Tuesday, December 24, 2019

The Travel And Hospitality Industry - 938 Words

The travel industry has evolved though history. As the travel industry developed and grew, so did the use of Management Information Systems. Today, the travel industry is global, and technology is capable of processing, storing, and facilitating travel with a large amount of flexibility and in a short amount of time. However, the travel industry was not always this way. As the industry has adapted, challenges have been overcome through the advancement of management information systems. In the beginning, travel services were provided by places like inns, but there were no systems for mass travel or mass accommodation. The early stages of the organized travel and hospitality industry began in the 1400s. Legislations began to pass in countries such as France and England that made guest registries mandatory within inns and hotels. This formal documentation was the beginning of management information systems in the travel industry. After these requirements were introduced, over 600 inns and hotels were eventually registered in England, mostly located near major roadways. The first printed guidebooks were developed through this documentation of registration, using the information for connecting hotels and travelers. Development continued with the beginning of the industrial revolution in the 1700s and the creation of the railroad. This ushered in the era of transportation, but changed the nature of travel, as hotels began to develop near city centers instead of near roadways, andShow MoreRelatedNotes On The Hospitality Industry Essay1616 Words   |  7 Pages.101 Principles of hospitality management Lecturer:-Zaina Therasia Student name: - Mohammed Sakil Student ID:-20151471 Student name: - Amanpreet Singh Dhanoa Student ID:-2015475 TOPIC: - NOVOTEL Hotel Contents Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦1 1.1 outline of the report†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Hospitality Industry†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 2.1 History †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Read MoreEssay on Similarities and Differences Between TH1700 Words   |  7 Pagesranges from 24 hours to 1 year, the travel distance should be more than 100 kilometers and the activity must finish at where it started. (French, C 2000 p4-p6) 1.2. Hospitality: The Oxford English Dictionary (Soanes Stevenson, 2003, p. 839) gives hospitality a definition as ‘the act or practice of being hospitable; the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors or strangers with liberality or goodwill’. Giving a working definition, todays’ hospitality is operated in a commercial way in whichRead MoreEssay on hospitality scope size and diversity941 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Unit 1: The hospitality Industry THE SIZE, SCOPE AND DIVERSITY OF HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY The scope of the hospitality industry refers to the range of businesses that provide services and facilities. The hospitality economy is one of the country’s key industries with huge growth prospects in jobs. In employment terms, restaurant are easily the largest sector, closely followed by a pubs, bars and club with the hotel sector growing more slowly, and the contract food service sector holding steady . Read MoreHospitality Provision964 Words   |  4 PagesASSIGNMENT Introduction Hospitality provision is one of important services in travel and tourism. The hotel is a basis for short accommodation needs of travellers. Depending on the content and using that object classification stay in hotel, tourism, resort, etc. According to the level of amenities available, they are classified according to the number of stars from 1 to 5 stars. In recent year, the economics and society are developing. People are getting busier with their work and their life. TheyRead MoreFood Import Ban And Economic Disabilities Affected Hospitality Industry889 Words   |  4 PagesThe size of the hospitality and tourism sector in Russia has grown significantly over the last decade. The events such as the Winter Olympics and country’s first Formula 1 Grand Prix helped Russia to improve its positions on the world tourism market. Many changes have been made since 2010 in the enhancement of facilities and services. These changes helped Russia to strengthen the country’s positio n worldwide. Hospitality sector in Russia In 2013 a lot of tourists visitedRead MoreThe Interrelationship Between Core Sectors In The Hospitality1336 Words   |  6 PagesThe interrelationship between core sectors in the hospitality industry The hospitality industry is one of the most important service providers in the international tourism industry. It includes all the tourists and passengers who travel to other destinations. They are part of the overall experience and must meet the standards set by the customer and industry. Modern websites, such as travel consultants, also set standards based on people s assessments of their experiences. â€Å"TheseRead MoreHow Social Media Changed The Hospitality Industry1148 Words   |  5 Pagesimprove living conditions, but also helps business owners to reach out more customers than before. This paper will take into account to talk about how social media changed the hospitality industry. The purpose of this paper is to study how social media change the behavior of customers within hospitality industry and how hospitality businesses is effected by social media. Based on the research conducted by Noone, â€Å"social media is the combination of various internet tools that enable users to generateRead MoreThe Scope Size and Diversity of Hospitality Industry Essay689 Words   |  3 PagesUnit 1: The hospitality Idustry THE SIZE ,SCOPE AND DIVERSITY OF HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY The scope of the hospitality industry refers to the range of businesses that provide services and facilities. The hospitality economy is one of the country’s key industries with huge growth prospects in jobs. In employment terms, restaurant are easily the largest sector, closely followed by a pubs, bars and club with the hotel sector growing more slowly, and the contract food service sector holding steady . ECONOMICRead MoreCurrent Issues For The Tourism And Hospitality Industry935 Words   |  4 PagesII. Current issues for the tourism and hospitality industry 1. Introduction Tourism is known as the largest and fastest growing industry which generate a massive revenue for the economy all over the world (Chon, 2010). It is said that tourism industry is growing 1.5 times faster than other industries and its economic, social effect on a nation is enormous (Trivun et al, 2008). Many countries especially developing countries see travel and tourism as a way to gain foreign currencies and attract internationalRead MoreImpact Of 2012 Olympics On Hospitality Essay1721 Words   |  7 Pages2012 Olympics and its impact on the hospitality industry of London. Research Background / Context On 6th July’ 2005 London was selected as the host city for the 2012 summer Olympic and Paralympics Games. The games is often labelled as the â€Å"greatest show on earth† which involves thousands of sports persons both men and women from around the globe aiming to reach the ultimate in sporting achievement. The Olympic Games will take place entirely in London, but the bid team had stressed throughout

Monday, December 16, 2019

Sci/256 Environmental Pollution Outline Free Essays

Environmental Pollution Outline Jason D Windham SCI/256 November-26-2012 University Of Phoenix Environmental Pollution Outline Water management- developing various plans to maintain the present and future water demands. It also may include importing state water, developing new resources, using reclaimed water, and managing existing supplies more cautiously. Describe water management and use. We will write a custom essay sample on Sci/256 Environmental Pollution Outline or any similar topic only for you Order Now Freshwater sources- Is water from the earth surface using glaciers, bogs, ice caps, ponds, lakes, streams and rivers Water supply problems-The demand for water increases yearly. Water conservation-The carful use and protection of the water supply. Water use-Off stream is water used from its source such as rivers and stream. Then you have Consumptive using which is the use from off stream by plants and animals. Next there is the in-stream usage which is the use of rivers for navigation, hydroelectric power generation, fish and animal habitats and also recreation. Effects of water use and management practices on the environment Short-term effects- Long-term effects- It’s really is a major concern due to climate change of the earth it can be uncertain. Three major types of environmental pollution- Water pollution , Air Pollution, Land Pollution Identify type one. Causes Treatments Effects on ecosystem health Effects on human health Identify type two. Causes Treatments Effects on ecosystem health Effects on human health Identify type three. Causes Treatments Effects on ecosystem health Effects on human health Global warming Background Describe the Earth’s atmosphere. Describe the Earth’s energy budget. Global warming concepts What makes the Earth warm? – Explain the greenhouse effect. What natural greenhouse gases are associated with the greenhouse effect? What anthropogenic greenhouse gases contribute to global warming? The future Predicted climate, weather, and ocean changes of increased global warming Potential environmental, ecological, and societal effects from increased global warming Evidence that supports or refutes increased global warming predictions and effects Prevention How might global warming be mitigated? What can you do to decrease the effects of global warming? What political constraints might influence decisions on global warming? As a global society, how can nations and individuals influence policies and practices to mitigate for increased global warming? How to cite Sci/256 Environmental Pollution Outline, Essay examples

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Complaint handling and service recovery free essay sample

