The Process of Change in Organizational Culture - 3969 Words

The change process Introduction Before the process of change of organizational culture can be initiated, the company must conduct a needs assessment to identify what aspects of the culture of the organization are lacking and thus need to be changed ADDIN EN.CITE Kotter1992648(J. Kotter, 1992)6486486Kotter, JohnCorporate Culture and Performance1992New YorkFree Press( HYPERLINK l _ENREF_12 o Kotter, 1992 #648 J. Kotter, 1992). This can be done through employee surveys, focus group discussions, interviews, observation, internal research, and customer surveys. After assessing these needs, the company must then address each need in its own unique way and then design a process of change that will address all aspects of the required change and cover all needs ADDIN EN.CITE Bate1994686(Bate, 1994)6866866Bate, Stuart P.Strategies for Cultural Change1994OxfordButterworth- Heinemann Ltd.( HYPERLINK l _ENREF_2 o Bate, 1994 #686 Bate, 1994). This paper looks at stage 1 and stage 4 of the Kotter process which are the most diffic ult to initiate in the company. Step 1: Increasing urgency This is the first Stage of the Kotter change model. It involves the establishment of a sense of urgency in the organization followed by the formation of a powerful coalition guideline and the last is the creation of the organization vision. In order to initiate this change process, the organization or company must build a clear vision that defines their new strategy and the shared valuesShow MoreRelatedReshaping Organizational Culture Using the Burke-Litwin Model1110 Words   |  4 Pagesthe culture of an organization in an image they feel is more appropriate. The group went to Mexico to impose American ideas about organizations, power, gender roles and other American cultural ideas on an organization in a foreign culture. This paper will describe their efforts using the lens of the Burke-Litwin model for organizational change. Burke-Litwin The Burke-Litwin Model seeks to explain the processes and influences by which organizational change occurs. The organizational change processRead MoreOrganizational Culture And Change : An Organization1288 Words   |  6 PagesOrganizational culture and change Organizational culture is defined as that particular system of shared values, beliefs, and assumptions that happens to govern the way that people behave in a different organization. The shared organizational values happen to have a very strong influence on the employees of a different organization and dictate how they act, perform, dress, and carry out their jobs (Anderson Ackerman-Anderson, 2001). As such, organizational culture happens to be one of the mostRead MoreOrganizational Change Plan Procedure1406 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Organizational Change Plan Table of Contents Abstract: 3 Introduction: 4 Description of the current situation: 4 Key factors surrounding the current situation: 4 Reasons for change: 5 Sense of urgency for change: 5 Description of the desired change: 5 Pursue for change: 6 Particulars necessary for change: 6 Particular change desires: 6 Leadership skills necessary for change: 6 Detailed plan for transition: 7 Steps in a change process: 8 Theoretical model of leadership:Read MoreOrganizational Change And Development Has A Large Impact On The Success Of An Organization1484 Words   |  6 PagesOrganizational change and development has a large impact on the success of an organization. â€Å"As modern organizations pursue changes to enhance their competitive positions and their survivability in competitive markets, the successful implementation of organizational change has become an important management task† (Chou, 2014, p. 49). The success of a change initiative in an organization is affected by several variables, however, there are three that might be considered paramount; communication, leadershipRead MoreOrganizational Culture778 Words   |  4 PagesOrganizational culture influences many aspects of work life. Workplace cultures that are grounded in strong and formally articulated values and modes of behavior define an organization. Well-communicated values influence employee behavior and drive how employe es relate with all stakeholders within the organizationÂâ€"from co-workers, management and members of the board to clients, shareholders and the community at large. When organizations seek to change their culture, HRÂâ€"as change agent and educatorRead MoreEffective Communication And Successful Implementation Of Change Initiatives1467 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Organizational change is inevitable and seemingly always on the horizon in the business world. It can directly affect organizational culture in both a positive and negative aspect. In order to combat the negative components of change that will surface, effective communication must be utilized as a part of the change strategy. Organizational change defined by Hurn (2012 cited in Bourne, 2015:p. 142) â€Å"involves changing an organization’s direction from the present position to a more desiredRead MoreManaging Resistance to Change during a Merger1242 Words   |  5 PagesFor most, resistance to change inevitable, for some it is their personality and others it is fear of the unknown. Organizational structure may change through downsizing, outsourcing, acquisitions, or mergers. In this paper, I will be examining resistance to change during a merger and how to manage this type of stressful and many times unclear change in an organization. There are three key strategies for mana ging resistance to change; communication, participation, and empathy and support. ThroughoutRead MoreLeadership As Stated By Northhouse ( 2010 )824 Words   |  4 PagesLeadership as stated by Northhouse (2010), â€Å"is a process where an individual influences a group of people to achieve a common purpose.† A leader is responsible for coordination and integration of resources through planning, organizing, coordinating, directing, and controlling to accomplish specific institutional goals and objectives (Huber, 2006). A leader’s action is influenced towards manipulating the environment, group, and achieving the institutional goals and their role is to ensure the institutionalRead MoreApple Inc. - Organization Culture and Change1180 Words   |  5 PagesOrganization Change Course Project Draft - Prepared By: Preferred Organization: Apple Inc. - Organization Culture and Change Introduction/Organization: In this draft, we would like to discuss about Apple Inc.’s organization culture and major organization change happened in the organization and analysis of a successful organization change. Every organization has a culture of its own. And every organization undergoes organization change depending on the situation, change process is implementedRead MoreThe Influence of Leadership on Organizational Culture1744 Words   |  7 PagesTHE INFLUENCE OF LEADERSHIP ON ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE Leadership is a matter of intelligence, trustworthiness, humaneness, courage, and discipline . . . Reliance on intelligence alone results in rebelliousness. Exercise of humaneness alone results in weakness. Fixation on trust results in folly. Dependence on the strength of courage results in violence. Excessive discipline and sternness in command result in cruelty. When one has all five virtues together, each appropriate to its function

Bipolar Disorder And Its Effect On Children - 3715 Words

Bipolar disorder is typically a condition that affects people in their late teens and early adulthood. It is usually not thought to affect a child but it is something that, if present at a young age, can seriously affect the way a child grows up. Bipolar disorder affects every aspect of a person’s life and is not as understood as it should be. Researchers are still looking for the cause of this illness and how it can be treated but overall it is a condition that many people are undereducated on and that is something I’m hoping this paper might be able to change for some. Bipolar disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), is â€Å"a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels,† and†¦show more content†¦Those who are researching this illness believe that it had a lot to do with genetics but that there are also many other factors involved. In an example by the National Institute of Mental Health, they found that even if there is a pair of identical twins and one develops bipolar disorder the other twin might never develop it. As I stated earlier, bipolar disorder consists of shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels. This can mean someone can seem very sad and depressed for a long period of time and then a period of extreme happiness. These can be shown in mood or behavioral changes and can be shown in how well they are able to concentrate, how much sleep they are getting, or even if they have thoughts of suicide (NIMH). Although the easiest way to spot bipolar is through extreme mood swings, it can still be present when such mood swings are less noticeable. It is important to look out for even the smallest mood swings because if they are frequent enough it can be a sign of one having bipolar disorder. Those who are diagnosed, or are looking for a diagnosis because they believe something may be wrong, with bipolar disorder work very closely psychiatrists. Psychiatrists are able to diagnose as well as help to treat patients who have already been told they are bipolar. It is important that a person works with the same psychiatrist because they will learn more

Th Truemilk Marketing Proposal Free Essays

Marketing Plan Proposal TH True Milk Vietnamese Fresh and Clean Milk Team Members: Nguyen Thi Thuy Trang (Team Leader) – s3372812 Nguyen Thi Diep Anh – s3372841 Nguyen Vu Bich Ha – s3372918 Huynh Ngoc Khanh Linh – s3373099 Nguyen Thi Kim Trang – s3357621 Vo Thi Ngoc Tram – s3373108 Lecturer: Ms. Jis Kuruvilla TH Milk Joint Stock Company TH Milk Joint Stock Company was established in 2009 and this is the first company of TH Group that focuses on a closed process of fresh milk manufacturing meeting the international standard. In order to produce the best quality products for customers as well as to provide a professional working environment for local and international experts, the company has equipped most advanced management technology in their production process. We will write a custom essay sample on Th Truemilk Marketing Proposal or any similar topic only for you Order Now Although TH Milk Joint Stock Company is a young domestic company and has only one main brand that is TH True Milk, the company is predicted to be a potential firm in order to compete with Vinamilk and to meet the rising demand of Vietnamese market in the near future. Additionally, following the main mission of TH Group that is providing fresh and natural products to consumers, TH Milk Joint Stock Company has applied cutting-edge fresh milk manufacturing techniques in its closed procedures from industrial dairy farm, automatic milking system to professional distribution system. Therefore, in recent years, company’s projects always receive positive supports from the governments and organizations such as Vietnamese government and North Asia Bank. These supports can be seen as a driving force for the company to develop its fresh, clean and friendly-environmentally products. As regards the production and distribution process, TH Farm and Factory which is the largest in the Asian region, was built in Nghe An province with the total expenditure of $1. 2 billion, this project is supported by North Asian Bank. Moreover, the milking system used by the TH farm is completely automatic and controlled by strict procedures. In 2012, TH group anticipates that their milk processing facility will reach a capacity of 500 million liters per year, satisfying 50% of domestic need for the fresh milk. Moreover, in an effort to bring the best convenient services to customer, TH Milk Joint Stock Company has two representative offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and hundreds of TH True Mart where provides TH True Milk across Vietnam. TH Milk Joint Stock Company at the present only focus on clean, fresh, delicious and nutritious milk but in order to meet the demand of domestic customer of dairy products, in 2012 and 2013, the company will continue to introduce some fresh and natural dairy products such as yoghurt, ice cream, butter and chee se to their customers. TH True Milk – Product detail TH True Milk is carefully produced in a 100%-computerized management process followed international standard in every stage of provision, production to distribution system. TH fresh milk is supplied by 20000 cows imported from New Zealand; those cows always receive a professional care from skilled staff with nutritious diet, well-designed veterinary care, disease prevention and treatment. In order to meet the various preferences and groups of customer, the company has produced five main flavors including pure fresh milk, less sugar fresh milk, sweetened fresh milk, strawberry fresh milk an d pure fresh chocolate milk in both 110ml and 180 ml carton size. More importantly, with a purpose to preserve the freshness and goodness of products, the company has developed the TH True Mart to sell its products to customers directly. Vietnamese Market Because of the higher living standard, the nutritious demand of Vietnamese people has improved positively with a rise of 20-25% of customers’ demand for milk per year. Therefore, Vietnamese dairy market is becoming the most potential market in the region and more than 60 firms with about 300 brands is operating in this industry. However, it is a fact that the amount of milk produced only meet 20 -25% of customers’ demand meaning that there is a shortage of milk production in domestic market. Realizing this situation, TH Milk Joint Stock Company with financial supports from North Asian Bank has no hesitation to invest in the most modern clean fresh milk production process in Vietnam and this is estimated to meet 50% of customers’ demand in 2017, after the project is completed. This can be seen as an accurate vision of the company and can bring better milk for Vietnamese people. Besides always following the major mission of TH group, this plan also suggests one-year marketing strategies for the company in domestic market. There are four main objectives: 1. 2. 3. 4. Introducing current products to the market to reach more customers Introducing a new kind of product to domestic market. Gaining 5% market share of dairy industry at the end of 2012 Creating a positive image from customers and building a strong basis to develop other company’s dairy products in the following years. Reference List 1. TH True Milk, Home, viewed 30 June 2012, 2. North Asian Bank, 2011, ‘Vietnamese dairy market and positive changes’, Vnexpress, 2011, viewed 30 June 2012 http://vnexpress. net/gl/kinh-doanh/doanh-nghiep-viet/2011/12/thi-truongsua-viet-nam-va-nhung-thay-doi-tich-cuc/. How to cite Th Truemilk Marketing Proposal, Papers

