Last Luagh Essays - Films, The Last Laugh, Weimar Culture

Last Luagh About The Director: Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau is one of the most important filmmakers of the cinema during Weimar Republic period. He is often grouped with Fritz Lang and G.W. Pabst as the big three directors of Weimar Germany. He finished his career in Hollywood and was killed at a young age in a car crash. Three of his films appear on the greatest films lists of critics and film groups. Even though there seems to be little written about him. Early in his career he created one of horror film, Nosferatu (1922); his last film was Tabu (1931), a documentary film in the South Seas. He was one of the pioneers in the technical side of the film industry, experimenting special effects in Nosferatu and Faust and the use of the moving camera in The Last Laugh. But at the same time he was a master storyteller, a director who could describe simple stories with a vast range of emotion and meaning. Plot Summary: The old doorman at the Hotel Atlantis is proud of his job and he does it well (sort of). One day he carries a large suitcase into the lobby. He needs to sit down for a moment what is seen and written down by a young hotel manager. The old man looses his job and is made the toilet man of the hotel. He tries not to show it, but he is broken. Now only some kind of wonder can help!! The film begins a trip down an open elevator and through the busy lobby of the Hotel Atlantic. The movement continues straight through the hotel's revolving doors to rainy outside. The main character is the hotel doorman, a striking but he is old. He is an important person, a respected person. But he is getting older and has trouble lifting a large luggage from a car to the hotel and needs a few minutes to rest. The young hotel manager witnesses this situation and the next day the doorman finds out that he has been replaced by a younger man and demoted to toilet attendant. This demotion leads him to isolation. It comes to the situation where his neighbors and even his own family reject him. Just when things seem as bad as they could get for the doorman, the film presents us with the only upside. The film says that ordinarily the story should end here, for an old man like this, but instead, the director has taken mercy on the doorman and presented us with a happy ending. In the end, the man inherits a vast sum of money from an American millionaire. And he lives happily ever after! Analysis Of The Film: The Last Laugh is the last but one expressionistic street film, full of sets that look both realistic and unlikely at the same time, unsettling multiple exposures, fantastic performances particularly Emil Jennings whose weight you can feel on your chest, in a performance through the entire range of emotions. Many writers give Carl Mayer, the co-writer on The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and one of the chief minds behind the excellence of German film in the 1920s, the big share of credit for The Last Laugh. Sadly Murnau is sometimes shrugged off with Karl Freund, the film's cameraman, as part of the team that executed Mayer's idea. Although the film is often criticized for its happy ending, it is done with irony that the film would not be the same without it, in which all wrongs have been righted. In The Last Laugh the man derives his power from his uniform, alcohol and wealth; without at least one of the three he is only a hunched man. He has habits of stroking his mustache and waving hid hand in the air, the habits that disappear when he loses his uniform. After he steals it and quickly pulls it over his shoulders, the first thing he does is stroke that mustache. Or after he becomes rich he starts waving his hand in the air again. This movie is almost purely visual; the few pieces of expository writing are worked into the film cleverly via papers and letters rather than bluntly cleaving the action. Murnau takes a situation that should

Absolute Error or Absolute Uncertainty Definition

Absolute Error or Absolute Uncertainty Definition Absolute error or absolute uncertainty is the uncertainty in a measurement, which is expressed using the relevant units. Also,  absolute error may be used to express the inaccuracy in a measurement. Absolute error may be called approximation error. Absolute error is the difference between a measurement and a true value: E |x0 - x| Where E is absolute error, x0 is the measured value and x is the true or actual value Why Is There Error? Error is not a mistake. It simply reflects the limitations of measurement instruments. For example, if you use a ruler to measure a length, each tic on the ruler has a width. If a distance falls between marks on the ruler, you need to estimate whether the distance is closer to one mark than the other and by how much. This is error. The same measurement may be taken multiple times to gauge the range of the error. Absolute Error Example If a measurement is recorded to be 1.12 and the true value is known to be 1.00 then the absolute error is 1.12 - 1.00 0.12. If the mass of an object is measured three times with values recorded to be 1.00 g, 0.95 g, and 1.05 g, then the absolute error could be expressed as /- 0.05 g.

The Impact of Outdoor Air Pollution Research Proposal

The Impact of Outdoor Air Pollution - Research Proposal Example When inhaled, they lead to throat irritation, digestive problems, chest complications as well as dizziness and fever. Chronic respiratory problems such as asthma also arise from the same (Brebbia & James 276). The research intends to analyze outdoor air pollution impact, which is a menace presently showing an upward trend. The health of human beings is at risk; hence seeking adequate and effective solutions is quite commendable. The audience that this research seeks to reach includes those who conduct human activities such as burning wood that contribute to air pollution. In addition, it tries to reach those affected by the same to offer help find solution to their problem. The government too is a target audience since they have to put strict measures to prevent avoidable pollution from occurring. The project will first begin by defining various forms of pollutions before focusing on outdoor air pollution (Frumkin 388). Then it will explore varied causes of outdoor air pollution (Ahmed & Triana 84). Some causes of outdoor air pollution are beyond control. In the case of pollen for example, pollination is natural process that cannot be controlled. Wind is also a natural process and is responsible for transporting the pollutants from one atmospheric environment to another. Survey also will encompass seeking information regarding neighboring factories to evaluate how they dispose their wastes and their effects to the immediate populace. This is especially varied particles deposited in the atmosphere. This project will go a long way into protecting the lives and health of people who are at risk of inhaling the contaminants. I request permission to proceed with this proposal to prove that outdoor air pollution is a call for concern and that there are possible remedies to the same. Appendix: Images displaying the causes of outdoor air pollution, charts, and tables indicating the impact of outdoor air pollution, as well as statistical data

Historical Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Historical Research - Essay Example Historical research can offer the business or management researchers a variety of means to achieve extensive knowledge to understand, solve or interpret a situation at hand. Knowledge of the underlying information to any matter enhances the levels of understanding whilst improving the ability to discern and decide on the right or wrong decisions in business management. Historical background information adds to the chances of easier understanding why for instance the reasons implying the general trends in the present (Mehran, 2010). Historical research in the business context Historical research is not a major topic in business and management. Additionally this field lacks supply of enough attention as an independent c research field. Historical research in management studies takes care of various issues requiring this form of research methodology to assist in comparisons with other research methodologies (Sullivan, 2010). Historical research is used in decision making and in evaluati ng  intercultural negotiation in business. ... It involves; formulation of a research question as the starting point (Ribeiro, 2011). There is no reason why historical research will not incorporate some features quantitative research. Conversely, the main emphasis is mostly interpretivistic. The question on review has to be defensible. The relevance check- a historical researcher ought to note that for his work to uphold relevance, it is important to check if the work at hand is track. Note; I. Whether there is prior evidence holding essential concerns on how present decisions are to be made and the means through which future current policies are to be instituted. II. Whether there exist suggestions that the business had encountered a related issue in the past, how they were met, and the outcome of the decisions drawn at that time. III. Whether there is a possibility that the matter at hand may be as a result of a cycle. Is there enough understanding of the matter and the cycle’s nature and how it would be of importance in solving the present situation? Next is the need to determine the scope the business management issue extends. This cannot be easily perceived by a novice researcher as it calls for deep consideration of the domain for examination. The domain for examination establishes the principle discipline that the historical research will require to consider (Stefanie, 2007). A research project of this kind often applies marketing and financial knowledge and concepts. An aspect cannot be understood independently from other related aspects in business management. This indicates that the researcher ought to understand the history of the matters he or she is comparing. This type of idea also deeply applies to business management studies. There is no chance of having an

