Taran Swan and Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon established its name as a cable channel of choice for kids aged 2 to 11 years old since its inception in 1978. It was, however, acquired by the entertainment powerhouse Vacom in 1986.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Taran Swan and Nickelodeon specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Nickelodeon sought to increase variety of its products and went beyond the ordinary cartoons which were common among kids’ channels. The extra programs included sports and game shows, comedy, drama, live-action, animation and music. This increased the firm’s market share as well as its ratings, making it the most popular kids’ television channel in the United States by 1986. Consequently, the firm aimed at expanding its services to incorporate the international market. Customization of the products to fit the local markets became the entry strategy for its global ventures. As a result, each foreign branch came up with its unique slogan and did most of its shows in local languages. Channels were launched by a special dedicated team comprising only of staff loyal to the brand. It is important to note that Nickelodeon had made brand loyalty part of its corporate culture. Consequently, each branch they opened was successful and by 1998 Nickelodeon was operating in over 30 countries. Due to the increased pressure to venture into new markets, Taran Swan who was then the director of business development for Nickelodeon international thought of opening a branch in Latin America in 1963. The problem was that the Latin American economy was highly unpredictable due to volatile currencies and frequent devaluations. Moreover, Latin America was not prepared given that its infrastructure for cable industry was in its initial stages of development. Consequently, the success of Nickelodeon in Latin America was obscure. Similarly, Nickelodeon was used to serving each country individually and management wa s not sure of how serving Latin America as a block will affect the business.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More After facilitating entrance into Australia and Germany, Swan was in May 1995 asked to replace the launch director. Swan had formed a team that successfully revived the Germany channel before handing it over to local management. During her three year tenure at nickelodeon, Swan had always been keen on Latin America. She had noticed that development of children’s programs was very slow in this part of the world. Notably, channels in Latin America always had ancient cartoons for children. These cartoons had lost popularity and she thought it was time new ideas were introduced. Nickelodeon had interesting programs for kids. The programs were tailored in a manner that enhanced social values. Moreover, the channel was gender sensitive and gave kids the voice. In addi tion, the channel’s entry strategy recognized cultural background as crucial factor to consider. As a result, she thought they had a high probability of success and becoming kids’ channel of choice in Latin America Swan only hired new staff after consultation. Otherwise she would go ahead with the help of the Nickelodeon International Swat Team in conjunction with the MTV people. The MTV staff had to shift their focus to children programs unlike what they were used to and Swan made this clear to them. Their core business was now children programs. Though their competitors did not charge for their programs, Nickelodeon chose not to follow these footsteps. Swan decided to maintain their corporate culture of ensuring high quality of their products but charge a fee for the services. Despite pressure from many distributors who wanted Nickelodeon on the basics platform for free, Swan decided that customers had to pay a premium to receive channels on the second or third tiers .Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Taran Swan and Nickelodeon specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Donna Friedman, a member of the swat also proposed that they should be involved in Jornadas, the largest cable trade show in Latin America which draws attendance from across the divide. Having been involved in the Germany launch, swan had confidence in Friedman’s qualities and knew that she had the creativity to make the venture a success. Swan and Friedman felt that Jornadas was the best forum to generate awareness and demonstrate the experience of Nickelodeon in kids’ programs. Swan was a risk taker and did not hesitate to hire dedicated staff to Nickelodeon. Moreover, she was a person who usually spoke her mind and a team player thus attracting best employees like Stephen Grieder. This made Nickelodeon successful. She was also easygoing and fun but she would ask questions so as to get to the bottom of a ny contentious matter. This was to ensure that everyone would be 100% clear on the idea under discussion. This enhanced the culture of self responsibility and eliminated the tendency of people proposing something they were not ready to work with. She had faith in her employees and tried very much to ensure that they were part and parcel of any change that was implemented in the institution. She always gave practical strategies which enhanced performance. She ensured that each employee was creative and added value to the institution. She did not like people who were just executors of what had been brought forward. The vision of the firm was in kids and she wanted to see it succeed. To her, success was not an option. She was friendly with every staff and ensured that everybody was comfortable with the conditions of work. It is important to note that a free working environment with minimal bureaucracy is crucial for creativity. Initially, Swan used to chair all meetings. However, she r ealized that this was becoming monotonous and did not make employees feel valued. She then introduced a method where different people would chair meetings each week.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The person chairing a meeting of the week was tasked with the role of steering the functions of the firm during that week. Swan was initially nervous that the meetings would be ineffective. However, she was proofed wrong because things actually improved. As a matter of fact, the employees praised the method. Despite all the success, Swan faced a lot of challenges. To begin with, many cable distributors were willing to place Nickelodeon on the basic platform but did not want to pay for the programming. Nickelodeon would not accept this though some of its competitors did. On the same note, all employees did not always work as a team. Disagreement among her employees wasted a lot of productive time when the employees had to be reunited instead of people working. Attracting advertisers was becoming difficult than Swan and her team had thought. Also, Nickelodeon was not used to sharing infrastructure. Therefore, the tension and misunderstandings with MTV highly affected performance. The only solution was for Swan to get her own infrastructure and this lead to increased costs for the firm. On the same note, there had been a persistent economic downturn in Asia. As a result, Swan was in a precarious situation that was characterized by lack of enough income from the investments made. This essay on Taran Swan and Nickelodeon was written and submitted by user Giselle Marsh 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.

