The Effect of Gender on Consumer Behaviour Free Essays

string(53) " influence students fashion decisions and purchases\." Introduction Consumer behaviour patterns are influenced by the culture, the psychology, the social and financial status of the person making a shopping excursion. The success or failure of the venture is affected by when, where, how and why people make the decision to go shopping. This report investigates the differences between the genders when fashion buying decisions are made. We will write a custom essay sample on The Effect of Gender on Consumer Behaviour or any similar topic only for you Order Now It seeks to determine if there are basic influences affecting choice. Are they persuaded by advertising in magazines or on televisionDo their friends or celebrities have an influence on their decisionDoes their social life play a part? Consumer behaviour is the study of why, when, where, and how people either do or do not buy products. It blends fundamentals of psychology, sociology, cultural experience and economics. This report covers an investigation into understanding the gender related buying decision making process, It seeks to find an answer to the question, why do ladies enjoy shopping and spending money and men do notThe survey also sought to confirm that women make more shopping visits then men and spend more money than men at that shopping. There are a number of additional factors which could also affect consumer behaviour, shopping enjoyment and spending, these could not all be included in the questionnaire, due to size and time constraints. Brand loyalty and advertising psychology, peer pressure relating to fashion and design, competition between brands and shops, and price, are all factors which affect the choice of fashion eventually made. Does a pair of jeans bought from the local market, against a pair of designer jeans from a designer boutique; really make any difference when all you are doing is studying. The other main factor is the internet and the numerous ways of perusing the latest design fashions and the ease of buying them. Historically men have had a dislike of buying trips[1], since emancipation women have taken on the purchasing role [2], buying the clothes, toiletries etc. For the man. The fashion explosion of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s with rock and roll, punk and boy bands moved that shopping trend back to the male. The substantially increased numbers of the female university population over the same time frame held the balance. However the internet, releasing the man from shopping trips and making available a whole and constantly changing choice of fashion products could well now have quite a different result if this survey was repeated in 3 to 5 years. Literature Review This report examines the effect of gender on consumer behaviour and the consequence those influences has on fashion choices. It analyses data from questionnaires to determine the influence of free time activities and the role of celebrities in the decision making process. In an article published in 2001 Otnes C.[3] States that she believes â€Å"Shopping is also increasingly recognized as contributing to the creation of self-identity of men and women and that it is possible for a man to simultaneously engage in consumer behaviour and maintain his masculine identity.† Otnes’s theory is that shopping for fashion is no longer seen as a female prerogative, there is no longer a stigma involved in men choosing fashions. She believes that this behaviour improves the self esteem, self expression and confidence of men. The feminist view of consumer behaviour and fashion is explored by De Grazia, Victoria. Furlough, Ellen. (1996) they write that; â€Å"Fashion codes and beauty standards are denounced as akin to purdah, footbinding or the veil – public sexual impositions on women, which, beyond domesticating women’s drive towards liberation, constrain them physically and violate their authentic selves. The other side argues that mass consumption liberates women by freeing them from the constraints of domesticity.† They hypothesise that pre emancipation, men controlled the finances and determined the shopping list. Since emancipation, this has changed, along with the greater numbers of women seeking university education and equality in employment and financial control. In a paper on gender related advertising published in Academy of Marketing Science Review, Putrevu S[4]. (2001) argues that wide advertising implications follow from the differences between genders. He believes, after observation that men, through pictures and music, benefit from nonverbal reinforcement of the verbal product message built into an advertisement. He believes that direct verbally descriptive messages carry more impact for the female. He goes on to suggest that â€Å"The rather strongly held gender identities suggest that appropriately targeted gender advertisements might be quite effective† This author believes that this marketing philosophy is very apparent in the design and targeting of fashion retail marketing and the role celebrities play in those adverts. In a wide ranging study on gender behaviour titled in 2007, â€Å"Men Buy, Women Shop,† researchers at Wharton’s Jay H. Baker Retail Initiative[5] and the Verde Group[6], a Toronto consulting firm, determined that women responded more positively than men to personal communication with sales associates. Men were more likely to react to more practical aspects of the experience, such as good parking, the length of the checkout line whether the item they came for was in stock. Some quite emotive phrases are used throughout the literature available on consumer behaviour Jennifer Waters[7], in an article in MarketWatch (2006) believes that â€Å" Men are on a mission, women on an adventure when shopping.† Paula Courtney[8], president of the Verde Group talks about â€Å"hunters vs. gatherers† this phrase was published in a paper titled â€Å"Men buy, Women Shop† (2007) According to Wharton marketing professor Stephen J. Hoch, gender behaviour when shopping, reflects differences throughout many aspects of life. â€Å"Women think of shopping in an interpersonal, human fashion and men treat it as more instrumental. It’s a job to get done,† he believes that the data available has implications for retailers marketing policies so they can design and develop a more segmented approach to building and maintaining loyalty among male and female customers. Recognising the large numbers of potential buyers involved based at universities[9], Cosmopolitan Magazine has devoted a whole section to influence students fashion decisions and purchases. You read "The Effect of Gender on Consumer Behaviour" in category "Essay examples" Their February 2011 edition offers discounts for students, 20% off specific lingerie items, a student shopping soiree, 10 ways to save money at university and 30 days of Fashion and Beauty to come. The Cosmopolitan magazine is totally female orientated, covering fashion in clothing and toiletries. The Sunday Times however caters for all genders in their weekly fashion section. Their February issue has an article headline â€Å"Combine cut-price student fashion with cool†, this offers tips for obtaining bargain outfits without damaging your credibility. The OK magazine takes the use of celebrity marketing to the extreme; the whole content is built around celebrity fashion and influences, mainly female but with the odd male celebrity article inserted. The shelves of magazine shops are literally full of female biased fashion periodicals with basically no male orientated publications, except for ‘pin up’ magazines. Confirming the results of