Monopoly and Oligopoly Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Monopoly and Oligopoly - Essay Example Another feature of oligopoly is that the actions of another firm largely affect the other firms. It means that the success of another firm depends on the action of another firm. Oligopolies would want to know what other firms have availed in the market. For example, McDonalds will keep monitoring what Wendy’s have made available in the market. Oligopolistic market also has a bit of a barrier for entry to the market but not like monopoly market structure. Conversely, monopoly is characterized by the products differentiation. This means that the firm produces a product that is unique. This means that there is no close substitute for the product. Monopoly operates as a single seller in the market; it is a firm that provides most of the supplies in the market. Bookstores in campuses are some examples of monopolies. Unlike perfect competition, the kind of market that monopoly operates is not easy to enter due to quite a number of barriers for entry such as legal barriers (Tucker, 2010). A natural monopoly is where by one firm stands out as a primary supplier despite the presence of other firms. In this industry, it is advantageous for production to be concentrated on this major firm rather than contested competitively. Natural monopolies are mostly public utilities. The legality of these natural monopolies is based on the fact that it is economically sensible to have them. That is the cost of production of goods and services, for example power, by these monopolies, are very high such that it is economically sufficient if only one company produces it. The government however regulates the operation of the two monopolies. This information shows why ‘natural’ monopolies are legal and other monopolies illegal (Hirschey, 2008). Laissez-faire is seen as an economic-policy doctrine. This doctrine opposes government interference in business other than the minimum functions of ensuring peace,

Problems of farmers in present day of Life Essay Example for Free

Problems of farmers in present day of Life Essay We think of farms as always being there. Food will always be grown. Our countryside will be full of cows and crops just like it always has been. The fact is that this may not be true. Farmers are faced with the growing costs to run their farms. These costs include taxes, insurance, and regular farm costs. When we visited a farm, the farmer said that this was one of his main concerns. and not the weather conditions like we thought. Farmers are being offered big money to sell their farms. Companies that are building lots of houses and condominiums buy up farm land so that city people can move into the country. They break up the farm land into smaller pieces of land. In the picture on the right, you will see an example of how housing developments are gradually taking over valuable farm land. With more people traveling and moving into the country, more roads need to be built. Roads take up land, too. Many times the land is farmland. So, the farmer is offered lots of money to sell their land. The high taxes and farm costs make this look good to farmers. Another big threat is roads that go around cities. These are called loops or bypasses. These use up farm land, parks, and green spaces edging our cities. This has had a terrible track record over the past few years, although many mayors and members of Congress now want to build more. As a nation, we should stop giant highways and promote new transportation that helps the economy and the environment. We interviewed former Congressman and former head of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority Neil Gallagher who said, New Jersey used to make awful smells that would spread across the area from a major pig farm in Secaucus. A plan then was made by Governor Al Driscoll to run a highway through New York State to the crossing of the Delaware River to take out the traffic on Highway Number 1. In order to build these roadways, all the roads had to connect and pass through Secaucus which had to be the hub of the highway. In order to do this, the government had to buy all the pig farms in Secaucus. Mr. Gallagher remembers that several laws were passed: A new organization was formed called the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. Creation of an organization that would buy the farms at a fair price. Allowing the turnpike to sell bonds to raise money to buy the land and  build the road. The bonds would be paid for by the tolls that were collected on the turnpike. [Two thirds of the money came from out-of-state drivers.] The result of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority closing down the farms was that we lost the farm land, and the new use of that land resulted in the greatest economic boom that the state of New Jersey had ever seen. The road itself created all new jobs throughout the state and in Secaucus itself. Let’s use the New Jersey Meadowlands sports complex as an example. This land became some of the most valuable land in the metropolitan area when the Meadowlands [including Giant Stadium, the race track, and Continental Arena] was built where pig farms used to be. Mr. Gallagher feels that, â€Å"Sometimes the price of progress is finding a better use of land that benefits more people at the expense of a more rural and quiet way of life. The threat to farming had to be raised for the people of the state. This is one example, but a balance does have to be set from nature and a growing society.† Many people would agree with Mr. Gallagher’s statements and many others would not. No matter where you stand on the loss of valuable farmland to development, you need to always be concerned about the future of our farming communities.

