Culture of Hyatt Hotel Corporation

Culture of Hyatt Hotel Corporation The scope for the examination of behavior in organizations is very wide. There is a multiplicity of interrelated factors which influence the behavior and performance of people as members of a work organization. It is important to recognize the role of management as an integrating activity and as the cornerstone of organizational effectiveness. People and organizations need each other. The manager needs to understand the main influences on behavior in work organizations and the nature of the people organization relationship. (Laurie J Mullins, 2007). In this assignment I aim to analyse the working of Hyatt Hotel Corporation with reference to their cultural characteristics and how the company portrays itself. I also will analyse their emphasis on coaching their employees and the importance and effectiveness of the same. I will also discuss the tools Hyatt uses to motivate their employees and how it affects performance as well as the attrition rate of the company. Introduction to the company Hyatt Hotels and Resorts Hyatt was founded by Jay Pritzker in 1957 when he purchased the Hyatt House motel adjacent to the Los Angeles International Airport. Over the following decade, Jay Pritzker and his brother Donald Pritzker, working together with other Pritzker family business interests, grew the company into a North American management and hotel ownership company, which became a public company in 1962. In 1968, Hyatt International was formed and subsequently became a separate public company. Hyatt Corporation and Hyatt International Corporation were taken private by the Pritzker family business interests in 1979 and 1982, respectively. On December 31, 2004, substantially all of the hospitality assets owned by Pritzker family business interests, including Hyatt Corporation and Hyatt International Corporation, were consolidated under a single entity, now named Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Hyatt manages, owns, franchises and develops 434 properties around the world as of March 31, 2010. The Companys business is conducted by its employees and officers, under the direction of the President and Chief Executive Officer and the oversight of the Board of Directors to enhance the long-term value of the Company for its stockholders. The Board of Directors is elected by the stockholders to oversee management and to assure that the long-term interests of the stockholders are being served. The Board recognizes that the long-term interests of stockholders are advanced by taking into consideration, as appropriate, the concerns of other stakeholders, including associates, guests, property owners, suppliers, the public and members of the communities in which Hyatt Hotels Corporation operates. Hyatt Hotels Mission, Goals, Values Mission We provide authentic hospitality. We make a difference in the lives of those we touch everyday that is our definition of hospitality.   We do this in an environment that respects all people and all ideas.   We do it in an efficient way that leads to superior results.    Goals We aspire to be the preferred brand in each of the segments we servemost preferred among our:    Employees Guests Owners (both third party property owners as well as stockholders) Values Mutual Respect Listen well Verify Acknowledge Intellectual Honesty and Integrity Tell and accept the truth Honor your commitments Humility Let actions speak for themselves Recognize the contributions of others Fun Dont take yourself too seriously Creativity and Innovation Challenge conventional wisdom Take action/risks Evaluate METHOD As a corporate development trainee at the organization, I was involved in Human resources and Training departments of the hotel which gave me access to the policy manuals, Hyatt employee intranet and other resources. This has helped me gather the information mentioned below. Also, due to constant interaction with other employees of the organization from each department, I am able to analyze the mentioned data and discuss in detail, how the organization is faring and whether the strategy they have applied is beneficial to the performance of the company. Culture Hyatt, being a large organization maintains a basic culture although due to the size of the company and the number of employees globally, each division and hotel has developed a sub culture which defines the particular place. Hyatt believes that these sub cultures should be encouraged as long as they do not conflict with the companys basic culture. In an organization with the diversity and global presence as Hyatt, one can see both, a strong overall culture as well as the growth of powerful sub-cultures that reflect the large culture but are also different in important ways. (Schein, 2003) The word culture in Hyatt International Operations is used to refer to the personality of the organization and is formed by the combination of the following elements: Shared values (What we think is important) Beliefs (How we think things should be done) Norms (The way we do things around here) Role Models (The people who personify our corporate values) Systems (Our written and unwritten ground rules) The company has strong cultural characteristics and values that it abides by. These characteristics are based on the global presence of the company. They have six main cultural characteristics which are elaborated below. These elements determine the ways in which the organization and its people behave and solve business