The Film Jurassic Park | Analysis

The Film Jurassic Park | Analysis Oscar nomination To: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The film Jurassic Park has a very captivating plot with a very controversial and strong theme of science versus ethics and is a very strong candidate for an Academy Award and could be nominated for the best film of the year. Jurassic Park is a very deep film, which touches on the morality of scientific discoveries and experiments. It has a really strong theme and message. Jurassic Park is a fantastic film, not just for its thrills and visual effects, but for a plot that is meaningful and entertaining. The main theme, Science versus ethics, is very polemic and not very discussed and touched by the media, making the film even more interesting and captivating. The film does not only entertain the audience but it also makes the viewers think and analyse the ethics behind such a science experiment and discovery. Furthermore the film does not only discuss its theme and makes you think, it also sends a message across successfully: the consequences of the desire of exerting control over nature. As a thriller Steven Spielberg successfully creates suspense making the viewer entertained and thrilled. To create the excruciating suspense required for the plot, Steven Spielberg has used more than just the plot itself but also used effects such as sound, different type of shots and angles, colours and light, which all contributed to build up the tension of the movie. Steven Spielberg has shown in earlier movies directed by him, such as Jaws that he is more than capable of creating suspense and tension in his movies, and with Jurassic Park he proved once again that when it comes to effects he is one step ahead of everyone. The dinosaur, just like the setting, is very realistic, full of details and information, making the movie real and interesting. Even more than a decade later the visual effects remain solidly effective. The sounds used in the film helped to create a suspenseful and adventurous mood across the entire film, making it exiting and not even for a second tedious. The use of light and colours in the movie helps to develop the suspense and mystery already created. In many scenes the light is placed behind the animal or person, creating a silhouette and that creates a mysterious mood, because you can see the person or animal but not clearly. The colours help to create a more realistic scenario, earthy colours such as browns and greens are used often during the film. They also help to expand the mystery of the film as the colours do not give away much information and create an unknown mood of suspense. More over when the director wants the viewer to focus on a specific thing or wants to direct your attention to something he uses bright colours. For example the cars become a focal point and stand out from the setting because of the use of bright colours. The colour of the cars contrasts with the field, making the cars more noticeable. Green is the main colour as it is related to nature. Very often the director uses red details in the scenes, symbo lizing danger, small things such as a scarf that the female main character wears in the beginning of the film or details in the car, creating a mood of danger to the viewers. Moreover, Steven Spielberg also uses different types of shots and camera angles to create the suspense in the film. The shot types and angles, differ from the effects, colours, lights and sounds isnt something that the viewers would pick up on from the first time they watch the movie. Only when one stops to analyse it, does the subconscious pick things up, and without us even noticing it the angles of the camera builds and direct the viewers mood. Steven Spielberg incorporates all types of shots and very successfully creates extremely suspenseful mood in the film. An example of a long shot is when they show the dinosaurs for the first time. The camera shows the setting from far, positioning the characters close to the dinosaur, accentuating and visually stating the size difference between them. The-close up shots and extreme close up shots are used to show details, such as details in the dinosaurs, like its eyes, legs (showing its movement and creating tension), its mouth (creating a fearful mood). The close up shots are also used to create dynamics, for example when the camera zooms in to the big foot print of the Tyrannosaur on the ground full of water and in the water the reflection of the head of one of the characters, again comparing the size of a human to the size of the dinosaur. The use of angles is added to the shots to help to create mood. In Jurassic Park for example, the low angle is often used when shooting a dinosaur. This angle helps to make the dinosaur appear bigger and consequently creating a fearful and scary mood. The eye level from the kids point of view is also used many times throughout the film, making the viewer feel smaller and vulnerable compared with the situation and the dinosaurs, creating a mood of fear and generating suspense. The over the shoulder shots are used to give the viewer the sensation of been present there and been part of the film, making the film even more captivating