A Shadow in the City

â€Å"A Shadow in the City: Confessions of an Undercover Drug Warrior† is a well-known book written by Charles Bowden. As evident by the name, the book deals with drugs, the drug war and an under cover drug warrior.The author of this book has touched a subject which has generally always been considered dark by many; and for that he has put forward the picture of a man who has worked extremely hard nearly all his life to put an end to the war against drugs.The author has gone deep into the mind of a person namely Mr. O’Shay and has put forward many such things which go by ignored by a vast number of people. The reason behind writing this book evidently is to gain awareness and make the people give attention to the problems faced by the people who work on the front end of this problem.These are the people who begin working as people with good hearts and even better intentions, and then they are forced to consign acts of pure evil or just simple lose at their work. Every s ingle evil act wounds the mind and the soul of that person to the extent that nothing is left except pain, wounds, and a guilty feeling that agonizes a man who at his heart may be a good person.Another thing which the author has tried to convey is the fact that anyone involved in the drugs business would either go up or go straight down. He will loose all signs of humanity along with all his morals and values (Bowden, 2005).Summaryâ€Å"Joey O'Shay is not the real name of the narcotics agent in an unnamed city in the center of the country. But Joey O'Shay exists. The nearly three hundred drug busts he has orchestrated over more than two decades are real, too; if the drug war were a declared war, O'Shay would have a Silver Star†.–Charles BowdenThis well-known book which has been written by Charles Bowden presents an image of the life of an undercover drug agent and the effects of his work on the agent’s sanity and sense of right and wrong. In this book the author has presented to his readers the unseen world of the drug wars where wicked crimes occur nearly all the time; where unfaithfulness and dishonesty are the only two things that one can depend on; and where alcohol and drugs are the only thing that people are concerned about.In the book, the author has archived a career-making drug deal for pure Columbian heroin which is being coordinated by Joey O’Shay, a drug agent who has been working under-cover for more than twenty years.The drug agent has made a vast number of drug deal busts without ever being identified by any of his targets; nevertheless, his purpose as an agent and that of America’s war on drugs has grown more difficult to understand with each bust. O’Shay is at a point where he wishes to retire from his job. He wants to walk away from what he has been doing since a very long time—getting close to his enemies and then destroying them, but the way out is not easy.He stands at a point where he does not know himself; he has become an entity trying to understand his own self. In the words of the author, â€Å"he becomes a shadow in the city. He remains unknown to the life moving around him. He answers no questions. He grows, thrives, slides silently down the streets.He acts. He loves. He loses. He kills. He is the law but few remember this fact. Sometimes, he forgets himself† (Bowden, p.5). The problems faced by O’ Shay, him losing his personality, losing interest in his work and doubting his line of work, O’ Shay trying to find ways to get out of this drug business but failing at it and also failing at dying is what this book is basically about.While working for the war on drugs, the police men or let’s say the drug agents face a lot of things which play with their minds. Horrific images, brutal realities, harsh lies are all part of the game. These things make the person doubt his own job just like O’ Shay doubts his by thinking whether this w ar is ever going to end or not.Friendship and loyalty play a major role in this field. In the book, Bobbie is a girl who owns a hotel and has always been helping O’ Shay. She always listens to him and according to the author, â€Å"Bobbie obeys no one, she is proud of this fact. But she always obeys Joey. Even in her dreams† (Bowden, p.7).The author also addresses the problem of cops having to face crimes being committed in front of their eyes in order to remain under cover. At times, these people see so much of these crimes being committed that they become unsympathetic and get used to it just the way O’ Shay does in the book, but deep down inside, as the author has tried to portray, these people are anxious to undo all the things they have ever seen and known throughout their lives and careers. Yet, the author also goes on to remind the reader that such a thing is nearly impossible.These under cover agents go through a number of personal changes in the way the y think and perceive events and things around them. The war against drugs perhaps is a never ending war, as according to the author, the people who the under cover agents put away are immediately replaced by their successors, hence getting to the root of the problem is the main task here, which is not easy to be done.Author’s position on the Drug WarAs evident by the portrayal of O’ Shay as a man who wishes to give up on his job, the author certainly believes that the war against drug is not as easy as some of us may think it is.   It is a tough job which requires nerves. The author believes that the war on drugs might even turn out to be never ending, which is extremely bad.This issue must be dealt with great strategy. Not only should small drug deals be busted, but the bigger much worst deals should be dealt with as well, but for that the under cover agents must be fully prepared and should not weary of their jobs just as O’ Shay and a vast number of other u nder cover agents in real life do so. The war on drugs is a hard task and would take a long period of time to finish if it ever does. But as stated earlier, it requires thinking and strategic planning for the war to end and bringing about an end to drugs.Influence of the book on my personal views of the drug warReading this book has brought about a slight change in the way I had previously perceived the war against drugs. I had thought that perhaps the life of an under cover agent is not all that scary or disturbing, but this text proved me wrong.I thought that maybe if the authorities worked harder the problem would be finished in a very short period of time, but no; the text changed my view over that as well. I now think that the war against drugs might not end but even if it does it would require a very strategic plan.ConclusionIn the light of the above discussion we can hereby culminate that â€Å"A Shadow in the City: Confessions of an Undercover Drug Warrior† is a well- known book written by Charles Bowden. The book deals with drugs, drug deals, under cover agents and the way busting drug deals and dealing with thugs effects the way they think and perceive things and at times they also wish to retire from their jobs.BibliographyBowden, Charles. (2005). A Shadow in the City: Confessions of an Undercover Drug Warrior.   United States of America. Harcourt. ISBN: 0151011834.   

Let There Be Light

Electric Compass' were used 3. At is a good conductor of electricity electron 4. Not until after Mechanics 5. Magnetic compass 6. (Tape notes in notebook) Some things attract, others repel. All objects fall and move with respect to gravity. 7. Benjamin Franklin 8. A fundamental element Of mass 9. Like repel, different attract 10. Far apart- hard to tell they are attracting, close together-easy to notice. 11. They both have like currents and likes repel, opposites attract but magnets eave poles not charges.They are still positive and negative. 12. In one direction there I am electric field and in another magnetic, they work together 13. Friction at a distance 14. Attraction would change instantaneously Nothing can travel faster than light 15. 16. The field of force 17. It is the field that tells two objects how to interact 18. The earth's mass is so big that it barely moves 19. Action at a distance is every part of the earth pulling at an object. Whereas a field of force is better bec ause it creates a field for a disturbance to travel wrought. 0. They are centered around something and the farther away from it the weaker the field. 21 . Everything is pulled to the center. The farther from the center the weaker the force. 22. Electric charges in the center 23. In my notebook 24. Because this is our earth, it surrounds us completely 25. Electric generator, electromagnet, electric motor 26. A generator uses motion to make electricity. A motor uses electricity to make motion. 27. Moving it, moving a coil, turning an electromagnet on and off 28. Energy, mass, weather, volts, compounds 9.Credit card, electricity 30. He thought that it was this way and used common sense to then propose this idea. 31 . Electricity make magnetism and magnetism makes electricity 32. The second synthesis is putting magnetism and electricity together as described in Maxwell equations. 33. Because electromagnetism is one of them 34. 35. We are causing a disturbance in the air; predicted waves , speed of waves 36. Because visible light is a form of electromagnetic radiation that travels through a field. Light travels in fields.