Adopted By The Odeon Cinemas For Better Business Marketing Essay

Adopted By The Odeon Cinemas For Better Business Marketing Essay ABSTRACT In the present report the concept of E- Business and the importance of the E-Business in the present day Business operations has been discussed and analysed. The E-Business strategies adopted by the Odeon Cinemas for better business prospects and also the features included in the website for online customer relationships are analysed carefully. Online transactional facilities given by the Odeon cinemas are studied and also the networking sites used by the Odeon cinemas for promotions and advertisements are analysed. Details of page views of the website are included for better understanding of usage of website. After understanding the various E-Business strategies of the Odeon Cinemas few recommendations are made for better and more user friendly website. Introduction to E-Business: Electronic Business is defined as All electronically mediated information exchanges, both within an organization and with external stakeholders supporting the range of business processes (E-Business and E-commerce management, Dave Chaffey, 2009). It is also known as the process used to describe the information systems and applications for effective business operations. Companies across the globe are competing in serving the customers with varied interests and ideas. It is used for enhancing the competitiveness of an organisation by implementing the innovative technologies and advanced communication mediums in internal and external processes of the organisation (Dave Chaffey, 2009). E- Business has become the platform for the organizations and customers for better sharing of relationships. E-Business strategies help the company to reach the customers of various segments in an efficient way. The idea of E-Business takes the companies much closer to the customers and business partners a nd also it enhances the overall business performance by linking processes within the organization and outside the organization. Advantages of E-Business: Worldwide Presence Cost Effective Marketing and Promotions Developing a Competitive Strategy: Better Customer Service COMPANY INFORMATION: Odeon is one of the largest cinema chains with more than 100 cinemas spread across the country. It is also ranked among the best entertaining cinemas in the market, and it is also known for its eighty years of experience in entertaining the people of United Kingdom. The website of Odeon cinemas has all prerequisites required by the movie lovers; it also consists of many features which makes the loyal customers feel more satisfied. Majorly the content of home page of the website has been designed very user friendly so that the customers get almost every option by just viewing the home page. Odeon being a well known entertaining company in United Kingdom has been consistently working on the website for better look and user friendliness so that it can retain the esteemed customers in the long run. Odeon cinemas website has all options like Login/sign up option which is used for updating the customers with new offers and promotions regularly. It also has easier way of getting premiere club membership which helps in maintaining the good customer relations. Odeon cinemas are always been in first position in serving its premiere club loyal customers by best offers and promotions. It has made considerable progress during the last decade in terms serving the customers and revenue generation. Odeon has introduced point system for every visit of this site for its premiere club members so that the optimized use of the website can be done. Movie lovers will also get the updates like now booking, new releases and coming soon movies where in the customers can pre plan the visit the cinemas. The website facilitates high definition trailers on websites with movie ratings which gives the overview of the movie to the movie lovers and the loyal customers. The following graph gives daily traffic rank trend of the Odeon.co.uk for last six months, the gradual growth can be observed in the graph which is positive sign for the website and also gives monthly traffic rank. ODEON CINEMAS -BRANDING: Odeon cinemas Fanatical about Film is well known for its brand and existence in the UK entertainment market since decades. Its brand is key factor which makes the Odeon cinemas ahead when compared to its counter parts in United Kingdom. ODEON evolved as a market leader in United Kingdom in 1998 as a result of an extensive re-branding campaign and also it introduced Fanatical About Film to the UK cinema-goer. The re-branding and refurbishment campaign has enhanced the brand value of the company. Odeon- Brand Icon: The company has tremendous reach to the customers over seven decades with 100 cinemas across the United Kingdom. It is always been ahead in serving the customers by various promotional activities; the websites of Odeon cinemas is well segmented and has elements for every age of customers. Nevertheless the company has to concentrate on loyal customers as these customers promote brand indirectly. After acquiring the Odeon cinemas in 2004, the United Cinemas international as changed its name to Odeon cinemas in United Kingdom, which is much more familiar to the people in the United Kingdom. Odeon is looking ahead for exiting period of development, which makes Odeon cinemas unique in serving the loyal and esteemed customers. Challenges for Brand: Today the entertainment market has turned highly competitive and the companies have to be more customers centric for successful business operations. In this global arena it is challenging to the companies to maintain the brand value recognition in the market. It is very important aspect of having keen look on the customers tastes and preferences which are changing rapidly with the time. Particularly companies like entertaining are facing many challenges to keep their customers satisfied. Here in the present case the challenging aspect to the Odeon cinemas is to competition from other counter parts like Cine world Cinemas and VUE Cinemas which operates 68 cinemas in different parts of United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. Brand popularity: In the present day scenario the popularity and the Brand value of the company plays a vital role in making the business successful. Odeon needs to adopt few marketing strategies like advertising on other popular websites which generates more business. Online branding is an important aspect of marketing strategies which gives both the identity and helps in maintaining the reputation and it leads to competitive edge over other cinemas in United Kingdom. Comparisons with other key market players in United Kingdom: Scale is based on the average worldwide traffic of Odeon cinemas in all years The above clearly shows that the average worldwide traffic range of the Odeon cinemas website is in second position just after the one of its counter parts. Odeon cinemas also has 50:50 joint venture on cinema advertising with Cineworld group PLC (Interactive Investor Jun 10 2008). ODEON CINEMAS SEGMENTATION: According to the recent survey by the FAME (Film Audience Measurement Evaluation), it is been found that approximately eighty seven percent of the people said that the cinema is their most enjoyed activity. In the recent days the rate of cinema goers is increased considerably when compared to the previous years. The number screens across the UK continuous to increase leading the increased revenues. It is found that 28% cinema-goers would like to visit multiplex cinemas and 10% prefer independent/arthouse cinemas and the 62% are open to the suggestion. The 20% of respondents consider cinema tickets to be too expensive. Keeping the findings in to consideration the Odeon cinemas has to concentrate on various sectors of the audiences. Segmentation plays significant role in the concept of Online Business. Segmentation is the process of understanding the grouping of customers in target market in order to understand the needs of the customers treating as potential revenue for developing the strategies to satisfy the customers (Dave Chaffey, 2009). Properly designed website with all the prerequisites required by the customers of various interests and tastes. Identifying the key target audiences is an important aspect and adopting the best ways of communicating with them yields good results in enhancing the brand image and also for business generation. Here in the present case the target group would be the movie lovers for the Odeon cinemas and majorly the segmentation can be carried on sex and age groups of the people. The other segments and potential online targeting market are new contacts, existing customers, social group, geographic location, responsiveness to different offers, responsiveness to campaigns (Dave Chaffey, 2009). Cinemas should concentrate on each individual segment by allotting the screens to specific movies. Cinemas should come up with different promotional activities like gift vouchers and lucky draws in order to grab the attention. In the present case the Odeon cinemas has premiere club membership option to target the loyal customers and retain them for long term relationships. New customers can be targeted by effective promotional activities like mobile marketing strategies, group tickets, student discounts, children films, unlimited access cards. Different premiere club membership options like quarterly and half yearly also grabs the attention of the customers. ONE ELEMENT OF E-MARKETING MIX: The concept of E-marketing mix is a bit different from when compared to the traditional marketing mix, traditional marketing mix involves product, price, promotion