Group Communications Essay Example for Free

Group Communications Essay Three videos of different group and team interaction will be reviewed for this paper. After they have been viewed they will be discussed on matters of the relationship between group members, member diversity and communication style. The first case study to be reviewed is: Helping Annie. In this video a school nurse has called a meeting with a psychiatrist and a social worker to discuss the case of a High school student, Annie, who possibly suffers from depression and an eating disorder. Right off the bat the school nurse is interrupted by the psychiatrist before she can finish giving the background information on Annie. He wants facts immediately not impressions. He makes a quick decision as to her problem and her treatment within minutes of their meeting and seems to believe that they are done, no more needs to be said. The Social worker does not agree with his decision and offers a counter solution but is again interrupted by the psychiatrist. The psychiatrist wants to use medication and the Social workers wants to first talk to Annie and see if they can understand what the teenager is going through. The psychiatrist sees this as a total waste of time. There does not seem to be any real facilitator of these meeting, and no one points out the psychiatrists constant interruptions of the social worker but the social worker herself. The school nurse is totally intimidated into silence by both of their behaviors. The psychologist seems to have the communication traits of what the test calls thinkers, and the Social worker has the traits of a feeler. According to the text, Thinks are task-oriented. They take pride in their ability to think objectively and logically, regardless of if those thoughts are correct. (Reeve, 2007, Ch. 3, pg.69, para.2) Feelers are people-oriented. The psychologist is very direct and analytical. He seems to want to remove any feelings or humanity from Annies case while the social worker is taking a more subjective, humane approach to Annies problems and is obviously more concerned with the girls well-being than a quick fix. The diversity that exists in this group is both gender and class. The group consist of two women and one older man, the older man, the psychiatrist,  seems to believe that the social worker and school nurse are not in the same class as he, his age, experience and profession making him superior to them on all levels, therefore, their opinions are not worth considering. This diversity is a hindrance in their communication because the psychologist is not listening to the two women and continues to interrupt them because he doesnt have much time here. If using a high context perspective the viewer could draw the conclusion that the psychologist does not agree with the social worker by watching his nonverbal behavior such as his gestures and facial expressions. In a high-context culture little meaning is expressed through words. Meaning can be conveyed through status such as age, gender, education or title. (Reeve, 2007) One method that could have been used to improve communications would have been to have a facilitator present to ensure that each party had the same amount of time to express his or her opinions. Another improvement would have been a change of setting from the informal setting to a more professional seating arrangement that may have helped foster communication between all parties present, such as a round table or face to face seating. The second video reviewed is: Planning the Playground. The group consists of three males and two females; three Caucasians and two minorities. The video case opens with two new members, one a younger male, Ray and one older woman, Betty, meeting the team for the first time. There seems to be two slightly awkward moments when Ray first only offers to shake the hands of the men at the table and when he has trouble pronouncing the name of the minority female Iesha. The moment was defused quickly when Iesha decided to make a small joke about her name to ease the tension and held out her own hand in greeting. Betty seemed uncertain about speaking and said she only joined the team to make friends. Communications between the team started out stiff and slow but by using team talk, (the nature of the language that group members use as they work together. Not only does team talk enable group members to share information and express opinions, but analysis of team talk also reveals where the team is coming from and where the team is headed.) (Reeve, 2007, Ch. 5 pg. 124, Para. 2), team leader David kept the discussion flowing and moved it to the reason they were there. The role the diversity of the group played in their communication was the different  experiences each had to bring to the discussion. Iesha obviously liked research and set numbers and offered not only a sound dollar amount to strive for but reasoning behind it. Ray countered that he thinks the amount should be higher but offered no real reason as did Phil who wanted the amount lower. After deciding to compromise they moved to fundraising. The immediate response to Bettys suggestion of having a Bake sale was obvious. They did not take her input seriously at all but again the team leader chimed in before their dismissive attitude could be considered rude and insulting. Di versity was also not a strong hindrance to the group even though the potential was there. Conflict management techniques were used by the group by expressing interest in solving the problem and keeping their tone and language non-threatening, using phrases like well, yes but lets look at it from a different angle or thats a good idea but may not be exactly what we need now.The use of team speak was a very effective communication tool that kept the team focused and on track. Another important tool that was used was nonverbal. The seating arrangement at