Victory speech

Good evening America†¦. I stand here before you, overwhelmed by the final verdict of our unique nation. I, Paris Hilton am the first female candidate to have won the position of Presidency in this great country of ours. I have achieved the unthinkable! Once again, America has demonstrated her ability to be different. While, I know, the pressure I expect to face in the coming years will be a lot, I promise that I will deliver on the trust and faith all of you have reposed in me. The Democrats have always striven hard to win and I symbolize them and thank them for the support they have given me. The last President, Barack Obama, America's first African-American President, as some of us here know, has given me support throughout my campaign. I thank him for this†¦ My fellow Americans, I promise you that I will bring success but not without some hiccups. BE STRONG and TRUST me, for those who do not, in time I will hopefully prove to you that I am the right person to burden all these responsibilities on. I believe that a country should be run and managed just like we American women manage our houses – orderly, neat, clean and well planned. I want to make changes in our internal policies to ensure that this understanding of mine is effectively executed. The revenue department also should be run the way I run my household budgets – Americans, we must learn to spend only what we earn – this is the only answer to our deficit balance of payments problem. The White House has been standing for the last two centuries and for the first time in its history; I am going to use my redecoration budget on the out side rather than the inside. I plan to make a historical change. I have decided, as some of you know, that the White House is going to be painted pink. Many people will object but please do understand that this is necessary. It is befitting for a woman President to create the correct ambience for all the people who visit her. My father and mother tried to discourage me in the beginning but seeing my determination supported me through thick and thin. Thank you dad, thank you mom, I hope I don't let you down now. I promise I will behave this time. I would like to thank Michelle, my designer for the outstanding evening gowns that she created. The dresses went a long way in attracting big crowds. People were curious to see how I would look at every event. The media was fantastic in portraying my pictures in the best light. The swimsuits that I auctioned helped me get money for my campaign. I must also thank Diana, my hair stylist for her unstinting support. The new styles she created were ones that the public personally adored. Their hard work has paid off and helped me win this hard-fought campaign Throughout my campaign all 17 of my dogs travelled with me across this vast nation. There were many difficulties they faced but they did not falter even once. They ate what was given to them and never complained about lack of sleep or comfort. Without them, I could never have fought so long or so strong. This brings me to the pet licensing policy and one of the first things to address is that an American will be allowed to keep a maximum of twenty animals in the house, without a licence. Before I started campaigning I had acted in some movies and none of them were great hits. Therefore another policy that I have decided to make is that every movie I act in must run in every theatre tax-free everyday. This must continue for one month†¦ I will not endorse anybody driving under the influence of alcohol because after the experience of being in jail for drunken driving, I realise that it is no fun. Teenagers and adults – listen to your President – don't drink and drive. However, this experience has not gone in vain. I appreciate the problems prisoners face in jail. The inmate's orange clothing is poorly designed. It made me look fat and clashed horribly with my hair. I hope during my term as President, I can address some of these issues. I propose to invite some of the world's top designers to suggest new designs for the inmate's clothing. A lot of people wondered why a successful fashion socialite and struggling singer like myself should run for the office of the nation's President. I would like to take this opportunity to explain one of the most important reasons for this decision. Most of you know that I have grown up in the lap of luxury and have never had to work for a living. However, some months ago, my grandfather decided to pledge his wealth to charity. My Porsche, BMW and Mercedes were repossessed. I was even evicted from my Fifth Avenue apartment in New York. This is why I had to stand for elections – to earn the salary that the President is paid with free accommodation and transportation thrown in. Come, my countrymen and join me to create a new page in history. Let us all work together in harmony to create a more fashionable and enjoyable TOMORROW. And for tonight†¦. LET†S PARTY!!

Key Features of Utilitarianism Essay

The theory of Utilitarianism is based on the concept of utility, a theory of usefulness. Utilitarianism is a system of morality that generates us with what the most useful thing to do in different situations and outcomes. Different Utilitarian approaches to morality have emerged each with their own theory of good and community of concerning individuals. Featuring the main influential contributors to this theory are Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. There are two types of theories, teleological and deontological theories. Firstly for the teleological theory, you would consider the ends, or the outcomes of your decision. It considers whether it is right or wrong depending on the different outcomes it might cause and not concerned with the motive or intention for an action. This is the most common thing to all Utilitarian, the teleological outlook. In this theory, the means justifies the ends. Whereas the deontological theory concentrates on the moral rules that can’t be broken. For this theory, the most important ethical thing isn’t the result or the consequence of the action, but the action itself. If by nature that the action is wrong, then don’t do it. For example, a deontologist could day, ‘You should never steal, this means by the act itself of stealing is wrong. This theory suggests that the end never justifies the means. Introducing Jeremy Bentham, where his theory focuses on weighing up pleasure and pain. In 1789, in Principles of Morals and Legislation, he wrote: Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do as well as what we shall do. This is when the hedonic calculus came into the equation. Its purpose is to weigh up pain and pleasure generated by the available moral actions to find the best option. There are 7 factors that needs to be considered in this calculus before making the decision, starting with its intensity, considering how deep or superficial the happiness is, duration, how temporary or permanent the happiness is, certainty, how sure the happiness is, propinquity, how near or remote the happiness is, fecundity, how likely the happiness is to recur or lead to future happiness, purity, how free from pain the happiness is and extent, how far the happiness-giving effects of action will spread. This suggestion will only help the majority and no the minority. It doesn’t give any protection to the minority, for example the sadistic guards, where the guards gain pleasure from torturing and the helpless prisoner gets pain but there are a higher number of guards comparing to one prisoner. So is it correct to say that what the guards are doing is right? For the calculas, what if someone doesn’t have all the available information for every 7 factors? Will the calculus still be put to use? There’s absolutely no guarantee in predicting the future because everyone is different. Each person has different views even if it’s on the same subject. The calculus is obviously flawed. J. S. Mill on the other hand, felt that Bentham had made a mistake in his assessment of what human beings desired the most. Mill thought that what was more important was that happiness will be most affectively gained when individuals seek their own needs. Mill knows that Bentham’s theory is based on quantitative level and that’s where he saw upcoming errors where human behaviours react to different things change everything. So, instead of focusing on quantity, Mill focuses on the qualitative pleasures. He developed a system of higher and lower pleasures where the higher pleasure would be taken into consideration first before the lower ones. Mill stood up on the fact that pleasures of the mind were higher than those of the body. For example, Mill thought that pure bodily pleasure like food, drink, drugs and sex was not as high an objective as those on an intellectual level. There are two types of utilitarianism, act and rule. For act, the principle of utility is faced individually. All of the acts are decided by the resulting consequences even if it might break the law. It has the benefit of being flexible where the section of justification may vary. Meaning of this is that, one day it might be the right thing to do and another day it might be the wrong thing to do. It is said that the act states the most number of good for the most number of people is generally good. For example, it can be in a form of satisfaction, pleasure and happiness. Act utilitarianism is the application on a case by case basis. It states that, when faced with a choice, we must first consider the likely consequences of potential actions and from that choose to do what we believe will generate the most pleasure.   The problem with this is that we have to take every single thing into account. By every dilemma that we face, we’d have to go through it first then make a decision to act upon it. It is closely associated with Bentham’s theory. For rule utilitarianism, it focuses on general rules that everyone should follow to bring about the greatest good for that community. For example, the rules are pursued by the whole community giving them convenience and reasonable rules to live by which ultimately brings the best result overall. This theory leans closer to Mill’s theory. In any situation, an individual must obey the rule even if it doesn’t lead to the greatest pleasure. By obeying all these rules, it brings the greatest good when everyone acts in the same manner. Now, there are the weak and the strong where the weak utilitarianism doesn’t have to stick by the rules cause they chose not to abide by it therefore when it comes to certain situations, they have a free choice to either follow it or not. For example, although rules should be framed on previous examples that benefit society, it is possible, under specific circumstances, to do what produces the greatest happiness and break that rule. On the other hand, strong utilitarianism is where people never break the rules. So a strong rule utilitarian might say the â€Å"Do not steal† rule must never be broken and they would stick to it even though in some situations, it might be better if they did steal but to them, it’s the wrong thing to do no matter whether it brings them to a better condition. Lastly, there are other forms of Utilitarianism such as the â€Å"Best Interest Utilitarianism† by Peter Singer where he tries to solve the problem that some pleasures are bad for us. Preference Utilitarianism by R. M. Hare where he tries to solve the problem that people have different ideas of pleasure even if it’s something very small and specific, not everyone wants and thinks the same. Ending with Motive Utilitarianism by Sidgwick where he tries to solve the problem of the difficulty of predicting consequences where he elaborates on the inaccuracy of an individual’s chances of guessing what’s going to happen in the future.

