Accessibility, what it means and why is it important when designing a Essay

Accessibility, what it means and why is it important when designing a website - Essay Example It is necessary to keep in mind the importance of accessibility in designing a website. As much as web designers hope to make their website as creative as possible, their main goal should be to make it serve its purpose and function. Designers’ imagination and creativity are challenged with accessibility’s limiting factor (Tarn, â€Å"Making the Digital†). While the use of Web is no longer limited to the basic operations such as entertainment and basic browsing, it already requires advanced features that make it useful for people to interact to each other on various purposes such as a mere communication, wellness, education, financial transaction, and entertainment (Burks 7). Significant advantages are identified when accessibility is taken in consideration in website design. They are beneficial for the owners of the website as well as its designers as they would not only comply with the Web Accessibility Initiative and the Disability Discriminations Act 1995, bu t it also increases their credibility as owners and website designers. Apart from this, the number of users who visit the website also increases such that it caters to users with or without disability. Websites with good accessibility are also known to have increased search engine optimization (Sabasaje, â€Å"Web Design†; Gibbins, â€Å"The Growing Importance†; â€Å"The Importance of Web Accessibility†). Keeping this in mind, web designers should understand that flexibility is necessary in such a way that it would allow different kinds of users to access the website as well as the information that they need from it (Burks

Between the cultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Between the cultures - Essay Example The city was strangely quiet. Nobody was in the streets and it seemed like everyone was dead. Since it was my first night in the city, I was wondering what kind of city it was. I forced my way back towards home with no bread, and ready to starve till the next morning. I was eighteen years old, and I had been accepted in Yazd University, in the city of Yazd in my country, Iran. I rented an apartment with three other friends of mine and we moved in only that day. It was the first time we had left our homes. All of us were inexperienced in the home affairs, and now we were in a new and strange city with weird people for studying. I had grown up in Tehran, which is the capital of Iran. It had a population of more than ten million people. Whenever you wanted, you could find a grocery store, a restaurant or anything else you wished. Many people immigrated from country sides to Tehran for business, studying and residence in the most developed city of Iran. Tehran was a multicultural city. E very Iranian enjoyed living in such a big city like Tehran. But at the age of eighteen, I moved four hundred miles far from Tehran, to the city of Yazd. It was a small city with religious and intolerant people. Most of the men in Yazd wore beard and women used black burka. People of Yazd had a traditional life which was very hard for me to adapt. The new environment, situations and differences between my hometown and Yazd caused the feeling that I was living between two different cultures. I always liked my hometown’s culture, but I was not interested in the culture of Yazd’s people. It was really annoying for me and the students from the other cities to be a part of the same. I was in a constant struggle between the two cultures, however it was hard to ignore and get rid of it. The next day after starving, I and my friends went to the university to start our new semester. The university was similarly a weird place like the city of Yazd and its inhabitants. The securit y freaks the fashion of every boy and girl at the entrance gate of the campus. They had banned jeans pants for the boys, and it was obligatory for girls to use black burka. Every physical and verbal contact between a boy and a girl was reported immediately to the student life office. Also in the classrooms, front seats belonged to boys and rear seats belonged to girls. The university had lots of rules for segregating boys and girls. They knew their rules according to the Islamic creed. They tried to unify students’ culture, which I felt disgusted about. Sometimes I thought Taliban moved in from Afghanistan to our university in Yazd. I and my friends had never seen such a university like that. We had never expected anything of this sort. On the way back home, we bought lots of food to keep in our cooler because we didn’t like to suffer due to hunger after eight o’clock when everything got closed. When we got home, we were still surprised and wondered about our fi rst day at the university. We started to talk and laugh about ridiculous rules of our university. After a while one of our friends, who had a late evening class arrived at the main the door of the apartment. Since the door bell was broken and he didn’t have the key, he called through his cell phone to us, and asked us to drop the key for him from the balcony. One of my friends went into the balcony and dropped the key for him and he came upstairs. As he walked into the apartment, we heard a very loud sound. Someone was knocking the main door of

The death penalty should be administered for particularly heinous Research Paper

The death penalty should be administered for particularly heinous crimes - Research Paper Example hment, most people are afraid of death that is inflicted by the law; hence, what is most fearful is likely to deter most criminals into engaging in heinous crimes. According to Hess and Drowns in their book wrote that death penalty is a better deterrent to violent youths (330). Administering death penalty will be effective in deterring murderers who might otherwise not been deterred through any other means when they friend face this punishment. This is because most of these murderers when given life sentence in place of death penalty, they continue committing crimes in prison, such as murdering other prisoners or even prison wards; therefore, death sentence is the only punishment that can be used to prevent such criminals from committing crimes. Otherwise, they will not be discouraged into committing heinous crimes through any other means, and again because both convicted prisoners and prison warders deserve protection from these criminals. In addition, it is important to enforce death penalty as a form of retribution even though death penalty does not prove to stop murderers from continuing the practice due to the threat of life imprisonment. On the contrary, the finality of death penalty creates fear amongst criminals and sparing the life of prospective victims by deterring those who murdered them, is of more importance than preserving the life of a convicted murderer because of the possibility that executing them will not necessarily deter other murderers. Therefore, in addition, to using death penalty to prevent crime, it is not imposed for the main purpose of reattributing crimes, for instance, in case of murder it is unjust for the criminal to live. Putting threats and punishment is a necessity in the deterrence since it a one justification for violent crimes. Therefore, a criminal who commits heinous crime volunteers to assume the risks involved; hence, the punishment suffered is voluntarily risked and it is unj ust to the criminal not to be convicted and

