Fast food organizations competing with each other need to find new or innovative ways of improving their market share.

With this in mind, respond to the following discussion question,

List and describe some possible new marketing channels that could be utilized by fast food organizations. Justify your response with examples from successful fast food organizations or other organizations that the fast food industry could emulate.

In an essay, explore how the fast food industry has changed the environment and the health of American society?you may focus on children and/or adults, and/or explore how the nature of food borne illnesses has changed with the transformations in food production. Do you think it is ethical for the fast food industry to make a profit at the expense of consumer health?

APA style must be followed. Paper must include title page, abstract, and reference page. 12 pitch Times New Roman Font must be used. Margins should be 1 inch top, bottom, right, and left. Reference page must have a minimum of three sources, and there must be at least one of each type of source (book, empirical journal article, and a electronic source). You must cite at least one book, one electronic, and one peer reviewed journal article in the references. Each paragraph should have at least one citation.

The topic will be: How has the fast food industry changed from the 1950's to present?

The following should be considered when writing the paper - How has society contributed to this change, and what impact do these changes have on society. (ex: Obesity Problems, The effect on Family Meal Time generally thought to be an important part of bonding and togetherness, Has the increasing fast paced way of life contributed, How has the Fast Food Industry been percieved through the 1950's to present and what was the causes of those perceptions - do they refelct societal norms of the times? Etc.)

Please reference the book Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, and the movie Super Size Me if possible.

Ideas that might help: Supersize (contribute to obesity?),
Portions, Environment friendly packages (remember styrofoam containers), Nutritional Info, Value Meals, wider variety to include broader tastes, expanding markets (salads, chicken, mexican, pizza, subs, etc.), debit cards, drive thru's (technology), expansion into foreign markets, kids meals that include toys (are kids being targeted? playlands etc.)

I will fax additional info on materials I have found that might help get the paper started.
There are faxes for this order.

This is a book about fast food, the values it embodies, and the world it has made, (3) writes Eric Schlosser in the introduction to his book, Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. He goes on to suggest, Fast food has proven to be a revolutionary force in American life. During a relatively brief period of time, the fast food industry has helped to transform not only the American diet, but also our landscape, economy, workforce, and popular culture. (3, emphasis added) Ultimately, Schlosser argues, the consequences of fast food for American society are not only inescapable (3) but decidedly and profoundly negative.

For your paper, choose THREE of the four aspects of American life highlighted by Schlosser (landscape, economy, workforce, popular culture). For EACH of the three aspects that you select, evaluate whether or not you think that Schlosser makes a persuasive case for 1) the role of fast food in transforming that particular aspect of American life, and 2) the negative consequences of that transformation. In evaluating your three aspects, consider the evidence that Schlosser uses to support his claims. Take into account the kinds information that he uses to advance his argument, as well as the ways in which he narrates his story in an attempt to produce a desired response in his readers. Do his claims seem credible or convincing to you? Why or why not?

Then write a 4-5 page paper (approximately 1000-1250 words) in which you rank your three chosen aspects in order from least persuasive to most persuasive. Explain your ranking by discussing how each of the texts is or is not persuasive. And explain why you decided to rank them in the particular order that you choosethat is, why aspect A is the least persuasive, why aspect B is more persuasive than A, but less persuasive than C, and why aspect C is the most persuasive of the three, in your opinion.

Your discussion must include specific citations, or references, from each of the texts. Make sure to include the page number(s) of the passages from Fast Food Nation that you cite.

Guidelines to remember: Your 4-5 page paper should be typed. Use a 12 point, standard font. Use standard margins. The paper should be double-spaced, with no extra spaces between paragraphs.

The topic of the research paper is about fast food industry. Anything about fast food, I choosed the topic for nutritions, and the quality of meat. For example, the movie SuperSizeMe stated that food from McDonald is not real food, also rank of the beef and chicken. If people keep eating will cause seriou health damage.

Graphs, charts, images do not count towards the length requirement. There is no min or man number of quotation and citations have to be annotated bibliography, MLA Style.

we will pay $400.00 for the completion of this order!! No calculations needed now!

spss software required for this order. we will pay more!

this is a business research report. 30 pages
I handed out my proposal two weeks ago, so the report has to be based on my proposal.

details:

title: The factors that affecting
customers choice of fast food in different countries.

literature review: very important part

research objective:

To identify the culture has large impact of consumption of fast food
To compare the different customer buying behavior in different country (e.g. Ireland and China)
To investigate the major factors that affect customers choice in fast food industry
To understand the relationship between food consumption and health. ( the literature said my research objective is not good enough, hope the writer can fix it or expand more)

P.S.

questionnaire: 30 questions required, it has to be on the papaer.
sample size: 100 people
the result has to use SPSS software to analysis it. the questionnaire and the SPSS result analysis has to be on the paper. result analysis is very important.Harvard reference required.

just wondering when you email the paper to me, if i am not satisfied, can i ask the writer to correct it? Does it cost more?


Thank you!







There are faxes for this order.

Write a two page summary of the status (Financial health, concerns, and legal and health issues) of the entire fast food industry based on the findings of these companies ( McDonalds, Steak and Shake, Burger King, Wendy's, and Taco Bell) at hoovers.com. Do not simply summarizer the news about the companies. Rather, sythesize the material and write about the overall status of the fast food industry. Coorporate web sites for the companies may be used if additional information is needed.

Research Paper:

thoroughly analyze an industry using Porter?s Five-Forces Model of Industry Competition, and will then evaluate the performance of two companies in the assigned industry using The Balanced Scorecard and the Baldrige National Quality Program. The paper should include a thoughtful analysis of the historic, current, and projected performance of the industry and the companies using any frameworks, tools, and concepts from well-known academicians and practitioners as a way to develop recommendations to improve future performance.

my topic is FAST FOOD INDUSTRY, please choose one FAST FOOD COMPANY to analysis. (KFC or others)

At a minimum, the following topics must be covered in the paper:
Industry dynamics ? Use Porter?s Five Forces to identify major characteristics and trends impacting the industry, including industry size, regulations, recent mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures, use of technology, economics and profitability, degree of direct competition, vulnerability to substitution, etc.

Company Summary ? Use The Balanced Scorecard to analyze each company?s historic and expected future performance using several examples from the four dimensions: financials, customer, internal process, and learning & growth.

Identify and Address Major Issues and Opportunities for Each Company by performing a SWOT analysis on each company. Use the criteria from The Baldrige National Quality Program as a guide for identifying each organization?s internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as the external opportunities and threats.

Develop Recommendations ? Based on your earlier work and with careful analysis on the progression of the industry, company, and product within its respective lifecycle; provide a summary that addresses the major performance issues, opportunities, threats, constraints, and critical success factors for the industry and both companies.


This assignment will be divided in five parts: an informal outline, an industry analysis, company evaluations, recommendations, and an informal oral summary.

I'd like this paper to focus on the rise of the Fast Food Industry and how it relates to the impact on animals and animal rights, specifically from the "The Fast Food Nation" a book by Eric Schlosser. I'd like a balanced research paper, please do not portray an extreme view of either side of the issue.


Sources: You should make reference in the paper to a minimum of 10 sources. Try and use a variety. books, magazines, newspapers, website.

Format: MLA style and Documentation. Final research paper needs to be 8-10 pages long, Double spaced.

Organization: Introduction 1-2 pages long, provide necessary definitions, background information and sound thesis statement.

BODY: 5-6 pages, give solid information from your sources and explain that information. Document with both quotations and paraphrase that information.

Conclusion: 3-5 Paragraphs or about 2 pages long. Conclusion should contain a solid argument of your assessment of either the material or of your sources.

Works Cited page: include from sources that were quoted, paraphrased or summarized.

Marketing Analysis Paper: Demographic Shifts
Instructions
Assuming the demographic changes about Hispanics are accurate, comment on how this shift changes the segmentation in the grocery and the fast food industries. For example, if a grocery store that you visit frequently currently has about 15% of its space dedicated to Hispanics should that be changed now in light of the demographic research? Be sure to use key demographic and lifestyle facts and figures about these markets and their consumers.

Write your marketing analysis in 2?3 pages in a Word document using Times New Roman font size 12, double spaced with one-inch margins on all sides. Follow the APA style for writing, editing, and citation of sources.

Compose your work using a word processor (or other software as appropriate) and save it frequently to your computer. Be sure to check your work and correct any spelling or grammatical errors before you post it.
All marketing analysis papers are subject to anti-plagiarism software.

Dear writer
Please read my order carefully.
I would like you to write Research Proposal. The topic is (The effective of national culture especially in RELIGIONS to the product that sold by Pizza Hut between two areas (locations) Egypt(Muslim) and U.K(Christian). but as you know we should write the Literature review on fast food industry(GENERAL)and use Pizza Hut as example.

The Proposal Structure:
Abstract:(Around half page)
Chapter One: (Around 6 pages)
1.0 Literature Review
1.1 ,,,,
1.1.0 ,,,,
1.1.1,,,,
1.2 ,,,,
1.3 summary.
Chapter two: (Around 3 pages, see below)
2.0 Introduction ( half page)
2.1 Background to the Research (one page)
2.2 Research Aim (Around 20 words)
2.3 Research Objective (Around 30 words)
2.4 Research Question (Around 25 words)
Chapter Three:(Around 1 page)
3.0 Methodology
Chapter Four:(Around half page)
4.0 The future results
Chapter five:(Around half page)
5.0 Conclusion
Chapter six:
6.0 References

If these steps are unclear please contact me before make start.
Thanks alot

What are the ethical, legal, and social issues that you need to consider when advertising your product or service from subway? What are the potential obstacles or threats to your product or service and to the healthy fast food industry as a whole? Write an analysis of the important issues. Cite information from authoritative sources to support your opinions.

How would you address these issues in your marketing plan for your product or service?

Competition


Competition and Market Power

Review the following questions and prepare a four to five page report on any three of the following issues:

1. Firms in Competitive Markets

Florida Citrus Web Site: Go to http://www.floridajuice.com/. The "Florida Citrus Web Site" is sponsored by the Florida Department of Citrus on behalf of the State's Orange Industry. Among other things, the site is clearly an advertisement for the state's orange industry. Have you ever seen or do you expect to see advertising for individual orange growers? Why? What characteristics of the good make the market competitive?

2. Monopoly

Microsoft: Go to http://www.microsoft.com/. Does a monopoly firm produce this product? What characteristics of the good make the market monopolistic? Explain.

3. Monopolistic Competition

Fast Food Industry: Go to http://www.mcdonalds.com/, http://www.bk.com/ and http://www.wendys.com/. Are these three firms participating in a monopolistically competitive market? What characteristics of the good make the market monopolistically competitive? Explain.

4. Oligopoly

The OPEC Oil Cartel Go to www.opec.org. What are the organization's stated goals, which countries are members, and when was it founded? Is it normal for them to be successful in keeping oil prices high, or have they faced difficulties in keeping the cartel united in the past?

5. Antitrust Enforcement and the Consumer

The following is the to the United States Department of Justice's view of its role in antitrust enforcement. Retreived November 15, 2009:

http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/overview.html.

Do you think the U. S. Government is doing enough in this area? Be specific citing examples.


Case Assignment Expectations:

Use concepts from the modular background readings as well as any good quality resources you can find from the cyberlibrary or other internet search engines. Pleas be sure to cite all sources within the text and provide a reference list at the end of the paper.

Length: 4-5 pages double spaced and typed.

The following items will be assessed in particular:

Your ability to understand the differences between perfect and imperfect competition.

Some in-text references to the modular background material (APA formatting not required).

The essay should address each element of the assignment. Remember to support your answers with solid references including the case readings.



Customer is requesting that (bolavens) completes this order.

The topic is to create a restaurant that will enable one to sustain a healthy lifestyle, and lose weight. Please research the following areas: Restaurant Management, Weight loss programs and Statistics in America, Obesity, Organic Foods trends, Fast Food Industry, "Green" and sustainable restaurants.

I need to pick a popular space and conduct a semiotic analysis of it. I sould investigate the cultural codes at play in the space, and be able to explain the various ways in which this space governs and is governed by those codes.

This is my essay, but i need to use 3 quotes below.