Behavioral Management in the Developmentally Disabled

This paper will dwell on the behavioral management for the developmentally challenged individual. This paper seeks to provide a general understanding on how the on how clients with developmental disabilities are improve with regard to their conditions.Therefore, the following will be discussed: †¢ The process of Occupational Therapist in modifying behavioral development of disabled person; †¢ Techniques employed to assist the developmentally challenged individual;†¢ Way used by the Occupational Therapist to help a disabled individual write; and †¢ Identify the techniques and tools used by the Occupational Therapist in behavioral management for developmentally challenged individual. Moreover, this paper will focus in two developmental disabilities that exist today in the society. More specifically these are autism and dyslexia. Functions of Occupational Therapist There are four functions of occupational therapists.First, they are ask to put into application the kno wledge, skills and abilities they have acquired in their years of training in the academe for the benefit of enabling people to live normal lives and immerse themselves with the daily tasks (â€Å"A Definition of Occupational Therapy,† n. d. ). Second, is to assist, maintain, regain and enhance the independence of an individual who is ill, injured, disabled and psychologically impaired (â€Å"A Definition of Occupational Therapy,† n. d. ).Third, engage the relatives of the client and other people who are connected such as the caregiver (â€Å"A Definition of Occupational Therapy,† n. d. ). This can be achieved through comprehensive assessment and therapy with the goal of increasing the capacity of client to participate in daily activities (â€Å"A Definition of Occupational Therapy,† n. d. ). Lastly, to accordingly deal with the problems of the client by focusing on three things: ability to accomplish, undertakings of the client and the environment where the undertakings are performed (â€Å"A Definition of Occupational Therapy,† n.d. ). Meaning of Autism Autism, also classified as classical Autism is considered as the most prevalent condition amongst the family of Autism Spectrum Disorder or better known as ASD (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke [NINDS], 2006). One can discern Autism through the following symptoms: a) â€Å"impaired social interaction,† b) â€Å"problems with verbal and nonverbal communication,† and c) â€Å"unusual, repetitive, or severely limited activities and interests† (NINDS, 2006).In addition to this, the cluster of Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD includes other conditions. These are – a) â€Å"Asperger syndrome,† b) â€Å"Rett syndrome,† c) â€Å"childhood disintegrative disorder,† and d) â€Å"pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (usually referred to as PDD-NOS)† (NINDS, 2006). Statistics shows that in every 1000 children three to six will be affected by autism (NINDS, 2006) Furthermore, Men are four times more prone or at risk of acquiring such behavioral disorder like autism than women.(NINDS, 2006) Meaning of Dyslexia Dyslexia, pronounced as dis-lek-see-uh is a type of learning disorder that some of the children encounter that impairs their ability to read and spell (â€Å"Dyslexia,† n. d. ). What may seem C-A-T to normal people would appear A-C-T to dyslexic individuals. It is not a measure of whether a child is intelligent or not but is rather an impairment of the brain (â€Å"Dyslexia,† n. d. ). In fact, a number clever and gifted people are suffering from dyslexia (â€Å"Dyslexia,† n. d. ).In the United States, the condition is classified as a â€Å"specific learning disability† or as a â€Å"specific reading disability† by the related federal legal statutes that has special education in its scope (Allington, 2006) However, the main idea o f all these explanations comprises the indeterminable hardships encountered by a dyslexic individual when it comes to reading. Moreover, there is no consensus with regard to the definition of the illness that causes the stakeholders confusion that renders them not to use the term (Allington, 2006).Behavioral Management and Techniques in Autism There are three behavioral management and techniques used by the occupational Therapist in able to develop and assist their clients that are suffering from Autism. These are all aimed at a holistic approach to treating the symptoms and addressing the difficulties that come with it. The three techniques are discussed in the next section. Educational/behavioral interventions Occupational Therapists use well reliable and thorough skill-oriented exercises in able to help their client enhance their language and social capabilities.Counseling the relatives and the family of the their client is better a technique to assist the entire clan deal with t he specific obstacles and difficulties in taking care of the autistic client (NINDS, 2006). Medications Occupational therapist could as well seek for the help of a doctor. A medical doctor usually recommends an antidepressant prescription in able to deal with the symptoms of a) â€Å"anxiety,† b) â€Å"depression,† or â€Å"obsessive-compulsive disorder† (NINDS, 2006). In a sense, these Anti-psychotic medicines are helpful to lessen the burden brought about by the symptoms of behavioral disabilities (NINDS, 2006).Attacks, on the other hand, can be prevented with the administration of variety of doses anticonvulsant medicines (NINDS, 2006). Prescription of stimulant drug that is specifically given for the children suffering from the attention deficit disorder or better known as ADD is an effective technique used by the Occupational Therapists to cut down the incident impulsivity and hyperactivity (NINDS, 2006). Other therapies Controversies abound the therapies t hat are formulated to treat autistic children (NINDS, 2006).This has made the use such be attached with caution before these are adopted by the parents or guardians (NINDS, 2006). Furthermore, an insignificant number of these are backed up with thorough scientific research (NINDS, 2006). Writing for the developmentally disabled individual Therapeutic Sessions for autism With the aim of teaching the developmentally challenged person it is important to have focus and patience together with appropriate learning strategies that will help the disabled individual in writing and learning process.Likewise, it is necessary to conduct follow up sessions with the therapist and at home with the help of the parents and other relatives. Behavioral Management and Techniques in Dyslexia According to website article, a recent game was developed with the purpose of helping children and other individuals cope with the difficulty they suffer from reading (Briggs, 2001). In the study, a group of seven-y ear-old children served as the respondents of the study and this resulted to a positive outcome for the research on reading difficulties (Briggs, 2001).The game included activities that require the respondents to match certain shapes to particular sounds (Briggs, 2001). They are asked to press a space bar after a series of sequences and then they will be greeted with a smile (Briggs, 2001). This resulted in higher rates of accuracy and an increase in the speed of reading for the 24 children who are diagnosed to have dyslexia (Briggs, 2001). Conclusion The role of the occupational therapist is a four-fold task. This is aimed towards uplifting the condition of the client.It is the aim of the occupational therapist is to be able to address the needs of the client and the chance to fulfill their responsibilities. There are different ways by which the therapist could help the clients in making their lives better through these techniques. It has become a better way of making people live a fulfilling life. These are different techniques of writing such as video games. References A Definition of Occupational Therapy. (n. d. ). Retrieved July 5, 2008, from http://steinhardt. nyu. edu/ot/definitionAllington, R. (2006). â€Å"Dyslexia. † In Microsoft ® Student 2007 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation. Briggs, H. (2001). Computer game helps dyslexics. Retrieved July 05, 2008, from http://www. dyslexia-teacher. com/t113. html. Dyslexia. (n. d. ). Retrieved July 5, 2008, from http://kidshealth. org/kid/health_problems/learning_problem/dyslexia. html National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke [NINDS]. (2006). Autism Fact Sheet. Retrieved July 5, 2008, from http://www. ninds. nih. gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism. htm

Property law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Property law - Essay Example Besides, in law the husband and wife scenario brings about the presumption of a resulting trust. However, according to the obiter of Lord Diplock in the case of petit v petit, he articulated that the resulting trust presupposition is obsolete. This view appears to be the case in regard to the Court of Appeal’s ruling in regard to Barbara’s husband, given that there is no appropriate evidence to demonstrate that this opinion can not be refuted by Barbara as would be illustrated by this application. As an alternative, the Court of Appeal has formed a prejudiced state of affairs for Barbara’s husband in regard to his position as a husband and not permitting this plead would be a violation of his human rights laid down in the European Court of Human Rights as integrated by the Human Rights Act 1998 to a just trial Article 6(1) as well as discrimination in Article 14. Barbara’s husband made a full payment for the purchase of Sunrise Lodge. This creates a scenario where he is regarded as the sole owner of Sunrise Lodge. Nevertheless, as Barbara then contributed 30% to the overall total cost makes it legally acceptable for the couples to be considered as tenants in common in regard to the given purchase money. Moreover, by the virtue of providing money to the mortgage, Barbara’s intention meets the basic principle of equity whereby the resulting trust would be presumed. Eventually, Albert sold off Sunrise Lodge and used the proceeds to make a full purchase of another freehold property, Greengables of which the legal title was placed into the joint names of Albert, Barbara and Charles. The registration of the property under the names of all the three parties gives rise to joint tenancy of both the legal and equitable estates. The position at this stage was that both the equitable and the legal estates were held jointly by Albert, Barbara and Charles for he had attained the

Choose a company that is listed on the London Stock Exchange. The Essay

Choose a company that is listed on the London Stock Exchange. The company should have a sustainability report - Essay Example It includes some data like 90% relationship managers are ready to help the customers after the business has taken place, more than 95% of the employees go though the training of anti money laundering. It has funded 200 million pounds for effective carbon reduction as a corporate social responsibility. It has also provided MoneySense lesion to more than 340000 young people. It has donated 3 million pounds to those organisations which help young women and people to start their own business. It always consults with and listens to its stakeholders’ problems and shows transparency in every operation in the business. To being a good employer it provides all types of tools and support to the employees that they can do their jobs efficiently and can improve themselves continuously (RBS Group, 2012, p.3). Critical evaluation on the techniques that are used by the company to discharge its social and environmental accountability to society RBS considers sustainability as its main focus a rea to achieve the goals and it makes sure that any problem that has happened in the past will not happen again in future. Corporate Governance RBS has built its sustainability on a strong governance framework which gives a clear picture of the strategic development activities of the company. It has Group Sustainability Committee (GSC) which is monitored by the senior independent director Sandy Crombie. It also includes other non executive directors from all business areas. The GSC has conducted various developmental programs within the company. In the year 2012, it has reviewed the overall strategies and policies of sustainability towards social, ethical and environmental issues. In 2013 it has solved various issues regarding customer and citizenship activities. Now GSC will look after the issues and challenges of managers in resolving various sustainability and environmental issues relating to all shareholders groups (RBS Group, 2012, p.34). Environmentally efficient operations RB S has measured the progress against their targets to reduce the impact on environment. It has made firm step towards achieving all their aims by 2015-2020. It has aimed to reduce 200 million pounds costs by 2020 to achieve their environmental goals. Energy In the year 2012, RBS has reduced the energy consumption by 5.5% and they will reduce it by 15% by 2015. It has achieved this improvement by the help of their efficient energy management team. The management is continuously purchasing electricity from various new sources in UK. In 2012, 66% of the company’s electricity was from different renewable sources. Water During the year 2012, the company has reduced its water usage by 4.9% and they will reduce it by 12% by 2015. It was done by taking various initiatives in the buildings like restricting the tap flow, urinals without water. Waste The company also has a provision to recycle their wastages and has recycled 69% of the total waste in 2012. The waste management team has t aken proactive measures to reach the target in UK and US. They have also improved their process of waste collection in 2012. It will reduce 15% waste disposing in landfill

