THE LUXURY FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

THE LUXURY FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY - Essay Example The world is also experiencing increasing urbanization as several people shift from rural places to urban centers. As people move from rural areas to urban centers, they tend to change their lifestyle trend especially their eating habits (Pride and Ferrell 26). As the number of people working in office increases, people tend to get less time to prepare foods at their homes. Such consumers under constraint of time usually opt to each outside in restaurants and cafes’. Other factors seen to have led to the high growth in food service industry include tourism. Some investors opt to put up luxurious food service industry for purposes of hosting tourists that visit the country (Great and Gavin 6). Britain is one such country that has witnessed an increase in growth of food service industry over the last decades. The high growth rate has mainly been seen in London the capital city. Among the restaurants based in London include Hakasan, Nobu and Zuma. His are food joints that have been able to build luxury element within the service industry. The question that may be asked is, ‘How have these restaurants been able to build such luxury, and what tools have the restaurants used to build the luxury element? The purpose of this paper is to examine the marketing tools that have been used by Hakasan, Nobu and Zuma to build the luxury element within the foodservice industry. This will also involve analysis of the 7Ps employed by the three restaurants. The paper will conclude by the most important elements derived from the study of luxury service industry in general particularly the food service industry. Finally, the paper will provide a recommendation regarding what has been learnt from the study. The Chartered Institute of Marketing (2) defines marketing as the management process which entails identification, anticipation and satisfaction of the

Personal narrative Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Narrative - Personal Statement Example A male doctor approached my bed and gave me a quick examination. That is when reality struck me, the pain I was under was not just from the stitches in my face, but every part of my body was aching. The events that led to the state I was in are still fresh in my mind, even though they doo not haunt me nor make me regret, they act as a stern reminder on the need to follow parental orders and doing things at the right time. Writing down my reflections of that horrific Friday that left me in a vegetative state for a year, I would like to plead with my young colleagues at college and in high school to take control of their lives. The events of that fateful Friday night had been seamlessly planned for a month and my friends, and I, were revved up for a mind-blowing night. The mind-blowing aspect amuses me, as at times I tend to think that it did indubitably happen, but on a lighter note as my mind was almost literally blown off. It was during the beginning of March when my friends I decid ed to plan for a house party at the end of the month to be held at John’s, my classmate, place. His parents would be travelling to the countryside for a week, providing the opportune moment for executing our plans. The house party idea was initially meant to be for twenty friends, but word got round so fast that majority of the teenagers at school wanted to attend. This was supposed to be the usual party held by a group of teenagers, but it had escalated into the party of the year way before it had happened. As the schemers of the idea, we decided to charge selected people who were to attend, and use the amount collected for provision of food and drinks. The idea seemed brilliant as we collected five thousand dollars, a huge sum, considering that a hundred individuals would attend the party. The night for the awaited event finally came and we all decided to grace the occasion in style using our parents’ vehicles. I had actually lied to my parents that I was going to Jo hn’s place to give him some company as we finished on some class work. At the back of my mind, I was impressed that I could lie to my parents with a straight face and get away with it, without the knowledge of the events that were to unfold. I could hardly concentrate on anything, and my mind was poised for the night’s events. The anticipation as it appeared was not a unique thing as people turned up early and all psyched up. We had purchased a lot of alcoholic beverages mixing them up with punch to be drunk during the whole night. It was a deception to think that the party would be a secret affair especially with the alcohol around. I had decided to take it slow on the alcohol and only took small pints at a time not knowing the cumulative effect that it would have by the end of the night. Everyone at the party indulged in the drink with several of my friends passing out at the early stages of the party. Things intensified as the night wore on, and everyone was highly intoxicated to think straight. To spur things up we decided to engage in a random game of â€Å"truth or dare† by spinning a bottle. The game is synonymous with majority of the parties that take place around the country, but the night’s tragedy were a direct result of the game and the alcohol. It was my turn and asked for the option between truth or dare I opted for a dare seemingly courageous enough to do anything asked of me by my challenger. The dare involved me driving with a

I Am Sayings Of Jesus In Johns Gospel Religion Essay

