Mimicry In Nature Essays - Mimicry, Biology, Polymorphism, Behavior

Mimicry In Nature THE GREAT IMPOSTERS Finding good day care can certainly pose a problem these days, unless, of course, you're an African widow bird. When it comes time for a female widow bird to lay her eggs, she simply locates the nest of a nearby Estrildid finch and surreptitiously drops the eggs inside. That's the last the widow bird ever sees of her offspring. But not to worry, because the Estrildid finch will take devoted care of the abandoned birds as if they were her own. And who's to tell the difference? Though adult widow birds and Estrildid finches don't look at all alike, their eggs do. Not only that, baby widow birds are dead ringers for Estrildid finch chicks, both having the same colouration and markings. They even act and sound the same, thus ensuring that the widow bird nestlings can grow up among their alien nestmates with no risk of being rejected by their foster parents. MASTERS OF DISGUISE Things aren't always as they seem, and nowhere is this more true than in nature, where dozens of animals (and plants) spend their time masquerading as others. So clever are their disguises that you've probably never known you were being fooled by spiders impersonating ants, squirrels that look like shrews, worms copying sea anemones, and roaches imitating ladybugs. There are even animals that look like themselves, which can also be a form of impersonation. The phenomenon of mimicry, as it's called by biologists, was first noted in the mid-1800s by an English naturalist, Henry W. Bates. Watching butterflies in the forests of Brazil, Bates discovered that many members of the Peridae butterfly family did not look anything like their closest relatives. Instead they bore a striking resemblance to members of the Heliconiidae butterfly family. Upon closer inspection, Bates found that there was a major advantage in mimicking the Heliconiids. Fragile, slow-moving and brightly coloured, the Heliconiids are ideal targets for insectivorous birds. Yet, birds never touch them because they taste so bad. Imagine that you're a delicious morsel of butterfly. Wouldn't it be smart to mimic the appearance of an unpalatable Heliconiid so that no bird would bother you either? That's what Bates concluded was happening in the Brazilian jungle among the Pieridae. Today, the imitation of an inedible species by an edible one is called Batesian mimicry. Since Bates' time, scientists have unmasked hundreds of cases of mimicry in nature. It hasn't always been an easy job, either, as when an animal mimics not one, but several other species. In one species of butterfly common in India and Sri Lanka, the female appears in no less than three versions. One type resembles the male while the others resemble two entirely different species of inedible butterflies. Butterflies don't "choose" to mimic other butterflies in the same way that you might pick out a costume for a masquerade ball. True, some animals, such as the chameleon, do possess the ability to change body colour and blend in the with their surroundings. But most mimicry arises through evolutionary change. A mutant appears with characteristics similar to that of a better protected animal. This extra protection offers the mutant the opportunity to reproduce unharmed, and eventually flourish alongside the original. In the world of mimics, the ant is another frequently copied animal, though not so much by other ants as by other insects and even spiders. Stoop down to inspect an ant colony, and chances are you'll find a few interlopers that aren't really ants at all but copycat spiders (or wasps or flies). One way you might distinguish between host and guest is by counting legs: Ants have six legs while spiders have eight. Look carefully and you might see a few spiders running around on six legs while holding their other two out front like ant feelers. COPYCATS Mimicry can not only be a matter of looking alike, it can also involve acting the same. In the Philippine jungle there is a nasty little bug, the bombardier beetle. When threatened by a predator, it sticks its back end in the air, like a souped-up sports car, and lets out a blast of poisonous fluid. In the same jungle lives a cricket that is a living xerox of the bombardier beetle. When approached by a predator, the cricket will also prop up its behind -- a tactic sufficient to scare off the enemy, even though no toxic liquid squirts out. Going one step further than that is a native of the United States, the longicorn beetle, which resembles

