Research Korner

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AT McDONALD'S

Human Resources Management at McDonald’s Introduction             McDonald’s is a company which has a colorful history and developed the culture associated with the Fast Food Chain today. In 1937, the McDonald’s brother Richard and Maurice opened the first McDonald’s restaurants in America; it was a freestanding business that offered until then an unthought-of concept. The main items they then sold were beef or pork burgers, fries and drinks. Their restaurant were set up differently to the restaurants of those times, with open kitchens the customers could see right through, and counters with many operational cash registers. Under a high degree of customer satisfactory contributed for business expansion, McDonald today has over than 30,000 restaurants over than 100 countries in the world and it has maintained the top position in the Fast Food Industry for the past 50 years.   McDonald’s has been pursuing a growth strategy for the last decade. McDonald’s foreign operations amount for more than half of the company’s revenue today and all have been marked by ’s (1995) basic vision of selling the maximum. However, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the giant experienced problems owing to external environment changes. In 2002, the company experienced huge embarrassment with law suits, negative media coverage, and 15 percent drop in its stocks making it the third biggest loser in the Dow Jones Industrial average. This roller coaster ride has largely been attributed to the leadership of , who has instituted strategic changes and made the Company soar once again. Among the blows that McDonalds took was the obese-causing and loser-employer issues. McDonalds has been hammered for providing people with unhealthy food that makes them obese and is an indirect contributor to other health problems (, 2004). Based on figures rising in US and UK, the cultural changes are also taking place, the anti American sentiments in the rest of the world has had negative impact on McDonald’s sales. The biggest challenge that managerial level faced was changing the mind set of the people from being a loser to employees of a growing Company. Even the company strategy announced, not many people were influenced by the ’s confidence. To battle it out, a growth of 6-7 percent annual growth which was not much considering the huge size of the food chain was pursued. The challenge was to increase the sales and revenues of the Company and retain its status back. However, the growth had to be reengineered as well, i.e. not from new restaurants but from the improvements in the existing restaurants. Moreover, another factor which drives ’s attention is the destruction of the food market. Due to the growing number of immigrants, the variety of tastes was also increasing and the exotic cuisines from Asia and Latin America were attracting consumer preferences rather than McDonald. As stated by  (1997) in her article, "What McDonald's need to do is consistently drive same-store sales.” , a Natwest Securities analyst, counters it with: “The only way in which they can do that is take a long, hard look at their product line." The organizational development focused upon generating revenues from the existing operations. The biggest change is the expansion in the menus based upon the product development strategy and market expansion strategy that  wants to follow ( , 2003). The menus now responded to the consumer behavior and included more healthy food items like Happy Meals for adults like salads and fruits. McDonald’s also went on to acquire a few sandwich and coffee chains in UK and Australia. Though these changes were a positive step towards incorporation of consumer demands, but it also put the burger giant in competition with a different set of restaurants like Subway offering fresh salads and sandwiches. In order to increase the market share in mature markets, McDonald’s has innovated ideas like the introduction of gourmet coffee in Australia with coffee lounges and net cafés-the message, a place for high-teens spend their money. A strong organizational management can build up a good well between strategy and culture, as lead successful corporate strategy implementation; and build up a common goal between employees and organization reaching high level of motivation.  &  (1997) states that “the mission must determine the basic goals and philosophies that will shape its strategic posture.” This fundamental purpose that sets a firm apart from other firms of its type and identifies the scope of its operations in product and market terms is defined as the company mission” Mission is essential for organization to create cohesion, which makes employees have clear direction to meet requirement and loyalty. A strong organization is an intangible force to maximize the contribution from each member and makes organization going to success. In this article, we will discuss a well-known organization “McDonald Corporate”, how its managerial role plays in their organization, and how their management strategies lead them into businesses. Importance of HRM So what is the importance of HRM in business strategies and decision-making processes within an organization? The new competitive reality facing organizations calls on new and different capabilities. How can one create an organization which adds value to its clients, investors and employees? And how can HRM help to realize this? What is the role of HRM in the organization of tomorrow? When the importance of flexibility and productivity is emphasized, how can HRM add significant value to the strategic decision-making process? Is there a role for HRM at this strategic level? Or is its added value rather situated at the level of the implementation of these strategic decisions?              (1995) clearly favours the strategic role of HRM in the organization. But this does not mean that other HR domains have to be neglected; for example, the outsourcing of administration should not mean a neglect of this area. Personnel administration remains an important area of responsibility for HRM. Furthermore, the facts and figures provided by personnel administration form an important base from which to develop HR policies in other domains and to evaluate their effectiveness. Another model for the added value of HRM is provided by  (1997),  (1995) and . (1995). They distinguish four key roles for the HR professional. HR has to deliver results in each of these domains, since the four of them are equally important. The focus may be short term or long term: HR professionals have to be operational and strategic. Their activities vary from managing processes (HR tools and systems) to managing people. The combination of the two results in four HR roles: 1.      Management of strategic human resources: this role is focused on the synchronization of HR strategies and practices to the business strategy. In this role, the HR professional is a strategic partner who helps realize the business strategy by translating it into concrete HR practices. 2.      Management of transformation and change: a second key role in which HR professionals can deliver value to the organization. HR professionals have to assist in the identification and implementation of change processes, being catalysts as well as guards of cultural transformations. 3.      Management of the employees: this role refers to the daily problems, expectations and needs of employees. HR professionals have to stimulate the employees’ contribution to the success of the company by understanding their specific needs and ensuing that these are met. 4.      Management of the administration of the organization: the HR professional has to ensure that the administrative processes concerning hiring, rewarding, training and evaluation, promotion, etc. are designed and delivered efficiently and correctly.  (1997) emphasizes the importance of this role. Although many organizations and HR professionals tend to underestimate it due to a growing focus on strategic HRM, the successful deliverance of administrative aspects of HR will prove to be an added value for the organization.   Human Resources Management in McDonald’s McDonald’s Organisation  and  (1987) suggest that different types of organisations adopt different approaches to the control of their workforce, depending on how they compete. They argue that there are three main bases for competitive advantage-innovation, quality and cost-whereas strategies revolving around quality and innovation are usually associated with a committed workforce. For organisations where costs are the most important part of the question, control is likely to be a more important factor than commitment. Although some level of consent is always necessary, control is high on the agenda at McDonald's. Control at McDonald's is not merely achieved by direct supervision, machines, the physical layout of the restaurant and the detailed prescription of rules and procedures but also through recruitment. Even unskilled workers have some power to disrupt the efficiency of the operation by withdrawing co-operation from the production process, disrupting the process or by simply leaving the organisation. Employees may submit to the authority of the employer, but are always likely to retain a strong interest in the use of their labour. Employees and management are, therefore, to some extent interdependent; management cannot rely solely on coercion or even compliance to secure high performance, management also needs to secure active employee consent and co-operation. When workers' efforts are extracted through an elaborate systems of rules, including rules about grounds for promotion and for punishment, employers arguably establish more control over workers' personalities and values than when their efforts are extracted through direct exhortation or force or through the design of equipment (, 1979).  (1983) argues that questions of subjectivity are not separable from the analysis of actual work practices in interactive service work because employers actively manage workers' identities. Workers and customers vie with management in a three-way contest for control and satisfaction.  (1983) emphasises the distress felt by workers subjected to organisational exploitation of their feelings and personalities; however,  (1993) argues that not all workers resist the extension of standardisation to their inner-selves. Rather, many attempt to construct interpretations of their roles that do not damage their conceptions of themselves.  (1993) also argues that in some situations service routines provide workers and customers with benefits which help account for their frequent acquiescence in managerial designs. However,  (1993) does not suggest that the routinisation of service work and the standardisation of personality are benign, nor do workers, customers and employers necessarily benefit from these processes in a happy congruence of interests. These manipulations are often invasive, demeaning and frustrating for the workers and sometimes for the customers who experience them. The importance of emotional labour in interactive service work, even of the limited kind found at McDonald's, should not be underestimated. Employers who standardise the service interaction exert a cultural influence that extends beyond the workplace.  (1983) and  (1989) argue that when workers are estranged from their own smiles the company is laying claim not just to physical motions but also to their emotions. Their organisational control strategies reach deeply into the lives of workers, encouraging them to take an instrumental stance towards their own personalities and towards other people. McDonald's employees working on a till, for example, although only involved in limited service interactions, are expected to control themselves internally by being pleasant, cheerful, smiling and courteous to customers, even when customers are rude and offensive. This applies to all McDonald's workers and their relations with fellow workers and supervisors, with whom they are expected to show obvious pride in their work and employment. When asked how they motivated employees, both UK and German managers at restaurant and senior management level stressed the importance of good communication. Managers are encouraged to apply and concentrate on 's (1966) 'motivators': 'achievement', 'responsibility', 'growth' and 'recognition'. This may take the form of 'employee of the month' awards, day trips and cash bonuses or of encouraging workers to strive for promotion and take on responsibility. On the one hand, the striving for promotion locks managers' and employees' loyalty into the system; on the other, it may offer real opportunities for advancement which may be hard to come by for those with poor academic backgrounds. Managers are encouraged to discount the importance of 's (1966) 'hygiene' factors, such as pay and conditions of work. Managers have no control over these issues because they are dictated by the system. Training reinforces the view that pay and conditions do not really matter; what really does matter is their 'positive' management style and leadership. Job satisfaction is thus defined as a phenomenon determined through the area of psychological concepts, not through good pay and conditions. A good manager will therefore 'solve' the problem of resistance or discontent through good communication. Managers in the UK refer to the three Cs (in Germany, the three Ks), co-ordination, co-operation and communication, as the basis of the solutions to all problems. Identification with the restaurant and other crew members is fostered through the creation of a new form of collective. If 'us and them' is still recognised, it is reinterpreted to mean 'us' as the management and crew and 'them' as the customer. Workers are encouraged to think of themselves as part of a team and managers are encouraged to equate restaurant management with coaching a team. The result of this form of 'teamwork' seems to be that individuals are often loath to be seen by their peers as making extra work for other people by not doing their share. Even the more resentful employees, who had what management saw as 'negative' attitudes, would still work hard to keep the respect of their peers. A typical feature of management style was the repeated use of certain kinds of language, with paternalistic expressions such as the 'McDonald's family'. Management and employees in both countries used the term to describe their work environment. Many responses reflected the strongly paternalistic nature of the employment relationship which management worked to foster. Conclusion We examined the organisation and the nature of the work in the McDonald’s restaurants, the employment relationship and the characteristics of the workforce in various countries. The detailed study of the German and UK operations and additional evidence from other European countries suggests that virtually the same kind of restaurant hierarchy and organisation is in use in every country. Although there appeared to be some differences in the numbers of workers employed in restaurants in different countries and differences also in labour turnover, this could be explained by a broadly similar employment 'strategy'. Various authors suggest that all of these workers have something in common; they are unlikely to resist or effectively oppose managerial control. In effect, McDonald's is able to take advantage of the weak and marginalised sectors of the labour market, in other words, young workers who lack the previous experience, maturity and confidence to challenge managerial authority and foreign workers who are very concerned about keeping their jobs. Furthermore, employees in all 'categories' may have no long-term interest in the company, in which case contesting management prerogative may simply 'not be worth the trouble'. Many of the foreign workers in Germany and Austria have a lot of previous work experience and come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and many have qualifications from their country of origin. However, these workers are effectively marginalised in the labour market and find it difficult to find other work elsewhere for several reasons: first, because of problems with language; second, because of problems with the recognition of their qualifications; third, because these labour markets are extremely competitive in terms of qualifications; and, fourth, because the number of foreign and other migrant workers in Germany and to some extent Austria is increasing and unemployment remains relatively high. The work offered by McDonald's may have some positive elements, but workers are often choosing employment at McDonald's in the context of having few other attractive options. Almost regardless of what people think of the work itself, working at McDonald's could be said to offer advantages for some employees who want flexible hours and are engaged in other activities and responsibilities. For those marginalised in the labour market who have few chances of a job elsewhere, McDonald's offers much needed work. However, the employees' dependence on McDonald's and/or their tendency to see their employment as a short-term strategy makes them vulnerable to management manipulation. Those with minimum interest simply leave if they do not like it, and this is clearly reflected in high labour turnover. Perhaps they are attracted by the combination of fairly secure employment, familiar 'family' surroundings created by a highly paternalistic approach to management and lots of employees of similar age or temperament. This may help to explain how the corporation sometimes retains individuals who could probably obtain better paid and more skilled work elsewhere. As  (1986) puts it, it is 'recruiting as means of control'. As already suggested, however, whether this is a deliberate 'strategy' or something else is not clear (, 1994). The employment relationship at McDonald's is managed by a complete spectrum of controls, from simple, direct and bureaucratic controls to the management of subjectivity. At one end of the spectrum, restaurant managers are disciplined to accept tough work schedules and must prove themselves 'up to the challenge' of punishing schedules. Long hours and loyalty are locked in, with young managers being persuaded not only to accept as the norm many hours of unpaid work but also to gain a perverse satisfaction from surviving these tough and uncompromising work routines. In addition, young managers who may or may not get similar 'opportunities' elsewhere in the labour market are romanced by offers of promotion and career development. At the other end of the spectrum, more direct methods are used to maintain control. However, this still leaves unanswered the question of how the corporation has managed to sustain the uniformity of its employee relations practices despite major differences across societal cultures.   Reference List

