The Tone and Style of Ralph Ellisons Battle Royal Essay

A short analysis of the major theme found in Ellison’s Battle Royal, supported by a literary criticism dealing with the tone and style of the story. Introduction: Ralph Ellison’s short story, Battle Royal, is mainly an account of the African American struggle for equality and identity. The narrator of the story is an above average youth of the African American community [Goldstein-Shirlet, 1999]. He is given an opportunity to give a speech to some of the more prestigious white individuals. His expectations of being received in a positive and normal environment are drastically dashed when he is faced with the severity of the process he must deal with in order to accomplish his task. Analysis: The recurrent theme of Battle Royal is†¦show more content†¦Many history altering events took place during this continuing struggle. More symbolism appears during the fight when the nature of the audience changes for the worse. Through his description of whites from a high social standing watching the battle of ten blacks in a ring, Ellison shows the attitude and approach those in charge of running system have towards ethnic minorities – in this case, African Americans. As the battle intensifies, the enthralled audience become more engrossed and began foul mouthing the fighters in their animalistic frenzy. The total disregard for human dignity shown by this reaction is a prime example of the stance of superiority assumed by the ruling majorities over minorities. The main theme of Battle Royal occurs again with the incident of the electrified rug. After the battle has ended, the boys are allowed to pick bills and coins off of a rug. As they try to take the money off the rug, they are jolted with electricity. Even though the pain factor involved in picking the cash off the rug is very high, the boys force themselves to carry on. This brilliantly captures the economic hardship faced by the black community and the negative effect of this hardship on social harmony. Once more, a theme of suppressed dignity emerges. It shows that even after their biggest fight for respect ended, African Americans were forced to endure racism and prejudice in otherShow MoreRelatedThe Struggle for Equality and Identity in Ralph Ellisons Battle Royal915 Words   |  4 PagesRalph Ellison’s short story, Battle Royal, is mainly a description of the African American struggle for equality and identity. The narrator of the story is an above average youth of the Af rican American community [Goldstein-Shirlet, 1999]. He is given an opportunity to give a speech to some of the more prestigious white individuals. His expectations of being received in a positive and normal environment are drastically dashed when he is faced with the severity of the process he must deal with inRead MoreLiterature And The English Literature Essay1537 Words   |  7 Pageswritten novel or short-story, to truly appreciate the purpose and importance of it all. When you are reading a novel can you easily depict who the author has designed to be the protagonist or the antagonist? Can you accurately describe the setting or tone of the story or poem? Do you easily fall in love with the narrator or speaker of every book or poem you have read? The answers to these questions simply make up some of the most common elements identified in literature. They are the things that oneRead MoreLangston Hughes Research Paper25309 Words   |  102 Pageson their intuition and personal experience to express truths about life. During his senior year at Central High, Langston met a pretty girl named Sue at a dance. His poem about her later became famous. Previously, his poems had lacked any racial tone. This poem, When Sue Wears Red, praises the beauty of a black girl, using rhythms and responses that he had heard in church. He compared her face to a cameo and her walk to that of a regal queen of Egypt. He described his physical and emotional reaction

Murder Videos on Media Platforms and Their Consequences Essay

Brenda Cossman introduces the case of Mark Marek being charged with corrupting morals based on section 163(1)(a) of the Criminal Code for uploading the video of Jun Lins murder by Luke Magnotta. Cossman suggests that Marek is essentially being charged with obscenity, while the focus is on corrupting morals. This has created confusion because corrupting morals is a concept from the 19th century, whereas the courts had changed the focus of obscenity from morality to harm since the late 20th century. Since the Marek is being charged for corrupting morals, the courts are implying that it is morally inappropriate to view such sexual and/or violent content. Nonetheless, Cossman argues this concept of morality is outdated because the†¦show more content†¦To elaborate, this means that everyone will have differing opinions on what they consider moral. For example, person A believes that uploading a murder video is immoral, whereas person B believes the opposite. Not only that, but in this contemporary society that continues to grow in complexity and size, there will be a wider variation of opinions on what is moral or not. By changing the focus to harm, the result is a positive change. The reason being that harm involves looking at the smaller picture of specific cases that call for justice. On the other hand, morality simply looks at the bigger picture, which in turn creates ambiguity of its boundaries. For example, in this case of uploading the video Luke Magnotta committing the murder, Jun Lins parents experience harm because their son was killed, and now the scene of him losing his life is available for the public to see. In support of Cossmans argument, Marek should be charged based on the contemporary focus of obscenity, that being harm. The success of the prosecution of Mark Marek will depend on what approach the court takes when coming to a verdict. Based on the what counts as (freedom of) speech topic covered in class, the prosecution is likely to be s uccessful. For instance, the analogy used in lecture about this topic was the KKK burning a cross on the driveway of an interracial couples house. Now, although it was a freedom of speech, that is also protected in the Charter, there is a limitShow MoreRelatedVideo Games : The Video Game Industry1574 Words   |  7 PagesThe video game industry is one that continues to grow exponentially with consumers spending over $22 billion dollars on the gaming industry in 2014 (association, 2015). This popularity brings the opportunity to produce a stream of games that continue to expand in their nature and impact on their audience. Video games are now artistic, social and collaborative, with many allowing massive numbers of people to participate simultaneously (htt). 