Representation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Representation - Term Paper Example One organization that has come out to create diabetes awareness through commercials is Ispot TV. This is a company located in New York and its main mission is offering real time commercial television advertisements on a number of fields such as business, sports and health (â€Å"Ispot TV’). The study seeks to relay how Ispot TV creates diabetes awareness through commercials in addition offering medication guidelines and how to curb the menace. The main objective of Ispot TV is advertising of television commercials in real time to the public. Recently, the company has focused most of its attention on diabetes campaign because according to research, the disease is causing many deaths annually hence it is important for companies like Ispot TV and other organizations to step in and boost diabetes awareness campaign. This has been made possible due to the company’s vast experience in technology. Through technology, the company has eased the way in which information is relayed to people, for instance, through television sets and websites (â€Å"Ispot TV†). According to a recent diabetes commercial by Ispot TV, diabetes cannot be detected by physically staring at someone because it is internal (â€Å"Ispot TV†). The commercial, which is both in audio and visual form features Bret Michaels among other people, goes ahead to reveal that diabetes affects everybody irrespective of one’s age, gender or race . In the commercial, a number of diabetes victims talk about diabetes and how they are battling the disease on a daily basis. The victims, including Bret Michaels go on to state that nations ought to join the American diabetes association in the move to eradicate diabetes. American Diabetes Association is an organization in Alexandria whose main goal is not only eradicating diabetes but also ensuring that diabetes victims receive proper

10 comparisons between Traditional Project Management, Adaptive Essay

10 comparisons between Traditional Project Management, Adaptive Project Framework (APF), and Extreme Project Management (XPM) - Essay Example Into the bargain, APF’s change is progression to an efficient solution similar to TPM but EPM has no progression change. The APF model offers increased business value in a certain time compared to EPM model. EPM needs processes to start over from the original beginning point hence no value to the business. However, TPM also brings more value to the business. TPM has a fixed scope, while APF and EPM have a variable scope. TPM hates change while APF embraces change but EPM drives the change since it is necessary. On planning TPM is driven by a fixed plan while APF and EPM are driven by Just in time form of planning. TPM has a good breakdown structure, while APF has a middle level work breakdown structure but EPM has no work breakdown structure (Wysocki 297-488). What’s more all changes in APF and TPM are temporary while EPM are permanent. At the same time the focus by APF is drawn towards delivery of products compared to EPM and TPM which are focused on the actual work itself. Lastly, there is partnership strategy between the entire stakeholders which is critical in APF compared to EPM which lacks collaboration and TPM which has minimal partnerships. These can be summarized in the table

Principles of Providing Administrative Services Essay Example for Free

Principles of Providing Administrative Services Essay Understand how to make and receive calls When working in a business environment, anyone who deals with administration is most likely going to have to use office equipment, systems and procedures. These will range from telephones to photocopiers, computers to coffee making facilities for guests. Knowing how to operate these and understand what they are for is an essential skill in the business administration department. Presenting the right image therefore is important and understanding how to make and receive telephone calls appropriately is a part of this image as you will have to speak to colleagues, managers, customers and other people each day. Telephone systems have many different features other than the handset and dials/buttons which are used to handle calls professionally. Call holding features are those which are used to place a caller on hold whilst you complete another task. This could be to locate paperwork, look up the caller’s details and information before speaking to them or contact another colleague whom the caller wishes to speak to Call waiting features let you know when there is a caller on the line who wishes to speak to you when you are already using the telephone. These are usually lights which flash or tones which beep to let you know there is a caller waiting Re-directing calls are available on telephone systems where you may be required to forward a call to another colleague. Usually they are features on the telephone which state ‘redirect’ or ‘transfer’ Answer phone features record messages from callers when you or other colleagues are unavailable Teleconferencing features enable others (more than two people) to hold a ‘conference’ style conversation over the telephone. These are now often enhanced with video imaging equipment via a computer TEXT MESSAGE features enable you to send and receive text style messages (as on a mobile phone). ON HOLD 0 This allows you to put the caller on hold while you locate the person who the call is for or perhaps you need to ask a colleague for help/advice without the calling hearing what you are saying. CALL FORWARDING This function allows you redirect a call to another telephone. This can also be used if you will be away from your desk and wish to divert your extension to a colleague. CALL BACK When you are calling a number that is engaged this function will let you know when the line is free, this