Suggestion of an Ideal Business Environment Appraisal Tool for Consensus Caring Homes Group The WritePass Journal

Suggestion of an Ideal Business Environment Appraisal Tool for Consensus Caring Homes Group Introduction Suggestion of an Ideal Business Environment Appraisal Tool for Consensus Caring Homes Group ). Threats As aforementioned, the organisation heavily relies on funding from the local government. In case of a regime change, the changes that might take place in budgetary allocations may bring about a threat of reduction or termination of funding (Teece, 2010). A diminishing quality of service, especially during periods of insufficient funding, threatens the good reputation of the organisation (Ordanini et al., 2011). This not only repels patients from seeking its services, but also increases scepticism among investors and well wishers who fund its operations. Employees may also resign citing poor remuneration, exposing the organisation to competition from other enterprises offering the same services. Conclusion A periodic appraisal or evaluation of internal and external business environments of an organisation is ideal for strategic planning. One of the widely used frameworks of analysis whish has been addressed in this paper is the SWOT analysis technique, which highlights the internal strengths and weaknesses, and the external opportunities and threats. Whereas it has several advantages over other analysis techniques, it also has a few shortcomings, which have been addressed. An example SWOT analysis that has been carried out on Consensus Caring Homes Group in this paper has listed most of the factors that it needs to consider before making a strategic decision regarding its performance. References Cadle, J., Paul, D. Turner. P. ‎(2010). Business Analysis Techniques: 72 Essential Tools for Success. Chippenham: BCS, The Chartered Institute. Carehome.co.uk. (2014). Care Homes Owned by Consensus: Info Members. [Online] Available at: carehome.co.uk/care_search_results.cfm/searchgroup/36151030CARB [Accessed 21 November 2014]. Consensus. (2014)a. Consensus Support Website: What Support do we offer? [Online] Available at: consensussupport.com/ [Accessed 21 November 2014]. Consensus (2014)b. The Consensus Support website: Where are we located? [Online] Available at: consensussupport.com/ [Accessed 21 November 2014]. Gazzola, P. et al. (2011). Enhancing environmental appraisal effectiveness: Towards an understanding of internal context conditions in organisational learning. Planning Theory Practice, 12(2):183-204. Helms, M.M. . Nixon, J. (2010). Exploring SWOT analysis–where are we now?: A review of academic research from the last decade. Journal of Strategy and Management, 3(3): 215-51. Lussier, R. (2011). Management Fundamentals: Concepts, Applications, Skill Development. Mason: Cengage Learning. Ordanini, A., Miceli, L., Pizzetti, M. Parasuraman, A. (2011). Crowd-funding: transforming customers into investors through innovative service platforms. Journal of Service Management, 22(4):443-70. Rosenberg, L., Kottorp, A. Nygà ¥rd, L. (2012). Readiness for Technology Use With People With Dementia The Perspectives of Significant Others. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 31(4):510-30. Teece, D.J. (2010). Business Models, Business Strategy and Innovation. Long Range Planning, 43(2):172-94. Warner, A.G. (2010). Strategic Analysis and Choice: A Structured Approach. California: Business Expert Press.

The Heinous Crimes of Saddam Hussein

The Heinous Crimes of Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein, the president of Iraq from 1979 until 2003, gained international notoriety for torturing and murdering thousands of his people. Hussein believed he ruled with an iron fist to keep his country, divided by ethnicity and religion, intact. However, his actions bespeak a tyrannical despot who stopped at nothing to punish those who opposed him. On November 5, 2006, Saddam Hussein was found guilty of crimes against humanity in regards to the reprisal against Dujail. After an unsuccessful appeal, Hussein was hanged on December 30, 2006. Though prosecutors had hundreds of crimes to choose from, these are some of Husseins most heinous. Reprisal Against Dujail On July 8, 1982, Saddam Hussein was visiting the town of Dujail (50 miles north of Baghdad) when a group of Dawa militants shot at his motorcade. In reprisal for this assassination attempt, the entire town was punished. More than 140 fighting-age men were apprehended and never heard from again. Approximately 1,500 other townspeople, including children, were rounded up and taken to prison, where many were tortured. After a year or more in prison, many were exiled to a southern desert camp. The town itself was destroyed; houses were bulldozed, and orchards were demolished. Though Saddams reprisal against Dujail is considered one of his lesser-known crimes, it was chosen as the first crime for which he was tried. Anfal Campaign Officially from February 23 to September 6, 1988 (but often thought to extend from March 1987 to May 1989), Saddam Husseins regime carried out the Anfal (Arabic for spoils) campaign against the large Kurdish population in northern Iraq. The purpose of the campaign was to reassert Iraqi control over the area; however, the real goal was to eliminate the Kurdish people permanently. The campaign consisted of eight stages of assault, where up to 200,000 Iraqi troops attacked the area, rounded up civilians, and razed villages. Once rounded up, the civilians were divided into two groups: men from ages of about 13 to 70 and women, children, and elderly men. The men were then shot and buried in mass graves. The women, children, and elderly were taken to relocation camps where conditions were deplorable. In a few areas, especially areas that put up even a little resistance, everyone was killed. Hundreds of thousands of Kurds fled the area, yet it is estimated that up to 182,000 were killed during the Anfal campaign. Many people consider the Anfal campaign an attempt at genocide. Chemical Weapons Against Kurds As early as April 1987, the Iraqis used chemical weapons to remove Kurds from their villages in northern Iraq during the Anfal campaign. It is estimated that chemical weapons were used on approximately 40 Kurdish villages, with the largest of these attacks occurring on March 16, 1988, against the Kurdish town of Halabja. Beginning in the morning on March 16, 1988, and continuing all night, the Iraqis rained down volley after volley of bombs filled with a deadly mixture of mustard gas and nerve agents on Halabja. Immediate effects of the chemicals included blindness, vomiting, blisters, convulsions, and asphyxiation. Approximately 5,000 women, men, and children died within days of the attacks. Long-term effects included permanent blindness, cancer, and birth defects. An estimated 10,000 lived, but live daily with the disfigurement and sicknesses from the chemical weapons. Saddam Husseins cousin, Ali Hassan al-Majid was directly in charge of the chemical attacks against the Kurds, earning him the epithet, Chemical Ali. Invasion of Kuwait On August 2, 1990, Iraqi troops invaded the country of Kuwait. The invasion was induced by oil and a large war debt that Iraq owed Kuwait. The six-week Persian Gulf War pushed Iraqi troops out of Kuwait in 1991. As the Iraqi troops retreated, they were ordered to light oil wells on fire. Over 700 oil wells were lit, burning over one billion barrels of oil and releasing dangerous pollutants into the air. Oil pipelines were also opened, releasing 10 million barrels of oil into the Gulf and tainting many water sources. The fires and the oil spill created a huge environmental disaster. Shiite Uprising and the Marsh Arabs At the end of the Persian Gulf War in 1991, southern Shiites and northern Kurds rebelled against Husseins regime. In retaliation, Iraq brutally suppressed the uprising, killing thousands of Shiites in southern Iraq. As supposed punishment for supporting the Shiite rebellion in 1991, Saddam Husseins regime killed thousands of Marsh Arabs, bulldozed their villages, and systematically ruined their way of life. The Marsh Arabs had lived for thousands of years in the marshlands located in southern Iraq until Iraq built a network of canals, dikes, and dams to divert water away from the marshes. The Marsh Arabs were forced to flee the area, their way of life decimated. By 2002, satellite images showed only 7 to 10 percent of the marshlands left. Saddam Hussein is blamed for creating an environmental disaster.