"public spaces can reflect and reinforce a culture's political ideology and power structure" (Massik 392)

"Amusement is the commodified negation of play" (Willis 417)

"Seemingly minor gestures of resistance to cultural norms can lay deep imprints on the lives of those around us. Unfortunately, gestures of capitulation do so as well" (Bordo 341)



McDonalds
As we know, McDonald is a world leading company in fast food industry. The company produce a whole range of burgers, soft drinks, milk, coffee, potato chips, and pie, with french-fries and milkshakes etc. And, the service McDonald offer to customer in many ways, you can either order you food through internet or order on the phone, of course the best way you can feel the fast and convenient service is order in the restaurant.
McDonald founded in 1948, it is one of the largest fast food developments and management companies in U.S., and opens almost two thousand new ones each year. The company annually hires about one million people, more than any other American organization, public or private. McDonald's is the nation's largest purchaser of beef, pork, and potatoes, and the second largest purchaser of chicken. The McDonald's Corporation is the largest owner of retail property in the world. (www.McDonald.com) Why McDonald is so successful in last thirty years?
Food choices depend on history, culture, and environment, as well as on energy and nutrient needs. People also eat foods for enjoyment. Family and friends are play a major role in the ways people select foods and plan meals. Fast food start in American that began with a handful of modest hot dog and hamburger. Fast food are now everywhere not only in American but rest of the world. Why people like fast food so much? Let's look around our society now. We are busying meeting, working, social-activities and we don't have much time to prepare our own food. Fast food companies like McDonalds provide this service to meet people's needs. It's so successful because it's convenient, it's inexpensive and it tastes good. We are buying fast food actually we are buying our life-style.
One of the success weapons of McDonald in fast food industry is that its chain system. The key to a successful chain can be expressed in one word, uniformity. Chain stores strive to offer exactly the same product or service at numerous locations. And customers are drawn to familiar brands by an instinct to avoid the unknown. A brand offers a feeling of reassurance when its products are always and everywhere the same. McDonald also success at site selection, it was a pioneer in studying the best places for retail locations. One of the things it did is study very carefully where sprawl was headed. Maybe you have been noticed wherever there's a McDonald's there are likely to be other fast-food chains nearby. You could get the inexpensive real estate, put up your McDonald's, and by the time the growth got there you had have a great location.
McDonald now has a lot of competitors. If you have a look at high street you can find such as Burger King, KFC, Starbucks?etc. These competitors are all in the same street. So, how did McDonald's cope with this kind of situation? Actually, McDonald's has a very success principle, and this principle make McDonald's fundamental position in fast food industry. The principles are quality, service, cleanliness, and value in which founded by Kroc, one of founder of McDonald's, 60 years ago. And still continues as McDonald's operating principle today. (www.McDonald.com)
From marketing point of view, when customers buy a product, it's not only the product they are buying, they also buying the experience. A true fast-food experience in which the customer encounters are fast service, simple decisions, well-maintained facilities, clean premises, fully stocked condiment and drink stations, and products consistent with what she or he envisions receiving. These conditions constitute a true fast-food experience. This is the reason why McDonald's so success in last 30 years.
From McDonald's example, we can see that marketing is a changing concept, and could be variety, it involves a lots of factors and different activities. Indeed, most successful organizations follow this principle and carry out their own strategies. McDonald's is one of successful organizations that reflects how the company understanding customer and knowing using this principle as a tool to achieve their business goals. Consistency performance made McDonald's the brand name that defined American fast food.
Bibliography
Bordo, Susan. "Braveheart, Babe, and the Contemporary Body." Twilight Zones:The Hidden Life of Cultural Images from Plato to O.J. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997. Rpt. in Signs of Life in the USA: Reading on Popular Culture for Writers. 4th ed. Ed. Sonia Massik and Jack Solomon. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003. 333-343.

Massik, Sonia, and Jack Solomon. "Popular Spaces: Interpreting the Built Environment." Signs of Life in the USA: Reading on Popular Culture for Writers. 4th ed. Ed. Sonia Massik and Jack Solomon. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003. 391-402.

Willis, Susan. "Disney World: Public Use/Private State." Inside the Mouse: Work and Play at Disney World. Durham: Duke University Press, 1993. Rpt. in Signs of Life in the USA: Reading on Popular Culture for Writers. 4th ed. Ed. Sonia Massik and Jack Solomon. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003.415-426/

Select a firm in the fast food industry with the largest market share and compute financial ratios.

I selected Kraft Foods Inc.

the largest market share for kraft foods and compute financial ratios

What are the market conditions in which kraft foods is competing? In particular: Market structure, supply and demand conditions, price and cross price elasticity of demand, government regulations, international competition, future conditions

What price and output levels should kraft foods inc set in order to maximize economic profits or minimize losses in the short- run?

How can kraft food inc organize it resources to maintain and increase its market share? In particular: product differentiation, focus on market niche, outsourcing, alliances, mergers and acquisitions

Summary and conclusion

This is a journal article review which includes its literature review, hypothesis, methodology, result, discussion, strengths and own understanding.Choose any article in the annotated bibliography I will provide.
1. Topic: what is the research about?
2. Previous study: What has the previous study found out?
3. Hypothesis:
4. Methodology: what method did the author use?
5. result and discussion: Provide the statistics result then what they mean.
6.what are strengths of the research
7. own analysis

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAST FOOD AND CHILD OBESITY 2


Thesis Statement


This study aims to identify the underlying correlation of fast food capitals and the increasing rate of child obesity. The system of fast food is prevalent in all countries, with each country having its own variations of types of items served and the nature of establishments serving. The popularity of fast food is due to convenience of fast service, packaged food and low cost. All over the place is an ad on fast food now a day. Now major fast food industries try to make their product seem as healthy as possible. It is possible that the convenience is influencing the growth of childhood obesity in the United States. Understanding the correlation between these two factors is vital in producing a solution. The children and youth will one-day influence the dynamics of the world. Healthy choices should be made available to all. Influencing life decisions and daily aspects, all children deserve healthier choices.

















ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 3


Chou, S. (2008). Fast food restaurants advertising on television and it?s influence on childhood obesity. The Journal of Law & Economics, 51, 599-618.

This study performs a survey to see the effects of fast food restaurant advertising on children and adolescents being overweight. The 1979 Child-Young Adult National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth were employed to conduct research. The advertising measure used is the number of hours of spot television fast-food restaurant advertising messages seen per week. The results indicate that a ban on these advertisements would reduce the number of overweight children ages 3-11 in a fixed population by 10 percent and would reduce the number of overweight adolescents ages 12-18 by 12 percent. Finding out why fast food is unhealthy is just not enough. People know this and still choose to eat it. This article shows the message fast food companies portray to get consumers to buy their product. Since children are watching television more than ever it makes sense that fast food corporations advertise on commercials. Advertising is the most direct way children will be exposed to a certain product. Understanding how this works will allow a better insight on the correlation of fast food to child obesity.









ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 4


Darwin, A. (2008). Childhood obesity: Is it abuse? The Children?s Voice, 17, 4-24.

This study performs a content analysis of state courts that have heard cases involving children whose obesity threatened life or health, and whose parents were unable or unwilling to follow medical orders to reduce their children's weight. With childhood obesity increasing across the nation at dramatic rates, courts and child welfare systems in many states are facing novel issues. One of these issues is whether children whose weight poses serious dangers to life or health are properly considered neglected when their parents disobey medical orders to put them on diets. This study shows the seriousness of the degree of overweight children in our country. In the United States the ramifications of obesity are more severe for children than for adults. This study also shows that obesity deprives youngsters of many of the social and physical activities. Obese children often endure excessive teasing, social stigmatization, and discrimination by their peers. Children, especially very young ones, often have little or no control over what they eat and how much they exercise. Parents dictate this, serving as strong role models who shape their children's eating and exercise habits early in life. Who is to blame for this increasing problem? By giving a look how the legal system is used in implementing a healthier society, there is always something that can be done to help.




ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 5

Eagle, T. (2012). Understanding childhood obesity in America: Linkages between household income, community resources, and children?s behaviors. The American Heart Journal, 163, 816-837.

This study uses a survey to see the correlation of childhood obesity and household income. Understanding childhood obesity's root causes is critical to the creation of strategies to improve children's health. This study gives us a variation of the types of household?s influence on children. Also, how behavior is depicted and its overall correlation to childhood obesity. In Massachusetts, percentage of overweight by community varied from 9.6% to 42.8%. As household income dropped, percentage of overweight/obese children rose. In Michigan sixth graders, as household income goes down, frequency of fried food consumption per day doubles. Whereas vegetable consumption and moderate/vigorous exercise go down. Basically this study shows the prevalence of overweight children rises in communities with lower household income. Children residing in lower income communities exhibit poorer dietary and physical activity behaviors, which affect obesity. This gives a different aspect of the increasing rate of childhood obesity in our country. Households do have an affect on one?s health as well.



ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 6

Evans, D. (2006). Changing perceptions of the childhood obesity epidemic. American Journal of Health Behavior, 2, 167-176.

This study conducts a survey of US households about perceived severity, causes, and support for specific obesity interventions. This shows the increasing rate of obesity in our country and around the world. Obesity is now a leading cause of preventable death in the United States, and it costs over $93 billion in medical expenditures. It also shows obesity epidemic extremely prevalent among children and adolescents. Today, 15% of children and adolescents combined are overweight. By giving us an overall view of the situation we can see the affect on a larger scale. Also comparing other countries rates will be useful to see how our country differs. Some objectives of this study are also to examine changes in public attitudes about obesity in the context of a changing social and environment policy around the issue. Since the United States public is becoming increasingly aware of the public health issue, spreading education about rising obesity rates will be easier. Also by allowing a cultural factor, will prove useful in creating a variation of the situation. It is important to see how other countries are dealing with this epidemic.



ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 7
Fraser, L. (1998). Fast food and obesity. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14, 245-248.

This study is a spatial analysis of a large population of children aged 13-15 in our country. It clearly shows that the childhood obesity epidemic is a current public health priority in many countries, and the consumption of fast food has been associated with obesity. The method to this study was that a weighted accessibility score of the number of fast-food outlets within a 1-km network buffer of the participant's residence at age 13 years was calculated. Then geographically weighted regression was used to assess the relationships between fast-food consumption at age 13 years and weight status at ages 13 and 15 years, and separately between fast-food accessibility and consumption. An interesting conclusion was found in this study. Of course there is a continued need for nutritional education regarding fast food, but public health interventions that place restrictions on the location of fast-food outlets may not decrease consumption. Educating the public is very important in informing about the results of consuming excess fast food. This study shows the relationship between fast-food consumption and obesity as well as the relationship between fast-food outlet access and consumption. By proving this correlation further means of intervention can be made.




ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 8


Grotz, L. (2006). A look at food industry responses to the rising prevalence of overweight. Nutrition Reviews, 68, 48-52.

This study is a content analysis on food industries dealing with the growing problem of obesity. Firstly marketing and academic research are done to help the food industry to understand whether its consumers have an interest in new food choices. This shows that there have been efforts among food and beverage companies to help increase our knowledge about the factors contributing to overweight. Also to investigate product and marketing changes that may help reduce the risk of weight gain. Fast food corporations have taken interactive guidance from government and health institutions on the best strategies to take. This study allows an insight from the cooperation side. How they deal with the problem is vital in resolving it. Having this cooperation perspective will give notice on how to go about this epidemic from a business standpoint. Of course the fast food industry?s main objective is to turn a profit, but now at what cost? With the world watching closes, important choices will define their role in our culture. To resolve this problem, corporate resolve is needed with interactive guidance from government and health institutions on the best strategies to take. Also by supporting the best method to take.




ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 9


Horst, K. (2006). A systematic review of environmental correlates of obesity-related dietary behaviors in youths. Oxford University Press, 22, 203-226.

This study is a content analysis of research previous conducted on observational studies on environmental correlates of energy, fat, fruit/vegetable, snack/fast food and soft drink intakes in children (4?12 years) and adolescents (13?18 years). This study shows the role the environment plays in shaping the dietary behavior of youth, particularly in the context of obesity. The most consistent associations were found between parental intake and children's fat, fruit/vegetable intakes, parent and sibling intake with adolescent's energy and fat intakes and parental education with adolescent's fruit/vegetable intake. Showing environmental factors is much needed in seeing all the variables associated with childhood obesity. In this study, environmental factors are predominantly studied at the household level and then focus on sociocultural and economic aspects. Most associations were found between the parent?s intake and education. By viewing one?s household environment, a more deliberate analysis of fast food correlation to health can be made. This will allow a more accurate prediction of resolving the situation. Environmental factors are essential in showing a correlation between fast food consumption and childhood obesity.




ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 10

Kumanyika, S. (2008). Environmental influences on childhood obesity: Ethnic and cultural influences. Purdue University Ingestive Behavior Research Center Symposium, 94, 1-7.

