History of Management

History of Management Introduction Management is a profession as well as an art that has developed for a long period. Management has a long history that can be traced back to over a hundred years ago. It is important for any manager to understand the history of management to be able to steer an organization forward.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on History of Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Managers need to understand where management started and how it has developed to reach where it is today. It is said that a country should have a memory; otherwise such a country is better referred to as ‘a nation of mad people’. Applying this to the management profession, it can be said that management that does not have memories is a management for ‘mad people’ (Smith, 2007). Not many scholars are interested in history. Most students are just interested in knowing how to manage, with only a few being interested in knowing where management came from and how it developed. This creates managers who do not have deep knowledge in management (Daft Marcic, 2013). In addition, most training institutions today do not give much emphasis on the history of management. It is still important to understand the origin of management, despite the fact that management is not a new term. The purpose of this essay is to explain why managers and management students should understand the history of management. Managers and management students need to study the history of management critically so that they can know where the profession is headed to in the future. Importance of studying history of management One of the major challenges that trainers face in teaching their managements students is taking them through the journey of the past management practices. Modern students seem not to understand much beyond their timeframe. It, therefore, becomes a mountain task for managers to explain anything that is outside w hat students have come to know as reality (Waddell, Jones George, 2011). As a result, too much of the context that management students require to understand the art of management is non-existent. Students fail to understand the contemporary importance of past theory and practice. It is important to note that the current theory has evolved from past theories. Therefore, managers and students might not understand the real context of theories and their applications if they have no idea of how the theories evolved. Understanding past theories would enable managers to compare the current practices in the organization with past theories.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This would make managers and management students understand where they go wrong and when they go wrong. The past theories have been constantly improved as the economic environment changes to make them rem ain relevant. Therefore, if managers understand these theories they are able to avoid practices that are contrary to the theories. As a result, managers are in a position to execute their duties in a manner that would take the organization forward (Wren, 1987). According to Smith (2007), understanding the history of management has the ability to add value to the curriculum of management. If management trainers and students spend more time exploring and studying the history of management, it will have a number of benefits to their practice. Most students often dismiss the importance of the history of management thought, and they claim that the events of yesteryears cannot be applied in today’s practice. Smith (2007) writes that educators need to ask themselves how students would fair if they were asked to explain the history of their profession. As a matter of fact, many of these students and to some extent even the educators would not be in a position to explain that history. There is an important point that is missed by dismissing management theory. The missed point is that, â€Å"development of any theory must be viewed in the context of its time† (Smith, 2007: 12). As a result, management students are likely to miss a lot because they fail to have a grip on historical events. If students cannot learn management right, then it means that they will not be able to execute their roles in the right way once they take up management roles. Managers are likely to lead the organization in the wrong direction. Decision making might become a problem to such managers since they are not able to set the right strategies for the organization. The value of their management will be low since they are likely to achieve little success. Understanding the history of management is like acquiring wisdom. It is only when one has wisdom that they are able to improve on their knowledge. The growth of knowledge is related to the attainment of knowledge. Therefore, it is only when one understands the history of management that they are able to improve their knowledge and learning of the same. When one has the history, it acts as the cornerstone on which they can expand their knowledge. Consequently, one is able to develop their judgement, and decision making ability improves significantly. For instance, the contributions by Frederick Winslow Taylor on ‘The Principles of Scientific Management’ have remained relevant to date. Taylor is today referred to as the father of modern management. He made his contributions in the early 20th century, but these contributions have remained effective to date.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on History of Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, any manager or management student who does not understand the principles of management as contributed by Taylor is likely to lack the idea of current management practices. According to Giannantonio and Hurley-Hanson (2011), the ideas of Taylor have continued to dominate the management literature in the current management thought. The arguments that Taylor made in the year 1911 in his book, ‘The Principles of Scientific Management’ remain relevant even today. It is not possible for one to debate an issue that they do not know its origin. One cannot contribute to a debate that they do not know where the topic came from. It is also not possible to join a debate in the middle and make a relevant contribution. If a manager is to make any relevant contribution to the issues raised by Taylor, then they must understand how these principles have developed since 1911 when they were first brought forward. This further highlights the importance of managers and management students to critically learn and understand the history of management (Giannantonio Hurley- Hanson, 2011). If managers spend more time studying about the history of management and the contri butions that were made by economists and managers who lived