Wednesday, December 25, 2019

The Incompatibility Between Economic Sustainability And...

The incompatibility between economic sustainability and ecological sustainability is a contentious issue, specifically within the area of politics, technology, society, financial economies and environmental issues. When discussing such a matter the terms, sustainability, economic sustainability and ecological sustainability should be defined. Sustainability: the equality of environmental, social and economic necessities between today’s generation and tomorrow’s generation. Economic Sustainability: the employment of various strategies to the use of resources so that a long term beneficial balance can be achieved. Ecological Sustainability: the ability of the environment to meet the necessities of the present generational society, without causing repercussions for future generations meeting their necessities using natural resources. When focusing on the incompatibility between economic and ecological sustainability, the issue of enlarged market product food production, increased emissions, large scale farming, income inequality, growth, demand and consumption surround the concept of sustainability regarding issues of population, affluence and technology. Ecological impact is the product of population, affluence and technology and therefore, the IPAT (environmental impact (I) is the product of population (P), affluence (A), and technology (T)) formula or theory can depict the incompatibility of these elements when concerning ecological sustainability. In order for economicShow MoreRelatedThe Key Drivers Of Business Sustainability Essay1779 Words   |  8 PagesEcological collapse is probably one of the, if not the biggest problems facing today’s world and it is now commonly agreed upon that we are in its first stages. Since the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union and the communist bl ock, the economic system known as Capitalism has reigned supreme. There are those that believe that under this specific economic system an Ecological catastrophe is unavoidable arguing that Capitalism is only concerned with economic growth at the expenseRead MoreBusiness Management Change8228 Words   |  33 Pagesaffairs and increasingly establish self managed teams. This encourages teamwork and a sense of belonging which can transfer into higher productivity or profits. * Teamwork = having common goals rather than individual goals eliminating competition between staff. This creates a sense of belonging. * Complex Problem solving and Decision Making = must be able to define a problem, generate alternative solutions, evaluate and select one alternative and then implement and follow up on the solution. Read MorePure, Hybrid, Stuck-in-the-Middle Strategies10599 Words   |  43 Pagesby one of the three types of generic strategies outlined by Porter, i.e. cost leadership, differentiation and focus (Bantel and Osborn, 1995; Dawes and Sharp, 1996; Kotha and Vadlamani, 1995; Miller and Dess, 1993); b) the compatibility or incompatibility between these strategies (Hill, 1988); and c) the convenience of combining these strategies for 1 the purpose of improving the organisation’s performance and better adapting to the demands posed by the environment (Allen and Helms, 2006; MillerRead MoreAlternative Dispute Resolution Mechanism21967 Words   |  88 Pages26 26 27 29 29 30 31 31 33 33 36 37 40 ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION APPROACHES AND THEIR APPLICATION Alternative Dispute Resolution comprises various approaches for resolving disputes in a non-confrontational way, ranging from negotiation between the two parties, a multiparty negotiation, through mediation, consensus building, to arbitration and adjudication The article introduces the key skills required, with particular attention to their important role in the process of negotiation and mediationRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesComplementing Intuition with Systematic Study 11 Disciplines That Contribute to the OB Field 13 Psychology 14 †¢ Social Psychology 14 †¢ Sociology 14 †¢ Anthropology 14 There Are Few Absolutes in OB 14 Challenges and Opportunities for OB 15 Responding to Economic Pressures 15 †¢ Responding to Globalization 16 †¢ Managing Workforce Diversity 18 †¢ Improving Customer Service 18 †¢ Improving People Skills 19 †¢ Stimulating Innovation and Change 20 †¢ Coping with â€Å"Temporariness† 20 †¢ Working in Networked Organizations

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Reflection Paper On Group Genius - 830 Words

Reflection Paper â€Å"Group Genius† This novel written by Keith Sawyer held so much information on how to better group interactions- anyone can walk away from this book with broader outlook on creating a â€Å"Group Genius†. Sawyer has laid out all of these great concepts and ideas in front of readers. It was an amazing way to express the possibilities that both, groups and teams can achieve. Whether these be small or big business teams, one or a couple inventors beginning their story or a sports team- all of these groups can apply what Sawyer has written, into their work and group atmosphere. A group has the choice to take these skills and adapt them into their own experiences, it can all spark from just one person making a change. I learned a lot†¦show more content†¦What could’ve gone better? Are there any ideas that should be let go? What did you learn? Overall, what can you take away from the past? This inspired me because a lot of this information that I read, I can fit it into every aspect of my life. Whether these are the relationships I have at home or with friends, teachers or classmates, or future colleagues- I’m going to have a better understanding of them and the connections we share while sharing a relationship of some sort. I understand that Sawyer’s book is concentrating on the ideas of groups trying to come up with cohesiveness and strategy to become a â€Å"group genius†, but I think everything that he’s said can fit towards making great relationships in everyday life. Something that I can really take away from â€Å"Group Genius† is something that Sawyer wrote early on in his writing, on page 7, â€Å"We’re drawn to the image of the lone genius whose mystical moment of insight changes the world. But the lone geni us is a myth; instead, it’s group genius that generates breakthrough innovation. When we collaborate, creativity unfolds across people; the sparks fly faster, and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.† Sawyer speaks a lot of truth in this paragraph about how collaboration is what makes all of the amazing innovative teams spark new ideas. Groups should not be self-centered but they need to be empowered by the whole and not its parts. AsShow MoreRelatedDo The Right Thing?1388 Words   |  6 Pagesas racial prejudice. Spike Lee, a known genius in the art of film directing, eloquently shaped the story so that the audience is able to see the dynamics of a multi-racial community without holding any bars. Lee advocated for a society that is more open to constructive conversations about social embargos. This movie was a daring platform that shows just how distorted ones opinions can be when clouded with personal and emotional interests. This paper aims to dissect the movie and how Lee skillfullyRead More The Genius of M.C. Escher Essays1230 Words   |  5 PagesThe Genius of M.C. Escher Mathematics is the central ingredient in many artworks. While notions of infinity and parallel lines brought â€Å"perspective† to the artistic realm in creating realistic representations of depth and dimension, mathematics has influenced art in a more definite way – by actually becoming art. The introduction of fractal geometry and tessellations as creative works spawned the creation of new and innovative genres of art, which can be exemplified through the works of MRead MoreCitizen Kane : Character Analysis : Citizen Kane1337 Words   |  6 Pagespay attention to him first, the Mise-en-scene. One of the first time we see him in frame with a reflection was when he was staring the picture of the chronicle staff. He stares at it with almost a smug look his face showing off the desire for the staff that could turn his small newspaper into something that would help him reach the masses and make people listen to him, to increase his circulation. The group is also framed on the left side of the screen a position of dominance in film, also the firstRead More The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea: True Order Exists in the Exposed Core1220 Words   |  5 Pagesones own distinct, perfect role. In The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea, the preceding theories are explored by a group of six young Japanese scholars, and a 13-year old Chief leads this band. The story is told from the point of view of the middle genius, Noboru, who is delineated as Number #3 of the six scholars. Thus, Noborus number has a significant reflection on his perception of the Chiefs teachings (the necessity of abolishing emotion). Though working to incorporate the ChiefsRead More W.B. Yeats: Nationalistic Reflection in His Poetry Essay1098 Words   |  5 PagesW.B. Yeats: Nationalistic Reflection in His Poetry William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet, dramatist, and prose writer who was one of most influential poets of the Twentieth century. His talents were celebrated by scholars and activists and, in 1923, Yeats received the Nobel Prize for literature. Through his poetry, Yeats confronted the reality that felt was Oppression and Heartship for himself and his Irish brethren. Armed only with a pen, parchment, and a dissident tongue, Yeats helped toRead MoreInterview Questions On Children And Students With Special Needs1416 Words   |  6 Pages Mutual respect is an important part of teaching any class, especially older kids. On the first day of classes, Mrs. Sanchez stresses the â€Å"If I show you respect, you show me respect† aspect of the student teacher relationship. She also employs a genius mixture of the two and allows her students not only to have the structure of a classroom in which they are free to voice their opinions about anything that happens in class without persecution, but also a classroom where students feel comfortableRead MoreLouis Pasteur : The Real Pastor Of Science1520 Words   |  7 Pagesone of the greatest chemists and biologists the world has ever known in the most important scientific time period (â€Å"Louis Pasteur†). Louis Pasteur’s life, major contributions to the world, and legacy that he left will be truly investigated in this paper. Early Life On December 27, 1822, Louis Pasteur came into the world in the town of Dole, Jura, France (Tames n.pag.). His family was Catholic under the parents of Jean-Joseph Pasteur and Jeanne-Etiennette Roqui. They were quite poor as his dad wasRead MorePostmodernism Versace1781 Words   |  7 Pagesthe fashion industry accompany and express development of the society through embracing postmodernism. Developments in the fashion industry offer options regarding styles, image and clothing through rejecting the options presented in modernism. This paper discusses Versace designs and their relationship to postmodernism. Postmodernism Postmodernism refers to a broad term used to explain movements in philosophy, art, music and critical theory. Postmodernism is viewed as a reaction to the pioneeringRead MoreLeft Handed People3802 Words   |  16 Pagesproblem -- how to hold a fork, or a pencil, etc. Myths of Lefties While there are many myths related to left-handed children, here are the most popular. Lefties are More Apt for Creative Genius: A really interesting question is whether there is any connection between left-handed people and creative genius. As one of the most common myths of left-handed people, Pieper states coincidence rather then consequence. Some of historys most creative minds have been left-handed, says Pieper. LeonardoRead MoreWhat Did The Ku Klux Klan Reach Their Goals, Both Social And Political, During The Reconstruction Period2012 Words   |  9 Pagesattaining them. The source that proved most useful during the research process for this paper was the non-fiction White Terror by Allen W. Trelease. He was a recognized historian and Emeritus Professor in the Department of History at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Trelease specialized in southern history especially during the reconstruction and the civil war periods. This source features in this paper heavily, mostly because the chapters follow the KKK from the Klan’s beginnings all the