This study is a content analysis on identifying key environmental variables promoting weight gain and to determine how they interact with our various biologies. This gives an in depth view on what we eat can cause obesity and other associated disorders such as, metabolic syndrome. The main focus is the development of the issue. By examining how different environmental variables influence eating behavior and weight regulation of children and adolescents. These variables might alter various physiological systems. Addressing these relationships will lead to a better understanding of mechanisms underlying obesity and eating disorders in our youth. This study examines brain activation in response to food consumption Reduced activity was observed in limbic regions directly related to evaluation of food stimuli, including the primary taste cortex in the insula, adjacent frontal operculum, orbitofrontal cortex and basal ganglia regions connected to the insula that are involved in evaluating food reward. By also focusing on the biological responses to food consumption, a better analysis of the epidemic can be made. Prevention and treatment are the steps to have success in this nature. The study also shows cultural influences as in relation to environmental factors.


ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 11

Lewin, A. & Lindstrom, L. (2006). Food industry address childhood obesity. Journal of Public Health Policy, 27, 327-348.

This study is a content analysis of the food industry addressing childhood obesity. In the United States, obesity rates among children have more than doubled since the late 1970s. Similar trends are also occurring in other countries. As a result of increasing evidence that advertising induces children to eat too much of the wrong kinds of food, many food companies have come under increasing pressure to produce more nutritious products. In 2005, at the request of the World Health Organization (WHO), a conducted field comparisons of the promises and practices of two leading food companies, Mcdonalds and Kraft Foods were made. This study shows these comparisons and their implications for national policies to prevent childhood obesity. It is extremely important to see the correlations of major fast food corporation?s policies and actions. Viewing how fast food companies deal with this uprising dilemma from a health standpoint is vital. This will bring about a better understanding of what has been done and what is needed to be done. This study comes to a conclusion that regulatory intervention is needed, by showing evidence that links food marketing to children's health. By proving this correlation, the spread of educational awareness is next.



ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 12

Strauss, R. (1996). Childhood obesity. The Pediatric Clinics of North America, 49, 175-201.

This study is a content analysis of obesity rates in countries around the world. Today it is estimated that there are more than 300 million obese people worldwide. This also shows childhood overweight increases the risk for certain medical and psychological conditions. Eighty percent of overweigh 10-14 year old adolescents are at risk of becoming overweight adults compared to 25% of overweight preschool children (less than 5 years old) and 50% of 6-9 year old overweight children. Also obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the developed part of the world with as many as 30-40% of adults being already obese and the incidence in children and adolescent is rising. By allowing correlations to arise from even cultural boundaries is significant. This epidemic is not just in our country but around the world. Changes in environmental and social factors are likely the main explanation for doubling of severe childhood obesity over the last 30 years. Action needs to be taken now because it has been projected that by the year 2030 levels of obesity could be as high as 50-80% in the USA, between 30-40% in Australia, England and Mauritius and over 20% in some developing countries.



recommend Food industry address childhood obesity or Changing perceptions of the childhood obesity epidemic article

Assuming the demographic changes about the growth of the Hispanic population in the United States are accurate, comment on how this shift changes the marketing segmentation in the grocery and fast food industries. For example, if a grocery store currently has about 15% of its space dedicated to Hispanics should that be changed now in light of the demographic research?
Be sure to use current key demographic and lifestyle facts and statistics about these markets and their consumers.
Write your marketing analysis in 2?3 pages in a Word document using Times New Roman font size 12, double spaced with one-inch margins on all sides. Follow the APA style for writing, editing, and citation of sources.

Dissertation prospectus Running Head: ISSERTATION PROSPECTUS 1
Disintegrating Relationship between organizational leaders and employees
Submitted by



Andre Alexandre Jr



Grand Canyon Univers ity
Phoenix, Arizona
Feb 05, 2014





Introduction
Organizational leadership behavior towards employees can significantly affect their perception of the workplace, and contribute to the organization high performance and most essentially create and maintain a proper organizational culture that lead to the success of the organization . The good health of the organization depends greatly on the relationship between leaders and employees. Lately, however, relationship between employees and organizational leaders are sinking with a speedy rate in workplaces .The reason for that escalation in the relationship is unclear. Organizational leadership tend to take employees for granted . They used them in time of organizational needs and ignore their potentiality and their commitment afterward,it seems also that organizational leaders sometimes ignore employees needs and do not thing that employees organizational commitment is important. When employees answer the organization?s call and are willing to cooperate in time of hard ship, leaders should recognize them for their efforts put together . According to (Podsakoff, 2006), satisfied employees generally are easier to perform contributions role that exceed other role. If employees are satisfied then propensity to commit becomes stronger because there is what is called reciprocity norm or psychological contract (Carol, 2007). Evidence suggests satisfied employee likely to speak positively about organization, helping co-workers, and making their performance beyond normal estimates, more than that the satisfied employees are more obedient to duty call (Robbins, 2006).
This study will contribute to existing knowledge in that most studies focus on rewards such as pay increase or higher position , but employees feeling and emotions, fairness, and justice should be taken into consideration in the process . Organizational leaders need employees to support the organizations in hard time, they should recognize them after economic stress is over . Employees are normally concerned about the fairness of outcomes rather than the fairness of procedures( Greenberg, 2005). Procedural justice, according to Greenberg (2005), is one of the forms of organizational justice. Greenberg defined organizational justice as a term used to describe the role of fairness in the work place. It is concerned with the ways in which employees determine if they have been treated fairly in their jobs as well as the ways in which those determinations can affect other work-related influences . A poor relationship between organizational leadership and employees create a controversial atmosphere within the place , and that could have a negative
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effect on the organization objectives. At the beginning of the 21st century, employee?s animosity towards organizational leaders are speedily increasing. In time of hardship, leaders tend to convince employees to support the organizations by accepting to perform extra task in order for the organization to remain operative. When leaders expect employees cooperation during the organizations rainy days , they must acknowledge and show understanding after recovery, otherwise that will create unsatisfactory , which will affect the organization culture and performance. Lately, the relationship between organizational leaders and employees are disintegrating on a daily basis.
The research rationale is whether the relationship between employees and leaders is motivated by leaders lack of recognition of employees support and commitment to the organization, or whether organizations are at risk to pay the price of this poor relationship. This study is important to conduct because this interaction between leaders and employees treating to have significant effects on employee performance .
Background of the Study
Organizational leaders should create a positive leader-employee relationship and to promote interaction which would be essential quality that leaders can implement to motivate employees to improve the effectiveness of their performance . Therefore, theThis study?s focus will be on the employees and leaders relationship, and at the same time some questions or concerns will be examined eventually. Without any doubt, certain aspects of research and practice in organizations will be challenged.The relationship between employees and leaders is disintegrating daily and organizations continue to be at risk of suffering from the existing conflict. The internal culture of an organization is usually determined by leadership behavior and the perceptions of employees in the workplace. Leadership in an organization is usually a two-sided interaction between leaders and employees to achieve a common objective (Holloway, 2012, p.10 ). Therefore, this study will use a qualitative approach to examine a number of circumstances, and one of them is the growing intensity between employees and leaders. Engagement provides the basis for leaders to influence the behaviors of their employees while simultaneously influencing their perceptions (Albrecht, 2010, p. 27). .
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The disintegrating relationship between employees and leaders is attributed to various factors including the failure to focus on employees? emotions at work, stressful events, and physical settings. Actually, many studies on employee-leader relationship have primarily focused on employees? production and rewards without examining the human side of these employees, which has a significant effect on the relationship. These studies have failed to address the consequences of leaders? behavior on employees? feelings and contributed to ineffective organizational leadership that continues to affect the personal life and behaviors of employees .
The second reason for disintegrating relationship between employees and leaders is the actions taken by organizational leadership during times of economic and financial hardships (Goswami, 2013, p.8). In most cases, organizations are forced to downsize personnel to reduce their payroll. As a result, the remaining workforce is required to collaborate with leaders in accepting to carry out extra task through sharing the leftover workload for the organization to remain fully operational. Employees put their efforts together in helping the organization to deal with the effects of economic hardship in the hope of being recognized afterward, instead they found themselves still budding workloads and not seeing any reward coming their way, even though the economy resurfaces. This not only contributes to low employee morale but affects their relationship with leaders because they do not perceive the workplace as fair. Employees view of leaders practices should have a direct impact on their performance and help improve their achievement( Richards,2007).The study will focus on examining some more issues, such as the nature and purpose of organizations.
Even though this relationship has continued to disintegrate, these employees are currently juggling multiple roles without any recognition, pay increase or promotion. They are being derogated and feel disenfranchised. The worst outcome of this problem is that some employees become depressed because they have no choice but to stay with these organizations. The study will use person to person interviews which can be held through telephone/video call to have a better understanding of the nature of the conflict between leaders and employees, both leaders and employees will be observed and interviewed. Consequently, many organizations continue to
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have discouraged employees. Notably, one of the major problems of modern organizations is the lack of trust between employees and leaders (Abrrow et. al., 2013, p.26).

Problem Statement
It is not known how the concept of leadership in organizations has come to limelight after the mid twentieth century when nations of the world realized that organizations are growing everywhere, and play a vital role in shaping the economic, social, cultural and political norms, and values of a society . Nevertheless, continuous challenges in relationship between leaders and employees are further creating obstacles for leaders to cope with the situation (Smith & Hughey, 2006). Leaders?behavior in the workplace has created major problems for organizations and employees as well. Employees complaint that their pay increases do not cover the annual inflation rates, thus resulting in lessened purchasing power, even though they are loyal and committed to the organizations. Another concern is way they have treated after cooperating with these organizational leaders in time of crisis, there is no recognition whatsoever..The relationship between employees and leaders has been disintegrating on a daily basis and that is a threat to the productivity of the organization s. The study is worthwhile since organizations continue to retain a workforce that is demoralized and people are forced to stay only because of personal financial engagement .
Therefore, conducting the research will help identify ways in which organizations can address these challenges and create a system of high motivation and satisfaction among employees across all their operations.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine in depth the the relationship between organizations leaders and employees, where organizational leadership aims to win the commitment and loyalty of personnel in order to achieve efficiency and effectiveness , but ignore employees commitments and needs. Leaders in organizations must possess strong negotiation
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skills, since they have to maintain a balance between the needs and demands of employees, and external stakeholders (Smith & Hughey, 2006). The current study will examine the main issues, by using interviews within the organizations to examine the role of key people such as leaders and will use method of observation to investigate and address the causes and effects of poor relationship that exist within most organizations.
The study will also explore why the relationship between organizational leaders and employees continue to disintegrate and whether organizations are at risk of paying the price of the existing problem. The study will be carried out on the basis of the effect of poor relationship on employee perception of the workplace. The reason for such consideration is that leaders? behaviors influence employees? perception of justice and fairness in the workplace and employee citizenship behavior can make an organization successful . The study will use MLQ to measure the leadership styles and employees perception of the workplace.
Research Questions
The following research questions guide this study.
Research Question 1: Why is the relationship between organizational leaders and employees disintegrating every day ?
Research question2:How the poor relationship between leaders and employees can affect the organization performance?
Research Question 3: How are organizations at risk to pay the price of the existing conflict?
Significance of the Study
This study is important to conduct because it will help in identifying the reasons for and magnitude of the disintegrating relationship between organizational leaders and employees . In addition, this study will help determine why and how organizations are at risk of suffering from the consequences of the existing conflict. The study will help in identifying ways organizations can use to promote healthy relationships between leaders and employees and ensure that they retain a workforce of highly motivated and satisfied employees who remain committed to the organization for the right reasons. Since many studies have primarily focused on employees? production and rewards, this research will provide insights on the need to focus on the human side of employees i.e. their emotions at work, stressful events, and physical settings. As a result, the study will provide a different dimension of understanding employees? perception of the workplace based on addressing their human side in daily interactions with leaders.
Preliminary Review of the Literature
According to Swindall (2011), employees? ability to engage is affected by various factors including the type of relationships with organizational leaders (p. 212). While leaders can create performance goals, employees experience difficulties in meeting these goals if their relationship with leaders is disintegrating. Broner (2009), states that employees? perceptions of workplace fairness in light of leaders? attitudes towards subordinates have significant effects on employee retention (p.19). For instance, the fast food industry experience annual high turnover rates of employees because of poor relationships between leaders and workers. Smither & London (2009), state that disintegrating relationship between leaders and employees is demonstrated in interpersonal aggression toward employees. This kind of treatment is specifically strong when employees work for financial need instead of personal fulfillment purposes. The existing literature shows that ?
? Employee retention is affected by their perceptions of workplace fairness and justice, which are dependent on organizational leaders? behaviors.
? While some employees are forced to stay and be committed to organizations because of lack of alternatives, high turnover rates are experienced in some industries because of disintegrating relationship between employees and leaders.
? Disintegrating relationship between employees and leaders is demonstrated in aggression where organizational leaders take employees for granted.
? When employees have poor relationships with their leaders, they stay and commit to the organization for financial gain rather than personal fulfillment reasons.

