History of Papermaking From Papyrus to Dixie Cups

The word paper is derived from the name of the reedy plant papyrus, which grows abundantly along the Nile River in Egypt. However, true paper is made of pulped cellulose fibers like wood, cotton or flax. First There Was Papyrus Papyrus is made from the sliced sections of the flower stem of the papyrus plant, pressed together and dried, and then used from writing or drawing. Papyrus appeared in Egypt around 2400 B.C. Then There Was Paper A courtier named Tsai-Lun, from Lei-yang in China, was the first recorded inventor of paper circa 105 A.D. Tsai-Lun presented paper and a papermaking process to the Chinese Emperor and that was noted in the imperial court records. There may have been papermaking in China earlier than the above date, but inventor Tsai-Lun did much for the spread of papermaking technology in China. Chinese Papermaking The ancient Chinese first made paper in the following fashion. Plant fibers such as hemp were soaked and beaten into a sludgeThe sludge was strained through a cloth sieve attached to a frame that also served as a drying platform for the resulting paper Newsprint Charles Fenerty of Halifax made the first paper from wood pulp (newsprint) in 1838. Charles Fenerty was helping a local paper mill maintain an adequate supply of rags to make paper when he succeeded in making paper from wood pulp. He neglected to patent his invention and others did patent papermaking processes based on wood fiber. Corrugated Papermaking - Cardboard In 1856, Englishmen, Healey and Allen, received a patent for the first corrugated or pleated paper. The paper was used to line mens tall hats. American, Robert Gair promptly invented the corrugated cardboard box in 1870. These were pre-cut flat pieces manufactured in bulk that opened up and folded into boxes. On December 20, 1871, Albert Jones of New York NY, patented a stronger corrugated paper (cardboard) used as a shipping material for bottles and glass lanterns. In 1874, G. Smyth built the first single sided corrugated board making machine. Also in 1874, Oliver Long improved upon the Jones patent and invented a lined corrugated cardboard. Paper Bags The first recorded historical reference to grocery paper bags was made in 1630. The use of paper sacks only really started to take off during the Industrial Revolution: between 1700 and 1800. Margaret Knight (1838-1914) was an employee in a paper bag factory when she invented a new machine part to make square bottoms for paper bags. Paper bags had been more like envelopes before. Knight can be considered the mother of the grocery bag, she founded the Eastern Paper Bag Company in 1870. On February 20, 1872, Luther Crowell also patented a machine that manufactured paper bags. Paper Plates Paper foodservice disposables products were first made at the beginning of the 20th century. The paper plate was the first single-use foodservice product invented in 1904. Dixie Cups Hugh Moore was an inventor who owned a paper cup factory, located next door to the Dixie Doll Company. The word Dixie was printed on the doll companys front door. Moore saw the word every day, which reminded him of dixies, the ten-dollar bank notes from a New Orleans bank that had the French word dix printed on the face of the bill. The bank had a great reputation in the early 1800s. Moore decided that dixies was a great name. After getting permission from his neighbor to use the name, he renamed his paper cups Dixie Cups. It should be mentioned that Moores paper cups first invented in 1908 were originally called health cups and replaced the single repeat-use metal cup that had been used with water fountains.

The War Of The Second World War II Essay - 1744 Words

When news of the United States’ involvement in World War II was made known in 1940, Congress imposed a draft for men ages eighteen to thirty-seven. This was a way for them to join the fight against the axis powers. This particular war is noted as the most brutal war throughout all of history. Out of the men who registered to draft, many of them were also involved in what would be called the most popular battle of the Second World War, or the invasion of Normandy. The Invasion of Normandy, other wise referred to as D-Day occurred June 6th 1944 when allied forces invaded the border of Normandy and pushed the German forces back through France. Over one hundred thousand American, British, and Canadian forces landed on several beaches along the region. While the German numbers had already greatly thinned due to the war in Russia, D-Day and the Allies continued the further ruin of their troops. The victory over the Axis powers was accomplished through the efforts of all those within the allied powers including Britain and Canada however, the main focus of this research is the United States’ involvement in the D-Day invasion. As previously mentioned the Invasion of Normandy had a huge affect on the war itself, but how has it affected the United States overall? Did the United States’ involvement in the battle pave a way to its victory? However the Invasion of Normandy affected certain aspects within the war, it definitely had an impact from an American standpoint. This paper arguesShow MoreRelatedThe Second World War II1261 Words   |  6 PagesThe Second World War is one of the most familiar wars to the everyday person because of its massive effect on the global community’s future. It is arguably the first and only total war in the history of the war. Hew Strachan believes that it is because of its totality, which is seen through all of the components and scale of World War II. His fellow historian Robert Messer agrees saying â€Å"Tha t first truly global conflict mobilized economies and populations of the world on a scale and degree thatRead MoreThe Second World War II1328 Words   |  6 PagesIn the second world war the majority of the countries of the world were intervention. The reasons for the second world war should searched at the end of the first world war. Germany was defeated and loser of the war, so it forced to pay off heavy amount of recompense and also unarmed. This was a war for freedom that lasted two years in Europe as well as in China after the Japanese attacked to Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The Second World War had finished in Europe with death of Hitler inRead MoreWorld War II : The Second Global War2282 Words   |  10 PagesOver 70 million casualties were a result of World War II (World war 2 statistics,2006) the second global war that succeeded World War I. The results of World War I entailed the punishment of Germany through the treaty of Versailles which made Germany pay for the damages that occurred during the war. The Germans did not agree to this policy due to its unjust tactics since Germany was not the only country that had a large effect in the war. This created frustration in Germany and helped instigate theRead MoreWorld War II : The World s Second Great War960 Words   |  4 PagesWorld War II-- also known as The Holocaust / The Genocide -- was the world s second Great War . World War II was much more larger in scale and more longer in duration. World War I had only lasted for four years, while World War II had lasted for six years. I find it quite int eresting that contrary to popular belief; the United States did not enter World War II until 2 years after the genesis of the conflict. It was only in 1941, when the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor that the United StatesRead MoreWorld War II Was The Second Greatest War Of The Twentieth Century860 Words   |  4 PagesWorld War II lasted from 1939-1945, but there were a number of circumstances leading up to the beginning of World War II. It involved the majority of the nations in the world in which they formed two military alliances. Those alliances were the allies and axis. In a state of total war, World War II was the most deadly war in history. This war was caused there was a violation of the Treaty of Versailles from WWI. Then, there was the expansion of the Japanese and fascism. Another reason for the outbreakRead MoreHitler s Second World War II1511 Words   |  7 Pagesthe conquering of Europe, hindsight shows that the removal of groups of people he disliked or thought of as ‘lesser’ were included in his plans from the start. Two days later, on September 3rd, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany: This was it, the Second World War had begun (EyeWitness). My three sources were: A Proclamation by Chancellor Adolf Hitler to the German Army, 01 Sep 1939, a Diary from the Years of Occupation 1939-1944, by Zygmunt Klukowski, published in 1959, and finally aRead MoreGermany s Second World War II1405 Words   |  6 PagesGermany’s Possible Victory in World War 2 It is known fact that on September 1, 1939, Adolf Hitler led Germany to invade Poland so starting the Second World War. It is also accepted knowledge that he committed suicide at the end of April, 1945 ending the European conflict. Some say that his defeat was imminent while others say that the Nazi’s could have very easily won. Through years of book reading and History channel documentary viewing, I have come up with the conclusion to side with the latterRead MoreWorld War II Can Happen Any Second !931 Words   |  4 PagesWorld War III Can Happen Any Second! World War Three can erect at any point. The probability of another World War taking place is rising dramatically. There are many reasons or possible events that would put the globe in a World War Three. The outcome of many events can cause a global war, but three of them stand out the most. Three major reasons why and how the world could end up going into a World War Three is because of the fighting in Syria, the North Koreans are building their military,Read MoreThe Constituional Rights Violated During the Second World War II764 Words   |  3 PagesThe constitutional rights violated during the war (concentration camp). The concentration war was the World War II internment during the War relocation Camps and involved around 110,000 Japanese Americans who were from the US pacific coast. The U.S government ordered this internment during the year 1924 when Japan attacked the Pearl Harbor. There was violation in the freedom of religion, speech, press and the right to assemble. Ther e was also violation of the right of Restrictions on Powers ofRead MoreA Comparison of World War I and World War II Essay examples527 Words   |  3 PagesA Comparison of World War I and World War II World War I and World War II, while started by much of the same worldwide tensions, had drastically different results because of the much more destructive nature of World War II. Both world wars were started, ultimately, by nationalism

Fantasy Story on crazy teachers Free Essays

It was I who first came up with the thought that teachers at Pemberton High are crazy. In fact, some of them might not even be human! It wouldn’t surprise me if I walked into the teacher’s lounge one day and saw them slouching in large leather recliners peeling off their faces and talking in some strange alien language. For a start, there’s my maths teacher Mr Henman. We will write a custom essay sample on Fantasy Story on crazy teachers or any similar topic only for you Order Now His real name is Jim Davidson, but due to his love of tennis he calls himself Mr Henman after Tim Henman. Call her anything but Mr Henman and watch out. His face goes all red and he looks like a six-foot brick wall with a bad attitude. His ring finger is about a foot long and when he wags it at you it’s as though you’re looking at a withering garden snake. He’s over six feet tall and towers above the other teachers, even Mr Jones, our P.E teacher: And he’s a big old lump! Mr Henman is a retired, yes you guessed it, tennis player! He’ll pick you up by your ears and drop you on your head if you talk about Tim Henman or tennis in a bad way. As I said he’s a retired tennis player. For sixteen years he tortured other tennis players and umpires alike with his skill and bad attitude. Now he spends his days torturing us. Mr Henman is pure crazy! Last week he asked the class if there was anyone who had not handed in their money for the school trip. No one raised their hand, but, I knew that my friend Timmy Anderson had not. He lives alone with his mum and sister and they sadly can’t afford the trip. Mr Henman knew it too! I knew he was trying to make fun of Tim. â€Å"You’d better raise your hand,† I whispered, leaning close to Tim. â€Å"I’m not going,† he said. â€Å"Why?† Tim didn’t answer but I knew. â€Å"Don’t let him find out,† I said out of the corner of my mouth. â€Å"Otherwise, you know what he’s like he’ll say something to the whole school!† I could tell that Tim got nervous after that. He shifted in his seat and wouldn’t look up front. Mr Henman goggled at Tim in the way a hungry lion would look at a raw steak. I could tell he had some diabolical plan brewing in his head. As the bell rang everyone went for lunch. I was walking with Tim and as we passed the teacher’s lounge I noticed that the door was left partially open. This was it this was what I had been waiting for! This was my opportunity, I had to take it. I could sneak inside and listen to the teachers talking. I could prove that they were aliens or something worse. â€Å"Go on I’ll catch up,† I told Tim. He jogged and caught up with my sister Nicole. I checked the hallway to make sure no one was coming. When I was certain it was safe, I strolled over to the door. I pulled it back a little and stuck my head inside. I couldn’t hear anyone so I quickly slipped in and pulled the door to behind me. A walled coat rack separated me from the actual lounge. Still, it was quiet and I guessed that all of the teachers were down eating their lunch, peered around the corner and saw an empty room. As it was empty I decided that I would try again later and turned to go back out. That’s when I heard someone coming. I was almost hysterical as I raced around looking for someplace to hide. I saw a door across the room and hoped it was another way out. I was still thinking when I heard the door open. I sprang across the room like a rabbit and in no time I was on the other side of the door. I pulled it shut and quickly realised that I was in a closet. It wasn’t a solid door but one with wooden slats that ran across it. I could see out the door and hoped that whoever had come in wouldn’t notice me. I almost fainted when the Headmaster and Mr Henman ambled into the room. Mr Henman sat at the little table and the head poured each of them a cup of coffee. They were only a few feet in front of me. The head sat opposite Mr Henman â€Å"Have you finished collecting for the school trip?† the head enquired. Mr Henman looked at him for a minute and then said, â€Å"Yes. All done. Everyone is going this year.† The principle took a sip of his coffee and said, â€Å"I hope this is not like last year. You can’t keep paying for your kids to attend these things.† â€Å"It’s not like that at all,† he said. â€Å"The kids raised money this year to help each other out. They’re all paid up.† â€Å"You’re sure?† he pressed her. â€Å"Last year you paid out of your pocket for almost ten kids, Jim.† â€Å"I’m sure,† he said. The head said, â€Å"Good.† He finished his coffee and left the room. Now I was really curious. What was he trying to pull? Was he trying to set Tim up for something? My ears were burning red. Mr Henman took something from his pocket and put it on the table. I squinted and saw that it was a small calculator, then he pulled out a pencil and a piece of paper. He worked something out on the calculator, wrote it on the paper and then replaced it back in his pocket. Then he pulled out his mobile. Mr Henman dialled a number and I was able to listen in on his call. â€Å"This is Jim Davidson,† he said. He looked around the room as if he was expecting someone. â€Å"Yes, I’m calling about my car payment this month. I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it.† There was a long pause and then she spoke again. â€Å"I guess you could come get it at Pemberton High.† That evening as I rode the bus home, I saw Mr Henman walking from school. Earlier, I watched a man tow his car from the car park. And I noticed other things that I guess I just never paid attention to. He didn’t have a nice coat like the rest of the teachers. Mrs. Bailey had a real nice pair of suede boots. Mr Henman sported a pair of old tennis shoes. He didn’t look mad though, In fact, he had a smile on his face. I don’t know if I’d ever seen him smile before. Maybe he was one of those people who weren’t concerned about the number of possessions he owned? Maybe he was one of those people who was just happy to be living in such a prosperous area and working to help further children? Or maybe he was just a man with happy thoughts in his mind? I arrived home amazed by the look that had shone from Mr. Henman’s face, as I saw him walking from school. Had that been nearly any other human being, but especially the adults that I know, they would have been in tears. Boy did I learn something about teachers that day. Especially Mr Henman. I learnt that he’s not as crazy as I first thought he was, but a happy, contented man who was often misunderstood. I don’t think I’ll tell Tim, though. Sir wouldn’t like that very much. He’s not crazy, but neither am I! How to cite Fantasy Story on crazy teachers, Papers

