Pesonal Response Nicholas Sparks The Notebook Essay

What is this Novel about? The structure of the novel is told on two levels – one is the present day when Allie and Noah have grown old and live in a home; the other is the story Noah reads from the notebook in which he tells how he and Allie met, fell in love, lost each other, and then found each other again. The end of their love story is tragically altered by Allie’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, but even that has no power over their love. Who introduced you to this novel? A friend called Emily introduced me to this novel; she was reading it in the library lessons we get at school and I remember her saying that it was very different to the movie. She stated a scene that was played near the end of the movie had already been written in the novel by the page number of 30. What appealed to you in this novel? This novel is a typical love story, of teenagers that fall in love over summer and are forced to part. What appealed to me in this novel was that I had seen and read some of Nicholas sparks other movies and books including Dear John, A walk to remember, and his newest book Safe Haven. Is it realistic? In my opinion no I don’t think it is realistic, the notebook and books similar to the notebook are giving teenage girls a different perspective on Love. The romance portrayed in the book represents both everything that’s wrong in relationships and what woman want in relationships. This is a bad example for young adults, 1 because it is getting there hopes up that everyone will find love just like Allie and Noah and 2 because Love isn’t going to be easy. What do you think the message is? The Message behind the notebook is simply true love, no matter what you go through, Allie got diagnosed with a disease called Alzheimer, but despite this Noah read a Notebook every day to Allie hoping for a miracle to happen. A quote I found that pretty much explains everything is ‘behind every great love, is a great story’ Who was your favorite character in this novel? My favorite character in the book is Noah, because he has pure commitment. Because he wrote to Allie after they had spent a summer together. He wrote her 365 letters one every day of the year, even with no reply because Allies mum had kept them from her. Why did the setting interest you? The book was set in early October 1946, and Noah Calhoun lived in North Carolina, in one of the largest homes in New Bern. The setting interests me because how the author describes the town that Noah lives in sounds a lot like the town I live in, very small, everyone knows everyone, people are so generous. This setting is where Noah meet Allies as Allies family were spending there summer in this town because her father worked for R.J. Reynolds. Was the Title a good one? Yes I do think the title was a good one, it perfectly describes the book in 2 words. The story is been read as a notebook and in fact it is a Notebook that Ally started writing when she was first diagnosed with Alzheimer so she would remember her life.

The Impact of Workforce Diversity on Employee Engagement: The Case of Company X

A Brief Synopsis The focus of this research is to determine the impact of workforce diversity on employee engagement, with particular emphasis on Company X. Today’s challenge is not to simply retain employees but to engage them fully; hence, the organisation is tasked to capture the minds and hearts of its diverse workforce at every phase of their work lives. Workforce diversity pertains to employee’s heterogeneity in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, and other characteristics (Saha, 2006). Employee engagement, on the other hand, is the extent of their commitment to a particular thing or person in their organisation, the level of their work, and the length of time of their stay as a result of such commitment (Lockwood, 2007). Employee engagement can be a deciding factor to drive business success in today’s global competitive market, and since workforce diversity is a common scenario in many organisations, there is a corresponding need to allot a fuller attention to this aspect. Further, employee engagement does not only create a significant impact on employee retention, loyalty, and productivity, but it also serves as a key link to customer satisfaction and overall stakeholder value (Lockwood, 2007; Attridge, 2009). Rationale of the Research In this globalised age, an individual’s engagement with and enthusiasm for his/her work is very important. Organisations have grown to provide the resources needed by employees as well as the opportunities to learn new skills in order promote employee engagement within the workplace. It is necessary that employees feel that their work is meaningful and that they have a rewarding interaction with co-workers and supervisors. Companies with high-average levels of engagement are more productive and bring about highly satisfied customers. To manage workforce diversity, organisations introduce equal opportunity programmes and diversity management (Robbins et al., 2009). Moreover, as the global environment becomes increasingly borderless, organisations find it more and more important to attract, engage, develop, and retain talents. The changing relationship between employers and employees drive HR professionals to identify and understand employees’ needs and preferences and ascertain how these needs could be met whilst also leveraging workplace talents thoroughly (Lockwood, 2007). The urgency and need for a research on this topic is clearly brought out by the fact that a diverse workforce is more difficult to manage than a homogenous one (Bilmes and Gould, 2009), and hence, they might encounter barriers in being engaged to their work as a result. This research will identify the impact of such diversity on the levels of engagement that employees tend to have in a diverse workplace. This research is also justified by the fact that the contemporary workplace is commonly focused on raising productivity and competitive advantages, to which an engaged workforce is proved to play an important contribution (Macey and Schneider, 2008). On the other hand, finding out how workforce diversity affects employee engagement, and in turn, productivity and competitive advantages, would be a good avenue to introduce new policies and strategies to address identified barriers. Research Gap Employee engagement has been a broad focus of study in the academic literature. The meaning of employee engagement remains ambiguous amongst practitioners and academic rese ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­archers (Macey and Schneider, 2008). There is a gap between policies and practice in the strategic management of the HR function in some organisations, (Bhatnagar 2007) mentions, which can be filled by a study on employee engagement and workforce diversity like this current one. Additionally, recent research trends indicate a need for more research on workplace diversity to examine the challenges surrounding the diversity concept and how employees can become more engaged in the midst of such diversity (Byrd and Scott, 2014). Research Questions The research questions that this study will address are the following: What is the impact of workforce diversity on employee engagement in Company X How are employee engagement and workforce diversity utilised in Company X in order to gain competitive edge in the increasingly global marketplace? What is the extent of HR efforts in fostering an integration of employee engagement and workforce diversity in Company X Objectives The objectives of the research are outlined below: To review the extant literature on the concept of employee engagement and workforce diversity; To present a case study research on employee engagement amongst a culturally diverse workforce and how the latter influences the former; and To explore the ways in which strategic HR may enable an organisation to benefit from a diverse workforce through employee engagement. Dependent Variable The dependent variable in this study is employee engagement. The dependent variable serves as the status of the outcome, on which the research is focused (Babbie, 2011).Independent VariableThe independent variable is workforce diversity. It is the variable that logically has some impact on the dependent variable described above (e.g. Cargan, 2007). Intervening Variable An intervening variable (also called ‘mediating variable’) serves as a causal chain between dependent and independent variables (Rubin and Babbie, 2011). The intervening variable in this study is competitive advantage. Hypotheses Below are the hypotheses for this study: The impact of workforce diversity on employee engagement is competitive advantage. Well-integrated employee engagement and workforce diversity lead to increased productivity and competitiveness. Strategic HR programmes can enable integration between a diverse workforce and employee engagement. References Attridge, M. (2009) Measuring and Managing Employee Work Engagement: A Review of the Research and Business Literature. Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, 24 (4), 383-398. Babbie, E. (2011) The Basics of Social Research. Mason, OH: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Bhatnagar, J. (2007) Talent Management Strategy of Employee Engagement in Indian ITES Employees: Key to Retention. Employee Relations, 29 (6), 640-663. Bilmes, L. J. and Gould, W. S. (2009) The People Factor: Strengthening America by Investing in Public Service. Washington DC: The Brookings Institution. Byrd, M. Y. and Scott, C. L. (2014) Diversity in the Workforce: Current Issues and Emerging Trends. New York: Routledge. Cargan, L. (2007) Doing Social Research. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. Catwright, S. and Holmes, N. (2006) The Meaning of Work: The Challenge of Regaining Employee Engagement and Reducing Cynicism. Human Resource Management Review, 16 (2), 199-208. Crawford, E. R., LePine, J. A., and Rich, B. L. (2010) Linking Job Demands and Resources to Employee Engagement and Burnout: A Theoretical Extension and Meta-Analytic Test. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95 (5), 834-848. Lockwood, N. R. (2007) Leveraging Employee Engagement for Competitive Advantage: HR’s Strategic Role. Strategic Human Resource Management Research Quarterly. Retrieved on June 23, 2014 from http://www.shrm.org/research/articles/articles/documents/07marresearchquarterly.pdf Macey, W. H. and Schneider, B. (2008) The Meaning of Employee Engagement. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 1 (1), 3-30. Robbins, S. P., Judge, T. A., Odendaal, A., and Roodt, G. (2009) Organisational Behaviour in Southern Africa. Second Edition. Cape Town: Pearson Education South Africa (Pty) Ltd. Saha, J. (2006) Management and Organizational Behaviour. New Delhi: Excel Books. Rubin, A. and Babbie, E. (2011) Research Methods for Social Work. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. Shuck, B. and Wollard, K. (2009) Employee Engagement and HRD: A Seminal Review of the Foundations. Human Resource Development Review, 9 (1), 89-110.

