The Da Vinci Code Chapter 84-86

CHAPTER 84 In a rubbish-strewn alley very close to Temple Church, Remy Legaludec pulled the Jaguar limousine to a stop behind a row of industrial waste bins. Killing the engine, he checked the area. Deserted. He got out of the car, walked toward the rear, and climbed back into the limousine's main cabin where the monk was. Sensing Remy's presence, the monk in the back emerged from a prayer-like trance, his red eyes looking more curious than fearful. All evening Remy had been impressed with this trussed man's ability to stay calm. After some initial struggles in the Range Rover, the monk seemed to have accepted his plight and given over his fate to a higher power. Loosening his bow tie, Remy unbuttoned his high, starched, wing-tipped collar and felt as if he could breathe for the first time in years. He went to the limousine's wet bar, where he poured himself a Smirnoff vodka. He drank it in a single swallow and followed it with a second. Soon I will be a man of leisure. Searching the bar, Remy found a standard service wine-opener and flicked open the sharp blade. The knife was usually employed to slice the lead foil from corks on fine bottles of wine, but it would serve a far more dramatic purpose this morning. Remy turned and faced Silas, holding up the glimmering blade. Now those red eyes flashed fear. Remy smiled and moved toward the back of the limousine. The monk recoiled, struggling against his bonds. â€Å"Be still,† Remy whispered, raising the blade. Silas could not believe that God had forsaken him. Even the physical pain of being bound Silas had turned into a spiritual exercise, asking the throb of his blood-starved muscles to remind him of the pain Christ endured. I have been praying all night for liberation.Now, as the knife descended, Silas clenched his eyes shut. A slash of pain tore through his shoulder blades. He cried out, unable to believe he was going to die here in the back of this limousine, unable to defend himself. I was doing God's work.TheTeacher said he would protect me. Silas felt the biting warmth spreading across his back and shoulders and could picture his own blood, spilling out over his flesh. A piercing pain cut through his thighs now, and he felt the onset of that familiar undertow of disorientation – the body's defense mechanism against the pain. As the biting heat tore through all of his muscles now, Silas clenched his eyes tighter, determined that the final image of his life would not be of his own killer. Instead he pictured a younger Bishop Aringarosa, standing before the small church in Spain†¦ the church that he and Silas had built with their own hands. The beginning of my life. Silas felt as if his body were on fire. â€Å"Take a drink,† the tuxedoed man whispered, his accent French. â€Å"It will help with your circulation.† Silas's eyes flew open in surprise. A blurry image was leaning over him, offering a glass of liquid. A mound of shredded duct tape lay on the floor beside the bloodless knife. â€Å"Drink this,† he repeated. â€Å"The pain you feel is the blood rushing into your muscles.† Silas felt the fiery throb transforming now to a prickling sting. The vodka tasted terrible, but he drank it, feeling grateful. Fate had dealt Silas a healthy share of bad luck tonight, but God had solved it all with one miraculous twist. God has not forsaken me. Silas knew what Bishop Aringarosa would call it. Divine intervention. â€Å"I had wanted to free you earlier,† the servant apologized,† but it was impossible. With the police arriving at Chateau Villette, and then at Biggin Hill airport, this was the first possible moment. You understand, don't you, Silas?† Silas recoiled, startled. â€Å"You know my name?† The servant smiled. Silas sat up now, rubbing his stiff muscles, his emotions a torrent of incredulity, appreciation, and confusion. â€Å"Are you†¦ the Teacher?† Remy shook his head, laughing at the proposition. â€Å"I wish I had that kind of power. No, I am not the Teacher. Like you, I serve him. But the Teacher speaks highly of you. My name is Remy.† Silas was amazed. â€Å"I don't understand. If you work for the Teacher, why did Langdon bring the keystone to your home?† â€Å"Not my home. The home of the world's foremost Grail historian, Sir Leigh Teabing.† â€Å"But you live there. The odds†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Remy smiled, seeming to have no trouble with the apparent coincidence of Langdon's chosen refuge. â€Å"It was all utterly predictable. Robert Langdon was in possession of the keystone, and he needed help. What more logical place to run than to the home of Leigh Teabing? That I happen to live there is why the Teacher approached me in the first place.† He paused. â€Å"How do you think the Teacher knows so much about the Grail?† Now it dawned, and Silas was stunned. The Teacher had recruited a servant who had access to all of Sir Leigh Teabing's research. It was brilliant. â€Å"There is much I have to tell you,† Remy said, handing Silas the loaded Heckler Koch pistol. Then he reached through the open partition and retrieved a small, palm-sized revolver from the glove box. â€Å"But first, you and I have a job to do.† Captain Fache descended from his transport plane at Biggin Hill and listened in disbelief to the Kent chief inspector's account of what had happened in Teabing's hangar. â€Å"I searched the plane myself,† the inspector insisted,† and there was no one inside.† His tone turned haughty. â€Å"And I should add that if Sir Leigh Teabing presses charges against me, I will – â€Å" â€Å"Did you interrogate the pilot?† â€Å"Of course not. He is French, and our jurisdiction requires – â€Å"Take me to the plane.† Arriving at the hangar, Fache needed only sixty seconds to locate an anomalous smear of blood on the pavement near where the limousine had been parked. Fache walked up to the plane and rapped loudly on the fuselage. â€Å"This is the captain of the French Judicial Police. Open the door!† The terrified pilot opened the hatch and lowered the stairs. Fache ascended. Three minutes later, with the help of his sidearm, he had a full confession, including a description of the bound albino monk. In addition, he learned that the pilot saw Langdon and Sophie leave something behind in Teabing's safe, a wooden box of some sort. Although the pilot denied knowing what was in the box, he admitted it had been the focus of Langdon's full attention during the flight to London. â€Å"Open the safe,† Fache demanded. The pilot looked terrified. â€Å"I don't know the combination!† â€Å"That's too bad. I was going to offer to let you keep your pilot's license.† The pilot wrung his hands. â€Å"I know some men in maintenance here. Maybe they could drill it?† â€Å"You have half an hour.† The pilot leapt for his radio. Fache strode to the back of the plane and poured himself a hard drink. It was early, but he had not yet slept, so this hardly counted as drinking before noon. Sitting in a plush bucket seat, he closed his eyes, trying to sort out what was going on. The Kent police's blunder could cost me dearly. Everyone was now on the lookout for a black Jaguar limousine. Fache's phone rang, and he wished for a moment's peace. â€Å"Allo?† â€Å"I'm en route to London.† It was Bishop Aringarosa. â€Å"I'll be arriving in an hour.† Fache sat up. â€Å"I thought you were going to Paris.† â€Å"I am deeply concerned. I have changed my plans.† â€Å"You should not have.† â€Å"Do you have Silas?† â€Å"No. His captors eluded the local police before I landed.† Aringarosa's anger rang sharply. â€Å"You assured me you would stop that plane!† Fache lowered his voice. â€Å"Bishop, considering your situation, I recommend you not test my patience today. I will find Silas and the others as soon as possible. Where are you landing?† â€Å"One moment.† Aringarosa covered the receiver and then came back. â€Å"The pilot is trying to get clearance at Heathrow. I'm his only passenger, but our redirect was unscheduled.† â€Å"Tell him to come to Biggin Hill Executive Airport in Kent. I'll get him clearance. If I'm not here when you land, I'll have a car waiting for you.† â€Å"Thank you.† â€Å"As I expressed when we first spoke, Bishop, you would do well to remember that you are not the only man on the verge of losing everything.† CHAPTER 85 You seek the orb that ought be on his tomb. Each of the carved knights within the Temple Church lay on his back with his head resting on a rectangular stone pillow. Sophie felt a chill. The poem's reference to an† orb† conjured images of the night in her grandfather's basement. Hieros Gamos. The orbs. Sophie wondered if the ritual had been performed in this very sanctuary. The circular room seemed custom-built for such a pagan rite. A stone pew encircled a bare expanse of floor in the middle. A theater in the round, as Robert had called it. She imagined this chamber at night, filled with masked people, chanting by torchlight, all witnessing a† sacred communion† in the center of the room. Forcing the image from her mind, she advanced with Langdon and Teabing toward the first group of knights. Despite Teabing's insistence that their investigation should be conducted meticulously, Sophie felt eager and pushed ahead of them, making a cursory walk-through of the five knights on the left. Scrutinizing these first tombs, Sophie noted the similarities and differences between them. Every knight was on his back, but three of the knights had their legs extended straight out while two had their legs crossed. The oddity seemed to have no relevance to the missing orb. Examining their clothing, Sophie noted that two of the knights wore tunics over their armor, while the other three wore ankle-length robes. Again, utterly unhelpful. Sophie turned her attention to the only other obvious difference – their hand positions. Two knights clutched swords, two prayed, and one had his arms at his side. After a long moment looking at the hands, Sophie shrugged, having seen no hint anywhere of a conspicuously absent orb. Feeling the weight of the cryptex in her sweater pocket, she glanced back at Langdon and Teabing. The men were moving slowly, still only at the third knight, apparently having no luck either. In no mood to wait, she turned away from them toward the second group of knights. As she crossed the open space, she quietly recited the poem she had read so many times now that it was committed to memory. In London lies a knight a Pope interred. His labor's fruit a Holy wrath incurred. You seek the orb that ought be on his tomb. It speaks of Rosy flesh and seeded womb. When Sophie arrived at the second group of knights, she found that this second group was similar to the first. All lay with varied body positions, wearing armor and swords. That was, all except the tenth and final tomb. Hurrying over to it, she stared down. No pillow. No armor. No tunic. No sword. â€Å"Robert? Leigh?† she called, her voice echoing around the chamber. â€Å"There's something missing over here.† Both men looked up and immediately began to cross the room toward her. â€Å"An orb?† Teabing called excitedly. His crutches clicked out a rapid staccato as he hurried across the room. â€Å"Are we missing an orb?† â€Å"Not exactly,† Sophie said, frowning at the tenth tomb. â€Å"We seem to be missing an entire knight.† Arriving beside her both men gazed down in confusion at the tenth tomb. Rather than a knight lying in the open air, this tomb was a sealed stone casket. The casket was trapezoidal, tapered at the feet, widening toward the top, with a peaked lid. â€Å"Why isn't this knight shown?† Langdon asked. â€Å"Fascinating,† Teabing said, stroking his chin. â€Å"I had forgotten about this oddity. It's been years since I was here.† â€Å"This coffin,† Sophie said,† looks like it was carved at the same time and by the same sculptor as the other nine tombs. So why is this knight in a casket rather than in the open?† Teabing shook his head. â€Å"One of this church's mysteries. To the best of my knowledge, nobody has ever found any explanation for it.† â€Å"Hello?† the altar boy said, arriving with a perturbed look on his face. â€Å"Forgive me if this seems rude, but you told me you wanted to spread ashes, and yet you seem to be sightseeing.† Teabing scowled at the boy and turned to Langdon. â€Å"Mr. Wren, apparently your family's philanthropy does not buy you the time it used to, so perhaps we should take out the ashes and get on with it.† Teabing turned to Sophie. â€Å"Mrs. Wren?† Sophie played along, pulling the vellum-wrapped cryptex from her pocket. â€Å"Now then,† Teabing snapped at the boy,† if you would give us some privacy?† The altar boy did not move. He was eyeing Langdon closely now. â€Å"You look familiar.