The Mayas Lifestyle Essay - 1244 Words

The Mayas Lifestyle The Life of the Ancient Maya’s The Maya’s were an ancient civilization that faced many difficult tasks in their everyday lives that needed to be completed in order for survival. The Mayan tribes existed from about 400 BC until around 1524 when they were taken over by the Spanish conquistadors (Sharer p.3). They occupied three separate areas of land. The Southern area covers present day Guatemala. The central area stretched from what is now Tabasco to northern Guatemala. Finally the central region makes up a lot of the southern portion of Mexico (Coe p.31). The Maya’s believed that the universe was not the first, but the 7th. Floods destroyed all the other worlds. This one began on 4 Ahaw 8 Kumk’u†¦show more content†¦Also if a man was walking down the road the women had to step aside out of his way and turn their backs (Sharer p.119). The men continued to live in the group houses until they were appointed or found a bride (Sharer p.120). Before the men were married though they were only allowed to paint themselves in black paint but, once they were married they were allowed to paint themselves in every color and were expected to tattoo their bodies (Thompson p.118). The bride’s father was expected to pay for the entire ceremony. Most times marriages were arranged while the children were s till young (Sharer p.120). The Birth of children was one of the most looked upon ceremonies amongst the Maya’s. When a baby was born his mother would wash him right away and then fasten him to a cradle. This served as a baptism (Laughton p.98). The â€Å"Shaman† who conducted the ceremony determined each child’s â€Å"paal kaba† given name (Sharer p.118). When male babies were about 4 months old and 3 months for girls, the â€Å"Hetzmek† was performed. This was a ceremony celebrating the first time that the baby is carried at the mother’s hip (Sharer p.118). At age 4 girls were given a red shell to tie around their waist. Boys wore a white bead. These accessories were worn until the child reached puberty (Sharer pgs.118-119). When the Maya went through puberty he was considered an adult. At this time he was given 2 names, one from the mother and one from the father. Only the father’s wereShow MoreRelatedOn The Pulse Of The Morning Summary1078 Words   |  5 PagesChristine’s View of a Good Speech: Maya Angelou’s, On the Pulse of the Morning On January 20th, 1993, African American poet, Maya Angelou, delivered On the Pulse of Morning at the first inauguration of President Bill Clinton. She made history that day by not only being African American but the second American to deliver a speech at a presidential inauguration. On the Pulse of the Morning signifies evolution, growth, and freedom for our country. Maya uses eternal motifs such as a tree, river, andRead MoreDisplacement, a Theme in Maya Angelou ´s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings1603 Words   |  6 PagesThe feeling of displacement leaves a painful hole in ones heart. Whether a person is a male or female, white or black, lives in the North or South, or young or old, displacement takes a toll on their character and personality. Maya Angelou creates a theme of displacement in her novel I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Angelous novel has been critiqued by many notable scholars for being a classic autobiography. The critics note the importance of the setting to sho w universal displacement and the useRead MoreEssay on Collapse in Maya Society1119 Words   |  5 Pagesfirst millennium A.D., the lowland Maya empires disintegrated after 750 years of prominence (Handout 1). 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Designing a Syllabus Free Essays

From the theories given above, we conclude that when designing a syllabus, curriculum, school mission and students’ needs should be taken in consideration in order to achieve learning objectives. As stated by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of Kosova (MESTK) â€Å"In order to achieve the targeted aims and objectives of particular grade English language curriculum and to cover the topical content of particular grade syllabus, teachers should select and use materials of appropriate level from textbook(s) and other sources (online magazines and newspapers, TV, video, Internet). These materials should be primarily dedicated to teenagers and young adults. We will write a custom essay sample on Designing a Syllabus or any similar topic only for you Order Now It remains in the teacher’s domain to select teaching materials that may be type and profile appropriate, which (s)he may use either as alternative or as supplementary material in the English language program.Although it is estimated that within a school year, approximately 8 content areas should be covered, it is the teacher’s responsibility to plan the number of topical areas (units) and the composition of it, in accordance with the total amount of hours dedicated to English in different types of vocational schools. In addition, teachers may plan an amount of 20 – 30% of overall teaching materials, which (s)he may use with a particular profile of learners in order to cover specific professional needs and meet the requirements of particular vocational schools. These could be a selection of specific texts/materials suitable for the particular type/profile of vocational schools (e.g. texts in medical field, technical field, business, catering†¦). Apart from this, teachers may use supplementary materials to suit the learners’ needs, that is, their background knowledge (or lack of it), their interests and motivation. Supplementary materials (video tapes, documentary films, drama activities, projects, contests and quizzes, and similar), may be used either within regular English classes, or within additional activities planned by the vocational school curriculum (choice subjects, extra-curricular activities, and similar).† The above citation can be found on the website of MESTK under the section of vocational schools curriculum. However, the difference between general schools and vocational schools’ curriculum is made only by the part cited in this paper. I.e. English language taught in professional schools despite different study domain, is not treated as ESP program but the burden falls on the teacher who, besides the units that are envisaged to be included in the program, is obliged to select additional materials which are profile appropriate. Scholars as Dudley-Evans and ST John (1998) describe the teacher as the material selector, researcher, and an evaluator as well as syllabus designer. They continue their argument emphasizing that these roles cannot be fulfilled if the learners’ needs are not analyzed beforehand. ESP teachers have to complete all the roles mentioned above in order to achieve the harmony between, students’ needs, study domain and the curriculum designed by the Ministry of Education. 2.5 Using textbooks in the lesson Textbooks have an essential role in language classrooms in all types of educational situations. It is a kind of media used by both students and teachers. When using a textbook teacher is assured that everyone in the class is getting the same amount of knowledge and that they are equally evaluated and tested. Course books provide a diversity of learning resources since they make a set of workbooks, cassette tapes, or CD-ROMs, and a teacher’s guide. Richards (2010) claims that there are also some disadvantages in using textbooks; for example, they may not reflect students’ needs. Each textbook aims to occupy the global market and so it is unable to serve everyone’s needs. There are innumerous textbooks which are designed for teaching-learning process but not all of them are categorized as good textbooks. As the result, before choosing a textbook, teachers should really understand about needs, interests, abilities, and level of the students. Similarly, Harmer (2007) declares that the most important part of the use of textbook is to adopt the needs of the students. Bertin (2003) proclaims that it is a special skill that teachers should have in order to choose the textbook that suits language level, content, activity and the logical order of the textbook. In English for foreign learners (EFL) classes, a course book is the key to language teaching, language learning as well as it is a window to particular language culture. Nevertheless as Dickins (1994) clarifies, that the resources evaluation literature tends to focus absolutely on the analysis of the product. This means that teachers themselves carry out the evaluation of textbooks in order to conclude which materials best suit their purposes, schools mission and students’ needs. Despite its special importance, regarding features mentioned above, a textbook should be selected and evaluated carefully before used in the class. Cunningsworth (1995) proposes four criteria for analyzing textbooks:o â€Å"Coursebooks should correspond to student’s needs. o They should match learners’ uses (present or future). Selected textbooks should equip learners with the knowledge that will effectively serve them for their purposes.o They should take in consideration students needs and facilitate their learning process.o They should have a key role as a sustention to learning. Their role is similar to teachers. They negotiate between the target language and the student.† How to cite Designing a Syllabus, Papers

