Porters Forces Cruise Industry Essay

Porter’s Six Forces I. Threat of New Entrants: Low * Barriers to entry: High * High Capital Requirements: The capital required to start up a cruise line is one of the key factors contributing to this industry’s high barriers to entry. With the average cost of building a cruise ship rising, the amount of capital needed to start up a cruise line is estimated at one billion dollars. Therefore discouraging any new entrants into the industry. * High Brand Equity: A cruise line’s brand awareness and reputation are significant factors to the industry’s high barriers to entry. Cruising is a risk-averse activity, which influences consumers to trust and purchase from established cruise lines. That being said it would be difficult for any new entrants with low brand equity to successfully compete with this oligopolistic industry. (Dowling, 2010) * High Economies of Scale: The cruise line industry has a major cost advantage over any new rival based on two types of economies of scale. These cost savings contribute positively to the liners profitability. * Economies of Destiny: These â€Å"mega-ships† are built with a large number of cabins and lower berths aiding in the spread of substantial fixed costs over many passengers. Therefore, resulting in lower unit costs and making the product much more appealing and affordable to more parts of the population by achieving a break-even point at lower prices. Cruise liners also have a strong incentive to reach high utilization ratios in order to achieve such economics, which result to such discounting. (Dowling, 2010) * Economies of Fleet Size: This is where fixed costs that require a substantial financial capital such as research, design, construction, training, sales, administration, marketing and advertising are spread over a large number of ships. (Dowling, 2010) II. Rivalry Among Existing Firms: High * High Concentration Ratio: The cruise line market is characterized by high concentration, as there are a few but strong market players that make up 90% of market share. The two leading players, Carnival and Royal  Caribbean, account for 75% of the market with each owning a portfolio of lines catering to a specific market. A high concentration ratio allows existing firms to work together in the market and reduces the likelihood of intense price competition between the leading players. This allows them to achieve mass-market penetration. (Cruise Watch) * High rate of industry growth: The cruise industry has had a steady growth over the last five years with a 7.8% increase. The growth increase and high concentration intensify the competition among the leading players to seek ways of gaining a competitive advantage. â€Å"New ships, global destinations, itineraries, and innovative shipboard facilities have driven constant growth in cruise passengers. â€Å" (CLIA) * High competitor diversity: Cruising is characterized by high heterogeneity and this offers the chance for diversification both vertically (quality) and horizontally (variety). (Dowling, 2010) Because of this there is an intensive and ongoing commitment to provide a superior product by offering distinct services, activities, and appealing itineraries that reflect the interests of today’s traveler. Therefore, although the market is oligopolistic which keep competitive pricing low, competitors must make there cruise the most appealing to gain a competitive advantage. * High exit barriers: Cruise companies have high exit barriers due to the difficulty the company may have selling their assets. Cruise lines require large capital requirements that strap the company from leaving the industry and face difficulty when trying to find any potential buyers. III. Threat of substitutes: Medium * Types of available substitutes: In the leisure-industry substitutes includes resorts, theme parks, traveling by air or land, and various other vacation destinations. Research shows that in 2011 only 3% of Americans have vacationed on a cruise, leaving a vast percentage of the population choosing alternative vacations. * Distinctiveness of cruise experience: Cruising is perceived as a more expensive vacation alternative compared to land-based trips, however there is a strong belief among consumers that cruising offers high value for the price consumers pay. Cruising is looked at a full package by offering bundles of travel packages including airfare, dining, itineraries, resort stay, and multiple other amenities. Therefore, a cruise  offers a distinctive type of experience that most consumers would choose over various other traveling substitutes. (UCLIA) IV. Bargaining power of buyers: Medium * Travel agencies: Travel agencies have strong relationships with the cruise industry as they book around two thirds of their cruise. Although this percentage is declining due to the growth of consumer knowledge and technology the percentage of cruisers using travel agents is relatively strong. (UCLIA) * Low price sensitivity: As cruising may be categorized as a luxurious leisure-activity, its target market on average have high annual income of $82,000 – $97,000 with the average age of a cruiser being in their late forty’s. Therefore, they are not as sensitive to pricing, as the price of a cruise vacation is relatively low to the average income of the target market. * Peak seasons: During peak seasons when demand exceeds capacity buyers have lower bargaining power as opposed to when ships offer last minute discounts in order to avoid any empty berths. Therefore making the bargaining power of the buyer medium as competition is relatively high during these seasons, and extreme discounts are offered when demand decreases. * Low threat of backward integration: The huge amounts of capital required to purchase a cruise ship along with the various amenities included make it extremely difficult for any consumers to provide themselves with the cruising experience. Therefore, lowering the bargaining power of the buyer. V. Bargaining power of suppliers: Medium * Fuel and Ships: The bargaining powers of fuel and ship suppliers are relatively high. An increase in the price of fuel not affect the fuel cost of the ship but will cause an increase in the ticket price in order to make up for increased cost. As there are a limited amount of ship building lots and ship builders cruise lines must accept the number given to them. If they do decide to switch builders switching costs are very high because the ship builder owns the design of the ship he builds and therefore the company must raise a large amount of capital in order to go back to the drawing board. * Food and other suppliers: However on the other end most all other suppliers in the hospitality leisure-industry have low buying power. This is because there are many different substitutes available and multiple  suppliers to choose from ranging from food, drink, and alcohol to many others. This makes the bargaining power of suppliers on the other end very low. VI. Relative power of the stakeholders/ Complimentors : High * Rapid Growth: The rapid growth in the cruise industry has resulted in spiked environmental stress and awareness. The cruising destinations offered are frequently those in threatened environments such as the Mediterranean and Caribbean. There are many ways cruise lines can team up with other stakeholders in order to reduce the environmental impact of this growing market. They can work together with local governments and communities to develop management plans for sustainable growth, create standards, and increase their passenger and crew awareness of environmental issues. Companies may also directly contribute to sustainability by investing in local community projects and organizing on-board fundraising. (Mittermeier) * Governments: â€Å"Governments are responsible for enacting policies that protect natural and cultural resources, and providing a supportive enabling environment, for example, by offering financial or business incentives to cruise lines and local businesses for responsible management and operational practices.† (Mittermeier) Therefore, companies must maintain a positive and trusting relationship between governments and other stakeholders in protecting the environment. This will ensure the passengers on board will enjoy a safe vacation and the destinations remain healthy and attractive to the passengers who will visit in the future. Work Cited: Cruise market watch . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cruisemarketwatch.com/market-share/ CLIA. (n.d.). Profile of the u.s. cruise industry. Retrieved from http://cruising.org/pressroom-research/cruise-industry-source-book/profile-us-cruise-industry Cruise lines international association, inc.. (2012, February). Retrieved from http://www.cruising.org/sites/default/files/pressroom/2012CruiseIndustryUpdat eFinal.pdf Dowling, R. K. (2010). Cruise ship tourism. CABI. Mittermeier, R. (n.d.). Sustainable stewardship. Retrieved from http://www.worldcruiseindustryreview.com/feature_articles/WCR017/Sustainable.pdf Rodrigue, J., & Notteboom, T. (1998). The geography of transport systems. Routledge. Retrieved from http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch7en/appl7en/ch7a4en.html Wheelen, T. L., & Hunger, J. D. (2012). Strategic management and business policy. (13 ed., pp. 159-161). New Jersey: Pearson.

