Greek-Orthodox religion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Greek-Orthodox religion - Research Paper Example Byzantine Christianity, which is the base of Greek Orthodoxy, is built with a combination of Christian and Hellenic heritage and is marked by â€Å"its liturgy, use of religious images (icons), veneration of saints and relics, monastic practices, and imperial grandeur† (Laderman and Leon, 294). The term orthodoxy represents, â€Å"proper glorification of God through appropriate worship† (Makrides, 66). The â€Å"defining feature† of Orthodox Christianity can be put more precisely as, â€Å"doctrinal correctness† (Makrides, 66). It also has its own â€Å"ritual tradition and institutional structures† (Makrides, 66). The basic theological premise of this strain of Christianity is not completed simply with a â€Å"belief in one Christian God† but has to be â€Å"the correct (â€Å"Orthodox†) belief in the one true and Trinitarian Christian God† (Makrides, 66). For Greek Orthodox religion, the ultimate salvation of the faithful is à ¢â‚¬Å"dependent on upholding the sole correct Christian faith, uncontaminated from deviant interpretations and influences† (Makrides, 66). The Greek Orthodox believers declare that they are the preservers of Christianity in its pure and correct form. They have drawn their theological beliefs and rituals from the seven Ecumenical Councils held between 325 and 787 and claim that they are preserving Christianity in the pure form as established by the Apostles (Makrides, 67). When a deep study is made into Orthodox Christianity, it can be seen that Greek Orthodoxy has a more profound sense of ecology than any other Christian religious system. In the present scenario of environmental destruction and predictions of global warming, it is the theology of Greek Orthodoxy that can lead human kind to evolve a comprehensive Christian ecology, which can impart a platform for our interactions with nature. The Trinitarian relationships as is delineated in Greek Orthodoxy can become the basis for deriving an ecological perspective based on Orthodoxy. The â€Å"relationships† itself establishes the relational aspect of the â€Å"very being of things† (Edwards and Worthing, 99). These relations are again, profoundly anchored in the â€Å"Trinitarian relationships of mutual love† (Edwards and Worthing, 99). The logic behind this supposition is that â€Å"if the Creator’s being is radically relational, then this suggests something about the nature of created reality† (Edwards and Worthing, 99). This is why Greek Orthodox theologian, John Zizioulas is quoted as saying, â€Å"it is communion that makes things be: nothing exists without it, not even God† (as cited in Edwards and Worthing, 99). From this theological background arises the notion that human and all other living creatures are â€Å"radically inter-relational and interdependent† (Edwards and Worthing, 100). And God is defined as all creatures in communion (Edwards an d Worthing, 100). Hence, Orthodoxy states that â€Å"the distinction between creator and creation is dissolved† which presents humans as embedded in nature, in God (Edwards and Worthing, 114). It is evident from the above discussion that while Western Christianity is rightfully criticized for being created the human-nature duality, and the notion that God has created nature to serve the humans, Eastern Orthodoxy resolves that dualism. It has a more environmentally realistic notion about this topic, as is delineated by White who wrote about this subject in the website, www.asa3.org. White has elaborated this argument by putting Greek Orthodoxy against Christian anthropocentrism. He (White) said: The Greeks believed that sin was intellectual blindness, and that salvation was found in

