How to write an essay sample: July 2019

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Honors Biology Midterm Exam Answer Packet

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Fast Food and Obesity Essay

In todayÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s society, fast food has become a large part of many AmericanÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s lives. With the rising numbers of obese people, it is hard not to draw a correlation between the increase in fast food and obesity. Most obese people donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t want to be obese and wish they could lose weight, yet they continue to struggle with their fast food intake and obesity. This is due to the advertising done on the consumers, the highly addictive food itself, and most importantly, how advertising and addiction combine with children to form habits that are kept once they become adults. These factors are the reasons that fast food restaurants are to blame for the rising obesity and health risks across America. The government needs to step in and place restrictions on these fast food restaurants so they will stop taking advantage of peopleÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s weaknesses. So with that said, I actually disagree with WeintraubÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s point. And that is why I believe that the fast food industry is at blame for this issue. Before we go into detail about how fast food companies are to blame for people over eating their food, it first must be proven that fast food is indeed the main problem causing todayÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s obesity in America. It is known to many people how the number of fast food restaurants in America has increased tremendously over the past several decades, but it is difficult to calculate by how much due to the lack of certain data. Also, it is difficult whether or not to categorize certain restaurants as fast food. Although, a good way to get a feel on the growth of the fast food industry is to take a look at McDonaldÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s, which has been AmericaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s most popular fast food chain for decades. In 1968 McDonaldÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s open its 1,000th American restaurant. This number has increased to 13,800 restaurants in 2011, which really shows how much more fast food people are consuming compared to the past. Consider the increase of almost fourteen times in the number of McDonaldÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s restaurants, with the number of obese adults between the ages of 20 and 74 over a similar time period. From 1960-62 to 2005-06 the number of obese Americans almost tripled from 13.4% to 35.1%. These two extreme upward trends might make a convincing case that the extra fast food intake has caused the rise in obesity rates, and it may very well be a good indication, but it is far fromÃ‚ proof. Too many things have changed over the years, from the way the average American exercises, to the types of other food that people are consuming. Now that it has been established that fast food is the main cause behind the rising obesity numbers in America, it is time to dig deeper and show how exactly these fast food chains are at fault for this issue. A common topic when talking about people overeating fast food is addiction. When numbers are brought up about obesity and how often people visit fast food restaurants, people tend to ignore it and are categorized as fat people who are too lazy to cook their own food or break the habit of visiting fast food restaurants. However, people donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t realize the true addictive power that food can have on someone, especially fast food. While people try to use their willpower to stay away from fast food restaurants, they often fail due to the countless TV, radio, billboard, and online advertisements that draw them back in. Fast food advertising has been increasing over the years. In 2009, the American fast food industry spent over $4.2 billion on advertising. That might seem like an illogical amount of money to spend on advertising, but it lead to over $140 billion in sales, so these fast food restaurants must know what theyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re doing. It is obvious that this tremendous advertising is leading to greater sales, otherwise these restaurantÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s marketing teams would not be spending so much. As profit-seeking corporations, fast food restaurants cannot be blamed for wanting to advertise as much as they do, but that doesnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t mean that their advertising isnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t a huge problem in our society. Advertising clearly leads to greater consumption of fast food which leads to obesity and other health risks. Although fast food advertising as a whole is a huge issue, the far greater concern is the way children are targeted in todayÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s advertisements. In a 2007 report done by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, they found that the average child in America views 15 television commercials per day. This isnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t necessarily a problem as long as these commercial are composed of mostly healthy foods. This is such a huge problem due to children being more easily manipulated by food advertising. Their experiment discovered that children who viewed food advertisements ate 45%Ã‚ more food than children who viewed non-food advertisements. Add all this up, and it comes to no surprise that in the last 30 years, the number of overweight and at risk children has more than tripled to 34%. It is clear that changes need to be made regarding fast food advertising, particularly involving children. Change needs to come soon as children will soon develop habits of high fast food consumption, which has our society pointed towards an unhealthy future. Efforts have been made in order to cause change, but it clearly hasnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t been enough. This is why the government needs to step in and regulate how much these restaurants are allowed to advertise. Not only does the government need to regulate the volume of advertisements, but more importantly they need to stop the fast food restaurants from targeting certain demographics. For example, not allowing advertisements on childrenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s television shows will decrease the wanting of food as often. As for what they are allowed to advertise, there definitely needs to be an emphasis placed on healthy food choices. Over the past decade, fast food restaurants have been offering more and healthier food choices or alternatives on their menus. These alternatives are most often salads, but also include grilled chicken sandwiches amongst other items. These so called Ã¢â‚¬Å"healthy alternativesÃ¢â‚¬ appear to be healthy, which is what the fast food restaurants are most concerned about. However, these alternatives are not always as healthy as they seem. With every passing moment, the over-popularity of fast food becomes more of a difficulty as it causes obesity numbers to skyrocket across the nation. Normally, the choices should ultimately lie in the hands of the people to choose healthier lifestyles, and decreases their reliance on fast food. However, in this instance, due to the validity of fast food addiction, along with too much advertising, and the cheap menu alternatives offered, people have been unable to make a change, and continue to head in the wrong direction. But until Americans take measures to mend the problems fast food has created, itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ll take some time for us to become a healthier nation.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Homework Essay

