Overseas Holidays

What has happened to demand (sales) of holidays in the last five years? What has happened to prices, and the revenues of sellers? Overseas holidays take up the greater part of travel agent bookings; the year 2011 experienced a great amount of holidays overseas taken by the United Kingdom’s flat line since 2008. The demand for sales of overseas tourism in the last five years was low because of various reasons or factors.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Overseas Holidays specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For instance, the lack of growth in the last five year was enhanced by such factors as â€Å"Eyjafjallajokull† volcano, which caused the airspace to be closed up, thus, leading to the reduction in demand sales for holidays due to the negative effects within the market. In addition, there was a downgrade in forecast of GDP growth in the Bank of England, which was noted to be approximately one percent t o two percent. The decrease in the demand for overseas holidays in the last five years was also due to domestic events that happened during the peak summer period. For instance, there were Olympic Games in August and the UEFA, European Football Championship in June. It is revealed that domestic holidays declined from the year 2009 peak point remained at sixty-one percent of all holidays that were in use in 2010. Therefore, due to the decrease in demand of holidays that was experienced in the last five years, the prices were also affected, they had to be reduced in order to attract more holiday travelers. As a result, the sellers’ revenues were also influenced negatively because they declined. Research shows that the percentage of demand on holidays was a result of over protection on holidays and a small upturn in the package sector that raised agent`s share of the market. Short breaks were greatly affected by the recession that led to their abandonment by consumers. This tren d caused a negative impact on independent holiday volume. The meaning of staycation and why it is popular A staycation is a special type of vacation in which individuals known as staycationers remain at home rather than travel away to have some rest. The main purpose of a staycation is to help people rest from their day-to-day activities without having to take a trip far away from home (Rees 2011, p.89). Staycations have become popular currently because they are readily affordable by every person who needs a vacation but lacks finances or sufficient time. In addition, it is the best vacation for those individuals who do not like to experience travel difficulties such as delays among other shortcomings. Staycations have become popular because it is a person’s choice where to go. In a staycation, there are no difficulties in packing and unpacking of luggage. Generally, staycations have become popular because they are good time savers.Advertising Looking for report on busin ess economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is because most people’s schedules are so tight and, therefore, finding time for oneself becomes an issue. Therefore, with staycation, people can save time that is spent on traveling by checking in the nearest resort where they can get out of their daily activities. It saves money since most vacations are extremely expensive. Staycation requires creativity rather than a lot of money in order for one to have fun. Staycations are also safe, specialized and simple. Importance of the Concept of Cross-Price Elasticity of Demand Cross elasticity of demand is the measure of responsiveness of the demand for a product due to a change in the price of another product. Elasticity of demand is important because if an organization can estimate cross elasticity of demand, then it stands a good chance of evaluating the effect of pricing strategies of their competitors. Determinants of the Relative Prices of Staycation and Vacations Relative price is the price of a product or service in terms of another. Therefore, the relative prices of staycation and vacation are determined by the prices spent on vacation to those spent on staycation. This implies that a person may decide to have a staycation because of lack of enough money to go for a normal vacation, which is quite demanding in terms of money. Using the concept of Income Elasticity of Demand to explain the effects of the Recession on the Demand for Holidays Income elasticity of demand is used to quantify the association between a change in amount demanded and a change in revenue. Demand for holidays is extremely price elastic. This means that as the prices of holidays goes up, it leads to a decline in demand. For instance, during the declines in the number of demand for holidays that were less than the equivalent reductions in volume, average expenditure on oversees continued to increase across the period. Exampl es of overseas expenditures involve airfares, sea fares, tunnel, as well as train fares. Therefore, due to this increase in travel expenditures using the concept of income elasticity of demand, the demand for holidays reduced at a higher rate because a considerable number of people choose to have a staycation, which is quite affordable rather than going for long vacations far away from home. The major cause of recession involves the short breaks that have been unreasonably affected. This is because a significant number of customers are more likely to abandon the short breaks holidays due to an increase in travel expenditures more than the long main holidays.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Overseas Holidays specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As a result, this could lead to the elimination of shorter value oversea trips from the equation to a higher extent than long holidays. The capacity concerning the short brea ks have been thoughtfully redirected towards high value commodities. Therefore, higher affluence has greatly correlated with the likelihood to take holidays overseas, nevertheless, the rich customers have been the least likely to change their behaviors concerning going for holidays despite the occurrence of recession, whereas the less fortunate have been more likely to give up the issue concerning the overseas holiday market. Some of them either resort to other travel agencies or simply give up the idea of holidays completely. As a result, it has reduced the average expenditure on the influence of the lower spending sections. This implies, therefore, that change in price expenditure of travel agencies led to change in demand for holidays for majority of individuals who cannot afford to pay. Type of market structure that exists in the market for package holidays Most organizations base on those features that influence the nature of competition and pricing. For package holidays, there is the existence of the perfect competition market structure. This is a market structure that involves unrestricted contestability. This implies that any is free to join such a market because there are no obstacles that hinder a person or an organization to join the market structure. For instance, there are an unrestricted number of manufacturers and purchasers that involve an ideal elastic demand curve. Therefore, perfect competition exists within the market for package holiday because business dealing with travelling is open and has no restrictions for entry and exit, there are also a significant number of firms that have been developed under this market thus they produce the same products and services which are mostly transportation services. This market structure within the market of package holidays provides effective and efficient information and skills that are required through various means such as the internet so as to make it easier for travelers to have access to the inf ormation anytime and anywhere they wish. The firms under this market structure are price receivers making their demand curve to be a perfectly elastic curve. The rationale for the merger activity in recent years The motivation for the merger activity was to help in expanding the travel agency. For instance, through this activity that has taken place during the recent years, there was introduction of the United Kingdom first fair trade holiday as well as introduction of internet across the broader travel industry, which acted as the driving force for the innovation and for the merging activity in recent years. It is noted that a considerable number of people from various places have made their bookings through the internet.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The relevant costs include variable costs because they tend to vary with output. This implies that these costs have a constant increase rate that is relative to labor and capital. For instance, when the demand for holidays reduces, the costs included in the travel expenditures also reduce, while the increase in demand for holidays also increases the prices. Reference Rees, T 2011, Travel agents, senior travel and tourism analyst, Prentice Hall, London. This report on Overseas Holidays was written and submitted by user Jared Dillon to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Evaluate psychographic segmentation as a basis for effective marketing in the UK car industry Essays

