Abstract
The paper explores how it is possible that an organization like Taco Bell performs so well in terms of profitability, locally and globally. To address this question, the paper focuses on the challenges Taco Bell faces in three key business areas: staffing, training and compensation. The paper analyzes each area and offers a plan or recommendation for how Taco Bell may overcome challenges it faces in each of the three business areas.

From the Paper
"Fast food chains across the country have become synonymous with a number of less than flattering images: poor service and unhealthy food. The other image that exists in the minds of millions, which is often not publicized is satisfaction. There is a reason that fast food giants like McDonald's, Burger King and Taco Bell are among the most profitable businesses in the nation - they satisfy a consumer need at a reasonable price point. There is an assumption in business that it is necessary to invest in employee training to increase employee loyalty, satisfaction and productivity (Barrick, Stewart, & Piotrowski, 2002). If this assumption is true, the success many fast food chains afford becomes somewhat of a conundrum."

Tags:taco, bell, business

Abstract
This paper provides a literature review that shows that benefits from a cohesive multicultural team may include an increase in productivity and innovation, enhanced competitiveness, the fostering of flexibility, superior commitment to the employer and the client. The paper finds that this research confirms the author's hypothesis that when managers implement positive practices to counter challenges that multi-cultural teams present, then a number of benefits naturally materialize.
The paper includes figures as well as a vast amount of research material.

Outline:
Abstract
Introduction
Literature Review
Discussion of Findings
Conclusion
Recommendations

From the Paper
"Nicole Johnson-Reece (2004), Vice President, diversity and community involvement of Cendant Corporation, Hotel Group, purports that to survive in any competitive environment, changes routinely have to be made to adapt to changes in the marketplace, whether that market be for a service or a particular product. In the article, "Developing an inclusive marketing strategy: Organizations that value diversity in their workplace and marketplace and support them with a focused marketing strategy will be industry leaders," Johnson-Reece points out that one primary changes occurring during the past 10 years is consumer behavior, and that "The US Census Bureau notes that American businesses are increasingly competing for the dollar of a much more culturally-diverse consumer segment than ever before" ( 1). In turn, organizations need to re-evaluate themselves and recognize the opportunity inherent in growing the multi-cultural customer base. This critical factor of evaluating and recognizing needs and opportunities to help nurture long-term success in an organization extend to managing today's culturally diverse workforce.
"According to the Business Wire report, "New joint venture focuses on it workforce and cross-cultural teams" (2007, for productivity to improve in today's culturally diverse workforce, organizations have to counter a number of multi-cultural challenges. This mandates that the organization "deliver custom training to address diversity and cross-cultural sensitivities for businesses that have multi cultural teams working together on projects" (New joint venture..., 2007, 2). When managers do effectively counter challenges common to multi-cultural team, the resulting well-functioning diverse teams contribute to increased innovation and productivity in the organization."

Tags:productivity, innovation, competitiveness, diversity, communication

Abstract
In this article, the writer argues that several serious challenges must be overcome within the next few years if American interests are to be well-served by those entrusted with accumulating information on the country's enemies and with formulating strategies for overcoming those enemies. The challenges include unimaginative policy-makers, an unwieldy bureaucracy, imperfect human resources management, the need for international collaboration in a day and age when America is deeply unpopular around the world, the unfortunate trend towards the politicization of intelligence-gathering activities, and slovenly knowledge management. The writer notes that while arguably none of them is any more important than the others, all of them, if taken as a collective, can lead to a paralysis of the intelligence community that might prove, quite literally, deadly. The writer concludes that American intelligence has a host of challenges, from unimaginative policy-makers, to bureaucratic inertia, to combating America's unpopularity overseas, to poor knowledge management, that must all be overcome as quickly as possible.