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AT McDONALD'S

Human Resources Management at McDonald’s Introduction McDonald’s is a company which has a colorful history and developed ...

Effectiveness of the Current Health Promotions Measures Addressing South Asian Adult Women and Obesity

Promoting Public Health Part 1: Effectiveness of the Current Health Promotion Measures Addressing South Asian Adult Women and Obesity             In the United Kingdom, one of the major problems of the government regarding health is the increasing rate of obesity. It has been reported that the number of the people who are considered as obese has tripled over the last 20 years, and it is still rising. According to statistic, in the UK, 21% of women are overweight, and 21% are obese, while 46% of men are overweight and 17% of men are obese (2001).             There are different studies that show that compared with the European women; South Asian women are more likely to be obese, however, less likely to rate themselves as overweight (1999). Local Policy             There are different local policies that are being implemented by the local government in order to support and provide people with information and other service regarding obesity.             One of this is the Bradford & Airedale Primary Care Trusts. The said policy focuses on implementing and conducting different health promotion in order to inform the public regarding the issue about obesity. The policy is using the behavioral model, where in the policy believe that obesity can be prevented by different activities and measures that are related to the lifestyle of the individual. In January 2005, a scrutiny review group was organized and focus on looking at obesity and overweight in the District. Thus, different events regarding food and exercise are being held with the representative coming from the communities of South Asian. Although, their means of generalizing the public in terms of the programs that are being implemented, due to the fact that it will create a mentality of fairness and equality. It is important to consider that South Asian grown up women have different culture, body type and needs compare to the Europeans or locals. For instance, in South Asian diet, rice is considered as an important part of the meal, thus it can be said that it is already a part of their culture.             In addition to that, the council , focuses on tackling obesity by scrutinizing obesity and overweight in the district. Just like the Bradford & Airedale PCT, this policy also uses the behavioral model, where in it believe that obesity can be obtain or result of the lifestyle of each and every individual. However, the Bradford council had been able to connect the entire communities in the health promotion activities; it had included the influence of the employers and working place or environment to the development of obesity, as well as the roles of the supermarkets in informing the public regarding the food items that they are selling. On the other hand, just like PCT, the council is lacking in having a direct communication and relationship with the South Asian women. The said aspect is important due to the fact that the ideas and concerns of South Asian women towards obesity is the same as the views and priorities of the professionals.              Both of the policies had been able to cater on the general demand of the public or community or it uses the community model, where in it focuses on the different environmental as well as the connection of different shareholders such as the working environment as well as the supermarket. However, both of the organization did not focus on the cultural and racial difference of South Asian women compare to the European or locals. Both focus on the behavioral model that emphasize on the lifestyle of each and every individual. It would be better if will also focus on the use of biomedical model, due to the fact that there are studies that shows that obesity can be obtain in terms of genetic and hormonal. And it is understandable that South Asian women have different genetic aspects compare to European, thus hormones of men are different from women. National Policy             Aside from specific local policies that are being implemented and conducted in different areas and places in the UK, there are different national policies or the basis of those local policies. It serves as the guiding rules and policies for each and every organization and individual in local areas.             National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence or NICE is an independent organizations that is responsible in providing national guidance in promoting good health and preventing as well as treating ill health. NICE published their guidance for prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children in December 2006. The said guidelines had been able to show different recommendations for the doctors, nurse, trainers, community and individual regarding the different aspects that are related to the current growing problem of the country.             This guideline uses the socio environmental model where in it views obesity as social, economic and environmental detriments that will help to provide incentives and barriers to the health of the individuals and the entire community. It focuses mainly on the lack of knowledge regarding the activities of buying and cooking food and how diet and exercise can affect health. In addition to that it also focuses on the impact of the cost and availability of healthy foods as well as the opportunities to exercise. Furthermore, it also stated that each and every program must be designed and implemented based on the individual needs, capacity and desires. This is due to the fact that action plan must be based on the culture of a group. In addition to that, it had been able to connect all the important entities in community that can affect the perception of the people towards obesity. But still, there are different problematic areas that must be considered. First is that, the guideline stated that each and every social worker must propose and implement programs based on the demand and needs of the patient, however, the culture and tradition can be a barrier in good communication and understanding between the patient and social worker. That’s why it will be important to make sure that the social worker has a background knowledge regarding the cultures, traditions and beliefs of the South Asian women that can help to ensure the effectiveness of the program.             The  DOH of the UK also released its own guidelines regarding the recommendation for preventing and combating obesity. It releases its, Lightening the Load: Tackling Overweight and Obesity in March 2007. Just like the recommendation of NICE, this paper also focuses on the different aspects that are related to obesity as well as the different aspects and entities that are involved in the said process of preventing and combating obesity, from the individual, families, societies and the authorities. In addition to that it also uses the, socio environmental model where in it tackles on the different environmental, social, economical and other important aspects that can be associated with the increasing obesity rate in the country. It proposes the Three E’s Model in tackling the issues regarding achieving lifestyle change. It focuses on the aspect of the Environment, Empowerment and Encouragement. It focuses in supporting individual to change their lifestyle and then provide with the knowledge and skills that will help individual to make a healthy change. This will be supported by the totality of the cultural, social, physical and even economic environment that are required in order to facilitate the improvements in the lifestyle factors like diet and physical activity. In addition to that, it also uses two approaches in order to implement the program, which are, the whole population approach and individual at risk approach. By doing the said approach, it had been able to cater the group and individual demand of the public. One of the problems that must be faced by the government in implementing this guideline is that it is important for the local authorities and social workers to have a full knowledge regarding the cultural background of the individual or group, primarily the South Asian women. This is due to the fact that culture plays an important role in the lifestyle of each and every individual.             Another problems regarding the national policies is that it is not considering the fact that there are also some factors that can cause obesity that is not due to environmental and sociological aspect, there are some studies that shows that genes and other related aspect can also cause obesity. It will be based on the body types of each and every individual. That’s why it will be important to the government to focus also on the different physical and medical aspects regarding the issue of obesity.             Over all, it can be said that the health promotion of the country focuses on the involvement from the public, sustainability of interventions and relationships and building social systems for health. However, all of the said objective and activities are somewhat difficult due to the different barriers that can be caused by cultures and traditions. This will affect the perspective of the South Asian women towards the different local and national policies, as well as their relationship with the authorities. Part 2: Plan for Promoting Health of South Asian Adult Women             Diet plays a very important role in the overall health of an individual. There is a saying that what you eat is what you are. It is important to consider that healthy eating habit can help to prevent and combat cases of obesity, especially in South Asian Adult women. It is believe that South Asian diet, primarily Indian diet are far too rich in saturated fat and sugar, that’s the reason why many of the upper and middle class suffer from excessive weight problem. And due to the fact that the South Asian women are living in the UK, which is considered as a developed country, most of them are consuming or eating food that is based on the said diet. However, most of the South Asian communities are saying that their opinions were not being prioritized that much compare to the locals, that’s why they don’t have that much knowledge regarding the different aspects that are related to the growing number of South Asian women that are suffering from obesity. That is the reason why this paper focused on the process of promotion of healthy food in preventing and combating healthy food for South Asian adult women (see Appendix A). The said plan is consists of 4 important events that focuses on the process of promoting healthy foods for the South Asian adult women: informing the South Asian adult women regarding obesity; promotion of healthy foods and diet; reducing consumption of fast food; and spreading awareness.             