Home Depot Essay

Home Depot is considered to be one of the top ranking home improvement organizations. The mission statement of this organization was formulated around being â€Å"committed to maximizing long term shareholder value while supporting management in the business and operations of the company, observing the highest ethical standards and adhering to the laws of the jurisdictions within which the company operates† (Homer TLC INC, 2010). The Home Depot transformed the â€Å"home improvement industry† by providing a well round reputation for products, corporate governance and strong values within the community. The purpose of The Home Depot remains to build relationships, have social responsibility, and concrete ethics as an organization. Employees are respected, offered growth and reputable incentive plans. Public policy makers and Home Depot collaborates on ideas to assure prosperity in our society. Home Depot delivers great customer service by revealing the best techniques in home improvement for amateur clientele. There are over 2,200 retail stores in the United States and 272 internationally. Overall, these features promote essential organizational communication dynamics. Organizational communication sets the organization apart from the rest. This also promotes a clear understanding of cultural dimensions. Home Depot History Founded in 1978, The Home Depot, Inc. is the world’s largest home improvement specialty retailer and the fourth largest retailer in the United States with fiscal 2010 retail sales of $68. 0 billion and earnings from continuing operations of $3. 3 billion. The Home Depot has more than 2,200 retail stores in the United States (including Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands and the territory of Guam), Canada, Mexico and China. The Home Depot employs over 255,000 associates, and operates 478 warehouses. The Home Depot is the fastest growing retailer in U. S. history. In 1981, the company went public on NASDAQ and moved to the New York Stock Exchange in 1984. The 1980s and 1990s spawned tremendous growth for the company, with 1989 marking the celebration of its 100th store opening. From the beginning, The Home Depot developed strategic product alliances directly with industry-leading manufacturers to deliver the most exclusive assortments to customers. Through a combination of national brands and proprietary products the company sets the standard for innovative merchandise for the do-it-yourselfer From the start, associates were able to offer the best customer service in the industry, guiding customers through projects such as laying tile, changing a fill valve or handling a power tool. Not only did store associates undergo rigorous product knowledge training, but they also began offering clinics so customers could learn how to do it themselves. The Home Depot revolutionized the home improvement industry by bringing the know-how and the tools to the consumer and by saving them money. Home Depot History Bernard March, Arthur Blank and Ronal Brill incorporated the Home Depot in 1978. They found financing from a New York venture capital firm and started Home Depot in Atlanta, Georgia. This team Recognizing that more than 60% of building supply industry sales were do-it-yourselfers and that most did not have the precise knowledge to successfully accomplish home repair or home improvement projects themselves; Home Depot opted to offer that service to the public. The management team of Home Depot devised a two part plans to insure success. 1. Ensure the Home Depot had ampule stock; their target was at least 25,000 items. 2. Train sales staff in every store to be product knowledgeable. They also wanted to make the experience of shopping at Home Depot and experience that would bring you back to the store for additional sales and expert services. The Home Depot story is one of success due to clever thinking and good ideas. Today they are involved in the upscale interior design market, and taking on some leadership roles in the communities that their stores have entered. They have also become involved in humanitarian efforts such as local welfare organizations, Habitat for Humanity to the Boys and Girls Club of Canada and the United States. Bob Nardelli is Watching Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank left their posts without any warning. There wasn’t any evidence or indication that the founders would leave Home Depot. Employee morale was high and customer service was great! Expansion of the company was going along wonderfully and there was no doubt that Home Depot was a contender in the home improvement industry. Home Depot needed a major revamping and few people knew about the financial state of the company. Marcus and Blank allowed a very disjointed culture to exist within the company. Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank, the founders of Home Depot, had paved a road to bankrupt the company. In comes Bob Nardelli to save the day. The Home Depot board of directors sought after Bob, once he was passed over for the top position at GE. Immediately upon taking over as CEO, Nardelli started to centralize processes. This proved to be extremely radical for existing personnel. Bob upgraded computers, software, and hired a Director of Human Resources, which Home Depot had never had before. Nardelli started a recruitment program, which had been very successful for him at GE. He focused on retirees, Hispanics, and military officers. Walking into a culture where there was little to no structure, Nardelli knew that he would need personnel that would â€Å"understand the mission,† (Regingold 2007) which is why there are so many employees with military experience. Nardelli brought discipline to Home Depot. Under Bob Nardelli, Home Depot doubled their sales, opened a contractor’s sales division, and boosted Home Depot’s commitment to volunteerism. Frank Blake is Home Depot’s ‘Calmer-in-Chief’ Almost immediately after assuming the role of CEO, Frank Blake used The Home Depot’s existing intra-communication system to read to the employees from a book written by the founders. This gesture set the tone for his leadership style and relayed a clear message to the employees, The Home Depot was returning to their grass roots leadership style. Blake intended to â€Å"recapture some of the culture fostered by its founders. It also syncs with his push to get the company back to its service-oriented roots. † (Tobin, 2010) Blake is described as mellow and a sharp contrast to his predecessor, Bob Nardelli, who is portrayed as emotionally high strung. Unfortunately Blake was given the daunting task of having to lay off thousands of people, close stores and spearhead and internal restructuring. Although Blake has improved employee morale and customer satisfaction, â€Å"Home Depot still lags archrival Lowe’s and smaller hardware stores for customer service, according to external surveys. And the housing market that fueled the chain’s growth remains moribund, leaving much on Blake’s plate. † (Tobin, 2010) In contrast, Home Depots claims that their internal surveys show that employee morale and customer satisfaction are up. â€Å"By most accounts, Home Depot needed cultural healing when Blake was named chief executive. (Tobin, 2010) As CEO, Blake sought the advice of consultants like Marcus and Blank and embraced their motivational techniques as demonstrated this by allowing them to speak annually with his management team. Blake has accomplished reestablishing the organizational culture that was dismantled under Bob Nardelli. Home Depot Foundation The Home Depot Foundation was created to help those who are having financial difficulties with home improvements and repairs. The Home Depot Foundation decided to contribute $30 million to our veterans who are struggling with significant financial concerns. The Home Depot Foundation has also teamed up with â€Å"Gift In Kind International† to address financially disadvantage families. A noticeable goal within this project delivers lower energy cost and consumption. A contribution of $100 million for supplies or products was noted for donation across non-profit agencies since 2008 on a national level (Homer TLC INC, 2011). The â€Å"Framing Hope Program† was also noted as assisting with home repair or improvement through Home Depot. Home Depot provides non-profit agencies or organizations material that is discontinued from stock. This business transaction offers a win-win scenario for all arties involved. The shareholders and Home Depot give resources to those in the community in need and avoid landfills being occupied. Landfills are designed to bury trash underground. The trash has a supportive barrier to prevent it from leaking into our ground water. However, eliminating the overflow of this process is an eco- friendly suggestion. This benefits the environment and business strategic management objectives. Most of the companies being used are Fortune 100 organizations in the United States. Close to $270 Million has been donated to programs that support families in need. The Home Depot Foundation and the Gifts of Kind International have assisted thousands of families in need. These organizational leaders show that their organizational values and culture are productive in nature. The reputation of Home Depot and those that are similar, demonstrate strength in its business model. Theory Research states that The Home Depot is one of the best companies to work for with a high customer focus, great product selection, high employee morale, and an entrepreneurial spirit. The key to The Home Depot’s success is treating people well. Associates are encouraged to share the company’s vision on volunteerism and participate in the many causes that The Home Depot supports in the community and in society. The Home Depot uses their values to guide the beliefs and actions of all associates on a daily basis. These values are The Home Depot’s advantage in the global marketplace. Theory: The Home Depot is a Theory Y organization because employees are encouraged to speak up and take risks, they are recognized and rewarded for good performance, and they are provided with leadership and development so that they can grow. Evaluation and Measurement of Organizational Culture Examination of an organizations ability to communicate within its culture is vital for success. The Home Depot has proven that it holds the record for being a reputable organization among competitive industry peers. The Home Depot functions as a â€Å"Theory Y† organization according to how the management responds to operational goals, employees and production. The Home Depot uses teleconferencing to immediately reach associates. This proved to be a great tool when Frank Blake took over as CEO after Bob Nardelli. Nardelli was a leader that provided structure and streamlined processes, and at the time of Bob’s arrival The Home Depot needed both. Nardelli did not include customers and associate morale in his vision for the company. Nardelli ran the company with military precision and this created a climate of fear. On his first day as CEO, Arthur Blake read from a copy of â€Å"Built from Scratch,† the company biography written by The Home Depot founders, Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank. Using this channel to communicate with the company allowed Blake to send the message that, â€Å"We are who we are, because of the way that things were done in the beginning. Choosing this channel of communication at this time gave Blake a chance to start the healing process at The Home Depot. This showed a small degree of power distance within the organization. Every employee had been through radical changes with the former CEO and everyone needed to know that things were going to be okay, and they needed to hear that from the CEO. The Home Depot uses face-to-face channels of communication to encourage sociability. Diversity is encouraged within the employment population to generate a creative perspective. The diversity ranges from different cultures, out of country suppliers and divisional council groups. The morale of the those involved are high due to the focal point being to improve one’s community and growth of your own personal endeavors through training. These two factors encourage employees to be creative in handling outside community functions while feeling at ease with their responsibilities at work. The informal communication networks are established within this organization by means of group councils, Diversity panels, employee social functions, community interaction, being a team player, and a customer centered focus. There are copies of The Home Depot’s list of Values almost everywhere you turn throughout the organization. These rules are considered to be The Home Depot’s bread and butter. Writing the rules down and ensuring that there is mass distribution shows employees of the organization that the company is committed to the success of each employee. The Values state that good performance will be rewarded and associates will be developed so that they may grow. The Values also state that associates are to embody the â€Å"orangeblooded entrepreneurial spirit† of The Home Depot and take risks and initiate creative and innovative ways to serve the customers. The Values ask the associates to build strong relationships and to have respect for all people. These two requests prove that The Home Depot is tolerant of conflict but encourages solving the problem at the lowest level. The organization recognizes that there will be disagreements, and each associate is given the communication tools to operate effectively in any situation. ?

