people refuse or afraid to convert their cars to natural gas cars? Well, like everything in the world, CNG has some disadvantages too. First, the conversion process can be costly as he/she will have to buy the conversion kit and pay for the mechanic who will convert it. Yes CNG is cheaper in price, but this is when you refill your car but when it comes to conversion, it can be costly. Another disadvantage is

The Amazing Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald :: essays research papers fc

F. Scott Fitzgerald lived an amazing life throughout time, overcoming obstacles in his path and persevering through trials and tribulations. As a man who has gone through over four decades of experiencing an overwhelming amount of accomplishments, as well as hardships, F. Scott Fitzgerald is therefore acknowledged as a â€Å"True Man†. In fact, his struggles through childhood, his transition to adulthood and his unstable literary career acknowledges him as a â€Å"Real Man† who is more like a hero.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To begin with, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s childhood was a common one, like other children who grew up during the late nineteenth century. His origin played a key role in how he came to live his life according to the â€Å"American Dream†. Of the Irish ethnicity, F. Scott Fitzgerald was born September 24, 1896 in St. Paul, Minnesota. His family life was one to be considered average for the late 1800s. His mother, Mary Mc Quilla, and father, Edward Fitzgerald were middle class Americans who worked hard to maintain a stable family. Mary Mc Quillan, was the daughter of an Irish immigrant who became wealthy as a wholesale grocer in St. Paul. Both were Catholics. Edward Fitzgerald failed as a manufacturer of wicker furniture in St. Paul, and he became a salesman for Procter & Gamble in upstate New York. After he was dismissed in 1908, when his son was twelve, the family returned to St. Paul and lived comfortably on Mary Fitzgerald’s inheritance. Both wer e of the Catholic decent. F. Scott Fitzgerald, named after his distant cousin, Francis Scott Key, the composer of the Star Spangled Banner, was the only child born to his fortunate parents. Due to several issues, his family moved regularly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Also, F. Scott Fitzgerald transition to adulthood came about with a dramatic twist as he experienced ups and downs as any normal being would. Starting as a young lad and entering the field of becoming a â€Å"man†, Francis began to start a new life. He entered Princeton University in 1913 but allowed other prerogatives to take over his priorities. For example, Fitzgerald neglected his studies for his literary apprenticeship. He wrote the scripts and lyrics for the Princeton Triangle Club musicals and was a contributor to the Princeton Tiger humor magazine and the Nassau Literary Magazine. His college friends included Edmund Wilson and John Peale Bishop. On academic probation and unlikely to graduate, Fitzgerald joined the army in 1917 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the infantry.

The Great Pyramid: Largest Pyramid in the World :: Expository Essays

The Great Pyramid: Largest Pyramid in the World The great pyramid was built during the reign of Khufu, 2nd king of the fourth dynasty (2,720-2,560 BC). It stands on the Giza plateau nearby Cairo and is the biggest pyramid in the world. It measures 230 m (756 ft) on each side of its base and originally measured 147 m (482 ft) high. Beginning in the 10th century AD the entire Giza complex served as a source of building materials for the construction of Cairo; as a result, all three pyramids were stripped of their original smooth outer facing of limestone. The core masonry consists of large blocks of local limestone taken from the nearby quarries and built around and over a rocky knoll. The size of the knoll cannot be determined, since it is completely covered by the pyramid. The entrance to the pyramid is in the center of the northern face. It is located in the thirteenth course of masonry from the base. This entrance has a pointed roof formed of massive slabs of local limestone and opens into a long steeply descending passage. From there a 36 meters long ascending passage leads to a 35 meters long horizontal passage that leads to the so called 'Queen's chamber'. This chamber measures 5.2 by 5.7 meters and the maximum height of its pointed roof is about 15 meters. The north and south walls each have a small hole a few centimeters square about 1 meter from the floor. These lead into narrow channels that originally opened on the exterior of the pyramid. At the juncture of the ascending and horizontal passage is an opening of a shaft which descends to a depth of 60 meters. It opens into the lower part of the descending passage, close to the unfinished, underground chamber, and is believed to have been an escape shaft for the workmen who filed the ascending passage with huge stones after the king's funeral. From the horizontal passage the Grand Gallery, which leads to the king's chamber, starts. It is 47 meters long and 8.5 meters high, and has a corbelled roof. In the center of the floor is a sunken ramp about 60 centimeters deep. The Grand Gallery ends in a horizontal granite passage which serves as an antechamber. It measures 8.4 meters long and 3.1 meters high, and has slots for three portcullises. Beyond the antechamber is the so-called 'King's Chamber' which is lined, roofed and paved with red granite. It measures 5.2 by 10.8 meters and is 5.8 meters high.