the table permitted members to have their personal space but still be able to have direct eye contact. According to Reeve, each persons choice of seating position in groups has a direct effect on interaction and influence. A number of studies have demonstrated that group members prefercorner-to-corner or side-by-side seating for cooperative activities. Such an arrangement allows them to be close enough to share materials. (Reeve, 2007, CH. 5 pg. 138, Para 1) The team in this case study did show good communication skills on t he whole but the one improvement would have been to ensure that before the meeting took place, that each member understood what the reason for the meeting was. The last video reviewed is Virtual Communication. This video is a presentation of three people meeting as a team via conference call. The third unseen member is not listening to what is being said by the manager or his coworker. This is obvious because when they ask him a question he pauses or stutters, then repeats something that neither of the other participants actually said. Listening is important in any group so that you can be sure to get all the available information as well as know exactly what is  expected of you. This is even more so in the virtual business work when team members are not actually sitting face to face. Charlie is neither listening to what is being said or to the messages that were contained in Ellens email or voice mails to him. According to the text, Effective listening in virtual groups requires adapting to a different medium of expression Your only adaptation is making sure that your microphone is on or off at appropriate times. In an email discussion, however, you can neither see nor hear participants, but you still must listen to their messages. (Reeve, 2007, Ch.6, Pg,.168)The disadvantage of group meetings using a virtual medium is that you can fake listening by answering I agree or a non-committal sound. You can also pretend you didnt hear something that you dont want to address as Ellen does in this video when Charlie tries to place the blame on her. Charlie did not effectively use any of his listening skills while on this call. It was apparent by his distracted non-answers that he was not listening. The entire fault is not necessarily Charlies; it is not known if he ever fully understood what was expected of him from the first meeting. If he had at any time used one listening skill such as paraphrasing he might have had enough clarification to get his assignment done in time. Paraphrasing is a form of feedback that one lets the speaker know you are listening and gives them the opportunity to clarify their statement. Paraphrasing can be used for multiple purposes such as: To ensure comprehension before evaluation; to reassure others that you want to understand them; to clear up confusion and ask for clarification; and to help others reach their own conclusions. (Reeve, 2007) References Engleberg, I. Wynn,D. 2007. Working in Groups: Communication Principles and Strategies (4th ed.) Allyn Bacon Publishers. The Collaboration Tool Box. 2002-2003. MIT. Online resource. Retreived online January 12, 2009 from http://web.mit.e

John as Role Model for Husbands in The Yellow Wallpaper -- The Yellow W

Modern day feminists' enjoy looking into the past to find examples of female oppression. This tactic is employed in the hopes of demonstrating that oppression of their sex by the evil male populous has been going on for decades. One such work that is cited by feminists to showcase just how terrible women were treated in the first part of the twentieth century is Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper." Feminists' are quick to point out that the main character in this story is driven down the path of insanity by her uncaring husband. It is of their opinion that John, the main character's husband, consistently neglects her by keeping her locked away upstairs. Other feminists argue that the main character was not actually insane, rather, she was pushed into a temporary state of delirium as a result of the state of confinement that her husband subjected her to. These same feminists will say that John's consistent misdiagnosis of his wife's condition smacks of incompetence. It i s their theory that if the main character were a man during this same period of time, doctors would have treated the condition differently. In other words, men were not diagnosed with hysteria and bedridden for three months when they became depressed. As mentioned before, this is what some modern day feminists think. This is in stark contrast to the interpretation by us modern day realists. John was a good husband that cared deeply about his wife's condition. He is described at the beginning of the story as being "a physician in high standing" (The Norton Anthology, p. 658). This description alone offers deep insight into what kind of treatment his wife was receiving. It is hard to imagine that any woman who is married to an extremely prominent doct... ...he would have taken that golden opportunity to flee the so-called dungeon that her husband had created for her. It can only be assumed that she enjoyed the prison that she created for herself since she didn't flee at any moment of opportunity. In summary, John should be championed as a role model for all aspiring husbands. He consistently showed complete devotion and concern for his wife throughout the story. He did everything within his power to make sure that she would have an expedited recovery from her ailments. John bent over backwards to ensure that all of his wife's needs were taken care of. Leave it to modern day feminists to find harm in that.      Bibliography Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "The Yellow Wallpaper". The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Ed. Nina Baym. Fifth Edition, Volume 2. W.W. Norton & Company, New York. 1998. P. 657-69.