Technology plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Technology plan - Assignment Example echnology, therefore, assists the teacher and the students to develop a more personalized relationship, which helps both to learn from one another and to achieve their specific objectives as a unit and in a way, that both enjoy. Teacherkit is a technology developed to enhance classroom management and organization, assisting in the achievement of learning objectives. This paper will provide information concerning the technology and outline a plan through which the technology can be implemented in the learning activities. In any situation, change is always common and inevitable. Conditions that warrant change is from within and outside the main environment. In the education sector, changes in the environment especially the job market and the technological changes have always guided improvements in the way teaching and learning are practiced. Adoption of a change is however not easy. This is because the change involves the introduction of a new aspect, which requires the users to adopt a new method (Pitler, Hubbell & Kuhn 2012). This report will focus on the implementation of the teacherkit technology in the organization and management of the classroom. The features of this technology allow the teacher and students to interact through their individual devices in one platform. Having been a teacher for more than ten years, my experience with classroom management makes me feel that the adoption of the teacherkit technology will be an important milestone in enhancing organization and management of the classroom. My experience with adoption of change especially related to technology allows me to identify the various barriers to implementation of this technology and hence develop a plan for implementation that will minimize these barriers. This report, therefore, guides on the implementation of teacherkit technology in classroom management. The advantages of using technology in the classroom are many and cannot be ignored. Educators regard the adoption and

'French argues that 'An awareness of the impact of (national) culture Essay

'French argues that 'An awareness of the impact of (national) culture on people in work organisations' is important in tod - Essay Example Furthermore, to compete in this globalized market, companies with cross border operation, commonly known as the MNCs are required to develop an ability that will help them to manage knowledge. Knowledge is imperative in international business principally because of the fact that it can reduce the managerial anxiety and uncertainty to a great extent. Along with that, new opportunities can also be identified with this approach. Levitt (1983) have stated that the importance of gaining knowledge about the subject of concern in more important if a company is operating in overseas locations. This knowledge can be in any form such as knowledge about the culture of the host country, consumer behaviour or it can be about the external environmental situation. In this project, the national culture of the country will be analysed and its impact on the business will be analysed. Furthermore, the study will also shed light on the significance of awareness of the impact of (national) culture of peo ple in work organizations in today’s world. ... Holden (2001) argues that a company planning to operate in the overseas location should frame a flexible business model that has the ability to change in accordance with the local lawsuits and the situation of the market. Thus, it is evident that standardization versus adaptation approach is extremely vital in the international business process as it drives an MNC’s ability to minimize the cost and respond to the demands of the local market. Bhagat, et al. (2002) in this respect have highlighted that national culture of a country has a strong influence on the decision of standardization versus adaptation for the management of knowledge. A number of research works carried out by Hofstede (1993) have shown that national culture influences the operations of a multinational corporation. For example, the areas which are mostly affected are marketing and communication practices and the human resource policy. In the similar way studies carried out by Bhagat, et al. (2002) have shown that the national culture of a country determines the organization’s activity pertaining to the management of knowledge, research and development activities, transfer of technology as well as the process of training. However, there is another set of authors who believe that the national culture of a country might also impact the knowledge management of an organization and therefore has a direct impact on the functioning of an organization. Takeuchi (2001) deems that with regards to the knowledge management convergence of approaches are evident among the companies. However, contradicting this point several researchers made it evident in their research papers that have not found any evidences pertaining to the differences in the

Discuss the contributions of iron technology to the process of state Essay

Discuss the contributions of iron technology to the process of state formation in Bantu Africa - Essay Example Generally, the highlight of the state formation process in Bantu Africa was in the rate of growth, where within a very short time frame, the people had occupied a very wide area of land. Starting from Cross River region around Nigeria and Cameroon border, the people had by 1000 B.C expanded into Lake Victoria and later to southwest and south (Dubrulle, 2002). Wagner (2006) has explained that one important factor that could be accounted for the rapid process of state formation is the social and economic changes that involved other tribes tying up with the Bantu people as they moved along through interracial marriages. Regardless of the argument made for the social and economic changes that made the process of state formation possible and rapid, one aspect of growth factor that cannot be overlooked is the role of iron technology. Iron technology can be explained as the smelting of iron through the use of advantaged mechanisms in ensuring that the irons are refined into usable tools and equipment (Dubrulle, 2002). Generally, iron technology did not develop among Bantu Africa as an isolated trade. Rather, it came as a necessity to help in the boost of agricultural growth, which was identified as a major economic viability for the people. Agricultural growth in itself was also dependent on the fact that population was growing at a rate that was very high. Due to this high rate of population growth, it was necessary for the people to find a means of feeding themselves. But the old forms of tools made from stones, bones and woods were found not to be durable and strong enough to help them achieve this purpose. To this end, the people fell on iron technology for the production of various farm tools that were deemed to be more durable. Examples of such tools are axes, arrows, knifes, spears and hoes. Though the original intent was not iron technology as a trade, iron technology would eventually become the catalyst behind which Bantu Africa would

Alexander Hamilton Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Alexander Hamilton - Essay Example Hamilton served as Secretary of Treasury during the Washington administration from September 1789 until January 1795. During his stint, hew was deemed to have significantly helped position the US under a sound economic regime. He presented a comprehensive financial program to the first Congress ("Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia"). To illustrate this point, his works such as the Report on Public Credit (1790) proposed to the federal government the redemption of confederation government securities and full payment of debt accumulated by the Continental Congress. As part of his financial program, this provision resolved and nationalized financial chaos inherited from the Revolution (Foner & Garraty). Apart from this, Hamilton also generated the Report on Manufactures (1791), wherein he impelled the federal government to encourage manufactures and proposed protective laws including the imposition of tariff on imported manufactured goods and series of excise tax both for the purpose of preserving of home market and generating revenue for the government to pay its debt (Burt).

Post Modernism and Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Post Modernism and Globalization - Essay Example While others view globalization as leading to heterogeneity through heightened hybridization, other quarters view it as something that is leading more towards the production of diversity. Globalization according to many scholars, who believe in post modernism, has caused great ripples in the cultural political and economic situation and stability of the word and has led to new dispensations (Giddens, 1990).. In spite of the existence of several descriptions of the term globalization, believers of postmodernism have come to the point of stating that globalization is a historical break from the norm; one that has been characterized by the development of transnational capitalism, the production of post –Fordism configuration or the view that globalization is a new cultural view of what has previously been termed as capitalism.Implications of GlobalizationIt is beyond doubt that globalization has upon the world fallen with its effects beyond taking for granted. The phenomenon has been associated with several benefits and limitations. The benefits of globalization include the opening of markets, greater k[prosperity for societies, freer trade, greater respect for individuals and communities and the springing of a global culture that has greater respect for human rights based on western ideologies as noted by Lipietz (1996). Conversely, the alternative side of globalization has mainly included the weakening and possible abolition of cultural and national liberties by transnational organizations.

Week 4 discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Week 4 discussion - Assignment Example One important issue of consideration is the structure and approach of the competition. There is need for adoption of a uniform structure throughout the exercise as this presents participants with a level playing ground. Any exercise must have certain objectives to be met and as such defining objectives is important in designing cyber competitions. The kinds of equipment to be used in terms of hardware and software as well as approach to be taken are important issues in cyber exercises. These are heavily dependent on the objectives set for the competition. it is very important to decide the overall topology over which the competition is run keeping in mind the available/chosen equipment for the exercise. The next consideration after deciding on the topology is to formulate the exercise scenario, come up with rules to govern the competition and also define the metrics for evaluating the competition’s efficiency basing on the set objectives. There should also be a methodology with which to gather lessons learned from the simulation by both the participants and organizers. a very important consideration is defining the entities to make up the competition; generally, competitions on cyber security have two sides i.e. the attacking site & the defense side. Every side has systems which are managed by participating teams and each side should have at least a system to facilitate participation in the competition. In order to protect any web application from vulnerabilities and threats of attack, a comprehensive understanding of every communication by the application is required. This is because the security solution/device must be able to see data in the same way as the application to be protected in so as to map out areas of threat. in other words, security devices must be in the position of performing complete deconstruction of HTML data play sessions and monitor all applications sessions in order to secure

2007-2009 Financial Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

2007-2009 Financial Crisis - Essay Example As many companies have struggled to cope with this crisis, large numbers of people have been deprived of their jobs. It is seen that hundreds of people working in different fields lost their works during the crisis, and it resulted in poor economic growth. Shi and Singh (2011) pointed out that, â€Å"During the 2007-2009 recession, the unemployment rate in the United States topped 10 %, the highest it had been in the 26 years† (p. 545). So, the crisis has made unemployment worse for many people as it has become more difficult to find a new job. To be specific, many companies have been reluctant to hire any new people. The financial crisis caused to decline in international trade, and finally led the nation towards unemployment. At the same time, the financial crisis was worldwide, with European banks and markets as severely affected as those in the United States. The crisis checked the growth of total economies, and international trade declined and collapsed. Kaar (2009) made it clear that, â€Å"As at the present time the world can be regarded as a closed economy with highly integrated global markets, the unanimity in pessimism, the widespread fall in consumer confidence and the new credit restrictions soon had devastating effects on numerous countries real economies and forced thousands of healthy businesses around the globe and across all industries into financial troubles† (p. 27). So, one can see that the economic crisis resulted in global stagnation. Besides, the crisis affected the smooth functioning of the banking system in the U.S. It questioned the stability of many banks. For in stance, financial institutions like New Century Financial and Ameriquest faced insolvency. MacEwan and Miller(2011) stated that, â€Å"On September 15, Legman Brothers, in existence since 1850, declared bankruptcy† (p. 110). In short, most of the financial institutions were forced to undergo crisis and suffered trillions of dollars in losses. Summing