the questionnaire and the gender which is most influenced by celebrity marketing. Methodology The purpose of this study was to examine whether there were basic differences in the gender behaviour of students, when choosing items of fashion. It also looked at the influences of celebrities in fashion advertising and whether this had a bearing on the choices made by the students. To obtain the information from which to draw conclusions, a questionnaire was designed and given to the 10 male and 10 female students, all in a relatively small age group, to eliminate any age influences. The procedure involved the right to withdraw and confidentiality related to the data was explained to each participant. It was decided to use questionnaires rather than aural interviews to gather the data, because this author felt that the data would be easier to obtain and collate and then be easier to represent in graphical format. Interviews are normally held at a pre-determined time and place, with the interviewer completing a form based on what the respondent says. Questionnaires usually consist of short closed ended questions, whilst interviews are often broad open ended ones. Questions 1 and 2 were age and gender identification. The gender split had been pre-determined and the age range was chosen to narrow the attitudes and fashion parameters of the participants. In a small sample of this size the input of an older student, with different fashion perceptions, could have serious effects on the data integrity. Question 3 asks how often the students were inspired in their fashion choices by a celebrity look. This question was the first related to the influence of celebrities in both a passive i.e. Advertising and non-passive role i.e. Television shows. Question 4 examines the free time activities of the two genders. Did they mirror each other or were there marked differences and could the responses to this question be significant in consumer behaviour. Questions 5, 7 and 8 were all celebrity biased. What influence did the participants think a celebrity had on themIf they had money to spend, would that be affected by the influence of a celebrity and how did they get in touch with the world of the celebrity. Question 6 asked the question, where did they get their fashion tips from? Results and Discussion The results of this survey[10] illustrate some quite interesting deviations between gender Behaviour and their attitudes to fashion purchasing. The age ranges were almost identical, 18 out of the 20 students questioned being between 18 and 23 years old. It can be assumed therefore that these students are spending time away from home for the first occasion, preparing for their adult life, living without help, making their own budget decisions but having the community and peer pressure of their fellow undergraduates. The answers to question 3[11] in that 70 % of the men surveyed seldom or never were inspired by a celebrity look, whereas 90 % of the ladies were, sum up the basic differences in consumer behaviour as highlighted by Wharton[12] that â€Å"Men buy, Women Shop† and that women visit shops, not only to purchase goods but equally to enjoy the experience. From question 4, it can be seen that one third of the ladies spent their spare time shopping, against one third of the men being involved in some sporting activity. It is also interesting that none of the ladies listed, used their computer as a free time activity but 40% of them, answered later, that they kept in touch with the celebrity world online and 60% of them got their fashion tips online. Questions 7 and 8 relate to favourite celebrity influences with a substantial majority of ladies saying they were positively influenced, whilst the men were the opposite. This was mirrored in a question relating to having ?1000 to spend, would they spend the money on a celebrity’s productThe majority of ladies saying yes, the majority of men, answered no. In hindsight there were a few more questions which would have improved the data information. A question on their fashion definition would have been useful; was it clothing, footwear or toiletries. How was the shopping done; physical visits, catalogues, television, charity shops, the internetHow often did they goHow much money, as a percentage of their income did they spend? Conclusion The data from the questionnaires confirmed a number of things relating to the original hypothesis, which was to determine whether there was a difference in consumer behaviour relating to fashion, between the genders and if so what were the influences? The differences were quite specific and at different ends of the available answers. Female students were very inspired by a celebrity look whereas men were not. In today’s enlightened society where all sexes took an interest in fashion, cosmetics and appearance, this cannot be attributed just to a basic desire to look and smell nice. This author believes the main influence in this area is the ease of use of internet shopping, where access to the latest designs, bargains, outlets of female fashion is instantly available at any time of the day or night and with, in most cases, next day delivery. From the questionnaire responses 75% of the women replied that they got fashion information from the television or the internet as against 35% for men. This is quite surprising when it is set alongside the results that show 35% of the men get their fashion tips from magazines but only 10% of the women did. However the answer to this apparent anomaly is the availability and design of onli ne magazines which are as colourful and full of adverts, articles and photographs as the paper version. They are mainly free to access with but as in the case of Cosmopolitan magazine some months out of date. A more traditional response was that 70 % of the women would spend ?1000, if they had it, on a celebrity’s product, against 80% of the men who would not. Considering that this author believes there are few fashion items available, for both genders, which are not celebrity endorsed, then it would be interesting to determine where the male ?1000 would be spent. This report is about consumer behaviour and the influences of celebrities on the fashion perceptions of different genders. In a report issued in 2004 Bakewell, C. Mitchell, VW[13] stated that they believed that: â€Å"The neglect of men in consumer decision making research is lamentable†. They point out that men make up a significant shopping group and will make dissimilar shopping decisions to women. They argue that retailers should appeal to their male customers, by improving the competence of the processes and value perceptions, associated with the shopping experience. In other words ‘overcome traditional male hostility’. Once again the results of the questionnaire confirm this. Men do not like shopping trips ‘per se’ and see them as a chore and an experience to be avoided. Only 10% of the men responded that they went shopping in their free time. In conclusion the evidence obtained from the survey showed quite different consumer behaviour between the genders especially relating to the influence of celebrities. Men had different communication avenues to fashion tips and celebrities, allowing those celebrities to have little or no influence on their consumer decisions. Women took far more interest in celebrity influences and were prepared to be persuaded by the celebrities’ attitude. The role of the internet is interesting, the results showing far more interaction between online uses by women than men. Equally the past relationship with parents was interesting, showing that neither gender was influenced at all, as far as fashion tips, by their parents. The conclusions are that celebrity involvement, either by magazine, online, advertising, television shows or shop fronts does influence the consumer behaviour of women in relation to fashion but not men. How to cite The Effect of Gender on Consumer Behaviour, Essay examples

