Critically examine thje effects of the 'Boudaryless Career' Essay

Critically examine thje effects of the 'Boudaryless Career' on individuals, organisation and society - Essay Example The effects of Boundaryness careers on an individual include the ability of a person to take control over employability as well as the development of an individual’s skills beyond the career management in an organization. This requires an individual to have a certain degree of self-perceived ability, self-motivation, and the opportunity to make changes in a person’s career (Cappelli, 1997). Moreover, individuals looking to develop their skills ought to look for these opportunities to meet their expectations, regardless of the boundaries they have to cross to do so (Eby & Lockwood, 2003). In addition, individuals have the capability to make an internal career change within the organization they currently work Additionally, due to career diversity management has become an important aspect due to global workforce that helps organizations grow. Boundaryless careers assist the management in decision making as people from all aspects of life come together and bring in their unique ideas thus solving problems (Dalton & Price, 2007). In addition, organizations gain through the sufficient career development opportunities that help support the career concerns in the organization. Consequently, an organization is able to know the potential challenges of career progression of the professionals in the organization and is able to better manage their careers. Like the impact of boundaryless careers on individuals and the organization, it is important to understand on the happening of the community. As people in the community have a feeling of common interest and purpose and values, it is important to have a personal knowledge that they belonging to a collective of others in the community (Burman, 2006). This therefore means that people need to develop and make a difference in the society. This includes the proper use of resources available in the community as well as the emotional connection

Building a Power Base in a New Organization Case Study

Building a Power Base in a New Organization - Case Study Example Hence it is important realize that the first few months of transfer is critical in building a power base in order to accomplish the leadership role and changes that you want to achieve and realize your personal and professional goals (Houston, 2008). According to Paula Brynion (2004), power is one’s capability to influence others. The nursing industry must recognize that constructing a power base is a vital force in controlling one’s vocation and place in an organization. Brynion furthers states that the capacity to identify and connect the enthusiasm and prospect of nursing is imperative in building a positive perception of and using power. Hence, a list of strategies in building a power base is listed and expounded in this paper. 1. Be professional and act as a team player. Since you are a new nameless subject in the group, you must present yourself in a package that would leave a positive mark to your coworkers. Uphold an aura of professionalism and competence by goi ng to work early and well-groomed. Be conscious of how you talk with others and try to be tactful and confident especially when dealing with head nurses and doctors. Maintaining composure even under times of stress will leave them a good impression of you. It is also necessary to work harder, volunteer for extra shifts and readily help colleagues to contribute more to the community. Involve yourself in meetings, extra assignments and accept these tasks with an open mind. Eventually, perseverance and professionalism can take you greater heights and everyone will associate your name with respect and credibility (Daly, Speedy and Jackson, 2003). 2. Learn the rules. Building a power base command for socialization and determination of the key people of power in the company. Understanding the â€Å"unspoken rules† in an organization is critical in blending in with your new surroundings, will provide you with a broader vision of the organization and get a better sense of how it func tions. It is essential for any newcomer to recognize the culture and values of the institution in order to have an awareness of the do’s and don’ts in the workplace. The information achieved through these details can benefit you by gaining entrance into important networks in the system (Carter, 2007). 3. Increase expert power. Given that you have been a registered nurse for five years from a previous hospital, it is expected that proper training and experience are already at hand. However, continuous gaining of knowledge, expertise and skills are still needed to increase expert power. New challenges arise every day that can help increase not only your skill level but your maturity as well. Moreover, taking up specialty certifications and advanced studies upsurges your power base because of new knowledge gained. Open positions for higher ranks may specifically require certain capabilities so you need to seize those opportunities by gaining expert power as much as you ca n (Yoder-Wise, 2011). 4. Search for mentors and form alliances with other professionals. Associate yourself with positive role models that imitate nursing excellence and behave accordingly. Coworkers who show commitment to extensive learning and love for their jobs are more likely to emulate optimistic approach in making a difference in the nursing industry. These kinds of people can be of great influence to you since mentoring is an active process that can help build a power base.

Football salary Essay Example for Free

Football salary Essay Many people think that footballers are paid too much money for doing too little effort. However, this can be argues because they are people who have dedicated their entire life to this sport and therefore they should be rewarded. But in the end there is lots of people need that money to survive and get some food and clean water. The money which is given to players should be reduced because what they do isnt worth all the money they get. Because the average salary of a professional football player of February 2010 was listed at about $1.8 million year (Mandi R Hall, www.ehow.com). There are also other people that have worked harder throughout their lives by working and studying. Players perform a sport where they do not save anyones life unlike doctors who study for 6 consecutive years, work for several hours, and literally save peoples lives. But the problem is even doctors they don’t gut that high salary like the average in 2009 for doctors in the US was $226,000/ year (mdsalaries.blogspot.com). There are also other careers like police officers who devote their lives to provide a safe community. A single football player receives high amounts of money where half of this amount could be spent on medical supplies, help have a better education, and also help many needy people. Because billing school for example â€Å"The Williamstown Public School in Williamstown, Massachusetts is an old school, so they are currently building a new one. It costs $14.5 million and it will house 650 students maximum. The Williamstown Public School is about three times bigger than Marks Meadow. Since our school is about 1/3 smaller, it would cost about 1/3 less money to build. $14.5 million divided by three equals about $4.8 million† (arps.org).The players effort is insignificant and worthless compare to the amount of they get. The reasons why they should not be paid as much as they do, are: Children should be in better schools have a higher degree of education, people who work harder should get better salaries, the money people sent in football as a whole should be used better on investment or donations.