On the other hand, evaluation of the success of the health promotion program is important and vital due to the fact that it can help to assess the effectiveness of the program. This evaluation will focus on the impact evaluation where in it will measures the short term effects of the program and will focus its concern if the objectives were meet or not. It will measure different changes in terms of behavior, environments, health knowledge, social participation, lifestyle and even the risk factors. Furthermore, it will use the qualitative evaluation method where in it will use words and meanings that will help to focus on describing the experience and feelings of the people towards the program. It is important to use this method due to the fact that South Asian adult women have different culture compare to the locals, and it can affect their perspective about the topic. By giving them the chance to talk regarding their experiences as well as their feelings regarding the program, it can help to gather more data and information that could help to improve the entire program.             Focus group will be used in order to evaluate the result of the program. This evaluation tool is appropriate to the situation, due to the fact that it is important to focus on the side of each and every individual, at the same time, enabling to see and hear the reactions as a group (see Appendix B). By using the said evaluation tool, it will enable the program to gather information or feedback directly from the participants, thus it can be used for the improvement of the program in the future.             During the entire program, the local and national policies regarding obesity will be used in order to ensure that the program is following the standard that have been set by the law and by the government. According to the guidelines by NICE and DOH, it is important to focus on the individual demands that will focus on the cultural aspects. Thus it is important to make the participant feel that all of them are treated as equal as those locals. Thus it is important to know first, the understanding of each individual, regarding obesity. This is because, there can be different perspective about a certain disease, or what we call the health models. Social workers and authorities are not sure if the perspective of the group is the same as their perception. That’s why in order to maintain or sustain healthy communication and understanding in the group, it will be important to let the participants to explain their side first.             There are different factors that can affect the entire health promotion. First is, the issue regarding funding. It is important to consider that due to the fact that focus group will be used, it can be more costly compare to the individual questionnaire, due to the fact that there will be several meetings that must be done in order to evaluate the program. In addition to that, funding has a great influence on how huge the population the program will going to cater.             The program will promote women only session; it means that all of the authorities and social worker who will be involved in the program will all be female. This is due to the culture of the South Asian, where in gender issues are still a huge subject, that’s why in order for the participants to be comfortable, it will be appropriate to implement the said plan. In addition to that, the focus group interview will be done in a close room, where in the group can communicate, talk and exchange opinions without the presence of destructions such as noise and other commotions.             On the other hand, there are some South Asian women who are already fluent to English, while there are some who are not, in order to cope up with the said problem, it will be important to divide the group for those who speak English well, and those who are comfortable in speaking their language. That’s why, it will be important to have social worker who can speak and understand specific language. By doing the said activity, it will enable to gather more information regarding the effectiveness of the program.             This project will be done by having a direct communication with the leaders of the South Asian community. By doing the said activity, it will help the group to have a direct connection with each and every individual member. In order to disseminate and spread the news regarding the program that will help them to understand the growing problem of obesity in the country, as well as in their society. In order to reach out for South Asian adult women, it will be important to give away multilingual leaflets, in order to cater to the language barrier. In addition to that, posters will be placed in most of the crowded places in the entire South Asian community; where in most of women go such as supermarket, church etc. In addition to that, having a direct connection to the employer can also help to inform them regarding the program. Aside from that, talking to the husbands and other family members can also help to encourage them to join the program. In addition to that, it can also be helpful if the program will be launched in the Internet, where in South Asian women can access anytime and anywhere.             There are different barriers that can possibly cause problems in the entire process of health promotion due to the fact that, although South Asian women come from the same region, different race have different characteristics, cultures and behaviors that can cause misunderstanding in the focus group. That is why it will be important to group the participants based on their race, where in they will be able to understand each other. In addition to that, it will also be important if the social worker or the moderators that will be assigned to a particular group have the background regarding the language or traditions, or it will be helpful if the social worker comes from the same race. This will provide light and at ease environment during the evaluation of the program.             Aside from that, it is also important to consider that they have their own lifestyle, culture that had affected their eating habit, thus it will not be easy to inculcate to their mind that some of their eating habit are bad for their health. It will be important to implement the problem in step-by-step manner or slowly-but- surely manner. It will be helpful to provide them the background knowledge regarding obesity, thus can help to ensure understanding from the group. By enabling them to understand the consequences of their eating habit, it will help them to be encouraged to change some aspects of their lifestyle.             Aside from the process of evaluating the program based on its result or outcome from those groups that have undergone the program, it will also be important to have an external comparison; where in the changes and developments in the group will be compare to other groups or communities. This can be done by gathering external statistical data, analyzing it, and then comparing it to the past and current condition of the group.                                   Appendices     Appendix A: Plan for Promoting Health of South Asian Adult Women   Promoting Healthy Foods   Event Barrier Solution 1. Informing the South Asian adult women regarding obesity §      Most of the South Asian women are not that knowledgeable and informed regarding how diet can affect their health. §    Informing the communities of the South Asian adult women regarding the importance of diet in the entire health of an individual. §    Giving lecture regarding the current trend of obesity in the world. It will help them to understand that they are not alone in that situation. §    Giving background information regarding the cause and effects of obesity. 2. Promotion of Healthy Foods and Diet. §      Food Culture §      People are already accustomed with their way of eating.   §    Make some changes in the way that dishes are being cooked, for example decreasing the amount of salt and other sauces. §    Conducting seminars and meetings that will help them to understand different aspects of obesity as well the different consequences like fatal diseases that can be caused by obesity such as cardiovascular diseases.  §    Presenting tables and data that will show the amount of calories that can be obtain by eating their traditional South Asian menu. 3. Reducing consumption of fast food §      Some of the South Asian adult women don’t have time to prepare food for themselves and even their family. §    Implement and conduct a cooking lesson that will teach them to cook healthy and nutritious foods in short period of time. §    Presenting the amount of calories that can be obtain from different fast foods such as burger and fries, and how it can contribute to their gaining of weight. 4. Adult women are not aware of what they are eating §      Most of the South Asian adults are not monitoring their diet due to lack of time as well as lack of knowledge and they are not used to it or they are not practicing it. §    Keeping food diary §    Daily or regular consultation or meeting with the social worker.                   Appendix B: Focus Group             Focus group is an evaluation method where in focuses on the group interviewing the interaction between the moderator and the group, relationship between the group members that can help to produce a level of insight that is rarely derived from the unidirectional information collection devices like observation, surveys and other less international interview techniques. The methods that are used in the process of recording and analyzing the information and data that have been gathered during the focus groups, as well as the strategies that have been used in order to gather unbiased information have helped the evaluation tool to gain credibility as an accurate as well as useful source of information Advantages and Disadvantages             Like any other evaluation tools, focus group has its edge as well as flaws compare to other tools in terms of application in evaluating the performance and the efficiency of a program.             The following are the advantages and disadvantages of Focus Groups. Advantages: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Socially oriented research procedure, that’s why it is useful in obtaining detailed information about individual and group feelings, perceptions and opinions;</li> </ul> <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Format allows the moderator to probe, thus it will offer a broader range to seek clarification;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Discussions have high face validity, thus it can help to ensure validity of information.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Can be relatively low cost compare to individual interview;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Can provide speedy results compare to individual interview;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Enable researchers to increase the sample size of qualitative studies.</li> </ul> Disadvantages: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Researcher has less control in the group interview than in an individual interview, thus it can create disagreements and irrelevant discussion that can distract from the main focus;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Data are more difficult to analyze, control and manage;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Technique requires carefully trained moderators;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Groups can vary considerably;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Groups are difficult to assemble and difficult to encourage and range of people in order to participate;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Discussion must be conducted in an environment conducive to conversation. </li> </ul> Source:, 2006)

