Zara Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Zara - Essay Example By using these chips, Zara can easily and quickly determine their consumer trends. The company can identify which of its products are quickly bought by their customers. RFID technology have allowed Zara to conduct inventories regularly and this helps the company to paint an accurate picture of what fashions are selling well and which ones are languishing. This assists the company to plan and meet the demand posed by their consumers through the most in-demand fashion. Other industries could also adopt the radio frequency identification- RFID chips to help track their business. This technology can assist businesses within diverse industries to track their sells or business assets. This strategy can become adopted by organizations that are in the transport industry. By placing RFID chips on their trucks, transport companies can determine where there trucks are at any particular time. This helps the companies to keep track of the transportation and movement of goods which they may be charged with. Proper tracking in business helps to boost sells and provide a good ground for inventory

The Accounting Scandal at WorldCom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7500 words

The Accounting Scandal at WorldCom - Essay Example The case study shall then discuss the specific nature, and occurrence of financial statement fraud and examines how the fraud was discovered from a forensic accounting perspective. The research shall also look at the results of the regulatory investigation and criminal prosecution in trying to understand the potential consequences of the fraud to the corporation -- the management, board of trustees, shareholders - the employees and the investing public. The research shall conclude with a discussion of the lessons offered by the WorldCom case for evaluating future financial statement and accounting fraud cases. The turn of the century saw Corporate America hitting the news headlines many a time nationally and internationally; however, for the wrongest reasons - disgraceful scandals of financial accounting frauds by some of the most high-held. I. Introduction The turn of the century saw Corporate America hitting the news headlines many a time nationally and internationally; however, for the wrongest reasons - disgraceful scandals of financial accounting frauds by some of the most high-held corporations. Beginning with Xerox Corporation in 2000, a series of financial accounting scandals surfaced the corporate American landscape in these years, exposing the depraved and disgraceful faces of corporate greed and corruption. Disclosing fraudulent misrepresentation in financial statements worth multi-million dollars and/or other accounting irregularities, eventually collapsing and filing bankruptcy, many large and reputed companies such as Enron, Tyco International, Kmart, Global Crossing, WorldCom, et al literally shocked the business world. The exposure not only resulted in indictment and ignominy of the principal players in the fraud and potential losses to the company and public investors but also caused an inevitable erosion of public conf idence and trust in corporate actions, the cornerstone of U.S. market capitalism. The series of financial accounting frauds that surfaced the corporate American landscape in the late 1990s and early 2000s has brought to fore the role and significance of forensic accountants and forensic accounting perspectives - "the how and why" of financial statements - in corporate accounting and auditing practices. [Thiede, 2003]Â  

Identifying the characteristics of crisis communication

Identifying the characteristics of crisis communication The study begins through identifying the characteristics of crisis communication. In doing so a comparison was carried out with the marketing communication characteristics. During the next phase a discussion was carried out to identify the ways in which crisis communication need to be managed and through examples (Child labour and sweat shop scandal in Cambodia with regard to GAP Nike, Johnson Johnson Tylenol crisis ) impact of crisis communication on co-operate reputation was critically analyzed. The next chapter focused on the current crisis communication practices at MAS Intimates, where an in-depth discussion was carried out with the Manager Sustainability and Communication at MAS Intimates. Further analysis on of readiness level and future potential crisis which MAS Intimates might face in was discussed. The way in which the process could be evaluated was discussed. In the final chapter recommendations were given in order to improve on the Crisis communication at MAS Intimates . What is Crisis Communication? Organizations each day might face various types of potential crisis situations such as, workplace violence, explosions/fires, harmful products and management misconduct etc. The term crisis communication could be defined as, Not necessarily catastrophic event, but rather an event that, left to usual business processes, cases significant reputational, operational and financial harm (Doorley Gracial, 2007) The most challenging part of crisis communication management is reacting with the right response quickly. This is because behavior always precedes communication. Non-behavior or inappropriate behavior leads to spin, not communication (James E. Lukaszewski) Characteristics of crisis communication To analyze the characteristics of crisis communication its wise to do a comparison with marketing communication based on factors such as, target audience, communication objectives, lead time, communication tools message type. The following table denotes a comparison between crisis communication and marketing communications. a) Target Group (TG) In crisis communication, it may target many stakeholders or a specialized set of group, where it would depend based on the nature of the crisis which an organization faces. In marketing communication it generally targets the customers, competitors and channel members. (Retailers, suppliers etc) b) Communication objectives The objectives of crisis communication would be, reduce threat/risk to the business, diffuse crisis situations (Inform and persuade) where as in marketing communication the main objectives would be to differentiate and remind) c) Lead time Lead time for crisis communication would be extremely low. (Reacts as a when it happens) but in marketing communication activates are well pre planed. (Higher respond time) d) Communication tools In crisis communications depending on the nature of the crisis the organization may use broadcast or narrowcast to communicate with its stakeholders. But generally in crisis communications tools such as PR articles websites will be used. In marketing communications tools such as, TV, radio and news papers are commonly used. e) Message type During crisis communication, the message which is been communicated need to be impartial, rational, factual and direct, where as in MC the message generally tend to be vague indirect. f) Budget In MC it much more easy to determine the budgets where as in crisis communication its a bit hard to determine a budget as it may differ based on the nature of the crisis. Finally it needs to be stated the crisis communication is distinctly different from routine communication carried out by the company. Therefore it requires a different type of approach. Managing Crisis communication A corporate reputation is a valuable asset (Fombrun and van Riel, 2004). A crisis is a threat to the corporate reputation and crisis communication (Crisis response) can be integral parts of repairing that harm/protecting the reputational assets (Barton, 2001; Benoit, 1995). As mentioned above the characteristics identified (TG, communication objectives, lead time, communication tools, message type and budgets) are distinctly different from the way in which the routine communication is handled at MAS Intimates. Due to this mismatch it s important to identify the way in which to manage the above characteristics during a crisis situation. Firstly its important to have a solid plan, identify who are the stake holder group gets affected, developed contingency plans, allocate resources (sufficient budgets and man power), whose the team (Its not wise to depend on the routine people, therefore MAS need to provide necessary training and expertise to the relevant individuals), Identify which external parties would assist MAS Intimates, what are the media options, and to stimulate or rehearse the crisis plan for a crisis situation etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Impact of crisis communication on co-operate reputation Crises damage the reputation and such changes can affect how stakeholders interact with the organization (Barton, 2001;  Dowling, 2002). It need to be stated if an organization manages crisis communication in a ineffective manner it would make the crisis situation worse where as managing effectively would give the organization the opportunity to face the crisis successfully and convert it to a positive opportunity. Negative Scenario In identifying the impact on reputation one could use the crisis which GAP and Nike experienced during its allegation for breaking its strict code of conducts and anti sweat shop rules which was investigated by Panaroma. (BBC) The two internationally successful brands claim that regular monitoring ensures that most factories are free of unethical practices. But the Panaroma team uncovered sweatshop working conditions and child labour in textile factory in Cambodia which produces GAP and Nike garments. The news evoked the customers (University students in Oregon who lived near Nike and Gap head offices) in United of States, where they not only started to protest and reticulate on anti sweat shops claims against the Nike owner (Its suppose to be the biggest protest movement in US since Vietnam) Impact on crisis communication in GAP Nike reputation During the investigations it was clearly evident that both these companies knowingly have breached its code of conduct, as a result they have mislead its customers the promises given on anti sweat shop practices and banning child labour in its manufacturing process It was evident the spokes personnel addressed the media in this aspect didnt disclosed the exact ground situation. Instead they made an attempt to cover the existing situation by sighting vague excuses, which will no doubt cast a question in respect of the credibility with regard to GAP Nike, and as a result it will create a negative impact in terms of companys reputation. To avoid misunderstanding and confusion, organizations need to direct the publics attention to credible sources and ensure they hear the truth (Taylor, 2006). Positive scenario In 1992, Johnson and Johnson Tylenol medication commanded 35% of US over the counter market analysis. The SKU was doing growing rapidly and it showed 15% of the company profits. Crisis hits Johnson and Johnson Unfortunately at a stage where the company sales were blossoming an individual succeeded in lacing drugs with cyanide. As a result seven people died of it and there were rumors spreading due to contamination in the drug were causing the deaths. At the end of the episode every one in US knew Tylenol was associated with the allegation. As a result of it company market value dropped by $1 billion (Impact towards the company reputation) the share price dipped drastically. Impact on crisis communication in Johnson and Johnson reputation a) They responded quickly by complete openness and immediately removed any source, that would bring a threat by with out waiting for any evidence from other states. b) Having acted quickly they ensured every measurement was taken to avoid any similar future occurrences. (Providing a tame proof packaging) c) Willingness to share the cost on behalf of customer safety Finally its important to note the crisis communication has a clear bearing on co-operate reputation. Therefore it needs to be managed properly to reduce impact from a crisis. Readiness level for crisis communication Problems are inescapable in the dynamics of the twenty-first century, but it does not mean tackling them is insurmountable. Eliasson and Kreuter (2000) argues, one major complication with crisis is how to define the actual crisis variable. In doing so, the following criterias need to be assessed to check the readiness level of an organization to tackle any crisis situation. They are identification of the crisis, assessment of crisis in terms of impact, likelihood, which stakeholders get affected, planning and action, team appointed, spokesperson, training of people, tools and equipment internal communication. Potential crisis Readiness level at MAS Intimates As mentioned above the organization has position it self as a supplier who produces guilt free garments to its world renowned customers. In doing so, one could state that MAS is anticipating crisis in terms of providing guilt free garments though they havent experience or rehearsed any crisis to-date. Apart from it MAS are prone to expose in to crisis such as, loss of quality suppliers, physical injuries during production, workplace violence, explosions/fires, management misconduct etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ In analyzing the readiness level presently at MAS Intimates majority of the criterias mentioned above are not put in to practice. For an example MAS doesnt posses a specific team to manage any crisis situation, lack of a senior spokes person with media credibility, no proper crisis plan or a process a structured program to train personnel. Finally it needs to be stated the readiness level at MAS Intimates to face a crisis is at a lower state. Going forward the gaps identified need to be mitigated if MAS are to manage crisis in an effective manner. Evaluating the effectiveness of the Crisis Management Plan (CMP) A CMP would present a list of contact information, reminders of what generally should be done in a crisis and it helps to develop the crisis response. A CMP is not a step-by-step guide on how to manage a crisis, where Barton (2001), Coombs (2007a), and Fearn-Banks (2001) have noted how a CMP saves time by pre planning tasks, collecting information prior to the crisis, and serving as a guiding source. Once MAS Intimates execute its Crisis Management Plan its important to evaluate the effectiveness of it. In doing, so MAS Intimates could use the following criterias to evaluate the effectiveness of its crisis plan. They are, a) Early warning systems This is the ability to monitor and identify the crisis. Its the responsibility of the appointed team to monitor the internal and external environment on a consistent basis. Identify the scale of the crisis When a crisis is detected by the crisis management team its important to analyze the level of impact the reaction of each and every stakeholder group. The plan should be flexible to cover the scope of the crisis. d) Respond time Its one of the critical criterias in which MAS needs to consider when they are measuring the effectiveness of the crisis plan. It could measure through how fast the plan reacts to the crisis and to get through to your stakeholders. Ex- Johnson and Johnson were able to react fast and as a result they were able to get over the Tylenol crisis within a period of five months. e) Ability to influence stakeholder opinion This is the extent to which the plan could influence the stakeholder opinion in favour of MAS Intimates. Media Comments This refers to the way in which the media reacts to the crisis situation. Ideally the crisis plan need to make sure that majority of the communication tools need to provide positive comments in favour of MAS during and post crisis. Post crisis reputation Its the extent to which the crisis plan has influenced the crisis situation. The evaluation will be done based on, The level of improvement, Has it worsen the situation Is the situation remains the same Recommendations The following suggestions are recommended to improve the crisis communication at MAS Intimates. a) Internal communication Employees are perhaps the most important stakeholders during a crisis, where poor internal communication could undermine the efforts to manage a crisis externally. For example lack of trust, employee turnover and poor customer relations would make the crisis even worse if its not properly managed. The following practices; are recommended to improve the internal communication at MAS Intimates. They are, set up crisis communication channels, desktop alerts, message reporting tools, use social media to listen to your employees, setup target audience in advance, carry out scenario planning and plan messages ahead, provide pocket guide, have crisis communication maps etc(Paste posters on the wall) b) Recruitment of a PR agency Its important to recruit a PR urgency which would be very useful in a crisis situation for MAS. It would help MAS to link with other media communication channels specially in executing PR articles, and developing media strategies to counter attack or defend against a crisis situation. Media Relation Media relation experts are often criticized for the ability to craft stories spin stories in favor of the relevant party. So its critical for MAS Intimates to build a strong relationship with the relevant media channels and media houses. The following techniques could be used by MAS intimates to create a strong bondage with the media personnel. Carry out proper research and prepare Always admit the truth Meet in person -One on one face to face goes along way in media relation. For an example Coca Cola used to take its media personnel for lunch or invite for it cocktail gatherings. Be available for 24/7 Appoint a designated person to handle calls receiving from media channels Finding new ways to communicate Co-operate blogs, message and business networks. d) Training The nature of training would vary based on the crisis. In providing training MAS could use techniques such as stimulations, mock ups, media training, mock plays, sharing best practices carried out by other companys etc. e) Spokesperson A spokesman would play a critical role in a crisis situation as the team need to prepare themselves to talk to the news media. In doing so MAS Intimates need to recruit or train a spokesman to tackle the media pressure during crisis. Lerbinger (1997), Feran-Banks (2001), and Coombs (2007a) devote considerable attention to media relations in a crisis. Proposed article will be published in the Marketer and LMD magazine which would be read by leading business professionals and business students.

