Reducing energy consumption in hospitality

Reducing energy consumption in hospitality Introduction In recent years the environmental issues and energy saving methods have become increasingly important towards tourism and hospitality industry. Hotel energy consumption depends on various factors such as geographical location, size, class, equipments, occupancy and age of facilities. In this report it includes the methods of reducing energy consumption in hotels at a management level, followed by current legislations towards controlling environmental issues, in addition it shows how the building design and structure of hotels can help with environmental issues. How energy consumption can be reduced on a management level In order to build up an efficient energy system the hotels should, re think, re-use, reduce, recycle, recover and rationalise the resources. In fact those practices should be followed in every single department throughout the organisation. Such as housekeeping, food and beverage, maintenance, room division, front office should participate individually towards energy consumption process. Below are the actions that should be taken, in order to build a healthy and energy efficient environment. Employees contribution One major step towards reducing energy consumption is to plan a staff awareness programme throughout every department, it is important because their daily contact with guests gives them the opportunity to increase the awareness of the guests. Include the environmental messages on gifts (such as mugs) to employees. Encourage staff to switch off lights and switch off unnecessary equipments (computers, air conditioners) when leaving staff rooms. Get staff ideas about energy conversation methods and environmental issues in staff meetings. (www.gogreentravelgreen.com) Allocate coordinators towards environmental activities. Allocate designated members of staff who will be responsible for daily monitoring water/gas/electricity consumption. Furthermore the hotel can fix separate consumption meters in each department in order to have a better view and control of energy. For an example, it should be daily practise with all employees of the hotel to switch off all lights when leaving an empty room. At the end of a working day, all unused office appliances should be turned off at mains and not to be left on standby. Furthermore providing computers, printers with a power down features can reduce 60% energy than regular electronic equipments. On top of that encourage staff to use emails where possible instead of printing. (www.businesslink.gov.uk) Gaining Guests contribution Send an environmental message with reservation conformation messages. When guest check-in and check-out take couple of minutes to educate the guest about the hotels environmental effort. Leaving placards in guest rooms can save the use of unnecessary energy. This can encourage the guests to reuse their towels and bed sheets. Bed sheets washed every day in thousand of hotels in this world millions of gallons of water, electricity and tons of detergent. Sheets are customarily changed between guests. If you feel that your sheets need to be changed daily, please leave this card on your pillow each morning. Housekeeping will be pleased to accommodate you. PLEASE DECIDE YOURSELF Every day millions of gallons of water, electricity and tons of detergent is used to wash towels that have been used only once, A towel o the rack means Ill use it again, a towel o the floor or in the tub means please exchange. PLEASE DECIDE YOURSELF (www.greenhotels.com) Encourage the guest to switch off unnecessary electric items such as air conditioner, and use natural ventilation instead. Place recycle bins in guest rooms and hallways. Allow the guests to contribute an extra pound (Â £) towards a local environmental group. (Georgia hospitality environmental partnaship.1996) Lightning efficiency By replacing the excising bulbs with low energy consumption ones (florescent light bulbs), offers savings in energy costs. On top of that those bulbs have a longer life span than the ordinary light bulbs. Fix light reflectors that direct more light into the room. Using motion detectors for public area lighting (lobby), staff rest rooms, walk-in cooers and storage area can keep the unnecessary lights switched off. (www.4hoteliers.com) Install photovoltaic lighting systems (Georgia hospitality environmental partnaship.1996) for advertising signs, walkways, water fountains and remote outdoor areas. Use solar lamps in order to lighten the hotel garden area. Further by installing daylight sensors for garden area and other exterior lightning can save a massive load of energy consumption. (www.gogreentravelgreen.com) Use of Air conditioners (A/C) When the A/C competes with hot or cold air more energy is wasted. So do not cool more than necessary. Install timers and sensors in order reduce energy waste. Turn off the A/C when the weather is cooler. Close air gaps around doors and windows, and close all the unnecessary openings. Use higher energy efficiency rating equipments. Compare efficiency between gas and electric A/C equipments. Have the units checked yearly; spring is the best time before starting the heavy use in summer. Minimise the available heat sources (Below are methods to reduce heat sources) (My Ton.1996) Minimising heat sources Turn off lights and other heat producing sources that is not in use. Position heat producing sources such as lamps, television away from the thermostats. Cover windows (especially west and south facing) to reduce the heat Use window film to reduce the heat sources heading in to the rooms. Install timers and sensors for lights and other necessary electric equipments. (My Ton.1996) Reducing water consumption Provide Dual flush toilets to save water. Provide separate walk-in showers in order to encourage the guests to have a shower instead a bath; this saves both water and energy. Keep a good maintenance on the plumbing system, fix any drips as soon as possible (www.businesslink.gov.uk) Introduce dish