Supercomputers Essays

Supercomputers Essays Supercomputers Essay Supercomputers Essay A supercomputer is a computer that is at the frontline of current processing capacity, particularly speed of calculation. Supercomputers were introduced in the 1960s and were designed primarily by Seymour Cray at Control Data Corporation (CDC), which led the market into the 1970s until Cray left to form his own company, Cray Research. He then took over the supercomputer market with his new designs, holding the top spot in supercomputing for five years (1985–1990). In the 1980s a large number of smaller competitors entered the market, in parallel to the creation of the minicomputer market a decade earlier, but many of these disappeared in the mid-1990s supercomputer market crash. Today, supercomputers are typically one-of-a-kind custom designs produced by traditional companies such as Cray, IBM and Hewlett-Packard, who had purchased many of the 1980s companies to gain their experience. As of May 2010[update], the Cray Jaguar is the fastest supercomputer in the world. The term supercomputer itself is rather fluid, and todays supercomputer tends to become tomorrows ordinary computer. CDCs early machines were simply very fast scalar processors, some ten times the speed of the fastest machines offered by other companies. In the 1970s most supercomputers were dedicated to running a vector processor, and many of the newer players developed their own such processors at a lower price to enter the market. The early and mid-1980s saw machines with a modest number of vector processors working in parallel to become the standard. Typical numbers of processors were in the range of four to sixteen. In the later 1980s and 1990s, attention turned from vector processors to massive parallel processing systems with thousands of ordinary CPUs, some being off the shelf units and others being custom designs. Today, parallel designs are based on off the shelf server-class microprocessors, such as the PowerPC, Opteron, or Xeon, and coprocessors like NVIDIA Tesla GPGPUs, AMD GPUs, IBM Cell, FPGAs. Most modern supercomputers are now highly-tuned computer clusters using commodity processors combined with custom interconnects. Supercomputers are used for highly calculation-intensive tasks such as problems involving quantum physics, weather forecasting, climate research, molecular modeling (computing the structures and properties of chemical compounds, biological macromolecules, polymers, and crystals), physical simulations (such as simulation of airplanes in wind tunnels, simulation of the detonation of nuclear weapons, and research into nuclear fusion). A particular class of problems, known as Grand Challenge problems, are problems whose full solution requires semi-infinite computing resources. IBM SUPERCOMPUTERS According to the June 2010 TOP500 (link resides outside of ibm. com) List of Supercomputers, IBM continues to lead the list for the twenty-second consecutive time with the most installed aggregate performance. IBM has regained the lead with the most entries on the list with 196. IBM also leads the Top 10 for the twelfth consecutive time with a total of four of the systems including, the #3 system, the first system to sustain a petaflop of performance, which IBM built for the Roadrunner project at the Los Alamos National Lab. Other systems in Top 10 were the #5 IBM Blue Gene/P system at Forschungszentrum Juelich, with over 825 teraflops which is the most powerful supercomputer in Europe. The IBM Blue Gene/L at the US Department of Energy Lawrence Livermore National Lab, long time previous leader, is now the #8 system, and the #9 IBM Blue Gene/P at Argonne National Lab. IBM Offers: Unmatched expertise to help you solve your toughest problems due to our technology leadership in clustering, chip technology, Linux and support for a broad range of applications for your solution area. Improved flexibility provides you a full-scope infrastructure worldwide based on our vast portfolio spanning the widest range of platforms, architectures and operating systems. Faster implementations by applying our in-depth vertical expertise and broad range of deployment experience. Results that speak for themselves: IBM is supercomputing leader as provider of 27 of the worlds 100 most powerful supercomputers according to the most recent TOP500 Supercomputing Sites (link resides outside of ibm. com) ranking Awarded more patents than any other company for each of the last 17 years with 4,914 patents in 2009 alone. First to break the petaflop performance barrier. Leading energy-efficiency with 17 of 20 highest megaflops per watt systems. IBM7030 [pic] The IBM 7030, also known as Stretch, was IBMs first transistorized supercomputer. The first one was delivered to Los Alamos in 1961. Originally priced at $13. 5 million, its failure to meet its aggressive performance estimates forced the price to be dropped to only $7. 78 million and its withdrawal from sales to customers beyond those having already negotiated contracts. Even though the 7030 was much slower than expected, it was the fastest computer in the world from 1961 until the first CDC 6600 became operational in 1964. The IBM 7950 [pic] The IBM 7950, also known as Harvest, was a one-of-a-kind adjunct to the Stretch computer which was installed at the US National Security Agency (NSA). Built by IBM, it was delivered in 1962 and operated until 1976, when it was decommissioned. Harvest was designed to be used for cryptanalysis. ACS -1 The ACS-1 and ACS-360 are two related supercomputers designed by IBM as part of the IBM Advanced Computing Systems project from 1961 to 1969. Although the designs were never finished and no models ever went into production, the project spawned a number of organizational techniques and architectural innovations that have since become incorporated into nearly all high-performance computers in existence today. Many of the ideas resulting from the project directly influenced the development of the IBM RS/6000 and, more recently, have contributed to the Explicitly Parallel Instruction Computing (EPIC) computing paradigm used by Intel and HP in high-performance processors. BLUE GENE [pic] Blue Gene is a computer architecture project designed to produce several supercomputers, designed to reach operating speeds in the PFLOPS (petaFLOPS) range, and currently reaching sustained speeds of nearly 500 TFLOPS (teraFLOPS). It is a cooperative project among IBM (particularly IBM Rochester and the Thomas J. Watson Research Center), the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the United States Department of Energy (which is partially funding the project), and academia. There are four Blue Gene projects in development: Blue Gene/L, Blue Gene/C, Blue Gene/P, and Blue Gene/Q. The project was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by U. S. President Barack Obama on September 18, 2009. The president bestowed the award on October 7, 2009. BLUE WATERS [pic] Blue Waters is the name of a petascale supercomputer being designed and built as a joint effort between the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and IBM. On August 8, 2007 the National Science Board approved a resolution which authorized the National Science Foundation to fund the acquisition and deployment of the worlds most powerful leadership-class supercomputer. The NSF is awarding $208 million over the next four and a half years for the Blue Waters project. CYCLOPS64 Cyclops64 (formerly known as Blue Gene/C) is a cellular architecture in development by IBM. The Cyclops64 project aims to create the first supercomputer on a chip. Cyclops64 exposes much of the underyling hardware to the programmer, allowing the programmer to wri te very high performance, finely tuned software. One negative consequence is that efficiently programming Cyclops64 is difficult. [citation needed] The system is expected to support TiNy-Threads (a threading library developed at the University of Delaware) and POSIX Threads DEEP