Benefits of Electric Vehicles Essay Example for Free

Benefits of Electric Vehicles Essay 1: Problem Statement The market for plug in vehicles is growing more competitive since variety of manufacturers are increasingly offering plug in hybrid and battery electrical vehicle. However, the initially adopted two key drivers, lower operating cost and zero emission driving, are not proving to be as effective as expected. The market for Electrical Vehicle is still struggling to expand towards more mass-market. The purpose of this research is to acquire knowledge and get a better understanding of the cost- benefit of plug in electrical vehicles as well as its’ impact on environmental and financial policies. Questions!! What are the cost and benefits of Electric Vehicles? What is the environmental impact of electric vehicles? How can environmental and financial policies influence on consumer support? 2: Popular sources [IF USED—THESE DON’T COUNT TOWARD THE FIVE SOURCE REQUIREMENT] Write a brief summary of the key information found from your bridge sources and popular source phase of the research. Source cited Give the key points and issue that have broadened you understanding into the problem you are researching 1. Green vehicle. http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Electric_vehicle An electric vehicle is any motor vehicle that uses one or more electric motors or traction motors as a driving force. There are three main types of electric vehicle exist, those that are directly powered from an external power station, those that are powered by stored electricity originally from an external power source, and those that are powered by an on-board electrical generator, such as an internal combustion engine (a hybrid electric vehicle) or a hydrogen fuel cell. These vehicles are environment friendly as they release almost no air pollutants at the place where they are operated. They also have less noise pollution than an internal combustion engine vehicle. EV gives the greater degree of energy resilience as electricity is a form of energy that remains within the region where it produced. 2. Green Cars and Todays Economy. http://www. consumerenergyreport. com/green-cars-and-todays-economy/ According to this article, plug-in hybrid electrical help the economy and personal expenses can determine which green car to buy. The article specifies the pros and cons of having an electric vehicle. Among the advantages are low insurance cost, low gas cost, job creation and better air quality. The disadvantages include maintenance, initial cost and battery life. 3. Negative Environmental Impacts of Hybrid Vehicles. http://greenliving. lovetoknow. com/Hybrid_Vehicles_Negative_Environmental_Impact This article describes the negative environmental impact Hybrid vehicles. It defines different kinds of hybrids. It questions the source of electrical power for hybrids. According to the article hybrid cars are not emission free. The batteries contain nickel in them and are considered toxic. Two other negative aspects that are covered include the negative impact of high voltage wiring and the initial cost associated with the green Car. 3: Scholarly sources List of sources broken down by discipline: Source cited Research process Qualitative/quantitative Framing or norm/post/critical Key insights/theories/points How does this understanding conflict with any other insight/theory or concur 1. Ecology a) R. Socolow, V. Thomas (2000). The Industrial Ecology of lead and electrical vehicle. Journal of Industrial Ecology. Volume 1, issue 1, Pages 13-36, January 2000 b) Title, author? Journal of Environmental Planning Management; Jan 2009, Vol. 52 Issue 1, P79-96. According to this paper, a common risk analysis of electric vehicles is misguided, because it treats lead batteries and lead additives in gasoline on the same footing and implies that the lead battery should be abandoned. The authors stated that â€Å"The use of lead additives in gasoline is a dissipative use where emissions cannot be confined: The goal of management should be and has been to phase out this use. The use of lead in batteries is a recyclable use, because the lead remains confined during cycles of discharge and recharge. † Clean recycling of the lead batteries should be the goal.. A management system closely approaching clean recycling should be achievable. The lead battery has the potential to become a hazardous product managed in the world. The tools of industrial ecology are helpful in identifying the key criteria that an ideal lead-battery recycling system must meet maximal recovery of batteries after use, minimal export of used batteries to countries where environmental controls are weak, minimal impact on the health of communities near lead-processing facilities, and maximal worker protection from lead exposure in these facilities. This research paper explores quantitatively Californians interest in hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) based on a statewide phone survey conducted in July 2004 by the Public Policy Institute of California. The paper develops factors that summarize beliefs about energy and the environment using principal component analysis. This study result concludes that the Californians concerned about the environment, energy efficiency, global warming and recent increases in the price of gasoline state a higher interest in hybrids. Another important reason for considering hybrid electric vehicles, however, is the possibility of using high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes while driving alone, especially for people with potentially long commutes to work. The findings also suggest that beliefs about energy and the environment should be included in vehicle type choice models. First article is emphasizing on the negative impact that electric vehicle has on the environment whereas the latter one highlights on the eco-friendliness and the popularity of the EVs. Source cited Research process Qualitative/quantitative Framing or norm/post/critical. Key insights/theories/points How does this understanding conflict with any other insight/theory or concur 2. Technology. c) Systems for hybrid cars. Otmar Bitsche et. al. Journal of power sources 127 (2004) 8-15. d) The state of the art of electric, hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles. C. C. Chan. Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol 95, No 4, April 2007. The Otmar article gives us a detailed understanding of what plug-in hybrid electrical are and how their drive trains offer a wide range of benefits such as multifaceted performance improvements, reduced emissions and reduced fuel consumption compared to the internal combustion engine. It demonstrates how important the battery is in different hybrid cars for the right specific automotive application. It describes the cost and safety aspects in terms of battery type and performance of such vehicles. Competition alongside with legislation is pushing hybrid technology towards the future. The paper describes different types of hybrid vehicles and their advantages. It should therefore be considered to have a positive perspective to the reader. However one weakness to the article is that is is relatively technical and may not be appeasing to the general reader in order to understand hybrid cars in a nutshell. Also, the kind of hybrid that would be considered the best in terms of performance is not mentioned. The most significant aspect of the article is it describes all the different modes of hybrid operation and how regenerative braking affects the performance of the battery hence the author develops an important concept. The author approaches the subject matter through a unique method in which he describes stop-start hybrids followed by mild hybrids and full hybrids before focusing on purely electrical cars. The author argues while safety comes first, it is the cost that determines the most important factor to buying a hybrid. In contrast, the Chan paper describes the different state of the art hybrid vehicles in particular. These include Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, Ford Escape, Saturn vue, ISE transient buses and Honda FCX. Chan describes a detailed history of Evs, HEVs and FCVs which the Otmar paper tends to lack. The article describes the differences among Electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles and points out the advantages and disadvantages of each. The paper describes how a better understanding of control theory is essential for the future development of these vehicles. This article is useful in order to choose the right green car for ones individual needs. It describes the hybrid system car by car and is therefore very useful for understanding what is available in the auto market and what to expect from each individual model. The paper is more geared towards the general reader and offers a positive perspective. The most significant aspect of the article is that it is focused on individual car model. It is also in agreement with other sources on hybrid vehicles. The author makes a informative comparison in the form of a table where he compare and contrasts battery electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cell electric vehicles in terms of propulsion, energy system, energy source and infrastructure, characteristics and major issues. These factors may arise to a debate on which type of green car is superior in overall performance. Source cited Research process Qualitative/quantitative Framing or norm/post/critical Key insights/theories/points. How does this understanding conflict with any other insight/theory or concur Economics. e) Fredrik Carlsson (2003) Costs and Benefits of electric Vehicles. A 2010 perspective. . Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, volume 37, part 1, January 2003, pp. 1-28. f) Consumer support for environmental policies: An application to purchases of plug-in hybrid electrical vehicle. Alex Coad et. al. Ecological Economics 68 (2009), 2078-2086. The Fredrick paper describes a social cost-benefit analysis with respect to the increase in electric vehicle number within the Swedish transport sector by the year 2010. According to the paper electric cars are socially unprofitable in spite of having a lower life cycle cost compared to their gasoline counterparts. This is due to government subsidies on electric cars which outweigh the benefits related to low fuel consumption. Despite the environmental advantages, electric vehicles are not very common and different means of financially supporting them is often subject to debate. The paper uses a cost benefit model to determine consumer welfare or utility and can be looked upon as having a normative perspective. The weakness of the paper is that it assumes too many assumptions which is not always realistic. It is a technical paper and therefore the mathematical section is not suitable for the general public. The most significant aspect of this research is to answer the question as to whether governments should subsidize electric vehicles and the conclusion is negative. In his conclusion the author states that due to too many uncertainties the case for public subsidies becomes uncertain. In contrast, the Alex paper describes how consumer motivation can be used to encourage the adoption of cleaner technologies. According to the author intrinsic motivation such as energy labels for cars and extrinsic motivation such as subsidies or fines can be used to encourage the adoption of cleaner technologies. The paper analyzes a survey data set of Swiss households. The results of this survey are of particular interest to policy makers who are keen on guiding consumers towards cleaner technology. This paper gives us a better understanding of intrinsic motivation which is the kind of motivation that comes from within ourselves and not from an outside source that rewards money or grades. Extrinsic motivation is guided by some type of external subject or reward. The paper analyzes to what extent consumers are willing to support public policies in order to promote energy efficient cars. The nature of the article is of normative perspective. The weakness of the article is that the survey was conducted on 1500 Swiss households. Nothing about the age or nature of these households are mentioned in the serve. The most significant aspect of the paper is that it gives one a better understanding of different motivation to get a job done. Although both these papers discuss about the economic perspective of plug-in hybrid electrical, they do so in very different way. While the former article is a cost benefit description of electric vehicles by utilizing an economic model, the latter can be considered as an article that describes the motivation that drives consumer support towards the purchase of a green car. 4: Disciplinary Overlapping: In all sources except for the Cost and benefits article it is mentioned that plug-in hybrid electrical are more cost effective than their gasoline counterpart. However, Fredrik Carlsson in his article mentions that electrical vehicles are socially unprofitable in spite of having a lower private life cycle cost and external cost compared to petrol cars. All six articles do however agree that plug-in hybrid electrical are more fuel efficient and environmentally friendlier than gasoline cars. give us a better understanding on what plug-in hybrid electrical are like and how they have evolved with time. mentions the different systems in hybrid vehicles while describes specific models helping us to choose which green car to buy. The cost benefits of buying a green car is discussed in, however, the source is based on many assumptions and the paper itself is very technical. focuses on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation that leads to support of environmental policies. The articles in general give us a better understanding of the problem statement. However one aspect that was overlooked by all the sources involves the environmental effect of different kind of battery systems, their waste and disposal. Category /Element Criteria Range: (Na)(No)(A)(M) Purposefulness (20) identifies a clear research problem and explains it; Readings chosen are relevant to the problem as defined (10-12),(13-15), (16-18),(19-20) 15 Grounding (40) identifies and adequately summarizes the constituent elements of each source: insights, theories or concepts, methodologies, sources of evidence; connects each source to a part of the problem that it helps illuminate (10-12),(13-15), (16-18),(19-20) 0 The selection of sources gives appropriate â€Å"coverage† of the problem (10-12),(13-15), (16-18),(19-20) 17 Critical Awareness (20). Student recognizes and explains how the different elements of each source affect the findings—methods, theories, concepts, assumptions; Student identifies meaningful conflicts or commonalities among different sources (10-12),(13-15), (16-18),(19-20) 17 Integration (20) Student makes intelligent comparisons between insights, theories, methods or data across disciplinary lines to support an improved understanding or cognitive advancement; explains how different ideas could be applied to an improved understanding (10-12),(13-15), (16-18),(19-20) 16 Total: 65.