washing machines and laundry machines which use final rinse water for prewash of next load. Use of a food thawing machine instead of running water for faster thawing. (Georgia hospitality environmental partnaship.1996) Adapt the hotel water system to be able to re-use the water for gardening and other non-drinking purpose. (One Source.2009) Other general operations and actions By lowering the thermostat temperature by 2 degrees in the winter or raising it by 2 in the summer you will save a lot of energy. This is a technique used in many organisations in order to save without even noticing the change of temperature. (Keynote.2008) Review and update the hotels preventative maintenance in order to maintain standards which help the system to sustain the system efficiently. (www.gogreentravelgreen.com) Change all individual amenities in the guest bathrooms to automatic dispensers of eco-friendly products; these can be refilled upon usage. (www.4hoteliers.com) Re use the heat and steam of the kitchen and laundry to be re-used for public heating Calculate the energy usage and assess it against available industry benchmarks in terms of per guest night or CO2 (carbon dioxide) generated. (www.tourismpartnership.org) Below it shows actions taken by some of the hotels in United Kingdom, in order to be an eco friendly property. Derwentwater Hotel, Keswick has been following eco friendly prospectors and has been one of the greenest hotel in United Kingdom. They have introduced water saving measures, energy saving measures and waste reduction methods by gaining support from staff, guests and the local communities. (Georgia hospitality environmental partnaship.1996) Also, Radisson Edinburgh has replaced their ordinary light bulbs to energy efficient lights at a cost of $2,307, as a result the first year savings were $27,889. (www.environmentalleader.com) this is a perfect example towards energy conservation, it clearly shows although it costs in order to take action, at the end of the process it save more than 10 times of the cost. According to environmental leader (2009) reports Hilton has announced their sustainability targets to reach by 2014, which includes the following, Reducing energy consumption from direct operations by 20 percent. Reducing CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions by 20 percent. Reducing output of waste by 20 percent. Reducing water consumption by 10 percent. Hilton has already introduced carbon-free electricity in United Kingdom and Ireland, they say it reduce CO2 emission by more than 64,000 tons, or 56 percent of its carbon footprint. They also managed to reduce energy and water consumption by 10 percent over the last two years. According to economically sound reports Marriott hotels are planning to publish their environmental policies on the official website, and each hotel will list their eco friendly actions. They say this will encourage each hotel to discuss their specific environmental policies and share these with other individual hotels. This will encourage the whole hotel chain to be an environmental friendly property as an individual. How Structure and the design of hotels can help with environmental issues When planning the design and the structure of the building, the hotel can get help from government and private companies in order bring guidance and knowledge towards building an environmentally friendly building. In terms of design the following steps can be taken, Light or reflector roofs and exterior coatings can result an environment with a lower temperature. Planting shade trees on the south side helps to keep the building cooler in warm climates. Also it provides the guests an attractive and enjoyable environment. (my ton.1996) Install large windows and glass bricks in lobby and other public areas to maximise the use of natural light (www.businesslink.gov.uk) When designing guest rooms, installing thick curtains and carpets made with wool can retain the heat in order to conserve energy. Painting the walls in light colours (such as white, green) can help to reduce the temperature of the rooms. Also by installing reflective mirrors with reflective wall paint can facilitate natural lightning. Introduce water saving shower heads and sink faucet aerators, 2.5 gallons per minute (GPM) shower heads and 1.5 GPM aerators are recommended for water saving and guest satisfaction. Because less water flow showerheads causes guest complains. (Georgia hospitality environmental partnaship.1996) Design of the building should allow space for recycling, which encourages staff and guests to contribute towards the process. Key card systems control lighting, heating and air coolers when room not in use. Because of Key cards the hotel can make sure there wont be any electricity waste on a vacant room. (www.4hoteliers.com) When positioning equipment such as refrigerators, in order to get the best performance should avoid it placing next to heat sources (cookers, Owen) Adopt a water system that reuses the water for non-drinking purposes such as gardening purposes. In terms of structure the following steps can be taken. Thermostat should not be installed nearby heaters and other heat producing equipments, because this may calculate the building temperature incorrectly and increase the energy costs. (www.carbontrust.co.uk) Installing double or triple glazed windows will protect the heat sources inside the building. Furthermore proper insulation throughout the building will reduce energy consumption. Installing solar energy system to retain heat from the sunlight and make it one and only source of energy for the hotel. Use of timing devices on thermostats will control the energy produced by the radiators. In fact fitting reflective material behind radiators can reduce energy consumption. (ww.4hoteliers.com) Placing gas, electricity and water meters in individual departments allows the organisation to examine energy consumption of each department which helps them to take actions on energy waste and provide necessary improvement. When designing the