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Competitive Strategy AAA-framework †Free Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the Competitive Strategy AAA-framework. Answer: Introduction Globalization has become a major factor in the business of the modern world. The organizations in the modern world has adopted different approaches that has helped them in being sustainable globally. One of the major approaches has been identified by Pankaj Ghemawat as the AAA-framework, which stands for Adaptation, Aggregation and Arbitrage. The main objective of this study will be to analyze the global strategies that will help in efficient management of the tourism and the beverage industry. The tourism industry in Australia faces tough competition as there are a number of operators who caters to the needs of the tourists (Ghemawat 2013). The two companies of this industry need to improve the turnover and shares in the market by maximizing their operations on the local grounds. The companies have to increase their economies of scale by operating on the domestic and international level. Arbitrage will help the companies to exploit the disparities that are present in the local and the foreign market as well (Teeratansirikool et al. 2013). The beverage industry has to make strategic choices that will help them in making a degree of prioritization. This framework will help the industry in a better way. There is a possibility of making advancements on the different strategies but the industries need to keep their focus on building a competitive advantage in the market. By using the framework, it will help the industry to attain the goals and objectives that has been set by the companies. The beverage industry and particularly the two company Coca-Cola Amatil and Fosters Group will benefit by locating the different supply chains that are present in local markets for maximizing their revenues (West, Ford and Ibrahim 2015). Tourism Industry (Overseas Adventure Travel and Kensington Tours company) Beverage Industry (Coca-Cola Amatil and Fosters Group) Adaptation strategy in Tourism industry The hospitality of the tourism industry is a domain that is being recognized as sensitive because it involves more than one supplier in the form of tour operators and has a high demand of stakeholders that is the tourists. It directly creates an impact on the concerns that arises through tourism. Firms like Kensington Tours and Overseas Adventure Travel caters to the needs of the tourists in both domestic and international markets. The main aim of Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) is to be the dominant company in the tourism industry by providing the customers with intercultural experiences that will help in creating an impact on the life of the customers. The company to a great extent depends on the macro economic cycles that is present in the industry and keeps up with the customer trends that are evolving on a constant basis (Bova 2015). It is important for the company to keep a watch on the parallel sectors as it helps in the performance of the tourism industry in a positive or a n egative way. The innovation of the products and the development of the demands on a seasonal basis plays an important factor in determining the role companies in the tourism industry. The vision of OAT is to create an atmosphere, which will help in upgrading the communication with the tourists and accepting the global standards of the industry (Fraj et al. 2015). The Kensington Tours provides custom made schemes that helps in adapting to the changes that is taking place on a daily basis in the emerging markets. It also provides unparalleled experiences to its customers. Both the companies have taken the integrated business model in their business policies, level of flexibility and partnership as the adaptation strategies that help them to meet the constant demands of the industry (Comas Mati and Seifert 2013). Adaptation strategy in Beverage industry The beverage industry in Australia is undergoing various things of differed proportions. The conditions and the complexities that are present in the market helps in the functioning and the operation of the industry. Company like Coca-Cola Amatil has aimed to make its strategies regarding the packaging and keep up with the products that are health conscious as the trends in the market is changing as far as customers are concerned (Jopp et al. 2013). The company recently launched Coke Life in the country, which is low in calorie content and contains natural flavors. The management of the company has predicted a profit of more than 100 million AUD, which also includes the measures related to cost savings over the next couple of years. The firm also wants to expand by exploring the opportunities that are present in New Zealand and the Australasian region, which will help in boosting up the sales of the products (Chopra et al. 2016). The Fosters Group in the country is also seeing a growth in the sales and the profits. Due to the effects of globalization and the economic meltdown, the consumers have changed their drinking habits in the country. The company is aiming to target the customers by introducing Carlton light, which will help in boosting up the chances of the firm to make a comeback in the market. The product will aim to target consumers who are especially women, corporates and the young customers (Lim-Camacho et al. 2016). The company aims to expand its products by acquiring the New South Wales company, which will help in increasing the market share in the country. The company has already acquired five companies in Australia and has become the major producer beer in the region (Probstl-Haider and Haider 2013). Aggregation strategy in Tourism industry The aggregation strategy helps in overcoming the differences by implementation of cross border means. The Australian tourism sector is largely dependent on the aggregation strategy that exists in the business environment. The tourism industry in Australia is divided in to small and medium scale organization that offers various packages to the consumers. OAT is focused on engaging the operations by introducing package schemes for the tourists, which includes the islands of Australia and exotic destinations like Queensland, Mackay and Great Barrier Reef (Radlo 2016). Kensington Tours on the other hand aims to introduce packages that are cost effective in the tourist destination areas such as Ayers Rock, Auckland and Sydney, Rotorua in New Zealand, which helps them in earning revenues of 4941 AUD. This helps the company to make profit in spite of the differences in the preferences of the country. OAT uses the strategies that help them in creating the economies of scale that is necessary