Universal Healthcare in the US

Explain how access, quality, and cost is improved in your new system by answering the following questions 3. What economic impact will these changes bring? Scope and Size of the US Healthcare System The US healthcare delivery system Is massive.Total employment In various settings Is almost 10 million, which Includes; Professionally active doctors of medicine(Meds) 744,000 Active nurses Dentist Pharmacists Healthcare Administrators 168,000 226,000 700,000 Therapists(physical, occupational, and speech) Hospitals Nursing Homes In-patient mental faceless 5,760 16,100 4,300 Federal health centers(undeserved rural and urban areas) 325,000 ,700 clinical cites Medical Schools dental Schools Pharmacy Schools Nursing Programs 150 91 1,500 Americans with private health insurance Medicare Beneficiaries Medicaid recipients Health Insurance Companies 41 42500,oho 1,300 Retrieved from: National Center for Health Statistics 2006; Blue Cross Blue Shield Association; American Health Insurance Plans 20 09; Kaiser Family Foundation Commission on Medical and the uninsured 2008; American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy 2009; American Association of Medical Colleges 2010; American Dental Education Escalation 2009; and the National Association of Community Health centers 2009. Exhibit: Show; Supply and Demand Curve as Demand change with increased access Access We propose to pay for our universal healthcare plan through the Implementation of a 5 percent value-added tax (VAT). Revenue from the tax could not be diverted to other uses such as the military or Social Security.No other tax revenues would be used to that we now spend on health care. The money would simply be collected in a more equitable way and spent more rationally, avoiding waste and excessive administrative costs. Under a VAT system, consumption is taxed throughout the chain of production, not just at the point of consumer purchases. When a manufacturer purchases raw materials from a supplier, it pays a tax to the gove rnment; when the manufacturer turns around and sells the good to the retailer, the retailer again pays a tax with its purchase; and the consumer pays the VAT when he or she buys the final product from the retailer. The amount that each player pays is a fixed percentage of the transaction price.Under this plan, the government insists that all insurers offer the same comprehensive benefits to everyone, including: office and home visits, hospitalizing, preventive screening tests, prescription drugs, some dental care, inpatient and outpatient mental health care, and physical and occupational therapy. (Individuals who want to purchase coverage for additional services like caretaker medicine, experimental drugs for serious conditions, complementary medicines or more mental health benefits could do so. ) Under the proposal, all Americans would receive a health certificate entitling the individual or family to enroll in the health care plan of their choice. In most cases, they would keep th eir current physician.The certificate would not be a â€Å"cash card† to buy services; instead, it would be a voucher that gives the individual or family the eight to enroll in whatever insurance plan they choose. The vouchers are of equal value, and the health plans must all offer the same rich package of benefits. No one would be forced to buy insurance; everyone would simply receive a voucher that entitled them to an equal place in our health care system, at no charge. This program would replace employer-based insurance with insurance that offers generous benefits to everyone who is not now covered by Medicare, Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program.Today, the average state spends more than one-third of its budget on health insurance for state employees, Medicaid and SHIP. Any one already qualified for one of these three programs could switch to the universal coverage and within 10 to 15 years we could phase out those state and federally sponsored progra ms. This would free-up revenue to be used to rebuild some of the deteriorating infrastructure in America such as falling bridges and city water reclamation services. This would create Jobs for the economy. Transaction price. The VAT is as reliable a cash cow as you're going to find: It can generate an enormous amount of money at a relatively low tax rate. 5% for this proposal) For example, a median-income family earning $50,000 a year might well spend the entire $50,000 on housing, food, utilities, clothing, transportation, etc. Under a 5 percent VAT, that family would pay $2500 a year to help fund universal coverage. But, in return, it would receive health insurance worth at least $12,500 (the going price for an employer-based family plan). This VAT tax proposal is four-fold: It faces up to the fact that reform won't pay for itself, and It offers a funding mechanism that is fair and efficient and could deliver high-quality care nationwide. It regulates insurers, forcing them to con centrate on quality.Finally, and perhaps cost importantly, this plan insulates our health care system from the lobbyists who, today, have far too much control over our health care system. Lengthy waiting times for treatment. Many Canadians, that can afford it, travel America to receive treatment due to the inefficiency in their own healthcare system. Canadians also averaged 17 weeks wait time for general practitioner referrals to treatments in 2008 (Small, 2009). This is so called health care is nothing more than a bunch of bureaucratic red tape meeting extensive waiting lists and increasing patient suffering. Universal health care has no exceptions to the rules nor of patients ell being in mind. Matter of fact no matter what your condition there is no disparities of care.It is unfair to the healthy tax payers because it gives people, who smoke, drink, do drugs and eat unhealthy unfair benefits within the health care system. Universal health care will become a melting pot of sick an d unhealthy people thus increasing the cost to keep the program alive. Taxpayers, doctors and insurance companies will suffer economic hardships. Nationalized health care cost will be absorbed by employers and employees. Unfortunately the incurred cost will not stop at the employers. The majority of employers will pass the cost increase onto the employees and the consumers. The cost of goods will steadily increase as a natural cost adjustment to the constant rising of health care expenses. These rising costs will have a deep impact on the economy.Not only will health care raise but so will the cost of goods and services to try and keep up with the market. The resulting factor is individuals will pay higher income taxes, even as they pay increased health care costs, reducing their ability to support families or save for retirement (McBride, 2007). Americans will not only suffer airdrops with rising taxes but many will suffer the huge blow of unemployment. The universal health care pr ogram will decisively eliminate the need for health insurance companies to exist. The resulting factor is thousands of people nationwide will be unemployed. The end result will be increased taxes, goods and services and mass unemployment but we will still have health care for all.This is not a good situation, this plan will bankrupt the American economy and slowly strangle everyone into a virtually unrecoverable downward spiral of indebtedness. Read more: http://www. Essays. Com/essays/sociology/impact-universal-health-care- as-on-doctors-and-insurance-companies-sociology-essay. PH#ixzz2VfunmylJT large body of research in recent years. There is ample empirical evidence that economic resources are associated with health outcomes. Studies to date have consistently shown that income and wealth improve such health indicators as mortality, incidence of diseases, and self-reported health status. While the association between health and economic resources is well documented and accepted, t here is considerable disagreement over its source.Economists have been more interested in the effect of health on economic well-being, arguing that poor lath (disability, chronic disease and the like) affects labor market outcomes and ultimately individual resources, while medical scientists have stressed instead that background differences in economic resources and socioeconomic variables determine differences in health outcomes. The framework that we use to analyze the connection between income and health takes into account the potential two-way causation between health and economic resources. We then use information on health care quality to investigate the importance of quality on such economic variables as health inequality, income inequality and saving behavior.