Math History Essay -- essays research papers

Mathematics starts with counting. It is not reasonable, however, to suggest that early counting was mathematics. Only when some record of the counting was kept and, therefore, some representation of numbers occurred can mathematics be said to have started. In Babylonia mathematics developed from 2000 BC. Earlier a place value notation number system had evolved over a lengthy period with a number base of 60. It allowed arbitrarily large numbers and fractions to be represented and so proved to be the foundation of more high powered mathematical development. Number problems such as that of the Pythagorean triples (a,b,c) with a2+b2 = c2 were studied from at least 1700 BC. Systems of linear equations were studied in the context of solving number problems. Quadratic equations were also studied and these examples led to a type of numerical algebra. Geometric problems relating to similar figures, area and volume were also studied and values obtained for p.The Babylonian basis of mathematic s was inherited by the Greeks and independent development by the Greeks began from around 450 BC. Zeno of Elea's paradoxes led to the atomic theory of Democritus. A more precise formulation of concepts led to the realisation that the rational numbers did not suffice to measure all lengths. A geometric formulation of irrational numbers arose. Studies of area led to a form of integration. The theory of conic sections show a high point in pure mathematical study by Apollonius. Further mathematical discoveries were driven by the astronomy, for example the study of trigonometry. The major Greek progress in mathematics was from 300 BC to 200 AD. After this time progress continued in Islamic countries. Mathematics flourished in particular in Iran, Syria and India. This work did not match the progress made by the Greeks but in addition to the Islamic progress, it did preserve Greek mathematics. From about the 11th Century Adelard of Bath, then later Fibonacci, brought this Islamic mathemati cs and its knowledge of Greek mathematics back into Europe. Major progress in mathematics in Europe began again at the beginning of the 16th Century with Pacioli, then Cardan, Tartaglia and Ferrari with the algebraic solution of cubic and quartic equations. Copernicus and Galileo revolutionised the applications of mathematics to the study of the universe. The progress in algebra had a major psychologic... ...ever have taken place without logs. Then the world changed. The pocket calculator appeared. The logarithm remains an important mathematical function but its use in calculating has gone for ever. Here is the challenge. What will replace the calculator? You might say that this is an unfair question. However let me remind you that Napier invented the basic concepts of a mechanical computer at the same time as logs. The basic ideas that will lead to the replacement of the pocket calculator are almost certainly around us. We can think of faster calculators, smaller calculators, better calculators but I'm asking for something as different from the calculator as the calculator itself is from log tables. I have an answer to my own question but it would spoil the point of my challenge to say what it is. Think about it and realise how difficult it was to invent non-euclidean geometries, groups, general relativity, set theory, and everything else to do with MATH! Einstein and his Theory What do you think when some one says Einstein, is it Relativity, or E=MC2? What do you think E=MC2 means, well it means Energy=Mass x Speed of Light Squared. He was way ahead of his own time, he was a genius!