many years ago, they would get a positive effect on management in the future (Waddell, Jones George, 2011). There is historical knowledge that students are likely to acquire in the study, and can be highly relevant in today’s business. A good example of this is Fordism. The theory of Fordism has remained effective in the motor industry since it was first described by Henry Ford in the year 1914 (Shioni, 1995). Students are less likely to acquire some of these skills if they fail to study the history of management. Students who study history of management are able to understand the mistakes that were made in the past and avoid them in the future. Such students and managers are also able to come up with ideas on how to improve on those mistakes. Once the students understand how the art of management has changed over time, they are able to think and understand how the current management practices work. For example, the contribution by Max Weber about the issue of bureaucracies in organizations did not bring much success to organizations since it was not motivating most employees. If a student understands the contributions by Max Weber, they are able to rectify bureaucratic procedures in the organization and achieve the success that was not achieved by bureaucratic managers in the past. The student is also able to develop more innovative ways of managing the organization. Failure to teach the history of management cannot be wholly blamed on lack of teachers to teach, but also on the lack of quality teaching materials that can help teachers (Cummings Bridgman, 2011).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another issue that makes the history of management worth studying is that the definition of the term has its roots deep in history. The term management was yet to be defined at the beginning of the 20th century. No one had an idea of what management really is. It is interesting to note that management in practise existed long before the 20th century. However, no one had defined management until a French man known as Henri Fayol, an engineer who lived between the year 1841 and 1925, defined the term for the first time. The definition by Fayol has endured until today, and the current definition is heavily borrowed from Fayol’s definition. A student who has studied Fayol’s contribution is better positioned to define management and understand what the whole idea of management entails (Crainer, 2003). It is Fayol who suggested that a manager’s role is to ‘organize, to plan and to coordinate’ all the activities that take place in the organization. The def inition of the term management states that it management is all about â€Å"planning, controlling, coordinating, organization and staffing†. Everything that exists today comes for what was there in the past. In other words, it is not possible for organizations and the world in general to be where it is today there was no past. According to Bedeian (2004), lack of institutions to teach the history of management has led to production of managers who have doctorates, but are very illiterate. Bedeian (2004) further suggests that all the theories, models and methodologies that are applied today in management have been inherited from the past. Management students today fail in their practice since they do not appreciate a dictum by Isaac Newton in the year 1676: â€Å"that each succeeding generation stands on the shoulders of the giants that have gone before it† (Bedeian, 2004: 21). This means that it is not possible to start from nowhere and succeed in anything. One has to reflect on the works of the people who were there before and then build his or her success from there. This is a call for the current students and managers to critically understand the history of management. Managers will not succeed in their profession unless they have an idea of how the past management practices were and what mistakes were made. This way, managers will be able to correct on those mistakes and capitalize on the strengths of past theories. A manager who understands history is able to know the current position of the organization they are managing.They will then determine whether the events currently in the organization have any relation with the past events in the history of management. That way, managers will be able to understand the reason for the failures that occur in the organization and then rectify them. Generally, studying the history of management helps students and managers to integrate management with the current knowledge and consequently make very effe ctive managers who have the ability to move organizations forward (Wren, 1987). Conclusion Management is an art and a science that has evolved over time. The past management is strongly linked to the current management. As a result, for one to have a clear understanding of management it is important that they first study the history of management. This will give them a foundation on which they can build and develop their knowledge. Some of the theories and thoughts that were developed in the past are still applicable today, either directly or indirectly. In addition, the current management theories are developed from past theories. Therefore, it is important for managers and management students to study the history of management from a critical perspective. Reference List Bedeian, AG 2004 ‘The gift of professional maturity’, Academy of Management Learning Education, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 92-98 Crainer, C 2003 ‘One hundred years of management’, Business Strate gy Review, vol. 14, issue 2, pp. 41-49 Cummings, S Bridgman, T 2011 ‘The relevant past: Why the history of management should be critical for our future’, Academy of Management Learning Education, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 77-93. Daft, RL Marcic, D 2013 Understanding management, Australia: South-Western Cengage Learning. Giannantonio, CM Hurley-Hanson, AE 2011 ‘Frederick Winslow Taylor: Reflections on the relevance of the principles of scientific management 100 years later’, Journal of Business and Management, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 7-10. Shioni, H 1995, Fordism transformed: The development of production: Methods in the automobile industry, New York: Oxford Univ. Press. Smith, GE 2007 ‘Management history and historical context: Potential benefits of its inclusion in the management curriculum’, Academy of Management Learning Education, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 522-533. Waddell, D, Jones, GR, George, JM 2011 Contemporary management, 2ndedn, McGraw-Hill Aust ralia Pty Limited, Sydney Wren, DA 1987 ‘Management history: Issues and ideas for teaching and research’, Journal of Management, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 339-350.