The Future of Clinical Remediation of Hearing Loss is the Cochlear Essay

The Future of Clinical Remediation of Hearing Loss is the Cochlear Implants - Essay Example Regaining hearing ability is the best thing a deaf person can get. Cochlear implants make it possible for the auditory nerve to be stimulated allowing the deaf person to hear. The implant is designed to produce electrical signals which are sent directly to the brain bypassing the damaged cells of the inner ear (Wise 3). Research indicates that the performance of each ear is usually 13.5%. Performance improves to between 80 and 90% after the cochlear implants for each ear and both ears (Heyning and Punte 141). That is almost the normal performance of normal healthy ear. Researchers understand that the implants need to be programmed accordingly to maintain balance. Programming is done using sophisticated computers which determine how each ear is programmed. There may be variation in hearing the loss in the two ears and programming ensures that the auditory reception is well maintained and balanced, it is not too loud or not receiving hearing well. Programming of the first ear takes lon ger compared to the second (Waltzman, and Roland, 152). Gantz et al found out that cochlear implants are critical for the preservation of hearing. The study points out that at least 96% of the people with cochlear implants retaining low-frequency hearing (17). This is important in recognition of words and speech development after the cochlear implant. Word recognition and speech skills improve from 10% to 30% with low-frequency hearing preservation after the implant. Cochlear implants improve speech perception and recognition abilities in both adults and children allowing the deaf to speak freely with others. Auditory experts claim that cochlear implants improved the development of language and speech abilities, especially in children.  Ã‚  