Pro Capital Punishment

Research Paper May 7, 2007 Capital Punishment Capital punishment has been used since the beginning of man to punish people that have committed the most heinous crimes. All countries around the world, view capital punishment as a way to give criminals what they deserve and to rid the world of the people who will do nothing else but murder. The baffling protests against this ‘inhumane’ act started in America in the late twentieth century. People for some reason starting arguing and passing laws on how ruthless criminals could be punished and sentenced to death.The strange thing about this is that caring people are trying to abolish the death penalty when in return if the murderers were sent free they would kill the very same people who are passing these laws without hesitation. The sentencing of death really wasn’t a popular act until the just after the middle Ages. †England had mandated 14 offenses to be punishable by death, while the newly founded American c olonies imposed the death penalty for far fewer crimes. Captain George Kendall in Jamestown, Virginia became the first recorded execution in the new colonies for the crime of espionage in 1608. The first known opposition towards capital punishment was in 1767. â€Å"Cesare Beccaria’s essay on Crimes and Punishment proposed that it is not necessary or just to punish by death. He favors life imprisonment and states, perpetual slavery. This is all that is necessary to deter the most hardened and determined criminals from committing crimes. † If I was going to commit a crime and new I was only going to spend life in prison for it, I would think I would be more likely to commit that crime than if I new if I committed it I was going to die for what I had done.It used to be that all death sentences had to be performed outside city hall for the entire public to see. â€Å"In 1834, public display of hangings was abolished and the state required each county to conduct private h angings in jail. † I think this was a smart idea to get the pictures out of the average persons head, but then again you would not have to watch if you did not want to. In many countries for hundreds of year’s public execution has been a way of life. People actually looked forward to that ‘every first Tuesday of the month’ to watch the next set of executions take place on the courthouse lawn.In the twentieth century large abolitionists groups had started up to abolish the death penalty from the United States because of the inhumanity of the act. â€Å"In 1907, the abolitionist movement leads Kansas to abolish the death penalty. Eight other states either abolished or severely limited capital punishment. Over the next ten year however all but two states had reinstated the death penalty because of criminal build up in jails. † One of the biggest problems we face today in the criminal world is not enough jail or prison space to hold the amount of prisone rs we have.This leads to more lineate judges in making decisions. â€Å"In the 1930’s executions reached an all time high executing almost 2000 prisoners a year. † By this time in American culture there was a new ‘more humane’ type of execution known as the electric chair. For almost a decade people thought this was the best form of execution until jail wardens let the public into the watching rooms to view what was going on. This lead to the first time in history the government as a hole was being forced to make a decision. The decision made was against everything the movement was fighting for. In 1955, the house of representatives voted 297 – 132 to limit inmate appeals for the death penalty to one year in state cases because of the high crime rate bogging down judges. † This law meant that after one year of appealing for your life against the sentencing you had been given, you were out of hope to change the verdict you had been given. Throu ghout the years the movement pushes on trying to get laws passed to stop the death penalty. â€Å"Governor George Ryan granted clemency to all 167 death row inmates calling the Illinois system arbitrary, capricious, and therefore immoral.Just before he left office in January 2003. † This is a good thing for the movement because it opened the eyes of many more people around the world to their views on the death sentence. There are not many important figures for capital punishment because it has just been a way of punishment for centuries, but since the past 100 years there have been many people standing out fighting to stop it. â€Å"Angel Nieves Diaz craned his neck to see the clock as a blend of lethal chemicals dripped into the intravenous tube snacking into his left arm. In Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In this particular case the public found out for the first time that prison guards as young as 18 years old are the ones performing the lethal injection process and that a cor oner is called in after the fact at an execution. The lethal injection process is supposed to last fifteen minutes tops, and the average time until death is just five minutes. The problem with the lethal injection process is that prison guards mix the chemical toxins to inject into the prisoners. In most current cases many guards are careless and do not measure how much of each chemical they are adding to the mix.This carelessness leads to people being killed by pure torture. Angel Diaz’s executioner was a first timer who was not even told that he needed to put the needle into the veins of the prisoner so the needles were just inserted into his arms. â€Å"An autopsy after the December 13th execution revealed two foot long chemical burns on his arm because the toxins from an improperly inserted needle flowed into his flesh instead of his veins. † This resulted in it takes 35 minutes to die, and the result of death was suffocation.This incident sparked a huge movement i n the U. S. , which resulted of a law that requires prison executioners to have a medical background. â€Å"Today in the United States, Inmates executed under the sentence of death on average have spent 12 years and 3 months, before their sentences had been carried out. † This length of time ensures everybody in the justice system that criminal on death row is truly guilty of his crime; this is all thanks to the movements that have been pushing the abolition of the death penalty.I think that this is not actually a good place to stand because I would not want to be executed for a crime I did not do, nor would I want to sentence an innocent person to death. â€Å"Men make up about 