Cowboys and Cattlemen Essay

The United States as a nation is ever changing. The U. S. population is growing every year, and the different types of ethnicities continue to flood into the country searching for the â€Å"American Dream. † However, how many people actually see this dream become a reality? The answer to that is incredibly disheartening and was even harder to obtain in the earlier years of America’s history. Unless you were a white male in the late 1800s to 1900s, the American Dream was exactly that: a dream. This failed ideal can be explored through the inequality expressed in that of race, gender, and class throughout American history, specifically during the time of cowboys and cattlemen. Additionally, such injustices can be portrayed in today’s fast food industry with the struggles of the employer to employee. Comparing and contrasting cowboys with cattlemen and managers with employees will demonstrate how such issues come into affect. In order to express the inequality faced within the workforce between cowboys and cattlemen, the background of their field of work, who did the work, and their differences need to be taken into account. When the Conquistadors came to the Americas in the 16th century they brought their cattle and cattle-raising techniques with them. Huge land grants by the Spanish government that was part of the hacienda system, allowed large numbers of animals to roam freely over vast areas (Wikipedia)[1]. Numerous traditions developed that often related to the original location in Spain. For example, the Vaquero tradition of Northern Mexico was more organic, developed to adapt to the characteristics of the region from Spanish sources by cultural interaction between the Spanish elites and the native and mestizo peoples (Wikipedia). As settlers from the United States moved west, they brought cattle breeds from the east coast and Europe and adapted their management to the drier lands of the west by borrowing key elements of the Spanish vaquero culture (Wikipedia). From 1865-1900, raising cattle was the most prominent job position in the western United States. The Homestead Act of 1862 attracted more settlers to come west and set up farms. This is because the Homestead Act gave someone the ability to own farmland for no cost at all; however, the only requirement needed was proof that the land had improved during the time of ownership. Therefore, it was very easy to obtain land, but improving it was the biggest challenge. Ranching is a difficult task of raising grazing livestock such as cattle for meat. The owners of these lands known as cattlemen had to invest time in farming and raising crops such as hay and grains for feeding their animals to produce a profit. The cattle would go from the ranch to the trail, to the slaughterhouse, and eventually be distributed throughout America. But who are the people behind the scenes that raise and break the cattle or horses, and who does all the work on the ranch? Cowboys. Cowboys were the workers on the ranch who helped maintain it. Cowboys strived toward becoming ‘men’ and they viewed the title of being a ‘man’ based upon the masculinity shown. Cowboys demonstrated their masculinity in terms of their skills on the job, their control over their working conditions, and their ability to make independent decisions. Even in their time of leisure, they still would do things to prove their masculinity such as gamble, drink, fight, and indulge in sexual pleasures with prostitutes. In the book, Cowboys and Cattlemen by Jacqueline Moore, she explains how Anglo cowboys recognized skill regardless of color, which provided exceptional men other than whites a chance to gain respect (Moore)[2]. However, a majority of the hard work was left to the Mexican or black cowboys. That’s why many black cowboys were so skilled in the more difficult areas of work such as breaking bulls because they were forced to do it the majority of the time. Today, many industries like the fast food industry employ people considered as the lower class. It is not common to walk into a McDonalds and see Donald Trump working the cash register. Cowboys are seen as these lower class people and it so happens people of color both in this time and today are still struggling to climb out of the lower class and into higher economic standing. Moore goes on to argue that cattlemen trusted the loyalty of their black cowboys and would often have them carry out sensitive missions, such as guarding large sums of money while on the trail (Moore). However, cowboys of color, despite their ability to gain respect with their amazing skill level, were still not able to become cattlemen themselves. Many cowboys for that matter didn’t have much room to improve, which is why the relationships the cowboys had with one another were so strong. Many of the cowboys weren’t ashamed to show affection towards each other because these relationships were the most important in their lives. The death of a friend was always the worst tragedy. Furthermore, many of these friendships seemed to be more than superficial. People questioned them because the cowboys bunked together which created chances for sexual relationships. To continue with their intimate relationship woes, these men had a tough time attracting the more respectable women, who usually fell for cattlemen because they were more financially stable (Moore). This lead to the cowboys’ encounters with prostitutes. Not many cowboys, for that matter, were married, and if they did get married it usually meant their career was over. To make matters worse, towns began to find ways to drive away cowboys by prohibiting guns and fining, arresting, and punishing them on the job which forced