Multicultural Managers In Global Teams

Multicultural Managers In Global Teams LOreal is an intriguing company: Very French in culture and image, and yet very global in products, brands and activities. It is poised to reach the next billion consumers mostly among the budding middle class of emerging economies. In this article we explore one facet of L Oreals success: Its very clever use of managers with bi-cultural backgrounds in the most critical process for the success of the company; new product development. Of course we all now recognize that cultural diversity is a good thing, and we value executives with expatriate assignments in their backgrounds, who claim themselves to have become cosmopolitan. LOreal goes one big step further: Rather than just diversity among executives it seeks diversity within each executive [2. Yves: Brannen Thomas, 2010: p.6 p.13: cultural diversity that exists within individuals and MYB Lee, forthcoming, p.23: diversity within a single person] Yves, i.e., it hires develops and uses strategically individual who usually by way of a multicultural early childhood-have gained the ability to understand and behave according to the cultural meanings and norms of two or more cultures. [3. Yves: This definition of multiculturalism. MYB can not argue to own the definition as hers. Previously other researchers define biculturalism such as Hong et al., 2000 in their phenomenal article, Multicultural minds] Not only can they be precious bridges between their cultures of origins, they can also be sensitive alert scouts in new cultures, with an ability to grasp them much greater than individuals from a single cultural origin. [4. Yves: This is about multiculturals cognitive complexity (BMV et al., 2006 and Tadmor et al., 2006/9. I think this sentence is more common sense. I heard a lot from those who participated in Bicultural thought leadership conference in Green Gulch and Abu Dhabi] Not every global company needs bi-cultural executives but many can greatly benefit and learn from them, thus instilling in their international executives -whose vast majority are from a single cultural origin-some of the critical cross-cultural skills that help make them effective. [5. Yves: Is this can be a common sense?, I dont find exactly same words or phrase in MYBs]In this article we draw a few lessons from examining LOreals decade long experience in using bi-cultural executives selectively. But first, what is the challenge bi-culturals allow to address successfully? [6. Yves: I dont know why she highlighted here] THE CHALLENGE: IT IS NOT EASY TO BE LOCAL AND GLOBAL Global competitors face an age-old tension: Serving regional or national markets requires adaptation to local conditions, and calls for differentiation in their products, services, and business models, but achieving economies of scale and scope across markets calls for uniformity and integration of activities. Local responsiveness and global integration are hard to combine. Some products are clearly global, such as TV sets, except for regulatory and language differences, and simple technical differences such as voltage. Others, such as restaurants, are intrinsically local, although global formulas and brands may succeed, such as Starbucks or Benihana. Many products, and to a lesser extent services, call both for responsiveness to local differences and for some form of global integration, of brands, marketing and advertising, manufacturing, product development, and research. They are affected by the global-local duality of knowledge differentiation and integration in innovation proces ses. Perhaps at the forefront are companies striving to develop global products in culture-sensitive and ethnically differentiated markets, such as cosmetics and skin or hair care. LOrà ©al very much faces this challenge: Its main product categories, skin care, hair care, hair color and beauty categories are sensitive to global economies of scale and scope, and they also need to be highly responsive to local market differences. Furthermore, not all of LOrà ©als product categories face the same mix of demands: Hair care may be very regional and dependent on ethnic differences, lipstick and most fragrances much more universal. Luxury brands are more global than mass market ones, which are often local. Figure 1: The complexity of product portfolio: Responsiveness and Integration Differences The global integration-local responsiveness issue is further complicated when the knowledge required to develop and market products is complex. Yet, such complex knowledge (tacit and collective, only revealed in action and interaction) now lies at the heart of innovation and global competitive advantage, not just for LOrà ©al but also for most global competitors. Other forms of arbitrage, for products, costs, or materialsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ are easily imitated, and have been. Complex knowledge is hard to identify and observe, let alone imitate. It has become the main source of sustainable competitive advantage for global competitors. It drives hard to imitate innovations. LOrà ©al as a leading French multinational company in skin care and beauty products provides a remarkable example of relying on complex knowledge for innovation: Its products are not just chemicals, much more importantly, they depend on fashion, style, seduction, they convey national image of French womens sophisticationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ they elicit the idealized self-image of its customers and their value is conveyed through complex, often subliminal advertising and multiple distribution channels. Of course, some highly culture- and context-dependent products, with a strong national identity happen to find readily a global market. They are widely adopted worldwide with little or no adaptation (French perfumes, U.S. action movies, German classical music and high-end cars, Japanese Mangas, Korean K-Pop, Bollywood movie and TV productions or U.S. fast food). But these are exceptions more than the rule. In fact, a common language, high cultural and institutional homogeneity, greater density of interpersonal networks and friendships, and less not-invented-here resistance mean complex knowledge generally diffuses more rapidly within single countries than across national boundaries. So, in industries where complex knowledge drives innovative advantage success depends on face-to-face (or rather shoulder to shoulder) participation in local and national networks where new complex knowledge first arises. [7. Yves: Isnt this argument yours?] MNCs should build, manage, and globally integra te their local/global capabilities and dispersed inputs. Yet the quality of local knowledge access, being embedded in local cultures and networks, often makes global sharing more difficult, as local participants in global innovation processes are culturally very different and closely identify with their origins. [8. Yves: Isnt this yours as well? MYB doesnt do much about knowledge and global innovation, does she?] For many companies, such as LOrà ©al, this challenge is further complicated by an additional contradiction: While they want to be global, they do not want to relinquish the advantages associated with their country of origin. LOrà ©al does not just sell cosmetics, it mainly sells French-ness to women around the world. In other words, its identity, and its founders cultural inheritance need to be protected, and remain part and parcel of its global offerings. The company has maintained its founders spirit of entrepreneurship, and remains largely family-controlled, with a very strong shared culture. Over its 73 years, it has had only four CEOs (including the founder), all with very long tenures, and it promotes only from within. One becomes part of senior management over the years, as one weaves a dense network of relationships with colleagues and builds trust over time. In France, the company has a reputation for being the consumer marketing school, and many of its alumni have become successful entrepreneurs and business builders, such as LOccitane en Provence, a highly successful fast growing skin and body care company. Its third CEO, Welshman (and INSEAD graduate) Lindsey Owen Jones is widely credited for having transformed the company from a regional European challenger to a global leader, but the company still remains quite remarkably French. Traditional approaches to the internationalization of senior management would not work well for LOrà ©al, or might only work very slowly since a rapid infusion of international executives in the top ranks might compromise the tightly knit and informal French community of senior managers, operating as a global network. Furthermore at LOrà ©al, complex knowledge about products, cultures, and how to work together is progressively learned and internalized by individuals as their career develops, which makes a rapid internationalization of senior management through hiring from outside largely impossible. French managers are often assigned to international operations, and learn about the plurality of cultural and institutional contexts, as well as about differen t consumer priorities, but few foreigners become senior executives. The most promising international executives might be reluctant to join LOrà ©al anyway fearing the risk of a glass ceiling. Successful senior executives often identify themselves as partly French, for instance French and German, of French, Moroccan, and German. And even executives that identify themselves as foreigners take great pain to explain they have lived in France and worked for LOrà ©al for a long time and pride themselves on speaking perfect French. The main language of the company has remained French. [9. Yves: This is my observation and your informal discussion when you lead workshop with LOreal RD top management a while ago] STRUCTURAL SOLUTIONS DO NOT WORK: For LOrà ©al, and for many multinational companies, to successfully address the global-local innovation duality, simple structural solutions such as regional units or global product divisions wont work, for at least two reasons. First, the product range puts both intensely global and intensely local demands on the way the company is run. No either-or organizational solution will work, the company needs both global and local priorities effectively taken into consideration in decision-making. Take perfumes (or fragrances as they are known in the industry). World products and famous world brands (think of Chanel No 5) are the name of the game, but the underlying knowledge needed to develop a perfume resides mainly in France, for historical reasons. Second, companies such as LOrà ©al need a wide range of products to maintain their strength in distribution: fragrances, cosmetics, skin care products, and hair products. Any simple structural approach such as local subsidiaries and regional entities or global business units would fit a few of their products but not all, given the diversity of demands for local responsiveness and global integration shown on Figure 1. Some are more global, such as perfumes or cosmeti cs, others are more regional or local, such as hair care or skin care. As the company considers increasingly the next billion customers (as the CEO stresses) in emerging economies, both the advantages of global scale and the need for local differentiation will increase even further. For some products, like fragrances, most relevant market and technical knowledge can be found in one place, for most though, like hair care, relevant knowledge is distributed around the world and will become even more so with the growing importance of emerging economies. Furthermore, speed is often of the essence: Knowledge-driven FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods, such as beauty and skin care products) industries call for a continuous stream of innovations across a wide product portfolio facing both local responsiveness demands and global integration advantages, but in varying degree among products. In new areas, such as anti-aging, competition is intense and fast, as well as technology based, in mature areas it is slower and marketing driven. Yet, any technological advantages are short-lived. Yet speed needs to be tempered by continuity. Even with constant innovation, markets quickly reduce the most advanced products to the condition of feature-less commodities unless brand equity has been built very quickly. Underlying ingredients are relatively stable and long-lived, but new products are frequent. Brands cover families of products (Lancà ´me, Biothermà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) to provide continuity and lasting brand strength but leave room for fast and fre quent product renewals. Continuity of brands, and of channels, and renewal of products have to be carefully integrated. No organizational structure, global business units or country organizations will be up to the task. Structure is too blunt a tool. Of course, some multinationals resort to matrix organizations, but adopting a matrix organization is a cop out: It just acknowledges that, as we just outlined, complex, varied and rapid trade offs between local responsiveness and global integration need to be made constantly on very specific issues: product packaging, marketing campaigns, specific chemical ingredients, etc. So rather than risk getting mired in the negotiations that end up being so characteristic on matrix organizations, many companies, LOreal included, go one step further: Global teams. GLOBAL TEAMS: PROMISE AND PITFALLS Faced with such challenges to achieve worldwide innovation, combine global knowledge integration and local knowledge differentiation, and be fast, global companies increasingly resort to global, and often virtual, teams. These teams hold the promise of effective knowledge creation, knowledge sharing, as well as flexibility, responsiveness, and speed. Yet, in practice in many companies these global teams are no panacea: they suffer from misunderstandings, conflicts and often fall prey to a Babel Syndrome: their members talk past each other, not together, and teamwork breaks down. The results of their work are often disappointing, particularly when complex knowledge is essential, like the proverbial camel designed by a (multi-cultural) committee. Actually, it is often difficult to transmit even explicit knowledge across cultural boundaries and it seems impossible to transmit tacit knowledge, where physical distance also gets in the way. Even seemingly universal and very precisely expli cit knowledge, such as mathematics, is liable to different perspectives and interpretations in different cultures. Tacit knowledge cannot be transmitted over distance because it is revealed only in action and cannot be meaningfully explained. It has to be learned through (co)-practice. [10. Yves: The difficulty to transfer tacit knowledge is common sense and not only MYB (2004) and much earlier, other researchers (Szulanski, 1996; Zander Kogut, 1995) already argued.] BI-CULTURAL MANAGERS AND GLOBAL TEAMS AT LORÉAL To avoid the pitfalls typical of global teams LOrà ©al makes extensive use of bi-cultural managers and professionals in its product development process (i.e., individuals, usually of mixed cultural backgrounds, who can switch their frame of reference, both in what they understand and in how they behave, between two or more cultures). Although bi- and multi-culturals only account for a very small proportion of LOrà ©als employees (a few dozens out of 69 000 employees in 130 subsidiaries) they play a key role in the most critical activity of the company: new product development, headquartered in Paris. No less than forty percent of about 160 product development project managers (among whom 40% come from foreign subsidiaries and 60% were recruited in France) are multicultural. LOrà ©al has maintained this recruitment balance in new product development leaders for over ten years. The task: New product development teams, each composed of a few people, some multicultural (the smaller circles on Figure 2), work closely with other groups such as research and development, the international marketing team, and local subsidiaries in a highly interactive process. It involves functional groups within HQ and across regional offices. Newly created product concepts also have to be coherent with existing product lines (e.g., hair care products that use only natural plants) and their reputation (e.g., environment-friendly and people-tested). So considerable inputs from the various subsidiaries are needed. Finally, the product has to be feasible for manufacturing without any risks. Developing a new product concept takes from six months to a year depending on the products level of novelty. In developing a new product concept, multicultural project managers have to present their work to top management on a regular basis, both formally and informally. Once they obtain approval for their new product concept, they present their project at the la journà ©e mondiale, LOrà ©als largest and most important yearly event at HQ. This event attracts all regional directors from all around the globe who come to evaluate future products (i.e., those that would hit the market in one or two years). If feedback from the regional directors attending this event is positive the multicultural project managers move from articulating product concepts to actually designing the products. In the design phase, multicultural project managers select and combine ingredients, choose product colors, and design packaging for the product with the packaging team (often outsourced) and manufacturing team (called the Factory). They interface intensely both with headquarter functions and local subsidiaries around the world. Through all phases, project managers work with their colleagues in teams within and across departments at HQ and local subsidiaries. Multicultural project managers work with others on three levels. First, they work in their own team (called the unit team), where they managed informal relationships with other product managers. One product development team is composed of two or three project managers who are responsible for developing different products for the same region in the same product category (e.g., hair products). For example, for Latin America, one multi-cultural manager (Lebanese-Spanish-American) was in charge of womens hair color, while another (French-Irish-Cambodian) was in charge of womens hair care (hair damage). They shared physical space so that they could exchange ideas, information, and feedback (the larger central circle on Figure 2). Second, they interact with their boss and the leaders of other functional departments in Paris. Although more than 40% of the project managers in the new product development division are multi-cultural, the majority of their direct bosses are mono-cultural, very French. Project managers meet their direct boss quite freely any time they needed or vice versa. Regular divisional team meetings with top management are held with other unit teams (for the same product line, such as hair care Asia and hair care international), other functional departments, and teams in local subsidiaries. Informal meetings with other functional departments (e.g., RD, supply chain, advertising, and packaging) are held based on the phase of the product development process. Third, project managers work with local subsidiaries, via email, phone calls, and videoconferences. They also visit local offices regularly. It is the project managers direct bosses, however, who visit local subsidiaries more frequently-at least once a month-as they are in charge of developing several products at the same time. In addition, because project managers are operating within a tight schedule and budget, they accompany their direct boss only when the visit is urgent and important. In the final development phase project managers involve employees who executed promotional campaigns through television, the Internet, and other advertising activities. They set up all visual images of products, articulate the products selling points, and choose the best way to promote the products they developed. Team leaders with more experience lead the promotion campaign directly. More specifically, experienced team leaders travel to local subsidiaries and direct all processes of promotion. Product promotion also involves various new tasks often outsourced to new groups. For example, to promote a make-up product for Chinese women, the promotion team hired a famous local movie star, local make-up and uniform team, local stage setting team, and a professional camera crew (which was a French team). Television commercials are typically expensive and take months to complete. The people: Beginning with their recruitment, multicultural project managers at LOrà ©al gained credibility for new product development by being labeled international talent by the Human Resource department, a prestigious title in a company trying to combine strong French roots with global reach. Most had at least five years of working experience in sales and marketing in local subsidiaries, or for those recruited in France, who were graduates of top business schools, twelve months of intensive training in product development and marketing department at HQ. At LOrà ©al, they were called the stars or crà ¨me de la crà ¨me (meaning the best of the best). LOrà ©al designated an HR manager who managed the performance and career development of these employees who were anticipated to be top performers. Figure 2: Team composition and its work within and across units at LOrà ©al !!!Yves: From this part till conclusion in p.19, all parts are from the 2nd chapter of my dissertation. Multiculturals in global teams: Multi-cultural individuals that have internalized more than a single cultural schema (i.e., the values, norms of behavior and beliefs of a given culture), [11. Yves: this is the definition of multiculturalism. See #3] bring unusual skills to solve challenges in knowledge transfer across international borders for global innovation. Not only do they bring the obvious knowledge of their own cultures, and the ability to translate and transfer complex knowledge between them, but also the latent skills to understand new third country knowledge in context, and being effective bridges to combine knowledge from these other countries.[12. Yves: understanding third culture knowledge is related to David Thomas metacognition (2008). I describe similar argument in my IJCCM paper as culture-general knowledge (Hong 2010: p. 96-97, I cited Thomas et al., 2008 Cultural Intelligence] LOrà ©al also recognizes multi-culturals creativity in new product development and thei r innovative ways to combine/ bridge knowledge in global teams. But more specifically, these bridging, translating and sense-making skills are key to the effectiveness [13. Yves: this is the 2nd chapter of my dissertation]of LOrà ©als global product development teams. Bi-culturals are uniquely able to play specific roles: Role 1: Managing Knowledge Processes in Teams In creating new products, multicultural project managers manage two kinds of knowledge: product- and market-related knowledge and organizational/practical knowledge. The multicultural project managers challenge is to integrate the creative options to be pursued, while transforming local market knowledge into global product knowledge for higher quality products and innovative concepts. To bring a creative product to fruition, their contribution to knowledge sharing processes in the team focused on three areas: (1) bringing new local product and market knowledge, (2) translating cultural nuances, (3) connecting geographically diverse knowledge and skills. [14.Yves: this is from my dissertation] Bringing new local product and market knowledge: Multicultural project managers were expected not only to know what evolving market attributes were but, more importantly, identify new market trends and generate market insights. In addition, to secure the new product concept, they worked with other members (e.g., team leaders, regional directors, RD, and local subsidiaries) by reviewing differing perspectives on the commercial viability of new product concepts. In response to these challenges, multicultural project managers brought both new product ideas and market understanding: Our team tries to find some natural ingredients for new hair care product. J (Hong Kong-Canadian-Singaporean) knows all the Chinese medicine that has no translation either in English or in French because its so authentic. J does not only explain these ingredients but also suggest some ways we (team) can use for our new products. (French Director) and bringing local market knowledge: The Polish-French project manager was raised in Poland until age 20. She described her life under the communist regime and after in terms of how she evaluates and appreciates make-up products. As our target consumers are about her age, everything she shared with other members is valuable for developing products and markets. She is actually educating us to get a better understanding of consumers in the region. (American-French regional director talking about Polish-French project manager) Translating cultural nuances: Even if a common syntax or language is present, as in mathematics or chemistry formulaes, interpretations are often difficult not in processing the information, but in learning about the sources of semantic differences across cultural boundaries.[15. Yves: MYB tends to argue as hers if there are phrases with language semantic. I just typed semantic difference in google scholars. There are so numerous papers talking about semantic difference across cultures from psychologists and linguists.]The problem then shifts to who interprets what. A French manager who planned a test of a new shampoo in a laboratory in Germany explained how his French-German-British multicultural manager who used to work in Germany helped him: If we say dry hair, dry hair on this floor (HQ) doesnt mean as same as German dry hair means. So, it is much safer to check with B who knows two cultures (French and German) and translate exactly what I mean as dry hair. (B is German-British-French multicultural) Connecting geographically diverse knowledge and skills: To generate creative ideas so that they can be implemented, multicultural project managers must be able to access expertise and draw analogies from one cultural group (e.g., local) to other cultural groups (e.g., other regions or globally). They synthesize those ideas from multiple sources-diverse cultural perspectives-for innovative products. [16. Yves: this is from my thesis] For example, a French-Cambodian-Irish project manager used the specificity of Asian womens skin care (reducing winkles) to develop a new product for the French market. He noted: While researching Asian skin-care products, I found that in Asia, some tinted cream (skin colored cream for make-up face) used face lifting effect, in France and Europe, none of tinted creams used face lifting effect. I developed a new tinted cream with face lifting effect for French market. It was a big success! (Team: French-Cambodian-Irish project manager, a Chinese-French and two French). Role 2: Managing Conflicts in Teams Cultural differences in teams increase the risk of conflict. Multicultural project managers manage conflicts in teams by (1) reducing misunderstandings and (2) displaying flexible behavior with people from diverse regions and cultures. [17.Yves: this is from my thesis] Reducing misunderstandings: Product development managers must gain cooperation from their colleagues at HQ and local subsidiaries. Multicultural project managers mitigated the negative effects of cultural distance and group boundaries on developing trust between HQ and local subsidiaries.[18. Yves: this is from my thesis] For example, an Indian-American-French project manager noted: If an Indian local manager said, India might have an issue with this ingredient for a new product because theres no written communication confirming this can be used to please our consumers. What they actually tried to tell me was, No, I wont do what you asked us to do and please lower your expectations. But I didnt make any negative comments on that. Instead I said, Okay, how about I discuss with RD at HQ and find out the way we solve this problem? In this way, I didnt make an uncomfortable situation. Instead, I got respect from them, which as a result had a positive influence on our work progress. (Indian-American-French manager; Team members at HQ: Chinese-French, French; Local teams: India, China, Thailand) This Indian-American-French project manager interpreted Ill try my best (Indian local team) as Its going to be difficult, or No, I am not going to do it. He preempted potential conflict and tried to avoid risky situations where the local team felt pushed by HQ. In this way, he could develop interpersonal trust between these two groups. However, although HQ members may not provide any negative comments immediately, but still hold a negative impression of the Indian. In other words, they prejudged that the Indian local team did not fulfill its responsibilities, and trust in the Indian team was lost. This may not cause a problem right away, but it may be a root for relational conflict that eventually harms the trust between HQ and local teams. This multicultural manager not only preempted potential conflict between two parties but also tried to avoid risky situations where the local team felt pushed by HQ. In this way, he could develop interpersonal trust between these two groups. Displaying flexible behavior to deal with people from diverse regions and cultures: Once conflicts erupt in teams, however, multicultural project managers handled those conflicts with tolerance. In other words, they were more accepting of different cultural values, less disturbed by them, and accordingly better at handling conflicts due to valuing cultural differences among members. [19. Yves: this is from my thesis] For example, a Hong Kong-British-Canadian-French multicultural director whose team members were Dutch-Chinese, Taiwanese-French, and Korean-British and whose boss was French noted how members handled a process conflict (e.g., time management), which was created by different work values regarding meetings: In terms of meeting time, we all seem to have different principles. For example, my French boss never starts meetings on time and quite often postpones or cancels them. H (Dutch-Chinese) is very strict on time and deadline (meeting is time for checking-up on each others work process). I and K (Taiwanese-French) we are a bit flexible regarding meeting time. So, whenever we have meeting with my French boss, or ourselves, we face frustrating moments. But, what is important for us is how to handle this frustrating moment. As we are conscious about each others differences, we come to compromise when such moments occur. For example, with my French boss, I need to be really flexible with time. With my team members, if I am behind my meeting schedule with my team members, I make sure to tell them in advance why I am behind and ask them next availabilities. Conflicts may still exist in my team. But we handle them at a much more tolerant level. (Hong Kong-British-Canadian-French director, Team : Dutch-Chinese, Taiwanese-French, Korean-British and French boss) LOrà ©als product development team members have cultural diversity within themselves. They are bi- or multi-cultural and play two critical roles in team innovation: (1) bridging between cultural contexts and combining knowledge across cultural/national boundaries; and(2) resolving cross-cultural conflicts. [20. Yves: this is from my thesis] WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM LORÉAL To a greater or lesser extent, most global companies face the four challenges, or dualities, we identified as so characteristic of LOrà ©al: Global-local, dispersed complex knowledge to be integrated, national image of the home base but glo