Gambino Cleaning Products Salesman System Specification Essay Example for Free

Gambino Cleaning Products Salesman System Specification Essay A new system of calculating and reporting on cleaning products salesmen is to be designed and implemented. Cleaning products salesmen commission is based on a set of data which is the monthly sales of cleaning products sold by the salesmen. Objectives The new system must: * Be automated as far as possible, needing no thorough knowledge of spreadsheets, databases or any other software in order to operate it. * Have fitted controls to ensure precision and completeness of data input. * Take into account commission payments from monthly sales. * Print commission reports for each of the salesmen, and a summary report showing total paid to each salesman and overall total. * Include an option to delete commission records previous to a given date so that the file does not increase for an indefinite period. The proposed new system can be shown in a level 0 data flow diagram as follows: A level 1 Data Flow Diagram of the proposed system is as follows: User functions 1. The Commissioning Salesman in the Sales Department will be responsible for entering all details of new cleaning products salesman and new products. 2. An Accounts clerk will have special responsibility for the commission system. 3. The Accounts clerk will enter each month the sales of each product, giving quantity sold and gross sales value (i.e. quantity X cover price). 4. Every 6 months, the Accounts clerk will produce the Commission reports for each cleaning products salesman. This will show the commission that has been earned in the previous 6 months. A payment is then recorded and a cheque issued to each cleaning products salesman to whom commission is due, together with the Commission statement showing sales details, and the statement from the Accounts system the total amount due. Database specification Menu structure The many functions of the Commission System will be accessed by means of a front-end menu, which will have the following structure. The data model There are three main entities in this system related in the entity relationship diagram shown below. Because a many-to-many relationship cannot be applied in a relational database, an additional entity named Salesman/Product is introduced. The ERD can now be drawn as follows: The database for Gambino cleaning products salesman system specification will have the following tables: tblSalesman (SalesmanID, Surname, FirstName) tblProduct (ProductID, ProductName, SalesTeam, Price) tblSalesman/Product (ProductID, SalesmanID, StandardCommission, BonusCommission) tblSales (SalesNumber, ProductID, Date, QuantitySold, GrossValue) Name Type Meaning Range Where Used tblSalesman Table Salesman Table tblProduct Table Product Table tblSalesman/Product Table Salesman/Product Table tblSales Table Sales Table SalesmanID Text (5) Unique ID Primary key in tblSalesman Foreign key in tblSalesman/Product Surname Text (20) Salesmans Surname tblSalesman Firstname Text (15) Salesmans first name tblSalesman ProductID Text (5) Unique product code Primary key in tblProduct Foreign key in tblSalesman/Product ProductName Text (40) Product title tblProduct SalesTeam Text (40) All salesman who sell a product tblProduct Price Currency Product price tblProduct StandardCommission Number Percentage commission on each product sold 1-10 tblSalesman/Products BonusCommission Number Bonus percentage commission on each products sold 11-20 tblSalesman/Products SalesNumber Number 1=Standard commission 2=Bonus Commission 1 or 2 tblSales QuantitySold Number Number of products sold tblSales GrossValue Currency Data Dictionary Input Specification Three input forms will be required. frmProducts This will be used to enter product details. frmSalesman This will be used to enter details of a salesman and all products on which they receive commission. The commission percentages for each product will be entered in a subform of the main form. Validation methods: The Product ID will be selected from a drop-down list of existing Product IDs. Once a Product ID is entered, the product name will be automatically displayed. frmTransaction This form will be used to enter transactions. Validation methods: Only valid dates will be accepted. The Product ID will be selected from a drop down list of existing Product IDs. Once a Product ID is entered, the product name will be automatically displayed. Selecting a radio button so that only a valid alternative can be selected will choose the transaction type. Process Specification Commission Calculations To calculate the commission for a given transaction, a query has to be performed to combine attributes from tblTransaction, tblProduct, tblProduct/Salesman and tblSalesman. The calculation of the commission is performed as follows: If TransactionType = 1 (i.e sales) ThenRate = StandardCommissionRate ElseRate = BonusCommissionRate endif Amount = Rate * GrossValue These processes will be carried out in qryCommission. This query will be the source of both the commission report and the summary report. Maintenance Each year, transactions prior to a given date will be removed from tblTransactions. This prevents the transaction file from becoming too large and slowing down the system. The maintenance will be carried out as follows: Run a Delete query to delete records from tblTransaction. Test Plan Tests will be carried out using valid and invalid data and data at the extremes of acceptable values.