Monday, December 9, 2019

Competitive Strategy for Google and Netflix- myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theCompetitive Strategy for Google and Netflix. Answer: Google Google was founded by Larry page and Sergey Brin in the year 1998. The company deals in products such internet services, computer software and hardware. The company serves the worldwide market. Sunder Pichai is the current CEO of the company. The companys mission and vision statements are focused on collecting worlds information and presenting them on a universally accessible platform. Google began its story in a garage today the companys headquarters are in California, USA known as Googleplex. Googleplex is big office campus spread over an area of 3.5 million square feet (Google, 2017). Today Google is the market leader in its respective industry. Major products of the company are Google maps. Google chrome, Google play store, YouTube etc. The credit for Googles current success can be credited to continuous innovation and employee friendly practices, acquisitions and clarity simplicity in structure. Innovation is key factor driving the success for the organisation. The company spends huge amount on research and development. It also empowers its employees to be creative and innovative. The company always implements innovative ideas to create better product the competitors. For company financial requirements are never an issue it has enough capital to spend in implementing innovative ideas. The company works according to three ideas first step is implementing innovative ideas, the next is getting the real user data and the third is monetizing (Beattie, 2015). The next key feature that is responsible for current market position of the company are its employee friendly practices the company takes a really good care of its employees. It offers facilities such as on site laundry, Wi-Fi, food, doctors, fun activities in the office, free haircuts, paid maternity leaves and lot more. The company believes that that happy workforce can only turn to productive workforce. The company always welcomes the ideas and opinions of employees. This created a committed workforce (Dhar 2015). The companys success is also credited to its acquisitions. Till now Google has bought over 180 companies. Its largest acquisition was the phone making brand Motorola. Other major acquisitions of the firm were net labs and you tube. The Google strategically plans its acquisitions to be ahead of the competitors (Hooker, 2016). The Google has clarity in its structures. The employees are clear about the task that they are expected to perform. The organisational structure is also not a formal kind therefore less complex. Also the reason for such a large market share is simple user platform. Google provides simple platform to its customers which is easy to use. It not only provides simplified products or services it also provides quali ty products to its customers. The market tactic that proves most fruitful for the company is worldwide open access. Google provide its various products free of cost. Google also earns a sustainable amount of revenue from Google ads. This facility of Google has helped advertisers, bloggers, customers and the company itself. Out of all the above stated reasons Employee empowerment and innovation are two major contributors of success. Company is known for its innovative products and employee empowerment practices across the world. Netflix Netflix was established in the year 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph. It is an American entertainment company. The companys current headquarters are in Los Gatos, California. Today Netflix is the leading television of the world. The company is divided into three basic segments domestic streaming, international streaming and domestic streaming. It is spread over 190 countries with around 104 million networks. The company provides 24/7 access to TV shows and movies including documentaries, feature films and original series. It provides members the facility to enjoy watching without any commercials and commitments. Netflix is a leading player in entertainment industry (Netflix, 2017). Today Netflix serves 190 countries. Reaching to this level is not an easy task. There are many factors that contribute to the success of Netflix. Netflix has a culture guide for its employees it is a kind of constitution. Netflix tries to a work culture that promotes innovation and creativity it the organisation. Employees in Netflix are always encouraged and given required freedom for good work. One of the major innovations of the company is replacement of static poster images with the custom-created preview videos. As the user scrolls over the title card these videos are automatically played (Bigspeak, 2017). Another major reason for the companys success is good relation with the content providers. The company aims to build up long term and profitable relationships with the service providers. For companies in same industry as Netflix it is very essential to maintain good skills with the employees. Netflix have mastered this skill (Fast company, 2017). Another major factor responsib le for impressive growth of the company is analysing customer wants by doing research. The company focused on determining what its customers actually needs. Netflix aimed to maintain a well-researched brand position. It was the key step to be ahead of the competitors. Before taking any decision the executives always though t whether this will make consumer experience happy or not. The research always helped to enhance market share and get the strategic guidance (Bariso, 2015). Another major factor responsible for success was timely grasping of opportunity. When the company was established in 2000 it was not possible to steam movies over 56 k connections. So during that phase company went for DVD distribution and planned for household connection of 14 mb per second by 2012. Timely improvements in the technology have helped the company to grasp market opportunities. The firms pricing strategy was also a competent factor which helped it to gain more. The firm always went to value based pricing. The company believed that customers will only come back if they find value for companys product. The company always tried to make the products and services an easy buy for the customer. The company always believed that on changing the strategy to the profitable one. Netflix believes that adopting a strategy that you find is working well may not be able to provide long term direction but will be able to provide short term competitive advantage. All the above stated factors were responsible for the current market standing of the firm. References Bariso, J., 2017. What Your Business Can Learn From Netflix, viewed on 22 August 2017 from https://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/the-secrets-behind-the-extraordinary-success-of-netflix.html Beattie, A., 2015. The Story Behind Google's Success, viewed on 22 August 2017 from https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/042415/story-behind-googles-success.asp Bigspeak, 2017. Netflix: A Success Story Words of Entrepreneurial Wisdom from the Founding Team Members, viewed on 22 August 2017 from https://www.bigspeak.com/netflix-a-success-story/ Dhar, N., 2013. Top 10 Secrets Behind The Success of Google , viewed on 22 August 2017 from https://topyaps.com/top-10-secrets-behind-the-success-of-google Fast company, 2017. Why Netflix is one of the most innovative companies of 2017, viewed on 22 August 2017 from https://www.fastcompany.com/3067462/why-netflix-is-one-of-the-most-innovative-companies-of-2017 Google, 2017. From the garage to the Googleplex, viewed on 22 August 2017 from https://www.google.co.in/about/our-story/ Hooker, L., 2016. How did Google become the world's most valuable company?, viewed on 22 August 2017 from https://www.bbc.com/news/business-35460398 Netflix, 2017. About Netflix, viewed on 22 August 2017 from https://media.netflix.com/en/about-netflix

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Science Investigatory Project of Group Essay Example

Science Investigatory Project of Group Paper Fertilizers are any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of the plant. Good fertility is fundamental to successful plant growth and the application of fertilizers and manures is an essential graining act activity. The maintenance of adequate levels of nutrients in the soil is essential for healthy plant growth. The present study deals with the utilization fruit peels for the effective growth of plants and higher yield. Different fruit peels such as, Orange pineapple and banana were used. Scope and Limitations: This investigation is limited only to prove if orange, banana, and pineapple peelings can help to lower the acidity of soil. The acidity of soil is tested by the litmus paper . This investigation may finish within one week. Significance of the Study Orange (citrus genesis), banana (MUSM communicate) and pineapple Nanas commons) peeling possesses special properties that is needed to control the acidity of the soil.. These materials will be used a fertilizer and tested its ability to germinate mug beans(vagina radiate). This study will promote the relevance of farming by using these materials as a fertilizer and as new crop. It encourages households to recycle their orange and banana peelings to compost it in their plots and grow mug beans as an alternative crop. Finally, it inspire people to further study and search for more benefits from fruits, vegetables and other agricultural reduces. Acidic soil having a pH value less than 4 have toxic amounts of Aluminum and Manganese. Alkaline soils have iron, manganese, zinc, boron and copper deficiency. Fertilizer use, plant root activity, and rainfall are some of the causes of soil pH decrease. Accumulation of magnesium and calcium salts results in having an alkaline soil. Bananas are a good source of manganese, vitamin BE and vitamin C. They are also a great source of energy. It is rich in potassium that helps counter the effects of sodium. Aside from manganese, it is also a good source of magnesium and copper. We will write a custom essay sample on Science Investigatory Project of Group specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Science Investigatory Project of Group specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Science Investigatory Project of Group specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The mineral magnesium helps to strengthen the bones and help avoid cardiac-related problems. The mineral copper can help anemic persons gain red blood cells. It is also a source of vitamin C. Banana peelings are rich in anti-oxidants and potassium. It can be used for skin care purposes. The peelings can help treat splinters and scratches. They can be used in polishing. The website http:// www. Intercommunications. Com/2014/never-throw-away-orange- banana-peels. HTML says that the peelings can absorb lead and copper from water. Oranges belong to the Reeducate family of the genus; Citrus. Its scientific name is Citrus Genesis. Oranges are rich in Pectin which helps to protect the mucous membrane of the colon. Oranges have very good levels of Vitamin A which is essential for vision and healthy skin. It has very good amounts Of potassium and calcium. It is an excellent source of Vitamin C which helps the body to develop resistance against infectious agents. Organic, pesticide free orange peels are edible and help to improve digestion. Orange peels can help people with oily skin. It can be added to meat dishes to enhance its flavor. Powdered Orange peels can help some respiratory problems. Orange peels can also help a person experiencing nausea. Pineapples are a fruit from the species Nanas commons. It is rich in foliates, thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine and minerals like copper, manganese and potassium. It is an excellent source of vitamin C which is required for the collagen synthesis in the body. It is also a source of broomball which helps to break down proteins. Pineapples also are a source of vitamin A but in only a mall amount. Pineapple peelings can be used in many ways like using it to create beverages. They can be prepared to treat the skin in a form of a foot scrub. It is also a source of broomball. Pineapple peelings are rich in cellulose, homelessness and carbohydrates. Pineapple peelings can also be turned into other things or just to produce fragrance. The purpose of this study is to find an alternative way to change the pH of soil. Success in this study will give some fruit peelings a new use which will lessen garbage. Using fruit peelings can be better as not everyone can have access to agricultural lime or sulfates. Gardeners and farmers also have a greater access to fruit peelings since some plant fruits. They can use their very own products to change the soil pH. METHODOLOGY To test the effect of fruit peelings to the acidity of soil, materials will be collected or prepared in order to have a successful experiment. The materials needed for this study are litmus paper, five containers with same sizes, fruit peelings from different kinds Of fruits, specifically Orange, Banana and Pineapple, 2 kilograms of soil, water and quail eggshells. Litmus paper will be used to test the acidity of soil before and after applying the peelings. Water will be used to test soil acidity. Quail eggshells will be prepared as to have a controlled set-up. After obtaining the materials, the experiment can then be started. A scoop of soil from a container will be mixed into a cup of water. The soil and the water must be mix well. Once the soil and the water completely mixed with each other, a litmus paper will be applied to a sufficient amount. The soil must be mixed with water to allow a reaction to take place with the litmus paper. The containers will be labeled A, B, C and D. The soil will be divided into 4 containers, the fruit peelings will be added to containers A, B, and C. Each container must receive only fruit peelings from a particular plant. The container A must be filled with pineapple peelings, container B must be filled with Orange peelings and container C be filled with Banana peelings. Meanwhile, the quail eggshells will be place to container D. Allowing a day to pass will at least allow the independent variables, the fruit peelings and the quail eggshells in particular, to decompose. The testing of soil must be daily nice the peelings or eggshells will not decompose quickly. The watering of soil will also help the decomposition process of the fruit peelings and quail eggshells. Quail eggshells are the controlled variables since it is the one originally used. A chart or a notebook will be prepared for recording the observations.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Historical Changes in the Employment Laws in US

