Contract Administration and Change Issues Term Paper

Contract Administration and Change Issues - Term Paper Example This is significant as it gives them the right to deal with contract changes as they deem them appropriate. They also approve the use of experts. Additionally, the right to terminate contracts reduces chances of conflicts and lawsuits where there is the likelihood of disagreement. Government contracting binds the terms of the contract between the contractors and the contracting officers as employees of the government, contracting officers and administrators ensure that contracts are run smoothly as per the agreed terms, while at the same time safeguarding the interests of America (Department of State Foreign Affairs, 2012). The officers and administrators ensure that funds are available for procurement and contract activities. GAO investigated the department of energy due to the high costs involved in them. With the responsibility of ensuring that there is adequate use of resources, with calls for lower government spending, then effective monitoring of costs achieves this purpose. Contract schedules identify the activities to be carried out in the contract agreement; it spells out the time for the completion of the activities in a chronological order. Adequate allocation of the available resources is also required to avoid unnecessary delays in contract implementation. Contract activities are then linked together to produce the overall schedule of activities, this, ensures that there is no duplication of activities. Another essential part is estimating the shortest time in which the contract can be completed; this follows the individual time of the activities. There is a need for analysis of the risk factors inherent in the contract, which may delay its completion. An improvement of the methods used in scheduling leads to a better estimate of the time required and the cost involved. Revenue flows can be better projected using the time

Certified General Accountant Essay Example for Free

Certified General Accountant Essay As a Certified General Accountant (CGA), ethics are a fundamental requirement. CGAs affect the welfare of their clients and also the wider stakeholder-society. It is crucial to work in accordance with the six CGA Canada Code of Ethical Principles. Fraud and negligence do occur however and they have negative implications on the professional, the client, the professional body, and society as a whole. For example, in the case of Kelley Lynch, she was trusted by her client, Leonard Cohen, to work responsibly as his business manager (Malemed). Unfortunately, her activities can be analyzed to demonstrate how she failed to act responsibly and directly violated three ethical principles. Lynch violated the ethical principle of Trust and Duties. As a professional accountant, Lynch failed to honour the trust that her client bestowed upon her and used her privileged position as business manager to cater to her own needs. For example, Lynch conspired with Richard Westin to hire him as Cohen’s tax lawyer in order to cater to her self-interest With Westin’s help, they devised a complex corporate structure as a vehicle for retirement savings. Taking advantage of her privilege to access Cohen’s finances, she stole over $50 million. Another key violation is that she failed to remain independent in mind and appearance, as she was once in a personal relationship with Cohen (Malemed). * * Lynch also violated the principle of Responsibilities to Society. She failed to uphold to responsibilities to society, which include acting with trustworthiness, integrity and objectivity. She failed to display these characteristics in her own actions and in her dealings with her colleague, Westin, while serving her client. For example, Lynch is entitled to 15% management compensation, however she broke Cohen’s trust by stealing more than $5 million of his savings, which is greater than her defined compensation amount. She failed to act with integrity and objectivity, when her client took time off from his career. She used this opportunity to receive more royalties through the scheme that Westin helped to develop (Malemed). * * Lynch also directly violated the principle of Deceptive Information. As a professional accountant, Lynch failed to not be associated with information that is false or misleading. With Westin’s help, Lynch pretended to sell Cohen’s music-publishing company and royalty for $12 million. Lynch falsely stated to Cohen that the money from the sale would go to a company owned by his children, but instead it went to a company almost owned entirely by Lynch (Malemed). * * In conclusion, Lynch failed to act responsibly with handling the finances of her client, Cohen and directly violated at least three of the six ethical principles. This is just one incident of fraud and negligence that has occurred in professional accounting bodies. Therefore, to maintain the integrity and respect of the CGA profession, it is crucial that members always act in accordance with the CGA Canada Code of Ethical Principles.

Coal Fired Power Plants Engineering Essay

Coal Fired Power Plants Engineering Essay In this chapter is going to be presented the function and some other aspects of a coal-fired power plant. First of all as coal-fired power plant it can be defined that plant which uses coal as fuel so as to produce electricity. Coal is a fossil fuel which is created through the compression of peat as it is buried under the earth. There are two general types of coal, the black coal and the brown coal. The typical mass of a black coal consists of [1]: 88% carbon 5% hydrogen 5% oxygen 1% nitrogen 1% sulphur In this chapter it will be analyzed the thermodynamic principle on which the operation of a power plant is based and some other auxiliary functions which are significant for the proper operation. Furthermore it is presented the emissions of a coal-fired power plant and some efficient ways so as to be constraint. 3.1 Historical evolution of coal-fired power plants The ever increasing demand for energy made it compelling the deployment of a technology which would have the ability to generate electricity in an effective and affordable way. On that basis the development of coal-fired power plants blocks started during 1950s when the first plants had a capacity of 60 MW and nowadays the capacity has raised up to 1010 MW in Europe and 1300 MW in the USA [2]. According to IEA [3] in year 2010 the total installed capacity of coal-fired power plants was more than 1600 GW and it is expected to be installed more 1000 GW until 2035. In Fig.1 it is presented the total capacity of coal-fired power plants installed through the years from 1920 up to 2004 worldwide an more specifically in countries such as the USA, China, Germany etc. where power demand is in very high levels. From the graph in Fig.1 it is obvious that the total capacity of the coal-fired power stations follows an upward trend. This enormous growth in coal-fired power plants can be explained on the grounds that coal is a very cheap fuel and in abundance in many places around the world as many studies have shown [4-7]. Fig. 1: Cumulative pulverized-coal plant installation between 1920 and 2004. Source: [8] 3.2 Clausius-Rankine Cycle In this section it is presented the basic principle on which it is based the operation of a coal fired power plant. This principle is known from thermodynamics as the Clausius-Rankine cycle or steam cycle. In Fig.2 it is shown the four steps that conclude the steam cycle and the basic devices which are necessary so as to be implemented. More specific the working media is water and steam and in the first step (1-2) the pump increases waters pressure and therefore it is consumed work by the pump. Afterwards in the next step (2-3) input heat Qin from the combustion of pulverised coal is transferred to water which is evaporated and converted into steam, and steam is heated further. In the step (3-4) the steam is expanded from a high pressure turbine to a low pressure one and in this way mechanical work is generated in the shaft of turbines. Ultimately in the final step (4-1) the output heat is released and the steam is condensed into water again. Thus the work of the turbine gained is gi ven by (1). WT = Qin Qout WP (1) Fig.2: Steam cycle. Source: [2]. 3.3 Operation of coal-fired power plants In Section 3.2 it was presented the theory which applies in the function of a coal-fired power station. In this section it is described in more detail all stages of a coal-fired power plant and the way in which the basic principle is implemented in practice. In Fig.3 it is shown a schematic of a typical coal fired power plant and all devices that make it up. The first step of the function of a coal-fired power plant is the supply of coal. This procedure is made through a conveyor belt which transfers coal to the coal hopper. After that coal is pulverized so as to become fine powder. In pulverized fuel boilers coal is pulverized into very small particles about 100 microns and this type of boilers is the most common [1]. The next step is coal to be burnt. Thus a preheated air stream drive the pulverized coal to the burners of the boiler, where fuel is burnt in short time and in this way it is produced a flue gas. This flue gas contains the chemical energy of the fuel (i.e. the coal) which has been converted into thermal energy. A portion of this thermal energy is transferred through radiation and convection into the water which circulates in a network of pipes inside the boiler and therefore the water is evaporated and converted into steam. This steam has very high temperature and pressure at this stage of the procedure (about 25 MPa and 5 00-600 oC [1]) and it is expanded from the high pressure turbine to the low pressure one. More specifically first the high pressure steam drives the high pressure turbine and the exhaust steam returns back to the furnace where it is reheated and drives the intermediate and low pressure turbines. This set of turbines rotates a shaft which is connected with a generator and in this way it is produced electricity. The exhaust steam which released by the low pressure turbine is cooled in the condenser and becomes water again. This water is pumped back to the network of pipes insight the boiler and thus the same procedure is iterated. In the condenser cold water is circulated into tubes, which usually comes from a river or sea. Thus the heat of the exhaust steam is exchanged with this cooling water, which temperature is raised after that and respectively the steam is liquefied and becomes water again. If the plant is near the sea or river, then the cooling water flows back in the sea or river with a higher temperature which usually is 10-20 oC up [1]. Otherwise the warm cooling water should be processed through a cooling tower in order to be cooled. The cooling tower is a system, where the warm cooling water is driven in a higher altitude in the top of the tower and then it flows down, being exposed to an upward stream of air and in this way it is cooled. As far as the flue gases are concerned, they are passed through different cleaning stages before discharged into the atmosphere through the stack. In more specific, the first step is to pass them through a device where the biggest amount of the dust particles is collected. This device is called precipitator. There are three kinds of precipitators which are bag filters, cyclone filters and electrostatic filters [1]. Next they pass into the desulphurisation unit so as the sulphur dioxide (SO2) to be removed. C:UsersGeorgeDesktopMSc SESCarbon capture transportAssignment 1ststeam-power-plant.png Fig.3: Schematic of a coal-fired power plant. Source: [9]. 3.4 Efficiency of coal-fired power plants The efficiency of power plant is a very significant factor, on the grounds that by improving it is needed less fuel to be consumed and CO2 emissions can be constrained. Of course it is not possible for every plant to have the same efficiency and there are many factors which can influence it [10]. In Fig.4 is presented in a flow chart which indicates the transformation of energy in one form to another, the losses in each stage and the total efficiency of a typical coal-fired power station. It can be inferred that the majority of losses occur during the conversion of thermal energy into mechanical in the turbines, where a big amount of thermal energy, i.e. heat is rejected through the condenser into the atmosphere. These losses are approximately 45% of the input energy and this fact is reasonable enough as it is explained by the second law of thermodynamics, which says that all heat engines have to reject some heat. Other significant losses occur in the boiler where about 6% of the inp ut energy is lost in flue gas and in auxiliary procedures, such as the pumps where the losses are roughly 9%. Therefore a typical coal-fired power plant has about 30% to 40% percentage of efficiency [1, 2]. Fig.4: Conversion energy stages, losses and total efficiency of coal-fired power plants. Source: [2] 3.5 Emissions of coal-fired power plants The typical emissions of plant which does not have any cleaning stages are [1]: Carbon Dioxide (CO2): 700 tonnes/hour Oxides of Nitrogen (NOX): 1t tonne/hour Sulphur Dioxide (SO2): 1-20 tonnes/hour Nitrogen (N): 2500 tonnes/hour Steam: 150 tonnes/hour Fly ash: 10-20 tonnes/hour It is noticeable that about 2500 tonnes/hour of Nitrogen are released, nevertheless nitrogen is the major component of the air we breathe and therefore it is deemed harmless. Moreover about 700 tonnes/hour of Carbon dioxide are discharged during the combustion process and on world bases whole coal-fired power plants are responsible for 21% of global carbon dioxide emissions [10]. Despite the fact that CO2 might be harmless in small concentrations as it is a component of air mix, in bigger amounts it poses serious threats for the environment and contributes to the climate change as several studies have shown [11, 12]. Therefore it is compelling to reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide and for this reason it has been developed several techniques of capturing and storage carbon [2, 13]. Nitrogen oxides contribute to acid rain and harm peoples health. They are discharged in bigger amount when the temperature of the boiler is higher [1]. Sulphur dioxide contributes also to the acid rain and therefore flue gases pass through the desulphurisation unit so as SO2 to be removed. Another very harmful emission of coal-fired power plants is the fly ash, which are known as particulates pollutes the environment in great extent and can also be responsible for respiratory problems in terms of peoples health. However most plants are equipped with precipitators so as to remove this dangerous fly ash as it is referred in Section 3.3. 3.6 Advantages-disadvantages of coal-fired power plants One major advantage of using coal for generating electricity is the reliability that offers. The coal-fired power plants can supply power to the grid with great reliability so as blackouts to be avoided during peak electrical loads. Except for that coal is very cheap fuel compared with other fuels and that fact makes this technology affordable enough and there is in abundance. On the other hand the disadvantages of coal-fired power plants are that they release greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere X. References [1] BOYLE, G., EVERETT, B. and RAMAGE, J.: Energy systems and sustainability,(Oxford university press 2003). [2] SPLIETHOFF, H.: Power generation from solid fuels, (Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010). [3] FINKENRATH, M.,SMITH J. and VOLK D.: CCS retrofit. Analysis of the globally installed coal fired power plant fleet, (International Energy Agency 2012), p 17. [4] ANDRULEIT, H., BABIES H.G., MEBNER, J., REHDER, S., SCHAUER, M. and SCHMIDT, S.: Reserves, resources and availability of energy resources 2011, (German Mineral Resources Agency, Hannover 2011). [5] WORLD ENERGY COUNCIL: 2010 Survey of energy resources. Available on: http://www.worldenergy.org/documents/ser_2010_report_1.pdf. Accessed in October 2012. [6] BP: Statistical review of world energy June 2012. Available on: http://www.bp.com. Accessed in October 2012. [7] THIELEMANN, T., SCHMIDT, S. and GERLING J.P.: Lignite and hard coal: Energy suppliers for world need until the year 2100 An outlook, International journal of coal geology, 2007, 72, pp. 1-14. [8] YEH, S. and EDWARD, S.R.: A centurial history of technological change and learning curves for pulverized coal-fired utility boilers, Energy, 2007, 32, pp. 1996-2005. [9] Image. Available on: http://electricalandelectronics.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/steam-power-plant.png. [10] IEA: Power generation from coal: Measuring and reporting efficiency performance and CO2 emissions. Available on: http://www.iea.org/ciab/papers/power_generation_from_coal.pdf. Accessed in October 2012. [11] NORBY, R.J. and LUO, Y.: Evaluating ecosystem responses to rising atmospheric CO2 and global warming in a multi-factor world, New phytologist, 2004, 162, pp. 281-293. [12] DELWORTH, T.L., MAHLMAN, J.D. and KNUTSON, T.R.: Changes in heat index associated with CO2-induced global warming, Climatic change, 1999, 43, pp. 369-386. [13] GIBBINS, J. and CHALMERS, H.: Carbon capture and storage, Energy policy, 2008, 36, pp. 4317-4322.