Effectiveness of the Current Health Promotions Measures Addressing South Asian Adult Women and Obesity

Promoting Public Health Part 1: Effectiveness of the Current Health Promotion Measures Addressing South Asian Adult Women and Obesity ...

CMI Assignment

Modern businesses have acquired a level of success in their individual fields because they have demonstrated higher value to their clients. This edge over the other players in the field translates to their competitive advantage. However, the current demands of the market do not only require one to achieve its individual competitive advantage, one must learn to sustain it. The problem in this scenario is that sustaining such an advantage is never an easy task. Elements from the environment will always be affecting the operations of any organisation. These may come from the internal environment or from the external environment. The good news is that organisational studies have continuously sought to improve the existing conditions of the modern company and allow it to easily adapt to its immediate environment. This study will be specifically discussing these measures on which an organisation is able to sustain its competitive advantage. To provide some semblance of coherence, the major points pertaining to the main topic will be discussed separately. Specifically, the arguments and observations pertaining to the internal and external aspects of the environment will be pointed out individually. Consequently, a summation of these discussions will be done and integrate it as a foundation of the conclusion for this paper. Moreover, to support the arguments and observations made by this paper, past and existing literature on the topic of organisational development and management will be used.        For the modern organisation, organisational development is one of the best tools not only for achieving success but also for maintaining competitiveness in the industry. (Bailey and Palmer 2005, 11)  In general, this type of development influences both the internal and external environments of the organisation. With the expected and unanticipated changes in the current volatile environment, improving the faculties of the organisation is nothing less than imperative.   The internal environment is no less volatile that the external environment. Early studies have noted that managing the internal environment will establish a much stronger front in battling the demands of the external environment. However, that claim varies for every type of organisational theory. One of the major theories of organisational change is strategic management. The foundation of this theory is anchored on the principles of planning. In the 50s, strategic management believes that long-term planning is the key to sustaining an advantage over the other players in the industry. (Drejer 2002, 2) This shows the early belief that stability through using a simple and expanding situation goes a long way in organisational development. Thus, the strength of the company relies highly on the strength of the plan. In the 60s and early 70s, strategic management focused more on strategic planning. In this perspective, proper economic management, marketing, and product management has been the key elements. (Drejer 2002, 3) In this point of view, the satisfaction of the consumer and the consequent profit yields are held highly. The third perspective on strategic management is held closely to competitive advantage. In this school of thought, elements like market share, market position, and strategic plans spell the necessary ingredients for success. Another element that seeks to improve and consequently maintain the competitive advantage of the company is through its leadership styles imposed in the organisation. Recent studies have maintained that the most strategic position in the company is held by the managers. The study of Huy (2002) reinforces this claim as they are the ones who deal directly with the top management and the rank and file. In the same manner, they are the ones who could help the management to determine the exact culture present in the organisation. In the same manner, they are the ones required to determine which type of leadership style would fit the needs of the company and complement the existing culture in the organisation. (Laclair and Rao 2002, 17) This is seen in the case of Procter & Gamble where the authoritarian manner of leadership was booted as the organisation preferred participative leadership. (Madapati 2003) In this regard, its long-term plan has become much closer to its realisation.   Organisational studies have incessantly provided the empirical data pertaining to the importance of organisational culture. Specifically, recognition of the culture as well as the fit it requires with reference to the necessary initiatives of the organisation is one of the age old principles in modern businesses. These set of accepted beliefs is noted by Markoczy (1994, 5) as the cultural web. This web is the interrelation of stories and routines meshed with the organisational structure and the control systems of the company. In determining the type of culture that an organisation possesses, the more likely that the management is able to determine the possible initiatives to address any changes in the internal environment brought about by the external environment.      In any endeavour towards development, change is an inevitable subject. However, early accounts of organisation dealing with change show their predilection to guesswork. In the realm of modern business, one could not afford to take on change initiatives haphazardly. Aside from significant financial loss, the competitive advantage of the organisation is at stake. (Zahra, Nielsen, Bogner 1999, 169) Specifying the where, how, and when in organisational change will take place is necessary to minimise the losses and ensure that the ends of development will actually take place.   Moreover, it must be emphasised that change management is entirely based on the cultural element of the organisation. As Brewer, Juras, and Brownlee (2003, 49) puts it, the implications of managing change depend largely on the level on which the employees will be resisting these change initiatives. Thus, in order to induce change and effectively achieve the needs of the company, attempts to lessen this level of resistance are the key. For instance, Carroll and Arneson (2003, 35) mentioned in their work that involving the workforce by empowering them in the change process will lessen the resistance level in the organisation. In the same manner, determining the proper way of handling the workforce will also add up to the success rate of the change management initiatives of the firm. (Huy 2002) In addition, the communication of the change in the organisation is equally important. (Lerro and Schiuma 2005, 585) The employees have to be aware of the courses of action and the management should practice transparency by opening up the communication lines. In this regard, feedback is easily acquired and certain adjustments are readily implemented in the change process.      