Typology Of Organisation And Relation To Servicescape Complexity Business Essay

Typology Of Organisation And Relation To Servicescape Complexity Business Essay The following essay critically analyses the strategic role that physical evidences play in a holistic environment, called the servicescape. The essay discusses the combination of environmental dimensions and their influence on customers and employees and how their behaviour can be mediated by the cognitive, emotional and physiological responses. This article is a practical reflection on the article by Ms. Mary Jo Bitner in which she related the combination of environmental dimensions to the internal responses of individuals, their behaviour and the ultimate effect on the organisational objectives. The researcher also visited two restaurants for the objective of completing this essay and the findings have been presented here under. This essay will conclude by defining different ways in which the effects of a servicescape are established on the organisations outcomes. Servicescape Framework Initially, Kotler (1974) suggested that a servicescape framework is the design of buying environments to produce emotional effects in the buyer that enhance his or her purchase probability. Later, Bitner used the term to describe the physical setting in which a commercial exchange is performed, delivered, and consumed within a service organisation. In her seminal article, she demonstrated that three types of objective and measurable physical stimuli exist in an organisation and merge together to form a servicescape. She further elaborated that these stimuli could be controlled by the organisation and were able to improve or hamper both the customers and employees attitude towards the organisation. She further classified the numerous examples of such physical and derived stimuli into three dimensions of environmental stimuli (Bitner, 1992). The term has now been enhanced to include any tangible component that facilitates performance or communicates the service (Bitner and Zeithaml, 2 003). Consequently, the physical evidence can be likened to a landscape. As with any landscape of an area, it includes both the interior facilities and the exterior facilities of the organisation. The interior facilities include the interior design and decoration, the layout, equipment, air quality, signage as well as the temperature and ambience. The exterior would include facilities such as the landscape, parking, road and building signage, exterior design, and the surroundings. But the physical evidence goes on to include other tangibles such as the Stationery, brochures, business cards, employee uniforms, business reports, credit statements, and other intangibles such as webpages and blog posts. The physical environment where services are delivered and experienced by the customers plays an important part in the formation of the perceptions of the customers and their future expectations about similar services (Bitner, 1992; Baker et al., 2002; Grewal et al., 2003). Hoffman and Turley (2002) described that a lot of different organisational objectives can be achieved and enhanced through a critical examination of the servicescape. According to Bitner (1992), most organisations are invariably affected by their physical environments but to different degrees. Some service organisations such as hotels, restaurants, clubs and insurance companies are affected to a greater extent by the physical environment than other organisations such as ATMs and hot dog stands. It should be noted here that the physical environment does not just influence clients but it also has a significant impact on the employees. Bitner noted that satisfied employees generate satisfactory services that go on to satisfy customers. Therefore, the business environment should not only cater to the needs and demands of the customers but also concurrently to those of the employees. The following figure has been extracted from the original treatise by Ms. Mary Jo Bitner (1992) to describe the different types of service organisations based on the variation in the form in usage of the servicescape. The vertical aspect of the typology describes the type of organisation based on who performs actions within the servicescape. It has been categorised into a self service (customer only), interpersonal services (both customer and employee) and remote service (employee only). On one side, service is performed by the customer only in the level of employee activity is almost non-existent. The other extreme is signified by the remote service organisations where customer involvement and interaction are non-significant (in relation to the servicescape). The figure, the horizontal aspect describes the complexity of the servicescape. It has also been categorised as lean and elaborate. Lee refers to those servicescape settings where there are very few elements involved and their intricacy is minimal. Other servicescapes that are very complicated and involve a bigger mix of elements and variables are termed as elaborate. C:UsersKhalidDesktopo_c44bab260d23dc1e_002.jpg Fig. 1: Typology of Organisation and Relation to Servicescape Complexity As can be seen, some