them to comply with the regulation of their public leisure. Discredited at work and in leisure, cowboys seemed more and more marginalized, out of step with the rest of American society† (Moore). Though cowboys of color were respected for their skill and, to an extent, racially tolerant, racism was still prevalent within society and in their work. Racism was not only existent during the era of Martin Luther King Jr. and the historic Civil Rights Movement, which was steered toward breaking color barriers in the â€Å"Solid South,† but it was seen as early as the times of â€Å"the trail† and cattle ranching. It affected the lives of the workers. People of color and women both were victims of discrimination. Women especially had no say in the way of life of the ranch because their opinion was not taken into account. The job of a women consisted of only three things. One: raise the children, two: do all the housework such as cooking cleaning and laundry amongst other daily household chores, and three: handle financial situations such as doing the bills and buying groceries. There were cowgirls; however, their stories aren’t heard because there were very few and women’s cattle raising positions at the time were irrelevant. Prostitutes were even more greatly degraded because of their less than condonable lifestyle. On the ranch, cowboys of color had no chance of becoming cattlemen. White Anglo cowboys had a slim chance but colored cowboys had even fewer. This is because these nonwhite races were seen as not sufficiently â€Å"evolved† to achieve true manhood. Segregation between white cowboys and nonwhite cowboys was also consistent on many ranches during this period. For example, Anglo cowboys ate with the owner while Mexicans would camp out with the herds. Such segregation and discrimination didn’t allow women or nonwhites to move up in the social class. Cowboys in general, if born into a cowboy family, were destined to be that and that only. Freedom for cowboys is a myth. Ultimately, cowboys were simply employees and lost what independence they had in their field of work. Cattlemen on the other hand had easy living. Cattlemen usually obtained their position because their fathers before them were. In a way, it’s like they were taking on the family business. Inheritance was a huge starting point for many of the men. However, to fully become a cattleman, emphasis on being â€Å"men† to prove themselves was stressed. This was done with a proper education, the contribution they made towards society, and getting married. Marriages usually lead to gifts or property, which was also another marker of manhood. The jobs cattlemen did were similar to that of businessmen- they did whatever they could to make a profit. Most of the successful cattlemen experimented with different types of breeding techniques and invested heavily in land. They even had other business interests outside of the cattle industry (Moore)[3]. Cattlemen looked to socialize with people in the towns around them rather than just the men on the ranch. As towns grew, so did the development of associations and entertainments that the men had known before coming to town, and socializing with men of equal status was more common (Moore). Nonwhite ranchers were nonexistent and those who were in lower classes would never be seen socializing with cattlemen unless it was on the ranch. Furthermore, the way ranchers carried themselves in public, and the economic stability they possessed allowed them to attract the more respectable women who were better suited to be housewives. Similarly, in order to understand the workforce of the fast food industry, background information about the industry needs to be taken into account. The fast food industry goes hand in hand with the cattle industry. In Central America, nearly 40% of the land was cultivated to become pasture for cattle that would supply cheap beef to North America’s fast food industry (Myers)[4]. Furthermore, the cattle raised in Central America are raised on grass, making the beef lean and only suitable for the fast food trade (Myers). Fast food has become in high demand because of its low prices and its convenience of location. It’s hard to miss these restaurants because driving around in a city you are guaranteed to see some of these consumer-crazed fast food chains on just about every corner. They can even be found in local retail stores, airports, and gas stations. Fast food is quicker than preparing home-cooked meals and according to the article, â€Å"Convenience, Accessibility, and the Demand for Fast Food,† fast food accounts for 35% of the total away-from-home food expenditures (Binkley, et al)[5]. Moreover, according to the same article, fast food chains have an increase in consumption when located in areas inhabited by African-Americans and Hispanics (Binkley, et al). Targeting low-income races with cheaply priced food allows this industry to continue to grow because those of low-income won’t be consistently eating at a sit down restaurant ordering a meal for twenty dollars when they can order one at McDonalds for as low as four dollars. Price, accessibility, and convenience are major factors to the success of this industry. Similarly to the point previously made about the low socioeconomic standing of cowboys, a majority of the employees of the fast food industry are working class people. The working class is becoming only certain ethnic groups- Hispanics, African Americans, and both legal and illegal immigrants. Once immigrants enter the U. S. they are placed in the lower class regardless if they have been in the middle class in their country of origin. These people of color are hard-working employees and have families. However, they still earn only minimum wage after years of experience. Typically, these ast-food jobs are oriented to be temporary positions for teenagers who are looking to make some extra cash before going to college. But it has become a social norm that it’s the job position of those who are living off a paycheck-to-paycheck basis, struggling to make ends meet. Jennifer Talwar’s book, Fast Food Fast Track: Immigrants, Big Business, and the American Dream, states, â€Å"the fast food restaurant offered me a way to understand how different ethnic groups relate to each other in their attempt to survive but also improve their circumstances at the bottom of the American urban economy† (Talwar). 