Contemporary Trends in the Global Business Environment Coursework

Contemporary Trends in the Global Business Environment - Coursework Example The researcher states that Qantas Company seeks to analyze its environment for a sustainable future in the highly competitive market. Indeed, various trends have characterized the market and it is important for a clear analysis to be made so that the business can evaluate its continued viability. To this end, the company seeks to introduce new flights to Tehran, Iran, which it hopes that the idea will put the company in a better position to beat its competitors like the Fly Emirates that have strongholds in the Middle East. This report assesses the business in terms of the goals it will aim at achieving in the future. Businesses analyze their environments and plan in many ways. Indeed, most of these trends have evolved from the 1950’s to their present form. From a background where planning was considered in the rubric of budget concerns, modern organizations largely embrace scenario-based planning which takes into account the future of the company. Qantas in this perspective u ses a variety of strategies in its environmental analysis. Recent studies into the external environment of the business reveal that it contains three components, including the market, industry and the expansive macro environment. As an important aspect of the external environment, the market defines the clients of the business who make it possible for it to conduct its operations. The market for any business is different from others and specific to the industry. The industry, on the other hand, incorporates all the businesses that are involved in the airline venture. Industries have trends such as the legal requirements for safety, purchases of new planes in the market as well as the increasing need to expand the number of destinations that the company operates. The macro environment, on the other hand, focuses on certain aspects such as political, social or technological issues that affect the business’s operations.

Compare between SAP system and Microsoft Dynamics system in ( Bill of Research Paper

Compare between SAP system and Microsoft Dynamics system in ( Bill of material) - Research Paper Example Others include NAV, SL, and AX. Dynamics NAV is designed in a way to suite mid-size companies. It is an ERP that incorporates both basic PM and accounting functions that are offered by other types like SL. Dynamics SL is best suited for managing projects and other accounting roles across many divisions in a firm. It was made to target construction management firms, distributors and any other contractor. Dynamics GP which will be our focus of discussion in this analysis is used mainly in the Americas, UK and Ireland, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. It was one of the first accounting packages released in the USA and was meant to run on Windows 32 bit machines. It was designed to be used in financial management, supply chain management, human resource management, project management and manufacturing. Dynamics AX was designed for global corporations and modern manufacturing firms. It offers all the functionalities of GP and also provides advanced business reporting and intell igence. SAP Business One This is an ERP that is used by all type of businesses i.e. small, medium and even in large companies. It is applied in business functions ranging from customer relationship management, purchasing and supplies, financial management and business analytics. It also provides comprehensive business intelligence and reporting. In 2011, SAP introduced a solution that was meant to consolidate business and enable intercompany integration. This was to enable multinationals to manage transactions and activities across multiple databases. The functions of the SAP ERP system can be broadly categorized into four broad modules i.e. Financial, Human Capital Management, Operations and Corporate Services. In financial management, it supports for multiples currencies, bank reconciliation and budgeting. In human capital management, it is applied in functions of managing the payroll, recruitment, human resources, learning and development and analysis of work functions. In operat ions, it provides functions like purchasing, manufacturing and research and development. In corporate services, it helps in asset management in areas ranging from real estate, travel management and project management. The business area chosen for comparison in this paper is supply chain management functions with respects to each ERP package. Supply Chain Management When we discuss about supply chain management, the discussion is based on two main core ideas; Every product that reaches the customers will represent a collective effort of many corporate organizations and this firms will be collectively referred collectively as a supply chain Unfortunately most businesses have only focused what happens within their premises in as much supply chains have existed for a long time. Therefore few business have understood the entire chain of activities that leads to the ultimate delivery of the final products to the customer Therefore supply chain management can be referred to the management of all the supply chain activities in order to improve

Project manament Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Project manament - Article Example Before the initiation of a project, a feasibility study is usually conducted in order to assess the viability of the project. The study helps organization understands the potential benefits of a project keeping in view company constraints. The study helps organizations understand the required capital resources for the project and the time it would take to complete the project. It helps them to plan the project more effectively in order to achieve desired results1. The study also helps understand where the project must be initiated, what measures must be taken, and what are the potential benefits of the project for company. Hence, it is very important to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study that helps an organization to achieve the desired goals of the project. Project evaluation is carried out after the completion of project in order to judge the effectiveness of the project. This process is carried out to understand whether the desired objective of the project has been achieved or not. Evaluation helps organizations to be aware of the corrective actions they need to take. There are two main kinds of evaluation 1) Ongoing evaluation and 2) Post project evaluation. Ongoing evaluation is carried out during the course of the project in order to assess whether deadlines are being met and whether interim objectives are achieved or not. On the other hand, post project evaluation assesses the success of project completed. It evaluates whether the laid down objectives before the project were achieved or not. Cash flows are the term used for the expected cash inflows and outflows during the completion of the project and post completion. Cash flows give a clue about the expected revenues and costs for project completion. Evaluating expected cash flows is one of the most important factors of accepting or rejecting a project. Like all other aspects of a project, risk

Fibonacci, Mathematician of the Middle Ages Essay

Fibonacci, Mathematician of the Middle Ages - Essay Example Camposanto was mostly got ruined in 1944 and had to be expansively repaired. After a few years, revelation to the waterside climate started to take its charge on the sculpture and finally it was taken away, reinstated, cleaned and then returned to its old position next to Pisa's other memorable people, a place where it fits in. Leonardo was an Italian mathematician who was the initial brilliant Western mathematician right after the turn down of the Greek science. (Britannica Online Encyclopedia, 2008). Leonardo was born in 1170, Pisa, Italy. His father namely Guglielmo, was also call by the name Bonaccio. Leonardo's mother, Alessandra, passed away when he was nine years old. He was one of the leading and talented mathematicians of his time. At his time, performing even the easiest arithmetical problems with a non positional detail was a hard endeavor. For solving a particular problem, the merchants were strained to resort to the abacus. Fibonacci showed the new alternate computing technique which was based on printed algorithms somewhat better than on counting bits and pieces. Fibonacci traveled extensively in Barbary together with his father and was shortly derived on to the business tours to Egypt, Syria, Greece, Sicily and Provencal. He appears to have educated a good deal of his arithmetic in Barbary. All through the Mediterranean globe to learned Hindu and Arabic math under the most important Arab mathematicians of that era. He identified that arithmetic with Hindu figures is uncomplicated and more proficient than with Roman figures. However, Leonardo came back from his journey in 1200. Leonardo became a harmonious guest of the Emperor Frederick II who has the benefit of understanding arithmetic and science. Though, in 1240, the Republic of Pisa privileged Leonardo by giving him the name as Leonardo Bigollo and giving him his first pay. (Grimm, R. E., 1973). He wrote numerous important books which played a significant part in revitalizing prehistoric mathematical proficiency and he made noteworthy contributions of his own by himself. At the age of 32, in 1202, Leonardo wrote his first book namely Liber Abaci, which means "the book of abacus or book of calculation." After his first book got published, he wrote various books, therefore, Practica Geometriae in 1220, Flos and Liber Quadratorum published in 1225. Though, he wrote some other books as well, which regrettably, are lost. However, his work in number theory was totally ignored and almost unidentified all through in the Middle Ages. (Charles Burnett. January 14, 2005). Liber Abaci - 1202 Liber Abaci is also pronounced as Liber Abbaci. Its label has two familiar conversions, The Book of the Abacus or The Book of Calculation. In this book, Fibonacci brought in to Europe the Arabic figures, a most important part of our decimal structure, which he had studied by learning with Arabs at the same time when he was living in North Africa with his father. In interpretation of Liber Abaci, it is useful to be aware of Fibonacci's information for rational figures, a data that is intermediary in figure amid the Egyptian fractions, which was normally applied until

A Stakeholder Perspective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A Stakeholder Perspective - Essay Example Since the technology was invented it has been faced with numerous debates some challenging its legitimacy while other proposing for its implementation due to the benefits that come along it (Young). Statistics from WTP indicate t there are close to one hundred strains of genetically modified organism that have be developed so far with approximately forty of them being implemented in the farms for large scale production purposes (Weirich). Despite the strong opposition that have marred the implementation of genetically modified organisms in a number of countries across the world these organisms have numerous of advantages to various stakeholders in the agricultural sector (Koch and Bjarte). For instance, the strains that are genetically modified are often resistant to pests and diseases; they depict tolerance to drought and herbicides at the same time they have enhanced nutritional enrichment as compared to the traditional crops. Despite this advantages a number of arguments have been advanced regarding genetically modified organisms ranging from their safety to if elaborate legislation measures have been put in place to regulate their use and distribution (Consumers Food Safety and Environment) This paper will be arguing on the genetically modified organism debate from a farmer’s perspective based in Ghana. Ghana is a third world country based in Africa and thus it is classified among the group of developing countries that face economic and food security problems over time. Farming in third world countries like Ghana is not sophisticated in terms of farm machinery and thus most of the farming is done for substance purposes (Koch and Bjarte). Commercial farming is done on a small scale by organizations which can afford to implement mechanization in the firms in terms of buying the expensive machines that are required to implement large-scale production of crops as well as the farm inputs that are required

How can you apply this guidance to your own reports Essay Example for Free

How can you apply this guidance to your own reports Essay Lets face it that in reality, no matter what type of presentation you were about to present weve all sat through some pretty bad presentations. When delivering a report, you have to establish the audiences attention and buy-in within the first 30 seconds because if you dont have their attention from the beginning and be able to maintain interest throughout the presentation, your message is lost. So it is very important to somehow follow the following tips on how to get the attention of your audiences: be sure you are sensitive enough to the needs of your audiences, build strong relationships with them, be able to control your style and tone, maintain a strong sense of etiquette, emphasize the positive and use a bias-free language. For considering your audiences, it is fulfilling if you were about to satisfy their needs and be able to marked a good learning. Considering the things we need to know about (hypothetical) reader to craft a successful proposal, first and foremost we need to identify who our target market is. Giving us the idea to what aspect of information should the writer focuses his / her proposal. After this, the writer must be able to give attention on the interests of the readers. Giving the readers an idea on how to actively conduct or participate on putting the information into actions. Aside from credible information, it must be noted that readers be able to identify what obesity is and that what are its causes, how to prevent or be able to â€Å"cure† it. Having all the great information, the hook factor should also be present in doing a proposal. Do the readers agree or disagree with what has been said and that whether the reader’s interests were properly addressed by the writer.