Chapter 5 1. Describe how we measure the clinical performance of an HCO as a whole? For example, can you aggregate good performance in cardiology and poor performance in obstetrics, and say Ã¢â‚¬Å"overall, performance is averageÃ¢â‚¬ ? It depends on how measurement is being done. If a scorecard is used, yes the performance could be aggregated. However, the book mentions moving the departments off the scorecard that do not need improvements and focusing on the departments that arenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t doing well or need improvement in certain areas. Scorecards are beneficial in showing overall performance but can also be evaluated to see which departments are not meeting or exceeding the benchmark. If measurement was on a department basis and one was not doing well, that department would need to focus on the developmental areas in order to say that performance is good. Ã¢â‚¬Å"OverallÃ¢â‚¬ means an average or an overview. ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s not specific to one department but an average of all. One could fail a nd others exceed in which Ã¢â‚¬Å"overall performanceÃ¢â‚¬ would be Ã¢â‚¬Å"average.Ã¢â‚¬ Chapter 6 1. Describe how an institution can ensure that its medical staff plan is realistic? List the specific steps you think would be important, and which would make a reassuring checklist when presented to physicians and to the governing board. An institution needs to measure input and output to effectively staff the facility. Input can be measured by patient arrivals and appointment requests (request for care). Output can be measured by patients treated, cost per case, quality and access. The physician organization also assists in providing excellent care by recruiting and retaining physicians necessary to provide this care. Physician supply should remain open to leave and come as the community demand raises and lowers. However, it is more effective to be strategic in planning the staffing needs. Too big leaves physicians underworked. Too small leaves physiciansÃ‚ Ã‚ overworked. A medical staff plan should be implemented to protect physiciansÃ‚ against new competitors. 2. Medical staff leadership: Why should medical staff leadership be appointed by and accountable to the governing board, as opposed to being selected entirely by the medical staff or by the executive? To avoid tax situations, the board must remain nonphysicians (pg 205). Also the board must vote for what is in the best interest of the community. If there were several physicians on the board or the medical staff or executive appointed this, it would be considered a conflict of interest because itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢d be harder for the medical staff to do whatÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s in the best interest of the community rather than whatÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s in the best interest of the physicians. 3. What is the goal of communication with physicians? How is that goal attained in large organizations? The intent of the communication network is to identify potential conflicts in advance, analyze and understand them (pg 205). PITs, surveys and organizational guidelines and processes are implemented to help resolve these issues. Bylaws are also set and used to describe rights and obligations of each party. They are also used to encourage negotiations and conflict resolution (pg 206).

Organizational Changes in the Movie Patton (1970) Review

Organizational Changes in the Patton (1970) - Movie Review Example The movie is able to show not just the character of the main protagonist as being resistant to change, but also his actions that made or broke his career (Schaffner, 1970). Such differential responses to changes within the organization are valuable learning tools for the study of changes. It is very pertinent to study the need for changes inside organizational structures, in this case the military organization as well as within each of its members. This is because more often than not, being unable to respond quickly to changes could result in numerous life-threatening situations that might sway towards defeat (Davies, 2001). The consequences of the protagonist, General Patton reflect the importance of the leaders being flexible and open for changes, as well as accommodating suggestions from other sources such as people with a higher authority. In the movie, there are three key moments that show an organizational change. The first one is when General Patton has to share the command of troops in North Africa with a member of the British Army, General Montgomery, and the former had to outwit and outperform the British General so that he would be recognized as the better man for the job (Schaffner, 1970). The second one that showed an organizational change is when instead of putting General Patton out in the front lines of the German army, he and his troops were sent to England to act as decoys so as to give enemies other ideas of their tactics, not to mention keeping Patton out of the way (Schaffner, 1970). ... With the world war already ended, Patton ended up doing nothing else to do but walk his dog, with him becoming a resounding name in the US military history. In all of the three organizational changes, the main protagonist was rather reluctant to adjust according to the changes needed in the tactics that the military had to undertake. As a result, there had been restructurings within the chain of command, even cutting him out of this link just so that the allies could implement their own military strategy. It has been a resounding theme in the movie that Patton is very insubordinate with his superior officers, even defying them blatantly (Schaffner, 1970). His strong resistance to changes may have been effective in some areas, but not to others. Also, such resistance could become a liability in the long run because when it comes to tactics, more often than not those that are able to make minor adjustments stay ahead of the game. Becoming stagnant within a military organization could p rove fatal, especially when many lives are at stake (Farrell & Terriff, 2002). Thus, it is just that the superior officers of Patton, President Eisenhower and the former second-in-command, General Bradley initiated changes because aside from keeping the chain of command as structured as possible, by removing factors that could add up to the unpredictability of their tactics the groups could carry out their missions as planned. However, because Patton was undeniably a skilled tank tactician, he was not kept out of missions that much, and in fact Bradley even recommended for him to return to the force and have his services enlisted (Schaffner, 1970). This shows the capacity

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Peptidoglycan and Lipoteichoic Acidinduced Cell Activation Lab Report

