Jane Eyre :: English Literature

Jane Eyre What do you gain from Jane's landing in Thornfield and her first meeting with Mr Rochester? When Jane first shows up at Thornfield she is welcomed by Mrs Fairfax, she gets a warm greeting and an investigation into whether she is cold also, a resulting offer to warm by the fire. This something Jane isn't used to, in the past at the Reed's home, Gateshead, and absolutely at Lowood her gathering had been very cold and cruel. At Gateshead Jane was dealt with gravely and got no affection. Bessie the worker was the main individual who even gave a type of enthusiasm for her. As I would like to think Bessie thought about Jane as her own, perusing to her ordinarily out of the books by the seat by the window. Obviously the 'Reed' youngsters were dealt with substantially more decently and there was predispositions towards them, however this was down to Mrs Reed's abhorrence for Jane, which is expressed later in the story not long before she bites the dust. In part three Jane has been in the red room as a discipline and at the point when she comes out she has endured incredibly and necessities to see a specialist. Anyway Mrs Reed just sends for a pharmacist, on the off chance that one of her own youngsters had been sick a legitimate specialist would have been called, which again shows Mrs Reeds poor treatment of Jane. When at long last Jane is sent to what Mr Lloyd thinks will be a superior place for her, Lowood School, she is confronted with progressively far off connections and hard conditions. Anyway Miss Temple and Helen Burns are of incredible differentiation to the fundamental subject at Lowood and give finally somebody Jane can trust and identify with. Miss Temple has a benevolent character furthermore, frets about Jane's prosperity when she shows up at the school. She later turns into the nearest Jane gets to a good example in life. Helen is Jane's first companion and profoundly affects her in numerous ways just as being a balance to Jane's character and instructing her to act naturally controlled and all around restrained and contemplative to jump on throughout everyday life. As I put before when Jane first comes to Thornfield she is meet by Mrs Fairfax. As consistently Jane rushes to frame impressions in her psyche which as perusers we learn and can appreciate. She depicts her as the neatest possible minimal older woman. Which you see as all in all a amiable and inviting character. She at that point proceeds to state A more consoling presentation for another tutor could hardly be considered. This shows the ideal setting for Jane finally, which is

Paul Mahajan Rupinder Khabra Discussion free essay sample

Quickly examine the prerequisites for successful MRP. The necessities for a powerful MRP are having exact ace calendar, stock records, and bill of materials. In the event that these data sources are not precise it will be difficult to have exact MRP results. The aftereffects of the MRP are necessities for end things into time-stage prerequisites for subassemblies, parts, and crude materials. So this shows why the precision of our information sources is of most extreme significance. On the off chance that we get the exact sources of info, at that point we get precise yields. The yields of MRP can be changes, request discharges, arranged request plans, stock exchange, execution control reports, and arranging reports. 12. 13 Contrast arranged request receipts and planned receipts. Arranged request receipts are the amount expected to be gotten by the start of the period where it is appeared. Booked receipts are open requests planned to show up from merchants or somewhere else in the pipeline. So we can see that arranged request receipts should show up before the planned period and booked receipts are orders that are open and can show up whenever during the booked period. We will compose a custom exposition test on Paul Mahajan Rupinder Khabra Discussion or then again any comparative theme explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page Basic reasoning activity 1 I trust Juan Villa should possibly utilize those strategies if the necessary information coordinates the information required for the EOQ/ROP techniques. We have to follow a technique that is most appropriate for that circumstance. In the event that we have the guage request and the rules follow the ones of the EOQ strategy then we can consider utilizing that technique.

Marketing Strategy for the Mars Ice Cream Bar Essay -- Business Manage

Showcasing Strategy for the Mars Ice Cream Bar My Aims for this Report In this report I will concentrate on Mars Ice Cream Bar. I will research how they advance their item. I will do this by examining how they publicize their item, and where, just as taking a gander at how they bundle their item and simultaneously I will take a gander at where they sell the Mars frozen yogurt bar. Additionally I will be researching their fundamental opponents and think about their showcasing mix’s. This will give me a superior possibility of giving great recommendations on how they could improve their frozen yogurt item to get a bigger income and escape from their principle equals so they could overwhelm the frozen yogurt bar advertise. Foundation to Mars Mars professes to be the world chief in each market that it is in. This in incorporates marked nibble nourishments, petcare items, principle feast nourishments and candy machines. ‘ Mars has a yearly turnover in overabundance of US $13 billion. Our items are devoured in more than 100 nations around the world.’ In Europe alone  £20 billion is gone through consistently on Mars dessert shops,  £4 billion of this is from Britain. Of that  £4 billion, around 70% of it is on chocolate merchandise. They are thought of the world’s best oversaw organizations. They effectively overwhelm the chocolate bar advertise as they own any semblance of ‘Snickers’ ‘Mars’ ‘Maltesers’ ‘M&M’s’ and ‘Twix’. In any case, do they command the dessert bar showcase? Mars frozen yogurt bar. The Mars dessert bar was first brought o...

A survey about general sanitary - Free Essay Example

ABSTRACT Mauritius is known as a paradise island, attracting thousands of tourists each year. During the last two decades this sector has undergone a rapid development making it one of the most important pillars of our economy. Nowadays our country relies a lot on this industry as it is a source of revenue for foreign currency. Our hotels accommodate the majority of this population. Hotels provide them with basic accommodation such as lodging and food facilities. Therefore any wrong management in this sector can make drastic changes to our economy. The Government did a lot to promote this sector, by amending laws protecting the environment while other authorities are working hard to avoid propagation and controlling communicable diseases. Therefore hotels have an important role in maintaining a good hygienic level and also in the fight of controlling any diseases or infections by reporting them to the authorities concerned. Thus a study was carried out to study the general sanitary practices of medium size hotels of Mauritius. Fifty hotels were selected at random throughout the island. Two survey questionnaires were designed. Questionnaire 1 was designed for my personal view to assess the hygienic conditions of food preparation area, rooms and other facilities available whereas questionnaire 2 was designed to assess the knowledge of the food handlers concerning various issues. After carrying out the surveys, it was found that simple hygienic practices were lacking among the food handlers. Moreover some hotels sanitary conditions were not satisfactory concerning certain issues, thus not complying with the recommended laws. Good sanitary facilities were not provided by the hotels management. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Overview A hotel is an establishment providing paid lodgement on short time basis. It provides basic accommodation consisting of room with bed, toilet and bathroom and water facility. It also provides food for room service daily and has its own restaurant (Wikipedia, 2010). Therefore it must have a high level of hygiene. Hotels accommodate adults, children and old persons. People coming from all parts of the world. These people are strangers with different life styles and different personal hygiene levels. A good degree of hygiene in the hotel establishment is therefore necessary to counteract any hygienic problems that may arise. Therefore hotels must provide services of good quality with trained personnel. The level of hygiene of staffs must be considered as priority. The workers must cope with all sanitary regulations for themselves to be clean and not to be the cause of any infection spread. Hotels are regulated because of cleanliness reason and sanitary practices which help to prevent the spread of diseases and parasites. Inspections are made to ensure they operate safely complying with all regulations such as Public Health Act, Safety and Health Act or the Food Act. (FAQ, 2010). From a research carried out by Environmental Health Division in the United States, inspections carried out by the inspectors were mainly to have a visual examination for overall cleanliness and soundness of building construction. Moreover simple inspections were done concerning proper washing of dishes like cups and glasses, proper laundering of bed and bath linens. Other inspections performed were to look in the maintenance of other room furnishings and for the absence of rodents and insects that are of great importance