King Devanampiyatissa Essay

During the reign of king Asoka of india,Srilanka was ruled by king Tissa who was the second son of kung Muthaseeva. King Asoka and King Tissa were very close friends. Kung Tissa sent delegation to meet kingAsoka with several gifts. The leader of that group was Prince Maha Aritta who was the nephew of King Tissa. This delegation was ceremoniously received by Emperor Asoka. This delegation spent about 5 months in India. King Asoka sent back alarge collection of precious onaments required in a coronation as a gift. It consisted of swords and valuable ornaments. Also the following message was sent: â€Å"I have surrended myself to the triple gem. Oh my friend, you too submit yourself to the triple gem.† The King was very much pleased with the message the envoys brought back. He held a second coronation with ornaments King Asoka had sent. Also the King waz given an honorary title â€Å"Devanampiya† that was used by Mourya rulers ti which Emperor Asoka belonged. From that day king Tissa was called â€Å"Devanampiyatissa† The most important outcone of the friendship of the two kingswas the introduction of Buddism to Srilanka. King Asoka sent several missions to preach buddism to this country. Mihindu Thera who was the son of kung Asoka brought Buddism to Srilanka after 3rd Dharma Sangayana Along with Mihindu Thera came Arhat Thera named Ittiya, Uttiya, Sambala,Baddadala anf Sumana a young monk and Bhanduka on a pposon full moon day at Mihinthale. Mihindu Thera preached the † Chulla Hattipadopama Suthraya† to king and his group . Upon listening to the sermon the king and the people readily embraced Buddism and surrendered to the triple gem.

Favorite teacher Essay

My favorite teacher is Mrs. Auguste. She is a great teacher because she is nice and cares for her students. Mrs. Auguste is one teacher that will listen to her students and help them with problems that don’t just include her classroom studies. If I ever need to talk to someone about anything she’s always there. Mrs. Auguste will be greatly missed when I leave after 12th grade. She has been with Miami Jackson Senior High School for a couple of years and is very deserving of this honor. You are an exceptional teacher. When I first met you in research class you were cool and very down to earth. I love you not only as a teacher but as family. Whenever I and Stephanie need advice you kept it real with us. You were the only one of my teachers who really understood me. While other teachers do teach their classes well, you teach in a fun and exciting way. You help me learn by making your class a great learning experience and engaging at the same time. Even when I already had lunch and still was hungry you would feed me. Food is the best way to my heart but you already know that! I consider you a second mom to me. You are caring, very funny, honest, loyal and loving. There was never a dull moment in your class. One event that I still remember was when me,Stephenie, and Melissa were sitting at our favorite lab station and Keivonnis came over and started bothering us and me and him started arguing, you kept saying y’all like each other and I kept denying and me and Stephenie started laughing and called you palm tree because you had a retwist. That was the funniest day in your class but there were plenty more. We had good laughs from the start of class to the end. I use to come in class twerking everywhere LOL!! I loved your class and now I miss it. I just wanted to say thank you for being such a wonderful educator as well as a person. From the first day, I came into your class and experienced your way of teaching I knew that this was going to be a very fun and interesting class. Ever since I was in high school, I looked at Research as just being another subject that I had to pass. However, since being in your class I have seen the importance of science. I have learned that it is not only essential and beneficial. I love your demeanor of teaching. Most teachers just take the material given to them and give it to the student expecting them to understand fully. These teachers are the ones who view education and learning as a one-way street, however you are opposite. You are the true representation of a great educator. You care about the understanding of your students and actually are open to learn from them. You are the only teacher I know that puts up with my craziness. Others think I’m being rude when I am really not but you know my intentions and I love you for that. I wish you the best of luck with everything. I love you and I’m going to miss you when I graduate but you are stuck with me for another year. I’m really glad I met you. Sincerely, Your daughter from another mother Alexus!

Lotf essays

Defend and/or criticize Ralph's actions as leader. What were his motivations? Did he contribute to the tragedy in any way? Could he have acted to prevent any of the deaths? What would you have done differently in his situation? . Describe the religious imagery in Lord of the Flies: the forces of good and evil, a all from grace, a savior, and eventual redemption. How does Goldings depiction of the island compare to the Garden of Eden? 3. Some readers of Lord of the Flies have argued that each and every one of the boys' actions is nothing more than an attempt to survive in difficult conditions. Think about the mounting of the sows head, Simon's ascent up the mountain, and the murder of Piggy in particular, as well as any other key scenes that stand out for you.Is it fair to say that the boys' actions were merely the result of the human survival instinct? Why or why not? If so, can you use these examples to draw some general conclusions bout the human instinct to survive? 4. Support the argument that Simon is a â€Å"Christ Figure. † Do you agree or disagree with the idea that Simon is a Christ Figure? Discuss the development of this character from the frail, shy, fainting kid to the well-developed character that faces the Lord of the Flies and the beast, eventually being sacrificed as a result. . The conch is an all-important symbol in the novel. It is almost a character in its own right. Trace the development of this symbol. How does Golding develop this shell into this symbol? Discuss what it means, and the effect it has on the group of oys, from the first assembly to its eventual destruction. You may want to include in your discussion its relation to characters like Ralph, Piggy, or even Jack. 6. Discuss the development of one of the major characters (Ralph, Piggy, Simon, Jack).How do they change from beginning to end? Is the change a â€Å"good† change, or a â€Å"bad† one? Be sure to support you response with specific examples from the t ext, as well as information you learned from class discussions (Simon as Christ Figure, or Piggy as representative of knowledge, etc. ) 7. Another topic that you feel strongly about – you have to prove a thesis using a upported argument, and your topic must be approved by me before you begin.

Vision and Mission of Japan Airline Group Essay

Vision and Mission of Japan Airline Group - Essay Example It embraces complying with environmental laws and regulations, promoting efficient use of energy and resources, waste reduction and recycling, selecting environment-friendly products, and social contributions. The Japan Airlines Group Code of Conduct clearly articulates the values that the company pursues with regard to different aspects of its business activities. On the other hand, the group’s vision statement, although stating how the company sees its development and emphasizing global expansion, specifics of the supporting industry, and focus on differentiation, would benefit from more precise and quantifiable approach to what the Japan Airlines want to become. For instance, their vision statement may be â€Å"to become the world leading company in terms of safety† or â€Å"#1 Airline in the flights within Asian region†. The mission statement of the JAL Group is as follows: â€Å"Proud to be the largest domestic network in the industry, we bring peoples, their cultures and their hearts closer together, contributing to peace and prosperity in Japan and beyond. All this is predicated on a relentless commitment to flight safety. We strive to become a world-class air transportation group, one that is consistently chosen by our customers, and maximizes corporate value in pursuit of our fundamental policy of sharing the value we create with all our stakeholders. The JAL Group now is spreading new wings of trust, preparing for a renewed push forward† (Annual Report 2005, retrieved April 12, 2006). Overall, the mission statement of the Japan Airline Group can be assessed very positively. It reflects the company’s philosophy and its self-concept, clearly indicates what products and markets the company offers, how it sees its role in the society and what are the factors contributing to its success and growth.

The Rise of E-Business in the Music Industry (I like this topic Term Paper

The Rise of E-Business in the Music Industry (I like this topic because Im a Musician) - Term Paper Example Management information systems store and organize data such that useful analysis can be done on it for the betterment of the respective e-business company. 1. Introduction The advent of computers has caused an effect on almost every walk of life. The technological advancement has created many opportunities in numerous fields, ranging from medicine to education, travel to business. The field of business has seen revolutionary changes that have made it more structured and accessible. The invention of e-commerce or e-business has given the organizations an excellent opportunity to access millions of consumers on the web. SearchCIO.com, (2010) explained that e-business can be defined as the conduct of business by means of the incorporation of technology; it also refers to the buying or selling of products and services on the internet. E-business has made its place in a diverse range of areas for example, book stores, hotel booking, airline tickets, movies and music etc. E-business has no t only provided convenience to the consumer but it has also generated new avenues for the organizations to earn profits since it tends to reach a greater market segment than the conventional mode of business. 2. Overview The 20th century witnessed the evolution of different types of formats of music. The long playing (LP) record albums were famous and adapted by people for many years. A gramophone was needed to play the records. Then, the music lovers saw the advent of cassettes that could be played in comparatively smaller players. The size of the cassettes was smaller than the records therefore it was considered to be more manageable by the people. Cassettes became the main source of revenue for the music companies between the 1970s and 1990s. Later in 1990s, the invention of compact discs (CDs) improved the quality of music and became a new source of income for the music companies. The quality of sound improved with the invention of the CD therefore that technology started gainin g more fame than cassettes. The advent of the 21st century brought an unexpected change for the music business. It was a new music format that did not depend on any physical device like a cassette or CD- MP3. MP3 format could be saved in any computing device thereby changing conventional form of music to digital music. 3. Negative side of Digital Music The concept of digital music took a negative turn in 1999 when a young man named Shawn Fanning created the platform of ‘Napster’. According to Greenfeld, Taylor and Thigpen (2000); Napster was a file sharing platform that allowed the users to share files amongst each other on the internet. Instant messaging and search options were some of the features that allowed the users to find their desired music on the web. This platform gave the users an opportunity to listen to music without any expense. It is due to this reason that Napster became very famous and starting harming the music companies to a great extent. It was a ce ntralized platform which became the reason for its downfall. Olsen (2003) provided the information that Universal Music Group and EMI filed a suit against Napster for the illegal downloads that were allowed under the respective technology. The website was shutdown in the early years of the 21st century and stopped piracy of digital music. This was a big step for the music label companies as they were able to put a stop to a huge