† Teabing huffed. â€Å"Perhaps that is because Mr. Wren comes here every year!† Or perhaps, Sophie now feared, because he saw Langdon on television at the Vatican last year. â€Å"I have never met Mr. Wren,† the altar boy declared. â€Å"You're mistaken,† Langdon said politely. â€Å"I believe you and I met in passing last year. Father Knowles failed to formally introduce us, but I recognized your face as we came in. Now, I realize this is an intrusion, but if you could afford me a few more minutes, I have traveled a great distance to scatter ashes amongst these tombs.† Langdon spoke his lines with Teabing-esque believability. The altar boy's expression turned even more skeptical. â€Å"These are not tombs.† â€Å"I'm sorry?† Langdon said. â€Å"Of course they are tombs,† Teabing declared. â€Å"What are you talking about?† The altar boy shook his head. â€Å"Tombs contain bodies. These are effigies. Stone tributes to real men. There are no bodies beneath these figures.† â€Å"This is a crypt!† Teabing said. â€Å"Only in outdated history books. This was believed to be a crypt but was revealed as nothing of the sort during the 1950 renovation.† He turned back to Langdon. â€Å"And I imagine Mr. Wren would know that. Considering it was his family that uncovered that fact.† An uneasy silence fell. It was broken by the sound of a door slamming out in the annex. â€Å"That must be Father Knowles,† Teabing said. â€Å"Perhaps you should go see?† The altar boy looked doubtful but stalked back toward the annex, leaving Langdon, Sophie, and Teabing to eye one another gloomily. â€Å"Leigh,† Langdon whispered. â€Å"No bodies? What is he talking about?† Teabing looked distraught. â€Å"I don't know. I always thought†¦ certainly, this must be the place. I can't imagine he knows what he is talking about. It makes no sense!† â€Å"Can I see the poem again?† Langdon said. Sophie pulled the cryptex from her pocket and carefully handed it to him. Langdon unwrapped the vellum, holding the cryptex in his hand while he examined the poem. â€Å"Yes, the poem definitely references a tomb.Not an effigy.† â€Å"Could the poem be wrong?† Teabing asked. â€Å"Could Jacques Sauniere have made the same mistake I just did?† Langdon considered it and shook his head. â€Å"Leigh, you said it yourself. This church was built by Templars, the military arm of the Priory. Something tells me the Grand Master of the Priory would have a pretty good idea if there were knights buried here.† Teabing looked flabbergasted. â€Å"But this place is perfect.† He wheeled back toward the knights. â€Å"We must be missing something!† Entering the annex, the altar boy was surprised to find it deserted. â€Å"Father Knowles?† I know Iheard the door, he thought, moving forward until he could see the entryway. A thin man in a tuxedo stood near the doorway, scratching his head and looking lost. The altar boy gave an irritated huff, realizing he had forgotten to relock the door when he let the others in. Now some pathetic sod had wandered in off the street, looking for directions to some wedding from the looks of it. â€Å"I'm sorry,† he called out, passing a large pillar,† we're closed.† A flurry of cloth ruffled behind him, and before the altar boy could turn, his head snapped backward, a powerful hand clamping hard over his mouth from behind, muffling his scream. The hand over the boy's mouth was snow-white, and he smelled alcohol. The prim man in the tuxedo calmly produced a very small revolver, which he aimed directly at the boy's forehead. The altar boy felt his groin grow hot and realized he had wet himself. â€Å"Listen carefully,† the tuxedoed man whispered. â€Å"You will exit this church silently, and you will run. You will not stop. Is that clear?† The boy nodded as best he could with the hand over his mouth. â€Å"If you call the police†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The tuxedoed man pressed the gun to his skin. â€Å"I will find you.† The next thing the boy knew, he was sprinting across the outside courtyard with no plans of stopping until his legs gave out. CHAPTER 86 Like a ghost, Silas drifted silently behind his target. Sophie Neveu sensed him too late. Before she could turn, Silas pressed the gun barrel into her spine and wrapped a powerful arm across her chest, pulling her back against his hulking body. She yelled in surprise. Teabing and Langdon both turned now, their expressions astonished and fearful. â€Å"What†¦ ?† Teabing choked out. â€Å"What did you do to Remy!† â€Å"Your only concern,† Silas said calmly,† is that I leave here with the keystone.† This recovery mission, as Remy had described it, was to be clean and simple: Enter the church, take the keystone, and walk out; no killing, no struggle. Holding Sophie firm, Silas dropped his hand from her chest, down to her waist, slipping it inside her deep sweater pockets, searching. He could smell the soft fragrance of her hair through his own alcohol-laced breath. â€Å"Where is it?† he whispered. The keystone was in her sweater pocket earlier. So where is it now? â€Å"It's over here,† Langdon's deep voice resonated from across the room. Silas turned to see Langdon holding the black cryptex before him, waving it back and forth like a matador tempting a dumb animal. â€Å"Set it down,† Silas demanded. â€Å"Let Sophie and Leigh leave the church,† Langdon replied. â€Å"You and I can settle this.† Silas pushed Sophie away from him and aimed the gun at Langdon, moving toward him. â€Å"Not a step closer,† Langdon said. â€Å"Not until they leave the building.† â€Å"You are in no position to make demands.† â€Å"I disagree.† Langdon raised the cryptex high over his head. â€Å"I will not hesitate to smash this on the floor and break the vial inside.† Although Silas sneered outwardly at the threat, he felt a flash of fear. This was unexpected. He aimed the gun at Langdon's head and kept his voice as steady as his hand. â€Å"You would never break the keystone. You want to find the Grail as much as I do.† â€Å"You're wrong. You want it much more. You've proven you're willing to kill for it.† Forty feet away, peering out from the annex pews near the archway, Remy Legaludec felt a rising alarm. The maneuver had not gone as planned, and even from here, he could see Silas was uncertain how to handle the situation. At the Teacher's orders, Remy had forbidden Silas to fire his gun. â€Å"Let them go,† Langdon again demanded, holding the cryptex high over his head and staring into Silas's gun. The monk's red eyes filled with anger and frustration, and Remy tightened with fear that Silas might actually shoot Langdon while he was holding the cryptex. The cryptex cannot fall! The cryptex was to be Remy's ticket to freedom and wealth. A little over a year ago, he was simply a fifty-five-year-old manservant living within the walls of Chateau Villette, catering to the whims of the insufferable cripple Sir Leigh Teabing. Then he was approached with an extraordinary proposition. Remy's association with Sir Leigh Teabing – the preeminent Grail historian on earth – was going to bring Remy everything he had ever dreamed of in life. Since then, every moment he had spent inside Chateau Villette had been leading him to this very instant. I am so close, Remy told himself, gazing into the sanctuary of the Temple Church and the keystone in Robert Langdon's hand. If Langdon dropped it, all would be lost. Am I willing to show my face? It was something the Teacher had strictly forbidden. Remy was the only one who knew the Teacher's identity. â€Å"Are you certain you want Silas to carry out this task?† Remy had asked the Teacher less than half an hour ago, upon getting orders to steal the keystone. â€Å"I myself am capable.† The Teacher was resolute. â€Å"Silas served us well with the four Priory members. He will recover the keystone. You must remain anonymous. If others see you, they will need to be eliminated, and there has been enough killing already. Do not reveal your face.† My face will change, Remy thought. With what you've promised to pay me, I will become an entirely new man.Surgery could even change his fingerprints, the Teacher had told him. Soon he would be free – another unrecognizable, beautiful face soaking up the sun on the beach. â€Å"Understood,† Remy said. â€Å"I will assist Silas from the shadows.† â€Å"For your own knowledge, Remy,† the Teacher had told him,† the tomb in question is not in the Temple Church. So have no fear. They are looking in the wrong place.† Remy was stunned. â€Å"And you know where the tomb is?† â€Å"Of course. Later, I will tell you. For the moment, you must act quickly. If the others figure out the true location of the tomb and leave the church before you take the cryptex, we could lose the Grail forever.† Remy didn't give a damn about the Grail, except that the Teacher refused to pay him until it was found. Remy felt giddy every time he thought of the money he soon would have. One third oftwenty million euro.Plenty to disappear forever.Remy had pictured the beach towns on the Cà ´te d'Azur, where he planned to live out his days basking in the sun and letting others serve him for a change. Now, however, here in the Temple Church, with Langdon threatening to break the keystone, Remy's future was at risk. Unable to bear the thought of coming this close only to lose it all, Remy made the decision to take bold action. The gun in his hand was a concealable, small-caliber, J-frame Medusa, but it would be plenty deadly at close range. Stepping from the shadows, Remy marched into the circular chamber and aimed the gun directly at Teabing's head. â€Å"Old man, I've been waiting a long time to do this.† Sir Leigh Teabing's heart practically stalled to see Remy aiming a gun at him. What is he doing! Teabing recognized the tiny Medusa revolver as his own, the one he kept locked in the limousine glove box for safety. â€Å"Remy?† Teabing sputtered in shock. â€Å"What is going on?† Langdon and Sophie looked equally dumbstruck. Remy circled behind Teabing and rammed the pistol barrel into his back, high and on the left, directly behind his heart. Teabing felt his muscles seize with terror. â€Å"Remy, I don't – â€Å" â€Å"I'll make it simple,† Remy snapped, eyeing Langdon over Teabing's shoulder. â€Å"Set down the keystone, or I pull the trigger.† Langdon seemed momentarily paralyzed. â€Å"The keystone is worthless to you,† he stammered. â€Å"You cannot possibly open it.† â€Å"Arrogant fools,† Remy sneered. â€Å"Have you not noticed that I have been listening tonight as you discussed these poems? Everything I heard, I have shared with others. Others who know more than you. You are not even looking in the right place. The tomb you seek is in another location entirely!† Teabing felt panicked. What is he saying! â€Å"Why do you want the Grail?† Langdon demanded. â€Å"To destroy it? Before the End of Days?† Remy called to the monk. â€Å"Silas, take the keystone from Mr. Langdon.† As the monk advanced, Langdon stepped back, raising the keystone high, looking fully prepared to hurl it at the floor. â€Å"I would rather break it,† Langdon said, â€Å"than see it in the wrong hands.† Teabing now felt a wave of horror. He could see his life's work evaporating before his eyes. All his dreams about to be shattered. â€Å"Robert, no!† Teabing exclaimed. â€Å"Don't! That's the Grail you're holding! Remy would never shoot me. We've known each other for ten – â€Å" Remy aimed at the ceiling and fired the Medusa. The blast was enormous for such a small weapon, the gunshot echoing like thunder inside the stone chamber. Everyone froze.† I am not playing games,† Remy said. â€Å"The next one is in his back. Hand the keystone to Silas.† Langdon reluctantly held out the cryptex. Silas stepped forward and took it, his red eyes gleaming with the self-satisfaction of vengeance. Slipping the keystone in the pocket of his robe, Silas backed off, still holding Langdon and Sophie at gunpoint. Teabing felt Remy's arm clamp hard around his neck as the servant began backing out of the building, dragging Teabing with him, the gun still pressed in his back. â€Å"Let him go,† Langdon demanded. â€Å"We're taking Mr. Teabing for a drive,† Remy said, still backing up. â€Å"If you call the police, he will die. If you do anything to interfere, he will die. Is that clear?† â€Å"Take me,† Langdon demanded, his voice cracking with emotion. â€Å"Let Leigh go.† Remy laughed. â€Å"I don't think so. He and I have such a nice history. Besides, he still might prove useful.† Silas was backing up now, keeping Langdon and Sophie at gunpoint as Remy pulled Leigh toward the exit, his crutches dragging behind him. Sophie's voice was unwavering. â€Å"Who are you working for?† The question brought a smirk to the departing Remy's face. â€Å"You would be surprised, Mademoiselle Neveu.†