problems. The six key characteristics that describe the Hyatt culture are highlighted as follows: We are  innovative. Hyatt was the first hotel chain to start the atrium lobby concept in the world. They have always found alternate and smarter solutions to issues in the hospitality industry. They pride in the concept of being innovators of new trends in the industry. We work through  teams. Hyatt encourages an environment in which employees are made to work in teams to enhance performance. This also helps in increased motivation and employee satisfaction due to constant feedback from the team. We  care  for each other. Hyatt ensures that the employees are empathetic towards each others needs. They portray a picture of a family when speaking with their employees to nurture a caring attitude. We encourage  personal growth. Hyatt has numerous programs and training modules that allow fast track growth of employees. They have recognition programs for their employees and they ensure that the performance of each employee is tracked and monitored to keep employees motivated We are  multicultural. Hyatt has a presence across the globe which makes it important for the company to adapt and change according to different cultures. They ensure that there is no discrimination in terms of colour, ethnicity, religion or race. We are  customer focused. Hyatt ensures that they are focused towards the satisfaction of their external as well as internal customers. The policies of the organization keep the employees, guests as well as owners benefits in mind. These six characteristics are encouraged and rewarded throughout all aspects of Hyatts operations. They are introduced to new employees through an updated History of Hyatt presentation during the hotels Orientation Program. These cultural characteristics are communicated to all the employees of the organization so that they can reward behaviors which demonstrate them; and, hire people who will thrive in them. Preserving and communicating their culture in International Operations is critical to their continued growth and success. They can enhance the culture by rewarding the behaviors that support it, by recruiting new employees who can easily assimilate into their culture, and by demonstrating the characteristics in the day-to-day operations. From a more tactical perspective -, Hyatt makes it a point to reward behaviors that exemplify their culture such as teamwork, caring, and innovation.  This can be done through recognition programs such as HYachiever Awards, HYstar Awards, and others. They also incorporate it into their hiring processes to ensure that they are hiring people who will fit into the culture and who already share many of these characteristics. In their culture of inclusion, employees feel accepted for the individuals they are, regardless of their background, style, ideas, or beliefs. Hyatt continues to receive recognition as one of Americas best companies for our diverse population. An illustration of this culture is given below: For one week, every year, Hyatt comes together globally to Celebrate Our People by recognizing and acknowledging the most important asset to the company, their associates. This is also the perfect time to understand the differences of associates and understand the vast cultures represented in the company by pairing and celebrating with a sister hotel in another country. The culture of the organization if put in a model would be best described by Role Culture mentioned by Charles Handy in his book Understanding organizations. Role culture is successful in this organization as it is a very large company with many subsidiaries and units. All the hotels in the company are to be managed and operated according to one particular culture which makes it easy to have a flat, predictable system such as the Role culture. The hotel industry is based on predictions and planning which makes it a sensible decision to adapt to the role culture. Even though as mentioned by Mr. Handy, role cultures are slow when it comes to change, Hyatt manages change quite well as the communication, training and development is very efficiently handled. Role cultures offer security and predictability to the individual. They offer a predictable rate of climb up the pillar. They offer the chance to acquire specialist expertise without risk. They tend to reward the satisfier, the person concerned with doing his job up to the standard. The role culture is frustrating for an individual who is power oriented, or wants control over his or her work; who is eagerly ambitious or more interested in results than method. (Charles Handy, 1993) To overcome the predictability and non innovation that role culture brings about in the organization, Hyatt has a number of fast track development programs for employees that enable them to identify potential leaders and enroll them in these programs. The productivity of each employee is monitored carefully and regularly through performance development programs run by the individual department monitored by Human resources. The most important conclusion is that culture is a multifaceted, multidimensional phenomenon which is not easily reduced to a few major dimensions. Culture reflects the effort put in by the group to cope and learn, and is the residue of this learning process. Culture provides meaning, predictability and stability in the present and is also the result of effective decisions from the groups past. (Schein, 2003) MOTIVATION The hotel industry is a significant part