Free Essay on Shakespeare’s Sonnet 65 :: Shakespeare Sonnet 65

Here's Shakespeare's sonnet no. 65. I'm going to (a) space it out and (b) add in a running commentary that might be helpful to suggest the kinds of reactions one might have in reading it. Let me know if this helps. Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea "nor"="and not". A list . . . a slowly paced list. Of what sorts of things? what scope? what do they have in common?. . . Sentence is just beginning . . . But sad mortality o'er-sways their power, Ah . . . none of them last. And yet they sure seem strong and long-lasting. Is it true what he says? And anyway, so what? why mention this? Sentence not yet reached its main clause . . . How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea, Aha: here's the point: the sad pathetic vulnerability of "beauty". Very general though. Does he mean any particular beauty? "Hold a plea" is nice: a sort of legal image, no? Whose action is no stronger than a flower? Beauty doesn't have much going for it to oppose time. "Action" seems to continue the legal metaphor. The image gets more particular--"a flower"--though it's still relatively general. We're most conscious of the tone of the lamenting speaker, less so of any particular things he's naming. . . Poor pathetic beauty . . . Sentence has ended. Oh, how shall summer's honey breath hold out Against the wreckful siege of battering days, Fresh start: new sentence. Saying it again, more intensely. It's getting better, more specific. Lovely fresh sensuous appeal in "honey breath". Summer is a sweet-smelling person, a beloved presumably (you'd hardly enjoy smelling the sweet breath of anyone else). Its breath can hardly "hold out": wonder what that means? Last long enough? A singer sustaining a long note or phrase needs breath that will "hold out." And to "hold out against a siege" means to withstand a siege: so now the summer has turned into a besieged fortress or city. And the besieging enemy is using battering rams, and trying to wreck everything. Imagery: note that we're not totally visualizing summer as a person; it's a delicate suggestion that glides into the next image, that of the besieged town. And we don't visualize summer as a town, either. In fact "visualize" is too crude a term for what imagery this subtle does.