Evaluate psychographic segmentation as a basis for effective marketing in the UK car industry Essays Evaluate psychographic segmentation as a basis for effective marketing in the UK car industry Paper Evaluate psychographic segmentation as a basis for effective marketing in the UK car industry Paper Essay Topic: Marketing Analyzing the market involves determining how strong the market is and in what ways it is changing. Segmentation involves breaking apart a large market into smaller groups which share certain characteristics and behaviours. The third stage is selecting target market(s) and matching the 4Ps of the marketing mix (price, product, place and promotion) to the need of the selected segment(s) and, finally, positioning the product being market, whether it is a car, food, or clothing, in the minds of the consumers. If the above marketing process is carried out successfully, then we have effective marketing. This essay will focus on the second stage of the marketing process, segmentation. The essay will begin to discuss the importance of market segmentation and the bases used to segment target markets. Overall, the essay will evaluate Psychgraphic Segmentation as a basis for effective marketing in the UK car industry and the benefits and the limitations of psychographics will be viewed. In addition, use of other segmentation techniques will also be discussed to show where they are predominantly used or where they are used in conjunction with psychographics. Main body For marketing to be effective, a competitive advantage must be gained. This is accomplished through successful segmentation in order to enable markets to have a variety of product needs and preferences and to allow customer needs to be better defined. Psychographic segmentation is one type of segmentation technique which we will concentrate on. This type of segmentation divides the market into different groups based on social class, lifestyle and personality. This way of segmenting is an interesting way since it gets into how people think in terms of the activities, interests and opinions (AIO) of the people. Thus, by knowing the psychographics of ones customers enables industries to create the correct advertising message. The following table shows some examples of AIO of the people. Psychographics are used in practice in the marketing of cars. One of the variables of psychographics mentioned above which marketers look at is social class. Cars for upper social classes and for lower social classes will be different. It is more likely for example for BMWs to be targeted at lawyers rather than electricians. The Phaeton is the new Volkswagen luxury car which is being targeted at wealthy buyers. This type of car for example along with other such as Audi, Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini would only be targeted at those with a high paying job. Jaguar cars are examples of cars which are targeted by Ford at rich gay markets. This type of market is attracted to Jaguars since they have no children and their income is highly disposable. Luxury cars such as those mentioned would not attract non wealthy consumers. Buyers who cannot afford to spend money on cars would simply want any car to get them from one place to another and they wouldnt care about the style of the car. Ford caters for different social stratas. For example its Ka model may appeal most to the younger generation who dont have any family commit to. The Fiesta is aimed at first time drivers who are looking for a cheap car. The Galaxy model is ideal for families as its a people carrier car. Large families will obviously not go and buy a Ka or Fiesta they would buy a larger car such as the Galaxy. The 1. 7 TD Vauxhall Astras are practical family cars so they too would be aimed at consumers with families. The Astra 1. 7 TD is a fast car and can go along way without having to stop for fuel still making it an ideal family car for long drive trips and vacations. As can be seen, markets can be segmented so as to target products according to what the consumers opinion, interests and activities are. A further example of a car targeted at consumer interests is the Ford Puma. This sporty stylish car attracts and satisfies consumers who are into sport. Other segmentation techniques which are used in marketing include geographic demographic and behavioural segmentation. Geographic segmentation divides the market into different geographic units such as nations, countries, regions, cities, demographic into groups based on age, gender and income and behavioural based on occasions, benefit sought, user status, user rate and loyalty status. Demographic segmentation is used by car industries to target consumers. For example, luxury cars such as BMWs and Feraris will be targeted at those people who earn a high income. Also, different cars are targeted at different genders. For example, the Minis are more likely to be targeted at females rather then at males since it is a more feminine car. The stage in peoples life cycle affects marketing. More expensive cars could be targeted at newly married couples since they are more likely to spend money on cars. Occupation is another variable of demographics. People will tend to but cars suitable for their occupation. Geographic segmentation is also used for segmenting the car industry. A four wheel drive car for example is more likely to appeal to and attract consumers living in the country or near the mountains. Both geographic and demographic variables are relatively easy to measure and to get access to however they are not very successful. Why? Well lets take an example. Latino people are all different, listen to different music, eat at different restaurants, and drive different cars. An Asian male who lives in Los Angeles, will probably not like 80% of the same things as another Asian male in Los Angeles but might be an 85% match with a woman who lives in Britain. Relating this to cars, one of the men might like Honda cars like the woman in Britain however the other man might not. The example just described shows that demographics are poor indications of buying habits since they dont show what motivates the customers to purchase the product. Behavioural variables also lack showing what motivates people. They are observable however difficult to like to individuals. Due to the limitations of behavioral variables and demographics, companies have turned more to and are starting to analyze psychographics more. Psychographics allow us to more clearly understand consumers lifestyles and characteristics and give us more complete pictures of individuals thus making it easier to understand how to market products to them. Consumers behave unpredictably. Heath (1996) says that consumers demonstrate loyalties to brands (or not), blindly follow trends (or not), and buy according to their convictions and aspirations (or not). Individuals are innovators in some product categories, but not in others. What they say they do and what they really do are seldom the same (Heath, 1996). She also states that Psychographics help to clarify the behaviours which consumers exhibit. Another benefit to psychographics is that they minimize risks (Weinstein, 1994). Porsche is an example which uses psychographics. Using Demographics, Porshe targeted a homogenous group of male college graduates earning over i 100,000 per year and sold cars costing between i 20 and i 41 thousand to them however it turned out that the wrong people were being marketed. Porshe turned to using psychographics and segmented its market into groups according to the consumers characteristics as shown below: Top Guns: Driven, ambitious. Power and control matter. Want to be noticed. Elitists: Old money. A car is just a car, no matter how expensive. Proud: Ownership an end in itself earned by hard work, no need to be noticed. Bon Vivants: Worldly jet setters and thrill seekers. Car heightens the excitement in their already passionate lives Fantasists: Their car is an escape, uninterested in impressing others, may feel a little guilty about owning a Porsche. Taylor, 1995). By targeting the above different segments, Porshes sales increased. The new 911 Turbo is both fast and exciting and would target consumers who care about their ego. These consumers would probably go for colourful cars in order to attract attention. Apart from the benefits which psychographics possess, there are a number of limitations. Psychographics are not easy to measure and are not normally available from other resources. Researching for psychographics is often confusing and complex and according to Weinstein (1994), it can be very costly. Critics also claim that the categories psychographic research places consumers in overlaps so much that it does not differentiate among consumers1. Gunter (1992) also states that psychographic research can be lengthy and narrow, or unable to be projected onto an entire population. Despite these limitations, psychographics have been used as mentioned above in the examples. What has been found to be an even greater success for understanding consumer behaviour and achieving effective marketing is using psychographics in conjunction with demographics. Income, a demographic variable, plays a very important role in marketing segmentation since it has a great effect on and can change peoples lifestyles. The more money a consumer has the more luxurious his car would be. Gender and sex are two further demographic variables which are used in conjunction with psychographics. The Alpha Spider car used both demographics and psychographics to segment and target consumers. This car attracts buyers who like fast sporty and stylish cars which they can show off and impress others since it posses those features. At the same time, the Alpha Spider would target people with high incomes since only they would be able to afford such a car. This car is also more likely to target men rather than women. Women are more likely to go for more practical cars and features such as the speed of a car wouldnt matter so much to them however, this is not always true. There are some women out there who do like such cars. This last example shows that psychographics and demographics work effectively when used in conjunction with one another.