of the tourism industry worldwide and its employees play a key role in delivering the service product to its customers. Excellent service provided by employees can create lasting positive experiences for customers. The individual motivational constructs of the hospitality employee play an important and perceivably a significant role in achieving high satisfaction among hotel customers. The motivation of employees, whether professional, skilled or unskilled, is a major issue in all service organizations. For the hotel industry, employee motivation is a major issue. It is a challenge for the management of the hotel industry to motivate employees to work with energy and efficiency due to odd hours and high stress situations One of the companys responsibilities is related to ensuring employees workplace motivation. Human resource managements function is to assist the company in keeping the employees satisfied with their jobs. If employees are not satisfied, they will not perform to expected norms. Workplace dissatisfaction and poor performance usually lead to high employee turnover in the hospitality industry, particularly in developed countries. According to a Hotel and Catering Training Company in the United Kingdom, turnover is the United Kingdom was estimated to have cost the hotel and catering industry 430 million pounds a year, and turnover was higher among men than women (Lucas, 1995). It was also reported that in order to reduce labor turnover and retain productive employees, management has to improve working conditions and keep the employees properly motivated. Human resource managers need to understand the motivational processes and human needs in different cultures. To understand employees needs, managers should understand key theories that help them learn the basic needs of people. Maslows theory is one of many theories that pointed out the basic sorts of needs. They are Physiological needs, Security needs, Belongingness needs, Esteem needs, and Self-actualization needs. The lower level needs must be satisfied before the next higher level. Another theory, Hertzbergs is based on two distinct sets of factors: hygiene factors such as pay, organizations, policies, working environment and motivating factors such as recognition, promotion, achievement and the intrinsic nature of the work. Hyatt has a number of various ways to keep their employees motivated. They follow the Herzbergs motivational theory with an adaptation of Maslows hierarchy of needs. Hyatt fulfills the Hygiene factors mentioned in the Hertzberg theory by providing the basic needs of efficient supervisory hierarchy, good working conditions, a transparent system of communication and interpersonal relations, a competitive salary along with benefits such a health insurance, provident fund and pension schemes. The companys Human Resource policies and administrative policies are also in place to ensure satisfied employees. Hyatts motivational factors in terms of the theory are also fulfilling. Their recognition programs are mentioned below in detail. In terms of the work itself, it is a challenging industry which involves a high amount of dedication and self motivation. The timings and high stress situations during peak seasons require on the spot decision making skills while being calm and composed for the client. The attrition rate in the industry is high due to these challenging factors. Hyatt tries to ensure that all their employees are motivated at all times although a weaker personality may not be able to handle the pressure which creates a situation where they do not last increasing the attrition rate of the industry itself. Recognition Programs the HYachievers, HYinnovators and HYstar Programs as well as the Service Awards are the minimum requirements that are implemented in every hotel. The Director of Human Resources is responsible for coordinating these programs and plays a pro-active role in supporting and developing new programs as appropriate for the hotel. All employee recognition programs are budgeted annually during the Business Plan process. HYstar Award: People making a difference The HYstar program has been developed to recognize the employees who continuously demonstrate Hyatt International Operations  Cultural  characteristics. The objectives of the HYstar recognition program are to reinforce the companys vision, mission and culture mentioned above. HYstar points are awarded individually to employees by various sources such as guest compliments, managers log, employee suggestions and exceptional performances. As an employee earns points in the program, they are able to utilize their points to redeem gifts at any point in time. Some examples of the types of gifts a hotel may offer are: Vouchers (i.e. food vouchers from a local grocery stores) Phone cards T-Shirts Bags Small gifts (Hyatt Logo gifts) Additional laundry entitlement Restaurant vouchers Hotel merchandise At the end of the calendar year, one  HYstar of the Year  will be awarded to the employee with the highest number of points over a one-year period. The following are examples of awards that could be presented to  HYstar of the Year: Airline ticket to a vacation destination Stay with full board at another Hyatt property Extra paid vacation to enjoy the above Some extra cash to enjoy shopping and vacation Hyatt also incorporates Maslows Hierarchy of needs to keep their employees motivated. They ensure that the Physiological and Safety needs are taken care of by providing a competitive salary