Identifying Themes and Concerns for the Benefit of the Individual Coursework

Identifying Themes and Concerns for the Benefit of the Individual Business Manager - Coursework Example Concepts such as leadership are aligned with the organisational goals and sustainable practices are being brought in the business planning process for ensuring better results. Sustainability as defined by Jansson (2011) is the process of working in a manner by considering the future impact of the activities. Sustainable work practices ensure that the present needs are met without compromising the ability of the future generations to fulfil their needs. (Mishra, 2009) mentioned that in the contemporary scenario, the corporate houses are focusing on reducing the environmental and social impacts of their activities in order to ensure a better scope for business operations. However, Paley (2009) criticised that business firms are also getting affected by the environmental and sustainable issues which is hampering the growth and development process of the business. The diminishing stock of resources is also creating barriers for operational and production processes of the business houses. On the other hand, Boulton, Libert & Samek (2009) reflected the vast resource wastage taking place in the global scenario both in social and corporate segments. Furthermore, Dentchev (2009) also noticed that the over-utilisation and under-utilisation of resources are also among the top causes which influence the environmental sustainability. Considering the environmental factors affecting the business process the aspect of water usage will be studied in this segment. The importance of water does not need to be explained however the general ignorance among the global population regarding water usage is the primary factor leading to water wastage. Ander & Kapoor (2010) stated that going by the current rate, people of earth shall face water scarcity earlier then they face oil scarcity. One of the major consumers of water in the corporate sector is the energy industry. Every

Final project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Final project - Essay Example Internet nowadays is a part of our daily life. Transactions from different field are being done thru the internet. And now shopping is done not only in the department stores or malls but at your living room as well. The use of IT technology has been increasing; computers are no longer treated as luxury but as a necessity and are important in our daily transactions. One subject that has been gaining popularity in the internet is the on line shopping. The objective of this paper is to be able to present to the readers the pros and cons of on-line shopping. This is done by presenting the personnel experience of some persons during their encounter in online shopping. Another objective of the study is to evaluate the e-business that has been gaining the popularity. Most articles that I encounter about e-business presents one conclusion, that a company would not make it in the international market if they were not able to penetrate the online shopping. The paper will also discuss the complexity of the design. This will include the effectiveness and safety of the said design. Online shopping is one aspect of electronic commerce. Electronic commerce, or e-commerce, relates to a variety of business dealings conducted online. They include service providers selling services, and retail businesses selling items to customers. They also include auctioneers who create marketplaces where citizens can buy and sell goods, and business to business commerce. All of these transactions are done via the Internet. Retail business is the biggest part of electronic commerce. Instead of shopping in the traditional way, such as going to an actual retail outlet, using telephone shopping or mail order catalogues, online shopping allows companies and consumers to make their business transactions over networked computers. Online shopping could be defined as the buying and selling of goods over the Internet. Just about anything can be purchased over the internet. Examples of items consumers can buy are computers, cars, clothing, airline and event tickets, food, and pharmaceutical s. The most popular products purchased online were flowers, computer hardware and software, books, consumer electronics, music and videos, toys, and wines (Summers, Gardiner, Lamb, Hair, & McDaniel, 2003). http://wiki.media-culture.org.au/index.php/Online_Shopping The Advantages and Disadvantages of On-line Shopping On-line shopping benefits all; young and old, disabled and able and others as long as you know how to use it. There are things that are considered as an advantage in using the system. The advantages and disadvantages are enumerated in the table below. The purpose of presenting the advantages and disadvantages of on-line shopping and traditional shopping will help the reader decide whether to use the system or not. Another objective is to analyze the process of on-line shopping. The plans objective also include on how to convince a person to use the online shopping. Table 1: Advantages and Disadvantages On line shopping Traditional Shopping Time Unlimited - you can purchase online anytime you want. No closing and opening hours You can shop at limited time only. Availability One will be able to know right away if the item is available or not and where it will be available. You need to drive from one location to another just to find the item you need. You have wasted your time and effort. Comfort You