Why do customers complain? In general, studies of consumer complaining behavior have identified four main purposes for complaining. 1. Obtain restitution or compensation. Often, consumers complain to recover some economic loss by seeking a refund, compensation, and/or have the service performed again. 2. Vent their anger. Some customers complain to rebuild self-esteem and/or to vent their anger and frustration. When service processes are bureaucratic and unreasonable, or when employees are rude, deliberately intimidating, or apparently uncaring, customers self-esteem, self-worth, or sense of fairness can be negatively affected. They may become angry and emotional. 3. Help to improve the service. When customers are highly involved with a service , they give feedback to try and contribute toward service improvements. 4. For altruistic reasons. Finally, some customers are motivated by altruism. They want to spare other customers from experiencing the same shortcomings, and they may feel bad if they fail to draw attention to a problem that will cause difficulties for others if it remains uncorrected. We will write a custom essay sample on Complaint handling and service recovery or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Why don’t unhappy customers complain? In some situations, people simply dont know where to go or what to do. Also, many people feel that complaining is unpleasant . Customers may not want to take the time to write a letter, send an email, fill out a form, or make a phone call, particularly if they dont see the service as being important enough to be worth the effort. Many customers see the payoff as uncertain and believe that no one will care about their problem or be willing to resolve it. They may be afraid of confrontation, especially if the complaint involves someone whom the customer knows and may have to deal with again. Customers are less likely to voice complaints in service situations in which they perceive they have low power (ability to influence or control the transaction). This is particularly true when the problem involves professional service providers, such as doctors, lawyers, or architects. Social norms tend to discourage customer criticism of such individuals, because of their perceived expertise. Who is most likely to complain? Research findings consistently show that people in higher socioeconomic circumstances are more likely to complain than those in lower levels. Their better education, higher income, and greater social involvement give them the confidence, knowledge, and motivation to speak up when they encounter problems. Further, those who complain also tend to be more knowledgeable about the service products in question. Where do customers complain? Studies show that the majority of complaints are made at the place where the service was received. One of the authors found that an astoundingly 99 percent-plus of customer feedback was given face to face or over the phone to customer service representatives. Less than 1 percent of all complaints were submitted via email, letters, faxes, or customer feedback cards. Also, customers tend to use non interactive channels to complain (e. g. , email or letters) when they mainly want to vent their anger and frustration, but resort to interactive channels such as face to face or the telephone when they want a problem to be fixed or redressed. Where do customers complain? Studies show that the majority of complaints are made at the place where the service was received. One of the authors found that an astoundingly 99 percent-plus of customer feedback was given face to face or over the phone to customer service representatives. Less than 1 percent of all complaints were submitted via email, letters, faxes, or customer feedback cards. Also, customers tend to use non interactive channels to complain (e. g. , email or letters) when they mainly want to vent their anger and frustration, but resort to interactive channels such as face to face or the telephone when they want a problem to be fixed or redressed. IMPACT OF EFFECTIVE SERVICE RECOVERY ON RETENTION When complaints are resolved satisfactorily, there is a much higher chance that the customers involved will remain loyal. Research has found that intentions to repurchase for different types of products ranged from 9 percent to 37 percent when customers were dissatisfied but did not complain. For a major complaint, the retention rate increased from 9 percent to 19 percent if the customer complained and the company offered a sympathetic ear but was unable to resolve the complaint to the satisfaction of the customer. If the complaint could be resolved to the satisfaction of the customer, the retention rate jumped to 54 percent. The highest retention rate, 82 percent, was achieved when problems were fixed quickly—typically, on the spot. The conclusion to be drawn is that complaint handling should be seen as a profit center and not a cost center. Service recovery paradox The service recovery paradox refers to the effect that customers who experience a service failure and then have it resolved to their full satisfaction are sometimes more likely to make future purchases than are customers who have no problem in the first place. A study of repeated service failures in a retail banking context showed that the service recovery paradox held for the first service failure that was recovered to a customers full satisfaction. However, if a second service failure occurred, the paradox disappeared. It seems that customers may forgive a firm once, but become disillusioned if failures recur. Furthermore, the study also showed that customers expectations were raised after they experienced a very good recovery; thus, excellent recovery becomes the standard they expect for dealing with future failures. Whether a customer is delighted by service recovery may also depend on the severity and recoverability of the failure no one can replace spoiled wedding photos or a ruined holiday, or eliminate the consequences of a debilitating injury caused by service equipment. In such situations, its hard to imagine anyone being truly delighted even when a most professional service recovery is conducted. Contrast these examples with a lost hotel reservation, for which the recovery is often an upgrade to a suite. When poor service is recovered by delivery of a superior product, youre usually delighted and probably hope for another lost reservation in the future. HOW TO ENABLE EFFECTIVE SERVICE RECOVERY Be proactive—on the spot, before customers complain Plan recovery procedures Teach recovery skills to relevant personnel Empower personnel to use judgment and skills to develop recovery solutions Be proactive—on the spot, before customers complain For example, the waiter may ask a guest who has eaten only half of his dinner, Is everything all right, sir? The guest might say, Yes, thank you, Im not very hungry, or The steak is well done but I asked for medium-rare; plus its very salty. The latter response gives the waiter a chance to recover the service, rather than have an unhappy diner leave the restaurant and potentially not return. Plan recovery procedures Contingency plans have to be developed for service failures, especially for those that can occur regularly and cannot be designed out of the system. Revenue management practices in the travel and hospitality industries often result in overbooking, and travelers are denied boarding or hotel guests are walked even though they had confirmed seats or reservations. To simplify the task of front-line staff, firms should identify the most common service problems such as overbooking and develop predetermined solution sets for employees to follow. Teach recovery skills to relevant personnel As a customer, you may quickly feel insecure at the point of service failure because things are not turning out as anticipated. So you look to an employee for assistance. But are they willing and able to help you? Effective training builds confidence and competence among front-line staff, enabling them to turn distress into delight. Empower personnel to use judgment and skills to develop recovery solutions Service recovery efforts should be flexible and employees should be empowered to use their judgment and communication skills to develop solutions that will satisfy complaining customers. This is especially true for out-of-the-ordinary failures for which a firm may not have developed and trained potential solution sets. Employees need to have the authority to make decisions and spend money in order to resolve service problems promptly and recover customer goodwill. GUIDELINES FOR THE FRONT LINE: HOW TO HANDLE COMPLAINT Act fast Admit mistakes but don’t be defensive Understand problem from customer’s viewpoint Don’t argue Acknowledge customer’s feelings Give benefit of doubt Clarify steps to solve problem Keep customers informed of progress Consider compensation Persevere to regain goodwill SERVICE GUARANTEES Guarantee = an assurance of the fulfillment of a condition (Webster’s Dictionary) In that a product offered by a firm will perform as promised and, if not, then some form of reparation will be undertaken by the firm CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EFFECTIVE SERVICE GUARANTEE Unconditional the guarantee should make its promise unconditionally – no strings attached Meaningful the firm should guarantee elements of the service that are important to the customer the payout should cover fully the customer’s dissatisfaction Easy to Understand and Communicate customers need to understand what to expect employees need to understand what to do Easy to Invoke and Collect the firm should eliminate hoops or red tape in the way of accessing or collecting on the guarantee CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND SERVICE QUALITY Dimension Tangibles Definition Appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication materials Examples of customers questions 1) Are the hotels facilities attractive? 2) Is my accountant dressed appropriately? 3) Is my bank statement easy to understand? Dentist Dimension Reliability Definition Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately Examples of customers questions 1) Does my lawyer call me back when promised? 2) Is my telephone bill free of errors? Punctuality of air service Dimension Responsiveness Definition Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service Examples of customers questions 1) When theres a problem, does the firm resolve it quickly? 2) Is my stockbroker willing to answer my questions? 3) Is the cable TV company willing to give me a specific time when the installer will show up? My internet service, Samsung example Dimension Competence Definition Possession of the skills and knowledge required to perform the service Examples of customers questions 1) Can the bank teller process my transaction without fumbling around? 2) Is my travel agent able to obtain the information I need when I call? 3) Does the dentist appear to be competent? Degree of Doctors Samsung monitor Dimension Courtesy Definition Politeness, respect, consideration, and friendliness of contact personnel Examples of customers questions 1) Are the telephone operators consistently polite when answering my calls? 2) Does the plumber take off muddy shoes before stepping on my carpet? Dimension Credibility Definition Trustworthiness, believability, honesty of the service provider Examples of customers questions 1) Does the hospital have a good reputation? 2) Does my stockbroker refrain from pressuring me to buy? 3) Does the repair firm guarantee its work? Lawyer , or wom,Claim settlement Dimension Security Definition Freedom from danger, risk, or doubt Examples of customers questions 1) Is it safe for me to use the banks ATMs at night? 2) Is my credit card protected against unauthorized use? Dimension Access Definition Approachability and ease of contact Examples of customers questions 1) How easy is it for me to talk to a supervisor when I have a problem? 2) Does the airline have a 24-hour toll-free phone number? 3) Is the hotel conveniently located? My internet service Dimension Communication Definition Listening to customers and keeping them informed in language they can understand Examples of customers questions 1) When I have a complaint, is the manager willing to listen to me? 2) Does my doctor avoid using technical jargon? 3) Does the electrician call when he or she is unable to keep a scheduled appointment? Dimension Understanding the customer Definition Making the effort to know customers and their needs Examples of customers questions 1) Does someone in the hotel recognize me as a regular customer? 2) Does my stockbroker try to determine my specific financial objectives? Insurance consultants 1) The knowledge gap is the difference between what service providers believe customers expect and customers actual needs and expectations. 2) The standards gap is the difference between managements perceptions of customer expectations and the quality standards established for service delivery. 3) The delivery gap is the difference between specified delivery standards and the service providers actual performance on these standards. 4) The internal communications gap is the difference between what the companys advertising and sales personnel think are the products features, performance, and service quality level and what the company is actually able to deliver. 5) The perceptions gap is the difference between what is, in fact, delivered and what customers perceive they received (because they are unable to evaluate service quality accurately). 6) The interpretation gap is the difference between what a service providers communication efforts (in advance of service delivery) actually promise and what a customer thinks was promised by these communications. 7) The service gap is the difference between what customers expect to receive and their perceptions of the service that is actually delivered. 8) Gaps 1,5,6, and 7 represent external gaps between the customer and the organization. Gaps 2, 3, and 4 are internal gaps that occur between various functions and departments within the organization. Prescriptions for Closing Service Quality Gaps Knowledge: Learn what customers expectconduct research, dialogue, feedback Standards: Specify SQ standards that reflect expectations Delivery: Ensure service performance matches specsconsider roles of employees, equipment, customers Internal communications: Ensure performance levels match marketing promises Perceptions: Educate customers to see reality of service delivery Interpretation: Pretest communications to make sure message is clear and unambiguous. Hard and Soft Measures of Service Quality Hard measures refer to standards and measures that can be counted, timed or measured through audits typically operational processes or outcomes e. g. how many trains arrived late? Soft measures refer to standards and measures that cannot easily be observed and must be collected by talking to customers, employees or others e. g. SERVQUAL, surveys, and customer advisory panels. Control charts are useful for displaying performance on hard measures over time against specific quality standards. Tools to Address Service Quality Problems Fishbone diagrams: A cause-and-effect diagram to identify potential causes of problems. Pareto charts: Separating the trivial from the important. Often, a majority of problems is caused by a minority of causes i. e. the 80/20 rule. Blueprinting: A visualization of service delivery. It allows one to identify fail points in both the front stage and backstage. Pareto analysis seeks to identify the principal causes of observed outcomes. This type of analysis underlies the so-called 80/20 rule, because it often reveals that around 80 percent of the value of one variable (in this instance, the number of service failures) is accounted for by only 20 percent of the causal variable (i. e. , the number of possible causes). In an airline example, analysis showed that 88 percent of the companys late-departing flights from the airports it served were caused by only four (5 percent) of all the possible factors. In fact, more than half the delays were caused by a single factor: acceptance of late passengers (when the staff held a flight for one more passenger who was checking in after the official cutoff time). Generic Productivity Improvement Strategies The task of improving service productivity has traditionally been assigned to operations managers, whose approach has typically centered on such actions as 1) Careful control of costs at every step in the process 2) Efforts to reduce wasteful use of materials or labor 3) Matching productive capacity to average levels of demand rather than peak levels, so that workers and equipment are not underemployed for extended periods 4) Replacing workers by automated machines 5) Providing employees with equipment and databases that enable them to work faster and/or to a higher level of quality 6) Teaching employees how to work more productively (faster is not necessarily better if it leads to mistakes or unsatisfactory work that has to be redone) 7) Broadening the array of tasks that a service worker can perform (which may require revised labor agreements) eliminates bottlenecks and wasteful downtime by allowing managers to deploy workers wherever they are most needed 8) Installing expert systems that allow paraprofessionals to take on work previously performed by professionals who earn higher salaries Although improving productivity can be approached incrementally, major gains often require redesigning entire processes.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

The Handmaids Tale Essay Paper Example For Students

The Handmaids Tale Essay Paper As I reading the novel, The handmaid s tale, I recognized the Republic of Gilead, is a country, which is not only under the religious theoretic rule, but also dominated by the masculine power. All the men in the Republic have various of privileges that the women do not have. In the first 100 pages of the novel, I realized handmaids have think about using their bodies to make a deal with those Angle in order to escape from the red center, therefore, it hints from the beginning, men have greater power in the Republic. In the Republic, everybody has been ranked. The ranks of women, like Aunt, Martha, and Wife are specifically gendered words that mark the status of women. Therefore, regardless of her rank, a woman’s central feature is her sex. Even a Wife, the highest-ranking woman in the republic, is defined in relation to a man, her husband. Words such as Commander, Guardian, and Angel name men’s various ranks of power, but the words themselves do not reduce individual men to their sex alone. We will write a custom essay on The Handmaids Tale Paper specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now In the novel, we always see those words like unwomen, unbabies but we never see the word like unmen, it means there are no sterile men in the Republic s ideology and only women have defective in the eyes of the Republic s law. Moreover, men in the Republic are not defining through their bodies functions, but women do, the major purpose of women in the Republic is to reproduce baby. If those women fail to produce baby, they will declare as unwomen, and will be sent to the colonies and die in there. In the novel, we can see that all aspects of women s life were being highly regulated, their speech, writing, reading, job, economic independence or even their name. Those handmaids are never given individual names; the Republic regards them as objects or rather as state property and if giving them individual, unchanging names, those will undermine their position as state property. Therefore, the Commander names every Handmaid. (For instance Offred to Of Fred ) The Handmaid s names mark them as the property of the Commanders in whose homes they in currently. Their names will be change again when they move to another new households. I have no experience of living a country like the Republic of Gilead and I think there is no such regime existing on the earth. Nevertheless, indeed, the privilege is existed in all now day societies. Not only between two different genders, but also between dual/multiple groups/classes of people, for instance, rich people dominate the whole state economic and made a bad influence to middle/low classes people; a political party dominated a state, which provide benefit to those who are willing to bound with them and persecuted the other.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