Essay on Societys Role in Child Labour Essay Example For Students

Essay on Societys Role in Child Labour Essay Child labour is wide spread across worldwide to many extents, and society is not doing anything to change that. This is a topic that is known by everyone, but very few act against it for several reasons. At an individual’s point of view, based on their ethics and morals, they may not find child labour to be wrong. While similarly in a society their viewpoint can be heavily influenced by the judgment of other members of society. Children across the world are working in unsafe conditions to make products, for cheaper labour and a cheaper price. Their lives are endangered working long shifts in terrible conditions all to be underpaid. Society is not accurately presented to all the information there is on child labour because there is not enough information being reported. In the end, it is an individual’s decision based on how they ethically and morally differentiate right from wrong. Nothing is being done to eradicate child labour because of the price differences, society is not being educated enough on the topic and every person’s definition of what they find ethically right or wrong. The lower price society pays for products are very beneficial to society members but it is detrimental to the children being underpaid to make such products. Child labor has become an issue over the years simply because industries are not ready to pay the high price for adult labor. (Abernethie, 1998, p. 84) Powerful industries do not want to pay more for adult labor that comes with many rights ad regulations. In order to make a higher profit, industries cut back on their labor prices by underpaying children to work long and hard shifts on a daily basis. (Deb, 2012, p. 253) They choose to misuse children and force them to complete hard tasks with min. . labour is not being resolved in societiesWorks CitedAbernethie, L. (1998). Child Labour in Contemporary Society: Why Do We Care?. International Journal Of Childrens Rights, 6(1), 81. doi:10.1163/1571818 9820493987Deb, S. (2012). Childrens Rights in India: Parents and Teachers Attitudes, Knowledge and Perceptions. International Journal Of Childrens Rights, 20(2), 241. doi:10.11 63/157181811X616022Kistenbroker, H. V. (2012). Implementing article 32 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child as a Domestic Statute: Protecting Children from Abusive Labor Practices.Case Western Reserve Journal Of International Law, 44(3), 921.Rea, J. (2010). Child labour ‘child labour exists because we allow it to exist’. Dublin: Development Education Unit, Concern Worldwide. Retrieved from http://www.developmenteducation.ie/media/documents/Concern Child Labour

Advantages disadvantages keyboard Essay Example

Advantages disadvantages keyboard Paper Hardware is any physical part of the computer which can be touched or seen. These are the main types of hardware:   Monitor   Mouse   Keyboard Disk Drives   Printer   Speakers   Tower Monitor Disk Drive Speakers Printer Tower Mouse Keyboard Types of hardware There are four types of hardware. Input Input is that type of hardware which is used to enter data into the computer. Process Process is that hardware which manipulates the inputted into useful form. Storage Storage is where the data is stored. Output Output devices allow you to view information produced after data has been processed. These are the following hardwares I used; Input Keyboard, mouse and scanner Process Central Processing Unit Storage RAM, USB flash drive and hard disk Output Printer and monitor In the following table I will describe the hardware I have used in my system, the way they work and the advantages and disadvantages. Name of device Price The way it works Advantages Disadvantages Keyboard i 20 When a letter, number or a symbol is pressed on the keyboard then a signal is immediately sent to the CPU. Then the CPU passes on the information to the monitor which outputs it. Keyboards come in many types. For example. QWERTY, concept, ergonomic etc. We will write a custom essay sample on Advantages disadvantages keyboard specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Advantages disadvantages keyboard specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Advantages disadvantages keyboard specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This means that you can choose the one that suits you. Using to much keyboard can lead to RSI. A keyboard can do the same job of a mouse, like scrolling through pages by just the touch of one button. People who are unfamiliar with keyboards will get a lot of mistakes and will type very slowly because the buttons are mixed up. The buttons in a keyboard are arranged in such a way that you feel comfortable to use and become used to the layout. The buttons in a keyboard are very close to each other and very light, this means that there could be a lot of errors. Mouse i 13 There are two main types of a mouse.   Optical Mouse. Balled Mouse. The way you move the mouse, in the same direction the arrow will move. A mouse can be used to play computer games. The ball in a balled mouse can get lost. A Mouse with a keyboard to enter data into data computer. Using the mouse to much can lead to RSI. A mouse is very easy to control. A mouse will only work well on flat surfaces. Scanner i 60 A beam of light is shone on the object which is going to be scanned. The light is then reflected to a sensor which detects the colour of the light. A digital image is the created inside the computer. You can get 3 in1. It includes scanner, printer and photocopier. A scanner can be very expensive. An image which is scanned can be edited and then be used in numerous forms. An image which is scanned can take up a lot of computer memory. Using a scanner saves time because data is inputted within matter of seconds. The scanner can be damaged because it is made of glass. 1GB USB flash drive i 5 It can store large amounts of information and you can transfer files from one computer to another. They are portable and come in many designs and makes. Because they are very small they can fall out from your pocket and get lost. They can take in any format. USB devices transfer viruses from one computer to another. They come in different sizes. From 32 MB to 64 GB. They are valuable, so there are chances of getting stolen. Monitor i 100 Monitors come in two types. TFT   CRT Thousands of tiny dots called pixels are displayed which then create an image. TFT monitors are slim, so they take up lees space. TFT monitors can get scratched or damaged easily. TFT monitors create less heat than CRT. CRT monitors create too much heat and the room gets stuffy. CRT monitors are massive, so there are less chances of getting damaged. Some monitors do not have good graphics, so the image quality will not be as good. CPU. (Intel Pentium Dual Core) i 80 The CPU is the brain of the computer. It processes data. In the CPU all the sorting and calculations take place. It is small, so it will take less space. If it is damaged then the computer will not work. There is no need of buying it separate because it already comes with the computer. If there is no fan next to it then it will blow up. It is very fast because it can carry out millions of instructions per second. It is very expensive to buy. Laser printer i 250 They work using powdered ink which is fused onto paper by heat and pressure. They do not use cartridges but use toners. Hundreds of pages could be printed in an hour. They are very expensive to buy. The print outs are of very good quality. Toners are used instead of cartridges, this means that there will be extra costs It is very quiet and does not make any noise. They are massive and bulky; this means that if it breaks down then repairs will be very expensive. RAM (3 GB) i 45 To load programs it uses memory. RAM lets you open many programs at once. The more RAM you have the faster your computer will be. If you have less ram then your computer will crash a lot. You can even get to 4 GB RAM. It is quite expensive to buy in shops. It responds fast to signals. If the data is not saved and computer is switched ff, then the data will be lost. Hard disk (250 GB) i 85 The hard disk is the main storage device of the computer. All the data files and applications are stored in it. You do not loose any data when the computer is switched off. The hard disk can stop the computer from working if it crashes. They can store very large amounts of data. They can go up to 1 TB or sometimes even more. If the hard disk crashes on a regular basis the data from the hard disk could be lost. They come with every computer. This means you do not have to buy one when you buy a computer. The hard disk comes fixed inside the computer and can be difficult to transfer data to another computer. Alternatives In the following table I will give an alternative device to the hardware listed in the above table. I will also describe the way it works, its advantages and disadvantages and what difference it will make if used. Name of device Alternative The way it works Advantages Disadvantage Difference it would make if used QWERTY Keyboard Concept Keyboard It has a sheet spread on a grid which has pictures and symbols. The user can identify what each button will do. People who are unfamiliar with QWERTY keyboards can use this one. It has a limited amount of options to be programmed. The difference it would make if used a concept keyboard is that I will not have to move my hands and fingers too much. It could be used to teach little children. They make a lot of sounds and noises. It is very useful when ordinary keyboards might be damaged by spillages etc. They are not good for numeric input, though some come with a numeric pad. Balled mouse Optical mouse There is a laser at the bottom of the mouse which detects the movement. The way the mouse is move the same way the arrow on the screen will move.