Hypothesis or Theory (Tips on Scientific Language) - Get Proofed!

Hypothesis or Theory (Tips on Scientific Language) - Get Proofed! Tips on Scientific Language Science can be a dangerous thing in the wrong hands. According to one song, it can even cause blindness. And as a result, we need to be careful with science and scientific language. (And Thomas Dolby.) Were not sure of Dolbys scientific qualifications, though. (Photo: Arthur Mouratidis/wikipedia) The main problem (for us) is that scientists often use familiar terms in unfamiliar ways. And if you don’t know the scientific use of these words, it’s easy to make an error. So, to help out, we’re taking a closer look at three terms: â€Å"hypothesis,† â€Å"theory,† and â€Å"significant.† Hypothesis (A Testable Idea) In everyday language, we sometimes use â€Å"hypothesis† to refer to an educated guess. This is fairly close to how it’s used in the sciences, but it also has some specific requirements. A hypothesis should be: An attempt to explain something that can be observed Phrased in a way that means we can test it Once a hypothesis has been tested, it can then be accepted or rejected depending on the results. Theory (A Well-Tested Concept) A theory is a proposed explanation of something. But when people say that something is â€Å"just a theory,† they mean that it hasn’t been proven. This is because one sense of â€Å"theory† is â€Å"speculation.† However, in scientific writing, it means the complete opposite of this. A scientific theory is actually something that has been tested repeatedly and that is widely accepted as true. This makes it much stronger than a hypothesis and much, much stronger than pure speculation! This doesn’t mean that a theory can’t be disproved, but you would need to show evidence that it’s untrue or suggest a better theory. A scientific theory is never â€Å"just† a theory. Its just a theory supported by 160 years of research. Significant (Unlikely to Have Happened by Chance) To be â€Å"significant† is usually to be important or noteworthy. The opposite is to be â€Å"insignificant.† In the sciences, though, â€Å"significant† typically refers to statistical significance. The results of a test are statistically significant if we can show that they’re unlikely to be due to chance alone. The opposite of this is â€Å"non-significant,† which means that the results could have been influenced by randomness. In addition, keep in mind that something can be statistically significant without being noteworthy. There’s a statistically significant relationship between breaking eggs and making an omelet, for example, but this isn’t a hugely â€Å"significant† discovery in terms of being interesting or important. Its a scientific breakthrough! Other Scientific Language The terms above are significant (in the everyday sense) because they’re common in many scientific fields. As such, anyone reading or writing about science needs to know how they’re used. However, there are plenty of other examples. If a physicist is discussing a â€Å"flavor of quark,† for instance, they could be talking about either subatomic particles or dairy products. This is why we need to be careful with scientific language. And if you come across a familiar word being used in an unusual way, always double check its scientific meaning.