Can Globalization Be Reversed Essay

With the coming of the industrial age, the wheel of progress turned. Factory based mass production replaced independent artisans, who now worked for business firms (Volti, 2009, p. 187). The workers became dependant on businesses to provide facilities to work in, tools to work with, and wages to take home, creating a society of employees (Volti, 2009, p. 187). Since work and income was now dependant on the factories, workers need to find homes in relative proximity, thus leading to higher density of individuals within the urban areas surrounding the manufacturing centers. With urbanization came a need for production and transportation of food to the growing cities. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, this food was generally produced locally on the surrounding farmlands with only the occasional delicacy imported from a foreign land. While factory work was hard and the hours long, people chose it over subsistence farming as it lead to a better standard of living for themselves and their offspring. Bertha Black remembers her family’s move to a mill town: We all went to work, in the Amazon Cotton Mill and we all worked there all our lives. We were all anxious to go to work because, I don’t know, we didn’t like farming. It was so hot from sunup to sundown. No, that was not for me. Mill work was better. It had to be. Once we went to work in the mill after we moved here from the farm, we had more clothes and more kinds of food than we did when we was a farmin’. And we had a better house. So yes, when we came to the mill life was easier (Rivoli, 2009, p. 110). Thus began urbanization which continues to this day, with 50% of the global population residing in urban centers (Satterthwaite, 2010, p. ). This urbanization is directly coupled with wealth, where the â€Å"more urbanized a country, the higher the individual incomes (Satterthwaite, 2010, p. 1)†. The United States, one of the top 20 global incomes per capita (World Bank, 2011, p. 1), supports this, as 82. 1% of the population live in urban centers (Satterthwaite, 2010, p. 2). Urbanization trends have been linked to enhanced democracy, technological innovations, economic progress, and higher living standards (Satterthwaite, 2010, p. 2). Is it any wonder then that â€Å"[n]o matter the path of economic development a country has chosen, urbanization remains an inevitable outcome of this effort across the world (Satterthwaite, 2010, p. 1)†. As the living standards and population densities of urban centers increase, so too do the distance that food needs to be transported. Today, a large urban center, like the greater New York City metropolitan area with a population of over 21 million people (US Census, 2010), has to reach to great distances for its food. This is because 1. acres of arable land are required per person to maintain the diverse diet American’s enjoy (Pimentel & Giampietro, 1994). This translates to 25. 2 million acres of arable land being required to feed New York City. Thus 7% of the US population (US Census, 2010) requires 10% of America’s farmland (USDA, 2012, p. 56). It should come as no surprise then that our agriculture imports exceeded $94 billion in 2011 (USDA, 2012, p. 90). The comparative wealth of the American populace, coupled with their culinary desires leads to a demand for imports of produce and other horticultural items during the off seasons in the US. Put another way, Americans’ desire for fresh tomatoes on their Del Taco tacos in February in the American northeast drives global trade to farmers in Central and South America. The motivation of the labor market, to increase quality of life, explains the willingness of individuals to accept factory work and their desire to progress to better, higher paying jobs. Neo-classic economic theory explains business motivation to achieve maximum profitability through efficiency of production (Weintraub, 2002). Efficiency is maximized through three inter-related and adjustable parameters: technology; labor; materials. Technology, as expressed in terms of facilities and equipment, is a fixed cost of production, whereas labor and materials, including transportation expenses, remain variable costs (Starr, 2008). In achieving the optimal balance, any large discrepancy will heavily weight the calculation. For example, the wages for textile workers in southeast Asia are 7% of the wages in United States (Rivoli, 2009, p. 104). This large of a differential in the variable cost makes it virtually impossible to create an equivalent model through enhanced technology, especially when most technology advances can be applied to factories located in the lower labor cost countries. Thus Rivoli’s â€Å"Race to the Bottom† continues (Rivoli, 2009, pp. 92–104), bringing with it industrialization and urbanization. As with any race, there are winners and losers. The countries acquiring the manufacturing jobs and the companies maximizing their profits through relocating manufacturing to the lower labor cost countries are obvious winners. The employees of the factories being off-shored are initially the losers, until the race progresses to the next industrial sector. A clear example of this is the Carolinas, where many textile worker’s jobs have been lost to southeast Asia, now have opportunities for better paying jobs in auto manufacturing. BMW opened a plant in Spartanburg, SC, the middle of the cotton belt, which generates over $1. 2 billion in wages and salaries annually (Ramsey, 2009). Thus the race continues, moving from industry to industry, as total production cost dominates companies’ decisions on where to locate manufacturing. However, many of those losing their jobs in America raise the cry to stop globalization, reconstitute local manufacturing and local food markets. This would not appear to be a feasible alternative for three reasons. First, the degree of urbanization present in the United States makes it unreasonable to expect food to be produced locally. Similarly, the relative wealth and current lifestyle lead many to expect and demand fresh produce year round. Together, these preclude a shift to locally grown and produced foods. Second, most companies in America today have some aspect of globalization present in their value chain. This can be upstream in their suppliers of materials and/or equipment or downstream in their customers. This is readily apparent in large corporations, such as Nike and WalMart, but it is also present in smaller companies. Rygaard Logging, Inc. out of Port Angeles, Washington is a good example. This small company relies on equipment imported from South Korea and Germany to harvest logs. China has become the largest buyer for timber from the northwest, thus becoming an attractive customer for Rygaard (Springer, 2011). Unwinding these value chains to bring manufacturing back to America may be possible, but would require the will of politicians in Washington to face the public backlash as prices increased, and selections decreased (Rivoli, 2009). Third, the growing population requires more land be utilized for their living and working environment. Current estimates show each person in the US consumes one acre for housing, work facilities, and supporting infrastructure (World Bank, 2011). Further, the current population growth is over 50,000 new people per week (Pimentel & Giampietro, 1994), meaning that over 2. 5 million acres of arable land or bio-diverse forest land is lost annually, increasing the pressure on food production. Plus, these people are generally employed by firms that rely on globalization in their value chain, as described above. Together, these factors make it highly improbable that the US can return to 100% locally produced foods and companies whose value chain resides 100% within America’s boarders without significant changes in lifestyle.