I Am Sayings Of Jesus In Johns Gospel Religion Essay The aim of this assignment is to exegetically discussing the I AM sayings of Jesus within Johns Gospel, state their significance to salvation. Jesus used symbolic language in talking about Himself and His relationship to people. According to Tenney the reason for Jesus using symbols was to illustrate various aspects of His ministry. John uses symbols to point to the heavenly reality revealed in Jesus. In light of this Butler states that the word symbol does not appear in the Bible however, both the Old and New Testament are rich in symbolic language. Authorship The author of Johns Gospel is not mentioned by name, but early Christian sources indicate this Gospel was written by John, the disciple and son of Zebedee, one of the twelve disciples who was at the Passover meal with Jesus. John referred to himself as the beloved disciple and eyewitness of the events of Jesus life. He identifies himself as, this is the disciple that testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true (John 21:24). Johns Gospel includes seven I AM sayings revealing God as manifested in Jesus and His relationship with Israel. Gods name I AM reveals His identity, His status, and His character, and was given to Jesus so that He can reveal Gods glory to mankind, in the world where many claim to be gods and saviours. The Bread of Life This is the first of Johns sayings where he uses the metaphor to reveal Jesus as life-giving food. As a whole the passage challenges the Galileans to believe in Jesus heavenly origin and incarnation so that they may have eternal life now as well as at the end-time. John describes Jesus as the Son of Man, who is the true food that gives imperishable life; this teaching was a testing to see whether the hearers would decide to follow Christ or reject Him. After Jesus had satisfied the hunger of five thousand people from multiplying five loaves of bread and two fishes; they had became hungry again and asked Jesus to tell them about the spiritual truth about the food that nourished each of them. Milne claims that the Galileans had materialistic agenda and a lacked the awareness of the needs of the heart. For them Gods blessings are a free food supply and a political Messiah who would rid them of their heated Roman leaders. Their concern is with what they can do to help the cause along. They demanded another miracle to prove His claim to give eternal life. They thought that believing could come only by seeing miracles. Jesus points out to them that if they spend their present and future life working to gain material things and ignore the food available to them in Jesus, they will perish. The people challenged Jesus claim that He had sole authority by God to give them imperishable food. They then began to cite Scripture to Jesus by saying, it is written that our forefathers ate manna that was given to them as food from heaven by Moses (Exodus 16:31). The point they were trying to make here is that the manna eaten by their forefathers had a heavenly character. Jesus responded by correcting their misinterpretation of the scripture, and stated that the manna had not come from Moses but from God, his Father. Whereas the manna (food) God supplied in the wilderness through Moses was perishable it gave physical life and satisfying physical hunger and was only for the people of Israel. The bread God gives through Jesus is the true imperishable bread and is the gift of life for the whole world. The people asked Jesus to give them this bread always, they did not understand what it was they were requesting. They did not know the spiritual significance of the food given nor that Jesus Himself is that food, but assumed that Jesus was speaking of some kind of supernatural food that would be available whenever they felt hungry. This then prompts Jesus to finally say, I am the bread of life, who ever comes to me will never go hungry and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. John states that they were focussing on the gift without recognising the giver, and saw Him as a wonder worker. Jesus is the imperishable food, He is the source of life imparts life to humans, and to receive this life one should come to Him in faith not by works. Jesus concern is to confront them with their errors and point them to the true way to find life from God, they only need to believe and rely on Him and on Him alone as the one the Father has sent as a sacrifice for the sin of the world. The Light of the World The second saying of Jesus claim to be the true Light of the people of God, not only of Israel, but of the whole world. Within this passage it gives two ways of life on earth which is dominated by two opposite forces light and darkness. John uses ideas that were current in his time to proclaim that anyone who believes in Jesus and obeys Him cannot be controlled by evil, and because Jesus is the Light darkness cannot overcome Him. In chapter (8:24) Jesus conflict with those who were in darkness because of their sin and unbelief, illustrates an ongoing conflict between light and darkness and further justifying His claim as the Light of the world. What he is saying here is that only He can lead people out of darkness into light, out of their delusion into truth, and from death by giving the light of life. Whoever follows Him will never walk in darkness but have the light of life. From this Jesus is saying that He has a unique relationship with the Father and He is the revelation of the one and only God, who is light and salvation. Jesus is the Light of the world in the sense that He is the radiance of Gods glory in the world, and bearer of the light of God. In (Isa 49:6) He is also recall as the Servant of the Lord who would be a light for the Gentiles who will bring salvation to all mankind. The Good Shepherd and the Door This passage contains two metaphorically I AM sayings whereby Jesus declares himself to be the Good Shepherd and the Door. Here he promises protection and a way of salvation for his followers. Firstly by taking on the role of Shepherd Jesus reveals himself as the Christ and Shepherd King, who leads his people with compassion, protecting and caring for them while providing a sense of belonging to himself and God. As the shepherd goes before the sheep they in turn humbly follow Him, trusting and obeying His words and not the words of those who oppose Him. Secondly Jesus points out that there is only one door into the sheepfold, implies that He is the only door to Salvation. By proclaiming that He is the door for the sheep, Jesus is saying that