Marriott Hotels

Marriott Hotels Executive Summary/ Overview of the company: The international hotel industry has a lot of potential with more people participating in leisure, business and tourism all industry participants are formulating and implementing top notch strategies and offering premium services and products activities.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Marriott Hotels Product: Expensive Rooms specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The flagship brand of Marriott International, the Marriott Hotels and resort is one of the world’s most leading and legendary hotel franchises with over 2,800 hotels in about 68 countries. The hotels generate close to three quarters of the total income generated by Marriott International and the rest from timeshares. Marriott international is not only well renowned in the hospitality setting but in the top companies of the world. Establish by Willard J. Marriott in 1927 as a hospitality company at first known a s Marriott Corporation in Arlington County, Virginia but was later separated into two, the Marriott international and the Host Marriott Corporation in 1993. The Marriott’s headquarters today is based in Washington D.C. and headed by J.W. (Bill) Marriott, Jr. (son of founder Willard J. Marriott) who is the chief executive officer of the franchise. Marriott International is simply Marriott group’s hotel and lodgings chain with the amount of business transacted over recent times, is approximated at about US$ 13.3 billion. The hotel chain employs close to 15,000 workers worldwide and operates a number of full service hotels and resorts around the world. A poll conducted by times magazine in 2009 placed the Marriott Group fourth overall in an employee fulfillment research done among UK companies. Marriott’s endeavor to offer the best luxurious service to their customers and clients is well embodied in the words and thinking of the founder of the franchise, Willard J. Marriott: â€Å"†¦A man should keep on being constructive, and do constructive things. (Lim, 2009). Marriott therefore intends to exist and compete with other industry performers such as Hyatt and Hilton and outshine them by offering the complete customer experience.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Overview of the Company Marriott International Inc. is one of the premiere global operators and franchiser of hotels and associated lodging services. As of the end of 2006, the business owned over 2,800 hotels with a presence in 68 nations. It acquires approximately three quarters of its income from its hotel business and one forth from timeshares. The company has more than 85 percent of its possessions rooted in the U.S. In the fiscal year 2006, the firm announced revenues of USD 12.2 billion along with net proceeds of USD 608 million in comparison to returns of USD 11.6 billion with net profits of USD 669 million in the previous year. The growth of the company in terms of compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) was recorded at 7.4 percent in the time span of six years from 2000 to 2006 (Oviedo-Garcia, 2008). The Marriott Hotels and Resorts is the flagship brand of the Marriott International. It has several full service hotels and resorts. The head quarters of the company is situated in Washington D.C. It is one of the most renowned companies in the World, not only in the hospitality industry but also in the foremost companies in the World. In a recent poll conducted by the renowned The Times magazine in the year 2009, the company was placed in the fourth position in all the companies of UK in the sphere of employee satisfaction. The brand operates more than 482 hotels and resorts worldwide (Cho, 2010). Initially the company was named as Marriott Corporation. It was a hospitality company and the company existed from 1927 to the year 1993. The founder of the company was Willard Marriott and Frank Kimball. The first Marriott Hotel was opened in a place called Arlington County, in Virginia. Historically the first international hotel was situated in Mexico in the year in the year 1969. In the year 1993, the company was divided into two parts, the â€Å"Marriott International Corporation and the Host Marriott Corporation† (Cho, 2010).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Marriott Hotels Product: Expensive Rooms specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Marriott International It is basically the hotel chain of the Marriott Group. In recent calculation the hotel chain has around 3100 investments which provide lodging facilities in the United States, and over 67 in other countries. The recent turnover of the company is estimated at US$ 13.3 billion. More than 150000 employees work in the Marriott hotels chain worldwide. There are different business segments in the h otel chain and they are as follows: Full Service and Lodging Select Service and Lodging Extended Stay and Lodging Timeshare Synthetic fuel. Some of the very important hotels under the brand are like Marriott Hotels and Resorts, J.W. Marriott Hotel and resorts and Renaissance Hotels and Resorts. In our discussion we will concentrate on the Marriott Hotels and Resorts. The longest running hotel in the Marriott brand is the Key Bridge Marriott which is situated in Arlington. It was opened in the year 1959. If we look at the history of the company we will surely see that the company has rapidly evolved into an international brand name (Oviedo-Garcia, 2008). One of the very important acquisitions of the Corporation happened in the year 1995. In that year Marriott purchased 49% of the share of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. The other very important brands in the Marriott family except the Marriott Hotels and the Ritz Carlton Hotel Corporation are, Renaissance Hotels and Resorts, Marriott Co nference Centers, Courtyard ( by Marriott), Fairfield Inn, Springhill Suites, Residence Inn, Tower place Suits, Marriott ExecuStay, Marriott Executive Apartments, Horizons, Ritz-Carlton Club, Marriott Executive Apartments, and the MVCI or the Marriott Vacation Club International (Cho, 2010). Important Brands of Marriott International Renaissance Hotels: The Renaissance Hotel Chain is a boutique like hotel chain which is managed by the Marriott Group. There are a number of hotels in the chain, and some of them are also managed by other franchise license. Marriott Conference Centers: Especially designed for Corporate and other types of conference, the Marriott Conference Centers are one of the most important brands of the company. Courtyard by Marriott: This is a type of hotels that is designed for the business clients and customers. The rooms are fully equipped with different types of facilities, and they are direct competitors of the hotels like Wingate Inn and the Hilton Garden In n, which are regarded as very important hotels in the Hospitality Industry (Anastasiadou, 2008). Fairfield Inn: It is a low cost hotel brand which is also franchised by the Marriott International. The basic purpose for the hotels is that to provide a place to sleep for the guests with few amenities. The specific chain of hotels allows rents in a very cheap price and is very popular among the regular travelers throughout America. SpringHill Suites: This is especially designed for the all purpose suite system in hotels. As in the year 2009, there were 210 SpringHill Suites in all of America (Lugosi, 2008). Company Mission According to J. Willard Marriott:Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More â€Å"A man should keep on being constructive, and do constructive things. He should take part in the things that go on in this wonderful world. He should be someone to be reckoned with. He should live life and make every day count, to the very end. Sometimes its tough. But thats what Im going to do† (Lim, 2009). The vision of the Marriott International is to become the Numero Uno in the World in the sphere of Hospitality Service provider. To achieve the target, the business goals of the company centre on the growth of the company, along with special care to the guests and finally keep a strict check on the financial developments of the company (Chung, 2008). As with all the other companies there are some very important foundations of The Marriott International. They are like the employees, the guests, the shareholders, the service providers. In the next paragraphs we will discuss the different visions of the company and how they will help the company to realize their mission . The Business of the Marriott In the hospitality management sphere, Marriott International is the best. They are devoted to bring their guests comfort and satisfaction with their services. There is no blue print in their success, and their only choice is to care their guests in the most efficient as possible. The company believes that they will continue to expand their business with their skills and they will successfully utilize their skills for complete customer satisfaction in different areas, without losing their traditional customer bases (Oviedo-Garcia, 2008). The Shareholders of Marriott As with any business, whether it is international or national, the interests of the shareholders are highly valued in the context of the Marriott Hotels. According to their website, they will guarantee of unquestioned strength to their share holders. To keep this, the company strictly maintains the highest standards in the industry. They also regularly check their positions in the stock mark ets. The financial strength and the market factor help the company to complete their mission. They also give surety of strong and sustainable growth for their shareholders (Cho, 2009). The Customers The most important pillar of strength of the Marriott International is their customer base. The company promises that they will provide World Class services to their customers in every circumstance. The Employees The employees of the Marriott thrive to set high expectations from themselves and the business. They employees will try to build an employee culture among the organization. Individual growth is highly appreciated in the organization. Other than that working successfully in a team will help to realize the expectations of both the management and the guests of the organization. All the employees are determined to spend some of the times to make the community and the environment a better place to live (Cho, 2010). Mission Statement Providing the guests with the finest services poss ible in the given atmosphere. Every service that will be rendered to the guests and the patrons will be done effortlessly, and this will ensure â€Å"fair price† for the customer. On the other hand it will interest the stock holder for a sound investment choice (Anastasiadou, 2008). Customer is always the first choice, and meaning this as a whole. The Marriott Group is among the World Leaders in innovation, efficiency, along with quality and finally customer satisfaction. Everyone working in the organization has to take care of the brand name of the company, and value it more than anything else (Lim, 2009). Always expect the best from every person working in the concern. Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Ethics According to J.W. Marriott, Jr., the chairman and CEO of the Marriott Hotels, â€Å"We need to stand together to ensure that the travel and tourism industry is always a positive force for good in the world† (Chung, 2008). The Marriott Hotels is a Wor ld famous brand and they try to take different corporate social responsibilities to help the society in different ways. The company strives to high ethical quality along with uncompromising standards in their different procedures. The code of business that is followed in the concern enables the managers and the employees to stick to the right path to conduct business. And for that the seniors of the concern always take out their hands of support to the juniors. The processes include many aspects, like advising the employees to the laws related to anti-trust. Unfair contributions from any sphere of society and most importantly, any unfair political connection is strongly reprimanded in the Marriott Hotels. The organization says a strict no to any kind of bribery, whichever type it may be. Also they do not unfairly use their purchasing power. The training program in Marriott Hotels has a specific chapter called â€Å"How We Do Business Is as Important as the Business We Do† (Lu gosi, 2008), and it teaches the employees what are the required qualities from an employee, and most importantly what are the different human rights the organization thrives to maintain. All the employees, including the senior managers have to go through a yearly internal survey based on the â€Å"Legal and Ethical Conduct† (Lugosi, 2008) of their actions. It is done to see if all the employees adhere to the Marriott Hotel’s â€Å"Ethical Conduct Policy† (Lugosi, 2008). The company also respects the protection of human rights in all the spheres where the business of the company is spread. All the business operations of the company are designed according to their Human Rights policy. Human Trafficking and Exploitation of Children are the two main agendas of the organization. From 2006, Marriott Hotels published their first Human Rights Policy Statement. All the rights issued in the statement have been conveyed to the employees and also published internationally t o show the organization standing against these crimes. Most importantly, the Human Rights Policy of the Marriott Group is carefully alienated with the Government and other Non-Governmental Organizations who are relentlessly working on these aspects. The organization regularly and very actively engaged with these groups to endorse the best practices with the aim to stop this improper human conducts. Another very important aspect of the organization is their relation with the suppliers. As per the business context of the company, the suppliers play a very important role in the aspect of maintaining their excellent track record in the field of hospitality. They ensure that they only use high quality products and services. They always endorse organic products as the raw materials and many suppliers have been benefited for their choice of raw materials. And as expected, they want their suppliers to follow all the applicable laws and follow a very high ethical standard. And in most cases both the parties maintain the standards and the business becomes ethical (Oviedo-Garcia, 2008). Expensive Rooms The Marriott Hotels guarantee the best deals available in the sphere of hotel rooms. As per the rate of the customer, the organization tries to provide the best suited room for the customer with the help of their â€Å"Marriott Look No Further Best Rate Guarantee† (Cho, 2009) program. It is said to be a generous rate matching program offered by the hotel chain for all their hotels. In the Marriott hotels there are different deals available as per the expensive rooms are concerned. All of them have world class facilities and services. In September 2005, the company unveiled their new rooms. The rooms were made by looking