Peninsula hotel Marketing Plan free essay sample

†¢Executive Summary Set in the heart of the â€Å"Magnificent Mile†, The Peninsula Hotel Chicago is ideally situated for visitors to experience all that the city has to offer. On the doorstep of Chicago’s premier business and shopping district, the hotel is located in the center of the city’s most exclusive shops and steps from the historic Water Tower. The Peninsula Chicago has 339 luxurious and spacious guestrooms and suites furnished in a magnificent classical style. The Peninsula Hotel property is renowned for its convenient and strategic location within the city. Also synonymous with the brand are the high level of personal service guests receive, and the comprehensive business facility available in luxurious settings. The Peninsula Chicago is targeting rich businessmen, repeat executives and leisure travelers by offering them great discounts in order to bring the occupancy and revenue up for the second quarter of 2011. By analyzing the marketing environment and completing the SWOT analysis the hotel can create specific strategies in order to meet the marketing objectives. The action plan will organize and distinguish the activities during the second quarter within the marketing team. Our marketing plan is structured to enable us to achieve the strategic goals we have set for ourselves in terms of increasing overall revenue as a result of differentiating our products and services from the competition. Our marketing team will ensure that the plan is implemented to the best of their ability and with the highest levels of efficiency and accuracy. All figures will be monitored on an ongoing basis in relation to projections versus actual. The ongoing plan will be altered or manipulated as necessary in order to react to and, wherever possible, anticipate external changes to the environment. II. Environmental Analysis †¢The Marketing Environment Competitive Forces Five Star Alliance classifies Peninsula Hotel as the only hotel in the Super Luxury category in the city of Chicago. The Peninsula Chicago, a Five-Diamond and Forbes Five-Star award-winning hotel, sits along the Magnificent Mile in downtown Chicago. The 339-room property blends The Peninsulas exemplary East meets West graciousness and trademark sophistication with Midwestern hospitality. Ample indoor and alfresco dining options are offered to delight the most demanding pallets, and The Lobby is the perfect location to enjoy traditional afternoon tea and weekend evenings of jazz. Another highly acclaimed feature of The Peninsula is its spa. At The Peninsula Spa, guests are treated to ESPA holistic treatments, complemented by an extensive offering of amenities, including an indoor pool with stunning views of the city, relaxation lounge with fireplace, fitness center, yoga room, and ‘Naturally Peninsula Spa Cuisine’. Having acquired these prestigious recognitions, does not excluded The Peninsula from having any direct competitions. For discreet and gracious service, one can always count on The Peninsula main rival, The Four Seasons. Despite being classified under classic luxury category by Five Star Alliance, The Four Season has won other highly praised awards like Conde Nast Award Winner, Travel Leisure Award Winner, Mobil Award, Andrew Harpers Hideaway Report survey, for the sixth time in 10 years. Having said that, due to the specific target market or niche (which will be further explained in this paper), this classic beauty does not necessarily appeal to the younger generation. This is a challenge shared by both hotels, The Peninsula and The Four Seasons. Built in 1929 as the Medinah Athletic Club, an exclusive mens club for members of the Shrine Organization, Intercontinental is a beautifully ornamented historical tower with an unmatched location that opens to North Michigan Avenue. Unlike The Peninsula and The Four Seasons, Intercontinental hotel is historic yet hip, refines yet comfortable, cultures yet casual. In spite of the image, a young business traveler who is still untested or have not experience Intercontinental Hotel before would have a more grandeur point of view of the hotel. A traveler as such may opt for Trump International Hotel for its youth appeal. Unlike the heavy masonry facade of Intercontinental Hotel, the Trump Int. is a soaring composition of polished stainless steel with gleaming tinted glass. The architecture is meant to resonate with the Donald Trump Empire which is larger than life. This could be a blessing or a curse for Trump as a brand. To create a brand base on legacy, can mean that it might just be temporary. Ultimately, time will test the brand longevity behind the product and service. Another hotel with less contrivance is Park Hyatt. Integrating understated elegance with contemporary luxury, Park Hyatt Chicago is a seamless blend of warmth and innovation is a sophisticated atmosphere. The stunning lobby feels like a sleek, modern art gallery adorned with paintings by famous German painter Gerhard Richter’s and furnished by famous Chicagoan architect Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier. Some might say that it is evident that Park Hyatt Chicago is portraying an image that is coined by most boutique hotel by customizing to a certain ecstatic and taste. A more typical example of an elegant boutique hotel in Chicago would be Elysian Hotel. The entire concept of Elysian hotel is based on the glamour period of the 1920s and 30s. The overall architecture palette of dramatic black and white serves as a beautiful backdrop of this hotel. Located in the rich neighborhood of Gold Coast and away from most Chicago attraction can be a selling or losing point of Elysian Hotel. †¢Boutique hotels possess a major competition in the future as the current demographics seeks for something unusual, eclectic and fresh. †¢Product positioning will be expensive for peninsula. Other boutique hotels like The James and The Wit would further lower their prices because they can afford to do it as it costs less for them to do so. Economic Forces The general economic condition of the country is poor. The country is in the midst of recovering from the worst economic recession of recent history. The financial industry and real-estate turmoil has spilled into almost every industry in the country; this is no different for the hospitality industry. Furthermore, the city of Chicago is infamous for having the highest taxes in the country and highest gasoline prices in the country as well. Consumers are having a difficult time making ends meet and staying up-to-date with their current debt and financial obligations. While government officials remain optimistic, consumers are hurting financially and seem pessimistic on the outlook of the near future. Political Forces / Legal and Regulatory Forces In March 2011, the Legislative Action Summit (LAS) will be held in Washington. Congress, with over 100 new members this term, will have the opportunity to meet and hear from the lodging industry’s top executives along with the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA). The purpose of the LAS is to create relationships and educate lawmakers on the importance the lodging and hotel industry has on the economy: annual sales exceeding $127 billion and travel-related wages over $186 billion. Also important to note, nationally, the travel and tourism industry is one of the top ten employers in 49 states: including Illinois. Illinois state taxes are one of the highest in the nation; city taxes (the taxes Chicago imposes) are the highest of any city in the country. Gas prices in Chicago also ranks number one in the country. In 2009 travel volume fell 13 percent compared to 4. 3 percent nationally. However, hotel-motel tax receipts were up nearly 7 percent in 2010 and industry executives believe it will rise another 2 percent in 2011; Elmhurst-based hotel consultant Ted Mandigo agrees with this estimate. Signs of recovery have been observed, mostly with the spending of the wealthy. Luxury hotel business and luxury social scene catering has held steady during the recession and shows signs of slow improvement while the corporate market has faltered. Chicago’s hospitality industry depends on both local and visitor markets. Hotel occupancy rates in the city are rising from the tough times of 2009. Further evidence of recovery can be seen by the resurrection of plans to construct a luxury hotel at McCormick Place. At the Peninsula Chicago, five Christmas tea buffets for children were held rather than the previous two, due to high demand. Plans to develop a luxury hotel in the former IBM building at 330 N. Wabash Ave are also being revived. Still, industry executives believe a hospitality industry comeback will likely be drawn out and take time. With the debt the city is in, the financial landscape continuing to look unstable, and a Mayoral election around the corner, caution must be exercised. Technology Technology is changing the way we live our lives and do business; the same goes for the hospitality industry when it comes to technology. In-room check-out and financial balances viewed on the television are common. Blackberry has launched an app to help managers manage rates when they do not have access to a computer (RTSuites being the popular App). Online bookings have increased as much as 25 percent in some hotels due to video features online such as Vbrochures and virtual tours. Sales and Marketing departments have had significant increases of visitors to their websites that feature â€Å"Video Syndication† as well as positive customer feedback on the use of technology on their website. Mobile technology seems to be the focus of many hotels on the technology front: Apps for Blackberry, Smart Phones, and the IPad have grown exponentially. A growing focus has been placed on social media outlets as well; which has gained the attention of hotel executives and marketing departments throughout the hospitality industry. Socio-cultural It is important for hoteliers to bring the generations together and begin to serve their different habits, patterns and needs. †¢Offer choices that give customer options rather than pre-determined packages. Create experiences versus tours. This allows individuals or multi-generational groups to determine what best works and appeals to them. †¢Adopt a universal design approach that includes lower beds, brighter lighting, larger fonts, and walk-in showers that are all easier to use, yet hip, cool and high-tech so that younger consumers are drawn to their design. †¢High-tech guestrooms must become the norm rather than the exception. Today, it’s all about Internet access, wireless environments, and flat-screen TVs on the walls. But hoteliers must strive to keep up with the relevant technology that is not only expected from the business traveler, but also