Monday, December 30, 2019

The Concepts and Ways Oof Modern Communicational Activities of Microsoft Corporation Free Essay Example, 2250 words

The use and application of new device not only bring novelty within the organizational setup, but also its efficiency also gets an overwhelming increase. The firms and the public seem to be eager to learn all about the new product to get the maximum benefit out of it. The most formidable channel of communication is media - print and electronic. The users of Microsoft products have exceeded up to 90 million enjoying its services in various countries at every part of the Earth. Cable networks and internet services have made communication systems far easy and quick. Fulfilling the demands of the customers steers the ship of an enterprise to safe waters. The customers are demanding every moment and seek novelty in the product. In software customers always want more. If you improve software reliability, customers say great, but what about scalability? If you improve scalability, they want more integration. (Gates: 1999, pp 185-6). Customers are the net asset of industry, on which it focu ses its concentration. The client satisfaction is the key that takes the companies higher and higher unlocking new dimensions of accomplishment for them. We will write a custom essay sample on The Concepts and Ways Oof Modern Communicational Activities of Microsoft Corporation or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Powerful Issues Caused By Media Censorship And The Harm It...

In our modern world, most world leaders tend to argue against media censorship and the suppression of one of our most basic human right, freedom of expression. We live in a globalized society, that shares news and information in matter of seconds, with newspapers, a blog post, a Facebook opinion or with a 140-character block called Tweet. If we have the accessibility to these outlets, which most of us do, we can learn about the result of the presidential election in Peru or we can learn about the dreads of the war in the Middle East. All of these seem so obvious and practical for us, yet we have not experienced the suffering and struggle the people of China or Cuba have suffered and keep suffering. It is inconceivable for government leaders to continue enforcing such deterrent regulations that halt the overall progress of that affected society in economic, political and social terms. Therefore, this essay will examine the powerful issues caused by media censorship and the harm it doe s on the development of a globalized society. With all the communication tools we have today, our methods to connect with each other facilitate business, dialogue, negotiation and many more factors that help us grow as a society. The implementation of such negative and destructive polices like media censorship that leads to the affected society’s seclusion from the world is limiting us from expanding economically. It is imperative to emphasize the harm these policies have on the global economy.Show MoreRelatedOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesLandscape Sam Wineburg, Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts: Charting the Future of Teaching the Past Sharon Hartman Strom, Political Woman: Florence Luscomb and the Legacy of Radical Reform Michael Adas, ed., Agricultural and Pastoral Societies in Ancient and Classical History Jack Metzgar, Striking Steel: Solidarity Remembered Janis Appier, Policing Women: The Sexual Politics of Law Enforcement and the LAPD Allen Hunter, ed., Rethinking the Cold War Eric Foner, ed., The New AmericanRead MoreContemporary Issues in Management Accounting211377 Words   |  846 Pages Contemporary Issues in Management Accounting This page intentionally left blank Contemporary Issues in Management Accounting Edited by ALNOOR BHIMANI 1 Great Clarendon Street, Oxford ox2 6dp Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide in Oxford New York Auckland Cape Town Dar es Salaam Hong Kong Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico

Saturday, December 14, 2019

America’s Working Poor Response Free Essays

Tens of millions of men and women in America struggle because they are stressed out about not making enough money even though they are working as hard as possible. In her book Nickel and Dimmed, Journalist, Barbara Rehiring writes about her research working as a minimum wage employee attempting to get by in Americas tough economy, she describes in depth the struggles that the minimum wage workers suffer through and she witnesses them first hand as she goes under cover and works these Jobs herself. Middle class Jobs are being replaced by low income bobs, the people in these Jobs are referred to as â€Å"the working poor†,and are not able to make ends meet at the end of the month. We will write a custom essay sample on America’s Working Poor Response or any similar topic only for you Order Now People in America working minimum wage Jobs struggle on a daily bases to get by, this causes them anxiety due to their lack of a health care plan, living situations, and injuries that occur at work. Health insurance premiums are rising and some employers no longer offer this benefit, the low wage workers are the ones that are particularly affected by this major issue. Employees without health coverage, are unable to get preventative care r proper treatment for an illness, may become sicker later on. In chapter one of her book â€Å"Serving in Florida† Rehiring describes her co worker Sail’s situation, â€Å"Gall, for example,†¦ Is supposed to be on the company health plan by now, but they claim they have lost her application form and to be beginning the paper work all over again. So she spends $9 a pop for pills to control the migraines she wouldn’t have, she insist, If her estrogen supplements were covered. (27) Without the company behind them, employees will end up paying more for Individual health coverage than their employers would have paid to put them on group coverage. Similar to Rehearing’s situation, Morgan Spurious and his flange Alex attempt to survive 30 days living of a minimum wage salary, as n the TV episode â€Å"30 days: Minimum Wage†. In the episode there Is a scene where Splotch’s hand Is Injured and swollen because of the manual labor he is doing. Due to the lack of medical Insurance he chooses to try out a free clinic provided by the community for the low Income families Instead of the emergency room. Once he Is there he realizes that getting checked by a doctor wont e so easy since there Is so many people In line and the clinic only takes the first twenty. He then has to resort to the emergency room where he Is charged more that he can afford to pay because of his low Income. Even though the communities attempt to help the working poor, not everyone Is available to take advantage of the benefits. While there Is no easy solution to the problem of health Insurance, It Is obvious that leaving employees on their own to find Insurance, rather than Glenn them the benefit of group rates, Is not the solution. America’s Working Poor Response By carpenter kook â€Å"Serving in Florida† Rehiring describes her co worker Sail’s situation, â€Å"Gail, for she spends $9 a pop for pills to control the migraines she wouldn’t have, she insist, if employees will end up paying more for individual health coverage than their there is a scene where Splotch’s hand is injured and swollen because of the manual labor he is doing. Due to the lack of medical insurance he chooses to try out a free clinic provided by the community for the low income families instead of the emergency room. Once he is there he realizes that getting checked by a doctor wont e so easy since there is so many people in line and the clinic only takes the first twenty. He then has to resort to the emergency room where he is charged more that he can afford to pay because of his low income. Even though the communities attempt to help the working poor, not everyone is available to take advantage of the benefits. While there is no easy solution to the problem of health insurance, it is obvious that leaving employees on their own to find insurance, rather than giving them the benefit of group rates, is not the solution. How to cite America’s Working Poor Response, Papers

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Shipping Industry Heavy Transportation Equipment