at the new generation and they feature updated technical aspects. Marriott have a special edition of beds that are called Marriott Bed.. All the luxury rooms in the Marriott chain of hotels have these facilities (Oviedo-Garcia, 2008). In the JW Marri ott Hotels (it has total 46 hotels under their brand name) the most expensive rooms have a number of facilities. From special butlers to pool tables, the rooms define luxury. The guests have their own luxury cars for transport, with chauffeurs. All the rooms have in built home theater system; libraries and sometimes a multifunctional gym for work out too. J.W. Marriott, another very important flagship brand of the company has special amenities for the most expensive hotel rooms. All the guests with having special butlers and chauffeurs, get free entry to the very special destination lounge called â€Å"Mixology†. In some of the hotels the guests are treated with complementary rides to riverside theme parks. Renaissance Hotels are specially designed to cater to the upper class of the population. The hotels have established its reputation as the boutique hotels in United States. The Ritz Carlton Hotel is one of the most published hotels in this chain of the hotels, and their ex pensive rooms are something to awe for (Cho, 2010). Generally in all the properties of Marriott International, the most expensive rooms are suites. The suites are especially designed for the ultimate pleasure and satisfaction of the customers. All the suites have multiple rooms and they have more space than any standard hotel room and most importantly, more facilities as mentioned earlier. One of the most important aspects of the Marriott Hotels is that they provide special dinning and office facilities in the suits. In properties like Marriott Conference Centre, the suits are designed for the business purpose and in some suits they can hold official business meetings too. According to the management of the Marriott Hotels, most of their expensive hotel rooms are being used by a special class of people. Sometimes people from wealthy families check into the hotels when there is some remodeling done in their homes. Sometimes film stars pop artists and others also stay in these rooms. Political leaders also prefer to stay in these rooms (Anastasiadou, 2008). External Analysis A company’s strengths and weaknesses take a critical look into internal factors such as company resources, culture and structure while on the other hand opportunities and threats take a look at a company’s external environment (Wheelen and Hunger 2002). In the business management, external analysis is one of the most important factors of the existence of the company. The basic external analysis is an attempt to match an organization with the outside impacts in which the business is situated and how this influences overall strategy. To understand the external analysis on the Marriott International, we have to concentrate on one property of the hotel. The SWOT analysis on the Hotel is a very important aspect in the case because it assists companies to develop strategies that will either assist them capitalizes on strengths and opportunities while at the same time minimize weaknes ses and avoid threats (Lugosi, 2008). Opportunities: Emerging Asian Travel and Tourism markets are expanding worldwide, together with the possibility of come up with low-end brands, distinction amongst hotel services offered, Marriot can benefit from the decreased cost of real estate in the United States and Middle East and it can venture on eco-tourism. Furthermore economic integration of markets worldwide also offers a wider range of opportunities that Marriot can pursue using its corporate and unique business strategies (Camillus 1986). Threats: one of its brands, Timeshare, is decreasing on popularity; it was greatly affected by the economic meltdown, which lowered consumer’s spending power; threat from terrorists and extremists who ride in the philosophy of anti Americanism especially in Asia and furthermore tight competition from other industry participants such as Hilton and the Grand Hyatt pose a threat to the comfort that Marriot may enjoy in the hotel and hospitalit y market and may affect future profits and volume of consumers that Marriott serves therefore Marriott should further create long-term and periodic tactics that will minimize the threats that face their business (Lim, 2009). Internal Analysis The internal analysis of a company basically focuses on the strength and weaknesses of the organization itself, and how they impact the total business scenario of the concern and company strategies (Wheelen and Hunger 2002). In this aspect one thing is very important, what can be determined as strength can change into the weakness in another aspect. There are factors like finance, marketing, and the service providing capabilities, the macroeconomic factors, the technological changes and most importantly the different legal matters that come with the maintenance of the properties (Chung, 2008). Strengths: One of the key strengths of Marriot is that it has a wide range of brands, Marriot strategic locations which as quite advantageous and conveni ent for consumers; furthermore Marriot has experienced top and well experienced employees who assist in delivering its premium hotelier services making it a global leader in the hospitality market; furthermore Marriott heavily relies on innovative communication techniques such as its website and social networking in conducting its business; Marriot has focused divestiture efforts particularly with international companies; it has implemented successful strategies to attract and retain a pool of staff; it has embraced eco-friendly ways in its operations; and its culture retention balancing against the identities of the products. It is the above strengths that make Marriot’s aggressive expansion and competitive business strategy succeed (Chung 2008). Weaknesses: Marriot Has an organizational culture of heavily relying on the United States market instead of global markets which may offer more opportunity and growth and revenue furthermore over-reliance on luxury products instead of having offer low-end products which may double consumer traffic. Another possible weakness may arise out of the flat organizational structure that Marriott uses such a structure may cause confusion amongst management and also make it hard or difficult for expansion programs to take place because it is highly unsuitable for very big organizations with many employees (Koontz Weihrich 2009). But Marriott has minimized these threats by strategically positioning their hotel chains in high end areas that are highly secure and furthermore contracted security firms of high caliber. Long Term Objectives As per definition, the long term objectives of an organization can be dubbed as â€Å"the performance goals of an organization, be it commercial or non commercial, and the plans are intended to be achieved within five years(in some cases ten years)â€Å" (Lim, 2009). Generally, the long term objectives of a concern deal with different aspects of the concern’s development. As per t he classical systems, there are seven different types of Marriott Hotels by the differentiation factors like location and types, and each of the categories are targeted to a different customer base. The hotel industry is one of the most important segments of the service industry. The industry is guided by all the philosophies by the concern. So many commentators believe that to attain all the objectives in the hotel industry, one must do as per their plan and let see what happens. The long term objectives for the Marriott Hotels are mainly concerned with the expansion of the market and retaining its market leader status. For any organization, rather than multinational concern or brand name like Marriott Hotels, plans can be viewed as a direct expression of the different strategies of the concern. For the successful completion of all the objectives, the basic properties of the concern, like the employees and the funding are two most important factors (Porter 2004). The organization, before enlisting any employee takes them through a thorough training program that helps the employees to integrate inside the organization better and understand all the company policies. But to ensure that the employees understand the long term objectives of the company. It is really tough for the new recruits in a company to understand all the objectives of the company as well as ensure revenue. In this aspect the company has to rely on the effective recruitment procedures. Before recruiting any person the company has to decide what the long term objectives are and how the new recruitments will fit into the scheme (Cho, 2009). After that, they will have to select the candidates who can successfully mould themselves with the different needs of the company as time passes. The employees are the main pillars of a company and only they can make a company successful, and as Marriott always takes care of their employees they are ahead in the aspect. Another very important aspect of realiz ing the successful long term developments is the company must keep a steady finance. It can be insured by a healthy market position. It will lure the investors to invest more and more money on the Marriott Hotel, which can help the organization in many ways. They can increase their hotel chain by acquiring new properties, by building hotels or taking lease on hotels, or redecorating to attract new customers. In recent times corporate tie ups play a very important role in the hospitality industry. The Marriott Hotels can try to attain as much as corporate tie ups as possible, which will indirectly promote the brand name of the hotel chain. All these will be considered as the long term objectives of the Marriott Hotels (White, 2005). Business Strategy Keeping in line with its vision and values Marriot strives to be the top most and well known and famous, especially for its products, skills and expertise as a hospitality service provider worldwide. Achieving this is not easy that is wh y Marriott Hotels has set out the company’s organizational objectives which focus on giving special attention and concern to guests while still at the same time checking on the business’s financial growth, all this with an aim of growing the company and maintaining a very competitive strategy that aims to highly differentiating their products (Porter 2004). Marriott hotels has divided its operations into five different business categories which include: Full Service and Lodging; Select Service and Lodging; Timeshare; Extended Stay and Lodging; Synthetic fuel (Camillus 1986). Marriot intends to use competitive strategies to appeal to the market. Companies can either choose to differentiate their products while serving a narrow or a wide market (Bradford et. al 2000). The other option is for a company to follow a cost leadership competitive business strategy which mainly aims to attract consumers by offering affordable products for a wider or narrow market. Marriot thr ough its expensive rooms pursues a highly differentiated product and service approach which often involves charging premium for its services. Therefore Marriot is able to attract consumers who desire to enjoy the highest quality of products and services and are willing to pay for it. Not every Hotel within the industry can be able to pursue such a strategy and therefore in turn Marriot is able to stay ahead of other Industry participants. Marriott’s strengths lie in its strong brands that make it well renowned and a market leader in its industrial market share. It has based its operations in most of the considerable in size, extent, degree, and significance markets worldwide through its brands that include Marriott Hotels Resorts, JW Marriott Hotels Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton, Bulgari Hotels Resorts, Grand Residences by Marriott, Courtyard by Marriott, and Towne Place Suites by Marriott. Marriott enjoys extraordinary brand recall for its products. Another aspect that makes it a cut above the rest is the numerous awards that it has achieved, it was voted the most admired company, 10 years in succession in 2008 by fortune magazine. This list is comprised of players within the hospitality industry and they evaluate the industry using eight accepted standards used in making a decisions and judgments about the hospitality service industry which include; corporate asset utilization, social accountability, financial reliability, management quality, long-term investments, innovation, quality of services and products and people management. The franchise has embarked on launching an innovative sales initiative focused on building a customer base centered at or constituting the customers’ needs. This strategy is termed as the- Sales Force One. The newly launched strategy is intend or planned to prove strong enough to enter and spread through unexploited new markets and in the process simplify Marriott’s sales process for customers. This is made p ossible du tot the strategy’s structure formation which enables customers to transact business with just a singular contact point that acts as a representative of the Marriott franchise (Camillus 1986). This new innovation was brought about by researches undertaken by Marriott identified less motivating general tendencies, behaviors and movements from their customers due to a feeling of disappointment, disorder, exasperation, and weariness caused by unsatisfied desires as a result of having to go through many Marriott employees in booking and reserving rooms. By identifying with this situation where customers found it a very complex method of making their bookings Marriott undertook researches to find out whether their current strategies were efficient and effective in the growth of sales performances among the employees and the business as a whole in both external and internal environments (Chung 2008). Their researches took into consideration all stakeholders associated to it and its employees too as they are the major driving force behind Marriott international. Reactions obtained from a cross-section of respondents who included the company’s sales leaders and contacts interviewed proved clearly and convincingly the need for the franchise group to put in place a logical and unconfused framework of roles and responsibilities for achieving individual goals within the members of the sales team. Consequently the Marriott group in undertaking the creation and implementation of the Sales Force One strategy intends to strengthen and focus on a more customer base centered sales process that defines individual and personal preferences and in turn provides customers with personal sales contact people (Bradford, Duncan Tarcy 2000). Strategies The company can take several strategies to retain its position and competitive edge in global market and further enhance on its popularity. The strategies will centre on keeping the loyal customer base alive and ad ding up new customers. They will have to regularly update their facilities to ensure they must not lag behind