will save you time by attempting to call back manually. INTERRUPT When your phone is in use it will ‘bleep’ as a signal that another caller is trying to get through. LAST NUMBER REDIAL This function is normally one button that you press to redial the last used number. DO NOT DISTURB This allows you to stop calls coming through to your phone while you are unavailable, for example when a meeting is taking place. HUNT GROUP This is when an office has a group of telephones all linked to one telephone number; so that calls can be passed around the team until someone answers it. Your organisation will have procedures that need to be followed when using the telephone. Some larger organisations will have written guidelines that they expect to be followed, whereas smaller companies may ask you to observe a more experienced member of staff to learn how to receiving/making calls. It is important to remember that when using the telephone you are representing your workplace; your caller cannot see you so the way you communicate will give the caller an immediate impression, hopefully a good one. Rules to follow when answering calls: * Answer promptly and identify yourself to the caller following your organisations guidelines, â€Å"Good morning/good afternoon, name of company, your name if applies, how may I help you?† * Even if you are busy when you have answered the phone does not let the caller know this, as this will give a bad impression of you and the company. * Do not ignore your colleagues’ phone if it is ringing, answer it and offer to take a message. * Speak with a smile in your voice; this actually helps people to sound more helpful and pleasant. * It is good practice to have a pen and paper ready to take messages. * Do not answer the phone while you are drinking or eating, even if the call is internal. * Answer the caller’s questions with accurate and up to date information, if you cannot answer their questions find someone who can or offer to call them back. * Remember how important confidentiality is when providing information to callers, never give out customer or staff personal details, for example information such as home address, date or birth etc. * If the caller wants to speak to a specific person/department, take these details and transfer the call, remember to introduce the caller to the next person. * Rules to follow when making calls: * Prepare first, you need to know why you are calling in the first place so that you can explain to the person who will answer the phone. * If information is lengthy write yourself a bullet point list of the main notes. * Keep your notepad nearby in case you need to take notes. * Always tell the person who answers the phone who you are and why you are calling. * Make sure you can hear and understand the information you are being told, do not be embarrassed to ask someone to repeat themselves if it is not clear. * If the person answering your call has been helpful, thank them for their time. Taking Messages * When answering a call if the person the caller wishes to speak to is not available, offer to take a message. Rules to follow when taking messages: * Make sure you include all the key facts; this includes the caller’s name, company name, telephone number, any other relevant information the caller wishes you to pass on. * Check all the details with the caller before ending the call. * Write the message clearly to make sure the other person will understand what you are communicating. * Write the time, date of the call on your written message and your own name so the other person can speak to you if they have any questions. Understand how to handle mail Some large organisations have a post room that deals with all incoming and outgoing mail, some have responsible person/persons, and in small organisations everyone is responsible for the post. It is important to follow the correct procedures for receiving, checking and sorting incoming and outgoing mail or packages. If a mistake is made then someone may be waiting on the arrival of an important document and it may go to the wrong person, or even go missing completely. Within most office environments there will be a system and set of procedures for handling incoming and outgoing mail. Staff responsible for receiving and posting mail will have to ensure that: incoming mail has been checked that it has been addressed to the correct organisation and sorted by department or person incoming mail is correctly received and given to the correct recipient outgoing mail is sorted and is correctly labelled with the right postage charge out-going mail is appropriate and relevant to the business (not personal mail). Mail will be in the forms of parcels, letters, recorded deliveries, packages and other mail (including promotional materials/junk mail etc.). Within an organisation there will be different internal and external mail systems. Internal mail systems will involve: Inter-departmental collection points such as pigeon holes or boxes where staff can collect mail relevant to those working within their department. There may also be outgoing postal trays for mail which comes from a department which then needs to be sent from a central office or location site transfer systems – collection and redistribution systems when mail is received into one location but needs to be taken to another (for example, this system would be used when offices are spread out over an industrial park or office block) internal envelopes used for mail which is not being externally posted but sent to staff within an organisation. External mail systems will involve: External mail post boxes (centrally located or collected by administrative staff from departments before being posted externally) recorded delivery postage special delivery postage courier services. Understand how to use different types of office equipment When working within an office environment you will use various types of equipment in order to carry out your role. It is important you know how to use this equipment in order to remain safe and keep risk to a minimum. You may be provided with training at your workplace or you may be asked to refer to the manufacturer’s guide for the equipment you use. Either way it is your responsibility to use all equipment in the correct way and to report any faulty equipment to the relevant person immediately. Manufactures’ guidelines are there for a reason. If you follow the basic guidance then you will not do anything that may harm you or others and the equipment will last longer. The main equipment you will come across in an office is as follows: FAX MACHINES Need to be placed in an area where everyone has access to it and you are able to clearly see when a fax