Information System Samples for Students †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Information System and Technology. Answer: Information System is young field which is expanding rapidly. It is rapidly expanding boundaries putting emphasis on assimilating new topics all the time (Orlikowski et al.2016). The information systems dynamic nature usually calls for a focus shift with regards to the effort in order to address the plethora of issues which requires a varied combination of models, methodology and paradigmatic approach. It makes it very difficult for the researchers to keep track of the major research trends and issues because of the fields diverse and rapid expansion in every sphere of implantation. Information system with lime light on business transforming helps in emerging mobile digital platform, growing business with the use of big data as technology. Global opportunities can also be implemented through the use of internet which has drastically reduced the cost of operating system with regards to the global field, increase in foreign trade and outsourcing. Information technology can help in growing interdependence between ability to use information system and the ability to achieve corporate goals (Aykin 2016). Firms invest heavily in the information system to achieve six main strategic business objectives for example to gain competitive advantage, improve decision making, customer and supplier intimacy and survival. There are many tools in order to implement the information technology. The tools can be used according to the requirement of the specific person implementing it. Meta analysis is a useful tool which can be used to capture the information that is usually used to seek information to generate and future analyze it (Galer et al.2016). References Aykin, N. ed., 2016. Usability and internationalization of information technology. CRC P Galer, M., Harker, S., Ziegler, J. and Galer, M. eds., 2016. Methods and tools in user-centred design for information technology (Vol. 9). Elsevier. Orlikowski, W.J., Walsham, G., Jones, M.R. and DeGross, J. eds., 2016. Information technology and changes in organizational work. Springer.

The Language of Justice to Excuse the Violence of Those in Power

The abuse of power is a prevalent phenomenon in diverse societies and systems of governance as evident by the practice of judges in the context of law and the ability of a president to pardon criminals.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Language of Justice to Excuse the Violence of Those in Power specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Judges operate within a legal structure, which constrains their roles in the administration of retributive justice and curtails their authority regarding tasks such as pardoning of offenders or discarding the execution of penalties despite the fact that they are the guardians of the law. On the other hand, the constitution bestows excellent power to the executive, as a branch of the legislature, in critical matters of perceived justice and justifiable violence. The functions of the judicial department conflict with the powers of the executive because of the executive’s tendency t o override retributive justice and sustain the governmental decree of justice (Bull 2012, p.173). The existence of the judicial department as an element of the state has created a loophole that allows entities within the government that violate laws and avoid the recommended penalties. For example, although law enforcement agencies have been on the limelight on numerous occasions due to acts of violence against civilians, juries often absolve the agencies of any wrongdoing. The most common justification for the use of violence by the police against citizens concerns the discretion to use force in situations whereby the police perceive violent intervention as crucial to the undertaking of their duties. The willingness of juries to condone violence highlights ideologies and structures of the power of the state that seek accountability of civilians but absolves elements of the government from any responsibility. The state exists as a monopoly and legitimizes violence within its various elements and branches because the power of the country entails controlling various means of violence. State agents can use violence without much condemnation by the judiciary with state officers acting as an extension of the expression of the state power and violence. Considering that government officers act in the capacity of the state, they can advance their personal interests and gains by disregarding the law and promoting violence in the pretext of doing their job and acting in the line of duty.Advertising Looking for essay on constitutional law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The constitution defines legal exceptions for the state in matters such as protecting the sovereignty through just war or internal wars, which allow political leaders and influential individuals to undertake unpopular actions and defy international law. For example, the invasion of Iraq by the United States defied the UN Security Council resolution s and led to widespread abuse of human rights and a significantly high number of civilian casualties (Burke 2007, p.10). When viewed in the realm of strategies for national security, a Congressional vote for the invasion of Iraq possessed a legal legitimacy despite the fact that all the powers of the government should exist within the context of the law. Legal structures, which grant executive powers and exceptions, promote violence against civilians by influential individuals who enjoy exemptions as provide by the constitution. All actions by the state or an individual should be subject to their consequences and cause of harm to other parties because the state does not exist in a vacuum but is a collection of individuals bestowed with power in various capacities. The executive power allows the state to act as the complainant, prosecutor and judge so that influential individuals acting in the capacity of the country can promote impunity, violence and injustice without having to worr y about being accountable for their actions. The influence of the state over legal interpretations coerces courts to act in favour of the country and is a central aspect in the foundation and thriving of states on violence. The alignment of legal interpretations in favour of state violence provides room for the application of authoritarian violence and the sustenance of hermeneutic jurisdiction (Koskenniemi 1990, p.17). The acceptance of violence by those in power emanates from the fact that judges will support violence by the state and encourage the subjection of civilians to state violence. The power of the state allows the prevalence of selective justice and submissiveness of civilians to avoid the consequences of conflicting with state interests.