Native Son Essays (479 words) - Native Son, , Term Papers

Native Son Richard Wright is the author of the novel, Native Son. By writing the novel, he wanted to awaken America to the realities of the relationship between blacks and whites in the controversial 1930s. When he wrote this novel, it caused many disputes among Americans. Many people thought that some of the issues Wright included in his novel were not appropriate to write about. Richard Wright believed that even the bad parts of America should be seen, though. This story takes place in Chicago, Illinois in the late 1930s. The main character is Bigger Thomas. He is a twenty year old black man who lives in a one-room apartment with his mother, sister, and brother. The part of town they live in is infested with crime, and most of the buildings are dilapidated. Bigger believes that he could never get far in life because of his being an inferior black man in a"white" world. Bigger wants to help support his family, so he decides to apply for a job as a chauffeur. He is hired by a millionaire named Henry Dalton, who allows Bigger to live in his house. Mr. Dalton and his wife, who is blind, always try to help their employees succeed in life. Everything goes well for a while until one night when Mr. Dalton's teenage daughter, Mary, gets drunk. Bigger carries Mary to her room after she falls down while climbing the stairs. While Bigger is in Mary's room, Mrs. Dalton comes to check in on her. Although Mrs. Dalton wouldn't be able to see Bigger in Mary's room, he is afraid that Mary might make a noise and Mrs. Dalton might think that he is raping her daughter. In his terror, Bigger covers Mary's face with a pillow and accidentally smothers her. When Bigger sees that he killed Mary, he freaks out, chops up her body with an ax, and hides it in the furnace downstairs. Although he acts out of fear and doesn't know what he is doing, Bigger still feels a sense of control that he's never felt before. Bigger leads everyone to believe that Mary's Communist friend, Jan, kidnapped her. Nobody suspects Bigger until one day, when the remains of her body are found in the furnace. He gets his girlfriend, Bessie, involved to help him get money and run away, but he kills her to avoid betrayal. Bigger is finally caught by the police and put on trial. During the course of the trial, he is amazed to find that Jan has forgiven him for all that he did. He can't believe that a white man actually treats him like a human being. Bigger is convicted of murder and ultimately pays with his life to learn that all humans are equal. I love this book! It shows the true story of how hard it can be to live in a prejudiced society. This novel is full of suspense and is really able to stir up controversies within oneself. I would definitely recommend this book to people.