structure of the building it should be in a way that invites natural light and air in to the building. (www.archinode.com) A research done by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system in United States have proved when designing the structure of the building use of steel superstructure is estimated environmental friendly than using concrete superstructures. Below it shows the negative impacts of concrete. A concrete superstructure would consume over three times more energy than a steel one. A concrete superstructure would consume almost six times as much as natural resources than a steel one. Production of a concrete superstructure would use more toxic than a steel superstructure. A concrete superstructure would produce over four times solid waste as a steel one. A steel superstructure is easier to recycle, producing more secondary useful product, than a concrete one. A concrete superstructure would pollute air over five times than a steel one. A steel superstructure would pollute water over three times than a concrete one. A concrete superstructure would contribute to global warming almost seven times more than a steel one. (www.archinode.com) Current legislations relating to environmental issues Environmental Protection Act 1990 Environment Act 1995 Environment Agency and Scottish Environment Protection Agency as the regulating bodies for contaminated land, abandoned mines, national parks, control of pollution, conservation of natural resources and conservation or enhancement of the environment.. (www.opsi.gov.uk) Energy conservation act 1996 This act was introduced to make provisions for energy conservations, future to to allow local authorities to implement a strategy to achieve improvement in energy efficiency (www.opsi.gov.uk) Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989 c.14 This act controls the methods of waste disposal with the Environment Agency or Scottish Environment Protection Agency and outlines the penalties (including seizure and disposal) for vehicles shown to have been used for illegal waste disposal. (www.statutelaw.gov.uk) Clean air act 1993 The clean air act authorizes the local councils to control domestic and industrial smoke and allows them to create smoke control areas in order to improve the local air quality. (www.netregs.gov.uk) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 SI 3538 Introduces a new system for environmental permits for industrial activities and waste operations in England and Wales, including landfill and waste incineration, and sets out the powers, functions and duties of the regulator. (www.opsi.gov.uk) Buildings Regulations 2000, SI 2531 Introduces requirements for builders to calculate and display energy ratings on new or altered buildings. (www.books.google.com) Eco Design for Energy-using Products Regulations 2007 SI 2037 This regulation establishes a framework for setting eco design requirements for energy-using products. (www.opsi.gov.uk) Water act 2003 This act was introduced to control the abstraction and impounding of water. It helps to protect the water resources throughout the country. (www.environment-agency.gov.uk) Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 SI 991 This regulation issues energy performance certificates (to maintain energy efficient standards) when buildings are constructed in order to rent out or sell. (www.communities.gov.uk) EU Regulation on a Revised Community Eco-Label Award Scheme 1980/2000 This is an award scheme towards eco-label to manufacturers who want to inform consumers about what they are doing to reduce the environmental impact of their products. (Eur-lex.europa.eu) List of Wastes (England) Regulations 2005 SI 895 This regulation provides the European Waste Catalogue list of codes used to classify wastes. (www.products.ihs.com) Conclusion Being an environmental friendly property means that they save electricity, water, reduce solid waste while saving money and creating a healthy environment to the guest, staff and the management. In order to become a green property the organisation should the gain contribution from every parties such as staff, guests, local communities, local councils and other environmental friendly organisation. As a result the organisation can gain respect towards the idea of conserving the environment. From a business point of view this allows them to differentiate their products from rivals and attract more guests. Being a green property will not only gain guest respect, they will overlook at the hotel over the rivals. Further, by being environmental friendly the organisation can reduce costs on energy, water and waste, the money saved can be re invested in future development, research and staff incentives. This concept also leads towards staff satisfaction by building a pleasant, relaxed environment to work. Once the hotel adapts to environmentally friendly practices it will gain marketing opportunities and support by local media (magazines, newspapers and television programs). Also it allows the hotel to gain financial support and expertise form government organisations who helps green concepts. Furthermore all these efforts give an opportunity to achieve rewards and awards from hospitality bodies which the organisation can be proud of. The most important fact of all this whole process is that, it will contribute to protect our one and only earth. Bibliography My ton.1996.Greening your property, green seal Georgia hospitality environmental partnaship.1996.Waste reduction in hotels and motels Top 10 tips for reducing waste and saving energy http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=ONEOFFPAGEitemId=1081838672 [accessed on: 20/08/2009] One Source information service (2009) Data monitor independent research. (British Library online database) Available from: http/globalbb,onesource.com/sharedscripts/reports/FetchAR.asp?process=cpDocID [Accessed on: 13/03/2009] Keynote information service (2009) (British Library online database) http:/www.bl.uk/eresources/business/cd-busin.html#market. (Keynote) [Accessed on: 