Best managed companies from 3 Companies Essay Example for Free

Best managed companies from 3 Companies Essay The industry that has been chosen for this report id the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry in which the household and personal products have been chosen. The three companies that have been chosen for the analysis are Unilever, Procter Gamble and Johnson Johnson. The purpose of the report is to identify the best company out of the three based on various factors which includes the financial factors and other management variables. Unilever was established in 1930 by a British soap maker Lever Brothers and a Dutch Margarine Producer who was Margarine Unie. The company today has around 160 brands around the world in 12 categories and is providing various home care products to people around the world. The company operates in around 100 countries and employs 163,000 people in these 100 locations. The multinational in 2009 had the revenues of around 39. 8 billion Euros. (History, n. d. ) Procter and Gamble was established in 1837 by two partners who started the company by selling candles and soap. Today it has managed to become the fifth most profitable organization of the world and sells around 38 brands all over the world. (Heritage, n. d. ) The third company that will be analyzed is Johnsons and Johnsons which was initially established in 1885 as a ready to use surgical dressings. Later the company transformed into a global pharmaceutical and consumer packaged and manufactured goods. The company includes around 250 subsidiary companies in 57 countries of the world. The company had a profit of around $ 12. 9 billion in 2009. (Our History, n. d. ) Comparison of the companies Financial variables Unilever is ranked 85 on the Forbes 2000 list for 2010. The company’s sales for the previous year were around $57. 05. The net worth of the assets was around $52. 05 while the market value was $91. 33. The profits f or 2009, 2008 and 2007 were $4. 83 billion, $5. 3 billion and $7billion respectively. Procter Gamble is ranked 29 on the Forbes 2000 list for 2010 with its sales touching $76. 78 billion while the assets are around $135. 29 billion. The market valuation for the company for the previous year was approximately $ 184. 47 billion. The profits for the last three years are as follows; 2009 $ 13. 05 billion, 2008 $ 14. 08 billion, 2007 $ 11. 13 billion. Johnson and Johnson is on 47th position on the Forbes 2000 list for 2010. The sales for the company for the previous year were $ 61. 9 billion and the assets of the company worth $94. 68 billion dollars while the market valuation is $174. 9 billion. The profits for the last three years are given in the decreasing order starting from 2009, $12. 27 billion, $12. 95 billion and $ 10. 48 billion. (The Global 2000, 2010) Management Unilever being the one of the top FMCG companies of the world employs the best people around the company. The CEO of the company is Patrick Cescau who is a very renowned and well learned person with extensive professional experience. The company has always been known for its employee leadership where the employees are given full authority to work in their own way. The major decisions are done by senior managers while the junior management is also given freedom in decision making. The overall decision making is centralized in the company where the major decisions are taken by the senior management. The company works very hard for developing good relations with the employees as the company pays special attention towards helping the employees grow the employees professionally. Procter and Gamble is listed among the Canada’s top 100 employers as the company works very hard towards making itself as one of the best employers by helping the employers grow in their professional lives. The company is considered as a leader in the employee- benefit program. The decision making in the company is decentralized where the employees have the autonomy to decide for themselves. The company has a complete strategic unit in place which is responsible for predicting various factors of the company. Johnson and Johnson offer variety of benefits for its employees which includes different long term and short term perks. The employees are given ample opportunities to grow in their careers which give them a job satisfaction. The company has a decentralized management approach and the autonomy for decision making is given to everyone in the company. The employees consider themselves as small entrepreneurs who have full autonomy over their work. The employees are considered as one of the most important assets of the company. Organization Unilever’s philosophy is to implement the highest level of corporate behavior towards all the strategic public of the company. The organization is committed to providing quality products to the consumers. The organization works with integrity and commitment in order to get better and improved products for the consumers. The company fulfills all its responsibilities towards all its stake holders which include the employees, customers, the government and the other strategic public of the company. The company enjoys the benefit of strong brand recognition. The current business strategy adopted by the organization is differentiation strategy where the company differentiates itself by the new product development of the company and the quality of advertisement and branding. The philosophy of Procter and Gamble is to provide quality products to its consumer where the bottom line of the philosophy is to improve the lives of the consumers by providing them with better products. The core strength of the company revolves around understanding the consumers and innovating in order to give them a better living standard. The company is very keen about innovation and thus spend pretty large sum of money. The company has been pretty successful in its mergers and acquisition strategies as it has been very successful in its acquisitions of various companies like Clairol in 2001, Wella in 2003 and Gillette in 2005. These successful acquisitions have lead to the increase in the stakeholder’s value. Johnson and Johnson care for its consumers a lot and are constantly working to get new and better products for the customers. The company emphasizes the most on employee empowerment and decentralization of the employees. The company is managed for long term and the people are considered very important in the organization. The company’s philosophy of taking care of the consumers is what is their differentiation strategies. The company has differentiated its products over the factors which show their caring attitude towards the consumers. (Global Strategy Advisor, 2006) External Unilever believes in creating sustainability throughout the entire value chain of the organization. The company works very closely with its customers and suppliers which benefits them as the company helps in reducing their costs. The company has set a standard which the suppliers are bound to follow. This makes suppliers more efficient in their activities. Unilever is a very responsible organization as it fulfills its social responsibility by working to save the environment and the society. It is also seen working in the field of health and well being of the individuals. The company has its set principles that it tries to follow to work ethically but has been trapped in various controversies lately in various countries. (Customers People, n. d. ) Procter and Gamble proves to be a very responsible organization as it tries to reduce the level of wastage at every step. It collaborates very closely with its suppliers and other partners and provides them with new and improved techniques which help the various partners in reducing wastages and costs. The organization is also very active in fulfilling its social responsibilities towards the society. The company has been very active in providing the unprivileged part of the world with various things like education, safe drinking water and other hygiene factors. Other than that the company also has a complete code of conduct which it strictly follows and makes sure that it works ethically. (Sustainibility, N. D. ) Similar to the other two companies, Johnson Johnson has also built good relations with their suppliers due to which both the company and the suppliers are benefitting. The company is very socially responsible as it is working to save the environment and the society. The organization has previously set various examples which ahs shown their concern about the health of the people. The organization has recalled the stock various times and incurred huge loses in order to save the humanity. (Our caring, n. d. ) Analysis: The data gathered about the three companies is sufficient to analyze all of them and come to a conclusion that which is the better organization. Looking from the financial perspective we can see that Procter and Gamble is a much larger organization than the other two. The company has been ranked 29 on the Forbes list while the rest two are much behind it. The company enjoys more profit and also is very large in terms of market capitalization and worth of the net assets. Moving on to the other perspectives what can be analyzed is that PG is also better in the organization, management and external factors. Though the three companies are all equally working hard to be the best but still PG has an edge as it is also considered as the most aspiring employer. The company is also better when it comes to the philosophy because it can be seen that it is very concerned about the customers and so is spending huge on innovation. Procter and Gamble has been very successful in keeping itself away from major controversies and is working hard to give more to the society. Conclusion From the research it can be concluded that PG is the best managed company out of the three which has been managed in the best manner in terms of the organizational structure and the overall management. This has been done along with fulfilling the financial goals as well as the company enjoys the best financial position out of all the companies. References Customers People. (n. d. ). Retrieved June 4, 2010, from Unilever: http://www. unilever. com/sustainability/? WT. GNAV=Sustainability Global Strategy Advisor. (2006, February 19). Retrieved June 4, 2010, from http://info. umuc. edu/mba/ep/Presentation/EP_Olp/data/GSA. pdf Heritage. (n. d. ). Retrieved June 4, 2010, from Procter Gamble: http://www. pg. com/en_US/company/heritage. shtml History. (n. d. ). Retrieved June 4, 2010, from Unilever: http://www. unilever. com/aboutus/ourhistory/? WT. GNAV=Our_history Our caring. (n. d. ). Retrieved June 4, 2010, from JJ: http://www. jnj. com/connect/caring/? flash=true Our History. (n. d. ). Retrieved June 4, 2010, from Johnsons Johnsons: http://www. jnj. com/connect/about-jnj/publications/? flash=true Sustainibility. (N. D. ). Retrieved June 4, 2010, from PG: http://www. pg. com/en_US/sustainability/index. shtml The Global 2000. (2010, April 4). Retrieved June 4, 2010, from Forbes : http://www. forbes. com/lists/2010/18/global-2000-10_The-Global-2000_Rank. html