BLUE [pic] Deep Blue was a chess-playing computer developed by IBM. On May 11, 1997, the machine won a six-game match by two wins to one with three draws against world champion Garry Kasparov. Kasparov accused IBM of cheating and demanded a rematch, but IBM refused and dismantled Deep Blue. Kasparov had beaten a previous version of Deep Blue in 1996. IBM Kittyhawk Kittyhawk is a new theoretical IBM supercomputer. The project was announced, which entails constructing a global-scale shared supercomputer capable of hosting the entire Internet on one platform as an application. Currently the Internet is a collection of interconnected computer networks. In 2010 IBM open sourced the Linux kernel patches that allow otherwise unmodified Linux distributions to run on Blue Gene/P. This action allowed the Kittyhawk system software stack to be run at large scale at Argonne National Lab. The open source version of Kittyhawk is available on a public website hosted by Boston University. MAGERIT [pic] Magerit is the name of the supercomputer which reached the second best Spanish position in the TOP500 list of supercomputers. This computer is installed in CeSViMa, Computer Science Faculty of the Technical University of Madrid. Magerit was installed in 2006 and reached the 9th fastest in Europe and the 34th in the world. It also reached the 275th position in the first Green500 list published. It is the second most powerful supercomputer designated for scientific use in Spain, after the Barcelona Supercomputing Center MareNostrum. Magerit is the ancient name of the current city of Madrid. The name comes from a fortress built on the Manzanares River in 9AD, and means Place of abundant water†. IBM Naval Ordnance Research Calculator (NORC) pic] The IBM Naval Ordnance Research Calculator (NORC) was a one-of-a-kind first-generation (vacuum tube) electronic computer built by IBM for the United States Navys Bureau of Ordnance. It went into service in December 1954 and was likely the most powerful computer at the time. The Naval Ordnance Research Calculator (NORC), was built at the Watson Scientific Computing Laboratory under the direction of Wallace Eckert. The computer was presented to the US Navy on December 2, 1954. At the presentation ceremony, it calculated pi to 3089 digits, which was a record at the time. The calculation took only 13 minutes. In 1955 NORC was moved to the Naval Proving Ground at Dahlgren, Virginia. It was their main computer until 1958, when more modern computers were acquired. It continued to be used until 1968. Its design influenced the IBM 701 and subsequent machines in the IBM 700 series of computers. PERCS PERCS (Productive, Easy-to-use, Reliable Computing System) is IBMs answer to DARPAs High Productivity Computing Systems (HPCS) initiative. The HPCS program is a three-year research and development effort. IBM was one of three companies, along with Cray and Sun Microsystems, that received the HPCS grant for Phase II. In this phase, IBM collaborated with a consortium of 12 universities and the Los Alamos National Lab to pursue an adaptable computing system with the goal of commercial viability of new chip technology, new computer architecture, operating systems, compiler and programming environments. IBM was chosen for Phase III in November 2006, and granted $244 million in funds for continuing development of PERCS technology and delivering prototype systems by 2010. Roadrunner [pic] Roadrunner is a supercomputer built by IBM at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, USA. Currently the worlds third fastest computer, the US$133-million Roadrunner is designed for a peak performance of 1. 7 petaflops, achieving 1. 026 on May 25, 2008 to become the worlds first TOP500 Linpack sustained 1. 0 petaflops system. It is a one-of-a-kind supercomputer, built from off the shelf parts, with many novel design features. In November 2008, it reached a top performance of 1. 456 petaflops, retaining its top spot in the TOP500 list. It is also the fourth-most energy-efficient supercomputer in the world on the Supermicro Green500 list, with an operational rate of 444. 4 megaflops per watt of power used. IBM Sequoia The Sequoia is a petascale Blue Gene/Q supercomputer being constructed by IBM for the National Nuclear Security Administration as part of the Advanced Simulation and Computing Program (ASC). It is scheduled to go online in 2011 at qpetaflops was more than the combined performance of the top 500 supercomputers in the world, about 20 times faster than then reigni ng champion Roadrunner. It will also be twice as fast as Pleiades, a proposed supercomputer built by SGI at NASA Ames Research Center SHAHEEN [pic] Shaheen consists primarily of a 16-rack IBM Blue Gene/P supercomputer owned and operated by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). Built in partnership with IBM, Shaheen is intended to enable KAUST Faculty and Partners to research both large- and small-scale projects, from inception to realization. Shaheen, named after the Peregrine Falcon, is the largest and most powerful supercomputer in the Middle East and is intended to grow into a petascale facility by the year 2011, Originally built at IBMs Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, New York, Shaheen was moved to KAUST in mid-2009. The father of Shaheen is Majid Al-Ghaslan], KAUSTs founding interim chief information officer and the Universitys leader in the acquisition, design, and development of the Shaheen supercomputer. Majid was part of the executive founding team for the University and the person who also named the machine. Super computers [pic] Submitted by: Hina maheshwari BBM 3rd year 087518 Uses of Supercomputer Since its creation in the 1960s, the supercomputer has been used by a variety of large companies and colleges in an effort to conduct research that otherwise would not be possible. Because supercomputers can crunch numbers at a far superior rate than humans as well as work in a multidimensional way, the devices are essential to modern studies and research. 1) Quantum Mechanics Supercomputers are used heavily in the processing of information on quantum mechanics. They are used to study physical systems at the atomic level. 2) Weather Large-scale weather forecasting, such as that of global climate change, needs to use supercomputers in order to take into account globally changing conditions. 3) Modeling Intensive modeling is conducted using supercomputers. This is useful for molecular studies, polymer research, chemical composition and simulations such as wind tunnel research. 4) Military Military applications are very elaborate. From organizing war games to studying the effects of nuclear detonations on a large scale, many militaries across the planet use supercomputers. The Role and Importance of super Computers is hidden from no one. Yet The use of Super Computers has been limited to only a handful of nations in the world who have this expertise. In India the The Saga of Super Computer Dates backs to 80s when India was denied the Cray Super Computer. Since then India has made Several Indegenious Efforts which have been Highly successful. The Use of Super computers in Military is an All Together New Concept which has unleashed a new Era of Military Super Computing With India Signing the Nuclear Deal, It has become an urgent requirement to devise means that can test and simulate our weapons and one such application is Nuclear testing. As the readers might know the Indian Super Computing Efforts are centred around CDAC, Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, Pune which has developed the PARAM series of Super Computers. India has achieved the capability through which it can Actually Test a Nuclear Detonation and Without the fear of Sanctions Improve its Weapon Parameters. 5) Grand Challenge Unsolved problems (known as Grand Challenge problems) are frequently the subject of supercomputer use. Examples of this include mathematical problems and protein-folding techniques.