for the company to thrive in the market (Schegelmilch 2016). The design of the products is based on the regions of its operations, which is located between the geographical boundaries that help in the creation of demand. The separation of the designs of the products depends on the cultural and the economic aspects of the regions where the company is operating. This helps the companies in gaining competitive advantage over each other respectively. This is one of the best example of aggregation strategy in the tourism industry (Porter and Ronit 2015). Aggregation strategy in Beverage industry The beverage industry is dependent on the aggregation strategy largely due to the environment in which it operates. The Coca-Cola Amatil company in the country has to execute the strategies, which will help the company in benefitting in the long run. The company has partnered with the Coco-Cola company, which will help in developing the carbonated products with the help of advancements. The company aims to expand in the domestic market by introduction of the products that will help the local customers to benefit from their products. This strategy cannot be applied in the international market and the company plans to diversify its products to gain a competitive advantage over its rivals (Surkminski 2013). Fosters is a major company in the country, which looks after the demands of a large number of consumers who are from different economic background. The aim of the firm is to target the market that is present within a specific territory of the country where it will serve to the demands of the local consumers by offering a variety of beverages. The company has to deploy various marketing strategies such as advertisement strategies and the marketing mix, which will help the company to fulfill its goal in the target market. Arbitration strategy in Tourism industry The tourism sector is dependent on the arbitration strategies that is widespread in the tourism industry. The overall success of the firm depends on these strategies. The Overseas Adventure Travel company is very efficient and they would exploit the market by giving the services to the customers at a high price, which will help them in segregating their target clients, which will lead to a substantial amount of profit generated by the tour packages (Caiazza and Ferrera 2016). Kensington Tours on the other hand, helps in manipulating the disadvantages that is present in the local industries by capitalizing on it by providing premium and better service to the customers, which helps in generation of funds for the company. The company designs its tour packages that are based on popular culture that will help in grabbing the attention of the customers. This helps the company in gaining competitive advantage over other organizations and grow steadily in the future (Rothlin and McCann 2016). Arbitration strategy in Beverage industry The beverage industry in Australia is on the verge of globalization, which is inclusive of various factors. Coca-Cola Amatil is aiming to introduce its products in the markets where the rival and global companies are not very effective. Products such as Diet Coke and Powerade aims to explore the internal markets of the regions that the company has targeted. This will give less opportunities and business prospects to the rival companies. The focus of the firm will be to control the differences in labor and capital. It will exploit the cultural side of the country and introduce cost effective products, which will attract customers not only for the price but also due to health consciousness. The alcohol market in Australia is worth 20 billion out of which beer amount to a majority of 10 billion USD (Snyman 2015). Fosters have many opportunities to increase its profits and even utilizes the shortcomings of the other beverage companies. This helps the company in targeting its market and manipulates the regions that is devoid of the alcoholic beverage market. In simple terms, the company wants its presence to be felt in that environment where it can have an advantage over other firms. Recommendations It can be recommended that in the adaptation strategy, the tourism industry will regain its business by investing in areas that have future prospects and companies like Kensington Tours will aim to offer its clients premium and luxurious services at a cheaper price. The Coca-Cola Amatil group will depend on its packaging and offer health products to the customers due to their changing preferences on a local basis. The aggregation strategy will help the tourism industry in aiming to exploit the regional and geographical aspect, which will help in the administrative and economical perspective on a global level. The Fosters group on the other hand, will implement various strategies that will help in fulfilling the goals of the organization in a particular target market. From the perspective of arbitrage, both the companies in the tourism industry will aim to take advantage of the varied cultural, administrative and economic conditions of the country. The beverage industry will aim to in troduce its operations in the target market, which does not consist of any domestic and international companies. This will help by giving them a competitive advantage in that area. Conclusion Thus, it can be concluded that the AAA-framework helps in analyzing the key marketing areas. The analysis has shown that both the industries have accepted globalization and due to the various factors, that are present in the market, the industries have adopted different business interest that will help them to serve in their domains respectively. The tourism industry aspires to accomplish its core competency on the basis of regional jargons. This is possible as both the company depend on the innovative packages, which is centered around the customers. The beverage industry is dependent mainly on its products that are cost-effective for the customers. Finally, it can be inferred that both the industries look to combine its position for the sake of growth and development, which will eventually lead to profits. References Bova, F., 2015. Discussion of Product Market Competition, Legal Institutions, and Accounting Conservatism. Journal of International Accounting Research, 14(2), pp.41-43. Caiazza, R. and Ferrara, G., 2016. Economic geography and multipolar strategies: an empirical analysis. Journal of Management Development, 35(3), pp.394-405. Chopra, A., Sachdeva, A. and Bhardwaj, A., 2016. Productivity enhancement using reliability centred maintenance in process industry. International Journal of Industrial and Systems Engineering, 23(2), pp.155-165. Comas Mart, J.M. and Seifert, R.W., 2013. Assessing the comprehensiveness of supply chain environmental strategies. Business strategy and the environment, 22(5), pp.339-356. Fraj, E., Matute, J. and Melero, I., 2015. Environmental strategies and organizational competitiveness in the hotel industry: The role of learning and innovation as determinants of environmental success. Tourism Management, 46, pp.30-42. Ghemawat, P., 2013.Redefining global strategy: Crossing borders in a world where differences still matter. Harvard Business Press. Jopp, R., DeLacy, T., Mair, J. and Fluker, M., 2013. Using a regional tourism adaptation framework to determine climate change adaptation options for Victoria's Surf Coast. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 18(1-2), pp.144-164. Lim-Camacho, L., Ariyawardana, A., Lewis, G.K., Crimp, S.J., Somogyi, S., Ridoutt, B. and Howden, S.M., 2016. Climate adaptation of food value chains: the implications of varying consumer acceptance. Regional Environmental Change, pp.1-11. Porter, T. and Ronit, K., 2015. Implementation in International Business Self?regulation: The Importance of Sequences and their Linkages. Journal of Law and Society, 42(3), pp.413-433. Prbstl-Haider, U. and Haider, W., 2013. Tools for measuring the intention for adapting to climate change by winter tourists: some thoughts on consumer behavior research and an empirical example. Tourism Review, 68(2), pp.44-55. Radlo, M.J., 2016. Evolutionary View of International Production Fragmentation in Enterprises. In Offshoring, Outsourcing and Production Fragmentation (pp. 127-152). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Rothlin, S. and McCann, D., 2016. Moral Decision-Making in Business. In International Business Ethics (pp. 65-89). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Schlegelmilch, B.B., 2016. Entering Global Markets. In Global Marketing Strategy (pp. 43-61). Springer International Publishing. Snyman, J.A., 2015. Hotel Industry: Forming a Strategic Alliance with Tourism Service Providers. Collaboration in Tourism Businesses and Destinations: A Handbook, p.111. Surminski, S., 2013. Private-sector adaptation to climate risk. Nature Climate Change, 3(11), pp.943-945. Teeratansirikool, L., Siengthai, S., Badir, Y. and Charoenngam, C., 2013. Competitive strategies and firm performance: the mediating role of performance measurement.International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management,62(2), pp.168-184. West, D., Ford, J. and Ibrahim, E., 2015.Strategic marketing: creating competitive advantage. Oxford University Press.

Organisational Issues at Lufthansa Airlines

Introduction and Background With increased oil prices, airlines all over the world have found themselves in a position where reducing their operation costs seem the only viable way of remaining profitable. The situation in the industry is so bad that British entrepreneur Richard Branson, in his characteristic jest, once said that becoming a millionaire is easy if one was to start as a billionaire and venture into the airline industry.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Organisational Issues at Lufthansa Airlines specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Branson was referring to the loss-making potential that airlines are exposed to in current operating environment different factors are seemingly conspiring to reduce the profit-making potential of airlines. Such include rising oil prices and increased pressure from competitors (most especially low-cost airlines). Deutsche Lufthansa AG (Lufthansa Airlines), like other airlines across the world has opted to cut its costs in a bid to remain profitable. Unlike some of its competitors however, Lufthansa is also facing extra challenges brought about by its workers. Represented by their labour unions, Lufthansa workers have been on and off strike action since 2008. As recently as March 2013, the airline was insistent that it would continue with its austerity plans, which seeks to cut 3,500 employees and ‘force’ its employees to take longer work days (an extra hour per week), in addition to having no pay rise within a two-year period (Redl 2013). Lufthansa’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Simone Menne has been quoted saying that the company is â€Å"ready for new strikes, if necessary also by the pilots† as it pursues its long-term goals of cutting costs and enhancing its profit-making (Redl 2013, para. 6). Adamant that the cost-cutting measures were necessary to protect the company’s long-term growth, Menne stated that the management would not address employees because by so doing, the company would be compromising the airline’s future for the sake of short-term harmony. But what long-term growth was Menne referring to one may ask. Well, according to Redl (2013, para.4), â€Å"Lufthansa is trying to bolster its finances so it can avoid jeopardizing a planned multibillion-euro investment in new, more fuel efficient aircraft†. The main employees’ issues that Lufthansa is grappling with include a 5.2 percent wage increase demand, enhanced job security demands, and improved trainee conditions demands (The Hindu Business Line 2013). The employees are represented by two unions, namely Ver.di, and Unabhangige Flugbegleiter Organisation (UFO). The former is a large union representing a large number of employees at Lufthansa, while the latter is a niche union representing two-third of the flight attendants in the company (Lindsey 2012).Advertising Looking for research paper on bu siness economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Statement of the problem Considering that Lufthansa Airline employees may have an inkling of the financial status of their employer, this research paper seeks to find out some of the reasons why employees still demand wage increments. Additionally, the paper seeks to find out if the management at Lufthansa has behaved in a manner that has prompted employees to feels as if the organisation does not value their input into the company. Drawing from organisational behaviour theories, the paper will also find out if the behaviours exhibited by the employees should be interpreted as an indication of their dissatisfaction with the management. The paper will also investigate some of the viable solutions that Lufthansa can use to end the labour relations stalemate. Methodology This paper uses a review of literature as the main research method. Primarily, the researcher has used academic art icles as the basis of theory, but has also used online newspapers articles and commentaries to understand the situation in Lufthansa. The researcher used keywords such as ‘managing labour disputes’, ‘managing strikes’, ‘labour disputes and organisational behaviour’ among others when searching various databases for academic articles for use in the