A Natural Consequence

As a natural consequence, millions of people in Iraq had no difficulty believing that it would be possible to get rid of Saddam if the US, which had been bombing Iraq at that time, was in their own ranks.Although these riots–the period that was relatively unexpected–faced by the Iraqi Republican Guard's agile and violent interventions. Saddam's forces have found life in a very disturbing range, from burning gas from helicopters to burning people to bombing hospitals where they were wounded. However, the support that the United States implied at various levels did not come at all. In particular, Turkey's fear of a fragmented Iraq, and the diplomatic pressure on this issue, is to step back to support the riots that could result in the US government declaring the independence of the Kurds, and Saddam's In response to the riots, it was enough to let tens of thousands of people die.The riots that began against a dictator in the region with this back step of the United States suddenly transformed into the biggest migration of the last 50 years. Only in March and April, nearly two million Kurds began to flee to Iraq's northern border neighbors, Turkey and Iran, among the ruins of the war, which were suddenly part of their lives.The US, the UN, Turkey, and Iran's inexperience in keeping the situation under control has worsen the suffering of the people trapped in the interests of the state. During the migration, thousands of people, mostly children, died from the weather conditions, hunger, thirst and health problems, as well as the shooting of helicopters at civilian populations from time to time. According to estimates made by the United Nations data, an average of 2,000 Kurds per day was killed in a section of 1991. After the Gulf War in 1991, around 470 thousand people fled to Turkey.The most dramatic examples in our recent history were in Bosnia and in our border neighbor Syria. In Syria, it is still ongoing in the form of domestic and foreign immigration. The Bosnian War is the most violent war in Europe since the second World War, in which a series of ethnic conflicts took place between March 1992 and November 1995, and many war crimes, especially ethnic cleansing, were committed. According to the official sources during and after the war, only Turkey, 20.000 people had to emigrate. In addition, more than 1.5 million Bosnian-Muslim people had to leave their lands. About 20,000 to 30,000 women were raped. This war has passed on the history of the world as the bloodiest and systematic genocide. On the other hand, in Syria, approximately 400,000 people lost their lives in the civil war, which began with a small protest on March 11, 2011 and became one of the biggest catastrophes in the Middle East. While 3 million people were wounded in the civil war, 1 million people were disabled. Due to the Syrian civil war, millions of people fell to refugee status and the historic structures were destroyed as if they could not be repaired.With the process called Arab Spring, the overthrow of the 30-year Husnu Mubarak rule had deeply affected the peoples of the region, not just Egypt. This historic revolution dominated Bahrain, Libya, Morocco and even Gaddafi's death.During this period, when the people's movements led to great revolutions, two female doctors expressed their happiness about the situation while they were talking on the phone. These two women, who were listened to by the intelligence of the phones, were arrested, and their hair was shaved as punishment. On top of that, the 12-13 children, a relative of one of these women, wrote the slogan â€Å"The people want the order to be demolished.† The principal of the school is complaining about these kids in intelligence. They run the children in and expose them to severe torture.

Anger Management in the Health Care Workplace Essay

Health professionals carry out stressful activities on a daily basis. Nurses, doctors, and health workers’ environments involve a multitude of tasks, all to be done with amidst the stress of time, communicating with patients, and dealing with life and death situations. Besides individuals, health care work involves effectively integrating with the health organization, community expectations and government support. Breakdown of these systems is part of the health care work and is better to be viewed in a positive light. â€Å"A commentary suggests that conflict is a natural part of the human experience, especially in organizations. The intent of collaboration should not be agreement, but the ability for everyone to express their opinions no matter how disagreeable those opinions may seem. When people feel free to disagree, more ideas are put on the table, which can lead to more discoveries and to quantum leaps in improvement and innovation.† (Caudron, 1999) However, it is imperative to approach conflict management between health professionals using professional tools. The usual response of people under stress while reacting to opponents can be described in four responses. Angered people attack their adversaries by lashing out at them in the aim of either hurting the other party or protecting their interests. Some persons just merely avoid the conflict and start to ignore the other party. â€Å"Modern team-building experts say that the avoidance of conflict is the surest way to non-functional teams.† (Beck, 1998)   Sometimes, there is softening where conflicting parties pretend that everything is ok when its really not. And the last reaction to conflict is resolution where parties are able to resolve the conflict and find a point of unity once again. Health care professionals do not work as a single unit. High levels of teamwork are required in carrying out health care effectively and efficiently. Effective communication will help health professionals cope up with conflicts brought about by stress in the workplace. â€Å"Whether a manager is motivating the staff to increase sales or leading a team through a problem-solving process, effective communication is critical. Supportive language fosters a positive working climate, while negative or evaluative language can cause conflict and defensiveness.† (Aubrey, 1992) Different kinds of conflicts can be found in the workplace. â€Å"Task-oriented conflicts focus on the process the team will use to achieve its goals or its mission. People-oriented conflicts arise out of personality conflicts, struggles for leadership, and just plain rudeness by one member to another.† (Anonymous, 1996) But all conflicts can be resolved in due time with openness and processes to guide the management of conflict. One of these conflict management theories is elaborated by Montebello. Describing the conflict is the first step to resolving it. This step is a sure constructive way in getting all the parties’ help and goal to resolve the conflict. Describing the conflict makes the chaos stop. Conflicts found in health care are usually ridden with lots of emotions that conflicting parties need to take a different point of view first and get out of the situation in order to become more objective of the situation at hand. Once the conflict is described, exploring possible causes is the next process. The listening component is important in this level because parties need to hear out each other’s perspectives and hopefully try to understand the other party’s position. Health workers are good listeners and they will be integral to this part of conflict resolution. When the parties go to the stage where they start to give possible solutions, they get into the negotiating phase. Negotiation must be approached in a positive way. Through negotiation, everyone’s ideas are articulated and either supported or rejected by the parties. This process is crucial because when solutions do not pass through negotiations, they are more likely to fail and therefore the last step, which is to take action, will not be done in committed manner. Taking action leads to the actual solving of the conflict. Health care professionals will be able to work efficiently once more with regular conflict management. Conflict management is like oil to a machine. References: Anonymous. 1996.  How to cope with conflicts within the team. Getting Results †¦ for the Hands – On Manager:   C.  Saranac Lake:  Apr 1996.Vol.  41,  Iss.  4;  Ã‚  pg.  1,  1  pgs Aubrey, Charles A II,  Felkins, Patricia K.  Incentive.  1992. Team talk: How language and listening improve teamwork New York:  Dec 1992.Vol.  166,  Iss.  12;  Ã‚  pg.  51,  4  pgs Beck, Joe. 1998.  The failure to confront   Occupational Health & Safety.  Waco:  Jul 1998.Vol.  67,  Iss.  7;  Ã‚  pg.  20,  3  pgs Caudron, Shari. 1999.  Productive conflict has value   Workforce.  Costa Mesa:  Feb 1999.Vol.  78,  Iss.  2;  Ã‚  pg.  25,  3  pgs

Cause of the Civil War 2 Essay

Slavery was the primary flashpoint and main cause for the conduct of the American Civil War (1861-1865). The 11 states that comprised the secessionist Confederacy were dependent on the labor of their slaves for the continued operation of their economy. In the Northern states that comprised the Union in the conflict, the practice of slavery was considered as an illegal act. In the South, the work of the slaves was vital to the cotton and tobacco production of the estates in that part of the country. But the main issue prior to the war concerned whether the practice of slavery would be allowed in the new territories in the West gained from Mexico after the latter’s defeat in the Mexican War (1846-1848) (MSN Encarta, 2008). As the years passed on, the Northern and Southern regions of the United States grew and developed into distinct regional aggregations. This was further exacerbated by the social, political and economic views that each region has grown to take onto itself. Both of these regions tried to influence the political thinking of the country as a whole. With the subsequent victory of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, the threat of the end of slavery was even more pronounced and led to the conflict (Encarta, 2008). Slavery played a central role in the chronicles of the United States. It should be noted that of the first 12 Presidents of the United States, 75 percent of them were practicing slave owners. The climax of the debates about the issue of slavery was when the Southern states finally seceded from the Union over the continued practice of slavery, leading to the South’s defeat in the Civil War. The war also bought the practice of slavery to a halt, freeing an estimated 4 million slaves, costing approximately $ 5 billion in wrecked properties and claiming more than 600,000 lives in the process (Encarta, 2008). Reference MSN Encarta. (2008). American Civil War. Retrieved December 11, 2008, from http://encarta. msn. com/encyclopedia_761567354_1____28/Civil_War. html#s28