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Language of Justice to Excuse the Violence of Those in Power specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Individuals within the judicial de partment promote violence through their assertion of laws and destructions of others using the court’s authority, which gives superiority to judges’ interpretation of the constitution (Selassie 1936, p.1). The acceptance of a judge’s interpretation, even when wrong, allows collaboration between the executive and the judiciary in absolving the wrongdoings of those in power. Resistance by civilians against inappropriate legal interpretations is likely to encounter violent of administration, which is beyond the reproach of the court law. An analysis of state violence illustrates that the authority of judges cannot circumscribe the undertakings of the wielders of state violence because the constitutional structure seeks to limit the intrinsic power of the judicial department. The need by influential individuals to retain authority overrides the importance of protecting the constitutional rights of victims of violence and introduces aspects of deference of justice by the state or administrators so that the influential people do not take responsibility. Reference List Bull, H 2012, The Anarchical Society: a Study of Order in World Politics, Palgrave Macmillan: Basingstoke. Burke, A 2007, Beyond security, ethics and violence war against the other, Routledge: London. Koskenniemi, M 1990, ‘The Politics of International Law’, European Journal of International Law, vol. 1, no. 1, pp 4-32. Selassie, H 1936, Haile Selassie, Appeal to the League of Nations, June 1936. Mount Holyoke. Web.Advertising Looking for essay on constitutional law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This essay on The Language of Justice to Excuse the Violence of Those in Power was written and submitted by user PhilCoulson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

African Elephant Essays - Elephants, Elephant, African Bush Elephant

African Elephant Essays - Elephants, Elephant, African Bush Elephant African Elephant The common name is the African Elephant, the scientific name is Loxodonta Africana, the phylum is Vertebrata, the class is Mammalia, the order is Proboscidea, and the family is Elephantidae. The Closest Relatives to the African Elephant are: the Asian Elephant, mammoths, primitive proboscidean (mastodons), sea cows, and hyraxes. Scientists believe that the African Elephant evolved from one of its closest relatives, the Sea Cow. The geographical location and range of the African elephant covers all of central and southern Africa. In Ethiopia there are isolated populations that exist around Lake Chad in Mali and Mauritania. Also in Kenya, Rhodesia, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, Zaire, and in National parks located in South Africa, as well as several other countries. African Elephants, originally, were found in all of the Sub-Saharan African habitats except desert steppes. Elephants still occupy diverse habitats such as: temperate grassland, tropical savanna and grass lands, temperate forest and rainforest, tropical rainforest, tropical scrub forest, and tropical deciduous forest despite their drastic decline in numbers. However, their migratory patterns and habitat use have changed, due to the fact that they are restricted to protected areas. The elephant can exist in many types of environments but it prefers places that have many trees and bushes, which the elephant needs both for food and shade. They also like warm areas that have plenty of rainfall. This ensures plenty of food, shade, and water. The elephant prefers a habitat of mixed woodland and grassland which gives them an opportunity to eat a variety of vegetation. African Elephants are considered herbivores, they are both browsers and grazers; they will eat rough sticks, stems and leaves of plants as well as grasses, sedges, and fruit. Their favorites are mangoes, berries and coconuts. An elephant eats up to 500 pounds of vegetation every day and drinks up to 50 gallons of water daily. Elephants must consume these giant quantities of food, due to their poor digestive system. The small intestine is 82 feet long, the large intestine 21 feet long, and the rectum adds a further 13 feet. The problem with the digestive tract lies in their gut; elephants have too few symbiotic bacteria. These are the organisms which help break down the cellulose of plant cell walls by producing enzymes called cellulases. The most remarkable feature of the elephants digestive system is its 5 feet long appendix, bigger than the stomach. Proteins, starches, and sugars are digested in the appendix. The elephant will excrete almost 200 pounds a day of semi-digested food. Elephants live together in strong family units which might have as few as two or as many as twenty members. When the group gets too big, it splits up; but the groups stay in close contact. Elephant life revolves around this unit which is usually headed by the oldest female. The family offers protection, aid, comfort, and teaching to all of its members. Within the units are cows, calves, and bulls. The male bulls are very solitary and most of the time travel only with other males, except during mating season when the bulls travel with the pack looking for a mate. The males remain with the family unit until they are about fourteen and then leave the family to join the other males. The African elephant usually gives birth to one calf every four years. The gestation period is approximately twenty to twenty two years. The newborn calf, which weighs 200-300 pounds and stands about three feet high, is cared for by all of the females in the pack, not just by the mother. The calf may nurse as long as eight years, or until its tusks are too long for the mother. It takes about 14 to 15 years for an elephant to fully mature. They grow to about 10-13 feet tall and 7.5 meters in length and weigh as much as 7 tons. The family will remain together throughout their lives. The elephants body has many special features which it has adapted throughout the centuries to help it survive in its environment. The most important part of the elephants body is its trunk. An elephant uses its trunk for many things. With it, the elephant can pick up objects that weigh as much as 600 lbs. This powerful trunk is also used to beat off attacking animals and sometimes mother elephants use their trunks to swat their babies. The trunk, which is very flexible, can curl over the elephants head so that the elephant can give

Intellectual Property Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Intellectual Property Law - Essay Example The TRIPS agreement carries more force than any other provisions established to promote equitable trade and commerce by the WTO, as it is a mandate whose provisions must be adhered to by all participating members of the WTO (Mercurio, 2004). The TRIPS agreement attempted to provide flexibility for member nations who might receive fewer benefits from the mandated patent rights stipulations; however, soon after its implementation it became apparent to many observers and participants alike that the provisions of the TRIPS agreement were more favourable to economically privileged nations than to member nations of the so-called third world (de Almeida, 1990). One of the most disheartening consequences of the TRIPS agreement was that it had the effect of limiting access to life saving drugs by poorer nations who could not afford the high cost of pharmaceuticals while under patent protection (Mercurio, 2004). This resulted in long delays (often years) between the development of new drugs to treat disease endemic to poorer nations such as HIV-AIDS and their availability in these countries (Abbott, 2005). In its attempt to level the playing field, so to speak, and offer all WHO member nations the same rights of protection for inventions, novel technologies and processes, the TRIPS agreement overlooked the basic fact that member nations of the WHO are not a level playing field, but have individual economic bases that would be unequally served by the implementation of this protective mandate (Ewelukwa, 2005).