The right to live, the right to die. Essay -- Euthanasia Essays

Euthanasia, along with all other forms of medical involvement concerning the ending of human life has been a subject of great controversy for some time, dating back to the times of Socrates, and is a topic which has long attracted the attention of both medical and legal professionals, ethicists, and is often brought up in general public debate (Huxtable & Campbell, 2003) The term euthanasia derives from the Greek 'eu', which means 'good', and 'thanatos', meaning 'death' (Ladd, 1979). In a medical context, the Hippocratic Oath popularly believed to be undertook by all practising physicians suggests all medical practitioners will endeavour to ensure all patients' well being, it is all too easy to misinterpret the oaths' meaning in order to manipulate and justify actions that would otherwise be deemed unethical; specifically for the act of euthanasia. This essay will discuss the arguments both for and against euthanasia, with careful consideration given to all aspects related to the debate. Perhaps the most well known arguments in the euthanasia debate are that of the sanctity of life, of which holds palpable religious connotations which will be further discussed; the ending of suffering or 'low quality of life'; and the respect for patient autonomy (Huxtable & Campbell, 2003). In terms of extremities of the euthanasia debate spectrum, the Church of England (2000) have published a document greatly opposing euthanasia, whilst on the other hand, Otlowski (1997) has thoroughly researched and published an analysis of the law with the ultimate aim of ensuring euthanasia as a legal option. In terms of a religious perspective, and for purposes of extended clarity; Christian views, there is much contradiction to be found regarding euth... ...ts will invariably disagree with utilitarianists, and visa-versa, thus deeming all cases as requiring ethical investigation on an individual scale. Seemingly similar cases may have entirely different circumstances altogether, and may or may not have different outcomes. Although religion can play a major role in many cases of euthanasia, it is unlikely witnessing a relative suffering chronic untreatable pain will override any alleged desire to prolong life longer than required; however, certain circumstances often provide members of some religions with no other choice, for example, as in the case of Jehovah's Witnesses, where blood transfusion is not allowed. In conclusion to the available evidence, case studies and theoretical aspects of euthanasia, it can be argued that whilst people have the inherent right to live, they also have the right to die with dignity.

The Precursors Of Today’s Engineers

The precursors of today’s engineers listed in the quotation from Wickenden had no classes and few or no books from which to learn scientific principles. How can you explain their success?William Wickenden remarks were direct to the facts that the first engineers were self though, geniuses in nature and well skill in technical aspects. Even without the formal scientific education they were able to engineer master creation such as the Roma’s aqueducts and others. Their success came from the ability of observation and trial and error and a hands-on in the manufacturing process of the era. 1-2. Compare how well engineering and management satisfy the several parts of the definition of a profession.The engineering profession involves the application of science and mathematics, practical training, experience and work-study to satisfy the human necessities. The management profession involve the way personnel are directed to a specific task or training. The Engineering managemen t profession combine both resulting in a profession that is oriented to brings together the technological problem-solving savvy of engineering and the organizational, administrative, and planning abilities. 1-3. Why is it so difficult to answer the simple question â€Å"How many engineers are there in the United States?† Is the question â€Å"How many physicians are there in the United States?† any? Easier?We can do an approximation of the engineer using the university graduation rate but due the long list of engineering field that doesn’t require state registration as a professional engineer is difficult establish the total engineering working force in the US. Contrary to the engineers the physician need to be register in the state that they are working and for that reason is easier to account for all physicians.Comment on the sensitivity of U.S. engineering employment to a major change in the Department of Defense budget. What types of engineers would be espec ially affected?Working in the department of defense NAVY, I can attest to the fact that reduction in the General funds of the Department of defense will reduce the MILCO projects and then a reduction in the civil engineering work force can be foreseeing.What are the similarities in the definitions of management quoted from authors of management textbooks? Do the definitions provided by business executives differ in any way? Synthesize your own definition of management.From this entire collection of quotes the common factor is the interaction and direction to the human factor that the manager need to performed to achieve the organization goals. All quotes have similar interpretation of management.The work of creating and maintaining environments in which people can accomplish goals efficiently and effectively (Albanese10)†¢ The process of achieving desired results through efficient utilization of human and material resources (Bedeian11) †¢ The process of reaching organizati onal goals by working with and through people and other organizational resources (Certo12) †¢ A set of activities (including planning and decision making, organizing, leading, and control- ling) directed at an organization’s resources (human, financial, physical, and information) with the aim of achieving organizational goals in an efficient and effective manner (Griffin13) †¢ The process by which managers create, direct, maintain, and operate purposive organizations through coordinated, cooperative human effort (McFarland14)†¢ The process of acquiring and combining human, financial, informational, and physical resources to attain the organization’s primary goal of producing a product or service desired by some segment of society (Pringle, Jennings, and Longnecker15)How does the job of supervisor or first-line manager differ from that of a higher-level manager?The first line manager can be call as the â€Å"do man† there are focus in the short ran ge operating plans governing what will be done tomorrow or next week, assign tasks to their workers, supervise the work that is done, and evaluate the performance of individual workers. The higher-level look the operation from 30, 000 feet about sea water overseeing the big picture of all process such as; financing, cost, and business development. 1-7. How does the job of a top manager differ from the jobs in the several levels of middle Management?As specified in the previous questions the top manager focus in the big picture of the organization performance or as they said the NAVY they don’t want to know what is in hot dog the tell me the total hot dogs that we have. Question that they focus, the goals are reached? the funding is in place, all requirements are meet? .Identify the three types of skills needed by an effective manager, as conceived by Robert L. Katz, and describe how the relative need for them might vary with the level of management.The three skills that Katz suggested that the Manager needs are technical, interpersonal and conceptual, He describe that the first line of manager need to have the technical skill due to the position in the lowest level where there are supervising technical personnel. It also mentions that the interpersonal skill is need in the lowest and higher level because the iteration with people. Finally the conceptual skill is inherent to the higher level manager were they need to see the broad picture of the industry that there are managing. 1-9. From the 10 managerial roles provided by Mintzberg, choose three or four that you consider most important for the first-line manager, and explain your selection. Repeat for middle-level and top managers.1. First-line manager: the manager require to be focus in the short range operating plans governing what will be done tomorrow or next week, assign tasks to their workers, supervise the work that is done, and evaluate the performance of individual workers. 2. Leader 3. The di sturbance allocator 4. The resources allocator2. Middle-level manager: They focus in the performance of the operation and served as the link between the lower and high management, The liaison The monitor role The disseminator The negotiator The resources allocator3. High level manager: they focus on overseeing the big picture of all process such as; financing, cost, and business development. The Figured head The spokesman The entrepreneurial 1-10. How would you distinguish between engineering management and management in general?Engineering management require a technical background and expertise in the area of work , the decision making need to be according with the fundamental of sciences and engineering including all cost analysis and life cycle analysis. the general management is oriented to the management of no technical resources such as clerical and no technical personnel. We can simplify saying that depending whom and what are going to be managed is the requirements of the ty pe of manager.

Explain the Function of Assessments in Learning and Development

GROUP C – KNOWLEDGE BASED UNDERSTAND THE PRINCIPLES AND REQUIREMENTS OF ASSESSMENT 1. 1 EXPLAIN THE FUNCTION OF ASSESSMENT IN LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT Assessment can be used for many different purposes, including to identify students’ needs, plan and adapt courses, check that learning is taking place, motivate students, acknowledge learning and measure results. Assessment is used for various purposes. * Assessment for learning: where assessment helps teachers gain insight into what students understand in order to plan and guide instruction, and provide helpful feedback to students. Assessment as learning: where students develop an awareness of how they learn and use that awareness to adjust and advance their learning, taking responsibility for their learning. * Assessment of learning: where assessment informs students and teachers, as well as the broader educational community, of achievement at a certain point in time in order to celebrate success and support continued progress. Assessment must be planned with its purpose in mind. Assessment for, as and of learning all have a role to play in supporting and improving student learning, and must be appropriately balanced.The most important part of assessment is the interpretation and use of the information that is gathered for its intended purpose. Research and experience show that student learning is best supported when * Instruction and assessment are based on clear learning goals * Instruction and assessment are differentiated according to student learning needs * Students are involved in the learning process (they understand the learning goal and the criteria for quality work, receive and use descriptive feedback, and take steps to adjust their performance) Assessment is carried out to ensure that learning has taken place.If you do not assess the student you cannot assess their knowledge and skills in their learning area. The student needs guidance to understand what it is they have to learn, if they are doing well and how they may improve. Assessment is essential for this to happen. Assessment encourages students to ask questions on anything they have not fully understood and allows them to build on their strengths and learn from mistakes by listening to the assessor’s feedback.It is important that assessments are both valid and reliable. Validity relates to the question – does the assessment measure what it claims or appears to measure and can we make judgements based on the results of the assessment? The assessment must form a fair and balanced representation of the area of knowledge being assessed. Reliability relates to the accuracy of the marks or grades that result from the completion of the assessment.The results would need to be the same if the assessment was carried out by another person or directed to a similar student. In addition to being valid and reliable, assessments should also be: * Authentic – based on the candidate’s own work * Current – Still relevant/able to be completed at the time of the assessment * Sufficient – covering all the required elements. Word Count: 456