Why athletes should use steroids Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Why athletes should use steroids - Essay Example Allowing certain extent of the use of steroids, all athletes would be able to be boosted in their sporting abilities hence increasing fairness. Regardless of the assumption that steroids may have negative effects on an athlete, making it possible to be accused may provide a fair opportunity for success. Legalizing the use of steroid sin athletes will also minimize the risks athletes take when accessing drugs illegally. Athletes are occasionally approached with dealers with counterfeit steroids which may have serious consequences on the health of an athlete. Makin it legal will make athletes be exposed to legal and medically approved. In addition, Smith (2012) points out that, sporting activities are aimed at displaying the real abilities of humans. By using steroids the abilities of an athlete are illuminated. By allowing athletes to use steroids, effective steroids fitting athlete abilities would be created thus making steroids part of an athlete’s perfection. To prove this point, athletes like Lance Armstrong performed exceptionally in their disciplines. Smith, C. Why Its Time To Legalize Steroids In Professional Sports. Web. 24th Aug, 2012. Retrieved from

Reagan Remembered Interview Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reagan Remembered Interview - Research Paper Example America had its longest peacetime economic expansion under Reagan and the tax benefits actually had a trickle effect that the people felt. There were job increases and unemployment was down. Even with a brief recession in 1982, the country still managed to come out on top economically speaking. It is really sad that Ronald Reagan knew of the importance of privatizing the Social Security program of the country but he never had a chance to do so. He actually liked the idea of allowing the members to choose how and where their money would be invested. He was a president who knew that social security, even though he was against it due to its Ponzi scheme like nature, could benefit the poorest of the poor. That is why he wanted to allow those who could prove that they did not need the retirement benefits of social security to get a refund and opt out of the program. For all of the good that Reagan did for our country though, his presidency seems to be best remembered for the Iran Contra scandal wherein our high ranking government officials illegally sold firearms to Iran which, at the time, was the subject of an arms embargo. Regardless of the embargo though, it is easy to understand why he did it. There were seven American lives at stake. These were American citizens being held hostage in Iran by a terrorist group with ties to the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution. What started out as a deal based on you scratch my back and Ill scratch yours ended up as an arms for hostages scheme instead that had individual executive branch representatives selling the weapons in exchange for American lives. He may not have done right by going around the arms embargo but, and this is the most important part, he brought those Americans being held hostage home. Each one of them alive and kicking. Nobody will ever forget the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagans life because a mad man tried to

Contribution Margin and Breakeven Analysis paper Term

Contribution Margin and Breakeven Analysis - Term Paper Example Therefore, the simulation can be analyzed in terms of these two factors. Maria can decide on which cookie’s production to reduce or increase by considering the contribution margin per unit per cookie type. This means that the cookie with the highest contribution margin per unit should be considered since the fixed cost is assumed equal or constant in every period; therefore, the profits are expected to be higher. The concept of contribution margin will be used to consider the cookies with the lowest contribution per unit, and, therefore, the cookie’s production can be reduced. However, this concept should not be considered if the asking price per unit for the order would result in a contribution margin that would not cover the fixed costs incurred. Since the profits are attained after the fixed costs are deducted from the contribution margin, Maria should consider a state where the asking sales price creates a contribution margin higher than the fixed costs incurred in the production process. The concept of breakeven point is also important in determining the product to produce and the reasons for producing the product. Near-term demand for a product is an important part of the determination of the kind of product to produce. The fact that lemon creme cookies provided increased capacity for production and increased the demand means that Maria should have taken it into consideration. Before the decision of profitability is considered, Maria should consider the demand for the cookies in the near future, since this is what determines the amount of profits, and thus, the survival of the company. The decision to introduce a new type of production in the company is considered as if the company was a starting venture. This means that since the breakeven point for the new blend of cookies is 650,000 packs, Maria should consider the product as a new one. This means that the current production and the expected demand should be a factor in determining the ty pe of cookies to produce. The case study indicates that the current breakeven point for the cookies is 563,000 packs, and increasing capacity would increase in a new breakeven pint of 650,000 packs. The fact the new breakeven point is 650,000 packs should not be factor while considering the cookies to produce, instead, Maria should consider the fact that the production of the butter cookies would result in a loss for the company, therefore, it is advisable that the company produce the new blend of cookies. The decision for Maria would be to stop producing the peanut butter cookies and instead produce the lemon creme cookies. The simulation considered contains many key learning points, but the most important points are the contribution margin, fixed costs, and variable costs. As already described, the contribution margin refers to the difference between the variable cost and selling price per unit of a product, and determines whether a company will be profitable in a fiscal period. T he contribution margin is a key point because it involves both the variable costs and selling price of a product, therefore, these factors do not need to be considered separately. The contribution margin determines whether the variable costs per unit incurred in production are enough to justify the selling price, and if the variable costs