How to Manage Budget Hotels

How to Manage Budget Hotels Background With the steady growth in tourism, provision of quality and affordable hospitality services is exponentially gaining credence (Weygandt et al., A 2008). The quality of service offered and the satisfaction of the customer are factors that have been considered to be leading to the retaining of customers and the general success of the hotel industry.Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on How to Manage Budget Hotels Cases in London specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The hotel industry in the UK has been on a steady rise. According to the United Kingdom Tourism Survey, there was a steady rise amounting to 74.5 percent in hotel bookings by the end of September 2010 (O’Neill Mattila, 2010).Hotels in London, according to the survey, have particularly recorded the highest a high occupancy rate of about 82.6 percent as compared to other regional hotels in the UK. This was, however, not only noted in hotel bo okings, but also in the general hospitality and the larger tourism industry (Sheehan Ritchie, 2005).The performance in the whole industry depends on many factors of the economy. According to Burch (1994) this is actually what is forcing hotels to embrace the need for innovation so as they may stay competitive as survival of the hotels and retention of customers fully becomes a tricky affair. The Budget hotel concept is fast gaining momentum in the UK. The concept is a kind of limited service hotel whose key features are guided by parameters such as bedroom size, the costs of construction per bedroom, and finally, ratio of revenue from rooms and the total turnover of the hotel (Tri Hospitality Consulting, 2007). The report talks about several aspects such as background of the budget concept, budget and location, as well as even the growth aspects expected in the sector. It has also detailed performance of the budget industry, the response of the consumers to the concept, development and operation of the budget hotels, and finally, future predictions for the sector. This report is quite useful to the study as it tries to the almost comprehensive outlook of the budget hotel industry (Albrecht, 2008). However, there are some areas in which the report is limited. For instance, it does not really give the management styles used by the respective budget hotels. Significance of the study The budget hotel concept is one that is fast gaining momentum in the hospitality industry all over the world. This concept of limited service hotels is one that has its profound peculiarities. This study will investigate the factors that give this concept a strategic edge over the other types of hotels.Advertising Looking for dissertation on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The study of budget hotels in the UK will contribute to the pool of knowledge about the hospitality industry. This means that this study will not only give a detailed exposà © of the management best practices in the budget hotel industry, but will greatly add to the general body of knowledge on many other aspects in this segment of the hotel industry such as human resources, performance, location and even the general development of budget hotels. Further this research will assist me gain valuable insights into the existing challenges in the operation/management of budget hotel that form the core of budget hotel industry in the UK. This information will be crucial since some of the issues identified could be of great use if replicated elsewhere. My family has invested in a budget hotel in my hometown and this research is going to help me know the various issues including management/operation strategies also that should be looked into to achieve success in my business. The UK has had a head start in the budget hotel industry and therefore some of the replicable practices could be employed in my business. Ob jectives The objectives of the study are as follows: To investigate evolution/development of budget hotels and impact on the experience of traditional budget hotel To analyse three cases hotels in terms of their operation, interior design and space management. To identify various strategies implemented by budget hotels in London. Research Questions How did the budget hotels evolve? How peculiar is the operation, interior design and space management of the budget hotels? What are the existing strategies used by budget hotels? Literature Review Though there is limited specific literature on budget hotel industry, there exists, however, a lot of related literature which can be of great use to this dissertation. This literature review will generally look at an assortment of issues related to hospitality industry in general and budget hotels in particular. There are several issues that can make an establishment a competitive strategic edge in the market. Corgel (2002), for example, n otes that service quality has been an issue that is gradually taking shape in the UK. According to Waldrop (1992), some business attributes that reflect business performance include growth, image of the company, customer loyalty and also the market share of the company. A lot of literature available has greatly concentrated on this service quality, something which is intangible, hence a bit complicated to assess (Tse Olsen, 1999). What makes it difficult to measure is that customers cannot easily store the type of service they got from one particular place and compare it with other service that is close due to many reasons (Okumus, 2002). Firstly, the services offered by different hotels do vary a great deal, thus making it almost impossible to compare (Crossland Hambrick, 2007).Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on How to Manage Budget Hotels Cases in London specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Budget hotels Gener ally budget hotels can be distinguished from the rest based on three major aspects. First of all is the size of the bedrooms of these hotels. Usually, budget hotels tend to have smaller bedroom sizes unlike those ones of the conventional hotels (Cannina et al., 2006). So budget hotels tend to have more bedrooms per area as compared to those in the conventional full service hotels. This equally means that with the less cost per room of the floor translates to even lower initial capital costs required; thus higher revenues realized. This also therefore shows that the other aspect that distinguishes budget hotels is the costs of construction per bedroom. For the budget hotels the costs per room become much lower. The revenue generated from the rooms in relation to the total turnover of the hotel can be used to distinguish between the two. This means that the percentage of revenue from budget hotels in relation to total turnover is higher for budget hotels. There are other areas that al so clearly distinguish between full service hotels and budget hotels. Some researchers have since established some of the various components of service as a whole. D’Aveni (1990) illustrates that tangible aspects of service include physical facilities available; the types of equipment used, the general grooming and appearance of the staff etc. Kim (2003) asserts that the other component is that of reliability, which could be said to mean the capacity of the personnel to provide the particular service promised with accuracy and under the reasonable time expected. Full service hotels usually have a full fledged restaurant attached to them. This is unlike for the budget hotels. But this should not mean that budget hotels do not offer their customers food. Budget hotels may offer complimentary meals (Dev, 2002). For example these could include serving customers with free toast, coffee, juice etc. Another area is that which has to do with pricing. This is one area in which limited service hotels have great advantage over full service establishments. For example, a night’s stay in a budget hotel might be a half cost of that in a full service hotel. Thus, for people who would love to save a little bit, there preferred option is usually the budget hotel. Realizing that room revenues form the bulk of all revenue in all classes of hotels, budget hotels have capitalized on the rooms to reap maximum profit from a given setting (O’Neill Mattila, 2006). What they have actually done is that they squeeze so many rooms into the given space so as to reap this benefit from that space (Capozza Lee, 1995). As such, a survey carried to classify what constitutes those Budget hotels concludes that budget hotels maximize on floor space, consequently leading to lower initial costs of hotel establishment (Teas, 1994).Advertising Looking for dissertation on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another peculiar thing about budget hotels is that they more or less have similar indicative costs per room (Schmidgall Damitio, 2006). Finally, for Budget hotels, the revenue coming out of rooms is usually above 70% and above as compared to other conventional hotels, whose collection from rooms averages at around 50% only of their total turnover (Tri Hospitality Consulting, 2007). The UK budget hotel industry has metamorphosed to an extent that at the moment, there are notable brand names that dominate the market (Hayes Ninemeier, 2007). These include Premier Travel Inn, Travelodge and Express by Holiday Inn. The three constitute the major players in the market. As of April 2007; Premier Travel Inn had 488 numbers of hotels while Travelodge had 304 (Chang Hong, 2002). Another crucial aspect is responsiveness (David, 2001). This actually relates to how willing the personnel may be to attend to the customer. Most customers also require assurance and trust in the particular service provided (Woolley, et al., 1997). Finally, empathy has equally been said to play a crucial role in service delivery (Schmalensee, 1985). This has to do with that caring and personalized attention granted to the customer (Simons, 1994). All these elements are crucial to our research since we will be able to see how different managers address some of these elements to achieve strategic advantage in the budget hotel business in London. The information will also give some valuable insights into the areas of operation that make the given budget hotels stand out. There are equally different dimensions that are quite important to the guests. In other research carried out it has been found out that customers attach different levels of importance to different issues in the hotel (Panvisavas Taylor, 2006). In the findings, it was found out that customers valued responsiveness followed by reliability; and the least being empathy (Donaldson Preston, 1995). This information will further assis t in mapping what the managers of the different budget hotels focus on in order to address the challenges of customer satisfaction (Meissner, 2010). Furthermore this information has critically explained how the managers employ different strategies to deal with the freaky issues of decision making (Dopson Hayes, 2009). Brown et al (1993) have also critically analysed the ways of improving measurement of service quality. His work is equally useful to this study as service quality is important to customer relation and loyalty (Laws, 2004). There are issues associated with service quality. For example, sometimes customers may complain about the food quality that is offered by the hotel. The matters touching on food are sensitive in that some of them arise out of cultural differences of the customers (Laws, 2000). Another problem is the general attitude and the kind of motivation that the workers have, slow response to customer, poor or inadequate communication among the customers, staf f and even management, to even housekeeping problems (Gartrell, 1994). From the research that was carried out, it was found that some of the hindrances to proper service quality include budget; staff familiarization and knowledge of the customers, as well as lack of training of the employees (Eyster, 1996). Financial constraints can really cause trouble to hotels as this will mean lower commitment to quality service provision (Sheehan Hudson, 2007). For example, under a constrained budget, the employees cannot give generous discounts to the customers (Ismail, 2002). They will need permission from the top management and this can lead to de-motivation or slow delivery of services. This information is quite useful to budget hotels (Faulkner Russell, 1997). This is because from the case studies we will be able to see how these challenges are forestalled by the management of these budget hotels. Human resources Several researches have documented recommendations aimed at improving servi ce quality. First is the need for management to interact more with the visitors in order to familiarize with the guests’ needs and desires (Fisk et al., 1993). Another issue that has been stressed is the need for the management to make sure that responsibility is delegated to the other staff so that everybody in the system has experience with decision making (Ford et al., 2009). There is also need for staff to be exposed to formal training before they are hired and also even after employment (Jagels, 2007). This could be in form of refresher courses. This greatly aids in dealing with customers from varied cultural backgrounds (Freeman, 1984). Some clients expect empathy more than others and this is one of the aspects in which training could prove useful. Staffing is one area that takes most revenues from many organizations. It is therefore important for the players to look at the staffing costs seriously (Laws et al., S 1999). Budget hotels have done this and most of them can still operate efficiently on a staff fewer than 20 on full- time basis (Brady Conlin, 2004). In a bid to cut on the staffing costs, some budget hotel chains have decided to do away with reception areas so that bookings can still be done in the pubs. Others balance between permanent and full-time employees in such a way that they retain very few full time staff as much as possible (Sainaghi, 2010). The strategies differ from one hotel chain to the other (Garrison Noreen, 1997). This dissertation will look at the different strategies that some of the budget hotels use to achieve a strategic competitive advantage. With different measures to cut down on costs as explained through this literature, it can be seen that for one to succeed in this cut-throat competition, there is need to have a strategy that works (Ambrose et al., 2000). So many budget hotels in the UK have now reached the stage of extreme maturation, thus, there is need to come up with several strategies (Philips, 2005). Many chains, for instance, have resorted to aggressive branding to beat this cut-throat competition. From the literature analyzed we can see that various studies conducted it can be seen that no study has ever covered all the issues that constitute budget hotels as this study is going to do. In essence this study will majorly identify all the areas that make budget hotels stand up. So far there is no research that clearly compares budget hotel vis a vis the other types of hotels. This study will therefore try to find out aspects that have governed the