the leisure and younger sets. The continual widespread adoption of technology by the public will continue to have impact on the consumer expectation of their hotel experience. †¢While there will be an increase in health travel offerings targeting the aging population such as medical spas, the offerings should also include elements of adventure, spirituality, or stress management that will appeal to younger markets. †¢And finally, consider creating a panel of half a dozen or more people from different age and cultural groups who are willing to talk with you on a regular basis about their concerns and experiences, while giving you honest feedback on your products and services. Sustainable Group International Hotels Environment Initiative (IHEI) and Accor = revealed that 90% of hotel guests preferred to stay in a hotel that cared for the environment Regulation of the tourism industry by governments in the form of planning restrictions, mandatory =Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and laws relating to business practice has exerted pressure on hotels to adopt sustainable environmental practices. NGOs and other pressure groups = Tourism Concern, World-wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Equations and Friends of the Earth have also exerted pressure on hotels to become increasingly concerned about their environments. †¢Target Market The Peninsula Chicago counts with 339 luxurious rooms and suites with amenities such as marble bathrooms and 50† plasma televisions which positions the hotel among the most luxurious in the city. It holds a remarkable reputation and has won awards such as the Mobil Five Star and AAA Five Diamond recognition. Room rates at the Peninsula Chicago vary according to season and availability but they can go all the way from $395 to $8,000 per night. To complement the experience, the Peninsula counts with acclaimed wine and dine establishments and amenities well suited for each population cluster that is being targeted. In order to better understand the manner in which the Peninsula has picked its market, we first must identify, analyze and understand their product and firm. In addition, it is necessary to identify a segment of the population that is best suited for the operation and finally we must identify all gaps or missing targets. To identify the target market for the Peninsula we need to understand the benefits offered by the firm and connect them with a specific segment of the population to whom these benefits are akin. When a specific population decides to purchase a hospitality experience it is mainly to satisfy the following needs: comfort, prestige, price, recognition, attention, romance, quiet and safety. Once the benefit has being paired with the needs that are being satisfied, then the target market has being properly identified. Identification The Peninsula Hotel is a five star, five diamond award winning hotel in Chicago. It is located downtown in the famous Michigan Avenue or The Magnificent Mile. It is a luxury hotel targeted to a very small cluster of the population, the most privileged one. The Peninsula goes forward to offer one of the most exclusive and prestigious lodging in the country dividing its attention into four groups in order to best suit their specific needs and wants. The four groups are as follow: 1. Business Travelers: The Peninsula Chicago offers a great venue for prestigious business travelers as it is located in the center of economic and financial districts in the city. Also, the hotel offers amenities such as free Internet and high technology rooms to complement the business traveler’s stay and make it most comfortably. Together with offering a number of characteristics that facilitate making business, the Peninsula also offers a series of amenities to take care of the wellness of the traveler. Such amenities are the spa and the fine dinning award winning facilities at the hotel. The Peninsula offers outstanding accommodations that best suit all kinds of business travelers. The productive, the entertainer, the stressed one, or which ever the kind, the rooms, spa, fitness center, meeting rooms, and dinning facilities at the hotel are efficient enough to make the traveler feel exceptionally well treated. The Events and Meetings part of the operation offers elegant spaces through out the hotel to carry out flawless business meetings. The hotel also offers private offices and board rooms with exceptional views of the windy city. 2. Leisure Traveler: The Peninsula Chicago offers a sense of luxury and graciousness derived from its Asian heritage. The operation as a whole encompasses luxury and elegance that is transferred to the travelers through all the hotel facilities. The Spa, wellness center, fitness center, cafe, restaurants and bars offer the most exclusive leisure travelers a delightful experience when visiting Chicago. For leisure travelers, The Peninsula offers a program especially designed to best attend all the needs of the traveler and families. The Peninsula Academy is a program that offers an insight into the most delicate side of the Asian culture. A chef, a tea ceremony and a kids program are part of this academy offered as a way to give out the most personalize experience to the guest. 3. Family Travelers: The Peninsula welcomes travelers with families and offers a complete stay capable of successfully satisfying travelers of all ages. Aside from the preciously mentioned The Peninsula Academy, the hotel also counts with large suites with up to three bathrooms, such quality is highly important when traveling with children. The concierge at the hotels offers information regarding transportation and advise on to where to enjoy family leisure time in the windy city. Another exclusive feature are the amenities such as video game consoles, crayons, books, cribs and baby sitting arrangements, and others which are especially created for the comfort of parents traveling with children. 4. Dinning and Entertainment: This hotel counts with four different restaurant, a bar and a cafe wine bar. All establishments offer an above average food that has being awarded throughout the years all together with the recognized Chefs cooking it. 5. Celebrations: Another big percentage of the Peninsula’s main target is the cluster population within its target market that wants to host an event. The venue at the Peninsula offers a luxurious environment to host elegant parties. All celebrations can be further divided into four occasions: a. Weddings: The most demanded celebration hosted at the hotel are weddings which start at a rate of $50,000 regardless of the number of guests. All dining menus can be chosen from the four restaurant and bars at the hotel. Together with the booking of a venue for the wedding, benefits such as a personal wedding planner, special rates for guests and complementary changing rooms for bride and groom are included. The hotel counts with four venues for wedding celebrations. b. Meetings: Corporate meetings are the largest percentage of the meetings hosted at the hotel. The spacious rooms well distributed in 2 floors create a sensation of privacy. Also, all parts of necessary for a meeting are given by the hotel, such as audio-visual equipment. c. Events: In this section all the rest celebrations are embraced at one, here all birthday parties and bar mitzvah among others are offered the same benefits as weddings and meetings. Those benefits being: personal planner, accommodation, special rates, etc. d. Venues: The luxurious Peninsula offers four different venues inside the hotel to host all types of celebrations. III. SWOT Analysis A. Strengths The Peninsula is one of the few 5 star hotels in Chicago and with that not only comes high status but high standards of service and food. The Peninsula offers personalized professional service that other hotels cannot measure up to. Guests that are looking to be pampered and have an extraordinary experience look to stay at hotels such as The Peninsula. This works in the favor for The Peninsula because this hotel is known for its exquisite standards and guest service. Another strength of The Peninsula is its prime location. It is located on Michigan Avenue in the heart of the Magnificent Mile. The guests who can afford to stay at the Peninsula hotel would not settle for a destination anything less than perfect. By having this prime location it permits the hotel to cater fully to any need the guest may have. One of the most important strengths is that they are consistent and recognized globally for their hospitality. According to an article by the Preferred Hotel Group, The Peninsula Chicago was rated #16 for ‘Top 100’ in the world and #2 for Top 100 hotels in the United States. (2010, Preferred Hotel Group Press Release). By being honored with these ratings The Peninsula Chicago is able to say they are one of the best in the business and can back it up. By having these ratings they will attract guests who are looking to stay at a hotel for just the name. All of these strengths combined is what allows The Peninsula to attract guests and meet their needs. B. Weaknesses One of the major weaknesses of The Peninsula is their high cost which then leads to an overall smaller target market. Especially in an economic downturn there are less people who are willing to pay the high cost so business overall at The Peninsula will suffer. Along with high cost comes a high expectation. This unfortunately can work as a weakness for The Peninsula because if they were to underperform they may lose money and loyal customers. Also, in these tough economic times The Peninsula has been forced to lower their costs in order to bring in business. This allows for a mixed target market which may skew the appearance of The Peninsula when the economy recovers. The knowledge of these weaknesses allows The Peninsula to understand the importance of high guest service as well as having a specific target market no matter how small it may be. C. Opportunities Consistency within service and performance Consistency is a great opportunity for the hotel to gain loyal clientele. If the customers experience outstanding service this will influence them to come back or seek out the same brand when travelling to a new location. Negative consumer’s experience will make them stop coming back to the same brand. One of the opportunities would be to create special rates or packages in order to attract consumers. Bundled packaging and promotions are great which provide bargains. Since the Peninsula Chicago offers spa services and dining, it could be a possibility to create a bundled package to incorporate hotel stay plus one of the spa treatments and some of the dining options. Awareness of the upcoming holidays In April, May and June there are holidays such as