Question: Discuss about the Shipping Industryfor Heavy Transportation Equipment. Answer: Factors Affecting the Shipping Industry According to the statistics provided by Lloyd, its precise to state that market prices of Ship vessels are on a downward trend. The maritime sector has expanded in the past decade with the increased international trade. Trade between different countries in different continents has been on the rise which has increased the shipping sector. Exportation of raw materials from one country to another requires heavy transportation equipment and container ships are the most efficient means as explained by Winkler, I., et al. (2015). The growth of the industry has been affected by various factors that include: Shipping Rates The rates at which exports are being transported across the globe affect the long-term performance of the marine industry. The stock available determines the ability of the companies and countries to sustain the shipping process. The availability of stock keeps the shipping rates on the rise over longer periods. For example, Tsakos ship dry goods in bulk have experienced growth due to the constant supply of these products. Supply and Demand of Stock Shipping rates are affected by supply and demand for goods this makes the maritime industry a volatile investment. A small change percent in supply causes a significant impact on the industry. Lesser supply of goods reduces fleet utilization which causes a significant negative impact on the industry and vice versa for the increase in stock. Supply determines the number of ships that companies can invest in to avoid making losses as businesses cannot pull out their ships from the firm. Demand Drivers The request for ships is on the rise due to increase in global trade which has grown demand for commodities. The impact of world trade on economic growth in individual countries such as China has become the production of shipping equipment (Crammond 2017). China is emerging superpower, and its crude oil imports have increased over the past decades while in the US, the growth in the use of energy has reduced demand for crude oil. The crude oil tankers manufacturers can analyze markets for their products and shift their focus. They are influenced by policies on mining in specific countries. Supply Drivers Supply of new ships and crapping of activities affect the supply of goods in the shipping industry. In the past half-decade, the demand for new ships reduced supply rates. Shipping rates are a contributing factor to development and improvement of shipping containers (Gubbins 2016). Acquisition of new ship enables a company to venture into new markets and increase their shipping rates which increase the earnings of the enterprise. Vessel Values The value of companies is determined by its assets and influences the shipping rates. Acquisition of new ships increases the value of the company as orders increase which translates to prices. The driving factors on the cost of ships include the costs of ships and the ability of the companies to acquire and maintain them. Changes in Foreign Container Freight Increased Role in the International Trade International trade has been accelerated with the increase in globalization and has become a driver of economic growth and development. Many countries are becoming more dependent on imports and exports to grow their economy. Therefore, the shipping industry is the most reliable mode of transportation, especially for heavy goods. The maritime sector has engineered the removal of restrictions in trading through the World Trade Organization and Regional Trade Agreements. International trade is projected to grow in the coming years with increased with creation the expansion of the industry across the globe. Economic growth has been more volatile as global trade increased whereas regional differences in economic growth increased. Growth in Container Trades In the late 20th century the shipping industry experienced an increase in manufacturing of shipping container. Transportation routes have become more elaborate with the rise in penetration of rate, with the demand for raw and finished products increases. At this age development of port infrastructure increased and their ability to handle a large number of shipping containers increased (Dover 2009). In the contemporary maritime industry, the demand for shipping containers has continued to project high. Ports have expanded to accommodate more ships in the docking point. The increase in the manufacture of high capacity ships has reduced shipping rates. The reduction in shipping rates affected the profitability of shipping companies and has caused losses since the introduction of such ships in specific companies as explained by Fuchs (2016). To mitigate these losses, companies reduced the capacity of these ships by removing some storage facilities or reducing shipping time. For example, Panamax vessels introduction to the market caused losses due to their large size. Therefore, companies had to strategize on how to minimize cost impact. This aimed at stabilizing and balancing the supply and demand in the shipping industry across all transportation routes globally. Geographical Diversification of Shipping Containers Trade Growth The maritime sector has been shaped by a shift in local manufacture of shipping containers and is suited for the regions. In the late 20th century, Japan dominated the Asian shipping container manufacturing and distributions. These containers used in the Europe Asia trade and the Trans-pacific trade. However, there has been a shift in the production and distributing sources across Asia such as China, Taiwan and Korea and currently they are top on the list. These countries have significantly impacted the manufacturing industry as they occupy more than half of the Asian market (Gubbins 2016). China has grown to a major trading partner with various countries across the world. Therefore, it imports products through shipping and is a leader in this industry far from US and Japan. Increase in Container Trade Intensity Containerized trade has intensified over the past decades due to t increase in population across the globe. Container trade has a more networked cycle in the developed world, unlike the developing countries. Asian countries have long been inward looking, therefore, shipping less development in the shipping industry. Competition Regulation in Transportation Industry The maritime sector shaped by regulations imposed in various countries towards the industry. The establishment of Ocean Shipping Reform in the US and the Regulation 4056 in the EU has regulated the industry operations and expansion. Competition in shipping regulations among trading countries has impacted freedom of shipping companies and daily activities. Effect of Environmental Management Control on Container FreightMarket The shipping industry is regulated by numerous international agencies mainly the UN through International Maritime Organization. Environmental sustainability is a challenge to transportation industry as the world shift towards conservation of the environment. Some of the environmental regulations on the shipping industry include maritime safety ballast water management, gas emission, and anti-fouling laws. Through the IMO, maritime safety has been on the forefront to improve the safety at sea. Through this agency, international regulations and standards have been established and have influenced operations in the shipping industry. New maritime regulations are expected to be established as the shipping industry faces changes in globalization and climate (Fayle 2016). Through marine notices, equipment manufacturers are given guidelines on tests timetables for approval. The industry provided with guidance on general safety. Ballast is used to stabilize ships at sea, therefore, necessary for efficient operations. The use of ballast causes serious ecological and health issues due to its components. New regulations are expected to change the use and the components that make up the ballast. Some of the existing regulations require ships to use a ballast that meets the discharge standard. In the US, ballast management regulations requirements include the use of ballast that is obtained specifically from US public water systems, and ships are expected not to discharge unmanaged ballast water. Gas emission in the shipping industry has become intense with the increase in globalization. According to IMO, gas emission such as carbon and nitrogen in the shipping industry are expected to rise to a high percentage of 250% by 2050. The EU has become a major player in the activism against increasing global warming and has a strong preference for a global approach to reducing emission as explained by Crammond, E. (2017). The IMO made an agreement in 2016 for a global approach to data collection and necessary actions to be taken to tackle the emission challenges in the industry. Anti-fouling paints are used to prevent attachment of sea life on the bottom of the ship. These compounds have been discovered to harming sea life and the environment. Many studies have shown that there is a possibility of the components entering the food chain. New conventions adopted on regulating the use of these components by the shipping industry have significantly reduced the effects it has had on the sea life and the environment as noted by Crammond (2017). The industry is expected to grow, and new challenges in regulating are projected to increase therefore countries need to have a greater deal of cooperation. International bodies need to strategize on managing environmental issues to ensure that all countries have a bargaining table and agree on how to manage these issues. The shipping industry may be affected by these regulations and requires the industry to adjust to them. Conclusion The shipping industry is a growing sector, and its benefits have been identified hence many countries are motivated to join in the transportation of imports and exports. The safety in the industry has been improved with the advancement of technology which has revolutionized how goods move from one end of the globe to the other. Shipping regulations require a strict implementation and monitoring team to ensure that they remain valid. All the components that make up the maritime transport industry need attention from the shipping stakeholders. References About Premium Content, Films Media Group, (2016), Frightened: The Global Shipping Industry. London Press Anord J (2010), Shipping News. Norfolk, Va, Maritime Pub. Co. of Virginia. Crammond, E (2017), The British shipping industry. London, Constable, and Co. Dover, V (2009), The shipping industry: its constitution and practice. London, Macdonald Evans. Fayle, CE (2016), The War and the shipping industry. London, H. Milford, Oxford University Press. Films Media Group, Ted Conferences LLC, (2015), TEDTalks: Rose George - Inside the secret shipping industry. Prentice Hall Fuchs, JJ (2016), The shipping industry in Canada. Geneva, International Institute for Labour Studies. Greve, M Hansen, MW Schaumburg-Mu?ller, H (2007), Container shipping and economic development: a case study of A.P. Moller - Maersk in South East Asia. Copenhagen, Copenhagen Business School Press. https://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=3400793. Gubbins, EJ (2016), The shipping industry. New York u.a, Gordon, and Breach. H.P. Drewry (Shipping Consultants) Limited, (2011), Strategy and profitability in global container shipping. London, Drewry. Heideloff, C Pawlik, T (2008), Handbook of container shipping management. Volume 2, Volume 2. Bremen, Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics = Institut fu?r Seeverkehrswirtschaft und Logistik. https://books.google.com/books?id=WKMeAQAAMAAJ. Lemper, B Pawlik, T., Neumann, S (2012), The human element in container shipping. Frankfurt am Main, Peter Lang. Martin, C, (2016) Shipping Container. Available at https://nls.ldls.org.uk/welcome.html?ark:/81055/vdc_100034197205.0x000001. Pearson, R (2008), Container ships and shipping. [London], Fairplay Publications. Proulx, A Joy, R (2011), The shipping news. [New York], Simon Schuster Audio. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truescope=sitedb=nlebkdb=nlabkAN=376266 Sasaki, H (2016), The shipping industry in Japan. Geneva, Internat. Inst. for Labour Studies. Winkler, I., et al. (2015), The shipping news. London Press Yamada, H (2008), Container shipping: the unmasking of overtonnaging. Tokio, Japan Maritime Research Inst.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Abigail Adams Was A Unique Woman Because She Had An Education And An I