Outline:
Summary
References

From the Paper
"Another major challenge will be coming up with a more stream-lined decision-making process for all branches of government - not simply the CIA or FBI or any other explicitly intelligence-gathering department. This commitment to efficiency, as most can imagine, is vitally important when it comes to things like protecting American nuclear arsenals from successful infiltration or attack. According to the General Accounting Office, the Department of Energy took nearly two years to develop a new Design Basis Threat capable of accurately assessing the possible size and capabilities of terrorist forces - in no small part because the DOE's review and comment process for developing policy is cumbersome, to say the least. Clearly, one of the great challenges facing America today is coming up with a means by which the bureaucracy can be made to work more efficiently so that all those associated - even peripherally - with the intelligence community are responsive and flexible in a day and age when responsiveness and flexibility are desperately needed. All in all, given as the country's nuclear arsenals are so enticing to sophisticated terrorist outfits with considerable human and financial resources, streamlining the decision-making and implementation process (particularly with regards to things like DBT development) is simply imperative."

Tags:information, knowledge, enemies, strategies

Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that in today's global business environment, companies have unprecedented access to markets around the world. The writer points out that though there are many advantages to globalization, companies must be prepared for the challenges that it presents as well. The writer maintains that in order for a company to succeed in a global market, a company must develop and follow a carefully planned strategy. This involves three challenges that are associated with a global market: building customer loyalty, retaining intellectual property rights and securing information systems. This paper explores the importance of these top business challenges and suggests methods by which companies can overcome them.


Outline:
Introduction
Challenge 1: Building Customer Loyalty
Ways to Overcome Challenge 1
Challenge 2: Protecting Intellectual Property in a Global Environment
Ways to Overcome Challenge 2
Challenge 3 - Information Security Protection
Ways to Overcome Challenge 3
Conclusion

From the Paper
"The main goal of implementing a customer loyalty program is to prevent a company's existing customers from turning to its competition. The objective of any loyalty solution is to treat customers as if they are truly cared about and provide them with the products and services they seek at the right time and at the right place. With so many purchasing options, customers are savvy enough to detect a company with sub-par service and do not tolerate it."
"Every customer loyalty initiative should start on the front line with the customer service department, since they are in contact with customers on a daily basis. A business should employ a consistent customer service strategy that ensures that each customer receives a positive experience with the company. Customer service representatives must be empowered to not only answer inquiries and close sales, but to build customer relationships. To effectively create relationships with customers, representatives must be equipped with CRM databases to know the customer's history and provide the most relevant offer, have the authority to make business decisions in the best interest of the customer, and be enthusiastic to establish a genuine bond with the customer."

Tags:global, challenges, market, system, customer

Abstract
The paper argues that several serious challenges - unimaginative policy-makers, an unwieldy bureaucracy, imperfect human resources management, the need for international collaboration in a day and age when America is deeply unpopular around the world, the unfortunate tend towards the politicization of intelligence-gathering activities, and slovenly knowledge management - must be overcome within the next few years if American interests are to be well-served by those entrusted with accumulating information on the country's enemies and with formulating strategies for overcoming those enemies. The paper contends that all of these challenges - if taken as a collective - can lead to a paralysis of the intelligence community that might prove, quite literally, deadly. The paper emphasizes that "thinking outside the box" and modern management techniques are absolutely needed.

From the Paper
'The following paper will argue that several serious challenges - unimaginative policy-makers, an unwieldy bureaucracy, imperfect human resources management, the need for international collaboration in a day and age when America is deeply unpopular around the world, the unfortunate tend towards the politicization of intelligence-gathering activities, and slovenly knowledge management - must be overcome within the next few years if American interests are to be well-served by those entrusted with..."

Tags:greatest, challenges, intelligence

Abstract
This paper discusses Harry S. Truman's life, as well as his history as a politician. The paper provides a background to his life, but focuses on his achievements as President of the United States. It also discusses Truman's first notable act as President, which was also his most notorious - the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945. In addition, the paper describes Truman's other achievements and focuses on the challenges that he had to overcome as president.

From the Paper
"Arthur Schlesinger Sr., the Harvard historian, was noted for (among other accomplishments) his polling of other historians and scholars in order to arrive at a list of "rankings" or ratings of the greatest Presidents in United States history; he conducted such polls in 1948 and again in 1962. His son, Arthur Schlesinger Jr., has followed in the footsteps of his father by conducting an updated poll in 1996. While some critics have noted that the great variance in presidential ranking polls may suggest that they are more subjective than objective (cf. Dean), Schlesinger's placement of Truman at number seven on his list of greatest Presidents may well be a testimony to the difficulties that Truman had to overcome during his two terms in office, and his strong personal intention to do what was necessary to get the country back on a peacetime footing in the face of a brewing Cold War (Schlesinger 179.) Given the subjective nature of such polls, there is no guarantee that Truman will remain in this position in future polls, as history has a way of being reinterpreted and placed into new contexts as new information comes to the surface with the passing of years; as a result, new and fuller perspectives may be expected to arise."