Easter, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, so these days will be an opportunity to for some potential revenue. In addition, wedding season starts in the end of month of April, so this is something to focus on and expand on for luxury brands. Facebook Advertisement/Social Media Hotel brands must approach using Facebook as a valuable asset. Target markets can be reached with extremely low effort and high effectiveness. Social Media sites such as Facebook are able to do this by capture user provided data that creates a niche consumer. The concept of a condo-hotel Offering a five star living for potential consumers is a new way to attract a new target market. Lately five star hotels are joining forces with real estate developers, so the owners of luxury residential properties have access to the spa, bellboys walking the dog, guaranteed reservations in restaurants, or 24/7 room service. Negotiation on prices with suppliers Just like the hotel market is competitive so are those that supply the hotel. Now is the time to bulk up on supplies and negotiate with them or find others willing to satisfy hotel needs at a highly competitive cost. Narrow the market focus Target the guest segments that are still most likely to travel and pay a premium for the luxury experience. Marketing to the previous guests and loyalty club members with special offers is a great way to reinforce the special bond the hotel already has. Providing comprehensive new edge service Technology and partnerships have made it possible to provide services in a one stop shop. The Peninsula could start offering services such as car rental, restaurant reservations, or sightseeing venues all within a kiosk. It’s a small gesture but many guests would recognize the convenience and foresight in service provided. D. Threats The current economic conditions have caused customers to watch how they spend their money. The fact remains that their prices are quite high as well. It has also caused price wars between luxury hotel brands. In order to combat these, Peninsula needs to stay unique with their service and bundling their hotel packages with other amenities offered i. e. The Spa. This will give the guest a more unique experience and a sense of better value for the money. Corporate spending has either been reduced or eliminated by many organizations which have affected how much and where money is being spent on lodging. With as many rooms that are vacant they can reassess corporate rates and offer creative discounts for booking in advance or volume discounts. Competition from other hotel brands, like Four Seasons, Elysian, Park Hyatt, and Trump entering the market will try to take away customers with creative ideas and in general become a new product offering within the market. Reevaluating current loyalty programs and promotion of reduced rates for returning guests to show customer value will help combat this. In accordance with the above, there is also a high risk that there is a surplus of room availability. Consumers with have more choices and ability to choose hotels due to competition luring them away with similar marketing tactics. Terrorism has become a major factor in the decision for individuals to travel. Chicago has continually become the focus of such threats. Emphasizing the hotels ability to handle these situations and having highly trained security personnel on site bring peace of mind to guests. E. Matching strengths to opportunities/ converting weaknesses to threats The Peninsula has many strengths that can be matched to its opportunities that will then create capabilities. The Peninsula is clearly known for its high status and high standards of service these strengths matched with the opportunity of marketing for upcoming holidays and special deals allows The Peninsula to increase awareness not only about their property to a wide variety of people but about the services that they can offer. Due to the state of the economy it may be difficult to completely change the weaknesses into strengths but it is a long process that can begin now. For instance, The Peninsula has been dropping its hotel rates allowing for a mix of demographics and since they originally have had a smaller target market broadening this has skewed the image of the hotel. By keeping the price at an appropriate rate, and when the economy improves raising the rates completely, The Peninsula will be able to keep their dominant high profile status that allows them to attract certain guests who stay just for the name. There are a great number of factors in today’s environment that has created numerous threats for The Peninsula. With The Peninsula being within the luxury hotel sector the most obvious threat is the state of our economy and the high end pricing structure they currently have. As consumers watch how they spend their money the choices they make will be based on what brings the most value. To turn this threat into an opportunity, The Peninsula can start offering promotions or bundling of services/amenities in their hotel packages. This will help attract new clientele while giving an opportunity for existing customers to try these services and possibly retaining them to be repeat users of them. Another effect of the weak economy is that there is less spending by corporations on lodging. In order to counteract this result The Peninsula can reassess how they calculate corporate rates by offering discounts based on volume or booking in advance. Since there are vacant rooms on a higher scale than normal this would help fill them and possibly spread the word to other businesses due to the word of mouth from partners of the corporations taking advantage of the newly assessed rates. Although it is tough to run a company in hard times it will not stop competition from entering the market. It would help in this situation to create a feeling of loyalty from customers by offering reduced rates for returning guests or reevaluating current loyalty programs. Unfortunately, the times have created a fear of terrorism and with The Peninsula situated in large metro cities it is a cause for concern. The Peninsula will be able to create confidence in guests by instilling within them that they have the proper personnel and procedures to handle or prevent any of these situations IV. Marketing Objectives †¢Increase non-member guest visits to The Peninsula Spa by ESPA featuring the hotel’s 10 year anniversary in Chicago by April 30th, 2011 by 5%. †¢To increase events sales revenue by 7% in the month of April through June †¢Increase weekday occupancy by 6% compared to the second quarter of 2010 †¢Increase revenue at The Terrace restaurant by 5% for the second quarter in comparison to the second quarter of 2010 †¢Increase online bookings by 3 % in the second quarter of 2011. V. Marketing Strategies †¢Target Market The target market for the Peninsula Chicago is divided upon five categories. Their operation can be suited to satisfy the following: first class business traveler, high class tourist and leisure traveler, traveler with family, event celebration host and wine and dine connoisseur. Consequently, their target market specifications vary according to each category. With the five objectives listed above we have focused on both business and leisure travelers. By targeting our strategies and communication mixes to business and leisure travelers there may be overall improvement in the second quarter of 2011 compared to last year’s second quarter. Although the Peninsula’s Target Market is very well differentiated and specifically analyzed accordingly to their wants and needs in addition to demographics and behavior, it is still of high importance to go more in depth in order to understand the customer’s justification for usage of the product and the overall operation. Demographics at the Peninsula Chicago Race Age Income Education Geographic Business Traveler Mostly white, unless Geographic’s change 35-55 70,000-400,000 Masters, PhDs Worldwide Leisure Traveler Mostly white, unless Geographic’s change 25-65 70,000-400,000 College Graduate Worldwide Psychographics and Product Usage according to Behavior at the Peninsula Chicago Interest Activities Opinions/Attitudes Usage Rate Loyalty Business Traveler Business Politics Public affairs Work Relaxation Wine and dine Strongly opinionated. Passionate about his or her interests. High High depending on the perks offered by the Hotel or competitors, accordingly Leisure Traveler Travel Entertainment Health and well-being Sports Travel Outdoors Attractions Spa Wine and Dine Very relaxed, looking for a positive source of energy and enjoyment of their free time High Moderate Competitive Set Chicago is highly populated with hotels. The amount of luxury hotels within the Chicago loop is fairly large. Therefore, they all share the same geographic position and closeness to the major attractions and entertainment venues in the city. Also, all of the luxury hotels offer amenities out of the ordinary. In addition to their location, the hotels physical appearance is generally very luxurious offering top of the line appliances. Being all so similar in concept, the characteristics that differentiates them among each other is their service quality. In the Chicago area the luxury hotels competing for the same or fairly similar target market are the following: Elysian Hotel, Trump International Chicago, The Ritz-Carlton Chicago and The Four Seasons Chicago. †¢Marketing Mix Increase non-member guest visits to The Peninsula Spa by ESPA featuring the hotel’s 10 year anniversary in Chicago by April 30th, 2011 by 5%. †¢Pricing strategy- Re-attract potential customers who have previously used the facilities as periodic guests by reducing membership fees from $1,500 to $750 for individuals and fees for couples from $2,000 to $1,000. -Communication mix: Personal selling to people that are already members in order to get them to come in and spread the word. Referrals from current members will include a $100 ESPA gift card for both parties. †¢Promotion strategy- Further attracting local (greater Chicago area) residents by promoting a 10th anniversary 10 day private membership at The Peninsula Spa by ESPA for $110 including (including use of fitness facilities and half-Olympic length swimming pool. Referrals from current members will include a $10 ESPA gift card for both parties. After purchasing the ten day membership, if a guest would like to sign up for a traditional membership, the $110 will be applied to the initiation fees or the first month’s membership dues. -Communication mix: An ad will be placed on the website in order to attract new customers and remind the current of new opportunities. A PR blitz will also be done in magazines to inform the public about the 10th Anniversary promotions available. I would like to only use Vanity Fair and Vogue (Full page, glo

