Team Work Job Design Teams Automatically Perform at...

Team work Job design: Teams automatically perform at high levels. Introduction Job design is the process of deciding which tasks and responsibilities will be undertaken by a particular employee. It also covers the methods, systems and procedures for the work. In today’s business environment, proper job design can help a company to become more successful and competitive in the market. â€Å"The theory of job design, as we know it today, rests largely on the premise that effective performance and genuine satisfaction in work follow mainly from the intrinsic content of the job†(Cooper, 1974,p.12) The team approach has the ability to fulfill these criteria. â€Å"Teamwork is described as a co-operative process that allows ordinary people to†¦show more content†¦Based on the broader knowledge, their performance in the team could be developed which may give them more opportunities to expand their job scope horizontally or vertically. The job scope may expand horizontally by teaching some skills to someone. Job scope could be expanded ve rtically by becoming a leader in a team. To help a team reach a target successfully, a supervisor or leader is required in a team. A team leader may be appointed to guide the team activities, or the team members may have the opportunity to appoint a leader from the team. The appointed leader will have the chance to develop and utilize leadership skills, though, the appointed leader must try to see that â€Å"the group process is effective and that the work is, in fact getting done† (Lawler, 1986, p.105). Therefore, high performance levels may be automatically achieved in a team if individuals advance their skills and knowledge. Without the team, individuals might be limited by the scope of their skill, knowledge and experience. High quality decision-making Better quality decision-making could be considered as a way to lead a team to perform at higher levels. â€Å"As more ideas are produced and alternatives are considered, the team gets closer to making decisions that are stronger† (De Janasz, et al., p.311). There are many peopleShow MoreRelatedNew Business Proposition For Managing Various Locations Of Dunkin Donuts962 Words   |  4 Pagesbusiness is famous and well established that automatically does not mean that the new ones will be. The main question that must be asked is what will determine the success of the opening business. These stores will depend on the knowledge of the district manager, the manager and all hired employees to perform their duties according to standard set forth by the business owner. This assignment will outline the necessary breakdown of positions, training, work environment and advance opportunities in theRead MoreThe Manager Of Human Resource1069 Words   |  5 Pagesmeaningful work†. -J im Collins (https://hbr.org/2012/12/to-give-your-employees-meaning.html) Mission statement tell them area in which a business functions and sets out its significant purpose. It sum up what the firm does and why. And vision define to long-term goals and ambitions clearly and in short. It is projected to inspire and encourage the organisation s staff by providing an image of where the business is heading. These are important because when people catch logic of their work, they feelRead MoreDunkin Donuts District Manager1565 Words   |  7 PagesDunkin Donuts As a district manager, many responsibilities come with the job. District management is responsible for virtually all the operations in the company with respect to the business goals that have been set out in the company plan. This is especially the case when the district assigned is a group of new area start-ups. District managers are responsible for the allocation of resources, hiring, training and managing teams. The roles of a district manager starting new Dunkin’ Donuts locationsRead MoreEssay on Dunkin Donuts Distric Manager1548 Words   |  7 PagesDunkin Donuts As a district manager, many responsibilities come with the job. District management is responsible for virtually all the operations in the company with respect to the business goals that have been set out in the company plan. This is especially the case when the district assigned is a group of new area start-ups. District managers are responsible for the allocation of resources, hiring, training and managing teams. The roles of a district manager starting new Dunkin’ Donuts locationsRead MoreReport on 3 HR activities that support 1196 Words   |  5 PagesThis reports states the various HR activities that support the organization’s strategy. Recruitment: The process of selection and appointment of suitable candidates for jobs in an organisation, in a short span and cost effectively manner. The process includes analyzing the requirements of a job, attracting employees to that job, screening and selecting candidates, hiring and integrating the new employee to the company. It is a critical activity not only for the HR function but also for the lineRead MoreEssay on Law Enforcement and Leadership1449 Words   |  6 Pagesconduct business in a pre-determined fashion. The systemization rests on high direction and low task leadership models (Bolman Deal, 1991). Is this model still the most efficient model of leadership for law enforcement agencies? Alternatively, the question is raised; can newer leadership models focusing on transformative leadership, and integrative leadership models where shared power, planning, distribution, and other work activities prove effective in structural law enforcement organizations?Read MoreEssay about Orga nization Structures1469 Words   |  6 Pagesexactly what he or she is responsible for, and behavior inappropriate to the role is discouraged or prohibited. The mechanistic structure is the traditional or classical design, common in many medium- and large-size organizations. Mechanistic organizations are somewhat rigid in that they consist of very clearly delineated jobs, have a well-defined hierarchical structure, and rely heavily on the formal chain of command for control. Bureaucratic organizations, with their emphasis on formalizationRead Moreâ€Å"a Proposed Human Resource Information System Solution for the Agricultural Development Bank†.1235 Words   |  5 PagesWeaknesses/Opportunities ï  ® The Main Issue at the Agricultural Development Bank is that there are little or no formalized HR practices. ï  ® Well written job descriptions for each job in the organization is the foundation of human resource management. Job functions must be detailed and unambiguous. These can then be used as a benchmark for effective job evaluations and appraisals as well as performance management, training and recruitment decisions. ï  ® At present, certain HR functions are neglected, inefficientlyRead MoreThe Life and Work of a Computer Programmer Essay1263 Words   |  6 PagesThe purpose of a computer programmer is to design and develop applications to perform the needs of a consumer. This occupation is essential to modern day life due to all of the computers that are in use today. Computer programming is a fulfilling career goal because of the ability to be on the cutting edge of technology, design software for computers, and have a wide range of benefits. Computer programming consists of many duties. Duties of a computer programmer include but are not limited to:Read MoreOrganic Company Structure1572 Words   |  7 Pagesexactly what he or she is responsible for, and behavior inappropriate to the role is discouraged or prohibited. The mechanistic structure is the traditional or classical design, common in many medium- and large-size organizations. Mechanistic organizations are somewhat rigid in that they consist of very clearly delineated jobs, have a well-defined hierarchical structure, and rely heavily on the formal chain of command for control. Bureaucratic organizations, with their emphasis on formalization

Marijuana Decriminalization and Legalization - 636 Words

The validity of marijuana decriminalization (and even legalization) is illustrated in the following analysis of the social, fiscal, political, and medical attributes and conceptions associated with the drug. Marijuana has been used for thousands of years, in 2008; archeologists discovered over two pounds of cannabis in a 2,700-year-old grave of a shaman found in Central Asia. (Armentano, 1) Should marijuana be legalized or at least decriminalized in America? The following information may give the reader a reason to consider scenarios inconsistent with current policies. Socially, marijuana being legal has virtually little to no impact on use. Use of marijuana in states with some kind of decriminalization or legalization measure in place did increase, but use in states that do not increase at a similar or even a higher rate. Over 41% of Americans have tried marijuana, thats over 102 million people. In comparison with the 41% of Americans that have tried marijuana only 15% of Americans have ever tried cocaine, the second most popular illegal drug, there goes the gateway effect. (Armentano, 1) Marijuana being decriminalized or legalized does not increase the use of marijuana and has virtually no effect on the use of alcohol or other harder illegal drugs. From a fiscal standpoint, the legalization of marijuana is nothing but beneficial. California, Washington, and Colorado have all legalized to some extent, and are already raking in taxes on the purchase of this, now legal,Show MoreRelatedShould Drugs Be Decriminalized?1666 Words   |  7 Pagesother options exist? This paper will discuss the pros and cons about one option: decriminalizing drugs. The obvious place to start is by defining terminology. What does decriminalization mean? Decriminalization is not the same thing as legalization; these are two different options for dealing with illegal drug use. Legalization means that the government authorizes the use and sale of certain drugs to adults (The Drug Policy Forum of Texas [DPFT], 2004). A current example of this would be restaurantsRead MoreCommunications1510 Words   |  7 PagesParaphrasing Practice Decriminalization of Marijuana Author: Lucia Pizzo Throughout the early 2000s, many states decriminalized marijuana. Levels of decriminalization varied with regard to the amount of marijuana in possession and whether the drug was for personal use, cultivation, or distribution. By 2010, marijuana had been at least partially decriminalized in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, NevadaRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1714 Words   |  7 Pagesthought of legalizing drugs in the U.S and the effects of legalizing or not legalizing drugs. There are several drugs such as cocaine, heroin, opium, to name a few, with the most common being marijuana. The question raised on this topic is whether we should prohibit drug use, making it illegal or only allow marijuana to be legal. Discussions on this topic mention that drugs will be available in the market despite marking it illegal and will still be accessible in the black market regardless whether weRead MoreThe Encyclopedia Of Drug Abuse760 Words   |  4 Pages1. Brien, Roberts. Marijuana. â€Å"The Encyclopedia of Drug Abuse. 2nd ed. New York: Facts on File, 1992. 175-79. Print. Summary: The article in this reference source also offers an overview of what marijuana is, but provides a more thorough overview of its ancient history than the above reference source. What is truly excellent about this article is that it examines the effects of marijuana usage. Also, the article discusses how the effects are highly subjective and dependent on several variablesRead MoreLegalization of Drugs Essay1305 Words   |  6 Pages The current hot-topic debate about the legalization of marijuana for medical exposes the long lasting debate about the economic viability of prohibiting certain kind of drugs considered illicit. Many social costs to society are attributable to illicit drugs, along with tobacco, alcohol, and guns. In fact, each of these vices is allegedly responsible for $200 billion annual expenditure in social costs of the USA (Donohue, 2010). Interestingly, all these commodities mentioned above have common characteristics:Read MoreStigma And Stigma Of Marijuana Essay1603 Words   |  7 PagesThe stigma of marijuana started in the 1930s when it was first prohibited nationwide, but since then, the stigma has changed quite drastically to the point where the sigma could be completely eradicated in the near future. The stigma that was created from the prohibition of marijuana is something that still affects every American today. In a brief history of the stigma, it can be traced back to the 1930s where its prohibition would begin, by the 1960s, no one would do it in their right mind becauseRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legal?1590 Words   |  7 PagesAttitudes toward the legalization due to the shifts over time take into consideration a shockingly exact reproduction of four decade of American social history. In November 2012, voters in Colorado and Washington State passed a law allowing, dispersion, and ownership of marijuana for medical and recreational use. This paper does not address the subject of whether cannabis ought to be legal; it c oncentrates on the configuration contemplation of making an adjustment in cannabis strategy. RegardlessRead MoreShould Marijuana Drugs Be Legalized?932 Words   |  4 Pagesdeaths. These same consequences can be seen in Portugal before their drug decriminalization, but have reduced immensely after 2001. When we think about drugs, we think about children and teens succumbing into peer pressure to use drugs. While people think decriminalizing drugs will make it easier for adolescents to use drugs, in the case of Portugal, drug use has actually decreased. According to the graph on Drug Decriminalization in Portugal: A Health-Centered Approach, you can see that drug use inRead MoreEssay on Why Marijuana Should Not be Legalized1595 Words   |  7 PagesLegalization or decriminalization of marijuana is opposed by a vast majority of American’s and people around the world. Leaders in Marijuana prevention, education, treatment, and law enforcement adamantly oppose the substance, as do many political leaders. However, pro-drug advocacy groups, who support the use of illegal drugs, are making headlines. They are influencing decision making thru legislation and having a significant impact on the national policy debate here in the United States andRead MoreThe Drug Prohibition Of The United States Of America1629 Words   |  7 Pagesevidence that exists does not support the notion of souring drug consumption. For instance, in the Netherland and Switzerland, where marijuana is legalized, the consumption rate is lower than in the United States of America, where consumption of Marijuana is prohibited in most of the states. This study argues for the legalization of the consumption of drugs and decriminalization of possession and use of drugs in the United States of America. Drugs were legal for many years before the 1914 Harrison Act