Challenge in people management of contemporary

The first part of this article is an analysis which in a viewpoint of evolution to understand and anticipate the change of project management. Second part is to further illustrate how those changes affect the environment of project management and eventually change the role of project manager. The last three parts are combination of conceptual and practical elements to elaborate one fact that the competence of a project manager is the key factor to both project success and organization success. Evolution of project management â€Å"A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to produce a unique product, service or result.And project management is the application of knowledge, tools and techniques to project activities to achieve project requirements. † -? MAMBO. As society and organizational structures have shifted over years, the tools and techniques, methodologies, factors and requirements of project management have consequently change d as showing below in Figurer. Figurer project management evolution timeline Project management is a methodology which was originally developed to purr sue maximum utility of resources in order to accomplish a common goal, in this case, I think its fair to say that I it's based on utilitarianism. 2Picture and illustration origin from w. Iv. Protectorate's. Com The â€Å"big bang† period At the very first evolutionary step, the project objective was mainly for living. People are organized to utilizes limited resources for survival or better life. Even though the achievement of manage meet is remarkable where we can see the concrete evidence like the pyramids in Egypt or the Chinese great wall. These astonish inning artificers also prove that people have already found a model to work efficiently together in this prehistoric period. And a hierarchy organization was recognized as the one and only sol caution at that time. The industrialization the hard facts Within the next step of industrialization and mechanization, people started to make a division of work in production line. The business processes were divided into small work steps to produce a product or service. They started to realize that it is more likely to get an â€Å"secure† project approach by detailed planning of tasks. The † Tailors†3 dominated through people at this time as Henry Ford surprised the world with his automobile empire. 3. The soft facts As a result of productive rate increasing, the complexity of product increased as w ell and speeded up their life cycles.Industrialists like Henry Ford soon observed that the â€Å"hard facts† (scientific management) has its limit. The further improvement of efficiency is mainly contributed by knowledge workers who has â€Å"special know how' within himself, â€Å"trust† from other project partners (from leaders, project colleagues or suppliers and customers) and a social network from previous successful project work. And it's the first time people b egin to recognize that all people are different in their objectives, senses, set of beliefs, construction of reality and needs.Individual leadership within a project is practically important. . Multipurpose management As the competitive pressure and complexity accumulating, the â€Å"traditional model† to work together could no longer fulfill increasing complicated requirements and dynamic of market. The limited amount of â€Å"knowledge workers† were seen as scarce resources and required to be balanced within project programs or project portfolios in several dimensions of procrastination. And industrialists begun to pursuing Increase of long term survival of the company in global society and economy.As it well illustrated by Jim Collins in his book â€Å"Good to great† the â€Å"Level 5 Manager†4 . 5. Utter Trial project management competence 3 Scientific management, also called Tailors, is a theory' of management that t analyzes and synthesizes workflow . Its main objective is improving economic efficiency, especially labor productivity. It was one of the earliest attempts to apply science to the engineering of processes and to management. Its development began with Frederick Winslow Taylor in the sass and 1 8905 within the manufacturing industries. Collins often discusses a â€Å"Level 5 leader† in his writings. This refers to the pea k of a fitter hierarchy of leadership characteristics presented in the books. A Level 5 Leader is someone who embed dies a â€Å"paradoxical mix of personal humility and professional will. † 2 Today we have nearly all information in real time by multidimensional corporate communication networks and Internet. And shareholder driven companies are required to grow steadily because of the † compound interest agreement†, and they are Inevitably required to start â€Å"super national† (e. G.European wide) or global expansion activities to overcome the local market saturatio n. The world is becoming flat where companies confront with intercultural problems and business environment changes. They Start heading toward a new there of problems such as customer requirements, competitor environment, supplier structures, logistic chain, finance flow, the legal environment, climate, values of beliefs and historic cult rural development. 6. Netter Trial project cooperation competence Today the high development and successful centralization of technology require a knowledge intensive competence within companies.Inverness, the ability to adapt with the dynamic of markets and shorten product life cycles is getting more and more crucial. And the research of Exonerative predicts that after the current yes (development of monoculture cooperation) will follow the â€Å"real globalization† with the global masterwork of intercultural cooperation. That's why the competence to realize and manage intercultural project cooperation and develop the corporate culture betw een companies will become existential importance.Sociological development models e. G. Spiral Dynamics also show that people and social human systems including those from a certain level Of conciseness (Value Meme 8) are going to take the evolutionary step from previous â€Å"Misapplied contracts† to interdependent cooperation. 7. The lifework balance firework balance is a step where project work, private and family life are bal once. Current studies show that the increasing complexity and dynamic working environment causes a lot of psychological illnesses.Only the balance between intensive work and recreation, spare time and time with the family is the foundation Of a long term fulfilled life Of happiness. 8. The consciousness level balance 5 From â€Å"The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Identifiers Century' , an intern cantonal bestselling book by Thomas L. Friedman that analyzes globalization, primarily in the early 21st century. The t title is a metaphor for viewi ng the world as a level playing field in terms of commerce, where all competitors have an equal opportunity. In economics, Exonerative waves (also called cypresses,great surges, long w eaves, Saves or the long economic cycle) are supposedly jellylike phenomena in the modern world economy. It is claim med that the period of the wave ranges from forty to sixty years, the cycles consist of alternating intervals between high sec Doral growth and intervals of relatively slow growth. 7 Spiral Dynamics is a dynamic model of human development and development of mimes carrying systems such as a social network, society or company introduced in the 1996 book Spiral Dana miss by Don Beck and Chris Cowan.The book was based on the 1 sass theories of psychologist Clare W. Graves. Spiral Dynamics argues that human nature is not fixed: humans are able, when forced by life conditions, to adapt to their envier moment by constructing new, more complex, conceptual models of the world that allow them to handle the new problems. 8 A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols, or practices that c an be transmitted from one mind to another wrought writing speech, gestures, rituals, or other imitable phenomena with a mimicked theme.The fact is that there is barely human being who has achieved power and economical wealth is really internally satisfied and completely fulfilled with happiness. They often suffer from dissatisfaction or deep, highly unpleasant loneliness. The project manager who achieves the balance of his consciousness levels in this Step , will increase his lifetime periods in happiness by personality developing â€Å"selfless†. He will develop the ability to flower out his full consciousness potential on the level of the person lit (Ego/intelligence/mind) to the level of visible world.The difficulties of project manager in contemporary society As going through the above mentioned evolution process, we can sum up that the project management changes fr om industrial driven (hard skill oriented) to people driven (soft skill oriented), from national management to global cooperation and from material to immaterial satisfaction. But there are one thing remain unchanged that the project can only be completed by team, which means project performance can be seen as team performance not only externally (by sponsor) but also internally (by team members).And team building can be affected by several factors, such as individual characters and expertise, HRS cost and availability, project WEBS and organizational norms. One simple universal fact is that there is no â€Å"recipe † (one fits for all) of project management, different team structures may suit for different project types, and project managers need to adopt different roles with different responsibilities in different team structures accord Nagy. A contemporary project manager has to embody all the relative skills into himself to make projects success in all circumstances.Compl icated diversity of project types As time being, projects are getting more and more complicated, the simple production project which dominated in the past is no longer enough to cover all the diversity of projects. And there is a lot of way to categorize projects, they can be divided into longer, midterm and shorter projects by time, or they ca n be categorized by purposes as shown in Figurer, and each type of project will need different tea m strategy in correspondent. Figure 2 Types of projects As project team, it can be oversimplified into two categories , Mechanist Structure and Matrix Structure. (see Figurer as below) Figure 3 : Type of project teams Mechanist structure is more suitable for classic project which highly focus on tasks and results which are comparatively familiar, and as a result resource management will be the most crucial factor. Matrix structure is more relying on collaboration instead of cooperation, where codependent is needed and it is especially effective in innovation project , and network management is highly valued. . Various competence of project manager As the team structures shift, the success of the project management function will depend heavily upon the project managers' entrepreneurship, outworking, and collaboration skills. All of them are relying on good communication, without frequent, effective, and efficient communication among the project manager, project team, project sponsor, and other stakeholders, a project is likely headed toward disaster despite how good technical expertise the project manager has.Wisped defines collaboration as : â€Å"working together retro achieve a goal. It is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together to realize shared goals†. The idea behind collaboration is that the sum of all elements is always greater n value than a single element, and it is the best way to codebook a stronger product or service to stakeholders. It is well illustrated by George Be rnard Shaw : â€Å"If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and will still each have one apple.But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exec angle these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas. † The future of project management will emphasize strong internal entrepreneurial roles where individuals are expected to partner and collaborate on tasks to deliver greater value to the customers resulting in a sustainable competitive advantage. The competence of adapting different roles in different team with different projects to not only make the right thing but also make things right, will be the true shall Eng to a good project manager. 3.Complexity Of Stakeholders' satisfactions Defining a project success is not solely by the golden triangle of project management ( cost, time, quality) but dependent upon its stakeholders, which means without the satisfaction of stakeholders, a success project can and will be seen as a fall in pro ject management. But every person, from the project manager to the CEO, could has a different idea of what success means-?and often that's why teams don't get projects done efficiently. Nowadays, things are getting even more complicated because of the social net work blossom.Industry is not the only one gets globalization in modern time, so does the NIMBI, † Noting my backyard† becomes more and more Often † Not in my neigh brood† even â€Å"nothing anywhere†. 9 This fact emphasizes the demand for building and sustaining strong relationships with individuals not only internal but also external to the project engagement, information shared across boundaries will enhance the capabilities available t meet the needs of that climate. 9 BANANA is an acronym for â€Å"Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything g† (or ‘Anyone†).The term is most often used to criticize the ongoing opposition of certain advocacy groups to land De velveteen . 6 Additionally, expanding relationships across multiple functional divisions throughout the organization will help identify new opportunities and quickly bring expert personnel together to generate a solution. The ending result equates to a satisfied business sponsor whose needs are being met. To sum up, skills focusing on managing project itself is far from enough or a project manager in nowadays, and stakeholders are not anymore solely whom project are related directly.A contemporary project manager now manages with things more and more metaphysical, which is not well covered by the project management methodology yet. And we as a future project manager, have to understand and realize those characteristics to create our own solutions and methods to get projects done. The spell of hierarchy in Taiwan A Chinese proverb says . † From rags to riches and back again takes only three generations† 1 0, which is an old saying to encourage people not relying on family wealth UT to explore your own fortune in life.Inverness, it is also a very true spell in Taiwanese business environment. In Taiwan, most successful .NET reprises are family business, and all successful enterprises 11 are strongly high hierarchical organization. All those wealthiest people on Forbes' list today are funded himself or the second generation, it may be too premature to judge their future, but history always repeats itself. Let's take ACRE as example, it was established by Stan Shih, and under his lead it becomes the biggest PC supplier in Europe and 13th in the world.But things going down after he stepped own the CEO and retired, the successor misjudged the trend of SIS and Android which eventually causes a tremendous financial loss since 2010. The company is still facing the survival crisis and desperately recruits Stan Shin back in charge who is already 70 years old in 2014. Jack Ma, the founder of Alabama group, once commented that : † It will be a hopeless place, if som eone who is over 70 still have to talk about innovation. † On the other hand , most of the biggest western enterprises are as well family business, but they don't have such a problem.It proves that family ownership is not the etiology, the devil is hidden in he organization : hierarchy. Since 221 BC , Chinese people was already used to hierarchical domination. In history, every revolution in china is just a repetition to espouse another emperor until 19th century. Even in contemporary, democracy in Taiwan is still like a walking baby. It seems like there is a tendency of us to obey and seek of r super leaders, every candidate was made up as hero during campaign, where the spotlight is law yes on the candidate himself instead of his manifesto.Just like in ancient time that every emperor had to be believed as the true blood of god. In this mind Of cultural , Hierarchy and Coercion undoubtedly becomes the most welkin and popular way to lead and even be leaded, not only in politic but also in business. 10 11 There is a similar English proverb : ‘from clogs to clogs is only three generation NSA†. According to Forbes Twain's 40 richest list Undeniable that hierarchy organization is the most efficient one, but its drawback could be deadly in contemporary.Because after internet was invented, the information starts flying and product life cycle is further compressing and the demand of innovation becomes skyrocketing high. Under the hierarchy structure, everyone is afraid of making mistake, the goal of employees becomes to accomplish your superior's satisfaction or even anticipate it. The individual objective overvalue the organizational objective, personal interest in power ladder is more important than company's best interest, and the innovative ideas are often killed or buried during this process.That's also why most of the famous Taiwanese enterprises are all MEMO suppliers, and even there once are some famous brands like ACRE, SASS, ETC, they can' t sustain long and all facing survival crisis today. 12 Break the spell by project management Over this decade, the number of PM in Taiwan grows significantly from hundreds to more than twelve thousands. A PM certification is not anymore a â€Å"plus† , but a â€Å"must† for applying a manager position nowadays.The seed of preconditioned anarchically organization has been planted, and I believe it will definitely sprout someday. Every project is an opportunity to bring different experts across the organization together, to cooperate and collaborate in a limited time scheme, which means no time for bureaucracy that people can be released from hierarchy and focus on problem solving. Every project is a synergy of organization, not only vertically but also horizontally and it can be seen as an authorized way to break the exist structure to work together.