6] Like the cowboys, workers in fast food become separated from the owners and higher-class society so they turn to the relationships of one another. However, unlike the cowboys who were unable to become cattlemen, employees of color in the fast food industry can become even owners of a McDonald’s or Burger King for example. According to Talwar, Phil Hagans an African American man started out as a burger flipper and later became an owner of four McDonald’s restaurants in Houston, as he was able to climb the hierarchies (Talwar). [7] Just because there is marginal room for improvement of a worker’s position in this area of work doesn’t mean there is an absence of inequality. The fast food industry is a business built on the ideal of low prices resulting it in having to keep labor and other operating costs to a minimum. According to the book, Labour Relations in the Global Fast-Food Industry, Royle and Towers explain that low wages, minimal benefits, tight staffing, and efforts to intensify labor are predictable due to competition environment (Royle and Towers). 8] This allows employers to have control and does not allow workers to have a say in changing working conditions. Such factors are not subject to change and the issue of unionizing poses no threat to the fast food business. This is because â€Å"major fast-food companies†¦are employed by franchisees, many of whom own only a few restaurants or just one,† like Phil Hagans (Royle and Towers). This fragments the workers not only physically but also to the extent that they are under different management. Unionization is also unable to arise due to the role technology plays in standardizing the work of fast-food crews. These new machines basically tell the employee when to proceed on to the next step of the routine of preparing a burger or fries, resulting in a minimization for the need of skilled workers. Furthermore, having an education is not needed to work for fast food places such as McDonalds because these jobs don’t require higher-level skills. However, â€Å"while fast-food work is generally treated unskilled, it is not easy to perform well† and it â€Å"can be hard and exhausting work, especially during busy periods† (Royle and Towers). 9] Mangers have complete control over their workers, starting with the scheduling of the workers’ hours. It is also a way to keep employment costs down and can be used as a disciplinary system. For example, managers can call in employees on their days off and have them work late hours. Cattlemen of the ranch had different tactics for maintaining control but the outcome was the same. Unionization is further challenged in the fast food industry because many unskilled workers are young teens that only see this type of work as a temporary position. According to Royle and Towers, only one third of those employed by the industry actually try to turn it into a career (Royle and Towers). Cowboys needed to have specific skill sets such as riding horses, being able to round herds up the trail, and manage the farmland. Teens and those who work the oven and fryers don’t need to have a specific skill set because each skill is specialized. It can be juxtaposed to an assembly line where a worker will perform one task all day that requires low input of labor. Therefore, the value of work from cowboys compared to employees of the fast food industry is diminishing. As seen with managers and employees of the cattle industry of the past and fast food industry of today, the hierarchies of the workforce are evident and haven’t been drastically modified. On the ranch, a cowboy (especially one of color) couldn’t become a cattlemen. In the fast-food industry a burger flipper can become an owner of his own franchise but, unless its handed down like a ranch from cattlemen to cattlemen, its an outrageous number of years to climb in rank. The hierarchy in a typical fast-food restaurant is as follows, from lowest job to highest: crewmember, crew trainer, manager trainee, second and first assistant manager, associate and general manger, store supervisor, and finally owner. By the time a worker reaches the top they’ll have white hair and be ready for retirement. Climbing the different levels isn’t promising. That’s how owners of big industries want it. The higher class will continue to improve and gain wealth while the lower class will struggle to fight for a higher economic standing for the majority of their lives. Many workers won’t ever obtain the life they thought they would achieve in a nation known to be the home of the free and the land of the brave and where an â€Å"American Dream† is possible. The United States needs to adapt to make lives easier for its people by giving health care, increasing minimum wage, and actually listening to the voices of the people who inhibit this great country. If the United States’ industries continue to suck the life out of their workers and have total control over every aspect of these laborers, then the ideology of being â€Å"equal† will be never be in existence.

