Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Synthesis Essay Online Shopping - 777 Words

Synthesis Essay 2 Online shopping faced a many different challenges. A common example of these challenges that describing these websites by they are lack of the security. Sao Paulo in 2003 mentioned that â€Å"The financial crisis and attempted here with the prices did not affect the performance of online shopping† a huge event like the financial crisis did not disturb online shopping, but likewise, Harris’ survey finds that â€Å"The lack of security of a site can be a determining factor for the achievement or not a purchase†. In the same way, â€Å"87% of the customers submitted that they perceive that the lack of security on this platform and unreliable network services will be a huge disadvantage to them in the short run as online hawkers could break into their cards and defraud them†( Wali, Wright and Reynolds 1) in fact, people used to be afraid of getting their addresses, cards and phones numbers for unofficial corporation. Nonetheless, people can not use this as wea k point for online shopping. The security is as a triangle contain many elements; banks, companies and individuals. As a result, if there is any error in any part of the triangle it will affect on the security system. On the other hand, companies as a part of this triangle understand very well that the trust is the first stone in the trade’s building, and the trust according to Gefen’s study is built through four points, the second one is â€Å"A belief that there are safety mechanisms built into the Web site†. Building theShow MoreRelatedThe Impact of Online Shopping on Consumer Behavior3641 Words   |  15 Pagesthe factors that influence the consumer behavior while they are shopping online. Because now a day’s online shopping is increasing day by day .We collected both primary and secondary Data. The survey was conducted in Alain Mall through questionnaire and all the factors that can influence consumer behavior or change consumer behavior because of online shopping where given in the questionnaire. So we found that the the online shopping has a big impact on consumer behavior in many different ways. TableRead MoreManga2924 Words   |  12 Pagesago: long Indian summers spent reading Archie digests out of utter boredom had convinced me that there wasnt much to the form. It was only when a friend introduced me to Japanese comics (or manga) three years ago that I began to realize that the synthesis of image and text could produce complex layers of meaning, which shifted from reading to reading. In Japan, manga has spread and diversified as a dominant (almost the dominant) medium in mass culture The huge audience for manga in Japan has allowedRead MoreWriting the Critical Response3559 Words   |  15 PagesCRITICAL RESPONSE A critique is an analysis of and a commentary on another piece of writing. It generally focuses on technique as well as on content. A critical response essay (or interpretive essay or review) has two missions: to summarize a source’s main idea and to respond to the source’s main ideas with reactions based on your synthesis. Organization Introduction: attention-getting with a thesis statement Body: clear critical reasoning and adequate examples Summary Analysis: Evaluate the evidence:Read MoreSole Trader7713 Words   |  31 Pagesanswers. 9. SECTION C 9.1 The breakdown of the mark allocation for the essays is as follows: Introduction Content Conclusion Insight TOTAL 9.2 Maximum: 32 8 40 Insight consists of the following components: Layout/Structure: (Is there an introduction, body using proper paragraphs and a conclusion?) Analysis and interpretation: (Learners ability to break down the question to show understanding of what is being asked.) Synthesis: (What parts to the question would you have included in the answer? AreRead MoreUnit 6 Business Decision Making Essay5294 Words   |  22 Pagesof their outlets at Canary Wharf so that they can make necessary improvements. Project 3 Hotel Russell, located at 1-8 Russell Square, Bloomsbury, London, is a four-star hotel offers easy access to central London businesses, tourist attractions, shopping and entertainment areas. A 4-star venue offers a level of service and comfort designed to insure that both business and leisure travellers who visit historic capital city will find charming hospitality and personalised service. Russell Hotel wouldRead MoreChapter 1: Marketing: Creating and Capturing Customer Value Essay example9741 Words   |  39 Pagestraditional Answer: A Diff: 2 Page Ref: 10 Skill: Concept Objective: 1-3 29) Though often criticized, the selling concept is particularly appropriate and effective with which of the following types of products? A) convenience B) shopping C) specialty D) unsought E) demarketed Answer: D Diff: 2 Page Ref: 10 Skill: Concept Objective: 1-3 30) Which of the following reflects the marketing concept philosophy? A) We dont have a marketing department; we have a customerRead MoreHerbert Spencer Essay13142 Words   |  53 Pagesorganism. A System of Evolution The concept of organic evolution was elaborated fully for the first time in his famous essay The Developmental Hypothesis, published in the Leader in 1852. In a series of articles and writings Spencer gradually refined his concept of organic and inorganic evolution and popularized the term itself. Particularly in Progress: Its Law and Cause, an essay published in 1857, he extended the idea of evolutionary progress to human society as well as to the animal and physicalRead MoreGoogle Strategic Plan Essay3859 Words   |  16 Pagesestablishing a corporate diversification strategy for the company. Google Vision, Mission and Goals Google’s primary mission is to organize information and make it accessible and useful (Google, 2006). The company prides itself in the collection, synthesis, analysis and presentation of a range of information packages. Since 1998 when the company was invented from a minor search engine BackRub in the Silicon Valley, it has grown to serve the needs of the people around the world. Google envisions onRead MoreGlobal Strategy of Tesco5371 Words   |  22 Pagesprocess of a strategy safari and has identified ten schools of thought in respect of strategy development. These schools have varied in popularity overtime. The ten different schools were divided into the groups of prescriptive, descriptive and synthesis. The difference point between the prescriptive schools and the descriptive ones is that the former focus on strategy formulation while the latter emphasize strategy development. The three prescriptive schools are considered the efficiency and stabilityRead MoreSocial Net working Sites-Boon/Bane15517 Words   |  63 Pagesdevice has the potential to ruin peoples lives because it has the potential to give an incorrect location, another participant said. For example, if a husband were to track his wifes car, she may have gone shopping, but its showing the location of the car in the street next to the shopping centre, this could cause many trust issues to arise unnecessarily, the participant said. Abbas research has also found concerns about the ability of people to tamper with the tracking technology and lie

Monday, December 23, 2019

Gentilesse for the Masses in General Prologue and The...

In the 14th century, class distinction was of great importance. The class to which one belonged determined the clothes one was allowed to wear, the color of that clothing and even behavior. In Geoffrey Chaucers General Prologue and The Canterbury Tales , we can find any number of characters with these behavior distinctions if we examine them. The Knight, for example, is described as a worthy man of trouthe and honour, freedom and curtesie (I, 46). He is of a noble rank, and therefore his behavior is one of good reputation (honour). Conversely, Both the descriptions of the Reeve and the Miller in the General Prologue are quite unflattering; their verbal cutting into each others tales demonstrates the stereotypical churlish†¦show more content†¦The hag and the Knight, newly man and wife, are lying in bed when the hag asks her husband what she has done wrong that he walweth and he turneth to and fro (III, 1085). His response is that he acts that way because she is so loathsome and of such low lineage; this prompts her long speech on gentilesse. She tells her husband that gentilesse is not determined by ones birth, descended out of old richesse (1110), but is the title given to one who is almost always virtuous and tries to do as many good deeds as he or she can (1113-15). Examining Chaucer from a historical perspective in Chaucer and Gentility, Nigel Saul states: Chaucers Avoidance of economic criteria to define gentility was wholly in accord with the contemporary outlook. Gentility was viewed at the time as a quality, and was accordingly assessed in qualitative terms (49). In lines 1117-24, the hag then explains to the Knight that the quality of gentilesse can come only from God. Ancestors cannot hand down their virtuous character that made others call them gentil men (1123); they can only give their descendants the earthly status. Chaucer here demonstrates the difference between nobility and gentilesse. He appears to comment that there is earthly gentil esse and spiritual gentilesse -- gentility that is obtained by birth and gentility that is obtained through a life of generosity and steadfast faith in God. Calling his wife loathsome and of low lineage, the

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Repetition and Parallelism Free Essays

There’s of Leslies Critical Analysis on Smog Merchants Pollution has been one of the big problems of our world. This has pushed many people who are concern enough to create programs that will help reduce the problem and this Smog Merchants article is technically, one of those. But I don’t think marketing the right to pollute will help In any way. We will write a custom essay sample on Repetition and Parallelism or any similar topic only for you Order Now It Is more like allowing destruction to come to the environment. In this article, it was implied that firms that are able to reduce pollutants below the levels to which it is entitled receives credits, and they an sell these credits to other firms. The thing is that. First. Why will you sell pollution rights when the name itself states that you’re giving someone the capability to pollute noted that the problem you are solving Is pollution itself. Second, a company who cannot reach the goal tends to buy these credits rather than improving their facility and emissions reductions because it is way cheaper. So how can this help when the only thing it can visibly do is to create firms that are dependent to the credits of other firms that are successful in cutting pollutants in the lowest cost. It has been said that the environment is a free resource, and air Is no doubt a part of it. In number two question, it is being asked â€Å"who implicitly has property rights to the air when the EPA auctions ASS permits† My answer to this would be: everyone, and no. I did not depend on who gets the revenue raised by the auction. Everyone has his right to consume air or use air or whatever you would like to do with air. It is part of the environment and thus, a free resource. The EPA auctions or the allowances aim to reduce the emissions of sulfur dioxide. And firms are allowed to buy and sell these allowances to other firms when left unused. I believe that this doesn’t affect the people’s rights to the air. The environment is a priceless resource. Since then, people have been witnesses of the priceless generosity of the environment. We have been able to survive till this year and generation because of the environment. Why? Well this is where we get our resources starting from foods to clothes to shelters. Only did the presence of companies made us pay for this priceless resource. For me, we do need to give up everything to protect the environment if and only if it is necessary and if it follows a certain action plan. I mean, we cannot Just give up anything unless we’re sure It will be for a good cost. People need the environment so much most especially for the continuous production of food. Nowadays, we are strongly aware that the rate of population has Increased and Is still increasing. Without the environment, it would be hard for the people to preserve the remaining resources, to sustain lives, and to continue successful generations. This also Justifies why the environmental quality has an infinite value. In number four question: Don’t such regulations amount to Glenn away environmental quality at no charge? Yes. Basically because allowing firms and individuals to pollute the environment is the same as giving away environmental quality. To Justify this, let me give an example. Let say you have a piece of candy and it is your favorite. You never let anyone touch it because it might get germs or t Off amount of money. You wanted to keep it clean, but letting your friends have it for a taste ruined it. My point is that, if the regulations will allow firms to pollute up to that point at no charge, it would add up in destroying the environment and its quality at no charge as well. To solve this, I think it would be better to charge a price via emissions taxes. At least this can reduce firms or individuals who try to emit pollutants at a very high rate if get monitored well. If this practice continues from this generation to the next, it would probably reduce the amount of pollution since pollutants will be less emitted and polluters will gradually increase their emissions reductions. How to cite Repetition and Parallelism, Essays