Peptidoglycan and Lipoteichoic Acidinduced Cell Activation - Lab Report Example This can eventually lead to sepsis (Alberts et al 2002a). Previous work showed that in Gram negative bacteria lipopolysaccharide (LPN), a component of the outer membrane, activated a cell's immune response in this manner. It interacted with the Toll-like receptors types 2 and 4 (TLR2 and TLR4) present on host cell membranes (Kirschning et al 1998, Poltorak et al 1998, Quereshi et al 1999). The authors in this paper demonstrate how the components of Gram positive bacterial cell membranes stimulate cell activation through TLR2. The invasion of an organism's blood stream with bacteria often results in sepsis. Invasive bacteria will activate the host cell's immune system. Sepsis results from the inability of the immune system to limit bacterial spread during an infection. The inhibitory mechanisms controlling inflammation are over-ridden by the huge bacterial load on the cell. Inflammation during sepsis will then develop into a systemic syndrome with a number of clinical symptoms such as tissue injury, increased vascular permeability, dilation of blood vessels, loss of plasma volume and blood clotting, and, eventually, multi-organ failure and shock (Alberts et al 2002b, Decker 2004)). Initially bacteria bind to host cell membranes and this stimulates the systemic release of cytokines and other inflammatory signalling molecules into the blood. (Alberts et al 2002b). ... The mechanism for Gram negative bacterial mediated activation of the cell's immune response has been well documented (Alberts et al 2002). LPN within the bacterial cell wall binds to LPN binding protein present in serum and this complex in turn binds to the CD14 receptor (figure 4). The CD14 receptor is either soluble in serum or tethered to the host cell membrane through a GPI (glycophosphatidylinositol) anchor. Either way the CD14 receptor does not have an intracellular domain so it cannot transmit its signalling messages intracellularly. This observation suggested that another "co-receptor" acted in conjunction with the CD14 receptor to allow the transmission of an extracellular signal to the inside of the cell. The Toll-like receptors (TLRs) have an intracellular domain linking to the IL-1 signalling pathway. The Toll-like receptor acts to phosphorylate a cascade of kinases TRAF6, TAK-1, IKK and eventually the transcription factor NFB. NFB then translocates to the nucleus where i t activates the transcription of a number of genes involved in immune and inflammatory responses (Alberts et al 2002a, figure 5). In Gram negative bacteria the Toll-like receptors 2 and 4 has been shown to be intrinsic in cell activation (Kirschning et al 1998, Poltorak et al 1998, Quereshi et al 1999). In this paper the authors attempted to determine if components isolated from Gram positive bacteria activated cells in a TLR dependent manner. HEK293 cells were transfected with a number of Toll-like receptors alongside a luciferase reporter gene. A NFB transcription element was placed upstream of the luciferase reporter gene, such that activaiton of NFB would initiate transcription of luciferase. When luciferase

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 36

Strategic Management - Essay Example ompany, illustrating the advantages and disadvantages, and the ways to address or mitigate the deficiencies so as to understand strategic management in-depth. The evaluated processes include Yips drivers of internationalization, PorterÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s generic strategies and BowmanÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s strategy clock. Microsoft Nokia is a multinational company that specializes in the telecommunication sector. Its main products include smart-phones, mobile phones and tablet computers as well as associated accessories that are meant for global market. Microsoft Nokia is a name that evolved after Nokia was acquired by Microsoft Company, a deal which was sealed in 2014. Microsoft has the right to use the name Nokia as long as the agreement holds water. This study is meant to strategically analyze the companyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s operations based on three strategies or processes. Michael Porter (Cited in Tamwar, 2013) described a scheme that is used in categorization, which consisted of three types of strategies used commonly by firms to achieve as well as maintain their competitive advantage in contemporary markets characterized by cutthroat competition. The three primary generic strategies that were defined along two major dimensions of strategic strength and scope include: cost leadership strategy, differentiation strategy, and focus strategy. In terms of scope then the demand context of the firmÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s product is considered whereas on the strategic strength context, the supply dimension as well as the key competency of the firm are considered (Tamwar, 2013). These three strategies are aimed at outperforming other firms in the same industry. Most authors refer to this as the Wal-mart strategy. It dictates that companies produce high volumes of standardized products that will take care of the scale economies. Tamwar (2013) suggest that products features should be low cost, no-frills, and has ease in manufacturing. The volumes will shadow the low margins in the long run. The cost leadership strategy aims at the