in the break neck completion of the global market (Porter 2004). The hotel industry is a highly dynamic industry because consumer needs are always changing and the business environment is subject to technological advancements and other forms of innovation that take place regularly. Keeping the Customer base: Every company in the consumer World has a loyal customer base, and the loyal customers are the most important factor of their company. The company has to device some important promotional strategies so that the customers always come back to their concern. These strategies include providing a superior customized service for its premium products that is consistent with the specific consumer needs (Bradford, R. et. al 2000). Trying to acquire new customer: As with all the aspects, the hospitality industry is getting competitive day by day. So the company has to device new s trategies to allure new customers and try to retain them as far as possible. These will increase the boundaries of the company in a new level. The Marriott has devised many plans and they have recently offered different types of economic class hotels for customers from all the economical bases (Cho, 2010). Furthermore consumers are likely to refer to others using word of mouth and therefore the leadership and staff of Marriot has made it clear to the staff the importance of maximizing the consumer experience so that consumers will always have something good to say. When consumers use Word of mouth and lure other consumers it is cheaper than using other means such as advertisement. Increasing Security: In recent times security has been a very important concern for the Marriott Group. A number of hotels of the Marriott group hotels have been under devastating terrorist attacks in recent times. These attacks not only affect the company financially, they also install fear into the minds of the guests too. The company must take strong security policies and try to increase the budget on the security aspect more than ever. Trying to acquire new properties: There are a huge number of Marriott Hotels throughout the World, but still they have to keep on concentrating to expand their business. Expansion and is a corporate strategy that involves either acquiring and opening up new branches with the aim of serving a larger market in order to increase revenue. Always keep an eye on the competitors: Every day new and new organizations are entering into the hospitality market and many of them are entering into the field with very huge financial backing. It is a known fact that Marriott is a very important brand name, but still they have to keep an eye on the companies and what the strategies the companies are taking to make their concerns popular. Marriott has to devise different strategies to encounter these concerns only to keep their customer base (Anastasiadou, 2008). Org anizational Structure: Organizational structures within companies cause or allow views to be brought forward, or presented as a model to be studied on how those businesses are managed and run. If an organization has a clear framework/structure put in place, it is made very clear within the departments in the organization on who does what and so forth thus leaving no room for sloppy work and blame games erupting due to unfulfilled objectives. Different organizations employ different organizational structures depending on their objectives and what they intend to achieve after a set period of time. These structures may either be flat or tall for example Marriott’s organizational structure takes a flat format. These structures are also used to measure subordinates responsibility levels depending on which department they are in. Organization Structure Organizational structures try to explain the relationships between authorities and communication lines in the organizations (Koontz Weihrich 2009). Organizational structures within companies cause or allow views to be brought forward, or presented as a model to be studied on how those businesses are managed and run. If an organization has a clear framework/structure put in place, it is made very clear within the departments in the organization on who does what and so forth thus leaving no room for sloppy work and blame games erupting due to unfulfilled objectives. Different organizations employ different organizational structures depending on their objectives and what they intend to achieve after a set period of time. These structures may either be flat or tall for example Marriott’s organizational structure takes a flat format. These structures are also used to measure subordinates responsibility levels depending on which department they are in. Marriott’s organization structure is a flat type of organization structure. Such an organizational structure has a limited number of levels of authoriti es that govern the relationships management between staff and managers. The main advantage is that such a systems aims to highly train employees so that employees can be empowered to take part in the decision making process. Frequently consumers in the hotel industry require quick decisions to be made and therefore bureaucratic type of organizational structure is most likely to fail by increasing consumer dissatisfaction and complaints. Marriot hotel is able to apply such an organizational structure because of the numerous franchise units it owns which exist as semi autonomous units. Flat organizational structure encourage a more decentralizes decision making process and therefore elevating the level of responsibility among baseline employees and eliminating unnecessary levels of management (Koontz Weihrich 2009). In such organizational structures the process of decision is much quicker and more efficient in line with customer needs and wants (Kotler 1999). Leadership and Culture M arriott international prides itself in their strong business leadership culture that focuses on making their employees feel more enthusiastic, confident, and stimulated by having strong foundational values which are vital to their continued growth and excellence in the hospitality industry by catering to the exact needs of their consumers with precision (Koontz Weihrich 2009). Achieving objectives and set goals for any organization is very much hinged on having strong leadership frameworks put in place by the management of the organization so as to be able to uphold its core values, vision and purpose that it has set out to achieve in a given time frame. This is evident in the structure organization of the Marriott franchise where strong firmness is put on a strong business culture, aiming to be the top of not only the hospitality industry that it is a huge player in, but over other top companies worldwide(Kocher, Pogrebna, Sutter 2009). A strong leadership culture is a key aspect in the maintenance of the interrelationship between top management and employees. Top management must lead the organizations’ employees by setting of examples of efficiency and effectiveness within the work place through walking the talk in terms of behavior, action, values and cultural practices within a company. Set out objectives and goals compounded with values and visions of an organization do not mean anything where an organization does not have a clearly set out culture in and of leadership (Kefela, 2010). This results to bogus employees and a lack of loyalty from customers. Managers can learn from past practices on how to instill a strong cultural leadership by not only talking and making big speeches to their employees but by acting out whatever they speak, as workers learn better from watching examples. Becoming a strong leader within any organization is not inborn and has to be learned and achieved. Kefela (2010) argues that it is a process whereby the top manager s are supposed to inspire their subordinates through: building team morale and being able to keep it up at a high; maintenance of a high set of standards of discipline; clearly defining and arbitration of roles for the employees; designing logical work plans; proper resource allocation; periodical employee appraisal; proper communication between management and the team; quality control and periodical performance checks; be able to tackle individual problems of different employees; praising and giving credit where it is due; handling conflicts and being able to reconcile them and providing team training on a constant basis. Organizations resolved to meet their set out goals and objectives and capabilities are obliged to adjust and align themselves towards development of the necessary or appropriate frameworks for a specific purpose in its internal composition. All the above aspects should be able to maintain particular standards or/and repeat particular tasks with minimal variations to set out objectives which needs to have the top management’s devotion and dedication, continuing without changing, stopping, or being interrupted in space or time as a necessary precondition to achievement of their objectives. Comparison to another company Grand Hyatt Is a distinct participant in the hotel industry which serves both business and leisure oriented consumers in with five star hotels and resorts located in major cities (i.e. Dubai, Singapore, New York, Australia, Mumbai, Seoul) of the world. The core geographic location of their business is located in Asia. Grand Hyatt is known for their high quality and impressive lobby environments, dining facilities, state of the art technology, fitness facilities and business facilities (Stem 2006). Furthermore Hyatt aims to satisfy its customers by ensuring a highly comfortable stay and therefore the company has gone ahead to offer consumers individual air conditioning facilities, high internet speed facilities together wi th iPod docking facilities. A high degree of service and product differentiation can be a good strategy for competing with other industry participants and therefore Hyatt maximizes on these (Kotler 2003). The grand Hyatt hotels are five star hotels with superior interior deco that is in line with the company’s business strategies of offering highly differentiated premium services that give their consumers the total consumer experience (Stem 2006). It is by having superior facilities and services that Hyatt is able to maintain a competitive edge above many industry participants. For example The Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay is located in the middle of 35 acre wildlife preserve and is only two miles from the international airport making it very convenient for both business executives and also leisure clientele (Stem 2006). Hyatt and its worldwide franchises are known to offer excellent customer services, high degrees of cleanliness, and good strategic geographic positioning that is lik ely to make it easy for consumers to move from place to place. Conclusion The hotel industry exists in a highly complex and dynamic industry which requires that consumer needs and desires be taken very serious. Opinions and desires of consumers are therefore the key to success of this industry this is because the process of planning and creating short-term and long-term strategy depends on the needs and wants of the market. Even more essential is the implementation of the plan and the key to achievement is innovation. Planning is not a static issue. It is inherently iterative. This is where business models come into play. Alex Osterwalder defines a business model as â€Å"nothing else than a representation of how an organization makes (or intends to make) money† (White, 2005). Nevertheless, the actual definition of a business model remains ambiguous. Rightly so, because it is something perceived by a manager who is an individual entity and each individual has his own percepti on. The concept of business model gained popularity only in the recent past. Owing to reduced processing costs, accumulating and distributing information to business units and other intermediates and finally to the client became possible. New methodologies stared being used. Innovation became the order of the day which lead to mature products and services and increased customer base. In the context of the study, the company is already a world class brand name with more hotels and resorts than any other concern. It has a stable loyal customer base and it recently added economic accommodations. They are considered to be the best in many aspects of hospitality. The recent addition of expensive rooms are not only an worthy addition of their brand name but also can be promoted as a marketing strategy as the furniture of the room can be sold in market successfully, like the Marriott bed. Thus, with proper decisions and marketing application the company can surely be the World leader in Ho spitality. References Anastasiadou, C. (2008). Stakeholder perspectives on the European Union tourism policy framework and their preferences on the type of involvement. International Journal of Tourism Research, 10(3), 221-235. Bradford, R. et. al (2000). simplified strategic planning: a no-nonsense guide for busy people who want results fast. Worcester, MA: Chandler House Press. Camillus, J. (1986). Strategic planning and management control: systems for survival and success. Lexington, KY: Lexington Books. Cho, V. (2009). A study on the temporal dynamics of tourism demand in the Asia Pacific Region. International Journal of Tourism Research, 11(5), 465-485. Cho, V. (2010). A study of the non-economic determinants in tourism demand. International Journal of Tourism Research, 12(4), 307-320. Chung, L. (2008). Integrating hotel environmental strategies with management control: a structuration approach. Business Strategy and the Environment, 17(4), 272-286. Kefela, G.T. (2010). Underst anding Organizational Culture and Leadership -Enhance Efficiency and Productivity. PM World, 12(1), 1-10. Kocher, M.G., Pogrebna, G. Sutter, (2009) Other-Regarding Preferences and Leadership Styles. IZA Discussion Paper No. 4080. Koontz, H., Weihrich, H. (2009). Essence of Management an International Perspective, New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill. Kotler, P. (1999).Principles of marketing, (2nd edn), New York: Prentice Hall. Kotler, P. (2003), Marketing Insights from A to Z: 80 concepts every manager needs to know, New Jersey: John Wiley Sons Inc. Lim, C. (2009). Beyond sustainability: optimizing tourism development. International Journal of Tourism Research 11(1), 89-103. Lugosi, P. (2008). Hospitality spaces, hospitable moments: consumer encounters and affective experiences in commercial settings. Journal of Foodservice, 19(2), 139-149. O’Brien, R. (1995). Marriott: the J. Willard Marriott story. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Co. Oviedo-Garcia, A. (2008). Gaining residents support for tourism and planning. International Journal of Tourism Research 10(2), 95-109. Stem, B.S., (2006). Sterns Guide to the Greatest Resorts of the World. Florida: Stern’s Travel Guides Ltd. White, C. (2005). The relationship between cultural values and individual work values in the hospitality industry. International Journal of Tourism Research, 7(4-5), 221-229.