and place strategies are developed for traditional counter business. Due to the rapid technology growth the internet has brought considerable change in the way we sell our products and services. Today the consumers make use of internet to get the required information before they service or product and also people prefer to buy products or services online in order to avoid walking in to the counters. The companies have to be quick in serving the customers in an easier way with less cost. Today many international organizations implementing for better business operations internally and externally. Particularly the entertainment companies have scope for optimizing their business operations by going on internet. Cinema sector has significant role in satisfying the customers by implementing the advanced internet services and com munication revolution (Principles of Marketing by Philip Kotler). The digital media advancement has affected every aspect of business processes, marketing and marketing mix strategies (Dave Chaffey, 2009). Marketing mix is a concept of varying the mix elements like price, promotion, place and product to serve the customers in best possible way. Today the entertainment companies need online strategies for attracting and retaining the customers in long run. The concept of E marketing mix considers the following elements of presenting the marketing mix online. E-product strategies E-Price strategies E-Place strategies E-Promotion strategies In the present case the E- promotion strategy has been chosen for Odeon cinemas. Promotion: Being an entertainment company Odeon has seven decades of experience in entertaining the people of United Kingdom. But today promoting business traditionally cannot reach the movie lovers with varied interests and tastes. It is also a challenging task of promoting the business online which involves many issues with practical importance. An Odeon cinema has a recognisable domain name which is prerequisite for e-promotion (Principles of Marketing by Philip Kotler). Banner promotions: Most organisations make use of webpage for advertising and also placing a banner on other frequently used websites is a common form of e-promotion.the potential customers are traced by placing the Banner advertisements on the sites which people browse most often (Principles of Marketing by Frances Brassington). The e-marketing mix must have to be efficient and effective in coordinating with individual elements for successful online marketing strategy. Key elements in Promotion: Sales Promotion. Odeon has come up with the sales promotion activities like cash price and cinema tickets every day for who earns more points by visiting the cinemas. This promotional activity generates the business and also enhances the brand value. The promotional activities like free soft drink also helps in making customer satisfied and it leads in making the customer prefer to visit Odeon cinemas frequently. Web Public Relations The scope for bringing the customer in is a bit high for this method of promotion. Odeon places the News worthy stories like Golden globe awards on the webpage. This creates an interest in audience to watch the films. The other way of is to send WPR articles to review sites for consumers to read by which the probability of business generation increases (Principles of Marketing by Philip Kotler). Public Relations are defined as the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its publics (Institute of Public Relations). Good public relations are very important for any organization in long run for successful business operations and enhanced brand image. Odeon cinemas has premiere club membership option which helps for retaining the loyal customers and also it helps in serving the esteemed customer by special offers. Direct Mail: In the present day scenario as a result digital media communication revolution and rapid growth of internet services made drastic changes in advertising methods and also in customer relation management methods. The concept of direct mail is an efficient method for targeting customer group with the available database which is developed by login/ sign up option. The promotions and offers ate mailed to the potential customers. It helps in retaining the loyal customers. It also helps for monitoring the responses of customers which gives scope for further development of website and serving methods (Principles of Marketing by Philip Kotler). Advertising: Though the term advertising sounds quite familiar in traditional marketing strategies, it also plays a vital role in online business operations. Today the companies are very much concentrated on Internet advertising along with traditional marketing approaches as online advertisement gives wider coverage and reaches to more number of people in an easier way. Online advertisement has gained a prominent position because of the technological revolution across the globe. It is also a cheaper and efficient way of taking product or services to the customer front. SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES: Social networks gained considerable popularity during last five years because many people think that these are online communities where people share the ideas and interests with each other. Odeon being an entertainment company has sharing with various social networking sites like Digg, Delicious, Reddit, face book, Stumble upon, which are most viewed social networking sites across the globe. Social media networks like My space and Beebo are also falls in most frequently browsed websites. The viral nature of these social online networks helps for better business profits. Today companies from different sectors make use of this networking sites for better reach to the customers, especially for entertainment companies these websites gives better business prospects(E-Business and E-commerce management, Dave Chaffey, 2009). Social networks play an important role in influencing the perceptions about brands, products and suppliers (Dee et al, 2007). The research proves that the age and gender differences are large on the types of products discussed in the sites. The recommendations are mostly on restaurants, computers, movies and vehicles among all categories. Odeon has to advertise its offers and promotions on other frequently used sites apart from the social networking sites because upper age class audiences are still not much familiar with the social networking sites. These are the following opportunities created by social media networking Odeon Cinemas can add a human element to the business by promoting on various social networking sites. Can join the customers while they are online and it is an easy way to take the promotions offers to customer notice. It also increases the traffic to the website and enhances the brand image results in increased trust and loyalty. TRANSACTIONAL FACILITIES: An online transactional facility helps the companies for providing efficient and effective service to its loyal customers. Companies should encourage online transactions as the cost and the time involved are less when compared to the traditional transactions. In the case of Odeon cinemas the website has rich online transaction facilities like simple way of booking tickets online, readily available movie ratings, present UK top ten movie list, online premiere club card activation, online booking for conference venues. This makes the movie lovers more comfortable for transactions with Odeon cinemas. RECOMMENDATIONS: From the analysis made on the Odeon cinemas website it is found that it has many prerequisites which are required for its loyal customers. Based on the results of analysis carried on the E-Business strategies of Odeon Cinemas there are few recommendations are suggested for further business development and increase the brand value. It is well designed with most of the information on home page which increases the user friendliness and clarity of the website. Movie lovers of any age group can easily browse through the site and get the required information. Weekly newsletters with show time and announcement can be sent to potential customers by making use of advanced digital media communication. Better business generation by sending the text-based Showtime listings to mobile devices. By monitoring the UK market segment wise, each segment can be targeted with the different promotional activities which satisfy the customers. Customers can also be targeted by following the latest trends across the cinema screens and also by targeting the potential customers before the other market players target. E-business strategies also help in business generation if a proper Odeon cinema comes with offers and promotions according to the distinctive attitudes of the potential customers. CONCLUSIONS: Here in the present report the e-business strategies of the Odeon cinemas have been studied and found that the website has many prerequisites which are useful for the customers. Odeon cinemas also has good brand image and segmentation of the market has been done based on the various factors like distinctive attitudes of the customers, responsiveness for offers and promotions and responsiveness to the campaigns. The website has well connected to the social networking sites to take the offers and promotions to the large number of people in simpler way, which yields good business prospects. It also has online relationship marketing like premiere club membership and Login/sign up option which helps the Odeon cinemas in maintaining the long term relationships and also in retaining the potential customers. Based on the findings of the study few recommendations are suggested for better business opportunities with increased revenues and brand value.