in preventing diseases. These inspections are effected according to the Tourist Accommodation Regulation (Environmental Health, 2010). Hotels are inspected at least once per year and sometimes much more depending on complaints arising from the public. In United States, Fire Marshal approval is an important factor else no permit is delivered (Environmental Health,2010). . In Mauritius hotels license are issued after approval of an EIA and compliance of all health codes. Food hygiene training is an important factor in hotels. Adopting a safe food handling practice is an important factor for effective management of food safety. A study carried out by the International Journal of Environmental Health Research on food hygiene training practices by interviewing managers and food handlers. It showed that most of the food handlers had undertaken formal food hygiene training courses but many others did not and still were preparing food, including high risk foods. Pre-training support and on-going supervision was absent, thus limiting its effectiveness. It is believed that food handlers are in many cases causes of food contamination (Taylor and Francis, 2008). Researches effected in Wales, showed many that hotels were criticised for a number of failures. Numerous high risk foods were kept past their use by dates. Chopping boards were in a state that could no longer be disinfected properly due to their worn state while mouldy plastic bread containers were also spotted. Other hotels were criticised for inadequate level of food hygiene awareness among its staff while another had a leaking cellar roof (Woodrow, 2009). Other researches reported that in United States, there were cases where rooms were causes of sickness where housekeeping staff was not properly doing their job (Conrad,2008). In New York, during an inspection it was observed that a hotel room was infested by bed bugs, mice and other vermin (Riverside Studio, 2009). Studies carried out in other parts of the world have demonstrated that hotels often lack a good hygiene level. Carelessness of workers lead to food contamination and other infections. However our country is not the best compared to them. This study is being carried out to investigate the level of hygiene in our medium size hotels of Mauritius. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES Aims of the study The aim of the study is to assess the level of hygiene present in medium size hotels of Mauritius. Food handlers are to be assessed concerning food hygiene practices in food processing area. Housekeeping staffs are to be assessed about the importance of hygiene in rooms and also evaluating the level the knowledge of workers concerning communicable diseases. Recommendations were also made for improvements. Objectives of the study The objectives of the study are to: Taking a sample size of at least 50 hotels around Mauritius to have an overview evaluation of the level of hygiene over the whole island. Carry out a survey for my personal view of hygiene in hotels. Carry out a second survey to assess the knowledge of workers about hygienic importance in their working place Compare the sanitary facilities available in these hotels to the law requirements. Analyse the data and to make propose recommendations for improving the level of hygiene and the sanitary facilities available. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW Hygiene Hygiene is described as the science of preserving health in connection to cleanliness. It compromises all those measures necessary to detect and prevent infection and intoxication which may be harmful to health. The aim of a good hygiene is to provide consumers with both a good service and safe food. It involves all measures directed to ensure a safe and good quality product and service. Hygiene is an important factor in a business as it helps to protect and also promote ones reputation. In order to have all these, it is a must to comply with all Acts Regulations made in the law (schurmann,2008). Food poisoning Food poisoning is one result of poor hygienic practices. We are surrounded by tiny living organisms that cannot be seen without a microscope. These organisms are called microorganisms. Some are harmless whereas those which are harmful are called pathogens. They are found everywhere. An example is Staphylococcus aureus living on the skin as a normal flora. The same bacteria if in contact with food, can cause food poisoning. This is one of the most common food poisoning bacteria. Another example is E.Coli living naturally in our intestines for breaking down of food, but when in the urinary tract, it causes serious infections (Frazier W, 1995). Contamination can be made by different bacteria such as Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium botulinum. The symptoms arising when consuming food harboring these harmful bacteria are familiar to most people. They are namely vomiting, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhea. There is loss of fluid through vomiting and diarrhea in most severe cases. Those who are more prone to such risk are youngs and elderly or already ill people. Therefore sanitary conditions play an important role in preventing such disease to happen. Necessary precautions must be taken at all stages in food preparation and most important when this concerns bulk production of food as in hotels (JFraser,Microbiology Book). To prevent food poisoning there are three main things that can be done: stop the bacteria from multiplying by : Bacteria reproduce very if they get suitable conditions: moisture, food, warmth, and time Therefore it is important to prevent such conditions by using proper storage. stop bacteria getting onto the food Keeping food covered Handling food as little as possible Keeping raw and cooked foods separate Keeping animals and pests out of the kitchen Disposing of rubbish in covered bins destroy the bacteria in the food only a few bacteria are able to survive temperatures higher than 70o C. This is why it is important to cook food thoroughly. Food such as meat and vegetables should be chopped into small pieces to ensure cooking. Food that is reheated, should be used only once. The left overs should be discarded. Frozen food should be well defrosted before cooking as it may happen that inner part remain uncooked. Food borne diseases Food-borne disease arises when contaminated food is ingested containing a pathogen. This pathogen causes problems only because of the fact that it reproduces inside the human body which provides all necessary factors for its development. Poor food handling and bad sanitation practices are commonly the cause of food-borne diseases in food establishments. One example is the gut bacteria Escherichia coli causing food-borne disease. It may be present through faecal or other source of contamination. E.coli caused 20 deaths and 200 other cases in Lanarkshire, Scotland in 1996 which needed to be treated during the outbreak. This bacteria is particularly dangerous because few bacterial cells, possibly 20 minimum need be ingested by a person to cause severe symptoms( Maff, 2000). A study carried out in Mekelle Town in Ethiopia to determine the sanitary conditions in 420 establishments including small hotels showed that latrines, hand washing basins, proper type of solid waste disposal and tap water were available at 96.9% , 57.1 % , 39.2% and 93.6% respectively. Proper dish washing and food storage practices were observed at 46% and 52% respectively. But poor personal hygiene among the workers and food handlers were observed. Staphylococcus aureus and E.Coli were found in utensils at a high level which can only result from poor hygienic practices of the workers. (Ethiop.J.Health Dev. 2007). It was observed that sanitary conditions were maintained but however there were conditions where there was non adherence in workers. Our country is not an exception to such food-borne outbreaks. The sanitary inspectors of the Ministry of Health are here to give support to avoid such problems. Water borne diseases Water contamination is common worldwide. The category affected is mainly young people and elders having a poor immune system. A study was carried out in India about the water hygiene behaviours in hotels and restaurants few years ago. It showed that contamination in drinking water is made by man and usually due to improper storage, handling and serving which leads to serious water borne diseases. It has been noticed that in a drinking water sample of 340, 69.1% were non-potable water and 73.2 % had presence of E.Coli due to human faecal matter. Causes to this outbreak were poor hygiene behaviours, storage and handling practices which was known to deteriorate the water quality. This could have been improved by educating the workers and food handlers in these hotels and restaurants. This can result to illness of mainly diarrhoea and vomiting, whereas other symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, headache and giddiness (Pubmed,2003). General sanitary requirements in hotels People normally visit a hotel for short-term basis. There is a continuous flow of incoming and outgoing people. Different people from different countries stay in same room. Therefore rooms must be well sanitized and disinfected after each visit. Aeration and ventilation is important. Cleanliness and sanitary practices play an important role in maintaining this balance. It helps to prevent the spread of diseases and parasites not only to tourists but also our general population. Hotels are therefore inspected to make sure that it copes with the law and