Case Study Analysis on the Evidence-Based Practice in Healthcare

Question: Case study analysis on the Evidence-Based Practice in Healthcare. Answer: Introduction According to Duke University, the most common definition of evidence-based practice in healthcare is Dr. David Sacketts that states, The conscientious, explicit judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of the individual patients. It means integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence. Evidence-based health care practices are available for several health conditions such as, heart failure, diabetes and asthma. However, these practices are not always implemented, and numerous variations exist (Titler, 2010; Grove, Burns Gray, 2014). Traditionally, research on patients safety has focused on the analysis of data to identify patient safety issues and to determine new practices that improve quality and patients safety (Titler, 2010). Little research has been done on how to implement this practices, which is very important in the development of healthcare provision. Implementation of evidence-based practices is difficult and requires proper strategies to address the complexity of care systems, individual care givers, senior health officers, and changing the culture of care to one of evidence based practice (Titler, 2010); like in the case study involving Emilys (nursing practitioner) personal decision to use an oscillometric device against her seniors (senior doctor) orders to use an auscultating Calf blood pressure on a child. Statement of the Problem The main problem in the case study was the implementation of an evidence-based health care practice on a patient, by an individual practitioner (Emily, who was on probation), without approval by the hospital management. Nevertheless, the Australian law protects the rights of its citizens to have access to quality healthcare: a right that would have been violated if the Emily would have followed procedures instead of concentrating on providing quality health services to the child (Anderson Deravin-Malone, 2016, p. 25). She was careering for a child who was being subjected to an uncomfortable healthcare routine, when a better way was available. However, both Titler (2010) and Townsend (2014) stated that its implementation is complex and strategies should involve all levels of caregivers for ultimate effectiveness in changing the healthcare culture of a given environment. Therefore, the nurse was wrong in going against orders and implementing an evidence-based practice without involving the necessary personnel. Though she knew the existence of a new and more effective practice, she was ignorant of the critical process of implementation. This is in agreement with Titler (2010) who claimed that less research attention has been paid to how to implement practices. Research Question What is the right procedure that the nurse should have used before deciding to implement the evidence-based healthcare practice? Conclusion In conclusion, according to the case study and other researches, it is evident that a lot of evidence-based healthcare practices have been developed; however, more research needs to be conducted to establish clear guidelines on the implementation practices. Nursing has a rich history of applying this research in practice, started by Florence Nightingale. Contemporary nursing professionals have continued with this trend, providing improved care through the application of research findings in practice. References Overview - Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice - LibGuides at Duke University Medical Center. (2016).Guides.mclibrary.duke.edu. Titler, M. (2010). The Evidence for Evidence-Based Practice Implementation.Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US). Grove, S. K., Burns, N., Gray, J. R. (2014).Understanding nursing research: Building an evidence-based practice. Elsevier Health Sciences. Townsend, M. C. (2014).Psychiatric mental health nursing: Concepts of care in evidence-based practice. FA Davis. Anderson, J., Deravin-Malone, L. (2016). Chronic Care Nursing. Cambridge University Press.

Australia Essays (1113 words) - Politics Of Australia,

Australia Australia is the only country that is also a continent. In area, Australia ranks as the sixth largest country and smallest continent. Australia is located between the South Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. The part of the Indian Ocean that is south of Australia is called the Southern Ocean in the country. Australia is about 7,000 miles (11,000 kilometers) southwest of North America and about 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) southeast of mainland Asia. Australia is often referred to as being "down under" because it lies entirely within the Southern Hemisphere. The name Australia comes from the Latin word australis, which means southern. The official name of the country is the Commonwealth of Australia. Australia is a dry, thinly populated land. Only a few areas along or near the coasts receive enough rainfall to support a large population. The southeastern coastal region has the most people by far. Australia's two largest cities--Sydney and Melbourne--lie in this region. Canberra, the national capital, lies only a short distance inland. The huge interior of Australia is mostly desert or dry grassland and has few settlements. The country as a whole averages only six persons per square mile (two persons per square kilometer). Australia is famous for its vast open spaces, bright sunshine, enormous numbers of sheep and cattle, and unusual wildlife. Kangaroos, koalas, platypuses, and wombats are only a few of the many unusual animals that live in Australia. The country was once a group of British colonies, and most of the Australian people are of British ancestry. When people moved to Australia from Britain, they took many British customs with them. For example, Australians drive on the left side of the road, as do British drivers. Tea is the favorite hot drink in Australia, as it is in Britain. English, the official language of Australia, includes many British terms. But Australians have developed a way of life all their own. Australia has a warm, sunny climate. The people can therefore spend much of their free time out of doors. Australians love outdoor sports and outdoor living in general. Australia is one of the world's developed countries. It has busy cities, modern factories, and highly productive farms and mines. Australia is the world's leading producer and exporter of wool and bauxite (the ore from which aluminum is made). It also produces and exports large amounts of other minerals and farm goods. The income from these exports has made it possible for most of the people of Australia to have a high standard of living. In the past, Britain was Australia's most important trading partner. Today, Australia trades most with Japan and the United States. The first Australians were a dark-skinned people known today as Aborigines (pronounced ab uh rihj uh neez). The Aborigines had lived in Australia for at least 40,000 years before the first white settlers arrived. Britain settled Australia as a prison colony in 1788. Since then, the number of whites has steadily increased and the total number of Aborigines has declined. Today, the vast majority of Australians are white. Government The Commonwealth of Australia is a federation of states. The nation is administered under a written constitution. The Australian Constitution gives certain powers to the federal government and leaves all other government powers to the states. Australia has six states. They are New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. Each state has its own government. Australia also has two mainland territories--the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. Each territory is responsible for its own administration, the first step toward statehood. But until the territories become states, the federal government must approve major policy changes. Australia has a parliamentary system of government. Under the parliamentary system, the national government is controlled by the political party or the coalition (combination) of parties with a majority of seats in the lower house of the parliament. The leader of the majority party or the coalition heads the government as prime minister. Australia is a constitutional monarchy like Britain. The British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, is also queen of Australia and the country's head of state. However, the queen has little or no power in the Australian government. She serves mainly as a symbol of the historical tie between the two countries. Australia is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the association formed by Britain and a number of its former colonies that are now independent countries. The federal government of Australia is officially headed by a governor general, who represents the queen. The queen appoints the governor general on the recommendation

Juan Luna and Filipinos Great Pride Essay Essays

Juan Luna and Filipinos Great Pride Essay Essays Juan Luna and Filipinos Great Pride Essay Essay Juan Luna and Filipinos Great Pride Essay Essay The first thing you’ll notice about the picture is its size. Standing at 4 metres in tallness and 7 metres in breadth. the picture no uncertainty commands attending and gives off a olympian aura. Any spectator of the picture will experience dwarfed by the big picture and may experience overwhelmed by the munificence of it. The following thing you’ll notice about the Spoliarium is the rich colourss used. Predominantly. the painter made usage of warm colourss for his work of art. with reds being a cardinal colour that attracts the most attending. In individual. the colourss are striking and rather alone. The Spoliarium depicts an even during the Roman imperium. where gladiators die for amusement. The picture shows how gladiators are being dragged pitilessly by work forces towards an unknown darkness. where other tragically killed gladiators are brought. To the left is a heartening crowd. shouting for blood while to the right. a adult female is crouched and apparently in sorrow. The picture shows a tragic event. decidedly. But it besides shows a deeper significance. particularly for the Filipinos during the clip of the Spanish colonisation ( which lasted over 400 old ages! ) . Harmonizing to art experts. the fallen gladiators who are being dragged are the Filipino people. while the work forces dragging them into the darkness are representative of the Spanish regulation. The adult female crouched on the right side of the picture is believed to be the Mother Country or the Inang Bayan who weeps for her Philippines. The blood thirsty crowd to the left is a representation of the societal malignant neoplastic disease of that clip. Truly. there is more than meets the oculus when it comes to Luna’s picture. The Spoliarium shows the Spanish government’s mistreatment of the Philippines. The dead organic structures of the gladiators represent the Spanish violent deaths of Filipino revolutionists. The Spoliarium is celebrated among the Filipino people. to state the least. The fact that Luna had gained acknowledgment among other Spaniards in Madrid because of this picture has given the Filipinos great pride. This besides shows that the Filipinos have accomplishments that can be. if non. excel the Europeans of that clip. This is why the picture. along with Hidalgo’s. are deemed National Cultural Treasures. because they were able to lend to the development of art in the Philippines. The Spoliarium can be found in the Hall of the Masters of The National Museum of the Philippines. Whether you are a alien or a local. take a few hours off your agenda to see the museum and larn more about Filipino civilization and history through the eyes of its creative persons. It is an educational and enriching experience. The first thing you’ll notice about the picture is its size. Standing at 4 metres in tallness and 7 metres in breadth. the picture no uncertainty commands attending and gives off a olympian aura. Any spectator of the picture will experience dwarfed by the big picture and may experience overwhelmed by the munificence of it. The following thing you’ll notice about the Spoliarium is the rich colourss used. Predominantly. the painter made usage of warm colourss for his work of art. with reds being a cardinal colour that attracts the most attending. In individual. the colourss are striking and rather alone. The Spoliarium depicts an even during the Roman imperium. where gladiators die for amusement. The picture shows how gladiators are being dragged pitilessly by work forces towards an unknown darkness. where other tragically killed gladiators are brought. To the left is a heartening crowd. shouting for blood while to the right. a adult female is crouched and apparently in sorrow. The picture shows a tragic event. decidedly. But it besides shows a deeper significance. particularly for the Filipinos during the clip of the Spanish colonisation ( which lasted over 400 old ages! ) . Harmonizing to art experts. the fallen gladiators who are being dragged are the Filipino people. while the work forces dragging them into the darkness are representative of the Spanish regulation. The adult female crouched on the right side of the picture is believed to be the Mother Country or the Inang Bayan who weeps for her Philippines. The blood thirsty crowd to the left is a representation of the societal malignant neoplastic disease of that clip. Truly. there is more than meets the oculus when it comes to Luna’s picture. The Spoliarium shows the Spanish government’s mistreatment of the Philippines. The dead organic structures of the gladiators represent the Spanish violent deaths of Filipino revolutionists. The Spoliarium is celebrated among the Filipino people. to state the least. The fact that Luna had gained acknowledgment among other Spaniards in Madrid because of this picture has given the Filipinos great pride. This besides shows that the Filipinos have accomplishments that can be. if non. excel the Europeans of that clip. This is why the picture. along with Hidalgo’s. are deemed National Cultural Treasures. because they were able to lend to the development of art in the Philippines. The Spoliarium can be found in the Hall of the Masters of The National Museum of the Philippines. Whether you are a alien or a local. take a few hours off your agenda to see the museum and larn more about Filipino civilization and history through the eyes of its creative persons. It is an educational and enriching experience.