The strategic plan for my future vision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

The strategic plan for my future vision - Essay Example Social assessment shows that my social domain has been steady till present. In the future Scenario 1 shows possibilities of it increasing with events such as marriage and children whereas Scenario 2 shows that it may remain steady if no such events occur. 13 The diagram above displays my transportation domain which has gradually increased over time. Scenario 1 shows possibility of it increasing further if my goals are met, where as Scenario 2 shows how it may remain the same over the period of time. 14 Although it is not possible to spell out the exact map of the future, there are always ways to develop a viable vision (Kenichi, 2003). This report describes the strategic plan for my future vision. It is based on concepts from the article titled "Personal Futuring: A step-by-step guide" by Verene Wheelwright. Since personal assessment begins with vision (Brott, 2009), therefore this report assesses my current stage in life and uses various information to develop scenarios for the subsequently stages of my life. It further goes to analyze the life trends and forces which impact our lives as humans, and describes the role various foreknown forces play in motivation of actions. Strategic planning helps provide professional vision (Morrissey, 1992, 2) so finally all the information is developed into strategic plans for achieving my future vision. Life Stage According to Wheelwright the phases in our life can be divided into tens stages, namely Infant, Child, Adolescent, Young Adult, Adult, Middle Age, Independent Elder, Vulnerable elder, Dependant elder and End of Life. Each stage differs significantly from the one before it even though transition from one stage of life to another is gradual. Current Life Stage The stage of life I am currently occupying is the Young Adult stage. I am in fact an Early Young Adult at the age of twenty-two. I am presently enrolled in a master's program in university and in the process of completing my education, working part time as I plan for my long term career. Due to my current financial situation I am under some degree of financial pressure. Future Vision Life Stage Future vision is essential for every stage in an individual's life, since each stage is distinct and requires a distinct set of plans. However, I feel that the stage in my life which is the most critical for planning is the Middle Age. This stage is most appropriate to construct a future vision for because concentrating on this phase will not only allow me to meet goals I plan for that time period, but also to work

Philosophy William James pragmatic truth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Philosophy William James pragmatic truth - Essay Example The theory of pragmatic truth which has been presented by the psychologist and philosopher William James attempts to measure truth in terms of its practical utility or the interests of individuals making judgments about truth. This theory was a natural consequence of the freedoms which were to be found in the new land of America and which made individuals view the world as it really was by making them accept concepts which were of use to them, when making difficult choices. William James was a psychologist and a philosopher and his theory of pragmatic truth illustrates this point when William James becomes more engrossed in thinking about the mental processes, models and past beliefs associated with reaching conclusions about the truth value of propositions, statements, utterances and messages etc. Logic is rejected and truth comes to be associated with the interests of individuals, their passions, rewards etc, even though it can be expected that any truth will be examined by a multi tude of individuals with diverse interests. This essay takes a critical look at William James’s pragmatic theory of truth. The psychologist and philosopher William James was born in 1910 to philosopher Henry James Sr. He was studied medicine at Harvard University and later went to Germany to study psychology in Germany. On his return from Germany, he taught at Stanford, Columbia University and Harvard University. William James was also an author and his greatest masterpiece was his twelve hundred page work The Principles of Psychology which was published in 1890. The work consists of a blend of physiology, psychology, philosophy, and personal reflection (The Radical Academy). Apart from psychology, William James’s other concerns have been religion and an understanding of truth. He is also known as a leading philosopher who has been associated with pragmatism. Pragmatism tries to

Recommendations on Air Safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Recommendations on Air Safety - Essay Example This essay involves a NTSB case study, involving Alaska Airlines flight 281 that crashed off the California coast, in the 1990's and touch upon another accident that took place earlier in 1996. The idea of projecting these two cases is to focus on how and what led to the demise of these aircrafts and what can be done to overcome such occurrences in future. All this with an emphasis on the financial implications on such airlines will be studied. The researcher first takes a look at the crash of a DC-9 ValuJet, flight 592 on May 11, 1996, with 110 passengers on board, and then a detailed investigation into the McDonnell Douglas MD-83 Alaska Airlines Flight 261 on January 31, 2000 carrying 83 passengers. In both these accidents there were no survivors. The researcher discusses what are the possible courses of action for maintenance of existing aircrafts, smooth and efficient functioning of ground staff, and better and safer aircrafts. The researcher also describes how can aircraft compa nies manage their existing infrastructure to compete and growth in such volatile atmosphere and can an airline with just a handful of outdated and over flown aircrafts be able to make an impression in the industry. Irrespective of these, no company can run efficiently without considering the cost v/s benefit factor. The researcher needs to consider the implications of the National Transportation Safety Board report on air safety and evolve a plan to correct any such mistake taking place in my airlines. 3.0 Case 1 ValuJet Flight 592 A DC-9 belonging to ValuJet, flight 592 with 110 passengers on board crashed into the Everglades on May 11, 1996, killing all on board instantaneously. ValuJet was created in 1993 with just two aircrafts. Gradually they expanded their strength to add three different series of aircraft: the MD-80, the DC9-30 and the DC9-20. The airline has flights from Atlanta to Florida. When ValuJet began operations, many analysts felt that they would not be able to compete with the other major players in that sector. However, the airline bosses were able to convince themselves that they would not just compete with their rivals but also grab a portion of the dense market segment. The success for ValuJet came from low operation costs, and second hand aircrafts.

Managing, Evaluating and Developing Human Resources Essay

Managing, Evaluating and Developing Human Resources - Essay Example It has ensured that employees, no matter their level of experience, gain the necessary skills and get better opportunities for training. For improved employee performance, all employees should be computer literate and proper courses should be designed to enable them encounter technology as it evolves. Training and development is a strategy aimed at developing and improving the skills of an employee. According to Pride, Hughes and Kapoor, â€Å"employee training is the process of teaching operations and technical employees how to do their present jobs more effectively and efficiently† (2011, p. 264). Companies which want to stand still in competition opt to provide constant training to their employees on any technical occurrence. Employee training has been eased with the introduction of internet based training, because it saves cost and time. Williams says that â€Å"during the late 1990s, the learning support organisation at Telcordia technologies... began to actively pursue online delivery of performance support materials for the software applications that they supported† (2004, p. 8). This shows that technological training has been a long time training strategy, but has been growing steadily and also evolving with the changes in technology. When analysing what to offer in training, employers have to consider what is needed for the training. What appears to be most essential in training is motivation. Training also varies depending on what the management considers most crucial. Some employees have to be trained on technological skills, but since training may be expensive, its advisable that the company classify what is most essential. Training is important for employees so that they can be equipped with skills, attitude and knowledge required to do their job well. They are taught on how to interact with the customers and managers use this opportunity to motivate them. Technology came due to

Conrad's Vision of the colonial world in nostromo and the heart of Essay

Conrad's Vision of the colonial world in nostromo and the heart of darkness - Essay Example There are also diverse political systems within the country, look at http://www.123helpme.com/assets/16087.html for more information. Enslavement of congo in 1800 brought many changes to the country with suppression of rights of the inhabitants and pauperization of their lives. What will help a lot is reading the biography of the author and understanding for political viewpoints and ethical standpoints to use it for the interview. Based on his biography you can give detailed explanation of why he used each symbol in his works. The main idea here is to make a contradiction between the two pieces of work. Finding common and dissimilar ideas you convey that you have fully understood what the author is trying to show through his work. He was born shortly after the Crimean war in Poland and both his father and his mother died of tuberculosis so he had to lie with his uncle. Using the fact that he left his country to avoid "being conscripted for service in the Russian army" you can see that the suppression element drove him out of his beloved country. He t ravelled to France and England and he went to Congo which fascinated him. There is here therefore a love for the setting of his work which he would most certainly not like to see under the suppression of any country. This bias is a setting for the elements of his work. The second thing you need to focus on are the characters of the two pieces of work. ... mainly in the central character and the other central characters that are in the setting is what is missing from the author's life or the kind of people they highly appreciate and miss. In any case when evaluating a piece of literature work one needs to keep in mind that even though the author is trying to convey personal convictions each literature piece is interpreted differently by the author There is no right or wrong in a literature piece, however all the elements of the piece, setting, characters, ethics, author bio etc. need to be taken into consideration to have a COMPLETE view of the piece of work and have a personal viewpoint of everything included in the work. What you might also need to do is probably memorise what is said in some parts of the text because this will convince for sure your professors that you have written the dissertation. In every academic paper details make the difference and they are always giving extra mark. Try referring to specific characters for ins tance. As far as the setting is concerned you will also need to keep in mind the political situation when the author was born and make a correlation between that and the political situation in the two works. You need to remember that you cannot focus on EVERYTHING that is considered important. You will need to extract what you think was most important for you and elaborate on this but really learn a lot of details. Your professors will read your paper and they will focus on what contradicitions are made and they will ask you questions on these. They might also ask what you mean by some sentences in your dissertation so be prepared to answer any vague points. 2. The characters of the works The second thing that need to be stressed are the main characters in Nostromo, you have Gould who

The Second World War and the United States Involvement Article

The Second World War and the United States Involvement - Article Example However, the events that followed put the country's interests at stake on several quarters. In Europe, Germany's expansion plan threatened the power balance in the region. Japan was on a similar track in Asia and this directly affected the United States' interests. When Great Britain and France declared war against Germany in 1939, the United States felt compelled to supply arms to these allies as a step to contain Germany's advancement in the western hemisphere: Hitler's empire was now larger than Napoleon's, and his power was absolute. On land he was strong enough to launch offensives in four directions simultaneously; at sea, his three hundred U-boats were strangling Britain's lifelines. Only the consecration of embattled Britain stood between him and absolute mastery of Europe- unless the United States intervened. (Manchester, 219.) The turning point that brought about the active involvement of the United States in the War was the attack of Pearl Harbor by Japan. For several years, the United States and Japan had been on a collision course over issues related to Asia. On 7 December 1941, Japanese forces struck at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The unexpected strike caused the loss of many lives and severe damage to the air force and naval systems based there. The attack brought about a decisive turn in the mindset of Americans about the role of the US in the war. "Now the country was united as it had never been. The sneak attack, the presence of two Japanese ambassadors in Washington pretending to negotiate peace, and an old distrust of what some still called the Yellow Peril combined to transform the war into a crusade against treacherous Orientals."(Manchester, 257) Soon after the United States launched an offensive against Japan, Germany and Italy joined on the side of Japan and declared war against the United States. The war in Europe was over on 7 May 1945 when Germany surrendered. Japan was crushed stage by stage under the leadership of General MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz. The final blow came with the dropping of nuclear bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 8 August 1945 respectively. The war prompted the country to consider forming a body of nations to protect the peace of the world. The United Nations was formed in 1945, with the United States, Soviet Union, Great Britain, China, and France as the permanent members of the Security Council.