and entertaining. Steven Spielberg, just like in his previous movies, allows the unknown to build tension and mystery. The movie starts off with an attack, but the trick is, the viewer does not see what has made the, they just know its happening. That builds up tension and curiosity for the viewers. Later on in the film, just before the exposure of the dinosaurs, the main characters are in a car, the woman is wearing a red scarf, symbolizing danger. The guy has seen something and is looking very surprised- the woman hasnt seen it yet and neither have the viewers. The man gently turns the womans head so she can see what he is seeing. The camera focus on the surprised faces but does not reveal what they have seen to the viewer, this builds up tremendous curiosity for the viewers. Then finally, after building up mystery and curiosity, the camera reveal to the viewers what was the cause of the surprise. Another strong element of the film is its characters and the actors who portray them. The characters might not be profoundly deep but their personalities are fully realized thanks not only to the writing, but to the actors who portray them. Joining Goldblum are Sam ONeill as Dr. Alan Grant, Laura Dern as Dr. Ellie Sattler, and Richard Attenborough as park creator John Hammond. Even minor characters are populated with strong actors, including Samuel L. Jackson as a computer guru and Wayne Knight as the villain Newman. No film review or nomination could describe the creativity and effort put in Jurassic Park. The suspense and excitement of the film can only be seen by watching the film. Steven Spielberg successfully put all the elements that makes a good movie together effectively, and the result is a master piece. Steven Spielberg besides making the viewer question the films message of ethics and science also makes the viewer question: how did he do it ? He brought the dream to life and made the film unbelievably real and taking ordinary humans closer to an imaginary world were dinosaurs exist. Even though Jurassic Park isnt a kids movie, it evokes a childlike sense of wonder. However, besides the magical part of the movie linking the viewer with their childhood, Jurassic Park is a serious movie, with a strong message. So for me Jurassic park deserves to be the Movie of the year. Nanook of the north: An overview Nanook of the north: An overview The film â€Å"Nanook of the North† is described as one of the first ever documentaries ever made. The filming of this controversial early documentary took place from August 1920 until August 1921. I find this film highly informative, even though Robert J. Flaherty, the producer and director of this film, altered and staged some things that were quite different in reality, a subject that has brought this film some criticism. For example, Nanooks name was really Allakariallak and his â€Å"family† wasnt really his family. So in a way, they were all actors and actresses in their own right, performing their â€Å"lives during the hunt† in front of the camera. Other things that Flaherty decided to change is that he wanted to document this Inuit â€Å"family† as they were back in the older days. While Allakariallak really hunted with a gun, Flaherty persuaded him to hunt in the same methods used by his ancestors so the viewers of this documentary would witness the lives of the Inuit in the Artic before they were influenced by the Europeans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But it was making those criticized changes that made this film so much more informational in a certain sense. Europeans were already pretty familiar with how their society lived, because, well, they were living it. But by making the Inuit individuals in this film portray how they used to live makes the viewers experience a culture as it once was. This film includes demonstrating a variety of the Inuit ways, such as accurately displaying the ancestral customs of how they hunt, fish, and build igloos, while showing how an Inuit family survived their constant battles with nature without the aid of European instruments.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This film, although entertaining and informational as most modern documentaries, makes me ponder and not completely sure of my decision on whether I should consider this film as an official first documentary or not. I believe official documentaries are supposed to portray something in a certain time period given that time, along with explanations of whats happening or has happened and what not. In other words, I think it would have been more completely accurate if Robert J. Flaherty showed how Allakariallak lived for real, giving viewers the idea of an Inuit familys life after European influence, instead of how his recent ancestors lived. The reason why I think this would be that even though the limited technology that was available to him back then would not allow him to film things in a completely detailed and definite way (for example, the igloo had to be constructed in a special way so Flahertys camera could capture everything inside correctly), â€Å"Nanook of the North† was altered in far too many aspects to completely accurately show how the Inuit lived in the early twentieth century, if that was Flahertys goal. It was made in a way as to make it seems that Nanook (Allakariallak)s daily life was so much more harsh than it is in real life. In one of the scenes in the film, he is seen laughing at a phonograph and biting into a record as if the objects were strange and foreign to him, and that he had never seen them before. However, it became known later that not only had Allakariallak seen phonographs before, but he was a frequent visitor to a trading post, and owned a snowmobile. This information about his life raises much controversy over whether this be regarded as a true official documentary or not.