THE ECONOMICS OF HEALTH CARE Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

THE ECONOMICS OF HEALTH CARE - Term Paper Example s within the demand and supply model, the factors operating in isolation or together contribute to the shift in demand curve to the right, resulting in realization of higher price and quantity of medical care over time. In addition, expenditure on medical care, the product of price and quantity has at the same time increased (Santerre and Neun, 2009). On the supply side, when wages outpace productivity, the demand and supply curves shift to the left, and as a result, the price of medical care increase; however, since demand for medical care in most cases appear to be price inelastic, the increase in price leads to increase in healthcare (Santerre and Neun, 2009). Another factor on the supply side seen to contribute to increase in healthcare costs has been identified to be cost-enhancing technologies. Information asymmetry has been associated with imperfect market or malfunctioning of the market, as health care suppliers and consumers remain separated with degree of how they know each other. Theoretical economics and empirical data have postulated that an insurance market can distort and result into disequilibrium due to adverse selection whenever there are several plan options offering different benefits and pricing structures (Farley, Wynn and Rand Corporation, 2002). For instance, healthier people usually get inclined towards leaner, expensive plans while sicker people are willing to pay more for richer benefits (Farley, Wynn and Rand Corporation, 2002). As a result, richer plans may experience adverse selection and higher health care costs, which force an increase in premiums to cover for the costs. This leads to more undesirable selection and market segmentation (Farley, Wynn and Rand Corporation, 2002). In the process, some plans are forced to drop out of the market, leavin g high cost consumers with undesirable benefits options (Farley, Wynn and Rand Corporation, 2002). Information asymmetry therefore results into ineffective plan choices, where again,

New Employment Relationship vs. the Manual Investment Approach Essay

New Employment Relationship vs. the Manual Investment Approach - Essay Example The new relationship that was now formed is one that employers give their employees challenging tasks, fixed salaries and opportunities to increase their expertise so that they can be benefit their businesses (Losey, Meisinger, & Ulrich 45). Therefore, this obligates employees to pay the employer with job performance, and this somehow undermines the employee commitment to the organization. This new relationship between employers and employees has changed from the loyal one that existed before globalization and increased competition, to one that based on economic exchanges. The authors urge organizations to uphold the mutual investment relationship so as to gain competitive advantage because workers will be committed to attaining the organizational goals. They argue that many organizations today are focused on achieving high profits and are not considering the welfare of their employees. I believe that organizations should take care of the needs of their employers and offer them job s ecurity. This will be a motivation for the workers to work hard and achieve the goals set by the organization because they are comfortable. Organizations need to invest in their employees because they are the ones who make the organization make profits and if everyone in the organization is catered for it will thrive. Research shows that the human resource department should take the responsibility of catering for the needs of their employees. Motivation of employees is key to success of any organization. Rewarding and giving employees benefits goes a long way in creating commitment to the job and this increases efficiency operations (Losey, Meisinger, & Ulrich 50). Job security and satisfaction are vital for any employee because it makes them comfortable in the job environment and they are able to undertake their duties efficiently (KnowWPC). Employers need to invest in their workers by offering benefits and training to improve their skills, so that efficacy in business operations c an be attained. This mutual investment employment relationship has been supported by other professionals in human resource as they see employee job security and skill advancement as vital in ensuring business success (S.R. de Silva 6). Chapter8: Life after Outsourcing: Lessons Learned and the Role of Human Resources as a Strategic Business Partner (Mirian M. Graddick-Weir) In the recent past, human resource management activities outsourcing has grown tremendously and more in the manufacturing and service industries. Outsourcing is in the payroll, benefits, recruiting and training sections of most organizations. The major reason for companies to outsource is because they have limited internal investment in the area of concern. Outsourcing is done in the light of ensuring business operations go on smoothly without interruptions because of lack of efficient resources to carry out assigned tasks (Losey, Meisinger, & Ulrich 71). However, it is evident that most organizations use outsourc ing to make use of external experts who will see that efficacy in operations is achieved. Emerging and already established organizations are continuously outsourcing various human resource activities from providers outside the business. Outsourcing is beneficial to the organization for various reasons, the

Van Gogh and Braque Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Van Gogh and Braque - Research Paper Example Vincent van Gogh is a post-impressionism artist who first practiced the impressionist styles of using bright colors as reflected in nature. Like any other post impressionist, he wanted to explore other forms of expressing himself in his artworks by going beyond what is generally seen and experiment on changing the colors or combining them to come out with the desired combinations or contrasts. His painting entitled The Church at Auvers 1890 which is a subject in this paper is said to have been drawn during the late years of the artist when he was struggling with his mental health. Georges Braque on the other hand is a cubist who started the era with Pablo Picasso who in the early years of the twentieth century was experimenting on his artwork with the same idea as that of Braque. They were greatly influenced by Paul Cezanne who advised them that artist should approach their works with spheres, cylinders and cones. Comparing the The Church at Auvers with Braque’s Woman with a Guitar, it is observed that the colors are not as bright as other artists use in contrast to the impressionists as mentioned earlier as well as the romantic artists who believed in depicting nature as they are visually observed with its natural colors unchanged. The primary colors and the combination of which were used in both works of art inclining the hues to be of the darker shade. Unlike the bright colored paintings, the two may not be those which easily attract audiences with untrained eyes for arts rather would most probably be noticed by those who have some knowledge of the beauty and differences in artworks. The lines used in the aforementioned works are short, The Church at Auvers shows one of the passions and reasons why the post impressionists moved from their contemporaries, which is the use of short broken lines, not really following the normal lines which are seen in the natural things. Woman with a Gu itar on the other hand uses short lines but not in the way used by the impressionists which still gives a nearly photographic appearance but are used in order to have the appearance of a picture with cubes cut from it. The objective of the cubists in ‘cubing’ their paintings is not only for them to analyze artworks but to engage their audiences in the analysis. It could be said that they have been successful in this through their arts because indeed, one has to look more intently at the paintings in order to decipher what the image is all about. Lines in both paintings have been very essential in the expression of the artists’ thoughts because an audience who looks closer can see deeper to the thoughts of the painter. For instance, the cubes, spheres, straight and curved lines used by Braque show his interest in the mathematical aspect of his passion while van Vogh’s lines show mental state when he was working on his piece. Although the two artists used oi l in canvass for their paintings, Braque also used charcoal which defined the darker shades of color in his art. First glances of the two artworks already show their differences. Drawn by artists who were of different eras, the paintings tell the story of their existence. Von Vagh used soft contours in his painting and though did not follow the romantic style with the photographic effect of his paintings it still clearly shows what the picture is all about. The bird’s eye view shows at once the subject of the painting which in this paper is also the title of the painting, the church at Auvers. The details however give a different story like the lines used, the colors and the subject itself as related to the painter. The size of the objects in the artwork is normal where the church looks bigger than the woman going towards it, reflecting the influence of impressionism as compared to the size of objects in the works of Dadaists who make their subjects have extreme sizes. Althou gh the painting is two-dimensional, it reflects a picture that is almost