Financial performance of Intercontinental Hotels Group Plc 2009-2010 Essay

Financial performance of Intercontinental Hotels Group Plc 2009-2010 - Essay Example This can be attributed to the reduction in the cost of goods sold for the organization from 2009 to 2010. Profit margin of a company can be defined as the ratio of net profit to net sales. The margin for IHG was 18% in the year 2010. The same margin in 2009 was 13.91%. There is a considerable increase in the profit margin of the hotel. This can be attributed to the lowering of costs from 2009 to 2010. The net profit that we have considered here is including the exceptional items. If we exclude the exceptional items, we find that the ratio has decreased from 19.12% in 2009 to 17.44% in 2010. This is because the existence of high net profit margin excluding exceptional items in 2009 as compared to 2010. The value of this ratio for year 2009 and 2010 is 7.40% and 10.55% respectively. We see that there is a slight increase in the net profit from year 2009 to 2010. At the same time, total assets have come down. Therefore, there is a slight increment in the return on assets. While return on assets measure the amount of net income generated for each unit of assets, return on investment measures the amount of income generated from each unit of owners’ equity. Return on equity can be calculated by dividing the net profit by total equity. The return on equity for IHG has decreased from 2009 (137.18%) to 2010 (100.69%). This is because there is a significant increment in the total equity of the organization. The margin has increased considerably from 2009 (-0.65%) to 2010 (28.19%). In 2009, the company had high cost of goods sold and high impairment costs that resulted in the lowering of the operating profit. Hence the company had a negative operative margin in the year 2009. The high costs can be attributed to the global economic slowdown. This ratio is an indication of the financial leverage of a company. While total liabilities represented 17.54% of the total equity in 2009, it was only 8.54% of the total equity in the

Shell Group Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Shell Group - Case Study Example ns, but business sector-led, one which each operation along the supply chain works to be competitive and accountable in its field (Grant 2002 p. 16). While Shell has diversified into other businesses, such as petrochemicals and renewable energy, the former is a natural extension of its involvement in oil, while forays into renewable energy forms are quite negligible to the company's overall investment and assets pie. And yet, Shell by starting to invest in cleaner, non-hydrocarbon energy will be one with among with first mover advantage, in terms of technology and know-how should the time come when such energy forms become affordable for the market, and thus, profitable, for the company. Today, Shell, operating in 140 countries, with revenues of US$318.8 billion in 2006 makes it the third biggest multinational corporation in the world and with profits of US$26 billion, the second most profitable - has stuck to its main business of exploration of oil and gas, that serves the downstream sector of the industry, including its own operations in production, processing, transportation and marketing (Royal Dutch Shell, Wikipedia entry, 2007). Shell's total oil market share as of 2004 stood at 11.6% and which in combination with those of other oil majors such as ExxonMobil, BP (British Petroleum), TFE (TotalFinaElf) and Chevron Texaco control almost 60% of the world's oil and gas markets (The Energy Insider, July14, 2004). The group seeks to capitalize on what it calls its current business strategy of "more upstream and profitable downstream" which basically sees that it would continue to look for and pursue sources of gas and oil all over the world while it considers the demand side covered by the growing appetite for oil by the developing countries, especially Asia Pacific (Shell.com 2007). Honed by 100 years of experience in oil and gas exploration, with its technological expertise, Shell's viability on both ends of the supply chain remains due very much to the continuing demand for energy mainly coming from China's growth as a manufacturing behemoth, still mainly, oil and gas. This is the reason why Shell, despite the giant mergers that occurred in the oil industry in the recent years resulting in bigger rivals, remains very much profitable. Since oil, a fuel whose sources could be depleted anytime and only found only in certain parts of the world - its supply has been subject to political forces that companies engaged in oil production naturally must build economies of scale to recover high costs of investment. At the end of the supply chain, markets are expanding in developing economies especially China which has only begun its manufacturing stage of development in which oil and gas are necessary fuels. Thus for a corporation with an international scope of operation like Shell, vertical integration remains a viable strategy. In recent decades, however, the Shell Group responded to the changes in the industry by focusing to maintain its foothold on the upstream, while downstream operations were

AT&T Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

AT&T - Essay Example Then comes the Porter's five forces to see if it is favorable to invest in the telecom industry. The issues that need to be considered are stated after which the recommendations are given for the organization to take over. The AT&T Foundation invests globally in projects that are at the intersection of community needs and AT&T's business interests. Emphasis is placed on programs that serve the needs of people in communities where AT&T has a significant business presence, initiatives that use technology in innovative ways, and programs in which AT&T employees are actively involved as contributors or volunteers AT&T has a societal purpose. Public service and social responsibility are traditions deeply embedded at AT&T. The AT&T Foundation seeks to educate, enrich, engage, and empower the communities served by AT&T. Some of the priorities that the AT&T Foundation supports includes: The first divestiture was the result of AT&T and the Regional Bell Operating Companies. With this divestiture, AT&T lost its ability to reach almost every consumer in the US by its wires and bills, as they were no more providing local exchange services. With the incoming of fiber optic transmission and other technologies, the competition aroused in long distance telephone services. AT&T had to build up on these new technologies and reinvention was required. The lack of

Eminent Domain (Real Estate Analysis) Research Paper

Eminent Domain (Real Estate Analysis) - Research Paper Example In most cases use of eminent domain by real estate developers results in disputes and court proceedings referred to as condemnation proceedings. Additionally, use of eminent domain by private agents can result in increased corruption since the agents can use the process to enable them pay less for property. In some cases, government official have been involved in corruption whereby they have used eminent domain to acquire private property and later sold it to private developers. The power of eminent domain is restrained by public clause of Fifth Amendment, which requires that the government provide adequate evidence for the acquisition in addition to just compensation before seizing private property for public use (Aycock and Black 53-54). Initially, the eminent domain was used to obtain private properties for public uses such as schools, roads, and parks. However, the eminent domain has been expanded and is often used to include other project meant to benefit the public. Real estate agents are thus able to employ the power of eminent domain when they want to acquire property for purposes such as urban renewal projects. Several real estate agents help in fostering development, which is crucial for economic growth. They are thus empowered by eminent domain to acquire property for commercial development (Aycock and Black 53-55). There are many questions regarding the legitimacy of eminent domain especially when it is used to acquire property for private developers such as real estate agents. Although the government is required to provide evidence that the project is for public benefit, there are question on how some real estate projects benefit the public. Additionally, ways of calculating of the just compensation is questionable. Therefore, it is important that the government exercise eminent domain carefully since it affect the constitutional rights of the property owners (Cook Web). Transfer of property land to real estate agents entails

Christianity and European Civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Christianity and European Civilization - Essay Example The focus of the essay "Christianity and European civilization" is on Christianity as a Political Power. Thrive for Christianity was further observed during the Germanic kings who spread the religion through Western Europe. These kings were converted into Christianity by missionaries during the Roman Empire but they practiced more of Arianism rather than Roman Catholicism. During the 6th century, many kings from Germany were found to convert into Christianity along with their warriors and subjects. The emphatic power exercised by the bishops caught the attention of the Germanic kings who granted the bishops the power to administer the predominant Romans. They established monasteries and enlarged the span of followers of Christianity among the people of Western Europe. The Germanic kings who identified monasteries as the best tool for clutching the political supremacy over the Christians in Europe set up several such centers with the help of local nobles. Their trial was to influence the people with the injection of spiritual power with an objective of sentimentally capturing their political feelings with the religious approach. Apart from the prominent partner United Kingdom, Ireland was another aim of the politically motivated spirituality of the bishops employed by the Germanic kingdom. The Irish accepted the proposal with a new lookout for spreading the religion across the continent by deploying missionaries to spread Christianity. However, as McManners (181) states, western Christendom failed to incorporate its non-catholic citizens.