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But on the other hand, as I explained above, this film being altered made it more of a documentary of how the Inuits ancestors used to live and survive in the Artic. It showed how they made their living off the land, hunting seals and walruses with a spear, rope, and other handmade hunting weapons. How they intelligently constructed igloos to sleep in during their hunts, and how amazing it was that so many people could fit into a seemingly tiny kayak. How during their struggles with the long hunt, their stomachs could no longer bear the waiting of nourishment, so they had to eat their fill raw. These, among many other things, did correctly show the more ancient ways of the Inuit, which is likely how the film obtained its success. It showed a different way to address their life, while not as much as a gentle walk in the park as a traditional typical European life, did not fail to show even without words that it was teamwork and the bond of the family that kept ever ything swinging in the right way, even in times where things would get more difficult than they would like.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As for my final opinion on whether â€Å"Nanook of the North† rightly fully earns the title as one of the first developed documentaries, I am still debating this. In a certain sense, as I explained above, it was both accurate about the life of the Inuit and inaccurate about their life at the same time. So I suppose this inspirational story in my opinion as of now, it seemed as if â€Å"Nanook of the North† was more of how a documentary should supposedly be, recording real life, but in a fictitious setting, or in a setting that wasnt true or present at that time. So Im not going to call this an official documentary, but neither am I going to say that its not either. Im going to refer to it as a â€Å"serious Mockumentary†.

Li and Change :: Confucianism Essays

Li and Change ABSTRACT: In this paper I ask the question of how change is effected in the li practices of a fundamentally conservative society. I begin with a description of how li functions in society ideally and actually, arguing that they play a crucial role in society as the medium through which the Confucian objectives (the perfection of the self, the establishment of order within one’s family, and the restoration and preservation of social order) are realized. The character of li suggests that li practices be evaluated in terms of their efficacy in realizing the Confucian objectives, for which participation in li is both necessary and sufficient. Yet, these objectives transcend li practices, allowing individuals to evaluate li practices in terms of their efficacy in realizing Confucian objectives in the face of changing concerns and circumstances, and thereby affect the relevant changes in li practices. It is an adequate understanding of what the Confucian objectives entail and the st ructure of the situations one finds oneself in that inform evaluation of existing li practices. However, changes in li practices take place vis-a-vis a conservative attitude towards inherited social conventions, and it is this conservative attitude that provides stability and continuity despite flux. Changes in li practices are therefore gradual, and do not disrupt social order. 1. Introduction This essay is an attempt to understand the concept of li (commonly translated by commentators as "rituals", "rites", "customs", or "conventions") — as elucidated in the Analects — within the context of social change. Particular attention will be paid to how the Confucian understands li practices to function in a society, and how changes in li practices are effected. Thus, in what follows, I shall take seriously the notion of Confucianism as a practicable way of life. I take the concept of li (as it occurs in the Analects) to refer to the social conventions governing various aspects of human conduct (Analects, 1.12, 2.3, 2.5, 3.19, 4.13, 11.26, 12.1). As I understand it, li functions primarily as a social regulator in the realisation of the Confucian objectives — namely, the perfection of the self, the establishment of order within one’s family (which the Confucian understood as the basic unit of a society), and the restoration and preservation of social order. Each li practice consists of a set of actions, with detailed descriptions regarding one’s attire, stance, and expressions (Book 10). Participation in li involves the skilful execution of the set of actions demanded by each li practice, accompanied by the appropriate dispositions and attitudes.