Dreschler Hotel Consultation Free Essays

I have reviewed the trend analysis for the Dreschler Hotel and competing hotels and find that in comparison to the competing market, Dreschler is well within the numbers on average. Occupancy rate as compared with like hotels appears to be almost par with an average of 99. 3 index for the last six month period of 2005. We will write a custom essay sample on Dreschler Hotel Consultation or any similar topic only for you Order Now This is stating that on average Dreschler is almost at the same rate of occupancy as other competing hotels. The average daily room rate comes out to a 100. 8 index which is stating that the rate being charged daily is at or above what other hotels in this competing industry are charging. The same with the revenue per available rooms, the 6 month average comes out to an index of 99. 9 compared with like hotels. In review of this trend analysis, I believe the occupancy rate can be improved during the summer months because of the location and activities offered by this lodging facility. But, after reviewing Santa Cruz County for the year 2005, average occupancy rate for hotels was at 64. 7% and for the whole state of Arizona the annual average was only 65. 8%. Dreschler appears to be on the upper end of these averages at 72. 6% average for the last 6 months of the year. This figure could obviously be higher or lower because of the figures for the first 6 months of the year. Based on the figures of having approximately 8 rooms on average per day available out of 30 is not all that bad, nor is it good. When the ADR is at $103. 71 on average for Dreschler while the average ADR statewide is only $90. 39, it could be possible to offer discounts during slower seasons in order to fill the rooms. Another option would be to offer specials to with surrounding businesses such as wine tasting events, art and museum events, cultural events, bird watching events, and even biking or hiking outings. Potential Improvements Dreschler has quite a bit to offer as far as amenities in whole and the amount of rooms available. I would start with making changes in the rooms, amount of rooms, and types of rooms. For starters, let us cut back on the amount of rooms that are sharing bathrooms and create more privacy for the guest. I would ensure that all rooms and suites have their own lavoratory at minimum. Single rooms with only bedroom setting and sitting nook should have a bathroom with toilet, sink, and shower. There should be a choice of which type of single room a guest would want by changing up the beds. Offer some with two twins, or single twin and hide-a-bed sofa and of course the queen. Next room style would be more like a mini apartment suite. This would have a sitting area separate from the bedroom and bathroom. Also offer the choices of bed set-ups in the larger suites such as double twins, queen, and king. The bathroom would be the same as with the single rooms as well. There has to be a deluxe suite of some sort, a couple would be good like a Honeymoon suite or an Executive suite, or maybe both. The honeymoon suite would be approximately 800 square feet of luxury. The bedroom would be separate from the sitting room, breakfast nook just inside the balcony doors; the bathroom would be private with a bath as well as the toilet, sink, and shower. I would probably suggest this room be on the second floor with a balcony overlooking the garden and possible put a Jacuzzi on this deck. The Executive suite would be geared for business personnel that may be in town or nearby for a convention or meeting of some sort. This room would offer two separate sleeping quarters, sitting area, breakfast nook, full bathroom with toilet, sink, and shower, and a deck as well, that overlooks the garden area. All rooms will be equipped with satellite television, a sound system that is controlled by the guest, alarm clocks, Wi-Fi connection, and air conditioning. Other amenities will include coffee, tea, and hot chocolate in rooms with mini fridges, microwaves, a desk area, literature regarding the history of the surrounding area, community features, events, and activities, and of course for the bathroom we would offer a hair dryer, ironing board that folds up in the wall, and hand lotions, soaps, and shampoos. Other areas of the establishment could be opened up more for private sitting time or just admiring the beauty surrounding the lodge. Breakfast is served at the door of all rooms by 7 a. m. every morning, and consists of cheeses, fresh fruits, juices, yogurts, and fresh baked pastries. I would like to see a public dining area in the garden for those who wish to dine on their morning pastry and coffee in the comfort of the morning sun. Funding Options There are several funding options available since we have no working capital. We could go public and offer shares to raise money to invest into the modifications, but the problem with this is that as a business owner you will not get to keep 100% of the profits; you will be paying your shareholders a dividend. Equity investors will require a percentage of ownership as well as the return on their investment. This can also wind up being costly down the road. Another option is to acquire a loan, but most lending institutes will only lend 60%-70% of the requested amount leaving the borrower having to raise the other 30%-40% in equity. This may not be a bad deal if the equity investor does not demand a large portion of ownership and is patient on returns. Another option is a 7(a) loan since they are the simplest and most common loan type from the Small Business Association. The financing of a 7(a) loan can be guaranteed for a variety of general business purposes such as working capital, machinery and equipment, furniture and fixtures, and debt refinancing (under special conditions). Loan maturity is up to 10 years for working capital and generally up to 25 years for fixed assets (http://www. sba. gov). These types of loans are easily obtained since many banks in America participate in SBA’s program and structure the loans according the requirements of this program. The SBA shares the risk with the bank if the borrower defaults. The eligibility requirements are fairly broad to accommodate the most diverse variety of small business financing needs (http://www. sba. gov). To Convert or Not to Convert A couple of benefits to converting this property to either a timeshare, condominium, or mixed-use property would be a) the immediate cash flow available up front from the rooms being purchased by timeshare holders; and b) therefore the owner does not have to wait for the project to generate a return on investment. Timeshare would be nice in that all rooms would hopefully be sold and utilized throughout the year. The length of time that someone holds a share for can be up to 30 years. The condominium aspect is slightly different in that the investor does not actually use the room but hopes to make an return on his investment in that room. This can pose a problem if there is not much activity in that investor’s room. A mixed use set-up would probably be the most beneficial of the three since it would offer the owner a diverse source of income from a variety of shops and businesses within the hotel. Although, I do not see this being a possibility here since this is a bed and breakfast establishment with over 90 shops within walking distance. You also have the issues of trying to attract high quality brand name partners to work with you, and selling the idea to other investors and possibly lending institutions could pose a real problem if you do not have a complete understanding of the market demands. I think that keeping this bed and breakfast as is would be the most beneficial but the modifications and room upgrades need to be more accommodating to a variety of guests in order to achieve the higher revenues possible. New Name Coming up with a new name for the establishment can be a challenge since I am suggesting the modifications that I am. There is no significant â€Å"one† type of person that I am trying to attract to this establishment, but more of a variety in order to fill all the rooms on a regular basis. I would like to offer up the name of Santa Cruz Country Inn since this is in the heart of Santa Cruz County and offers up the scenic picturesque country side that it does. All of the features of this establishment speak country to me. The bird watching, hiking, natural beauty of the landscape surrounding the inn, the state parks, proximity of the Santa Cruz river, and just the all around peaceful feeling one has when here. I would like to offer a bed and breakfast that makes all who stay desire to return because of the comfort and relaxation that they feel while visiting this fine establishment. Reference http://www.tubaccountryinn.com/accommodations.html How to cite Dreschler Hotel Consultation, Essay examples