He is the only way by which one can experience God and His love; the only one through whom heavenly secrets and divine life are imparted to those who obey Him, He is their protector and the means by which they obtain spiritual nourishment, He is the only way of communication between heaven and earth. In addition to this Jesus claims that thieves and robbers who came before Him can never enter the sheepfold to mislead the sheep (people). Here Jesus is referring to the Pharisees, the Jewish leaders, who exercise authority over the people of Israel by misinterpreting the Law to 4 their own advantage; and the leaders who attempt, to win the loyalty of the people before Christ came in the flesh. He says, Like thieves, they approach was secret and crafty, and like robbers they were engaged in violence and destruction (Ezek 34:1). They had not been sent by God either through Christ, but illegitimately claim leadership. Jesus states that the sheep shall no longer follow or listen to the voice of these false leaders, because they now know and hear the voice of the true shepherd. The Resurrection and Life In chapter eleven Jesus affirms He is the resurrection and life, and John quotes that raising Lazarus from the dead at Bethany is a prelude to Jesus own death and resurrection. He claims that the resurrection life is like a future experience and a present reality. Secondly John claims that Jesus is the only one who can raise the dead and give life. Therefore, the resurrection and life can only be experienced in Jesus. Consequently the word life is identical to eternal life, the divine gift given to those who believe in Jesus. Ultimately, those who receive His life are born of the Spirit. Christ does not only raise the dead by His voice giving life, but He is the resurrection and the life, having the power to resurrection fullness of life, also affirming that He works in oneness with God in raising the dead. According to Jesus, all human beings will be resurrected after death to receive Gods judgement, for it is appointed for them to die once, and after that to face judgement (Heb 9:27). The words will never die does not promise immortality, but those who believe in Jesus by faith will face physical death like every other human being, but death will have no control over them. By the power of Jesus they will rise up from the dead to experience heavenly life in all its fullness. Therefore the one who lives and keeps on believing will not perish eternally. The Way, the Truth, and the Life John sees this as Jesus pastoral speech delivered to His disciples before He leaves them to go to the Father. In spite of their close relationship with Jesus, 5 His disciples still did not understand His destination. From this misunderstanding Jesus makes His sixth I AM saying, and it is the only one to be followed by three predicates. He profess that he is the way, the truth and the life, and that no one comes to the Father but through Him. Here the way is the one that is emphasised because it corresponds with Jesus statement in (14:4) Where I go you Know, and the way you know, and Thomas inquiry in (14:5), Lord we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way? The predicates truth and life are then added to explain the term way. In response to Thomass question Jesus answers him by saying, I am going to be with God, the Father of us all. So when He states, I am the way, He is saying that it is only in communion with Him that one can reach God. Here John stresses that Jesus is Gods only revelation and the only way of salvation. Jesus came from God and is going back to God by way of being crucified and then resurrected; He is Gods self-revelation and the one who is the only way to God. The two nouns truth and life, reveal that Jesus is the true and living way to God, because He is the truth of God and the life of God. Here Johns emphasis is on the person Jesus who is the way to the presence of God there one wil l experience eternal joy. Parallel to verse 6 is Psalm 16:11 which speak of those who follow the path of life will experience joy to the full in the presence of God. Jesus is the Word incarnate and teaches to His disciples that He is the true and life-giving way to the presence of God in peace and prosperity; Isaiah (30:23-26), also speaks of this prosperity to the people who obey the word. As the way, Jesus gives us access to the Father; He will also include with Himself all those who trust in Him when He returns to His Father. As the truth, Jesus reveals God as the Truth to the world in His love, mercy and deliverance. As the life, Jesus gives life and peace to all those who believe in Him. Only those who see Gods love and faithfulness in Jesus and draws towards Him, will know the way to reach God, this is wholly expressed in His statement no one comes to the Father except through me. 6 Since Jesus is the embodiment of divine truth and life, the only way to enter the heavenly realm is through Him. The Vine In the final I AM sayings Jesus uses the metaphor of the vine and the branches. He reveals Himself as the true vine, and compares Himself with the people of Israel who he metaphorically described as branches who had failed to bear fruit, therefore failing to glorify God. Fortunately, what is known as failure and impossible with man, can be turned into success and become possible through Christ. Knowing He is from heaven and the life He possesses is divine, He can also supply life to the branches. Here John presents Jesus not as one who bears fruit, but as the source of power allowing those who stay in union with Him to bear fruit and fulfil the plan of God. Hebrews 9:24 quotes that the tabernacle in heaven is called the true tent and the earthly sanctuary is known as a copy of the true one that is in heaven. Jesus reveals Himself to be the true vine. This vine is of heavenly origin, and therefore has the ability to reveal heavenly reality and give life to the branches which are united with it. Jesus refers to God as the vinedresser this shows us that God is the owner and planter of the vine and the branches. The function of the branches is to bear fruit, in other words one need to do good deeds after repentance (Luke 6:35, Matt 3:10). God expects good works from human beings, and failure to perform them will lead to Gods judgement, resulting in one being separated from Him and to destruction. Those who bear fruit reproduce Jesus life by which the Fathers glory will be revealed to the world. Jesus continues the metaphor by referring to all His disciples saying, every branch of mine. Meaning those who are united with Jesus will be recognized by the world as His disciples. The Father, the vinedresser, takes away any branches that does not bear fruit, and prunes those that do. Clearly what is seen here is that God is the one who controls the whole process of fruit-bearing. 