Electrocute

Electrocute Electrocute Electrocute By Maeve Maddox The verb electrocute was coined in the late nineteenth century on the model of execute in the sense of â€Å"to inflict capital punishment upon.† Unlike execute, which has a legitimate Latin etymology, electrocute is a portmanteau word. H. W. Fowler (A Dictionary of Modern English Usage) held it in disdain: This word does not claim classical paternity; if it did, it would indeed be a barbarism. It is merely a portmanteau word formed by telescoping electro- and execution, and, as it is established, protest is idle.† Fowler was writing about forty-five years after Buffalo, New York dentist Alfred P. Southwick invented the electric chair in 1881 as a more humane method than hanging. The first person to be executed by electrocution was William Kemmler (1860-1890). The newness of the word is apparent in the two earliest OED citations, dated 1889 and 1890: He wants to be ‘electrocuted’ The gentlemanshould be ‘electrocuted’ By 1903, the word was in use without enclosing quotation marks. The OED includes a second definition of electrocute as â€Å"to give an electric shock to† and includes this citation from an Australian source: I was electrocuted. I can still smell the flesh burning. American usage, however, does not allow for the survival of an electrocuted person. Merriam-Webster offers two definitions: 1. to put to death as a legal punishment by causing a fatally large electric current to pass through the body. 2. to kill by electric shock. The following examples from the Web illustrate nonstandard (US) usage: I was trying to unplug my cell phone charger and got my fingers too close to the bottom. They touched the prongs and I got electrocuted! I electrocuted myself three times trying to unplug my laptop charger. Teenage friends electrocuted trying to take selfie on top of  train (The girls were severely injured, but, as they survived, they were not electrocuted.) Paul Brians (Common Errors in English Usage) summarizes US usage this way: To electrocute is to kill using electricity. If you live to tell the tale, you’ve been shocked, but not electrocuted. For the same reason, the phrase â€Å"electrocuted to death† is a redundancy. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Compared "to" or Compared "with"?Between vs. In BetweenA "Diploma" is not a "Degree"

Historical Journal to Write a Review of the Book “Can’t stop Won’t stop” Essays

Historical Journal to Write a Review of the Book â€Å"Can’t stop Won’t stop† Essays Historical Journal to Write a Review of the Book â€Å"Can’t stop Won’t stop† Essay Historical Journal to Write a Review of the Book â€Å"Can’t stop Won’t stop† Essay Name: Lecturer: Course: Date: Historical Journal to Write a Review of the Book â€Å"Can’t stop Won’t stop† The historical content of the book â€Å"Can’t stop Won’t stop† by Jeff Chang has been argued as the most valuable in terms of addressing the hip-hop music that has risen to become an American art. The book makes a generous recount of the origin of hip-hop, which has shown its beginning from a generation of neglected children from Bronx who changed their world through dancing, art, music, speech and fashion as well. Although the book has mainly focused on hip-hop, it has also provided an account of a people’s history. The book has tackled diverse areas that include relationships between races, globalization, media studies, multicultural as well as polycultural issues, containment politics and issues of abandonment. The book provides the best case of hip-hop history as a complete American art. The book starts with an exploration of the social conditions of New York, largely focusing on the South Bronx during the years that led to the birth of hip-hop. Although this part is not directly related to hip-hop, it is among the most important parts towards understanding the history of hip-hop as well as what makes it a special art in America. The social history of Bronx where it started provides a good account of the historical background leading to the birth of hip-hop. Chang describes the most important event leading to birth of hip-hop as the construction of the cross-Bronx Expressway that forced people to change where they lived (Chang 12). Blacks were forced to move to South Bronx where social housing was available but limited jobs. The economic condition of South Bronx had been worsening where about 80% of youth were unemployed. Because of unemployment, many gangs formed in self-defense efforts as well as affiliation depending on races. This had affected racial interaction where white youths formed their gangs as blacks and Latinos formed theirs as well. Hip-hop came as music for party from these gangs. It included graffiti, arts, dancing such as break dancing and a mixture of several arts that included black, Hispanic and several others (Chang 42). Clearly, it was a way of expressing themselves as well as defining an identity with which to associate. The social history provides a deeper understanding of the historical content surrounding the rise of hip-hop as well as its purpose. After addressing the historical events leading to hip-hop, Chang now turns to expansion of hip-hop where it was used as a medium of commenting on politics through rap. It was seen as the voice of those who were not supposed to be heard within the society. Recounting its evolution such as the political rap provides a historical purpose of hip-hop art. He describes the hip-hop generation from its heights to its lows. This way, he is able to provide a historical account of its origin as well as what influences this art. For instance, the 1980s saw the emergence of political rap, due to the political events of slashing budget meant to support the poor at the time. This allows the reader to have a clear view of its purpose and trend over the years (Chang 312). It is clear that hip-hop is a art in America, a art that is influenced by the greater change within the national level, as well as global realm. Hip-hop generation has continued to evolve with the changing times. While it was rising up during its birth, it was out of poverty and lack of employment. It went on to address political issues within the society and currently addresses issues within the broader society. This has been easy to realize after reading the book. Its flow, as well as arrangement of chapters from a social background to its rise provides a rich knowledge of hip-hop generation as a art that is not going to end. It provides a good historical account, which explains its purpose of existence as well as events leading up to its birth, which provide strong root for the hip-hop art. This makes the book quite a valuable literal work that tracks the emergence of a art that has risen from impoverished youths to influence people within United States, as well as the whole world . Work cited Chang Jeff. Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. New York, N.Y: Ebury Publishing, 2011. Print.

Human motivation midterm essays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human motivation midterm essays - Essay Example It explains human behavior as it is supposed to be an inborn tendency that directs it. Along with need theories learning theories it bore traces of Darwinian concepts. The problem with the instinct theories is that it ignores the interaction between an individual and an environment. According to Landy and Conte (2006), this is the reason why the need theories replaced it in popularity. Citing Maslow’s notion, they explained that need theory is an improvement over the former because it allowed for the environment to play a role in motivated behavior by suggesting that when one set of needs was satisfied by external forces, the next higher set of needs are activated. (p. 334) The person as â€Å"godlike† is one concept shared by cognitive, learning and humanistic theories of motivations. Here, there is an assumption that humans are rational and that there is a faculty of discernment when it comes to actions - its results and its relationship to goal-attainment. Each of these theories is universal in terms of their notion of rationality, their ideas of the human body as well as its needs. Furthermore, the traces of Freudian and Darwinian influences in these theories reinforce their appeal in this regard. The theory of obesity is mostly confined to the cognitive categories in theorizing human motivations. Barbara Dossey enumerated what the theories focus on: overeating behaviors as totally determined by learned responses; negative self-talk that triggers the desire to eat and overeat; negative body images that can contaminate self-concept to drive overeating behaviors; as well as the self-monitoring and response control as a way of correcting it. (p. 313) Meanwhile, to compare scientifically, the overweight notion is a condition of increased body weight in relation to height and is determined by a certain standard of acceptable weight; on the other hand, the concept of obesity is the accumulation of excess fat for one’s age and body type.

Ethics Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethics Paper - Essay Example If throwing one overboard saves me, then I would do so without hesitation. The act would not even bring into consideration whether the other three left with me on the boat are saved or not; as long as I am saved, the others can be in any condition possible. But such an egoistic attitude is often considered unethical in social interactions. If everyone acts for the sole benefit of oneself without any thought for one’s surroundings (or neighbours), then the social contract – as described by Thomas Hobbes – would break down and society would cease to exist. On the other extreme, a completely altruistic approach would make me act entirely for the good of others, even if it implies that I would be harmed in the process. Thus, if one of the five people on the boat needs to be thrown overboard, I would jump off myself to save the other four. However, both the approaches above are not logically based on cogent grounds, and therefore, it is suggested that the situation is analysed not through these two extremes, but through other justified ethical theories. The utilitarian theory, founded by Bentham and taken further by Mill, claims that an ethical act is one that maximises society’s happiness as a whole. It is analogous to a communist philosophy where individual elements and motives are disregarded for overall social benefit. Going by this theory alone, the act of throwing one person overboard to save the other four is ethically justified.

Article summary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Article summary - Assignment Example company that lowers the price of its tickets will affect not only its own profitability but also the profitability of its competitors since a lower price will influence consumers’ decision making† (p.490). This way, this article relates to the concept of best-cost strategy. We know that best-cost strategy enables the producer to provide value-added products to consumers by lowering the prices and enhancing the value of the product. Unlike low-cost strategy, best-cost strategy focuses on a broader market and adds value to the product. Poh and Mohayidin (2011, p.494) state that â€Å"Value is what buyers are willing to pay and superior value stems from offering lower price than competitors for equivalent benefits.† This means that consumers will prefer to travel on that airline which has low ticket prices but provides the similar or even greater benefits than other competitor airlines. Here comes the concept of best-cost strategy. Airlines adopting the best-cost-str ategy will attract more consumers in the broader market as it eliminates customer changing preference behavior and enhances image positioning of the service provider. Poh, L.S., & Mohayidin, M.G. (2011). Competitive pricing strategies of low cost airlines in the perspective of game theory. International Conference on Sociality and Economics Development , 10, pp. 490-494. Retrieved March 12, 2014, from

Romeo and juliet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Romeo and juliet - Essay Example In my opinion, no one is directly to blame for the tragedy, it was matter-of fact, faults that occurred. The dispute between the Capulet’s and the Montague’s has expanded generations. The young love which has capitulated Romeo and Juliet into each other’s arms was something that nobody can help. It is quite true that love sees no reason, it only sees what it wants to see and this sets off their romantic story. As a famous line by Juliet in the play goes â€Å"Whats in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet† (Shakespeare, 55). The bickering of the two families is reminiscent of the problems which is the whole tragedy of the story. It was the plot of the play. It was a number of misfortunes that rolled into the final event. If there was any into the series of events that I would have to consider pivotal in the deaths it would have to be the slipup of the messenger in not being able to deliver the message to Romeo. A passage in the play goes (Shakespeare): When the message was not delivered to Romeo it was the culmination of the succeeding events. His ignorance of the fact that Juliet is not really dead aroused his emotions which led to his consequent suicide. Had he been informed that Juliet merely drank a potion but not poison then he would not have killed himself. In this case it would have to be in relation to the fault of Friar Laurence. The idea was set in motion by Father Laurence and therefore it is primarily his hand in the whole plan designed to ideally bring them back together. When he wed the two without the blessing of their families it was the start of the predicament escalating. He believed that by marrying the two he would be able to alleviate the two families’ war. ‘To turn your households rancour to pure love’ (Shakespeare, 115). He was helpless with the pleas of the couple. It was to their hearts desire that they be wed and there was little to nothing that could stop them from their

Education and Professional Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Education and Professional Studies - Essay Example This paper approves that The context of primary education in England and Wales in which the ideology of child-centered education is still central, it is not possible to devise any assessment task or test to be implemented by teachers, which will not be subject to very considerable contextual effects. The National Curriculum is a statement of educational entitlement to which no child should be denied. To withdraw a child’s entitlement by disapplying the National Curriculum requires strong justification. The Code of Practice on special educational needs reiterates the inclusivity of the National Curriculum: ‘Children with special educational needs require the greatest possible degree of access to a broad and balanced curriculum including the National Curriculum’. This paper makes a conclusion that one way of utilising children’s motivation for learning and of building on this is to encourage children to develop their own interests through topic- or project-based learning. The extent to which a topic approach to developing learning is motivating for children may depend on how the topic is chosen. Ways of introducing topics range from wholly child-centred to more strongly teacher-initiated. At the child-centred end are situations in which learning develops naturally from a child’s firsthand experiences. This approach requires much careful teacher guidance of children and direct teaching when the need for this is apparent. Its great strength is that it starts with the child’s interests but difficulty arises in ensuring progression, balance and breadth in learning.