My Personal Philosophy in Life Essays

My Personal Philosophy in Life Essays My Personal Philosophy in Life Essay My Personal Philosophy in Life Essay An element of my personal philosophy of life is related to the dynamics of ‘contentment’. Since the whole canon of Western Philosophy is centered on the causes, states and conditions of contentment, it is fair to say that my contribution through this narrative is a minuscule one. Yet, I would like to voice my assessment of this universal human concern and try to refine my theory through the responses it will elicit from the audience. I have synthesized my personal experience with a larger political event and have studied them both in a philosophical framework. I hope that the audience will eventually agree with me as they see the logic and weight of my arguments given below. I would describe my personal philosophy of life as closely allied to Epicureanism. Although this school of thought is grouped under Hedonism, it is markedly more moderate in the principles it espouses. As opposed to Hedonism, which is living life for the sole purpose of sensory enjoyment, ‘restraint’, ‘control’ and ‘moderation’ are the keywords describing Epicureanism. One of the sayings of Epicurus which had touched me and later influenced me was this: â€Å"A blessed and indestructible being has no trouble himself and brings no trouble upon any other being; so he is free from anger and partiality, for all such things imply weakness.† (The Principle Doctrines of Epicurus, 2011) There are unmistakable Buddhist undertones to this tenet – perhaps not a coincidence considering the blooming of Buddhism in Asia during the time of Epicurus. When I first came across this tenet a few years back, it immediately struck me as valid and releva nt to the personal and political domains. That it was intended as an instruction to conducting personal life is obvious, but its political application is not straightforward. On careful reflection, though, the tenet’s relevance to contemporary politics comes to light. Thomas E. Ricks’ 2006 book titled Fiasco, The American Military Adventure In Iraq, helps us connect Epicurean thought to a major political event. For instance, Ricks notes in his book how the United States invaded sovereign Iraq for the sake of oil and not for the stated reasons. He also documents the human and material costs incurred by both sides, with costs being disproportionately high on the Iraqi side. (Ricks, 2006) Placing Ricks’ findings and observations in Epicurean terms, I was able to synthesize the following argument: One could interpret America’s continued occupation of Iraq as a manifestation of ‘partiality’, in this case toward so called national interest, which in turn translates into the interests of military contractors and oil corporations based in the country. The destruction of lives and resources on both sides is as a result of America ‘troubling’ itself and ‘troubling’ its distant and weak enemy in the form of Iraq. Further, consistent with the tenet, the invasion implies ‘weakness’ on part of the aggressor, more specifically a ‘weakness’ for material wealth (in this case fossil fuel). It is interesting to note that the wisdom of Epicurus, set out two millenniums ago, finds application in contemporary political actions as well as in an individual’s personal life. In the case of the latter, I myself have been found falling short of being a ‘blessed and indestructible being’, for my occasional imprudent anger and partiality has gotten me into hot water a few times. One lingering memory in this respect is when I got into a verbal scuffle with a member of the audience during a college football game. I was slightly inebriated when my team was way behind in the game and the chance of winning was slim. At that point I over-reacted to a snide remark from a fan of the opposing team and got into a heated exchange. In retrospect I realized that though his remark was offensive it was not a defeat to my team and it did not mean anything significant. At that point I got the insight that my reaction is comparable to the way our government has conducted itself in the ongoing War on Terror operations. Just as I over-estimated the stakes involved in the defeat of my favorite team, the American government over-estimated the threat posed by Saddam Hussein and his illusory Weapons of Mass Destruction. There is a difference though, in that my adverse reaction was based on an over-spill of emotion (anger) whereas the government’s estimated threats were construed and deliberate. (Burnham, et., al., 2007) Research team of Gilbert Burnham et. al., have elaborated on the misinformation campaign organized by the government (in collusion with the media) in their supplement to the second Lancet study. In the study they identify how American diplomats underplay Iraqi fatalities and hype-up Iraqi insurgencies. When I place this in the Epicurean framework, it is an obvious example of ‘partiality’. My cheering for my football team (none of whose members I know personally) is similar to the cheering from jingoistic American citizens when the decision to invade Iraq was announced. (Ricks, 2006) Just a little bit of reflection made me realize that players of the opposing team are as hard-working, as meritorious and as deserving of their spurs as my own team is. Hence I questioned my allegiance to my team, when the real allegiance should be to broader aspects of the game like sportsmanship, fair-play, execution of skills, etc. Did all Americans similarly express solidarity with human beings in general, including innocent Iraqi civilians? I believe that, in order for civilization to progress, parochialism and narrow-mindedness will have to be overcome by embracing principles of solidarity and compassion toward fellow humans. Bringing about this transformation at the level of nations is a highly challenging project, given the power and efficiency of propaganda systems in place. But transformation at the individual level is more plausible. I personally have endeavored to mould myself in the Epicurean fashion with reasonable success and I implore members of the audience to consider this path. By embracing this philosophy, one can acquire a high degree of sophistication and refinement as a person. It will also enable an individual to navigate challenging phases in life with equipoise, stoicism and mental tranquility. More importantly, it will induce a state of contentment in the mind, which will make redundant conflicts and envy with fellow humans. : Epicurean Philosophy, Principle Doctrines of Epicurus, retrieved from epicurus.net/en/principal.html on 30th January, 2011 Gilbert Burnham, Shannon Doocy, Elizabeth Dzeng, Riyadh Lafta, and Les Roberts., (2007), The Human Cost of the War in Iraq: A Mortality Study, 2002–2006, A supplement to the second Lancet study. Thomas E. Ricks (2006) Fiasco, The American Military Adventure In Iraq. Published by Penguin Books.

Lead a Sales Team Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Lead a Sales Team - Essay Example The company is rapidly expanding to sell it services worldwide through the internet. The sales plan has been envisaged keeping the objectives in mind. The company’s mission is to become the premium provider of adventure vacations for the 25 to 35-year old working men and women. The focus would be on beach packages and the objective is to generate minimum twenty enquiries per day initially by our promotional activity. Advertising would be done in a phased and planner manner and internet would also be used as a medium. Enquiries would also be accepted through the internet. New markets would be tapped to increase the market share. Collectively, the team expects to convert a minimum of 3 enquiries into sales, which effectively amounts to approximately 100 packages per month at a price of $2500 per package. This sounds a rather low figure but it is realistic and has been arrived at after a SWOT analysis. To break-even the company needs to sell at least 3 packages per day. Over the period of one year these figures are expected to grow and it is expected that after taking into account the insurance sales, the gross sales in the fi rst year would be approximately $3,757,000. The sales budget is the first to be prepared before other budgets can be prepared. The sales revenue expected to be generated is $3,757,000 out of which the direct cost of sales is approximately 40%. Almost 50% of the direct sales cost can be allotted to guide services and 7% to sales and marketing costs. In the industry about 2% is considered as the operating cost which has to be accounted (BSA, 2001). It has to be noted that not all would be cash sales and about 20% could be credit sales, in which case the sales would be credited only after payments are received. Thus the revenue collection would differ from the sales that take place every month. Ever level of the organization should