The History of Life on Earth

The History of Life on Earth The Carboniferous Period is a geologic time period that took place between 360 to 286 million years ago. The Carboniferous Period is named after the rich coal deposits that are present in rock layers from this time period. The Age of Amphibians The Carboniferous Period is also known as the Age of Amphibians. It is the fifth of six geologic periods that together make up the Paleozoic Era. The Carboniferous Period is preceded by the Devonian Period and followed by the Permian Period. The climate of the Carboniferous Period was quite uniform (there were no distinct seasons) and it was more humid and tropical than our present-day climate. The plant life of the Carboniferous Period resembled modern tropical plants. The Carboniferous Period was a time when the first of many animal groups evolved: the first true bony fishes, the first sharks, the first amphibians, and the first amniotes. The appearance of the amniotes is evolutionarily significant because of the amniotic egg, the defining characteristic of amniotes, enabled the ancestors of modern reptiles, birds, and mammals to reproduce on land and colonize terrestrial habitats that were previously uninhabited by vertebrates.   Mountain Building The Carboniferous Period was a time of mountain building when the collision of the Laurussian and Gondwanaland land masses formed the supercontinent Pangea. This collision resulted in the uplifting of mountain ranges such as the Appalachian Mountains, the Hercynian Mountains, and the Ural Mountains. During the Carboniferous Period, the vast oceans that covered the earth often flooded the continents, creating warm, shallow seas. It was during this time that the armored fish that had been abundant in the Devonian Period became extinct and were replaced by more modern fishes. As the Carboniferous Period progressed, the uplifting of landmasses resulted in an increase in erosion and the building of floodplains and river deltas. The increased freshwater habitat meant that some marine organisms such as corals and crinoids died out. New species that were adapted to the reduced salinity of these waters evolved, such as freshwater clams, gastropods, sharks, and bony fish. Vast Swamp Forests Freshwater wetlands increased and formed vast swamp forests. Fossil remains show that air-breathing insects, arachnids, and myriapods were present during the Late Carboniferous. The seas were dominated by sharks and their relatives and it was during this period that sharks underwent much diversification. Arid Environments   Land snails first appeared and dragonflies and mayflies diversified. As the land habitats dried, animals evolved ways of adapting to the arid environments. The amniotic egg enabled early tetrapods to break free of the bonds to aquatic habitats for reproduction. The earliest known amniote is Hylonomus, a lizard-like creature with a strong jaw and slender limbs. Early tetrapods diversified significantly during the Carboniferous Period. These included the temnospondyls and the anthracosaurs. Finally, the first diapsids and synapsids evolved during the Carboniferous. By the middle the Carboniferous Period, tetrapods were common and quite diverse. The varied in size (some measuring up to 20 feet in length). As the climate grew cooler and drier, the evolution of amphibians slowed and the appearance of amniotes lead to a new evolutionary path.

Flextronics International Singapore Limited Case Study

Flextronics International Singapore Limited - Case Study Example Though this is not contract manufacturing the company has successfully combined the contract manufacturing with the innovation of the products according to the market need of low cost handsets. At the same time the company acquired to boost its product line by acquiring the Solectron. This denotes the sense of the company that thinks about increasing the production capacity within least possible time. Increasing the production capacity by new constructions can consume time and the company decided to acquire the rival company to boost its production in least possible time. Flextronics International Singapore Limited is the second largest multinational corporate company providing electronics manufacturing services. They are the original equipment manufacturers in networking, computer, medical and consumer products. Flextronics is one of the major global companies engaged in designing and manufacturing operations. They spread over 28 countries in 4 continents. The innovative product design and manufacturing services coupled with specialized services and IT expertise with unique management strategies place Flextronics as a top-tier EMS provider. With 1, 60, 000 thousand employees worldwide and a $12 billion revenue backbone, the company is marching forward to reach its zenith globally. The company's Headquarters is in Singa... The current analytical study of Flextronics International Singapore Limited is carried out considering their marketing strategy of the brand products and services satisfying the innate biogenic and psychogenic needs of the consumers, with that of the company's competitors, on an international level. The assessment of the company's profile and the strategies developed by them to satiate the demands and aspirations of the consumers are done on the basis of the psychological behavioral pattern propagated by the theory of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The company was founded to satisfy the needs of silicon valley clients by catering to their needs of printed circuit boards. This analytical study of the company is executed on realizing the fact that the consumer's biogenic or physiological needs such as food, water, clothing, housing, sex, reproduction, safety etc., will grow to a certain limit and stand still or will become stable after achieving it to its maximum, whereas the psychogenic needs such as self esteem or ego, self-respect and prestige, status and self-fulfillment, thirst for knowledge, culture, aesthetic sense etc. will never reach that maximum, but will grow and expand its realms, to reach a higher level the moment it is fulfilled and at the same time groping all over without an aim or having any knowledge as to what is that needed and where it could be found. As the company takes into account the psychogenic needs of its customers in developing the products, there can be no limit for the development of its existing products and innovation of the new products. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs, viewed on 12th Septem ber, 2007). To support the above study the

Human Resource Integrated Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Resource Integrated Systems - Essay Example Nowadays due to developing high technologies such systems are used practically by all companies. They are constantly being improved and complemented with additional services. That is why it is possible to draw a conclusion that integrated system play a very important role in every private or public activity. Most of the companies can't imagine their work without these systems as well as without computers. HRIS is a great helper in dealing with human resources. (Reh 2005) The primary functions of the HRIS within the business organization are to monitor the availability of skilled workers, to recruit and to screen applicants for jobs, to help in selecting qualified employees, etc. HRIS can automate and store all the mentioned functions. It is similar to software system, but it is used by employers not by customers. The systems are told to be robust and such as integrate "with third party solutions for payroll tax tables and more". (Human Resources Information System) HRIS disciplinary process gives the opportunity to "flag" employees' records, to send different reminders to diaries and to delete reminders automatically when are not used. (Human Resources Information System) Keeping all copies of employees' certificate