Tourism and terrorism in egypt

Tourism and terrorism in egypt Introduction The tremendous historical sites and sights and rich cultural heritage has made Egypt a unique tourism destination. The prominence of tourism industry has had such undeniable impact on the overall Egyptian economy that it has been regarded by many observers as the life blood of Egyptian economy. The crucial significant of tourism industry have not been overlooked by Egyptian political dissents. Although unsuccessful, they at time attempted to make their political demands by carrying out terrorism attacks on this vulnerable industry. This chapter attempted to offer some general insights on tourism industry and terrorism accidents in the contemporary Egypt. The chapter begins with a cursory review of the Egyptian context proceeding with discussion on the fluctuation of the tourism industry in Egypt in the past three decades. The analysis is largely based upon the official data taken from Egypt Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) and the annual analysis of the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). On occasions, the complementary aggregated data has been adapted from other resources like Business Source Premier and Regional Surveys of the World, the Middle East and North America (2008). The analysis is spilt into three periods, comparing the international tourists arrivals and receipts. Finally the results are represented in a graph tracing the trends in past three decades. The next section deals with the main tourism stakeholders playing role in the tourism in the Egypt. The final section di scusses the emergence, evolution and challenges of terrorism groups in Egypt and their engagement in terrorist attacks targeted tourism destinations. In this section counter-terrorism strategies oscillating between carrot and stick policies will be reviewed and discussed the degree to which each has been successful. Egypt at a glance The Arab Republic of Egypt located in the northeastern of the African continent and the Sinai Peninsula. It has land borders with Sudan in the south and with Libya in the west and shoreline extending along the Mediterranean Sea in the north and Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba in the East. Since the most of the country is desert, the population is distributed very unevenly in Cairo and Alexandria and around the Nile and Suez Canal. These areas are among the worlds most densely populated regions. (Countries of the World and Their Leaders Yearbook, 2008) Egypts geographic arrangement and distribution of population, and especially the sole reliance on the Nile River for irrigation has been resulted in central administration and allowed the government to extend well its authority to the peripheries. (Goldschmidt, Arthur, 1988) In 2008, the total population of Egypt was 81,713,520 which make the Egypt one of the most populous countries in the region. A large proportion this population is young; half of them are under twenty years of age and two-thirds are under thirty a situation that severely strains the economy. (CAPMAS, 2008) Egypts government is hardly able to meet the demands for food, shelter, education, and jobs. Around three million Egyptians have migrated to other Arab countries, particularly the oil-rich states, in search of work. Their payments to their families constitute a major source of Egypts income. Much like elsewhere in the world economy have come to play a crucial role in Egyptian lives. The long history of colonial exploitation and the legacy of enduring authoritarian rulers forestalled the industrial development of Egypt in nineteen century. At the turn of twentieth century, the industrialization began to take root by a rapid growth in textile industry. The growth was comparatively satisfactory before socialist government of Abdel Nasser (1956-1970) took the power. Abdel Nasser eighteen years era is characterized by militarization of politics and concentration of power through the supremacy of the executive branch. Under Nasser the state took the control of the economy to ensure equitable development, a policy known later as Arab Socialism. Nasser was a charismatic leader and earned reputation as champion of Arab interest, however, his economic policies brought the country on the verge of bankruptcy. Nassers death in 1970 ushered in a massive political and economic change i n Egypt. By initiating the economic policy of Enfetah (openness), which means liberalization of economic, Sadat his successor began a series of fundamental reforms in the economy. In addition, Sadats regional foreign policy including peace initiative and rapprochement with Israel enhanced the international image of the Egypt. Under President Hosni Mubarak (1981 until now) Egypt paved the same routes and strove for the same goals, however, there was along way to go as the country still was grappling with chronic problems emanated from inside and abroad. (Countries of the World and Their Leaders Yearbook, 2008) Flow and ebb of Tourism Industry in Egypt Between 1982 and 1990, the number of international tourist arrivals went up from 1,423,251 to 2,600,117 which indicate an increase of 182 per cent. Coupled with the numbers of arrivals, revenue from tourism was about 2.5 billion US dollars by 1990, ranked tourism sector as one of the most lucrative sectors of the Egyptian economy. (Table. 5.1) Such great advancement was mainly because of the Egypt government economic initiatives of liberalization I indicated before. (Wahab, 1997) However, the tourism industry proved to be one of the most susceptible sectors to instability in the region. The triggering of terrorist activity in the Middle East after mid-1980s and the anti-American sentiment in the region, intensified by the US air-strikes on targets in Libya in 1986, resulted in tourists reduction, particularly US citizens, in traveling to Egypt. The 90s started with one of the most dramatic event of region caused by the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 and the following international dispatching of troops to the region. Not surprisingly the tourism industry in Egypt was affected considerably by the consequences of this event. (Conrad, 2005) In February 1991 tourist arrivals fallen off to 57,000, compared with 208,000 in February 1990. Following the end of the Persian Gulf conflict, tourist numbers recovered quickly, reaching to 2214277 on average in 1991 and account for the record figure of around 3 millions in the 12 months to June 1992. (Table. 5.2) Yet, the tourism sector in Egypt went bust again, when a tourism destination were targeted by Islamist militants terrorists. The number of tourists visiting Egypt dropped off about 22% in 1993, while revenue fell by 38%. (Table 5.2) Having failed to eradicate the problem of terrorism through its campaign against militant Islamists, the Government allocated 25 million US dollars for a venture to promote tourism in 1994, with the aim of restoring revenue from this sector to its 1992 level. (Wahab, 1997) However, the number of visitors in the first three months of 1994 was 15% lower than the 1993 level. In January 1993 the World Bank had approved a 130 million US dollars loan for the development of new tourism infrastructure, within the frame ­work of a program, valued at some 805 billion US dollars (EIU, 2004) Realizing that tourism is one of the main cornerstones of the national economy, a com ­prehensive plan was prepared for the fiscal year 1994/1995 to enhance the efforts in three main tourism fields: (a) development; (b) promotion; and (c) public awareness (El Beltagui 1995). The Ministry of Tourism was among the pioneer to put into action the policy of privatization. In addition, an overall national tourism development strategy drawing on marketing techniques was adopted. This strategy laid out the priority zones and determined the detailed rules for investors while taking into account a sustainable development strategy by protecting the natural and cultural resources. The Ministry of Tourism also undertook practical measures in the promotion of tourist industry through an ambitious plan. One important element of this promotional plan was to strengthen Egypts image on the international tourism map as a place for convention tourism. Furthermore, it attempted to raise public awarenes s of the significance of tourism through the mass media. Ten TV spots were produced in 1993-94 and repeatedly shown on main Egyptian TV channels. Also, an agreement was made between the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Education to incorporate tourism issues in the curricula of primary and secondary schools. (El Beltagui 1995). By mid-1995 several developmental plan with the aim of enhancing tourism infrastructures were implemented in the Abu Soma and the Red Sea coast at Sahl Hashish. According to the Tourism Development Authority report during these years some 27 new projects also were taken into consideration on the south Sinai coast. (EIU, 1998) the consequences of such measures was obvious, in 1995 tourist arrivals increased a quarter further compared to last year culminating to 3.13 millions, a pattern repeated in the following year with some 3.9 million tourist arrivals and estimated revenue of 3.7 billion US dollars. (Table 5.2) Source: Egypt Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) Flourishing of the tourism industry was halted by a dramatic setback in late 1997. Constant fears of the safety and security of travelers followed a terrorist attack on a German tour bus in Cairo in September, which nine German tourists and one Egyptian lost their lives, were aggravated the next month by the massacre of 58 tourists and four Egyptians in Luxor. Many tourist agencies cancelled their travels and similarly many potential tourists withdraw their application for travelling to these destinations. Immediately the Government took extensive recovery measures including compensation of loss of tourism by internal tourism in the region. (Conrad, 2005) Egypt Air, which lost many foreign tourists, offered a half priced fares tickets for domestic tourists. Key among the recovery measures taken in these years is a numerous discounts on several goods and services to urge the potential travelers to come back to the region. The official statistics estimated 1.2 billion US dollars result ed from decrease of tourists numbers from 3.9 to 3.7 and other recovery expenses. Since 1999 the tourism industry undergone recovery and the former construction plans in tourism industry accelerated. The statistics in this year confirm such rapid recovery as around 4.8million tourists visited Egypt and brought about revenue of about 3.9 million US dollars. (CAPMAS, 2008) The investing in tourism industry in the following years was unprecedented. For instance, the value of only one contract for development of luxury accommodation in Port Ghaleb on the Red Sea was around 2,000 million US. These investments proved to be effective as tourist arrivals increased to 5.5 million in 2000, bringing around 4.345 billion US dollar income. (EIU, 2000) The regional crisis including conflict between Palestinians and Israelis in second intifada in September 2000 and the September 11th attacks of 2001 put the sector once again into decline, a number of projects put on hold and many travellers cancel their flights as a result. By November 2001 tourist numbers had fallen off 54.5% compared with the same month the previous year. Since then tourist arrivals have steadily risen and by August 2002 arrivals were a remarkable 15% up on the previous year. However, revenues were taking longer to return to pre-September 11th levels as a result of increased discounting. (Table 5.3) Once again the Government took into consideration the recovery measures in 2002 to make up for the tremendous losses of tourist revenues. Due to global values of Egypt heritages the prestigious international organization showed willingness to make investment in tourism industry in Egypt. A prime example is UNESCO which supported a 350 million dollar project to reconstr uct the Great Egyptian Museum near the Pyramids at Giza. The second Gulf War in 2003 affected the tourism industry in Egypt in some extent. The same year Egypt was host of an international conference on promotion of sustainable tourism following which contribute immensely in offering a positive image of Egypt tourism industry. In 2004 tourist income reached 6.1 billion US dollar which was the Egypts most important current-account credit in the economy history of the country. Tourist arrivals increased by 35% in 2004 to 8.1 million arrivals and a second successive record. (EIU, 2004) The Egyptian government since kept supporting the industry by targeting the markets in European and Arab countries and removing the existing barriers for foreign investing. A successful measure taken by Egypt government was sponsoring the travel of tourism journalists and allowing German and Italian visitors to show any identification cards rather than passport. Key among these measures has also been investing in human resources. The latest measure in this respect was signing a contract with Cornell University to offer training course for Egyptians in the hospitality and tourism industry. The similar educational contract has also been signed with countries with high experiences in the tourism industry such as Greece and France. In addition a five-year campaign with the aim of raising the awareness of public was undertaken in April 2006. Within these programs Egyptians are given training about significant of tourism industry in their life and how to communicate in a hospitable manner. Such training has also incorporated in the primary school curriculum. The campaign also makes best use of televised and printed media to meet its mission. Another campaign has been undertaken to enhance tourism at international level. UK-based DDB International has been hired for this purpose. Marwa Fayed, senior account manager notes â€Å"The campaign borrows some of the same concepts used by Malaysia and India .We are trying to make Egypt into a brand.