Ghost Story of Manresa Castle at Port Townsend, Washington :: Urban Legends Ghost Stories

Manresa Castle at Port Townsend, Washington The story I was told concerns the Manresa Castle at Port Townsend, in Washington State. The myth surrounding the castle is the usual belief that the castle is haunted. People go to the castle just to hear the cries and feel the tingles of staying there over night. People have also reported that when they have taken pictures while they stay there, they will be surrounded by glowing orbs in the background. The story pertaining to this castle I first heard in a coffee house on Capitol Hill, in Seattle, Washington. Capitol Hill is known for being the stomping grounds of a wide variety of people. There are bohemians, hippies, homeless people, drag queens, and lots of college students due to the fact that there are five colleges in the city of Seattle alone. It is also not so full of tourists, who spend more of their time at Pikes Place Market (also said to be haunted) and the Center. I spoke to the storyteller around two in the afternoon on Friday, March 23rd during my spring break. She works at a local hospital and is finishing up medical school. She is recently married, twenty-four years old, and she grew up in West Seattle. Her mom is Ukrainian and is the principal of an elementary school. She knows of the story after hearing it from fellow students at the University of Washington, where she went for her undergraduate studies. The story was told during a regular hangout, by a girl from a town near Port Townsend. The person I heard the story from doesn't really pay the myth and "ghost story" idea any attention because of its common presence in that area. Washington state is a region known as the "Haunted North West." Capitol Hill has so many "ghosts" that companies offer ghost tours year round. [During the telling of the story there were no meaningful gestures, just pauses when the storyteller couldn't remember certain details, or when she wanted to take more sips of her macchiato. The storyteller did not relate the story with intonation or pitch changes, nor did her rate change. It was more like the stating of facts she knew.] Hmm, one that is still going strong is about†¦ well I don't remember the name but it's this castle in Port Townsend, overlooking the bay.

Entire Course (Managerial Economics) Essay

Firm Objectives. Why do some business firms pursue a triple-bottom-line outcome while others focus only on profit maximization? Please, use a real company example to illustrate your points Decision Making Under Uncertainty. To save on gasoline expenses, Edith and Mathew agreed to carpool together for traveling to and from work. Edith preferred to travel on I-20 highway as it was usually the fastest, taking 25 minutes in the absence of traffic delays. Mathew pointed out that traffic jams on the highway can lead to long delays making the trip 45 minutes. He preferred to travel along Shea Boulevard, which was longer (35 minutes), but rarely had traffic jams. Edith agreed that in case of traffic jams, Shea Boulevard was a reasonable alternative. Neither of them knows the state of the highway ahead of time. After driving to work on the I-20 highway for 1 month (20 workdays), they found the highway to be jammed 3 times. Assuming that this month is a good representation of all months ahead, should Edith and Mathew continue to use the highway for traveling to work? How would you conclusion change for the winter months, if bad weather makes it likely for traffic jams on the highway to increase to 6 days per month? How would your conclusion change if Mathew purchased a new smart-phone app that could show the status of the highway traffic prior to their drive each morning, thus reducing the probability of them getting into a jam down to only 1day per month (where on this day, the app showed no traffic jam, but a jam developed in the meantime as they were driving along the highway). Economics of Risk and Uncertainty Applied Problems. Please, complete the following 3 applied problems in a Word or Excel document. Show all your calculations and explain your results. Submit your assignment in the drop box by using the Assignment Submission button. 1. A generous university benefactor has agreed to donate a large amount of money  for student scholarships. The money can be provided in one lump-sum of $10mln, or in parts, where $5.5mln can be provided in year 1, and another $5.5mln can be provided in year 2. Assuming the opportunity interest rate is 6%, what is the present value of the second alternative? Which of the two alternatives should be chosen and why? How would your decision change if the opportunity interest rate was 12%? Please, show all your calculations. 2. Volkswagen is considering opening an Assembly Plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for the production of its 2012 Passat, tailored for the US market. The CEO of the company is considering two potential options for the size of the plant: one is a large size with a projected annual production of 150,000 cars, and the other one is a smaller size plant, which is cheaper to build, but can only produce up to 80,000 cars per year. Depending on the expected level of demand for these cars in the US, Volkswagen has to decide which option is more profitable. The discount rate is 6% and for simplicity purposes, the CEO is only evaluating a two-year horizon. The initial factory setup cost, the expected demand scenarios, profit, and probabilities are shows in the below table. Calculate the Net Present Value in each of the two options. Which option should the CEO choose and why? Please, show all your calculations. 3. An angel investor is considering investing in one of two start-up businesses and is evaluating the expected returns along with the risk of each option in order to choose the better alternative. Business 1 is an innovative protein energy drink, which has ENPV of $100,000 with a standard deviation of $40,000. Business 2 is a unique chicken wings dipping sauce with an ENPV of $60,000 and a standard deviation of $25,000. a) Apply the coefficient-of-variation decision criterion to these alternatives to find out which is preferred by the angel investor, assuming that he/she is risk-averse. b) Apply the maximin criterion, assuming that the worst outcome in Business 1 is to lose $5,000, whereas the worst outcome in Business 2 is to make only $5,000 in profit. c) If you were the angel investor, what is your certainty equivalent for these two projects? Are you risk-averse, risk-neutral, or risk-lover? Week 2 Marginal Rate of Substitution. What is the marginal rate of substitution (MRS) and why does it diminish as  the consumer substitutes one product for another? Use examples to illustrate Demand Elasticity. Please, read the article Hainer, R. (2010), provided in the required readings section for this week. The tobacco industry is a prime example to consider when talking about price elasticity of demand. While nicotine use can be addictive for many users, it is not addictive for the so-called â€Å"social smokers†. What can we say about the price elasticity of demand for nicotine products (such as cigarettes, pipes, tobacco) in the group of nicotine addicted users, versus the group of â€Å"social smokers†? Can we say whose demand is likely to be more elastic? Why? Consumer Demand Analysis and Estimation Applied Problems. Please, complete the following 3 applied problems in a Word or Excel document. Show all your calculations and explain your results. Submit your assignment in the drop box by using the Assignment Submission button. 1. Roshima is researching universities where she could study for her MBA degree. She is considering 3 major attributes that she considers important in her choice: ranking, price, and location. The value she places on each attribute, however, differs according to whether she remains full-time employed during her studies or quits her job and focuses on her degree. If she continues to work full time and takes all her courses online, then ranking is the most important attribute, twice as important as price and three times as important as location. If she quits her job and attends school full time, then location becomes three times as important as ranking and twice as important as price. She is considering two universities, respectively, the MBA program at Arizona State University (ASU) and the MBA program at University of Phoenix (UOP), both of which are priced at approximately $25,000. She has rated each attribute on a scale of 1 to 100 for each of the two schools. a. Which of the two options should Roshima pursue of she wants to keep her full-time job? (Calculate the total expected utility from each school option and compare. Graph is not required) b. Which of the two options should she pick if she plans to quit her job and dedicate to her studies? c. Which option should she pursue if the probability of being laid off and unable to find a new job is estimated as  0.6? Show your calculations and explain your reasoning. 2. The demand function for Einstein Bagels has been estimated as follows: – 40.73Px + 84.17Py + 0.55Ax  where Qx represents thousands of bagels; Px is the price per bagel; Py is the average price per bagel of other brands of bagels; and Ax represents thousands of dollars spent advertising Einstein Bagels. The current values of the independent variables are , , and a. Calculate the price elasticity of demand for Einstein’s Bagels and explain what it means. b. Derive an expression for the (inverse) demand curve for Einsteins’s Bagels. c. If the cost of producing Einstein’s Bagels is constant at $0.10 per bagel, should they reduce price and thereafter, sell more bagels (assume profit maximization is the company’s goal)? d. Should Einstein Bagels spend more on advertising? 3. The consulting firm that you work for has been hired by the US Government to provide an independent analysis of the demand-side effects of a contemplated increase in the tax on gasoline. They provide you with a data set relating to the period 1962-1987, which they say contains valuable historic lessons relating to the impact of volatile pump prices due to the supply restrictions imposed by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations that required car manufacturers to increase the fuel efficiency of the cars they sold, while at the same time Real Disposable Income (RDI) per capita was rising, the number of passenger cars (NPC) almost doubled, and inflation was pushing up the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Week 3 Relevant Costs. Two partners own together a small landscaping business in North Carolina, called Summer Lawn Care. They have been specializing in summer grass seeding, installation, and maintenance. Recently, the partners acquired special technology and know-how for winter grass installations and maintenance. They also added a tree cutting service as recent storms in the  area had caused demand for this service to soar. One of the partners insists that the name of the business should change to Lawn and Tree Care, so that it better reflects the range of services and, thus, generates more customer interest, and thus contracts. The second partner wants to keep the old name and argues, â€Å"We have already paid for business cards, vehicle paint, signage, and ads in Yellow Pages†. Evaluate the arguments of the two partners. Explain and illustrate their points by identifying the relevant and irrelevant costs for this decision. Contribution Analysis. Explain what is meant by â€Å"contribution analysis†. Carefully define the term and provide examples to illustrate it. Production Cost Analysis and Estimation Applied Problems. Please, complete the following 3 applied problems in a Word or Excel document. Show all your calculations and explain your results. Submit your assignment in the drop box by using the Assignment Submission button. 1. Jennifer Trucking Company operates a large rig transportation business in Texas that transports locally grown vegetables to San Diego, California. The company owns 5 large rigs and hires local drivers paid fixed salaries monthly, regardless of the number of trips or tons of cargo that each driver transports each month. 2. The Palms Dry Cleaning Shop in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, faces a highly seasonal demand for its services, as the snow-birds retirees flock to Florida in mid-fall to enjoy the mild winter weather and then return to their main homes in mid-spring. Given this seasonality, Palms tries to keep the overhead costs as low as possible and therefore, often uses seasonal contracted labor to man its operations. The following table shows the labor costs in each month of operation over the past 12 months as well as the total number of garments that were dry-cleaned in each month. Palms pays fixed wages per hour to each employee, and we can assume that the costs of other variable inputs (such as chemicals, electricity, etc) have remained constant. 3. Over the past 12 months the Four Winds Novelty Company firm has recorded its internet sales (equals monthly output levels) and its monthly total variable costs (TVC) for a particular novelty item as shown in the following table. Sales have grown over this period with  relatively few shocks due to uncontrollable weather, political and sporting events. This online retailer carries no inventories; when it receives a pre-paid on-line order from a customer, it simply buys the product from a supplier and ships it out to the customer. Week 4 Strategic Behavior Oligopolies. An interesting example of strategic behavior comes from a 1997 article about Microsoft’s investment in Apple (New Straits Times, 1997). The article is included in the Required Readings list. Facing tough anti-trust scrutiny from government agencies, Microsoft provided financial support to Apple in order to ensure Apple’s survival and, therefore, to ensure that competitiveness in the industry remains. Moreover, the partnership with Apple provided an additional market for Microsoft’s products – the MS Office and the IE products were to be bundled with the MAC OS as one of the conditions for this financing. Discuss this case in the context of market structure and strategic behavior. What market structure do these firms operate in? Why did Microsoft need to preserve competitiveness in the industry? What was Microsoft afraid of in the event that Apple did not survive? Local Market Power. Bulls Eye department store specializes in the sales of discounted clothing, shoes, household items, etc. similar to the offerings at a regular Walmart or Target. Bulls Eye is the only department store in Show Low and the nearest other discount retailer is Target, located 49 miles away in Eagar. Bulls Eye, therefore, has some market power in its local area. Despite having some market power, Bulls Eye is currently suffering losses. An analyst at Bulls Eye is recommending to the manager to raise prices, so that profitability can be improved. The manager is unsure of this strategy as recent data points to increasing numbers of individuals shopping more and more. What are the pros and cons of raising the prices at Bulls Eye and would that strategy be profitable? Market Structures and Pricing Decisions Applied Problems. A small business which produces plastic vacuum-suction covers for round household dishes has  a monopoly that is protected by a utility patent. The market demand curve for this product is estimated to be: – 25P where Q is the number of plate covers per year and P is in dollars. Cost estimation processes have determined that the firm’s cost function is represented by + 2500Q -0.25*Q2. 2. Greener Grass Company (GGC) competes with its main rival, Better Lawns and Gardens (BLG), in the supply and installation of in-ground lawn watering systems in the wealthy western suburbs of a major east-coast city.Last year, GGC’s price for the typical lawn system was $1,995 compared with BLG’s price of $2,100. GGC installed 9,130 systems, or about 55% of total sales and BLG installed the rest. (No doubt many additional systems were installed by do-it-yourself homeowners since the parts are readily available at har dware stores.) Week 5 Good Will in Price Bidding. Sometimes, a bidder on a work contract may bid lower than what would maximize his/her profit from the contract and the reason for that is to create goodwill (to increase expected future business from the buyer). How would you value the goodwill that is obtained in this way? New Product Introduction. Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Germany owns the Alka-Seltzer, which was launched in 1931 and was meant for relief of minor aches, pains, inflammation, fever, headache, heartburn, sour stomach, indigestion, and hangovers. The Alka-Seltzer Plus was a spin-off of the original medicine, meant to relieve colds and flu. The company has recently introduced a new and improved Alka-Seltzer Plus, as described in the TV ad: â€Å"The Cold Truth†, (please, watch the ad listed in the Required Readings) Price Quotes and Pricing Decisions Applied Problems. Please, complete the following 3 applied problems in a Word or Excel document. Show all your calculations and explain your results. Submit your assignment in the drop box by using the Assignment Submission button. Maxim Motronics A.G. have been marketing a new product in Europe that has achieved notable market success and it now plans to introduce this product into the United States market. Week 6 Game Theory and Strategic Behavior. Suppose that GE is trying to prevent Maytag from entering the market for high efficiency clothes dryers. Even though high efficiency dryers are more costly to produce, they are also more profitable as they command sufficiently higher prices from consumers. The following payoffs table shows the annual profits for GE and Maytag for the advertising spending and entry decisions that they are facing. Based on this information, can GE successfully prevent Maytag from entering this market by increasing its advertising levels? What is the equilibrium outcome in this game? Sustainable Competitive Advantage. Describe the circumstances under which a firm chooses a low-cost strategy to attain sustainable competitive advantage. What about the situations when a differentiation strategy is chosen? Provide specific real world examples. Focus of the Final Paper Research a specific company of your choice and identify some of the managerial decisions that were made over time and in response to changes in its market or competitive environment. Use the Ashford University Online Library and web-based sources for your research. At least three external scholarly sources must be used. Address all of the following areas: Describe the company and provide a brief history of its operations. Find or use graphs to illustrate its financial performance over the years. Identify any sources of risk or uncertainty in its operations. Do the financial reports indicate risky or uncertain activities or changes to the economic environment that ultimately appear to have affected the company’s financial outcomes? Be specific. Are there any government regulations that have affected this company’s operations domestically or abroad? Explain.