Causes of school Violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Causes of school Violence - Essay Example In this paper, I am going to argue that domestic abuse, anger, overcrowded schools, medical problems, and gang activities cause school violence. First, school violence is caused by domestic violence. This is because the students who face a lot of domestic violence at home become violent too. Domestic violence include insults and physical violence. The students who face this problem at home become violent and therefore become dangerous at school. Students who are abused at home carry this violent attitude to their school and start molesting the other students (â€Å"School Violence† web). Such students accept domestic violence as a way of life and thus they see it as normal to molest fellow students in school. The schools that have many students are likely to have more violence. Overcrowded schools especially the schools that are in low income areas report many cases of school violence. We can argue that overcrowding in schools makes it difficult for teachers and school management to control students. Therefore, the students get the chance to molest and beat other students since it is difficult to catch them (â€Å"Constitutional Rights Foundation† web). Maintaining discipline in overcrowded schools is also difficult and thus, many students will have discipline issues which results to school violence. It is also true that overcrowded schools get students from poor and low income families. It is claimed that â€Å"Race and ethnicity, income levels, and other measurable elements have often been singled out by public heath experts as risk factors that can contribute to anti-social behavior, from smoking and drinking to violent behavior and suicide† (â€Å"Constitutional Rights Foundation† web). For example, children from low income families and slums attend overcrowded schools. Since there is a lot of violence in low income families and slum neighborhoods, students coming from these neighborhoods bring violence

Means of Education Quality Improvement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Means of Education Quality Improvement - Essay Example The overall quality of education can be enhanced by eliminating the grading and reporting system. Educators should not rely on grades while judging the student’s command over any subject. It is hard to judge the academic performance of a student through a single alphabetic letter. It has been observed that letter grades are not sufficient enough to evaluate the academic performance of a student, however, detailed reporting methods can fairly justify the student’s command and these methods can help a student for his self-evaluation in a more purposeful manner. According to Alfie Kohn, grading system can make a student lose his interest from his studies, therefore, these methods should not be considered as vital tools for motivation. He has further suggested that students do not take their studies seriously; they focus more on achieving good grades rather taking their studies as a mode of learning and self-development which can hinder the process of learning as well as it can also adversely affect the thought process in a student. In his essay, â€Å"From Degrading to De-Grading† Alfie Kohn has emphasized the need of grading-free education system because this would enable the students to take more challenging assignments, raise the competition and make them think out-of-the-box whereas in traditional grading system students focus more on acquiring an â€Å"A† grade by taking the easiest assignments and putting comparatively fewer efforts than by taking any challenging hard assignments.

Challenges Facing Destination Managers at Sydney for thr Essay

Challenges Facing Destination Managers at Sydney for thr Infrastructure of the Place - Essay Example The marketability of any particular tourist destination largely depends on the perceptions of different market areas. Such perceptions may be varied in nature. Huge investments are made on a regular basis by several countries to make a destination successfully available to the tourists (Beirman, 2003, pp.3-4). A country, trying to provide its tourists with different facilities, also has to encounter several challenges associated with the facilities and services. With the growing competition in the industry, the complexities have increased to great extents leading to greater problems with tourist destinations (Bramwell & Lane, 2004, p.78). The present study has considered Sydney as the tourism destination for study and discusses about the challenges encountered by the destination managers in the city. Sydney is the oldest, largest and the most popular city in the country of Australia. Both business and arts of the country are mostly delivered by this city. It is one of the most attrac tive places in the world delivering scenic beauty, geographical locations of waters as well as leisure activities. There are mountains as well as seas, along with several inland waterways and national parks (Sydney- General Information, n.d.). Sydney as a Tourist Destination: Sydney presents several places to visit for the tourists thus attracting visitors from across the world. Australia’s diverse wildlife, the galleries representing art, Sydney Opera House delivering beautiful performances and convict heritage site are all listed in the World Heritage list. Visitors can spend several hours at these places. The places also offer meals and leisure activities for the visitors. There are thrilling experiences for the kids as well delivered by places like the Taronga Zoo or Featherdale Widlife Park. Other tourist attractions that are of significant attractions include Luna Park, a fun-packed, harbourside amusement park and Sydney Tower Eye. The Sydney Tower is the uppermost spot above Sydney consisting several views of the harbour, beaches as well as the Blue Mountains (Sydney Attraction, n.d.). The Blue Mountains Region in Sydney has in the recent years attracted the most numbers of visitors. It has proved to be a place for immense recreation and relaxation. In the 1990s, the area had lacked its image particularly owing to the iconic natural and built assets. Later there have been several initiatives to improve the region and in the present times, the region drags â€Å"a large share of the tourism market† (Blue Mountains Regional Tourism Plan 2004-2007, n.d.). A tourism plan is also involved in this regard that has been consulted with several stakeholders. The target markets have also been segmented accordingly and these include the luxury travelers, the adventure travelers, the touring travelers, the peer group travelers as well as the family travelers. Both domestic and international visitors are targeted in this regard with the international co untries including UK, Germany and USA. The experiences of the nature, the heritage, the arts and culture, and the indulgence and rejuvenation have been the major appeals of this region (Blue Mountains Regional Tourism Plan 2004-2007, n.d.). Competitors of Sydney in the tourism market include other Australian cities like Melbourne, as well as other regional competitors like Singapore, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur. This competition has led to a need for Sydney to market and promote their tourism in the industry

Policy analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Policy analysis - Assignment Example For instance, calculation of the costs and benefits that are valued in executing a water project today is bound to change in the coming years. Consumer price index is the absolute measure of price levels of consumer products whose calculation is based on the product type, region, and buying power of consumers. The price index is usually a fixed value that is set by a regulatory body, for instance, the department of labor in US. The value is based on a fixed weight price of goods that consumers purchase in every month (Adler & Posner, 2006). However, inflation is the measure of the increase in price levels in the economy in average terms. Its value is dependent on market forces since most economies operate under a free market system where forces of demand and supply play a crucial role. Therefore, the main reason why CPI overstates the value of inflation is because CPIs determination is done by an authorized body while inflation rate is determined by the market forces. The CPI figure is based on predictable parameters, and it is fixed for a period while inflationary changes are unpredictable. Indeed, economic value of life is dependent greatly on how one maximizes on the potential loss within the earning system. The value of lost earnings affects individual’s capacity for meeting certain life objectives due to eminent constraints. As noted by various economists, lost time, leads to lost earnings that in turn expose one to diminishing life value. Therefore, the assertion that economic value of life should be based on the present value of lost earnings instead of current earnings is real. Statistical reports from various empirical studies also affirm the fact that lost earnings exposes individuals to serious risks. Lost time has immense negative economic connotations that can be mitigated through effective measures. Willingness-to-pay measures that are based on

The population dynamics of the grizzly bears Literature Review Essay

The population dynamics of the grizzly bears Literature Review - Essay Example Although the population of each group can fluctuate through death and birth rates, with their own probability of going extinct, these groups can also be supported by other groups through occasional contact. The dynamics of these groups are different not only because their living environments and landscapes are not always equally suitable, but also because of their proximity, or lack of it, to other groups. Limited contact with other groups can force one of these smaller groups to become extinct, leading to the collapse of the entire species if too many groups die out. There are several different ways in which a metapopulation might be organized though, not all fitting this classic definition. For instance, the group could have a core group, from which several subgroups branch off and / or rejoin later. There are also situations in which all members of a species exist in small patches that remain more closely entwined with each other, saving each other from extinction and freely passi ng members from one patch or subgroup to another. There are also situations in which subgroups are sparsely distributed over adequate environments to such an extent that they have no capacity to reach each other and some appropriate living areas remain void of this species.

The KFC Business Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The KFC Business Model - Essay Example From 1900-1924, Sanders held a variety of jobs. In 1930, in the midst of the depression, Sanders opened his first restaurant in the small front room of a gas station in Corbin, Kentucky. Sanders served as a station operator, chief cook, and cashier. He named the dining area "Sanders Court & Cafà ©." In 1936, Kentucky Governor Ruby Laffoon made Sanders an honorary Kentucky Colonel in recognition of his contributions to the cuisine of the state. The pressure cooker was introduced. Colonel Sanders began using it to fry his chickens to give customers fresh chickens faster. 1940 was the birthdate of the original recipe.The Colonel began franchising his chicken business in 1952 by traveling from town to town and cooking batches of chicken for restaurant owners and employees. The Colonel awarded Pete Harman of Salt Lake City with the first KFC franchise. A handshake agreement stipulated a payment of a nickel to Sanders for each chicken sold. Sanders sold his interest in the U.S. company fo r $2 million to a group of investors headed by John Y. Brown Jr., future governor of Kentucky. The Colonel remained as a public spokesman for the company. In 1966, the KFC went public. KFC was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1969. More than 3,500 franchised and company-owned restaurants were in worldwide operation when Heublein Inc. acquired KFC Corporation in 1971. On 16 December 1980, Colonel Harland Sanders, who came to symbolize quality in the food industry, died of leukemia. Flags in all Kentucky state buildings fly at half-staff for four days. PepsiCo, Inc. acquired KFC from RJR Nabisco, Inc. In 1997 PepsiCo, Inc. announced the spin-off of its quick service restaurants - KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut - into Tricon Global Restaurants, Inc. In 2002, Tricon Global Restaurants, Inc., the worlds largest restaurant company, changed its corporate name to YUM! Brands, Inc.