Friday, July 26, 2019

PROJECT PLAN FOR ORGANISATION OF MUSIC FESTIVAL Essay

PROJECT PLAN FOR ORGANISATION OF MUSIC FESTIVAL - Essay Example By undertaking such a report, I would earn income and gain more experience in my field, while my client would be able to get professional guidance on how to carry out the music festival project. At the same time, other stakeholders would benefit by getting a good grasp of the role they need to play to make the project a success. This would subsequently guide them in the future and avoid the hurdles of developing a new project plan each time a new project idea is conceived and due for implementation. The purpose of this paper has several parts. The goal is to develop the objectives, scope, and work breakdown structure for the project; develop the logic of the project to the lowest level possible and illustrate this in diagrammatic form; detail the team structure and responsibilities that are deemed appropriate for the project, including how the client structures their team to interact with the project team, and define the types of contracts that would be implemented for the various sub-contractors involved in the project. The objective of this project is to develop a project plan for the organization for a one day music festival to be held in Greenwich Park. ... Estimation of the work to be performed Scheduling of work packages Manage resource availability Create the budget Integrate the schedule and the budget Identify key performance indicators Identify critical success factors Scope For the scope of this project, it is being undertaken for a target audience of 5,000 people. In addition to this, the plan is being developed for the musical festival to take place one month from today. Work Breakdown Structure of the Project The work structure is divided up into five different groups, each of the groups being composed of two team members that are responsible for the actions described herein. The six teams in the work breakdown structure are hall, musicians, finance, logistics, and safety and security. One of the five teams is hall. Underneath hall falls renting the hall and coordinating the hall arrangement and decoration. This is a very important step as the initial appearance of the location when project attendees first walk in the door will have a lot to do with the success of the project and whether or not a favorable first impression is created. First impressions last a long time. The second team is musicians. The work to be performed by this group includes contacting and contracting with musicians and promoting the festival. They are also responsible for contracting for ticket sales, and printing and distribution of tickets for sale. The third team is finance. This team is responsible for drafting a budget for the festival and performing a cost benefit analysis of the festival. They are also responsible for arranging and conducting a meeting of the budget and organizing committee, and budget study and approval. The fourth team is logistics. This team is responsible for

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Writing Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Writing Assignment - Essay Example But this is inappropriate because young judges and senate members do not get a chance. The system should be fair for all. Certain factors should be considered to determine the retirement age for a job. These factors may vary from one job to another. For example, if the job is of a pilot, factors that need to be considered to establish the age of retirement include visibility, memory, and judgment. These skills should be selected because these play the most important role in helping the pilots make informed decisions during a flight. Surveys should be conducted to find out when pilots on average start losing these skills. There are mandatory retirement ages for jobs in my country. My country is Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). In KSA, the statutory retirement age for civil servants is 60 years irrespective of the length of service. Captain Haynes might have made an appeal to the US Supreme Court to let him continue his service drawing upon his experience and especially his immaculate performance during the United Airlines Flight 232 crash. There are chances that he might get some

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Fashion promotion - Miss Dior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Fashion promotion - Miss Dior - Essay Example This fact is what makes it still available in various stores and outlets. One can clearly understand how fascinating the Miss Dior perfume brand has been over the period. Brand image of Miss Dior (Top Ten Items on My Anniversary Whishlist 2012) Brand value: Miss Dior perfume compliments the exuberance, freshness and elegance of fashion line of Dior. It is the synergy effect of perfume and haute couture at its best. The aroma of Dior perfume was created by Paul Vacher based on a method found out by Jean Carles. Brand Onion: The brand onion of the products covers three major areas: physical features consumer benefits and inherent values. These are marked either negatively or positively. The qualitative outline facilitates the recognition of not just the mindset of a consumer but also his or her emotions and feelings. (Brand Development 2007) Brand personality: The brand personality is achieved in the course of continuous and effective advertisement. The features and attributes of the b rand should be correctly communicated to the targeted clients. Brand essence: Miss Dior perfume comprises a concoction of the fragrances of jasmine, galbanum, oak moss, gardenia, bergamot, rose, narcissus, labdanum, patchouli and sandalwood. Brand in action: Miss Dior has a modern kind of fragrance that helps to capture the ageless couture spirit promoted by the brand. Ladies who use this perfume easily project an elegant grace paired with self-confidence and determination of character, which is truly an alluring combination. Brand Identity Map: Brand identify map is the overall expression of a particular brand and consists of its trademark, name, communication strategies and also the particular visual appearance, that is the brand identity. Successful brand names of the perfume build some sort of connection between the brand personality of Miss Dior as it is perceived by the target viewers, and the real product or service. Brand identity focuses on real qualities, real features tha t the brand promises and its values being sustained and offered by organizational and manufacturing characteristics. The main features and qualities highlighted by the Miss Dior company are: sophistication, femininity and emotion. The other attributes include long lasting fragrance, better quality, modernization and its brand name. 2. Consumer profile and Promotional Opportunity Analysis: Promotion opportunity analysis is the course marketers use to recognize target audiences for an organizationÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s goods and services and their particular communication strategies required to arrive reach out to the public. There are mainly five phases in developing an analysis of promotion opportunities and are as follows: Competitors- Dior mainly follows the pricing strategy of competitive pricing, that is, they set the cost of the product according to the cost set by their competitors.Ã‚ They also adopt premium pricing strategy for their particular creation range to emphasize the productÃ¢â ‚¬â„¢s exclusiveness. The product faces main competition from Guerlain, Chanel, Prada, Cartier, Lancome, Calvin Klein, Givenchy and Angel de Thierry Mugler. The company faces a tight competition from its competitors. Chanel isÃ‚ one of the most recognized organizations in France, which always proposes high quality perfumes at high prices. But the cost of Miss Dior and its opponents are almost similar. So there will not be much dissimilarity for the clients in making payment for