Tags:atomic bomb, politician, vice president, Roosevelt

Abstract
This research paper is a detailed description of the various challenges facing the National Bank of Kuwait. The paper identifies the major HR challenges that the bank will be faced with in the future, and ways through which the challenges can be overcome. It includes a detailed literature review which analyzes the specific areas which are critical to the employees of the bank. The paper also discusses methods and methodologies applied in the research to verify the data. The paper finds that the main challenges facing by the human resource department are due to the globalization and due to the implementation of the new advancements of the information technology. Further, the paper finds that this research will help HR identify the issues that need to be solved.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1
Introduction
About NBK
Background for Research
Aims and Objectives of the Research
Rationale for the Research
Chapter-2
Literature Review
Aim & Base of Literature Review
Technical Efficiency
Competitive Pressure
Individual Expertise
Growing Training Needs
Globalization Issues & Economic Crisis
Employee Relationship
Change Management & Resistance
Bureaucracy
Summary
Chapter-3
Methods & Methodologies
Placement of Aim within Methodological Position
Motivation & Intention of Research
Research Methods
Principles Guiding Methods
Weighing Methods of Data Collection
Sample, Analysis & Response Rate
Summary9
Chapter-4
Findings
Addressing Aim of Research
Background Data
Finding of Technical Efficiency
Findings of Competitive Pressure
Findings of Individual Expertise
Finding for Training Needs
Findings of Globalization and Economic Crisis
Findings of Employee Relationship
Findings of Change Management & Resistance
Findings of Bureaucracy
Summary
Chapter-5
Discussion
Addressing Aim of Research
Relation of Most Prevalent Results with Technical Efficiency
Relation of Most Prevalent Results with the Competitive Pressure
Relation of most Prevalent Results with Individual Expertise
Relation of Most Prevalent Results with the Training Needs
Relation of most Prevalent Results with Globalization Issues and Economic Crisis
Relation of most Prevalent Results with Employee Relationship
Relation of most Prevalent Results with Change management & resistance
Relation of most Prevalent Results with Bureaucracy
Summary of Agreement & Disagreement between Literature & Findings
Chapter-6
Conclusion
Restatement of Aim
Results Speaking Aim & Objectives
Reflect on Results and expectations
Personal reflections & Acknowledged Limitations
Contribution to New Knowledge
Recommendations: Costing & Post Implement Action Plan
References

From the Paper
"The female workforce in Kuwait is also not efficient to utilize them for the new challenges of the business environment. The attitude of the workforce for particular kind of jobs is also not favorable for the challenging jobs. With the move of the 21st century the human resource in Kuwait will face more critical challenges due to increasing advancement and competition level in the business sector. These problems are more critical in the banking sector as this sector demands for more skilled and technically expert employees to perform the financial services accounted by the banking systems."

Tags:human resources, banking, international business

Abstract
This paper examines how the title of James P. Sterba's work "Three Challenges to Ethics: Environmentalism, Feminism, and Multiculturalism", considers the three major new paradigms offered to oppose 'traditional' forms of ethical thought. The paper discusses how the book provides a broad introduction to many ethical systems and prominent theorists within those systems. The pape maintains that the book is never able to overcome the challenge of defining 'traditional ethics' in such a schematic way, or confining those who would oppose traditionally ethical systems into neat categories.

From the Paper
"However, Sterba does make an important point that many new philosophies have injected new concepts into old ethical debates, like the rights of non-human entities such as the planets. Environmentalism requires humans not to see their concerns and needs, even their ethical needs, as the center of the universe. It can be difficult to think of the future of the planet when coming to a moral calculus of a situation, when traditionally only the rights of human actors might be called into question by an ethicist. Taking a more future-oriented strategy in general is required of an environmentalist approach to ethics. But Sterba believes that fundamentally the ethical concept of proportionality is consistent with both traditional ethics and the new environmentalist ethics. For example, hunting for ivory does proportionately far more harm to all living beings than it does to help poor humans, while using animals in other ways might be ethically justified and thus permissible for either an environmentalist or a traditional ethicist who places human rights before animal rights (Sterba 37). "

Tags:human, rights, planet, Westerners

Abstract
This paper is a research proposal to investigate whether rural health care facilities overcome the ongoing challenges to provide quality medical care to their communities. The author provides background information leading up to this question as well as a recommendation for future studies and some diagrams of interest.