7 He purifies the vine to protect the fruit-bearing branches by removing branches that do not bear fruit meaning followers of Christ who becomes unfaithful. He takes them away from His people and consigning them to eternal punishment. God also purifies the fruitful branches by pruning them so that they will bear more fruit. Gods pruning of believers takes place through the saving mission of Christ words and deeds. Jesus tells His disciples that they are already clean by the word He has spoken, which is the Fathers word. Here word stands for the whole message of salvation preached and performed by Jesus who also declares God and His love to mankind. Those who receive Jesus and His word by faith will see Gods Glory and are passed from death to life. The disciples, who have received Jesus word, are already clean; however, cleaning is a process; as long as they remain in Christ God the Father will continue to clean them so that they will bear more fruit. Jesus emphasises this point so that they realise the Father is already pruning them and they are already cleansed making them fit for union with Christ. They need not attempt to wipe out evil from their minds or partake in any form of meditation in order to achieve union with God; for union with Christ, and in Him with God, is a gift that has already been given and need to be received by faith. Jesus exhortation, abide in me and I in you, is the key statement in chapter fifteen. Here Jesus issues a command, in terms of the metaphor of a vine and it branches. This metaphor highlights the communal life of which the person who does the abiding is part of. Life for the church flows from Jesus, and one cannot absorb life from Him unless they are united with Him. All one need to do is to remain in union with Him. When we abide in Christ, and make His word our theme of meditation in our everyday life in love and obedience, we can apply His word to changes in our every day situation. Believers can be nurtured by Jesus life through meditating on and absorbing His words. Conclusion Jesus came into the world from heaven to bring salvation to mankind, by giving up His own life as a sacrifice on the cross. Gods name I AM and glory are given to Him revealing them to those who believe in Him as the anointed Messiah sent by God into the world. He has divine authority and delegated power to give heavenly life to everyone who comes to Him. There is no other person one can look for divine life except in the one whom God has authorized. So to follow and abide in Jesus is the only way to salvation, as we observe from His I AM sayings. Salvation is no longer confined to the nation of Israel but is extended to all nations of the world.

Galactosemia :: essays research papers

Galactosemia   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Galactosemia is a genetically inherited metabolic disorder. This disorder leaves the disabled with a partial or complete lack of the enzyme Galactose – 1 – Phosphate Uridyl Transferase (GALT). This enzyme is found in the bloodstream and it is used for breaking down the sugar galactose. This disorder comes in two different variations. Though there is more than one type, it is still rare, having only 1 in 80,000 births being affected by the disorder.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Classic Galactosemia is the first and more common form of the disorder. This is the form when the affected has a complete loss of the enzyme. Both parents must contribute a galactosemic gene for a child to receive this very deadly form of the disorder. Because the body has none of the enzyme needed to turn galactose into glucose an accumulation occurs that is like a poison and is highly fatal. Classic Galactosemia is treatable through a strict diet of absolutely no lactose or galactose. Some common foods containing these are dairy products, legumes, breast milk, and many other foods. A test for galactosemia is done at the time of birth with other tests. If left untreated 75% of infants will die. Some effects of having classic galactosemia include: an enlarged liver, kidney failure, cataract, and brain damage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Duarte Galactosemia is the second form. This form is when there is only a partial loss of the enzyme. The activity is usually 25%-50% that of a normal child. A child can get this form of galactosemia by inheriting a classic galactosemia gene from one parent and a duarte gene from the other. Much like classic galactosemia, duarte is found through a test done soon after birth. A strict diet is not needed for this form of the disorder. Instead a diet, it is recommended that lactose be slowly introduced untill normal consumption is accepted by the body. Because the affected can still process the foods, just not as well as a fully functional body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A person with no galactosemia receives two normal genes for production of the GALT enzyme in the bloodstream. This persons genotype is N/N and they have normal fully functioning enzyme activity. A carrier of classic galactosemia inheriets one affected gene and one non, this persons genotype is G/N. This person has less than normal enzyme activity, but nothing that requires a diet or medical treatment. A classic galactosemic has two classic galactosemia genes.