Friday, December 6, 2019

Customer Service Of VTI KarMart Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Customer Service Of VTI KarMart. Answer: Customer service is an important factor in developing a wide and loyal customer base. A customer service plan deeply examines customers' perceptions and expectations of a company and guides the company through the process of bringing its customer service activities in line with customers' needs. VTI KarMarts (GM) vision statement and mission statement address the strategic direction needs of the automotive business. However, there are opportunities to improve these corporate statements. General Motors vision statement indicates what the business aims to achieve in the future. The companys corporate mission statement establishes the approaches needed to push the organization toward its desired future position in the automotive industry. As one of the largest firms in the global automobile market, VTI KarMarts corporate vision statement and corporate mission statement must agree with each other. Such agreement facilitates decision-making and problem-solving processes in the business. Also, adjustments in the corporate mission and vision are needed to support General Motors flexibility in dealing with changes in market conditions worldwide. VTI KarMarts Vision Statement VTI KarMarts corporate vision is to become the worlds most valued automotive company. This vision statement points to the leadership of the business while considering the conditions of the global market and the various factors at play. Thus, the following are the main components of Vision statement: World (global market) Most valued company VTI KarMarts Mission Statement VTI KarMarts corporate mission is to earn customers for life by building brands that inspire passion and loyalty through not only breakthrough technologies but also by serving and improving the communities in which we live and work around the world. This mission statement shows a holistic approach to addressing external factors that influence the business. Thus, the following are the components or features of their mission statement: Earn customers for life Building brands that inspire passion and loyalty Breakthrough technologies Serving and improving communities in which we live and work around the world Identifying of customer needs Strategies for identifying customer needs are an integral element of a companys marketing program. Understanding customer needs helps refine product development projects, marketing communication programs and distribution choices. Companies that launch products without researching and taking account of customer needs run a high risk of failure. Research Carrying out customer research as part of the marketing strategy provides a broad view of customer needs. Review published market research on the sectors that target to identify trends or changes in purchasing patterns. Visit customers websites to assess their product and market strategies and identify opportunities to meet their current or future product needs. Customer Feedback A strategy that encourages customer feedback will provide with insight into customers attitudes towards the products and services, helping identify how well are meeting their needs. Set up a forum or poll on the website or on a social media site where customers can post reviews or leave comments. Encourage customers to join a user group or other community where they can share their experience in using the products and make recommendations for changes or improvements. Acknowledge the feedback from customers and respond to requests for improvements. Assessment of customer needs In order to successfully serve customers, businesses must have an acute understanding of customers needs. Using market research and conducting a Customer Needs Assessment shows customers are willing to invest time and effort into really understanding their needs and can ultimately secure a lifetime customer. As stated in a prior blog post, the real value of customer satisfaction surveying may be the survey instrument itself because it reaches out and asks how are we doing? A customer needs assessment uncovers the precise needs of customers, how these needs are (or are not) currently being fulfilled, and what is required to improve satisfaction and loyalty. This type of research technique profiles who the customers are, details their loyalty, and assesses their needs. By conducting customer market research, can find the answers to things like: What is the average revenue/income of the customers? Where customers are geographically based? What products or services are these customers currently purchasing to fulfill their needs? What factors drive the decision-making of these customers (e.g., price, service, reliability)? How do these customers make buying decisions (e.g., multiple decision makers, multiple bids)? How likely are customers to re-purchase products/services from? By truly understanding customers, are able to adapt to changes and keep fresh on customer expectations. This type of research will also help identify loyalty factors to ensure the business success. Differentiating self and the way market self is critical in retaining customer market share, and a customer needs assessment is a key tool in achieving a consultative mindset with the customer. Response to customer needs Communicate corporate customer service guidelines and policies Provide streamlined sources for citizens and employees regardless of how accessed Continue to be responsive to customers through proactive engagement and solicitation of their satisfaction levels Continually assess the services being offered and the available access points to ensure customer needs are being met Continue to evolve our customer service guidelines, policies, processes and methods of accessibility to meet the ongoing and ever-changing needs of the customers and stakeholders we serve Benchmark service availability and standards and compare with the leading practices of other municipalities; modify where warranted Work to ensure that departments have an effective customer feedback system in place that enables both internal and external customers to comment on their services and provide suggestions for improvement Conduct service satisfaction surveys with the community and staff to gauge awareness and approval of service quality and levels both internally and externally Quality customer service The key to good customer service is building good relationships with the customers. Thanking the customer and promoting a positive, helpful and friendly environment will ensure they leave with a great impression. A happy customer will return often and is likely to spend more. To ensure the best customer service: To know what customers consider to be good customer service find out customers' expectations follow up with both positive and negative feedback received Consider customer service in all aspects of business Continuously look for ways to improve the level of customer service delivery. Once one knows what customers want and must have to be fully satisfied with the products and services, the next step is to guarantee which will deliver that each and every time. Service guarantees are the measurable standards set to ensure that employees deliver a consistent product. They are the critical indicators of whether the employees are winning or losing. Service guarantees are the scorecard and measurement of the success. Causes of customer dissatisfaction Not understanding what customers expect. Making an effort to discover what customers expect from in terms of service and products is the way to satisfying their needs. Failing to fulfill customer requirement is one of the major reasons for customer dissatisfaction. Another major reason is poor communication skill of the service manager. Customer handling procedure Intent attention: Listen to the customer, and do not interrupt them. They need to tell their story and feel that they have been heard. Gratitude: Thank the customer for bringing the problem to the attention. cannot resolve something is not completely aware of, or maybe making faulty assumptions about. Apologize: Sincerely convey to the customer apology for the way the situation has made them feel. Best Solution: Determine what the customer is seeking as a solution. Ask them; often theyll surprise for asking for less than initially thought have to giveespecially when they perceive the apology and intention is genuinely sincere (Kyj and Kyj 2013). Agreement: Seek to agree on the solution that will resolve the situation to their satisfaction. The best intentions can miss the mark completely if still fail to deliver what the customer wants. Quick Action: Act on the solution with a sense of urgency. Customers will often respond more positively to the focus on helping them immediately versus than on the solution itself. Follow-up: Follow-up to ensure the customer is completely satisfied, especially when have had to enlist the help of others for the solution delivery. Reasons for delivery drivers failure Inadequate training on service delivery is the main reason behind the failure of delivery drivers. They have not defined the companys service vision or initiative. Possible measures and recommendation E-Learning and online training technology should be used for delivery; there are a couple of reasons this is the best delivery method. The first is that can create a learning environment where it is safe to fail, without life or death consequences. Carefully track driver and safety records regularly, which will allow customizing training and focusing it on areas where each employee needs it most. Just as much as safety is a necessity in delivery driver training, so should customer service training be significant. The drivers are the face of the organization in so many ways. View training as continual throughout a delivery drivers entire career. Training should not stop after orientationit should always be built upon, much like UPS does. Blended learning is a great learning delivery style. Incorporate e-Learning and online training with on-the-job and ride along-style training to get the best results. Train not just on the expected but also potentially unexpected situations faced by drivers. It is important to empower drivers in a way that makes them feel prepared and comfortable handling the unexpected, so consider this when designing e-Learning. Plenty of different KPIs There are plenty of different KPIs can use to measure customer service and the success of the businesss customer service strategy. Satisfaction Improvement One way to measure customer service is to track changes in customer satisfaction over time. Customer Retention Customers who are happy with the service providers are likely to stick around and do more business with the company. Resolved Issues One can also look at all of the issues that the customer service team has determined to get an idea of customer service. Employee Productivity Different types of businesses use different methods to measure employee productivity. Cash flow Cash flow can be a great performance indicator for many different business factors. Customer service is such an important factor that it can have a significant impact on the bottom line Questionnaire Do own a car? Yes/no. f no goes to question 4, or otherwise proceed serialwise. Which car do you own? Hyundai cantor Maruti800 Martinez Wagon Telcos indicia Marti esteem opal astral. Any other. Do you think that would be buying a car in the near future? Yes/no, f no go to question 12 or otherwise precedes serial wise Which factors do you think would influence purchasing decision the most? Price Financing past financial record brand name Word of mouth shape and size technical aspect After sale service any other (please specify). Does the companys past financial performance affect the final decision? Not at all not too much significant What do you look for in a car? Rank in order of preference. Here are five ways can use feedback to improve customer service. 1) Adding credibility Positive feedback is a great way of counteracting the effects of negative commentary and can help to increase businesses performance. 2) Increasing sales E-commerce works best when people trust a website, seller or brand, and honest reviews which are highly visible are one of the most effective ways of increasing trust. 3) Showing responsive Negative feedback can sometimes be good. It gives an opportunity to redeem self, replying with a polite, personalized and thorough response. 5) Serving as a business development road map Importance of feedback Feedback allows trusting the direction is going in. Instead of speculating on what one think or hope customers want, be giving them exactly what theyve asked for and can confidently move the business forward in the right direction. Listening to the customers is the only way to guarantee create a product or service that they want to buy. Customer feedback is commonly used throughout the product development process to ensure that the end product is something that solves a customers problem or fulfils a need. The most innovative companies in the world are the best at creating products that meet their customers needs and exceed their expectations. In todays competitive business world, these companies who can intertwine product development and customer feedback will be the ones that reap strong competitive advantages, have sticky customer loyalty and earn raving customer advocates. Technology enables faster and better service that customers demand It is a byproduct of technological innovation. Customers expect the business to at least have own website, where they can know more about what one offer and answer questions about the business, products or services (Setia, Venkatesh and Joglekar 2013). They expect to have an email were they can reach, and they want to answer questions and concerns promptly on the social media accounts. They want to be able to reach via multiple devices and interact act with via mobile phone. Not only do they expect to have an online presence, they also demand seamless integration among the online accounts and customer service touch points and why not? It should be relatively easy to check the Facebook account or coordinate with a customer service agent they spoke with about an issue or question. Customers do not want to waste time repeating something theyve said before and expect to be on top of any problems they have with the product. Technology helps to improve the customer experience Technology gives the ability to interact with customers on a regular basis. Do not miss this opportunity to gather as much feedback and customer insight as one can to inform the next marketing campaign or to introduce improvements to the current products or service. Encourage active engagement with the online followers. Reach out to the target audience. Find out exactly what they want. Do not take criticisms in a negative light, but as an opportunity to improve. There are few ways to solve a conflict between the customer and team member If you cannot accept customers request, you can at least try to help them the other way. As soon as a customer sees that you really want to help them and not just hide behind the policy, their opinion about you, your service and your company might change. Make your policies clear to everyone. The customers as well the team members should aware of the policies of the company in terms of customer service. Try to investigate the whole customer journey and come up with the idea of adding more information about it on your companys website. Regardless of all problems your customers will have, the most important part is to do the conversation closing with style. Instead of just saying the generic thank you for your call, have a nice day, think about something more sophisticated. References Kyj, L.S. and Kyj, M.J., 2013. Customer service: product differentiation in international markets.International Journal of Physical Distribution Materials Management. Setia, P., Venkatesh, V. and Joglekar, S., 2013. Leveraging digital technologies: How information quality leads to localized capabilities and customer service performance.Mis Quarterly,37(2).