that they operate safely following the Health Codes (Lockyer,2003). Points that are inspected and controlled for aiming a good cleanliness and soundness of building facility are : Absence of pests such as rodents and insects Proper handling and storage of trash Proper laundering of bed linens and bed Proper washing of utensils such as plates ,cups and glasses No hazards due to infrastructure of building facility Cloakroom accommodation for staffs Proper services such as power, heat, water General maintainance of area to eliminate potential breeding places for mosquitoes or other vectors No domestic animals in area Fire safety and emergency exits Good hygiene rules Consumer satisfaction is prior to all. Thus a good service and hygienic food and water are important. Rooms should be well maintained. Housekeeping department plays an important role. It is the backbone of any good hotel. Employees of housekeeping department are made responsible for maintenance, as they have to visit each room every day to set the room for same the guest or the next guest. During their routine visit, they check all the possible electric point, water points, gadgets, while replacing linen, soap, shampoo, towel, etc other important factors are listed below. Sanitary design premises should be assessed and designed in such a way to reduce health hazards. Personal Hygiene and Food handlers One must be educated about hygiene and to start oneself should be hygienic in all aspects and should possess a food handlers certificate. Cleanliness Working environment should be maintained clean. There should be a high standard of cleanliness, most important for those handling food stuffs. Awareness knowledge of hygiene practices in work place, communicable diseases awareness. Hands Skin Hand is the main route for contamination. Therefore to avoid food poisoning bacteria to get in contact with food, water and soap must be used for washing time to time. Mouth, nose ear it is the route for staphylococcus bacteria to enter food through coughing, sneezing and scratching. Therefore necessary precautions should be taken be avoid these during food preparation. Sanitary conditions in restaurants A good hygiene is required in food premises to make sure food is safe. It prevents food poisoning and prevent spreading of any communicable diseases resulting from careless personnel or caterers handling food stuffs. Rules such as Cleanliness, Cooking, Chilling and Cross Contamination should be well observed while handling food. Food safety and hygiene practice using Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) is recommended by WHO and FAO to maintain a good quality of food and services (Silva, 2001). Trained personnel should preferably be employed. Facilities such as proper dustbins, wash hand basins and toilets should be made available for the workers. Points that should be observed in aiming a good and safe food hygiene are: ood handlers Certificate Floors (smooth clean) Ceilings / Walls maintained properly Utensils properly washed sterilized Proper sanitary design of kitchen Fly proof and rodent proof Storage accommodation of foods Disposal of waste (Solid and Liquid) Drainage system Wash hand easily available Good aeration / temperature /Humidity Work area spacious enough for workers Showers facility for workers(Working Day / Night) Hygiene in kitchen All employees working in food premises either in the task of preparation, handling or serving food should possess a food handler certificate after having followed a medical inspection by a doctor. They should have a satisfactory knowledge of hygiene and cleanliness and be aware of possible problems caused of improper food handling. Health education plays an important role in promoting food and personal hygiene. All staffs should be given appropriate training. Health inspectors have an important work in providing health education by promoting awareness of dangers of food poisoning and poor hygiene practices Medical certificate The law states that every food handler involved in food business should be in possession of a valid medical certificate. This food handler certificate is issued by a G.M.O and is valid for only 3 years and has to be renewed each year. This certifies that its owner is in good health and is not suffering from any communicable diseases (Food Regulation, 1999) (refer to Appendix 2). Obtention of medical certificate The person has to call at the Health Office of the Ministry Of Health of his region with his national identity card and with two photo passport. An appointment is given for a session of talk on hygienic practices and after due accomplishment, the latter is examined by a Regional Public Health Superintendent (RPHS). Thereafter if the person is observed to be in good health, the certificate is obtained(Food Regulation,1999) Working environment The standard of cleanliness of factory and its workers is a reflection of the standard of efficiency of management and the morale of the working population. Provision has been made in the Occupational Safety and Health Act 2005 concerning welfare of workers and overcrowding in place of work. It says that a place of work shall not be overcrowded as it can cause risks of health injury of the employees. It is mentioned that the space allowed shall not be less than 11 cubic metres per workers (OSHA, 2005, Appendix 3). Kitchen is an example where there is often overcrowding of workers in hotels. Smoking The personnel should be well educated and trained about hygiene in a workplace. Employees should not smoke during work, mainly during preparation of food or while handling any food stuffs or utensils. Smoking is prohibited by law in any public places and moreover smoking in a food preparation area can pass diseases from an individual to another. Customers also can be contaminated. Smokers can transfer harmful bacteria from their mouth to food and thereafter, consumers of these foods may ingest these bacteria in turn. These bacteria can be harmless on the carrier but harmful to another person. Communicable diseases Any person suffering from a communicable disease, boils, sores, acute respiratory infection or bleeding wounds should not be allowed to work in any food premises. A list of these diseases is listed in (Appendix 4). All communicable diseases should also be reported to the Health Offices for treatment. Therefore all employees should possess their food handler certificate and renew it every year by a doctor to ensure that safe food and services are provided to customers. The law has made provisions concerning infectious or communicable diseases. It is said that the occupier of any premises in which a patient resides shall give notice to Sanitary Authority or if visited by a medical practitioner and it is confirmed that the patient is suffering from an infectious disease, health inspector of the region shall made aware of the existence of the disease , name of the patient, the situation of the premises and name of the occupier. (Public Health Act,Appendix 5). Preventing food contamination We should not forget the motto PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE . Prevention of food contaminations is a must. Appropriate preventive measures should be taken. Employees should give attention to personal hygiene and the working habits in a hotel kitchen. Body should be kept clean by washing and bathing. Hands should be washed at least on every occasion when entering food preparation zone. Hands and arms should he washed thoroughly using soap and water after each visit to the toilet. Avoid use of common towel (use paper that are disposable). Wear clean and washable overall preferably white Keep hands away from mouth, nose ,hair ,ear while working Do not eat while handling food/ preparation Do not wipe hands on overall Use spoons, forks , tongs instead of hands in preparation Avoid useless blabbering while working Smoking, spitting should e avoided in working area Obey food safety signs Keep work area clean Staff facilities maintained in good hygienic conditions A research carried out in 2004 in a popular hotel of Egypt after a major outbreak of Hepatitis A where 351 tourists was contaminated showed that there was poor sanitation, no proper health education and medical examination. An infected worker with imperfect hand hygiene and who was in contact with sewage-contaminated water was the source of this huge outbreak. (Eurosurveillance, 2006) Concerning food safety, the WHO has initiatives for surveillance programme with objectives of a development of an international food safety network, application of HACCP and development of a safety information system. (WHO, 2004). Storage of food Food storage is important industrially. Hotels prepare food for hundreds of persons daily. Therefore a good storage system is necessary. Area should be pest proof, warm, clean and not humid. There are three main categories of food requiring different storage methods. Dry food should be kept in a warm place and not humid to avoid spoilage by microorganisms growth. Chilled food should be stored at an appropriate low temperature, and precautions should be taken in case of electricity cut. Canned food should be verified before using. Stock rotation is important concerning canned products. It is important that you rotate and use your food storage (Caldwell M, 2006). Storage of water An ample supply of water should be provided with adequate facilities for its storage and adequate protection against contamination. Water is used both in food preparation and rooms for toilets and bathrooms. Many aquatic microorganisms can