has arrived. Faults could include paper jams, being offline, engaged tone, out of paper, wiring faults, some of these may require expert help so should be reported. PHOTOCOPIERS Should be placed in an open area so there is sufficient air around them, sometimes in a separate room. Faults include paper jams, out of toner etc. Only trained staff should remove paper jams and replace toner. SHREDDERS Used to destroy confidential documents, paper can be recycled, must be over 18 years old to use. Faults include: overloading can cause paper jams, this should be resolved by trained person to avoid harm. GUILLOTINES Used to cut paper, must be over 18 years old to use. BINDING MACHINES Used to bind documents together, do not overload as these can cause the machine to break and ruin documents resulting in wasted resources. FILING CABINETS Used to store documents, drawers must be closed after use to avoid tripping hazards, also must not be overloaded. Never attempt to move a cabinet. COMPUTERS VDU must be at correct height for eye level, also adjust your chair to accommodate posture requirements. Any computer faults should be reported to a Computer Technician. PRINTERS/ SCANNERS It is good practice to proofread all documents before printing to keep waste to a minimum. To be kept where all users can access. Any faults should be reported to a trained Technician. AUDIO MACHINES Used to listen and play back tapes that need to be typed up into the relevant format e.g. letter, memo, report. Each user normally has their own set of earphones for hygiene reasons. Once you have completed a document you can erase the tape and use it again. When using equipment in the workplace it is important to keep it clean and well maintained, especially if you are sharing equipment or desks. You can do this by working in an organised tidy manner, storing equipment safely and cleaning it with the appropriate products. For example using screen wipes for your computer monitor (VDU). You can minimise the number of germs on your keyboard by not eating or drinking at your desk. If you are sharing workspace with others it is good practice to leave the area in a clean and organised manner for the next person in order to give a good impression of the type of person you are. In some organisations you may be required to have a clear desk policy, which means you must leave your desk clear and tidy at the end of the day or when you are away from your desk. Understand how to keep waste to a minimum in a business environment Waste has a huge impact on our carbon footprint and to the cost of running a business. There are many causes of waste in a business environment and many things you can do to prevent it: Paper Proof read before printing, ask yourself do you need to print, email instead of printing, double side when printing or photocopying and use any scrap paper to make note pads. Envelopes, plastic wallets folders – Re use them if you can. Electricity – Turn off computers, monitors and other electrical equipment, do not leave equipment charging over night or for longer periods than necessary and turn lights and heating off when not needed. Many businesses have recycling policies and have put into place measures to make it easy to recycle. You may have an external company that takes away the shredding, toner cartridges or even batteries. There are sometimes allocated bins for paper, cardboard, tins, plastic and glass. Know how to make arrangements for meetings As an administrator you may be called upon to organise and support business meetings. Meetings form a major part of communications within the modern business world. The clear advantage of calling a meeting is that they enable face-to face contact with a number of people at one time, whereas if the communication were done by written communication, it would be difficult to gain a full overview of decisions, involvement etc. It is an opportunity for gaining a wide cross section of opinion where two-way dialogue is encouraged via the asking/answering of questions. What is important for an effective meeting to take place is that the right people are invited and that they are sufficiently briefed in advance so that they can make a worthwhile contribution.   The disadvantage of a meeting is that they can become too numerous, resulting in a great deal of frustration and boredom, owing to a lot of lengthy and often irrelevant discussion, and achieving little or nothing. Also it can be difficult to arrange dates and times convenient for all those who ought to attend, especially when sufficient notice is not given and the people attending have prior commitments. Most people do not like attending meetings – especially if they are not sure what the purpose of the meeting is, or if it goes on too long and achieves too little. Meetings must not be too frequent or held just for the sake of it. There must be a need for a meeting. There should be decisions about the different types of meetings needed. For example, some meetings could be to discuss policy and others to discuss organisation (practical work). Wherever possible the members must know what type of meeting they are going to and what the meeting is for – in other words, the PURPOSE of the meeting. Sometimes an organisation might call a special or extraordinary meeting. There are different types of meetings and planning and it should take account of this. Different types of meetings Most organisations will hold the following types of meetings: The general members meeting This is the most common meeting, which usually happens once a month or once every two weeks. The general members meeting should be the place where members are informed of developments, involved in decisions and given education and information that will help them to become more active in the organisation. General meetings are usually the places where decisions are made and where the executive reports on work they and other sub-committees have done. Special meetings These can be called to discuss specific issues, for example preparing for a national conference or work on planning activities for the year. Any members who are interested should be invited to attend special meetings. They should not be run like general members meetings (with minutes, reports etc) but should only focus on the issues they’ve been called to discuss. Executive meetings The executive should meet more regularly than the general members, and executive meetings should have a more business-like focus. The executive has to plan implementation for the organisation, monitor the work that has been done, deal with problems, and often (if you’re part of a larger organisation) relate to other levels of the organisation. They should