Applied Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Applied Financial Management - Essay Example The financial statements provided a favourable picture of the organization which was not true as a result the trust of the shareholders was affected with the exposure of the accounting frauds and with the collapse of the company all the stakeholder of the company were hugely affected. Another major corporate collapse was the fall of HIH Insurance which also fell due to the non transparent financial statements. The fall of a company affects not only its members but to every stakeholders which includes the economy too. The two major collapses indicated the importance of the corporate governance. Every country follow one or the other system of corporate governance but with the increase of operation of companies in different countries, should the different system of corporate governance should be converged or not is a matter of question. In this project the concept of corporate governance including the different systems of corporate governance has been discussed. With the era of globaliz ation were different companies are operating around the globe; the topic of convergence of the different system of corporate governance has also been discussed. ... Corporate governance provides a basic structure to the organisation on how it should be operated. It contains the ethical standards which should be followed by the organisation. Corporate governance contains the process which the company follows, the customs and the policies which are adopted by the company. The corporate governance specifies the company’s accountability to the different stakeholders of the organisation. It establishes the relationship between the various stakeholders of the organisation. The stakeholders include the shareholders, suppliers, fund providers, customers, government and the society in which the business is operating. The stakeholders also include the internal members of the organisation like the management, board of directors, employees etc. Corporate governance is also related with the corporate social responsibility of the company. The corporate scandals and the collapse of the two different corporate giant as mentioned in the above part signifi ed the importance of adequate corporate governance. Every person whose interest lies on the operation of the company, directly or indirectly, is associated with the corporate governance. This makes the employees of the organisation also a member of corporate governance as they receive salary and other benefits for working in the company. The other members associated with the corporate governance are board of directors, managers, other company officials, auditors, shareholders, customers, suppliers and lenders. All these members are affected by the financial performance of the company. The corporate governance directs the management on the internal and the external factors of the organisation. The internal factors range from the remuneration, power, process of internal control

Illegal Immigration in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Illegal Immigration in America - Essay Example Throughout most of American history, America has portrayed an existence of invasion, and has stepped foot into almost every battlefield and continent in the world. Taking this aggressive stance towards diplomacy, America should not be able to forget its past, and say that after destroying so much land and taking over so many peoples, it is now not going to let immigration happen. After all, this country was built on immigrants, and to not allow immigrants into this country is simply against all past policies of the United States. To invade so many lands, and then turn the other check and not allow other people into our own country is hypocrisy, and should not be the stance America takes. Even at the start of our own history, Americans looked towards the West. The idea of Manifest Destiny grew up in popular opinion, and people began to push the boundaries of the United States further and further West. This feeling of territorial claim that the United States has to the rest of the fron tier was used to justify many of our territorial expansions. Manifest Destiny "has also been used to advocate for or justify other territorial acquisitions. Advocates of Manifest Destiny believed that expansion was not only good, but that it was obvious ("manifest") and certain ("destiny")" (Manifest, 2007). This idea is still relevant today, when people feel that America has the right, or even the calling to police other areas of the world. However, America tends to expand without thinking or care towards the native people of the land. When America was first being colonized for example, some historians estimate that up to 80% of some Native populations died due to European diseases"(Native, 2007). This apparent lack of disregard continued through American history, as we took over Native American lands and put them on reservations, all trying to further expand our power. But now, when other peoples look to move into this country, we are not allowing them to do so. Even if this country was one taken on behalf of other people. As America continued to grow, so did its outward policies of getting involved in other countries. However, today we will not return the favor by allowing other counties to send their immigrants to our land. For instance, in 1989 the United States intruded upon Panama, disposing a leader we did not approve of. The United States "incursion into Panama began on December 20, 1989, at 0100 local time. The operation involved 27,684 U.S. troops and over 300 aircraft -including the AC-130 Spectre gunship, OA-37B Dragonfly observation and attack aircraft, and the F-117A Nighthawk stealth aircraft and AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, the AH-64 and the F-117A both seeing their first combat deployment. These were deployed against the 16,000 members of the Panama Defense Force" (United,2007). We also set up a new President, a President we approved of. However, we were really justified in taking action in this region Or was the 'father' idea of the United States getting the best of us Either way, i f we were to invade a country, one would think that we would then allow immigrants from that country. However, one can see today that that is not the case, and that America is

Nihilism And Its Consequences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nihilism And Its Consequences - Essay Example Nihilism entails the absence of consideration for consequences, where people have no inner guide and promote only their self-interests. By openly showing love for a married woman. Spunk demonstrates a missing conscience. He tells Joe that â€Å"Lena was his† (Hurston). The alcoholic woman in â€Å"Tall Tales† also dismisses the effects of her decisions. She sees herself slowly attracted to a stranger, just because of her creative imagination that feeds her inner emptiness. The â€Å"watch† in the story symbolizes reality because it reminds people of the time and organizing their life. She does not know how to organize her life, however, because she cannot understand the meaning of her existence. When she allows Lenny to take her watch, she surrenders to the pseudo-reality that Lenny wants to bring her to. Lenny tells her: â€Å"You don't need [your watch]. You don't have to know what time it is† (Braverman). She then empowers him to organize her life for h er, which happens eventually. Furthermore, nihilistic people only value their self-interests. Spunk takes Lena and parades their affair to others. He says to Joe: â€Å"Call her and see if shell come. A woman knows her boss she answers when he calls† (Hurston). This means that for Spunk, he is the boss of himself and others. The woman of â€Å"Tall Tales† also focuses on her inner fantasies than her own future and the future of her daughter. When she sees â€Å"China blue† in the sky, it is an image of peace and hope. These images of peace and hope are superficial, however, because she intends to escape her reality to find them. She feels unhappy with her failures and she covets a new life, where responsibilities no longer exist.