There and Home Again Essay

1 Introduction This term I was asked to plan a holiday for me and my classmates to Beijing, China and at least one other place of my choice. The holiday is to be 21 days long. The second country chosen is Canada and the third is Kenya. 2 Flight Itinerary 2.1 Monday 23rd July depart Rockhampton at 8:00am arrive in Beijing at 11:40pm 2.2 Monday 28th July – Tues 29th July depart Beijing at 2:45pm arrive in Ottawa at 1:44pm 2.3 Monday 4thAugust-Wednesday 6th depart Ottawa at 9:30pm arrive in Nairobi 10:20am 2.4 Monday 11th August- Wednesday 13th August depart Nairobi at 4:40pm arrive in Rockhampton 11:50am 3 Beijing Day Planner 3.1 24th-26th July Departure: Daily Duration: 3 days (start from about 8:00 am and back around 5:00pm) Attraction: Day 1 – Badaling Great Wall, Ming tomb ; Day 2 – Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace; Day 3 – Hutong, Lama Temple, Panda Zoo and exterior view of Olympic Stadium. Tour Guide Language: English Feature: 3 days small Group tour is to enjoy Mutianyu Great Wall, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, etc. Service include hotel – sightseeing transfer + English tour guide + lunch + entrance tickets. Figure : Great Wall of China 3.2 27th July Relax in hotel 28th-29th July are flying days 4 Ottawa Day Planner 4.1 30th July Day cruise with capital cruises on the Ottawa River to see spectacular views of some of the city’s attractions such as the Parliament Buildings, Canadian Museum of History (formerly Canadian Museum of Civilization), Rideau Falls a UNESCO world heritage site, and the Prime Minister’s residence. 4.2 31st July Relax in hotel 4.3 1st August Full day hop-on, hop-off bus tour with Gray Lines. Opportunity to Hop on and off at over 75 of Ottawa’s most famous city landmarks. 4.4 2nd August Enjoy a day walking around Ottawa and stop for lunch at one of the many cafes along the streets of Ottawa 4.5 3rd August Relax in hotel Figure : Parliament Hill Ottawa 4th-6th August are flying days 5 Nairobi Day Planner 5.1 7th-9th August 3 Days Masai Mara Camping Safari A fantastic 3 day Camping Safari to Kenya’s Masai Mara Reserve via the Great Rift Valley. 5.2 10th August Kickback, relax and unwind and get ready to go home. Figure Hilton hotel Narobi 10th-13th August are flying days Conclusion In order for the whole group to save for this holiday we would need to save $2400 a month which ends up being $590 per week for a year. In order to save up for just me I would need to save $874 per month for a year. It would be impractical for a highschool student my age to save up that much money in that shorter time. Bibliography Ottawa Canada’s capital, 2000, 4/05/14, http://www.ottawatourism.ca/en/visitors/what-to-do/tours-and-sightseeing Capital Cruises, 2007, 4/05/14, http://www.capitalcruisesottawa.com/en/sightseeing.html Beijing landscapes, 2002, 4/05/14, http://www.beijinglandscapes.com/beijing-tour.html Gray line, 2000, 4/05/14, http://www.grayline.com/tours/ottawa/discover-the-capital-1-day-hop-on-hop-off-5874_9/#.U2Ycn3mKC01

Kfc Versus Mcdonald’s

INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Background KFC According to the information, â€Å"Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is a chain of fast food restaurant based in Louisville, Kentucky, United States that selling Kentucky Fried Chicken around the world. † It had been rated at number 60 as the world most famous brand by BusinessWeek. For KFC, fried chickens was the food they primary focus to sells. â€Å"Their basic products included chicken pieces, salads, sandwiches, desserts and some roasted and grilled chicken cuisines too. † Besides that, the beef and pork based products also offered by KFC outside the USA.The first idea of KFC’s fried chicken actually is in 1930 but it was only founded in 1952 by Colonel Harland Sanders, who was born on September 9, 1980 in Indiana, America and he was the man who developed the secret recipe which blends of 11 herbs and spices for making Kentucky Fried Chicken and this secret recipe still used today. Nowadays, KFC has more than 15,000 outlets in 1 05 countries around the world. In 1973, the first KFC restaurant in Malaysia was opened at Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur. In overall, KFC currently has 445 outlets in Malaysia and it had become the largest fast food chain in Malaysia.McDonald’s According to the information, McDonald’s is the world’s largest chain of fast food restaurant based in Des Plaines, Illinois in 1955 to today that selling hamburgers around the world and it had been rated at number 9 as the world most famous brand by BusinessWeek. â€Å"For McDonald’s, foods that primarily sells by them are hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken, French fries, breakfast items, soft drinks, shakes and desserts. † But nowadays, due to the changing of customers’ tastes, the restaurant menu which are included salads, smoothies and fruits have been expanded by McDonald’s company.The founder of McDonald’s is Ray Kroc although the first concept of McDonald’s was act ually introduced by sibling Dick and Mac McDonald and they built the first McDonald’s restaurant in 1940 in San Bernardino, California. In 1954, Mr. Ray Kroc acquired franchising rights from Dick and Mac McDonald and a McDonald’s franchise was opened on 15 April, 1955 and later bought out the McDonald’s share of the McDonald brothers. The McDonald’s Corporation was then founded in 1955 and it was expanded by Ray Kroc. Nowadays, McDonald’s has more than 31,000 outlets in 109 countries around the world.In 29 April 1982, the first McDonald’s restaurant in Malaysia was opened at Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. In overall, McDonald’s currently has 200 outlets and about 20 to 25 outlets are being expanded annually. 