College Essay Topic #1 7 Essay Tips for Writing a College Application Essay About Your Grandmother

College Essay Topic #1 7 Essay Tips for Writing a College Application Essay About Your Grandmother One of the most popular topics for the college application essay is â€Å"My grandmother.†Ã‚   If you are planning to write an essay about your grandmother, you have a challenge ahead of you. How will you make your essay stand out amongst all the other grandmother essays? How will you make the admissions committee remember your essay and not just yawn over it? Here are some essential tips to write a college application essay about grandma: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Focus on you, not on your grandmother.  Ã‚   When you wrote your first grade school essay about grandma, it was all about grandma.   Now its gotta be all about you. Write about your experience, your thoughts, and your opinions as they relate to your grandmother. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If you find you have written more than one sentence in a row that is all about your grandmother instead of about you, add the word â€Å"I† or â€Å"me† to at least one of the sentences! 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Use very specific examples of conversations you had with your grandmother.   That way you can’t possibly write the same essay someone else has written. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Know your starting point and ending point, and show growth. Perhaps your grandma used to give you help and advice, and now that you are older you have become her advisor.   Perhaps you used to judge certain things as negative that you now see as positive.   Or maybe you didn’t understand something as a young child that you now understand. Any growth or changes of perspective are great to write about. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Keep it real.   Although a certain amount of description is necessary, if you get overly flowery with your language you’ll lose the reader’s attention. 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Consider writing about an object or activity that is related to your grandmother, but isn’t directly your grandmother. For instance, let’s say your grandma was a gardener.   You could write about an aspect of gardening as your theme, so your grandmother would be part of the essay but not the sole focus.   Grandma may have taught you about gardening and you may have used some of those lessons in other parts of your life.   Your essay would then be about gardening as a metaphor. 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Want to write about grandpa instead?   He’s less popular but the same principles apply. For examples of successful college essays, The Essay Expert recommends Accepted!   50 Successful College Admissions Essays by Gen and Kelly Tanabe. Still not sure how to write a great college application essay about your grandma (or grandpa)?   Contact The Essay Expert for a FREE 15 minute consultation.

Free Essays on A Farewell To Arms

such as â€Å"dark†, â€Å"brown†, â€Å"muddy†, and â€Å"gray†. The river started clear and blue, but has now become dark and muddy. This symbolizes the emotions of the people as the troops march and fight. Progressing seasons of nature symbolize the progressing sadness of the people also. As summer leaves and autumn comes mud is splashed over everything and covers the bright beauty of it all. Even the muddy capes of soldiers show how weary and bogged down they are. â€Å"Six months gone with child† is an example of metonymy used to show how weary and vulnerable the troops are. Terms such as â€Å"motor car† suggest that the time period is around the 1940’s. Mentioning of a King rules out the place being the United States. Still many questions go unanswered making the reader want to read farther (which battle?, which King?) â€Å"Winter and permanent rain† bring dreary times and cholera makes these times worse. There is a small chance of hope since only seven thousand troops died. This is ironic because seven thousand is usually thought of as a lot; however, Hemingway wants readers to understand this is small compared to the... Free Essays on A Farewell To Arms Free Essays on A Farewell To Arms A Farewell To Arms All fiction is autobiographical, no matter how obscure from the author's experience it may be, marks of their life can be detected in any of their tales. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway is based largely on Hemingway's own personal experiences. The main character of the novel, Frederic Henry, experiences many of the same situations that Hemingway lived. Some of these similarities are exact, while some are less similar, and some events have a completely different outcome. Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in Oak Park, Illinois. Hemingway worked as a reporter for the Kansas City Star after graduating from high school in 1917. During World War I, he served as an ambulance driver in the Italian infantry and was wounded just before his 19th birthday. Hospitalized, Hemingway fell in love with an older nurse. Later, while working in Paris as a correspondent for the Toronto Star, he became involved with the expatriate literary and artistic circle surrounding Gertrude Stein. During the Spanish Civil War, Hemingway served as a correspondent on the loyalist side. He fought in World War II and then settled in Cuba in 1945. In 1954, Hemingway was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. After his expulsion from Cuba by the Castro regime, he moved to Idaho. In his life, Hemingway married four times and wrote numerous essays, short stories and novels. The effects of Hemingway's lifelong depressions, illnesses and accidents caught up with him. In July 1961, he