Friday, November 29, 2019

Minimum wage Essays (1232 words) - Employment Compensation

The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions reported that around 310,000 low paid employees will get higher wages after setting the minimum wage. It is believed that the minimum wage will bring more wealth to low income families and narrow the wealth gap. As a result, the minimum wage was set at $28 per hour as the new wage ordinance on 1st May, 2011. This law applies to the market force, including the disabled. However, it is not applicable to live-in domestic workers, work-experience interns and student interns. Despite the above fact that minimum wage has bring some benefits to the employees, we believe that people fail to see the whole picture. The implementation of minimum wage in Hong Kong has posted a threat on different companies, including companies? suffering from heavy economic pressure, the reduction of welfare and the unfairness to the old employees. Firstly, the companies may suffer from heavy economic pressure due to the rise in operating costs and decline in their profits, which lead to the slowing down of their plans of expanding business and even result of being forced to close down. The minimum wage would certainly affect some business, such as the catering industry. Take KFC as an example, KFC is one of the companies struggling with the high costs after the implementation of minimum wage. Two years ago, KFC paid its staff only HK$16 per hour. Later, the wage rate of staff was increased more than 30%, which is HK$21 per hour. As the minimum wage is set to HK$28, the percentage increase in wage rate is 33.3%. Therefore, it is difficult for KFC to run its business because of its high costs. The increase in operating costs also happened in the property management companies. From an article of the Standard, the president of the Hong Kong Association of Property Management companies, Edmond Cheng Kam-wah said that it is expected that the minimum wage will cause the increase in operating costs of local property management companies by 3-4%. If the minimum wage is set at a level which some employers can?t afford, they may have to relocate their businesses to the mainland China. This will adversely affect the economy of Hong Kong. Thus, there is a need to strike a balance between employers and employees but not minimum wage. Moreover, many other companies have been facing the increase in costs after the minimum wage law is launched. A survey, conducted in June 2011 by the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management, reported the cost adjustment in various companies. 117 companies from 17 different industries are questioned while 115 companies have responded to the interviews. Results have shown that 9% of the companies indicated more than 10% increase in overall staff costs, including salaries, bonuses, allowances and benefits, 21% of the companies indicated 2% - 9.9% increase in costs while 70% of the c ompanies indicated less than 2% increase in costs. It seems that minimum wage have posted a great impact on the various companies as staff costs have increased a lot under the minimum wage. Secondly, in order to counter the impact of minimum wage, employers may remove meal breaks and even reduce conventional welfare practices of the employees. This effect implies to different companies, such as those in the hotel industry. According to a survey done by the Catering and Hotels Industries Employees' General Union in June 2012, 246 room attendants from about 30 hotels responded to the interview. Results have shown that 70% of respondents fail to receive medical insurance while more than half of the respondents fail to receive paid annual leave. Besides, many people may think that gaining higher wage rate after the statutory minimum wage was set leads to an increase in income. This may also allow citizens to have higher living standards. However, a survey conducted by the Oxfam proves that minimum wage causes another consequence. The survey has shown that 19.6% of low-income workers reported a decline in their individual income while 27.4% of them reported a decline in fami ly income. This is caused by the fact that employers are reducing remuneration packages by cutting paid rest days and paid meal breaks. In order to cut the

Monday, November 25, 2019

Whoosh! How to Stop Deadlines Whizzing Past

Whoosh! How to Stop Deadlines Whizzing Past Whoosh! How to Stop Deadlines Whizzing Past Nobody likes a deadline. If nothing else, it has the word â€Å"dead† in it, which is rarely comforting. More pressingly, trying to work to a deadline can be very stressful. Some people, like author Douglas Adams, cope with this stress by ignoring deadlines entirely: â€Å"I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.† Unfortunately, this isn’t an option for your average college student, as missing a deadline will mean losing out on marks. This could, in turn, affect your overall grade, so you need to turn in your assignments on time whenever possible. But how can you make sure you do this? We have a few suggestions†¦ 1. Start Early! This might sound obvious, but the most common mistake people make when working to deadlines is to (wrongly) assume they have more time than they really do. Next thing you know, your works due and you’re forced to rush the writing process. You can avoid this stress (and the poor quality work that usually results) simply by not leaving your paper until the last minute. On which note†¦ 2. Have a Plan To make sure you have enough time to finish your paper, you should formulate a plan before you start writing. This includes the time you’ll need to research your paper, write it up, and make any revisions required before submitting the final version. At the very least, you should try to sketch an outline of your argument so you know what you need to do for each section of your paper, as well as how your argument hangs together as a whole. This will make it much easier to overcome any problems you encounter while working. 3. Break Tasks Down into Manageable Chunks A well-written paper is rarely finished in one session, so if you’re working on a longer essay you might want to work on it in smaller chunks. This will make it seem less daunting, in addition to letting you schedule work more effectively. And as long as you start early enough (see above), even writing a paragraph or two a day should get you over the finish line in time. 4. Prioritize Your Work If you do have a deadline approaching, you need to prioritize. This simply involves knowing which tasks are most important and being willing to set other things aside until they’re done. For example, although you might have been invited to a party on Wednesday night, you should probably prioritize work if you’ve got a deadline on Thursday. Sorry to be a buzzkill about it. 5. Conquer Procrastination The final hurdle every student (and everyone else) must overcome when working to a deadline is the urge to procrastinate. Time management is a big part of this, but it’s also important to create an environment free from distractions and to allow yourself regular breaks to avoid fatigue.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Famous American Criminal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

The Famous American Criminal - Essay Example He beheaded twelve of his victims and kept some heads at his apartment as a memento. Occasionally, he would break into people’s homes in the middle of the night and beat them to death. Bundy was initially charged in the year 1975 in the US state of Utah for kidnapping and attempted murder, which led to a long list of cases of murders in different states. Bundy managed to escape the prison twice from 1975 onwards during which, he committed more murders. He was ultimately captured in the year 1978 in Florida. In two distinct trials, Bundy was given three death sentences for the murders he had committed in Florida. Bundy expressed his views upon the art of crime in these words, â€Å"You learn what you need to kill and take care of the details. It's like changing a tire. The first time you're careful. By the thirtieth time, you can't remember where you left the lug wrench† (Bundy cited in â€Å"Ted Bundy Quotes†). Bundy attributed his madness and craziness to the st uff shown in the media. At one point, he said, â€Å"there lots of other kids playing in streets around this country today who are going to be dead tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day and month, because other young people are reading the kinds of things and seeing the kinds of things that are available in the media today† (Bundy cited in â€Å"The 14 Creepiest†). Although he confessed having killed 30 women, the true number was never revealed by him (Bell). Ted Bundy was executed on 24 January 1989. He was executed on an electric chair at Florida’s Raiford Prison.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Promoting Jordan as a cultural destination being the only open air Research Paper