Robert Boyle Essay -- essays research papers

Robert Boyle (1627-1691) Robert Boyle was born at Lismore Castle, Munster on 25 January 1627, the fourteenth child and seventh son of Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork. Robert Boyle was educated mainly by tutors and himself. He had no formal university education but read widely and made contact with many of the most important natural philosophers of his day, both at home and abroad. He had independent means which enabled him to have his own laboratory and to support religious charities. He was active in the ‘Invisible College’, an informal body devoted to the ‘new philosophy’ which in 1663 became the Royal Society, of which he was a Council member. He moved to Oxford in 1654, where he set up a laboratory with Robert Hooke as his assistant There he did most of his experimental work until 1668 when he went to live in London with his sister Lady Ranelagh. He was made an honorary Doctor of Medicine of Oxford in 1688. In his autobiographical account (Works, vol. 1, pp. xxi–xxvi) he reflects on his noble birth that ‘being born heir to a great family is but a glittering kind of slavery’ and ‘is ever an impediment to the knowledge of many retired truths, that cannot be attained without familiarity with meaner persons’. He indeed developed a keen interest in the work of artisans because they tend to know more than anyone else about the materials of their trades. He makes a general remark about religious beliefs that ‘though we cannot always give a reason for what we believe, we should ever be able to give a reason why we believe it’, which is surely a precept that guided his attitude to natural philosophy as well. Boyle was a prolific writer and experimenter on most scientific subjects that were attracting interest at the time. He investigated some alchemical claims about which he was largely skeptical in his published works. He was a devoutly religious man but wrote mainly about practical and ethical religious matters rather than engaging in theological controversy. He argued for the tolerance of different religious beliefs, and spent a good deal of money on propagating the gospel in New England and the Orient, sponsoring translations of the Bible into foreign languages. He published many experimental reports and did original work on chemical indicators, human blood, color, fire, medicine, and hydrostatics. With Hooke he developed Guericke’s air pump, which he need... ...paratus. He never claimed to have got very far in providing firm empirical evidence for complex corpuscular explanations but he remained optimistic. It has recently been argued, partly on the basis of Boyle’s unpublished notes, that his interest in alchemy has been greatly underestimated by earlier scholars. It is well known that he attempted to confirm many of the alchemists’ experimental claims but he is also said to have believed in the existence of the Philosopher’s Stone and to have accepted some alchemical explanations. It has even been suggested, rather obscurely, that he saw alchemy as connecting the material world with the spiritual world. (Principe, 1994). In his published work he clearly accepts the possibility of the transmutation of metals but that is because a corpuscular explanation would be readily available. He respects the alchemists’ experimental work because he strongly approves of the experimental investigation of the natural world and he thinks that the ‘nobler’ of the alchemists have made important empirical discoveries. His published comments on their theories, their search for the Philosopher’s Stone, and their penchant for secrecy are usually critical.

The effect of performance management systems on employee engagement

Introduction Background Prior research has established the positive effects of employee engagement in the workplace, not only for the organisation in its entirety but also for the wellbeing and productivity of individual employees (Kahn, 1990). It is therefore of paramount importance that research correctly identifies the factors which give rise to increased employee engagement and investment in their job. Rich, Lepine and Crawford (2010) found in a study of 245 fire fighters that engagement, conceptualised as the investment of one’s complete self into a job role (the degree to which a job role is integrated into a personal construct) was a significant mediator in the relationship between value congruence, perceived organisational support, core self-evaluations and the dependent variable: job performance dimensions. Aside from the obvious benefits, including increased productivity and employee initiative, this also suggests that there are psychological perks for employees with higher rates of engagem ent. Increased self-efficacy, job satisfaction, self-esteem and morale have been found to be direct consequences of higher rates of employee engagement (Bakker and Schaufeli, 2008; Harter, Schmidt and Hayes, 2002). Employee wellbeing in the workplace is known to correlate with positive business outcomes (Harter, Schmidt and Keyes, 2003). Overall, engaged employees are more likely to view their job as meaningful, their management and leadership as above average, have better perceptions of their own ability to perform their duties and are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs, leading to a greater work ethic and better performance (May, Gilson and Harter, 2004). The research question The research problem we are facing is to determine the antecedents of employee engagement in the workplace. The questions that will be used to investigate this will query the relationship between management policy and employee engagement. The objective of this study will be to determine whether performance management strategies used by companies affects in any capacity the tendency of employees to fully engage themselves in the workplace. The experimental hypothesis will be that increased use of performance management strategies in the workplace increases rates of employee engagement. Performance management is the independent variable and employee engagement will be the dependent variable. This will establish whether one significant facet of management policy affects employee engagement; an important factor in predicting effectiveness in the workplace. However there are other factors which could potentially influence the dependent variable (employee engagement) which are beyond the scope of this study. There may be many aspects of the individual and their chosen career which affect how engaged they are regardless of management policy. In addition, Saks (2006) found that multiple facets of how an organisation handles employees’ work ethic determines how engaged they are in the workplace, including how much training is provided and perceived effectiveness of procedural justice at work. Isolating performance management will be one step in building a framework to more fully predict employee engagement. If the anticipated effects are discovered, this would be valuable information for businesses wishing to enhance employee productivity and satisfaction using the medium of employee engagement. By establishing the antecedents of employee engagement it will be possible to fill in another gap in the overall model presented by research to predict positive business outcomes. It has been vehemently established