Disaster At D-day Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Disaster At D-day - Essay Example US thought a short route would be a more optimum approach for long term. Operation Sledgehammer and Operation Roundup were the two preliminary proposals drawn up. Operation Sledgehammer was planned to invade Germany in 1942 and Operation Roundup was planned for a larger attack in 1943, which later on became Operation Overload and was delayed until 1944. In 1943 the then Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander (COSSAC) British Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Morgan planned the initial process and later his plan was adopted and refined in the year 1944 by General Dwight David Eisenhower who was the head of the Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF). Because of the short operating range of the allied fighters made it the ground situation more difficult since limited possibility of amphibious landing sites. The geography reduced the optional striking sites to two: the Pas de Calais and the Normandy coast. Pas de Calais was heavily fortified and defended by the Germans because they know that it offers the shortest path to the European mainland from UK and more importantly it offers a direct route to Germany. Therefore Normandy became an obvious choice for the allied forces to attack. In January 1944 general Sir Bernard Montgomery was appointed as commander of 21st Army Group to which all the invaing ground forces command was given. He was also responsible for developing the invasion plan. COSSAC proposed a plan to attack with three divisions by sea and two brigades landed by air. Later Montgomery increased the scale of intial attack to five divisions by sea and three by air. In total 47 divisions under the supervision of British command was formulated to the battle of Normandy. The 47 divisions include 21 American, 19 British, 5 Canadian, 1 Polish and 1 Free French division. The total number of troops of aliied forces were 140,000. Montgomery planned it to be a ninety day battle where British and Canadian forces forming a shoulder and US army moving to the right. Around 6,900 vessels, 4,100 landing craft and 12,000 aircraft would be involved in the invasion. About 10,000 tons of bombs were supposed to be dropped and 14,000 attack sorties had to be flown. Allied forces rehearsed every day for the D-Day invasion in advance. They don't wanted to take any chances so they rehearsed their to perection. Germans fortified the the foreshore which was guared by four divisions. The fotification was part of their Atlantic Aall defences and was guarded by the four divisions of which only one division (352nd) was of high quality and that too the cadre of the 321st division-the core of 352nd. The 352nd division has many troops that participated in war against the allied forces before and was carrying out anti-invasion exercises. The other troops include were, usually for medical reasons, and were declared unfit for active duty. After witnessing the harsh reality that prevailed in German POW camps Soviet prisoners agreed to fight for Germans. Field Marshall Erwin Rommel was given command of the Atlantic Wall. After inspecting the Atlantic Wall Rommel requested Hitler to increase the defences. After inspection he found that Atlantic Wall only covered the ports themselves, beaches were barely defended and there was every possibility of Allies capturing the key points from inland. He improved the defences acrss the coast line and made it stronger. Steel obstacles were laid, booby traps were prepared, bunkers and pillboxes were constructed. Though

Short answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Short answer - Essay Example Christians also pray that sinners may allow God to take control of their lives in preparation for the coming on God’s reign (Fischer &Hart, 1995. The reign of God has already begun because Jesus is always demonstrating his power to the evil ones on the world. The book of Luke chapter 11: 20, it is indicated that Jesus is now pushing back the powers of evil in the world. Paul illustrates on the book of Romans 6:1-11 that after a sinner accepts Christ and gets baptized, the reign of God has begun on his or her life. According to Fischer and Hart (1995), the reign of God has begun through the life of Jesus and his teachings. The only expectation is its fulfillment. The proper attitude according to St. Paul is that sinners ought to confess their sins and be baptized while the righteous have the obligation of staying clean. The righteous should also spread the gospels to non-believers in order to alert them on the second coming of Christ. Christians have an interest in the exact time for second coming of a new phenomenon because they believe that they will have a chance to see the Christ they have been waiting for many years with their own eyes. They also believe that a new phenomenon will be the perfect time to end the struggle with the evil one that they encounter on daily basis on their lives (Fischer &Hart, 1995). Christians tend to be much concerned with counting the exact date of second coming of Christ. However, Jesus discourages the speculation and instead urges believers to be always prepared for he might come any time. Jesus urges Christians to be ready and righteous at every moment in their life in order to inherit the Kingdom of God as it already reigns (Fischer &Hart, 1995). That Jesus had no intensions of revealing secrets concerning his second coming. The biblical meaning of parousia also ought to be understood

Cultural profiling tools for global business leaders 2281 Essay

Cultural profiling tools for global business leaders 2281 - Essay Example Leadership being an important part of an organizational culture is also included in the discussion section. Based on the culture profiling tools discussed in the current paper, few examples relating to how culture effects decision making process of leaders have been discussed. Culture profile can be described as the cluster of cultures which determine the characteristics of a firm. The motive of culture profiling is to present the culture of an organization from different perspectives. In the system of profiling, the various categories of culture existing with an organization are attributes which reflect the same are identified. An entity can be viewed upon like as an individual. Like every individual, a firm is also seen to possess a set of values and cultures which determine the manner in which the organization interacts with different stakeholders. The set of values present in an organizations culture profile determines the way in which interaction takes place between different organizational factors and the manner in which information gets transferred (Cameron and Quinn, 2011). Culture profiles get portrayed through such interactions. Culture profiles also refer to common set of beliefs and understanding which is shared by the members of an organizati on. As members of an organization continue to interact with each other on a regular basis, they become habituated with each other and develop their own ways and styles of interaction. Cultures are often developed in a manner such that it suits motives and functions performed by the organization. Apart from communication styles, culture existing within an organization gets reflected through dress codes, slogans, interiors and ceremonies held. Existence of a strong culture is essential to provide a strong identity (SÃ ¸ndergaard, 1994). Culture also facilitates motivating employees to perform better. It is essential that the culture existing within an organization

The Types of Phones Essay Example for Free

The Types of Phones Essay The telephone is one of the best and most effective ways to communicate with people who are far away from you. It is a common household device used to transmit and receive sound by sending electronic signals through a network. The invention of the telephone basically revolutionized the mode of communication among people from different places in the world as it basically overshadowed the earlier ways of communicating such as snail mail.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, the vast improvement of technology over the past decade or so gave rise to new types of phones that are being used by people in most parts of the world. These include the car phone and the mobile phone, which can be further classified into analog phones and digital phones. The introduction of the car phone is possibly one of the first significant developments in phone history. Basically, it provided convenience to people who are not at home most of the time and are unable to answer calls from the telephone. However, the boom of mobile phones basically made the car phone obsolete as the latter proved to be more effective and accessible when communicating with other people. Like the telephone, a mobile phone basically can also make and receive calls. It can be classified into two types, namely the analog phone and the digital phone.   The analog phone was the original type of mobile phone. Its size is relatively larger compared to its digital counterpart and its sound, image, and data transmission is done through a continuous signal flow which varies in phase and amplitude, among others. The disadvantage of an analog phone is that is slower in transmitting signals than the digital phone. However, it is more efficient than its digital counterpart when it used in other countries.   On the other hand, digital mobile phones transmit sound, images, and other types of data through a service provider that receives these data and retransmits it to another mobile phone. In addition, digital phones can also send instant messages through a system called Short Messaging Service (SMS) which is now commonly known as text messaging. Moreover, due to the rise of technology, certain digital phones also enable users to access the internet, take pictures, send email, shoot videos, and listen to music, among others. Some digital phones also have the capability to send images and other information through a wireless feature called â€Å"Bluetooth† and â€Å"Infrared† provided that the recipient also has these features. Furthermore, unlike analog phones, the digital phone transmission data faster to other mobile phones as there are usually multiple network providers. Using digital phones, SMS messages can be sent in a matter of seconds. However, a digital phone is not suitable for use especially when traveling to other countries since the network or service provider may not be compatible with the phone or may not be available in the area. Today, while the standard telephone still remains as a standard and necessary device in any home, the continuous surge of technology has made mobile phones almost a necessity than a luxury for almost everyone in the world.