Promoting Jordan as a cultural destination being the only open air museum in the world - Research Paper Example I have once again proven this to myself when I visited Jordan and attended a concert for Mohammed Assaf, winner of Arab Idol, and Farah Yousef at Amman citadel on the 28th of August 2013. More than 3,000 people witnessed the dazzling, heartfelt performance of Mohammed Assaf. However, the tremendous success of the event would not be possible without the fervent support and ingenuity of the show’s organizer—the Friends of the Jordan Festivals. The Friends of the Jordan Festivals (FJF) was formed by individuals and groups that possess a deep-seated passion for culture and the arts, and are committed to the goal of making Jordan the topnotch cultural destination in the world. FJF organizes a variety of cultural events for a varied mix of entertainment audiences. Besides satisfying local tastes for culture and arts, FJF aspires to create globally renowned entertainment products. The unending commitment of FJF to the success of Jordan in tourism and cultural promotion is reve aled in its triumphant organization of major cultural events, such as the 2010 Jordan Festival, the Cirque du Soleil, Saltimbanco Show, Cirque de Glace, and the Evolution Show. And on July 2013, FJF publicized the opening of the Amman Citadel Festival for this year. The Festival showed off the finest artists of Jordan and other Middle Eastern countries. It seems that FJF thought that the festival has to be hosted with several big names, like Julio Iglesias, Marcel Khalife, and Khaled Salim, to draw the attention of audiences all over the world; but in reality Jordan is perhaps most rightfully positioned to act as a meeting point between the Middle East and the rest of the world. Isam Salfiti, Chairman of FJF, expressed their unwavering commitment to the country’s cultural tourism sector: â€Å"We look forward to helping enhance Jordan’s touristic appeal, as we believe that the Kingdom has all the makings of a world class destination†. This latest announcement of FJF has been distributed by Bidaya Corporate Communication, which is a regional public relations agency and regional event organizer. Because of its exceptional ability to satisfy the demands of its diverse clientele, Bidaya has become the favorite associate of leading local, regional, and global organizations. Bidaya Corporate Communications helps NGOs, like FJF, to stage the most successful cultural and historic events in the country. More notably, His Majesty King Abdullah II has committed to the goal of enriching Jordan’s cultural and artistic scenery. His Majesty aims to transform Jordan into a first-class economic and touristic destination. As part of His Majesty’s national tourism strategy, he commissioned Zaha Hadid Architects in 2010 to create the most exquisite design for a new performing arts center that will be built in Amman. Envisioned as a venue for performance, studying, mentoring, and rehearsing, the King Abdullah II House of Culture & Art was visuali zed to be the leading site for education, artistic and cultural performance in Jordan. It is His Majesty’s belief that through this initiative he would succeed in promoting the country’s great potential in tourism and in bringing together all its citizens in the collective experience of history, culture, and the arts. Derived from the Royal idea of a self-sufficient historical restoration organization in Jordan, His Majesty also ordered in 2010 the creation of the Jordan Heritage Revival Company (JHRC).

Monday, November 18, 2019

To My Father Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

To My Father - Essay Example To the world, my dad is a war hero. He is sick right now but I know the world prays for him. I want him to get up from the bed. My dad is a hero to me more than anybody. He picks me up when I’m down; he lifts me up when I have no hope from others. My friends, my siblings, they can leave me on my own but not my dad, he loves me too much.Had my dad lived an ordinary man’s life and not went to the gulf war; he would still be my hero. I gave him my Medal of Honor when I was a little kid and I cut my knee on the stool nail and he came to the rescue; picked me up, cleaned the wound, wiped the blood. There was something special about his touch, the moment he put his around the wound, the pain went away.I was fine even before he put the antiseptic that stung so bad, but it was alright because my dad was there. My hero means everything to me, he took care of me when I was growing up, now I try to do the same when he is growing old. He needs me more than ever, I try to live up to the standards but I know even if I sacrifice my whole life for him, I can never return the favor.Who tells their old parents, when they keep asking the same thing over and over again, each time with a gentler smile than before? No one. But he kept responding to me when I kept asking about the world, over and over again, he never frowned. Now I ask myself, can I do the same? Dad, I’m sure you can fight this illness the way you fought for the American people. You are the bravest of the brave and I salute you.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

What Are The Hazards Of Pollution Environmental Sciences Essay

What Are The Hazards Of Pollution Environmental Sciences Essay Pollution refers to adverse alteration of the natural phenomena by human beings, animals or natural disasters which may affect life in one way or another negatively. Pollution is a health hazard that can cause detrimental effects to the natural environment we live in. It occurs in different forms like: Air pollution (atmospheric), land pollution, water pollution, light pollution and noise pollution Air (atmospheric) pollution This refers to a situation whereby the atmosphere surrounding us is contaminated by foreign materials of gaseous nature or particulate matter. These particles or gases may be in form of dust, excess carbon-dfioxide, excess sulphur-dioxide, and smoke among many others. All these materials can alter the natural state of atmosphere making it polluted. Dust for instance can cause diseases like asthma and tuber-closis to humans as well a affecting the transportation activities like the volcanic eruptions. A lot of dust in the air makes the rain water that could have been for domestic benefits useless. Diseases like the ones mention above caused by excess dust in the atmosphere makes increases expenses on our budgets and can lead to poverty to many countries in the world. Excess smoke in the atmosphere can cause choking and some lung problems leading to health complications. Smoke from industries has led to depletion of the ozone layer that shields ultra violet rays from reaching the earth. Ultra violet rays from the sun can cause dangerous diseases like skin cancer to human beings and also affect plants which the primary producers on earth. Gases such as carbon-dioxide and sulphur in excess will not allow the light hits the ground to be reflected back into the atmosphere. This will lead to global warming that has completely altered the way of life on earth at this century. Global warming has caused extreme weather conditions like too much rain leading to floods and also extreme temperatures which have led to desertification. Floods are dangerous to our lives and causes loss of life as it has been witnessed in so many parts of the world. Desertification on the other hand has caused hunger because of lack of rainfall to facilitate plant growth. All the se factors are the end results of excess gases in the atmosphere that brings about global warming that causes extreme weather conditions. Recently a volcanic eruption in Iceland in southern Europe caused major economic losses to so many countries in the world. The eruption paralyzed air transportation which in turn affected many businesses. Tourism activities in and out of Europe were negatively affected because many tourists could not travel. The dust particles that were ejected out of the volcano were believed to affect the planes engines and were likely to cause some mechanical problems that can make the plane to crush leading to loss of life. The particles also reduced visibility to pilots and made navigation quite cumbersome to them. Too much gases like sulphur in the atmosphere has resulted into acidic rainfall which has corroded so many buildings and also destroying plants. When rainfall (water) combines with sulphur it forms a weak acid known as sulphuric acid that accompanies rain water when it rains. The acid will attack buildings by corroding them.Alot of economic losses are realized when this occurs. Plants will not grow to maturity because of acid rain and will lead to hunger and starvation due to lack of food. Land pollution This form of pollution mainly comes as a result of human activities like, uncontrolled waste disposal and industrialization. Disposing of waste in uncontrolled manner leads to a polluted environment. Disposing raw sewage in an open area for example can cause diseases like cholera, typhoid, dysentery and others because it will allow flies to access the sewage and food that we eat at the same time. From an economic perspective, this is also a big blow to the sector because a lot of money will be used in trying to treat the patients. Consequently the outcome is a poor economic growth. A high increase in population is also indirectly or directly contributing to land pollution in the sense that the pressure exerted on the limited land leads to degredation.Also human activities like over grazing causes land pollution because the number of animals kept in a small space will highly degrade the same piece of land by overexploiting it. The result of these is the soil erosion and desertificatio n. Some big industries in big towns may carelessly dispose dangerous waste like mercury on the environment. The chemicals can affect people indirectly because plants growing in the same area take in the same chemicals. Research has shown that tubers like Cassavas can store these very dangerous chemicals. Other factories can also release chemicals that can cause dangerous diseases like cancer to people nearby if not controlled. Mining activities also contribute to land pollution. Some miners can dig huge holes and fail to fill them up after the activity. The same holes can be dangerous to people around the mining area. Also some minerals like Uranium are of adverse effect to the surrounding community if not carefully handled. Other human activities like cutting down of trees to create room for settlement has led to pollution through degradation. Due to ever increasing population, natural forests have been destroyed by human beings to give space to rapidly increasing population. Also uncontrolled recreational activities like tourism have led to land pollution especially in parks and reserves where wild animals call home. Tourists may throw plastic bags or polythene backs to the environment hence making the natural habitat for animals uncomfortable for them. Water pollution Water pollution is the most dangerous form of pollution. As the saying goes that water is life, then pollution of water means that the entire life on earth is threatened. Water pollution occur in a variety of forms like releasing chemicals into the water from nearby industries or polluting by machines like ships and motor-boats that use water as a means of transport. Water supports different life forms which also supports human life apart from providing us with drinking water. Some animals that live in water like fish is the main aquatic source of food to human beings. When the water is polluted by chemicals like mercury for example, human beings risk the consumption of such chemicals because the fish that we eat contains such chemicals in their bodies. Also when the industries release raw sewage to a nearby water source people in that area risk getting diseases like cholera that threatens life of most people. Noise pollution Noise pollution is the kind of pollution that affect entirely humans and other animals that are sensitive to hearing. This type of pollution cause disturbance to victims and makes them very uncomfortable. Human beings for instance may not like loud music at night during the time of sleep. Persistent loud music in the surrounding especially at night or any time that silence is paramount is considered to be noise pollution. Noisy industries or factories should be located far away from residential areas to avoid noise pollution. Also in national parks animals may not like noise made by tourists visiting such places and that is why one can sometimes see posters in the entrance to such places that noise is prohibited. Noise in an environmental hazard that can cause health problems to people. Too much noise can make people deaf because of the destruction of eardrums. Light pollution This is brought about by too much light. This type of pollution affects both humans and animals. One can be rendered blind if he or she is exposed to too much light.Ligth is very important in our life but in excess one can be rendered blind. Many of us are able to see because of light but if we do not limit the amount of light we are exposed to, we can be affected negatively in our ability to see. There are varieties of light sources like the sun, electricity mirror reflection and flash lights that help us to see. We need therefore to control the amount of light that we are exposed to in order to avoid light pollution. The most dangerous type of pollution is water pollution because water is the basis for life. Water provides life to almost every living creature on earth. Even scientific researches show that our bodies are seventy five percent water, and then if water is polluted then we risk the danger of perishing. Plants that manufacture food that we eat depend on water for their growth. This initiates a series of interdependency among life forms that ultimately ends up in humans. Work cited Cairn.J.(1997), Biological methods of assessing water quality.ASTM International. Sell.N. (1992) Pollution control.SAGE Kryza.K.(2007). Inspiring middle and secondary learners.Corwin Express. Clarence.D.(1970).The politics of pollution.Pegasus. Clarkson J.(1988).Acid rain.Duke University Press.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Humans are Responsible for Global Warming Essay -- environment, global