13/03/2009] Tips and Tricks for Greening your Hotel Available from: http://gogreentravelgreen.com/green-hotels-green-accommodation/11-tips-and-tricks-for-greening-your-hotel-stay-25-days-to-green-travel-day-16/ [Accessed on: 13/03/2009] Tips and Tricks for Greening your Hotel Available from: http://www.4hoteliers.com/4hots_fshw.php?mwi=3229 [accessed on: 20/08/2009] Steel VS Concrete Available from: http://www.archinode.com/lcasteel.html [accessed on: 12/03/2009] http://www.healthandsafety.co.uk/envas.htm [accessed on: 12/03/2009] Going green Available from: http://www.tourismpartnership.org/downloads/Going%20Green.pdf [20/08/2009] Hilton Sets Target Of 20% CO2 Reduction By 2014 Available from: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/06/05/hilton-sets-target-of-20-co2-reduction-by-2014/ [accessed on: 22/08/2009] Marriott To List Green Actions Of Individual Hotels Available from: http://www.economicallysound.com/marriott_speaks_green_soon.html [accessed on: 22/08/2009] Environmental Protection Act 1990 Available from: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1990/ukpga_19900043_en_1#Legislation-Preamble [accessed on: 20/08/2009] Environment act 1995 Available from: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1995/ukpga_19950025_en_1 [accessed on: 20/08/2009] Environmental permitting regulations 2007 SI 3538 Available from: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/uksi_20073538_en_1 [accessed on: 20/08/2009] Building regulations 2000, SI 2531 Available from: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ixzl0dw8LpICpg=PA3lpg=PA3dq=building+regulations+2000,+si+2531source=blots=BkC1vCaLdSsig=HBUkP0oQmHzE5s5dq_RD0dwuvPYhl=enei=6mqNSpS3Kd6RjAeWiZHcDQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=5#v=onepageq=building%20regulations%202000%2C%20si%202531f=false [accessed on: 20/08/2009] Energy Conservation Act 1996 Available from: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1996/Ukpga_19960038_en_1[accessed on: 20/08/2009] Eco design for energy-using products regulations 2007 SI 2037 Available from: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/uksi_20072037_en_1 [accessed on: 20/08/2009] Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989 c.14 Available from: http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?LegType=All+PrimaryPageNumber=36NavFrom=2parentActiveTextDocId=1349599ActiveTextDocId=1349599filesize=112837 [accessed on: 20/08/2009] Clean Air Act 1993 Available from: http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/legislation/current/107146.aspx [accessed on: 20/08/2009] Water act 2003 Available from: http://www.environmentagency.gov.uk/static/documents/Business/water_act_leaflet_833646.pdf [accessed on: 20/08/2009] The Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/991) Available from: http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/energyperformance [accessed on: 20/08/2009] EU Regulation on a Revised Community Eco-Label Award Scheme 1980/2000 Available from: http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2000:237:0001:0012:en:PDF [accessed on: 20/08/2009] List of Wastes (England) Regulations 2005 SI 895 Available from: http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=enq=List+of+Wastes+%28England%29+Regulations+2005+SI+895btnG=Searchmeta= [accessed on: 20/08/2009]

Mixed Reviews of Hemingways Men Without Women and Winners Take Nothing

Mixed Reviews of Hemingway's Men Without Women and Winners Take Nothing Within a span of five years, Ernest Hemingway published two unique novels, Winners Take Nothing, and Men Without Women. Instead of following the customary novel structure, Hemingway incorporated many short stories into a book. Several short stories included were already published in various literature mediums, and quite successful. Fourteen stories composed Men Without Women, and ten poems with three stories formed Winners Take Nothing. Hemingway intended to use these books to establish his place and identity in American history, the one of a super-male writer. Charles Scriber's Sons published 20,300 copies of Winners Take Nothing on October 27, 1933. (Oliver 355). They sold for two dollars each. (Oliver 355). This book met public outrage, as people became offended by Hemingway's choice of subjects. Hemingway covered topics such as homosexuality, insanity, suicide, nihilism, and veneral disease (Wagner-Martin 32). To understand the public's negative perspectives, attitudes and emotions on Winner Take Nothing, we must examine the historical context of Hemingway's time. America was in midst of the Great Depression. Many people were in direst situations, and barely clinging onto hope for better fortunes. Naturally, they wanted sources of hope, and Hemingway's book certainly does not offer hope or a sense of exit (Wagner-Martin 33). Additionally, Hemingway in Winners Take Nothing boldly tackles delicate moral issues that America regarded sensitively during that time period. As Michael Reynolds adeptly puts it, Winner Take Nothing was "abrasive to the prevailing American moral view of itself." (Wagner-Martin 32). Because Hemingway failed to write a boo... ...is life." (Pearsall 115). Oddly enough, Hemingway regarded negative reviews as an assault on his reputation, and as a ploy intended to ruin his career as a writer. However, the negative reviews did nothing to impair Hemingway's place in history as a great writer. Hemingway still has a large following in modern society despite being dead for over forty years. His innovative ability with prose has people exclaiming about Hemingway as one of the greatest prose stylists ever. Winners Take Nothing and Men Without Women played a large role in that reputation. Bibliography Oliver, Charles M. Ernest Hemingway A to Z. New York: Checkmark Books, 1999. Pearsall, Robert Brainard. The Life and Writings of Ernest Hemingway. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 1973. Wagner-Martin, Linda. Ed. A Historical Guide to Ernest Hemingway. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.