GGSB admissions board

GGSB admissions board What would you like the GGSB admissions board to know about your professional work and / or academic experience? I think one of the best qualities which I posses is my dedication towards work. It is this quality which has helped me achieve my dreams and progress successfully in my career. I am an Engineering graduate specialized in the field of Information Technology possessing high technical and analytical skills. Apart from the regular studies I showed greater interest in understanding the application of technology in the real world. Motivated by my lecturers I presented papers with innovative ideas which were highly appreciated. One of the most outstanding works was the Simulation of Cellular Network which was presented in various Institutions in the state and earned many awards. It is now being used by my Institution in the classes to demonstrate basic functioning of cellular networks for better understanding. The final year project was the most challenging work I encountered in my academic life. I had chosen to apply my knowledge of IT in the field of Biotechnology. Being an abecedarian in this field I initially struggled to improve my understanding of the application. Leading a team of three the responsibility of success of the project weighed more on me. Together we spent all days and many sleepless nights to bring out a working model of a concept which was only paperwork. This work was taken further and later presented by my project guide in an international conference in Hong Kong. Soon after my graduation I stepped into the next phase in my career joining as a fresher with LT Infotech. During the initial days I had the opportunity to observe what a real professionals work is. In no time I became a part of this world interacting with clients all around the globe and providing back end support. Responsibilities increased with time and now I single handedly support the back end system of a global reporting application. My most substantial accomplishment has been the implementation of an online system in the backend for testing purpose. The experience I gained through these many years made me guide the entire team technically, also helping in bridging the their gap between functionality of the system and its technical implementation. Due to the short span of time allocated for this project I had to be pro-active, take lead in motivating people and completing the task. This testing tool was shared with the clients and was highly appreciated. Why are you interested in our particular program, and how do you see it helping you to reach your future goals? The world is full of opportunities, comprising of a vast array of sectors, each having its own global implications. Many industries now being driven by Technology, reaches unbelievable heights within a short span of time through its efficient management. The need of the day is to be in pace with the change and evolution of technology. By this not only can one provide solution to real-time problems but also present the most effective ones. Working with an IT firm has opened up a fascinating world of science and technology to me. It has been more than a dream to understand the nuances of this field and to expand my horizons. I want to learn more about the industry and look at the business and its technology from a much broader realm rather than from the individual components for which I have been responsible. I would consider it my professional achievement to be placed high up in the corporate ladder, and be involved in the decision making and planning of the organization. I strongly feel that technology and management are two sides of the coin which in unison form the foundation of an organization. But the application of innovative technology and making it successful requires an in depth understanding of business and the risks involved. These are some of the nuts and bolts that I require when I foresee myself in a position making strategic business decisions. A proper amalgamation of technology and management plays the key role here. While possessing a strong technical background, I feel a management degree will help me sharpen my skills and provide me an opportunity to excel in both the fields. This will also provide me a window to new ideas from different perspectives. As I go higher up in my profession, I will have the responsibility of building strong teams, making critical decisions, communicating with distinct customers from different backgrounds and coordinating with other team members to work towards a common goal. I am confident that my creative, strategic and analytical abilities will aid me in becoming an able manager. For this, I look forward to graduate with a MBA degree from a top-class college so that I can enter the corporate world fully equipped with all diverse skills that will aid me in facing the complex business environment. GGSB One of the revolutionary institutes with world-class infrastructure, highly experienced faculty and research base has been my first choice. The Management of Technology being one of the pillars of Grenoble Ecole de Managements development and its international level recognition appeals to my professional interests. I am eager to interact with a diverse and lively peer group. I feel that the learning, which comes from a competitive, dynamic and fulfilling atmosphere, will enable me to take up challenging roles in the field of management. I hope the excellent facilities and exposure at GGSB will help me out in realizing my dreams. What did you experience when you first went abroad or visited a different culture than your own? How did you overcome the cultural differences? If you have never been abroad, what would you say to a foreigner moving to your home country? India is a land where diversity varies from state to state. India is only 1/3rd the size of USA with three times the latters population. Though there are 14 different major languages spoken across various states, India has one of the largest English speaking population in the world. India is the largest democracy in the world and it fiercely protects freedom of speech, press, legal rights, religious rights, minority rights and human rights. The civilization in India is the longest surviving, which dates back to 3300 B.C. The culture and civilization has been gradually shaped over time by many great thinkers. In Indian thinking there are no absolutes, in the sense that there is a cyclic order in everything and finite and infinite, dark and light, matter and energy, beginning and end, and so on, co-exist .There is an uncanny similarity between this way of thinking and the findings of modern science. There is a marked difference between India and countries in the West when it comes to the sense of privacy. People would drop in at any time without giving any notice whatsoever and would be welcomed and served sweets or a meal and even an invitation to stay overnight in some instances. People in India almost intuitively live within their means. Even the very poor tend to save for hard times. Houses almost never use heating or air-conditioning and are made bricks or earth. The notion that if a person earns $ 2 a day is miserable is not quite true. His or her purchasing power for lifes essentials or simple needs are like $ 80, since a $ is the equivalent of Rs. 40. So, the vast majority of people in India pursue life, liberty and happiness and hence rather successfully.