Ethnic and Religious Conflict in Nigeria Essay Example for Free

Ethnic and Religious Conflict in Nigeria Essay Basically, Nigeria is a plural society and heterogeneous in virtually all the facet of life. The custom and tradition of Nigerians is so diverse to the extent that Nigeria as a country is now confronted with the problem of religion and ethnicity towards their political stability. The origin and history of ethnic conflict (societal wars and violence) can be traced from eternal (internal) state rivalry to external (physical). And its root cause is not very far from power competition and decision making over economic resources and other important human factor, like position. The implementation process has always involved more than one or two persons. In general concept, the author of this work traces conflict back to the first and early Patriarchal of human history and ever since then, there has been an increase (in various dimensions) of Conflict in the face of human world. Some are personal (internal) conflict, family, community, and group, intellectual, state, national and international in nature, to mention but few. In conforming to this idea, Badawi (2006) in his statement titled â€Å"World Apart† stated thus, â€Å"indeed the greatest discord today is among the descendants of Abraham. These are the people of the book, the followers of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, who had in fact shared a common beginning in the religion of Abraham†. In shedding more light in the above statement, Badawi statement goes far beyond religion, rather, he was tracing one of the earliest source of conflict which Badawi mentioned the off-springs of the said Abraham. Even before Abraham, there had been conflict, so it is as old as human history down to the Abrahamic period, to ancient kingdoms, Dukes, and Kings. In about 88 B. C. , King Mithriadates VI of Pontus invaded Roman territory in Asian Minor. He advised Asian debtors to kill their Roman creditors. Happy to reduce their credit card bills, the Asians massacred 80,000 Romans. Ethno-political conflicts have greatly shaped our present world and of course have its structural phenomenon, (William Easterly, 2001). For instances, the conflict we now call Israeli and Palestinian war, has been an ever-lengthening sort. The Assyrian, Babylonian war, by King Nebuchadnezzar of the hanging Garden in history, the Persia war, Alexander the Great (the Macedonian mad man in history), the German war of Adolf’s. Hitler, the Roman wars, narrowing all these down, we came to the horn of African continent which seem to be an epidemic field of conflicts of diverse kinds till date. The giant-lion of African continent, just like the origin of conflict is said to have stated very old in human history, even so in the case of Nigeria, which can be traced to the colonial period of history. Conflict takes different sizes and shapes with diverse reasons and purposes. Majority of the conflicts takes time before their escalation and at such, could have been transformed right at their respective early stages. The history of ethnicity and ethnic conflicts in Nigeria is also traced back to the colonial transgressions that forced the ethnic groups of the northern and southern provinces to become an entity called Nigeria in 1914. In the case of Nigeria situation, disturbing history of colonialism, this generated hatred and conflict among different ethnic groups. The task of addressing this seed of conflict planted by the British has been a complex one. After weakening the former diverse kingdoms, Emperors, etc now called Nigeria and reordering the groups’ politics, the colonial powers failed in nation building and providing for the peoples basic needs. Hence, unemployment, poverty increase, and due to these, conflict over scarce resources ensue. The Southern and Northern protectorates were also being amalgamated into a nation. Thereafter, the merging of different colonies into one country called Nigeria was forcefully done without the peoples consent. This was a major seed of conflict that is still troubling Nigeria today. This article is focused on the historical incidents of ethnic conflicts in within Nigeria societies, the cause of the conflicts and perhaps, the government actions towards ethnic conflict in the country. In conclusion, this paper will explore into decision-making (by the elites and those in authority) process has contributed immensely in generating the syndromes of conflict in the said state. The Nigerian political situation has witnessed more breaking of heads, than counting them. In fact, even when it has been convenient for heads to be counted, the outcome has always been the breaking of heads instead. Conflict in Nigeria is so intense because of lack of democratic behaviour. The head of the individual in the democratic context signifies citizenship. So when heads are broken in the Nigerian political community, the issue in respect of broken heads is citizenship. If conflict in Nigeria means the absence of democratic behaviour, it follows, therefore, that conflict in Nigeria is interwoven with the absence of democratic governance. Gurr (2000): has also shown that the incidence of conflicts at the global level declined in recent years with the deepening of democratisation. Nation-states where conflicts persist are those where what obtains is the democratisation of disempowerment (Ake 1996). Beyond the veneer of elections, the state remains ambushed, privatised, repressive and unpopular. The people who were tantalised by the prospect of a democratic revolution that would terminate decades of alienation and pauperisation have been short changed and given a ‘choice less democracy’ (Mkandawire 1999). The ‘credibility gap’ which fostered the De-linkage of the people from the state, and ignited social forces to struggle for democracy, is not being bridged (Rothchild 1995: 58). African peoples out of clear rational calculations sans atavistic attachments have turned their backs on the state ‘and given their loyalty to sub-national social formations such as the community, the sub nationality or ethnic groups’ (Ake 2000: 114). It is against this backdrop that the proliferation and exacerbation of violent ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria in the post-transition period can be appreciated. This article adopts an analytical framework that holds that The interface between ethnicity and democratisation is found in absence of effective citizenship and good governance in post-transition societies. In the circumstance that democracy does not go beyond the conduct of multiparty elections to include improvement in the quality of life of the people, there is frustration, and people who already feel alienated from the state are vulnerable and likely to be mobilised around counter-elites who exploit extant popular alienation from the state by whipping up sectarian sentiments. This has been the case in Nigeria and several multi-ethnic states of Africa (Osaghae 1994). Although the foregoing theoretical discussion has focused on ethnicity, the term ethno-religious is adopted because some of the recent violent conflicts to be examined were triggered by religious issues. The relevance of religion is also underlined by the fact that in Nigeria ethnic boundaries tend to coincide with religion, with the exception of the Yoruba ethnic group (Ibrahim 1999). The Nigeria state was amalgamated in the year 1914 by lord lugard. The various geographical areas or territory which was amalgamated to form Nigeria by the colonialist comprises of various cleavages, clans, towns even there were kingdoms and chiefdoms with diverse culture, language, religion, norms values, customs and political structures etc. The focus of the research monogram is to examine the role of religion and ethnicity in Nigeria nascent democracy. In Nigeria especially, religion plays a very vital and influential role in the society that has manifested itself as a potent force in the political development of the Nigerian state from pre-independence to post-independence. Hardly can the Nigerian state be talked about without reference to religion (Kukah, 1994; Falola, 1990; Kenny, 2006; International IDEA, 2000; Suberu, 2009). However, religion in Nigeria, at different levels, is mostly mentioned in negative terms. Or rather, historical events linked to religion tilts more towards its negative than its positive contribution to the Nigerian state. The Jihad, the civil war propaganda, the Sharia law controversy, the tensions provoked by the Nigerian accession to the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) and the incessant religious crises that have engulfed the Northern part mainly indicate that religion cannot be ignored or wished away in the Nigerian political development. Several religious crises have occurred in Nigeria. They have been documented as academic dissertations for some of them. This piece of work does not intend to start the discourse on religious violence anew but only recognizes the fact that as a recurrent phenomenon it is worth being explored further. Thus â€Å"Boko Haram† menace which gained global recognition and even press support ranging from July 2009 till date is a the central focus of this study together with other riots which has engulfed the Nigeria state from 1999 till date which most Nigeria educated elite believed that religion and ethnicity were the basic causes. The educated elite have conducted series of research on what the causes of this violent riots maybe. Most have concluded that it can be traced and linked to the failure of governance in Nigeria. 1. 2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS The mistake of 1914 has polarised the Nigeria society together with its citizens in which loyalty to the State is a mirage instead people pay loyalty to their various families and ethnic groups the effect of this can be traced to 1967 civil-war which disintegrate the country or in the political system which almost lead to secession of the country with the easterner believed to be the aggrieved ethnic in the war. Similarly Nigeria has a long history of religious crisis which has affected the political instability of Nigeria. The maintasine riot of 1980 can be said to be the first major religious riot in Nigerian history, claiming about 800 lives. The Boko Haram insurgence in the northern part of the country which has been directed mainly against the Christians, they have suffered a lot both physically, psychologically, economically, spiritually and even politically in the far North which has led political writers and pundits to affirm that Boko Haram conflict has its roots in Religion. The thrust of this work will be to examine the underlying reasons behind political instability in Nigeria using religion and ethnicity as a paradigm. 1. 3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY. The study will cover the impacts of religion and ethnicity towards the stabilization or in- stabilization of the Nigeria political system it will cover how religion and ethnicity have impacted on the political stability of Nigeria. Furthermore the study will emphasize more on the role the government is playing in stabilizing the un-stabilized country. 1. 4OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The following can be regarded as the aims and objective of the study 1. To know the meaning of religion, ethnicity, political stability, and political instability 2. To know how religion and ethnicity have negatively impacted on Nigerian political development 3. To develop possible solutions and panaceas to the problems of religions and ethnicity to Nigerian political in-stability 1. 5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1 What meaning does religion, ethnicity and political instability carries 2 How has religion and ethnicity impacted on the political stability of Nigeria 3 what are the possible solutions to the problem of religion and ethnicity in Nigeria political system 1. 6 JUSTIFICATION OF STUDY Many a developing countries of the world are currently experiencing the problems which ethnicity and religion have caused. The ethnic problem which led to the apartheid era in South Africa is also the same ethnicity and religion problem which has almost disintegrated the Nigerian State. Recalling back to what happen during the civil war in the late sixties and early seventies which led to the introduction of the national youth service corp. by the then military president General Yakubu Gowon which aim at integrating back the almost disintegrated country. Books, Journals, Magazines, Pamphlets, and lot of researches have been written and carried out respectively on the issue of ethnicity and religion, and its impact on the Nigeria political stability. This research work will serve as an additional material to the issue on ethnicity and religion to political instability in Nigeria, this work will focus more on ethnicity and religion and its impact on Nigerian politics 1. 7RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The research methodology will be based on secondary data collections ranging from books, Journals Newspapers, News Magazines, Pamphlets and even the Internet. In conducting any research basically there are two methodologies employed by researchers which are the primary and the secondary methods. This research work will be basically conducted using the secondary methodology as earlier mentioned. 1. 8DEFINITION OF TERMS Ethnicity: According to the oxford advance learners dictionary ethnicity can simply mean â€Å"the fact of belonging to a particular race† from the dictionary meaning we can deduced the fact that Humans believed in race and they have passion for race which leads to humans ethnocentrism i. e. highly ethnocentric in nature. Ethnicity has a strategic interaction of persons and other actors, who have different beliefs, attitude’s, values and goals as they decide particular conflict the distribution of resource’s and general issues of political rules within a context of norms, expectations and institutions. Any of the rule, expectation and institutions may be reversed, maintained or inverted by the individual who win the right to control them, in the course of those political negotiations that are sometimes called cooperation, and sometimes called war, and are usually somewhere between the two. In another sense, ethnic identity are political resources just like money or vote. Instrumentalist like Micheal Banton and Micheal Hecthtar, argue that ethnic identity are not inherent in group or socio-formation of people. They see ethnic identity as socio-capital brought to bear on the political negotiation table by different groups and at different times. Hutchinson and Smith also argue that ethnic identity are an important resource that political Elite employ in securing the support of the masses as a strategy for gaining a desired good. These goods and or goals are â€Å"measured in terms of wealth, power, and status and†¦ joining or national communities helps to secure these ends either by influencing the state, or in certain situations, through secession. Religion: religion on its own part can be regarded as the belief in the existence of God or gods and the activity that are connected in the worship of them. Religion can also be stress further by meaning one of the system of faith that are based on the belief in the existence of a particular God or gods. For example the Jewish religion, Christianity Islam and other world religion. Furthermore in the classical and ancient ages religion has achieved a lot in their politics for example the doctrine of Islam was used in many Arab nations has their constitution even up till the present age. The Ancient Romans, also, during the time of Constantine accepted Christianity as a religion and a mode of life which also affected their political terrain. Religion in the 21 century is now used narrowly towards Christianity and Islam even though other religion still exist but the former two religion have elevated to prominence that other religion are now beneath them. For instance about Political stability: can depict the mean of a system of politics in which the government of that State is experiencing a stable government and peaceful existence in the State or in otherworld’s a legitimately accepted government by the people. Democratically governed States are believed to be stable. In the global sense every political entity must be ruled democratically without internal oppression or external aggression. Any country of the world that is free from the aforementioned point are regarded as stable political system in other words internal oppression has cause a lot of havoc to many democracies of the world which has infringed on their stability as noted by Ojo 2002. Descent Rule: These covers a larger set of cases that we commonly understand to be ethnic than the rules that ethnic groups must have a myth of common ancestry or common origin. But it excludes several cases in which individuals routinely consider themselves, and are considered as members, of a group that we classify as ethnic even when their parents were not coded as members of this group. Take for example the category â€Å"Yoruba† when it was invented in Nigeria in the nineteenth century. At this time period, the parents of those who were classified as Yoruba were not themselves classified as Yoruba for the reason that this category did not exist during their lifetimes. According to Descent Rule, then, the category Yoruba in the nineteenth century would not be coded as ethnic. But the category Yoruba is universally coded as an ethnic category by all comparative political scientists, without making a distinction between time periods. As another example, consider the category â€Å"Backward Caste† in India, which included as members individuals who possessed a given set of last names and/or ancestral occupations. The category was introduced by the Indian Central Government in 1990. Within a few years, 52% of the Indian population classified itself and was classified as backward. Yet the parents of those who termed themselves â€Å"Backward Caste† were not coded by themselves or by others as â€Å"Backward Caste† because, as in the case of the first generation of Yoruba’s, this category did not exist during their lifetimes Democracy: According to Abraham Lincoln he defines democracy as the government of the people by the people and for the people. In this wise democracy connotes a system of government in which all the people in a country will have the outright say on the government of their country although in a representative manner meaning that they will elect representatives that will represent their interest in the government. Advanced countries if the world where democracy is practiced completely they have national identity as opposed to the developing world where they have ethnic identity. Advanced democracies always believe in secularism in which every religion is accepted and embraced not a system in which part will have cognisance to a religion and the other will believe in other religion causing serious tension in such states like Nigeria. Federalism : Elasar (cited in Akande, 1996:1)† the formation of European union (EU) which simply begun as a trading partnership for coal and steel is now moving towards a more integrated political union founded upon federal principle of governance†. The African union (AU) which is the federation of African counties where a central government intended to be created with sharing or division of power among the federating unit, even the world highest organization body united Nation have in some little degree, evolved the principle of federalism. Federalism is a system of government which embraces unity in diversity. Federalism as a system of government is one in which there will be central and regional governments each one autonomous of each other.