Historical Changes in the Employment Laws in US Chronology of employment laws The Clayton Act was enacted in 1914, with the intention of establishing legal protection for organized labor. There was a need to assert the position of labor in the face of antitrust legislations, and this is what the law was intended to achieve. In 1926, the Railways Act was passed. It was meant to encourage collective bargaining among employers, and prohibit discrimination against unions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Historical Changes in the Employment Laws in US specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Davis-Bacon Act was passed by Congress in 1931, to address the problem of wage payment in the construction industry. Its provisions required a contract for construction into which the federal government entered, to specify the minimum wage to be paid to laborers employed under that contract (Federal Labor Laws, n.d). In order to increase protection for union activities and collective b argaining, Congress passed the Norris-NaGuardia Act in 1932. The Act legalized strikes and other collective ways of dealing with labor issues, and also prohibited the enforcement of ‘yellow dog’ agreements or contracts through the courts of law. The National Industry Recovery Act was enacted in 1933, and congress intended to set standards of ‘fair competition’, by regulating regular working hours and wages (Federal Labor Laws, n.d).. The National Labor Relations Act-1935 was passed by Congress in order to regulate labor relations among employees whose activities affected interstate commerce, except those in the agricultural sector. The Act also established the NLRB, through which labor disputes would be handled, and prohibited employers from engaging in any of the prohibited unfair practices. In 1936, Congress enacted the Walsh-Healy Act, whose intention was to restrict the regular working hours, establish minimum wages and regulate the employment of childr en and ex-convicts (Federal Labor Laws, n.d). In order to introduce some limitations to the rights enjoyed by trade unions, Congress enacted the National Labor Relations Act in 1947. The Act introduced measures to delay or avert ‘emergency strikes’ and prohibited the discriminative ‘closed shop’ practices of trade unions. The Equal Pay Act was passed by congress in 1963 to prohibit the act of paying different amounts of money to male and female employees, only because they were male or female. This law was also enacted in order to protect employees from retaliation, if they filed complaints against their employers.Advertising Looking for essay on labor law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Civil Rights Act of 1964, was enacted to protect the rights of individuals, and to prohibit various actions by employers that the law classified as discriminatory (Federal Labor Laws, n.d). This list is not exhaustive, and many more employment laws exist in the US. In the recent past, there has been a marked increase in the calls for equality and protection from discrimination at the work place. Legislations such as The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, Civil Rights Act of 1991, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 all prohibit different types of discriminations. These legislative efforts have led to the reduction of discrimination at the work place, as these laws prescribe heavy penalties for the commission of prohibited acts by employers and their agents. Scenario Discrimination at the workplace on the basis of sex is prohibited by employment laws in the United States (EEOC, n.d). There are several options that an aggrieved party can pursue in order to have his/her grievance addressed. These options include; internal dispute resolution procedures at the workplace, filing a complaint with the EEOC, or litigation among others (EEOC, n.d). If an employee files a complaint against the employer, he/she is protected from retaliation by the law. Smith has a case against the company for retaliation, since the law prohibits retaliatory acts by the employer against an employee who files a complaint against it. The remedies available to a victim of retaliation include; compensatory damages for expenses or losses that he/she may have incurred as a result of the retaliatory act, and punitive damages to punish the employer especially where the act was malicious or reckless (EEOC, n.d). Before he can recover, Smith will have to prove; that he exhausted the internal dispute resolution mechanisms laid down by the company before proceeding to the EEOC, and that he suffered damage or loss as a result of the retaliatory act. He will also have to establish the company’s vicarious liability for the acts of the offending party in order to recover against it.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Historical Changes in the Emp loyment Laws in US specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More References EEOC. (n.d.). Sex-Based Discrimination. Retrieved from https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/sex.cfm Federal Labor Laws. (n.d.). Web.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

How to Avoid Embarrassing Editing Marks on Your Documents! MS Words Track Changes Program

How to Avoid Embarrassing Editing Marks on Your Documents! MS Words Track Changes Program Ever get a document back from an editor that has tons of red or blue lines (maybe even some green ones), and have no idea how to get rid of them all, or view the document the way it’s supposed to look?   This article is for you! [Thanks to Larry Sochrin, MBA Admissions Consultant at The Essay Expert, for contributing instructions for Mac users.] Dont Submit a Document that Looks Like This! Why I Love Track Changes Microsoft Word has a very useful feature called â€Å"Track Changes† that keeps track of changes that an editor makes to a document, and allows subsequent readers to see what changes were made. When the â€Å"Track Changes† feature is turned on, anyone who opens the document can see every change made to the original document, whether to fonts, page formats, margins, and text. Track Changes also has a â€Å"Comments† feature that allows explanations and suggestions to be entered in the margins of your document. The value of Track Changes to me as an editor is that my clients can see what I’ve changed, and I can see the changes they make. I do not then have to go through their resume word by word to see what alterations have occurred. It’s also easy to accept or reject changes, without having to change individual fonts or colors. Gone are the days of manually inserting a strikethrough to indicate a deletion! The Dangers of Track Changes Track Changes can be troublesome too. You don’t want to send a document with lots of red lines and bubbles all over it to an employer or a school (many people have embarrassing stories of doing this)! The recipient then sees all the suggestions, changes, and possibly the original language and mistakes that needed changing. As part of proofreading and preparing the final draft of a resume, cover letter, or essay, take the following steps to ensure that you do not inadvertently send a marked up copy to an employer: Directions for MS Word 1)   Check to see if there are any comments or tracked changes in the document: Go to the â€Å"Review† tab and click on the window that says â€Å"Final Showing Markup.†Ã‚   Go to the â€Å"Show Markup† menu and make sure there are check marks in all the boxes (otherwise you might not see the comments or formatting changes when you look at â€Å"Final Showing Markup†) NOTE:   If the window says â€Å"Final† and you do not see any redlines, this does not mean they are gone! Make sure you are viewing the markups before determining that your document is clean. 2)   If you do not see any changes or comments and you do not make any other changes to the document, you’re good to go. 3)   However, if you do see comments and tracked changes, you can do one of two things: Change â€Å"Final: Show Markup† to â€Å"Final† and save the final document as a PDF. This solution works if the place you’re submitting your resume accepts .pdf files. Accept all the tracked changes and delete all edits and comments (unless you only want to accept some of them, in which case see step 4). NOTE: You need to delete edits SEPARATELY from comments! Under the â€Å"Review† tab, go to â€Å"Accept† icon and accept all changes. Under the â€Å"Review† tab, go to the icon that says â€Å"Delete† (next to the â€Å"New Comment† icon, and click â€Å"Delete All Comments in Document.† 4)   If you want to accept some changes and delete others, you can accept or reject changes and comments one at a time by right clicking on them individually. You will get a drop-down menu with choices of what to do. 5)   Repeat Step 1. Directions for MS Word 2008 for Mac 1)   Check to see if there are any comments or tracked changes in the document: Go to the â€Å"Review† tab and find the Markup Options  drop-down menu. Make sure there are check marks next to the first three items shown   (otherwise you might not see the comments or formatting changes when you look at â€Å"Final Showing Markup.†) 2)   If you do not see any changes or comments and you do not make any other changes to the document, you’re good to go. 3)   However, if you do see comments and tracked changes, you can do one of two things: 1. Change â€Å"All Markup† to â€Å"No Markup† and save the final document as a PDF. This solution works if the place you’re submitting your resume accepts .pdf files. 2. Accept all the tracked changes and delete all edits and comments (unless you only want to accept some of them, in which case see step 4). NOTE:   You need to delete edits SEPARATELY from comments! Go to the Accept  menu with the green checkmark, and select Accept All Changes. Go to the Delete  menu with the red X, and select â€Å"Delete  All Comments in Document.† 4)   If you want to accept some changes and delete others, you can accept or reject changes and comments one at a time by clicking on the icons with the left arrow or right arrow to move to the previous or next change and then click on the drop-down menus with the green checkmark or red X to   accept or reject each individually. 5)   Repeat Step 1. Important notes for all versions of Word: If you accept all changes before reviewing the document and there is a comment in the middle of your document like â€Å"(dates?)† then that change will be accepted and become a part of your document! Make sure you respond to all questions and make any revisions needed inside your document before accepting all changes. *ALWAYS* proofread your final document at least 3 times!   As much as The Essay Expert and other editors attempt to ensure that your documents are perfect, final approval is ultimately your responsibility. If you don’t want all your future edits to show up as marked on your document, turn Track Changes off by clicking on it.   It’s a toggled function.   Click it on, click it off. Finally, when you receive an edited document, whenever possible accept or reject the changes before making your own edits!   This practice will make it much easier to look at the NEW edits you have made to the document. Have Track Changes questions? Embarrassing Track Changes stories? Please share in the Comments below! Save

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Organizational Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Organizational Conflict - Essay Example The current Interactionist View of Conflict believes that conflict is not only a positive force in a group but that it is absolutely necessary for a group to perform effectively. An example of a criminal justice agency in the midst of functional conflict would be underscored by a number of factors including increased group performance, improved quality of decisions, stimulation of creativity and innovation, encouragement of interest and curiosity, provision of a medium for problem-solving, creation of an environment for self-evaluation and change. From data collected from 159 presentence reports, a Midwestern county's felony cases were grouped according to certain variables including race, socioeconomic status, age, criminal record, and marital status of the offender (Douglass 1979). Results showed the severity of bond and plea bargain correlated highly to race. Clearly, vice operations in criminal justice agencies are in the midst of dysfunctional conflict where the development of discontent, reduction of group effectiveness, retarded communication, reduced group cohesiveness and infighting among group members overcomes group goals. We have discussed the differing interpretations of organizational conflict through three viewpoints: the Traditional View, the Human Relations View, and the Interactionist View of organizational conflict.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Perform critical analysis of images used by the media, example, Research Paper

Perform critical analysis of images used by the media, example, commercial - Research Paper Example The audience which this was based on could range from those who were only beginning to drive to individuals who were looking for upgrades for their car for either longer road trips or to drive within the city. The tone of the commercial is inclusive of two voice overs, both males. The commercial takes the tone of boys that are playing with toy cars and which are ‘pretending’ to take specific turns with the car to overcome danger, make the commercial and to present a specific viewpoint about what the car represents. The tone is also inclusive of an undertone of believing in everything that the car can do, despite the sense of make – believe which is being conducted through the two voice overs. The message that is stated is based on the spoken communication, which includes everything one wants to be in the car, ranging from the hot woman driving â€Å"super fast† to overcoming a chase to being a school teacher. The stated message then moves into the slogan of â€Å"Chevy Runs Deep’ to show that the car is for everyone. The implied message goes into the car being able to be every person who drives the car is able to achieve all of their dreams. The concept of the film and the message which is created goes into the brand meeting the mental model of consumers. The concept used through the narration is first given as a speed effect, which elevates mood. This is done with a 1 minute commercial which continuously changes speed, has fast talking men thinking about the commercial and which shows the message of how the car can allow an individual to be anything. This elevates the mood, specifically toward the end when they end the clip with the woman driver being a teacher. However, the message which is implied moves beyond this. The car goes through the scenes that are from other cars, such as driving through a desert, going on a high speed chase in the city and jumping from a building. These are known not to be realistic which makes a mockery out of the past commercials and of the competitors, showing that a car used for everyday life still has the same capacities for those who need a high – quality car. The exposure to the settings of other car commercials, as well as the implications with the fast speech and imagination which leads into reality then creates a personal connection of what it means to own a car which is needed for everyday life (Sutherland, 1). Film Techniques The techniques which are used through the film continue with adding in the persuasion of the commercial. The beginning only has the voice overs and a black scene, which then moves into â€Å"I have a great idea for the Camero commercial† followed by seeing the desert and a car in the distance. This landscape shot is followed by moving close in to the car but not distinguishing the features, which is then followed by the voice overs saying â€Å"bam! It’s super fast.† These two first shots build the curiosity of th e consumer and grab the attention of those who are watching the commercial. The curiosity and attachment to the film continues to build with a quick clip which changes into another close up of showing the car swerving through mirrors. The camera angle uses a slant instead of a straight shot to show that there is a sense of not carrying a sense of reality. This