discuss correspondence in detail and address problems as they come up. The executive should also keep an eye on the finances of the organisation and monitor income and expenditure. Every executive meeting should have an item on the agenda that plans for the next general members meeting. They should provide both leadership and administration to the organisation. Annual General Meeting Most organisations have an Annual General Meeting laid down in their constitution. The AGM is the place where the executive accounts to all members about the activities of the year as well as the finances of the organisation. The AGM is also the place where new leaders are elected and are given a mandate to run the organisation for another year. Most AGM’s need at least the following two detailed reports to the members: The secretary’s report that lists plans of the organisation, the actual activities that took place that year, the achievements of the year, and the problems experienced. The treasurer’s report: a detailed financial report that lists all income from subscriptions, grants, donations, fundraising; and all expenditure. This report should also clearly state what the balance is and where that balance is held. It is important to have a written financial report at your AGM but very often members find financial reports difficult to understand and you should try and make it simpler by putting the main headings on news-prints and explaining it to people in less financial language. Planning a meeting Planning should improve participation by ensuring that discussion is on a single topic and that the members are well prepared for the meeting. This is the responsibility of the Chairperson, Secretary and Executive, depending on the type of organisation. Planning does not mean controlling and directing the meeting in such a way that it restricts participation Planning should include the following: Notification- It is the executive’s responsibility to ensure that everyone has been notified of the date, time and venue of the meeting, as well as the main issues to be discussed. For many organisations it is a useful practice to always have their meetings on the same day at the same time in the same place – for example on the first Saturday of every month at the local church hall. If you do not money to always inform your members of meetings then over time this will help you to cut costs, and to make sure that everyone knows where they can find the meeting. Preparing the agenda The agenda is a list of the most important issues for the members to discuss, it is drawn from the Matters Arising from the previous meeting and from the discussions of the Executive or Secretariat. The agenda is the responsibility of the Chairperson and the Secretary. The chairperson should read the minutes of the previous meeting to familiarise him/herself with the issues. This will form the basis of a list of matter arising from these minutes. Matters arising include: Tasks a report back must be given Matters for which further information was required for discussion Matters that were deferred to this meeting There are standard items for any agenda. These items should be arranged in order of priority and time should be allocated for each discussion. Where possible, try to familiarise yourself with each area of discussion. An agenda should include a last item known as General or Any Other Business to allow individuals to raise short items not included on the agenda. Understand procedures for organising travel and accommodation arrangements. If you are involved in arranging events for your company then this may involve many different aspects of planning. Before doing any of the planning you will need to establish what your budget is, it would not be sensible to book guests into a five star hotel at  £100 per night when only  £40 has been budgeted for, or booking first class flights when you should have booked economy. Consideration needs to be taken whether the event is local, national or international, as this will have an effect on the type of transport used to get to the venue. Will you need to book flights, car hire, taxis, trains or perhaps a coach? If people are travelling by car then is there parking close by, does the accommodation have parking? There are different types of overnight accommodation available from bed and breakfasts to hotels. How many nights will people need to stay? Will an evening meal be required? You must check that there are no disabilities that need special preparation for. Someone may need access to a wheelchair, lift, ramp or hearing loop. An interpreter may be needed if English is a second language. You must know you own limits of authority, when to seek guidance and the budget you have to work within. Resources may be needed, for example: †¢ Stationery – Pens, paper   Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Equipment – Flip charts, laptops (possible Internet access), overhead projectors, chairs †¢ Refreshments – Tea, coffee, water, main meals – taking into consideration any dietary needs that people may have If arranging this type of event it is usual practice for your company then you may already have regular suppliers, if not then you may need to shop around to find a suitable supplier within your given budget. There are many different sources of information available to help you to make your arrangements. You can look on the Internet, use regular suppliers, use internal information from colleagues, or paper based information from previous events, or you could use an agent but be aware that an agent will charge a fee for doing a job that you can do. When you have finalised all the details your end the next thing to do is to give this information to all persons attending the event. Information such as: Time and date of event, travel and accommodation details, map of area, places to park and prices, who to contact for further details or if they have any special needs, agenda and list of anything that needs to be brought Understand diary management procedures. Diaries are an essential planning aid that all organisations will use at some point; some use them more than others depending on the nature of the business. It is important to use a diary to help teams and individuals to plan tasks/activities, some of which will involve very strict deadlines. You can log information such as date, timings and locations of the people who are involved. Diaries can also help staff to know the whereabouts of their colleagues and when they are available to speak to. For example if you answer a call for a colleague but are not sure where they are, you could refer to the staff diary to locate this information (as long as this is accurate