Insatiable Emptiness free essay sample

This is a short read, and I have set twenty minutes aside to work on it. I could probably read this in five minutes but I am setting an extra fifteen minutes to re-read and take notes along the way. 2. The Title, â€Å"An Insatiable Emptiness† The title may suggest that the author will be talking about how much she enjoys revering in her misery. The title can be way of saying that she is struggling deep down inside psychologically. The title may suggest that she is writing about her desire for more of what she knows is bad but has a deep need for whatever it may be. It can also mean that she is depressed and suicidal, perhaps even a drug addict. Does this mean that she weathered the storm and is now better today? 3. The author, Evelyn Lau Evelyn Lau is a writer who was born in Vancouver. She has done work such as written poetry, books, short stories and even autobiography’s. We will write a custom essay sample on Insatiable Emptiness or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Lau is an acclaimed writer whom has won awards such as the Milton Acorn Poetry Award and nominated for the Governor’s General Award. Her first book, Runaway: Diary of a Street Kid (1989) was a Canadian best seller and was made into a CBC-TV movie. Her latest book, Inside out: Reflections on a Life So Far, was published in 2001. Her small biography shows her to be a woman who is strong willed and has been through a lot. This may be an indicator as to what I will be reading, which may be an autobiography about her and perhaps her struggles with drugs. 4. The source of the article This is one of Evelyn Lau’s personal journals which appeared in one of her novels: Georgia Straight (1995). 5. Visual Cues to meaning There were no bold or italic words throughout the whole article, so, I read the first paragraph for visual cues. Through the first paragraph I see that Lau will be talking about her battle with bulimia and how it all started and what the results of her making critical decisions are now. I also see that she learnt how to make herself vomit easier by reading it in a woman’s magazine. This could suggest that the woman’s magazine played a hand in making her a full fledged bulimic because before she read it she â€Å"inexpert† and having troubles making herself throw up. Since this essay is an example of a cause and effect essay I believe that through reading the first paragraph that the author will likely be going through the process of her becoming a bulimic and the effects of it now. 6. Create a road map for your reading? Who did she hurt by doing this to herself? What were the causes and effects of her actions? Where did she go for help, if she did? When did this all happen to her? Why didn’t she get any help before it all got out of hand? How did she deal with her illness?

Become an Entrepreneur While Youre Still a Student

Become an Entrepreneur While Youre Still a Student College life can get pretty hectic. With attending classes, writing papers, playing sports and going to club meetings all while trying to squeeze in a social life, it might seem like the worst time to start a business. However, it’s one of the best times to explore your entrepreneurial spirit! Think about it: in college you have all the resources you need right at your fingertips, for free. From getting business advice from your Economics professor to sourcing your talent right in your backyard to having a ready-made clientele all around you. It really doesn’t get much better than this. So how do you actually start a business in college? Here are some tips: What Are You Good At? Evaluate your talents. Are you a people person, good at seeing the big picture and delegating to others? Or are you more hands-on, building your creations from the bottom up? What are you good at? What’s the heart of your business? Evaluate Your Idea Is there a market for this service/product? What resources do you need in order to execute it? What resources do you have? How many people will you need to employ in order to bring the idea to life? What’s the time frame to execute your idea under the perfect circumstances? Are there any legal limitations or drawback you can anticipate? Is anyone else offering a similar service? Make a Business Plan Again, time to seek out that Economics professor or another professor who could help you with this. A business plan covers the general idea of your business, analyzes the existing market for it, outlines your marketing strategy, provides information about management team’s experience and responsibilities, discusses the financial investment required and assesses the risks. Outline your business plan on your own or with the help of a professor or other experienced businessperson. You can also use a special software or ask us to write your business plan. Get a Mentor Most universities have mentoring programs through their career counseling centers. You could contact a mentor on your own as well as if there’s someone you really want to work with and whose experience you think will help you grow your business. Consider Registering Your Business This is an important step in making your business official. You will definitely need the help of your mentor and/or a lawyer if you want to go this route. The benefits of registering are that nobody can copy your idea without facing legal action and you will be recognized as an official part of this industry, allowing you to go to trade shows and develop business partnerships with industry leaders. Look into Kickstarter Kickstarter is a great platform for young entrepreneurs. It teaches you the ins and outs of grassroots funding and puts you in touch with people who are working on similar projects. It’s also a platform that experienced industry leaders use to scope out up and coming talent. Get the Word Out on Social Media College campuses are notoriously social media obsessed so take advantage of that and spread the word through your campus. You might consider paying for Facebook ads to make sure your business ads get the attention you want. Set up your website, register an Instagram account, post photos and videos and develop your LinkedIn profile. Social media is an important part of business marketing today. Take Classes to Enhance Your Business Knowledge Finance and accounting Marketing Economics Management Public speaking Writing and composition Computer science Don’t Slack You may find it difficult to balance your new business with your classes. Don’t let yourself fall behind in your classes. You may get permission to use your startup for your class project or paper for one or more classes. Most likely, your professors will be supportive of your business and want to encourage your entrepreneurial spirit. Becoming an entrepreneur during college can be a great experience. If you’re considering it, don’t hesitate. The resources and support are there for the taking. Image credit: Photograph by Bloomberg - Getty Images.

Top French Pronunciation Mistakes and Difficulties

Top French Pronunciation Mistakes and Difficulties Many students find that pronunciation is the hardest part of learning French. The new sounds, the silent letters, the liaisons - they all combine to make speaking French very tricky. If you really want to perfect your French pronunciation, your best option is to work with a native French speaker, preferably one who specializes in accent training. If that isnt possible, then you need to take things into your own hands by listening to French as much as possible, and by studying and practicing the pronunciation aspects that you find most difficult. Here is a list of the top French pronunciation difficulties and mistakes, with links to detailed lessons and sound files. The French R The French R has been the bane of French students since time immemorial. OK, maybe its not quite that bad, but the French R is pretty tricky for a lot of French students. The good news is that it is possible for a non-native speaker to learn how to pronounce it. Really. If you follow my step-by-step instructions and practice a lot, youll get it. The French U The French U is another tricky sound, at least for English speakers, for two reasons: its hard to say and its sometimes difficult for untrained ears to distinguish it from the French OU. But with practice, you can definitely learn how to hear and say it. Nasal Vowels Nasal vowels are the ones that make it sound like the speakers nose is stuffed up. In fact, nasal vowel sounds are created by pushing air through the nose and mouth, rather than just the mouth as you do for regular vowels. Its not so difficult once you get the hang of it - listen, practice, and you will learn. Accents French accents do more than just make words look foreign - they modify pronunciation and meaning too. Therefore, its extremely important to know which accents do what, as well as how to type them. You dont even need to buy a French keyboard - accents can be typed on virtually any computer. Silent Letters Many French letters are silent, and a lot of them are found at the end of words. However, not all final letters are silent. Confused? Read over these lessons to get a general idea of which letters are silent in French. H  Muet  / Aspirà © Whether its an  H  muet  or an  H aspirà ©, the French H is always silent, yet it has a strange ability to act as a consonant or like a vowel. That is, the  H aspirà ©, although silent, acts like a consonant and does not allow contractions or liaisons to occur in front of it. But the  H  muet  acts like a vowel, so contractions and liaisons are required in front of it. Confusing? Just take the time to memorize the type of H for the most common words, and youre all set. Liaisons and Enchaà ®nement French words flow one into the next thanks to liaisons and enchaà ®nement. This causes problems not only in  speaking but in  listening comprehension  as well. The more you know about liaisons and enchaà ®nement, the better youll be able to speak and understand whats being spoken. Contractions In French, contractions are required. Whenever a short word like  je, me, le, la, or  ne  is followed by a word that begins with a vowel or H  muet, the short word drops the final vowel, adds an apostrophe, and attaches itself to the following word. This is not optional, as it is in English - French contractions are required. Thus, you should never say je  aime or le  ami - it is always  jaime  and  lami. Contractions  never  occur in front of a French consonant (except H  muet). Euphony It may seem odd that French has specific rules about ways to say things so that they sound prettier, but thats the way it is. Familiarize yourself with the various euphonic techniques so that your French sounds pretty too. Rhythm Ever heard anyone say that French is very musical? Thats partly because there are no stress marks on French words: all syllables are pronounced at the same intensity (volume). Instead of stressed syllables or words, French has rhythmic groups of related words within each sentence. Its kind of complicated, but if you read my lesson youll get an idea of what you need to work on.