† (Cited in Meed, 2007) These measures resulted in the renewal of attacks on tourist facilities in 2004 and 2005 and a victory for authorities. Finally according to most recent statistics, in 2006 tourism revenue reached 7.6 billion dollars, Egypt largest source of export earnings. Tourists arrivals rose by 5 percent to 9.1 million, a third successive record. (EIU, 2008) Source: Egypt Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) Tourism stakeholders in Egypt Central and Local government Due to centralized system of governance, appointed authorities in Egypt at local and central level has taken major roles in tourism industry. In particular in recent years they have drawn considerable attention to the industry. Egypt is organized into 27 governorates, each headed by an appointed governor. The local government system act in 1960, stipulated a diverse responsibility for governorates ranging from social, health, welfare, and educational services to the social and economic development of their region. They are monitoring on the measures and plans of the city and village councils. The actual authority however rest with top officials in Cairo in a highly centralized manner through a heavily burdened bureaucracy. The village mayors who were only elected local authorities are now selected by the Ministry of the Interior. (Fahmi, 2002) The ministry of tourism The Ministry of Tourism has come to play destination management organization (DMO) role in Egypt albeit with more and more limited power compared to its Western counterparts. The Ministry is organized into four major sections: (a) Planning and Development; (b) Regulation of Tourist Services; (c) Administration; and (d) Financial and Legal Affairs. Like most other ministries, the Min ­istry of Tourism suffers from overstaffing and inadequate technical capa ­bility. The Ministry in recent years has taken many proactive steps to ensure the private sector dependency tourism. The initial step was establishment of the Tourism Development Authority in 1991 with the aim of enhancing the relationship of private sector with the Ministry in guiding and promoting touristic investments. (Wahab 1997). The Ministry also supervises a number of public sector organizations: (a) Egypt ­ian General Authority for Promotion of Tourism; (b) Public Authority for Conference Centres; and (c) Tourism Dev elopment Authority. A crisis management unit has been established in the Ministry of Tourism to coordinate the stakeholders activities during and after crisis. Key to the recent changes in the Ministry is the new position of the public sector Tourism Authority, as an umbrella company consists of five associated companies including Egyptian General Organization for Tourism and Hotels, Misr Travel Company, Egyptian Hotels Company, Misr Hotels, and Grand Hotels of Egypt (Wahab 1997).The new appointments in the top managerial body of the Ministry of Tourism 2004 is also represents fundamental positive changes for the tourism sector in Egypt. (American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt, 2008) Ministry of Interior and Police There are two major branches of the police in Egypt. The State Security Investigations Sector (SSIS) dealing with crime and investigation, and the Central Security Force (CSF) dealing with internal security issues like public protests and combat with oppositions. As a whole, the force maintains law and order, detects and prevents crime, collects evidence, processes passports, controls traffic, and screens immigrants. In each governorate, a director of police oversees law enforcement in the district. The director reports to the governor. Both the governor and director are overseen by the Ministry of the Interior. Police ranks reflect the gradations within the army, with the higher ranking police officers being major generals down to first lieutenants. Below this are lieutenant-chief warrant officers. Enlisted officers hold the ranks of master sergeant, sergeant, corporal, and private. There is a special tourist police, who wear an armband with an insignia in Arabic and English and are able to speak in English. It was established in 1997 after the massacre of 60 tourists at the Hatsheptsut temple in Luxor. According to one report, a large body of tourist police has been deployed to guard tourist sites. (Fielding, D. and Shortland, A. 2005) Egyptian Tourism Federation (ETF) The tourism private sector in Egypt is represented by Egyptian Federation of Tourist Chambers (EFTC) which was established in 1968 when the first law for tourism was enacted. With new demands for more and more enhancing the tourism industry its official title was changed to Egyptian Tourism Federation (ETF) in 2002. The main ETF task as mentioned in its constitution is to ensure the common interests of the tourism industry by developing strategic cooperation and joint planning between the five Affiliate Associations. This is accomplished through close relationship with the five affiliate business associations: Egyptian Hotels Association (EHA) Egyptian Travel Agents Association (ETAA) Egyptian Chamber of Tourist Establishments (ECTE) Egyptian Chamber of Tourist Commodities (ECTC) Egyptian Chamber of Diving and Water Sports (CDWS). The ETF is also work in association with the following institutions: Travel and tourism enterprises Ministry of Tourism and public authorities in general Supply structure of the tourism industry According to its official site the areas of activity of the ETF is to enhance and support following sectors: Resources development Transportation Infrastructure and superstructure of tourism destinations Human resources development International and regional organizations concerned with tourism development (ETF website) Egypt Airline EgyptAir is a major Egypt state-owned airline established in 1932 and headquartered in Cairo, Egypt. Beginning in 1980, EgyptAir embarked on a modernization and marketing plan. Accordingly, EgyptAir planned its network to maximize its traffic and scope, reaching main cities in all five continents. To carry out its marketing plan, EgyptAir purchased several new aircraft and then developed an autonomous infrastructure to support and serve its fleet in order to operate in a safe and efficient manner. As a result of its market research, EgyptAir was reinvented in a stepped-pyramid form. The base of the pyramid was EgyptAirs most profitable markets. This was a significant step toward establishing the airlines financial credibility, which can be very challenging for an airline from an underdeveloped region of the world such as Egypt. EgyptAir owns shares in many tourism companies and hotel chains, such as Cairo Airport Mà ¶venpick, Tut Amon, and Nefertari in Aswan and Abu Simbel, and Taba Hilton resorts in Sinai. EgyptAir also owns shares in many charter companies, such as Shorouk Air and Air Cairo. Such investments have increased EgyptAirs assets tenfold since the implementation of the airlines modernization and expansion plan in 1980. EgyptAirs network has also expanded to reach major cities and capitals in all five continents. (Groenewege, Adrianus, 2003) Terrorism in Egypt There is little debt that the main challenge to the Tourism Industry comes from a major anti-government extremist movement, the Islamic Group (IG, known in Arabic as Al-Gamaat al-Islamiya).[7] IG emerged in the late 1970s with the principle objective of removing the current Egyptian government from power and replacing it with an Islamic regime. Affiliated with al-Qaida, it has also developed an absolute anti- United States (U.S.) pledge. From 1992 until 1999, IG militants carried out several attacks against tourist destinations in Egypt, most notably a November 1997 attack at Luxor that claimed the lives of 58 foreign visitors. (Graph, 2) Since 1992 Egyptian police and security centres embarked massive attacks on Islamic groups. Coupled with these counter terrorism measures Egyptian parliament passed new anti-terrorism law stipulating death penalty for some crimes and consequently and the Egyptian martial judiciary convicted a number of terrorist to death on accusation of overthrowing the regime. The Islamic groups fought back through terrorism attacks mainly toward the tourism destinations. Such attacks continued constantly over 1993, and proved to be a suitable target for terrorists to gain their goals and at the same the tourism industry suffered considerably from the attacks. These left an intensively negative image of Egypt as a tourism choice and were resulted in withdrawal of many international tourism operators from Egypt. This time the government accelerated its counter-terrorism measures by deployment a massive number of security forces. Those accused of terrorist act were received very severe punishments by military courts. In 1993 these courts in an unprecedented action convicted a record number of 38 Islamists to death and 29 were executed. (Tal, 2005) Not surprisingly, such measures run in contrast with human right principles and triggered an extensive international criticism. Such opposition slowed down a little aggressive measure. The Egyptian government also tried to carry out the policy of carrot instead of stick by allowing the oppositions to occupy some minor public posts. (Kepel, 2005) The tug of war between government and Islamic dissents carried out till after 1997 when in massive trial 98 oppositions were sentenced charges of subversion, four of whom were convicted to death penalty and eight to imprisonment for life. This triggered a new wave of terrorism fight back marked by terrorism attack to tourist bus in Cairo which lead to killing nine German tourists and injuring 11 others. This attack is still remained unclear as the government claimed that terrorist had no link with IG but evidences all support the strong connection IG members with the event, following this event two suspects of conducting the attack were executed. This severe reaction led to the tragedy of Luxor in which 70 people, including 58 foreign tourists, wore massacred by members of IG. This over reaction learnt the Government to emphasis more on carrot policies. As such, they opened up a dialogue with moderate oppositions as part of a national reform. (Kassem, 2004) As a result, Muslim Brotherhood condemned the attack. Other political measures taken into account to combat terrorism was secret agreement between Egypt and the West for the identifying and extraditing IG leaders in exile. Since the public opinion no longer supporting the aggressive actions of terrorist, IG showed the signs of ceasefire in 1999. In 2000 Al-Jihad also paved the same way and declared the halt in terrorism attacks. The ceasefire was short-lived when in October 2004, 34 people were killed in bomb attacks at Taba. These were followed by terrorists attacks in Sharm al-Sheikh in 2005, which led to 64 lose of life, and a series of bombings exploded in Dahab in April 2006, which killed 20 people. Yet, the government has linked these attacks to terror cells of local Bedouin from North Sinai, which have connections to al-Qaida. Conclusion The progress in tourism industry in Egypt was maddeningly slow in Nasser era; however, aftermath of Nassers death the country drew attention back to tourism industry and since as the official statistics indicates it has thrived and dramatically developed. The industry proved to be very vulnerable to the security incidents. In respond, the Egyptian government has undertaken a plethora of counter terrorism techniques. The balance sheet of their measures demonstrated a capacity of for rebounding strongly from such incidents, but a sustained campaign would be far more difficult.