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Poetry and Mother Essay Example for Free

Poetry and Mother Essay Outline It is an afternoon and the mom is washing clothes in a tub. The child has written a poem for her mother and gives it to her as she is washing. The mother scans the poem but rejects it as not being ‘all there is to life’. She feels that there is much more to life than reading or writing poetry. Despite her protest, the mother glances at the poem while she continues to wash clothes. Stanza 1 The mother obviously has given her life to hard work and struggle and seems to have lost interest in life. She does not seem to appreciate the effort of her child to offer some relief or change in her burdensome routine. That her mother washes in the afternoon indicates that her workload is enormous (as washing is usually done in the morning so the clothes can be hung out to dry.) The images of stress and strain are effectively captured in the description of the women ‘hunched’ over the washtub and her ‘shrivelled hands’. The word ‘hunched’ suggests her strenuous routine which has physically harmed her posture. The comparison of her hands to the shrivelled burnt skin of granadilla evokes the destructive efforts of hard labour on her physical body. Stanza 2 The words of the child’s poem are compared to a piece of slippery soap. Just as soap is used to cleanse dirt off clothes in this case, so too do the words of the poem give the mother strength and the power to bear her burden to restore her to some state of wholesomeness, just like soap restores clothes to their original clean condition. Note that the mother ‘grabbed’ the words and ‘used’ them, suggesting that she needed them desperately to sustain her to cope with the oppressive burden of life. Stanza 3 It is the burden of life which weighs down oppressively, that prevents the mother from appreciating or being sensitive to other aspects of life (like reading and enjoying poetry) But the fact that she does read the poem indicates that she is aware of its significance and healing power. (A poem appeals to our aesthetic sense.) It makes us see life in detail and appreciate the multi-faceted experiences of life. The word ‘scanning’ suggests that she does read the poem. The reference to the mother’s ‘blue-ringed gaze’ suggests that she has a deeper, appreciative side to her nature. Note that the colour ‘blue’ is usually associated with sky and beauty. The reference to the ‘dirty water’ is a metaphor for the pollution and corruption of life which have sullied or dirtied capacity to be sensitive to the beauty of nature of life. Stanza 4 The poem ends on a positive note. The mother continues to hold onto the words of the poem, the word ‘clenched’ recalls the term ‘grabbed’ of stanza 2, it means to hold tightly onto something. That the words are clenched ‘smaller and smaller’ indicates the great effort exerted by the mother to make the world of poetry a part of her life, she realises the value of poetry to guide her through the difficulties of life. Central message of the poem The poem whilst acknowledging the burden and harshness of life, confirms the value of developing our aesthetic nature, our capacity to appreciate what life has to offer as the only hope to cope with the hostility and problems we encounter on a daily basis. Further Consideration The writer uses simple words to reinforce the innocent, pure exchange between mother and child. The simplicity of the words also evokes the humility of their life – the setting is most likely a rural one.  The poem also has a simple structure; the lines are uniform and short reinforcing the simple effort of the child to console her mother.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Buildings :: essays research papers

to hold the concrete foundation above in place. The next obstacle in erecting a superskyscraper, and perhaps the biggest one, is wind. Tall buildings actually sway in the breeze, in much the same way that a diving board bends under the weight of a diver. Building an edifice that doesn't topple over in the wind is easy enough. The real challenge is keeping the structure so stiff that it doesn't swing too far, cracking partitions, shattering windows and making the upper occupants seasick. As a rule, the top of skyscraper should never drift more than 1/400 of its height at a wind velocity of 150 km/h. Older buildings, like the Empire State Building, were built so that their core withstood all bending stresses. But structural engineers have since found that by shifting the bracing and support to the perimeter of a building, it can better resist high winds. The most advanced buildings are constructed like a hollow tube, with thin, outer columns spaced tightly together and welded to broad horizontal beams. Toronto's First Canadian Place and New York's World Trade Center towers are all giant, framed tubes. A superskyscraper would undoubtedly need extra rigidity, which you could add by bracing its framework with giant diagonal beams. You'll see this at Chicago's John Hancock Center where the architect has incorporated diagonal braces right into the look of the building, exposing five huge X's on each side to public view. Alternatively, you might design your building like a broadcasting tower, and tie it to the ground with heavy, sloping guy wires extending from the four corners of the roof to the ground. A control mechanism at the end of each cable would act like a fishing reel, drawing in the cable whenever the sway of the building caused it to slacken. Tall buildings also encounter the problem of vortex shedding, a phenomenon that occurs as the wind swirls around the front corners of the building, forming a series of eddies or vortices. At certain wind speeds, these vortices vibrate the building, threatening to shake it apart. In New York City's Citicorp Center, engineers have tackled vortex shedding with a 400-tonne concrete block that slides around in a special room on one of the

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Ethics, Fairness, and Trust in Negotiations Essay

Discuss two of the following statements then respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings. Try to respond to students who picked different statements. * Discuss how skills in ethics, fairness, and trust can be a part of the negotiation process even though some negotiation tactics challenge those values. * Identify the Five Bases for Trust and explain why they are important in the negotiation process. Describe Kant’s Ethics of Principle and Mill’s Ethics of Consequences philosophies and discuss which theory you would be more incline to use in a negotiating situation. Kant’s and Mill’s philosophies are a means to identify ethical means to guide parties to a successful negotiation. They are two separate school of thoughts in ethics. Kant believes that moral rightness should overcome and minimize self-interest, feelings, or empirical fact. Kant’s moral principle is based on pure reason. He states that basic ethical principles aren’t â€Å"empirical† (from sense experience). Ethics gives necessary truths that hold for all rational beings. In other words feelings whether personal, rational or irrational or sentimental should not be involved in ethical reasoning. He believes that ethics based on reason is needed more than self-interest motivation because such motivation can lead to violation of duty. Such motives lessen our moral worth; the highest motive is to do our duty, not from ulterior motives, but just because it’s the right thing to do. Kant supreme moral principle is to act as if your action would become a universal law and to treat yourself and others as an end it itself not the means to an end (Gensler, 1998). On the other side, Mill’s philosophy is based on pure utilitarianism (self-interest). Utilitarianism says that the basic moral principle is that we should to do whatever promotes the greatest happiness of the greatest number. Mill equated happiness with pleasure. But not all pleasures have equal value; higher pleasures of the mind are better than lower pleasures of the body. Mill’s view is purely hedonistic in nature. The basic idea of his philosophy is that any intrinsic value is based on pleasure which equals  to happiness and we should all strive for it. There are however different values of pleasures in his view. The highest pleasures are more valuable than lower ones. For example, the pleasures of learning things and of helping others are more valuable than the pleasures of eating and drinking. We can decide which pleasures are more valuable by looking to the consensus of experienced observers. Utilitarianism says that actions are right if they promote the greatest happiness for the greatest number. This is the basic principle of ethics of Mill’s philosophy, and the foundation of morality. In applying the principle, the happiness of everyone is equal. We should all strive for our own individual happiness. So, as a group, we try to obtain the happiness of all in the group and this is the basic foundation of the utilitarian principle (Gensler, 1998). The two individual principles are equality attractive in the negotiation process and I can see the benefits of both of them. However, I believe that Kant had the right idea. If we are using either idea as a guide in the negotiation it is best to go for a more moralistic point of view than utilitarianism. I believe when we only think of self interests we lose sight of the true objective and purpose of the negotiation. Source Gensler, H.J. (1998). Ethics: A Contemporary Introduction. London and New York: Routledge. Retrieve online at http://www.jcu.edu/philosophy/gensler/index.htm. Discuss the Functionalist Model, Mutual Trust Principle, and the test for meeting procedural fairness of a negotiation. The Functionalist Model is about procedural fairness in a negotiation. The model refers to the bargaining as a voluntary process and the purpose is to reach an agreement. Also, the concept of the model refers to behaviors that threaten reaching an agreement are also threats to the purpose of the negotiation. In this the negotiation process is adversarial and bargaining tricks and tactics are used to gain information and advantages (Carrell, 2008). The Mutual Trust Principle refers to the procedural fairness in trust building in a negotiation. The idea is to build trust early in the beginning of the negation process. In other word to treat others as you would want to be treated. Your actions speak louder than word has a lasting effect on how you are perceived and how you perceived others. The appropriate behaviors in this principle to build trust is exhibits the same trust worthy attitude when you are gathering information about the other party by asking friends, associates, and contacts. It is appropriate and expected that you would make an unrealistically opening demand and hide your real position. It would be appropriate and expected behavior that you give an open impression of non-adversarial and confrontational. The misrepresentation of facts and lying in a negotiation are inappropriate behaviors. To falsely threaten or promise things with no ability to deliver and use confidential information by bribery is unfair and inappropriate (Carrell, 2008). The test for meeting procedural fairness of a negotiation is to ask yourself the following standard questions: * Reciprocity standard—would you want to be treated in this way? * Universality standard—would you advise others to behave this way? * Publicity standard—would you like to see the actions in the press? * Trusted friend standard—would you tell your friend of your actions? * Legacy standard—do you want to be remembered for acting in this way? Source Carrell, M.R. & Heavrin, C. (2008). Negotiating essentials: Theory, skills, and practices. Upper Saddle, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. ISBN-10: 978-0-13-186866-3

