Mobile devices in the workplace Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mobile devices in the workplace - Research Paper Example This paper seeks to explore the use of mobile devices in the workplace. It aims at determining the level of use of mobile devices during office hours and the effects of such application on effectiveness and efficiency of employees’ output. This is because of the emerging trend in technology that increasingly develops the mobile devices. These devices are also technologically capacitated to offer services that were previously available on computers only. While low portability of computers would previously limit such application in the workplace, the current mobile devices allow employees, while on duty, to access recreational services. The problem promises a worse situation from the trend in manufacturing and sale of the mobile devices. There was for example an almost 90 percent increment in importation of mobile devices from the fourth quarter of the year 2009 to the same period in the year 2010. The increasing competition among the many manufactures of the devices also predic ts increase in utility that will attract more of employees’ time to the mobile devices. In the year 2010 for instance, more than 40 percent of employees used mobile devices for texting and this percentage is expected to have currently exceeded 50 percent (Notifycorp, 2010). Such trends pose both adverse and beneficial impacts on organizations. While they facilitate communication among members of the organization and may be used to facilitate official communications within organizations, the mobile devices, especially when used for personal applications, consumes a lot of organizations’ time, in quality and quantity (Notifycorp, 2010). The applications such as social networks and entertainment distract employees leading to loss of productivity time at personal levels. While cumulative employees’ application of the devices leads to a general lost time at the workplace, some employees’ applications may be a hindrance to other employees to adversely affect th eir output levels (Lussier, 2011). This research report therefore intends to change the trend in application of mobile devices in the workplace. It shall achieve this by statistically identifying the adverse impacts of application of the devices for adequate managerial decision making for controlling office use of mobile devices towards improved efficiency and effectiveness of employees. The developed ideas promise a deeper insight into human resource management through identifying significant inefficiencies due to application of mobile devices. This will lead to developed policies towards a more dedicated labor force. The research’s major limitation is, however, employees’ negative attitude on the research that may lead to dishonest responses. As a result, the true impacts of application of mobile devices may not be established. Proposed task The investigation proposes to employ a quantitative research approach. Under the method, the task will involve a series of step s that will begin with establishment of a theory, from reviewed literature. The proposed theory is that, application of mobile devices reduces productivity in the workplace. The theory will be followed by development of research hypothesis. This will be followed by designing the research before developing data collection instruments. Sampling will then be done followed by data collection and data analysis towards conclusion and a final documentation of the report (Bryman and Bell, 2007). The

An Australian Luxury Fashion Accessories Company Essay

An Australian Luxury Fashion Accessories Company - Essay Example The paper "An Australian Luxury Fashion Accessories Company" talks about Australian Fashion Accessories Company. The report starts by outlining the historical background of the company which will be followed by an analysis of the company’s micro and macro environments in a bit to establish the degree to which these have an impact on the operations of the organisation. The main body of the report will focus on a critical analysis of the marketing strategy used particularly the current marketing mix in order to evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy. The last part of the report will look at the recommendations section where suggestions are given in order to improve the marketing offering of the chosen product or brand. â€Å"OrotonGroup Limited is a retailer, wholesaler and brand manager operating in Australia and the principal activities of the Company include retailing and wholesaling of leather goods, fashion apparel and related accessories under the OROTON and POLO RAL PH LAUREN labels, and licensing of the OROTON brand name.† Details about the historical background of the company can be viewed from its official website. This organisation is wholly owned subsidiary that includes OrotonGroup (Australia) Pty Limited, Polo Ralph Lauren Australia Pty Limited, OrotonGroup (New Zealand) Pty Limited, Macbray Pty Ltd, Marcs Wholesale Pty Ltd and Oroton Share Plan Company Pty Limited. The company operates approximately 60 retail stores and is listed on the Australian stock exchange. Critical analysis of Oroton’s Micro Environment According to Kotler & Armstrong (2004), the micro environment is comprised of actors close to the company such as suppliers, marketing intermediaries as well competitors while the macro environment consists of demographic, economic, technological as well as cultural factors. The first section of this analysis of the microenvironment is mainly going to look at the company’s competitive environment, its financial s as well as the structure of the business. According to Ibisworld (2010), the major competitors in the luxury brands industry include Luis Vuitton Australia Pty Ltd and Proud Jewellers Pty Ltd. Competition in the market is always a threat to the other actors operating in the industry given that they will be competing for market share. Oroton does not operate in a vacuum since it can be seen that the luxury brands industry is a bit different from other conventional industries. The company’s financials show an upward trend since 2007 according to Au Stocks (2011). This can be attributed to the management strategy that was adopted after the company had witnessed a decline in the revenue generated owing to decline in business. This is a major strength for the company. The company embarked on a drive to cut costs through laying some of the workers while at the same time offering affordable luxury brands. Another important factor about Oroton’s micro environment is that its structure is a typical brick and mortar model. This model mainly relies on linking the organisation directly to the customers through personal interaction but it can be noted that the organisation has also adopted e-commerce in its marketing strategy. However, a critical analysis of the factors characterising the micro economic environment of this organisation shows that the company is better positioned to operate viably in the market given that these factors do not pose serious challenges to it. The other advantage of this

The Big Band Swing Era

The Big Band Swing Era It is said by historians, that they believe the Big Band Swing era dates back as early as the 1920s in early routes of jazz. It wasnt until the 1930s ranging into the 1950s, when the Big Band era became more known. Although it is called Big Band, its name can often be misleading. A Big Band consists of an orchestra with anywhere from six to as many as twenty-five musicians. Each band varies with the amount of musicians. The Big Band Swing era got its name based off of the smooth jazz beat and dance that is incorporated with it. The terms jazz band, jazz ensemble, stage band, jazz orchestra, society band and dance band can be used to describe a specific type of a big band. (Wikipedia: Big Band ) In 1932, a dance orientated band, Duke Ellington composed and recorded a song called It Dont mean a thing if it aint got that swing (The World Book Encyclopedia: J,K). The name of this song says a lot about how popular and important the Swing Era was too many people. This type of music was especially important during the time of World War II and leading America out of the Great Depression, by lifting morale. Today, The Big Band Swing Era is known for its unique components and style, which still holds a special place in hearts of millions of Americans. There are two famous Big Bands that stand out among several other Big Bands. They are the bands of Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey, who also played with his brother Jimmy. Glenn Millers band, also known as orchestra, was distinctive in a way that he combined the sounds of the clarinet with four saxophones. Glenn Miller said, A band ought to have a sound all of its own. It ought to have a personality. (The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra) Glenn miller was an excellent trombonist and believed very strongly in the music he performed. During the time of 1926-1938, he played the trombone in several bands including the band of Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. In 1935, he recorded for the first time under his own name. Some of his well known hits were Sunrise Serenade, Moonlight Serenade and Wishing (Will Make It So). On April 13, 1940, he played at Sunnybrook Ballroom located here in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. It wasnt until the year of 1942, when he entered the U.S Army. While in the Army, he disa ppeared during an air journey leaving his music behind. The band of Tommy Dorsey was also known as the Dorsey brothers. The Dorsey brothers played in bands together as early as in the 1920s. Tommy Dorsey played both the trumpet and trombone. Throughout the Swing era, Tommy Dorsey was ranked among the top two or three big bands. His orchestra had about fifteen top ten hits in the late 1930s. The Dorsey Brothers broke the charts with their recording of Coquette. Also, with their recording with Bing Crosby called Lets Do It (lets fall in love), broke into the top ten. By this time, they had one of the hottest bands in the country. In 1935, Jimmy left Tommy to go on and play music on his own. The Dorsey brothers both passed away in the late 50s. As well as Glenn Miller, the Dorsey Brothers also played at the Sunnybrook Ballroom. Instruments found in big bands were trumpets, saxophones, trombones, drums, pianos, acoustic bass, and guitars. Instruments varied depending on the bands instrumentation of choice. Composers, arrangers and band leaders would switch things up and use more or fewer players in each section. The sections consisted of brass, string, percussion and vocal. Music of the big band was written in strophic form with the same phrase and chord structure repeated several times. In big band music, we also see a chorus that follows the twelve bar blues form, or thirty-two-bar following a (AABA) song format. Solos were also a part of most big bands. Swing dancing itself was one of the main components of the swing era. The music was represented in the dance, as dance partners (male) would twirl their partners around. Swing dancing is a lively dance which takes up a lot of energy. During this time period, swing dancing released tensions of the depression and the world in war times. This dance is intended for all ages. Some types of dances incorporated with the swing era are; Fox trot, Jitterbug and the Charleston. Big Band Swing still exists today. In fact it is becoming popular again, much like it was in the 30s throughout into the 50s. Swing Kat Entertainment located at the Ballroom on High in Pottstown, offers lessons on dances that strived during the swing era. On occasion, they have live Big Bands that perform; mostly bands that replay such music, like that of the Dorsey Brothers and Glenn Miller along with several other composers and songs. Sunnybrook Ballroom, also located in Pottstown has events that get the community together to re- shape and make todays generation aware, as well as to be a part of the swing era. An organization called The Philadelphia Swing Dance Society holds swing dancing events at the Commodore Barry Club located in Philadelphia. Sometimes big band can be heard playing on the radio on wxpns station 88.5. Many people enjoy this type of music and swing dance thats involved. The younger population also participates in events and enjoy getting their swing on. Many people enjoy reliving the swing era and look forward to community gatherings. Much like during the swing era, many people would come from all over the nation to attend dances and live performances. On April 15th at the Sunnybrook Ballroom there was a swing dance event that marked the 66th anniversary of World War II. During this event the eighteen piece Swing Fever Dance Band performed its annual USO Canteen Show, featuring music of Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller and the Dorsey Brothers (Staff). On Saturday April 16, 2011, I attended a live performance of a Big Band called the Slicked up Nines and swing dance at Swing Kat Entertainment in Pottstown. This band consisted of nine musicians all being men. Each band member was playing a different instrument. I thought this was an awesome experience to hear the instrumentation and witness people swing dancing for the first time. I myself was sucked into the rhythm of the music and felt the dance floor come alive. Instruments that the Slicked up Nines played were the following; drums, saxophone, bass, trumpet, baritone, guitar, finger tambourines and a wood block. The musicians were very involved with the music as well as the crowd. Two musicians, who were playing the saxophone, would swing their instrument from side to side. The two instruments that I feel that bring the big band alive are the saxophone and bass. The saxophone gives the music its jazz routes and the base sets the pace and rhythm for swing dancing. I was familiar with all the instruments I saw, other than the finger tambourines and wood block. These instruments were not included in the research in which I performed. Along with hearing music from the swing era, I was also fortunate to experience a few songs based off of west coast swing. The only new instrument I saw with this type of swing was the electric guitar. This gave the music a nice touch. Some songs that the Slicked up Nines performed were slower songs that used less percussion and more bass. One song that stuck out to me the most had lyrics that were catchy. This song had the words chew tobacco as a chorus. Not all of the songs that were played had vocal sounds in them. This was a friendly environment which had all kinds of age groups present. Many people dressed up in clothing which was worn during the swing era, as well as girls/ladies wearing dresses and men wearing dress shirts and cackies. The dance floor came alive as the band and swing dancers got fully involved in the music. The dance floor was built, so that it would bounce as people would dance on it. I found this to be a really cool feature and felt like I was back in the time period of the big band swing era. At times the music would get really fast as the men would swirl their partners around. Here, everyone danced with everyone and it didnt matter who, or where you were from. At the end of each song, the gentlemen would dip their partner. I thought that this was an interesting feature to swing dancing. Another component that I found to be interesting was that the songs would end real suddenly. This is much different than most of the songs we find today. Types of dances that I saw were the Fox trot, Jitterbug and the Charleston. Out of these three dances, I found that the Fox trot seemed a little more relaxed then swinging around the dance floor. Overall this was a fun clean event for everyone. I especially enjoyed the live band performance. During intermission, while the band took a break there was another event that took place. This was called the birthday circle. The person running the event called anyone to the center of the dance floor with a birthday in April. After this, the people remaining in the room gathered around in a circle. Those who were in the center would pick a partner and would switch dance partners. Everyone who wanted to dance with those who shared a birthday in April had a chance too. This was really cool and fun to watch. Here I saw for myself that the big band swing still exists to a small extent, due to many age groups that find interest in it. For anyone looking for a different taste of music, I would recommend it for anyone. For me this was a fun experience and I feel that the more that people come familiar with the swing era, the more popular it will continue to be today. The swing era is something that will remain in peoples hearts for many more years to come.

