Chapter 14 The War Of The Union - 1333 Words

Chapter 14: The War of the Union, 1861-1865 1. Identify the respective advantages of the North and South and explain how they affected the military strategies of the Union and Confederacy. When the start of the war had begun, the people were very confident going into it. When the war took place on the Confederates own territory, this ended up giving them a much better chance of taking control over the war. The confederates also were hoping for the support of Britain and France but in the end this never ended up taking place. In regards to population and industrial development, the union had the upper hand. There was a very big campaign that was initiated by the Union to take control over the Confederate capital. The enthusiasm for a quick and fast victory went out in flames at the First Battle of Bull Run. When the First Battle Bull Run occurred, this ended up proving that war could not be determined with just one blow. The union ended up coming up with the Anaconda Plan, which was the union’s main war strategy, which c alled for a naval siege of major southern seaports and with the Confederacy taking over Tennessee, Cumberland, and Mississippi Rivers. 2. Evaluate Lincoln’s decision to issue the Emancipation Proclamation and its impact on the war. President Abraham Lincoln finally came to terms that the only way that the war would be won, would be if slavery completely was abolished. There were reasons provided by Lincoln in regards to the Emancipation Proclamation (1862),Show MoreRelatedRichard Nixon and Supreme Court1634 Words   |  7 PagesChapter 28 1. Which country did NOT become politically controlled by the Soviet Union after World War II? *Yugoslavia* 2. The Soviet Union first learned of the American atomic bomb how? *through the use of espionage* 3. The Baruch Plan would do what? 4. George Kennans containment policy proposed what? *American vigilance regarding Soviet expansionist tendencies.* 5. George Kennan believed firmly that foreign policy should be left to whom? 6. The Truman Doctrine stated that American policyRead MoreFor Cause and Comrades Essay757 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Civil War. The initial motivation the union and confederacy sustain throughout the story proves that personal honor is valued more than their lives. The opening chapter of the book is mostly a plot overview of the events that had yet to come. Fratricide, Meaning one that murders or kills an individual (as a countryman) having a relationship like that of a brother or sister, and Rage Military were the main themes of the opening chapters. The fact intrigued me that the Civil War so dividedRead MoreReconstruction Of The Civil War879 Words   |  4 PagesThe Civil War can be described as one of the bloodiest and gruesome war ever fought on American soil. The Civil War was fought between the Union and the Confederates. The Civil War lasted for 5 years and during that 5 year period many people ended up dying, 620,000 people to be exact and millions injured, but while the numbers can be appalling; it isn t even the beginning. The war led a schism to happen in the U.S, the whole country was divided and devastated. Abraham Lincoln the president whoRead MoreJames L. Swanson s Bloody Times : The Funeral Of Abraham Lincoln And The M anhunt For Jefferson Davis950 Words   |  4 Pages James L. Swanson’s Bloody Times: The Funeral of Abraham Lincoln and The Manhunt for Jefferson Davis describes the separate journey of the two most important faces of the civil war, Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis. Swanson seems to write for the purpose of allowing readers to experience the final journeys of what he believes is the most unique time in history. This adolescent version of Swanson’s adult novel, Bloody Crimes, describes Lincoln’s journey to the grave and the manhunt for the accusedRead MoreThe Battle Of The War I And World War II Essay980 Words   |  4 PagesIn five chapters of this book, from chapter five to chapter ten the author writes about land and water, space and water. In these five chapters the author covers, forests, jungles, terrains, corridors, waters, glaciers, peninsulas, sea costs and islands. He writes about the US civil war, World War I and World War II. The author would like to compare the tactics and strategies used by the US Confederate and Union Generals during the Civil War, the US military strategy and tactics in Vietnam, AsiaRead MoreKilling Lincoln By Bill O Reilly And Martin Dugard1609 Words   |  7 Pagesmostly about assassinations or deaths of political, religious, and other figures. Therefore, O’Reilly and Dugard are qualified to write this book, because they are both his torical authors. The content of this book is in chronological order. Each chapter is prefaced with a date and location and/or time. The authors use both primary and secondary sources as a part of a realistic approach to relay the events surrounding President Abraham Lincoln s death. They drew from memoirs and documents writtenRead MoreBrinkmanship And The Cuban Missile Crisis1264 Words   |  6 Pagesnegotiating leverage - -participants. For example, the struggle between National political and military, if a long-term military confrontation between the two countries, both sides have nuclear weapons, the weaker side in order to avoid a conventional war can be used to launch nuclear weapons to threat another one which side is stronger. However, this threat may be considered to be incredibly for strong side. The question is coming that how it can threaten by one of the weak side becomes confidence andRead MoreEssay about President Abraham Lincoln1151 Words   |  5 Pagesagricultura l production. The two sections developed differing economies and ideas and by April 14, 1861, at Fort Sumter, the tensions came to a head as the American Civil War began. Skillfully guiding the nation through this time of hardship and considered one of the greatest presidents in American history, Abraham Lincoln left a legacy that lives on in America today due to his preservation of the Union, clash with slavery, and innate leadership in times of crisis. Although Abraham Lincoln servedRead MoreChapter Outline Apush Ch.151056 Words   |  5 PagesChapter 15: Crucible of Freedom: Civil War, 1861-1865 Both North and South were ill prepared for war in 1861. Initially dependent on volunteers, the Confederacy established a draft in 1862, and the Union did so the following year. At first the South relied on imported arms and munitions but soon was able to produce its own. It had more trouble with clothing and food throughout the duration of the war. Financing the war was also a problem. Americans had been unaccustomed to paying taxes to theRead MoreContemporary Mainstream Approaches : Neo Realism And Neo Liberalism1527 Words   |  7 PagesChapter 8: Contemporary mainstream approaches (neo-realism and neo-liberalism) In the previous chapters, we’ve taken a broad glance of Realism and Liberalism; in this chapter we take a look at the modern version of these political theories and their respective differences. Although Realism and Neo-realism are close in name, they aren’t that close in ideologies. Both theories differ on their definitions of power and anarchy along with their respective model structures of the international system.