Delivering a business strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Delivering a business strategy - Case Study Example Some economic, engineering and environment benefits are provided by RCA, as other states have found (Arnold 54). However, these recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) have to meet NJDOT’s quality needs in case they are to be used in PCC. Only 11 states permit use of RCA in PCC, while all but 13 states allow the use of it in base aggregate. Some states also permit its use as miscellaneous aggregate and in HMA (Malinger 26). Through the crushing / grinding of concrete pavements or any waste concrete, RCA is produced, after the removing any reinforcing steel. In the same way the production of aggregate from virgin materials is, production of required gradations is too- through screening and crushing (Malinger 26). However, significant differences between virgin aggregates and RCA have led officials in state transportation in Muchials and New Jersey in adopting RCA as aggregate for PCC acceptably (Arnold 54). The presence of mortar adhering to the Recycled aggregates or cement paste reduces density, increases drying shrinkage, and increases porosity in PCC. The presence of contaminants as well as the quality of the being recycles original concrete are all problems that should be taken in concern additionally (Malinger 24). The two primary sources for use in PCC, of stockpiled RCA are precasters who are interested in reusing surplus materials and class B recyclers who crush and accept concrete waste. Befor e RCA is implemented, those are the issues that must be addressed. Another important component of the project is the preliminary review that has been provided for the expansion of this work, as a part of this proposal (Arnold 54). As the proposers believe, an extensive field installation plan is likely to result to open-ended and long research projects, which address the use of Recycled Concrete Aggregates in PCC. Due to this reason, proposals have been made to include field installation as part of part of the work

Estimation of UAE population using Bayesian Theorem Research Paper

Estimation of UAE population using Bayesian Theorem - Research Paper Example A common use to which this theory has been put to is the development of time series forecasts for populations. In this case, this theory will be used to analyze the population data for United Arab Emirates. In most instances, the use of Bayesian theory is based on its mathematical framework ability that is able to provide inference on matters using probability (Hoff 116). In this project, the use of a Bayesian approach is adopted since through it the uncertainties that may exist in the model, data or even model parameters are integrated coherently in a consistent manner thus, allowing for easy inference (Gelman 75). The framework for this analysis will entail the adoption of a methodology for a time series forecasting that shall include stochastic volatility and autoregressive models fitted into historical timeline data about the population of UAE. Most instances that entail forecasting of population data apply a frequentist/classical approach, in which case, the Bayesian model offer s the best flexibility by its ability to specify uncertainties upon which forecasting can be performed (Ruggeri, Michael & Insua 80). Principles of Bayes Law Bayes theorem otherwise known as the Bayes law tries to express how the degree at which one believes in a subjective matter should change to be in line with evidence; this is known as the Bayesian inference. This theory was further developed by Laplace and got it published later on in the 1800s. The aim of this theory is to measure the extent of belief. Using this theory, the belief is either confirmed or otherwise based on the evidence collected. Hence, there is the initial belief or the prior that can be denoted by P (A) and then there is the evidence collected or the posterior denoted as P (B) and there is the quotient denoted as P(B/A) or P(B) which it shows how B supports the belief A (Leonard & John 69). The main assumptions made in the Bayes theorem are: Tests are not events, for example there is a difference between a m alaria tests and actually having malaria, the test is different from the event. It is believed that tests are flawed and hence can be challenged; they can detect things that don’t exist which are called a false positive, and miss things that exist; referred to as a false negative. The false positives skew the results; there is a high likelihood that the positive results are incorrect. Natural numbers are preferred over percentages. In summary, the Bayes theory gives the probability of an event given the test probabilities (Grover 120). A review of approaches to population projections The application of certain simple criteria can enable the obtaining of macro-level methods of population projection and its typologies. This may entail the use of simple extrapolations of the growth rates or size of the population, uncertainty approach and the methodology of the method. The estimation of the dimensionality of populations in the simplest forms always utilizes extrapolations while the uncertainty approach may be ignored or quantified by the use of probabilities. The Bayesian model utilizes both the extrapolation and time series analysis in the determination of end results for stochastic projections (Koch 41). The UAE population According to the UAE Department of Statistics (uaestatistics.gov.ae), the following figures were obtained from the census that was done in the years between 1975 and 2005. Year Total no. of Expatriates Total no. of Citizens 1975 356,343 201,544 1980 751,555

The history and evolution of Chinese women' rights Research Paper

The history and evolution of Chinese women' rights - Research Paper Example This created way for the formation of the communist government in the country under the name of the People’s Republic of China (Johnson 121). The new government committed to implementing social changes with the aim of uplifting the status of women in the society. The evolution of women’s rights in China has been a slow, painful but steady process discussed in the essay below. The growth and radical changes leading to the modern liberal Chinese society that embraces the gender equality has been slow and with myriad sacrifices, between 1966 and 1976 for example, the country experienced a massive cultural revolution as feminist movements sought the inclusion of women in the governance of the country. At the time of the formation of the new people’s republic of china, the country’s workforce had only seven percent of the women. The new communist government formulated and implemented new radical changes that with the view of increasing the status of women in th e new society but the male dominated society resisted most of such changes. By 1992, the percentage of the women in the country’s workforce had risen to thirty eight percent. Marriage in the traditional Chinese society was an arrangement between families. Young girls would be married off to men of the family’s choosing thus nurturing the women in order to befit specific requirements of the spouse’s family. Such arrangement denied women the right and privilege to fall in love and determine their lives. They simply married the men their families thought right for them. The male dominated society thought such to be effective ways of developing strong social ties but at the expense of the girl children. The great Cultural Revolution between 1966 and 1976 sought to address the social vice that had threatened the development of effective cultures in the society. Prior to the revolution, the communist government had initiated policies that sought to address the vice. I n 1950, the government formulated the marriage law. The law provided for the revocation of all previous family arrangements thus setting women previously bound by their families free. The law was a result of effective government research on the effects of such marriages and family arrangement on the social development of the society. By revoking all such arrangements, the governments sought to formulate better and more ethical policies and systems of marriage in the country. The men in the Chinese society opposed the legislation but through concerted government efforts and the works of the numerous feminist movements in the country, the law successful laws. In 1980, the government formulated another family law that banned arranged and forced marriages in the country. By banning such marriages, the government set the children especially the female children free from the dominance of their parents who used benefited from such arrangements. The marriage law of 1950 further permitted wo men to instigate divorces in the society. This would provide disadvantaged women in the forced, arranged and even purchased marriages the freedom to break away and foster their own independent lifestyles. Prior to the legislation, the society only permitted a divorce if it befitted the man. Additionally, the society also permitted polygamy thus allowing men to marry as many women as they wanted. In fact, the number of women in a homestead symbolized wealth and influence in the society. While

Homeland Security for the Port of Baltimore Essay

Homeland Security for the Port of Baltimore - Essay Example With so much at stake, it is no doubt crucial to consider all possible threats a place like Port Baltimore may be vulnerable to and be prepared with measures to ensure the safety of the city, the people involved, the property and the security of the whole country. Ports are crucial for both, the security of a country and its trade and economy, as they serve as terminals with access across its boundaries. This opens possibilities for infiltration of illegal activities and products along with the usual trade. Thus ports pose a great threat of certain hazards or sources of possible disaster to the city and the country if left improvised. Of the many threats that enable U.S agencies to take effective measures for the protection of the country’s resources and vulnerable assets, the threat of terrorism has the greatest power, especially in the post 9/11 era. The possibilities of terrorist attacks via shipping ports are innumerable. With only six percent of the nine million container s entering the U.S, (Medalia 2) and fourteen percent of the 140,000 containers at Baltimore being examined for explosives, (Davis and GormanSun), it is evident that these portals to the United States are pretty much available to terrorists wanting to strike. It would be fairly easy to hide explosives in the eight to nine feet high and twenty to forty feet long containers that are used to carry the cargo transported between ports. (Medalia 2) Apart from being easy and susceptible targets, they are also fairly attractive in terms of results for such terrorist groups as well. With inflammable material that can cause a minor explosion to spread over miles, even a ten to twenty kiloton bomb could cause a loss of more than $1.2 trillion from direct and indirect costs resulting from the damage of property and disruption of trade activity. (Medalia 2). The destruction could extend to a radius of one or two miles, thus affecting the city the port is in, resulting in a comprehensive disaster. (Medalia 3). Another equally hazardous threat to the U.S port is Drug smuggling, which was the number one priority before September 11, 2001. The failure in the prohibition of drugs infiltrating the country may result in indirect facilitation of terrorist activities and a larger impact on the society by fuelling crime and disease. (Loy 156). According to statistics provided by Interagency Assessment of Cocaine Movement, most of the transportation of illegal drugs is carried out through the sea. (Loy 157) The third effective threat to U.S coasts and ports is the possibility of damage and injury caused by the mishandling of hazardous materials that have the ability to contaminate and destroy not only cargo and property, but marine life and the environment. All this can inadvertently affect the economy by interference in trade and recreation activities around the water front as well as health of the citizens of the port city. Provided that the forces threatening the security of port t oday are much better equipped than they were a decade ago, it is necessary to maintain the efficiency of security systems in the context of developing technology and update methodologies to keep up with the unpredictable and surreptitious approach of the possible enemies of the state. (Pike) Coast guard and customs and Border protection are federal agencies with the strongest presence in seaports. After 9/11 coast guard has created the largest port

Operations Management Assignment in Ritz Carlton Hotels Essay

Operations Management Assignment in Ritz Carlton Hotels - Essay Example Ritz Carlton considers that the clandestine to efficient quality management stays to employ efficient staff which recognizes the guests’ requirements and provides them immediately (Case Study, p. 301). In the hospitality or service-care industry, quality is regarded as the extreme significance but unluckily up to now the spotlight has merely been on preparation lead staff to make sure guest satisfaction (Class Note 1 ppt, Slide 17). If a customer resides at the hotel, his opinion of quality is describes by the reliability, declaration and compassion. Ritz Carlton has situated this seeming quality as its main target and also for achieving it stresses on predictability, veracity as well as timeliness. All these three factors collectively lead to greater level of customer satisfaction (Case Study, p. 302). When these service customaries have been resolved the next stride is to determine the measurement methods for monitoring how well these customaries are being realized. The most important problems faced by the services and hospitality industry in respect to implementing TQM are identifying measurements as well as process improvement techniques that generate quantifiable data (Class Note 2 ppt, Slide 6). In effect, some measurement methods have previously been adopted by different hotels, such as Ritz Carlton. Various advanced technologies are being used in order to get maximum advantages or benefits by employing different automated building as well as safety systems to different types of a computerized reservation system. In this context, the Ritz Carlton has come up with greater user-friendly tools and mechanisms in order to enhance the existing level of customer satisfaction (Case Study, p. 302).1The hotel industry is expected to obtain a higher level of quality improvement even wit hout using different sophisticated statistical tools and techniques which are generally utilized by the production and manufacturing industries. Ritz Carlton, after achieving the â€Å"Baldridge award†, the organization has  decided to lower the cycle time. This is the time holdup between recognizing the need of the customer and satisfying that need.  

