Cultural Diverse Backgrounds Assignment 3 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cultural Diverse Backgrounds 3 - Assignment Example As a result of working together in our home, my mother had taught my siblings and me the value of family. Until now, we have a close relationship to each other and to our mother. As I remember, my mother treated my older brother, sister and I similarly and yet differently as well. It was dependent on our varied temperament and behavior. Being the only girl, my sister was shy so my mother was more soft-spoken and more gentle when scolding her. She was harder on my brother and I because we were more stubborn and naughtier than my sister. My grandparents were from Ireland and had to learn English. This difficulty in culture was one my mother did not want us to deal with. At an early age, she taught us English and yet never failed to remind us of our Irish heritage. Influence from religious beliefs was strong. My mother is Catholic and so are we. I remember mother teaching us to pray before meals and before we went to sleep. She would take us to church and remind us that God is good and we could ask Him for help but should also thank Him for our graces. Finally, my mother believed that children learn from their mistakes. So, she let us be hurt growing up. She was there to console us though and explain why we were hurting and how to deal with our problems. She let us solve our own problems but was ready to help if we asked

Where next for Grant Garden Centres Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Where next for Grant Garden Centres - Essay Example The centre also had a single operating location, in the South East region of England. After taking over, Grant reinvested virtually all profits back into the company, opening two additional branches (Westgarth, 2012). He also renamed the garden centres to â€Å"Grant Garden Centres†. Grant’s passion for gardening makes him adhere strictly to the traditional form of garden centre management, where the head gardener makes all the relevant business decisions and the rest of staff follows. Grant also expects his children, Jane and Malcolm, to toe the line, without any compromise (Pepper, Jackson and Uzzell, 2009, pp. 126–136). The authoritarian management style is costing the business numerous opportunities. For instance, there is a high labour turnover, since workers are not given an opportunity to contribute. Additionally, the firm still uses conventional advertisement methods and it does not have up-to-date technology systems, making it lag behind competitors. To remedy the situation and set the business on a path towards development and profitability, radical changes must be made in the different business functions. External Environment Analysis Technology Technology is one of the principal factors to consider in running a contemporary business setting, failure to which a business is left behind by competitors (Patterson, 2011). This is one of the principal factors negating Grant Garden Centres’ proper performance, in a highly competitive environment. The Establishment lacks an up-to-date IT system, an aspect which hinders proper control of stock. The poor technological capacity also inhibits proper financial management. Development deterrence stems from the fact that, virtually all company operations have to be done manually for each centre, making financial evaluation and stock regulation a highly difficult task. Another technological aspect, affecting gardening centres, is utilization of social media and websites as advertisement platforms. This is barely applied in the case of Grant Garden Centres, thus dragging the establishment behind its rivals (Burke, 2009, p.72). Socio-cultural Aspects The other crucial external environment factor likely to affect the gardening business is the socio-cultural environment. This is because the Centres have to interact with customers, especially due to the services segment of operations. Evident from the business’ profile, Grant Garden does not take social aspects of society into consideration, while carrying out its operations. This is an aspect attributable to Grant’s perception that, customers solely care about the plants that the Centres supply. One of his children, Jane, is largely opposed to this notion and her principal interest is in developing an establishment that plays a significant role in the community, as well as, works with stakeholders to guarantee each partisan’s benefit. If the Company were to adopt Jane’s proposal of enhanced engagement in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) then the Centres’ popularity among community members and other individuals would be propelled to great heights. For instance, Grant Garden Centres could formulate and execute educational programs that focus on increasing people’s awareness of gardening. Such programs would foster individuals’ interest in plants and landscaping concerns thus broadening the Company’s customer base and even appealing to the younger generation. Strengths and Weaknesses Marketing Just like everything else in the Company, marketing methods are dictated by Grant. It is Jane’s responsibility to focus on the stipulated marketing strategies, which principally entail advertisement in the