One of the more recent and most frequent endeavours of the modern organisation to sustain its competitive advantage is by integrating computer processes and its operations through automation. (Alsense, 1994, 657) Recent studies even characterised the automation of the modern organisation as a ubiquitous phenomenon as almost every type of company, from manufacturing to agriculture, are taking on automation efforts. (Lee and See, 2004, 50) This shows that the promised consequences of efficiency and convenience in the operations of the modern organisation have been highly regarded by companies. Other benefits of automation is seen in the work of Lucas and Olson (1994, 157) indicating that the use of IT in the operations of the company eliminates significant barriers that are usually encountered in a daily basis. It basically bestows the company flexibility in dealing with possible crises and allows a faster reaction rate for the organisation. With the anticipated quicker access to information, the infusion of IT technologies also opens the door of the organisation to numerous possibilities. (Scerbo, 1999, 11) However, to maximise these possibilities, the company must be able to acquire a significant level of knowledge regarding the technology. Otherwise, the company will inevitably incur significant losses. It is important to point out that automation is not entirely milk and honey. It also provides significant risks for the company. For instance, Tapang (2002, 46) mentioned that possible resistance is almost always anticipated in instances where automation is proposed. Moreover, there has been early studies that indicated the propensity of people to naturally feel intimidated by new technology. (Aiken, Krosp, and Vanjami 1995, 38) In the area of the organisation, this may be because of the required skill levels in operating such technologies. (Kacmar, McMahan, and Wright 1997, 104) On the part of the management, once they have taken on automation initiatives, it is required upon them to continuously train their workforce and incessantly find ways to improve the existing technology in the organisation. (Gilsdorf, 1998, 173) The external environment, on the other hand, is the part of the organisation which involves the consumers and the marketing operations of the company. One element that should be given importance by the organisation to sustain competitiveness is the behaviour of the consumers. Jacoby, Johar, and Morrin (1998, 49) consider consumer behaviour as the amalgamation of consumption and dispositions pertaining to products and services of a particular company. This means that consumer behaviours rely largely on the factors affecting the decision making of the consumers. It could easily be labelled as one of the major concepts in the theories involving marketing. (Haugtvedt, Petty, and Cacioppo 1992, 239)  Major considerations in determining the behaviour of the consumer involves the personality of the consumer and the product. In the context of consumer personality, theories of Veblen pertaining to consumerism are frequently cited. (Schleuning 1997, 128) In the same manner, the theory of Hofstede pertaining to culture has also been used to determine the personality of the consumer. (Dawar, Parker, and Price 1996, 497) In the context of product personality, these intimate the realisation of what the consumers need, particularly of the local market. (Julian 2003, 213) In the study of Kim and Chung (1997, 361), they pointed out elements like brand popularity and country image as key ingredients in having effective product characteristics. In any case, these elements add up to the overall attractiveness of the product. (Ealy and Troyano-Bermudez 1996, 62) Making the product and service attractive to the consumer is essentially for providing brand loyalty for the organisation. Increasing the value of the product or the service renders higher rewards for the company. (Kim and Chung 1997, 361) One sure thing that comes out of brand loyalty is the positive effects on the company’s market share. (p 361) This means that as a set of loyal consumers is created, then it is assumed that the market share of the company has improved. In the same manner, it also means that the company will have to work even harder to maintain this newly acquired level of market share. Kim and Chung (1997, 361) observed that a clear-cut formula in obtaining brand loyalty is by providing the public with a level of convenience. With a little touch of differentiation, consumers will be lining up to acquire the company’s product or service. This is seen frequently in the industries where innovation and technology are esteemed elements of their products. Companies like Nokia and McDonalds have mastered this process of innovation and differentiation and thus amassed a good number of followers all over the world.      These said multinational companies basically followed another model to consider in international business. This is the paradox of internationalisation and localisation. This is mentioned in the article of London and Hart (2004) where they maintained the notion of native capability. On the whole, it pertains to the requirement for market research for organisations that are determined to work in the international stage. Particularly, an extensive evaluation of the particular elements that would consent the company to discover the ideal marketing mix of a particular state is needed at this point in time. Again, a complementary fit with the internal environment will have to be at hand with the market to create a firm clench on the market. (Melawar and Saunders 1999, 583) This makes up the concern of the existing principles and social institutions of the individual states that the business means to infiltrate. For example, there are sacred standards in some countries that forbid the individuals to devour certain products like dairy and pork. It is in this circumstance that global companies have a tendency to regulate their individual processes with these states.  Seeing the arguments above, it seems that the paradox could be employed in agreement of multinational organisation. In order for this to work out, proper data should be acquired initially to seal the deal. Research on the particular behaviour of the consumers in the target state should be done. To illustrate, there are certain states that the price of the products or services are given preference by the consumer.  (Nachum and Wymbs 2005, 415) Similarly, there are certain countries that place high esteem on the brand of the product or the reputation of the company. Regardless, the company have to take in all these information in order to realise what type of action they are to implement. It is these type of research that infallible strategies are made. This forms the fact that information is very important for organisations. It is necessary if they anticipate success in their international endeavours. More decisively, it has proved the fact that success will be attained simply by being intimately familiar with the environment on which it seeks to operate. As Brouthers and Nakos (2005, 363) mentioned in their article, it is the capacity of the organisation for market research that will diminish the uncertainties on the potential rank of the company. With these data coming from market research, the business is capable of recognizing the likely changes on their branding strategies and marketing decisions in certain states. This provides an ideal logic as this procedure entails a methodical and technical manner of foreseeing the development of the market. (Vredenburg and Westley 1999, 239) Fundamentally, this will not simply guarantee the organisation with an excellent market position, but also promise that the company will be capable of maintaining that competitive advantage for an extremely long period. Other studies claimed that organisations could employ market research schemes to employ segmenting initiatives for the global market. (Craft 2004, 40) This shows that by means of this market research, branding strategies could be created derived from the segmentation of particular markets into groups. This will deal with the demands of consumers that show similar behaviours and purchasing patterns. All things considered, this procedure offers the business an image of a certain market’s pleasant appearance with particular focus on the potentials and flaws of the market regarding the resources of the company. It is this collection of data that sets up the tools for the organisation in tackling the demands of running an international business. References Aiken, M., Krosp, J., and Vanjami, M., (1995) "Group Decision Support Systems." Review of Business. 16(3), 38. Alsense, E., (1994) "Computerized Integration and the Organization of Work in Enterprises." International Labour Review. 133(5-6). Bailey, J. and Palmer, G., (2005). "The Career Development of African Americans in Training and Organizational Development." Human Resource Planning. 28(1), 11. Brewer, P., Brownlee, R., Juras, P. (2003) "Global Electronics, Inc.: ABC Implementation and the Change Management Process." Issues in Accounting Education. 18(1)49 Brouthers, L., and Nakos, G. (2005) "The Role of Systematic International Market Selection on Small Firms' Export Performance."  Journal of Small Business Management. 43(4), 363 Carroll, L. and Arneson, P. (2003) "Communication in a Shared Governance Hospital: Managing Emergent Paradoxes." Communication Studies. 54(1), 35. Craft, S. (2004) "International Consumer Market Segmentation Managerial Decision-Making Process." SAM Advanced Management Journal. 69(3), 40.  Dawar, N., Parker, P., and Price, L. (1996) “A Cross-Cultural Study of Interpersonal Information Exchange.” Journal of International Business Studies. 27(3), 497. Drejer, A. (2002) Strategic Management and Core Competencies: Theory and Application. Connecticut: Quorum Books. Ealey, L. and Troyano-Bermudez, L. (1996) “Are Automobiles the Next Commodity?” The McKinsey Quarterly. Issue 4, 62. Gilsdorf, J., (1998) "Organizational Rules on Communicating: How Employees Are - and Are Not - Learning the Ropes." The Journal of Business Communication. 35(2), 173. Haugtvedt, C., Petty, R., and Cacioppo, J. (1992) “Need for Cognition and Advertising: Understanding the Role of Personality Variables in Consumer Behavior.” Journal of Consumer Psychology. 1(3), 239. Huy, Q.H. (2002) Emotional Balancing of Organizational Continuity and Radical Change: The Contribution of Middle Managers. Administrative Science Quarterly. 47(1) 31 Jacoby, J., Johar, G., Morrins, M., (1998) “Consumer Behavior: A Quandrennium.” Annual Review of Psychology. 49(1), 319. Julian, C., (2003) “Export Marketing Performance: A Study of Thailand Firms.” Journal of Small Business Management. 41(2), 213. Kacmar, M., McMahan, G., and Wright, P., (1997) "The Effect of Individual Differences on Technological Training." Journal of Managerial Issues. 9(1), 104. Kim, C., and Chung, J. (1997) “Brand Popularity, Country Image and Market Share: An Empirical Study.” Journal of International Business Studies. 28(2), 361. Laclair, J. and Rao, R. (2002) "Helping Employees Embrace Change." The McKinsey Quarterly. p17 Lee, J., and See, K.,  (2004) "Trust in Automation: Designing for Appropriate Reliance." Human Factors. 46(1), 50. Lerro, A. and Schiuma, G. (2005) “Translating Knowledge Resources into Performance Breakthrough: Ducati’s Turnaround." Available in: www.ebrc.fi/kuvat/575-587_05.pdf. [Accessed 20 May, 2008] London, T., and Hart, S. (2004) “Reinventing strategies for emerging markets: beyond the translational model.” Journal of International Business. (1)21 Lucas, H., and Olson, M., (1994) "The Impact of Information Technology on Organizational Flexibility." Journal of Organizational Computing. 4(2), 156. Madapati, R. (2003) "Procter & Gamble : Organization 2005 and Beyond." Available in: http://www.icmr.icfai.org/casestudies/procter1.html [Accessed 20 May, 2008] Markoczy, L. (1994) "Modes of Organizational Learning: Institutional Change and Hungarian Joint Ventures." International Studies of Management & Organization. 24(4), 5. Melewar, TC. and Saunders, J. (1999) "International Corporate Visual Identity: Standardization or Localization?." Journal of International Business Studies. 30(3), 582. Nachum, L. and Wymbs, C. (2005) 'Product Differentiation, External Economies and MNE Location Choices: M&As in Global Cities.' Journal of International Business Studies. 36(4), pp 415. Scerbo, M., (1999) Automation Technology and Human Performance: Current Research and Trends. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Schleuning, N. (1997) To Have and to Hold: The Meaning of Ownership in the United States. Connecticut: Praeger Publishers. Tapang, D., (2002) "A 21st Century Model for Maximizing Technology Purchases." T H E Journal. 29(7), 46. Vredenburg, H. and Wesley, F. (1999) "Sustainable Development Leadership in Three Conexts: Managing for Global Competitiveness." Journal of Business Administration and Policy Analysis. p239. Zahra, S., Nielsen, A., Bogner, W. (1999) "Corporate Entrepreneurship, Knowledge and Competence Development." Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice. 23(3), 169.