Creating the Decision Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Creating the Decision Environment - Essay Example This is happens because the group welcome outside opinions, so there is no objectivity. This can be prevented by always having a neutral party that hasn’t been part of the group. This brings insight to it, and also leaves room for questioning of that decision and with this, a better decision is made. (Virtualsoft, 2009) Belief in Inherent Morality of the Group: The group has a mindset that the decision they have made is moral and ethical, this is because the group assume that they have done right. To prevent this kind of problem. The group should give the same scenario to an anonymous group of different people and gauge their responses to tell whether their decision is right (Janis, 2009). Collective Rationalization: This happens when the group makes a decision and they believe it rational. This happens when the collection of material is highly selective and biased. This tends to leave out some information that does not fit into the groups’ decision and reason for the s ame. This can cause a big problem because when a decision is made without all the relevant information regarding is examined (Marlene & Antony, 1998). This is mostly because of the close mindedness in the group. This is can be avoided by bringing in experts to examine the problem and advise the group before a group decision can be made. With the inclusion of an expert, critical information is less likely to be omitted. Illusion of unanimity: When the group look to each other to confirm their theories without consulting or involving an outside source (Janis, 2009). This close-mindedness can cause problems during the decision making process. To avoid this, the leaders should not state preference initially. This influences the group and affects the decisions made. Self-Appointed mind guards: this is also as a result of close mindedness, and the avoidance of troublesome ideas, these mind guards are usually to protect the leader. To prevent this symptom, a devil’s advocate should be appointed within the group and the sole purpose should be to critique every decision and look for flaws in it. This individual should ensure that alternatives are explored extensively. Stereotyping: Excessive stereotyping is a major symptom of groupthink; this happens when the group members start forming and constructing negative stereotypes of other rival groups (Janis, 2009). This happens especially if the other group’s opinions or ideas are not the same as theirs. This leads to the group shunning any external input leading to a decision that is a result of close mindedness. This can be prevented in decision making environments by always discussing what is happening with others outside the group (Marlene & Antony, 1998). With this, diversity is brought into the group and the decision in question will have been vetted by different individuals not just the group members, this makes the decision so much better. Pressure for conformity: Another symptom of groupthink is the m embers pressure anyone in the group that expresses an opinion or argument that is against their beliefs or ideas. They make this member or members feel that they have to conform. They make them feel that expressing an idea different from theirs is a sign of disloyalty. So in situation where a member might have a differing opinion they do not express it because they want to

Contemporary issues in management assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Contemporary issues in management - Assignment Example This paper makes a critical analysis regarding the innovation management practices adopted by two well known companies of the world. The names of these companies include Apple Inc. and Haier Group. These companies are well placed into consumer electronic industry and are known for their innovative practices at workplace. This paper aims at making critical analysis of organisational culture and human resource management practices in these two companies and their influence upon creativity and innovation of both the organisation. When we talk about innovation and management of innovation in the context of Consumer electronics, we cannot help talking about Apple Inc. It is considered as one of the most leading companies in the field of technology in today’s world. Initially, it was started with a scratch and grew rapidly in such a way that became a symbol of innovation in technology. It is known worldwide that no company can sustain in the market without innovation and creativity and when it comes to consumer electronic devices, continuous innovation and creativity becomes a prerequisite in order to survive and succeed in the market. Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc. and a great innovator once said, â€Å"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower† (Gillam 2012). Apple Inc. has set up itself as one of the most prominent companies in industry of consumer electronics. It has made the most significant position in both hardware as well as software through constant innovation and creativity. It was established in 1976 and since that day, it has been continuously focusing on innovation. It has made a great impact on society through its various major innovative products and features in the field of consumer electronics such as Trackpad, Mouse, GUI, iMac , iBook, iTunes, iPhone, iPod, iPad and so on (OGRADY 2008). Research and development is an integral part of any company especially when dealing in consumer