Research Project Essay

Introduction The purpose of this study is to investigate the extent to which the strategies employed by Nandos in the recent recession have been effective. For the topic to be extensively researched, the research proposal has been split in to the following objectives. * Identifying the customer base of Nandos. * Investigating if and how the recession affected Nandos. * Analysing strategies used by Nandos in the recession. An investigation of Nandos’ performance since and during the recession will need to be undertaken. This would need to be compared to its performance prior to the recession in order to investigate the effect of the recession on Nandos. Firstly, the proposal will first carry out an in depth literature review to investigate relevant theories and information related to the research objectives outlined above. Building on the findings of the literature review, the research design and strategies will be formed to investigate each of the above objectives. During the course of this study, ethical and practical issues in relation to the research altogether will also be considered. Nandos founded in 1987 is a casual dining restaurant with a Portuguese theme. It originated from South Africa and is now operating in 30 countries on 5 continents. It specializes in chicken dishes with different souses such as lemon and herb, medium, hot or extra hot Peri-Peri. In some countries, they also offer other flavor options like mango and lime, lemon and herb, or Mediterranean (Nandos 2009, p.4) The restaurant began in 1987 when Robert Brozin and Fernando Duarte bought a restaurant called â€Å"Chickenland† in Rosettenville, Southern Johannesburg. They renamed the restaurant Nandos after Duarte. The restaurant incorporated influences from former Portuguese colonists from Mozambique, many of whom had settled on the south-eastern side of Johannesburg, after their homeland’s independence in 1975. (Nandos 2009, p.4) Nandos is famous for its flame-grilled Peri-Peri chicken which is served either in quarters, halves and wholes. It also serves burgers, pitas, salads, wings and wraps. In some countries, Nandos sells chicken livers, Espetada and the Cataplana. (Nandos 2009, p.2) Nandos also manufactures a range of sauces which are sold in Nandos restaurants and in supermarkets.  These include Peri-Peri sauces, marinades, cooking sauces and a Peri-Peri Essence. (Nandos 2009, p.2) In 1992 Nandos entered the United Kingdom’s restaurant industry with its first restaurant in Ealing, London and now is operating with its several branches around UK. In 2009 Nandos UK was awarded Three Stars in the Best Companies Annual Accreditation Awards becoming the only entrant in the large companies’ category to achieve the three star rating. (Harmer, 2010) Literature Review Customer Base According to Edwards (2010) customer base of an organisation includes all the customers that organisation servers. One of the most important ways to establish a successful business is to build a solid base of customers who stick with the business through thick and thin. A solid customer base becomes the foundation on which a business grows. Business Cycle Business Cycle is defined as a cycle of series of different phases of contraction and expansion of real GDP. A complete business cycle consists of five different phases and every country has to go through each phase in order to achieve its peak. A complete business cycle from peak to peak is shown in the graph below. (Arnold 2008, p.151) . (Arnold 2008, p.151) Phases of The Business Cycle There are five different phases of a business cycle which include the peak, contraction, though, recovery and expansion. (Arnold 2008, p.151) A complete business cycle is measured from peak to peak. Peak – at the peak of the business cycle real GDP is temporary high. (Arnold 2008, p.151) Contraction – this phase represents the decline in the real GDP. This phase is known as the recession phase. (Arnold 2008, p.151) Trough – this phase represents the low point in the real GDP just before the starts to increase back again. (Arnold 2008, p.151) Recovery – this phase represents the phase when the GDP is rising back towards the initial peak. Recovery phase begins from trough and extends up till the initial peak. (Arnold 2008, p.151) Expansion – the expansion phase refers to the increase in real GDP beyond the recovery  point. In this stage the GDP increases the initial peak. (Arnold 2008, p.151) No country can stay in the peak phase for long time even the developed countries. The best any country can do is that they can go straight from contraction phase to expansion phase and skip the trough and recovery phases. Recession According to Wiegand (2009) recession occurs when a country’s gross domestic product (GDP) – the value of all the reported goods and services produced by a country – goes down for two or more consecutive quarters – which means for six months or more. (p.18) The above mentioned definition was considered very simple and standard so on November 26, 2001, the National Bureau of Economic Research gave a different than standard definition of recession. According to the NBER, â€Å"recession is a significant decline in activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, visible in industrial production, employment, real income and wholesale retail trade.