Case Study( Paramedics assessment) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Case Study( Paramedics assessment) - Essay Example However, it should be realized that this is not the sole cause of chest pain, and that it may be due to â€Å"classical angina† (Devonshire Lodge Practice, 2011) whose symptoms generally appear during, or immediately after exercise and subside after resting. However, it must also be said that where someone complains of â€Å"discomfort across the center of the chest coming on during exercise that stops on rest and then GTN [glycerine trinitride] tablets relieve the pain within 5 minutes he/she is going to have ischemic heart disease almost without doubt† (Devonshire Lodge Practice, 2011). ... It is hoped that the task will be made easier by paramedic assessment, which should be thorough enough to eliminate many uncertainiies. That is why a systematic stepwise series of protocols such as those advocated by Domanovits et al. (2002) and Anderson (2002) is essential. 2. Case History of paramedic’s assessment of ischemic chest pain Complete History & Assessment of Patient Presenting Complaint Chest Pain Allergies None Communicable Diseases None PHx- Past History O/A – On Arrival O/E – On Examination Med’n- Medication Patient’s Name: William Templeton: Age 57 Address: 12 Andover Terrace, STAINES Bucks. SL4 3TR O/A - Emergency services called by patient’s family at 0956 hrs, arrived at patient’s home 1015 hrs..William, a white male, complained of severe chest pain, breathlessness, nausea and dizziness. He also appeared pale and slightly sweaty. PHx – Patient was normally in good health, a non-smoker, moderate drinker and at e healthy meals at home. He also took regular exercise. His grandfather had been gassed in WWI and his grandmother had suffered intermittent asthma attacks in her later years. As to childhood illnesses, William reported German measles, two bouts of chicken pox, and tuberculosis at the age of 6, which had affected stomach and neck glands and also the lungs. Chicken pox and TB raised alarm signals since the former could have returned as shingles (pain comes some time before the rash, and lung damage may have contributed to ischemic heart disease. O/E – The assessment procedures followed the guidelines established by the York Region Base Hospital Program (Anderson, 2002). For clarity and consistency during patient questioning the following mnemonic

McDonalds change process in supply chain management

McDonalds change process in supply chain management Our project is based upon the organization McDonalds and their change process in supply chain management in order to succeed in Indian market. We first look to the background of our company and the need of change them we see its strengths and weaknesses. We will also see its major competitors and how they are doing. After this part is covered we will see the important stakeholders in our organization and the way they have helped the organization to execute the change process. Then we have applied the Force Field Model and 3 step model of Kotters to support our topic. And in the end we use 8 Step Model to show the necessary change our organization needs in order to be competitive. Introduction In todays world McDonalds is a tantamount in fast food industry. McDonalds is well known and renowned with a good brand image around whole globe. It has 120 restaurants that provide fast food all over the globe serving around fifty-four million customers every day and has its headquarters in US. The McDonalds serves its customers with burgers and other fast food variety products. It also serves other food products like French fries, Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, Chicken Nuggets and Egg McMuffin. It has a viewpoint of providing one world with one burger. It does maintain a very high standard in price and quality issues. Its name is the biggest in the world in fast food industry. The reason why I have selected McDonalds for change management process is because they are such vast and huge and do maintain a high standard that requires a very good supply chain management. Thus the change process of supply chain management will help them Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) which is a systematic approach of saving them from food wastage. Controlling this can help them maintain good food and quality with pricing issue in the India. Task 1(a) Discuss the background to change that exists in todays economy that motivated your organisation to consider Change. In todays world all fast food industries want to have good service providing hygienic food with affordable price at good quality. In order to maintain this circumstance all fast food industry wants to have a very good inventory management. During the past few decades because of globalization, information technology and outsourcing have changed the way in which we look and maintain inventory. Traditionally the companies would focus on supply network inputs and outputs of the process. But because of globalization supply change management has been drastically been changed with concepts of Just in time, lead management and Agile manufacturing which has helped to reduce communication costs and transaction costs. Hence McDonalds went for similar concept of using functions of supply change management. With McDonalds having such a vast reach globally needed to maintain its supply chain management and quality issues. By doing so they saved their costs considerably. Todays supply chain management also contains concepts of customer relation management, Procurement, Product development and commercialization, Manufacturing flow management/support and many more which help the company maintaining good supply chain management in order to work efficiently. Thus by following all these concepts of supply chain management McDonalds felt that they would grow at a faster rate with saving a lots of cash and getting more effective and efficient in Indian Market. In order to maintain successful supply chain management maintaining change would help them grow bigger and better. By following the method SCM and its quality management function of it has given them earn great profits in Indian Market. Task 1(b) Theoretically Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of bureaucratic organizations Strengths of McDonalds: McDonalds has many advantages this is simply because it is the one of the oldest fast food industry which has a good reputation all over the world. Also the brand name of McDonalds is very good this is because of its specifications in providing fast food items. With McDonalds providing burgers, French fries, etc. and many more items which are well known and loved by the customers all over the world. It does also posses good staff and very good management team which is their strength. It also offers its customer with choice, at reasonable price and superb service. Also it is spread over all geographic locations of the world with a reputation of maintaining good quality and price. It does provide meals to its customers in different parts of