98% of all prisoners under the sentence of death. Whites account for 56%, blacks 42% and other races account for just 2 %. † There is ten times as many white people in this country than there is any other race, and yet the ratios of white people in jail is fewer than any of the other races. â⠂¬Å"In 2005 yearend, 36 states that have the death penalty held just 3254 prisoners under the sentence of death. â€Å"In 2005, 59 men and 1 women were executed by lethal injection. † â€Å"There are many methods of execution in the modern era which include: hanging, stoning, beheading, firing squad, electrocution, gas chamber, and the most recent is lethal injection. †I think that all of these methods sound cruel except the gas chamber because the carbon dioxide that is put into the chamber first makes you pass out as if you were falling asleep, and then the harmful chemicals that are release kills you after 30 minutes of you being out. In my opinion this is the option that I would take. The U. S. Supreme court has upheld the death penalty for the most serious and heinous crimes provided that its use is in the accordance with the procedural guarantees of the U. S. Constitution and the relevant state constitutions. † This law from the government makes it so no ju dge is able to sentence a man to death for committing a minor crime. He must go to federal court after being convicted of his crime to get the death penalty. This is more or less just protection of the criminal double-checking if he is truly guilty of innocent. Death sentences have dropped by 50 percent over the past five years and that the numbers on death row inmates have also fallen. †Despite the media telling people that the world is getting worse in the way of crime, it is a false statement. They may show crimes everyday on T. V. but that’s because it is the only one they can get a hold of. The United States actually has the lowest number of crimes that it has ever had in the last 200 years. â€Å"In 2003 there were almost 3000 prisoners being held on death row. † That is actually the lowest amount ever recorded considering some have been sitting there for 30 plus years. Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley noted that only 56 people have been sentenced t o death in his state since 1978, and that taxpayers have spent 22. 4 million beyond the cost of imprisonment on appeal litigation. †This is just the cost that has been spent by supplying inmates with attorneys to appeal their cases in court after they have been sentenced to death. â€Å"â€Å"I don’t think the country is about to get rid of the death penalty. † Observed Richard Dieter, executive director of the death penalty information center. â€Å"But overall, the trend shows some re-thinking and hesitance in performing it. † Over the past couple decades researchers have found that the general publics opinions are always fluctuating with the world and country conflicts. For example somebody who is against the death penalty now, may be for it during a time of war. Right now the U. S. has the highest vote to keep the death penalty than we have had in 30 years, research tells that it is because of the current war in Iraq, and the fact that the president s upports the death penalty. I think the death penalty is here to stay, at least for the next century or two.The last decade has brought many thoughts into peoples minds about how execution needs to be painless, to make executing worthwhile at all. â€Å"Some doctors and lawyers say that there is a ‘significant risk’ that an inmate can suffer minutes of excruciating, burning pain while paralyzed and unable to communicate his agony. This violates the constitution protection against cruel and unusual punishment. † I don’t think I would be to concerned how much pain a serial killer is in when I am putting him down but a painless death is possible by using professionals. A humane and painless death, if the chemicals are injected in the right order. Derswite said in a recent telephone interview. † Currently people that act like juveniles and some mentally ill people are on death row, which is wrong because most of them cannot help the outcome of their behav ior. â€Å"If certain mentally ill defendants think and act like juveniles or the mentally retarded, then they should be excluded from death row. †This is true because â€Å"the vast majority of people on death row suffer from a mental disorder of some kind. The government then stepped in and said, â€Å"If you define it that way nobody would ever be given the death penalty. It creates a standard that would effectively exempt anyone. † Many countries have come the conclusion to abolish the death sentence after researchers proved it inhumane. â€Å"According the Amnesty’s International’s briefing for the European union and India summit on September 7, 2005, 120 countries have abolished the death penalty in low practice for all crimes and 76 countries still perform it naturally. The good thing about making the death penalty a low priority is that you do not have to worry about being stoned for stealing bread at the local market. In Iraq, before the Iraq w ar in 2000 Sadam Hussein would have you killed if you were caught stealing, by having you stoned to death in public view. This luckily is not how modern countries act. â€Å"Many states have put into effect the justice for all act. Which provides 25 million dollars over five years to help states pay for post conviction testing of DNA. † This is an example of the modern worlds view on solving crime.People that have been setting on death row over 20 years that were not lucky enough to have been convicted of their crime during the DNA era are getting to re-try their case in court with DNA evidence proving if they were really guilty or not. The death penalty is written in our constitution many times over, this means it will always be a part of the people in the United States. The only way to change or stop criminals from being sentenced to death would be to either only hire very caring judges or spend years changing around the constitution of the Untied States.Overall I can tell the capital punishment has no real effect on the culture we live in. Before people commit an act they look into the possible outcomes of their proposed act unless they are in some way mentally handicapped. In this case the pre decided people already deserve the death penalty for their acts. I have a 100 percent support behind the death penalty, because if I was the one murders I would want to make sure my murderer is going down with me.

Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Research - Essay Example Their functions include planning and proactively monitoring and forecasting the changing requirements of the individual, coordinating his\her information regarding the care across all parts of the social and health care system, coordinating the care delivered to a patient group, facilitating communications between the hierarchies and care providers, overseeing the follow up of consultations and ensuring the linkage to other services, eliminating intervention and task duplication and ensuring implementation of the plans and their follow up (Mullahy, 1998). In summary, their functions can be generalized into four basics: A case manager should be possessing competencies in clinical training and having background knowledge of the job, communication and negotiation skills are imperative in such a job. Case managers need to be able to satisfactorily educate the patients and care providers. Possession of dexterity and in-depth knowledge of the ethics plus a strong character can help a case manager to voice dissidence when it is unavoidable. The case manager must be a strong problem-solver so that he can quickly and aptly solve technical, organizational and relational problems which might arise and so that he can avoid any variances to the plan all the way in its anticipated duration (Steinberg, 1996). Other competencies that a case manager shows are an aptitude for working in a team and a propensity for meeting hosting. Significant decision-making and leadership qualities are central to this role. A case manager has to be able to assert her belief in the case and communicate effectively to get others to follow the guidelines of the case management and adhere to them. Investigative skills play an important role in the case manager’s profile as they help him in overseeing, evaluating and correcting the implementation of the clinical

Demand Estimation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Demand Estimation - Assignment Example Such a product according to economic theory is said to exhibit somewhat elastic demand relative to that of similar products in the market (Graves, & Sexton, 2009). Consequently, the owner of the low-calorie, frozen microwavable food product may need to worry less about rivals in the market since the pricing strategies have a negligible impact on his products. The income elasticity is estimated at 1.62. Such a result is an indication that a 1 percent positive change in the average incomes of the consumers of the product would lead to 1.62 percent increase in the quantity demanded. Theorists argue that such a degree of responsiveness due to changes in consumer income is elastic (Saez, Slemrod, & Giertz, 2012). In line with this, the firm can take the step increasing the price of the commodity if the incomes of the consumers are increased. The elasticity of advertisement is estimated at 0.1 implying that a unit increase in the funds spent on advertisement results to 0.11 increase in the quantity demanded. The result that the degree of responsiveness of the quantity demanded to changes in the intensity of the advertisement is relatively elastic. As such, increases in the level of advertisement do not justify increases in prices by the firm since it is possible that such price have the potential to scare away the consumers (Graves, & Sexton, 2009). In relation to the microwave ovens in the region, the elasticity is estimated at 0.07. Despite the food product being a complement to the microwave oven, a 1 percent elevation in the quantity of ovens in the region only increases the quantity of the food product by merely 0.07 percent. Concerning this, the degree of responsiveness of the quantity needed in relation to variations in the price of the oven is inelastic. The management is better off ignoring the effect of the changes in the price of the ovens when strategizing on

Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 45

Questions - Essay Example Pain disorder entails experiencing painful penetrations during intercourse. For vaginismus, the vagina contracts continuously, making it difficult for vaginal penetration. Orgasm disorder is a condition whereby either party fails to attain orgasm during sexual intercourse. The secondary orgasmic disorder is when the woman fails to reach orgasm after she has attained orgasm in previous occurrences. There are two common types of STIs: bacterial and viral. Bacteria cause bacterial STIs while viruses cause the viral STIs. Syphilis and the Human Papilliomavirus (HPV) are examples of bacterial and viral STIs respectively. Massachusetts Laws define child sexual abuse as the irresponsible supervision or handling of a child resulting in sexual abuse. It entails sexual grooming, assault, and exploitation. The age of consent in Massachusetts is 18 and 16 for males and females respectively (Lutz, 2011). A child exposed to sexual abuse suffers from emotional, mental, and physical disorders. State laws should be enforced to mitigate child sexual abuse whereby offenders face legal

Self reflection (Craven books) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Self reflection (Craven books) - Essay Example The ability of that system is to operate all computers independently which are associated with software programs and peripheral devices (Reference for Business, n.d.a). The significance of this new computer system lies in the goal of the company to have a competitive advantage. This can be evaluated on how the company applies its Information System Strategy. These are information systems developed to support and meet the company's competitive strategy. The computer systems implemented will create business strategies relevant to all business operations: capture, transmit, store, retrieve, manipulate, and display information for all business processes (Reference for Business, n.d.b). 2. System Implementation The importance of implementing a computer system in a company is to manage efficiently and effectively all business operations and transactions. The system implementation includes hardware and software acquisition; user preparation; hiring and training of personnel; site and docume ntation preparation (Davis & Yen, 1998); installation, testing and start up; and user acceptance (Baldauf & Stair, 2011). 2.1 Acquisition This involves the selection of the hardware, software, materials and equipments used during the implementation (Implementation plan, 2003) and also the names of the suppliers. The cost of acquiring the computer system can either be purchased or leased. If it is purchased, some of the advantages are: free working capital; hedge against hardware obsolescence; allows installation with small capital budget but large recurrent budget; and selling of unwanted equipment is minimized (Bramer, n.d.). If it is purchased the advantages include: ownership and usage of the system without additional cost; and choice of purchasing additional equipments (Bramer, n.d.). However, the downsides of leasing will be: high interest rates, reduced flexibility of disposing obsolete equipments, maximum system usage; and chances of dispossession if it is unpaid (Bramer, n.d .). When purchased, the disadvantages will be high initial capital costs (Bramer, n.d.). 2.2 User Preparation User preparation involves readying the key personnel in the organisation, from top management down to low level management who will be affected in the new system application. It includes marketing, training, documentation and support. The training is the very highlight in the entire process because it can affect the efficiency and effectiveness of both the system and users (Baldauf & Stair, 2011). It also covers the system security features and timeline of the entire process. 2.3 Hiring and Training Of Personnel After the system is purchased or developed, the hiring and training of personnel must also be considered. These personnel must know their role and responsibilities in facilitating effective implementation. When hiring key personnel, their qualifications must consist of outstanding expertise in handling the systems. The objective of this training is to prepare them to manage the whole software applications, thus facilitate the training of the end-users. Adams et al. (2004) recognized the role of consultants as beneficial because they don't just provide experience and expertise but also there would be no conflict of interest involved in making decisions since they're not under the umbrella of the company (cited in Tavassoli & Toland, 2008). 2.4 Site and Documentation Preparation Site