1. 2 Problem This report has been written to compare the customer service of fast food restaurants in Malaysia: KFC versus McDonald’s. Nowadays, increasing competitive challenges have been faced by the fast food restaur ants in Malaysia such as restaurants KFC and McDonald’s. In order to satisfy the customers at a fast food restaurant, excellent customer service should be provided to customers by the management and the staff.Because beside the food quality, the standardize customer service that provided by fast food restaurants is expected by the customers. Currently, customer service is one of the factors that determine the customer satisfaction and it will directly affect the business of their fast food restaurants. However, recently the fast food restaurants are lack of customer service. The standardization in franchising business format does not ensure the standardization of customer service within the fast food restaurants due to some outlets are not able to follow up the same standards for customer service in franchise system. . 3 Purposes The purposes of this report are firstly to investigate the customer satisfaction with the customer service that is provided by KFC versus McDonaldâ €™s and secondly, to find out why students from Tar College prefer McDonald’s than KFC. Lastly, is to find out what aspects of customer service that provided by KFC and McDonald’s affect their business. 1. 4 Methods 1. 4. 1 The Sample The sample size of 30 was randomly selected, between the age of 18 to 22 from different gender. They are all students from School of Business Studies (Banking and Finance), Tar College KL Main Campus. 1. 4. 2 Data Collection ) Survey 30 sets of questionnaires were distributed as a source of primary data at Tar College KL Main Campus. These questionnaires consisted of 8 questions which focused on the customer satisfaction with the customer service that is provided by KFC versus McDonald’s, the reasons why students from Tar College prefer McDonald’s than KFC and what aspects of customer service that provided by KFC and McDonald’s affect their business. A clean copy of the questionnaire can be found in Appendix A. b) Internet Search The source of secondary data is the information obtained from the internet research.Information was gathered on the customer service that is provided by KFC and McDonald’s from the Internet. Various websites of KFC and McDonald’s were browsed through for this research. 1. 5 Scope This report investigates the customer service that provided by KFC and McDonald’s only. Other fast food restaurants are not included in this report. It focuses on the customer satisfaction with the customer service that was provided by KFC versus McDonald’s, the reasons why students from Tar College preferred McDonald’s than KFC and what aspects of customer service that provided by KFC and McDonald’s affect their business.The survey questions were distributed on 28 May 2012 at Tar College and collected back after the respondents finished their survey and only had 30 Tar College KL Main Campus students of School of Business Studies (Banking and Finan ce) were surveyed for this report. 2. FINDINGS 2. 1 Findings from Survey / Questionnaire Pie Chart 1. 1 The chart shows the frequency of TARC students go to fast food restaurant. 30 respondents were surveyed. As shown in the pie chart 1. , there is a total of 12 respondents who were going to the fast food restaurant once every two weeks, which occupied 40% of the 30 respondents. There are also 8 respondents which equal to 27% of the 30 respondents are going to the fast food restaurant once a month. Besides this, there are 6 respondents, 20% of the 30 respondents go to fast food restaurant once a week. For the remaining 4 respondents, there are 3 respondents go to fast food restaurant less than once a month and only 1 respondent go to fast food restaurant for two or three times a week.This pie chart shows that, most of the TARC students are going to fast food restaurant once every two weeks as it occupied 40% of the 30 respondents and the least of the TARC students are going to fast food restaurant for two or three times a week as it only occupied 3% of the 30 respondents. Pie Chart 1. 2 The chart shows the fast food restaurants that TARC students prefer to go. 30 respondents are being selected for a survey of either KFC or McDonald’s they will prefer to go. As shown in the pie chart 1. 2, there are 26 respondents which occupied a large portion of 87% among the 30 respondents are prefer to go to McDonald’s.Whereas the remaining of 4 respondents which only occupied a small portion of 13% among the 30 respondents is prefer to go to KFC. There are large portions of TARC students prefer to go to McDonald’s rather than KFC. These may be affected by the customer services, prices and the set menu provided by the McDonald’s are better than KFC. Bar Chart 1. 1 The chart shows the customer satisfaction with the customer service that is provided by KFC versus McDonald’s. 30 respondents were surveyed. As shown in the bar chart 1. 1, there is a total of 17 respondents who satisfied with the customer service that is provided by KFC.Whereas there is a total of 13 respondents who are not satisfed with the customer that is provided by KFC. On the other hand, there is a total of 26 respondents who are satisfied with customer service that is provided by McDonald’s and the other 4 respondents are not satisfied with customer service that is provided by McDonald’s. This bar chart shows that, customer service provided by McDonald’s are more satisfied by the respondents. KFCMcDonald’s Poor AverageGoodPoorAverageGood My food order was correct and complete1161311316 Waiting time after ordering food12631209 Staff are patient when taking orders32431254Communication skills421511910 Telephone services skills72032226 Staff are friendly and polite520531710 Sauces.. untenils.. 