Illegal domestic workers and their legal options Essay

Illegal domestic workers and their legal options - Essay Example Undocumented workers and their plight. Undocumented workers are increasingly subjected to a variety of injustices. Included in this is the fact that the undocumented worker pays into social security and medicare, yet does not receive the benefits from these programs. According to Porter (2005), undocumented workers pay a variety of payroll taxes which contribute to the overall solvency of both the medicare and the social security benefits, but, since they are undocumented, they are not entitled to collect these benefits. One of the reasons why they contribute, yet cannot collect, is that they get a fake social security number, therefore the employer must withhold payroll taxes for these workers. However, since they have a fake social security number, they cannot collect these benefits. Moreover, Porter (2005) states that, even if these workers were aware of what their employers withhold from them, many of them are not aware of the reasons why these wages are withheld. ... This means that an illegal alien with the same education, work experience and language proficiency as a documented worker will make 22% less than that documented worker, if the worker is a male, and 36% less if the worker is a female. Moreover, Mehta (2002) found that the undocumented workers in his study are more liable to work in unsafe conditions than the documented workers in his study, and that the undocumented workers were less likely to have health insurance. Moreover, these workers also do not have access to medicare or medicaid, therefore they do not, by and large, have access to health care at all. As far as unsafe conditions go, undocumented workers are more likely to report that they operate machinery without proper training. They are also more likely, according to Mehta (2002), to report that they are working in unsanitary conditions, therefore they are more likely to get sick because they are working in these conditions. Mehta (2002) also states that undocumented worker s are more likely to slip and fall on the job. And, if these undocumented workers do get hurt on the job, they are less likely to obtain worker’s compensation benefits, and, even if they apply for worker’s compensation benefits, they are less likely, than documented workers, to actually obtain these benefits. Lee (2010) states that illegal immigrants are also the target of discriminatory laws. He cites federal laws which state that illegal immigrants cannot access federal benefits, and state laws which states that illegal immigrants cannot access public schooling, either secondary, elementary or post-secondary. There was even a law in Texas, pending, which states that the children of undocumented individuals in

Macro Econ 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Macro Econ 3 - Assignment Example This can be illustrated by the fact that there will be a small change in production because the workers already have enough capital for production. This is evidenced by the fact that capital is put through diminishing returns, a situation where output decreases as the amount of capital is increased (Mankiw, 2012). The higher rate of saving does not increase the growth rate indefinitely since more capital is not put to use in helping the country. Instead, as income rises, the growth finally slows down. All this is due to the effect of diminishing returns to scale, which affect the growth rate in the short-term and stabilizes it as income increases. Question 4 Investment is a process through which the government can increase its factors of production for future use, which can be done by improving current resources to produce more capital (Mankiw, 2012). Conversely, national saving is the amount of resources that remains after the deduction of consumption and governments purchases in an economy. The relationship between investment and national savings can be illustrated by the equation: Y=C+I+G+NX; where I represents investment, C is consumption, Y is GDP, G denotes government purchases NX is the net export, given by exports less imports. Provided that no other factors act on the economy are altered, for example the represented government does not borrow any money outside or doe not engage itself in international trade, the above equation will have some changes and the outcome is; Y=C+I+G, which happens because the net exports remain constant. The above equation shows that GDP is derived from the sums of consumption, investment and government purchases, and investment can be obtained the equation by subtracting C, (consumptions) and I, (investments) on both sides, Y- C-G = I The above results shows that investments is equivalent to national savings provided that the left side of an equation represents total income resulting from the payment of income and governmen t purchases. Hence it shows that there is a relationship between national savings and investments. Productivity Growth Question 1 The FRBSF economic letter (2009) indicates that before 1995, the main contributor of productivity growth was human capital and the physical capital, but after 1995 this changed to Information Technology (IT) since productivity started rising in the mid 1990s in the firms that were using IT. The changes come about due to rapid transformation of information technology and its use in many sectors for the transfer of information, computers and semiconductors. The use of information technology increased the labor productivity rate which led to a higher productivity growth, which is the reason behind the difference between the year 1995 and earlier years where the productivity growth rate was low. Question 2 Based on the author’s observation, it is possible that the US economy will, in future, still be the largest and most productive (FRBSF, 2009). This observation is due to the fact that the productivity growth rate between 1995 and 2000 was due to the implementation of Information Technology which had a bigger share of investment and the US government had invested fully on it. Based on the different authors in the symposium, the productivity rate of 2% per annum will be sustained

The Rio de Janeiro Experience Essay Example for Free

The Rio de Janeiro Experience Essay Life is full of contradictions. The aforementioned adage exemplifies the main message of the narrative that talks about the experience of Isabel Jones in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As mentioned by Barthes, narrative plays an important role in the lives of people and also the society as a whole because it provides the necessary story and information about the various beliefs, values, experiences, and other important parts of an individual’s life. In the same manner, the narrative about the experience of one person in Rio de Janeiro does not only expresses a part of that person’s life but rather it also talks about important issues about the country of Brazil and its relevance in to the society. Being the case, it is essential that the narrative is critically analyzed in order to see whether life is indeed full of contradictions as seen in the eyes of an individual who actually experienced and realized such kind of reality. The first part of the narrative talks about the process by which the Isabel Jones has to live her country, the United States of America and travel far into a foreign land. The moment where Isabel left the Los Angeles and eventually her country, symbolizes the process of parting not only in terms of territorial boundaries but also when it comes to the comfort zone of the person. Living her country of origin starts her journey of experiencing new things that she is not used to. In addition, the transition of living for a new country is actually a metaphor that symbolizes the departure of Isabel from her usual way of thinking about life and comfortable lifestyle in order to venture into new experiences that will substantially change her perspective about many things, especially life in general. After Isabel’s arrival in Brazil the flow of the narrative is actually divided into two distinct experiences, wherein she came face to face with both the good and bad sides of Brazil, specifically Rio de Janeiro. The first impression that she had of Rio de Janeiro is the active and happy people that always have smiles in their faces. In relation to this, she also noticed the way by which people of various colors tend to harmoniously co-exist with each other because they each know their limitation. The use of vivid description about the scene that Isabel saw puts her narrative into life, especially with her imagery that is full of color that is also used in making the narrative of Imaginary Homelands more real-life to its readers. The narrative even pointed out the exceptional sceneries of Rio de Janeiro by using irony of comparison, which is exemplified when she described the beach that is made of black and white stones. During this part of the narrative, Isabel’s perception of contradiction or differences are actually in a positive light that added more beauty to the new city that she is in. The frame of mind of Isabel is not explicitly shown in this part of narrative just like Jayne Anne Phillips’ Cheers (1979), the description of Rio de Janeiro’s shows her perspective without directly telling it. When Isabel was already on her way to the Ipanema Lodge, she was already having a preview of the actual irony of the situation in Rio de Janeiro wherein she is both fascinated and confronted by the beautiful sceneries and interesting facts that Lunzinho were describing to her, which gives importance to the history of the country just like the way Isabel Alliende wrote her narrative entitled Unrooted Childhood but she also took notice of the children sleeping in cardboard boxes. This is the first instance that Isabel is hit by the reality that Rio de Janeiro is not all color and fun because there is actually a depressing reality with it and that is poverty. Once Isabel arrived in the Ipanema Lodge she was introduced to her roommate, Christina Lopez. The narrative included the actual conversation between Isabel Jones and Christina Lopez during the first time that they meet each other. It is quite obvious in their exchange of conversation that these women already like each other because there is a certain connection among them that made them feel at ease with each other. The comfortable relationship between Isabel and Christina is brought about by the common interest that they have like teaching children and even when it come to their sense of humor, which is quite observable when they both found the reaction of Lunzinho as funny. The inclusion of conversation in the narrative gives its readers a more vivid impression of the relationship that exists between the two women. The exchange of conversation between two people is one of the most effective way to properly establish the dynamics of the relationship of the main actors who are involved in a narrative, which is also exemplified in the work Martin Amis’ wherein he used the actual conversation of him and his father in order to let the reader see and identify their actual relationship. Isabel spent her following experiences in Rio de Janeiro with the company of Christina. The first things that they did together are enjoy the luxury and amenities of the Ipanema Lodge, especially its beach. Both women were having fun in the Ipanema beach when they met young men who they thought at first will protect them but eventual became the cause of trouble. At first, Isabel and Christina thought the young man was kind enough to offer his assistance to two women by means of making sure that no guys in the beach will take advantage of them. The two women, having good-natured qualities just allow the young man to help them but the young man does not know his limitations and even threaten the NGO representative that was assigned to the two women. In this incident, Isabel saw that her previous notion that people in Rio de Janeiro know their limits, do not apply to all people because there are also those who will break the rules and get themselves hurt just like what happen to the young man. In the behavior of the young man, the concept of psychoanalysis that is given importance in the post-modern theory of narrative is highlighted. Isabel and Christina are not the only people who are puzzled and shaken by the behavior of the young man because the inclusion of this incident in the narrative also makes its readers question psychological well-being of the person as well as the possible reasons that turn him into such kind of person. The most important and life-changing part of Isabel’s travel to Rio de Janeiro is when she experienced going to the favelas or slums in Brazil. Isabel and Christina personally experience the poverty in the country wherein the young children that they have to teach are not given the opportunity to study or even play because most of them have to work at a very young age. Both women saw and feel the depression situation of the people in the favelas with their homes squatted in mountain side and the difficulty of the people to make ends meet for their everyday needs. It is in this situation that the narrative regarding Isabel’s experience in Rio de Janeiro does not only tell about her story but it also narrated the people in the favelas and the situation of Brazil. The experience of Isabel in Rio de Janeiro allowed her to see the contradictions of life that the presence of good and lavish things in life also meant the existence of untoward things like poverty. Isabel’s visit in Rio de Janeiro changed her perspective about being a teacher and also her perspective in life because there is a deeper awareness within herself and also a challenge to contribute something and make a difference as an educator.