Global Financial Market Essay

With the market turmoil of 2008 and 2009 in fairly recent memory, investors were feared to take risk in the stock markets, as instabilities of global stock market accordingly enhanced. Stock market is a key element prior to reflect the performance of economy. It is an important part of the economy of a country. The stock market plays a pivotal role in the growth of the industry and commerce of the country that eventually affects the economy of the country to a great extent. That is reason that the government, industry nd even the central banks of the country keep a close watch on the happenings of the stock market. The stock market is important from both the industry’s point of view as well as the investor’s point of view. Through this assignment, with particularly focusing on the performance of Hong Kong stock market, I am going to discuss the roles of the stock market that affect the economy by elaborating the functions of primary market and secondary market, and anal ysis the Hong Kong stock market in relation to the economy with statistics method. Importance of Stock Market The stock market is a necessary and essential aspect of commerce world-wide. Without a stock market, companies could not easily to raise the fund and capital, and investors could not quickly and easily trade shares through the stock market system, and the global economy would not be established into a maturity stage like now a day. The stock market and thus they play the most important role of supporting the growth of the industry and commerce in the country. That is the reason that a rising stock market is the sign of a developing industrial sector and a growing economy of the country. Primary market Whenever a company wants to raise funds for further expansion or settling up a new business venture, they have to either take a loan from a financial organization or they have to issue shares through the stock market. In fact, the stock market is the primary source for any company to raise funds for business expansions. If a company wants to raise some capital for the business it can issue shares of the company that is basically part ownership of the company rather than issuing debt for enhancing the capital and liquidity because of the cost efficiency. There are three main financial systems such as resources allocation, risk management and risk pricing to simultaneously and consistently perform in an economy under the philosophy of primary market. Resources allocation in the primary market Primary market can raise the fund for the company business plan in a short period. Economy can be affected according to any new IPO issued in the stock primary market. To issue shares for the investors to invest in the stocks, through the primary market of the stock exchange they can issue the shares and get the funds for business requirements. There are certain rules and regulations for getting listed at a stock exchange and they need to fulfill some criteria to issue stocks and go public. The company has the business plan which is required to borrow fund for implementation, and the company has planned to apply their fund raised by the stock market after issuing the share through IPO. Fund should be allocated in different areas of the business plan, and it can also increase the liquidity and capital. Refer to the IPO issuance of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China(ICBC) in 2006, ICBC was one of the biggest bank in China. After the IPO. ICBC was the world’s biggest ever IPO that makes it at the same becoming the biggest bank with the most capital in the world. These can significantly increase the confidence of the investors and reallocate the resources in investing into different market against their business plan. Risk pricing in the primary market Investors always assess and calculate the interest and return to every investment which they made. In the primary market of issuing stock listed on the stock exchange, rules and regulations are formed to dominate any new issuers. International banks and Investment banks are always the underwriter of the IPO. It can also comfort the investors that the risk has been assessed by experience large institutions accurately, and then the price of the share is announced to the public objectively. Investors can have more information to compare the return and lose through the provided information in the primary market. In the view of the above, investors will be attracted to invest into the IPO against the recommended pricing. More funding invests into the market that can make a positive impact to the economy. Risk management in primary market To issue IPO in the primary market, guaranteed investors should be confirmed to every IPO announced. This can help into managing the risk, as a minimum of fund can be ensured to the company which can control the risk exposure. The company may have liquidity problem in case of failure in raising the fund of IPO, therefore, the function of guaranteed investor and IPO underwriter can mitigate suck risk, and that can be a risk management to protect the interest of the company as well as the investors. It can reduce the uncertainties and managing the risks involved in investment market of economy. Secondary Market The secondary function of the stock market is that the market plays the role of a common platform for the buyers and sellers of these stocks that are listed at the stock market. It is the secondary market of the stock exchange where retail investors and institutional investors buy and sell the stocks. In fact it is these stock market traders who raise the fund for the businesses by investing in the stocks. So the stock market is not only providing the much required funds for boosting the business, but also providing a common place for stock trading. It is the stock market that makes it possible to sell the stocks at any point of time and get back the investment along with the profit. This makes the stocks much more liquid in nature and thereby attracting  investors  to invest in the stock market. Mobilize Savings in the secondary market When businesses or even individuals hold their money in form of shares, they can easily mobilize funds for investments. Securities traded in the secondary markets are not as liquid as cash therefore this limits the ease of accessing cash. Accumulation of funds for long-term capital projects is therefore easy and possible. The secondary market provides a convenient platform for the trade of securities hence shares can be easily converted to cash for investment. Investment Opportunities in the secondary market As opposed to holding money in savings accounts, the secondary market provides investors with an opportunity to save and at the same time invest. Shareholders can earn and make profit in investing in the secondary market, as the share price always rises and falls subject to the news in public and the environment of economy. In the secondary market, investment in shares does not require a large of fund, therefore, it provides a chance to invest and expand their portfolios. Stock market and economy (Statistical analysis) To support the analysis of stock market in related to the economy, I have done a t-test showing as below. Basically, as the stock market should reflect the economy in advance. I do the statistic in one year difference. Refer to the result, the difference is considered to not statistically significant. The stock market seem influencing the economy significantly. We can see the stock market dropped in 2008 that make the decrease of GDP in 2009. Due to the financial crisis in 2008, the stock market was in panic. This is one of the factors to decrease the GDP. In Hong Kong economy, as there was a great support due to the significant growth of China’s economy. In relation to the increase of HKEx index since 2009, the stock market was in recovery that bloom the economy and the Hong Kong property market has accordingly benefited to grow in these years. GDP was also reflected slightly growth. It can strongly evidence and prove that the performance of stock market obtains a strong relationship with the economy. Conclusions With the reference of the above, stock market is essential to the impact of economy. Companies could easily raise the fund thru the stock market by IPO in the primary market, in order to apply the fund in implementing the expansion business plan, and the investors could gain interest and profit in the secondary market in stock exchange that the capital fund of investors could be increased, in which both factors could have positive effect to the economy. In my recommendation, Hong Kong Exchange and Clearing Limited (HKEX) could consider to extend the trading hours. It could stay closer to other stock markets like USNY, London and etc. This implementation could attract more investors and equity fund to invest into Hong Kong stock market, as the time difference to other stock markets is shorten. It could increase the trading volume in the stock market. If the stock market becomes prosperous that makes the Hang Seng index increase, as more funds invest into Hong Kong, the economy in Hong Kong can accordingly rise in an absolute way.

Healthcare Consultancy description. Formal Report Essay

Healthcare Consultancy description. Formal Report - Essay Example After a thorough exercise, the consultant pinpoints the grey areas and suggests remedial measures to the management for improvement. The educational requirement for choosing this profession is a bachelor’s degree or a master's degree from a certified pharmacy school or college. The health care institution hires qualified consultants either on a full time basis or a part time basis as the case may be to seek their assistance to address the problematic areas to improve organizational efficiency and to re-organize existing structure in the light of the consultant’s recommendations. Corporate entities usually acquire the services of healthcare consultant to identify the loopholes in their system and its rectifications. However, companies that are small in size hire them when they feel it necessary or when they feel that one of the segment of the business is not performing to the desirable level. In order to streamline the things at their end, the health care business entity, hire the services of consultant to identify grey areas in their business and its possible solutions. The whole exercise requires initial research and to examine the data relating to the specific problem. The exercise in question comprised head counts, revenue generation capacity besides interviewing the existing employees of low and high profile to understand the on going problem. After completion of research, consultant has to submit his/her comprehensive report in black and white. In addition to that, an oral meeting between the client and the healthcare consultant could be fruitful provided that the findings are openly discussed in an appropriate forum. Requirements What sort of education is needed by the healthcare consultant? In general, aspirant applicant for the employment should be a bachelor or a master degree holder in his/her profession. However, the academic requirement may vary in accordance with the need of the employer. The employer prefers those degree holders (bachelor or master) who have majors like economics, marketing, human resource and business. Specialization in healthcare would be an added qualification (Education-portal.com, 2013). It is interesting to note that certification is not a mandatory requirement for the chosen career. The apex Institute offers designation to healthcare consultants who have good references and the required education. In order to keep the designation intact, healthcare consultant re-validates the certificate after every three years (Education-portal.com, 2013). There are number of educational institutions in the United States of America, which are providing online quality education. One such example is

Project Procurement Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Project Procurement Management - Assignment Example Which contract type should be used by ABC Consulting? A. Purchase Order B. Cost plus Fee C. Fixed cost D. Time and Material 3. Joe’s Plumbing Ltd. is planning to buy ten business grade laptops for $1,500 each from a leading computer supplier. Which type of contract will generally be used in this case? A. Purchase Order B. Cost plus Fee C. Fixed cost D. Time and Material 4. A bookstore is getting 200 computers and a POS system installed from a vendor. The vendor will be paid the costs involved and a 10% incentive. Which contract will be used in this case? A. CPPC B. CPIF C. CPFF D. Fixed Cost 5. Sophie is a Project Manager. She is coordinating a bidder conference to allow vendors to get clarification on the work that needs to be performed. Which phase of Project Management is in progress? A. Conduct Procurements B. Plan Procurements C. Administer Procurements D. Close Procurements 6. A significant difference between independent estimates and proposed pricing from respondents to an RFP could mean that: A. The independent estimates are most likely incorrect and the proposed pricing correct B. The SOW was not adequately defined C. The prospective seller either misunderstood or failed to respond fully to the SOW D. b or c E. a or c 7. Which of the following are examples of indirect costs? A. Salaries of corporate executives B. Salaries of full-time project staff C. Overhead costs (such as building rent and office equipment) D. a and b E. a and c 8. Which of the following contract types places the greatest risk on the seller? A. Cost-plus-fixed-fee contract B. Cost plus-incentive-fee contract C. Time and Materials contract D. Fixed-price-incentive contract E. Firm-fixed-price contract 9. Which is not an element of procurement management? A. Purchasing B. Expediting C. Acquisition D. Marketing E. C and D 10. Requesting the submission of proposals from sellers to perform work is the avenue for acquiring most projects. The proposals, when submitted, must contain specific items to obligate or bind the tendering organization. The most important item is? A. A complete description of the work to be performed B. The list of legal terms and conditions C. The signature of a corporate officer of the seller D. A statement of work that describes how the work will be accomplished E. A firm price for the complete work to be performed 11. _____ is a formal invitation to submit a price for goods and / or services as specified. A. Bid response B. Request for quotation C. Intention to bid D. Invitation for bid E. Request for proposal 12. Payment bonds are often required by the contract and require specific actions under the stated conditions. Payment bonds are specifically designed to ensure payment of ______ by the prime contractor. A. Insurance premiums B. Weekly payrolls C. Incremental earned value charges D. Subcontractors, laborers, and materials E. Damages for accidents caused 13. Some contracts are not completed because the contractor or vendor fail s or refuses to complete the contractual conditions of a signed agreement. This situation is called a______ for which damages can be assigned. A. Breach B. Stop-work C. Flawed contract D. Contract in situ E. None of the above 14. The project manager is responsible for all the activities within a project and interfaces with external functions, all of which consume his time. Therefore, when a contract administrator is assigned to the project, the project manager ________ the contract. A. Does not need to

College Algebra Unit 3 DB Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

College Algebra Unit 3 DB - Assignment Example In the underweight category, in which BMI is 18.5; the height is 69.6 inches. This is established as shown below: This is done to all categories. H in the normal BMI is 59.997 inches, in the overweight category, 54.75 inches, in the obese category the height is 54 inches, and below. The actual height of Angelina Jolie is 5 foot and 8 inches. This is equal to 68 inches since 1 foot is equal to 12 inches (Smith et al., 2005). This makes her placed under the category of underweight. This category ranges from 70 inches to 60 inches (after rounding off 69.6 and 59.997 to the nearest whole number). Her height should be ranging from 54.75 inches to 59.997 inches for her to fall under the normal weight status. The difference in calculations and actual figures may occur due to rounding off to the adjacent full number. The timing may also matter such that, she might have gained or lost some weight from the time the data was collected to now. In summary, Angelina Jolie falls in the category of underweight based on the facts and