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Research Methodology
The general approach of this research is qualitative study, which seems to be the most appropriate research methodology for the problem. The rationale for selecting this research methodology is that the research focuses on understanding a human or social issue through developing a holistic view. Since the problem under evaluation does not require analysis of statistical procedures, qualitative study is the best methodology. Furthermore, this method is appropriate because there is very little knowledge regarding the phenomenon being explored. Data collection methods to be used in the study are observations, individual interviews, and analysis of documents and materials. The qualitative study will demonstrate investigate how leaders? negative behavior influences employee perception of fairness and affect their relationship. Secondly, the study will also show how organizations can pay the price for this conflict.
Research Design
The study will use grounded theory research design , which is research based on observations or data from various data sources. This design aligns with the research methodology since the data sources will provide information that will be subjected to analysis and review. The design is appropriate because the problem has gained minimal focus in the past though employees are ready to provide information that will address the issue. In addition, the phenomenon being evaluated is based on generation of theory rather than theory description or testing.
Source of Data
The types of data that will be collected in the study include relationship between leaders and employees, the link between leadership behavior and employees? perception, and employees? production and rewards. The data will be gathered from organizational leaders and employees as well as documents and materials that address the problem.


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Data Collection and Procedures
Interviews are the most frequently used method to explore what leadership patterns exist in organizations. However,this study will use both interviews and observations as methods to collect data. The interview is undoubtedly the most common source of data collection in qualitative studies. For this study?s approach, using person-to-person format is most prevalent for accuracy. Interviews could be formatted from the highly structured style, in which questions will be determined before the interviews, to the open-ended, and conversational format. Twelve(12 )organizations are targeted and will be selected across the states of New York , and the participants will include high ranking leaders such as Presidents ,Vice-presidents, general managers, and departmental supervisors. For the employees, both interviews and observations will be used. For the most part, interviews are more open ended and less structured (Merriam, 2001).In the process, the study will use the same tactic to ask the same questions of all the participants, but the order of the questions, the exact wording, and the type of follow-up questions may vary considerably for leaders and employees.
Since data collection in qualitative research is usually a time consuming process because of research methodology, the data will be collected from a group of 30 participants and evaluation of 7 different documents and materials on the subject. The study tend to use as data collection instruments the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) 45 item questionnaire with four dimensions (Transformational, Transactional, Laissez-Faire Leadership and Outcomes of Leadership, such as Effort, Effectiveness and Satisfaction) (see Bass, 1998.This instrument have been systematically developed and tested in relation to subordinates outcomes, has been scientifically studied tend to be appropriate for this study.This will be followed by making observations on the participants during direct interactions. The final step in the process will be analysis of current literature regarding the relationship between employees and leaders in organizations.
Data Analysis Procedures
This study will use simple Correlation to analyze the relationship bwrween leaders and employees relationship, transformational leadership dimensions of organizational leaders. Based on the relationship of thematic analysis to phenomelogy, this study will use a thematic analysis of data, where it will focus on recurring themes and patterns in the process. To be more specific, coding will play a critical role in the analysis process of the data collected from participants. In the process, Creswell?s (2007) linear, hierarchical approach data coding will be used. Three steps will be used in the process: organizing and preparing data for analysis, critically reading through all data, and then coding the data. Emerging, recurring themes, and ideas will be grouped in different categories. That will show how various factors are interrelated and how they can lead to a successful relationship between leadership and employees within organizations. The procedures to be used to conduct the data analysis include constant comparative analysis and discourse analysis. The two procedures will be used in analyzing the first research question to compare the reasons provided by employees and examine the pattern or flow of communication respectively. The second and third research questions will be analyzed through constant comparative analysis to determine the similarities and differences in the risks organizations face because of disintegrated relationship.
Ethical Considerations
There are probable ethical issues that will emerge during the research including employees? concerns on confidentiality, potential legal actions against organizational leaders, and probable victimization of the employees or leaders. In attempts to address these ethical considerations, human subjects will be protected through seeking their informed consent from each of them as well as from the organization. The informed consent will be properly documented and interviews and observations conducted in environments that ensure confidentiality. The protection of human subjects and data will also be enhanced through seeking for Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) approval. Site authorization will be achieved through seeking approval from the institution and organizations? top management and using contacts that can help remove barriers to entrance.



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References:
Abrrow, H.A., Ardakani, M.S., Harooni, A. & Pour, H.M. (2013, July). The Relationship
Between Organizational Trust and Organizational Justice Components and Their Role in Job Involvement in Education. International Journal of Management Academy, 1(1), 25-41.
Albrecht, S.L. (2010). Handbook of employee engagement: perspectives, issues, research and
practice. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing.
Broner, S. (2009). Employees? perceptions of leaders? attitudes and employee retention: a
quantitative study on perceived attitudes. Ann Arbor, MI: ProQuest LLC.
Creswell, J.W.(2007). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five approaches .(2nd ed.).Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Goswami, J.H. (2013, March). Sustaining Employee Engagement in the Face of Crisis ? A Test
of Leadership and Introduction of a New Model. International Journal of Research in Computer Application & Management, 3(3), 8-12.
Smith, B.L. & Hughey, A.W. (2006). Leadership in Higher Education- Its Evolution and Potential: A unique role facing critical challenges. Counseling and Student Affairs Faculty Publications, Western Kentucky University.
Holloway, J.B. (2012). Leadership Behavior and Organizational Climate: An Empirical Study in
a Non-profit Organization. Emerging Leadership Journeys, 5(1), 9-35.
Merriam, S. B. (2001). Something old, something new: The changing mosaic of
adult learning theory. Andragogy Today, 4(1), 1-29.

Richards, B. J., & Malvern, D. D. (2007). Validity and threats to the validity of vocabulary assessment. In H. Daller, J. Milton, & J. Treffers-Daller (Eds.), Modelling and assessing lexical knowledge. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Smither, J.W. & London, M. (2009). Performance management: putting research into action.
Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Swindall, C. (2011). Engaged leadership: building a culture to overcome employee
disengagement. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


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Appendix A
Phenomena and Data Analysis
Table 1
Research Questions Phenomenon (Problem) Being Studied Sources of Data Analysis Plan
1. Why is the relationship between organizational leaders and employees disintegrating every day?
Reasons that contribute to this poor relationship between employees and leaders based on the actions and behaviors of leaders. 1. Individual interviews.
2. Interviews on focus groups.
3. Observations during direct interactions.
4. Documents and Materials. 1. Constant comparative analysis on reasons provided by employees regarding the problem.
2. Discourse analysis of the pattern or flow of communication between employees and leaders.
2. How are organizations at risk to pay the price of the existing conflict? The extent with which organizations suffer due to disintegrating relationship between leaders and workers. 1. Documents and materials.
2. Interviews on organizational leaders. Constant comparative analysis on the similarity and differences of risks that organizations face as stated by different organizational leaders.

Could I have WRITERGIRL or C.R. complete this assignment?

NOTE: There needs to be a citation in EVERY paragraph of this assignment

Over the past three weeks, you and your colleagues each have developed most of the components of a Strategic Marketing plan. Now it is time to put the pieces together. Your 7-8 page paper MUST should include:
? Objectives & Mission Statement (from #2 below)
? Customer Targets (from #5)
? Competitor Targets (from #5)
? Product/Service Features (from #1 below)
? Core Strategy (from #3 below)
? Marketing Mix:
o Communications & Promotion (from #6 below)
o Pricing (from #4 below)
? Product Policy
? Channels of Distribution
? Customer Relationship Management


References: Winer, R.S. (2004). Marketing management, 2nd edition. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Education, Inc.

1. Marketing Conference: Idea and Proposal - Merab Morgan Diet Plan

One problem currently faced by the fast food industry, and by McDonald?s in particular, is that the fast food purveyor is perceived as marketing an unhealthy product that is harmful to consumers. It is in the industry?s interest to encourage people to eat more of its product, which is largely high-calorie and low in essential fruits, vegetables, and grains, all at the base of the FDA food pyramid. Also, to live a healthy lifestyle Americans, as a whole, must weigh less, and thus eat less calorie-dense food, as well as exercise. The popularity of such films as ?Supersize Me,? have only contributed to the decline of McDonald?s stock, and created a rejection of its formerly family-friendly image (Bauman, 2005).

However, one woman recently lost 37 pounds on a McDonald?s diet, just as Morgan Spurlock, the director of ?Supersize Me,? gained weight and lost overall bodily fitness on the diet. The real-life examples of these two individuals show that they simply made different choices at the same establishment. Bauman?s selection of ?a combo consisting of a quarter-pounder, side salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing and large unsweetened iced tea,? with less than 500 calories and roughly 20 grams of fat,? stands in stark contrast to Spurock?s choices (Bauman, 2005).

Thus, merely eating at a McDonald?s will not cause a decline in health. My proposal is to improve McDonald?s company image for the future. I propose that we recruit Merab Morgan, an ordinary housewife, to be the new spokeswoman for McDonald?s, and to market her McDonald?s diet in a series of commercials titled ?The McDonalds Weight Loss Challenge?.

Taking the McDonald?s weight loss challenge could be one way to counteract the perception that McDonald?s is not inherently unhealthy. In addition to using Morgan in commercials, McDonald?s could also incorporate a promotional game, as it has in the past with promotional games such as its Monopoly scratch off, only rather than merely playing a fun game, in this game customers could answer scratch-off informational questions about the nutrition in various products (McDonald?s, 2005).

Also, McDonald?s, instead of focusing on volume in individual meals, could offer coupons to consumers, encouraging more immediate, moderate consumption, but ?return trips? to the restaurant, to buy its smaller burgers, salads, and healthier options.

Today, there is a growing awareness that the food we eat affects our health and our whole life. However, Americans today do not want to sacrifice taste to eat right. Rather, they want to enjoy their favorite fast foods in a way that combines the basic tenets of a healthy diet: balance, variety and moderation. In my proposal, people can continue to eat their favorite fast foods, even if they are high in fat, salt or sugars, by moderating their portion size and frequency. With Merab Morgan as living proof of the results, consumers? interest in a fast food diet and health should garner a fairly high level of interest.


References

Bauman, Valerie. (11 Aug 2005) ?People try to lose weight at McDonalds.? AP Wire. Accessed on AOL on 22 Aug 2005 at http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050811163009990002

McDonald?s (2005) Official Website. Retrieved 22 Aug 2005 at
http://www.mcdonalds.com/

2. The McDonald?s ?Diet Plan? Marketing Strategy: Second Week Comprehensive Strategic Marketing Plan

The objectives of the new McDonald?s ?Merab Morgan? Diet are to increase revenue for the company in the short term, and in the long term undue the damage done to the company by the negative press generated by the success of the film ?Supersize Me.? Over the course of the year, McDonald?s wishes to gain a greater percentage of the revenue of the fast food market than its most prominent competitors of Wendy?s and Burger King. It also wishes to gain some of the type of positive media as the chain Subway did during its advocacy of the Subway Diet.

The Mission Statement is simple?eat right, eat well at McDonald?s. The measurable success of the short-term campaign can be seen in the participation of the component games, whereby consumers will answer nutritional questions about McDonald?s foods and other food questions, in return for winning free foods the next time they visit the restaurant.

Also, the company throughout the course of the year will give coupons for return visits, rather than stress larger and larger meals during singular visits. This is a realistic goal, given that it satisfies customer?s desires for value in a positive fashion. It is attainable, given that customers still love McDonald?s food, and that McDonald?s will continue to provide value and service to its customers. Also, it is well timed, given that consumers are working more hours, are increasingly beset by high expenses by the price of fuel, and are eating more meals outside the home.

The product is innovative, because it shows that with the correct management, even food we do like can be healthy. It adapts portion control strategies of other diets, such as Weight Watchers, into a McDonald?s ?fun? format that makes dieting seem almost fun. Like Jenny Craig, it stresses the value of prepackaged food for convenience and portion control, but not food that is self-consciously diet food.