Language Teaching And Language Policy English Language Essay

Language Teaching And Language Policy English Language Essay Relationships among language, culture and identity have become a favourite topic in social science for decades. In his book Primitive Culture, Edward Tylorà ¿(1871) defines culture that as complex whole which includes knowledge, morals, beliefs, art, law, technology  and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of  the society Being human being communicative, interestingly, language reveals much more what we actually speak out, not only a means of communication. The Sapir Whorf hypothesis states that the structure of a language influences the ways in which its speakers conceptualize their world or otherwise affects their cognitive processes. The cultural worldview of a man is presented by the language and reflected through his responses in a specific period of time. Cultures are maintained from generation to generation and affected by geographical location and history of that nation as well as the interaction of that people over time. Simultaneously, language also develops to meet the need of communication of people. Therefore, it can be stated that  your language can reveal many things about your identity. It can disclose your nationality, culture, religion, age, gender, level of education, socio-economic class or your profession. Mendoza-Denton (2002:475) defines identity to mean the active negotiation of an individuals relationship with larger social constructs. This is reflected in the language we use, our word choices in identifying ourselves as well as in the words we choose not to use. Language is part of ones identity Understanding the nature of the relationship between language and culture is central to the process of learning another language.It  is also a chance for language learners to discover or re-discover and more appreciate his or her identiy. With my limited understanding about socialinguistic and my eagerness to more learning about a useful subject that enriches me a language teacher the knowledge of languages role in soceity as well as the implications for language teaching and language policy, I would like to discuss the following contents: A. Discuss the relationship between language, culture and identity The Sapir Whorf hypothesis Intercultural communication Language as a core value and indentity B. What are the implications for language teaching and language policy? 1. Language policy 2. Language and power CONTENT A. The relationship between language, culture and identity 1. The Sapir Whorf Hypothesis In linguistics, the Sapir Whorf Hypothesis states that each language holds an own way to present its meaning that can not understood by those who belong to another language. Native languages are concerned to strongly affect peoples thinking. Whofianism is another popular name for this hypothesis and is often defined as having two versions: The strong version linguistic determinism  that states that the language you speak determines the way that you will interpret the world around you. In this case, interlocutors think much of how to speak to best express their ideas and how to avoid misunderstanding caused by spoken words. For example, in Vietnamese culture, when visiting a newborn baby, we usually say that she/ he is very ugly to mean that the baby is so cute. Vietnamese do not use direct saying to compliment a newborn baby. In Western culture, questions about ages or marriage status are considered impolite. The weak version  that linguistic categories (part of speech) and usage influence thought and certain kinds of non-linguistic behaviour. Noam Chomskys theory: language is governed by a set of highly abstract principles that provide parameters which are given particular settings in different languages. It means that the human brain contains a limited set of rules for organizing language. In turn, there is an assumption that all languages have a common structural basis. This set of rules is known as universal grammar. Articles in Englis such as a/an, the or gender of language in French maybe appropriate examples for this part. Intercultural communication Intercultural   communication generally refers to face to face interactions among people of  diverse cultures. If the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis states that there are certain thoughts of an individual in one language that cannot be understood by those who live in another language, intercultural communication, according to Samovar and Porter (1991)., occurs when a member of one culture understands a message produced by another whose culture is different from him. The Western cultures of America, New Zealand and Australia are informal when addressing a business associate and will usually use her first name. More formal cultures such as those found in parts of Europe use titles such as Mr., Mrs. or Dr., along with with a family name. It is considered disrespectful to use a first name without permission. In speaking with an associate of a different culture, to avoid offending her, it is best to assume a high level of formality unless you are asked to use her first name. In Japanese culture, long pauses in a conversation are normal, especially after a question. They need time to think over it. However, in other cultures, it is comfortable if interlocutors keep silence in a dialouge, there will be someone to speake to end the silence. To work together without problems, people need to understand their differences. People belonging to diverse culture are still able to understand their language each other, however, there are the potential misunderstanding and disagreement. Learning about intercultural communication is a very good idea to reduce this risk. And a language teacher as a language messenger must realize this. Language as a core value and identity Mendoza-Denton (2002:475) defines identity to mean the active negotiation of an individuals relationship with larger social constructs. These social constructs have been understood as comprising gender, ethnicity, and class following Gumprez (1982) in some of the earliest work on and identity Ones identity was understood as whom you were, and who we are or how we are seen by others may involve differing identities. According to Zimmerman (1998), there are three types of identity: (1) Discourse identity which is revealed through particular discourse and presented by speakers, hearersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. (2) Situational identity which is revealed through the specific situation. For example, a person who is half Italian half French may want to identify with a particular ethnicity in some social situation. (e.g., attending a soccer game). This choice may even be crucial for his personal security. (3) Transportable identity which applies across situations and discourse and includes such constructs as ethnic, gender, and age. A mans identity can be revealed through his language use. It can disclose his nationality, culture, age, profession and socio economic class. In my real teaching, my students are usually given the difference from phonetic transcribtion between British English and American English because there are some English words having the same writing with disimilar pronunciation. The difference in writing is also explained sometimes when needed. British English American English Vocabulary block apartment   call box   phone booth pavement sidewalk yard   garden   holiday   vacation   postman   mailman   Pronunciation tomato /tÉâ„ ¢mÉ‘:tÉâ„ ¢ÃƒÅ Ã…  / /tÉâ„ ¢mÉÅ ¾itÃŽÂ ¿ÃƒÅ Ã…  / photo /à ¡Ã‚ ¸Ã… ¸Ãƒâ€°Ã¢â€ž ¢ÃƒÅ Ã…  tÉâ„ ¢ÃƒÅ Ã…  / /ˈfoÊÅ  toÊÅ  / psychology /sÉ‘É ªÃƒâ€¹Ã‹â€ kÉ’lÉâ„ ¢dÊ’i/ /sÉ‘É ªÃƒâ€¹Ã‹â€ kÉ‘Ë lÉâ„ ¢dÊ’É ª/ important /É ªmˈpɆ:tnt/ /É ªmˈpɆ:rnt/ vase /vÉ‘Ë z/ /veÉ ªz/ /veÉ ªs/ Our pronunciation of the words, our grammartical structure usage, and our utterance reveal how we view ourselves linguistically. Our language choice reflects more than the way we view ourselves. That is the way how we are viewd by soceity as well. According to Rembo (2004: 33-34), A persons social identity comes from an individuals knowledge of himself as an individual in relationship to others. It can be stated that we construct our identity by how we perceive ourselves in the eyes of others. Language is not only a means of communication but also self-identification. In a globalization communication, learning other languages as a second language positively promotes intercultural understanding across languages and cultures. In addition, personally, this is also an ideal way, especially for the youth of every country become aware of how our behaviours and social attitudes have been shaped by the languages and cultures we experience. The implications for language teaching and policy Learning and teaching another language will be more interested once we discover the beauty of language and successfully convey to learners. It should be exploited effectively for a better teaching; therefore, a motivated learning might be obtained. Learning a new language means accessing a new culture. Teaching students how to internalize selectively is also a leading concern a language teacher should pay much attention to besides conveying the beauty of that second language. Being a language teacher, I assum that we should realize deeply Language and Power as well as Language Policy to have an appropriate thinking to do teaching in the classroom. Language and Power During the period of domination in some countries, whether colonizers governed directly or indirectly, the political and cultural of those were greatly affected. The peoples wealth was the colonizers real aim. However, economic and political control can never be obtained without mental control. It means that once language, which is part of culture, the tool of self-definition in relationship to other nations is under controlled, that people will be truly colonized. Well understanding power of language will help students more motivated to learn the standard language as well as to selectively uncover what they take for granted and internalize as personal failure. Language Policy Language Policy is what a government does either officially through legislation, court decisions or policy to determine how languages are used cultivate language skills needed to meet national priorities or to establish the rights of individuals or groups to use and maintain languages (Wikipedia). In terms of this definition, an overview about the status of reality of teaching and learning English language in Viet Nam would be best to support this part of my writing. Since its open door policy in the mid 1980s, Viet Nam has welcomed many foreign organizations to invest and establish their business. As a result, the demand for English increased greatly in all aspects. The Government of Vietnam is devoted to developing English language skills on a long-term strategic basis to compete more effectively in international markets and thereby achieve sustainable economic growth. One of the biggest reflections to push this strategy is a project whose title is Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the National Education System, Period 2008-2020 by the Ministry of Education which was approved by the Prime Minister. The authority promotes this project to obtain a result that, by 2020, the majority of young Vietnamese will be able to use English to communicate confidently and be able to study and work in a multi-lingual and multi-cultural environment; thus the industrialisation and modernisation of the country will be contributed by the more dynamic and better integrated young Vietnamese people. Common knowledge in many other fields at school is a background and English as a secon language is a key to get success for the youth and the development of the country as well. In this setting, The implications for language teaching and policy therefore vast and far reaching. As a teacher of language, one must be culturally aware target language culture as well as the students, teacher`s, and administrative persons` culture thus avoiding any cultural misinterpretations.

The Perpetual Battle Against Censorship Essay -- The Fight Against Cen

  "There is more than one way to burn a book," (176) says Ray Bradbury when explaining the reason he wrote Fahrenheit 451. Bradbury at the time was upset about "condensed books", or books which had been simplified for easier reading. Luckily, this fad seems to have passed. However, he was also upset about people who wrote asking him to change the role of women or African-Americans to make them more or less dominant in some of his works. One of the major themes in Fahrenheit 451 was just that; a society where everyone got what they wished and literature was eliminated entirely so it wouldn't offend anyone. Sadly, this still continues to happen in the United States. Many books have been banned from school and public libraries because of language, sexual innuendos, violence, religion, alternate lifestyles, and even for being anti-family ("Challenges . . ."). Although the burning of books simply for the sake of eradicating them is a futile effort today, as Bradbury stated, censoring or banning them is basically the same thing. However, should literature be banned for offending a few? Many people don't think so, and they have U.S. laws to back them up. Not only is the censorship of literature in violation of the U.S. Constitution's first amendment, but it also deprives the American people of culture and knowledge. The main argument against censorship is, of course, the first amendment to the Constitution of the United States. The first amendment reads "Congress shall make no law respecting on establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of gr... ...e American Library Association. n.d. 13 Mar. 2014. http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top100 Parkinson, Sid. "Milton's Areopagitica." Discourse 14 (Fall 1995). 12 Mar. 2014. http://www.stlawrenceinstitute.org/vol14mit.html Remy, Richard C. United States Government: Democracy in Action. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2012. "Stanton McCandlish on the CDA (fwd)." 14 Feb. 1996. 21 Feb. 2014. http://lawlibrary.ucdavis.edu/LAWLIB/feb96/0400.html Weisberger, Bernard A. "Chasing Smut in Every Medium." American Heritage Dec. 1997. 12 Feb. 2014. http://www.dc.peachnet.edu/~yliu/papr/comstock.htm). Woolsey, John M. "The Monumental Decision of the United States District Court Rendered December 6, 1933, by Hon. John M. Woolsey Lifting the Ban on 'Ulysses.'" Ulysses. New York: Random House, 6 Dec. 1943. pp ix-xiv.   