Abigail Adams was a unique woman because she had an education and an interest in politics. She learned how to read and write and enjoyed poems most. She was also very resourceful by helping her husband on difficult problems. Abigail was born on November 11 on the Julian calendar, or November 22 on the modern Gregorian calendar. Abigail had two sisters named Mary and Elizabeth or Betsy. She had one brother named William or Billy. Abigail's name was originally Abigail Smith. Each baby was baptized on the first Sabbath of its life and was recorded in their parish records. Abigail live in a comfortable house. When Abigail was sixteen, her father added a wing that was bigger than the original building to make room for the children, servants, and visitors. When I say servants it means that they were probably slaves but were called servants to avoid the dehumanizing effect that the word 'slave' can mean. Their house was a sight of luxury in the eyes of the common folk in the parish. Though they lived well, the Smiths had no fortune. Abigail's father often worked with his own hands, planting corn and potatoes, gathering hay, sowing barley, or making sure that his sheep received proper care. Abigail, with the hel p of her family grew a very religious bond between each other and a long lasting friendship. Abigail never went to a real school because of poor health. So, she learned at home. Her father's library was not big, but she still went to it to read books. Abigail's favorite books were novels by Samuel Richardson. Abigail's father knew John Adams by working with him and she grew rather close to him starting a wedding. This now made her name Abigail Adams. Their wedding was held on October 25, 1764, a month before her twentieth birthday. John was a lawyer and very often was not at home due to court cases he had to attend to. When Abigail was pregnant with her first son, John was only at home for eight out of the nine months. The baby was born on a hot day on the morning of July 14, 1765. The baby's name was 'Abigail', but was called Nabby. She was with her parents when she had the baby. Shortly after, she was again pregnant. July 11, 1767, she delivered a healthy boy named John Quincy. John Adams soon moved his family to Boston to be closer to his important clients and the center of political action. In Boston, Abigail had two more children. one named Susanna, who died thirteen months later, and Charles who was born healthy at the end of May 1770. John Adams sent everyone in his enlarged family back to there old house because of the recent Boston Massacre happening. While Abigail was there, She had her last son named Thomas. John soon bought a brick house back in Boston and moved everyone back in. Abigail started teaching the children to read and write. John told Abigail almost everything that he knew and went to her for political problems. He understood what she could understand and trusted her. Abigail became the most informed woman on public affairs in the nation. On August 10, 1774, Abigail parted with John as he left to attend the Congress called at Philadelphia to try and unite the colonies against Great Britain's plan to punish Boston and Massachusetts. Though her sons would not be of military age for another decade, Abigail dreaded war, in which only God knew what would happen. When the shots at Lexington and Concorde were fired, John was again off to the Congress and cautioned Abigail that she should 'fly to the woods' with the children if the British attacked Boston. Abigail prayed for the war and on June 17 John Quincy and Abigail went to Bunker Hill and watched the roar of the cannons and saw the flames of burning Charleston atop of Penn's Hill near where they lived. Soon they learned of the British losses and how greate r they were, but Abigail knew someone named Dr. Warren who died. He helped John Quincy from the loss of his finger. Abigail wrote many letters to her husband and it

Monday, November 25, 2019

The Definition of Mother Tongue Plus the Worlds Top 20

The Definition of Mother Tongue Plus the World's Top 20 The term mother tongue refers to a persons native language - that is, a language learned from birth. Also called a  first language, dominant language, home language, and native tongue  (although these terms are not  necessarily  synonymous).   Contemporary linguists and educators commonly use the term L1 to refer to a first or native language (the mother tongue) and the term L2 to refer to a second language or a foreign language thats being studied. Use of the Term Mother Tongue [T]he general usage of the term mother tongue...denotes not only the language one learns from ones mother, but also the speakers dominant and home language; i.e., not only the first language according to the time of acquisition, but the first with regard to its importance and the speakers ability to master its linguistic and communicative aspects. For example, if a language school advertises that all its teachers are native speakers of English, we would most likely complain if we later learned that although the teachers do have some vague childhood memories of the time when they talked to their mothers in English, they, however, grew up in some non-English-speaking country and are fluent in a second language only. Similarly, in translation theory, the claim that one should translate only into ones mother tongue is in fact a claim that one should only translate into ones first and dominant language. The vagueness of this term has led some researchers to claim...that different connotative meanings of the term mother tongue vary according to the intended usage of the word and that differences in understanding the term can have far-reaching and often political consequences. (Pokorn, N. Challenging the Traditional Axioms: Translation Into a Non-Mother Tongue. John Benjamins, 2005.) Culture and Mother Tongue It is the language community of the mother tongue, the language spoken in a region, which enables the process of enculturation, the growing of an individual into a particular system of linguistic perception of the world and participation in the centuries-old history of linguistic production. (Tulasiewicz, W. and A. Adams, What Is Mother Tongue? Teaching the Mother Tongue in a Multilingual Europe. Continuum, 2005.) Cultural power can...backfire when the choices of those who embrace Americanness in language, accent, dress, or choice of entertainment stir resentment in those who do not. Every time an Indian adopts an American accent and curbs his mother tongue influence, as the call centers label it, hoping to land a job, it seems more deviant, and frustrating, to have only an Indian accent.(Giridharadas, Anand. America Sees Little Return From Knockoff Power. The New York Times, June 4, 2010.) Myth and Ideology The notion of mother tongue is thus a mixture of myth and ideology. The family is not necessarily the place where languages are transmitted, and sometimes we observe breaks in transmission, often translated by a change of language, with children acquiring as first language the one that dominates in the milieu. This phenomenon...concerns all multilingual situations and most of the situations of migration.(Calvet, Louis Jean. Towards an Ecology of World Languages. Polity Press, 2006.) Top 20 Mother Tongues The mother tongue of more than three billion people is one of 20: Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, English, Hindi, Arabic, Portuguese, Bengali, Russian, Japanese, Javanese, German, Wu Chinese, Korean, French, Telugu, Marathi, Turkish, Tamil, Vietnamese, and Urdu. English is the lingua franca of the digital age, and those who use it as a second language may outnumber its native speakers by hundreds of millions. On every continent, people are forsaking their ancestral tongues for the dominant language of their region’s majority. Assimilation confers inarguable benefits, especially as internet use proliferates and rural youth gravitate to cities. But the loss of languages passed down for millennia, along with their unique arts and cosmologies, may have consequences that won’t be understood until it is too late to reverse them.(Thurman, Judith. A Loss for Words. The New Yorker, March 30, 2015.) A Lighter Side of the Mother Tongue Gibs friend: Forget her, I hear she only likes intellectuals.Gib: So? Im intellectual and stuff.Gibs friend: Youre flunking English. Thats your mother tongue and stuff.(The Sure Thing, 1985)