Bullying and Harrasment in the Workplace Essay Example for Free

Bullying and Harrasment in the Workplace Essay In hard times people tend more to be willing to find out why things aren’t working and so a growing awareness of satisfying employees lead to a more detailed picture of bullying in the workplace. Due to great changes in hotel and hospitality industry caused by the economic crisis and its cumulative effects on the behaviour of managers as well as on employees, volition emerged to do more against bullying in the workplace. This paper critically analyzes the reason for the occurrence of bullying and gives impacts on relationship between bullying, work and health. Furthermore it shows emerging problems for the hotel and hospitality industry and gives advice to find appropriate solutions to provide a bullying-free working place. Several published definitions of bullying make it hard to find the genuine meaning of it. According to the Department of Education? s article, published on their homepage www. education. gov. k in October 2010, bullying can be defined as â€Å"Behaviour by an individual or group usually repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group either physically, emotionally or mentally†. This definition is accepted and used by various organisations in the UK for anti-bullying publications and treatment policies. Unfortunately this definition covers an array of bullying types, so Zapf D. (1996) categorised five types of bullying behaviour in the workplace to get a closer look on what bullying really is. They are work-related bullying which may include changing your work tasks or making them difficult to perform, social isolation, personal attacks or attacks on your private life by ridicule, insulting remarks, gossip or the like, verbal threats where you are criticised, yelled at or humiliated in public and physical violence or threats of such violence. Referring to those statements it is possible to critically analyze bullying by keeping in mind the definition in relationship with Zapf? s five types of bullying. Nowadays it is well-known that bullying is common in almost every Industry whether in small businesses or international companies. Especially in tourism-related businesses like hotel and hospitality industry, bullying causes capacious damage in different dimensions concerning areas like staff turnover and revenue but also number of staff away sick and motivation of employees. To avoid long-term impacts of harassment, bullying or mobbing has to be nipped in the bud according to Dolan C. (2010):1 who said that â€Å"Bullying can? survive in workplaces that won? t support it. † To provide such a workplace, is today? s great challenge for managers. Generally reasons for bullying are minor problems which aren’t obviously inflicting damage to somebody like discontent about matters, problems in private live, unintended aspersions compared to a co-worker or sometimes a harsh tone in stressful situations. In Hotel and Hospitality industry the constant contact with different people, whether new staff members or guests, provides an excellent breeding ground for such problems. It could be an annoying guest, a challenging situation or an excessive period of work strain which gets people to offend a colleague. All these minor incidents are harmful for working climate and interpersonal relationships in long-term. These problems could be categorised, in alleviated acceptation, into different types of physically and psychologically violence, referring to Fineman S. (2003), who splits workplace violence into intrusive, consumer-related and organizational violence. Intrusive violence rarely occurs in hotel and hospitality industry but is not entirely excluded. On August 21, 2010 the Intercontinental hotel in Rio de Janeiro was scene of a taking of hostages. 10 employees of the hotel were restraint for several hours until they have been released, after the police took some action towards the criminals. Attacks by terrorists against hotels and employees infrequently take place in most countries, but witnessing crime related situations could be an immense strain. A more eminent factor in tourism-related businesses is consumer related violence. Demands of customers which couldn? always be measured, are causing complaints about e. g. delays or bad handling. Especially front office employees have to deal with enormous pressure by being consistently confronted with complaints, and personal affronts from customers. Furthermore Fineman S. (2003):164 describes the occurrence of organizational violence in the workplace as a failing in the ethnically opinions of entrepreneur and characterizes this form of bullying as follows, â€Å"It translates into practices that systematically cause danger, risk or exploitation to employees. Emotionally, the employer can feel indifferent, even derisory about its workers and their psychological or physical well-being: ‘there are always more out there’. The worker may feel equally indifferent but trapped in the job. † Actually frequent occurrence of such, as in the majority of cases irrelevant sensed incidents, leads to a growth of troubles and personal antipathy against fellow-workers and employers is growing until the straw that breaks the camel? s back and physically or psychological damages are the immediate consequences. As has been proved in an array of researches by organisations dealing with the problems of bullying and harassment in the workplace, like ACAS, bullying affects a company in a tremendous variety of ways. Hotel and Hospitality industry is a very people-intensive branch primarily composed of small businesses. According to ACSA a main impact of bullying is the increase in rates of absence, especially concerning small firms where cover for sick employees is difficult to arrange. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Europe’s largest HR and development professional body, releases every year a survey report pointing out the consequences of days of absence. In 2009 the average in days of absence, concerning all business sectors, was 7. 4 days per employee per year. The amount in hotel and hospitality sector was below average with 6. 