Nature vs. Nurture Essay Example for Free

Nature vs. Nurture Essay It is a matter of concern whether human behaviors and characteristics are determined by nature or nurture. If a person’s behavior is inherited directly from the genes of his/her parents or other biological factors, then it is the nature that determines his character. But if the environment that a person grew up in, affects his behavior, then it is the nurture that determines his/her character. It became a great matter of controversy among scientists, psychologists and sociologists. Previously, many people believed that human behavior was instinctive. It can neither be taught nor learned. But later some psychologists came to the conclusion that human behavior is learned throughout the lifetime which is not instinctive. I believe that it is the combination of both nature and nurture that determine one’s characteristics. Nature only or nurture only cannot be the determining factors for one’s behavior and characteristic. A person’s behavior is determined by the equal blend of nature and nurture. Brent Staples in his essay â€Å"Black Men and Pubic Space† proves that one’s character cannot always be determined by their race which is a biological factor or one’s upbringing and society. But both the nature and the nurture affect the way one behaves, â€Å"I grew up one of the good boys, had perhaps a half dozen fistfights. In retrospect, my shyness of combat has clear sources† (Staples 315). Although the society he lived in was not good, he became a good person. It might be because of his behavior inherited from his parents and the good manner he was taught by his parents. So both nature and nurture by his parents work here and the environment of bad people didn’t affect his behavior. However, he once says that â€Å"Women are particularly vulnerable to street violence, and young black males are drastically overrepresented among the perpetrators of that violence† (Staples315). This makes the reader little confuse whether he himself is b eing racist, but he is actually trying to explain that particularly African American males commit crimes more than others because of the environment they grew up in and the choice they made. This may not be because of particularly being a black man, but because of the culture he has adopted since his childhood. Here he somehow takes the side of nurture. Many black people are assumed to be criminals. People judge them just by their appearance and the impression black people have made in today’s world. But this does not always mean that every black people are criminals and it’s  their biological factor that makes them do crimes. We can take the example of Brent Staple. Even though he was an educated and good person, many people and especially white women fear of him. But he was neither an uneducated person nor a criminal. He was brought up in a good family and properly nurtured by his parents. Therefore, nurturing became the factor for his behavior. Similarly, there are examples given by another author Amy Cunningham in her essay, â€Å"Why Women Smile†. Although she focuses primarily on a smile, she tends to explain the actual cause of one’s behavior. She explains that a smile or particularly a women’s smile comes from both natural happiness as well as the hope of people living around them,  "The behavior seems to be an equal blend of nature and nurture† (Cunningham 190). She further explains that both a normal baby and a blind baby smiles, although it may take a little longer for the blind one. It means that the smiles are natural and should not be taught in all cases. However, there are situations where people and especially women are social pressurized to smile and show a good behavior even if they don’t want to, â€Å"Evidently, a woman’s happy, willing deference is something the world wants visibly demonstrated† (Cunningham 191). It is both natural as well as nurtured along with the situations. For example: It is more likely for a child to be a doctor in the future if his dad is a doctor too. Nature plays an important role here because the intelligence of the child is inherited from his father. But if the child is not given proper care of his education or if the parents encourage him to be something rather than doctor, he may choose other professions too. If the child is given proper care and if he is psychologically prepared that he should be a doctor in the future, nature and nurture plays equal role. There are many debates still going on whether human behavior is affected by nature or nurture. Many psychologists and scientists are still researching on whether it is one’s genes or the environment that affects one’s behavior. Yes, one’s genes affect their characteristics but the environment they are cultured in also affects the way they take actions. Since childhood, people are taught moral education at school and home. They learn how to talk, behave, act and respond. These all are nurture. If they are given good lessons, they will be able to be good in the future. But if one does not get proper guidance, he will turn out to be a morally bad person. These are the examples of human behavior affected by  nurture. When we think about nature, different personality of people develops according to the genetics tendencies. For example it is likely for a person to have the habit of being aggressive if his father or his mother or any of his biological family has the same habit. Also there are many styles of talking, eating or walking that are inherited by oneâ €™s parents or biological family. Paul Theroux somehow agrees the equality of nature and nurture. In his essay â€Å"Being a Man†, he explains how nature and nurture has affected a man to be like a man. According to him a girl since her childhood is encouraged to behave in a cute way but a boy is instructed to behave roughly or so called manly, â€Å"It begins with mother encouraging little girls to say (to other adults? â€Å"Do you like my new dress?† In a sense, little girls are traditionally urged to please adults with a kind of coquettishness, while boys are enjoined to behave like monkeys toward each other.† (Theroux177). This shows how a girl and a boy are nurtured differently which determines their characteristics. Healso takes the side of nature where some different behavior between men and women comes naturally, â€Å"Femininity- being lady-like-implies needing a man as witness and seducer: but masculinity celebrates the exclusive company of men† (Theroux177). We can know from th is that not only a nature of a girl or a boy separates each other from their behavior but also their parents or the environment or the nurturer encourage them to behave separately. Therefore, the behavior is determined by both nature and nurture. In conclusion, it can be stated that human behavior are both the result of nature and nurture. One can neither neglect the effect of biological factors one have on them nor disprove the behaviors that are affected by the environment one is living in. It is important for a person to have a good environment even if his biological parents are good in nature. Also, some characters are inherited from genes of one’s parents that might last forever although he is far from his parents. Therefore, both the nature as well as nurture has equal effect on determining human behavior. Work Cited Staples, Brent. Black Men and Public Space. The Norton Reader: An Anthology of Nonfiction. New York: W.W. Norton Company, 2012. Print Cunningham, Amy. Why Women Smile. The Norton Reader: An Anthology of Nonfiction. New York: W.W. Norton Company, 2012. Print Theroux, Paul. Being a Man. The Norton Reader: An Anthology of Nonfiction. New York: W.W. Norton Company, 2012. Print