Marriott International: An Analysis

Marriott International: An Analysis Marriott International has culture and tradition of innovation, service and leading performance. Marriott International has achieved competitive advantage over the other competitors through three conceptual frameworks: Porters Five Forces approaches, the resources based approaches and the rational approach. Through this approaches Marriott International has identified the source of competitive advantage. This report is primarily based on explaining how the Marriot International Inc. has successfully managed the strategic moves and competing with the strong rivals in the hospitality sector. This report also critically evaluates the strategic moves, competitive strength, internal and external environment of the company. Introduction Marriott International is a leading operator, franchisor, and licensor of hotels, corporate housing properties, and timeshare properties under numerous brand names at different price and service points. It has more than 3700 properties worldwide. It is expanded to 73 countries and have 18 brands. Innovation, service and leading performance is always the key priority of Marriott International. Fortune ® magazine has included Marriott International in the most admired company in lodging industry and also as one of the best places to work. This report critically evaluates the Marriott Internationals strategic profile. (Marriott International Inc., 2012) History Marriott International has categorized its glowing history in 4 groups; period between 1927 to 1956 is known as early years, growth years are between 1957 to 1985, modern years are between 1986 to 2011 and the years ahead is 2012 and onwards. Marriott was founded in 1927 by J. Willard Marriott and his wife in Washington D.C. as a root beer stand. Due to the humid summer of Washington D.C. the Hot Shoppe gradually became the popular place to get cool drinks to quench the thirst. For winter season hot Mexican dishes like tamales, chili, and tacos were the profitable items. In 1929 Hot Shoppes was incorporated in Delaware as Hot Shoppes Inc. Hot Shoppes went public in 1953 by opening its first hotel, the Twin Bridges Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. Marriot did its first international expansion in 1966 by acquiring an airline catering kitchen in Caracas, Venezuela. Marriott became Marriott Corporation in 1967. Cruise lines were added to Marriott Corporation in 1971 and in 1972 J. W. Marriott, Jr. the son of JW Marriot Became the CEO. Farrells ice cream parlors became the part of Marriott Corporation in 1972 and also two theme parks near Chicago and San Francisco came to operation in 1976. In 1977 Marriot Corporation became a billion dollar company. In 1982 the company acquired Host International and opened first Courtyard hotel in 1983. In next year company entered in the vacation timeshare and senior-living market. In 1987 Marriott entered in the lower-moderate lodging segment by acquiring Fairfield Inn and Residence Inn. Again in 1993 the company once again broke down into Marriott International and Host International. In the year of 1995 Marriott International acquired Ritz Carlton Hotel Company. Marriott International introduced Marriott Executive Residence, Towneplace Suites and Fairfield Suites in 1997 by acquiring Renaissance Hotel Group. In 2006 Marriott International announced that all Marriott establishments in US and Canada are non-smoking zone. Marriott has very colorful past and it grew old with innovation and on the other hand it focused more on mergers and acquisitions. In the modern years Marriott International opened the first Bulgari Hotels Resort property in Milan, Italy. In the year of 2008 The Edition brand was introduced. Marriott International continued its growth in 2009 as well. In this year company launched Autograph Collection, which is a luxury and upscale independen t brand hotels. In the year of 2012 Marriott International got its third CEO, Arne Sorenson in the companys history. Strategy Management According to the Bill Marriott, Sustainability means being good corporate citizen and environmentally steward and promoting economic growth, diversity and inclusion in our communities worldwide. Marriott International is growing bigger every day. Marriott International is focusing more on Asia, Africa and Middle East in these days. Marriott International has well planned strategies like New Generation Travelers, Brand Distinction, Portfolio Power, Technology Leadership, Owner Preference and Global Growth. These strategies are formulated to compete with the rival chains. Beside these strategies Marriott International has CSR strategy known as Spirit to serve our communities, which is social approach to stay ahead from the competition. Company has strategic management program to catch up with latest trend and development in the marketplace. Marriott International developed great room lobby experience for the Next Generation Travelers in 2007 and is expanded to 190 countries of the more than 500 Marriott hotels and resorts. Company has planned to expand this program to more than 80% of Marriott properties worldwide with in 2015. Marriott International is also trying to minimize its labor costs in its corporate offices despite the greater expansion of the company itself. There will be altogether 100 hotel in India alone within 2016. In china Marriott planning to open new hotels in faster pace than the rival hotel chains. The economies of China and India are somewhat slowing down but the travel and tourism industry is still growing in the positive speed and Marriott International wants to capture the growing market travel and tourism by adding new rooms. MISSION AND VISION STATEMENT Marriott International does not have a mission statement; rather, it has a vision statement which is To be the #1 hospitality company in the world. (Marriott International Inc., 2012) INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT: SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Large Expansion of Brands Peoples business Geographic Presence Global leader More franchise Website and Social Network Focused divestiture Efforts Attract and retain employees Culture retention against the identities of the brands Brand Equity Strong Internet presence Adequate IT solutions Over-reliance on US market Over dependence on luxury brands Lack of low-cost lifestyle brands targeted by fundamentalists or extremists Opportunities Threats Emerging Asian Travel and Tourism Markets Trend of low-cost market Distinction amongst hotel service offered Environmentally and Family Oriented Decrease of cost of real estate in the USA Eco-tourism Timeshare not popular anymore Economic Recession = lower consumer spending Boom of Economy Hotel Brand Political instability Terrorism PEST Analysis External environment needs to be analyzed in timely manner in order to be competitive on todays market place. The environment is changing all the time and company must be responsive to the changing environment. To take effective actions. PEST is the effective tool to analyze external environment of the organization. Marriott International is the leading hospitality management company. Its political, economic, social and technological environment analysis are as follows: Political Environment Marriott International has recognized the value of laws and regulations of the individual nation and acted accordingly in the past and present. The political scenario in each country is different and must be addressed properly. Marriott has followed protocol designed by the individual nation like; no smoking policy, non-fat food, low calorie diet etc. Economic Environment The growing economy of the Asia and other developing region is motivating Marriott International to invest more in these areas. On the other hand, the increasing price of gasoline is encouraging Marriott International to focus on clean energy and to be more environment friendly by decreasing the use of synthetic fuels, which also helps in controlling the cost of the operations Social Environment People today like to travel and explore new places. Marriott is extending travel network in America, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. Visiting friends and family abroad today is very easy due to the advancement in transportation system. Marriot International must recognize this market and develop plan to attract these markets. Technological Environment The world today is like global village. Technology is connecting the world and gathering the people in one place. People travel today more frequently than in the past. Reservation, payment, check in and check out can be done seamlessly. Marriott International has adopted technological innovation in faster pace than the competitors. Technological and innovation is the key priority of Marriott International. 3) FORCES OF FRAME WORK Buyer Power The buyer power in the Hospitality industry is moderate. As the Marriott International has strong brand recognition, it can attract new guest easily with little effort of marketing and promotions. The company can also keep its repeat business because the switching cost or risk for the guest is uncertain. Marriott International is providing quality service consistently and giving the best experience to its guest at all level. Supplier Power The supplier power is moderate for Marriott International as the supplier power in Hospitality Industry is fragmented. Property owners, developers, architects, real estate companies, marketing firms, law firms and information technology service and equipment suppliers are some example of supplier in the industry. Suppliers are in different shapes and sizes. Food and beverage supplier, utility supplier and labor supplier are also key player, as they are major stakeholder in minimizing operational cost of operation. Threat of New Entrants Threat of new Entrants for Marriot International is considerably high due to the substantial growth in hospitality industry in past few years. The unfavorable economic condition of some European countries also have lowered the value of land and real estate and it is very likely to attract new entrepreneur in the hospitality industry. The economic growth in South Asia and Asia Pacific is also maximizing the threat of new entrants. Threat of Substitution Threat of substitution for Marriott International is low in the developed nations and premium market place. In developing nations, the threat of substitution is high due to the innovative concepts in travel and tourism industry like; homestay campaign, camping, informal visit to friends and family. There is a threat of substitution but we cannot compare the service level provided in the informal sector with the Marriott level of service. Degree of Rivalry The threat of rivalry in the hospitality industry is moderate for Marriott International. In hospitality industry, key players are large branded chains. Marriott is facing strong competition from the other same sized chain brands but it is gaining its competitive advantage through the diversification of business in specialized segments. Marriott is expanded in 73 countries and has 18 brands which is the main reason that Marriott is ahead from its competitor. Beside this, Marriotts strong brand equity, strong commitment for guest satisfaction, consistent and quality service is helping Marriott to stay ahead from its rivals. RESOURCES AND CAPABILITIES Marriott International has a strong presence in the hospitality market due to its efficient operation, effective marketing, specific market segmentation by diversification of revenue and economies of scale on operations. Marriott is capable of managing all of its operations on its own. Strong commitment to service and guest satisfaction is Marriotts priority. Satisfied investor and shareholders, motivated employees in all level, strong corporate culture is driving Marriott International in the right track of its journey to more satisfied guest, motivated employees and prosperous owners and shareholders. DECISION MAKING CRITICAL THEMES CONCLUSION Are you Thirsty? Analysis of Pepsi Advert Are you Thirsty? Analysis of Pepsi Advert Briauna McGrew You wake up in the middle of the night and youre standing in front of your refrigerator with your eyes squinted because of the bright light trying to decide what you want to drink. Then you finally see it, even with your squinted eyes, the exact thing you had been craving since you went to sleep and then dreamed about until the moment you woke up, a Pepsi. So, you grab that glorious Pepsi excited to take a drink and feel the bubbly delicious drink run down your dry throat. Once you take a drink you start to think back to what first got you started drinking this yummy, bubbly, delicious pop. Then you remember the ad that you saw in a magazine that made you laugh out loud so you just had to try the pop. In this ad they used one of Americas famous holidays to get peoples attention and they also made it funny which is something that everyone loves, if someone sees something funny and they are a fun person, more than likely they are going to look into whatever it is that made them laugh, I know I do. When I first looked at this ad the very first thing that I notice is the Pepsi can wearing a Coca-Cola cape. So it is obviously a Pepsi ad trying to get people to drink Pepsi. They are trying to send out a message that Coke is scary and Pepsi is just a normal pop. The only saying on this ad is We wish you a scary Halloween!. This is a big part of them saying that Coke is scary because when you dress up for Halloween you try to be scary, so the Pepsi can is trying to be scary by dressing up as a Coke can. I also got the feeling that when they say We wish you a scary Halloween they are saying that it would be scary if Pepsi turned into Coke When you think of scary things you want to stay away from them, such as shark infested water, if you had to choose between swimming in water that had no living things in it and swimming in water that was infested with sharks I am almost certain you would choose the one with no living things. I think thats what Pepsi is getting at with this ad. Pepsi is a very hip company because they try to appeal to the younger people so they talk their parents into buying it so they can drink it. The colors are key in this ad because if they didnt get the colors just right this could very easily become helpful to Coke and not Pepsi, but because they are professionals at advertisements they used the exact colors needed. In the back ground of the picture are rocks on a hill or a mountain but when you look at it you can see kind of a blue undertone in these rocks, almost like they put a very faint blue tint to the entire picture. If you look at the Coke cape the colors are very dull and aggressive and the shadows on the cape have hints of blue in them which is the main color of a Pepsi can. They made sure that the red on the Pepsi can was a different and more bright red than the red on the Coke cape. They kind of have light coming from the top of the picture and the bottom of the picture so the can just looks so bold. The Pepsi can itself is more bright even though it is under a Coke cape it still pops out. The white on the Pepsi can is a brighter white and the white on the cape is a little more dull. The Pepsi can has some reflecting light on it to make it pop out even more. The top of the Pepsi can has a very bright sun reflection so it makes the can catches the readers eye and makes them look. The whole picture is more of a dark picture but they made sure to make the Pepsi logo very very bright so that it would stand out so that people would know for sure what the ad was for. They made sure to place the sunlight in the perfect place to make the Pepsi can stick out the most. They made the can in general very bold so that your eye is just drawn straight to the can. The colors are very important but the position the can in is important as well. When you look at it it looks like the can is standing tall and is a dominate thing. They make it look like there is a gentle breeze because the Coke cape is open and just looks like it is blowing in the wind, kind of like at the end of a super hero movie when the hero stands on a high mountain top and overlooks the city that he takes care of and they make sure there is a gentle breeze blowing through making their cape blow around and they just look so dominate, thats the feel that I get from this, because they are making this cape blow in the wind it is kind of making the Coca-Cola in this picture a lot less dominate because the word is all wrinkled up and you cant see it as well, you cant see the whole Pepsi word but they have the most important letters of the name in there, the whole name is Pepsi and they have the eps in there so pretty much all of the letters that make up the word Pepi are included, s o people just know what they are looking at. The can is standing right between 2 boulders that kind of make a V or an arrow that kind of points right to the can that also helps with drawing your eyes straight to the can. Also the moss that is throughout the entire picture is isnt a strong point but I can feel the moss kind of guiding your eyes right to the can. To sum everything up, it doesnt seem like this Pepsi ad used a lot of things to try to sell their product but they did. They didnt use a lot of wording but they didnt need to, they kind of came off as a the can speaks for itself kind of thing. They made the colors all hit in the perfect spot and they made all the high lights and low lights perfect. They made the can seem dominate without even saying anything. They made everything in the picture just point straight at the can but they didnt make the pointing too harsh they just kind of slowly guided your eye straight to the can. In my opinion they did an amazing job in this ad just because they didnt use many words but they still got what they wanted to get into everyone that sees this ad head.   So what do you think? Are you going to begin drinking Pepsi? http://www.emlii.com/images/article/2014/02/5300bef02e394.jpeg