Importance of Tourism Ethics

Importance of Tourism Ethics The significant growth of tourism activity without a doubt marks tourism as one of the most notable economic and social occurrence of the past century. According to the World Tourism Organization (2005), the number of international arrivals shows a growth from a 25 million international arrivals in 1950 to over 700 million in 2002, matching to an average yearly growth rate of 6.6%. In addition to the statistical growth of tourism, there has been a change of the tourism product from the conventional sun, sea and sand to a product that would be more beneficial for those living in the tourism destination. Tourisms growth has meant the industry now stands for the foremost source of foreign exchange earnings in most countries (WTO, 2005). However, in addition to the often cited economic pointers displaying the control of the tourism industry, there has been a matching rise and recognition of the possible negative impacts of the growing tourism industry; this has led to calls for the indus try to exercise greater responsibility in order to protect various destinations (Archer et al., 2005). However, in the last few decades, responsible tourism has come into view as a wider consumer market trends towards lifestyle marketing and ethical consumption have spread to tourism (Goodwin, 2003). Tourism organizations are beginning to realise that promoting their ethical position can be good business as it has the ability to increase a companys profits, management effectiveness, public image and employee relations (Hudson and Miller, 2005). There has been not only a significant change in the products and patterns of tourism across the world over the past decade, but also an increasing concern with how it might contribute towards sustainable living, mainly for the worlds poor and how the huge environmental impacts can be controlled (Godwin 2003). This essay will look at the issue of ethics in the tourism industry, highlighting the need for responsible tourism; what instigates responsible tourism; related approaches to responsible tourism; companies that promote responsible tourism; set guidelines for tourism and then conclusion. Ethics and the Tourism Industry Tourism has come into view as a major force in the worldwide economy, with most countries, having increasing opportunities to participate, as both tourism destinations and tourists (Ashley et al, 2001). However, many local populations are faced with not only a loss of their traditional livelihoods, but also the viewpoint that they may be moved from where they lived to make way for new tourism developments. Many of the problems faced by the tourism industry are ethical in nature, including destruction of the environment, pollution, depletion of natural resources, economic imperialism, and sexual exploitation. In response to these ethical tensions, there has been recognition of the need to consider the concept of responsible tourism, tourism that creates better places for people to live in, and better places to visit. It extends the idea of eco-tourism or sustainable tourism to include social and ethical as well as environmental considerations. The World Tourism Organisation (2002) described responsible tourism as a concept that relates to all forms of tourism which respect the tourism destination, the natural, built and cultural environment, and the interests of all. Also, the Cape Town Declaration on Responsible Tourism in Destinations (2002) describes Responsible Tourism as tourism that reduces harmful economic, environmental and social impacts; create more economic benefits for local communities; provides interesting experiences for tourists through meaningful interactions with local communities and cultures and improves the well being of tourism destinations. Responsible Tourism is ab out the legacy and the consequences of tourism for the environment, local people and local economies. Various countries and organisations such as South Africa, United Kingdom, United States, Gambia, India, Sri Lanka, are already practicing responsible tourism. Drivers of Responsible Tourism Globally, concerns about global warming, destruction of the environment, wearing away of cultures, and poverty, are increasing. The number of initiatives aimed at improving the living conditions for the worlds vulnerable people, increases daily (WTO, 2000). The awareness of the earths predicament is spilling over into the way people behave in their homes, how they spend their money and the way businesses are run. Driven by changing personal ethics, individuals contribute financially or otherwise to environmental and humanitarian initiatives. For instance, in the UK, the market share for ethical products grew by 22% between 1999 and 2004 (The Ethical Consumerism Report, 2005). Business ethics are also changing, with companies adopting business practices that are based on ethical values (Goodwin, 2000). Responsible Tourism is no longer seen as a passing trend and has now become a recognised and accepted sector within the industry with holidaymakers becoming more aware of their responsibilities as travellers (UNEP, 2000). In 1996, South Africa was the first country to take on responsible tourism as a nationwide policy; the White Paper on the Development and Promotion of Tourism in South Africa (1996) sees responsible tourism as a positive approach by tourism industry and partners to develop, market, and manage the tourism industry in a responsible manner. The White Paper state that the environment is the responsibility of the tourism industry, through the promotion of balanced and sustainable tourism, and a focus on environmentally based tourism activities; it is the responsibility of government and business to involve the local communities that are in close proximity to tourism infrastructure and attractions, through the development of meaningful economic linkages; tourists, busines s and government should respect, invest and develop local cultures, and protect them from over commercialization and over-exploitation; local communities should become actively involved in the tourism industry, to practice sustainable development, and to ensure the safety and security of visitors; and tourists should observe the norms and practices of South Africa (DEAT, 1996). Related Approaches to Responsible Tourism Pro-poor tourism, community-based tourism, volunteer tourism, are different approaches to tourism, they are all based on the three pillars of sustainable development. However, each approach has a precise goal. Responsible tourism is a unifying term that embraces all these approaches. This section will focus mainly on pro-poor tourism in relation to responsible tourism. The concept of pro-poor tourism was developed in 1999 with the aim of increasing opportunities for the poor and to control all forms of tourism at different location (DFID, 1999). According to Ashley et al (2001), pro-poor tourism generates net benefits for the poor; these benefits may be economic, social, environmental or cultural. The core activities needed includes: increasing access of the poor to economic benefits by increasing business and employment opportunities for the poor; providing training so they are in a position to take up these opportunities and spreading income beyond individual earners to the wider community; addressing the negative social and environmental impacts often associated with tourism such as lost access to land, coastal areas and other resources and social interference or exploitation; policy restructuring by creating a policy and planning framework that removes some of the barriers to the poor, by promoting participation of the poor in planning and deci sion-making processes surrounding tourism; and by encouraging partnerships between the private sector and poor people in developing new tourism products (Goodwin, 2000). Case Examples of Companies promoting Responsible Tourism UK Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) AITO is the first tourism industry association to incorporate into its business deed a commitment to Responsible travel. Companies such as AITO identify the need to respect other peoples domicile and culture. As tour operators, they acknowledge that wherever a tour operator does business, it has a potential environmental, social and economic impact on the destinations involved (Goodwin, 2005). As a result, AITO aims to be responsible in all their dealings on each of these three levels. In order to achieve this goal, a set of guidelines has been planned to help companies, customers and local suppliers recognise their general tasks which includes protection of the environment; respect of local cultures and customs; benefit for local communities; conservation of natural resources and pollution control (AITO Responsible Tourism Guidelines 2000). Responsibletravel.com According to Responsibletravel.com launched in 2001, responsible travel involves bringing tourists closer to local cultures and values. Since their launch, they have worked with large numbers of tour operators to help establish effective responsible tourism policies; they have led the way in offering outstanding holidays worldwide that benefit local communities and stand as the worlds leading travel agent for responsible holidays. The company through public relations is one of the most active voices in the responsible tourism movement today. Responsible travel maximises the benefits, and minimises the negative effects of tourism. Their activities have been grouped into four: before booking for holidays; before travel, while on holidays and back home. Before booking for holidays includes encouraging travellers to choose a responsible operator to enquire about eco-friendly accommodations; reducing carbon emissions by taking some holidays closer to home, travel by train and public transport where possible, booking direct flights avoiding transfers; before travel states the need for travellers to read up on local cultures and learn a few words of the local  language, remove all excess packaging as waste disposal is difficult in remote places and developing countries, ask tour operators for specific tips for responsible travel in chosen destination; while on holiday emphasizes the need to buy local produce, hire a local guide, respect local cultures, traditions and holy places, use public transport, hire a bike or walk when convenient; and back home state that tourists should give feedback to tour operator or hotel about holiday, and include any suggestions on reducing environmental impacts and increasing benefits to local communities (responsibletravel.com). Guiding Principles for the Tourism Industry Numerous codes of ethics have been developed that are aimed first at tourists and second at the tourist industry as a result of a growing concern over alleged irresponsible practices by tourists, the tourist industry, and governments. These codes generally address ethical principles focusing on a sense of responsibility (WTO, 1999). Table 1 and 2 shows a summary of the recommended guidelines for the tourism industry. Guidelines for the industry Aid meaningful interactions between tourism destinations and tourists and respond to the special travel needs of diverse population groups. Strengthen and improve landscape character, sense of place, community identity, and benefits flowing to the community as a result of tourism. Protect and enhance natural, historic, cultural and aesthetic resources as a legacy for present and future generations. Encourage tourism research and education which lay emphasis on ethics, heritage preservation, and the tourism destination; and the required information to ensure the economic, social, cultural and environmental sustainability of tourism. Promote greater public awareness of the economic, social, cultural, and environmental significance of tourism. Table 1: Guidelines for Tourism Industry (Tourism Industry Association of Canada, 2005). Guiding Principles for Economic Responsibility Considering the opportunity costs of tourism for local communities; maintaining and encouraging economic diversity. Maximising local economic benefits by increasing linkages and reducing leakages Ensure communities are involved in tourism. Considering co-operative advertising, marketing and the promotion of new and emerging products. Recruit and employ staff in an equitable and transparent manner and maximise the proportion of staff employed from the local community. Guiding Principles for Social Responsibility Involve the local community in planning and decision-making. Identify and monitor potential adverse social impacts of tourism and minimise them. Maintain and encourage social and cultural diversity. Be sensitive to the host culture; respecting and developing local heritage. Guiding Principles for Environmental Responsibility Follow best practise guidelines on the design, planning and construction of buildings and associated infrastructure to minimise environmental impacts. Use local materials appropriately. Avoid damaging the environmental quality of the enterprises neighbourhood by noise or light pollution. Use local resources sustainably. Maintain and encourage natural diversity. Table 2: Responsible Tourism Guidelines for the South African Tourism Industry (Spenceley, 2001) Conclusion Responsible tourism is rising as new ideas which aim to push the mainstream tourism industry. Model projects and successful multi-stakeholder ideas, are also beginning to grow (UNEP 2000). These few examples perhaps prove that tourism has the potential to meet many of the objectives of sustainable development such as renewal of economies, supporting local communities, protecting the environment and even generate cost savings and efficiency gains for tourism companies. Promotion of responsible tourism, through the development of policies, awareness-raising schemes, local participation, guidelines for good practice and actual implementation remain essential goals (WTO, 1999). Responsible tourism should aim to directly support poverty eradication and sustainable production and consumption. Making progress on a larger scale will be an appropriate balancing act and will require a massive turn around in approach from the whole Travel and Tourism industry nevertheless it is an approach that obviously requires support from all stakeholders interested and involved in the industry (UNEP, 2000). Tearfund (2001) highlights that ethics in tourism is an issue of concern in most countries. As the public have more free time available and more money to spend on leisure, and as a rising number of people travel to developing countries, they will want to make certain that their holiday will benefit, and not deter, the local people, environment, customs and heritage.