Concerned With Voluntary Euthanasia

Concerned With Voluntary Euthanasia J. David Velleman and Dan W. Brock are both concerned with voluntary euthanasia; a competent patient making a voluntary request to have his or her life ended. The arguments laid out in Vellemans, Against the Right to Die, and Brocks, Voluntary Active Euthanasia deal with active and passive voluntary euthanasia. Active being that the patient actively takes the last step in their death, while passive is usually defined as withdrawing medical treatment with intent to cause death. They do not consider cases involving involuntary euthanasia, when the patient is competent and refuses treatment. Nor do they consider non voluntary euthanasia, when the patient isnt competent at all. Many people believe that giving legality to voluntary active euthanasia (VAE) will in turn lead to involuntary and nonvoluntary euthanasia, the slippery slope fallacy, but for the purposes of this paper Im only concerned with VAE. Both authors agree that anyone could possibly be morally entitled to be allowed or h elped to die. However, Velleman argues against an institutional right to die. He believes that making the choice of voluntary active euthanasia available to the people can make them worse off even if they choose the option that is best for them. The ability to make a choice makes one worse off than going with the default option. In this paper, Im going to analyze Vellemans arguments while explaining how Brock responded to Vellemans arguments. To keep the integrity of each authors thoughts, I am going to use similar word phases which will be identified in quotes and later labeled with the paper number of reference. Velleman agrees that we have an obligation to assist some deaths, however he disagrees with those who use Kantian terms to justify such an obligation. He explains that voluntary active euthanasia deals with two major rights a person has, according to Kantian moral theory. They have the right to dignity and their autonomy. A multitude of life-preserving treatments are said to, violate a persons dignity or to detain him in an undignified state (Velleman, pg 2). A patient has the right of autonomy, or self-determinism, which is that we respect his/her competent wishes even if its a wish to die. Velleman goes on to explain how these rights become confusing when dealing with Kantian language in the terms of medical ethics. He has reservations about the loose definitions which dont match up with the extreme states of patients who are in question while dealing with euthanasia. Because of these qualms, Velleman disregards these Kantian-based arguments and moves on. Aside from problems in definition, VAE is dealing with other peoples autonomy. If laws are to be made which prohibit this autonomy, than these laws should make people better off. Velleman feels he has an answer to this dilemma which leads to his second argument against the option of euthanasia being given to patients, but unlike the first, this reason is consequentialist. When Velleman speaks of his consequentialist reasoning, he isnt referring to the consequences of mistakingly choosing to die, but instead, the consequences of placing such an option in the hands of the patient. He believes that giving patients this option will actually make them worse off. Im going to explain how Velleman attempts to prove this and then give the objections laid out by Brock. Contrary to natural thought, if we are given a second option besides the default, it will make us worse off than before no matter which option is chosen. Velleman explains this idea with an example of a cashier who is given the power to open the safe. Its not that the cashier doesnt directly want the power, but rather, it would make him a target for robbers. Even though opening the safe while at gun point would be the right thing to do, hed be wishing hed never been given the option of doing it (Velleman, pg 8). This makes him worse off because he can no longer have the default option, not being forced to open the safe at gun point, without choosing it. Multiple options become available and he is now subject to the pressures of possibility. Relative to euthanasia, this is the most important way of harm. We would be denying a patient the status quo of staying alive by default, with the option of euthanasia looming over his head. Because of this, the patient will now see himself in con trol of his own survival, which is ordinarily viewed as given to him. If the patient sees himself as this agent of control, then he will be held responsible for his actions by himself and others. He would then be required to justify his actions, whether it be his continued existence or choice of euthanasia. The burden of justifying ones existence might make existence unbearable and hence unjustifiable. (Velleman, pg 11) It may be perceived as insecurity, but justifying oneself personally and to others is extremely important to those who are ill. When the gift of independent activity is taken from someone, personal intercourse and intercourse with others is the only relief left in life. And so, unless he can defend his existence to the satisfaction of others, his only reasons for life may disappear. A patient who believes that his terminal illness is not an ample reason for ending his life with be faced with the burden of proof. Even if the patient believes that his life is worth living, he may find reasons to assume that those around him think otherwi se. Reasons ranging from the financial or the emotional costs of prolonging life may cause him to rationally judge that he is better off taking the option of euthanasia (Velleman, pg 12-13). Therefore, Velleman believes that if we offer the option of dying, than we may give patients new reason to choose death. Through the preceding arguments, Velleman is lead to believe that euthanasia should be permissible in some cases, yet still forbidden in others. However, he doubts that policymakers could define such conditions in which the option of dying would be beneficial and when the option of dying would be harmful. This leads him think that the best solution to the problem is allowing health professionals to decide. They should be given the power to permit, and never require, the option of euthanasia or to grant the patients request for it (Velleman, pg 19). It would be possible define certain conditions when the option should never be offered, but we cannot define conditions when euthanasia should always be offered. If put into effect, caregivers could withhold the option whenever they see fit, even when requested. Velleman claims that we already put so much trust into health professionals that this would serve as an effective solution. However, he still believes that the best policy of eutha nasia is no policy at all. Velleman states that he is inclined to believe that advances in medical technology have outrun the capacity of institutional rules to regulate their application. (Velleman, pg 20) And so, the policy regarding euthanasia should be weak and vague by design, left up to the individual health care professionals and the patient in question. (Velleman, pg 20) Dan W. Brock takes the opposite stance as J. David Velleman, believing that there should be an established institutional right to die, as stated in his article, Voluntary Active Euthanasia. He lays out many positive and negative potential consequences of euthanasia, but feels strongest about protecting patients right to autonomy. I will briefly explain some potential positive and negative consequences of euthanasia, but will focus more on his direct responses to Vellemans argument. Some potential good consequences of euthanasia include: giving the general public a broader sense of control over their life and death, showing mercy to suffering patients, and once death is undeniable in certain cases its more humane to do it quickly. Some potential bad consequences of euthanasia include: its not compatible with physicians moral and professional commitment as healers; to protect life, and euthanasia could weaken societys commitment to providing optimal care to the sick. Brock directly calls out Vallemans solution to the euthanasia problem and refutes it. Velleman argues that offering the option of euthanasia would make patients worse off than if not given the option at all. This leads Velleman to conclude the best solution is health care professionals having the power to permit, and never require, (Velleman, pg 19) the option of euthanasia or to grant the patients request for it. In doing so, situations in which there are unmistakable and over- powering reasons for persons to want the option of euthanasia (Brock, pg 19) would be the only cases granted it. Brock lists three main reasons why such restrictions wouldnt lead to the best outcome. First, polls and other evidence tend to show that most Americans do, in fact, believe that euthanasia should be allowed. Consequently, the amount of people made worse off by having the option wont outweigh those made better by having the option. Second, if people would be made worse off by the option of a right t o die, than why dont we see any consequences of voluntary passive euthanasia? People already have the option to refuse life-sustaining treatment and there is no evidence of harmful effects or public desire to take away such right. How would establishing an institutional right to active euthanasia make any difference? To this argument, Velleman has a refute. He states that the option of refusing life-sustaining treatment to end ones life may be just as harmful as having the option of active euthanasia. However, the proportions of deaths that occur as a result of passive euthanasia is very small, making the side-effects very small as well. Also, these side effects are to be accepted as an unavoidable byproduct of protecting the right not to be assaulted. Assaulted in this case as morally entitled to refuse treatment because we are morally entitled to not be drugged or punctured with needles. Third, there is a wide range of conditions that are reasonably disagreed about in the terms of euthanasia. If Velleman suggests restricting euthanasia to persons whose conditions indisputably call for it, than we would be denying the most amount of people who want it. In conclusion, Velleman and Brock disagree on whether to establish an institutional right to die or not. Velleman argues that establishing such a right would burden those given the option of euthanasia, that to offer an option of dying gives new reasons to end ones life. Because of this, he suggests the solution of a weak and vague euthanasia policy by design, left up to the individual health care professionals and the patient in question. Brock argues for an institutional right to die. He lists possible positive and negative outcomes and directly refutes Vellemans conclusion with three arguments. Brock and Velleman could go back and forth all day arguing and refuting each other. However, I believe that they disagree in the simple fundamentals of the situation. Brock believes that an individuals well-being and control over his or her own life far outweighs any impact on society, while Velleman believes that even the option would make patients and society worse off overall.