This essay offers a defense to the position that humans are responsible for global warming. What is Carbon Dioxide? Before attempting to answer any questions based on observations about carbon dioxide, taking a moment to identify the carbon dioxide helps to ensure a clear understanding of the element. According to Princeton University (n.d.), â€Å"carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide, is a heavy odorless colorless gas formed during respiration and by the decomposition of organic substances†. This naturally occurring element is exists in the Earth’s atmosphere where it circulates between water, plants, soil and animals. Current Carbon Dioxide Levels Knowledge of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere helps scientists understand how the gas affects Earth, its atmosphere and any potential global warming. Carbon dioxide levels, measured in parts per million (ppm), defines a unit of measure â€Å"as a measure of small levels of pollutants in air, water, body fluids, etc. Parts per million is the mass ratio between the pollutant component and the solution† (TET, n.d.). Rising every year since 1958, the current atmospheric carbon dioxide level is 396.81 ppm according to co2now.org (2014). Scientists believe that they only have a short amount of time to get this and other greenhouse gases under control before the planet crosses the point of no return. With a level of 396.81 ppm of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, one may wonder if this level is the highest level the Earth has seen in the last 450,000 years. According to the graph found at Planet Seed’s website (2014), this is the highest levels of carbon dioxide level recorded in that time. In fact, the graph clearly shows a spike in carbon dioxide levels in the last portion of the g... ...3). Overview of greenhouse gases. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/co2.html Hilderman, R. (2011). Fossil fuel and atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide. Retrieved from http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/fossil-fuel-and-atmospheric-levels-of-carbon-dioxide.aspx Marshall, C. (2013). Small-scale U.S. lab experiment removes CO2 from atmosphere at relatively low cost. http://www.eenews.net/stories/1059981902 Planet Seed. (2014). Global climate change and energy CO2 and temperature change. Retrieved from http://www.planetseed.com/relatedarticle/co2-and-temperature-change Princeton University. (n.d.). WordNet search - 3.1. Retrieved from http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=co2 The Engineering Toolbox (TET). (n.d.). PPM - parts per million. Retrieved from http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/ppm-d_1039.html

Monday, November 11, 2019

Modern technology is enhancing social life

Technology is indispensable in solving modern problems, enhancing social life and ensuring a better future (Diamond 240). Technology is the application of scientific knowledge to reach among others industrial and commercial objectives of an organization or a society. It has cultural, organizational and technical aspects (Freeman and Francisco 142). Technology has become a powerful tool that is being used to improve social life and solve human problems like poverty and deceases. In addition, technology has increased the power of human beings to control and manipulate nature thereby enhancing our ability to adapt to the environment (Global Scenario Group Report 19).Despite all the benefits of technology, it has negative side effects like unemployment. It is therefore important to assess dangers and promises of a technology in order to formulate safeguards to eliminate its negative impacts or its misuse. It is also important to put limits on some technologies like biotechnology so as to harness their full potential without lowering the dignity of human beings (Freeman and Francisco 327).DiscussionThere are many areas in which technology impact positively in the society. The globalization of the internet for example, has extended and empowered the human network (Cisco Systems E25). It has changed positively the manner in which social, political, commercial and personal interactions are occurring. The internet presents a platform on which businesses can be run, emergencies can be addressed and individuals can be informed. It is being used to support education, science and government. (Global Scenario Group Report 24).Education has immense impact on a society. It trains the human mind to think and make right decisions. Through education, one acquires knowledge and information which can be used to solve problems like unemployment in a society (Cisco Systems E27). Technology enhances the processes of communication, collaboration and engagement which are fundamental bui lding blocks of education. It supports and enriches students learning experiences.It helps to deliver learning materials like interactive activities, assessments and feedbacks to a larger number of students faster and cheaper. In contrast to traditional learning methods which provide only two sources of expertise, that is, the textbook and the instructor which are limited in format and timing, online courses can contain voice, data and video which enhance understanding (Cisco Systems E30). Technology has thus removed geographical barriers to education and improved students’ learning experiences.Technology has facilitated the formation of global communities through social networks like facebook. This has fostered social interactions independent of geographical location (Global Scenario Group Report 27). The online communities enable sharing of valuable ideas and information capable of increasing productivity and opportunities in a society. For example, one can post to a forum to share health and treatment information with other members of the forum from all over the world. Though this kind of interaction is not physical, people are still able to share their social experiences and values more efficiently with people from diverse backgrounds.Technology has also helped to reduce poverty. Advancement in technology has led to new efficient sources of energy even to poor rural communities. The availability of cheap sources of energy opens up a society to investments and economic activities (Diamond 253). For example, technology has made it possible through genetic engineering to engineer crops that convert solar energy to fuels more efficiently.Governments are thus able to provide cheaper efficient sources of energy even to poor rural communities since solar energy is available virtually anywhere in the world (Freeman and Francisco 307).   Genetic engineering can also be used to create plants that produce valuable products like silicon chips for computers ef ficiently. This can result in improved income and living standards to members of a society. Technology can therefore bring about social revolution by enriching villages thereby attracting people and wealth from cities (Freeman and Francisco 331).Technology enables farms in remote places to function as part of the global economy. Through advancement in technology, agricultural outputs have improved thus ensuring food security. Technology helps farmers to avoid losses caused by natural disasters like drought. For example, a farmer can use a laptop enabled with a Global Positioning System to plant his or her crops with precision and efficiency resulting in high harvests.At harvest time, the farmer can use technology to co-ordinate harvesting with the availability of grain a transporter and storage facilities using mobile wireless technology. This can help to reduce losses caused by delays. The grain transporter can monitor the vehicle in-route to maintain the best fuel efficiency and s afe operation. In addition, through technology changes in status can be relayed to the driver of the vehicle instantly (Cisco Systems E34).   Technology has thus improved efficiency and effectiveness in the agricultural sector. It has enabled societies to have abundant healthy food.Modern technology is also widely used in the entertainment and travel industries. The internet has enabled people to share and enjoy many forms of recreation, regardless of their location. For example, one can explore different places interactively without having to visit them. Technology has also enabled the creation of new forms of entertainment, such as online games (Cisco Systems E36). Entertainment is important in a society since it reduce stress and problems caused by depression.Fears have been raised about some technologies such as nuclear weapons being used to cause massive destructions in the world (Freeman and Francisco 308). But the global community has the ability to enforce controls and lim its on technology use to ensure that technology is not misused.   A beneficial technology cannot therefore be abandoned when measures can be put in place to shape and direct its use. Moreover, governments in the form of regulatory institutions and professional bodies have the potential to regulate technologies that are susceptible to misuse to ensure that they do not impact negatively on values of the society (Freeman and Francisco 316).ConclusionTechnology is embedded in all aspects of our society and has extensive implications on culture and social activities. Technology has significantly improved health, agriculture, education, transport and communication sectors. These are critical sectors in any society as they contribute to development and improvement of living standards. Although some technologies might have side effects, measures can be put in place by governments and the international community to ensure that all technologies are used for the benefits of the society.Analy sis and evaluation1.The sources I used are qualified on the subject of technology and its social impacts. Cisco Corporation is a leading and credible technology firm. Its products are widely accepted all over the world. In the Cisco Corporate Social Responsibility Report of 2009 the organization outlined its key activities and how they contribute to the social welfare of the community. Cisco also offers certification courses that are very popular world wide.The Cisco Networking Academy Program is a good example of how technology can be used to enhance learning experience. In the program, the instructor provides a syllabus and establishes a preliminary schedule for completing the course content. The expertise of the instructor is supplemented with an interactive curriculum comprising of text, graphics, audio and animations. In addition, a tool called packet tracer is provided to build virtual representations of networks and emulate functions of various networking devices (Cisco Syste ms E31).Freeman and Francisco in their book give a lot of examples of how technology can be used to enhance social life. They also point out some side effects of modern technology and how they can be addressed. In addition, the publisher of this book, Oxford University Press is a credible publisher and the source can thus be relied on.Some social impacts of the modern technology are common in homes and workplaces. For example, the impacts of the internet on commerce are common. Majority of people have embraced electronic commerce and are buying goods and services online from the comfort of their homes. Electronic commerce has thus opened new doors of opportunities that are being exploited in the society.Diamond in his book explores the rise of civilization, discussing the evolution of agriculture and technology and their impact on the society. He gives clear examples of how technology has improved the social welfare of communities especially through improvements in agricultural prod uction. Some of the examples he gives are common and can easily be related to what is going around.The Global Scenario Group report is a credible source. Its main sponsors who include Stockholm Environment Institute, Rockefeller Foundation, the Nippon Foundation, and the United Nations Environment Programme are advocacy organizations in the fields of technology and the environment. The research explored the historical background of technology, the current situation and what the future might look like. It gives clear examples of major scientific discoveries that are driving technology and their potential impacts.If I had adequate time, I would do additional research to find more information on effective measures the international community can take to ensure that technology is not misused. I would particularly focus on tools the international community can employ to protect technology from irresponsible individuals like terrorists. This is because technology itself is not bad, but it is the human beings who in some cases use it irresponsibly. Therefore, if correct measures and controls are put in place technology can be used for the benefit of all in the society. This can eliminate fears and most of the side effects of technology.2a. Technology shapes institutions, values and day to day activities in our society. It affects identities, relationships, social structures and economic activities (Freeman and Francisco 316). Technology is thus inevitable in the modern world. The internet has enhanced our social, political, commercial and personal interactions enabling us to share information and ideas more efficiently. Technology has significantly improved the quality of education. It has enabled learning materials to reach a larger number of students efficiently and cheaply. An improvement in the quality of education enhances the social life of a community since it enables individuals to make creative decisions capable of solving social problems.Technology has faci litated the formation of online communities were members can share their diverse experiences and ideas. This has the potential of increasing productivity in a society. In addition, technology has helped to reduce poverty. It has resulted in efficient sources of energy even in rural areas thereby opening up rural areas for investments and developments. Modern technology has also improved efficiency in the agricultural sector therefore ensuring food security. Moreover, I discussed how modern technology has been used in the entertainment and travel industries to create new forms of entertainments like online games. Finally, I noted that although some technologies have side effects, governments and the international community have the potential to direct and control the use of technology for the benefit of the society.2b.Some of the evidences I used include the Cisco Networking Academy Program which is an example of how technology can be used to improve quality of education. The second evidence is of a farmer using a laptop enabled with a Global Positioning System to plant his crops with precision and efficiency. The example illustrates how technology can be used to improve agricultural production. The third evidence illustrates how genetic engineering can be used to engineer crops that convert solar energy to fuels more efficiently. The energy can then be used in the rural areas to create wealth and employment opportunities. Finally, I illustrated how technology has been used in the entertainment and travel industry to create new forms of entertainment like online games.2c.The major assumption I made is that the international community has the potential to control and direct the use of technology. This is only possible if there is peace and cooperation among all countries of the world. But this is not the case especially in the Middle East. The instability in countries like Iran and the existence of extremists have increased fears of technology being used to caus e massive destruction.3.Someone might ague that technology is a problem because we rely on it so much and that although it makes us better it also make us worse. My position is that in any human community there must be control and order. It is therefore the responsibility of governments to ensure that the society is protected from negative effects of technology.   Some people might point out the destructive effects of technology on the environment to ague against it. But if correct measures are put in place we will be able to assess the dangers and promises of any technology in order to formulate effective safeguards against its side effects.Works citedCisco Systems, Inc. Cisco Corporate Social Responsibility Report. cisco.com. Cisco Systems, Inc. 2009. Web. 2009.Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs, and Steel:   The Fates of Human Societies. New York.   W.W. Norton. 1999. Web.Freeman, Chris and Francisco Louca. As Time Goes By:   From the Industrial Revolutions to the Information Re volution. England. Oxford University Press. 2001. Web.Global Scenario Group Report. Great Transition: The Promise and Lure of the Times Ahead.     gsg.org. Global Scenario Group. Web. 2002.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Racial Tensions Essays - Discrimination, Social Inequality, Politics