Just say Know! Essay Example for Free

Just say Know! Essay Intelligent consideration of the war on drugs may lead one to believe that it is inexplicable, irrational and unsustainable. It is none of these. It is a rational subterfuge perpetrated for a particular purpose, namely, the profits resulting from the importation and distribution of huge quantities of heroin and cocaine, and those who are behind the war on drugs are the same as those who are responsible for the widespread use of these addictive and life-destroying drugs. Unless they are stopped the war on drugs and all its attendant horrors will continue to ruin America. Just one CIA drug ring, that of Rafael Caro Quintero and Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo based in Guadalajara, Mexico was smuggling four tons A MONTH into the U. S. during the same period! Other operations including Manuel Noriega (Panama), John Hull (Costa Rica), Felix Rodriguez (El Salvador), Juan Ramon Matta Ballesteros (Honduras) and elements of the Guatemalan and Honduran military were dealing close to two hundred tons a year or close to 70% of total U. S. consumption at the same time! All of them have been connected to CIA by documentation and testimony which already exists! This coke was smoked, snorted and injected by people of every race and in every state; in the cities and on the farms. — http://www. radio4all. org/crackcia/sjmn. html The CIA smuggling cocaine? U. S. covert action organizations responsible for flooding the U. S. with addictive drugs? Farfetched? Far from it — the evidence is now overwhelming. Put simply, in order to keep making enormous profits, those responsible for the distribution of addictive drugs in the U. S. (and it is not only the CIA) must keep the use of these drugs illegal. Were drug use legalized their profits would disappear overnight. So how to keep drugs illegal? Simply buy up enough legislators to block any steps toward revealing the facts of the matter or toward reversal of the present state of prohibition. The profits of the drug lords, and the corruption of the legislators, makes this possible. So drug use is demonized, those who use drugs are turned into criminals, and to make it appear that the authorities are sincere in their attempts to combat the drug problem hundreds of thousands of drug users are arrested and thrown into jail for up to forty years. Those responsible for this, and for the addiction of millions of Americans and others for the sake of profit, can only be described as evil. Not only are users of the life-destroying drugs heroin and cocaine caught up in this pogrom but also users of non-addictive life-enhancing drugs such as LSD, THC (marijuana), psilocybin (mushrooms) and MDMA (ecstasy). The users of such substances are often some of the kindest and most non-violent people youll ever meet (Ive met plenty of them), but for the sake of perpetuating the profits of the drug lords (both American and foreign) many of them have had their lives ruined and most of the rest live in fear of persecution. Its about time that Americans woke up to the fact that it is the prohibition of drugs which is making possible these profits, is corrupting their government and which is likely (if not corrected) to be the ruin of their country. The information regarding who is profiting from the illegal status of drug usage is available now, and no-one will be able to say, as the good Germans of the Nazi era said, we didnt know. Just say Know! On 1997-05-22 the late Terence McKenna said, on the Art Bell radio talk show, in response to a callers question as to why psychoactive drugs are illegal: Let me say this I mean, Im a bit of a pessimist on this subject. Because I take psychedelics so seriously, I cant imagine them ever being really legal unless theres a total social transformation because my analysis of it is, the reason everybody from a Marxist state to a Christian oligarchy to a high-tech industrial democracy can get together and agree that psychedelics are a terrible terrible thing is because the social effects of psychedelics being taken by large numbers of people is a kind of deconditioning from the cultural myths, whatever they are. Its no knock on any given society, its just that if people start taking psychedelics, they start questioning what theyve been told about reality. And culture is in the business of keeping you inside a set of predetermined answers to those questions. Although McKenna had some interesting to say about drug usage (and called for the legalization of all drugs), here he missed the main point entirely. It is true that psychedelics are de-conditioning agents, and that they lead to questioning of mainstream premises defining reality (and perhaps even contribute to the dreaded questioning of authority — though no drugs are needed for this), but this is not the fundamental reason that the Drug War continues. The fundamental reason is money. As stated above, it is the enormity of the profits from the international illicit drug trade that requires drugs to remain prohibited. Nothing much can be done to end the Drug War until this fact is recognized (recognition will come more quickly to those who read James Mills book, The Underground Empire). To assert, as McKenna did, that prohibition continues because legislators are afraid of youth questioning authority, suggests that the solution is to reassure and re-educate those legislators so that they see the light. Such a re-education is certainly desirable, but it will do very little to bring an end to the Drug War as long as the fundamental economic basis for prohibition is not recognized and acknowledged. In the meantime the insanity continues †¢ The late Peter McWilliams wrote: Prisons are filled to capacity and beyond. In most areas an early-release program has been instituted which, of course, fails to differentiate between prisoners whose crimes had innocent victims [e. g. theft, assault and rape] and prisoners whose crimes did not [e. g. marijuana smokers]. This puts truly dangerous criminals out on the street sooner, giving them extra months, and in some cases years, to rape, rob and plunder. Due to overcrowding caused by the War on Drugs, prisons (not enjoyable places under the best of conditions) have become intolerable. Some of them violate the constitutional guarantee against cruel and unusual punishment. With the overcrowding, any hope of rehabilitation, job placement, counseling, therapy, or achieving any other high-minded goals is completely derailed. — Aint Nobodys Business If You Do, p. 242. And the carnage continues †¢ P. B. Floyd: Weighing The Harms In 1980, Californias prisons held 23,511 inmates or 1 in 1006 residents. By 1994, about 125,000 were incarcerated, or 1 in 256. By the year 2000, the California Department of Corrections projects that 1 in 146 people in California will be in prison. Drug offenses were responsible for 25 percent of the US prison population in 1995, up from only 8 percent in 1980. About 220,000 drug prisoners were held in state prisons in 1995, up 1070 percent from 1980. Over 70 percent of the arrests have been for possession of drugs, not sale or manufacture. Over 200,000 prisoners of the Drug War in the State of California alone — victims of a vicious and depraved pogrom occurring right under the noses of the citizens, most of whom are willing to look the other way, like the good Germans of the 1930s. As regards state persecution of minorities there is no difference between sending a person to prison for smoking pot and sending a person to a labor camp for being a member of a group which lights candles in memory of deceased relatives on Friday evenings. In both cases the imprisonment is done by Nazis or those with the mentality of Nazis. And if you think this comparison of drug warriors to Nazis is far-fetched, just take a look at the book mentioned above, R. L. Millers Drug Warriors and Their Prey: From Police Power to Police State. If you read this book you wont be able to say to your children, I didnt know what was happening. Jonathan Blumen: What I Learned From Auschwitz The article by P. B. Floyd discusses the following harms resulting from the war on drugs: o Incarceration Boom and Lives wasted in prison o Addicts cant get effective treatment o Increased AIDS Cases o Civil Liberties Lost o Increased street and organized crime o Waste of billions o Third world dictators supported Yet this War has been going on for twenty years and is still being promoted by the U. S. and other cryptofascist governments despite the massive evidence of its harm. What is really going on that this can happen? †¢ U. S. Prison Population Sets New Record in 1996 [Page removed from Yahoo and also from the Wayback Machine. ] The U. S. prison population increased by about 55,900 inmates last year, reaching a record 1,182,000 at the end of 1996 and posing new problems with overcrowding, the Justice Department reported Sunday. The report attributed the increase in the state prison population over the decade to more black drug offenders and more white violent offenders behind bars. Other factors included a sharp increase in the number of people imprisoned for drug offenses. — Reuters, 1997-06-23 †¢ U. S. Prison Population Slowed in 96 [Page removed by the L. A. Times] Counting both prison and jail inmates, more than 1. 6 million adults were behind bars as of last June 30, an incarceration rate of 615 inmates for every 100,000 U. S. residents. That rate of imprisonment put the nation second only to Russia, which had a rate of 690 inmates per 100,000 residents in 1995, the last available figure. The two countries imprison a far higher proportion of their citizens than any other country in the world. — Los Angeles Times, 1997-06-23 †¢ STATE PRISONS EXPECTED TO GROW 37% BY 2003 Californias already crowded prisons are projected to add 57,733 inmates by 2003, a 37 percent increase, state officials said Wednesday. The Department of Corrections said the states adult prisons now house 155,687 prisoners, compared with 66,965 in 1987. Officials predict that the population will reach 202,855 in 2002 and 213,420 the next year. — Orange County Register, 1997-12-11, page 4.

scar :: essays research papers

f one looks underneath the profanity and perceived brutal violence of Scarface, they will find an admirable all-round motion picture. However, for those who have an open mind and are unwilling to dig deep, Scarface is still one cool film. Antonio 'Tony' Montana (Al Pacino) has just arrived from Cuba along with his friend Manolo Ray (Steven Bauer) and about 125 000 other Cubans. It seems Fidel Castro has opened a Cuban port allowing Cubans to go to the United States. Unbeknownst to the U.S. though, Castro has secretly cleared his jails and included prisoners with the refugees (guess what group Tony and Manolo belong to, *wink wink*). Tony is an ambitious person; he wants the world. He always says what is on his mind and does not let people take advantage of him. His attitude eventually lands him a job with Drug Lord Frank Lopez (Robert Loggia). Lopez immediately takes a liking to Tony, who takes a liking to Lopez’s trophy girlfriend Elvira (Michelle Pfeiffer). Lopez is not greedy; he is happy with the state of his business, but less happy with Elvira’s cocaine addiction. As Scarface progresses, it details Tony’s rise in the drug business as well as his relationships with his partner Manolo, his sister Gina (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) -of whom he is overprotective- and Elvira. Scarface is loosely based on the original 1932 Scarface (directed by Howard Hawks and based on real life gangster Al Capone). The talented Brian De Palma (Carrie, 1976) directs the ‘remake’, written by another famous director: Oliver Stone (Midnight Express, 1978). Stone deserves real credit for his gritty yet accurate depiction of the drug industry. Stone, who was himself struggling with a cocaine addiction at the time, interviewed both Law Enforcement officials and drug dealers before writing his script. The lack of positive characters and an unconventional ending is also praiseworthy since it makes this film into an atypical Hollywood movie. Brian De Palma’s direction in this film is slick. While the plot is very violent, the movie shows only some of this violence. De Palma expertly cuts the camera away from some scenes at the last second, showing us the actor’s reaction rather than the deed. Visually the movie uses bright colours, with a focus on neon and whites. While this sounds contrary to the dark nature of the character’s actions, it fits nicely with the colours of Miami and its people.