Ceremony By Leslie Silko :: essays research papers

Ceremony by Leslie Silko The novel Ceremony, written by Leslie Silko deals with the actions of a Native American youth after fighting, and being held captive during World War II. The young mans name is Tayo and upon returning to the U.S., and eventually reservation life he has many feelings of estrangement and apathy towards society. The novel discusses many topics pertaining to Native Americans, through the eyes of Tayo and a few female characters. The novel is one that you must decide for yourself what you believe, and why certain ideas or characters points of view are important. When reading the novel Ceremony, you must decide what you actually believe, and what situations were only figments of Tayo's stressed mind. Many of these situations occur throughout the book, some are very clear and others have hidden meanings. On a whole I believed what Tayo had to say about the world from his shoes. There are certain instinces that I know what Tayo is seeing is completely impossible. In Ceremony one must decide why and how the women's perspective is of importance. I believe the reason the women's view is to put a different perspective upon everything that goes on in the book, as compared with the perspective of Tayo. There are two women in the book who put their perspective into the story, one of them is the elderly mistress of Josiah and the other one is Helen Jean who went on one of the many joyrides that Harley and the others went on. These women are actually just a way for the author to explain how the rest of society viewed Tayo. An example of this is when Helen Jean describes Tayo "Too quiet, and not very friendly(161)". Another thing this allows the author to do is to show how the War affected the young women from the reservations. She is able to show you how Helen Jeans life was in just a few pages. Silko was able to show how the Native American war veterans looked to anyone who happened to look upon them, but that wasn't one of them. The perspective of the women also helped to debunk a lot of the stories the men told about the war and their various conquests etc. Another item for discussion that comes up in Ceremony is what did you as a reader actually learn? Well I learned many things that I found to be interesting,