Management Style At Marriott Hotel Commerce Essay

Management Style At Marriott Hotel Commerce Essay Contingency management is the most prevalent of all management concepts for the simple reason that it provides the necessary flexibility to develop strategies which pertain to each individual organisation. Adopting a flexible management style allows an organisation to be more adaptable to changes in both the micro (internal) and macro (external) environments. Leicester Marriott has adopted a form of contingency management which revolves around the human relations approach, whereby past studies have shown that certain variables are instrumental to employee satisfaction. Marriott gives tremendous importance to its associates, as they ultimately are the reason why the brand has been successful for so many years. Associate opinions are highly valued by members of management, so they are often required to attend brainstorming sessions where key issues are discussed. Such involvement should make way for improved productivity and efficiency, as having an input in the decisions taken in ones department is fundamental to happiness at work, which may also have a positive effect on other aspects of associate life. Members of management know that to maximise profitability, employees must be awarded a level of responsibility within the organisation, and most importantly, be respected and treated as integral members of the organisation. The five-star Grand Hotel Excelsior (GHE) in Malta is not owned or run by any hotel chain, but is privately owned by a British family. It started operations approximately four years ago, and has since risen to become one of the best hotels on the island, troubling the likes of Hilton, Westin and Le Meridien which dominate the luxury accommodation Market in Malta. The Excelsior is affiliated with the Iprefer group, which offers subscribed members numerous benefits such as special discounts and offers for Iprefer hotels throughout the world. At the Excelsior, divisions between upper management and their subordinates are generally noticeable, a trait which is reminiscent of bureaucratic management. However, utmost respect and gratitude is shown to employees when tasks are carried out successfully, and the general manager often stresses the fact that the hotels success is owed to its employees. Unlike Marriotts tried and tested approach to management, the Excelsiors directors and managers had to devise a management style which fit the organisations requirements. In doing so, training has been given top priority and is carried out by in-house specialists, as well as by some of Maltas leading consultation companies. Through personal experience, soft management is very much present within the rooms division as managers are aware that adopting hard management will not be beneficial. The employment of hard management may make employees fear their superiors, to the extent that absenteeism may increase, and employees may seek job opportunities elsewhere. However, this does not mean that managers should not, when necessary, show authority. Task 2 Using an organisation where you have worked evaluate the role and function of at least one manager. Compare and contrast the leadership style of your chosen organisation with one of the leaders in the case study. At the Grand Hotel Excelsior, Front office employees are the first to interact with guests, and must therefore project the hotels image of luxury and professionalism by being well groomed, well mannered, professional, and hospitable. The lobbys classic dà ©cor and warm lighting ensure that guests feel welcome and relaxed, particularly after hours of travel. Upon arrival, guests are greeted and assisted by the porter, and are then directed towards the front desk where they are offered a complimentary welcome drink, after which the check-in process begins. The front office manager manages all front of house operations to ensure that guests are offered an Iprefer experience. The roles and functions pertaining to this position are vast and crucial to the establishments success. The primary role of the front office manager is to develop and retain professional relationships with guests and non-guests, with the aim of having them return time and time again. However, he is aware that the only way to provide a seamless guest experience is to ensure that his team is, first and foremost, treated respectfully. Front of house operations pertaining to the front office manager include but are not limited to; reviewing the hotels room availability status and special guest requests, resolving guest complaints, reviewing comment cards, participating in the daily head of department (HOD) meetings, assisting his team members at the front desk when it gets busy, and when necessary, greet VIP guests and ensure that their check-ins go as smoothly as possible. He highly values his teams input and often sets up informal meetings to discuss any issues which they have faced or are facing, and asks for suggestions to mitigate such issues to ensure that the front office operates as efficiently and effectively as possible. Performance management and employee motivation are closely linked to leadership. The front office manager adapts positive leadership to his management style, which is crucial to ensure that employees adopt a positive attitude towards work and are not passive towards their duties. Performance management and motivation also ensure that profit forecasts are reached, services are consistent, and the overall environment is positive. Ultimately, guests expect value for money, and must therefore be offered an experience which meets, or more appropriately, exceeds their expectations. Performance management at Leicester Marriott Associate performance is fundamental to any organisations success. Potential associates at Leicester Marriott must undergo a three day induction before commencing work, to discuss key areas ranging from an explanation of the companys organigram to disability discrimination awareness. The techniques adopted range from lectures to audio-visual presentations in the form of corporate films. Once management is satisfied with their performance, they are cross trained by their department managers. The case study stresses that the pace of development within the company is solely up to the individual, so they must learn how to manage themselves accordingly. This happens to be a key characteristic of the human relations approach. Once a month a meeting is set up between associates and their managers to discuss and deal with any issues before they lead to any declines in customer satisfaction and other inconsistencies. By reducing staff turnover, the quality of the services rendered, the profitability obtained, and the ability of staff to progress within the organisation to higher positions will be a lot more likely. In-house as well as online programmes are offered to employees who wish to improve their skills and performance, whilst managers are trained at other Marriott establishments. This would allow managers to observe how different establishments undergo their daily business, and how although each Marriott hotel aims to provide a quality experience, each establishment has unique features which make them attractive, such as unique dà ©cor, unique entertainment, or unique members of staff, for instance. Performance management at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Online and session based courses are offered free of charge to members of staff on a monthly basis, whereby skills such as cultural appreciation and awareness, and numerous others can be enhanced. Training is constantly offered to members of staff in-house, by hotel employees as well as professional consultation companies. Management believes that it is crucial for employees to receive the best training possible so as to be able to provide a seamless experience to guests and non-guests. Induction training is typically one day long for those opting to work at front office, and this takes place in a meeting room on the premises. Being such a fast paced industry, most training occurs on the job. During the first few weeks of employment, employees at front office must log down their progress in a progress file, and take any necessary notes. Any issues which are encountered should be dealt with immediately to avoid unnecessary errors in the future. After the fundamental factors of cross training have been covered, employees must undergo a test whereby the skills obtained are examined. Motivation at Leicester Marriott Marriott believes that there are other means of motivation for staff other than receiving a salary at the end of the month. Employees should feel as though they are valued for their contributions to the organisations success. Staff is incentivised through numerous schemes such as discounts and exclusive offers when staying at Marriott properties. They may alternatively opt to receive vouchers for high end shops instead of making use of their Marriott stay. Although other motivators often overshadow working conditions, conditions at work may indeed lead to de-motivation. To avoid this, management provides quality canteen services, easy access to uniform, extensive taxi benefits, as well as other basic factors. Other motivators come in the form of team building exercises, where employees can get to know each other better and develop stronger professional relationships, as well as departmental outings, barbeques, dress parties, Oscar parties, employee of the month and special person awards ceremonies, as well as appreciation week. Motivation at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Motivation is a fundamental part of leadership, as all those who form part of a team must be rewarded in some way or another for their efforts. Maslows hierarchy of needs plays an integral part in ones performance at work. It states that for a person to live a fulfilling life there must be the necessary foundations in place. The satisfaction of the basic physiological requirements such as food and shelter are required to be able to work our way towards self-fulfillment. It is understandable that organisations are unable to cater for all the factors listed in Maslows hierarchy because of financial and/or other limitations. At the Grand Hotel excelsior, employees are offered good quality canteen facilities for breakfast, lunch, tea time and dinner. The hotel also provides free accommodation for foreign students working at the hotel as well as for employees who work around the clock to prepare for large events. This is done to avoid employees having any unnecessary road accidents whilst driving home from work. A sense of safety is provided by constant 24 hour CCTV surveillance, as well as security officers, whilst a sense of belonging is evident in the group work that is required to successfully deal with everyday situations. Management at the Excelsior rewards staff for their contributions to the success of the organisation mainly through special rates for themselves and close friends and family, a free weekend break at the end of each year for each employee and a partner, a good bottle of foreign wine for the member of staff with the highest up selling score, bonuses for every up sell which takes place, such us upgrading guests to a Sea View or Sea Front room from an inland view room, as well as certificates which are awarded to the best performing members of staff during the IXL (I Excel) Awards ceremony. Besides these, there are numerous other departmental activities and events which are organised throughout the year. Employees may also benefit from easy uniform access from 6 am till 6:30pm, taxi discounts, and other basic factors which staff need to be happy in their workplace. Task 3 Evaluate the leadership skills required to ensure effective management of the staff of the two organisations. The main aim of a manager is to maximise the output of an organisation and simultaneously maximise profitability. To do so however, it is more often than not required to have positive leadership skills when working in the services industry. Employees often seek the guidance or assistance of their superiors, and their ability to perform well may be hindered by the inability of their superiors to lead by setting the right example. Effective leadership is therefore fundamental for the management of the staff of the two organisations. Performance management For both organisations to remain competitive and successful, they must ensure that employees are given the best possible training. Although it is difficult to provide perfect services in an industry full of variables, perfection must be aimed for nonetheless. A measure of performance must be established to be able to analyse areas which have been improved as well as those which await improvement. To be able to improve performance; Current performance must be analysed and compared to a set target. Plans must be devised to be able to improve current performance and bring it in line with targets. The devised plan must be implemented, The implemented plan must be assessed, and The methods of measurement must be re-assessed and re-formulated if it is required to do so. Motivation Maslows hierarchy of needs happens to be one of the most straightforward theories in psychological and motivational studies, which states that every human being has the basic requirements of food, drink and shelter, and it is only when these are satisfied that we are able to work towards self-fulfillment. Employees are motivated through the provision of certain elements from this hierarchy. Employees should be incentivised to adopt a more positive attitude towards their duties, as well as to improve their performance. They need to know that they are of value to the organisation, as working in the hospitality industry requires a lot of time, energy and patience. It also happens to be one of the lowest paying industries, yet the input that is required for operations to run smoothly is phenomenal. Employees would expect to be motivated in other ways other than just receiving a salary at the end of the month, as this is a very short-lived motivator. They need to feel valued and respected by their superiors and by others, something that the new front office manager at the Grand Hotel Excelsior is highly capable of. He offers that reassurance that he is there for everyone, and that everyone should approach him when they have any difficulties. Most importantly, he knows that to develop as a team and overcome obstacles, he has to build a strong, reliable and trustworthy team. Ethical leadership Ethics is a branch of psychology which allows us to distinguish between, and understand the concepts of right and wrong. Leading by setting the right example is crucial for employees to feel secure at work. Unethical leadership can cause harm to employees on a psychological level, and this may spread to other aspects of their lives. Ethics is a complex subject and employees unfortunately face numerous difficult situations at the work place, where they may disagree with the actions of their superiors, but are often afraid to confront them because it may ultimately cost them their job. Action-centred leadership Taking immediate action on issues which must be addressed is important to ensure that professional relationships with employees are strengthened and not lost. Managing others requires a lot of patience and experience, and it is through positive leadership that much of it is possible. John Adairs action-centred leadership model deals with three crucial responsibilities that managers should possess. Depending on the difficulty of the task, the managers input may not be required until after the task is carried out. On the other hand, the manager may have to manage