New Heritage Doll Company Essay

This paper is aim to find the best way to run the New Heritage Doll Company by running simulation. We use different strategies to selecting projects in each round by using limited budget. We have run the simulation more than ten times to make sure we found the best way to run the company and the company is in the best condition. The given scenario is never change and we have the opportunity to run simulation multiple times, it made us easier to know which strategy is the best. We use different strategies in each one of our simulations. These strategies can mainly divided into three parts, which are conservative approach, spending approach which means we use every cent of our budget to make more money and focus on net present value. We have a small budget of 8.9 million dollars at the beginning of each round of simulation, and the rest of the budget of each year can save to the next year. In first several rounds, we took the conservative approach idea. It can help us familiar with how to run the simulation and can help us to control that limited budget as well. In addition, only using the low to medium project can help the company avoiding from the future because we do not want to put the company’s future in a high risk position. Round 1 We are going to analysis the round that was using the conservative approach. In this round, the projects I selected for the year one (2009) are: Toddler Doll Accessory Line and New Doll Film/DVD. According to the report, the Toddler Doll Accessory Line of accessories performed in line with expectations regarding both sales and costs. We have learned from the article, the New Heritage Doll Company’s production division wants to product more product that forcing on toddlers so we think choosing this project is a good choice for the company. Also this project is a low risk project with 7.70% project discount rate. We think we should better keep this project because it is a risk low project with positive NPV (7.15) and a good IRR (25.06%). The New Doll Film/DVD project is a licensing project and according to the report that the film was released on schedule and the  marketing promotion was very successful. Otherwise, the sales of DVD was better than previous films. This project is a medium risk project and the company discount rate for this project is 7.40%. This project also produce a positive NPV which is 9.37 and with an IRR of 238.61% which was extremely high. However the payback index is negative which is -3.84 but we think since its payback period is shout which is only 1.43 years so we will still keep this project. As we can see from the table one, at the end of 2010, the revenue of production division is 128.75 million. The revenue is higher than the production revenue of 2009 which was 125 million. And the revenue from licensing division at the end of 2010 is also higher than it in 2009 which is 25.48 million, 0.98 million higher than it was in 2009. However, in both of these two divisions their Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) is slightly lower than 2009 and the net income is also a little lower too. We will put more details to see if these projects are actually work. In year two (2010), the projects which I have chosen are: Warehouse Facility Consolidation, Expansion of Mail-order Catalog Business to Asia and Retail Store Expansion in Northeast. The Warehouse Facility Consolidation project is aim to improve the NH’s warehouse facilities and can save the company’s operating costs as well as increase the shipping speed. This project is in retail division with an NPV of 2.29, an IRR of 13.56%, and a payback period of 8.23 years and a payback index of 0.31. Also, this project was considered as a medium risk project with 9.25% discount rate. Expansion of Mail-order Catalog Business to Asia is a retail division project, it is considering expanding its mail-order to the Asian market. Although there two possibilities that might happen, succeed or fail, it viewed as a low risk project with very low lifetime project costs which is only 2.73 million. It had an IRR of 19.77%, a discount rate of 8.46%, and a payback period is more than 10 years and the profitability index of this project is 2.85. I choose this project is because the Asian market is a very big market, since the project is low risk and the cost of this project is very low, we think it is worth to try, because if this project is succeed, the company will earn more profit. The last project we selected for this year is Retail Store Expansion in Northeast. The NPV of this project is 5.34 and it had an IRR of 37.45%, a  discount rate of 10.04% and a payback period is 5.33 years. We suggested the discount rate can adjusted to 10.50% to make this project on a safe status. This high-risk projects because open new stores in other countries can always be risky. We pick this project is because it was a desired project for the company. At the end of 2011, we can see from the table 2, we can see the net sales of retail division is 199.62 million, 4.87 million higher than 2010 (194.75 million), however the increasing in cost of goods sold and their Selling General and Administrative Expenses turns out the EBITDA of 2011(3. 79) is lower than 2010 (5.04). In addition, the net sales of licensing has jump to 36.50 million in 2011 and the EBITDA and its net income has a very big increase, which are 21.99 and 12.99. So the pervious object which I selected in 2009 acutely works. (Table 1) In year three (2011), we selected four projected which are: Doll Video Game, Tween Book Series, New Inventory Control System for Warehouse and Replace Assembly Equipment at Sacramento Facility. The Doll Video Game is a licensing project and the report says that this project did not performed as good as expectations but it is still stay in positive. This project has an NPV of 1.06 an IRR 115.90% which is very high, a discount rate of 7.40% and the payback year is 2.24 years and the profitability index is 8.73 million. This is a medium risk project with only 0.40 million lifetime project cost. We think this is a good project even though it has not much assets. However we suggest they can increase the project discount rate from 7.40% to 8.00%. The Tween Book Series has an NPV of 6.14, an IRR of 43.57%, a discount rate of 6.89%, and a payback period of 5.24 years and 13.64 profitability index. This is a low risk licensing project and according to the company report, this project has boosted its revenue and will definitely give contribution to the company. So we will keep this project. We selected the New Inventory Control System for Warehouse is because it can help the company reduce the cost of carrying inventory and make more savings. This is a low risk retailing project also with very low cost, and there is no gain or loss of using this project but it can help the company reduce the cost. Replace Assembly Equipment at Sacramento Facility is a low risk production project, we choose this project is because it has a high IRR which is 38.64% and a very low of production cost. Due to the low  risk the NPV of this project is low which is only 0.06. We can see from the table three, at the end of 2012, the company’s net sales has risen to 306.65 million, increasing year by year from year 2009, and the net income as well. We use the same method to pick projects for the rest two years of this run. We focused more on low risk project and in this run we did not expected too much on our APV and our net income. In this run we hope the company can always get the future benefits rather than take a high risk and too impatient for success. In addition, there are not many projects had an ideally NPV, so we are not surprised about the final result. Also, we have tried our best to maintain the balance of each of the three divisions to keep the company in the same structure and to maintain the equal growth as well. This run end with an APV of 424.79, a revenue of 348.17 million, which is not bad and 23.49 million net income. The net income is not big but we use the minimum budget to make the biggest profit. Next, this is the second simulation we choose to explain. In this simulation we got APV (Adjusted present value) equals 597.79 and the revenue equals 393.43 million. The operation income equals 44.21 million. From the company consolidated Income Statement, we can see that the net income finally ended in 26.53 million. From the Balance Sheet, the total net asset equals 278.85 million, the total current liabilities equals 64.05 million and the total liabilities and shareholders equity equals 278.85 million. In this simulation our approach is to spent ever money we got, we thought this might gives us the highest return and the highest APV. In 2009, we choose three projects to funding. They are: 1.‘Match my Doll’ Clothing Line, 2.Retail Store Expansion in Northeast and 3.New Doll Film / DVD. We choose these three projects because they are all high or medium risks. Usually the high risk comes with the high return. So we want to see what will happen if we all choose high or me dium risker projects. Even if these three projects do not have good 1 Yr. EBITDA, it has the highest three 5 Yr. EBITDA. So when we choose these three projects we do not want it went well in the first year but for the future benefits. After a whole year running, in 2010 the net income was 12.58 million and it was less than 2009. The revenue became 252.42 million and the APV we got this year was 319.38. This is not a problem now because the future view form the financial analysis and project  details were going very well. In 2010, we choose four projects to funding. They are: 1.Toddler Doll Accessory Line, 2.‘Grow With Me’ Doll Line, 3.Tween Book Series and 4.Expansion of Mail-order Catalog Business to Asia. After the first year’s three high or medium risk projects, this year we want to reduce a little bit risk. So we take Toddler Doll Accessory Line, Expansion of Mail-order Catalog Business to Asia and Tween Book series, they are both low risk projects. Also this time, we want to focus on the NPV, the first and second choice we made has 7.15 and 6.83 NPV. The third choice we made is based on the IRR because the rest projects basically has the same NPV, so we choice the project which has the highest IRR which is 43.57. The last choice we made is because we want to use all of budget we go t. This can help us get higher return. Also, this project has 13.64 profit index and the payback year was 5.24. The revenue for 2011 was 276.70 and the APV went to 363.16. The net income became 16.75 million. This means the projects we choose in 2009 worked a lot better than 2010, we got a rise net income. In 2011, we choose six projects to funding. They are: 1.Acquisition of Children’s magazine, 2.’Match My Doll’ Clothing Line, Expansion of Concept. 3.’Dolls of the World’ Initiative, 4.Doll Video Game, 5.Replace Assembly Equipment at Sacramento Facility and 6. In this year’s project, our idea was also to spend every penny of the budget we got because we went higher return. When we choose the first project, it’s kind of hard choose between ‘Acquisition of Children’s Magazine’ and ‘Acquisition of Electronic Toy Manufacturer’. They were both have limited time, high NPV and high 5 Yr. EBITDA. Finally we decided choose Acquisition of Children’s Magazine it has the highest NPV which is 28.96 million and highest IRR which is 19.52%. Even though this project do not have the highest 5 Yr. EBIDTA it has a lot less project costs and payback year. The second and third projects we choose was based on the NPV which were 8.31 million and 6.32 million and 5 Yr. EBIDTA which were 3.60 million and 4.61million. The forth and fifth project we choose were base on the IRR. The last project we choose was because we want higher return and the more projects we choose can bring us more net sales. This means we can have more net income. In 2012, our revenue was 314.13 million and the APV went to 437.09. The net income went to 19.97 million In 2012, we choose six projects to funding. They are: 1.’Design Your Own Doll’, 2.Toddlers Music CD Series, 3.Virtual Doll Community, 4.Bookstore Cafà © and  Writers’ Club, 5.Expansion to England and 6.EDI Supplier Software System. In this year’s projects, we use the same approach: spent every penny to get us the highest return. The four projects we made were based on the NPV which are 9.76million, 6.97million, 6.89million and 6.71 million. The last two projects we choose were because it has the low project cost among other projects we can choose. We spend all the penny we can use till we do not have enough money to buy another proj ect. This will bring us more return without a lot of costs. In 2013, our revenue rise to 358.41 million and the APV was 529.84. The net income in this year was 23.88 million. In 2013 we choose five projects to funding. They are: 1. Dollhouses with Miniature Dolls, 2.Children’s Accessories Line, 3.Cable TV Program, 4.Coupon Promotion/Frequent Shopper Campaign and 5. Young authors Book Series. The first two projects we choose is based on the 5 Yr. EBITDA. The high 5 Yr. EBITDA can bring us more profits in the future. The rest of our projects we choose was based on the IRR and project costs. The revenue was 393.43 million and APV was 597.79. Net income rise to 26.53 million.By using this strategy can help company get a big increase income and can contribute a lot of profit. However, according to the results we think this simulation can work for a long term. In this round, our strategy was very simple and different than before. We only seeking for projects which have high net present value (NPV) when we made decisions for the New Heritage Doll Company every year. In addition, the projects we chose had high risk. It is said that â€Å"Higher risk, higher reward, so we did not avoid high risk projects in this round. At last, we got a highest APV than before, was about 641.39. Current revenue was 372.10 and 24.45 in net income (Table 4). At first, we have budget constraint of 2010 was 8.9. Since we focus on Net Present Value this time, we choose â€Å"Match My Doll† Clothing Line, New Doll Film/DVD and Toddler Doll Accessory Line, because these three have higher NPV, which were 6.46, 9.37, and 7.15 respectively. The risk of â€Å"Match My Doll† Clothing Line project was high, the New Doll Film/DVD with medium risk, and Toddler Doll Accessory Line has low risk. After the selecting, we remain 1.14 budget. Then we moved to 2011, with the remained 1.14 previous  year, we had 10.04 budget constraints. With the same strategy, we choose â€Å"Grow with Me† Doll Line (NPV: 6.83) and Tween Book Series (NPV: 6.14) which two have high NPV. The â€Å"Grow with Me† Doll Line has high risk and Tween Book Series with low risk. Even though, the NPV of â€Å"Dolls of the World† Initiative and New East Distribution Facility projects have high NPV, we have not enough budgets to take those two projec ts. We also choose Expansion of Mail-order Catalog Business to Asia (1.57) although it has not high net present value, we afford it and the risk of the project is low. Moreover, we think it can increase sale for the company. With the selection above, we remain 2.44 budgets. The company APV in 2011, increase to 358.11. There comes to 2012, we had 11.34 budget constraint. We selected Acquisition of Electronic Toy Manufacturer (NPV: 16.34, high risk), â€Å"Match My Doll† Clothing Line Expansion of Concept (NPV: 8.31, medium risk) and â€Å"Dolls of the World† Initiative (NPV: 6.32, high risk) because of their high net present value. We chose Retail Store Expansion in Northeast (NPV: 5.49, high risk) was because it fit the company’s expansion strategy. Also, we selected Replace Assembly Equipment at Sacramento Facility project (NPV: 0.06) and New Inventory Control System for Warehouse project (NPV: 0.05) with both low risk, and Doll Video Game (1.06, medium) projects. T his time, we not only choose the project with high NPV, but also try to spend as much budget as we had. Through this way, the company NPV has a large increase and reach to 436.77. In the 2013, we have budget of 12.58. We chose six projects this year, they are EDI Supplier Software System(NPV:0.05, low risk), â€Å"Design Your Own Doll†(NPV: 9.76, high risk), Expansion to England( NPV:0.93, medium risk), Virtual Doll Community(NPV:5.04, high risk), Bookstore Cafà © and Writers’ Club(NPV:6.71, medium risk), and Toddlers Music CD Series(NPV:6.97, medium risk), remained 4.93 budget and got 577.45 in company NPV. Finally, in 2014, we had budget Constraint 13.83. We selected Dollhouses with Miniature Dolls (NPV: 9.09, high risk), Young Authors Book Series (NPV: 8.15, medium risk) and Coupon Promotion/Frequent Shopper Campaign (NPV: 6.04, low risk) because their high net present value. We also want to take Warehouse Facility Consolidation and New East Coast Distribution Facility, but we short of money. Finally, we remain 5.13 budget and got 641.39 in company NPV in 2014. Conclusion: Finally, according to our results, it turns out that to be safe is not always the best option on running a company. Sometimes you need to take some risk, it is not always a bad thing. So we decide to choose round 3 as our final option. The approach we use for this round is to focus on the high NPV and not avoid taking high risk objects as well, this seems like a good solution to choose our five year’s projects. Because this round have a long-term benefit, even though it does not went that well. From the cash flow statement, we can see that the net income rise every year and till 2024 the net income can reach 99.22 million.