Urban Paradise Essay Example For Students

Urban Paradise Essay I’ve never traveled much. Frankly, I’ve never felt the urge to leave Roseburg. If you’ve never heard of Roseburg, that’s a pretty good description of it. Maybe I’m not being fair. I guess Roseburg isn’t a shrouded glen or lost hamlet; the Dixie Chicks played in our most prominent city park just two summers past. Strangely enough, when offered the chance to go to Portland to see one of my favorite bands, I seized the moment. The Vandals are a punk band. Stereotypical punks resemble infested lepers. These unwashed adolescents are rebels without cleanliness. The pierced, tattooed freaks don’t rabble rouse, because they are the rabble. Sadly to say these guys are too hardcore for me, for two reasons. My current financial situation seems to be one of perpetual poverty. Self expression costs money, that my parents wouldn’t be willing to pay. They seem dead set to never see me in a lime green mohawk. My second reason has already been briefly mentioned. My parents represent the more conservative party in the house. Dregs still need a place to sleep and food to eat. I was shocked when my parents agreed to let me go to Portland with two of my friends. The advanced plans were made and we left. The concert took place at La Luna. La Luna is normally a dance club, but on certain, rare occasions it mutates into a concert hall. When we arrived the show had already started. The first punk band had just finished. We were a little disappointed at missing Longfellow, for they are very talented. The condition of the interior was strangely frightening to this country boy who had dared to invade it. The floor was packed with a wide assortment of punks. Some had dyed mohawks towering above the crowd, signaling position and radiating the mood of the mohawk bearer. We had an assortment of Rude Boys and Mods there also. As is custom, the Mods were dressed in dark suits and frying on acid, while there similarly dressed cousins, the Rude Boys, where eyeing the skinheads. The skinheads or skins, obviously stuck out like sour middle fingers. It was quite apparent that many of them had recently shaved their heads. Some SHARP’s were there also, leaning against a shadowy corner, smoking and drinking. SHARP stands for SkinHead Against Racial Persecution. I am half-Asian and shouldn’t fear these benevolent skins but maybe they should be called SHAFF’s, or SkinHead Affectionate For Fighting. The embodiment of fury and urban desperation stalked in the shadows. Chances are they beat up the â€Å"bad† skinheads after the show. After two more cover bands it was time for the Vandals. My adrenaline was pumping through constricted veins. Their crew purposely took an eternity to setup. Angst and anxiety were at an all high. My comrades were just sitting calm and relaxed, I guess one benefit of cigarettes. The fact that everyone else knew the secret of tobacco relaxation was painfully aware to me. The air was a blanket of dense black smoke threatening to water my eyes and choke my lungs. Virgin lungs had never been molested like this before. The smoke had been affecting me this whole time, but had went unnoticed until right before the Vandals played. The intense throbbing of the black strobe light directly in front of the back wall where I was sitting pounded into my head. With teary eyes and overwhelmed nose, my ears came through for me. It was they who caught the first guitar rift and bass line. In line all other sense came to me. The pounding strobe was brought down and replaced with smoothing, flashing aqua blues and sea green stage lights. The figures of the bassist and drummer appeared. .u01fcc95121460589ce30fd71f9e85d51 , .u01fcc95121460589ce30fd71f9e85d51 .postImageUrl , .u01fcc95121460589ce30fd71f9e85d51 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u01fcc95121460589ce30fd71f9e85d51 , .u01fcc95121460589ce30fd71f9e85d51:hover , .u01fcc95121460589ce30fd71f9e85d51:visited , .u01fcc95121460589ce30fd71f9e85d51:active { border:0!important; } .u01fcc95121460589ce30fd71f9e85d51 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u01fcc95121460589ce30fd71f9e85d51 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u01fcc95121460589ce30fd71f9e85d51:active , .u01fcc95121460589ce30fd71f9e85d51:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u01fcc95121460589ce30fd71f9e85d51 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u01fcc95121460589ce30fd71f9e85d51 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u01fcc95121460589ce30fd71f9e85d51 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u01fcc95121460589ce30fd71f9e85d51 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u01fcc95121460589ce30fd71f9e85d51:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u01fcc95121460589ce30fd71f9e85d51 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u01fcc95121460589ce30fd71f9e85d51 .u01fcc95121460589ce30fd71f9e85d51-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u01fcc95121460589ce30fd71f9e85d51:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Alexander the Great EssayThese two young guys were faceless. They existed only in the shadows. They had not been part of the old steady Vandals we all loved. Dave and Warren then appeared. Dave had joined the band in 1980, while Warren was still a founding member, 1978. Dave, as lead vocalist had the predominant position of center stage. He wore a light blue shirt with a picture of Mr. Rogers branded across it’s front. The word â€Å"MASTURBATE† was proudly displayed below the visage. He seemed in his 30’s, but his youth at heart shown brightly. The lights lacerated through the oppressive layer of cancerous ozone. His contorted face bellowed out old lo ves and new favorites. His energy and charisma entranced me. I had worked through sweaty 20 somethings to make it to the retaining wall that separated audience from idols. On my left was a tall man. He was clad in a black leather jacket and wore glasses. He too had made it to the barrier, but by more forceful means. We never spoke but he saved me multiple times. I was threatened many times by the vacuum of a circle pit. The circle pit is an opening within the center of the crowd. The brave few inside are bounced off the sides of the circle and each other. The insiders out weighted me by probably 80 to 100 pounds. Entry was easy, escape was not. The circle pit existed a few people behind me. When the circle shifted toward me, I just grabbed the man’s arm and held on. He understood my plight and eventually quite taking notice of my clinging grip. I never had a chance to thank him. Occasionally, I freed myself from enchantment and turned my head to view the back.Actually my attention was broken many times. Something about being kicked in the head will always do that. Crowd surfers, what can I say? Crowd surfing represents the ultimate social shift. The lucky individual can go from back of audience to stage in a fun, fast wild ride. Many women have complained about crowd surfing. They don’t like being groped by one guy; why would they like one thousand sweaty hands? Guys don’t like groping hands either. I especially don’t like the crowd surfer. The standard army surplus boot or Doc Martin worn by punks is unbelievably good at causing bruises. The front of the audience was the paradise of crowd surfers and my head stood between them and that. I was kicked probably ten times in two hours. Only two blows really affected me and required time to recover. By the concert’s end, I was ravaged. My hair was a shaggy black mess upon bruised scalp. My eyes were red from sweat and smoke entering them. My delicate eardrums rang with the familiar ringing of permanent damage. My white T-shirt was sodden and stained slightly off-white by the cigarette fumes ever present. I was pleasantly surprised to find the blood on my shirt was not my own. Falling on the dirty ground trampled by filthy boots soiled my pants. My heart raced and I felt amazing. I had discovered the secret of endorphins and adrenaline. Since that summer, two years ago, I have been to at least fifteen such concerts. Maybe I have learned the wrong lesson from my concert going experience, but I now realize to enjoy youth and seize the day.