Racial Tensions Essays - Discrimination, Social Inequality, Politics Racial Tensions For Democracy to truly thrive there must be equal opportunity and an equal distribution of hope for all people. A myth that underpins American culture is that we live in a land where success is based on merit, and differences in wealth is due to the differences in ambition and ability. Each individual has equal opportunity obtain an educational foundation that will provide social mobility, self-improvement and self-awareness. Lastly each individual will live without the pains of discrimination and will have the freedom to pursue their dreams. If this American myth is true, do we still need legislation such as Affirmative Action? Since the birth of this country, there has also been the issue of racial discrimination. We have made progress since the days of slavery and segregation, but animosity towards a universal acceptance of all races still exist. Today in America, white males occupy most managerial positions, and corporate market institutions have a disproportionate amount of capital, power and influence on how society is run and how culture is shaped. (p25, Race Matters) After the United States Congress passed the Civil Rights Act in 1964, it became apparent that certain business traditions, such as seniority status and aptitude tests, prevented total equality in employment. In 1965 the U.S. government believed that employers were discriminating against minorities and that action must be taken to try to bring equality back into the marketplace. On September 24, 1965, President, Lyndon B. Johnson issued Executive Order #11246 at Howard University that required federal contractors to take affirmative actio n to ensure that applicants are employed . . . without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin (Civil Rights). When Lyndon Banes Johnson signed that order, he enacted one of the most controversial pieces of legislation. Affirmative action was created in an effort to help minorities leap the discriminative barriers that are present in this country. In a statement released in 1981 by the United States Commission on Civil Rights, Jack P. Hartog, who directed the project, said: Only if discrimination were nothing more than the misguided acts of a few prejudiced individuals would affirmative action plans be reverse discrimination. Only if todays society were operating fairly toward minorities and women would measures that take race, sex, and national origin into account be preferential treatment. Only if discrimination were securely placed in a well-distant past would affirmative action be an unneeded and drastic remedy. The problem with Affirmative Action is that is has t wo serious drawbacks that I will mention, it contributes to preferential treatment and reverse discrimination. The following cases are examples of what has occurred after the legislation has been past; In 1969, five major Omaha corporations reported that the number of white managers fell 25% due to restrictions put on them when affirmative action was adopted (Nebraska Advisory Committee 27). In 1977, The Northern Natural Gas Company of Omaha, Nebraska, was forced by the government to release sixty-five white male workers to make room for minority employees. (Nebraska Advisory Committee 40). From the above examples we have created situations that have the potential to increase racial prejudices amongst the workers and families of the workers. Needless the employees were treated unfairly. Martin Luther King Jr. desired a world without discrimination, without prejudice, and without stereotypes. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.(Martin Luther King Jr.) The fundamental lesson that years of discrimination should have taught is that to give anyone preference based on skin color, sex, or religious beliefs is wrong. Needless to say preferential hiring does influence judgments based on skin color, race and sex. By no means am I trying to use the late Martin Luther King Jr.s speech against his original cause, but instead I hope to bring attention to the fact that the government has implemented a law, which can lead to negative consequences. The end result from affirmative action may actually fuel, rather than extinguish, racial hostilities through out our country. Just as the late Martin Luther King Jr. feelings towards discrimination fueled one of the greatest changes

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Balancing Ecosystems Essays

Balancing Ecosystems Essays Balancing Ecosystems Essay Balancing Ecosystems Essay Essay Topic: Ecosystems I am composing to inquire the City Council of Glimmerville to fall in Sparkeville’s effects to reconstruct balance back to our aquatic ecosystem. The City Council of Sparkeville is inquiring that Glimmerville support an program ( which will be outline subsequently in this missive ) that will cover with the complete population of the Grass Carp that has invaded our H2O ways. As the City Council of Glimmerville is good cognizant our ecosystem has been unbalance for a piece due to the invasion of the grass carp fish that was introduced in our aquatic ecosystem to manage and equilibrate our the biotic ( populating ) and the abiotic ( inanimate ) parts of the ecosystem back to an equilibrium province. While the Grass Carp was intended to assist command the overpopulating growing of the aquatic workss. non merely did the Grass Carp make merely that but one time the giantism of the workss was taken attention of the fish began to clean our full lakes of all aquatic workss. one time all works life was gone they moved on to devour the H2O ways detritus entirely with carnal affair. In conformity to a study from the Environment and Energy ( E A ; E ) Committee. the Grass Carp has been linked to the addition in pollution and the decrease of O due to the eating method and behaviour and the remotion of the outstanding workss that one time dominated our H2O ways. The riddance of these workss is the direct cause for the other fish which depend on the aquatic flora as portion of the rhythm of life to disappear from our H2O ways. What I propose are a twosome of options that I strongly believe will assist free our H2O ways with the over populated grass carp and to maintain our environment good balanced. Option 1- To re-introduce the H2O manner natural fish back into the lakes and pool ; following promote a run inquiring for husbandmans to cut down the current sum of fertilisers to decelerate down the growing on aqua flora. and in conclusion keep a Grass Carp fishing tourney offering assorted signifiers of inducements for participants. one time the issue has been reduced to test off all recesss and mercantile establishments to the H2O ways. Option 2- To eliminate immense Numberss of Grass Carp with nominal cost and attempt. we should take advantage of the Grass Carp fancy to piece together each Spring in immense Numberss in relatively warm H2O ways predating to and during their regenerating period. During the extremum of Grass Carp renewing period. we can place a drawn-out Seine sacking that with travel wholly over all the intersections of the gaps of the three H2O ways to set a halt to the Grass Carp from acquiring into the H2O ways. After the rivers and watercourses are cleared of the Grass Carp . we can set up boundary markers across two of intersection opening to avoid the Grass Carp from re-entering. and maintain an oculus on ( proctor ) the bottom nutrient beings. the lucidity of the H2O and submerged aquatic works above and beneath the boundary markers. Option-3 Because the Grass Carp will non feed in countries where there is a batch of human activities. we can keep boat races or swimming competition. merely will non avoid the fish from returning one time that actives terminal. With the benefits being so great and doing no injury to any of our bing concerns. it makes good sense to fall in and back up our consequence to decide the job of the Grass Carp fish. I look frontward to hear from you shortly. that we can set away and joint consequence to deciding this job. Mention: Bonar. S. A. . Vecht. S. . Bennett. C. . Pauley. G. . A ; Thomas. G. ( 1993 ) . Capture of Grass Carp from Vegetated Lakes. Retrieved August 10. 2014. from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. apms. org/japm/vol31/v31p168. pdf Conover. G. . R. Simmonds. andM. Whalen. editors. Management and control program for bighead. black. grass. and silver carps in the United States. Asiatic Carp Working Group. Aquatic NuisanceSpeciesTask Force. Washington. D. C. 223 pp. Mississippi River Basin Panel ( MRBP ) onAquaticNuisance Species. AsianCarp Brochure. Bettendorf. Iowa. 2pp. U. S. Fish A ; Wildlife Service ( USFWS ) . Asiatic Carp– Aquatic Invasive Species ; Issues. Program Accomplishments. and Programneeds. Ft. Snelling. Minnesota. 4 pp