Feinberg

Feinberg’s Theory of Freedom and Rights The exact meaning of â€Å"freedom† is often misunderstood due to the many meanings the word has taken on. When a man was labeled â€Å"free† decades ago, it was to distinguish if you were simply talking about his legal rights or the characteristics his status. If someone tells you now-a-days that they are â€Å"free† it now poses the problem of not knowing exactly what they are free from. Is the man free from debt, from his country’s government or from his sins? We will not know until more information is given to us.We just know he is free from something that was constraining. Feinberg draws a tie between constraints and desires which lead him to the conclusion that freedom is unsatisfied when constrains stand in the way of our desires. When this happens, our reaction is frustration, which is considered unhappiness. With that idea, having freedom would conclude that the person was considered happy. This may s eem far- fetched but drawn up thoroughly by Feinberg. The idea of being happy when having freedom is board.We need to figure out what kind of freedom is being awarded. There is positive and negative freedom. But watch out, the names are misleading. Positive doesn’t always mean â€Å"great† or â€Å"pleasant† in this case and negative freedom doesn’t necessarily meaning â€Å"awful† or â€Å"appalling. † On top of â€Å"positive† and â€Å"negative† constraints being factors in the definition of a person’s freedom, we also have to look at the source of the constraint. It can either be external or internal meaning the source is coming from an outside source or within you.A great definition was stated in Feinberg’s article â€Å"If the distinction between internal and external is to be put to political use, perhaps the simplest way of making it is by means of merely spatial criterion: external constraints are those that come from outside a person’s body-cum-mind, and all other constraints. † (p. 13) With the idea of external and internal constraints brought into the picture, we now have a pool of constraints to choose from. Positive external, negative internal are just a few examples.Positive now means â€Å"addition or adding something on,† whereas negative means â€Å"taking away or lack of. † An example of an internal positive constraint would be a headache whereas an external positive constraint would be a lock door. An example of an internal negative constraint would be ignorance whereas an external negative constraint would be a lack of money. Once we can see that there are different types of constraints, there is no real reason to speak of the two different types of freedom.The reason there is no longer a need to discriminate is that if nothing prevents me from doing something, I am free to do something conversely, I am free to do something then nothing preven ts me from doing something. Feinberg’s idea of â€Å"human rights† was they were sometimes understood to be ideal rights, sometimes conscientious rights and sometimes both. They are considered moral rights due to the fact that each person held them equally, unconditionally. He doesn’t suggest the rights are moral by definition and leaves that up for argument but does admit that there is a possibility that human rights don’t even exists.

Developing yourself Essay

Findings: The CIPD profession map is a tool used to support the profession as a whole to develop products and services, yet it also accelerates the professional development of individuals. The map was created and is used by individuals and organisations; it’s a vital resource if you are working or connected in the HR profession. Whatever sector and/or size of an organisation the professional map is a great help, whether you are a specialist or generalist in talent, reward, learning development, employee relations and engagement. There are three key components to the map, which are: professional areas, behaviours and bands and transitions. The core professional areas show how a HR professional should think and look at tasks, then how to influence the relevant employees to the best outcome. There are then eight further areas surrounding the professional areas and when they are all combined, create the role of a great hr employee. Each area is essential to any business. The eight areas are: service delivery and information, organisation design, organisation development, resourcing and talent planning, learning and development, performance and reward, employee engagement, employee relations and service delivery and information. Once professional HR areas are covered, behaviours are the next vital key to becoming an effective HR professional. There are eight behaviours and they require an employee to be a strong character that leads by example and is confident when advising and influencing all levels of staff from entry to high level. Each behaviour is divided into four bands of professional competence. Each behaviour also lists a number of contra indicators which illustrate negative behaviour. Comment on the activities and knowledge specified within any 1 professional area, at either band one or band two identify those you consider most essential to your own or other identified hr role. Conclusion: A HR practitioner should ensure the services they provide are timely and effective. Different customers have different needs in a HR role and you need to prioritise conflicting needs. Shown below are different customers to  a HR practioner and examples of what needs they may have. Managers look to human resources for sound business advice on how to review, analyse and address people issues. They expect the HR services to be timely and accurate. Supervisors expect human resources to be available on an as-needed basis to help solve people issues. They expect, and frequently demand, help interpreting company policies, expediting personnel matters and preparing or completing paperwork. Most importantly, supervisors expect to learn from their interactions with human resources in order for them to return to their work unit and handle personnel matters. Associates look to human resources to provide, explain or confirm information about company policies and procedures. They expect human re sources to be an empathetic ear to their concerns and to help them solve work-related problems. They expect human resources to anticipate problems and to provide sound recommendations to management. To the applicant, human resources are the company. Applicants expect accurate information about employment opportunities, fair consideration of their qualifications and courteous treatment. An example of how you would prioritise conflicting needs is shown below: When in a HR role a supervisor may need a report by the end of the day completing, a manager may need you to sort a conflict between two members of staff and a member of staff may be dealing with bereavement and is upset. You would then organise how and who or what task is the priority and