0 days per employee per year but in comparison between hotel and hospitality and other businesses, the average annual costs of absence per employee per year are superior. Relating to the CIPD the average annual costs of absence per employee per year, enfolding all business-sectors, are 692 pounds. In this area hotel and hospitality businesses are the tragic top of the table with 1199 pounds per employee per year. The survey also shows that stress (often a result of bullying) is the major cause for long-term absence. Other consequences of bullying, described by ACAS, are poor morale and poor employee relations, loss of respect for managers and supervisors, poor performance, lost productivity, resignations, damage to company reputation and tribunal and other court cases and payment of unlimited compensations. Taking a closer look on stress it is to say that in hotel and hospitality industry it is a necessity for employees to know how to handle stress because there will always be periods of strain. The big problem in coping stress is that no two people respond to the same stressor in the same way and this is the perfect point where management should intervene. According to Stranks (2005) different strategies can be considered in dealing with work-related stress, first of all it is important recognizing the evidence of stress which could manifest in sickness, alcoholism or decreasing motivation. A second strategy is to prevent stress through e. g. personal stress audits for employees to identify causes of stress, to monitor stress levels and to report and discuss stressful elements of work to identify the measures necessary at organizational level to alleviate the problem. A third way is to give employees the opportunity to develop a personal stress-tackling technique by providing training and education. Stranks (2005):113 in this point said that employees need advice on identifying their own personal stress response and the measures necessary to coping with it. † Advice to handle stress could be found from organisations like Health and Safety Executive (HSE) releasing handbooks for employees (2003, Tackling Work-Related Stress: A Guide for Employees) as well as for managers (2001, Tackling Work-Related Stress: A Manager’s Guide to improving and Maintaining Employee Health and Well-being). These strategies work very well as reported in many case studies e. g. on United Biscuits by HSE in 2007. The case study points out that United Biscuits benefited from taking action against stress in many ways. From 2005 to 2007 reports of work related stress cases decreased from 24 to 6 per year. Furthermore HRS mentions that each case where absence is prevented, it is estimated the cost of 4 weeks wages and other associated costs is saved. As a matter of fact it is a necessity to override bullying and its consequences by management to keep costs low and protect employees from physical or psychological injuries caused by bullying. As mentioned in ‘bullying and harassment at work’, an advisory booklet publicised by ACAS, the first step to provide a bully-free working environment is to set up a formal policy including a statement of commitment from management and acknowledgement that bullying and harassment are problems for the organisation. The policy could also comprise a clear statement that bullying and harassment is unlawful, that it will not be tolerated, that it may be treated as disciplinary offences and that decisions should not be taken on the basis or whether someone submitted to or rejected a particular instance of harassment. Furthermore the policy is to comprehend steps the organisation takes to prevent bullying, responsibilities of supervisors and managers and confidentiality for any complainant. The policy should involve grievance, investigation and disciplinary procedures with timescales for action. Another point should deal with protection from victimisation and the importance and possibility of training for managers to avoid bullying. Involving staff into the process of developing such a policy will help achieving additional authority. Such a policy is supported by Stale Einarsen (1999):23 in the international journal of manpower who said â€Å"If not being permitted or supported by the people in power, a bully knows he/she may find him/herself the victim of aggressive counter-attacks and severe punishment. † In reference to ACAS the second step is to set a good example in behaviour, like discussing problems and consult employees instead of a too authoritarian management style. A current negative example for this point is the discussion about Gordon Brown? s abusive treatment of staff. The Guardian (21. 2. 2010) advertised that several employees from Downing Street No. 10 contacted the National Anti-bullying Helpline which raises discussions about Mr. Browns management style. Mr. Brown is being denoted as a bully by employees including assertions that he swore at staff, grabbed them by lapels and shouted at them. Third step to deal with bullying and harassment as a manager is to maintain fair procedures for dealing promptly with complaints from employees by using clear grievance and disciplinary procedure described in the Employment Relations Act 1999. Fourth step is to set clear standards of behaviour, to provide training and information about how to deal with bullying and to communicate the organisation? s views on it. Fifth, make clear that complaints will be dealt with fairly, confidentially and sensitively. By following these five steps of ACAS it is getting a lot easier to provide a good working climate and satisfy employees. In conclusion bullying is a problem affecting all businesses with different strength, in different ways and with different consequences, but the reason for occurrence of bullying is the one constant in all companies. It all starts with recurring minor problems that aren’t recognized until they grow big, so discussing problems and communicate them will help companies save money and satisfy employees. By using a metaphor to describe bullying, the strength in which bullying affects humans as well as companies could be expressed as follows A single thunderous gust could disroot trees, but a permanent breeze transforms mountains into grains of sand.