Jack London Square Essay -- Personal Narrative Oakland Essays

Jack London Square The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Gothic architecture of the University of Chicago, Mardi gras, the Great Wall of China--all are highly visible landmarks, characteristics, or events that are emblematic of a particular place. In a more subtle way, there are other "landmarks" that are less recognizable but nonetheless suggest a specific place. Perhaps it is the local mall, or spring tulips in your garden, or abandoned warehouses, or an annual Fourth of July parade or October pumpkin festival. Write about a landmark, characteristic, or event that suggests to you a specific place. Down around the intersection of Broadway and Embarcadero, between the chimneys and the channel, lies one of the few scenes that Oakland displays with pride to the outside world. It is Jack London Square, a ten-block area occupied by shops and offices, which looks out on the Alameda Channel and, beyond it in an appropriate direction, on San Francisco Bay. It is the site of numerous happenings, from the weekly Farmers’ Market to the Fourth of July fireworks, and for the remaining time it somehow maintains an air of hospitality — even festivity — foreign to most of the city. But to me, the Square is more than a physical location; it has a variety of connotations, all somehow connected to Oakland. It is not accurate to say that Jack London Square is a symbol of Oakland; rather, it is a gathering place for a variety of individual representatives of the intellectual and economic mediocrity on which the city frugally survives. To one side is the Port of Oakland, the heart of the city’s commercial significance; it somehow irritates me that this metropolis of 400,000 functions as a distribution center, a mer... ...ironment, and to find the same sort of indicators of the social and cultural entity that constitutes whatever other city as I have done in Oakland. What I experience is perhaps nothing more than a form of academic interest. Just as I have tried to expand my academic experience — while focusing on mathematics, I have also taken interest in chess, CX debate, and programming, among other things — I want to know other places as well. I am not an inseverable part of Oakland. But it is a part of me, a fragment of my experience and my identity. Years from now, after I have finished college and graduate school, perhaps long after that, it is quite likely that I will return to Oakland. I will make the pilgrimage on foot to Jack London Square. And I will sit at one of the outdoor tables of the Barnes & Noble Cafà ©, sipping an Italian soda, and remember what Oakland is.