arrange how it will all be dealt with or completed. In this situation I would delegate the report to another member of staff, I would then arrange a time to address the issues between the two conflicting members of staff then I would then deal with the member of staff with bereavement as I would see them as the highest priority. Then all issues and tasks should be completed/ resolved by the end of the day. This shows how you have an empathetic ear to concerns, you are helping solve work related problems and you are completing tasks under a time scale with organisation and delegation. Communication methods: Employee communication is about the HR aspects of communication from management to employees and of course employees to management. The first aspect is downward communication this is where management communicate to employees the second aspect is upward communication and this is when  employees communicate to management. Managers have to communicate with employees all the time that they are at work it is impossible not to, plentiful communication with employee’s has been shown to be linked to good company performance. Communication could be formal or informal. Smaller company’s often rely on informal methods and have few formal methods of communication with employees. In some cases they prefer to encourage social events for promoting mutual communication. Shown below are some examples of communication: Downward communication: Upward communication: Workforce briefings for all or part of the workforce on key issues Employee attitude surveys Quality circles, regular meeting with all or part of the workforce Suggestion schemes Appraisal interviews Employee forums Newsletters, electronic circular and dvds Project teams With communication you can come across issues these are: Subject What is communicated is the most important issue. HR can send a message to employees only on subjects which they choose to communicate with them. For example, certain information may not be passed on to certain employees because the organisation may not want to disclose this information. Quality You do not want to give too much information as employees may have problems digesting it. You need to make sure the quality of communication is high. Depth The depth of the information must be fit for purpose for example it may be too detailed and confusing for those who it is aimed at as it may have initially been designed for a management circular, re-worked slightly and the circulated to part time workers. Receptiveness Employees should feel that they are being listened to; they may voice their  ideas but feel that they are not listened to, and this would then create a negative effect amongst them and actually demotivating them. Action on their views may or may not be considered a good idea, but employees should then receive feedback on their views. Regularity Employees learn to trust the communication if it is regular and tells them important information. Regular communication means it is less likely rumours which are incorrect circulate in workplaces. A balance must be made between giving people information so regularly that they are swamped with it, and too infrequently so that uncertainty arises. Timing Information may be released when leaked information has already reached employees as rumour and it may then be treated with contempt. Information may be released too early or too late. A good example of this is redundancy information. Employees themselves are sensitive when they read about their own redundancy in the newspaper or see it on the news. You should inform employees of this information at the relevant time so they find out from you first. In the HR role you are likely to have an important role in building managers presentational and communication skills, since operational managers are often appointed mainly for other skills that they have, they may need help in developing their interpersonal skills. HR professionals have people issues at the forefront of their minds, they may advise on where and when sensitive meetings such as appraisals or disciplinary meetings might be best held. HR professionals can act as advisors to individual operational managers on how to communicate to employees on issues such as their pension or legal rights, or alternatively communicate directly with the individual employee’s on such subjects. These matters are of vital importance to employees, for whom areas like pensions and benefits packages are central issues. Getting communication right in these areas is therefor also at the centre of HR professional jobs. HR professionals sometimes have to advise both senior and operational managers on employee’s feelings on different subjects. It is usually the HR professionals who are called on to run or at least source and oversee employee attitude surveys, forums etc. to some extent they may also try to act as employee advocates in order to maintain employee commitment and motivation. HR has a key role to play in improving  communication including by providing training and coaching for other managers and workers which can improve their informal and formal communication. Effective Service delivery is a vital key in a HR role shown below are the key points of how to achieve it to a high standard. Delivering service on time: Delivering service on a budget: Dealing with difficult customers, Handling and resolving complaints: When dealing with difficult customers that may have a complaint or issue there are certain ways to deal with the situation so that it does not escalate and gets resolved. Firstly you need to identify the complaint and get as many facts together as possible. You always need to listen and empathize whilst clarifying that you both understand. Then you would log the complaint and investigate why, who, how and what evidence. Once that is achieved I think it is best to identify an end goal so there is something to aim for and the issue should then be resolved. When trying to resolve the situation always keep the complainant updated with any progress and also make sure you are following the company’s policy and try and keep it to the smallest time frame. Once the situation is resolved I would then try to investigate why it happened and how to prevent re-occurrence. In a HR role I believe you should be committed to treating customers with courtesy and respect at all times, responding promptly to all enquiries made by telephone, email, post, fax, or in person, ensuring accuracy of administration, respecting and maintaining confidentiality, equality of opportunity in employment, updating skills through continuous professional development, regularly and systematically seeking, listening to and acting upon the views of customers. I think a HR function should obtain much more thorough feedback from its internal customers these are line managers, senior managers and employees. This should cover both what they need from HR, and their user experience of current services. Such feedback, as this study illustrates, can generate a clear overview or ‘footprint’ of the HR function in a particular organisation. It can provide fresh insights and help the HR function to focus its efforts in areas that add value to the  business. Bibliography: http://www.cipd.co.uk/cipd-hr-profession/profession-map/professional-areas/service-delivery-information.aspx