Debate of separating retail banking from investment banking 02051 Essay

Debate of separating retail banking from investment banking 02051 - Essay Example The concept was highlighted for the first time in Liikanen report where the structural reform was proposed for banks within the European Union (Vickers, 2013). Arguments in favour of structuralism suggest that risk level is very low in retail banking and these facilities are essential while investment banking is inessential and also relatively risky in terms of transaction. Further arguments point that the separation will ensure that public safety is retained by means of low risk and essential activities while market forces freely regulate risk taking activities in investment banking (Vickers, 2013). However, things are not as simple as these arguments because retail banking is equally risky for it is prone to credit risk due to lending activities. A number of authors argued that mere separation will not protect the banking sector from risk externalities (Peston, 2011; Halligan, 2014). Consequently, the paper evaluates the current situation in this regard, effectiveness and consequences of the separation of banking sector on consumers and the economic system. The proposal of banking separation is result of financial crisis and reckless risk appetite of banking and consequently, it is imperative to briefly discuss the crisis and its impact which led to the ongoing situation. According to Wehinger (2013), players of private sector noted that profound improvements have been undertaken in the asset management industry and banking sector in terms of risk management as a result of the crisis. Post crisis, significant planned changes have been brought in European banks while structural changes in business models have been brought in by various global banks. Several regulatory rules have been proposed for improving effectiveness of risk capital model and treat the issue of capital scarcity with utmost sincerity. It has already been mentioned that commercial banking is not devoid of flaws and risks and consequently, it was established that commercial and

Starting Up A Restaurant | Business Plan

Starting Up A Restaurant | Business Plan It is noteworthy that the keys to run a successful restaurant lies in a stable economic base in the community and demographic characteristics compatible with the intended market. A well researched feasibility is required to obtain a loan from banks or other Non baking financial institutions. The economic base of a community can be beneficial to identify the potential for success, as well as help to determine the type(s) of restaurant that might succeed. A white-collar clientele needs are different from an industrial economic base. cultural backgrounds in the community may also affect the types of food preferred and consumption patterns. The prosperity of an area affects personal income. It help to find out a society by observing and contacting residents. The following questions help to evaluate whether a community is progressive and growing or whether development has become stagnant: There should be an area to assure comfortable seating and enough of a walkway for wait staff to move among tables. The outstanding space is for food preparation, storage, and office area. The food preparation area should provide an efficient movement of food from the kitchen to the dining room. The space should be arranged with everything only a few steps away from the cook, and should also allow two or more cooks to work side by side if warranted. Inside the restaurant, a separate area is usually reserved for dish washing and trash. The room needed for prep and steam tables, oven, grill and stove top, and small refrigerator and freezer, along with the exhaust fans needed for ventilation must be adequate. big refrigerators or walk-in coolers are used to store perishable items (Entrepreneur Magazine Group 1996, p. 40). In the restaurant we need some room for the washrooms. In restaurant you need the area for disable, male , female toilets. The external appearance of the restaurant is almost as important as the inside decor. Great advertising or even the best word of mouth endorsements cannot always compensate for lack of curb appeal. If the outside shows dirty windows, a dimly lit entrance, or an offensive sign, potential customers may turn away. The outside should be clean and inviting. If parking will be provided, the estimate is one spot for every three restaurant seats, with safe convenient access. Large restaurants must provide four percent of the first 100 parking spots for persons with disabilities and two percent of any additional parking. Once the conceptual framework is determined, the outcome should be recorded and saved in a form of a written manual. This written manual is more of a general description than a detailed plan. A description of the type of menu being planned should list the types and number of items for the following categories: breakfast, lunch, sandwiches, appetizers, soups, salads, entrees, side dishes, beverages, and desserts. Apart from location and menu, one of the most important aspect of a successful restaurant is the atmosphere or ambiance. The atmosphere along with the menu, should fit the type of restaurant (quick service, mid-scale, or upscale) determined by the market study. Customers will assess the atmosphere of the restaurant by the way it makes them feel. think about the following factors in creating a desired atmosphere: An investor must do a feasibility study to estimates the cost involved and the expected returns, before starting any form of business. unluckily, not all good ideas make great businesses, or even generate a steady revenue stream. A comprehensive checklist can be prepared to determine if an idea represents a genuine opportunity for starting a new business. The checklist should includes but not limited to that who the customers will be and