committed suicide in Ketchum, Idaho. What remains, are his works, the product of a talented author. A Farewell to Arms is the story of Frederic Henry, an American, driving an ambulance for the Italian Army during World War I. The novel takes us through Frederic's experiences in war and his love affair with Catherine Barkley, an American nurse in Italy. The novel starts in the northern mountains of Italy at the beginn... Free Essays on A Farewell to Arms Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms In Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms Fredrick Henry’s lust eventually turns to love for Catherine Barkley. Fredrick Henry is an American who is studying architecture in Rome when WWI starts. He joins the Italian army and becomes an officer in charge of overseeing the ambulances in a small town a few miles from the front. He likes to drink rather heavily with the other officers and goes with them to the local bordello. Him and his friend Rinaldi often talk about girls and the women of the bordello. â€Å"Here now we have beautiful girls. New girls never been to the front before† (11). Henry is happy with his flings and does not think much about them except that they are fun. Rinaldi meets two new women, two English nurses at the hospital and have just arrived to the town. Rinaldi takes Henry to meet the two nurses. Henry then meets Catherine Barkley and at first is only interested in her physically like he is with the other girls. When he goes the next couple of afternoons to see her he acts like he is playing a game. One visit he tries to kiss her and gets slapped for it but this only worked to his advantage. â€Å"I was angry and yet certain, seeing it all ahead like the moves in a chess game† (26). He plays it off and is able to finally get a kiss from her.... Free Essays on A Farewell to Arms A Farewell To Arms All fiction is autobiographical, no matter how obscure from the author's experience it may be, marks of their life can be detected in any of their tales. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway is based largely on Hemingway's own personal experiences. The main character of the novel, Frederic Henry, experiences many of the same situations that Hemingway lived. Some of these similarities are exact, while some are less similar, and some events have a completely different outcome. Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in Oak Park, Illinois. Hemingway worked as a reporter for the Kansas City Star after graduating from high school in 1917. During World War I, he served as an ambulance driver in the Italian infantry and was wounded just before his 19th birthday. Hospitalized, Hemingway fell in love with an older nurse. Later, while working in Paris as a correspondent for the Toronto Star, he became involved with the expatriate literary and artistic circle surrounding Gertrude Stein. During the Spanish Civil War, Hemingway served as a correspondent on the loyalist side. He fought in World War II and then settled in Cuba in 1945. In 1954, Hemingway was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. After his expulsion from Cuba by the Castro regime, he moved to Idaho. In his life, Hemingway married four times and wrote numerous essays, short stories and novels. The effects of Hemingway's lifelong depressions, illnesses and accidents caught up with him. In July 1961, he committed suicide in Ketchum, Idaho. What remains, are his works, the product of a talented author. A Farewell to Arms is the story of Frederic Henry, an American, driving an ambulance for the Italian Army during World War I. The novel takes us through Frederic's experiences in war and his love affair with Catherine Barkley, an American nurse in Italy. The novel starts in the northern mountains of Italy at the beginning of World War I.... Free Essays on A Farewell To Arms The Leaf Of Life In the beginning of â€Å"A Farewell To Arms† a scene of a nice, peaceful summer is presented. Questions such as what year?, what village?, what river?, and what mountain? are drawn from the first few sentences. Imagery is further displayed with words such as â€Å"blue†, â€Å"clear†, and â€Å"swiftly† to provide a peaceful, flowing scene of nature. Simple words and sentences contribute to this mood. â€Å"The’s† and â€Å"and’s† are repeated often, except â€Å"the† was omitted from in front of leaves in the fourth sentence to provide a sense of change. Leaves fall as the soldiers walk by and all else seems to change with these events. Switching from a bright summer to a darkening season serves as a foreshadowing of the upcoming problems of war. Diction changes as the chapter progresses to words such as â€Å"dark†, â€Å"brown†, â€Å"muddy†, and â€Å"gray†. The river started clear and blue, but has now become dark and muddy. This symbolizes the emotions of the people as the troops march and fight. Progressing seasons of nature symbolize the progressing sadness of the people also. As summer leaves and autumn comes mud is splashed over everything and covers the bright beauty of it all. Even the muddy capes of soldiers show how weary and bogged down they are. â€Å"Six months gone with child† is an example of metonymy used to show how weary and vulnerable the troops are. Terms such as â€Å"motor car† suggest that the time period is around the 1940’s. Mentioning of a King rules out the place being the United States. Still many questions go unanswered making the reader want to read farther (which battle?, which King?) â€Å"Winter and permanent rain† bring dreary times and cholera makes these times worse. There is a small chance of hope since only seven thousand troops died. This is ironic because seven thousand is usually thought of as a lot; however, Hemingway wants readers to understand this is small compared to the...