Mark Rothkos Subway Scene :: Art Artisits

Mark Rothko's Subway Scene "Subway Scene" (1938), by Mark Rothko, depicts the inside of a subway station. At the front of the painting are two pillars, behind them is a staircase used by two faceless characters, decending into the underground. The staircase is surrounded by a cage-like grid. Behind the staircase are another two pillars next to a gate similar to the one around the staircase. On the left side of the gate is a wall where half a door is visible. Just behind the gate are two swing-doors and a booth with a man inside. Two men appear to be waiting in front of the booth. On the left and right sides of the booth is what seems to be a wall. There is also what could potentially be an advertisement, on the bottom left side of the wall. Above the wall are strings of the letter "N", which could maybe stand for "Northern". Left from the advertisment, is another flight of stairs, which could be leading down from the street. On the stairs is another person who is only half visible. The characters in the painting appear to have no faces, except for the man standing in the booth, which is quite a symbolic portrayal of a subway station. There are constant floods of people coming in from the city streets, many who appear only for short periods of time, whereas, the man in the booth remains there for a long time, therefore his face becomes familiar. The people also appear to be wearing hats, this could suggest that it takes place during winter. The artist, Mark Rothko, uses various shades of green, brown and grey to capture the bleak reality of an underground subway station. For example the sweeping grey floor and dull brownish walls. However, there is also use of striking colour, like the burgundy jacket and hat worn by the man decending the stairs and the bright green grid surrounding him. There also seems to be a frame constructed out of the two front pillars in the painting where all the action takes place. It is also where the artificial light sources are coming from, like the booth, the staircase at the front of the painting and possibly some lights on the ceiling which cannot be seen. Everything outside of the frame seems alot darker in contrast, isolated and not so clear.