Monday, November 4, 2019

South Florida Incomes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

South Florida Incomes - Essay Example It is reported that the top 1% of the social strata receives as much as the bottom 57% (Income Inequality 1). Economic reforms have been targeted to mitigate income inequality by the provision of aids to the poor, better job opportunities, and higher salaries. However, amidst the ardent effort of the government to curb income inequality, their efforts remain futile as figures indicate that income inequality has worsened over time. Economists have long struggled to curb income inequality through various measures. In some cases, subsidies are given to the poor that adds up as additional income to them. Governments also pursue projects that aim to improve the livelihood of the poor like the provision of farm to market roads for farmers. Some develop the quality of education that the poor receive in order for them to qualify for higher paying job opportunities. Still others mandate a compulsory rise in salary level. Amidst the effort of economists to promote income equality among citizens, there has been some debate regarding the relationship between income equality and economic progress.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Personal & organization development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personal & organization development - Essay Example mmunication skills, time management skills and team work skills with the aim of ensuring that I am able to perform my activities in a competent manner. According to my preferred career objectives as well as goals, my career mission statement is to develop analytical competencies and knowledge for a better sustainable as well as competent future career in the field of financial management. I want to build my career in the finance sector working as a financial analyst. In this regard, I preferred to join Museum of Islamic Arts (MIA), a renowned museum in Qatar as a Financial Affairs Officer. I believe that working as a Financial Affairs Officer in the organisation will facilitate me in developing my knowledge as well as competencies towards a better future career and professional life. My association with MIA will facilitate me in developing my communication skills as well as teamwork efficiencies that are essential for building my overall competency level. Considering that the job market of Qatar has been developing in a rapid pace and in a sustainable manner, working in MIA will be fruitful in developing my skills and knowledge in the financial management field so that I am capable of performing the various job activities in a competent manner. The targeted career scope in MIA will also facilitate me in making better decisions and to be innovative and creative in performing the various tasks. Working as a Financial Affair Officer in MIA will facilitate me in developing my financial analytical skills and also enhancing my interpretation skills, which are highly valued in this field of operations. In this long run, I will also be facilitated with the opportunity of developing my time management skills. Additionally, the developed skills and knowledge in relation to financial field will facilitate me in acquiring better job opportunities in the developing job market segment of Qatar. Furthermore, in the long run, I will be able to make effective decisions,

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Different Types of Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Different Types of Writing - Essay Example Each of the above types of writing had unique requirements. This enhanced the interactivity of the course since I carried out researches and brainstormed ideas with the view to constructive effective pieces. My strength is on research. I enjoy reading and I love science-based subjects. A read numerous books and articles on the internet and can, therefore, compile descriptive articles. I love justifying actions through provable scientific and psychological theories. With such abilities, I often wrote better argumentative and expository essays than I did the narratives. As explained earlier, my greatest weaknesses include visualizing actions and creating fictional plots. My imagination remains limited to the scientific theorems and observable realities. Such validated my inability to write effective narratives since the type of essay required effective use of descriptive words coupled with an equally avid imagination in creating conflicts. My best work was the argumentative essay. This type of essay requires one to carry out researches and adopt a position in an argument. After this, a writer must provide adequate support for his reasoning by giving rational thought and appropriate examples where necessary. The fact that such writings are neither right nor wrong makes the experience even more interesting. The quality of the papers relies on the author’s ability to explain his thoughts effectively thus convincing the audience on a particular viewpoint. My worst work was on a narrative.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Tourism Management Essay Example for Free