Billy Budd Essay -- essays research papers

BILLY BUDD   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many ways you can argue if the novel Billy Budd was a good novel or a bad one. You can determine this by looking at such things as plot, character, and the use of language. The book is about a sailor that has been impressed (the act of forcibly taking sailors and making them serve in the navy) by the British navy. It is set in the late 1700’s during the French Revolution which overthrew the anarchy, addressed peoples concerns, and it was mainly a focus on human rights. The Revolution also influenced the way sailors thought because of the mutinies at Spit head and Nor. And due to Billy’s notable qualities he became the handsome sailor(the natural leader of the crew). Also since the British Navy needed so many people to fight with them they picked up many people making their ships crew multi cultural. But Billy went onto the ship not only to find out that his life will come to an abrupt stop. The novel appealed in many ways with both likes an d dislikes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The novel was fairly good due to its plot layout. The early setting in the late 1700’s, and the whole sailor aspect was good. the things that make the novel interesting is that its on a boat in the old age and if someone gets injured or something similar to that the healing process will not be as good. just knowing that can make you look at the book a whole new way because you look more for violence sometimes than peoples discussing something. The...

Mexican View Point on the War with the United States

A Mexican View Point on the War With the United States Introduction Jesus Velasco-Marquez wrote â€Å"A Mexican View Point on the War With the United States† sometime around 1991. He wrote to share how the Mexicans felt about the U. S-Mexican War. Mexico was only reacting to the United States government taking what was rightfully theirs. Body The U. S- Mexican War has two very different stories depending on whom you ask. The war officially started when the president of the United States at the time (James K. Polk) sent troops to the region between Rio Grande and Nueces River, Texans believed that its border was the Rio Grande.Mexicans did not acknowledge the Rio Grande as the border; they believed it was the Nueces River. The troops thought they were on Texan soil. Mexicans thought that the Americans had invaded their soil. So Mexican troops attacked The American troops, which gives birth to the widely conceived rumor of the Mexicans killed Americans on American territory. Jes us thought it was important to point out that this was not entirely true because the land was rightfully the Mexicans and they truly believed they were just defending their land.It was important to him to tell how the Mexicans were not just attacking American soldiers in cold blood. Even though there was a peace treaty wrote up before the fighting began Mexico did not consider it much of a compromise. They would lose all of Texas, Oregon and California. From the Mexican view point it looked like that had no choice but to fight the matter out. If they did not stand up for themselves they would look like a weak country. It seemed to them that the Americans were not treating them fairly. So, they started taking action. Which ended in an all out war.Marquez wrote his article with many valid points concerning the war and the Mexican viewpoint. I believe that it was a little hard to understand. Although it did have all the points well organized. One thing that Jesus thought was important to learn from his article was Mexico was simply defending its national security. Also he thought it was important to let the reader know that Mexico was not being arrogant, just responding to the American governments actions. He wanted others to know that the Mexican government was somewhat unstable at the time.If any leader tried to come to an agreement with the Americans and someone else didn’t like that decision that person would be overthrown. â€Å"Most people in Mexico believed the use of arms was the only option available to defend their rights and territorial integrity. † I think that this is an important quote from the text. It shows the view of most Mexicans at the time. They were not being irresponsible by fighting but just standing up for what they believed was right. In the American Pageant the Mexican-American War is mentioned in chapter 17.One subtitle is Misunderstandings with Mexico; the war is described as a result of the president’s want for m anifest destiny. Another subtitle describing the war is American Blood on American (? ) Soil, which describes the confusion there was over the Rio Grande River and Nuece River being boundaries. /the page numbers are 368-373. Conclusion Before reading Jesus Velasco-Marquez article I knew nothing of the Mexican-American War. After reading the article I am much more informed about the war in general. Also I know have a greater understanding of the challengers the Mexicans faced during this war.