714931710 Table 1. 1 Bar Chart 1. 2 Bar Chart 1. 3 Bar chart 1. 2 and 1. 3 shows that, for KFC and McDonald’s, we focus on seve n interesting customer services which were responded well from our 30 respondents in TAR College through the questionnaire survey which included whether the food was correct and complete, waiting time after ordering food, staffs are patient when taking food, communication skills, telephone service skills, staff are friendly and polite, and availability of sauces, tissues, and utensils.According to the survey, the questions were focused on the customer services for both KFC and McDonald’s. From the respondents view, we found that the consumers are more satisfied with the ordering service in McDonald’s compared to KFC. Ordering service is important to maintain the business because if the food order was wrong and incomplete, this may cause consumer resentful with the service that provide by the fast food restaurant.Next, the waiting time after service play an important role in the fast food restaurant and this is the reason why consumers like to have their meal in fast fo od restaurant because usually most of them are students or workers who are in the hurry so they need to get their meal in the shortest time. Based on the respondent view, the waiting time after ordering food in McDonald’s is faster and shorter than KFC, this show that respondents are more preferred to have their meal in McDonald’s.Moreover, the attitude of the staff when taking order from the consumer will affect the reputation of the restaurant. Due to the survey, staff from McDonald’s are more patient when taking order than staff from KFC. In addition, Malaysia was a multi-racial country, so the communication skills are important when communicate with their customer. The respondents from survey feel that communication skills of McDonald’s are better than KFC since the McDonald’s can speaks in multiple languages. Nowadays, apart from drive hrough and having meal in restaurant, most of the fast food restaurants are provided telephone service for co nsumer to ordering food. For the staff who responsible to the telephone service, they need to answering the phone with the polite attitude and the speed of the staff speaking was important to ensure that the customer can listen clearly and understand. According the result of survey, respondents are more likely to use the telephone service of McDonald’s compared to KFC. Furthermore, friendly and polite staffs are according to the staffs who work in a fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s and KFC.This refers to their respond on how to serve their customer, a staff should be able to respond well such as the way they welcome their customers, taking order and answer customer question. When a staff from a particular fast food restaurant such as McDonald’s and KFC performs nicely and in a courteous behavior, this leads to frequent visit of the customers to the particular fast food restaurant. As a result from survey, we found that respondents are more preffered to M cDonald’s customer service compared to KFC.Lastly, the avaibility of sauces, tissue and utensils also act an important role in a fast food restaurants because some of the customer would like to have some sauces to favor their food and they may need some tissue after taking meal. Refer to the survey, most of the respondents are more satisfied with the facilities of the McDonald’s compared to KFC. In short, the customer services of the McDonalds are more prefered by customers if compared to KFC. Bar Chart 1. 4 The chart shows the methods that are suitable for KFC and McDonald’s to improve their customer services. 0 respondents were based on their opinion and preferences to respond how to improve the customer services for KFC and McDonald’s. Based on the survey, 17 out of 30 respondents had been choose to train the staff to be polite always for KFC and 8 respondents for McDonald’s. On the other hand, 15 of respondents had responded to train their staf f to use language to promote a good customer services and 16 respondents had choose it for McDonald’s. 9 respondents had responded to train their staff to deal with customers complaints for KFC and 8 respondents for McDonald’s.There are 20 respondents had choose to increase the speed of services for both KFC and McDonald’s. 8 respondents responded that communicate more with customer are suitable in to improve customer services for KFC and 9 respondents for McDonalds. KFC and McDonald’s both have 11 respondents respond on upgrade the staff appearance and image. Upgrade of delivery services for KFC have 12 respondents and for McDonald’s have 13 respondents. 8 respondents had responded that KFC need to upgrade their telephone services and 15 respondents responded that McDonald’s need to do so to improve their customer services.It is highly likely most of the respondents responded that the KFC and McDonald’s need to increase the speed of services because it was probably due to the staff served the staff slowly and the waiting time is long. For KFC, there are very least respondents unsatisfied with the telephone services skills and for McDonald’s there are only 8 respondents unsatisfied with the staff manners and attitude. As a conclusion, KFC and McDonald’s and should focus more on the speed of their services and the staff appearance and image so that it can help to improve their services. . 