...Week 4 Assignment 1 Chick-fil-A International? Abstract Chick fil-A has developed into a very successful fast food chain in the United States, but this fast food company operates differently than almost any company, regardless of size. The fact that Chick-fil-A is a multi-billion dollar company makes the way that they operate domestically seem nearly impossible. Chick-fil-A’s operations and hiring methods do not come without controversy, however. We’ll take a look into their operations more closely as well as some controversy that surrounds the Chick-fil-A organization and some struggles Chick-fil-A will face as they plan to expand into the global market. History of the Company To fully explore the Chick-fil-A company, one has to develop a better understanding of the structure of the company. Chick-fil-A began in its infancy in 1946 when S. Truett Cathy opened a restaurant called “The Dwarf Grill” in Hapeville, GA. This is where Cathy allegedly invented the original boneless chicken sandwich. After several years of operating a successful restaurant in Hapeville, Cathy decided to begin branching out in the early 1960’s when he founded Chick-fil-A, Inc., which led to the first Chick-fil-A restaurant opening in 1967 in a mall in Atlanta. Since that time, Chick-fil-A has grown to over 1,500 company stores (note the intentional omission of the word “Franchises”) with annual revenues approaching $3.5 billion. Chick-fil-A has done this in a very unconventional way, as zero...
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...Today Chick-fil-a is one of the most well known fast food restaurants in America. But it was not always like this, this company began in a the suburbs of Atlanta as a grill called the “Dwarf Grill.” When the owner Truett Cathy began this chicken company he incorporated Christianity into it. From the very beginning the company was closed every Sunday, and solidly supported the bible and religion. And Chick-fil-a proudly stands on the same beliefs to this day. The vision of the original founder is that the company would remain under ownership of the Cathy family and therefore keep these religious beliefs apart of the company as long as it exists. Being close on Sundays is a policy that began when the original diner opened in 1946. This is because Cathy believed that Sunday’s are the Lord’s Day and you should not work on the Lord’s Day. Cathy’s policy is based on the bible, which says that Sunday is the day of rest and no work. This allows workers to have time to spend with their...
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...No Pregnant Chicks-Fil-A Chris McFarland University of Phoenix Professor Bailey SOC/315 7/21/2014 No Pregnant Chicks-Fil-A A description of the compliance issue that led to the lawsuit and its ramifications for the organization. Heather Morrison, a Charlotte North Carolina resident applied for a position at a local Chick Fil A in her hometown. Heather was 6 months pregnant when she was called into the Chick Fil A store for an interview with the store manager of Chick Fil A. During Heather’s interview the store manager consistently focused on the fact that Heather was pregnant and asked Heather numerous questions in regards to her pregnancy, questions concerning time taken of for the birth of the child and also asked questions concerning child care for her child in regards to interfering with her employment at Chick Fil A. 3 days after the inappropriate interview Heather received a phone call from the Chick Fil A Manager informing her that she would not be getting hired for the position and stated that she should call back after she has the child. Because Heather was discriminated against by the store manager, Heather filed a lawsuit against Chick Fil A for discriminating against her because she was pregnant. This has not only tarnished Chick Fil A’s image but they were forced to pay Heather $10,000 and undergo much scrutiny from the media and EEOC and also undergo annual training in regards to hiring practices and specifically the hiring or pregnant females...
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...Powerful national media, alongside social media interest was thrust upon the Chick-fil-A restaurant franchise approximately three months ago. According to Horovitz, B. USA TODAY (2012), this all occurred after the company’s president, Dan Cathy, gave his statement to a local religious publication on same sex marriage. He is quoted as saying, “guilty as charged” in supporting the biblical definition of the family unit. (para. 2) There was a huge back lash made at the Chick-fil-A establishments from the gay rights groups calling for boycotts, and the protestors also planned a same sex Kiss-in to be done at Chick-fil-A restaurants to express their disapproval of Chick-fil-A opposing views of same sex marriage. This story went viral on different social media sites, Chick-fil-A and its owner’s perspective on same sex unions have increased the public’s appreciation for our Constitution’s First Amendment. It was seen in the eyes of many people, that the President of this popular food establishment was entitled to his opinion, be it right or wrong, because Mr. Dan Cathy had his First Amendment to back his right to voice his disapproval of same sex marriage. This right also gave strength to the Chick-fil-A adversaries causing them to fight back with organized Chick-fil-A boycotts in hopes of causing financial distress due to loss of business. However, Chick-fil-A stood strong and continued with unaffected business and was in fact benefitting from the negative PR and their customer...