New Born Screening Act Essay Example for Free

New Born Screening Act Essay

Importance of Customer Service in Hospitality

Importance of Customer Service in Hospitality Exceptional Service Quality in the Hospitality Industry: It’s Role in Good and Bad Times Abstract Customer satisfaction is widely acknowledged to be causal in driving repeat and new business of hospitality enterprises and is considered to be integral to their success. With the delivery of service quality being vital to customer satisfaction, hospitality enterprises make great efforts to maintain, improve and distinguish their service quality through the adoption of corporate strategies and operational policies and procedures. Recent years have seen enormous expansion in the hospitality industry and the introduction of sophisticated technology, not just in areas of computerisation and Internet, but also through the use of various applications that aim to increase the comfort, convenience and safety of guests. With competition in the industry having become intense and advances in technology having become available across the spectrum of hospitality organisations, delivery of exceptional service quality is considered crucial for achievement of competitive advantage. Again whilst the last two decades have been a period of growth for the industry, current global developments, namely the astonishing increase in prices of oil, worldwide inflation in food and commodity prices, the banking crisis, the credit squeeze, and the impending recession in the United States indicate the onset of very difficult times for the hospitality business. The spectre of lower occupancy, lesser rates, and higher costs stares the industry in its face and the prospect of an industry shakeout, accompanied by the closure of inefficient units and the survival of the fittest is imminent. Whilst such situations could possibly entail cost cutting exercises by industry members, along with reduction in services offered to guests, providing of exceptional service quality may well be vital to maintenance and improvement of competitive advantage and be the key to riding out difficult times. This dissertation investigates the phenomenon of customer service, its importance in the success of hospitality organisations, and its role during periods of economic downturn. Table of Contents Introduction A. Overview Achievement of customer satisfaction is widely accepted by business leaders and academics to be the most significant criterion for shaping the quality of products or services that are deliverable to customers, both through the actual product or service, and the corresponding service.[1] With the intensely competitive nature of the modern customer-centric business environment ensuring the elimination of businesses that dissatisfy their clients with their products/services, customer satisfaction is vital not just for corporate growth, and profitability, but for the very survival of today’s corporations.[2] Customer satisfaction, which is greatly dependent upon the quality of the customer service provided, is recognised to be critical to business success, primarily because of its role in driving future sales from both new and existing customers. Numerous studies have corroborated the theory that it costs five times the amount of time, money, and resources to attract new customers as it does to retain existing clients.[3] Losing existing clients very clearly is among the worst things that can happen to business firms. Customer satisfaction is also accepted to be one of the cheapest and most effective ways of promoting goods and services; with no form of advertising being as effective as word-of-mouth publicity and actual customer endorsements. Satisfaction strengthens affirmative feelings toward the product or service and leads to a superior probability of repurchase; dissatisfaction on the other hand leads to downbeat perceptions and reduces the probability of repeat purchases.[4] â€Å"Or as others put it: if consumers are satisfied with a product or brand, they will be more likely to continue to purchase and use it and to tell others of their favourable experience with it if they are dissatisfied, they will be more likely to switch brands and complain to manufacturers, retailers, and other consumers about the product.†[5] Achieving high levels of customer satisfaction poses intense business challenges because of the ambiguity embedded in the concept as well as because of its abstract nature. With the actual manifestation of the level of satisfaction varying both between individuals, and between products and services, satisfaction levels depend upon a range psychological and physical variables that evidence positive correlation with behaviours indicative of satisfaction, like repeat purchase and recommendation rate.[6] Such levels of satisfaction can also depend on other options available to customers and on the qualities of other products or services against which the organisation’s products or services can be compared.[7] Despite the very broad range of parameters involved in its assessment and determination, customer satisfaction is overly dependent upon, related to, and driven by customer service. â€Å"Substantial empirical and theoretical evidence in the literature suggests that there is a direct link between service quality and behavioural intentions (Bitner, 1990; Bolton and Drew, 1991a). Among the various behavioural intentions, considerable emphasis has been placed on the impact of service quality in determining repeat purchase and customer loyalty (Jones and Farquhar, 2003). As pointed out by Bolton (1998), service quality influences a customer’s subsequent behaviour, intentions and preferences. When a customer chooses a provider that provides service quality that meets or exceeds his or her expectations, he or she is more likely to choose the same provider again. Besides, Cronin and Taylor (1994)† also found that service quality has a significant effect on repurchase intentions. [8] The delivery of quality service is expected to be a major challenge that is likely to confront hospitality managers in the immediate future and will be vital for achieving success in the intensely competitive modern day global markets.[9] Hospitality service experiences are overly complex because they range from the exceedingly trivial to the extremely vital.[10] They differ to a great extent in their character and may be straightforward or multifaceted, standard or bespoke, low or high technology, distant or responsive, little or highly skilled, or recurrent or infrequent.[11] They can furthermore concern the execution of obligatory utilitarian actions or can involve grand and highly-strung hospitality events.Hospitality encounters, as distinct from material products or pure services, consist of a fusion of products and services, and satisfaction, (in such situations), represents the sum total of satisfactions with the individual traits of all the products and services that make up the experience.[12] B. Elaboration of Problem The last few decades have witnessed enormous growth in the hospitality industry. Driven by a range of technological, social, economic, and political developments like the tremendous advances achieved in communication technology, the ever-increasing use of the internet, the breakdown of the Soviet Union, the formation of the European Union, the crumbling of travel barriers, economic liberalisation across countries, the proliferation of budget airlines, cheaper travel, and the opening of numerous new travel and tourism destinations, the hospitality industry has expanded like never before and that too across the world. New hotels, new restaurants, new resorts and new spas have mushroomed in near and distant locations to provide people with numerous hospitality options. Whilst the industry has been buffeted by events like the September 11 bombings, the London Tube explosions, and the SARS and Bird Flu epidemics, the steadily increasing economic affluence in the western countries, as also in the countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Rim, in the last two decades, has ensured that such setbacks were overcome and the hospitality sector remained vibrant and prosperous. Such a period of inexhaustible growth now appears to be coming to an end. With oil prices having neared USD 140 per barrel and currently hovering at around USD 125, the days of cheap air travel appear to be irrevocably over. Whilst local and international airlines had started ringing alarm bells when the price of oil crossed USD 70 per barrel last year, the events of the last few months have shaken up the whole airline and travel and tourism industry, cast doubts on the survival of several airlines, and led to the cancellation of thousands of airline bookings and hotel reservations. Apart from the price of oil, the disastrous denouement to the risky home mortgage policies adopted by major international banks, followed by thousands of home loan bankruptcies, billions of dollars in banking industry losses and a credit squeeze on business and personal lending have also contributed to the onset of a recession in the USA. The deepening recession in the United States, the biggest global consumer of goods and services, accompanied by cut downs in jobs and mortgage bankruptcies, is bringing in a global economic downturn that is expected to bring extremely difficult times for the hospitality industry, not just in the United States but also in the UK and in other countries. â€Å"More than one in three hospitality businesses in the UK are feeling less confident about economic prospects over the next 12 months than they do now, according to research launched by American Express. The survey also found that overall confidence has decreased in the last 12 months, with only 29% feeling more confident about the economic environment, down from 38% in 2007. Among hoteliers the number feeling confident has dropped to 34% from 41% a year ago. In comparison for restaurateurs the figure is only 24%, a fall of 10%. For pubs the picture is similar with only 20% stating that they feel more confident about the economic prospects facing their businesses over the next year than they do today.†[13] Whilst the probability of a shakeout in the industry seems to be imminent many veterans in the business appear confident of riding it out on the strength of enhanced customer service and total customer experience. â€Å"Kathryn Pretzel-Shiels, Head of Hotels and Restaurants at American Express explains: ‘Like any other the hospitality sector is not immune to prevailing economic conditions, so it comes as no surprise that Britains hospitality industry feels more circumspect about business prospects than it did last year. The economy is forcing the agenda to a certain extent but the industry is fighting back. There are still opportunities to make money by providing a quality product and memorable service, as consumers are still willing to dine out and are doing it more than ever before.’†[14] A hotel chain like the Ritz Carlton, (the winner of two Baldridge quality awards and a byword in the area of service quality), which has weathered several economic downturns and has yet grown from strength to strength over the years, provides an outstanding example of the importance of exceptional service quality. â€Å"The Ritz-Carlton is well-known for providing consistent service throughout all of its properties. The company began its commitment to quality in 1983 with such simple touches as fresh flowers throughout its hotels, white ties and aprons, and gourmet cuisine. It also established its Gold Standards for customer service—which include its credo, motto, employee promise, three steps of service, and the 12 service values—leading the company to repeatedly outperform its competition, increase customer loyalty (the average guest spends $250,000 at a Ritz over his lifetime), and win the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award twice†[15] Whilst the Ritz Carlton is of course the most well known example of a customer-centric and service quality oriented organisation in the hospitality industry, a number of other establishments like the Four Seasons, the Mandarin Oriental, The Marriott and the Red Carnation provide brilliant examples of how focus on exceptional customer service can increase the competitive advantage of organisations and ensure performance, business and profitability during the worst of times. On the flip side, whilst most business managers are aware of the need to maintain if not improve quality during economic downturns, the actual picture on the ground becomes significantly different in many establishments; where quality programmes are cut down or even abandoned; very often at the cost of quality. â€Å"When economic troubles loom, weve found the usual knee-jerk reaction is to sacrifice programs associated with quality and the customer experience training, quality assurance and mystery shopping programs, guest research, etc.†[16] C. Determination of Objective With the price of oil showing no sign of rebating to previously unimaginable levels of 80-90 US dollars per barrel and the global economy caught in a cleft stick; of severe inflation in prices of food as well as commodities like steel and cement on one side and an impending and long-lasting recession in the United States on the other, all indications point to difficult economic times and squeezes on travelling, holidays, discretionary spending, hotel accommodation and restaurant visits. One of the most important routes to achieving competitive advantage in such difficult and worrying situations is through enhancement of customer service quality to superior levels and improvement of hospitality experiences of customers, not only when compared to previous experiences in the same establishment, but also in comparison with that available elsewhere. Whilst the truth behind this theory is widely accepted and beyond doubt, embattled organisations, challenged by dropping revenue figures, higher costs and lesser margins, frequently adopt the opposite route, taking action to reduce and even abandon quality improvement programmes and actions in order to effect organisational economies and cost savings. This study aims to examine the components of customer service with special emphasis on the hospitality industry and the ways and means in which it can be enhanced in times of economic downturn to increase the competitive advantage of organisations. 2. Literature Review A. Service Quality The key objective of organisational and marketing strategies of business firms in today’s intensely competitive and fast changing business environment is to make profits and further organisational growth. Customer satisfaction, quality and retention have become global management imperatives that are important for all organisations. With the maturing of different industry sectors high quality service has increasingly become an important tool in business success. The hospitality industry and its various components, mainly different types of hotels and restaurants, are certainly not exempt from the challenges of increased competition or rising consumer expectations of quality. Researchers have defined service quality in different ways â€Å"There are many researchers who have defined service quality in different ways. For instance, Bitner, Booms and Mohr define service quality as ‘the consumer’s overall impression of the relative inferiority / superiority of the organisation and its services’. While other researchers view service quality as a form of attitude representing a long-run overall evaluation, Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry defined service quality as ‘a function of the differences between expectation and performance along the quality dimensions’. This has appeared to be consistent with Roest and Pieters’ definition that service quality is a relativistic and cognitive discrepancy between experience-based norms and performances concerning service benefits.†[17] Other researchers have conceptualised customer satisfaction as â€Å"an individual’s feeling of pleasure or disappointment resulting from comparing a product’s perceived performance (or outcome) in relation to his or her expectations.†[18] Conceptualisations of satisfaction are of two main types, i.e. transaction-specific satisfaction and cumulative satisfaction, transaction specific satisfaction being the customer’s evaluation of his or her experience and reactions to a particular service encounter and cumulative satisfaction being the customer’s overall evaluation of the consumption experience to date [19] The satisfaction level of a service encounter arises from differences between the expectations of customers and the actual experience from the provided services, the perceptions of service encounters being vital factors in creating long-term loyalty, customer satisfaction and quality awareness.[20] Whilst the Nordic conceptualisation of service quality was developed in the mid 1980s by Gronroos and emphasised the role of technical and functional quality on service encounters, Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry developed a new model of service quality, called the SERVQUAL model in 1988.[21] The SERVQUAL model has five dimensions, reliability, responsiveness, empathy, assurances, and tangibles, which together form a basis to measure, quantify, and assess the service experience and to determine the ways in which the viewed and expected service would influence the perceived service quality. Reliability is the ability to perform the promised services dependably and accurately. Responsiveness is the willingness to help customers and provide prompt service. Assurance is the knowledge and courtesy of employees as well as their ability to convey trust and confidence. Empathy is the provision of caring, individualised attention to customers. Tangibles are the appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel and communication materials.[22] The SERVQUAL model views service quality to be the gap between the expectations of customers (E) and their perceptions of the performance (P) of the service providers. â€Å"According to Parasuraman et al. (1985), service quality should be measured by subtracting customers perception scores from customer expectation scores (Q = P  ± E). The greater the positive score represents the greater the positive amount of service quality or vice versa.†[23] Whilst the model has been the subject of criticism, mainly because of its inadequacy in quantifying and thus in measuring expectations of service from customers, it has nevertheless been used as the basis for investigation by other researchers who have developed modified versions of the model. Despite the essentially theoretical nature of the models discussed above most quality conscious organisations take actions across a wide front of organisational activities to follow their underlying principles and take actions for minimisation of negative customer perceptions and strengthening of positive hospitality experiences. â€Å"Companies that achieve high levels of customer satisfaction display a zeal for superior service from the very top of the organization chart. This dedication constitutes the foundation of customer-centricity. Without the values and culture that leaders inspire, none of the other principles can be effective for long. Customer-centric values and culture inform the hiring process and animate the systems of training and rewards. Instilling values of this sort may be the ultimate test of leadership. Leaders of customer-centric companies clearly articulate what kind of organisational culture they want and consistently sell employeeson its key principles, leaving no doubt about the significance that members of senior management attach to customer-centricity. More important than communications, however, is the leaders’ willingness to take action when the primacy of high-quality service is challenged.[24] B. Routes to Achievement of Exceptional Service Quality The relationship between quality of service and successful hospitality establishments is frequently noticed but rarely recognised as a causal relationship. Reppa and Hersh (2007) report that interviews with 40 executives of truly successful companies operating in intensely competitive environments during a study by Booz Allen suggest that these organisations are distinguished by superb levels of service, which very often are viewed not just as being integral to the organisations but also as their important differentiators. Most such companies consciously route their organisations towards customer-centric behaviour and constant enhancement of service quality. Companies known for high levels of customer satisfaction exhibit an enthusiasm for providing better service from the very summit of the organisation.[25] This commitment makes up the basis of customer-centricity. Corporate strategies that are exclusive of the principles and mores of their leaders cannot really be effectual for long. Customer-centric values and traditions drive the recruitment processes of such companies, provide vitality to training, motivation and reward systems; experts state that building value systems of this type can well prove to be the definitive criterion of leadership. Leaders of such businesses are eloquent about their requirements of organisational culture and leave no doubt about the importance they attach to service quality.[26] Whilst most organisations by and large follow their own strategies for achieving of exceptional service quality, certain principles, policies, and strategies are important for the continued success of all hospitality organisations. i. Human Resource Policies Whilst strong HR policies are accepted to be utmost importance for achievement of high levels of service quality, especially so in the hospitality industry where interaction between organisational employees and guests occur at various points, actual HR practices leave much to be desired in many establishments, and much of the hospitality industry, especially in the middle level and economy level hotels and restaurant segments, is characterised by low wages, part-time workers and high turnover.[27] This is especially true of the London budget hotel and restaurant segment, which is peopled by workers from East Europe and Asia, many of whom are paid low wages, have essentially temporary jobs, and are weak in communicating in English. Staff turnover in many hospitality establishments is often as high as 100 %.[28] Hotels Chains like the Marriott, the Four Seasons, and the Ritz Carlton, on the other hand, are obsessed with issues concerning employee selection, training, remuneration, and retention, believing and very rightly so, that the quality of service is predominantly dependent upon employee calibre. [29]Such organisations populate their establishments with superior staff who are specifically chosen for their natural predispositions for caring for people. The Marriott recruitment philosophy of â€Å"get (ting) it right, first time† conceals a complex and well thought out strategy of recruiting people with great care in order to provide for near perfect fits. Again most such establishments pay as much attention to training, motivating and developing employees as they do to selecting and recruiting them.[30] â€Å"Ritz-Carlton uses a process that may set the standard for methodical rigor. It evaluates each applicant using scientific, behaviour-based assessment tools developed by the human resources consulting firm Talent+, tools derived from statistical analysis of top performers’ behavioural characteristics in each job category. Potential hires are tested both for cultural fit and for traits associated with customer service excellence, including what Ritz calls an innate ‘passion to serve.’ Says John Timmerman, vice president for quality and program management: ‘The smile has to come naturally.’† [31] The interview process furthermore requires candidates to spend time with hotel staff whilst they operate on their regular functions, giving prospective employees a practical picture of the rigours and responsibilities involved in the job and the opportunity to withdraw in case of any apprehensions or misgivings. With in-house company research indicating that wrongly recruited employees could cost the organisation many times their annual salary, the Ritz tries out initiatives like these to minimise attrition. The company’s staff turnover, which is less than 15 % of the industry average, adds, both to stability and to profitability. [32] ii. Essential Areas of Focus Whilst service quality is integral to customer satisfaction, its delivery, in the hospitality industry and elsewhere, is essentially multifaceted and subjective, and thus far more challenging than product quality. The issue has become more complex because of the fact that whilst hospitality clients have until now been satisfied with basic and fundamentally simple products and services, the technological advances of recent years have introduced new dimensions of comfort and convenience that have come to be regarded as part of high quality service.[33] Despite a plethora of innovative products, services and technologies now available in hotels, people still share a basic set of requirements critical to their experience. The top five factors that drive loyalty across all industry segments are (a) value for price, (b) room cleanliness, (c) employees â€Å"can do† attitude, (d) friendliness of the front desk staff, and (e) comfortable bed and furniture. [34] These factors play key roles in the provisioning of service quality and all successful hotels are fanatical about issues like guest comfort, cleanliness, and housekeeping. At the Mandarin Oriental, which won the highest ranking for Housekeeping in the Market Metrix Hospitality Index ranking for 2006, Barsky and Nash state that customers expressed their appreciation on various facets of housekeeping services like twice a day turndown of sheets and carefully chosen flowers. iii. Technological Advances and Service Quality Recent times have seen incredible progress in technical knowledge, expertise, and know-how, and their use in across almost all areas of human action. Hardware technology, software development and the expansion of the World Wide Web have provided new facets to the hospitality sector. Technological development has led to improvement in efficiencies, reduction of expenses, heightening of customer satisfaction, expansion of revenues, and increase in competitive advantage of members of the hospitality industry. The emergence and the progressive adoption of the Internet by millions of individuals across the world has opened up new dimensions in human connectivity and influenced the actions of all business sectors. â€Å"The Internet, as a collection of interconnected computer networks, provides free exchanging of information. Over 400 millions of computers on more