evolution of budget hotels. The study will determine the roles the budget hotel’s operation, composition; interior design and space management play in strategic planning in hospitality industry. Further, the study will identify and analyse the various strategies employed by budget hotels. The budget hotel phenomenon is unique and there is need to clearly research and enumerate some of the features that define the various brands of this type of hotels. This research will look at the various strategies that budget hotel put in place to maintain a competitive edge. Performance Performance can be said to be one of the measures that are put in place so as the organization gains a commitment that is in line with organization goals (Albrecht, 2008). Neely (1998) views business performance as one based on evaluating the efficiency and the expected effectiveness of the actions taken by the business with a view to attaining the set organisational goals. Performance has been viewed to be that framework that governs the execution of the strategy of an organisation by others. This means that the framework serves as a description of the process through which an organisation manages to translate its laid down plans into desired results or outcomes. Performance of hotels is an issue that has been of great concern in the hospitality industry (Harrison Enz, 2005). Performing hotels are those committed to certain quality s tandards. By meeting these standards the hotels manage to enhance their image as they satisfy guests through constant improvement (Adner Helfat, 2003). They do this through several strategies like constantly focusing on in-house training for their staff. According to Altinay (2006) most hospitality industries, just like any other forms of business, do consider performance seriously. Higher revenues reflect good performance (Yusel Yusel, 2001). The revenue inflows from budget hotel industry have been on the rise (Adner Helfat, 2003). This is also in line with the growing number of hotel rooms in this sector and occupancy. Several hotels employ varied strategies to achieve the desired outcomes. This study will therefore investigate the various dominant strategies employed by the budget hotels under study. Location Location greatly affects the success of budget hotels. For instance, in studies conducted in Southern and Northern parts of UK, it was established that the South budget h otels did far much better than those in the North (Asree et al., 2009). Though several reasons could be advanced to explain this phenomenon, it is clear that this business is location sensitive (Friedman Miles, 2002). There is a positive outlook for budget hotel business since there is increasing demand for them in UK as the guests who fill the hotel rooms are mostly domestic (Avelini, 1998). The budget hotel business has managed to capture the imagination of swathes of domestic tourists, some of whom are quite new to hotel staying (O’Neill Xiao, 2006). The budget hotel business is a mass market concept since most of the budget business gains easy market penetration as seen in other countries in Europe. Its concept is, however, rather more developed in UK (Baum, 1998). What is more, the leisure market is experiencing exponential rise and this therefore makes the outlook positive (Laws, 1997). Availability is also a critical aspect in business (McGahan Porter, 1997). Custom ers usually prefer to associate with whatever is available. Budget hotels are usually readily available in many locations in UK (Beals Denton, 2004). On top of this, they do provide satisfactory standard of accommodation. But this price is not the only driver of budget hotel bookings (Mark et al., 2009). Other drivers could include things like non-intimidating environments, consistency etc. Consumers perceive budget hotels positively. Whenever faced with expenditure to incur, most individuals usually expect value for money (Buhalis, 2000). This means that the customer is paying for quality and even quantity (Chadee Mattson, 1996). Development and operations of Budget hotels Hotels and the hospitality industry started hundreds of years ago. Since time immemorial people have travelled for so many reasons including commerce, leisure, religions concerns, immigration etc (Dev, 2002). According to a report carried out by Texas Tech University, the very first hotels were initially like p rivate homes that were open to public (Imperiale, 2002). But these had very negative reputations. However, with time some of the very first inns were started in America in 1607. The years that followed also saw a surge in business hotels all over the world. In most cases the surge saw very prominent homes such as the Hilton come up (Balser McClusky, 2005). With time, however, there has been an emergence of limited service hotels. There are stark differences between budget hotels versus full service hotels (Savage, 1991). From history of the budget hotel, once opened, the rooms would fill up since the pricing fitted all unlike what happened in the conventional hotel that offered full service (Altinay (2006). Budget hotels have over the time proved to be a valuable alternative to the conventional full service hotels (Roh Yoon, 2009). Though budget hotels have been coming in various locations in UK, as time goes by, it has been seen they still experience some of the challenges that o ther full service hotels face (Mitchell Wood, 1997). These challenges include changing customer tastes and likes. This is why the budget hotel industry was just a paltry 2.9 percent points above the full service ones in 2006 (Tri Hospitality Consulting, 2007). From the above description one should be able to figure out what constitutes a budget hotel (O’Neill Mattila, 2010). However, one should never confuse Budget hotels with the other emerging concept such as town house hotels (Chang Singh, 2000). Though small, town house hotels have business services that are at par with the five star hotels; the major difference is that these types of hotels are usually managed by their owners (Corgel deRoos, 1997). There has been an increase in the variety of investment vehicles in the UK. These include franchises, leases, self ownership, contracts of management etc. (Capozza Seguin, 1999). Any investor will choose the way to invest depending on the degree of risk associated with a particular vehicle of investment (Bejou Palmer, 1998). Thus, most of the leading brands in budget hotel industry have their different ownership and operational structures (PerÃ… ¡ić Janković, 2006). Like with other businesses, funding is an issue that major in the sector and determines the type of investment vehicle to be adopted (Horngren et al., 2003). One can decide to seek for funding from other sources including banks or even equity (Gallagher Mansour, 2000). Just like in niche markets, the budget hotel industry have is guided by several strategies. For example, according to Berkely (1996) locating the appropriate site for budget business is an issue that needs delicate and careful handling. Failure to locate an appropriate site can hinder market penetration (Bowman Helfat 2001).Different entrepreneurs have different ways of approaching the issue of site (Hales Van Hoof, 2005). While some may be lucky and decide to find enough space to collocate their business, som e manage to look for land and site their business in sites they never desired (Brown et al., 1993). However, there are various opportunities that can be exploited, for example, buying other business as going concerns (Ryan, 1995). All in all, different players in the market do have different growth strategies (Hudson Shephard, 1998). It only calls for creativity when it comes to finding the appropriate sites for a business (Blair Fottler, 1990). There are so many other costs in the industry (Hall, 1995). What is even more frustrating is the time it takes for a plan to be approved by the relevant authorities. Other costs may arise out construction (Rizzuto, 2006). But these could only succeed if the players may lobby the governments responsible to at least lower the construction costs for investors. But several players may opt for cost saving strategies as some players do (Roquebert et al., 1996). For example, according to a survey on budget hotels, such as easyHotel, nitenite and even Yotel, there is use of windowless rooms. These types of rooms can be put anywhere, including in basements and other unused spaces, thus maximizing on space utilization (Jambulingham Nevin, 1999). Methodology Qualitative research This research seeks to employ qualitative approach to establish the variable brands of existing budget hotels around London area and determine their respective strategic management approaches (Pfeffer, Salancik, 1978). Qualitative research approaches are made based upon construction activists’ perspectives and even participatory ones or both (Perry Coote, 1994). In this kind of approach the researcher is faced with the task of collecting primary data with a wider intention of drawing or developing themes out of this data collected (Saunders et al., 2009). In this case also, the research will look for the views of top management about all the aspects concerning budget hotels and also see how the strategies or views employed do affect the genera l performance of the budget hotels. In a nutshell, the researcher will be looking for answers to the set research questions in the dissertation. As earlier said, the informants for this research will be top management of the budget hotels in London. These could include general managers, human resources managers, financial managers etc. of several budget hotels around London. Case study approach The strategy that will be used is that of case study. This strategy is useful to this study since it greatly highlights the context (Prideaux, 2000). Further, it is important since it is going to help us gain a deeper and richer understanding of the context that is being researched (Saunders et al., 2009). According to Saunders et al., (2009) case study clearly answers the questions ‘why’, ‘what’ and ‘how’ effectively. In our research, we will choose three of the various budget hotels in London. The reason why we will use three instead of a single case i s for validation of the information we will draw from the informants. Using the three cases will enable us to compare the information collected (Crossland Hambrick, 2007). Another advantage of picking three is to ascertain whether the findings that apply to one case can also occur in other cases (Mintzberg, 1990). This is crucial since we can easily establish whether whatever we established can be generalized for other cases. In fact Yin (2003) concurs that multiple case studies are far much better than a single case. Choice of one case study usually requires strong justification for that choice. However, this choice of case study has its flaws (Gannon Doherty, 2010). For example, the case study approach brings about an â€Å"unscientific feel†. All in all a case study is crucial to this study since it is exploratory in nature. Thus, it may be one way generating new knowledge since cases are usually peculiar in themselves (Garrison Noreen, 1997). Sampling Sampling acts as the process selecting the required number of the informants. In our case the purposive sampling will be used since the information we intend to collect will be provided by the line managers of the establishments. The researcher will therefore look for the managers who will be willing to give the information that is crucial to this research. Development of the research instrument The instrument that will be used in the research will be one developed based on the research questions. This instrument will be written in an interview form. The researcher aims at conducting about 3 interviews and analyzing 17 questionnaires. Managers from the three selected establishments will be interviewed while the other questionnaires will be sent to the other budget establishments by post. However, it is hoped that questionnaires will be sent to more establishments considering that some establishments may decline to respond. To make sure that the questionnaires are returned, an empty envelope and stam p will accompany each questionnaire. All in all, all research questions will be represented on the questionnaire. The interview has several advantages to this study. First, it will enable the researcher to reach as many respondents as possible, especially since here we will use a postal questionnaire. It is also easy to standardize the questionnaire, hence making sure that the responses can easily be gauged on a standard scale (Gummesson, 1993). Since they stress anonymity, they may lead to many answering the questions more anonymously (O’Neill, 2004). However, there are notable weaknesses of this instrument (Rumelt, 1991). One is that it will not be easy to tell where the person who filled the questions was the one targeted. Another issue is that the researcher’s absence may mean that there will be no clarification, especially in cases where a question is not well understood. The interview method will be employed in this research as stated earlier. Interviews form a f ace to face kind of interaction with the informant (Yin, 1994). This encounter has several advantages since in-depth data may be collected (Weissinger et al., 1997). However, this method may come with its own disadvantages too. For instance, the presence of the researcher may create some form of bias (Riley Love, 2000). Also in cases where the interviewer is not articulate enough, this may elicit negative response from the respondent (Ramaswamy, 1996). The use of both interviews and questionnaires pose a great challenge as it becomes a bit complicated to compare the responses. For instance to answer the first research question it will be difficult for an interview to do this.Secondary data collected will prove handy in answering this question.To avoid this, there is need for the interview to be structured in such a way that it aligns to the questionnaire (Gummesson, 1991). Data collection The researcher will solely collect the data of this research. He will interview at least 3 inf ormants in the research. Other data will be obtained from questionnaires sent out. The managers of the budget hotels will be the ones to answer the fill questionnaires. Data analysis Data analysis is a crucial component of this research since it will allow the researcher to reflect the findings thereby aiding in the drawing of the conclusion. The data analysis will be done immediately when the information gathered is still fresh. To this effect, a qualitative analysis will be employed. Validation and reliability To guarantee reliability, the information in my research is carefully collected and verified, analyze and also interpreted. For example when collecting data on the three budget hotels I looked at information and made sure that it was true. To come up with the correct information, the researcher has chosen to interview the line managers who have actively and closely steered the establishments. So they are the best placed people to give the information. Validity in qualitative research involves use of the right methods to analyze and interpret the data used. To achieve this I have collected information from different budget hotels in the UK. Sometimes, the informants may want to give a ‘feel good’ picture about the establishments they are in. To mitigate this, the description of each item by an informant will be compared to the response given by other respondents. Further, the format of the same question may be changed to confirm the response previously given. References Adner, R, Helfat, C 2003, ‘Corporate effects and dynamic managerial capabilities’, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 24 No. 10, pp. 1011-25. Albrecht, K 2008, The Future of Destination Marketing, DMAI, Washington DC. Altinay, L 2006, ‘Selecting partners in an international franchise organisation’, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 25 No. 1, pp. 108-28. Ambrose, B, Ehrlich, S, Hughes, W Wachter, S 2000, ‘REIT economies of scale: fact or fiction?’ Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Vol. 20 No. 2, pp. 77-102. Asree, S, Zain, M Razalli, M 2009, ‘Influence of leadership competency and organizational culture on responsiveness and performance of firms’, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 22 No. 4, pp. 500-16. Avelini, I 1998, Controlling – Performance management, University of Rijeka, Opatija. Balser, D McClusky, J 2005, ‘Managing stakeholder relationships and non profit organization effectiveness’, Non-profit Management and Leadership, Vol. 15 No. 3 Baum, T 1998, ‘Mature doctoral candidates: the case in hospitality education’, Tourism Management Vol. 19 No. 5, pp. 463–474. Beals, P Denton, G 2004, ‘The current balance of power in North American hotel management contracts’, Journal of Retail Leisure Property, Vol. 4 No. 2, pp. 129-45. Bejou, D Palmer, A 1998, ‘Service failure and loyalty: an exploratory empirical study of airline customers’, Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 12 No.1, pp. 7–22. Berkely, B 1996, ‘Analysing service blueprints using phase distribution’, European Journal of Operational Research, Vol. 88 No.1, pp. 152–164. Blair, J Fottler, M 1990, Challenges in Healthcare Management, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco. Bowman, E Helfat, C 2001, ‘Does corporate strategy matter?’, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 22 No. 1, pp. 1-23. Brady, P Conlin, M 2004, ‘The performance of REIT-owned properties and the impact of REIT market power’, Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Vol. 28 No. 1, pp. 81-95. Brown, T, Churchill, G Peter, J 1993, ‘Improving the measurement of service quality, Journal of Retailing’, Vol. 69 pp.1, 127–139. Buhalis, D Laws, E 2001, Tourism Distribution Channels: Practices, Issues and Transformations, Continuum, London. Buhalis, D 2000, †˜Marketing the competitive destination of the future’, Tourism Management, Vol. 21 No.1, pp. 97–116. Burch, J 1994, Cost and Management Accounting A Modern Approach, West Publishing Company, Saint Paul. Cannina, L, Enz, C Harrison, J 2006, ‘Agglomeration effects and strategic orientations: evidence from the US lodging industry’, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 48 No. 4, pp. 566-81. Capozza, Seguin, P 1999, ‘Focus, transparency and value: the REIT evidence’, Real Estate Economics, Vol. 27 No. 4, pp. 587-619. Capozza, D Lee, S 1995, ‘Property type, size, and REIT value’, Journal of Real Estate Research, Vol. 10 No. 4, pp. 363-80. Chadee, D Mattson, J 1996, ‘An empirical assessment of customer satisfaction in tourism’, Service Industries Journal, Vol. 16 No.3, pp. 305–320. Chang, S Hong, J 2002, ‘How much does the business group matter in Korea?’, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 23 No. 3 , pp. 265-74. Chang, S Singh, H 2000, ‘Corporate and industry effects on business unit competitive position’, Strategic. Management Journal, Vol. 21 No. 7, pp. 739- 52. Corgel, J deRoos, J 1997, ‘Hotel investments in the portfolio: are they part of the core?’, Real Estate Finance, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 29-37. Corgel, J 2002, ‘A hotel investment is only as good as its local market!’, Real Estate Issues, Vol. 27 No. 2, pp. 64-6. Corgel, J 2005, ‘Hotel real estate markets’, Journal of Portfolio Management, Vol. 32, pp. 91-9. Crossland, C Hambrick, D 2007, ‘How national systems differ in their constraints on corporate executives: a study of CEO effects in three countries’, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 28 No. 8, pp. 767-89. D’Aveni, R 1990, ‘Introduction’, Hypercompetition, Free Press, New York. David, F 2001, Strategic Management Concepts, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Dev, C, Err amilli, M Agarwal, S 2002, ‘Brands across borders: determining factors in choosing franchising or management contracts for entering international markets’, Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Vol. 43 No. 6, pp. 91-104. Donaldson, T Preston, L 1995, ‘The stakeholder theory of the corporation: concepts, evidence, and implications’, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 20, pp. 65-91. Dopson, L Hayes, D 2009, Managerial Accounting for the Hospitality Industry, John Wiley and Sons, New Jersey. Eyster, J 1996, ‘The revolution in domestic hotel management contracts’, in Lefever, M.M. (Ed.), Hospitality in Review, Kendall/Hunt Publishing, Dubuque, IA. Faulkner Russell, R 1997, ‘Chaos and complexity in tourism: in search of a new perspective’, Pacific Tourism Review, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 93–102. Fisk, R, Brown, S Bitner, M 1993, ‘Tracking the evolution of services marketing literature’, Journal of Ret ailing, Vol. 69, No. 1, pp. 61–91. Ford, Peeper, W 2008, Managing Destination Marketing Organizations: The Roles, Tasks, Responsibilities of the Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive, ForPer, Orlando. Ford, R, Peeper, W Gresock, A 2009, ‘Friends to grow and foes to know: using a stakeholder matrix to identify management strategies for convention and visitors bureaus’, Journal of Convention and Event Tourism, Vol. 10 No. 3, pp. 166-84. Freeman, R 1984, Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach, Pitman, Marshfield. Friedman, A Miles, S 2002, ‘Developing stakeholder theory’, Journal of Management Studies, Vol. 39 No. 1, pp. 1-21. Gallagher, M Mansour, A 2000, ‘An analysis of lodging real estate market dynamics’, Journal of Real Estate Research, Vol. 19 Nos 1/2, pp. 133-64. Gannon, J Poper, A Doherty, L 2010, ‘The impact of hotel management contracting on IHRM practices: understanding the bricks and brains split’, In ternational Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 22 No. 5, pp. 638-58. Garrison, R Noreen, E 1997, Managerial Accounting, IRWIN, Chicago. Gartrell, R 1994, Destination Marketing for Convention and Visitors Bureaus, 2nd edn, Kendall/Hunt, Dubuque, IA. Gummesson, E 1991, Qualitative Methods in Management Research, Sage, London. Gummesson, E 1993, Quality Management in Service Organisation: An Interpretation of the Service Quality Phenomenon and a Synthesis of International Research, ISQA, Karlstad. Hales, J Van Hoof, H 2005, Accounting and Financial Analysis in the Hospitality Industry Hospitality Management Essentials, Elsevier Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford. Hall, C 1995, ‘In search of common ground: reflections on sustainability, complexity and process in the tourism system – a discussion between C. Michael Hall and Richard W. Butler’, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 99–105. Harrison, J Enz, C 2005, Hospitality Strate gic Management: Concepts and Cases, John Wiley Sons, Hoboken, NJ. Hayes, D Ninemeier, J 2007, Hotel Operations Management, 2nd ed., Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. Horngren, C, Foster, G Datar, S 2003, Cost Accounting – A Managerial Emphasis, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River. Hudson, S Shephard, G 1998, ‘Measuring service quality at tourist destinations: an application of importance-performance analysis to an Alpine ski resort’, Journal of Travel Tourism Marketing, Vol. 7 No. 3, pp. 61–77. Imperiale, R 2002, Real Estate Investment Trusts: New Strategies for Portfolio Management, John Wiley Sons, New York. Ismail, J, Dalbor, M Mills, J 2002, ‘Using RevPAR to analyze lodging-segment variability’, Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Vol. 43 No. 6, pp. 73-80. Jagels, M 2007, Hospitality Management Accounting, John Wiley and Sons, New Jersey. Jambulingham, T Nevin, J 1999, ‘Influence on franchisee se lection criteria on outcomes desired by the franchisor’, Journal of Business Venturing, Vol. 14 No. 4, pp. 363-95. Kim, H, Kim, W An, J 2003, ‘The effect of consumer-based brand equity on firms’ financial performance’, The Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 20 No. 4, pp. 335-51. Laws, E 1997, The Inclusive Holiday Industry: Relationships, Responsibility and Customer Satisfaction, Thomson International Business Press, London. Laws, E 2000, ‘Service quality in tourism research: are we walking tall (yet)?’, Journal of Quality Assurance in Tourism and Hospitality, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 31–56. Laws, E 2004, Improving Tourism and Hospitality Services, CAB International, Wallingford, UK. Laws, E, Buhalis, D Craig-Smith, S 1999, ‘A structured bibliography of tourism books’, Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 47–63. Mark, s, Philip, l and Adrian, T 2009, Research Methods for Business Student, 5th ed, Financial Times/Prentice Hall, London. McGahan, A Porter, M 1997, ‘How much does industry matter, really?’, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 18, S1, pp. 15-30. Meissner, J 2010, Review of Price theory [PowerPoint slides]. Lancaster. Web. Mintzberg, H 1990, ‘Strategy formulation: schools of thought’, in Fredrickson, J.W. (Ed.), Perspectives on Strategic Management, Harper Row, New York. Mitchell, R, Agle, B Wood, D1997, ‘Toward a theory of stakeholder identification and salience: defining the principle of who and what really counts’, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 22, pp. 853-86. Neely, A. (1998). Measuring Business Performance: Why, what and how. London: The Economist Books. O’Neill Mattila, A 2010, ‘Hotel brand strategy’, Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Vol. 51 No. 1, pp. 27-34. O’Neill Mattila, A 2006, ‘Strategic hotel development and positioning: the effect of revenue driver s on profitability’, Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Vol. 47 No. 2, pp. 146-55. O’Neill, 2004, ‘An automated valuation model for hotels’, Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Vol. 45 No. 3, pp. 260-8. O’Neill, J Xiao, Q 2006, ‘The role of brand affiliation on hotel market value’, Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Vol. 47 No. 3, pp. 1- 14. Okumus, F 2002, ‘Can hospitality researchers contribute to the strategic management literature?’, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 21 No. 2, pp. 105-10. Panvisavas, V Taylor, J 2006, ‘The use of management contracts by international hotel firms in Thailand’, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 18 No. 3, pp. 231-45. Perry, C Coote, L 1994, ‘Process of a case study research methodology: tool for management development?’, Paper at the National Conferen ce of the Australian–New Zealand Association of Management, pp. 1–22. PerÃ… ¡ić, M, Janković, S 2006, Managerial accounting of hotel, Croatian Association of Accountants and Financial Experts, Zagreb. Pfeffer, J Salancik, G 1978, The External Control of Organizations: A Resource Dependency Perspective, Harper and Row, New York. Philips, R 2005, Pricing and Revenue Management Optimization, Stanford University Press, California. Prideaux, B 2000, The Role of the Transport System in the Growth of Coastal Resorts – An Examination of Resort Development in South East Queensland, PhD thesis, Department of Tourism and Leisure Management, The University of Queensland, Ipswich. Ramaswamy, R 1996, Design and Management of Service Processes, Addison- Wesley, Reading. Riley, R Love, L 2000, ‘The state of qualitative tourism research’, Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 27 No.1, pp. 164–187. Rizzuto, M 2006, The changing travel distribution model i n Asia, Cendant. Roh, E Yoon, J 2009, ‘Franchisor’s ongoing support and franchisee’s satisfaction: a case of ice cream franchising in Korea’, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 21 No. 1, pp. 85-99. Roquebert, J, Phillips, R Westfall, P 1996, ‘Markets vs management: what drives profitability?’, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 17 No. 8, pp. 653-64. Rumelt, R 1991, ‘How much does industry matter?’, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 12 No. 3, pp. 167-85. Ryan, C 1995, Researching Tourist Satisfaction, Routledge, London. Sainaghi, R 2010, ‘Hotel performance: state of the art’, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 7, pp. 920-52. Savage, G, Nix, T, Whitehead, C Blair, J 1991, ‘Strategies for assessing and managing organizational stakeholders’, Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 5 No. 2, pp. 61-75. Schmalensee, R 1985, ‘Do markets diffe r much?’, American Economic Review, Vol. 75 No. 3, pp. 341-51. Schmidgall, R Damitio, J 2006, Hospitality Industry Financial Accounting, Educational Institute, American Hotel and Lodging Educational Association, Lansing. Sheehan, L Ritchie, J 2005, ‘Destination stakeholders: exploring identity and salience’, Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 32 No. 3, pp. 711-34. Sheehan, L, Ritchie, J Hudson, S 2007, ‘The destination promotion triad Simons, M 1994, ‘Hotel management contracts: some recent trends in relation to dispute resolution in Australia’, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 13 No. 2, pp. 143-53. Teas, K 1994, ‘Expectations as a comparison of standards in measuring service quality, an assessment and reassessment’, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 58 No.1, pp. 132–139. Tse, E Olsen, M 1999, ‘Strategic management’, in Brotherton, B. (Ed.), The Handbook of Contemporary Hospitality Management Res earch, John Wiley Sons, New York, pp. 351-73. Turkel, S 2006, In hotel franchising, reality trumps wishful thinking. Web. Waldrop, M 1992, Complexity: The Emerging Science and the Edge of Order and Chaos, Simon Schuster/Penguin, London. Weissinger, E, Henderson, K Bowling, C 1997, ‘Toward an expanding methodological base in leisure studies: researchers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices concerning qualitative research’, Loisiry Socià ©tà ©, Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 434–451. Weygandt, J, Keiso, D, Kimmel, P DeFranco, A 2008, Hospitality Financial Accounting, John Wiley and Sons, New Jersey. Woolley, S, Morris, K, Melcher, R Anderson, S 1997, ‘The new world of real estate; its titans are quickly turning a private industry public as they amass vast empires’, Business Week, September 22, pp. 78-84. Yin, R 2003, Case Study Research: Design and Methods, Sage, London. Yusel, A Yusel, F 2001, ‘The expectancy–disconfirmation paradigm: a critique’, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, Vol. 25, No. 2, pp.107–131.