that employee engagement can indirectly affect this outcome, but the influences resulting in greater engagement have received relatively little attention. Performance management in particular was chosen since it encapsulates something that is under the direct control of businesses, and will therefore potentially offer an immediate and practical means for businesses to affect employee engagement. Literature review This section will incorporate definitions of the variables involved and the theoretical context of employee engagement and its antecedents. It will also cover some of the research into other factors besides the independent variable for this study which could reasonably affect the independent variable. Employee engagement The definition of employee engagement is surprisingly ambiguous in the literature, which led Macey and Schneider (2008) to gather and categorise the various definitions found in research. They found that authors generally referred to engagement in one of three broad domains; psychological state engagement, behavioural engagement and trait engagement. The effect of management, leadership, company policy and any performance management strategies employed by the business are of course effective only at the behavioural and psychological state level; trait level engagement is innate and relatively constant in each individual, and arises from various psychometric variables. The conceptualisation we shall settle on for this study will therefore involve only the psychological state and behavioural levels, since the primary independent variables of interest involve factors the business can influence to increase employee engagement. Theoretical context for employee engagement Within a theoretical context, employee engagement fits well into the explanatory remit of self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan, 1985). This theory postulates that different forms of motivation exist; autonomous regulation refers to all volition which originates from genuine internal desires, as opposed to controlled regulation in which the source of the impetus to act is external. In terms of engagement at work, autonomous regulation is desirable, as it results in greater initiative and productivity at a task. According to Meyer and Gagne (2008), who explored the underlying psychological mechanisms of autonomous regulation in the workplace, the key lies in satisfying basic psychological needs for competency, autonomy and relatedness. Performance management systems are likely to be a part of building the work environment which successfully cultivates these feelings in employees; giving them a sense that their needs have been met. Although of course there is certainly more involved in determining the extent to which employees are personally involved in their work than need satisfaction. Intervening factors are likely to include employee personal circumstances and the current economic climate. Performance management For the purposes of this study, the definition of performance management shall be the degree to which intervention by the business occurs to ensure recognition of above average performance, and involvement with offering incentives for increased productivity and work ethic. All other variables listed above which have been identified as causal antecedents of engagement will be considered as confounding variables in this study, and will be controlled for as far as possible. According to Roberts (2001), performance management involves the setting of objectives, the use of appraisal systems, reward strategies, training and feedback. This is a definition that can be more easily operationalized as the components are clearly divided which will make development of measurement scales for each subset simpler. Therefore these are the components that shall be measured as the independent variable in this study to make up performance management. Theoretical context for performance management Performance management affects employee perceptions and attitudes, which subsequently affect performance (Hartog, Boselie and Paauwe, 2004). This fits in with the theoretical framework which places employee engagement as reflecting attitudes and the meaning ascribed to job roles. It is therefore logical to expect that higher levels of implementation of performance management strategies would be significantly related to employee engagement. Although this theoretical framework does not leave much room for the inclusion of the position individual employees ascribe to their jobs in their lives. It is relatively simplistic in terms of modelling the expected effects, and there are likely to be confounding variables. Intervening variables Research has uncovered some general factors which contribute in various magnitudes to the level of employee engagement. Job characteristics (van der Broeck, Vansteenkiste, de Witte and Lens, 2008) perceived organisational support (including leadership), procedural justice, learning and training opportunities and performance management strategies (including rewards and recognition management) are all important in predicting the level of engagement an employee is likely to exhibit (Saks, 2006). This study will address one aspect of the bigger research question then; the explanatory power of performance management over employee engagement will be established. The issue will require further research to account for other possible influences on engagement, and potential interaction effects between independent variables. The originality of this study then lies in the examination of a relatively newly recognised concept (employee engagement) and shedding light on the specific relationship it has with performance management strategies, independent of other influences. Methodology This section will describe the proposed method of examining the experimental hypothesis, including how data will be gathered, what will be measured, and how the data will be analysed. Design and procedure Since the sample is limited to one business many confounding variables such as differing job demands and organisational structure can be eliminated. The samples will be taken from historical data, from employees working within a business with relatively low levels of performance management compared to similar organisations. The business under study will have to be one which has at some point implemented a new, more involved performance management strategy; this is how the independent variable will be manipulated. Both levels of employee engagement and performance management will be measured before the implementation of the new performance management strategy to serve as the control data. After the new strategy has been imposed and levels of performance management have increased in the business, the independent and dependent variable will be measured again, and this data will serve as the experimental condition. To establish the persistence over time of any significant differences in the dependent variable found to result from the change in performance management strategy, three samples will be taken at six month intervals after the implementation of the new strategy. If there is any initial difference in employee engagement between the samples immediately before and after the new strategy comes into for ce, the subsequent samples taken after the strategy has been present