An analysis of “Night” and “Beloved” Essay

In the list of the most tackled themes for literary works, freedom and love probably top the list. The Novels â€Å"Night† and â€Å"Beloved† are some examples of the literary pieces which intertwine these two popular concepts. Basically, the books dwelled on stories of slavery and brutality which ultimately destroyed the lives of the fictional characters. In this paper, the researcher tries to examine how these books address the importance of freedom and love in terms of living a life of meaning and purpose. The Lack of Freedom Can Deny Worth Both literary pieces demonstrate that without freedom, a person can ultimately loose his sense of self, and thus stripping the individual of his love for himself and his worth as a human being. The lack of worth is often initiated by the perpetrators or those who enslave. However, through continuous exposure to maltreatment, discrimination, and intolerant violence, the enslaved may loose hope, and in the end – accept the fact that he and his life are indeed worthless and that there is no point of loving himself and his fellows. This is clearly shown in the first novel. In the beginning of the â€Å"Night†, the Jews who were brought to the Nazi camp found relief in caring for each other. They also turned to religion and their God at times when they feared for their lives. In particular, Eliezer excessively prayed seeking salvation, security, and purpose in his faith and believing that God would not let evil prevail. The Jews also tried to seek relief from supporting Zionism. To a certain sense, the captives tried to preserve their worth as a human being through loving and caring. (Wiesel) However, brutal experiences forced them to thwart their beliefs and their worth. They had to see babies that were burned in open pit furnaces. Such event is very demoralizing to people since babies are often regarded as symbols of pure and innocent lives which needed love, not brutality. Apart from that, they were also forced to watch the hanging of their fellow Jews, people whom they loved and cared for. Such experiences combined with the inhumane treatment of Nazis gradually led the Jews to believe that they were basically nothing but slaves – individuals who have no purpose in life but to serve the superior race. They were somehow, undeserving of love and life, which will only be wasted through unjustifiable and imposed death. In â€Å"Beloved†, the slaves were liberated but one can see that their liberation was probably too late in the sense that slavery already ruined their â€Å"sense of self†. Take the case of Paul D. As a slave, he was treated with utmost cruelty by the â€Å"school teacher†. When he tried to escape with Sixo, they were captured and Sixo was killed. Paul D was then subjected to humiliation when he was forced to wear an iron bit much like a horse. He also suffered from pitiless beatings and torturing of the ‘chain gang’. As a result of these inhumane treatments, Paul D often felt insecure and unconvinced of his humanness and manhood. (Morrison) In the case of Sethe, she was also treated as an inferior being that, as the school teacher notes, has â€Å"animal characteristics†. She was violated by men and even whipped almost to death, despite the fact that she was pregnant. As a result of these experiences, she felt a feeling of self-hatred for becoming a slave. Sethe also cannot find a sense of satisfaction or fulfillment in her own self. That is why she saw motherhood as the only chance for her to redeem her worth. Thus, she regarded her children, especially ‘Beloved’ as her â€Å"best thing. † By being so selfless to the point of martyrdom, it seems that Sethe did not possess any love for herself. Rather, every loving emotion is directed to her children. The Lack of Freedom Can Distort a Person’s Sense of Life and Love The two novels also showed that slavery can greatly alter a person’s view of living and loving. Basically, the lack of freedom can introduce seemingly irrational and unreasonable perspectives that are derived from sheer fright, panic and anxiety. In â€Å"Night†, the lack of freedom reduced the lives of the Jews as nothing but mere struggles for survival. Through the extensive â€Å"selection† process promoted by the Nazis, the Jews developed the idea that the fittest are truly the only ones who can live. This is demonstrated by the fact that those who were considered as ill and weak were quickly exterminated while the â€Å"strong† ones were used for labor. The idea of the â€Å"survival of the fittest† was further enforced by the scarcity of resources in the camp. There was too little food and water and this prompted the Jews to compete against themselves. What’s worse was that the competition even prompted the prisoners to lose their sense of love and respect for their fathers. As noted by one of them: Listen to me, boy. Don’t forget that you’re in a concentration camp. Here, every man has to fight for himself and not think of anyone else. Even of his father. Here, there are no fathers, no brothers, (and) no friends. Everyone lives and dies for himself alone. (Wiesel) In a sense, without freedom the lives of the Jews became â€Å"animalistic†. They lost their regard for familial relations along with the loss of their hopes to be free. Without freedom, they had no love; and without love, their lives seemed to have no meaning. Elizier further demonstrates this point through his narration of a son’s beating of his father because of a fight over food on the train to Buchenwald. (Wiesel) In â€Å"Beloved†, the most twisted result of slavery is shown through murder. In the story, the schoolteacher wanted to take Sethe and her children back into the barn where slaves were dehumanized. Instead of surrendering her children however, Sethe decided to kill them rather than forcing them into a life without freedom. Through this act, Sethe demonstrated that life without freedom is worse than death. She somehow equated death as the only way to escape slavery and achieve freedom. For her, the act of murdering her own children – cutting their throat with a handsaw – was an act of love. Paul D explained Sethe’s actions: She just flew. Collected every bit of life she had made, all the parts of her that were precious and fine and beautiful, and carried, pushed, dragged them through the veil, out, away, over there where no one could hurt them†¦Outside this place, where they would be safe. (Morrison) In conclusion, the two novels, â€Å"Night† and â€Å"Beloved† show that without freedom, individuals can lose their idea of â€Å"love† – both in terms of self-love and love for others. Continuous demoralization and dehumanization can ultimately ruin a person’s concept of love and life. Moreover, such acts can drain purpose and meaning in living. Works Cited: Morrison, Toni. Beloved. New York: Knopf, 1987. Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York: Bantam Books, 1960.