survive and flourish in water with minimal nutrients and can be transferred to people with poor immune system. A study conducted in United States described how gastroenteritis is a common outbreak in hotels. Unsteady state flow and stagnation in distribution systems affect the biological stability of drinking water which promotes bacterial accumulation (Dippold L et al, 2000). Therefore it is important that tanks are fitted tightly with lids and that they are regularly cleaned and sampled for chemical and bacteriological analysis. Cleaning frequency is an important factor. The tanks should be verified in case of rusting of any parts and dates should be noted at each cleaning done. (Logan G, 2008). Tanks should be cleaned at least once every trimester for proper maintainance to avoid microorganism proliferation. Waste disposal A hotel can be considered as a microcosm in itself having the potential of producing all kinds of waste that is hazardous. Hazardous waste comes in many different shapes and forms: it can be liquid, solid, gas or sludge, and more often it is poured down sinks directly or discharged to regular waste stream (Patel A, 2008). The types of waste generated in hotels and their sources are listed below. However there are two main types of hotel waste, solid(dry),known to be non-biodegradable and liquid(wet),biodegradable wastes. The risk and problem that arises are odour, unaesthetic and it acts as breeding place for vector of diseases (flies, rats, rodents), thus a nuisance to health (Wagh V, 2005). Solid waste Solid waste is described as materials of no longer value and which is not meant to be discharged through pipe. These dry wastes comprise of plastic bottles, papers, plastic wrappers, HDPE bags etc. These wastes should not be mixed with the wet waste which may produce bad odor and dirty look. They should be disposed in dry places for storage until collection is done (Wagh V, 2005). Liquid waste Liquid waste is simply discharged in sinks. Wet waste comprises of food and vegetable. Most hotels kitchen sinks are fitted with a garbage disposer (garburator) which is a device installed under the kitchen sink between drain and pipe which shred waste into pieces enough to pass them through plumbing. Grease traps are also fitted to prevent drains to be blocked from fats, oil and grease. Some hotels also provide septic tanks to avoid potential problems that may occur in case there is blockage of main sewage pipes provided by the Government. Elimination of mosquito breeding places The hotels management does the necessary to avoid spreading of diseases. Potential breeding places for vectors are eliminated by draining all roofs water accumulation at least twice a week and insecticides are sprayed. All ponds and garden water are regularly checked and all bottles or containers are removed and bushes like the grass are well maintained. The Ministry Of Health also provide services for spraying insecticides on a regular basis (MOH, 2009 Health surveillance of tourists Tourist can be responsible for spreading of diseases. One recent case notified was in 2009 where the first case of H1N1 flu virus was detected in a French tourist. The Ministry Of Health has provided officers for this specific duty. Health surveillance Officers are responsible to contact every incoming passengers in order to know their health condition on arrival to Mauritius. The hotel management plays an important role as they need to report any kind of communicable diseases occuring in their residence (MOH Health, 2009). The Ministry Of Health has a list of infectious and communicable diseases that are controlled closely as shown in (Appendix 4). CHAPTER 3 : METHODOLOGY Methodology A survey was carried out and two questionnaires were designed where one was for personal view and opinion about the working place and food handlers and the second, to assess the workers and their knowledge to food hygiene.50 hotel in all were chosen throughout Mauritius. Random selection will give a broader view of hygiene in hotels around the island. List of hotel was obtained from the Tourism Authority at Port-Louis and some details obtained at the Municipality and Health offices. The Questionnaires Questionnaire for Personal View of Foodhandlers, Checklist for Kitchen and environment (room, garden, Swimming pool). (Appendix 6) Questionnaire for personal hygiene for the workers (Appendix 7) The questionnaire (Appendix 6) is a checklist concerning the number of workers, personal hygiene at sight, state of preparation area and toilet in the hotel kitchen. The workers who were pointed were mainly cooks, waiters and maids who work in hotel restaurant. A walkthrough was done where access was granted by the management in the kitchen to assess the level of hygiene of the workers and to inspect if they practice personal hygiene. The toilets were also seen and mess rooms. The second part of the questionnaire was dedicated for rooms and the environment such as garden. Points that were observed during the walkthrough inspection were: No of Personnel Sanitary conditions Water availability Lighting Ventilation Refuse disposal Toilets and bathrooms The second questionnaire was designed for food handlers to assess their knowledge about hygienic practices and food poisoning. CHAPTER 4: RESULTS Results and Findings Possession of food handlers certificate among workers General personal hygiene among workers The below bar chart shows the general personal hygiene maintained among workers at work and it can be concluded that 98% of them keep their hands clean, 94% keep their fingernails clean, 75% have their hair covered, 100% keep their body clean. But it could also be observed that only 25% of them keep their overall clean and 13% of them had nail varnish. Wall conditions of kitchens The wall conditions of the kitchens were surveyed and was found to have the following structures ; 82% of them are waterproof, 88% can be observed to be clean, 93% are washable, 82% are without crevices, 94% are painted white and 86% of them are tiled up to 2 meters from floor. Ventilation From figure 6, it can be seen that 83% of the hotels had adopted a good ventilation system using air conditioner for ease of workers while 17% of them did not have appropriate ventilation system. Lighting Figure 7 describes the lighting condition in the preparation area. 78% of the hotels were seen to provide a good lighting system for the workers and 22% had lighting system not satisfactory. Provision for refuse disposal Refuse disposal availability was surveyed and was found that 50% had foot operated pedal bins,70% of the garbage bins were cleaned and disinfected regularly,75% had their bins covered while 95% removed them daily. Room management Room conditions were observed to be at 72% satisfactory. 28% was seen to have a bad room management. Frequency of changing Blanket on bed From Fig 10. it can be observed that 80% of hotels changes bed blanket regularly,5% on a weekly basis and 15% when it seems necessary to do so that is when seen dirty. Bathroom and toilets sanitary conditions From the result obtained during the survey, it has been found that toilets and bathrooms in rooms are at 70% and 75% clean respectively. . Detergents Distribution The figure below gives detail of the type of detergents commonly used in hotels for sanitizing and cleaning purposes and their percentage used. Knowledge of food poisoning During the survey it was observed that only 40% of workers interviewed had a satisfactory knowledge of food poisoning and answered yes to the question whereas the other part could not give explanation food poisoning. Validity of food handlers certificate Professional training by employer From the survey carried out among workers, it was found that among the 70% of workers who were in possession of a food handlers certificate, only 55% of them were valid while 15% of them were not. Concerning professional training, it was observed that 40% of hotels give professional training to their workers when employing.In most cases (60%) employees do not provide professional training to their workers. They benefit only from the workshop by the Ministry of Health for the food handler Certificate. Ceilings conditions, state of floor in kitchens, housekeeping From the survey carried out evaluating ceiling conditions, it can be deduced that 4% of them are dusty, 4% are moldy, cracks can be found on 7% of them and 2% can be seen with falling paints. It was observed that in kitchen, most of the floors were tiled (84%) and 16% of them were in concrete. 