In “A Rose for Emily,” William Faulkner

In â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† William Faulkner explores what encourages and what happens due to insanity. Emily Grierson’s life is narrated through, we can assume, a member of the community to which she belonged— â€Å"belongedâ€Å" is used   because she is already deceased at the beginning of the short story. Faulkner avoids telling the story chronologically and instead tells us about Emily’s past in a way similar to the way the human mind works—a series of memories all jumbled up.Emily, we find out, lived a life under an overly controlling father—she practically had no social life to speak of. Her father was basically the only person in her life so it is not surprising—although shocking—that she clings to him even after he dies. Upon his death, she goes out in the town and defies the set rules of society by seeing a man under her status. Fraternizing with this man, Homer Barron, may have had a positive impact on her life; h owever, Homer is â€Å"not a marrying man† (29), which turns out to be absolutely devastating for Emily. Emily, we can conclude from her father’s death, does not deal well with strife.The heartbreak is too much for her and causes her madness to lash out. Emily’s yearning for someone to love combined with her insanity leads her to commit deeds that a sane person would never do such as killing a man, leaving the decaying body in her house, lying next to the corpse, and perhaps even committing acts of necrophilia. Looking at Emily’s story, it is quite frightening to think of the extent of damage that madness can compel people to inflict. It is very probable that Emily did not realize how horrific her actions were.  Truth to tell William Faulkner’s â€Å" A Rose for Emily† is an incredibly fascinating story about a woman who practiced necrophilia. The story is about a woman who poison's her boyfriend and keeps his body in a bed in her upstairs room for decades. No one ever exits or enters her old house except for her negro manservant.And what is necrophilia, exactly and how do we prove by using the text of   â€Å" A Rose for Emily†Ã‚   that indeed, Emily Grierson was a necrophiliac? Necrophilia for Mirriam-Webster would mean, â€Å"obsession with an usually erotic interest   in corpses or erotic interest in the stimulation by corpses†.   Medical dictionaries would define â€Å"necrophilism† to be , â€Å"1. A morbid fondness for being in the presence of dead bodies,   and   2. The impulse to have sexual contact, or the act of such contact, with a dead body, usually of males with female corpses.†Necrophilia can best be described as sexual arousal stimulated by a dead body. The stimulation can be either in the form of fantasies or actual physical sexual contact with the corpse.   Legends with necrophilic themes are common throughout history and the concept of sexual interference wit h the dead has been known and abhorred since the ancient Egyptians, as noted by Herodotus:â€Å"When the wife of a distinguished man dies, or any woman who happens to be beautiful or well known, her body is not given to the embalmers immediately, but only after the lapse of three or four days. This is a precautionary measure to prevent the embalmers from violating her corpse, a thing which is actually said to have happened in the case of a woman who had just died.†The symptoms of necrophilia are as follows: necrophilia are the presence, over a period of at least six months, of recurrent and intense urges and sexually arousing fantasies involving corpses which are either acted upon or have been markedly distressing. And the manifestations are said to be characterized by the following data. There is a broad spectrum of necrophilic behaviors, ranging from fantasies alone to murder for the sake   of procuring a dead body.   Faulkner’s Emily did commit murder in order t o have   a dead man’s body to sleep beside with, â€Å" I want arsenic,† (28) Emily tells the druggist in Faulkner’s story. That she is about to commit murder is only implied, and the truth is seen towards the end of the narrative.Experts have subcategorized the paraphilia according to where it falls on that spectrum. â€Å"Necrophilic fantasies† of corpses, never acted upon, still fall within the scope of necrophilia and some authors have categorized this as a â€Å"neurotic equivalent† to necrophilia. â€Å" Then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indentation of a head. One of us lifted something from it, and leaning forward, that faint and invisible dust dry and acrid in the nostrils, we saw a long strand of iron-gray hair.† (31) In this quote, the readers can deduce that, at the very least, Emily had lain beside the dead body of Homer Barron.â€Å"Pseudonecrophilia† describes isolated incidents where the sexual contact with the corpse may happen without pre-existing fantasies or desire to have sexual contact with the body. Even in its truest form, necrophilia can be quite varied, ranging from simply being in the presence of a corpse to kissing, fondling or performing sexual intercourse or cunnilingus on the body. The presence of other paraphilias or personality disorders, however, can manifest in more grotesque or sadistic elements such as mutilation of the corpse, drinking the blood or urine, or homicide (â€Å"necrophilic homicide† or â€Å"necrosadism†).The latter is the most disturbing end of the spectrum. Although assumed rare, many have argued that necrophilia may be more prevalent than statistics imply, given that the act would be carried out in secret with a victim unable to complain and given the length of time which the paraphilia has been recognized.   Ã‚  But if Emily had used arsenic to poison and murder Homer, then she could not have been capable of performing an act of necrophilic homicide, for, how many times can you poison an already deceased and poisoned man?Although the act of murder itself may generate the subsequent sexual frenzy, research has determined an alarming rate of homicide in order to obtain a body for subsequent sexual violation. Rosman and Resnick   int their study, â€Å"Necrophilia: An analysis of 122 cases involving necrophilic acts and fantasies† found that 42% of their study sample of necrophiles had murdered in order to obtain a body.Researchers have determined, however, that sadism itself is not usually an intrinsic characteristic of true necrophilia. (74) In all cases, there is undoubtedly sexual preference for a corpse rather than a living woman.   And this is what makes William Faulkner’s Emily, unique. In the plot is a reversal of the symptoms manifest   that is â€Å"usual† in the cases of necrophilia. Emily, is a woman, who preferred the company and sexual â€Å"comfort† of a dea d man.When no other act of cruelty – cutting into pieces etc., – is practiced on the corpse, it is probable that the lifeless condition itself, forms the stimulus for the perverse individual. Homer Barron, as implied in the story, was maybe going to flee Emily, hence she resorted to murder by poison, â€Å"   When she had first begun to be seen with Homer Barron, we had said, â€Å" She will marry him.†Ã‚   Then we said, â€Å" She will persuade him yet,†Ã‚  Ã‚   because Homer   himself had remarked- he liked men, and it was known that he drank with the younger men in the Elks Club- that he was not a marrying man. (29)Kraft-Ebing   states in his, â€Å"Psychopathia sexualis†   It is possible that the corpse – a human form absolutely without will – satisfies an abnormal desire, in that the object of desire is seen to be capable of absolute subjugation, without possibility of resistance (89).What happened after the incident of the poisoning can only be guessed at, but in this telling of the life of Emily Grierson there is proof, that Emily as able to â€Å"persuade† –â€Å" her† Homer Barron, only that he was not someone hard to persuade, he was already dead, after all, â€Å" The violence of breaking down the door seemed to fill this room with pervading dust.A thin, acrid pall as of the tomb seemed to lie everywhere upon this room decked and furnished as for a bridal: upon the valance curtains of faded rose color, upon the rose-shaded lights, upon the dressing table, upon the delicate array of crystal and the man’s toilet things backed with tarnished silver, silver so tarnished that the monogram was obscured. Among them lay a tie, as if they had just been removed, which, lifted, left upon the surface a pale crescent in the dust.† (30)Most individuals have been reported to be heterosexual. This was not a sick and twisted scenario meant to be feasted on by literary critic s who work with queer gender theory, Emily was not gay, Homer could have been, but, â€Å" Upon a chair hung the suit, carefully folded; beneath it the two mute shoes and the discarded socks. The man himself lay in bed. (30)†Ã‚   –yes, Homer was a man, he was Emily’s man.As with the other paraphilias, necrophilia often occurs in conjunction with other paraphilias. Again, readers can only make intelligent inferences as to how, just exactly, did the things of Homer( made of silver ) get to become so tarnished, if by air corrosion alone? Could it be that at some point or the other, Emily infused them with fluids from her body, through acts that are too â€Å" horrifying† to speak of in this paper, but you get the picture.The individual should be assessed for associated psychopathology and treated accordingly. Treatment for necrophilia would be similar to that prescribed for most paraphilias: cognitive therapy, use of sex-drive reducing medications, assistanc e with improving social and sexual relations, etc. Sadly, Emily could not have been treated, she had chosen to isolation after her crime, â€Å" Now and then, we would see her at a window for a moment, as the men did that night when they sprinkled lime , but for almost six months, she did not appear on the streets. (29) For that time on her front door remained closed, save for a period of six and seven years, when she was about forty, during which she gave lessons in china painting (29).In conclusions then, there really is enough evidence in the text that Emily Grierson [ of William Faulkner ] had managed to make herself the necrophilic lover of Mr. Homer Barron.  And so , the world can only offer, â€Å" a rose† for Emily, for she can no longer answer for her gruesome acts, not that she ever could.WORKS CITED:Cole, Isaac, ed. â€Å" The Life and   Works of Herodotus.†Ã‚  Ã‚   New Land Press: London, 1990.Faulkner, William. â€Å"A Rose for Emily.† Literatu re: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama Interactive Edition. Eds. Kennedy, X.J and Gioia Dana. United States: Pearson Longman. 2005. 29 – 36.Krafft-Ebing, R. von. â€Å" Psychopathia sexualis.†New York: Stein & Day, 1986, (Original work published in 1886)Rosman, J. & Resnick, P. â€Å"Necrophilia: An analysis of 122 cases involving necrophilic acts and fantasies†. Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law,1989.