† (Wiegand, 2009) Ordinary recession symptoms are quite depressing. People buy less stuff because they feel less confident about making in the future. Factories make less stuff because people are buying less. It can be harder to get credit. Unemployment rises and stock market falls. Depression A recession when gets out of control turns into a depression resulting in the country’s GDP drops by more than 10%.(Wiegand, 2009) Real life examples of great depression that happened in USA and Finland are: * From 1929 – 1933, the GDP of the United States decreased by 27%. * Form 1937 – 1938, the GDP of United states decreased by 18%. * In 1990s, after the Soviet Union fell apart the GDP of Finland dropped by 11%. The above given examples when compared by the global recession of 2001 in which the GDP decreased by 0.6% give the idea of the critical situation of 1930s. (Wiegand, 2009) Impact of Recession According to King (1997) the recession had two different but related impacts: * The realization that competitive nation require competitive government stimulated experiments to reform government structure and systems. * The failure of many of these experiments to deliver short – term benefits has led many to distrust the traditional processes and rhetoric of governments.  While recession exposed both businesses and governments to new global forces, nosiness responded more flexibly than government. (p.269) Causes of Recession The reasons which cause the GDP to decrease and hence result in recession are classified into two types which are: External Causes of Recession External causes include misusing of those same factors which are used by the government in tackling the recession. Recession is generally caused by the excessive application and misusing of different governmental economic policies like fiscal or monitory policies. On rare occasions, there can be other types of external shocks such as oil embargo of 1973 – 74, but usually the cause of recession that does the real damage is the fiscal or monetary policies. The most prominent example of external cause of recession is the severe monetary control sometimes referred to as â€Å"cold turkey monetarism†. (Klien 2002, p.133) Internal Causes of Recession Internal causes of recession are probably more important than that of external causes of recession. These are the excesses, imbalances and distortion that develop within the structure of the economy itself as the expansion unfolds and cause consumers to cut back on their buying and business executives to cut back on production and employment. For example: an excessive build – up of inventory, an imbalance in price – cost movements that brings on a profit squeeze and excessive demands for credit that drive the rates beyond variable level. (Klien 2002, p.133) Strategies used by Governments to combat Recession The methods used by the federal government to try to pull the economy out of recession are discussed below: Setting Fiscal Policies According to Wiegand (2009) fiscal policies are basically the guidelines the government follows to collect and spend the tax money. Governments in order to tackle recession it can take the following steps: * Cut Taxes – so people and businesses keep more cash for spending on goods and services. * Increase Spending – on government projects to boost employment. * Widen â€Å"safety net† programs – such as unemployment insurance. Adjusting Monetary Policies According to Wiegand (2009) governments can regulate economy by manipulating the supply of money. Governments can use the following measures to control the recession in the economy: * Lower the amount banks have to keep in reserves. * Lower the interest rates on loans. * Buy treasury bonds and loans that private entities made. Strategies used by Businesses to combat Recession According to Vickers (2006) Businesses in order to recession proof its business in case of economic slowdown should follow the strategies give below: * Diversify its business. * Offer extraordinary customer service. * Intensify its marketing activities. * Adopt latest technology. * Stay focused towards long term goals and objectives. * Look for new ways to be innovative. Recession and Chicken/ Burger Bar Market The worldwide recession has affected most markets and the chicken/burger bar market is no exception. Mintel (2010c) shows the chicken and burger bar market was worth  £4.014m. However, in 2008, roughly when the recession came to the fore, this was down to  £3.781m and was estimated to fall further yet. Recession and Nando’s A study conducted in December 2010 based on the opinion of 1,966 people aged 16+, suggests 7% of people falling in the category visit Nandos. Furthermore, for the age group 15-24, this figure rises to 19% (Mintel, 2010a). This would seem to suggest that Nandos appeals more to a younger age group. However, one must take into consideration that the sample of 1,966 may not be a sufficient representation of the UK population. Nandos are inclined to target a young age group; an idea backed up by the â€Å"Spirit of Nando’s† radio campaign aimed at 18-35 year olds (Mintel, 2010b). This point is further backed up by Nandos’ popularity amongst celebrities (Sawyer, 2010). In addition, Mintel (2010a) also suggests that, largely, visitors