Competitive and internal information Essay

Write an essay on the typical main sources of business information generated both internally and externally for public companies. How is such information used to establish a company’s place in the market? Illustrate your answer with examples from one or more business sectors of your choice. INTRODUCTION Information consists of data that have been retrieved, processed, or used for informative purposes, argument or as a basis for forecasting or decision making. Without information, a business cannot survive. A recipe for a good decision is 90 percent information and 10 percent inspiration. Information is the catalyst of management and the ingredient that coalesces the managerial functions of planning, operating controlling. Managers depend on information for making decisions. Any organization is held together by the possession of means for the acquisition, use, retention and transmission of information. The purpose of management system is to develop plans for achieving objectives, to organize for implementing plan and to control performance so that plans and actions occur on schedule. The place of information in performing these three basis processes is shown in the following. MANAGEMENT PROCESS AND INFORMATION NEED 1) Performance against plan 2) Environmental, Competitive and internal information concurring problem and opportunities. Evaluation of 1 and 2 in order to Make a prediction of estimate of Alternative courses of action Alternative source. Prediction of results for alternative Courses of action. Communicate details of plan and Control standards. Performance against PK In the above figure for information needs 1) In the the first step, recognition of problem or an opportunity is prompted by information from the control process concerning a deviation from standard or by search and evaluation of those system (environmental, competitive, Internal) 2) Definition of problem, determination and evaluation of alternative course of action. 3) Once a decision is made, it is necessary to implement and control a solution. Among the above steps, planning information needs of an organization can be classified into three broad types. 1) Environmental 2) Competitive 3) Internal 1) Environmental information It can be classified as (A) Political and Government consideration Some information on political stability is important for forecasting plans. (B) Demographic and Social trends Some information is necessary to forecast the Social Trends and consumer buying behavior for both the long and short run. (C) Economic Trends. Employment, Productivity and numerals other economic indicators provide valuable planning information for the firms whose output is a function of these important variables (D) Technological environment Some information is necessary to forecast the technological changes in their industry and probable effect on the firm. (2) Competitive information. Information concerning factors that affects the operation of the firm within an industry includes data concerning industry and firm demand as well as the data on the competitors. The information can be classified into three types. They are (a) Industry Demand. Information is needed for forecasting the demand for the Sale and the corresponding level of operation of a single firm. (b) Firm Demand The demand for products of an individual firm is a function of the Industry demand and the capabilities and activities of the individual firm relative to the capabilities and action of competing firms. (c) Competition Data on competing firms are very important for forecasting the individual demand and making decisions and plans to achieve the forecast. (3) Internal information They are vital for subsidiary planning at all levels in the organization. Internal data are aimed at an identification of the organization’s strength and weakness.. The types of internal information are (A) Sales forecast: Some information is necessary for forecasting the Sales. (B) The financial plan It is the system that links all activities of the company together. (C) Policies Some information is necessary to frame the basis policies for long run purpose. Data and information come from many sources – both internal (inside the business) and external. This revision note summarizes the main sources: Business data and information comes from multiple sources. The challenge for a business is to capture and use information that is relevant and reliable. The main sources are: INTERNAL INFORMATION Accounting records are a prime source of internal information. They detail the transactions of the business in the past – which may be used as the basis for planning for the future (e. g. preparing a financial budget or forecast). The accounting records are primarily used to record what happens to the financial resources of a business. For example, how cash is obtained and spent; what assets are acquired; what profits or losses are made on the activities of the business. However, accounting records can provide much more than financial information. For example, details of the products manufactured and delivered from a factory can provide useful information about whether quality standards are being met. Data analyzed from customer sales invoices provides a profile of what and to whom products are being sold. A lot of internal information is connected to accounting systems – but is not directly part of them. For example: – Records of the people employed by the business (personal details; what they get paid; skills and experience; training records) – Data on the costs associated with business processes (e. g. costings for contracts entered into by the business) – Data from the production department (e. g. number of machines; capacity; repair record) – Data from activities in direct contact with the customer (e. g. analysis of calls received and missed in a call centre) A lot of internal information is also provided informally. For example, regular meetings of staff and management will result in the communication of relevant information. SAMPLE SOURCES OF INTERNAL INFORMATION: Balance Sheet of ICICI PERIOD ENDING 31-Mar-00 Assets Current Assets Cash And Cash Equivalents 1,479,000 Short Term Investments – Net Receivables 194,000 Inventory – Other Current Assets – Total Current Assets – Long Term Investments 1,185,000 Property Plant and Equipment 48,000 Goodwill – Intangible Assets – Accumulated Amortization – Other Assets 81,000 Deferred Long Term Asset Charges – Total Assets 2,987,000 Liabilities Current Liabilities Accounts Payable – Short/Current Long Term Debt – Other Current Liabilities 2,454,000 Total Current Liabilities – Long Term Debt 57,000 Other Liabilities 215,000 Deferred Long Term Liability Charges – Minority Interest – Negative Goodwill – Total Liabilities 2,726,000 Stockholders’ Equity Misc Stocks Options Warrants – Redeemable Preferred Stock – Preferred Stock – Common Stock 45,000 Retained Earnings 44,000 Treasury Stock – Capital Surplus 171,000 Other Stockholder Equity 1,000 Total Stockholder Equity 261,000 Net Tangible Assets $261,000 Source: Yahoo Finance Stock movement of I-Flex solutions Series Date Prev Close Open Price High Price Low Price Last Price Close Price Total Traded Quantity Turnover in Lacs EQ 03-Mar-2008 1,078. 95 1,037. 00 1,080. 00 1,020. 00 1,029. 90 1,042. 55 17954 190. 31 EQ 04-Mar-2008 1,042. 55 1,020. 00 1,075. 00 1,017. 00 1,047. 65 1,048. 25 36723 382. 44 EQ 05-Mar-2008 1,048. 25 1,070. 00 1,070. 00 1,030. 15 1,045. 00 1,039. 20 22219 231. 63 EQ 07-Mar-2008 1,039. 20 1,021. 00 1,032. 00 983. 00 1,004. 95 1,001. 50 22103 220. 45 EQ 10-Mar-2008 1,001. 50 955. 00 1,040. 00 946. 40 1,005. 00 1,015. 50 19099 192. 55 EQ 11-Mar-2008 1,015. 50 992. 50 1,065. 00 992. 50 1,045. 00 1,054. 65 21805 226. 22 EQ 12-Mar-2008 1,054. 65 1,100. 00 1,100. 00 1,000. 00 1,004. 00 1,007. 45 13398 139. 14 EQ 13-Mar-2008 1,007. 45 987. 05 1,010. 00 952. 00 954. 00 959. 10 15931 155. 65 EQ 14-Mar-2008 959. 10 962. 00 992. 00 920. 00 990. 00 983. 15 21685 210. 01 EQ 17-Mar-2008 983. 15 925. 00 970. 00 925. 00 965. 00 942. 95 12307 116. 99 EQ 18-Mar-2008 942. 95 931. 00 958. 50 925. 10 927. 00 936. 50 21230 200. 13 EQ 19-Mar-2008 936. 50 970. 00 978. 00 922. 00 925. 00 925. 55 21245 199. 40 EQ 24-Mar-2008 925. 55 948. 00 950. 00 895. 00 905. 00 908. 25 21626 197. 55 EQ 25-Mar-2008 908. 25 913. 50 1,008. 00 913. 50 990. 10 992. 55 58576 571. 10 EQ 26-Mar-2008 992. 55 988. 90 1,027. 00 974. 00 974. 00 986. 85 33402 335. 28 EQ 27-Mar-2008 986. 85 975. 00 1,003. 00 935. 00 951. 05 947. 10 118566 1,140. 60 EQ 28-Mar-2008 947. 10 970. 00 994. 00 956. 00 976. 00 984. 40 21658 210. 89 EQ 31-Mar-2008 984. 40 970. 25 985. 00 935. 00 948. 20 941. 10 39622 376. 60 Source: NSEINDIA EXTERNAL INFORMATION As the term implies, this is information that is obtained from outside the business. There are several categories of external information: – Information relating to way a business should undertake its activities E. g. businesses need to keep records so that they can collect taxes on behalf of the government. So a business needs to obtain regular information about the taxation system (e. g. PAYE, VAT, Corporation Tax) and what actions it needs to take. Increasingly this kind of information (and the return forms a business needs to send) is provided in digital format. Similarly, a business needs to be aware of key legal areas (e. g. environmental legislation; health & safety regulation; employment law). There is a whole publishing industry devoted to selling this kind of information to businesses. – Information about the markets in which a business operates This kind of external information is critically important to a business. It is often referred to as â€Å"market† or â€Å"competitive intelligence†. Most of the external information that a business needs can be obtained from marketing research. Marketing research can help a business do one or more of the following: 1. Gain a more detailed understanding of consumers’ needs – marketing research can help firms to discover consumers’ opinions on a huge range of issues, e. g. , views on products’ prices, packaging, recent advertising campaigns 2. Reduce the risk of product/business failure – there is no guarantee that any new idea will be a commercial success, but accurate and up-to-date information on the market can help a business make informed decisions, hopefully leading to products that consumers want in sufficient numbers to achieve commercial success. 3. Forecast future trends – marketing research can not only provide information regarding the current state of the market but it can also be used to anticipate customer needs future customer needs. Firms can then make the necessary adjustments to their product portfolios and levels of output in order to remain successful. The information for marketing research tends to come from three main sources: Internal Company Information – e. g. sales, orders, customer profiles, stocks, customer service reports Marketing intelligence – this is a catch-all term to include all the everyday information about developments in the market that helps a business prepare and adjust its marketing plans. It can be obtained from many sources, including suppliers, customers and distributors. It is also possible to buy intelligence information from outside suppliers (e. g. Mintel, Dun and Bradstreet) who will produce commercial intelligence reports that can be sold profitably to any interested organization. Market Research – existing data from internal sources may not provide sufficient detail. Similarly, published reports from market intelligence organizations cannot always be relied upon to provide the up-to-date, relevant information required. In these circumstances, a business may need to commission specific studies in order to acquire the data required to support their marketing strategy. – http://tutor2u. net/business/ict/intro_information_sources. htm SOURCES OF BUSINESS INFORMATION Details of following types of organizations are required to be maintained by NCTI for guiding entrepreneurs/exporters to approach to the right organization for getting the desired information, assistance and help. †¢ Foreign Embassies/High Commissions/Consulate in India †¢ Indian Missions/Consulate abroad †¢ Chambers of Commerce & Industry †¢ Trade Promotion /Import Promotion Organizations †¢ Export Inspection Agencies †¢ Export Processing Zones in India and Abroad Details of these organizations are readily available with NCTI. – http://archives. nic. in/ncti/ncti8. htm SAMPLE SOURCES OF EXTERNAL INFORMATION: AMR Research Releases ERP Market Report Showing Overall Market Growth of 14% in 2004, Tuesday, June 14, 2005, Kevin Reilly As Market Consolidation Continues, Top 5 ERP Vendors Account for 72% of Revenue Today, AMR Research released its annual report on the state of the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) market. The Market Analytix Report: Enterprise Resource Planning, 2004-2009 revealed that ERP market revenues increased 14% in 2004. The report indicates that approximately one-third of the growth in the overall market was due to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. While the ERP market has grown in revenue, consolidation continues to change the industry. In 1999, the top five vendors (J. D. Edwards, Baan, Oracle, PeopleSoft, and SAP) in the ERP market accounted for 59% of the industry’s revenue. AMR Research expects the top five vendors in 2005 (SAP, Oracle, Sage Group, Microsoft, and SSA Global) to account for 72% of ERP vendors’ total revenue. â€Å"The ERP market showed solid organic growth in 2004 as IT spending improved,† says Jim Shepherd, vice president of research at AMR Research. â€Å"The market was also affected by consolidation within the segment, as well as ERP vendors acquiring best-of-breed players to broaden their portfolios. † While many ERP vendors struggled in 2004, SAP AG increased overall revenues by 17% and license revenues by 20% – without any acquisitions. SAP’s ERP market share increased to more than 40%. Oracle nearly doubled the size of its application business through the acquisition of PeopleSoft, but AMR Research expects SAP to finish 2005 with more than twice the revenue and market share of the combined Oracle-PeopleSoft. Report Findings and Analysis The report delivers revenue and growth rates for the top ERP players as well as growth forecasts through 2009. ERP vendors ranked by 2004 ERP license revenue can be seen in the chart below. The top ten ERP vendors by revenue include the following companies: The report revealed several trends that affected the ERP market in 2004, including: The ERP market is entering another major technology transition phase. Service Oriented Architectures (SOA) may have the same disruptive effect that other technologies have had on the market, such as the emergence of client-server systems had in the 1990’s. The pace of acquisitions shows no sign of slowing down. Oracle’s purchase of Retek and vendors like Sage Group, SSA Global, Infor Global Solutions, and Epicor have all been very active in the M&A space and have grown more rapidly than the overall ERP market. The midrange ($50M – $1B in annual revenue) and SMB (less than $50M in annual revenue) markets continue to be a major focus area for many of the ERP vendors. Midrange solutions and channels are critically important for penetrating China, India, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. ERP buyers have moved away from large, upfront purchases. Now most tend to license user seats and functional ERP modules incrementally as they deploy a product. Along with widespread discounting, this has led to smaller average deal sizes. BANK’S REPORT BY FDIC Dollar Amounts in Billions Fourth Quarter 2007 All Insured Institutions Commercial Banks Savings Institutions Credit Card Lenders Mortgage Lenders Number of FDIC-Insured 8,533 7,282 1,251 27 786 Number of FDIC-Supervised 5,197 4,772 425 10 317 Total Assets $ 13,039 11,176 1,863 479 1,334 Total Loans $ 7,906 6,626 1,280 369 944 Domestic Deposits $ 6,912 5,807 1,105 142 737 Net Income (QTR) $ 5. 816 10. 540 -4. 724 3. 027 -3. 230 Percent Profitable (QTR) % 82. 3 83. 2 77. 0 88. 9 79. 1 Average Return on Assets (QTR) % 0. 18 0. 38 -1. 00 2. 61 -0. 94 Average Return on Equity (QTR) % 1. 74 3. 76 -8. 70 11. 96 -10. 51 Net Interest Margin (QTR) % 3. 30 3. 38 2. 86 8. 97 2. 52 Equity to Assets % 10. 37 10. 24 11. 17 21. 26 8. 61 Noncurrent Loan Rate – Total Loans * % 1. 39 1. 30 1. 86 2. 00 1. 87 Real Estate Loans % 1. 71 1. 62 2. 01 1. 81 1. 94 C&I Loans % 0. 66 0. 64 0. 92 2. 21 0. 88 Consumer Loans % 1. 43 1. 48 0. 98 2. 10 0. 96 Coverage Ratio ** % 92. 54 102. 84 55. 35 207. 47 45. 74 Net Charge-Off Rate – All Loans (QTR) % 0. 83 0. 86 0. 68 4. 23 0. 66 Real Estate Loans (QTR) % 0. 44 0. 43 0. 49 2. 61 0. 54 C&I Loans (QTR) % 0. 87 0. 85 1. 24 5. 13 1. 35 Consumer Loans (QTR) % 2. 75 2. 77 2. 54 4. 39 3. 16 Source: http://www. fdic. gov/bank/statistical/stats/2007dec/industry. html REFERENCES ? James O’ Brien, Management Information system, Tata Mcgraw Hill, 2007, Pg. 245-267. ? AMR Research Releases ERP Market Report Showing Overall Market Growth of 14% in 2004, Tuesday, June 14, 2005 Kevin Reilly ? Yahoo Finance ? www. nseindia. com ? http://archives. nic. in/ncti/ncti8. htm ? http://tutor2u. net/business/ict/intro_information_sources. htm http://www. fdic. gov/bank/statistical/stats/2007dec/industry. html

Scoring Rubric Use and Samples for Elementary Grades

Scoring Rubric Use and Samples for Elementary Grades A scoring rubric evaluates the performance of an assignment. Its an organized way for teachers to assess their students work and learn what areas the student needs to develop in. How to Use a Scoring Rubric To get started you must: First, determine if you are scoring the assignment based on the overall quality and understanding of a concept. If you are, then this is a quick and easy way to score an assignment, because you are looking for an overall understanding rather than specific criteria. Next, read the assignment carefully. Be sure not to look at the rubric just yet because right now you are just focusing on the main concept. Re-read the assignment while focusing on the overall quality and understanding the student portrays. Lastly, use the rubric to determine the final score of the assignment. Learn how to score a rubric and view samples of expository and narrative writing rubrics. Plus: learn how to create a rubric from scratch by using this step-by-step guide to create a rubric. Sample Scoring Rubrics The following basic elementary scoring rubrics provide guidelines to evaluate assignments using the following criteria: 4 - Meaning the students work is Exemplary (Strong). He/she goes beyond what is expected of them to complete the assignment. 3 - Meaning the students work is good (Acceptable). He/she does what is expected of them to complete the assignment. 2 - Meaning the students work is satisfactory (Almost there but acceptable). He/she may or may not complete the assignment with limited understanding. 1 - Meaning the students work is not where it should be (weak). He/she does not complete the assignment and/or has no understanding of what to do. Use the scoring rubrics below as a way to assess your students skills. Scoring Rubric 1 4 Exemplary Student has a complete comprehension of the material Student participated and completed all activities Student completed all assignments in a timely manner and showed perfect performance 3 Good Quality Student has a proficient comprehension of the material Student actively participated in all activities Student completed assignments in a timely manner 2 Satisfactory Student has an average comprehension of the material Student mostly participated in all activities Student completed assignments with help 1 Not There Yet Student does not comprehend the material Students did not participate in activities Students did not complete assignments Scoring Rubric 2 4 The assignment is completed correctly and contains additional and outstanding features 3 The assignment is completed correctly with zero mistakes 2 The assignment is partially correct with no major mistakes 1 The assignment is not completed correctly and contains a lot of mistakes Scoring Rubric 3 Points Description 4 Students understanding of concept if clearly evident Student uses effective strategies to get accurate results Student uses logical thinking to arrive at the conclusion 3 Students understanding of the concept is evident Student uses appropriate strategies to arrive at a result Student shows thinking skills to arrive at the conclusion 2 Student has limited understanding of a concept Student uses strategies that are ineffective Student attempts to show thinking skills 1 Student has a complete lack of understanding of the concept Student makes no attempt to use a strategy Student shows no understanding