Saudi Arabia - Trade Elasticity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Saudi Arabia - Trade Elasticity - Essay Example Frequently, trade elasticities are needed for answering policy questions regarding a country and for making judgments regarding a country’s real exchange rate (Billmeier & Hakura, 2008). It should be noted that, trade elasticities need to be estimated with respect to foreign, domestic demand and the real exchange rate and factors such as energy prices across the world. When estimating trade elasticities, several choices must be made including long-term factors that drive export and import demand. Secondly, it is important to ascertain how the recent global trade flows are dominant in these estimates. Additionally, trade elasticities are also depended on relative prices, demand, and natural resource endowment, particularly, energy such as oil (Billmeier & Hakura, 2008). In Saudi Arabia, the elasticity of export and import demand changes with variations in foreign and domestic demand. Imports, in particular, appear to be more inelastic with regards to domestic demand. This is because demand is mostly geared towards goods that are domestically produced. Interestingly, Saudi Arabian imports are, to a much larger extent, dominated by energy imports, particularly oil. Imp orts increase by 2.2 percent when the real price of oil increases by 10 percent (Billmeier & Hakura, 2008). However, both exports and imports react in the same way to foreign demand and domestic demand, respectively. To calculate import and export elasticities for Saudi Arabia, this paper will utilize results from the production theory. Using Hotelling’s lemma, the general-equilibrium supply function can be obtained from a derivative of a country’s GDP function with regard to output prices. Demand function for inputs can also be obtained in this similar way, and as such, import elasticity can be estimated. Saudi Arabian import elasticity according to (Billmeier & Hakura, 2008) is -1.915553. This is a negative and is assumed to be with the wrong sign

Andrew Ryan at VC Brakes Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Andrew Ryan at VC Brakes - Assignment Example The dictatorial tendencies, poor rapport in the various levels of management and mistrust from the workforce constitute the confounding issues the faces the implementations of the total management program. The paper utilizes the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as a management tool in order to analyze the case study effectively VC Brakes faced numerous issues emanating from its autocratic culture that dominated the firm’s operations (Cespedes and Yong, 2013, Pg. 2). In addition, VC Brakes had a reputation of poor top- down managerial skills and lack of trust from the production to the professional workforce who felt that the firm was unresponsive to their queries. The introduction of total quality management program by Crossroads Corporation was intended to improve the product quality, management practices and more so, to develop a consistent operational strategy that would be utilized across all sectors in the various subsidiaries found under VC Brakes.Questio n 1The major situation that faced Ryan involved the implementation of total quality management program that would raise the ailing quality productivity at VC Brakes. The autocratic culture evident in VC Brakes is depicted in various situations in the case study of instance, the emphatic condensation of the training sessions. (Cespedes and Yong, 2013, Pg. 6).   The notion would have amassed numerous achievements if it had gone through the initially specified time since it could have provided ample time.

Roe Through the Chain of Command Essay Example for Free

Roe Through the Chain of Command Essay President Johnson implemented the Rules of Engagement (ROE) during the war in Vietnam, particularly Southeast Asia. His intention for this set of rules was a means of control. The ROE dictated who (of the enemy) and where the American troops were allowed to attack, even if they were clearly within enemy reach. This set of rules benefited the hierarchy in the Chain of Command, but had a much less desirable effect on those who actually carried out the rules. This paper will explore the ROE and how it affected the military through the Chain of Command. Soldiers were limited in their ability to defend. The ROE paralyzed them from shooting even when they were shot at because the rules stated they must be certain their target is the enemy and not terrified civilians. They were only allowed to attack other soldiers and/or those dressed in combat gear with weapons (Moss, 2010). This negatively impacted the soldiers’ will to fight because they felt the ROE were not in place to protect them but to enforce political policy. Their requests were ignored. When in combat, the ROE forced the soldiers to keep their safety and preservation of their lives secondary while continuing to follow rules set forth by commanders on safe grounds (Moss, 2010). Battalion commanders are responsible for their battalion (300-1,000 soldiers) and the commands they are to execute during battle (United states army, para. 1). The Battalion commanders had the responsibility to directly enforce the ROE to the soldiers of the battalion. If the soldiers did not follow commands correctly or effectively, the Battalion commanders must answer to the Commander in Chief and suffer the consequences if any. The ROE limited the commanders from utilizing their sophisticated weaponry and equipment to its fullest capability. The Division commanders were considered experts in the military. However, their expertise was disregarded and ignored by the President. The Division commander would instruct and guide their soldiers to carry out well planned attack strategies but were often overridden by those higher up in command based on the ROE. What made sense to the Division commander was secondary to the restrictions of the ROE. The commanders were able to increase and add to the ROE but they were not allowed to reduce the rules or bend the rules in any way (Moss, 2010). The Division Commander was faced with great difficulty of knowing the enemy was at an advantage due to the ROE because their goal was to defeat the enemy. It seems the ROE had a different goal. In 1967, Gen William Westmoreland initiated his war of attrition in hopes of victory. Westmoreland requested 2000,000 additional troops to expand the military against the VC/NVA forces, among other requests. President Johnson denied these requests. President Johnson only approved 55,000 additional troops (moss, 2010, p. 216). General Westmoreland was one of the commanders whose expertise was ignored and overridden by President Johnson and Secretary McNamara. He was forced to give Americans false information on the US status of the war; this was demeaning to his professionalism. The department of Defense was responsible for informing Vietnam troops of ROE’s implementations and changes. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara delegated to the Joint Chief of Staff to provide the commanders with the rules. Debates were held when changes to the ROE occurred and Secretary McNamara was often the mediator who settled those debates. Again, during these debates, military advise from experts was often ignored (Drake, 1992 p. 9). It became apparent that the purpose of the ROE was to continue protecting decision makers President Johnson and Secretary McNamara. President Lyndon Johnson initiated the ROE’s in avoidance of the Soviet Union and China interferences. The ROE’s restricted the military commanders and â€Å"†¦played a major part in the failure of U.  S air power in this singular black mark on the record of American military aviation† (Dorschel, 1995, para. 1). President Johnson was hopeful that the ROE would be effective in controlling the temperament of the war. He was also using this limited war tactic to win votes during the 1964 elections. â€Å"The new president (Johnson) also feared that the injection of U. S. combat forces into the Vietnam War would provoke adverse reactions throughout the world and trigger uprisings of domestic opposition that could stifle his domestic reform program and cost him the 1964 presidential election (Moss, 2010 p. 122). President Johnson was convinced the military commanders were more concerned with spending and he did not consider their expertise and professional input when decisions were made during combat. â€Å"The president and his advisors often disregarded the advice of military experts, believing that: Generals know only two words: spend and bomb (Dorschel, 1995, para. 12). † It is apparent that the Rules of Engagement was used as a political tool to secure positions in office of President Johnson and General Westmoreland with disregard of preserving the integrity of soldiers, pilots, and commanders. The training nd skills of the troops were not appreciated and were completely negated by via the ROE. â€Å"Crews were forced to fly in predictable ways, fly the same routes over and over, and operate in ways that went against their training and experience. The continuous changes to the rules and the complexity of them made learning and remembering them a difficult task and the predictable nature of the campaign and the protected areas in North Vietnam caused heavy American losses. It was all but impossible to inflict the kind of damage necessary to achieve the stated goals of the offensive (Dorschel, 1995, para. 25).