What was the political and strategic contribution of amphibious Essay

What was the political and strategic contribution of amphibious operations to the korean war 1950-53. does this input offer any guidance to the modern UK amphibious force - Essay Example Historically, successful strategic implementation of such operations was attained by Julius Caesar and William the Conqueror during invasion of Britain. Later on, further development in war techniques and addition of air force has led to considerable changes in the existing situation. Since the World War I onwards, the art of strategic warfare reflected that if success through an amphibious attack needs to be attained, perfect cooperation is required among each three division of an army and implementation of this reflection attained its culmination during the Second World War (Schwartz 310). While the success and consequent onslaught of the Third Reich was holding the entire world with a stronger grip, participation of the United States in the backdrop of the World War II and naval collaboration of the American and Royal Navy introduced the â€Å"Golden Age of Amphibious Warfare† (Alexander, and Bartlett 1). The entire course of the World War II was changed due to several amph ibious landings conducted by naval forces of these two nations and the highest success of such collaborative effort came through success of the D-Day operation on 6th June 1944 (Alexander, and Bartlett 1). By the end of the Second World War it was clearly realized that proper co-ordination among various departments of an army and their adequate cooperation with that of the naval department is absolutely essential to win a war and development of a well-balanced naval force, thus, received considerable attention from the national security perspective. However, due to the huge financial loss that the United States and British government experienced, it order to recover from the situation, they did not have any other option than to reduce allocation of budget for defense system, leading to not only reduction in the total number of armed forces but also

How do different parts of the 'media' potray drugs and drug users why Essay

How do different parts of the 'media' potray drugs and drug users why do you think this is - Essay Example However, the media may present distorted information to the public regarding drugs and drug users since it might be based on individual opinion and perception. If such information is used in the efforts to curb the abuse of drugs, success may not be accomplished. There are various reasons why people use drugs. Some are used for medical reasons while others are used for pleasure. Those who use drugs for non medical purposes are faced with many problems ranging from health issues to social exclusion and stigmatization. Alcohol is the most commonly non medical drug used especially due to the fact that it is allowed by the law in many countries. The manufacturers sacrifice much of their resources in marketing and promotions, with the media playing a significant role in awareness creation among consumers. Different parts of the media are used to target various market segments of drug users. On the other hand, the media is also used for awareness creation in the fight against drug use. They provide substantial information to the public, which portray drugs as substances that are detrimental to the health of users. Moreover, drug use is portrayed as an antisocial behavior and therefore the users are viewed as posing a safety risk to the public, mai nly due to their association with crime and violent behavior. The manner in which the media portrays drugs and drug users is a significant in determinant of the drugs debate. The society’s perception is based on the information acquired from the media. Most parts of the media give the implication that drugs are dangerous substances that are associated with causing death, psychological disorders, violence, crime and many other antisocial behaviors. For this reason, drug users are portrayed as individuals who exhibit undesirable character in the community. Parrott et al. (2004 p 48) observes that the psychoactive drugs are mainly used for excitement but they may have adverse effects if they are consumed

International and Intercultural Communication Essay Example for Free

International and Intercultural Communication Essay International and Intercultural Communications have been of great interest to the Hofstede Centre for many years. In fact Geert Hofstede’s dimensions of culture have been the most widely disseminated of all theories. Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions are, â€Å"1) Power Distance, 2) Individualism or Collectivism, 3) Masculinity-Femininity, 4) Uncertainty Avoidance, and 5) Short or Long Term Orientation.† (Donald Baack, 2012, Chapter 2.4). â€Å"Professor Geert Hofstede conducted one of the most comprehensive studies of how values in the workplace are influenced by culture. He analyzed a large database of employee value scores collected within IBM between 1967 and 1973. The data covered more than 70 countries, from which Hofstede first used the 40 countries with the largest groups of respondents and afterwards extended the analysis to 50 countries and 3 regions.† (The Hofstede Center, n.d.). In the next few pages I will compare the similarities and differences in scores between the countries of Croatia and Slovenia in relation to Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions as well as provide a scenario involving two organizations, one located in each country and their business practices relating to the different cultural perspectives. In the dimension of Power-Distance Croatia scores high with a score of 73 which means the people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. In this type of society people expect to be told what to do and this is accepted as the norm. (Hofstede Centre, n.d.). Slovenia also scored high in the dimension of Power-Distance with a score of 71. What this displays is two of the former eastern European countries, are very similar in their societal beliefs in hierarchal order and the populace was still routed in a culture where subordinates do as they are told by the boss and the boss is an aut ocrat in the bigger sense. In the second of the  five cultural dimensions Individualism or Collectivism, Croatia scored 33 which are considered a collectivistic society. â€Å"This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member group, be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount, and over-rides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies offence leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link); hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, management is the management of groups.† (The Hofstede Centre, n.d.). Slovenia, had a score of 27 is also considered a collectivistic society just like we saw in Croatia. Once again the two bordering countries are nearly identical in their collectivist societie s. Our third dimension of Masculinity-Femininity resulted in a score of 40. With this score they are considered a relatively feminine society. Feminine societies focus on the theory of work to live. In a feminine society it is also common for managers to seek consensus. Even with such a disparity in scores and Slovenia’s’ score of 19 on this dimension, they too are considered more of a feminine society. Like the culture of Croatia they work to live and the people value things like equality, solidarity and pleasure in their working lives. â€Å"Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favored. Focus is on well-being, status is not shown.† (The Hofstede Centre, n.d.). The fourth dimension of Uncertainty Avoidance resulted in a score of 80 signifying a very high preference for avoiding uncertainty. As stated in the Hofstede report, â€Å"Countries exhibiting high uncertainty avoidance maintain rigid codes o f belief and behavior and are intolerant of unorthodox behavior and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.† (The Hofstede Centre, n.d.). Slovenia also scored quite high with an 88 signifying they too choose to avoid uncertainty and need rules regardless of the effectiveness of them. Our final dimension is the dimension of Short or Long Term Orientation. In the comparison statistics this is referred to as  pragmatism and indulgence. Croatia achieved scores of 58 and 33 respectively. These figures indicate that the Croatian society believe truth is dependent on situations, context of what is said and the time. â€Å"They show an ability to adapt traditions easily to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.† (The Hofstede Cen tre, n.d.). The 33 score received for indulgence is an indication of a restrained country. â€Å"Societies with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism. Also, in contrast to indulgent societies, restrained societies do not put much emphasis on leisure time and control the gratification of their desires. People with this orientation have the perception that their actions are restrained by social norms and feel that indulging themselves is somewhat wrong.† (The Hofstede Centre, n.d.). Slovenia had scores of 49 in pragmatism and 48 in indulgence. These scores both result in no clear preference for one or the other. As I have demonstrated by comparing the results for these two countries, bordering countries can be quite similar in some aspects of International and Intercultural Communications but quite different in others. As an example if I opened a car repair business or franchise in these two countries and expected them to work together some of the things I could expect is, they both would struggle with working together since they both prefer autocratic leaders and operate under the concept of being told what to do. What this means to me is that regardless if I am physically there with them or providing communication from afar they will execute all actions to benefit the business in a positive manner. These societies rely on face and losing face through failure is not an option they accept easily. In contrast to this is they both enjoy the benefits of family time, strong ties to immediate and extended family (the organization), managers often seek consensus and conflict is resolved through compromise and negotiation. This later part about conflict resolution is because both societies are feministic in nature and as we all know, women are often times more level headed and less apt to fly off the hand le over little issues that can be resolved in an agreeable manner when thought out and discussed properly. This could be beneficial or difficult since us Americans believe in more time at work than time with family in today’s working environment. I believe this is an instance where I would need to adjust my work ethic in order to  gain more from these two countries in keeping with their societal beliefs and standards. From my perception of Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions is that two companies in these two countries of Croatia and Slovenia would work very well together and in fact complement one another nicely, leading to great success for the organization. What I have done in the past few pages is to demonstrate the similarities and differences in scores between the countries of Croatia and Slovenia in relation to Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions as well as provided you with the scenario involving two organizations, one located in each country and their business practices relating to the different cultural perspectives. I believe Hofstede’s five dimens ions were quite relevant when originally complied and are still quite relevant today. References Baack, D., Management Communication, 2012. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUBUS600.12.1 Mind Tools Ltd, 1996-2014. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_66.htm The Hofstede Centre, National Cultural Dimensions, n.d. Retrieved from http://geert-hofstede.com/national-culture.html The Hofstede Centre, National Cultural Dimensions, n.d. Retrieved from http://geert-hofstede.com/croatia.html