A Balanced Score Card

The most important thing to having a successful business is to have the most up to date information. If you have all the information at your fingertips it can help you to make the best possible decisions. What kind of information is available and how do we sort through it and use this information? In the hospitality industry the amount of information received everyday is overwhelming, and it isn’t possible for staff to be able to sort through it and organize it properly. In the hospitality industry the information technologies are the tools that the staff uses to sort and manage the information and the balanced score card is just one such tool. The Balanced Score Card is a very useful tool for managers because it organizes information from different departments to create a picture of the hotels operations and the success of those operations. The Balanced Score Card is a tool that is used by business professionals, the information that this found on this card is useful to the managers for a variety of reasons. However the primary use is to monitor the organizations progress towards it vision and its mission. The information is like a snapshot of the health of the business. This tool allows manager to identify areas that need improvement, ones that are doing well and what might be future opportunities. (Nyheim &McFadden, 2007) In the balanced score card the data that is used is collected by many different departments. One of the main types of information found on the balanced score card is financial information. Some other information that can also be found on the card includes such things as information on employees, the turnover rate, and also promotions. There is also equipment functionality and learning and growth of the company that is found on the card. One last thing that is present on the card is customer information and it may include such things as customer satisfaction; 3 returning customers, and the overall experiences and suggestions made by the customers. With all the information collected from many departments in the hotel this is used to create the finished product which is known as a balanced score card. There is a vast amount of information that is collected by departments using a PMS or RMS that deals with customers such departments includes housekeeping, front desk and the food and beverage department. There are some other departments that collect data such as accounting, marketing, and sales. All the information that is collected from these departments is used to create the balanced score card, and this information is used to show strengths and weakness within the hotel. The different departments can then focus on their area of information that pertains to them; this allows emphasis to be focused where it is needed to make the changes necessary to get the departments where they need to be with goals, missions and visions for the future of the hotel. One important thing that the balanced score card can do is determine room rates for different times of the year and different days of the week. These initial rates of a room are computed by using wage cost per room, annual operating profit per room, and the cost of maintenance on each room, then by comparing the score card from prior years management can tell where occupancy is higher or lower and be able to adjust for that with the room rates. If the hotel has a slow time then marketing and sales can create special packages or rates to get people to fill the rooms. It is better to rent the room at a lower rate than to fill the room instead of leaving rates the same and the room stay empty, because if it’s empty there is no profit. Within the hotel industry the food and beverage department uses a form of RMS, it contains three components to compile data for their department, a point of sales system, inventory and 4 menu management, and also reservation and table management. The information is then taken and is used to create the balanced score card along with information from other departments. There are many ways the food and everage department can use this information, such as staffing needs, and also the efficiency of the current staff. It can also help to access the relationship between the food and beverage department and its vendors and then changes can be made if necessary. Managers can use the information to make sure that the department is meeting their budget and its goals for the hotel. There is also customer experiences that are collected on the balanced score card, and this information can help managers improve to better fit the needs of customers. The information on the card can also show the managers the busy time of year and the slow time which helps in ordering inventory, when specials need to be ran and when the department may need to hire more staff. The balanced score card information is very helpful for managers to be able to know when to hire for different departments. Because of the hotels off seasons in spring and fall, the hotel may need less employees for one department and still need the same amount in another department so by looking at the balanced score card it is easier to determine. It can be used by managers for staffing, such as extra weekend staff during the busy season, or a holiday weekend and this information is all found on the balanced score card. There are some other examples of information that can be found such as to much staff in one department, unnecessary overtime, if a full time employee is receiving hours due to the off season, and even if a staff can be promoted or moved to a different department. The success of any hotel is dependent on its staff and the information provided by the balanced score card is valuable in learning this information. 5 When management looks at the balanced score card they have many choices they should consider. Some of these choices might include profit and employee satisfaction within the company. It is very important as far as profit because a company needs profits to stay open, and as far as employees it is important because to do a job to the best of their ability it helps to have happy employees. The profit is one of the information that is shown on the balanced score card, accounting can look at this and know if marketing and sales need to make adjustment in rates of rooms, or other areas. One way to increase profits through marketing would be making changes to rooms, what kind of amenities are offered and doing promotions or discounts to help bring the profits up. The satisfaction of employees and their environment the input of employees are also included in the balanced score card. This will help management to adjust the environment to help with the employees so they are happy and more willing to perform well on their job and that is an important key in customer service. The Balanced Score Card is a very important tool for the use of management to make changes and improve areas or departments when needed. The information or data that is found on a balanced score card has so many valuable uses for all departments of the hotel and is so important in all areas from staffing to making up profits. It is by far one of the most useful tools in the hospitality industry today. References Technology Strategies- Nyheim,P.D.,F.M.,& Connolly,D.J. (2007) http://www.prenhall.com/nyheim Technology Strategies for the Hospitality Industry http://www.hospitalityguild.com/books.technology_strategies_for_the_h.htm A Balanced Score Card The most important thing to having a successful business is to have the most up to date information. If you have all the information at your fingertips it can help you to make the best possible decisions. What kind of information is available and how do we sort through it and use this information? In the hospitality industry the amount of information received everyday is overwhelming, and it isn’t possible for staff to be able to sort through it and organize it properly. In the hospitality industry the information technologies are the tools that the staff uses to sort and manage the information and the balanced score card is just one such tool. The Balanced Score Card is a very useful tool for managers because it organizes information from different departments to create a picture of the hotels operations and the success of those operations. The Balanced Score Card is a tool that is used by business professionals, the information that this found on this card is useful to the managers for a variety of reasons. However the primary use is to monitor the organizations progress towards it vision and its mission. The information is like a snapshot of the health of the business. This tool allows manager to identify areas that need improvement, ones that are doing well and what might be future opportunities. (Nyheim &McFadden, 2007) In the balanced score card the data that is used is collected by many different departments. One of the main types of information found on the balanced score card is financial information. Some other information that can also be found on the card includes such things as information on employees, the turnover rate, and also promotions. There is also equipment functionality and learning and growth of the company that is found on the card. One last thing that is present on the card is customer information and it may include such things as customer satisfaction; 3 returning customers, and the overall experiences and suggestions made by the customers. With all the information collected from many departments in the hotel this is used to create the finished product which is known as a balanced score card. There is a vast amount of information that is collected by departments using a PMS or RMS that deals with customers such departments includes housekeeping, front desk and the food and beverage department. There are some other departments that collect data such as accounting, marketing, and sales. All the information that is collected from these departments is used to create the balanced score card, and this information is used to show strengths and weakness within the hotel. The different departments can then focus on their area of information that pertains to them; this allows emphasis to be focused where it is needed to make the changes necessary to get the departments where they need to be with goals, missions and visions for the future of the hotel. One important thing that the balanced score card can do is determine room rates for different times of the year and different days of the week. These initial rates of a room are computed by using wage cost per room, annual operating profit per room, and the cost of maintenance on each room, then by comparing the score card from prior years management can tell where occupancy is higher or lower and be able to adjust for that with the room rates. If the hotel has a slow time then marketing and sales can create special packages or rates to get people to fill the rooms. It is better to rent the room at a lower rate than to fill the room instead of leaving rates the same and the room stay empty, because if it’s empty there is no profit. Within the hotel industry the food and beverage department uses a form of RMS, it contains three components to compile data for their department, a point of sales system, inventory and 4 menu management, and also reservation and table management. The information is then taken and is used to create the balanced score card along with information from other departments. There are many ways the food and everage department can use this information, such as staffing needs, and also the efficiency of the current staff. It can also help to access the relationship between the food and beverage department and its vendors and then changes can be made if necessary. Managers can use the information to make sure that the department is meeting their budget and its goals for the hotel. There is also customer experiences that are collected on the balanced score card, and this information can help managers improve to better fit the needs of customers. The information on the card can also show the managers the busy time of year and the slow time which helps in ordering inventory, when specials need to be ran and when the department may need to hire more staff. The balanced score card information is very helpful for managers to be able to know when to hire for different departments. Because of the hotels off seasons in spring and fall, the hotel may need less employees for one department and still need the same amount in another department so by looking at the balanced score card it is easier to determine. It can be used by managers for staffing, such as extra weekend staff during the busy season, or a holiday weekend and this information is all found on the balanced score card. There are some other examples of information that can be found such as to much staff in one department, unnecessary overtime, if a full time employee is receiving hours due to the off season, and even if a staff can be promoted or moved to a different department. The success of any hotel is dependent on its staff and the information provided by the balanced score card is valuable in learning this information. 5 When management looks at the balanced score card they have many choices they should consider. Some of these choices might include profit and employee satisfaction within the company. It is very important as far as profit because a company needs profits to stay open, and as far as employees it is important because to do a job to the best of their ability it helps to have happy employees. The profit is one of the information that is shown on the balanced score card, accounting can look at this and know if marketing and sales need to make adjustment in rates of rooms, or other areas. One way to increase profits through marketing would be making changes to rooms, what kind of amenities are offered and doing promotions or discounts to help bring the profits up. The satisfaction of employees and their environment the input of employees are also included in the balanced score card. This will help management to adjust the environment to help with the employees so they are happy and more willing to perform well on their job and that is an important key in customer service. The Balanced Score Card is a very important tool for the use of management to make changes and improve areas or departments when needed. The information or data that is found on a balanced score card has so many valuable uses for all departments of the hotel and is so important in all areas from staffing to making up profits. It is by far one of the most useful tools in the hospitality industry today. References Technology Strategies- Nyheim,P.D.,F.M.,& Connolly,D.J. (2007) http://www.prenhall.com/nyheim Technology Strategies for the Hospitality Industry http://www.hospitalityguild.com/books.technology_strategies_for_the_h.htm