Genograms Family Therapy Essay Example For Students

Genograms: Family Therapy Essay 1. Title of Assessment: Monica McGoldrick and Randy Gerson developed the genogram in 1985 in the book Genograms: Assessment and Intervention. A genogram is a pictorial diagram which can show anything from family relationships to medical history. Genograms allow individuals to identify patterns of behaviors and hereditary tendencies. 2. Primary Purpose: The primary purpose of genograms is to engage the family in visually summarizing and illustrating familial relationships and patterns of behavior within a family system in support of family assessment and intervention planning. They have been known to record family problems, medical issues, psychological issues and personal relationships going back at least three generations of the family. Important factors include age, sex, ethnicity, religion, race, sexual orientation, migration information and class to be able to make accurate diagnoses. 3. Target Population: When using a genogram as an assessment tool, the target population usually includes families that have experienced some unexpected stressor or a new experience. Experiences leave the family shaken up as a unit and alter the nature of family relationships. These families that aren’t able to reorganize or adjust their structure and relationships are eligible for a genogram assessment. Healthy families are usually able to reorganize their structure and relationships to accommodate new circumstances. Some of these families may be characterized by relationship difficulties, such as conflictual or being distant, which involves isolated separateness of family members from each other physically or psychologically (Gladding, 2002). Other relationship difficulties may be defined as cut off, where members avoid each other because of unresolved emotional attachment and Fusion or fused relationships, which is defined as the merging of intellectual and emotional functions so that an individual does not have a clear sense of self and others (Gladding, 2002). Family roles and boundaries may be weak, coping with stress may be a challenge, and families may perceive themselves as lacking control of their lives. 5. Description of â€Å"Scoring† Procedures: There is not necessarily a scoring procedure with genograms, although there are different symbols that may be used to represent different things. These symbols represent basic information such as sex, marriage, divorce, and separation. They also represent birth identification symbols such as pregnancy, adoption, twins, abortion, stillbirth, miscarriage, or unknown gender. Relationships are also represented by these symbols. They tell whether family members are close or conflictual, if there is a close bond, abuse or enmeshed relationships. Condition symbols show present ages, death, alcohol or drug addiction, mental or emotional conditions and identified patients (initial patient of whoever is making the genogram). 6. Score Interpretation-approach to scores and meaning to scores: Interpretation of the information obtained through a genogram is interpreted by both the therapist and the family by looking for multigenerational patterns (fusion, cutoffs, conflict, psychical abuse, drug abuse, incest, medical issues, etc. The therapist instructs individuals to search for ‘clues’ as to where the various pressures on the family have been expressed and how effectively the family has adapted to stress (Gladding, 2002). In observance of these things, therapist teaches the family to rise above unexpected stressors by modeling what a reasonable, neutral, self-controlled person is. Insight from the therapist and the family collaboratively leads to relevant and supportive intervention plan that is compatible with the fa milies’ goals.

