Impulsive buying in luxury consumption among Chinese consumers ( table Dissertation

Impulsive buying in luxury consumption among Chinese consumers ( table of contents ) - Dissertation Example The number of affluent households (whose annual income exceed RMB 250,000) in China is expected to reach 4.4 million by 2015. With the growing affluence in China and the demand for luxury brands on the rise, marketers need to evaluate the needs and wants of the luxury consumers. Thus, with the aim to evaluate impulsive consumer buying behaviour in the luxury segment in China, three objectives were stated and all the three objectives have been met. The study finds that consumer buying behaviour is influenced by the internal and external factors. The thought process and emotions behind consumer decisions, the environmental variables, the motivations, the individual differences and personal factors influence the purchasing decisions. The Chinese consumers associate luxury goods and consumption with culture and history, although some did associate luxury with price. Most Chinese consumers demonstrate Veblen, Snob and the Bandwagon effect, while some do lay emphasis on their own thoughts and feelings (hedonists). The Chinese consumers do attach importance to price but not too much significance to the CoO (Country-of-Origin) possibly because they follow what the others do. Culture influences the psychological factors in the luxury segment. The psychological factors include perception, attitudes, and motives towards luxury consumption. Chinese society is a collectivist society where conforming to the societal norms comes naturally to people. The growing affluence has enhanced the trend towards luxury consumption. The Chinese consumers find luxury brands deliver psychological values as it enhances their self-esteem and self-confidence. Since the Chinese consumers are affluent, status-seeking behaviour was found to influence luxury consumption. Such consumption satisfies their inner drives and gives them self-fulfillment. The Chinese consumers demonstrate impulsive buying behaviour in luxury consumption. Self-esteem and enhancing social status appear to be the strongest motivators in impulse purchase of luxury goods. Because of the impulsive tendencies they may become compulsive buyers as well. The study concludes that the consumerism has changed the way people consume. The definition of luxury too needs to be redefined as it is no more the prerogative of a few. As affluence has grown consumerism and materialism has grown which in turn has changed buying behaviour. The motives, attitudes and perceptions have undergone change and this change is ongoing. Consumers are becoming impulsive in their buying behaviour and this is predominant even in luxury consumption. The task for marketers is complex in trying to segment, target and position luxury brands. However, since impulsive buying does exist in luxury consumption, promotions can be designed to stimulate impulsive buying. The study concluded by suggesting area for further research on the subject. Table of Contents Chapter One: Introduction 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Rationale for research 2 1.3 Research Aims and Objectives 3 1.4 Structure of the Study 4 Chapter Two: Literature review 2.1 Chapter Overview 5 2.2 Consumer buying behaviour 5 2.3 Stages of consumer buying behaviour 9 2.4 Types of consumer buying behaviour 11 2.5 Factors affecting consumer buying behaviour 15 2.6 Luxury buying behaviour 18 Chapter Three: Methodology 3.1 Research Philosophy 22 3.2 Purpose of the research and phenomena 22 3.3 Epistemology 22 3.4 Research strategy 24 3.5 Data

Read this stories and pull out imporatant 3 qoutes from each story Essay

Read this stories and pull out imporatant 3 qoutes from each story (6qoute) - Essay Example As a cripple, I swagger†. (p 1) â€Å"I wake up in the morning feeling the way most people do at the end of a bad day, and I take it from there. As a result, I spend a lot of time in extremis and, impatient with limitation, I tend to ignore my fatigue until my body breaks down in some way and forces rest. Then I miss picnics, dinner parties, poetry readings, the brief visits of old friends from out of town. The offspring of a puritanical tradition of exceptional venerability, I cannot view these lapses without shame. My life often seems a series of small failures to do as I ought†. (p 2) â€Å"A friend who also has MS startled me once by asking, "Do you ever say to yourself, Why me, Lord?" "No, Michael, I dont," I told him, "because whenever I try, the only response I can think of is Why not?" If I could make a cosmic deal, whom would I put in my place? What in my life would I give up in exchange for sound limbs and a thrilling rush of energy? No one. Nothing. I might as well do the job myself. Now that Im getting the hang of it†. (p 8) â€Å"It was at that moment I realized the deceit I had been living under. Children growing up in the American Southwest, drinking contaminated milk from contaminated cows, even from the contaminated breasts of their mothers, my mother--members, years later, of the Clan of one-Breasted Women†. (p 2) â€Å"But one by one, I watched the women in my family die common, heroic deaths. We sat in waiting rooms hoping for good news, always receiving the bad. I cared for them, bathed their scarred bodies, and kept their secrets. I watched beautiful women become bald as cisplatin, Cytoxan, and Adriamycin were injected into their veins. I held their foreheads as they vomited green-black bile and I shot them with morphine when the pain became inhuman. In the end, I witnessed their last peaceful breaths, becoming a midwife to the rebirth of their souls.