Racial profiling against american minorities Essay

Racial profiling against american minorities - Essay Example Racial profiling will not help the policing procedures becomes effective and the insurance practices as well. The paper will enlighten some of us who are not aware that they are committing racial discrimination against the minorities. In this paper you will be able to identify the policing procedures and insurance policies for African Americans differs from the normal citizen of USA. To understand the topic fully it is best to define terms involved in the study. At the end of the paper the reader will agree or disagree on matter involving racial profiling against African American in policing procedures and insurance policies. Racial profiling is one of the most frequently debated topics in the U.S today. Numerous instances and issues have been brought to light especially with regards to the police making undue stops on black motorists. It is basically the practice of targeting African Americans whom they assume are more likely to be involved in criminal activity. Racial profiling happens when the police officials or a private security personnel use a person's race to judge or base a criminal activity. Discrimination which is rooted solely on an individual's colour, nationality etc destabilizes the human rights which everyone is entitled to. The issue in recent days has spread further to focus on Middle ... Racial profiling happens when the police officials or a private security personnel use a person's race to judge or base a criminal activity. Discrimination which is rooted solely on an individual's colour, nationality etc destabilizes the human rights which everyone is entitled to. The issue in recent days has spread further to focus on Middle Eastern characteristics as well. What is termed as racial profiling could probably just be a matter of discretion to some. However the law enforcement officers should not be pressurised with racial profiling background so as to hinder justice and should be able to do their duty for the just and reasonable reason without fear of being attacked for racial profiling. Racial profiling and residential segregation are the basis of collective racism in today's world. The problem has become quite severe in certain states that anti-profiling statutes had to be brought in place to ensure equality in policing procedures and discourage racial profiling. After the 9/11 incident racial profiling had become rampant with Asians and Arabs being stopped by law enforcement officers claiming to investigate terrorist activities. Most of these people have clear criminal records and have never before been charged which makes it a humiliating experience causing tension and racist feelings. One of ACLU's first priorities is the fight against racial profiling and the method of substituting the colour of the skin as grounds