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...Chick- Fil- A and Same Sex Marriages Regina Antone-Smith BUS-7200/HRF-7001 Value Systems and Professional Ethics June, 6 2014 Jennifer Stephens Chick- Fil- A and Same Sex Marriages In the summer of 2012, the billionaire family behind fast food chain Chick-fil-A found themselves in hot water. It’s not every day that the leader of a big business steps into a national debate that has the potential to offend many of its customers. But Dan Cathy, president of the popular fast food chain Chick-fil-A, has done just that The fast food chains in-your-face Christian values it was Dan Cathy’s reaffirmation of his firm’s same-sex marriage stance that set off a wave of protests. Cathy admitted his anti-equality stance probably wasn’t a wise business decision, regretting making the company a symbol in the marriage debate. On the one hand, you could argue leaders of businesses, particularly private, family-owned ones, should be able to speak their minds. But when a business leader elects to take a public and vocal position on a hot-button political issue in an election year, he or she also risks losing the support of many of its customers. “Every leader goes through different phases of maturity, growth and development and it helps by (recognizing) the mistakes that you make,” Cathy said. “And you learn from those mistakes. If not, you’re just a fool. I’m thankful that I lived through it and I learned a lot from it( McGregor, J. (2012, July 19). Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy bites...
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...EEOC Presentation A press release was issued on behalf of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in regards to a federal lawsuit against a Concord, NC franchise restaurant Chick-fil-A. The lawsuit states that Heather Morrison was discriminated against for a job at the restaurant because she was six months pregnant at the time of interviewing for a job. According to the complaint filed by the EEOC, John Charping a manager at a local Chick-fil-A there in Concord, NC refused to hire Heather Morrison because of her pregnancy. Morrison stated that during the interview she was subjected to answer inappropriate questions about her pregnancy such as how many months she had been pregnant, her plans of childcare when the she delivers the child, and how much maternity leave will she require to take. Morrison stated that she felt the questions were inappropriate, but answered the questions because she wanted the job. According to the complaint, the owner of the restaurant called Morrison three days after the interview and informed her that she was no longer considered for the job and to call back after she delivered the child and childcare was in place ("Chick-Fil-A Faces Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit", 2013). The case, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. John Charping d/b/a Chick –fil-A at Concord Commons, Civil Action No.1: 13-CV-00535 was filed because of the violation of Title V11 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA). This act...
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...Marketing Management Group Project: Chick-fil-A Market Segments BUSI 520 – Strategic Marketing Management Trina Tindal Allen Liberty University . Market Segments Kotler and Keller define market segments as “a group of customers who share a similar set of needs and wants. They also identify the major segmentation variables as geographic, demographic, psychographic and behavioral segmentation” (Kotler & Keller, 2012, p. 214) There is a real need for market segmentation because different customers have different needs, and it is rarely possible to satisfy all customers by treating them alike. When you target a market, you are basically recognizing the fact that customers are different and have different needs. A respectable market segmentation will result in segment members that are as similar as possible within the segment, and as different as possible between segments. Variables to Segment Target Markets Geographic Segments Examples of geographic variables are regions, which include continent, country state and even neighborhoods; next there is size of metropolitan area segmented by population; then there is the density of the population, meaning is the target urban, suburban or rural; lastly, climate could be another segment. Demographic Segments Some demographic segmentation variables include: age, gender, generation, family size, income, occupation, education, ethnicity, and religion to name a few. Jayson DeMers, a Forbes Magazine contributor...