to  Nandos are inclined to be from the C1 and Urban Prosperity socio-economic groups. Although there was some archival data on the customer base of Nandos, it is not sufficient for the purposes of this research. Building on the data found during the literature review, this study will look more closely in to the customer base of Nandos. Due to lower consumer spending influenced by the recession, Nandos in the UK made a loss of  £23m in only 36 weeks leading up to February 2009. However, directors of Nandos also citied rising ingredient costs as factor (Paskin, 2010). The loss of  £23m over 36 weeks during the recession would seem to suggest that the recession has negatively affected Nandos. The Mintel (2008 and 2010c) reports showed that there was no significant change in Nandos’ market share in the period when recession was in progress. The research design will allow for the reasons behind this loss to be analysed in detail. Nandos’ financial reports will be required to look comprehensively at their financial performance and the driving forces behind any major changes. The effect of the recession on Nandos may well have been reduced due to the brand name being perceived honest and sincere (Opoku et al, 2007). Nandos has continued to expand through the economic downturn, planning ’20 – plus’ openings and David Niven vowing to open up to 200 more within 5 years (Wootton, 2010). Another strategy explored by Nandos was the move towards being eco-friendly, underlined by unveiling the first branded UK restaurant to use its own waste cooking oil as a solitary power source (Wootton, 2009). Another tactic employed by Nandos was to make a commitment to offer healthier options in their menu (Eversham, 2008). Nandos strategy of not taking note of recession and expanding will need to be further looked in to. Their initiative towards their staff and providing healthy options will also be investigated and the effectiveness of it analysed through the research methodology. Also, Nandos made a vow to make no redundancies in the recession which seems to be to keep up staff morale. And, as Moore (2010) suggests, HR methods are a major contributor to business profitability and this is a factor which is gaining more and more weight. This strategy seems to have paid some dividends with the award of three stars in the Best Companies Accreditation Scheme 2010 (Harmer, 2010). Research Methodology Definition Research methodology in research methods refers to the study of specific techniques, tools or procedures applied to achieve research objectives. Research methodology includes types of data, types of study, sources of data, research tools etc. used in order to conduct the research. (Dillman, 2000) Purpose of Research Research Question The research is being conducted to answer the following research questions: * What is the customer base of Nando’s? * If and how the recession affected Nando’s? * What are the strategies used by Nando’s in the recession? In order to answer the research question above the methodology used to carry out the research includes the following: Nature of Study In order to answer the research questions this study will require both exploratory and explanatory strategies at different points. Exploratory strategy is required as there is not enough information available about the research topic in hand as this type of research on Nandos has never been conducted before and is done for the first time. So in order to fulfil the research objectives information about Nandos is needed to be explored to investigate the effect of recession on Nandos and different strategies used by Nandos to tackle recession. (Dawson, 2002) Explanatory strategy is required as the relationship of the research findings must be established and explained in the research. (Dawson, 2002) Research Onion By considering the research objectives and the literature review of the research project a clear structure of the most suitable research methodology for the research is developed. Through each layer of Saunder et al. (2007) research onion model the most appropriate research methods, approaches and strategies are adopted for conducting the research in order to answer the research question. The different layers in Saunders et al. (2007) research  onion model are shown in the figure below; all the layers will be individually discussed to explain the reason behind selecting a particular element for this specific research. Saunders et.al (2007) â€Å"Research Onion† Research Philosophy As shown in the figure above the first layer of Saunders et al. (2007) research onion is the research philosophy. Considering the research objectives interpretive approach is selected as the relation between Nando’s and its customer’s is needed to be determined in order to answer the research question. Positivism approach is also considered as the research also required qualitative and statistical data in order to improve the research findings. Research Approach As shown in the figure above the second layer of Saunders et al. (2007) research onion is the research approach. The research design will mainly be deductive as the use of existing literature and information on Nando’s will be required to form a hypothesis which will be extensively investigated through primary research methods. However, due