Max Weber: Iron Cage

According to him the modern era human beings, especially in the western capitalist society are increasingly being caught in the process of Rationalism and the factors elated to it such as, Bureaucracy, Disenchantment and Individualism. Through this essay we intent to agree with Weber about how he thought that Modern Capitalism in which people are rational is literally inescapable process in which they are getting locked into, and this ultimately gives rise to bureaucracy.We will give some evidences proving Weber ideas on how the protestant ethics contributed to the rise of capitalism and also show how there are no solid alternatives to this problem of bureaucracy. In his book â€Å"Protestantism and the Spirit of Capitalism†, Weber told us the Protestants who started off with an Ascetic life to whom their work was there â€Å"calling† I. E. Their only purpose in life was to work all day and not get pleasure from the fruits of their labor as self consumption was consider ed morally wrong because they were not to enjoy the money they earn on themselves.But later on with the emergence of the modern capitalism, the Protestants eventually ended up in focusing more on the pursuit of money. They started applying rational and scientific methods in the ways of making money to increase their profit margins. This rational way is very much evident even today because people have lost their religious values and in the capitalist society we have now, they just want to seek more and more profit and build wealth more than they possibly could require.According to Weber this went against the traditional Catholic Doctrine where they intent to avoid materialist pursuit by adopting the spiritual way of life. This had a huge impact on people's life because in the capitalist society today most people are not concerned with the nature of their job nor do they enjoy it much as long as heir social status is maintained and their financial goals are accomplished.Weber through his writing has explained how people especially in the west were developing this rational, methodological and a calculating approach to lead a life which had completely triumphed over the old traditional and irrational way of making money to please the God. In the process of making money, whether you like it or not you are forced to adopt this methodological way where you work day and night not to get close to God but to gain profit and this is what Weber thought as the â€Å"Iron Cage of Capitalism†, in which you continually pursue your calling and the spirit of capitalism is a cage where we are imprisoned in.However Weber felt that the protestant ethics did not directly lead to spirit of capitalism, but it is one of the main factors that lead to it. According to him the old traditional way which was based mostly on kinship and values has shifted its form to goal oriented rationality. This is where Weber is switching his writings and explaining how the modern capitalism whic h gave rise to strict set of rules and regulations is directly giving rise to the growth of Bureaucracy because bureaucracy is the main example of Rationalization.Weber argued that the rational goal oriented profit seeking ways had a tremendous impact on people's lives because this had dominated their behavior so much that the old spiritual values are being lost in the modern era. People were abandoning God, religion and spirituality in the name of freedom, insisting that it was not possible to free with the restrictions that the religions impose but they forget to realize that they themselves were becoming slaves oftener own material pursuit.This is what he meant by â€Å"Iron Cage† of Rationalism. This had increased their interest in power and authority which has taken the form of bureaucracy. Weber also explained the long term processes of Rationalism from which the magic has taken Out Of the world and there are no intrinsic mysteries in the world because the life has beco me so predictable and understandable that we could know the reason behind anything in world hence it makes life very dull and boring.According to him the modern world has lost its enchantment because people have mastered in the scientific knowledge in the rational way ND science has empowered them. In the book, Max Weber: Reading and Commentary on Modernity, Bureaucracy is described as â€Å"the means of transforming social actions into rationally organized action† (pig 214). Weber now is giving the example of bureaucratic organization which is enslaving people. According to Weber, Bureaucracy does have a lot of positive implications because these are effective in reaching the goal in a rational manner.It gives individuals more security in their respective work areas unlike the feudal system and also sakes more specialists in a particular area of the organization. However Weber also points out the negative effects of bureaucracy as well. Bureaucratic organizations are the dom inant form of institution in the modern society. It involves Hierarchy in offices where there are clear command of structures and expects the employee who is on bottom to report the higher employee and so on.It has written documents for the rules of conduct and you have to obey whatever the organization expects from you. They are also considered as very impersonal because they take away our emotions and feelings out of the situation and force you to do exactly what is required from their job and now your â€Å"impersonal† duty of office becomes your â€Å"calling† of life, because even if you disagree with something you still have to do it because you are mandated to follow instructions and obey the authority.In other words, in this process of Rationalization where people are forced to do whatever the bureaucratic organization expects it to do is what Weber thought as the â€Å"Iron cage† of the Bureaucracy. This restricts people to be creative and spontaneous a nd you are trapped into this cage forever escaping from the traditional religious ways. Weber goes on to say that this has a drastic consequences in people's lives as it had created inequality which keeps on increasing and keeps popping up, getting bigger and bigger as it is spreading everywhere.Weber saw some alternatives to these dominant organizations such as a charismatic leader who can break away its populace from this organization because according to him it was the charismatic style of organizations that maintain social creativity by giving people more freedom from the rules and regulations. According to him a charismatic leader is a person who is creative and possess extra ordinary qualities who makes up their own rules and this is a good solution because charismatic ruler is somewhere in between the 2 extremes forms, Bureaucratic and traditional organizations.The big feature of expansion of bureaucracy is taking the charisma out of the organizations which trying very hard t o be an alternative and opposite of bureaucratic organization. However there is also a problem associated with charismatic Organization hat it has a transitional phenomenon, which means it is very hard to make it last for a long time in its purest form because eventually it ends up becoming either Traditional or Bureaucratic.He also explains another alternative is; for examples if you have a community involved in every single decision, it becomes very messy and hard in terms of getting things done in the right way and efficient manner because everyone has the equal calling. So these are the reasons you can't escape bureaucracy and it has become the basic feature of the modern capitalist society. As Weber states; â€Å"Once fully established, Bureaucracy is among those social Structures which is the hardest to destroy†(pig 214).

Truckers Can Your Resume Go the Distance

Truckers Can Your Resume Go the Distance Once you’ve finished your CDL schooling, it’s time to put that learning and license to good use, and a well-curated resume can get you there!  According to AllTruckJobs.com, â€Å"The major traits you want to capitalize on are which kind of certified license you have, your positive safety record, and your healthy physical exam results.† Don’t make the mistake of thinking a trucking resume needs less polished formatting or careful proofreading than a desk job application! Begin by putting your name and contact information front and center–if you don’t already have a professional email address (like Tom.Lennox@gmail.com, as opposed to HotRod9700@hotmail.com) make sure you open an account and check it regularly.Include a  Career Objective next, which is  a short statement introducing you and describing why you’re the best fit for the job, like this:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Dry Haul Driver with over 4 years experience with zero accidents. Possesse s a Class A License.†Then move on to a list of your Professional Experience–starting with the most recent and working backwards. With concise bullet points, emphasize the specific responsibilities you mastered with each position, particularly any unusual or high-skill aspects of the job. Employers like to see well-rounded applications who have experience in all aspects of the job. Make sure you use a consistent tense and format for each bullet, (i.e. â€Å"Drove mix truck†¦, Conducted inspections†¦, Operated levers†¦,† NOT â€Å"Load materials†¦, Trained employees†¦, Follow guidelines†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ).Next is the Additional Skills section, which you can alternatively call a Highlights section and put before your experience if you’d prefer to show off your skills (or if you’ve got less on-the-job experience to promote).   This section can be an even pithier list of your defining characteristics - Reliable; Safety-minded; De fensive Driver, Customer-Oriented, Experienced Navigator; Clean DMV Record; Efficient and Punctual, etc. If your resume is looking a little barren, consider spending some time bulking it up with vehicle repair classes or even a first aid certification–anything that will make it clear you’re an asset to have on the road.Lastly, the Education and License sections! Give the name of your school and the class of your license.Have a friend with excellent communication skills look over your resume for grammar and punctuation issues, then start sending it out to land the gigs that will take you across the country in style!The Road Ready Truck Driver ResumeRead More at www.alltruckjobs.com