Mrs Mallards Experience of Freedom in The Story of an Hour by Kate Cho

Mrs Mallard's Experience of Freedom in The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin In "The Story of an Hour", Mrs Mallard, who has a heart attack is the main protagonist. Like any ordinary women, she is a normal housewife who depends on her husband. The news of her husband's death gives her freedom and sets her free from restraints, marriage and a lifetime of dependency. Kate Chopin uses several techniques to create the image of how freedom affects Mrs Mallard. At first, Mrs Mallard is shocked by the news which is shown in "She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister's arms." and "When the storm of grief had spent itself she went away to her room alone." These describe her immediate response and tell that she is so shaken by the news that she weeps at once and goes away alone. Chopin uses some special diction like "sudden", "wild abandonment" and "storm of grief" to indicate that the news is very abrupt and unsettling. These words create an unexpected and tense atmosphere which helps to plot the unpredictable emotions of Mrs Mallard. Meanwhile, Chopin uses personification to say that the news is a sudden attack to Mrs Mallard which strengthens the shocking emotion of Mrs Mallard. This can also be found in "She sat with her head thrown back upon the cushion of the chair, quite motionless, except when a sob came up into her throat and shook her..." This says that Mrs Mallard is so confused and jolted that she sobs helplessly as Chopin uses "motionless" and "sob" which is a physical manifestation of an emotion to tell that Mrs Mallard is stunned and feeling disbelieving. Concurrently, Chopin use... ...s Mallard is now really enjoys life which is reinforces in "Feverish triumph in her eyes, and she carried herself unwittingly like a goddess of Victory." as it suggests that Mrs Mallard is stimulated and is being confident and proud by the trophy. Here, Chopin uses fascination diction "feverish triumph" and a simile" like a goddess of victory" to reflect Mrs Mallard's emotion which create a very strong image of exultant which shows that she becomes optimistic to life and proud or even pride of herself. Chopin plots this to contrast to the ending "She had died of heart disease-- of joy that kills." which makes a dramatic ending and marks the climax of the story. Works Cited: Chopin, Kate. ?The Story of an Hour.? From Roberts and Jacobs' Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Sixth Edition, p. 392.