Ensuring Customer Satisfaction

Introduction To ensure success in a highly competitive world it is important that an organization puts emphasis on customer satisfaction. Findings indicate that it is much easier to retain an existing customer than attract a new one. That is why it is important for any business entity to understand the needs of its customers and ensure the production of quality brands.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Ensuring Customer Satisfaction specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Ensuring satisfaction usually compels a customer to come again to buy the products or get the service. It is also vital in ensuring referrals, whereby the customers are able to refer other people to the same business entity or brand. The quality of products or services is critical in influencing the attitudes of the customers towards a given brand. Customer satisfaction influences the consumers to have a positive attitude towards the brand while dissati sfaction leads to negative attitude (Antonides 1999: 88). Customer satisfaction is vital in promoting a brand. Customer dissatisfaction on the other hand leads the consumers to present their complaints to the manufacturer or dealer of that particular product or even discourage other potential customers from using that product or service. To determine the quality of a product or service, it is quite important to determine the attitudes of the consumers towards that particular brand. This could be done by issuing them with questionnaires or directly interviewing them. This is crucial in spotting the needs of customers and improving that particular brand. For any corporate entity to succeed in an extremely competitive world it must be customer oriented and it should put measures in place to retain the existing customers and attract new ones. After obtaining findings about the customer needs, it is important to act on them so as to ensure customer satisfaction. It is quite important for an organization or business entity to determine the customer satisfaction levels at that particular time before putting any customer satisfaction measures. Improving quality is not enough to give an entity a competitive advantage over its competitors. It is therefore important that an organization puts less emphasis on internal structures and processes and focus on the market and customers (Baudrillard 1998: 432). Customer satisfaction The issue of satisfaction is particularly important tin the hospitality industry. Customer satisfaction can be termed as a feeling of pleasure or fulfillment that comes with the obtaining and using a product or service. Consumer Decision Making Process According to Smith, before any purchase is made, the consumer usually goes through a number of stages. It is important for any marketer to understand the whole process while marketing any given brand. There is a stage in the buying process whereby the marketer might not be in a position to change the d ecision of the buyer.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More While doing the routinely purchases however, it is quite common for the customer to skip or in some cases reverse some of these stages. Someone who is hungry is likely to skip the information seeking and evaluation stages. While purchasing certain commodities however, there is need for significant thought and deliberation. The buying process is very important in such a case (Blythe 1997: 231). According to this model, before any purchase is made, the consumer recognizes a need like hunger, the need to purchase certain equipment or it might be in response to a given stimuli like a sweet aroma. The customer then goes a head to find the appropriate information. If the need is quite agent and there is a place to purchase the product/service, a decision is instantly made to acquire the same. If not then the quest to acquire t he information continues. Some of the information sources for the customer include; Personal sources which include; members of one’s family, friends or neighbors. Business sources like advertisements, sales people, packaging and displays, retailer as well as the retailers of that given product/service. Public sources, these include the media/press and consumer organizations. Experimental sources. They include the handling of the product, examining as well as using it. During the evaluation stage, the customer is faced with the option of choosing among the different brands, products or other service providers (Brown 2002:33). Information Use The customer uses the obtained information in determining the best brand in solving the apparent problem. An extensive evaluation is to be carried out if the purchasing is very much involving. High involvement purchases are those which either involve higher risks or are expensive. These might for instance be; the purchasing of a car, ho use or making an investment. Low involvement purchases on the other hand usually involve less evaluation as it is in the case of purchasing refreshments or purchasing foodstuff for preparing dinner. A marketer needs to provide the customer with the appropriate information in the various purchasing situations. In high involvement purchases for instance, the marketer needs to give the customer accurate information about the quality of the brand and its importance and advantages over the competitors. He/she might have to give free samples or offer trials to the customer so as to make a sale and establish customer loyalty. (Cave 2002:461).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Ensuring Customer Satisfaction specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Post-purchase Evaluation This is the final stage in the purchasing process. After purchasing, the customer might have concerns about that particular brand. This is usually done through cognitive dissonance. In the event that a consumer feels that an alternative product or service provider would have been better, he/she might not go for it immediately but might go for it next time he/she is in need. The person is less likely purchase the product or service that did not satisfy him/her. During the purchasing, the customer needs to be assured that the product or service would satisfy his/her need. Even after purchasing, the consumer has to be reassured that he/she made the right decision. Application in the Hospitality Industry This model is applicable in the hospitality industry although it has its own shortfalls. The aspect of decision making has not been an easy one in this industry given that it has been undergoing much complexity in the recent past. There are various factors that influence decision making in the hospitality industry some of which are socioeconomic. The aspects of the organizations image, its utility maximization as well as people’s knowl edge about the products and services are also influential in the whole process (Ford 2005:33). Decision Making The management of any hospitality company uses the knowledge of this model to make decisions concerning the branding and ensuring effective marketing strategies so as to retain the existing customers and attract new ones. The problem recognition stage in the hospitality industry is characterized by customers need for comfort and places of relaxation, refreshment, accommodation, transportation and places where they can get good food and other entertainment services. It is upon the retailer to provide these services to the customers and inform them of the products and services offered by that particular business entity (Gottdiener 2000:67). It is therefore important for the marketers to carry out some study on the customers needs so as to know the services they need and improve on the existing ones or eliminate those that are not relevant. It is important to understand the cu stomers and the attributes that influence their decision making. This is the only way that a hospitality firm can effectively deliver to its customers. With the aspects of post-modernism and globalization, today’s market has significantly changed. The customers are more sensitive to the prices and the focus is more on the psychological rather than physiological needs. A marketer needs to know the perception of the consumers concerning the alternative brands in the industry (Griffin 2002:55).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The hospitality industry usually aims at ensuring customer satisfaction which translates to profit making. Marketing is particularly very important in the hospitality industry. The industry also depends on the travel industry for its marketing and operational activities. By understanding the decision making process, an organization is in a position to meet its organizational objectives by putting programs in place to ensure that the customers are satisfied which results in greater profitability. The hospitality industry must have the customer service culture. Much emphasis is put on customer service and satisfaction. The organizations culture is in such a way that the needs of the customers are given priority (Gronroos 2000:22) A business entity in the hospitality industry needs to be consistent in its service provision so as to avoid customer dissatisfaction. The entity should do follow up even after the customers purchase their products or services so as to determine their level o f satisfaction at the post-purchase stage. This helps in finding out whether the customers were satisfied or whether the product or service needs to be improved. This is crucial in minimizing dissatisfaction and establishing customer loyalty (Heath 2005:33). Challenges Globalization has resulted in market complexity. The hospitality industry is therefore encountering greater competition from firms across the globe. The industry is faced with the challenge of ensuring that high ethical standards are upheld and the players in the industry observe corporate social responsibility. The model has been found to be ineffective given that a lot of emphasis is put on the customers. The organizational structures and procedures of businesses are likely to be sidelined. In some cases, consumers might approve a brand as being of quality yet still go for the competitive brand. This is evidence that this model might not be absolutely effective in defining consumer behavior. Kotler’s The Buye r Behavior Model Consumer Markets and Their Buying Behavior A consumer’s buying behavior has to do with the individuals or households buying goods and services for their own consumption. A