for some time will tell us about the long term effects of increasing performance management, otherwise the possibility remains that any effects are merely short term and fade when employees become accustomed to the new system. This will therefore be a repeated measures design. The rates of employee engagement will be compared between temporally differing samples, which will determine if changing levels of performance management alone were sufficient to affect a change in engagement, and how any effects persist, weaken, or strengthen with time. Participants Data will be gathered from secondary sources extant in the literature. The ratings of employee engagement and performance management strategies will be gathered from employees and managers working within the same business. Model specification The model we have to test (based on prior research in the area) places employee engagement as dependent in part on performance management. An a priori power analysis will be conducted on previous studies examining employee engagement to determine the expected effect size. Operationalisation of variables Performance management will be defined as the number of rewards and punishments handed out by senior management, the amount of time employees spend in training, and how often employees are appraised. Employee engagement will be measured with subjective rating scales and peer ratings. Analysis Statistical analysis of this data would include one-way analysis of variance. First performance management would be measured in each group to ensure that in reality there was a change due to the implementation of the new strategy. Then the degree of variability in engagement can be examined between conditions. The relative impact of increasing performance management can be examined in the short and long term, which could help in our theoretical understanding of the psychological underpinnings of any effects observed; if the effects change over time, this will provide clues for future research to investigate, and give use evidence to speculate further on why the change took place. This method of statistical analysis will allow for simple comparisons between control and experimental groups, and for different levels of the experimental condition, in this case the amount of time elapsed after the implementation of the new strategy. Limitations Since the data will all be gathered from the same business, many confounding variables will remain constant between groups, however this means the findings may be less applicable to other business contexts. There is also the fact that a substantial time will have passed between conditions, meaning there may have been other changes other than the independent variable under study, which could confound the results. All other pertinent factors will be investigated and accounted for in the final report to ensure they remain as consistent as possible. It is also essential to recognise the fact that different individuals harbouring different internal traits and psychological dispositions will be motivated to engage in their workplace by different factors which are meaningful to them personally. This is especially true between individuals with radically differing job characteristics and duties since they are likely to have different expectations of their job, and view their relationship to their job role differently. However the influences on engagement cited here have been shown to be generally applicable despite differing job roles. Psychological factors of unique individuals may also play a role in shaping how well specific employees fit into their job role. May, Gilson and Harter (2004) found that perceived meaningfulness of job role, perceived safety at work (including co-worker relations and perceived job security) and availability of psychological resources relevant to job demands are all positively correlated with employee engagement. Such factors may be positively influenced directly by effective performance management but are otherwise outside the scope of this study. The fact that different employees are likely to have been used between conditions (due to the time elapsed) could also pose a problem due to their potential to have very different opinions, experiences and traits relevant to their work life which could influence employee engagement. Limitations include the fact that not all influences on the outcome variable have possibly been considered in the analysis, although there are good theoretical grounds for including the variables that are present. There is likely a myriad of intervening factors affecting how much employees engage at work, but focusing on ones that are immediately under the control of the business administrators and relatively logistically sound to implement makes the most sense as a starting point for this line of research. References Bakker, A. B., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2008) Positive organizational behavior: Engaged employees in flourishing organizations. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 29(2), 147-154 Den Hartog, D. N., Boselie, P. and Paauwe, J. (2004) Performance management: a model and research agenda. Applied psychology, 53(4), 556-569 Harter, J. K., Schmidt, F. L. and Hayes, T. L. (2002) Business-unit-level relationship between employee satisfaction, employee engagement, and business outcomes: a meta-analysis. Journal of applied psychology, 87(2), 268 Harter, J. K., Schmidt, F. L. and Keyes, C. L. (2003) Well-being in the workplace and its relationship to business outcomes: A review of the Gallup studies. Flourishing: Positive psychology and the life well-lived, 2, 205-224 Kahn, W. A. (1990) Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work. Academy of management journal, 33(4), 692-724 Macey, W. H. and Schneider, B. (2008) The meaning of employee engagement. Industrial and Organisational Psychology, 1, 3-30 May, D. R., Gilson, R. L. and Harter, L. M. (2004) The psychological conditions of meaningfulness, safety and availability and the engagement of the human spirit at work. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 77(1), 11-37 Meyer, J. P. and Gagne, M. (2008) Employee engagement from a self-determination theory perspective. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 1(1), 60-62 Rich, B. L., Lepine, J. A. and Crawford, E. R. (2010) Job engagement: Antecedents and effects on job performance. Academic Management Journal, 53(3), 617-635 Roberts, I. (2001) Reward and performance management. Human resource management: A contemporary approach, 3, 506-558 Saks, A. M. (2006) Antecedents and consequences of employee engagement.Journal of Managerial Psychology, 21(7), 600-619 Van den Broeck, A., Vansteenkiste, M., De Witte, H. and Lens, W. (2008) Explaining the relationships between job characteristics, burnout, and engagement: The role of basic psychological need satisfaction. Work & Stress,22(3), 277-294

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 78-80