where the business will be located. Restaurant are no dissimilar than other businesses in this respect. The idea or type of restaurant and the market the owner is trying to reach are often the first and main considerations. If a specific cultural food will be served, then the exact location and market must be evaluated. In order to have a footing in the market we have to analyze our long term opportunities and strengths. It can be done with a concept of total quality management with continuous improvement in the foods quality and sales by targeting the right market mix and segments. One important aspect is to understand the behaviour of the business market and types of the competitors in this sector. This can be attained by gathering information about the major players (who had captured the market) so that to identify their moves, strategies, strength and weaknesses. As the economy of the UK is hit hard by the financial crisis, the setting up a new business is challenging task; this means that areas and sectors like education, tourism and Industry will witness a large scale decline in the coming years. The current scenario required the government spending in some big projects like infrastructure, healthcare and education that in return can revive the economy and increase the demand of new business within the country. Researching and selecting Target Markets: We as a restaurant operator have to adopt a policy that is directed toward identifying the market size and potential in terms of demands related to the multi ethnic group within the regions. This means, that we have to target different community using a standard food Menu that can attract the customers accordingly. Next, we have to make decisions on types of Ethnic group that we should focus on by subdividing the market sector into smaller segments and assessing each one separately. Selection of the market segment is very important for positioning product. In our case it is advisable to target and select few niche markets comprising certain African and Asian ethnic groups within med-level salary ranges. The challenge would be providing them with the reasonable standard food with nice atmosphere at competitive rates. Designing Strategies and positioning our product: Once we have decided about the target market then the next step will be designing the strategies that match our long term objectives and goals. For this we can develop and deploy differentiation and positioning strategy. This can be done by providing a product that is different in term of quality and strength so as to capture the eye of the customers. After that we should position our product for middle niche market between large to medium level society. During this phase we have to consider that challenging market leaders in the very beginning would be difficult but we can exert extra efforts to be the market challenger or else become a market follower which is a strategy that fits us well during the initial stages of our operations. Planning Marketing programme After designing strategies we need to transform our strategies into programmes. This could be accomplished by making decisions on marketing expenditures, marketing mix and marketing allocation. As an entity we have to divide the marketing budget into the following elements of the market mix namely: Our product: We have to introduce our product with some differentiation and improved quality by acquiring good recipes, as well as, employing quality chef who can prepare quality food, allowing us differentiating our products from market. It is the product that needs to be marketed with due diligence so as to make the market feel your presence. And also tried to bring a new kind of recipe which is not available in the market before because that will make a plus point in your products and in your reputation. Price of the product: The Price of the product also plays some important role in its sales. At present, tough competition exists demanding the restaurant to sell their product at the right price. To price the product, initially one can consider quality and cost of production and companys mark up. Price valuation procedures like target pricing can be used to reach a point for price determination. In addition, to that idea of the market price for that product is also essential because one cannot set a price beyond the market norms unless that product is exceptional either in its quality or availability. Promotion: Promotion is vital tool for any product to promote our restaurant and its products (food items). The promotional mix / tools that could utilized may include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Television à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Radio à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Newspaper à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Magazines à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Direct mail à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Yellow Pages à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Public transportation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Billboards à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Internet home page à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Free-net in community à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Chamber of Commerce à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Visitors Bureau à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Convention Bureau à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Supporting non profit organizations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Free press (if available in the community) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Community involvement Advertising: since it is a perishable item, due care is essential to market it using printed media that tend to be one of the reliable advertising tool. Sales force: for the same reasons above