Algerian Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Algerian Government - Essay Example In fact, the president is so powerful that the government can be defined by merely one man. Similarly, the country has a bicameral legislation that is composed of elected delegates who also serve 5 year terms. As compared with the government structure of the United States, there are many differences. Firstly, the President of the United States although head of the military does not share the same authoritarian power structure that the president of Algeria has. Similarly, the elections in the United States are mostly fair and free; not as the case with Algeria (Ruedy 8). Although Algeria has one of the highest standards of living in the continent of Africa, the country still does not have the basic freedoms that democratic systems take for granted. Algeria is ranked very poorly with respect to human rights abuses as well as overall freedom of the press (Suer 5). Because of this and the authoritarian structure of its government, Algeria is not a form of government that many might necessarily chose to live

Luxurymarket in china Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

Luxurymarket in china - Dissertation Example After testing the relationship between independent variables (i.e. â€Å"CSR†, â€Å"CA†, and â€Å"CSR + CA†) will significantly affect the dependent variables (i.e. â€Å"willingness to purchase† and â€Å"willingness to pay a premium price†), the research findings show that only CA can directly affect the Chinese consumers’ willingness to purchase and willingness to pay a premium price for luxury clothing brands in China. Since the Chinese consumers expect luxury fashion clothing brands exert an effort to become socially responsible, this study highly recommends that the luxury clothing companies should develop and implement a â€Å"high-fit, proactive initiatives† in order to strengthen their corporate and brand image, increase the customers’ brand loyalty, build a stronger relationship with the community members, establish trust among the public consumers, and increase the overall satisfaction of the customers. Table of Con tents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................. 2 Table of Contents ................................................................................................................. 3 1. ... ............................................. 6 1.3 Research Questions .................................................................................... 6 1.4 Research Hypotheses ................................................................................. 7 1.5 Proposed Theoretical Framework .............................................................. 7 1.6 Assumptions .............................................................................................. 8 1.7 Rationale for Selecting the Research Topic ............................................... 8 1.8 Scope and Limitations of the Study ........................................................... 9 2. Literature Review ..................................................................................................... 10 2.1 Basic Information about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) ............. 10 2.2 Impact of CSR Initiatives on Consumer Behaviour, Intention to Purchase, and Intention to Pay a Premium Price for Luxury Items ........... 12 2.3 Conditions that will make CSR Initiatives Create a Positive Impact on Consumers’ Purchasing Behaviour .............................................................. 16 2.4 CSR Initiatives of Well-Known Luxury Clothing Brands ......................... 19 2.5 Chinese Consumers’ Perception on CSR Initiatives .................................. 20 3. Research Methodology ............................................................................................. 21 3.1 Research Methodology .............................................................................. 21 3.2 Population and Sample Size ...................................................................... 22 3.3 Research Analysis

Opportunities and Challenges of Having Access to a Broader Workforce Essay Example for Free