How can California become a more small business friendly state Essay

How can California become a more small business friendly state - Essay Example Whichever the reason, there is the need to enhance the attractiveness of California as a state, towards the small business enterprises. This paper therefore, examines the root causes of California’s low rank in small business friendliness, and the possible ways of enhancing the state’s attractiveness towards the small business enterprises. Fundamentally, the United States was once considered the hub of small businesses but this mantle appears to be shifting away due to the hostile environments of some states to small business people. Perhaps, this is due to lack of proper policies that would encourage many small businesses to thrive in certain states within the U.S. For instance, California has been on the business headlines for the wrong reasons, especially as far as attracting and retaining small businesses is concerned. In the year 2013, the small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBC) ranked all the fifty states in the U.S. according to their levels of business friendliness. The results of the survey were astonishing because, California persistently remained at the bottom despite concerted efforts to woo small entrepreneurs into the state. Definitely, it is important to fist examine the eligibility criteria for small businesses in the United States and how some states have enforced this policy to their advantage. Intrinsically, there are certain requirements that businesses seeking certification in the United States must meet. The first requirement is that all small businesses must be operated and owned independently without any interference whatsoever from the government or any other interest group. Of course, the fact that it is a small business only means that such an enterprise should not dominate over other enterprises in the build of interest. More specifically, any small business seeking certification in California must have its main offices situated in California. Of course, this is a requisite

Narrative about painting The Scream Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Narrative about painting The Scream - Essay Example The essay "Narrative about painting The Scream" focuses on the discussion of the painting "The Scream". Answers- that was what O’ Neill was looking for in this day. Walking to office, he remembered his call for visual proof from the detective. The detective had assured him that it would be provided. There was no need to look for the veracity of his claims of course. Adultery was the norm, he had said. That day, he met Charles at the office and gave him a long hard look. The thought of this man, who was his junior in the office being with his wife, filled him with white hot rage. He kept telling himself that it was just a matter of a few more hours when the entire truth would unfold before everyone’s eyes. He would then revel in his triumph and reveal to everybody how he had been correct. They would have the satisfaction of telling him that they had always warned him of the match. They had told him that she was never from the same social position that he was in and would not understand the realities of his cultural position. She had proved herself and the others through this action of hers. If it had not been for Isaac, he would have been left in a quandary where he would have found himself unable to pick up the shards of his life together. Delinda was at the gate, waiting for O’ Neill as usual. This was the way things were since the day they had gotten married. She would return early and wait for him to the gate of their house and they would go in together. Today, she felt he was absent-minded over something.