Strategy Communication Marriott International free essay sample

The above mentioned learning objectives have been applied to the real-life case company Marriott International. Marriott International is a worldwide operating lodging company which opened its first hotel in 1957. It currently employees around 300. 000 people over 3. 500 properties and is focusing on continuous growth worldwide with their 18 brands. The Chinese market is at the moment one of the biggest expanding markets, they are focusing on growth outside the US in general. The major conclusion after analyzing all the facts which are relevant for this report is that the Marriott is a wonderful company whereby the employees are the basis of their success. The current differentiation strategy of Marriott fits with their mission and vision and is implemented successfully throughout the organization. After conducting research via various models it can be concluded that there is no need to develop a new strategy, since they do reach all their goals with the current strategy. Table of content SubjectPage Introduction4 Introduction to strategy5 Conducting a situation analysis7 Developing the strategic direction10 Formulating the strategy12 Implementing the strategy14 Monitoring and evaluating the strategic performance16 Conclusion19 Sources21 Introduction In this report the strategy of Marriott International will be elaborated via various analysis. We will write a custom essay sample on Strategy Communication Marriott International or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The outcome of several analysis such as SWOT, Porter’s 5 forces model and Mc Kinsey’s 7s model will analyze the current situation, determine if there is a need for a new strategy and how to measure and evaluate the current or new strategy. Introduction to Strategy Marriott International One of world’s biggest hotel chains in the world with more than 80 years experience in the hospitality industry wherefrom 50 years in the hotel industry. Marriott international is active in 70 countries and operates more than 3. 500 managed and franchised hotels. This 3. 500 hotels are spread over 18 different brands and operated with approximately 300. 000 associates. It is Marriott’s mission to stay ahead so its guests can, too * New innovations and signature experiences. * New ways to personalize each stay. * New hotels from the Caribbean to China. Marriott expects to add at least 80,000 to 90,000 hotel rooms to its portfolio from 2011 through 2013 with additional opportunities for 22,000 rooms to open in Europe and Asia during that same period. Marriott has plans to adapt and expand current brands, to meet the growing needs of customers in markets worldwide. The company will also be expanding its new brands outside of the United States. We are on the threshold of extraordinary growth for our company, ( J. W. Marriott, Jr. ) Marriott’s fundamental beliefs are enduring and the keys to its continued success. There is a â€Å"Marriott Way† they call it. It is about serving the associates, the customer and the community. These ideals serve as the cornerstone for all Marriott associates fulfilling the â€Å"Spirit to Serve†. The associates: The unshakeable conviction that our people are our most important asset * An environment that supports associate growth and personal development * A reputation for employing caring, dependable associates who are ethical and trustworthy * A home-like atmosphere and friendly workplace relationships * A performance-reward system that recognizes the important contributions of both hourly and management associates * Pride in the Marriott name, accomplishments, and record of success * A focus on growth managed and franchised properties, owners, and investors The guests: * A hands-on management style, i. . , management by walking around * Attention to detail * Openness to innovation and creativity in serving guests * Pride in the knowledge that our  guests can count on Marriotts unique blend of quality, consistency, personalized service, and recognition almost anywhere they travel in the world or whichever Marriott brand they choose The communities: * Demonstrated every day by associate and corporate support of local, national and global initiatives and programs * An important part of doing business the Marriott Way Marriott is a publicly held company listed on the New York Stock Exchange Organizational structure of the company Marriott-Branded Hotels are franchised and operated pursuant to three basic structures:   * A franchise agreement with the owner and operator of the hotel * A franchise agreement with the owner of the hotel who contracts with an independent management company to operate the hotel on its behalf * A franchise agreement with an independent management company that manages the hotel on behalf of the owner pursuant to a management agreement and a three party-owner agreement among the owner of the hotel, Marriott and the franchisee According to Porter’s Generic Strategies Marriott follows the Differentiation Strategy. This strategy will be elaborated in the chapter â€Å"Formulating the Strategy†. Marriott’s strategy is to expand their hotel portfolio by serving to excellence, contributing to the community and distribute their company in order to expand their market share. In the next chapter I will elaborate on their current internal and external situation. Conducting a situation analysis Strategy: Concentrate on growth optimization and drive profit by solidify product and service leadership. Structure: Marriott International covers a total of 18 hotel brands. To make sure each of these brands are able to present themselves in the same market, Marriott has chosen for a divisionalized form according to the organizational structures by Mintzberg. System: Different systems are used for internal and external communication; Fidelio Opera, GSI. Style: The style of the company is written in the â€Å"Code of Business Ethics†: â€Å"Commitment to human rights†, â€Å"Ethical and legal standards†, â€Å"Working with suppliers† and â€Å"Helping our workforce grow†. Staff: The most important as a Marriott employee is to have a Passion for people and live up the Spirit To Serve (Spirit To Serve can be found in the chapter â€Å"introduction to strategy†). Marriott has a global workforce compromised of associates from dozens of nations, speaking more than 50 languages, in 70 countries around the world. Skills: To be the world’s leading provider of hospitality services they take well care of our guest by offering them the best brand portfolio. To pursue this they develop a highly skilled workforce with extensive operational knowledge. In order to address a complex strategic situation, a SWOT analysis is very useful to support the 7S model (McKinsey). The SWOT analysis divides the internal aspects of the company as strengths and weaknesses. STRENGHTS| WEAKNESSES| * Technical innovations to ease the business process and increase hassle-free experience for the customers; * Higher brand recognition and recall makes the company priority choice for clients; * Global presence and strong brand portfolio diversifies the revenue sources. * Business model which has the potential to dilute the brand perception and limit the revenue growth; * High debt burden will affect the future capital generation and expansion projects. | To analyze the external environment of Marriott International the opportunities and threats will be explicated. OPPORTUNITIES| THREATS| * Strong growth in the hotel and motelindustry in emerging markets; * Improving hospitality market in the US; * Brand innovations and expansion. | * Vulnerability to terr orist attacks raises security and safety concerns; * Fragmented and intensely competitive lodging industry. Opportunities Emerging markets Remarkable growth from emerging markets like China and India over the past few years, because of more business travelers. China now is the largest market outside North America. Because of strong brand recognition it gives them the unique position to compete effectively with local and international players in the emerging markets. Improving hospitality Fast recovery from the global crisis with rising occupancy, upward average daily rate and revenue per available room. Brand innovations and expansion Marriott launches new brands and is expanding existing brands. Besides addition of the new brands, the company has invested in expanding its presence worldwide. Through brand introduction and expansion the company is changing itself to suit the needs and interests of the present business and leisure travelers. Threats Terrorist attacks Marriott has been a prime target of terrorist attacks. The company has suffered many bomb blasts in the past. These terrorist attacks have weakened the consumer confidence, which will probably affect the company’s business and reputation on the long term. Competitive lodging industry The company faces a strong competition. No player in the hotel business commands more than 20% of the market share. The intense competition results in a price war which makes Marriott’s luxurious brands uncompetitive, resulting in low market opportunities for the company. In the next chapter there will be created a new strategic direction with the mission and vision as guidelines. The conclusions of the SWOT have been taken in to account by creating these. Developing the strategic direction The mission and vision are the guide lines for an organization to use in everyday decisions to achieve the company’s goals. (Shoemaker, S. ) Marriott has provided specific core values which reaffirm and reinforce the culture of the company, but has not provided a mission statement in the traditional sense, or a vision statement. Mission Marriott is committed to being the best lodging and food service company in the world. About 50% of all Marriott brands around the globe are linked to the name Marriott, to stimulate the brand recognition. For example: Fairfield Inn by Marriott. Besides being the best lodging and food company in the world their goal is to create extraordinary customer service and shareholder value. They accomplish this by the way they treat their employees. Key elements for the Marriott’s culture are â€Å"Do Whatever it Takes to Take Care of the Customer, â€Å"Pay extraordinary attention to detail† and â€Å"Use their creativity to find new ways to meet the needs of customers†. The above mentioned points will definitely be part of the mission statement if provided in the traditional sense. New mission statement Marriott is committed to be the best lodging and food service company in the world, by treating employees and communities in ways that create extraordinary customer service. Innovations will ensure to stay ahead and personalize each stay, which results in extending the brand recognition and shareholder value. Vision According to Bill Marriott Jr. , Chief Executive Officer of Marriott International: I think the future and the vision for this company is to continue to foster, maintain and improve our company culture. The culture of Marriott is very strong and quite unique in the hospitality industry. Because of this strong culture they know that they will have stronger guest satisfaction and guests will return. New vision statement Marriott wants to become the leading provider and  facilitator of value-based luxury, leisure and  Ã‚  business experiences across the globe. We will embed global diversity and inclusion into our organization so that it is integral to how we do business. To achieve our growth goals outside of the U. S. , it is essential that our leaders truly embrace and understand different cultures. Reduce our environmental footprint and combat climate change. It might be a strategic decision of Marriott not providing a stated mission and vision statement since this may have the unintended effect that the company is less open to change initiated from the customers (Shoemaker, 2005). In the core values we see that â€Å"people† are a very important asset for Marriott, but what does that really mean? â€Å"Well, our company culture has been stated many ways. Basically, we believe in taking good care of our people and believe that if we do, theyll take good care of the guests and the customers and theyll return. This has been embedded in the philosophy of our company for over 81 years. (Bill Marriott) Because they take such good care of their people they know that their people will stay with them. Turnover will be low, and the turnover of employees is very expensive. Since the turnover will be low they know that their people will get better at their jobs and stay in longer. They keep on providing them with opportunities to keep the sp irit up and keep them motivated. The main focus for Marriott should be creating a clear mission and vision for each brand category as they are the guidelines for the company’s strategy. In the next chapter we will discuss if Marriott’s strategy fits with the ompany according to the mission, vision and SWOT analysis. Formulating the strategy For Marriott International to  be  a  successful company,  they should align external components   with  the  internal components. This alignment is called strategic planning. The strategy of the company is based on the mission, vision and SWOT analysis. Adjusts the  current strategy  of  the Marriott  well with  the company? Or are there changes required  to  ensure  success in the  future? To establish the current strategic profile, the theory of Porter’s Generic Strategies (Figure 1) is of great importance. As one of the best lodging and food companies in the world, Marriott is always on the move: launching innovative new brands, expanding in emerging markets and solidifying their position as a unique hospitality company. Referring to Porter’s Generic Strategies, this shows that they use the ‘Differentiation Strategy’. This strategy is reflected in the way they represent themselves by offering a wide brand portfolio. Some well known brands are: Marriott Hotels amp; Resorts, Renaissance Hotels and The Ritz-Carlton. Their brand  portfolio offers any and every type of stay experience guests are looking for and the uniqueness of the Marriott concept is that each of the brands is individually distinctive, but collectively powerful. As already mentioned, the company is always looking for innovation to serve their guests in the best way. Together with their focus and attention for personal and professional development of their employees. This are the  most  important  parts of the strategy,  if  you look at  the ever  changing market and  changing demands of  guests. It can be concluded that Marriott follows the correct strategy. It cannot be denied that Marriot has several major competitors within the hospitality market. Therefore it is important to get insight in the current and future market developments. The 5 forces model of Porter offers a solution here. How does the 5 forces model look like for Marriott? Threat of new entrants There is not much of a threat of potential entrants, which have the same size and are globally active, because of the existing hotel chains and the loyalty their customers have. This can discourage potential entrants. Threat of substitute products or service There is a small threat of substitutes since Marriott offers short and long term stay brands in various price classes. They are able to reach all target groups who would like to stay in a hotel or residence. Bargaining power of buyers The bargaining power of buyers is very great within the lodging industry since the buyers have a very wide range of providers which offer almost similar products. Customers will go where they have the best value for their money. As we have seen in de recent credit crunch the bargaining power of buyers increased, because they knew that companies were afraid of losing customers. Bargaining power of suppliers The bargaining power of suppliers and Marriott is a kind of equal since the suppliers need the business from the hotel and will try to offer good quality for good prices. Since Marriott needs reliable suppliers and it is a very intensive process to find a new supplier which is able live up to the standards from the hotel it will trade the suppliers well. The current strategy should not be changed. It is important for them to keep focused on their core values and corporate culture which leads to customer loyalty and innovation within Marriott International. By doing this they will be able to distinguish themselves from their competitors. Implementing the strategy As discussed in the chapter ‘Formulating a Strategy’ Marriott International follows the correct strategy. This strategy has been used and proved successful. Therefore there is not formulated a new strategy which has to be implemented. But it may be important for the Marriott to better deepen their current â€Å"Differentiation Strategy†. This is especially important to continue differentiating themselves from competitors. Treacy and Wiersema ‘The value disciplines’ By means of the ‘Value disciplines’ model from Treacy and Wiersema can be determined in which of the three strategies the organization excels. Fact is that the organization has to be on a sufficient level with the other two values as well. Marriott International follows the strategy of ‘Customer Intimacy’. What does this exactly mean for the organization? They focus on continuously adaption of the supply to the needs and wishes of the customers. Besides that they invest continuously in customer loyalty, customer retention, reliability and exceeding expectations. It thus means that the organization is focused to develop a long and close relationship with the customers. Hereby they are in an optimal position to provide the customers in their needs. The organization makes sure that the customer get exactly what they wish for. Customized Products, services and service are important measurement points for this strategy. Treacy and Wiersema’s ‘Customer Intimacy’ strategy is accordingly to Porter’s ‘Differentiation Strategy’ in relation to Marriott International as mentioned in the chapter ‘Formulating a Strategy’. To execute this strategy very much knowledge about the customer is necessary, which Marriott built up step by step over the years. This customer knowledge is the most important possession and the most important competitive weapon for the organization. Brand Portfolio As mentioned earlier, Marriott International has a very broad brand portfolio. They are able to serve different target groups, because of this wide range of brands. This also means that ‘Customer Intimacy cannot always be the leading strategy. ‘Product Leadership’ and ‘Operational Excellence’ are sometimes the leading strategies, depending on which segment the organization tries to reach. To strengthen the ‘Differentiation Strategy’ and ‘Customer Intimacy’ strategy, it is important that the core values of the company for everyone in the organization are clear. Therefore Marriott International developed the ‘Code of Business Ethics’ for managers and employees. ‘The core values established by the Marriott family over 80 years ago have served our company well and will continue to guide our growth into the future. Foremost of these core values is the enduring belief that our associates are our greatest assets. ’ When you look at the overall picture of the Marriott International as an organization, there is no doubt that they follow and carry out the ‘Customer Intimacy’ strategy. Since Marriott has such a great brand portfolio and operates in different (price)segments the two other value disciplines are very important in addition to the ‘Customer Intimacy’. Concluded can be that Marriott International does very well, because they have a good balance between the applied strategies within the organization and the way they apply them for the different brands. But above all, that the core values from the organization make sure that not only the top of the organization is informed about the current strategy, but that all employees show and carry out wherein the organization excels. When Marriott comes at a point wherein they need to implement a new strategy they can use the EFQM excellence model. It can be used to implement a strategy, and redesign and develop organizational structures and processes. Monitoring amp; Evaluating the Strategic Performance After discussing the subjects ‘Introduction to strategy’, ‘Conducting a situation analysis’, ‘Developing a strategic direction’, ‘Formulating a strategy’ and ‘Implementing a strategy’, we arrived at the last but most important part of this academic report: ‘Monitoring and Evaluating Strategic Performance’ of Marriott International. Organizations can  develop  a strategy,  but if  they do not  monitor and measure  whether the  goals  of this  strategy  are reached, formulating a strategy makes no sense. It is certain that evaluating and monitoring are the most important parts of the whole ‘strategy process’. It is shown that the current strategy of Marriott International is adequate and there is no reason to switch to a new strategy. However, it is important  to consider if the current strategy aligns the business goals  which have emerged  in the mission and  vision. A model that offers a solution to do this is the ‘Business Balanced Scorecard’, by Robert Kaplan en David Norton. What is the balanced scorecard model exactly? ‘The balanced scorecard is a strategic planning and management system  used to align business activities to the vision and strategy of the organization, improve internal and external communications, and monitor organizational performance via multiple measures against strategic goals’, according to Norton and Kaplan (1992). How can the balanced scorecard be valuable for Marriott International? The balanced scorecard measures a company’s performance across four perspectives: * Financial perspective: ‘What is important for our shareholders? ; The financial objectives focus on the terms of revenue growth and mix, cost reduction and profitability, and asset utilization and investment strategy. * Customers: ‘How do customers perceive us? ’. Customer service and satisfaction are viewed as important issues for the organization. As poor customer performance ultimately leads to a company’s decline â⠂¬â€œ dissatisfied customers will find other suppliers to fulfill their needs. Measuring satisfaction, retention, market and account share provides an insight into how customers perceive the company. Possible indicators nclude customer profitability, return policy, handling service calls, market share in target segments, and claims and complaints handling. * Internal business processes: ‘Which internal processes can add value? ’; Indicators for this perspective give management an insight into the effectiveness of their operations. Quality, response and cycle time, costs, new product development, time to market, but also break even time realized and new sales as a percentage of total sales are indicators for measuring the performance of the company’s operations. * Learning and growth: ‘Are we innovative and ready for the future? ; Indicators for the learning and growth perspective provide an insight into how successful human recourses management and knowledg e and innovation management are. Possible indicators are employee satisfaction and retention, revenue/value added per employee, strategic redundancy in job skills, new ideas per employee and information availability relative to need. The balanced scorecard forces a company to focus on a balanced set of key performance indicators which are recognizable throughout the organization, and which will lead ultimately to substantial and lasting performance improvement. Marriott has set the following KPI’s. By applying the Balanced score card and set their KPI’s they are able to measure and evaluate their performance. And eventually adjust and redirect their strategy in the right way. Conclusion The Marriott’s way is build on their core values, in which employees, local communities and their guests are the most important. The organizations follows the differentiation strategy which fits best because of their wide brand portfolio. An internal analysis has been conducted with McKinsey’s 7S model I have concluded that they concentrate on growth, optimization of profit and roduct and service leadership. To pursue this they develop a highly skilled workforce with extensive operational knowledge following the divisionalized form according to the organizational structures by Mintzberg. A weakness is the business model which has the potential to dilute the brand perception and limit the revenue growth by analyzing the external si tuation I concluded that there is a strong growth in the hotel and motel industry in emerging markets a threat at the same time is a fragmented and intensely competitive lodging industry. Remarkable is that Marriott not provided a mission or vision statement in the traditional sense. It might be a strategic decision but I would recommend them to focus on creating these, as they are the guidelines for the company’s strategy. According to Porter’s Generic Strategies Marriott follows the ‘Differentiation Strategy’. The company is always looking for innovation to serve their guests in the best way; they offer every type of stay experience. Together with their focus and attention for development of their employees. For Marriott to be able to distinguish themselves from their competitors, according to Porter’s 5 forces model, is that they need to keep focused on their core values and corporate culture which leads to customer loyalty and innovation. Marriott International follows the correct strategy. This strategy has been used and proved successful. Therefore there is not formulated a new strategy which has to be implemented. But it may be important for the Marriott to better deepen their current â€Å"Differentiation Strategy†. This is especially important to continue differentiating themselves from competitors. They could do this by the strategy of ‘Customer Intimacy’ from Treacy and Wiersma. It is shown that the current strategy of Marriott International is adequate and there is no reason to switch to a new strategy. However, it is important  to consider if the current strategy aligns the business goals  which have emerged  in the mission and  vision. A model that offers a solution to do this is the ‘Business Balanced Scorecard’, by Robert Kaplan en David Norton This model measures a company’s performance. By applying the Balanced score card and their set KPI’s they are able to measure and evaluate their performance. And eventually adjust and redirect their strategy in the right way. We can conclude that Marriott is doing very well within the lodging industry. If they keep on focusing on their growth, special attention for their employees and guests and willingness to change when necessary they will maintain their position as one of the biggest players within the hospitality market. Sources Books: Marriott, J. W. , Brown Kathi Ann (1997), The Spirit To Serve Marriott’s Way, Harper Collins Publishers. Henry Mintzberg (1979), The structuring of organizations, Prentice Hall. Pascale, R. T. (1990), Managing on the Edge, Simon amp; Schuster, New York, NY. Shoemaker, S. (2005). â€Å"Customer service. Hospitality Design†. The Mc Graw-Hill Companies. Mintzberg, H. (2005), Strategy Safari: A guided tour through the fields of strategic management, Prentice hall, 1998. Porter, Michael E. (1998), Competitive Strategy, Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors, Free Press, New York. Drs. P. Pietersma, drs. Ing. K. Rippen, ir. T. Janssen, dr. E. Agasi, drs. M. van Mierle, drs. L Nijkamp (2007), Het Strategieboek 1, Berenschot, 2007. Treacy, M. and Wiersema, F. (1995), The Discipline of Market Leaders: Choose your customers, narrow your focus, dominate your market, HarperCollins. Assen, van M. , Berg. vd G. , Pietersma, P. (2009), Key Management Models: The 60+ models every manager needs to know, second editon, Prentice Hall. Kaplan, R. and Norton, D. (1996) â€Å"The Balanced Scorecard: Translating strategy into action†, Cambridge, Harvard Business School Press. Journals: O’neill. John W, Matilla, Anna S. 2010), â€Å"Hotel Brand Strategy†, Vol. 51, Cornell University. Armstrong, J. S. (1982), â€Å"The value of formal planning for strategic decisions† Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 3. Datamonitor Research company (2011), â€Å"Marriott International company profile† Datamonitor Vol. July. John W. ONeill and Anna S. Mattila (2010), â€Å"Hotel Brand Strategy†, Vol 51 Cornell Hospitality Quar terly. Chekitan S. Dev, John D. Buschman and John T. Bowen (2010), â€Å"Hospitality Marketing: A Retrospective Analysis (1960-2010) and Predictions (2010-2020)† Vol 51. , Cornell Hospitality Quarterly. Porter, Michael E, Kramer, Mark R, (2006) â€Å"Strategy amp; Society, The link between competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility†, Harvard Business Review. Kaplan, Robert S. , Norton, David P. , Barrows Jr. , Edward A. (2008), â€Å"Developing the Strategy: Vision, Value Gaps, and Analysis†, Harvard Business School Publishing. Swaan Arons, Henk, Waalewijn, Philip, (1999)â€Å"A Knowledge Base Representing Porter’s Five Forces Model†, Erasmus University Rotterdam. Cliff Bowman (2008), â€Å"Generic strategies: a substitute for thinking? †, The Ashridge Journal. John, W. O’Neill, A, Matilla, S. (2010) â€Å"Hotel Brand Stratery† Vol. 51, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly. Chekitan Dev. , Zheng Zhou, Kevin. , Brown, Jim, Agarwal, Sanjeev (2009), â€Å" Customer Orientation or Competitor Orientation: Which Marketing Strategy Has a Higher Payoff for Hotel Brands† Vol. 50, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly. John W. , Oâ€℠¢Neill, Anna S. Matilla (2004), â€Å"Hotel Brand Strategy: Its Relationship to Guest Satisfaction and Room Revenue† Vol. 28, Journal of Hospitality amp; Tourism Research. Hinkin, Timothy R, Tracey Bruce J. (2010), â€Å"What makes It So Great? An Analysis of Human Recourses Practices among Fortune’s Best Companies to Work For†, Vol. 51, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly. Kaplan, R and Norton, D, (1992), â€Å"The Balanced Scorecard: Measures that drive performance†, Vol. 70, Harvard business review. Gregory A. Denton and Bruce White, (2000) â€Å"Implementing a Balanced-scorecard Approach to Managing Hotel Operations: The Case of White Lodging Services†, Vol. 41. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly. Websites: Hotel news now (2010). â€Å"Marriott outlines growth plans†, available at: http://www. otelnewsnow. com/Articles. aspx/4314/Marriott-outlines-growth-plans (Last accessed 8 December 2011. ) Marriott International (2011). â€Å"corporate responsibility, culture, hotel development, investors† available at: http://www. marriott. com/marriott/aboutmarriott. mi (Last accessed 8 December 2011) Bill Marriott (2008). â€Å"My vision for the future of Marriott.. our corpo rate culture† available at: http://www. blogs. marriott. com/marriott-on-the-move/2008/05/my-vision-for-the-future-of-marriott-our-corporate-culture. html (Last accessed 8 December 2011)