black holocaust :: essays research papers

â€Å"Black Holocaust for Beginners ‘Death Ships’† By Anderson S. Black Holocaust for Beginners â€Å"Death Ships†, is a realistic, and trapping article about the slave trade. Instead of the former stories on slavery and giving it a general description telling reader how slavery is bad and slavery is immoral, this article goes in and describes what it was like in a slave ship. It made the reader feel the pain of the middle passage in every page. There are three things in the article that is very compelling to me as a reader, the living conditions of the slaves in the ships, the rape the women faced, and the punishment styles the rebellious slaves had to endure. What they endured was almost like hell on earth, it was almost genocide, but without the intention of genocide. The living conditions were horrible, according to the article Black Holocaust for Beginngers â€Å"Death Ships†, â€Å"You see the vomit above you and alongside you and you come close to passing out. You can barely breathe. You are trapped. You can’t move a leg or arm without increasing someone else’s misery. The chains rattle as we try to shift out bodies to get away from the running yellow brown stream and odor from next to us, from above us. The flies and mosquitoes begin to swarm around you. But you can’t swipe at them without yanking your chained brethren or sisteren.† Such condition sound like how a pig lives, only the slaves did not want to live like that. The writer wrote it as if the reader was in it, I thought I was a slave. The rape of the female slaves, was described by the writer as an almost normal occurrence in the ship as the article Black Holocaust For Beginners â€Å"Death Ships† states â€Å"†¦we hear African screams and white men’s laughter. To the women, to the girl, we KNOW. Many of us have been in the Enemy’s presence now for four to six months and we know that rape is always a grab away†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Later in the article it put the reader in as the rape victim who, get raped by the first mate. The rape described in the article was more violent than the rape we now know.