Evolution and Ambiguous Communication Essay -- Biology Essays Research

Throughout the debate concerning evolution, I have noted the relative precision or imprecision of various methods of human communication. From the connotations of particular words to the emotion incited by a distinct music phrase, it is often surprising which human forms of expression are ambiguous and which seem to be universal. When considering this phenomenon, it is perhaps useful to construct a method for discussing the relative accuracy of communicating exactly what we mean when we use various ways to say it. From an evolutionary standpoint, it is relevant to our discussion to ask whether meaning(thought) pushed language into existence, or whether it was language that originated meaning. If the first is true, then mediums such as art and music are truly a product of our desire to communicate meaning in a direct sense. The meaning to be communicated first forms itself in the creator's head in some wordless nebula, and then consequently find release directly onto the painter's canvas, or the musical phrase. Hence, once the creation is added to the realm of world attention, and observers begin to interact with the creation, the meaning of the piece will undergo another translation into words as observers start to describe and recount their interaction. Only after the original meaning has traveled from the artist's mind, into a creation, and into the observer's mind, will it have it's first confrontation with language. However, if language itself created meaning, then we must understand art to be an interpretation of spoken or unspoken language; a second generation product of the human desire to communicate with self or others. This is the viewpoint endorsed by Dennett in Darwin's Dangerous Idea, as he states: "the 'lang... ... that "the idea of the original is created by the copies, and that the original is always deferred – never to be grasped." (Culler 12). This theory can be (and was originally) applied to one of the modes of human communication that is considered to be among the most precise – written language. But does this theory mean that we as humans have no hope of ever communicating exactly what it is we mean to another? Perhaps there is no hope of this, and that is why, in some more ambiguous forms of our communication, we have ceased to hope for it and admitted defeat on that front: but in doing so, we found a new realm of significance in the variety of interpretation. Works Cited 1)Culler, Jonathan. Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press. New York, NY, 1997. 2)Dennett, Daniel C. Darwin's Dangerous Idea. Touchstone: New York, NY, 1995.

Richard Essay -- essays research papers fc

â€Å"Richard Wright: Author of Black Boy†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Richard Wright’s â€Å"Black Boy† depicts the different observations of the South and the North. In the South, Wright faces pre-depression and racism. In the North, Wright faces the conflicts from the Communist party. At the end of Black Boy, Wright quotes â€Å"What had I got out of living in the city? What had I got out of living in the South?†(Wright 452)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wright’s thought of the South was that the South was a socially unreconstructed region where blacks who asserted their basic human rights invited punishment or death. Black Boy forces the reader to imagine the Southern life from a Negro point of view. The perspective of the South is that the entire society is assembled to keep the Negro in his place. White society of the South restricts a black person’s freedom of movement, discourages his ambition, and banishes the black person to a place of inferiority. In Black Boy, an elevator boy named Shorty invites a white man to kick him for a quarter. Shorty is a symbol of nothingness because he does not have any pride in himself and towards his race. Wright would rather die that have himself kicked. Wright marvels at the willingness of southern Negroes who control themselves, their hopes and dreams. Black Boy states that the South is so dark that Wright wanders over the fact that the sun is still shining. 1 )   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Readers are felt free to make false charges on the South were forced to inspect the problems of race, oppression and class in the North. Due to segregation in the South, it was unthinkable for a black boy to become a writer. Wright learns that his people grope at the Southern life making them believe in a better world up North. Wright leaves the South so that he could engage himself with reality. Wright’s reflections on the South ended with a quote, â€Å"This was the culture from which I sprang, this was the terror from which I fled.†(Wright 303)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Wright goes to Chicago, Wright did not go North with a sense of what he wanted to become. In the North, Wright faces the pressure of the Communist Party. In the Communist Party, the themes of black and white are less intense. The issue of black and white as a race continues but Wright notes, he now feels â€Å"a different sort of tens... ...for the Walls bringing in firewood and the Walls consider their house a second home to Wright where he understands them more than his own family. Wright wrote Black Boy knowing that the book should not be read as a historical truth which struggles to report those false facts, but read as a narrative truth. Wright does not mention that his mother was a successful schoolteacher and that many of his friends were college faculty members. Wright also leaves out his father’s family background, which could have explained what type of person Wright’s father was. 5) The story that Richard Wright creates in Black Boy, whatever it is a historical record, is important both in telling the reader how the author remembers life in the South and in showing the reader what kind of person the author was to have written Wright’s story as he did. 6) Bibliography 1) Harold Bloom, Modern Critical Views: Richard Wright, New York, Chelsea House Publishers @1987 2) Richard Wright, Black Boy: A Recollection of Childhood And Youth, New York, Harper Perennial Publishers @1945 3) Hayley Mitchell, Readings on Black Boy, San Diego, Ca, David L. Bender @2000