Marketing startegies of kfc Essay

Harland Sanders was born in 1890 and raised on a farm outside Henryville, Indiana. His father died when he was five years old, forcing his mother to work at a canning plant, and leaving her eldest son to care for his two younger siblings. After he reached seven years of age, his mother taught him how to cook. After leaving the family home at the age of 12, Sanders passed through several professions, with mixed success. In 1930, he took over a Shell filling station on U.S. Route 25 just outside North Corbin, a small city on the edge of the Appalachian Mountains. It was here that he first served to travelers the recipes that he had learned as a boy: fried chicken and other dishes such as steaks, country ham, and pancakes. Originally using his own dining room table, in 1934, he purchased the larger filling station on the other side of the road and expanded to six tables By 1936, this had proved successful enough for Sanders to be given the honorary title of Kentucky colonel by Governor Ruby Laffoon. The following year he expanded his restaurant to 142 seats, and added a motel he purchased across the street, naming it Sanders Court & Cafà ©. Sanders was dissatisfied with the 30-minute duration it took to prepare his chicken in an iron frying pan, but he refused to sacrifice quality by deep frying the product. If he pre-prepared the chicken in advance of an order, there was inevitably wastage. In 1939, the first commercial pressure cookers were released onto the market, predominantly designed for steaming vegetables. Sanders bought one, and modified it into a pressure fryer, which he then used to fry chicken. As well as reducing production time to be comparable with deep frying, the new method produced flakier, moister chicken. In 1940, Sanders finalized what came to be known as his Original Recipe of 11 herbs and spices. Although he never publicly revealed the recipe, he admitted to the use of salt and pepper, and claimed that the ingredients â€Å"stand on everybody’s shelf†. After being recommissioned as a Kentucky colonel in 1950 by Governor Lawrence Wetherby, Sanders began to dress the part, growing a goatee and wearing a black frock coat (later switched to a white suit), a string tie, and referring to himself as â€Å"Colonel†. His associates went along with the title change, â€Å"jokingly at first and then in earnest†, according to biographer Josh Ozersky. History KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is a fast food restaurant chain which specializes in fried chicken and is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. It is the world’s second largest restaurant chain overall (as measured by sales) after McDonald’s, with over 18,000 outlets in 120 countries and territories as of December 2012. The company is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, a restaurant company which also owns the Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurant chains. KFC was founded by Harland Sanders, a colorful figure who began selling fried chicken from his roadside restaurant in Corbin, Kentucky, during the Great Depression. Sanders identified the potential of the restaurant franchising concept, and the first â€Å"Kentucky Fried Chicken† franchise opened in Utah in 1952. KFC popularized chicken in the fast food industry, diversifying the market by challenging the established dominance of the hamburger. By branding himself as â€Å"Colonel Sanders†, Harland became a legendary figure of American cultural history, and his image remains prominent in KFC advertising. However, the company’s rapid expansion saw it grow too large for Sanders to manage, and in 1964 he sold the company to a group of investors led by John Y. Brown, Jr. and Jack C. Massey. KFC was one of the first fast food chains to expand internationally, opening outlets in England, Mexico and Jamaica by the mid-1960s. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, KFC experienced mixed fortunes domestically, as it went through a series of changes in corporate ownership with little or no experience in the restaurant business. In the early 1970s, KFC was sold to the spirits distributor Heublein, who were taken over by the R.J. Reynolds food and tobacco conglomerate, who sold the chain to PepsiCo. The chain continued to expand overseas however, and in 1987 KFC became the first Western restaurant chain to open in China. The chain has since expanded rapidly in China, and the country is now the company’s most profitable market. PepsiCo spun off its restaurants division as Tricon Global Restaurants, which later changed its name to Yum! Brands. KFC primarily sells fried chicken pieces and variations such as chicken fillet burgers (chicken sandwiches [US]) and wraps, salads and side dishes such as French fries and coleslaw, desserts and soft drinks, often supplied by  PepsiCo. Its most famous product is pressure fried chicken pieces, seasoned with Sanders’ â€Å"Original Recipe† of 11 herbs and spices. The exact nature of these ingredients is unknown, and represents a notable trade secret. Larger portions of fried chicken are served in a distinctive cardboard â€Å"bucket†, which has become a signature product of the chain since being introduced by franchisee Pete Harman in 1957. KFC is known for the slogan â€Å"finger lickin’ good†, which has since been replaced by â€Å"Nobody does chicken like KFC† and â€Å"So good†. Marketing Marketing is the process of communicating the value of a product or service to customers, for the purpose of selling the product or service. It is a critical business function for attracting customers. From a societal point of view, marketing is the link between a society’s material requirements and its economic patterns of response. Marketing satisfies these needs and wants through exchange processes and building long term relationships. It is the process of communicating the value of a product or service through positioning to customers. Marketing can be looked at as an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, delivering and communicating value to customers, and managing customer relationships in ways that also benefit the organization and its shareholders. Marketing is the science of choosing target markets through market analysis and market segmentation, as well as understanding consumer buying behavior and providing superior customer value. There are five competing concepts under which organizations can choose to operate their business; the production concept, the product concept, the selling concept, the marketing concept, and the holistic marketing concept. The four components of holistic marketing are relationship marketing, internal marketing, integrated marketing, and socially responsive marketing. The set of engagements necessary