Native Americans vs. African Americans Essay

In today’s society there are many people living in poverty. All across America there are different projects and reservations where the less fortunate reside. Statistics show that mostly minorities live in these different locations. Native Americans and African Americans are two of the more popular races living in these places. The group suffering the most in these situations is the youth. Although both Native American and African American children living on a reservation or in the projects experience a terrible community, have little to no faith, and a broken family structure, African American youth living in the projects have it worse than Native American children living on a reservation. First, one of the most common living situations for less fortunate African Americans is in the projects. A project is a public living environment that is government owned. Although these buildings are government owned they are far from nice looking. Most of the buildings have no windows, are run down, dirty, and old. The government’s main goal is to maintain affordable housing not to make them the best looking homes in town. The projects aren’t a good environment for a child to be raised. Throughout these neighborhoods different gangs can be found. These gangs are built to defend the different areas in the projects. The gangs bring major violence to the area and are one of the main causes of death. At a young age children join these gangs and are raised to be violent. Many of them decorate the buildings they are living in with graffiti expressing their gang colors, symbols, or motto. In contrast, while Native American youth also live in poor housing, the environment is safer than the projects. A reservation is an area set aside for a specific type of land use or activity, or for use by a particular group of people, mostly Native Americans. Similar to the projects, houses on a reservation are old, beat down, and dirty. The houses on a reservation are government owned as well. Although these two locations are very similar they also differ. The reservation is a safer place then the projects. On the reservation there is a couple cases of mild violence but they aren’t as severe as the violence in the projects. Therefore, the reservations environment is a better environment than the projects. Secondly, many of the young people have no faith growing up in the projects. A lot of them believe their only way out of the projects is to become a basketball or football player or to become a top selling rap artist. At as young as sixteen years of age most African American males end up in jail, deceased, or selling drugs. A lot of them are also lead to believe that if they don’t do what every other man on the streets is doing, then they won’t make it anywhere in life. On the reservation the kids believe their only way out is to become NBA players or â€Å"powwowers†. Powwower’s are traditional Native American cheerleaders or dancers. Much like the African Americans growing up in the projects, the life expectancy rate for those living on a reservation is in the mid forties. Considering that both of these locations are in the United States mid forties is very young of age. Many of these people don’t live very long because they don’t have enough money to take care of themselves as well as their families. They also aren’t able to live a healthy lifestyle which shortens their days. Death is common in the two locations which leaves these two young groups wondering what’s beyond the age forty. Lastly, family structure is very important in a household. In the projects many of the homes lack a very strong family structure. Children growing up in the projects nine times out of ten don’t have both parents in the home. Most of them are drug dealers, alcoholics, prostitutes, or doing any and everything to try and provide for the child. Although these parents are trying to provide for their children a lot of the time they are also on welfare. Moreover, these children’s parents aren’t ever around, they sometimes go days without having anything to eat. Many of the young men follow after the footsteps of their father, older brother, or uncles which is why this cycle has continued for so long. Native Americans typically stick together as a unit. According to Sherman Alexie, an award winning author who grew up on a reservation, â€Å"Native American children are taught to be suspicious of Caucasian people. † Native Americans teach this to their children because there are many people in America that are against minorities and believe that just because they are the majority they’re better. A lot of the parents on a reservation go from job to job not being able to keep one job for a long period of time. Many of these parents are also alcoholics. On the other hand, some of these families on these reservations are very family oriented unlike the African American families in the projects. These Native American families have up to seventeen family members living in one house. They keep their families very close and are very supportive of one another rather then being against each other like African Americans. The parents watch over their children to make sure they don’t go down the wrong path in life. Although these families are experiencing hard times they cheer each other up and manage to smile every once in a while. Therefore, the Native Americans family structure is stronger then African Americans. In conclusion, Native American youth living on a reservation have it better then African American youth living in the projects. Both of these minorities are going through some hardships. From alcoholic parents to not having anything to eat they both are suffering as young children. Native American families provide a safer living environment, work harder, and look after one another, where as African Americans are against one another, on the streets all day, and are strongly associated with violence. As the years go on these families are hoping that the government will separate people in the projects and those living on reservations and provide them both with a better living situation. If these environments are separated the United States will be one step closer to eliminating violence in America.