How did lady Macbeth and witches changed Essays

How did lady Macbeth and witches changed Essays How did lady Macbeth and witches changed Paper How did lady Macbeth and witches changed Paper They persuaded Macbeth to kill people only because they wanted to be benefited. They were selfish and not worrying that they would soon turn Macbeth into a crazed lunatic The witches delighted in chaos and toil. They did not tell Macbeth what to do but they simply showed him what can happen through their prophecies and the apparitions they showed to Macbeth. Macbeth couldve been a perfect target for them to bring about this chaos. Macbeth is a strong soldier, he has killed enemies in war, and perhaps the witches knew his true nature(by the prickling of my thumb, meeting wicked this way comes ). The extent of their influenced is demonstrated through their predictions, they are temptations and a form of flattery which Macbeth eventually gave into. On one hand, Lady Macbeth has the far greater influence because she is Machetes wife and they share a passionate relationship together. Just like the witches she flatters him, but this time It Is a direct flattery and a direct temptation towards him. As far as Macbeth being changed into a different person, he himself is responsible for his own actions. The final decision lies within him and this as demonstrated when he carried out the murder of King Duncan. Lady Macbeth acts as the catalyst for Macbeth. Macbeth realized that he would have to commit regicide (stars, hide your fires; let light not see my deep and black desires), but he was unwilling to do so. Lady Macbeth changes his mind by attacking his manhood, despite the brave acts he has committed as a soldier. She also flatters him shamelessly. The murder of Duncan sets Macbeth on the trail of evil, as he didnt consult his wife when he killed Banquet and Macadams family. He didnt even care when she committed suicide. The witches represent the Three Fates In Greek Mythology. They connotative destiny, fate, etc. They delight and thrive In chaos and toll. In my opinion, the witches represent the primeval human emotions of hate and wickedness. They are all that Is wrong with humanity. They also bring a supernatural theme In the play. The witches do not seem human, as when Banquet says they look Like women, yet their beards defy this theory. They have not the power to kill, only manipulate. In laymans terms,They can tell you the stuff you wan hear, to bring you down. 🙂 They also help Macbeth, as they awaken his dark mammalians, and a insatiable will to claim the golden round (the crown). The witches also seem to befriend Macbeth as one of them, saying that he Is a wayward child. They also seemed to know his true nature- by the prickling of my thumb, something (not someone, suggesting that he has lost his humanity and personality) wicked this way comes. How did lady Macbeth and witches changed the Macbeth into bad person? By Georgia-Whelan apparitions they showed to Macbeth. Macbeth couldve been a perfect target for Just like the witches she flatters him, but this time it is a direct flattery and a direct hen she committed suicide. The witches represent the Three Fates in Greek Mythology. They connotative destiny, fate, etc. They delight and thrive in chaos and toil. Wickedness. They are all that is wrong with humanity. They also bring a supernatural theme in the play. The witches do not seem human, as when Banquet says they look like women, yet their beards defy this theory. They have not the power to kill, only you down. 🙂 They also help Macbeth, as they awaken his dark ambitions, and a befriend Macbeth as one of them, saying that he is a wayward child. They also

Friday, November 22, 2019

3 Tips for Writing Stellar Georgia Tech Essays

3 Tips for Writing Stellar Georgia Tech Essays SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Before you envision yourself getting settled in at Georgia Tech, you must get through the hurdle of writing the Georgia Tech essays. The Georgia Tech supplement requires you to write two short essays.So what are the possible essay prompts? And how should you answer them? Keep reading to learn exactly what the Georgia Tech essays are, what kinds of topics you can write about (and what kinds of topics to avoid), and how to ensure you’re submitting a quality essay. Feature Image: Wally Gobetz/Flickr What Essays Does Georgia Tech Require? The Georgia Tech application includesa total of three essays. One of these is a personal essay that answers a prompt from either the Common Appor the Coalition App(depending on which system you apply through). This essay should be around 500-550 words, and must not be longer than 650 words. You can visit the Common App and Coalition App websites to see the essay prompts for the 2018-19 application cycle. The other two essays are part of the Georgia Tech supplement and are referred to as the Georgia Tech short answer questions, since your responses to these are shorter than the personal essay you must write for the Common App/Coalition App. Like the longer personal essay, these two shorter essays are required components of the Georgia Tech application. The prompts for these essays are given on both the Common App and Coalition App, and each short answer must be 250 words or less (about half the length of a regular college essay). This is just a general overview of the Georgia Tech essays. But in order for you to write them, you need to know what the current Georgia Tech essay prompts are. We'll take a look at the prompts next! What Are the Georgia Tech Supplement Essay Prompts? As you now know, in addition to writing a long Common App or Coalition App personal essay, you must answer two questions as part of the Georgia Tech supplement. Below are the possible essay prompts you’ll have for these questions. Georgia Tech Essay 1: Why Georgia Tech? For the first Georgia Tech supplement essay, there is just one prompt, which asks you to discuss why you’ve chosen to apply to Georgia Tech. This prompt is essentially a version of the "why this college" prompt, which we discuss more in our in-depth guide on how to write a "why this college" essay. You may write up to 250 words for your response. Here is the prompt: Why do you want to study your chosen major at Georgia Tech, and how do you think Georgia Tech will prepare you to pursue opportunities in that field after graduation? Georgia Tech Essay 2: Mini Personal Essay For the second Georgia Tech essay, you’ll havethree possible prompts from which to choose. Each question is fairly different from one another, giving you a broad choice in terms of how you can approach this essay. It'sbest to think of this essay as a mini personal essay since you’ll be writing about a certain aspect of yourself (depending on the prompt you choose).Once again, your response must be 250 words or less. Here are the prompts: Please choose ONE of the following questions and provide an answer in 250 words or less. Tech’s motto is Progress and Service. We find that students who ultimately have a broad impact first had a significant one at home. What is your role in your immediate or extended family? And how have you seen evidence of your impact on them? Georgia Tech is always looking for innovative undergraduates. Have you had any experience as an entrepreneur? What would you like Georgia Tech to provide to further your entrepreneurial interests? In our application review, we want to get to know you better. One way to do that is to understand a typical day for you. Please describe your typical day. Now that we’ve covered the basics of the Georgia Tech essay prompts, let’s take a look at how you should answer these prompts to give yourself the best shot at getting into this prestigious college. In this next section, we'llgo through both supplemental essays and their prompts, giving you tips on how to choose the best prompt for you so you can write a memorable essay. For this first essay, you must answer the critical question: why Georgia Tech? How to Write Georgia Tech Essay 1 (Why Georgia Tech?) As a reminder, the first Georgia Tech essay prompt asks you to explain, in 250 words or less, why you want to attend the school: Why do you want to study your chosen major at Georgia Tech, and how do you think Georgia Tech will prepare you to pursue opportunities in that field after graduation? In your response, you should discuss why you decided to apply to Georgia Tech and how the major you’ve chosen will help you achieve your academic or professional goals. This prompt is a version of the "why this college" prompt. Specifically, this prompt is a "why us" prompt, as it’s asking you to elaborate on why this college and the major you’ve chosen are best suited to you and your aspirations. In other words, what about Georgia Tech and the field of study you want to pursue there will help you achieve your future goals? To answer this question, you’ll need to do some research on Georgia Tech and the academic program you’re applying for. The easiest way to do this is to go to the Georgia Tech website to get an overview of what's offered by your program, including the kinds of classes, study abroad options, professors, and internship opportunities. If possible, I suggest visiting the campus to sit in on classes and meet professors so you can get a clearer feel for the academic program as well as the environment at Georgia Tech as a whole. In your essay, try to pick a specific characteristic to focus on- don’t just say you want to attend Georgia Tech because it’s prestigious or well known. Lots of colleges are! Next, you’ll need to know how your education at Georgia Tech will help you after college. For example, you could write about how you think Georgia Tech’s cooperative education program will help you gain relevant professional experience and make connections with like-minded peers. Regardless of what aspects of Georgia Tech and your major you want to write about, make sure to clearly connect the essay back to you and your own interests and goals. Here are some possible topics you could use for your "Why Georgia Tech?" essay: An anecdote relating some sort of positive personal experience you had at Georgia Tech (such as while on a campus tour) A positive interaction you had with someone affiliated with Georgia Tech, such as a current student or professor involved with the major you’re applying for Your excitement about getting to work witha particular faculty member, and how this opportunity will help you further your career goals Your enthusiasm for getting to study in a program or major/minor that's not usually offered at many schools or that has a unique, interesting angle at Georgia Tech A special facility or piece of equipment you're looking forward to being able to work in or with, and that isn’t offered on other campuses or is very rare How to Write Georgia Tech Essay 2 (Mini Personal Essay) For your second Georgia Tech essay, you’ll get to choose from three possible options and write a response in 250 words or less on some aspect of yourself. Below, we go over each essay prompt, giving you tips on whether to choose a prompt and what to write about so you can come up with an effective response- one that willideally wow the admissions committee! What kind of impact do you have on your family/gaggle? Prompt 1: Your Family Role Tech’s motto is Progress and Service. We find that students who ultimately have a broad impact first had a significant one at home. What is your role in your immediate or extended family? And how have you seen evidence of your impact on them? This essay prompt is focused on how you impact your own family and what kind of (positive) role you play in your family unit. Georgia Tech asks this question to get a feel for how you act in personal situations and what these experiences might suggest about your possible future impact on other Georgia Tech students and on society as a whole. Here are some possible roles you could discuss in your essay (since you won’t have a lot of space for your response, it’s best to choose the role you think best defines you and in the most positive light): Mediator of conflicts or fights Encourager of trying new things or getting someone out of their comfort zone Supporter of others in difficult situations or times of need Decision maker (i.e., someone who often makes major decisions for their family or helps others in their family make important decisions) Protector/caretaker of younger siblings, cousins, or other family members Planner of activities or events, such as vacations, chore schedules, meals, etc. Should You Choose This Prompt? You don’t have to come from a particularly interesting, crazy, or unique family to be able to choose this prompt and write a great essay. The point of this essay is to explain what kind of impact you’ve had on your family or a family member, and to relate this to your future role and impact at Georgia Tech and beyond. If you can quickly identify how you interact with your family and what kind of effect you’ve had on them, this is a good prompt to choose.If, however, you’re not sure whether this prompt is a good fit for you, try asking yourself the following questions: Is there a certain noun or adjective your family members would use to describe you and your role in the family? Do you have any younger siblings or cousins whom you’ve had to lead, give advice to, or offer support to in some critical way? Was there a time you had a positive impact on or made a positive contribution to your family? What happened, and what might this imply about what kind of role you’ll have as a student at Georgia Tech? Tips for Answering This Prompt Focus on a specific anecdote to make your essay more realistic and relatable. Don’t just say you’re a mediator because you always have to break up fights between your two younger siblings. Give us the details, the nitty-gritty: who said what and to whom? How did you react? What kind of (positive) outcome did your involvement have in the end? Write about something that's significant to you.You don’t have to write about something super rare or out of the ordinary, but it should still be important and memorable to you. For instance, you could write about the time you cheered up your sister after she tripped during a track meet, making her miss the chance to come in first. This indicates that you’re not only caring but are also supportive and willing to be there for people in times of need. Prompt 2: The Innovative Entrepreneur Georgia Tech is always looking for innovative undergraduates. Have you had any experience as an entrepreneur? What would you like Georgia Tech to provide to further your entrepreneurial interests? This essay prompt is a lot more professionally-oriented than the first one, which mainly focuses on your personality and interpersonal relationships. With this prompt, you’re expected to talk about a specific experience you’ve had as an entrepreneur. This could be a highly professional experience, such as that time you worked part-time with a startup to build and sell an invention that prevents wildfires. Or it could be something that you did entirely on your own, such as going door-to-door to sell soaps and lotions you made. Should You Choose This Prompt? This prompt specifically targets applicants with entrepreneurial backgrounds. If you don’t have entrepreneurial experience or aren’t interested in entrepreneurship, it's best to choose a different prompt. Tips for Answering This Prompt Focus on just one entrepreneurial experience. Don’t cram in a list of all your professional endeavors- this isn’t what Georgia Tech wants! Instead, talk about only the most significant experience you’ve had in the field. This could be your first venture into entrepreneurship or your most recent. Then, concentrate on what made the experience so meaningful to you. Be specific about how Georgia Tech can help you accomplish your goals. Don’t just say that the rigorous academic environment will encourage you to work hard. What specifically does Georgia Tech have that can help you explore your professional interests? For example, you could mention itsGlobal Social Venture Competition orIdeas to Serve Competitionand how you plan to participate in these events to boost your entrepreneurial skill set. Prompt 3: Your Typical Day In our application review, we want to get to know you better. One way to do that is to understand a typical day for you. Please describe your typical day. This final essay prompt is arguably the most fun and creative of the three since it’s all about your day-to-day life. By seeing what your usual routine looks like, Georgia Tech can learn more about what kind of person you are and how your personality and interests might mesh with those of other students on campus. Should You Choose This Prompt? I recommend picking this prompt if you are a fan of its more laid-back, creative nature and are enthusiastic about being able to delve deep into the ostensibly mundane details of your life. This is also a good prompt to choose if you aren’t sure whether the other prompts are well suited for you or if you really can’t think of anything interesting or unique to write for them (the big plus with this essay prompt is that the main topic of your essay is essentially given to you!). Tips for Answering This Prompt Write about the most interesting, unique, or important parts of your daily routine.You don’t need to have some crazy or super weird routine, but since you don't have a lot of space to write, you'll want to focus on the most interesting and significant moments from your day. For instance, say you take harp lessons every day after school; this would be a unique detail to mention. Or maybe you volunteer at an animal shelter a few days a week. Even if you feel your days are boring, you can always shake up your essay by inserting some fun and quirky description (see the next tip for more details on how to do this). Avoid overly general descriptions- add color with specificity.You can liven up your essay by being specific and injecting your voice into what you write. Instead of writing, "I wake up at 7 a.m. and eat a bowl of cereal before heading to school," it’d be far more interesting to write, "My alarm goes off at 7 a.m., but I don’t get up until 7:32. After launching into a familiar panic and rummaging through my dresser to find that one pair of holeless socks I own, I race downstairs to scarf down a small bowl of Apple Jacks before rushing outside and hopping on the rusty bicycle I’ve owned since I was 12." Reflect on what you do- don’t just list your activities. The topic of this essay runs the risk of becoming a laundry list of what you do each day. Remember that the point of this prompt isn’t to list your actions but to present a running commentary on why you do the things you do and how these have influenced your personality, point of view, interests, and/or goals. Don’t be afraid to shake up the organization of your essay. Most applicants write about their daily activities in chronological order. While there’s nothing wrong with this approach, you can illuminate your more creative side by writing about your routine in a more unique way, such as by grouping similar activities together or by ranking your level of satisfaction at each point throughout the day. No matter what style of organization you choose, just make sure that your essay is comprehensible and doesn’t come off too pretentious-sounding. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Georgia Tech Essay Examples + Analysis We've writtentwo Georgia Tech essay examples (one for each short answer question) to help give you an idea as to what and how you could write your Georgia Tech essays. Additionally, we go over what makes them good essays for a Georgia Tech application. Georgia Tech Essay Example 1 (Why Georgia Tech?) "Honestly, I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I hadn’t gone to Georgia Tech." Katrina was a few years older than me and the sister of my best friend, Troy, who’d given me her email address so I could ask any questions I had about her time at Georgia Tech. This was the last line of her response- and by far the most memorable. Like Katrina, I can’t imagine myself not attending Georgia Tech. As an aspiring environmental engineer, I see Georgia Tech as a gateway to not just learning but also professional success. The flexibility of the major would allow me to focus specifically on my passion for reducing the negative effects of climate change and securing access to clean water. As a senior, I plan to take several hydraulics-focused electives. In addition, through the InVenture Prize, which I hope to participate in at least twice, I’ll be able to utilize the knowledge I’ve gained through my classes, projects, and fieldwork by translating it into a concrete vision- specifically, an invention that will increase the availability of fresh, healthy water for disadvantaged communities. After graduation, and as a proud Georgia Tech alumnus (ideally with an InVenture Prize), I plan to implement the skills I’ve gained through my environmental engineering major in the nonprofit sector. I haven’t met Katrina yet, but I feel as though I know her- perhaps it’s that shared sense of joy at having discovered the perfect school for the paths we’ve chosen. Here’s why this Georgia Tech essay works: It’s got a creative hook that draws you in. This Georgia Tech essay opens with a quotation that immediately makes it feel as though you’re reading a compelling story. It then goes on to connect this hook directly to the narrator who "can’t imagine †¦ not attending Georgia Tech," ensuring the focus remains on the applicant and not Katrina. It mentions specific features of Georgia Tech. The applicant doesn’t just write about how prestigious Georgia Tech is but specifically mentions opportunities she’s interested in taking advantage of, such as hydraulics courses and the famous InVenture Prize competition. The mark of a good college essay = an acceptance letter! Georgia Tech Essay Example 2 (Mini Personal Essay) For this essay example, the applicant is responding to the third prompt, which asks you to describe your typical day. I like to think I’ve gotten used to that sense of dread before English class, but not quite yet. It’s my first class of the day, and I’m feeling a little too tired to be able to make sense of Pride and Prejudice. But I try anyway because I really love the book. It sits on my shelf, creased and torn from years of curling up in bed with it. At lunchtime, I pull out my copy of Freakonomics. My aunt lent it to me weeks ago after I told her I was interested in reading more nonfiction. And I can’t seem to put it down- even as my tuna sandwich begs me to eat it before the bell rings. School ends at 2:30, and a few minutes later I hop on the bus, takeFreakonomicsout of my backpack, and immediately flip to the bent corner of page 68, where I'd left off at lunch. At 4, I leave home to go to my part-time job at the local library. There, my manager, Shelley, greets me with her toothy grin and sing-songy voice: "Hey, Reggie, how was school?" I smile and chat a bit before heading straight for the bookshelves, as if I'm being pulled forward by an invisible thread. While working, I can't help but devour the title of each book I put away. Maybe one of these days I'll leave work without checking out a new book to read- but I can't see this happening anytime soon. Here’s why this Georgia Tech essay works: It has a focused, interesting narrative. This applicant isn’t just describing banal day-to-day activities but is concentrating on how his daily routine ultimately connects back to his love of reading. This approach makes the essay far more unique and memorable. It uses specific, creative imagery. With this prompt, telling a captivating story is vital. After all, most people’s "typical days" aren’t that exciting. This applicant, however, uses interesting imagery, from his manager’s "toothy grin" to the tuna sandwich that "begs" him to eat it. All of this drives home the fact that the applicant is not merely an avid reader but is also a very creative thinker and writer. How to Write a Great Georgia Tech Essay: 3 Essential Tips Now that you know the specifics of each Georgia Tech essay prompt, here are three key tips to use while writing your essay, no matter which prompt you choose. #1: Be Specific and Concise The Georgia Tech supplemental essays only give you room for up to 250 words, which is about half the length of a typical personal statement. Since you’re so tight on length, you’ll need to make sure you’re using the space you have wisely. Don'twrite super flowery, verbose descriptions or rely on overly vague examples. Instead, be as specific as you can be so that you’re emphasizing only the most important parts of the story you want to tell. Specificity will make your essay more concise and easier to follow. #2: Show, Don’t Tell You’ve probably heard this refrain a million times, but it’s especially important for college essays: show your experiences, emotions, and perspectives instead of simply telling them to your readers.Doing this will make your Georgia Tech essays sound vibrant and alive rather than dull and boring. One of the very best ways to catapult your descriptions to a whole new level and to lend a stronger voice to your writing is to use a variety ofliterary devices, including flashbacks/anecdotes, imagery, and euphemisms. #3: Polish and Proofread Before you submit your Georgia Tech essays, make sure to take some time to read them over, edit them, get feedback, and proofread them. The best way to do this is to start by writing a rough draft. Once finished, put your essay away for a little while- anywhere from a couple of days to a week or so depending on the amount of time you have left before college applications are due- and then take it out again. As you read your essay, mark any areas that are unclear, awkwardly worded, or irrelevant. You should also proofread your essay for any glaring typos and errors in punctuation, spelling, and grammar. Once you’ve repeated this process a few times, it’s time to get a new set of eyes to look it over for you. Ask someone you trust, such as a teacher, parent, or counselor, to read your essay and offer comments and corrections on it. Doing all of this will ensure that your essay is completely polished by the time you turn it in to Georgia Tech! What’s Next? If you're reading this, you're likely not only applying to Georgia Tech.Get more tips with our expert guides to the Stanford essays, the Northwestern essay, and the Harvard essay. Applying through the Common App? Check out this comprehensive list of schools that accept the Common App, and learn more about how to write the Common App essay. To learn more about Georgia Tech and how to get in, take a look at its admission requirements page. Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now:

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Morality of punishment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Morality of punishment - Essay Example It is important to note that punishment should not be used as to serve an example but as fitting and appropriate for a criminal action. In any criminal proceeding, there is the burden of proof which most often falls upon the victim. It is known that in many circumstances hatred and thoughts of revenge are acceptable in the most heinous of criminal acts (Murphy). In questions of morality, we must examine the victim’s response to the action; does this response indicate to us some degree of what the victim has suffered in order to determine an appropriate deterring punishment? Victim hatred in most cases would lead the justice system more towards a retributive system and in securing these interests more libertarian beliefs may allow for social contractors to maintain a system of revenge beyond what is allowed. Herbert Morris is grounded in his belief that we have the right to punish as well as the criminal right to be punished (Morris). In claiming the right to be free we are in as much agreeing to the doctrines and laws that must followed in order to allow one to remain free. This paper will review and discuss some of the morality issues, questions, and beliefs concerning punishment from several angles. Morality of Punishment To distinguish punishment as an entity that is well defined and definitive is impossible. It is thought by Hegel that free will is such a thing that can have visible existence though it is realized only in the moment or instance that it is manifested; such as in violent actions, force, or in the decision to devoid other’s rights (Hegel, p 87, 2001). Free will is something considered destroyed by violent actions and a principle that is canceled by violence. It is the nature of the human mind to value honor above most other attributes. Kant states that those who commit murder should be inflicted the ultimate punishment of death yet in opposition of this humanity asserts that any capital punishment is wrongful and violates a conta ct of justice and civil behavior (Kant, & Gregor). Punishment is not suffered because one has willed it to be so; rather the individual has willed a punishable action. Crime is a negative judgment in its complete sense; while the right to injure is available, the consequences and punishments are defined. Injury is a right of the criminal and the expression of their inherent will demonstrates the freedom and liberties that are granted (Hegel) It is both reasonable and just that punishments are established and connected with violations of the rights of others (Morris). Those who violate established rules have renounced self-control or self-restraints. It is seen by some that Americans may do as they please provided there is no one willing or able to prove that their actions are fundamentally wrong. This creates situations where victims fall prey to the system and are accounted for by the burden of proof. This in itself constitutes the re-victimizing of a victim. Are criminals granted the right to be protected and shielded from the potential hate and desire for strong revenge from victims? Is this a constitutional or fundamental right that should be ensured in severe cases of victimization? Are victims expected to show little emotion, anger, rage or hatred towards their violator? (Murphy) Those intent on arguing against hatred and rage will state the emotions involved in these situations are

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Concepts and Models of Environmental Hazards Assignment

Concepts and Models of Environmental Hazards - Assignment Example GIS permit the combination of various types of spatial data, with non-spatial data, attribute them and use them as useful information in the various phases of disaster management (Goodchild, et al, 1996). GIS has played a fundamental role in the study of majority of the 20th and 21st century environmental concerns and especially global warming. From the quantification of glacier retreat all the way to the measurement of carbon environmental appropriation, GIS has played a major role in the collection of data, analysis of the same, modeling and also reporting or dissemination of knowledge (Goodchild, et al, 1996). Hazard A hazard is generally any source of potential harm, damage, or health effect on something or someone under particular condition. Hazards can range from biological agents like bacteria to safety hazards like slipping and machine malfunctioning (Toyos, et al, 2007). However, the common way of classifying hazards is by category where you get categories like environmental hazards, biological hazards, and physical hazards among others. Environmental hazards range in nature from geophysical hazards such as flooding, tsunami, volcanic eruption, and earthquakes to biophysical hazards like droughts and diseases. There are also technological hazards like chemical incidents various types of pollutions, and nuclear incidents, all of which threatens the long-term sustainability of the environment. Natural events such as hurricanes and earthquakes are obviously hazardous to man, which is the same case with environmental events like volcanic eruptions and tsunamis (Carrara, & Guzzetti, 1999). The disasters that can be caused by natural hazards are mainly resulting from man’s omission or commission. In this regard, I am referring to man’s actions that either increase susceptibility, or lack of appropriate actions to not only anticipate but also mitigate the possible damage of these events. A common denominator with all hazards is the risk. For an event to be categorized as a hazard it must have certain degree of risk. In fact, the best way to look at a risk is the chance or probability of harming a person if such a person is exposed to a certain event (hazard) that predisposes him/her to such a probability (Carrara, & Guzzetti, 1999). This therefore means that for an event to be classified as a hazard it much be exposing a person to risk of whatever nature. Advantages of GIS In a landslide study, data on hydrology, slope steepness, rock composition, and other factors can be combined with data on previous landslide to determine the conditions under which landslide are likely to occur (Saha, et al, 2005). To analyze all possible factors with manual techniques is almost next to impossible, therefore, only two factors can be analyzed in normal circumstance, after which the composite map are combined with the landslide inventory map. However with GIS, it is possible to analyze various factors that are associated with present cond itions and historical events, including presence of infrastructure, present land use, among others (Tassetti, et al, 2008). A good example of the application of this technique can be found in OAS/DRDE, which has been using this technique to overlay maps of slope steepness, geology, slope orientation, vegetation, and hydrology, after which it overlays the results with a landslide invento