to an apparent lack of specific existing research on some of the topics, an inductive approach will also be taken to help in answering the research objectives. Research Strategies As shown in the figure above the third layer of Saunders et al. (2007) research onion is the research strategies. The research strategies employed in order to collect data for the research included the Survey, interview and Archival research. Data collected specifically for this research which is primary data will be collected through survey and interview while secondary which includes already published data will be collected through archival research. (Bates, 2005) A survey will be conducted; a questionnaire is designed in which direct formal questions will be asked from the customers of Nando’s. The questionnaires will be distributed among the customers of Nando’s according to the principles of random sampling as according to Saunders et al. (2007) a suitable sample from the whole population can  produce the results representing the whole population. The research strategy also includes intercept interviewing in which an individual personal interview of the branch manager will be conducted which will also include direct formal questions. Research Choice As shown in the figure above the fourth layer of Saunders et al. (2007) research onion is the research choice. The research choice for this research is ‘Mixed – Method’ as the research design will aim to collect and analyse both qualitative and quantitative information. This will allow for triangulation and, as Saunders et al. (2009) suggest, triangulation helps improve the credibility of findings, making them more valid. Time Horizon As shown in the figure above the fifth layer of Saunders et al. (2007) research onion is the Time Horizon. Time horizon chosen for this research is ‘Cross – Sectional’ as all the data required to answer the research question will be collected just once and the whole research will take a month to complete. A Gantt chart is given in the appendices outlining the timetable of key activities for the project. The total research work is divided into 10 different tasks where some of the activities overlap as some of their components are inter linked. Research Plan The research design will mainly be deductive as the use of existing literature and information on Nandos will be required to form a hypothesis which will be extensively investigated through primary research methods. However, due to an apparent lack of specific existing research on some of the topics, an inductive approach will also be taken to help in answering the research objectives. Furthermore, this study will require both exploratory and explanatory strategies at different points. The research design will aim to collect and analyse both qualitative and quantitative information. This will allow for triangulation and, as Saunders et al. (2009) suggest, triangulation helps improve the credibility of findings, making them more valid. Phase 1: Archival Research Firstly, mainly existing information on Nandos will be examined in order to investigate whether Nandos had indeed been affected by the recession. This part of the study will be deductive and exploratory. As regards to establishing the customer base of Nandos, credible databases such as Mintel will provide useful information which will help in the formation of the questionnaire and also aid in the sampling imperative information on variables such as demographics and age groups. Furthermore, reports on Mintel such as the ones examined in the literature review, can help in identifying the affect the recession had on visitors. There are reports available which discuss and analyse who visits Nandos, and other such outlets which were briefly explored in the literature review. Some of these reports, which have the same variables, were composed before and after the recession respectively and the differences will be closely examined to determine patterns. Archival research will provide key information in both quantitative and qualitative form which will help develop primary research methods and ultimately answering the objectives. The financial reports will provide quantitative information. The figures before, during and after the recession will be analysed through determining the changes in profitability, for example, to establish if and to what extent the recession affected Nandos. Newspaper articles and the reports on databases such as Mintel will provide qualitative information. However, one must keep in mind that some of the data collected may be out dated and hence possibly not be relevant and bring in to question the validity of findings. The quantitative findings of this phase will be analysed by the use of graphs and other such tools to show trends and patterns. (Researcher’s Contribution) Phase 2: Questionnaire Following the analysis of data collected through the archival research, the next step will involve questionnaire conducted with Nandos’ customers. A questionnaire was chosen as a data collection tool as it can be carried out, in theory in any case, over a large sample in a reasonable amount of time, hence allowing generalisability (Saunders et al., 2009). This method will not only aim to establish Nandos’ customer base but also how, if at all, the recession has