Behaviorism, Constructivism and ICTs for Education

Education nowadays is not what it used to be around 50 years ago. The introduction and development of technology has taken education to an entirely different level then it was previously. These innovative tools are covered under the broad category of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). There has been research work on development of theoretical models that can facilitate educational learning. These theories and more additional helpful tools have not only facilitated the gaining of education but also improved the quality of education system.Behaviorism and constructivism are two of these main revolutionary concepts in education. The three terms â€Å"behaviorism†, â€Å"constructivism† and â€Å"ICTs† would first be explained separately and then it would be seen that how they fall together in a picture and facilitate educational learning. Behaviorism Behaviorism is that school of thought which is of the opinion that it is learning process that inculc ates learning by the acquisitions of new behaviors in surrounding of environmental conditions.Behaviorists believe that learning does not regard any mental activities rather it can be achieved by behaviors which according to them are systematic and observable. They believe that the process of â€Å"conditioning† facilitates the acquisition of behavior which ultimately facilitates learning. Conditioning is categorized in classical and operant. Classical conditioning is the process in which the object is conditioned as such that it he would response in a specific manner to a certain stimulus. We see this often in educational setting in form of fear conditioning that children are so much fearful of failure in exams or tests.Operant conditioning is the conditioning in which a response to a stimulus is reinforced by either rewarding or punishment. This concept is also very much applicable in educational setting as we see teachers rewarding and punishing to get desired behavior fro m students (On Purpose Associates n. d. ). Constructivism Contrary to behaviorism is the school of though of constructivism. They are of the opinion that knowledge is a consequence of one’s personal experiences. According to constructivists, humans generate knowledge and formulate their own understanding model through reflection of their experiences.Human mentality makes sense of the experiences and therefore learning takes place when proper shape is given to these experiences in mentality. In educational setting, constructivism comes into play as it focuses on promotion of customized syllabus in accordance with student’s knowledge. This is achieved by giving students hand on problems. Apart from that, teachers conduct assessment in the form of assigning open ended questions to the students and conduct dialogues and debates amongst students which lead to the open mindedness of students.The students are therefore able to conceive and manipulate information in a better w ay (Bruner n. d. ). ICTs ICT is acronym of Information Communication Technology. The three words are very meaningful and together they form ICT which has been the pulse of the developmental changes in all fields in years behind. The concept is very vast but in short we can say that ICT comprises of all innovative tools of digital technology which has helped in all the fields to save, extract, communicate and interpret the information in a digital manner.This has been made possible by digital electronic aids such as computers, laptops, emails, robotic machines and many more. ICTs have enabled the people to come together and form intercultural and inter communal links to share ideas and experiences together. The ICTs have plenty scope and potential in education field. ICTs and its tools has facilitated education by coming up with tools and equipments that have improved both the earning and the teaching. ICTs focus is to create awareness in the students of the usage of computers and ot her technological devices that may enhance the acquisition of knowledge for them.Learning by Doing Learning by doing as the name suggests is the way that a person learns any action or activity by actually doing it himself. There is always a first time but that has first time has to be DONE as only then a person learns and is able to see where he is faulty and through this he can learn. The examples can be given simply as when the child is learning how to walk, the parents are there just to support him and keep him out of danger. It is the child himself who tries again and again and learns how to walk. Similarly, a more business oriented example can be that of starting a new business.The businessman approaches his business with his own ideas and therefore learns the business. The theories of behaviorism can come here that a person who will do an action comes across a negative consequence then he would still be learning and would avoid the repetition of the same incident again. Constr uctivism is applicable here to as they emphasize on experiences. When a person BEHAVES he does an activity i. e. he interacts with the environment and as a result conditioning takes place. This conditioning gives him an experience may it be good or bad.Through these behaviors and experiences he is able to formulate his own understanding model. Therefore this shows that both behaviorism and constructivism are active when a person is learning by doing (Engines for Education 2008). Role of ICTs, Behaviorism and Constructivism in Education The use of ICTs has promoted the teaching and learning and made it superior. If we just take computer as an example of educational technology we see that it has been devised for students and humans to address to their needs and problems. ICTs address to the problems of both students and teachers.Though the effects of the use of ICTs in schools and educational settings are good but we see that the facilities are inadequate. The effects of ICTs are good as they enable the students to use educational software through which they are able to get activity based learning in a better technologically equipped learning environment. This environment and educational software have given opportunities to the teachers to change their teaching ways and make it more comprehensive with the use of these tools. Effective teaching automatically ensures effective learning as well.These tools of educational technology have enabled the teachers and students to identify systematic problems and then discover systematic solutions for it. Constructivism school of thought complements educational technology. They say that students should be taken away from the standardized curriculum and their thinking skills need to be developed by experiential learning. If the students are given a proper educational environment which hold high relevance then they would interact with the environment to generate the desired experiences.These experiences take form of personal sets of meanings and information framework for a separate student. In educational setting, student gains knowledge either through interaction with environment or by the intervention of school in form of curriculum imposed on students. Usually the learning is resultant of mix of both these sources. Constructivism also focuses on bringing out prior knowledge of students out. Effective use of ICT by the students would give teachers an opportunity to know the prior knowledge of the students (Newhouse 2002).There are many different types of ICTs and tools which are helpful in educational setting and can explain how people learn through them and how teachers effectively use them for teaching. One example can be Interactive Whiteboards (IWBs). This device is operated with the help of a projector and a PC. This board is placed in the front center of the class and is connected to the PC and projector. Through equipments like keyboard, mouse, pencil and other devices students are able to ach ieve interaction with it.It facilitates the teacher to teach the whole class easily keeping in view the discipline of the class along with teaching. The research has proven that the introduction of IWBS have enhanced the thinking of the students, facilitated the teaching methods of teachers and therefore ultimately lead to effective learning (Newman n. d. ). We see that both Behaviorism and Constructivism do not apply similarly in every learning environment. It varies. In some environment which is behavior oriented and which requires high motivation level of people then we see that behaviorism is in action.Such environment has the need of people to be reinforced and requires there behavior to be aligned for efficient performance. In learning environment that promotes learning through experiences and acquisition of skills through interaction with environment, constructivism is in action. This rationale is well justified but usually we see that successful schools and educational setti ngs take both the approaches together along with ICTs. Conclusion Education has revolved with the development in technology. Tools of ICTs facilitate the acquisition of education.There have been many theories that have also supported educational cause. Two main theories are Behaviorism and Constructivism. They are both used contrary to each other. Behaviorism believes in learning through conditioning whereas Constructivism focuses on experiential learning. We see that these theories apply with the ICT tools and they result in effective learning and teaching system. References Bruner, J. n. d. , Constructivist Theory. Viewed July 15, 2010, retrieved from http://tip. psychology. org/bruner. html Engines for Education, 2008, Learning By Doing. Viewed July 15, 2010, retrieved from http://www.engines4ed. org/hyperbook/nodes/NODE-120-pg. html Newhouse, C. Paul 2002, Literature Review: The Impact of ICT on Learning and Teaching. Viewed July 15, 2010, retrieved from http://www. det. wa. edu . au/education/cmis/eval/downloads/pd/impactreview. pdf Newman, n. d. , Types of ICT: Interactive Whiteboards. Viewed July 15, 2010, retrieved from http://www. newman. ac. uk/Students_websites/~shugufta. nazir/typeict. htm On Purpose Associates, n. d. , About Learning: Behaviorism. Viewed July 15, 2010, retrieved from http://www. funderstanding. com/content/behaviorism

Diversity in the workplace Professor Ramos Blog

Diversity in the workplace James Butte Martin Christian Gonzalez Andy Briseno Businesses that understand diversity perform better Financially and culturally. Employees have the opportunity to learn from each other creating a better working environment. Different employees bring Different skill sets, backgrounds, experiences. Everyone gives different ideas, the business is able to grow with diversity, and the reputation of the business get better with diversity. Diversity in the workplace Question: what would Work be like without diversity?