CHAPTER 78 Sophie felt a wild excitement as she cradled the cryptex and began dialing in the letters. An ancient word of wisdom frees this scroll.Langdon and Teabing seemed to have stopped breathing as they looked on. S†¦ O†¦ F†¦ â€Å"Carefully,† Teabing urged. â€Å"Ever so carefully.† †¦ I†¦ A. Sophie aligned the final dial. â€Å"Okay,† she whispered, glancing up at the others. â€Å"I'm going to pull it apart.† â€Å"Remember the vinegar,† Langdon whispered with fearful exhilaration. â€Å"Be careful.† Sophie knew that if this cryptex were like those she had opened in her youth, all she would need to do is grip the cylinder at both ends, just beyond the dials, and pull, applying slow, steady pressure in opposite directions. If the dials were properly aligned with the password, then one of the ends would slide off, much like a lens cap, and she could reach inside and remove the rolled papyrus document, which would be wrapped around the vial of vinegar. However, if the password they had entered were incorrect, Sophie's outward force on the ends would be transferred to a hinged lever inside, which would pivot downward into the cavity and apply pressure to the glass vial, eventually shattering it if she pulled too hard. Pull gently, she told herself. Teabing and Langdon both leaned in as Sophie wrapped her palms around the ends of the cylinder. In the excitement of deciphering the code word, Sophie had almost forgotten what they expected to find inside. This is the Priory keystone.According to Teabing, it contained a map to the Holy Grail, unveiling the tomb of Mary Magdalene and the Sangreal treasure†¦ the ultimate treasure trove of secret truth. Now gripping the stone tube, Sophie double-checked that all of the letters were properly aligned with the indicator. Then, slowly, she pulled. Nothing happened. She applied a little more force. Suddenly, the stone slid apart like a well-crafted telescope. The heavy end piece detached in her hand. Langdon and Teabing almost jumped to their feet. Sophie's heart rate climbed as she set the end cap on the table and tipped the cylinder to peer inside. A scroll! Peering down the hollow of the rolled paper, Sophie could see it had been wrapped around a cylindrical object – the vial of vinegar, she assumed. Strangely, though, the paper around the vinegar was not the customary delicate papyrus but rather, vellum. That's odd, she thought, vinegar can't dissolve a lambskin vellum.She looked again down the hollow of the scroll and realized the object in the center was not a vial of vinegar after all. It was something else entirely. â€Å"What's wrong?† Teabing asked. â€Å"Pull out the scroll.† Frowning, Sophie grabbed the rolled vellum and the object around which it was wrapped, pulling them both out of the container. â€Å"That's not papyrus,† Teabing said. â€Å"It's too heavy.† â€Å"I know. It's padding.† â€Å"For what? The vial of vinegar?† â€Å"No.† Sophie unrolled the scroll and revealed what was wrapped inside. â€Å"For this.† When Langdon saw the object inside the sheet of vellum, his heart sank. â€Å"God help us,† Teabing said, slumping. â€Å"Your grandfather was a pitiless architect.† Langdon stared in amazement. I see Sauniere has no intention of making this easy. On the table sat a second cryptex. Smaller. Made of black onyx. It had been nested within the first. Sauniere's passion for dualism. Two cryptexes.Everything in pairs. Double entendres.Male female.Black nested within white.Langdon felt the web of symbolism stretching onward. White gives birthto black. Every man sprang from woman. White – female. Black – male. Reaching over, Langdon lifted the smaller cryptex. It looked identical to the first, except half the size and black. He heard the familiar gurgle. Apparently, the vial of vinegar they had heard earlier was inside this smaller cryptex. â€Å"Well, Robert,† Teabing said, sliding the page of vellum over to him. â€Å"You'll be pleased to hear that at least we're flying in the right direction.† Langdon examined the thick vellum sheet. Written in ornate penmanship was another four-line verse. Again, in iambic pentameter. The verse was cryptic, but Langdon needed to read only as far as the first line to realize that Teabing's plan to come to Britain was going to pay off. IN LONDON LIES A KNIGHT A POPE INTERRED. The remainder of the poem clearly implied that the password for opening the second cryptex could be found by visiting this knight's tomb, somewhere in the city. Langdon turned excitedly to Teabing. â€Å"Do you have any idea what knight this poem is referring to?† Teabing grinned. â€Å"Not the foggiest. But I know in precisely which crypt we should look.† At that moment, fifteen miles ahead of them, six Kent police cars streaked down rain-soaked streets toward Biggin Hill Executive Airport. CHAPTER 79 Lieutenant Collet helped himself to a Perrier from Teabing's refrigerator and strode back out through the drawing room. Rather than accompanying Fache to London where the action was, he was now baby-sitting the PTS team that had spread out through Chateau Villette. So far, the evidence they had uncovered was unhelpful: a single bullet buried in the floor; a paper with several symbols scrawled on it along with the words blade and chalice; and a bloody spiked belt that PTS had told Collet was associated with the conservative Catholic group Opus Dei, which had caused a stir recently when a news program exposed their aggressive recruiting practices in Paris. Collet sighed. Good luck making sense of this unlikely melange. Moving down a lavish hallway, Collet entered the vast ballroom study, where the chief PTS examiner was busy dusting for fingerprints. He was a corpulent man in suspenders. â€Å"Anything?† Collet asked, entering. The examiner shook his head. â€Å"Nothing new. Multiple sets matching those in the rest of the house.† â€Å"How about the prints on the cilice belt?† â€Å"Interpol is still working. I uploaded everything we found.† Collet motioned to two sealed evidence bags on the desk. â€Å"And this?† The man shrugged. â€Å"Force of habit. I bag anything peculiar.† Collet walked over. Peculiar? â€Å"This Brit's a strange one,† the examiner said. â€Å"Have a look at this.† He sifted through the evidence bags and selected one, handing it to Collet. The photo showed the main entrance of a Gothic cathedral – the traditional, recessed archway, narrowing through multiple, ribbed layers to a small doorway. Collet studied the photo and turned. â€Å"This is peculiar?† â€Å"Turn it over.† On the back, Collet found notations scrawled in English, describing a cathedral's long hollow nave as a secret pagan tribute to a woman's womb. This was strange. The notation describing the cathedral's doorway, however, was what startled him. â€Å"Hold on! He thinks a cathedral's entrance represents a woman's†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The examiner nodded. â€Å"Complete with receding labial ridges and a nice little cinquefoil clitoris above the doorway.† He sighed. â€Å"Kind of makes you want to go back to church.† Collet picked up the second evidence bag. Through the plastic, he could see a large glossy photograph of what appeared to be an old document. The heading at the top read: Les Dossiers Secrets – Number 4o lm1 249 â€Å"What's this?† Collet asked. â€Å"No idea. He's got copies of it all over the place, so I bagged it.