Effects of Television Viewing on Children Essays

Effects of Television Viewing on Children Essays Effects of Television Viewing on Children Essay Effects of Television Viewing on Children Essay Effects of Television Viewing on Children By: Samaher Abdullah Alhothali ID: 08120223 Course: Research Project ENGL-300 Supervised by: Ms. Yasmin khan YANBU UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, YANBU AL SINAIAH January 2011 Table of content Table of content †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ P2 Table of figures †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦ P3 Outline †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. P4 Preface †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. P5 Methodology †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ P6 Thesis Statement †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. P7 Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ P8 Body P9:17 I . Television.. P9 II. Effects.. P10:16 III. Researchers opinion and Solutions P16:17 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ p17 References †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. P18 Appendix (Questioner) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. p19:20 Table of figures Figure I:Q1 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ P10 Figure II:Q2†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. P10 Figure III:Q3 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. P11 Figure IV:Q4 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. P11 Figure V:Q5 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. P12 Figure VI:Q6 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦ P12 Figure VII:Q7 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. P13 Figure VIII:Q8 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. P13 Figure IX:Q9 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. P14 Figure X:Q10 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦P14 Outline: I. Television A. How it can affect ones behaviour B. Response of children II. Effects A. Data Analysis / Discussion B. Negative effects 1. Behaviour of children 2. Brain development C. Positive effects III. Researchers opinion and Solutions A. Researchers opinion (Myself) B. Solutions Preface Concern about children and popular media has a long history. We cannot ignore the fact that TV does a negative and positive effect . In this paper I will focus on inter-relationships between the viewing on TV programs and the behaviour in children according to questionnaire distributed to 93 Saudi-educated parents. Also, I wish to thank my teacher who taught us how to search, collect and organize the information for the purpose of providing a nice research paper. This paper aims to show the: Effects of television on children aged 2 to 14. * Possible solutions to control television viewing. In knowing these, this paper hopes to be of help to parents/guardians in guiding their children. Methodology My initial step of this paper was to carry out literacy  research in my chosen topic. Secondly, as a means of carrying out my own research I compiled a  questionnaire. Thirdly, I started collect s ource cards in week 4 , and I finished in week 8. Finally, I collated the results of the questionnaire and produced  graphs to display the evidence. My main approach to this paper is qualitative. Thesis Statement: Although the television serves as a form of entertainment, when you abuse its use, and make it a habit to watch, it gives negative effects on the behaviour of children ,and in their brain’s development. Keywords: Saudi, Parents, Children, Television. I. Introduction One day, there was a student who was busy thinking about her research topic ,suddenly she remembered her younger brother who is fond of watching television and observed that he was imitating what he sees on television. He follows the different behaviours he sees and even the negative ones. She noticed the various behaviours since her brother was just about 3 years old. In that year, the hit show catering to toddlers, Teletubbies, was at its peak. Her brother began speaking the language the Teletubbies speak. Their mother also was worried that her son would talk so much like those television characters he always watch on television ;therefore, She was alarmed when she noticed this and she decided to conduct a study about the effects of television viewing on children and hopefully be able to help parents to control their children’s television viewing and help them avoid its negative effects. Children nowadays as compared before are more exposed to different types of media particularly on the television. They spend most of their time in front of their television sets rather than in reading books, doing their home works and mingling with other people etc. Although the television serves as a form of entertainment, when you abuse its use, and make it a habit to watch, it gives negative effects on the behaviour of children ,and in their brain’s development. I aim to discover a realistic outcome that will be able to help children to handle their time, behaviour and outlook in life. Body I. Television A. How it can affect one’s behaviour Television has its good and bad sides. Programs with positive role models can nfluence people to change their behaviour for the better. However, negative role models can influence people particularly the children to change their behaviour for the worse. Kids are likely to learn things from television that their parents, don’t want them to learn. Television can affect children’s academic performance and behaviour. B. Response of children According to a book named AACAP 2001 (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) , television viewing is a major influence to children. Children usually watch television for an average time of three to four hours a day. As they grow older, their time of watching television increases and it affects their performance in school. Television can entertain and can be informative, but it can also influence children undesirable behaviour. Although parents are keenly aware that media can affect their children, almost all of them are not aware that it’s becoming dangerous . While television has developed over the years, it became one of our useful ways to access, it also has an unpleasant results of being able to alter and negatively affect people. As you can see, if your child is conventional, television is playing a huge position in their life. II. Effects A. Data Analysis / Discussion Here I will mention their answers according to the questionnaire (Refer appendix). Q1: 72. 73% of the parents said their children spend 4 hours or more in watch TV, 18. 18% of them said their children spend from 1 hour to 3 hours in watch TV, 9. 09% of them said their children not watching TV, and it is illustrated by Figure I . Figure I: Q1 Q2: 64. 29% said they disagree ,28. 57% said they agree ,7. 14% said they do not know, and it is illustrated by Figure II. Figure II: Q2 Q3: 78. 57% said they disagree ,14. 29% said they agree ,7. 14% said they do not know, and it is illustrated by Figure III. Figure III: Q3 Q4: 85. 71%said they agree ,14. 29% said they disagree, and it is illustrated by Figure IV. Figure IV: Q4 Q5:92. 86% said they agree ,7. 14% said they do not know, and it is illustrated by Figure V. Figure V:Q5 Q6: 71. 43% of the parents said from age 6 to 10 , 28. 57% of them said from age 2 to 3, and no one said that their children not watching TV ,and it is illustrated by Figure VI. Figure VI:Q6 Q7: 71. 43% of the parents said calm children during the viewing, 14. 29% of them said belief that it is working on expand their knowledge and culture,14. 29% of them said nothing only to meet their demands, and it is illustrated by Figure VII. Figure VII:Q7 Q8: 57. 14% of the parents said from 1 to 2, 28. 57% of them said from 3 to 5, 14. 29% of them said more than 5 TVs in the house, and it is illustrated by Figure VIII. Figure VIII:Q8 Q9: : 64. 29% of the parents said sometimes, 21. 43% of them said rarely, 14. 29% of them said always , and it is illustrated by Figure IX. Figure IX. :Q9 Q10: 50% said they agree , 28. 57% said they do not know ,21. 43% said they disagree , and it is illustrated by Figure X. Figure X: Q10 B. Negative effects 1. Behaviour of children I made an interview last month with Khan Yasmin. I asked her: What is your opinion about   negative effects of television on childrens behaviour ? She answered, Today’s generation is our future . To build our future we need role models. We need to communicate our traditions, our values and our culture, can we do that? Especially when a child is in her/his own world of fantasy (TV). The foundation of tomorrow’s civilization is our children today. Can we name any program our children interested in, have role models? Consequently, children discover ethical ideology from the television, where by the age of 16 they view violence acts , murders, and cases of injustice and so on. We have given the responsibilities of brining up our kids on the shoulders of somebody else. Based on the interview it is clearly seen that we have to change our habits in bringing up our children. We should modify our use of TELEVISIONS. It is a tool with two ends. So, it depends on us how to use it. 2. Brain development Television has its negative and positive effects. But children are more exposed to the negative effects because as mentioned, their brains are still developing that’s why they don’t know what is right and what is wrong. Here are some negative effects of television. First, is that excessive television viewing can lead to poor performance in school. Because children are addicted to watching television, sometimes they are becoming lazy to do their homework and study for a quiz or a test. In result, they can have poor grades. Second, they can learn things that their parents don’t want them to learn like shows filled with stereotypes, television shows presenting violence, and mean behaviour. Lastly, children can see characters smoking, and drinking. By seeing this things, children can think that this acts are good or just normal and they may imitate it. C. Positive effects After knowing the negative effects of television, let us now move on to the positive effects. First, it can be informative to children. They can learn things about the environment, how to solve math problems etc. Second, it can be form of entertainment. Children can watch television when they are bored and nothing to do at home. When they are watching television it is like their recreation time. Lastly, with the use of the television they can insert or plug video games that they can play with so that they can relax and have fun with their family and friends. III. Researchers opinion and Solutions A. Researchers opinion (Myself) It is the time to know what the researchers opinion is. Television became dear friend for children. These days they prefer it more than friends. According to my questionnaire, I found strong relationship between children and television. The questionnaire showed that 80% of the children regardless of gender and age watching television daily , also showed that 72. 73% of children aged between 2 14 years are watching television four hours or perhaps more per a day (Figure I ). Television programs like a sharp knife, so we can get some benefit, in contrast we can get damage . However television programs can be help to development of knowledge and awareness of the world, which also helps children to education and entertainment. also they found it a source of fun and comfort. All these are Possible if the television programs were managed by educated people. In addition, television plays a very important role in the upbringing of children. Nevertheless, there are many negative aspects of televisions; many journalists, doctors, teachers and sociologists often take a negative attitude towards television programs. Yes, television is a good instrument, but on the other hand ,it is a danger encouraging bad habits and negative qualities in the childs personality. B. Solutions In helping parents guide their children in responsible television viewing, here are some suggestions in which they can do so: lay down limits in the viewing time, spend time to bond with your children, resort to reading books and other written materials, be aware of the programs that they’re watching and evaluate the shows and commercials they view and most especially, set a good example and serve as the role model for your children to follow. Conclusion In conclusion, the bad effect of television on children is greater than the good. Also, with the fast paced life and modern technology, parents nowadays unconsciously and unintentionally fail to monitor what television really brings to their children. With commonly both parents busy at work and children left at home watching television, a concerted effort should be considered in order to create discipline and let children gain the positive results of television. References Anderson Daniel, Leoin Stepen ,and Lorch Elizabeth ( The effects of TV program pacing on the behavior of preschool children) Department of psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01002. AVCR VOL. 25,NO. 2,SUMMER 1977. * Children and Television Wikipedia Encyclopaedia . 15Sep. 2010 Online. * Children and Watching TV AACAP Facts for Families #52. (2001). Retrieved 25/11/2010. * David B. Pruitt , Your Child , Herper Collins publishers, New York:1995. * Huston, A. C. (1998). (Television and the Informational and Educational Needs of Children). Annals of the American Academy of Political Social Science, 557, 9-23. kidsource. com/kidsource/content/TV. viewing. html (25/11/2010) (What Do Parents Need To Know About Childrens Television Viewing). November 1993. ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education. 5 January 2009. * med. umich. edu/yourchild/topics/tv. htm (16/11/2010) Boyse Kyla (Television and Children). * allacademic. com//meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/1/1/2/7/2/pages112729/p112729-1. php Authors: Koolstra, Cees (Viewing behaviour of children and TV guidance by parents: A comparison of parent and child reports). * http://kidshealth. rg/parent/positive/family/tv_affects_child. html (25/11/2010) (How TV Affects Your Child). * Kalam Nwaem Slamah Foziah, Channel :MBC 1, Lebanon, 14 Sep. 2006. Appendix (Questioner) : Q1How many hours spent by your child or your brothers every day to watch television? from 1 hour to 3 hours. 4 hours or more. Not w atching television. Q2 Disadvantages of watching TV for children more than the advantages? I agree. I disagree. I do not know. Q3 The main reason to watch the children to the television is the lack of people around them? I agree. I disagree. I do not know. Q4 TV affects the academic achievement of the child? I agree. I disagree. I do not know. Q5 Children imitate what they see on television? I agree. I disagree. I do not know. Q6 Children are attracted to TV, especially cartoons from age: 2 to 5. 6 to 10. 11 to 14. Q7 The most important reasons why parents leave their children in front of the television: Calm children during the viewing. Belief that it is working on expand their knowledge and culture. Nothing ,Only to meet their demands. Q8 How many TVs in your house? 1-2    3-5 +5 Q9 TV affects the sleep times of my child: Always. Sometimes. Rarely. Q10 TV makes my child violent ? I agree    I disagree I do not know