Andrea and Overfield, The Human Record, Sources of Global History Vol Essay

Andrea and Overfield, The Human Record, Sources of Global History Vol. II (Cengage) hereafter AO - Essay Example In the year 1789, the assembly passed the declaration of the rights of man and the citizen. This declaration was a result of the direct consequences of what was taking place in France during this period. This declaration was important during that time since it help in annulling the right of the nobles to demand tithes, taxes and labor from peasants who were working on their family land. This was a great step in the liberation of man and the fight for human rights. This declaration was partly inspired the revolution that was taking place in America at that time (Andrea and Overfield 254). Unlike the declaration in America that â€Å"all men are equal†, the declaration made in France stated, â€Å"Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. The distinction in society may be founded only upon the general good†. This declaration left room for racial prejudice to take place. It stated that despite man being free there will always be a social difference. During this time, the blacks were mistreated for social purposes and were not fully given their rights in the society. Even though they were facing mistreatment from the general French public, the black French population had the right to resist the oppressions as this was provided by the declaration. The period of revolution and declaration of the right of man was volatile/ most of the churches were closed and priests were being hunted down. Politics at this time had taken a different twist and idea of persecution of the Catholics as well as the Protestants began. Several churches were closed, and others converted to temples for fear of persecution. The church was not safe no more. In respect to human rights and dignity, there was the abolishment of the water wheel and introduction of the guillotine. It is no coincidence that the universal declarations of the rights of humans, the European Convention for the human rights protection and the first treaty of the communities in Europe have their origins

My fellow thanes for Macbeths Coronation banquet Essay Example for Free

My fellow thanes for Macbeths Coronation banquet Essay My lady and I were asked to join my fellow thanes for Macbeths Coronation banquet. As we entered the cavernous hall, which had been decorated with splendid colours and banners, I noticed few people were talking. The sullen silence made the hall seem even bigger and perhaps even darker, and then, I gasped in astonishment as I noticed the feast (I do not know how I could have missed it) it was so vast it took up twenty full tables. Every imaginable food was there including much game. I had only just taken it all in when the sound of trumpets announced to the assembly the king was coming. He and his wife entered. Macbeth was dressed in fine clothes, red and gold silks and rare animal furs. Upon each finger a gold ring glittered , and of course the golden crown of the king. Lady Macbeth was also dressed in fine silks complimenting her pale cold looks perfectly, and also upon her hand rings glistened and gleamed like sun glinting off a newly forged sword. Around her neck many fine chains of gold and silver, the best that could be found. But soon things became not as they should, when my lord started seeing apparitions and things that were clearly not there. They may not have been there but the look of horror on Lord Macbeths face was enough to persuade me that he saw something others could not, and would not like to. But our Lady Macbeth reassured us and tried to explain it was a problem from childhood. But also throughout the most royal banquet our lord Macbeth disappeared and reappeared many times, he was rumored to have been seen with to shifty looking rogues. My lord and lady Macbeth were also seen to be quarreling throughout the evening, the air between them was thick with unsaid threats and promises, they were both on edge throughout the evening even though his lordship tried hard to hide it. Unfortunately we were asked to leave early as Macbeth had gone into another trance, seeing things that were not there, he talked about them too he spoke of grievances and of blood and injury but as soon as started they had finished and we were bid leave.

What Are the Benefits of Workplace Diversity?

What Are the Benefits of Workplace Diversity? As the whole world market changed into globalization, the diversity management becomes a major issue to manage. So diversity management plays an important role in the successful running of the operation in an organization. Basically the diversity term refers to the difference in the peoples value which makes them unique. These differences includes their gender, race, religion, culture, physical or cognitive ability, national origin, age or family structure. Diversity is defined as an aggregate team-level construct that represents differences among members of an interdependent work group with respect to a specific personal attribute. (Joshi, A., Roh, H.