Opportunities and Challenges of Having Access to a Broader Workforce Essay Question: a) Discuss the opportunities and challenges of having access to a broader workforce. Answer: The Workforce is the total number of a countrys population employed in the armed forces and civilian jobs, plus those unemployed people who are actually seeking paying work. In other words, workforce also refers to Total number of employee (usually excluding the management) on an employers payroll. It may also mean all those that are available for work. Workers may be unionized, whereby the union conducts negotiations regarding pay and conditions of employment. In the event of industrial unrest, unions provide a coordinating role in organizing ballots of the workforce, and strike action. As the world becomes globalize, the workforce in industries/companies become diversifies. The broader workforce make up from employees that come from different age groups, race, beliefs, gender etc. Opportunities Provide training on core competencies Devise training is needed to address the needs of different levels of workers, including training directed at entry-level and less skilled staff, workers with degrees not directly relevant to afterschool, and workers pursuing credentials. We cannot afford to ignore the workers who stay only a short time or work part-time, because they make up too large a portion of our workforce. They need some minimum level of knowledge in the core competencies required to work in afterschool programs. Moreover, providing training and supporting pursuit of a credential is an excellent way to foster an attachment to the field. Expand Quality training and professional development opportunities Quality training and professional development opportunities are needed to be expanded for all workers, including encouraging programs to give workers paid time off to attend training. Another need is for approaches such as distance learning to increase access to training in rural areas. We also should establish a core group of high quality, recognized, and approved trainers and promote ways to share the knowledge of experienced afterschool staff, for example, through mentoring younger staff. Provide afterschool/youth work content in higher education curricula We need to work with institutions of higher education to provide more course work relevant to youth work and afterschool that could be accessed by workers and students pursuing credentials or a degree. We also need to work with these institutions to address the needs of the adult learners in our workforce who would be candidates for these courses. Advocate for funding for training and professional development Policymakers at all levels need to provide more funding specifically for training and professional development for afterschool staff through supports such as scholarships and loan forgiveness. In advocating for such funding, the afterschool field needs to highlight the connection between positive outcomes for children and youth in afterschool—a goal endorsed by policymakers—and the qualifications of the staff that provide afterschool services. Provide human resources staff with the training and resources they need to recruit and hire Although the focus of this project and resulting report is on the current afterschool workforce, it’s difficult not to consider the need for effective recruiting and hiring techniques in afterschool programs. A program’s workforce begins with, and its success reflects, the recruiting and hiring of employees who are adequately matched to a program’s core competencies and needs. Challenges Developing specific strategies for reaching the target populations There are people 18- 59 years old in the population who are all needed in the workplace and who need the education/training to take advantage of the opportunity it provides. The challenge is to develop marketing campaigns and services that focus on each of these groups, their specific education/training needs, and their need for user friendly access, delivery, and support systems. Further, there are significant shifts in the gender, ethnicity, and work experience within these populations. Studying these shifts identifies targeted opportunities for increased participation and support. The lack of clear, systemic, and complete information continues to be one of the major barriers to these populations. Several recent studies suggest the lack of useful labor market information contribute to the lack of participation. Developing a series of strategic alliances with business/industrial associations, professional associations, and assessment organizations Education curriculum and competency standards are no longer within the sole domain of the academy. Such areas as education content, achievement, and application are all reflections of constant evolutions in the world external to higher education. It is no longer possible for free standing independent education and training organizations to unilaterally maintain currency with the rapidly changing demands of the new economy. Curriculum is no longer fixed, singular, or limited in scope. Competency standards are evolving at increasing rates as are the related assessments. Further, the expansion of multiple employer related delivery options as well as the growth in industry recognized credentials suggest the need for formal alliances with external partners. Employer Associations Three fundamental shifts have shaken the employer world: 1) the rapid changes in technology and productivity and the resulting impact on workforce skills, 2)the dramatic shift in demographics with the loss of skilled workers and the lack of skilled entrants, and 3) the difficulty identifying effective educational ‘pipelines’ for skilled applicants. Both employers and educators are looking to industrial associations as partners in developing the definition of new skills and competencies, the related curriculum, the required assessments and, the resulting credentials. The move towards alignment (tuning) is increasingly dependent on association partnerships. Effective associations will have systems of continuous improvement that will ensure alignment between their education and training partners as well as their employer membership. This communication system opens up the pipeline for skilled workers and provides a communication system for internships, work based learning, and ultimate support for placement of graduates within the industry. The primary purpose of these alliances is to ensure both the continuous alignment and portability of academic content and outcomes with the constantly changing expectations of both the employer and academic world. Industry Recognized Certifications (IRC) Opportunities for more formal alliances occur with associations that sponsor formal industry certifications. These offer industry recognition of credentials and their accompanying competencies. They offer the individual portability of their recognized credentials and the institution a means of aligning curriculum, competencies, and assessments. An exceptional opportunity exists in providing academic credit to students enrolled in programs resulting in industry recognized certifications. Students engaged in technical training would be more inclined to stay in a program if they receive industry recognized credentials as well as specific credits toward academic or technical Associate degrees. This creates a unique prospect to engage students in seamless system of lifelong continuous learning. The prospects for long term strategic alliances with industry associations are enormous and offer great marketing benefits. Alliances with Professional and International Organizations Forming strategic alliances with professional organizations and accreditors ensures both alignment of curricula and outcome standards as well as ensuring the portability of the credits and credentials. These alliances are becoming increasingly recognized as significant pipelines for qualified professional applicants and they offer exceptional marketing opportunities to both student applicants and industry. Development of a ‘One Stop’ access to the new economy A ‘one stop centers’ is needed for individuals to: 1) get labor market information about high wage/high growth industries, 2) obtain available skill standards and/or IRC’s, 3) accredit their past training, education, and experience, 4) gain advice and counseling on entering post secondary education, 5) receive assistance with entrance to recognized academic and training programs, and, 6) get assistance with placement within the industry. The major problem with the labor market adjustment system in the United States is a completely bifurcated and user unfriendly information, counseling, advising, crediting, accessing, financing, and education/training system. Both the unemployed, re-entering adults and first time students are highly mobile learners who are looking for the access portal to the new economy. Stagnate outdated agencies, policies and systems are simply incapable of delivering such services. It is time to develop a new on-line system that would ensure all citizens ongoing and easy access to understandable and timely job matches, labor market information, and credentials needed for the new economy. All post secondary institutions have a unique opportunity to participate in the building of this broader set of services into a publically transparent system. Ability to offer, give a perception of and have the reputation of providing a ‘Guarantee’ This is the outgrowth of the need to close the loop between employers, students, and educators. The primary question is: does the institutions system of identified learning outcomes meet the academic and technical standards of the new economy and, then, does it ‘ensure’ that every graduate meets those standards? This means establishing standards, curriculum, and assessments that achieve these levels and ensuring that every graduate meets them. When substandard performance is recognized there is a system of remediation and ultimately the failure to graduate if the student simply cannot meet the institutional standards. Some would add that for any student hired which the employer believes does not meet the standard, the school would take them back and remediate them at no cost. While this would come with a cost, it is far more important to develop a reputation with employers for producing graduates that meet the industry standards for tomorrow’s economy. While this important for employers, it is imperative for students who want to be certain that the education/training they are engaged in will in fact prepare them for the new economy. Action on this challenge represents a fundamental shift away from the old system of ‘education opportunity’. For the future, it is about highly mobile students accessing a system that ‘ensures’ their achievement of the competencies required for the new economy. America’s exceptionally diverse post secondary education system has the capacity and commitment to implement this new relationship. (b) What extend Malaysia has benefited and also able to develop own Knowledge worker. The Malaysian labor force is generally educated. This is because youths who enter the labor market would have undergone at least 11 years of schooling. Furthermore, the proportion of labor force with secondary and tertiary education has risen over the years, making them easier to be trained and to learn new skills. Nonetheless, it has been argued that there is a shortage of skilled labor in Malaysia. This shortfall in skilled labor was believed to be one of the causes for the tightness in the Malaysian labor market during the 1980s and 1990s, alongside a mismatch between demand for and supply of labor. Malaysia’s response to this matter is one of the reasons for the nation’s focus on human capital development in recent years. Since the mid-1990s, Malaysia has entered into a phase where new emphasis and demand for high technology and knowledge-based industries were in place. A change in the Malaysian economic policies was, therefore, needed in order to maintain the nation’s competitiveness. Knowledge-based economy is defined as one that is â€Å"directly based on the production, distribution and use of knowledge and information†¦ towards growth in high technology investments, high-technology industries, more highly skilled labor and associated productivity gains†. Malaysia adopted this definition into its Knowledge-based Economy Master Plan, which defines a knowledge-based economy as â€Å"an economy where knowledge, creativity and innovation play an ever-increasing and important role in generating and sustaining growth†. The Master Plan was developed to provide a strategic framework outlining the required changes to the fundamentals of the Malaysian economy. Since the concept of a knowledge-based economy revolves around knowledge and information as the key contributors to economic growth and development, the move towards a knowledge-based economy is expected to provide Malaysia with the necessary competitiveness in order to achieve a developed nation status and meet the objectives of Vision 2020. Several reasons were given as to why Malaysia should move into the knowledge-based economy. First, the nation has lost its global competitiveness in attracting FDI when it fell from the 18th place in 1994 to the 29th spot in 2001, as reported the World Competitiveness Yearbook (IMD, various years). Related to this is the increasing competition for the country’s products from other developing countries, such as China, India, Vietnam and Indonesia that enjoy cheaper labor and more abundant resources. This is especially true in the case of China, where it has been reported that cheaper and equal quality goods from this new economic power, mainly in labor intensive textiles, would bring about stiff competition to Malaysia’s export goods in its domestic and international markets. Third, Malaysia’s economic policies have been affected by globalization and liberalization as barriers and protective walls that help sustain local industries are slowly removed