Saturday, November 9, 2019

The Power of Prayer

On the afternoon of June 5th (2011), I was hurrying toward central London in a cold rain. Soon, more and more of the people I passed were Japanese people in formal dress, a somewhat unusual thing to see in a foreign city. The line of Japanese people crossed the busy road and entered the famous Westminster Abbey. We had come to join in the Great East Japan Earthquake Memorial Service being held in the abbey. When I mention Westminster Abbey, the first thing that probably comes to mind is the magnificent royal wedding that recently took place there.At the same place where the people of Britain prayed for the happiness of the newlyweds, we Japanese people were going to pray for the victims of the earthquake, and for the restoration of our homeland. The Japanese flag flown high above the abbey signified that this service was being conducted for the people of Japan. As a student living in London, I heard about the Tohoku Earthquake at dawn on March 11. Even now, I vividly remember turning on the BBC news and instantly snapping out of my sleepy state. At first, I didn't understand what had happened.But as I watched images of the events, I got goose bumps all over my body, and was at a loss for words. When a horrific photo of the disaster-struck area covered the front page of the next day's newspaper, I once again felt the gravity of the situation. People in Britain were quick to take action. They immediately set up various charities, and collected relief funds and donations for the affected areas. On the front page of one newspaper was the red sun of the Japanese flag with the Japanese words â€Å"‚ ªÃ¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ ±Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ ªÃ¢â‚¬Å"à ºÃ¢â‚¬â€œ{ A‚ ªÃ¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ ± ‚΂à ªÃ¢â‚¬Å"Œ–k (Ganbare Nippon, Ganbare Tohoku: Don't give up Japan, Don't give up Tohoku).†People I did not know were giving me encouragement. I think this kindness of the British people was the driving force behind the service I was attending. Th e ceremony was carried out with solemnity. Passages from the Bible were read; hymns and pipe organ music echoed from the high ceilings of the sanctuary. As the program proceeded, to my surprise, Kenji Miyazawa's poem Ame ni mo makezu (Be not Defeated by the Rain) was read aloud. The power of its words struck me deeply. It dawned on me that this, too, is a form of prayer. Up until then, I had thought of prayer as putting one's hands together or kneeling down in devotion to God.I realized, however, that there are other forms of prayer as well. Surely, anyone listening to this reading must have prayed for the advent of a safe and peaceful world, and envisioned a vigorous rebuilding of Japan. I felt the poem quietly guiding our spirit, and uniting the hearts of all those in attendance. I think what is meant by prayer is ‘the power of thought. ‘ Even Japan's restoration and rebirth cannot begin without thoughts. It is through thoughts that action takes place. People say that prayer alone will not change anything, but in times of crisis, I think it is what we need most.Indeed, all I can do at present is pray, but it seems to me that this is by no means an insignificant force. When all of us who had gathered at Westminster Abbey united our hearts and prayed together, I believe that our thoughts became a great force that reached the areas affected by the disaster. Another thing that moved me was the international cooperation. I could feel intensely the kindness of the British people toward Japan, and their strong desire to help. Many people are praying for the restoration of Japan and the happiness of its people.Amidst this, I feel that I have caught a glimpse of the true warmth of international cooperation. This great disaster has brought about changes in me. It led me to reconsider the meaning of prayer, which I had only experienced in form, and to learn what true prayer really is. I was also able to understand the spirit underlying the words ‘inte rnational cooperation,' which I had previously understood as merely a political term. In the future, I hope to use this ‘power of thought' that I keenly felt during recent events to reach out to the international community. The ‘power of prayer' and ‘power of thought' are infinite. The Power of Prayer On the afternoon of June 5th (2011), I was hurrying toward central London in a cold rain. Soon, more and more of the people I passed were Japanese people in formal dress, a somewhat unusual thing to see in a foreign city. The line of Japanese people crossed the busy road and entered the famous Westminster Abbey. We had come to join in the Great East Japan Earthquake Memorial Service being held in the abbey. When I mention Westminster Abbey, the first thing that probably comes to mind is the magnificent royal wedding that recently took place there.At the same place where the people of Britain prayed for the happiness of the newlyweds, we Japanese people were going to pray for the victims of the earthquake, and for the restoration of our homeland. The Japanese flag flown high above the abbey signified that this service was being conducted for the people of Japan. As a student living in London, I heard about the Tohoku Earthquake at dawn on March 11. Even now, I vividly remember turning on the BBC news and instantly snapping out of my sleepy state. At first, I didn't understand what had happened.But as I watched images of the events, I got goose bumps all over my body, and was at a loss for words. When a horrific photo of the disaster-struck area covered the front page of the next day's newspaper, I once again felt the gravity of the situation. People in Britain were quick to take action. They immediately set up various charities, and collected relief funds and donations for the affected areas. On the front page of one newspaper was the red sun of the Japanese flag with the Japanese words â€Å"‚?‚n‚I‚eâ€Å"u–{?A‚?‚n ‚I‚eâ€Å"?–k (Ganbare Nippon, Ganbare Tohoku: Don't give up Japan, Don't give up Tohoku).â€Å"People I did not know were giving me encouragement. I think this kindness of the British people was the driving force behind the service I was attending. The ceremony was carried out with so lemnity. Passages from the Bible were read; hymns and pipe organ music echoed from the high ceilings of the sanctuary. As the program proceeded, to my surprise, Kenji Miyazawa's poem Ame ni mo makezu (Be not Defeated by the Rain) was read aloud. The power of its words struck me deeply. It dawned on me that this, too, is a form of prayer. Up until then, I had thought of prayer as putting one's hands together or kneeling down in devotion to God.I realized, however, that there are other forms of prayer as well. Surely, anyone listening to this reading must have prayed for the advent of a safe and peaceful world, and envisioned a vigorous rebuilding of Japan. I felt the poem quietly guiding our spirit, and uniting the hearts of all those in attendance. I think what is meant by prayer is ‘the power of thought. ‘ Even Japan's restoration and rebirth cannot begin without thoughts. It is through thoughts that action takes place. People say that prayer alone will not change anyth ing, but in times of crisis, I think it is what we need most.Indeed, all I can do at present is pray, but it seems to me that this is by no means an insignificant force. When all of us who had gathered at Westminster Abbey united our hearts and prayed together, I believe that our thoughts became a great force that reached the areas affected by the disaster. Another thing that moved me was the international cooperation. I could feel intensely the kindness of the British people toward Japan, and their strong desire to help. Many people are praying for the restoration of Japan and the happiness of its people.Amidst this, I feel that I have caught a glimpse of the true warmth of international cooperation. This great disaster has brought about changes in me. It led me to reconsider the meaning of prayer, which I had only experienced in form, and to learn what true prayer really is. I was also able to understand the spirit underlying the words ‘international cooperation,' which I ha d previously understood as merely a political term. In the future, I hope to use this ‘power of thought' that I keenly felt during recent events to reach out to the international community. The ‘power of prayer' and ‘power of thought' are infinite.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

I am going to produce a report which assesses the working capital management of MarksSpencer using information from their annual report Essay Example