and up to date). There are various types of manual diaries that are available; these vary from a large, page-a day type to a smaller version with up to a week on view on each two pages. You need the size that will enable you to write clear information on the tasks you need to do and/or the appointments under each date. Manual diaries are often used for personal appointments and are individual to each person. Other people that may use these are secretaries or PAs. Nowadays electronic or computerised diaries are used much more in companies, especially those that book a large amount of appointments, e.g. hospitals, dentists, garages, electrical and gas companies etc. One of the most frequently used electronic diary programs in business is Microsoft Outlook, because it is compatible with other Microsoft Office software, such as Word. Outlook can be used to maintain your diary, organise and manage lists of tasks you have to do, and keep an address book of your contacts. You can use it as an e-mail software program and also use it to check the schedules of other people in your team; this is useful to book team meetings. Some companies also purchase PDAs for their staff, these offer many usable features including functions such as a â€Å"to do† list, address book, a calculator, a reminder option and a memo pad. They are compatible with the PC so that information can be downloaded easily. Understand the purpose of delivering effective customer service and how to do so. Customers expect good customer service. They expect the service provider to have: * A thorough knowledge of what the organisation has to offer in regards to services and products. * The ability to project a positive image to all customers and meet their needs within the organisations’ limitations. * Good communications skills regardless of form or mode. * Staff that can help customers with any questions or queries they may have promptly. * An excellent understanding of the organisation’s procedures that specify how customers can be dealt with. * The product/service that is being advertised readily available and to be sold at the stated price. It is important to be efficient as you may be first point of contact for the whole organisation and this can create a lasting impression. You do not want to seem unprofessional, as this will not give customers any confidence in their dealings with your organisation. It is essential that you gain your customers’ trust. It is also important to meet or exceed your customers’ expectations to lead to repeat and new business.   We all hear, but how many of us actually listen? Actively listening to your customers will enable you to identify exactly what it is they want and give you the opportunity to recognise if there are any additional products or services that may be of interest to them. There are many different types of customers and it is important to identify them so that you evaluate the type of requirement they may have and what you have to do to meet them.   You may have to deal with a regular customer who you are familiar with, don’t forget to treat everyone with the same respect, just because you know this person it does not mean you can stop portraying a professional image. You may also have to deal with service suppliers or maintenance persons who need directing to different parts of the building, or need you to stay with them whilst they are in parts of the building where they should not have access unless accompanied. You may have to deal with internal or external customers, just remember whoever they are to be polite, as you are portraying the professional image of your company. Understand the purpose of reception services and how to follow reception producer. Many administrators undertake receptionist duties. Some companies may have a specialist reception desk and some smaller firms are likely to expect a receptionist to undertake a variety of administration or telephone duties at the same time. There are many skills required to work on a reception: †¢ A thorough knowledge of your organisation, its structure and the names and job roles of people who work there †¢ The ability to project a positive image to all visitors and help them with their needs and problems †¢ An excellent understanding of your company’s procedures that specify how visitors must be dealt with All visitors should be greeted with a smile and a welcome, no matter whether they are expected or not, or important or not. Don’t assume that the best-dressed visitors are the most important many receptionists have made this mistake and, in some cases, annoyed very key people. Treat everyone with the same courtesy, and make them feel that you have time for them. It is important to be efficient as in some cases the receptionist is the first point of contact with the whole organisation and this can create a lasting impression. You do not want to seem unprofessional, as this will not give visitors any confidence in their dealings with your organisation. The receptionist has many roles to perform. As they are seen as the first point of contact then they are often required to give directions or escort visitors to different parts of the building, they are often asked for general information or to solve problems. Communication is a major role and the receptionist should know how to use their communication skills to get the most out of the way they communicate with visitors. An appropriate tone and level of voice are required. Some organisations have a signing in procedure for visitors, in which case it is the role of the receptionist to ensure that this is done and that any identification badges are given out. In large organisations when a visitor goes into the building they are issued with basic health and safety details, for example, what to do in the event of a fire. Security procedures must be complied with; therefore it is essential that the receptionist is familiar with what these are. If these procedures are not complied with then there will be a breach of the security regulations. If you see someone who you think should not be in particular part of the building then err on the side of caution and report them to your line manager. Security in an organisation may: †¢ Allow for unrestricted visitor access †¢ Restrict visitor access to certain areas †¢ Allow restricted access to certain areas only if accompanied, and then only after visitors have complied with certain screening procedures Dealing with hostile visitors can be difficult, stay calm, listen, look sympathetic, apologise if necessary, and if any of this does not work then make sure you know what to do. You may have a security guard you can call or an alarm you can press for assistance.