Personal Experience That Changed My Life Essay

When will the government realize that public smoking is toxic to public health? Exposure to fumes can be just as unhealthy for a non-smoker as it is for the smoker. Smoking should be banned in public because people are exposed to hazardous smoke in many places, a ban can lead to prevention and quitting of smoking and second hand smoke can cause many illnesses and diseases. People are exposed to second hand smoke in many places and it is very dangerous. Homes, cars, and work are some places where exposure occurs (Secondhand Smoke). By allowing smokers to smoke in those places, we are putting others at risk of smoking-related problems. Furthermore, the most dangerous gases feature in the highest levels within side stream smoke (Few Facts). Due to this, there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke (Secondhand Smoke). People are at great chance of disease and illness by just walking past a smoker. Smoke free environments can lead to more smokers quitting and less non-smokers st arting to smoke. In a survey, it was reported that about 7 out of 10 smokers want to quit, and they believe that a smoke-free environment will help them (A few facts). Read more:  Essay on an Experience That Changed Your Life When a smoker tries to quit, they may see others smoking in public and this can cause an urge to smoke. Each day more than 3800 people under 18 try their first cigarette (Fast Facts). Of those 3800, 1000 begin smoking cigarettes on a daily basis (Fast Facts). When kids see people smoking, they may think that it’s â€Å"cool† and they will try smoking for the same reason. Although, smoking is not healthy, the government gets much needed money from cigarettes and banning public smoking would decrease the income. In 2011, state governments received $25.3 billion from tobacco taxes and legal settlements (Fast Facts). However, is it really worth it getting money from something that causes cancer and other illnesses? People die from second hand smoke and now the government is getting money from the source. Even with the income the government receives, the price of smoking outweighs that profit by about nine to one. Second hand smoke can cause many serious illnesses and diseases. For example, the chance of lung cancer is increased by 16-19% when in contact with second hand smoke (Few Facts). Second hand smoke increases the risk of heart disease by 25-35% (Few Facts).People are exposed to smoke in many places so the risks of diseases related to smoking are increasing even in non-smokers. In addition, children exposed to second hand smoke have an increased risk of colds, pneumonia, bronchitis, and asthma (Secondhand Smoke). This can lead to many lost days of school, hospitalizations, and in some cases, even death in children. In conclusion, public smoking is a danger to smokers, as well as non-smokers and should be banned entirely. Starting a petition, contacting a senator or representative, just trying to raise awareness about this issue will help to get it resolved. Second hand smoke is a risk to everyone and public smoking allows it to reach all types of people. Knowing about the dangers of public smoking can result in healthier people and a brighter future for everyone.

Technology and How It Has Improved Housekeeping Operations Research Paper Example