LION KING film analysis of the leadership issues in the film Essay

LION KING film analysis of the leadership issues in the film - Essay Example The question is, what are those qualities that make a strong leader? Why is it that some leaders are loved and respected by their followers forever while others fail to maintain the faith from their followers? The answer lies in their leadership styles. The movie â€Å"The Lion King†, is an excellent example of different leadership styles (1994). Through the characters of Mufasa, Scar and Simba, the movie has clearly and distinctly described the qualities that make a strong and a weak leader. Leadership can be defined as â€Å"an influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real changes that reflect their mutual purpose.† (Rost 1991). This definition shows that a relationship is developed between a leader and the followers only when they have a common goal to achieve (Rost 104). A relationship cannot be developed if the goals of the leader and the followers differ. In the movie ‘The lion king’, Mufasa is able to gain respect and love from his followers because he is able to understand their needs and works towards the fulfillment of those needs harmoniously. Mufasa displays a transformational leadership style through the quality of the relationship that he develops with his followers. A strong leader is the one who is able to form a relationship with his followers not on the basis of expectations but on the basis of trust and understanding. Transformational leaders take effort in nurturing the sense of self worth in the followers and boosting their self-esteem (Bass 1998). When the followers realise that their individual qualities are being recognised and nurtured by their leader, they feel that their individual needs are being taken care of. They feel enthusiastic and energetic under the guidance of such leader and hence, commit themselves to the achievement of goal in a genuine way. They are willing to give their best in an effort to reach their purpose (Bass 1998). In the movie ‘The lion king’, Mufasa

Johnny Lechner and his 12-year college education at the University of Essay

Johnny Lechner and his 12-year college education at the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater - Essay Example is taking this year instead of the regular 12 to 18 credits, as he has already taken all the existing courses available, and has even unknowingly repeated some of them twice. The decision of almost doubling the fees has come possibly in reaction to Lechners long stay at the institution, and Wisconsinites have dubbed it the Johnny Lechner rule. It is a valid decision, one that will encourage students to treat colleges and universities for what they are, venues for focused learning, for quenching intellectual thirst and gearing an individual towards becoming a useful member of the society. There are those that consider that this decision will be hard on those like Lechner. In Lechners defense, it must be said that he has paid his own fees for the last ten years, by working part time in order to support himself and through student loans, since his parents supported him only for the first two years of his college life. A man can strive to learn more and more for the sake of learning itself, and here is a man that tries to do his bit for society, and volunteers with numerous organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, the UW-Whitewater Prairie Restoration Project and Camp Getaway for inner-city Chicago children with AIDS. He is also a good student, who is regular in class, recently made the dean’s list with a 4.0 grade-point average for a semester and has got good grades throughout, even managing straight As in one semester. So one knows that he is not too weak a student to graduate, and is not graduating out of intention, not incapability. One may also argue that a persons life need not necessarily follow a particular mold, that includes educa tion, employment, marriage and retirement, and eventual death, and as long as he or she is not a burden on society a person may want to learn as much as possible, and study in order to do this. But this is where the contradiction comes in. Lechner has, in fact, been a burden on society these past years, because the

Independent, Mediating, Moderating and Dependent Variables Coursework

Independent, Mediating, Moderating and Dependent Variables - Coursework Example For instance, intervening variables explicate the statistical association between longevity needs and income because having money does not necessarily make someone live longer. However, the relationship between income and longevity needs might hold considering that people with higher income tend to have better medical care. A typical example of the intervening variable is the medical care. It basically mediates or intervenes the relation between longevity and income (Springer, 2014). All the correlations between predictor and mediator variables, mediator and criterion variables, as well as predictor and criterion variables are significant for the general test for mediation. For instance, parents typically transmit their social statuses directly to their children. In the same way, they effectively transmit those statuses to their children through education. Parent’s status âž› child’s education âž› child’s status. A mediating variable is vital for statistical analyses and research designs that aim to investigate how tobacco prevention programs impact or accomplish their effects on the use of tobacco. The theoretical approach to program evaluation and development mainly focuses on the action theory (Amine et al. 2012). In particular, the action theory explains how the tobacco prevention program would affect intervening variables. Similarly, a conceptual approach seeks to explicate how mediator variables are related to smoking. Tobacco prevention programs would ultimately obtain information on the intervening mechanisms; information would be very useful to the development of adequate programs (Amine et al. 2012). The information would further provide a valuable test of the theoretical or hypothetical basis of tobacco prevention efforts. Amine, Chakor, and Alaoui (2012) investigate the influence of mediating variables on the theoretical analysis of ethics, relationship marketing, and corporate performance.  

World Wide Web and Internet Essay Example for Free

World Wide Web and Internet Essay The Internet is certainly the place for businesses to expand, reach new markets and provide new services but there must be a balanced approach to the Internet. The Internet must be regarded as a strategic resource important to the whole business. The technical detail of the Internet can be complex. Management responsibility however is more productively focused on managing the implementation process to achieve strategic goals and assure smooth, secure operations. The IS Manager must first define why the company wants to be connected to the Internet then move to establish the appropriate connection, choosing the most cost effective option between capacity and speed. For medium businesses it is recommended that high speed modem links to a provider with dedicated telephone lines would be most appropriate. Issues such as how to advertise and promote the company on the Web must then be tackled, taking into account the human and social issues on the net. Users of the Web can include both employees and potential customers. By learning what and how the Internet can help the employees in their day to day work, non-business use of the Internet can be reduced, and by offering on-line services and supporting the customer via the Internet, a whole new market can be created for the business. A medium business would consider having a Web site with the Internet provider but perhaps creating and updating the web pages themselves. Finally security against intrusion has to be maintained. Technology is a vital tool to IS Managers to cope with this. Also by having the Web site at the provider and linking to the Internet by regular telephone lines it makes the companys data safe from hackers. In conclusion, with careful planning and proper management, putting a business on the Internet can make it more effective and productive. However understanding and knowing how the rapid changes and various complex issues that can be encountered in getting the business onto the Net is imperative to its success. This responsibility lies largely on the IS Manager who must know what options are available to him or her before being able to cope with it. Surfing the internet can be an interest for people. But people need to use it properly. If not, it will become internet addiction. Internet addiction harmfulness is bigger than â€Å"TV addiction†. In deed internet addiction can be called â€Å"a mental illness†.Playing online games reasonably can make people happy on free time.