History of gambling Essay

?In modern day America, gambling is seen everywhere. Whether it is gambling on a sporting event, a horse race, a game of cards, or any other event, it is seen as a common practice among many American citizens. The most popular place for one to gamble is a casino. There are many casinos throughout the country, and despite the many critics of such venues, these casinos are here to stay for quite some time to come. Starting in 1931, Nevada took control of the casino gambling market and held a monopoly within this industry. It was the first state to have legalized commercial casino gambling, and it was the only state to have such legislation until 1976 (Morse, Goss 13-14). During the 1950’s, Las Vegas started to develop rapidly, opening many casinos within the city. Throughout the 1960’s most of these top-end casinos were purchased by Howard Hughes, which led to an ending of organized crime in the Las Vegas area. Corporations then began building and purchasing casino properties. The profitability of such properties made entering the casino industry quite attractive. This was the beginning of the transition of casinos from a simple form of gaming to a legitimate business (History of US Gambling). In 1976, commercial casino gaming was legalized in New Jersey, and Atlantic City began to thrive in ways similar to Las Vegas. This was the outcome that was hoped for, because it was done in an effort to revitalize Atlantic City. Casinos started to be built in Atlantic City, and a popular location for these casinos was the city boardwalk, along with in the marina district (Morse, Goss 14). More than a decade later, several states began to legalize commercial casino gambling. There are currently fifty-seven counties in the United States that allow commercial casino gambling. In states other than Nevada, a good majority of commercial casino gaming takes place adjacent to a river or some form of a body of water that creates a geographic border dividing states. This promotes the idea of riverboat gambling, along with the competition between each state and their neighbors for their gambling supporters (Morse, Goss 14-15). Soon after the rapid expansion of legal gambling locations throughout the country, tribal casino gambling became an important part of today’s casino industry. Tribal casino gambling is a practice that came to place after the 1987 Supreme Court decision in California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians. This case determined that the state of California did not have the proper authority to use its regulatory statutes for the gambling activities that took place on Indian reservations. The only institution that had complete authority over the issue was the federal government; therefore congressional authorization was necessary for state power to enact regulations. In 1988, Congress responded by passing and enacting the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). This was done for the purpose of balancing both the interests of the states and those tribes that resided within them (Morse, Goss 18-19). There were many policy goals that the IGRA aimed to accomplish. The first was to promote economic development and self-sufficiency amongst tribes. The second goal was to create a regulatory base that protected Indian gaming from organized crime, to make sure that the only beneficiary of the gaming operations is the tribe itself, and to ensure that the gaming operations are both fair and honest. The final goal was to establish an organization that would assist in these purposes, thus the creation of the National Indian Gaming Commission. Basically, the IGRA allowed tribes the right to build and run gaming facilities, or casinos, on their reservations to the same extent as the gaming allowed by state law (Morse, Goss 19). Tribal gaming has proven to be quite beneficial for Indian tribes in the United States. The tribes that have benefited the most are those that have exclusive rights to owning and operating casinos within their state. That means that specific states have an agreement with the tribes in their state that there will not be any commercial casinos within the state, just tribal casinos on tribal territory. This creates endless opportunities for tribal members, allowing them to generate large revenues and provide jobs for many members of their tribe (Morse, Goss 20-21). More recently, a new type of casino has emerged quickly into the gambling business, that being racetrack casinos, or racinos. These casinos are essentially a horse-racing track, along with many other casino features, such as slot machines, video gambling terminals, card tables, etc. This brings in a diverse crowd of people, for a lot of people only like to gamble on live racing events. It also helps states contain gaming expansion to their current racing grounds, and the economic benefits have quite a positive effect for the state (Morse, Goss 22). Each type of casino benefits the state in different ways. By a slight margin, there are more commercial casinos in the United States than tribal casinos, but tribal casinos are being built more rapidly (192 built between 2004-2007, as opposed to 175 commercial casinos built), so it is expected they will pass up commercial casinos in the near future. States benefit most from commercial casinos, receiving on average 16. 4% of revenues, as opposed to just 6. 1% of revenue from the tribal casinos (Morse, Goss 23). One factor that has led to major success for casinos in the United States is the great amount of promotion and advertising. The average casino spends 2. 5% of all revenues on promotion and advertising, which is a heavy amount compared to many other business industries. Throughout the years of the existence of legalized gambling, casinos have been figuring out the secret to generating the highest possible revenue, and that is through promotion. Promotions for casinos originally started out pretty basic, offering a patron a free bet if they come to the casino, or a free drink or meal. With the addition of hotels to many casinos, casinos began offering free night stays to customers, and sometimes even free transportation both to and from the casino for the time of their stay. Since then, there has been such an intense competition between casinos to attract gamblers to their establishment, so more and more promotions started to come into place and be offered by casinos around the country (Morse, Goss 27-28). Some casinos found their best strategy was to pay their patrons to play. This came in either the form of simply handing the patron money upon walking in the door (usually between 5-$20, but sometimes upwards of $100), or paying the person for the amount of time they spent in the casino. This is done by activating a â€Å"player card†, and every time that player sits down to play a game, they scan their card at that station and the system keeps track of how much time the player has spent gambling. Their account is then credited with however much money they earned during their time spent at the casino (Ogwyn). Competition between casinos continued to grow every year, and still does to this day. Promotions have become a necessity in order for a casino to succeed, and many amenities have become expected by patrons upon entering a casino. For one, soft drinks are expected to be complimentary at every casino. Many casinos have waiters and waitresses walking around taking orders, so there is a convenience of receiving a soft drink without needing to get up from your chair. It is seen as courteous to tip the servers, and is also seen as good karma for the gambling that is done after. The most intense promotion competitions take place in the major casino markets. Harrah’s is a major casino corporation, and it is one of the highest spenders when it comes to promotions. In 2005, it initiated possibly the biggest promotion in casino history, and that was the $1,000,000 Treasure Hunt. To partake in the hunt, customers had to go to one of the many Harrah’s Casino locations in the country, and depending how much time the customer spent at the casino, they earned an entry (or multiple entries, depending on the frequency of visits) into the contest. These entries represented an opportunity to partake in the actual treasure hunt, which took place in Las Vegas on November 10, 2005. A treasure chest containing $1,000,000 was placed in a remote desert location, and whoever found it first kept it all. This created an uproar of hype for Harrah’s Casinos, and has helped increase revenues in the following years since as well. Many other casinos learned from that, and started similar promotions to help boost their own revenues. This is a good example of how casinos have been learning from each other throughout time, and adjusting quickly to whatever is necessary for maximum business. The bottom line when it comes to casino promotions: do whatever it takes to get customers through the door; revenues will generate from there (Morse, Goss 28). Many studies have been done to find the effect of legalized casino gambling in an area on the residents who reside in that area. A study done by Morse and Goss in 2005 had surprising results, finding that counties that legalized casino gambling experienced lower personal bankruptcy rates in the first several years of having a casino operating in the county. After those years, however, it was found that the personal bankruptcy rates began to rise, eventually becoming higher than the rates from before the legalization of casino gambling (Morse, Goss 53). Casinos have been growing and expanding ever since their first existence. It is a unique industry in that, unlike many other large industries, it is not that crucial to focus on cutting costs, while instead it is best to just focus on generating revenues. As said before, this industry has a history of experiencing great success, and it is only getting greater and greater each year. Looking at some statistics from 1998-2003 is a good way to show an example of this growth; the average number of employees for stand-alone casinos in the United States went from 201 in 1998 to 265 in 2003, and in casino hotels it grew from 988 to 1,208 employees. Average pay for these employees grew as well. In 1998, stand-alone casino employees earned on average $21,700 a year, while in 2003 they earned $25,100 a year. It was a similar jump in salary for casino hotel employees, going from earning on average $23,700 a year to $26,100 a year (Morse, Goss 55). Today, the United States has an incredibly large market for casino gambling. There was an estimated 147 billion U. S. dollars in global revenue from casino gaming, and 60 billion of those dollars was from United States gambling. In the twenty states with legalized commercial gambling, there are about 450 commercial casinos in the United States (CASINO GAMBLING HISTORY). Gambling has been around since the beginning of United States history, and the creation and expansion of gambling centers that we call casinos has led to many opportunities for both growth and decline for citizens in this country. Whether viewed as positive or negative, casinos are here to stay for some time.