Summary of fixed income securities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Summary of fixed income securities - Essay Example Debt securities have two essential components namely interest and principle. Fixed income securities which fall in the category of debt includes bonds, mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities and bank loans. Preferred stock obligations can be defined as the stock in which the investors gain ownership interests in an organization. Fixed dividends are paid to the stock holders out of the profits which are earned by the company. Preferred stock holders are different from the common stock holders as they do not have voting rights. Preferred stock holders only can realize fixed dividends at periodical intervals. However, preference stock holders are given more priority when it comes to payment of dividends as compared to common stock holders. If a company becomes bankrupt, the obligations to preference stock holders are cleared off first. Considering such aspects associated with preferred stock, they are termed as form of equity having characteristic features which are similar to bonds (Barnhill Jr and Maxwell 347). Treasury bonds- They are also referred to as government bonds as the federal government of a nation issues such bonds. The government is expected not to default the payments associated with such bonds. Hence, the risks associated with such bonds are perceived to be low. However, since the price of such bonds may fall if the rate of interest rises, they are not completely riskless. Corporate bonds- Such bonds are issued by business organizations. Unlike government bonds, corporate bonds are exposed to high default risks. If the issuing company does not earn adequate profits or is suffering huge losses, it may not be able to make timely payments to the bondholders. The default risks which are associated with the bonds may range on the basis of the characteristics of the company and the terms of the bond. Such default risks are

Assessment of physical workload in boiler operations Assignment - 1

Assessment of physical workload in boiler operations - Assignment Example These were used as indicators for quantifying physical labour that such operators experienced. In this case, Justino et al (4) had to use a number of instruments to measure the heart rate, places of higher overload, pain in certain parts of the operators’ body, and physical workload. These instruments included heart rate monitor, which was utilised to measure the heart rate, the tape measure for marking the key points where operators of the boiler remained during the process of boiler operation, the Infrared digital camera for showing the areas that experienced higher incidence of thermal radiations within the body of operators, the heart rate meter for recording the operator’s heartbeat, the painful Areas Diagram and Nordic questionnaire for collecting information regarding pain experienced by operators, and the wet-bulb globe thermometer (WBGT) for recording thermal temperatures, which in turn helped ascertain places of higher thermal overload. To measure pain, a diagram, in this case, human body was divided into 24 segments. Was followed was to evaluate these body parts to ascertain areas that the operators experienced pain. This was done by evaluating subjectively, with the use of a scale ranging from zero to seven, the level of discomfort experienced in each of the 24 segments. In measuring the heart beats, the heart rate meter, which consisted of three parts: transmitter, digital pulse receiver, and an electrode elastic strap, was used. This way, a transmitter was fixed in the chest of the operator to enable the heart beats to be captured and stored within the wrist receiver. In order to ascertain which parts of the body experienced higher thermal overload, a tape measure was used to mark key areas that an operator remained while carrying out the boiling operations. The wet-bulb globe thermometer (WBGT) was then used to

Canada Supreme Court Judge Selection

Canada Supreme Court Judge Selection Essay The issue of judges’ appointments to the Supreme Court of Canada has come to the foreground of Canadian politics in recent years. The Supreme Court is afforded great power within Canada, including the ability to strike down law produced by democratically elected legislatures. Therefore, the method of selection for the Supreme Court is absolutely critical to Canadian democracy. Scholars have suggested reforming Canadian Supreme Court appointments. This paper will analyse alternative ways of selecting Canada’s Supreme Court judges and make an argument in favour of retaining current practice with a few modifications. Key Principle In order to establish the best method, one must have a way of identifying it. There are few greater principles in Canadian politics than judicial independence. The Constitutionally guaranteed principle â€Å"ensures that the courts guard our Constitution, the Rule of Law, equality and the democratic process† (Johnson, Remarks to the Committee). Judicial independence is divided into two categories: institutional independence and decisional independence. In order to have an effective top level court, judicial independence in both its forms must be enforced. Alternative appointment processes have been heavily scrutinised for their potential to politicise the selection process, thereby dissolving judicial independence. Scholars argue that US-style confirmation hearings will lead to qualified candidates excluding themselves from consideration (Peach, 2005). Canada at Present Judges of the Supreme Court of Canada are appointed by the Governor General upon recommendation by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister, in turn, consults with her Cabinet. The Prime Minister’s selection is made based upon a shortlist provided to her by the Minister of Justice with input from the relevant law society. By the Supreme Court Act, candidates must have been a member of a provincial or territorial law society for at least ten years, or have served as a judge in a superior court. Additionally, at least three of the nine Supreme Court judges must come from Quebec. This is often justified due to Quebec’s unique utilisation of civil law, unlike the other provinces, which utilise common law instead. Interestingly, though representing one-third of the Supreme Court, Quebec represents only 23% of the Canadian population (Statistics Canada, 2013). By convention, the remaining six appointments are split between Ontario (three), Western Canada (two) and Atlantic Canada (one). In Canada the judicial branch is independent of the executive and legislative branch – that is, it has institutional independence. The justice system also enjoys decisional independence, most notably in the Supreme Court. Judges are appointed until the mandatory appointment age of 75, and their remuneration is controlled by the Judicial Compensation and Benefits Commission. Through this process the legislative and executive branches cannot influence judges’ decision making through threats of reduced salary or termination. Canada’s system has been criticised for essentially three reasons. First, there is much confusion in the Canadian public as to how the appointment process works, with even a fair number suspecting that there is political interference. Secondly, due to the geographic considerations in the process, many worry about the effect of Provincial politics on the shortlisting of candidates. Thirdly, there has been a history of inconsistent consultation of Prime Minister (Johnson, Remarks to the Committee). Other countries Amongst developed countries, there is great variation on the selection of judges for the highest court. In the US, their Senate holds the final decision making power in confirming or denying the President’s candidate. While legislative approval is generally a formality, there have been recent notable cases of Senate confirmations going awry in the cases of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas. In the age of mass media, candidates may be subject to an avalanche of questions concerning their personal life. The US-style senate confirmation mechanism is criticised for giving qualified candidates a reason to withdraw their candidacy. However, even if all the best candidates made themselves available, the President does not select the best candidate. They select the best Senate-confirmable candidate. If the Senate and candidate have strongly opposing political views, then the confirmation can degenerate into a virtual inquisition, and quite literally means that the judiciary answers to the legislature. This severely undermines the judicial independence in the selection process as the President must make a political calculation of who the best candidate is that will also pass Senate confirmation, and also reduces independence from the legislature. In Switzerland, Austria, and Germany the national assemblies vote to nominate members of their constitutional courts. For Germany, this practice means that the states are involved in the appointment process because the members of Germany’s upper house the state governments. While there have been calls for greater Provincial involvement in Canadian Supreme Court appointments, Carl Baar warns, Experiences in other federal systems thus do not impel Canada to the kind of provincial role in selection of Supreme Court justices that was embodied in draft provisions of the Meech Lake Accord. While the Accord provisions did not provide as widespread and continuing participation for the provinces as the provisions in West Germany’s Basic Law provide for its state governments, they did authorize a much more substantial provincial roles (both in its constitutional status and in the range of activities it involved) than is characteristic of any of the world’s other federal systems. And unlike the West German provisions, the Meech Lake Accord kept judicial selection completely outside parliament (1991). In 2009, the United Kingdom implemented their Supreme Court that had been established by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. Here, judge candidates are selected by an independent selection commission of several judicial committees. Once the selection commission has arrived at a consensus for one candidate, it then provides the name to the Lord Chancellor. The Lord Chancellor is then required to consult with all the politicians and judges that the commission consulted in their selection of the candidate. The Lord Chancellor is given three rounds in which to accept a candidate. If the Lord Chancellor rejects a candidate, then the selection commission will bring a new name forward in the next round. If the Lord Chancellor asks the commission to reconsider, then the commission may present the same person again, or provide a new name. The Lord Chancellor must accept the name put forth in the third round, if they have not already accepted a candidate in a previous round. The Lord Chancello r then forwards this recommendation to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is then required by law to recommend this name to the Queen for appointment, and may not nominate anyone else. The plethora of international selection processes in use appears to provide Canada with ample reform options. One must be cognisant, however, of countries’ political cultures and their effect on shaping the process. In order to maximise the quality of the ultimate appointee, and legitimise the process in the eyes of the public, one must be careful to fine tune the process based upon the particular country’s political climate. Canada is a parliamentary democracy There is a great consensus amongst scholars that judicial independence is superior in an appointments process than an election process (Geyh 2003; Tarr 2003). Bibliography Baar, C. (1991). Comparitive Perspectives on Judicial Selection Process. Toronto: The Ontario Law Reform Commission. Canadian Bar Association. (2004). Supreme Court of Canada Appointment Process. Canadian Bar Association. Freund, P. (1988). Appointment of Justices: Some Historical Perspectives. Harvard Law Review, 1146-1163. Geyh, C. (2003). Why Judicial Elections Stink. Ohio State Law Journal, 43-80. Johnson, W. (2004). Ensuring Supreme Confidence in Judicial Appointments. Policy Options, 41-45. Johnson, W. (n.d.). Remarks to the Committee. Retrieved from The Canadian Bar Association: http://www.cba.org/cba/news/pdf/scc_johnsonremarks.pdf Peach. (2005). Legitimacy on Trial: A Process for Appointing Justices to the Supreme Court of Canada. Regina: University of Regina. Ref re Independence and Impartiality of Judges of the Prov. Court of P.E.I., 24778 (The Supreme Court of Canada September 18, 1997). Ref re Remuneration of Judges of the Prov. Court of P.E.I., 24508 (The Supreme Court of Canada September 18, 1997). Statistics Canada. (2013, November 25). Population by year, by province and territory. Retrieved from Government of Canada: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/demo02a-eng.htm Supreme Court Act, Revised Statutes of Canada (1985, c. S-26). Retrieved from Department of Justice Canada: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/s-26/ Tarr, A. (2003). Rethinking the Selection of State Supreme Court Justices. Williamette Law Review, 1445-1470. Yahya, M., Stribopoulos, J. (2007). Does a Judges Party of Appointment or Gender Matter to Case Outcomes?: An Empirical Study of the Court of Appeal for Ontario. Osgoode Hall Law Journal, 315-363. Ziegel, J. (2006). A New Era in the Selection of Supreme Court Judges? Osgoode Hall Law Journal, 547-555.