Stakeholder Analysis Strategy And Convergence And Divergence Management Essay

Stakeholder Analysis Strategy And Convergence And Divergence Management Essay Prior to implementing a companywide change, it is important to get stakeholders on board. Organisations take their stakeholders into confidence, just to ensure the smooth transition, since they are the one who will be affected by the change. For an organisation stakeholder can be its employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, managers, government, local community, creditors etc. n order to achieve this goal, stakeholder analyses are carried out. Stakeholder Analysis The process of identifying those who will be affected by the actions of organisation. It also enables the managers to analyze the attitudes of stakeholders towards the change. In order to carry out these analysis, following steps are taken: Identify the stakeholders in stakeholder analysis the first step is to come up with the list of any who will be affected by the organisational actions, this can include an individual, a group or an organisation. The possible stakeholders for Gill Construction can be: new Managing Director previous MD senior managers suppliers lenders / banks customers public future recruits, environment protection groups regulatory bodies Prioritize your stakeholders For organisations the list of stakeholders can be very long, in one case of university 20,000 stakeholders were identified. This doesnt mean that everyone is very important to the organisation. Hence the next step in stakeholder analysis is to prioritize stakeholders. This can be done using Power / Interest Grid. Using this grid, Gill construction can identify their key stakeholders, which can be: new Managing Director senior managers suppliers lenders / banks customers public environment protection groups and regulatory bodies existing workforce Stakeholder analysis strategy Understand Your Key Stakeholders this is the last step in stakeholder analysis. It focuses on understanding the key stakeholders, and defines the way they will be affected. It also highlights the interests stakeholders have with the organisation. It answers the following question: What financial or emotional interest do they have in the outcome of change? Is it positive or negative? What motivates them? What information do they want? How do they want to receive information? What is the best way of communicating with them? What is their current opinion? Is it based on good information? Who influences their opinions generally? Do some of these influencers therefore become important stakeholders in their own right? If they are not likely to be positive, what will win them around to support change? How to manage their opposition How they can influence others by their opinion? Convergence and Divergence Another model adopted by management gurus to analyze the stakeholders. It enables the managers to identify the factors which are opposing the stakeholders and which are supporting it. Divergence analysis of the factors which are opposing the change for stakeholders. The first step is to identify the basic change factors which are causing the opposition, these can be beliefs, values, and goals associated with the stake holders. Managers need to answers like What are their beliefs about change and which have led them to oppose it? What are the values being transgressed by change actions? Are their stress values being triggered? How is the change affecting their career social goals? Managers also need into their perception of the change, analyzing this can give them huge edge converting their opposition. They need to answer questions like What do they think about change? What do they think will happen? How do they look at other stakeholders? Convergence elements which are supporting the change. It is much focused on those who oppose the change. Managers need to understand who they are dealing with, what they are capabable how and how they can affect them. For-example A regulatory body or HSE will have permission to shut down the work in progress if they find anything in violation of the laws. Also in case of Supply chain, they may also ruin their relationship with the supplier. Banks and Lenders will have their leverage over the organisation since a loan was taken for the purchase of new machinery. Managers need to look into the following cases: How the stakeholder will be managed? Do they need any leadership or they will just follow? What made them follow the leadership How will they support the change? How prepared are they for the change? Evaluate the systems used to involve stakeholders in the planning of change Stakeholders Circle: A tool designed to gain stakeholder commitment and involve the key stakeholders in developing a change management strategy. This cycle has six steps and also known as Six Steps Stakeholders Cycle Identify the stakeholders The first step is to identify the key stakeholders, which can influence and have interest within the organisation. Prioritize the stake holders Managers need to identify the key stakeholder using the Power-Interest Grid. For Gill Construction these key stakeholders are : MD Employees Management Customers Suppliers Regulatory Bodies Map the Profile next step is to map the profile, how will they be affected, what is in the change for them, how they can be supported, what kind of support we can get from them, what are their culture and values. All the questions will be answered at this point Engagement strategy At this point a managers need to decide how they are going to address the issues of stakeholders in order to gain their commitment and support. New MD of Gill Construction need to hold a meeting with management of the company. Clearly define what He wants to achieve and what his goals are. Since his goal is to improve the quality of the work done and also expand the business. It will be then the job of Management to directly contact their respective staff members and explain the situation to them. Ideas for improvement will be taken. Meeting and Presentations will be held with suppliers and explain your objective to them. Also Management will seek advice from regulatory bodies to assists them in improving the H S at workplace. Banks and Lenders will also be taken into confidence. A clear business plan will be presented to them. Optimise their Support next step in this cycle is to optimise the support from stakeholders. Managers need to be very clear and specific about their objective to the stakeholder and try to get most out of them. They need to keep good relationships with their lenders/ banks and suppliers. Monitor the last and final stage is to monitor the strategy. They need to keep going back to their stakeholders and ensure their support is still with them. If they have any kind of doubts they need to clear them out. Develop a change management strategy with stakeholders A strategy will be formed which will help management at Gill Construction to gain commitment from their stakeholders. A general change management strategy involves three steps: Situational awareness before a companywide change is implemented, everyone will be made aware of the change and what is going to happen in result of this change. A vision will be created Stakeholders will be informed that how this will effect. Suppliers will be notified about what will be expected of them. Employees will be taken into confidence to avoid panic. Supporting structures second step is to structure teams and sponsor coalition. They will be debriefed about who is going to do what. If they will be let go off, they will be informed at this stage. They will be informed that they need to trained to operate the new machinery. Bank or Lender will be informed about new purchases and equipment. New policy about H S will be sent to HSE and they will be informed about it. Suppliers will be contacted and new terms regarding JIT will be set, also material price will be revisited.   Strategy analysis this stage involves risk analysis to be carried out. what degree of risk is involved in this change. What will happen if this strategy fails. In case there is no progress even after this change, what will we do, what if lenders refuse to pass a load. In case of resistance from stakeholders a resistance to change strategy will be required. Management will give their best to negotiate on good terms with the suppliers and use the bargaining power. Management also need to convince the bank and lenders to pass the load and take them into confidence. Create a strategy for managing resistance to change It is in human nature that whenever they are asked to move out of their comfort zone or change, they resist it. When organisations go under change it is very obvious that stakeholders will be afraid of its outcome. Hence it is very important to manage this resistance because this resistance can raise the risk factor during the change or transition process. Passive versus Active Resistance A framework adopted from Active Passive Being critical Agreeing verbally but not following through Ridiculing failing to implement change Appealing to fear Procrastinating or  dragging one feet Using facts selectively Feigning ignorance Blaming or accusing Withholding information, suggestion, help or support Intimidating or threatening Standing by or allowing change to fail Manipulating Blocking Starting rumours Arguing Managing Resistance Before a change is implemented it is very important for managers to either eliminate resistance completely or bring it down to a very lower level such that it has a very minor effect. There can be number of ways for managing this resistance. Some of the ways adopted by Gill Construction can be: Communication everyone within the organisation should be made aware of the situation. Managers need to communicate openly with all the stakeholders and discuss the issues with them. Even if they are supporting the change management need to check with them back to back to ensure the full commitment. Management need to hold meetings, brainstorming session with the staff and communicate with them. Suggestions will be taken from the staff and their participation will be encouraged. Training staff will be provided with appropriate training to build up their skills so that they can operate the new machinery. This will help to eliminate the resistance put up by the operational workforce. Also work-shops will be held with other staff to ensure that they are not left behind. They will be provided with the information and steps involved in this transition will be explained to them. Feedback Taking feedback or suggestions from the stakeholders is always the best way to gain their commitment. This shows to them that management is still listening to them and they hold a value to them. Taking feedback about the training is also good to monitor the staff performance. Develop appropriate models for change In the current scenario, Gill Construction has newly appointed Managing Director, who is not very happy with the current operational situation of the organization .He wants to improve the internal situation of the organization as well as the product quality. In past there were a lot of incidents related to poor health and safety at work place, this was due to the fact that no one was following the policy. Also there were cases of project being delayed due to the lack of appropriate equipment and machinery. Since the management decided to go under a change they have faced a heavy resistance from Suppliers, and employees. Also there were concerns over H S policy. The appropriate change management model for Gill construction would be ADKAR model by Prosci. Awareness Management need to create awareness among all the stakeholders and communicate the vision to them clearly, this will help to get them on board. Meeting will be held with suppliers and explain to them about the Just in Time approach for the material in order to avoid storage costs and material wastage. Employees will be explained that what will be expected of them. They will be informed about the new machinery and equipment and their usage. They will also be debriefed about following H S policies or they will face fine. Desire next step is to get feedback from the stakeholders and see what they desire. Full stakeholder participation will be encouraged. They will also monitor the desire for the stakeholders to change. This will be done using meeting and brainstorming sessions Knowledge next step is to educate and train the staff. This will help to motivate the work force and gain their trust. A list will be made regarding the skills and knowledge needed to support the change. If the supplier can provide the stuff on time. Ability even if the stakeholders have the skills and knowledge to support the change but do they have the ability to support it. For-example Supplier has the complete knowledge of JIT and has skilled work force but do not have enough sources or ability to carry it out. Same is the case with employees they might have skills to operate the machinery but they might not have ability to work at a certain place Reinforcement   the last step is to reinforce the sources to retain change. Training should be provided to the staff to motivate them and make them feel empower. Also managers need to look if the current supplier cannot agree on the new terms than a new supplier might be required. Plan to implement a model for change Organizational Development A companywide effort to increase organizations effectiveness. It focuses to change the beliefs, attitudes, values, and structure of the organization, so that it can adopt the change e.g. technological or new market or competitor. OD involves process re-engineering and system re-structuring within the organization to increase the effectiveness. Business Process Re-engineering- the complete rethinking, redesigning and reengineering of the business process. The process of material delivery or supply chain will be redesigned. Supplier will be asked to adopt the JIT approach and supply the material at right time. The material will be kept in very low quantity, and if there is need of more material Mangers have to inform supplier prior to 3-days. They will demand for more stock when they have 20% of the stock left. Also Management will adopt a strict approach towards H S policies at work place. If anyone found in violation of these policies will be heavily fined. Customers will be in direct contact with the Project Manager and everything will be done through him. Project Manager will discuss the issues with senior management on weekly basis. Push-Pull Strategy In the current system, organization is following the Push Strategy, which means the stock is Supplier driven. The demand for material is sent to the supplier and it is then delivered but it is resulting in overstocking and in some cases delays which is unacceptable. Hence a new strategy is required, which will be Pull based supply chain. In this strategy the order is placed by the organization in the required quantity, and supplier has to deliver that on time. This will be a mix of Push and Pull. The demand will be given by Gill Construction when the stock reached the 20% mark, and then supplier will be required to deliver the material as demanded. Develop appropriate measures to monitor progress Once the change implementation strategy is planned, the next step is to put appropriate measures in place which will monitor the performance. This can be achieved with the use of following: Goal-based evaluation the aim of this evaluation is to monitor the performance of change and see if the desired goals have been achieved, this involves: Formulating clear goals, what we wanted to achieve. The goal was to improve the operational quality and supply chain. The next step is to align the organizational goals with the change goals. Gill Construction aim is to provide quality service to the client and gaining customer satisfaction, that will be aligned with the goals for change, the change was required to improve supply chain, and also service quality by using new equipment. Next step is to recognize if we have achieved our goals. The effectiveness of supply chain can be checked by measuring waste levels. Also work force commitment can be seen by appraisals and the percentage of accidents at work place. Process-based evaluation it is another tool which measures the effectiveness on the basis of process performance. This checks if the process redesigning has improved the service quality. It will focus on the supply chain process and see if the process has shown its effectiveness. Are the stakeholders happy with the process. The new process for customers to be in direct contact with project manager and not with head office, is it really helping customers or not. Feedback can be taken at this point, which can assists the managers in monitoring the situation.