Executive Summary Social Networking Essay

Introduction We are at a time when customer satisfaction is at an all time low, yet it is becoming a more and more difficult to talk to a human for customer service. Many businesses have lost the personal and trust-filled relationship that is so desired by their clients. In order to maintain and grow a loyal customer base, a company can now achieve those real human connections by means of social networking. Individuals from all areas of the company are readily available to meet the diverse needs of its customers, future employees and each other. Social Networking is at the top of today’s technology and is being utilized by many companies. Our business purpose is to share business ideas and opportunities. This has become an effective tool to meet prospective leads, clients, efficient employees and business partners. [i] Social networking is an easy and cost effective way to make profitable business connections with people that you never knew existed. Recommendation ââ€" ª An advantage of Social Networking is to create new ways to communicate and share information about our company. Communication is a key to success in any business, and social networking is the best way to facilitate these successful interactions. ââ€" ª Social Networking ensures that our company is making new and successful connections. We are able to promote our company’s services on a more personal level.[ii] Both our customers and own employees can build a more trusting relationship through the ease of communication of a social network. Analysis Social Networking has always been an effective source of communication. It has become necessary to change they way we pursue our clients and employees. We want to manage more efficiently, hire the most qualified employees and locate potential clients. Our business has to be aware of not only what we communicate, but how we communicate. Society has changed they way we interact with one another. It use to be highly encouraged, by employers, to meet a potential client or future employee while playing golf, having lunch or maybe even dinner. You would provide your sales pitch, hand them a business card and follow back within the next few days to see if they were interested in your business or if you were interested in theirs. This was an approach to maintain a personal relationship and show your future client or future employee how available and interested you are. Social Networking has grown and we need to be aware of the way we connect and communicate. Communication is no longer just reaching a client or future employee. It is reaching millions of business connections that you never knew existed, through technology. Technology has allowed us to create social sites that can be used for networking your business, via the internet. I use to think social sites such as Myspace.com, Facebook.com, and LinkedIn.com were sites for younger people to socialize with their friends. After researching these sites, I found that these sites support much more than socializing amongst friends. It has become one of the most effective ways for businesses to communicate and build relationships with other business people and potential employees. Social networking has provided businesses with the following: business development or sales, raising business capital, professional development, getting job assistance with others in your company, recruiting board members, management of employees and social or personal reasons.[iii] Social Networking can add value to a company externally as well as internally. It can be a very powerful tool and when utilized properly we can learn from others as well as ourselves. There are many companies that have taken the idea of these social sites and utilized them internally. They are using social networking as marketing tool for growing their business. Social Networking is now essential professional competency for employees at all levels. Professionals need to know how to gain visibility and credibility in their target markets and how to build and maintain relationships for long-term growth. They need to develop strategic networking skills and practices to excel. It is the most important tool for intelligence gathering. In a business setting, such as conferences, meetings, and outings, people need to find the latest information on resources, trends and best practices. It is a critical strategy for business development. Employees can create a network of profiles and connect with one another. Enabling connections among employees, the company could easily establish virtual teams, bring new employees up to speed, improve collaboration and increase retention among people who hadn’t felt a strong sense of belonging.[iv] Social Networking is a method for personal retention because it creates feelings of inclusion and helps people from diverse backgrounds feel listened to and valued. Building up a network of diverse people is very helpful for any business. Contacts with different clusters or groups would help your possibility of greater opportunities. A closed group of contacts will not allow you this kind of exposure. Networking can help you with your contact list. This would then help you to expand your sales and social base. [v] It remains the primary technique that people use to find jobs, change careers or land on their feet after a layoff, merger, or reorganization.[vi] Through the company’s social network you can create a word-of-mouth marketing stream that reaches people you would never be able to reach on your own or other means. Experts can provide feedback or validation regarding your current ideas or help to create new ones. You can create an advisory board of business people that are regularly available to you and committed to the growth and success of your business. People are given the opportunity to brainstorm which allows you to get outside of the normal way of thinking and create new and innovative ways to grow your business. People in your social network can connect you with potential employees.