I am going to produce a report which assesses the working capital management of MarksSpencer using information from their annual report Essay Example I am going to produce a report which assesses the working capital management of MarksSpencer using information from their annual report Essay I am going to produce a report which assesses the working capital management of MarksSpencer using information from their annual report Essay Working capital measures how much in liquid assets a company has available to build its business. The number can be positive or negative, depending on how much debt the company is carrying. In general, companies that have a lot of working capital will be more successful since they can expand and improve their operations. Companies with negative working capital may lack the funds necessary for growth. Working capital is a critical aspect of business operation, without adequate working capital a business may not be able to reach success or the aim of the business, for example, if MS don’t have enough working capital to found employees’ wages then the employees may decide to quit and this will slow down productivity which in turn will cause the business to stop functioning. Also if MS don’t have enough capital then they may not be able to pay their suppliers and their suppliers may decide not to supply them with goods anymore which may have an effect on the company’s market share, because customers will choose to go to rival companies instead. The key components of working capitals are current asset and current liability. To find the working capital of a business we use the formula: CURRENT ASSETS- CURRENT LIABILITIES= WORKING CAPITAL Based on this formula the working capital of MS at the end of 2010 2011 financial year can be calculated as; 2010  £1,153.80 – 2,210.20 = (1056.40) 2011 1,641.7 – 1,890.5 = (248.80) Both figures from MS working capital show a negative figure, this means that currently the company is unable to meet its short-term liabilities with its current assets. However, comparing these two years there has been a decrease of  £807.60 from 2010 to 2011 which is a good thing because this shows that MS are taken up strategies to improve its working capitals. Current assets are cash or assets owed buy a business that will be turned into cash within one year, examples of current assets are; Trade receivables (Debtors): debtors are money owed to a business by its clients or customers. This is a current asset because customers that purchase goods on credit are usually required to pay the amount owed within a year, so due to this reason they become an asset to a business. Trade receivables are shown on the balance sheet under the current asset section. Inventories (Stock): inventories are products or merchandise owed by a business that has not yet been sold. These are current assets because as part of the normal trading activities of a business, inventory will be expected to be sold off within a year to generate income. There are two types of inventory, opening inventory and closing inventory. Opening inventory is the stock held at the start of each financial year and closing stock are the total amount of stock left at the end of the financial year and this is recorded in the balance sheet as a current asset. Prepaid: these are expenses that have been paid for in advance but services or products have not yet been used. Example of prepaid expenses is insurance and business rates. Other examples of current assets are bank balances and cash in the till. Current liabilities: these are debts owed by a business that need to be repaid within one year. Examples of current liabilities might include; Trade payables (creditors): creditors are people usually suppliers that a business owe money to. Creditors are current liabilities because suppliers will usually request you to pay back the amount owed within one year. If trade creditors are not paid on time it may affect the reputation of the business because suppliers wouldn’t want to sell gods to you on credit as they know there will be chances of late repayment. Short term loan: this type of loan is borrowed from a bank and is scheduled to be repaid in less than a year. Accrued expenses: these are expense that has been incurred, but not yet paid for. Example of accrued expenses may be interests that has been accrued on loans that has not yet been paid for and also taxes that has been accrued but not yet paid for. Other examples of current liabilities are bank overdraft, this is when an individual or a company withdrawals more money from their account than they owe. This is a current liability because bank overdrafts are supposed to be paid within a short period of time. Marks Spencer uses short term finances such as overdrafts and bank loans to fund their working capital. Overdraft may usually be used to cover utility bills, and short term bank loans may be used to pay wages. Also they use trade creditors as a short term finance to purchase goods on credit from their suppliers. The use of short term finance for the day to day running of the business is a better source compared to long term source because resources such as stock will be used soon and there will be no point incurring more charges on it if you were to get a long term loan instead of acquiring it from trade creditors. In this part of my work, I am going to identify and explain the key ratios, using the information I gathered from MS annual report. Ratio is the term applied to a variety of calculations used to compare the results of a business over time or to compare the results of two or more business in the same business sector. Ratios enable changes in important aspects of a business’s performance to be pin pointed and quantified. The calculations of ratios enables trends to be highlighted and also ratios are particularly important to the owners, managers and stake holders of businesses as they will be keen to assess the performance and rivals will be interested too. I will be using five(5) key ratios namely current ratio, acid test ratio, debtor collection periods, credit payment period and stock turnover to compare the results of MS business over 2010 and 2011 financial year. Current ratio: this is also known as the working capital ratio, it is used to compare current assets to current liabilities the formula for working out the current ratio is, CURRENT ASSETS / CURRENT LIABILITIES. Current ratios are always expressed as ‘something’:1. The ideal current ratio is 2:1 which means that for each  £1 owed the business can cover with current assets 2 times. Even though a high current ratio can be a good thing, it is possible for it to be classed as a wasteful of resources, because the business is holding money in that could be put to good use such as expanding the business. Current ratio 2010 2011 ( £1153.80/ £2210.20)= 0.5220 ( £1641.70/ £1890.50)= 0.8684 Current ratio= 0.5:1 Current ratio: 0.9:1 MS current ratio has increased from 0.5:1 to 0.9:1 this means that liquidity has gone up and for every  £1 owed MS can cover with current assets of 0.9 times. Compared to the ideal ratio which is 2:1, the current 2011 ratio is still not good enough and this may imply that the business will find it difficult its debts since the business is operating with inadequate levels of working capital. Acid test ratio: this is similar to current ratio because it measures liquid assets in relation to current liabilities and also the amount of liquid assets available to pay the debts of the business. The differences between current ratio and acid ratio is that, current ratio looks at liquidity and cash flow issues further ahead than acid ratio because acid ratio is a more immediate measure of liquidity. The formula for finding acid test ratio is; (Current assets – stock)/ Current liabilities Acid test ratio is also written in the form ‘something’: 1, the ideal acid ratio is 1:1 meaning that for every  £1 a business owes it has  £1 of current assets less stock to cover this debt. Stock is removed to give an indication of the cash the business has in relation to its liability. 2010 2011 (1,153.8 685.3)/2210.2 = 0.212 (1641.7-613.2)/1890.5= 0.54403 Acid test ratio = 0.21: 1 Acid ratio = 0.54:1 MS has been able to increase its acid ratio from 0.21:1 in 2010 to 0.54:1 in 2011, yet still this is not close to the ideal ratio and this suggests that the business has nearly twice as many liabilities as it has cash to pay for those liabilities and this might put the firm under pressure. Stock turnover – this compares the average stock to the total cost of stock sold during a year. Average stock is calculated by adding the two years stock and then dividing it by 2. Stock turnover is very important to MS since stock is involved in their normal trading activities. The stock turnover will indicates how quickly stocks are being sold. If the rate is increasing, it can mean that the business is selling more stock or perhaps the average stock held is being reduced. However, if the stock is decreasing, this could mean that the business is selling less stock or the business is holding more average stock. The formula for finding stock turnover is; (Cost of sales / Average stock) = number of times per year Average stock= (685.3+613.2)/2 =649.25 2010 2011 (6015.6/649.25)= 9.265 (5918.9/649.25)=9.117 Number of times per year= 9.23 times Number of times per year= 9.12 times Based on the calculation, the resulting stock turnover ratio was equal to a little more than 9 in both years. This means that MS reduces and replenishes its stock nine times per year to satisfy consumer demand for its products. The goal of any retailer such as MS is to have a high inventory ratio, since its always better to sell inventory in the shortest amount of time possible. The longer a company holds on to inventory, the more expenses it incurs to store it, which ultimately reduces profits. Moreover, when theres low stock turnover, it indicates that the company is failing to accurately project what the demand is for the products it sells. Debtor collection periods -this is the average amount of days for collection period. It is used to measure the business’ efficiency in collecting payment. If the debtors collection period is increasing this tells you that the debtors are taken longer to pay than previously. Formula for calculating the debtor collection period: (Trade debtors x 365)/sales turnover = number of days 2010 2011 (250.3 x 365)/9740.3=9.38 (613.2 x 365)/9536.6=23.46 Number of days = 10days Number of days= 24days There has been an increase in of 14 days in the debtors’ collection period from 2010 to 2011 and this could be a weakness to MS because it could imply that credit control is not being as carefully managed as previously and this could lead to an increase in bad debt, bad debt is when debtors are not able to pay for their amount owed, this is treated as an expense in the business income statement. Creditor payment period: this measures the number of days taken on an average to pay for credit purchases. Since MS deals with lots of stock one of their sources of finance form purchasing goods on credit, if the credit payment increases this shows that the business is taking longer to pay creditors than previously. This change can either be a weakness to the business because it could mean that that the business is exceeding the credit period allowed by suppliers and as a result suppliers may discontinue offering credit facilities. On the other hand it can become a strength because it will improve the cash flow of the business. If the creditors’ collection period is decreasing this means that the company is taking less time to pay creditors. The change in the creditors’ payment period can be interpreted as a strength because the credit control is being more carefully managed and that difficulties with suppliers over exceeding credit limit will no longer occur but it can also be a weakness because the business is now paying suppliers earlier than necessary, resulting in negative impact on cash flow. Formula for calculating creditor payments period; (Creditors x 365) / Purchases = number of days 2010 2011 (1347.60 x 365)/6015.6= 81.77 (1153.8 x 365)/5918.1= 71.16 Number of days= 82days Number of days=71 days Since these figures are decreasing, it shows that MS are taken less number of days to repay their suppliers. However, if the credit payment period between MS and their supplier is 30 days then the business will have to ensure that their debt are repaid more quickly to build up trust between them and the suppliers. In order to maintain the capital structure, the MS has decided to adjust the number of dividends paid to shareholders, return capital to shareholders, issue new shares or sell assets to reduce debt. But if the credit payment period is more than 71 days, e.g. 100 days instead, then MS can wait for some more days to repay their debt as this will can help them get a positive cash flow and will attract investors into the business. Comparing the changes in debtors collecting period and creditors collecting period over the 2 years period shows that MS take longer time to pay their suppliers but it takes shorter time for them to receive payments from their debtors. The reason behind this could be that, since MS is not really a wholesale company they don’t give out lots of credit purchases to their customers but they purchase most of their stock on credit which thereby explains the huge difference between the creditors and debtors collecting period. To be able to manage working capital, there are certain tools in which a business can use. Usually making sure that the business has enough money to pay the bill when they arrive may be good practice however it is important to take into consideration of other tools as it will help you to manage your business more effectively. The following are ways in which a business can use to manage working capital; Credit control: these are practices used by businesses that extend credit to customers for the purpose of financing purchases of goods or services offered by the business. The purpose of these practices is to identify whether a customer is a good credit risk, and to monitor existing customer lines of credit for consistent repayment. As MS don’t give out a huge amount of their stock on credit because they are retailers they still use credit control to assess the few people they sell goods to on credit as this will avoid any bad debt from occurring. From the calculation of the debtors collection period, it is clear that MS debtors are taken longer days to pay than in the previous years, and this could cause cash to be tied up in debtors and MS may not be able to pay for their own debt. To be able to decrease the number of debtors, MS can offer a discount to their credit customers, such as 5% discount if payments are made 14 days earlier rather than the agreed credit collection p eriod. Also MS should make sure that they are paying a close attention on their debtors and if they spot out any late payments, they should send a reminder to their debtor. Stock control: is essential in MS because the more stock it holds the greater the amount of money that is tied up and this can have a significant effect on company profits. There are different types of costs that occur when stocks are held in a business for so long, these costs are; Opportunity cost, this is when capital has been tied up in stock, in this situation a business earns a zero financial return, meaning that no money is raised by holding stock in. Storage and handling, if lots of stocks are held for so long in MS it will have an impact in the warehousing space, and extra capital will be wasted on the controlling of these stock, lighting heating and labour. Spoilage, since MS deals with perishable goods like food, there will be a high risk of these perishable items to get expired. Usually stock will have to be insured against fire damages or theft, and keeping a higher amount of stock in the business it means that the business will have to pay more money on insurance to cover all the stocks available in the moment. Theft and shrinkage, when there is lots of stock held in a business it becomes a target for theft by staff and others. Due to this reason MS has put in a careful strategy called the â€Å"Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology†. This RFID uses microchips to wirelessly transmit serial numbers to a reading device wirelessly, allowing goods to be tracked electronically along the supply chain from warehouse to point of sale. Stuart Senior, IT director at MS, said the company wanted to use the technology to ensure 100% product availability, allowing managers to fill stores with as many different types of merchandise as possible. With automatic tracking of stock we can get a perfect picture of the goods we have on the sales floor and in the warehouse, he said. If we can improve data accuracy, we can replenish accurately. Another way I would suggest MS to use to controls its stock is to use â€Å"just-in-time approach† on perishable food. The just in time approach is when orders for delivery are made and ready to be sold to the customers straight away, this will help MS reduce the amount of money wasted on Debt factoring: this is when a third party usually a bank is given the authority to collect a business’ debts in exchange for a percentage of the original debt. Using debt factoring will be particularly important to MS as this will help them improve on their cash flow and wouldn’t have to wait till their debtors are ready to settle payments. Currently MS are not using debt factoring, but I would recommend they use it as this will help them decrease the number of debtors’ collection period and hopefully use the money to obtain new stock or to pay off their creditors. Cash budgets: cash budget is an estimate of future cash income and cash expenditures. Creating a cash budget helps MS to ensure that there is always sufficient cash available to allow the normal trading activities of the business to take place. It will also highlight time when MS have excess cash and this allows the management team in the business to arrange short-term investment of those surplus cash in order to gain maximum return. Lastly cash budgets high light when the business have cash deficits and this allows the management team of MS to arrange short-term alternative sources of finance which can be bank overdraft, arrangement of extended period of credit, or reducing the agreement on the time limits for existing long term debt collection periods. Even though creating cash budget helps MS in the management of its working capital, there is still some limitations, because; 1. If the data included in the cash budget is inaccurate then the cash budget will be of little use. 2. Budget might become an overriding goal and this could lead to a misuse of resources or incorrect decisions been made. 3. If budget are made compulsory instead of negotiated, staff members may become demotivated. 4. If budgeted plans are easily achieved this will make the departments appear to be more efficient than they really are and this will lead to underperformance. In conclusion, the analysis of working capital efficiency of Marks Spencer is showing instability in the business. Stock holding period is around on the same level in 2011 as it was in 2010. MS has increased in its debtor collection period in 2011, which is showing their weak position to collect their receivables early. The business can improve its debtors’ collection period by using the credit control ideas I talked about previously. Since MS is a retail shop, for the companies working capital to increase we have to look at the main operating activities to be able to solve the issues the company is facing at the moment. MS sales have falling from 9,740.3 million in 2010 to 9,536.6 million in 2011 and this reduction in sale will give a bad impact of MS to all its stake holders. It is important for MS to increase the number of sales as this will help their working capital to increase too, to do this the business will have to invest in exciting clothing that are in fashion and also look at their marketing strategy to see if they could include discounts sales or give cash discounts to its customers. Even though MS is doing quite well in its food department it can look in improving even better by comparing their marketing strategies to their competitors such as Tesco and Sainsbury and incorporate the strategy they find helpful from its competitors into their own business. From the creditors payment period ratio figure we could tell that MS takes longer time to repay their creditors, and the reason behind this is that the business has got more than 2000 direct suppliers of finished products. 1500 suppliers are supplying clothing, footwear, beauty and home products and rest 500 provide food products. Keeping the record of 2000 suppliers is not easy and in future complex supplying chain could create problem for MS. MS could improve on this issue by probably looking to find suppliers that could offer more than one products at a cheaper price to the company and this will help to reduce the number of suppliers they have and hopefully be able to keep track of their creditors payment period. In 2011 the acid ratio test which measures the liquidity of the business has fallen below 1 and it is 0.54, this is very unhealthy for MS because it means that for every  £1 liability they owe they have just 0.54p to cover it, for MS to improve on its liquidity, it needs to reduce its expenses that are incurred through rent, payment of indirect labour and professional fees and also the amount of money spent on advertisement. Also if the business has any assets that are unproductive they could sell it and the money gain would help increase their current assets figure. To add up MS can improve profitability by looking at stocks that could be charged at a higher a price or they might want to reduce the price of certain stocks as this will attract more customers. MS can also improve in its stock turnover by targeting at different age groups, because currently the shop has an image of selling clothes that are targeted to people over their 30’s and in the current market of retail clothing it is known that people below the ages of 30 spend lots of money of clothing. The company could focus on buying and selling products that sell consistently, because there are some products that might sit in the shelf for so long and this will cost cash to be tied up in the stock.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Agents in Tourism Industry Research Paper