Athens Georgia Music Scene

Athens Georgia Music Scene Free Online Research Papers When most people think of music coming from Athens, Georgia, they think of the B-52s and R.E.M. However, there is a new genre of music coming out of Athens called Athens Rock. Even though it is called a rock genre, it has a little bit of all the popular genres including country, hip-hop, blugrass, and rock. This genre has been newly created by these three particular artists that have not actually signed record labels yet, but are still very popular. These guys are Corey Smith, Brantley Gilbert, and Colt Ford. As Colt Ford would say, â€Å"These are just three country boys from Georgia trying to sing a little bit.† Corey Smith is the artist that puts the country flavor into Athens rock. This guy started out going to UGA to become a school teacher, and he took a job at a high school in Gwinett County. Then in 2004, he found his calling for music, and, like any other artist, started playing in the little bars of Athens. He quickly picked up some major popularity. According to Myspace.com, he is the most popular unsigned artist on their website. â€Å"If I Could Do It Again,† is a song he wrote about pretty much every high school senior’s Spring Break. Also, â€Å"Twenty-One† was a song he sang about being a 17-year old hanging out with all of these college kids who are all older than him. â€Å"I’m Not Gonna Cry† is another song he wrote about high school graduation, which became the new graduation anthem for many high school graduations across Georgia and the United States. The main reason I really like Corey Smith is because he writes songs that relate to you nger people’s lives. The next artist that contributes to Athens rock is Brantley Gilbert. He adds the rock and bluegrass flavors to the Athens rock genre. Unlike Corey, Brantley Gilbert has been playing and writing music his whole entire life. He is very popular around the Southeast, but is also unsigned. One of his songs that I really like is GRITS, which talks about his friend coming down from the North and being surprised about how good looking the girls raised in the south are. The song â€Å"Live It Up† is another good song saying if something is wrong don’t give up on yourself just keep on going and live it up. Another song that is one of my favorites is â€Å"My Kinda Party,† which is where he is talking about picking this girl up and they both go out to this country party with a couple of kegs, and that is what he thinks of a party. I like Brantley Gilbert because he can really take rock and country and mix them together. The final contributor to Athens rock is Colt Ford. He brings the hip-hop flavor to Athens rock. Even though his country and hip-hop music are very popular, he still considers himself as a common man. Because of his talents in both country and hip-hop, Colt has done much collaboration with many artists from both genres. Some of these include John Michael Montgomery, Jamey Johnson, Bone Crusher, and Adrian Young from No Doubt. The best thing about Colt Ford’s music is that most of his songs really have no explanation. They are all just about having fun. One of his most famous songs is â€Å"Dirt Road Anthem† with Brantley Gilbert. Another song is â€Å"Ride through the Country† with John Michael Montgomery. He also did a song with Jamey Johnson called â€Å"Cold Beer.† However, his most famous work was when he did the anthem for the Professional Bull Riders Championship. This song was called â€Å"Buck ‘Em.† As it is seen, Athens rock has many different types of genres within its own genre. Also, there are many emotions in these songs. Some of them happy and some sad, but the best songs these artists produce are the ones about just having fun. These genres within Athens rock are provided by three main artists. Corey Smith provides the country flavor. Brantley Gilbert does the rock and bluegrass flavor. Finally, Colt Ford has the hip-hop flavor. I have one last thought. These men are all unsigned so when they play they are doing it for the music and not the money. Research Papers on Athens Georgia Music SceneHip-Hop is ArtWhere Wild and West MeetComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationThe Spring and AutumnCapital PunishmentAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceQuebec and Canada19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided Era

AP Analysis

It is extremely helpful to use the numerical scale for quantifying pain severity for a patient in order to best asses a pain’s origin and severity, thus allowing for the most accurate diagnosis and pain treatment. 4. The term â€Å"putting a joint back into place† indicates moving the bone back into the synovial joint (its proper place). The â€Å"pop† sound occurs due to gas bubbles (nitrogen) escaping from the synovial fluid. 5. Both the shoulder joint and the hip joint are ball-and-socket joints, but the hip joint does not have as large a range of motion when compared to the shoulder joint. The shoulder joint is not just a bony socket, but is comprised of several tendons/muscles (as previously mentioned), synovial fluid, tendon sheaths and hyaline cartilage. Issue #3: Eye problems 1. The term for someone who has problems seeing close objects but can see objects far away is â€Å"hyperopia† or farsightedness. 2. Contrarily, â€Å"myopia† or nearsightedness is the condition of being able to see objects up close but not ones far away. 3. David appears to have hyperopia, since he needs to hold a paper at arm’s length to be able to read. Issue #4: Muscle Physiology 1. The cause of the muscle cramping is hyponatremia or low blood sodium, which may have occurred by the young girl drinking a lot of water in the hot sun to try and stay hydrated, but which caused an electrolyte imbalance in her body, thus resulting in muscle cramps. 2. The muscle cramps will go away once she drinks the salt water, which will restore the necessary electrolyte balance in her body. Issue #5: Muscle Physiology Child Case History 1. The hereditary X-linked recessive disease characterized by progressive muscular weakness is called muscular dystrophy, or Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). 2. â€Å"Dystrophy† refers to the degeneration of, in this case, muscles. 3. Muscles in the leg involved in walking â€Å"on the toes† are the illopsoas, gastrocnemius and soleus. As these muscles weaken, the plantar flexors in the foot take over the job of walking. 4. The trunk muscles that weaken in certain cases of lordosis (sway back) and abdominal protuberance are the lower back muscles (erector spinae), hip flexors, abdominal muscles and the hamstrings.

Reaction paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reaction paper - Essay Example Then there is also evidence and the credibility of those who tell an account. What is apparent is that in history there is oftentimes a victor and a villain and the revisionists’ role is to shed light on the facts buried in all other propaganda. The role of the reader now becomes to judge for himself what he should believe in. This is the very nature of the two accounts of what happened in World War II and even World War I by Benjamin Freedman and Dr. Frederick Toben. From the introduction of Freedman before his speech, he was introduced as a former Jew. He was an insider and a friend of Jews before he converted into Christianity. This leads the listener into curiosity of why he would leave his religion by birth for another, especially when you have the opportunity of having belonged to the Jewish community which is almost impenetrable. The reason, it goes, is his outrage of Zionists who manipulate for their gain. Freedman starts by the presentation of the etymology of Judea a s biblical place mentioned in the Bible. It is referred to as a province of Rome and from this stemmed out the term Jews who dispersed throughout the world and found their presence in Europe. The Jews have since then taken over a large enterprise of tremendously profitable businesses.

Federal Prison Comparison Pape Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Federal Prison Comparison Pape - Research Paper Example Ultimately there are fewer violent offenders in federal prisons than state prisons because a majority of federal crimes are non-violent/commercial crimes. State prisons originate from colonial times, and evolved from the prisons that were established to house criminals who offended the laws against the crown (Clear et al, 2011). Between 1900 and 1970 the prison population in the US was moderate, housing from 90 to 120 prisoners for each 100,000 citizens. However, with more than 35 years of â€Å"steady growth† the prison population is currently five times greater than it was in 1973 representing the largest prison population in the country’s history (Clear et al, 2011, p. 6). There have been many attempts to explain the prions population growth in the US. Gaines and Miller (2011) identified a number of contributing factors. The prions population growth in the US can be attributed to the get tough on crime policies that began in the 1980s. The get tough on crime policies introduced a number of strategies that resulted in mandatory imprisonment. One such strategy in a number of states is the three strikes policy which calls for mandatory incarceration for repeat offenders. Another policy is the longer prison sentencing strategies. With fewer prisoners eligible for parole, the prison population grows because new offenders are introduced into the system and few prisoners are released. Another explanation given for the prison population growth is the fact that there have been more crimes as criminals become more sophisticated and technology aids in the commission of criminal activities (Gaines & Miller, 2011). Security State Prisons State prison systems design their own security systems but they are generally the same among the 50 states. The North Carolina Department of Correction provides an example of the security levels in US state prisons. Prisoners enter the prison system from a county jail for the most part. Upon entering the state prison prison ers are assessed for risks and security risks are balanced against the needs of programs. Newly admitted prisoners are evaluated for security risks and are also subjected to medical and mental health evaluations in the risk assessment process. A number of factors including the crime, social demographics, education, job experience, and criminal history are taken into account (North Carolina Department of Corrections, 2011). Once the prisoner’s evaluation is completed he/she is placed in the appropriate â€Å"custodial level†. The custodial levels are classified as close (maximum), medium, minimum 1, minimum II and minimum III. Close of maximum security is a custodial level where inmates assessed to have the highest security risks are placed. Medium security houses prisoners who are at a lower security risk than prisoners placed in close security. Prisoners who pose a low security risk are placed in minimum III (North Carolina Department of Corrections, 2011). Federal Pr isons The Federal Bureau of Prisons (n.d.) lists four security levels in the federal prison system. The four security systems are minimum security, low security, medium security and high security. Minimum security prisons are also referred to as Federal Prison Camps and have â€Å"dormitory housing, a relatively low staff-to-inmate ratio† and â€Å"limited or no perimeter fencing† (Federal Bureau of Prisons, n.d.). Low security prisons on the other hand have â€Å"double-fenced perimeters†

Economic Indicators Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economic Indicators - Essay Example The major pro cyclic economic indicators are GDP, Interest rates, Investment, Inflation, Labor etc. While the main counter cyclic economic indicators are Unemployment, International Trade, and Federal Finances etc. The Gross Domestic Product is one of the most significant direct indicators in the economy. It is vital to monitor the growth rate of the GDP. Any deviation from the range tends to have a significant impact on the economy. An increase in the growth rate above the general level may lead to high inflation and poor performance in the rate of growth leads to a recession. Interest Rate is a pro cyclic or direct economic indicator. They are used to manage the booms and slumps in the business cycle and finely tune it. The interest rates fall in recessions and they rise in inflationary periods. International trade is the swapping of goods and services between countries, which tends to have countercyclical nature. When an economy is prospering and experiencing an economic boom then people choose to spend a bigger part of their income on imported and local goods and services, however, exports donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have such alterations. This in turn upsets the balance of trade, as net exports are negative, which results in more being imported and less being exported. Whereas, when an economy is in a slump, people tend to spend less on imported goods and services and just focus on the basic necessities. This encourages more goods and services to be exported and has a favorable impact on the balance of trade as less is being imported.