including a meal a day and House rent Allowances, they have strict policies to ensure job safety in terms of termination policies and work environment as per local rules and regulations for health and safety. In order to fulfill the social, esteem and self actualization needs of their employees, they conduct an annual survey which has been formulated by an organization known as Gallup. This survey asks twelve simple questions and can review the satisfaction levels of the employees and departments of the hotels. This allows the company to know the challenges they are facing in terms of employee satisfaction and build strategies to overcome them. This survey is also used as a tool to evaluate individual hotels, and their departments in terms of levels of satisfaction which in turn affects the efficiency of the employees eventually affecting the performance of the company. The summarized results of the last two years are mentioned below as an overview of the performance of the company. In 2010, participation was strong and the 86% of Hyatt employees around the world filled the survey. The aim of conducting the survey is for the company to understand how to provide the best workplace in the hospitality industry. 1) Hyatt increased the population of employees who feel engaged by 11% in comparison to 2008/2009. 2) Over 16,000 action plans were prepared and executed in 2009. The results show that those who worked together to develop a plan and then saw it through to meaningful change were rewarded with the significant improvement in their teams engagement. Those who did not complete plans, or have meaningful discussions, saw their engagement levels remain flat or decline. 3) RECOGNITION and PROGRESS in the first half of 2010 showed the most overall improvement from 2008-2009. These were also the two items that most work groups selected in the action planning process. In 2010, Hyatt found that engaged employees are 11 times more likely to know what Hyatt stands for and what makes it different from competitors. Engaged employees are also 12 times more likely to be proud of Hyatts products and services, and 10 times more likely to recommend Hyatt to friends and family. Importance of the survey to Hyatt There is a clear and strong relationship between positive business outcomes and a workforce that identifies with organizational goals and demonstrates a strong, emotional commitment. Building and sustaining a positive experience at work for employees is important. This kind of accomplishment does not happen overnight and, once achieved, can vanish quickly if the support of engagement is not made a part of everyday lives. The feedback in 2010 will make it possible for Hyatt to focus on two or three areas in each department that will improve the work experience for the team members. Managers will be accountable for establishing meaningful action plans with the team to drive change. Information sessions are being scheduled to support action planning in individual departments and hotels with the goal of improving the employee experience at Hyatt. In addition, regular messages are posted on the employee portal that provides information on best practices that relate to creating preference in the workplace. Coaching The Hyatt Leadership Network (HLN) is an employee portal containing standardized training modules that have been developed for the employees. Each employee is enrolled in these modules according to their job description. The format of HLN is intended to provide resources that are easily accessible for learners and to support individual and business development needs.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Hyatt Leadership Network learning content is organized within four schools.   The School of General Studies  provides the fundamentals of learning for all employees.   The resources available support Hyatts mission, goals, and values by providing resources that build on Hyatts culture.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   The School of Hospitality  provides the operational standards of performance and includes the technical skills, service expectations, and systems knowledge required in daily hotel operations.   The School of Management  provides resources supporting management skills development for Hyatt employees that lead to superior results.   The Leadership Institute  provides formal and informal development opportunities designed for future leaders at Hyatt.     Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Hyatt believes that personal growth is an important aspect of an employees Hyatt experience; the Hyatt Leadership Network is important for the company by helping the employees meet their individual development goals.   