Analysis Of The God Delusion Debate

Analysis Of The God Delusion Debate For The God Delusion Debate, Gayathiri and Sandra chose to listen to Dr John Lennox because the two of us personally believe there is a God while Len Jin and Jerome chose to listen to Professor Richard Dawkins because the points brought forth by Dawkins has more relevance to them personally. There were 6 main thesis that was being debated between Lennox and Dawkins: 1. Faith is blind and science is evident based 2. Science supports atheism, not Christianity 3. Design is dead otherwise one must explain who designed the Designer 4. Christianity is dangerous 5. No one needs God to be moral 6. Christian claims about the person Jesus were not true, alleged miracles violates the law of nature The main points of Lennox are summarized as follows: He believes that faith is supported by rational evidence. Science is limited but anything beyond science is not irrational. Religion is the driving force for science. Atheism undermines science. Science is possible is because God is responsible for our mind. Scientist needs faith to believe in the rational intelligibility of the universe. Darwinism does not explain life and the existence of replicator. God is not created because a created God is delusional. Simplicity is not the only criteria of truth. Everything comes from the mind of the planner. Perpetrators disobeyed the explicit command of Christ. Atheism commits intellectual murder. We cannot know the foundations of being good without God. If there is no good and evil, we cannot talk about the good of atheism. Morality obtained elsewhere is of no use. History proves Christianity. Dawkins got his information from an anaesthesiologist and not a theologian. Laws of nature only describe what normally happens. Human beings believed in the existence of science because science also believed in the existence of the universe. From the debate, we think that Dr. John Lennox was an excellent debater based on a few reasons. Firstly, he respects the criticism Dawkins made about Christianity even though he is supporting theism, which is the belief that there is a God in the debate. He listens to all the points that Dawkins has against Christianity with a calm nature. He does not make facial expression that shows he is angry or disturbed even though the some of the comments made by Dawkins were indirectly insulting Christianity. Secondly, most of the points presented by Lennox was very strong, not only in because of how he phrased his points nor the words he use to put forth his points but the points he stated to support Christianity was very logical and is very reasonable. For instance, Lennox made mention that Dawkins denied the concept of good and evil. If what Dawkins believed in was true, there would not be justice and terrorists would escape from punishment! The third supporting statement would be that Dr. Lennox was very familiar with Dawkins literature because he was very confident with each and every argument values that he has given while Dawkins was blabbering to the overall conversation. Dr. Lennox also seemed very prepared with his opposing points toward atheist. Moreover, Dr. Lennox also agreed that science is based on faith at some point and that atheism undermines science. The world needs to believe in faith and religion in order to live morally as religion teaches us to live with moral values. Dr Lennox also gave an overview of both sides and a reasonable conclusion. The existence of the designer is also showed as evidence in the bible and also the creation of beautiful universe for the human beings to live in. And finally we must say that Lennoxs end speech was argumentative and as well as inspiring for the younger generation to have more faith in the existence of god. Dr Lennox gave an expressive and distinct speech on Christian faith. As much as Dr. John Lennox was a good debater, we found a few weaknesses in him during his debate. Firstly, Lennox could not finish putting forth his points in the time given which was 5 minutes. From this we can say that Lennox did not do a very good job in making sure his points were straight to the point so he could make sure that everything he has to say will be able to be presented in the 5 minutes given to him. Secondly, Lennox used the time given for the particular thesis being debated at that time to continue debating in the previous thesis. These are seen as a weakness by us because Lennox has a little time management issue. Lennox also seemed to be going off from his points as he was very much interested in opposing Dawkins points. There were also lack of evidence in Lennox arguments and universe is not evidence due to its existence. Lennox could actually define faith in a more reasonable and elusive manner. In conclusion, Lennoxs statements are much more supported and reli able rather than it was opposed. The main points of Dawkins are as follows: Religion nulls the impulse to understand by putting everything in gods hands. Science is the opposite by explaining how a lot of incidents happen based on hard evidence. Science initially describes that reality is between rationalism and superstition of the existence of god. The idea of science and reality does not overlap with religion. The speculation that god is the designer is flawed. If god was complex enough to design the universe, surely it would require an even more complex design in its own right. Faith is evil as it requires no justification; people can just use faith to justify terrible acts. People should use rationality and common sense instead of blindly following faith. It is unnecessary to distinguish good and evil from the bible, since we already know what is good and evil, and also we are making logical choices of our own. Fundamental incompatibility between complex sciences and some deity that can simply bend the laws of physics at its will. According to the video of debate, Dawkins say that God is merely an illusion and God does not exist. His theory was fully opposed by Lennox who has faith in God. Throughout his debate, the 1st strength that we think Dawkins had is the fact that he stated that sciences are based on evidence while faith is nothing but trust. He stated that We are overwhelmed with beauty and the complexity of the world, and have a desire to worship something. Science emancipates us from this feeling. This point of his is part of his strength because it is true that no one has ever seen nor touched God before. What is God? It is just our beliefs and what can God do if we do not intend to believe in him? During the ancient times, God may just be a highly intelligent being compared to the people then. He may be using the law of sciences to perform miracles. During that time, people would believe in him because people have not yet discovered science. Through the ages as science and technology keeps improvin g, people tend to ignore the existence of God because people now tend to be more civilized and more intelligent. According to the anthropology text book written by ember, God exist because of the fear of human being during the ancient time. They do not know why earthquakes or floods or any other natural disasters happen and hence they think that there is a God which is controlling all these things because God is angry. For the second strength, Dawkins stated that If God made everything, who made God? A designer god cannot be used to explain organized complexity because any god complex enough to design anything would require a complex design in his own right. Or could it be other things that created us rather than God? As stated above, God exist because we are uneducated. When science comes alive, everything just seems to have a way. Everything needs proof and evidence. What is the Galaxy? Has anyone even experience it? Somehow science came out with the width of the Milky Way but still they are not 100% sure because its just one of a theory. Apparently everyone refers God to a human being. Why? God could be in various forms. God could look like a handicap person. Who knows? And when they ask who made God? It means that everyone refers that God is also merely a creature being created. And if he is created, is he still God? For the 3rd strength, Dawkins states that we dont need religion to be good or ethical. How do you define good and ethical? Every culture is different. Hence the teachings will not be the same. Since young, we have been taught not to kill. We then get the mindset and if we practice that, we will be punished badly. But for some other culture, killing is a way to show their bravery. Hence, killing is ethical for them. If there is a God who created this world, why does the teaching of different places not the same? What our ethical means depends on our culture. We may think that it is impolite for people to burp after a meal but for the Arabians, burp after meals means they think that the food is nice. Rather than religion, there are still laws and rules to follow so that people would be as they call ethical. Hence, religion is not required to shape a good being. However, Dawkins states that religions are dangerous. He says that if there is no religion, there will be no suicide bombers killing for the sake of God, and there will be no 9/11. I think that this point is his weakness because the terrorist are just misusing these faithful people to bomb themselves. They claimed that after the suicide bombing, they get to have 72 virgins in heaven according to the Quran. Did they die just because of the virgins or do they have faith? Hence this is not the matter where religions are dangerous. It is the same where the Israelites having war with the Palestinians because they claim that they will fight for their sacred place. However, will God want them to fight? Although God maybe a delusion but think of it. War is not a joke you can practice. It makes people suffers. Not to say God, even anyone of us would not want that to happen right? We think Dawkins showed his weakness during the time where he was questioned by Lennox. Do you have faith in your wife? His whole face was red and the audience was laughing. He could not control his emotion and this shows he is angry. Hence he showed that Lennox had said something good to step on him. So, who won the debate? After considering both the strength and weaknesses of the two debaters, Dr John Lennox and Professor Richard Dawkins, we have come to an agreement that both the debaters Lennox and Dawkins won the argument in a fair manner based on several reasons. Lennox was supporting theism in the debate and we agreed that he has won the argument is because firstly the way he spoke about faith in our opinion is very strong and convincing in supporting Christianity. This can be seen in the debate when Lennox stated that faith is not blind because faith itself carries with it the ideas of believe, trust and commitment and is therefore only as rebus as the evidence for it. He also states that faith, in relativity theory is not blind because there is evidence supporting it. Faith in Christianity according to Lennox is rational and evident based, part of the evidence is objective, some of it comes from science, some comes from history and some of it is subjective coming from experience. Besides that, we think Lennox won the argument because of the way he presented his debate. He not only made the crowd laughed a couple of times, he also managed to refute Dawkins in a manner whereby Dawkins seemed as though he was speechless. This shows that the points that Lennox put forth was so strong until Dawkins could not come up with anything to defend his beliefs. The whole group also thinks that Lennox won the debate because he refuted Dawkinss claim about Christianity is dangerous really well. First and foremost, Lennox performed very well by being honest in admitting that he is ashamed of Christianity personally because of all the happenings that were caused by the crusades and so on. However, Lennox explained further by stating that the perpetrators were not followers of Christ because Christ explicitly commands us not to use physical weapons because Christs kingdom is not of this world. Lennox theory could also be supported because even though there are many types of different religion or also known as cultures that tend to have variety of beliefs, we still have the same teachings. We are trying to say that each and every religion teaches us to live with moral values and to be away from sin and it has a great impact in our lives. Thus, even though the followers are different but they tend to practice the same following. In conclusion, each and every human beings need to have faith in their god and practice their religion in order to live with compatible moral values because science can only teach us not to do certain event but it is unable to explain the reason behind it. However, we also agreed that Dawkins was a fair and evenly matched contender to Lennox as he also made many strong points in the discussion. He backed up his thesis with solid and scientific proof that has been extensively and thoroughly studied. Take for example, the renowned scientist Charles Darwins theory of evolution. Even though Darwin was not able to explain the origin of life, he was at least able to link the gap of evolution between different variations of animals of the same genre, in contrast to Lennox who was basing most of his thesis from the bible, which does not have much, if any at all, certified or standing proof. Among the other points that Dawkins was delivering, another one that came to us quite strongly is that religion and faith is still a manmade entity, not a perfect being such as god. Hence it must have its flaws, because it was not made by a perfect being. Though the ideals promoted by the writers of the holy books are intended to be righteous, others may force us to believe in something that does not make sense, or conflicts one another. For example, the Christian and Islamic religions state that people who do not embrace their god will be sent to hell. There are many other religions out there with different gods and deities. Does this mean that hell waits for people who are not Christians even though they did not commit any sin? It would be illogical and unreasonable, attributes a good god would not have. Lastly, Dawkins also argues that the problem with religion is because religions were created during the olden days, people then did not know much or anything about science. Back then, gods could have been used as a simple and easy means of explanation for many natural occurrences which can be explained through sciences. Back then, god might have been a reality for them as religion gave them something to hold on to by giving them some sort of an explanation to the unknown. Before any advance in scientific knowledge, when lightning occurred, the average god fearing individual would think that God was angry at the people for their sins, and they feel scared so they worshipped god. However, that theory is no longer applicable as we already have a logical, scientific, and rational explanation for it. Based on all the reasons stated above, once again we would like to state that we think both the debaters won the argument fairly because presented their stand point of views in two distinctive manner but both are strong and convincing.