Rock essays

Rock essays During the Doors concert in Miami, in 1969, lead singer Jim Morrison, "did lewdly and lasciviously expose his penis and shake it. . ." (Rosen et al. 90). Today, Billy Joe Armstrong, lead singer of Green Day, bares all at his concert in Philadelphia (Bernstein 95). The eccentric Courtney Love will rip off her bra for the audience to marvel and glorify at her action (Bernstein 95). She acts in such a fashion because she is insane and wants to prove it to the world, where as Billy Joe just performs naked for the shock value and the love of hearing tabloids and gossip. Both performers of past and present conducted strange acts on stage for the shock value and attention, but with performers of old, it reflected their life and what they were really like. Today's performers, however, do not act like that in real life, for the most part. Today, performers take on challenges, like the dare of a child. . . "Betcha won't do it!" These rock performers cannot turn down a dare or back away from even the slightest bit of public notoriety. By listening to one of their "questionable" albums, it is easily noticeable how they thrive off of it. All of these performers do have one thing in common, at one time or another, censorship made them victims because of their social unacceptable actions or the content of their music and lyrics. While censorship is slightly more realistic and open-minded (no more censoring performers from the waist down, like Elvis Presley on the Ed Sullivan show), it still affects listeners and their choice of music quite significantly. Although the government, music associations, and other various groups try censorship, the music a person chooses is still, and always should be, his choice. Some children are too young for the exposure to certain types of music. Albums containing sexually explicit lyrics depicting sexualacts in great detail are not good for young children to ...