95% of the hotels kitchen have smooth and clean floor. Housekeeping rate was observed to be at 70% satisfactory in the hotels surveyed. Importance of hand washing 100% of workers agreed to the fact that washing hands is an important factor to maintain during work but within these percentage, only 20% could give satisfactory respond about how to wash hands properly. CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION Hotels harbor each year over thousands of clients coming from various social backgrounds. They must be prone to certain diseases or have certain health complications. According to regulations, hotels are supposed to provide and maintain a good general sanitation which shall ensure that all such aspects are taken care of. Hotels shall not be breeding grounds to such sanitary problems. With such aim, this current study has been overtaken. Hygiene is important to consider in places where there are crowds. Hotels are normally crowded all the year. Therefore a high level of hygiene is a must. Hotels must conform to all legislations and standards. During the survey it was observed that during summer, hotels are more visited. According to law governing sale of food in Mauritius, every person engaged in the sale, preparation, manufacture, serving, packing, cooking, handling or delivery of any food for the sale of human consumption shall have in his possession a valid food handlers certificate. However it has been observed that only 70% of workers working in hotels possessed food handler certificate but the validity was only to 55%. This may pose a serious health problem as such regulations have been placed to ensure maximal hygienic conditions regarding sale and other process. From the results obtained in figure 4, it has been observed that general personal hygiene among workers was satisfactory. On the overall, hands, fingernails, body and clothing were kept clean. It was found that only 65% of workers used white overall while 35% did not. 25% was observed that their overalls were dirty and not washed regularly. Such an attitude may pose a health problem and a vector of food poisoning. Fingernails may harbor pathogenic bacteria coming from faecal material after defaecating hence affecting the quality of food being processed. However, on the overall, most of workers involved in food processing seemed to be aware of such practices (Food code, 1999). The kitchen space plays a vital role in the prevention of infection. Safe food preparation and cleanliness and storage practices are critical factors to considerate. The wall, ceiling conditions and state of floor is very important and should be well maintained. As a general rule, cleaning of such places should be done everyday. During the survey it was observed that wall condition was satisfactory in most of the hotels visited. Kitchen floors were tiled in 84% of hotels and 16% was observed to be in smooth concrete. The sanitary condition was satisfactory as at sight it was seen to be well clean. Though a minority of hotels seemed to have a below average good satisfaction result, on the overall most of hotels agreed to protocol. Rooms and kitchen areas should be well clean. The frequency of cleaning food preparation premises, surfaces and equipment will depend on the extent of use in a given period of time. As a general rule, utensils, equipment and immediate working areas should be cleaned after each use. Premises should be meticulously cleaned at least once daily. Methodically with spot cleaning as, required to maintain a safe and hygienic environment. Rooms are to be cleaned daily and the frequency of changing blanket on bed is very important. Toilets and bathrooms should be washed and disinfected daily. In overall, housekeeping was observed to be efficient at 70%. The remaining 30%; did not appear to be disastrous, but the staff involved seemed to be unaware about importance of such practices. According to OSHA 2005, Part IV, Section 37 and 38, provision has been made for welfare of all workers. There should be proper lighting and ventilation. It states that effective and suitable provision shall be made for securing and maintaining the adequate ventilation of every workroom by the circulation of fresh or artificially purified air of suitable temperature and concerning lighting it states that effective provision shall be made for securing and maintaining sufficient and suitable lighting, whether natural or artificial, in every part of a place of work in which persons are working or passing. Referring to Fig 6 and Fig 7, it was observed that 83% of hotel adopted a good ventilation system and 78% had a good lighting system. These two factors are considered to be very important in food preparation area. If not respected closely it may pose serious problems as lack of good lighting system may cause vision problem allowing foreign matter to fall into food. Ventilation allows circulation of clean air thus reducing the risk of any airborne contamination. It controls temperature, odours that can affect food suitability and control humidity to ensure foof safety (OSHA, 2005). Hotels were observed to follow such guidelines on most of cases. Waste management, provisions has been made in the Food Regulations 1999. It states that the licensee of any food premises shall ensure that there are on the premises adequate impervious garbage receptacles with close fitting lid and where appropriate, foot-operated pedal refuse receptacles are to be provided and all food refuse and garbage are placed in garbage receptacles which are removed from the premises as often as necessary and at least daily. In the current study, such practices have been maintained and there is ensuring of proper adherence to such protocols. Thus risk of contamination should be low. It was observed that every worker agreed to the fact that washing hands is important but the majority was unable to give satisfactory explanation of the right way of washing hands. Effective hand washing is important as hands can be a source of contamination. It is important that handwashing is done in a separate sink and not in food preparation sink since this may cause contamination of food preparation sink and food (Food code, 1999). Result of our study indicates a good level of perception of such hygienic habits According to survey,40% of the workers interviewed had satisfactory responses concerning food poisoning. This may pose a problem as mishandling or carelessness may lead to food contamination. As a result, it is obvious that management of these hotels do not provide additional training to the food handlers. Lack of awareness may lead to food poisoning, thus hotel reputation may be affected. CONCLUSION It is incontestable that the hotel industry is becoming an important business in Mauritius for our economy. More care should therefore be addressed to this sector to ensure satisfaction of the customers and to avoid any health outbreak. it is inevitable to eliminate all hazards or to become 100% efficient, but however it is not impossible to promote a good degree of hygiene in our hotels. Trained personnel should be employed or professional training should be delivered to all workers from time to time to promote the importance of a good sanitary hygiene. Some hotels are not following hygienic conditions perfectly as recommended in the law and if this continues in the same trend, later or sooner, its adverse effect will be felt. Poor food handling practices, carelessness, lack of professionalism and adequate education on the part of staffs will lead to diseases outbreaks. Hotels need to follow hygienic conditions closely. Sanitary authority shall effect more regular inspections to ensure safety. RECOMMENDATIONS Regular site visits should be conducted by sanitary authorities or surprise check up should be done to ensure safety. Surprise checking may in reducing or eliminating the careless behaviours of staffs during work. Professional training should be made available to foodhandlers and also to house keeping staffs to ensure safety. Refreshing training should also be done, at least once every year. This will help to promote awareness in workers. Medical certificate is a must. Every worker should possess a valid food hander certificate. The management should ensure that the person he is recruiting is in good health. Management should take the responsibility for all renewal of medical certificate to ensure safety. Personal hygiene of foodhandlers should be assessed regularly either by management or sanitary officers to ensure that the workers are abiding to all rules and regulations in the law to avoid food contamination. Sanitary conditions of walls, ceilings and floors should be maintained regularly. Vacuum cleaner may be used for cleaning as it is less time consuming. Cleaning and disinfection of sanitary facilities should be done regularly. It is important to show the workers how to wash their hands properly. Separate wash basins with soap and warm water should be made available for all foodhandlers. New technologies should be used, elbow or knee operated taps are easily available nowadays. It must be a priority to provide every food preparation premises with proper refuse disposal system. Foot operated receptacles should replace all other type of bins to ensure safety in kitchen. All rooms should be cleaned and sanitized regularly. Bathrooms and toilets should be washed and disinfected at least twice weekly and not only when it seems necessary. All bed linens should be changed and washed daily. Pillowcases, sheets and blankets are important to be changed daily as different guests come daily in a hotel. Limitations The questionnaires were set in English but for many workers it had to be translated in creole while interviewing them. The hotels are scattered all round the island and therefore it was time consuming to go to every hotel. Therefore not all were visited but known workers from these hotels volunteered to give the details required. Not every hotel was accessible as some did not want to give information knowing the aim of the project. Therefore for acquiring good statistical values and quality of result for the data collection at the hotels above mentioned, several steps were followed after experiencing different type of contact from each hotel. The methods are described below: Interview of the manager, owner or responsible party Workers were interviewed by use of the questionnaires Oral interview was done for workers not understanding English Inspection was done where management agreed to give access to the toilet, kitchen and gardens. Finally some customers were also asked some questions.