Relationship Between Marketing Mix Elements

Relationship Between Marketing Mix Elements Business today is very competitive, any organizations are facing with many pressures: Changeable and unpredictable business environment, very fast change of technology, to be survival, developed and successful requires company have to move from a product and selling philosophy to a customer and marketing philosophy(Kotler et al., 2005). All companies try to gain the best of the customer satisfaction to maximize the profit because they believe that customer satisfaction is very important for the survival of any organization. Many research shows that consequences of customer satisfaction are numerous: Customer satisfaction leads to positive word-of-mouth (Anderson, 1998; Swan and Oliver, 1989; Hoyer and MacInnis, 2001)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦), customer satisfaction leads to customer retention (Curtis et al., 2012; Hennig, 1997; Kotler, 1994, p.20; Bitner, 1990), customer satisfaction leads to loyalty (Curtis et al., 2012; Singh, 2006), Customer leads to repurchase attention (Anton, 1996). The question for companies is how to enhance the customer satisfaction? Which factors impact on customer satisfaction and this relationship is negative or positive? To answer all these questions, companies will have the appropriate strategies for success. Many researches show that there are many factors that affect customer satisfaction. According to Hokanson (1995), these factors including friendly employees, courteous employees, knowledgeable employees, helpful employees, accuracy of billing, billing timeliness, competitive pricing, service quality, good value, billing clarity and quick service impact on customer satisfaction. It is obviously that all these factors belong to Marketing mix. Moreover Doyle also recommends that Most marketing professionals would answer that the right marketing mix is the one that maximizes customer satisfaction and results in the highest sales or market share (Doyle, 2003) also suggests that customer satisfaction and sales can always be increased if c ompanies offer more product features, lower prices than competition, higher promotional budgets and the immediate availability of the product, of outstanding customer service and support (Doyle, 2003). Ford Motor Company is global automotive industry leader in the world based on US. Ford has its history of 109 years for existing and developing. Fords strategy is focus on developing vehicles that deliver exceptional value to our customers across global markets. Ford product vehicles sport bold exterior designs, while offering great handling and performance. Not only are they great to drive with interior enhancements in comfort and connectivity but fuel economy across every vehicle in our portfolio is a reason to buy(Ford, np) Ford worldwide market share reported end of 2011: 7.3%, regional Ford North America: 17.3%, Ford Europe 8.3%, Ford Asia South Pacific: 2.7%, South America 8.3% Ford Vietnam is a joint venture established in 1995 between Ford Motor Company (75%) and Song Cong Diesel Company (25%). Cumulative market share up to SEP 2012 is in fifth position with 5.3%, meanwhile, two market leaders, Truong Hai and Toyota gain 30.9% and 29.1%. Fords market share in Vietnam is nearly double in comparison with its regional market share Asia South Pacific. But the gap between Ford and two market leaders in Vietnam is very huge. Since, Fords products are diversified ranging from low end to high end compared with its big competitor that is Toyota. Fords products are known as full family of vehicles offering leading quality, fuel efficiency, safety, smart design and value (Ford, np). This big gap excites the researcher to evaluate the level of customer satisfaction of Ford Car users in Vietnam, explore what factors impact on this customer satisfaction by testing the relationship between marketing mix elements and customer satisfaction of Ford Car users in Vietnam. Beside some reasons above, marketing mix and customer satisfaction are two theories that researcher is very interesting to study. Finally, topic of research can be named as below: Exploring the relationship between marketing mix elements and customer satisfaction of Ford Car users in Vietnam 1.2 Research objectives The researcher intends to study on Ford auto customer satisfaction in Vietnam to evaluating the level of customer satisfaction and testing the relationship between marketing mix elements and customer satisfaction of Ford auto users with below objectives: To study the knowledge of marketing mix, its element and customer satisfaction concept. To examine the relationship between marketing mix elements and customer satisfaction of Ford auto in Vietnam To measure the level of customer satisfaction of Ford auto in Vietnam To recommend some effective solutions to improve the marketing mix to gain higher level of customer satisfaction. 1.3 Research questions In order to have a clearly understand of all queries about the topic regarding to relationship between marketing mix and Ford users customer satisfaction. This research tries to answer below questions: Is there possible relationship between marketing mix and customer satisfaction of Ford Car users in Vietnam? What is the level of customer satisfaction of Ford auto in Vietnam In what way is the marketing mix can be improved to enhance Fords customer satisfaction in Vietnam. 1.4 The significance of study Many academic research are conducted in testing the relationship between marketing mix and customer satisfaction in different areas, especially in service sector such as: Tourist, university, cafà ©, banking,..But a few of them are found the automobile industry. Moreover, most of academic research is out of Vietnam market. Although the study result reflects somewhat the real situation of level of customer satisfaction on Ford users in Vietnam, but the target population is quite small and limited in small region, so that the research findings and result only is used for reference or partly apply in the customer satisfaction enhancement for Ford Motor Vietnam or suggesting for further research in future. 1.5 Boundary of the study Auto market in Vietnam is quite huge, due to geographical dispersion and time constraint, the researcher only conducts the survey on customers who own Ford Car in Ho Chi Minh City. Furthermore, the respondents seem very busy with the things. The study focuses on 4 elements of marketing mix and their impact on customer satisfaction. So the result only presents partly for auto market in Vietnam. 1.6 The organization the study à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Chapter 1, the introduction part of research including background of study, why the researcher choose this topic, the research aims and objectives is given, the research questions is identified, the significant of study is discussed, Finally how this research can be applied in practices, the boundary of study and structure of study are presented. In the Chapter 2, the literature review related to marketing, marketing mix and its elements, customer satisfaction, the relationships between customer satisfaction and marketing mix, the recommended solutions for improving marketing mix elements in order to gain high level of customer satisfaction The Chapter 3 provides the methodology and procedures which used to collect data for the study. The researcher will perform the surveys with the customers who are using Ford Car in Vietnam, by this survey, researcher will measure the level of customer satisfaction, to explore the relationship between marketing mix elements and customer satisfaction. By this study, the author will use quantitative method to design the questionnaires and use them during the surveys. These data will be the main data to support the answer of the second and third research question. The researcher will conduct one survey which will be conducted with customers who are using the car of Ford to evaluate the level of customer satisfaction and explore the relationship between marketing mix and customer satisfaction. The purpose of this survey is to get the quantitative data to support the answer for the second and third research questions, whereby to give the best solutions for improving marketing mix effectively for Ford Vietnam in enhance its customer satisfaction. In the chapter 4, Microsoft excel 2007 and SPSS 16 software will be used to input all the raw data of the respondents and do the analysis, statistic and present them using table, charts, or graphic. Then the researcher will analyse and discuss the findings base on the responses. And present the meaning and reason of the result as well as link with the knowledge in the literature review to support the answers for the research questions and achieve the research objectives. Chapter 5 contains a summary of the findings of this research; providing the conclusions for the findings and discussion and suggest for further research. The reflective statement will be in the Appendix A which provides the reflection on research results and personal development that the researcher had gained from this study. The following pages will present the chapter Review of the Literature that will review all existing literatures and knowledge to support data to achieve the objectives of this research. Chapter 2 LITERATURE REVIEW Chapter Introduction According to Saunders et al. (2007) A critical review of the literature review is critical part of any research. It is necessary to help the researcher to develop a thorough understanding of and insight to previous researches that related to research questions and objectives. By critically discussing, evaluating what are strengths and weakness, referencing works or studies that has already been undertake, drawing out key points and presenting them in logically argued way. To complete the literature reviewing, the researcher has not only the skill of search relevant knowledge but also appraise it. Sharp et al. (2002 cited in Saunders et al. 2007) suggests that there are two major reasons exist for reviewing the literature: Firstly, the preliminary search that help to generate and refine the research ideas. Secondly, often referred to as the critical review or critical literature review, Moreover, Saunders et al. (2007) emphasizes that any researches and finding will be judged in relation to others peoples research and finding. Main purpose of literature review is to help researcher to develop a good understanding and insight into relevant previous research and the trends that have emerged. Gall et al (2002, quoted in Saunders et al.,2007) provides some other purposes of literature review such as: To help researcher refine further the research question and objectives To highlight research possibilities that has been overlooked implicitly in research to date, To discover explicit recommendations for further research To help researcher avoid simply repeating work that has been done already, To sample current opinions in newspapers, professional and trade journals, thereby gaining insight in to the aspects of the research questions and objectives that are considered newsworthy, Discover and provide an insight into research approaches, strategies and techniques which are appropriate to own research questions and objectives. It could be said that most of researches argue that the critical review is very necessary. Briefly, review the literature relates to: Searching academic research, theories which must be relevant to research questions and objectives. Profound understanding, critical review, give arguments, appraisal, evaluating, discussing, referencingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ But it is not just descript and list down the any literatures. Comment: the above paragraph is not necessary! This chapter aims to provide a theoretical background bases on existing academic knowledge for research topic Exploring the relationship between marketing mix elements and customer satisfaction of Ford auto in Vietnam. By doing this, the researcher could further refine three research questions and four research objectives which had been specified in Chapter 1 to highlight research possibilities that have been overlooked, discover explicit recommendations for further research. It helps to avoid repetition to sample current opinions, provide an insight into appropriate research strategies and methodologies. A good literature review expands on the reasons behind selecting a particular research question. Thus the researcher plans to find a strong theoretical foundation provided for the study from a wide range of sources which relates to previously published researches: Books, journals, some ideas in newspaperà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, then assess the strengths and weaknesses of previous works, jus tifying arguments by referencing previous researches. The sources of literatures were cited following the required standard. In this Chapter, some hypotheses will be proposed for testing to answer research questions and archive research objectives in Chapter 1. Marketing Marketing is very critical for every business. Kotler, (2002) suggests that the scope of marketing relates to ten types of entities: Goods, services, experiences, events, persons, places, properties, organizations, information, and ideas. It shows that marketing gets involved to all activities of the business from identify the customers and customer needs, creating product and services, communicating to customers, sell its products to target customers, making its customers satisfiedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The researches and studies regarding marketing are numerous. Below are some definitions about marketing concept. An earliest definition of marketing is the performance of business activities that direct a flow of goods or services from producers to consumers (AMA,1935). This concept generally mentions about performance of activities, but these activities were not clarified, the concept is quite wide with simply mention about goods and services from producer to consumers. Since marketing becomes an interest topic that many scholars get involved to study. A lot of definitions were come up by researchers: Perreault McCarthy (2002), Kotler P Levy SJ (1969); Kotler et al. (2005) Another concept of marketing which get many opposed debates is that Marketing is simply figuring out what you have to do to sell your product or service for a profit Keefe (2004 p.17). Generally, the most accepted recently is the newest definition of AMA is that Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, cli ents, partners, and society at large (AMA,2007). 