Human Resource Management And Change Management

Human Resource Management And Change Management Personnel Management, considered for much of the post Second World War period to be a necessary, albeit uninspiring and rule bound administrative activity has in recent decades evolved into Human Resource Management, (HRM), a key function of modern day business organisations. Enriched first by the work of seminal contributors like Maslow, Herzeberger, McGregor, and Kohn, and later by that of behavioural experts like Guest and Storey, the growth of HR Management has also been spurred by enormous environmental changes in areas of business ad economy. With the growth of the market economy, along with technological advances, instantaneous communication, economic liberalisation and globalisation having intensified local and global business competition manifold, there is widespread agreement on the criticality of HR in realising competitive advantage, market growth and financial success. The development of a knowledge based economy, as also the current economic crisis, is driving home the importance of HR quality in business survival and success. Modern day HRM comprises of various functions like deciding upon staffing requirements, choosing between contracted or hired workforce to fill these needs, selecting and recruiting the most suitable candidates, training and developing employees to enhance their knowledge and skills, ensuring high performance, and motivating employees through a combination of practices, remuneration and rewards. Each of these areas comprises of numerous associated functions; staffing, for example incorporates workforce planning, job and role specification, selection and recruitment, and formulation of compensation. This study attempts to investigate and analyse the need, utility and role of specific important aspects of HR, namely staffing (selection and recruitment), performance appraisal and management, and Compensation (remuneration and reward) in improving organisational performance and effectiveness; it is carried out with reference to the HR policies and practices of the Ritz-Carlton Group of Hotels, with approximately 38,000 employees, possibly the most successful and well regarded luxury hotel chain in the world. The major strategic issue to be addressed is the changes in competition, that the luxury hotel market has virtually collapsed and the lower end accommodation is outperforming the upper end of the hotel sector. Where do we go from here? Overview of Ritz Carlton The Ritz Carlton Group, now a subsidiary of Marriott International, runs nearly 73 luxury hotels across the globe, with 30 more projects under development which includes fractional ownership, private residences and serviced apartments, diversifying into a different prospective that the traditional hotel. Having started in Boston in 1927 with the first Ritz, the group currently operates in 23 countries in North and South America, Asia, Africa and Europe. Under the former leadership of one of the partners Mr. Horst Schulze who was President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) from 1983 to 2002, it was the only organisation in the service industry to win the prestigious Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Awards twice, the Ritz Carlton group is widely known for its focus on optimising its employee strengths, abilities, and skills, to increase market share, improve operational and financial results and achieve competitive advantage. A major factor in the attribution of this, was the launch of the The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Centre which has thousands of senior executives, line managers and all levels of leaders through their doors from every diverse industries (such as Finance, Food Services, Human Resources, Retail, Transportation, Automotive and Healthcare) which came to learn the Ritz-Carlton principles of service. The services of this centre are ideal if a company is looking to create a sustainable change, which is key to the future as stated by xxxxx (2008), having a major competitive advantage to outperform its competitors and to increase its customers and employee loyalty. Believing in the criticality of skilled, trained, satisfied and motivated employees in achievement of customer satisfaction, the company has thoughtfully planned and skilfully implemented HR policies and practices that are essentially dynamic in nature and respond to environmental circumstances and needs. With the luxury hotel industry being intensely competitive and every major city in the world having a number of upper end hotels providing the same sort of rooms and other physical facilities, the management of the Ritz Carlton differentiates its offering chiefly through provisioning of superior service to its customers. Known the world over as the ladies and gentlemen (who serve ladies and gentlemen) of the Ritz, the employees of the chain aim to provide customers with the ultimate Wow experience and retain 100 % of their existing clientele. The groups philosophy has a real emphasis on customer and employee satisfaction which other organisations try to aspire too. In the words of Simon Cooper, the former President and COO of the company from 2002 to 2010; It is their commitment to always exceeding the expectations of our customers which insures that no matter how large our company may grow around the world, we will never forget service is what we built our reputation on as a hotel company, and our commitment is to grow the service quality along with the portfolio of hotels which should reach 103 by 2011. The organisation has been forced to take some drastic action of late due to the revenues at the five star group been diminished over the last number of years, reflecting the changes in the luxury hotel industry and on August 12, 2010, the Ritz-Carlton announced that their new President and COO to be Mr. Herve Humler in which the leadership change was effective from September 1, 2010. Mr. Humler is one of the original founders of the Ritz-Carlton Group in 1983 and has now responsibility for leading brand operations and global growth strategy. Human Resource Policies and Practices 4.1 Staffing Selection and recruitment practices at the Ritz Continental have been formulated with thought and care and aim to further the service quality and standards of the organisation. With the organisation being a quality and market leader in its area of activity, the hotel group is always assured of good response both to local advertisements and requests for staff for its central staff pool. The group seeks people with real Intensity, Energy and Purpose for all roles within the organisation. The organisation is strict on recruiting appropriate people. Whilst candidates with the right qualifications are preferred, great emphasis is paid to selecting people who are considered capable of fitting in with the strong service culture of the group. The culture is of strategic importance and classed as special, in every location in the world, with excellent quality and service, customer and employee satisfaction is at the top of its priority. Again whilst the group selects people with diverse talents and knowledge and teaches them the technical requirements of individual jobs, it essentially looks for people who are (a) high in work ethics, (b) detail oriented, and (c) relationship driven; the successful candidates are expected to genuinely care and respect guests and each other. Candidates must look people directly in the eye, be warm, friendly and capable of showing empathy. (Living Values) You have to make sure that youre selecting for attitudes and values, not for skills and experience. You cant train for attitudes and values, you can train for skills, says Chi. If candidates have the right customer focus, values and a positive attitude, anyone can be trained to do anything in the hotel, Chi says The selection process is driven by customised and structured interviews, which have different approaches for different types of staff. A manager would be tested for focus and sense of competition, while a recruiter needs to be caring, relationship oriented, business savvy, and able to see the talents of other people. The division head and the General Manager of the individual hotels get involved in all selection processes so as to make a group decision and also to show the potential candidate the importance of the that individual is to the organisation. The company has elaborate training and retraining systems. It has 20 basic standards that are constantly reinforced through training. Whilst every employee is provided with 120 hours, i.e. three weeks of training every year, new entrants are given a 2 day introduction before they come in contact with any potential guest or existing employee to understand the culture and philosophy and also 40 days of training in their first year to enhance this. The company has prepared extensive training material on all aspects of service delivery, including a list of more than a thousand customer problems, as also guidelines for solving them. Such problem solving is an integral portion of the training programme. Apart from such systematic training many individual hotels of the group have their in-house training programmes. At the Ritz Carlton, Hong Kong, the hotel has adopted a number of forward-looking practices. For example, all of the roughly 300 staff are expected to learn one new thing per day and time is specifically scheduled at the start of each shift to allow them to do so. This might be about the work of another department, the overall tourist industry, or new properties within the group. Generally all employees are permanent staff, this is to ensure that the culture and philosophy are kept at the highest standard, in contrast to this, some very minor positions are temporary wish are not directly related to the core business. (e.g. building maintenance can be sometimes outsourced etc.) As suggested by Mello (2006, page 336) specifically in the service sectors where higher turnover costs are common with the comparison of manufacturing, the organisation implementing a strategic staffing initiatives which are the key to retaining productive employees and in turn minimizing turnover/operating costs. To this the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Group is at the forefront of its sector ensuring that employee satisfaction remains high with 90 to 95% compliance. This employees satisfaction is one of the key areas that are worked on, day in day out and involves trust, communication, involvement and engagement as stated by Mark DeCocinis, Regional Vice President, Asia-Pacific of the Ritz-Carl ton Hotel Company. At management level within the Hotel Group, many senior positions are filled internally within the organization, approximately 70 to 80 % of the leadership positions states DeCocinis. These individuals have proven skills, able to motivate and has capabilities to fit into the organisations culture. This is classed as a reward system for their previous performance and loyalty and promotes a positive promotional and development opportunities within the group, it also helps to serve international assignment roles. 4.2 Performance Management The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Group has an elaborate performance appraisal programme that aims to regularly evaluate employee performance and provide employees with feedback about their performance. Performance Feedback is used as opposed to Performance Appraisal, in which the system is kept in line with the organisations strategic objectives and culture. Below is as outlined by Mello (2006 page 428) are the key differences between performance feedback versus performance appraisal. As can be seen from the exhibit below the feedback is more a two way exchange where employer and employee communication informally their performance and discuss jointly planning future work activities. Performance Feedback Performance Appraisal Time Period Past, present and future Past Focus Link employee work activities to specific business objectives strategy Create records, document performance problems Nature of communication Two-way One sided, downward, directive, rebuttal sometimes allowed Employee role Active Participant Passive Formality Informal, Verbal High formality, written forms Timing Spontaneous, ad hoc needed As prescribed (usually annual) Basis of relationship Collegiality Power Role of Supervisor Coach, motivator, partner Authority figure Outcomes Participation, enhanced, targeted performance, improved relationship Compensation decision; task directives Mello (2006 page 428) Exhibit 10.1 Performance Feedback versus Performance Appraisal The performance management system of the company works on a few specific principles, namely informing employees about their responsibilities, enabling them to master the requirements of their job, generating ideas on improving the quality of their output, informing them on how well they are doing in many ways and forms, and training them constantly through their managers and peers on different jobs and tasks. Each employee gets a report everyday on his actions on the job. Apart from these reports, detailed personnel appraisals are carried out every six months. With managers providing employees with feedback, suggestions and corrective training on a daily basis, most employees improve so much by evaluation time that such occasions tend to become times for celebration rather than apprehension. Such assessment occasions are used to form action plans, establish future goals, and guide employees on their future responsibilities. (Lets celebrate) All of the Ritz-Carlton employee performance goals are aligned with the company goal, and from that to the hotel goal and in turn to the divisional goal, therefore involving everyone in part of the complete organisation. Each and every employee is encouraged to come up with a plan to reach their goal for the next year based on guest satisfaction, financial performance and employee satisfaction. The bonus or incentive at the end of the year is based on improvements if you increase the performance numbers you will be rewarded. Communication according to the Ritz-Carlton is the key to maintaining consistence performance management. Each employee having interaction with the General Manager every day and speaking freely about what we enjoy and how we can improve is important says DeCocinis. All general managers has a policy of having a breakfast meeting with 10 to 15 employees from different departments once a month, in that speak openly and informally at this gathering for the purpose of what each employee is working on and what can be improved is a very positive management policy and everyone learns from the meeting. Another important performance management system in place is that employees are encouraged to document either their own or another employees mistakes. It is very important when someone makes a mistake that the correct action is taken to resolve it as soon as possible, otherwise it could reoccur. The group recognises people for taking ownership of a problem and being part of the solution to resolve it Yeung (2006). 