(2009)) In a diverse environment people can benefit and learn more from others ideas. Many organizations found that recognition of these differences as prerequisites for high performance and continuous improvement, and this could lead towards the effectiveness and creativity of the organization. So these companies always encourage a culture that supports and inspires personal growth both within the workplace and beyond. Mentoring, training, career mobility, and work-life balance programs are just a little of the initiatives that bring to life the forward-thinking approach. On the other hand there might be some drawback of the diverse environments like having much disorganization between different groups could cause lack of productivity and promote few well-built relationships. Diversity Management: Diversity Management is the key issue especially for HR department of an organization because if they run it very well they can increase the profitability of the organization or the vice versa. Actually differences between people persuade about how they feel or behave on an action. And of course these differences also influence the way people work. If the organization takes these differences into account, it helps them to make optimal use of all capacities or capabilities in their employees, and thus have an optimistic influence on both the quality and amount of work that gets done. This is the utmost aim of Diversity Management. In the text book, Beyond Race and Gender, R. Roosevelt Thomas defines managing diversity as a comprehensive managerial process for developing an environment that works for all employees. A successful strategic diversity plan also directs to increased profits and lowered operating cost. In an organization, we have to be aware and sensitive to the differences among employees. What can be unpleasant to one group may be fine for another. For example, showing the base of shoes is not a massive deal in the United States. However, in other countries its an unlikable gesture. If youre aware of that, you might not want to offend someone by allowing the bottom of your shoes to show while in his presence. Thats a minor example, but when these kinds of offends occurs at larger, may caused significant problems. Productivity can also be suffered, people could get hurt and a toxic work atmosphere may result. A process intended to create and maintain a positive work environment where the similarities and differences of individuals are valued, so that all can reach their potential and maximize their contributions to an organizations strategic goals and objectives. (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Diversity and Inclusion) How diversity management program runs in an organization through HR department could be well explained through below diagram Europe has an increasingly diverse working population, with people of many different backgrounds playing a greater role in the European labour market. This diversity reflects not only population changes due to immigration and mobility between regions and EU member states, but also an increasing recognition of the problems and issues facing a range of marginalised groups in the labour force, such as women, people with disabilities and older workers. International Journal of Human Resource Management, Feb2009, Vol. 20 Issue 2, p235-251, 17p, 1 Diagram Diagram; found on p245 At conclusion Diversity management means recognizing that people are different and using that difference to enhance the profitability and/or effectiveness of your organization. The successful management diversity allows organizations to: Attract and retain talent Increase productivity by reducing the hours wasted on dealing with internal disputes Develop a competitive edge. Encourage creative thinking by valuing the diversity within teams. What Are the Benefits of Workplace Diversity? By Neal Litherland, eHow Contributor .I want to do this! Whats This? .. Ever since John Kennedy was the president of the United States, the concept of workplace discrimination, and the flip side of that coin which is workplace diversity, has been a common issue. However, workplace diversity offers many positives for employers and employees. .Perspectives Having a mix of cultures, ethnicities and ages in the workplace can bring a variety of points of view to any project. As such, problems can be thought out and viewed from fresh eyes. Tolerance Working with people who come from different backgrounds and walks of life enhances the personal tolerance levels of every individual employee. Fairness A more diverse workplace is viewed, from an outside perspective, as being more open to accepting qualified applicants. Often an employer is seen as color blind, hiring purely on the merit of its employees. Skill Set When a workplace has a number of different demographics it gives the company a much broader skill set to draw upon, including cultural understanding and foreign language. Legal Protection One of the clearest, though not as often quoted, benefits of a diverse workplace is that it is less likely that an employer will be the subject of discrimination claims. Building the Case Since the early 1990s evidence has been mounting to suggest that there are numerous benefits associated with the adoption of sound diversity management programmes by employers. You will need to understand the benefits for adopting such an approach, if and when you decide to start building the case for implementing a diversity management programme within your organisation. Over the last number of years, a variety of researchers have detailed the benefits of adopting a diversity management approach such as: Improved performance/productivity (Agocs and Burr, 1996; Richard, 2000) Increased creativity/flexibility (Cox and Blake, 1991; Robinson and Dechant, 1997) Higher quality problem-solving (Cox and Blake, 1991; Hubbard, 1999) Improved understanding/penetration of markets (Cox and Blake, 1991; Robinson and Dechant, 1997) Increased staff morale and job satisfaction (Agocs and Burr, 1996) Improvements in staff retention/less absenteeism (Agocs and Burr, 1996; Robinson and Dechant, 1997) Less law suits (Robinson and Dechant, 1997) Human Resource associations have also identified benefits of diversity management. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, the following are five key factors that make diversity initiatives important to businesses: Diversity initiatives can: Improve the quality of your organisations workforce and can be a catalyst for a better return on your investment in human capital. Capitalize on new markets since customer bases are becoming more diverse. Attract the best and the brightest employees to a company. Increase creativity. Increase flexibility, ensuring survival. Source:  http://www.shrm.org/diversity/businesscase.asp In 2000 and 2001, Mi.st [ Diversity Consulting conducted a survey of business leaders throughout Europe and found that the four benefits of diversity most often mentioned were: Improved team effectiveness and cooperation (interpersonal) Increased productivity (individual) Improved customer intimacy (consumers and markets) Broader access to labour markets (recruitment) Results from this survey were analysed and all the benefits of Diversity and Diversity Management were summarised in the following table: Results Externally Internally Consumers/Markets Increased market share Ease of entry into new markets Improved customer intimacy Individual Increased productivity Improved morale and commitment Shareholders Enhanced rating Improved attractiveness Interpersonal Improved team effectiveness and cooperation Easier integration of new staff Labour markets Broader access to labour markets Improved employer image Organisational More openness to change Enhanced effectiveness of complex organization Community Improved public image Source: Michael Stubor (2002): Corporate Best Practice: What some European Organizations are Doing Well to Manage Culture and Diversity. In G. Simmons (Ed.), Eurodiversity: A Business Guide to Managing Difference, Butterworth-Heinemann, London Alongside the benefits outlined above there are other background forces that drive the adoption of a diversity management approach by employers. Two common forces are described below: Labour Force Supply Issues The composition of the labour force in the EU is changing on an ongoing basis. Two of the most important changes in recent years are: The ageing of the workforce The enlargement of the EU giving rise to a larger presence of ethnic minorities As a result, employers need to be able to successfully accommodate a more diverse range of employees.   Costs of Discrimination Cases Although, anti-discrimination legislation has now been introduced in a number of European countries, employees are still facing prejudices that circulate in the workplace. This gives rise to employees taking discrimination cases against their employer, which can be damaging for the employer in terms of negative public opinion and high costs. An effective diversity management approach should give rise to an environment that benefits all employees, where they feel valued and empowered and are enabled to reach their full potential. In such a positive environment it is highly unlikely that an employee would bring a discrimination case against their employer. Footnote: References   Agocs C. and Burr C. (1996):  Employment equity, affirmative action and managing diversity: assessing the differences, International Journal of manpower, Vol. 17, No. 4, pp30-45. Cox T. and Blake S. (1991);  Managing Cultural Diversity: implications for organizational competitivenes  s, Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 5, No. 3, pp45-56. Hubbard E. (1999):  Diversity and the Bottom Line: Facts, Figures and Financials, Diversity Factor, Vol. 7, No. 4, pp29-33. Richard O. (2000):  Racial diversity, business strategy, and firm performance: A resource-based view,  Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 43, pp164-177. Robinson G. and Dechant K. (1997):  Building a Business Case for Diversity, Academy of management Executive, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp21-31. Implementing Diversity Management A major aim of this website is to support the development and implementation of diversity management programmes in the workplace. This is achieved in two main ways: Providing general information to users about diversity management issues, policy and practice   this is achieved through the main areas of website which provide information on: What is diversity management Building the case Policy and legislation Diversity management themes Case studies Awards Links to useful websites   Providing support to the process of design and implementation of diversity management in enterprises   this is achieved through two main applications:   The diversity management toolkit The e-learning course on diversity management If you wish to implement a diversity management programme, the diversity management toolkit provides support in two main ways: It describes a  5 stage process  of how to implement a diversity management programme in your workplace It provides  tool support  for each of the activities you must undertake when implementing a diversity management programme in your workplace The e-learning course on diversity management is designed to raise awareness of diversity management amongst the participants in a diversity management programme. A major task in implementing diversity management is to ensure that all employees affected by the programme are fully aware of diversity issues and the approach which is being taken to them. The e-learning course is designed to inform employees of the basic issues and approaches to diversity management and to justify the need for an active diversity management policy in your organisation. Madison Co. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Fortune Small Business Magazine recently had an article about a small company in Connecticut, Madison Co., that had an employee go through a major change. Over the course of time, one of its supervisors, Ann Ferraiolo had altered her look, and, then one day, came to work after an operation and was now Tony, a male. As a manufacturing company, the company president, Steve Schickler, understood what could happen. Instead, he decided to intercede early to make things more comfortable for his supervisor, and let other employees know the company position. He and his human resources director made sure every employee knew to treat Ferraiolo with respect, both before and after the operation. They decided to support the supervisors sex change, and the company has never missed a beat. Xerox Mentoring Programs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Xerox was ranked No. 35 in 2009 by DiversityInc. It was one of the first international organizations to publicly make diversity a center of their mission back in the 1970s. This led to many mentoring and fast-track programs, and now minorities make up around 20 percent of its management staff, women make up nearly one-third, and black women, a group Xerox has worked with the most, recognizing their disadvantage in many organizations, makes up 20 percent of that group. This is a case where a subgroup of an already disadvantaged group might need to be addressed more thoroughly when looking at diversity issues overall. Why the Toolkit is important It is best to view the development and implementation of diversity management policy in your organisation as a project. This means that it should be treated in the same way as you would any other project. You will need to build support for the project, analyse the needs and opportunities, develop your own solutions and then implement and monitor the project as it progresses. This implies the need for effective project management tools and techniques. The DiManT toolkit provides you with a set of information, methods and techniques, which have been specifically designed to ease the process of implementing a diversity management project. The way that you use the toolkit is up to you. You may pick and choose only what is relevant for your purposes. You will find a search facility to help you locate the tools that you need. However, if you want to begin the process of diversity management programme implementation from the beginning, you are advised to use the follow the process outlined in the toolkit. There you will find a complete guide to the activities you should undertake. The process is described in terms of a set of phases of activities, each of which has specific aims and each of which is supported by a number of tools. Click on the diagram for more information. Policy and Legislation There is an increasing amount of policy and legislation initiatives in relation to diversity management at both EU and national levels. In this section you will find short descriptions of and reference to the main legislative and policy actions at both of these levels. Initiatives in the area of equality, disability, employment, ageing, gender and others are relevant here. They provide the backdrop for the development of diversity management programmes at workplace level. EU Legislation National Legislation Themes Age Disability Ethnicity and Race Gender Religion Case Studies This section provides a set of real life case studies of a range of diversity management issues. Two types of cases are presented: Company case studies Legal case studies The legal case studies section gives brief overviews of a range of legal cases which relate to diversity management. In the main, they relate to court judgements taken under antidiscrimination, disability and employment law, and they illustrate the ways in which violations of these laws are treated. The company case studies present a best practice view of how a range of organizations have developed and implemented diversity management programmes. They provide insight into what are the elements of good practice and into how diversity management programmes evolve in practice. Diversity management has become one of the primary challenges for HRM as organizations become diversity worldwide. (Benshchop, 2001: 1166; DNetto Sohal, 1999: 530) Resistance to  diversity programs may not only come from the majority but also minority groups. Diversity planners may be failing to include or consider the majority groups in their strategies and this is one of the reasons of backlash and discrimination. (Frase-Blunt, 2003: 138) Ireland Degraded Employee Wins Case Mr Gabriele Piazza had claimed that the Clarion Hotel had directly discriminated against him due to the fact that he was gay. He said he was harassed in relation to his conditions of employment, in particular on three occasions. He said that there had been a number of incidents when reference was made to his sexual orientation in a degrading manner. The incidents had happened in front of various staff members who had found the situation funny, however he had not, he said. Mr Piazza said that in one incident, it came to his attention that emails from his manager were being sent to the human resources manager. He found the mails personally offensive and degrading. In one, he was referred to as just a bloody woman and a spoilt child. When he challenged the HR manager about the emails, she ripped them up dismissively in front of him. In another incident, an employee made a comment of a sexual nature which Mr Piazza found offensive and degrading. He asked the person in question to stop making the comments, however the level of harassment increased. Mr Piazza insisted that in the six months of his employment, he received no help or assistance from his manager or any member