Absorption Costing vs. Variable (Direct) Costing

Absorption Costing vs. Variable (Direct) Costing Absorption cost systems are widely used to prepare financial accounts. These systems are designed to absorb all production costs (variable or fixed) into costs of units produced. Absorption costs techniques allow manufacturing costs to be traced and allocated into product costs. There are different types of absorption costing systems: job order costing, process costing, and ABC costing. In job order costing, costs are assigned to products in batches or lots, and the costs of each specific batch are traced separately using job order cost’ sheets. In process costing, products are produced in a continuous process and costs are systematically assigned to the product. In ABC costing, costs are assigned from cost centers to products. Because a unit’s cost in the absorption cost systems are made of variable and fixed costs, they can be very misleading. Absorption cost systems can incentive overproduction when the overhead rate is calculated based on units produced, and units produced is higher than units sold. In order to calculate this overhead cost, one should divide the total fixed cost by units produced and multiply the result by units sold. This overhead rate will be lower when more units are produced and when variable and fixed costs remain constant. In this process, fixed costs are being spread over more units, thus lowering unit’s cost. This technique allows profit to increase when production increases, and quantity of units produced is higher than quantity of units sold. In this case some of the fixed costs are divided by units and part of the total production (including its costs) is inventoried. The costs inventoried are not transferred to the income statement, thus increasing profits for that period, and misleading managers to overproduce. In some cases, managers do not understand how this costing process works. In the majority of the cases, they are only worried about increasing production and lowering units’ cost. Other managers that have their compensation linked to the period’s profit also feel motivated to overproduce, once profit increases as quantity produced increases. There are many ways to decrease the incentive of overproduction. The first one charges inventory holding costs against profits. In this process, inventory values are increased by the costs of capital plus warehousing costs. Managers that are evaluated based on residual income, tend to dislike this system; first, because it increases data processing complexity, and second, because it decreases residual income when there is an overproduction and an increase in inventory. This system does not eliminate completely the incentive to overproduce, but it makes overproduction less profitable to managers. The second technique that aims to reduce the incentive of overproduction is based on a strict policy against building inventories. This can be done through contracts stating that bonuses tied to net income will not be paid if inventories exceed a certain amount. A third method would be to base managers’ compensation on stock prices instead of accounting earnings. This method will inhibit managers’ actions that could damage the company’s profit maximization plan. However, in cases where the company has more than one plant, overproduction has a small effect on the value of the firm. This factor decreases the efficiency of stock-based compensation to eliminate or reduce overproduction incentive. The forth method consists of the implementation of just-in-time production systems. Because this process does not begin until a part or a total order is made by customers, it reduces inventory levels. In this system, the decision rights are made by demand-driven market orders. Here the production levels are determined by demand, not by managers. Just-in-time systems reduce inventories, thus reducing the incentive to overproduce. Companies can control managers’ incentive to overproduce by adopting variable costing systems. These systems write off all fixed manufacturing costs as a period cost, which will not allow profit increases with overproduction. In variable costing, product costs are made up only of variable costs. Fixed manufacturing costs are considered period costs and are written off. Variable costing and absorption costing differ from each other in the way that they treat fixed costs. Under variable costing, fixed manufacturing costs are written off as a period expense. As for absorption costing, fixed manufacturing costs are included as part of product costs. The advantages of variable costing are that the product’s cost does not change depending on volume change, and it reduces the incentive for overproduction. It is important to notice that when production and sales are equal, absorption costing and variable costing will have the same profit amount. Variable costing systems’ benefits might not exceed its total costs, a fact that contributes to the systems unpopularity.

Essay on The Audacity of a Woman

Essay on The Audacity of a Woman Essay on The Audacity of a Woman The Audacity of a Woman Tabitha Ponder His 204 American History Since 1865 Professor Aubrey Underwood November 4, 2013 Being a woman of myself, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the historical events and developments that presented new opportunities for women (or lack of) to grow and develop into different roles of equality in society which would present them with a better quality of life. While women once had few life options beyond isolation in the domestic sphere, what historical developments presented new opportunities for women in society? In my opinion, I think that the two wars, World War I and World War II did a lot to help women step out into other roles in society. Prior to the twentieth century, women had very few opportunities. Primarily, the most a woman could look forward to in life was fulfilling domestic roles. Those roles were primarily, marriage, being a housewife, and rearing children. Although taking care of a home and tending to her children and spouse would seem to be a fulfilling life for a woman, there were some women with interests and skills that could not utilize them due to the conformity that she had thrust upon her by society (Bowels, 2011). Even though women did have a say in some areas of her life and household, she did not have any authority in society. A woman’s body was not even considered her own when she was married, but her husband’s. Back then, women lived in a male dominated world. First her father and then her husband had sole authority and domination over her (Smith, 2002). Even any assets that a woman would bring into the house did not belong to her, but to her husband. These would include any inco me or inheritance she would receive. All of which would become the property of her husband. Being a woman of the 21st century, I cannot imagine being the sole property, so to speak, of my husband or another person. It resembles the life of someone who is enslaved. Over the course of the history of woman’s suffrage, in general women had less career opportunities than the men. Parenthood and being the good wife were considered as women’s most important jobs. Although birth rates fell in the nineteenth century, motherhood became a full time occupation for women, rather than one task amongst many for both parents. I can identify with being a mother fulltime. Prior to having children, I worked outside the home. After giving birth to my second child, I stayed home for six years. Women remained largely outside political life, but enjoyed access to education. I was also able to pursue my education as a fulltime Mom I was able to obtain my AAS in Accounting. So, being a fulltime mother does have its advantages, in addition to being there to see your children grow. Plus they developed their own institutions for a distinctive female discourse. Over the course of the century, many women used the private sphere to which they had been

Lawyers Work in All Types of Employment Settings

Lawyers Work in All Types of Employment Settings Lawyers work in all types of employment settings and may do some work for every type of employer out there, whether large or small. To simplify, note that lawyers are found in several contexts. Several lawyers have their own private practice while others work in sectors such as the government, social policy agencies, or another type of business. Learn how lawyers work in various settings and how they set the track for their legal career. Private Practice A handful of lawyers work independently in solo practices but most practicing lawyers work as part of a larger team of lawyers.  Over three-quarters of the one million-plus licensed attorneys in the nation work in private practice.  Those employed in a law firm can work as partners and associates, however, these firms also tend to hire legal professionals for other duties, such as legal secretaries, clerks, litigation support and more.  The average annual salary for a lawyer in private practice is $137,000. Government Lawyers are hired by local, state and the federal government for work on cases as well as analysis. Some lawyers might do legal research on topics related to laws or policies.  This career can lead to working for state attorneys general, public defenders, district attorneys, and the courts. They can also investigate cases on a federal level, such as for the U.S Department of Justice. The average salary for this role is $130,000 a year. Social Policy Agencies Private and nonprofit policy agencies and think tanks hire lawyers to research policy-related topics, write briefs intended to educate policymakers and litigate.  Think tank jobs often include nonprofit, public policy organizations that include advocacy initiatives. Typically, these are independent organizations but some have government relations or funding. Lawyers who are savvy and passionate about policy and research will enjoy this type of role, however, the annual average salary is about what a nonprofit can offer. Business Every large business employs lawyers. They might deal with human resources issues, such as hiring policies. Others do work related to be the business itself. For example, a lawyer who works at a pharmaceutical company might be involved in litigation or in determining the legal feasibility of particular actions. Working in a corporate law firm often comes with big responsibilities and a huge paycheck, but with smaller law firms, lawyers can expect more varied work, flexible work schedules, and more hands-on experience. Take Your Pick Lawyers work in all settings. With creativity, ingenuity, and hard work, you can have a legal career in any setting you work. Consider whether you see yourself working at a private practice, government entity, social policy agency or business, whether corporate or small. Weigh the options of what type of law you will be performing, the passion you have for the industry, the scale at which you will be working and of course, balance all of these pros and cons with the annual median salary. As a lawyer, you have options.

Homo Religiosus by Karen Armstrong, p. 22-38 Essay

Homo Religiosus by Karen Armstrong, p. 22-38 - Essay Example It is essential to acknowledge that loss of self is desirable according to Armstrong’s arguments hence influencing homo religiosus. Firstly, Armstrong argues that loss of self is desirable since it enabled ancient societies to believe and worship idols in shrines hence they are aware that this is against God’s will. The ancient society believed that these labyrinths served as sacred places where they could perform all sorts of rituals. According to some historians’ arguments, the purpose of these labyrinths was generally pragmatic (Armstrong 22). Despite how deed these labyrinths were, the loss of self enabled them to enter although, it took lots of ours to reach the innermost core. However, loss of self seems desirable since these innermost cores were very dangerous, uneconomical, exhausting, and time-consuming. The consensus with the ancient communities was that these sacred caves served as sanctuaries, and similar to all temples, the caves’ iconography portrayed a vision, which was extremely different from the vision of the outside world (Armstrong 23). This showed how loss of self was de sirable. Although the ancient practices were extremely painful, difficult, and even traumatic, their loss of self seemed desirable as this enabled them to involve and practice some difficult rituals such as that of hunters. Animal sacrifice, for instance, which served as the central rite with all religious societies in antiquity, portrayed prehistoric hunting celebration and they continued to give honor to a beast that surrendered its life for humankind sake (Armstrong 24). The main aims of practicing these rituals were to bring to mind an anxiety in a way that ancient society must confront and take control of it. From the beginning, this shows that homo religiosus life was centered in the tragic facts that life focus upon destruction of these creatures. Some of the