Essay on Shipping Business part 2

Essay on Shipping Business part 2 Essay on Shipping Business part 2 Essay on Shipping Business part 2Essay on   Shipping Business   part  1The horizontal integration allows companies operating in the shipping industry to expand the scope of their shipping operations, through purchasing new means of transport and entering new segments of the market. For example, a company specialized on the automobile transportation acquires or mergers with an air transportation company. In such a way, the company integrates its operations within the shipping industry. The horizontal integration helps the company to enhance its position in the market due to new acquisitions but still the company does not move beyond the shipping market that apparently limits the scope for its marketing manoeuvres (Peters, 2012). The company relies on companies selling their goods to customers, instead of acquiring such a company to integrate sales and shipping, as is the case of the vertical integration.The horizontal integration contributes to the increase of the market share of the company but this growth is limited because the competition grows tighter and, at certain point, the company expanding horizontally stops growing. Today, the horizontal expansion is still significant due to the globalization of the world economy and elimination of barriers between countries. The globalization opens larger opportunities for the horizontal integration because companies can expand their business entering international markets. For example, a shipping company operating in the US can open its affiliates in Canada, Mexico, and other countries. In such a way, the company conducts the horizontal integration uniting its operations internationally and remains within its market specialization.Moreover, new technologies open opportunity for long distance transportation that requires the horizontal integration to make shipping companies more effective, especially when different means of transportation have to be used to deliver goods to customers. Therefore, company have better opportunities for the closer horizontal integration within the shipping industry. At the same time, the scope of the horizontal integration is limited in a long-run perspective, because, at the moment, large companies, such as UPS, DHL and others have already become the major players in the global market and raised barriers to entry as well as opportunities for horizontal expansion for other companies.The vertical integration in the shipping industryThe vertical integration in the shipping industry may involve the growing integration between units of the company operating in different fields. For example, the vertical integration may include the following elements of the organizational structure: the automobile transportation; the automobile parts and equipment supplies; the automobile repair stations; the customer call centre; the online company offering shipping services and other units that may be further vertically integrated to expand the scope of operations of the shipp ing company. In fact, the vertical integration may vary and the aforementioned model is just an example, whereas the real world vertical integration of a shipping company may be deeper or shallower depending on the marketing strategy and goals of the company.The vertical integration is complex but it may be very efficient in terms of the accelerated business development. For example, a large electronic commerce company, like Amazon, needs shipping services. The vertical integration allows shipping companies to integrate into such companies or integrate minor electronic commerce companies to expand their business and take advantage of their electronic commerce and shipping which may be cheaper compared to rivals because the company does both sales of products and their shipping without outsourcing shipping services as other electronic commerce companies normally do.The vertical integration opens new opportunities for shipping companies to boost their business development because, in face of the tight competition in the shipping proper, they can improve their competitive position through the vertical integration, which involves the acquisition of a company manufacturing automotive supplies used by the shipping company as well as other forms of the vertical integration that increase the efficiency of the performance of the shipping company. The vertical integration contributes to the emergence of new directions for the further business development of the shipping company and its steady transformation and diversification to the extent that the company may evolve and offer customers multiple services under its brand or, alternatively, create multiple brands offering diverse services from sales to shipping items to customers.The vertical integration is more efficient and has better prospects in the contemporary market compared to the horizontal integration because the fast progress of e-commerce, international trade, and progress of technology stiffen the competitio n in the shipping industry and force companies to develop closer cooperation with companies operating in other industries or at a different market level. The vertical integration helps shipping companies to enter new prospective markets and make their shipping business more balanced due to the integration with closely related industries or businesses, which can boost the business development of shipping companies.Conclusion  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, both horizontal and vertical integration can contribute to the successful business development of companies operating in the shipping industry but the vertical integration is more prospective and beneficial for companies operating in the shipping industry in light of the economic globalization, fast growth of e-commerce, progress of technology and changing demands and expectations of customers. The horizontal and vertical integration contribute to the market expansion and growth of companies as well as they help t o maintain their competitive position. On the other hand, shipping companies should always be aware of the importance of the focus on the integration that meets their own business goals and long-run marketing strategies to ensure that the integration they choose will be successful.