The Tourism Trends In Mauritius Tourism Essay

The Tourism Trends In Mauritius Tourism Essay Nowadays tourism has become the major focus, mainly for small developing countries which have an effect on local people in terms of socio-cultural, environmental and economical impacts. Residents perceptions are very important and there is a need to understand how these perceptions can contribute towards tourism development. The reason of this study is to provide a theoretical background for assessing local people attitudes on the impacts of tourism development in Bel Ombre, Mauritius. Tourism and sustainable development are interrelated; and has been usually identified with the fast rising demand of tourists acting together with the natural environment. Tourism has the capability to protect as well as to destroy a destination. Studying the impacts of tourism is a critical element of accepting how tourism affects the economy, socio-cultural and environment aspects in Mauritius. A well elaborated literature shows the character of the main interaction of tourist and host, uniqueness of host-tourist relationship and their connection with the impacts generated by tourism development. Researchers were more interested towards the interaction between the tourists and the local people. Though, there are preceding studies that have considered the issue from tourist perspective. To achieve the purpose of this study a questionnaire was designed and a survey was undertaken among the local residents. Concerning the analysis part, quantitative approach was useful and the aim and objectives were related to the majority of relevant literature. 1.2 Problem statement The main reason for doing this study is because tourism is one of the major sectors in many countries, including Mauritius, with the highest growth potential. It is the worlds largest employer and one among the major sources of substantial foreign exchange earnings (Blank, 1991; Richards, 2003; Mwandosya, 2007). It is through this observation that many people believe that the industry is well placed as one of the major means through which development of local communities can be achieved (Scheyvens, 2002; Beeton, 2006). One approach to enhance this development through tourism is to involve local communities and ensure that their potential role is tapped and maintained through active participation in the industry (Beeton, 2006). It is imperative to note that involvement and participation of these communities is central to the sustainable development of the industry not only because tourism has had a close connection with the local communities, particularly as hosts and guides (Scheyven s, 2002), but also because the destinations of tourists are communities and it is in the community that tourism happens (Blank, 1989 p.115). Participation is a process through which stakeholders, among them the local communities who are often the intended beneficiaries of community tourism, influence and share control over development initiatives and the decisions and resources which affect them (Havel, 1996). Participation, therefore, seeks collaboration or partnerships and the commitment necessary to ensure sustainability of tourism development initiatives (Wolfensohn, 1996). Paradoxically, the outcomes of participation are usually a reflection of a certain level of involvement of relevant stakeholders in the decision-making process which in turn enables people to make informed commitments to a particular tourism project (Havel, 1996). According to Akama (1999) as cited in Manyara and Jones (2007, p.629), local communities are hardly involved in tourism development and they are usually without a voice in the development process (Havel, 1996). This situation according to Mbaiwa (2005) is contrary to the principles of sus tainable tourism development which, among other things, emphasize the involvement and participation of local communities. 1.3 Aims and Objectives of the study The aim of this study is to assess the residents attitudes and perceptions about the impacts caused by tourism development in Bel Ombre. The objectives of the study are: To assess the extent of local peoples perceptions and attitudes in the tourism development To assess the positive and negative impacts of tourism development To assess the extent of local peoples involvement and participation in tourism development in their local areas To investigate if local people are aware of the impacts of tourism development. 1.4 Tourism trends in Mauritius Since the 1990s, Mauritius adopted economic reforms aimed at establishing a market-based and private-sector-driven economy that marked significant growth in many sectors of the countrys economy. Such reforms for example, helped to improve the performance of the countrys tourism industry and enhanced growth of the sector through improved marketing and promotional campaigns, improved tourism services, improved air access to Mauritius, accommodation facilities, and other tourism supporting infrastructures. More specifically, growth in the Mauritian tourism industry can be measured by looking at the trends in tourism receipts, tourist arrivals, tourism annual growth, number of hotels and hotel rooms, contribution of the sector to countrys GDP, and direct jobs created by the industry. To give a clear picture of the performance of the tourism industry in Mauritius and to be able to gauge the achievements already realized by the industry. While the tourism industry continues to be one of the key foreign exchange earners in Mauritius, the industry depends primarily on the flow of international tourists to the country. The countrys main source markets are Britain, Germany, the United States, Italy, France, Spain, and some new markets emerging around China and Asian countries. The majority of international tourists come to Mauritius for cultural, adventure and beach resort all together making Mauritius a quality destination. It is, however, interesting to note from the statistics below that, in Mauritius, earnings from international tourism have grown more rapidly than tourist arrivals in nominal terms due to the to promote Mauritius as a high quality destination. Arguably, the increasing tourist numbers to Mauritius may be a convincing indication of increasing opportunities for local communities to earn revenue from tourism and these revenue opportunities could eventually contribute significantly to greater local interest in the development of the industry (Victurine, 2000). Table 1:- Tourist arrivals, nights and receipts, 2009 2012 Year Tourist arrivals (Number) Tourist nights (000) Tourism receipts 1 (Rs million) 2009 871,356 8,639 35,693 2010 934,827 9,495 39,456 2011 964,642 9,730 42,717 3 2009 1st Qr. 232,908 2,250 10,265 2nd Qr. 180,596 1,791 7,984 1st Semester 413,504 4,041 18,249 3rd Qr. 195,381 2,280 7,436 4th Qr. 262,471 2,318 10,008 2nd Semester 457,852 4,598 17,444 2010 1st Qr. 249,971 2,943 11,021 2nd Qr. 189,179 1,855 8,788 1st Semester 439,150 4,798 19,809 3rd Qr. 207,506 2,275 8,358 4th Qr. 288,171 2,422 11,289 2nd Semester 495,677 4,697 19,647 2011 1st Qr. 262,626 2,960 11,949 2nd Qr. 201,978 1,975 9,355 1st Semester 464,604 4,935 21,304 3rd Qr. 209,779 2,325 8,845 4th Qr. 290,259 2,470 12,568 3 2nd Semester 500,038 4,795 21,413 3 2012 2 1st Qr. 261,995 2,950 13,768 3 2nd Qr. 205,158 2,010 9,780 1st Semester 467,153 4,960 23,548 Source: www.gov.mu 1.5 Outline of Study Chapter 1- Introduction This chapter gives an overview of the study and the outline of the dissertation. It includes the introduction, problem statement, aims and objectives of the research. Chapter 2- Literature Review The literature review entails the theoretical background; the main aim in writing this is to assess existing literature related to the study, what other researchers have done, including empirical evidence to provide a foundation to the study. It consists of all the theoretical aspects like the perceptions and attitudes of local people towards tourism development. The impacts of tourism development are also discussed along with how the community participation can reduce or increase these tourism impacts. Chapter 3- Methodology This comprises of the methodology of how the research was conducted, the questionnaire design, method used to collect the data, sampling techniques used, the data analysis and limitations of the study. Chapter 4- Results and Discussions In this chapter the data collected through the use of questionnaires, will be analysed by making use of graphical, mean and standard deviation. Package for the Social Science (SPSS) Software was used to make these analyses. Chapter 5- Recommendations and Conclusions The last chapter identifies the possible solution to come across for the problems of the poor involvement of locals. The perceptions of residents on the impacts generated from tourism development, thus leading to the conclusion of the project. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction This chapter seeks to address a number of issues related to community involvement and participation in the tourism industry by examining some key points emerging from various studies, reports and other sources of information. It starts with a discussion about the perceptions and attitudes of host community towards the impacts of tourism development. Some critics about Doxey Irridex Model and Butler Tourism Area life cycle will also be discussed. The chapter also identifies factors which influence local communities and attract their participation in the tourism industry. It continues with a discussion about the tourism impacts that arise due tourism development in a small community. The chapter concludes by highlighting key issues raised by the literature that form the basis of this research. 2.2 Sustainable Tourism Development Sustainable tourism development (STD) is a long-term approach that cultivates economically viable tourism without harming residents environment or society while simultaneously ensuring fair distribution of costs and benefits (DBEDT, 2006a). Decisions are based on economic, environmental, and cultural impacts; how wealth is generated and distributed; and the relative power and interactions among the stakeholders (Bramwell, 2006; Twining-Ward Butler, 2002). STD balances industrys goal of profit with the needs of the environment and stakeholders (Bramwell, 2006). Stakeholder cooperation is necessary for sustainable tourism; otherwise only the most powerful will benefit (Dyer, Gursoy, Sharma, Carter, 2007). To keep stakeholders satisfied with tourism development and their community, the environment and culture must be protected (Ahn et al., 2002; Hjalager, 1996). When tourism development enhances, rather than erodes the natural environment, a more sustainable tourism product can be off ered to support the destinations economy (Batra Kaur, 1996). A government that effectively manages tourism creates benefits for all stakeholders (Jamal Getz, 1995). Effective management is avoiding negative impacts through a combination of general protective measures; regulations to control development; and financial restraints (Cohen, 1978; Hjalager, 1996). Improvement of the environment can be achieved by ensuring that development is harmonious with the overall plan for the destination (Batra Kaur, 1996). Necessary tourism infrastructure such as roads, airports, parks, and visitor centers are also the responsibility of government (Jamal Getz, 1995). Maintenance of infrastructure and facilities is expensive and residents, through property taxes, should not be the only group to bear this burden (Wong, 1996). Residents benefit when tourists spend money in the local economy and create jobs, as well as from the development of infrastructure that residents also utilize (Wong, 1996). Residents in mass tourism destinations such as Hawaii depend on tourism for their standard of living (Liu, Sheldon, Var, 1987). Because tourism development usually involves a tradeoff between economic benefits and environmental or cultural costs, residents cope by downplaying the negative impacts based and emphasizing the economic gains to maintain satisfaction with their community (Dyer et al., 2007; Cavus Tanrisevdi, 2003; Faulkner Tideswell, 1997). Residents with the most economic gain are the most supportive of the tourism industry (Harrill, 2004). Cavus Tanrisevdi (2003) found that the development process controlled by planners was the primary factor in residents negative attitudes towards tourism. When residents perceive that the costs of tourism outweigh the benefits, feelings of resentment and irritation towards tourists can develop and lower community satisfaction (Doxey, 1975; Faulkner Tideswell, 1997; Ko Stewart, 2002). Residents who feel that they have a voice in tourism planning are more positive towards tourism (Cavus Tanrisevdi, 2003). According to Choi Sirakaya (2005), sustainable tourism is the development pathway to minimize the negative impacts of tourism. There are many ways to make tourism more sustainable but few tools for evaluating and testing a sustainable tourism framework (Choi Sirakaya, 2005). Audits and resource valuation evaluate tourisms costs and benefits so that they can be fairly distributed to stakeholders (Warnken et al., 2004; Wen, 1998). Limiting tourism growth (such as carrying capacity or limits of acceptable change) can also make development more sustainable (Cohen, 1978; Butler, 1980; GÃ ¶ssling, Peeters, Ceron, Dubois, Patterson, Richardson, 2005; Christensen Beckmann, 1998; Ahn et al., 2002). In these approaches, government management and stakeholder cooperation are necessary to reach a consensus for how to manage future tourism development. This is why Understanding residents perceptions are critical to fairly distributing the environmental, social, and economic costs and benefits of tourism; thus, ultimately increasing sustainable tourism development (Twining-Ward Butler, 2002). 2.3 Host Community Attitudes and Perceptions about Tourism Development This study aims at identifying the relationships between residents socio- cultural, economic and environmental aspect and their attitudes towards tourism by focusing on a small community where tourism is in the development stage. By conducting this research, the author hopes to come across the residents attitudes and capture their current perceptions about tourism development in their area. Moreover, this research is being done because most authors agree that initial community attitudes toward tourism are critical to community involvement in the industry (Murphy 1981), the formation of destination image (Echtner Ritchie 1991). Attitudes are defined as a state of mind of the individual toward a value (Allport 1966, p. 24) and as an enduring predisposition towards a particular aspect of ones environment (McDougall Munro 1987, p. 87). Attitude of host community to tourism based development can improve if there is a boost in the tangible and indescribable settlements the host community can receive by being in based development (Choi Sirakaya, 2006). As Attitudes are based under this understanding, this is why some researchers came to a conclusion that residents attitudes toward tourism are not simply the reflections of residents perceptions of tourism impacts, but the results of interaction between residents perceptions and the factors affecting their attitudes (Lankford et al.1994). Some preceding researches have proved that some most important impacts of tourism are identified along with its variables, however the theory is underdeveloped: Currently there is limited understanding of why residents respond t o the impacts of tourism as they do, and under what conditions residents react to those impacts (Ap 1992, p. 666). Husband (1989) also addressed this issue by saying There is, so far, no theoretical justification of why some people are, or are not, favorably disposed to tourism. Various issues can persuade perceptions of the host community about positive outcomes of tourism development. Support will depend on the degree of benefits perceived. The participation of community will be discussed later on in the literature review. The acceptance of local values can also be an important factor that leads to the achievement of a tourism based development (Alexander, 2000). However over a certain period of time many findings detected that host community perceptions in the direction from tourism may have more positive attitudes. People who depend on tourism industry or having a better economic benefit may possibly have a higher degree of positivity than other inhabitants who do not benefit from a tourism development (lankford and howard, 1994; Jurowski, Uysal, and willimas, 1997; Sirakaya , Teye and Sonmez,2002 ). Lindberg and Johnson (1997) mentioned that people having higher economic impacts from tourism may have more positive attitudes. However Travis (1984) has stated that its not only an economic characteristic such as the opportunity for jobs creation or capital generation that needs to be considered by the host community. The socio-cultural and environmental aspects are also very important. For Choi and Sirakaya (2005), the most community should also have a better environment in term of infrastructures and improved amenities such as leisure and recreational activities. They describe tourism as consisting of various supports and any development in the tourism field should ensure the protection of the culture of host community, alongside the protection of the environment. In order to clarify the relationship between the impacts of tourism and residents attitudes toward tourism, several models have been developed. One of the most influential models is Doxeys Irridex model (1975) which suggests that residents attitudes toward tourism may pass through a series of stages from euphoria, through apathy and irritation. to antagonism, as perceived costs exceed the expected benefits. This model is supported by Long et al.s (1990) research results, which indicate residents attitudes, are initially favorable but become negative after reaching a threshold. To have a better comprehension about the relationship between the impacts of tourism and residents attitudes toward tourism, several models like Butler Tourism Life cycle Area and Doxey Irridex model have been developed. One of the most dominant models is Doxeys Irridex model (1975) which suggests that residents attitudes toward tourism may pass through a series of stages from euphoria, through apathy and irritation. to antagonism, as perceived costs exceed the expected benefits. This model was supported by Long et al.s (1990) research results, which indicated that residents attitudes are initially favorable but become negative after reaching a threshold. The Irridex model indicates that residents attitudes toward tourism will change overtime. It suggests that residents attitudes and reactions toward tourism contain a sense of homogeneity (Mason et al. 2000). Conversely, this concept was challenged by some research findings that reported heterogeneous community responses and diverse residents attitudes simultaneously existing in a community (Brougham et al. 1981,Rothman 1978). 2.4 Critics about Doxey Irridex Model and Butler Tourism Area Life cycle Butler (1980) took a more complicated approach. He argued that tourist areas go through a recognizable cycle of evolution; he used an S-shaped curve to illustrate their different stages of popularity. Butler stated that there are six stages through which tourist areas pass. These include the exploration stage, involvement stage, development stage, consolidation stage, stagnation stage, and decline stage. His study also reveals that evolution is brought about by a variety of factors, including changes in preferences and needs of visitors, the gradual deterioration and possible replacement of physical plant and facilities, and the change of the original natural and cultural attractions, which is responsible for the initial popularity of the area. Furthermore this model is supported by Murphys (1983) research results, which reveal the distinct attitude differences among residents, public officials, and business owners in three English tourist centers. Although Butlers model addresses th e difficulty of residents attitudes toward tourism, researchers still lacked theories explaining relationships between residents attitudes and tourism impacts until Ap (1992) applied social exchange theory to tourism. 2.5 Social Exchange Theory According to the theory, exchange will start, only when there are irregular inaction forms. Ap (1992) suggests that residents evaluate tourism in terms of social exchange, that is, evaluate it in terms of expected benefits or costs obtained in return for the services they supply He also argued that when exchange of resources is high for the host actor in either the balanced or unbalanced exchange relation, tourism impacts are viewed positively, while tourism impacts are viewed negatively if exchange of resources is low. Social exchange theory has been examined as a theoretical framework by researchers to describe residents attitudes toward tourism impacts (Perdue et al. 1990, McGehee Andereck 2004). However mason and Cheyen (2000) stated that that the representation of Butler assumes a degree of homogeneity of community reaction. Butler (2006) supported his model by suggesting that a consistent evolution of tourist area can be conceptualized. Different phases at a particular destination may not be understood without mistakes. The demonstration hence should be concerned only to some extent as the phase itself differs from one tourist area to anotherb(Tosun,2002). The Doxey irridex model gives a clear view of how host community attitude changes over a period of time. It mentions host community perceptions, reactions and attitudes in the direction of tourism (Manson et al.2000). This can be a conflicting principle because some research came to a conclusion that various host community attitudes and perceptions may exist in the community, (Brougham et al.1981, Rothman 1978). Akis, Peristanis Warner (1996) disapprove the Irridex Model and The Tourism Life Cycle and view it as too simple, because both models give a few hint of changing host community perceptions and attitudes over time. Other researchers like Lankford and Howard (1994, P.135) opposed against the model of Doxey(1975) because positive and negative factors that affect the perceptions and attitudes of host community are not given much consideration. As the tourism industry keeps on changing, this may be a reason why we must give this industry continuous support for its related development. Andereck vogt( 2000) stated that it is considered that optimistic attitudes towards tourism may entail the encouragement for further tourism development. If there is any delay in tourism project development this can be due to frustration towards tourists. Mill and Morisson (1984) even mention that, an acceptance of tourism cannot be built unless the benefits of tourism are made relevant to the community. Attitudes and perceptions of host community at a destination is of utmost importance in the accomplishment of tourism development alongside the development of the industry at large also, (Hayword,1975), (Heenan, 1978), and Hiller (1976). There is a broad belief perception and attitudes of host community in the direction of tourism outcomes are apt to become essential planning and policy concern for flourishing development and expansion of existing and potential tourism programs, (Ap,1992). Host community attitudes and perception is very important as it will influence their behavior towards tourism, (Andriotis and Vaughan, 2003). 2.6 Host community involvement and participation Community participation has become a common element in many development initiatives, such as community-based programmes, which assume participatory methods and has been promoted by development organizations, notably the World Bank, to address the inefficiency of highly centralized development approaches particularly in the developing world (Baral and Heinen, 2007). Today, many development initiatives solicit the participation of all concerned stakeholders, at the relevant level, not only for the sake of efficiency and equity of the programmes, leverage of donors and demands of local communities, but also for sustainability of these initiatives (Ribot, 2004). Consequently, the real outcome for soliciting such community participation is to create and produce an enabling environment needed by these stakeholders, especially local communities who have been vulnerable to negative impacts of tourism attributed partly to the fact that many tourism resources occur in their areas, to have a real stake in development activities (Havel, 1996; Songorwa, 1999). This requires involving local communities in decision-making and strengthening their ability to act for themselves. One approach to achieve this is through investments in human capital, such as education and health, investments in social capital such as local-level institutions and participatory proce sses, and support for community based development efforts planned and implemented from bottom up (Havel, 1996, p.145). However, given the fact that the central point underlying peoples participation may be the degree of power distribution, these efforts are less likely to succeed unless responsive institutions and the legal and policy framework that facilitate and support local participation are in place (Havel, 1996; Tosun, 2004; Wang and Wall, 2005). It is probably important to insist from here that a key consideration in tourism development is sustainability, which cannot be achieved without community support (Vincent and Thompson, 2002). While sustainability is the core objective of community participation (Vincent and Thompson, 2002; Johannesen and Skonhoft, 2005), proponents of community tourism further argue that community participation seeks to improve the welfare of the local community and, perhaps most importantly, win their support in conservation of tourism resources (Songorwa, 1999). This means community participation is inevitable and imperative for tourism development because most tourist attractions lie within local communities or in their vicinities and in most cases co-exist side by side with the communities, for instance, in wildlife areas. Community participation via decision-making is an essential determinant to ensure that the benefits that local communities get from tourism are guaranteed, and their lifestyles and values are respected. It is, however, important to note that community participation in decision making is not only desirable but also necessary so as to maximize the socio-economic benefits of tourism for the community. It is perhaps one of the most important elements of tourism management to enable communities who often serve as tourist destinations and for that matter suffer from the negative impacts of tourism, to get involved and eventually participate in planning decisions regarding tourism development. This is important in order to create better handling of the negative impacts of tourism development (Li, 2004; Tosun, 2000). It is equally important to note, therefore, that integration of local communities into the decision-making process is not a final goal itself but only one of the many ways throu gh which community participation can be achieved (Li, 2005, p.133). Another way to involve and attract community participation and ultimately their support in tourism development is through local job creation (Zhao and Ritchie, 2007). Since tourism offers better labour-intensive and small scale opportunities (Chok and Macbeth, 2007; Scheyvens, 2007) and since it happens in the community, arguably, it is thought to be one of the best placed potential sources of employment opportunities for local communities, inclusive of women and the informal sector (Blank, 1989; Li, 2005; Johannesen and Skonhoft, 2005; Scheyvens, 2007). Community participation via employment opportunities, as workers or as small business operators, can be a catalyst to the development of tourism products and services, arts, crafts and cultural values, especially through taking advantage of abundant natural and cultural assets available in communities in developing countries (Scheyvens, 2007). Tosun (2000) stated that community participation through working in the tourism industry ha s been recognized to help local communities not only to support development of the industry but also to receive more than economic benefits. However, it is important to understand that in some cases community participation is seen as a way of getting people to carry out activities or share their costs while the benefits are not clear to those expected to participate (Havel, 1996). This implies that a key factor to the success of any community-based tourism project is the incentive to benefit sharing which is usually attractive enough to make people highly motivated to participate. As Havel (1996) asserted people will not participate unless they believe it is their interest to do so Involvement and participation of the community in decision-making is advocated so that communities can have some control over tourism resources, initiatives and decisions that affect their livelihood (Wang, and Wall, 2005). On the other hand, the idea of involvement and participation of local communities in the tourism benefits is easily reflected in increasing incomes, employment, and education of local communities about tourism and entrepreneurship (Timothy, 1999). One way to accomplish this is to increase public awareness of tourism through education campaigns and train local communities for employment in the industry. While increased public awareness creates a more hospitable environment for tourists and improves the image of the destination, providing entrepreneurial training empowers local communities and ultimately increases their capacity to receive significant benefits from tourism (Timothy, 1999). This enables tourism-oriented businesses and locals such as taxi drivers, gue sthouse managers, restaurant owners, and street vendors, th