Casino Industry Essay

Find out why the Macau gambling scene is so important -The company intends to use the proceeds from this sale to pay off part of their debt -â€Å"The stock has traded significantly higher since the announcement of the deal, but we believe that this is a huge missed opportunity for the company in a new, booming market and will hurt the company over the long-term as competition continues to expand in this area† (2). -Caesars is the largest casino operator in the U.S -Properties include: Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, and several other states More on the Macau opportunity, this may be a little outdated: -Only major casino company without a location Macau -â€Å"Caesars bought the 175-acre site in 2007 for $578 million, with plans to develop a hotel and casino, but the company did not apply in the early 2000s for one of the limited number of gambling licenses in Macau, and it never gained a gambling concession from the Macau government† (2) -â€Å"As of July 31, 2013, growth in Macau has increased to over 20% on a year over year basis boosted by an increase in the number of Chinese visitors to the country’s only legal casino gambling hub. July’s 29.5 billion patacas ($3.7 billion) revenue was the third strongest figure this year, according to government data, as more middle-class gamblers visited Macau, eclipsing the growth in the number of high rollers. The slowdown in China’s economic growth has kept away some wealthy customers, who often spend 1 million yuan ($160,000) per bet, but it failed to push away Macau’s appeal for China’s rapidly expanding middle-class and their higher disposable incomes† (2) →what are pacatas Why Maccau Is Attractive for Casino Industry -The number of visitors to Macau rose 4.2 percent during the first half of the year (in 2013) -â€Å"Visitors form mainland China, who account for two thirds of the total numbers, soared 20 percent in July year over year numbers. High rollers account for about 70 percent of gaming revenues, but the share of the middle-class gamers is growing at a much faster rate and Macau’s casinos are trying to diversity entertainment options to attract more of these visitors† (2) -Minimum table bets start at around 300 patacas  ($38), compared to a year ago when offering bets for 100-200 patacas ($20) -â€Å"In the end, investors should not have seen the sale of this property as a catalyst for the stock, but instead as the huge missed opportunity to diversify the company’s core business and expand into an explosive new market† (2) -because the stock price went up when they sold Macau location -Macau casinos and hotels are now showing strong September gaming revenue -à ¢â‚¬Å"At the current rate, gambling revenue for the month of September so far is tracking 25.7% higher than the same month a year ago. Macau generates annual gambling revenue topping $38 billion, larger than any other casino district in the world, about five times the annual take of U.S. gambling in Las Vegas† (3) -Macau, a special gaming district on China’s southern coast, is the only place in China where gambling is legal – -â€Å"We believe that the run up in CZR shares has been on the coattails of the other gaming and hotel companies and that the buying has been way overdone. Investors should loko for the stock to pull back substantially after the recent rally† →research if all of this stuff is still true The most Recent Quarter- Focusing On the Important Aspects of This Business -Most recent quarter is Q2, net revenue was reported by Caesars as $2.2 billion -A decline in casino revenue was â€Å"largely offset by increases in F&B, rooms, and managed revenue† -â€Å"The company attributes this decline to a combination of macroeconomic conditions, competition, and a shift in marketing strategy. The company has lost market share in gaming to competition, despite the company’s positioning with the World Series of Poker brand† (4) ^ this is about gaming competition -Alpha research believes that revenue and profits have peaked and will be on the decline next year (2014), they were correct -Income form operations: $125.3 million in 2013, down $63.8 million compared to the prior year, 33.7% decline was driven by higher asset impairment charges (learn more on this) -â€Å"Adjusted EBITDA declined 8.2% to $470.5 million and property EBITDA declined 4.9% to $492.8 million compared with the year-earlier period† (4) -Investors should focus on the lower gaming revenue -â€Å"Casino revenue in Las Vegas declined approximately 15.5% year-over-year, primarily due to loss of market share and visitors and weaker gaming volumes† (4) -The same trends are occurring in the Atlantic City region -Gaming revenue was down due to lower visitation driven by primarily new competitive threats -CZR market volume in Atlantic city has declined, and market share has declined overall →my suggestion is that they should look more to online gaming, because technology and internet are booming, maybe consider joining with another casino industry- why is competition doing better -The company is facing increased competition