affected their attitudes towards Nandos. The questionnaire will be quantitative focused but will also provide opportunity to collect  qualitative data. In constructing the questionnaire, the analysis of the existing information on the customer base of Nandos found through phase 1 will be vital. The questions will be formed dependant on the type of customer base Nandos has; i.e. age group or socio-economic group. The population for this data collection method will be Nando’s customers. As mentioned before, Nandos has over 200 outlets in the UK. Ideally, every Nandos customer that visits every outlet would be part of the sample. However, this is not feasible and getting a sample that will allow generalisability is vital (Saunders et al., 2009). Since there is not a database of specific Nandos customers, the sampling in that regard will have to be probable in the form of random sampling. The customer assistants will be told to offer every customer the chance to fill out the voluntary questionnaire. However, elements of non-probable sampling will also be present as the Nandos outlet that will be targeted for the questionnaire cannot be selected dependant on key variables identified through phase 1 such as outlets with high number of visitors and location among others due to lack of resources. The outlet that will be selected will aim to be the most accurate representation on Nandos. The questionnaire will aim to cover the three types of variables, suggested by Dillman (2000), which are behaviour, opinion and attributes. The idea of offering an incentive to fill out the questionnaire may also be explored, however, this could lead to customer not answering honestly in order to get the incentive and hence hurting the validity of findings. The questionnaire prepared for the research is attached as an appendix. Phase 3: Interview with Manager The next step of the research will be to conduct a series of interview with a commercial manager within Nandos. An intercept interview of an individual was chosen. As discussed in the literature review, Nandos made a commitment to staff to make no redundancies and, in basic terms, to stand by them. As with the questionnaire, the sampling for the interviews will have elements of both probable and non-probable elements. From the store included in the sample for the questionnaire commercial manager will be asked to participate in the voluntary interview. They will be told the purpose of the study and the fact that the study is required for educational purposes. To reduce the  chance of bias within the interview, the interviewee will be offered anonymity (refer to 4.0 for further discussion on ethical issues). The interview will be structured as this will help answer pre prepared questions and will be preferred by the interviewee as it will be quick (Saunders et al., 2009). Some key themes for this interview will partly be derived from the results of the questionnaire. Interview questions can be found in the appendix. This method will provide qualitative data, by using open-ended questions, which will be further analysed. (QSR International, 2010). Practical and Ethical Issues In every stage of this research, there will be practical and ethical issues to bear in mind, as is the case with most research studies (Saunders et al., 2009). The major practical issues relating to data collection are access and response rate. The sample for the questionnaire will look to select outlet that have a high volume of customers to increase the chances of a high response rate. As regards to data collection, all participants will be informed that participation is voluntary and all data collected will be used in compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998. Saunders et al. (2009) state that budget and time constraints prevent surveying a whole population and the sampling will look to overcome these constraints by selecting a sample which balances budget and time while giving a credible response. Another ethical issue was in relation to the interview with the mangers of Nandos’ outlet. Participants will be required to fill out a brief consent form, outlining the voluntary participation and ensuring anonymity where necessary. A brief consent form is given in the appendices.

Human Resource Management Reflective Paper - 1465 Words

HRM: Power of the People Since the beginning of time, people have been the most valuable resource available. Regardless of the goal or task, some level of human resource is required. This simple fact has created a vital need for effective Human Resource Management (HRM). Human Resource Management is a function performed in organizations that facilitates the most effective use of people to achieve organizational and individual goals (Ivancevich, 2010). As society and organizations grow and become more complex, HRM functions continue to expand into many areas vital to organizational growth and success. The journey to understanding and applying human resource functions covers Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Affirmative Action, Human†¦show more content†¦In addition to these factors, the organization must also keep the regulations of Equal Employment Opportunity in mind as well to ensure they are not breaking any laws. 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