Meditation: Does it Alter the Mind and the Body? :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Meditation: Does it Alter the Mind and the Body? BEEP BEEP BEEP!!!! 9:00 am starts flashing on your alarm clock and you immediately run through your "to do list" for the day. It's a long list, filled with classes, meetings, homework, meals, exams...etc. Being the master of multitasking, I have a tendency to perform various tasks at once. As a result, my concentration level decreases while my stress level increases. How can this lack of concentration and stress level be fixed? Many people turn to meditation, but does this practice actually work? And if so, how does meditation work to change the mind and the body? Meditation is defined as "...engagement in contemplation, especially of a spiritual or devotional nature...an attempt to concentrate mind on a single form or an idea or an aspect of divinity at the exclusion of all other forms and the ideas. The mind is focused inwards, and this effort of concentration acts as stimulus to gain access to the knowledge of the object of meditation" (1). The practice of meditation involves both psychological and physiological changes. For example, the altering of breathing patterns and thought processes. But does meditation guarantee mental and physical change? Meditation forces an individual to gain complete control of their inner self. But, what exactly is the inner self? The subconscious is an integral constituent of the internal mind. It is located deep in the core of the mind, acting as the center of emotions, behavior, creativity, and imagination. In addition, subconscious maintains good health (2). Does meditation allow an individual to open the hidden doors of the subconscious mind? What is the difference between the subconscious and conscious mind? You can think of the conscious mind as known knowledge while the subconscious mind is unknown knowledge. Meditation taps into the subconscious mind and uncovers veiled realities about the inner self. To investigate whether meditation affects the mind, studies were performed on subjects practicing meditation techniques. In conclusion, the experimenters discovered an increase in productivity, improved relations at work, increased inner potential, increased strength of self-concept, and red uced anxiety (3). All these factors can be thought of as being an element of an individual's subconscious mind because it involves behavior and thought procedures. Moreover, the focus of one image steers an individual away from multitasking and toward greater concentration. In a sense, an individual becomes more aware of their inner self as a result of focused attentiveness.

Caribbean History :: Socio-Cultural Areas Culture Islands Essays

Caribbean History I. A Note on Historical Methodology: The conventional method of studying history consists of a chronological process. For example, the history of the ‘New World,’ or in particular the history of the Caribbean seems to originate in 1492, the year Columbus mistakenly landed upon Hispanola. Not long after the discovery of the New World, the age of European colonialism in the Americas emerges. This condensed version of the first several decades of European influence in the New World are the common historical accounts rendered about early Caribbean history. How effective and accurate is this seemingly Eurocentric rendition of Caribbean History? There may not be one specific right or wrong answer to this inquiry. However, there are alternative methods of unveiling or unmasking a history lesson by simply starting in media res (in the middle of things) or even in the present times. This methodology of studying history is indeed a retracting and unmasking process in which society and culture convey the history of a particular country or region as the Caribbean. In order to fully grasp the intricacies and complexities of Caribbean one must scrutinize and in a sense deconstruct the social and cultural fibers of the Caribbean. The remnants of colonialism in the Caribbean have created a history manifested in the imagery of society and culture. History in the Caribbean can be unveiled in skin tones and rumbas. The history of the Caribbean lives in architecture as well as behind church doors. Thus, in order to learn about the Caribbean, one must ‘unlearn’ or deviate from the Eurocentric rendition of history in the Caribbean. In the Caribbean, the present (culture and society) tells many truths about the past. II. Methodology in Practice: Michelle Cliff’s novel Abeng and her essay "If I Could Write this in Fire" personify the historical process in the Caribbean. Cliff’s works portray the images of the political, social, cultural, and economic issues discussed by Sidney Mintz and Antonio Benitez-Rojo. Cliff’s literary works depict the contemporary social and cultural constructs of Jamaican society. In this process of interpretation and devolution of Michelle Cliff’s portraits of Jamaican society the remnants of colonialism truly become apparent. Consequently, Cliff’s desire to make sense of the current deplorable conditions of racial inequality has prompted her to ‘look back’ and as she states in her essay: To try and locate the vanishing point: where lines of perspective converge and disappear. Lines of color and class. Caribbean History :: Socio-Cultural Areas Culture Islands Essays Caribbean History I. A Note on Historical Methodology: The conventional method of studying history consists of a chronological process. For example, the history of the ‘New World,’ or in particular the history of the Caribbean seems to originate in 1492, the year Columbus mistakenly landed upon Hispanola. Not long after the discovery of the New World, the age of European colonialism in the Americas emerges. This condensed version of the first several decades of European influence in the New World are the common historical accounts rendered about early Caribbean history. How effective and accurate is this seemingly Eurocentric rendition of Caribbean History? There may not be one specific right or wrong answer to this inquiry. However, there are alternative methods of unveiling or unmasking a history lesson by simply starting in media res (in the middle of things) or even in the present times. This methodology of studying history is indeed a retracting and unmasking process in which society and culture convey the history of a particular country or region as the Caribbean. In order to fully grasp the intricacies and complexities of Caribbean one must scrutinize and in a sense deconstruct the social and cultural fibers of the Caribbean. The remnants of colonialism in the Caribbean have created a history manifested in the imagery of society and culture. History in the Caribbean can be unveiled in skin tones and rumbas. The history of the Caribbean lives in architecture as well as behind church doors. Thus, in order to learn about the Caribbean, one must ‘unlearn’ or deviate from the Eurocentric rendition of history in the Caribbean. In the Caribbean, the present (culture and society) tells many truths about the past. II. Methodology in Practice: Michelle Cliff’s novel Abeng and her essay "If I Could Write this in Fire" personify the historical process in the Caribbean. Cliff’s works portray the images of the political, social, cultural, and economic issues discussed by Sidney Mintz and Antonio Benitez-Rojo. Cliff’s literary works depict the contemporary social and cultural constructs of Jamaican society. In this process of interpretation and devolution of Michelle Cliff’s portraits of Jamaican society the remnants of colonialism truly become apparent. Consequently, Cliff’s desire to make sense of the current deplorable conditions of racial inequality has prompted her to ‘look back’ and as she states in her essay: To try and locate the vanishing point: where lines of perspective converge and disappear. Lines of color and class.

Free Essays - Ode to a Nightingale :: Ode Nightingale Essays

Ode to a Nightingale One must be armed with a little knowledge of Greek mythology before taking on Keats; Hyperion, for example, is filled with allusions to Milton's Paradise Lost. After reading and re-reading Ode on a Grecian Urn I decided that it would be best to only comment on Ode to a Nightingale (because I'm baffled with Keats). I found him very hard to understand. You can't just sit down and read Keats like a Grimm's fairy tale. Keats must be read with great scrutiny; otherwise, you'll miss his point. I only pray that my readings and poor mind will give some sort of justice to Keats's monumental work: "Ode to a Nightingale." The poem begins with Keats's, with his complaint about humanity. He is filled with "heartaches and a drowsy numbness pains" and a feeling of forgetfulness as if "hemlock I had drunk." Life has brought him to a state of forgetfulness and is bewildered to find a "light-winged Dryad [Nightingale] of the trees" that is "being too happy in thine happiness" and singing "of summer in full throated ease." Keats would love to join the song of the Nightingale but has no way except through death, but even death is painful. Keats doesn't want any more pain that life has to offer so he talks about a "vintage [wine] that hath been Cool'd a long age. . . With beaded bubbles winking at the brim" and he hopes that he "might drink, and leave the world unseen, And with thee fade away into the forest dim." With the wine Keats hopes to "Fade far away. . . [from] The weariness, the fever, and the fret" of life. Man's drink is his only escape from this life but then he writes that he doesn't want to j oin nature and "fly to" the Nightingale "charioted by" wine but of poetic imagination. Because too much wine would bring pain in the morning and would only stop pain for a while. Once the drug has run its final course he would be in more pain then before. If only this world could fade away so that he could join the world of nature where he could be "too happy in thine happiness." He wants to leave this world: "That I might drink, and leave the world unseen," he wants to "Fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget" everything.