for successful marketing management includes, capturing marketing insights, connecting with customers, building strong brands, shaping the market offerings, delivering and communicating value, creating long-term growth, and developing marketing strategies and plans. Marketing Strategies Marketing strategy is defined by David Aaker as a process that can allow an organization to concentrate its resources on the optimal opportunities with the goals of increasing sales and achieving a sustainable competitive advantage. Marketing strategy includes all basic and long-term activities in the field of marketing that deal with the analysis of the strategic initial situation of a company and the formulation, evaluation and selection of market-oriented strategies and therefore contribute to the goals of the company and its marketing objectives. Marketing Strategies of KFC KFC IS synonymous with chicken. It has to be because chicken is its flagship product. The latest they have on offer is the marinated hot and crispy chicken that is â€Å"crrrrisp and crunchy on the outside, and soft and juicy on the inside†. It gives you a regular Pepsi with this at nothing more than just Rs. 39. But make no mistake, while this is a rage across the world, and in our very own Bangalore, KFC has made sure one other thing: it doesn’t want to alienate the vegetarian community â€Å"that gave birth to the vegetarian menu†. It means you can be veg and yet be at KFC. KFC offers a wide range of vegetarian products such as the tangy, lip-smacking paneer tikka wrap ‘n’ roll, the veg de-lite burger, and the veg crispy burger. There are munchies such as the crisp golden veg fingers and crunchy golden fries served with tangy sauces. If you are veg and looking for a meal, you can combine the veg fingers with steaming, peppery rice and a spice curry. The mayonnaise and sauces don’t have egg in them. Sharanita Keswani, Director, KFC Marketing, says the vegetarian menu in India came about when KFC found the country had about 35 per cent vegetarians, and in metros such as Delhi and Mumbai, almost 50 per cent. The non-vegetarian is the obvious target customer because, as Ms. Sharanita points out, Bangalore and the rest of south India have over 70 per cent non-vegetarians. But she also observes that chicken is KFC’s strength. KFC’s vegetarian menu is almost exclusive to India and is the most extensive. Most countries either do not have a vegetarian menu, and some which do, have a burger at the most. â€Å"Contrary to affecting chicken sales, the presence of a vegetarian menu has made the brand more relevant to a wider cross-section of the consumer society. This is essential as we grow the brand across the country,† says Ms. Sharanita. The KFC menu strategy is to â€Å"balance standardisation and localisation†. The localisation works in two ways: to modify a standard chicken product with a different topping or sauce; and to have a vegetarian menu, where necessary, along with the flagship product, chicken. The localisation exercise is undertaken in every country. â€Å"The U.S. and European markets have a traditional KFC menu based on chicken burgers and wraps, while Asian markets like India have been more experimental and adventurous. Here, they have rice meals, wraps, and sides. The change is imperative as Asian tastes can be very different from Western ones,† Ms. Sharanita observes, adding that KFC learnt very early the high demand for vegetarian products in India. KFC has taken care to maintain safeguards on the production of its non-vegetarian products in response to observations by People For Ethical Treatment of Animals that chicken were not being treated humanely by suppliers. The debate has been on for years now and animal rights activists have prompted companies to adopt stringent measures. Pankaj Batra, Director, Marketing, Indian Sub-Continent, Yum! Restaurants International, observes: â€Å"KFC is committed to the well being and humane treatment of chickens. We require all our suppliers to follow welfare guidelines developed by Yum! Restaurants International, U.S.A., with leading experts on their Animal Welfare Advisory Council. In India, we source chicken from Venkateshwara Hatcheries Limited (Venky’s), which is one of the leading and respected organised players in the poultry farming business. They also supply chicken to several reputed hotel and restaurant chains in the country. We respect the Indian law and our guidelines completely adhere to them.† Ms. Sharanita points out that while KFC’s brand standard products are their strength throughout the world, KFC works around the core and gives consumers products with a familiar taste, especially â€Å"important in a country like India that is home to such distinct and different food habits†. All KFC outlets offer its customers with various forms of incentives to buy its Chicken. Using coupons that one can acquire after spending a particular amount over a period of fixed time, customers can enjoy the benefits of free meals or free add-ons. Additionally they provide meal vouchers and exciting offers in their print ads, which the customer must cut and bring along. KFC in India The first Indian KFC opened in Bangalore in June 1995.[198] Protests ensued from left wing, anti-globalisation and environmental campaigners, as well as local farmers, who objected to the chain bypassing local producers.[199] Many Indians were concerned about the onslaught of consumerism, the loss of national self-sufficiency, and the disruption of indigenous traditions.[200] The protests came to a head in August 1995, when the Bangalore outlet was repeatedly ransacked.[198] KFC Bangalore demanded, and received, a police van permanently parked outside for a year.[199] Rural activist M. D. Nanjundaswamy subsequently claimed KFC would adversely affect the health of the impoverished, by diverting grain from poor people to make the more profitable animal feed.[201] Former environment minister Maneka Gandhi joined the anti-KFC movement.[201] KFC was also accused of using illegally high amounts of monosodium glutamate (MSG) and frying its food in pork fat.[202] A second store opened in Delhi, but was closed by the authorities soon afterwards, purportedly for health reasons, but more likely to avoid a repetition of the Bangalore incident. The two stores only managed to attract a limited, affluent clientele, and KFC decided to abandon the Indian market. KFC returned to India in 1999, with a new Bangalore outlet. This was the sole KFC in India until 2004, when the chain began to expand, albeit with a makeover and a range of new vegetarian dishes. As of December 2012, there were 280 KFCs in the Indian market. As well as the standard KFC offerings, the chain sells a chickpea burger and hot wings with chilli lemon sprinkles.