Should Middle-Eastern males be subject to more stringent sea essays

Should Middle-Eastern males be subject to more stringent sea essays The day after September 11th, people started to think how we could prevent it from happening again and improve airport security. I think a vital question came up in order to stop another September 11th scene. The question should Middle-Eastern males be subject to more stringent searches at airports than non Middle-Eastern males. I shall answer that question by using three articles. First one is The Case for using Racial Profiling at Airports, by Stuart Taylor Jr. He says Arab passenger might attempt to hijack an airplane. Second article At First Glance-Racial profiling, burning hotter, by John Derbyshier, who says we should have racial profiling in airports. The third one is One the Right, by William F. Buckley Jr., which appeared in National review on June 17, 2002 who says Arabs have been engaged in every identified act of terrorism. The article The Case for using Racial Profiling at Airports, talks about using racial profiling at airports and how all people who have hijacked an airplane to kill Americans have been Arab men. The next article At First Glance-Racial profiling, burning hotter, which says using racial profiling in airports to protect our selves from harm and how racial profiling is a way to prevent terrorism. The third article On the Right, says racial profiling could be used in airports and it can happen without repealing the Bill of Rights. In the article called The Case for using Racial Profiling at Airports, by Stuart Taylor Jr., which talks about how there is a higher mathematical probability of an Arab passenger is more willingly to try a mass murder suicide hijacking than blacks, Asians, or whites. It has been proven that Arab men who hijacked airplanes have only one purpose, which is to kill Americans. The government wants to prevent Arabs from mass-murder Americas and right now, only the Arabs have been willingly to try and attempt to hijack an airplane. I think right now we should focus our att...