The distinction between ethics and the law in the context of Gary's Assignment

The distinction between ethics and the law in the context of Gary's business situation - Assignment Example With ethics, there is need for a good relationship with customer whether you are giving them what they need or you are short of what they need. With ethics, arrogance is not in the picture. With the law, it is necessary for your employees to give you value for your money but with ethics, offering service to you is on consensus where you both benefit from. Ordering them to work extra hours at the regular rate with no complain is a form of dictatorship baring in mind that they have responsibilities they have to meet especially for the single moms. There should be a point of negotiation where one airs their likes and dislikes for a peaceful coexistence between the owner of the business and the employees. Though the business has flourished, it is important for ethics to be upheld for the business to continue growing. This is because with such an attitude, Gary risks incurring losses due to hiring cost. People want to work where they are accepted and respected. Adopting a different view and different behavior will not only save him money, but will create an atmosphere conducive for his employees, customers and

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

Performance Management - Essay Example With the help of this system a company motivates its employees to delivery good performance. Retail sales associate are very important part of retail business. They directly interact with the customers and contribute a lot in satisfying them. Sale of a retail company highly depends on the behavior and approaches of its sales associate. Performance of retail sales associates is influenced by their skills. Job description of a retail sales associate helps the business in hiring desirable salespersons. The theory of organizational behavior modification (OBM) involves with changing behavior of the organizational members and their performances. This theory considers two important things which influence the performance of the employees. As per this theory a behavior which produces positive effects or consequence tends to become repeated. The organizational members become motivated to perform that specific type of behavior which helps them to get some positive results. Another thing which influences the performance of the employees is the behavior of the seniors towards them. The senior organizational members like managers, team leaders can change or influence the behavior of the employees by giving punishment or rewards to them. In the retail business for delivering successful job, sales associate needs to have some key behaviors which help them in achieving the goals and objectives of the business. These key behavioral factors are as follows: Confidence: The sales associate needs to very confident for performing their job. Sales associates need to interact with the customers directly. If they are confident about what they are saying and about their knowledge then they can convince the customers easily. It is easy for the sales associate to influence the customers with their high confidence level. Customers tend to trust the sales associate who are confident about themselves. The company can modify the confidence level of its sales associates by giving

Impact of brands names such as Levis, McDonald,Starbucks,Disney on Essay

Impact of brands names such as Levis, McDonald,Starbucks,Disney on consumer - Essay Example Different companies use different ways to create strong brands for their products. Among the most successful brand names use pricing, production, promotion or place development or a combination of all these elements to have a strong market presence. This research seeks to identify the impact of brand names such as the Levis, McDonalds, Starbucks, and Disney on the consumer by using branding strategies such as pricing, production, promotion, and development place. Levis For over a long period, Levis, a jeans manufacturing company has made a name for its self, cutting an edge in the clothing industry. Not only does that the company boast of a quality garments, it also has a high market presence ("Levi Strauss & Co"  2). By making sure that it is a global product, it makes it sure, that its customers can assess the great brand from any particular part of the world (Mortimer et al. 90). With an increase in the level of competition in the clothes industry, having as strong brand is the only means of winning a competitive edge over other companies in the business. The market mix of the brand, by offering high quality products, also matches this with the pricing. Levis makes sure that the customers acquire top quality from the apparel industry, especially for their originality and integrity (Doorey 592). Quality, coupled with pricing wins the hearts of the customers, earning the company a larger market share than other companies (Healey, 12). Part of its marketing strategy is identification, which seeks to make sure that kids identify themselves as being â€Å"cool.