Describe the most important features of Liturgical worship, non liturgical and charismatic worship Essays

Describe the most important features of Liturgical worship, non liturgical and charismatic worship Essays Describe the most important features of Liturgical worship, non liturgical and charismatic worship Paper Describe the most important features of Liturgical worship, non liturgical and charismatic worship Paper In a liturgical Church, services have a set order. This means that all services are always exactly the same, no matter what country they are conducted in. The only difference is the language it is conducted in.In Liturgical Church services, the altar is at the centre of the Eucharist, or thanksgiving. This is because the altar is the place where the sacrifice of the Eucharist takes place. This is the sacrifice made by Jesus on the cross. This gift of himself is shown in the bread and wine offered at the Eucharist.Roman Catholics believe in the Transubstantiation. This is the act in which the bread and the wine offered by the priest at the altar actually become the body and blood of Christ. The bread and the wine also remind us of the Last Supper shared by Jesus and the Apostles.The priest wears special garments to show that he is different from the laity (the congregation). The long white garment worn on the inside is called the Alb. It is meant to remind us of the long, flowing whit e garments worn in the middle east, which is of course where Jesus lived, to keep cool. The outer garment is called the Chasuble. Chasubles have been used since Roman times, so the priest wears it as a symbol of the antiquity of the priesthood. The colour of the Chasuble depends upon the time of the religious calendar. It is a different colour during each major festival of the year, e.g.: purple during Lent.Finally, the priest wears a Stole. This is the long scarf-like garment he wears around the neck and which almost reaches down to his ankles. It is a symbol of the priests authority.The most important part of the Liturgical service is the Liturgy of the Word. It is a planned reading read by the priest, and represents the theme of the entire service. The theme corresponds with the time of the liturgical or religious year.In a non-liturgical Church, services have no set order. Instead, the Bible is the focus of services, and worship is spontaneous, often involving joyful singing and dancing. Church buildings are a lot plainer, and the altar is a table. A lot more importance is given to the Sermon preaching and teaching from the minister, and to prayer, than to ceremony and tradition. Again the offering of the bread and the wine plays an important part, but as in the charismatic and Anglican denominations, the Church does not believe in the Transubstantiation. Community singing and hymn books play important parts in worship.In charismatic Churches, attention is mainly focused n the Holy Spirit. There is no service order as the congregation wait upon the Holy Spirit to provide the inspiration and its gifts. Worship involves plenty of drama, with healing of illnesses etc. via the laying on of hands by the minister, people speaking in prophecy tongues, and enthusiastic hymns. There are no symbols in the church building, which can often be just a plain building. Great importance is also placed upon Bible readings, the preaching of the minister, and prayer.

Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instructions Essay

Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instructions - Essay Example Ralph Tyler’s contributions to the rationale came from his experience as a teacher, a maker as well as an evaluator of the curriculum. He was actively involved in designing the methods of measuring changes in learners in relation to efforts by the schools to help learners in developing interests and ensuring their appropriate performance in society. In the manuscript, Tyler formulated questions that he believed that any practitioner in curriculum inquiry should try to answer. Do the questions include what educational purposes the school seeks to attain? What educational experiences are needed for the effective attainment of the purposes? How educational experiences could be effectively organized? And lastly how the determination of whether the purposes are being attained can be effected (Tyler, 2010).  Tyler laid emphasis on educational purposes, on which he meant few targets which are set at high levels of generalizability. Tyler also suggested that the school objectives wo uld be valid enough if their selections are in consideration to information about the learner's contemporary life, psychological interests, and needs, as well as useful aspects of the subject matter in relation to everyone including the discipline specialists. The schools in the selection of the effective and attainable objectives should screen in line with the school's educational philosophy as well as their beliefs about the psychology of learning (McNeil, 2009).  After the formulation of the purposes, highlighting the necessary educational experiences is vital. The learning or educational experiences, according to Tyler, refer to the plan for the provision of learning situations with considerations to both the previous viewpoints and experiences brought to the situation by the learner and the likely response of the learner; emotionally, mentally, and physically in action.  Ordering the goals, objectives or targets to ensure that they share the focus on the same outcome would then be very vital. Tyler was fascinated with how the curriculum could be structured to generate a maximum cumulative effect. This was in line with his efforts to develop a cumulative plan for an organization that would assist students in learning more effectively (McNeil, 2009).

Your book identifies five factors that contribute to the growth of Essay

Your book identifies five factors that contribute to the growth of tourism. Discuss these trends and how they have become more relevant or less relevant in our current world situation - Essay Example Since the dual income family trend is increasing, the demand for tourism destinations is also increasing. The latter will increase the supply of tourism in the next few decades, which is good for the tourism industry. Unlike a few decades ago, travel has become more dynamic. Travel options for the disabled, the elderly and the able bodied has been increasingly receiving attention. As welfare associations pressure, air companies support disabled travelling amenities and they provide traveling options for the elderly. Improving travelling conditions is important to the tourism industry since the market range increases exponentially (Silva & Howard, 2006). Tourism industries nowadays accommodate all people interested in visiting different sites due to good travel amenities. It involves commissioning a company to cater for all the tour needs of related tourists. The company picks the site, caters for accommodation and organizes the activities. All the latter activities are done at a lower price, and they attract more tourists (Silva & Howard, 2006). Package tours help save money hence their relevance in the current world and economy is evident. Most people relate to the internet due to evolution of technology. It is easier to pick tourism sites and book the means of travel out of the comfort of one’s home. Eliminating the stress associated with queuing and doing things manually in a digital world makes the internet a relevant aspect in the current world (Silva & Howard, 2006). It is an aspect that almost everybody can associate with and maneuver, hence it will be relevant for a long time to

Taxation Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Taxation - Statistics Project Example e telecommunication industry is an average of 11.77% of gross profit, the tax paid by the health care industry is an average of 8.24% of gross profit. We test the hypotheis whether the average for telecommunication is greater than that for health care. Hypothesis: Null hypothesis:H0: B1 = B2 Alternative hypothesis:Ha: B1>B2 Where B1 is the mean percentage tax paid by the telecommunication industry, B2 is mean percentage tax paid by the health care industry.We test the hypothesis that the mean are different using T test, we use the following formula to determine the T calcaulted value: Tcal = (B1 -B2)[(12/ n1 + 12 /n2)] Where is the standard deviation and n is the sample size, wee substitute the formula as follows: Telecommunication Services Health Care tax / gross profit tax / gross profit total 3.298118756 0.57652713 mean 0.117789956 0.082361019 standard deviation 0.045504328 0.020043758 variance 0.002070644 0.000401752 Tcal = (3.298118756 -0.57652713)[(0.002070644/ 28 + 0.000401752 /7)] T calculated is therefore equal to, T cal = 0.011460574 We test this hypothesis at the 95% level of test, a two tail test gives us a critical value of 2.05183, T critical = 2.05183. Decision: In hypothesis testing when the T calcualted value is greater than the T critical value we reject the null hypothesis, and if it is less than the T critical value we accpet the null hypothesis, for this reaons therefore our T calcualted value is less than our T critical value and therefore we accet the null hypothesis that B1 = B2, rejecting the alternative hypothesis that B1>B2. for this reaosn therefore we conclude that tax paid on gross profit by the...On taxes paid health care paid a mean of 1,227.38 in tax while the telecommunication services industry paid a mean of 1,421.34 in taxes, this shows that the telecommunication industry paid a higher tax than health care despite health care recording a higher mean gross profit. From the above we test the hypothesis that Telecommunication Service industry pay more taxes on gross profit than the healthcare service industry, in order to test this hypothesis we calculate the percentage tax paid on gross profit by both industries, the following table sumarises the results: In hypothesis testing when the T calcualted value is greater than the T critical value we reject the null hypothesis, and if it is less than the T critical value we accpet the null hypothesis, for this reaons therefore our T calcualted value is less than our T critical value and therefore we accet the null hypothesis that B1 = B2, rejecting the alternative hypothesis that B1>B2. for this reaosn therefore we conclude that tax paid on gross profit by the Telecommunication Service industry is equal to the tax paid on gross proifit by the healthcare service industry. From the above discussion it si evident that the health care idnustry has a higher mean level of gross profit than the teleommunication idnustry, on tax it is evident that the mean tax paid by the health care industry is lower than the averag

The Various Primary And Secondary Stakeholder Groups Essay Example for Free

The Various Primary And Secondary Stakeholder Groups Essay 1 Describe your company and analyze the various primary and secondary stakeholder groups, their roles, and relationships. A In July of 1958, MITRE was founded as a private, not-for-profit corporation to provide engineering and technical services to the federal government. In doing so, it fulfilled a request by Secretary of the Air Force James Douglas for a specialized services group to provide the system engineering and ongoing support for the massive, multi-billion dollar, continental air defense system called SAGE. SAGE, or Semi-Automatic Ground Environment, was developed for the United States Air Force from 1950 to 1957 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys Digital Computer Laboratory, the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratory, and MITs Lincoln Laboratory. MITRE was incorporated one month following the installation of the first of 23 national SAGE centers at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey. MITRE first settled in the Boston area. Stakeholder groups: senior management, HR managers, facility and regional directors, it directors and employees. MITRE systems engineers must build relationships with the stakeholders throughout the transformation process [3]. They should employ a combination of one-on-one interviews, focus groups, and surveys to rapidly establish rapport and create an environment that contributes to the stakeholders being open and honest while describing challenging situations. Rather than just fire off one question after the next, it is important to engage stakeholders in dialogue and exhibit interest in their opinions and perspectives. Ask follow-up questions to solicit specific examples and understand how stakeholders developed their opinions and perceptions. The interview protocol should include open-ended and Likert-scaled questions. Liker scales are a type of survey response format where survey respondents are asked to indicate their level of agreement/interest on a continuum (e.g., from strongly agree to strongly disagree or a numerical scale). This method provides a way to assign a quantitative value to qualitative information. Although there is a certain amount of variance inherent in Likert responses, these questions help bring a quantitative measure to enhancing understanding of stakeholders. In addition to asking probing questions on a variety of topics, solicit suggestions for addressing concerns. 2 Recommend ways the stakeholders can influence the destiny of your business. A Corporate stakeholders are different from generalized ones so are their roles bigger than rest. They are board of directors; key players in management, employees, shareholders, suppliers and of course the customers without whom business won’t run. Functioning of stakeholder in every corporation would vary hence their impacts are diverse. They involve in planning, identifying positive and negative impacts and potential profit margins etc. They have greater role to play in financial and functional aspects of businesses and guarantee success. 3 Create a plan on how you would encourage stakeholders to form a coalition to help you achieve your goals. Include a discussion of the specific assistance you think the coalition could provide. A . Put together a core group. Start with people you know. If youre a longtime activist on this issue, or if youve been living or working in your community for a while, you have lots of contacts, particularly among others concerned with the same things you are. Use those contacts now, either to pull them into the circle, or to get the names of others who might be part of a core group. Identify the most important potential coalition members. Especially if your coalition has a narrow and time-limited purpose, there are probably people or organizations you cant do without. Its important to identify them, and to target them specifically for membership. This may mean courting them an initial meeting over lunch where you pick up the tab, for instance, or a promise of a place on the steering committee. Recruit members to the coalition. Now that your core group is in place, and youve decided on the potential members who are necessary to the success of the coalition, you can start recruiting members. Although its important to start with the individuals and groups mentioned above, youll probably want to be as inclusive as possible. Its unusual to hear about a coalition suffering because it has too many members. Plan and hold a first meeting. The first meeting of a coalition is important. If its a high-energy, optimistic gathering that gets people excited, youre off to a good start. If its depressed and negative, or just boring, its a good bet that a lot of people wont come back. Its up to the core group in what may be the last official task they undertake to plan a meeting that will start the coalition off on the right foot. 4 – Anticipate any challenges in encouraging stakeholders to form a coalition to help you achieve your goals and the steps you would take to overcome these challenges. A – First; once you take the first step and decide to face a challenge, you have to state the problem and do it as clearly and exactly as you can. Second; you must identify the resources you have on-hand that could potentially help you to achieve your goal. It would be advisable to make a list with all the resources you have. Third; you need to design an effective strategy to deal with the situation. So, rack your brains and determine your best strategy to solve the new problem and, then, you will just need to execute it as efficiently and effectively as you can. Finally; once you have the strategy you have to implement it with creativity, skill and intelligence. Do your work with effort, determination and diligence. So, strive for excellence in your work; try your best day by day with the wisest use of your resources and energy to achieve the goal.