Corporate Social Responsibility Case Study: Sainsburys

Corporate Social Responsibility Case Study: Sainsburys Introduction The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility means that organization have moral, ethical, and generous responsibility in addition to their responsibility to earn a fear return to investors and comply with law. CSR is a concept whereby organizations is consider the interest of society by taking the responsibility for the impact of their activities on customers, employees, shareholders, communities and the environment in all aspect of their operation. In other way CSR is the integration by companies of a social and environmental concern in their business operation and in their integration with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis. The concept of CSR means going away from the fulfillment of legal requirements by investing more in human capital, The environment, and relations with stakeholders. It is a voluntary instrument, but must be implemented consistently so that it fosters trust and confidence among stakeholders. Definitions of Corporate Social Responsibilities Giving a universal definition of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is bit difficult as there no common definition as such. However, there are few common threads that connect all the perspective of CSR with each other; most ideal definition of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been given by world of business council for sustained Development which says, â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the work force and their family as well as of the local community and society at large†. The online encyclopedia, Wikipedia 2009 has one definition of CSR is †Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the decision-making and implementation process that guides all company activities in the protection and promotion of international human rights, labor and environmental standards and compliance with legal requirements within its operations and in its†. On the other hand, the European Commission hedges its bets with two definitions wrapped into one:â€Å"A concept whereby companies decide voluntarily to contribute to a better society and a cleaner environment. A concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis†. The corporate social responsibility means that organization have moral, ethical, and generous responsibility in addition to their responsibility to earn a fear return to investors and comply with law. Nature of Corporate Social Responsibility Probably the most established and accepted model is the ‘Four-part Model of CSR as initially proposed by (Archie Carroll) in 1979, and subsequently refined later publication (Carroll and Buchhholtz 2000). Carroll regard CSR as a multi-layer concept, which can be differentiated into four inter related aspects-Economic, Legal, Ethical and Philanthropic responsibility. He presents these responsibilities as consecutive layer within pyramid, such that â€Å"true† social responsibility required the meeting of all four level consecutively. In 1991 Carroll first presented the Corporate Social Responsibility model as a pyramid as shown in above diagram. Corporate social responsibility and your business Corporate social responsibility can cut across almost everything you do and everyone you deal with. You need to think about; The suppliers you choose and the way you deal with them. For example trading the suppliers who pollute the environment could be as irresponsible as doing your self. How you treat with your employees? For the responsible business, this means doing more then simply complying with legal requirements. How your business effect local community? And whether you should actively involved in or supports your local charity, or sponsor a local event. Benefits of corporate social responsibility Make the most of corporate social responsibility by publicizing them. Ensure that customers, suppliers and local community know what you are doing. Publicity like this can be a key part of using CSR to win contracts. Peoples want to buy from businesses they respect.CSR can be particularly affective for targeting ethical companies. At the same time you should see CSR as a part of continuing process of building long term value. Everything you do help to improve your reputation and encourage customers and other stakeholders to stay and involved with you. Even with dozens of competitors, a real commitment to CSR lets you stand out. As an example, John Lewis department stores are well known as a business owned by its employee. Its commitment to CSR feeds through into customers services, sales and profits. As well as affecting the way you behave, CSR can lead to new products and services that reflect your values and those of your stakeholders. Over time, it can all add up to a power brand and a winning business. Introduction:- Sainsburys was founded in 1869 by John Sainsbury and is today the UKs third largest grocery retailer. The chain consists of 504 supermarkets, 319 convenience stores. Sainsbury also owns the Sainsbury Bank which offers a range of insurance and savings products The Sainsbury Archive documents the history of one of the nations oldest retailers, and Londons oldest. It also provides a unique illustration of the transformation that has occurred in retailing and in shopping and eating habits since the mid-19th century. Sainsburys was established as a partnership in 1869 by John James Sainsbury and his wife Mary Ann opened a store at 173 Drury Lane in Holborn, London. He started as a retailer of fresh foods and later expanded into packaged groceries such as tea and sugar. His trading philosophy, as stated on a sign outside his first shop in Islington, was â€Å"Quality perfect, prices lower†. Other important dates In 1922 J Sainsbury was incorporated as a private company, as J. Sainsbury Limited On 12 July 1973the company went public, as J Sainsbury plc. in 1979, when Sainsburys formed a joint venture with the Belgian retailer, In 1996 the company reported its first fall in profits for 22 years. By the time John James Sainsbury died in 1928, there were 128 shops. His last words were said to be â€Å"Keep the shops well lit† Current operations Sainsburys currently operates 785 hypermarkets, supermarkets and convenience stores. Split down as 509 supermarkets and 276 convenience stores. also operates Sainsburys Bank, which sells financial services Has a property portfolio worth  £8.6billion. According to Taylor Nelson Sofres rankings published in January 2008, Sainsburys market share was 16.4% compared to Tescos 31.5%, ASDAs 16.7% and Morrisons 11.4%.2005/06 Sainsbury ethical issues: SAINSBURY has written to its main suppliers that the supermarket giant was embroiled in a  £3m bribes investigation. Under company regulations, supermarket staff must pay for their own travel to visit suppliers sites and must not accept gifts. As supermarkets most senior buyers was arrested on suspicion of accepting backhanders from a potato company. John Maylam was arrested earlier this month over allegedly receiving irregular payments from Greenvale, which supplies nearly half of the chains potatoes. David Baxter, Greenvales operations director, was also arrested. Sainsbury, led by Justin King, chief executive said : â€Å"We are the victims of an alleged crime and take it very seriously. None of the payments went through our system and we believe this was limited to the one supplier.† Greenvale has potato-packing operations in Shropshire, Cambridgeshire and the Scottish borders. The company received the Queens Award for Innovation, is understood to supply about 45% of Sainsburys potatoes. The irregular payments up to  £3m are understood to have been discovered by Produce Investments â€Å"Greenvales parent company† and brought to the attention of Sainsbury. Cheap bananas on supermarket shelves threaten the livelihood and well-being of banana growers across the developing world, campaigners had told at the annual general meeting of supermarket giant Sainsbury AGM highlight the impact cheap food is having on producers, which contrasts sharply with the supermarkets claims of ethical integrity made in its Corporate Social Responsibility report Banana growers are facing a crisis because of the low prices paid by supermarket chains in the current banana price war. Banana workers cannot adequately feed their families despite working 11-12 hour days. Working conditions on banana plantations are often very poor. The workers are also exposed to powerful pesticides to meet the cosmetic appearance requirements set by the supermarkets. According to Sainsburys CSR report â€Å"We can offer our customers excellent products but not at the expense of people in developing countries who may be working in unsafe conditions for poor wages†.. Alistair Smith of Banana Link said: â€Å"We are looking to Sainsbury to take the lead in matching its verbal commitment to ethical trading with its practice along the banana supply chain. In following the price war led by Asda and Tesco, Sainsbury has joined the ranks of those who are now driving a ‘race to the bottom in the banana industry. The unsustainably low prices they are paying suppliers get passed on to producers who are squeezing their workers even harder than before.† Friends of the Earth and Banana Link are calling on Sainsburys to ; live up to their promises Ensure that banana workers get a living wage and decent working conditions. A failure to do this will indicate that the big supermarkets cannot be trusted. The role of employer and employees: The Sainsburys brand tradition of providing customers healthy, safe, fresh and tasty food. It differentiates itself by offering a broad range of great quality products at fair prices with particular emphasis on fresh food, a strong ethical approach to business and continuous leadership and innovation. The company employs approximately 140,000 people in the UK. Last year turnover of  £17.8 billion and made an operating profit of around  £530 million. Sainsbury is estimated to have a 14.8% share of the  £123bn UK grocery market. Sainsburys CEO (Justin King) recently stated: â€Å"Learning never stops at Sainsburys and every one of our colleagues can improve their skills, which not only benefits our customers but also supports our colleagues to achieve their full potential. Sainsbury was one of the first businesses in the UK to sign up to the Governments Skills Pledge, enabling the company to publicly define its commitment to skills training. The company also launched its â€Å"You Can† programme in November 2008 which has brought its entire training under one umbrella. Sainsburys has been working with the National Employer Service (NES) for the last 3.5 years and has held an NES contract for 3 years The company was originally introduced to the NES by its Sector Skills Council, Skill smart. The company has approximately 4,400 employees. Report covers the corporate responsibility activities of JSainsburyplc in the fiscal year to 21 March 2009. The Report contains details of our five values, which are the guiding principles for our company as below, Best for food and health; Our goal is to offer our customers great quality food at fair prices and, as a leading food retailer; we are committed to being ‘Best for food and health. Our approach is to help and inspire customers to eat a healthy balanced diet by promoting healthy eating and active lifestyles. We work hard to make our products as healthy as possible, without compromising on quality or taste. Were also committed to providing our customers with clear and transparent labeling, to help them make informed choices about the food and drink they buy. Sources with integrity; Sourcing with integrity is central to our ability to deliver great product at fair prices. In practice it means working with our suppliers to ensure the sustainability of our products in the round, taking into consideration their economic, environmental and social impacts. We are committed to offering products that are better for customers and for the environment, in a way that is also better for the animals, farmers and producers involved in their production. We offer around 30,000 products in our stores. Only by working closely with our suppliers can we deliver great quality products for our customers whilst ensuring our standards of integrity are upheld. Respect for our environment; At Sainsburys we take environmental issues seriously. We aim to be environmentally responsible in the way we run our business and we also want to make it easy for customers to be environmentally responsible. Climate change represents one of the greatest challenges we face, both as a business and as a global population. We recognise that tackling the issue involves addressing both our direct and indirect impacts. We are working hard to reduce our operational footprint and we continue to develop a better understanding of the carbon embodied in our products and in the construction of our buildings. Positive difference to our community Our stores are at the very heart of the communities they serve. For us this is not only about providing great service and quality products. Its also about making a positive difference to our communities and being a good neighbour. This begins with the positive economic impact our stores have in generating local wealth, by providing employment, using local suppliers and contractors, and regenerating the local surroundings. But theres much more to it than that. Good place to work; Being ‘A great place to work is rooted in Sainsburys heritage and values. It also plays a crucial role in achieving our business goals. We rely on our 150,000 colleagues to deliver great service to our customers every single day. We are committed to championing equality, diversity, inclusion and flexible working options for our colleagues. We remain committed to recruiting, retaining and engaging the best people, from backgrounds that reflect the communities we serve. We believe that every colleague, no matter where they work or the role they perform, should be encouraged to develop and make best use of their skills. We value the opinions of our colleagues and we communicate honestly with them. We also believe in recognising and rewarding our colleagues for the vital part they play in making Sainsburys a great place to work. Sainsbury Plc Reports: 2003-2006 on CSR J. Sainsbury plc owns Sainsburys Supermarkets (hereafter Sainsburys), the U.K.s third largest retailer after Tesco and Asda. For many years since it opened for business in 1869, Sainsburys was the countrys biggest supermarket, the undisputed market leader. A series of mis-steps allowed competitor Tesco to catch up in 1995. In 2003, Asda passed Sainsburys, relegating the latter to third position where it stays. Sainsburys is now playing catch up, regaining market share one percentage point at a Time. A publicly listed corporation since 1973, the company is on the renewal trail as it attempts to regain its leading position in the industry. Using a combination of common management tools in a wide range of areas, from stocking its shelves full with items customers want to buy to executing on a complete revamp of its information technology and supply chain management systems, a new senior management team is revitalizing the whole organization from top to bottom. This brief history helps us analyses the period 2003 to 2006, during which Sainsburys hit the dust with their first-ever revenues slump in history (in the year ended March 2005) and then as nimbly picked itself up and began staging a comeback. We can learn how they are doing by studying the companys annual reports which are the â€Å"official† snapshots of the whole corporation each year. Just like any other company at the mercy of its stakeholders (Freeman, 1984), Sainsburys is expected to behave to satisfy everyone. First Question Identify significant areas of the accounts for 2006 where judgment has been used in determining the appropriate accounting policy for the company (for example depreciation of fixed assets). Critically discuss how such judgments have materially affected the accounts in terms of valuation and profitability. References; http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/cr/ Business ethics 2nd edition by Andrew Crane, Dirk Matten Betsy Reed, The Business of social responsibility, Dollars Sense magazine May, 1998 Bryman, A and Bell, E Business Research Methods (Second Edition) Oxford Oxford University Press, 2007 Clark, A Nike sacks Pakistani supplier over child Labour row, Guardian 20th, Nov, 2006 Colin, F Business Ethics and Values Essex,Pearson Education Limited 2003 DeTienne, K. B. Lewis, L.W ‘The Pragmatic and Ethical Barriers to Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure: The Nike Case Journal of Business Ethics 2005 George, C Essentials of Business Ethics Berkshire,McGraw-Hill Book Company Europe 1996 Goldman, R and Papson, S Nike culture. LondonThousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publication 1998 Klein, N No logo London: Harper Perennial, 2000 Jonathan, B ‘NIKE to resume football production in Pakistan Financial Times 26th May, 2007 Maidment.F; Eldridge, W Business in government and society: Ethical, International Decision-Marking; Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall 1999 McCarthy, R ‘Football ban sends child workers into worse job Gaurdian 25th Apr, 2001 Mcinotosh M, Leipziger, D, Jones, K Coleman Corporate citizenship: successful strategies for responsible companies. London: Financial Times: Pitman Publication, 1998 Mellahi, K, Wood, G The Ethical Business; Basingstoke Palgrave, 2003 Parkins, S, J and Short land, S, M Strategic International London, 2006 Robert C. Solomon Ethics and Excellence cooperation Oxford, Oxford University press 1993 Sachdev, A Chicago Nike Store accused of racial discrimination in suit, Chicago Tribute, 24th, Aug, 2004 Schneider, S, C Managing Across Culture(second edition) England, JEAN-JOUIS BARSOUX 2003 Seedhouse, D Ethics(second edition) England, John wiley Sons Ltd 1998 Shaw, W, H Moral issue in Business, Vancent Barry wandsworth pub co, Mar 2006 Bottom of Form Roman Empire: A Success Story Roman Empire: A Success Story A century ago, Roman Empire represented a success story for imperialist Britain as well as other European states with imperial ambitions. The Roman story of conquest was imitated, but never fully matched or even replicated. The dream that an imperial empire could not only conquer, but also create a Pax Romana, a vast area of peace, prosperity, and unity was a genuine inspiration for other empires. No other empire was capable of having such a successful reign of power, control, and satisfaction among their people as the Roman Empire did. The Roman Empire was so successful because of roman dominance in warfare and the stable structure of politics. The empire was impressive because the Romans were very practical and well organized people, they were ambitious and aggressive in obtaining anything the Romans craved. All Roman ideas primarily derived from other cultures, but they always took the ideas to the next level and were the best at everything they approached. The Romans lived to achieve a standard of excellence and were never satisfied with what they had already achieved and always sought to improve. Early Rome was indeed governed by kings, but after a few had ruled the Romans managed to take power of their own cities and rule themselves. The Romans established the senate better referred to as the Roman Republic, before the senate only advised the king, but now the senate appointed a representative who would rule Rome as a king. (PAPAIOANNOU 209) The newly established system was very unique and a wise idea because the representative ruled carefully and not as a tyrant, because he was well aware if he did otherwise he would be punished by the next representative. From this point on the Roman Empire attempted to address all public matters or matters of the state, eventually leading to an era of peace and prosperity. The five good emperors were known for their reasonable policies, in contrast to other more tyrannical and harsh rulers. This period was particularly notable for the peaceful methods of progression, whereas each emperor chose his successor by adopting one. As the Empire was both secure from interior and exterior threats, the Romans prospered under a period of peace often referred to as the Pax Romana or Roman Peace. One major factor contributing to Romes very successful territorial expansion was the superior military authority, which was the main influential factor that guaranteed Roman power for nearly a thousand years. The Romans had several advantages such as rapid developments of the latest technology, vast numbers of infantry, along with a stable senate system, and much wealth to fuel Roman ambitions. Not only were the Romans very powerful, they were also a very well developed community consisting of sewers to control waste, aqueducts for plumbing, and paved roads for transportation. Roman advancements in technology and geographical modifications were very superior to other nations at the times because other nations simply did not have the same commodities. The Roman military system was not fueled by one type of military but by various types which provided the Roman Empire with a large assortment of choices when it came to battle. The Roman army usually consisted of Hastati, Principes or Legionary Cohorts whom were very useful marvelous soldiers. Rome used their absolute force to overwhelm most enemies and often used tactical strategies that allowed them to cave in on enemy flanks causing a very rapid ambush. The Roman Army had access to exceptional horses as well as a mixture of troops which were mainly a deciding factor in conflict. One of the most astonishing features of the Roman Empire was the complete diversity of the geographical and cultural landscapes the Romans controlled. Vast regional differences did indeed continue, but there was little sense that emperors felt obligated to promote or protect them. The unity of the empire laid in a combination of factors that were depended on common values, many of which were considered to be cultural. The fall of the Roman Empire was in the end a result of Rome being overrun by many barbarians from the northern and eastern of Europe. The great migration proved too much for the Romans to control considering that Roman armies were designed to defeat other armies, not entire folks and peoples flooding toward them. Sadly, as the Roman Empire was stabilizing itself in an era of complete peace and prosperity, the empire had to come to an end which was marked when Rome was conquered by the Visigoth Odoacer and his men in the year AD 476. (Prufer 72) The Roman Empire was a magnificent and impressive empire that was essentially progressing towards a nation similar to that of early 18th century America. The Romans provided Europe with the ideology of Christianity which influenced the events that were to precede in the future events that have changed the world today. The Romans will be looked upon for their beliefs, attitudes, values, and initiative being nearly impossible to emulate by other nations. In reality, the Roman Empire has very little relevance or connection to modern America, but just to lay both Imperial nations side by side, the goals achieved by the Roman Empire are significantly impressive. The time period is completely different, as the cultures, way of life, economy, and war. To compare the United States to Rome is ludicrous because they have nothing in common. Despite the fact that the Roman Empire may be viewed as nothing more than a sheer force attempting to acquire a vast majority of land, society should not turn its shoulder to the glorious achievements of the Romans. In a sense the Roman Empire served as an influential force often encouraging a replication of vast territorial conquerization, which led to the establishment of various new territories. However it not the vast majority of land that the Roman Empire obtained and managed to keep control over that is impressive, rather the development of a peaceful era with a mildly democratic government which allowed the election of their representatives. Hopefully everyone can look beyond the Romans cruelty and grasp a taste of the glorious era spurred by the Pax Romana.