Utopia-Religon

Thomas More wrote Utopia a few years before the Protestant Reformation, during a period rife with religious instability. Not everyone trusted the corrupt Roman Catholic Church, and many Europeans looked elsewhere for their religious inspiration. Though the Utopian religion has some similarities with Catholicism and Protestantism, it is an entirely unique belief system uninfluenced by the numerous European faiths of the period. The main thing the sets the utopian religion apart Is its complete religious tolerance.While all the utopian religions are monotheistic and all their god by a general Utopian term of Matthias, they disagree on who exactly Matthias is. The only belief that is not allowed is atheism. Utopians feel that if an individual does not think that he Is responsible for his actions, and that there Is one Supreme Being who controls the world, then there is nothing to stop him from breaking laws and causing disorder. The Utopians don't believe in predestination like many sec ts of Protestantism does.All the religions meet at one church and serve under the same priest. In church one is not allowed to say anything that's offensive to another religion because of on early Utopian law saying that no one should suffer or be made uncomfortable due to his religion. A Utopian can try to convert others to their religion if they are able to present their argument calmly and reasonably. All this is very deferent from any of the European religions, who were constantly going to war with each other In the name of god.Catholic kings would go on crusades against the Muslims; Jews during the Spanish Inquisition were kicked at of their homes and persecuted for believing differently, and after the protestant reformation Catholics ND Protestants had years of bloody warfare. Even the religious leaders themselves would start war, such as when Luther declared war on the Jews and the peasants. Religious tolerance was something that didn't come to Europe until much later. Anothe r thing that shows the uniqueness of the utopian religion is the way they elect and serve their priests. Priests are chosen by the people in a secret election.Unlike Catholics and Protestants who have numerous corrupt priests, utopians have very few, because of difficulty finding someone moral enough for the Job. The Priest Is also he highest power in the land. This is very opposite of Protestants, who believe in a â€Å"priesthood of all Believers† that the priest is equal to the parishioner. Priests, similar to Lutheran are allowed to marry, and their wives are treated like high members of society. Priest also cannot be punished for crime, utopians believe that someone who dedicated himself to god can only be punished by god himself and not through human hands.A widowed elderly woman is also allowed to become priest which is something that's not allowed by any other religion. The priest also went to war with he utopians for the purpose of Inspiring the troops, preventing ex cess killing, and pacifying the enemy's vengeance. The utopians worship their god in a very unique way. In church they do not sacrifice any animals because they do not think that a merciful god would enjoy senseless bloodshed. This shows how the Utopians would not have approved of the flagellant movement In the fourteenth century.The flagellants were groups of clerics that would go from town to town and whip their bare skin to inspire public repentance. If the Utopians wouldn't even draw an 1 OFF animal's b tort no reason they would never nave approved to hurting oneself tort a oddly purpose. The Utopians do burn incense, because they feel that the scent somehow raises people's thoughts. They do not burn them for god because they know he has no use for such things. Similar to the Protestants the Utopians don't focus on acts of devotion. The Utopians, unlike the Catholics, have no visual representations of god anywhere. They also don't believe in omens and fortune telling.Their calen dar, like the Catholic one, is based on a solar year divided into lunar months. The Utopian religion has a confusing stance on female equality. On the one hand they allow woman to become priests which is something that's unheard of in any of the European religions, but they also make woman confess all there wrong doings to their husbands before any holiday. They give woman a chance at equality, but then also show them how they are inferior to their husbands. While this does seem paradoxical, it does offer more gender equality than any other religion. The Utopians are also hypocritical with their religious punishments.They have a law eying a priest cannot punish a sinner because that is the Job of the government. The most drastic punishment they allow the priest to give is excommunication. Yet if the excommunicated one does not convince the priest that he is reformed, he is arrested and punished by the counsel for sinfulness. So the priest technically has the power to punish in a ver y roundabout but powerful way. He can decide who is reformed or not and through that he is given the power to imprison. If a counsel can arrest and try an individual for impiety, doesn't that mean a person is suffering because of their elision.This proves that although the Utopians say they offer complete religious freedom, a person can still suffer because of his beliefs. The truly devout Utopians do one of two things. The holier ones take vows of chastity similar to the Catholics, and eat a very strict diet consisting of no meat. The less holy yet more admired ones take upon themselves heavy labor that will benefit the community. It is more admired in Utopia to do heavy work for the community then to live a life of chastity. This is very different from the Catholic mentality.Catholics admire priests as holy and serve them only because the priest was able to devote his life purely to god and give up human desires. The peasants who spend the whole day doing backbreaking labor are vi ewed as the lowest of society even though what they do greatly benefits everyone else. Thomas More would not have though the Utopian religion was ideal. More himself was a devote Catholic who even died for his faith. He played an integral role as Lord Chancellor in persecuting the Protestants after the reformation. He would not have proved of the complete religious toleration of the Utopians.Also the Utopian laws allowing euthanasia, divorce, and married and female priests are completely against the teachings of the Catholic Church. He wrote Utopia as a way of criticizing the Catholic Church for all of its corruptions not as a blueprint for a new religion. At the end of the book More says that while Hathaway was speaking he kept thinking how some of the Utopian laws were Just bizarre. He says â€Å"quite apart from such things as their military tactics, religions, and forms of worship, there was a grand absurdity on which their whole society is based, communism without money. (Utop ia 113) This quote proves how Mores intention in writing Utopia was not to create a new way of life, but to criticize the fraudulent doings of contemporary European society. Although Utopia is championed as the ideal place to live there has yet to be a country that NAS tried to mimic its way to elite. Even More himself would nave rejected its unique religion. But regardless of its desirability, the Utopian religion has proven to be a completely unique belief system uninfluenced by contemporary religious beliefs.

Monster Mini Golf

Monster Mini Golf, an indoor, 18-hole, glow-in-the-dark, monster-themed family entertainment center created and developed by husband and wife Patrick and Christina Vitagliano, started its operations in 2004 under Monster Entertainment, LLC. In the hopes of expanding operations and taking full advantage of the increasing popularity of family oriented entertainment centers, Monster Entertainment, LLC opened its doors to interested franchisees in 2005. The estimated capital investment needed to set up a franchise of Monster Mini Golf ranges from $147,000 to $255,000, which already includes the franchise fee of $30,000. Initial term of the Franchise Agreement is five years and franchise is renewable for three successive terms of five years each. There is also a royalty fee of 9% of gross sales paid weekly for their continuing support services. Monster Entertainment, LLC has designed an easy to use business system for the franchisees of Monster Mini Golf. Aside from the support from management office, they also entitled to the following benefits: Training. All franchisees are required to participate in a comprehensive training course that lasts approximately four weeks. This intensive program focuses on all aspects of the franchise system, products, services and techniques in operating the business. Training also covers management methods pertaining to personnel, office, sales, computer software and marketing procedures. On-site assistance. Management provides an on-site assistance to franchisees two weeks before the scheduled opening. Aside from this, they also conduct periodic site visits to provide guidance and assistance in the franchisee’s operations. 1.   All franchisees will also receive a Monster Mini Golf Operations Manual that contains specifications, standards, procedures and recommendations to aid investors in the operation of their Monster Mini Golf franchises. Marketing materials and website development. Franchisees are provided with various publicity, advertising materials and other promotional items. Each location will also be given its own section in the company’s website. Protected area or exclusive territory. Monster Entertainment, LLC awards only a limited number of franchises per geographic location based on franchisee’s location, population and drive time to the guaranteed site. To be considered for a possible franchise rights, interested parties are asked to complete and submit Confidential Franchise Info Request form available online. Selection is based on the applicant’s disposition, sales, customer service skills, and their experience in basic inventory control, money management and budgeting. Other qualifications include maturity, judgment, stability and adaptability. One important issue that a prospective franchisor must consider is the local government regulations and taxes. In the United States, franchising is governed by both federal and state laws and in other countries, the industry is being regulated. State registration though, may not be necessary depending on the franchise’s location. Other legal matters important to the set-up of a franchise would include compliance issues and documentation requirements. Other economic and financial factors that a franchisor must also look at include organizational structures, accounting practices, financial projections, financial responsibilities and anticipated market conditions. References: http://www.monsterminigolf.com http://www.franchisegator.com http://www.francorpconnect.com http://www.entrepreneur.com http://pennsylvania.franchisesolutions.com/business_for_sale http://www.franchise.org http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode http://www.franatty.cnc.net

Role of a Butler

Throughout history, the word â€Å"butler† has always been associated with service. The dictionary defines a butler as â€Å"The principal manservant of a household. † This definition remains true even when the butler is employed in a hotel. When a guest checks in and has occupied his suite, then this becomes his household. The butler caring for him becomes the â€Å"manager† of the suite (household) and in effect an employee of the guest. Services butlers offer differ from place to place, but their activities are basically centered around making the guest more comfortable and sparing them from having to do tedious and time consuming task. A hotel butler is an ambassador who sells the hotel just as much as anyone else and should be considered a key player in a team of professionals striving to deliver a level of personalized service that exceeds not only the expectation of the guest but will add a point of difference from the service provided anywhere else. Butlers are trained to provide a very personal, and detailed service to their guests. Their main function is to take care of their guest requests, bookings, reservations, problems, complaints, supervise and co-ordinate every service that the guest receives in suite and to ensure guest satisfaction by paying attention to the smallest detail from arrival to departure. Butlers are given the awesome responsibility of contacting guests before arrival to determine their wishes and ensure everything that they like and want to do is arranged before their arrival. They personally greet guests on arrival, take care of their needs and introduce them to the facilities if they are not familiar with them. They ensure suites are ready, they unpack their suitcases, iron, clean and mend anything that is broken. They provide whatever room service needs the guests may have, from making reservations, purchasing items, bringing and serving food. Butlers are often expected to provide morning wake up drinks, lay out clothes, and keep the guest moving smoothly from one engagement to another. When the time comes to leave, the butler packs the suitcases and ensures a smooth departure. Having developed a close relationship with the guests, he then stays in touch and ensures the guest returns. A good butler should be multi-skilled and possess certain natural character traits in order to excel at his or her job. They need to possess good organizational skills and communication skills so they can carry out their tasks and perform their job in an efficient manner. They should be flexible and accommodating to a guest’s needs; capable of dealing with people of all ages and from different cultures; friendly, loyal and very subtle and unobtrusive. They have a responsibility to take ownership of any problems while removing worries and chores from the guest experience; and in the same breath foster that one of a kind unique relationship with them. As an individual who has developed a passion for guest satisfaction and one who works tirelessly in delivering flawless services in a highly professional manner, I am convinced that the role of a butler is an excellent job opportunity for me and I most certainly do possess all the above mentioned character traits that exemplifies a superb butler.