Biography of Marvin Stone, Inventor of Drinking Straws

Biography of Marvin Stone, Inventor of Drinking Straws Marvin Stone (April 4, 1842–May 17, 1899) was an inventor who is best known for inventing, patenting and producing the spiral winding process to manufacture the first paper drinking straws. Before his straws, beverage drinkers were using the natural rye grass or hollow reed straws. Fast Facts: Marvin C. Stone Known For: Invention of the paper drinking straw.  Born: April 4, 1842 in Rootstown, Ohio.  Parents: Chester Stone and his wife Rachel.Died: May 17, 1899, Washington, D.C.Education: Oberlin College (1868–1871), Theology.Spouse: Jane E. (Jennie) Platt, of Baltimore MD (m. January 7, 1875)Children: Lester Marvin Stone Early Life Marvin Chester Stone was born on April 4, 1842, in Rootstown, Portage County, Ohio, the son of another inventor, Chester Stone and his wife Rachel. Chester Stone was an inventor himself, having invented the washing machine and a cheese press. In the 1840s, Chester moved his family to Ravenna, Ohio, where Marvin went to high school. After high school, he started a degree at Oberlin College, but when the Civil War broke out in 1861, he mustered into service as a private in the Seventh Regiment of Company C, of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He fought at Gettysburg and Chancellorsville, and was wounded and disabled from active duty in the Battle of Lookout Mountain, near Chattanooga, Tennessee on Nov. 24, 1863. He eventually transferred to the Veterans Reserve Corps and was sent to Washington DC on December 1, 1864 where he stayed in special services until he was mustered out on August 7, 1865. After the war, he returned to Ohio and in 1868 enrolled at Oberlin College as a music major but graduated from the College of Theology in 1871. He was then a newspaper journalist in the Washington DC area for several years. On January 7, 1875, he married Jane E. Jennie Platt: they had one child, Lester Marvin Stone. Inventive Life Marvin Stone began to imply his inventive nature into his business life in the late 1870s, when he invented a machine for making paper cigarette holders. He started a factory in Ninth Street, Washington DC to supply a major contractor, W. Duke Sons and companys Cameo brand of cigarette holders. His paper straw invention was the result of a problem Stone recognized: people used natural materials- rye grass and reeds- to consume cold liquids with, which sometimes brought an additional taste and odor to the drink involved and were often cracked and grew musty. Stone made his prototype straw by winding strips of paper around a pencil and gluing it together. He then experimented with paraffin-coated manila paper, so the straws would not become soggy while someone was drinking. Marvin Stone decided the ideal straw was 8 1/2-inches long with a diameter just wide enough to prevent things like lemon seeds from being lodged in the tube. Stone Straw Corporation The product was patented on January 3, 1888. By 1890, his factory was producing more straws than cigarette holders The company was housed in a large manufacturing establishment at 1218–1220 F Street, Northwest in Washington, DC. On February 6, 1896, Stone applied for two U.S. patents (585,057, and 585,058) for a machine which made artificial straws made of paper; the patents were published in June 22, 1897.   Stone was reported to be a kind and generous employer, looking after the moral and social condition of his working girls, and supplying them with a library, music room, meeting room for debates, and a dancing floor in the F Street building. Stone died on May 17, 1899, before his machines were brought into production. The company continued under the leadership of his brothers-in-law L.B. and W.D. Platt. They fought off a patent infringement case in 1902 against William Thomas of the American Straw Company: Thomas was a former employee. In 1906, the first machine was put into production by the Stones Stone Straw Corporation to machine-wind straws, ending the hand-winding process. Later other kinds of spiral-wound paper and non-paper products were made. Stones Patent Paper Julep Straws.   Public domain (printed in the  The Home Furnishing Review, 1899. Impact on Other Industries In 1928, electrical engineers began to use spiral-wound tubes in the first mass produced radios. All were made by the same process invented by Stone. Spiral-wound tubing is now found everywhere- in electric motors, electrical apparatus, electronic devices, electronic components, aerospace, textile, automotive, fuses, batteries, transformers, pyrotechnics, medical packaging, product protection, and packaging applications. Bendable straws, articulated straws, or bendy straws have a concertina-type hinge near the top for bending the straw into a more favorable angle for sipping. Joseph Friedman invented the bendy straw in 1937. Death and Legacy Stone took out several patents in his life- in addition to the cigarette holders and straws, he invented a fountain pen and an umbrella, and his last invention was for adding color to fine china- but he was also said to be a philanthropist. His factories employed several hundred people, and he was involved with building two blocks of tenement housing in Washington DC to provide good housing for African American people in the city. He also did very well for himself and his family, building a home named Cliffburn in Washington Heights, where he and his wife held social events including a U.S. Senator who was a relative of his wifes. Marvin Stone died before his patented manufacturing process was in production, but the company that Marvin Stone created is still in operation as the Stone Straw Company. Today they produce a variety of types of straws including eco-friendly straws which are bio-degradable and made of paper. Sources Obituary: Marvin C. Stone. The Home Furnishing Review 15, 1899. 323.Death of Marvin C. Stone: Inventor and Manufacturer and Veteran of the Civil War. Evening Star (Washington DC), May 18, 1899.  Catalogue of Oberlin College for the College Year 1868–9. Springfield, Ohio: Republic Steam Printing Company, 1868.  Catalogue of Oberlin College for the College Year 1871–72. Springfield, Ohio: Republic Steam Printing Company, 1871.  Thompson, Derek. The Amazing History and the Strange Invention of the Bendy Straw. The Atlantic, Nov. 22, 2011.  Wilson, Lawrence. Stone, Marvin C., Private. Itinerary of the Seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 1861-1864: With Roster, Portraits and Biographies. New York: The Neale Publishing Company, 1907. 440-441

Care of patient undergoing general anesthesia Essay

Care of patient undergoing general anesthesia - Essay Example In this assignment a case study approach has been taken to identify different anesthesia related activities and their rationale which will be corroborated to examine whether these activities are based on evidence from scientific literature on anesthesia. This is a case of a 40-year-old female who had been admitted for undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy to the hospital. It was decided that the patient will under the surgery undergo the surgery under general anesthesia. This patient was found to be having no associated medical disease, and the preoperative investigations revealed that she has optimal medical condition to undergo anesthesia. Since anesthesia and elective operations should not proceed until the patient is in optimal medical condition, through the preoperative medical tests it had been demonstrated that she has no significant perioperative risks, it was decided that it would be safe to proceed (Adams et al., 1998). In the operating room, before subjecting the patient to anesthesia, all the equipments must be tested for safety in that they are in the right condition of use. The anesthetic assistant is supposed to help the anesthesiologist in the operating room in major cases, and he hardly has time to check these in the equipment supplied. Therefore, one of the important roles of the anesthetic assistant to check and make sure that the equipments used for anesthesia are in a condition, where no catastrophe will happen (May et al., 2007). In inhalational anesthesia, a oxygen and nitrous oxide mixture is inhaled. Liquid oxygen storage temperature must be checked. The only reliable way to determine residual volume of nitrous oxide is to weigh the cylinder. The assistant must record those. The pin index safety system must be examined. The role of the assistant is to check medical gas systems thoroughly so medical gas depletion or supply line misconnection is detected or prevented. It is also important to arrange an emergency