Environmental Revolution

The Next Step Broad Social Change Through Personal Commitment Introduction In the last thirty years, America has witnessed an environmental revolution. New laws like the 1963 Clean Air Act and the 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act forged new ground in political environmentalism. Social phenomena like Earth Day, organized by Dennis Hayes in 1970, and the beginning of large-scale recycling, marked by Oregon's 1972 Bottle Bill, have help change the way Americans think about the environment. As we approach the third millennium, however, we must reconsider our place on the planet and reflect on our efforts and progress towards a sustainable society. As global warming becomes a scientific reality, natural disasters make monthly appearances in the headlines, and communities continue to find their ground-water contaminated by industrial and nuclear waste, we must ask ourselves: are we doing enough? The environmental movement in the past has largely been a social and political phenomenon. While many of us recycle (yet still only 35 percent of us) and take dead batteries to our town's Hazardous Waste Day, most Americans have not made the environment a personal issue. Very few of us have taken the kind of personal life-changing steps that are necessary to create an environmentally sustainable society. It is simply naive to believe that America's present rates of consumption, waste production, and environmental contamination are sustainable. The kind of social change required can only happen when we as individuals embrace the effort in our everyday lives. Only then will corporate America and the government realize that they too must change to maintain their customer base and public support. This kind of personal commitment to change would also create a new social ethic based on the environment under which people and companies who do not care for the earth would be held socially and financially responsible. In six parts, this article will re-examine our place in the environmental movement and investigate exactly what changes we can make in our personal lives to bring about positive change. These areas are transportation, energy, recycling and waste management, toxins and pollution, food, and water. Some of the changes discussed will require sacrifice. But, more important, these changes will often simplify our lives, bring our families and communities closer together, and help us to better understand, revere, and coexist with the world upon which each of us is directly dependent. Transportation The invention of the automobile is one of history's greatest environmental disasters. The automobile decentralized our society. People with cars moved out of the city and drove to work from their suburban homes. Before the automobile, agriculture was local. Food was grown by farmers living in what was soon to be the suburbs, and delivered fresh to markets in the cities. Because of the short distance food had to travel, farmers didn't need to add preservatives or other additives to maintain freshness. Clearly, the automobile, like other harmful inventions, makes our lives easier in many ways, but how often do we consider the environment when weighing these benefits? Fossil fuels account for the automobile's most significant effect on the environment. Not only are the emissions from cars and trucks toxic to every air-breathing organism, but every step of the fossil fuel process, from extraction to disposal, is bad for the environment. According to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), millions of gallons of untreated water contaminated by the drilling processes are dumped into waterways and oceans annually. Once extracted, fossil fuels are frequently refined on site, burying 179 million tons of toxic waste annually. During transport, an average of 1 million gallons of oil is spilled into the ocean each month. Upon arrival, fossil fuels are usually burned in automobiles or power plants. The average coal-burning power plant burns about 10,000 tons of coal in a single day. With even a low estimate of five per cent waste, that leaves 500 tons of toxic waste produced each day by a single power plant. If used in cars, oil must be refined further, wasting more energy and creating more toxic waste before drivers purchase it. The combustion engines used in cars and trucks emit toxic gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect and acid rain, deplete the ozone layer, and create more than 50% of the smog producing toxins that city-dwellers breathe every day. Even if we disregard the environmental damage caused by fossil fuels, we should recognize that, as a non-renewable energy source, the earth's reserves will eventually run out. Hundreds of millions of years of organic decomposition will be wiped out in a single century. Conservative estimates say we have 30 to 50 years left of oil use. With more and more developing nations rapidly increasing their use of fossil fuels, and the continuing growth rate of fossil fuel use at four times the population growth, our time with fossil fuels could be significantly less. Just imagine the economic and political upheaval a major oil shortage would cause. Simply put, the country that depends on fossil fuels the least will be the most likely to survive the economic strife and wars resulting from global depletion. Fossil fuel consumption is deeply entrenched in the American mode of life. We rely on automobiles for almost all of our transportation needs, enjoy motor boats and jet skis on our vacations, and use gas-burning engines in most of the tools we use in the yard. (Although electricity is another major consumer source of fossil fuel consumption, that will be discussed in the Energy section. Yet we can make numerous changes in our lifestyle that will significantly decrease our personal consumption of fossil fuels. Let's return to America's biggest weakness: the automobile. Simply not driving is the best and most obvious solution to the problem of automobiles. Americans have gotten used to their cars and seldom walk or bicycle even short distances. Gym class became a federal requirement in the 1930s because students were being driven or riding busses to school instead of walking. Americans have also become significantly more overweight since we started driving. Consider your Saturday errands around town. Most errands we make are to destinations less than a few miles away and frequently involve dropping off or picking up something small. These kinds of errands can just as easily be accomplished by walking or bicycling. Your body will thank you, and so will the environment. Public transport, if available, is also a great way to stay out of the car. Consider an area's public transportation system in choosing a place to live, as some cities have significantly better systems than others. When your destination is too far to walk or bicycle, there are still numerous ways to minimize the use of automobiles. If you drive to work, find other people at your company or other companies near you that live in your town and start a carpool. Even carpooling once in a while makes a difference, so don't get discouraged by occasional scheduling conflicts or other obstacles. When running errands, plan ahead to consolidate them into one trip and consider the most efficient route. If possible, park in a central location and walk to multiple destinations. Ask a neighbor or friend if they need to go out (everybody has to go to the grocery store, for example), and share a ride. For every ride you share, the fuel consumption and emissions for that trip are cut in half. There are also many ways that your driving habits effect the fuel efficiency of your car. Try to avoid fast accelerations, for instance. They use significantly more fuel than gradual accelerations. Likewise, avoid driving at excessive speeds. Every car engine has an RPM (revolutions per minute) at which optimal fuel economy is achieved; you'll find it in your car's manual. Check your tachometer and try to maintain that RPM while driving. Minimizing the work-load on your car is another way to increase fuel economy. Remove any unnecessary heavy objects from the car, and avoid using the air conditioner when possible. Finally, turn off your engine if you expect to be idle for even a short while. Starting a modern fuel-injected car uses less gas than idling for 30 seconds. Did you know that warming up your car by letting it idle in the driveway in cold weather actually causes engine damage? This is also when your car's emissions are at their worst. The best and fastest way to heat up a car is by driving it. When it's time to buy a new car, there are many ecological alternatives to the gas guzzling beasts typically driven by Americans. Many compact cars on the market today achieve stunning fuel economy. The four-wheel-drive trucks so popular in today's market get comparatively bad gas mileage and usually carry one person over a paved road. Buy the smallest car you can, and don't buy a larger car for infrequent needs-consider buying a used trailer for infrequent cargo hauls. If you've been putting off the purchase of a motorcycle as whimsical, think again. Many motorcycles (and scooters in particular) achieve significantly better fuel economy compared to even the most fuel-efficient cars, resulting in less over-all consumption and emissions. Maintenance is the final step in minimizing the environmental impact of automobiles. Modern cars have very sophisticated emissions systems and engines that must be finely tuned to achieve maximum efficiency. Regular check-ups for your car will protect your investment and ensure the car is in its best possible working order. The longer you keep your car, the more value from it you receive and the less waste is created and energy spent in the production of a new car. If you have to commute to work every day, consider an electric car. Electric cars have come a long way in price, distance and efficiency, and will soon be available from large manufacturers like Ford and Toyota. Several small companies around the country convert small gas powered cars and trucks to electric, zero-emissions vehicles and sell them for slightly more than a gas-powered car. As electric cars become more common and are manufactured on a large scale, their prices will drop significantly. Many hobbyists, with no prior automotive or electrical expertise, have created their own electric cars from their used gas-powered vehicles. Check your local library for one of the many conversion guides available. Today's electric cars take about four hours to charge, plugged into a standard outlet, and can go anywhere from 50 to 200 miles on a single charge. While you wouldn't want to take an electric car across the country (though this has been done), their distance per charge is plenty for a typical commuter to get to work and back. Most electric car owners keep a gas-powered car around for longer trips. Owners of electric cars generally find the increase in their electric bill minimal compared to the amount they save in gasoline. While electric cars create no emissions themselves, and create almost no waste (even the batteries are recyclable), the electric company is still burning fossil fuels to create the electricity needed to charge the car. Nevertheless, electric companies are capable of converting fossil fuels to energy much more efficiently and with fewer emissions than a gas-powered car. Electric cars also leave room for improvement in any method of large-scale energy production, such as biomass, hydro, and solar (see the Energy section). This section has focused primarily on cars, but Americans also use many other gas-powered engines. The small engines in motor boats and lawn equipment do not have to meet the emissions standards of cars, and thus, emit far more toxins into the air. Consider using a quiet, powerless mulching mower on your lawn if you have one, and an electric weed whacker rather than one that is gas powered. If you enjoy the water, consider learning to sail rather than motoring. Motorized water vehicles not only emit air pollution, they also pollute the water, contribute to sound pollution, and injure fish and other animals in the water. Energy in the Home Automobiles are not the only consumers of fossil fuels or sources of air pollution stemming from our personal lives. According to the EPA, furnaces, hot water heaters, and other fossil fuel burning appliances in American homes produce 20% of all U. S. carbon dioxide, 26% of sulfur dioxide, and 15% of nitrogen oxide emissions, the leading causes of acid rain and global warming. Note that these figures do not take into consideration the power our homes draw from fossil fuel-burning power plants. By making our homes as energy-efficient as possible and minimizing our personal use of electricity, we can significantly reduce our personal impact on the environment. The main sources of power consumption in our homes are the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Maintaining, repairing, or upgrading these systems will not only save us money, but also reduce the amount of energy needed to run our homes on a day-to-day basis. The EPA's Energy Star Homes program brings environmentally aware developers and manufacturers together to build homes that are better insulated and utilize 90% efficiency or better HVAC systems. If you are looking to build a new home, call their toll-free hotline, (888) STAR-YES, for literature, or save paper and visit their Internet site at www. epa. gov for more information. Unfortunately, building new homes is not an environmentally sound thing to do. New homes require previously undeveloped land or disposal of the property's old construction. Further, new wood and materials must be used unless costly measures are taken to restore materials from an old construction. Beyond environmentally unsound, new construction is many times more expensive and time-consuming than renovation and repair of most existing houses. Even if your house is too costly to upgrade, consider buying an already renovated house or one easily renovated before building new construction. A furnace using heating oil, natural gas, or electricity heats most American homes. Still others use a wood or pellet stove. Of these, electricity is by far the least efficient. One truth of energy conservation is that electricity should not be used to produce heat, whether in a stove, water heater, or central heating. The exception to this is the microwave, which is the most efficient way to heat small amounts of food. Edward Harland's book, ECO~RENOVATION: the ecological home improvement guide, an excellent resource for anyone interested in environmental renovations, provides this revealing chart: Fuel Kg of CO2 Emitted per Useful Kilowatt Delivered (approx. ) Gas 0. 7 Oil 0. 5 Coal 0. 40 Electricity 0. 