Technology and How It Has Improved Housekeeping Operations Research Paper Example Technology and How It Has Improved Housekeeping Operations Paper Technology and How It Has Improved Housekeeping Operations Paper Technology and how it has improved Housekeeping Operations A Thesis Submitted By Lerone McDonald (ID#)-10T10553 In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science In Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment Management Excelsior Community College Date: February 28, 2013 According to â€Å"dictionary. reference. com† technology is the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society, and the environment, drawing upon such subjects as industrial arts, engineering, applied science, and pure science. Technology can also be referred to as the making, modification, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems, and methods of organization, in order to solve a problem, improve a preexisting solution to a problem. Technology also refers to the collection of such tools, including machinery, modifications, arrangements and procedures. Technologies significantly affect human resources as well as other areas of the Hotel industry, more so the Housekeeping Department/area. Housekeeping is the act of cleaning the rooms and furnishings of rooms. It is one of the many duties included in the term Housekeeping. Some duties included in the Housekeeping Operations are, but not limited to: Disposing of rubbish Changing washing bed linens Cleaning dirty surfaces/areas Dusting and vacuuming Removing leaves from rain gutters Washing windows and sweeping doormats. The Housekeeping Operations Department is responsible for the cleaning and he upkeep of the Hotel’s guests’ areas, to ensure the areas look better, safer and easier for clients/guest to be accommodated. The housekeeping department plays a very important and vital role in the hotel industry, without such a department lime scale can build up on taps, mold grows in wet areas, bacterial action make the garbage disposal and toilet smell and cobwebs accumulate. Some items that are commonly found in the Housekeeping department are: Vacuum Cleaners Brooms Mops and Sponges Detergents Disinfectants Bleach etc. There are several technologies that have helped to enhance and make the housekeeping department more efficient. Information and communications technology (ICT), is often used as an extended synonym for information technology (IT), but is a more specific term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals), computers as well as necessary enterprise software, middleware, storage, and audio-visual systems, which enable users to access, store, transmit, and manipulate information. This speaks to the many different types of equipment/infrastructure that can be found embedded within the hotel industry to make work in the Housekeeping Department/area more effective and efficient. Some of these are, but not limited to: PA System Pagers/fax Intercom Inventory Management System Intranet/internet/computers and Biometric System Innovations in the communication system such as the use of the intercom system which is much like the Private Branch Exchange (PBX) makes it easier for the front desk to contact the housekeeping department for any request. Using one line for multiple telephones, you only need to dial a phone number that only requires three-digits or four which is assigned to every department of the hotel. The use of the desktop is very common in the current generation of hotel services. In contrast to the previous hotels, they used manual handwriting, and that also entails a lot of papers that could possible take up a lot of work space. With the use of the computer hardware system, which includes, the keyboard, the monitor, the mouse, and certain pre-installed application into the computer, paperwork and writing may not necessary. There is also software known as the Navis Housekeeping Management system which is used by the housekeeping department to properly monitor room statuses and cleaning of rooms. Once rooms have be cleaned, the information is entered into the Navis Housekeeping Management System which will allow easy access by housekeeping and the front desk department, by doing this both departments are able to know the rooms that are available and also their status. These kinds of hardware also help in the strict monitoring of guests reservation which the housekeeping department have access to so that they will be aware of the amount of guests that have made reservations. This information is vital as it allows the housekeeping department to prepare the rooms beforehand and also to ensure that enough rooms are available to meet the demands. This type of technology also assists with scheduling of housekeeping staff and also to ensure par stock amounts are up to date. Green Technology speaks to the environmental technology (envirotech), clean technology (cleantech) is the application of one or more of environmental science, green chemistry, environmental monitoring and electronic devices to monitor, model and conserve the natural environment and resources, and to curb the negative impacts of human involvement on the environment depletion. Green Technology is also used to describe sustainable energy generation technologies such as photovoltaic’s, wind turbines, bioreactors and solar systems. Sustainable development is the core of environmental technologies. The term environmental technology is also used to describe a class of electronic devices that can promote sustainable management of resources. Green technology is being introduced in all sectors of production and more so in companies and the hotel industry is one such sector. Green technology not only benefits the hotel but it also helps the guest to appreciate the hotel and its environs more. Below are a few direct quotes from which were taken from ecomall. om about different green technology that are being instituted at some hotels. 1. Every morning at our front desk you will hear our guest’s remark in wonder over how well they slept last night, general manager Natalie Marquis says. I believe one reason we get this strong positive feedback is because we stopped using chemical pesticides 20 years ago. Our rooms are ecologically fresh, which allows the human body to relax, enabling our guests to experience a be tter sleep than in other hotels that use pesticides and toxic cleaning chemicals, or even in the guests own homes. 2. Patricia Griffin, president of the Green Hotel Association. She started the association 15 years ago after visiting Europe and learning how hotel quests respond positively to requests for non-daily sheet and towel cycling as a way to save energy and water, and reduce the use of cleaning products. Today you will find her associations desk cards in hotel rooms across America, suggesting to guests that they help the environment by not requesting daily towel and bed-linen cleaning. Various types of technologies are being implemented so as to assist a hotel to become more eco-friendly, one such technology which was developed is the first environmentally smart hotel, yes! Smart Hotel! The Sheraton Rittenhouse is setting a precedent, and is part of an industry that is keen on cleaning for health, and for the environment. The hotel uses 100 percent organic cotton bed-sheets, chemical-free laundry cycles, energy-efficient light bulbs, and palm trees in the lobby with a superb oxygenation rate. Also the lobby’s reception desk is made from recycled soda bottles. A source from the Hotel’s housekeeping operations department also disclosed that all cleaning chemicals are all non-toxic, water-based, hypoallergenic and biodegradable. â€Å"Green-cleaning products also lead to lower regulatory costs, because managers have fewer toxic chemicals to track and fewer chemical-related injuries† added our source. Global Trends in housekeeping speaks to various activities and planned implementations. There are many different trends that are emerging not just within the hotel industry but specifically the housekeeping department. A few trends within the housekeeping department have been identified and are illustrated below. 1. PureRooms- a new company from the US introduced the group to allergy friendly rooms. PureRooms prepare and treat guest rooms; the process removes up to 99% of pollutants from the air, to let your guests breathe easy. It also protects from irritants such as mould, viruses, bacteria, pollen, and yeast to eliminating odours at the source and leaving the room smelling fresh. Rooms treated by PureRooms can be sold with a surcharge. The treatments include; all air conditioning units cleaned and treated with the installation of tea tree oil in the drip pan of the a/c unit, all surfaces in the room treated with PURE clean solution, high ozone shock treatment, PURE shield bacteria barrier, installation in every room of the electronic air purifier and allergy friendly bed encasements. 2. Inner Scents- an Australian invention of guest products that have an aromatherapy component to their manufacture. Ironing board covers which waft with subtle smells of herbs are a part of this company’s line of products along with other products such as pillow inserts. 3. Optii Solutions- introduced a new Housekeeping software system Optii Keeper, which revolutionizes the way housekeeping operates. This is the worlds first automated, intelligent housekeeping solution for hotels developed by Hoteliers for Hoteliers and with Housekeepers for Housekeepers in conjunction with Intercontinental Hotel Group. Optii Keeper has proven to save up to 20% of housekeeping payroll costs and up to 40% of Supervisor time. It eliminates 80% of phone calls between front office and housekeeping departments and creates a motivating environment by fairly spreading workloads among team members ( optiisolutions. com/en/index. php? id=1, 2012). This helps to improve quality and staff morale and the system saves at least two hours every morning by automating the room allocation process at the push of a button. The housekeeping management team can see in real time if the housekeeping teams are ahead of schedule, on time or behind schedule and the system virtually eliminates the current expense of overstaffing or understaffing by forecasting staffing needs. Conclusion Modern technology is a driving force behind the overall development and sustainability of many sectors and the tourism sector is one such, which has benefited immensely from the advancement in technology, more specifically the housekeeping operations of hotels. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is one such advancement in technology which has positively impacted the housekeeping department. Technology has also helped to better manage the housekeeping departments more effectively and efficiently. Green technology is another element that has greatly impacted the operations of the housekeeping department through programs such as eco-friendly rooms and smart hotels. Advancement in Green technology has helped the housekeeping department manage its resources better. With more and more hotels adopting Green technology this sees them becoming more environmentally friendly. Global trends also impacts on the operations of the housekeeping department, as new technologies have and are being developed to improve the overall efficiency of housekeeping operations. Trends such as new and improved technologies that foster effective communication between housekeeping and all other departments, advanced equipment such as washers that do everything from dispensing of cleaning agents in correct amounts and the correct type of linen, are just a few global trends which have emerged within the housekeeping department. In concluding, the housekeeping department has been impacted by technology in many ways. The advancements in technology have allowed the housekeeping to be more efficient and effective in performing its functions to the highest level. References Books and Printed Document: Brewer, P. et al. (2008). Current and Future Use in the Hospitality Industry. Bunduhn, R. (2010). Hotel Industry Urged to get Technology Up to Speed. The National Gretzel, U. et al. (2010). Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2010. SpringerWienNewYork. Ferdinand Berger SohneGesellschaftm. b. H. , 3580 Horn, Austria Internet sources: (n. d. ). Retrieved from entrepreneur. com/article/201838 (n. d. ). Retrieved from ecomall. com/greenshopping/1greencleaning. htm

Mahavellis belief of human nature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mahavellis belief of human nature - Essay Example e writing on the subject of the dos and don’ts of a prince in governing a state, he questions the traditional moral values and Christian virtues that propound the philosophy of truth and honesty. On the contrary he elaborates on the advantages of being manipulative and opportunistic (Mostafa). He argues that it is not for the prince to follow the path of absolute truth and morality as he believes them to create problems in maintaining law and order within the state and the people. He further justifies the trait of hypocrisy as essential in sustaining political career. In other words Machiavelli eulogizes those aspects that Christianity condemns for being lowly and disgraceful. Machiavelli with all his radical statements is often placed against Plato who too dictated the rules of a welfare state but on completely different ideological conditions (Blanchard). It might be said that Machiavelli represents the Renaissance spirit of man as the independent soul aspiring to scale great heights of fame and power. Though his thoughts on the free will of man are appreciated but his idea of weighing everything including humanity and morality in terms of profitable return is criticized (Blanchard). However it becomes evident that Machiavelli shows no regard for humanity and draws a clear cut difference between the ruler and the subjects with the former having all his sympathies. That he was no philanthropist is obvious from his snide remarks on the character of all commonplace mortals. His aversion for humankind shows in his conceptualization of the welfare state and the attributes of the leader, the prince. Had he been a little more sensitive and compassionate he might have noticed the ruthlessness of his ideas and his own pre-conditioned mind set. Unlike the fundamental Christian concept that human being is essentially good, Machiavelli thinks that most human beings are essentially vile. In this respect he does not spare Christ whom he considers a foreigner with the

Airport Security Checkpoints Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Airport Security Checkpoints - Research Paper Example There is no single solution of SSCP design that will work for all airport terminals given the variation in designs and operational requirements. (Elias, 2009) A number of methods and technologies can be used to implement SSCP including walk through metal detectors, X-ray device for whole body scanning, carry-on baggage x-ray and explosive detection systems (EDS). Among these technologies and methods, X-ray machine for whole body scanning such as X-ray Backscatter technology proves to be efficient and convenient for passenger screening.(Elias, 2009) X-ray Backscatter is one of the best screening technologies as far as airport SSCP is concerned given that it has the potential to accomplish what most of the other technologies have failed to accomplish in terms of passenger and language screening. Even though, the technology is considered to be the closest solution to a perfect airline travel safety, privacy issues have been brought to light on the type of imaging on the passengers. X-ray Backscatter uses x-ray beam which are capable of digitally striping a passenger and in the process reveal such contraband materials as liquid explosives, ceramic knives or drugs which are may have passed undetected by conventional x-ray machines and metal detectors. (Hicks, 2010) X-ray Backscatter technology stores images produced when organic objects scatter x-ray photons. The lower periodic table elements have a high capability of scattering photons while those items such as metals absorb more photon. The technology uses this principle to correlate measure and produce an image of the scanned object. The technology has the ability to penetrate items such as clothing and baggage that are usually used to conceal dangerous objects such as weapons and explosives. Unlike the convectional X- ray machines which produce blurry images, X-ray backscatter produces clear images which are easily interpreted and