Agents in Tourism Industry Research Paper Agents in Tourism Industry Research Paper Research Paper on Agents in Tourism Industry: Tourism presents one of the fastest growing industries in the world because information and communication technology has enabled people to identify tourism destinations worthy a visit. Although the trend appears similar to both developing and developed nations, the former have witnessed unprecedented rise in the number of tourists from around the world coming to enjoy scenic land features and ecosystems. In effect, governments have responded correspondingly by enhancing the role they play in tourism development. In emerging nations (such as Thailand and South Africa) and developing countries (such as Kenya), tourism contributes a significant part to the national economies. Common in other countries, governments have begun to play the role of planners, managers, facilitators, stimulators, and regulators of tourism activities in an effort to promote development in their tourism sectors (Sharpley Telfer 2002). In addition, some players have come up to complement the efforts of the gove rnments and others, to protect the environment and local communities against the capitalist desires of the government. Private enterprises provide support in form of investment and advice to state institutions involved in tourism. Local communities identify and report to government about potential tourist sites and regions as well as protecting the natural and cultural resources against destruction. Other major agents in tourism industry in the countries include multinational agencies, non-governmental organizations, and media, among others. The governments have formed various partnerships with the other agents from the private sector to work cooperatively in promoting sustainable growth of respective tourism sectors (Huybers 2007). Although the partnerships have worked well in some cases, they have encountered various hurdles in other cases that have limited their success. The current research explores the various agents involved in tourism industry in developing and emerging nations. It examines the role of government institutions and roles of other players, including media, international organizations, local communities, and others. The research also explores the nature of partnership between private and public organizations in the countries. Government’ s Role The legislative, executive, and judiciary arms of government have great influence on tourism development in many countries, including both developed and developing countries. In third world countries, the level of influence depends on the perceived economic importance that tourism holds in the overall economy and the extent of the relationships between different government institutions as well as political, social, and cultural characteristics of the nations. Although government institutions vary from one country to another depending on the type of government (for example, democratic or communist), the major institutions that have significant influence on the tourism industry include central and local (or provincial) governments, law enforcement agencies, administrative units, courts, and other units of governance. According to Sharpley and Telfer (2002), the major roles played by governments of emerging and developing nations include planning, management, policymaking and regulation , investment, protection of interests of different stakeholders, social tourism, and promotion. Planning Government plans for all major development activities and operations in the tourism industry. Majority of tourist attractions include natural endowments, such as natural ecosystems, attractive natural sceneries, and other natural features in different countries (Huybers 2007). Since tourism value of such endowments form a significant part of national economies in developing countries, government has a major obligation to plan on how tourism operations and other related activities should be carried out to protect and preserve the endowments. The plans may involve a wide range of operations, including maps of land usage in areas neighboring the endowments, marketing plans, layouts of infrastructure (roads, accommodation facilities, and other support services), and plans of the recommended modes of transport in different tourist attraction sites. The planning may be short-term or long-term, demonstrating how government expects development of tourism sector to be in future. For instance, Thailand government has been involved in various planning activities owing to the significant role played by tourism in the national economy. In 2008, the government released a marketing plan explaining how it intends to promote the various tourist destinations in the country (Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) n.d.). In the same year, Kenyan government also released its tourism strategic plan for the period from 2008 to 2012, showing how the government expects to promote its tourist attractions, fund development of its tourism sector, and monitor tourist operations (Ministry of Tourism (MOT), Kenya n.d.). Management Tourism development involves collaborative efforts of many stakeholders, including government, international players, local societies, private sector groups, and many others. Thus, it is essential for the government to manage or coordinate these stakeholders in an effort to ensure smooth operations in the sector. Government manages the activities of the various stakeholders to minimize replication of efforts among themselves and to align their practices with the objectives and goals laid down in planning (Sharpley Telfer 2002). Without government coordination, it is not be possible for the various public institutions and other stakeholders to know areas conducive to tourism development, government plans in place to promote tourism development in various regions, and the efforts being made by other stakeholders in achieving development objectives. As a result, stakeholders would reproduce efforts of other players in the sector, a situation likely to lead to increased development acti vities in some areas of the sector at the expense of others. Therefore, government’s role as a manager of the tourism industry serves to harmonize the efforts of all players with objectives of tourism plans for even development in all tourism areas within the country. In many developing countries, governments establish specialized public institutions to coordinate activities of domestic and international tourism operators. For instance, Department of Tourism in Kenya is the government unit responsible for managing all activities related to tourism development in the country. In Thailand, TAT coordinates activities of domestic tourism agents and international partners to ensure balanced development in all sectors of the tourism industry according to government plans. The Department of Tourism, South Africa has a legal mandate to manage development activities at provincial, national, and international levels to ensure that they are in line with government goals regarding touris m industry in the country (Lubbe 2003). Regulation and Legislation Government develops and implements legislations intended to regulate development in the tourism industry. It formulates various legislations to control tourism operations in an effort to promote development in the sector, type and nature of stakeholders to participate in the industry, to establish and conserve natural endowments perceived as tourist attractions. In addition, it also implements laws to regulate contributions of other sectors of the economy to tourism. For instance, legislative efforts to regulate entry of foreigners into the country, taxes paid by citizens and foreigners, protection of the environment, and labor inevitably affect development activities in tourism industry. Tourism legislative framework in Kenya demonstrates the nature of the regulative role of government in the industry. The country has a comprehensive Wildlife Conservation and Management Act (WCMA) that controls tourist activities in specific sites (lakes, ocean, forests, and land features) as well a s other related ecological sources that influence survival of the tourist sites. It has also enacted other laws to control operations that support tourism, including the Hotels and Restaurants Act (HRA) and the Tourist Industry Licensing Act (TILA) (MOT, Kenya n.d.). Investment In any developing, emerging, or developed nation, government invests heavily in tourism industry to complement investment efforts by the private individuals and organizations. It not only invests in those areas perceived as capital-intensive projects, but also in regions considered unworthy for investment by private entrepreneurs. In many developing nations, governments have invested heavily in establishing museums, national parks, game reserves, beaches, roads, airports, airline, other transportation means, hospitals, and other tourism related infrastructure. They have also undertaken investment in other low-risk projects, such as accommodation and travel services. For instance, Thailand government has established more than 100 national parks, comprising of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems that serve as tourist attractions (TAT n.d.). It has also build an effective road network, making the parks easily accessible to both domestic and international tourists. Facilitation Government role as a facilitator of tourism development has a great influence on growth of the tourism industry in emerging and developing nations. It facilitates development in a wide range of ways. Through law enforcement agencies, it ensures security and safety of tourists and tourism operators and their investments (Sharpley Telfer 2002). For instance, Kenyan government created a dedicated tourist police unit to ensure security and safety of tourist while visiting the various parks and attractions in the country. It can also stimulate development through provision of subsidies, grants, and tax breaks to encourage private individuals and firms to invest in the sector as well as to attract tourists. A good example is Thailand where it refunds value-added tax (VAT) tariffs to tourists when they purchase goods and other items at designed retail centers. Other Influences Government plays other roles, such as promotion of their countries as tourist destinations, development of social tourism, and safeguarding of interests of the public (Sharpley Telfer 2002). It establishes various products to market the various tourist attractions available in the nation in an effort to attract tourists and investors into the sector. In other countries, such as Kenya and Thailand, government promotes social tourism, encouraging tourists to visit the countries to witness and learn about various cultures espoused by different communities. Government also participates in tourism development by protecting the interests of the public against exploitation by private investors. It gives some part of revenues collected in tourist attractions back to the neighboring communities and requires private investors to establish corporate social responsibility programs to improve living standards of people living in regions adjacent to their facilities. Role of Others Agents Besides government, other parties in Third World countries play significant roles in tourism industry. Among others, they include local communities, private enterprises, media, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and multinational agencies. Local Communities Like government, local communities have greatest influence on development of tourism industry. Environmental conservation remains the major role of local societies, as they coexist with various tourist attractions available in their country. They have a responsibility to coexist with biodiversity within ecosystems and report any environmental malpractice by some of their members, public officers, and private investors to the relevant authorities. In majority of developing countries, the communities have become essential components of cultural tourism. They form cultural groups to attract local and foreign tourists to come and see their cultural heritage as well as to entertain the tourists when they visit neighboring sites. For example, Kenya is well known internationally for its wide variety of cultural tourist activities organized by various local communities. Tourists to Masai Mara National Reserve have the opportunity to enjoy not only the vast diversity of animals, but also the cultural heritage (dances, houses, and dressing) of Masai community, one of few Kenyan communities that have preserved its culture amidst widespread influence of Western cultures on way of life of many Kenyans (MOT, Kenya n.d.). According to Lubbe (2003), local people may invest into the tourism industry as private investors or partner with government, NGOs, and international agencies to establish projects that foster tourism development. In various countries, communities have partnered with the government and NGOs to advocate for sustainable tourism development. They have championed for doing tourism operations and activities in a way that protects and conserves the environment, which influences greatly survival of the various ecosystems serving as tourist destinations. Moreover, the communities can also play a role of domestic tourists by visiting national parks, game reserves, and other attractions within their countries. Private Enterprises In developing or emerging nations, Sharpley and Telfer (2002) argue that private investors complement entrepreneurial role of government in the tourism sector. The major contributions of the private enterprises include investments in the travel and hotel and accommodation industries. In the travel industry, they establish travel agencies to offer various services to tourists. They serve as travel agents who approach potential tourists and organize all travel requirements, including visas for the tourists. They also organize means of transport for the tourists during visits to the various tourist destinations within their nations. In majority of developing countries, private investors remain the major travel agents of tourists. In hotel and accommodation industry, they invest heavily in hotels and restaurants in regions surrounding tourism sites. Through the investments, they offer employment opportunities to many local people, thereby improving living standards of local communities. In addition, they support government in development of infrastructure in regions where they operate. For instance, they build roads and invest in conservation projects in tourism sites where their