Issues in the Hospitality Industry

Issues in the Hospitality Industry November 2006 At the recent ISHC Annual Conference held in Miami, Florida, ISHC members participated in a series of roundtable discussions to identify the ISHC Top Ten Issues in the Hospitality Industry for 2007. This year the debate included in-depth discussions on over 100 different issues with 27 making the ballot for the final vote by the members. Ultimately, the following Top Ten Issues were identified as ones that can be expected to potentially have the greatest impact on the industry in 2007. ISHC Top Ten Issues in the Hospitality Industry for 2007 Labor Skills Shortages Growing shortage of qualified skilled employees Construction Costs Escalation of construction renovation costs Technology Lightening speed of changes keeping up Changing Demographics Their Impact on Travel Trends Shift in baby-boomers to gen X Future of Hotel Profits Balancing escalating expenses with the need to increase rates Branding Mitigating consumer confusion over brand proliferation and investor concerns over cross brand impact Distribution Revolution Keeping up with rapidly changing playing field Travel Restrictions And their impact on the travel industry Global Emerging Markets Are travel patterns changing Capital Availability Will investor and lender confidence continue #1 ISHC Top Ten Issue LABOR SKILLS SHORTAGE The problem of attracting and retaining qualified workers, once an issue only in an isolated number of markets, is increasingly becoming a global challenge.. Demography, wage levels, failure to adequately address worker satisfaction and a reputation for long hours and low pay are all cited as contributing factors. Creative hospitality professionals have begun to develop innovative strategies for capturing and keeping high quality workers. Why cant we find good people? Its become a global concern, the number one issue confronting our industry. Here are some of the causes: Demographics Population growth rates have been slowing in Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere for decades so the number of workers leaving the workforce now exceeds those that are entering. The aging workforce moving into retirement is creating a huge void that can only be expected to grow larger going forward. Lagging Wage Rates. Long criticized for paying salaries and wages below those common in other industries, hospitality companies are increasingly finding it difficult to attract and retain qualified candidates willing to attract standard wages. Industry Reputation Like it or not, the hospitality industry has not done enough to earn a reputation as a top career choice for college graduates. Notorious for long hours, night and weekend shifts our industry has Gen-Xers and Gen-Yers seeking other careers with a perceived higher quality of life and better wages. De-emphasis on Training and Worker Satisfaction Following the worldwide dip in demand that followed 9/11, many hotel companies failed to fully restore training and worker enrichment programs that marked the 1980s and 90s. This comes at a time when lodging brands are increasingly adding amenities and services in order to differentiate themselves from competitors. What can we do about it? As an industry, we need to work together to develop strategies for rethinking and rehabilitating our industrys image as an exciting and rewarding career choice. There was a time not too long ago when people joined the hospitality industry for its glamour. Globally, we need to share best practices for training and retention and make industry sponsored educational programs more readily available to employees at every organizational level. Industry organizations including the International Hotel and Restaurant Association and the American Hotel and Lodging Association Educational Institute provide excellent training libraries as well as web based training programs. Additionally, there are some outstanding independent firms that specialize in human resource training and development-some of which also offer excellent proprietary training materials. Meanwhile, following are some thoughts to share regarding potential opportunities for hotels to meet the labor challenge? Grow Your Own. Hotel companies need to develop internal programs to create attractive career paths so that potential candidates see employment as a professional development opportunity with real potential for advancement. Recruiting for entry level positions is easier when the recruiter can outline a career path and can point to managers who have worked their way up from line positions. Marriott has been doing this better than anyone for decades. Guest Workers. The U.S. and many other nations offer guest worker programs that can provide seasonal workers for up to ten months. One well-known US resort brings over two hundred workers from Jamaica each spring to fill various positions under the U.S. H-2B Visa program. These individuals stay through the resort season, with many returning year after year. Similarly, Disney uses the J-1 Visa program to bring young college graduates from all over the world for 18-month internships in entry level supervisory and guest contact positions at its US hotels and theme parks. Pay for Productivity. Hospitality is a labor intensive business and automation opportunities are often limited. Reconfiguring work process and then sharing the benefits of increased productivity can have positive results. One hotel General Manager provides a cash bonus split among the workers in his hotels laundry department for reaching a monthly productivity goal calculated in pounds processed per labor hour. At another hotel Room Attendants are offered a menu of options to receive additional pay for increased productivity so long as strict quality guidelines are met. Job Enlargement. Cross-training and cross-utilization arent new concepts, but theyre good ones. One hotel company of note has a certification program for all its employees. Employees are expected to master the skills for their own positions, but receive pay raises when theyve become certified in other jobs. These multi-talented employees can fill in where needed in peak times and have their own horizons broadened through cross departmental training. In todays environment, operators are increasingly finding they must compete for workers as hard as they compete for customers. Developing a positive work environment with real opportunities for advancement, combined with creative strategies for recruiting and improving employee productivity will all be increasingly essential skills as the workforce continues to shrink in the foreseeable future. # 2 ISHC Top Ten Issue CONSTRUCTION COSTS All construction costs and the costs for furnishings, fixtures and equipment (FFE) will continue to escalate in 2007, although at a pace a little slower than experienced in the period from 2004 through 2006. According to the Associated General Contractors of America, construction costs, driven primarily by materials costs, spiked dramatically in 2004. The annual increase for construction materials in general was approximately 10 percent in 2004, followed by 6.0- percent and 8.8-percent increases in 2005 and 2006, respectively. This compares to increases of 3.8 percent in the consumer price index and 3.7 percent in the producer price index for the period from August 2005 to August 2006. In 2004 and 2005, these two latter indices experienced annual increases averaging about 4.0 percent. The outlook for the future is for more of the same, although at a somewhat slower pace. For example, steel prices experienced a 48.8-percent increase in 2004, which was preceded by significant increases in scrap iron and steel prices in 2002 and 2003. Steel prices held steady in 2005 but jumped again in 2006. They are expected to increase again in 2007 and beyond as demand for steel from construction projects in China and India increases. Scrap iron and steel prices have increased approximately 20 percent in the past twelve months. Other important factors contributing to the increases in construction costs include the cost of diesel fuel used for transportation of both raw and finished goods. Some relief has occurred recently, with fuel costs dropping in tandem with crude oil prices have dropped. But uncertainties of supply in crude oil markets and the somewhat tenuous situation in OPEC nations both economically and politically indicate continuing volatility in future pricing. Further, winter temperatures in 2006-07 could alter the balance between diesel and heating oil production, causing a price escalation in one or both of these fuels. Concrete prices are expected to continue to increase spurred by the ongoing increases in cement, aggregate and the fuel necessary to mine or extract these components. The recent downturn in the residential construction industry may moderate concrete price increases, but the impact of ongoing construction in China and India may more than offset these influences. The anticipated increase in the number of hotels currently in the development pipeline will certainly be affected by construction cost increases. Clearly, rising costs will have an impact on budgeting for new development or renovation projects. Construction contractors, particularly smaller ones, may not be able to offer guaranteed-maximum construction contracts, because they may not have the purchasing power to secure materials at favorable or fixed prices. Even the larger contractors are likely to hedge their contract quotes with provisions that shift the risk of increasing materials costs to the developer. This will affect every aspect of a construction project, particularly the scheduling of sub-contractors and deliveries of materials. Developers will be eager to adhere to a tight project schedule, while contractors will often be at the mercy of the materials suppliers as well as the availability of materials themselves. Faced with this situation, what can a developer or owner do to protect its interests? The following strategies may provide some ideas for further consideration and even innovation: Increase the use of pre-fabricated components in new construction; this may accelerate the overall development timeline; Evaluate materials specifications carefully to ensure the most appropriate and cost-effective materials are being used; Ensure that construction project management is fully qualified and up to speed on new developments in the materials supply arena; Value engineer the projects design and specifications thoroughly, and then do it again; Ensure design standards and space programming make maximum use of as much building area as possible for revenue-producing activities. By constantly monitoring changes in the markets for both construction materials and labor costs, and planning projects with extreme care, a developer or owner can protect its interests and ensure that a project has a better-than-even chance of being completed on time and on budget. # 3 ISHC Top Ten Issue TECHNOLOGY Despite a growing awareness of the value of modern, integrated systems, many properties still do not take advantage of them as fully as they might to maximize revenue opportunities. Many also fail to support and secure them to the extent appropriate to the value of their data and to the legal consequences of that data becoming stolen or corrupted. A significant factor restricting wider adoption is the challenge of improving the systems ease of use as they continue to grow in functionality, in both operational and guest-facing areas. All of these issues support a trend to outsourcing the more complex operational functions and system security to expert, central staff, either corporate or third party. The major factors involved are: the complexity of the hotel environment, which historically has required many different systems to interact with each other, a lack of awareness of how much efficiency could be improved through the use of modern integrated systems, a historic preference for investing funds in FFE rather than in the systems themselves or in regular training for their users, and the difficulty of providing comprehensive, expert technical support at the individual property level for the multiple systems used there. Hospitality management systems have evolved into sophisticated, well integrated, multi-discipline tools capable of helping properties of all types and sizes attract more guests, generate more revenue and reach much-improved levels of efficiency. Years of development in expanding the capabilities of individual systems, together with improvements in both interface technology and vendor cooperation, have produced far more comprehensive and better-integrated systems that can now cover virtually all areas of even a complex resort property or a multi-property chain. This brings obvious benefits from having more complete and accurate data, both operationally and in regard to guests profile and history information. However, many properties handicap themselves through hanging on to systems well past their competitively useful life, greatly restricting their ability to implement such revenue-enhancing measures as taking Internet reservations, performing effective rate/revenue management, collecting more detailed guest data for customer relationship management and targeted marketing, and so on. Sometimes this comes from a lack of appreciation of their potential upside, but there is also often apprehension about the difficulty of integrating older but still valuable systems into a more modern, integrated whole. Current interface technologies go a long way to alleviating this issue, but many properties have found that the benefits from replacing valued older systems with a more comprehensive, integrated system outweigh the possible loss of some minor functionality. Another factor discouraging upgrades is that the more comprehensive systems can seem challenging to use. Certainly good user interface design, as much an art as a science, is something vendors continue to pursue through better data layouts, property-specific screen customizations, the subtle use of color and differing fonts to guide users through the logical sequence of operations, and so on. This is likely to be a continuing challenge in both guest and operations technology. Check-in kiosks and guestroom technology, for example, must be as intuitive to use as possible, for a wide range of guest ages and technical familiarity. Nevertheless, as far as hotel-management systems are concerned the disadvantages of an unintuitive user interface can be overcome through user training, yet many hotels handicap their users by not providing refresher training on at least an annual basis. In an industry with traditionally high staff turnover this virtually guarantees that the systems wont be used effectively, hindering the property from realizing the full return on its investment and maximizing its revenue. Further, as systems become more comprehensive and wide-ranging their support and security management become both more complex and more essential. Loss of access to the system through hardware, software or network failure is completely disruptive since equivalent manual procedures are now virtually impossible to implement quickly. It is very difficult for an individual property to afford in-house technical support personnel trained in all the systems it uses, yet many properties do not have support agreements with third party vendors that might pro-actively prevent imminent problems. More importantly, guest profile data is becoming an increasingly attractive target for identity theft, and attacks on computer systems containing it are becoming more focused and more sophisticated. In