Analysis Of The Fiction The Outliers - 1629 Words

In answering the unit’s essential question: How much of what happens in our lives do we actually control, Gladwell most convincingly answers this question in his nonfiction story, â€Å"The Outliers† through forging his concrete argument through many different sources of credible evidence. On the other hand, in Epstein’s nonfiction text, â€Å"The Sport’s Gene†, taking the opposing side, he answers the question in a less efficient way than Gladwell making his argument on the unit’s essential question less convincing. In â€Å"The Outliers†, Gladwell’s claim is that one can control the ultimate outcome of what happens in our lives through preparation. Only through many hours over the course of many years of preparation can one achieve success. Gladwell†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ËœIn study after study†¦ no one has yet found a case in which true world-class experience was accomplished in less time’† (Gladwell, 12). When Gladwell uses both studies, he mentions the names of professionals and their field of study which provides a credible backing for the evidence Gladwell uses. In the evidence, he also uses the specific statistics recorded from the studies in order to build concrete proof of how those who succeeded, have reached the top through practicing the most out of all the others. Throughout the text, Gladwell does not deny the fact that there is such a thing as talent, however he shows through the studies that practice plays a bigger role over talent as ultimately, those with talent only succeeded through the same amount of practice as other people who have reached the professional level. In fact, he provides an example of the musical genius, Mozart. â€Å"But, writes the psychologist Michael Howe in his book Genius Explained†¦ Of those concertos that only contain music original to Mozart, the earliest that is now regarded as a masterwork (No. 9, K.271) was not composed until he was twenty-one: by that time Mozart had already been composing concertos for ten years. The music critic Harold Schonberg goes further: Mozart, he argues, actually ‘developed late,’ since he didn t produce hisShow MoreRelatedMovie Analysis : Motion Picture Industry1427 Words   |  6 Pagesflood the market with toys and collectables to more quiet independent films that bring to life a producers deepest thoughts and ideals. Other movie genres include: adventure, comedy, crime and gangster, drama, historical, horror, musicals, science fiction, westerns, and many others. 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Dracula the Stereotypical Homosexual - 1169 Words

In Bram Stokers Dracula, the Count Dracula represents a homosexual figure, which in Victorian times was seen as an inversion of the â€Å"typical† male figure. Diana Kindron states the Victorian idea of a homosexual was one of a male body being fused with a female soul. This is just what Count Dracula represents in Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula. By Amanda Podonsky, â€Å"The Count seems to be an exaggerated representation of the concept concerning ‘evils’ of abnormality and how it can spread and infect.† This says how Dracula represents the fear of Victorians at that time of something abnormal, in this case homosexuality. Bram Stoker writes the Count in the existence of that fear. He is a poison looking to infect all of England, â€Å"Through them I have†¦show more content†¦It is almost as if the men want Dracula to have their blood, which is representative of semen in the novel.† The Count is representing a female in this scenario, being the one to â€Å"drain† these men of their fluids. In the process of the attack on Lucy, Dracula is very sexually ambivalent, he possesses the fangs needed to penetrate Lucy as a man would do, but then he drains the fluid as a female would. Constantly returning to drain again and again, once each man puts their offering into Lucy the Count drains her of it. This is homoerotic as Dracula is penetrating as well as taking in the fluid as a male in a homosexual relationship may do, which Dracula does repeat over and over. Lucy is the center of attention between the men in this group, â€Å"Why can’t they let a girl marry three men, or as many as want her† (Stoker 69), and because of this she is Dracula’s first target. She opens up more possibilities to Dracula. Dracula expresses his homosexual tendencies through the women he controls, his brides are drawn toward Jonathon looking for sexual encounters. With these women being his brides they can be seen as a sexual extension of his feelings. 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Phd Proposal free essay sample

A good proposal will show that you have a decent understanding of what you want to explore and how you might do that, that you have engaged with the relevant literatures, and that you can say why you think your study will be significant or interesting. You might also want to take a look at the Academic Profiles of CMOL faculty members and see the range of work they are engaged in, the sorts of methods they use, and try to identify how your study might relate to their interests. 1 PROPOSAL FOR Ph. D. THESIS Area of Study MANAGEMENT IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT Proposed Title: STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN MALAYSIA: FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THEADOPTION OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN THELOCAL AUTHORITES IN MALAYSIA 2 1. INTRODUCTION Strategic management has been touted as one of the effective management tools in strengthening organization performance through effective decision making and systematic strategic formulation and implementation. We will write a custom essay sample on Phd Proposal or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Although strategic management was more prevalent in the private sector since the concept was first developed, the interest of using strategic management in the public sector has increased over the last decade (Smith, 1994). Since 1980? s there have been a series of reforms taking shape in the public sector, resulting from increased awareness on the importance of quality in the public sector. According to Osborne and Gaebler (1992), that strategic management appeared to be part of a package management innovations design to „reinvent? or „modernize? the public sector. Strategic management was found to be an effective management tool in transforming a bureaucratic public sector to a more responsive and innovative administration. Local Authority in Malaysia (LA) is a government at local level in the Malaysian Three-tier, Administrative System. It is responsible in providing urban services as well as implementing economic, social, physical and urban development within its gazetted administrative boundary. The role of LAs as the catalyst of economic development as well as political and social stability is undoubtedly critical given its status, as the government at the third level with certain autonomy power measured to enhance the increasing demands from the communities for a more customer-oriented and higher standard of urban services. It is this context that the study intends to investigate to what extent strategic management is being adopted and practiced by the LAs in Malaysia and to determine factors associated to LAs in adopting a strategic management framework as suggested by the western literature. 2. PROBLEM STATEMENTS 3 While strategic management is widely practiced by firms and other profit oriented organizations in this country, its adoption by public sector particularly in government agencies at operational level is less understood. Strategic planning in Malaysia is still insubstantial and unknown in the ense that there is an absence of documented proof of its practice (Mohamad , 1988). This study is undertaken to fill this knowledge gap. It is imperative to study on how strategic management is being adopted by government agencies as a tool of enhancing performance their performance. LAs are chosen as the setting because of their significant role as the third tier government in Malaysia. Not only LAs ar e important in the provision of urban services to the taxpayers, they are also critical as a catalyst in economic growth and well-being for the country. 3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS ) What is the extent of adoption of strategic management practices among the LAs in terms of: i) ii) iii) iv) v) Completeness of systems; Established direction and mission; Depth of analysis; Implementation task and skills; and Control and feedback mechanism b) What are the contributing and impeding factors in the LAs in successfully adopting the strategic management practices; c) How do factors such as leadership traits, organization culture and organization structure have impact in the degree of adoption strategic management by the LAs. 4. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES 4 The main objective of the study is to examine the adoption of strategic management practices in the Local Authorities in Malaysia. In so doing, the study will seek: a) to investigate the extent to which strategic management is adopted by the LAs, in line with the strategic management framework that suite its environment; b) to ascertain factors that contribute and impede the smooth adoption of strategic management in the LAs; c) to see how factors such as leadership traits, organization culture and organization structure have impact in adopting strategic management in the LAs; and ) to highlight any other finding that are of interest and contribute towards the subject of strategic management in government agencies. 5. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY Finding of the research will add to the knowledge and understanding of the subject of strategic management and its application by the LAs. This study should be significant in the sense that it will: a) Allow the identification of the concept an d framework of strategic management that takes into account the nature of work and environment of the LAs; ) Support and enrich theory and model of strategic management in public organizations that have similarities in their nature of service with the LAs; c) Generate greater awareness among public organizations on the importance of having a proper and practical strategic management framework as a vehicle to organizational effectiveness; 5 d) Provide useful knowledge on factors that might have impact and contribute to the successful adoption of strategic management in public organizations. 6. SCOPE OF THE STUDY The study will take all the organization of LAs in Peninsular Malaysia as the setting. Organization of the LAs will confine only to the office of the LAs, being secretariat or the administrative arms of the LAs. 7. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OF THE STUDY The objective of the study is basically two-pronged. Firstly s to examine the extent of adoption of strategic management practices in the LAs and secondly is to see how factors such as leadership traits, organization culture do and organization structure have impact in the adoption of strategic management that suite the environment of the LAs. Gathering of data on the extent of strategic management adoption in the LAs will be based on models of strategic planning by notable strategic management gurus such as Steiner (1979) and Glueck (1982). Amongst the dimension to be investigated are: vi) vii) viii) ix) x) Completeness of systems; Establish direction and mission; Depth of analysis; Implementation task and skills; and Control and feedback mechanism The theoretical framework of the study is depicted by the diagram below: 6 Factors Associated With the Extent of Strategic Management Adoption in the Local Authorities in Malaysia Leadership Traits Organization Culture Size Extent of Adoption of Strategic Management Framework Organization Structure Income INDEPENDENT VARIABLES MODERATING VARIABLES DEPENDENT VARIABLES 8. DEFINITION OF VARIABLES The dimensions of each independent variable are have been identified as follows: a. Leadership Traits Degree of ability It refers to ability to organize, supervise and dealing with issues. This variable is adopted from Jameson and Soule (1991); Degree of Visionary It refers to ability to redefine the purpose of organization and embody new purposes into structure and systems; ability to design long-term plan and ability to forecast incoming issues. This variable is adopted from Bryson J. M (1988); Locus of Control Locus of Control refers the extent to which individuals believe that they can control events affecting them. Individuals who have a high internal locus of control or referred to as „internals? , believe that the event in their lives are primarily the result of their own behaviour and actions. Individuals who have a high external locus of control or referred to as „external? , on the other hand believe that the events in their lives and organizations are 7 primarily determined by chance, fate or other people. This variable is adopted from Julian Rotter (1966) and Burger J. M. (1986). b. Organization Culture Level of Team work. Refers to desirability of the personnel to work in a group accomplishing a given task or assignment. Level of Commitment, Refers to willingness among the personnel to complete the task at their level best and having sense of pride for achieving organizational task. c. Organization Structure Degree of Authority. Refers to clarity of line authority from top management to the lowest level; clarity of duties, responsibilities and authorities of each role in the organization and degree to which authority is delegated. Degree of structural flexibility in terms of adopting changes. Adopted from Fayol? s fundamental management functions. Extent of Coordination. Refers to level of interdependence in work situations. How programs and tasks are coordinated and what are the tools or mechanisms used to coordinate. Adopted from Fayol? s fundamental management functions. Level of Communication Refers to the existence of a strictly upward, downward and multidimensional communication as oppose to a little two-way communication. Also refers to level of participation of personnel in organization communication. Adopted from Likerts? Model of Organization Design. d. Dimensions of Dependent Variable The dimensions the dependent variable i. e. the extent of adoption of strategic management by the Las will comprise of completeness of systems; established 8 direction and mission; depth of analysis; implementation task and skills; and Control and feedback mechanism. The determination of those dimensions were based on Certo and Peter (1990). These dimensions has been adopted with some modification from earlier working of Steiner (1979), Van Gigch (1978) and Glueck (1982). 9. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Population The population of this study is all Local Authorities (Las) in Malaysia. Currently there 143 LAs nationwide with the break down of 97 in Peninsular Malaysia and 46 in Sabah and Sarawak. Nevertheless, this study will only take all Las in Peninsular Malaysia as the setting. This is to ensure uniformity and homogeneity as all Las in Peninsular Malaysia are created and governed by the same law, i. e. Act 171 as opposed to LAs in Sabah and Sarawak which are established and administered by their own state? s ordinance. All the 97 LAs in Peninsular Malaysia come within three principal categories, namely City Councils, Municipal Councils and District Councils. Table II shows the distribution of local authorities according to various states in Peninsular Malaysia. Table II: Peninsular Malaysia: Local Authorities by States, 2004 No. of Local Authorities State Johore Kedah Kelantan Malacca N. Sembilan Pahang City Council 1 1 Municipal Council 4 2 1 District Council 9 8 11 1 5 9 Total 14 11 12 3 8 11 1 1 3 2 9 Perak Perlis Penang Selangor Terengganu Fed. Teritory Total 1 3 1 2 11 15 1 2 1 7 1 4 6 12 7 1 1* 6 27 64 97 * Kuala Lumpur City Hall Source: Ministry of Housing and Local Government. Unit of Analysis Unit of analysis is organization i. e. the Local Authorities in Malaysia. Data Gathering A perception survey will be conducted to measure variables using structured questionnaire. Questionnaire will be sent to all LAs via post. Measurement will use Likert Scale. In addition, interviews will also be conducted at selected LAs to solicit views from selected respondent? s especially top management in the LAs. Other data will be gathered from records at Public Complains Bureau (BPA), departments? files, records and other documents. Secondary data will be obtained from relevant Parliament Acts, relevant research and seminar papers, annual reports, statistical abstract, magazines, newspapers and journals. 0. LITERATURE REVIEW Strategic Management – An overview Strategic management is defined as a systematic process for managing the organization and its future direction in relation to its environment in a way that will assure continuous success as well as secure from surprises (Ansoff 1984, Berry 1995). Strategic management encompasses the process of determ ining organization? s mission and goals; managing strategy formulation; strategy implementation; and strategy control. 10 Strategic management can be viewed as a series of steps covering the tasks of analyzing the opportunities and threats that exist in the external environment; analyzing the organization? s strengths and weaknesses within the internal environment; identifying agency stakeholders; establishing organization? s mission and goals; formulating strategies by matching the organization? s strengths and weaknesses with the environment? s opportunities and threats; implementing the strategies; and finally engaging in strategy control activities to measure the implementation progress and ensure achievement of the stated goals. Ansoff (1984), clarifies that the first step in the evolution of strategic management is known as strategic formulation, it began in 1950? s when firms started to invent a systematic approach in deciding on how and where the firms will do its future business. The progress of which managers jointly formulate the strategy was known as strategic planning. The term strategic management was subsequently introduced to include environmental assessment and strategy implementation. Thus, strategic management is defined as being where strategic planning is coupled with strategy implementation. Steiner (1979) and Barry (1986), argue that strategic planning and management, regardless of why public and not profit organization engage in it, can help an organization achieve the clarify future direction; think strategically and develop effective strategies; establish priorities; deal effectively with rapid changingCircumstances; build teamwork and expertise; and solve major organizational problems; and improve organizational performance. Chart I: Generic Model of Strategic Management 11 ENVIRONMENTAL OPPORTUNITIES ENVIRONMENTAL OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS AND THREATS Macroenvironment Macroenvironment Industry Industry Environment Environment ORGANIZATIONAL