The Traits of Heathclif in Wuthering Heights Essay -- essays research

In Emily Brontà «'s book, Wuthering Heights, we, the reader, are introduced to a group of interesting characters. The antiheroic main character, Heathcliff, is a complex character with many distinguishing traits. Heathcliff acts upon his feelings and creates quite a reputation for himself. Heathcliff is full of vengeance, nonetheless, he is very loving. Heathcliff's vengeance is shown and proven throughout the book. Even as a child Heathcliff would say things such as, "I'm trying to settle how I shall pay-back. I don't care how long I wait, if I can only do it, at last. I hope he will not die before I do?No, God won?t have the satisfaction that I shall?I only wish I knew the best way! Let me alone, and I?ll plan it out: while I?m thinking?? (Brontà « 55-56) This, as we, the reader, later see come to pass. After being rejected by the love of his life, Catherine, Heathcliff has no choice but to find another partner. Heathcliff is not mad at Catherine for marrying someone else, but instead her motive why. Catherine tells Nelly Dean, the housekeeper, that it would be disgraceful to herself if she was to marry Heathcliff. Catherine says it would be shameful because Heathcliff is more poverty-stricken and deprived of many this she wants. (Brontà « 75) Heathcliff runs away after hearing this, only to return months later more gentlema n-like. Catherine?s sister-in-law, Isabella, falls in love with Heathcliff after his return and Heathcliff realizes this. Heathcliff is an opportunist, so he marries Isabella intentionally, knowing Catherine would become jealous. This is the one of the first greatest example of revenge. A second example of how Heathcliff sought revenge on others, has to do with his stepbrother, Hindley. Heathcliff wan... ...ion of tears. ?Come in! Come in!? he sobbed. ?Cathy, do come in. Oh,-- once more! Oh! my heart?s darling, hear me this time-- Catherine, at last.?? (Brontà « 25) Although, Heathcliff has a son, was married, and twenty years have passed after her death Heathcliff is still passionate about his love for Catherine. This shows that Heathcliff is truly loving because even after twenty years, he is still true to Catherine and still wants a chance to show her his sincere love for her. Even though Heathcliff has his negative sides which got the best of him very often, he was also very devoted and caring. The different aspects of Heathcliff make his a truly unique, complex, and interesting character. Heathcliff?s contradictory traits make him an individual who?s is worth the time to look at. Both sides of Heathcliff are shown throughout the book, and make him who he is.

The Mojito is a very well-known Cuban drink

The Mojito is a very well-known Cuban drink, but this was not always the case. There was quite a few years that passed before this drink became what it is today. The ingredients for this great tasting drink are one of a kind and though tweaked a bit over the years, are still the same ones used today. One man that really contributed to the establishment of this amazing drink was Sir Francis Drake. Another famous name that gave this drink some popularity was the writer Ernest Hemingway. This popular drink was discovered decades ago and is still thriving today. The traditional Mojito consists of 5 ingredients: sparkling water, white rum, mint, lime juice, and sugar. The recipe originally from the island of Cuba, most often consists of spearmint or Yerba Buena, a popular mint on the island. The mint and citrus is used in order to reduce the strong kick of the white rum. Due to its sweet taste, the Mojito has become a popular summer drink. When making a Mojito, the mint leaves and sugar are added first followed by the lime juice. After, the leaves must gently be mashed up, but only enough for the oils to be released. The rum is then added and the mixture is stirred in order to lift the leaves and the sugar to dissolve. Last but not least, the drink is then topped with soda water and whole ice cubes to give a better presentation. Some hotels in Havana, Cuba, add Angostura which helps to cut the sweetness the mojito presents. Angostura is a liquid made up of water and 44. 7 % alcohol. A hotel guest in Cuba may have their mojito served with fresh lime instead of lemon. This also can depend on the bartender preparing the drink. There are other ways the mojito can be made in order to give the drink a different taste. Some people say that this drink was invented by the African slaves that worked in the sugar cane fields in Cuba seeing as the name â€Å"Mojito† comes from the African word â€Å"mojo† which means to place a little spell (http://havanajournal. com/culture/entry/cuban-mojito-history-and-recipe/). There are quite a few of these rum-based drinks, but the original is the most popular. Though Cuba is said to be the Mojito’s birthplace, many would debate otherwise. The Mojito has been traced to a 19th century drink known as â€Å"El Draque†, named after Sir Francis Drake (http://iml. ou. ufl. edu/projects/fall12/araujo_J/history. html). The Draque was originally made with sugar, lime, mint, and aguardiente. Aguardiente is a clear alcoholic drink that looks like vodka, but consists of a higher alcohol percentage. It is made in Colombia, and means â€Å"sizzling or fire water†. In older times this drink was used in a medicinal way. They would place the liqu or in a bottle with a dead snake and let it set for a period of time. After some time it was used as a rubbing alcohol for muscle pains. The 1800’s was the turning point for the mojito. Thanks to the establishment of Bacardi in the 1800’s, the popularity of the Mojito sky rocketed. In 1940 Federick Villoch changed this sweet tropical drink’s name from â€Å"El Draque† to the mojito (http://www1. bacardi. com/#/us/en-us/originalmojito/history). While it was not originally called a Mojito, the ingredients used back then are still the same ones used today. One famous man who very much enjoyed this drink was the writer Ernest Hemingway. His love for this drink caused him to write â€Å"My Mojito in La Bodeguita† which translates â€Å"My Daiquiri in the Bodega†. The title of the book came from the bar La Bodeguita del Medio which Hemingway helped make famous. In the bar today you can still see his writings on the walls. The bar was opened in 1942 by Angel Martinez. It was established next to a printing shop which gave the little bar more customers who stopped by for a drink after business. The bar became the new drinking spot and in no time the place was always packed. In 1950, Martinez changed the name from â€Å"La Casa Martinez† to â€Å"La Bodequita del Medio† and has stayed that way ever since (http://bodeguita. om. ua/? page_id=6218&lang=en). The invention of the mojito was not planned, but it did produce a revolutionary product that is still to this day enjoyed worldwide. The ingredients are easy to find and the drink, though meticulous in detail, is well worth the time spent. Many people have contributed to its success, and due to this success the mojito will continue to thrive. This gives just a little hint that this w ell-made drink will continue to have success for many years to come. Works Cited http://bodeguita.com.ua/?page_id=6218&lang=en. (n.d.). http://havanajournal.com/culture/entry/cuban-mojito-history-and-recipe/. (n.d.). http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/fall12/araujo_J/history.html. (n.d.). http://www1.bacardi.com/#/us/en-us/originalmojito/history. (n.d.).

National Culture of Malaysia Essay

Professor Geert Hofstede conducted one of the most comprehensive studies of how values in workplace are influenced by culture. He defines these dimensions as follows: Power Distance: ‘the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) expect and accept that power is distributed unequally’. Uncertainty Avoidance: ‘intolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity’. Individualism versus Collectivism: ‘the extent to which individuals are integrated into groups’. Masculinity versus Femininity: ‘assertiveness and competitiveness versus modesty and caring’. Figure 1 Figure 1 shows the statistic of national culture in Malaysia through the lens of the 5-D Models. From the graph, we can get a deep overview of Malaysia culture relative to other world culture. 1) Power Distance: Malaysia has a high power distance because of the hierarchy system among people. The hierarchy is referred to the rank (Tan Sri, Datuk, Puan Sri), the level of knowledge (Professor, Doctor) or the seniority (grandpa, grandma, brother, sister). The value of the high power distance is respect and humble. It is ethically when employee give respect to their manager. 2) Individualism: Malaysia is categorized as collectivism because Malaysia emphasizes the good of the group, community, or society over and above individual gain. Three difference races (Chinese, Indian and Malay) are working together to develop the economy of Malaysia and increasing the quality of life. The value of collectivism is support and unity to gain equal advantages. It is non-ethical if these difference races do not respect each other and have racial bias. 3) Masculinity: Masculine cultures are described as being dominated by money and power relationships and often are results-oriented while feminine cultures are more connected with interpersonal relationship and process-oriented. From figure 1, Malaysia possesses masculinity and femininity culture. The masculinity culture in organization is characterized as command structure and expects employees to obey the instructions without questions. Meanwhile, femininity culture more focused on sharing emotions, democratic, cooperation and communication. 4) Uncertainty avoidance: Uncertainty avoidance is about the way approached by society to avoid unknown situation in the future. Malaysia is categorize as low uncertainty avoidance because individuals are less concerned by the ambiguity and uncertainty and have a greater tolerance for a variety of option. Such society are less ruleoriented, take more risks and more ready to accept change. In multinational corporation environment, the need for the product development processes and organizational routines are increases to generate competitive advantage in multiple nations. Low uncertainty avoidance can create the value of critical thinking among employee to solve the problem and cultivate the sense of responsibility for the decision making. It is an ethical situation for being prepared for the uncertainty and generate creative and innovative person in the country. Malaysia nowadays can be categorized as masculinity culture. People are live in order to work. Money and power is the sign of success driven by the competition and achievement. The value of the masculinity is the competiveness between workers to become the best and gain profit. It is ethical when we are trying our best to obtain great income or improve our quality of life.