and brought down. As a result, Malaysia, like all other developing economies will have to search for new products and services that are feasible in the emerging global market where the distinction between local and world markets is gradually disappearing. Such goods and services like aircraft, pharmaceuticals, ecommerce, tourism and educational services and ICT industries are common in the knowledge-based industries. Fourth, as Malaysia strives to become a developed nation by the year 2020, this would result in its current edge in producing goods and services for the global market, which hinges on low wages, to be eroded. This is because its cost levels would approach those of developed countries. To face this anticipated escalating labor cost, Malaysia needs to ensure higher value is added to its products in order for its industries to remain viable. Thus, for Malaysia to be competitive, it must produce goods and services to compete at comparable levels as those in developed countries. Again, such high value-added is generally provided by knowledge-based industries. Fifth, Malaysia needs to move into more profitable and wealth-generating stages of production. In other words, it has to make its manufacturing sector more profitable. To do so, Malaysian firms have little choice but to move into the pre- production stage (which includes product conceptualization, research and design, prototyping etc) and/or post-production stage (packaging, branding, marketing, retailing etc) of manufacturing, because there is less profit to be made from the core production process. These pre- and post-production stages also happen to be more knowledge-intensive compared to the existing core production process stage. Sixth, Malaysia needs to find new sources of growth in its economy as the old sources of growth have become less productive. A knowledge-based economy will provide some of these new sources of growth to enable Malaysia to sustain growth and dynamism. Finally, Malaysia needs to improve the contribution of the â€Å"total factor productivity† (TFP) in terms of improving the quality of workers, methods of doing things and other delivery activities (EPU, 2002: 5). To what extend do Malaysia able to develop own knowledge worker? Education: At the primary and secondary levels, some of the indicators for quality that tend to raise concerns have to do with the teaching profession, the curriculum, and the grading of schools. The most serious concern is that of teacher recruitment, salary, career path, work load and training. These concerns have discouraged many potentially good teachers from joining the profession. As regards the school curriculum, there are two sets of issues. The first has to do with content. The second set of issues deals with implementation of the curriculum, classroom size, expertise of teachers and courseware development. Overcrowding in urban schools can impede teaching and learning, including the effective delivery of the curriculum. At the tertiary level, concerns centre mainly on the issues of research, resources, faculty qualifications, and the quality of output. Some public institutions are not keen on being assessed and ranked by an external body. Consequently these institutions become less aw are of their weaknesses. This lack of awareness about their performance does not contribute to accountability. The public requires detailed information on the performance of various institutions in order to have confidence in them. In terms of the use of ICT, the largest provider for programmes in schools is the government, mainly the Ministry of Education (MOE). MIMOS, MDC and the private sector, including parent-teacher associations, are also involved. Some observations are made on the current trends and development of the ICT programmes in schools: ââ€" ª At this stage, ICT programmes at the school level are still heavily centered on infrastructure or procurement of hardware. Software (content development for courseware) and people ware (training) in the ICT programmes are more urgent. The hardware focus alone is inadequate to create the environment for e-education which can enhance teaching and learning and accommodate life-long learning. The software and people ware aspects that are necessary for e-education have to be considered and expanded. ââ€" ª There is a lack of co-ordination among the various agencies, namely MOE, MIMOS and MDC, in their supporting activities for the ICT programmes. Redundancy and wastage of resources can be avoided if there is better co-ordination. ââ€" ª In many schools, computers are often locked up in a special room or a lab, impeding their use for teaching and learning. The class time-table often does not include time for working or playing with computers. The costly equipment forces teachers in charge of the room to be cautious in allowing access, and this adds to the difficulty in utilizing the computers. ââ€" ª Most teachers have not had sufficient training to maximize the use of computers to enhance teaching and learning, and often merely impose traditional methods of drilling and rote learning using computers. This is mainly due to the emphasis on ICT literacy in teacher training programmes. ââ€" ª Due to the lack of a standard approach in the utilization of computers, student contact hours with computers cannot be established. ââ€" ª Teachers take charge of ICT centers in schools on a voluntary basis. Most of them do not have any formal training in ICT. There is often no technician who can assist the teachers with maintenance. Public higher education institutions, especially the universities, have been expanding their ICT programmes, especially over the past five years. Computer labs at the faculty level and computer centers for the university have been initiated and are in progress. ICT’s capacity to contribute to greater efficiency of work and resource management has not been fully exploited. E-mail facilities are not being maximized, and downloading lecture notes from the web or interacting with lecturers via e-mail or the web is still uncommon. The Internet is not being adequately accessed for lecture content. Another issue requiring attention is the need to develop quality private education. Private education in Malaysia is a relatively developed sector, particularly at the higher education level. As regards technical education, the system at the upper secondary level needs to address a number of issues: ââ€" ª Greater efforts should be made to improve hands-on skills among technical school students. The Technical Education Department has already introduced the contextual learning delivery system, which essentially recognizes that learning is a complex and multi-faceted process. Such learning goes far beyond theory, drill-oriented, stimulus and response teaching methodologies. It was introduced in Secondary Technical Schools in 1998 to help all students master higher-level academic and work skills. Instruction based on this strategy is being structured to help students apply their knowledge more effectively. ââ€" ª Greater efforts are required to improve the links between schools and industry. Currently the School Advisory Committees, established in all schools, comprise representatives from industries, higher education, Parent-Teacher Associations and Head Teachers who advise schools on curriculum and equipment. The Career Guidance, Industrial Liaison and Placement Unit in every school also provide career guidance and placement of students in industries. These should be further improved. B. Skills Training and Retraining Malaysia currently has several drawbacks with regards to the education and skills profile required for a K-based economy. It lacks an adequate pool of knowledge workers, sufficiently high enrolment in the sciences at tertiary levels, and a broad base of workers with minimum literacy, learning ability and skills. Educational reform takes time while the recruitment of foreign talent is merely a temporary measure. An effective response would be to train managers and workers to cope with the new demands of the K-based economy. Private and public sector managers need to be trained to reengineer their organizations into ‘learning organizations’ which can attract, retain and develop K-workers to make their organizations more competitive, service-oriented and efficient. To increase the quality and relevance of skills, greater autonomy and flexibility should be given to public sector training institutions to make them more responsive to the rapidly changing labor market requirements of a K-based economy. To minimize job dislocation resulting from the transition to the K-based economy, ‘bridging’ courses need to be organized for displaced workers, especially those who are old, uneducated, and un-trainable. The power of the Internet should also be harnessed to establish ‘net communities’ for citizens with special needs and interests to interact among them and with the government. For the economy as a whole, there is also a need for an efficient and speedy labor market information system to help ensure effective planning to meet the manpower demands of the K-based economy. This may require the establishment of a specialist study group, improved career counseling, and a directory of training institutions. In addition to providing basic education for all, in a K-based economy it is essential to stress Lifelong Learning and Education to help citizens cope with expanding knowledge and rapid change. The challenges of Lifelong Learning and Education in the context of the K-based economy include the following: 1. Producing a highly skilled, knowledge-rich workforce. 2. Reducing unemployment and re-skilling the workforce. 3. Addressing and adjusting to the needs of an aging society. C. Global Talent A world shortage of high level manpower is likely to increase the brain drain from Malaysia. While the high growth East Asian economies compete for Malaysian talent, particularly in ICT the more serious long-term competitors are the advanced K-based economies of the US and Europe which suffer serious shortages of ICT personnel. It is estimated that Europe and the US alone need two million more ICT workers by 2002. Recent changes to immigration laws enacted to attract foreign talent to the US have serious implications for Asia and for Malaysia’s efforts to retain domestic talent and attract foreign, particularly ICT talent. A Bill passed by US Congress in late 2000 allows US firms to recruit 600,000 foreigners, a third of them from India. The three-year programme takes effect from 2001. The US recruitment drive occurs in the context of a world-wide shortage of ICT talent, with Asian countries too unable to meet their domestic demand. Despite this the best and brightest Asians ( including Malaysians), are likely to be lured by better wages, work conditions, occupational mobility and the quality of life in the US and Europe. This ‘brain drain’ has already begun, with European and US recruiters scouring Asian universities for talent. This situation signals several dangers for Malaysia. Firstly, like the Asian countries, Malaysia too is likely to lose young graduates from local and foreign universities to firms in the US and Europe. Secondly, experienced Malaysians may also be recruited, with the Malaysian labor market serving as a ‘training ground’ for developed K-based economies. Thirdly, since the Asian shortage and US demand will deplete the international talent pool, Malaysia’s option of utilizing foreign talent will be limited. Foreigners who are recruited to work in Malaysia are also likely to treat Malaysia as a ‘training ground’ for eventual entry and settlement in the US and Europe. There are several ways Malaysia can cope with this situation: ââ€" ª One current advantage Malaysia has is that except for Singapore, other countries in the region including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, and China, all of which also have ambitious ICT plans, have not moved fast enough to recruit foreign talent. Moving quickly to simplify immigration rules and ease recruitment of foreign talent will give Malaysia a competitive edge in recruitment. ââ€" ª Secondly, of all countries in the region, Malaysia probably has the most balanced set of attractions in terms of wages, low costs, quality of life, stability and safety. This advantage should be exploited to the fullest. ââ€" ª Thirdly, Malaysia’s rich and tolerant multi-ethnic heritage makes it attractive to a wide spectrum of expatriates, whether Caucasians, Middle-Easterners, East Asians or South Asians. Unlike its competitors in the region, Malaysia can therefore alleviate the problem of the world-wide shortage by recr uiting from a wide variety of countries and labor markets. The government itself has made several clear efforts to recruit foreign talent. In 1995-98 the Returning Scientists Programme managed by the Ministry of Science attracted 93 overseas-based foreign and Malaysian scientists on short-term contracts to local institutions. But their high wages posed a financial strain and contributed to wage inequities vis-a-vis local scientists. Recognizing the need for talent, the Returning Scientists Programme was revived in early 2001, and the recent national Budget provided incentives to encourage Malaysian experts abroad ‘who have the required expertise’ to return and serve the nation. Income remitted within two years from the date of arrival will be exempted from income tax. Two cars registered in the country of origin for at least six months will also be exempted from import duty and sales tax, while the husbands/wives and children of Malaysian citizens will now be given PR status within six months of the date of arrival. Previously, husbands who were non-citizens were not entitled to PR status, while non-citizen wives could only apply for PR after five years residence in Malaysia. The programme took effect from 1 January 2001. Under this programme, six fields of expertise and skills have been identified, i.e. IT, Science and Technology, Industry, Finance and Accounting, Arts, and Medicine and Health.