this promotional tool becomes very efficient effective. Delivery places (on time and at right place) Special Offers (like discount for parties and bulk Purchases etc.) Offering birthdays parties in your hotels so families can come and enjoy in restaurant decorate your restaurant for them and offer some kinds of kids boxes to the kids which can help in promotion of your restaurant. Organizing and implementing marketing programmes. It would be very cost effective to have the marketing philosophy built in and adopted by all working staff and employee at all levels. The marketing philosophy should be the primary component of the firms organizational culture to be reflected in firms and workers daily practices and performance. At higher levels the founders/ partners have large and more responsible role to play as they would be expected to market the firm among identified clients based on their relations the market. Monitoring the market process is the crucial activity where it will be needed to trace and find whether or not the programme is being executed correctly this includes controlling the expenses to ensure cost effectiveness as well as to ensure the execution of the programme is in line with the firms long term objectives. Suggestions for Success The customers perception of the restaurants concept is an important factor in success. Once the restaurant is open, quality feedback from customers is important. Does the concept need adjustment? Observe and talk with customers. What does the wait staff overhear? Are their tips good? Are certain menu items ordered more often than others? What menu items are left on the plate? Are the portions too large or too small? Consider carefully how the market you have created reacts to your concept. Repeat customers and word of mouth endorsements are priceless. The SBDC web site (http://www.commerce.state.il.us) provides the following list of 15 reasons why businesses fail: 1. Lack of experience 2. Lack of capital 3. Poor locations 4. Inventory 5. Equipment 6. Poor credit practices 7. Personal expenses 8. Premature expansion 9. Bad attitude 10. Too many expenses 11. Poor collections 12. Low sales 13. Inventory mismanagement 14. Competition 15. Crime Motivation for tourism: Push-pull factors Motivation for tourism: Push-pull factors Introduction The tourism industry is considered one of the largest and fastest growing industries in the world (Ninemeier Perdue, 2008; Cooper Hall, 2008). In the past few years many people have been travelling around the world for leisure, business and migratory purposes. Each individual traveler has different motive based on their needs, culture and lifestyle. A person needs give rise to motivations that forces them to act or behave in a specific way to satisfy the needs. Motivations are driven by the different force of push and pull factors that revolve around an individual which will reflect in both travel decision and behaviour. Therefore, it is important to understand the behavior of tourists, their backgrounds and what motivates them to travel as all ‘leisure involves a temporary escape of some kind’ (Leiper 1984: 249). The topic of this paper is based on trip in Langkawi and further understanding of what motivates the tourist to travel overseas and what sort of temporary es cape are they intending to find here on this island. The trip Based on recommendations by friends, a 4 day trip to Langkawi (LGK) was an ideal place to have a weekend getaway and enjoy the slow paced beach life. It was also a trip of escaping reality and in search of inspirations. Yet, while observing the local people here, there is more to this than just escaping reality and the slow paced life. Actually many of the locals have travelled here for holidays and vacations but ended up extending their stay for many months, some even love the life here so much that they became part of the local people and took up jobs in bars and opening up small businesses. It was the first time staying in a guesthouse and it felt like the whole atmosphere brought in by the friendly people helps open a person’s character and that atmosphere of good vibes seems to grow even more by mingling with people from different parts of the world, hearing their stories and gaining exposure of different lifestyles and culture. When travelling alone, one also gets to und erstand the importance of being alert to the surroundings in a foreign land especially when one does not speak the common tongue; it also helps that person to be independent by looking out for himself, adapting and abiding to different cultures, managing the money wisely and having clarity in life as one tends to drift into their own thoughts easily when not distracted by the daily routines. Lit review Getting away from the mundane life of the city or their hometown has always been in the minds of many people. Crompton (1979; 416) noted that the desire to ‘escape from a perceived mundane environment’ became a major motive of inducing tourist vacation behaviour. Escapism is described as a push factor, which refers to factors that predispose an individual to travel (Dann, 1977). In contrast to Riley (1988: 317), when an opportunity presents itself, people tend to be attracted to exotic places like an island where the beach helps them to relax and rejuvenate and have a temporary escape from the dullness and monotony of their everyday routine. ‘A certain picture is built up of a world that marks an escape from present reality an environment for acting out psychic needs, and the playing of certain roles that cannot be fulfilled at home, and it is this which forms part and parcel of tourists’ motivations’ (Dann, 1976: 22). So when a destination attraction consists of those elements of a â€Å"non-home† place, people are more motivated to travel there or even extend their stay. According to Backman et al. (1995) motivations are associated with individual basic needs for participating