Posted: April 2nd, 2015

Starting a subway restaurant

Starting a subway restaurant

Purpose

Based on various aspects in an organization, organizational capability is directly proportional to the product or business roadmap’s quality. Situational concept appears especially appropriate for subway restaurant business, in which business operations are apparently shared (Dong, 2010). In this plan, I will investigate how management of a subway restaurant endorse leadership in its daily business operations. Particularly, I will aim at how subway restaurant management influence the performance of the subway business in addition to the relations and quality of food and the quality of the management group as a whole, and how these interactions are facilitated and restricted through socio-cultural forces, for example, business culture, national or social belief, and gender concerns. This research should provide a roadmap into the operations of the subway restaurant, a business venture that is quickly increasing in popularity and profitability. In addition, the research will measure the significance of the situational analysis that is lacking in the restaurant literature.

Background

I will carry out this research in a subway restaurant that is in UAE, in a city called Ras Alkhaimah. Ras Alkhaimah has only one branch of subway restaurant which is located in a shopping mall, so people find a need for additional branch in the city located by its own and which provides an easy access while driving. Also, the demand is due to the healthy eating policy under which the subway restaurant operates. Because most of the fast food restaurants are available and easily accessible people believe that opening subway restaurant is necessary since it provides much healthier foodstuff compared to other junk foodstuff restaurants. The subway restaurant has 3 sections, each of which is responsible for subway activities within the geographical area of Ras Alkhaimah. These 3 departments comprise of one man and two women each except the management which has two men and no woman. One of the women is in her forties and three in their early twenties; the men are all in their early 30s. In total, there are eight people working in this subway restaurant. The management begins each day with a meeting in the manager’s office, a meeting attended by a representative from each section. During the course of research, I will attend at least two meetings per week for two weeks, and will remain for about two hours after every meeting with a view of observing daily operations in each section for the two weeks. My main focus will be on their planning, although i will in addition observe and possibly learn something regarding the restaurant’s market and operation plan (William et al., 2009).

Scope

I will be involved in staff-observation for two weeks, from 17 May to 2 June 2012 for roughly two hours a week. I will normally observe the before-operation management meetings and remain for two hours or so with a view of observing their work plan. On particular days I may come at lunch or evening hours with a view of comparing consumer traffic. I will not subject participants into formal questioning, but will question restaurant staff utilizing unstructured interviews, as necessary in clarifying and providing background knowledge into particular aspects of the subway restaurant business.

Theoretical framework

Basically, I will be guided generally by the interpretive approach, and particularly by the situational concept advocated by Dong (Dong, 2010). The interpretive approach focuses more on knowing the implications and viewpoints of various aspects of the subway restaurant, and how such implications could be tamed (Akerlof & Kranton, 2005). Overall, I will be investigating the implications the marketing personnel and consumers have regarding subway restaurants as individuals and also for their interactions, as well as the implications marketing personnel have for the subway restaurant, operation, and support institutions necessary for successful implementation of the business idea. The situational viewpoint guides me in choosing one or two particular relationships to study in depth. Therefore, a suitable method to explore the subject from this approach is through observing discussion, together with questioning the staff with a view of understanding their views regarding subway restaurants.

Methodology

I will carry out a literature search regarding management, market, and operation planning of subway restaurants. Also I will observe the operation of the subway restaurant two hours a week for two weeks, emphasizing mainly on discussions during management meetings, particularly those discussions where the management addresses concerns related to the restaurant’s daily operations and concerns of management-employee interactions and identities (Akerlof & Kranton, 2005, p. 12). In the course of the study, I will question management group with a view of clarifying and providing light into discussions. I will focus on administering these questions after the management completes discussions of interest. While the questioning will be informal or unstructured, the types of queries I will put across comprise but not limited to the following. The basic plan for administering the data collection instrument is by starting off with general queries and follow up on the participant’s feedbacks, with a view of capturing the participant’s implications and of avoiding subjecting my implications on the participant.

• Explain to me what transpired during the management meeting?
• What were your thoughts at the time of discussion?
• What is your reaction to what “X” said during the meeting?
• What do you think she/he was attempting to put across during the discussion?
• What was your intention when you said, “…….”?
• What did you imply by saying that?
• What are your thoughts regarding her reaction?
• After considering your contribution in that meeting, how would you rate your department?

I will also conduct a situational analysis and prepare a report that incorporates individual knowledge about subway restaurant business based on key theories and past studies with the outcomes of this present study.

Timetable

Limitations and delimitations

Time will be a major constraint since the semester requires less time than may be adequate for a business research. Also by visiting the restaurant for just two hours per week for two weeks, it is likely that some aspects of the operation of the subway restaurant will not be captured during the observations. Regarding delimitations, I am selecting not to observe other business meeting, although these comparisons might add value, with a view of allowing inner understanding of the issues. Furthermore, I will utilize informal questioning with a view of minimizing my interference and influence on management meetings (William et al., 2009).