Rather than sell fruit and salads and veggie burgers like its competitors Burger King and Wendy?s, which tends to cause consumers to ask ?can?t I cut up an apple at home for less money than 4.99 for a salad,? McDonald?s stress on portion control and return customers who can still diet beneath the Golden Arches stresses that it provides a unique service, that of burgers, but through its new promotional strategy that de-emphasizes big meals and stresses return foot traffic, does so in a healthy and portion controlled way. ?What is the right strategy to follow in a highly competitive market in which demand is relatively flat?? stated one executive recently. ?The answer for us is to identify what our niche is in the market. For us, it is producing?hamburgers." Healthy hamburgers (Collins, 2002). Stressing return traffic for those hamburgers is an acknowledgement that McDonald?s ?fries and soda are where the fat [profit] margins really lie,? for fast food companies ? but that does not have to mean fat consumers! (Munarriz, 2003)



References

Collins, Luke. (2002) ?Chips are down for Burger Giants? MCD: McDonald?s Corporation News and Articles. Retrieved 27 Aug 2005 at http://www.licenseenews.com/news/news134.html

Munarriz, Eric. ?Burger Wars.? (2003) The Motley Fool.com Retrieved 27 Aug 2005 at http://www.fool.com/news/commentary/2003/commentary030407ram.htm

3. The McDonald?s ?Diet Plan? Marketing Strategy: Third Week Core Strategy

Americans love to eat. Americans love burgers and fries. But Americans also, by and large, want and need to lose weight to improve their health and appearance. Eating McDonald?s food in reasonable portions will allow them to accomplish both objectives. They will look better, feel better, and still be able to eat convenient and tasty food.

A value proposition is a clear statement of the tangible results a customer gets from using a company?s products and services (Konrath, 2005). McDonald?s has always offered its customers financial value, in the form of cheap, tasty food. But now the value will be given to the customer in a way that is better for the customer?s physical as well as financial health.

This new key is portion control, as exemplified by the real-life example of a woman who lost weight eating nothing but food from McDonald?s. This example shows the value of eating McDonald?s food. A new promotional campaign that gives rewards for the next visit, rather than super-sizing current food portions also underlines the financial value as well the value of eating normal size portions. It also shows McDonald?s takes an interest in its consumer?s health.

This will be complimented by a game that encourages consumers to learn more about nutrition, and the nutritional content of McDonald?s food. By collecting scratch-off game pieces with the correct answer to different nutrition questions, return business to that increases financial revenue for the company will also be encouraged in a healthy manner.

Lastly, Merab Morgan, the woman who lost weight on the diet will be featured in a series of advertisements, stressing that real people can lose weight on McDonald?s. Her life as a busy soccer mom will also come into sharp focus?the consumer will gain the added value of time and money, without sacrificing health

McDonald?s thus can reposition itself in the fast food market once again against competitors such as salad-selling Wendy?s or Burger King?s new veggie options. It can show that it is still a caring, family friendly company that brings families closer together and gives them more time to spend together, time not spent over a hot stove, in a healthy way.

References
Konrath, Jill. (2005) ?How to Write a Strong Value Proposition.? Sideroad. Retrieved 2 Sept 2005 at http://www.sideroad.com/Sales/value_proposition.html


4. The McDonald?s Diet Plan Pricing Strategy

McDonald?s previous pricing strategy was that of a purely, famously value-based strategy (Marketing Teacher, 2005). The company?s aim was to attract a high volume of customers. McDonald?s maximized its revenue by encouraging customers to produce a large amount of inexpensive goods, such as starches and sugars, for a lower price than its competitors. This is called the ?maximize quantity pricing strategy? (Net MBA, 2005). However, this purely value-driven philosophy for one-time customer visits has turned public opinion and even the food industry against McDonald?s, because of its stress on volume. Once, people came to McDonalds for value from the brand, now the brand has lost its cache, even while the pricing remains low in relation to competitors.
For starters, the new diet plan will feature products that are lower or on par with the prices charged by the competition, like Wendy?s, Burger King, and Subway. But I?m not trying to compete with them purely by selling a cheaper product; my aim is to shift the focus of the company from a stress on cheap quantities of food given to the customer on single visits to a stress on giving consumer value on return-visit basis. From ?target return? pricing, whereby a certain return profit on a single good is expected the company must stress a more subtle form of ?value based? pricing with additional psychological elements of pricing. In the new promotion of the McDonald?s diet, coupons are bestowed upon a customer?s first visit in a way that gives them value for volume by offering them a discount on their next meal, switching from a cumulative quantity discount overall, where a consumer gains value from buying in immediate bulk, to a longer term quantity strategy (Net MBA, 2005). Also, the consumer gains the psychological value of being on a diet, yet still eating fast food. The aim of bringing them into the restaurant is achieved.
This new pricing emphasis stresses continued McDonald?s of regular consumers, but consumption over an extended period, thus stretching the customer?s calorie needs over a larger period than a day?a strategy of smaller portions employed by the first independent designer of the diet herself, Merab Morgan. Also, the creation of a game whereby individuals answer questions about McDonald?s food?s nutritional contents will create an added psychological incentive to return to the fast food establishment, so as to continue to play the game, make money. The company gains the long-term psychological advantage of showing that McDonald?s is upfront with its product?s ingredients and cares about the value its food can give to its customers, by decreasing bundle or bulk based consumption on single visits, but making up for the lost volume of additionally purchased goods with higher rates of return traffic into its stores.


References

?Pricing? (2005) Marketing Teacher. Retrieved 8 Se3pt 2005 at http://www.marketingteacher.com/Lessons/lesson_pricing.htm

?Pricing Strategy.? (2005) Net MBA. Retrieved 7 Sept 2005 at http://www.netmba.com/marketing/pricing/



5. Consumer Needs and Marketing Efforts

A need is defined as ?a state of felt deprivation in a person? (Kotler, Chandler, Gibbs, & McColl 1999, p. 4). The most basic human needs are those for food, clothing, warmth, and safety. There are also needs that are more psychological, such as the need to feel loved, to feel successful, or to feel a sense of belonging. A more thorough explanation of needs can be found by considering Abraham Maslow?s hierarchy of needs theory.
Maslow?s hierarchy of needs theory describes five levels of need that exist in a hierarchical order. In order from highest to lowest, these needs are: physiological, safety, belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization (Daft 1997, p. 530). The physiological need refers to the basic human needs for food and water. These are essentially the basic things that every individual needs to physically survive. The safety need refers to the need to feel safe, secure, and free from threats. Depending on individual circumstances, this could refer to a need to feel financially secure, including having job security, or it could refer to a need to feel free from threats of violence. It could also refer to a need to feel emotionally secure, including feeling secure in family relationships. The third need is belongingness. This refers to the need for social acceptance, which includes the need to be accepted by peers and can include the need to be accepted by a partner. The fourth need is esteem. This refers to ?the desire for a positive self-image and to receive attention, recognition, and appreciation from others? (Daft 1997, p. 530).
The final need is self-actualization. This refers to the need to reach one?s potential and feel self-fulfillment. This consideration of Maslow?s hierarchy of needs shows that physical needs are only a small portion of all needs, with psychological needs making up the three highest categories. The other important point relates to the way the needs are organized in a hierarchy. This means that the needs have an order of priority, where the lowest needs take priority first. However, this lowest need only takes priority when it is unfilled. That is, once a person has fulfilled their physiological needs, the second level of safety needs will then become the priority. In turn, once an individual has fulfilled both their physiological needs and their safety needs, belongingness needs will then become the priority. This means that the actual need a person is motivated to fulfill is dependent on their current level on the hierarchy.
The next important point is that a need refers to a general desire a person has and does not refer to a specific product. A want is more specific and is defined as ?the form taken by human needs as they are shaped by culture and individual experience? (Kotler, Armstrong, Brown, & Adam 1998, p. 6). For example, a person may need clothing. The specific type and brand of clothing they purchase will be shaped by their culture and by their own experiences and preferences. The next important term is demands. This is defined as ?human wants that are backed by buying power? (Kotler, Armstrong, Brown, & Adam 1998, p. 6). For example, an individual may want a convertible sports car and may have a specific product in mind. However, if they do not have the buying power to actually purchase the sports car, it remains a want and not a demand. These terms related to needs are all important to the consumer behavior model.
Consumer Needs and the Consumer Behavior Model
The central component of the consumer behavior model is that consumers recognize or become aware of a need or want. The need or want recognized is influenced both by the individual?s internal psychological factors and by external or social influences. The internal or psychological factors include: motivation, learning, attitude, personality (Perreault & McCarthy 2000, p. 123). Motivation is closely linked to need because an unsatisfied need is what motivates an individual to take action. This was described in the discussion on Maslow?s hierarchy of needs, with it especially significant that the unfulfilled need is what will take priority at any given time. Learning is closely linked to the process of needs becoming wants because it helps determine the form that the need takes. For example, consider that an individual needs a new vehicle. They have previously owned a Ford and a Honda. With the Honda, they had constant mechanical problems and found that repairs and servicing were expensive. With the Ford, they had few mechanical problems and found that servicing was inexpensive.
From this past experience, the individual has learned that Ford vehicles are reliable and inexpensive to run, while Honda vehicles are unreliable and expensive to run. Based on this, the individual who needs a vehicle is most likely to want a Ford vehicle, not a Honda vehicle. This illustrates how past experience influences an individual as their need become wants, either by making them want a certain product type or by making them not want a certain product type. This example also illustrates how attitudes influence the form that the need takes. In the example, the individual has developed a positive attitude about Ford and a negative attitude about Honda. These attitudes have then influenced the specific product that the individual desires. This process can also occur based on factors other than the individual?s personal experience with products. For example, another individual may have the attitude that Ford vehicles are for the average consumer and that Mercedes vehicles are for the elite buyer. If this individual considers himself as one of the elite, he may reject purchasing a Ford vehicle based on this perception. One of the important points is that the attitude is not based on the individual?s own experience with the product. Instead, it is based on their perception of the brand.
Attitudes can also be influenced by advertisements, other people?s opinions, and general opinion on the company that produces the products. The final psychological factor is personality and this may also affect the specific form the need takes. The other factors are the external factors and social influences. This includes the individual?s family situation. For example, a single individual seeking a vehicle will most likely have different wants than an individual who is married with four children. This is not only because the use of the product will change based on the individual?s family status, but also because priorities will differ. For example, in the case of the single individual, they may be focused primarily on themselves and the current time, and so choose to purchase an expensive and exclusive vehicle.
The married individual with four children may be more concerned about the future and may factor in the other people in the family that need to be cared for. In this case, the desire for an elite vehicle may be overwhelmed by the need to do what is best for the entire family. For these reasons, the want may be a small second-hand vehicle. Other factors that influence the form the need takes include social status and culture. Another important consideration is reference groups, with these having the potential to influence both needs and wants. For example, a teenager may develop a need to own a certain brand of item because their social group accepts that item. This analysis shows the aspects that influence the development of needs and wants. The next part of the consumer behavior model refers to what consumers do about these recognized needs and wants.
The first important point is that the individual will only take action on the need or want if they have purchasing power. When this happens, the need or want becomes a demand the individual starts the buying process. The first part of this process is a search for information. In some cases, the individual will already have developed a specific want and will seek information on a specific product. In other cases, the individual will only have identified a general need and will seek specific products that can provide for that need. In either case, the individual will search for information, compare available products, select the best solution, and purchase the product that represents the best solution. However, it is also important to note that this process is not necessarily an extensive one. In fact, one source notes that ?most consumer problems and the resulting decisions involve very little effort on the part of the consumer? (Neal, Quester, & Hawkins 1999, p. 1.15). This means that individuals will often not select the best possible solution, but will instead select the first solution that meets basic needs.
Application to Marketing
Now that needs and the consumer process have been described, it is important to consider how it can be applied to product marketing. The first important point is that a product needs to meet needs and wants. Perreault and McCarthy (2000, p. 111) note that trying to get consumers to act against their will is usually a waste of time, while trying to provide a product that consumers already have a need for is a much more effective strategy. This means that for any given product, it is necessary to know the need or want that the product is meeting. This information can then be used to design an effective marketing and promotional strategy.
It is also important to understand the underlying needs that a product is providing for and what factors determine the form that the need takes and the final purchase decision made. This includes considering what factors consumers consider as they make a purchase decision, what information consumers seek, and why consumers make a final purchase decision. Belch & Belch (1999, p. 118) note that consumers make purchase decisions based on ?a matching of purchase motives with attributes or characteristics of brands under consideration.? This makes it important for marketers to understand what characteristics consumers are seeking, so these characteristics can either be included in products, or made apparent to consumers if they are already present.


References
Belch, G.E., & Belch, M.A. (1999). Advertising and Promotion. Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.

Daft, R.L. (1997). Management. Fort Worth, TX: Dryden Press.

Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Brown, L, & Adam, S. (1998). Marketing. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Kotler, P., Chandler, P., Gibbs, R., & McColl, R. (1999). Marketing. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Neal, C., Quester, P., & Hawkins, D. (1999). Consumer Behavior: Implications for Marketing Strategy. Boston, MA: Irwin/McGraw-Hill.