in certain areas like Louisiana/Mississippi, Tunica, and Las Vegas and Atlantic City -Find specific competitors -Problem: â€Å"The company’s investments in current properties and new construction may prove to be too little, too late, as the projects have become increasingly costly over the last two years† The Debt Burden→ get more up to date information -At the quarter end (Q2 2013) for Caesars Entertainment, Inc. was $23.7 billion. -Debt, net of $1.8 billion of cash, was $20.9 billion -Total debt repurchased was only around $275 million during last quarter -Reports of a possible bankruptcy, have been increasing since Moody’s downgraded the company’s credit rating to one of its lowest levels in April 2013 -Cash flow growth is not expected to increase in 2013, â€Å"as a result of a demand drop fueled by customers spending less at casinos† (5) -Major concern because competitors gaming revenue are continuing to thrive -â€Å"The company has consistently poured money into new construction and the remodeling of existing structures, but significant measures need to be taken in order to improve the company’s current capital structure. If the company cannot spur major cash flow generation over the course of the next year, the company will be facing some major problems in early 2015 -Why is January 2015 important? Because that is when $4.4 billion of mortgage-backed securities are scheduled to mature for CZR (figure out more what this means) â †’ opportunity, cash flow generation, how? Competitors are outbeating them -Recent report from July 2013, Caesars planned to beef up its product  offering in Las Vegas and enter in the Maryland casino market, breaking group in Baltimore Major Areas of Concern for the Future: (direct quotes) -No unique value proposition built on approach, scale, geographic reach, brands and loyalty -Not positioned to drive value creation and significant revenue upside -Huge investments made in trying to expand core of business—declining revenues in many areas of business will lead to serious problems if the capital structure is not re-vamped by 2015 -Not executing on development pipeline, expanding domestic distribution and social/mobile gaming platform—the company claims that social gaming has a bright future, but the uncertain regulatory condition on a state and federal level pose a serious threat to the future of this revenue source -Failure to capitilze on pipeline while competitors continue to thrive on an international level (failure in Macau and Korea are significant) -Failed focus on managing costs and improving capital structure -Sustained economic recovery has not provided an additional tailwind to the efforts of the company COMPETITORS: EPS Change (%), Sales growth % CZR: -92.74, .16 WYNN: -1.34, -2.19 LVS: 18.29, 18.28 MGM: -165.10, 16.71 →large concern is the significant decline in EPS and sales growth over the recent history for CZR and at such a fast rate -â€Å"Considering the country has been seeing an economic recovery, consumer spending on gaming and entertainment in Las Vegas has not kept up. With no exposure to Macau, CZR will continue to underperform its peers in the future. The company’s current strategy is failing domestically and trying to transition to anything internationally is impossible. The EPS Change of -92.74% and 0.16% Sales Growth is just the beginning of a negative trend for Caesars. With massive amounts of debt and important maturity dates approaching, investors should look for a significant decline in shares as nervousness continues to build.† (5) -Based on the cash flow and margins, the quality of the most recent CZR earnings quarter was very poor overall -Negative cash flow per share: company is borrowing a significant amount of money to keep operating, and at some point the banks will stop lending and want to be repaid –bad position -â€Å"Cash is king† and companies that don’t generate cash are not around for a long time Problem: no cash flow -major debt obligations are due in 2015 and they have no cash, running out of time USE ALL THE CHARTS FROM THIS PDF! Very good for 2013 competitors, etc Potential Bankruptcy: -Important to look to the Book Value/ Share of CZR -this indicates the dollar value remaining for common shareholders after all assets are liquidated and all debtors are paid Financial Strength -Look at PDF -Use of leverage can be a double-edged sword for companies -â€Å"In the case for CZR, it has tried to generate returns above its cost of capital, for investors benefits. However, with the added risk of the debt on tis books, CZR is a company that has been hurt by this leverage and is unable to generate returns above the cost of capital. The company’s losses have been and will continue to be magnified by the use of leverage in the company’s capital structure, while they continue to renovate existing properties and continue with new construction domestically. With $20.91 B of long-term debt and a large debt to equity ratio of 1.04, Caesars will need to significantly overhaul their capital structure if they want to compete and survive in this highly competitive industry† (6) →compute d/e current ratio for 2014, google their financial statements Problem: too much debt, no cash -ROA: -4.44%, the company cannot operate efficiently based on the firm’s generated profits from total assets