Apart from the above, each hotel has an individual training department that imparts regular training and development modules which are beneficial to the employees. The training managers are responsible for doing a training need analysis for the employees and enroll them in various programs for their development and growth. Training is used to improve knowledge and skills, and to change attitudes, it acts like an important potential motivator. There are many benefits of training to the employee as well as the organization: Employee confidence, motivation and commitment increases It provides recognition, enhances responsibility which may lead to increased pay and promotion It provides the employee with a sense of personal satisfaction and achievement which broadens opportunities for career progression Helps to improve the quality and availability of the employees. (Mullins, 2007) Below, is a table provided by Mullins in his book defining Training, and summarizing the training in an organization. This chart fits in with an organization like Hyatt due to its large size, skill requirements and situation handling needs in its employees. There is also a strong mentoring system in place. Each new employee is mentored by an experienced employee. This helps the new employees learn and understand the processes as well as provides them with a confidante who helps them fit in to the organization and imbibe the culture. Coaching is the process of helping employees improve performance and develop their capacity to perform well in the future. It is about changing behavior to make things better. Because the process of change is difficult and can provoke anxiety, people often resist it. The forces of inertia are strong, but effective coaching can surmount them. (Friedman, 2010) Hyatt Hotels encourage coaching with the help of the mentoring system, and a concept known as Hyatt on skill training. This training module is undergone by supervisors and above. Graduating this module enables employees to conduct training sessions for tasks. Training may be conducted within the department / team. A trainer is entitled to train three other employees at a time. This enables personalized coaching for employees which makes it easier for them to understand and work on day to day tasks thus increasing the productivity. Monitoring of employees performance is also easier and more effective making them more confident in their jobs. Summary and Conclusion After the above report on Hyatt Hotels Corporation, one can derive many conclusions about the company. Hyatt is a very large organization with a presence around the world and has been awarded many times for being a great company to work for. Some of their most recent awards are mentioned below: The Culture of Hyatt Taking into consideration, Mr. Charles Handys models of culture, Hyatt follows the Role culture model. This model is getting increasingly popular with large organizations as it works by logic and rationality. The internal business processes are controlled by A process and procedure for roles fixed job descriptions, definition of authority A process and procedure for communication fixed channels and tools of communication Rules for dispute settlements a process of appeal and thorough investigation. Hyatt portrays a strong corporate culture. Corporate culture may be defined as the sum total of the customs, traditions, values and meanings that make the company unique. Since the corporate culture is formulated by the senior management and founders of the organization, it is often termed as the character of the organization. (Montana P, 2008)   

To Kill a Mockingbird Provides Insight into the Past Essay -- Literary

Historically based novels give people insight into how things were many years ago. For example To Kill a Mocking-Bird by Harper Lee would be relevant to a person studying America in the early twentieth century. The story is set in Maycomb County, Alabama in the 1930’s around the time that the author herself was growing up and while the book is based on her life, she found inspiration for the setting, characters and storyline in event s that took place in her own childhood. For example in 1931 when Harper Lee was five, nine black men were accused of Raping two white women. Five out of the nine men were given long prison sentences. Also the character Dill is based on Harper Lee’s childhood friend Truman Capote. At the time when To Kill a Mocking-Bird was released at a time when in Alabama, Harper Lee’s home state there was still a lot of racial tension. The south was still segregated and black people were not allowed to use the same facilities as the white people a nd the Civil rights movement was becoming bigger. To Kill a Mocking-Bird is narrated by Jean Louise â€Å"Scout† Finch. Scout’s father, Atticus Finch, is a lawyer. Scout, her brother Jem and their cousin Dill are fascinated by the house opposite theirs, Nathan Radley’s house, and the stories that go with it about Nathan’s brother Arthur â€Å"Boo† Radley who has lived inside for many years without coming out. One night at the end of summer the children sneak onto the Radley property and are shot at by Nathan Radley who mistakenly believes them to be thieves, while running away Jem’s pants are caught on a fence and they are forced to leave them behind. The next day when he returns to collect them, they are neatly and folded and fixed. Later, in winter, Jem and Scout are standin... ...g-Bird is loosely based on Harper Lee’s childhood. By reading it we learn a lot about how Harper Lee grew up and how she viewed the events that took place during her childhood. The only criticism of To Kill a Mocking Bird is that the narrator, Scout, did not act, speak, or think like a six year old. The story is only based in truth and Harper Lee has only got inspiration from events and people from the past for her story, none of the events or people in the story ever existed. Historical novels can provide a very good source of information to people who are studying the past. To Kill a Mocking-Bird is only roughly based on and inspired by events and a person of the past, but still provides valuable insight into the time in which it was set. By reading a historical novel such as To Kill a Mocking-Bird it is possible to better understand the events of the past.