addition, legislation such as Sarbanes-Oxley holds corporate officers personally accountable for the accuracy of their financial data. Despite these factors, many systems do not provide audit trails of which user changed key configuration parameters. Further, although all systems track the user ID responsible for changes to guest data, many hotels fail to enforce control over the sharing of IDs and passwords among users, making it impossible to know who entered or modified specific data or sometimes even just whos signed on to the network. All of these factors encourage the movement towards more professional systems management; either from a corporate resource team shared among many properties or contracted out to a professional third party. Centralized revenue management teams, for example, can provide expert help to multiple properties in a regionally cohesive way. Centrally-hosted systems allow for highly-qualified technicians to provide a far more secure and managed systems environment than would be available to an individual property. This trend is expected to continue as awareness grows of the value of keeping systems operating at peak efficiency, and of the potential damage from security breaches. # 4 ISHC Top Ten Issue CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS THE IMPACT ON TRAVEL TRENDS The impact of changing demographics on travel trends is a so far reaching no sector in travel, tourism and hospitality remains unaffected. Whether the subject is the gradual retirement of baby boomers, rampant globalization and its impact on business travel, or the increased demand for experiential travel, the dramatic worldwide shift in demographics poses both challenges and opportunities. These recent and ongoing changes in the demographic environment hold major implications for the hospitality industry in particular. With regard to product and service offerings, hoteliers need to begin a strategy that addresses multi-generational needs, wants and desires. Now, more than ever, hoteliers must offer design and amenities that cater to the special needs of aging consumers (Baby Boomers), as well as younger travelers (Gen-X and Gen-Y), who have high expectations in regard to design and technology. The traditional practice of brand standardization flies in the face of this. Hoteliers must adapt and look for ways to enhance all guest experiences regardless of generation. On January 1, 2006 the first of Americas seventy-eight million baby boomers turned sixty-years old, while the last one turned forty. In fact, nearly 8,000 boomers are turning sixty on a daily basis, and according to US Census Bureau statistics, the number of boomers expected to be living in the year 2030 is 57.8 million. This is the year boomers will be between ages 66 and 84. What does this milestone mean for hoteliers? It means changing the way we have traditionally connected with the so-called senior market. Primarily because boomers will not grow old quietly as previous generations have. This is the generation that has, and will continue to redefine the traditional ideas of aging. Boomers will be more active in their retirement, firmly believing that 50s and 60s are now middle age. This is primarily due to longer life expectancies and significant improvements to overall health and well-being. Although boomers will continue to be important in both population and economical terms, the younger markets (the 49 million Gen Xers and 72 million Gen Y set) are now coming into their own, entering middle management positions, stepping into political offices, and assuming their rightful positions of influence and affluence. It is important for hoteliers to bring the generations together and begin to serve their different habits, patterns and needs. The successful model for true solutions will require long lead times, but here are some suggested approaches. Adopt a universal design approach that includes lower beds, brighter lighting, larger fonts, and walk-in showers that are all easier to use, yet hip, cool and high-tech so that younger consumers are drawn to their design. Offer choices that give customer options rather than pre-determined packages. Create experiences versus tours. This allows individuals or multi-generational groups to determine what best works and appeals to them. High-tech guestrooms must become the norm rather than the exception. Today, its all about Internet access, wireless environments, and flat-screen TVs on the walls. But hoteliers must strive to keep up with the relevant technology that is not only expected from the business traveler, but also the leisure and younger sets. The continual widespread adoption of technology by the public will continue to have impact on the consumer expectation of their hotel experience. While there will be an increase in health travel offerings targeting the aging population such as medical spas, the offerings should also include elements of adventure, spirituality, or stress management that will appeal to younger markets. And finally, consider creating a panel of half a dozen or more people from different age and cultural groups who are willing to talk with you on a regular basis about their concerns and experiences, while giving you honest feedback on your products and services. Only by knowing how the motivations of your customers are tied to the underlying values of the generation to which they belong will you be able to tailor your products and services to their needs, interests, and desires. Applied knowledgeably, that information will provide you with a key competitive advantage. # 5 ISHC Top Ten Issue THE FUTURE OF HOTEL PROFITS We can anticipate that it will become increasingly difficult to sustain profit growth and improved return on investment performance. And for several reasons including:1) increasing operating costs that will outpace the growth of Revenues Per Available Room (RevPAR). 2) the rising costs of capital and the need for reinvestment that will adversely affect hotel returns. 3) Increasing labor and benefits costs that are being driven by changes in demographics, government regulations and labor agreements, and 4) higher energy costs. In the US for example, according to Smith Travel Research, RevPAR growth has been robust over the last three years reaching a projected peak in 2006 at 8.9 percent. While there is some debate about exactly where the industry is in the current cycle, there appears to be a consensus that RevPAR growth has peaked. For 2007 Smith Travel Research is projecting growth of 7.1 percent, and with the threat of increased supply looming on the horizon, year over year RevPAR growth is expected to continue to decline. Rising interest rates and higher equity return requirements are anticipated to result in higher costs of capital. At the same time, reinvestment costs (capital expenditures) are increasing as existing supply ages. As a consequence, profits will be reduced and owner returns are expected to decline over the next 12 to 24 months. Labor costs are the number one factor impacting hotel expenses. They are being affected by: Changes in demographics that are expected to constrict the available labor pool; Government regulations (higher minimum wages, immigration constraints, and mandated healthcare); New labor agreements that include significant increases in wages and continued limits on the ability to cross train; and Higher benefit expenses resulting from increased health insurance costs and pension requirements. In 2005, utilities grew at a rate of 13.6 percent over the prior year according to PKF Hospitality Research. While oil prices have been falling in recent months they remain slightly above 2005 levels. Utility expenses are not expected to decline significantly during 2007, and as such will remain an area of concern impacting hotel profitability into the future. In some cases, the factors that have been identified as affecting hotel profitability are out of the control of individual hotel owners and operators, however, there are steps that can be taken to mitigate their impact. For example: by giving increased attention to yield management, operators can potentially increase their RevPAR; through creative financing and diligent oversight of capital expenditures operators can increase their return on investment; improved employee retention and the use of alternate labor sources such as retirees can help to contain employee labor costs; and the installation of new energy saving devices and more efficient design can help to control energy expense. # 6 ISHC Top Ten Issue BRANDING: Mitigating Consumer Confusion over Brand Proliferation and Investor Concerns over Cross-Brand Impact As most of us involved in hotel development and operations are aware, there has been an explosion of new hotel brands/products announced over the past three to four years. Aloft, Cambria, Indigo, Waldorf-Astoria, Hyatt Place, NYLO, Viceroy, Capella, and most recently 1, are but a few examples of this rabid expansion of product type among both the major hotel franchise companies and small start-ups or spin-off management firms trying to establish themselves as a brand. But, despite all the hype and promotion surrounding the roll-out of these new hotels products, and the promise that each will be unique and different from their existing or future competition through design, price point, service levels, amenities, and/or the mattress, do the vast majority of consumers really understand all of the products? Do they want them? And what about the existing hotel franchisee or owner faced with yet another brand competitor under an existing franchise umbrella that is first viewed as splitting the pie even further? What does it do to their demand base? How about the going concern value of their asset? Today, there are an estimated 140 + hotel brands, up from approximately 80 in 1995 and estimated 110 brands in 2000. Are all these brands and choices necessary? Are more brands better, or are we merely creating more confusion for an already confused customer base? The answer is probably yes and yes, but not necessarily negative. Much of the new product being launched is attempting to capture an evolving consumer whose tastes and preferences are changing as they age. The baby boom generation, Gen Xers and Yers, Millenniums, etc., all have demographic characteristics and psychographic needs that may or may not be satisfied by todays hotel products. So the idea is that these new brands and products will better meet these consumers evolving needs in sufficient quantity to be market and financially successful. In that light, the larger issue is what to do with the brands left behind. They never seem to go away! Perhaps thats where more thought and effort should be concentrated by industry consultants, investors and franchisors. On the other hand, in the case of start-up hotel companies such as, Kor, West Paces Hotel Group, which rolled out the Solis and Capella luxury brands under the leadership of a former Ritz Carlton executive, or most recently the 1 luxury brand, begs the question as to whether there is perhaps too much equity and debt capital chasing too few deals in a hot hotel market rather than a verifiable market need for a better mouse trap. From an existing hotel franchisee/operator perspective, how do the major franchise companies protect their existing franchise partners from the impact against these new products so that the new product is not cannibalizing the existing demand base, particularly when there are 10 to 15 years left on the existing operators franchise agreement? This is an on-going issue that continues to surface, but has yet to be resolved between franchisor and franchisee. Franchisee councils, 3rd party impact studies, and areas of protection are a few of the methods used to address this complex issue, but none have proven to be a panacea. In both cases, the onslaught of new brands is a cyclical one and tends to occur during the up and peak points of the hotel cycle. So it is likely that this proliferation will subside as the industry cycle matures or begins to decline. At that point, as we have seen too often, the new brands that were ill-conceived and lacking clear definition and marketability ultimately become the weaker performers which are then often absorbed by the stronger ones. Eventually, these same brands (and all the hotels bearing their name) that fail to capture sufficient consumer interest languish and trade down the food chain of franchise companies over time, or are broken up and sold off in pieces. These thoughts would suggest that, perhaps as an industry, we should focus more on creative alternative uses for marginal brands and properties as opposed to worrying about the new ones stealing existing business. # 7 ISHC Top Ten Issue DISTRIBUTION REVOLUTION In 2006, it is estimated that $24 billion worth of hotel rooms in the US alone will be booked through internet sites representing 27% of US hotel industry room revenues up from $15.5 billion just two years ago. Moreover, industry analysts estimate an additional 25 to 30% of all hotel bookings are influenced by online research. The bottom line is that the hospitality industry continues to experience a revolution in distribution, and organizations are less and less equipped to keep pace with the dramatic changes in this online landscape. As distribution via the Internet evolved many experts agreed that online presence helped level the playing field; that independent hotels and small hotel companies could compete in cyberspace with major brands. Today, the issue is not can they compete but can any hotel or hotel company keep pace with the colossal changes and innovations that flood the online world? At the property level the first challenge was to effectively (and more efficiently) manage a myriad of distribution channels from a tactical perspective. Certainly the efforts to do a better job at the tactical side of distribution management have paid off. Although theres still room for improvement in this regard, online inventory management and better application of rate integrity policies have certainly helped hotels take back control of their inventories and pricing. The newest challenge is represented in the strategic side of distribution management and more specifically the ability to understand, manage and market to the consumer in the online world. This playing field is changing so rapidly that it is virtually impossible to keep pace. Hospitality professionals, whether they be in ownership positions, senior management at corporate or a property level executive, must become online savvy. Without some understanding of the online consumers buying behavior, it is impossible to effectively level the playing field or allocate marketing dollars intelligently. From travel blogs to consumer reviews from travel oriented social networking to highly targeted, email based direct marketing from really simple syndication (RSS permits users to subscribe to their choice of Web content) to the use of rich media to differentiate hotel productall of these innovations are causing what PhocusWright terms the power shift toward consumers. The question is: Are hotels ready for this? In many cases our collective heads are still spinning from the first wave of online distribution challenges. Now hotels must be even savvier about every aspect of how their product reaches the consumer. Directors of Sales Marketing and Directors of Revenue Management must understand at least the basics of search engine optimization, pay-per-click marketing, link popularity strategies and web traffic analysis. Allocation of marketing budgets and resources must be carefully managed to optimize reach. And the connection (and