in activities that associate with their personal goals, being influence by their friends/family members or due to the change of weather. For instance, Westerners love travelling to Asia because of the exotic feeling, discovery of ancient history and warm weather. The need to see the unseen and know the unknown drives people to travel to new places and motivates them to visit new destinations (Venkatesh, 2006). But March Woodside (2005) also states that tourists are subjected to certain behaviour before, during and after travelling. These travel behaviours are mostly influence by external and internal factors. These could be explained using the Push-Pull motivation theory. Push factors are socio-psychological motivations that predispose, while the pull factors are those that attract a person to a specific destination when the decision to travel has been made (Oh et al., 1995). (Mehmetoglu, 2011) The ‘need’ to see things are the pull factors, Mehmetoglu’s model shows that these factors influence the tourist mindset of travelling. For instance, Image could be due to the sharing of photos through facebook and other social media platforms, Culture, for example Westerners at the age of 16 tends to be independent and they usually go on road trips after their collage and Price could be discounts given by accommodations or air flights at a particular destination. While the push factors are influenced by the socio-psychological mindset of that person. For example, the need to socialize or escape from their comfort zone pushes them to search for a better environment. Both of these factors lead to the length of stay for the tourist and it is controlled by ‘Control Variables’ which reflects on each individual tourist culture and background which not only determine the length of stay but also the destination. The control variables could also make tourist migrate to another country. Before the concept of migrating appear in a persons’ mind, the person has planned on a destination to escape from the reality of his/her hometown, travelling to places to relax. After being satisfied with the current place, the external and psychological factors such as better economic/social opportunities, safer environment for building a family, slower paced lifestyle and realization of their spirituality plays a part in concluding the migration or longer stay of the tourist. Methodology The research method for this essay would be considered qualitative because learning more about the culture and lifestyle of the locals requires more time, more analytical data of the surroundings and time. Therefore, the methodology for this research paper is based on observation and interaction with the local people. These observations and interactions were compared with the local people and some of the few tourists who came to stay for a short period of time. Taking down notes during observations will help to determine what happened and at the same time triggering an answer to any research question during data analysis (Bogdan Biklen, 2007; Pitney Parker, 2009). Data Analysis Findings While walking around the beach and streets of LGK, I manage to talk and find out that many of the locals were actually tourist before when travelling here for leisure but most of them ended up staying here as residents. Most of them came from Penang, Germany, KL, Thailand and even Brazil. Mostly, due to the slow paced lifestyle and their love for the beach, and better and nicer work environment which made them decide that they want to live here. I even talk to some of the tourists who travelled here for a few days ended up extending their stay for another day or so cause of the new friends they made. Discussion In order to predict travel behaviour it is important to understand how individual characteristics of a person interact with the characteristics of the situation, therefore understanding the positive and negative evaluative factors influencing destination choices of the tourists (March Woodside, 2006; Laws, 1995; Holloway, 2004). Using this guy called ‘Captain’ as an example, he says before coming to work here in LGK, he was a Malaysian who works as a security guard and he did not like the environment there and his salary could not justify his work. Back then he was eager for a getaway, a temporary escape of some kind. So travelling to places nearby like LGK would be a good idea as it is affordable, easy to distress and communicating with the locals is easy. (Pearce, 2005; Pearce Lee, 2005) came up with 14 core factors that describe travel motivation; they were built on items of interest from a rich array of previous studies and identified across the two large internati onal samples. The defining forces were in order of importance, novelty, escape/relax, relationship strengthening, autonomy, seeking nature, self development through involvement with hosts or the site, stimulation, self-development of a personal kind, relationship security (enjoying being with similar others), self-actualisation (getting a new life perspective), isolation, nostalgia, romance and recognition (prestige of travelling). (Pearce, 2005) Using the model above, the Travel Career Patterns (TCP) concept shows that tourists in the Core motive are unchanging because these standard and important motives are the common motivations that push people like ‘Captain’ who travel to LGK for temporary escape to just relax and bond with friends and family. Eventually, ‘Captain’ TCP developed into the Middle layer as he is satisfied with the environment that he is in and ended up building more bonds with the locals and gaining self actualisation and self enhancement by setting up a private inn business catering to backpackers and tourists. Some individuals like ‘Captain’ were push by escaping their life due to the political environment and individual background. Backing Pearce’s TCP model concept; McIntosh, Geoldner and Ritchie (1995) provides a deeper