Cell Biology Meiosis and Mitosis

Cell Biology (CP8121) Experiment 2: Observing Mitosis and Meiosis on cell specimens (Formal report) Name: Wong Chung An Class: DMLS/FT/1B/02 Admin number: P1138687 Summary This experiment aims to observe mitosis and meiosis on cell specimens. It involves the modelling of the stages of meiosis and also the staining procedures to identify mitosis in onion root tip. There are two parts to the procedure of the experiment whereby the first is staining and observing mitosis in onion root tips and the second being observing and comparing mitosis between whitefish blastula and onion root tip. The results are that the five stages of mitosis have been observed and sketched, together with a comparison of telophase in plant and animal cells. The difference between the two types of cell division mitosis and meiosis has also been recorded. The conclusion is that all the objectives of the experiment have been met and it is recommended that the mitotic spindle be stained for a more complete picture of the various stages of mitosis. 1) Introduction It is important that the experiment is carried out so as to differentiate between the two types of nuclear division, mitosis and meiosis. Mitosis is a process mainly for the growth and replacement of somatic cells and it involves the replication of chromosomes which results in having two daughter cells each same as the parent nucleus. On the contrary, meiosis is for the production of gametes which is essential for an organism’s reproduction and it comprises of two successive nuclear divisions which results in the production of four haploid cells. Mitosis: A process which replicates chromosomes exactly so that each of the daughter cells contains identical information. The process of mitosis involves five stages. The five stages are: Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase and Telophase respectively. Meiosis: A process whereby two successive nuclear divisions will produce four haploid cells. There are two rounds of cell division in meiosis, mainly meiosis I and meiosis II. Meiosis I is identical to that of mitosis whereas meiosis II is a round of reductional division. The process of meiosis has allowed for an escalation of genetic variations because of the crossing over of the genes. This process is crucial as it produces half the number of chromosomes as per the human sex cells. For humans, every gamete contains 23 chromosomes and fertilisation of an egg by a sperm will restitute the diploid number of 46 chromosomes 2) Objectives * Learn a staining procedure to identify mitosis using onion root tip. * Compare and contrast mitosis in plants and animals. * Compare and contrast stages of mitosis and meiosis * Model stages of meiosis. 3) Procedures (a) Preparation and observation of onion root tip slide ) An onion root tip was obtained and the first 1-3mm of its root tip was cut off using a scalpel. The root tip was then placed at the centre of a clean slide using a forceps. 2) Then, the root tip was covered with 2-3 drops of 1N HCL solution and then placed over the hot plate for 3-5 seconds using a slide holder. 3) Without touching the root tip, the excess acid was then blotted off using a paper towel. 4) After which, the root tip was then covered once again, this time in 3-4 drops of 0. 5% Toluidine Blue solution. 5) The excess stain was blotted off and a cover slip was added. ) To spread out the stained root tip for visualisation, the slide was placed in the middle of a folded paper towel and applied pressure upon by placing the thumb directly above the cover slip and having it gently pressed on against a lab bench. 7) The slide was examined on low power on the microscope and embryonic cells which are square-like were looked for. 8) Once the mitotic figures were found, the microscope was switched to a higher power. 9) The phases that were seen were sketched on the datasheet. (b) Observation of prepared slides: Mitosis in Onion root tip & Whitefish blastula ) The prepared slides provided were reviewed by using a low power (10x) to locate the cells and high power (40x) to change the focus. 2) This time, instead of sketching the different phases of mitosis in onion root tip, the differences in mitosis between the plant and animal cells were re corded. 