Thursday, November 21, 2019

1. What Role Should the European Central Bank Play in the Current Essay

1. What Role Should the European Central Bank Play in the Current European Financial or Public Debt Crisis - Essay Example 3 The present European economic crisis has built up as a result of the countries within the continent struggling to pay up the debts they have been building up in the past few decades. Several countries within the union have failed to record an economic growth in turn failing to pay the bondholders their required guarantees. These countries include Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece and Ireland. 4The crisis was exposed by the American recession of the year 2007-2008 that made many countries in Europe experience slow financial growths due to the unsustainable fiscal policies that most European countries were utilizing.5 The countries that had not made financial reforms such as Greece were the first to feel the pain of the crisis when they experienced very high deficits in their budgets which were also unsustainable. 6 Investors who had interests within the countries that were experiencing financial difficulties in turn demanded superior yields on their bonds raising the costs of these coun tries debts.7 The union’s central bank should resist the idea of printing more money so that they can buy out the union’s distressed debts.8 In the month of December 2011, the central bank availed credit facilities to the troubled financial institutions that were within the region. This move that the central bank has been putting much effort in has not helped in solving the continents problems, however, it helped in boosting the confidence of potential investors who now perceive the economies that were largely in debt as experiencing slow growths in their activities. This move has additionally helped in preventing the collapse of the economies of some member countries along with keeping the European currency stable in the global monetary markets.9 The union’s central bank should establish legal instruments such as the European monetary stability facility with the cooperation of the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

HR Manager Interview in the Health Care Field Essay

HR Manager Interview in the Health Care Field - Essay Example This importance has however not been entirely appreciated as evidence from around the world points to a scenario where doctors or clinicians are left to manage healthcare facilities especially in developing countries where the need to professionalize human resource management is just beginning to dawn (Hongoro & McPacke, 2004). Due to the importance of human resource in the quality of healthcare provision, there is a clear need to study the state of human resource management in the healthcare sector. An appraisal of human resource management in health care can best be undertaken through an interview of a practicing health care human resource manager. This way, the background of health care human resource management, management styles, its roles and responsibilities, challenges faced and emerging issues can be discerned and a conclusion reached on human resource management in health care. ... According to this manager, the position requires qualified personnel who understand all the tenets of human resource management from conducting job analyses, drafting job descriptions, reward management and compensation among other duties and responsibilities that do necessitate specialized and professional expertise. The human resource manager pointed that a typical background for human resource management is thus interdisciplinary; demonstrating adeptness gained from social sciences, business administration and behavioral background. Good interpersonal skills are also necessary further demonstrating the need for a professionally trained human resource manager. Human Resource Management Styles in Healthcare The management style adopted in any organization or department is crucial for achievement of success in terms of meeting organizational or departmental goals. The style of management in place depends to a large extent on the resources available, knowledge, people skills and the d esired results. Human Resource Management (2011) identifies three styles of management; participatory, directing and teamwork style. The participatory style of leadership involves managers delegating duties to employees and requires a workforce that clearly understands their job roles. The directive style is a top-down approach to management which is especially important in cases where deadlines have to be met. Teamwork involves pooling of knowledge at ones disposal in a give-and-take cooperative manner. All these styles have their strengths and flaws and it is the responsibility of a manger to select the most effective. From the interview, the healthcare human resource

Monday, November 18, 2019

Significance Of Training And Development In Employee Retention Research Paper

Significance Of Training And Development In Employee Retention - Research Paper Example Development of employee capacity can also include involvement of employees in developing organizational policies (Shields 2007). It promotes goal ownership among the employees and reduces overreliance on the management regarding the accomplishment of day to day tasks. Johnson (2001) observes, people usually desire to have autonomy in their day to day activities, which is significant in encouraging them to remain in the organization. With such empowerment, democracy is established in the workplace whereby the employees' views are taken into consideration and integrated into to the organization’s strategic plan. Employees are allowed to attend and contribute to significant meetings, which makes them feel desirable and appreciated and hence feel that they are part and parcel of the organization (Colling 1995).Career Development McConnell (2003) argues that provision of up-to-date training and development opportunities to employees enhances their value in the labor market and henc e increased career mobility. This positively affects their job security since they keep in mind that their skills are in line with the current demand for human resources within the organization. The employees’ security comes from the realization that they remain equivalent with employees in other organizations. Competent employees view stagnation in a particular position as a potential cause of redundancy thus they stay in the organization where career development is guaranteed (Startups 2006).... The employees’ security comes from the realization that they remain equivalent with employees in other organizations. Competent employees view stagnation in a particular position as a potential cause of redundancy thus they stay in the organization where career development is guaranteed (Startups 2006). How Training and Development Increases Revenues and Productivity Empowerment Strategies for training and development empower employees to accomplish tasks effectively. The need to continuously acquire knowledge is important especially for the constantly changing business environments (McConnell 2003). Schrader & Lawless (2004) observe that new technologies that require skilled workers can not be applied if an organization fails to train its employees. The alternative is to hire skilled workers, which is a move that might be costly for the organization especially in the long run due to the constant technological advancements and market changes. Capacity Building Workplace learni ng involves constant skills upgrading to help employees improve their performance. Coaching is among the workplace learning strategies that are focused on giving the employees additional skills to improve their competence. For example, when new employees are engaged in a company, they usually possess some skills but have little experience in the organizational operations. Coaching them is necessary to improve their knowledge regarding the organization. It helps them to apply the skills acquired through studies in real practice (Colling 1995). The result is usually positive and the employees can perform better, thereby increasing productivity among the employees. Coaching motivates the weaker employees to perform better and also facilitates the