4.3 Compensation Whilst the organisation has very strict recruitment policies, (20 people are, on an average, selected from 2000 applicants), it provides good remuneration and facilities. The company believes in maximising staff retention through a combination of good working atmosphere, excellent training, good career prospects, opportunity to travel, and good remuneration. Whilst the company does benchmark and attempts to keep its remuneration competitive, it is nevertheless overtaken occasionally in this area by other hospitality organisations. Mark DeCocinis states if you expect your people to be the best, you must pay at the top of the market We do still benchmark on remuneration, says Ms Lau, but regard staff retention as something which depends more on other factors. These include training, creating long-term career opportunities, and helping employees to find the right work-life balance. Ritz-Carlton employees who can multi-task (i.e. stand in for others etc.) are recognised and rewarded accordingly. The group reward and motivate their employees who exceed their expectations through The Ritz-Carlton Incentive Awards. The organisation dispenses Gold Standard Coupons to those employees who exceed the hotel standards for quality and service, these coupons are then exchanged for weekend accommodations at the hotel group or at the hotels gift shop for merchandise. Additional to this is every quarter, a Five Star Employee Award is granted which entitles the winner to a five-night stay for two people at any Ritz-Carlton hotel in the world, and to supplement this, round trip flight tickets and US$500 spending money is given. Strategic Organisational Performance The Ritz-Carlton is considered to be one of the most successful organisations in the luxury hotel business. Globally known for the quality of its service and exceptional surroundings, the organisation has in recent years not preformed financially which diminishing revenues in the organisation. The intensifying competition in the hospitality sector notwithstanding, the organisation has grown sharply during the last decade; spurred by its entry into new markets, (especially in China), a change in orientation towards more casual elegance may be appropriate or not?. The introduction of spas that are operated by the best operators in the world, and the opening of restaurants run by celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Wolfgang Puck all strategically aligned to give the hotels unique character may be better suited in a more buoyant economic environment rather than today climate. With that in mind the real strategic issue, the change in competition within the hotel sector, i.e. the lower end accommodation outperforming the luxury end, with regards to staffing, will have an impact on a) downsizing of staff, b) other competitors depleting the staff pool of both permanent and temporary potential employees, c) potential loss of Ritz-Carlton valuable employees to competition, d) loss of Branding (culture, relationships etc.). In performance management the impact of the organisation not performing as measured on its outputs would directly affected employee performance as they are both aligned within the organisation HR strategy. With regards to compensation pay freezes, no bonuses or incentivises at the end of the year would be implemented, staff retention will be affected, less career prospects and less opportunities to travel within the organisation. The The Ritz-Carlton Incentive Awards and the Five Star Employee Award would be disbanded. All of the above would have a major impact on the current HR policies within the Ritz-Carlton organisation which the retention of th e high performers being critical to the organisation also. What is to be done about this now? Human Resource Management Analysis The first thing to be completed is an Organisation-Level Diagnostic Model which will determine are the policies aligned with the organisational goals. This is a critical input which will help present problems and symptoms. The process of Diagnostic as stated by Cumming and Worley (2008 page 87) is that Diagnosis is a collaborative process between organizational members and the consultant to collect pertinent information, analyze it, and draw conclusions for action planning and intervention. This understanding and results of how the organisation is currently functioning provide valuable information to design change. INPUTS DESIGN COMPONENTS OUTPUTS Cumming and Worley (2008) Figure 5.2 (page 93) INPUTS DESIGN COMPONENTS Dramatic changing environment Strategy keep quality and service at 5 star Late bookings discounted rooms? Competitors Power Technology-SAP payroll systems, hand scanners etc. Customers / Buyers Performance Management outsource sales for rooms? Treat of New Entries -alignment with Entertainment Company (MCD) Ease of Choice Structure Self Managing Teams, possible outsource sales Health Safety Measurement Sys.-customer satisfaction, occupancy rates, Golf Courses / Academy managing information systems, mystery customer Culture- No.1 for service quality, No.1 for employee Customer satisfaction, what do I achieve today? From the above analysis and specifically with reference to the Human Resource Systems, the details for selecting, developing, appraising and rewarding organisation members, the organisation effectiveness is sufficient as there is good alignment between both with only minor changes to be investigated. The second analysis that is to be implemented is to complete an Organisational Development and Change Plan based on the Force Field Analysis for normative planned change. Management is all about change and by using Lewins Change Model theory and using an incremental magnitude of change, the model below can be implemented. FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS Steps: Identify a specific Change Identify forces for and against change Prioritise the forces Develop strategies to overcome opposing and reinforce supporting forces Implementing Recommendations With the above information to hand and being more critical, the following recommendations can be implemented to Senior Management within the organisation. With reference to staffing a number of options are open to management for action. The selection and recruitment process is supportive of the HRM system with only a few weaknesses to be addressed. A bank of pre-approved potential employees should be developed for each and every hotel within the organisation, both permanent and temporary employees to cover sick days, holidays etc. as this would reduce the recruitment timeline. A recommendation to the HR Manager or General Manager for each hotel should be to do a backward strategy on the history of timelines of past recruitment drives as suggested by Mello (2006 page 339), work backwards from the time employees are required to start employment, which in turn will determine when recruiting begins. This bank of potential employees will eliminate any delays in time, replacing or commencing new employees with the organisation. As to keep the turnover of staff to a minimum (i.e. below 15% would be acceptable within the service industry for t urnover, xxxxx(2008), the selection of candidates at recruitment stage should focus on a long-term relationship or career with the organisation. The selection process to focus on a potential person theme, what do they really enjoy? What is their purpose in life? What motivate them? The task is to look for personnel who genuinely enjoy contact with people and respect and care about others. This will benefit the organisation and the employee in the long run. All senior management positions should be filled in-house once the relevant experience and leadership training from The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Centre is obtained. It is important to protect the culture of the organisation from the top down as well from the bottom up. An Empowerment strategy should be implemented as soon as possible. This will involve flattening the organisation and creating Self Managing Groups or Teams. Reducing middle management (layoffs) or redeploying them elsewhere where required within the organisation will reduce overall costs and give real motivation to the current employees for self management. The one important point about his recommendation is to get consensus across the complete organisation for this process. The Performance Management system is very much aligned with the organisational goals with the philosophy that employee satisfaction leads to guest satisfaction which in turn leads to good financial results. The real emphasis with is on outputs not inputs as detailed in Mello (2006 page xxxx) and needs to extremely well measured so that performance can be analysed in depth. A recommendation is for each employee to come up with a plan / set of targets to reach a goal for the next year, measured by guest satisfaction, employee satisfaction and financial performance. These goals or targets will be regularly monitored by the General Manager and HR Manager each month with informal lunch meetings with up to 10 people from different department attending. Here the employee can be openly praised in front of his colleagues based on improvements benchmarked on the individual goals. By using Victor Vrooms Expectancy Model, this will give real intrinsic motivation to the employees, in return the e mployee will feel valued, recognised and perceive be involved with important aspects of the hotel. Ritz-Carlton Group using the Expectancy Mode outlined below will have valued satisfied employees and the performance measures will be completely aligned with the organisations needs as detailed by Mello (2006 page xxxx). Assists managers to determine the outcomes that each employee values Managers should define performance levels in measurable terms Managers can determine if desired levels of performance are attainable Managers can link desired performance to outcomes desired by employees Clarifies that perceptions, not reality determine motivation Clarifies that motivation will be highest when employees perceive many benefits, but not necessarily many rewards Compensation being rewarded by respect, trust, loyalty and a greater sense of empowerment is the correct direction for the organisation. The ultimate strategy is to create an appropriate mix of financial and non-financial compensations systems. Direct compensation in salaries should be aligned with the best in class within the industry (fairness sliding scale salaries established by job classification) increase incentives such as bonuses, commissions, training and development to The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Centre to attractive and retain the best performers. With regards to indirect compensation, apart from the legally required a full review should be undertaken for the indirect options such as retirement pension plans, life insurance, flexible working schemes etc. to ensure they are relative to the market place. The recommendation for the Self Managing Teams will complement the recommendation to utilise team based versus individual pay based on performance which will encourage flex ibility and co-operation within the teams. Contribution of HR Policies to Organisational Performance The spectacular success of the hotel is attributed by many industry experts to its superior service quality and customer focus. Such a focus has helped the Ritz to constantly differentiate its products and services from the competition, enabled it to grow fast without compromising its commitment to its customers and allowed it to ride out bad years without losing business or compromising its operational and financial results. Being a member of the service industry, the organisation is people driven and significantly dependent upon the quality and effectiveness of its workforce for the realisation of its strategic and business objectives. The company has formulated its HRM policies in line with its strategic objectives and the complete HR system is geared to delivering of high quality standards. It has unilaterally adopted employee oriented and customer focussed HR policies and procedures that are essentially Best Practice in nature and designed to produce high levels of employee productivity. The Ritz treats its employees with the utmost dignity both within and outside the organisation and is publicly proud of their knowledge, skills, abilities and contribution to the organisation. The company pays great attention to training, an activity that continues throughout the working life of all employees, increases their knowledge and skills and optimises their performance. Team spirit, corporate pride and human dignity are common to all employees; a General Manager is expected to pick up a burnt cigarette from the carpet, even as the junior most employees have the powers to spend considerable sums of money without having to take permission from their superiors, if it is to further guest satisfaction. Ritz employees are known to go to great lengths to ensure guest satisfaction, leading their guests to come again and again and increasing the hotels customer retention to dizzy levels. Such motivation is proof of the role of Human Resource Management in the remarkable success achieved by the organisation. Conclusions HR management practices have clearly come a long way since the days when the duties of personnel departments were restricted to recruiting people, maintaining leave records, and preparing salary sheets. HRM is now felt to be a critical management function that is instrumental in achieving the strategic objectives of business organisations. Whilst organisations are still divided on the adoption of Best Fit or Best Practice strategies, or on switching over from Command and Control systems to ones that are most participative, there is little doubt over the importance of careful selection, good training, effective communication, performance appraisal and attractive compensation in increasing organisational performance and competitive advantage. Greater numbers of organisations, especially those in the knowledge sector are also seeing the advantages of employee involvement and empowerment in improving organisational innovation and employee commitment and motivation; which in turn results in enhancement of competitive advantage and business success. The Ritz Carlton is an important example of the brilliant operational and financial results that can be achieved by organisations in the service sector through well planned and efficiently implemented employee oriented HR practices on a consistent basis. The organisations commitment to its employees in good and bad times and its adoption of employee empowering HR policies and practices has enabled it to achieve startling levels of customer service and leadership in quality, market share, and reputation.