analysis of travel motives. Source: Yeong, Eves Scarles, (2004) Using the above table, McIntosh, Geoldner and Ritchie derived with 4 categories which travel motivators can be classified into. Physical motivators’ factors are those that push the individual to travel for his/her own purpose such as fulfilling a thrill of adventure, getting away from the hectic life and seeking a stress free environment. Cultural motivators are people who want to visit their heritage, ancestral site or travel to pilgrims in search for their faith to discover more about their religion. The third category, interpersonal motivators is about travelling with friends/family or a love one to build greater relationship and experience the destination together. Lastly, Status and Prestige are motivators that people travel for status, ego enhancement it is possibility due to an opportunity given to travel in a more prestige way and to impress their neighbours. Relating McIntosh, Goeldner and Ritchie’s theory and to Mehmetoglu’s model of push and pull factors. 2 siblings from Penang who work at a reggae bar along the street came here for leisure purposes. The brother is a cyclist who actively cycles with his group of friends around Malaysia twice every month. As what he said, it was a way of freeing his mind from his daily routines and his friends suggested going to LGK for a cycling session, group-based behaviour is a modification of individual behaviour, which makes individuals engage in activities they may not have done otherwise (Marcevova, 2011). Later on, he enjoyed living the island life and decided to carry on staying here and eventually, his sister and some of his friends came to LGK to stay and make a living here. Both the siblings and their friends decision was mostly based on social influence decision making and the pull factors of the destination. The political model of decision-making (Pettigrew, 1973; Pfeffer, 1 981) is an example of an adaptive form of decision-making, recognising the fact that most decisions are not individual but made in the context of groups, which means even backpackers or solo travellers make their decision based on recommendations, travel sites, stories based on past experience; all these are based on the context of group information and ideas that push them to travel. Social influences are processes which individuals adjust their feelings and behaviours towards someone who are perceived to be similar, desirable, or an expert in that discussion. Conclusion In conclusion, tourist motivation is seen as a multidimensional concept that explains tourist decision (McCabe, 2000) and each individual behaviours set different motivation of travelling due to different cultural background, country that they come from and the push and pull factors that influence them. In the modern world, technology is advancing such as social media being an intermediary to show people what the place has to offer and it needs to be considered as a factor of motivation. The destination that attracts the tourist plays an important role as well because the personal motives (push motives) and the view of the characteristics of the tourism destination (pull motives) determine perceptions (Bashar Aref Al-Haj, 2010) which could make tourists extend their stay or even bring in more people.

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Final Report Chanel Lawrence CMN 279-201 Dianne Nubla November 2013 OPEN OPTIONS Date: November 14, 2013 To: Mr. Jason John, Client From: Chanel Lawrence, Career Councilor Subject: Career Counseling At your request I have examined the two career choices; Event Coordination and Veterinary Sciences. This report presents data documenting the job description, the salary, working conditions and educational requirements of both career paths. Event Coordinator As an event coordinator you are directly responsible for the conception, production and execution of events. Events include: †¢ Corporate, †¢ Promotions and product launches †¢ Charity or social events †¢ Festivals †¢ Seminars †¢ Conventions †¢ Meetings As an event coordinator you have the opportunity to work freelance or can be employed by tourism associations, convention and conference centers, governments and by conference and event planning companies. (Common menu bar links, n.d) The job is very hands on and will involve teamwork. It is a high-pressure job as it requires close attention to detail and coordinators must have the following skills: †¢ Good and clear communication †¢ The ability to complete wide range activities †¢ Excellent organizational skills †¢ Good time management †¢ Problem Solving and Decision making Due to the fact that different events will vary, the role of event coordinator will depend on the organization and type of event involved. Typical tasks include: †¢ Liaising with clients to ensure their precise event requirements †¢ Creating detailed proposals for events such as timelines, venues, suppliers, legal obligations, staffing and the event budget †¢ Managing a budget, securing and booking a suitable venue or ... ... organiser: Salary and conditions, N.d) My recommendation In conclusion, as your Career Councilor I believe that a career path in Veterinary Science is more beneficial to you as you can receive up to $48,46/hour whereas in Events you are only able to make $24.95/hour. As a Veterinarian you would make up to twice as much in salary and you have the opportunity to save the lives of animals. When it comes to educational requirements the Veterinary Science process is far more specific compared to the vague and varied courses that you could take regarding events. This would entail that you are able to gain more knowledge during your undergraduate study and therefore it would be more satisfying in personal gain. Based solely on the educational benefits, salary difference and personal self-fulfillment I believe that Veterinary Sciences is a career you should pursue.