83 As you can see, electricity is more than twice as polluting as a coal burning furnace. Electricity is even worse if you take into consideration the amount of energy created by nuclear power, which creates nuclear waste instead of carbon dioxide (CO2). There is also a significant amount of energy wasted in cooling power plants and lost in the power grid, which further degrades electricity's viability as an environmentally sound energy source. As the chart shows, natural gas, or methane, is the cleanest burning fuel. While most of the natural gas used in America is drawn from non-renewable reserves, it can be produced renewably through biomass production, a method currently used by China. Methane is produced in massive quantities by decaying waste and agricultural operations, so much that methane is one of the most serious greenhouse gasses. If methane could be captured from these sources, we would be slowing the greenhouse effect and using clean-burning renewable fuel at the same time. For these reasons, if you have an aging or inefficient oil burning furnace, consider converting to an efficient natural gas furnace. Wood or pellet stoves still fuel many homes in America. Wood, if used wisely, is a renewable and relatively clean-burning fuel. While burning wood does produce CO and CO2, new technology allows wood stoves to reuse unspent output by re-burning it before emission. Pellet stoves, quickly replacing log-burning stoves, use pressed recycled paper and wood pulp that look like rabbit pellets. Pellets, while more expensive, are more efficient to burn and take up less space during storage. Before investing in a wood stove, however, be sure to investigate which brands are most efficient and emit the least gases and particulate. Also, wood stoves must be used carefully and maintained properly to avoid inefficient operation, excessive emissions, and leakage of carbon monoxide into the home. The best way to minimize the amount of fuel-produced heat your home requires is to insulate it properly. Insulation is the most important factor in the amount of energy required to heat your home. Consider a hypothetical home with 100% perfect insulation. This home would need to be heated only once, and never again. This puts into perspective the idea that we only need to heat our homes as much as heat escapes to the outside. Most houses in America are poorly insulated at best; only one in four houses have insulated walls. Consider the fuel savings if you increased your home's insulation quality by even 20%, which in many cases is a realistic goal. Initially, insulation costs time and money, but it pays for itself quickly in reduced fuel costs and a warmer, more comfortable home. Unfortunately, the finer points of insulating a home are beyond the scope of this article. An excellent resource on maximizing your home's insulation is Home Insulation by Harry Yost. Your local library should have, if not this book, several books on insulation that will at least get you started. Beyond updating your furnace and insulating your home, consider your personal use of heat in the home. The average American household's temperature during the winter is slowly rising because of increasingly sedentary lifestyles and lighter dress. The healthier we eat and the more exercise we get, the more internal heat our bodies will produce. The more above the outside temperature a home is heated, the less efficient its heating system becomes. If we simply wear more clothes, we will need substantially less heat. Wearing sweaters and slippers, eating nutritious food, and getting plenty of exercise are simple but frequently overlooked ways we can reduce our heating energy needs. Next to furnaces and stoves, the air conditioner is the second most energy-hungry appliance in American homes. Unfortunately, air conditioners rely on lots of electricity, the most polluting form of energy available. The use of air conditioners should be avoided at all costs. If you live in a climate with extreme heat, consider your air conditioner and its placement carefully. The EPA has outlined efficiency standards for most household appliances, air conditioners included. Make sure, if you buy an air conditioner, that it has the EPA's Energy Star mark of approval. This does not mean that the air conditioner is good for the environment, but that it uses its electricity efficiently instead of wasting it as many older models do. If you must have an air conditioner, purchase a small, efficient model and place it in a small, closed-off room where you spend most of your time. Make sure this room does not contain any heat-producing appliances like a washing machine or clothes dryer, and that sunlight does not enter through windows. Under these conditions, air conditioning can be relatively efficient and economical. Central air conditioning, on the other hand, is extremely inefficient and usually goes largely unused. Outside of heating and air conditioning, almost all of the energy used in our homes is electricity. Many Americans take electricity for granted, leaving unused lights and appliances on without thinking. A simple awareness in turning things off can greatly reduce our electric bills. Further, choices can be made in the kinds of lights and appliances we use, and whether they need to be used at all. As for lights, there are several high-efficiency bulbs on the market that, for slightly more money than a typical light bulb, can get by on a fraction of the electricity. Fluorescent lights, for instance, are five times more efficient than incandescent (typical) lights. Standard incandescent light bulbs use electricity to heat a filament that glows to create light, whereas fluorescent lights send very rapid and brief charges of electricity through a filament. The days of flickering long tube fluorescent lights are over. According to Edward Harland, new Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) flicker at more than 20,000 cycles per second (compared to 60 in tube lights), are 30% more energy efficient than tube lights, and come on almost instantly. These lights, while more expensive, will significantly reduce your electricity bill and last five to ten times longer than standard light bulbs. Before even turning on the lights, make the best possible use of natural light in your home. Place your reading chair by a sunny window instead of in a corner facing out a window. Consider adding skylights to your home. These can create a surprising amount of natural light during the day, and contribute to your house's heat during the winter. Mirrors strategically placed on walls can also make better use of light and heat from the sun coming in through the windows. Use only what electric lighting is necessary: low-wattage task lights for individual applications instead of high power lights to illuminate a large area. If you must use outdoor lights, consider purchasing a motion detector that will turn the light on and off only when it senses movement. When purchasing appliances, check to see that they are EPA Energy Star approved. These appliances use energy more efficiently than others. Most refrigerators, for instance, have compressors at their base which produce significant heat and cause the refrigerator to work against itself. During fair weather, consider drying clothes on a line outside instead of using a dryer, which inefficiently uses electricity to heat cold wet clothes. Your clothes will last longer, and you'll see the difference in your electric bill. When undressing at night, ask yourself whether your pants can be worn again before washing. Americans, in particular, tend to balk at this sort of a suggestion. Allowing ourselves to think logically beyond social qualms and customs will allow each of our personal environmental movements to transcend many of our unsustainable habits. If you work in an office or at home, chances are your clothes aren't that dirty at the end of the day. You'll be surprised at the decrease in your weekly laundry load. The last big source of energy consumption in our homes is our favorite appliance of all. The average American household television is on 7 hours and 20 minutes per day, and 98% of all households have at least one television. At 170 watts per hour, that comes to 452,965 watt hours (or 453 kilowatt hours) of television use per year in an average household using one 25†³ television. Look at the breakdown of your electricity bill to put this number into perspective. You'll see that America could save a lot of electricity and money by simply turning off the television. Instead, we can read a book, go for a walk or hike, work in a garden, or talk or play a game with our families. Quite simply, the less television we watch, the richer our lives will be, the less we will spend on electricity, and the more we will be doing for the environment. All of the information in this section has focussed on minimizing the use of energy in the home. Imagine if you could use electricity in your home without burning any fossil fuels and without any monthly electric bills. This is not only possible, but a reality for thousands of Americans. With one initial investment in a photovoltaic system (silicon cells that convert the sun's light into electricity), you can end your dependence on polluting power companies and begin a new life of clean energy self-sufficiency. You can get started with a simple photovoltaic setup for a single zone of your home for less than one thousand dollars, or go all out with a top-of-the-line fully self-sufficient photovoltaic power center for about $13,000. If these prices sound high, consider the savings. If your monthly electric bill is $100, a top-of-the-line system that requires only a moderate degree of energy efficiency would be paid for in less than eleven years. And there is a whole spectrum of cheaper systems that can easily power a typical home. For less than four thousand dollars (paying for itself in about 3 years) the Real Goods Trading Corporation sells a system â€Å"designed to handle all the lighting, entertainment, and small kitchen appliances for a modest, energy-conserving household of one to four people in a full-time home. † This description is taken from the Real Goods Solar Living Source Book, 9th Edition. This seven hundred page tome covers everything from taking care of the land to water conservation and every alternative form of energy from solar to hydro to wind. It is a must-have for anyone who wants to live lightly on the earth, and is available at most major book stores and libraries. Recycling and Waste Management There is no environmentally sound method of dealing with the 200 million tons of municipal solid waste produced in America each year. There are many things we can do, however, to minimize, if not eliminate, our personal 4 1/2lb-a-day contribution to that figure. The now ubiquitous threesome, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, still defines what we all must do to bring our personal trash production down to a sustainable level. With the media and certain high-positioned nay-sayers claiming that recycling is worse for the environment than it is good for it, and laws making recycling just another stupid rule rather than a social imperative, perhaps a redux of America's trash situation is called for. Households and other residences produce 100 of the 200 million tons of annually produced garbage in the United States. Most of that goes to land-fills, where it is covered up (if not purposefully sealed to prevent leakage) and starved of the oxygen needed for biodegradation. Here is just a taste of some garbage statistics from Geoffrey C. Saign's well-researched book, Green Essentials: More than 1/2 of U. S. landfills have closed in the past 10 years, and nearly 1/2 of the remaining 5,800 landfills do not meet federal or state standards for human health and environmental protection. More landfills are being closed as they fail to meet 1993 and 1994 guidelines and as communities resist allowing new landfills in their area; 22 states will run out of landfill capacity within 10 years or less. The nation's 10 largest cities use a land area for their garbage that is larger than the state of Indiana. And this is just landfills. Incineration is quickly becoming the chosen method of dealing with garbage. Incineration actually concentrates the toxicity of garbage by mixing volatile chemicals at high temperatures and reducing its harmless biomass content. Approximately 1/4 of the ashes produced in a typical incinerator escape into the atmosphere, where they combine with the toxic gases emitted to cause acid rain, smog, and global warming. The remaining ashes are highly toxic and dumped in landfills or stored in toxic waste facilities. A few states mix this ash with pavement, where it will slowly decompose and leach into the ground. The simple fact is that most of this waste could be recycled or composted instead of burned or buried. Green Essentials offers this breakdown of garbage ingredients by weight: Ingredient % by weight Alternative disposal methods available Paper and paperboard 34% Recyclable Yard trimmings 20% Compostable Plastic 9% Recyclable Food waste 9% Compostable Metals 8% Recyclable Glass 7% Recyclable Wood 4% Compostable, can be used as fuel Rubber and leather 3% Recyclable (tires) Textiles 2% Donate Other 4% As this chart displays, 58% (not counting the 3% for rubber and leather) of our garbage is recyclable; 33% of the remainder could be composted. That means that 91% of all the garbage produced in this country (that's about 182 million tons annually) could be kept out of incinerators and landfills. Even a fraction of this ideal estimate would have a profound impact on the environment. Despite the amazing potential for waste reduction that recycling makes possible, The New York Times joined the media's misinformed recycling myth extravaganza in their June 30th, 1996 article, â€Å"Recycling is Garbage. From the beginning, pessimists and special-interest industries have spread incorrect â€Å"myths† about recycling. These claims frequently charge (among other things) that landfill space is abundant and cheap; there is no market for recycled goods; and recycling doesn't pay for itself. Consider the facts on these three points: Landfill space has become a precious commodity in the U. S. , with many states paying to export trash to other states or countries. Recall Geoffrey Saign's statement that â€Å"22 states will run out of landfill capacity within 10 years or less. The market for recycled goods, while fluctuating like any burgeoning market, has increased with the amount of recycled goods available to create a powerful new industry. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, â€Å"U. S. pulp paper manufacturers have voluntarily built or expanded more than 45 recycled paper mills in the 1990's, and are projected to spend more than $10 billion on such facilities by the end of the decade. † To argue that recycling doesn't pay for itself is like arguing that landfills and incinerators don't pay for themselves-of course they don't. Recycling plants, even in the industry's infancy, cost about as much to operate as conventional disposal methods, but are considerably more environmentally sound (costing less when environmental damage and cleanup costs are considered) and reduce pollution from manufacturing and mining for new production. Recycling is an easy thing to do, and good habit to get into as many towns and cities are requiring their citizens to recycle by law or charging by the pound for non-recycled garbage. First, find out what your town recycles by calling your local waste management facility. If your town or city doesn't recycle or recycles only a few materials, consider getting a â€Å"recycling-only† dump permit for a near-by pro-recycling town or city. Next, reorganize your home's main trash area to include receptacles for all the different materials you will recycle. Food containers like tin cans and bottles should be rinsed to keep your recycling receptacles from smelling. You'll be amazed at the decrease in waste the next time you take out the trash. If we make a commitment to recycle our garbage, we must support the effort on the other end by buying recycled goods. Many products' packaging claims â€Å"100% recyclable. † This is good, but keep in mind that it doesn't mean the material is recycled. Look for the percentage of â€Å"post-consumer waste† to tell you if it is and how much of is recycled. Recycled products like paper and cardboard have come a long way in quality and price. Seventh Generation, a producer of a full line of 100% recycled and earth-friendly household products, posts a convincing advertisement on the side of their bathroom tissue packages: If every household in the U. S. eplaced just one 4-pack of 430 sheet virgin fiber bathroom tissues with 100% recycled ones, we could save 1 million trees, 4. 1 million cubic feet of landfill space (equal to 4,618 full garbage trucks), and 427 million gallons of water (a years supply for 12,300 families of four). About 33% of the garbage we produce, like food scraps and yard trimmings, can be composted. Composting is nature's answer to garbage control, converting organic waste back into the soil it came from. While many people compost to create nutrient-rich soil for their garden, you don't have to be a gardener to compost your organic waste. You should cover your compost pile, but not suffocate it. The organic waste needs plenty of oxygen to feed the microbes that decompose the matter. You can build a box for your compost, or buy one pre-made at your local garden shop. Look for an organic gardening book at your library for instructions on building a