?Letter to Americans? by E. P. Thompson :: essays research papers

â€Å"Letter to Americans† by E. P. Thompson Dated back in 1986, â€Å"Letter to Americans† is as if it’s written in the last three-four years. In it E. P. Thompson explains why he is anti-American in his beliefs. First off, he starts with that he is in two minds about this state of his. Even his friends doubt he is anti-American, thinking he is joking. We also read how the author traces American ancestry on his mother’s side- he goes back to his great-great-grandfather who lived in Lincoln times. Most of his ancestors are white Protestants from the upper class. Second of all, Thompson presents his idea (which he defends throughout almost the whole text) that â€Å"military† troubles had started a long time ago. He gives examples with the Middle East, Ireland and even England. One of the strongest parts is the questions-passage: the sender asks Americans what made them change, why the national-exaltation†¦ He doesn’t look for the answers. Terrorism is the next problem that is discussed in â€Å"Letter to Americans†. Thompson gives an interesting example with the death of an American serviceman which was highly noticed and at the same time the death of sixty-three other lives (non-American) is left almost unmentioned. E. P. Thompson doubts the moral of war. Or he doubts the moral of anti-terrorist war. In the next lines we read how disappointed he is that he’s half-American. But he also doesn’t like being half-English after the â€Å"heroine† is â€Å"walking tall†- Margaret Thatcher is accepted as a betrayer of national honour. The author doesn’t forget to mention the relationship between USA and NATO. He thinks that Americans welcome NATO as a weapon for America’s affairs, not of the world’s. In his final words, it is suggested that either Europe should invite USA to leave NATO or Europe should expel America from it. It is somehow strange for today’s reader to find out that the situation with America’s foreign affairs hasn’t changed much. As some clever people have said, â€Å"The History book on the shelf is always repeating itself.† Even after nineteen years, Americans think of themselves as citizens of the strongest nation in the world. Even after the September the 11th. Even after Iraq. And Afghanistan. The next worst thing that could happen to the new American history was Bush’s re-election. I doubt so many American people are that dumb†¦ I lived in USA and most of the people I met there don’t like his deeds.

Moby †Why Does My Heart Feel so Bad Essay

‘Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad’ is based on two eight bar themes, A and B. Theme A is based on a chord sequence of A minor, E minor, G major and D major. Theme B has two different types, ‘Bx’ and ‘By’. Theme Bx has a repeated two bar phrase and the chord pattern is C major, A minor, C major, A minor. Theme By also has a repeated two bar phrase and the chord sequence is F major, C major, F major, C major. This is much more positive and uplifting in contrast to Bx. The overall structure is verse and chorus, with A being the verse and B being the chorus sections. Melody The piano melody of the song is very repetitive and only varies when it becomes more syncopated at A5(1:19). The vocal melody for the line ‘Why does my heart feel so bad’ ascends and then descends, reflecting a person’s tone in a question and answer. There is also a counter melody provided by the synth strings and piano, which engages in call and response with the main vocal melody at A6. Rhythm The time signature for this song is 4 crotchet beats in every bar, however most of the notes are quavers and semiquavers. The Latin American rhythm was influential on American dance music as Hispanic culture was prominent in America at the time. Harmony The harmony of the verses is very repetitive and uses a sequence of A minor x2, E minor x2, G major x2 and D major x2, as shown at A1. The harmony of the chorus , however uses the chords of C major and A minor twice, then F major, C major twice, to create a feeling of uplifting to accompany the lyrics: ‘These open doors’. Both samples have a new harmony after every 2 bars. The Harmony is regular, rhythmic and reflective. Tonality The tonality of the track is more modal than diatonic and is very predictable, C major goes to its relative minor, A. The patterns moves in a sequence of down a 4th, up a 3rd, then down a 3rdand although there is no key signature, A minor features prominently. The chorus is C major and the major feel to the chorus is very noticeable to the listener. Music Technology Moby uses a variety of different technical effects to the track and although the track was recorded 13 years ago, much of the technology he used is still being used by artists today. The vocal samples he used were from 1950s gospel choirs and the lyrics were manipulated by Moby, for example, the lyrics ‘Why does my heart feel so bad/Why does my soul feel so bad’ were actually ‘When I should feel so sad/Why does my soul feel so glad’ in the original recording. Moby changed the word ‘glad’ to ‘bad’ to make the song about hurt instead of happiness. Moby uses EQ (Equaliser) in verse 2 (A6) and applies it to the vocal sample for the ‘telephone voice’ effect where the bass and treble frequencies are cut to emphasis the middle range creating a thin sound. Moby also uses a digital delay at A6 to create an echo.

Assignment on Hr Promotion & Transfer Essay

Flippo †A promotion involve a change from one job to another that is better in term of and responsibility† Chruden and Sherman†A promotion involves a change of assignment from a job of a lower level to one of level with in the organization† Dale Yoder†Promotion is defined as a movement to a position in which in which responsibility and prestige are increased† Pigors and myers â€Å"Promotion is the advantage of an employee to a better job better in term of gather responsibilities more prestige and status gather skill and specially increased of pay or salary†. Employer to support employee higher position, sales, duties, response everything increased is as well as employees enjoy self-determination, (a)progress (b)preferment (c)promotion (d) position Promotions are used to fill the positions which are more important to fill rather than the present position of employee. It can be filled by external recruitment but employees having eligibility and experience must be appointed for their motivation. Also it will decrease labour turn over as external recruitment costs more. Also increase in salary and status will increase job satisfaction. When scale of pay is increased without changing job it is called  up-gradation  and promotion involves changes in job as well as high salary. When higher position is given without change in salary it is known as  Dry Promotion. All these,  Promotion Up-Gradation and Dry Promotion  are used by management to increase morale of employee and as giving reward also. Promotion means the employee present position to superior position . more obviously promotion is the association to the higher position where more responsibility and more power exits with more occurrence. In the higher position, sales, duties, response everything increased is as well as employees enjoy self-determination. The advancement of an employee within a  company  position  or  job  tasks. A job promotion may be the  result  of an  employee’s  proactive  pursuit of a higher ranking or as a  reward  by  employers  for good  performance. Typically is also  associated  with a higher  rate  of  pay  or  financial  bonus. In terms of a career, a promotion refers to the advancement of an employee’s rank or position in a hierarchical structure. A