Elements of Religious Traditions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Elements of Religious Traditions - Essay Example For example in the case of Judaism there are two forms of Torah, one is verbal and the other one is written. The Torah that is available in written form has been recognized as Tanakh or even named as the Hebrew Bible. The oral form of Torah has even been found in written form in the shape of Talmud which is a written commentary. On the other hand several religions that are indigenous in nature have not created a written format of their oral teachings. Similarly there are certain religions who do not follow any form of written text or tradition and their religious traditions are found in oral form and have been transferred from one generation to another in that form. The complexity of the verbal traditions is much harder to interpret and understand. Religious Traditions Say The second major issues in the study of religious traditions are to identify what particular teachings or particular stories and texts of a particular religion are trying to teach their members. The issue in identi fying what a particular teaching is trying to convey to its members is whether the teaching is a standard doctrine or a particular teaching is just a myth and have been handed down from one religion to another in verbal manner. What are religious teaching is trying to convey to its followers has certain functions. ... In certain teachings, this has been stated in quite an explicit manner. For example: in the case of religion of Shinto that is practiced in Japan, the birth of Islands in Japan are explained as a divine couple in which Izanagi and Izanami stirred up the floor of the ocean with the assistance of the trident of heaven and the drippings that were an outcome of this activity are recognized as the Islands of Japan (Ashkenazi, 2003, p.173). Their religion further states that the people living in Japan are the descendents of these beings that are semi-divine in nature. Religious Traditions Does The issue of what a particular religious teaching does for its members depends on the themes. One of the themes that religious traditions focus upon is the rituals and behaviors that an individual has to carry out throughout his/her life. These traditions teach their followers about the behaviors they are expected to exhibit as child, adult and as they become seniors. Religious teachings help individ uals throughout different transitions. For example: the vision quest that is a part of the people of Lakota is a story of how Lakota lived as a boy and then as an adult and these teachings inform its members that this is the right way of living their lives and this way will help them experience prosperity. Another major issue related to religious traditions is how these teachings operate to provide its followers with the complete access to what is considered as sacred. For example: In Christianity, winter marks the birth of their God and Christians celebrate this season in shape of Christmas. Religious Traditions Organizes The last issue that a religious tradition sorts to solve is how a particular religion is involved in the process of organizing its leadership. These

A comparison of Francis Bacon and Mary Shelley's views of science as Essay

A comparison of Francis Bacon and Mary Shelley's views of science as expressed in The Sphinx and Frankenstein, respectively - Essay Example Bacon theorized that science is a means to solving two riddles, one being the nature of things and the other the nature of man. His ideas for a way to solve these riddles are very similar to the widely utilized scientific method, believing that matter can be studied and understood by observation, trial, and error (Bacon). Bacon manifests his vision of science in the mythical Sphinx. The Sphinx is a monster with the head and voice of a young woman, the feet of the griffin, and wings of a bird. The creature and her riddles represent the riddles of science and how searching for the answers can either tear apart a man or cause a break through by answering the riddle and subduing the Sphinx, or quenching the man’s immediate thirst for knowledge. The man who finally defeats the Sphinx, a man with high intelligence and clubbed feet, demonstrates the need for patience and taking things slowly when confronting the riddles of science. If a man showed ignorance in the face of science, if he failed to answer the riddle correctly, the Sphinx would rip him apart. The griffin claws of the Sphinx represent the way that the pursuit of answers can take sharp hold in the human mind, effectively ripping it apart if the answers are not found. In the same vein, the face and voice represent the beauty of science and the wings are indicative of how the answers of science spread and fly quickly to the far reaches of the Earth (Bacon). Her riddles originate from the Muses, where the questions are ambiguous and have no emotional subtext. Once the riddles reach the Sphinx, they contain the unbiased cruelty of the pursuits of science, where the questions themselves do not care regarding the havoc they can wreak on those who dare to try to solve them. Bacon has taken an ancient myth and applied it to the mysteries of the universe. Mary Shelley’s view of science relates to Bacon’s in that she also viewed

Conventional insurance and mutual or co-operative insurance Essay

Conventional insurance and mutual or co-operative insurance - Essay Example This paved way for the development of Takaful form of insurance that is Shariah compliant. Mutual risk arrangement Takaful envisages transfer of risk on mutual basis under which arrangement are the participants and operators. It is almost similar to conventional mutual risk sharing such as Mutual Insurance and Indemnity Club (P and I Club). The difference between Takaful and conventional insurances lies in the manner in which risk is managed and Takaful fund is operated. There are differences in relationships between the operator and participants who represent the insurer and insured respectively in the conventional insurance. The management of risk refers to the way risk is assessed (underwriting) and handled. Unlike conventional insurance, uncertainty, speculation (gambling) and interest elements are prohibited in Islamic life and the Takaful insurance is free from these vices known as Gharar (uncertainty), Maisir (gambling) and Riba (interest or usury). (Iqbal, 2005). In order to be free of Gharar, a Takaful contract must be subject to full disclosure from both sides so that there is complete clarity. The full disclosure or clarity should be in respect of the subject matter and terms of contract. If there is any unknown element or unknown exposure, Takaful contract cannot be entered into. But since this ideal situation does not always exist, Takaful contract ensures that there is at least no exchange of Gharar among the parties to the contract (Iqbal, 2005). Prohibition of Maisir (gambling) that is an extreme form of Gharar does not allow risk transfer on speculative basis. Riba, another prohibited element, is avoided by treatment of contribution from the participants as part of risk sharing scheme and not as a premium in conventional insurance. In Takaful, the contribution is envisaged as Mushahamah in the form of donation with a condition of Tabarru (compensation). Further, under Takaful, the funds so collected should be managed and invested following Shar iah principles (Iqbal, 2005). Islam does not prohibit risks as they are a reality. It only prohibits trading on risks. Islam does allow mutual help in any situation including when some misfortune strikes. Both the forms of insurance deal with risks but in a different manner from each other. Under conventional insurance, risks from various insured persons are transferred to the insurer by insured against exchange of premium collected by the insurer. On the other hand, under Takaful risks are shared by the participants (insured) by contribution to fund under a mutual guarantee scheme to be managed by Takaful operator Wakeel (agent). Thus, there is no risk transfer to the operator in Takaful insurance. The conventional insurance actually exchanges uncertainty for certainty. The uncertainty relates to whether or not loss will occur and if at all it occurs, when it will it occur and what will be severity of loss like and how many such losses are likely to occur within a given period. The conventional insurance envisages payment of fixed premium by the insured to insurance company who in turn will pay the loss if it ever occurs within ambit of policy terms. This exchange of uncertain loss is Gharar in Islam and hence not allowed. Therefore, the Takaful avoids risk transfer by the participants (insured) to the operator. This facilitates sharing of risks by among the participants under what can be called a mutual