Relationship Between Leadership And Management

Relationship Between Leadership And Management Management can be defined as getting things done through others on the other hand, Leadership may be defined as the process of influencing behavior of an individual or group regardless of reasons, it may be for ones own goal or a friends goals and may or may not be congruent with organization goals. While learning the link between management and leadership, I should consider the difference between both of these. A manager has to perform all the functions of management such as planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling Leadership functions come under directing through which behavior is directed to get maximum use of subordinates ability Thus leadership is a part of management not all of it. This implies that strong leader can be a weak manager because weak in planning or some other managerial function. The reverse is also possible. Therefore Management and leadership are highly interconnected. One without another is not healthy for an organization. As per kotter (1990) says that managing seeks to produce predictability and order, where as leading seeks to produce organised change. Both rules are necessary but the problems can occur if an appropriate balance is not maintained. Too much emphasis on the managing role can be discouraged risk taking and bureaucracy without a clear purpose. In PAPA JOHN, I can notice some of these conditions mentioned above. The newly appointed manager in papa john is very efficient in planning the things and his analytical thoughts make him an eminent manager in this industry but unfortunately he is not having some leadership requirements i.e. he does not usually motivate the employees intrinsically. Last month my colleague, who is in delivery department, had achieved 100 percent accuracy in delivery but he was only given with incentives there were no appreciations from the manager but the earlier manager used to appreciate lot and make the achiever fully motivated. Lack of intrinsic motivation reduced employees involvement in the organization. So they just come, work and move. This culture should not have encouraged. Since the manager doesnt think about these things, subsequently he had to face a serious labour problem. When the organization was in need of labors to work on a Christmas holiday, they refused work because the rapport be tween the manager and employee was very low. They dont have any value on the organization. That ended up with NO VALUE CREATION on the employees towards the organization. 1.2 Impact Of Management And Leadership Styles On Strategic Decisions In this competitive world, strategic decisions play a significant role in the organization. Anyway, the decisions are taken by managers so the manager must posses the skills which is essential for decision making Whenever a new strategy is imposed, the subordinates reaction is inevitable. The manager must forecast the reactions before implementing the new strategy otherwise a serious problem may arise in the organization that would definitely affect the relationship between the manager and subordinates. For instance, IN Papa johns, the production manager made a strategic decision to avoid late delivery in the organization but the delivery boys didnt follow the new rules and regulation. So he has to be a very strict with these labour.. They subsequently decided to move out the organization that creates the attrition in the organization. The manager should develop an appropriate leadership style which is pertinent to the current decision. Here the manager should have developed PARTICIPATIVE STYLE of leadership which could help employer to motivate the employees rather than making them moving out from the organization. 1.3 leadership style can be adapted to different situations Leadership styles should co-ordinate with the situations to make effective implementation of decisions.Here are some leadership styles and situations. Leadership Situations Autocratic leadership The working environment where responsibility, efforts are low. The group may neglect the ultimate responsibility that would destroy the whole organizations culture. Participative The group of employees newly enters in organization. The working environment that needs high motivation, interactions and team work. A positive drive should be stimulated. Free-rein leadership The environment where the employees are highly matured and self motivated. There are two big extremes Boss centered leadership and subordinate centered leaderships. Both are highly required in the organization to fulfill its situational needs. So a manager should be cautious in selecting the leadership style on the basis of the condition of the organization. IN Papa johns, the leadership style is highly task oriented. Only target achievers get incentive based benefits no appreciation. Because of this, only few employees are motivated. Many of the employees are not motivated. Eventually labor problem is a big issue in the organization. The organization has to face labour turnover problem, downward trend in performance and labour and manager relationship problems. At this situation, the management should adapt participative style of leadership so that the relationship between manager and employees can be developed. Task 2 2.1 The Impact of The Blake Mouton Managerial Grid Leadership Theory On The Papa Johns Theory one: the Blake Mouton Managerial Grid In the 1940s, in an attempt to identify the behavioral characteristics of successful leaders, Blake and Mouton identified two