Perreault, W.D., & McCarthy, E.J. (2000). Essentials of Marketing: A Global-Managerial Approach. New York: McGraw-Hill.


6. Marketing Mix
An integrated marketing communications, or IMC approach, involves ?coordinating the various promotional elements and other marketing activities that communicate with a firm?s customers? (Belch & Belch 1999, p. 8). The most significant point is that all communication and promotional activities should be integrated so that a clear and consistent message is communicated to customers. This involves clearly defining the message, considering the various ways that it will be communicated, and considering the promotional activities that will help to communicate the message.
Before the communication and promotional strategies can be considered, it is first necessary to define the actual message. The first consideration is that the business environment is rapidly changing and is increasingly competitive. With this in mind, organizations need to ensure the best use of every dollar spent, including money spent on promotional efforts. For these promotional dollars to achieve the most value, they need to be aimed at long-term success, rather than short-term sales. A related consideration is that rapid change means that even the latest products and benefits can quickly become dated. Therefore, if a company selects this strategy and focuses on promoting specific benefits of a certain product, this benefits highlighted may only be significant to consumers for a short time. The company will then constantly be trying to find new ways to benefit the consumer, with this an ongoing exercise that will be costly both in terms of the money spent advertising, as well as time and resources utilized in constant research.
The alternative to this approach is to focus on communicating a message that represents the organization overall and will expand to cover more than one product and will be expansive enough to cover products as they evolve. This strategy will be one of branding, where the company name will be promoted as a brand that represents general qualities important to consumers. King (1991, p. 4) describes the effectiveness of this strategy where he notes that it is becoming especially difficult for organizations to gain a real and sustainable advantage over competitors, with the best way to gain a long-term advantage being to position the company as a positive brand in the minds of consumers. For these reasons, the IMC approach will be designed to provide a consistent message about the company, rather than a message about a specific product.
The specific message that will be communicated to consumers is that the company understands consumers and is there specifically for the consumer. This message has been selected based on the observation that consumers are becoming increasingly demanding. This message has also been selected based on the observation that consumers have more and more options in the marketplace and so can often afford to be selective and only purchase products that meet their specific needs. This makes it necessary for the company to focus on customer needs when developing products. The strategy communicating loyalty to the customer will help to ensure that the efforts have ongoing positive results by creating a strong link between the company and the consumer. This is intended to create a high level of customer equity. One source states that ?marketing strategy should focus on extending loyal customer lifetime value,? with brand management serving as a major marketing tool? (Kotler, Armstrong, Brown, & Adam, p. 359). This is the approach that will be taken, with the message intended to build the brand name and produce loyal customers. As customers remain loyal, the company will be able to understand their needs even better and continue to adapt products to meet their needs. This will create an effective long-term strategy and provide an ongoing competitive advantage that competitors will find difficult to duplicate.
The next consideration is how the message will be communicated. One of the most important points in this case is that the message will be communicated by what is done as much as by what is said. For example, there is little point advertising that the organization cares about its customers and wants to be there for them if it is difficult for customers to contact the organization. This is especially true in cases where the customer has problems or complaints. This makes it important for the organization to consider its policies and ensure that they are consistent with the message being delivered to customers. Kotler, Chandler, Gibbs, & McColl (1999, p. 507) note the importance of consistency between how an organization acts and what it claims about itself, emphasizing that the consumer will generally develop perceptions based on actions rather than claims. For this reason, the organization will need to consider all interactions with consumers and work to make sure they are consistent with what consumers want. This will involve considering all aspects of the marketing mix including product, pricing, and place. For example, the product should be available at the place most convenient for consumers, have pricing terms best suited to consumers, and have features suited to consumers.
The next consideration is the promotion strategy for the product, taking into account that it needs to support the message that the company understands consumers and is there specifically for the consumer. One method that will be used is personal selling because it promotes the message being communicated and will also help ensure that the company can continue to meet consumer needs. Personal selling promotes the message because a one-on-one relationship between the company and the consumer reinforces that the company is there for the consumer. This is preferred to other methods where the consumer is not able to develop a personal relationship with the company. Perreault & McCarthy (2000, p. 297) note that this method allows salespeople to adapt because they receive immediate feedback from consumers. This ability to adapt to the consumers needs will help to communicate the message. In addition, salespeople will gain feedback and develop an understanding of customers. This information can then be used to develop products and services to meet the consumer needs and preferences identified.
While personal selling has many benefits, it must also be noted that it is an expensive promotional method. Perreault & McCarthy (2000, p. 297) note that for this reason, personal selling is typically combined with other promotional methods, especially mass selling. This approach will be used in the promotional strategy, with the information gained in personal selling used to develop advertising strategies that appeal to specific segments of the market. To promote the idea that the company is there for consumers, it is important that the advertisements are not mass advertisements designed to appeal to a wide, but non-specific section of the population. Instead, the advertisements should be targeted to appeal directly to targeted consumers. This will involve promoting the benefits specific to the targeted consumers, while showing that the company understands the needs of the targeted market. Another important consideration is the media used for advertising. This will utilize direct-mail advertising since this is the most effective way to reach small, defined target markets. This approach will also help to create a relationship between the consumer and the company. Even though this is not a person-to-person relationship, it is a one-on-one relationship in that the consumer is receiving advertising specifically to them.
Public relations will be another important component of the promotions plan. Belch & Belch (1999, p. 516) describe the functions of public relations as including: raising awareness; informing and educating; gaining understanding; and building trust. These will all be important aspects in communicating the overall message. Raising awareness can help to establish that the company is one that cares for its customers. Informing and educating will play an important role because it is a way that the company can add value for consumers. This can occur because the company can offer its knowledge to consumers. This will provide a benefit to consumers, while also reinforcing that the company understands its products and its customers. Public relations can also help the consumer gain understanding of the company and its message. This is especially important because there is a limit to the believability of advertising messages, with most consumers natural skeptical of anything stated in an advertisement. Effective public relations can overcome this hurdle because the message is not presented in an advertising format and will not be perceived as trying to indicate any specific message. In this way, an overall message about the company can be communicate, but in a subtle way where the consumer is able to come to their own conclusion. Finally, an effective public relations strategy will help to build trust in the company. This will be important in developing a strong relationship with the consumer.
The final consideration is how to measure the effectiveness of the integrated marketing communication strategy. Since the strategy is aimed at building relationships with customers and gaining customer loyalty, the main measurement will involve determining the customer return rates. With personal selling providing direct contact with customers, this will be able to be measured and reported by sales staff without the requirement for complicated research activities. It will also be important to utilize concept testing, which is used to ?explore the targeted consumer?s response to a potential ad or campaign? (Belch & Belch 1999, p. 292). Concept testing will be utilized via focus groups to determine the response of consumers and to ensure that the advertisements and public relations activities communicate the desired message. Finally, surveys of individuals in the target group will be completed periodically to determine how the company is perceived by the target market.













References

Belch, G.E., & Belch, M.A. (1999). Advertising and Promotion. Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.

King, S. (1991). Brand-building in the 1990?s. Journal of Marketing Management, 7, pp. 3-13.

Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Brown, L, & Adam, S. (1998). Marketing. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Kotler, P., Chandler, P., Gibbs, R., & McColl, R. (1999). Marketing. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Perreault, W.D., & McCarthy, E.J. (2000). Essentials of Marketing: A Global-Managerial Approach. New York: McGraw-Hill.

At the beginning of Supersize Me Morgan Spurlock asks, "Where does personal responsibility end and corporate responsibility begin?" Write an essay that addresses this question in relation to the law suits that McDonald's and the fast food industry faced. Were the law suits warranted? What is your reaction to the "Cheeseburger Bill" of 2004, which effectively put a stop to people suing fast food companies?

Please note that there is a case study and session long project. Thank you!

Case 2
The discussion of product management and branding may best be illustrated by considering an American icon, Harley-Davidson.

Read these articles:

Hagerty, J.R. (2011). Harley, WIth Macho Intact, Tries To Court More Women. Wall Street Journal (October 31). Available 5/5/12 through EBSCO database.

Johnson, R. (2011). Next: Planning & Living the New Retirement (A Special Report): The Good Life --- When Heaven Is a Harley: The 50-plus crowd is having a belated romance with motorcycles Wall Street Journal (December 19). Available 5/5/12 through ProQuest database.

Check out the Harley Davidson website for information about its various models and the information it provides about them.
Harley Davidson. Accessed 5/5/12 at http://www.harleydavidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/home.html

Review this article on brand personality:

Fournier, S. (1998). Consumers and their brands: Developing relationship theory in consumer research. Journal of Consumer Research. 24:4(March):343-72. Available 5/5/12 through ProQuest database.


How do consumers relate to this brand?
Do they feel loyal?
What emotions are involved?
Assume that you are the newly hired product manager for Harley's Sportster line. The VP of Marketing wants a report regarding how this product or service has been branded.

Your assignment: Write a memo (750 - 1500 words) to the VP of Marketing that addresses the following issues. A well written report should have a brief introduction, headings or subheadings, and a brief concluding comment. Note that you should use some keywords as headings or subheadings such as "Davidson's traditional targeting and positioning strategy", instead of a sentence or a question.


(1) Briefly describe Harley Davidson's traditional targeting and positioning strategy.


(2) How would you describe Harley Davidson's brand personality. (For example, what animal would you identify with a Harley? Is it the bully down the block, your best friend, or your younger sister?) Explain why you believe this personality represents the brand.

(3) How might Harley have to change its product management and branding strategies to reach women or older folks? Give some examples.

(4) If Harley aggressively targets women, should the company experience a backlash from ?males? and from its current buyers?

(5) Based on the assigned articles, does it make sense for this company to use celebrities to brand the company or for a particular product? What ONE celebrity might this company use and why? Based on the ?Teakettle? article, what are the pros and cons of using celebrities to brand a company/product?

and

SLP 2
In this SLP, your assignment is to examine the product and branding management elements in your branded product's marketing strategy.

1. The first step is to undertake a mini research project. It won't be scientific but you'll get to experience the joys and frustrations of talking to real customers.

a. Find at least 3 people (i.e. respondents) who will talk to you easily, such as friends, and/or family members. Each person should be an actual or potential buyer of a(ny) brand (not necessarily your brand)in the product category you chose in Module 1. For instance, women buy handbags (and men buy them as gifts for women). Pet owners buy pet food. So if you are writing about Fancy Feast Cat Food, talk to at least 3 cat owners.

b. Ask each person these questions:

? When was the last time you bought (fill in the blank ? e.g., ?catfood?)?

? What brand did you choose? What other brands did you consider? Why did you choose the brand you bought?

? If the brand you bought were an animal, what would it be and why?

Note that you may ask some probing questions as needed to glean in-depth insights from the respondents on the product/brands you are investigating.

c. In the Marketing Research section,

(1) Summarize what you did. How many people did you talk to? Who were they (e.g., age, sex, occupation, hobbies)? Report how each person responded. It?s better if you can organize this information in a table with a brief discussion of the contents in the table. Be sure to label the table properly and refer to it in the text.

(2) Next, interpret the respondents' answers to each question you asked above.

(Do not just transcribe the responses you obtained in dialogue form. Interpret their answers to the 3 questions with reference to the background readings. For instance, you might say, "The answers of Person A and B confirmed what Smith (2011) proposes; however, the answer from C seems to be different. I believe these differences may be due to ..." Identify common themes among the responses. If your respondents seemed to offer widely divergent answers, explain why (using good logic and reasoning, with reference to the background)

Below is the last session long study I received from the company.

Product/brand analyzed: Wendy?s Baconater
Identify and describe key features, sales, profit margin, market share, cost structure (primarily fixed or variable)
?With sales of $8.5 billion in 2011, Wendy?s just the claimed number 2 spot,? in the fast food industry, ?moving ahead of Burger King but was well short of McDonald?s $34.2 billion? (Dougherty 2012). Although second might be a proud position to hold in other industries, fast food companies make a profit based upon economies of scale. Profit margins are razor-thin and food costs are highly variable, as they can shift wildly based upon the prices of input goods.
Corporate background: Sales, profits, product lines, brands
Wendy?s originally branded itself as a ?home-like? burger, offering unique square burgers that could be custom-tailored to customer preferences. Its logo is that of a little girl in an old-fashioned blue dress with red braids. Until his death, its founder was prominently featured in its advertising. However, while Wendy?s still offers some more gourmet-marketed products, the Baconater is unapologetically targeted to young men, effectively daring them to take a chance with their health in exchange for extreme indulgence.
Market/Industry Analysis ? Size and growth trend
According to the research report US Fast Food Market Outlook 2010 ?consumer expenditure on fast food rose sharply in past few years, accounting for around 30% of total restaurant industry sales in 2008? (Fast food remains recession-proof, 2010, PR Log). The fast food market is growing as Americans work longer hours, have less time for cooking. Growing insecurity about the economy drives them to seek out bargains.