Critical Analysis of the Conflict Theory Essay

There are three major theories: Structural Functionalism, Symbolic Interaction, and Conflict. These theories relate to the main aspects of life in a society: organized group membership, interaction, and conflict. Out of all three of these, conflict seems to be the most straight-forward. Every person has experienced conflict in life. The main focus of this theory is how power structures and power disparities impact people’s lives (The Catholic University of America, 2008). Conflict theory according to Crossman (2013) emphasizes the role of coercion and power in producing social order. This is derived from the works of Karl Marx, who saw society as fragmented into groups that compete for social and economic resources. According to Walsh (2012), Karl Marx (1818 – 1883) is the father of critical criminology; he is also associated with the ideas of socialism and communism. â€Å"The core of Marxism is the concept of class struggle: Freeman and slave, patrician and plebian, lord and serf, guildmaster and journeyman, in a word, oppressor and oppressed, stood in constant opposition to one another. The oppressors in Marx’s time were the owners of the means of production (the bourgeoisie), and the oppressed were the workers (the proletariat). The bourgeoisie strives to keep the cost of labor at a minimum, but the proletariat strives to sell its labor at the highest possible price. These opposing goals are the major source of conflict in a capitalist society. The bourgeoisie enjoys the upper hand because capitalist societies have large armies of unemployed workers eager to secure work at any price, thus driving down the cost of labor. These economic and social arrangements – the mater ial conditions of people’s lives – determine what they will know, believe, and value, and how they will behave.† To sum this up, Marx referred to these groups as the have’s (bourgeoisie), and the have not’s (proletariat). Read Also:  Critical Thinking Essay Topics Conflict theory is in essence a complex system with imbalance, which results in conflict that can leave to social change. It explains social life through understanding social processes as the result of the constant struggle between groups. In society there are limited resources, such as power, wealth, education, and prestige, as a result people compete for those resources for survival and to improve their position in society. As stated  by McQueeney (2011) according to conflict theory, society is: â€Å"A struggle for dominance among competing social groups (classes, genders, races, religions, etc.). When conflict theorists look at society, they see the social domination of subordinate groups through the power, authority, and coercion of dominant groups. In the conflict view, the most powerful members of dominant groups create the rules for success and opportunity in society, often denying subordinate groups such success and opportunities; this ensures that the powerful continue t o monopolize power, privilege, and authority. You should note that most conflict theorists oppose this sort of coercion and favor a more equal social order. Some support a complete socioeconomic revolution to socialism (Marx), while others are more reformists, or perhaps do not see all social inequalities stemming from the capitalist system (they believe we could solve racial, gender, and class inequality without turning to socialism). However, many conflict theorists focus on capitalism as the source of social inequalities.† The primary cause of social problems is the exploitation and oppression of subordinate groups by dominants. Conflict theorists generally view oppression and inequality as wrong, whereas structural-functionalist may see it as necessary for the smooth running and integration of society (McQueeney, 2011). As noted by the New World Encyclopedia (2013), conflict theory attempts to refute the functionalist approach, which considers that societies and organizations function so that each individual and group plays a specific role, like organs in the body. There are radical basic assumptions (society is eternally in conflict, which might explain social change), or moderate ones (custom and conflict are always mixed). The essence of conflict theory is best epitomized by the classic â€Å"pyramid structure† in which an elite dictates terms to the larger masses. All major social structures, l aws, and traditions in the society are designed to support those who have traditionally been in power, or the groups that are perceived to be superior in the society according to this theory (New World Encyclopedia, 2013). Conflict theory presupposes the following according to Ritzer (2007): conflict or struggle between individuals and groups who have opposing interesting or who are competing for scarce resources is the essence of social life; competition and conflict occur over many types of resources in  many settings, but power and economic resources are the principal sources of conflict and competition; conflict and struggle typically result in some individuals and groups dominating and controlling others, and patterns of domination and subordination tend to be self-perpetuating; dominate social groups have a disproportionate influence on the allocation of resources and on the structure of society. Ritzer (2007) mentions that in conflict; class struggle is the most fundamental and underlies all other forms. Political, ethnic, religious, and ideological conflicts not only manifest the