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...Overcoming Weaknesses and Threats to Succeed in a Competitive Market Company Analysis of Chick-Fil-A Each business has strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that contribute to the overall performance it achieves in a market. All companies vary in these four categories to create individual competitive advantages associated with its success and all companies strive for this competitive advantage. A competitive advantage occurs when an organization acquires or develops an attribute or combination of attributes that allows it to outperform its competitors. Chick-Fil-A is an excellent example of a business that uses a SWOT analysis (see Appendix A) to exhibit its strengths and opportunities, as well as overcome its weaknesses and threats to allow them an attainable competitive advantage in their industry. As with any organization, Chick-Fil-A faces threats in their industry; these range from the standard threats of Porter’s Five Forces Model (see Appendix B), to specific issues such as the negative publicity gained from the company’s stance on LGBT rights. Threats from one aspect, may also play a role as a strength for some companies. For example, Chick-Fil-A’s political stance on LGBT caused a wave of protests and a loss in a particular customer base, but it also showcased the strong company core values, which in turn skyrocketed the support of the Christian customer base. Dan Cathy, CEO, admits that ultimately it was an unwise business decision that alienated...
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...Chick-Fil-A Selling Chicken with a side of GOD A Positive Ethical Organization Chasity Wilson 10-13-2015 Chick-fil-A: Selling Chicken with a side of GOD WHAT DISTINGUISHES AN ETHICAL COMPANY? We as Americans tend to focus on companies unethical behavior, lapses of judgement, corporate misconduct or the methods corporations may use to hide unethical business practices from the public view this process leads to national scrutiny. We seldom recognize an organization that displays positive-intentional ethic behaviors that are defined as acceptable by the American people. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the ethical standards of the fast food chain Chick-Fil-A and determine if the company establishes a code of ethics. The Webster Dictionary defines ethics as following accepted rules of personal and professional behavior. It is prescribed philosophy dealing with questions of what is good and what is bad combined with moral duty and obligation, the principles of moral behavior governing an individual or group. By implementing a standard of ethical behavior, as a business, the restaurant chain Chick-Fil-A in my opinion exemplifies a living code of ethics as a cognitive, affective, and behavior manifestation of an ethical organization. In your opinion has Chick-Fil-A set a new standard for a positive ethical organization and does the concept of ethics and integrity have a deeper meaning that what the dictionary definition provides? Chick-fil-A (chick-fil-ay...
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...determining the feasibility of any new organization venture. Every business must scrutinize every aspect of their prospect operations to ensure they have covered every single component to ensure maximum success going forward. Once companies have gathered the necessary information through their research, they can properly assess the feasibility of their vision and make an appropriate decision. Comprehensive Analysis The fast food industry is continuing to grow and expand throughout the world, and each company is contemplating their role and position within this competitive environment. Chick-fil-A is no exception to this movement and is currently the number one fast food chicken venue in the United States. Despite their regional popularity, they do not have a significant presence in the international market for fast food. As Europe specifically the UK continues to add more fast food chains, Chick-fil-A has set their sights upon this market to expand their global presence. Before they begin organizing and planning their new vision, a high level of market research is necessary including a crucial analysis involving regional, country, and product. Region Analysis Regional Alliances and Economic Integration The UK is the third largest economy in Europe after Germany and France. Sixty percent of food produce is by UK’s agriculture,...
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...of marriage is currently a hot topic and it basically boils down to different religious viewpoints. There has been a controversy with Chick-fil-A restaurants in the past weeks. This controversy began when Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy said he supported the “biblical definition of the family unit”. The controversy caused opposition from both sides. Christians rallied and supported Chick-fil-A on customer appreciation day and gay-right advocates boycotted the restaurant chains. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance against Defamation (GLAAD) supported a “National Same-Sex Kiss Day” the Friday following Chick-fil-A’s customer appreciation day. Mr. Cathy’s simple expression of his biblical belief created tons of controversial comments. Like, Mr. Cathy everyone has their opinion and beliefs on same-sex marriage. Christian’s belief what the bible teaches. Marriages should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral (Hebrews13:4). I happen to share the same belief that Mr. Cathy does. Why is it that in this controversy Christians cannot voice their opinion without reprimand? Some of the consequences from this controversy are the removal of some of Chick-fil-A’s restaurants. Some cities and college campus’ want Chick-fil-A restaurants removed. The University of Kansas does not want Chick-fil-A’s contract renewed. The mayor’s in Boston and Chicago have told the restaurant chains that they are not welcomed in their cities. However...