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Do Not Learn as a Machine Essay Example for Free

Do Not Learn as a Machine Essay It’s twelve at night. Tons of papers and a cup of coffee on the desk prepared for pulling an all-nighter. Studying for the exam tomorrow, cramming tons of class-notes and materials. Students are fighting for an A. However, what do we expect them to learn from it? Is it even beneficial to them? After all, most students forget almost everything as soon as they finish the exam. Apparently, there are some fundamental problems in our current educational system. In the three essays, â€Å"The ‘Banking’ Concept of Education† by Paulo Freire, â€Å"Against School† by John Taylor Gatto and â€Å"The Achievement of Desire† by Richard Rodriguez, the authors realize different problems of the educational system and have different opinions about it. In my point of view, the main problem in the current educational system is that it encourages students to receive information meekly, without doubting, questioning or even understanding the material. As a result, these students resemble machines which acquire many facts but can barely develop their own critical thinking. The three aforementioned authors have differing opinions on the current educational system, but they all describe it as a system where students merely receive information but do not undergo critical thinking. In â€Å"Against School,† Gatto states that the educational system is a scheme the government uses to make people more â€Å"manageable† by reducing their critical judgment. To achieve this, school provide answers of every question to the students. It works because â€Å"Easy answers have removed the need to ask questions† (Gatto 155). It is true. Since students were taught in their early life that teachers are absolutely right, and that they should obey the authorities, as a result, most of them do not judge the teachers’ explanations. As they grow up, students tend to find the answers from books or teachers instead of figuring the answer out by themselves. Thus, their critical and original thinking have been obliterated completely under this educational system. Moreover, the boredom of schooling successfully removes the students’ curiosity which drive them to ask questions. A similar idea appears in â€Å"The ‘Banking’ Concept of Education. Freire uses the term â€Å"banking system† to describe the educational system where the teachers deposit a large amount of knowledge on the students. Students soon become receptacles which â€Å"extend only as far as receiving, filling, and storing the deposits† (Freire 1). These students do not understand how the information related to the real world, and can neither apply the knowledge to the real world problem nor develop their own critical thinking. In â€Å"The Achievement of Desire†, Rodriguez mainly describes his early life as a successful student. It gives a concrete example to support Gatto and Freire’s opinion. As he describes himself as a â€Å"great mimic; a collector of thoughts, not a thinker† (203), it fits Gatto and Freire’s description about the educational system, that even a considerably â€Å"successful† student could not perform critical and original thinking. Under this type of educational system, students try to find their way to achieve high scores. However, it turns out that the best way to be successful in this system isn’t the best way to learn. In the essays, the authors describe how the â€Å"successful† student is like. According to Freire, â€Å"The more meekly the receptacles permit themselves to be filled, the better students they are† (1). In order to be considered â€Å"good† under this system, students need to receive a large amount of facts on a superficial level. The best strategy is not to think, not to question, just believe and memorize it. Freire observes a phenomena in which teachers talk about contents â€Å"which are detached from reality, disconnected from the totality that engendered them† (1). In this way, students acquire tons of facts and maybe enhance their memorization ability, but fail to understand how these facts are connected to the daily life. In â€Å"The Achievement of Desire,† Rodriguez realizes that he was the â€Å"worst student,† even though he was considered â€Å"successful† in the system. â€Å"He becomes in every obvious way the worst student, a dummy mouthing the opinions of others. But he would not be so bad—nor would he become so successful, a scholarship boy—if he did not accurately perceive that the best synonym for primary ‘education’ is ‘imitation’† (203). The scholarship boy noticed that the best way to succeed in this system is to borrow and copy the ideas of others. Clearly we know that this is not the way to learn, as learning requires original processes. Therefore, it can be concluded that being successful in the educational system is not the same as being successful in learning. My experience supports this. Some teachers in my high school ask students to memorize all the model answers to every possible question that might be asked on the standardized test, but do not give explanations or have activities which could actually help students understand. The aim of teaching would then become merely the test scores. My physics teacher kept reminding us how many students got an A in a standardized test under his training, which emphasized becoming â€Å"machines for solving problems. † Being these machines could improve our performance on a test; however, we did not retain any substantial knowledge throughout the class, some even losing the motivation to learn afterwards. Solutions to a problem can be simple once we understand the cause of it. In the essays, the authors suggest their individual solutions. Freire suggests to oppose the â€Å"banking system,† by implementing a â€Å"problem-posing system. † In a problem-posing system, teachers pose some problems related to the world and ask the students to attempt to solve them without a straight forward answer (Freire 7). Students would then have the chance to explore the respective topic by themselves, think about every possible solution creatively. It takes time for all students to figure out the answer, and some of them may even fail to do it, but at least each student has tried to think about the problem. In this way, students are learning the material cognitively, and hence they will understand it more deeply and be able to apply the knowledge to the real world. Moreover, this system can motivate students to learn. According to Freire, â€Å"Students, as they are increasingly posed with problems relating to themselves in the world and with the world, will feel increasingly challenged and obliged to respond to that challenge† (8). When students try solving the problem, they are not being narrated by the boring materials and instead use their creative brainpower. They will find it fun to learn in this way and grow an enthusiasm to continue learning. In â€Å"Against School,† Gatto suggests to do the retrograde of the school’s mediocre influence on children. â€Å"School trains children to be employees and consumers; teach your own to be leaders and adventurers. School trains children to obey reflexively teach your own to think critically and independently† (155). To do this, we can educate children not only by books, but also encourage them to join different kinds of extra-curriculum activities such that they can grow interest in all areas. As an international student, I always compare the educational systems in America and Macau. I found that the educational system in America is relatively more â€Å"problem-posing† than my early education in Macau. Professors always give us chance to discuss and have more in-class activities. I fit in this problem-posing system and thus I can learn better and understand concepts more clearer. In conclusion, in order to learn cognitively and acquire the true knowledge, students should try to understand the materials before they decide to believe and cram it. Doxa means common beliefs and facts, while logos means the principle of knowledge. When students deeply understand it, they will attain the level of logos, not only doxa. It gives the students knowledge as well as the skill to derive other truths. To avoid being a machine, we should have our own thought and creativity. In the ideal problem-posing system, students can explore it in their way but not copying others’ ideas because they do not need to worry about their grades. They would then have their original opinion and thought, instead of meekly receiving information, being a mindless machine.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Ambition in Macbeth Essay examples -- Ambition, Shakespeare, Macbeth

In the play of â€Å"Macbeth†, Shakespeare gradually and effectively deepens our understanding of the themes and most importantly the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The main theme of Macbeth is ambition, and how it compels the main characters to pursue it. The antagonists of the play are the three witches, who symbolise the theme appearance and reality. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relation is an irony throughout the play, as most of their relation is based on greed and power. This is different from most of Shakespeare’s other plays, which are mostly based on romance and trust. There is also guilt that leads Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to the final consequences of the play. As the progresses, the constant changes in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are exposed. The relation of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth takes a few turns throughout the play. It starts with Lady Macbeth being in control and dominating Macbeth. Then suddenly Macbeth turns into an unhesitant man, who gets accustomed to killing and getting his own way. The dire changes in the characters affect the couple’s relation extremely. Shakespeare introduces the protagonist of the play as a valiant and a prominent character, even before the audience meets him. Macbeth’s fellow soldiers give us a view of his bravery and courageous manner. In order to prove his loyalty towards his king, Macbeth had won the appalling war against Norway, and became a hero: â€Å"For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name – Disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution.† Shakespeare’s effective use of word choice in ‘brave’ makes the audience understand the protagonist deeply. Ironically, later in the play, Macbeth’s ambitions take over him and become the antag... ...ave died hereafter; there would have been a time for such a word.† Macbeth cold-heartedly states that Lady Macbeth would have died sooner or later, and that this news was bound to come someday. This behaviour of Macbeth’s startles the audience, as how can one be so remorseless. Shakespeare has changed the character of Macbeth as a tyrant, who only cares about his power and nothing else. In trying to achieve everything possible, the Macbeths’ tragically lose everything instead. Shakespeare has effectively showed us the consequences of murder and power. The main symbolic signs of blood, murder and guilt throughout the play, gave the changes of the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth efficiently. What once started as a dominating relation and taking decisions together, turned into a relation in which neither Macbeth or Lady Macbeth cared for one another.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Health Psychology Concepts Essay

In this short speech I will tell you the three most significant concepts that I have learned in a course that I took in health care about health psychology. The three most significant concepts I have learned in this course that I would include in a speech supporting incorporation of health psychology concepts in health care policy are pain management, coping with chronic illness, and stress and its affects on health. The first one that I picked was pain management. The reason that I picked pain management is there is many ways that our body deals with pain and there are many ways to fix the pain. Some people think that alcohol and drugs are a good pain killer, but in fact it does not help the pain at all. There are better way to deal with it but many people have to be trained to do these thing. The next significant concept that I picked was coping with chronic and life-threatening illness. The reason that I picked coping with chronic and life-threatening illness is until I took this class I had no ideal on how to deal with or to expect others to deal with it. The final concept that I picked was stress and its affects on health. The reason that I picked stress and its affects on health is that most people have a lot of stress and they do not know that it is affecting their health or how it is affecting their health. There are many ways that stress can affect some ones health. One of the ways that come right to mind is pain in different parts of your body and there seems to be no reason for it.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Dave Matthews Band Bio

Formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991, Dave Matthews Band, or DMB, is an enormously successful rock, jazz and jam band that has had various tours around the United States and around the world. Originally from South Africa, Dave Matthews was working as a bartender in downtown Charlottesville when approached about forming a band, for he was already known as a good songwriter. This set the wheels in motion for Dave to meet other future members of DMB. DMB’s drummer, Carter Beauford, grew up in Charlottesville and agreed to join upon Matthews’ project. At about the same time as Beauford, Matthews recruited prominent Charlottesville saxophonist Leroi Moore, who also agreed to join. Moore, due from complications suffered in an ATV accident, died in 2008. DMB’s latest album, â€Å"Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King†, is dedicated to Moore’s memory. With a drummer and saxophonist secured, Matthews approached bassist Stefan Lessard, who also grew up in Charlottesville. Lessard, who was enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University, eventually dropped out due to becoming so involved in the band. Boyd Tinsley, DMB’s violinist, was studying at the University of Virginia when asked by Matthews to join the collaboration. With the band now fully formed, Dave Matthews Band started playing local joints and bars and eventually released their first studio album â€Å"Under the Table and Dreaming† in 1994. With 5 albums released between their first and their latest, DMB has shown immense longevity in the music scene. DMB is also heavily involved in philanthropy, always supporting local Charlottesville charities and Habitat for Humanity across the country. With Leroi Moore’s unfortunate passing in 2008, Jeff Coffin became the band’s new saxophonist but has not yet been named an official member. DMB has released more than 15 live albums, which often include improvisation on some of their most recognizable songs and lyrics. The band has won one Grammy Award, and has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Janus by Ann Beattie Essay Example