of the hotels management team. Following an investigation by the Equality Tribunal, Mr Piazza was found to have been discriminated against by the hotel on the grounds of his sexual orientation. He was awarded à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10,000 compensation for harassment, distress and a breach of his rights under the Employment Equality Act, 1998. The hotel was also ordered to provide an equality training seminar to all staff, including management, within three months. Source: http://www.irishhealth.com/?level=4id=6159 Council Employee Wins Race Case A council housing department worker has been awarded more than  £44,000 after winning a racial discrimination case. Surveyor Lakhbir Rihal complained four years ago that less-qualified white colleagues were promoted over him at the London Borough of Ealing. The council lost an employment tribunal case but appealed to the Court of Appeal, which upheld the decision. The tribunal found a glass ceiling prevented ethnic minority staff from securing senior management roles. Paul Kenny, a senior official of the GMB union, which supported Mr Rihal, said: The leader of the council should do the decent thing and resign. Because the council failed to act, they have cost Ealing ratepayers hundreds of thousands of pounds. The union said it wanted the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) to conduct an investigation into race relations in the councils housing department. Ealing Councils interim head of legal services, Chris Hughes, described the Court of Appeals decision as disappointing. He said: We pursued this case because we believed the original employment tribunal had erred in law in its decision. The council remains committed to equal opportunities for all its staff, a fact which is reflected in the current statistics of black and ethnic minority staff in the housing department. At present 38% of senior staff working in the housing department are black or ethnic minority, which clearly reflects the population trends in the borough as a whole, a fact which was not before the Court of Appeal. Culture of White Elitism Tom Dent, director of Housing and Environmental Health, added: The background to this case is now over four years old. Since then we have been improving our services in housing and were encouraged by last years external auditors report which found that we were compliant with the Commission for Racial Equalitys code of practice in the rented housing sector in both service delivery and employment. But Lord Justice Sedley said the lack of ethnic minority managers suggested a clear possibility there was a culture of white elitism in the upper echelon of the housing department. Mr Rihal, who has worked for Ealing Council for 12 years, told BBC London: I would like the council to take notice of these things and to at least give a fair chance to Sikh people like myself who are highly qualified. He still works for the council and is applying for promotion. Source: BBC NEWS http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/london/3771403.stm Business Case for Diversity and Equality Todays business environment is changing. The average age of the workforce is rising steadily and women now make up nearly half the workforce in the UK, double the numbers of 25 years ago. Projections show that in less than ten years time there will be two million more jobs in the economy 80% of which will be filled by women. McJobs for all the Family 05-02-2005 McDonalds is pioneering a scheme that allows employees to share their job with family members. The Family Contract allows husbands, wives, grandparents and children over 16 to job-share and swap shifts without notifying management. The concept of diversity not only values and respects individuals, but recognises that everyone has different needs. Under the contract, which is the first of its kind in Britain, each worker clocks on and is paid separately through his or her own bank account. It is being tried in six cities around Britain. Co-habiting partners and same-sex partners can apply and, if it proves successful, McDonalds said it would expand it to include friends and extended family such as cousins. David Fairhurst, the head of McDonalds UK human resources operation, said: A lot of our staff wanted more flexibility. Many are youngsters at college who have very different term hours and holiday hours. Many older staff have children, with all the demands that entails; many look after relatives. So we decided to offer them the flexibility in a family context. McDonalds, which has 67,000 staff in 1,250 British restaurants, said flexible working reduced the number of sick days. It said the scheme was supported by the Department of Trade and Industry. The first family to sign up for a Family Contract were Rita Cross, 42, and her two daughters Laura, 18, and Natalie, 16, in Cardiff. Laura said the main advantage of the arrangement was its flexibility. We get up in the morning and decide which of us really wants to go to work, she said. Mrs Cross said it helped the whole family. We get a better work and life balance. Id love my husband to join up too, so that we can all plan our work and family life as one unit. BIBILIOGRAPHY Mor Barak, Michalle E. : Managing diversity: towards a globally inclusive workplace 2nd edition ( Sage Publication ) page 140. International Journal of Human Resource Management, Feb2009, Vol. 20 Issue 2, p235-251, 17p, 1 Diagram Diagram; found on p245 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Diversity and Inclusion. (n.d.). Diversity management. In Glossary. Retrieved May 8, 2009, from http://www.diversity.hr.va.gov/glossary.htm http://www.irishhealth.com/?level=4id=6159