† As such, it makes sure that its products, though having an innovative pricing strategy, are affordable to the people. However, it does not price its commodities very low, as there is an association between low pricing with poor quality products by customers. The aggressiveness with which Levis markets its products and the coolness identification among the peers is one of the main reasons for the company’s success in the clothes industry ("Levi Strauss & Co† 6). Being a jeans manufacturing company, Levis targets the youth, a market ready to purchase its products, especially due to the recognition of wearing a Levis brand. McDonalds Everybody knows of the McDonalds fast foods restaurant, whether they eat fast foods or not. For most of the people who love fast foods, they are passionate about McDonalds. With its heavy presence among major towns in the country, and the quality of its products, people feel compelled to eat from one of its restaurants (Min and Hyesung 288). The proximity of these eateries to their customers and the quality products they have to offer gives the company customer preference over other fast businesses (Pike 22). Walking into a McDonald’s restaurant, a customer receives everything they need, from food to soft drinks and snacks (Thomadsen 794). McDonalds could have a price higher than most of other companies in the business, but its association with quality give it a competitive edge makes the brand more attractive than other brands in the market. People associate with McDonalds, describing their loyalty to the brand, and as such, prefer eating from the restaurant to other restaurants. Starbucks The giant coffee restaurant has earned a name for its self for providing the best quality coffee

Job roles and working arrangements of Theatro Technics Essay Example for Free

Job roles and working arrangements of Theatro Technics Essay Key jobs within Theatro Technics vary from floor workers to management. Each of these jobs help carry out a function and the general running of the business. Although it is said that there are very important jobs, high and low, each job plays an important role and all staffs contribution should be valued. Something interesting of Theatro Technics and other theatres is that jobs within the business are not all located in the actual theatre. While certain staff like reception and ushers are most visible, key jobs are in management and are usually invisible to the public. I have identified 6 key jobs following inquiries at Theatro Technics, the jobs listed below are organised in descending order of seniority excluding the board of directors: JOB TITLE ROLE WORKING ARRANGEMENTS The board of directors The primary responsibility of the board of directors is to protect the shareholders assets and ensure they receive a decent return on their investment. Theatre director (Artistic director) He is responsible for the programming of productions and events, writing reports and watching over the staff. His working hours are very flexible 27 hours a week any time and he gets one month per years holiday. (But not all at once). This applies to all managerial staff. He gets paid à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½50,000 per for being a theatre director and à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½25,000 for being a financial manager so all together he gets paid à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½75,000 per year, monthly. His assistant gets paid à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½35,000 per year, monthly. finance manager The finance manager and takes care of the theatres finances incoming and out going and also fund raising. His working hours are very flexible 27 hours a week any time and gets one month per years holiday (But not all at once). They get paid à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½35,000 per year, monthly. But as the Theatre director is also the finance manager he is paid à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½25, 000 for that job. Theatre manager They have to make sure that all employees are doing theyre jobs and doing them correctly. Basically just the day to day running of the business Their working hours are quite flexible 25 hours a week 5 hours a day Monday to Friday and like all managerial staff get one month per years holiday (But not all at once). They get paid à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½35,000 per year, monthly. Technical manager The technical manager keeps Theatro Technics up to date with technology, deals with costumes and makes sure lighting and sounds are working. Their working hours are quite flexible 25 hours a week 5 hours a day Monday to Friday and gets one month per years holiday (But not all at once). They get paid à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½30,000 per year, monthly. Bar manager The bar manager has to manage the bar on production nights (and days). By counting profits and such. Basically the same thing as the theatre manager but for the bar. Their working hours are quite flexible working only on production nights (and days) and get one month per years holiday (But not all at once). They get paid à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½20,000 per year, monthly. The board of directors: The board of directors is the highest governing authority within the management structure at Theatro Technics and any other publicly traded company. It is the boards job to select, evaluate, and approve appropriate compensation for the companys chief executive officer (CEO), evaluate the attractiveness of and pay dividends, recommend stock splits, oversee share repurchase programs, approve the companys financial statements, and recommend or strongly discourage acquisitions and mergers. Theatro Technics is governed by a dedicated Board of Directors comprised of business leaders, entertainment leaders and arts advocates who share a common passion for theatre and a commitment to the community. The board also serves as a champion of the theatre arts in the London community. It is dedicated to raising the profile of Theatro Technicss theatre, supporting the development of London, and