Janus by Ann Beattie Essay Example Janus by Ann Beattie Essay Janus by Ann Beattie Essay Essay Topic: The Things They Carried In the short story â€Å"Janus†, by Ann Beattie, the central character is not a real character at all, but in fact is an inanimate object. The cream colored ceramic bowl serves as the main character throughout the story, and is correlated to the Roman God â€Å"Janus† that is identified primarily with doors or other places of passage, and is also represented as being two faced. Janus is one of two characters with names, which is also evident of her importance throughout the story. The author uses the character of Andrea to give life to Janus through discussing the bowls importance to her. In many cases the primary character of a story is simply an object that is symbolic of an ideal or underlying meaning through which the author uses to convey their message. Throughout the story Beattie uses the bowl in many ways to convey different meanings to the reader. In the beginning, its sole purpose in the story is simply a tool that Andrea uses to sell houses. She places the bowl in homes she is trying to sell, along with house plants and even her dog at times. There is a strong connection made between Andrea and her bowl, and it becomes evident that Janus means much more to her than just an aesthetically pleasing piece of ceramic art. When Andrea is trying to sell a home, she essentially tricks people into buying them by creating these setups where she brings in her own props. Beattie also uses the bowl to show the weak relationship between Andrea and her husband. There are times when it is clearly obvious that Andrea cares more about the bowl than she does her own husband. It is implied when she wakes up in the morning next to him and feels guilty; it is understood as her feeling guilty for her deeper connection to the bowl, and almost as a betrayal to her husband. There is no passion in their relationship, they simply get along fine and live together. Janus reveals another aspect of their relationship that is nonexistent, â€Å"She had asked her husband to please not drop his house key in it. It was meant to be empty†, (113) their sexual life as well as their everyday life is not passionate either. The request not to drop house keys in the bowl can be viewed this way, and it is another way to demonstrate the parallel of relationships that Andrea has. The extremely weak and non meaningful marriage to her husband, who is left nameless throughout the story and the deep seeded connection she feels towards the cream colored ceramic bowl. Beattie also reveals through the bowl another meaning it could possibly take on. At the end of the story we are told about the first day Andrea sees the bowl. She is at an arts and crafts fair with her lover when she sees Janus. When she decides she doesn’t really need the bowl she leaves it, but her lover saw something in Andrea sparkle when she saw it, so he buys it for her anyways. Not only is this man her lover, but he is also the man she is having an affair with behind her husband’s back. It is clear that Andrea and this other man are truly in love, and have a passionate romantic relationship, but Andrea cannot bring herself to leave her husband and in turn her lover grows tired of waiting and leaves her. This brings another possibility to the table of Janus’s symbolism, it could possibly be representative of the true love and passion Andrea once had in her life, but let escape. Now she doesn’t want to let it go, it has become Janus. Many authors have used the same approach to emphasizing their true message in a story. For example, in â€Å"The Things They Carried,† by Tim O’Brien, (1098) the main character is Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, but in the story the letters and pictures he carries of a girl back home become more meaningful than anything the he actually says. The fact that he carries these around with him is meaningful in itself because he is a soldier on the battlefront, and anything he packs around must have significant importance to him. He carries these letters and pictures because he believes he is truly in love with this girl, even though it is an unrequited love. He wishes for her to feel the same about him, but knows that she does not. He finds himself becoming obsessed with looking at these pictures and re-reading the letters multiple times. The notes and pictures are also symbolic of the outside world, the normal life that is going on outside of the battlefront. Jimmy finds himself getting lost in his own imagination, and thinking about home life more and more often. One day, one of his men is killed, and he believes it is his own fault for not paying enough attention to his surroundings and the situation his troop was in. He in turn decides that he must get rid of the letters and pictures so he burns them. Essentially this is symbolic of his maturity and realization that this girl does not and will not love him, and that his troop of men depends on him and looks to him for leadership and guidance. The use of the letters and pictures is like Janus because it is used to reveal more about the characters that go along with them, but also is used to portray many different shifts in the stories overall meanings. Another great story that correlates is â€Å"The Necklace,† by Guy De Maupassant. This story further continues with this theme because the main character, Mme. Loisel, is shaped by the pearl necklace that comes into her life. When she borrows it from her rich friend, she assumes that it is a real pearl necklace. It comes to mean to her then that if she wears it to the ball it will be seen as a sign of her wealth, and people will see her as a more refined person. Time goes on, and when she loses it she becomes desperate to replace it. Her and her doting husband work years to gain back the money to buy another set of expensive pearls for her friend. It turns out that the pearls were a fake, but it also makes Mme. Loisel more respectful in the sense that she has finally had to work for something in her life. The necklace was the main tool that gave her a reason to be proud of herself for working hard and earning enough money to buy a set of real pearls as a replacement for her friend. This resembles Janus because the author shows character traits and development through using an object that is symbolic for a deeper meaning. Janus† is a story that is a great example of an author characterizing her characters through using symbols and objects. The effectiveness of this writing is great because it is easy as a reader to indentify the connections between the characters and the symbols that they identify with. Using objects to form characters creates a more versatile story, this means of writing is able to take on many forms and thus develop many different underlying meanings that the author is trying to convey.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

5 Lucrative and Rewarding Trucking Jobs to Consider

5 Lucrative and Rewarding Trucking Jobs to Consider OTR trucking can be a thankless job- long hours, lots of time away from home, constant tedium, and  the ever-present  need for vigilance where safety is concerned. Given how difficult it can be, and how high the entry-level standards are, it should come as no surprise that many jobs go unfilled every year. What you probably didn’t realize is that truck drivers make great money. If you’re independent, a conscientious driver, and don’t mind the lone-wolf lifestyle, trucking might be a good career move for you. The high demand means high pay and job security. The schedules can be flexible, you can live almost anywhere you want, and your view will always change by the mile. Not to mention, trucking companies usually offer great benefits.And that’s just for your normal, run-of-the-mill trucking job. Here are 5 specialized trucking jobs that offer even higher pay, just to give you something to aspire to.Oversized LoadHeavy loads and double-wides get reflecte d in your paycheck. You’ll have to go through special training and licensing for these positions, but the benefits and pay would be more than worth it.Liquid HaulingDriving a truck full of hazardous liquids, gases, or chemicals requires an enormous amount of skill and expertise. The more of each you have, the more likely you are to get the top compensation.Ice RoadThis is one of the hardest, scariest jobs out there. But you can work just a few months each year and make six figures. Of course, you will also have to be exceptionally talented at driving on ice roads in the Arctic Circle through extreme cold (-40 degrees) and though frequent white-outs and storms.MiningThe mining industry has trucking jobs available driving dump trucks to and from mine sites. These are some of the highest paying jobs in that industry. Even as a contractor, you could make $100k a year.InterstateInterstate truck driving is a bit less glamorous, and certainly less dangerous than some of the options above. But it still requires you to drive hard (and safely) to meet deadlines over enormous distances. And the pay is still comparatively very high!

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Critical analysis Journal opinion article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical analysis Journal opinion article - Essay Example The economies will be fully employed, allowing them to attain their potential in offering jobs and raise the income of their inhabitants. These will play a key role in helping generate high growth levels in cities, contributing to overall advancement of the entire economy (Sparshott). The latest outlooks evident in the case of American cities are optimistic, although some urban areas as well as their suburbs have populations representing about 86 percent of the regions’ population, while 88 percent are employed in nonfarm sectors. Even though more than half of the cities have attained record levels of employment, about one-third are anticipated to fail reaching this level when 2016 ends. Moreover, approximately 130 metropolitan areas are anticipated to penetrate the market in 2017, although they will be supporting few jobs unlike the case of the past decades. The areas that are recovering at the slowest rates are the older Midwestern regions, which were negatively influenced when the region lost a large number of jobs offered by the manufacturing sector. The deteriorating infrastructure and aging population will also play a role in preventing these areas from recovering, making them rank behind the top-advancing cities in the U.S. (Sparshott). In a different perspective, the boom witnessed in the oil sector, which played a key role in allowing certain cities in the U.S. boost their performance, is currently reversing progress. For instance, Midland, Texas portrayed fastest growth in 2014, but this is not the case presently. However, in 2015, the employment and economy of the metropolitan are anticipated to slow down and contract at the start of 2016. Overall, however, the cities in the U.S. are playing a key role in driving the growth of the economy, thus paving the way towards the recovery process. Moreover, even though some

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Performance and reward management systems at Nestl Australia Ltd Research Paper

Performance and reward management systems at Nestl Australia Ltd. (NAL) - Research Paper Example (NAL), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Nestlà © Company of Vevey, Switzerland. NAL operates 14 factories throughout Australia, employs 5,000 people and generates sales of A$2 Billion/annum. It manufactures and markets a diverse range of products from Maggi sauces and powders to Milo powdered beverage modifiers. â€Å"Nestlà © Australias objective is to implement policies which promote the best utilisation of its human resources in order to ensure optimum productivity and efficiency while also satisfying and meeting employees needs and expectations†. The words of NAL’s CEO Graham Campbell resonate throughout the organisation on a daily basis. This is particularly true of the department that is at the centre of employee engagement and utilisation: Team HR. The HR department within NAL consists of approximately 65 professionals spread out across all factories, distribution centres and the Head Office located in the Sydney suburb of Rhodes. Team HR is lead within Australia by the HR Director, who reports directly into the CEO of NAL. In the words of Jennifer Jones (HR Business Partner or HR BP, NAL) â€Å"The purpose of the Human Resources (HR) team is to increase Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s competitive advantage through People - by having engaged and talented individuals at the right place at the right time, driving business success†. Team HR consists of 3 distinct groups: 3. Centres of Excellence (CoE) in recruitment, talent and capability, reward & remuneration and employee relations. These are specialised sections of Team HR that focus on one area of knowledge and expertise. As one of the six core business units within NAL, the Human Resources department is involved in all stages of the development of the organisations’ business strategies. According to Jennifer Jones (HR BP, NAL), â€Å"The level of involvement of HR personnel in determining the goals and objectives for each of the business units is very impressive and certainly greater than any organisation I

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

The Lifestyle Theory by Larry Siegal Research Paper

The Lifestyle Theory by Larry Siegal - Research Paper Example Thus the lifestyle theory brings forth the issue of a rational choice that determines an individual’s involvement in crimes (Johnson, 2011). The present study focuses on an understanding of the lifestyle theory and the vital issues that may be associated with the theory as well as understand the probable solutions to complicated problems related to the theory. The Lifestyle Theory: A Brief Overview: As far as the lifestyle theory is concerned there are three interlocking models that constitute the theory. These are the structural model, the functional model, and the change model. Through a structural model, a lifestyle is defined operationally along with its features. It also explains how the lifestyle fits into a larger system of classification. The functional model delivers the developmental features of a lifestyle with respect to the fears, beliefs and values of a person in a community, distinguishing such factors into initiating ones and maintaining ones. The change model of the theory deals with the focus of change in a lifestyle. This is primarily concerned with the changes that occur naturally in the lifestyle of an individual during a lifetime influencing the behavior of the lifestyle (Walters, 2006, p.1). Vital Issues Associated with the Theory: The most important issue associated with the lifestyle theory is the fact that depending on lifestyles, individuals tend to get victimized and get involved into criminal activities. This has been discussed in several studies. Different individuals have different styles of living their lives. The different activities that individuals are involved may be mandatory or optional, leading to lifestyles being patterned, or customary, or persistent, common or involving routine activities (Robinson, n.d.). It can be discussed here that while there are certain activities that are customary or mandatory for almost all individuals to follow regularly which may be the routine activities of life, the discretionary act ivities are the ones that individuals choose on their own to be involved in. A person having a highly active lifestyle are prone to greater victimization since they tend to mix with greater number of people irrespective of whether they are good or bad, having no proper knowledge of their intentions. Hence victimization may be influenced. However the criminal victimization also depends on the individual’s incapability of not being able to predict the wrongdoers and the incorrect activities that might lead to crimes (Robinson, n.d.). With the active lifestyles of individuals, particularly among the youth, there are greater risks of exposures to offenders in a society. This has been more associated with the assaults and criminal activities from strangers. For example, parental violence might also lead younger individuals to perform crimes. However such activities or crimes cannot be associated with the lifestyle theory. Lifestyle theory discusses about the cases where individual s spend large amounts of time out of their homes, with strangers, even at the time of night and become prone to criminal victimization (Finkelhor & Asdigian, 1996, pp.3-4).