facilities are located as a way to attract tourists to their businesses. Media Media’s role in the sector involves marketing and bringing awareness among all stakeholders about the tourism in emerging or Third World nations (Lubbe 2003). Domestic and international media run different programs intended to promote various tourism sites and adventures offered by such sites in a bid to encourage people to visit those sites. Emergence of internet and computer technology has provided a means to the government to promote tourist destinations to people around the world. In the case of Kenya, Thailand, and South Africa, every government has integrated information technology to support tourism promotional activities. Anybody in the world can access these websites to learn most the details about tourism in the nations, including various destinations, interactive maps showing how to get to the destinations, various attractive features to expect in the sites, nearby hotels, relevant travel agents, and rates of the services. Thus, potential tourists can choose on thei r own potential destinations to visit and plan effectively. As an education tool, it provides a platform through which different stakeholders can understand, learn, and enjoy opportunities offered by various regions within a country. It brings awareness among public about various tourist destinations within their country and importance of conserving the sites. It also makes private enterprises aware of opportunities and benefits in various regions in the nations, enabling them to invest in underdeveloped areas of tourism industry. NGOs NGOs play an essential complementary role of facilitating and advocating for sustainable and equitable tourism development in Third World and emerging nations. Like any other sector of economy, tourism requires some level of activism to compel governments and private enterprises to run their operations in ways that respect the rights of local communities and in a manner that conserves the environment. If left alone, private investors can collude with governments to exploit opportunities provided by the tourism industry to increase their profits at the expense of the environment and local people. As a result, NGOs intervene in developing countries to champion for the rights of the poor and natural ecosystems. They include non-profit, voluntary organizations, bringing together individuals at local, national, and international levels to fight for environmental justice (Sharpley Telfer 2002). Among others, some examples include Oxfam Community Aid Abroad (OCAA), EcoVitality, Internation al Ecotourism Society and Conservation International, and African Propoor Tourism Development Centre (APTDC). These organizations play different roles to realize their objectives in developing countries. Some play advocacy role of compelling governments and private investors to engage in sustainable tourism development while improving the lives of the poor in the community. For example, APTDC falls within this category as it works closely with the Kenyan tourism stakeholders. It comes in during government planning of tourism activities where it brings together relevant public institutions, local communities, and private enterprises to discuss and share information on the best ways to carry out tourism operations to preserve the environment and benefit poor people within the community. APTDC also monitors effects of tourism on host communities and environment and then attempts to advise government, international agencies, and other major stakeholders to reevaluate their development activities and operations. Others play a facilitative role, offering ecotourism services to tourists and helping local communities to establish ecotourism investments. For instance, EcoVitality provides tou rists to developing countries in Africa with environment-friendly travel services. The NGO uses the earnings obtained from the services to finance conservation efforts in Namibia aimed at protecting lions in national parks. Another NGO, OCAA, provides non-profit tour services (travel and accommodation) aimed at reducing the effects of tourists on the environment and local communities and benefiting host communities in emerging and developing nations. International Agencies Various multinational organizations comprised of governments and tourism organizations from different countries influence growth of tourism industries in developing nations. Their major objective entails scrutinizing tourism developments in those nations to ensure that they conform to standards acceptable globally. According to Lubbe (2003), major global tourism agencies include World Trade Organization (WTO), International Air Transport Association (IATA), International Hotel Restaurant Association (IHRA), and World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). WTO represents the only international agency responsible for coordinating all facets of tourism development in the globe. It coordinates national and international stakeholders in planning, development, and implementation of tourism projects in almost every country across the globe. It also facilitates conferences among different local and global tourism agents to address and share information about the issues facing tourism and possible alternative approaches to address them. It plays an educative role of doing research on different problems facing developing nations and offering information to them on how to solve the issues. Other roles include educating and training future professionals as well as promoting ecotourism initiatives in both developed and developing countries (Huybers 2007). WTTC comprises of private enterprises from the various sectors of national tourism industry, including accommodation, catering, travel, transportation, and other tourism-related enterprises. Its major role entails promoting and campaigning for entrepreneurship in the international tourism sector. It promotes tourism development as a means to reduce unemployment levels in developing nations. It promotes for liberalization of world market in all sectors that influence or relate to tourism industry (Lubbe 2003). In addition, it negotiates with governments (on behalf of its members) to eliminate protectionist policies that would cause uneven competition among the different players in the industry. It encourages its members to embrace sustainable development and interact with local communities effectively to alleviate their standards of living. IHRA and IATA can be regarded as subsets of WTTC, with IHRA playing specialized roles in tourism and hospitality industry, and IATA playing simila r roles to those of WTTC in the air travel industry. To some extent, World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), United Nations Environmental Agency (UNEP), World Health Organizations (WHO) also play significant role in tourism sectors of developing countries. For instance, IMF provides funds to governments for financing infrastructure, while WHO monitors and informs tourists and local communities about disease outbreaks in different regions of the globe. Public-Private Relationship The nature of tourism industry calls for a positive relationship between government institutions and non-governmental agents for sustained development. It requires substantial resources (capital, infrastructure, human resources, and others) and comprises many activities, making it impossible for either government or private enterprises to handle on its own. Thus, it becomes essential for the government to seek collaboration with other agents to foster tourism growth. Advantages One of the advantages presented by the partnership includes enhanced effectiveness of tourism policies in the country. Development of tourism policies (for example, economic, planning, or environmental management) involves a complex process that requires a comprehensive understanding of all factors surrounding issue under consideration (Huybers 2007). Although public policy-making in many developing nations remains the sole responsibility of government, participation by private entities is needed to make the policy more responsive to issue at hand. Private agents, particularly local communities and enterprises directly affected by the problem, stand in a better position to understand the issue effectively. Thus, government can invite them to discuss and exchange information about the problem and methods to solve it effectively. This minimizes resistance from the private agents that occurs when governments develop and implement tourism policies without consultation. The partnership mi nimizes financial burdens that the government or private agents would have shouldered if they implemented projects independently. It not only enables the partners to share expertise, information, financial resources, and others, but it also eliminates duplication of efforts. They meet frequently to discuss and agree on how to collaborate in form of resources to develop the various sectors of tourism industry. For instance, Lubee (2003) lauds the effective partnership between South African government and private enterprises for enhanced development in the nation’s tourism industry. The government works well with different private entities, including the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (FEDHASA), the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), and the Regional Tourism Organization of Southern Africa (RETOSA), among others. Each of these organizations represents specific private investors, implying that collaborative efforts consider contributions of from every market player. In effect, they are in a position to come up with tourism development policies that take into account the different interests of each group. Disadvantages Public-private partnership involves extensive consultation among agents from different regions and sectors of the tourism industry, which tends to slow down decision-making process. As Huybers (2007) argues, agents or representatives come with interests of their members, implying that they need to represent the issues for the other partners to discuss and express their opinions. In many instances, achieving consensus in such situations (even for smaller issues) becomes a challenge. In many developing nations, private organizations do not trust state institutions due to issues of misuse of power by public officers, corruption, and excessive bureaucracy. This mistrust may permeate into the partnership, implying that the private agents may not be willing to agree with the government on matters concerning tourism project funding. This greatly limits the ability of the partnership to make positive impacts in the tourism industry. For instance, Kenya does not have strong public-private par tnership due to mistrust between the two agents. The country ranks among the most corrupt nations in the world, making it hard for private institutions to trust the willingness and commitment to spend funds rightfully for the expected development activities. In some cases, some private enterprises have shied away from engaging in any form of partnership, fearing that corrupt government officials may affect public image of the businesses. One of the most effective ways for the Kenyan government to get out of this problem is to fight corruption at every level of the state tourism institutions to improve its image among the other stakeholders. It needs to develop and implement effective internal controls to enhance corporate governance structures in the sector. This may encourage private agents to begin trusting the government, which may see the country exploit sustainably its wide-ranging sites of tourist attractions. Conclusion In third world countries, the level of government influence depends on the perceived economic importance that tourism holds in the overall economy and the extent of the relationships between different government institutions as well as political, social, and cultural characteristics of the nations. Government plans for all major development activities and operations in the tourism industry. For example, Kenyan government released its tourism strategic plan for the period from 2008 to 2012, showing how the government expects to promote its tourist attractions, fund development of its tourism sector, and monitor tourist operations. Government also manages or coordinates different stakeholders involved in the industry to ensure smooth operations in the sector. It formulates various legislations to control tourism operations in an effort to promote development in the sector, type and nature of stakeholders to participate in the industry, to establish and conserve natural endowments perce ived as tourist attractions. Moreover, government invests heavily in tourism industry to complement investment efforts by the private individuals and organizations. Government role as a facilitator of tourism development ensures security and safety of tourists and tourism operators and their investments. Besides government, other parties in Third World countries play significant roles in tourism industry. Environmental conservation remains the major role of local societies, as they coexist with various tourist attractions available in their country. Local people may invest into the tourism industry as private investors or partner with government, NGOs, and international agencies to establish projects that foster tourism development. The major contributions of the private enterprises include investments in the travel and hotel and accommodation industries. Media’s role in the sector involves marketing and bringing awareness among all stakeholders about the tourism in emerging or Third World nations. NGOs play an essential complementary role of facilitating and advocating for sustainable and equitable tourism development. The major duty of global agencies entails scrutinizing tourism developments in those nations to ensure that they conform to standards acceptable globally. WTO represents the only international agency responsible for coordinating all facets of tourism development in the globe. The nature of tourism industry calls for a positive relationship between government institutions and non-governmental agents for sustained development. Private agents, particularly local communities and enterprises directly affected by the problem, stand in a better position to understand the issue effectively. However, it involves extensive consultation among agents from different regions and sectors of the tourism industry, which tends to slow down decision-making process. At writing company you can order your custom research papers on various topics you need. All you need is to place an order at our website!