Why Have McDonalds Sales Been Declining - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2319 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Economics Essay Type Argumentative essay Level High school Tags: McDonalds Essay Did you like this example? Founded in the 1940s, McDonalds has become the largest, the most successful and most well known fast-food chain in the world. When ranked amongst the rest of their industry competitors, McDonalds are consistently ranked as the most valuable fast-food brand in the world as well as being in the top 10 of all the overall brands in the world . Achievements like this highlight the enormity of the firm when they are ranked amongst the likes of Apple, Google and Coca-Cola year after year (Forbes, 2015). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Why Have McDonalds Sales Been Declining?" essay for you Create order Between 2003 and 2011, McDonalds saw a rise in its value from $12 per share to $100 per share at its peak in 2011 (The Economist, 2015b). However, over the last 18 months, the firms dominance is not as apparent as it once was. With a fall in sales revenue and a more substantial challenge from other fast-food competitors, the question being asked is why, after so long, is McDonalds starting to falter and what can they do to solidify their top spot? This essay will argue that the main reason behind the decline in McDonalds sales is the change in the social and cultural makeup of many of its consumers. Whilst other factors will be highlighted through the use of a PEST analysis, this essay will argue that the main reason is a generational shift that McDonalds has failed to keep up with and will ultimately offer recommendations that could potentially help the fast-food chain increase sales. The essay will primarily focus on ways to increase sales in the UK. The UK is home to ove r 1,200 McDonalds restaurants. In recent years it has become the UKs third largest fast-food chain behind the likes of Costa and Greggs (Armstrong, 2015). Despite sales increasing in the UK by 0.5%, worldwide, the firm saw a decrease of 1.8% in sales (Fortune Magazine, 2015). There are things that are out of the control of those in charge of UK operations such as food safety scares in Japan and China but there can be measures taken to increase sales so that it can offset the problems in other parts of the world (Fortune Magazine, 2015). All businesses, no matter the size of the company, or the scope of their operations, must consider the external environment they are operating in. Failure to do so can result in missed opportunities to maximise ones profit-making or allows competitors to come into the market and control a significant portion of the market share (Worthington, 2009). PEST analysis (an acronym for Political, Economical, Social and Technological) is a tool used to exa mine the external environment to outline potential limitations in various aspects of a business operations. Anything that can hinder the ultimate aim for a company, to make money, needs to be a priority for any business on the behalf of their shareholders. The political environment analyses the political sphere and the way the it can have a direct effect on the way business operates (Worthington, 2009). This incorporates aspects such as the political system and its attitude to private enterprise; as well as legislation and regulation that governs the way firms operate at various levels from local government to international governance. The UK is a very business-friendly political system. The UK operates with some of the lowest corporation tax rates in the developed world with companies such as McDonalds having to pay a rate of 20% as they earn over ÂÂ £300,000 in profit and this to be cut further in the future to 18% (HMRC, 2015). With this being kept in mind, the UK poli tical environment encourages enterprise and is therefore difficult to suggest that the political workings of the UK are contributing to the downward spiral of the companys sales revenue and ultimately, limited actions the business could take within this environment to increase sales. A similar conclusion can be made of the economic environment. This environment focuses of the wider macroeconomic activity and the way it affects the way businesses operates (Worthington, 2009). This includes taxation in its various forms such as, in the UK, national insurance, income tax and corporation tax; the unemployment level, as higher unemployment means less demand for products due less money flowing through the economy, or interest rates. The economic and political environments are closely interlinked and economics can dictate policy and policy can dictate. The economic crisis saw a rise in unemployment which has a knock-on effect on the ability for a business to generate revenue. However , growth in the economies of the highly developed nations has resulted in unemployment falling. As of April 2015, the UK unemployment rate stood at 5.6% (Eurostat, 2015). Therefore despite the fact that the macro- and microeconomic climate is improving, the revenue of McDonald still falls suggesting that the reason behind it is not economic. The aim of this essay is to argue that the main reason for McDonalds recent failings is due to its neglect in adapting to the current social and, by extension, technological environments. The social environment is concerned with the social and cultural aspects that can affect a way a business operates and technological environment is concerned with the use of modern day technology to maximise opportunities, for example, cheaper methods of production or more efficient ways of delivering a service or product (Worthington, 2009). Regardless of the industry, a business needs to understand the societal norms of the area they operate. For example, a company like McDonalds should not sell beef burgers in a country like India, where the Hindu population does not eat beef. Whilst it appears that McDonalds has catered for the various social differences in the variety of countries it operates in, on the surface level at the very least, the company has failed to keep up with cultural changes in its base the West. Businesses maximise their sales through segmentation. Segmentation is the process where companies focus their marketing by segmenting the market into small groups of shared traits such as demographics, age, gender and occupation. Segmenting the market has no merit in itself; a business needs to understand the consumer behaviour of that particular segment. Consumer behaviour entails all the activities that are normally associated with the purchasing of a product by examining why people buy what they buy and not just what they buy (Kardes et al, 2014). McDonalds have been caught between two different marketing methods aiming to the lower end of the market and directly competing with the likes of Burger King and attempting to aim for the higher-end fast-food restaurants such as Chipotle, Wahaca and Five Guys; who are a little more expensive but are growing in popularity. There has been a growth in the demand for the upmarket, fast-food chains due to their key selling point being high quality food with the option to customise ones dish (The Economist, 2015b). The rise in the high -end fast-food chains can be attributed to the rise of a particular segment Generation Y or otherwise known as the Millennials. Generation Y, is the term that refers to individuals born after 1982 and grew up in a post-Cold War age, through unprecedented prosperity, and throughout the advent of the internet and globalisation. Over the last decade, they have begun to make up the majority of the market (Strauss Howe., 2009). As a result of the age Millennials grew up in, they are less susceptible to traditional market ing techniques and are much more cynical in what a brand has to offer them. Gray (2015) believes that whilst Generation Y are still very aware of the marketing techniques but because they have been targets to it at various levels for their entire life, as opposed to many individuals from Generation X, Millenials are much more desensitised to it. They no longer accept products on face value, but attach a greater concern for being valued as a customer. Jobber (2013) writes that we have entered into a New Marketing Era where the customer is the centre of the marketing mix and attempting to build a long-term relationship with the customer as opposed to previous era in which Generation X were part of. A study into Millennial consumer loyalty found that Millennials will often choose where to shop based on the quality of the product or service and being rewarded for their loyalty. This study found that 74% of participants were more likely to choose a brand that offers a reward or loyalty p rogramme (Ferguson, 2012). This can be seen amongst the fast-food chains such as Starbucks, Costa and Nandos where consumers are rewarded through loyalty cards or apps that can be redeemed for free products and discount. Many argue that McDonalds should head back to its roots and continue to focus on the lower end of the market with the likes of Burger King. However, with this increasing trend in upmarket food-chains, McDonalds should focus on this market if they hope to increase sales. Martin (2002) found that one third of Millennials in the US are from an ethnic minority which brings about a global mix-and-match culture amongst Millennials resulting in a greater demand for culturally diverse foods. One of the key selling points of chains like Chipotle or Five Guys is the ability to build your own dish. With a combination of ingredients, these restaurants offer customers a chance to create something that matches their taste as much as possible. McDonalds in Australia is trail ing a new Create Your Taste menu, where customers have the ability to create their own gourmet burger from a selection of ingredients through a digital kiosk and have it delivered to