Analysis of Nothings changed by Tatmkhulu Afrika :: essays research papers

The poem Nothing’s changed is based on an apartheid in district six near cape town in south Africa exploring the portrayal of racism. The ironic title reveals to the reader how the apartheid has changed nothing but the physical appearance of district six. The poet gives the reader the impression that the speaker in the poem has grown up throughout his childhood in district six and has left and returned after the apartheid has supposedly begun. The poem is written in enjambment and is said as a narrative, in stanza one the speaker has returned to district six that has evicted all its ethnic cultures to be replaced by a white minority, to find that the place is a shambles and people have no respect for it he talks about the â€Å"seeding grasses thrust bearded seeds into trouser cuffs, cans, trodden on† this shows how littered it has become, the fact he mentions it shows the reader it did not use to be like that. Also the mention of the â€Å"purple-flowering amiable weeds†, purple being the colour known for dried blood implies to the reader that some sort of massacre went on throughout the apartheid, and amiable meaning sociable and friendly as a mask over what is really going on in the village. The overall emotion in the poem is revengeful and tragic, however the emotion from the speaker is anger and repulsion towards the white minority and the way they have took over the black’s home, he is aware that he has entered district six without any acknowledgement towards his surrounding, the way he says â€Å"District six.† As a short sentence sounds cold but built up with anger, he knows where he is and he doesn’t particularly want to be there.† No board says it: but my feet know,† this gives the impression he has steps on this ground many times before for his own feel to be aware of its surroundings, â€Å"and the skin about my bones, and the soft labouring of my lungs, and the hot, white, inward turning anger of my eyes.† The repetition of â€Å"and† makes the wording like a list and makes out the speaker has endless bad feelings towards this environment. Afrika then talks about the new buildings that have emerged since he has been gone to illustrate the diverse condition between the two social cultures within his society. He talks about the new building â€Å"flaring like a flag† as if it is taunting him, â€Å"it squats in the grass and weeds,† this gives the reader a horrible impression of the place but also implies the building stand out of its surrounds, it doesn’t belong there. Analysis of Nothing's changed by Tatmkhulu Afrika :: essays research papers The poem Nothing’s changed is based on an apartheid in district six near cape town in south Africa exploring the portrayal of racism. The ironic title reveals to the reader how the apartheid has changed nothing but the physical appearance of district six. The poet gives the reader the impression that the speaker in the poem has grown up throughout his childhood in district six and has left and returned after the apartheid has supposedly begun. The poem is written in enjambment and is said as a narrative, in stanza one the speaker has returned to district six that has evicted all its ethnic cultures to be replaced by a white minority, to find that the place is a shambles and people have no respect for it he talks about the â€Å"seeding grasses thrust bearded seeds into trouser cuffs, cans, trodden on† this shows how littered it has become, the fact he mentions it shows the reader it did not use to be like that. Also the mention of the â€Å"purple-flowering amiable weeds†, purple being the colour known for dried blood implies to the reader that some sort of massacre went on throughout the apartheid, and amiable meaning sociable and friendly as a mask over what is really going on in the village. The overall emotion in the poem is revengeful and tragic, however the emotion from the speaker is anger and repulsion towards the white minority and the way they have took over the black’s home, he is aware that he has entered district six without any acknowledgement towards his surrounding, the way he says â€Å"District six.