Market segmentation: How is the demand for your product segmented, i.e., what variables differentiate purchase motivations and behaviors?
Target marketing
1. To which of these segment(s) is your brand targeted?
Fast food customers tend to prioritize cost and convenience above all else. While there has been a growing trend towards using fancier ingredients, the popularity of dollar menus indicates how low cost is of primary interest for many fast food consumers. Health tends to be a distant final consideration. Fast food consumers can encompass parents with small children; young adults who do not have to feed families; bargain-seekers of all ages; people traveling or working long hours and eating on the go; and older people looking for inexpensive food who do not wish to cook (Karl 2009). Wendy?s Baconater is primarily targeted at people looking for an indulgent fast food experience with moderate concern about price (it is not on the dollar men) and more concern about flavor.
2. Characterize the typical buyer of your branded product.
A young, male consumer who loves bacon and enjoys ?bucking? health trends.
3. Explain/justify this characterization.
Young men tend to be less health-conscious and weight-conscious than older men or females. They also do not have the responsibility of providing a nutritious meal to dependents.
Competition
1. Identify and comparatively evaluate your brand?s top two/three competitors.
McDonald?s and Burger King are Wendy?s primary competitors. Burger King?s market share has been falling while McDonald?s is the ?gold standard? in terms of brand awareness and recognition.
2. Perceived differences between/among brands
While none of the three major companies are known as ?health foods,? Burger King has been offering more ?extreme? and larger burgers, while McDonald?s offers a more diversified and customized menu.
Relevant external factors
1. Economic conditions
The recession has been a boon to the fast food industry given that Americans work longer hours and their lower incomes have driven them to use fast food as a cheap source of nutrition.
2. Social and cultural trends
However, there has also been a counterweight to the economic downturn in the form of a strong media emphasis on reducing body weight to fight the obesity epidemic. Concerns about marketing to children and the presence of fast food near schools, in school cafeterias, and in school and child-oriented product promotions could all threaten the industry. However, the ?foodie? trend and its fascination with bacon has proven to be useful for Wendy?s, given that it has always marketed itself as the ?premium? option of the big three burger companies (Wendy?s gets aggressive, 2012, Fare Digest).
3. Technology
Fast food can now be advertised, ordered, and researched online. Fast food companies like Wendy?s can use social media to promote products.
4. Resources: Availability/non-marketing cost
Food prices overall have been rising. While this could prove difficult for a fast food company that emphasizes beef, particularly for the meat-heavy ?Baconater,? consumers may continue to turn away from higher-end dining options and select fast food instead.
5. Political/legal environment
Greater regulation of the industry in the form of mandatory posted calorie counts, zoning ordinances limiting fast foods, and other political pressures are designed to reduce the ubiquity of fast food in consumer?s lives (Karl 2009).

COMPARISON PARAGRAPH INSTRUCTIONS

Topics: Choose two items to either compare or contrast. Use any one or any combination of prewriting strategies to generate topic ideas. There is also a list of suggested topics in your textbook. Your paragraph must be at least 200 words.

Plan: Either choose to show the similarities between two things or the differences. You cannot do both for this assignment. Just write ?similarities? or ?differences? here.

Attitude/Point: This should be your attitude toward your two subjects. Do not just write that they are similar or different. What truth or significance can be drawn from the fact that they are similar or different?

Audience: Be specific in selecting your audience. Who would be interested in hearing this comparison and the point you want to make? Who would benefit from acknowledging the significance of your comparison?

Purpose: To inform? To entertain? To persuade? Choose one or perhaps a combination of two.

Categories of Comparison: You must have at least three general categories where your two subjects are similar or different. (Like comparing LU now with LU then based on food service, rules, and dress code)

Topic Sentence: Combine your topic, your attitude/point into a complete sentence, and your categories of comparison into a sentence. (See sample outlines for a topic sentence example.)

Brainstorm Details: Brainstorm a list of similarities (or differences) for each of your three categories of comparison.

Complete each of the steps in the Comparison Paragraph Drafts document and submit it in Module/Week 5?s assignment link. This assignment is due by Monday at 11:59 p.m. (ET) of Module/Week 5.


Outline Examples
(Choose Only One of the Two Following Methods)

1. Point By Point Comparison Outline Method

Topic Sentence: The fact that LU tries to keep up with the changes in student population can be seen in their changes to dress code, food services, and rules.

I . The dress code at Liberty has relaxed.
A. Then, girls had to wear skirts and guys had to wear ties
B. Now, girls can wear pants and guys don?t have to wear ties

II. The food choices at LU have expanded.
A. We only had one small cafeteria
B. Now there is the Hangar, a huge cafeteria, and an a la carte place

III. The Rules at LU are less strict.
A. We were required to attend church & prayer groups
B. Now church is encouraged but not required
C. Televisions were not allowed in dorm rooms
D. Now they students can have televisions.

2. Topic By Topic Comparison Outline Method

Topic Sentence: The fact that LU tries to keep up with the changes in student population can be seen in their changes to dress code, food services, and rules.

I. Liberty used to be more strict and less convenient.
A. Dress Code was more strict
1. Girls had to wear skirts
2. Guys had to wear ties
B. Food Services was less convenient
1. Only had one small cafeteria
2. Lines were SO long
C. Rules were more strict
1. Had to attend church & prayer groups
2. Could not have TV in our rooms
3. Could only listen to Christian music

II. Now Liberty has become more convenient and less strict.
A. Dress code is more relaxed
1. Girls can wear pants
2. Guys don?t have to wear ties
B. Food Services are more convenient
1. Hangar, large cafeteria, ? la carte place
2. Lines are shorter (believe it or not)
C. Rules are less strict
1. Church and prayer groups are not required
2. Can have TVs in the dorm rooms
3. Can listen to secular music

ARGUMENT ESSAY TOPIC CHOICES
Choose 1 of the following topics to write about for your argument essay. Use support from outside sources and scripture, where applicable. Keep in mind that this support should be in addition to the 400-word minimum, which is required for the essay. Also, be sure to give credit to your sources by enclosing any direct quotations in quotation marks and stating the origin of the source.
1. Pick a type of learning environment like homeschooling, charter school, public school, online learning, and argue in favor of that particular setting.
2. Do you believe that smoking should be allowed in public facilities? Or are you in favor of the many changes organizations have made to limit smoking to outside locations? Argue your point of view on smoking in public locations.
3. What do you think of the ?being green? philosophy? Do you think that recycling and making environment friendly choices is a way to honor God?s creation? Or has society taken a good idea a little too far? Explain your opinion on this issue.
4. How do you feel about the fast food industry? Has it drastically impacted the nutrition of the past few generations? Or is an individual responsible to take charge of his/her own nutritional choices? Defend your point of view about this topic.
5. Are news reporters and news stations out of control? Or do you believe that the media as a whole reports the news with objectivity? Support your ideas about this topic with explanations from current events.
6. Choose 1 of your favorite things: a movie, a song, a writer, a story, an actor/actress, a sports figure, etc. Explain why you believe that this favorite item/person is the best and persuade your reader to feel the same way.
7. What do you believe about abortion? Do you believe a woman has the right to choose? Or do you believe that abortion is murder? Consider the different options available when proving your point of view.
8. Do you believe in intelligent design (creationism), evolution, or theistic-evolution? Share evidence that persuades your reader to believe as you do.
9. Choose 1 controversial topic: nationalized health care, homosexual marriage, taxation, war, prayer in schools, etc. Argue in favor of your point of view.
10. If someone asked you to defend your faith in Jesus Christ, how would you do it? Use this argumentative assignment as an opportunity to explain your belief that Jesus Christ is Lord of all.
11. The fruits of the Spirit include: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22?23). Which of these fruits is the most beneficial in life? Justify your opinion through personal examples.
12. Choose an influential figure in the Bible (aside from Jesus Christ) and argue for the effectiveness of his/her testimony.
13. Mark 8:36 states, ?For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?? Rationalize the concept that spiritual riches are far greater than the riches of this world.
14. Consider Proverbs 22:6, ?Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.? Discuss the importance of discipline in respect to raising children.
15. James 2:17?20, ?Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?? Provide reasons and examples to argue the truth that good works are an important aspect of living out one?s faith.
16. If you have been inspired by a different topic that is not listed here, email your instructor to approve the topic of your choice. Be specific with your intentions and email him/her at least three days in advance of the assignment?s due date.
ARGUMENT ESSAY THESIS & PREWRITING TEMPLATE
Step 1: Argument Essay Thesis Statement & Prewriting
Directions: Complete all of the elements of the prewriting; otherwise, the content of your piece will not be accurate.

My Topic:

My Attitude:

My Purpose:

My Thesis Statement:

My Audience:

1. How much does my audience know about my subject?
2. Age? Gender? Race? Social Status? Location? Religion?
3. Where does my audience stand on the issue; are they Opposed or Neutral?


Outline:


?
ARGUMENT ESSAY INSTRUCTIONS

You will write a 400-word essay, constructed to convince a specific audience of your chosen point. (You must choose your topic from those provided in the Argument Essay Topic Choices document.) The essay must include an introduction paragraph, at least 3 well-developed supporting paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. All paragraphs should flow well together, using smooth transitions between each reason and a piece of evidence chosen for your argument.

You will complete your progress incrementally using the Argument Essay Draft Template. You will submit your work as follows:
? Module/Week 5: Thesis Statement and Prewriting
? Module/Week 6: Rough Draft
? Module/Week 7: Revised and Edited Draft
? Module/Week 7: Final Draft

Prewriting Example

My Topic: Home schooling

My Attitude: It is the best educational choice.

My Purpose: To present the benefits of home schooling and persuade parents to consider and choose it for their children.

My Thesis Statement: Home schooling is the best educational option academically, socially, and spiritually for young children of concerned Christian parents in these uncertain times.

My Audience: Christian parents of young children in the U.S.A.

1. How much does my audience know about my subject? They know a little bit, but only what they have ?heard.?
2. Age? Gender? Race? Social Status? Location? Religion? Parents between the ages of 25 and 35 with young children, of any race, middle-class, in the USA, who are Christians.
3. Where does my audience stand on the issue; are they Opposed or Neutral? They are neutral.

Sample Outline

NOTE: You may use any method we have practiced during this course, which means that your outline may not look like the essay outline below; thus all my arguments are reasons why I think home schooling is a good option. You may choose to use some compare/contrast, classification, etc., depending on your topic. Also remember to include an answer to your opposition and support opinions with facts.

My Outline:

I. Introduction
A. Declining national averages, recent school violence, and God taken out of schools
B. Thesis statement

II. Academic Benefit: Home-schooled children advance faster due to one-on-one attention
A. Personal stories of both experiences
B. Examples of people I know

III. Social Benefits
A. Not overly exposed to violence or negative peer-pressure
B. Can still be involved in school and church activities

IV. Spiritual Benefits
A. Not exposed to false doctrine
B. Grounded in Christian doctrine (Bible verses)

V. Conclusion
A. Parents can take back a large part of the responsibility of raising their children
B. If it is possible for a couple to home school their young children, it is the best choice academically, socially, and spiritually.
ARGUMENT ESSAY FINAL DRAFT TEMPLATE
Step 5: Argument Essay Final Draft
Directions: Turn off the ?Track Changes? feature. Copy and paste your edited draft. Highlight it and choose ?Accept Changes? if the document does not automatically make the changes for you. Save the changes to this document; save it as ?Argument Essay Assignment.? Then use the link provided in Blackboard to submit the document to your instructor. The instructor should then be able to see the entire process you took to create your final draft. ?

I need a company analysis paper built on the knowledge of team building. You can choose any company you would like. I would prefer you to stay away from the fast food industry if possible.
below are bullet points or an outline of subject matter from the textbook. you can use what is below as a guideline.