† Collet studied the document. PRIEURE DE SIGN – LES NAUTONIERS/GRAND MASTERS JEAN DE GISORS 1188-1220 MARIE DE SAINT-CLAIR 1220-1266 GUILLAUME DE GlSORS 1266-1307 EDOUARD DE BAR 1307-1336 JEANNE DE BAR 1336-1351 JEAN DE SAINT-CLAIR 1351-1366 BLANCE D'EVREUX 1366-1398 NICOLAS FLAMEL 1398-1418 RENE D'ANJOU 1418-1480 IOLANDE DE BAR 1480-1483 SANDRO BOTTICELLI 1483-1510 LEONARDO DA VINCI 1510-1519 CONNETABLE DE BOURBON 1519-1527 FERDINAND DE GONZAQUE 1527-1575 LOUIS DE NEVERS 1575-1595 ROBERT FLUDD 1595-1637 J. VALENTIN ANDREA 1637-1654 ROBERT BOYLE 1654-1691 ISAAC NEWTON 1691-1727 CHARLES RADCLYFFE 1727-1746 CHARLES DE LORRAINE 1746-1780 MAXIMILIAN DE LORRAINE 1780-1801 CHARLES NODIER 1801-1844 VICTOR HUGO 1844-1885 CLAUDE DEBUSSY 1885-1918 JEAN COCTEAU 1918-1963 Prieure de Sion? Collet wondered. â€Å"Lieutenant?† Another agent stuck his head in. â€Å"The switchboard has an urgent call for Captain Fache, but they can't reach him. Will you take it?† Collet returned to the kitchen and took the call. It was Andre Vernet. The banker's refined accent did little to mask the tension in his voice. â€Å"I thought Captain Fache said he would call me, but I have not yet heard from him.† â€Å"The captain is quite busy,† Collet replied. â€Å"May I help you?† â€Å"I was assured I would be kept abreast of your progress tonight.† For a moment, Collet thought he recognized the timbre of the man's voice, but he couldn't quite place it. â€Å"Monsieur Vernet, I am currently in charge of the Paris investigation. My name is Lieutenant Collet.† There was a long pause on the line. â€Å"Lieutenant, I have another call coming in. Please excuse me. I will call you later.† He hung up. For several seconds, Collet held the receiver. Then it dawned on him. I knew I recognized that voice! The revelation made him gasp. The armored car driver.With the fake Rolex. Collet now understood why the banker had hung up so quickly. Vernet had remembered the name Lieutenant Collet – the officer he blatantly lied to earlier tonight. Collet pondered the implications of this bizarre development. Vernet is involved.Instinctively, he knew he should call Fache. Emotionally, he knew this lucky break was going to be his moment to shine. He immediately called Interpol and requested every shred of information they could find on the Depository Bank of Zurich and its president, Andre Vernet. CHAPTER 80 â€Å"Seat belts, please,† Teabing's pilot announced as the Hawker 731 descended into a gloomy morning drizzle. â€Å"We'll be landing in five minutes.† Teabing felt a joyous sense of homecoming when he saw the misty hills of Kent spreading wide beneath the descending plane. England was less than an hour from Paris, and yet a world away. This morning, the damp, spring green of his homeland looked particularly welcoming. My time in France is over.I am returning to England victorious.The keystone has been found.The question remained, of course, as to where the keystone would ultimately lead. Somewhere in the United Kingdom.Where exactly, Teabing had no idea, but he was already tasting the glory. As Langdon and Sophie looked on, Teabing got up and went to the far side of the cabin, then slid aside a wall panel to reveal a discreetly hidden wall safe. He dialed in the combination, opened the safe, and extracted two passports. â€Å"Documentation for Remy and myself.† He then removed a thick stack of fifty-pound notes. â€Å"And documentation for you two.† Sophie looked leery. â€Å"A bribe?† â€Å"Creative diplomacy. Executive airfields make certain allowances. A British customs official will greet us at my hangar and ask to board the plane. Rather than permitting him to come on, I'll tell him I'm traveling with a French celebrity who prefers that nobody knows she is in England – press considerations, you know – and I'll offer the official this generous tip as gratitude for his discretion.† Langdon looked amazed. â€Å"And the official will accept?† â€Å"Not from anyone, they won't, but these people all know me. I'm not an arms dealer, for heaven's sake. I was knighted.† Teabing smiled. â€Å"Membership has its privileges.† Remy approached up the aisle now, the Heckler Koch pistol cradled in his hand. â€Å"Sir, my agenda?† Teabing glanced at his servant. â€Å"I'm going to have you stay onboard with our guest until we return. We can't very well drag him all over London with us.† Sophie looked wary. â€Å"Leigh, I was serious about the French police finding your plane before we return.† Teabing laughed. â€Å"Yes, imagine their surprise if they board and find Remy.† Sophie looked surprised by his cavalier attitude. â€Å"Leigh, you transported a bound hostage across international borders. This is serious.† â€Å"So are my lawyers.† He scowled toward the monk in the rear of the plane. â€Å"That animal broke into my home and almost killed me. That is a fact, and Remy will corroborate.† â€Å"But you tied him up and flew him to London!† Langdon said. Teabing held up his right hand and feigned a courtroom oath. â€Å"Your honor, forgive an eccentric old knight his foolish prejudice for the British court system. I realize I should have called the French authorities, but I'm a snob and do not trust those laissez-faire French to prosecute properly. This man almost murdered me. Yes, I made a rash decision forcing my manservant to help me bring him to England, but I was under great stress. Mea culpa. Mea culpa.† Langdon looked incredulous. â€Å"Coming from you, Leigh, that just might fly.† â€Å"Sir?† the pilot called back. â€Å"The tower just radioed. They've got some kind of maintenance problem out near your hangar, and they're asking me to bring the plane directly to the terminal instead.† Teabing had been flying to Biggin Hill for over a decade, and this was a first. â€Å"Did they mention what the problem is?† â€Å"The controller was vague. Something about a gas leak at the pumping station? They asked me to park in front of the terminal and keep everyone onboard until further notice. Safety precaution. We're not supposed to deplane until we get the all clear from airport authorities.† Teabing was skeptical. Must be one hell of a gas leak.The pumping station was a good half mile from his hangar. Remy also looked concerned. â€Å"Sir, this sounds highly irregular.† Teabing turned to Sophie and Langdon. â€Å"My friends, I have an unpleasant suspicion that we are about to be met by a welcoming committee.† Langdon gave a bleak sigh. â€Å"I guess Fache still thinks I'm his man.† â€Å"Either that,† Sophie said,† or he is too deep into this to admit his error. Teabing was not listening. Regardless of Fache's mind-set, action needed to be taken fast. Don'tlose sight of the ultimate goal.The Grail.We're so dose.Below them, the landing gear descended with a clunk. â€Å"Leigh,† Langdon said, sounding deeply remorseful,† I should turn myself in and sort this out legally. Leave you all out of it.† â€Å"Oh, heavens, Robert!† Teabing waved it off. â€Å"Do you really think they're going to let the rest of us go? I just transported you illegally. Miss Neveu assisted in your escape from the Louvre, and we have a man tied up in the back of the plane. Really now! We're all in this together.† â€Å"Maybe a different airport?† Sophie said. Teabing shook his head. â€Å"If we pull up now, by the time we get clearance anywhere else, our welcoming party will include army tanks.† Sophie slumped. Teabing sensed that if they were to have any chance of postponing confrontation with the British authorities long enough to find the Grail, bold action had to be taken. â€Å"Give me a minute,† he said, hobbling toward the cockpit. â€Å"What are you doing?† Langdon asked. â€Å"Sales meeting,† Teabing said, wondering how much it would cost him to persuade his pilot to perform one highly irregular maneuver.