[vii] Companies are communicating and connecting using external sites as a tool to check up on employees who are working for them or are a potential candidate. We want to make sure we are ahead of the game, the who’s who if you will. Potential employees seem to be younger and younger. They are not all exploiting the typical Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com to post their resumes or look for jobs anymore. They are developing personal sites with LinkedIn.com and Facebook.com, which are allowing a more personal view of a potential employee or client. More than one in five employers searches social networking sites to screen candidates. There are many areas of concern that can be researched on networking sites including: information about drug and alcohol use, inappropriate photos, poor communication skills, bad-mouthing of former employers or fellow employees, inaccurate qualifications, unprofessional screen names, notes showing links to criminal behavior, and confidential information about past employers. This is a very effective way to help determine whether a candidate should be hired. You want an employee that can show a professional image, solid references and are a well-rounded candidate in terms of their skills, accomplishments and overall fit for the company.[viii] Closing Social Networking is a smart and strategic way to keep our company connected and communicating both internally and externally. Remember the old saying, â€Å"It is not always what you know, but who you know† and social networking has been an effective tool that has allowed us to broaden our personal relationships with our customers, future employees and each other. Social Networking through technology will allow us to grow with endless possibilities. ———————– [i] Raj, N. A. (2008). For Entrepreneurs: Social Marketing Optimization. Retrieved November 1,2008, for Gaebler Ventures Website:http://www.gaebler.com/Importance-of-Business-Networking-for-Entrepreneurs.htm [ii] Raj, N. A. (2008). For Entrepreneurs: Social Marketing Optimization. Retrieved November 1,2008, for Gaebler Ventures Website:http://www.gaebler.com/Importance-of-Business-Networking-for-Entrepreneurs.htm [iii] Darling, D. (2003). The Networking Survival Guide Get the Success You Want by Tapping into the People You Know. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill. [iv] Brandel, Mary (2008). The new employee connection: Social networking behind the firewall. Retrieved October 25, 2008, for Computerworld Networking & Internet Website:http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=knowledge_center&articleId=9114560&taxonomyId=1&intsrc=kc_top [v] Sridhar, B.N (2008). The Importance of Networking in Business. Retrieved October 25, 2008, for Ezine@rticles Website: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Importance-of-Networking-in-Business&id=1525118 [vi] Baber, A. & Waymon, L. (2007). Make Your Contacts Count Networking Know-How for Business and Career Success. New York, New York: Amacom. [vii] Fisher, D. (2001). Professional Networking for Dummies. Indianapolis, Indiana: Wiley Publishing, Inc. [viii]Havenstein, H. (2008). One in five employers uses social networks in hiring process. Retrieved October 26, 2008, for Computerworld Networking & Internet Website:http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=knowledge_center&articleId=9114560&taxonomyId=1&intsrc=kc_top

A Closer Look at Apple's Success Strategies Research Paper

A Closer Look at Apple's Success Strategies - Research Paper Example Their product innovation made it a brand to be envied not just in terms of functionality, but features, design and quality. Therefore, in this study the researcher would be attempting to analyze that how innovation, product extension or expansion has affected the financial growth and the managerial decision making of Apple Inc. and how the company has come up with new marketing tactics to survive as a leader in its own niche (Douglas, 2012). Apple Inc. is a, technology based multinational company, in America, having its headquarter in Cupertino, California. It is popular for its technological innovations and designs. The company is into manufacturing and selling of consumer electronic goods and is best known for its products which are a brand in itself like the iMac, iPod, iPhone, iPad and the Apple Watch. It also provides a range of online services to the consumers like the iTunes, the iCloud and the App Store (Apple Inc., 2015). Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne and Steve Wozniak have founded Apple on 1st April, 1976 to manufacture and sell personal computers. On 3rd January, 1977 it was incorporated as Apple Computer, Inc. and was renamed on 9th January, 2007 as Apple Inc. (Apple Inc., 2015). It is globally the largest technology company by total assets, second largest Information Technology Company after Samsung Electronics by revenue and ranking third in the world as mobile phone maker. Apple Inc. has become the first company in the United States to be valued at over 700 billion dollars on 25th November, 2014 in addition to being the largest publicly traded corporation in market capitalization world-wide. As per 2014, the company had a total of 72,800 full-time employees, operating in 437 retail stores in fifteen countries and online Apple Store and iTunes Store functioning globally among which iTunes is the largest music retailer in the world (Apple Inc., 2015). Apple

Unit 4 Science DB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 4 Science DB - Essay Example This list serves as guide for EPA determining which sites warrant further investigation. It was painfully surprising to know that even Florida is also having as many as 49 such sites. Though, with EPA’s efforts, 21 sites have already been cleaned up.One such site in our nearby was BMI-Textron with EPA ID as FLD052172954. It is situated at 1211, Silver Beach Road in the Tri-City Industrial Park, Lake Park, Florida. It was proposed in NCL list on 06/24/88 and it was deleted from it on 11/18/04 after cleanup. BMI-Textron (BMIT) was in business of making of chrome backed glass plates, used for manufacture of electronic components. Materials and chemicals that were used for this product included cerium oxide, ceric ammonium nitrate, chromium, acetone, potassium ferrocyanide and possibly fluoride (EVA website). Various processes of manufacturing operation like chromium stripping operations, glass cleaning, coating, polishing, rinse waters and reverse osmosis water purification etc., generated liquid wastes. These wastes were disposed of on site. Initially BMIT used percolation ponds under a Florida Department of Environmental Regulation (FDER) permit for disposing of cyanide wastes and later installed additional drain field to dispose of wastewater from a Reverse Osmosis plant. As per terms of FDER permit four wells were constructed on site to monitor permit compliance. A monthly report of sample was also to be taken. One monthly report of sampling data showed higher than permitted standards for nitrate, total dissolved solids and pH. Accordingly in 1983, FDEP issued a violation notice BMIT. Later investigations determined concentrations of arsenic, cyanide, fluoride, and sodium contamination in the soil and groundwater. It was affecting approximately 106,000 people in Lake Park, Riviera B each, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Shores, and Palm Beach Gardens. These contaminations can