The Theme of Paralysis in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock :: Love Song J. Alfred Prufrock Essays

The Theme of Paralysis in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock " 'I grow old ... I grow old ... I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.' What does that mean, Mr. Marlowe?" "Not a bloody thing. It just sounds good." He smiled. "That is from the 'Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.' Here's another one. 'In the room the women come and go/Talking of Michael Angelo.' Does that suggest anything to you, sir?" "Yeah- it suggests to me that the guy didn't know very much about women." "My sentiments exactly, sir. Nonetheless I admire T. S. Eliot very much." "Did you say 'nonetheless' ?" (Chandler 356-7) "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is one of the most influential poems of the twentieth century (Williams 49). It is certainly not a love song like any that had been written before. The second and third lines shock the reader because of their unusual imagery that would be out of place in a traditional love poem, describing the setting sunlit sky as looking "like a patient etherised upon a table" (Eliot 3). This "etherised" outside world is the key to understanding all of Prufrock's views. He is afraid of the increasingly industrialized and impersonal city surrounding him, and he is unsure of what to do and afraid to commit to any particular choice of action (Mays 112). Paralysis is the main theme of "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." Eliot composed "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" during a period beginning in 1909, and ending with the culmination of his first published book, Prufrock and Other Observations, which was published in 1917 (Scofield 46). The changes he made over several years may account for the fragmentation of the poem, but the main theme of paralysis was ever present, and would continue to be a major theme of Eliot's for much of his career (Scofield 46). Originally, the poem was titled "Prufrock Among The Women", which was later adapted and used in "Sweeny Among The Nightingales", and of course parodied E. B. Browning's "Bianca Among the Nightingales" (Loucks 1). Eliot chose to use the more ironic title, of "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" instead, echoing the form of his name that Eliot himself was using at the time, that of T. Stearns Eliot (Southam 1). In 1909, Eliot completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard, and wrote what would be relatively unchanged in its final edition, the beginning of "Prufrock", lines 1-14.