globe according to the taste of the local people with its burgers and fries. Their innovation helps them in maintaining good customer relations and retaining them. Each and every McDonalds restaurant has duplication and systemization of products. They also serve only branded items like Dannon yogurt, Craft cheese, Nestle chocolate and many more. McDonalds does provide a very good standard all over the world and it is been choose by the customers as their first priority to eat in a fast food restaurant. As it maintains a good standard all over the world it does enjoy in implementing changes very effectively. McDonalds has been ranked number one by Fortune magazine in years like 2005, 2008 and many more. Packards children hospital centre has mentioned that Children aged between 3 and 5 years choose to have food at McDonalds. They are also successful in adapting local cultures in different countries they have their restaurants. Their business operates around 87% of franchises and they are the number franchised company. Weakness of McDonalds: Although being the most well known an trusted fast food industry their experiment of starting pizza failed and they were not able to compete with other fast food pizza operating chains. Since then they have never tried to compete for pizzas. Every year there is a high employee turnover because of training given to their employees. Also they have made no entries into organic food categories. There core products are out of line and do not match the healthier lifestyles for adults and teenagers because it focuses mainly on burgers and fast food items. As McDonalds is 87% been managed by their Franchises and hence there is always a problem of quality control. As all franchise do not keep the quality maintained by the McDonalds. Also their relations with their investors are not been very good this is because of fluctuating operating and net profits over time. Every year there is a vast change in their income and thus its relations with its investors is not that good. As most of its restaurants are owned and managed by other man and woman there is big difference in standardization of products and price at which products are been served. Task 1 c) Theoretically compare alternative forms of organizational development. There are many more companies that are doing very good business in fast food industry. They are as follows KFC, Pizza Hut, Burger King etc. from all these companies McDonald faces toughest competition from KFC as their main focus is on fried Chicken items itself. KFC is worlds most popular chicken restaurant in the world. It has specialized extra crispy, grilled chicken, spicy wings, recipe strips and home- made chicken sandwiches. KFC owner Colonel started a concept of finger liking goods with 11 herbs and spices to start Kentucky Fried Chicken. KFC was introduced in UK in the year 1965 first US quick chain restaurant to be get started in UK. It operates around more than 700 KFC restaurants around UK and Ireland. KFC spends around 202 million pounds for its famous coating. Every day around 12 million customer around 109 countries of the globe are been served by KFC. It has around 5200 restaurants in US alone and operates more than 16,200 restaurants around the world. Recently it has reached a mark off 2.4 billion sales per year and has made increased profits around 25% in recent years. McDonalds other competitor in fast food industry is Pizza Hut which was started by Frank and Dan Carney in 1950s. As the name suggest Pizza hut specializes in making pizzas all over the world currently operating around 10,000 and more restaurants in about more than 90 countries. It has around 6500 online ordering locations from which customers can get their pizza. Their pan pizza is been loved by all pizza eaters all over the world. And they offer yummy pizza with cheese which is been loved by all. Although McDonalds had tries to enter its shoes when they had started a similar concept to start giving Pizzas in their own restaurants but they failed as they were not able to maintain it the way Pizza hut does. Task 2(a) Identify the key Stakeholders in your organisation and Develop systems to involve those stakeholders in the introduction of change. In McDonalds business the key stakeholders are customers, business partners, employees and opinion leaders. Customers are the persons who buy McDonalds food items they range from very young to extremely old individuals. Business partners include both suppliers and other franchises. Employees are the persons working in KFC and are a key part of the business as all duties of execution are in their hand. Opinion leaders are those groups of people that generate ideas for the business. They are media person, health professionals, environmental groups and other government. In India more than 50,000 Crore of food is been wasted every year because of lack of storage facilities and also because of transportation. With McDonalds aim to provide quality products to Indian people served at McDonalds they introduced the concept of Cold Chain which was been revised from supply chain management which was decision of stakeholders of McDonalds operating its restaurants in India. SCM is flow of materials from suppliers and all their upstream suppliers at all level, transformation of products into semi-finished goods and distribution of these goods to customers and their downstream at all levels. It operates around 20 quality checks in order to provide good quality of products to its customers in Cold Chain process of Supply chain management. In India all these stakeholders played an important role in managing supply chain management. McDonalds was always been looking to sourcing its major business requirements from suppliers and farmers. They always looked forward to maintain a good relationship with the local businesses which resulted and ensured its success is mirrored by its suppliers in India. They looked to those important stakeholders like suppliers who were keen in providing customers with high quality products to customers. With McDonalds looking for local business partners for its business in order to provide food is a very good opportunity for these local businesses to increase its businesses. Task 2(b) Analyse and evaluate these systems which you had used to involve the key stakeholder in change process. In our system of SCM at McDonalds in Indian market the involvement of key Stakeholders like suppliers and customers is very important from making decision how to manage the inventory and how do the supplies for products need to be arranged and what kind of menu should be placed according to the taste of the Indian public. In order to implement the change in the SCM process McDonalds selected the Cold Chain process for Indian Market and there was a keen part played by all the stakeholders on each and every process. Main steps that are been involved in Cold Chain are procurement, warehousing, transportation and retailing. The process of cold chain was very effective and essential for specially a market like India because it integrates food