DIRECTION ORGANIZATIONAL DIRECTION Mission and Goals Mission and Goals STRATEGY FORMULATION STRATEGY FORMULATION Corporate Strategy Corporate Strategy Formulation Formulation Business Strategy Business Strategy Formulation Formulation Functional Strategy Functional Strategy Formulation Formulation STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION Organization Structure Organization Structure Leadership Leadership Power Power Organizational Culture Organizational Culture STRATEGY CONTROL STRATEGY CONTROL Performance Performance Local Authority in Malaysia As the study will focus on strengthening the local Authorities, a general overview on the Local Authority in Malaysia is essential to form a context of the study. Beginning with the creation of Committee of Assessors in Penang in 1801, the administration of LA was subsequently governed by Sanitary Board Enactment in 1907, before it was grouped into two major classifications namely Town Board Enactment in 1945. The administration of LAs falls under the jurisdiction of the State Governments. In its capacity as a local government, LAs, perform a wide range of functions. LAs are the provider of various urban services; the authorized parties in the formulation of local and structural plan; catalyst for social and economic development; caretaker of urban environment rotection and cleanliness; and tax and revenue collectors. Apart from Act 171 mentioned above, there are two more prominent laws that form the power of LAs, namely the Town and Planning Act 1976 and the Street Drainage and Building Act 1974. In performing their multifaceted functions, the LAs derive their revenues from various sources, including taxes, rents and license fees, profit from trade, services and undertakings, income 12 from property assessment and revenue from federal and state governments (Ahmad Kamaruddin, 1999) The issue on weaknesses of the LAs have been discussed time and again by many interested and effected parties. The Chief Secretary to the Government, in his opening speech at the Annual Working Meeting or Senior Officials of Local Government Authorities in 1998, reiterated on the importance of LAs to improve their service to the people through a strong communication and feedback system; effective enforcement; high integrity and transparency; prudent financial management system; enhancing people participation in their programs; and continuous efforts in inculcating quality culture in their organizations. Further to that, Dr. Mohd. Zin Mohamed in his paper, called for a re-examination of the LAs in various areas including the organizational structure; the scheme of services; the competency building program; and the new dimension of managing LAs in the current changing environment. This study is undertaken to fulfil those expectations, in line with government? s policy to bring quality to the lower levels of the administration, under the spirit of â€Å"Excellent Work Culture Movement†. Creating strong and excellent LAs will benefit many parties including the taxpayers; stakeholders; and the country as a whole. The roles of LAs in the revitalization of the current economic slow down is highly critical. As the authority in approving various permits and licenses for many types of trades and business, as well as the authorized agency in issuing the Certificate of Fitness (CF) to all residential, commercial and industrial buildings before they can be occupied and operationalized, one could understand how an effective LAs could contribute to the well-being of the country. As a frontline organizations dealing with the public at grass-root level, the performance of LAs cannot but reflect the image and credibility of the entire government. Strategic Management in States and Local Governments 13 The importance of strategic planning and management practice as an effective tool in strengthening the performance in the states and local governments has become a subject of interest in many developed countries since the last fifteen years. In the US, concerted efforts have been undertaken to empower states and local governments aimed at enhancing the capacity of these authorities. Much of such efforts were sparked by the idea of strategic management and organizational transformation inspired by Osborne and Gaebler in their Reinventing Government (1992). Wechsler conducted a survey in 548 state agencies in the United States in 1995 to assess their experience in strategic planning and implementation. The survey discovered that a majority of the agencies (60%) currently use strategic planning and management in their organizations. It was also found that leadership in the individual agency is the main factor (88%) for state agencies to initiate strategic planning in their organization, while almost all respondents chose „desire to set program and policy direction? as the most important objective of strategic planning and management. It was also agreed almost unanimously that „clarification of direction and goals? is the most important outcome that strategic management help achieve in their agency. In the United Kingdom, a survey by Flynn, Talbot and Colin (1996) of over 600 UK public service senior managers in 1994 identified the element of competition as a main driving force for local governments to revisit their existing service delivery system. It was discovered that competition generates the need for a new strategic thinking, strategy formulation and implementation. However, it was also revealed that the undertaking of strategic planning in most local governments is normally by state governments. 14 Strategic Management Implementation Model The Harvard Policy Model and the Stakeholder Management Model are two common approaches to strategic management in the public sector (Bryson 1989). The Harvard Policy model was developed as part of the business policy courses taught at Harvard Business School since the 1920? s. In the Harvard policy, strategists assess organizational strengths and weaknesses, identify opportunities and threats, and seek to coalign the organization with its environment. Orgranization are rejoined to build on strengths, overcome weaknesses, exploit opportunities, and block threats (Nutt Backoff, 1992). Stakeholder approach to strategic planning are concerned with identifying individual and organization actors who have an interest or in the focal organization and it strategic program. This model placed important role on the leadership of an organization to maintain good relationship with the stakeholder who have influence in agency? s direction and its capacity for realizing its strategy. Factors that influence the successful implementation of strategic management from internal organization point of view relate quite closely with the generic organization development model suggested by management experts such as Mc Kinsey, de Bono, Ishikawa – to mention a few. Summary of factors contributing to organization? s excellence under generic organization development model is tabulated in the table below. 15 Variables Explanation Sources Leadership Leadership is the main driver of organization’s change. Leadership will lead the direction, influence and motivate the behavior of personnel to channel their efforts into the desired direction. Identification of the right attitudes and behavior of the people is essential towards achieving strategy and objectives. Ability to perform and operate effectively rely heavily on superior work systems and process Kroll (1992), Howe and Kaufman, (1979), Ansoff, (1965, 1984), Bryson (1989) Kroll, (1992), Hamel Prahalad (1994) Culture/ Behavior Systems/ Process Kroll (1992), Howe and Kaufman, (1979), Ansoff, (1965) Kroll, (1992) Ansoff (1965)Bryson (1989) Organization Structure An organization structure (OS) must be aligned to put the strategy into effect. OS will cover responsibility and authority; job definition and description; and line of command. Human resource is the ultimate resource. Thus a strong organization must be supported by an effective HR Management. Technology is key in coping with dynamic competitive situation Human Resource Architecture Technology Architecture Hamel Prahalad (1994) Bryson (1989) Ansoff (1984), Hamel Prahalad (1994) 16 11. ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY The organization of the study is planned as shown below: PART I: Chapter 1: RESEARCH BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY Introduction, Objective and Scope of the Study ? ? ? PART II: Chapter 2: Problem Statements Research Focus Objective, Scope and Significance of the Study LITERATURE REVIEW Local Government in Malaysia ? ? ? ? ? Chapter 3: History of the Local Authority (LA) in Malaysia LA in the Malaysian Three-tier System of Government Laws and Regulations Governing the LAs Roles and Functions of LAs Issues Confronting LAs A General Overview of Strategic Management ? ? ? ? Chapter 4: Concept and Definition of Strategic Management Historical and Evolution of Strategic Management Schools of Thought in Strategic Management Strategic Management Model and Dimensions Research Methodology ? ? ? ? Research Design The Population The Survey and Interview Techniques Data Analysis 17 PART III ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION 12. CONCLUSION This proposal is the first step of an endeavour to embark on a comprehensive study on strategic management adoption in the LAs in Malaysia. It important to see the extent of adoption and organizational factors that influence the application of a practical strategic management practice in the LAs. 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