Professional Nurse Accountability Research Paper

Professional Nurse Accountability - Research Paper Example    In addition to that autonomy and authority are administrative tools for control whereas accountability is a moral principle that governs the relationship between the givers of authority and the recipients (Mackie, Martin & Thomson, 1995). Currently, the nursing profession has made great inroads with regards to engraining accountability amongst its practitioners. Firstly, nurses have established several professional standards outlining the guidelines and principles for the all who seek to join in the profession. For example, the American Nurses Association (ANA) developed a Code for Nurses which â€Å"provides a clear framework within which nurses can seek to uphold the standards of care and protect the clients they serve† (Hood & Leddy, 2006, p.307). Also, each state in the United States has mandatory guidelines in place that distinguish professional nursing from other health professions, defines the professional nursing practice and specifies their scope of practice. In addition to the institution of professional standards, the nursing fraternity is actively pursuing methods of improving the state of the health care delivery system. This manifests maturity and professionalism within nursing because by accepting an appropriate degree of responsibility for the current situation, nurses are able to legitimize their claim for a piece of the healthcare pie. Thirdly, the profession of nursing is encouraging its members to be aware of and accountable for not only their actions but also those of their colleagues. This is done through initiatives such as reporting chemically impaired coworkers. According to Hood and Leddy (2006), there are forty state boards of nursing that offer alternatives to disciplinary actions that involve legally binding programs for detoxification, treatment, peer assistance and so on that are  geared to assist chemically impaired coworkers.

Romeo and juliet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Romeo and juliet - Essay Example In my opinion, no one is directly to blame for the tragedy, it was matter-of fact, faults that occurred. The dispute between the Capulet’s and the Montague’s has expanded generations. The young love which has capitulated Romeo and Juliet into each other’s arms was something that nobody can help. It is quite true that love sees no reason, it only sees what it wants to see and this sets off their romantic story. As a famous line by Juliet in the play goes â€Å"Whats in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet† (Shakespeare, 55). The bickering of the two families is reminiscent of the problems which is the whole tragedy of the story. It was the plot of the play. It was a number of misfortunes that rolled into the final event. If there was any into the series of events that I would have to consider pivotal in the deaths it would have to be the slipup of the messenger in not being able to deliver the message to Romeo. A passage in the play goes (Shakespeare): When the message was not delivered to Romeo it was the culmination of the succeeding events. His ignorance of the fact that Juliet is not really dead aroused his emotions which led to his consequent suicide. Had he been informed that Juliet merely drank a potion but not poison then he would not have killed himself. In this case it would have to be in relation to the fault of Friar Laurence. The idea was set in motion by Father Laurence and therefore it is primarily his hand in the whole plan designed to ideally bring them back together. When he wed the two without the blessing of their families it was the start of the predicament escalating. He believed that by marrying the two he would be able to alleviate the two families’ war. ‘To turn your households rancour to pure love’ (Shakespeare, 115). He was helpless with the pleas of the couple. It was to their hearts desire that they be wed and there was little to nothing that could stop them from their

Professional Nurse Accountability Research Paper

Professional Nurse Accountability - Research Paper Example    In addition to that autonomy and authority are administrative tools for control whereas accountability is a moral principle that governs the relationship between the givers of authority and the recipients (Mackie, Martin & Thomson, 1995). Currently, the nursing profession has made great inroads with regards to engraining accountability amongst its practitioners. Firstly, nurses have established several professional standards outlining the guidelines and principles for the all who seek to join in the profession. For example, the American Nurses Association (ANA) developed a Code for Nurses which â€Å"provides a clear framework within which nurses can seek to uphold the standards of care and protect the clients they serve† (Hood & Leddy, 2006, p.307). Also, each state in the United States has mandatory guidelines in place that distinguish professional nursing from other health professions, defines the professional nursing practice and specifies their scope of practice. In addition to the institution of professional standards, the nursing fraternity is actively pursuing methods of improving the state of the health care delivery system. This manifests maturity and professionalism within nursing because by accepting an appropriate degree of responsibility for the current situation, nurses are able to legitimize their claim for a piece of the healthcare pie. Thirdly, the profession of nursing is encouraging its members to be aware of and accountable for not only their actions but also those of their colleagues. This is done through initiatives such as reporting chemically impaired coworkers. According to Hood and Leddy (2006), there are forty state boards of nursing that offer alternatives to disciplinary actions that involve legally binding programs for detoxification, treatment, peer assistance and so on that are  geared to assist chemically impaired coworkers.

Organizational Behavior Essay Example for Free

Organizational Behavior Essay The paper would discuss about a case study of a departmental store called, Macy’s, where the problem statement would be elaborated, comprehensive analysis would be done regarding the problems and circumstances, and finally recommendations would be given as a solution which would be followed by a conclusion. So let’s have a quick overview of what the case study talks about. Macy’s, which is a departmental store organization, has recently decided to reshape the organizational structure where more emphasis would be laid on the local districts and stores as compared to the central stores. Moreover, they would be given more autonomy and authority to operate, conduct research, order merchandise, and market those products in a suitable manner depending on the type of the target market, social norms, and customers’ needs. This strategy is designed in order to keep the customers close to the business, understand what actually they want, how they want, and at what prices they want; therefore, doing every such thing in order to fulfill their needs and wants and keeping them satisfied. Macy’s has around 20 districts that operate in different regions, and the managers or staff working there would now be handling with less stores than previously. This would be done to make them focused on the areas where they are working, penetrate in there, grab the market share, and bring in more profits. Not only this, Macy’s several retail outlets were named differently, which all are rebranded and named as Macy’s. This is all done because previous mergers and expansion of the business did not provide lucrative results due to the improper formulation and implementation of the strategies. Problem Statement The problem in reshaping the organizational structure is that many of the employees, around 2000, would be laid off in just a blink of an eye, which would of course create some retaliation on part of the employees and unions. Another problem would be the decision-making, as in, who should be appointed as a manager or supervisor of a given district so that he enjoys his autonomy and own decisions. It would create conflicts among the employees because everyone would be willing to be a manager or supervisor. Read more:Â  Essay on Organizational Behavior Furthermore, the restructuring would take time and most importantly, the costs of operating separately would increase because each store in a different district would be ordering different types of products with different features and variants. Not only this, marketers would have to conduct research extensively to find out the consumer’s needs, wants, preferences, and purchasing power. Case Study Analysis Now let’s highlight each problem and analyze it in great detail. Starting from the first problem where 2000 thousand employees would be laid off, it would not be pointless to say that the employees would retaliate over the uncertainty of their jobs as in, whom the company would be layoff and why. This would instigate a sense of demotivation, dejection, and a feeling among the employees where they would no longer see them as part of the organization; therefore, the performance would drastically decline before the implementation of the new plan – reshaping the organizational structure. Instead of moving on forward and implement the plan, the company would entangle itself in another problem and hence would waste the time in dealing with it. Talking about the second problem, of course the employees would be glad that finally they would get a chance to think, plan, and implement their own ideas and strategies since they would be held responsible for their separate stores and given autonomy. But on the other hand, the big question mark that would be lying in the minds of the employees would be to whom the autonomy would be given be given and why, because almost every one of them would love to have such autonomy. Conflicts after conflicts would occur because once the employees are given their charge and autonomy, each of them would face confrontations from those who were neglected and not selected as a manger. This would create a ripple effect in the whole process and would eventually undermine the organizational performance. Not only this, the demands of each of those managers or supervisors regarding the resources and funds would be different, since each of them would want to spend as much money and resources as required in order to get fruitful results. This of course, would lead to the lavish spending and waste of resources that might lead to the incurring of loss for the company due to the increase of unnecessary costs. The reshaping of any organization’s structure is not an easy task; in fact, it takes time and resources to take it to the next level. Currently Macy’s has a tall or mechanistic structure, where there lies several hierarchies and the power or autonomy is central; and the new strategy is designed to eliminate some hierarchical levels and distribute the powers to separate districts in order to have an organic or flat structure (Robbins Judge, 2007). The problem related to this restructuring would be manifold because the company would have to be ready to face the ever-increasing costs of operating separately and customizing the product lines. First of all, the costs related to the payrolls would increase as the responsibility of the employees would increase. Not only this, the managers would have to be trained for acquiring the skills to handle the whole district and the stores, so this would require considerable amount of investment too. When it comes to gathering the information about the locality to know the market trends, customers’ needs and wants, in order to sell customized products; therefore, the managers would have to be provided with sufficient funds and resources to conduct market research surveys through several tools including questionnaires, focus groups, in-depth interviews, and informal interviews (Zikmund, 2006). Increased costs would not stop here, in fact the tailoring of products with respect to their types, sizes, colors, and features would require the manufacturer and supplier costs to increase. In addition to these problems, there is no surety that the new strategies would work the way they are expected to and give favorable outcomes. If they get flop, the result would be quite disastrous for the company and all of its district stores. Till now we discussed the problems that are there and might arise when the new plan would be implemented; now let’s shed some light over the recommendations for overcoming these problems. Recommendations Macy’s departmental store management team should consider the dark sides of its plan and prepare contingency plans that can be implemented to overcome the loss. First of all, in order to deal with the retaliation problem from the side of employees due to layoff, Macy’s should introduce a plan where those employees who are to be laid off, would be informed well before the time and would be offered three month salaries in advance so that they do no face any problem until they stay unemployed. This would somewhat cool them down and would not force them to retaliate. As far as the second problem is concerned, Macy’s should consider appointing the senior employees as managers of separate district and local stores, who are there at Macy’s for many years and have considerable experience. Not only this, another strategy that should be introduced and implemented throughout the Macy’s stores chain is the compensation plan called Performance-based compensation, where the employees who perform well and have better productivity level are rewarded by monetary rewards or promotion to be a manager or supervisor. This will create the need and sense of responsibility among the employees to reduce unnecessary costs, improve productivity in terms of sales, and gain overall efficiency; therefore, the issue of wastage of resources would automatically diminish. Furthermore, the conflicts would be eliminated since all the employees would be working diligently so that he or she can be promoted and rewarded more. Since Macy’s departmental organization has an extensive chain of stores, so implementing such a big change of organizational restructuring would not be easy and would require the services of specialists and consultants. Therefore, Macy’s must hire some change agents and consultants who would then study each and every aspect of the organization, the needs and requirements, and would form an effective plan for bringing on the change. They usually adopt the method including three major steps – freezing, changing, and refreezing (Daft, 1997). The whole process of change would go systematically and the chances of occurring of blunders would be very minimal, since these change agents are master in their jobs. Conclusion After analyzing the whole case study, we found out several problems that the company might face when the new plan of organizational restructuring takes place. Those problems include retaliation from the side of employees due to layoff, conflicts among the employees over getting more autonomy and job status, and swelling costs due to the separate demands and needs of the stores operating under distinct cultural and social settings. Then we highlighted some of the recommendations that if implemented, can overcome these issues effectively. Employees must be told in advance about their being layoff and granted with three months of advance salaries. Secondly, Macy’s should appoint experienced and senior employees as the mangers and supervisors of the chain stores; moreover, performance-based compensation plan must be implemented. And finally, the services of change agents and consultants should be taken for implementing the new plan of restructuring, who would implement it in a systematic way by first freezing the company, changing it, and then refreezing it. Consequently, the task of restructuring is a hectic and difficult one that requires ample amount of time, but it is not impossible and can be made to meet its end meet by devising effective strategies to carry on with it. References Daft. R. L. (1997). Management. Fourth Edition. U. S. A. The Dryden Press Robbins. S. P, and Judge. T. A. 2007. Organizational Behavior. India. Dorling Kindersley Pvt. Ltd. Zikmund. W. G. (2003). Business Research Methods. Seventh edition. Singapore. Thomson Asia pte. Ltd.