How to Search and Find the Lines From Poems Online

How to Search and Find the Lines From Poems Online Whether a lover of poetry cant get a specific line out of their head or simply can’t remember the whole poem theyre thinking of, finding the text of a poem can be easy and quick. Sometimes, finding the right line or words is especially important, like when preparing for sentimental or milestone events, like a memorial service or wedding. Dont know where to start to find your favorite poems? 10 Steps to Find the Words From Poems Online In less than 20 minutes, poetry seekers can likely locate the text of any poem they are thinking of. Gather information. First, it is important for seekers to gather everything specific they know about the poem by either taking a mental note or writing it on paper. This information may include bits and pieces, like the poet’s name, exact title (or words they are sure are in the title), phrases or entire lines from the poem, and unique or unusual words contained in the poem.Find a reputable website. Chances are, just putting the line fragment that you remember into a search engine will come up with several possibilities, but if you want to be able to identify the right words, you should seek a reputable source. The Poetry Foundation is a good place to start; if you know the poets name look for websites that are dedicated to them.Use the websites search bar. If the site you found that contains the poet’s works has a search function, poetry seekers can try using it to find the title, title words, phrase or line they remember by simply typing in this information.Visit the website. When the search bar fails, poetry seekers may go to the site’s page, which is most likely to contain what they remember about the poem. For example, if you only remember phrases or lines from the body of the poem, visiting the table of contents might be of great assistance. Activate the browser search function. If you find a page with poems on it, Use â€Å"Control-F† to activate the browser’s search function. Typing in the exact word or phrase will allow seekers to see if the poem is contained on that page. Repeat this step on other likely pages for best results.Go to a text archive. When youve forgotten the name of the poet, but remember that the poem is a classic, a text archive can help. Specifically, seekers can  go to major poetry text archives, which have internal search capabilities. Searches like â€Å"Classic Poetry Text Archives† will bring this up quickly. It is important for seekers to  follow search instructions in this step, as  each archive site will have specific steps to take when using the search bar.Google it. If all else fails, poetry seekers can choose a search engine that will allow them to search for web pages containing an entire phrase in order. Search engines like  Google, Yahoo, and Bing! can be o f assistance. This is a particularly good option when poetry seekers have  no idea who the poet  is but are sure of the title or a specific phrase. Even just a few unique words from the poem can help: and if you find it on a site you dont trust, you may find more to inform your search, like the name of the poet. Put phrases in quotation marks. In the search box, seekers can type the specifics they remember by enclosing whole phrases in quotation marks. For instance, â€Å"fog comes† â€Å"cat feet† will locate Carl Sandburg’s poem containing the line, â€Å"The fog comes / on little cat feet.†Modify the search. Depending on the results, varying the search could be helpful. This may include adding specific words or phrases when the search generates too many pages and eliminating the words or phrases that do not result in enough pages.Reach out to fans. Ask well-read poets and poetry fans from various communities and forums about the poem. For example, seekers can post a description of the poem they are looking for. Even if specific lines are forgotten, the experts may be able to help find it. Tips for Online Poetry Searches If search engine results include  topical pages about keywords, for instance, cats or weather  in the case of the Sandburg poem above but no poems, seekers can try adding words like  Ã¢â‚¬Å"poem† or â€Å"poetry† to search words. When seekers have searched for the whole line in quotes and get nothing back, they may have misremembered the line. For instance, â€Å"fog comes in on little cat’s feet† locates two pages in which Sandburg’s poem is misquoted, but not the poem itself. Seekers can try different forms of the words they remember when they are uncertain. For instance, â€Å"cat feet† â€Å"cat’s feet† â€Å"cats’ feet† can be tried in successive searches.

Influence Of Mega Events On Tourism Tourism Essays

Influence Of Mega Events On Tourism Tourism Essays Influence Of Mega Events On Tourism Tourism Essay Influence Of Mega Events On Tourism Tourism Essay Mega-events addition more and more importance for assorted facets. On the one manus they have immense impacts on the host states and on the other manus they play a important function for the touristry industry ( Roche, 2000 ) . These yearss a immense scope of mega-events is offered to diverse mark groups. Harmonizing to Getz ( 1991 ; as cited in Robertson, 2006 ) athletics events are more celebrated for male participants whereas humanistic disciplines and cultural events derive more importance for female participants. The scope of mega-events offered are large featuring events like the Olympic Games, the FIFA football World Cup, Formula One, every bit good as many more subjects. Furthermore there are besides World Fairs like the Expo, large music festivals as for illustration the Glastonbury Festival in the sou-west of England or the Cannes Film Festival in France, merely to call some of the legion offers. All of them are taking topographic point in different states, parts or metropoliss spread out all over the universe. Some of them ever stay in one location whereas others rotate or change the locale each clip. Besides there is besides a fluctuation in the frequence the events take topographic point. There are some events that are hold several times during a twelvemonth and there are others that are one time a twelvemonth whereas many merely even occur every 2nd, 3rd or 4th twelvemonth. Besides the continuance of each individual event varies. The purpose of this essay is to critically measure the influence mega-events have on touristry. It contains general information about mega-events, like definitions. As there is a immense scope of different events along with many issues, the writer of this essay is concentrating on athleticss mega-events merely ; on their diverse stakeholders every bit good as on the undertaking of hosting them. The essay ends with a decision and recommendations for future mega- events. Mega-events in general are non easy to specify due to the different signifiers as mentioned in the debut. In 1988 Jafari did non cognize how to clearly specify them. For him it was non clear what an event needed to carry through to be considered a mega-event. Therefore he had the undermentioned inquiries that needed to be answered beforehand: Is it more of import to see the figure of visitants attracted ? Or should it be the continuance or the orientation it has that makes it a mega-event ( Jafar Jafari, 1988: 272 ) ? However, Robertson ( 2006: 1 ) presented the definition Roche ( 1994 ) made: Mega-events are best understood as large-scale cultural ( including commercial and featuring ) events which have a dramatic character, mass popular entreaty and international significance. Roche avoids paying attending to the continuance but in contrast considers the international importance as a key-value. Sing the global significance he mentions within his definition, can be absolutely reflected in the country of athleticss mega-events which are performed by international jocks and at the same time are watched all over the universe. But before even reasoning about athleticss mega-events it is of import to specify what they are considered to be. Harmonizing to Horne ( 2006 ) sport mega-events are of import elements in the orientation of states to international or planetary society. As can be seen here, Horne talks about the importance of the global idea as good. This makes obvious that mega-events ever have an influence on the whole universe. There is the possibility that they take topographic point about all over the universe and besides that the visitants are coming from all over the universe, excessively, to watch such a spectacle, which covers the touristry facet in this instance. But it is of import to be cognizant that every individual event has a different figure of visitants coming due to several grounds. Above all it is necessary to look at the topographic point the event takes topographic point. This is really important because of likely bing political issues, terrorist onslaughts, conditions ( e.g. monsoon ) and wellness hazards ( e.g. malaria ) for illustration, tourers would instead see a state where they fee l safe than a state where they perchance would be afraid of. So the figure of visitants attracted is non merely dependant on the subject of the event itself but besides on the state where it takes topographic point. One cardinal inquiry is: why did mega-events addition such an importance for the whole planetary community within the last old ages? To clear up this inquiry Horne ( 2006 ) suggests as stated in Robertson ( 2006:2 ) that there are three grounds for the enlargement and turning attractive force of mega-events. First he mentions the media as an of import factor for it. The possibility to utilize mass communicating is responsible for unprecedented planetary audiences for these eyeglassess. As can be seen, the media makes it possible for the whole universe to take part in a certain manner in mega-events by e.g. watching them on Television or reading about them in newspapers. Second he names a theoretical account called tri-partite theoretical account . Within this theoretical account are sponsorship rights, sole broadcast medium rights and selling which have been pulling patrons by the association with the athleticss and the huge planetary audience exposure the events achieve. ( Robertson, 2006:2 ) . And thirdly there is besides the importance of using as host state, metropolis or part because harmonizing to Robertson ( 2006: 2 ) mega-events have become seen as valuable promotional chances for metropoliss and parts. Particularly this 3rd ground makes obvious why there are ever so many metropoliss, parts and states using to host such a large spectacle. However, these bidders should take into consideration that hosting a mega-event can besides do negative impacts. For illustration for the Olympic Games 2008 in Beijing where a immense figure of people has been displaced in the readying of the Games for constructing the needed substructure. This is a bad issue because the same job will inevitable occur for the Olympic Games taking topographic point in London 2012 and likely besides for all the approaching Games in the hereafter. However, when believing about this it is non truly sensible that for illustration the local population has to endure when a mega-event is taking topographic point in the country where they are populating. Otherwise hosting a mega-event has many advantages for the host metropolis, part or state: legion occupations are created and most notably there is the possibility of enlarging touristry. But harmonizing to Roche ( 2000: 141 ) : [ aˆÂ ¦ ] any new command is likely to concentrate on long-run image-building and non short-run touristic economic returns. That means that those responsible of a possible host metropolis or state know, that they might non profit from the event short-run but there will be more touristry long-run due to an improved image for illustration. This goes along with Kang and Perdue ( 1994 ; as cited in Roche, 2000: 141 ) : mega-events have a long-run impact on international touristry to the host state ; the impact is the greatest in the twelvemonth following the event and diminishes over clip. Besides that there are other writers who besides see the possible economic impact. As stated by Toohey and Veal ( 2007 ) the possible positive economic consequence is the ground for metropoliss and states to offer to host a mega-event. In add-on to the possibility to enlarge touristry in long-run there are several other stimulations to host a mega-event harmonizing to Richard Cashman ( 1999 ; as cited in Toohey and Veal, 2007: 74 ) : He mentions different signifiers of bequests like economic benefits, built environment ( transport substructure ) , public life, political relations, civilization and built clean substructure. All these bequests benefit the host metropolis or state long-run. Additionally to the long-run impacts there is ever the danger of incorrect appraisals harmonizing to Horne ( 2006 ; as stated in Robertson, 2006: 5 ) : [ aˆÂ ¦ ] prognosiss are about ever incorrect. [ aˆÂ ¦ ] A major concern in considerations of athleticss mega-events has been the spread between the prognosis and existent impacts on economic system, society and civilization. Harmonizing to Horne and Manzenreiter ( 2006 ) another of import fact is that on the one manus some countries will profit through tourers sing a mega-event but on the other manus the organisers have to be cognizant that tourers who possibly would hold come to see the metropolis or part will non come because they are non interested in the event. There will ever be a batch of people who come because of the event taking topographic point but there will besides be adequate people who avoid to see the host metropolis or part because they are possibly non interested in the event that is offered or they do non desire to be in that peculiar topographic point when there are so many other people at the same clip. Harmonizing to Kim and Chalip ( 2004: 695 ) sellers of mega-events have the demand to excite international trial to their event in order to optimise the events fiscal and touristry results. As seen it is the undertaking of the sellers to do a mega-event attractive to appeal to as many tourers as possible. Sing the facet of pulling tourers Kim and Chalip ( 2004 ) see events as pull-factors for finishs. This goes along with Alexandris et Al. ( 2009 ) , who mention that mega-events play an of import function in schemes that expressly target an international touristry market. In add-on to this, Weed ( 2008: 296 ) provinces that The chief economic benefit for a part derives from the ingestion by visitants during the event and increased touristry in the station event period. As can be seen he besides mentions the addition of touristry takes topographic point after the event and to boot brings up the theory of ingestion during the event. But it is non easy to gauge the economic benefit that will be made through hosting a mega-event because along with Preuss ( 2008 ; as cited in Weed, 2008: 296 ) one of the chief hurdlings in finding the economic impact of major multi-sport events on a metropolis or part is the deficiency of cognition on ingestion forms of visitants and the figure of ind ividuals that are sing the event. There are many different parties that make net income through the ingestion of the visitants like air hoses, hotels, eating houses, sightseeing administrations every bit good as general tourer attractive forces. As a mega-event is such a large spectacle it has to be planned for a really long clip. Harmonizing to Robertson ( 2006: 10 ) [ aˆÂ ¦ ] things come together after months and sometimes old ages of planning. Therefore different stakeholders are indispensable as there are so many undertakings that have to be fulfilled and as there is the demand of a immense sum of money to do mega-events go on. This leads to a really of import inquiry: who is paying for organizing any sort of mega-event? A perfect illustration that shows the complexness about funding a mega-event are the approaching Olympic Games in London 2012. As the official Internet website presentation of the Olympic Games in London provinces, there are two cardinal administrations one private, one populace. ( London 2012, 2010 ) . Harmonizing to this website the private sector is the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games ( LOCOG ) . The budget they have will be delivered through the privat e sector by for illustration the sale of tickets and trading articles, every bit good as it will have income from the International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) and extra money through a domestic sponsorship programme ( London 2012, 2010 ) . The public sector, which is responsible for the new locales and the substructure, is represented by the Olympic Delivery Authority ( ODA ) . TheA ODA is funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Greater London Authority, the London Development Agency and the Olympic Lottery Distributor ( London 2012, 2010 ) . As can be seen there are many different organisations that have to pay a immense sum of money to fund this specific large spectacle. And of class it would non be possible to do such an event happen if there were non so many support it. However, as mentioned by Toohey and Veal ( 2007 ) the host metropolis or state knows beforehand that hosting a mega-event will be them more money than they in fact will derive. So why are at that place each clip so many bidders who want to host a mega-event? This inquiry can easy be answered with the already above mentioned statements that the long-run impacts of these events are more of import for a metropolis or the whole state than the fact that they have to pay more money than they really will have through hosting them. This facet was already found out by Pyo et Al. ( 1988 ; as stated in Roche, 2000: 141 ) by looking on several Olympic Games between 1964 and 1984, that there were non adequate visitants and there was non adequate disbursement by them to warrant the event costs . Along with Toohey and Veal ( 2007: 127 ) the most of import beginning of income for the organisers are the airing rights: [ aˆÂ ¦ ] the Olympic Movement is significantly dependent on income from airing rights. Furthermore they list some other chief beginnings of income for Game events: universe and local sponsorship, ticket gross revenues, lottery, sale of trading articles every bit good as Government contributions. ( Toohey and Veal, 2007: 135 ) . These statements show that there are many beginnings where money can be gained earlier and during a mega-event but it has ever and likely will ever be less than the money spend beforehand and during the event by the organisers. Research for this essay shows that it is non easy to specify mega-events in one term due to the immense scope of bing events. However there are assorted sorts of events that are called mega-events but each individual event has a different figure of visitants, a different mark group that is attracted and besides the continuance varies. The fact that mega-events can take topographic point practically all over the universe makes them a modern-day issue for the travel and touristry industry. There may be some tourers who could be afraid to see a certain state for illustration due to political issues or wellness hazards. Therefore each state that is chosen to host a mega-event will hold different impacts. There will ever be a difference in the figure of visitants attracted to an event and above all each host metropolis or state will hold different long-run touristry impacts afterwards. As seen hosting a mega-event does non gain the host metropolis or state short-run but all the statements like enlarging touristry long-run, constructing enduring conveyance substructure and edifice up the image of a state are more of import than the loss of money that likely will be coming in the old ages after the event took topographic point. But even when the costs for hosting mega-events are much higher than the money gained through them such immense events are really of import for the whole universe as already mentioned by Robertson ( 2006 ) and Weed ( 2008 ) . Because of all the above mentioned statements mega-events are a modern-day issue for travel and touristry and due to the fact that such events will at least take topographic point in the close hereafter the issues will be prevailing. In the sentiment of this essays writer events and particularly mega-events conveying the universe together due to the planetary importance and decidedly assist people to acquire a better apprehension of other states. Mega-events like Olympic Games and exhibitions have been and go on to be of import phenomena at many degrees and in many respects . ( Roche, 2000:5 )