Friday, November 15, 2019

Impact Of The Mega Sport Event On Tourism Tourism Essay

Impact Of The Mega Sport Event On Tourism Tourism Essay There are only two mega sport events namely the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics based on the scale of media interest. It means mega-sport event has unique natures such as outstanding reputation, adequate attention and worldwide scope already. A well-managed mega-sport event such as FIFA World Cup will attracts millions of visitors to a place. The tourism related to mega-sport event can be classified as sport event tourism that Foo L. M (2000) defined sport events tourism as the main purpose of the travel is to take part in an organized sporting activity, either as a spectator, participant or official. For example, the diverse preparations in Sydney for the 2000 Games not only cater for the 11,116 athletes, but also take into consideration the potential tourism inflow from Olympic spectators (which could number in the millions), athletes families, and estimated 15,000 media personnel (Groote, 2005). During the event holding, tourists spend money in related tourism businesses like restaurant, shop and hotel, and they may also visit surrounding tourist destinations and attractions. Obviously, tourism obtains benefits directly and indirectly from mega-sport event; while these benefits are various and long-term. In case of 2000 Sydney Olympics (Australian Tourist Commision, 2001): Visitors to Australia: 406,500 international visitors in September 2000, 15% higher than September 1999 (Australian Bureau of Statistics preliminary data). Worldwide Olympic TV audience: 3.7 billion in 220 countries (IOC) Worldwide Olympic Internet audience: 20 million (IOC) Brand Australia has been advanced by ten years, meaning what the world now knows about Australia, it wouldnt have known until 2010 had Sydney not hosted the Games (ATC). The ATCs media relations program generated an addition A$3.8 billion in publicity for Australia between 1997 and 2000 (ATC) The ATCs partnerships with major Olympic sponsors, such as Visa, McDonalds, Kodak and Coca-Cola generated in additional A$300 million in additional advertising exposure for Australia (ATC). In late 1999, the ATC launched the Australia 2000 fun and games campaign to encourage visitation to Australia in 2000. This was aimed at insuring against avoidance, as had been the experience of other major event host cities and countries. In 2000, visitor arrivals to Australia increased by 10.9% to almost five million according to preliminary Australian Bureau of Statistics figures (ABS). In excess of 100 business events, generating millions of additional export dollars for Australia can be directly attributed to the ATCs New Century. New World, Australia 2001 campaign aimed at capturing business tourism for Australia off the back of the Games. (ATC) etc. Furthermore, Hudson S. (2003) summarized relevant benefits for the host as follows: Major sport events can be catalysts for new facilities and new or improved infrastructure When sport facilities are built, they become permanent event venues Major sport events can be catalysts for attracting training sessions and other types of events, such as meetings and exhibitions There is potential for various sport events year round Sport events can reflect and enhance culture and local traditions, helping to create a unique and attractive sense of place Media coverage and its impact on developing a sport destination image can be more important than actual visitor spending Sport events can assist in destination branding by providing powerful, active lifestyle images and making cultural themes come alive However, hosting a major sports event also has high risks that mainly affect the sustainability of the tourism. For example the Olympic Games of 1976 in Montreal, it was a financial disaster for the city that almost bankrupt (Newton, 2012) and afterwards they were still faced with the financial debts until 2006 (CBC News, 2006). 2.2 Marketing in tourism 2.2.1 Mega-sport event marketing Funk D. C (2008) believed that effective marketing activities are able to shape the image of the city and stimulate the economy for the host; to reach specific target markets and position the destination to non-residents for the tourism marketers; to build community identification and create jobs for governments; to increase brand awareness, launch new products and services, and open new markets for sponsors. In terms of mega-sport event which is in essence experiential, interactive, targeted, and relational; these features are highly relevant and desirable given the modern marketing environment (Crowther, 2011) which can be explained as events create a social setting for attendees and help raise attendees involvement level; therefore, attendees are apt to be more receptive to marketing messages and images associated with the event than they are to those presented via other methods (Pope Voges, 2000; Meenachan Shipley, 1999). Therefore, event marketing is defined as a tool for experiential marketing that focuses on consumer experiences, and treats emotionally and rationally driven consumption as a holistic experience (Vel Sharma, 2010) and it offers an additional advantage, in that it actively engages the consumer with the brand and its personality (Sneath, et al., 2005). 2.2.2 Motivation of sport event tourist MacInnis D. J, Moorman C. Jaworski B. J (1991) defined motivation as an internal factor that arouses and prompts goal-directed behavior. Furthermore, Schiffman L. G Kanuk L. L (2001) detailed a motivation process which includes five stages: needs, tension, drive, want and goal. (Figure 1) Need recognition Goal behavior Want pathway Drive state Tension reductionFigure 1 Sport and event consumer motivation process Source: e.g., Schiffman L. G Kanuk L. L (2001) In the first stage: need recognition, Reisinger (2009) mentioned that potential consumers recognize a need when faced with a problem, we can understand the problem as a catalyst. As mentioned above, the problem of sport event consumer is the desire to seek the experiences. Second stage is the customers are considering how to satisfy this need and at the third stage, people will consider the pathways by their preference to reduce or eliminate the unpleasant state. Want pathway can be considered as decision-making processes and finally the goal behavior which can be understand as the acquisition satisfy peoples need, reduce tension and restore balance. A well-understanding of motivation process will help the marketer to know (Horner Swarbrooke, 2007): When to attempt to influence consumers (focusing marketing activities at the time when most consumers are making decisions to buy a particular product) The choice of advertising media based on which media the majority of consumers use to gain information about tourism products The selection of appropriate distribution channels or marketing intermediaries For example, the VisitBritains strategy for 2012 London Olympic Games focused to inspire visitors to explore Britain (VisitBritain, 2010) As the figure shows, the marketing strategy of VisitBritain focuses Awareness (inspire) and Intention (explore) stages. The marketing challenges are: Inspire: (long-term develop): Address the loss of market share and maximise the value of tourism working with the nations and regions of Britain Develop new product offers to stimulate demand in partnership with the nations and regions Explore: (Britain-led): Gain market share Grow Britain brand awareness Challenge negative perceptions of welcome, value and quality 2.2.3 Marketing strategy related to tourism Foxall (1981) defined marketing strategy as being an indication of how each element of the marketing mix will be used to achieve the marketing objectives. It is simple but easily to understand. Normally, the marketing objectives in tourism of mega-sport event host should be: To maximize the economic benefits for tourism across the host city/country To enhance the image of the host as a visitor destination To deliver- and showcase a world class welcome in and after the event A widely used marketing mix is the 4 Ps that product, price, place and promotion. Product Funk (2008) summarized unique aspects of the mega-sport event product: it is an intangible product; social facilitation via sport and reliance on product extensions. Intangible means it is an experiential product and social facilitation via sport means it has great impacts as mentioned above. However, these features are natural. Therefore, exploring on extension product is the key to stimulate and meet the demands of tourist. Such as UK launched new 50p coins to commemorating the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games (BBC, 2010) and create new travel routes for tourists as an event-related tour products and etc. à ¨Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ Ãƒ §Ã¢â‚¬ Ã… ¸Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬Å" Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã‚ Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¼Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ¨Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¤Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ §Ã‚ »Ã‚ Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ µÃ… ½Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‹â€ Ãƒ §Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ…  Ã‚ ¼Ã…’http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_482a6f7d010004ue.html Furthermore, as sport has the ability to directly and indirectly influences a number of aspects in a persons life (Beaton Funk, 2008), sport marketers are likely to package themselves as the forefront in the battle to improve quality of life as sport and leisure activities become central components of promoting health lifestyles, and building more integrated communities (Funk, 2008). à ¦Ã…  Ã…  Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ »Ãƒ ¥Ã…  Ã… ¾Ãƒ ¥Ã… ¸Ã… ½Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ½Ã¢â‚¬Å"à ¦Ã‹â€ Ã‚ Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ªÃƒ ¦-†¦Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬Å" Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¿Ã¢â‚¬ ºeventà §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ®Ã‚ £Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¼Ã‚  Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã…’à ¤Ã‚ ¹Ã… ¸Ãƒ ¦Ã‹Å" ¯Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¤Ãƒ ¥Ã… ¾Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ½Ã¢â‚¬Å"à ¨Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ²Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ´Ã‚ »Ãƒ ¥Ã…  Ã‚ ¨Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ªÃƒ §Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ ¦Ã…“†°Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ®Ã‚ µÃ‚ ¼Ã…’à ©Ã‚ ¦-à ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‹â€ Ãƒ ¦Ã‹Å" ¯Ãƒ ¥Ã… ¸Ã… ½Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ §Ã‚ ²Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ §Ã‚ ¥Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à ¦-†¡Ãƒ ¥Ã…’- ¼Ã…’à ¦Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ §Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ §Ã‚ ­Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ §Ã‚ ­Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¾Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à ¦Ã‚ ¾Ã‚ ³Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¤Ãƒ ¥Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ©Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ… ¡Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾brandà ¦Ã… ½Ã‚ ¨Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ Price Price can be understood by if it is valuable. Getz and Cheyne (1997) found that focus group participants identified important quality factors that can influence a decision to travel to an event, including reputation of the event, caliber of participants (the best in their