literature review. The writer further obtained information about Lufthansa’s strike from online sources, but had to pay particular attention to the use of credible websites such as BBC, the Telegraph among others. The methodology was intentionally meant to help the researcher find, evaluate and synthesise information that would correspond with the task of statement of the problem as described above. Literature review According to Darlington (2012), employees do not always strike because their employers fail to grant them promotions, improved wages, or improved work environments. In some cases, t he indifferent attitude displayed by the employer is enough to make workers down their tools. In an age where disagreements are bound to occur, Darlington (2012) observes it is how the organisation deals with employees who go on strike that really matters. For starters, Darlington (2012) argues that organisations must be willing to find out what caused the strike, take measures to resolve the strike, and control the consequences of the strike. Most notably, lean organisations are becoming an everyday occurrence in the workplace, and so are changing employee expectations and loyalties. Competition on the other hand, is forcing organisation to rethink and design strategies to improve productivity. According to Darlington (2012), the aforementioned factors present challenges and opportunities, which modern organisations must confront and/or gain meaningful insights from.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Organisational Issues at Lufthansa Airlines specific ally for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Writing specifically about the airline industry, Hirsch and Macpherson (2000) observe that though unlikely, labour strikes in the airlines industry can occur, especially if negotiations between airlines and labour unions stall. The labour unions in the airlines industry have substantial bargaining powers (Hirsch Macpherson 2000). Since it is not in the interest of labour unions and the employees they represent to bankrupt their employers, Hirsch and Macpherson (2000) observe that the airline industry (especially in the United States) has developed a compensation plan that enable unionised workers to earn more as the profits increase, and moderate pay increases when airlines are experiencing tight profit margins. For the aforementioned to happen, unions must be able to appropriate company profits, but the company must also embrace innovation in order to develop products and services that generate profits. Inno vation often comes from the human resource, and this means that increased profits (and the consequent improvement in wages) are a product of good management that encourages good organisational behaviour. The appropriation of company profits by unions also requires good sharing of information between the two parties. Information sharing between union and employers on the other hand requires a good working relationship between the two. According to Bryson (2001), the nature of relationships that exist between unions and employers depends on the efforts and motivation that each side applies towards creating a good working arrangement. According to Bryson (2001) persistent work stoppages through strike actions are a manifestation of the collective distrust and resentment that labour unions (and the employees they represent) have towards the employers. The main prerogative of creating a good relationship between the two parties however appear to remain with the employer; Bryson (2001, p. 91) for example observes, management can â€Å"foster a high trust relationship with employees by ensuring that unions have sufficient power to make a positive contribution to the running of the workplace†. Bryson (2001) further observes that adversarial relationships are also an indicator of the bad faith motives and questionable endgames between employers and employees (represented by labour unions). In some cases for example, disrespect of unions by employers motivate strike actions.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Bryson (2001) however indicates that unions also (sometimes) play a part in creating bad relationships with employers. An example is when union’s bargaining is informed by politicised values, without paying particular attention to the employer’s ability to meet their demands. In a different study, Bryson (2005) observe that unions can also approach bargaining with doctrinaire views with the intention of establishing or enhancing their reputations among workers. In some cases, unions might even have the intention of solidifying their ranks as negotiators by assuming hard-line positions. Considering that strike actions (and the subsequent work stoppages) have greater negative consequences on the employer, Bryson (2005) argues that they (employers) should focus more on interest-based and integrative bargaining as a way of reducing the risks of work stoppages. Specifically, Bryson (2005) observes that negotiations should ideally emphasize commonalities between workers and their employers in order to attain goals and objectives that cater for the interests of both parties. By so doing, the parties would facilitate decision-making that is based on well thought-out assessments of the situation. The decision about work stoppages usually involves both parties making specific considerations. The employees for example judge the costs versus the benefits of such a strike by considering the anticipated price in lost wages, lost goodwill and a loss of concessions that the employer may have pledged against the predicted work stoppage outcome (Gunderson 2001). If the latter is more than the former, employees would no doubt opt to go on strike. The employers on the other hand contrast costs incurred during work stoppages against expected cost of increasing wages, and if the former is greater than the latter, Gunderson (2001) observes that employers usually agree to increase the wages. Through wage increment, the management of a company facing strike threats saves the company from absorbing work stoppage-related costs. Gunderson (2001, p. 444) further notes that unionised employees are â€Å"relatively protected from layoffs, and hence have little incentive to engage in concession bargaining unless a credible threat of a plant closing is imminent†. In some cases, employees may even want to extract high wages from firms that are near bankruptcy. Gunderson (2001) argues that while the intention of employees is to bankrupt a business, the management has a prerogative to protect the interests of the investors. Gunderson (2001) further observes that work stoppages/strikes occur as a result of erroneous outcome assessments by either the employer or the employees