Censored Literature Essay Example for Free

Censored Literature Essay There are many reason why states or international countries ban and censor literature. The question that arise when literature are integrated into the curriculum is â€Å"is the literature appropriate?† The reason for censored or banned literature is culture, language, religion, and age. The Lord of the Flies by William Golding is literature that has been challenged and censored by many schools because of what the literature represents and inappropriate for children of a certain age. Although many schools banned and censored the literature, the literature can provide a positive in-class discussion and encourage group projects. Censoring The Lord of the Flies by William Golding The Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a fictional book about British schoolboys being evacuated on a plane to escape war. The plane is shot down into a deserted island. Challenges are faced, rules are broke, and new laws are established on the island. The main character, Ralph, becomes the leader of the schoolboys. Ralph tries to establish order on the island, but the schoolboys vote against Ralph. Instead of establishing order and a civil group on the island, the schoolboys become savages, violent, and mischievous. As Ralph tries to escape the mischievous boys who are after him, Ralph stumbles upon the beach, where a British naval ship arrived on the beach. The literature is seen as a controversial book. The Lord of the Flies by William Golding was challenged at the Owen, NC High School in 1981. According to the American Library Association (2010), the book was considered demoralizing inasmuch as it implies that man is little more than an animal (The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding). The literature brings up the discussion of what constitutes a government vs. savages. Although to some, the literature may seem barbaric with inappropriate language, the literature provides knowledge and uses of symbolism. I agree the literature may be unsuitable ages; the book recommended for high school students can be a great tool for English studies and in-class discussion. The use of symbolism helps students to learn the depths and meaning of literature. Symbolism adds ideas and different meanings in literary works. Use of Literature in the Curriculum. The Lord of the Flies by William Golding can be used in the high school reading curriculum for English studies. Students will discuss the literature after reading two chapters. Student will identify the symbolism used in the chapters. Students will then discuss the issue of laws vs. savages. Upon discussion, students will then write down what constitute a government and laws. Student will then discuss his or her ideas in front of the class. Conclusion Literature banned and censored in many parts of the United States and other countries contain content material that may be unsuitable for certain age groups. However, censoring books may not allow students to experience certain situations that he or she may not experience, but can experience emotions. Some literatures may even contain valuable information on history or the way government works. Other literatures can provide discussion that can provide different perspectives or views of the story. It is important to incorporate literature in everyday teaching to enhance critical thinking skills. Reference American Library Association. (2010). Banned and/or Challenged Books from the Radcliffe publishing course top 100 novels of the 20th century. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics/reasons