field), international scope, and the presence of celebrities, rarity is also a factor. Obviously, mega-sport event has all these factors: outstanding reputation; national caliber; international tourism market; celebrities (NBA stars etc.) and once in four years. As mentioned above, mega-sport tourists pay for an experience which often involves sensory, emotional, cognitive, behavioural and relational values that replace functional values (Schmitt, 1999). A well-managed service system should be marketed to the audience as favourable factor. In adverse, weakness of service will lead tourist doubt to come. For example, a safety doubt emerging after the news that with one week remaining before the opening ceremony of the London Olympics, it only has 4,000 guards trained and ready which was expected to provide over 10,000 security personnel for the event (Bartnik, 2012). à ¨Ã‚ ¿Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ªÃƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬Å" Ãƒ ¦Ã…“†°Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¤Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¤Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ãƒ ¥Ã…  Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¼Ã… ¸Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¦- ¹Ãƒ ©Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à ¥Ã‚ ¦Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ½Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã¢â‚¬Å"à ¦Ã‚ ¶Ã‹â€ Ãƒ ¦-†¦Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ®Ã‚ ¢Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ »Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ©Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ ¨Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¼Ã… ¸Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¥Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¼Ã… ¡Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ Ã‚ Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â€š ¬-à ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ »Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¹Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ½Ãƒ ©Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ §Ã… ½Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¢Ã†â€™ Place It refers to the place where the customers can buy the product and how the product reaches out to that place. The most effective way is media such as Internet, PR and TV. Many scholars believe that media coverage of sport events will help countries to present themselves in favorable terms (Whitson Macintosh, 1996), and will assist destinations in building a positive image that helps to generate future tourist demand (Faulkner et al., 2000). à ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ºÃƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ¢â‚¬  Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒ §Ã¢â‚¬ º-à ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ´Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¨Ã…’Æ’Ã ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ´Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à ¥Ã‚ ¯Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ… ½Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ½Ãƒ ©Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ ¥Ã…’-à §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ ¥Ã…“ ºÃƒ ¦Ã… ½Ã‚ ¨Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à §Ã‚ ½Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ §Ã‚ »Ã…“à ¥Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‹Å"à ¥Ã‚ ¾-à ¨Ã‚ ¶Ã…  Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¶Ã…  Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã‚ Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¦Ã‚ Ã‚ ¼Ã…’ Social media such as Facebook, Flickr and TripAdvisor are increasingly being exploited within mega-sport event marketing campaigns. For example, Facebook has more than 300 million active users, 50% of whom log on everyday. The internet provides a worldwide platform to distribute the information. Recently emerging channel is mobile. According to VisitBritain (2010), 400m are already using the mobile internet and this will double by 2012; 87% of people are already using their mobile for media consumption at home, and 2012 London Olympic Games became the first mobile internet Games. Development of technology help marketers delivers the information more effective, however, traditional media still important such as newspaper, which are still widely used by old peoples; TV, which covers lots of computer illiterate and broadcast, which can reach the people who have no time to look such as taxi driver. Promotion Promotion is the business of communication to the customers such as what benefits the company or organization has to offer rather than exhibit the features. Hosting the mega-sport events means a valuable promotion opportunity as it can improving a destinations image and building a destinations brand for sustainable development (Getz, 1997; Hall, 1992; Jago, et al., 2010; Prentice Andersen, 2003; Ritchie, 1984) . This means that the city can show off its tourist attractions and the infrastructure that has been generated (Chalip, 2002; Owen, 2005; Whitson Horne, 2006). Awareness of the region is also positively impacted which again brings in domestic and international tourists and potential investors (Gursoy Kendall, 2006; Solberg Preuss, 2007). For example, in a study examining the effect of special events on a countrys brand building, Jun and Lee (2008) reported a positive relationship between the role of special events on the attitudes of young Korean students towards Germany, specifically, the more exposure Korean students had to special events held in Germany, the more likely they were to form positive attitudes toward Germany. These findings supported Chalip and Costas (Chalip Costa, 2005)general theory that special events can be an extension of a destination brand or can be promoted as certain features of destination brand. Political support à §Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¯Ã‚ Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ -à ©Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ Ãƒ §Ã‚ ­Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ¾Ã‚ ³Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¤Ãƒ ¥Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ©Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ… ¡Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¦Ã… ½Ã‚ ¨Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ ¦Ã‹â€ Ã‚ Ãƒ ¦Ã… ¾Ã…“à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ 2.3 Destination service quality Even though marketing strategy is well managed, tourists experience of a hotel, restaurant, or casino will imparts a different sort of knowledge than simply reading or hearing about it (La Tour, et al., 2009). Destination management includes how competition in tourism increasingly involves geographical systems where suppliers of hospitality, transportation, entertainment, and cultural services collaborate to increase the attractiveness of the destination and improve its ability to acquire customers (Bieger, 1998; Bieger, 2000; Buhalis, 2000; Ritchie Crouch, 2000; Go Crompton, 2000). Event managers are often preoccupied with delivering a high quality program (Getz, 1998), which is basically what visitors come to experience, but equal attention to service quality is essential for ensuring visitor satisfaction. SA Tourism (2008) concedes to the following ten challenges for 2010: 1) poor access to channels of tourism information, 2) insufficient accommodation, and 3) compelling attractions and activities, 4) inadequate service levels and skills shortage, 5) inadequate public transport, 6) insufficient focus on tourist safety and security, 7) limited institutional capacity, 8) managing expectations, 9) demand management and 10) displacement of general tourists. In the public eyes, hosting an event is a stimulator of tourism industry to the host city. Fourie and Santana-Gallego (2011) did a research on the impact of mega-sport events on tourist arrivals and resulted at there will be 8% increase of the arrivals on average to the host. The Olympics and FIFA World Cup are more than the average. For instance, by the data from ForwardKeys (2012), bookings made by 12th May show a 13% increase in the expected number of arrivals to London during the Olympics Periods and the rest of UK also receive 4% increase. Such a rapidly inflow of tourists will bring lots of problems such as transport disasters. Atlantas 1996 Olympic Game has provided a cautionary tale of mega-sport event travel chaos: with bus drivers getting lost, athletes arriving moments before their events and overloaded trains that couldnt get residents home (Wheatley, 2011). Therefore, how to provide quality destination service to tourists experience, while an influx occurs during the mega-sport event is one of the key factors of the successful tourism operation in mega-sport tourism marketing. Gronroos (1983) described service quality construct relates the level of experienced quality to both technical and functional dimensions of serve provision (see figure 10.1): Technical quality refers to the result of the service and/or the question, what has been provided? Functional quality on the other hand, refers to the way the service has been delivered and relates to the question, how has the service been provided? 2.3.1 Technical quality Technical quality refers to the relatively quantifiable aspects of the service such as The hotel guest will get a room and a bed to sleep in, the consumer of a restaurants services will get a meal, and the train passenger will be transported from one place to anotherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Gronroos, 1984). In terms of mega-sport event, as influx of tourists, the capability of original infrastructure is not able to meet the needs. That is why Terret (2008) mentioned cities are interested in hosting of the Olympics Games as they can accelerate infrastructure projects. For example, Olympic experience shows that a highly robust and resilient public transport system is a prerequisite to handle exceptional Olympic mega event traffic demands (Bovy, 2006). In terms of London, it struggles with constraints on the Tube, which handles 12 million trips a day during normal times and the Olympics is estimated to add three million trips on the busiest days (Kirka, 2012). Therefore, it invested  £80m in permanent transport improvements for DLR (Media centre Press release, 2008), we have seen new rail links created in East London, and improvements to existing underground and overground train services (Pettinger, 2009) and the increase of capability achieved that a train arriving in the Olympic Park area every 15 seconds (London Olympics Transport Upgrade, 2012). This improvement will shorten the time that tourist move in and out the Olympic Park and reduce the crowd risk. In other hand, a strong public transport will also encourage tourist to choose so that avoid general car traffic on the primary Olympic transport network accordingly. 2.3.2 Functional quality Local human resource support Functional quality creates a competitive edge by focusing on the more personal aspects of the service encounter such as The accessibility of a teller machine, a restaurant or a business consultant, the appearance and behavior of waiters, bank tellers, travel agency representatives, bus drivers, cabin attendants, business consultants, plumbers, how these service firm employees perform, what they say and how they say it do also have an impact on the customers view of the serviceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Gronroos, 1984) In terms of mega-sport event, a special group volunteers was critical to the successful staging of mega-event because they provided the substantial amount of unpaid additional labour that was needed and also the outstanding service that help the tourists. For example, in Beijing 2008 Olympic games, there were 70,000 volunteers (Associated Press, 2007) applied in various positions such as translation and interpretation, protocol and reception, contest organization, food and beverage, medical services, security and transportation et al (Volunteer Positions Requirements, 2008). To ensure the service quality of the volunteer, a series of training was made before volunteers officially starting their services. In terms of Beijing 2008 Olympic Game, the training includes 4 parts (Organization and Administration of Olympic Volunteering, 2008) 1. General training: basic Olympic knowledge, brief introduction to the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games, Chinese history and traditional culture, history and cultural life in Beijing, knowledge and skills necessary to serve the disabled, etiquette norm, medical knowledge and first-aid skills. 