The Hotel Escargo Essay Example for Free

The Hotel Escargo Essay The Hotel Escargo has asked for a summary of the observations found for improvement. In this report the hotel needs will be summarized and a job design and measurement strategy for ensuring improvement will be proposed. Introduction The Hotel Escargo has many services that need improving such as check-in and check-out service, multi-lingual staff, complementary concierge desk, room service, local area transportation, and amenities. Hotel needs and rank of importance Check-in and check-out service Amenities Multi-lingual staff Local area transportation According to Ricarda B. Bouncken, the more an employee knows about what the customers want and service procedures, a hotel can improve service quality. â€Å"Service quality depends strongly on the ability of hotels to acquire, to develop, to accumulate, and to distribute knowledge assets.† Check-in and check-out services For the Hotel Escargo, check-in and check-out service needs improving. On July 31, 2012, it took 8439 seconds to check in 29 guests. The average time for checking in 29 guests is 291.0 seconds, 4 minutes and 51 seconds. The check-out time for Hotel Escargo for 32 guests on August 1, 2012 was 6703 seconds, 3 minutes and 17 seconds. In order to reduce the number of service operations and speed up check-in and check-out, the hotel can get information about the guest prior to them arriving by acquiring information about the guest when they book online or by phone from the preferences they list. Amenities Hotel and room amenities are important to guest. For the hotel amenities, complementary concierge service, restaurants bars with a variety of foods, 24 hour in-room dining, full service spa’s, golf club, conference and event space, fitness zone, and multi-media kiosks for email and airline check-in are all excellent amenities guest will love. Room amenities can include hair dryer, microfiber bathrobes, down pillows, Thai bed linens, on demand movies and entertainment, private bar, in-room safe suitable for laptop storage, alarm clocks, complimentary high speed wireless internet access, same day dry cleaning, thermostat control, and pet friendly commendations. Multi-lingual staff Not only should staff be efficient and friendly. A well versed staff should be in place for those who do not speak the language. Local area transportation Not everyone will be able to rent a car, or even want to drive in a place they do not know well or at all. The Hotel Escargo can provide local transportation to and from the airport, to the local shopping areas and points of interest. Areas to improve within the next 3-6 months Check-in and out services can and should be the first thing the hotel improves. Multi-lingual staffing should be a variety of staff members who are courteous, friendly, efficient and fluent in different languages, and amenities. Starting with the little things such as adding alarm clocks to each room and wireless internet access, up-grade to quality bedding including pillows and bathrobes, and upgrading the televisions to have on demand and entertainment. Proposed job design and measurement strategy Check-in and check-out services The Hotel Escargo can improve check-in and check-out services by  implementing an online check-in service at the time of booking and by gathering the customers preferences at the time of booking as well as when taking reservations by phone. The first step to implementing this improvement is to set up an online booking system that will allow the customer to put in their preferences and give feed back to the hotel. It should be set up so that the customer can check-in early and check-out online by credit card and reservation number. Amenities The Hotel Escargo can start off their improvements by starting with what the hotel has to offer each of it’s’ guest. A survey of what the customer would like to see would help narrow down what they can offer. After a survey, customer feedback from guest who have stayed at the hotel and preferences from future guest should help sort out these amenities. Once these things are done and the hotel is clear on what their customers need, want and prefer, they can start implementing the plan with the smallest thing such as adding alarm clocks and so on. References Bouncken, R.B. (2002). Knowledge Management for Quality Improvements in Hotels. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality Tourism, 3(3/4). 25-59 Wadsworth, H., Stephens, K. Godfrey, A. (2002). Modern Methods for Quality Control and Improvement. (2nd edition). John Wiley Sons.