Hizballah Role In A Unified Middle East :: essays research papers fc

The Monroe Doctrine was developed because the United States and Britain were concerned over the possibility of European colonial expansion in the Americas. Hizballah, or party of god, was developed along the same lines of separationism, because originally the Shiite Muslims began the organization as a revolt against Western influences and the Israeli’s occupation of Lebanon. The future of the Hizballah and the Islamic Resistance (the parties militant wing) is unclear as well as the future of the entire Middle East. The Hizballah will be forced to either adjust to the rest of the Middle East, or the organization will have to be eradicated. In the event that the Middle East is unified and the Hizballah organization is able to adjust, the Hizballah will try and influence the rest of the area to take on a â€Å"Monroe Doctrine† approach to foreign affairs as well. The Islamic Resistance could remain a terrorist force even under a unified Middle East as long as the militia is able to work with other armed forces. In the past the Islamic Resistance has worked with the Irish Republic Army (IRA) in order to purchase arms, including surface-to-air missiles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, machine guns, explosives, and detonators (Thomas 118). Although both of these groups have been known terrorist organizations (The IRA working for Sinn Fein), the â€Å"birds of a feather† policy was upheld because of mutual interests. Just like in the Monroe Doctrine the Hizballah worked with a once adversary, the IRA-a Western influence, in order to grapple with Israel over the colonization of the Lebanese land. Even under a Unified Middle East, the Hizballah party will continue to hold on to the belief that the Middle East is better off without any influence from the godless West. The party has already successfully conducted aims at the United States under the sponsorship of Iran and with the blessings of Syria (Jaber 21). In a Unified Middle East with two countries backing the party, the Hizballah is already steps ahead of other political organizations. The principle of ridding Lebanon of the Israeli and Western influence will simply spread to ridding the Middle East of any outside influence. With this type of policy, an attack on one nation in the region will bring the other nations online to deal with and intervene if necessary to rid the area of outside influences. In order for the Hizballah party to build this modern Middle East doctrine, a strong political presence must be on hand to implement the policy.

Marvel Case Report †Marketing Essay

1. Key Problems/Opportunities: †¢Marvel’s product line is limited to primarily the superhero genre. This makes diversifying more difficult. †¢Marvel competes not only with DC Comics but also with other types of films (such as action, suspense, thriller, horror, sci-fi, etc.). When people go to the movies for entertainment, they don’t typically just go to watch comic book hero movies. Therefore, Marvel faces competition from a wide range of genres (and production companies like Paramount that produce different genres of movies). †¢Marvel can turn each comic book character into its own brand and capitalize on additional streams of revenue through licensing. Toys, T-shirts, watches, and video games based on popular comic book characters are all products that can help augment Marvel’s revenue. †¢Not all characters are of equal worth to Marvel. Spiderman and X-Men are much more valuable brands than Daredevil and the Punisher. 2. New Information: †¢Marvel continues to have mixed success with its character lineup. Elekra only grossed $56.7M worldwide while Iron Man grossed over $585M worldwide (http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/ ?id=elektra.htm; http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=ironman.htm). †¢ Marvel Entertainment’s competitive landscape has become even tougher. Not only must Marvel’s lineup compete with DC Comic’s Superman and Batman, but also comic book heroes like Transformers and G.I. Joe (interestingly, Marvel used to own the rights to Transformers and G.I. Joe but sold those rights to Hasbro) (http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread. php?t=265502). †¢Marvel has been able to keep the X-Men franchise afloat with X-Men Origins: Wolverine and X-Men: First-Class (though it does seem to be weakening some) (http://boxofficemojo.com/ showdowns/chart/?id=vs-xmen.htm). †¢Disney purchased Marvel for $4 billion in 2009 (http://money.cnn.com/2009/08/31/news/ companies/disney_marvel/index.htm). 3. Recommendations: †¢Not every Marvel movie is a blockbuster. In fact, some of them are flops. While Marvel would certainly experience growth in focusing on production and distribution more, it risks stretching itself beyond its core competencies. While successful movies could prove to be very profitable for Marvel, lackluster movies could prove to be financially detrimental if Marvel also produced and distributed all of its films. †¢Marvel must learn to manage its growth. It cannot forever rely on its cash cows Spiderman and X-Men. However, new generations equate to new potential markets. Reintroducing classic characters to new generations could translate into recurring revenue streams. †¢Marvel should leverage its growth on one hand and not stretch itself too much beyond its core competencies on the other. Getting more into production could prove to be financially beneficial for Marvel. On the other hand, I would recommend leaving the distribution to those companies that specialize in that and are large enough to be able to diversify without it harming their business. Marvel’s core competency is in developing its characters and storylines. While Marvel could expand their core competencies to include production, doing so too much to include distribution might destroy Marvel’s core competencies. †¢Marvel has thousands of characters. It should strategically develop some of its highest-potential characters. However, this has also backfired (ex: Daredevil and Elektra). It worked with Iron Man and seems to be working with Thor though. †¢Marvel can continue to create new streams of revenue by aggressively seeking licensing opportunities and even international licensing agreements. Licensing can be extremely profitable, especially when attached to a lucrative film franchise.

Reflective Draft

Through the activities was undertaken in class about negotiation, I realized that different negotiation tactics have crucial impact on negotiation in the workplace. In the activities, I was assigned to play the role of manager (Dale Williams). I need to persuade two of my subordinates to wear safety glasses. I use pressure to told Taylor she should allow the principle of company, if she doesn’t wear safety galsses, she will be fired. I give her pressure. she wants keep her job, finally, we were got a deal. And she is unhappy. In the second turn, I changed my way of talking to Chris Johnson.First I show my care of her, I asked her do u have problems of your eyes. Then I tell her experience of J. B. Harris. J. B. Harris was suffered a serious accident in another division. And she missed six weeks of work after an eye injury. If don’t wear safety glasses when work, it is easy to have risk to hurt eyes. Finally , we got a deal, and she is happy this time.. contrast these sa me situation but different experience and different tactics I used. I realized that the first time I used of fear to evoke a desired response from Taylor.It is nor effective. when I want to negotiation and get a deal. the better way and easy way is show my sympathy and worry first . it is easy let people can accept. KNOW:::From the aactivity, I know effective and good communication is an essentially significant source of negotiation power. A good communicator can manager a group or an organization easily. At the same time, it also can improve the pproduactivity of work.. on occasion, good communication is not easy. It needs people who . In fact, from this role play, I also know listening is very important.For example, Obama is good at motivation , when listen his speech, I always full of energy. And willing to accepet what he present. I realize the barriers existed in the process of negotiation. In this process, my parten is from indonisia as Pat Taylor. but I come from Chian. When we communicate, we have language barri. She have been this comapy for 20 years, More than me. She is the informal leaders of the group of more experienced employeers. I wanna she can tell me more about her experience. But she The tutor teach us types of influence tactics.Power used well achieves effective communication and positive results. Negotiating power is the ability of the negotiator to influene the behavior of another. What actions do you plan to take based on what you learnt? did you discover that a particular influence tactic is more/less effective and therefore are you likely to use this tactic in future negotiations? What did you learn about your natural preferences for influencing tactics based on? the aactivity? you might have felt more comfortable using ‘rationality’ and less comfortable using one or more other tactics.