Technology In The Hospitality Industry

Technology In The Hospitality Industry Introduction This document explains the technological change which has happened in hospitality industry and in particular hotel industry. The impact of information technology in hotels is quite significant. It has not only given people knowledge as what to seek when looking for a hotel but also a whole preview as what is available in the market. This whole revolution of information technology has changed both the industry and the consumer. Industry has to become more transparent and competitive in order to satisfy customer needs. One needs to keep in mind the enormous variability of the technology rather than assume its determining powers. (Poster, 1995) Information technology is an inevitable part of any organisations functionality. If an organisation seeks to progress in industry then it has to be competitive and up to date in its technological needs. In a world wide technology survey (Hensdill, 1998), hoteliers and other consultants explained how the hotel industry lagged far more behind in terms of automation than other industries. This document will explain what has changed hotel industry from technological perspective and what the demands of consumers are in post modern era. 1.1 Claridges Hotel Claridges hotel is situated in Mayfair, in the heart of Londons west end just a few minutes walk from the shops and boutiques of Bond Street, South Molton Street and Oxford Street. It has 203 rooms including 67 suites. The Reading Room restaurant and The Foyer Designed by Thierry Despont. The Fumoir The intimate, candlelit bar is a push, sophisticated place to enjoy cocktail. Claridges Bar designed by David Collins plays host to Londons movers and shakers. (www.claridges.co.uk) The most important change in recent times is Gordon Ramsay at Claridges restaurant head by Head chef Steve Allen. It offers finest dining in London, celebrating flavourful combinations of the freshest ingredients which is designed by Thierry Despont it is sumptuous and elegant, but intimate. (www.claridges.co.uk) Claridges hotel has always been considered as living in modern era but very famous in royalty and celebrities for its iconic image. But in recent years there have been many changes which has mixed modernism and post modernism in Claridges and this is why author thinks it is the best example to show how information technology has had its impact on Claridges. 1.2 Claridges Hotel Website Claridges website provides facility to both its customers and partners in order to book hotel rooms, table at restaurant or for afternoon tea. Online presence of Claridges hotel is one of the main examples of post modern era. Now any type of customers can just go online and book room for them. Two or three years ago trying to find hospitality IT vendor with an e-mail address, never mind a website, were an almost futile search (Frew, 2000). There were many hotels which were still on the old phone/agent booking system. Now agents have live database in which they can see when to book and Claridges gets these bookings automatically. Dr. Martin Peacock argues that the systems currently being implemented in the hospitality industry emphasise the controlling side of technology: they provide performance measures; they work to restrict the options of both line managers and staff. As he suggests as well that this to be the cause for the irrelevance of management. 1.3 Gordon Ramsay at Claridges Restaurant Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay has his own restaurant in Claridges which is headed by Chef Steve Allen. In todays technology revolutionised era, it is very important to have someone famous to boost the brand. Most of the people know Gordon Ramsay through TV, newspaper and media and having his name with Claridges is key to enhance its brand name. People not only take it as a typical hotel but also a place to spend afternoon and dine out. According to Cline (2002) Hospitality ebusiness is destined to play an increasingly significant role and will have profound impact on the way hospitality business is conducted in the future. Literature 2.1 Research Methods There are various ways to perform research in order to understand technological requirements and changes in Claridges hotel. Dr. Martin Peacock has laid down three fundamental rules in order to choose and research on choice establishment. First, he suggested that it should be of interest of the author, secondly the fulfilment of the criteria of sufficient secondary data which is deemed possible. Finally, a possibility of primary data being available so that core reasons and suggestions can be presented in shape of an argument. This primary data can either be collected by talking to choice establishment or its customers. 2.1.1 Observations In order to understand and feel technological changes in Claridges, author visited the hotel himself and had afternoon tea in the hotel. Author also visited Gordon Ramsay restaurant and saw their seating plan and menu for customers and also understood how customers are being booked at the restaurant. Author also visited halls and visited bedrooms to understand and feel the same which a customer feels. Author understood that online customer booking facility is quite famous among customers due to ever changing consumer demands and post modern era. Claridges also provides online facility to its partner companies/agents to book for rooms/restaurants. 2.1.2 Interviews One of the primary research techniques is to interview the owner or people working in the choice establishment. It is also very important to take interview from customers so that proper analyses can be done. Author tried to book interview with IT staff of Claridges hotel but the concerned person in IT department was not available. So author has relied mainly on observations and secondary data. 2.1.3 Online Sources Main online sources used are hospitality journals available online, website of Dr. Martin Peacock, Claridges website and google search. 2.2 Limitations It was not possible to conduct survey with customers as Claridges does not allow external person to conduct any questionnaire survey with its customers without prior permission from higher management. It was not also possible to take interview with staff of claridges who can give insight about Claridges IT performance except few observational meetings with receptionist just to understand the functionality of basic information systems. Impact of Technological Innovation Technology has often been used as an instrument of control and the term itself has a link with the use of tools to control inanimate objects. Possibly the best illustration of the use of technology to control people is Zuboffs (1988) example of Benthams Panopticon. Here a prison is designed with glass walls and corridors radiating out like spokes from a wheel. The concept is that these corridors can be controlled by one guard situated at the centre of the wheel. The technology (in this case glass walls, a rotating chair and innovative design) is used to control the inmates. This is not an image totally distant from modern information systems within tourism and hospitality. (Chapter in Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism (edited by D.Fesenmaier), Springer, Wien, 2000) (Cultural tourism product emphasising on information and infrastructure, by Daniela Freund De Klumbis Wil Munster in Developments in the hotel industry: Design meets Historic Properties) Sector (significance of under ANOVA 0.000). Hotels had 68.6% in the enthusiastic user category, whilst restaurants could only count 41.9% in this group. (Martin Peacock, 1994) Modern information systems privilege a vision of technology which has close links with Benthams glass prison. In the NEDC working party report on competitiveness in tourism (1992), TGI Fridays use of technology to provide control and monitoring systems, is listed under Case Studies Best Practices. The same report also praises McDonalds use of systems. Baker et al (1998) suggested that the EPOS system developed for Bass Taverns removed the uncertainties of operative fraud and the black economy for public house managers. (Chapter in Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism (edited by D.Fesenmaier), Springer, Wien, 2000) This systematic standardisation of the hospitality product provoked a counter-movement inspired by consumers searching for hotels with unique or sophisticated and innovative characteristics, called boutique, design or lifestyle hotels. In the beginning of the 80s of the last century the term boutique hotel swept through the market and was used to describe unique 50-100 rooms properties, non chain-operated, with attention to fine detail and individual decoration in European or Asian influenced furnishings (literally a boutique as opposed to a department store). Sophistication and innovation explain the growth of the design and lifestyle hotel niches. In order to employ a generic term for these new niches, we will refer hereafter to the boutique, design and lifestyle concepts with the term lifestyle hotels. Being independent enterprises, lifestyle hotels join voluntary groups (membership affiliations, consortia) in order to benefit from the advantages of chains especially global marketing and promotion services, common packages and international reservation systems without having the disadvantages of chain box hotels like absence of management autonomy, architectural uniformity and standardized operational procedures (Yu, 1996; Andrew, 2001). Examples of these voluntary groups are marketing and sales reservation networks (e.g. SRS World Hotels) and free alliances. The confrontation of box and lifestyle hotels by means of Kotler ´s product levels shows clear differences between both concepts. On the core and facilitating product levels, box hotel companies present savings in building and staff costs due to the standards of performance as a major advantage to the hotel operator. In the marketing policy, the uniformity of the concept and the strong recognition of the brand are used to influence the consumers choice. Commoditization generates, within traditional segments, a feeling of security and familiarity. For the widely-travelled tourist, however, the stay in a box hotel turns into alienation and anonymity. Many of them share the experience of awaking in a hotel room while asking oneself: Where am I now? This negative guest experience, caused by impersonality, predictability and boredom, has led to an important loss of clients and turnover with box hotel companies. Table below shows us, by means of a confrontation matrix, the hotel guests main differences in choice criteria (Naber, 2002). BOX HOTELS LIFE STYLE HOTELS Demands quality guarantee Expects quality given the high quality level of lifestyle hotels Minimum standards Exceeding standards No annoying surprises Surprise-adventure-history Experiences are sought outside the hotel The hotel stay is an experience in itself Recognition of the product Recognition as a guest To feel at home by means of the hardware To feel at home by means of the software Reliable unique selling propositions Really unique selling propositions Familiar with the brand image Search for a specific identity (By Daniela Freund De Klumbis Wil Munster in Developments in the hotel industry: Design meets Historic Properties) What is key component to drive todays hospitality industry? Information technology is the key component which is driving hospitality industry. It has already revolutionised hospitality industry in post modern era and now it is driving it as major decisions are being taken and are based on Information systems provided by IT. Claims of overall increases in productivity caused by increasing use of information technology are difficult to justify empirically both at the local and the global level. US improvements in productivity can be linked directly to computer manufacturing (Anonymous, 1999) with productivity growth in other sectors stalled or falling. Landauer (1995) reported Roachs findings that information workers in the US (1960-87) had seen no increase in productivity. Martin Peacock and Humphery Shaw, (1996); Bytes and Bias suggests in this paper that the specific issue of the attitudes to new technology in the hospitality industry. Yet, outside the specific question of the industry, society too illustrates very ambivalent attitudes to new technology. One of the best illustrations of this is the Unabomber debate. The Unabomber is an American mail bomber who has attacked pro-technology targets (principally academics) over the last 18 years. Last year his manifesto was published in the Washington Post and other American publications (Anonymous, 1995). Technological change defines the horizon of our material world as it shapes the limiting conditions of what is possible and what is barely imaginable. It erodes taken-for-granted assumptions about the nature of our reality, the pattern in which we dwell, and lays open new choices. (Zuboff, 1988) New technologies do not spell the end of traditional technologies. The synthesiser has not replaced the piano. Each has their traditional and contemporary roles to fulfil. However, the advent of the synthesiser has effected the way in which we see and use the piano. It is something different to what it was. (Biggs, 1991) Tiles Oberdiek suggests in 1995 that modern technologies in short, behave like ecosystems. When we intervene here, unexpected consequences pop up there. As Tiles Oberdiek suggests in 1995 that on the other hand there are people who have become deeply pessimistic as a result of observing the path of so called technical progress. As they see it, we are strangely impotent in the face of, indeed are enslaved by, a pervasive technology that, ironically, we ourselves have made. Belonging to the primary tourism enterprises, the hospitality industry is an essential component of the cultural tourism product. Hospitality products need to fulfil customers needs on several levels (Kotler, 2003): (a) The core product answers the basic question: what is the buyer really buying? It refers basically to the benefits provided by the hotel to the consumer and not the features, e.g. room comfort and convenient location. (b) Facilitating products are those services or goods that must be present for the guests to use the core product, e.g. bellboy in a luxury hotel. (c) Supporting products are extra products offered to add value to the core product and help to position it through differentiation from the competitors, e.g. full-service health spa. (d) The augmented product includes atmosphere and customers interaction with the service organization and each other, e.g. lobby socializing. The augmented product is an important concept because it is in this level were the main differences arise between the various hospitality concepts, e.g. atmosphere created by focus on lightning, marriage of textures and colours to please the senses. How Technology works in Claridges? The expansion of the international hotel chains, in their vast majority, was accompanied and made possible by a process of standardisation and commoditization. Technological innovation has had huge impact on this expansion. Research data, which hotel chains keep and also have track record of ever changing customer needs is really important in order to expand the hotel chain as well as keeping an iconic image in the market. Claridges hotel has uniqueness which is to keep itself as one and only one hotel. It is part of group of hotels which is called Maybourne Hotel Group who has three big hotels (Claridges, Connaught, The Berkeley) in their portfolio and few other hotels internationally. Customers like to book online using Claridges website. Travel professionals in tourism industry also have online access available through website where they can make bookings on behalf of their customers. Booking online provides facility to customers to request anything extra they want to the hotel and that will fulfilled. Due to recent trend in technology and use of internet has changed the old perspective of booking via phone. A customer can book anywhere while sitting in airport or in a cab and as soon as they arrive at the hotel, everything is ready for them. It is very important to show in this document what are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats which are being faced by Claridges. This analysis shows this data using SWOT technique which can be applied to other life style hotels as well and will give sufficient information in order to take the required decisions. SWOT Analysis of the Claridges hotel Strengths Weaknesses Well-defined concepts with an unique identity and a modern character, taking into account the four levels of the hospitality product. Need to re-adapt constantly to the fast changing market demands. Diversity in guest experience. In some cases, hotel becomes the cultural attraction in itself Larger hotels groups cause lifestyle-fatigue through over-branding Low costs of soft branded distribution by the sharing of costs of distribution, technology and purchasing Low profitability as compared to box hotels Autonomous control over operations by the hotel itself, allowing the personal expression of passion for hospitality High maintenance and staffing costs Opportunities Threats Emergence of new soft brand distribution models: organization of independent hotels (e.g. Design Hotels Resorts) Global chains dominate supply through acquisition and development. They practise brand management across multiple brands (economies of scale) Design is becoming an element adopted by the various hospitality products (e.g. Accors backpackers concept Base) Emergence of low service stylised concepts or imitators Create programs that allow customers to spend all their money Aggressive down-pricing by box hotel chains to retain market share Needs and wants of the post-modern consumer: quality tourism, traditional hospitality, personal approach, sustainable hotels, the brand as a self image, diversity of experiences Familiar with travelling, nowadays consumers expect value and quality for their money. Effective use of Customer-Relationship-Management databases and customer-choice-modelling experiments can allow hospitality establishments to personalize products and services thus increasing satisfaction, retention and loyalty. Good informed and critical consumers Use of co-branding synergies with other lifestyle brands as the allocation to an existing Claridges brand name enables a quick transfer of the hospitality product values and contents to the client (e.g. Gordon Ramsay at Claridges Restaurant) Because of the unpredictable buying behaviour of the post-modern consumer, brand loyalty is difficult to achieve. Many consumers can no longer be easily segmented on the basis of education, income, social class and geographic origin. Utilisation of opinion leaders in the segment addressed and of the power of famous influencers (e.g. Famous hotel for George Clooney when he is in London) The consumer is wary to media, makes his choices and can hardly be influenced. ICT solutions for one-to-one marketing High cost level of ICT-investments Development of websites that convey the types of pleasurable experiences promised by the hotel and ensure pleasant browsing experiences High complexity of the global distribution model Conclusions By using the research methods and proper use of literature, it is quite apparent that technological innovation is inevitable and in hospitality, any establishment who does not believe in this will be out of the industry in no time. It is and will always be the case of being more innovative and creative in information technology and more strategic decisions are being taken by using proper IT research methods. It is imperative to keep up to date information systems in place if to succeed in the market is the goal. In future, it will not only the case of looking good and be more hospitalise but also to use core hospitality techniques along with good knowledge of customer needs. This knowledge can only be gained if proper information system is in place. Author believes that customer should have the power to customise the facility according to his/her needs. Hotel should accommodate customer and help him/her to customise as per requirement. This can only be done if hotel has sufficient information available which covers all expected and legitimate needs of any customer. Cline (2002) as well as Peacock (1995) point out the industrys slow and measured approach to IT and to innovation generally. But as the sophistication of technology increases (e.g. Fisk, 1999) it was suggested that a more organic or humanistic approach to IT is needed to make the technology more useable to the organisation, employees and customers. Effective innovation appears more at the operative level, at the point of sale. Creative problem solving, product remodelling, and effective marketing have been encouraged by technological change in other industries. New modes of service delivery have grown directly from the potential of new software (Barras, 1990). It is the imaginative coupling of new technology with new services and new modes of organisation which represents its real potential. (Martin Peacock Humphery Shaw, (1996); Bytes and Bias) Competition is fierce on the international hotel market and imitation of successful concepts is a proven method to attract new target groups. So it is no wonder that many of the ingredients which contribute to the lifestyle hotel experience, have been adopted by box hotels. Glocalisation, the combination of globalisation and localisation, has been introduced as a leading principle in marketing policies of chain hotels. In promotional campaigns of box hotels, the role of local culture as component of the hospitality product is highlighted by means of slogans like Think locally, act globally (Hilton Hotels) and International standards, local flavours (Claridges). While ten years ago design and style were unique selling propositions, nowadays they are minimum requirements to attract the sybaritic post-modern guest. Large hotel groups are even causing lifestyle-fatigue through over-branding and, at the same time, the number of low service stylish concepts is increasing with design becomi ng an element adopted by various hospitality products, e.g. Base, the backpacker concept of the Accor group. In this competitive struggle, the cornerstone of success for the lifestyle hotel product will be to pursue to satisfy the fast changing needs and wants of the post-modern consumer by offering an inimitable individuality and a full-balanced hospitality experience. The effective use of customer-relationship-management databases and one-to-one marketing actions has to be strengthened in order to be able to personalize products and services, thus increasing satisfaction, retention and loyalty. The quality of the staff will continue to be a key success issue because the lifestyle traveller seeks more than advice or recommendations. Hotel employees should not only be trained to manage the information exchange, but also be required to match guests to experiences. To perform such a consultancy task, they are expected to be informed about the hospitality product itself as well as its cultural environment (Freund, 2002). Furthermore, hospitality employees will be required to possess commercial skills based primarily on making the most out of each customer transaction by creating experiential programs that push the guest to spend the greater part of their money at the hotel. It should be noticed in this respect that consumers see food, accommodation and culture merely as elements of a greater whole relating to a total experience. Because of this, a relevant opportunity for lifestyle hotels, from a marketing perspective, consists in co-branding the property with a leading brand outside the tourism industry, e.g. fashion designers, retail companies, lifestyle brands. As the allocation to an existing brand name enables a quick transfer of the product values and contents to the client, co-branded hotels (e.g. Cerrutti, Armani and Bulgari Hotels) have a competitive edge in penetrating the market. However, co-branding in the hospitality industry requires a profound evaluation of both brand partners strengths and weaknesses, a strategy for the long term co-operation and, above all, a prudent implementation. References Freund de Klumbis, D. (2002), Seeking the ultimate hotel experience, paper originally presented at the XIIe International Leisure and Tourism Symposium ESADE-Fira de Barcelona, Barcelona, April 2002, and published in Gestià ³n en H, No. 11, May-June 2003, pp. 58-76. Naber, T. (2002), Chain or independent: box hotel or boutique hotel? lecture given at the Eurhodip Conference 2002 Hospitality Management in Europe: Moving into a New Dimension, Maastricht, May 2002. Andrew, G. (2001), Evolution of tourist offers: the importance of an individual hotel experience in an independent hotel chain, lecture given at the Eurhodip Conference 2001 The Hotel and Catering Trades for Employment and Economic Development in Europe, Venice, November 2001. Peacock, M., Information Technology in the Hospitality Industry, Cassell, London, 1995 Smith, T., Does Technology Drive History, The MIT Press, London, 1994 OConnor, Peter Using computers in Hospitality, Cassel, 1996. `Bytes and Bias: Technophilia in technology writing, (refereed conference paper for `Hospitality Information Technology Association Worldwide Conference, 1996). Ms. Rita Fernandas (2010); observations during meetings held with Ms. Fernandas, a receptionist at Claridges hotel. Online Sources: www.claridges.co.uk http://www.maybourne.com/page.aspx?id=4458 http://www.maybourne.com/uploadedFiles/Claridges/About_the_hotel/Claridges_London_English.pdf http://www.maybourne.com/uploadedFiles/Maybourne/Supplementary_Navigation/Travel_professionals/Downloads/Group_Guarantee_UK.pdf http://www.avlk87.dsl.pipex.com/martin/hospital.htm , (Hospitality managers who love computers too little?) by Dr. Martin Peacock