igniting interest in the theatre among the youth in the community. Theatre director (Artistic director) and finance manager: In my chosen business George Eugeniou is both of these (but he has an assistant who is paid just under half of what he is paid). In the theatre business, the theatre director is the highest job role. He is responsible for the programming of productions and events, writing reports and watching over the staff. He is also the finance manager and takes care of the theatres finances incoming and out going and also fund raising. The main theatre director has to report to the board of directors and the finance manager has to report to the theatre director (but in this case it is himself). Theatre manager: In Theatro Technics there are two theatre managers and they have to make sure that all employees are doing theyre jobs and doing them correctly. One way in which they do this is through motivation. They also have to ensure that the programme is implemented within the budget for each project within the time limit. Basically just the day to day running of the theatre. They have to report to the theatre director. Technical manager: The technical manager is the back stage person dealing with costumes, dealing with the lighting and sounds in the production and also checks if they are working. The technical manager also keeps Theatro Technics up to date with technology ensuring that they have the latest software computing. The technical manager requires experience and qualifications in I.T. and stage management. The technical manager reports to the theatre manager. And because he is managerial staff his working hours are also flexible and he gets one month per years holiday. (But not all at once). He is paid à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½30,000 per year, monthly. Bar manager and bartenders: The bar manager has to manage the bar on production nights (and days). Counting profits and such basically the same thing as the theatre manager but for the bar and its staff team of 4. They only work on production days. Or any other (required) days. The bar manager reports to the theatre manager. The bar manager being managerial staff his working hours are also flexible and he gets one month per years holiday. (But not all at once). He is paid à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½30,000 per year, monthly. The bartenders are paid à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½20,000 per year, monthly. Ushers: The ushers show you where your seats are in the theatre and are on à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.50 over the U.K.s minimum wage per hour, which is à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½8.23. They report to the theatre manager. Working only on production nights. Or any other (required) days. Cleaners: They are on minimum wage and clean the building every day. They get à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5.73 per hour daily and 50p more on production nights/days. They have to report to the theatre manager. Below I have provided a business organizational chart. A Business Organizational Chart is a management tool wherein it shows both management and workers the entire line structure of the company. Although this is mostly intended for management, as it shows the structure of the entire business. The main purpose of using a typical organizational chart is to show the power thru the use of lines and boxes. Organizational Chart ANALISIS OF IMPORTANT JOB ROLES AND WORKING ARRANGEMENTS IN THEATRO TECHNICS. Looking at key jobs in Theatro Technics it becomes clear that a job there can vary enormously, from high importance jobs to low importance jobs. Its also clear that the rout to promotion isnt as easy as it seems, although good technical workers can become technical managers and so on. This is the managerial and ground floor division. Is it necessary? Workers with ambition might be more encouraged to work harder if they knew there was a possibility of getting promoted to managerial positions. But the existing system of different levels of pay for job seniority seems to work well. There is also a real difference in the job requirements for managerial and salaried employees. Salaried workers E.G. secretaries and bartenders are reasonably skilled and well paid; top level managerial workers have degrees and other qualifications. Managerial jobs involve making decisions for the theatre, and can shape the theatre by theyre actions. Managerial workers can look at profitable and unprofitable assets, and adapt to what they think might be in popular demand. They can also recommend changes how Theatro Technics generally runs as a business, and might change the theatre many times while working there. Floor level workers like ushers and cleaners, carry out basic tasks and generally posses few qualifications, low skilled workers. They are the largest group of workers in Theatro Technics. Most of these workers are not represented by any union and hardly know any English. The secretary plays an important role within Theatro Technics, which is to help customers by carrying out useful functions like, manning the telephones and responding to E-Mails. Each Secretary contributes to Theatro Technics by becoming effective in carrying out specific tasks, which covers a lot of customer inquiries, making a good customer service. Their weakness is that usually their knowledge isnt extensive enough. If I was to criticise I would say that managerial and floor worker divides can create unnecessary and expensive bureaucracy, and having such a divided system misses some good ground floor talent.