† As a short sentence sounds cold but built up with anger, he knows where he is and he doesn’t particularly want to be there.† No board says it: but my feet know,† this gives the impression he has steps on this ground many times before for his own feel to be aware of its surroundings, â€Å"and the skin about my bones, and the soft labouring of my lungs, and the hot, white, inward turning anger of my eyes.† The repetition of â€Å"and† makes the wording like a list and makes out the speaker has endless bad feelings towards this environment. Afrika then talks about the new buildings that have emerged since he has been gone to illustrate the diverse condition between the two social cultures within his society. He talks about the new building â€Å"flaring like a flag† as if it is taunting him, â€Å"it squats in the grass and weeds,† this gives the reader a horrible impression of the place but also implies the building stand out of its surrounds, it doesn’t belong there.

Class and Gender Roles in Raising Arizona

In the film Raising Arizona, the scene where HI and Ed are sitting outside with Dot discussing the needs of Nathan Jr. is one that relates to our studies of America on Film. The concepts of Class and Gender roles are evident in this scene. HI and Ed can be considered part of the lower-middle class. Glen and Dot are part of the upper-middle class. One of the ways that the film distinguishes between them is that Glen’s job as supervisor shows that he has a more respectable job with higher income. Also, Glen and Dot have many children that they adopted. They are able to support all those children and are actually looking for another one to adopt. This concept of Class also relates to how each couple fits into their gender roles. Prior to marrying HI, Ed had somewhat of a career as a policewoman. She was providing for herself. HI on the other hand, was constantly in and out of prison for robbing the same convenience store. After the marriage, and having obtained Nathan Jr. , they each assimilated into their perspective gender roles. HI left his life of crime behind and got a job to support the family. Ed left her job behind and became a housewife. It was important to mention this before discussing the scene at the lunch table with Dot. The way that HI and Ed fit into their gender roles, and the fact that they are in a lower class than Glen and Dot, shapes the way the conversation takes place. During this conversation, Dot is telling Ed about all the things that they must do for Nathan Jr. Every time Dot mentions something to Ed, Ed looks to HI for answers. At this point, Ed playing the role of the housewife looks to her husband, the provider and man of the house, for all the answers. Class also comes into play at this moment. HI has no clue what the woman are talking about. Since we don’t know much of HI’s past, we can only presume that since he was constantly robbing that store, he has been part of the lower class. HI has no experience in these kinds of things like flu shots and trust funds. Class is also evident here when you consider that Dot is aware of all these things. Since she is part of the upper-middle class, she has responsibilities, or at least knows how to take care of these things. So even though Dot is a housewife and Glen provides for the family, because they are part of the higher class than Ed and HI, it slightly changes the responsibilities of the gender roles. That was a scene that stuck out, at first only the way each person fit into their gender roles. Only after giving it some thought did I come to the realization that Class plays a factor on Gender roles.