4) Results and Discussion *For the results, refer to the datasheet archived under appendix at the end of the report. 5. 1 Explanation and reasons for results The results of the datasheet have shown that all the five main phases of mitosis can be observed. This can because of several reasons such as the choice of use of onion root tips, flattening of the onion root tips, addition of hydrochloric acid and 0. 5% Toluidine Blue solution. Onion root tips are easy to grow in large numbers and the cells at its tips are actively dividing, thus many of its cells will be in different stages of mitosis. The reason for using the last 1-3mm of the root tip is because it is where the region of cell division (meristem) is located. This is the region whereby cells are dividing but not significantly increasing in size. The flattening of the onion root tips allows the chromosomes of each individual cell to be observed. The hydrochloric acid added, plays a part in fragmenting the root tissues by weakening and removing the bonds between cells so that each cell will not be attached to the other cell, obstructing the observation. Toluidine Blue solution acts as a colorant, giving a blue colour to the chromosomes and so that it is more easily spotted and examined. 5. 2 Evaluation of the results achieved Interphase: The interphase is the phase in which the cell is involved in metabolic activity and fulfilling its role as part of a tissue in the body. During this phase, the DNA duplicates as it is preparing for mitosis and the chromosomes are cannot be easily distinguished. However, the nucleolus, a dark spot may be visible instead. Prophase: During the prophase, the chromatin within the nucleus will begin to condense and become visible in the microscope as chromosomes. Then the nuclear membrane will dissolve, signalling the start of Prometaphase. After which, proteins would then attach to the centromeres, creating kinetochores in which the microtubules will attached to. The chromosomes would then start moving. Metaphase: The chromosomes would then be aligned by the spindle fibres at the equator of the spindle. This alignment helps to ensure that in the anaphase, when the chromosomes are separated, each of the new nucleuses will receive a copy of each of the chromosomes. Anaphase: In the anaphase, the two sister chromatids of each chromosome at the centromeres would start to separate. This movement is due to the shortening of the kinetochore microtubules. Telophase: The two sets of daughter chromosomes would arrive at the two poles and the mitotic spindle would disappear. A nuclear envelope would start to form around each set of daughter chromosomes at both ends of the poles. Cytokinesis may have also begun during this phase depending on each individual cell. 5. 3 Descriptions of problems encountered The problem that we have encountered during this experiment was during the preparation of the first slide of onion root tip. The amount of toluidine blue solution may not be enough as only a few of the cell nucleus have been stained. This makes it difficult for us trace the various stages of mitosis. This problem is resolved however by making a new set of the onion root tip slide. 5) Conclusions and Recommendations In conclusion, the experiment was a success and all of the objectives of the experiments were met. All five stages of mitosis have been observed and a comparison of mitosis between plant and animal cells has been made. Although we did not get to observe the stages of meiosis, we have modelled the stages of meiosis and acquired knowledge of it. In my opinion, I would recommend that the mitotic spindles of the onion root tip cells be stained as well. This would allow a more in depth observation of mitosis and instead of solely looking at the movement of the chromosomes and the nucleus, we could observe the reason behind the movement of the chromosomes. 6) Appendix http://www. marietta. edu/~biol/introlab/Onion%20root%20mitosis. pdf Clark, D. C. and P. M. Mathis. (2000). Modeling mitosis and meiosis: a problem-solving activity. The American Biology Teacher Mickle, J. E. 1990. A model for teaching mitosis and meiosis. The American Biology Teacher Carmen Chan Yuen Man (2011). Cell Biology lecture notes (CP8121). Singapore Polytechnic.