Free Essays on Overcoming The Odds

Overcoming the Odds Women are viewed different than men are with regards to their gender roles. Women’s gender roles in a general sense are the homemaker, mother, wife, and sex object. In movies women are often put into roles that are exceptable to women’s rights groups as well as unexceptable. In the movie G.I Jane the main character Jordan who is a woman is selected to participate in a test that would allow a woman to take part in the Navy Seals training program. Until now it was unheard of to see a woman try to pass this rigorous training. Jordan deals with double standard rules at the start, eventually speaking with the captain so she is treated as equally as the rest of the men. She prevails at the end and proves that a woman can complete the training just like a man could. In this movie women are portrayed as not being capable of completing such a rigorous task that is designed for men. Women’s rights groups would be supportive of this movie due to Jordan’s drive to co mplete a male’s task that nobody thought she could do. In the movie G.I Jane there are a few relationships that play a big role in defining Jordan’s character. Her relationship with her boyfriend Royce plays the first part of discrimination against women going into Navy Seal training. Although he looks at the situation from a loving relationship standpoint he feels that she will not be able to complete the training. Royce looks at Jordan just like all the other men when she arrived at the Navy base. Jordan also known as Lieutenant O ‘ Neal arrives at the Navy base greeted by vulgar males in the cafeteria making comments and whistling at her. The male trainees treated her like she does not belong there and they think she is a joke. Jordan sticks up for herself and wants to prove that women can finish this training program as well as men can. They look at her because she is woman and therefore, â€Å"Our art, not our lives, to often presents us as a... Free Essays on Overcoming The Odds Free Essays on Overcoming The Odds Overcoming the Odds Women are viewed different than men are with regards to their gender roles. Women’s gender roles in a general sense are the homemaker, mother, wife, and sex object. In movies women are often put into roles that are exceptable to women’s rights groups as well as unexceptable. In the movie G.I Jane the main character Jordan who is a woman is selected to participate in a test that would allow a woman to take part in the Navy Seals training program. Until now it was unheard of to see a woman try to pass this rigorous training. Jordan deals with double standard rules at the start, eventually speaking with the captain so she is treated as equally as the rest of the men. She prevails at the end and proves that a woman can complete the training just like a man could. In this movie women are portrayed as not being capable of completing such a rigorous task that is designed for men. Women’s rights groups would be supportive of this movie due to Jordan’s drive to co mplete a male’s task that nobody thought she could do. In the movie G.I Jane there are a few relationships that play a big role in defining Jordan’s character. Her relationship with her boyfriend Royce plays the first part of discrimination against women going into Navy Seal training. Although he looks at the situation from a loving relationship standpoint he feels that she will not be able to complete the training. Royce looks at Jordan just like all the other men when she arrived at the Navy base. Jordan also known as Lieutenant O ‘ Neal arrives at the Navy base greeted by vulgar males in the cafeteria making comments and whistling at her. The male trainees treated her like she does not belong there and they think she is a joke. Jordan sticks up for herself and wants to prove that women can finish this training program as well as men can. They look at her because she is woman and therefore, â€Å"Our art, not our lives, to often presents us as a...

Identify and discuss the influence of sustainable development on Essay

Identify and discuss the influence of sustainable development on public health - Essay Example Next, it highlights the positive impact that sustainable health has on public health and how sustainable social, economic and environmental development can help in improving public health in a stable manner. Development is integral to the modern world, but if the development is not sustainable, it is possible that the entire balance of the system may go awry. Hence, it is necessary to ensure that development is sustainable. While most discussions related to sustainable development focus on how it effects the environment and society, it is also necessary to understand that it has an impact on public health. Rio Declaration of 1992 on Environment Development by the United Nations states that as human beings are in the center of all issues related to sustainable development, it is necessary that they remain healthy and in tandem with nature (United Nations, 1992). Therefore, public health is a critical feature of any sustainable development policy. Health and well-being are the pivots around which economical, socio-political and environmental stability centers around, as shown in the figure below (Price and Dube, 1997). 3. Unsustainable environmental development can lead to degradation of the natural environment because of spread of toxic residues from wastes, climate change and depletion of natural resources. Some examples include Climate change can result in floods, water related diseases, change in temperature patterns and loss of fertile land/natural harbors. Health wise, it can lead to skin cancer, higher concentration of toxic elements in the air, leading to respiratory diseases and skin diseases (Griffiths and Stewart, 2007) 4. Unsustainable economic development will result in unequal distribution of the resources - with some segments of the society getting all the benefits, where as with some others struggling for the resources. It can also result in overconsumption and

Political economy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Political economy - Term Paper Example Not only do these nations face internal challenges but they also have to contend with massive amounts of debt that they owe to developed countries. This issue will be the focus of the rest of the essay, which will elaborate on the merits and demerits attached to the policy of totally writing-off the debt owed by the most impoverished of Third World nations. Firstly, there is a strong case to be made for total debt relief from a post-colonial reparation perspective. Most countries that presently fall under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) category are former colonies for European imperialism. The HIPC group is predominantly comprised of countries from Africa and Asia. A primary reason for their prevailing impoverished economy was the exploitation suffered by them during the colonial period. Similarly, the prevailing political chaos in most of these countries is partly due to the abrupt transition of power from the imperialists to the local elite – a transition that did not make provisions for the establishment of democratic institutions and processes. The HIPC Initiative conceived and proposed by the World Bank and its agencies is one of the methods through which Third World Debt could be reduced. In other words, the initiative is intended to â€Å"release resources for poverty reduction, increase incentives for reform s, and remove a deterrent for both domestic and foreign investors† (Cappelen, et. al, 2007, p.69)). According to the World Bank, as of June 2006 "nominal debt service relief of more than US$59 billion has been approved for 29 countries through the HIPC Initiative, reducing their Net Present Value of external debt by approximately two-thirds. Of these countries, 19 have reached the completion point and have been granted unconditional debt service relief of over US$37 billion." (Cappelen, et. al, 2007,