Brazil As An Emerging Market Economy Business Essay

Brazil As An Emerging Market Economy Business Essay Globalisation has become the order of the day and as multinational companies are scouting for new avenues in the bid to achieve competitive advantage over rivals and have at the same time economic viability of operations, nations too are vying with each other for a significant share of the global economic pie to cater to the development of themselves and take care of the socio-economic conditions prevalent amongst the population. Whilst the dominance of the developed nations persisted for a significant period of time, with political conditions such as the cold-war, division of Germany, and the like, abetting it, the changed political atmosphere worldwide threw up many opportunities and challenges requiring an introspection of policies of the nations and a need for reinventing and refurbishing of existing laws and governing policies to make the nation more dynamic and competitive. This assignment is sequentially structured to analyse the nature of emerging markets, the role of multinational organisations in emerging markets, Brazil as an emerging economy, the need for cultural familiarisation for working in such an environment. This study also takes into consideration the cultural analysis of Brazil done by the renowned Geert Hofstede in an attempt to familiarise managers with aspects they should expect, and practice whilst in Brazil. These are followed by a PESTLE analysis of Brazil and finally end with a summative conclusion. Critical Analysis and Discussion Whilst no one-liner definition exists of emerging market economies (EME), the characteristic features tend to determine what they really are. Rapid economic growth, increased and sustained foreign investment, coupled with significant international political influence are the main markers of this type of economy. These economies are not on par with those of advanced nations due to the difference in the level of development .Very often bad policies namely those that interfere with the efficient performance of economic factors, and fragile institutional structures that place an additional burden of transactional costs for domestic and foreign investors, tend to inhibit potential investors. The expansion of organisations spanning different countries is centuries old, the expansion of multinational companies and their relevant importance in world trade achieved rapid pace post 1980 era. The propensity of integration with the global economy, together with the decline in the importance of the economic role of the nation led to the tremendous expansion of MNCs, particularly in the developing nations of the world. The significance of the functions of transnational companies in the shaping of the global economy has manifested, in significant proportions in the 20th century, such that any of the top 100 or so global firms exceed the GDP of many nations  [18] and as it stands today, multinational companies are responsible for most of the employment and output and t in the world. [19] They have a reciprocal relationship with the globalization process; whilst globalization has contributed to high FDI flows to nations, countries eager to acquire a share of these FDI flows have undertaken significant policy shifts towards liberalisation. [20]Additionally, multinational companies have made it possible for the creation of the global village by facilitating international amalgamation of markets.[21] Need for cultural familiarisation Globalisation is inherently embedded with cross cultural features, and it is widely perceived that operational practices that are congruent with the prevalent cultural contexts significantly contribute to achievement of business objectives. Research in this area reveals that businesses selling directly to clients as opposed to those selling to other business organisations tend to exhibit lower sensitivity to cultural differences. Service industries exhibit more sensitivity to cultural differences than businesses focused on trading physical products. Whilst IT service providers tend to be highly sensitive to linguistic differences, industrial machinery manufacturers (that sell to other companies for utilization in their factories) are inclined to be comparatively insensitive to cultural remoteness. Organisations can operate in the joint venture mode where there would be less expense in terms of time and money for cultural familiarisations. Building up a strong corporate culture and focussing on expansion in locations where there exists a similarity of culture are ways in which organisations can focus on cost cutting features. Brazil as an Emerging Market Economy In 1989, Fernando Collor de Mello, on becoming the countrys first democratically elected president after virtually 30 years, adopted liberal international trade practices as lowering barriers for importers and privatising many state owned business organisations. Itamar Franco announced the Real Plan where Brazil exhibited the necessary economic discipline required to attract foreign capital that subsequently propelled Brazils growth. Due to the reforms of President Cardoso, Brazilian banks, controlled by the one regulator-the central Bank, stood significantly isolated from the effects of the global financial crisis triggered by the U.S. securities market. Brazil posted a low unemployment rate together with a diminished dependence on trade with developed nations. As a result the demand for Brazilian goods remained high with in the country. The increase in trade ti4es with other emerging economies and developed nations helped sustain and stabilise the demand for Brazilian goods. This turnaround for Brazil was achieved because of the strict adherence to the policy of the government with regards to: a) Infrastructure: The Growth Acceleration Plan together with other policies, helped develop the infrastructure such as good roads, sufficient sea ports and introduction of the latest technology required for accelerating economic growth. b) Reduction of Poverty and Inequality: was achieved through the Bolsa Familiaprogram which helped reduce poverty and increased participation in the economic activities by the population. c) Improved perception of Global Trade: New foreign investment and international trade policies helped Brazil augment its economic status significantly. The overall import system was modernised and import tariffs were lowered, making it easy and cheap for other nations and multinationals to trade their products in Brazil d) Institutional Reform: Concerted efforts were made to improve governmental institutions in order to make them more efficient and conducive for Brazilian as well as for foreign investors. Judicial expeditiousness was constitutionally guaranteed and the Federal Supreme Court was endowed with precedential value whereby an issue once decided need not have to be decided over and over again. Hofstedes Analysis of Brazil Hofstede propounded the five cultural dimensions that are Power Distance Index, Individualism, Masculinity, Uncertainty Avoidance and Long Term Orientation. An understanding would help in minimising of misunderstandings that essentially stem from cultural differences and increase effective communication. This is essential for those aspiring for managerial positions in order to be successful and popular in the team. Power Distance Index (PDI). This relates to the centralisation of power in a organisation. It reveals how people recognise power differences and the way they acknowledge the distance from power and that of decision making. A low PDI relates to consultative processes in operations whilst a high PDI is indicative of corruption and bribery. Brazil has a High score of 69 on 100. Recommendation: A manager is expected to be authoritative and have a assertive communication style. Indulgence in consultative processes may be seen as a sign of weakness. One is expected to emphasise the status held through the display of expensive objects, branded personal items and making oneself heard and felt around the place. It is expected that the manager brings in a positive and encouraging atmosphere by being tough and with clearly defined barriers yet at the same time being able to collectively achieve target with the full support of the team. Devolution of knowledge processes has to be undertaken carefully as the authority of the manager has to be maintained while encouraging decision making processes. Individualism Index: Brazil has a low score of 38 out of 100 which reveals that individuals will exhibit strong group cohesion are more likely to be interested in the well being of the team. A high score on this aspect reveals mobility amidst social classes