Risk Factors of Culture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Risk Factors of Culture - Research Paper Example â€Å"Business has†, Ball & Wendell submit, â€Å"entered the era of the one-world market. Increasingly, companies are going overseas to attain sales and profits unavailable to them in their home markets.† (1993:6) In addition, since technological revolution has made communication and traveling very fast and speedy, it has also become very convenient for the individuals to travel to even the remotest corners of the globe for business, education and employment purposes. Consequently, the fast means of traveling have brought the nations closer to each other and have paved the way towards the formation of diversified corporate culture particularly in the USA, China and the Western World. As a result, the individuals having different cultural backgrounds are now working shoulder to shoulder with one another under one roof in various corporate firms as workers and employees, which has given birth to the idea of cultural amalgamation and outsourcing. Thus, cultural amalgamati on has altered the entire corporate atmosphere from top to bottom, where the professionals belonging to different racial, ethnic and religious groups have to work as colleagues, bosses and sub-ordinates under one and the same environment. Not only this that the businesses have witnessed imperative boom and escalation in the aftermath of cultural diversification, and has proved extremely profitable for the companies, but also such a profound development has turned out to be beneficial for the consumers and end-users, because the incurring of the global talent has given a go to the manufacturing of innovative products and wide range of choice available for the consumers in the market. Consequently, the concept of universal co-existence has helped out in respect of mitigating the prejudices like nationalism and regionalism, and businesses observe unabated flourishing at global level. In the same way, there have appeared inevitable risks of some negative impacts too

External and Internal Environments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 5

External and Internal Environments - Essay Example The business segment within the industry is increasing as the epitome is centered towards amazing guest experience (Target Corporation, 2012). This report aims at discussing a publicly traded corporation within the industry listed on the EDGAR database. This elaborates the filing of the companies on the Securities and Exchange Commission. The goals of Target Corporation are designing an infrastructure through which a diverse team can be formed. The sole goal of the team is maximizing the guest experience and retaining the clients within the industry. All these actions set a continuation which leads to success of the business. Strong actions and formation of the communities is the measure using which the competition within the industry is managed. The ethical actions implemented create a strong reputation for the business within the industry. The PESTLE analysis of Target Corporation determines the position of the business within the industry. Understanding of the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal aspects of the business determines the progress of the business. Operating in the American retail industry Target is ranked the second largest after Wal-Mart. The organization kept on progressing with the appropriate utilization of all the factors. The company stands amongst the top 30 in the listing characterized by the Fortune 500 (Target Corporation, 2012). The changes and transformation of the regulations within the industry impact on the share of the retail stores. The analysis of the bill regulated in the health care segment and analyzing the changes in the regulations within the sector determines the progress of the industry in the business segment (Weber, 2014; KPMG, 2012). The operations of the business in the international industry rely heavily on the cost of fuel and economic stability. Managing the cost within the

Criminology Theory Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Criminology Theory Assessment - Essay Example Before embarking upon the topic under analysis, it would be quite advisable to discuss the criminal activities observed by Bernard Madoff. Madoff belongs to a Jewish family of the USA, who laid the foundation of a penny stock under the title Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC in 1960 and got it registered at Wall Street as a small trading firm. The firm made huge business during the course of time, and hundreds of businessmen invested their money from its platform at stock exchange. The main reason behind its popularity was its secret attractive profit offers, as the company offered extra percentage in profit than its competitors. From the 1970s right on through to 2008, Bernie Madoff was certainly responsible for making some of his clients’ money.   However, as will become apparent later on in this discussion, that money was not made honestly. (madoffscandal.com) Consequently, he earned respectable name and fame as a young energetic Wall Street businessman within f ew years of his entry into the stock market. By the early 1980s his firm was one of the largest independent trading operations in the securities industry. (NYT, 2009) Being a very social person by nature, Madoff entered into business contracts with the big investors during his visits at clubs, restaurants and ceremonies with the promise of extra profit generated for them by his company. Initially, he tapped local money pulled in from country clubs and charity dinners, where investors sought him out to casually plead with him to manage their savings so they could start reaping the steady, solid returns their envied friends were getting. (Henriques, 2008) The investors appeared to be satisfied with the lucrative and steady profit transactions made by Madoff Securities, and did not express even slightest signs of doubts regarding fraud or misrepresentation at the company’s end. Hence, the number of investors observed significant increase at the company. However, the nature and m ethodology, adopted by the company, regarding offering profit to the investors appeared to be dubious and shocking for the competitor firms, which were already suspicious about the secret activities of the Madoff Securities. Consequently, it was discovered that Madoff had adopted the largest Ponzi scheme by exercising dishonesty with the investments made by the clients of his company. Madoff confessed of committing fraud with estimated investor losses of about $50 billion by inflicting the Ponzi scheme upon them. A Ponzi scheme is a swindle offering unusually high returns, with early investors paid off with money from later investors. (Honan & Wilchins, 2008) The court announced 150 years imprisonment sentence to Madoff for his crime. Though Madoff pleaded guilty of committing dishonesty and fraud with his investors, he also blames banks and financial institutions for their criminal negligence of performing blindness to his activities. Since these financial institutions were well aw are of all the transactions being made, they could have brought it to the limelight in order to stop Madoff from sticking to the same Ponzi scheme. Here appears the Social Control Theory: Articulated by Travis Hirschi in 1969, social control theory states that social control depends upon people anticipating the consequences of their behavior. (Macionis, 2007: 231) In other words, crime rate can witness imperative decreases in the society provided the criminals foresee the outcome of their

External and Internal Environments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 5

External and Internal Environments - Essay Example The business segment within the industry is increasing as the epitome is centered towards amazing guest experience (Target Corporation, 2012). This report aims at discussing a publicly traded corporation within the industry listed on the EDGAR database. This elaborates the filing of the companies on the Securities and Exchange Commission. The goals of Target Corporation are designing an infrastructure through which a diverse team can be formed. The sole goal of the team is maximizing the guest experience and retaining the clients within the industry. All these actions set a continuation which leads to success of the business. Strong actions and formation of the communities is the measure using which the competition within the industry is managed. The ethical actions implemented create a strong reputation for the business within the industry. The PESTLE analysis of Target Corporation determines the position of the business within the industry. Understanding of the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal aspects of the business determines the progress of the business. Operating in the American retail industry Target is ranked the second largest after Wal-Mart. The organization kept on progressing with the appropriate utilization of all the factors. The company stands amongst the top 30 in the listing characterized by the Fortune 500 (Target Corporation, 2012). The changes and transformation of the regulations within the industry impact on the share of the retail stores. The analysis of the bill regulated in the health care segment and analyzing the changes in the regulations within the sector determines the progress of the industry in the business segment (Weber, 2014; KPMG, 2012). The operations of the business in the international industry rely heavily on the cost of fuel and economic stability. Managing the cost within the

Jury Nullification Paper Essay Example for Free

Jury Nullification Paper Essay Jury nullification is a constitutional doctrine that allows juries to acquit defendants who are technically criminals guilty, but who do not deserve punishment. It occurs in a trial when a jury reaches a verdict contrary to the judges instructions as to the law. A jury verdict contrary to the letter of the law does not belong only to the particular case before it. If a pattern of acquittals, however, develops in response to repeated attempts to prosecute a statutory offense, it can have the de facto effect of invalidating the statute. A pattern of jury nullification may indicate public opposition to an unwanted legislative enactment. In the past, it was feared that may unduly influence a judge alone or a panel of public officials to follow established legal practice, even if such practice had drifted from its origins. In most modern Western legal systems, however, often instruct juries only serve as finders of facts, whose role is to determine the veracity of the evidence, and the weight accorded to evidence, to implement these tests the law and reach a verdict, but not decide what the law is . Jury Nullification â€Å"It is not only the juror’s right, but his duty to find the verdict according to his own best understanding, judgment, and conscience, though in direct opposition to the direction of the court.† This is what John Adams said of jury nullification. John Jay, who was the first justice of the Supreme Court said, â€Å"The jury has the right to judge both the law as well as the fact in controversy.† So what is jury nullification and how does it influence courtroom proceedings and judicial practices? The definition of jury nullification according to thefreedictionary.com website jury nullification is defined as a sanctioned doctrine wherein members of a  jury disregard either the evidence presented or the instructions of the judge in order to reach a verdict based upon their own consciences. It espouses the concept that jurors should be the judges of both law and fact. The doctrine of jury nullification is based one important things, one that a juror can never be punished for the verdict they bring back to the judge, and second that a defendant cannot ever be retried once the jury has returned to the courtroom with a not guilty verdict. The first case of jury nullification in British law dates back to 1670 in trial of William Mead and William Penn, (William Penn would later go on to be the founder of the Province of Pennsylvania) these two men were charged in England for unlawful assembly, which was a law that was aimed at preventing different religious groups that were not noticed by the crown from worshipping. Both of these men were clearly guilty of breaking the law according to British law and the judge presiding over the case demanded that the jury find William Mean and William Penn guilty, but the jury refused to find these two men guilty because they felt that the law itself Jury Nullification was unjust. The judge continued to insist that the jury find these two men guilty, and the jury repeatedly refused, the judge became so infuriated with the jurors that he threw the jurors in prison. The highest court in England ordered that the jurors be released and established into common law the integrity of jurors in criminal cases. In America the Founding Fathers recognized the relevance of letting jurors determine not only the guilt or innocence of the person on trial, but the fairness of the law in which the person is charged with breaking. In more recent cases, in California a jury convicted Ed Rosenthal in two-thousand three of growing marijuana which was a violation of federal law. During the case the jury did not know and was never allowed to hear that not only was Ed Rosenthal growing medical marijuana for medical patients, but he was growing and harvesting the marijuana for the city of Oakland, California. When the trial ended and the jury found out the true facts of the case they were outraged and the foreman of the jury was quoted in the New York Times as saying â€Å"it is the most horrible mistake I have ever made in my entire life.† Should Ed Rosenthal b een convicted of growing marijuana? I feel that he should not have been convicted and the jury had a right to know the truth about who Ed Rosenthal was growing the marijuana for and for who it was being provided to. Another case would be that of Richard  Pen of Florida, who is serving a twenty-five year prison sentence in Florida for distribution of a controlled substance. Richard Pen was a forty-six year old paraplegic man who became a paraplegic after being involved in a very serious car accident that badly damaged his back, and after having back surgery that did not go as planned, Richard Pen was left in indescribable amounts of pain. Richard Pen realized that Jury Nullification. He could relieve his pain by taking large amounts of opiate painkillers, but the amount of medication his doctor had prescribed him was not enough, and they could not prescribe him anymore because it would exceed the amount of what his doctor could legally prescribe. Richard Paey felt that he had no choice but to obtain the medication illegally and he began photocopying the prescription and used them to get his medication from local pharmacies. Richard Paey was arrested and was charged with distribution of a controlled substance, but he never sold the medication, and never gave the medication away, he only used the medication for himself so that he could live somewhat of a normal existence and be free from the excruciating pain that he was in. But once again because of the way the laws are written the jury had no choice but to return to the court with a guilty verdict. In these two cases, I do feel that they did break the law, but should they have been found guilty of the charges against them? I do not feel that they should, and if the jurors were allowed to hear the truth about these cases these two men, Ed Rosenthal, and Richard Paey would not be serving time in prison, and since the Supreme Court ruled that prosecutors on the federal level can continue to arrest and charge people who use medical marijuana, you should expect to see more and more cases like this crowding up our courtrooms. You will probably see more and more cases such as Richard Paey, and other patients like him who are just trying to manage their pain and try to live somewhat of a normal life crowding up our courtrooms as well. So what can us as citizens do to undo the injustice of the Richard Paey’s and the Ed Rosenthal’s? Well unless you are serving on a jury panel, nothing, but if you happen to get a jury Jury Nullification Summons in the mail, do not ignore it as I have done many, many times before although I did have valid reasons for not being able to serve as a juror, I had a disabled parent and I was his sole caregiver, instead send back the summons stating that you are available to serve as a juror, and who knows you might be able to undo some  of the injustices of the judicial system, and keep an innocent person from serving a lengthy prison sentence. References http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/jury+nullification http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,163877,00.html http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig10/emal1.1.1.html