Push and pull factors in Syrian migration Research Paper

Push and pull factors in Syrian migration - Research Paper Example nd of this paper will establish the various factors that lead to the Syrian migration, and how voices from all over the world help to put a stop to the war in Syria. Since March 2011 involvement of Syria in the war that has brought about international concern. The cause of the war is because the Syrian government reacted harshly to a group of demonstrators of the Arab Spring. This lead to an outburst from the Arab Spring, and rebels who in return begun war to fight the government. Since that incident in 2011, the Syrian residents have fled to other countries for security, and peace. The bombing in cities has destroyed the beautiful country and violated the humanitarian rights. Basic needs like food and medication cannot the accessed by the civilians due to the continuing war (Semple 3rd January 2014). The United Nations has tried bringing people in the country with no success; it is left with the burden of providing for the refugees fleeing the country. Refugees run away to countries like Jordan, Lebanon, UK, Australia and USA among other countries. Thousands of people escape from Syria every day due to fear of seeing their neighbors houses bombed. The United Nations estimates that around 6.2 million people are internally displaced while 512,000 people have been registered in refugee camps. The United Nations believe that 610,000 have fled to other countries seeking for refuge. This action demonstrates that the neighboring countries have overcrowded population (Jim 29th November 2013). The fleeing of the Syrian people acts as a push factor because the people flee the country due to fear of getting killed. The pull factor is the soldiers flowing in to support either side of the civil war gain politically, and economically. The migrants face difficult conditions in the countries they flee to; in some cases the locals are not receiving them warmly. In Lebanon, a citizen interviewed indicated that before the refugees came into the town, the town was peaceful and

Conflicts Identification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Conflicts Identification - Essay Example The rules and regulations of Roman Catholic Church has made the number of churchgoers dwindle over the years, and has created identity crisis and many other ‘sins’ in the society. There is absolutely no doubt that the children of divorced parents feel alienated in Roman catholic churches because the church teachings and biblical references do not recognise divorce anywhere, whereas the society, popular culture, media, TV and cinema treat divorce as a regular norm in the society. Naturally these conflicting identifications worry the children of divorced parents because religion seems very orthodox and static, while the society, media, people have moved forward. At the same time, in another issue of homosexuality, Roman Catholic churches have remained firmly against it as human abhorrence, whereas the western society has moved on and accepts homosexuality as one of the variations of human desire that need not bring shame like in olden days. So, once again, homosexuals as well as the society wonder about the identities of homosexuals. In a way, religion could be sending the wrong signals as an institution that is rigid, unbending, closed, old and ancient. In addition children of second marriage find themselves in a very difficult quandary, because their parentage is not recognised by the Church. "Contracting a new union, even if it is recognised by Civil Law, adds [to the seriousness of the situation]; the remarried spouce is then in a situation of permanent adultery. If a husband, separated from his wife, approaches another woman, he is an adulterer, because he makes that woman commit adultery also," Cleave (2002, p.17). "A theological metaphor that richly describes the complex experience of children of divorce is the biblical story of the exile. As divorced parents are swept up into rebuilding their lives, their children often feel relegated to the margins". http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asptitle=2169 This could create psychological problems, inadequate learning capabilities and lack of focus in children. As they grow up, and come to know that they are unappreciated by the Church, this could either lead to defy the church, which under the circumstances, need not be a bad happening, or they pine for the approval of the church, which will never be found. Returning to the topic of homosexuality, it has remained one of the burning issues in the Church, which has not been moved forward even an inch for almost centuries now. "The official hierarchical teaching of the Roman Catholic church condemns homosexual genital behaviour since its criterion for the moral use of genital sexuality is within a heterosexual marriage" Curran (2001, p.329). Many Catholic moral theologians have called for a change in the Church outlook; but till now no such change has taken place. All this is happening, in spite of the ready knowledge that nearly 50% of the catholic priests in America are homosexual. The problem here is the belief of the church that if there is no procreation, there should never be any physical relationship. If this firm underlying principle had not been there, any kind of physical relationship should be agreeable to the church. This rigidity has created an identity crisis for the homosexuals, who could be harassed, ill-treated, discriminated, and even assaulted and for all these inhuman treatments, Church stands as a silent supporter, when it reiterates: "Every human being is called to receive a gift of divine sonship, to become a child of God by grace. However, to receive this gift, we must reject sin, including homosexual behavior-that is, acts intended to arouse or stimulate a sexual response regarding a person of the same sex. The Catholic Church teaches that such acts are always violations of divine

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Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar - Assignment Example Collection of Islamic artifacts is exceptional. Museum showcases collection of metal work, ceramics, woodwork, jewelry, glass work, six hundred artifacts of ivory and silk inscribed with Arabic inscriptions, imperial tents of Iran decorated with gold thread, curtains decorated with calligraphy, collections of ancient Quran and Christian calligraphy. Audio tours in different languages are also exhibited. To make it operations highly professional museum consults British Museum. A museum has a staff of approximately 160. Apart from epic artwork Museum of Islamic Art, Doha also has an excellent bookshop and children art workshop. It’s also planning to provide research activities, support local education, auditorium and five star restaurants. Outside the museum people can also enjoy boating. Museum is surrounded by large park with well-maintained gardens that increases its external scenic beauty. In short, Museum of Islamic Art is pretty beneficial for the arts.

Entropy And The Second Law Of Thermodynamics

Entropy And The Second Law Of Thermodynamics The paper examines, explain clearly, rigorously the term entropy, then discuss and evaluate its meaning in the context of the second law of thermodynamics. Also It will give a historical overview of the term entropy and it will give some examples which are taken from the daily life and with these, I will try to explain clearly the term entropy and its intention not only in the context of the second law and also its results in our daily life. 2. Introduction (Appendices A.) The term entropy has some related definitions. The first definition used by the German physicist Rodolf Julius Clausius in the 1850s and 1860s, he did that to state the second law of thermodynamics. The word entropy has been taken from the Greek word Ï„Ï ÃŽ ¿Ãâ‚¬ÃŽ · which means transformation. Also just as the first law of thermodynamics leads to the definition of energy as a property of a system, so the second law, in the form of Clausius inequality, leads to the definition of a new property of fundamental importance. This property is entropy. In the 1870s the term entropy is given by J. Willard Gibbs. The meaning of what he says is that the entropy shows the uncertainly about the state of a system. The latter can be defining from the probability distribution of its micro-states which demostrates, all molecular details about the system such as the position and the velocity of every molecule. If Pi is the possibility of a micro-state i, then the entropy of the system can be ex pressed by S = -k ÃŽ £ Pi ln Pi Where k is the Boltzmann constant equal to 1.38062 x10^(−23) joule/kelvin. Another definition, is the statistical definition developed by Ludwig Boltzmann in 1870s. This definition, describes the entropy as a measure of the number of possible microscopic configurations of the individual atoms, and molecules of the system; which would give rise to the observed macroscopic state of the system. In statistical thermodynamics, Boltzmanns equation, is a possibility equation relating the Entropy S of an ideal gas to quantity W, which is the number of micro-states corresponding to a given macro-state: S = k log W Where k is Boltzmanns equal to 1.38062 x10^ (−23) joule/kelvin. Boltzmann has proved that the entropy of a given state of thermodynamic al system is connected by a simple relationship to the probability of the state. According to M. Kostic(2004): Entropy is an integral measure of (random) thermal energy redistribution (due to heat transfer or irreversible heat generation) within a system mass and/or space (during system expansion), per absolute temperature level. Entropy is increasing from perfectly-ordered (singular and unique) crystalline structure at zero absolute temperature (zero reference) during reversible heating (entropy transfer) and entropy generation during irreversible energy conversion (lost of work-potential to thermal energy), i.e. energy degradation or random equip-partition within system material structure and space per absolute temperature level. 3. Entropy measures the disorder in a system (Appendices B.) Therefore, metaphorically if a small bookshelf getting disorganized, it will be increasing the entropy of the bookshelf. Because, when the bookshelf is properly organized, finding a book is predictable and easy because all books are in a nice order. As the bookshelf is getting disorganized, the chance of not finding a book increasing, as a result is much higher. So that, when a bookshelf, a room a house are organized and they are moved from being organized to being disorganized, they generate Entropy. Also, liquids have higher entropy than crystals intuitively because their atomic positions are less orderly. Calculating the entropy of mixing illustrates this interpretation. An example is with scrambling eggs because when we mix the yolk and the white we cannot re-separate after. An example from this situation are given in figures 1.1 and 1,2. V V 2V Fig. 1.1 Unmixed atoms. The premixed Fig. 1.2 Mixed atoms. The mixed state: N/2 state: N/2 white atoms on one side, N/2 mixed atoms and N/2 black atoms scattered black atoms on the other. Through the volume, 2V. Fig. 1.1 There are N/2 undistinguished ideal gas white atoms on one side and N/2 undistinguished gas black atoms on the other side. As a result, the entropy of this system: Sunmixed = 2kB log[V N/2/(N/2)] Twice the configurational entropy of N/2 undistinguished atoms in a volume V. We assume that the black and white atoms have the same masses and the same total energy. Now the entropy change when the partition is removed, as a result from the scrambling and the two sets of atoms allowed mixing. Because, the temperatures and pressures from the both sides are equal and when the partition removing does not involve any heat transfer, and the entropy change to the mixing of the white and black atoms. In desegregated state, the entropy has increased to Smixed = 2kB log[(2V )N/2/(N/2)] and it is: ΔSmixing = Smixed − Sunmixed = =2kB log[[V^N/2/(N/2)] / [(2V)^N/2/(N/2)] = =kB log 2N = NkB log 2 So that, it gain kB log 2 in entropy every time we place an atom into one of the boxes. James P. Sethna (2006) Furthermore, we can give another example which shows us that entropy measures the disorder in a system: Which is more disorder? The glass of ice chips or the glass of water? For a glass of water, the number of molecules is astronomical. The ice chips probable look more disorder when we compare to the glass of water which looks uniform. However, according to thermodynamics the ice chips place limits on the number of ways the molecules can be arranged. The water molecules in the glass can be arranged in many more ways; as a result, they have grater multiplicity and therefore greater entropy. 4. Entropy measures our ignorance in a system The most general is to measure our ignorance about a system. The equilibrium state of a system, maximizes the entropy because, we have lost all information about the initial conditions, as a result, the entropy maximizing immediately maximises and our ignorance about the details of the system. 5. Entropy measures the multiplicity of a system The probability of finding a system in a given state depends upon the multiplicity of that state. As a result it is proportional to the number of ways someone can produce that state. Here, it is a pair of dices, and in throwing this pair, that measurable property is the sum of the number of dots which are facing on the top. The multiplicity for two dots showing is just one because there is only one case of the pair that will give that state. For example, the multiplicity for seven dots is six, because there is six cases of the pair that will show a total of seven dots. Probable one way to define the quantity entropy is to do it in terms of the multiplicity. Multiplicity = W Entropy = k lnW Where K is Boltzmanns constant. For a system, of a large number of particles. We can expect that the system at equilibrium will be found in the state of highest multiplicity since the fluctuations from that the state will usually be extremely small to measure. As a result, as a large system approaches equilibrium, its multiplicity therefore, entropy tends obviously to increase. This is one way of stating the Second Law of Thermodynamic. 6. The Second Law of Thermodynamics (Appendices C.) The second law of thermodynamics states that heat flows always from the warmer to colder bodies and never opposite. This is a common experience which everyone has seen and probably every day we have a case of those. For example, whenever we leave a cup of warm coffee it will become cool in 10 minutes. The special point of this process is that by the end of years can never become backward. It has just one direction as time passes. Indeed, through our everyday experience know that when contacting a hot and a cold body will be transferred heat from the hot to the cold body, so the hot body will be a little cooler and the cold body the opposite will be a little bit hotter. However, it is never possible as the time passes and the two bodies are in contact the cold body to be colder and the hot body to be hotter, for example, if we put an ice-cube into our drink, the drink does not boil. Therefore, it is only one direction in the flow heat which if we displaced it with a line, then this li ne will show everything from the past to now and to future. The second law of thermodynamics states that heat cannot be transferred from a colder to a hotter body within a system net changes occurring in other bodies within that system, in any irreversible process, entropy always increases. In nowadays, it is customary to use the term entropy in conjunction with the second law of thermodynamic. Consequently the entropy indicates the unavailable energy of a system, according to the law the entropy of a closed system can never reduce. Another form of the second law thermodynamic says that the minimum amount of heat which exchange a system during a change, which takes place at constant temperature T, associated with a change which is called entropy, with the equation: dQ=