The High Cost of Obesity :: Health

Today, as values of living continue to boost, weight increase and obesity are posing a rising threat to certain well-beings in countries all over the world. Obesity, now confirmed as a nationwide endemic by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is likely to get worse and amplify over time. â€Å"The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts there will be 2.3 billion overweight adults in the world by 2015 and more than 700 million of them will be obese† (Obesity: in Statistics, 2008, 2nd Statement). It is definite that most kids are inclined to eat junk food, and it is certain that most kids will become overweight as adults. About 15% of children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years are overweight, which is an increase of 4% from the 1988-1994 NHANES study† (Chatterjee, Blakely, & Barton, 2005, p. 24). Statistics of obese persons in the United States alone are also greater in certain cultural and ethnic minority groups, especially African American and His panics. â€Å"Between 1986 and 1998, incidences of being overweight increased significantly among African American children by 21.5% and for Hispanic children by 21.8%. That is nearly almost  ¼ of the population! Among all low-income children, the prevalence of being overweight was found to be highest among Latino children by (12%) followed by Asian-Pacific Islander (9.6%), African American (7.8%) and Whites (7.1%)† (Chatterjee, Blakely, &Barton, 2005, p. 24,) â€Å"The total cost of obesity by some estimates is $100 billion annually. Others estimated the cost of health care for obesity alone is $70 billion† (Wellman, Friedberg, S705, 2002). Obesity and its economic costs stand on three levels. First, obesity can hurt a person financially, with doctor visits, and such. Secondly, obesity can cut into the costs of businesses (presuming the overweight are working, but they may not be, due to their state), due to lost efficiency. There is about 40 million workdays of productivity lost among overweight individuals. Other issues include non-attendance, underachievement, and raised insurance payments. (Wellman, Friedberg, 2002, p.705) Furthermore, being overweight has an effect on expenses by neighboring, state, and nationwide governments. Obesity is my topic of interest because as a future elementary teacher, I want to raise awareness of the consequences that obesity may have among children. I hope to teach all children the importance o f eating healthy so that they can become happy, healthy adults. Obesity is a huge problem that is strongly influenced by the sociological factors such media and the American culture. The High Cost of Obesity :: Health Today, as values of living continue to boost, weight increase and obesity are posing a rising threat to certain well-beings in countries all over the world. Obesity, now confirmed as a nationwide endemic by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is likely to get worse and amplify over time. â€Å"The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts there will be 2.3 billion overweight adults in the world by 2015 and more than 700 million of them will be obese† (Obesity: in Statistics, 2008, 2nd Statement). It is definite that most kids are inclined to eat junk food, and it is certain that most kids will become overweight as adults. About 15% of children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years are overweight, which is an increase of 4% from the 1988-1994 NHANES study† (Chatterjee, Blakely, & Barton, 2005, p. 24). Statistics of obese persons in the United States alone are also greater in certain cultural and ethnic minority groups, especially African American and His panics. â€Å"Between 1986 and 1998, incidences of being overweight increased significantly among African American children by 21.5% and for Hispanic children by 21.8%. That is nearly almost  ¼ of the population! Among all low-income children, the prevalence of being overweight was found to be highest among Latino children by (12%) followed by Asian-Pacific Islander (9.6%), African American (7.8%) and Whites (7.1%)† (Chatterjee, Blakely, &Barton, 2005, p. 24,) â€Å"The total cost of obesity by some estimates is $100 billion annually. Others estimated the cost of health care for obesity alone is $70 billion† (Wellman, Friedberg, S705, 2002). Obesity and its economic costs stand on three levels. First, obesity can hurt a person financially, with doctor visits, and such. Secondly, obesity can cut into the costs of businesses (presuming the overweight are working, but they may not be, due to their state), due to lost efficiency. There is about 40 million workdays of productivity lost among overweight individuals. Other issues include non-attendance, underachievement, and raised insurance payments. (Wellman, Friedberg, 2002, p.705) Furthermore, being overweight has an effect on expenses by neighboring, state, and nationwide governments. Obesity is my topic of interest because as a future elementary teacher, I want to raise awareness of the consequences that obesity may have among children. I hope to teach all children the importance o f eating healthy so that they can become happy, healthy adults. Obesity is a huge problem that is strongly influenced by the sociological factors such media and the American culture.

The Struggle of EZNL In Modern Mexico Essay -- Culture Mexico Mexican

The Struggle of EZNL In Modern Mexico Introduction In so few words, the Zapatistas are a people united in the struggle for the rights and dignity of the indigenous people of Mexico. They are a group composed of the natives to the land of the state of Chiapas, the southernmost and poorest state in Mexico, which primarily consists of the tribes of the Mayan peoples. The conditions that these indigenous people live in are a testament to the injustices caused by the spread of colonialism and capitalism and the blind eye that its institutions and governments have turned to the people who inhabit the land from which its profits are made. The suffering has given these people a voice, and the collective struggle has given rise to an organized army of the people: the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN). The motives, actions, and origins of the EZLN are either misinterpreted or misunderstood by many. Often times my research has uncovered contradictions as to the purpose of this group, which shows that they are not fully known on a larger scale. However, their methods of non-violence after some initial violent uprisings have led to their sustenance, and the message they preach is spreading throughout the world and gaining them much support. They are both War and Peace in their existence, and in their ends have stated that they will bring War in order to finally attain Peace. What follows is a brief introduction to the setting of which the EZLN was born: the history of Mexico, the conditions and peoples of Chiapas, the shrouded origins of the EZLN, and the legend of the man from which they took their name: Emiliano Zapata. Following this is an account of the uprising that announced their presence to Mexico and the worl... ...municados. Ediciones Era, Mexico. 2003 VIDEO RECORDINGS Storm from the mountain: Zapatistas take Mexico City [videorecordng]. Colombo, Santiago. Big Noise Films, New York. 2001. The Silence of the Zapatistas. [videorecording]. Paco. Chiapas Media Project, Chicago. 2001. WEB RESOURCES http://www.nadir.org/nadir/initiativ/agp/free/mexico/0311Zap_March.htm http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/mexico/ezln/2000/fzln_10thesis_july.html http://www.geocities.com/alt_politics/EZLN.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EZLN http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/mexico4.html http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.chiapaslink.ukgateway.net/Mexicomap.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.chiapaslink.ukgateway.net/ch0.html&h=384&w=492&sz=51&tbnid=TNzEGG5d_Z4J:&tbnh=99&tbnw=126&start=19&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmexico,%2Bchiapas,%2Bmap%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

My Learning Organization

I work as a full time comptroller for a copier reseller. Our company lease copiers to different clients for a monthly fee. When these copiers are turned over after the lease contract, the company either has it released or refurbishes the machines and sells these machines at refurbished price. The organization in our company is not large. We are just a group of ten workers but have been servicing big clients for the past ten years. I would say that our company is an example of a learning organization. Personally, as part of this team, I continue to test my experiences by at the least keenly aware of my day to day routines. Being a comptroller is a tedious job and I am expected to look into the unexpected. I cannot do this if I make my job into a habitual routine where small items can escape my attention. Existing systems and existing work flow can make someone lax meaning, one would just merely trust the system to check itself, which doesn’t really happen especially when the process fails. To test my routines, I would sometimes randomly check receipts that have been processed, just to make sure if they have been processed rightly. Sometimes I would have fun using the system in the office to evaluating my own home budget or inventory. This way, I would know if I have learned the experience by its very nature because the more I can adapt the learning to other kinds of venues, the more I know that I have learned the process indeed. In terms of producing information, my work lets me be responsible in counter checking sales and inventory. The information I deliver is crucial because should there be anomalies in sales or inventory, my information would be helpful in proving discrepancies. I may have second hand data but the corroboration of the information from my work will help support primary data that the office needs, not only to balance finances but most especially to forecast business. It is important for our company’s employees to share knowledge. Information from our specific work is shared systematically through the regular weekly meetings. Though the company is small, these meetings are helpful in leveling off expectations, affirming transactions, threshing out possible conflicts between employees or systems that do create conflict from time to time. Mistakes happen and it is in these weekly meetings that the lessons of a few are shared with everyone thereby sharing the learning. Sharing of knowledge also takes place when we exchange insights about our work like our clients, a good sale, a problematic machine. These insights are shared during breaks or in a few shared exchanges that can happen in a few seconds. These insights are important to note because these insights are seeds of knowledge that each person plants into the learning organization. I couldn’t think of any other innovative step that company has taken up that’s big enough to commemorate. But in the last few years that I have worked with my company, I believe that innovations that have been done came as small steps that are almost not felt but the impact towards helping the company grow is definitive. An example would be making sure there is a person in charge during lunch breaks. It was a matter of adjusting some people’s lunch hour so that we can still answer client inquiries that came in during lunch breaks. True enough, there were successful client inquiries that were received during this unholy hour. Another example is allowing lactating office mates to express their milk or even bring their newborn to the office. Though the newborn took a few office hours from the employees since it can’t be helped to muse over the infants from time to time, the infants also provided a stress relief from time to time. Innovations need not be spectacular or ground breaking. Sometimes, the mere effort of our manager to take time out to look at your family’s picture on the screen savers is innovative enough. As a comptroller of the company, changes that can help facilitate the company’s transition from its existing performance to become high performing would have to be spearheaded by the sales force. Spearheading doesn’t mean to be the sole lone ranger to go out in the field. The company has existing information, experience and knowledge enough to make it accomplish bigger markets. If bigger markets are to be conquered, the ten-man team need to be a high performing unit to maximize company resource. The usual way for most businesses to become bigger is to put in additional capital or resources to accomplish new and bigger tasks. I believe that the better strategy to adopt is to bank on the learning of the company as a team and make it work to get additional clients. All information and knowledge are summarized and insights are articulated. It is best for the sales team to translate these data into formidable input that could help them increase their sales forecast. In this knowledge based setting, companies though transforming themselves to become paperless communities still need the services of copiers. Print has always been time honored and historically, tactile systems of documentation are still considered a part of man’s cultural lifestyle. Therefore, there is yet a big market for our company to expand. The methods of Peter Vaill will help the company achieve its expansion by transforming the company into a highly performing system. The existing weekly meeting of the team can yet evolve into the venue where each team player can fine tune each other’s rhythm according to the other team player’s pace so that no one lags behind and no one goes too far forward. Should the company need additional workforce, the decision must be decided by the whole team because it is important to acknowledge weaknesses or failures. Learning organizations continually engage themselves into processing their mistakes so that growth is felt by the whole organization. If this happens, the organization will be able to trust each other as they take in bigger challenges and bigger learnings. Reference: Vaill, Peter B. 1998. Spirited Leading and Learning: Process Wisdom for a New Age. Jossey-Bass

Food Intake Analysis Essay

Yesterday morning is when I started my food intake analysis by writing down what I ate for the whole day an then go back to my work at night to figure out which foods I ate belonged to what food group. I entered my information to the BMI calculator and heres what my results are Based on the height and weight entered, the BMI is 18.6 , placing the BMI-for-age at the 31st percentile for boys aged 14 years 10 months. This teen has a healthy weight. Eating healthy foods Participating in physical activity on most (preferably all) days of the week Limiting television viewing I don’t even have cable so I don’t watch television, I BMX and play basket ball very often and I kept the eating healthy foods part in the back of my mind that day. For breakfast I ate one bowl of cereal and one cup of strawberries (6). The cereal is in the grains group and strawberries are in the fruits group. Later in the day I drank a small Blueberry Pomegranate smoothie from McDonalds which had fourteen ounces in it and belonged to the fruits group. I also bought a salad an that was part of the vegetables group,meats and beans group, the grains group and also the dairy group. For dinner I had one half of a steak which is in the means and beans group an had seven ounces in it. I also had one egg which is in the dairy group, one medium sized piece of fried doe which belongs to the grains group and one cup of milk. I think I did good eating, I dont see where I would try to make a better decision during that day besides maybe the smoothie from McDonalds but its a smoothie because they claim to use real fruit when they make them.