and their representative unions. This line of thinking suggests that strikes are mistakes, which result from imperfect information about the economic flexibility of either the employer or the unions. Gunderson (2001) further argues that if union members are well informed about their employer’s ability to tolerate production losses, and if employers are well informed about the union members’ capacity to go without remuneration, strikes would not occur. Drawing information form asymmetric information theories, Tracy (1987) supports the foregoing argument by observing that strikes are sometimes motivated by the union member’s attempt to extract information about the economic condition of the organisation from the employer. In other words, the limited information leads employees to distrust their employers, making strikes the only viable way of extracting information from them. The probability of strikes increases if either parties base their perceptions, demands and/or offers on the opponent’s current position (Darlington 2012). Relying on prevailing indicators (e.g. increased short-term profits and higher costs of living), may lead employees to ask for wage increments. However, if they would consider other leading indicators such as s ecurity of contracts, the threat of business failures, and the competitive environment, perhaps employees would be more considerate when placing their wage increment and other demands. Again, Darlington (2012) indicates that conflicting expectations can be corrected through effective information sharing, which would ideally enable parties to assess the cost and benefits of strike actions from a knowledge-based angle. In a different approach from Darlington (2012), Godard (1992, p. 162) argues that â€Å"strikes should be viewed primarily as expressions of worker discontent rather than a result of imperfect or asymmetrical information†. In a different article (Godard 1998, p.3) observes that the conventional employment relation places workers at a subordinate position to their employers, because, it is generally accepted that â€Å"capital hires labour†. Authority in the workplaces is hence exercised in a manner that places the interests of the owners above those of wor kers. Consequently, workers encounter difficulties related with trust, legitimacy and fairness. Godard (1998, p.3) therefore argues that strikes are largely a manifestation of the aforementioned difficulties, and should therefore be perceived as a â€Å"primary means through which workers are able to collectively voice discontent and distrust, either with the exercise of managerial authority in general, or with management’s position on a particular issue†. Apart from the economic consequences, Godard (1998) observes that strikes can also remodel how parties perceive themselves and each other. The changes in perceptions have implications on employees’ orientations towards work, unions, and their employer. Godard (1998) however observes that strikes are a reflection of the interactions between employers and employees, and the choices they make. Both the interactions and choices are shaped by variables in convention industrial relations, which may include among oth er things, social variables (trust, job satisfaction and effective communication), economic variables (profitability vs. Employee wages), and law variables (the consistency or lack thereof of labour laws with economic models) (Godard 1998). The literature sources reviewed herein reveal that employees chose to go on strike for different reasons. Key among such reasons is distrust in their employers. Such distrust can be triggered by ineffective flow of information between the employees and their employers among other things. The emergent theme from the literature review segment is that strikes are a medium through which employees communicate their dissatisfaction and distrust towards the management. From an organisational behaviour perspective, factors such as fear, moral concerns, affective concerns, and distrust among employees, and the management’s/employer’s inability to array such factors appear to be the underlying causes of strikes. Findings The first major strik e in Lufthansa was in September 2012 involving flight attendants. The strike occasioned some estimated â‚ ¬5-10 million losses to the company (BBC News 2012). The strike did not come as a surprise to analysts, who argued that it (the strike) was the culmination of negotiations which had taken more than a year and eventually stalled. Additionally, the management had deployed temporary workers on some routes despite resistance from unions representing the permanent employees. The deployment of such workers was interpreted to mean that the organisation did not mind what the employees (and their unions) thought. More exasperation on the employee’s side was triggered by a threat by Lufthansa Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Carsten Spohr, who prior to the September 2012 flight attendants strike, had said that the company would hire temporary workers to replace anyone who went on strike. Lindsey (2012) observes that the threat by Spohr triggered even more resistance from workers wh o were daring him to make good his threat. Welt (cited by Lindsey 2012) observes that even if such a threat would have worked to discourage employees from going on strike, it would have compromised the service provision by the same employees to customers. Welt (cited by Lindsey 2012) noted that in addition to Lufthansa being a transportation provider, it is the in-flight services that attract customers (especially considering that ticket prices is no longer a point of competition); as such, grumbling workers would likely offer poor in-flight services to customers and this would have inevitably reduce the airline’s ability to attract customers. Problem Analysis From a sociological approach, there are four interrelated issues that the management at Lufthansa failed to address, and which can be said to have led to increased dissatisfaction by the employees represented by the labour union. The first was the question of hiring temporary workers. At the time, every indication from the management showed that they were being hired to take up the jobs of permanent employees who chose to go on strike. Smith et al. (1993) observes that fear is an emotional result of a perceived threat or danger. It occurs in sudden or unexpected situations where it is believed that rewards or punishment are present (Smith et al. 1993). Fear also occurs when one perceive their control or ability to cope with a situation as being low. Ideally, people respond to fear by seeking support, confronting the situation, avoiding the situation, or practising self-control. In Lufthansa’s case, it would appear that employees responded to fear by confronting the situation and seeking support from the unions. Yet, the continued disregard of conditions set up by the union (e.g. the condition requiring Lufthansa to stop further recruitment of temporarily staff) was not headed by the airline. This could thus mean that the distrust between the two parties worsened. The second issue that the m anagement at Lufthansa failed to address appears to be affective; specifically, it would appear that a significant number of employees represented by both the UFO and Ver.di unions were demoralised by the management’s decision not to increase wages within a two-year period, while increasing the work periods by an hour. While the aforementioned measures were meant to be the employees’ contribution to the airline during the hard economic times, it seems the decision to implement them was not discussed and agreed upon by a majority of the employees. As such, a significant percentage of them felt that the management decision was imposed on them. The strikes, which the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) at Lufthansa Stefan Lauer says are occurring at a three-months frequency, can thus be interpreted to be an indication that the management have been unsuccessful in convincing employees why the austerity measures are beneficial for both the airline and its employees in the long-te rm. The third factor which Lufthansa failed to address is related the morality of the strikes. According to CPO Stefan Lauer (cited by the Associated Press 2013), the union (ver.di and UFO) that have been pushing for increased wages for their members are motivated by a desire to improve their positions in the fragmented union landscape. In other words, Lauer is arguing that the unions understand quite clearly the reasons why wage increments and other demands placed on the airline cannot be met in the short-term, but their desire to gain credence among the employees they represent is blinding them. While Lufthansa may argue about the morality or lack thereof of the strike organised by unions, it would appear that the management has been adamant in its non-recognition that employees may have genuine issues that need to be addressed. The fourth and perhaps the most important factor that Lufthansa failed to deal with is distrust. Media is awash with news about the tough times faced by a irlines. This means that Lufthansa workers had an understanding of the economic pressures that their employer was facing. The fact that some employees are still clamouring for wage increments is an indicator that perhaps they do not believe that their employer’s financial situation is dire. As indicated elsewhere in this paper, it is not the intention of the employee to bankrupt their employers; after all, most employees understand that their job security is related to continued profitability of the firm. Notably, Lufthansa has indicated that wage increments would jeopardise its future plans to invest more fuel efficient aircrafts (Redl 2013). The question therefore begs, do the employees understand that fuel efficient aircrafts would benefit them, or do they perceive the short-term austerity measures as strategies to benefit their employer in future at their short-term expense? Clearly, such is a question that would clear the air of distrust that exists between Lufthansa and its employees. Possible solutions/ discussion The first possible solution involves Lufthansa compromising its current position and agreeing to the wage increment and working conditions improvements as demanded by the unions. Such an action would correspond to Gunderson’s (2001) views that in some cases, employers cannot concede to wage concessions, and even prefer layoffs, because they have information regarding their ability to pay, that the unions and the employees may not have. Again, such an argument refers to the asymmetric information argument, which Gunderson (2001) observes is a product of the principle-agent framework. The second possible solution involves Lufthansa upholding its stance and using legal means (as it has already indicated) to resolve the dispute. In the meantime, the airline would have to brace itself for occasional disruption to operations and consequent losses whenever the unions call for a strike. As indicated by Gunderson (2001), pleading inabilit y to pay is one way that employers can refuse to meet the high wage demands, and justify layoffs. Considering how costly strikes are, it would be generally understandable that employers would meet the pay demands (and other conditions) if its finances were in good shape; However, the fact that the organisation is absorbing costs occasioned by frequently strikes could arguably mean that the firm is honest in its inability to pay. The third solution would be negotiating for a new deal, which meets the employees in the middle (i.e. agree to some wage increments (ideally the amount should be less than the 5.2% demand by the unions). Already, Lufthansa has offered a 1.2 % wage increase offer with no job guarantees, but it would appear that the Ver.di union is not content with the offer’s contents. If negotiations fail, Lufthansa can table its final offer or state its final conditions, in which case the unions would either have to take or refuse the same. The fourth solution would probably follow British Airways (BA) response to the cabin crew strike led by the Unite Union. BA had responded by removing travel concessions from its cabin crew members who had participated in the strike, and subjecting some of them to disciplinary action. Additionally, the airline used volunteer crew, borrowed some from other airlines and chartered jets (BBC News 2011). During the 7-day strike in 2011, BA reportedly operated 58 percent of its short-haul flights and 79% of its long-haul flights (BBC News 2011). Although it operated below capacity during the seven days, it managed to send a clear message that no one is indispensable. As a result, some workers chose to work during the strike and by so doing, BA succeeded (albeit to a minor degree) in weakening the support that the union enjoyed from employees. Solution and implementation Considering the tough stance taken by both Lufthansa and Ver.di, it would appear that the third solution above (i.e. negotiating) a new deal is the most viable way of resolving the dispute. Before commencing the negotiations however, it would be advisable for Lufthansa to verify whether the strike by workers is as a result of information asymmetry or just a frantic measure by the employees to communicate their discontent and distrust towards the management. Lufthansa must also look into the possibility that Ver.di (and other unions) is using the strikes to remain relevant in a fragmented labour union environment. Whatever the case, Lufthansa must be willing to improve its communication with employees in order to make them willing to support the firm in its long-term strategies. For example, the firm must be willing to explain why the freezes on wage increments were necessary during the two-year period, and must also engage employees the decision to either scrap or uphold the one-hour-per-week work extension. Additionally, the management must specifically pay attention to work councils, because as Europa (2011, p. 8) indicates, they â€Å"are the main form of employee representation at the establishment level†. Engagement with the councils would thus provide a platform from where Lufthansa can address employee concerns in a manner that improves information sharing and trust levels. Through the councils, the management can attempt to appeal to personalities, while reiterating the need to develop citizenship behaviours. According to Ilies et al. (2009), employees who feel valued by the employer are more likely to exhibit good citizenship behaviours, and are even more likely to be satisfied in their jobs even when wages increments are not forthcoming. Ilies et al. (2009) observe that agreeableness and conscientiousness is more evident in organisations with high rates of job satisfaction. Notably, however, job satisfaction is the result of careful development of a deliberate organisational culture, which in addition to enhancing satisfaction, improves other employee dimensions such as performance, comm itment, strategy implementation and cohesion (Lund 2003). Justification It is widely agreeable among scholars that there are no final or definitive solution to the challenges and problems that organisations face. However, Lund (2003) indicates that the dynamics of organisational behaviour requires managers to recognise and separate the bad ideas from the good. Additionally, Lund (2003) observes that managers need to know when to be artful and when to be scientific. In Lufthansa, it would appear that the scientific approach to handling and appealing to employees to support the firm during the tough economic times is not working. Threats do not seem to be working. As such, perhaps it is time that Lufthansa tried to be artful. Effective communication and convincing employees that their future in the company depends on the short-term austerity measures is an ideal way to start. Adopting a cooperative approach towards resolving disputes would also be a wise idea for adoption by the Lufth ansa management. Notably, Lufthansa is not lacking lessons from its past, which it can learn from. In 1999 for example, the airline signed a pay agreement with its employees, which indicated the commencement of wage increments after years of stagnation following its 1991/1992 operational crisis. The years between 1992 and 1999 were termed as â€Å"years of sacrifice† since the firm had to restructure for purposes of enhancing its profit-making potential (EuroFound 2002, p. 13). The eight-year period portrayed that successful labour relations are possible if both parties (employees and employers) understand each other, and share similar goals (at least in helping the organisation to regain its footing in the market). Of special interest to the current management at Lufthansa would probably be the combined use of labour relations, personnel policy and management strategy in the restructuring years as indicated by EuroFound (2002). The smooth relations between the management and the employees (despite heavy union presence at the time) was according to EuroFound (2002, p. 13), a product of the â€Å"traditionally co-operative, consensual and relatively peaceful labour relations at Lufthansa†. The use of the word ‘traditionally’ in the foregoing quote creates the impression that labour relations at Lufthansa have not always been confrontational as witnessed since 2008. Ideally, such information should provide the current management with thought-provoking lesson. Ideally, the management should find out when and why labour relations changed from being â€Å"cooperative, consensual and relatively peaceful† as indicated by EuroFound (2002, p.13), to the current approach where work stoppages have become a regular occurrence. Conclusion From the literature review, and the findings of this research, it is clear that both Lufthansa and employees have valid reasons to their divergent views and positions. On one hand, the management at Lufth ansa has the right to protect the investors’ interests by upholding a wage bill that is within its ability to pay. Employees on the other hand have a right to petition their employer for wage increments and improved working conditions. Both parties are aware of the tough operating environment that airlines face, but it would appear that the employees do not believe their employer’s claim about inability to pay. As indicated herein, it could also be that employees are out to bankrupt the employer, or the unions are just using the strikes to remain relevant. Whatever the case, it would appear that the relationship between Lufthansa and its employees is fraught with distrust. Notably and as indicated in the discussion section, Lufthansa has several approaches with which it can resolve the labour relations problems it is currently facing. The approach Lufthansa takes must be based on the recognition of the important role that its human resource function plays. However, it must also balance the needs and wants of its human resource with the business objectives of the company. In other words, the company needs to embrace a solution that will guarantee its sustainability. One such approach is negotiating a new deal, whose main premise will be founded on trust and transparent sharing of information. References Associated Press 2013, ‘Lufthansa cancels about 1,700 flights amid strike’, The Montana Standard. Web. BBC News 2011, ‘QA: What’s the BA dispute about?’ BBC News Business. Web. BBC News 2012, ‘Lufthansa cancels flights as crew stage second strike’, BBC News Business. Web. Bryson, A. 2001, ‘The foundation of ‘partnership’? Union effects on employee trust in management’, National Institute Economic Review, vol.176, no.1, pp. 91-104. 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The Hindu Business Line 2013, We will not risk long-term growth for short-term harmony: Lufthansa finance chief. Web. Tracy, J. S. 1987 , ‘An empirical test of an asymmetric information model of strikes’, Journal of Labour Economic, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 149-173. This research paper on Organisational Issues at Lufthansa Airlines was written and submitted by user Kelsey Buckley to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.