Scientific Management was the product of 19th Century industrial Essay - 6

Scientific Management was the product of 19th Century industrial practices and has no relevance to the present day - Essay Example While this theory of management had become irrelevant within the first quarter of the 20th century, many of ideas, which were proposed by Taylor, are still being applied today. In fact, it can be said that Taylor’s ideas still have a significant influence on how management is conducted, and has affected most of the other management theories, which came after it. While there are some who would argue that this theory of management is still as relevant today as when it was first proposed, others believe that its relevance is not compatible with modern standards. Although both sides have some real pertinent points to justify their claims, one would argue that despite its being effective, the theory of scientific management has lost its relevance in the current world. The way this theory was applied in its time cannot be effectively done in the current competitive global economy. The first case that one would make against the application of this hypothesis in the modern world is th at it takes away the autonomy of workers. While some would argue that the application of this theory would increase production, they do not consider the fact that, in the modern market, the availability of products in the market is not the only thing that determines whether consumers by them or not (Jeacle 2004, p.1162). In the highly competitive economy that exists today, it would be disastrous to take away the autonomy of workers because this would decrease innovation. Innovation is one of the most fundamental aspects in the modern world because it gives an organization an advantage over its competitors. Companies today are highly dependent on the creation of new and efficient products to put in the market so that they can keep their competition at bay. These companies try to outdo each other every day by coming up with products which once they enter the market, make similar products made in the past irrelevant. The ability of these companies to create new products frequently is b ecause they give their employees the autonomy to come up with ideas, which help in the development of these new products. If the theory of scientific management were applied in such situations, then competitiveness in the market would be stifled. Instead, the same variety of products would flood the market, and this would negate any need to create good quality products. Moreover, employees in companies would not be motivated to come up with ideas, which would be beneficial to their employer. These employees would only do work for the sake of attaining an income and would not be motivated to do better. Those who support the theory of scientific management would argue that it is the best because it allows for the simplification of jobs. It enables even those who are unskilled to perform tasks, which they were not trained for (Lincoln 200, p.515). While this argument is true, one would counter it by stating that the simplification of jobs is not always the best way to undertake it. Thi s is because, in the current era of enormous technological advancement, it is necessary for individuals to specialize in the use of the different technologies that are available. If unskilled workers are employed to work in environments where there is need handle delicate machinery, for example, the likelihood of accidents and damage to the machinery-taking place would be exceptionally high. The time where people