their table (Macleod, 2014). A trial like this automatically combines that customisation element that many of the Generation Y individuals enjoy so much as well as making use of the modern day technology and is therefore the first thing that McDonalds in the UK should introduce to increase sales. Due to the fact that many of these restaurants such as Five Guys are relatively expensive compared to the likes of Burger King and KFC means that it is not an economic issue; consumers are willing to pay if they feel the quality is appropriate and they are valued. This means that McDonalds could charge more for their customisable burgers and further increase revenue. The greatest innovation over the last 20 years has been the advent of the internet and many companies have made it their priority to make use o f it to expand their business opportunities. When it comes to fast-food restaurants, the opportunity to expand on the internet is limited due to the nature of the industry. However, through the introduction of smartphones and smartphone applications, a number of fast-food chains are utilising these to allow a smoother and more convenient experience for their consumers. For instance, Nandos in the UK uses an application that allows customers to pre-order their meal for it to be ready for collection. It means that commuters on their way home from work can order their food whilst mid-journey and their meal will be ready to be collected for take-way when they have arrived at their local Nandos restaurant. Therefore a second recommendation that would help increase the sales in the UK for McDonalds would be to increasingly utilise the technology available to them. Fergusons study into Millennial consumer loyalty (2012) found that 59% of Millennials use smartphones and with the increasing availability of smartphones at a more affordable price since 2012, it can be assumed, that the figure in 2015 is greater. This further supports the claim that McDonalds is missing out on an opportunity to enter into a thriving market where the tools such as affordable application development and smartphones are readily available. . To conclude, whilst these recommendations on how McDonalds should change the way it operates does not guarantee success, it at the very least means that it is competing with its fellow fast-food chains on an even keel. However, there is the possibility that McDonalds has reached the maturity period of its lifecycle. Like Nokia and Microsoft, two giants in their respective industries, before trendier competitors were introduced to the market, namely Apple, Samsung and Google, no matter how these two giant corporations tried to update their operations and appeal to a newer, more modern market, they have failed to hit the heights of the 1990s. Many of the recommendations are slowly being rolled out by McDonalds throughout the course of 2015 and will undoubtedly reach the shores of the UK shortly afterwards. However, McDonalds is too successful to be judged by a few bad years. BIBLIOGRAPHY Armstrong, A., (2015) McDonalds holds global day of joy after worst sales in a decade, The Daily Telegraph, (24th March) [Online] Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/11491125/McDonalds-launches-day-of-joy-after-worst-sales-in-a-decade.html The Economist (2015a), When the chips are down, The Economist, (10th January) [Online] Available at: https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2015/01/economist-explains-7 The Economist (2015b), Why McDonalds sales are falling? The Economist, (14th January) [Online] Available at: https://www.economist.com/news/business/21638115-after-long-run-success-worlds-largest-fast-food-chain-flounderingand-activist Eurostat (2015), Unemployment rate by sex and age groups monthly average %, [Online] Available at https://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=une_rt_mlang=en Ferguson, R. (2012), How Generation Y Will Reshape Customer Loyalty Born This Way: The UK Millennial Loyalty S urvey, London: Aimia Forbes (2015), The Worlds Most Valuable Brands, Available at: https://www.forbes.com/powerful-brands/list/#tab:rank Fortune Magazine (2015), McDonalds posts a global sales decline as troubles linger, Fortune Magazine, (February 2015) Gray, R (2015), Generation Y: What Every Marketer Needs to Know, The Marketer, (2015) HMRC, (2015) Rates and Allowances: Corporation Tax, HMRC website. (July 2015)(found at Jobber, D., F.Ellis-Chadwick (2013), Principles and Practices of Marketing, 7th ed. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Education Kardes, F., M. Cronley, T. Cline, (2014) Consumer Behaviour, Hampshire: Cengage Learning, Macleod, D. (2014) McDonalds Create Your Taste in Learning Lab Restaurant, The Inspiration Room, ( 9th October), Martin, L.P. (2012) Targeting Generation Y, Public Relations Quarterly, 47(2). , pp.46-48 Strauss, W. N. Howe (2009), Generations: The History of Americas Future 1584-2069, London: Vintage Books) Worthington, I. and C. B ritton (2009), The Business Environment, 6th Ed.. Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd.,