organisations such as a Golf Club are very client-oriented with huge emphasis on the servicescape. In such organisations, the servicescapes are well-developed to attract and satisfy customers. Other organisations also employing a significant emphasis on the servicescape at which are employee oriented include many professional services organisations, and here, the servicescapes are developed to satisfy the employees. On the other hand, there are organisations that do not depend a lot on the servicescape design and minimal effort is dedicated to the development of their servicescapes. However, attention is paid to whether the organisation is customer oriented or employee oriented to achieve maximum output from invested effort. As has been described, the physical setting can enhance or hinder the realization of both internal organisational objectives and external marketing goals. Thus, the servicescape can enhance or diminish customer satisfaction and employee motivation and concurrently help in attracting and maintaining customers. The overall servicescape framework consists of physical environmental dimensions which contribute to the holistic environment of the organisation. These physical dimensions, in combination, are termed as the perceived servicescape of the organisation and elicit internal responses from both employees and the customers. These internal responses contribute to both the individual behaviour of the customers and employees and their social interactions. These behaviours, in turn, contribute to the achievement of the objectives and goals of the organisation. Thus, organisations focus on achieving an optimal mix of physical environment factors and try to moderate the internal responses of both employees and customers to realize favourable behaviours and ultimately achieve the organisational objectives. Untitled.png Fig. 2: Bitners Servicescape Model The Physical Environmental Dimensions Bitner (1992) classify the physical environment into three dimensions: Ambient Conditions: This aspect of the physical environment refers to the conditions surrounding employees and customers that can be sensed through the human five senses. These are the general conditions of the environment of the organisation and include temperature, voice, odour, air quality, et cetera. The conditions are usually prominent when they are extreme (either very cold or hot), the customer spends a lot of time in the environment, and they do not match his expectations. Spatial Layout And Functionality: These refer to the seamless layout of the organisation, especially equipment and furnishing, which is used to achieve maximum productivity in the most efficient and effective manner. These environmental conditions are most noticeable in self service settings and in circumstances where tasks are complex and there is little time to achieve them. Signs, Symbols, Artefacts And Branding: These refer to the signage, icons and signals that amplify the message from the organisation to the intended customers. They also include the personal artefacts of the employees and staff members in the style and colour of the decor used to furnish the organisation. These are most important when repositioning a service, forming first impression, and when communicating new service ideas. They are also highly essential in highly competitive organisations where they are used to differentiate and achieve uniqueness from the competition. Internal Responses to the Servicescape Internal responses of both employees and customers in service organisations to the physical dimensions of the surroundings are classified as cognitive, emotional, and physiological. As such, these responses elicit overall behaviour of the participants in the servicescape and this behaviour can be classified as a function of the internal responses to the perceived servicescape. In fact, perceptions of the servicescape are the real reason that causes certain beliefs, emotions and physiological feelings that influence behaviours. Cognitive responses: Cognition refers to beliefs and as such, these responses influence peoples beliefs both about the place, and the people and products found in that place. These responses include general beliefs, categorisations and assigning symbolic meanings to different objects to employees and customers. Emotional responses: According to Mehrabian and Russell, the emotion-eliciting qualities of an environment can be described along two dimensions; the pleasure-displeasure quality and the degree of arousal that place can elicit. These two dimensions describe peoples emotional response to the environment of the organisation. Typically, the environment of any organisation can be located on these two dimensions. Research has shown that predictions about behaviour along these two dimensions are usually accurate. For example, environments that make people happy and cause them to enjoy themselves are likely to be places where people spend most of their time and money. In contrast, people usually avoid places that cause feelings of displeasure. Similarly, environments that cause arousal will usually be the places that people usually inhabit. Physiological responses:

In-N-Out Burguer Essay

Describe In-N-Out in terms of the value it provides for customers. Throughout the years, the restaurant chain In-N-Out has accomplished excellent customer service and satisfaction. Moreover, their customer service is now classified among the top rated when compared to other fast food restaurants that are within In-N-Out’s range of service. Presently, the profit they are making is comparable to, if not higher than Burger King and McDonald’s. Many experts reviews have favored In-N-Out because they are known for giving customers secret menu items, which overall helps increase customer value. In other words, the famous â€Å"secret menu† strategy is bringing back not only its original customers but also their family and friends. Evaluate In-N-Out’s performance relative to customer expectations. What is the outcome of this process? In-N-Out has performed well when it comes to filling customers’ expectations. Thanks to the great performance offered by the restaurant; they have positive advertisement by their own clients. In other words, their own customers promote the food and service of the restaurant; saving the chain millions of dollars in TV advertisement. They are now famous for providing â€Å"Quality you can taste† as well as an original formula that remains unchanged. Another fact to their success is that, they have never changed their menu or freshness of the products. Millions of people talk about the freshness and tastefulness of the food and are always planning to return within days. Do you think In-N-Out should adopt a high growth strategy? Why or why not? I believe In-N-Out should remain with their slow growth strategy. This particular chain of restaurants has definitely gone beyond expectations. The truth of the matter is, a regular business with such strategy would have failed within the first three years. However, In-N-Out has exceptional in accomplishing what seems impossible to other fast foods such as McDonalds. The chain of restaurants it is not found in every state, so when a traveler is near one there is a high chance they will try it. With so many customers drawn into In-N-Out’s â€Å"no change† philosophy, why don’t more burger chains follow suit? Each burger chain has its rules and strategies, for them to ado pt the â€Å"no change† rule means many of their owners would have to agree. Since such philosophy is not the most common successful one the likelihood of them converting is not high.

Improve Efficiency Essay

A very high percentage of the items selected (picked) in the distribution centers and re-stocked in the stores were in quantities of 1 case. This company’s roots were as a high volume, limited assortment retailer and distributor. Over time the business had shifted allowing the stores to reorder a higher mix of items at lower volumes. Given the companies market position as a low-price leader, this reduced profit margins. The two root causes of this shift were identified as: 1. Stock-keeping-unit (SKU) count growth outpacing sales growth, and 2. Allowing minimum order quantities from the stores to the distribution centers to drop to a quantity of one This white paper will study how this company quantified the impact of allowing its stores to order in one case quantity and then recalculated minimum order quantities for higher volume items. (For details of how SKUs were reduced see White Paper â€Å"SKU Reduction – Biggest SKLUsers†) A Supply Velocity Consultant led a team of employees through this 5 week project. The Supply Velocity consultant facilitated, but the employees did most of the analysis and therefore owned the improvements. nfo@supplyvelocity. com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 2 Project Outline ? Evaluated all SKUs and the case quantity they are most frequently ordered at, to establish baseline data for how stores are ordering ? Time studied retail store shelf restocking and distribution center order selection labor to determine the negative labor productivity impact of the current ordering policy o Graphed the results in a trend chart o Determined that the greatest labor productivity improvement happens when the order quantity increases from just 1 to 2 cases ? Recalculated minimum order quantity for all items using Multi-Variable Pareto analysis based on: o Item unit movement o Pack-out (number of units that fit on the shelf space allocated in stores) o Shelf life ? About 20% of all SKUs had a re-calculated minimum order quantity greater than 1 case o The most conservative methods were used to ensure this project didn’t just push inventory out to stores, resulting in shrink (throwing away items that go beyond their shelf-life limit or are damaged) ? Communicated all items on the minimum order quantity to all stores through a comprehensive communication plan o Communication plan included data to show stores how increasing minimum order quantity on select items would improve their labor productivity ? Created a control plan to ensure new items, SKU reduction and sales history will be used to update the minimum order quantity on a twice yearly basis info@supplyvelocity. com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 3 Time Study Analysis To quantify the problem, we time studied order selection in the distribution centers and shelf restocking in retail stores. We conducted a few snapshot analyses of different distribution centers to understand the current state of â€Å"order quantities†. The graph below shows that out of the approximately 2800 items, a majority are ordered in quantities of 1 case. The time study data also showed that the second case selected or stocked is essentially â€Å"free† and the same movement is used for two cases as for one case. At the outset of this project the team was worried that any increase in minimum order quantity would be viewed by store managers as an attempt to push inventory out from the distribution centers to the stores. This data showed that increasing minimum order quantity from one case to just two, gave us the greatest percentage of labor productivity improvement. However, we didn’t just want to increase all items to a 2 case minimum order quantity. Instead, a statistical tool, Multi-Variable Pareto was used to calculate the proper minimum order quantity based on a mix of inputs. nfo@supplyvelocity. com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 4 Distribution Center Order Selection Quantity (# of items picked per quantity) 57% of the items in distribution centers were selected at a 1 case quantity info@supplyvelocity. com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 5 â€Å"Time to Select per Case Quantity† in the Distribution Centers – Based on case count per selection When selecting 2 cas es of an item, the time per case drops by 45% from 1 case. info@supplyvelocity. com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 6 Time to Re-Stock SKUs on Shelves in Stores – Based on case count When restocking 2 cases of an item, the time per case drops by 61% from 1 case. This shows that the greatest productivity improvement occurs when going from 1 to 2 cases, which is easier to â€Å"sell† to the stores than making large increases in minimum order quantity. They can reduce labor by 37 seconds per case by ordering and stocking 2 cases of an item versus 1. info@supplyvelocity. com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 7 Multi Variable Pareto Analysis ? Recalculated minimum order quantity for all items using Multi-Variable Pareto analysis based on: o Item unit movement o Pack-out (number of units that fit on the shelf space allocated in stores) o Shelf life ? About 20% of all SKUs had a re-calculated minimum order quantity greater than 1 case o The most conservative methods were used to ensure this project didn’t just push inventory out to stores, resulting in shrink Multi-Variable Pareto is a method that uses more than one â€Å"measure† to sort SKUs from highest to lowest performing. Normal Pareto Analysis has been used to develop guidelines such as the 80/20 rule (20% of customers generate 80% of sales). When using multiple variables, there has to be a way to normalize the data so all variables are part of the analysis. We used three variables to determine the correct minimum order quantity for an item. ? Cases sold per week on average for each item ? The number of cases that fit in the given shelf space ? Product shelf-life Each of these variables are positively correlated to Minimum Order Quantity. ? The higher the cases sold equals higher Order Quantity ? The greater the shelf space (pack-out) equals higher Order Quantity ? The longer the item’s shelf-life equals higher Order Quantity The team of subject matter experts used retail experience to determine each of these factors and their impact on minimum order quantity. Results of this analysis are shown below. The calculation was very conservative, as the results have shown. Only 466 of 2800 items have a minimum order quantity greater than 1 case. This was largely driven by two factors. Item shelf-life limited our ability to make any shelf-life sensitive item greater than 1 case. Our calculation took this limiting factor into account, to ensure we weren’t causing shrink (throwing away items that go beyond their shelf-life limit or are damaged) at the stores. In addition, lower case movement drove many items to a 1 case minimum, even if they didn’t have shelf life limitations. The lower case movement is due to SKU proliferation and was addressed by the SKU Reduction (Biggest SKLUsers) project. info@supplyvelocity. com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 8 Results of Minimum Order Quantity Calculation info@supplyvelocity. om Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 9 Communication & Control Plan ? Communicated with all retail stores about how the minimum order quantity analysis was conducted and the resulting new plan o Communication plan included data to show stores that increasing minimum order quantity on select items would improve their labor productivity ? Created a control plan so new items, SKU reduction and sales history will update the minimum order quantity on a twice yearly basis It was critical that this project was presented as a positive for our retail store-customers. We created a communication plan that showed two key aspects of this change: ? The conservative nature of the change o only 466 of 2800 items are receiving a minimum order quantity increase ? This change is good for the stores and will improve their labor productivity To ensure that this process endures and does not get reversed over time we included a control plan. This is shown in the graphic below. As Category Marketing Managers evaluate items, adding and reducing SKUs, changes will be reflected in new pack-out quantities. This quantity will get fed to Distribution Technology who will recalculate this items’ minimum order quantity using the same Multi-Variable Pareto calculation. A control group, made up of Merchandising, Distribution and Retail Directors will review the list, make changes in the ordering system and communicate changes to store customers. info@supplyvelocity. com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 10 Results By taking the higher sales volume SKUs and increasing the store minimum order quantity, we decreased the time per case to stock shelves in the stores and select items in the distribution centers. Using only the 1 to 2 case increase in minimum order quantity for the 466 SKUs reduced the labor time per case resulting in a labor savings of $1. 2 million. The expectation for this process is to slowly grow the number items with a minimum order quantity greater than 1 case beyond 20%. By rationalizing and reducing SKUs we should increase the shelf pack-out of remaining items, thereby increasing the minimum order quantity.

Application Information for Nurses Overseas

Application Information for Nurses Overseas Nurses who have trained and qualified in another country other than Australia have to be assessed by the Australian Nursing Council (ANC) on their overseas qualification when seeking registration in Australia. The assessment may be conducted directly through interview at the National Board’s Office or through an Australian Government office overseas (Nurse In Australia 2010). Forms for application are always available at the ANC offices or Australian Government offices. Therefore, a qualified nurse who is interested in registering as a practitioner in the country has to obtain the application forms and complete them. After completing the application forms, the person has to submit the form together with his or her qualification documents to the Board’s office. This has to be done in person or submitted via email. A prescribed fee has to be paid while submitting the application forms and the documents. The documents required during application include the degree, diploma or certificate that was obtained from the educational institution or hospital where the course was undertaken (Swingshift Nurses 2007). Accompanying these are transcripts and sometimes records of the education program(s) which were undertaken during training, and issued by the institution/hospital where the training took place. These transcripts should show the details such as the theoretical content of the course, duration of the course, number of lecture hours in each unit/subject (Swingshift Nurses 2007). The transcripts should also give evidence for clinical experience in terms of number of weeks or days in every clinical area covered (Brutish Nursing 2008). Finally, they should also include the language of instruction (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency 2011 (b)). The applicant must also submit his or her initial certificate of registration from the country where he or she had trained or attained the qualification(s). If this can not be obtained, then verification is sent to the nurse regulatory authority of the country where the training was undertaken (Swingshift Nurses 2007). The Board also sends a direct verification to the applicant’s current registration in the country where he or she last practised (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency 2011 (b)). The applicant is also required to present his or her identity; meaning that current passport or birth certificate has to accompany the above documents. In case of name change, the applicant can provide marriage certificate or any other document that can prove the change. Finally, the applicant must also provide proof of work experience (Brutish Nursing, 2008). After submission of these documents, the applicant requiring assessment is given a letter informing him or her of the requirements needed to qualify for the registration should the application be considered by the National Board (Swingshift Nurses 2007). A nurse who wishes to be considered for registration, but has a non-English speaking background, has to undergo English language proficiency test. The Australian Nursing Council (ANC) ensures that applicants who had been trained in education systems in which English is not the first language demonstrate their proficiency in English (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency 2011 (a)). The ANC only recognizes two types of English proficiency tests which are; the Occupational English Test (OET) and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency 2011 (b)). In whichever test chosen by the applicant, an overall pass mark must be attained in order to be approved by the ANC. The aim of the assessment process is to provide the applicant with an orientation to the healthcare system of the country. For an applicant to be registered, he or she must demonstrate ability to work as a registered nurse in the country. Reference List Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (a), 2011, Registration requirements. [Online] available at ahpra.gov.au/Registration/Registration-Process/Registration-Requirements.aspx . Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency(b), 2011, Overseas practitioners. [Online] available at ahpra.gov.au/Registration/Registration-Process/Overseas-Practitioners.aspx . Brutish Nursing, 2008, Nursing in Australia New Zealand. [Online] available at brutish-nursing.com/wk_ausnz.html Nurse In Australia, 2010, National registration for nurses. [Online] available at nurseinaustralia.com/national-registration-for-nurses/ Swingshift Nurses, 2007, Nurse registration information: NBV overseas applicant information. [Online] available at australiannursingagency.com/nbv_information.htm

Reaction to Death With Dignity essays

Reaction to Death With Dignity essays Choice of Pysicain Assisted Sucide Should Be States It is clear from reading the Oregon Death with Dignity Act that those who drafted this legislation wanted to give the choice to individuals who were terminally ill as defined in the Act, to have the ability to end their life on their own terms. The intention of this Act is to give a person the ability to control their own death in which would without this alternative be controlled by their disease. I feel that by requiring two separate concurring opinions that conclude with the diagnosis of a terminal illness, and by requiring a psychological review to ensure the individual possess clear judgment, it is enough to classify this option as a medical treatment rather than a suicide. I categorize this as a treatment because I feel it is not entirely different than anything else a physician can offer to their patients who suffer from these conditions. Before the Act, physicians could only offer treatments which provided physical comfort to their patients during their decline in health. I believe this new option is a treatment that provides the patient with mental comfort by providing them the piece of mind that they can control the time and place of their death. An individual who chooses physical comfort is looking to be in the least amount of pain while living as long as their disease allows. A person who seeks the option offered in the Oregon Act is choosing the mental comfort of being able to die under the conditions which they themselves determine. Both of these options are reasonable, and should be available to all those who are faced with such a dilemma. Those who developed this option intended for the individuals who qualify to repeatedly have to request for the prescription with several applications and documents, ensuring that the patient is absolutely certain with their decision. The requirement of a psychological examination is extremely important because of the impact...

Communication, Ethics, and Society Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Communication, Ethics, and Society - Assignment Example Despite the disparities in cultures, Carola slowly adjusts to the new culture; they start a business, and have a child. Her husband becomes jealous of her, especially in the event of her flirting with other men. The movie ends with Carola travelling back to Switzerland with her daughter after several arguments with Lemalian. Lemalian doubts that she would return to him. In as much as I can clearly recall the movie, I am not able to recall all the names of the characters in the movie, for instance, the serviceman at Lemalian’s and Carola’s shop, the priest in the church amongst others. Basing my argument on DeFleur’s argument, the movie is well portrayed, thus, making it less tasking for me to recall the major characters and the plot of the movie (78). The audience’s perception, attitude and attention have been aroused, allowing the audiences follow involuntarily the contents of the movie. Conclusively, the manner in which content has been displayed by the media determines the permanence and the consistence in which the audience will have in following up the themes displayed to the

Unit 2 Assignment Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Unit 2 Assignment - Speech or Presentation Example Any company success depends on its employees. Satisfied employee will motivate to give their best and unsatisfied employees will not give their 100 percent, will engage himself and other in unproductive activities and if find opportunity on another company, will leave job. An individual’s job satisfaction could be different on intrinsic, extrinsic, and benefits. Individuals overall job satisfaction increases the chance of company success. Majority (76%) of the participants are male. Only, 24% of the participants are female. Figure 1 shows the â€Å"tenure with company† distribution by gender. The â€Å"tenure with company† distribution for male is approximately same for tenure less than 2 year (36.8%), 2 to 5 years (31.6%), and over 5 years (31.6%). The â€Å"tenure with company† distribution for female is less than 2 year (33.3%), 2 to 5 years (16.7%), and over 5 years (50.0%). There is chance of 63.6% that an individual will be a salaried employee whose intrinsic satisfaction value is 5 or more. Therefore, there is chance of 36.4%% that an individual will be a salaried employee whose intrinsic satisfaction value is less than