marketer has to be concerned about the customer’s reaction to the marketing efforts of the company. According to this model, the buyers are attracted to buy a certain commodity or a service due to a number of stimuli that they are exposed to. They could be the marketing stimuli like the cost of that product or service, the location of the product, the promotional activities. The other stimuli that influence the consumers buying behavior are the economic factors, the person’s cultural orientation, political factors and the aspects of technological advancement. All this factors help the consumer to decide on whether to buy a product or a service. The consumer is usually stimulated by these factors to go for a particular brand or product. It is therefore the responsibility of the marketer to determine what goes into the mind of the consumer as this would determine his/her response to that particular brand. The buyer’s characteristics have an influence on his/her perception of the stimuli while his/her response to those particular stimuli would determine the person’s buying behavior. According to this model, the customer’s decision to purchase a product or service is influenced by the family, peers, social group and the society in general. In the buyer’s mind, which is referred to as the back box in this model, his/her decision to go for a particular brand would be influence by the person’s attitude, knowledge, his or her personality, the persons lifestyle, motivations or perceptions. In the decision making process, the person goes through the stages of buying, that is, the realization that a need exists, the person then seeks the relevant knowledge, the customer then carries out the alternative evaluation where he/she migh t compare the brand with the other brands in terms of quality and the cost. The person then makes the purchasing decision. After buying the product or service, there is the post purchase stage where by the person looks at the performance of whatever he/she had purchased so as to approve or disapprove of its quality. The consumer then makes a decision to remain loyal to the brand or go for an alternative brand on the next buying. The marketing stimuli are mainly planned by the respective companies while the environmental factors are influenced by the prevailing economic, cultural and political circumstances. Factors Influencing Consumer Behavior Marketing Stimuli Marketing stimuli plays a very important role in determining the buying behavior of the consumer. A consumer will for instance go for a brand that has been well marketed, less costly, and easily accessible. The quality of the services, the value and the consumer’s future intentions has a correlation (Lashley 2000:222) . Image seems to play a very significant role in the choices that consumers make. The consumers are likely to go for a retailer with the best prices, good customer service and excellent delivery services. The attitude of a consumer towards a retailer is greatly influenced by the image of that particular retailer. The attitudes of such consumers greatly influence their intentions. This is also influenced by the subjective norms of the consumer. A good experience with a retailer in terms of satisfactory service delivery is most likely to result in the consumer’s loyalty. (Reisinger 2003:22). Cultural Stimuli According to this model, a buyer’s decision to purchase a product or service is greatly influenced by the person’s culture, sub culture or social class. A person might refuse to go for a particular brand if his/her culture prohibits the brand. Subjective norms are very likely to influence the intentions of a consumer to purchase. These are the factors that dic tate whether a person should purchase a particular product or not (Rosenblatt 1999:85) Social Factors Social factors play a very significant role in influencing the purchasing behavior of a shopper. Besides the need for variety and convenience a shopper is likely to be influenced by his/her relatives, peers, and the desire to be within a certain social class. Social sites like Facebook, MySpace and twitter are likely to influence a consumer to either purchase from a particular retailer or avoid that retailer. Whenever shoppers develop a positive attitude towards a particular retailer, they are likely to influence each other positively and hence go for the products and services of that particular retailer. On the other hand, if they have a negative attitude towards the retailer, they are likely to influence each other against that particular retailer. This calls for the retailer to make effort in ensuring effective service delivery and building trust with the consumers. Technological Stimuli Most companies and businesses in the hospitality industry have embraced the most current technologies in their service delivery. Some of them have introduced the touchscreen tables that enable the customers to make orders without having to speak to the waiters. This is important as fur as improving the quality of services is concerned although success solely relies on the consumers perceptions of such technologies. Younger consumers might for instance be motivated by such technologies and might develop loyalty to such brands. This might not necessarily be the case with the older generation. Satisfaction is very significant in enhancing brand loyalty among the first-time consumers as compared to the regular customers. A consumer’s efficiency in handling the current technological devices also plays a very important role in influencing the consumer to purchase a certain product/service or not. A customer that is technologically advanced and has a good knowledge of compu ter technology is more likely to embrace e-shopping than one who is not. While making a hotel reservation for instance, a person needs to know how the computer system works and how to use the credit card in making online payments. Most of the e-consumers have embraced the technology as it is easier and more efficient than the traditional mode of making business transactions. The method is perceived as being clear and easy to navigate, get the relevant information and make comparison. It is more interactive than the traditional mode of shopping (Schiffman 2004). Consumer Traits The shopping behavior is also greatly influenced by the consumer traits like a person’s age gender, education level, and income range. Men for instance tend to be quick buyers. Women on the other hand are known to be selective and keen observers when it comes to shopping. Well educated people tend to thoroughly seek the relevant information about a particular retailer before purchasing. Less educated pe ople on the other hand tend to depend on cues and do not look for much information before purchasing. It is coincidental that most of the wealthier people are educated as well. They therefore tend to collect all the relevant information about a product and a retailer before buying the same (Swarbrooke 1999:65). Considering the age factor, younger people are more likely to seek more information concerning a particular retailer than the elderly. This is because the elderly are characterized by loyalty to a particular brand while the younger people want to try out new things. Application in the Hospitality Industry Most customers of the hospitality industry look for places of relaxation where they can escape from the usual pressures of life or work. They therefore go forth to look for destinations where they can socialize and escape from the usual hustles and tussles of life. These are the factors that players in the hospitality industry should consider in order to ensure customer sati sfaction. Hospitality companies and businesses therefore ought to put structures that are consumer oriented in place so as to ensure consumer satisfaction which in the long run leads to loyalty. Players in the industry ought to be market oriented. A customer’s experience with a product or brand often has a psychological effect on him/her. The person is emotionally and psychologically attached to that particular brand or product as opposed to those who have not had an experience with that particular brand. The person is therefore well placed to influence the attitude of others towards that particular brand. Dissatisfaction towards a brand would mean that the customer had a negative experience with it and is likely to negatively influence potential consumers. The consumer would most likely develop resentment towards that brand. Having a positive experience with the brand would result in satisfaction which would result in the consumers positively influencing their colleges to go for the brand. It also results in the customers going for the brand in subsequent instances. Relationship marketing is quite important in building customer loyalty. Such loyalty can be boosted by a hospitality business ensuring personalized services, upgrading rooms and taking the customers’ problems seriously. Customers need to be provided with security and accurate information so as to build customer loyalty. Offering quality services is the only way for the firms or hospitality businesses to remain relevant and competitive in a post modern world (Lury 1996:44). Findings have shown that image is so significant in the hospitality industry. Quality services would automatically lead a consumer to come back for the same services or recommend the brand to others. Customer satisfaction is based on the attitudes of the customers towards a particular brand and that is why it is very important for any business entity to know the perceptions of the customers towards that particular brand. The success of any particular brand cannot solely be based on the frequency of purchase of that particular brand (Kotler 1999:33). The model has been characterized by a number of shortfalls. The model therefore fails to fully explain how these other factors affect consumer behavior. With the aspects of globalization and post modernism, the aspects of customer satisfaction have become a challenge hence the need to ensure quality services if customer satisfaction is to be achieved. E-Customers Findings have shown that the needs of e-customers and typical customers are similar. With the current technological advancement, the number of e-consumers in the hospitality industry has significantly increased. There are a number of factors influencing e-consumer behavior. Functionality seems to be the driving factor in the behavior of the online consumers. Most people are still very