The Green Programs Of Marriott International Corporation Tourism Essay

The Green Programs Of Marriott International Corporation Tourism Essay Since 1987, the concept of sustainability was mentioned on a coordinated international platform, the movement towards sustainability had been expanded over the globe. The governmental and non-governmental organizations, corporations and consumers those focusing on exist in harmony are increasingly with the surroundings and environmental footprints. The hospitality industry also not exception, therefore the sustainability concept had begun to gain the momentum in this industry. (Ernst and Young, 2008) Alison Sperry (2010) defined that Going Green is making the daily decisions with responsible that benefits to the environment and also can reduce waste and pollution. This concept also encourages a lifestyle of recycling, using chemical-free products, using the alternative energy sources such as the wind and solar, and reducing the dependency on fossil fuels for energy. Hotel businesses developed and operated by the consumption of significant amounts of natural resources which are affected the sustainability of the natural environment. The field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) therefore, has grown considerably over the last decade due to an increasing number of companies formally recognising the impacts they have on the environment, on society and on the economy (Jones et.al, 2006). Ernst and Young (2008) defined that green: not a black and white issue. The travellers that concerned about the environment were increasingly and they always make their own determination as to what constitutes greenness in the lodging industry. According to Deloitte Survey (2008) showed that, consumers, employees and individual travellers start to concerned more about the hospitality industrys sustainability. Most of the individuals also start to changes their lifestyles and accepting higher green standards for themselves and also to the companies that they cooperate with. Marriott International has more than twenty-year commitment to start the environmental preservation. The Marriott International is working toward a greener, healthier planet and their operating units are employ methods to protect the surroundings of natural and resources (Marriott, 1996 2010). Every year, the Marriott International and its owners had spent around 10 billion just for buy the products and services for its 3,300 hotels around the world. Marriott International also expanding its green hotels and buildings portfolios. Besides that, approximately 275 of Marriotts hotels have received the ENERGY STAR ® label from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Marriott, 1996 2010). Last but not least, Marriott International also was ranked 42nd out of 100 in The Greenest Big Companies on Newsweeks first-ever list. Moreover, Marriott International also gets the 2009 Tourism for Tomorrow Award for Sustainability in the categories of the Global Tourism Business by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) (Marriott, 1996 2010). The Problem Statement The problem of this topic is about how Marriott International. Inc. practices their going green programs in their properties. Marriott International Corporation is a leading worldwide hospitality company (Marriott, 2010). Currently, Marriott has more than 3100 of lodging properties is in the United States and 65 is in other countries and territories through 17 lodging, and vacation resort ownership brands (Marriott, 2009). Marriott Corporation has more than twenty year commitment with environmental preservation (Marriott, 2010). In 2007, Marriott formed a Global Green Council, a cross-functional team of senior executives that collaborated with Conservation International, a global environmental organization, to evaluate its practices, set long-term goals, develop an environmental strategic plan and catalyze its progress (Marriott, 2010). Five-point Environmental Strategy of Marriott International was developed in collaboration with Conservation International which are includes (Marriott, 2009): Reduce Consumption of Water, Waste and Energy Greener Buildings, expansion of LEED-certified hotels Greening Supply Chain Protecting the Rainforest with Carbon Offsets Employee Guest Engagement Over the last decade, for, the Marriott International corporate organized the Going Green programs which involved in energy conservation by changed 450,000 of the light bulbs with fluorescent lighting, installed around 400,000 low-flow of showerheads and toilets and also introduced the linens reuse programs in their hotels worldwide (Marriott, 2009). Besides that, the Marriotts Retro-Commissioning (MRCx) program, planning process and a comprehensive evaluation that helps their properties which conducted more than 30 of their largest properties become as energy efficient as possible (Marriott, 2009). Through the projects to completed over last few years and those which currently under way, Marriott anticipate saving 12 million kilowatts of power (Marriott, 2009). In general, properties find that after it implement all the recommendations that evolved from an MRCx assessment, it energy costs decrease 5 to 25 per cent, they are also achieving on the average and a payback on their invest ment in just 1.4 years (Marriott, 2009). In the Americas, Marriott achieved a 2.2 per cent reduction per available room (Marriott, 2009). In late 2009, through a partnership with a U.S.-based landscaping company, Marriott adopted a climate-specific approach to landscaping, using native plants and restricted colour palettes to reduce irrigation demands and cut the amount of fertilizer required to keep plants healthy (Marriott, 2009). In 2009, Marriotts landfill waste in the USA totalled 726,993 tons which reflects a 17 per cent reduction from 2007(Marriott, 2009). Additionally, its recycling rate also was increased to 69 per cent and all the header quarters waste also was diverted from the landfill to the waste-to-energy plant (Marriott, 2009). Also, Marriott expanding its existing of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle programs that already in place of 90 per cent of hotels which included guest room and meeting rooms (Marriott, 2009). Forty Marriott International hotels are expected to receive the LEED certification from the USGBC (USGBC, 2010). In addition, Marriott internationals global Headquarters in Bethesda was received the LEED-Existing Building Gold status (USGBC, 2010). Moreover, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also had awarded Marriott International for three following years with its Sustained Excellence Award and more than 275 of its hotels also placed the ENERGY STAR ® label (Marriott, 2010). Marriott has teamed up with many Corporation or organizations to help them support their efforts to preserve and protect the environment (Marriott, 2009). For instance, Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS), Conservation International, ENERGY STAR ®, International Tourism Partnership (ITP), and U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The Marriotts protecting the rainforest strategy is help to protect 1.4 million of acres in endangered rainforest for the Juma Sustainable Development Reserve (Marriott, 2009). Research Questions The followings are some key questions addressed by his research: Is the Marriott International had practiced the going green? How the Marriott International practiced the going green in this industry? Why the Marriott international will practiced the going green? What level of going green programs of Marriott International? What differences between Marriott Internationals going green program with other companies? Does the going green program increase the income of Marriott International? Research Objectives To answer the above research questions, this study seek to accomplish the following objectives: To investigate going green practiced among all Marriott Internationals properties. To determine how the Marriott International practiced the going green. To determine the reasons of Marriott International practiced the going green. To examine the level of going green practiced among all Marriott Internationals properties. To compare the level of going green with other companies. To determine the advantages and disadvantages of going green in Marriott International. To defined the relation between hospitality industry and CSR. Theoretical/ Conceptual Framework Conceptual Framework Marriott International. Inc. Going Greens Programs The strategies and programs of going green in Marriott International. Inc. Identify the concept and structure of CSR in hospitality industry. The Actions that practices by Marriott International corporate. Theoretical Framework This research mostly searches on the Marriott International Corporate practising the level of going green in most of their properties. The reason why Marriott International become famous in going green program because their organized a lot of events or activities to greening their companies. In the internet or newspaper, we can see that Marriott International corporate organized a lot of activities in greening and get a lot of award internationally in greening program. Besides that, their also is one of the famous go green corporate in the world. Moreover, the going green is not easy to practices in the companies because it need a lot of resources to make it really work. Scope and Limitation This study was carried out among all Marriott International in going green program. The Marriott International, Inc.s operations are grouped into the five business segments which are North American Limited-Service Lodging, North American Full-Service Lodging, Luxury Lodging, International Lodging and Timeshare. This study also for defined the level of go green in Marriott International Corporate by Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Significance of the Study The significant of this research proposal is to evaluate the level of going green activities that practices or organized by Marriott International Corporate. According to The New York Times (2009), the Marriott International announced that they would no longer deliver newspapers to every guestroom in the morning. They only will deliver to which guest rooms had requested a newspaper or can pick one up in the lobby. Although that change is arguably as much about saving money more than saving trees. Marriott had assessed that it would reduce the newspaper distribution at its hotels to about 18 million only annually. Furthermore, this research is for acknowledge people around the world to know how important and advantages of going green in hospitality industries now a days. Now, most of the knowledge people are targeting the greening companies to cooperate with than normal companies. This is why more and more companies going to practising greening in their company because followed by the trend of all around the world. CHAPTER TWO Literature Review 2.1 Introduction The literature review will begin with an essential understanding of the key points needed in order to accomplish the aim of the project. The research will be analysed in the literature to help construct an academic structure on the definition and concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The literature will also evaluate the purpose of sustainable development in the hospitality industry and its advantages and limitations. One area which has been particularly analysed is the going green programmes that practice by the hospitality industry as it contains most of the key areas. Furthermore, the literature reviews also analysing the views, theories arguments and perspectives of previous authors for assessment. The literature reviews also will finally perform as a source with which to analyse the differing perspectives on these key points identify gaps for argument and highlight key issues associated with going green programme in hospitality. 2.2 Corporate Social Responsibility Definitions and Concepts The field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has grown considerably over the last decade due to an increasing number of companies formally recognising the impacts they have on the environment, on society and on the economy (Jones et.al, 2006). CSR issues are now being combined into all parts of the business operations. CSR is made in the missions, visions and value statements of companies all around the world (Ofori and Hinson, 2007). Definitions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) have, however, remained an area of deliberation from the concepts very beginnings. A variety of definitions have been framed. The Commission of the European Communities, Brussels (2001, p.6 ) defines CSR as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a concept whereby companies integrate environmental and social concerns in the business operations and in their interactions with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis. Therefore, CSR is not just fulfilling legal responsibilities but may also go beyond compliance to embrace wider social, environmental and economic goals (Brussels, 2001). The concept of CSR is one which has emerged over the last 50 years to occupy a significant role in certain aspects of organisational theory and has only been in wide use since the 1960s (Meehan et al., 2006). CSR was eventually recognised as businesses that are part of society and have the potential to make a positive impact to the social goals (Jones et al., 2006). CSR therefore seems to be synonymous with charitable and voluntary acts by business organisations designed to improve social skills. Conversely, Donaldson and Preston (1995) believe that businesses are not responsible to society but responsible to their stakeholders and view CSR from this perspective. Furthermore, one of most cited definitions of CSR is defined by the World Bank (2003), which defines CSR as the responsibility of businesses to contribute to the sustainable economic development which working with internal stakeholders, the local community, and society to improve the quality of life which is positive for business and development. The similarity among these different definitions of CSR is that companies should engage in CSR behaviour as part of their organisational strategy. Bevan et al. (2004) list nine potential benefits of CSR which include reduced operating costs; improved profitability and financial performance; enhanced capability to innovate; better risk and crisis management; long-term sustainability for companies and the workforce; improved staff commitment and involvement; good relations with government and society; enhanced reputation and brand value; and enhanced customer relationships and increased awareness of customer needs. 