Multiple Sclerosis Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers

Multiple Sclerosis (1) One third of a million Americans suffer from MS and a great percentage of those people are women. Women account for 73% of MS sufferers. (2) MS usually strikes young adults between the ages of 20 and 40 years old. (8) There are even some cases of MS being diagnosed in childhood. Multiple sclerosis is a disease that affects the central nervous system, attacking the brain and the spinal cord. MS attacks myelin, the fatty material that acts as a protective coating to the body's nerves. (1) The inflammation of the nerve tissues covering the nerves can affect any part of the nervous system and varies from person to person. (7) Normal nerve function decreases with the onset of MS because MS causes scars to form on the covering of the nerve. Multiple Sclerosis acquires this term because it literally means scars. (1,7) The covering of the nerve with myelin is very important so that the nerve can transmit signals rapidly and efficiently. Demylelination enables the nerve to carry impulses properly by either blocking or slowing transmission and this is why the various symptoms of MS occur. (1) Symptoms associated with Multiple sclerosis consist in a wide range. MS could cause a numbness of the limbs, loss of vision, or even paralysis. (2) There is no specific set of symptoms that a patient may experience because MS may have affected different parts of the nervous system. Some patients may experience a loss of balance, unstable walking, clumsiness, blurred vision, spasticity (a spring-like resistance to moving or being moved), abnormal speech, memory loss, impotence, and bladder problems are to name a few. (1) In any one patient the symptoms may vary with each attack. (7) The symptoms can last up to days or... ...ave MS are suffering from a disease from which there is no cure and can only have their symptoms alleviated for a while. Earlier mandatory testing should be at the forefront for the young adults that MS targets. > WWW Sources 1)What is MS?, http://www.msif.org/language_choice.html 2)What is Multiple Sclerosis, http://www.nationalmssociety.org/ILD/home/ 3)Multiple Sclerosis: Overview, http://medstat.med.utah.edu/ 4)References on Multiple Sclerosis and Marijuana , http://www.druglibrary.org/ 5)Multiple Sclerosis, Mulitiple Sclerosis Symptom, Multiple Sclerosis Treatment, http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro01/web3/www.pychealth.com 6)My Life and Fight Against Multiple Sclerosis, http://www.angelfire.lycos.com/ 7)Multiple Sclerosis, http://health.yahoo.com/ 8)Multiple Sclerosis, http://www.msif.org/language_choice.html

The Myth Behind La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre :: Cuban Culture

The Myth Behind La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre To many Cuban-Americans living in Miami, La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, is one of the only ties remaining that unifies them with their homeland. The Virgin is a renowned and integral part of Cuban culture and plays an important role in the Catholic heritage of Cubans exiled inside and outside of North America. The church, La Ermita de la Caridad del Cobre, is a memorial that was constructed in honor of her and is a monument to the religious and political history of the island. Since there are many different versions circulating about the sighting of the Virgin, one must discuss the most popular and the most commonly accepted. The myth behind the La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, originated in 1606. The Virgin appeared one day in the Bay of Nipe near Santiago to two brothers, Rodrigo and Juan de Hoyos, and to Juan Moreno,a black boy roughly ten years of age. They were out on a fishing trip in the Bay. While struggling in their storm tossed boat, they heard a voice declare, "I am the Virgin of Charity." In one hand, the Virgin carried a mulatto baby Jesus; in the other, she held a cross. She also appeared to be holding a tablet which contained the inscription, "I am the Virgin of Charity." A replica of the same tablet is now framed and displayed on the first floor of La Ermita in Santiago de Cuba. In Cuba, there is also a statue of the Virgin, approximately one meter tall, located in a small chapel on the second floor. The statue is of a pretty mulatta who wears dangling earrings and a golden robe. La Virgen's racial attributes is a mixture of black, white and Indian; essentially, it covers the entire racial makeup of Cuba. She has dark hair and carries the baby Jesus in one hand and a cross in the other. People flock to her memorial to pray to her and give her thanks. They often leave small tokens of their appreciation and gratitude. To the exile community, she represents a Catholic Cuba untouched by the religious beliefs of the communist regime of he last four decades.

Chicago Gangs :: Gang Essays

From the late 1800’s up through the present date, musical theater has changed. Though customs and love for the theater will always be carried on, origins, trends, and styles will change throughout time. â€Å"The American musical was born long before European operetta crossed the Atlantic. In The American Musical Stage Before 1800. Julian Mates tells us that â€Å"America’s early theatres were essentially lyric theatres†¦In America, no earlier dramatic forms existed, and the musical stage became our only tradition (musicals101.com)†. During America’s first hundred years, the favorite musical entertainments during the time were variety musical shows. In the 1860’s and 70’s, Pantomime was a the main Broadway staple. In these types of shows, clown characters were taken and placed in plots based on Mother Goose stories. Also seen was the insertion of popular songs whenever the audience needed a breather. The Pantomime form disappeared completely from American stages by 1880.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From 1879 until 1884 the variety team of Edward Harrigan and Tony Hart produced and performed in musical farces set on the streets of New York. The main focus of the shows was on lower class immigrant life, depicting real-life problems as interracial tensions, political corruption and gang violence. Harrigan and Hart are best known as the creators of musical comedy. They made these problems into harmless humor. â€Å"Harrigan and Hart’s shows had scores in the style of contemporary popular music with simple melodies and lyrics, lots of sentiment and a wry sense of street-smart humor (musicals 101.com).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1878, Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore premiered in the United States. Their arrival sparked an overwhelming response from the people, the craze that was, was known as â€Å"Pinafore-Mania†. The songs that were sung in the show became the language of the people, and became part of everyday conversation. Even though it seemed all was good, some were not pleased and happy with the two â€Å"invaders†. â€Å"In the century since Gilbert and Sullivan, people on both sides of the Atlantic have bitched about â€Å"invasions† coming from the other side. America and Britain have continually sent each other their best shows for over a hundred years. If the balance tilts a bit every now and then, no matter: it will shift again (musical 101.com)†. With the growth of the American cities and with the Industrial Revolution going on, the theater-fans were becoming more sophisticated. With this, the homegrown musical entertainment, due to the success of Gilbert and Sullivan, looked second rate.

Faking the Grade

Such as Bluetooth earphone, hiring academic gunners and buying essays online, and that the technical know-how tutorials in which the instructions of cheating are elaborated have been going viral on the Youth. According to the experts, cheating not only lose students' brains in telling right from wrong, but also caused a vicious circle that keeps constant cheating. Also, It gives multiple types of cheating, Including sabotage, plagiarism. ND bribing teachers with cash or sex. And then the documentary discusses the external factors that account for students' cheating, which virtually come from parents, news, events, society, and almost everywhere in the living world. After demonstrating an example, that a man made his career by selling his essays to students and their parents even offered to pay the ghostwriter for his works, the documentary reveals that parents have something to do with students' cheating.First, students are under much stress from parents, marks, and expectations and become vulnerable to cheat; second, according to the professor, with parents modeling, students internalize and they approach success by cheating to feel loved by their parents; third, parents look at it another way as documentary shows some parents were willing to buy cheating tools for their children. With showing many interviews with different audience, the documentary contends that cheating is related to a bigger issue, a dishonesty culture that penetrates news, events, society, and the whole world.After demonstrating two adult examples about a doctor copying other†s work for his research paper and some polices cheating for promotion, the documentary says a message is being delivered to young generation that endless pursuit of fame and fortune lead to a wrong mean—cheating to get ahead in today's dog-eat-dog environment according to the expert. Besides, Internal factors take much blame for cheating as a psychologist contends that personality is crucially responsible for cheating.In the documentary, an example of a used-to casino experienced cheater is illustrated where he pointed out that cheating is driven mostly by a risk-taking personality while prizes and marks seem less important. Moreover, according to the psychologist, people who like wearing fake brand clothes and Jewels are more likely to cheat; watching peers cheating would convince themselves to cheat under a worse style of studying, since a news is shown n the documentary that teachers changed score sheets for students to give the appearance of improved performance of the school instead of risking losing Jobs.However, this provoking behavior results in schools' fight back as it's illustrated in the documentary that teachers use high techs to catch cheaters, that schools set tests to examine students' academic integrity, and that harsh punishment would be given to cheaters with it showing the detecting tools and demonstrating examples of a girl who got accused of plagiarism because of strict rules of citing failing the exam or an unintentional mistake and of a boy who cheated getting a spot in his record with him forever.In the end, the documentary concludes by insisting a change is needed to prevent students from cheating and to cultivate a culture of honesty and integrity, after showing an example that students were devastated about their ceremony being called off due to a few students' cheating. According to the expert, reducing economic inequality, increasing students' sense of security, and eliminating the idea of dog-eat- dog environment are very means to pull the society back from dishonesty and welcome a reformation.