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Situation Of Hong Kongs Ocean Park

The Situation Of Hong Kongs Ocean Park Introduction In contemporary international business with an increasingly open market, many local enterprises are facing severe competition from large scale international company. In the case of disparities in overall strengths, it is quite essential and necessary for local business to explore new development ideas as well as new space for development. With its continuing effort on re-engineering these years, Hong Kong Ocean Park has turned a profit of 95.7 HK$ millions in 2004. However, with the coming opening of Hong Kong Disneyland, Hong Kong Ocean Park should be well prepared for the challenge from its main competitor by starting from its own characteristics, repositioning, identifying its absolute advantages, carrying out redevelopment plan with the support from its partners and local government. This report is mainly focused on the statement of the current situation of Hong Kong Ocean Park and discussion about its future development. To begin with, there will be some basic introduction of Hong Kong Ocean Park like its mission, vision and so on. Next goes the analysis of external and internal environment. After that, strategic choices will be discussed. And finally, suggestion and recommendation are proposed to the CEO and Board of Ocean Park. 1. Strategy concepts and vocabulary Mission: Ocean Park provides all guests with memorable experiences that combine entertainment and education, while inspiring lifelong learning and conservation advocacy. Our aim is to maintain a healthy financial status, while striving to deliver the highest standards of safety, animal care, products and guest service (Ocean Park Hong Kong, 2010). Goals and objectives: -boost the number of annual visitors from four million in 2004 to five million by 2010; -to make a 0.5 per cent contribution to Hong Kongs gross domestic product (GDP) in 2010. Vision: Ocean Park aspires to be a world leader in providing excellent guest experiences in a theme park environment connecting people with nature (Ocean Park Hong Kong, 2010). And, more specified, its vision is to become number one marine-based park for each family not only from Hong-Kong but also from mainland China. The main performance measures to determine the success of Ocean Park are the following: Firstly, it has high reputation in both Hong Kong and mainland China. As it has been operated for more than 28 years, it become a long-time favorite of several generations, many local people were sympathetic to Ocean Park. Thus, people who had visited the park as children were now bringing their own children to it. Secondly, it had become a fixture of Hong Kongs cultural heritage. Thirdly, the number of visitors in 2004 is 4 m of people (with daily maximum capacity 35 000 people); total revenue in 2004 was 536.2 HK$ m comparing to 428.3 HK$ m in 2003, surplus for 2004 year was 95.7 HK$ m comparing to deficit 4.1 HK$ m in 2003. And finally, its new brand (Whiskers) is recognizable at every house in China and plays a major role in the success of Hong Kong Ocean Park. On one hand, we have stakeholders, who help to achieve parks purpose and mission, such as Hong Kong government, Home Affairs Bureau and the Tourism Board, employees of Ocean Park corporation and parks visitors (customers). On other hand, we have those, who interfere with achieving parks purpose and mission, such as activist groups (certain environmental groups and animal rights activists), who insist on forbidding of buying and transportation exotic animals to park, trade associations and unions (bus companies and taxi drivers), who are against building a mass transit railway (MTR), and competitors, who want to regain the market share. 2. External Environment Key driving forces and their ranking Raise and spend HK$5.55 billion from private and government loans to revamp parks well-worn product line (approval of development plan) Global changing in tourism for Hong-Kong and Asia-Pacific region (development of tourism in region) Disneylands arrival worldwide success of main competitor-Disneyland, coming to Hong Kong (Disneys success or failure) PESTEL ANALYSIS FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS for amusement park industry 1) Threat of new entry As entertainment and theme park industry requires a lot of money (for park equipment, human resources maintenance), the entry barrier is high. Also lots of time is required for parks planning, construction, development and launching, a lot of licenses and legalization is needed (safety, sanitary, security etc). Besides this, a large space of land is essential to the development of the amusement park, especially in Hong Kong, where the land price in real estate market is high. 2) Threat of rivalry With low differentiation of products visitors choice will be based on price and service only. As a result, there is an additional pressure on the price and service competition. Ocean Park needs to carry out different plans and activities such as redevelopment and introduction of new attractions. There are no rivals with exactly the same range of products. Disneys arrival is only expected. 3) Threat of substitution In the familys leisure activities segment, where Ocean Park is operated, many organizations provide different kind of services. These include Cultural Center, Zoo and Botanic gardens. Thus, Hong Kong, as a metropolis, has a variety of cinemas, karaoke clubs, family cafes, concert halls and museums. Such services cant offer full range of activities, which Ocean Park provides, but they have an impact on number of customers, especially during the days of unique events, such as blockbusters premieres or festivals. 4) Bargaining power of buyers (visitors) As Ocean Park successfully established and positioned its image with unique attractions, it has become a must see place for foreign visitors. The tourist bargaining power is low due to it is hard for visitors to get the same experience at any other place as they have had in Ocean Park. Local residents have a high buying power as they have many other choices for leisure. For instance, they can go to Wetland Park for ecotourism and nature and wildlife experience, they can also go to movies or fitness club for entertainment purpose. Moreover, the switching cost is relatively low for them. 5) The power of suppliers Suppliers have quite high power. Thus, construction elements of amusement rides are huge and complicated, thats why park is highly tied with supplier. Additionally, supplier is responsible for maintenance of objects he has developed for park. This caused in higher dependence of selected constructor. Otherwise, this market is developed and the choice of suppliers is become greater now. While constructing buildings (hotels, etc) with particular contractor park cant easily change to another contractor because of high switching cost). The situation with the exotic animals is such as Ocean Park can buy in particular country only. The underlying dynamics, which are driving five forces 1) Aftermath of economic crises and increasing in number of suppliers will decrease supplier power. 2) Disneys arrival decrease entry threat in entertainment park industry and increase competitors rivalry. 3) Developing of new technologies will affect rising of substitutes. Also competitors with new technologies will win (in this aspect Disney has an advantage) 4) Disneys arrival increase demands in diversification of Ocean Parks products. 5) Ticket price advantages (185 HK$ for adult ticket at Ocean Park compared to 295HK$ for the same ticket at Disney). 6) The main rival (Disney) is also same market oriented (families with children), therefore, this could rise buyers power. Based on the five forces analysis, the main dominant force of industry is substitutes. Less importance has suppliers and further buyers. Looking forward, the five forces will change in this way: -Rivalry will increase with Disneys arrival; -Buyer power will increase slightly; -Substitute threat will also increase; -Entry threat decrease dramatically; -Supplier power will also decrease. Five forces much more affect Wetland Park Ocean Parks key competitor, located at the northern part of Tin Shui Wai, in Yuen Long, than Ocean Park itself, because Wetland parks products are less differentiated. It has a 10,000m2 visitor centre, Wetland Interactive World, and a 60-hectare Wetland Reserve (Hong Kong Wetland Park, 2010). Arrival of other competitor Disney and its substitutes doesnt affect much Ocean Park because it has its own niche. More differentiation of new products, directed mainly to Chinese native culture will affect rivalry, substitutes and buyers. Unique high-quality products and services also will influence buyers. For seeking suppliers big impact will have Internet and special web-sites with best quality of service, characteristics, recommendations and prices. Strategic group/space analysis for Ocean Park There are 2 key competitors for Ocean Park: 1) Hong Kong Wetland Park, mentioned above. It is a conservation, education and tourism facility, consisted of large visitor centre, Wetland Interactive World and a Wetland Reserve. This park provided visitors with opportunities to observe wildlife, awareness and understanding the values of wetlands throughout the East Asian Region and beyond, wetlands conservation. So, its mainly about wetlands. The Hong Kong Wetland Park is also going to be a world-class ecotourism facility to serve both local residents and overseas tourists (Hong Kong Wetland Park, 2010). Compare to Disneyland and Ocean Park, Hong Kong Wetland Park has different facilities and product range (such as themed exhibition galleries, a theatre, a souvenir shop, an indoor play area), provide different services and thus, like Disney and Ocean Park, has its own niche. The range of facilities provided is the narrowest among 3 parks. Therefore, Wetland Park cant meet demand of those visitors, who are looking for excitements and extreme pleasure, which can be found on a rides at 2 other parks. 2) Hong Kong Disneyland, arriving in a nearest future. After 28 years of operating as a near monopoly, Ocean Park would soon have to compete with one of the biggest names in the entertainment and theme park industry. Moreover, Disneyland targets the same group of parks customers families with children. It has well-known brand and reputation. Its the world leader in terms of entertainment. Several of Disneys characters (Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Winnie the Pooh) were household names all over the world, including in Hong Kong. Image, which Disney company holds almost for a century (The Walt Disney Company was founded in 1923) and Disneyland itself (first park was opened in 1955) for half a century (compared to 28 years of Ocean park) helps to attract visitors not only from Hong Kong and midland China, but also from different part of the globe, especially those who are from the USA and Europe (The Walt Disney Company, 2010). But, despite of distinguish of Chinese culture, Disney characters may be not as popular in Hong Kong as Ocean Parks mascot, Whiskeys. Among other advantages of Disneyland are: location (it could be reached in just 10 minutes from Hong Kongs airport and less than 30 minutes from downtown Hong Kong); the price claimed to be the least expensive among the five Disney amusement parks throughout the world; the area of Disneyland is 310 acres compared to 215 acres of Ocean Park; 5 times greater investment than for Ocean Park; world-renowned innovation; high customer service standards. Strategic groups within the entertainment and theme park industry in Hong Kong Broad Ocean Park Disneyland Product range Narrow Wetland Park Global Local Geographical Scope On one hand, Ocean Park is a part of entertainment and theme industry. Its market is families with children. On other hand, Disneyland, its future competitor, applies to the same market. Despite of this, Ocean Park has its own niche with visitors from mainland China and products range, combining entertainment and leisure as well as education. 3. Internal Environment Ocean Parks resources 1) Tangible: financial private and government loans; expected HK$5.55 billion investment; HK$145 billion economic effectiveness; surplus from operations in 2004 was HK$182.2 million on revenues of HK$536.2 million; net current assets HK$283.2. physical Sea World, marine life and real animals: 35 rides and attractions; favorable and convenient location on the southern side of Hong Kong Island; wide range of new activities, such as the Abyss Turbo Drop thrill ride, seasonal and special events (Chinese New Year, Easter Holiday, Summer Holiday, Halloween and Christmas), popular water-related activities, interactive activities with animals, edutainment programs, successful Sea Jelly Spectacular and so on. 2) Intangible: long-time reputation of park with government, customers; new brand sea lion named Whiskers; cultural heritage of Hong Kong; great number of repeated visitors. 3) Human: 37 100 employees, their skills and knowledge; Thomas Mehrmann, new CEO of Ocean Park, and his previous experience at US-based Six Flags Corporation. Main capabilities of Ocean Park 1) New products, facilities and services development capability continually adding new features and attractions. Therefore, in a nearest future Ocean Park will become one of the best marine-based theme park with strong connection with nature. 2) Research and development, marketing and sales capabilities: plan to refurbish and rename Ocean Parks 2 major areas (the Lowland and the Highland), new hotels to be developed, including a five-star boutique, spa-type hotel, plan to open offices in the major urban areas of Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai to enhance promotional activities in Hong Kong and attract more mainland visitors. 