products from its suppliers and are been stored and transported in a standard manner in order to maintain products freshness and keep up the nutrition value of it. In Cold chain suppliers play an important role with the help of advanced technology in order to maintain good state of food. The supply chain management from its suppliers to warehouse and finally from the distribution channel to its stores was been maintained in by the concept of Cold Chain. It considers all steps of SCM and keeps the food items at a controlled temperature. The food items that are been served at restaurants in Indian McDonalds on daily basis were to be kept under the temperature between -18Â °Censisu to 4Â °Censius. Almost every product in the warehouse and during transportation should be kept under these temperatures for quality issues. If the quality of these food products is not been maintained them it would damage the reputation of the company. And hence strict rules and very skilled people are been employed in order to carry all these tasks. Hence McDonalds stakeholders from supplier, distributors, employees and franchises made a good decision in order for the goods to be stored and transported properly and with a good standard. Also the necessary temperatures were maintained to provide the customers with a good food. Technology helped the business in order to maintain proper functioning of all stages of qualitative SCM. Thus, Cold Chain function of SCM (supply change management) helped the Stakeholders at McDonalds India to provide a system that would help them to generate profits by maintaining a good quality of products been served at their restaurants. Task 3(a) Identify number of appropriate models for change that suites your organisation. FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS (DRIVING FORCES/ RESTIRTCING FORCES) on McDonalds: McDonalds supply chain process of Cold Chain was been followed in order to maintain change which would help them to be successful in Indian Continent. But in order to achieve it there are a number of driving forces that conflicting with restraining forces that go against it. For McDonalds to achieve success the driving force was adopting Cold Chain process of SCM that would help them gain success and conflicting with them was to maintain good quality that was tough to achieve in India. But to change the way in which they operate their business they had to maintain quality with supply chain management. This was been achieved by following these key steps: Investigate the balance of power involved in an issue: The change process was to outsource its suppliers in India and also to maintain good food quality for its restaurants. This was been achieved by the process of Cold Chain in which standard temperatures were been maintained in order to achieve quality food products by the use of effective technology. Identify the key stakeholders on the issue: The key stakeholders in our business are the customers, business partners, employees and opinion leaders. Customers are the people who are going to consume our products they range from young individuals to old age group. Business partners are the business partners and Franchises. Employees are those people that are going to work in our esteemed organization to maintain all its standards. And opinion leaders are government, media etc. Identify opponents and allies: The major opponents of McDonalds are US fast food industry such as KFC, Pizza Hut, and Burger King. Amongst all these they face toughest competition from KFC as their main target is providing customers with Fried Crispy Chicken. And pizza hut specializing in providing Crispy pizzas. Both KFC and Pizza Hut have more than 10,000 restaurants around more than 90 countries in the world. As per the allies of McDonalds they have many Franchises in counties they operate their business. Identify how to influence the target groups: According to McDonalds approach they approach to local suppliers in each country they operate their business and maintain a good relationship with them. Their main focus is to outsource all parts of their products in the countries they operate. While outsourcing all its products and maintain good relationship with them suppliers they can easily enter the market with changing their Menu according to the taste of the local people and thus enjoying profits. THE 3 STEP MODEL on McDonalds: By the use of Lewins 3 Step Model we are going to see the change process that McDonalds followed in order to enter the Indian Market successfully. McDonalds approach to achieve quality management in India through supply chain management process function of Cold Chain. By successful implementation of Cold Chain and key decisions made by stakeholders in outsourcing supplies were some key decisions that helped them achieve success in Indian market. Stage 1: Unfreeze The first step to achieve change in Indian market was to study the Indian market and the lifestyle that was been followed by the people living in there. The first key step by McDonalds to start its business in India with change in way they operate was to outsource their supplies to local suppliers. They did so because local Indians knew the taste and choice of people which helped the McDonalds to prepare menu accordingly. The supply change was a key factor in Indian market because every year around 50,000 Crore worth of food was been wasted. To change this factor effectively it was very important in the way that McDonalds would set its Supply chain management. As they had a world -wide tag of being quality providing fast food company. And if this was not been handheld properly it would affect them diversely. In order to come out of this they followed a simple function of supply chain management called as Cold Chain which helped them to maintain procurement, warehousing, transportation and retailing of their food products effectively. The change had to be supported by the technology in order to maintain products under normal temperature. In India to maintain such a level of quality was very difficult but McDonalds was successful for finding such suppliers who would provide their customers with the best product with best quality. Stage 2: Transition Once the supply chain managements function Cold Chain was been adopted it was very necessary for McDonalds to approach the right suppliers that would provide them with good quality products and also maintain a very strong relationship with them in the upcoming future. Also they needed to check that the state of their warehouse was in a perfect condition in order for them to store their food products. Drip and sprinkler irrigation in raised farm beds with fertilizer mixing plant. It was not only the condition of warehouse in which the products were kept but it was to maintain those food products at the right temperature so that they are not been destroyed or been damaged. Pre-cooling room and a large cold room for post harvest handling. If so happened then it would cost them great losses. After the food products were been properly stored at the warehouse the next stage