a team, group, or individuals if the task at hand requires detailed planning and foresight. Below are the three processes of Johns Adairs concept: achieving the task managing the team or group managing individuals Successful leadership also relies on effective communication, counseling, stress management and unwritten psychological contracts. Communication and counselling Communication is important for the smooth running of any organisation. It allows for the clarification of messages up and down as well as across an organigram. Communication may take virtually any form, ranging from verbal to virtual discussions. Improved communication will allow for fewer hiccups in the services being rendered, meaning that guests will undoubtedly have a better experience. Managers often have to counsel team members with issues or difficulties that they are facing. These may range from discussing past performance to discussing difficulties that they are having in relation to their work or personal lives. Stress management Stress is very often work related, and this may result in relationship problems at home and at work, as well as health problems, if it is not appropriately administrated. The effects of stress differ from person to person, and some people may be more capable of dealing with stressful situations than others. Excessive stress may reap havoc on a team, and may limit its ability to perform in line with targets. This is the reason why motivating employees is crucial to ensure that they develop a positive outlook on their duties at work, which would significantly decrease the perception that work and stress are correlated. Psychological contract The psychological contract is an unwritten contract that is the basis of a professional relationship that exists between employees and their employers. An employer would expect to be respected by his team, and an employee may in turn expect good working conditions and respect from the employer. Even though the psychological contract is unwritten, it is the least that is expected by employees and employers at work, and this forms the foundation upon which professional relationships are built and strengthened. Task 4 Examine a team in which you have worked and write an account of the nature and behaviour of the group A team is a group of people that works together to reach a common target or objective. This objective can only be achieved with the combined efforts of each team member as the human input required is often too much for one person to handle, particularly when deadlines are involved. Working at the front desk requires constant team work. The effectiveness of a team depends on how well each team member understands their roles, and how well they know each others characters and working methods. It is a fact that no one works in the exact same way as we all have different personalities; thinking patterns and methods of achieving the same objectives, and it is through such differences that we are able to provide a refreshing experience, one which is unique and special, yet professional. Although the team work required at front office is often not for specific projects, such as for instance coming up with a new up-selling strategy, we unconsciously consider every shift to be a project. The teams common objective is to ensure that all guests are satisfied with what they have purchased and that what we are providing them with meets, or exceeds their expectations. The people I work with at the front desk are undoubtedly important to me, and the way I work. They certainly ease the stress of having to deal with every guest on your own, but more importantly, you know that there is someone who is in the same position as you are, dealing with similar issues and problems. When I see that my colleagues are having difficulty dealing with a specific issue, I do not hesitate to assist them, and vice versa. The typical shift is eight hours long, so it is in everyones best interests to get to know each other well by communicating openly and sharing ideas and thoughts, with the aim of developing trustworthy and positive professional relationships. Bruce Tuckman (1965) developed four critical stages for team development. These stages describe how teams are developed, and how issues are dealt with to reach a common objective. The first stage is forming, which deals with the actual getting together of group members. Once my skills developed through training at the Grand Hotel Excelsior, the responsibilities given to me increased, and I was therefore more capable of working as part of a team. The second stage is storming, whereby the team analyses its objectives, and clearly defines the responsibilities of each team member. When problems arise at work, we discuss all of the possible ways in which we can solve them. We then select the most effective and efficient solutions which are in line with hotel policy. The third stage is norming, whereby team members work conjunctively to reach their targets, mainly through the creation of guidelines and rules. As team members work together, they will develop stronger relationships and will therefore develop trust. Through work I was not only able to develop professional relationships with my colleagues, but I was also able to develop strong friendships. It is through such friendships that we are able to work successfully with one another. The final step is performing, whereby team members understand each other and their work, and their utmost concern is getting the job done. Working in a hotel is immensely fast-paced and there is little time to be wasted. The main objective of a front of house agent is ultimately to get the job done efficiently and professionally, in order to assist our next guests. Task 5 Discuss how the traits and characteristics of the individuals within this team influence their behaviour at work Individuals who form part of the front office team have cheerful personalities, and their cheerfulness is visible in the way they work to ensure that guests are greeted and treated welcomingly. Guests enjoy meeting members of staff who are approachable, and they often stop by the front desk for a quick chat. As a team, we know each others basic traits and characteristics well. The true personalities of team members break free during break time, or after work, as working in a five star hotel requires one to behave in a certain manner. As a team, we know each others basic traits and characteristics well. The true personalities of team members break free during break time, or after work, as working in a five star hotel requires one to behave in a certain manner. Personal characteristics typically include visual aspects such as gender, race and age, social and cultural characteristics such as religion and sexual orientation, and psychological characteristics such as motivation and attitudes. It is through such personal characteristics that we develop particular beliefs or preferences, such as religious or political preferences, for instance. Delicate subjects may be openly discussed between team members because of the friendships that have develop over time. However, such delicate subjects are never discussed with guests as they may project a negative image of the individual, as well as the organisation. The most prominent traits of individuals are said to be the big five personality traits, which include conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness and extroversion. My team mates undoubtedly possess a mixture of these five traits, and numerous others. It is impossible for people to have the exact same character as others, as ones character is ultimately a product of their life experiences. Perception is an important subject when dealing with traits and characteristics. Individuals may make certain traits visible, such as agreeableness and conscientiousness, but are able to hide other traits which they feel should not be visible, such as neuroticism. It is normal to feel anxious when stressful situations arise, and the level of anxiety which is experienced by an individual depends on what their threshold for anxiety tolerance is. In such a case, a guest may perceive the member of staff to be calm and composed, when he/she is in fact feeling anxious. Task 6 Compare and contrast the structure of Leicester Marriott with an organisation where you have worked/have researched. To be able to deal with all the processes required to operate a hospitality establishment such as a large capacity hotel, company directors and managers must employ specialised teams to ensure that all work is done efficiently and effectively, with the highest precision, and where possible, the lowest cost. As the Leicester Marriott Hotel and the Grand Hotel Excelsior are both relatively large establishments they require formal structures with specific roles and responsibilities. Every manager is responsible for a particular department and team. This in theory should allow for greater efficiency as the work is divided amongst those who are most experienced in their respective fields. The Grand Hotel Excelsiors functional structure is similar to that of Marriott, as they both have a General Manager, department managers, supervisors, and Employees. As the Grand Hotel Excelsior has 427 rooms, and the Leicester Marriott has approximately half as many, the GHE should in theory have more positions and therefore more employees. The span of control that each manager possesses varies depending on department. For instance, the front office manager at the GHE is responsible for the front office team as well as the housekeeping department, which happen to be the largest departments within the hotel. On the other hand, the accounts department is one of the smallest, employing a few specialised individuals. The organigram below gives a detailed breakdown of the different roles at the Grand Hotel Excelsior. An official Marriott PDF document found at www.docstoc.com states that the organisation believes strongly in the benefits associated with departmentalisation and unity of command, whereby only one person reports to one manager. In this case it must be the supervisors who report to their department managers. Below is an example of what the Marriott organigram may look like in its simplest form. As is clearly evident, the main structures of both organisations are fairly similar. One of the major differences however is that the Excelsior has many more facilities and amenities than the Marriott hotel, and would require larger departments to ensure that all operations run smoothly, particularly during peak season. General Manager Department Manager Department Manager Department Manager Associates Associates Associates Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor Microsoft Word (2003) Task 7 Describe the culture of the organisation at the Leicester Marriott Hotel and explain how it impacts on the success of the business The Leicester Marriott promotes a strong brand identity, one which guests have grown to love and trust. A loyal guest would expect the level of service at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square to be of as high a standard as the Leicester Marriott hotel as both establishments have the same high expectations from their staff, and both hotels share the same core values and objectives. Members of staff at Leicester Marriott are all considered to be associates, a term which the organisation believes adds further purpose to their roles. Marriot currently places 82nd on CNNs top 100 list of best companies to work at for the year 2010, a claim which has remained true for many years. However, the recruitment process does not appear to be simple. Only those people who fit the organisations mindset are eligible to join as management believes that it is not easy to teach people how to develop the right attitude which is required to progress within the organisation. This appears to be a characteristic of a relatively closed organisation, and may as a result give it a more prestigious image in the job markets. The organisations culture is successful because it allows associates to develop trust, collaborate, and be creative. The culture is reinforced through numerous activities such as Staff barbeques, department outings, parties and other activities which allow them to get to know each other better, develop relationships, and ultimately, provide better quality services to guests. They are also given the opportunity to share ideas during the weekly departmental discussions, where the weeks most challenging moments are discussed, and feedback is exchanged. The organisations core values are the main driving forces behind its culture, as stated in the corporate information section of the Marriott website. Its culture influences the way it treats associates, loyal clients, and the community, which it strongly supports. Motivation is certainly a major part of the hotels culture as management knows that the only way to make guests happy is to ensure that associates are equally happy. Task 8 Discuss the communication channels of the firm in the case study and explain the importance of effective communications within organisations. Communication skills are crucial within any organisation. The inability to communicate effectively will result in a negative guest experience and will eventually lead to some form of negative publicity. The organisations team building exercises may make way for improved communication between members of staff as well as departments. Guests tend to vent their anger on websites such as Trip Advisor when their holidays or business trips do not go as planned as a result of inefficient communication. The deliverance of any product, be it a good or a service, requires proper communication skills, particularly if the organisations in question wish to retain customers. Leicester Marriott knows that communication is crucial, and it therefore gives extreme importance to all communication channels. Verbal communication is the main source of communication during departmental meetings which are held once a month, whilst once a quarter members from all departments are gathered to discuss hotel performance and receive organisation updates and recognition awards. Daily shift meetings are also organised amongst HODs to discuss important events, and interdepartmental meetings are held every week to discuss the weeks challenges. Such communication allows employees to effectively tackle internal issues and, when possible, conjure up immediate solutions. One of the main corridors in the back of the hotel is purely dedicated to communication between associates, where one can find staff notice boards containing written information about internal and external job vacancies, social activities, special hotel offers, health and safety procedures, employee of the month information, and numerous others. Such information must be visible and easily accessible to all associates, as well as regularly updated to keep the interest alive. Associate newsletters are published and distributed to all staff on a weekly basis to ensure that they are updated with the latest hotel issues. During break time, events and other activities, associates are free to chat and catch up on work and non-work related gossip, which is important to ones happiness. Hospitality organisations utilize almost every communication channel. Written methods of communication may take the form of reports which are written up by management for hotel directors, letters which are sent by personnel from the accounting department to banks, emails which are sent by employees at the reservations office to potential guests, and notices which are put up on the staff notice board in the main staff corridor. Spoken methods such as face to face encounters are constantly experie