Accounting Principals :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Memo   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In any business no matter how big or small financial statements are crucial if achieving success is the ultimate goal. There are three main types of financial statements, they are: Income statement, balance sheet and statement of owner’s equity. All three of these financial statements can be looked upon to see where changes can be made in a company to ensure better success.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The income statement is important because it presents the revenues and expenses allowing a company to see the net income or net loss. It is prepared by simply subtracting the expenses from the revenues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The balance sheet however is critical in reporting the assets, liabilities and owner’s equity up until a specified date. When preparing this financial statement a company simply takes all of their assets (cash, accounts payable, supplies, equipment etc.) and adds them together to get a total dollar amount for all assets. A company also takes all liabilities and owner's equity and adds them together as well. This enables the company to get a total dollar amount for all liabilities and owner’s equity just as it can with assets.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The statement of owner’s equity is a simple statement that summarizes the changes in owner’s equity for a specified period of time. It is calculated by the simple formula of: Beginning owner’s equity + additional investments + net income - drawings = ending owner’s equity This financial statement allows the company to see if they are increasing, maintaining, or losing owner’s equity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All three of these financial statements have an interrelationship with one another because each statement uses the numbers from the preceding statement. For instance the statement of owner’s equity could not be determined without the having the income statement. The reason for this is because one must know the net income/net loss for determining owner’s equity. Also the balance sheet could not be formulated without having the statement of owner’s equity because it to is needed when determining total liabilities and owner’s equity within the balance sheet.

Alcoholism :: essays research papers

Alcoholism I woke up from coma wondering what had happened to me. "I am going to die, what have I done to myself." "Does my mother know?" She will kill me. "I am so SCARED!" Most kids my age, who only had their grandma and grandpa never knew what it was like to have a great-grandmother. Not only was she the best great grandma but she also played the role of a mother. To me I consider her to be an angel sent from heaven, to show some of us a few lessons about life. Her name was Josephine Catalici, an Italian woman born in Naples, Italy in 1906. She died this past summer. She was about 5'5" and very beautiful. She was good hearted, gentle, devoted, and open handed in everything she did. Josephine was always out to help someone in need. She considered other people to be first priority. She was the type of person who was almost perfect, always pleasing someone else and making one feel proud of themselves. My great-grandmother was the type of person to bring out the best in everyone. As a child, I needed that because my home had its ups and downs. My parents were separated and I had been living with my mother. She was a young parent and did things that most mother did not. For instance, as a child she would leave me alone and sometimes physically abuse me. Therefore, I sometimes had a hard time understanding why she treated me so differently. On the other hand, I always received my explanations from my great-grandmother whom I called â€Å" Mema†. I am not the only individual who considered her to be this type of caring person. Everyone that had known her, thought she was remarkable. Unfortunately, she started getting ill and during her times of need, I took care of her. in this time frame I knew that she was going to leave me soon. I was fourteen and dealing with a lot of changes in my life. I wish Josephine did not have to be one of those changes. Although, she was, but the good thing, is that she died without suffering. She was never afraid of death because she considered it to be another continuation of life. However, I could not deal with the pain of being without my great-grandmother. I am now in eighth grade, not too happy to be here. But I know that I have to go to school. I felt like nothing. My mother will not stop beating me. I don't want to live anymore.

Promoting Healthy Eating Habits in Second Graders Essay

This paper is geared toward promoting education of healthy eating habits of second grade students. According to Blais and Hayes, â€Å"Healthy People 2010 define Health Promotion as individual and community activities to promote healthful lifestyles. These healthful lifestyles include the improvement of nutrition in America† (p.120). The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP), an organization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has provided the necessary tools to help guide and promote healthy eating habits through conducting research and evidence based analysis in nutrition. USDA Food Guidance System known as MyPlate, MyPyramid, or the Food Guide Pyramid are used to educate the public and offer information on the recommended nutritional guides on weight management, caloric intake, physical activity, and health tips for specific ages and health conditions. The Dietary Guidelines of Americans 2010 have set guidelines used to promote healthy eating to the American people of all cultures, traditions and socioeconomic background. These guidelines encourage the consumption of nutritional foods, which include fresh vegetable and fruit, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, a variety of protein rich foods, which include lean meats, seafood, nuts and legumes (p.46). The emphasis of these principles will be used towards the promotion of health through the development, implementation and evaluation of a teaching plan on healthy eating habits to second graders, between the ages of 7-9 in a their classroom setting using the MyPlate educational teaching tools. Assessment of Learning Needs The second grade learning group consisted of fourteen children ages 7-9. An interactive class activity was presented using different items which  consisted of each food group using the MyPlate teaching concept. The children were asked to identify the food item they preferred unhealthy versus the healthy choice. The children’s knowledge on making healthy food choices was assessed at this time. It was assessed that 72% of the children preferred the food item that was unhealthy, while 28% made healthier selections. Although some of the children made healthy choices the majority of the group made unhealthy food selections. Prior to presenting the teaching plan the teacher reviewed the material to assure it would be understood by the second graders. Their developmental level was confirmed to be within the second grader learning ability in communication and understanding. None of the children required special learning needs. Two of the children wore corrective lenses, which did not inhibit their ability to participate in the activity. Cultural consideration was assessed by asking the children their race and the different kinds of food that is cooked at home. Two children were multicultural of Hispanic origin and specific food items commonly eaten at home were placed into its specific food group. The second graders first language was English. None of the children expressed specific spiritual practices as pertaining to eating habits or customs. The second graders preferred an interactive learning style which included: demonstration, answering and asking questions, and coloring activity. The second graders were enthusiastic and expressed eagerness to learn and share the information with their parents. The overall health status of the second graders was good. There were a few that expressed having allergies or respiratory problems. Learner Objectives The learning objectives for the promotion of healthy eating plan are as follows: A. Affective Domain: The students are willing to actively participate by listening and responding to the instructor’s presentation on healthy eating habits and engage in group activity. B. Cognitive Domain: Each student will be able to choose three healthy food items specific for each of the five food groups and describe three ways healthy eating nourishes the body and benefits of staying physically active. C. Psychomotor Domain: The students will select and identify the food item that is more beneficial for their health with given activity. Teaching Plan The teaching plan to be implemented includes the following presentation, which incorporates the current lunch menu offered to the students in school: A. MyPlate five food group and drink option was presented and the students are asked to choose which food item is eaten daily unhealthy versus healthy items included: 1. Fruit group: Selection of fresh fruit (banana, apple, orange strawberries, etc.) or a fruit cup 2. Grain group: Selection of French fries, potato chips, baked potato or wheat or white bread sandwich 3. Vegetable group: Selection of fresh carrots, salad, celery or canned carrots, corn 4. Protein group: Selection of fried chicken nuggets or baked chicken nuggets, burger or subway sandwich 5. Dairy group: Selection of whole milk or low fat milk, cheese or yogurt 6. Drinks: Water, Capri Sun or Juice box Each individual student will be encouraged to participate and other specific items not listed will be placed in the classified food group in order to address all individual needs. B. MyPlate nutritional guidelines reviewed with the students and open questions answered. 1. The School Day just got Healthier article discussion of the 10 tips for Nutrition Education Series includes awareness of healthier school meals for children, inclusion of more fruits and vegetables daily, along with whole-grain rich foods. The offering of a variety of low fat and fat free milk, reducing saturated fats and salt, increase in water intake. Meeting caloric needs through portion sizes, development of wellness programs, making better food choices and resources available to parents. 2. Emphasis on each food group with interactive group participation to name at least three healthy food items of choice 3. Name how healthy eating benefits the brain, heart and digestion, along with getting at least 60 minutes of exercise daily. C. Students will identify or select the healthier food items offered introduced at the beginning of presentation. 1. Choose MyPlate coloring activity will allow for a visual picture to reinforce the five food groups in a simple manner. 2. Draw three healthy food items on their MyPlate activity sheet. 3. Reinforce healthy eating habits with a take home pamphlet for the parents that describe 10 tips for healthy snacking. Evaluation of Teaching and Learning Evaluation of teaching and learning strategies were accurate, clear and appropriate for the second grade students. The teaching plan was simple and interactive to meet each individual learning need. The health promotion plan and activity outlined can be followed to teach other second grade students the importance of healthy eating habits using the free resources and information available on the website Choosemyplate.gov MyPlate Kid’s Place. The evaluation of learner objectives was measured by having the students re-evaluate their previous food item choice and compare it to the healthier food item. The scores were significantly higher were 92% the students identified and selected healthier food items listed. Open class discussion was used to determine if the teaching strategies used were appropriate for the students. The students expressed understanding and enjoying the class, the activities used and having a parent teaching the class. Positive feedback was given by the teacher present and students. The students were comfortable in their classroom setting, which is the appropriate environment for learning. The health promotion event was successful and effective in educating second grade students on healthy eating habits. The students expressed eagerness to share the resource pamphlet with their parents. The information shared would have been more effective and beneficial if the second graders parents were present, but studies show that second graders are influential in assisting parents make healthy eating choices for them with the information they learn. References Blais, K. K., & Hayes, J. S. (2011). Professional nursing practice: concepts and perspectives (6th ed.), New Jersey: Pearson U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. 7th Edition, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, December 2010 Jacksonville University College of Health Sciences (2012). School of nursing mission. Retrieved March 25, 2014 from http://www.ju.edu/COHS/Pages/School-of-Nursing-Mission.aspx Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, May 2014. Retrieved from http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2010/DietaryGuidelines2010.pdf U.S. Department of Agriculture. ChooseMyPlate.gov Website. Washington, DC. Color Sheet. Retrieved April 18, 2014 from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/kids/downloads/ColoringSheet.pdf U.S. Department of Agriculture. ChooseMyPlate.gov Website. Washington, DC. School Day Just Got Healthier. Retrieved April 18, 2014 from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/foodgroups/downloads/TenTips/DGTipsheet21SchoolDayJustGotHealthier.pdf