fundamental drivers of managerial behavior: the concern for getting the job done, and the concern for people doing the work. The Impoverished or the Indifferent Style (Low Production / Low People) A delegate-and-disappear management style. A basically lazy approach. The manager shows a low concern for both people and production. Country Club Style (Low Production / High People) One-sided, thoughtful attention to the needs of employees. The relationship-oriented manager has a high concern for people, but a low concern for production. He pays much attention to the security and comfort of the employees Produce, Dictatorial or Perish Style (High Production / Low People) An authoritarian or compliance leader. A task-oriented manager, he has a high concern for production and a low concern for people. He finds employee needs unimportant and simply a means to an end. The Middle-of-the-road or The Status-quo Style (Medium Production / Medium People) Balance and compromise The manager tries to balance between the competing goals of the company and the needs of the workers The Team or Sound Style (High Production / High People). Contribute and commit. It is the ultimate. The manager pays high concern to both people and production. Motivation is high In PAPA JOHN PIZZA task oriented leadership strategy is followed. The manager is highly conscious about productivity and business. There is no consideration for labours grievance. Since the labours are available in stages, the manager can easily fine the labour for any vacancy so he never tend to build rapport with the labours. Furthermore there is team work is encouraged employees are not motivated enough in the organization. Once my colleague suffered from a serious ill and he took a week of unannounced holiday. Even though it is his mistake taking unannounced leave, he approached the manager and explained the reasons for the unannounced leave but the manager was not ready to listen his words straight away he refused his reasons and eliminated his service that was a worse case so almost all the employees hate his way of rudeness towards employees. that made a bad impression on the management so the employees have on the manager and organization so whenever they meet with an opportu nity. They quit the job and move out. This is the serious concern for the manager now. So now he has to change his leadership level from High Production / Low People to High Production / High People to achieve a long run leadership development strategy. Theory two: The Five-Factor Theory of Personality Both Cattells and Eysencks theory have been the subject of considerable research, which has led some theorists to believe that Cattell focused on too many traits, while Eysenck focused on too few. As a result, a new trait theory often referred to as the Big Five theory emerged. This  five-factor model of personality  represents five core traits that interact to form human personality. While researchers often disagree about the exact labels for each dimension, the following are described most commonly: Extraversion Agreeableness Conscientiousness Neuroticism Openness Introversion/Extraversion: Introversion involves directing attention on inner experiences, while extraversion relates to focusing attention outward on other people and the environment. So, a person high in introversion might be quiet and reserved, while an individual high in extraversion might be sociable and outgoing. Neuroticism/Emotional Stability: This dimension of Eysencks trait theory is related to moodiness versus even-temperedness. Neuroticism refers to an individuals tendency to become upset or emotional, while stability refers to the tendency to remain emotionally constant. Psychoticism: Later, after studying individuals suffering from mental illness, Eysenck added a personality dimension he called psychoticism to his trait theory. Individuals who are high on this trait tend to have difficulty dealing with reality and may be antisocial, hostile, non-empathetic and manipulative.4 In papa johns the manager is Neurotic type of behavior so he doesnt extend friendly relationship with the employees instead he speaks professionally. That makes employees fed up with his behaviors in the organization. This shows the character of the manager is to moodiness versus even-temperedness. Neuroticism refers to an individuals tendency to become upset or emotional, while stability refers to the tendency to remain emotionally constant. 2.2 Leadership Strategy That Supports Organizational Directions Vision of my organization (PAPAJOHNS) PAPA JOHNS is in the expansion path. It spreads its franchises in many places and now the organization has a vision of becoming a well rounded multi national company and greater value creation among the employees and customers. Strategy to achieve the vision To achieve greater value creation among the employee, the organization has to develop the people oriented leadership that favors the employees to take part in the success of the organization. When the employees feel that they work for a organization which concerns a lot for them. The key points to achieve this Provide better working conditions Appreciations that motivates the employees Developing synergy in the work Creating employee orientations for making the awareness of change in the organization. Participative kind of leadership that allows employees to explore their views on the organizations. Building good relationship between manager and employees. After implementing these strategies the organization should have good monitoring to control if any changes persist.