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Review of Final Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Review of Final Exam - Essay Example The south and the north portray a difference in the triumphing denomination. The south is stalwartly going traditional, and even reactionary based on the economically advanced nations. The Roman Catholic draws characteristics of being traditionalists and fideistic and or radical protestant evangelical or Pentecostal sects. The difference in the Anglican understanding of the bible bring up the question if this is a splintering or simply a realignment, but whichever the case, we are now two different churches. Cultural imperialism, clearly highlighted in the laws of globalization and correctly defined as homogenization standards of tests, behavior, cultures among others. The hollywood, for instance, is inseparable from American imperialism. Therefore, the term Cultural imperialism can be viewed in two dimensions. One that perceives it as imperialism within the culture domain and the other one tend to see it in terms of the cultural aspect of imperialism. These two are complementary in understanding cultural imperialism. Scott particularly raises a strong argument against cultural imperialism stating that it may reflect recent past therefore failing to capture the big picture and at the same time, the audience actively construct and filter meaning in a way that makes sense only to them. There is also a very present likelihood of emergence of a polycentric world of film production. The Hollywood, for instance, has multinational ownership, global auteurs and transnational circuits of cultural influence. Asia (Pusan, South Korea), Europe (Venice, Cannes, Belin) and North America (Toronto, Canada) are known to be among the places that have major film festivals. These festivals serve the purpose of alternating the circuit of distribution while simultaneously promote transnational economy of cultural prestige. They also aid in showcasing national cinemas, facilitate

British Columbia Ambulance Service (BCAS) Research Paper

British Columbia Ambulance Service (BCAS) - Research Paper Example An airevac programme has both a rotary and fixed wing aircraft for efficiency handles special cases. Sometimes BCAS covers other stations on the grounds of emergency and system loads (Llc 42). BCAS is an equal employer. It frequently hires emergency medical responders (EMR), primary care paramedics (PCP), critical care paramedics (CCP), advanced care Paramedics, infant transport team paramedics (IIT) and other management and casuals in accordance to the availability of the vacancy. Eligibility of the applicants has consideration on paperwork completion and more preference on those who have pre employment on the medical field. Formal employments are available to the applicants who are eligible immediately a vacancy is available. The eligibility list becomes active for a full year. The primary requirements for hiring at BCAS requires an individual to have a valid PCP, ITT, CPP, ACP, and EMR license which is issued by the Emergency Medical Assistant Licensing board. A valid driverÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s license probably class one, two or 4 BC is mandatory. A legal work entitlement in Canada is also a need alongside A CPR level C certificate with one-year validity. The employee should also satisfy Criminal Record Review act and be of 19 year of age. Grade 12 graduate diploma or its equivalence is the minimal academic qualification. The recruiter gives several written exams as in addition to the first entry exam for eligibility test (David A. Boyes 87). BCAS employee should be of good morals and regular availability for ambulance duties. BCAS accepts applications and follows a given strategy for hiring. For one to be of consideration has to complete the application form for employment. Human resources department does choice of the working area and another clarification before the shortlisted candidate gets an interview invitation for further eligibility gauge. After success in

Monday, July 22, 2019

Funnist Incident in Classroom Essay Example for Free

Funnist Incident in Classroom Essay Alright so it was an ordinary day at school, and I was going to my locker in between fifth and sixth hour for the school-wide locker clean-out. I didnt have much to clean, I just emptied my locker of a few homework assignments that seemed to be hiding in the back. So I was done cleaning and I went to my sixth hour class, which really isnt much of a class as it is independent study. Its just me and these two kids from New Delhi who are in seventh grade and take pre-calculus. Well, the room I go to for sixth hour is a science room, so there are a few safety apparatuses to use, just in case: There is an eye wash station if you get chemicals in your eye and a ventilation wood if youre working with things that give off fumes. The last safety device is the safety shower, which is nothing more than a slight depression in the floor where there is a drain, a showerhead overhead, and this metal rod thing that you pull which releases an enormous gush of water. I think you use it if your clothes get on fire or if you accidentally spill chemicals on yourself. Anyhow, I was walking around the room, reading some science comics that were plastered to the wall. Well, I happened to slip on a rogue piece of cardboard that was lying on the floor, and I was spiraling out of control right towards the safety shower. I had no other choice, and plus I was a bit disoriented because I was spinning, so I grabbed on to the metal rod to stop myself from falling and WOOOOOSH A hundred gallons of cold water come down all over me! Im standing their soaking wet, not knowing what to do, and finally the teacher walks into the room and nearly drops his coffee. I was sent to the nurse and she gave me a big towel to wrap myself in. The nurse called my mom to let her know what happened, and she picked me up from school about twenty minutes later. The worst part wasnt me getting wet, oh no. When I activated the safety shower, the door to the classroom was open, and you could see me directly from the doorway! There was a whole crowd of people outside the adjacent classroom, and they started laughing !