reluctant to embrace online purchase as it is a new phenomenon. E-consumers rely on their past experience with the brand to make decisions. In such cases much emphasis is put on the quality of services. Good services would definitely attract the e-consumer to purchase the goods and services in subsequent instances. Most businesses in the hospitality industry have embraced online services. Hotels have for instance made it possible for someone to make online bookings and reservations possible. People are able to make online payments for instance by using credit cards. This has been convenient to most consumers who do not have time to travel to that particular hotel or destination just to make a reservation. Those businesses that have embraced the current technologies in their service provision are therefore most likely to attract e-consumers and this plays a very significant role in improving their image among these consumers. Trust is very important in making the consumers to have confidence in any particular service provider. The consumers need to be assured of privacy, safety of their information and effectiveness in service delivery. Once confidence and trust is established, the consumers will become regular shoppers (Solomon 2002:11). Experiential factors of e-shopping E-shopping is not only about purchasing. Interactivity plays a very important role in this type of trade. A consumer would for instance be appealed by the ability to customize some of the features on the retailer’s website. Interactivity plays a big role in influencing the attitude of the customer towards the retailer which significantly affects the aspects of trust. An interesting website that allows for easy compatibility and interactivity is preferable to that which lacks such features. These aspects can be exploited by players in the hospitality industry in ensuring that their websites are very much interactive. They should use attractive features like music, videos and 3D in ensuring that their customers and potential consumers are attracted to the website. This is crucial because a person’s first encounter with a website would determine whether the person will visit the site again or not. The features of a given website portray the image of the respective e-retailer, hence the need to develop a highly interactive website that ensures consumer satisfaction (Stalnaker 2002:22). Conclusion Consumer behavior is influenced by a number of factors. According to Smith, consumer behavior is characterized by a number of interrelated stages. It is therefore important for the marketer to know the stage at which the consumer is so as to try to influence his/her decision to go for that given brand. Even after purchasing, it is important for the marketer to follow up and know the opinion of the customer concerning that brand and even convince the person that she/he made the right decision by selecting the brand. According to the Black Box model, it is quite important for a retailer to ensure effective marketing so as to positively influence the consumer to develop loy alty towards that particular brand (Taylor 2004:87). According to this model, brand image is perceived to be a very significant factor that influences customer behavior. A good image results in brand loyalty while a negative image leads to disloyalty. It is therefore the responsibility of the retailer to develop a positive image of the brand. The image of a brand does not just affect the consumers alone. This is because the consumer has the ability to influence other potential customers to try out the brand or avoid it. List of References Antonides, G., and Van Raaij, W. (1999) Cases in consumer behaviour. New York: Wiley. Baudrillard, J. (1998) The consumer society: myths and structures. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. Blythe, J. (1997) The essence of consumer behaviour. London: FT Publishing. Brown, S. (2002) Free gift inside: forget the customer: develop market ease 2,(4) 33 Cave, S. (2002) Consumer behaviour in a week. London:Hodder and Stoughton. Ford, K. (2005) Brands laid b are: using market research for evidenced-based brand  management. New Jersey, Wiley and Sons. Gottdiener, M. (Ed.) (2000) New forms of consumption: consumers, culture and  commodification. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield. Griffin, J, (2002) Consumer Loyalty: How to earn it How to keep it. San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass. Gronroos, C. (2000) Service management and marketing: a customer relationship  management approach. 2nd Ed., New York:Wiley. Heath, J., and Potter, A. (2005) The Rebel Sell: how the counterculture became  consumer culture. Chichester: Capstone Publishing. Kotler, P., Bowen, J., and Makens, J. (1999) Marketing for hospitality and tourism. 2nd Ed., London: Prentice-Hall International (UK) Ltd. Lashley, C., and Morrison, A. (2000) In search of hospitality: theoretical perspectives  and debates. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Lury, C. (1996) Consumer culture. Rutgers: Rutgers University Press. Reisinger, Y., and Turner, L. (2003) Cross-cultural behaviour in tourism: concepts and  analysis. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Rosenblatt, R. (1999) Consumer desires. New York: Island Press. Schiffman, L. G., and Kanuk, L. L. (2004) Consumer Behaviour. 8nd Ed., New Jersey: Pearson Prentice-Hall. Solomon, M., Bamossy, G., and Askegaard, S. (2002) Consumer behaviour: a  European perspective. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. Stalnaker, S. (2002) Hub Culture: the next wave of urban consumers. Singapore:Wiley and Sons. Swarbrooke and Horner (1999) Consumer behaviour in tourism. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Taylor, D. (2004) Brand stretch: why 1 in 2 extensions fail, and how to beat the odds. New Jersey: Wiley and Sons. This report on Ensuring Customer Satisfaction was written and submitted by user Desmond Q. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

How to Cite a Book in MHRA Referencing

How to Cite a Book in MHRA Referencing How to Cite a Book in MHRA Referencing MHRA referencing is a citation style set out by the Modern Humanities Research Association. It is used in humanities subjects, such as English language and literature. And in this post, we’re looking at how to cite a book in a college paper using this system. Footnote Citations MHRA uses footnote citations, indicated via superscript numbers in the main text. You will usually give these numbers at the end of a sentence: We put footnotes after final punctuation, like this.1 You will then need to provide full publication information for the source in a footnote at the bottom of the page. For a book, in MHRA referencing, this means using the following format: n. Author Name(s), Title (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page number(s). The part at the end here is the exact page or pages you are citing. In practice, then, a footnote citation for a book would look like this: 1. Simone Weil, Waiting on God (Glasgow: Fount Paperbacks, 1951), p. 65. Your reader will then be able to find the relevant passage. Repeat Citations in MHRA Referencing There’s no need to repeat the full source information in footnotes if you cite the same source more than once. In these cases, simply give the author’s surname and a page number: 1. Simone Weil, Waiting on God (Glasgow: Fount Paperbacks, 1951), p. 65. 2. Weil, p. 100. If you cite more than one book by the same author, give a shortened version of the title as well: 1. Simone Weil, Intimations of Christianity Among the Ancient Greeks (London: Routledge, 1957), p. 84. 2. Simone Weil, Waiting on God (Glasgow: Fount Paperbacks, 1951), pp. 59–60. 3. Weil, Intimations of Christianity, p. 112. This will ensure that your reader knows which book you’re citing each time. Books in an MHRA Bibliography As well as giving source information in footnotes, you will need to list sources in a bibliography at the end of your document. With MHRA referencing, this includes every book you used during your research, even if you did not cite them in the finished essay. The format for a book here is: Surname, First Name, Title (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year) For example, we would list the book Waiting on God by Simone Weil as follows in an MHRA bibliography: Weil, Simone, Waiting on God (Glasgow: Fount Paperbacks, 1951) Note that, unlike in footnotes, you do not need page numbers or end punctuation here. And don’t forget that you can have your work proofread if you want to be sure your referencing is correct.

Computer literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Computer literacy - Essay Example These make of computers are expensive and mainly used for specific operations and applications that need huge amount of information and calculations. They are used in weather forecasting among many other places where supercomputers are needed such as nuclear energy research, geological data analysis, and electronic design. Mainframe computers- it is a powerful computer used by several users thus referred to as a multi-user computer. These computers got their names after the small â€Å"minicomputers† emerged in the early 1970s. Today, the mainframe computers are very large. They are very expensive since they can support several hundreds of users at the same time. In different ways, it can be said that mainframe computers exhibit superior characteristics compared to supercomputers since they can support several programs simultaneously. On the other hand, supercomputers have the advantage of executing single programs at a faster rate compared to mainframe computers. Minicomputers- these are midsize computers used for applications. Their main uses includes engineering, desktop publishing, development of software and many other applications that needs moderate amount of power to compute. Personal computers-they first came to existence in 1970s. They are small, inexpensive and designed to be used by individual users. The first types of personal computers to come to the market were the Apple II. Personal computers are categorized depending on size and chassis. The chassis is also referred to as the metal frame, which serves as the structural support for electronic components. Personal computers evolved to a point where small portable computers came to being. There are different types of personal computers including Tower model-in this computer, the mass storage, motherboard and the power supply are on top of one another in a cabinet. This is opposite of what exists in the desktop models where these computer components are in a compact set of box. Tower