was to safely take them back to stores when they were required. Once they were been off from warehouse and been getting transported in refrigerated trucks would help them to keep the right temperature. It was to be maintained properly so that they were not been spoiled during transportation. And also they had to make sure that they were been stocked properly in the stores at right temperature so that they could be of good quality. With good use of technology all these was been achieved by the McDonalds when they started their business in Indian Market. Although the change in supply chain management was totally different of the way in which McDonalds would do their business in other parts of the world. To get everything right at the first did took them time but they were successful in maintaining it. The most important factor for McDonalds was to get right people to be employed in their stores that could handle all type of customers and that would be able to solve and reply to customers efficiently. But at the end it was McDonalds that was able to achieve all that it wanted by taking SCMs Cold Chain concept for its business organizations. Stage 3: Refreeze With McDonalds able to achieve success with its Cold Chain management process was done step by step. In beginning they were did well but as time went on they were able to better all their departments of supply chain management. They then were able to get good deals with suppliers and were able to force them to get food products as they were so big that suppliers could not effort to lose them. As McDonalds went buzzing with its Indian Menu that was made according to Indian people taste. They were able to get better people wanting to work with them and seek a better future with them. Thus it was able to achieve considerable increase after their initial success helped them to control quality and all hygiene factors that were important to their image which was been placed in minds of every individual all over the world. Technology to maintain and keep up all aspects of their business was also a critical success factor. Task 3(b) How would you go ahead in implementing one or more model(s) in your chosen organisation and what improvements do you expect to achieve by implementing your chosen model(s). For our organization I would prefer 8 Step change Model for the following reasons: Step One: Create Urgency The McDonalds wanted to change the way they operated their supply chain management in India because they saw India as a good market for their fast food industry and with a good supply change management they could earn massive profits with local taste. Indian market was been seen as a mass market an in order to achieve success in India they needed to pull out a good combination of market mix and supply chain to succeed. Step Two: Form a Powerful Coalition Before making the inroads into Indian market there was a good research made about the Indian market and likes of the people. McDonalds wanted to grow its reach all over the world and in order to succeed in India they did require a good relationship with local suppliers from the beginning to launch fast food restaurants in India. Although this was not easy and they had to spent a lot of money and resources to understand the taste of Indian people and their lifestyle. But with a contract with suppliers to help them from beginning and outsource all products helped them make good inroads. Step Three: Create a Vision for Change With the Vision to outsource all its products in India and to have good channel with agricultural farmers was a key step bringing a change to their business in Indian market. This vision to change their supply chain management through a process of Cold Chain in which all food products should be kept under -18 degree census to 4 degree census was their main Vision operating change to their business. Step Four: Communicate the Vision With the vision of having a good relationship with suppliers who are looking forward to provide good food products to its customers and maintaining standard temperatures for their food products on daily basis was their day to day strategy. With providing good supply chain meant there would be no waste of food products and close relationship with suppliers would help them to understand local tastes so that they could make Menus as per the taste of local crowds. Especially in Indian market where every year around 50,000 Crore of food is been wasted this was a good plan to start communicating with. Step Five: Remove Obstacles After the successful implementation of its processed function of Cold Chain McDonalds was able to maintain food products at a standard temperature at which they would not be spoiled and good relationship with suppliers would maintain good day to day operation of their business. Although maintaining those suppliers for longer period and also maintaining a good skilled employed that would understand at what temperatures the food products should be preserved was very important. But they were successful in executing both functions properly by maintaining good relations with suppliers and recruiting and providing training to employees that could carry day to day operations of business properly and moving with great guns. Step Six: Create Short-term Wins Although the way that McDonalds had targeted Indian market for its fast food chain was long term but its short term goals like selecting right suppliers and employing and training skilled people for its day to day operations when they would began their fast food restaurants was very important. With its short term plan to cut out on food waste while transporting and employing right people with good skills gave the company great boosting success with its intro in Indian market. The help they got from suppliers to understand taste of local people in introducing Menus according to local tastes was important. And a long term goal to succeed in all departments. Step Seven: Build on the Change The McDonalds should keep on developing their business by introducing more restaurants and developing relations with more suppliers in order to be the fast food giant in Indian Market and put KFC, Pizza Hut and some local fast food chains like Dominos pizza and many more. E advanced technologies should be placed at workforce to provide its employees with latest machines to serve the customers on the till. They should keep in touch of the taste of the local people as the environment changes with the changing taste of people and their lifestyle. And should always try to provide customers with good deals that they would be satisfied and maintain their loyalty towards the McDonalds in India. Step Eight: Anchor the Changes in Corporate Culture Although McDonalds has expanded its business in more than 109 countries but it still follows its basic burgers and French fries to its customers all over the world. They might have different Menus in different countries to support the taste of the people but they have always kept their basic food items and also culture all over the globe to be the number fast food company.