lacking interpersonal connection and minimal sharing of responsibility. Recommendation: A manager is expected to boost collective team spirit through efforts as chit-chatting, making jokes and the like. Individual actions like emails and phone calls should be avoided. There should be concentration on team targets, individual strengths and weaknesses are best not highlighted. Traditions should be respected and change brought in gradually. Masculinity Index: Masculine cultures lay a lot of stress on assertiveness, ambition and materialism. They are high on competition and strongly emphasise gender roles. Feminine cultures on the other hand prefer equality in treatment and value quality of life. They consider sharing and personal development very important. Brazil has a score of 49 on a 100 scale. Recommendation: Humility is not tolerated. Managers are expected to be proud and assertive of the knowledge and expertise they possess. Face time as it is known is high appreciated and the more time spent in office equals being available for the team and consequently for decision making. On the happy side the job also includes socialising after work hours with the team for a drink. Due to the fact that gender differences exist, very few female managers are credited with absolute decision making powers. Uncertainty Avoidance Index: Reveals the degree of anxiety that members of the society experience in unknown or uncertain situations. Brazil ranks high on this aspect with a score of 76 out of 100.As there is avoidance of ambiguous situations, the members of this type of society prefer governance by rules and orders. Recommendations: Consistency in the issuance of instructions is very important as is the delegation of tasks rather than authority. A manager is expected to be abreast of all current laws and regulations and be advised by a competent advisor as labour-market regulations are tremendously rigid and tend to favour employees in most situations. Long Term Orientation Index: Brazil is the only non Asian society to have such a high score of 65 on a 100 scale which reveals the magnitude of the pragmatic and future oriented perspective a society exhibits. Recommendation: Managers would do well to accept change, and ardently respect the jeitinho which is descriptive of the way discovered by the Brazilian to move out of a tricky situation. It is thus apparent that cultural differences are for a better part of time sources of conflict rather than synergies and so understanding these differences minimise misunderstanding. It is undoubtedly a very satisfying and enriching experience to survive and be appreciated in a foreign culture which is worth the hard work of understanding the cultural implications prior to embarking on an assignment. Pestle Analysis of Brazil Political There are three distinct entities that comprise the political setup in Brazil. They are The States, The Municipalities and The Federal District. The Federation has the five principles firmly entrenched which are sovereignty, dignity of human beings, citizenship, freedom of enterprise and the values of social labour, and political pluralism. The Executive, Legislature and Judiciary are all formally established by the Constitution. The legislative and executive are organized independently in the three branches of government, the judiciary is organized at the Federal and State sphere. There are increasing legislations for increased involvement of the nation in international trade and economic activities. Brazil has been the leader of the G-20 Group of Nations and due to its dynamic rise as an emerging market economy is given the first place in the BRIC consortium. Brazil also has reinforced its commitment to non proliferation by ratifying the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), it is a signatory to a full-scale nuclear safeguard agreement of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Brazil has acceded to the Treaty of Tlatelolco and has joined the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) Economic In Latin America, Brazil has the largest national economy, it is the worlds tenth largest economy when considered at market exchange rates, and is the ninth largest when measured by the purchasing power parity (PPP),according to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. As revealed by World Bank data, Brazil ranks 64th as due to its GDP per capita being $10,200. It has huge and developed mining, agricultural, , service and manufacturing sectors, coup[led with a large labour pool. The primary markets for Brazilian exports are The U.S., Western Europe, and Japan .They are also the sources for foreign lending and investment. China is a also emerging as a growing market for Brazilian exports. Social The core cultural aspect is a Portuguese derivative due to the strong colonial ties with Portugal. The official language is Portuguese and is used for all communication including for all business and administrative purposes. Brazilians are warm, free spirited and fun-loving, very outgoing and gregarious. They are very hard working and take great pride in their countries natural resources and diversity of culture. The dress code is fashionable and usually according to the latest styles. Technology Brazil is a recognised leader in science and technology with regard to South America and especially in fields as agricultural research, remote sensing, bio fuels, and deep-sea oil production. Over 73% of research funding is government sponsored through various sources. The IT market being the largest in South America was forecast to be in the region of 30bn.US$ in 2012. Legal There exists a well established legal system with powers devolved to states and the municipalities. The federal Constitution is supreme and all decisions are taken in consonance with the articles enshrined in it. The Three Branches of Government are separate and independent yet are harmonious with each other. The Judiciary is organised at the State and Federal Level. The municipalities have to resort to the State or Federal level as the case may be. Environment As Brazil possesses virtually one third of the worlds rainforest which is inclusive of the Amazon rainforest, deforestation is a major issue. Most of the deforestation that occurs is attributed to land clearing which is for speculative interests, misguided government projects and commercialisation of forest resources together with inappropriate World Bank projects. However a large part of deforestation also occurs for planting of grass for cattle feed .Road construction for access to mining and other sites lead to tremendous exploitation of the poor farmer. What managers need to know *For effective business deals it is important to build strong rapport between business partners which gives a sense of genuineness of intentions. *Interruptions in the course of dialogue are common and are not to be interpreted as rude behaviour. *Beginning of meetings is generally centered on light conversational topics like weather or soccer. * Pre-nominal form Senhor (for men) or Senhora (for women) together with the last name and are generally used in the first time an address is and followed by informality and use of the first name. *Impromptu calls are not well taken and it would be prudent to make an appointment at least two weeks in advance. *Three-piece suits have an Executive connotation while conservative attire is the norm for women in business. *Business success hinges on the commitment of long term resources in time and money aimed at establishing strong business ties in Brazil. *Sao Paulo and Rio do not follow the norm of casualness when it refers to business matter and meetings generally start on time. *Bad topics for conversation are those centred on Argentina, poverty, politics, religion and Rain Forest. Conclusion: From the analysis, it is proper to conclude that with globalisation and the need for competitive advantage, a lot of expansion has occurred in various regions around the world have diverse cultural contexts. It is therefore necessary for those aspiring to work positions in countries other than their own in the work context, to familiarise themselves with the cultural features and thus be in an advantageous position and be appreciated in a foreign land. [18] Arthurs,H. (2006) Whos Afraid of Globalization? Reflections on the Future of Labour Law, in J.Craig S.Lynk (ed), Globalization and the Future of Labour Law. Cambridge: CUP, p. 55. [19] Floyd, D., Summan S., (2008), Understanding the main motives for foreign direct investment, an East-West country contrast: is the host country legislation an important factor?, Corporate Governance, 8(5), p.665 [20] IMF,op cit., p. 10 [21] IMF,op cit., p. 10