2.2 Marketing mix concept The term of marketing mix firstly developed by Bornden (1964), the sources of his inspiration come from the concept of his colleague Jame Culliton (1948, cited in Borden, 1984) which described the business executive is a mixer of ingredients, the marketing elements are the same with ingredients and marketing manager mixes some of these together to become the marketing mix strategy. Borden (1964) also identified twelve controllable elements of marketing mix: Product planning, pricing, branding, channel of distribution, personal selling, advertising, promotion, packaging, display, servicing, physical handling, fact finding and analysis. This is a list of elements or ingredients to make up a marketing program. Depending on each situation, the marketing manager will blend the number of these elements to constructing and formulating an appropriate marketing program to satisfy their customer needs and wants in target market. By this way, both company and customers objectives are achieved. McCarthy (1964) regroups twelve elements of Borden to four categories or usually called 4Ps now: Product, price, promotion, place. Each of these elements comprises some of 12 elements of Borden. And some research also suggested that if manage this mix properly, company will be successful. Mccarthys concept of marketing mix rapidly began to appear in marketing text. Judd (1987) suggested one more new important P is People. Furthermore, Boom Bitner (1981) extend 4Ps to 7Ps, he argues that product and service are different, so 4Ps is inadequate, so it is new marketing mix paradigm for service is: Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, physical evident and process. The later definition is that marketing mix is the controllable variables the company puts together to satisfy its target group (Perreault MCCarthy, 2002). This definition is similar with definition is tha marketing mix is the set of controllable tactical marketing tools product, price, place and promotion that the firm blends to produce the response it wants in the target market (Kotler et al., 2005). Both definitions mentioned about controllable factors to satisfy the customer in target market. Each mix element includes its factors as below Product: Variety, quality, design, feature, brand name, packaging, service, warranty. Price: List price, discount, allowance, payment period, credit term. Place: Channel, coverage, assortment, location, inventory, transport. Promotion: Advertising, promotion, personal selling, publicity. Kotler et al. (2005) also suggested that: An effective marketing program blend marketing mix elements into a coordinated programme design to achieve the companys marketing objective. When marketing mix concept is introduced, there are many researches to evaluate and criticise on it. Constantinides (2006) identified two significant limitations of marketing mix is internal orientations and lack of personalization. Both Gronroos (1989) and Popovic (2006) suggest that the 4 Ps and the marketing mix are production-oriented definitions, companies focus much on internal product, the market may be neglected. According to Mà ¶ller (2006) marketing mix too focus internally instead of customer behavior. Many researches show that the limitations of marketing are on: Production-oriented or too focusing on internal instead of standing on customer point of view. Therefore, Kotler et al. (2005) recognizes that 4Ps represent sellers view of marketing tool available for influencing buyer, it is not from customer point of view. In fact that each marketing tool must deliver a customer benefit, company should view 4Ps as customers 4Cs: Product: Customer need and want, Price: Cost to the customer, Place: Convenience, Promotion: Communication. Doyle (2000) argues that marketing mix approach leads to unprofitable decisions, because it is coordinated with financial objectives such as: Increasing shareholder value. Kotler (1984) proposes two additional Ps of political power and Public Relation to the marketing mix to cover more factors that is important for business as well, those are Political power and Public Relation. According to Schultz (2001) the 4 Ps are increasingly less relevant in todays market, despite of what they are still learned in marketing courses, academics write and res each about them Since marketing becomes a vital role in success of any business. Many researches are conducted on marketing mix and its element, more extend elements are suggested, it is obviously that marketing mix or some researches show many limitations or debates, but marketing mix is still the practice model to deploy company strategies effectively. And up to date, there is no any new models can completely replace for marketing mix 4P. 2.3 Marketing mix elements 2.3.1 Product A product as defined by Armstrong and Kotler (2005) that is anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use, or consumption that might satisfy a want or need. The latter can be best understood in terms of the manner of delivery of the particular service. Ferrell (2005) opines that the product is the core of the marketing mix strategy where retailers can offer unique attributes that differentiates their product from their competitors. According to Borden (1984) product is characterized by quality, design, features, brand name and sizes Also from Kotler et al.,( 2005) product can be divided into two categories: Tangible and intangible product, the tangible product is a merchandise that can be touched, hand, feel it, the intangible product or normally call service, which could not be touched or hand, unobservable. Product concept in this research refers to tangible product that is a car of Ford auto Vietnam. According to Kotler et al, (2005), product concept is including: Core product, augmented product and actual product. Core product regarding to main problem solving benefit or core benefit that consumer really wants to buy. When they obtain, this product will resolve their problems. The main purpose of buying a car is for travelling, safety and protection for health. The actual product is related to: Parts, features, design, product quality, styling, brand name and packaging or some more attribute that combined to core benefit of product. For a car, these attributes are most important for manufacturer attract and retain its customers The augmented product which including: Additional consumer service or benefit build around the core and actual product: Solution, warranty and repair service, instruction how to install or using, help desk, call center, free delivery. In those attributes, customer service and repair is more important that auto manufacturing have to pay attention. In order to satisfy the need of customer, the product designer have to consider all three components of product, because customer expect to buy three of benefit and they feel happy or satisfy when gain enough all the benefit. Many researches tried to find down the impacts of all above attributes of product to customer satisfaction. Kotler et al. (2005) suggested that Outstanding marketing companies go out of their way to keep their customers satisfied. Companies know that satisfied customers make repeat purchases and tell others about their good experiences with the product. Regarding to product quality and customer service factors in automotive industry in India, Asghar et al. (2011) found that the quality of products in Tata Motors Company enhances customer satisfaction, and also found that there is a positive relationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in the context of the Indian automotive industry. Product quality is one of factor of Product in marketing mix. The research shows that the more customers satisfied with quality of product, the more loyal they are with this product. And this may lead to the repurchasing companys product. Customer service is also a factor of Product element, since it becomes very important for any manufacturing company, especially in auto industry. Bastos and Gallego (2008) also provide evidence that customer service quality directly affects satisfaction and satisfaction directly affects the positive behavioral intentions. Rodoula (2005) finds that consumers perceiving a product being of high quality are more satisfied with the product than consumers perceiving a product being of low quality. There are a positive relationship between perceived quality and customer satisfaction in Shoes industry. It is suggested by Lien-Ti and Yuching (2001) that there is a positive relationship between product quality and customer satisfaction on automotive industry. Yelkur (2000) also finds that the critical elements in the services marketing mix influence and positively effects customer satisfaction. Moreover, the relationship between marketing and customer satisfaction is highly expressed among researchers (Zineldin Philipson, 2007). Cengiz and Yayla (2007) find that marketing mix having a positive effect on satisfaction and loyalty on word of mouth communication from accounting offices in Turkey. Mohammad et all (2012) suggests that Product and tourists Satisfaction are positively related to each other. Although not all attributes of product such as: Quality, designà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ were tested if any relationship or impact on customer satisfaction, but at least, there are so many studies show that product generally positive impact on customer satisfaction, and quality of product, customer service were tested, especially in automotive industry. So far there are no any research found that no any relationship between Product element or its factors with customer satisfaction. Or the negative impact of Product on customer satisfaction. So in this research the author tries to do the research the relationship between Fords product which were sold in Vietnam market and its customer satisfaction. So the hypothesis will be proposed as below: H1: There is a positive relationship between Fords Product and its customer satisfaction. 2.3.2 Price Price is one of very important element in marketing mix and the only element that produce the revenue to company. Price is very the most flexible element in mix, it can be change very fast to adapt with every stage of product life cycle, or to stimulate demand in short time, or can reduce to support selling of other product in production line or set to keep loyalty of customer. So that pricing may play an important role in helping to accomplish the companys objectives at many levels. (Kotler et al., 2005. p.668). Price decisions must be coordinated with product design, distribution and promotion decisions to form a consistent and effective marketing program. The definion of price that is the amount of money charged for a product or service, or the total values that consumers exchange for the benefits of having or using the product or service(Kotler et al, 2005) Similarly with Product element, Price also gets many scholars involved to study the relationship with customer satisfaction. A research of Oliver Swan, (1989) shows that perceptions of price unfairness lead to dissatisfaction and the purchase intention is influenced by satisfaction. This was consolidated by later search of Campbell (1999) that perception of price unfairness may trigger consumers negative emotions such as dissatisfaction, disappointment, and anger. So as a result, customers do not come back for repurchasing this product any more. Augene (1996) investigated the association between customer satisfaction and willing-to-pay or price tolerance, the finding shows that negative association between level of customer satisfaction provided by company and the degree of Price tolerance. In the telecommunication sector, Muzammil et al. (2010), also finds that both the factors Price fairness and customer service significantly contributed to explain customer satisfaction but compar atively price fairness had the larger impact on customer satisfaction than customer services. In another study of Herrmann et al.,(2007) on automobile concludes that customer satisfaction is directly influenced by price perceptions while indirectly through the perception of price fairness , demonstrate the influence of perceived price fairness on satisfaction judgments, Buyers price perceptions positively influences their perceptions of the fairness of price offers. Price is an important element in consumers purchases; therefore it has a large influence on consumer satisfaction judgments. Homburg et al., (2005) investigates the effects of price increases at an individual level, the authors argued that customers react to price increases are strongly driven by two factors: the magnitude of the price increase and the perceived fairness of the motive for the price increase. Soedijati Pratminingsih (2011) indicated that marketing mix has significant and positive relationship with students decision making for selecting a university for marketing mix. Another research of Muala Qurneh (2012) on Tourist sector shows that product, place, personnel and process significant impact on tourist satisfaction. It is less impact of Price on customer satisfaction, or it could be said that there is no any relationship with customer satisfaction. Because the tourists usually expect more on quality of tourist, instead considering price carefully. Martin Consuegra (2007) finds price fairness influences price acceptance indirectly through customer satisfaction and loyalty. According to Cheng et al (2011, consumers perceived price has a negative impact on customer satisfaction, which is that the higher the fast food industry product price is, the more it will reduce customer satisfaction. This result is consistent with the study result of Dargay (2007), and Hopkins (2007). Moreover, Cheng and Wu (2011) finds that when price increase reduces customer satisfaction in the global service market. Price increases as same as customers perceived price increase, it means that price fairness reduces. As a result, customers become dissatisfied with company goods or service. Kotler and Lane (2009) also proposed that there is a positive relationship between perceived price fairness and satisfaction. The more consumers perceive a price as gain, the higher their satisfaction. These findings also supports the idea that higher price may reduce customer satisfaction or consumption capacity. Martin-Consuegra et al. (2007) asserts that decision of customers to accept parti cular price relate directly to satisfaction level. Research on how price impact on customer satisfaction is very huge, most studies show that having the strong impact of Price and customer satisfaction in many areas, and this is the positive relationship. The more customer perceived fairness (or less customer perceived price), the more increase in customer satisfaction. The hypothesis will be tested at below: H2: There is the positive relationship between price of Ford auto and its customer satisfaction. 2.3.4 Place According to Kotler et al.,(2005) Place related to all the company activities that make the product or service available to target customers. Place refers to channel, coverage, assortment, location, inventory, transport. In the service sector, Place decisions refer to the ease of access which potential customer to a service such as location (distance to services sites) and distribution (e.g., home delivery, 24-hour availability) (Hirankitti et al., 2009). As same as with Product and Price, there are many previous researches to test the relationship between Place and customer satisfaction. Cheng et al., (2011) found that convenience has a positive impact on fast food industry customer satisfaction. It indicated that the more convenient, the more customer satisfaction will increase. This study result has corresponded with the study conclusion of Mahon et al. (2006) and Martinez-Ruiz et al. (2010). Gilaninia et al. (2012) also finds that the supply chain management has direct relationsh ip with customer satisfaction. Mohammad et all (2012) points out that Place and customer satisfaction are positively related to each other. According to Kotler and Amstrong (2010) when channel is used in marketing system that maximizes efficiency, effectiveness, maximizes costs and delivers the great customer satisfaction for companies, because the channel is link between producers and final consumers. Palmer (2000) also believes that physical distribution (order processing, warehousing, inventory, transport) affect on customer satisfaction. Ryu Han (2009) proposed that customers perception of physical environment factors: facility aesthetics, lighting, layout, and social factors had significant effects on disconfirmation and disconfirmation directly influence to cust