American industrial workers between 1865 and 1900 Essay

Between 1865 and 1900, American industry workers experienced both good and hard times. Labor Unions were forming, and these new creations often produced better lives for the workers. However, waves of immigrants were also coming into America, which resulted in the threat of job stability. Labor Unions and Immigration both had momentous effects upon the industry worker, for better or for worse. After the Civil War, which killed much of the working population, people began to appreciate their skills more and more due to the lack of human resources. Labor Unions began forming, demanding better pay, hours, and conditions. Labor Unions did receive some of what they bargained for, but their greatest gain was the augmented participation people began to take in expressing their convictions. Some of the prominent Labor Unions were the National Labor Union, organized in 1866, the Colored National Labor Union, the Knights of Labor, and the American Federation of Labor. Although these unions targeted different portions of American society (some included blacks, some didn’t, some were elitist, some were lower class†¦), they all had major goals in mind; all fought for reform in the American industrial workforce. The National Labor Union fought for the arbitration of industrial disputes and the eight hour workday. They were able to win the eight hour workday. The Knights of Labor, an esoteric, clandestine, group, campaigned for economic and social reform. They wanted producers’ cooperatives and codes for safety and health. They also fought for the eight hour workday. The American Federation of Labor sought better wages, hours, and working conditions. They also wanted the trade agreements. These Labor Unions negotiated with employers and held strikes, which gradually led employers to grant better lifestyles to the workers. The success in these Labor Unions lay not only in their arguments themselves, but in the myriad of strikes that occurred. Employers were often hurt financially by so many workers. Many employers simply realized that it would be more economical to make agreements with their workers than to engage in  warfare. By 1900, the public began to acquiesce the right of workers to organize, bargain collectively, and to strike. Labor Day was made a legal holiday by act of Congress in 1894. However, there were still many disagreements between the employers and Unions and constant battles were going on. Although Labor Unions were not immediately successful during this period, they were a significant stepping stone in that they encouraged the working class to become more vocal in their working circumstances. Labor Unions in this epoch however did achieve some changes, such as better wages, less hours, and a national holiday. These gains were small compared to the precedent the Unions set for Amer ica. Another aspect that had an important effect on the Industrial worker was immigration. After the Civil War, and even during the war itself, the US was increasingly becoming more and more populated. By the 1880s, Immigrants had come mainly from Western Europe. In the 1850s, the Chinese began to arrive in America. In the 1880s, the New Immigrants, Italians, Croats, Slovaks, Greeks, and Poles, began to immigrate into America. Workers met these new immigrants with hostility and scorn. The Chinese settled mainly in the West, so they were not a major concern for Industry workers at that time (Most workers worked in the factors on the East, whereas the Chinese were on the West). However, when the New Immigrants came to the country, the Industry workers were furious. Especially with the formation of Labor Unions, these workers claimed that the New Immigrants were willing to take jobs with much less pay, therefore taking many of the current jobs occupied by the middle and lower classes. Nativism was revived again as these New Immigrants came to America. Many people were worried that the US was losing its English influences and was becoming a mixture of inferior southern Europeans. Hence they upbraided these immigrants for the degradation of the urban government. Unions assailed them for their willingness to work for such low wage. Antiforeign organizations were revived, such as the American Protective Association which urged voting against Roman Catholic candidates for office. Workers argued that if American industry could be protected from foreign industry  (tariffs†¦etc), then American workers ought to be protected from foreign workers (Immigrants†¦etc.). Congress did pass immigration laws in 1882 due to the increased criticism to the government. It also passed a law in 1885 which prohibited the importation of foreign workers under contract. Thus, the new Immigrants took many jobs away from the old â€Å"native† Americans. Because these new immigrants were willing to take any wage, employers were able to offer jobs currently held by workers to the immigrants for lower wages. Thus the new immigrants were often mistreated and struggled to integrate into American society. However, one extremely important fact to remember is that the torrent of immigrants DID help the wealthy class. The employers did enjoy the cheap labor. Immigrants therefore, also helped create tension between the workers and their employees. Between 1865 and 1890, both Labor Unions and Immigration had distinct effects upon the American worker. Labor Unions aided the worker because they often helped fight for better conditions and wages. Immigration was bad for the workers, because it meant instability to their jobs, and many immigrants were treated with derision. Both situations increased the tension between workers and their employees. In this period, American workers experienced both good and hard times, due to the rapid changes in American society.