The Meaning of Life in Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut :: essays research papers

In his science fiction novel The Sirens of Titan, Kurt Vonnegut attempts to answer the meaning of life and ultimately comes with the answer that in order "to realize that a purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved." (220). However, giving such a straightforward and blunt answer obviously hints that Vonnegut's sarcasm to such a simple solution. Throughout the novel, Vonnegut ridicules religion and science simultaneously in order to come to the ultimate "answer" to the mankind's purpose of life. The Sirens of Titan gives a great sense of direction and compactness. It is astounding in that the novel with its science fiction nature creates human warmth. Three reasons for this phenomenon present themselves. Vonnegut's skill has been developing in 7 years and the science fiction disposition offers the reader more impassiveness. Also he is more informative in this particular work. Like many other Vonnegut's books, The Sirens of Titan was influenced by Vonnegut's experiences from World War II. Although the war is not the novel's major target, it has a significant affect on it. Winston Niles Rumfoord's believes that "'everything that ever has been always will be, and everything that ever will be always has been" (20). In order to escape Dresden with a newer vision, Vonnegut cleverly attempts to rid himself of his youthful philosophy (romanticism and liberalism) by acquiring background from Rumfoord's theory of time and by isolating to define the visual problem caused by Dresden. Vonnegut also describes the Martian Army planning a failed attack on Earth. He illustrates the soldiers on the planet as unthinking puppets forbidden by radio. In order to embed the antenna into a soldiers' intellect, one's head must be shaved and bald. Vonnegut also men tions people who are volunteers. As you can see Vonnegut's description of a soldier is quite ironic. Another significant point in the novel is Vonnegut's believe of God and other religions. He illustrates how ppl blindly and enthusiastically follow Gods and their religions and how ridiculous it is. "Boaz's home vault had a boor on it, a round boulder with which he could plug the vault's mouth" (200). For instance, he also "had slept with his door open, he would have awakened to find himself pinned down by hundreds of thousands of his admirers. They would have let him up only when his heart stopped beating" (142).