Civil Disobedience essays

Civil Disobedience essays What rhetorical strategies were applied by Martin Luther King Jr. in Letter from Birmingham Jail and which of those was likely most important in influencing the readers of that time? In Birmingham, Ala., in the spring of 1963, King's campaign to end segregation at lunch counters and in hiring practices drew nationwide attention when police turned dogs and fire hoses on the demonstrators. King was jailed along with large numbers of his supporters, including hundreds of schoolchildren. His supporters did not, however, include all the black clergy of Birmingham, and he was strongly opposed by some of the white clergy who had issued a statement urging the blacks not to support the demonstrations. From the Birmingham jail King wrote a letter of great eloquence in which he spelled out his philosophy of nonviolence. This essay, entitled Letter From Birmingham Jail demonstrates Kings exceptional literary prowess by his mastery of several rhetorical strategies to persuade. Kings rhetorical strategy to influence his audience in Letter From Birmingham Jail is that of a three-pronged approach. In an effort to aid in King's goal to alter societal structure, its evils, and its balance of power, he attempts to appeal to the logical, emotional and as well as spiritual side of his critics. Kings first presents an appeal to our logic or reasoning. He does this by effectively showing a direct relationship between the reasoning for his position against segregation and its resulting actions of passive resistance by those oppressed by it. Dr. Kings appeal to our logic is most evident when he gives the reasoning for his statement "I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Klu Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to 'order' than to justice" *. He dedu...

Gender and crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Gender and crime - Essay Example This stereotype and discrimination has gone as far as to the criminals who do not consider women cops in the same bracket of authority as male cops and hence undermine their authority as well as openly defy them. This has led to many policewomen contemplating to quit the force (BBC News, 2012). There is widespread failure by policemen to protect women from gender-based violence. Research indicates numerous cases of rapes that either go unsolved, take a long time to solve as well as the rapists having a lower conviction rate as the years advance. This is also the case with domestic violence cases where the voices of the violated women are not heard and the policemen are not doing much about the situation (Guardian, 2010). Maybe the situation can change if women cops are given more authority power and respect to handle such cases. The criminal justice system has the mandate to make policies regarding crimes and criminal behavior and the people it directly affects which in this case are the policemen and policewomen. The justice system should enforce the policies that are related to equal jobs distribution and upholding of ethics of conduct for both men and women officers serving in the police force. If there are no existing policies on the issue, they should formulate and pass such a policy (Barton & Johns, 2013). This will ensure to protect the women officers from discrimination and harassment in the workplace as well as provide them with equality status and respect from the fellow officer and the criminals as well as to all the civilians. On the issue of domestic violence and rape cases conviction cases, the criminal justice system should enhance its policies on conviction from the moment of investigation to the prosecution. It is the slow process of investigation that leads to destruction of evidence which is crucial in these cases. The

Critically appraise whether recent judicial decisions reinforcing Coursework

Critically appraise whether recent judicial decisions reinforcing - Coursework Example Most of the businesses use forms that have special terms and standard legal language on backs or bottom of the documents governing sales and purchases. This is more so to the business men who focuses more on the commercial transactions than legal doctrine. When the recent judicial decisions are used, the court uses the first and last short approaches in determining the effectiveness of the contract. In practice The boilerplate language is classically in small print, covering business contingencies which arise rarely2. Through the application of the recent judicial decisions, some major disparities are identified in the legal doctrine resulted from discrepancies in some conditions that accompany replies and offers3. This case is similar to the case between Mr. Jones, company by the name of CMP and Ricoh [Ricoh UK Limited v Jones (2010) EWHC 1743 (Ch). According to the agreement, no one was supposed to have any contact with any client except through Ricoh. Mr. Jones had no reciprocal o bligation to deal with the clients without Ricoh. Later there arose a dispute over tenders to supply MFDs outside the country for a company which had been a regular customer for CMP.4 The court dismissed this on the basis that, the parties were operating on the same levels of distribution chain. The Uniform Commercial Code has much consideration on the offers accepted when the sellers sends written confirmations of acceptance to the buyer5. Another similar cases involved Manchester CC v Gibson [1979] 1 WLR 294. Gibson was an occupier and tenant of a council house and he wished to purchase the house under the â€Å"right to buy scheme†. He received a letter from the council informing him of the willingness of the council to sell the house. Later, the political control of the council changed resulting to revoke of the policy of the right to buy. It was held by the House of Lords that the council never made the offer to sell and, therefore, there could be no valid acceptance. 6 The above scenario can also be related to a case of Manchester CC v Storer 3 All ER 824. In the case, the council had sent an application to purchase a house which was about to be completed. When he completed the form as the instructions required, the council refused to sign and to return the application as they had agreed. When the case was taken to the court, the judge held that, the contract was formed.7 The judicially and the international legal community have tried to find satisfactory ways of deciding the terms of controlling an agreement.8 Another similar case involved Ex- Cell- O corporation (England) Ltd v Butler machine Tool Co. Ltd [1979] 1 WLR 401. Later, a dispute occurred when each company used separate standard form. One company used a form with a price variation which had a clause while the other company used a contract form without a price variation clause. In the case, the House of Lords held that, the contract was based on Ex- Cell- O corporation’s terms be cause it had included an acknowledgement strip which was signed by both parties.9 According to Section 2(207) of The Uniform Commercial Code10, it is assumed that the merchants do not read or understand the terms which are contained on the exchanged forms between the parties involved. This section of contract Law is similar to Article 19 of CISG which emphasizes on the irresponsibility of the merchants for getting clear information of the contract agreement11. In 1975, the United States Court resolved a case between Manning Fabrics Inc. 441 F. Supp., and Lea Tai