Memory Management Essay -- Essays Papers

Memory Management A computer capable of running a multi-tasking system may have to deal with widely varying demands for memory. At some times, no users may be logged on and the only tasks running are the kernel and possibly a backup process. At other times, ten or more users may all be carrying out complex operations which demand lots of memory. Microsoft Windows versions 3.x provided a protected mode graphical operating environment that ran existing MS-DOS applications and allowed Windows applications to break the 640K barrier. There are three types of memory that Windows 3.x can use or provide (conventional, extended, and expanded). Conventional memory is the first 640K of memory in your machine. MS- DOS has a limit of 1024K of addressable memory (conventional memory plus the UMA), and all MS-DOS applications must run within this conventional memory. All Windows 3.x operating modes share this limitation for running MS-DOS applications, but standard and 386 enhanced modes break the 640K limitation for running Windows applications. Windows 3.x enhanced mode can create multiple virtual MS- DOS machines (Memory). Between the top of conventional memory at 640K and the start of extended memory at 1024K lies the 384K UMA. This area does not contain physical memory. Mapped into the 384K UMA are the system BIOS (basic input/output system) ROM chips and the display adapter memory. When you install other accessory cards, such as network adapters, they may also occupy sp...

ANZ Anz Culture Study: Management Principles

Question 1) Explain the term ‘corporate (or organizational) culture’, and discuss its importance to the operational success, or failure, or organisations. Corporate culture, also known as organisational culture is ‘the system of shared values and beliefs that develops within an organisation and guides the behaviour of its members’ (Schermerhorn,et al, pg 45, 2004). Robbins, et al, pg 70, 2003, explain that culture is a perception, and people perceive culture to be what they see hear or experience within the organisation. This is one reason that corporate culture is so important, as it just becomes part of daily routine or ‘the way we do things here’ (Schermerhorn,et al, pg 45, 2004). Therefore if these common practices are good practices there is a strong chance the organisation will be more successful. The culture of an organisation is very important and can for a large part determine the success of organisations. As culture is a perception, it is concerned with how its members perceive the organisation and not whether they like it, (Robbins, et al, pg 70, 2003). If its members like the culture, the organisation is more likely to succeed. Organisations that have a good culture often perform at high levels, which also corresponds with staff morale. Robbins et al, pg 73, 2003 refer to a case study involving Virgin Blue, who have a different recruiting policy and job roles than other airlines in Australia. Virgin Blue want their staff to show their outgoing personality and interact with their customers during flights. Virgin Blue staff say morale is high and management gets on well with the workforce. The perception of Virgin Blue is that it is a little different to the other airlines in Australia, and that it is a fun outgoing organisation to be a part of, which is a perception Virgi n Blue appears to promote and are proud of. Question 2) Examine and summerize the cultural shifts that occurred on the ANZ over this period and the benefits they brought to various stakeholders. The ANZ like most banks in the late 1990’s had a poor public image. Banks were criticised for bank fees, branch closures and scandals, as a result morale for bank employees was also poor. ANZ conducted a staff survey, which confirmed morale was low and staff satisfaction was below 50%. The survey results were quite clear that staff did not feel valued in their workplace, and employees were asked to nominate words they felt best describes the ANZ bank. Words rating at the top of the list were cost reduction, profit and shareholder value. The ANZ initiated a program, ‘the breakout program’ which was designed to shift the culture, as the bank wanted to create a new public image or perception that distinguished them from other banks. Executives of the ANZ realized a shift if employees mind set was needed to regain the trust of their staff and assist with this intended culture change. This was done with various workshops and subsidising computers for its staff, which in particular was very well received by its staff. As well as increasing staff morale by subsidising computers, staff were given the opportunity to use skills they had acquired by assisting and educating customers with money matters. This was something staff were very passionate about, and by giving them the opportunity to complete such duties may have been a factor to increased morale. ANZ claim a complete transformation in organisational culture, believing their culture has changed for ever. Judging by further surveys conducted since the change in culture, staff morale is high, and this also coincides with customer satisfaction. Question 3) Evaluate the leadership style/s that would have been used by McFarlane and other senior executives in ANZ to implement this cultural shift in the ANZ and describe other leadership styles that may not have been beneficial in doing so. It is quite likely that more than one leadership style or a combination of styles was used by ANZ to initiate its change in organisational culture. One particular style that may have been used is the path-goal theory. ‘A leadership theory that says it is the leaders job to assist their followers in attaining their goals and to provide the direction or support needed to ensure that their goals are compatible with the overall objectives of the groups or organisation’ (Robbins, et al, pg 577, 2006). At the ANZ bank staff morale was low and its public image poor, and to change that McFarlane used the path-goal leadership style to attempt to increase morale, which would also lead to enhancing its public image. The path-goal theory discusses input from staff, this was done by taking information from the staff survey, and gaining an understanding of what is important to staff. Change was then implemented so staff could start working in an environment which they feel much more comfortable, more likely to succeed and have higher job and customer satisfaction. The staff were given direction (path) and could see the rewards or goals, the leader helps facilitate this transition. Mcfarlane changed his leadership style, to give staff more involvement by conducting staff surveys, then implementing change due to results of the survey, this is further evidence to using path-goal theory. As the path goal leadership style assumes that leaders are flexible and can change their behaviours (Robbins, et al, pg 587, 2006). This is contrast to another leadership style, Fielders contingency model, which suggests that leaders could not change their behavior. If using this theory it would been very difficult for ANZ to change its culture as the leader would be unwilling to change their own behaviour in order to facilitate the required changes to result in the change in culture. Question 4) Discuss the challenges faced by McFarlane and his executive team in introducing change across ANZ. For change to occur, someone must take responsibility for managing the change process, the person who does this, who is also usually a manager, is known as a change agent (Robbins and Coulter, pg 360, 2007). At ANZ their CEO McFarlane is the change agent, and he may have encountered significant resistance change. There are numerous reasons why people within organisations resist change. Kreitner & Kiniki pg 546 – 547, 2008 explain that individual and group behaviour following organizational change can take many forms, from extreme ranges of acceptance to active resistance. This resistance to change is an emotional /behavioural response to real or imagined threats to an established work routine. One particular reason discussed by Kreitner & Kiniki, 2008 is an individuals predisposition to change, which is highly personal and deeply ingrained. With so many employees at the ANZ there is a strong chance that there would have been quite a lot of people who just resist change for personal reasons. Another reason for resistance to change is due to a climate of mistrust (Kreitner & Kiniki pg 547, 2008). This may have been the biggest resistance to change within the ANZ. Prior to the change employee morale was low, employees perceptions of ANZ were that they did not care about their staff and were more concerned with profits, cost reduction etc. ANZ were aware of their employees feelings, the lack of trust and realized the importance of having employees trust. Therefore when ANZ were initiating change staff may have found it difficult to adjust and believe that the change was going to be a change for the good. Question 5) Discuss whether or not the executive management instigated changes to the culture of the ANZ are ethical. Ethical behaviour is described as ‘behaviour that conforms to generally accepted social norms’ (Davidson & Griffen, pg 106, 2003). The workplace info case study mentions that most banks in the late 1990’s had a poor public image due to bank fees, branch closures etc. Although it is common practice amongst banks to operate under the conditions, .it is not considered acceptable behavior by the wider community, namely its customers. The ANZ bank wanted to be different to the other banks, it wanted its culture to be a point of difference from the others. It could be said that the ANZ felt it had a responsibility to change peoples perceptions of itself and banks in general. Davidson & Griffen, pg 117, 2003 explain that ‘ethics relate to individuals. Organisations themselves do not have ethics, but organisations do relate to their environment in ways that often involve ethical dilemmas and decisions. Social responsibility is the set of obligations an organisation has to protect and enhance the society in which it functions’. The society for the ANZ bank is the banking community, general community (customers) and its staff. The ANZ bank felt it had responsibilities to their customers, by providing a higher level of customer service in order to enhance its public image, but it had a responsibility to its staff, as they are the people who are to implement the changes. The ANZ may have avoided an ethical issue when it decided that its staff could choose where it could spend time volunteering. ANZ originally controlled where staff would go to volunteer, but this was quickly changed, possibly as a result to ethical dilemmas that may have arose. While there may have been some resistance by staff to change, it did occur and its staff and customer satisfaction have increased, without any major ethical dilemmas arising. Question 6) Determine the organisational structure that would best facilitate the implementation of these new practices. Organisational structure is the formal arrangement of jobs within an organisation. When managers develop change or structure, they’re engaged in organisational design, which involves 6 key elements (Robbins and Coulter, pg 266, 2007). Therefore to develop an organisational structure the manager must consider the elements of organisational design. One of these elements that would have been used by ANZ would have been span of control, which would then also lead to either having a tall or flat organisation structure. Span of control is determining how many people will report to each supervisor or manager (Davidson & Griffen, pg 357, 2003). The decision about span of control determines the overall structure of the organistaion, which will be either a flat or tall organization (Davidson & Griffen, pg 358, 2003). The ANZ may have shifted from a tall organizational structure to a flat structure. Davidson & Griffen, pg 106, 2003 explain that many experts agree that business run more effectively with fewer layers of organisations, which depicts a flat organisational structure. Flat organisations often lead to increased staff morale, productivity as well as increased managerial responsibility (Davidson & Griffen, pg 358, 2003). ANZ structure may look like a tall organization due to the large number of employees, braches and therefore managers for each branch, however a change occurred which would have resulted in less layers, which increased communication from employees to management which assisted in the culture change at ANZ. Question 7) Explain the importance of informal groups in achieving the managerial objective of cultural change. Groups are defined as ‘two or more interacting and interdependent individuals who come together to achieve specific goals’ (Robbins and Coulter, pg 424, 2007). For example, an ANZ branch might have a customer service team, who get together regularly to discuss new ways to increase customer satisfaction. The members in this group are from same ‘team’, and perhaps if not for working within close proximity of each other would not socialise, they are organised formal groups. Contrast to this is informal groups, which Davidson and Griffen, pg 645, 2003, descibe as ‘A group created by its members for purposes that may or may not be relevant to the organisation’s goals’. Informal groups may form while standing around in the morning making coffee, some informal groups are formed by an interpersonal attraction (Davidson and Griffen, pg 646, 2003). Whatever the reason informal groups are formed, they will be important in assisting in the shift for cultural change. When informal groups are formed, they are likely to become cohesive groups, Davidson and Griffen, pg 653, 2003, explain cohesiveness as ‘the extent to which members are loyal and committed to a group; the degree of mutual attractiveness in the group’. Therefore if informal groups within an organisation are open to change it is more likely that the organisation will be able to achieve its objectives, and it this case that is assist with a cultural change. The ANZ bank appears to have undergone a successful cultural transformation, with a focus of staff morale, which increased customer satisfaction. This change has been so well received by staff it now embedded in its staff, and will become the norm for all future staff, regardless of their personality or who is managing them.