Disciplining Style Differences of Divorced Parents Essay

Introduction Families come in all shapes and sizes. Some families have two parents in the home, others are ran by single parents, while others have stepmothers and stepfathers with children having biological and half-siblings. These dynamics are intriguing and often I have wondered how the parents in such families may differ in their parenting styles based on the relationship of the Mother and Father. In the traditional family, the Mother and Father are generally married and reside in the same household raising the children they have created together, while other families of divorced parents may have joint custody of their children and live in separate residences. I am curious to know how these parents operate, specifically in the area of discipline. Child Behavior tends to be greatly effected by a change in the family structure, such as divorce. Not only do children behave poorly in school after a divorce, but also there are studies that show High School drop out rates are significantly higher i n a single parent household than a home with dual parenting. This study will serve three purposes. The first is to describe the disciplinary practices of a divorced parents, studying the most common techniques used by the average divorced parent. Next, this study will explain the effectiveness of these techniques, examining the result of child behavior in each of the examples. Finally, this study will outline the most effective discipline techniques for divorced parents to avoid the behavioral problems that a divorce can bring upon a child. The most effective disciplinary techniques for divorced parents is to work together throughout the disciplinary practices, remaining consistent amongst both parents and delivering on punishments for incorrect behaviors. This ensures well-behaved children and increases the likelihood of educational success of their children. Problem Statement Children of divorced parents suffer with behavioral issues much more often than children from traditional family dynamics consisting of a two-parent households. Theses issues include small consequences such as bad behavior in the classroom and can be even more sever such as increased likelihood of high school dropouts. In fact, in a study reviewed by Green, K., of a group of students who came from a divorced family, only â€Å"about 60 percent received high†¨school diplomas† (Green, 2009). This is compared to 78.4% of students from a traditional household of two parents. Changes in parenting should be able to reduce these risks and there is no better way to change parenting styles other than researching the different styles of parenting and examining the most effective techniques. Divorced parents often lack a partnership and consistency that a dual parent household has, and so, in order to prevent negative consequences from poor child behavior, divorced parents need to work together, remain consistent, and hold their children accountable for their actions. The question this study hopes to answer is, how are divorced parents’ disciplinary actions different from traditional families, and what can they do to ensure their child’s success? Rationale Child behavior is so important since it is often said that past behavior is a good indicator of future behavior. â€Å"The empirical finding that childhood problem behavior is predictive of adult problem behavior has been documented in several longitudinal samples, regardless of time, place, sample characteristics, or specific measures of outcome† (Ensminger, 2006, p194). Children tend to behave more poorly when they are raised in a home of a divorced parent, so it is important to understand the approaches taken by these parents and assess their effectiveness in order to explain the best disciplinary techniques so that this behavior can be corrected early enough to eliminate the risks of behavioral issues in children. This study is meant to be more than just a description of parenting styles, but, also serve as a guide for divorced parents as well. Research Objectives This study will serve three purposes. The first will be to identify the most common disciplinary approaches amongst divorced parents and traditional families. Amongst these approaches, we will then determine the most effective of these approaches, which is the second objective. Finally, We will fulfill the third purpose, which is to understand the complications that divorce brings upon a parent in disciplining, and suggest helpful tips from the most effective parenting styles researched. When all is said and done, we would like to help single parents who are raising their children after a divorce understand the importance of good discipline practices, most commonly found in traditional families and avoiding any potential negative impacts of child behavior. Hypothesis My guess is that most divorced parents do not take the time to research the most effective parenting techniques, especially in the area of discipline. This can help them assess their current strategies and open their eyes to all new approaches with the most successful outcomes. I would guesstimate that most single parents lack discipline due to the fear of loosing the popularity contest they’re in with the ex-spouse and their children. This is unfortunate because they are actually doing more harm than good. A child that does not have discipline in the home can result in terrible consequences, both for the child as well for the society in which this child will live in, since links to criminality have already been established with child behavior and lack of discipline. I would predict that if divorced parents were to use effective discipline, such as, working together, remaining consistent and keeping their children accountable for their actions, then they would raise better-behaved children and increase the chance of a successful life for their children, much like their traditional family counterpart. Definition of Terms This paper will have several terms that will have several terms that will be defined in this portion and will be implemented throughout the study. The first term I wish to define is the term â€Å"traditional family†. A traditional family will be defined by a household in which the children live with both their mother and father and both are married. The next term defined is a divorced family, or a family in which the children’s parents have divorced and no longer live together. The term â€Å"children† will describe adolescents under 18 years of age. Another term is discipline, which we will define as any action taken by a parent to correct the bad behavior of their children. Finally, we will define Behavior as the actions and/or attitudes displayed by a child. Summary It is imperative that children be disciplined for displaying poor behavior. This can prevent such outcomes as high school dropouts and criminal activities, which is often the result of bad childhood behavior. Divorced families often lack discipline in the household, due to the absence of partnership amongst divorced parents and consistency in parenting, so, in order to prevent negative consequences of child behavior issues, divorced parents need to work together, remain consistent, and hold their children accountable for their actions. I predict that traditional families have a lot of differences in their disciplinary practices such as teamwork, consistency and accountability that is deficient in a divorced family, where the parents are separated in different residences. Much can be gained about researching effective disciplinary techniques, especially amongst divorced parents, well-disciplined children can increase the livelihood of their adult life and ensure a more promising futur e, which is everything a parent hopes for their children. References Ensminger, M. E. (2006). Childhood Behavior and Adult Criminality: Cluster Analysis in a Prospective Study of African Americans. DOI 10.1007/s10940-006-9008-9 Green, K. (2009). Your Child Your Divorce. School Drop-Out Rates Rise for Children of Divorce, Claims Study. Retrieved from: http://yourchildyourdivorce.com/wordpress/school-drop-out-rates-rise-for-children-of-divorce-claims-study/ In Research from University of Alberta (as cited in Green, K. (2009). Your Child Your Divorce. School Drop-Out Rates Rise for Children of Divorce, Claims Study. Retrieved from: http://yourchildyourdivorce.com/wordpress/school-drop-out-rates-rise-for-children-of-divorce-claims-study/)

An Inconvenient Truth vs. the Great Global Warming Swindle Essay

Is our planet headed for irreversible disaster? Every reputable scientist in the world believes it is. Left unchecked, global warming’s negative effects on our natural environment could have catastrophic consequences not only for our planet and wildlife but for mankind as well. What is Global Warming you might question? Well, Global warming is caused when a greenhouse gas known as CO2 is emitted into the atmosphere from by burning fossil fuels and is then trapped causing the global temperature to rise more than normal. Many might be thinking that this is a good thing because then it would be longer summers but it is actually quite frightening. Having our population past 7 billion people today has quite the impact on our planet. Burning fossil fuels such as oil and coal gives us electricity to power our factories and run our vehicles but it does emit tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. Even breathing gives off CO2. There is however a natural cause of this as well. The decaying leaves in autumn or forest fires also give off CO2 just as all living things do when they die. The natural levels of CO2 in our atmosphere in the past 600,000 years have been at a non-harmful level, proven by the ice cores collected from the great ice sheets. The argument that was less convincing was the Inconvenient Truth. Although it does have truths into it about how humans are emitting tons of CO2 into the air but Al Gore’s argument ignores some information. The information that is ignored is the natural causes of carbon dioxide emissions as well as the natural fluctuations in temperature that the planet normally has. Even though the burning of fossil fuels has had a small impact on this situation, there still is scientific evidence that humans are not the only cause of Global Warming. There is also the case that Al Gore forgot to mention and that is the fact that the Earth’s climate is not driven by carbon dioxide, man-made or natural. Having CO2 not be the cause of Global Warming, the cause would have to be solar activity, which regulates cloud formation, and  includes solar winds and sun spots. The most concerning part of The Inconvenient Truth is that it uses Al Gore, a recent U.S president as their spokesperson rather than an actual scientist. The reason I believe that Al Gore is used is because he was a country’s leader for a few years so more people would be inclined to believe him rather than the people who were interviewed in The Great Global Warming Swindle. I have found The Great Global Warming Swindle to be more believable because the producers of the film have more resources and data as opposed to The Inconvenient Truth that has just charts. The Great Global Warming Swindle has actual scientists and science professors with information but although they had no data, they seem to be more believable. If Al Gore had actual people come and speak for him that are experts in the field of climatology or otherwise, I would have found his documentary to be more believable. Even though I believe that CO2 is not the cause of Global Warming, it should still be taken into consideration as to how much we put into the atmosphere because it is