Anti-Terrorism as a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Essay Example

Anti Anti-Terrorism as a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Essay Anti-Terrorism as a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Essay Anti Terrorism as a Self fulfilling Prophecy The issue of war against terrorism has been a dominant theme in our media today. Terrorists have been stereotyped as Middle Eastern, Muslim, cold blooded and hard headed suicide bombers who are out to destroy all that standing in the western world. The gargantuan international effort on the War on Terrorism has created a psychological construct where Islamic fundamentalism and the Middle Eastern race are now considered as potential terrorists. There have been numerous circumstances where Muslims and Arabic costume and color precipitated discrimination and hate campaigns. Movies and films of Rambo and Schwarzenegger portray terrorists as Islam fundamentalists triggering a host of discriminatory actions among the populace. Given the billions of dollars spent on the war against terrorism and the widespread and extensive media propaganda campaign, it should be logical to conclude that terrorism has been greatly diminished ten years after the September 11, 2001 tragedy. On the contrary, the War on Terrorism has become a self fulfilling prophecy where terrorist activity exponentially increased. To wit: The Rand Corporation for the National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT) reveals that there has been a 250 percent increase in terrorist activity from September 11, 2001 to September 2006 alone. If we divide post 9/11 into two phases until 2006, the first phase has 4772 fatalities from terrorist attacks and the second phase has 5177 fatalities (Conetta, 2006). Thus, all efforts to counter terrorism has only effected in their increase. The US war against Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Libya, North Korea and others in fact encourages ordinary citizens from these countries to launch attacks against the US comparable or even similar to terrorist’s acts. Instead of solving the roots of the problem such as creating an international atmosphere of peace and justice, anti terrorism campaigns have in fact sowed the seeds of war, injustice, and fan the fires of terrorism worldwide. Thus it has become a self fulfilling prophecy. The real proof that the anti terrorism campaign has become a self fulfilling prophecy is when we find ordinary citizens who are not in any way connected to terrorist groups performing terrorist acts. The recent bombing and massacre in an island in Norway killing 92 people did acts similar to the modus operandi of terrorists (bombing and shooting like in Mumbai) but acted alone. The Oklahoma bombing was done by a US soldier but imitated the acts of those who he fought during the Gulf War. The psychological construct created by suicide bombing and rampant shooting has in fact created an image where deluded and frustrated ordinary citizens can really act out their violent fantasies. There have been many cases in school campuses where some student would attack and massacre many students using bombs and high powered weapons. Terrorism according to Zulaika is now the dominant tropic space† in media, government, and all walks of life (Zulaika, 2009). This is further fueled by the imagination of nuclear war initiated by terrorists creating an apocalyptic nightmare that in turn fan the fires of Christian fundamentalists. Note that the â€Å"terrorist† who killed 92 people in Norway was a Christian fundamentalist. In fact the use of torture against suspected terrorists in Guantanamo bay was largely unprotected because of this powerful image against suspected terrorists. The problem with the Anti terrorism campaign is that it was blown too much in proportion so that the US who is supposed to be the champion of democracy and human rights is now seen as a torturer and a blanket bomber of civilians, an illegal eavesdropper of its own citizens, and an espouser of war. Indeed the War against Terrorism has not only been a self fulfilling prophecy but actually created the US as a number one terrorist as some critical groups contend. Bibliography Conetta, C. (2006, September 25). War Consequences: Global terrorism has increased since 9/11 attacks . Retrieved July 24, 2011, from www. comw. org: comw. org/pda/0609bm38. html Zulaika, J. (2009). Terrorism: The Self fulfilling Prophecy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Great College Graduation Party Ideas by Lauren Gartner

Great College Graduation Party Ideas Great College Graduation Party Ideas When it comes to any great party, there are three things to keep in mind. Every party must be held in a great location, the decoration must be fun and festive, and the food and drinks mu st be wonderful. After all, if you are throwing a graduation party for a friend or family member, don’t you want everything to be perfect for them and the party guests? Throwing a party can be stressful and a lot of work. If you have an upcoming graduation party, keep reading. The next few paragraphs are full of college graduation party ideas that you can use to make your party an absolute hit. Consider Using College Theme Party Ideas One way to make any type of party planning easier is to base the entire party around a theme. Doing this will help you focus on the theme when you are tasked with making decisions. It can also make shopping of party supplies easier as your local party store likely has items representing specific themes displayed together. Here are some examples of college party themes: Graduation BBQ – Since graduations are often held in the late spring and early summer, this is a great option. Cook hot dogs and burgers on the grill. Serve with buns, condiments, and sides of baked beans, fruit salad, and potato salad. Offer strawberry shortcake for desert. Make sure guests are kept hydrated with plenty of water and lemonade. Beer and rum punch are always great options for the adults. Decorate card tables and picnic tables with traditional checked table cloths and mismatched plates and silverware. Have games available for guests such as horse shoes, badminton, and bean bags. Graduation Open House – People throwing graduation parties often worry about accommodating large crowds of people all at once. The solution to this is to have an open house. Set snacks and drinks up in stations, and allow guests to come in and mingle with one another and the guest of honor. Be sure to provide a guestbook that folks can use to sign and offer the good wishes to the recent graduate. Graduation Luau – This is another great outdoor party idea. Stake tiki torches in the back yard and string leis as garland. Serve guests chicken and pineapple skewers, or an even more traditional roasted pork sandwiches. Play luau music for to really set the mood. Coconut cake makes a great desert for a graduation luau. Fruity cocktails are perfect for the adults. Just replace the booze with sparkling water for guests who don’t drink. Finding the Perfect Graduation Party Location If the weather is going to be nice, and you have enough room, a backyard is the perfect place for a graduation party. If you prefer to keep things indoors, a roomy rec room or an open living room are good choices. If neither of these is an option, you’ll have to find a suitable location that can accommodate your guests, serving tables, chairs, chafing dishes, etc.. You may look into renting pavilions at local parks, private banquet rooms at local restaurants, church basements, or a local VFW or Eagle’s lodge.

Development of an internet based housing demand database system for Dissertation - 1

Development of an internet based housing demand database system for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements - Dissertation Example This study discusses the analysis of the questionnaire and the analysis of it which formed the basis of the new systems requirements. The questionnaire provided insights from the system analysts, database administrators and the development team as to the requirement specifications of KZN/DHS, the municipalities and the users. There was a need for a detailed understanding of the standard operational process, the principal requirement’s of the department and the users, the shortcomings of the old system, the relational aspect of the system with respect to the sections or departments and the local municipalities frequent communication and sharing of data which needed to be analyzed at length to come to a systems requirement specifications. The questionnaire also enabled the researcher to get thorough insight into the problems the department and the users were facing and their day to day requirements as they had knowledge of KZN/DHS day to day business roles, the hierarchical leve ls and the relational aspects of all the departments concerned. The questions asked helped in gaining an in-depth understanding of the system requirements and produced a blueprint for the system design and development process. Responses to the questionnaire gave the researcher, system analysts, DBA and the developers a deeper understanding of the system objectives, the main functional areas, the various modules required, user acceptability level while bearing in mind the system validations and the testing phase required. The developers got firsthand feedback from the department sources and the end users of the proposed new system as to what was lacking from the old system and what features and functions they want in the new system. Based on the information collected from the questionnaire, the researcher who was also the system developer used the unified modelling language to produce system architecture models, documented the system specification information and shared it