How to write the perfect interview thank you note

How to write the perfect interview thank you note Someone wise once said, â€Å"Saying thanks costs nothing but gives everything.† If you’re a jobseeker who’s currently going through the interview process, it can also help you to gain everything, especially that coveted position. Sending a job interview thank you note within 24 hours of a meeting isn’t just good manners; it can be the act that ultimately secures you the role. Not only do follow-up notes serve to remind hiring managers of your exchange, but they also show prospective employers that you really want the job and that you’re the sort of polite, committed individual they want in their workforce. In other words, follow-up notes are a must-do, and with National Thank You Note Day coming up soon on December 26th, now is a particularly good time to start thinking about how best to express gratitude in a letter or email. Because to really have an impact, you need to go beyond simply saying, â€Å"Thanks for your time†. Let’s loo k at how to craft post-interview correspondence that sets you apart from the competition.1. Lay the groundwork.You should ideally write a personalized job interview thank you note to every individual who set aside time to meet with you – if there were five people on the interview panel, best practice would dictate that you craft five separate letters. To make this easier for yourself, try to get each person’s business card at the end of the interview, or if this isn’t possible, ask your main contact for the other interviewers’ full names and email addresses before you leave.2. Make your â€Å"thank you† sincere and specific.It’s important that your issue of thanks feels genuine and not like something you’re just checking off a list. To make it sound sincere, don’t stop at â€Å"Thanks for meeting with me today.† Rather, pick out and mention one or two specific things you truly appreciated about the exchange. Maybe the in terviewer went out of their way to make you feel relaxed. Maybe they patiently answered all of your questions at the close of the interview. By calling out these particulars, you show that you noticed, and place value on, the effort they invested in the conversation.3. Reference a unique, memory-jogging detail.Hiring managers typically interview a bunch of candidates for a single vacancy, and they’ll likely receive a heap of thank you notes, too. So, when your letter appears in their inbox, they might not immediately recall who you are. Remind them by making reference to a part of the discussion that was (most likely) unique to you. For example, perhaps you discovered that you share a favorite author or attended the same university. Or maybe you found yourselves chatting about an exciting new industry development for a solid 10 minutes. Allude to this in your job interview thank you note to make sure that your face pops into the recipient’s mind when they’re rea ding it.4. Show that you were really listening.Employers want to hire someone who can hit the ground running – someone who really understands what the company needs and what would be required of them as an employee. In most interviews, hiring managers will cover these sorts of details. Show that you were paying attention, and that you genuinely care about the position, by speaking to a few of the key points that the interviewer shared with you. Illustrate that you’re familiar with the goals and challenges that the organization is currently facing, and then go one step further by highlighting how your skills and experience position you well to help them achieve their objectives.5. Reiterate your interest in the position.In the same way that you might leave a meet-up wondering what the interviewers think of you, they might walk away wondering how you feel about the role, now that you’ve learned more details. Use your job interview thank you note to reassure prospe ctive employers that you’re still enthusiastic about the position. Express your genuine interest by pulling out specifics about the role and company that really appeal to you, but be careful not to overdo it.6. Invite a response.Close your note by encouraging the recipient to contact you if they have additional questions or need extra documentation from you in order to make a decision. You could also politely request interview feedback. This way, interviewers will be pressed to follow up, and you’ll (ideally) keep the lines of communication open and your name top of mind.7. Pay attention to formatting and tone.In today’s digital age, it’s absolutely fine to send your job interview thank you note in email form (unless the company you’re applying to is old-school, in which case a handwritten letter would be better). Either way, make sure the tone and language you use is professional, and format the note like you would a formal business letter, with a ppropriate opening and closing salutations. Remember to proofread for spelling and grammatical errors, and finally, keep the note as a whole succinct – while hiring managers will appreciate a â€Å"thank you,† they probably won’t take kindly to having to wade through an epic story.LiveCareer  offers assistance to jobseekers at every step of the journey. Access free  resume templates  and  resume examples, plus a free  resume builder  and advice on how to answer  interview questions  of all stripes.

The Ancient Egyptians' Wall Painting Techniques Research Paper

The Ancient Egyptians' Wall Painting Techniques - Research Paper Example The research paper studies the changes in the techniques of the ancient Egyptian wall paintings. Several individuals sometimes argue that the ancient Egyptian civilization endured without necessarily undergoing much change for a period of over three thousand years. This claim is partially true because the Egyptian lifestyle changes considerably over a period. Art and craft in the ancient Egypt is far from what people understand today to be art and craft. What is referred to as the Egyptian Art was created originally for magical and religious purposes. The functions and symbols of this art reveal the beliefs of the Egyptians about the world and their effort to comprehend and relate to it. In the religious and social context of Egypt, the works of Art played a practical role whose direct physicality is not easy or simple for the modern viewer to recognize. Most of the basics of Egyptian art were established or created at the beginning of the history of Egyptians and changed little afte r that. Most of the subject matter portrayed by this art remained unchanging over several years creating a mistaken notion or a misconception that the Egyptian art remained the same virtually or similar for a period of three thousand years. Therefore the only reason that would have necessitated a fundamental change in the depictions of Egyptian artists would be an alteration in the purpose of Egyptian art. This article will discuss how the ancient Egyptians' wall painting techniques changed through time from the Old Kingdom to the New Kingdom. The paper will further outline the significances of the paintings and why the Egyptians used that technique to paint the wall. The ancient Egyptian civilization having much stability necessitated that the artistic conventions remain the same or similar for most of the Egyptian art history. However, a closer examination at various art works depicts differences in style showing those of the old, middle, and new kingdom with differences. Art was all round or surrounded entirely the ancient Egyptians. Starting from every temple and public building art down to the pharaohs and their families and ministers’ tombs, the message spreading being that of the God King and his position or place in maintaining order in the world. Starting with the earliest history, the art of the pre dynastic was popular from the funeral offerings. This art was consisted largely of the painted figurines and pottery, cosmetic palettes, carvings, and finely worked weapons (flint weapons). In painting, the monumental treatment was granted to designs such as those drawn in red on buff-colored pottery. The monopolistic figures depicting the gods curved from limestone come up towards the end of the pre dynastic period. The old kingdom period that followed the pre dynastic period or era had the reliefs and wall paintings reflecting the concept of art that served the gods of cult, the dead, and the kings. The traditional poses were combined with the id ealistic features in the royal statuary. The statuary depicted the royalty as physically strong having softened features like touch of realism in some instances. Wall spaces found in the temples and tombs started using paintings and reliefs to depict or show the daily activities in estates, workshops, and homes. The paintings and reliefs were at times executed to indicate or show the activities of birds, animals, and working groups. The raised or sunken paintings and reliefs were proportioned well and composed with extreme or fine details particularly the Saqqara tombs. El Aaal Et all (5) while analyzing the paints argues that the polychromatic decorations of the