3) New incentive compensation that linked employee compensation to the financial performance of park. The competences of Ocean Park local market loyalty, customers trust and love long-term reputation, distinct Chinese characteristics recognizable brand education in combination with recreation cost and differentiation of product, encouraged visitors to return to the park distinctive work culture, with its own norms and practices Competitive Advantages of Ocean Park over Disneyland cultural heritage of Hong Kong, orientation mostly on visitors from midland China first-mover advantages primary focus of Ocean Park on real nature and wildlife in contrast to Disneys strengths in cartoon characters, castles, virtual reality and fantasy no need to engage in high-profile advertising and publicity, rely more on word-of-mouth more diverse and wide range of products price advantage: the admission price for Disneyland is expected more than twice higher for child and one and a half higher for adult than price of Ocean park. And visitors from mainland China are very price sensitive. SmartFun Annual Pass program with unlimited admission to the park for its holders within a year, and discounted prices for food, souvenirs orientation not only on entertainment, but also on education of visitors special events for traditional Chinese holidays (Chinese New Year) besides events for western holidays (Halloween) Despite Ocean Park build its strategy on its resources, capabilities and competences, it cant relay only on them they need to be developed, innovated and refreshed, because they may begin to look dated and shabby for their visitors. For example, it can import more species, construct water/sea-related facilities and hotels. Overall, Ocean Park resources are sustainable, with some exception such as, the impact on these resources from environmental groups opposition. SWOT ANALYSIS Positive impact Negative impact Internal environment Strengths -diversified and wide range of amusements (thrills, animals, seasonal and special events) -product line revamp -highly linked with culture of mainland Chinese visitors, knows their demands and behavior -the main, oldest and most famous amusement park in the country, hometown favorite -28 years of operating as a near monopoly -no need to engage in high-profile advertising and publicity, rely more on word-of-mouth -strong business connection to the local government (support from the government of Hong Kong and mainland China) -previous experience of Thomas Mehrmann (new CEO of Ocean Park) in theme park industry (at US-based Six Flags Corporation) -local market loyalty -positive image of park Weaknesses -located on a hills-hard to get to some riders-thats why visitors experienced rides only once -different facilities are old and un-attractive and need renovation -a lot of activities depend on weather -no substantial capital investment External environment Opportunities -focusing on delivering mainland Chinas visitors as well as foreign visitors -plan to build a mass transit railway (MTR) station to connect Ocean Park to the subway grid -the development and improvement of the amusement machinery, which can impact the services and features of the organization and its relationship to their foreign visitors -raise the standards of park with Disneyland arrival fostering sponsorships -plan for building new hotels (boutique and spa-type) orientation on new luxury tourism market segment Threats -economical instability (such as the Asian financial crisis of 1999-2001, lasted for 3 difficult years for Ocean Park), outbreak of different diseases, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003 (Both these factors can affect number of visitors and their buying behavior, worsening the park financial situation) -arrival of Disneyland Hong Kong -location on valuable real estate: it could be shut down and its land could be sold off for other recreational or commercial purposes. 4. Strategic Choices Business-level strategy Hong Kong Ocean Park uses hybrid strategy, which seeks simultaneously to achieve differentiation and low price relative to competitors (Johnson, Scholes, Whittington, 2008). Most activities were carried out based on this Strategy. 1) Hong Kong Ocean Parks admission fee is Adult HK$185, Child HK$95 which is lower that of Disneys: Adult HK$295(weekdays) HK$350(holidays); Child HK$210(weekdays), HK$250(holidays). 2) Hong Kong Ocean Park did not spend too much on new fixed-asset attractions due to short life circles of them and difficulty in coming up with an encore. 3) It keeps part attractions fresh, novel and exciting while minimize costs. Instead of buying in new attractions, Hong Kong Ocean Park focused on culture innovation. Some relative low-cost ideas proved successful: Seasonal and special events attracted repeat visits every year. 4) Hong Kong Ocean Park did not take part in highly cost advertising campaign. Compared to its competitors, Hong Kong Ocean Park tended to rely more on word-of-mouth to generate additional business. Since Hong Kong Ocean Park was the local residents favorite theme park and had high reputation in Hong Kong even in Asia. Hong Kong Ocean Park had profound influence on several generations in Hong Kong, people who had visited the park as children were now bringing their own children to visit the park. Actually, Hong Kong Ocean Park was locally born and bred and had become a fixture of Hong Kongs cultural heritage. 5) Hong Kong Ocean Park had a clear organizational structure, no too much redundancy. It can save labor cost. 6) Hong Kong Ocean Park had identified its strategic customers clearly; those are Local tourists and Mainland Tourists. So, it carried out several plans to attract its key customers. a) It hosts several festival events and activities to complement its park offerings with distinct features, like Chinese New Year. It had distinct Chinese characteristics that reflected its roots in Hong Kong, a quintessentially Chinese city. b) Retained its unique SmartFun Annual Pass Program and tactically reviewed and developed value-added benefits to build sales and local customers loyalty. This program encouraged annual pass holders to visit the park repeatedly. Visitors to the park would spend money in other areas to boost revenue beyond the admission fees. 7) Hong Kong Ocean Parks had clear and definite position; that was to become the best marine-based theme park in the world need a source here!!, to provide customers with a place for recreation and education about marine life and environmental conservation. This unique strategic position is differentiated Hong Kong Ocean Park from its competitors and ensure its advantages over the main competitors. Competitive strategies of Hong Kong Ocean Parks competitor Disneyland was regarded as Hong Kong Ocean Parks main competitor and it adopted a differentiation strategy. With a differentiation strategy, a company provides products or services that offer more benefits than those of its competitors which are widely valued by buyers. The aim is to make a company advantageous over its competitors by offering better products or services at the same price or increasing profits by a slightly higher price (Johnson, Scholes, Whittington, 2008). More specifically, Disneyland took below action plans in line with its differentiation strategy: 1) The selling points of Disneyland were Disney cartoon characters, fantasy world and famous Americans brands, 23 rides and attractions. 2) Disney has strong abilities to create fantasy and virtual situations, and it was going to leverage the benefits of animation into its amusement parks. 3) There would be two hotels in Hong Kong Disneyland which could provide guests with better recreation facilities. 4) There was going to be a subway station linking Disneyland to other parts of Hong Kong which enable Disneyland to has convenient transportation advantage over its competitors. 5) Unique Disney World-styled wedding ceremony was offered to guests in Disneyland. Strategic direction In 2005 Ocean Park had good business characteristics it became profitable, with significant market share, effective management team and successful recognizable brand. Otherwise, arriving of Disneyland could negatively impact on success of a company. To avoid this, Ocean Park must define a right strategic direction. Most preferable direction is product development. This means that Ocean Park need to improve its products range and number of additional services. Thus, by offering new wide set of entertainment and educational products for all target groups, the company can gain advantages to harden its brand, attract new consumers and retrieve lost customers, who not engaged with old facilities and services any more. Despite the international tourists is a minor group in customers totals, company could start to develop a new markets. This development includes marketing campaign directed to tourists from selected countries and making contracts with tour agents. Realization of these methods helps to increase tourists share when local citizens share will decline after Disneyland coming. International Strategy International Strategy for Ocean Park is limited to marketing policy for preferable countries. The main reason of this limitation is that Ocean Park cant be expanded to other countries like Disneyland does, for example. Its based on local flora and fauna and strongly attached to Chinese culture. Also other countries may not have such resources. Ocean Park is a unique, not common product. Not every country even needs it. Thus, expansion is considered in case of marketing development only, such as connection with potential tourists, opening of offices, TV advertising and so on, which helps to enhance promotional activities in Hong Kong and attract visitors. CAGE FRAMEWORK for Ocean Park Cultural distance: With increasing popularity of the Ocean Park, the CEO and Broad of Ocean Park need to think about it attractiveness to tourists in case of the whole world. Indeed, Ocean Park activities are affected by cultural heritage, but it only helps park to attract tourists not only from Asia, but also from all over the world. High priorities should be given to those countries, from where the number of tourist is significant. Administrative and political distance: Its important to consider at first countries with good and stable relationships with China and Hong Kong. Geographic distance: High priority should be given to those countries, from which the number of tourist is significant, then to neighbor countries. Therefore, Ocean Park need to make agreements with tour agents in these countries, organize different sales and advertising, so, expand its marketing presence in these countries. Economic distance: The economic circumstances of a country is an important factor when carrying out international strategy. Therefore, the amusement theme park cant be developed well in the countries with bad economic circumstances. Thus, the main orientation of Ocean Park will be on countries with high income per capita or high level of consumer wealth. 5. General introduction and future of development Hong Kong Tourism Since the reunification (except during the SARS outbreak in), the Hong Kong tourism industry has performed well. In 2004, Hong Kong tourism industry reached new heights, with 21810630 tourists, increasing by 40.4% compared to the figures of 15536839 in 2003 (subject to SARS impact), meanwhile, the revenue of tourism amounted to 91.8 billion Hong Kong dollars, up to 9.6% over 2003 (http://www.discoverhongkong.com). Hong Kong government has always been thinking of a new positioning and development direction. In the Governments policy report, it is identified that Hong Kong to be Backed by the Mainland and towards the world, to be an international metropolis providing quality services, and it is clearly stated the new policy as Market Leads, Government Facilitates. need a source here!! Tourism is the most robust momentum in services industries, one of the pillar industries of Hong Kong and is paid high attention by Hong Kong government. In the new situation and new policy paradigm, the Government begins to make overall planning for the tourism industry, which means that the Government will take more proactive measures to promote the development of tourism (http://www.gov.hk). In 2004 mainland visitors continued to be the majority of Hong Kong tourism with a number of 12245862 tourists, increasing by 44.6%. Free exercise program was the driving force to promote further expansion of mainland market. Moreover, from July 1, 2004, the free exercise extended to 32 cities in South China and East China, 100 million 58 million residents from these cities could apply for travel to Hong Kong with the name of free exercise. In 2004, there were 426 million free exercise visitors, accounting for 34.8% of the total number of tourists; which rose more than twice than 134 million tourists in 2003 (http://www.discoverhongkong.com). With the support from the government as well as the increasing trend of visitors travelling to Hong Kong, it is predicted that there will be a bright future for Hong Kong tourism which will directly promote the development of them park industry in Hong Kong. 6. Suggestions to Hong Kong Ocean Park Generally speaking, Hong Kong Ocean Park, with Disneylands arrival, should transform hybrid strategy to differentiation strategy. More specifically, it involves two main parts: marketing strategy as short term goals and infrastructure construction as long term objective. However, it should always stick to its mission and vision of delivering the highest standards of safety, animal care, products and guest service, be a world leader in providing excellent guest experiences in a theme park environment connecting people with nature. put a source here! Marketing strategy Product: Keep on introducing a variety of interactive activities with animals. For example: the Ocean theatre that staged dolphin and sea lion shows every day. Keep focus on seasonal and special events like Chinese New Year and Halloween. For instance, during summer holiday, some water-related activities such as water-war of foam parties should be organized which target teenagers. Develop a niche products, e.g. Sea World-styled wedding ceremony. Provide more sophisticated products to its customers than Disney. For example, build boutique hotel and spa-style hotels for tourists with higher income, expectations and needs. Such, move to a new market segment, even luxury tourism. Price: Concentrate on giving value for the money the customers have paid. It is quite essential to attract mainland visitors who are more sensitive on price. Provide guests with more amusement facilities at a lower price than Disneyland to attract more visits. As to the local residents, it is suggested to offer them the annual pass as it creates loyalty and a real sense of value by encouraging annual pass holders to visit the park repeatedly. Some special offer to different groups in the society is also recommended, for example, a discount for students during holidays. As a step of moving from hybrid to differentiation strategy after Disneys arrival, at first, Ocean Park should keep its prices, but later, with differentiation of its products range, the prices could be increased. Promotion: Make full use of word of mouth marketing and the advantage of being the localized theme park. Proceed the promotion through the unique feeling of growing together with Hong Kong (Yan Le, 2007). Advertising campaign in Hong Kong can be carried out through the interactive quiz of the knowledge about animals to inspire their interest in nature and wildlife. As there is a significantly increasing number of mainland visitors to Hong Kong, it is strongly suggested that Hong Kong Ocean Park should establish agencies in major cities in China to showcase its unique attractions and attract more mainland visitors. Expand the marketing campaign to international markets to attract foreign tourists. In case of Disneys arrival, Ocean Park can start more aggressive marketing politic for attracting tourists from all over the wor