Content:
Context of the Problem
Statement of the problem
Research Questions
Rationale of the Research
Significance of the Study
Methodology
Literature Review
Recommendations of the Research

From the Paper
"Twenty-five percent of the total population in the United States are living in rural areas and compared with urban Americans and healthcare facilities in rural areas generally serve low-income, the elderly, and individuals who are less informed and armed with less knowledge concerning health care prevention measures. Moreover, rural individuals accessing healthcare in rural facilities face barriers to healthcare such as fewer doctors, hospitals and health resources in generation and face difficulty in accessing health services.
"Hospital closures and other market changes have adversely affected rural areas, leaving State and Federal policymakers, and others concerned about access to health care in rural America. Considerable changes in the health care delivery system over the past decade have intensified the need for new approaches to health care in rural areas. Managed care organizations, for example, may not be developed easily in rural areas, partly because of low population density."

Tags:clinical, downsizing, under-insured, benefits

Abstract
This paper focuses on Kosovo's extremely high unemployment rate, which was estimated at 43% in 2008. The paper explains that the political instability and violence in Kosovo triggered its phenomenal unemployment rate, and contributes to Kosovo's citizens routinely migrating out of their country for economic reasons. Due to the current economic crisis, the paper notes, approximately 37% of Kosovo's citizens, known as the poorest in Europe, live below the poverty line. The paper ultimately proves the hypothesis for this qualitative study - if entrepreneurs and SMEs overcome barriers and gain a financial foothold in Kosovo, then the survival and success of these economic entities will likely stimulate considerations of long-term investments by foreign direct investors, consequently moving Kosovo from a country in transition to an economically stable nation. This paper contains illustrative figures, charts, and graphs.

Outline:
Introduction
Study Background
Study Area
Hypothesis
Research Questions
Significance of the Study
Dissertation Structure
Chapter I: Introduction
Chapter II: Review of the Literature
Chapter III: Methodology
Introduction
Kosovo's Transitional Status
Barriers Confronting Entrepreneurs and SMEs
Strategies to Strengthen Businesses
Future Economic Transitions
Introduction
Method Used
Methods and Techniques
Chapter IV: Analysis
Introduction
Kosovo's Transitional Status
Barriers Confronting Entrepreneurs and SMEs
Strategies to Strengthen Businesses
Future Economic Transitions
Chapter V: Discussion, Conclusions and Recommendations
Introduction
Discussion
Conclusions
References

From the Paper
"Despite the high consumption-to-GDP ratio, the majority of Serbs and Albanians continued to live in poverty. Most Albanian and Serb inter-household consumption, as well as the inter-community variations in average consumption, however were explained by non-economic (and hence unobserved) household characteristics, which denotes serious implications for political rapprochement between the two communities. In the absence of specific policy targets for the UNMIK to utilize in a transparent manner to foster economic parity between the Serbs and Albanians, each of the two ethnic groups may refuse to subscribe to a lasting peace negotiation, citing unfair or unequal treatment. As outside forces are not able to effectively address the problem of between-group disparity, this consequently also reduces the credibility of any commitment from either group regarding a "fair" distribution of Kosovo's resources.Bhaumik (2007) reports that the current political strife in Kosovo involving the Serbs and Albanians [leading to Kosovo's transition state] can be traced back to 1948" (Artisien, as cited in Bhaumik 2007, p. 7). Kosovo, slightly larger than Delaware, part of the Balkan peninsula, located in Southeast Europe, between Serbia and Macedonia, encompasses 10,887 square kilometers. A 2007 survey estimates the population of Kosovo to total 2,126,708, with a labor force of approximately 832,000 (Kosovo 2008)."

Tags:Croatian, Serbian, Eastern, Europe, economy