Imagery and Symbols in On the Road essays

Imagery and Symbols in On the Road essays The Imagery and Symbols in Jack Kerouacs On the Road On the Road tells the story of a cross-country trip with a reckless group of characters that keep finding themselves in interesting situations. The characters are faced with several adventures that work at unraveling the story. The author, Jack Kerouac, uses imagery and symbols in On the Road to develop the theme. Kerouac wrote about his cross-country trips exactly as they occurred. The novel deals with the frenetic travels around the country of young people who, though poor, were in love with life, love, sex, drugs, jazz, and mysticism, and completely rejected the standard values of the time, (Vopat 387). The book immediately struck controversy in Americas society after its publication because of its content. Dean Moriarty, the main character in the novel is a young jail kid who is wholly emancipated from normalcy. His speech itself is a delirium of words, (Soitos 184). The problem became evident. Kerouac had created a fad. Bruce Cook, writer of the Beat Generation, describes it as, there was a sort of instantaneous flash of recognition that seemed to send thousand of teenagers out into the streets, proclaiming that Kerouac had written their story, (Cook 171). Kerouac and his Beat Generation created a movement of teenagers that parents and literary critics despised (Akers 1). Because of this, drugs and alcohol became a huge part of this generation and Kerouacs life (4). His fans followed his lead. Although On the Road is a well-known, well-written novel, a majority of the literary critics didnt think highly of Kerouacs novel. The consensus was that Kerouacs new literature would corrupt the young audience that Kerouac was bringing in (5). It was argued that Kerouacs first movement was full of love and tenderness and the in the next instance he becomes the quintessential A...

Assignment 3 A Problem Exists Essay

Assignment 3 A Problem Exists Essay Assignment 3 A Problem Exists Essay A Problem Exists: Without Childhood Vaccinations Should Children Be Banned From Public Schools English 215 Childhood Vaccinations Any child who has not had their vaccinations should be banned from starting public school. Beginning school should just not be an option. Other families that have their children vaccinated should not have to worry about their children and the possibilities of them catching and/or carrying germs and diseases home, putting their siblings and families in jeopardy. Immunizations are required for a reason and that is to prevent childhood diseases. Many parents are against vaccinations for various reasons. The reasons range from the pharmaceutical companies benefiting from the vaccine more than the children, vaccines being underestimated and overestimating the adverse reactions to the diseases, religious reasons, and faulting autism because of the vaccines. I understand their concern for their child but they should also be concerned with other children and their families. The first formal vaccine developed for the prevention of disease was used by Edward Jenner for smallpox. Jenner first became aware of the protective effects of cowpox from the story of a local dairymaid who had been exposed to the disease. After years of study and observation, he became convinced of the story's validity. In 1796, he immunized an eight-year-old boy with material from a cowpox lesion. No ill effects were seen. Further immunizations supported the theory that cowpox protected against smallpox. Jenner called this material variolae vaccinae. Richard Dunning, a Plymouth physician, in an 1800 analysis of the procedure, was the first to use the term "vaccination." Since the first use of the vaccination by Jenner was for the smallpox, immunization techniques have developed for the protection against most infectious diseases and illnesses. With the nineteenth century improvements in public health measures, combined with the passage of laws for compulsory vaccination, resulted in a steady decrease in the number of smallpox cases in the United States an d most countries of Europe. Even as late as 1930, however, approximately 49,000 cases were reported in the United States. In the 1950's, large numbers of cases were still being reported in areas of Africa and Asia. At that time, the World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations decided on a plan for the elimination of smallpox based on the fact that humans served as the sole reservoir for the smallpox virus. In 1978 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the world was free of smallpox. However, the principle of immunization in prevention did not originate with Edward Jenner, the English physician credited with development of the smallpox vaccine in the 1790's. A practice called variolation was well known in China and parts of the Middle East for centuries prior to Jenner. Variolation consisted of the inhalation of dried crust prepared from the pocks obtained from individuals suffering from mild cases of smallpox. A variation involved removing small amounts of flu id from an active smallpox pustule and scratching the liquid into the skin of children. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, wife of the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, introduced the practice of variolation into Great Britain during the early eighteenth century. Use of variolation was empirical: The practice was often successful. The possibility remained, however, that immunization might actually introduce the disease (Magill's Medical Guide, 2008). Community immunity is an important concept in immunization science and policy. Unimmunized persons are protected- indirectly- against some infectious diseases by being surrounded by immunized persons. This is known as community (or â€Å"herd†) immunity. (W.B. Saunders Company, 2004). Unvaccinated children are not only at greater risk of catching vaccine-preventable diseases but they can affect

Karen Millen - The Fashion brand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Karen Millen - The Fashion brand - Essay Example The essay "The Fashion brand" concerns the fashion brand. The company has stores in United Kingdom and other countries. Karen Millen was founded in the year 1981 through the partnership between Kevin Stanford and Karen Millen. The brand continued to expand through acquisitions and partnerships. The company trades from 46 concessions and 84 standalone stores in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company has spread to 23 countries and has 16 international stores and 57 franchise stores. The company majors in clothing accessories, shoes and clothing. Karen Millen has encountered stiff competition from major rivals like Reiss and French Connection. The French Connection has developed a strong brand identity through heavy embellished eveningwear and dresses. The target market includes young professional women aged 25-35. French Connection has been increasing the product range to include stylish outwears, shoes and dresses. The company has proved to be a major competitor for the Karen Mil ler brand. Both companies seem to have the same target market, necessitating Karen Miller to have differentiated products. French connection offers competitive products, coupled with intensive advertising and promotion campaigns. The brand has turned to internet marketing as it widens its scope of influence in the fashion market. However, the company needs to carve a niche in the stiff fashion market. Reiss is a fashion brand in the United Kingdom owned by its founder, David Reiss. The brand produces feminine clothing. The company has a strong reputation and was declared fashion retailer of the Year in 2003. Reiss competes from the same target market with French Connection and Karen Miller. A strong reputation is its principle asset. Reiss targets young professional men and women. The brand is offering competitive prices and an effective brand equity program. Brand equity can be developed by building, borrowing or buying it. Buying or borrowing brand equity for Karen miller can be d one successfully through acquisitions. Rebranding is one of the ways of reforming brand equity. In business, rebranding entails creating a new name, symbol and design for an established brand. The aim is to develop a differentiated product in the stakeholders mind frame. Rebranding assists in identifying the product or the company from competitors. According to research, rebranding is changing the name of the company, positioning and targeting. This is meant to attract new meanings to the corporate brand and to inform the stakeholders concerning these meanings (Grose 45). In fashion and clothing industry in the United Kingdom, the rebranding can lead to increased revenues. Rebranding the Karen Miller fashion brand entails the use of integrated marketing communications campaigns to communicate the image and the values of the new brand to all the stakeholders. Rebranding is connected to changing slogans, logos, names or a combination of them. Karen Millen fashion brand is using rebran d to appeal to wider market share and increase the sales revenues. The concept of revolutionary and evolutionary rebranding has been incorporated in the strategic rebranding plan of Karen Millen. Evolutionary branding is the concept of minor developments in brand positioning. These include logo change and slogan. Revolutionary rebranding causes major overhauls and identifiable changes which are essentially meant to redefine Karen Millen brand. Through rebranding,