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Left Sided Spastic Hemiplegia | Case Study

Left Sided Spastic Hemiplegia | Case Study Intervention Analysis Background Jane Walters is a five year old girl and has a diagnosis of left sided spastic hemiplegia, a form of Cerebral Palsy. Jane has two older sisters who attend horse riding lessons at their local stables. Jane has recently expressed an interest in joining them to her parents. However her parents are worried that because of her diagnosis she will not be able to keep up with her siblings. Jane is very aware of her condition, and has recently lost confidence, asking her parents why she is different from other children her age. Diagnosis Cerebral Palsy (CP) refers to non-progressive conditions characterised by impaired voluntary movement or posture, and resulting from prenatal developmental malformations or postnatal CNS damage (Reed, 2013, pp. 38-47). According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (2008), it is highly likely that a child with CP will have other medical disorders such as; cognitive impairments, seizures, delayed growth and development. Spastic syndromes such as JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s occur in more than 70 percent of CP cases. Spastic hemiplegia is a type of CP that typically affects the body down one side. The spasticity creates a state of resistance against any range of motion; this resistance ultimately increases with increasing speed of that movement (Reed, 2013, pp. 38-47). Children like Jane with spastic hemiplegia will generally walk later than other children and will tend to walk on their tiptoes because often they will suffer from high heel tendons. Often the arm and leg on the childÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s affected side are shorter and thinner (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke 2008). Impact of Right Hemisphere Brain Damage- Jane has left sided spastic hemiplegia, indicating that damage to the brain has occurred in the right hemisphere. The primary cause of CP is damage to white matter of the brain this is often caused by abnormal brain development. This can be caused by a bleed on the brain, or by a lack of oxygen to the brain, generally caused by a difficult birth (NINDS 2008). It was important to consider additional complications related to right sided brain damage to ensure an awareness of JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s level of functional ability be it; physically, cognitively or behaviourally. Those that may relate to JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s case are listed below in table one. Table one: How damage to the Right Hemisphere can affect function and the occupation of horse riding. JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s diagnosis would mean that she would need input from a Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT). Given her age this would come from a community paediatric teams (CPT). The team will work closely with the childrenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢sÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ team in social services and primary care. The team will provide a range of assessments and interventions to young people and their families. In JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s MDT team there will be a range of different members such as: Physiotherapists, Paediatricians, Occupational Therapists, Social Workers, Speech and Language Therapists and Educational Psychologists (NHS 2012). According to the Disability Act Jane is entitled to an independent assessment of her individual needs. The act is designed to promote the participation of people with disabilities in society by supporting the provision of disability specific services (NCSE 2011). A standardised interview was used, this was to allow the OT staff to observe how Jane and her family interact with each other making it easier to; obtain information, identify strengths needs and goals as well as generate an intervention plan and enable goal scaling Due to JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s condition she would have already been known to social services and the MDT, as she had already received physiotherapy to aid with muscle stiffness and improve core strength. Therefore upon the OT department accepting JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s referral, an initial assessment was carried out in her home environment with mother and father present (An and Palisano 2013). Collaboration between professional ataff and JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s family is a vital component in family-centred services, this is considered best practice in early intervention and paediatric rehabilitation (An and Palisano 2013). Collaboration between the two parties is essential for setting meaningful and achievable goals for a child. Planning and implementing interventions must be able to fit within the context of family life. (An and Palisano 2013) The following strengths and weaknesses were identified during the initial assessment. Table two: JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s strengths and limitations During the initial assessment JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s mother expressed concerns about her core strength and whether this would affect JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s ability to ride. In order to address these concerns a Sitting Assessment for Children with Neuromotor Dysfunction (SACND) assessment was completed this is a clinical instrument to assess static and dynamic postural control in sitting in children with neuromotor dysfunctionÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ (Reid 1995) This standardised assessment was used to ascertain how JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s CP affects her ability to sit comfortably and concentrate. This skill will be essential if Jane wants to be able to sit upon a horse comfortably and be able to concentrate for the entire session. The SACND measures quality of independent sitting ability across four areas: proximal stability, postural tone, postural alignment, and balance (Knox 2002). The assessment revealed that Jane has weak upper trunk control and so will be issued a specially adapted chair which will enable her to sit more comfortably and for longer periods of time compared to standard chair. After both assessments were completed an intervention plan was made with input from Jane, her family and the occupational therapist. Jane identified her long term goal of horse riding and to achieve this long term goal, four short term aims were set to serve as recovery milestones (Duncan 2011). Table three: JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s long term aim and short term goals. Occupational therapists are not required to use a specific functional outcome assessment tool in the selection of their assessments. When a professional is selecting an assessment, they must rely on their clinical and professional judgment (Asher 2007). Therapists need to reflect on what it is that they intend to achieve with the assessment, and if this is managed the assessment can be classed as a success. One way of evaluating an assessment is to look at the performance of patients on an individual assessment task (Steultjens 2005). And will be able to question how well did the assessment relate to the goal setting and objectives for the patient (Duncan 2011). As part of the Model of Human Occupation horse riding will play a central part in JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s habituation. Not only will this establish a routine, it can be something that Jane can take pride in (Kielhofner and Forsyth 2011). Riding will help Jane build upon her self-confidence, having that natural trusting relationship with a horse that shows no judgment and does not understand that she is different (Horseback UK). The major concern that JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s mother presents is the worry that she will not be able to keep up with the physical requirements of riding and that this will dishearten JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s enthusiasm. This concern will be tackled in goal number four. Once Jane and her family have a better understanding of hemiplegic cerebral palsy, the OT can begin discussing, through the use of pictures how this may affect her. If Jane has a basic understanding of her condition it will be easier for her to set more realistic goals with the OT as she will have a greater awareness of what she is able to do and may struggle with. This will reduced the likelihood becoming distressed when trying to achieve goals her agreed goals, this will hopefully reduce mumÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s concerns about the intervention plan. Jane feels her parents do not allow her to do as much as she would like to be able to do for fear of hurting herself or become too tired. The OT decided to make to make Jane aware of what fatigue is and may feel like. This would hopefully encourage Jane to let her mum or dad know when she is feeling tired. With this information JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s parents can keep a fatigue diary with Ellie. This will provide the OT with some information regarding when Jane feels most tired and how this impacts on her occupations. This can then be discussed with JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s parents and the RDA and suitable arrangements can be made regarding fatigue management as to when would be the most appreciate time for Jane to have her riding lesson when she has the most energy. Once a pattern of fatigue can be established the OT staff will develop strategies to manage JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s fatigue. For example Jane should engage in an activity that she finds relaxing such as reading, colouring or watching television. This can be done after more strenuous activity or in the morning if Jane is known to have a busy afternoon full of physical activities such as a riding lesson. If Jane is able to vary her day with relaxing and more strenuous activities, she will be able to conserve energy for the more strenuous activity of riding and therefore last the full hour lesson. This form of intervention uses the Compensatory Approach. The principle behind this approach is adapting to and compensating for a dysfunction rather than just treating the cause of the problem. Which in this is JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s cerebral palsy and her left sided weakness there is more of an emphasis on treating the symptoms (Feaver and Edmans 2006). Additionally, the Compensatory Approach may allow Jane to be able to regain a degree of her independence by compensating where the main cause cannot be treated. In JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s case this is managing and compensating on her weakness and fatigue, and therefore allowing her to conserve energy in order to complete a riding lesson (Addy 2006). The social approach recognises Jane as a social being who is easily influenced by the people around her. Therefore by using JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s whole family in her therapy and fatigue management, the professionals are integrating JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s social environment into her therapy (Polglase and Treseder 2012). Both interventions also reveal the perception of Jane by her social circle, thereby mitigating JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s fear about her social circle (Polglase and Treseder 2012). Jane has always said that Jane feels her parents do not allow her to do as much as she would like to be able to do for fear of hurting herself or become too tired. The treatment will require Jane to trust her parents and tell them when she is tired instead of retreating from her social circle (Martin 1998). In order to determine if JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s intervention has been a success we first evaluate it. Evaluation a professionals practice is one of the most important elements in occupational therapy; without it, the value of their intervention diminishes (Lawcett 2007). Evaluation is important as in theory it enables the OT and the client to see if intervention is affective. However it is vital that the client is willing to be part of the evaluation process, because if they are not this could present an incorrect evaluation of effectiveness of treatment (Lawcett 2007). There are four main was a professional can evaluate their intervention process these are; Using up to date outcome measures. Using valid and reliable evidence based outcome measures. Evaluate from view point of the service user Evaluate throughout therapy process, at end of intervention (Lawcett 2007). The success of JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s intervention plans can be evaluated by the Ã¢â‚¬ËœGoal Attainment ScaleÃ¢â‚¬â„¢(GAS) (KingÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s College London [no date]). The GAS is a measurement technique which consist of individualising a personÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s outcome indicators (Turner-Stokes 2009). In order to evaluate the intervention the professional must first construct a list of thorough and complete outcome measures, which will then be given a numerical value to determine the success of the intervention (Kiresuk and Sherman 1968; Purkiss et al. 2013). JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s goals were based on a realistic forecast of her progress (May-Benson 2012) JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s performance was scaled into five levels, these reflected her actual performance in comparison to her expected outcomes (Kiresuk et al. 1994). Table four: Example of GAS goals used from JaneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s second RDA lesson. A score like this was recorded for each weekly session over the course of a month and a total was tallied at the end, scoring the intervention with a numerical value. The professional knew it would be vital to give Jane and her control in her treatment in order to motivate an improvement (Turner-Stokes 2009), hence it was decided that the GAS goals would be discussed at the end of the session, showing a level of improvement (King et al. 1999) instead of recording it as s pass, fail assessment (Turner-Stokes 2009).