predominant form of class conflict and the nature of the dominant class, but also in essence would not exist at al l were class conflict to be eradicated. As stated by Mooney, Knox, & Schacht, (2007), the conflict perspective explains various aspects of our social world by looking at which groups have power and benefit from a particular social arrangement. For example, feminist theory argues that we live in a patriarchal society – a hierarchical system of organization controlled by men. Although there are many varieties of feminist theory, most would hold that feminism â€Å"demands that existing economic, political, and social structures be change† (Mooney et al., 2007). The Russian Revolution of 1917 can be seen as an outcome of the conflict theory. This even illustrates the major revolutionary power of the rise of one social group against another. As indicated by the New World Encyclopedia (2013), the conflict theory can be applied on both the macro level (like the United States government or Soviet Russia, historically) or the micro level (a church organization or school club). Conflict theory seeks to catalog the ways in which those in power seek to stay in power. Conflict can arise in different areas: law, religion, education, or media, and can be found in the powerful protecting their monopoly, or the powerless att empting to change the status quo. There are some practice applications according to The Catholic University of America (2008) that the conflict theory could be used: it informs policy and may guide to a macro-level practice; it could be useful in formulating assessments involving oppression and client vulnerability; and could enhance understanding of conflict between persons, ideas, groups, classes, and larger social structures. Practice interventions could be listening for evidence of oppression within individuals, groups, and communities; paying attention to the role of conflict leading to client vulnerability; organizing to alter power  relationships; and recognizing that dominant and subordinate groups compete for resources (The Catholic University of America, 2008). When it comes to conflict the assumption is that if you have interaction, then you automatically have conflict. There is no human society that could exist without possessing conflicts of interest; conflict is normal and necessary for growth and social change. In understanding conflict theory, the New World Encyclopedia (2013) states that competition between social classes plays a key part. The following are four primary assumptions of modern conflict theory: firstly, competition over scarce resources (money, leisure, sexual partners, and so on) is at the heart of all social relationships. Competition rather than consensus is characteristic of human relationships. If everyone could get what they wanted, then there would not be any conflict. Secondly, inequalities in power and reward are built into all social structures. Individuals and groups that benefit from any particular structure strive to see it maintained. Thirdly, change occurs as a result of conflict between social class’s competing interests rather than through adaptation. It is often abrupt and revolutionary rather than evolutionary. Lastly, even war is a unifier of the societies involved, as well as war may set an end to whole societies. There are many assumptions regarding the conflict theory. In summary, conflict theory is the exploitation of the lower class by the wealthy, the unfair relationship between the worker/renter and the landlord/boss, and the idea that money will always bring about conflict. It is an interesting way to look at the world. Conflict theory may seem straightforward, but it isn’t always so cut and dry. In order to understand society, this Marxist theory must be considered without forgetting about other forms of conflict theory. According to The Catholic University of America, 2008, the conflict theory gives us some human behavior concepts such as: all societies perpetuate some forms of oppres sion and injustice and structural inequity; power is unequally divided and some groups dominate others; social order is based on manipulation and control by dominate groups; social change is driven by conflict, with periods of change interrupting periods of stability; and life is characterized by conflict not consensus. Conflict is an endemic; the goal is to manage conflict so it does not escalate to damaging levels. References The Catholic University of America (2008, August). Overview of theories of human behavior and the social environment. Retrieved July 25, 2013, from http://ncsss.cua.edu/res/docs/field/theories.pdf Crossman, A. (2013). Conflict Theory. Retrieved July 24, 2013, from http://sociology.about.com/od/Sociological-Theory/a/Conflict-Theory.htm McQueeney, K. (2011). Conflict Theory. Retrieved from www.unc.edu/~kbm/SOCI10Spring2004/Conflict_Theory.doc‎ Mooney, L. A., Knox, D., & Schacht, C. (2007). Understanding social problems (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth. New World Encyclopedia (2013, June 13). Conflict theory. Retrieved July 25, 2013, from http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Conflict_theory Ritzer, G. (2007). Conflict Theory. In The Blackwell encyclopedia of sociology (Vol. 2, pp. 662 – 665). Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub. Walsh, A. (2012). Critical theories: Marxist, conflict, and feminist. In Criminology: The essentials (pp. 93-110). Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications.