Cross Cultural Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cross Cultural Management - Essay Example (David, 2002, ch2 p29) Just a hundred years back, Britain was a country on which the sun never set. The English language, British customs, traditions and food habits have now become an integral part of life in all her former colonies-all these being integrated into, and modified by local customs. The British character and customs at home, have also been, in their turn, influenced by this close interaction with other cultures. Officially, Britain is a Protestant state, i.e the British monarch is Protestant. The origin of this dates to the 16th century, when King Henry VIII divorced his queen, Catherine of Aragon. As the Pope in Rome did not recognise divorce, Henry declared the English Church free from the control of the Pope. Thus the Reformation of the Church in England was mainly based on the whim of a monarch. Henry then married Anne Boleyn (the second of a succession of six wives that he eventually managed to have!) Queen Elizabeth II, the present monarch is a direct descendant of Henry and Anne. This fact makes it a political necessity for the monarchy in England to officially be Protestant, as otherwise (if it reverted to being Catholic) the current monarch would become the descendant of an illegitimate child (the illustrious Queen Elizabeth I) of Henry's! While the 'official' religion in Britain is Protestant-Christian, the country is a multi-cultural one. "About 8% of the population of Britain (4 .6 million) today are people from other cultures and ethnicities"(Biddle). This includes religions other than Christianity and peoples other than Whites. A living example of the integration of other cultures into British life is the Notting Hill Carnival, which is Caribbean in origin. (Biddle) Coming to some common superstitious beliefs of the British: black cats are considered lucky, and greeting cards often have pictures of them; likewise, a four-leaf clover is considered a lucky find. A horseshoe over the door attracts favourable luck. But it has to be kept facing upwards, to prevent the luck from being drained out from below. Similarly there are actions that attract bad luck-walking under a ladder, spilling salt (you must throw some of the spilt salt over your shoulder to avert bad luck, breaking a mirror (an action that dooms you to seven years of bad luck, no less!) or passing someone on the stairs. (Biddle) The number thirteen is also considered unlucky (many buildings/ hotels do not have a thirteenth floor-the fourteenth floor comes after the twelfth!), and the thirteenth of a month, if it comes on a Friday, is considered an unlucky day. Coming to some social niceties-it must be remembered that the British are rather formal in their interactions. If you are invited to someone's home for dinner, it is considered 'polite' to arrive around fifteen minutes late, unless your invitation says 'sharp' (e.g. "seven sharp") (Biddle) You may receive an invitation to "drop in anytime." You are not expected to take that literally. You must call up a person before visiting. If you receive an invitation that says RSVP, you must reply stating whether you plan to attend or not. If you go to someone's home for a meal, a small gift of flowers or chocolates is considered polite though not mandatory; a thank you note or phone call afterwards is expected. (Biddle) British people can be a bit reserved unless you have been introduced to them. Striking up conversations in public transport (trains) is unusual. If you

Marketing Plan of Fairmont Empress Hotel Assignment

Marketing Plan of Fairmont Empress Hotel - Assignment Example The marketing team has analyzed the market segmentation and is committed to improving the consumer perception of the brand. The company hopes to increase the market share by a minimum of 20 percent in two years. The management has invested in talent reward management and competitive remunerations to reduce staff turnover rates. The strategic and management team of Fairmont Express Hotels and Resorts is also committed to the overall wellbeing of the local communities through CSR.     The Fairmont Express Hotels and Resorts are located in multiple cities across North America and many parts of the world. They include New York in the US and British Columbia in Canada. The facility offers breathtaking views of natural beauty and rich heritage owing to the fact that it is roughly a century old. This has early the hotel respect and customer perception of high standards. The hotel offers convention rooms, culinary experiences, a variety of foods and family vacation facilities among other s. The management has had to keep evolving to meet the changing demands of the growing market. The hotel has over hundreds of refurbished rooms which are fitted with modern technological features. The brand is established to give a high-end luxury impression to the market. Market situation The role of hospitality the world economy has been on the rise. The industry has been one of the most profitable with unprecedented growth rate. However, the market situation indicates that the market can perform better. Economic decline has had a negative effect on the market performance with the hotel and tourism industry being coerced to scale down. The hotel industry is faced by acute staff shortage during the peak seasons (Wood & Brotherton, 2008). Therefore, the industry is using incentives and reduces staff turnover rates and to ensure that they remain competitive. Hotel industries should segment markets into consumer groups that are homogeneous. Hotels like Fairmont Express target their ma rket segments carefully through identifying the differentiating advantages that attract each segment (Wood & Brotherton, 2008). This includes offering competitive prices and choosing qualified personnel. Implementing marketing segmentation demands proper strategies. Model hotels have to implement market segmentation in complex organizational environments minimal resources and customer legacy (Shoemaker et al, 2007). Market segmentation addresses the market situation directly since its one of the most basic marketing concepts. The hospitality industry is divided into leisure and travel. Research shows that growth is forecasted to drive the hotel industry to reach $640 billion in the coming years. The economic stability in North America has been attributed to the success of the hotel industry in American and Canadian hotels. The market situation has been boosted by the significant growth as a result of a slight decline in the cost of travel (David, 2005). Changing lifestyle and availa bility of leisure time as an integral part of life has increased the market share.  Ã‚