Problem Solving within the Workplace Executive Summary
– Using a current or past employment experience OR a company that you are significantly familiar,
– identify either an employee PERFORMANCE or COMMITMENT problem
Problem Solving within the Workplace
– Using the content from two other chapters in the textbook (see specific topics listed below), analyze what you believe could be the CAUSES of this problem
– Then, by applying what you have learned from the course content and your own outside-the-box thinking, provide a list of SPECIFIC solutions/suggestions that a manager could do to FIX the performance or commitment problem.
– The final paper must be 1,000 words (excluding title page and references)
– Will be graded 80% on content, 20% on writing quality
Problem Solving within the Workplace Details on Problem Solving Paper
This assignment asks you to apply one topic from the course to attempt to solve a specific problem that exists in
an organization with which you are familiar. That problem should center on either a job performance (as described in CHAPTER 2) issue or an organizational commitment (as described in CHAPTER 3) issue. The final paper should be 1000 words in length (all inclusive).
Your paper can focus on either a current or past employer of yours, or some other company with which you have significant familiarity.
What’s needed is some knowledge of the inner workings of the company–its struggles, its strengths, its climate, and so forth. Your FINAL paper (due at the end of the semester) should include the following four sections:
Problem Solving within the Workplace Final Paper Sections
1) Organization – Provide just enough details on the company for me to be able to understand the problem that will be described. Resist the urge to provide irrelevant details and feel free to omit or disguise any details that might be sensitive in nature. (I will take off points if you spend too much time on this section)
2) Problem – Describe, specifically, one problem that the company is struggling with that will serve as the focus of the paper. That problem should center on either a job performance issue or an organizational commitment issue. Resist the urge to discuss multiple problems–focus on one specific issue with which the organization is struggling. Be sure to focus on a problem that can be impacted by the topics that are to be covered by the rest of the course content.
3) Topics – Choose TWO topics from the list below (from at least TWO different chapters in the textbook), and apply those topics to the problem.
a) Describe very specifically how the concepts, principles, and findings represented in the topic actually matter to the problem, and
b) How they can be leveraged to articulate a solution.
• Value-percept theory (job satisfaction)
• Job characteristics theory (job satisfaction)
• Challenge-hindrance stressors (stress)
• Expectancy theory (motivation)
• Goal setting theory (motivation)
• Equity theory (motivation)
• Psychological empowerment (motivation)
MAN 4151: DETAILS REGARDING FINAL PROBLEM-SOLVING PAPER
• Cognition-based trust (trust & justice)
• Justice (trust & justice)
• Ethical decision making (decision-making)
• Cognitive ability (ability)
• Emotional intelligence (ability)
• Team processes (team processes)
• Types of power (leadership power)
• Transformational leadership (leadership styles)
4) Recommendations-Provide a list of very specific recommendations/ action steps that flow out of the discussion of your two topic(s) and that can help solve the problem. (You will lose points if the suggestions aren’t specific enough for a manager to actually implement). In thinking about how to craft the topic into those recommendations, strike a balance between being practical and being bold. Every organization has key constraints that need to be taken into account when designing interventions. Although those should be considered, resist the urge to “play it safe”, as that tendency often leads to modest interventions that are ultimately ineffective.
Beyond the parameters above, please bring your own self-expression, initiative, and creativity to the content and style of the paper. 80% of the paper grade will revolve around content issues, with 20% revolving around writing style issues.
International Hospitality as a Business Environment Issue
Please discuss how international hospitality is a political, social and economic issue. Choose one country and discuss how it endeavors to encourage hospitality development while at the same time dealing with each one of these issues. Be sure to use specific examples in your discussion.
Expectation: It is expected that your answer will be approximately 500-750 words in length (one page to one and one-half pages, single-spaced, 12 point font) and will use a minimum of 3 cited sources from either refereed or reliable industry trade publications. Please be sure to use in-text citations and include a reference list at the end of the question.
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Life Work and Relevance of Emile Durkheim Here’s what we were provided with by the professor
-Research Emile Durkheim’s bio and major works done (theories, research)
Life Work and Relevance of Emile Durkheim
-Use at least three peer reviewed articles and two primary sources (books, journals, articles)
-Using existing theory/research please write and provide at least two examples of how this concept is relevant today in our society.
-In your paper include sections on Bio, theory/research, today’s relevance, and MLA works cited. Émile Durkheim, (born April 15, 1858, Épinal, France—died November 15, 1917, Paris), French social scientist who developed a vigorous methodology combining empirical research with sociological theory.
Quantitative Analysis for the Hospitality Industry
Quantitative Analysis for the Hospitality Industry Final Individual Assignment
Hospitality industry investors analyze a variety of indicators when making investment decisions. Students in this course have looked at a variety of key
markers in this course and your responses to assignments 1 and 2 were well delivered and salient in your critical development and thinking.
Investors and stakeholders review the Annual Report of a public company for a variety of reasons. Investors want to evaluate the current state of the
industry, the financial viability of a company, real estate financial stability of their investments, economic outlook and a variety of additional indicators that will influence future investment decisions. Stakeholders want to be reassured that their company is viable and its growth and strength continues to show future growth and market share development to strengthen the future of the company.
Quantitative Analysis for the Hospitality Industry and Literature Review
All of you provided a great analysis of the industry and your recommendations were based upon the Four Seasons Hotels Quarterly report of 2004. In this assignment, you will review the literature placed by Marriott
Hotels International Annual 2016 Report which will serve as a template in response to the following questions that will be presented to you.
You will write a minimum of three pages (3) (single space) analysis/report based on the information obtained from Marriott Hotels International Inc. This is a business report that you are providing to your company based on the following analysis and parameters established by you. Please make sure that you cut and paste each question in your report as this is considered a business evaluation to senior management of your company or company that you are representing.
Your organization is evaluating real estate appraisals to make a business decision whether to invest in Marriott’s growth or not.
Quantitative Analysis for the Hospitality Industry Question Format
Each question should be
formatted as a subtitle of your report:
1) Explain in your introduction (using your own words) what is the purpose of an annual report?
2) Marriott International is a global brand with a number of powerful brands under its umbrella. What is Marriott’s purpose for diversification of brands?
Intro.
3) In your opinion, what is the role of an Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board and the President and Chief Executive Officer for Marriott? P.2
4) What is the purpose of performance highlights and what was the outcome of RevPAR for Marriott Hotels? P. 2
5) Please look at the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, and Africa regions and give a small explanation as to which area is a) doing well, b) which one has greater potential and c) which one is lagging behind and explain? P. 4-8
6) Highlight the potential risks and uncertainties to the Marriott brand. You may provide as many examples as needed to make your case P.3
7) What are the major operational risks that could affect the brand and explain? P.3-4
8) Development and Financial Risks are used in the Appraisal process of a hotel. Please review and develop an analysis of Marriott’s development and
financial risks and provide with a recommendation for the brand’s continued development. P. 5-6
9) Under “other risks” please explain the definition of a timeshare (we have not discussed this in class but you will need to research this concept as it
pertains to real estate appraisals), and the risks associated with the Marriott brand. P.7 and 11
10) In your own words please identify the highlights of the “Lodging Results” and explain P. 10
11) Please explain where revenues increased in 2012 from 2011 and explain the reasons why do you believe that this happened? P 13
12) Review revenues from 2010, 2011 and 2012 and provide me with your own analysis as to where you see Marriott’s increase for 2015. This is YOUR OWN
FORECAST and we will not see results until the Annual Report for 2013 is published. P. 13-19. You must review all aspects as indicated in pages 13-19. This will affect real estate appraisal and real estate values for Marriott International.
Quantitative Analysis for the Hospitality Industry Introduction
Explain in your introduction (using your own words) what is the purpose of an annual report? Describe and explain 5 points
Marriott International is a global brand with a number of powerful brands under its umbrella. What is Marriott’s purpose for diversification of brands?
Intro. Describe and explain 5 points
In your opinion, what is the purpose of an Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board and the President and Chief Executive Officer? P.2 Describe and explain 9 points
What is the purpose of performance highlights and what was the outcome of RevPAR for Marriott Hotels? P. 2 Describe and explain 9 points
Please look at the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, and Africa regions and give a small explanation as to which area is doing well, which one has greater potential and which one is lagging behind? P. 4-8 Describe and explain 9 points
Highlight the potential risks and uncertainties to the Marriott brand. P.3 Describe and explain 9 points
What are the major operational risks that could affect the brand? P.3-4 Describe and explain 9 points
Development and Financial Risks are used in the Appraisal process of a hotel. Please review and develop an analysis of Marriott’s development and financial risks and provide with a recommendation for the brand’s continued development. P. 5-6 Describe and explain 9 points
Under “other risks” please explain the definition of a timeshare (we have not discussed this in class but you will need to research this concept as it pertains
to real estate appraisals), and the risks associated with the Marriott brand. P.7 and 11 Describe and explain 9 points
In your own words please identify the highlights of the “Lodging Results” P. 10 Describe and explain 9 points
Please explain where revenues increased in 2016 from 2015 and explain the reasons why do you believe that this happened? P 13 Describe and explain 9 points
Review revenues from 2010, 2011 and 2012 and provide me with your own analysis as to where you see Marriott’s increase for 2013. This is YOUR OWN FORECAST
and we will not see results until the Annual Report for 2013 is published. P. 13-19. You must review all aspects as indicated on pages 13-19. This will
affect real estate appraisal and real estate values for Marriott International.
Generation Y Hospitality Consumer in Macau To investigate how the price factor influences the Generation Y hospitality customer decision making in Macau. Objective:
Generation Y Hospitality Consumer in Macau
To
review the literature on the hospitality customer decision-making process. To examine the factors influencing Generation Y when
making decisions. To analyze how important the price factor is to Macao Generation Y. To provide a possible recommendation for
the hospitality industry in their pricing strategy. This study aims to investigate generational disparities of Chinese Generation (Gen) X and Y tourists by examining their loyalty determinants in a luxury hotel setting. A survey of five-star hotel guests in Macau yielded 285 complete responses.
the essay should answer the following with a focus placed on the hospitality industry:
What is meant by the term aesthetic labour? Identify an interactive service occupation and discuss why the industry recruits feminized labour oftentimes with intersecting identities (e.g. age, class,racialised background)? Do these workers experience discrimination (e.g.double-standards sexual harassment) in their occupation? Explain why this
happens.
references to be used in the essay
Employee experience of aesthetic labour in retail and hospitality by: Chris Warhurst & Dennis Nickson
the “Right” Person for the Job: Exploring the Aesthetics of about within the Events Industry by: Katherine L Dashper
Emotional intelligence and emotional labour acting strategies among frontline hotel employees. International journal of Contemporary Hospitality, 1029 – 1046
“Gender, Global Labor Markets, Commodity Chains, and Mobilities: Globalizing Production and Reproduction” by: Heidi Gottfried
Serving People: Gender and Services in the New Economy” by: heidi Gottfried
SAMPLE ANSWER
Aesthetic labor in hospitality
The concept of aesthetic labour
According to Warhurst and Nickson (2007), aesthetic labor refers to the aspect of recruiting, selecting, developing, and deploying physical and presentable features with the aim of bringing out a good and sound image. In addition, studies have established a certain level of classification within interactive service work, and distinctions have further been developed with regard to requisite aesthetics which echo a company’s market dimensions, brand strategies and its appeal to different groupings of consumers. Thus, employees in such hospitality industries as restaurants, bars, style cafes and designer retailers need to have aesthetic skills as well as technical and social skills. The skills that most recruiters look for in aesthetic labor include: voice and accents, personal grooming, dress sense and style, and body language. According to Warhurst and Nickson (2007), the current trend in the hospitality industry has drawn so much attention on aesthetic skills as the vital requisites, and policy makers tend to favor this trend.
Aesthetic labor is required in service industries that are style-conscious as opposed to manufacturing industries due to various reasons. First, the production and consumption of services is simultaneous as opposed to manufacturing which does not happen simultaneously. Second, in service industries, there is a direct interaction between employees and customers. Service employees are considered as part of the product and their relationship with the customers and be described as intangible, spontaneous, continent and variable. These attributes imply that an effective service transaction will highly depend on the extent to which customers perceive the moods, personality, demeanor, and appearance of a firm’s employees. Whereas some companies have made attempts of replacing this uncertainty with technological advances such as automated systems and scripted call-centre encounters, other companies have invested a lot in employee training with the aim of delivering the employer brand image. The training process requires the employers to strictly manage and monitor the behavior and responses or emotional labour of employees. Other employees have resorted to recruiting and selecting ‘oven-ready’ employees with the right skills and attitudes for the jobs, by using competency-based selection procedures. Thus, the traditional understanding of ‘soft skills’ has been overtaken by the trending notion that sounding right and looking good are skills which are not easy to be trained into people. Nevertheless, recruiting employees in light of this assumption may potentially lead to discrimination (Warhurst and Nickson, 2009).
Aesthetic labour in the food industry
The food industry is greatly connected to the rapid growth in consumer culture. This field is unique in the sense that accessing employment basically depends on the personal traits and the ability to appeal to consumers. The job of an events manager or planner is to effectively reflect a future self to the customer.
According to Dashper, the service interactive industry can be described as a ‘customer-oriented bureaucracy’. Employees often encounter very challenging demands due to the dual and sometimes contradictory concepts of customer bureaucratization and orientation. The events industry is one of the interactive services where the concept of labor aesthetics has been successfully used in recruitment processes.
Research shows that although both customer-oriented and bureaucratized elements tend to be gender-neutral, they usually have deep gender inclinations. With regard to service quality, it is usually presumed that customers tend to have gender preferences. Most male consumers prefer the service of female employees. In the events industry, employers put greater emphasis on such personal attributes as honesty, friendliness, self-presentation, and sociability than technical skills and experience.
Employers in the food industry require employees to have the right personality. Most advertisements call for employees who are physically appealing, bright, confident, enthusiastic, dynamic, and proactive. There is a tendency of ‘lookism’, that is, discriminating employees on grounds of their appearance. Employees in the food sector are expected to look very appealing and thus, physical appearance really matters. Thus, younger females would be much preferred than older ones. In addition, women will be expected to dress in a certain manner that attracts customers. Employers tend to control the body posture, language, length of clothes, makeup, shoes, and the color and length of hair of the employees. For instance, women who serve as waitresses in restaurants or clubs are expected to dress seductively in mini-clothes, which is not consistent with Muslim dressing.
The manager is expected t be outgoing and confident (Dashper, 2013). This description matches the skills necessary for the role of people management, customer service, and client relationship building. Although these requirements seem to be ordinary for persons with knowledge and willingness to accommodate the demands of the role, there is usually a presumed reasoning that female employees would not be willing and able to travel for work and that men would not have such constraints.
Thus, work-related travels operate as a barrier for women into employment and a steppingstone to men’s employment. Female employees would also have the willingness and ability to take up work-related travels but gendered perceptions deny women such opportunities. The long, unsociable hours are also indicative of female discrimination, as women are assumed to take up child-bearing roles. In spite of the increasing societal changes with regard to gender equality, women are still majorly responsible for child care responsibilities. The employers in the events industry also expect employees to show willingness to work during unsociable hours and to travel. Thus, most management positions are left to men because of the gendered perceptions that men are more committed and willing to work in all forms of circumstances. Women, on the other hand, are perceived to be more suitable for the waiteress jobs because of the notion that they have higher potential to act in a friendly and deferent manner to customers than men (Gottfried, 2012).
Employees are expected to meet the expectations of employers by engaging in some form of emotional labor. For instance, McDonald’s employees are usually required to greet customers with a smile and friendly attitude irrespective of the employees’ own temperaments and mood at the time. Research indicates that this rigid observance of the rules potentially damages the identity and sense of self of the employees. Women tend to be overrepresented in these jobs because of the deference requirement, which is demanded of all people in disadvantaged structural positions (Warhurst and Nickson, 2009).
Aesthetic labor also has effects on women in the sense that it perpetuates the gender wage gap and occupational segregation. Job segregation refers to the methodical tendency for female and male employees to work in different occupations (Gottfried, 2012). Women often have less pay than their male counterparts working in the same job position. Aesthetic labor is one of the factors leading to occupational segregation. In particular, women are stereotyped as fit for jobs that require emotions in terms of care and empathy. The problem arises from the fact that women are never compensated for these emotional attributes as they are perceived as a sign of weakness. Women only get a small pay in comparison to men due to the notion that women’s work is not very demanding and that it does not involve a lot of struggle since emotional attributes are inherent in the female gene. The emotional demands of labor are not awarded as high as the cognitive requirements of the job.
Female workers also face double-standards discrimination due to the fact that some men misinterpret their display of smiling and show of friendliness as sexual invite. Women who work as waitresses in casinos are encouraged to exaggerate their affection and to act seductively in terms of their dressing, appearance and speech, and this increases their vulnerability to sexual harassment.
There is a tendency of aesthetic labor exhausting employees, and causing burnout over time. In addition, aesthetic labour may lead to reduced job satisfaction due to the pretences that come with it. The increased degree of employee regulation of their emotions at work is linked to increased levels of emotional exhaustion and lowered levels of employee job satisfaction (Kim et al, 2012).
In conclusion, aesthetic labor has both positive and negative consequences. On a positive side, aesthetic labor promotes positive interactions between the employees and customers. It leads to such positive outcomes as the customer’s willingness to return, recommend the company to others, and the tendency to appreciate the perception of overall service quality. Negatively, aesthetic labor leads to emotional exhaustion and burnout as well as reduced job satisfaction. It also promotes discrimination against female employees in terms of less pay and sexual harassment.
References
Gottfried, Heidi. Gender, work, and economy: unpacking the global economy. John Wiley & Sons, 2013.
Gottfried, Heidi. Serving People: Gender Services in the New Economy. John Wiley & Sons, 2012.
Kim, Taegoo, Joanne Jung-Eun Yoo, Gyehee Lee, and Joungman Kim. “Emotional intelligence and emotional labor acting strategies among frontline hotel employees.” International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 24, no. 7 (2012): 1029-1046.
Dashper, Katherine l. “The “right” person for the job: exploring the aesthetics of labor within the events industry.” Event Management 17, no. 2 (2013): 135-144.
Warhurst, Chris, and Dennis Nickson. “‘Who’s Got the Look?’Emotional, Aesthetic and Sexualized Labour in Interactive Services.” Gender, Work & Organization 16, no. 3 (2009): 385-404.
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Assignment tittle – Source and use information on the hospitality industry Again case study has two parts each one on 1 page thanks and photos 500 words
SAMPLE ANSWER
Hospitality industry
PART I
There are several employment opportunities for hospitality students that entail working in hotels, resorts and clubs, food and beverage industry, catering, facilities management, logistic management, travel and tourism, management consultancy among others (Casado, 2011). They can also work in the entertainment and leisure places such as casinos and theme parks. The roles and functions of persons who work in this industry include event planning and organization, housekeeping, bartenders, facility maintenance, management, marketing, and human resources. The hospitality management is highly interconnected with other industries such as tourism and aviation industry. This is because a good number of persons who utilize hospitality services are tourist and these persons need to fly from one zone to another. The hospitality industry is also interrelated with other industries such as banking and finance, transport, communication among others since their customers need to travel, communicate, and provide financial exchange for their quality services they are being offered. According to Costello and Hogan (2002), the hospitality commercial sector is highly profitable due to a good number of readily available customers. The location of the hospitality industry has a huge role to play in determining the levels of profits and losses realized by the organization. Professionalism is highly needed in this industry since most customers are very sensitive to the nature of the treatment and luxury they are offered.
The hospitality industry is also affected by some legal issues such as consumer protection law that protects the consumers from exploitation the hospitality providers (Larkin, 2009). The law also bases upon the providers of hospitality services the duty of care for all their customers to prevent possible harm. Since hospitality industry brings about people from all corners of the world, the law demands equal employment opportunity to guard against any possible discrimination against any jobseeker in the industry. This is also facilitated by the provisions of anti-discrimination that protects anybody from being exploited in the hotel industry (Hall, 2000).
The hospitality industry is also influenced by a number of ethical issues that guards against how operations are being conducted (Wellace, 2005). Confidentiality is one of the ethical issues that require that some issues needs to be kept secret. The hospitality industry also suffers from commissioning procedures that affects the number of customers that visits their areas of business at any one time. In some cases, especially during the holidays, the hotel industry suffers from overbooking, leading to lots of stress and strain in the manner in which they conduct their businesses. There is also the ethical aspect of price wars between the industry players that may determine the levels of profits or losses realized by the firm. In order to compete effectively, some players resort to free gifts to their customers and this may have negative effects on other players. The ethical aspect of tipping and product recommendations also affects the number of visitors who frequent any hospitality industry.
PART II A
Maitre ‘D is a very important person in the hospitality industry who is responsible for establishing a connection between the dining halls and the kitchen. Therefore, this person is involved in supervision of the waiting staff, welcoming guests, and ensuring that all the customers are well satisfied with their services. The employment opportunities for Maitre ‘D includes restaurants, lodges, hotels, cruise ships among others. The product he is responsible to make includes mixing salads, boning fish, and flambéing food. The potential clients of Maitre ‘D include everyday customers and important visitors (Patterson, 2008).
PART II B
In organizing a birthday party, I will ensure that all the invited members are well served with invitation cards to make it formal. I will try to define the dressing code and the time they are expected to arrive in the occasion. I will host the visitors in a premier location where they can feel comfortable and experience nature. A good variety of foodstuffs will be provides so that the entire visitors have a taste of whatever they want. I will then organize for entertainment through live performance of music so that everyone can have a pleasant experience.
References
Costello, H & Hogan, I. (2002). Codes of ethics in Hospitality and tourism. International Journal of Hospitality Management 2 (4) 243-268
Casado, M.A. (2011). Housekeeping Management. Wiley, end edition
Hall, J. (2000). Ethics in Hospitality Management. Prentice Hall
Pattersn, T. (2008). Ethical dilemma in the hospitality industry, Journal of Travel Research, 36 (4) 47-56
This is an first year Asian studies essay so it is not a high level one.
This essay must include the introduction and conclusion, and we will choose the question 5 as the topic which is ‘What distinguishes the Deng era from the Mao era in China? In what ways did Deng adhere to Mao’s policies and how did he change them? ‘
You don’t have to be too detailed in this essay but point out some strong points and find some reference to support them.
Thank you and I am looking forward a quality first year level Asian study essay cheers
SAMPLE ANSWER
Deng era vs Mao era
Introduction
The histories and cultures of Asia are very important in any Asian study as they provide some basic general knowledge and intellectual skills required to effectively study any one of the cultures. These usually include China, Japan, Korea, India, Thailand and many more. The religions of the people of the East Asia culture usually include Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto, and Zen Buddhism. The South Asian culture is majorly made up of Muslims. The Chinese Culture is one of the oldest in the World. It covers a large eastern Asia region, therefore customs and traditions vary greatly depending on the province, city, or town. Throughout history, many groups have either merged into other ethnicities or disappeared. The largest group, Han Chinese has managed to maintain traditions. Ever since the period of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, one or another Chinese Monarch has been the main ruler. These periods are usually similar in the sense that government and military officials are placed high in the hierarchy, while the rest are basically under the regular Chinese law. Ever since 256 BCE, the Chinese society was organized in various socio-economic classes (Chai 2003: 165). These are commonly referred to as four occupations (Zhang 2013: 450). Unfortunately, this hierarchical system was not effective as other social groups were left out. The distinctions between the groups also became confusing as the Chinese culture was commercialized during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE) (Chang 2014: 42). This paper will particularly focus on the Chinese Culture during the Deng and Mao eras. It will distinguish the differences between these two leaders as well as their similarities.
Distinguishing the Deng Era from the Mao Era
The Chinese regional policy has undergone decades of trials, adjustments and readjustments as is noted from Maoist re-distributive policies to Deng’s approach of the uneven development. Therefore, the policies implemented during the Mao era and Deng era is what can be used to distinguish the two periods. Other forms of development can also be used to achieve the same purpose; such as agricultural situations, political reforms and many more (Chang 2014: 49). The land reforms under Mao that took place between 1953 and 1978 were too many, a fact that proved there were failures in land policies during this time (Chai 2003: 167). Mao was basically experimenting different policies trying to figure out which one will prove effective. This was frequently not supported by the peasantry. For instance, the land reforms supported by Mao led to many landowners losing their lands to the states. This happened because farmers were advised to form cooperation’s, thus they were offered usage rights, but not ownerships of the land (Chang 2014: 43). This in turn greatly affected the agriculture economy at this time, as the absence of incentives resulted in poor productivity for workers.
The compensation offered for these workers in the collective farms was calculated through complex shared points systems. The fact that farmers knew the land belonged to the state also affected their productivity as it made them feel used (Goldman 2009: 664). The food they produced in the farms was sold to the state at fixed low prices compared to the price offered for the open market where other members of the public went to purchase them. Hence, these workers were forced to rely on government subsidies for survival. The infrastructure during the Mao era was poor, and the resulting transportation problems caused great loss as farmers could not move food to their homes without them spoiling. Gradually, the amount of food produced in the fields reduced as a result of poor land management. The chairmen of the collective cooperation’s pushed workers to work on the fields despite the soils being exhausted and water supply reducing drastically (Goldman 2009: 665). It was as a result of this low productivity that China experienced food shortages and famines. To improve the situation, Mao decided to facilitate programs for fertilizers and hybrid seeds. Unfortunately, they also had negative environmental effects.
The Deng era turned out to be a complete opposite of what was happening during the Mao era. In 1979, Deng started working on dismantling the controlled collectivism system (Goldman 2009: 670). He did so by encouraging the farmers to once again start working on their individual plots. Legislation was passed that farmers could employ laborers, and even sell surplus (Walder & Litao 2006: 357). Incentives were offered for peasants who were still not allowed to own land. Deng achieved this by offering them long-term and renewable leases, therefore they could use the land as their own for the given duration. Therefore, once again, order was achieved in China, where the state only expected to be offered part of the crops produced. As a result of this positive change to the reforms, agricultural productivity was once again improved. Farmers made great profits from the sale of rice, vegetables, sugar and many other products. Farmers became motivated to join hands, voluntarily, with other farmers. Thus, they were able to improve irrigation and the status of the roads.
Political reforms that took place during the Mao era proved to be more effective than any other issue this leader ever handled. In Mao’s view, he really hoped to develop a new China that was free from corruption, economically equal and respected all over the world (Dirlik 2012: 23). This is why, instead of focusing on individuals, he implemented a collective system. Therefore, during his era, corruption and disparity were reduced at high rates, but the economic and political vision did not turn out as expected. The Cultural Revolution that took place as a result of the Mao era led to a decade of violence and human suffrage. Mao launched this revolution in an attempt to reassert his authority over the Chinese government (Chai 2003: 170). He did this when he started doubting the loyalty of the other members, thus he called upon the youth to clear the country of impure elements. Deng was lucky as he got an opportunity to witness the mistakes of Mao, and thus make the necessary changes to improve the situation. Thus, another distinction between these two eras is that the Mao reign was full of economic and political failures.