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...Personal Worldview & Business Ethics Paper Liberty University BMAL 560 January 25, 2015 STEP 1 To what extent should personal religious beliefs impact our decisions about business ethics? Personal religious beliefs should impact all decisions about business ethics. If your beliefs are truly mandated in your life, then you have no choice but to be fair and honest about your business decisions. Business decisions can sometimes be difficult and harsh, but that is no reason to comprise the integrity of what you believe in. In 2012, Summers & Summers concluded that from the “Christian worldview”, God is the source and creator of all things. This means that God has provided all the resources we need in order for those needs to be satisfied. Our task is to use these resources properly. (pp. 30). Psalms 24:1 tells us “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters” (NIV). To what extent do your personal religious (or non-religious) beliefs about life impact your sense of business ethics and personal decision-making? The extent of my owm personal religious beliefs about life impacted my sense of business ethics and personal decicion-making. As a new Revenue Agent for the Internal Revenue Service, my on-the-job trainer told me to always assume the taxpayer was a liar. I was not able to do that. I always let the records speak for themselves and I counted on my good...
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...The Supreme Court and Civil Liberties No matter what an individual believes, one thing is for certain, religion has a huge impact within our own society and throughout the world. Recent advances of this freedom have caused serious implications in the middle east. Religion in the United States is diverse and as a result of this diversity, we see that followers of certain religions will use the diversity of religion within to influence or even manipulate those who do not share the same views. Often times, this expression and influence has a negative effect on society. Throughout this essay, I will go in depth and discuss examples of the impact that religion has had throughout our own society and the world along with the greater impacts the freedom has had on our society. More specifically, I will select four religions that have created a fragmented society we have come to know. What is now being termed a terrorist attack, the attack on the United States consulate in Benghazi, Libya is an example of how the exercise of freedom of religion here in the United States has had severe implications elsewhere. An anti-Muslim film was produced by a right wing group here in the United States that sparked outrage within the middle east. Once anti-American Muslims found out about “The Innocence of Muslims,” attacks on United States consulates were planned. The attack that received the greatest amount of coverage was in Benghazi, Libya and resulted in the death of four Americans. Not...
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...Running Head: GAY MARRIAGE 1 Gay Marriage: Good or Bad? Terry Richmond SOC 120 Robert Gala Oct. 1, 2012 GAY MARRIAGE 2 Gay Marriage: Good or Bad? Some organizations will lead you to believe that if same-sex couples are allowed to marry it will further weaken the institution of marriage. However, two people of the same sex should be allowed to marry because it would give them basic rights such as hospital visitation, taxation, and access to family health coverage. Same-sex marriages could bring a huge financial gain to local and state governments in the form of marriage license fees, higher income taxes, and a decrease in state benefit program costs. If we continue to deny marriage to same-sex couples it will send the message that it is ok to discriminate against them. As some well-known anti-gay groups such as Focus on the Family diminish their stance on gay marriage, a core of smaller groups that are mostly religious motivated continue to demonize homosexuals...
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...Servant-Leadership Theory from a Socially Constructed World View and a Biblical World View Mark J. Dixon Jr. Liberty University Abstract Servant-Leadership Theory has been a progressive theory in which much study has been done. Robert Greenleaf began using the term servant leadership to encourage leaders to first want to serve. There are two different world views discussed in this research paper that will shed light into what it takes to be a servant leader and how it can be successful if there is a full understanding of the theory present. There is the secular and the biblical world view in which differences in the two are identified. Servant-Leadership is meant to be more than just a way to see positive outcomes in a business, but it also transfers into effecting people’s lives. An attempt to enhance understanding and the question trying to be answered here is what separates the secular view of Servant-Leadership Theory from the Biblical worldview. This paper examines the characteristics and goals of servant-leadership though both worldviews to give a better understanding of servant-leadership theory. Keywords: servant-leadership, characteristics, biblical, secular Servant-Leadership Theory from a Socially Constructed World View and a Biblical World View There has been much attention given to leadership theories since the introduction of Servant-Leadership Theory by Robert Greenleaf in 1970. Greenleaf’s intent for servant-leadership is to help not only the leader...
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