Cyber Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cyber Security - Essay Example In a computing context, the word security is used to denote cyber security. Effective cyber security employs coordinated efforts throughout the information system. Some of the major elements of cyber security include end-user education, application security, disaster recovery/ business continuity planning, network security and information security (Marshall, 85). World governments devote huge sums of their annual budgets towards enhancing cyber security with the United States in particular, since 2010 allocating over 13 million USD annually for the next 5 years to cyber security. The traditional way of ensuring cyber security has been to dedicate most of the effort and resources on the most crucial system components in attempts to keep in check the biggest known threats while partly neglecting some less important system components. However, this method has proved greatly insufficient especially in the age of the rapidly and constantly changing nature of security risks. Most cyber security measures are now embracing guidelines in their risk assessment framework that recommends a shift towards continuous monitoring and real-time assessments (Singer and Allan,

The Removal of the Compulsory Retirement Age Essay Example for Free

The Removal of the Compulsory Retirement Age Essay However, our superannuation system is in a transition phase, and some the details of the changes are contained in the table below: Age regulations and qualifications governing superannuation and social security systems 55| Age to which superannuation entitlements are compulsorily preserved. From age 55, preserved superannuation becomes available upon retirement. For people aged 55 to 60 years, Regulations under the  Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993  (SIS regulations) define retirement as permanent withdrawal from the workforce. A phased increase in the superannuation preservation age to 60 is to begin in 2015 and will affect people born after 30 June 1960. By 2025, people born after June 1964 will be subject to a preservation age of 60 years. | | People aged 55 years and over can access a range of social security pensions and benefits depending on their circumstances, e. g. Disability Support Pension, Newstart Allowance, Carer Pension and Widow Allowance. From September 1997, superannuation assets of those aged 55 and over were taken into account under the income and assets tests after 9 months on income support (pending legislation). 60| Under SIS Regulations, after age 60, retirement may be taken to have occurred upon cessation of a period of gainful employment even if the person intends to re-enter gainful employment. Current qualifying age for Mature Age Allowance. | 61| Womens current qualifying age for age pension. The age pension age for women is being slowly increased to 65 over the next 17 years (reaching 65 years in July 2013). | 65| Mens qualifying age for age pension. | 70| From 1 July 1997 people were allowed to continue to contribute to a regulated superannuation fund up to age 70, provided they are gainfully employed for at least 10 hours per week over the year. | http://wiki. answers. com/Q/What_is_the_workplace_compulsory_retirement_age_Australia http://www. alrc. gov. au/publications/2-recruitment-and-employment-law/compulsory-retirement Most people retire at 55 years or over. According to the  Australian Bureau of Statistics, the average age Australians intend to retire is 63 for men and 61 for women. Compulsory retirement at 65 was made unlawful in South Australia in 1993. It is against the law to dismiss staff because of their age unless there is an occupational reason to be a certain age. Most staff cant be forced to retire because of age except: * judges and magistrates must retire at 70 * Australian Defence Force personnel must retire at 65. The average retirement age is likely to increase as we have an ageing population. More workers will move into retirement age and fewer will enter the labour market. As a result, there will be a shortage of workers. Governments and many employers are already trying to encourage workers to stay on longer by offering assistance to older staff and options like  phased retirement. You can retain your staff past retirement age by offering  phased retirement or flexible working conditions. http://www. eoc. sa. gov. au/eo-business/employers/staffing/dismissing-retrenching-and-retiring-staff/retiring-staff/when-do-staf The likelihood of being retired increased with age. For those aged 45-49 years, just 5% were retired, compared to 16% of 55-59 year olds, 68% of 65-69 year olds and 87% of those aged 70 years and over. In 2010-11, 63% of men aged 45 years and over were in the labour force, 33% had retired, and 3% were not in the labour force but had not yet retired. In contrast, 50% of women aged 45 years and over were in the labour force, 39% had retired and the remaining 5% were not in the labour force but had not yet retired. The average age at retirement from the labour force for people aged 45 years and over in 2010-11 was 53. years (57. 9 years for men and 49. 6 years for women). Of the 1. 4 million men who had retired from the labour force: 27% had retired aged less than 55 years; 53% had retired aged 55-64 years; and 20% had retired aged 65 years and over. The 1. 8 million women who had retired from the labour force had retired on average at a younger age than men. The ages at which women retirees had retired from the labour force were as foll ows: 57% had retired aged less than 55 years; 35% had retired aged 55-64 years; and % had retired aged 65 years and over. Of the 2. 2 million retired people who had worked in the last 20 years, 94% had held a full-time job at some stage. For nearly three-quarters (72%) of those who held a full-time job, their last job held prior to retirement was full-time. The remainder worked part-time before retiring. http://www. abs. gov. au/ausstats/[emailprotected] nsf/Latestproducts/6238. 0Main%20Features1July%202010%20to%20June%202011? opendocument;amp;tabname=Summary;amp;prodno=6238. 0;amp;issue=July%202010%20to%20June%202011;amp;num=;amp;view= ttp://jobsearch. about. com/b/2013/03/08/too-old-to-get-hired. htm In advanced and developing economies, ageing populations and low birth rates are emphasising the need for retaining and sustaining competent older workers. This paper examines human resource and governmental policy and practice implications from the contradictory accounts directed tow ards those workers aged over 44 years, who are usually classi? ed as ‘older workers’. It focuses on a key and paradoxical impediment in the workforce retention of these workers. Using Australia as a case study, this paper argues that policies and practices to retain and sustain workers aged 45 or more need to de-emphasise the term ‘older workers’ and reconsider how human resource management and government policies, as well as practices by workers themselves, might pursue longer and more productive working lives for employees aged over 45. It seeks to elaborate the paradox of the (under)valuing of older workers’ contributions and provides direction for retaining and supporting the ongoing employability of these workers. It concludes by proposing that government, industry bodies and sector councils that seek to change employer attitudes will likely require a dual process comprising both engagement with older workers and a balanced appraisal of their worth. Alone, subsidies and/or mandation may well serve to entrench age bias without measures to redress that bias through a systematic appraisal of their current and potential contributions. In addition, to support this transformation of bias and sustain their employability, older workers will likely need to exercise greater agency in their work and learning. Quite consistently across international and national surveys, a pattern emerges of employers and managers holding older workers in low esteem which appears quite entrenched. Indeed, managers’ assessments of older workers are consistently negative, seemingly irrespective of appraisals of their actual performance (Rosen and Jerdee 1988). The evidence from studies across Europe and North America commonly report that employers are far more likely to fund the training of the young and well educated, rather than older workers (Brunello 2001; Brunello and Medio 2001; Giraud 2002). Truly, some northern European countries adopt more positive attitudes towards and claim a strong sense of obligation to older workers as exercised through a set of national policies and practices (Bishop 1997; Smith and Billett 2003). Yet, it is noteworthy that elsewhere the ways in which employers distribute and fund developmental opportunities for their employees, is resistant to legislated (Giraud 2002) and mandated measures (Bishop 1997). Instead, the privileging of youth (and perhaps never more so than when they become a scarce commodity within ageing populations) is that which shapes employers’ decisionmaking about the distribution of sponsored workplace-based opportunities for learning. The International Journal of Human Resource Management 1251This suggests that government intervention by pressing or subsidising employers to employ older workers will not be suf? cient, unless the attitude of employers can in some way be transformed. Australian studies of attitudes towards older workers report similar ? ndings to those reported elsewhere. One study concluded that ‘regardless of the perceived more positive qualities of older workers , employers appear to prefer to recruit employees in the younger age groups for most employee categories’ with ‘minimal interest in recruiting anyone over 45 years for any job and no preference for anyone 56 years or older’ (Steinberg, Donald, Najman and Skerman 1996, p. 157). Despite the increasing recognition of the looming labour shortage at that time and following it, such attitudes appear to have been slow to change. Yet, such attitudes are quite potent. Taylor and Walker (1998, p. 44) concluded that ‘workplace perceptions about older workers (and different groups of older workers) may directly in? uence not only their prospects for gaining employment but also their prospects for development and advancement within an organisation’. A 2003 guide by the