Chapter 3
Rewarding Teamwork: Compensation and Performance Appraisals
OVERVIEW

This chapter goes into detail about the options that team leaders and organizations have when it comes to rewarding teamwork. The instructor may want to focus only on performance appraisal methods (such as 360-degree feedback and peer feedback), and the biases that emerge. One suggestion is to have students role-play a situation in which a manager, or team leader, is evaluating team performance when not directly observing the team. Students in the class can be asked what information they would like to obtain; how they would obtain it; and then, once obtained, how it is acted upon. Ideally, the instructor could give students the opportunity to complete a 360-degree evaluation.
lecture outline

TYPES OF TEAM PAY (Exhibit 3-1)
Messages about team rewards and incentives
Pay is a communication device
Employees should understand how incentive systems work in their company
The incentive system should be comprehensive enough that people will feel fairly treated (Exhibit 3-2)
Four types of team pay:
Incentive pay
Base pay versus variable pay
Team performance versus individual performance
Rewarding behavior versus rewarding results
Drawbacks to team incentives
Recognition (Exhibit 3-3)
Cash and non-cash (Exhibit 3-4)
Issues with equal recognition
Team decision in distributing awards
Profit sharing
Internally distributed profits may be apportioned according to equality versus equity
Profit sharing bonuses put into retirement plans
Signals to employees that rewards are in balance across the organization
Inform about the organization?s financial health
Makes labor costs variable
Gainsharing
Historical base measurement period established
Only controllable costs are measured for the purpose of computing gain
The plan funds a bonus pool
Developed in coordination with the people it will affect
Typically more effective than profit sharing plans in influencing motivation and changing culture
TEAMS AND PAY FOR PERFORMANCE (Exhibit 3-5)
Lawler?s pay strategies according to the type of team
?Cooperative? versus ?competitive? reward structures
TEAM PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL
What is measured?
Job-based pay (Point factor approach to evaluating job description)
Salary levels
Organizations can determine what other companies are paying for similar skills
Skill-based pay
Employees paid only for the skills they have and are willing to use
Technical ladder
Accreditations
Competency-based pay
Focused on demonstrated competencies
Who does the measuring?
Single-source evaluations (by superiors, customers, peers, subordinates)
Multi-source evaluations (360-degree feedback method) (Exhibit 3-6)
Developing a 360-degree program in your company
No standard method
Things to think about before developing a 360-degree program? (Exhibit 3-7)
Prescriptions for legally defensible appraisal systems (Exhibit 3-8)
Team diagnostic survey by Wageman, Hackman, and Lehman
RATER BIAS
Inflation bias?empathetic buffering and fear of conflict
Extrinsic incentives bias?the false assumption that others? motives are less noble than one?s own
Homogeneity bias?rating higher those who are similar to oneself
Halo bias?perceiving more information about others in line with one?s initial opinion
Fundamental attribution error?perceiving people?s behaviors as reflecting their personality instead of situational factors
Communication medium?using direct communication yields better feedback than using indirect modes
Experience effect?training and practice can reduce error
Reciprocity bias?a social obligation to return favors
Bandwagon bias?holding the same opinion as the rest
Primacy and Recency bias?prevalence of the first or most recent impression of someone
Conflict of interest bias?corrupt advice because of a conflict of interest
RATEE BIAS
Egocentric bias?people give themselves greater credit than they do to others
Intrinsic interest?external reward may undermine intrinsic interest
Social comparison?making comparative rather than absolute performance judgments
Fairness?accepting the outcome if the procedure has been fair
Listening to advice?over or under weighting advice depending on the difficulty of the tasks
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Goals should cover areas that team members can directly affect
Balance the mix of individual and team-based pay
Consult with team members who will be affected
Avoid organizational myopia
Determine eligibility (who qualifies for plan)
Determine equity method
Dollar amount
Percentage amount
Quantify the criteria used to determine payout
Financial measures
Operational measures
Determine how target levels of performance are established and updated
Raising the bar
Rolling average method
Develop a budget for the plan
Determine timing of measurements and payments
Communicate with those involved
Plan for the future

CHAPTER CAPSTONE
Many organizations promote and value teamwork, yet pay people based on individual accomplishments
Organizations that want team members to think of the team first and the individual second had better think seriously about performance evaluation and compensation
There are no easy answers; however, there are fundamental questions and choices to think about and choices for managers and organizations
Lawler advises paying the individual instead of the job, and asserts that pay for performance should focus on collective performance more than individual performance

Key Terms

360-degree or multi-rater feedback A peer-review procedure that involves getting feedback about an employee from all sides: top (supervisors), bottom (subordinates), suppliers, and end-user customers or clients

bandwagon bias The tendency for people in a group to agree with the choice they perceive the majority of group members to support

base pay How companies determine an individual?s base salary; an integration of internal equity (based on job evaluation) and external equity (based on market data)

communication medium bias The tendency for performance appraisers to give poor performing employees substantially higher ratings when they have to give face-to-face feedback as opposed to anonymous written feedback

conflict of interest bias A bias in which conflicts of interest can lead raters to give biased or corrupt performance appraisals

curse of knowledge Once a person receives advice or information, they find it difficult to take the perspective of someone who does not have knowledge of that information

cutthroat cooperation effect Refers to the difficulty teams have in moving from competitive to cooperative reward structures rather than vice versa

egocentric bias The tendency for people to blame others for their misfortunes and take credit for their own successes

experience effect A rater bias, related to employee appraisals, in which experienced appraisers tend to render higher-quality appraisals

extrinsic incentives bias A tendency for people to believe that others are driven by extrinsic interests (e.g., money or fame), and less driven by motivations that are intrinsic (e.g., fulfillment or passion)

fundamental attribution error An error that occurs when people attribute the behavior of others to underlying dispositions, and discount the role of situational factors

halo bias The tendency to believe that a person who has one good trait (e.g., physical attractiveness) has other good traits (e.g., job skills or personal warmth)

homogeneity bias The basic tendency for people to be attracted to those who are similar to themselves; also called the similarity-attraction effect


inflation bias Positively distorting messages when giving feedback to others because of empathetic buffering or fear of conflict

gainsharing A measurement of productivity combined with the calculation of a bonus; designed to offer employees a mutual share of any increases in total organizational productivity

primacy and recency bias The tendency for people?s judgments to be overly affected by the first piece of information they receive

profit-sharing A method of team pay wherein a portion of the bottom-line economic profits are given to employees (apportioned according to equality or equity)






reciprocity bias A rater bias in which a rater may feel a strong, social obligation to give a favorable appraisal in reaction to favorable treatment shown to them by the ratee



theory x manager A manager who believes that employees dislike work, wish to avoid responsibility, and desire security above all

theory y manager A manager who believes that employees like work, wish to develop their skills, and desire to participate in tasks that advance worthy organizational goals



variable pay
Chapter 2
Performance and Productivity: Team Performance Criteria and Threats to Productivity
OVERVIEW

This chapter is best discussed following a team exercise or case, so that students have an opportunity to reflect on the success of the team. One suggestion is to ask each student to write down a method by which to assess team productivity. The students? different responses can lead to a discussion of performance measures. Then, the instructor can ask what conditions need to be in place for teams to excel on the performance measures identified by the class. Finally, the instructor can move toward a discussion of how to design teamwork so that threats to performance are minimized. To the extent that students and the instructor can link these concepts to real experiences?a class exercise, a case discussion, or individual student analysis? the concepts will become clearer.
lecture outline
Team Performance criteria and threats to productivity
Need for a model that serves two purposes: (Exhibit 2-1)
Description?what to expect in terms of team performance
Prescription?ways to improve the functioning of teams
Integrated Model of Successful Team Performance
The context of the team influences three essential conditions for team success:
Expertise
Engagement
Execution

team context
It includes the larger organizational setting within which a team does its work, the design of a team in terms of internal functioning, and the culture of a team
The team leader must think not only about the internal functioning of the team, but also about the external functioning of the team in the following ways:
Organizational context?the basic structure of the organization, the information system, the education system, and the reward system
Team design?the leadership style within the team, functional roles, communication patterns, composition of the team, and training of members
Team culture
Prescriptive norms?what should be done
Proscriptive norms?what should be avoided
Goal contagion?form of norm setting in which people adopt a goal held by others

essential conditions for successful team performance
Expertise
For teams to perform effectively, teams need these crucial skills:
Conflict resolution
Collaborative problem solving
Communication
Goal setting and performance management
Planning and task coordination
Team member skills:
Technical
Interpersonal (emotional intelligence)
Decision-making
Problem-solving
Choking under pressure
Learning curves and expertise
Social facilitation versus social inhibition
Expertise
Practice and rehearsal
Flow: Optimal Performance (Exhibit 2-2)
Stress versus challenge
Engagement
Group potency
Motivation gains
The Kohler effect
Social loafing (Exhibit 2-3)
Free riding?main causes:
Diffusion of responsibility/deindividuation
Dispensability of effort/ reduced sense of self-efficacy
Sucker aversion
Suggestions for enhancing successful team performance:
Increase identifiability
Promote involvement (positive illusion bias)
Reward team members for their performance
Strengthen team cohesion
Increase personal responsibility
Use team charters
Provide team performance reviews and feedback
Maintain the ?right? staffing level
Execution
Practical steps to ensure successful execution:
Use single-digit teams
Have an agenda
Train team members together
Practice
Minimize links in communication
Set clear performance standards


performance Criteria (Exhibit 2-4)
Productivity
Cohesion
Learning
Integration (Exhibit 2-4)


the team performance equation
AP = PP + S ? T
AP = actual productivity
PP = potential productivity
Task demands
Resources
Team process
S = synergy
T = performance threats (process loss)


Chapter Capstone
Unless a team has a clear goal, it will be impossible to achieve success; however, having a clear goal in no way guarantees successful team performance
Managers want their teams to satisfy the end user or client, but also make sure that teamwork is satisfying and rewarding for the team members
If the team does not enjoy working together, sustaining long-term productivity will be impossible
Managing a team successfully must include managing and investing in individual members
A successful team is integrated with the larger organization
Success requires a combination of managing the internal dynamics of the team as well as the team?s relations with other teams within the larger organization
To ensure team success, a manager can adopt a proactive approach and undertake an analysis of the essential conditions affecting team performance
One of the biggest managerial shortcomings is a failure to account for threats to team performance

Key terms

choking under pressure The tendency for a person?s performance to decline when under performance pressure

cohesion The processes that keep members of a team united


culture The personality of a team

deindividuation A psychological state in which a person does not feel a sense of individual responsibility, and, as a result, does not feel as accountable to perform or contribute to a task or problem

description An interpretation of an event situation



equifinality A governing principle of teams that asserts a team can reach the same performance outcome from various initial conditions and by a variety of means

flow According to Csikszentmihalyi, flow is a psychological state between boredom with a task and intense pressure

free riders Team members who benefit from the efforts of others while contributing little or nothing themselves

goal contagion A form of norm setting in which people adopt a goal held by others


group potency The amount of confidence in combined group abilities, or a ?thinking we can? mentality that a group has about themselves



Kohler effect Motivational gains in which the less capable member works harder

norm A behavioral rule imposed on, and adhered to, by members of a group; a felt obligation, behavior, or attitude approved and expected by a group

performance threats Anything and everything that can go wrong in a team

positive illusion bias An unwarranted belief in one?s own superiority

prescription A recommendation on what to do to fix a situation

prescriptive norm A behavioral rule that dictates what situations and behaviors a group should adhere to or follow

process The steps taken by the team when attempting the task, and includes nonproductive and productive actions



proscriptive norm A behavioral rule that dictates what situations and behaviors a group should avoid

relational loss Occurs when an employee perceives that support is less available as team size increases. This leads to diminished motivation and lower performance

resources The relevant abilities, skills, and tools possessed by people attempting to perform a task

social facilitation The tendency for people to perform better when in the presence of others. (The presence of others facilitates behavior if the task is well learned, but debilitates behavior if the task is not well learned)

social inhibition The effect that occurs when people who are the center of attention are concerned with discrepancies between their performance and standards of excellence, and, therefore, perform less effectively

social loafing A form of motivation loss in which people in a group fail to contribute as much or work as hard as they would if they worked independently

social striving When the least capable member of a team feels particularly indispensable for group success, the team ends up working harder to achieve their goals

sucker aversion A phenomenon that results from group members? wariness of being taken advantage of or receiving little credit for their work; everyone in the group waits to see what others will do before contributing, which leads to a collective lack of effort

synergy Everything that can and does go better in a team compared with individuals working independently

task demands The requirements imposed on the team by the task itself, and the rules governing task performance

team context Includes the larger organizational context within which the group or team does its work, the design of the group in terms of its internal functioning, and the culture of the group

team performance equation A single equation for the manager to use when assessing team performance, represented by AP = PP + S ? T, where AP = actual productivity; PP = potential productivity; S = synergy; T = performance threats

Training and Benefits
Analyze Chick-fil-A benefits and training programs.
Discuss how these programs help the company compete for quality people in the highly competitive fast food industry.

Readings

1. Textbook:
Patterson, K., Brenny, J, Maxfield, D., Mcmillan, R., & Switzler, A., (2008). Influencer: The power to change anything. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Chapter 8: Design rewards and demand accountability
Chapter 9: Change the environment
Chapter 10: Become an influencer