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Issues in the Hospitality Industry

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

The Language Gap Essay -- Language Development, Mastering Language

Mastering language is an important milestone in human development. When language is developed, the world opens up and a person is able to communicate their needs and interact in a meaningful way. Psychologist Lev Vygotsky even believes language is the most important tool we have in learning. Our basic learning skills are taught to us through an "informal education system consisting of parents, other grown-ups, peers and even the media" (Sigelman, C. & Rider, E., 2009, pg. 277). Formal education then takes over, teaching the language skills necessary to read, write and problem solve. Both formal and informal education play a large part in development and when one of these is compromised language development can suffer. Infancy and early childhood are an important time in language development. Infants are unable to say meaningful words in the first 10 to 13 months of their lives, however this does not mean they are doing nothing these months. Infants are using this time to listen to the speech that is going on around them, absorbing these words and sounds for use at a later point in their development. According to research infants are able to distinguish between phonemes, or the building blocks of words. These are sounds like b, p, and t. Infants also display evidence that they understand word segmentation, and understand a sentence is not one long word, but a string of several words put together. They are also sensitive to the intonation of language as well. This is the variations in pitch, speed and loudness used when we talk, so "before they ever speak a word, infants areÃ¢â‚¬ ¦sensitive to the fact that speech falls between clauses, phrases, and words rather than in the middle of these i mportant language units" (Sigel... ...o find time to interact with their children if they are having to work all day to support their family. A solution to this problem might be to provide financial support to these parents so one of them would be able to work a part-time job. This would give these parents more time to interact with their children, with out devastating their finances. When the children are able to enter pre-school programs then the assistance could end and the parent could return to full time employment. Informal and formal education, are important parts of a child's language development. Often, the children of underprivileged families experience deficiencies in their informal education, putting them behind their privileged peers when they enter kindergarten. This is why support programs and programs to educate underprivileged mothers and their children are so important.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Importance of Strategic Planning when Entering International Markets Es