Business Council of Australia (BCA) identi? ed numerous ‘readily accepted negative stereot ypes of mature-age workers’, including their lacking motivation and enthusiasm, being close-minded, more susceptible to injury and illness, having outdated skills, less capable, unwilling to take on new training or challenges, risk averse and having less potential for development (p. 2). Yet, the issues raised by the BCA (2003) pose dif? culties in generalising about employer attitudes and practices. In a telephone survey of some 1000 enterprises in the business services sector, which included computer, legal, accounting and employment services, Bittman, Flick and Rice (2001) found no clear pattern of negative attitudes towards employing older workers. They claimed (p. vii) that ‘despite [employers’] reputation for favouring younger, risk-taking innovators, the study revealed a preference for a diverse workforce of intelligent, reliable, team workers with industry rather than computing experience’. However, Gringart, Helmes and Speelman (2005) claim the methodology used in that study did not allow respondents to systematically stereotype workers on the basis of age. Moreover, the business service sector may well be one of those better disposed to employing and supporting older workers than many others, as its work may be more age tolerant than others. Across a range of industries, a survey of 8000 Australian employers found the most proactive recruitment for mature age workers was in the ? ance sector (47% of ? rms), compared with only 32% in information technologies and 24% in telecommunications (Deare 2006). This kind of difference indicates that employer attitudes are not uniform in their application or intensity, across industry sectors. For instance, in their 2001 study, Gringart and Helmes found that older female jobseekers were discriminated against more than males. Yet, 4 years later, the researchers (Gringart et al. 2005) found no signi? cant gender difference. They concluded rather baldly that the sample of 128 ‘hiring decision makers’ in businesses of up to 50 employees was generally unlikely to hire older workers. These studies indicate that employer attitude is central not only to recruiting and retaining older workers, but also in advancing support for maintaining their employability through opportunities to further develop and apply more widely the knowledge they have learnt. Indeed, Howell, Buttigieg and Webber (2006, p. ) concluded that senior management’s support for diversity and effective utilisation of older workers as part of the retail workforce resulted in age-positive practices by those managers who supervise older workers. Nonetheless, in its own way, this kind of endorsement indicates, ? rstly, the importance of attitudes being premised on the basis of informed accounts of performance and not age bias and, secondly, that these attitudes can change. 1252 S. Billett et al. Such change in attitudes would n eed to be broadly applied across decision-making in businesses. For instance, the BCA (2003, p. 8) claimed that voluntary retirement is often seen as a workforce management tool, but that such policies are often based on age alone, and that consideration is not given to the employees’ skill and experience pro? les. The depth and pervasiveness of the employer discrimination against older workers are illustrated further in the BCA’s (2003, p. 11) ? ndings which suggest that recruitment agencies may actually practise ‘ageism’ when shortlisting applicants for their clients, a claim denied by the agencies (Hovenden 2004). Certainly, some of these agencies promote mature age employment through their websites. One of them commissioned a report on the implications of the ageing population in the Australian workforce that described ageism as ‘a particularly insidious form of discrimination’ (Jorgensen 2004, p. 13). Recommending that employers needed to confront their own prejudices, Jorgensen also suggested (p. 13) that ‘policy approaches that deal with ageism also need to be carefully framed so as not to stigmatise older workers, isolate younger workers or impose obligations on older workers who simply do not have the health or desire to continue in full time or part time employment’. It follows from here that in the current social and ? nancial environments, speci? c and targeted policies and sustained initiatives are likely to be required to change attitudes about older workers’ occupational capacities and employability across their working lives. However, these initiatives will need to overcome a range of societal and workplace barriers for the maximum retention of and full utilisation of these workers’ capacities. Key barriers here include a societal preference of privileging youth over age across countries with advanced industrial economies. This preference manifests itself in workplace practices of not only favouring the employment of younger workers, but also directing far more resources towards their development than older workers, among other groups (Brunello 2001; Brunello and Medio 2001). These preferences seem powerful and enduring. Even evidence suggesting that older workers are as capable as other workers and have the very attributes employers claim to value, seemingly fail to change management’s views, i. e. f those who employ and make decisions about workers’ advancement and access to development opportunities. Some might argue that this preference will change as older workers become an increasingly common element of the workforce and a necessity for employers. Countering such a claim is the prospect that a scarcity of younger people may well lead to greater enterprise competition for and sponsorship of younger and well-educated workers and more intense resourcing of these workers and away from o lder workers. Moreover, despite the growing presence of older workers in the Australian workforce over the last 20 years, little appears to have changed in terms of employer preference or workplace responses to their growing participation. Salient here is the comparison of older workers with women workers. Despite their increasing participation in the workforce, women workers across a range of national workforces have struggled to secure worthwhile work conditions, despite legislative arrangements associated with equal opportunity (Cavanagh 2008). Therefore, unless signi? ant changes occur in both the attitudes towards and Australian employers’ practices, older workers may well increasingly struggle to secure worthwhile work, and opportunities for the development and advancement required to retain them in socially and economically vital work and improve their effectiveness in that work. Indeed, there are potentially strong negative consequences here. Consequences of negative employer attitu des and practices There are both personal and societal costs of employer attitudes and practices that discriminate unreasonably against older workers. These costs include the limits in range of The International Journal of Human Resource Management 1253employment options for these workers and dif? culties becoming employed. Indeed, a consequence of policies designed to promote a deregulated and ? exible labour market is the growing distinction between ‘core sector jobs’ (‘good’ jobs that require high skills, offer decent wages and provide bene? ts such as support for training and development) and ‘peripheral sector jobs’ (‘dead end’ jobs that require few skills, offer poor wages and few bene? s, as well as little in the way of job security) (Kossen and Pedersen 2008, p. 5). Given such a bifurcation, the great risk is that older workers will be seen as only being employable in the peripheral sectors. This may well be particularly true for the range of options that are available for many older workers. Challenging the notion of meritocracy in the labour market, Kossen and Pedersen ( 2008, p. 6) cite research indicating that older workers who have been excluded from employment ‘experience far greater dif? culty in rejoining the core orkforce’. The point here is that older workers may have greater dif? culty securing worthwhile work when they re-enter the workforce. Indeed, the negative attitudes that older workers experience may well contribute to the widespread ‘culture’ of early retirement in Australia (Encel 2003) in which workforce participation by those over 55 is considerably lower than in many other OECD countries (ABS 2007) as these workers fail to ? nd meaningful employment, and withdraw from the labour market. A recruiting agency (Adage, n. d. 1) concluded that mature age workers are more likely to ‘experience the compounding effect of being out of the workforce resulting in being seen as less employable’. Another agency reported that nearly three-quarters of 2000 baby boomers surveyed believed that it is nearly i mpossible to get a job after age 45 (Brinsden 2007). The studies cited above, along with a range of other research ? ndings (see OECD 2006a, 2006b; Syed 2006; Kossen and Pedersen 2008) con? rm that age prejudice is alive and well in Australian workplaces, and likely play out most heavily on those who are currently out of employment. Consequently, a priority for policy is to ? nd ways of supporting unemployed older workers’ re-employment, and in worthwhile work, and ? nding ways of praising their worth that can transform the attitudes of their employers. Yet, others suggest that factors other than age alone play key roles in decision-making, particularly that such decisions are based on a business case, not on ageism. In an Equal Opportunity Commission seminar, Ranzijn (2005, p. 1) argued that ‘in general, age discrimination is not a function of a negative attitude towards older workers, but based on an implicit cost/bene? analysis’. The OECD (2006a, 2006b, p. 10) also noted that a dif? culty for employers with older workers is ‘wages and non-wage labour costs that rise more steeply with age than productivity’ and also that there are ‘shorter expected pay-back periods on investments in the training of older workers as well as their lower average educational attainmentâ€℠¢. Perhaps, because of such imperatives, Encel (2003, p. 4) warned that age discrimination is ‘commonly covert and evasive and easily masked’. Similarly, Bittman et al. (2001, p. 6) reported to an Australian House of Representatives inquiry into older workers’ unemployment that the latter were consistently advised that they were ‘over quali? ed for lower positions and under quali? ed for higher