2. Professional training: professional knowledge and skills required in voluntary services. 3. Venue training: venue functions, knowledge concerning the sports held in the venue, internal facilities, organizational structure, rules and regulations. 4. Job training: job responsibilities, specific work, business procedures, and operating norms. These well-trained volunteers helped the foreign visitors overcome language and cultural barriers, and provide professional service so that enhance the satisfaction of tourists experience in great extent and assist Olympic Games operating smoothly. However, Bejou et al. (1996) mentioned that there are non-standardized services in which the knowledge, behavior and commitment of the service providers are crucial. Oneil et. al. (1999) believe that this experiential product (such as event) is produced and consumed simultaneously, is highly heterogeneous and very difficult to store and/or control, but basically, if expectations are met, service quality is perceived to be satisfactory; if unmet, less than satisfactory; if exceeded, more than satisfactory. In contrary, poor events may causes by such as an emphasis on quantity rather than quality, a product rather than a market orientation, poor physical conditions and lack of information, and poorly selected or inadequately trained personnel (Jackson Schneider, 1990). 2.4 Sustainable tourism development The evaluation of the sustainability impacts of any mega-sport event is a complex and difficult task and it involves far more than simply estimating its potential revenue and expenditure (Dodouras James, 2004). As hosting a mega-sport event can also constituted a unique opportunity for the diversification and enrichment of the hosts tourism product, this legacy will benefit the tourism development in the future. For example, the building of tourism infrastructure in the case of Barcelona significantly enhanced its image and credibility as an international tourist destination (Duran, 2005). Musgrave Raj (2009) summarized the three sustainable aspects that influenced by mega-sport event as Figure 1: Mega-sport Events Social Environmental Economic Positive: Induced development and construction expenditure Long-term promotional benefits Civic pride Community development Increased employment opportunities Positive: Raising awareness of environmental issues Development of waste land Long-term conservation of area Positive: Direct/indirect expenditure Increased property value due to regeneration Additional trade and business development Induced development and construction expenditure Event product extensions Negative: Future use of infrastructure not maximized Interruption of normal business Resident exodus Disruption of lifestyle Media impacts Community apathy and antagonism Increased risk of security issues Unequal distribution of wealth Negative: Site/location damage short- and long-term Waste and pollution Noise pollution Traffic disruption and congestion Increase in energy demands and other natural resources Negative: Cost of event failure to local/national economy Inflated price of products, services and amenities Unequal distribution of wealth Fig. 1. 1. The three pillar impacts of events (Musgrave Raj, 2009) Consequently, the objectives of sustainable development are: optimizing socio-cultural impacts; minimizing environmental impacts and maximizing economic impacts (Smith-Christensen, 2009). Specifically, in terms of tourism, these impacts can be operationalized in the post-event period to attain, magnify and sustain their objectives as a sustainable sport tourism legacy. And accordingly, the sustainability of strategies that originate from sport tourism development policies, which according to sustainable development principles should maintain economic efficiency, social equity, and environmental integrity (Campell, 1996; Fitzgerald Leigh, 2002). 2.4.1 Social impact By social impacts we mean the consequences to human populations of any public or private actions that alter the ways in which people live, work, play, relate to one another, organize to meet their needs and generally cope as members of society. The term also includes cultural impacts involving changes to the norms, values, and beliefs that guide and rationalize their cognition of themselves and their society (Interorganizational Committee on Guidelines and Principles, 1994). To achieve the outcome that optimizing socio-cultural impact, the organizer should reduce the negative impacts and magnify the positive impacts. Tassiopoulos Johnson (2009) summarized the social impacts that brought by event tourism as follow: Negative impacts of tourism: Sex The sexual industry has grown rapidly rely on the mega-sport event due to some event attendees travel abroad to enjoy uninhibited casual sexual encounters and result on a bad impact of the local. For example, as many as 40,000 women could enter South Africa to work as prostitutes during this years football World Cup 2010 (The Telegraph, 2010). The grave danger of this growth has led to the spreading of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (Cooper, et al., 2005). Health There are diseases such as swine flu should be noted when people from different countries interact. For example, the recording of more than 8500 cases of malaria infections in the UK, which have been a result of tourist and visiting friends and relatives (VFT) traffic to malaria-infected destinations. These diseases may not fatal but they can cause social and economic stress to the host community. Commodification Commodification implies that the demands of tourism (inclusive of events) have led to the mutation and sometimes the destruction of the meaning of cultural performances and special events. Staged authenticity refers to simulated experiences that are developed to satisfy the needs of the visitor. Standardization refers to where the visitor attending an event searches for the familiar, leading to a loss of cultural diversity (Cooper, et al., 2005). Disruption of lifestyle of residents Sherwood (2007) refers to increases in traffic and noise and the general disruption to normal daily routines caused by the hosting of an event in the destination. Furthermore, overcrowding, congestion and noise are ascribed to an influx of event visitors in the host destination. This may cause that resident exodus, for instance, third of Britons holidaying abroad this summer have deliberately chosen dates to avoid London 2012 (Gerges, 2012). Crime and vandalism Many scholars such as Mathieson and Wall (1982) have suggested that large numbers of visitors to an event carrying relatively large amounts of money and valuables with them will provide a source for illegal activities including drug trafficking, robbery, vandalism and violence. For example, only 10 weeks before the FIFA World Cup 2010, in South Africa, there were 50 murders happened in one day while the South Africas murder rate actually dropped slightly last year (Tay, 2010). Positive impacts of tourism: The fostering of community/civic pride Events can be used to put new life into ceremonies and rituals, making them come alive, combining them with skills and crafts. This can inspire and assist with fostering local pride of a host community and provides the best possible experience for the event attendee (Tassiopoulos Johnson, 2009). Creating sociocultural awareness and peace Events take people to new places and can broaden their understanding and knowledge of other cultures and environments. This can be regarded as an educational process and, if channeled properly, this education can lead to greater awareness of, and sympathy and admiration for, other societies. Cultural exchange that takes place between the event attendee and the host community can assist in fostering peace. The belief in the relationship between tourism and peace is so strong that in 1986 the International Institute for Peace through Tourism was set up. Shared infrastructure When developments for events take place, for example, the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the local infrastructure is often enhanced to meet the needs of the developments. The host community can find that the quality of their life is enhanced through being able to enjoy this improved infrastructure. This type of infrastructure can include upgrading sporting venues, improvement of airports and general transportation. Direct sociocultural support The funding generated from various events can provide funds to assist to restore heritage sites, conserve natural and cultural sites, or assist local charities. The proceeds earned from these events in terms of registration fees and goods sold are donated to various charities within the local community. 2.4.2 Environmental impact The environmental impact indicates that (Mathieson Wall, 1982; Jenner Smith, 1991; Boers Bosch, 1994; Puczko Ratz, 2002; 2005): Impacts on the natural environment, i.e. air quality, geological factors, water quality, depletion of natural resources, flora and fauna; Impacts on the man-made environment, i.e. buildings visual impacts, changes in land use, infrastructure; Impacts on the ecosystem. The depletion of natural resources is accelerated by the use of fossil fuels in transportation, the heating of accommodation and the operation of catering facilities (which are usually non-renewable energy sources like coal, crude oil or natural gas). In more environment-friendly solutions, heating and energy consumption is based on hydro, solar or wind energy. Wasteful and careless use of the drinking water supply significantly impairs the effectiveness of water management, and decreases available freshwater resources. The wasteful use of the water supply could be avoided by a more environmentally friendly attitude and modern technology. The positive elements of the environmental impacts most commonly catalogued relate to the new facilities that might not have been politically or financially feasible without the event. On the negative side, growing attention is being focused on the environmental damage due to development for mega sports events (Tolios, 1997). 2.4.3 Economic impact Event tourism can generate positive economic impacts, in addition to longer-term place marketing benefits and media exposure for destination, along with sporting or cultural policy benefits (Musgrave Raj, 2009). à ¤Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ºÃƒ ¤Ã‚ »Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¨Ã…  Ã‚ ±Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à ¦Ã…  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à ¥Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ½Ã…“à ¥Ã‚ ²-à ¤Ã‚ ½Ã‚ Ãƒ §Ã‚ ­Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ §Ã‚ ­Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¥Ã‚ ½Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¦- ¹Ãƒ ©Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¾Ã¢â‚¬ ¹ While these impacts are extremely relevant and often very important, an honest assessment of the value of a particular mega sports event must also include estimates of the negative impacts, such as commodity price increases a