Taking the Test :: Essays Papers

Taking the Test Many essays have been written that one could describe as touching, or something one could easily relate to. A very good example is â€Å"Taking the Test† by David Groff. He writes about taking an AIDS test, and records all his feelings and emotions as he waits for, and receives, what could be something that may lead to a death sentence. This essay is enjoyed by many people, because it is touching, it is easy to relate to the pressure, and stress that is connected with taking a test, and it is a new, recent subject that could, or does, affect people now. This essay is very touching. The reader feels very sympathetic towards the man taking the test. Even more so because the author announces that he is gay. The way he describes his emotions and feelings, fear, confusion, and loneliness, is very moving. He notices very small things because he almost believes he is infected, and it makes everything that much more precious. The way he makes everything sound very beautiful, as he describes it, is understandable, despite the fact that he is awaiting his sentence, â€Å"life or death,† because even though HIV does not mean death, it means an inevitable pain, and suffering, if not physically, then mentally, and if not for you, then for the loved ones. Had he told the reader the outcome of the test, the reaction to the story would have been different. If he was positive, the reader would become overly sympathetic, overlooking the reason for the story which was not sympathy, but to teach a lesson, â€Å"As long and as well as you can, live, live.† (Groff 75) Had the author been negative, the reader would have pushed the essay away, again overlooking the lesson, and thinking that the author worried for nothing. Groff pushes all the right buttons, keeping his audience begging for the outcome of the test. A reason that this essay is touching to many readers is because it is easy to relate to. Many people understand the pressure and stress that is connected with taking a test, even if it is a pop quiz in math. Unfortunately, many people know how it feels to take, and fail, an AIDS test. Many people know someone close to them who has taken the test and â€Å"failed.

Wise Blood Character Annalysis- Enoch Emery

Wise Blood Character Evaluation Essay: Enoch Emery In the book â€Å"Wise Blood† by Flannery O’Connor, Enoch Emery is first introduced into the story in the third chapter when the main character. Emoch runs into the main character Hazel motes on the street in a crowd of people surrounding a man selling potato peelers. Enoch is an eighteen years old and is described as a â€Å"damp haired pimpled boy† with â€Å"yellow hair and a fox-shaped face. †(pg. 5) We are quickly shown his lack of intelligence by his terrible grasp on the English language and him only laughing after being mocked by the peeler sales man.Enoch is an impulsive rude boy, who just does and says what he wants not thinking of the consequences of his actions. He makes new enemies everywhere. Mocking and snickering at waitresses, making inappropriate comments, getting himself called names like â€Å"son of a bitch. † More than anything he is just simple minded. He does these things bec ause he does not think of consequences. He says there are no friendly people in the city, but he probably is just not giving anyone a good reason to be friendly towards him. Enoch is instantly drawn towards Hazel Motes by something he calls â€Å"wise blood. He claims he inherited wise blood from his father and that it tells him what to do and where to go. Enoch believes that his wise blood will come in handy to Hazel in his mission to start â€Å"The Church Without Christ. † Hazel just sees Enoch as an insane obsessive teenage boy though and wants nothing to do with him. Enoch tries to tag along with Hazel but is rejected by him immediately. However, soon after Hazel got rid of Enoch, he found himself having to go to his work at the city zoo to fetch him. Thinking that Enoch knew where to find the blind preacher and his daughter, Hazel decided to follow him.Before Enoch brought Hazel to the preacher he had to show Hazel what he thought was a huge secret. One he could only t ell someone who he felt was the chosen one to share it with. This person had to be someone who he felt was pure and not from the city. He immediately knew it to be Hazel and felt he had to find a way to share what he knew with him. Enoch took Hazel to a museum that was through the woods from his work, telling Hazel that he would not tell him where the preacher lived unless Hazel saw what Enoch wanted to show him.When they got inside Enoch told Hazel to be quiet as to not wake the guard who did not like Enoch very much. When they finally arrived where Enoch wanted to bring Hazel it turned out that what he was showing Hazel was a three foot tall shrunken man in a glass case. â€Å"See theter notice,† Enoch said in a church whisper, pointing to a type written card at the man’s foot, â€Å"it says he was once as tall as you or me. Some A-rabs did it to him in six months. † He turned his head cautiously to see Hazel Motes. † (pg. 94) Enoch believed that this wa s the new Christ that Hazel was searching to find for his Church Without Christ.When Hazel saw this however he wanted nothing to do with the shrunken man and stormed out. Although Enoch had told Hazel that he knew where the two of them lived it was a lie. However he went ahead anyway with Hazel, trying to rely on his wise blood to guide him. In the end they ended up not finding the blind preaches house, only filling Hazel with more hatred towards Enoch. Enoch’s blood was telling him that Hazel needed the shrunken man for his church without Christ so he knew he had to steal it from the museum.Enoch went to the museum with shoe polish covering his face and hands so that if anyone were to see him they would suspect a colored man and not him. Enoch managed to steal the shrunken man without any witnesses. Enoch brought the man home and put him carefully away, afraid to even look at it. He suspected that he would soon be rewarded for his actions. So he sat and waited, but nothing h appened. Enoch waited longer, but still nothing happened. Finally he gave up, slamming the door to the cabinet the shrunken man was in, smashing it’s face.Since nobody saw him steal the shrunken man he could still possibly be a suspect so Enoch put on a hat and a fake beard and headed off to the address that Sabbath Hawks gave him to find Hazel Motes. When he got to the house Sabbath answered Hazel’s door saying that Hazel was ill and persuaded him to leave the package with her, not knowing that it was the shrunken man inside. â€Å"My man is sick today and sleeping,† she said, â€Å"because he didn’t sleep none last night. What you want? † â€Å"This is for him, it ain’t for you,† Enoch said, handing her the wet bundle. A friend of his gave it to me to give to him. I don’t know what’s in it. † â€Å"I’ll take care of it,† she said. â€Å"You needn’t to worry none† (pg. 183) Enoch left s lamming the door and despite Enoch’s request not to open it and to deliver it directly to Hazel she brought it to the bathroom and started to tear open the package, despite Enoch’s wishes of her. Later Enoch discovers a line of children waiting to shake hands with a gorilla named Gonga, which is really just a man in a gorilla suit. Enoch, being the simple minded fool that he is, gets in line with all the small children.The children who are there to see a movie staring Gonga not just to shake hands with a fake gorilla, but Enoch wanted nothing to do with the movie, only wanting to shake the man’s hand and trying each time to strike conversation but then being pushed aside. The man in the Gonga suit ends up telling Enoch to go to hell, this being the first time that anyone from the city reached out their hand to Enoch and then this being the reaction to potential conversation, Enoch was immediately crushed and storms off.Later Enoch is in a diner and reads that Go nga is going to be at another local theater so he tracks him down. Enoch climbs into the back of the van that Gonga arrived in, hid, and waited for them to leave. Once they finished they loaded up the van and left. Enoch stayed in the van until they came to a stop at a crossing where he jumped out holding the Gonga suit and ran off to the woods where he buries his human clothes and sets off into the night ready to meet people as his new identity of Gonga.Overjoyed Enoch feels that he is finally being rewarded as he should be. Enoch walks down to the edge of the road where he finds a man and woman sitting on a rock over looking the city. As he tries to greet them they scream and run off. Enoch’s hands drop to his sides and he is left alone in the dark looking out over the city. This is the last we ever hear from him for the rest of the story. One of Enoch’s main roles is â€Å"Wise Blood† is comic relief. He is pretty much the only character to bring humor to the story throughout the book.He is constantly making bad decisions and always trying to insult people everywhere he goes. He is also where the title of the story comes from. Enoch is the only character in the book that actually claims to have â€Å"wise blood,† which he claims he inherited from his father who also had it. Enoch is clueless in life and the only important decisions he ever makes are ones he feels like he has no choice but to make since he feels his blood is telling him what to do, and it is almost impossible for him to ignore what the wise blood wants.