Huella Online Essay

Introduction Huella Online Travel was an Internet travel portal Founded in 1999 in Kuala Lumpua, Malaysia targeting Greater China and Asian Pacific. It expanded into 10 different markets across Asia, including Hong Kong. Huella online travel sells travel related products and services to customers, on behalf of suppliers, such as airlines, car rentals and hotels. Problem Statement Hong Kong consumers have low interest in buying airline tickets online although internet penetration is quite high. Research Objectives Huella‘s Hong Kong site was launched in 2000. Revenue growth in Hong Kong had been less than expected. Huella market share in Hong Kong to be only 4% compared 9% in Singapore. In this regard, we seek to †¢To get a depth insight into Hong Kong online travel market †¢To find rationale behind low usage of online booking of airline tickets in Hong Kong especially people belonging to the age group of 18-35 †¢Perception of Huella brand and its Hong Kong website Research Design The research will be conducted with the help of survey through the feedback of questionnaires from a sample of 300 people (including both male and female) belonging to the age group of 18 to 35 and will be conducted online. The sample will focus students, business executives and leisure travellers. The respondents used to fill the questionnaire will be based on Random Sampling. DATA ANALYSIS The answers of the questions in the questionnaires will be analyzed on the basis of scale which may vary from question to question and is constructed at the time of preparation of the questionnaires. The results will be shown in terms of percentages and the graphical representation of people’s preferences in terms of percentages and ratios. BUDGET The overall cost may range from $ 2,000 to $ 3,000 approximately. SCHEDULE The Research may take Three months, according to the schedule as follow: ïÆ'ËœOne month for the questionnaires to be filled by respondents. ïÆ'ËœOne Month for the Data Analysis. ïÆ'ËœOne Moth for the preparation of Report.