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Mayan Writing :: essays research papers

Mayan writing is one of the most beautiful but highly complex and difficult scripts in the world. It is a system that uses pictographs and phonetic or syllabic elements. The Maya used this sophisticated style to carve symbols into stone. The most common place for writing was the perishable books they made from bark paper, coated with lime to make a fresh white surface. These books were screen-folded and bound with wood and deer hide. They were referred to as codices, however only four remain today because of their perishable nature and Spanish book burning. The Maya writing system was one of the greatest achievements of their civilization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Maya writing also appears on an array of materials and in many places such as carved stone, door lintels, architectural stuccos, painted murals and carved on pottery. The Maya believed events were repeated over cycles of time, they kept detailed histories anchored in time by their calendars to predict events. By keeping records of rainy and dry seasons, the Maya could determine the best times to plant and harvest crops. They had developed these accurate calendars that could be used for prophecy. They also were able to predict planetary cycles, phases of the moon and Venus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Maya, like all Mesoamerican people, used a vigesimal numbering system. The first nineteen numerals were similar to our English terms, with unique numerals from one through ten, and the numerals eleven through nineteen produced by combining one through nine with ten.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The symbols used by the Maya to write numbers-bars and dots- were used throughout Mesoamerica. The dot has the value of one, and the bar has the value of five. The Maya are also believed to have the first known concept of zero. This is represented by the elliptical shell.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Symbols known as glyphs were used to record non-numerical information. The Maya used logographs (shorthand symbols) for many more words than we do. Another class of glyphs stood for sounds that make up words. Mayan words are generally regular in sound structure. Most of the syllables consist of two or three sounds. There are a little over 800 known Maya glyphs. The glyphs usually contain several elements that are combined to give individual glyphs an oval appearance. The largest glyphic element is the main sign. Maya glyphs appear to me as very complicated. Although some are recognizable as pictures of natural objects, others are very unrecognizable and unclear.