Deng developed a reform, which gave the Chinese people mandate over their own property (Walder & Litao 2006: 362). He also stressed on economic development as well as social stability. Therefore, his reign facilitated a switch from planned economy to the market oriented economy. This approach is what greatly enhanced the economy of China. During this era, 170 million people were saved from poverty, the Chinese citizens’ savings bank increased from 21 billion Yuan to 4,628 billion yuan. This era, however was not all good. As Deng was focusing on righting the wrongs of Mao, he forgot to pay attention to other important factors such as corruption. This era led to the development of the entrepreneurial class. Thus, buildings were erected, and the town developed drastically. This was facilitated on the land that was supposed to be cultivated. Thus, there was degradation of a very precious land that would have been used for better purposes. This may be a contribution to the high levels of unemployment experienced in China. Mao’s era provided jobs and social welfare for most Chinese citizens, while the Deng era seems to have forgotten about them. Hence, during the reign of Mao, individuals were poorer, but at least they had jobs and did not feel so insecure economically. The Deng era presents a lot of fear as the people are afraid for their economic well being. This is because state leaders are misusing public money for their own benefits.
How Deng Adhered To Mao’s Policies and How He Changed Them
Deng managed to adhere to some of the policies passed by Mao, but he also took great effort to make changes to many others. These two leaders had a similar vision for the country; however, the approaches they took were somewhat different. One of the policies Deng adhered to was the one intended to improve agricultural and industrial production. As he was part of the government at the era of Mao, he got to learn a lot of things about the approach taken by this leader. This pushed him to make some changes to this policy, which he did by breaking the collective groups and encouraging farmers to work on their own individual lands (‘Sowing the Seeds of Democracy in China’ 1994: 174). In the situation where Mao was taking lands from individuals, Deng changed things by offering lands to individuals who lost what they owned during Mao’s era. Another way that Deng adhered to Mao’s policies can be seen by how the Peasants were still not given ownership, but instead they were offered rights to cultivate and benefit from the products through leases. The offering of renewable leases is how Deng changed this policy so that he could further enhance incentives for the workers. Thus, even though they were unable to get ownership to the land, they were given an opportunity to farm on it as if it was their own. This is because they only had to give a little percentage of their products to the state.
The policy of Mao that offered employment to all in the lands as workers, and offered them economic security is also another one that Deng changed. This caused worry to many individuals as they now had to suffer from high rates of unemployment, as well as the increasing risk of economic insecurity. By changing the collective policy, individuals had to find employment on their own and live off their hard work.
The military policies of Mao are also another example that Deng adhered to, though after making some changes. He first started by encouraging the criticism of the Cultural Revolution that was triggered by Mao. The public soon resented the revolution, and this led to its end. It was later replaced by the “Beijing Spring” that enabled people to peacefully communicate their grievances over the period (Xu 2014: 184). This made the other politicians with positions in the revolution to be weakened, while also strengthening the positions of others who were suffering at the time.
Deng continued with Mao’s vision of making China a unique and universally respected country. He understood that for the country to achieve the expected development, it would also mean developing the whole world. Thus, he made an effort to make amendments with other countries. As a result of this, he traveled to the West where he held meetings with various leaders. The country’s relationship with Japan was also improved. It was as a result of these efforts that Deng managed to obtain Hong Kong back from Britain, and colony Macau from Portugal (Xu 2014: 188). Deng did not try to improve the country’s relationship with the Soviet Union (Dirlik 2012: 27). This is also another way that he adhered to Mao’s policy.
Conclusion
The Mao era is very different from the Deng era in that the previous was greatly characterized by many problems. This however does not mean that it was all bad, as the reign of Mao also improved some conditions of the country. Deng managed to take Mao’s setbacks to his advantage as his first steps were to right the wrongs of this leader. Thus, the country managed to develop and improve economically and politically over a very short time. Just like any other leadership, Deng’s era was also challenged by various issues such as rise in unemployment rates, increased corruption that could not be controlled, and also misuse of fertile land. These, however, were not as great as the situation during the Mao era where workers felt misused, there was a decline in production, starvation, poor infrastructure, and also war where millions lost their lives.
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