The Work Life Balance In Nestl International Management Essay

The Work Life Balance In Nestl International Management Essay Work/life balance is a very broader term and often referred to finding the right equilibrium between the different aspects and roles in a life of a person. Although there are different views and concepts about work/life balance but it is generally coupled with maintaining an overall balance in different aspects of life. During the last decade technological revolution has stormed all aspects of life and there were different debates about the future of work. Different scenarios predicted a rising trend in un-employment and economic insecurity. Industrial restructuring and emergence of latest technology no only affected the importance of workforce but it was also felt that employees will be treated as superfluous overheads. In this study of work/life balance the main objective will be to examin the ability of employees to handle concurrently the versatile demands of life at Nestle International. Work/life balance demands the right balance and equal amount of time devoted to official as well as personal life. The theory of this concept is not that simple and requires many developments and additional components to be incorporated. There are three different levels of equilibrium that affect the work/life balance. CHAPTER 1 Introduction History of Work/Life Balance: During the 1960s and 1970s, the concept of work/life balance was a new one and was basically used for those working mothers who usually struggle to cop up the requirements of their jobs as well as raising their children. However during the 1980s the importance of work life balance acknowledged all over the world and many multinational companies introduced the policies and measures to secure the rights of the workers and tried to maintain a right balance in their culture. By the end of the decade, work-life balance was seen as more than just a womens issue and male workers also raised their voices. By the mid of the 1990s work-life balance became a fundamental issue for individuals and it became a necessary part of the strategies of all the organizations all over the world. This growing awareness of the central importance of the issue resulted in major growth in attempted work-life solutions during this decade and many new studies and ideas emerged. As for today the situation has changed drastically and many changes have been made in labour law regarding the protection of rights of the workers and these changes in laws also have a significant affect on HRM policies and strategies of the organizations. Why Work/life Balance so Important? Over the past few decades, there has been substantial increase in work which is felt due to a very stiff competition in global markets and ever increasing pressure and demands from the organizations that expects more and more from their employees yet offers a very little security and compensations in return. For many employees today including both male and female their lives are becoming more complex and difficult with an increased burden of family and other personal responsibilities and interests. Therefore, in an effort to retain employees and maximize their performance, it is increasingly important for organizations to recognize this balance. This increased pressure has affected the life of worker at Nestle International in many ways. It is not only harming the social norms but also causing many physical and psychological diseases such as heart problem, weak immune system, stiff muscles, exhaustion and jumpiness etc. Increased working hours means there will be very less time to be spend with family and community. If an employee is not mentally satisfied or balanced, he will not be able to perform his duties with due diligence and care. Now, however, things have taken altogether a different turn. Employees quality of work-life is becoming a burning issue all over the world. For a growing number of employers, human resource challenges are their biggest concern. Leading employers are recognizing that positive work-life outcomes for employees from achieving work-life balance to the satisfactions of challenging work and career development are key ingredients of a successful business strategy. In practice, improving the quality of work life remains a tough challenge. Naturally, many managers see the important links between the quality of work life and organizational performance. Yet they face barriers to progress. So it is necessary to update the case for taking action to improve the quality of jobs and work environments. A happy and well balanced employee will not only perform his daily operation with utmost care but will also be able to avoid different complex social problems. Work/life programs will not only help to boost employees morale, reduce absenteeism, preventing the outflow of valuable information of the organization in difficult economic situations but will also reduce the cost and affect the overall performance of the company. It is very important for the human resource professional to understand the critical issues of work/life balance. Be it employees whose family members and/or friends are called to serve their country, single mothers who are trying to raise their children and make a living. Objectives of the Research To understand the concept of work/life balance. To understand the importance of a good and happy relationship between employer and employee. To evaluate the importance of work/life balance from the perspective of both the employer and employees. To explore the work/life balance at Nestle International. To evaluate the strategies of management at Nestle International and their role in maintaining work/life balance. To find out the solutions of different problems faced by the Nestle management in maintaining work/life balance within the organization. Importance of Work/life Balance from the Perspective of Employer: A balanced culture/environment in any organization will not only be helpful for employees in different ways but it will also provide many tangible benefits to the business. Implementing work/life balance provides an excellent opportunity to consult with staff to review the job design and develop innovative and supportive work practices. This sort of consultation will ensure the needs of individuals are met and a more agile workplace is achieved. It will also lead to a greater level of employee commitment to the success of the business. By minimizing the employees turnover in organization you will not only boost your repute as a good employer but it will also help to achieve the quality standard of products out prevent the outflow of valuable inside information to other organizations because if a skilled worker will leave the organization it will take a hell lot of time any money to replace him with some other suitable person. Importance of Work/life Balance from the Perspective of Employee: The For human being, home is a shadow of heaven on earth where he goes and takes rest but due to imbalance structure between work and life it has become an additional place of work with plenty of office tasks and assignment. Any human being will be able to perform his duties and tasks deliberately only when he/she has a right balance in between his/her official and personal life. A balanced and happy employee is more likely to perform better at work and can provide many tangible benefits for a business. There are new ways to make work work that benefit both employers and employees. In fact, research shows that flexibility is a critical component of workplace effectiveness and that employees who work in flexible and effective work places are more likely to: Be engaged in their jobs and committed to helping the company succeed. Plan on staying with their employers. Be satisfied with their job, which translates to good customer service. Exhibit better mental health and wellbeing. CHAPTER 2 Literature Review Introduction: Nestle is a Switzerland based company, founded by Henri Nestle in 1866. The success story of transforming a single mans idea into a giant corporation started from developing a milk food formula for infants by Mr. Henri in 1866. Soon the Nestle products became a success and more and more businesses wanted to merge or start a partnership with Nestle. In 1905 Henri Nestle joined hands with a Swiss milk company and the companys name became Nestlà © Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Co. Then in 1929, Peter-Cailler-Kohler Chocolats Suisses S.A. merged with the company. The name was then changed to Nestlà © Anglo-Swiss Holding Co. Ltd. In December 1947, company acquired all the shares capital of the Alimentana S.A. Company in exchange for fifteen Nestlà © shares and fifteen Unilac shares for each of Alimentana S.A. share, and the name was Nestlà © Alimentana S.A. And then finally, the last name change that the company would endure was in 1977, where it adopted the name Nestlà © SA (www.nest le.com). Today Nestle is one of the biggest giants in the food and beverage market of the world and it is marketing its products in almost 130 countries of the world. The company is manufacturing roundabout 10,000 different products and employing over 250,000 people all over the world. The company is selling almost a billion products everyday. The headquarters of Nestle are situated Vevey, Switzerland, but the operational facilities of the company are spread all over the world. The company not only increasing its size year by year but also increasing its product varieties. Nestlà ©s Greatest Asset are its Workers The slogan of Nestle that its people are their greatest asset is very much true as they care a lot about their people and encourage them to bring out the best in them. At Nestle it is made sure that people benefit maximum from their work at Nestle. What binds together the over 250,000 people across the world is a universal culture and a high degree of loyalty to the Company and to each other. The employees are encouraged to contribute in the company success by introducing new and innovative ideas. Above all, Nestlà © is genuinely international. One simple example is that around 80 different nationalities are represented among the 1,600 people in our Head Office. Each year a thousand people from all over the world come to our Training Centre in Switzerland. The corporate values of Nestle are: Trust Respect Involvement Pride The Concept of Work/life Balance at Nestle International Nestle is following the United Nations Global Compacts (UNGC) guiding principles that insures the human and labour rights and aim to provide an example of good human rights and labour practices throughout our business activities. At Nestlà © it is truly believed that there must be a good and healthy balance between the private and professional life of an employee. This thing not only increases the reputation of Nestle as a good employer but also helps to retain the most valuable people of the organization and reconciles economical essential with welfare. Employees who wish to take part in community welfare programs voluntarily are supported at Nestlà ©. In the same character, Nestlà © encourages flexible and friendly working conditions so that stress factor can be reduced up to the minimum level. Everyone has to find their own balance between work and other activities, but as a company we encourage all our employees to pursue interests outside the workplace. As football is the natural favourite Sports in European region so most Nestlà © units sponsor at least one football team. Nestle supports many cultural activities and home study programs in countries all over the world. One of the biggest evidence of good work/life balance at Nestle is that it enjoys one of the highest percentages of employees retention among the top multinationals of the world. Pre-retirement classes and facilities for retiree activities are available in many countries. Nestle also supports one of the largest retiree club with more than 1,000 members actively participating in events ranging from climbing, skiing and cycling to foreign travel, fitness and computer classes at its headquarters at verve, Switzerland. In addition, several of them take part in local volunteer projects such as delivering meals to other Nestlà © retirees in the region. Role and Strategies of Management in Maintaining Work/life Balance at Nestle One of the greatest debate is who bears the biggest responsibility in maintain equilibrium between official and personal life of a person? But according to the given circumstances the major burden definitely falls on the employer and those who are the part of senior management because these are the people who demand as much as work from their employees and tries to minimize the cost on the verge of a limited work force. Things have changed a lot now because different research works have showed the physical and mental health effects of heavy work load which ultimately affects the productivity and profitability of the company in the long run. At Nestle it is made sure by the management that an appropriate work-life balance exists in organizational culture which means employee will be at less risk for many serious health conditions that result from overwork and stress. Overworked employees not only exposed to many serious physical and mental diseases but also face many problems and issues in their social and family lives. This is a very alarming situation because those employees who spent the most of their time at work are usually error prone. On the other hand those employees who spend most of their time at off-work activities will usually be un-productive and not reliable. Such individuals are found in every office and they are major concern for the management. So it is the responsibility of the Nestle management to address the problems of these individuals. Management should encourage these individual to contribute more towards productivity. If an employee spend four hours working at home and solves more problems by working at home than at office , he should be encouraged by the Nestle management. At Nestle International top management offer different workshops and informative seminars to employees about work-life balance, and should make sure that the policies regarding these issues must be followed strictly. Different technologies have been introduced to employees, which help them in creating the right balance between their lives. Here are some of the strategies used by the Nestle management to enhance work/life balance in organizational culture. Employee Assistance Program (EAP) At Nestle International the introduction of Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) provide easy, free and confidential access to professionally trained counsellors to help the employees to overcome a large variety of professional and personal problems. Conveniences at Work Employees at Nestle International are offered different features in order to make their work convenient and easy such as: Fitness center Mothers lounge On site parking Bonuses at all levels Day care Cafeteria Parental Leave Parental Leaves are available for female and male workers to help them to see off their social responsibilities. Benefits Package Nestlà © offers medical and other visionary benefits packages to meet the health needs of not only their employees but also their families and domestic partners. Benefits of Maintaining Work/life Balance at Nestle International Talented and highly valued employees are the most important corporate resource of any company and it is not very difficult to get such talented employees so in order to retain them a flexible and balanced environment must exist within organization and organizational culture at Nestle fully demonstrate such features. If the employees will be satisfied they will be more focused and confident towards their work and by providing a right balance between the personal and professional lives Nestle ultimately enjoys a constant product quality and customer satisfaction. A balanced employee not only enjoy a happy personal life, avoids different risks relating to physical and mental heath but also add up to the reputation of Nestle as a good employer. By employee retention Nestle not only saves the outflow of very valuable information of the organization but also minimizes the additional cost required to train the new employee to bring him up to the level of expertises of the existing employee. CHAPTER 3 Methodology The main objective of this research is to create an understanding of the importance of work/life balance in the lives of employees as well as in the progress of the organization. General method to collect information for the purpose of conduct a Research Following are some of the method to collect information in order to carry on research. Questionnaire It is a method used to collect the information directly from people. It is consider as a realistic source of information which provide an opportunity for analysis. Moreover it provides more current information as compare to other source. it is considered to be the primary source of information. It also contain different options Interview Interview is another way of collecting data for conduction research. We can conduct different kinds of interview to find out the reasons of any problem. it is a direct face to face communication through which one can receive direct feedback on any issue under consideration. It is also one of the realistic sources of information. Studying the different documents and Survey Reports It is also an effective way to develop an understanding of different topic related documents and surveys which enable us to carry the research in an effective manner. These surveys enable us to develop an understanding on that specific issue in wide scope. Observation Observation is also an effective tool to collect information regarding customer expectations and factors which boost up customer expectation. Observation also helps to collect information regarding customer taste, marketing trends and rival competitive policies Discussion with expertise Carrying on discussions with those who have a vast expertise of understanding customer behaviours and mental situations. Through this we can extract very important information for the real purpose. Case Studies Studying different kind of case study is also enable us to enhance our understanding with the real topic and provide us very valuable information and clears the idea of main concept. The data collected through a questionnaire circulated and interview conducted at Nestle will form the base of this research work. The above mentioned questionnaire will consist of different questions relating to the work/life balance and it will target a group of 20 workers selected through random sampling representing the population as a whole. For the purpose of reference and other historical information different books, journals, articles and websites will be consulted. Time frame for completion of research is as under: No. Task Description Start Date Completion Date 1 Proposal Submission 2 Literature Review 3 Questionnaire Designing 4 Data Collection (Primary Secondary) 5 Data Analysis 6 Drafting Composing 7 Proof Reading 8 Submission