Role of Franchising in Business Growth

Role of Franchising in Business Growth CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION Franchising has become one of the most recognizable business formats and an internationalization strategy for business practitioners globally and also in the United Kingdom especially in the way entrepreneurs are operating under other peoples business concept. It has emerged over the years as a popular expansion strategy for a variety of product and service companies. This research critically examines how franchising play vital role in retail business growth and expansion in the food industry, using the Strand Mc Donalds as a case study. The research looks at the importance of franchising, and will be very informative for organizations and stakeholders directly and indirectly involves in franchising business. This chapter looks at the research background, organization background, the research problem, the aim and objectives of the study, the scope and limitations, brief introduction of the study area and the structure of the research. RESEARCH BACKGROUND Franchising is basically a specialized form of licensing in which the franchisor not only leases intangible property (normally a trademark) to the franchisee but also insists that the franchisee agree to abide by strict rules as to how it does business. The franchisor will often assist the franchisee to run the business on an ongoing basis, (Hill 2008.pp 408). It is similar to licensing, although franchising tends to involve longer term commitments than licensing. Franchising is a method of distributing products or services. At least two levels of people are involved in a franchise agreement, namely: the Franchisor, who lends his trade mark or trade name and a business system; and the Franchisee, who pays a royalty and often an initial fee for the right to do business under the franchisors name and system of operations, technically, the contract binding the two parties is the franchise. Franchising has emerged in recent years as a highly significant strategy for business growth, job creation, and economic development at both local and international retail business arena, (Hoffman Prebble, 1995.p 80). It has moved from traditional product (trade mark) areas such as automobiles, petroleum and soft -drink bottlers to be a more proven format business concept. Over 80% of Mc Donald restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by local businessmen and women. They adapted Ray Krocs franchising business strategy of providing high standard of quality, friendly services, cleanliness and value, (QSCV). Also in the hotel industry, companies such as Marriott, Holiday Inn, Hilton and Accor have employed franchising as their primary growth strategy globally. Of course, the most well known restaurant franchise in the worlds is McDonalds. So much has been written about Ray Kroc and the McDonalds brothers that McDonalds and Crock have become an institution. The first McDonalds were opened in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1955 and soon afterward, more McDonalds outlets continued to open. Today there are more than 30,000 McDonalds in 118 countries. There is no doubt that when it comes to franchising and fast foods in general, McDonalds is the leader of the pack. (Teixeira, 2005, p. 20). The international franchise association estimates that American consumers spend approximately 1.3 trillion dollars on franchise goods and services on an annual basis. (Teixeira 2005, p.19). This shows that the franchise strategy is one of the important aspects in expanding business and economic development. Different research methods will be used to analyze data/ findings for this research, and the sources of data will include observations and interviews. This research therefore, focuses on the importance of franchising as a business growth and expansion strategy from both the franchisee and the franchisors perspective. It also examines the relationship that exists between the franchisee and the franchisor .The benefits of franchising to Mc Donalds (franchisors) in expanding its business globally and its international market position through leveraging its brand name and business process through the utilization of the capital and local management of its franchisees will also be examine in this research. ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND McDonalds Corporation (McDonalds) is one of the worlds largest foodservice retailing chain. The company is known for its burgers and fries which it sells through more than 31,900 fast-food restaurants in over 100 countries. The company originated and operates mainly in the US and has expanded globally to over 100 countries including United Kingdom. It is headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois and employs about 400,000people. The company recorded revenues of $23,522.4 million during fiscal year ending December 2008 (FY2008), an increase of 3.2% over FY2007. The operating profit of the company was $6,442.9 million during FY2008, an increase of 66.1% over FY2007. The net profit was $4,313.2 million in FY2008, an increase of 80.1% over FY2007. (McDonalds Corporation Company profile, (Data monitor) June 2009, p.16) McDonalds restaurants offer a substantially uniform menu, although there might be geographic variations. In financial year 2008, the company operated more than 31,900 fast food restaurants in over 100 countries in the following geographic segments: the US; Europe; Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA); Latin America and Canada. The company is one of the worlds largest food service retailing chain, preparing and serving a range of foods. All McDonalds restaurants offer a standard menu, which comprise food items such as hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, Big Mac, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Filet-O-Fish, Chicken McNuggets, French fries, salads, milk shakes, desserts and ice cream sundaes. Some McDonalds restaurants offer additional food items to suit local taste and preferences and sell a variety of other products during limited-time promotions. (McDonalds Corporation Company profile (Datamonitor), June 2009, p.5) McDonalds generates revenues through company operated restaurants and franchisee restaurants where over 6,500 are operated by the company and over 25,400 are operated by franchisees and affiliates. The companys revenue comprises sales from company operated restaurants and fees as well as rent from franchisees and affiliates. Under the franchise arrangement, the franchisees invest in the equipment, signage, seating and decor, while the company owns or leases the land and building. Franchisees pay the company service fees and rent for premises. A service fee is set as a percentage of sales, while rent and other terms of occupancy are stipulated in the franchise agreement, which is drawn for a period of 20 years. (McDonalds Corporation Company profile, June 2009) The company and its franchisees as well as affiliates source purchase food, packaging, equipment and other goods from approved suppliers. The company maintains quality standards through assurance laboratories around the world. A quality assurance board, including the companys technical, safety and supply chain specialists, provide guidance on all aspects of food quality and safety. The major competitors of McDonalds include Starbucks corporations, Burger Kings Inc, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), and other upcoming high streets food restaurants worldwide. (McDonalds Corporation Company profile, (Datamonitor) June 2009) In October 1974, the company opened its 3000th restaurant and the first in the U.K in woolwich, south-east London, (Business franchise, 2009). The U.K headoffice was sited in Hampstead, North London.Web1 Also in 1986, the first U.K franchisee- operated restaurant opened in Hayes, Middlesex, (Business franchise,2009) and the first Drive-thru restaurants opened in U.K at fallowfield, Dudley, Neasden and Coventry. Web1 RESEARCH PROBLEM Research problem forms the basis of most academic research study. It is based on this that the aim, objectives and the research questions of most dissertations are formulated. There must be identified problems that the dissertation seems to tackle, mostly business problems. Despite the popularity of franchising among business organizations and entrepreneurs nowadays as a business expansion and development strategy, it has been unacceptable to some entrepreneurs because of its disadvantages and risks involved. To these groups of individuals, setting up and management of owned business is the best option, no matter which forms it take to start. The assumption is that franchising is a system of building, expanding and adding value to someone else existing business, which many entrepreneurs will always avoid, as Norman(2006) indicated Many conclude the time, effort, money and shift in emphasis from running a business to helping others run businesses is not right for their companies,(p3) On the other side, some individuals choose franchising as their best option to start up business because of its merits and less risk involved in starting business. To these pro-franchising entrepreneurs, it plays a major role in business growth and expansion, especially in retail food industry globally. This research, therefore critically examines these arguments and answer the question how is franchising vital to retail business growth and expansion according to the views of the pro- franchising business entrepreneurs. SIGNIFICACE OF THE STUDY Theoretically, a broad range of literature does exist on franchising concepts and in most instances, there seems to be gap between theory and practice in most business organizations. However, it is significant to find out the practicality of the literature in real life situations. It is essential therefore, to carry out this study in order to find out whether in reality the ideas provided by literatures are actually revolving around management issues and applied to business organizations. The findings of this study will assist a wide range of stakeholders interested in franchising business including the government, private sectors, and local authorities to increase the general understanding and knowledge of franchising particularly in the food sector. To the researchers, academicians, it helps deepen further research in business development who will be interested in franchising in the future. RESEARCH AIM AND OBJECTIVES The main aim of this dissertation is to investigate how franchising play an essential role in retail business growth and expansion in the food industry. Research Objectives In order to achieve the above stated aim, the following objectives will be specified: Analyze the impacts and importance of franchising (business format) on organizations (business) growth and expansion. Assess the benefits of franchised businesses on the socio-economic growth of the economy. To determine whether economic conditions affects the success of franchising as a strategy for business growth and expansion. Investigate the importance of the franchisee-franchisor relationship on the business growth and expansion. Examine the risks involved in the franchising relationship. Examine the effects/impacts of globalization on franchising as a business growth and expansion strategy. To make suggestions and recommendations based on the findings elicited by the study. THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY The study was carried out in London covering using one of the McDonalds restaurants as the study area. The content of the study was to understand how franchising contributes to business growth and expansion in retail business sector. THE STUDY AREA London is one of the cities of England; it is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. It has 32 boroughs, of which 13 are in the inner London and 19 constitute the outer London. (Office for National Statistics Online). Web2cited. It is a growing city spreading out and swallowing many villages and towns in the south east of England. Because of this, there are many conflicting definitions of London and Greater London and the population of London varies accordingly. As the capital city, London occupies over 6,267 square miles (16,043km2). London population is heavily concentrated at about 4,539 people per sq km/ 11,568 per sq mi. Web3 According to the figure from the April 2001 census, London population was 7,172,000. This represents 14.6 percent of the total population of Britain. The population as of mid 2005 was thought to have been increased to 7,517,700 of which about half of this figure lives in inner and central London and the remaining lives in outer boroughs. Web 3 Londons population has grown every year since 1988, and it is likely that in the years to 2031, it will continue its steady growth. The study area lies in inner London borough of Westminster, which lies in the busy business environment of the city (central business district), It is very close to the seat of power, the parliament, and it is very close to many international business environments, busy London streets, tourist attractions like the London eye, Trafalgar square, British museum, National Gallery, National Art gallery, Covent Garden- since its redevelopment in the 1970s has become a popular piazza and nucleus for visitor activity in Londons cultural district with theatre, opera and ballet venues. (Page et al, 2001.p122). London is a multicultural city, where different people from around the world lives and study, it comprises of individuals with diverse cultural background. Because of the above description about the study area, it has become an important area to carry out this research, because of the concentration of other franchised business in the area. STRUCTURE OF THE RESEARCH Chapter One (Introduction): This state clearly the purpose of the dissertation, it includes the background of the study, significant of study, the statement of the research problems, organization background, the research aims and objectives, scope and limitations of the study. It also describes the study area briefly. Chapter Two (Literature Review): This section deals with the academic review of texts, journals, articles and so on, relevant to this research topic. It also discusses model and relevant theoretical ideas on the subject matter. Chapter Three (Research Methodology): comprises the methodology used for this study. It includes the styles and techniques chosen in collecting primary and secondary data/ informations for this research purpose. Chapter Four (Data Analysis/ Research Findings): The chapter that report and describes the findings of the survey to be undertaken, it describes both primary and secondary findings. Chapter Five (Conclusions and Recommendations): This chapter set out the main findings of the dissertations linking it with the literature reviews and the research findings. It also sets out clear recommendations which came out of the research work. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW INTRODUCTION This chapter provides a review of relevant literatures on franchising. It will be used as a base to throw more light on the importance of franchising concept and the roles it plays in business growth and expansion. The literatures were selected and critically evaluated in a bid to sift the relevant informations, and portray the opinions of relevant authors. It offers academic insight to research previously conducted by authors on the importance of franchising to retail business growth. Lastly, the section acknowledges the principal research questions for this study. DEFINITIONS OF FRANCHISING CONCEPT Hill, (2008) defines franchising as a specialized form of licensing in which the franchisor not only sells the intangible property (normally a trademark) to the franchisee, but it also insists that the franchisee agree to abide by strict rules as to how it does business, (p.408). It usually involves long term commitments than licensing. On the other hand, Business format franchising is a joint venture between an independent person (the franchisee) and a business owner (the franchisor) who wants to expand its activities. The venture is governed by a contract. This gives the franchisee the right to operate using the franchisors trade name/ trademark, in accordance with a business format or blueprint. All aspects of the franchisees business are strictly controlled including image, products or service, systems and administration. (HSBC Bank, 2009.p1) The franchisee pays certain amount of money for the right to use the franchisors trademark. Firms use franchise arrangements to extend scarce firm resources, because the franchisee puts up both an initial fee and much of the capital investment, franchisors are able to expand their markets without having to generate capital by themselves, and in most cases exploit on the knowledge of the local entrepreneurs in expanding their business. This is an attractive option, particularly in mass consumer services such as fast food that require the construction of many units to achieve brand name recognition and increased market share like McDonalds Restaurants. BRIEF HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT IN FRANCHISING Franchising is highly developed in the USA, although popular in the UK, but a recent phenomenon. Its development dates back to the end of the American civil war (1865), when the singer sewing company franchised exclusive sales territories to financially independent operators. In 1898, General motors used independently owned businesses to increase its distribution outlet. (Lancaster Reynolds, 2005, p160).At some point, there were some form of disagreements and arguments among historians in the United States regarding when the franchise system first started. According to Bythe Bennett,(2008), franchising began to gain acceptance as a viable business arrangement with the growth of automobile industry, and also in the petroleum industry during the 1930s, (p.234) Franchising became one of the fastest growing types of retailing business in the United Kingdom in recent years.It was introduced into the UK in the early 1950s and since those early days, has become respectable and often very profitable business concept as a result of explosion in the number of franchises being operated. Today franchising encompasses products from pipes to pastries and includes such well known names as Body Shop, Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonalds, and so on. (Lancaster Massingham, 1999, p269). For instance, Over 80% of Mc Donald restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by local entrepreneurs. They adapted Ray Krocs franchising business strategy of providing high standard of quality, friendly services, cleanliness and value, (QSCV). Also in the hotel industry, companies such as Marriott, Holiday Inn, Hilton and Accor have employed franchising as their primary growth strategy globally. The first McDonalds were opened in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1955 and soon afterward, more McDonalds outlets continued to open. Today, McDonalds has over 300,000 restaurants in 119 countries outside the U.S or in non-traditional site locations in the US. There is no doubt that when it comes to franchising and fast foods in general, McDonalds is the leader of the pack. Of course, the most well known restaurant franchise in the world today is McDonalds and so much has been written about Ray krok and the McDonalds brothers that McDonalds and Crock have become an institution. (Teixeira, 2005. p.20-21). Teixeira, (2005, p21), indicated that during 1960s and 1970s, the growth of franchise industry exploded and continued to gain appeal with a boom mostly in Europe, on an increased rate, and this has been supported also by welsh (1992) in Doole Robin (2004) franchising has grown rapidly during the 1990s due to the strong interest in a variety of franchise formats, (p.230). These successes remain an ongoing process. According to Ghauri Cateora (2005, p.280), franchising has become the fastest growing market entry strategy, it is often among the first types of foreign retail business to open in the emerging market economies of Eastern Europe, the former USSR, and China. It has become successful as it is evidenced in most retail food business, and it has now become a major business growth and development and marketing strategy globally. It can be viewed from these two perspectives. McDonalds is a good example of organization that has grown with franchising strategy, (Hill, 2008.p.408). Franchising explosion in recent years however has increasingly saturated the domestic market, where businesses are opening in airports, sports stadiums, colleges, hospitals, parks, casinos, pools and other strategic locations globally. (Kotler Keller, 2006.p508) Lastly, the surge in franchising has been underpinned by the efforts of different bodies who regulates the activities of franchised organizations, like the International Franchise Association, (IFA), British Franchising Association, (BFA) various franchising organizations globally, which has developed codes of practice for franchising entrepreneurs, and in doing so, has recorded progress and greatly helped to reduce the risks to both franchisees and the franchisors. (BFA NatWest Bank, 1991). TYPES OF FRANCHISING Monir (1999 pp.164) identified two major types of franchising in his book. These include: First Generation/Product Distribution Franchising simply sells the franchisors products and is supplier-dealer relationships. In product distribution franchising, the franchisor licenses its trademark and logo to the franchisees but typically does not provide them with an entire system for running their business. This is often common with soft drink-bottling industries, automobile, and in petrol retailing. Second Generation/Business format franchising by contrast, the franchisor transfers a much more comprehensive business package (the format) to buyers of the franchisee. This contains most of the elements needed by the buyer to establish and replicate the business. The buyer also receives detailed instructions and guidance on how to operate the franchise successfully, managerial expertise, training and perhaps financial support if need be. Diagram 1: Showing Two major types of franchising There have been other divisions of franchising as recognized by other authors identified as important for the understanding of this research. Justis Judd, (2007, p.56) identifies two major types of franchising namely: product and trade name and business format franchising. Nathan, (2008 p.54) also classifies business format franchising into six major groupings as follows: executive, job, investment, management, retail, sales and distribution franchise. Also, on the other hand, Murray (2006, p.23), identifies four major categories as, Job, Retail, Management and Investment Franchising. Franchise Arrangements Beshel (2001,p3), reiterated that because of the possibilities of so many franchisors, industries and range of investments, there exists different types of franchise arrangements available to business owner. Two types of franchise arrangements were identified: Single-Unit(direct) franchise Multi-Unit Franchise ( Area development and Master development franchise) A single-unit (direct-unit) franchise is an agreement where the franchisor grants a franchisee the rights to open and operate one franchise unit. This is the simplest and most common type of franchise. It is possible, however, for a franchisee to purchase additional single-unit franchises once the original franchise unit begins to prosper, it is then considered a multiple, single-unit relationship. A multi-unit franchise is an agreement where the franchisor grants a franchisee the rights to open and operate more than one unit. Beshel (2001, p3), also identifies two ways in which multi-unit franchise can be achieved: An area development franchise or A master franchise. Under an area development franchise, a franchisee has the right to open more than one unit during a specific time, within a specified area. For instance, a franchisee may agree to open 5 units over a five year period in a specified territory, while master franchise agreement gives the franchisee more rights than an area development agreement. In addition to having the right and obligation to open and operate a certain number of units in a defined area, the master franchisee also has the right to sell franchises to other people within the territory, known as sub-franchises. Therefore, the master franchisee takes over many of the tasks, duties and benefits of the franchisor, such as providing support and training, as well as receiving fees and royalties, (Beshel, 2001, p3-4). Blair Lafontaine (2005, p.90) and Philip et al, (2006, p.77) also identifies the above four classifications as forms of franchising where all the four were grouped together. Building a strong foundation for a successful franchising strategy A successful franchising concept needs an appropriate business strategy and lots of facts have been identified as making a business appropriate to be franchised and make it worthwhile to invest in. According to HSBC Bank, (2009, p1), a well established and proven business format franchise from the franchisee perspective should provide an established market for the franchisors products and services, proven sales, marketing and operational procedures, the benefit of an established business name, training (ongoing support and help in running the business), also, where appropriate, help in finding, fitting out and furnishing premises. Hoffman Prebble (2008, p.68) also add some factors that influence the appropriateness of a business concept using franchising including; valuable System to sell, proprietary process/ advantage for making the product in getting to the end customers, a satisfactory brand/ trade name like McDonalds which will be acceptable to the larger population, and high Profit Margin business. On the other hand, Murray (2004,p.67), shows some possibilities in which potential franchisee get a proven business format and support from the franchisor, which includes, an entire business concept with no bits missing out, with the aid of the operating manuals, trademarks, logos, patents, and standard designs for the layout of the premises, colour and pattern of staff uniforms, accounting and financial systems, training and help to set up the business, continuing help and back-up once the business is operating, legal right to operate in an exclusive territory and marketing, public relations and advertising support, decor in case of retail franchises, the franchisor will provide design and advice for the fitting and decoration of the shop and the installation of any equipment necessary, records, the franchisor will provide the franchisee with sales report and accounts forms to assist the franchisee maintain accurate financial report. On the franchisors perspectives, Sherman (2003, p414), explains that in order for business growth through franchising, a secure foundation from which companys franchising programme has to be launched. He uses the concept of the responsible franchising as the only way to avoid failure and to ensure a harmonious relationship with the franchisees. He outlines some of the key components of a responsible franchising strategy. These includes, proven prototype location/ chains of stores, strong management team, sufficient capitalization, distinctive and protected trade identity, comprehensive training programmes franchisees, proprietary and proven methods of operation and management, field support staff who are skilled trainers and communicators, set of comprehensive legal documents, demonstrated market demand for the companys products and services, set of carefully developed, uniform site selection criteria and architectural standards, genuine understanding of the competition, relationship s with suppliers, lenders, real estates developers, franchisee profile and screening system, an effective system of reporting and record-keeping, research and development capabilities, communication system, national, regional and local advertising, marketing and so on. Sherman (2003, p.417), went further to acknowledge that Responsible franchising starts with an understanding of the strategic essence of the franchising structure. He identified three critical components of the franchise systems from the franchisors perspective. The brand, which creates the demand, allowing the franchisee to initially obtain customers, the brand includes the companys trademarks and service marks, its trade dress, decor and all of the intangible factors that create customer loyalty and build brand equity, the operating system, which essentially delivers the promise, thereby allowing the franchisee to maintain customer relationships and build loyalty, the ongoing support and training that the franchisors provide, supplying the franchisee with the tools and tips to expand its customer base and build its market share. Sherman, (2003,) also acknowledges the importance of customers in any responsible franchising business concept. He mentions that the responsibly built franchise system is one that provides value to its franchisees by teaching them how to get and keep as many customers as possible who consume as many products and services as possible, as often as possible,(p.417). He concludes that the focus must always be on the customer, where the franchisor essentially licenses and delegates the task of local brand building and market expansion to the franchisee in its local territory. (Sherman, 2003, p.417) Importance of Franchising To Business Growth and Expansion Franchising has gained much popularity in modern business environment over the years, because of its success in contributing to business growth and expansion globally which is the primary aim of this research. This can be viewed from the perspective of the franchisee and franchisor respectively. Sherman (2003) acknowledges the growth of a business via business-format franchising in the United States. He maintains that The ability to obtain operating efficiencies and economies of scale are among the reasons for franchising and one of the key components of a responsible franchising strategy is a proven type of location that will serve as a basis for a franchising strategy, (p.411). Over the past three decades, franchising has emerged as a popular expansion strategy for a variety of product and service companies. Sherman,(2003), points to the importance of franchising, he states that recent international franchise association (IFA) statistics demonstrates that retail sales from franchised outlets comprise nearly 50% of all retail sales in the U.S, estimated at more than $900 billion and employing some nine million people in 2000. (p.411) Also in his view, Sherman,( 2003,p 411), points out to what has made franchising so popular in the U.S. and globally as a business development and expansion strategy, from the franchisors view, franchising represents an efficient method of rapid market penetration and product distribution, without the typical capital costs associated with internal expansion.On the other hand, from the franchisees perspective, franchising is regarded as a method of owning a business but with a less severe chance of failure due to the initial and ongoing training and support services offered by the franchisor. According to Shay (2009, p.6) franchising is the key to Global Economic Recovery and that franchise businesses represent some of the worlds best brands. He went on to explain the rate at which fra