2 Findings from the internet From our secondary research, we found that the customer service provided by McDonald’s is better than KFC. Due to the good customer service provided by McDonald’s, many customers prefer McDonald’s to KFC. For KFC, we found that there is a declining service standards. A lots of complaint about KFC. Our research shows that, many customers end up with disappointed with the customer service provided by KFC after they visit it. Many customers complainted that the staff a re impatient when taking their orders and poor manners.One of the examples is â€Å"on 6 February, 2012 an serious incident was happened at KFC i-city, Shah Alam Malaysia. The KFC’s staff was fighting and hitting their customer. † Customers are paid to eat at KFC, no one deserve to be treated like that. Besides that, the food that customers orders was not correct. For example, â€Å"a customer ordered a bucket meal: 5 grilled and 5 original but when he opened the bucket, his half-grilled half-original recipe order was replaced by an all-grilled bucket. † These all indicated the bad customer service from KFC so customers less prefers go to KFC than McDonald’s.In contrast, McDonald’s less likely to have these kinds of problems. McDonald’s always provide good service based on standardization in franchising business format to their customers. So customers will prefers go to McDonald’s than KFC. 3. CONCLUSION In conclusion, most of the res pondents are prefer McDonald’s instead of KFC. As mentioned above, the reasons that respondents prefer McDonald’s from a brief view are the customer services provided such as staff attitude, communication skills, telephone service skills, availability of utensils is better than KFC as McDonald’s is compare with KFC.Based on our research, it is shown that both McDonald’s and KFC have their own customer services such as Drive-Thru services, delivery services, telephone services, staff attitude and others which can attracting customers. Both fast food restaurants are always maintained and improve their quality and services provided which can make sure their services are preferred and satisfied by everyone. This can maintain their old customers and also attracted some new customers. Most of the TARC students are prefer to go McDonald’s by referring the questionnaires.According to our research, KFC should improve their customer services until they can a chieve the similar popularity level just like McDonald’s, so that they could be the preferable fast food restaurant. Furthermore, customers can always give some opinion, suggestions or comments on their homepage or through the comment box to make sure that both McDonald’s and KFC understand the needs of the customers. Both McDonald’s and KFC also can improve their quality of products and customer services so that customers can satisfy with the services provided. 4. RECOMMENDATIONSAccording to the conclusion, we are recommend that the customer services for both fast food restaurants, McDonald’s and KFC which were not satisfied by customers should be improved to achieve a higher level or more preferable and satisfied by customers. For McDonald’s, we are recommend that the communication skill of the staff should improve by training their staff to use language that promotes good customer services based on the respondents view. The McDonald’s sta ff should not talk too fast or too slow to the customers so that the customers can hear clearly what they talking about.Moreover, McDonald’s should communicate more with their customers such as distribute a survey and request a feedback. Through this method, McDonald’s can know the needs and the satisfaction of their customers about their products and services so that they can improve their products and services. Furthermore, McDonald’s can upgrade their delivery services such as delivery within 15minutes and maintain the food freshness. The delivery staff must drive carefully to avoid accident so that the customers can trust on them.Lastly, McDonald’s also can upgrade their telephone service skills. When the customers call for the delivery, the staff must explain clearly to the customers about their menu and double confirm with the menu order by the customers. McDonald’s also can provide more type of language for the customers so that they can cho ose the language they know. Besides that, for KFC, the respondents have gives some opinions and comments which the KFC’s staff needs to increase the speed of services to ensure that the customers no need to wait and queue for a long time to get the food.The KFC’s staff also needs to be polite when serving their customers. The KFC can conduct a programme which the main objective is to train their staff to be polite when serving customers to avoid their staff argue with the customers. This can decrease the complaints from the customers. When they receive complaint from customers, they need to know how to deal with the customers promptly. So, KFC may give the empowerment to their staff and give training to their staff how to make decision when dealing the complaint from customers.Lastly, KFC need to upgrade their staff’s appearance and image. For example, KFC can set up guidelines for their staff how to improve their image and appearance. If the staff looks tidy an d clean, customers will be more confident to buy their products. On the other hand, the customers will never buy their products if their staff looks messy and dirty. Therefore, we suggest that the recommendations mentioned above might be encouraged more customers to buy their products and be more satisfy when buying their products as well as both McDonald’s and KFC improved their customer services.