Importance of Strategic Planning when Entering International Markets When a company decides to take their business international, there are many different factors that they need to take into account. There are differences in management styles, international laws and treaties that regulate international business, trade barriers, tariffs, taxes, exchange rates as well as cultural customs that come into play. Each of these is significant and needs to be taken into account in order to minimize potential problems. It is essential to an expanding company to study these factors and integrate them into taking their business abroad. Many times, lack of knowledge can create serious problems and in some situations stop a business deal from happening all together. If such matters are not ever correctly dealt with they can completely destroy the entire business. All a company needs to do to reduce this risk is some research in the international market. Today it is difficult to completely stay out of the international market place. Even if a business is completely based in a specific country, it is very possible that another company outside their country supplies them. Even if there is a small company that is simply importing some parts from Mexico, there are rules that must be met for NAFTA. It is almost impossible today for a company to avoid dealing with international issues. That is why all companies should have some understanding of international business. When first discussing international business, one must realize how beneficial international trade is to the world. Trade amongst countries has been growing very rapidly since the end of the Second World War. One way of looking at international trade is the simpl... ...se Expatriate Managers in Canada.Ã¢â‚¬ Journal of International Business Studies 27 (1996): 443-466. 9. Robicheaux, R. A. and Bandyopadhay, S. Ã¢â‚¬Å"Working With Dealers in India.Ã¢â‚¬ Journalof Managerial Issues 7 (1995): 379-402. 10. Saimee, S. Ã¢â‚¬Å"Costomer Evaluation of Products in a Global Market.Ã¢â‚¬ Journal of International Business Studies 25 (1994): 579-604. 11. Simos, Evangelos O. and Triantis, John E. Ã¢â‚¬Å"International Economic Outlook.Ã¢â‚¬ The Journal of Business Forcasting Methods & Systems 18 (1999): 32-36 12. Srinivasan, T. India. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 1994. 13. Ã¢â‚¬Å"ThereÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s No Such Thing as Simple in International Business.Ã¢â‚¬ Agency Sales 29 (1999): 4-6 14. Walter, Ingo and Murray, Tracy. Handbook of International Business. New York: Ronald Press Publication, 1982. Importance of Strategic Planning when Entering International Markets Es Importance of Strategic Planning when Entering International Markets When a company decides to take their business international, there are many different factors that they need to take into account. There are differences in management styles, international laws and treaties that regulate international business, trade barriers, tariffs, taxes, exchange rates as well as cultural customs that come into play. Each of these is significant and needs to be taken into account in order to minimize potential problems. It is essential to an expanding company to study these factors and integrate them into taking their business abroad. Many times, lack of knowledge can create serious problems and in some situations stop a business deal from happening all together. If such matters are not ever correctly dealt with they can completely destroy the entire business. All a company needs to do to reduce this risk is some research in the international market. Today it is difficult to completely stay out of the international market place. Even if a business is completely based in a specific country, it is very possible that another company outside their country supplies them. Even if there is a small company that is simply importing some parts from Mexico, there are rules that must be met for NAFTA. It is almost impossible today for a company to avoid dealing with international issues. That is why all companies should have some understanding of international business. When first discussing international business, one must realize how beneficial international trade is to the world. Trade amongst countries has been growing very rapidly since the end of the Second World War. One way of looking at international trade is the simpl... ...se Expatriate Managers in Canada.Ã¢â‚¬ Journal of International Business Studies 27 (1996): 443-466. 9. Robicheaux, R. A. and Bandyopadhay, S. Ã¢â‚¬Å"Working With Dealers in India.Ã¢â‚¬ Journalof Managerial Issues 7 (1995): 379-402. 10. Saimee, S. Ã¢â‚¬Å"Costomer Evaluation of Products in a Global Market.Ã¢â‚¬ Journal of International Business Studies 25 (1994): 579-604. 11. Simos, Evangelos O. and Triantis, John E. Ã¢â‚¬Å"International Economic Outlook.Ã¢â‚¬ The Journal of Business Forcasting Methods & Systems 18 (1999): 32-36 12. Srinivasan, T. India. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 1994. 13. Ã¢â‚¬Å"ThereÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s No Such Thing as Simple in International Business.Ã¢â‚¬ Agency Sales 29 (1999): 4-6 14. Walter, Ingo and Murray, Tracy. Handbook of International Business. New York: Ronald Press Publication, 1982.