2.3 The Sustainability Development of the Hotel Industry International Tourism Partnership (2010) defines the term green in business as initially related to the environmental issues. It also has evolved to include all aspects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability. Sloan et al. (2009) define a sustainable hospitality operation as one which manages its resources in such a way that economic, social and environmental benefits are maximised in order to meet the need of the present generation while protecting and increasing opportunities for future generations. According to Green Hotels Association (2010), Green Hotels have gained a foothold in lodging operators contribution to societys concern for the environment which focuses on programmes which are designed to reduce solid waste, save water and save energy. Programme components such as towel rack hangers and sheet-changing cards have achieved positive responses by hotel management staff as well as guests for over ten years. The UK hotel sector would appear to accept that it does have an impact on the environment (Brown, 1996). This is not only confirmed by exploratory research but also through the formation of the International Tourism Partnership (ITP). The ITP has published an environmental magazine, the Green Hotelier, whose readership cares about environmentally and socially responsible hotel behaviour as focused on positive sustainable travel and tourism development (International Tourism Partnership, 2010). According to research by the Carbon Trust (Green hotelier, 2010), rising energy prices and taxes are the biggest worries facing the British hospitality industry in 2010. This view is supported by Alexander and Kennedy (2002) who find that the most wasteful and costly of resources usage in hotels are commonly in the consumption of over water usage, non-renewable energy and also the overall wastage. 2.4 The state of CSR within the Hospitality and Tourism Industry The state of CSR within hospitality and tourism enterprises may be slightly different from that in other businesses. Since 1992, the trend in the hospitality and tourism industry has been to focus on environmental concerns, use of technology, and efficient use of energy (Henderson, 2001). European hospitality organisations have established two initiatives that improve CSR in the European hospitality sector which are European Federation of Food and Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT) and Green Hotels (Holcomb, 2007). In 2004, the EFFAT and the Confederation of National Associations of Hotels, Cafà ©s and Restaurants in Europe drafted the agreement parameters for employers to sign a joint document on CSR, concerning working conditions, pay, equal opportunity, training, health and safety, and restructuring (The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, 2008). These combined actions would appear to show the hospitality industrys adoption of and commitment to socially respo nsible behaviour as opposed to externally derived governmental compliance directives. 2.5 Green initiatives, incentives and green wash Nunes and Bennett (2010) list two categories of green initiatives that are operational in the marketplace. Firstly, businesses focus on integrating green features into the design or characteristics of individual products, for instance, developing a laundry detergent that is eco-friendly. Secondly, larger proportions of resources have been committed to reductions in the amount of waste generated and energy used, and also to building green and limiting CO2 emissions from production. In a major study, Alexander and Kennedy (2002) propose a Zero Waste Approach that includes energy efficiency, water conservation and solid waste reduction, which can increase efficiency, provide cost savings, reduce the burden of extraction from and waste to nature, and allow more resources to be available. This view is supported by Nunes and Bennett (2010) who suggest that, ideally, green behaviour should go beyond simply creating a recyclable product to a more holistic incorporation of sustainable values into a corporations core principles and values. Bohdanowicz et al. (2005) finds that the availability of facility-specific data and access to information on the relevant best practice are essential for assessing and benchmarking the environmental performance of hotel facilities. Alexander and Kennedy (2002) suggest an option for conserving energy which is implement energy-efficient projects in space heating and cooling systems. For instance, The Hyatt Regency International Hotel in New Zealand developed a project to link energy use with room occupancy which has saved $14,000 of energy annually (Hyatt, 2010). Alexander and Kennedy (2002) suggest that low-flow shower heads and tap aerators are some options for water conservation, which are becoming common among hotel facilities, and the payback period can be three years depending on the extent of the project. For instance, Green Hotels Association (2010) observed water use in the La Quinta Inn, San Antonio that had saved 180,000 gallons of water per year by installing ultra-flow toi lets, low-flow shower heads and aerating taps in each room. In addition, Priesnitz (2008, p.14 ) defines greenwash as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.the acts of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service. Whellams and MacDonald (2007) label the corporations as greenwashers if they spend more on corporate image advertising that boasts about humanitarian programmes than on the programmes themselves, for instance, charities, donations or contributions. Greenwashing can have fatal effects on a companys trustworthiness. This view is supported by Priesnitz (2008) who points out that not only are a firms customers deceived, but, that greenwashing can also ruin relationships with all stakeholders. 2.6 Case study of Accor and Hilton Based on their total room number and location of their hotels, the two hotel groups selected for case study were Accor Hotel Group (Europe) and Hyatt Corporation (USA), being in 2009 the top 10 hotel groups in UK (Caterersearch, 2010). Marriott International Corporate also is one of the top 10 hotel groups in UK. Company Number of hotels Number of rooms Number of hotels worldwide 1 Whitbread Hotel Company 577+ 40,000+ 580 2 InterContinental Hotels Group 248 34,955 4,200 3 Travelodge (Dubai  International Capital) 372 23,150 380+   4 Accor Hotels 138 19,996 4,000 5 Hilton Hotels Corporation 78 16,566 3,200   6 Best  Western 285 15,305 4,035   7 Wyndham Worldwide 122 12,274 7,000 8   Marriott Hotels 58 12,015 3,200   9 Carlson  Hotels Worldwide   50 9,718 1,030 10   The  Rezidor Hotel Group  Ã‚   42 7.759 380 Table 1: Top 10 Hotel Groups in the UK, 2009 by number of bedrooms. (Caterersearch, 2010) Accor Group Hotels Accor currently manages 4,100 hotels under 13 different brands worldwide (Accor, 2010). The philosophy of Accor Corporation is respect for diverse cultures and incorporating environmental best practices in all its properties operations (Accor, 2010). The goals of their Earth Guest programme, launched in 2006, are to reduce water and energy consumption, promote balanced nutrition and to double, in three years, the number of hotels that offer fair-trade products (Accor, 2010). The programme is divided into two parts which are a social responsibility development area (EGO) and an environmental responsibility development area (ECO) (Accor, 2010). EGO is includes programmes for local development, the protection of children, combating of epidemics and the promotion of healthy eating. Besides that, the ECO is includes the reduction of water and energy usage and the preservation of biodiversity, as well as the upgrading of waste sorting and recycling (Accor, 2008 and 2009). The Hoteliers Environmental Charter is Accors internal benchmarking tool and provides the local hotel managers with guidelines for environmentally sustainable business practices. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (2010), the 88% of 4,000 Accors properties has adopted Hoteliers Environmental Charter. The Charter gives hotel managers and employees clear instructions on how resources can be saved in the areas of energy, water and waste (Accor, 2008). The first and second point of Hoteliers Environmental Charter considers is energy and water (Accor, 2010). Compact fluorescent light bulbs are used in 82% hotels for areas that remain light 24 hours a day (Accor, 2010). Accor also continued to promote the use of renewable energy sources, installing solar-powered hot water systems in 32 hotels in 2009, with a total of 99 hotels now equipped worldwide (Accor, 2009). Accor is actively involved in water conservation measures and water usage per occupied room, total was reduced 4% between 2006 and 2009 (Accor, 2009). Moreover, flow-regulators have now been installed in showers and faucets in 89% of hotels (Accor, 2009). Accor actively promotes waste sorting and recycling as well as eco-designed products for instance, 51% of hotels recover paper, cardboard and glass (Accor, 2008). Accor has improved its performance in waste management by manage with a dedicated waste management module that monitor the amount of waste produced per room, the recovery rate and the cost of waste disposal (Accor, 2009). Waste Traceability mainly concerns the separation of waste, where the company already achieves a high score in France owing to its proactive information policy (Accor, 2008). According to Accor (2010), their hotel prefers eco-labelled suppliers. In 2002, Accor dispatched an environmental purchasing charter to its purchasing organisations as well as to over 2,000 preferred suppliers (Sloan et al., 2009). Hilton Hotels Currently, Hilton Hotels Corporation has more than 3,200 hotels and 525,000 rooms in 77 countries. In 2009, Hilton is new global headquarters in McLean, Virginia which meets the highest environmental standard for his design, operation and construction (Environmental Leader, 2009). Besides that, the sustainability target that aims in coming 2014 by Hilton Hotels was announced. Those include: 20 per cent: Reducing energy consumption from direct operations; 20 per cent: Reducing output of waste; 20 per cent: Reducing CO2 emissions; And 10 per cent: Reducing the water consumption. Furthermore, Hilton had already started to green its properties operations. Hilton says that it was reduced CO2 emissions in Hilton hotels that participating by more than 64,000 tons or 56 per cent of its carbon footprint. Those are from the introduction of carbon-free electricity at its properties in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Moreover, they also said that, it has also reduced around 10 per cent in over the last two years for the water consumption and energy usage. Hilton Hotels also reported that, in May it has delivered more than 10 per cent in last year of energy savings which across more than 80 hotels in the Europe. Summary In 2007, the Association of Corporate Travel Executives had conducted a survey which showed that, only 1/3 of corporate travel policies had promoted the sustainable tourism. Most of the major hotel chains are looking the ways to participate in green concept to their hotels; the water and energy conservation became popular ways to greening. Therefore, Marriott International has set their goal to lowering the GHG emissions around 2.2 million pounds by 2010 which said by Ed Fuller- the president and managing director of Marriott. Besides that, Wolfgang Neuman of Hilton Hotels also looking toward the eco-friendly in solar heating, air-conditioning and heat recovery systems to extract the water waste from another system and use it in other ways in short term period. As well as the 200 of Accors hotels in France will have Solar Panels by 2010. CHAPTER THREE Methodology 3.1 Introduction In this research, in order to obtain the broad of knowledge about environmental operating practise in the hotel industry, a wide range of secondary sources will be reviewed. In addition, research strategy adopted was to conduct multiple case studies in two top hotel and Marriott companies in Europe and the USA. The main data collection techniques used in this research study was documentation analysis and content analysis. This chapter is divided into three sections. First, the interpretive stance in the field of information system is examined; second section is about the construction of the secondary research design which deals with the research design and covers the reasons for selecting resources; third section is describes the research approach followed in case study research. 3.2 Research Design Currently, the secondary literatures have increase rapidly, particularly as new resources which are developed or ready through the internet (Saunders et al., 2009). In this research project, secondary research will allow the research to incorporate suitable and reliable data of green operation initiative in hospitality, so that all the gathered data can respond to the research questions relating to the green activities of hotel in Europe and the USA. Secondary research differs from primary research in the collection of the documentary is not the responsibility of the analyst. Stewart and Kamins (1993) was point out that the analyst enters the picture after the data collection effort is over in secondary research. On the other hand, in primary research, the analyst is responsible for the design of research, the collection of data and the analysis and summary of the information (Stewart and Kamins, 1993). Secondary data although, has lack of direct control of the date, type, and procedure for collecting and recording of the data (Sauder et al, 2009), however, secondary data is more financial and time saving. For instance, secondary data particularly not necessary to wait for or pay to marketing researchers for a research project to collect primary data. By using secondary data, author can has more time and effort in analysing and interpreting the data, as it has already been collected. Secondary research moreover may increase the quality of the research by targeting the real dilemma and mistakes. Consultation on secondary resources increases the efficiency of the research by targeting real gaps and oversights in knowledge. Primary research therefore has not been used in this project due to the wide variety of secondary data has been found. Primary research methods such as, questionnaires or interviews will not provide relevant information for this topic. On this basis, it can be concluded that secondary research is the main source of information provided in this study including information from academic journals, books, corporate reports and internet. Nevertheless, author should analyse cautiously the information gathered to determine its validity and reliability. This is because the research only uses one kind of research models and the argument generated about research topic. 3.3 Sources of Data 3.3.1 Secondary Data Secondary research data is the key resource of information incorporate in this research proposal. However, the different secondary resources might have different type of information. A guideline for obtain valid and reliable information from different resources therefore, has been designed which can found in Table 2. Type of information Resources that might have that information Established facts and figures Reference books; official publications; government web sites General information on a topic Books of collected articles; text books; web sites of relevant organisations Reviews of the literature on a topic Journal articles; books of collected articles Publications of recent research results Journal articles; proceedings of conferences Professional and academic debates Journal articles; web sites of relevant organisations; newspapers Table 2: The types of resources that provided different information. In order to justify the authors arguments and