positions’. Whatever the reasons advanced by employers for not retaining or employing mature age workers, Ranzijn (2005, p. 8) pointed out that the changing demographics of the workforce will inevitably mean that employers will have to resort to older workers in order to maintain productivity, a point also made by the OECD (2006b) based on a multi-nation survey. However, such a pragmatic and expedient premise may not be the best one to proceed with. Despite becoming increasingly essential for the production of goods and services, older workers will continue to be seen as ‘last resort workers’: at the bottom of employers’ preferred kind of workers (Quintrell 2000). Employees categorised in this way will often be a low priority for employer-sponsored development opportunities and support in the 1254 S. Billett et al. workplace (Billett and Smith 2003) of the kinds required to retain them and further develop their capacities. Hence, even if the government supports the re-employment of older workers, it is likely that within the workplaces the opportunities are still likely to be shaped by a cultural preference where youth is championed and privileged, and where age is seen as a natural decline (Giddens 1997). Therefore, older workers cannot be con? dent of being afforded the kinds of employer support required to maintain their workplace competence and successfully negotiate work transitions. Moreover, given the privileging of youth, it is unlikely that older workers will make demands for employer-funded training, lest they reinforce the sentiment of being a liability. Analogously, Church (2004) refers to disabled workers who have particular needs for support, yet are strategic and cautious in their demands for workplace support, including that from their co-workers, lest they be seen as liabilities in cost-conscious work environments. Nevertheless, the widely held view among employers that older workers are less able and in? xible, and offer limited return on developmental opportunities is questioned by data arising from informants with direct experience of these workers. McIntosh (2001), for instance, notes that enterprises actually employing older workers value their contributions in quite distinct ways: survey responses of nearly 400 American employers and human resource development managers characterised older workers as: (a) being ? exible and open to change, (b) ha ving up-to-date skills, (c) interested in learning new tasks and (d) willing to take on challenging tasks. Furthermore, 68% of the respondents concluded that training older workers costs less or the same as training their younger counterparts; 57% reported that age does not affect the amount of time required to train an employee (14% disagreed) and 49% believed that older workers grasp new concepts as well as younger workers (18% disagreed). In all, this survey portrays older workers as ideal employees, which confounds the sentiment behind practices that distribute employer-funded support away from these workers. The exercise of this sentiment may also re? ect the contradictory and confusing discourse that many older workers experience and try to understand in the workplace: they are essential to maintain the production of goods and services, yet discriminated against in terms of the opportunities afforded them. Despite the suggestion in the survey reported by McIntosh (2001), few studies effectively describe the reaction and role of older workers to the changing nature of work processes. Indeed, McNair, Flynn, Owen, Humphreys and Wood? ld (2004) claim their surveys indicate that most workers reported not being given assistance to negotiate new work roles and new work as their work life transforms. Hence, this reinforces not only the lack of support, but also the need for and apparent success of these workers being able to independently develop their capacities. Consequently, policies and practices by government, industry bodies and industry sector interests may have to interweave both suppor t for older workers’ re-employment or continuing employment, with processes that also attempt to transform the views and perspectives of employers. Yet, sitting in here also is the need to develop and support these workers’ capacities to be agentic learners, i. e. in line with their own interests and intentions (Billett and vanWoerkom 2006). Direct subsidies may well indeed reinforce the perspective that positions older workers as being de? cient and worthy of societally incurred subsidies, and places employers as being only able to employ and promote the interests of these workers when such subsidies are available. It would then seem that policies and practices are needed to both engage employers with older workers and promote their worth to employers in a way which incrementally in? ences their decision-making. It is these kinds of engagement and development that will be required to both overcome and transform well-entrenched preferences. The International Journal of Human Resource Management 1255All of the above points to the importance of identifying what has to be done to effectively retain older workers and develop their employability. Added here is the prospect that the fewer available younger workers will be in high demand and, as such, are unlikely to select low-status occupations such as aged care. Hence, and as noted, a key consideration for approaches to improving policy and practice for older workers is shifting employer attitudes towards a more positive accounting of the capabilities and potentialities of these workers. 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S. employers spends millions of man hours each year placing ads, prescreening and interviewing candidates, and hiring and training workers, only to find that many of the employees they hire work for them for just a ew months only to decide they dont want to just be a clerk anymore or feel something betters come along as they work their way up the corporate ladder. So where can businesses find a dependable, steady workforce that has no plans to move up and out? A workforce dedicated to the job at hand and that takes pride in its work? Who will cost them less to hire, train and maintain? The answer? Older workers. Below are twelve reasons why hiring older workers can he lp you maintain a reliable, dedicated workforce and provide a significant cost savings for both the short and long term. . Dedicated  workers produce higher quality work, which can result in a significant cost savings for you. Stories abound of highly committed older workers finding others potentially costly mistakes regarding everything from misspelling of client names to pricing errors and accounting mistakes. 2. Punctuality  seems to be a given for older workers. Most of them look forward to going to work each day, so theyre likely to arrive on time and be ready to work. 3. Honesty  is common among older workers, whose values as a group include personal integrity and a devotion to the truth. 4. Detail-oriented, focused and attentive  workers add an intangible value that rubs off on all employees and can save your business thousands of dollars. One business owner I know once told me that one of his older workers saved his company more than $50,000 on one large mailing job. The 75-year-old clerical worker recognized that all the ZIP codes were off by one digit. Neither the owners mailing house nor his degreed and highly paid marketing manager had noticed it. 5. Good listeners  make great employees because theyre easier to trainolder employees only have to be told once what to do. 6. Pride in a job well done  has become an increasingly rare commodity among younger employees. Younger workers want to put in their time at work and leave, while older employees are more willingly to stay later to get a job done because of their sense of pride in the final product. 7. Organizational skills  among older workers mean employers who hire them are less likely to be a part of this startling statistic: More than a million man hours are lost each year simply due to workplace disorganization. 8. Efficiency and the confidence  to share their recommendations and ideas make older workers ideal employees. Their years of experience in the workplace give them a superior understanding of how jobs can be done more efficiently, which saves companies money. Their confidence, built up through the years, means they wont hesitate to share their ideas with management. 9. Maturity  comes from years of life and work experience and makes for workers who get less rattled when problems occur. 10. Setting an example  for other employees is an intangible value many business owners appreciate. Older workers make excellent mentors and role models, which makes training other employees less difficult. 11. Communication skillsknowing when and how to communicateevolve through years of experience. Older workers understand workplace politics and know how to diplomatically convey their ideas to the boss. 12. Reduced labor costs  are a huge benefit when hiring older workers. Most already have insurance plans from prior employers or have an additional source of income and are willing to take a little less to get the job they want. They understand that working for a company can be about much more than just collecting a paycheck. Any business owner whos hesitant to hire an older worker should consider these twelve benefits. Older workers unique skills and valuesand the potential savings to your company in time and moneymake hiring them a simple matter of rethinking the costs of high turnover in a more youthful workforce vs. the benefits of experience and mature standards older workers bring to the mix. You simply do not have the time or resources to deal with high employee turnover. The next time you need to make a hiring decision, you should seriously consider older workers: Their contribution to your company could positively impact your bottom line for years to come. Stephen Bastien isa business consultant and an expert on leadership and managing employees. Hes the author of  Yes, One Person Can Make a Difference  and  Born to Be. Having started several successful businesses, his current venture, Bastien Financial Publications, provides businesses with the latest developments on fast-growing and distressed companies nationwide through his daily newsletters. Visit his site  for more information on his financial publications, books or consulting services. Read more:  http://www. entrepreneur. com/article/167500#ixzz2QXXcMEQO