Bombardier Aerospace

Case 1Bombardier Aerospace| Prepared for:| AKM Mominul Haque Talukder Course Instructor Human Resource Management East West University Prepared By:| Group- 6 Name| ID No. | Ismat Jahan Senjuti| 2011-1-90-001| Bani Biswas| 2011-1-90-002| Nusrat Jahan| 2011-1-90-006| Jubaid Rashid| 2011-2-90-008| Mukshuda Akhter| 2011-3-90-002| Nazmus Shakib| 2012-1-91-001| Khandoker Mehedi Hasan| 2012-1-90-015| Sec: 01 East West University East West University October 20, 2012 CONTENTS Case Summary – Bombardier Aerospace1| Comptications 3| Question # One4| Question # Two5| Question # Three6| Question # Four7| Implication8| . 0 Case Summary – Bombardier Aerospace Bombardier Aerospace is a division of Bombardier Inc. and is regarded as one of the third largest aircraft company in the world in terms of yearly delivery of commercial airplanes overall, and the fourth largest in terms of yearly delivery of regional jets. It is headquartered in Ville-Marie, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Bombardier started its journey with the founder J. Armand Bombardier in 1942 to manufacture tracked vehicles for transportation on snow covered terrain and has earmarked itself as one of Canada’s oldest, most diversified and reputed companies.By 2002, the company has grown revenues to $21. 6 billion with a net income $390. 9 million from 5 operating units including: Bombardier Transportation, Bombardier Aerospace, Bombardier Recreation Products, Bombardier Capital and Bombardier International. Bombardier Aerospace, a SBU of Bombardier Inc, had over 33, 000 employees and established itself as an internationally integrated organization with full design and production operations in Canada, United States and UK. Such operations made Bombardier Aerospace as the third largest civil airframe manufacturer and a leader in region airliners, business jets and amphibious aircraft.Its high-performance aircraft and services set the standard of excellence in several markets, including: Business Aircra ft | Commercial Aircraft | Amphibious Aircraft | Jet Travel Solutions | Specialized Aircraft Solutions | Aircraft Services And Training | During 1999, after several months of negotiation and planning process Bombardier Aerospace was able to build a unique relationship with the Canadian Government, who after the Cold War started at looking how military could operate under tighter fiscal restraints.In a joint initiative under NATO, Bombardier Aerospace agreed to service and own training aircraft and in turn leased these aircraft to the Canadian military for training purposes. This arrangement was named as NATO Flight Training in Canada (NFTC) which aimed at managing Ground Based Flight Training School and Simulator Training. In any given time , approximately 75 students from Canada and other NATO countries were enrolled in the NFTC training program. Alex Lachance hails with 20 years of flying experience in the Canadian military and after an illustrious experience with Canadian militar y has also occupied several other positions.During 2002, Alex joined Bombardier Aerospace as the manager of ground-based training operations for Nato Flight Training in Canada NFTC and almost at some point in time Ted Baker who had successfully completed Bombardier’s interview process few months before joined as an instructors in Nato Flight Training in Canada (NFTC). The hiring process at bombardier was quite a challenging once since achieving the two crucial objectives of finding an incumbent for the vacant position who is equally equipped in terms of the technical expertise required along with their fit of the candidate with the Bombardier culture of was not an easy task.Also, it was seen that whoever bargained during the interview process, on the whole achieved a better remuneration package with the ‘per diem allowance’ paid only to those who negotiate for a moving allowance of this nature. When Ted, a new hire came to know about this, he was utterly dismayed and disappointed on the impartial and unfair compensation system of Bombardier’s. Ted raised this issue to the newly appointed manager, Alex who was utterly surprised and after being communicated took the issue to the HR.Once he obtained a thorough idea and comprehended that the per diem allowance has been only paid to those who have bargained. He thought of raising the issue to the corporate head office. The dilemma over which Ted is now fixated is what will the after effect of implementing such a policy? Will it imply Bombardier changing its policy for all its operations? Will it mean that it will increase cost to the company? These were several questions which were pondering in Alex’s mind. Also the fact being that he has just joined the company not even few months ago he was quite perplexed and confounded regarding what step to take. . 0 Complications Critical challenges which were witnessed in the case ‘Bombardier Aerospace’ are depicted below: * The interview process in the overall hiring procedure remained to be quite challenging since achieving the two crucial objectives of finding an incumbent for the vacant position who is equally equipped in terms of the technical expertise required along with their fit of the candidate with the Bombardier culture of ‘ entrepreneurial high achievement’ was not an easy job. * Bombardier’s current relocation policy did not seem to be fair and transparent to all.It meant candidates who better bargain in their interview process would benefit most as only if someone raises concerns on moving incidentals and meals only those were offered the ‘per diem allowance’. * Discrepancy which existed amongst new hires in terms of compensation was heard by some of the new appointed instructors and potential recruits expressed dismay and consternation which certainly affected employee morale to work for this company and loss resulted in lack of enthusiasm about their job. A nother associated challenge was if these newly appointed instructors those who have not been provided with the benefit of the ‘per diem allowance’ for moving incidentals and meals together lodge an objection and appeal to the Labor Relations Board, it will cause not only monetary loss for ‘Bombardier Aerospace’ via compensations but also image loss which would have trickle affect in potential future instructors as they will be reluctant to become part of Bombardier Aerospace which is unfair and unjust with their employees. 3. 0 QuestionQ #1. Evaluate Ted Baker’s reaction to NFTC’s relocation policy and his decision to approach Alex Lachance? | Ted Baker had successfully completed Bombardier’s interview process during summer of 2002 and was offer an appointment in Nato Flight Training in Canada (NFTC) to commence work few months later. During this same time nearly about other 20 instructors were also appointed. About few weeks after, Ale x Lachance joined Bombardier Aerospace as the manager of ground-based training operations for Nato Flight Training in Canada NFTC.After Alex joined, Ted approached him and communicated some of his major concerns about which he was extremely dismal. He had overheard the conversations of other newly employed instructors regarding their relocation benefits and compensation and most importantly the ‘per diem allowance’ provided to cover their moving incidentals and meals. Ted was extremely disappointed to see the relocation policy of Bombardier which to him reflected an unfair and inequitable system as he felt that it was not fair for some employees to receive a per diem allowance and while others did not.Also, when Alex came to know about it, he was shocked and surprised to learn about such compensation policy and he too felt it was not an evenhanded and a just policy to handle recruits, however he did not mention anything to Ted upfront. Also, one important thing was Ted had negotiated compensation for moving allowances, a paid trip to Moose Jaw and interim lodging and this additional compensation was tied up to the typical three- year loan agreement and similarly other new recruits who were paid all these what Ted received and in addition also the per diem allowance also was tied up with the same experience.Hence, Ted had a very disapproving reaction about the NFTC’s relocation policy. Q # 2 In your position as Alex Lachance would you attempts to change the relocation policy? Please be specific? | If I was given the position and responsibilities of Alex Lachance, I would have adopted an absolutely fair and impartial relocation policy. Hence, for this if required changing the policy, I would have certainly opted for that taking approval from all those concerned. The case presents the scenario of a recruit ‘Ted Baker’ who felt his package was discriminated when compared to some of the recruits who were offered appointment during t he same time.If I was in the position of Alex Lachance, then after hearing the rationale from the human resource department which purely stated that these additional benefits were paid to those who displayed better bargaining power during the interview. Based on the potential incumbent’s request and negotiation skills during the hiring process they were entitled for that benefit. Hence, quite often new employees those who did not ask for the per diem allowance, they were not paid. Thus, overall it reflected an unfair and non-uniform relocation policy:I would have taken the below specific steps to resolve this matter: * Step 1: I would have taken this issue to the Corporate Head office, Human Resource department in Montreal before circulating a new uniform hiring and compensation policy. This was to understand the implication of such policy at a group level as Bombardier had so many employees all over the world. * Step 2: Also, I would have given recommendation to the Corporat e Head Office to take any of the two alternatives as the way forward I.To re-look at the entire human resource policy and most importantly the cost attached of having to be paid all the new employees who are re-locating the ‘per diem allowance. ’ If that was feasible in terms of cost to the company then we should have proceeded with that. II. Secondly, if it came to the situation that such uniform policy will tremendously increase the cost to the company, in such an instance my recommendation would have been not to provide ‘per diem allowance’ to any of the employees as most importantly it was not fair.Also, if some employees chose to go and appeal to the Labor Relations Board for such unfair treatment, this might cause law suit charges to be paid and also loss of reputation and image as an employer and company. Q # 3 How would you respond to Ted Baker? | My response to Ted Baker would be a very candid, direct and impartial one which I would have provided h im after thoroughly understanding and evaluating the given situation. First of all, I would have thanked Ted Baker for being upfront and telling me about the exact issue what he heard from other new instructors’ without creating rumor about the company.And would also point out that his behavior and attitude was a reflection of him already being part of the company. As a second step I will provide him re-assurance that after critical scrutiny it has been observed that there has been some discrepancy in the past about the offer of ‘per diem allowance’. Hence, with my proposed recommendation of bringing uniformity in the relocation policy it has been notified to the Corporate Head office, Human Resource department in Montreal.Either their decision is to continue with this benefit or not, what I will ensure Ted is the end outcome would be something which is fair, impartial and transparent to all the employees. This is how I would try to regain the confidence of Ted B aker on the company and try to bring his enthusiasm back for his job and Bombardier. Also this might reduce the dismay and consternation of Ted and allow him to recuperate his expectation and enthusiasm about working at Bombardier. Q # 4 what’s your learning out of this case? |HR Compensation and benefits policy affect the productivity and happiness of employees, as well as the ability of an organization to effectively realize its objectives. It is to an organization’s advantage to ensure that the employees are creatively as well as equitably compensated and knowledgeable of their benefits. Key learning’s which any organization and most importantly any head of the HR department can educe are illustrated below: * Ensure equity and fairness in the remuneration and compensation policy and system as globally it has been identified as a key component in creating a successful compensation system.The equity can be ensured in the following three unique ways: * Provide w orkplace equity which implies giving perception that all employees in an organization are being treated fairly * Establish a culture of internal pay equity where all employees in an organization can perceive that they are being rewarded fairly according to the relative value of their jobs within an organization * Offer pay by omparing external pay conditions to ensure external equity exists when employees in an organization perceive that they are being rewarded fairly in relation to those who perform similar jobs in other organizations * Perceived inequity or unfairness, either external or internal, can result in low morale and loss of organizational effectiveness. For example, if employees feel they are being compensated unfairly as was illustrated in the case of Ted Baker, it can have a negative and demoralizing impact.Employees may restrict their efforts or leave the organization, damaging the organization’s overall performance and also cause loss of goodwill. The key lear ning’s from this case can also be linked to one of Abraham Lincoln’s famous quote which states â€Å"It is true that you may fool all the people some of the time, you can even fool some of the people all the time, but you can’t fool all the people all the time†. Also a related quote can be drawn to express the learning’s from the case â€Å"It’s better to lose in a cause that will someday win, than win in a cause that will some-day lose! 4. 0 Implications Every organization is powered by its people. Consequently, effective HR strategies are critical to ensure productivity and maximum success. HR professionals play an important role in terms of coming up with the right strategies to support organizational direction but must have the ability to think beyond tactics to identify the high-level areas of focus that will drive success. * Consider Strategic Vision HR leaders should review the company's current vision to determine ways in which HR a ctivities can support that vision.In concert with other organizational leaders, HR staff must consider whether the vision is applicable based on external and internal factors and whether changes in the marketplace may be suggesting a new vision. * Consider Demographics HR leaders should examine the demographics of the workforce to determine where gaps may exist between current skills and the need for skills and experience that may emerge in the future, in alignment with the organization's vision and strategies.HR strategy should be focused on filling these gaps through strategic recruitment, retention and training efforts. * Transfer of Knowledge Ensuring transfer of knowledge between department workers — whether they are departing voluntarily or involuntarily, or due to retirement or other reasons – is necessary to ensure continuity and minimal impact on productivity and effectiveness.