Role of Franchising in Business Growth Role of Franchising in Business Growth CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION Franchising has become one of the most recognizable business formats and an internationalization strategy for business practitioners globally and also in the United Kingdom especially in the way entrepreneurs are operating under other peoples business concept. It has emerged over the years as a popular expansion strategy for a variety of product and service companies. This research critically examines how franchising play vital role in retail business growth and expansion in the food industry, using the Strand Mc Donalds as a case study. The research looks at the importance of franchising, and will be very informative for organizations and stakeholders directly and indirectly involves in franchising business. This chapter looks at the research background, organization background, the research problem, the aim and objectives of the study, the scope and limitations, brief introduction of the study area and the structure of the research. RESEARCH BACKGROUND Franchising is basically a specialized form of licensing in which the franchisor not only leases intangible property (normally a trademark) to the franchisee but also insists that the franchisee agree to abide by strict rules as to how it does business. The franchisor will often assist the franchisee to run the business on an ongoing basis, (Hill 2008.pp 408). It is similar to licensing, although franchising tends to involve longer term commitments than licensing. Franchising is a method of distributing products or services. At least two levels of people are involved in a franchise agreement, namely: the Franchisor, who lends his trade mark or trade name and a business system; and the Franchisee, who pays a royalty and often an initial fee for the right to do business under the franchisors name and system of operations, technically, the contract binding the two parties is the franchise. Franchising has emerged in recent years as a highly significant strategy for business growth, job creation, and economic development at both local and international retail business arena, (Hoffman Prebble, 1995.p 80). It has moved from traditional product (trade mark) areas such as automobiles, petroleum and soft -drink bottlers to be a more proven format business concept. Over 80% of Mc Donald restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by local businessmen and women. They adapted Ray Krocs franchising business strategy of providing high standard of quality, friendly services, cleanliness and value, (QSCV). Also in the hotel industry, companies such as Marriott, Holiday Inn, Hilton and Accor have employed franchising as their primary growth strategy globally. Of course, the most well known restaurant franchise in the worlds is McDonalds. So much has been written about Ray Kroc and the McDonalds brothers that McDonalds and Crock have become an institution. The first McDonalds were opened in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1955 and soon afterward, more McDonalds outlets continued to open. Today there are more than 30,000 McDonalds in 118 countries. There is no doubt that when it comes to franchising and fast foods in general, McDonalds is the leader of the pack. (Teixeira, 2005, p. 20). The international franchise association estimates that American consumers spend approximately 1.3 trillion dollars on franchise goods and services on an annual basis. (Teixeira 2005, p.19). This shows that the franchise strategy is one of the important aspects in expanding business and economic development. Different research methods will be used to analyze data/ findings for this research, and the sources of data will include observations and interviews. This research therefore, focuses on the importance of franchising as a business growth and expansion strategy from both the franchisee and the franchisors perspective. It also examines the relationship that exists between the franchisee and the franchisor .The benefits of franchising to Mc Donalds (franchisors) in expanding its business globally and its international market position through leveraging its brand name and business process through the utilization of the capital and local management of its franchisees will also be examine in this research. ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND McDonalds Corporation (McDonalds) is one of the worlds largest foodservice retailing chain. The company is known for its burgers and fries which it sells through more than 31,900 fast-food restaurants in over 100 countries. The company originated and operates mainly in the US and has expanded globally to over 100 countries including United Kingdom. It is headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois and employs about 400,000people. The company recorded revenues of $23,522.4 million during fiscal year ending December 2008 (FY2008), an increase of 3.2% over FY2007. The operating profit of the company was $6,442.9 million during FY2008, an increase of 66.1% over FY2007. The net profit was $4,313.2 million in FY2008, an increase of 80.1% over FY2007. (McDonalds Corporation Company profile, (Data monitor) June 2009, p.16) McDonalds restaurants offer a substantially uniform menu, although there might be geographic variations. In financial year 2008, the company operated more than 31,900 fast food restaurants in over 100 countries in the following geographic segments: the US; Europe; Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA); Latin America and Canada. The company is one of the worlds largest food service retailing chain, preparing and serving a range of foods. All McDonalds restaurants offer a standard menu, which comprise food items such as hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, Big Mac, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Filet-O-Fish, Chicken McNuggets, French fries, salads, milk shakes, desserts and ice cream sundaes. Some McDonalds restaurants offer additional food items to suit local taste and preferences and sell a variety of other products during limited-time promotions. (McDonalds Corporation Company profile (Datamonitor), June 2009, p.5) McDonalds generates revenues through company operated restaurants and franchisee restaurants where over 6,500 are operated by the company and over 25,400 are operated by franchisees and affiliates. The companys revenue comprises sales from company operated restaurants and fees as well as rent from franchisees and affiliates. Under the franchise arrangement, the franchisees invest in the equipment, signage, seating and decor, while the company owns or leases the land and building. Franchisees pay the company service fees and rent for premises. A service fee is set as a percentage of sales, while rent and other terms of occupancy are stipulated in the franchise agreement, which is drawn for a period of 20 years. (McDonalds Corporation Company profile, June 2009) The company and its franchisees as well as affiliates source purchase food, packaging, equipment and other goods from approved suppliers. The company maintains quality standards through assurance laboratories around the world. A quality assurance board, including the companys technical, safety and supply chain specialists, provide guidance on all aspects of food quality and safety. The major competitors of McDonalds include Starbucks corporations, Burger Kings Inc, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), and other upcoming high streets food restaurants worldwide. (McDonalds Corporation Company profile, (Datamonitor) June 2009) In October 1974, the company opened its 3000th restaurant and the first in the U.K in woolwich, south-east London, (Business franchise, 2009). The U.K headoffice was sited in Hampstead, North London.Web1 Also in 1986, the first U.K franchisee- operated restaurant opened in Hayes, Middlesex, (Business franchise,2009) and the first Drive-thru restaurants opened in U.K at fallowfield, Dudley, Neasden and Coventry. Web1 RESEARCH PROBLEM Research problem forms the basis of most academic research study. It is based on this that the aim, objectives and the research questions of most dissertations are formulated. There must be identified problems that the dissertation seems to tackle, mostly business problems. Despite the popularity of franchising among business organizations and entrepreneurs nowadays as a business expansion and development strategy, it has been unacceptable to some entrepreneurs because of its disadvantages and risks involved. To these groups of individuals, setting up and management of owned business is the best option, no matter which forms it take to start. The assumption is that franchising is a system of building, expanding and adding value to someone else existing business, which many entrepreneurs will always avoid, as Norman(2006) indicated Many conclude the time, effort, money and shift in emphasis from running a business to helping others run businesses is not right for their companies,(p3) On the other side, some individuals choose franchising as their best option to start up business because of its merits and less risk involved in starting business. To these pro-franchising entrepreneurs, it plays a major role in business growth and expansion, especially in retail food industry globally. This research, therefore critically examines these arguments and answer the question how is franchising vital to retail business growth and expansion according to the views of the pro- franchising business entrepreneurs. SIGNIFICACE OF THE STUDY Theoretically, a broad range of literature does exist on franchising concepts and in most instances, there seems to be gap between theory and practice in most business organizations. However, it is significant to find out the practicality of the literature in real life situations. It is essential therefore, to carry out this study in order to find out whether in reality the ideas provided by literatures are actually revolving around management issues and applied to business organizations. The findings of this study will assist a wide range of stakeholders interested in franchising business including the government, private sectors, and local authorities to increase the general understanding and knowledge of franchising particularly in the food sector. To the researchers, academicians, it helps deepen further research in business development who will be interested in franchising in the future. RESEARCH AIM AND OBJECTIVES The main aim of this dissertation is to investigate how franchising play an essential role in retail business growth and expansion in the food industry. Research Objectives In order to achieve the above stated aim, the following objectives will be specified: Analyze the impacts and importance of franchising (business format) on organizations (business) growth and expansion. Assess the benefits of franchised businesses on the socio-economic growth of the economy. To determine whether economic conditions affects the success of franchising as a strategy for business growth and expansion. Investigate the importance of the franchisee-franchisor relationship on the business growth and expansion. Examine the risks involved in the franchising relationship. Examine the effects/impacts of globalization on franchising as a business growth and expansion strategy. To make suggestions and recommendations based on the findings elicited by the study. THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY The study was carried out in London covering using one of the McDonalds restaurants as the study area. The content of the study was to understand how franchising contributes to business growth and expansion in retail business sector. THE STUDY AREA London is one of the cities of England; it is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. It has 32 boroughs, of which 13 are in the inner London and 19 constitute the outer London. (Office for National Statistics Online). Web2cited. It is a growing city spreading out and swallowing many villages and towns in the south east of England. Because of this, there are many conflicting definitions of London and Greater London and the population of London varies accordingly. As the capital city, London occupies over 6,267 square miles (16,043km2). London population is heavily concentrated at about 4,539 people per sq km/ 11,568 per sq mi. Web3 According to the figure from the April 2001 census, London population was 7,172,000. This represents 14.6 percent of the total population of Britain. The population as of mid 2005 was thought to have been increased to 7,517,700 of which about half of this figure lives in inner and central London and the remaining lives in outer boroughs. Web 3 Londons population has grown every year since 1988, and it is likely that in the years to 2031, it will continue its steady growth. The study area lies in inner London borough of Westminster, which lies in the busy business environment of the city (central business district), It is very close to the seat of power, the parliament, and it is very close to many international business environments, busy London streets, tourist attractions like the London eye, Trafalgar square, British museum, National Gallery, National Art gallery, Covent Garden- since its redevelopment in the 1970s has become a popular piazza and nucleus for visitor activity in Londons cultural district with theatre, opera and ballet venues. (Page et al, 2001.p122). London is a multicultural city, where different people from around the world lives and study, it comprises of individuals with diverse cultural background. Because of the above description about the study area, it has become an important area to carry out this research, because of the concentration of other franchised business in the area. STRUCTURE OF THE RESEARCH Chapter One (Introduction): This state clearly the purpose of the dissertation, it includes the background of the study, significant of study, the statement of the research problems, organization background, the research aims and objectives, scope and limitations of the study. It also describes the study area briefly. Chapter Two (Literature Review): This section deals with the academic review of texts, journals, articles and so on, relevant to this research topic. It also discusses model and relevant theoretical ideas on the subject matter. Chapter Three (Research Methodology): comprises the methodology used for this study. It includes the styles and techniques chosen in collecting primary and secondary data/ informations for this research purpose. Chapter Four (Data Analysis/ Research Findings): The chapter that report and describes the findings of the survey to be undertaken, it describes both primary and secondary findings. Chapter Five (Conclusions and Recommendations): This chapter set out the main findings of the dissertations linking it with the literature reviews and the research findings. It also sets out clear recommendations which came out of the research work. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW INTRODUCTION This chapter provides a review of relevant literatures on franchising. It will be used as a base to throw more light on the importance of franchising concept and the roles it plays in business growth and expansion. The literatures were selected and critically evaluated in a bid to sift the relevant informations, and portray the opinions of relevant authors. It offers academic insight to research previously conducted by authors on the importance of franchising to retail business growth. Lastly, the section acknowledges the principal research questions for this study. DEFINITIONS OF FRANCHISING CONCEPT Hill, (2008) defines franchising as a specialized form of licensing in which the franchisor not only sells the intangible property (normally a trademark) to the franchisee, but it also insists that the franchisee agree to abide by strict rules as to how it does business, (p.408). It usually involves long term commitments than licensing. On the other hand, Business format franchising is a joint venture between an independent person (the franchisee) and a business owner (the franchisor) who wants to expand its activities. The venture is governed by a contract. This gives the franchisee the right to operate using the franchisors trade name/ trademark, in accordance with a business format or blueprint. All aspects of the franchisees business are strictly controlled including image, products or service, systems and administration. (HSBC Bank, 2009.p1) The franchisee pays certain amount of money for the right to use the franchisors trademark. Firms use franchise arrangements to extend scarce firm resources, because the franchisee puts up both an initial fee and much of the capital investment, franchisors are able to expand their markets without having to generate capital by themselves, and in most cases exploit on the knowledge of the local entrepreneurs in expanding their business. This is an attractive option, particularly in mass consumer services such as fast food that require the construction of many units to achieve brand name recognition and increased market share like McDonalds Restaurants. BRIEF HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT IN FRANCHISING Franchising is highly developed in the USA, although popular in the UK, but a recent phenomenon. Its development dates back to the end of the American civil war (1865), when the singer sewing company franchised exclusive sales territories to financially independent operators. In 1898, General motors used independently owned businesses to increase its distribution outlet. (Lancaster Reynolds, 2005, p160).At some point, there were some form of disagreements and arguments among historians in the United States regarding when the franchise system first started. According to Bythe Bennett,(2008), franchising began to gain acceptance as a viable business arrangement with the growth of automobile industry, and also in the petroleum industry during the 1930s, (p.234) Franchising became one of the fastest growing types of retailing business in the United Kingdom in recent years.It was introduced into the UK in the early 1950s and since those early days, has become respectable and often very profitable business concept as a result of explosion in the number of franchises being operated. Today franchising encompasses products from pipes to pastries and includes such well known names as Body Shop, Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonalds, and so on. (Lancaster Massingham, 1999, p269). For instance, Over 80% of Mc Donald restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by local entrepreneurs. They adapted Ray Krocs franchising business strategy of providing high standard of quality, friendly services, cleanliness and value, (QSCV). Also in the hotel industry, companies such as Marriott, Holiday Inn, Hilton and Accor have employed franchising as their primary growth strategy globally. The first McDonalds were opened in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1955 and soon afterward, more McDonalds outlets continued to open. Today, McDonalds has over 300,000 restaurants in 119 countries outside the U.S or in non-traditional site locations in the US. There is no doubt that when it comes to franchising and fast foods in general, McDonalds is the leader of the pack. Of course, the most well known restaurant franchise in the world today is McDonalds and so much has been written about Ray krok and the McDonalds brothers that McDonalds and Crock have become an institution. (Teixeira, 2005. p.20-21). Teixeira, (2005, p21), indicated that during 1960s and 1970s, the growth of franchise industry exploded and continued to gain appeal with a boom mostly in Europe, on an increased rate, and this has been supported also by welsh (1992) in Doole Robin (2004) franchising has grown rapidly during the 1990s due to the strong interest in a variety of franchise formats, (p.230). These successes remain an ongoing process. According to Ghauri Cateora (2005, p.280), franchising has become the fastest growing market entry strategy, it is often among the first types of foreign retail business to open in the emerging market economies of Eastern Europe, the former USSR, and China. It has become successful as it is evidenced in most retail food business, and it has now become a major business growth and development and marketing strategy globally. It can be viewed from these two perspectives. McDonalds is a good example of organization that has grown with franchising strategy, (Hill, 2008.p.408). Franchising explosion in recent years however has increasingly saturated the domestic market, where businesses are opening in airports, sports stadiums, colleges, hospitals, parks, casinos, pools and other strategic locations globally. (Kotler Keller, 2006.p508) Lastly, the surge in franchising has been underpinned by the efforts of different bodies who regulates the activities of franchised organizations, like the International Franchise Association, (IFA), British Franchising Association, (BFA) various franchising organizations globally, which has developed codes of practice for franchising entrepreneurs, and in doing so, has recorded progress and greatly helped to reduce the risks to both franchisees and the franchisors. (BFA NatWest Bank, 1991). TYPES OF FRANCHISING Monir (1999 pp.164) identified two major types of franchising in his book. These include: First Generation/Product Distribution Franchising simply sells the franchisors products and is supplier-dealer relationships. In product distribution franchising, the franchisor licenses its trademark and logo to the franchisees but typically does not provide them with an entire system for running their business. This is often common with soft drink-bottling industries, automobile, and in petrol retailing. Second Generation/Business format franchising by contrast, the franchisor transfers a much more comprehensive business package (the format) to buyers of the franchisee. This contains most of the elements needed by the buyer to establish and replicate the business. The buyer also receives detailed instructions and guidance on how to operate the franchise successfully, managerial expertise, training and perhaps financial support if need be. Diagram 1: Showing Two major types of franchising There have been other divisions of franchising as recognized by other authors identified as important for the understanding of this research. Justis Judd, (2007, p.56) identifies two major types of franchising namely: product and trade name and business format franchising. Nathan, (2008 p.54) also classifies business format franchising into six major groupings as follows: executive, job, investment, management, retail, sales and distribution franchise. Also, on the other hand, Murray (2006, p.23), identifies four major categories as, Job, Retail, Management and Investment Franchising. Franchise Arrangements Beshel (2001,p3), reiterated that because of the possibilities of so many franchisors, industries and range of investments, there exists different types of franchise arrangements available to business owner. Two types of franchise arrangements were identified: Single-Unit(direct) franchise Multi-Unit Franchise ( Area development and Master development franchise) A single-unit (direct-unit) franchise is an agreement where the franchisor grants a franchisee the rights to open and operate one franchise unit. This is the simplest and most common type of franchise. It is possible, however, for a franchisee to purchase additional single-unit franchises once the original franchise unit begins to prosper, it is then considered a multiple, single-unit relationship. A multi-unit franchise is an agreement where the franchisor grants a franchisee the rights to open and operate more than one unit. Beshel (2001, p3), also identifies two ways in which multi-unit franchise can be achieved: An area development franchise or A master franchise. Under an area development franchise, a franchisee has the right to open more than one unit during a specific time, within a specified area. For instance, a franchisee may agree to open 5 units over a five year period in a specified territory, while master franchise agreement gives the franchisee more rights than an area development agreement. In addition to having the right and obligation to open and operate a certain number of units in a defined area, the master franchisee also has the right to sell franchises to other people within the territory, known as sub-franchises. Therefore, the master franchisee takes over many of the tasks, duties and benefits of the franchisor, such as providing support and training, as well as receiving fees and royalties, (Beshel, 2001, p3-4). Blair Lafontaine (2005, p.90) and Philip et al, (2006, p.77) also identifies the above four classifications as forms of franchising where all the four were grouped together. Building a strong foundation for a successful franchising strategy A successful franchising concept needs an appropriate business strategy and lots of facts have been identified as making a business appropriate to be franchised and make it worthwhile to invest in. According to HSBC Bank, (2009, p1), a well established and proven business format franchise from the franchisee perspective should provide an established market for the franchisors products and services, proven sales, marketing and operational procedures, the benefit of an established business name, training (ongoing support and help in running the business), also, where appropriate, help in finding, fitting out and furnishing premises. Hoffman Prebble (2008, p.68) also add some factors that influence the appropriateness of a business concept using franchising including; valuable System to sell, proprietary process/ advantage for making the product in getting to the end customers, a satisfactory brand/ trade name like McDonalds which will be acceptable to the larger population, and high Profit Margin business. On the other hand, Murray (2004,p.67), shows some possibilities in which potential franchisee get a proven business format and support from the franchisor, which includes, an entire business concept with no bits missing out, with the aid of the operating manuals, trademarks, logos, patents, and standard designs for the layout of the premises, colour and pattern of staff uniforms, accounting and financial systems, training and help to set up the business, continuing help and back-up once the business is operating, legal right to operate in an exclusive territory and marketing, public relations and advertising support, decor in case of retail franchises, the franchisor will provide design and advice for the fitting and decoration of the shop and the installation of any equipment necessary, records, the franchisor will provide the franchisee with sales report and accounts forms to assist the franchisee maintain accurate financial report. On the franchisors perspectives, Sherman (2003, p414), explains that in order for business growth through franchising, a secure foundation from which companys franchising programme has to be launched. He uses the concept of the responsible franchising as the only way to avoid failure and to ensure a harmonious relationship with the franchisees. He outlines some of the key components of a responsible franchising strategy. These includes, proven prototype location/ chains of stores, strong management team, sufficient capitalization, distinctive and protected trade identity, comprehensive training programmes franchisees, proprietary and proven methods of operation and management, field support staff who are skilled trainers and communicators, set of comprehensive legal documents, demonstrated market demand for the companys products and services, set of carefully developed, uniform site selection criteria and architectural standards, genuine understanding of the competition, relationship s with suppliers, lenders, real estates developers, franchisee profile and screening system, an effective system of reporting and record-keeping, research and development capabilities, communication system, national, regional and local advertising, marketing and so on. Sherman (2003, p.417), went further to acknowledge that Responsible franchising starts with an understanding of the strategic essence of the franchising structure. He identified three critical components of the franchise systems from the franchisors perspective. The brand, which creates the demand, allowing the franchisee to initially obtain customers, the brand includes the companys trademarks and service marks, its trade dress, decor and all of the intangible factors that create customer loyalty and build brand equity, the operating system, which essentially delivers the promise, thereby allowing the franchisee to maintain customer relationships and build loyalty, the ongoing support and training that the franchisors provide, supplying the franchisee with the tools and tips to expand its customer base and build its market share. Sherman, (2003,) also acknowledges the importance of customers in any responsible franchising business concept. He mentions that the responsibly built franchise system is one that provides value to its franchisees by teaching them how to get and keep as many customers as possible who consume as many products and services as possible, as often as possible,(p.417). He concludes that the focus must always be on the customer, where the franchisor essentially licenses and delegates the task of local brand building and market expansion to the franchisee in its local territory. (Sherman, 2003, p.417) Importance of Franchising To Business Growth and Expansion Franchising has gained much popularity in modern business environment over the years, because of its success in contributing to business growth and expansion globally which is the primary aim of this research. This can be viewed from the perspective of the franchisee and franchisor respectively. Sherman (2003) acknowledges the growth of a business via business-format franchising in the United States. He maintains that The ability to obtain operating efficiencies and economies of scale are among the reasons for franchising and one of the key components of a responsible franchising strategy is a proven type of location that will serve as a basis for a franchising strategy, (p.411). Over the past three decades, franchising has emerged as a popular expansion strategy for a variety of product and service companies. Sherman,(2003), points to the importance of franchising, he states that recent international franchise association (IFA) statistics demonstrates that retail sales from franchised outlets comprise nearly 50% of all retail sales in the U.S, estimated at more than $900 billion and employing some nine million people in 2000. (p.411) Also in his view, Sherman,( 2003,p 411), points out to what has made franchising so popular in the U.S. and globally as a business development and expansion strategy, from the franchisors view, franchising represents an efficient method of rapid market penetration and product distribution, without the typical capital costs associated with internal expansion.On the other hand, from the franchisees perspective, franchising is regarded as a method of owning a business but with a less severe chance of failure due to the initial and ongoing training and support services offered by the franchisor. According to Shay (2009, p.6) franchising is the key to Global Economic Recovery and that franchise businesses represent some of the worlds best brands. He went on to explain the rate at which fra