Henry Peach Robinson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Henry Peach Robinson - Essay Example The best-known nineteenth-century popularizer of fine-art principles among photographers was Henry Peach Robinson, an English commercial photographer who published a series of popular studio manuals introducing design concepts such as balance (of lines and mass), composition (of figures and lines), and chiaroscuro to both American and European photographers." (Brown, 187-8) Through his single most famous text, Pictorial Effect in Photography (1869), Robinson celebrated pictorialistic style which helped the development of photography in general. Therefore, Henry Peach Robinson is the most important photographer and theoretician of the nineteenth century and he is celebrated as the pioneer of pictorialist photography. An analysis of the major works by this eminent photographer and the photographic tools and processes used by him helps one in comprehending the elements of pictorialism and the pictorialistic style in detail. ... "The term pictorialism was used generally by photographers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to describe an artistic approach to the making of photographs as well as to define a number of specific groups organized to promote art photographers and their work... In 1869, Henry Peach Robinson published his Pictorial Effect in Photography, giving weight to the notion of photography as a self-conscious art form and popularizing the critical concept of pictorialism." (Peres, 103) It is essential to comprehend the definition of pictorialism exactly as the modern usage of the term has been found misleading and pictorialism original referred to any photograph that put the completed picture first and the subject second. Therefore, pictorialism also incorporated the more modern trends the photographs of this category emphasized atmosphere or viewpoint more importantly than the subject. The historical significance of the movement also helps one to realize the various aspects of pictorial ism. "Pictorialism served historically as a reaction against the flood of unexceptional and easy photographs enabled by the technical advances of the 1880s. Convenient innovations such as the dry plate hand-held camera, and flexible roll film, as well as improved camera design and optical sharpness, made camera work available to a larger group of amateurs whose primary concern was the graphic recording of information." (Peres, 103) The photographers of pictorialistic movement were disapproving of the literal representation of subjects and the scientific and commercial applications of the medium. Therefore, the formation of a group under the banner of pictorialism needs to be realized as a natural and spontaneous attempt to promote

No Child Left Behind Program Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10500 words

No Child Left Behind Program - Coursework Example However, the implementation of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) program has brought a new level of cogency to the necessity of schools working to ensure that more and more of their students move toward proficiency goals in math and reading/language arts, as well as improving attendance and graduation rates. The lofty goal of the program is to ensure that by 2014, all students in all schools are academically proficient in both math and reading/language arts (Tennessee Department of Education, 2005). Proficiency requirements have been established for nine populations within schools, including five race and ethnic groups, students with disabilities, limited English-proficient students, economically disadvantaged students, and the school as a whole (Tennessee Department of Education, 2005). Under the NCLB, schools, rather than individual children, are labeled according to their ability to meet the standards. A school or district that fails to meet the NCLB benchmarks for a year is labeled a "target school." A school or district that tails to show progress in the same category (math, reading/language arts, and attendance or graduation rates) for two consecutive years will be labeled "high priority." If the school or district so labeled shows progress two years in a row, it will be removed from the high priority list; should it fail to meet federal benchmarks but the number of students whose scores rise is 10% or more, as well as meeting a designated additional indicator, the school will still be considered to have met the NCLB standards under a "safe harbor" provision (Tennessee Department of Education, 2005). While the federal standards are relatively rigid, there is the opportunity for states to contribute to them. In Tennessee, under NCLB, K-8 schools will be considered to have met federal requirements if all of the subgroups demonstrate: "- 95% participation rate on all state assessments "- Required proficiency in math as determined by TCAP achievement tests "- Required proficiency in reading/language arts as determined by TCAP achievement tests and writing assessments "- 93% attendance rate for the school year or improvement from the previous year 9th -12th grade schools will meet federal benchmarks if they demonstrate in all of the subgroups: "- 95% participation rate on all state assessments "- Required proficiency in math Gateway tests "- Required proficiency in reading/language arts as determined by English Gateway tests and writing assessments "- 90% graduation rate for the school year or improvement from the previous year" (Tennessee Department of Education, 2005). Negative assessment of schools and districts is the hallmark of NCLB. If a school or

Chapter13 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chapter13 - Essay Example Moreover, warnings against excessive use of such products are particularly explicit. Negotiations are fundamental for the peaceful coexistence of nations. This is because its main objective is to come up with a win-win situation out of a conflict. Deception, evasiveness, or collusion are simply out of bounds during negotiations. This is because there is no scale against which these vices are to be weighed to create a limit beyond which they become unacceptable. Further, these vices misguide negotiations to reach a premature deal that cannot stand. Legality of a tactic in negotiations has no bearing on whether it is ethical or not. This is because, though the aim of negotiation is striking a balance, it hardly comes to that as each party always aims at achieving what is best for them. These tactics, therefore, come in handy for them to fool the other into believing that their stand is the best for both of them. Contrary to common belief, it is not naive to be entirely honest during negotiations. This is because full disclosure of facts is the best point to start. A clear statement of the facts also creates an environment that allows parties to evaluate their options. Impartiality helps them come up with suitable solutions that fully take care of their interests. Deception often makes a party wary of some topics during the negotiations, and this renders the whole affair futile. Rules that govern negotiations are not unique as they are objective and aim to satisfy those pertinent to the negotiation in utmost good faith. Negotiations adhere to common law. Adjustments take place in accordance with morality and ethics; social justice. Impression management may not be the same as lying, but this does not make it any less of a concern. This is because fabrication of such lies quenches the situation pending discovery. When the discovery takes place, which happens eventually,

Project Execution Case Study (Blue Spider Case) Essay

Project Execution Case Study (Blue Spider Case) - Essay Example uliar race for grabbing the power/ business and in this melee, at times, the interests of human resources/ employees, ethics are not accorded the priority that should ordinarily be associated with such decisions. As is quite apparent, from the case study, in order to have a pie of the Army’s Spartan program, Parks Corporation wanted to be a subcontractor of Lord Industries at any cost. Henry Gable, the Director of Engineering, wanted to entrust the responsibility of heading the project program to Gary Anderson, an able Engineer with Parks. But an ethical dilemma hit Gary at the very beginning when it was known that Parks doesn’t have the requisite components operating through the temperature range of -65 0F to 145 0F. Designs of Parks could not have withstood beyond 130 0F. Henry was coerced by his boss, Mr. Gable not to divulge this fact to Lords and he told Henry to go in for manipulation. Well, it is worthwhile here to mention that, this sort of practice can get some temporary gains to an organisation, but ultimately truth prevails. Particularly in these times when there’s widespread talk of business ethics and customer satisfaction, manipulating the facts, that too for a product of such strategic importance appears to be quite an aberration on the part of Gable who is leading the project. Leaders are understood to have the most important and powerful influence on the culture of an organization and are responsible for creating credibility and trust. There is more to work than is commonly assumed. There is rich opportunity for leaders to appeal to more than just the material rewards. In addition to ethical issues arising out of changing norms and contrasting social theories, ethical dilemmas plague everyone, even individuals who are honest and confident in their moral stance. Gary faced the dilemma even before the start of the project. Conflicts result from day-to-day business decisions that are intrinsically influenced by factors such as loyalty to the

Sensory Perceptions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

Sensory Perceptions - Essay Example This brief overview will examine the sensory perceptions and the factors that affect the authenticity and believability of information from the sensory nerves. Several reasons make people trust their sensory information and believe this information to be true. For instance, in the event that one places his hand on a hot charcoal or pot, the feeling sense sends an impulse to the brain, and one removes the hand from the hot object before it is badly burnt (Miller, 2008). Further, the sense of smell is always accurate, and one can rely on that information to make informed decisions. The smell of smoke can indicate that an item is burning or that there is a fire burning somewhere. There is no reason for one to question the accuracy of the sense of smell. Furthermore, human sense of sight provides reliable information concerning the nature and appearance of the environment that surrounds people (Chaudhuri, 2011). For instance, if an individual sees a person running in the field, there is no doubt that indeed that person is running. Further, one cannot be doubtful of the fact that his eyes can see that there is a heavy down pour in the neighborhood. On the contrary, sensory information can be inaccurate in several ways. For instance, past experiences influence the interpretation of the sensory information and end up giving wrong information to the person who is observing a situation (Chaudhuri, 2011). It is possible for a person with past unpleasant experience of infidelity to misunderstand a woman she notices speaking to her husband. Further, the sensory nerves do not perceive hidden things, and if people rely on this information, they might end up in danger. For instance, the eyes might not spot a thug hiding behind a tree, and one might make wrong judgments that one can walk in the street at night safely (Miller, 2008). The final reason that makes sensory information inaccurate is that people never interpret data from the sensory organs accurately

Chapter13 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chapter13 - Essay Example Moreover, warnings against excessive use of such products are particularly explicit. Negotiations are fundamental for the peaceful coexistence of nations. This is because its main objective is to come up with a win-win situation out of a conflict. Deception, evasiveness, or collusion are simply out of bounds during negotiations. This is because there is no scale against which these vices are to be weighed to create a limit beyond which they become unacceptable. Further, these vices misguide negotiations to reach a premature deal that cannot stand. Legality of a tactic in negotiations has no bearing on whether it is ethical or not. This is because, though the aim of negotiation is striking a balance, it hardly comes to that as each party always aims at achieving what is best for them. These tactics, therefore, come in handy for them to fool the other into believing that their stand is the best for both of them. Contrary to common belief, it is not naive to be entirely honest during negotiations. This is because full disclosure of facts is the best point to start. A clear statement of the facts also creates an environment that allows parties to evaluate their options. Impartiality helps them come up with suitable solutions that fully take care of their interests. Deception often makes a party wary of some topics during the negotiations, and this renders the whole affair futile. Rules that govern negotiations are not unique as they are objective and aim to satisfy those pertinent to the negotiation in utmost good faith. Negotiations adhere to common law. Adjustments take place in accordance with morality and ethics; social justice. Impression management may not be the same as lying, but this does not make it any less of a concern. This is because fabrication of such lies quenches the situation pending discovery. When the discovery takes place, which happens eventually,