CMI Assignment

Modern businesses have acquired a level of success in their individual fields because they have demonstrated higher value to their client...

An analysis of the legal and regulatory framework governing electronic banking in Uganda

Information technology, particularly the internet is becoming an important foundation of the future of financial services industry. Indeed almost all financial services and financial transactions can be done online. The quick development of online financial services is made possible by the internet. Banks all over the world are exploiting the net in order to give better services to their clients. Online banking is the flagship banking development that currently affects how customers and banks do business transactions and will continue to hold a prominent position in the banking sector in the future. Online banking traces its history to 1970s when banks offered PC-based online banking with propriety dial-up services. Banks such as Chemical (through Pronto), Citibank (Direct Access), Chase (Spectrum), Bank One (Applause), and others offered their customers, for a monthly fee, basic home PC banking which included balance lookup, fund transfers, personal budgeting and bill payment (Banks, 2001). Home banking was targeted towards upscale households (Guttman, 2002).  Home PC banking was heavily invested on and marketed by these banks, but it remained unpopular among consumers because of high user fees and burdensome technical platforms. In the mid-1980s software companies such as Meca and Intuit/Quicken introduced third-party packages designed to link customers and banks. This was met with eagerness from local banks which signed up with one of these software companies and allowed customers to use the platform in order to access account information, transfer funds and pay bills. Intuit’s bill paying platform was reasonably successful. Customers could authorize the payment of funds to a given merchant, the Quicken package would receive the customer approval and determine, via the Intuit Services Corporation (ISC), if the merchant was part of the Federal Reserve’s Automated Clearing House (ACH). If it was, ISC would effect an electronic payment through the ACH and, if not, would mail a check to the merchant. In the mid-1990s AOL partnered with Intuit in order to give customers access to Intuit’s home banking services. Though Intuit and others improved the home banking process, the overall market for such services remained very limited until the arrival of the Internet (Banks, 2001).             As of March 2009, the banking sector of Uganda was comprised of twenty-one (21) banks. There were just fifteen (15) banks in 2006, meaning there was an increase of seven banks in three years. Overall, the banking sector has had a rapid growth in the last three years with entry of new banks and considerable expansion of the branch network to 301 branches in 2008.The health of the banking system has continued to improve following the adoption of the risk based supervision regime and improvement of the regulatory environment to align it with international standards. At the aggregate level the balance sheets of commercial bank have shown steady year on year growth.             The Bank of Uganda is responsible for supervising, regulating, controlling and disciplining all financial institutions. The mission of the bank supervision function which is directly responsible for supervising financial institutions, is to formulate and enforce statutory and prudential regulations and guidelines directed at creating a sound, safe and stable financial system/sector in which depositors’ funds are safe and the system contributes to sustainable economic growth.             The financial system in Uganda is small, underdeveloped and dominated by commercial banks. The financial sector is relatively small, with total assets equivalent to 29.5 percent of GDP in June 2002.It is undeveloped, with indicators of financial depth being low both in absolute terms and relative to most African comparators. Reflecting the underdevelopment of the financial system, the banking sector’s equity investments, in and lending to, nonbank financial institutions is negligible. The banking sector is characterized by a large share of foreign ownership and high concentration. Following the privatization of Uganda Commercial Bank Limited (UCBL), four foreign-owned banks dominate the baking sector in Uganda and account for 73 percent of total sector asset, 68 percent of sector loans and 75 percent of deposits.   Research Questions 1. What is the current state of electronic banking in Uganda? 2. What are the laws and regulations concerning electronic banking in Uganda? 3. What are the roles of The Bank of Uganda in the legal and regulatory framework of electronic banking in Uganda? 4. What are the problems concerning electronic banking laws and regulations? 5. How is the Ugandan Government dealing with these problems?   Research Methodology This research will make use of both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. According to Newman and Benz (1998), a qualitative research involves an interpretative, naturalistic approach of the subject matter. Qualitative research is about studying things in their natural settings. A researcher conducting qualitative research attempts to make sense of, or interpret, phenomena in terms of the meaning people bring to them. Qualitative research involves different methods of gathering and collecting of empirical materials such as case study personal experience, introspective, life story, interview, observational, historical, interactions, and visual texts. This method of data collection is about exploring issues, understanding phenomena and answering questions. The quantitative paradigm is based on positivism which takes scientific explanation to be nomethetic (i.e. based on universal laws). Its main aims are to measure the social world, to test hypotheses and to predict and control human behavior (Newman and Benz 1998). Quantitative research is based on the assumption that the world can be investigated using scientific method and that there is an independent reality. Quantitative research is based on the belief that measurable influences (independent variables) affect measurable outcomes (dependent variables) in a cause-effect manner. Quantitative studies are studies in which the data can be analyzed using conventional statistical methods (Peat 2001). As its name implies, quantitative research is concerned with quantities – how to measure phenomena and how to express those measurement. A researcher who takes a quantitative approach to investigating a topic aims to learn more about it. Taking a quantitative approach to research implies asking questions about the phenomena that can be counted. Researchers who take a quantitative approach often work within positivism, as this paradigm frames the world as a collection of apparently independent phenomena to be counted, measured and otherwise catalogued as the prelude to deducing the rules or laws underlying them and giving them coherence (MacNaughton et al 2001). This is a method of data collection, that usually emphasizes on words rather than numeric in the collection of data and analysis whereby questionnaires, surveys and experiments are carried out (Bryman and Bell, 2003).

An analysis of the legal and regulatory framework governing electronic banking in Uganda

Information technology, particularly the internet is becoming an important foundation of the future of fin...