Women in Afghanistan Essay -- Taliban, Turmoil, Famine, Drought

Throughout recent history, Afghanistan has been a country in turmoil. Famine, drought, civil war and Taliban rule have all had a significant impact on the Afghani people. While this has taken a very negative toll on all Afghan people, I believe, that none have been more negatively impacted than the women of Afghanistan. Having said that, not everything the Western world deems as a negative is also considered negative by the women and men of Afghanistan. One only has to read this quote, â€Å"Wearing the burqua is not mandatory, but few women are rushing to remove them† (Germani 14). While the Taliban and al-Qaida’s rule had a great negative impact from 1996-2001 and obviously oppressive to all Afghani women. They were not the sole source of oppression felt by the Afghan females as stated in this quote, â€Å"The roots of patriarchal oppression go deep in Afghan society - far deeper than the Taliban or al-Qaida.†(Rostami-Povey, E. 2007) As shown in the movie, Enemies of Happiness ( ) Afghan women are still suffering from planned and child bride marriages. Even though marriages of females below the age of 16 are outlawed by the constitution, this movie clearly shows that this continues to happen. As well does the reading from the introduction of Afghan Women in this quote â€Å"Afghan authorities do not investigate women’s complaints† (Rostami-Povey 2). More proof comes from the Ms Magazine article Stones can’t Stop Them, when in April of 2009 the President of Afghanistan signed the Shia Personal Status Law, that included, recognizing child marriages (Tang 21). And although this law was later withdrawn, it shows that oppressive thinking that is still going on in the Afghanistan culture today. Education is another way in which Afghan wo... ... and I saw the civil war; I saw everything damaged and destroyed,† she says, â€Å"This thought was always in my head: ‘I have to be in construction; I have to help conditions here† (Lemmon 35). Afghani women are indeed making a difference; they are also doing it on their own terms. Women of Afghanistan have endured many hardships and unfathomable oppression. A country plagued by war and continued rule by an inhumane rà ©gime or other unwelcome forms of governance. Despite all this, the women of Afghanistan have shown a tremendous resilience and human spirit that shows that women of the world, no matter how badly subjugated, will continue to strive for what they believe in. They are a true testimony to all women and one that I feel shows that the true spirit of mankind may inherently come from the female of the species and not from the much celebrated male! Women in Afghanistan Essay -- Taliban, Turmoil, Famine, Drought Throughout recent history, Afghanistan has been a country in turmoil. Famine, drought, civil war and Taliban rule have all had a significant impact on the Afghani people. While this has taken a very negative toll on all Afghan people, I believe, that none have been more negatively impacted than the women of Afghanistan. Having said that, not everything the Western world deems as a negative is also considered negative by the women and men of Afghanistan. One only has to read this quote, â€Å"Wearing the burqua is not mandatory, but few women are rushing to remove them† (Germani 14). While the Taliban and al-Qaida’s rule had a great negative impact from 1996-2001 and obviously oppressive to all Afghani women. They were not the sole source of oppression felt by the Afghan females as stated in this quote, â€Å"The roots of patriarchal oppression go deep in Afghan society - far deeper than the Taliban or al-Qaida.†(Rostami-Povey, E. 2007) As shown in the movie, Enemies of Happiness ( ) Afghan women are still suffering from planned and child bride marriages. Even though marriages of females below the age of 16 are outlawed by the constitution, this movie clearly shows that this continues to happen. As well does the reading from the introduction of Afghan Women in this quote â€Å"Afghan authorities do not investigate women’s complaints† (Rostami-Povey 2). More proof comes from the Ms Magazine article Stones can’t Stop Them, when in April of 2009 the President of Afghanistan signed the Shia Personal Status Law, that included, recognizing child marriages (Tang 21). And although this law was later withdrawn, it shows that oppressive thinking that is still going on in the Afghanistan culture today. Education is another way in which Afghan wo... ... and I saw the civil war; I saw everything damaged and destroyed,† she says, â€Å"This thought was always in my head: ‘I have to be in construction; I have to help conditions here† (Lemmon 35). Afghani women are indeed making a difference; they are also doing it on their own terms. Women of Afghanistan have endured many hardships and unfathomable oppression. A country plagued by war and continued rule by an inhumane rà ©gime or other unwelcome forms of governance. Despite all this, the women of Afghanistan have shown a tremendous resilience and human spirit that shows that women of the world, no matter how badly subjugated, will continue to strive for what they believe in. They are a true testimony to all women and one that I feel shows that the true spirit of mankind may inherently come from the female of the species and not from the much celebrated male!

Pierre Elliot Trudeau :: essays research papers

Pierre Elliot Trudeau   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Published in 1968, Federalism and the French Canadians is an ideological anthology featuring a series of essays written by Pierre Elliot Trudeau during his time spent with the Federal Liberal party of Canada. The emphasis of the book deals with the problems and conflicts facing the country during the Duplessis regime in Quebec. While Trudeau stresses his adamant convictions on Anglophone/Francophone relations and struggles for equality in a confederated land, he also elaborates on his own ideological views pertaining to Federalism and Nationalism. The reader is introduced to several essays that discuss Provincial legislature and conflict (Quebec and the Constitutional Problem, A Constitutional Declaration of Rights) while other compositions deal with impending and contemporary Federal predicaments (Federal Grants to Universities, The Practice and Theory of Federalism, Separatist Counter-Revolutionaries). Throughout all these documented personal accounts and critiques, the reader learns that Trudeau is a sharp critic of contemporary Quebec nationalism and that his prime political conviction (or thesis) is sporadically reflected in each essay: Federalism is the only possible system of government that breeds and sustains equality in a multicultural country such as Canada.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Trudeau is fervent and stalwart in his opinions towards Federalism and its ramifications on Canadian citizenry. Born and raised in Quebec, he attended several prestigious institutions that educated him about the political spectrum of the country. After his time spent at the London School of Economics, Trudeau returned to Quebec at a time when the province was experiencing vast differences with its Federal overseer. The Union Nationale, a religious nationalist movement rooted deep in the heart of Quebec culture, had forced the Federal government to reconcile and mediate with them in order to avoid civil disorder or unrest. The Premier of Quebec at the time, Maurice Duplessis, found it almost impossible to appease the needs of each diverse interest group and faction rising within the province and ultimately buckled underneath the increasing pressure. Many Francophones believed that they were being discriminated and treated unfairly due to the British North American Act which failed to recognize the unique nature of the province in its list of provisions. Trudeau, with the aid of several colleagues, fought the imminent wave of social chaos in Quebec with anti-clerical and communist visions he obtained while in his adolescent years. However, as the nationalist movement gained momentum against the Provincial government, Trudeau came to the startling realization that Provincial autonomy would not solidify Quebec's future in the country (he believed that separatism would soon follow) and unless Duplessis could successfully negotiate (on the issue of a constitution) with the rest of Canada, the prospect of self-sovereignty for Quebec would transpire.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  His first essay (Quebec and the Constitutional Problem) explores

Delusions of Grandeur †My Summer in Greece :: Personal Narrative

Delusions of Grandeur – My Summer in Greece It is the lawlessness of Greece that attracts both travelers and outcasts. They arrive on ferry boats with the eagerness of immigrants, drunk with notions of escape and pleasure. This hedonistic lure of the Greek islands is far removed from the academic splendor of mainland Europe. In myth, Greece is a land ruled by the selfish whimsy of the gods, and this climate of self-indulgence blows across the Ionian island of Corfu like a frolicking wind. Teetering, as it does, on the far edge of western civilization, Corfu presents itself as a haven or a refuge, depending on one’s orientation as traveler or derelict. Here, travelers can live out their adolescent fantasies and outcasts can be gods. The playground of these gods, the Mount Olympus of debauchery, spills down the steep east coast of Corfu like a glob of Pepto Bismol—the Pink Palace. I came to the Pink Palace in late May, one of a steady trickle of off-season travelers who had arrived just in time to enjoy the last of the cool nights before the torrent of peak season vacationers, drawn by the summer heat, filled the island to capacity. The last leg of a nine-month solo expedition through Europe, the Pink Palace was my last indulgence in freedom before I flew home to start college. On paper, the resort looked like Paradise—the very brochure seemed saturated with ambrosia. Pictures of gleeful scuba divers, vast cliffs that fell into the Ionian Sea and sunny rooms lured me from the mainland. But the brochure’s utopian promise—†Ideally situated on the sands of Agios Gordios beach, the Palace assures a stay that you’ll never forget†Ã¢â‚¬â€turned out to be, at best, a euphemistic appraisal of the jarring reality that awaited me. The Pink Palace was a glaring twentieth-century smear on an otherwise primitive landscape. At night, the profusion of light and music that came from the resort was as obnoxious and out of place as the sickly pink stucco structure that scarred the green hillside. Self-indulgence came in liquid form at the Pink Palace, with names like Ouzo, Blowjobs, B-52s, Kamikazes, and Alabama Slammers. Having dutifully saturated themselves with the culture of the mainland, my fellow guests now allowed themselves the corporeal pleasure of drunken oblivion.

Book Review – Simply Jesus

We can go about Sunday after Sunday worshipping the Lord Jesus and praying out to him in our own ways but at the end of the day, are we ready to deal with the challenges of the â€Å"real life†? Would we question ourselves on the reality of Jesus' existence? â€Å"With Jesus, Its easy to be complicated and hard to be simple†, described the author. And it is so true that with our Limited ability to fully comprehend the works of Christ Jesus, he becomes rather â€Å"under-utilized†, grossly under-valued with Its full potential nowhere near realized. The gospels, like his computer, have every right to feel restated, says the author.Jesus, though he was actually king, did not come fully recognizable as â€Å"the king†, so that his believers need to â€Å"exercise faith† in believing that Jesus is indeed the real king through all his miraculous works! Jesus is unavoidable. But he is also deeply mysterious. While we know so much about Jesus, yet there Is only so little that we really understood of him. Jesus puzzled people then, and he puzzles us till this day! Firstly, we know that Jesus' world was a strange, foreign country. Those days the people then thought differently. They coked at the world differently in cultural habits, practices and lifestyle.Secondly, Jesus' God seem to strange to us! There are so many â€Å"gods† from some of the world's great religions that it is not sufficient Just to ask, â€Å"Do you believe? † but to also ask, â€Å"Which god dowdy believe In? â€Å". We need to get Inside Jesus' world and try to catch a glimpse of what he meant when he spoke of God. Only then, we can begin to look Into think you were allowed to do, and he explained them by saying he had the right to do them! Of course, with all that said, Jesus didn't have â€Å"authority' over us. Nevertheless, the right to â€Å"choose† still lies in our hands today.