Tourism Management Essay An importance-performance analysis of hotel selection factors in the Hong Kong hotel industry: a comparison of business and leisure travellers Raymond K.S. Chu, Tat Choi*  Department of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Peoples Republic of China Received 16 December 1998; accepted 3 February 1999 Abstract Using an Importance}Performance Analysis (IPA), this paper examined business and leisure travellers perceived importance and performance of six hotel selection factors in the Hong Kong hotel industry. The six hotel selection factors identied were: Service Quality, Business Facilities, Value, Room and Front Desk, Food and Recreation, and Security. Both business and leisure travellers held the same perceptions towards all the six hotel selection factors. The IPA grids illustrated that the Value factor fell into the Concentrate Here quadrant; Service Quality, Room and Front Desk and Security in the Keep Up the Good Work quadrant; and Business Facilities and Food and Recreation in the Low Priority quadrant. Room and Front Desk and Security were found to be the determining factors for business and leisure travellers, respectively, in their hotel choice selection. Implications for Hong Kong hoteliers and researchers were discussed. 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Importance}Performance Analysis; Hotel selection factors; Business and leisure travellers 1. Introduction 1.1. The Hong Kong hotel and tourism industry Hong Kong has long been Asias most popular tourist destination. The total visitor arrivals for 1996 reached a record of 11.7 million, representing a remarkable 14.7 per cent growth over 1995, with HK$84.5 billion (US$10.8 billion) #owing into the Special Administrative Regions economy in foreign exchange earnings. The 14.7 per cent growth rate in 1996 out-performed the world average of 4.5 per cent, as well as the average growth rates for East Asia/Pacic and South Asia, with 7.9 per cent and 4.0 per cent respectively (WTO, 1997). In addition, approximately 8 per cent of Hong Kongs Gross  Domestic Product (GDP) is attributable to tourism (HKTA, 1998). However, since the beginning of 1997, Hong Kongs inbound tourism industry has experienced  an unprecedented decline. As illustrated in Table 1, the Hong Kong Tourist Association (HKTA) revealed that the numbers of visitors declined from 11.7 million in 1996 to 10.4 million in 1997, representing a 12 per cent fall (HKTA, 1998). The fall in visitor arrivals has been aggravated by the regional currency turmoil, which has made Hong Kong an expensive destination to travel in comparison with other Southeast Asian regions (Poole, 1997). The depreciation of the Thai baht, the Indonesian rupiah, the Malaysian ringgit, and the Philippine peso has inevitably attracted international travellers who prefer to seek bargain visits to these cheaper destinations. Hong Kong is now considered less vacation-friendly than previously as high in#ation has driven up prices. In 1989, 60 per cent of travellers rated shopping in Hong Kong as above average in value for money, but in 1993 the number fell below 45 per cent (HKTA, 1998). In the early 1990s, Hong Kong su!ered from a relatively high in#ation rate of about 10 per cent per annum as a result of an increase in labour and land costs. This paper attempts to identify both the importance and performance of hotel selection factors in the Hong Kong hotel industry using the Importance}Performance Analysis (IPA) model. More specically, the paper intends to compare perceptions of business and leisure travellers, in terms of importance and performance of hotel selection factors. By identifying the needs, desires and expectations of di!erent segments, hoteliers will be in a better position to develop tailor-made marketing strategies to cater for their target customers and to achieve competitive advantages. Source: Adapted from A Statistical Review of Tourism, Hong Kong Tourist Association (1998). 2. Literature review cent per annum in recent years (Hueng, 1997). The rising cost of accommodation in Hong Kong and the dwindling number of shopping bargains are continuously a!ecting the Hong Kong tourism industry (Brevetti, 1995). Such price in#ation threatens Hong Kongs reputation as a Shopping Paradise. Looking at the visitor prole, in particular at a comparison of business and leisure travellers, there appears to have not much signicant change between the two groups. The leisure segment has constituted almost 60 per cent of total visitor arrivals to Hong Kong over the past ten years, while the business segment contributed up to 30 per cent of total visitor arrivals over the same period (see Table 1). Regarding the hotel industry in Hong Kong, room rates have long been considered as the prime factor that adds to the cost of a trip, contributing to tourism downturn (Beck, 1997; Schloss, 1997). Schloss (1997) reported that Hong Kong hotels are more expensive to stay in than in Tok yo hotels, even when they o!er discounts. Beck (1997) mentioned that Hong Kong hotels are too expensive and that the  high cost is the single factor that continues to a!ect tourism in Hong Kong seriously. Research studies have shown that satisfaction with hotel properties, including services, facilities and price, appears to be one of the major factors leading to the success and repeat patronage of the destination (Shih, 1986; Stevens, 1992). To be successful in business, one must understand how customers perceive the product or service attributes, their importance and performance when compared with other competitors. The importance of being competitive and o!ering competitive advantage has been recognised for some years. In the hotel environment, where competition dominates, hoteliers must study the strengths and weaknesses of the product or service they provide and accurately dene their importance and performance. To maintain Hong Kongs present status as one of the worlds most attractive tourist destinations, hoteliers 2.1. Importance}Performance Analysis Importance}Performance Analysis (IPA) conceptually underlies the multi-attribute models that date back to the late 1970s. Martilla and James (1977) applied the IPA technique to analyse the performance of the automobile industry. Hawes, Kiser and Rao (1982) and Hawes and Rao (1985) used the IPA concept in retirement communities and health care applications. Sethna (1982) found the IPA technique to be a valid and powerful technique for identifying service quality areas that require remedial strategic actions. The underlying assumption of the IPA technique is that customers level of satisfaction with the attributes is mainly derived from their expectations and judgment of the products or services performance. IPA has become a popular managerial tool that has been broadly used to identify the strengths and weaknesses of brands, products, services and retail establishments in various industries in recent years (Chapman, 1993; Cheron, McTavish Perrien, 1989). Hemmasi, Strong and Taylor (1994) measured the service quality of hospital services using IPA as an alternative to the traditional SERVQUAL instrument devised by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1988). While Evans and Chon (1989) used the IPA to formulate and evaluate tourism policy, Keyt, Yavas and Riecken (1994) and Hsu, Byun and Yang (1997) adopted the IPA technique in restaurant positioning. Lewis (1985) used the IPA as a competitive analysis technique to identify tourists perceptions of the hotel industry. Lewis and Chambers (1989) reported the e!ective use of IPA by the Sheraton Hotel in monitoring customer satisfaction. Almanza, Ja!e  and Lin (1994) used the IPA matrix to determine means for improving customer satisfaction. Martin (1995) examined service providers perceptions of customers expectations of quality service in the hotel industry using the IPA technique. In an increasingly competitive environment, a determination of the strengths and weaknesses of a  have high levels of performance in relation to these activities. In the Low Priority quadrant, attributes have low importance and low performance. Although performance levels may be low in this cell, managers should not be overly concerned since the attributes in this cell are not perceived to be very important. Limited resources should be expended on this low priority cell. Lastly, the Possible Overkill q uadrant contains attributes of low importance, but of relatively high performance. Respondents are satised with the performance of the organisations, but managers should consider present e!orts on the attributes of this cell as being overutilised (Evans and Chon, 1989; Hemmasi, Strong Taylor, 1994; Keyt et al., 1994; Martilla James, 1977; Martin, 1995). Fig. 1. Importance}Performance Analysis grid. Quadrant I Attributes are perceived to be very important to respondents, but performance levels are fairly low. This sends a direct message that improvement e!orts should concentrate here. Quadrant II Attributes are perceived to be very important to respondents, and at the same time, the organisation seems to have high levels of performance on these activities. The message here is To Keep up the Good Work. Quadrant III Attributes are with low importance and low performance. Although performance levels may be low in this cell, managers should not be overly concerned since the attribute in this cell is not perceived to be very important. Limited resources should be expended on this low priority cell. Quadrant IV This cell contains attributes of low importance, but relatively high performance. Respondents are satised with the performance of the organisations, but managers should consider present e!orts on the attributes of this cell as being overutilised. 2.2. Perceived importance and performance of attributes Attribute importance is generally regarded as a persons general assessment of the signicance of an attribute for a product. Many studies have attempted to analyse customer satisfaction in terms of both expectations that relate to certain important attributes and judgments of the attribute performance (Myers Alpers, 1968; Swan Coombs, 1976). However, there appears to have been diverse conclusions made about how one should relate attribute importance and performance. The concept of importance is viewed by customers the same as satisfaction (Barsky, 1992; Rosenberg, 1956). When a customer perceives an attribute as important, the customer will believe that the attribute will play a signicant role in in#uencing his or her product choice (MacKenzie, 1986). More recently, the term importance has been used to refer to the perceived importance of an attribute and its e!ect on product or service quality (Carman, 1990). Lilien, Kotler and Moorthy (1993) dened the term important attributes as those considered important by consumers, and that the various brands or products are perceived to di!er. Hemmasi et al. (1994), however, stated that performance lies in customer perceptions of performance of the attribute. Thus, the more favourable the perception of performance, the greater the likelihood of the choice from among similar alternatives. Therefore, it is strategically important for hoteliers to understand and to identify the product (or service) attributes perceived by customers as important, and to examine how customers perceive these product (or service) attributes. It is also very likely that a customers favourable post-purchase experience may lead him or her to repurchase if the customer is satised with the hotel performance. 2.3. Hotel attributes in hotel choice selection Those attributes directly in#uencing choice are determinant attributes: they may arouse consumers purchase intentions and di!erentiate from competitors o!erings  products or services importance and performance seems an undeniable constituent of success. The interpretation of the IPA is graphically presented on a grid divided into four quadrants. Fig. 1 illustrates the IPA  grid. The -axis reports the customers perceived importance of selected attributes, and the X-axis shows the products (or services) performance in relation to these attributes. The four identiable quadrants are: Concentrate Here, Keep Up the Good Work, Low Priority and Possible Overkill. In the Concentrate Here quadrant, attributes are perceived to be very important to respondents, but performance levels are seen as fairly low. This sends a direct message that improvement e!orts should concentrate here. In the Keep Up the Good Work quadrant, attributes are perceived to be very important to respondents, and at the same time, the organisation seems to  (Alpert, 1971). The services and facilities o!ered by a hotel, or hotel attributes, are those features of products or services that lead consumers to choose one product over others (Lewis, 1983). Wuest, Tas and Emenheiser (1996) dened perceptions of hotel attributes as the degree to which travellers nd various services and facilities important to customers satisfaction. Atkinson (1988) found that cleanliness of the accommodation, followed by safety and security, accommodation value for money, courtesy and helpfulness of sta! were identied as top attributes for travellers in hotel choice selection. Wilensky and Buttle (1988) mentioned that personal service, physical attractiveness, opportunities for relaxation, standard of services, appealing image, and value for money were signicantly evaluated by travellers. Rivers, Toh and Alaoui (1991) examined the hotel selection decisions of members and non-members of frequent guest programs. Their results showed that convenience of location and overall service received the highest ratings. Ananth, DeMicco, Moreo and Howey (1992) surveyed 510 travellers, asking them to rate the importance of 57 hotel attributes in hotel choice decision. The results showed that price and quality was rated as the most important attribute across all age categories, followed by attributes related to security and convenience of location. LeBlanc and Nguyen (1996), in particular, examined the ve hotel factors that may signal a hotels image to travellers. These ve factors were: physical environment,  corporate identity, service personnel, quality of services and accessibility. They suggested that marketing e!orts should be directed to highlight the environmental cues in order to attract new customers. An extensive review of the literature for the hospitality industry suggests that attributes such as cleanliness, location, room rate, security, service quality, and the reputation of the hotel have been considered by most tourists in hotel choice decision (Ananth, DeMicco, Moreo Howey, 1992; Atkinson, 1988; Barsky Labagh, 1992; Cadotte Turgeon, 1988; Knutson, 1988; LeBlanc Nguyen, 1996; Lewis, 1984,1985; Marshall, 1993; McCleary, Weaver Hutchinson, 1993; Rivers, Toh Alaoui, 1991; Wilensky Buttle, 1988). 2.4. Hotel attributes as perceived by business and leisure travellers Many studies have looked into a comparison between business and leisure travellers in their hotel selection criteria. These studies indicated that the important attributes a!ecting business travellers hotel choices were cleanliness and location (Lewis Chambers, 1989; McCleary et al., 1993; Taninecz, 1990), whereas security, personal interactions, and room rates were considered as important by their leisure counterparts (Clow, Garretson Kurtz, 1994; Lewis, 1985; Marshall, 1993; Parasuraman et al., 1988). Taninecz (1990) found that cleanliness,  comfort of mattresses and pillows, and quality of towels received the highest ratings from business travellers. Lewis and Chambers (1989) and McCleary et al. (1993) also found that location was the most important factor in#uencing hotel selection by all business travellers. However, they argued that a hotels catering facilities were not important in hotel selection, as th ere are often many alternative dining choices nearby. Leisure travellers seem to be more concerned with room rates and value in their initial hotel selection (Lewis, 1985). Parasuraman et al. (1988) found that the quality of personal interactions with employees was a critical component of the service quality evaluation. Employees service quality has been cited as important to leisure travellers when selecting overnight accommodation (Parasuraman et al., 1988). Knutson (1988) mentioned that leisure travellers were mainly concerned with a hotels safety and security. This concern might stem from the idea that leisure trips often involve families, and these travellers have a high sensitivity to what may occur around them when their families  are involved. Marshall (1993) and Clow et al. (1994) revealed that security was cited as one of the most important criteria in selecting a hotel. Tourists want to be safe and secure in their accommodation, and are willing to pay for this. The safety and security system may di!erentiate one property from its competition, hence becoming a competitive strategy that helps a hotel to gain tourists condence and trust. Ananth et al. (1992) found that leisure travellers were likely to express concern with regard to a hotels reputation and name familiarity. Other studies have suggested that some hotel attributes are seen as important by both business and leisure travellers. Knutson (1988) examined the di!erences between business and leisure travellers in an attempt to determine the attributes that initially attract these two types of travellers to a hotel, and that bring them back. Her ndings suggested that the following factors were considered by both business and leisure travellers when selecting a hotel for the rst time or for repeat patronage: (1) clean, comfortable, well-maintained rooms, (2) convenient location, (3) prompt and courteous service, (4) safe and secure environment, and (5) friendly and courteous employees. Lewis (1984,1985) tested 66 hotel attributes to determine the basis of hotel selection by 1314 business and leisure travellers in six hotels. The ndings showed that location and price were the determinant attributes for hotel selection for both business and leisure travellers. Cadotte and Turgeon (1988) examined data from members of the AH MA (American Hotel Motel Association) on the relative frequency of 26 categories of compliments. Survey results found that the ve most frequent compliments were: (1) helpful attitude of employees, (2) cleanliness of establishment, (3) neatness of establishment, (4) quality of service, and (5) employee knowledge of service.