A Balanced Score Card

The most important thing to having a successful business is to have the most up to date information. If you have all the information at your fingertips it can help you to make the best possible decisions. What kind of information is available and how do we sort through it and use this information? In the hospitality industry the amount of information received everyday is overwhelming, and it isn’t possible for staff to be able to sort through it and organize it properly. In the hospitality industry the information technologies are the tools that the staff uses to sort and manage the information and the balanced score card is just one such tool. The Balanced Score Card is a very useful tool for managers because it organizes information from different departments to create a picture of the hotels operations and the success of those operations. The Balanced Score Card is a tool that is used by business professionals, the information that this found on this card is useful to the managers for a variety of reasons. However the primary use is to monitor the organizations progress towards it vision and its mission. The information is like a snapshot of the health of the business. This tool allows manager to identify areas that need improvement, ones that are doing well and what might be future opportunities. (Nyheim &McFadden, 2007) In the balanced score card the data that is used is collected by many different departments. One of the main types of information found on the balanced score card is financial information. Some other information that can also be found on the card includes such things as information on employees, the turnover rate, and also promotions. There is also equipment functionality and learning and growth of the company that is found on the card. One last thing that is present on the card is customer information and it may include such things as customer satisfaction; 3 returning customers, and the overall experiences and suggestions made by the customers. With all the information collected from many departments in the hotel this is used to create the finished product which is known as a balanced score card. There is a vast amount of information that is collected by departments using a PMS or RMS that deals with customers such departments includes housekeeping, front desk and the food and beverage department. There are some other departments that collect data such as accounting, marketing, and sales. All the information that is collected from these departments is used to create the balanced score card, and this information is used to show strengths and weakness within the hotel. The different departments can then focus on their area of information that pertains to them; this allows emphasis to be focused where it is needed to make the changes necessary to get the departments where they need to be with goals, missions and visions for the future of the hotel. One important thing that the balanced score card can do is determine room rates for different times of the year and different days of the week. These initial rates of a room are computed by using wage cost per room, annual operating profit per room, and the cost of maintenance on each room, then by comparing the score card from prior years management can tell where occupancy is higher or lower and be able to adjust for that with the room rates. If the hotel has a slow time then marketing and sales can create special packages or rates to get people to fill the rooms. It is better to rent the room at a lower rate than to fill the room instead of leaving rates the same and the room stay empty, because if it’s empty there is no profit. Within the hotel industry the food and beverage department uses a form of RMS, it contains three components to compile data for their department, a point of sales system, inventory and 4 menu management, and also reservation and table management. The information is then taken and is used to create the balanced score card along with information from other departments. There are many ways the food and everage department can use this information, such as staffing needs, and also the efficiency of the current staff. It can also help to access the relationship between the food and beverage department and its vendors and then changes can be made if necessary. Managers can use the information to make sure that the department is meeting their budget and its goals for the hotel. There is also customer experiences that are collected on the balanced score card, and this information can help managers improve to better fit the needs of customers. The information on the card can also show the managers the busy time of year and the slow time which helps in ordering inventory, when specials need to be ran and when the department may need to hire more staff. The balanced score card information is very helpful for managers to be able to know when to hire for different departments. Because of the hotels off seasons in spring and fall, the hotel may need less employees for one department and still need the same amount in another department so by looking at the balanced score card it is easier to determine. It can be used by managers for staffing, such as extra weekend staff during the busy season, or a holiday weekend and this information is all found on the balanced score card. There are some other examples of information that can be found such as to much staff in one department, unnecessary overtime, if a full time employee is receiving hours due to the off season, and even if a staff can be promoted or moved to a different department. The success of any hotel is dependent on its staff and the information provided by the balanced score card is valuable in learning this information. 5 When management looks at the balanced score card they have many choices they should consider. Some of these choices might include profit and employee satisfaction within the company. It is very important as far as profit because a company needs profits to stay open, and as far as employees it is important because to do a job to the best of their ability it helps to have happy employees. The profit is one of the information that is shown on the balanced score card, accounting can look at this and know if marketing and sales need to make adjustment in rates of rooms, or other areas. One way to increase profits through marketing would be making changes to rooms, what kind of amenities are offered and doing promotions or discounts to help bring the profits up. The satisfaction of employees and their environment the input of employees are also included in the balanced score card. This will help management to adjust the environment to help with the employees so they are happy and more willing to perform well on their job and that is an important key in customer service. The Balanced Score Card is a very important tool for the use of management to make changes and improve areas or departments when needed. The information or data that is found on a balanced score card has so many valuable uses for all departments of the hotel and is so important in all areas from staffing to making up profits. It is by far one of the most useful tools in the hospitality industry today. References Technology Strategies- Nyheim,P.D.,F.M.,& Connolly,D.J. (2007) http://www.prenhall.com/nyheim Technology Strategies for the Hospitality Industry http://www.hospitalityguild.com/books.technology_strategies_for_the_h.htm A Balanced Score Card The most important thing to having a successful business is to have the most up to date information. If you have all the information at your fingertips it can help you to make the best possible decisions. What kind of information is available and how do we sort through it and use this information? In the hospitality industry the amount of information received everyday is overwhelming, and it isn’t possible for staff to be able to sort through it and organize it properly. In the hospitality industry the information technologies are the tools that the staff uses to sort and manage the information and the balanced score card is just one such tool. The Balanced Score Card is a very useful tool for managers because it organizes information from different departments to create a picture of the hotels operations and the success of those operations. The Balanced Score Card is a tool that is used by business professionals, the information that this found on this card is useful to the managers for a variety of reasons. However the primary use is to monitor the organizations progress towards it vision and its mission. The information is like a snapshot of the health of the business. This tool allows manager to identify areas that need improvement, ones that are doing well and what might be future opportunities. (Nyheim &McFadden, 2007) In the balanced score card the data that is used is collected by many different departments. One of the main types of information found on the balanced score card is financial information. Some other information that can also be found on the card includes such things as information on employees, the turnover rate, and also promotions. There is also equipment functionality and learning and growth of the company that is found on the card. One last thing that is present on the card is customer information and it may include such things as customer satisfaction; 3 returning customers, and the overall experiences and suggestions made by the customers. With all the information collected from many departments in the hotel this is used to create the finished product which is known as a balanced score card. There is a vast amount of information that is collected by departments using a PMS or RMS that deals with customers such departments includes housekeeping, front desk and the food and beverage department. There are some other departments that collect data such as accounting, marketing, and sales. All the information that is collected from these departments is used to create the balanced score card, and this information is used to show strengths and weakness within the hotel. The different departments can then focus on their area of information that pertains to them; this allows emphasis to be focused where it is needed to make the changes necessary to get the departments where they need to be with goals, missions and visions for the future of the hotel. One important thing that the balanced score card can do is determine room rates for different times of the year and different days of the week. These initial rates of a room are computed by using wage cost per room, annual operating profit per room, and the cost of maintenance on each room, then by comparing the score card from prior years management can tell where occupancy is higher or lower and be able to adjust for that with the room rates. If the hotel has a slow time then marketing and sales can create special packages or rates to get people to fill the rooms. It is better to rent the room at a lower rate than to fill the room instead of leaving rates the same and the room stay empty, because if it’s empty there is no profit. Within the hotel industry the food and beverage department uses a form of RMS, it contains three components to compile data for their department, a point of sales system, inventory and 4 menu management, and also reservation and table management. The information is then taken and is used to create the balanced score card along with information from other departments. There are many ways the food and everage department can use this information, such as staffing needs, and also the efficiency of the current staff. It can also help to access the relationship between the food and beverage department and its vendors and then changes can be made if necessary. Managers can use the information to make sure that the department is meeting their budget and its goals for the hotel. There is also customer experiences that are collected on the balanced score card, and this information can help managers improve to better fit the needs of customers. The information on the card can also show the managers the busy time of year and the slow time which helps in ordering inventory, when specials need to be ran and when the department may need to hire more staff. The balanced score card information is very helpful for managers to be able to know when to hire for different departments. Because of the hotels off seasons in spring and fall, the hotel may need less employees for one department and still need the same amount in another department so by looking at the balanced score card it is easier to determine. It can be used by managers for staffing, such as extra weekend staff during the busy season, or a holiday weekend and this information is all found on the balanced score card. There are some other examples of information that can be found such as to much staff in one department, unnecessary overtime, if a full time employee is receiving hours due to the off season, and even if a staff can be promoted or moved to a different department. The success of any hotel is dependent on its staff and the information provided by the balanced score card is valuable in learning this information. 5 When management looks at the balanced score card they have many choices they should consider. Some of these choices might include profit and employee satisfaction within the company. It is very important as far as profit because a company needs profits to stay open, and as far as employees it is important because to do a job to the best of their ability it helps to have happy employees. The profit is one of the information that is shown on the balanced score card, accounting can look at this and know if marketing and sales need to make adjustment in rates of rooms, or other areas. One way to increase profits through marketing would be making changes to rooms, what kind of amenities are offered and doing promotions or discounts to help bring the profits up. The satisfaction of employees and their environment the input of employees are also included in the balanced score card. This will help management to adjust the environment to help with the employees so they are happy and more willing to perform well on their job and that is an important key in customer service. The Balanced Score Card is a very important tool for the use of management to make changes and improve areas or departments when needed. The information or data that is found on a balanced score card has so many valuable uses for all departments of the hotel and is so important in all areas from staffing to making up profits. It is by far one of the most useful tools in the hospitality industry today. References Technology Strategies- Nyheim,P.D.,F.M.,& Connolly,D.J. (2007) http://www.prenhall.com/nyheim Technology Strategies for the Hospitality Industry http://www.hospitalityguild.com/books.technology_strategies_for_the_h.htm